To quote one guy on Instagram, recently I had the fortunate experience of writing a few online exams. I had written about the adrenaline rush of writing an exam itself but to top all that, the real fun is when you have to keep your video on and a proctor is looking at your moves.
Continue reading “When Sniper’s Red Dot is on your forehead”Category Archives: experiences
Here’s some unsolicited advice for you
Some people have a personality that makes you believe that they can be bothered for personal advice. They have an air of stability and sound decision making. They look like if you tell them your secrets, they will keep them end-to-end encrypted.
When I was in college, few friends were open to telling me about their crushes and stuff, assuming that I won’t reveal. Something made them think that I, for one, won’t interfere, and second, might guide them further. I did guide them and today they are happily married. To someone else, of course. I lured the others to actually reveal their secrets by sending them a link to share their 3 crushes and then reading their responses. Phishing and college pranks and whatnot.
Continue reading “Here’s some unsolicited advice for you”Updating Role Models
When I was growing up, one of the programs I would watch every Sunday morning (apart from Sunday Morning Cartoons on Doordarshan) was the Bournvita Quiz Contest hosted by Derek O’Brien on Zee TV. For kids interested in quizzing, O’Brien was like a Role Model. My school was seldom invited to participate in BQC so all I could feel about it was to get envy. A few years later I did get a chance to see him Live in Birla Auditorium in Jaipur when Discovery Channel organized a quiz. I, along with a school-mate, almost reached the City Finals of the quiz but couldn’t clear the last hurdle and missed a chance to meet him in person. But I always wondered how would it be to be quizzed by one of the most prominent Quizmasters in India.
Continue reading “Updating Role Models”My TV wants to take a Vacation
Don’t you sometimes inflict pain on to yourself just to see how much would it hurt or do you still have it in you? Like touching a hot pan to see what temperature can you handle, or trying to lift 10 KG bag of Aata to see if your backbone is still in solid-state or watch News on TV just to see how many decibels your ears can tolerate? I could dip my hand in boiling milk and I could lift heavy bags but I usually give up after checking the sheer loudness of the TV News for more than 5 minutes. And I live almost next to an airport so I know what loudness is.
I wonder how these news people sleep at night? Maybe everything they do is in ALL CAPS. GOOD MORNING? MORNING I SAID. DON’T YOU THINK THE MORNING IS GOOD? HOW DARE YOU SAY GOOD MORNING AFTER 12? What if they get a little extra salt in their food? What if someone overtakes them from the wrong side? How do they react with their Kids when they show them their report cards? Even the graphics on these news channels are so glaring that if you feel cold any day, keep a TV with News On instead of spending money to make a fireplace.
I have tried a lot but News is becoming more and more unbearable. I am not saying that it is not relevant. I am just saying that I have now become nihilistic enough to ignore it and still live normally. I have even tried the silent news channels. They are so depressing and dull about everything around that one feels that it would need some electric shocks to come back to reality which is normally just fine if not 100%.
The day is not too far when the TV would come with coolants and radiators. And if they get too hot due to the sheer loudness, you might have to take them not to a TV Repair shop but with you to some hill station so that they can take a vacation.
Sweets at my desk
“Commenting for better reach”
I am writing from a place of privilege, providence, and a pedestal of good fortune but I just feel sad when I open LinkedIn nowadays. The feed is full of people writing about their untimely exit from their jobs due to the ongoing pandemic. I am not an expert to give any advice to people who were working till March/April but not working anymore. The times are unprecedented and until we get a fully functional vaccine, chances of normalcy are bleak. So, we must keep trying, is all I can say.
However, I do have a word or two for Freshers who had job offers but they haven’t been called to report yet, or even if they hadn’t, they were ready to enter the professional arena this year but things have gone upside down, for no fault of their own. I do have empathy with them as I was in the same boat around 2008. I don’t want to mince words but the reality is simple: this time is worse than that time. I have stated this earlier on this blog too that I had 2 Job Offers when I graduated as a Computer Science Engineer. Thanks to the 2008 recession which did all it could to crush my confidence, I had to wait 21 months to get a proper job I preferred. Again being lucky, I got back the job offer in March 2010 from the same company which had sent me a regret letter before imploding due to a financial crisis of their own in early 2009.
Continue reading ““Commenting for better reach””The Rush
- Phone fully charged – Check.
- Laptop fully charged and plugged in – Check.
- Pen and few back up pens – Check.
- Scientific Calculator (which has somehow got so advanced that I have forgotten the usage but is still there for moral support) – Check.
- A4 Sized Sheets – Check.
- WebCam (do we still call it that?) – Check.
- Network Connection – Check.
- Mind Ready for Taking the Exam Online with your WebCam On and with lukewarm preparation – Ch… No!