Have you grown up?

What is the definiion of a grown up? Do you watch cartoons? Do you drink recklessly and swear the next morning that you won't ever drink again? Do you like Sci-fi action flicks? Do you like candies? Do you have a fanatasy? If answer to all or some of tem s yes then m dear friend ou are no a grown up! Is i so??? Naaaahh... ! Well honestly I don't know where is this grow up sh*t comes from? Why the hell are we supposd to be grown ups at all?

I dn't ever want to be termed as grown up. I mean for all you know - you are supposed to behave, know all answers, be self sufficient, write stupid lengthy essays, live by yourself. There is no fun! You can't break or cry... you must be enjoying yourselves at all time? I mean how the hell that is possible. The pressure to be 'happy'at all ties is even worse then pressure to write exams.... don't you guyz think?

|

How many of you have studied abroad? Well I am not sure of this answer but I can guarantee one thing - you know someone who has.. or currently is! And if that's decided then we can also say for sure that you must have also heard of almost astonishing claims of huge amount of scholarships they have got - 40%, 75%, 80% or some even go up to 100%.

Does not surprise you? well it surprises me! Even though I have actually come abroad and am now studying in a truly international university in United Kingdom, huge scholarships still surprise me.

I started thinking about coming to UK about a year ago and thought I missed the bus of scholarship because you really need to plan ahead for such a thing, but it turns out my research was not really adequate. I have met people here you decided six months ago and here they are with full scholarship - all expense paid course.

It really intimidates me to know so many full scholarship students, I feel I am wasting my family's money now.  I know a chap who is on prestigious commonwealth scholarship (and worst part is he is actually my school junior), three people who are on Chiving scholarship, quite a number of people who have been sent here to study by there respective government departments to add value to their services. I mean what??? Am I the only commoner here?

I sometimes feel like a fool in knowledge aristrocracy. But it is also a vastly inspiring experience. These men and women deserve these scholarships every bit. One person among them is an ex army men, who after  suffering 45% burns in a fighter jet crash has dedicated six years of his life to help other burn victims, other fellow has achieved not just this Chiving but Fulbright and several other scholarships. I mean he must have got something right.

Oh yes and one person is secretory to the president of his country. I mean how do you even expect me to compete with these people. But I have decided to keep my head high and die trying. Jokes part! I am really glad that I came to this university - scholarship or no scholarship. I am at least able to discuss and debate with these great minds and step ahead in my life.

Now I am sure that this year is going to be a major stepping stone in my life. Wish me luck guys. I will most probably keep sharing my interesting experiences here.

 

|

"Woahhh! She is dating the boss - no wonder her review was good!" "Shit man! He is doing the boss???? man he is so gone... way to promotion dude!" 

In India we live in a romantic world of Bollywood where an honest servant can fall in love with spoilt daughter of his master, an old man can date young girls and a cheating husband can be brought back on track. However, if you reverse the gender it will not be accepted... just too much shock for janta.. but what's even worse is boss and employee or senior and junior relationship. Either way it is seen as immoral by the society and thus audiences. 

I don't remember a single movie where the main plot was a love story between two people working in same company. Too much shock for public? It should not be.. because perhaps it is the most common place for a relationship to begin - with a respectful percentage of conversion into marriage.

But conversions do not stop the gossip mongers. More often then not such relationships are branded as a trade to get promotion, good review,  better office, transfer etc. After a relationship becomes common knowledge no amount of hard work done by junior partner will be accounted, all credit simply drifts from his/her work skills to his/her bedroom skills - at least in sight of colleagues. Films like Life in a Metro extends the believe and make it seem like a prostitution, where people sell love to earn monetary gains. 

But is it really a true picture? Isn't it obvious that in today's fats life only time any of us honestly spend is with our colleagues, both junior and senior. So why is it so difficult to believe that two people can honestly in love? Why do we need to complicate things and look everything through the prism of malice! 

For all that I opine, I think that such a relationship would be even more fruitful for both partners, as they would understand each others work commitments (which most of you would agree is the hardest these days) and also support each other in professional life, instead of taking advantage. 

True, if gone bad, such a relationship can jeopardize one's job as well, but anyways you were not going to keep that job for ever, were you? so chill find a new one and have fun! 

I would say have fun and let others have fun! Cheers! 

|

Have you ever been to Japan? Well I have not! But the interesting thing is that I was about to. All thanks to my school. Years ago my school brought me this opportunity of completing my higher education in Japan, all expense paid full scholarship, I was apparently selected from all of Delhi through a systematic process.

I even distributed sweets around, but then I came to know that its not final I along with nine other finalist would have to give a final interview, which I... flunked... well I did not go. All that hullabaloo of a government school sending a child to Japan came crashing down.

In between those glorious (me bound to Japan star) days came another opportunity to go to Bangkok for a student summit. My teachers entered my name along with others in the race. Well honestly I was too proud to prep (I was going abroad for two years, what's in four five days?) Result? Oh I did miserably in my presentation, I forgot all on stage and ran away crying! Uff such drama!

Well fortunately a dear friend was eventually selected in the panel... but as it happens in government stuff... the trip was cancelled... after the passports were done! Now I guess only I could understand his pain! Poor guy (poor me too).

At that time I thought - what a farce... these sarkari schools, they just promise but never deliver.

Well here we are eight years down the lane, and you know what? Today I am journalist good enough that sarkar (Ministry of External Affairs) itself took me to three South Asian countries for a diplomatic trip. And my dear friend who lost his Bangkok summit has become an engineer and earns good enough to sponsor his own little vacation to same Bangkok, in fact he has just came back.

Well I would say education never fails. Our schools might be mighty, poor, luxurious or just tacky, what we take from there stays with us! Be it friends, books, manners or education.

What is the most valuable thing you took from you school? 

|