Meeting Mr.Anonymous..

As I’d just introduced characters from a novel I’ve been reading, I just thought I’d feature an interesting comment on the ‘Of Nuts and Geniuses’ from a well wisher –

Anonymous said…

you should have an option like ‘cliched’ or ‘not quite interesting’ or ‘load of optimistic rubbish’ etc…it seems unfair that the only choices I have are cool or interesting…neither of which your little note on rebellious genius can qualify for.

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There is indeed a 3rd reaction called ‘Can do better lah’ which has a touch of Singlish and may not be all that obvious. That can be changed I guess(has been changed!)..
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Nice to have comments, always.. so please keep your thoughts coming!

Meeting Marler, Tweed and gang..

I am generally more of a flexible person when it comes to most things or so I think (maybe I’m not).. One thing that I know does happen to me is that once something works very well, it takes a lot for me to change it – especially when it comes to stuff I do for leisure.

One such example is with reading novels. And one such group of Novels I simply LOVE are those written by Colin Forbes.

There are a whole bunch of these novels and they primarily feature the team from the British SIS (Secret Intelligence Service – equivalent to the CIA) and all of these are thrillers with lots of adventure, mystery and some rather cool action. The coolest part is the main team and the main ones here are –

Tweed: The head of the SIS. An unassuming person to look at, extremely intense and never lets anyone on what he’s thinking unless he is very very sure! Super smart, of course..

Paula: His right hand, practically – a smart brunette with brains and a thirst for action! Very brave and portrayed as an adventurous right hand..

Bob Newman: A very famous international correspondent tough guy who Tweed trusts completely..

Marler: The real hero in my point of view atleast. Marler has always been my alias name (haha) and the reason is he is this cool, suave guy – always unruffled and is the deadliest marksman in Western Europe. Marler is someone who’s made it to my personal mission statement even just for the fact that he is always a calm head during a crisis and always, ALWAYS does things with style..

Harry Butler and Pete Nield: Opposites in the sense that Harry doesn’t pay too much attention to appearance while Nield does but both extremely dependable arms men, breakers of locks etc etc.. Complete the team..

Forbes’ novels have always enthralled me. Maybe it’s because there’s been a part of me always enthralled by the world of such secret/confidential missions, action etc.. I’d read Forbes when I was in high school and this time, I decided to pick these novels up and re-read and boy, I’m having a great time..
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The funny part is the difference in outlook now. These novels are very very British and they, as a result, portray Russia, China, US etc as power hungry monsters and that does occur to me as humorous right now..

Nevertheless, the real learning is observing the characters. It’s great fun and also tells me that when we get really deep into something, anything.. there are always life learnings that can be drawn out..

yes, anything, including Harry Potter(for the skeptics).. :D

The Big Idea — Your Primary Question

Tony Robbins teaches that we all have a primary question we ask ourselves whenever we’re under stress. And it’s not nice. Can you think of a question that has gone through your brain for most of your adult life whenever you get a little stressed?
Mine? “Am I going to look stupid?”

Not a very empowering question. To say the least. Think about it. The answer to that question is never going to be: “Oh, No! You? You’re going to look like a genius right now! Go for it! Everyone’s going to love you!” It’ll be more like, “Yah, you will look stupid. Remember when you messed that thing up before? Everyone looked at you funny? You got all sweaty and freaked out? Yah. That’s gonna happen here, too. Fer schizzle. Whatever you do, DO NOT do it!!”
Yikes! So…. Any more ideas on what your question might be?

… My question stopped me from doing ALL KINDS OF THINGS (from dancing to making simple phone calls). The Big Idea? Get clear on the fact that you have a question that’s running the show when you’re stressed. Figure out what it is. And, most importantly, replace it.
My empowered question? “How can I let God flow thru me?”

THAT is a MUCH MUCH MUCH better question to ask myself when faced with a stressful situation, no? Yours? Change the question and change your life.
…
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Interesting thought – I do have the knack of first thinking if I would look stupid or not. Time for some replacement, it seems.. :)

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And I am becoming a big fan of Brian Johnson’s Philosopher Notes..

Back home, a different feel and many ‘maybe’s’..

The feeling’s a bit different this time though..

Generally, it’s one of mad excitement..

Maybe it’s because I know I have an exam on the 18th to study for..

Maybe it’s because most friends are back in Singapore fighting the good fight..

Maybe it’s because a part of me has stayed behind in university knowing it’s done..

Or maybe it’s just because the ‘I am a graduate’ feeling is sinking in..

Feels different..

More solemn..

I guess I can no longer say I am just a stupid irreponsible student who has the right to fool around..haha

Maybe I’m ‘growing up’.. haha..

All these aside, it’s back to home sweet home, and there’s no place on earth like it..

Great to be back! :)
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It’s nice to crystallize why we feel the way we do. Just got a slew of book learnings from friends who are reading a book a month. Since 3 of them read and shared learnings from the alchemist, there’s a lot of talk of ‘Be friends with your heart’..

I’m trying.. :)

Of nuts and geniuses..

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Nice one.. quotes from Brian Johnson’s Philosopher’s Notes and Apple’s ad..

Life is a highway..

The sooner you learn how to drive a stick shift the better. It’s more important than you imagine.

Life is about balance.

Don’t get comfortable with where you are, things change and usually very fast.

Learn how to shift gears efficiently.

Know your limits.

Broaden your vision. You don’t want to miss your favourite donut shop.

Experiment.

Never underestimate the power of music and friends.

Having a GPS navigation system is always handy. Avoid using it, you’ll remember your routes better and for longer.

Understand and accept that you can’t always control everything.

Know that the world is bigger than you.

Let people know when you are going to cross someone, use indicators. Subtle but with style.

Don’t expect people to make way for you.

Make way for others. You never know what their circumstances are.

Find the nearest mechanic in your vicinity and make sure you are on good terms with him.

Learn how to change a flat.

Use your rear-view mirrors. It’s sort of cool when you get to know what’s happening behind you without actually having to look back.

Random order is what the road is all about.

Nice songs on the radio come by every now and then, enjoy them. You probably won’t hear it again for a while.

Take long drives by yourself once in a while.

Honking will not get any one to move any faster. It will however help that pretty girl notice you from across the street. As in numerous other situations timing is everything.

Trust your instinct, it does not matter if you are wrong.

Treat your machine right, you’ll be stuck with her for a long time.

By Dheepak Krishnamurthy..

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Loved it! :)

NUS: I will remember..the experience ..

I’ve been thinking about this post for a while and I couldn’t quite place what I was really going to write. It was meant to be a summary of the entire experience, and if the experience was anything to go by, it had to be bloody good.. And there in lay the problem..

So, after attempts at trying to think through this post, I have decided to just go with the flow..

I was a skinny 17 year old when I landed here on the 20th of July, 2006. I was a kid who, like all those Indians who make it here, had done well in my board exams, had a respectable cultural activities record, sports track record etc. I was also a boy riddled with many insecurities, had a big big ego, took myself way too seriously for my own good, was generally not so clean, a tad spoilt, very careless with money, generally disorganized and always always rushing. It was not all bad – I could hold my own when communicating with people, enjoyed working in teams and was generally the type who has had to work hard for anything good that has come..

When I came to this place, I was just one of those 1,000 international students who made it here, was a misfit at the engineering school, was overawed at the kind of options that even existed in this place.. And slowly began finding my feet, primarily because of some wonderful people who helped me find my place(due to respect to Pranav, Nitin and Abishek here and a whole bunch of my immediate seniors..)..

And slowly things began falling in place. Here are a few random thoughts on the experience itself.. It’ll never quite be a complete summary, but I guess it never should – some things are best left unsaid after all..

I goofed up, a lot..
Screwed up in places and situations unimaginable..
Tried my hand at ‘entrepreneurship’ – it’s a big word..
Failed more than I could have imagined..
Worked my a&$ off..
Learnt I could be pretty persistent, sometimes annoyingly so..
Strongly believed that an idea would make a billion dollars..
That didn’t happen..
Strongly believed an initiative would take off..
That didn’t either..
Soon realized that the learnings that came with them were worth a lifetime..
Got straightened out by multiple mentors many many times..
Was made to shut up many a time..
Realized I was nowhere close to the smartest person around..
But knew I could work hard and never give up..
Slowly began finding my place..
Found my fragile ego crushed..
Began rebuilding with an attempt at some self confidence, one blog post at a time..
Never was and never will be a good engineering geek..
But survived anyway..
Played lots of sports..
Tried my hand at a lot of random stuff..
Realized that every experience was worth its weight in gold..
Tried hard to be a keen student and learn every step in the way..
Realized that I learnt a lot more from the lows than the highs..
Failure makes us humble after all, and is a wonderful thing..
Learnt I should spend less than I earn..
Learnt that health is NOT worth messing up..
Noticed that most great men never take themselves too seriously..
Struggling with that still..
Decided I needed to stop rushing and take things one at a time..
Went back to my roots when I was most in need..
Realized the value of faith and prayer in that one instance..
Tried becoming a happier person by smiling more and wishing others more..
Tried becoming cleaner, neater, better organized..
Tried my hand at my own little initiative..
Tried making a dent in the university life in this place..
Wanted my life to be defined by ‘If your children think of fairness, caring and integrity, they should think of you..’
Started reading again.. Voraciously..
Made my own mission statement..
Found my own values..
Dreamed..
Went to RealAcad..
Learnt I should believe in those dreams..
Made friends from across cultures who shared similar values..
Became a loyal mentee..
Always tried finding excuses to test my leadership ability..
Realized that leading and being proactive is part of one’s own life..
Tried my hand at ‘mentoring’ myself in an attempt to give back..
Failed miserably at first..
Slowly began finding my way..
Tried setting an example and had an excuse to be clean and organized..
Began finding unparalleled joy in spending time with my ‘kids’.. :)
Spent a LOT of time with close friends..
Had long conversations I will remember for a long long time..
Realized that it is the people that make the difference..
Learnt that relationships are more about giving than taking..
Fell in love..
Made friends for life..
Began telling people what they meant to me..
Rather than leaving feelings unsaid..
You never know which moment could be your last, after all..
Learnt how to give a proper hug..
Learnt what it meant to ‘be there’ for people..
Found a sibling right at the very end of the journey..
Fully realized the joys of this wonderful student life journey right at the very end..
A lot of good things happen right at the end after all..
And they have..
For I know, 20 years later, when I show my kids these posts(fingers crossed :)),
I will do so with all my 32 teeth on show.. :D

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There are some experiences that words can’t do justice to, all that easily atleast.

This is one of them..

All I can say I’m really thankful to all those who made this experience what it is..
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To all those who are still going through your university amidst this exam period – all I can say is university life can tend to just follow a script – 1st week joy, cca activities, mid sem ‘stress’, more cca activities, searching for internships/jobs, final exam ‘stress’ with variables like design projects, final year projects popping in and out..

It’s probably worth it to break out of the usual once a while and try and do something we would actually remember 10 years from now. I don’t know if there ever will be a better opportunity to get our feet wet, experiment, fail and still never face any real consequences and don’t know If there will ever be a time where we can, well and truly, do whatever we want in a day without a care in the world..!

In short, life is to smile and have fun rather than get caught in our own and generally insignificant ‘stress’ loops. We’re not machines, never will be.. So, here’s wishing you all the best and hoping you just give it your best shot – not because that’s all that matters (eventually, winning, losing, performance do tend to make a difference..) but because going down the regret path is definitely not worth it..

Aside from these moments, I’ve probably found the most profound learning to come from a Harry Potter line – at every point, we are faced with a choice of what’s right and what’s easy.. And there’s probably no better place to test this out than during this period of life as a student..

Here’s to a wonderful memorable university life.. And if you ever have questions that you feel this blogger can help you with, you know where to write in..

In the words of a friend –
To love, life and laughter..
This Blogger.. :)

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12 hours..

NUS: I will remember(XX) the walk (Photos only.. :))

This is something that I have been wanting to do for a while now – take a walk around NUS and relive some of the memories. Doing it with 4 others was a lot of fun! This was by no means extensive as it was a good 3 hour long walk and hence, was pretty tiring as it was after a long day.. :)

But, an attempt nevertheless.. :D


PGP Bus stop – where the day generally begins.. :)


The dreaded KEVII steps..


KEVII lounge – all the big football matches this semester- nice memories! :)


The walk from science to PGP – usually traversed at or beyond 3am in the morning..


Eli’s rat murder lab – source of a lot of 4th year banter


NUH Canteen – Management Through Football discussions on Saturdays


Bengawan Solo – all our birthday cakes are belong to them


NUH – and its most loyal patron


Remembering the NUH times – 9 of us waiting 4-5 hour late in the night for a friend’s consultation..


The beautiful medicine to science walk way – enroute to the then Nineo office


The science canteen indian stall and its loyal patrons


The science canteen fruit/beverage stall – remembering the number of times I have gone there at 6am in the morning to have donuts, curry puff and a nice drink..


The ‘pink tables’ – many many discussions have happened here..


The end of the then SoC incubation centre corridor. Remembering many many many football games that have happened here (with cloth footballs of course.. The ultimate take-a-break spot! :))


The incubation centre corridor..


The ex-Nineo office. Our logo sheet still remains on the notice board. A remnant of old times..


The bridge outside the office. Another super take-a-break and attend phone calls spot..


SoC1 lift.. Another Nineo memory.. :)


TR8 – Sparkz welcome meets, RealAcad seminars, MTF sessions..


SoC terrace – where we attempted (and partly saw) the asteroid showers and spent a memorable night..


Old incubation centre (1st year). 1st ever workplace..


Ha ha.. Eli at his department..


The Life Science mini lover’s park – a Bipasa 1st year find


University Hall – remembering 1st days of collecting scholarship allowances + Eli’s photography skills (‘man is so insignificant’ meaning..)


SRC steps – SOIS Orientations – fun memories


Football field.. goal post.. NUS staff soccer games.. :)


The SRC hard courts – awesome awesome awesome memories..


My secluded pre exam mojo/study place behind the dreaded Multi Purpose Sports Halls..


Bipasa’s thrill at seeing the exam hall where she received her first A+. This one had to go in.. :)


Attempt at reliving pre-exam scenes :D


No more exams in this place. Notice fail..


YIH Canteen – of meals during RealAcad camps, nice sushi etc..


Post football de-brief place with 100 Plus bottle, Kaushik, Payodh, Shankar, Arjun etc..


Sparkz Auditions II


Outside Cheers – lots of small shopping done here, especially for many RealAcad camps…


Yes, traumatized. Welcome to the EE2001 lab..


This had to go in as well – Best bathrooms in Engine – the new DSI building next to E3.. :D


Time spent sleeping in the awesome couch at Bioengin corridor = All other productive time spent in Engineering – talk about a nice balance..


FYP Lab – Geek mode..


LT7A – all year 1 lectures..


I survived(almost)..


Thank you for all the lovely Mcbreakfasts.. especially the ones that gave me enough strength to attend 9AM labs..


The super mediterranean stall @ Biz canteen


NUS Alumni House w/ our beautiful event manager Ramy.. haha. The venue of Sparkz.. :)


Sheares supper shop – I can never forget..:)


PGP swings – remembering all the time spent bumming around in our 1st year

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1 place I realized I missed out was Central Forum where we had our ArtVibe sessions..
So, here’s an older photo after a session. :)


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It was..A walk to remember..

:)
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14 hours and 1 final post to go..