Phir Milne ki Ummeed

Last poem of 2011 .. so here we go...

Na miltey anjaane main aapse to,
Yeh neki aur sharaafat na hoti.
Na kartey aapse do baatein to,
Alfaazon main yeh khoobsurti na hoti.

Na hota maayusi ka ghum to,
Lobzon main yeh hichkichaahat na hoti.
Na hoti phir milne ki ummeed to,
Shayari ki yeh koshish na hoti.

Cologne Cathedral ( Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche St. Peter und Maria)

There are rare moments when you can truly feel your insignificance in this vast ocean of Time and Space. One such moment came where i stood in front of the breathtaking Cathedral of Cologne.

I was on my way to Paderborn from Darmstadt to celebrate Christmas with the family of my good friend Paul and in between there was a 2 hours stop at Köln(Cologne). So my friend suggested that I should check out the famous Cathedral located adjoining the Railway Station. Now the Railway Station entrance is located in such a manner that the moment you come out of there; the first view that hits you is the Köln Cathedral and the first impression is so strong that there is virtually no other option left than to visit it.

Hence the plan was made and we entered the Cathedral. Now I consider myself to be an extremely verbose guy but when faced with over 800 years of history I must confess that I felt laconic. The building of this humungous monument started in 1248 and went on until 1880 and these 600 years of human endevour are clearly visible. The detail in which each inch of this 144.5 meters high Cathedral has been constructed is simply unbelievable and mere words are just not enough to explain it.

However more that the beauty of the architecture, what effected me more was the ancientness of the Cathedral. As I thought about the many generations of men that those stone angels had watched;I could understand their grave expressions. It seemed as if they had nothing left to see or judge about mankind. With the barbarism, cruelty, avarice and violence than we have shown them again and again, it is no wonder that they have no more tears left to show and forced that they are to keep on witnessing more seems like the most harsh punishment. Mere men could never be able to bear this and we should always remember these Angles' sacrifice and try to reform. As I stood there facing those grave Angels and motionless pillars of the cathedral I realized my insignificance and felt humbled.

Such was its massiveness that even after spending 1 and half hours inside the Cathedral, we could still only see a small part of it, but it was definitely an unforgettable experience. As my breath formed a mist inside the Döm, I could smell the ancientness emanating from the very stones of the monument. I could feel the old ages passing by the massive pillars which had withstood so many ages and tried my best to not make a single noise .....what if I disturb them .... what if I tip them over the limit ..... what if I begin the end....

My Adventure at Eberstadt Bahnhof - The deserted Trainstation!!

I will come to the adventure part in due course but let me first start from the very beginning. It so happened that one my good friend and colleague was singing at the choir in a Church near Bichenbach Station to celebrate the Advent of Jesus this Sunday. So he invited me to join him there and since I was free on the Sunday evening I agreed.

As it was the first time I was going there so I used Google maps and rmv.de and got the directions. I first took the P Bus from Modaubruecke/Pfungstadter Bus Stop and got down at the Eberstadt Bahnhof Bus Stop. My train was at 5:37 PM and Bichenbach was just the next stop from Eberstadt with the train RB 60 so I was well in time until then. And then the problem started.

First problem was that it had snowed in the morning and temperature had gone down appreciably. It showed 1.5 degrees but it felt a lot colder so I was literally freezing out there. The Second problem was I didn't know the direction to go from the Bus Stop to the Train Station since it was my first time. And Lastly it was a Sunday evening so the whole place was deserted and dark.

But since I had some time in hand so I chose a direction in Random and started walking. After walking about 10 minutes I finally found an isolated Petrol /Gas Station and asked for the direction to the Bahnhof to the man in charge using my rudimentary German. Somehow i got the summary of what the fellow was saying and it was as expected; I had chosen the opposite direction. So I had to turn back and retrace my path and just as I was approaching the Bus Stop again I saw a train passing over me (Literally :P).

Actually the Bus stop was located below a bridge and the train passed over the bridge. But the problem was that I didn't see any road to reach above to the bridge. Also it was very dark which made it even more difficult. But i knew that if I reached above to the bridge then I can follow the rail tracks to the nearest Train Station. So I started looking for side alleyways which might take me up to the bridge and luckily I found one. This alleyway took me to a dark deserted complex of warehouses which disturbingly resembled the Counter Strike Game maps where we used to ambush the Terrorists. The more disturbing part was that it the whole complex was completely dark and empty. But just as i approached the nearest warehouse the Motion Sensor activated the nearest lamp and it continued happening as I stepped ahead. It was eerily similar to many horror movies I had scene earlier and I was just about expecting a group of thugs to attack me anytime :-O.

But I knew the direction I had to take and I remembered my German Friend David's advise that in Germany you can run around drunk anywhere at nay time and no one will bother you (But i believe he wasn't serious that time :P); so I kept moving in the general direction I had scene the previous train go by. Just then I saw the very train I wanted to catch cross at some distance just ahead of me and I knew at least somehow I had reached the Railway Tracks. I decided that although I have missed the train I should at least see where the train goes next.

Luckily I saw the train pull up a few 100 meters ahead of me and I knew that the Bahnhof was somewhere nearby. Now the next problem was how to reach this place. The Railway tracks were about 2 feet below me and due to rain and Snow in the morning the whole area was damp and slippery. I decided I can't go back and search for a different way so I would keep moving forward. So I jumped onto the Railway tracks and decided to follow it ahead and pray that no train comes by that route since the tracks were very narrow with not space separating them from the edge of the bridge. Surprisingly my luck held good and no train approached and finally I was able to get to the Eberstadt Bahnhof. However there were more surprises for me left even now. The whole damn train station was empty , you can picture an entire Railway Station completely devoid of any shops or people. It was as if I had entered into a Ghost Station. There was an Automat to buy ticket but there was no information desks and not a soul could be seen anywhere. I wondered how a station can be this empty and still be functional but there was nothing I could do then so I decided I would just wait for whichever train comes by and get into all of then and ask if it goes to Bichenbach or not and keep doing this until I get the correct train.

But I think God finally had had mercy on me and I saw the door open and an angel in disguise walk in (i call her angel because of my frustrated condition :P). You can imagine my relief when I finally saw another soul and the relief got magnified when I learn that she could speak English too. :D And so the girl , helped me get to the correct platform and train and I could finally attend my Friends Performance, although I was 45 minutes late :(. While coming back I decided to follow the same path with some other guys who were also going to Eberstadt and you could imagine my irritation when I realized that the actual route to the station was very short and easy but it was covered by a few buildings so I was unable to see it in the dark.

So ended my great adventure at the Eberstadt Bahnhof and I hope I live happily ever after.:P

PS: The moral of the story is you can reach any destination if you brave all the hurdles, but that would be stupid. Play smart , if you are doing something the first time always do it with someone who has done it before, it saves a lot of pain and trouble. ;P

10 ADVICES!!!

I wrote these Advices as part of my First and Last article for my Campus Magazine and I hope they are useful for you. These are a total summary of whatever I learned while I was doing my 5 years dual degree at IIT Roorkee. But I believe that the points also hold true for any student who has just joined a Graduate program. I hope you don’t repeat my mistakes and achieve success.

1) DON'T CHEAT

Yeah, this might sound like a cliché but so many of my fellow IITians have been trying to cheat lately that it makes me wonder about the standards of IIT JEE entirely. You might get a grade less but its helluva lot better than getting expelled or at best getting a Year-back. This is especially for the 1st year because 1st year is most strict and there will be no letting you go if you are caught. So act smart cheating is nothing worth bragging about. Also don’t give the statement that you have read enough during your JEE preparation; the 1st year is the toughest and carries maximum credits hence has maximum weight on your overall resume so give it the respect that it deserves. Don’t neglect classes and tutorials; you need only to use your time efficiently.

2) CGPA IS IMPORTANT

Yeah you will have seniors saying that CGPA isn’t important and cite you the examples of some other seniors who made it good without great CGPA. Don’t take them on face value, always question and you will find out that with low CGPA one faces a lot more difficulty everywhere in the future. If you want to go for R&D as your career its best to have CGPA above 8. Mine is 7.5 and I can tell you how difficult it was to get into a good college with this low a CGPA inspite of having great GRE & TOEFL scores. So no matter what happens always keep your CGPA at least above 7 or 7.5. Companies like best the students with CGPA in 7.5 to 8.5 ranges and good overall achievements. Always care about your future, its nothing to be ashamed off.

3) CHOOSE YOUR GOAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Study and do research about the various options you have after you pass out and make a decision. Talk with all your seniors, not only a few whom you know better but have all your seniors’ inputs, see what your likes or dislikes are and try to make your own decision as soon as possible. A student opting for a job in Finance needs qualities that are vastly different compared to a student applying abroad or one opting for a job in Core Companies and these are qualities that the companies will try to find in your CV so you have to build it accordingly.

4) INTERNSHIPS ARE IMPORTANT: HOW TO CHOOSE AN INTERNSHIP??

Whether you are applying for jobs or Graduate studies abroad your internships matter a lot. It’s a very important part of your CV. Now know that different internships are good for different goals. For example if you want to go for job in finance or IT sector its best to do an internship in a good Finance or Software Company. If you want to go for Core Companies do an internship in a good industry. Internships in abroad Universities are important only if you are applying for higher studies so don’t blindly go for them. Whatever may be the internship start applying early around August, make a database of your own and apply according to your Specific Area of Interest. For example for students who want to pursue higher studies; try to choose a particular research topic, if you don’t know it now research about all topics available and choose one you like the most. But whatever your fields always try to maintain continuity in all your internships. That means if you wan to go for Finance Sector then try to do all you internships in finance profiles. Also always try to be extremely specific while you are applying according to your selected Goal, the companies like to know that you know what you are doing and not blindly throwing darts.

5) RECOMMENDATION

Recommendations always help a lot. Often you will need 3 to 4 recommendations, especially if you are applying for higher studies. So in all your Class studies and Internships try to have a good rapport with people of influence in your fields. Try to impress them with your work. Always stay in contact with them. Wish them regularly and do not at any cost lose contact. You can’t expect to ask a person for a Recommendation for you out of the blue. You are not that important remember try to develop as many good contacts as you can and always stay in touch with them.

6) KNOW ALL YOUR CLASSMATES AND SENIORS

Now we were forced to know all our seniors and classmates and their likes and dislikes as part of our ragging. It was tough for us then but there was a good reason behind it. All students here have specific qualities they are good at and hence worthy of equal respect. You should do the same. Personally you might think yourself to be SRK but for the guy next you are just as big a fool as you think him to be. So don’t expect people to help you in your time of need; you are not that Great. Learn to make friends. Know to socialize.

7) ALWAYS STAY HUMBLE AND GIVE RESPECT TO ALL

Try to meet different people and know them; this will better help you develop a solid personality. All the English accents, body gestures and gesticulations come to naught if you don’t learn humility. Always be polite to your teachers, never antagonize them. Once again I remind you about the insignificance of us as viewed from the spectators’ perspective. We just have qualified one tough exam; it doesn’t make us great personalities. We still need a lot of work to do.

8) LEARN GOOD ENGLISH, BUILD A GOOD PERSONALITY & DEVELOP ON YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Stop these prehistoric convent-styled outdated accents and behaviorism. Be fluent, concise and have an emphasis on making the listener understand the point instead of making him look for a dictionary. Expressions while speaking are good only when they are required to make a point. Do not overuse it. Always speak in the language in which the other party is comfortable with. Once again I repeat it because it’s extremely important, don’t think yourself too high because you can speak in a so-called-accent, you accent is worth nothing if the listener is unable to understand you.

9) PARTICIPATE IN MANY EVENTS & ACTIVITIES BUT STAY AWAY FROM POLITICS

Its always good to have a lot of extra curricular activities in your CV and try to participate in a lot of campus events and sports activities whenever you can. But don’t run after posts they are grossly over rated. I have seen many go to unseen depths of disgrace just for posts and recently the trend is worsening day after day. Personally I have had no problems about getting selected in Job Short listings and these posts are incoherent jargon for Foreign Universities, so don’t fixate on posts, do it because you like it and you want to contribute that’s all. But if you have no other choice and are forced to get into politics for posts then learn to say ‘NO’. Yes the other guy might be a friend in need but if it needs to get into politics then it simply isn’t worth it. Instead work with some National and international NGO to fill out your extra curricular column. Do something good instead of getting into the disgusting political battles. My firm belief is that even beggars have a better constitution than politicians, and hence I would suggest you all to avoid this plague completely.

10) AVOID FACTIONISM, STAY UNITED

This problem started with our year. But it was moderated due to ragging. But from next year onwards we see all students divided into groups. The primary groups are the Haddus, The Sportspersons, The Self Proclaimed Cool Gangs, The Gamers, The Politicians, The Downloaders, and finally The Sleepers. Each of these groups thinks themselves to be the most important and the others as fools. This MUST stop. Any student body’s strength is its unity, but we are losing that strength fast. I don’t say don’t make groups but don’t get into destructive conflicts just because of some silly group politics. Stay Together And Prosper.