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The Stuff Sports Movies Are Made Of

August 14, 2007

I’m off to Chennai tomorrow to compete in the Landmark Open Quiz. I’m going with Kodhi and Wimpy. We’re calling ourselves NED (No Enthu Da, for the uninitiated).

We will be up against formidable opposition. Most formidable of all will be our ex-teammate Swami the HT Commie’s current team, QED. And even without QED, enough brilliant teams from both Bangalore and Chennai to make life sticky.

However, we’re riding on a long shot – the God of Cliches, if he (or she) exists , is probably going to be on our side. Because, let’s face it, out of the contenders, none is as underdog and beaten in spirit as we are.

One of us hates his job and can’t think of where else to go. The other two don’t quite hate theirs’, but wouldn’t mind something more suited to their strengths, and which would give them more time to write. Also, in the past month, two have found out in unavoidable terms that they are The Other Man. And all three of us are going through teenage angst or a quarter life crisis.

So we shall go in as the team which has nothing to lose. And if the God of Cliches does his stuff, we will fight an agonizing battle to the last question, which we shall win on buzzer.

That’s the theory, anyway.

(On a serious note, I’ve been improving at Landmark ever since I started. Landmark Chennai 2004 – didn’t quali. Landmark Bangalore 2004 – just missed qualying. Landmark Bangalore 2005 – made it to the final 8. Landmark Pune 2007 – made it to the final 4. Hope are there.)

Update: The God of Cliches deserted us! We made it to the finals and then finished last. Bah.

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Posted by Aadisht

Education is Evil

July 23, 2007

The most important question in the world is whether God exists or not. Once you’ve decided that he doesn’t – or that even if he does, it hardly makes a difference one way or the other – the most important question in the world reduces to ‘What should I do with my life?’

The thing about education (the formal sort) is that while you’re being educated you don’t really bother about this question. The more education you have, the longer it takes you to ask this question. In other words all education is a perverted conspiracy to keep you from getting at what really matters.

Aym Gramdian visions require education to be cut short and curtailed.

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Posted by Aadisht

Ambivalence on Self Expression

July 21, 2007

It isn’t just self-awareness that’s overrated. Self-expression is just as bad. When you combine the two it becomes an inferno.

You are self-aware. Thus you know your own insecurities. You self-express. Thus you talk about them. Everyone around you does not. You then wonder why everyone else seems to be so much less insecure than you are. You feel even more insecure.

However, when people leave comments on your post about self-awareness expressing approval, you get the feeling that perhaps they are as insecure as you. Schadenfreude happens and insecurity reduces.

The moral: self-expression is only good to the extent that it leads to schadenfreude.

5 Comments | Quarterlife Crisis | Permalink
Posted by Aadisht

Inconsistency

July 21, 2007

I am absolutely fine with people looking at me strangely because I carry pens of four different colours at all times, or take my camera everywhere.

I am terrified of possibly irritating customers by asking them for referrals.

This is most mystifying.

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Posted by Aadisht

Self-Awareness, Yada, Yada

July 18, 2007

Quarterlife Crisis: the ongoing struggle between ‘I could probably be good if I tried’ and ‘Who am I kidding here?’.

This is why self-awareness is overrated. All it means is that you become even more aware of your insecurities and even more paralyzed by them. In the meantime, the people around you who are unaware of themselves are able to delude themselves into thinking that they’re hot shit, and on that basis go out and rock the market.

This also dooms any attempt to break out of a funk through self-examination and attempting to discover my strengths, because all that does is lead you to discover even more weaknesses.

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Posted by Aadisht

Don’t Braise Your Eye

July 16, 2007

I don’t know if what I’m going through right now is a quarter-life crisis¹or simply pent-up teenage angst finally being released now that I no longer have to suppress it in favour of things like board exams and computer symposiums and entrance exams.

According to Madhav there isn’t really a difference.

¹: As Skimpy points out, it should really be called a one-third life crisis. But Quarterlife crisis sounds snappier and requires less explanation.

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Posted by Aadisht

Belt Tightening Are There

June 19, 2007

Starting this week, I’m putting in five kilorupees a month on a Nifty index fund, and five kilorupees a month in a growth mutual fund. This is over and above the ten kilorupees a month of ELSS I’m already doing.

That’s for my PhD fund. For my Thailand vacation fund, I’ll be starting a recurring deposit of ten kilorupees a month from now until November.

Looks like I’ll have to stop eating out.

Leave a Comment » | Consumerism, Personal | Permalink
Posted by Aadisht

I’m Back

June 19, 2007

I’m not thrilled about this. Over the next few weeks I will suffer withdrawal pangs for a number of things: pretty girls, being flirted at, having my laundry done by professionals, and laksa and sushi.

In the past couple of weeks, I have asked myself uncomfortable questions, been out drinking with a bunch of foreign policy wonks (this is much more fun than it sounds), wandered around Fort Canning Park and Chinatown, and lost an inch on my waist despite all the eating. Now I will get back to a life of dealing with recalcitrant customers.

Oh well. Bugger all that. Time to get on with life.

The spoils from the trip include a new phone, a portable hard disk, a litre of Absolut, a litre of Absolut Mandrin, and a spray can of ironing starch. I rather suspect that it’s the starch which will being the greatest joy in the long term. Starch! In a can! Which you can just spray on while you’re ironing! Is it not beautiful?

Ahem. Got a little carried away. Anyhow. Regular programming now resumes.

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Posted by Aadisht

Expense Account Arbitrage

June 1, 2007

I am off to Singapore for the next two weeks on *cough*a shareholder sponsored junket *cough cough* training.

During the course of training I will be staying at two five star hotels. It’s hard to pick the best thing about this sort of luxurious accommodation. There are two very strong contenders.

The first is the free breakfast. The idea of a breakfast buffet where I eat as much as I can before its time to head off to the seminar rooms is beguilingly attractive. When it’s being expensed to my cost code rather than to my salary account, it’s nirvanic. But it’s still not a clear winner.

Because there is the other, equally strong contender: free laundry.

Yes, free laundry. I am currently dumping all my clothes into my suitcase so that they can be washed and ironed by professional launderers (who, I just realised, will be Chinese, thus making this an even better deal). After six months of having my clothes washed by a maid who believes that the best way to deal with clothes is tough love, and who leaves the ironing to me, I will finally have an opportunity to have all my clothes stainfree, fluffy, sweet smelling, and crisply ironed. The mind reels in delight.

Right then. Time to get back to packing.

PS: Ritwik, you will have to wait a little longer for the Sohrabuddin and Idiotarians post. If I write a long post while in Singapore, it will imply a failure on my part to spend my free times out partying with an international contingent and Mr. Walker.

Leave a Comment » | Arbit Fundaes, Consumerism, Food, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Aadisht