Since literature on Mullainagiri is widely available on the internet, in this article I will focus more on our experience.

So, Mullainagiri is the highest peak in Karnataka, located in the Elysian serenity of the Western Ghats. This peak is chirpier than the other famous trekking spots in the state because of its proximity to the famous tourist destination, Chikkamagaluru. And because of the presence of a small shrine at the top (which is the case with every hill in India), the Government of Karnataka has committed the very sinful deed of constructing a road to the top. Next to Mullainagiri is another similar peak which goes by the name of Bababudangiri or Dutta Peeta which is quite famous due to the feud between Hindus and Muslims over a shrine dedicated to both Baba Budan, a Muslim, and Dattatreya, a Hindu. So, the plan was simple. Conquer these two peaks and return to Bengaluru with glory.

Notwithstanding the threat of the monsoon rains, four of us left Bangalore on the night of July 8, 2011 by means of a KSRTC bus. Train services can also be availed. The nearest railway station is Kadur where all trains going towards Shimoga stop. Even though our first preference was to travel by train which would have cost the whole of `30, due to the number of people who use it and the unearthly hour at which it reaches Kadur we decided against it. The cheapest bus fare is `180 by the way. We reached Chikkamagaluru at 5 in the morning and after loitering around and performing daily chores, we decided to go Sarpadaari, the starting point of the trek to Mullainagiri, by auto. It is worth mentioning that the restrooms in Chikkamagaluru bus stop are world class, literally. We started the ascent at 7:44. BTW, it wasn’t raining!

Even though it is the highest peak in Karnataka, the climb does not take very long. The first few hundred meters are quite steep, thus altitude can be covered fast and at the same time it is tiring. A major disadvantage of trekking in the Western Ghats in this season, even if it is not raining, is that the visibility will be reduced to about 10 meters. This means that if we look down, it looks like an abyss, only this will be white and cloudy, and if we look up, we cannot know how much higher we have to climb. All one can make out is the clouds moving around. Even though this doesn’t provide us with stunning photographs, the experience amidst gushing winds and the snow white clouds are rare to get. After losing our way a couple of times and trying to document our climb in videos, we reached the peak at 9:41.

There is a cave at the top which might catch the attention of people more adventurous than I. We couldn’t find out where it leads to as it demands crawling on all fours. There are a couple of houses on top where the Pujari of the temple is supposed to reside. But, unfortunately for us, we couldn’t find anyone there. This meant that there was no one there to show us the way towards Bababudangiri. After wasting an hour and putting up with the influx of loads of people who had come by vehicles, we decided to descend and go to Bababudangiri by road. To get the best of both worlds, we decided to descend by walking on the road. Big Mistake! The road goes on and on and on for 13 kms. with no great view of the surrounding hills. Adding to our woes, at the bigger temple on the way down (this is the major tourist attraction), the priest told us that it was better to trek to Bababudangiri as it was just 10 kms. long and would have taken around 3 hours. Dejected and unwilling to climb up again, we walked to the main road.

Here is a sincere request from my side. I came across some horrible horrible people at the top. People who I am willing to kill if I am promised to be acquitted for the crime. The kind of people who go to temples, fold their hands, pray to their Gods to sanctify them and then, immediately after coming out of the temple commit a major sin. The amount of plastic thrown around at the top made my blood boil. I saw people partying at the top, eating food in plastic plates, carrying plastic covers and then, just throwing them around without any hesitation. The place is really beautiful and plastic is not the right way to appreciate its beauty. So, please carry all your plastic back with you and have it recycled. Chikkamagaluru is a plastic free town. Even the shopkeepers use cloth bags. So, please help them keep it plastic free.

The people throwing the plastics

The plastics thrown around

We decided to come back to Chikkamagluru and visit Bababudangiri the following day. After waiting a long time at the base, we managed to get a ride back in a jeep. We checked into a cheap lodge and spent the night there. The following day, we hired an auto rickshaw and went to Bababudangiri. The rickshaw driver assured us that we would be awed by the places he was taking us to and that the ‘Punya Kshetra’ (Holy place) on top called Manikyadhaara was a beautiful place. He did take us to some awe-inspiring places, but the thing about the Manikyadhaara waterfall is not true. If you are ever visit Bababudangiri, you can safely skip this place. The shower in my bathroom is higher and pours more water. But, worth mentioning is a waterfall we visited on our way to the top. It is called Jhari falls or Nandi falls and is in the middle of nowhere. Its view from the road is breathtaking. And a small 2 km hike is needed to reach it. After getting bitten by leeches and taking numerous photographs of the falls and nearby hills, we went to the top and returned back to Chikkamagaluru, and finally to Bengaluru.

The waterfall

All in all, it was a great experience and I would love to do the trek again in the peak season. Hopefully, I will be able to complete the trek to Bababudangiri and camp at Gaalikere then. If you have any queries or need any information about the trek, drop a comment below.

Peace.

P.S: Pardon the quality of the pictures.

So, the experts who are principals, HODs and Deans of universities are made to evaluate colleges, other than their own, amongst parameters like Academic Input, Student Care, Infrastructure, etc. These experts who sit in their comfortable air-conditioned offices assess how well the faculty teach students in hundreds of colleges in their cities or zones, and how happy students are sitting in classes and living in hostels. The evaluation of these experts forms the core of the methodology followed in ranking the colleges which affects the perception and influences the decisions of millions of people in the country.

Listing the major colleges in the country is an essential thing as it imparts very useful information to the people. But, what got me infuriated is the response these rankings got from the students of these colleges. Firstly, most of these students do not care about the authenticity of the rankings as long as their college is ranked very high and secondly, these are the very students who crib about listening to lectures and complain about the faculty. There was an online survey a few days ago by a popular Indian magazine, which allowed users to vote for what they think is the best college in the country. Obviously, everybody voted for their own college even though they were very much aware that there are much better colleges in the country. The survey went viral and requests to vote for arbit colleges started pouring in from all directions. This makes it no more authentic than Facebook polls. So please stop asking people to vote for your college in some farcical popular vote survey.

Personally, I would like to say that I attend a college which is one of the best in the country rather than the 8^th best in the country. These rankings are a farce and don’t contain anything of substantial value. The only thing they may result in is to make students more disillusioned as to how awesome their college is.

P.S: Dear India Today, the building with snow falling on it is not NITK, even though all of us would have loved it if it were true. Please get your facts right.

Wikipedia has this to say: The Devil is the personification of evil and the enemy of humankind. The Devil is a being that tempts human beings to, willingly or unwillingly, commit heinous deeds. The Devil manifests in different forms and it met me in one such form. Due to my naivety, I was clueless of its plans and embraced its preaching. After all, what could possibly be evil about it when millions of people across the world follow the Devil? All of them couldn’t be that stupid. I have always believed that rational and logical thinking is the only way to make decisions. I had temporarily lost that ability. The Devil had poisoned me.

I started to believe that the world is full of parasites and weaklings. My misanthropic feelings kept me in the darkness for a long time. I started judging every person I met. The Devil had taken over my mind. I had to get out. But, I was delusional and didn’t know that I had become a minion of evil. I had lost a man’s requisite for survival – happiness. I had to find a way and escape from the Devil’s clutches.

Then it happened. The miraculous rescue. Without my knowledge, my mind found a way. I was exorcised and cleansed of the Devil’s evil presence. I was back in reality, after struggling many months in hell. I had cut the ropes that bound me to the gates of delirium. I could finally show the middle finger to the Devil. Now, I just reflect on the past and thank my luck.

Yes, I have seen the Devil! And it looks like this:

Filed under: My life, Philosophy Tagged: Atlas Shrugged, ayn rand, bitch, devil, evil, Objectivism, The Fountainhead ]]> http://disastrousreflections.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/the-devil/feed/ 0 Nanda Ayn Rand http://disastrousreflections.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/162/ http://disastrousreflections.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/162/#comments Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:21:24 +0000 Nanda Kishore http://disastrousreflections.wordpress.com/?p=162 ]]> A couple of years ago after our awesome trek at Skandagiri, KFCKing, Preetyboy and I started narrowing down our options for the next adventure. After a year, we had with us Kodachadri and Mullainagiri. Unfortunately, neither of the treks panned out due to reasons unknown. Now, after two years of research and planning, I conquered this paradise of a mountain peak.

Like all successful ventures, this was last minute planning making my two years of contriving obsolete. Like most comfort loving unadventurous people, most people I laid out my plan to rejected it in the beginning. But, thanks to a great deal of support from Kaadu (due to his deep love for forests) we were able to convince some people to come on the trek. And slowly the junta increased in number and eventually became a whooping 25 member crowd. 5 unlucky souls backed out in the last minute and the twenty of us left on a lazy morning from Surathkal Railway Station.

Due to the insistence of majority of the junta, we were forced to preplan every detail. We called up a guy whose number we found in a blog and asked for essentials like food, tents and a guide and agreed on an exorbitant fee of 350/- per head. After a really fun train journey where a couple of eunuchs (yes, hijadas) came, touched Vage’s crotch and woke up the peacefully sleeping ChikHoova by lovingly touching his cheek and saying “De re munna. De re raja.”, we reached Byndoor. Then we took a taxi to Nittur to start the much awaited adventure. After meeting the guide in Nittur who assured us repeatedly that the trek is going to be really good, we marched on. After a disappointing first hour of walking through some farms and then along the jeep track, we started doubting the guide’s trustworthiness. Nevertheless, we later realised that this route is truly magnificent and did a good thing by hiring the guide.

After some steady climbing on a non-existent path in the middle of the forest (needless to say, Kaadu was thrilled), we reached a small meandering stream. A waterfall named Hidlumane falls was supposed to be somewhere nearby. So, we walked non-stop in the hope of finding the solacing falls. It seemed like ages before we reached it and after two hours we did. Let me tell you something about this small yet beautiful falls. It is in the middle of the forest and completely secluded from the outside world. You can’t even locate it on Google Earth. The silence all around only made it better. We decided to have lunch underneath the falls. As usual, Chaild Boli started his usual abortive flaunts. He started climbing up the stream towards the falls instead of taking the less slippery and more rocky path. And he started doing it with his grandpa stick. As expected, he almost broke his teeth. The key word is ‘almost’ which was quite unfortunate I feel.

So far on the journey, we were spared the attack of the leeches, but not anymore. Steel was bitten thrice and couple of others we hunted down by the nasty creatures as well. But, compared to others who have gone on this trek, we were acquitted without much trouble. Then, the ascent began. This is the best part of the trek. The ultimate strength testing ascent. The part where half the people had almost given up and had to stop every 5 minutes. The part which brought us a little bit closer to the final destination and a little bit closer to murdering our legs. We reached a small hillock at the end of this fabulous ascent which had a small scarecrow like structure, rested for 20 minutes partly because we were tired and partly because the scenery was too irresistible to leave. Finally, gathering all our heart, we moved on. Excited by the notion of reaching the top where the view, we had heard, was far prettier than the ones we had seen, we hopped along singing, rather loudly, the evergreen marine tunes:

This is my rifle, this is my gun
This is for fighting, this is for fun!!!

and

I dont know but Ive been told
Eskimo p***** is mighty good!!!

Finally, we reached the jeep track and half an hour later we were at the PWD Guest house and Bhattra Mane area after being bid farewell by random girls traveling by jeep. It was unanimously decided that we will call it a day and go to the top in the morning to see the sunrise as it was already 6 by the time we reached there. So, thus started the most beautiful and most vicious night of my life.
First thing we did was to call up the guy we had to pay to and negotiate. We managed to bring the expenses down to 250/- per head. By then, it had become dark and due to lack of electricity and lack of the moon, it was as dark as the entrance to NITK Fifth Hostel Block. The stars looked more beautiful than it does from the coveted NITK beach late in the night. Each star of Pleiades seemed to be as bright as Venus. We set up the tents we obtained there and lit a small fire. Heavy winds had started to blow and showed us how weak the tents were. A couple of them collapsed and needed some modifications. Luckily, mine remained sturdy though it violently swayed every now and then. We had a meager dinner (which was still better than the ones available in third block mess) and went to bed. I slept soundly and became oblivious of what happened after that. Later on in the morning, I came to know that one of the tents had collapsed completely and given a very hard time to the poor inmates and a dog had entered another tent in search of much needed shelter. You cant blame it though.

I reluctantly woke up to the call of our guide in the morning only to realize that I could see light outside. So, I rushed outside and tried waking up the others. Only Kaadu, Chaild Boli, The da dude and ChikHoova abided. So, we hurried to the top through an unconventional route, apparently misreading the directions our guide gave us. It turned out to be better actually as we got to venture through the forest in partial darkness. Ultmately, after 20 minutes of brisk climbing we conquered the most beautiful peak I have ever seen (not that there have been many). The view from the top was simply ‘mindblasting’. Mountains and mountains and more mountains, all of them full of forests and greenery. No civilization in view. The Sharavathi backwaters in the distance gave the perfect feel of nature’s beauty. Since, we didnt have our guide with us, we were free to venture anywhere we pleased and we did. Climbing any small hillock we could find. One of them turned out to be even better than the peak. Whats better is we were the only people on top of this and there were atleast 30 people on the actual peak clustered near the rock which is worshipped as the statue of a god or goddess just like in every other mountain peak in India. Finally, after enjoying the serenity for two hours, we returned down.

We started our return journey at 10 am along the actual trekkers path everybody takes. This is when I started to get the LOTR feeling. The place was exactly how I had imagined the forests and hills near Anduin while reading the book. The long ridges along the way gave THE ultimate view ever. The outlines and locations of hills far, far away were so pleasing that none of us felt like leaving the place in spite of the partial death of our legs. Unfortunately, we had a schedule to keep and had to reach the main road before 12 30 to catch the bus to Kollur.
After clicking few pics, we moved on. We had light food at the small hotel on the way and finally reached the main road to catch the bus on time.

Some memorable moments:

• A buffalo running away from me as soon as it saw me when ChikHoova and I got separated from the group.
• Steel’s evergreen PJs.

Me: Dude, do you have a biscuit packet?

Steel: Only biscuit packet or with biscuit inside it?

Me: (laughing) OK. I have one. (Pointing to my bag) Open the front zip and pull it out.

Steel: (covering his PP) Oi. I am not doing it here.

• Chaild Boli almost breaking his teeth near the waterfall.
• The da dude sitting and sleeping and ChikHoova standing and sleeping at the peak at 6 30 in the morning amidst insanely fast winds where walking is tougher than participating in a frog race.

There are some things in life money can’t buy. And one of those some things is a heart pleasing trek which couldn’t have been any better. Thanks to everyone who came for the trek.

Peace.

P.S: If you want additional details and guidance for the trek, check out the previous post.

Location: The known settlement nearest to Kodachadri is Kollur which is famous for it’s temple of (yet another) Hindu goddess, Mookambika. There is a place at the base named Nittur. This is a small village and not many people beyond the region know about it. The starting point of the trek called Kaaragatti is between Kollur and Nittur.

How to get there: If I am not mistaken, there are buses from all parts of Karnataka to Kollur. From Kollur, Kaaragatti is around 30 mins by bus.

Description: Kodachadri occupies a vast area but has only around 4 or 5 paths leading to the top. It is nearly one and half kilometers high vertically and 10-12 kms to trek. Near the top, there is a dilapidated government guest house, a couple of small temples dedicated to random goddesses who have been given random names like Mahakali Chennamma or Bhadramma or something similar, a couple of houses one of which is the famous Bhattra Mane where one can stay at night. There is no electricity here, so carry your torches.

From this point to the top is a 40 minute climb if you are continuing immediately, else it would take around 20 minutes if you spend the night here, take rest and travel to the top in the morning. At night, it can get really cold and very high velocity winds may blow. So, take precautionary measures to combat this. If you are planning to camp out, make sure you carry really strong tents that can be firmly fixed to the ground. There are tents available at the PWD Guest house but those are in very bad shape. Do not plan to stay at the Guest House.

At the top there is a small stone structure where (surprise, surprise) there is a statue of yet another god or goddess. Supposedly, Shankaracharya abode in the sanctum during his saintly years. One can also camp here during the night. There is a communication tower close by as well. This is the peak from where sunrise is viewed. The view from this place is tremendously pleasing, the backwaters of Sharavathi, the never-ending western ghats on either side and the dizzying view from the immensely elevated peak. There is another mound on the way down which has an even better view of the nearby hills and the floating clouds below.

Trek Routes:
The path from Kaaragatti is quite clear with beautiful ridges on the way. There is a small sign board indicating the direction and distance (10 kms) at the beginning. This route is relatively simpler. It is reasonably flat for a distance of 4 kms ending at a small hotel named Santosh Hotel (Kaaka Angadi) and rises steeply for another 6 kms from there. The scenery in this path is simply mindblowing. There is just one small foot-track from the hotel leading to the top with millions of tree branches to jump over. A couple of long and high ridges are on the way. This route finally leads to the PWD Guest house and Bhattra Mane. The path is quite clearly visible and a guide is not necessary if this route is taken.

There is a jeep track starting from Nittur. The locals are always prepared to pounce on trekkers and tourists. There are atleast a hundred jeeps at your service. The jeeps take around 45 mins to reach the top. If you are not looking for trekking, this is your only option. One can also trek to the top, watch the sunset and come back by jeep. There will be a lot of jeeps looking for people near the guest house. A safer option is to arrange for your own vehicle.

The other alternative is something I would recommend. There is another path starting from Nittur which passes through some farms. A guide IS necessary if you want to use this option. This path intersects with the jeep track on a couple of occasions and finally, after about two and a half hours, there is a decent waterfall which the locals call Hidlumane Falls. The falls is in the middle of the forest and completely secluded from the outside world. If you are looking for a challenging task, you can climb along the stream towards the waterfall though it is risky at some places. After the waterfall there is a very long climb, first through rocks and then through a green grassland. This leads to the top of a hill where one can rest. It can also serve as an amazing picnic spot as everything around it is green with forest covered hills in a distance. A stream is also visible from the top. From this hill, there is a path leading to the jeep track which leads to Bhattra Mane. It took us five and a half hours along this route. Though this route is longer and probably more tiring, it is totally worth it.

Budget: Rs.250/- + Travel expenses.

Ideal time of the year: November-April. Avoid monsoon season unless you are totally crazy and adventurous.

Important information:
There are millions of billions of leeches in the marshy areas especially in the rainy season. So, take the necessary precautionary measures. Carry some salt and antiseptics.
Carry glucose and lots of water.
There is literally nothing available on top, only dinner and breakfast at Bhattra Mane and the Guest house. Carry some food if possible. Some people sell tea, cucumbers, lemon juice, butter milk, etc. in the morning at the top.
Daily morning chores have minimal comfort and facilities on the top.
If you are not used to eating mess food (especially NITK’s), you might not find the food in the guest house edible. So, make use of Bhattra Mane.
Carry sweaters and thick blankets or sleeping bags as it can get very cold at night.
Do not contact this guy called Rajendrappa. He will rip you off.
Finally, do not forget to carry a camera. You will regret it the rest of your life if you do.

Look forward to:

• The mind-blowing scenery from the peak.
• The exhausting journey to the top
• If you are from a polluted city like Bangalore or Mysore, the beautiful sky at night. If you are from the coastal region, the sky looks even better than it does from the beach.
• The sight of wild bisons if you are lucky. You will inevitably see their dung either on your way or on the top.
• The feeling of ultimate freedom
• Getting blown away by the early morning winds at the top

P.S: Check out the next post for my personal experience.

This is pretty much the status quo of almost every person I have known. Classes are boring. Classes suck. What a horrible prof. This guy doesn’t know anything. To hell with attendance, I am bunking. Hey CR, cancel the class tomorrow please. Maga, proxy please. Etc. Etc. Etc. This is the invariant notion and philosophy everyone lives by. Start cramming two days before the exams, score AAs and ABs. Mom and Dad are happy, the teacher is happy, you are happy. No, no, no. That is not the end of the story. You are also immensely proud of yourself. Proud of doing something that you despise with all your heart, proud of doing something that you don’t particularly enjoy doing. What I have failed to comprehend is the achievement in scoring a 9.something or a perfect 10. I have not met a single person who truly and deliriously relishes learning what he/she is supposed to be learning. A good education system should not make one damn an eight o’clock class.

This post is largely inspired and influenced by a speech given by Sir Ken Robinson at one of the TED conferences. You can check out the video here.
For all the above obvious facts I have stated, I believe, the guilty party is not the student. We live in a society where people give you that abhorrent look when you tell them that you are studying archaeology or literature or music or something which is not engineering or medicine. Well, actually this is the thing of the past. The latest trend is to give you that abhorrent look when you say you are studying civil engineering or chemical engineering and not computers or electronics. This is not the worst part. The people who give these looks are the same people who, when you tell them you are studying in NITK, Surathkal, exclaim stuff like, “Oh!!! So you didn’t get anything in Bangalore uh? What was your CET rank?” So, the fault lies with the educational system and the stigmatized society we live in. Most students are instilled with the idea that becoming anything other than an engineer or a doctor is highly sinful. There is no scope for doing what you enjoy. And even if you try to enjoy engineering, which, believe me, is tougher than listening to Lady Gaga’s music and suppressing the desire to commit suicide, there is this requisite of scores which can only be achieved by studying, studying and more studying. Remember: Study does not imply Learn. Half of the people who pass out as Mechanical Engineers will not know what turbulent flow of fluids is; they will, nevertheless, know it’s textbook definition.

I have not been exposed to education systems elsewhere in the world. How it works here in India is simple. You attend classes where a great many of the lecturers don’t deserve their posts more than Homer Simpson, take down notes which are dictated half the time, read exactly what is necessary and only from the prescribed textbook, mug up the standard methods of solving problems and never ever try to innovate. And Bravo!!! 9.something. I think most academic achievers will agree with me if I say that I have just revealed the secret to ‘success’.

Now, I have come across a wide variety of teachers so far. There are teachers who speak rationally and sensibly like “Anybody can become a teacher in a local college, I say, but doing research in an IIT requires talent.” and “If all you want a teacher to do is read from the book and give you notes, you should have joined VTU or IGNOU and got a beautiful looking degree.” and “All of you are living in ancient stone age, please come back to the modern world and start innovating.” But at the same time there are teachers who refuse to stray from their basic mindset of preparing the students to score well in the exams, who bunk classes whenever there is a cricket match and who say “This question is important for 5 marks.” What these people fail to recognize is the fact that this kind of a system not only fails to enhance the intelligence quotient of a student, but curtails it. I know a lot of brilliantly talented people who can literally change the world, but unknowingly refuse to do so as they only care about their grades. Without grades, no job. Without grades, no recognition. Without grades, no admits. Without grades, no life.

In his other TED speech, Sir Ken Robinson reasons that what we need in this modern day world is not an evolution but a revolution in the education system. Our present education system, especially in India, is so redundant that it’s purpose is not to impart knowledge and skill but to prepare students for exams and job interviews. Academic excellence is gravely mistaken to be the sole criteria to evaluate intelligence. Just imagine. What would have happened if Einstein had succumbed to rote learning and studied Electrical Engineering like his father wished or Rajnikanth was forced to study engineering or Steve Jobs had not dropped out of college or Edison was not sent out of school. Truly, a genius is created only by perspiration and passion, and not by clearing an entrance exam and attending an engineering college.

Ciao.

P.S: Agree or disagree, do leave your thoughts below.

P.P.S: Pardon my poor comic strip making skills. I think the message is clear.

Dudeism is basically an online religion mainly based on the principles and philosophy of The Dude from The Big Lebowski. The Dude, or His Dudeness or Duder or El Duderino if you are not into the whole brevity thing, is arguably one of the greatest characters ever created. He is like the equivalent of the Buddha and Jesus Christ. Using brilliant Black Comedy, the Coens have showcased philosophical concepts which has been termed Dudeism by ardent followers. Every character in the movie possibly represents certain religious figures or sects of society like Jesus Christ, Nihilists, Pacifists, Libertarians, etc. I had been searching for a long time for similar concepts and philosophies when Objectivism and Agnosticism failed to appeal to me as the perfect living formula. You can find more about Dudeism in its Wikipedia page or the official website.

Quoting from the official website:
The idea is this: Life is short and complicated and nobody knows what to do about it. So don’t do anything about it. Just take it easy, man. Stop worrying so much.
So, its all there in simple, plain English.
If you ask a Dude the answer for the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything, he will not say 42. He will say, “Fuck it dude. Lets go bowling.”
If a dude gets a 4-pointer he will say, “Fuck it dude. Lets go bowling.”
If a dude loses a million bucks he will say, “Fuck it dude. Lets go bowling.”
If a dude gets a 9-pointer he will still say, “Fuck it dude. Lets go bowling.”
If you threaten the dude by saying you will cut off his Johnson, uh…well…now he will not say “Fuck it dude. Lets go bowling.”

This may sound familiar to many people. This is because most religions were initially based on this very philosophy, but as time withered on people became dumber and deities and spirits took over. As the website contends, Buddha was a Dude. Jesus was a Dude. Lao Tzu was a Dude. And so was Mahatma Gandhi who wore comfortable clothes of his choice everywhere (including the British parliament) just like the Dude. And yeah, the super cool Jeff Spicoli from Fast times at Ridgemont High was also a Dude. So, Dudeism has existed from the beginning of philosophy. People have only been dumb enough not to acknowledge it.

I don’t know about you. But, I take comfort in that. That there are other Dudes around who are takin’ ‘er easy for all the sinners. Think about this. What would be better? Waking up before sunrise every day and trying to please the Gods so that you will have a happy life or going bowling and drinking White Russians and smoking joints and taking it easy which itself is having a happy life? Go with the flow, man. And wouldn’t it be cool if someone comes and asks you, “You a Hindu?” and you reply, “No. I am a Dude”!!

Remember: Sometimes you eat the bar and sometimes the bar eats you.
So, take it easy man.

The Dude Abides.

P.S: If you are yet to watch the movie, trust me, its more than worth your time.

It broke. Two months he had played with it and finally it had been reduced to pieces; he had destroyed it. He had tried to slay an evil man with it, a man he despised very much but didn’t know why. The toy gun, half broken, was now fallen on the floor, it’s pieces scattered throughout the room. He looked into the mirror and saw the evil man. He said, “You’ve survived now, but I will not let you go next time.” The evil man grinned.
The 8 year old picked up the broken body of the toy gun and examined it. The magazine had split in two. Fascinated with his new challenge of fixing his broken weapon, the boy started to figure out how the gun works. Pretty soon he had discovered how the tiny, spherical, yellow bullet enters the chamber. His work was not complete, he still had to find out how the bullet travels at so high a speed that his tiny eyes can’t detect it’s path when he pulled the trigger. But, he was interrupted. The door opened.
“You broke another one? Throw the broken pieces. You will cut your fingers. I will clean it up later. Come out. Your Uncle has come. It has been many years since he has seen you. Come talk to him.”
He looked into her commanding eyes. He could not disobey her. His weapon fell to the ground and he followed her outside.
“Hello, champ. How you doing?”
The young boy smiled; he was not particularly happy, neither did he find anything amusing. He stood in a corner of the living room staring intently at the queer man his mother was conversing with. He was not listening, the new man was more captivating to him.
“What are you going to become when you grow up, kid?”
He searched for the right word and answered, “Astrophysicist.”
That is not the word, he thought. He looked at his mother and saw pride in her face. He was satisfied that he had impressed her. As he lazily looked around the room looking for something to meddle with, he faintly heard his mother’s voice.
“He is the topper of his class. All his teachers praise him very much.”

The young man struggles:

Thinker, he thought. That is the right word. I want to be a thinker.
He sat nibbling at his pen, a novel under the desk, a dummy book on the table. Only a few rows of desks were behind him and he heard constant murmuring. Some guy was snoring. A few were playing childishly, pinching an already vexed fellow. A few were immersed in futile discussions. Some, in the front rows, were listening to what the professor was telling and were jotting down notes.
He continued with his novel. Some time later, he suddenly looked up and started listening to what the prof was saying.
“I am pretty pleased that most of you derived Bernoulli’s equation in the test. Keep up the good work, class.”
He almost snapped a bitter response. He uttered profanities to himself. Nobody ****ing derived it, you moron, he said in his soliloquized dialogue with the professor. You did that in the previous class and everybody memorized it. He for one had failed to answer that question. He had not memorized the derivation. He had tried various methods in the test, but without useful results.
He had worked hard in order to savvily learn the core concepts of various topics he was interested in. Almost everyone else had done it the normal, routine way: Study in order to score marks. He was always on the receiving end. He had become a disgruntled student stranded in the middle of a desert. And he loved it.
As the professor continued his lecture, he thought for the millionth time, they will never take my will away.

Bitter man he is:

Amidst a hundred people, in the rear end of the well-furnished office building, he sat in front of his computer. He had done nothing productive, nothing innovative in all these years. He had studied nothing interesting, nothing that requires a thought provoking process. He had become a core part of the technical staff of the company, yet his work was only routine. His subordinates looked up to him and thought, this is the man I want to be. He looked at himself and thought, this is the man I had always dreaded I would become. He was browsing through scenic photographs of mountains and forests. The phone rang.
“Honey, lets go out for dinner tonight. Try to come early, will you?”
She was a very talented lady whose life had been similar to his. She had studied hard and had earned a respectable position, both in the society and in her technical field. She had asked him to marry her, three years after he had asked her out. He had agreed after a bit of persuasion for he loved her dearly. He had spent most of his time trying to please her and everyone else around him. He had lost the battle. He had lost his fight for individuality. He had conformed himself to be the way others liked.
He packed his bag and left to keep his date.

That old man here is he:

He sighed. The armchair rocked. He lifted his head and looked around. She sat a few meters away, glancing through a magazine. She still looked as pretty to him as she did when he first met her. He rested his head on the armchair and looked up at the ceiling. Slowly he closed his eyes. He had wanted to climb mountains and fly planes and swim in the ocean. He had done nothing he had wanted. He looked around and saw the 17^th century chandelier he had bought at an auction. She wanted it. He wondered what it was doing there. Without any purpose, aimlessly sitting on top of a custom-made shelf. An item for guests to see and commend. What was he? A person for others to see and envy. He had made a lot money, held a respectable position in the society and married the love of his life, yet his mind was unsatisfied. He had lost the battle of wills and had long ago given up doing what he wanted. Now, his heart was yearning nothing. It was filled to the brim with regret.
He stood up, kissed her on the forehead and went to bed.

P.S:

All characters and events in this story—even those based on real people—are entirely fictional. The story contains coarse language and due to its content it should not be read by anyone.
Oh!!! Since you have already read it and (dis)liked it, you should not leave any comments below.

Perfection personified. All possible things required to sculpt what I am going to become in the future. No, I am not talking in the general sense. What I would do for a living or where I might end up in 2013 is none of my concern presently. I am talking about personality design. This process just concluded. What I am or what I will be is because of Second sem @ Yan Ai Ti Ke.

The reason for this transformation is my getting acquainted with a few people, some new to me. Here are those few people I am forever grateful to:

• Ayn Rand: Will not be discussed.
• Pink Floyd: A couple of years ago, when I first listened to the Dark Side of the Moon, I remember dismissing it as an archaic album, not matching the level of the newer metal genres. But, thanks to some chemical reaction that took place in my brain, some sense found it’s way in. Psychedelic rock is now a true love of mine. It doesn’t get boring in spite of repeated playings by BRA every single day.
• Stanley Kubrick: Directorial genius. More inspiring to me is his personality and love for perfection. Unfortunately, the college LAN doesn’t contain enough movies of his.
• Ol’ monk: This is the name of a guy who lives just outside our college, atleast it is what we call him. Even though I have met him just once thus far, I bet many more meetings are in store. Quoting Humphrey Bogart, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Also, thanks to the Dude-who-has-horrible-movie-taste for introducing me to Ol’ Monk.

Quizzes galore. Laziness redefined. Around 100kbps internet download speed (and for free). Innumerable shit-talk moments. Attendance shortage (again). Etc, etc, etc. All ingredients to produce the best four months of my life.

Top 10 most memorable moments:

• Genius dude: What is the difference between see and look?
  The M dude: See is s-e-e, look is l-o-o-k, right?

• Genius dude: What is the opposite of sincere?
  The M dude: Hypocrite.

• Dumb VOICE club dude: (first looks around my 15 ft x 15 ft room searching for xxx, then asks) Is xxx there?

• Pune got an IPL team. LOL!!! And they are called Sahara Pune Warriors. Double LOL!!! (Please ignore it)

• The escapades of a certain cool dude.
  “Why do you want to join Star Gazing Club?”
  “Because every night I come out of my room, I see the sky full of stars.”
  And he gets through.

• Lame niggas’ trademark dialogue: Don’t gas da.

• A certain GPL incident in which the victim fought back,and I mean real hard.

• Nerd dude desperate for some action: (at 4 a.m turns on his roomies laptop and makes unusual noises). And for Gay stuff. LOL.

• Guy-who-used-to-live-in-room-55 gives a really hard GPL to the above mentioned Nerd dude, innocently unaware of the hardness of his ass and ends up limping for nearly a week. (No comments please)

• Drunk dude: (to the clothesline) Come down, you *******. I want to do some pull ups. (OK, this is a little modified)

Some other noteworthy moments:

• Elements of Mechanical Engineering End sem exam paper: What is the difference between Hot die casting and cold die casting?
  Me: 1. In hot die casting, the die is hot. In cold die casting, the die is cold.
  2. In hot die casting, the temperature of the die is more than the temperature of the die in cold die casting. (True story)
• Fyuge, the Sucker
• Animal Cruelty
• The M dude’s debacles: 89.75 (90 is AA), 75 (76 is AB). Awesome!!!
• The Sita Falls (mis)adventure

Third Sem beckons. Cheers.

P.S: Intended references: Forrest Gump, Dr. Strangelove, Casablanca, Scarborough Fair (Simon and Garfunkel), Barney Stinson.

P.P.S: Fellow great souls of NITK, I wrote this in haste. I definitely would have forgotten some legendary moments. Please feel free to put them up in the comments section.

NITK is the luxurious haven of regionalism. When the whole country hates the Sena for their utterly stupid attempts of throwing North Indians out of Mumbai, people here, who generally are oblivious of whatever is happening outside the walls, still believe in the age-old concept that the land they come from is superior to others, no matter how much filth it is covered with. Senior-Junior interaction, even though illegal, is quite common throughout the country. Here too, it is widespread but different. If a junior is from a particular part of the country, only seniors from that particular part can interact with them. Consequence: Formation of numerous (political) parties based on regionalism. The senior-junior interactions which take place throughout the year are focused on one thing only, the college elections. This was something I wasn’t aware of till recently.

So, the elections took place. It was a battle between two big alliances. The rules are simple. You have to vote for the guy your party asks you to lest you should be deep shit. This does not strictly apply to Bangaloreans as there is no well established Bangy party. So, I abstained from voting as I firmly reject the idea of democracy (this, effectively, is democracy). Anyway, each alliance comprises of certain parties. The seats for which a party contests for is decided based on the mutually benefiting agreements of each alliance. By mutually benefiting, I mean benefiting only a certain faction in each party. The rest of the people are not cared for and do not benefit in any way, but they are given the utmost importance during the elections. People who want to win come to them every single day, lick their ass, brainwash them by saying shit like we are all from this place, let us stick together and show the world what we can do, etc. (“***** will have all the power.” “Yeeeeaaaaah!!!” LOL) After the elections, this guy who fell for it is nowhere in the picture.

I encountered such a great deal of cheap politics during the last week that I felt disgusted with myself for living with such people. One guy goes to people and says if he wins, the class topper will get a laptop from his side. Another MF comes to me on the day of the elections and politely offers to buy me a cup of coffee, gives me a lecture on politics so that he can lure me to go and vote for the candidate of his choice. The reputation of a lot of people was spoilt as some cheap people started spreading rumours about fictional things they did. Most people have started guys they don’t even know. The candidates go about, in order to secure votes, saying stuff like they might get threat calls from goondas, some people might lock every one in their rooms so that they can’t go and vote, etc. Kivili hoova itkondidivi navella. This is just some useless college elections, for Satan’s sake.

On the bright side, the past week has been an awesome lot of entertainment. Bollywood-like masala stories everywhere. People like me who didn’t care about the outcome laughed our asses off. One of my friends went to a candidate and said, “Go and look at your face in the mirror. Does it look like you can be a Class Rep?” It so happened that this guy won and is a class representative now. I pity the people in that class.
There is one particular party which is hated by almost every guy in the college. And Bangaloreans have a long time rift going with them. That party had such a horrible outing that they couldn’t secure a single seat and the best part- their team were thrashed royally by Royal Challengers Bangalore. Such an insult. Awesome.

Adios.