5 things I learned this week (Part 11)

If you scroll down from the beginning of history, you’ll see it being divided into various ages according to the 'in' thing of that period.

The Bronze Age was upgraded to Iron Age once man chose the better metal. His fears and superstitions were exploited in the Dark ages, which were stopped by the Renaissance movement. This heralded the Industrial revolution, which saw an exponential rise in human greed, resulting in the devastating world wars. This was followed by the race between two giants in the space age, and then the subsequent cold war. The progress of humanity was accelerated over the ensuing decades by technological advancements, which inspires us to refer to that period as the Information age.

A general consensus is yet to be reached whether that age is still continuing or not. A lot of ideas are being bounced about these days, and here I’m going to throw in my own.

This is age of social networking.

You want to have a “conversation” with your friend, there’s gtalk.

You want to “share” with your friends what you are feeling now or something funny, there’s Facebook.

You want to “shout out” to the world your ideas, there’s Twitter.

Hell. There’s LinkedIn just in case you want a new job.

We have a detailed pathway through which we share information among ourselves these days. If you don’t have an internet enabled Smartphone, you are deemed unfit for progressing in this society. I’m not going to go into a rant about this, because my opinions on this matter are not sorted out to one side till now. I believe you should be given the freedom to enjoy the luxuries that are offered to you, if you can afford it. But no matter what the case may be, you should keep in mind that this is just a luxury, and you can live without it.

Let me start out on today’s blog. It’s about Facebook. Please refrain from reminding me that this is not technically “5 things I learned” this week, because I’ll feel more guilty for writing this. I’ve lost many a blog posts in this series just because I couldn’t find 5 interesting/relevant things to go with it. I don’t want this blog to enroll in that list, and so I present to you the “5 things I made up/learned/noticed this week”.

Did you know..

1. …that you may be having the most bizarre of acquaintances as your friend in Facebook?

In my case, this would be the bus conductor who used to be in my college bus. We had only known ourselves to each other by casual, “acquaintancial” smiles. You know the ones where you suddenly get your face to bloom into a picture of happiness, only for it to fade away in a second, as soon as that person is past you. The least I can say about all this is that Facebook has changed the way you define the word “friend”.

2. …that Facebook understands the pain you are going through to stalk “that” gal??

That is the reason behind this new tool developed by the tech team at FB HQ, which is basically a room full of nerds. 'The Graph Search', or as it is fondly known 'The Stalker', helps you to find people in facebook who, I believe, never thought they would be found. You can now search for people in FB by giving conditions like male/female, single/double, lives in delhi/mumbai, is/is not my friend, etc etc.. I don't think I will now have to mix it up and spoon feed you as to how stalkers can find you using this. The only positive, if any, is that this is not available to every Tom, Dick and Harry out there. There is a waiting list. But sometimes, I don't know how, you get lucky, and you bypass that waiting list to full on stalking glory.

3. …that you need to be aware that your family and seniors at work can see what you post publicly?

This is from a very bad experience, in which I shared something publicly on Facebook, without remembering that I've my father, my brother, my cousin sisters, a few aunts/uncles, my teachers from school/college, my seniors,etc at work as my friends there. Needless to say, I now have a custom list to share to now. And I believe it's time you made one too, in case you haven't already.

4. …that you’ll have at least one friend, to whom you will be having the best conversations on chat, but the moment you two are put face-to-face, it becomes awkward?

You might have only one friend like this, but for me, well, let me just say that I’ve lost count. If you see me chatting with someone from this category, the world will forgive you for mistakenly identifying me as the superhero “Flash”. But put me in a room face to face with that same person, and you can easily hear Casanova banging his head on his coffin. (-_-)

5. …that Facebook is one of the most unproductive, time wasting, energy consuming, addictive, engrossing, lively, interactive fun (where am I going with this) thing around?

There. I’ve said all those adjectives for Facebook and that makes my point clear. Like in the movie ‘How to train a dragon”, Facebook can be a dragon, which we could have as a pet. Or Facebook can be a pet, which could become a dragon. I know you didn't get what I meant there, but don't worry, most people don't. :D

Again, Facebook should be treated by one and all as a luxury. Something you can have, but not something you should have. To quote myself, (I’ve always wanted to do that :D )

“I believe you should be given the freedom to enjoy the luxuries that are offered to you, if you can afford it. But no matter what the case may be, you should keep in mind that this is just a luxury, and you can live without it.”

Before the customary goodbye, let’s just go back to the beginning of this discussion. We were talking about the different ages that mankind has been through, before settling into this age of information. And in a month’s time, India will say goodbye to one of the oldest method of information transfer (read communication) – the Telegraph. By July 15^th, the dots and dashes will be no more.

Read more at:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/dot-dash-full-stop-telegram-service-ends-july-15/article4806921.ece?homepage=true

Well, that’s all for this week folks.

Have a great week ahead!!!

5 things I learned this week (Part 10)

Three years to this day, on a sunny Monday afternoon, I bid goodbye to my college life officially. The last hurdle that I had to pass was called the “Course Viva”, in which I had to prove to a complete stranger that whatever I had mugged up over the course of four years is still somewhere inside of me. Thanks to the lord almighty, I scrapped through the ordeal without too much questioning of my credentials as an electrical engineer.

Such experiences are one too many these days. Those of us, who were lucky enough to have had a chance to attend campus placements, have also had the curse of goof ups at interviews to content with. I’ve had my fair share of them. My first interview in my life was epic in many terms.

It was the first company on campus. A respectable IT MNC. Everyone in our 2010 batch from all departments sat for it. We had gone through 4-5 levels of elimination on the first day. A two hour aptitude test, then multiple group discussions, and in the end, those who were left standing where told to make a computer program to solve the Conway’s way of life in a matrix form. (It’s an interesting puzzle. Read about that here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway's_Game_of_Life)

I am not humble enough to say that I just got through, nor am I an egomaniac to say that I aced it, but yes, I was asked to be one of the 10 odd people to attend the interview the next morning. I had started working on my resume a month back, so I was able to go into the interview with two full pages of “achievements” and “recognitions”.

But the interview was anything but smooth. I wasn’t able to answer any question properly. He was asking some advanced technical questions related to database creation and query retrieval. And being just a little better than a novice in that, I wasn’t able to answer properly. Then, I heard that grunt. You know the one who hear the interviewers make when they’ve had enough of you. That grunt.

With that, he picked up my resume, went through it, then made a remark which still rings in ear.

“Oh!! You are from the electrical stream, are you?? I thought you were a computer science student.”

I don’t have words to express my feeling at that moment. Even if I had the words, I don’t think that I can make you understand the pain and anger I felt at that moment. I’ve never hated a moment in my life as much as that till now.

Anyways, the whole saga was brought to your notice for one thing. The summer has ended. Most have got their yearly increments. Most are unhappy with it. Now, the time for jumping ships is upon us.

And in that respect, I am going to theme this week’s blog on interviews – what to say, what not to say, and what to do if you say what you shouldn’t have said. :D

Did you know…

1. …that there is more chance of you being asked “Tell me about yourself” than not?

And it pays to keep a premeditated answer for that - something fancy if possible. If you can make a first impression on your interviewers that you are strong and confident, it’ll hold you in good stead over the course of the rest of the interview. For more information on what to say and what not to say as your answer, refer: http://www.theladders.com/career-advice/10-good-ways-to-tell-me-about-yourself

2. …that looking your best is not an option, but a necessity?

Imagine the me of today going for an interview. I haven’t shaved in two weeks; wearing an oddly bright shirt with arms folded up; a fading jeans; shoes which have been enjoying its time out in the dirt and dust. It would take two seconds for the interviewer to know I’m not that interested in the job. So, keep a clean profile for this day at least. And yes, if you see someone clean shaven in the middle of the week, it means that he has been to an interview the day before.

3. …that anything you say in your resume can and will be used against you in a court of interview?

I learnt this the hard way. It is a whole other interview story, but the gist of it is that I filled my resume with stuff I just looked into, not worked actually. And to say that I was technically raped by the interviewer would be an understatement. So, please my dear friends, your resume should hold only those things which you can substantiate convincingly.

4. …that you have to say the right things, even if it is not the truth or if it goes against what you believe in?

Interviewer: “How do you study during a semester?”

Candidate: “Because of the fests and other extracurricular activities I  participate in, I mostly study the week before the exam.”

This candidate was kept in the “Waiting List” after this incident. He was given one more chance to redeem himself.

Interviewer: “How do you study during a semester?”

Candidate: “I have prepared a time table for what to study on each day and follow it religiously.”

Interviewer: “You said you do a lot of extracurricular activities. How do you keep your schedule when you have other work to do?”

Candidate: “I improvise. I shift my time table around and so that I effectively do the same work every week.”

This is a true story. This is how I got my first job offer. I usually am a very honest, open person, but I lied my ass off to make sure that I got a job in the recession years. I don’t think I need to explain my point any further.

P.S. Luckily, I got the job offer from GS soon after, and hence didn’t have to join up at this said company.

5. …that no matter how hard you prepare, irrespective of how correct you answer, there is always a chance that the interview can go wrong?

Take my case for an example. If you want more, think of all the government jobs/seats in colleges that you will miss out on because of reservation, corruption, gender bias and what not. What you can do is send a prayer in the general direction of whomsoever you believe as your God, and hope that you get what you are looking for. I’m not saying that this is all you can do, or that this will work, but it is just the least you can do to unburden yourself.

Well, that’s all for this week folks. Catch you next week.

Have a great weekend!!!

5 things I learned this week (Part 9)

There are many ways to answer a question. And even if the outcomes are the same, the way in which you answer to the question shows off the subtleness you wished to hide. If you don’t believe me, see this for an example.

Let us assume someone asks you to give them your bike for an hour or so. If we also assume that you are going to give them your bike, there are two things you’ll say – “Ok” and “When?”.

If it’s a close friend, the order will be “Ok” and then “When?” (Sometimes it’ll just be “When?”) If it is an acquaintance, it’ll be the reverse. This change in order shows the priority that you wished to hide.

Now, this week I’m going to go all RANDOM on you.

Did you know…

1. … that Walt Disney’s body has been cryogenically preserved, as per his wish?

Only that, it is not. It was cremated with due formalities after his death. But someone close to him, started this as one last prank on the famous man by letting this crazy info leak into the hands of the media. This is what you call an Urban Legend. There are a lot of those which you can find by a simple a google search on 'urban legend'.

2. … that the seat numbers in Kingfisher airlines flights skip from 12 to 14?

Apparently, the owner feels that the number 13 is unlucky. I can’t find any links to prove this, but it’s true. Anyways, since all their flights are still in their hangars, you can’t prove me wrong for now. :p

UPDATE!!! I just got this to prove my point..

http://www.flykingfisher.com/images/fleet/maps/A320-20c.jpg

3. … that the minimum temperature in Gurgaon is the maximum temperature at Trivandrum?

The value in question is 30 deg Celsius. And yes, I know this is personal, but you have got to feel for me. I had to come from the perfect climate to the perfect heat wave last week. By the way, the minimum temperature in Gurgaon is achieved around 6am every day.

4. … that the google recommends you to “Jet ski across the Pacific Ocean” when you ask it for road directions from Japan to China?

If you don’t believe me, go to this link and check out direction number 44.

https://maps.google.co.in/maps?aq=f&q=japan+to+china&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&sa=N&tab=wl

5. … that the best food is served in a Malayalee Christian Wedding?

There’s fish, there’s chicken, there’s mutton, and there’s beef. What else do you need to finish off your appetite? There were some veg items too, but I wasn’t concerning myself with them. And for the gift of making me attend my first such wedding, I would like to thank my two classmates in college, Deepu and Merin.

Deepu, you are one lucky man. You have successfully lived the dream that all the guys who went to college dream of. Fall in love with a great gal; she feels the same for you; you have a steady relation through college and after; then get your parents to agree to the wedding, and now being happily married for a week, with decades more to come. You did great bro!!

And Merin. I said this to you on your wedding day, and I’m gonna say it again. All the best!! :P

With warm wishes for a beautiful future to the newlyweds, I’m taking your leave.

That’s all for this week folks.

Have a great weekend!!!

5 things I learned this week (Part 8)

Did you know...

1. ...that the first  ever official national surfing and stand up paddle competition in India was held at Thiruvananthapuram?

For more details, visit http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130503/news-current-affairs/article/surfers-slug-it-out-kovalam

2. ...that the tallest flag pole in India is located in Thiruvananthapuram?

Standing 206 feet tall, with a 4m diameter at the base, the home for the tallest flag pole hoisting our tricolor is located at the Kanakakkunnu Palace Grounds, Thiruvananthapuram. 

http://www.yentha.com/news/view/1/nations-tallest-flag-pole-by-february-end

This is more than a year old news. I checked it out myself. It's standing there tall and proud. Well maybe not proud because it is without its flag. Apparently, the people who designed the flag forgot that the flag was to be mounted at a height of nearly 70m.

The constant wind had torn the main flag, and then its understudy met the same fate. The main flag came out to brave the winds once again, only to meet the same end as before. Now, the tallest flag pole in India waits for the coming of its specially designed flag, so that it can stand tall, and stand proud.

3. ...that the Sea Hawk aircraft you find displayed in the city was the part of the fleet used in the Indo-Pak war of 1971?

I drove past this piece of history yesterday. If it wasn't for my search for points to be put here, I wouldn't have remembered the following news I had read earlier.

http://www.yentha.com/news/view/4/A-Sea-Hawks-Tale

4. ...that the richest temple in the world is in Thiruvananthapuram?

Well, I do know that you know this. The temple at the heart of our town was making news for all the right reasons last year in this regard. You can read more about the same here at the following link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmanabhaswamy_Temple#Temple_assets

5. ...that with a laid back lifestyle, a temperate climate, occasional rains, good people and adequate facilities, I feel Thiruvananthapuram is what I would be if I were a city?

And it's no wonder I dream of being here as a denizen again.

That's all for this week folks.

Have a Happy Weekend!!!

5 things I learned this week (Part 7)

Apparently, I come off as a shy and/or introvert to the general public, but, in the confines of close friends, I let loose my “other” side, exhibiting little of those two qualities. This must be the most common unique thing in the world, because I’ve seen many of my friends doing the same. I was rankling the one who made this comment about me, when I was presented with the next observation.

The person in question happened to note that I show a completely different attitude here, in my blog – with the specialty being that the attitude differs from post to post. I might be telling a story in one – contorting the happenings in real life to make sure that original characters are not identified; or I might appoint you as my psychiatrist and give you in depth details about what is going on in my head; or I might be disillusioned to such an extent, that I ramble on here like this, expecting you to be still reading this line, when you must have already jumped on to the next paragraph, checking if there is something non-nonsensical there.

I still haven’t decided whether to take that remark as a compliment or as a complaint. The thing is there is a grey area in between them, and I strongly believe that if you were to ever visit that place, you would meet my blog there – lounging in the sun, sipping some lemonade under the shade of an oversized umbrella.

And talking about grey areas, I’m definitely in one right now. It’s 2pm on the Thursday of this week. I’m sitting at office, with a bunch of documents spread about me, typing this blog out. Now, don’t think that the grey area I mentioned to be the one questioning whether I should be sitting here writing out a blog during office hours. I’ve been doing this for weeks for it to put any weight on my conscience. I’m talking about the dilemma I’m facing right now in terms of what to write.

I’m going home in less than 30 hours – home as in Trivandrum. I’ve already got the theme for next week’s post, which will be some interesting facts about the city I grew up in. But since I’m already in a semi-vacation mood, I can’t seem to find anything to write about.

No themes. No random thoughts. No subtle differences in words that seem alike. No nothing.

And it is not just the blog that I’m unable to concentrate upon. I’ve work to be completed before I can go home. I’ve to make sure that the flat that I live in is restored to a universally accepted habitable state. I’ve to pack my stuff. I got to make sure that we don’t walk into the wedding of two of our batch mates next Saturday empty handed.

There’s a lot to do, and all I’m thinking of is going home, and lazing around like in the good old times. And the notion of achieving complete laziness in 30 hours is making me nauseate at the thought of doing work.

Okay. Enough with the rant. Thank you for hearing me out doc. I feel much better already. You are the best. ;) :D

Let’s start today’s show.

Did you know…

1. …that Air India has reduced the maximum allowable limit for baggage weight from 25kg to 15kg?

As if this wasn’t enough, they are charging Rs.250 extra for every kg more than 15.

2. ...that “Men are the only male mammals fascinated by breasts in a sexual context”?

This one is a scientifically proven fact which was stumbled upon by your truly while researching saintly on the subject of “Why men like breasts?” The research itself was spawned by a discussion in office on the same question, and one interesting , scientific explanation on the same is given at the following link, with them stating that

“…our fascination with your breasts, far from being creepy, is an unconscious evolutionary drive prompting us to activate powerful bonding circuits that help create a loving, nurturing bond.”

http://www.alternet.org/take-action/breasts-science-behind-why-everybody-loves-them

Men. You can now ogle all you want. You are just 'looking' for a deep relationship. ;) :P

3. … that the original Coco-cola had cocaine in it?

And you wondered why they call it “Coke”. When the drink was initially sold, it used to contain, what now officials at the company claim to be, “trivial” amounts of cocaine. But since it was in the 1890s, cocaine was legal in USA, and coco-cola was just one of the many beverages being sold at that time having cocaine in it. Once the ban on drugs was instated, the ingredient was removed from the drink.

For more information, read http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/384/is-it-true-coca-cola-once-contained-cocaine.

4. … that a person can still fart after death?

And that the average person farts 14 times a day. More fun fart facts can be read and enjoyed at

http://visual.ly/your-farts-facts

5. …that over the first 15 days of the month, I’ve set aside Rs.2653 for my donation drive?

If you would remember the blog from two weeks before, I had decided to not eat any fast food for this month, and instead give the money so collected as a donation to some worthwhile cause, which were highlighted in that blog.

(Find that post here: http://husemeplz.blogspot.in/2013/05/5-things-i-learned-this-week-part-5.html)

The figure explains quite a lot about where my salary goes.

Fast Food. (-_-)

Oh!! and T shirts.
I counted them and found that I bought 27 T shirts in the past 2 years. :D

Well, that’s all folks for this week. Wish me a fun vacation!!
Hope you have a great weekend too!!!