Currents, matter and hands

Cheap !!ELECTRIFICATION!!

Faculty Canteen, IIT Kanpur (April 2009)

Served hot: Alma Matar!

Outside H7 Mess, IIT Kanpur (April 2009)

A bird in hand is worth more than one in the ... ahem!

D213, Hall 7 (April 2009)

Chilllllllllliiiiiinnnnnng!

I have no words for this one.

It's different!

Have you 'Taste The Different Water Fall'?

(Shimla, January 2009)

PIJJAAA

Ever heard of carnivorous capsicums? :O
Campus Restaurant, IITK (July 2008)

कश लगा!

"Good Taste, Great Satisfaction" - SUPER FANCY BIRI

Haute-couture in the biri world :)

(Outside H7 Main Gate, IIT Kanpur)

Chemical Locha

This is a old story. Days when I still had all my hair and some amount of sanity. The first semester in IITK. Like any other normal day, I was cycling from my hostel to the Department where classes are held. On the way, I see a silken white vertical strip-like banner free flowing in a lovely breeze. As I approached closer, I saw something that first made my jaw drop, my eyes pop out and eventually the hugest laugh I've had at IITK. Because bang in front of me was this.

The sad part about this is when I have to explain the joke to people. :) If you don't get the joke, please let it be. I do not wish to be held responsible for corrupting you. Ahem!

Can't get you out of my head?!

Subtle, very subtle.

(FB281, IIT Kanpur, July 2008)

Thodi si toh ... karadey?

Ever been to one of these? :)
The Kohinoor Executive, Andheri, Mumbai

Hands UP Raggers!

A signpost gone horrifically wrong :)
(IIT Kanpur, 2008)

Striking

This is how to strike through a word. Strike through. Arrrrrrgh! YES, there is it now.

For GD. :)

The IITK Story

Just arrived at IITK :)
(August 3, 2007)

Announcement of midsems in week 2 itself
(August 10, 2007)

It's raining assignments!
(August 25, 2007)

A rare moment of sanity and tranquil
(17 September, 2007, 10:30 pm)

Spoke too soon, results arrived on email
(17 September, 2007, 10:32 pm)

Well, look at the bright side always
(17 September, 2007, 10:35 pm)

Antaragni done, Ali beta, lag jaoo padhaii mein
(November 9, 2007, 9:30 pm)

First look at syllabus
(November 9, 2007, 9:45 pm)

Letting my hair down
(November 9, 2007, 10:15 pm)

Took a headbanging detour with Metallica
(November 9, 2007, 10:30 pm)

I was advised the hair was getting in the way of my learning
(November 14, 2007)

Yeah, fatt gayee thi - endsems
(November 24, 2007)

Me, my 4" beard and my trusty headphones-
(November 27, 2007)

WHAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT!!
(January 8, 2008)

Yep, you saw it right!
(January 8, 2008)

The sauve criminal look
(January 14, 2008)

Ali Ranalvi, Certified Geek
(January 20, 2008)

I still got it - compare with first pic in the series
(February 24, 2008)

SUPER-HOTTER: The heat is on!

Trust me, you need a HOTTER in Kanpur winters

Life's ironies

Promoting cleanliness (!), Rave Moti, Kanpur

Anyone want a hair cut here? Bada Chauraha, Kanpur

The best tea in Kanpur

Banarasi Chai Stall in Kanpur

Without a doubt, the best tea in Kanpur. This town likes its tea without too much sugar. Makes life very difficult to people like me who like lots of sugar in their tea. The tea at Banarasi's is prepared on the spot with pure milk, a dash of elaichi, good helping of sugar and malai (cream) if you ask for it.

Look Ma, a T-Rex!

In the company of dinosaurs,

Sumit at the Kanpur Zoo

A(SS) **beep** College, I kid you not!

See! See! :)

A wider and more expansive hoarding, just before Kalyanpur, Kanpur

I do hope I make some believers now (see 'breaking news' post here). Mayu, are you listening! :P

The world is a amazingly funny place.

Mr Chef, don't brin' the brinjal!

Sign outside tiger's enclosure at Kanpur 'Chiddiyaghar'

I say the same for brinjals. Oh how dearly I hate them! And my mess chef in IITK (see menu here) has some special fascination, liking, fetish, obsession with them. Every alternate day. :P

PS: More zoo pics here.

The journey to IITK

(wrote this long back!)

My trip to IITK
July 21, 2007

Mumbai: After much deliberation, stressful visits to doctors and running around, I finally boarded the 2107 Down Lucknow Super Express at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus at 1625 hrs. I was waved off by my parents (concerned about my perennial sneezing and my food on the train more than the enormous amount of luggage I was carrying ;)) and my chaddi-dost Partha.

The journey in the train was uneventful in the most part. The real fun started as the train neared Kanpur. There was a definite observable pattern; all mud-houses had a particular advertisement painted on them - "Shilpa Banian, Underwear and Jhangiyas". ;) This reminded me very much of the Rupa & Juliet ads in Mumbai. And also of the oft-repeated-and-now-boring PJ - 'agar tum Rupa ke banian pehenoge, toh Rupa kya pehenegi'. So right before stepping foot in the city of Kanpur, the preferred brand of hosiery was made known. ;)

Two observations I made on the way to IITK in the cab:
1. A big signboard and building proudly proclaiming "A.S.S. Degree College, top-ranked institute in Kanpur". Ahem!
2. X-C-Lent English Teaching Class: We know how to tech (sic).

The temperature and humidity was killer. The temperature have only recently dropped to 29-30C from the 34-35C on July 22, thanks in large measure to minute rain showers. It is however, small respite.

IITK from the outset was a great experience. The campus is enormous and for a first time visitor almost overwhelming. Besides the academic buildings, IITK has 9 halls for gentlemen and 2 halls for the ladies, in addition to some hostels (count unknown) for visitors and married students. I was allocated to Hall 7 which is one of the recently built hostels in IITK and hence the quality and construction of the rooms is excellent. My room has all basic amenities and a 3-partitioned window with a view of the garden and the canteen. Right outside is the terrace, from where the sky spreads out its enormous expanse. No skyscrapers, no smoke, dust, just pure natural sky. No stars visible right now because of the clouds, but imagine what a treat the sky would be to watch in winter. ;)

And oh, did I mention the football & hockey ground right next to Hall 7, it is a lush carpet of green. They could probably use it for filming SRK's 'Chak De India'. :P Btw, Hall 7 is also online, www.iitk.ac.in/hall7.

Food as I have told (more like bragged) many of you earlier was never going to be an issue. In 2 days, I've spend a total of 2-3k on room stuff and only about 30 Rs on 6 meals. :) And the quality of the food is excellent as well. I mean a big tall glass of mango shake for Rs 10 wonly. Yummmmmmmmmy samosas for Rs 2. ME LIKEY!

I still await with bated breath my Internet connection, so I feel normal again. Life without email and IM is strangely inadequate somehow (note: this situation has now been alleviated, and hence this post ;)).

My room @ IITK

A virtual tour of my room at IITK

Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!

A flier outside Screen 3 of City Pride, Kothrud

PS: Does point 3 (no "drinking") mean no water, Frooti, Sprite, Coke and no apple juice?! :P

PS PS: If you figure out why there's no point 10, leave a comment. ;)