My Campus Placement - How it happened!

Recently, I was having a casual chat with a friend of mine, who is a HR manager for the past one decade. I was narrating to him the memorable/funny day when I got placed at campus - September 3, 2010. Though it has been 4 and a half years since then, the memories remain fresh ! Let me take you on a journey down the memory lane . . .

The list of companies visiting the campus in the month of September 2010 was published on the CUIC notice board. The 1st one was Excelacom (non - core) and the next was John Deere (core). I was not interested to enter non - core. Not that I was a brilliant in my Core, just that I had an aversion towards IT. So when I saw the name John Deere scheduled to visit the campus on September 3, I started doing some basic research. I had never heard that name earlier but eventually discovered that they were a 175 year old MNC !!! It was open to 6 - 7 departments from CEG & MIT. My CGPA was 7.6 and I would be somewhere around 60th - 70th rank in my department ( in terms of CGPA). So I wasn't one among the 'favourites' to get placed in the 1st company. I just decided to give it a shot and experience how the whole process goes. I was confident that I will have to attend atleast 4 - 5 companies :D. On the other I knew that I will get through the interview if I clear the written tests.

September 2

With the advice of few close friends of mine, I decided to go through few basics. So after quite some gap I went to the library again and picked up couple of books. Meanwhile I got a call from a Rotaract friend asking if I could be present at Miot Hospital, Ramapuram by 6 pm for a blood donation. ( A+) I couldn't say NO and obliged. By the time I left the hospital it was 7pm and eventually reached home (poonamallee) by 7.30. As I was planning the basic requirements for the coming day, I found that 2 most important things weren't ready yet. Passport Size photos & Resume (:P).

Task 1 : Photo : I had only one photo in hand whereas the requirement was 3. So I rushed to my friend's studio and told my situation. He couldn't process an instant print print for some reason. Rather he captured the photo I had with me and made 4 copies of it. What an Idea !!!

Task 2 : After returning home I prepared my resume. It had to be in the CUIC format and hence I didn't have to break my head much. My extra-curriculars was occupying close to 60 % of the Resume, which I felt will determine my selection.

September 3

I had asked my friend Induja to give me a call. But it was her mom who woke me up. Till date she proudly says that she was my lucky charm to get that job. The dress I chose for the day, formals of course, was blue, tiny checked shirt and black pant. I changed to it after reaching college. We gathered for the pre placement talk at 9 am after which the written tests were scheduled. 130 candidates were shortlisted.

Once the HR had finished his presentation we went to Hall 10 for the test. It had 2 parts :
Part 1 - 30 Aptitude questions - 30 minutes
Part 2 - 30 Technical               - 30 minutes
1/3 of the mark will be deducted if answered wrong or left alone. So no harm is making wild guesses.

I was quite satisfied with my Apti performance. Got around 21 - 22 right. Then came the biggest challenge - Techncal. Frankly speaking , in the entire set of 30 question I could understand only 5. It just took me under 10 mins to  randomly select options in the coding sheet. I didn't have to look at the question paper too. Results for the test and shortlisted candidates for the interview were to be announced in an hour's time. After the technical paper I lost hope that I would clear. But I waited with a thought that if luck was on my side I could get through considering the 1/3 negative mark factor. What happened during the remaining part of the day was unbelievable . .

Soon the 23 candidates shortlisted for the interview was read out. To the surprise of everyone, the name "S.Gopinath" was announced too. I coudn't control laughing. The shocking part was most of the toppers and guys strong in academics didn't get through. One of the fellows even commented in dismay "Gopinath lam technical test clear pannirkaan da. Naan epdi short list aagala". Till date no one knows the criteria on which we were shortlisted. My classmates wished me luck for the interview and left. I was the 9th in the list and my slot was at 5:15 PM. I went out to have lunch and returned by 4 PM.

Till the moment my name was announced I was so casual about the whole thing. I got a little nervous once I realised the fact that I was one shot away from bagging my 1st job. I didn't inform any of my close friends about my progress to next stage. I did have a large circle of friends ( juniors, seniors etc). I didn't want to be burdened by the pressure of expectation. I just informed 2 people - my mom and Anand Mohan, a good friend. I wanted to get some tips  and encouragement from him. I was amused to see people sitting outside the hall with big books in hand. I didn't believe in such stuff. I just backed my strengths and instincts . . As the time was nearing, I put my headset on and listened to 2 songs from Vinnaithandi Varuvaya - Uyire Uyire and Hosanna :). I had 2 thumb rules in mind - make them question in areas of my interest and express willingness to learn ! The guys who went in earlier were questioned on their projects , subjects of interest etc .. each spent a solid 10 - 15 minutes. Around 5:20PM I was called in . . .

Important 8 minutes of my life follows ! 

I walked in confidently and greeted the representatives from the organisation. There were 2 of them. Once they offered a seat, I seated myself comfortably.

Q : So Gopinath, tell us about yourself !

A : I briefed them on my school and way to college. And straight away mentioned that my passion was the Rotaract Club and I was the co ordinator for an event called Sangarsh and currently the President of the club. I stopped there hoping he (HR) will ask me about Sangarsh. And my gut was right.

Q : Tell us more about the event Sangarsh.

The ball is in my court. That was a time even if someone asks me about it in sleep, I can go on talking for hours. I crisply explained them about the event, the cause and the work done with the amount raised. They seemed to be impressed.

Q : Why were you made the Co ordinator for that event?

A : I am in the club from my 1st year and never hesitated to do any work at any time. In the process I learnt a lot about handling an event and I sold 150 tickets on my own the previous year. So maybe my seniors would have felt I am the right person for the role.

And finally after 4-5 minutes, a technical question . . so far so good !

Q : You have mentioned Strength of Materials as Area of Interest. Why ? Because it's easy ?

A : Sir honestly speaking I can't claim to be a master in any subject. Just that I understood the concepts better in SOM. Probably due to my interest in Physics in school.

Q : Do you have knowledge in lean manufacturing and related areas.

A : Sorry Sir, I don't know.

Those are emerging trends, you have to update yourself.

Me : Sure Sir. I can always learn.

The HR intervened now . .

Q: So Gopinath, which area would you like to work in ?

A : Any department is fine for me.

Q : How can you say so ? Are you ok even if it's shopfloor , marketing or anywhere?

A : Yes Sir. As I mentioned earlier am not an expert in any particular field. Moreover it was mentioned in the presentation this morning that we will be having a training period of 1 year. If the training is planned well, then I would be able to mould myself to your requirements. ( Till date I don't from where those words flowed in :D )
I am also keen to know more about JD water. We were involved in Save fresh water campaign last year. So I understand the importance of optimal usage of water.

Q : Ok, Any questions you would like to ask us ?

A : I wish to know how your CSR activities are carried out. Do you carry it out by yourself or any tie - up with an NGO ?

Reply : We do it ourselves

Me : We have an event coming up. So felt if John Deere could support us.

Reply : We can discuss that later.

              Ok Thank you.

I shook hands with both and them, a smile and said "This is my 1st interview and It was a nice experience". " It was good talking to you too", came the reply. I left the room, 60 - 40 in favour of getting selected.

By then, the news of my interview had spread and lot of guys started calling me. The final results were to be announced at 10 PM. I was concerned as I was never questioned on technical grounds or projects. It was more of full HR round. I went to Balaji's room in hostel and slept off with my phone turned off as I couldn't bear the suspense.

I woke at 9pm and learnt that 4 more guys are still pending. I walked to the canteen with Ananth, ajay and dinesh. I had to explain to many about the questions asked and my reply. All were convinced that I will be selected. I asked Ananth & ajay what they want to eat. The reply was , "Anna, let the result come. Which ever hotel is open we are going for your treat. We wont eat here" . Woooff . . .it just increased my tension and nervousness. I asked what if I don't get selected. Ananth was quick to reply " Adellam neenga aaiduveenga na". Enna oru Nambikkai !!! ( Watte confidence !).

Around 9:45, I slowly walked to CUIC. I forced those guys to wait at canteen itself saying I would call once the results were announced.  Anirudh was waiting to get in as the last guy. Soon he entered . . and then after 10 minutes he emerged out . . within 5 minutes the assistant placement director came out with a list in hand . . My heart was thumping . . He said 10 guys were selected and started reading out the names ... 1) . . . 2 ) . . . 3) . . . . 4) S.Gopinath ..............

I couldn't believe what I heard. Nobody would have thought this will happen - my staffs, parents , me - that I will get selected in my 1st interview. Along with me Anirudh, Chandrasekar, Uday and Syed (Nazu) got selected too. We formed a huddle and were jumping for joy . . "gumthalakadi gummava, gumthalakadi gummava". Ananth, Ajay and dinesh came running . . I got a couple of hits . .the painful one was the blow by dinesh . . the moments that can never be erased off my memory.

We were called in again to sign the offer letter. By the time I came out again in 5 minutes, my phone was flooded with messages. Ananth and ajay had sent the news to all members.I had some 40+ SMS.
Calls were coming in . . it gave a feel that something big was achieved. I was on the phone even past midnight. As , decided we headed to Hotel CORONET in adyar. I carried a charger along as the battery was draining. I was extremely happy to receive so many wishes . . . a beautiful end to a memorable day in my life !!!!

How do I see it now ? 

Haha . . this question flashed my mind when I was typing my resignation mail on April 13, 2013. I then realised that, more than the joy of getting the job it was the feel - I succeeded and overcame the competition, that made me celebrate. More of a boost to the Ego.

Observations

• No expectations or pressure. I just went casually and didn't fear to lose. 
• Was straightforward in my approach
• College is not just about academics and GPA. It's about moulding your personality as a whole. With this exposure one can manage any problems - professional and personal.
• Talk to/Get acquainted with as many people possible. All it takes is a little smile. You never know from where help will come in.
• Be passionate about something. When I was working day and night for Rotaract events I had a tough time at home. My dad felt I was loitering around. Eventually that's what fetched me the job and I am grateful to it.

So I tell my juniors even today to just enjoy the college life and involve themselves is something rather than sleeping in hostel room. Love, break ups, friendship etc etc everything teaches you something. Just ensure you study at the right time (b4 exams), so that you can enjoy the remaining duration :) 

My Journey to A Super Randonneur

Little did I imagine that I will come this far, when I set out for my 1st ride of 200km on June 21, 2014 along with nandu, prasanna, Roy, delwin  and fellow MRs (Madras Randonneurs). For the uninitiated - Cycling 200 km(13.5 hrs), 300 km(20 hrs), 400 km(27 hrs), 600 km(40 hrs) in different events organized by clubs under the guidance of of a Paris based cycling body, to a fixed time schedule leads to the completion of the title 'Super Randonneur'( Long distance cycling).

I heard of this sport for the first time through Hari Krishnan Pratap (friend of Nandu) at Kolli Hills in April. Later it was Prasanna who took the initiative and gathered all information about the event(200km), which was then scheduled on June 21. Eventually we i.e  Pras, Nandu, delwin et moi registered for it. Prior to the event we did 2 100 km rides. We went confidently and successfully completed the rides 2 hrs well ahead of given time. That was a big confidence booster for my abilities. I learnt more about the concept of "BREVET" during the ride. I recollect my comment even now. I asked Roy - " How crazy could one be to ride 600km for 40 hrs without sleeping much for 2 nights ?" Thinking of that, I have a wide smile as I ended up doing that. 

Brief Summary of my rides:

200km     : Chennai - Marakkanam - Chennai : June 21

300km     : Chennai - Tindivanam - Chennai   : August 15

400km (DNF) : Hyderabad - Nizamabad - Bodhan - Medak - Hyderabad : August 30

600km     : Chennai - Samayapuram - Chennai : September 12

400km           : Mulund - Nashik - Vadalibhoi - Mulund : October 25

Success is sweet. It's sweeter if it's an hard fought one. The final ride to SR at mumbai will always be very special to Roy and myself. We knew it was a challenge on seeing the elevation profile of the course. We had never done such a long ride on rolling hills. There was hardly any plain stretch. It was either up or down. There was also this particular ghat section for 8 - 9km in our first 100km. That was all together a different experience. The feeling of crossing that section itself was great (atleast for me). The head winds didn't make life easy either for the next 100km. But one big positive was the weather. It was very very pleasant throughout the ride. Once we reached the 2nd Control point (200km) well ahead of time, we were confident of a strong finish. The return was relatively easier. At 325km, with further 75 km to go, we took a 20 min nap. That kept us fresh for the remaining part and helped us to completed with ease. Roy was updating in FB after every control point. It was nice to see the comments and wishes during the breaks which encouraged us to keep pushing. It was overwhelming to see the support and we are grateful for that.

People Behind my SR:

I might have pedalled the distance, but there is a big list of people behind this who have helped/supported me at some point or the other. It's only appropriate to thank them at this moment.

MK (muthu kumar) for the cycle - Canondale Quick 6. Big heart thala _/\_ Oh my boy! He was wonderful and withstood all the terrains without a single failure. 

Prasanna & Nandu - for introducing me this world

Roy       - super company captain

Delwin  - for coming to the station early in the morning to help me with carrying the cycle (mumbai trip)

Krish    - for transporting the cycle to the start for the 600km ride

Nandu & Kandappa - for being the mentors

VPS & Nanditha    - for helping with ticket booking for hyderabad and mumbai and other support

Anantharam - for being the host in mumbai

Sandhu Uncle - for hosting breakfast at hyderabad

Karthik & Prajakta - for the light and backpack for mumbai ride

Padma & Sweta - for the company at hyderabad

Ramki, Ashok, Prabhu, Solai, Priya, Nandini, Vikram - for receiving us at finish line/cakes etc.

Chennai Runners friends - for the continuous support & encouragement. Especially after the hyderabad fiasco, your support made me comeback strong.

Last but not the least, Indumathi & Sargunam (my parents) for giving me this independence to do what i want. 

Once again hearfelt thanks to all my friends, co - riders, Madras Randonneurs and volunteer friends.

First Encounter with the Himalayas

        It's close to 40 degree here and am trying my best to beat the heat. Just a couple of days back I was sitting atop a hill in biting cold, (with my SG-7 friends) early in the morning, to get a magical view of the 'Kanchenjunga' also known as the 'Sleeping Buddha' : the third highest peak in the world. What a memorable trip it was . . .

        A month and a half back. one fine morning, I got a message from Ananth in WhatsApp which read : "Anna check this link. Can we go here" . Everything happened very fast. Ajay, Dinesh, Ananth, Shyam et moi formed a W'App group and were discussing about the feasibility of making this trip. Barring shyam all were ready to go ahead. I decided to take Karthik, my younger brother along & he agreed to join us. That's how the plan was finalised for our 1st himalyan trekking expedition organised by the Youth Hostel Association of India. The travel plan was taken care of by Ajay & Ananth, with Usha helping us with her credit card to book the tickets [ :P ] . The D day finally arrived . . .




May 16 . .

        Ajay , Dinesh, Karthik et moi had to take a train from Chennai Central to New Jalpaiguri (NJP), where Ananth starting from Mumbai was supposed to join us. Amidst some last minute drama and nervous moments, dinesh managed to get into the train at the last moment. I was worried whether to add his name or not in the facebook check in. (lolzzz . . )
 

        A very long journey of almost 40+ hours lay ahead of us. Luckily we managed to make a wonderful companion during the travel. A lovely little 9 year angel from NJP named Sohini Roy who had come to vellore for an operation. Though language was an hindrance initially, i was dissolved in few hours. She became so attached to us during the journey. Lot of fun and entertainment . . The train journey as such was very tiring during the day. We felt like we were seated in a furnace. Alas we reached NJP during the early hours of May 16. We bid good bye to Sohini with hugs & kisses.
     
        Meanwhile Ananth had reached ahead of us and checked into a nearby lodge. We reached there in a humpty dumpty rickshaw ride. After a round of shower and getting all our gadgets charged fullywe proceeded for breakfast before starting off to Darjeeling. After a lot of haggling, we managed to rent a Sumo to take us. It was an awesome 3 hour travel during which we encountered numerous hair - pin bends and got some breath taking view of the hills. I recollected a lesson in English during my school days which mentions about the journey via road to darjeeling. Honestly speaking, during our retreat we didn't feel the same awe as we experienced something much greater than that in following days . . .

        Finally, we reached Darjeeling around noon and proceeded to Hotel Chanakya where we were supposed to report. We met the 1st set of our companions for the trek then : Abishek , Kedar & Manisha from Amaravathi (MH), who eventually went on to become very good friends by the end of the trek. We had a couple of hours to kill as the reporting time was only 3 PM . So we had our lunch at Hasty Tasty & a round of Hookah at Venom Cafe. Hookah after 2 years !!! We returned to the hotel at 4 PM and what followed for the nest 1 hour was total madness. We had neither taken our medical certificates nor photos to submit to the organisers. We were running around to fix all those and somehow completed the registration formalities. All the 5 of us were allotted a single room to share. We dropped our baggages in the room & joined for tea.

        In the dining hall we met 35 - 40 ppl spread in small clusters like the 5 of us. The size of our trekking group was 48and we were supposed to spend the following week together. I went around exchanging handshakes and introducing myself with few. It was a very diverse group ranging from 15yrs to 58 yrs. Lively dudes, enthusiastic dudettes , energetic middle aged men & women and few determined 50 yrs + 'youngsters'. Few of them, like Pratima, Abishek etc, shared their experiences about their past treks. The co - director of YHAI then briefed us about the plan for the following day & we were in our rooms by 9 pm following the dinner. . . We were chatting in our room about Sohini and were briefing ananth about the lovely time we had with her in train. Such was the impact the little kid had made in us. Believe or Not, at 10.30Pm i got a call an unknown. It was none other than the sweet angel. It was so touching. We were talking to her with the loud speaker ON for the next 9 minutes despite not knowing the language properly. The sweetest phone conversation I had ever had in my life . . .

        We were up and ready by 5 AM. Some acclimatisation activities were planned for the group as we were in a higher altitude now. We were taken for a walk, followed by some exercises and a jog. After or breakfast we gave a send off to the G - 6 batch, who were starting for the trek that day. Later, we went for a mini- trek within Darjeeling, visiting few prominent places viz, secretariat, Bose institute and few buddhist temples. The interaction among the members was slowly picking up. Post lunch, the 5 of us joined by Abishek visited the Zoo and Himalayan Mountaineering Institute Museum. Following that we purchased few stuffs which were pending for the trek and reached 10 mins late for the orientation by the YHAI director. It went on for 1.5 hours. Soon there was a round of self - introduction in which people spoke about themselves and their hobbies. Thanks to YHAI - people from various states, varying interests, different cultures and holding different positions, all under single roof. Truly a National Integration Program! We were all set to commence the Trek the next day, excited.

        Before I take you through the trek, i wish to dedicate this few lines to aspects which were common throughout the 5 - day trek, so that i needn't repeat them later. Those include : Landrovers abandoned the company itself but serving efficiently in our terrain, dense forests, beautiful & colorful flowers, warmth of the localites, brilliant food arrangement throughout ( potatoes formed major part of the diet), cosy cottages with adequate facilities, campfire on all evenings, chirping sound of birds in the silent woods, beautiful & scenic views all along, dedicated SSB officers guarding the Indo - Nepal border etc etc . .

Day 1 & 2 . . .

        We were transported to a place named Dhotrey from where our actual trek began. We carried minimum baggage after dumping off excess stuff in Cloak room. We collected our packed lunch at a place called Manebhanjan, en route to dhotrey. The plan for the day was 7 km trek from Dhotrey to Tumling ( 2960 mt ) via Tonglu ( 3070 mt ). Our group was sandwiched between two guides, Raju @ front and Biren @ the rear end. Leaders were appointed for various roles among us to ensure smooth proceedings. It was a very different experience ; walking in the forest carrying few kilos on our backs, pure air and with lot of flora & fauna around. Nature in its purest form. Being fresh legs, it was relatively easy task. We halted at Tonglu and had the lunch we carried. The weather was very cool. At times dense mist and fog engulfed us. There were occasions when the sun would emerge out from nowhere forcing us to remove our jackets / thermal wears. More importantly we were cut off from mobile phones the entire 5 days.

        We reached Tumling comfortably and got into the rooms allotted to us at Shikar Lodge. We were in NEPAL. Yes, Tumling is located across the border. During our trek we were meandering along India & Nepal frequently. Few of us went around exploring the place. We didn't have to do anything. Sitting quietly on the rocks and observing the hills around, in that pleasant weather is something one has to experience to get its essence. Words will definitely not do justice . We can relate to lot of poems on nature during such moments. We had our own joy by listening to "Pudhu Vellai Mazhai" from Roja. ARR magic . . . Soon after Tea we had campfire. Anthakshari, Solo singing, dancing followed . . It was time for special talents to display their skills. Wonderful performances indeed . . gifted singers & dancers !

        Day 2 of our trek was 13km course to Kalipokhri (3100mt) via Gairibas. The young guns were always fast and aheadd of the pack. I did what i love doing the most : sticking around with the last group ensuring everyone reaches comfortably. It gives a sense of satisfaction. We had some nice chat & debates. Kedar, Ashish , Raji Aunty & a few others were involved in an intense discussion on language issue ( Hindi). It follows me wherever i go . . (lolzz . ) But it was fun and we had a healthy debate. Discussions on various topics like movies, stars, politics etc kept us going. In Manisha, Kedar , Kanika & Naval uncle, we saw great nature lovers who had the ability to spot species of birds & flowers confined to that forests. Dinesh , Abishek & Sanjay ( Sherlock Holmes, cos of the black hat & stick he carried) were the most wanted photographers of the trip (DSLR cams). By now we had gelled well as a group. Finally we reached Kalipokhri by 3 pm much ahead of the scheduled time. A few of us had steaming momos at a nearby cottage though we had our packed food of Tibetan bread on the way.

        That evening we had a game of dumb C during campfire. Though it was restricted to only hindi movies, we , the Chennai Express (nick name for 5 of us ) were able to do a commendable job. It was much colder during the evenings with increase in altitude. Jackets were a must. We had some lighter moments involving the camp leader ( PKJ ) and Pratima ji. Memories that will remain forever . . [:D :D]

Day 3 . . .

        The 1st real challenge of the trek lay in the 6km stretch to Sandakphu (3636mt) from Kalipokhri (3100 mt) on the 3rd day. An elevation gain of 530 mt over 6km. Personally, i was feeling very comfortable, thanks to my experience of running in the hills. I enjoyed every bit of it. We did meet another group of trekkers from Kolkatta. One particular gentleman expressed how happy he was to see a group of energetic guys in his way. We were finally @ Sandakphu, the highest point in Bengal. Post lunch we went for a 1 km walk to nearby view points. Sandakphu is the place where one gets a 360 degree view. One can get amazing views of Kanchenjunga, Mt.Everest, Makalu, Lhotse & other peaks, provide there is no cloud cover. Winter is the ideal time. In addition to that one gets a mesmerising view of the horizon & Kanchenjunga glowing at the time of sunrise. The 3 batches prior to us were unlucky as clouds didnt give way. We were hoping if we would be lucky. Were we ?? . . .

Day 4 - Purpose Achieved.

        I was given the task of waking up at 4 Am to check if there was a possibilty of seeing sunrise. I stepped out our lodge by 4.20 AM and climbed up the nearby view point. Ananth, Shyama, Varada, Dinesh, Abishek, Kedar, Manisha, Prashant & Sherlock Holmes were there for company. There are a few phrases that I have come across in poems viz ., biting cold, howling sound of the wind etc. I did experience all those for the 1st time. I was shivering terribly. The clouds hadn't cleared much and we were disappointed.
        Suddenly, for a few seconds we caught sight of the Sun and a couple of us got a view of the peak. But it was gone in matter of seconds. By now the sun was up, above the horizon. After some anxious and patient wait, the clouds cleared following a heavy wind. This time the sun was visible for almost 2 minutes and more importantly we got to see an orange line over the bhutan side of the himalayas. That view will be imprinted in our minds forever. It was an awesome moment. We couldn't hide our excitement and were screaming on top of our voice. We got some reward for waiting in that cold. We waited further till 5.45AM. Seeing no signs of improvement we returned to our lodge for Tea.


        Within few minutes, there was noise all around and people running crazy. The skies had cleared and the Sun was bright & up. Whoaaa . . . The majestic Kanchenjunga stood there 90 km in front of us. What a view, what a view!!! Just couldn't take my eyes off. We stood there admiring for more than 30 mins. Needless to say, lots of clicks were going around and I had my share too. From another point we got a view of the peak of Mt.Everest, Lhotse & Makalu too.
        Following a quick breakfast, we regrouped again to head to Gurdum ( 2910 mt). It was a 14 km descent. (700mt). Along the 1st 2 km , we had kanchenjunga on our left. We were admiring from various positions. The downhill trek did have an impact on a few of my companions as the entire body weight acts on the knees and the forefoot. Ajay et moi stayed behind with the last team of Sandhu ji, ashish and naval uncle till the end. Both of us were singing our favourite numbers and enjoying our walk. All along the way, we took short breaks enjoying the snacks we carried. Atlast we reached Gurdum valley by 2.30 pm. Following the lunch, i took a much needed shower after 3 days and a quick nap. After Tea , few of us went to a near cottage to charge our gadgets : 40 rs for mobiles and 50 rs for camera. We had a good sleep that night after a tiring day!

Day 5 . . .

        As usual, I was up by 4.15 AM to get a view of sunrise. Being a valley, I did get a nice view & managed to capture it too. I went for a short walk accompanied by Naval uncle. We did some basic stretches & exercises too facing the Sun. Can't imagine doing that in Chennai . . .After a couple of Aloo stuffed fried parathas, we were ready for the final day of the trek. It was a 12 km route to Rimbik (2266mt) via Srikhola. It was relatively an easier stretch as the major part of the trek was on motor-able road. We halted at Srikhola, which housed a small water body. I didn't want to regret later, so i jumped into the water despite warnings that it was damn chill. I had a feeling of 1000 needles being pierced all over my body. After some 20 mins of swim, I came out and was shivering like hell for next 15 mins. No pain, No gain. Hot Dal Kitchadi was waiting for us. Had a filling lunch and relaxed for a while. Once everyone was ready, we commenced our treak for one final time. We were greeted by lot of school kids as we were nearing Rimbik. Rimbik seemed to the the most happening place in our whole trek with school, hospitals, bazaars etc. Our trek ended finally at Hotel Green Hill. We went for a stroll in the bazaar before gathering for the valeidictory function during which medals and certificates were distributed to the participants. Few of us shared our experiences too. It was followed by campfire for one last time. It ended on a high with a group dance outside our hotel, thanks to the speaker provided by the hotel staff.

        The following day, letters in form of small chits were prepared to people of our choice and distributed. I got 10 chits which i will treasure throughout. We were later taken to darjeeling in jeeps, from where we headed to our respective places after rounds of good-byes and farewell handshakes.

        Overall, it was a memorable trip. The 48 of us would definitely be friends for life. Lot of moments to savour & cherish. The time spent, words spoken, knowledge exchanged . . all will remain etched in our memory forever. The trek wouldn't have been so much without the active involvement of each and everyone. I feel everyone must plan one such trip every year to take a break from the buzzing and pacy life. After all, we are here to 'Live' and not merely Exist!

         

       

     

Happy Mother's Day!

You got married before you knew what marriage was (15 yrs). Before you could get in terms with what was going on, knife was placed on your body and out i came with a big head (that's what you say). Seeing the present day girls, I can't imagine what you would have been going through your at the age of 17 with a kid in hand. Somehow battling all odds, managing all the pressures you raised me up with help of anandhi athai. I feel right from then i have been independent - staying at grandparents place during my kindergarten days, travelling to school by MTC bus on my own (to valasaravakkam from poonamallee) as early as in class II , tennis coaching, my studies, college etc etc . . You were firm in your stand to ensure that I got the best education possible. I vividly remember those nights when you used to sit and read for your English Literature exams. All the MBA degrees are nothing in front of you, compared to the leadership, determination and the will power in you. I have inherited most those traits from you and am grateful to you for that. And thanks for all those bashing, using all possible options ranging from broom to chair . . especially the day when anil kumble took all 10 pakistan wickets in an innings . . ( hahaha . . )

Though i started moving away during my adolescent phase, i could understand the difficulty you had playing the role of a peace keeper between me and naina. My job in pune was a blessing in disguise. The distance brought us together again. Still i wasn't that intimate with you as i would have wished to be. The day when i confessed to you all my KD thanams , you probably became my best friend . . from then to now (for past 2 yrs ) thank you for putting up with all my crazy acts. I might not have expressed earlier how much you mean to me. But i take this as an opportunity to pen down my thoughts. For the way we grew, (I use we here as you were also growing alongside me), all those senti stuff won't suit ( hee haha ).

 Anyways let me put it here . .  I love you very much :) :) . . be ready and prepare yourself to run more & visit lot of places in future . . and yea most important thing - be ready to put up with another girl who's going to share my love :D :D Though you are aware of it, it's my duty to reiterate it .

All jokes apart, thank you very much for all the support, encouragement & inspiration till date. As a son i will do my best to make you proud.

!!!அன்னையர் தின வாழ்த்துக்கள்!!!

1000 KM biking and a full marathon!

I had always wanted to do a bike trip and had been planning for last couple of years to do one. I came very close to registering for a delhi - ladakh - delhi trip last year, but couldn't execute it due to various reasons. Finally, my wait was over. I had registered for the inaugural edition of Val Vil Ori Ultra @ kolli hills. (VVO is the ruler of that area in around 200 A.D) . When i was discussing with Nandu regarding the travel plan, he suggested that we do a bike trip. Right from the moment he uttered those words, i was very excited and was eagerly looking forward to the trip, and yeah the 50 km run in the hills too!

A last minute scare . .

 I got bike ( Pulsar 150 cc ) ready with all necessary service done 15 days prior to the start. 2 days before the start, i suffered from food poisoning. Continuous output without any input . I was totally dehydrated. I made a call to Dr.Kumar, our runner friend and briefed him my situation. He prescribed few medicines and asked to keep taking a good volume of electoral - water. My only fear was if i would be able to make it to the trip or not. And moreover, this would be my 1st ultra run and i didn't want my debut to be postponed. So i just followed the advice given by doc. I didn't have the strength to even sit in a chair and strike a conversation. My 1st experience of that sort. Thankfully, the medicines did work and i took in a lot of electoral. I gained some strength the following day. I went out and purchased a new helmet and a pair of hand gloves for biking. But i was very careful about the food intake and limited my self to only idlis and curd rice. So it was all set and we agreed to meet at ashok pillar @ 5.30 A.M and proceed from there.

Here we go . .

As per plan , i joined Nandu at ashok pillar on time. His friend, and later my friend too, Hari had informed that he would join us at Perungulattur. I had to collect a jacket from Ajay, my sweet junior, at Tambaram. Initially i was touch nervous. It was the 1st instance i was riding wearing a gloves and the new helmet was bit uncomfortable too. So i didnt speed up much and was going around 60 - 70 km/hr. I collected the jacket from ajay and joined nandu & hari at perungulattur. First thing nandu told me was that this pace wont workout and i should maintain atleast 80km/hr. His mind voice would have been " avasara pattutomo".  (lolzz). We had a tea and meanwhile he tied my bag on his pillion. We had agreed to stop at tindivanam for breakfast.

 After filling in petrol, we started our ride. Nandu was the pacer (as always, running or biking) , followed by me at centre and hari behind me. It was a super convoy, a pulsar in between 2 Royal Enfields. By this time i was comfortable and was maintaining a good speed of 80 - 85 km/hr. I was enjoying the ride a lot. The morning breeze, near empty highways, sunrise , flying birds . . simply fantastic . . Nandu ensured that he had me in sight in his rear view mirror. After an hour and 15 mins of ride, we reached a vasanta bhavan at tindivanam. A light breakfast followed.

We started our ride again after a 30 min break. Our plan was to take the next break at ulunthurpet. By this time the sun was up. Once we began the ride we didn't the feel the heat much. But i could sense that i was getting dehydrated. I was still on medicines and hadn't recovered fully. But when some bigger things are in front of you to enjoy/experience, why worry about petty things ! We continued for just over an hour and reached the famous AAB & petrol pump at ulundurpet. I have heard before from few bikers that this is the standard spot for a break. We took a 10 min break . Nandu got his bike tank filled. I consumed another half litre of electoral. Soon, we started again . This time the sun was at the peak and it was getting a bit tiring for me. We reached Attur in salem after an hour's ride. We halted at a juice shop and fuelled our body for some energy. We had covered around 250 km till then and had some 125+ more to be covered. The rest of the ride was off the highway and through interior roads. We had the luxury of tree cover for major part of this phase. Enroute, 30 km further at a place named Aayilpatti, we met a person transporting tender coconut in his TVS 50. We asked if it was sale and were happy to hear a yes. We had a brief stop. Each of us had a couple of them. He guided us to take a short route to reach our destination. One common thing you can find in all villages - people coming out of the way to help others. That was the last stoppage we had . From then on we proceeded without stopping anywhere till we reached the base of kolli hills. We had to take a diversion before rasipuram which led to karavalli which is the base. By the time we reached karavalli it was around 1:30 - 2:00 . We had a filling lunch at Hotel Shri Parasakthi, which is considered to be the best there.

The best part of the ride was waiting for us. After the lunch was done  , we started our ride uphill. karavalli to semmedu is considered to to be one of the most scenic routes. 72 hair pin bends welcome us along this 25km stretch with an elevation gain of 1200 - 1300 metre. One has to travel there to experience it. No words can do justice do express the awesomeness of the hills. We stopped at couple of places to take some pictures. Finally , after a hour & half ride in the hill we reacched Nallathambi Resorts, where our rooms had been booked. All through this while we had been continously sending pictures to our runner friends in our whatsapp groups, updating about each and every stop we were taking etc . .. I had done my 1st long ride and it was indeed an amazing experince. No wonder Nandu said me that it will become an addiction once started. I was happy to be in the comfort of the room. We relaxed for a couple of hours and later visited Arapaleeswarar Temple which was 12km from our resort. Another fellow runner Karthik joined us too. He had arrived by train and 7 - 8 more of them were scheduled to reach the following day. We, 3 of us along with karthik decided to go to namkkal the next day and be back to join the rest of them for lunch.

Day 2 . .

We woke up at 5 am . We were ready by 6.15 - 6.20 and started to namakkal. We agreed to have breakfast at the same place at karavalli. We reached there in an hour.An early morning ride is always pleasant and if it's in one of the most scenic routes, needless to say it was simply fantastic. We met our runner friends there who had just halted there before climbing uphill. A nice chat and breakfast followed. We started our ride to namakkal which is around 30 km from there. We visited the Anjaneyar Temple & Narasimma temple. There was also a small fort nearby. Considering the heat we were in a dilemma whether to climb it or not. Eventually we decided to climb it. The weather was horrible, hot and dry. Soon we were back on our bikes starting back to our resort. On the way we bought a birthday cake for a fellow runner from bangalore, Kannan whose birthday was on the following day.









We reached the resort by 1.30 pm. The lunch was ready. I had my 1st full course meal after 3 days. A nap followed. We all gathered again at 4.30 for the meet called by Chennai Runners president Krishna, who is also the brain behind this ultra, to decide the route for the run. The BIBs and medals for the event were wonderfully designed and hand drawn by Krishna's kids. Finally the route was decided. Nandu, kannan and myself went on a ride again to see the 12.5km mark of the route. Once we ruturned, our customised dinner was ready - dal rice + curd rice + potato. All the arrangements for the run were made ready and we hit the bed by 10pm. We had to wake up at 3 am and start the run at 4 am.


Day 3 . .

As per plan we were up by 3 am and were ready by 3.30 . I had two slices of bread with jam as pre - run food. We assembled at the gate by 3.50am. As usual before any run, did some warm up exercises and few stretches. Despite the warning of couple of my friends i decided to go ahead with my run in Vibrams. I had kept my shoes in aid car so that i can changes to shoes whenever i feel uneasy.

The first edition of Val Vil Ori Ultra was flagged off by Krishna at 4 am. We ran in 3 groups. The lead group comprised of Nandu, Aravind , Kannan and Ashwin. The second cluster included Ram Vishwanathan, the founder of Chennai Runners , Balaji and myself. The 3rd and final group had krishna , sundarambal and hari (whom nandu convinced the previous night to do a 25km ). The entire course was 55km . First part was to go 12.5km downhill and return back which made it 25km ( 35 hair pin bends). The second part of the course was a 12 + 18 km loop at the top. This is just to give a brief idea on the route.

We started off at a very comfortable pace. We decided to walk the ups right from the start to conserve energy for the later half of the run. Weather wasn't too cold either. It was pleasant and the chillness was manageable. We had to carry a stick in hand to save us from the menace of the feral dogs. Few kilometres into the run, balaji slowed down to join the group behind us. Hence from then on it was only ram and myself. It was a great and humbling experience to run with Ram, who had done 48 official full marathons till then. I came to know that we were alumni of the same college. We had discussions on wide range of topics during the run . . personal details, education, politics , election etc etc . He carried a small digicam and took lot of pics. A couple of videos were taken too. Early morning run , that too in the hills is a treat for any nature lover. Am sure we would have left the local people and tourists wondering who are these crazy guys running in the hills early in the morning.

 First 20km was very comfortable for me. Karthik did an excellent job in co-ordinating the hydration support. Sweet and salt lemonade helped in keeping the salt levels optimum. At the 22nd km i started feeling a pain in my right knee. I just hoped that it would be fine. But pain started to increase. I could have stopped at 25km mark, but i wanted to do atleast a full marathon after coming all the way there. I shifted to shoes after the 26th km and continued my run. My only guilt was if was slowing down Ram as this would be his last long run before Comrades. Rather he motivated me and accompanied me throughout. My walk breaks increased but somehow i did manage to keep running. By now the sun was up and made our job tougher. Aravind and kannan were atleast 4 -5 km ahead of us . Nandu had stopped after completing 37km, ashwin & hari 25 km and sundarambal 33km.

We reached the arapaleeswar temple which was the 37th km mark. We were provided some water melon by nandu and karthik. My pain had increased a lot now and Ram was so sure that he would make me do a 50km. After a 10 min break, we started our run again. All along the route we interacted with localites, kids and whomever we met. When we reached the 41st km, i decided that i will stop after i complete 42.2km as i didn't want to aggravate the injury further. I told the same to Ram and he ensured that i ran major part of the last kilometre. And just to technically step into the Ultra World, he asked me to run a 100m more than a marathon distance. Finally, after 6 hours & 15 minutes , I had done my 1st hill marathon. Meanwhile Ram took out his head phones, his company for the remaining part of the run. He ended up doing a 50km. I reached the resort in one of the cars and waited for others to finish. Aravind completed 47km and kannan finished his planned 55km. Once everyone finished , we had a small medal distribution program. Then i procceded to our room to have a shower and pack my things as we ( nandu, hari et moi) had planned to start to chennai by 3 pm after lunch.

We had a sumptuous lunch. I was too too hungry and it was heavenly to see the food plate. I had missed out the cake cutting for kannan's birthday earlier. We had a nice chat. I came to know lot of people in this trip. One fellow who impressed me the most was kannan's son, Aditya, a brilliant child. His presentation of a drawing the previous left me awestruck. So, after the lunch we bid good-bye to everyone and proceeded to load our baggages. We were all set to leave by around 3.20pm.

The Return . .

Now that i had got an experience of a long ride, we decide to up the pace during the return. Nandu wanted to reach home by 11pm. We maintained a speed of 90 - 95km/hr. We reduced the number of stops too. That helped us to cover more distance in quick time. We stopped at Attur for few minutes.Our next stop was at the same petrol station at Ulunthurpet. We had a coffee at AAB. Our penultimate stop was for dinner at Vasantha Bhavan in Tindivanam. We had a quick dinner and wrapped up in 20 minutes. Our last and final stop was at a small coffee outlet just before chengelpet. At one point of time i began to feel sleepy. Just to ensure that i was alert , i started singing aloud few songs. I could do that confidently as i was the only audience to my song. At one point , i managed to clock a maximum speed of 108 km/hr. That's the max i have touched till date. Finally we reached ashok pillar at 10:55pm, after 3 days and close to 1000 km of ride.

It was indeed an adventurous weekend. Already i have started to feel the urge of going for longer rides. A big thanks to everyone who made this trip memorable. This is just the beginning. Looking forward to explore more in future.

My Experience in the Land Of 5 Rivers!

I saw this movie 'Highway' by Imtiaz Ali today. A beautiful movie indeed! Hats off to the director for vividly portraying the disparity prevalent in our society through the lead characters. Yes, much like the girl in the movie majority of the urban kids are raised today, ignorant of what's existing at ground reality. Well nothing much can be done about that in the current scenario at the rapid pace of globalisation. Am not here to write about this though. What caught my attention in the movie was the places they roam . . one such name 'Abohar' transported me 2 years down the memory lane. I spent close to a month at Abohar, located at the land of 5 rivers - Punjab. It was a memorable few days . . I will try recollect as much experience possible in the content to follow . . Will be focussing more on the memorable/stupid moments and not the work part . .

Pune to Delhi . .

Sasidharan, Manish Patwal & myself belonging to the GET 2011 were a part of the Cotton Planter testing team. We had to execute the 50 acres plantation at Abohar. We started our trip to  Punjab somewhere around the last week of April 2012. We were able to get tickets in a train from Shirdi to New Delhi and decided to proceed to Abohar from there. Frankly speaking i didn't even know how far was Abohar from Delhi. But I am that optimistic guy with an attitude like, let's see whatever comes. It was close to mid-day when we reached Delhi after a 25 hour long journey. Sasi knew hindi and manish comes from Uttarkand. I am that typical chennaite with "thoda thoda" hindi skills. We went to Delhi Bus stand and enquired about buses to Abohar. After few enquiries manish informed me that there was a private operator outside and we could book our journey for that night. I obliged and we proceeded with the bookings. Meanwhile we had few rotis and daal there. We had 10 hours to spend. I suggested we take a room in a hotel and get some rest. We took an auto and the auto wala took us to a decent hotel. Delhi was too hot. I was happy to be in the comfort of the room. One kingfisher helped my cause too. We had a good sleep. I was woken up the commentary of the IPL in TV. If am right it was the Rajasthan vs Delhi match, which Delhi won from nowhere. Morkel bowled a fantastic penultimate over, and rahane failed to make contact with the last ball off which he had to score 2 runs to win the game. We had a quick shower and proceeded to the bus stand. There so much confusion and chaos at the private bus stand. The bus which booked never existed and that operator was not picking the call too. Funny experience . . lot more to come. Finally we caught hold of some fellow . .and finally we were given a seat in a bus which was hading to a place called suratgarh in Rajasthan. We were told that it would cross Abohar on the way. That was one horrible bus , worse than Sundara Travels . . torn seats, home for rats. . Luckily I managed to get some sleep.

Stranded in middle of road at 4 AM .  .

It was around 4 AM when the cleaner woke us from sleep and informed our place is nearing. We were dropped off some 40 km ahead of our destination. The driver said us that another bus was coming behind and that would take us. I knew for sure that it was a blatant lie. But we couldn't help it , nor fight at an unknown place. Literally we didn't know where we were. There was no one around to even enquire. And worst part was it was so chill. I didn't carry any protective gear and had to help myself with a towel. Sasi and myself went into a different zone and started clicking some funny pictures. After waiting for more than an hour in a thatched shed, we saw a shop opening nearby. On enquiry we learnt that there was a bus stop 2 km down that road and we could take a bus to Abohar from there. We reached the stop in a cycle rickshaw. Trust me, the old man charged just 20 rupees at such an odd hour. Then we took a bus and finally managed to reach our desired destination. We checked in at Hotel Sunbeam, the only one which seemed to be better there.

Later we visited the field, which was another 30 km from where we stayed. We had hired a gypsy for the rest of our travels. Due to some irrigation reasons our work was to have a delayed start by a week. We ensured the necessary arrangements.. machine/driver etc. We had a week to spend. Manish left to his hometown. Hence it was left to sasi and myself. Sasi is an introvert of Nth order. So the entire decision making was left to me and he just accompanied me. I love exploring new places. I saw the IPL schedule and asked my friend to book tickets for the Rajasthan vs Kings XI match at Mohali which fell in that week. So i took Sasi along to Chandigarh. On the way we visited Bathinda for a day. We visited the famous fort and later watched Jannat 2 movie. It was at the fort that i purchased the metal band which i wear in the wrist even today. I was so keen to learn about the Sikh culture. From the beginning i had high regard for them. Once can't miss the parathas, panneer and lassi once in Punjab. Just enjoyed it. We stayed and bathinda and proceeded to chandigarh the following day.

Chandigarh & Mohali . . 

I realised why Chandigarh is called a planned city only after visiting it. Seriously a well planned city, though i didn't have much time to explore the place. We took a dormitory at the bus stand located at Sector 17. A single bed for each of us for a day, 200 each. Seemed a good deal. The match was at 8 pm. So during the day I decided to explore the Rock Garden. Amazing work on display. All structures were constructed just from waste and debris. We spent a good time there.

                                                                       

A small water-fall inside the garden.

 Amazing architectural skills.

How much ever old we grow, the kid in us always tends to show up :)

Mohali stadium is located just few kilo metres from chandigarh. It took us just 20 minutes to reach there. We found our stand and made way into it. I remember this particular incident where one volunteer asked me to wear my t shirt in reverse as the name "Sahara" was printed and it results in ambush marketing. I got so furious and gave him back a mouthful and proceeded into the stands. Mohali is considered among one of the beautiful ground in India. And I was there to witness a match. It was more eventful for me because Dravid had announced his retirement from International Cricket and that was probably the ;ast time i would get to watch him play Live ! Though it was an one-sided contest , I enjoyed the atmosphere and made few punjabi friends. Might sound crazy , but i do that whereever i go. I try to talk to as many people as possible. It helps to understand how different people are . . These guys below, am in touch with them on Facebook even today!

Well now that Chandigarh done, I decided to go to Patiala where few of our colleagues were staying , working for our harvester unit there. Meanwhile Sasi decided to take a bus back to Abohar and enjoy the silence and rest of the hotel room. After staying in Patiala for 2 days i joined him at Abohar.

Abohar . . 

Now comes the main part. I mean the visuals which Imtiaz Ali had show in the movie, I happened to experience all those. Abohar is one of lakhs of small towns in India. It's located in the border of Punjab, Rajasthan & International Border of Pakistan (Fazilka border). Yeah, 40 km from Abohar is the 1st village in Pakistan. The camel carts, open engines, the rickshaw pullers are a common sight there. You could find even women hanging out of the auto during commutation. And the economy, well if you were bred in the cities throughout your life , you will begin to wonder if you are really in India. With so much diversity, No wonder other nations envy us for this 'Unity in Diversity'. Take a look at the pics below for better understanding . . 

Some Lighter Moments @ Work . . 

If there was one person who enjoyed the most, it would be none other than me. . I had befriended everyone, right from the farmers to the nearby tea shop wala in that surrounding . . And all this with the little bit hindi i knew ( haha .. too much fun ). We had nearly 15 days of field work . .Getting up at 5 AM and reaching the hotel back by 9 pm . . We did have our share of fun too . . 

Anandaraj joined us a couple of days before the start. I used to go for walks with him in the streets of Abohar during the evenings. . remember one shop where i had Pani Poori regularly. The best i have had till date !! And finally once we wrapped up our work in Punjab, our next destination was Rajkot. But we had 2 days time . .Thats enough for Gopinath to make a visit to The Golden Temple, Amritsar and Wagah Border. Going all the way to punjab i didn't want to leave without seeing these two places.

Golden Temple , Amritsar & Wagah Border . .

Amritsar is approx 200 km from Abohar. Again Sasi and myself took a bus early in the morning and reached Amritsar by noon . . One must definitely visit the Golden Temple ! I had a dip in the lake too . . Bliss !

Once the darshan was over, we had our lunch and proceeded to Attari i.e Wagah . . 

Yet another memorable incident was sleeping on a slab in Amritsar bus stand that night rather than checking into a hotel :D :D Tried all crazy things . . The following morning we proceed to our room at Abohar and packed our baggages and proceeded to Rajkot via Jaipur - Ahmedabad . . more experiences and pictures to follow . .