The New Dimension of Gaming

Finally, I purchased a PS3. With my own salary. It feels good. This was an item on the charts for a long time. As my friends know, I am a big gaming enthusiast. And I have played most of the best-selling games.

However, as a gamer, I prefer Action and Role-Playing Games. I have experimented with Strategy as well, and a prefer a mix of Strategy cum Action games. The two categories which I definitely avoid are Racing and Sports[though I have played NFS, Fifa, etc]. But there were quite a few games which were really good but exclusive to the PS3. And I could only read about their reviews or watch their trailers. Which was not sufficient for a gamer like me.

So finally I decided to purchase a PS3. I already own a PS2, which is gathering dust at my home. And Sony plans to come out with the PS4 soon, which is expected to be in the 30k+ price segment. I have been a Sony loyalist, having purchased a Sony Ericsson phone in the past, the PS2, and my personal laptop is Sony Vaio. My father has also purchased a Sony digi cam. This is one company which I have continued to trust and rely upon [I would recommend Made in Japan to anyone who reads books, it’s a marvellous read].

Let us come back to the topic of gaming. Some of my favourite games/game series of the past include the Final Fantasy series, The Metal Gear Solid series (my all time favourite, and the main reason for me deciding to purchase the PS3), Golden Sun, Max Payne, Hitman, Elders Scroll, GTA, Call of Duty, Devil May Cry, Batman Arkham Series, Street Fighter and many more. The maximum time I have invested on a single game is for Final Fantasy XII for the PS2, closely followed by Elders Scroll: Oblivion. Most of the games I have played on the PC, for the obvious reason that Console gaming never really caught up in India [it still remains elusive to most gamers].

Specifically for the PS3, I wanted to try out the following games:
• Metal Gear Solid 4 [Purchased]
• The Last of Us [Purchased]
• Red Dead Redemption [Purchased]
• Uncharted 2 [Purchased]
• Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 [Out of Stock]
• Metal Gear Rising [In Queue]
• GTA 5 [To be released]
• God of War 3 [Purchased]
• And Others

As you can see, the primary game I had in mind was Metal Gear Solid 4. This was because I have played the previous 3 MGS games, and I must say, its one of the best game series ever. No matter who you are, if you call yourself a serious gamer, you have to play these games. The best part about it, is the completely original and mind-blowing storyline, with an awesome gameplay and brilliantly designed characters. Hideo Kojima, the creater has done a fantastic job, to say the least. The game focusses more on stealth than full-frontal assault, but there are a vast number of weapons and items at your disposal. Plus it gives you a cinematic experience, and the cut-scenes are brilliant too. Right now, am playing MGS-4 and loving every minute of it.

Lot of people may say that gaming is mere entertainment or a waste of time, but for me, it means a lot. I am looking forward to playing Batman Arkham Origin, and I wish that someone could create a good Superman game as well. There hasn’t been one out so far.Moreover, most Superhero games are not really good and made with a narrow scope(the Batman Arkham series is a big exception). I personally favour games which involve swordfighting and magic. I remember that Ryu Hayabusa (From the Ninja Gaiden series) was once my favourite gaming character. Of course, at present it is non other than Solid Snake.

Lets see what more does gaming have in store. The next stop will be Virtual Reality, and gaming in which we will be completely involved in the gameplay.

Work Life!

Finally, a blog post, after quite some while. This is my first post after joining BASF India as a Management Trainee. So finally, corporate life begins. But this post is not about my corporate experience. But life outside of it.

This is the famous monsoon season in Mumbai. Its literally raining 24 x 7 on some days. I am used to getting wet repeatedly. I made a cardinal mistake of losing my umbrella in the first week itself. Then bought a new one, which conked out after using it for just one time. Just great! On top of that, the strap of my watch got torn, my mobile is at an all time bad condition, and the worst part is that I badly injured my right arm, and got a skin infection to go along with it. I also have other health problems, but there is no point mentioning about them.

But I still have had some fun to say the least. There are nine other management trainees out here, and we are all staying at the same place. There are lot of things which I have been doing, and recently we all went out to watch Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. I found the movie very inspiring, and would definitely see it again later, if I get the time. Farhaan Akhtar was just brilliant. I haven’t got the time to go exploring Mumbai yet, as I am busy with work. But I am definitely planning to go around once I get a bit of free time. Hopefully will meet up with some friends as well.

But the good part is that, I am actually glad to be busy. For two months, I did almost nothing but watch movies, play games, and waste time on facebook. So it’s a nice welcome change to actually work and be preoccupied with positive activities.

I am actually hopeful for the future, and I am looking forward to doing something big. And there are lot of other plans as well. Time management is the key. But am not even getting time to read books right now. Still trying to remain regular with newspapers.

R.I.P. English

Often, I retrospect about my school and college days, and quite often than not, my thoughts wander to my teachers. I have had the privilege of studying under some teachers with an outstanding prowess in the English language [NOTE- SARCASM]. Before you start judging me, I would like to say that I have nothing personal against these personalities. But I would just like to share a few quotes/statements which have made them popular. Of course, I shall not be taking their original names. Also, I have NOT exaggerated the following quotes in any way. My classmates will testify for that.

Let us refer to them as T1,T2 and T3[There would be many more, but then I cannot let this post run forever].

T1= Maths Teacher, T2= Physics teacher[Nickname- Apple], T3= Electronics Teacher [Nickname- Spoken English]

T1: ‘Hey, Quiet All are. The Principal has just passed away.’ [When the principal walked by the classroom]

T1: ‘Now, integral calculus solves you all are. This formula remembers you. Exam very important formula is.’

T1: ‘You middle boy last bench all are. Stand up and go into the blackboard. The sum solves you.’

T1: ‘Open the window. Let the air force/atmosphere come in.’ [Okay, this one is common, I agree]

T1: ‘Come meet me underground in the break time when I am empty.’ [Interpretation: Meet me on the ground floor, during break when I am free]

T1:’ When I talk, you talk, no middle talk.’

T2: ‘Today I will explain laws of moshain [motion]. The apple falling head, Newton falling, gravity, to and fro moshain, which is loose moshain.’

T2: ‘Arrey hum tumko aisa marega ki tumhara laal gaal ko maar ke safed kar dega.’ [Translation- I will slap you so hard that your red cheek will turn white, (whatever that meant)]

T2: ‘The atoms moving zig-zag on floor is Simple Harmonic Moshain(motion)’

A female student asks T3 for permission to go to the washroom. His reply: ‘Okay, lets go.’

T3: ‘No AC will go where DC will go. You no go where AC will go. Your ghar will have AC. You don’t know where is AC.’ (Note- AC stands for Alternating Current, DC for Direct Current).

Unfortunately I have forgotten about T3's epic comments, especially during our practical sessions in Electronics. Some of his statements used to make us ROFL, literally.

If there is one serious regret which I have in my life, it’s the fact that throughout my education life(which recently ended), there are just a handful of teachers I have known whom I consider to be good. And just to clarify, its not just because they were not proficient in English. Even otherwise, I can barely remember a time or situation when I looked forward to attending a class.
And this, in spite of me getting an above average education. I can only imagine the quality of education in majority of the schools and colleges in India. Isn’t there anything which we can do to improve the standard of education in this country? Forget the Government, it obviously doesn’t care. Its time for the private sector and NGO’s to step up.

Why I have so few Friends!

Right now I am sitting at home, doing nothing. Well almost nothing, apart from reading some books, watching Smallville and One Piece, and occasionally sports and Emotional Atyachaar (yes, you got that right) on tv. I have been doing the same for almost two months now. From next month onwards, I shall be a Management Trainee at BASF India, Mumbai.

I have been growing through some mood swings recently. Often, I end up feeling depressed and frustrated, when negative feelings take over. Maybe its cause I don’t have any proper work to do. Or maybe because there is no friend here in my home town. Which again sets me to introspect and retrospect. Hence this post.

What is the definition of a friend to me? Okay, I will skip that. Why do I have so few friends? That’s a more interesting question. Well, first of all I would like to mention that I categorize my friends according to hierarchy. I know quite a few people will claim that they treat all their friends equally, etc, but that’s plain crap. Nobody can treat everyone similarly. There is bound to be bias. Hence, I clearly claim that I make a hierarchy of friendship. Unlike my previous posts, I shall not be taking any names in this one.

At the top layer, there is the Category 1. This is an exclusive category for my closest and true friends. Only 3 or 4 people fall in this category. These are the ones whom I can trust blindly, and have known since childhood.

The second layer, category 2 comprises of those friends whom I may not have known for very long, but nevertheless I do trust them to a large extent, and I also feel comfortable and happy in their presence. It brings about a positive aura, when I am surrounded by them. Nevertheless, I shall not be sharing everything with them.

The third layer, is category 3. These are those people with whom I have had multiple conversations, and I appreciate their work. However, I do not share any close bonds with them, and it wont make much of a difference to me if I am not in touch with someone for long. Sometimes I even have had fights, and arguments with these people(Of course, we can all generalize and say that friends keep having fights, but I meant differently).

The last layer is category 4. These people are not strictly friends, but more like acquaintances and present in my facebook friend list. I may have talked to them a few times, smiled to them out of courtesy, but beyond that, there is scarcely anything. They are just one degree above strangers, in my view. Highly likely to be forgotten as time goes by.

Yes, I know many of you will find this categorization strange or even bizarre. But that is exactly how it is. In fact, our minds are tuned to categorize people in different ways, based upon our perception of them. This is one reason why we can never totally avoid being judgmental.

So back to the original issue at hand. I admit, I have very few ‘true’ friends, ie those who belong to category one. And not many in category 2 either. What is the reason for that? Being an introvert? Being unsocial? Maybe, both of the reasons are true. I also usually do not initiate a conversation. I do not like talking about myself. In fact, I do not like talking without any purpose[ie random chit chat]. I prefer to listen. And I very rarely open up to anyone. I never share my feelings with others either. So I guess those are the logical reasons which my mind shares. But the truth may be different. Who knows.

Now, to come to a specific area: Female friends. Zero in Category 1. And just a couple or so in Category 2. That’s it. Surprised? Well that’s the truth. I have very few female friends. I could count them on the fingers of one hand. I guess the problem is that I rarely talk to females about matters besides education/work. And even that talk is limited. I studied in a all boys school, and had very limited interaction with girls, even in college. Of course, if you do Engineering and then MBA(from a premier institute) your interaction with the fairer sex is bound to be limited. Forget dating or asking a girl out, even talking to a girl was like a difficult chore for me. Though of course, I did talk to a few of them, and have chatted online with many, but could hardly make friends with anyone. I can even say that I did not have a single female friend before MBA. My closest friends are all male. And I do not see any change coming in the future.

Sometimes, I do feel sad about it of course. Most of my batchmates (both engg and MBA) have a healthy mix of friends from both genders. I would have desired the same. Maybe not many friends, but equal numbers of both genders. However, that was not to be. I guess it is because of my nature.

I do not believe that facebook chat and gtalk is an alternative for actual face to face interactions. In fact, virtual friendship has made life tougher for us. I resent the fact that I spend more time chatting and whatsapping than talking to people in real. This is something which I must seriously change in myself. I hate socializing, but I could try that too, in Mumbai. Maybe participate in some blogger discussions or debates, etc. But of course, I will avoid parties, as I consider them to be a simple waste of time. Travelling is something which I want to do as well.

You know that you will feel miserable when you badly want to go someplace (such as the movies) but don’t have even a single friend to accompany you[I watched both Iron Man 3, and Man of Steel alone]. But the fault is in me, attribution theory has taught me that.

See you around folks.

My Bschool Bestest

I bet the caption caught your attention, didn’t it? Anyways, this article is based on my personal experience, being a moderator at Pagalguy.com, and also active at several other MBA forums. Call it ego or whatever, but the truth is that most Bschoolers become incredibly defensive when it comes to talking about their alma mater.

After all, nobody wants their[or their bschool’s] skeletons to be out of the closet, do they? Naturally, everyone will only talk about the positive aspects of joining XYZ School of Management, and will conveniently leave out the cons. If at all they are included, they will be as good as being neglected. Most placement reports claim 100% placements, with the top brands on the front page. This gives a very wrong impression to aspirants. Say for example, a particular bschool had 400 students, and the top 100 got good offers, and the bottom 50 remained unplaced. Still the placement report will suggest that ALL the students were placed in decent companies with good profiles.

This is an era when even the top bschools are struggling to place all their students, not to mention the tier-2 or tier-3 ones. But this is not the focus of my article. I find it irritating when bschoolers try to hide details from the public, openly resort to lying, and get into heated arguments whenever there is a comparison between bschools. A common comparison is between an IIM and a Non-IIM, albeit top bschool. Just for an example, lets take comparing IIM Lucknow with XLRI, or a new IIM versus MDI/NITIE/IIFT. The IIM grads will swear that an IIM tag matters a lot, whereas a non-IIM grad will focus on other aspects[say location, alumni base, etc]. Some people will claim that an IIM is an IIM, hence it’s the sole reason for you to join. Others will remark that it’s better to take a bschool which is well established than to worry about an IIM tag. This is just one example out of many.

Unfortunately, this only adds to an aspirant’s confusion and doubt, since he will get biased reports from both sides. Recently, one guy called me up asking for my opinion on IIM L vs FMS. I tried to give him as objective a perspective as possible and even highlighted the points where L scored over FMS. However, I know from experience that most people will not do that. They will go at any length to defend their own bschool.

It saddens me to say this, but some of my batchmates have done the same too[repeatedly claiming FMS’s superiority over others]. There is a [albeit thin] difference between promoting one’s bschool and blindly boasting about its strengths.

Some of the common confusions [for aspirants having multiple converts are]:

i) IIM A vs IIM B vs IIM C
ii) IIM L vs FMS vs XLRI
iii) IIM I vs IIM K
iv) MDI vs NITIE vs IIFT
v) New IIMs
vi) SP Jain vs JBIMS vs newer IIM [including K]
vii) IMT vs NMIMS vs XIM-B vs SIBM

And others.

My advice to bschoolers: Guys, you people are talented and wise. Stop misguiding others, and try to lay out as objective a picture as possible. Trust me, it will increase the respect people will have for your bschool.

@Aspirants: Don’t get misguided by what an institute’s placement report claims. Talk to the students, alums, and third parties [neutral] to get an overall picture. Lot of bschools don’t even have proper campuses of their own[but advertise it]. And if you have multiple converts, don’t spend too much time over-thinking. Just set your priorities and chose one and stick to it. Remember, if you have it in you, you will be successful no matter where you end up.

Adios for now. It’s time to play Call of Duty: MW 3.

Updates, Blah Blah!

Okay, some updates about me this time. For the past one month, I have been sitting at home, and doing nothing. Yes, idling my time, before I start my first official job, at BASF India. Will probably be shifting to Mumbai now. I liked the place during my 2 month stay during the internship, and hopefully the experience will be good again.

I was about to write a lengthy ‘All I wanted to say about MBA’ sort of post, but then decided against it. Dunno why exactly, but just didn’t feel like writing about my MBA experiences. After all, it’s the most hyped degree in India. Maybe I will write about it someday in the future. Then again, maybe not.

So what have I been doing the past month? Mostly, reading and watching stuff. Some books which I am spending time with include: Midnight’s Children by Rushdie, Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino, Beyond Good and Evil by Nietzsche, Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson, amongst others. Apart from this, I have been reading several blogs and other stuff online. And I admit I have wasted time going through several confessions page as well[mostly TCS, Infosys, Delhi Metro ones].

I only tried one new game in the vacation, and that was Dishonored. I wasn’t pleased with it. The game has got very good reviews, but I somehow felt it was too repetitive, and left playing after completing 3 missions. Am really looking forward to 2 games: Batman Arkham Origin, and GTA V. Other than that, my passion for gaming has taken an all time dip. My father is doing some research on the partition of Punjab [he even purchased a fat book on the same, I may read it too later].

I saw some good movies too. Identity, Dead Man Walking, Oldboy [Korean], Mulholland Drive, Kai Po Che [hated the ending though], to mention a few. Cant get enough of the suspense/thriller category. Identity in particular was a brilliant watch. I was kinda disappointed with Iron Man 3, mostly for the way they portrayed Mandarin. Really looking forward to Man of Steel now. Oh and I just read that Bryan Singer is making a new Xman movie[kinda a reboot],and surprise surprise- Cyclops is not included YET AGAIN. This seriously PISSED ME OFF. I mean come on now, give the man some credit. He is the leader of the Xmen after all, not some guest character with an occasional appearance. They way he was shown in the earlier movies was seriously very disappointing to say the least. And he has been ignored once more. I so wish some sensible director made a Cyclops:Origin movie for a change [We are getting tired of the repeated Wolverine crap].

As for tv shows, am just sticking to Game of Thrones. Though I must admit, I didn’t find Season 3 as good as the earlier 2. Still debating on whether or not to get the books.

Rest, I admit I am getting frustrated/depressed periodically. Maybe because I don’t have proper work to do. To add to this, my planned trip to the North East got cancelled too. I so need a vacation. But unfortunately I never get any company [blame my introvert nature and lack of friends for that]. And yeah, no friend here either.

Oh and yeah, am learning to cook as well. Just basic stuff, but an essential survival skill.

P.S.- I think its high time I shifted to Wordpress now.

P.P.S.- Its been raining here continuously for over a day now. Weather is super awesome.

Taboo Inc.

Lot of people seem to have this doubt in mind- Why on earth Indians don’t talk about sex? Why are discussions on masturbation, condoms, homosexuality considered taboo in India? Why does a country with a billion plus population shies away from mainstream nudity in cinema[its all right to rape and kill, but nude scene- Strict No], or from educating children on how the reproductive system works? I think its high time people stopped pretending that children just drop down from the sky.

Sure, with the technology boom and net savvy generation coming in, some progress has been made in this regard. Especially amongst the upper class, and the growing middle class segment. Nevertheless, if you consider the country as a whole, a vast majority of people are ignorant about basic sex education, and this actually results in harmful consequences, from teenage pregnancies, to sexually transmitted diseases, and even crimes such as sexual assaults.

A common joke goes that in our country, its okay to piss in public but you cannot kiss in public. According to a lot of moral guardians, kissing or any form of pda [including holding of hands], is a heinous crime, and its actually an offense in India under the IPC. Apparently the reason for the same is that some people feel disgusted if they see a couple kiss or hold hands. Arguably, the ‘some’ part is subjective, and it’s very difficult to categorize or classify people according to their acceptance of PDA. Hence the ban[Am personally against the ban, I know its debatable but I personally don’t see how a couple kissing in public view can harm anyone in any way, and those who say it’s a distraction can just choose to look away].

India is a repressed society. We try to pretend in our every day existence that sex does not exist, hence its naturally evil or morally corrupt to talk about it. If someone tries to impart sex education, he or she is a perverted individual who is trying to corrupt the younger generation. Some states have even banned sex education in schools. And then of course there are millions of illiterates having no access to any form of formal education.

So we come to a situation where both parents and teachers hesitate to talk about sex, when it comes to educating children [Of course, that has been changing in recent times, nevertheless that has largely been the trend]. To give my own example, our biology teacher didn’t even utter the words ‘penis’ and ‘vagina’ aloud even once, not even while teaching the reproductive system. As if just reading or hearing those words will make you a bad person.

So what happens as a consequence? People start getting half correct or incorrect information from other sources. Most guys learn about sex through pornography. Which is an extreme case of adult entertainment, and definitely not a tool on sex education. It brings about wrong ideas in the mind of youngsters. So instead of having healthy discussions on sex, it becomes a taboo topic. Sex is considered as the forbidden fruit, and not just as another human activity like eating, drinking or sleeping.

That is the first step towards depravity. Guys start making all sort of perverted jokes related to sex, and its usually at this time [onset of puberty], that slang usage becomes common. Most of these slangs are directed at insulting women. Something which makes them lose their ‘purity’. For many guys, losing their virginity becomes some sort of an achievement, something to be proud of. Staring at whichever girl passes by becomes common[No matter how hard they deny, most heterosexual guys do stare at women and at their body parts]. Passing of lewd comments begins from that point. And its almost always directed at a girl’s body parts. Girls are also compared, according to the sizes of their bust, etc. Yes, all this may sound disgusting, but it is the truth. And mind you, am not talking about those illiterate punks or rogues out on the streets, but educated folk, even sons of rich people. I have met very few people in my life[am not generalizing, but giving a personal view] who have actually respected women, even when no girl is around. It’s very clear by the way they talk and their reaction whenever they see or meet a female. Ironically if you directly ask a guy if he or she respects women, the answer will be almost always a resounding yes. And the next moment they will say-‘Wow man, just look at that Maal on the street.’

Of course we live in a patriarchal and male chauvinist society. So its pointless to repeat such points. But the bottomline is that we need to change. If you take the Delhi metro, many guys even argue that girls should not enter a general compartment, because a separate one is reserved for them. They fail to understand the need for reservation in the first place. It’s because the plight of a girl in a crowded general compartment is miserable to say the least. Moreover, a lot of guys even claim that it’s the girls fault for actually ‘brushing’ or falling on a guy and then complaining that the guy was trying to molest her. To such people I would say-‘Get a life. Just try to imagine yourself in a girls shoes trying to hold her bag and protecting her modesty at the same time, amidst a pack of hungry wolves and its only then you will understand what it feels like.’

Its because these guys have never had an healthy discussions on sex and reproductive life, that they feel so repressed. Actions such as groping, molesting, staring, eve-teasing, commenting and even serious sexual assaults arise as a consequence. It may build up slowly and gradually, but not talking and not knowing about sex is one of the reasons for the same. Its also due to our social upbringing, that even today many people believe that boys and girls should not mix up or play together. Especially for girls, who should limit interactions with guys, and curb her sexuality. So naturally, its again the forbidden fruit thing coming out to play.

Many people will also be disgusted if they hear a guy and a girl, who are not a couple discuss things related to sex, or precautions, etc. They will label them as people with loose morals, and the girl will almost definitely be called a whore or a slut. In an ideal society, even if a girl chooses to have a partner before marriage, it does not mean she has no morals. Every individual should be ready to bear the consequence of his or her action.

Rather, once we start opening up more, once we start educating our children, I believe objectifying of women will reduce, and that in turn will also lead to a reduction of crimes. But whether that will actually happen will remain to be seen. However, stop feeling ashamed of speaking about sex in public. Deal with it positively and not negatively. Sex is definitely not a sin, and nothing to be pushed under the carpet. Also try being less judgmental if you can[For eg- A girl who is not a virgin is not a whore, and a virgin guy is not a loser]. Its something am trying to follow myself.
But I will try to be an optimist. More on this later.