Lorem Ipsum

Informalz creation

Motherjane

Sandwoman

Vishal

Day 4, OASIS 2010

The penultimate day. A time when events start decreasing in number and the enthusiasm rises one last time. Today's big three:

1. Razzmatazz
2. Bhayanak Maut
3. Motherjane

Razzmatazz

The first round, where teams performed on songs they practiced for, was absolutely fantastic. The right choice of songs and the fluid moves earned them the crowd support and votes. Some of the colleges were truly a class apart and this event was definitely a great platform for them to display their talent.

The second round's performance was also really good and it was really difficult to tell each team from the other. Teams usually faltered at the random songs section but it was smooth as honey this time. The final round having an unknown song plus props exposed some teams while others unleashed their creativity and entertained everyone. Like every year Razzmatazz was awesome.

Motherjane
I had backed out of Bhayanak Maut and was also in half a mind to sell the ticket for Motherjane's show. But then I had a feeling it was going to be okay, after all they are India's #1 rock band. Pumping up hopes we went and occupied the seats in the balcony (which was one big mistake) wanting to listen to some good numbers. What we saw and heard was simply stunning.

Although I did not find the lyrics to be catchy (nor the tunes) they had given a great performance. The lead guitarist, Baiju, made all the difference. His fingers moved on the guitar as if peeling a sugar cane stick and people just waved down to him after each song. Vocalist wasn't bad either but he needn't have asked anyone to join their fan page/group on Facebook!

The best part really was their face paint and also the universal appeal their band name had. They have won quite a few laurels and are popular in some parts of the world. Hope they continue to do so. The only thing they should have perhaps done was to sing some popular numbers but they stuck to their own music. (both pros and cons to this)

Back to routine
Tomorrow's the last day and for the Department of Spectators the last event is the fashion parade. I found it totally boring in the second year, let's see if there's any change ;)

Day 3, OASIS 2010

Although I decided to say good night at 3 itself, KC came knocking into my room and we chatted lots of shit: how movies should have ended, girls, movie stars and gen lachcha. KC's basic agenda was to stay awake long enough to wield another cancer stick. So, it was once again 5 by the time sleep took over.

Change of theme
It was a Sunday and on top of that I was very tired, but yet woke up at 9! Today's theme was to just go out there and do whatever we could. We started with Wordstock (Uday and I) and then the movie quiz (Ravi and Mod) and then went to Tarang.

Tarang
It started with a heart touching "sadho re". Then a Miss Ultrasonic came in and sang this; people had to literally close their ears to save themselves from the damage her sharp voice was inflicting. And just after that it was BITS Pilani's turn...

I remembered the superb performance given by them in 2k8 edition and had high expectations. But unfortunately it was disappointing, maybe because of the choice of songs. Teams should be choosing songs that would definitely strike a chord with the junta instead of trying to make them like something new.

Salsa
Well dance workshop is definitely among the things one shouldn't miss during OASIS. They teach you the basic steps and you've got to try and learn them. So, Bosco Caesar was teaching us some jive and salsa. It was fun :)

Vishal-Shekar
What do I say? There was the euphoric feeling around the Audi and we waited quite sometime in the lawns, some more time on the benches and finally in the queue. Like any good show this was going to start late and the crowds were hysteric. But soon euphoric turned to Euphoria :(

It began with an awesome rendition of "Mar Jawaan" by Shruti Pathak. Vishal-Shekar's entry was met with great cheering and they were just too good together on the stage ;) The quality started waning after the first few songs. I mean they are good composers and all but their foray isn't singing and they couldn't really hold it. Half-way through I called it quits and rest is lorem ipsum.

Mr. and Ms. OASIS
Avoid! The hype and the performances of the audiences were actually good but the organization was bad, was terrible. Their jokes were worse than the guy at the Blackberry kiosk (who by the way was trying out Punjabi songs tonight)

And its very cold tonight. Despite having seen worse weather, I had never quite appreciated what lying-in-the-warm-comfort-of-my-bed meant. Tonight I finally do.

Quarter past 5 in the morning.

Day 2, OASIS 2010

Finally the dance workshop feat got revealed, although much later than expected, and my lunch was spent defending the rather brave move. A drowsy afternoon followed and the evening was as uneventful as it could be. Our theme for today was to do nothing.

11: 00 PM
After fighting over each others' looks Ravi, KC, Uday and I began our nightly hunt. Moving out from RP Bhawan was in itself an achievement; the insides of the hostel and rooms don't make you feel like going anywhere else... especially on a holiday. Our itinerary included a visit to:

• FD 2 QT
• D,C Lawns
• ANC
• Nutan

@Blackberry kiosk

We decided to give the host a second chance and he proved himself worthy for a while. Dunno if it was our timing but the same task was being given as yesterday: guys have to enact an item song. Today's song was Ringa Ringa and the performances were laudable. However, our hero, dressed in yellow, dragged it and re-played the song several times over. We learnt a new mantra there: 

Black-berry 

Black-berry

berry berry

Blackberry

Four musketeers

This has been the worst part of the day: standing in C Lawns with nothing to do except pulling each other's leg and assuring each other of brighter things in life. The moment you are in such a situation it is time to break-up and do something... something radical. So, we occupied a tent enjoying a cheese burst from the Domino's stall.

Rajasthani corner
The food did the magic and we felt more certain of ourselves. By far the best initiative taken at OASIS so far: an entire loop in the C Lawn stalls was dedicated to the traditional Rajasthani folk. Magic, Palmistry, Bangles and Betting. Cots lay in the middle with a bonfire (it was quite cold today) and it looked like a village in itself. It was impressive.

Today's missed chances: 

• The outsti girls looked pretty friendly but none of us took the step forward #FAIL 
• Treasure hunt. All Gappan's fault: he was messaging in sudden fits asking us to register but not showing up himself. 

Sleep wins today. Until tomorrow then.

Lorem Ipsum.

3 AM

OASIS 2010

~The night is the new day~

Well this post is definitely not out of psenti feelings or for people feeling psenti. These are the initial experiences of my second edition of OASIS and how they map to the first one. Fourth year and just two editions you say? Don't you laugh. There are those who are just seeing their first and even those who haven't seen any (despite being on-campus.)

Psenti-OASIS
Perhaps because I have never really involved (or been involved) in the cult fest I find my fist whenever someone utters the word psenti and attaches it with the fest. So, today on the day of inaugural, I decided to stay away from the maddening crowds. Luckily I had company in the wing and we ditched the inaugural. But its not hard to guess what would've happened:

• bigger and better
• heroic entries of the StuCCAns
• mime
• bigger and better
• dance and of course,
• "The 40th edition promises to be bigger and better than ever before!"

First OASIS

The coming-of-age. I say that because it gave me everything I ever wanted on campus: friends to hang out with. All of us were in the Audi Force (a department for superheroes) and our job was to make sure no explosives, narcotics or match boxes went inside. And once inside we had to ensure no one caused trouble. 

On the one hand, we had to be careful that we don't show up in the media footage: shepherding people or even worse, checking them; and on the other, deal carefully with the outstation participants, especially the fairer sex. We managed it quite well in the end.

OASIS 2008 ended and so did the train of holidays that followed it; but I never recovered from the celebration mood. To me it was like a festival that refused to end. Thus began the bitsian transformation: 

• idling
• chatting
• movies
• purposelessness

Life really changed with just those four days and if there was one thing which came out unscathed it was restlessness! I had to restrain myself many times from regretting certain things. Somehow, I ended up doing only what I wanted to do. I still don't know if that is right or wrong. All I know is that it is foolish trying to do everything on your own. 

Fortieth OASIS

And now, two years later, I stand in front of a similar-looking OASIS. Technically the participation has increased, the organizing team looks promising (being our batch) and it is definitely bigger than ever before.

We went hunting for food around 11. On first sight, the campus looked like a fair, and it took just a few seconds to catch the OASIS fever. We tried to make fun of the host at the Blackberry booth but looked like people did really enjoy his jokes. Pitying them we made our way to C lawns and then to the humble abode of ANC. 

Although I was decidedly sleepy after downing two ice-cream shakes, the superhero friends I made back then dragged us to Nutan. We talked wittily about how winter always comes in with the fest and mockingly about how the first-timers could enjoy OASIS.

Ironically, it was peaceful seeing the cars, the people and the chaos. As I reached the room, sleep transpired to thoughts and worded this post. What doing now? I sit in my room blogging, wondering how unreadable the EPC edition (Lorem Ipsum :P) would be tomorrow. 4 AM. Insomnia!

~The night is the new day~

Children of Heaven

I have often been in a situation when I just don't know what to do: not sleepy, not interested in reading nor in chatting. For the first time I could get myself to think and what I really wanted to do was watch a soothing film. I decided to give Majid Majidi's Children of Heaven a try (keeping a romantic movie in buffer... just in case)


But not for a minute did I minimize the window or check the time remaining . 

The movie takes you in completely and familiarizes so much with the characters that you begin to sympathize with them. It reminded me of: 


School (especially the primary days) 

• the benches, 
• the games and
• the reaching-in-time :D

AND 

My brother (anybody with an elder brother would feel the same)

• for seeing things straight
• for all the running around and 
• for the care :D

A sweet movie with its heart in place; can jerk tears if yours too is.

A strange parallel

Film-making and Entrepreneurship.
These are two electives (in no particular order) that I've taken up this semester and they have become a strong part of my passion. The classes and teaching methods for both the courses are unique and captivating.


Drawing parallels has been a favorite hobby of mine for as far as I can remember. While some of them just reflect imagination, others immaturity. 

Don't go down the path of maturity. Rather choose creativity... 

This has become my talisman for the past few days and although I do not fully appreciate it, there is a sense of power behind it. Paradoxically, one has to go down the path of maturity to be able to advice it.

1. Here is something you begin with for a start-up: you have an idea and you are addressing a problem; which is no different from the plot of the movie.
   
   
2. The executive summary when first submitted talks of a single point being addressed, not of all the problems in the world. A filmmaker begins the journey with short-films which again tries to address something specific.
   
   
3. The details one has to work out before actually being able to take a shot: sound, camera, lights, action, etc. While shot is an unit of film, product is the unit of a start-up. One has to think about the various aspects for developing it: market, pricing, marketing, technology, etc. 
   
   

Note: 

Those who understand Algorithms, as superficially as I do, would be immediately concluding that everything actually falls into it.  

1. You are given a problem (or identify one)
2. You write the data structures (details of a shot or aspects of a product)
3. You design the algorithm (shot or product)

And finally execute it (film or start-up)

4th year

Four reasons why fourth year shall remain the best one (although its been just two months):

1. Friends who your days wouldn't go without;
2. Better understanding of what we want;
3. The grown-up feeling (from inside);
4. Learning to overcome the failures

Note: I'm sure this would change in a month.