Bombay: Act II

I haven’t really had any opportunity to reflect upon the changes my life has gone through over the three months I’ve spent here. The breaks we got were all squandered away in merry making. The fact that we stay very close to a shopping mall which also happens to have a multiplex hasn’t helped matters much. So, today being the much awaited holiday because of its occurrence in the middle of the week, and being the day where any attempt to venture out may lead to unpleasant albeit colourful consequences, it only made sense for me to do what I haven’t been able to do so far; reflect. I find it hard to believe that it’s been more than three months at work. And as luck would have it, I’ve come across some genuinely wonderful people so far. Be it our landlord, or the people I’ve worked with, or those countless cab drivers who have taken me around the city; they’ve all been really good. The hallmark of my journey so far has been the ‘firm retreat’ in Goa. It happened to coincide with my birthday. Adarsh, along with some other colleagues of mine made it sure that I had a great time on the day. With a little help from Abhipsit, a guitarist who also happens to be a junior at law school, and Ninad, a colleague who hails from Goa, I gifted myself a really nice guitar on the day.

Though life has suddenly thrown open lots of opportunities to make the most of, I am dearly missing my law school and the friends I made there. Though some of them are here in Bombay, I know it for certain that we would never be able to have the same fun again. On a positive note, I also know it for sure that my conceptualization of ‘fun’, is slowly but surely undergoing a change. Yes, you have guessed it right. I may not have become a connoisseur yet, but I’ve certainly had my share of swigs. So, until I post again...hic...adios!

Bombay: Act I

There was nothing unusual about that morning in Raipur. Just that it happened to be the 3^rd of December and I categorically remembered it as the date on which I had joined law school five years back. So, on my way to the airport, as the car sped along the empty road, random thoughts kept crossing my mind. After all, besides leaving law school, I was also parting away from the city I was born and brought up in. Though I knew that I would be making short trips once in a while to see my folks, any long term stay would now be out of question. More importantly, I was aware that even during those trips, my mind would be too occupied with mundane matters to ever allow me to savour Raipur that way again. So, gaping at the countryside from my car window, I was trying to take in as much as I could in those last few moments.

When I stepped out of the aircraft at the Bombay airport, I was completely taken aback by the weather. Until then, I had spent all the Decembers of my life wearing warm clothes. But, Bombay made me realize that this wasn’t going to continue in the near future.

If carrying four huge suit cases wasn’t sufficient to attract everyone’s attention, my guitar took care of the rest. Unlike others, the cab driver couldn’t keep his curiosity to himself and asked me if I worked in the film industry. “If only”, I said letting out a sigh. I told him that I had come to Bombay to work at a law firm and a guitar unfortunately was to be of no use there. But his curiosity had not ended there. “I seem to have seen you on television”, he said. I couldn’t help but gleefully smile at him.

The next four weeks saw me settling down in a South Bombay flat along with Adarsh, shopping, savouring cuisines, watching movies, plays (watched one while sitting next to Shashi Kapoor at Prithvi Theaters), musical concerts and of course working (only to make sure that I continue doing the former activities in the days to come).

As I pen these words, I can also sense a slight chill in the air. All in all, so far so good!

Here’s wishing all of you a fantastic 2009!

Those were the best days of my life!

The final semester at law school has been one of the best I’ve had in the five years spent here. I’m pleased to let you all know that I’ve learnt to play the guitar. Vivek, a junior of mine, who also happens to be a fantastic guitarist, ensured that I picked it up in good time (in just over two months). Here’s a rendition of one of my favourite songs. And I can't thank my parents enough for having borne with all the noise I made over the last two months.

About thirty odd days of law school life remain to be lived. I’m extremely happy and yet very sad!

Those expressions at the begining of the song were to prevent my mom from walking in front of the camera...lol! And I know that there is a lot of scope for improvement!

Past Perfect- I

On that nippy December evening, soon after the law school became bereft of girls, twenty-four starry eyed law students set out on a mission. While some of them were exuberant with zeal, others followed what came to be known as ‘class orders’. Though it lacked the seriousness of a military operation, the enthusiasm some of our men displayed, gave it all the sanctity one would normally associate with a highly classified rescue operation. But for a serious lapse on part of our intelligence unit, it could have been a different story altogether. Before you jump the gun, I’ll throw some light on the backdrop. The mission objective was to watch the late night show of a movie which, as we were to discern later, had lived up to its name.

When all the occupants of a boys’ hostel (we were the only occupants of our hostel then) at a national law school decide to stay out in the face of a 9:00 PM deadline, the complications that follow are nothing but inevitable. While almost half way into our operation, as one marathon song followed another, and as a volley of dialogues over powered our senses, two of us panicked and deserted the troop. I realized that in naming the movie ‘LoC’, the producer was referring to the minimum level of patience the audience was expected to have. And certainly, I fell way short.

As we returned to our base (read the hostel), the watchman welcomed us with an extraordinary smile. Before I could deduce his intentions, the sight of an unseen lock on the door of my flat sent several chills down my 18 year old spine. I realized that the authorities had been tipped off and the stealth operation was never that covert after all. By now, the watchman’s smile had widened even as his eyes shone with sarcasm.

We immediately contacted the troop and informed them about this unexpected development. For that already exhausted lot, the news came like a bolt from the blue. Amidst the heavy artillery fire, it was almost as if a hand grenade came out of the screen. They abandoned the mission and ran towards the hostel. It was late in the night and yet most of them were fortunate enough to find transportation for returning back. However, some of our men were scattered all over the battlefield (read the movie theater) and were so deep in action that they could not even be informed about the happenings at the base. They withstood the entire onslaught with unparallel courage and resolution. After the movie finally got over, these men were rewarded for their gallant effort when they failed to find any conveyance and had to walk all the way from Shyam Talkies to the Boys’ Hostel at 1’clock in the night. Meanwhile, back at the hostel, the rest of the troop was getting ready for spending the night, out in the cold. As we deliberated over our further course of action in the dead of that night, the ambience reflected that of a night on the warfront. By the time the last group arrived, we had given up our hope of the warden showing up.

Just as we started preparing to sleep outside, one of our valiant men showed qualities of a highly trained combatant and successfully infiltrated a flat through its constricted bathroom window. Soon, the backdoor of that flat flung wide open. If only the warden knew about the high level of competence some of our men possessed! As our men started taking refuge in that flat, the watchman gaped in helplessness. Nevertheless, most of us decided to take on the challenge and opted to stay out. Some braved the night on the planks lying in the watchman’s room while some others cuddled inside a small enclosure in the verandah (which was later used to house the water cooler). If the grueling night wasn’t enough, the next morning witnessed us getting castigated by the warden who felt it necessary to subject us to an excruciatingly lengthy sermon on how our action was “so unbecoming of national law school students.”

One could have treated that day as just another bad one. However, while facing such music, if one is conscious of the fact that he is still wearing clothes he had put on more than twenty four hours ago, the possibility of taking things lightly goes into the oblivion. And all this for a goddamned movie! All twenty- four of us were made to write apology letters. I can still recall the contents of mine.

The day was 26th of December, 2003 and we were barely twenty days into our law school lives. We broke the law and deserved to be punished. Nevertheless, now that we are some 70 odd days away from becoming lawyers, I realize that there is no point in studying so much of law in the first place if one can’t- at times- take it in his or her own hands!

D.

P.S.:-

It’s been almost five years. The warden referred to above, is the present warden for Boys at National Law School, Bangalore. And till date, we have no love lost for him. This would hopefully be followed by memoirs on other pleasant happenings at law school. Watch this space!

Return to the Wild!

I had first set foot in Bandhavgarh around nineteen years ago. Dad, a lecturer of Orthopaedic Surgery then, had been just transferred to the Rewa Medical College from its counterpart in Raipur. As we adjusted to a new place, Bandhavgarh National Park being some hundred odd kilometers away from Rewa, soon became the preferred destination for most of our family outings. When relatives and friends visited us in Rewa, we invariably found ourselves making road trips to the tiger country.

Fortunately, my family’s love affair with this place survived Dad’s return to Raipur some time in the mid nineties. We continued coming to Bandhavgarh, though the place was now some four hundred odd kilometers away. The distance nevertheless reduced the frequency of those trips. We could now visit Bandhavgarh only during my summer and winter vacations. Later, as I got more and more occupied with studies, those visits to Bandhavgarh came to an abrupt end at the turn of the last century.

After finishing my first year at law school, I along with my brother and five cousins, finally came back to Bandhavgarh in the winter of 2004. It was an unparallel experience to relive those childhood visits we had made in the past. I had however, not started this blog then. And therefore, when mom and dad suggested early this month that we could make a trip to Bandhavgarh if I wanted to, the very thought of going back and sharing my experiences here, made me return from Delhi where I was in the middle of yet another internship.

Here’s an ode to the place in its own words,

P.S.:-

Life’s at crossroads again, and I hope not to go over the edge;
For I know, to salvage my soul, there would be no crane. :-)

A wish!

On seeing that falling star,
I couldn’t help but make a wish,
That when you do walk away,
May I have the heart to say goodbye.

Magnificent Geneva!

The autumn leaves,














A classy piece,














A tempting plate,


















A sporty gait,














A flood of colours,


















A tryst of lovers,














A chiselled bloke,


















A gulp of smoke,















A portrayal of pain,


















A musical lane,















Some thoughts for food,














Some food for thought,














Geneva, a City that Mesmerizes

P.S.:-

This was my second visit to Geneva. In addition to attending the WTO workshop, I did a lot more to make the most of my visit this time around. Here are some highlights:


















Jean- Jacques Rousseau, a political philoshopher I read about in the first year at law school was born and brought up in Geneva. It was an unparallel experience to visit his house in the old part of the city. His most famous statement is "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. One man thinks himself the master of others, but remains more of a slave than they are." His ideas were the driving force behind the French Revolution.


















This three legged chair in front of the UN building is an artist's portrayal of the horrors of land mines.














The visit to the United Nations was awe-inspiring. It is imperative to point out here that though the Headquarters of UN is in New York, a lot of its work is done in Geneva.















I was lucky that my visit to Geneva coincided with an exhibition of classic cars.














A Classic Renault














The BMW 507 (1959)














The Ferrari F430 Spider (2007)...one of the few recent models that were on display. Trust me, the visit to the exhibition kept me breathless for quite some time.












The hallmark of this visit was my befriending Gaudy, a trade specialist from Costa Rica. We went all around Geneva together. It was her wonderful company that made this visit 'sublime' in the real sense of the word.














My roommate Javier, a marine engineer, hailed from Southern Spain and was in Switzerland on a vacation. Since this was the first time that I had travelled abroad alone, I was a bit anxious when I first landed in Geneva. However, as the day of return drew closer, I realized that I was really lucky to have come across a host of wonderful people right through the trip. And Javier was certainly one of them.

Another Pilgrimage!

People...if yesterday was a bit jittery, today was undoubtedly one of the best days of my life!

Yes, I regard WTO law as a religion...and today's visit was in no uncertain terms a pilgrimage.

For today, I heard and met people I had only heard of before...the priests of this religion, if you allow me to use this phrase!

Here are some I saw and heard today...















Pascal Lamy...the Drector General of WTO














Georgio Sacerdoti...the Chairman of the WTO Appelate Body (the highest tribunal of the WTO)














Prof. Joel Trachtman from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy...a place I would love do my Master's from...and a man, I cited in the memorials for the Commonwealth Moot in July this year!














And the pilgrim of course!

The day culminated with a sumptuous French dinner...trust me, I have no clue as to what all plants and animals I ended up eating today!






























So, madame et monsieur (ladies and gentlemen), untill we meet again, au revoir!

P.S.- You guessed it right, I got my baggage back!More stories soon!

People...My airline lost my suitcase...thankfully, it only had my clothes.

Aftermath...

Had to purchase clothes...

And since the suit case had my camera charger, i don't think I'll be able to click pictures.

The WTO Forum starts tomorrow...

Geneva Again!

People...another windfall has taken place...I shall be off to Geneva in the early hours of October 3rd to participate in the WTO Public Forum 2007 to be held at the WTO Headquarters on the 4th and 5th of October.

Do keep an eye here!

God willing, I shall post soon!

Promise!

"Every photograph makes a promise. But the promise is never kept. And that’s what makes the photo great."- Some photographer

Independent Shots!

Not this September...

You guessed it right. We didn't make it!

Yet, we were not all that bad too...finished third and also got the 'Best Written Submissions' award.

All in all, it was a good outing. The fact that we were competing till the very end (read semi-finals), ensured that we couldn't see much of Patiala.

So, back to the law school now....getting geared up for other battles.

Another Moment of Truth!

We dispatched the memorials for the Moot Court Competition yesterday. The Competition is scheduled to take place in Patiala over the next weekend. We'll be jostling all the major law schools of the Country for an opportunity to represent India at the World Finals to be held at Nairobi, Kenya.

Irrespective of the outcome, I promise to bring you all stories related to what would be my first visit to the Punjabi heartland.

God willing, we'll go to Africa in September!

Take care people, and may God bless!

Transcendence at last!

I had decided to abstain from posting anything until I finished writing the memorials for the moot court competition I’m working on.

But people, this just had to be done!

I had read somewhere that inflicting oneself with excruciating punishment is one of the ways of purging oneself of all the sins. It’s an experience that purifies one’s soul, cleaning away all the dirt accumulated over the years.

Although, I do not know much about the origins of this theory, I came to realize about its veracity yesterday.

Yes people, I did it. I subjected myself to extremes of agony, anguish, distress, grief, sadness, shock, and suffering.

As bizarre as this may sound to you, yesterday’s experience has changed me for good. I feel like being born again. It’s a feeling that cannot be described in words.

Thanks HR!

Yes, you guessed it right. I sat through Himesh Reshamiya’s Aapka Suroor!

Watch it people! It’s a short cut to transcendence.

And do preserve the ticket as medal for your gallantry!

P.S.- Internship's over. Heading back today!

The Kingdom of Colours...

A rosy haze,














A puzzling maze,














An airy sight,















A distant flight,



















A golden latch,















A vibrant match,















A glittering night,















A soggy bite,















A sparkling frame,















A swirling dame,




















A perfect smile,



















A glance so vile,















A brownish hue,



















A royal view,

A tilt so slight,

A breeze so light,















Under a shade of Grey,



















I had a sublime day,















Dear Rachit, Kundan, Rajveer
Gaurav, Tau and others,
In trying to screw a few,
I'd put everyone on the skew,
While blood still curls for some pests,
I swear I'll make amends for the rest.

Yours truly,

Debu

P.S.- People, I've taken up another moot court competition that should keep me occupied for July. Bad habits, die hard!