The Utterances of a Peculiar Mindset

Today I got second consignment of Ubuntu 6.0 10.0 CDs. This time I've received 10 CDs of the same. In first consignment, I had 3 CDs.
Ubuntu is a complete Linux-based operating system, freely available with both community and professional support.
Ubuntu offers you a complete Linux-based operating system, including all the major applications you need to play and work. With a strong focus on a desktop that Just Works, Ubuntu is a great choice for home or the office. The base system and all included software is free, and support is available from the community or by professional support providers.

I'm going to distribute these CDs amongst my friends and students so as to spread linux. This is under a special scheme by Ubuntu. You can also order the free CDs from here. Or alternatively, you can just put me an e-mail for the CD.

Correction: The CDs contain UBUNTU 10.0 I had earlier mentioned it as UBUNTU 6.0

One student asked me one day, “Sir, I want to improve my personality. What steps should I take?” And even without asking my brain, my mouth had already articulated the reply, “Join MIT NCC Troop”. What is so special about the MIT NCC Troop that the name “MNT” is considered as a synonym for “Personality Development”. Asking this question to myself made me to look back in my three year association with MNT.
One day, a very shy guy enters the Dnyaneshwara Hall for blood donation. He is highly impressed with the activities and plans to join the NCC. He doesn’t get selected for any wing of NCC due to poor eyesight and hence, drops the hope of getting into these activities. But, then appears a ray of hope. Someone informs him that he can join the activities voluntarily. And this is the launch of the personality development sessions of his life.
He learns “Unity and Discipline”; the basic principles of NCC through MNT. But these are not the only things he learns at this place. He learns the Team spirit, Sportsmanship, Team Building, Leadership Qualities, Convincing Skills, Social Responsibilities, Patriotic Josh, Acting, Dancing, Playing Instruments, Trekking, Adventure sports.. The list is never ending. The boy started participating in various social, cultural, adventure and academic activities in MNT. And through the actual “Student Leadership” in each activity, he started developing in all aspects of his life. This is what Flg Office Deshmukh Sir calls as “Multidisciplinary Development” of a person..
And then, after passing out from the college, the boy joins Educational Sector accepting his social responsibility. And with the leadership qualities he got through MNT, he soon gets promoted to the post of “Head of Department”.
Those who have noticed me during my first year of NCC would probably never have imagined that one day, I will be handling 150+ students and few staff members. A guy, who was once afraid even to talk with his friends, would some day have the courage to stand on a stage in front 150 students and teach. All this is just a magic, and it would never have been possible without the Magician called “MIT NCC TROOP”.

Well, The troop and Deshmukh Sir taught me everything just as Saint Tukaram has said,

जे जे आपणासी ठावे । ते ते इतरांसी द्यावे ॥
शहाणे करोनी सोडावे । सकळजण ॥

The Troop taught me to win, to lose and to win even in the loss. It taught me to inspire, to appreciate, to anticipate, to felicitate, to celebrate, to negotiate, to learn, to teach, to learn while teaching others. It taught me to speak up and to speak out. It taught me to think individually but at the same time being with everyone. It taught me to see seriously towards the life. But at the same time, enjoy every single pal of life.
It taught me to share happiness with everyone, but at the same time to share our sorrows and solve our problems. It taught me to help everyone, and to help myself too. It taught me to express myself, and to feel others too. It taught me to prove myself, but at the same time accept others’ opinions too. It taught me to love and to be loved.
And most of all, it taught me the meaning of most fantastic thing on this mother earth. Life.

You might think that I’m just playing with words. But no my dear friend, I am not playing with words. In fact, MNT is a place where the words are keen to play with you.
I would like to end with a small note. Once, my senior Yogesh Lunkad Sir had said, “MNT is like a movie. It’s full of Comedy, Emotions, Drama, Music, Dance and all the things of life.” Well, there are many more such movies present in the MIT campus. But very few of them are Oscar Winners.
And MNT is one of those Oscar Winning movies.

फलक पकड के उठो और हवा पकड के चलो
तुम चलो तो हिंदुस्तान चले
लगाओ हाथ कि सूरज सुबह निकाला करें
हथेलियों मे भरे धूप और उछाला करें
उफक के पांव रखो और चलो अकड के चलो
फलक पकड के उठो और हवा पकड के चलो
तुम चलो तो हिंदुस्तान चले

Really inspiring lines. Aren't they?
In case you interested in listening to these lines in the voice of Shankar Mahadevan, try this link.

I'm on India Poised. Are you?

After a long time, I saw a movie. And to tell you, it is great. Farhan Akhtar has created magic while portraying the characters of newly married couples. There are 6 couples all having different social background. Everyone has different story of themselves. And when these 6 stories come together, it is great fun.
Boman Irani and Shabana Azmi are 50+ and have remarried after death of their life partners. The chemistry between them is just amazing. Boman is portrayed kinda jolly at the age of 50+. And the way Shabana keeps finding mistakes in his words touches heart. Actually there isn't anything touchy in that but still it feels nice.
Kay Kay Menon and Raima Sen is a couple who marry after two years love in college. And this is the couple I liked the most in the movie. They are so cute, so much in love with each other. However, there isn't much romance between them in the initial part of the movie. But as the movie progresses, Kay Kay learns to display his affection.
Amisha Patel is a very talkative and sensitive girl. She marries her long time love who actually happens to be a gay and he is fascinated by another guy in the bus.
Sandhya Mrudul is a girl who gets her man through internet. His man also happens to be a gay, but at the end he gets involved in Sandhya.
Diya Mirza is forcefully married to a Gujju guy and she never lets him touch herself. It doesn't take long before her love John Abrahim comes in the scene and Diya runs away with him. [P.S.: The name Jignesh looks kinda odd to John :)]
And finally, Abhay Deol and Nimisha Lamba is a super-couple. This looked kinda odd and irrelevant. However, the dance sequence by them is one of the most romantic moments ever portrayed in bollywood.

Few of the scenes have turned up very well. Like the one in Goa where Raima's Saree gets off while trying paragliding on the Goa Beach. Another one is when Kay Kay Memon gets drunk and dances on a ship.

Other scenes haven't come up mush well. However, they never get boring at any point of the movie. Special thing is the way director has put up situational songs at various points in movie. And the way various stories are explained through radio jockey. A new attempt in Hindi movies and it surely wins hearts.

Overall, a movie worth watch. Specially for those who are soon going to marry..