Tag: education

LEARN TO SAY ‘NO’

We are social animals, we tend to form groups, everyone has a group of friends where he’s comfortable and can hurl as much abuses as he is capable of. Also, no matter how much creepy the teasing gets, one has to imbibe every bit of it. Groups can’t be completed without that person who gets teased the most, the guy with the best relationship advices (but oddly he’s still single), the guy who gets virtually-raped every year at holi…
                The sort of person that I am going to talk about is the mix with shades of a sycophant and a person with a clean image. This person is not bad per se; has a decent level of self-respect, may connect with you with ease, and may be the most talented…..but one thing’s for sure; he’ll be sanguine and charming as hell in his conduct.  I am sure you all have one or two acquaintances possessing these traits. As common as this trait is, as such, it is also not tough to demarcate such qualities in a person.
                When given a task, this person takes on the responsibility with utmost sincerity even if the task is not his cup of tea. Saying ‘NO’ to something wouldn’t cost him anything, but for him, saying no is the only one thing he can’t do. He may fail the task, but renouncing the task is the last thing on his to-do list. I believe that quitting the task and honestly accepting the truth is much better than having to give explanation later. That’s why I look upon such persons with a little caution. There is no shame in relinquishing a little control.
Another scenario where presence of such individuals hurt most is when the person is at some higher position and one seeks help from him. Instead of just clearing his stand, he would give a false impression of trying to help; but instead, in reality, he’s just making you visit him over and over again. It seems as if their motto is “Promise today, equivocation tomorrow”. In India, the babus are infamously popular for such acts. Be it the kutcheris, banks or any ‘Sarkari Suvidha Kendra’, wherever you go, you are queued to be victimised. Indian governance system isn’t un-swayed by this.
                Then there are individuals who can’t deny a favour to a friend on face but try to gain sympathy of randoms by talking behind his back. C’mon yaar, Be a MAN (or Be a wise woman), I strongly suggest you to talk about why you can’t grant him the favour, or why you can’t do his work,; may be he’s a better person than you and he might understand your situation. It’s better to be strong first and say no than having to make efforts to placate the lost friendship and be off the hook later.
                I have seen some girls who don’t quite enjoy the company of certain individuals around her, but she can’t get rid of them, because she can’t have ‘the conversation’, or in simpler terms can’t say NO to them.
Thereby, I am running a collective request to such individuals to please understand what I am trying to say and think about how easier your life can be after you work on the advice.

Life at Kota!

Well, Kota is one of the few places that I got an opportunity to visit and it certainly is a place that blew my mind away effortlessly with its energy, aura and the way of living. And believe me I am not alone who felt that way.

The students who studied at Kota share a special bond among themselves that reminds them of the golden days they spent at the temple of study. The city is like a honey to the ants for coaching institutes, a way of unstoppable profits to the residents and a treat for the overcharging shopkeepers. But still life can never be more fun…if you have been in Kota once. The streets filled by the students, the air containing the freshness of youth, the institutes bearing tonnes of expectations from the parents are just some of the highlights why it stays not only in the brains but in the hearts. Seriously, if you are a youth and want some flavour in your life, then Kota is the place to go.

      Not exquisitely a place for tourists, but a resident or a student who has there been for long, knows how to use the place for fun…and I know for sure, my fellow students know it pretty well. Be it spending the evening after the exam for a game, be it watching movies, be it strolling the mall, checking the ‘flavours’ at newly opened outlets or any activity that I haven’t tried (I would love to know some more), there is something for almost everyone; nerds, foodies, jazzy, nonchalant, romeos (and ofcourse female romeos), rowdies; everyone finds his/her‘s. The fun never ceases and you’ll never feel enervated even if it has been a long, hard day.

            It’s like if you have cherished your life at some point, you must have visited Kota at some stage of your well-planned life. It may be an overstatement but there is a lot of feelings and time gone in writing this article and I enjoyed it as if I was reliving my Kota days again. Every day stood out from the previous day in fun, academic learning, girls etc.

            Enter the city at first and you think ‘How am I going to survive in this unknown city’ and after few weeks, it accepts you like a fat kid accepts a candy from a stranger. At this time your mentality is like ‘Dude, I am never leaving this place’. From being cynical at first, then slowly imbibing and catching up, you become one of the many individuals struck by its cordial hospitality and taken gradually into its welcoming arms. You melt away in the arms like you have been craving for this warmth for all your life.

            The favorite pastime of a Kotan resident is the movies at the cyber-cafes which are sprouted at every nook and corner of the city for the ‘good’ of students. Trust me, there are movies and movies in every folder of every computer of the café. You can go for a never ending spree of great movies one by one and still end up with entirely new collection at another café.

Talking about the highlights; there is a breakfast of fresh ‘pohas’ or ‘jalebies’ to give your morning a brisk start. Sometimes, for a change, tea with ‘pakora’ does the same magic. Since, I had my classes in the noon, so I had the luxury of cherishing these delights even more leisurely.

Then there is the new attraction, the mall. The new outlets included some fancy restaurants, MacD, Fun cinemas and a large space for celebrating specific festivities. Remembering the photo-sessions we used to execute with our hostelmates from time to time makes me nostalgic.

Playing cricket at the roof, flying the kites with hundreds of accomplices at Basant Panchami, visit to parks, really cherishing the holidays are some of the things in my experience that really stands out.  

And yes it was Kota, which among lack of topics, inspired me to write and continue my blog.

            I am thankful that I got a shot at being a denizen of the city and I would be really glad to know if I inspired someone to try the same.