Boeing's Corner

Happy Valentine's Day !

2007-02-16T02:45:00.000+05:30

I guess it is very unlikely of a person sending good wishes to his friends for v-day (at least!), but I choose to believe otherwise and frankly beg to differ! When I want my friends to be with me when my dayz r not green, I would also like to share with them whatever I feel when the sun seems to shine on me all day !!!

Enough of circumlocution buddies, what I wanna say is that I'm excited (though for no concrete reason) and would like to wish u a fantabulous St. Valentine's Day.

By choice u can take this to as Saurav Goyal's soliloquy!!!

Cheers…

Excerpts from the Diary of a Schooler !

2007-02-15T13:45:00.000+05:30

June 30' 2005

The day is still loud and clear in my mind. Flew from Kolkata to Goa via Bangalore. A bad weather welcomed me in Goa and the aircraft made landing amidst strong headwinds and pouring water on a drenched slippery runway. Took me around 5 minutes to realise that Dabolim Airport and Goa Airport are one and the same thing. And then a cab to Ribandar. It was lush green and the 34 Km drive passed in anxiety with numerous calls to family, friends and of course admissions office as it was already 5 Pm.

Met Jenifer at Admissions and boy, she was so helpful. Then off to Prof Madan (Hostel Warden) to get myself a room allotted. And Guess what, was one of those 10 privileged guys who got to stay in the Girls' Hostel for a year. Before I could grab the keys and settle in the room, dad called up to take the address to mail me something and there went the address on the phone. LH - 97, Goa Institute of Management, Ribandar, Goa - 403006. However the momentary shock came to me, when he asked me, "What does LH expand to?" And i replied with precision, Left Hand Wing of the College. When I realised that I said this, I knew it was an MBA in the making. Poor Dad! Till date he calls it Left Hand Wing of the College!

September 16' 2006

Reflecting back that day, I could see a different Saurav. Someone who had changed a lot. Hopefully for Good. The Guy who has always been to bed at 2200 Hrs had caught a knack of going to bed not before 0300 Hrs in the morning... Someone, who feared making presentations before an audience was damn neat at it by that time. Some one who needed atleast 7 hours of sleep a day was damn happy with a 4 hour grabbie.. And most important of all, some one who has always been a 80 % or plus till bachelors was so damn satisfied with a 5 pointer...

December 17' 2005

And with 10 more weeks, came another term to an end. Placements were on and the feeling in the campus was different. Even the trees and the walls gave a new look and seemed that they had risen to the occasion. One could feel something different in the air. Fear of unknown or anxiety about the same. Looked like as if it’s just one of those days we live in the school for.

June 17' 2006

Back at GIM after three months. But all looked the very same. Just that there were tons of new faces all around the corner and the so called introductory sessions of Juniors (hate to call them juniors though) was on. My Summers had been quite an eventful one and there was so much to cherish. And very sooner, i got a pre placement offer from them. Before i could feel happy about the same, was badly spanked on campus and then I realized if at all you have to feel happy at GIM or a great news breaks out, your bums have to pay for it !

December 25' 2006

The Placements for my batch was over and out as well with everyone selling themselves to high end Cos for a premium and grabbing profiles of hot tins. And seemed that the Doctor had ordered for parties for us in this term. They seem to be never ending.. Anyways with Goan Beaches and the kind of accessories available should not parties be a daily affair at GIM !

February 2007

And thats it! Have reached a place from where its really difficult to think about leaving the campus. June 30' 2005 looks as if it was just yesterday. GIM gave tons to me whilst my 2 year of stay but looks like now it will take more than a ton when i graduate and bid my bye to the campus..

The serenity of the campus, the 300 Plus year old Building and the aroma will keep reminding me of this place in the decades to come. If at all, I could express my feelings for the same. For the time being, I stand and Salute the campus. It’s not what it takes to be here, but what it takes not to be here.

This one for you mate !

2007-02-08T08:53:00.000+05:30

You came into my Life unexpectedly

and

everything took a turn for the better.

Your warm eyes, your laugh, the sincere way you spoke,

and the kindness you showed me

all became a part of my life.

Without even knowing it, you were slowly making a place

for yourself in my life.

It used to seem so hard at times to feel close in a relationship.

But its so easy to feel close to you,

I cant tell you how nice that feels.

I realise now that I had never known what it meant to be friends

untill you befriended me..!

Soliloquy of a Schooler - Part II !

2007-01-26T16:01:00.000+05:30

Scholars for long have been emphasizing for a strict demarcation line between one’s personal and professional lives. Let’s stop here and think about it again. Forget about the demarcation line, are there two lives in the first place. To a schooler, it’s a screen image or mirror image of one another. There are days when he is not laden with unending work and can think of resting his back on a mattress which has otherwise been a host to the text books, case studies and other study material, when he tries to take a break from his professional live - Is this what we call a personal life? But then, what next. He is still thinking about the early morning class next day and the assignments due in the coming week. Or the time when he is grabbing a morsel with a fellow schooler is his personal life, or when he is bathing!

Then learned people have also talked about friends. To a schooler, who is a friend? Some one who is little less indifferent to live and can make him smile or listen to his so called personal life and lend him a shoulder to rest on. Or someone who says, Mate! It’s already 5 o’clock in the morning. You go to sleep. I will finish the rest of the assignment and will submit it. Or someone who says, I know what it takes to be you right now. Life looks so blank without mates of every species. Thankfully, I have always been blessed with the best of the bests. But then! What the heck, Mr. Boeing? Why the hell you have to use this but so often? Oh yes, lets move on.

They say as Stone rolls down the mountain, it accumulates lot of matter with itself and makes them roll too. This happens with almost everyone. At times, you are what the situation is or what the situation wants you to be or what one does not want to be. The flip side of having a mate is the fear of loosing him or her. Some call it possessiveness, some call it madness, and some what not. I would simply call it, cost of being happy and the fear of being lonely again.

Coming back to the life of this chap. someone who always believed that, well does it matter at the end as to what he believed? Well it should. If it does not then the belief was not faithful to itself. This chap never intended to hurt anyone, especially his mates and pals around the corner. But then he never bowed down too. Why bow when you don feel like doing so? Why don be original? It pays. May be right now, he does not have the data or facts to back it up but then he is sure of having one soon. As they say, well chuck what they say. As he says, the day they taught how to loose a match, I bunked my school !

Contd..

Soliloquy of a Schooler !

2007-01-24T10:20:00.000+05:30

It was not long ago that two brothers were on board 8004 Yeswantpur Howrah Express from Bangalore to Howrah JN. It was only after they had finished their share of education in Bangalore and were sailing through. Not to mention the sorrow of leaving a city to which both were so closely attached to. The younger of two had just finished his 12^th and was looking forward to study further in Kolkata. And the elder one was not more than a pack of looser with him finishing his B Com and remaining on the wait list of Goa Institute of Management for his MBA.

The massive train mauled by a diesel engine pulled out of Vishakapatnam Jn on south eastern railway and the brothers stayed put on their seats (Side Lower and Side Upper) munching the tamarind rice which they picked up at Vishakapatnam. And it was then that some one named Ms. Fernandes, Jenifer Fernandes called up and said what the elder chap was dying to hear for weeks. Saurav, you have been confirmed a seat at Goa Institute of Management. And the session starts in 4 days. Phew! Shall I jump from the train in excitement or pull the chain. The moment it seemed that the coach AS-2 was his home and the fellow passengers were his family members. The moment was so unexpressive that both the brothers hugged each other tightly and were laughing and crying. Wonder if Steam Engines were still in place, they could have managed to run the steam on the tears. And then what followed were series of calls to all nook and corner of country.

The turnaround time at home was 11 hours. Reached home, unpacked baggage, threw things around and started packing again. And suddenly grandpa’s health started deteriorating. Doctors flying from all corners and in seconds the house were full of family and friends. The chap gets the momentary shock. Leaves his packing and there he goes to his grandpa. What the heck? The happiness sunk deep and was lost. It was one of worst moments of his life seeing his grandpa gasping his last breaths. Now what? Cancel the tickets or move on! There are times in life when one feels, its all over. Lost everything. This moment was beyond that. But then the grandpa continued breathing till the flight took off. What the hell? How could this chap board the flight? Such a inhuman and selfish act. But then, I am sure today he is up there and is happy about the same. Hey daddu, love you. I mean it.

Was surely the worst flight of his life. Landed in Goa amidst strong headwinds with water pouring in. Wonder if God was angry. But as they say, time is a great healer. The course started and soon the chap was lost. Lost in a crazy world where time zones are not respected and the food consists of intense pressure and mounting work. Face it or fade in!

Life was lost in assignments, presentations, projects and it seemed that a B school requires the day to be a 30 hour one in place of 24 hours. So what ! Do not sleep for 8 hours. Have not you learnt crashing ? Keep crashing until you reach optimum ! But then one got to remember that too much crashing may give birth to a critical path. So what ! Life is critical as well. If you have it in you, then crash the critical path. If life does not follow logic, why shall we?

Contd...

The Weekend at the Woods !

2006-10-23T14:39:00.000+05:30

As a kid, i remember reading Poems and essays by some western poets "A day at the Woods". Though i always managed to do well in literature in my school days, it was only this weekend that i could feel the poems and the essays. Now i know, what it takes to be a poet and what it needs for the receipe. I know for sure that I am not even near to those supremos of the english literature but then guys, I have got the recipe. And lets share the ingredients.. May be, ders another Wordsworth in the making somewhere back home !

Enuff of circumlocution buddies, lets get struck with awe (Click on the pics to enalrge).. However at the end if you say that you were not mesmerized, i will know for sure that u are lying...

The Wallpaper Shot...

Outside my Bunglow at the woods...

Ssshhhhh! The Greenery is talking ...

Oh boy...
No, its not a canvas or a wallpaper! Its me with the nature...

Does it need a caption...

Stairs to heaven...

Beautiful is one word and Sacred is another...

I choose to call this a CHARISMA..

Nudity at its best !

2006-10-19T04:00:00.000+05:30

Boeing 737 - 800 NG on Jet Airways !

Some tall moments !

2006-10-19T03:38:00.000+05:30

The Paris Trip: Some unlaxing moments !

2006-10-18T00:10:00.000+05:30

Me and Inder enroute to Paris! Covered a distance of 350 km in arn 4 hours 20 mins on road.

Ah dropped a Cent somewhere !

This was unexpected but then worth having it here!

Ah... Guys you were born in India - The land of Bapu !
Not every pic requires a comment, what say?
At Ground Zero - The Centre point of the Paris !
In the words of Tony Greig, "Its all happenin out here in the centre of Paris. The magicians from India. Look at the background. An uproar with every flash. The mighty Indians"
The old church in Paris and the city in the background!
Hey mate! am nt sure if u reading this. But then the first time when boeing prays in the church.. All for you. Wishing you the best moments in life !
Finally a Pizza at the Pizza Hut on Paris - Antwerp Expressway!
The Tin Tin World... Whose the Tin Tin?

The City of Love, Paris !

2006-10-16T16:36:00.000+05:30

This one on a special request !

2006-10-07T21:52:00.000+05:30

View from my room window, Happy Dear !

My Room, I can not keep it cleaner !

2006-10-07T16:36:00.000+05:30

Some snaps from my room. Ah i love it. The coziest of the bed.. Awesome.. Just that i have to sleep alone inside the blanket with the heater on, when its touch above Zero outside.. Get the point - ;)

The only Fixed Asset in my name in my Balance Sheet and man i love it... Afteral my lappie has helped me to bridge the gap between my mates, if at all there were any.

Wish that these stuff(s) don get over before i have to leave for India.. Its damn expensive here.. Damn it! A bathin soap bar is as costly as a normal train ticket from Goa to Mumbai.

And this gentleman ! Huh why do u get filled so fast mate.. Just three days before had done the segregation. Chal fir se shuru ho ja, 1) Glass, 2) Plastic and Cans, 3) Garden Waste, 4) Papers, and 5) Rest

Lol trash also needs to be trashed.

And finally the Glass Windows ! Well no comments. But ya i must say lovely view outside.. :)

GIM uploads new website !

2006-10-06T22:51:00.000+05:30

I have always believed that if one can not obtain a certain set of data at the most appropriate point of time with minimum efforts, then there is no reason for that data to exist. And i am very sure that most of you will agree to this. Afteral it has a well defined logic to it as well.

Surprisingly enough, GIM being a B School defied logic till today afternoon with an unfriendly, untrendy and an absolute freaking website. However, it was just a matter of time and an initiative which was required to make the web as friendly as it could be. And i was correct. It took a small initiative but then a hard time for these group of people to collect all the data in the most correct form for the benefit of the general masses !

Kudos to the team for an awesome piece of work !

Screen Shots of the new GIM Web from my lappie ! Click on the shots to see the enlarged view or visit http://www.gim.ac.in/

Life moves on with Cola...!

2006-10-06T20:54:00.000+05:30

Finally, times have come when the Sun has started flirting with people in Antwerp, Belgium. The moment it hides the mercury falls drastically with chilly winds taking over... And then its time to sport some nice lovely woolens.. U get the idea..

But then, Wise men in Europe have always relied on the Goblets of some or the other varieties of liquid. Did i not mention to you before that Belgium itslef houses more than 450 specialities of Beer. And then I have never tried to bypass the so called Wise men of the medival world. Hence with the woolens, came out cans as well.. But with slight adjustment to the thumb rule of drinks, i am happily runnin on a high with the coke aka pesticide.. Afteral why die peacefully ?

Life moves on, and one gotta move on too mate !

2006-10-03T17:15:00.000+05:30

The two pics prolly speak a lot about life. The one on the left taken yesterday at the Challeneger Series - India Blue Vs India Green. Dravid, Sachin and Ganguly, the indispensable trio of the Indian Crickie. Ah it was the past when they worked together hands on hands for a common goal. When they trusted each other's capabilities and worked as a team and feasted together on the success in the same color. But then times have changed remarkably and now they fighting with each other for a place in the team. The three can not look into each other's eye at the same time... Well Life moves on and one gotta move on too..

Now the one on the right. My mates back on campus. We always embraced all our happiness, deadlines, sadness together. But then now i am not der and its nice to see that they are still enjoying the life among themselves. Without letting the pain show. I wish i was there. Though i am very sure i still am a part of their happiness and i am sure they feel the same for me.

Rem one of my mates said "Life moves on Saurav, you gotta move on too." But then the other day the same mate made me realise this as well "There is no such thing called replacement and substitute is just an economic theory !"

One gotta fall in love with this !

2006-10-03T13:18:00.000+05:30

Myself in front of Building G, Middelheim Campus, Middleheimlaan, Universiteit Antwerpen. This is the campus where i stay in Building D also known as Home CMI - Studentenhome.

Click on the pic to see the enlarged view.

God beckons and kisses Shanghai !

2006-10-01T17:16:00.000+05:30

Schumi on the red ferrari swept to a sensational victory at the rain soaked Chinese GP on the Shanghai International Moto GP Circuit and negated the margin of the kiddie in blue F Alonso by bagging 10 on 10. The Seven time world champion after his 91st career victory pulled the kerbs on Alonso at 116 points but is ahead on race victories by 7:6.

Schumi started the race sixth on the grid on a wet track and in no time Alonso from the pole took a 25 second advantage over Schumi. It was the first pit stop when the God glared and then the tables turned. Schumi proved why he is the king in wet conditions on intermediate whereas Alonso changed his front inners. And the decision backfired on Alonso as he started loosing the grip.

They say fortune favours the brave. It so happened. Alonso lost around 8 - 10 seconds with a right rear wheel nut in his second pit stop. This was the time when the red leaped ahead and the majesty gained the lead 15 laps from the finish to embrace the chequered flag 3 secs clear of the Spainiard Alonso.

Finally, Schumi signed off China with a brick in his name as well. So it now boils down to the last two races in Japan and Brazil. By the way they say " The God in red owns Suzuka circuit, Japan."

Well what to write more, a man born in 1969 does it again barely 6 inches above the ground and i must say schumi with you an era of speed will be over. Though i have never believed in replacements but that you have negated the economic theory of substitutes as well.

Boeing takes on Airbus with Giant 1000 Seater B 797 !

2006-09-30T23:02:00.000+05:30

There has been talks in the air about the Huge Airbus A 380 with a capacity of around 600 for some time and controversies on the supremacies of Airbus and Boeing went ripe again. It was just a matter of time that Boeing answered back and man they are going to do that in style. In the paras to come, one not only ponders about the greatness of boeing but invariably salutes the same.

Boeing is in the line of manufacturing / releasing (read no official announcements till date) a 1000 passenger jet that could reshape the Air travel industry for the next 100 years. The radical Blended Wing design has been developed by Boeing in cooperation with the NASA Langley Research Center. The mammoth plane will have a wing span of 265 feet compared to the 747’s 211 feet, and is designed to fit within the newly created terminals used for the 555 seat Airbus A380, which is 262 feet wide. The new 797 is in direct response to the Airbus A380 which has racked up 159 orders, but has not yet flown any passengers.

Boeing decide to kill its 747X stretched super jumbo in 2003 after little interest was shown by airline companies, but has continued to develop the ultimate Airbus crusher 797 for years at its Phantom Works research facility in Long Beach, Calif. The Airbus A380 has been in the works since 1999 and has accumulated $13 billion in development costs, which gives Boeing a huge advantage now that Airbus has committed to the older style tubular aircraft for decades to come.

There are several big advantages to the blended wing design, the most important being the lift to drag ratio which is expected to increase by an amazing 50%, with overall weight reduced by 25%, making it an estimated 33% more efficient than the A380, and making Airbus’s $13 billion dollar investment look pretty shaky. High body rigidity is another key factor in blended wing aircraft, it reduces turbulence and creates less stress on the air frame which adds to efficiency, giving the 797 a tremendous 8800 nautical mile range with its 1000 passengers flying comfortably at mach .88 or 654 mph / 1046 Kmph cruising speed (another advantage over the Airbus tube-and-wing designed A380’s 570 mph or 912 kmph)

The exact date for introduction is unclear, yet the battle lines are clearly drawn in the high-stakes war for civilian air supremacy.

Source: www.newtechspy.com

All about Boeing !

2006-09-30T18:22:00.000+05:30

Boeing no doubt is the mother of all commercial aircrafts. Here are some intersting facts abt the Boeing commercial crafts.

The data holds good for the B 737 - 600 / 700 / 800 NGs. In the picture we have the 737 - 800 NG flown by 9W. The picture taken by me with a Sony DSC-W30 cam at N T Rama Rao Airport, Hyderabad enroute to Kolkata from Bangalore.

Take - off Speed: 151 Knots / 280 Km App

Landing Roll / Distance: 5000 ft App

Landing Gear: Main Gear - 2 Sets of 2 wheels each (Total 4)
Nose Gear - 1 Set of 2 wheels (Total 2)
Total - 6 Wheels

Maximum Landing Weight for a 737 - 800 NG without Winglets: 65,317 Kg
737 - 800 NG with Winglets: 66,361 Kgs

Now something Interesting, weights of the exit doors on a Boeing 737 - 600 / 700 / 800
Forward Entry Door: 105 Kgs
Forward Gallery Door: 74 Kgs
Aft Entry Door: 77 Kgs
Aft Gallery Door: 72 Kgs
Forward Cargo Door: 48 Kgs
Aft Cargo Door: 49 Kgs
Overwing Exit Doors: 14 Kgs

Now the question which still bothers me is the logic behind the 7X7 series of Boeing. Why did Boeing call its crafts 707, 717, 727, 737, 747, 757, 777, 787. And then what happened to 767 in the middle. Then why was 787 named 7E7 - the dreamliner first... Wish i get the answers soon. In case anyone has a idea i would love to hear that...

Lost in the Beer Race or Confused !

2006-09-29T02:50:00.000+05:30

Cummon ICC , We are not fools of first order !

2006-09-28T23:43:00.000+05:30

News of the moment - ICC pulls out Darrell Hair from officiating in the Champions Trophy in India due to security and safety reasons. Last week when Hair announced that he was looking forward to officiating in the Champions Trophy several eye brows were raised and the PCB came in hard. Lawyers were hired, huge monies put in, letters exchanged and the Asian Crickie nations got together backed by India. Needless to say Windies, Zimbabwe and SA joined the pool.

Now it was a matter of time for ICC to announce that Hair will not officiate in the series due in India. But then how to? And the way it was made public ICC made a fool of itself. Is it that we trying to say that in all fairness the Indian authorities are genuinely finding it difficult to protect an Umpire. Lets not forget that the same authorities had no worries in keeping Pervez Musharraf, Tony Blair and George Bush safe..

So who is being fooled - the ACB, Darrell Hair or the Crikie lovers... At least i am sure that the ICC has made a fool of itself... The bigger question remains - what about the future engagements? How many times will ICC take help of these silly reasons? A complete answer with a strong reason is needed. Afterall lets not forget that Hair sits in the elite panel of ICC Umpires..

Trams Trams everywhere, which one to take?

2006-09-28T23:05:00.000+05:30

How i missed these earlier?

2006-09-28T13:49:00.000+05:30

This Snap taken at 0700 hrs Local Time at Terminal A Zurich Airport on 20th Sep 06... The home terminal for Swiss Air !

This one taken around 0800 hrs Terminal A Zurich International Airport on 20th Sep 06.

Modelling at the City Campus at UA

2006-09-27T22:16:00.000+05:30

So Near Yet so Far !

2006-09-27T00:29:00.000+05:30

Hey Mates ! before fingers are pointed out and question asked I wish to clarify that its a mere photoshoot.. Rest for all of you to decide. The fact remains "I do not drink"

Flabbergasted ...!

2006-09-26T15:12:00.000+05:30

Picture taken from airliners.net, all copyrights with them

Click on the pic to enlarge the size

The two most elegant pics i have... Now which ones better.. My bet first one! Comments..

Lunch Time !

2006-09-24T17:28:00.000+05:30

Here you go. Lunch at the City Campus Cafeteria. Vegetables in Cheese Sause, French Fries with Tomato Ketchup & Meonis, Tomato Soup, Dessert and Coke. Looks great, isnot it? Trust me it just looks good. Not once, not twice, not thrice but its gonna be my food for the next 75 days. I just wonder if i start hating french fries and cheese at the end.

Ha ha, today i realise that taking a decision is lot easier than implementing it. But then there is a fun in implementing it, a happiness in realising that I stood firm on my decisons. I am happy I took a decision to be Vegeterian and i stand on the same...

God gimme the power to be firm and stand cemented on the same...! Afterall when the going gets tough, the tough gets going..

Wish i was still a kid...

2006-09-24T16:59:00.000+05:30

The back gate of the City Campus of the University. Home for the kids in a kindergarten school. Why can not i attend the same school. Why the University? Look at the innocent kids, no one is superior or inferior. Every one is a mate holding each others' happiness and here we are at the back gate of the university. Certainly have left these goodies long back and up here to prove our supremacy... When will we learn???

Moments I Cherish !

2006-09-24T16:47:00.000+05:30

This happens to be the first time in around 15 months that I will be attending classes without these mates of mine. Its not that its getting impossible to live, but the point is assignments without them, thinking of the aim of the project without them, getting ready for the end term without them... What the ****? What am i talking about? Yes, I am not at all in dreamland and this is true. Am up against the odds without the team. Team - A bonding outside the professional life..

Mates, today when i get the course programme and description, I realise what you meant to me in the professional life. Miss ya at this juncture too...

But as one of my close pals says "Life moves on Saurav, even u gotta move on." Is this the move u referred to mate..

Photoshoot 35000 feet above sea level !

2006-09-23T22:12:00.000+05:30

This one clicked on board Jet Airways 9W 602 from Bagdogra to Guwahati. One can see the himalayas in the background. Was a nice flight indeed.

This one enroute to Delhi from Guwahati. The craft over Indo Nepal China border maneuvering the himalayas. Needless to say am on Boeing 737-800 of 9W !

Some of my favourite pics...!

2006-09-23T21:28:00.000+05:30

This pic was taken at Hyderabad N T Rama Rao Airport - Rajiv Gandhi Terminal. Myself on board Air Sahara Boeing 737-400 OG enroute to Kolkata from Bangalore. In the picture, Airbus A-320 of Indian, the erstwhile Indian Airlines.

This one taken on the 19th Sep at Guwahati International Airport. Myself onboard Jet Airways 9W 602 - Bagdogra - Guwahati - Delhi on a Boeing 737 - 800 NG. In the pic can be seen an Air Deccan A-320 being refulled with the luggage vault being open and belts attached.

This being one of the better airports of the country, yes the pic is taken onboard Jet Airways at New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport Domestic Terminal. A huge airport indeed but certainly its being managed poorly. Can see one Air Sahara and four Jet Airways crafts in the background.

The Cute Siblings - Sejal, Mini and Gaurav

2006-09-23T21:23:00.000+05:30

The Kiddies from the block !

The smile & happiness all dedicated to you !!!

2006-09-23T20:58:00.000+05:30

I have always believed that the day I stop enjoying something I will call it a day. But that does not mean that bad times have never come across and the happiness and smiles have not been lost. It does come to everyone and i was not spared as well. They came and built their own web around me. At times the web used to be really big and demotivating. It ate all my happiness and smile. The courage levels started falling and so was self belief. But then good people are there in the same world. There came this mate of mine. Stood right next to me and then all my bad times were ours. The solutions were arrived at being together and yes we started cutting the web formed around me.

Today with this mate of mine, I conquered all my problems. A continuous source of my courage,and motivation - this pal taught me a lot. Probably i learnt how to laugh, how to smile. I don say that i never knew that but admist all the worries around i guess i forgot the same.

Today i owe a lot to this mate of mine and hence boeing stands and salutes. Afterall the mate owns one as well. Hey mate, this pic of mine dedicated to you. I just wish that we remain the same sort of pals ever. Nice to have you on my armour..

Wishing you all the happiness in the world..!

Summers at VSNL – Memories to cherish..!

2006-06-22T03:48:00.000+05:30

Trust me; I never knew that summers at VSNL Mumbai were going to be such eventful coupled with moments of joy, happiness and sorrow. Whatever they may be, deep in my heart I have cherished a lot.

It started with the ending of Term III, technically speaking the first year at GIM. I was to join VSNL, Mumbai on 2^nd April and it was just 24^th March. So, I thought of a small trip to my native. And the drama was waiting for me right from the time I left Goa. I was booked on an evening flight of Indian (the erstwhile Indian Airlines) from Goa to Mumbai and then onward to Kolkata on my favorite 9W late evening flight. Yes, I am talking about none other than Jet Airways. To give me sound company, I had Patel with me till Mumbai; he was booked on 9W late evening flight to Chennai. I am talking about Prashant Patel. Reached Goa Airport with loads of luggage and checked in with Indian. Patel had to pay for excess baggage. Poor Chap! But I guess his fetish for Air Deccan is all over now after the series of baggage mishaps he has had with them.

I got my favorite aisle seat on the Airbus A-320 of Indian and without bothering to glance through the boarding pass proceeded to Gate no 1. Believe me that is the terminal Indian and Kingfisher use for all their departures from Goa. Thanks to an Indian Airlines bound to Sharjah, the domestic flight was departing from Gate no 2. I realised it little late and had to rush through to the other side. People who have been to Goa Airport will understand the beating my legs took while charging to the terminal. I was the last person to board the flight and it seems all the passengers on board were cursing me. Little did they know that the flight was going to be delayed by another 40 minutes in Goa itself. My boarding pass read Seat 22 C. F@#K, that’s too far off and behind. I started walking on the aisle and saw a familiar face on 22 B. Kept churning my mind all over about him. I have no reasons why I could not paint him. I reached my seat, placed my laptop in the nearly filled baggage latch and it struck me. The guy was no one but the director of GIM, Mr. Peter D’ Lima. What an eventful flight that was? Finally reached Mumbai. Was not that bad a landing considering the fact that I was occupying the seat at the tail of the craft. Disembarked in a hurry and realised Patel’s flight was delayed by another hour. What to do? Took a bus provided by AAI for terminal transfers and checked in my baggage with Jet Airways. Saw a pile of stickers being slapped on my baggage including “HEAVY” and “PRIORITY”. Not to forget the one “FRAGILE – No Hooks.” Cooled myself at the Mumbai Jet Lounge for sometime. Finally Patel arrived and we got him also checked. Thankfully he did not have to pay any excess baggage fare here. And the fruit platter was waiting for him on board 9W – 2621. Guess, haven’t forgotten his flight number. We still had an hour or so to kill. We moved out of the airport and had tea. He had an idli as well. Finally, we bid bye to each other, series of hugs and I was off to 9W – 2301. My boarding read my favorite aisle seat 2 C. The aircraft was also one of the most stable and my favorites Boeing 737 – 800 with a capacity to accommodate 176 passengers.

25^th March 2006

By the time the Jet landed at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Domestic terminal it was 0145 hrs. The carrier was taken to Gate No 7 and we used the state of the art Aerobridge. The huge baggage claim welcomed us at Kolkata as usual and my little bro was there. All charged up to meet me. Afterall, two years of our hostel life has been together. Then I and Gaurav (Guess the name needs no introduction, yes he is my brother; currently studying B Com at St Xavier’s College, Kolkata) boarded Darjeeling Mail the same day in the evening for Kishanganj, my native, a small town in the lower foothills of Darjeeling.

26^th March 2006

Got up at 0600 hrs and it was still 80 odd km far from my place. Time for Tea! And I must talk about Krishna – the great Chaiwala, who hails from my place and has always offered me the best of the tea and never taken a single paise in return. Yes, he has never taken a paise in the last seven years from me for the tea. Who says Good People do not exist? And bang 0700 hrs by my watch and the naked damsel dancing on the iron tracks pulled inside Kishanganj BG. What a feeling? The smell of the land makes me go mad. Its been 7 years I left home but it has got me more and more close to my family. In the past 7 years, I must have been home more than 30 times and every time my dad picks me up. Be it 12 in the night or 12 in the afternoon, he stands at the same place at the platform. Looks like it’s the same brick on the platform where he stands waiting for his son. Just outside the Kishanganj GRP. Seven long years but the fact remains the same. Be it any occasion, any situation he has always stood there.

27^th March – 31^st March 2006

A small holiday came to an end. No words to express the feeling. I must say that they miss me and miss me a lot. Came 31^st evening and I boarded Darjeeling Mail for Kolkata. Was scheduled on the afternoon 9W flight to Mumbai from Kolkata the following day.

1^st April 2006

It was my day. Not because it was a fool’s day. All the credit goes to Patel and Air Deccan for manhandling his luggage. Lol ! I still laugh my heart out. Patel, I told ya Air Deccan is going to make you pay for all the cheaper fares it has offered. Lets not talk abt that anymore and move on… In the meantime Kolkata was hotter than expected. And the humidity taking the toll on me. Reached the airport bang on time, undoubtedly Kolkata is one of the best managed and most beautiful airports with huge arrival and departure galleries. Not to talk about the colorful lounges on the first floor. Reached Mumbai at 6 pm and settled myself at the Tata VSNL Colony. Had to report the next day at 0930 hrs.

2^nd April – 9^th June 2006

Yes, the period belongs to VSNL. My summers, Got a nice project – Costing and Budget Implementation with SAP FI CO Module. Liked the work and the culture. More importantly made quite a few good friends. Was admitted to Leelavati Hospital ICU for couple of days coz of Food Poisoning. Those were bad days. Not to talk about the locals of Mumbai. Every time I managed to board one or disembark from one, I told myself I deserve an Olympic Gold Medal. Not to mention the ones I left and Virar Fast. Finally, got a chance to present my summers to the CFO – Tata VSNL. Indeed a great opportunity. Seems I have cashed in enough from that.

10^th June – 13^th June 2006

Now that the summers had come to an end, I needed a break. In the meantime Rohan was pressing me hard for an Ahemdabad trip. I gave in and took Mumbai – Ahemdabad Shatabadi Express early in the morning to Ahemdabad. Lovely city, I must say and lively people. They (the Gujjus, no discrimination intended) appear closest to Marwaris. Amazing people to eat with. Have the sweetest tooth or teeth I must say and sport nice tummies. Thanks to Rohan & Nishil, they set up my summers with such a lovely break. Thanks a ton pals. Wish to frequent your place more often.

A View from VSNL Towers, Mumbai

2006-04-07T12:56:00.000+05:30

Landing Gears feeling the heat !

2006-03-13T22:02:00.000+05:30

Did the Aviation Minister say that the Indian Civil Aviation Industry is about to touch its pinnacle or I overheard it. Guess so. In the past 4 months the Landing Gears of Indian Aircrafts have failed to show up as many times. The failures started with the Air-India flight at Los Angeles followed by Indian Airlines at Patna, Air Deccan in Bangalore and Air-India again, this time in Delhi / Mumbai. Let’s not forget the Air-Sahara Kolkata – Mumbai flight overshooting the Mumbai runway. Thankfully, all these mishaps ended with minor injuries.

Today the Los Angeles bound Air-India flight from New Delhi, carrying 256 passengers and 15 crew members, made an emergency landing at Mumbai airport on Monday after a snag developed during take-off. The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew were safe, an A-I spokesperson said. The AI officials confirmed, “The aircraft, AI 317, landed safely at Mumbai airport at 1:25 pm hours after being recalled as pieces of rubber from the tyre (read landing gear) came out at the time of take-off from Delhi.”

Two days before on 11^th march, An Air Deccan ATR flight (Coimbatore – Bangalore) , carrying 40 passengers and four crew members, crash landed at the Bangalore airport four passengers have suffered minor injuries. This happened as the nose wheel came off by the impact of the crash and the main wheels too were damaged. The impact was such that the propellers also got cut in the process. It led to the closure of the Airport for around 4 hrs and 60 flights were either cancelled or diverted to Chennai.

In the month of January, an Indian Airlines Delhi-Patna Airbus flight had lost its landing year while landing. Though there were no injuries but the Airport was closed for a couple of days as the craft got stuck on the runway.

On 20^th December 05, a New Delhi-bound Air-India flight made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport after blowing a tyre during take-off. All 267 people on board escaped unhurt, it was officially announced then. Before landing the carrier dumped fuel over the ocean and circled back to Los Angeles International Airport to land in a spray of sparks in the absence of landing gear, shedding 200 pounds of rubber and metal on the runway.

Its time that safety standards are adhered to. Hope, the Aviation Ministry is not sleeping.

Record books danced to the tunes of Wanderers !

2006-03-13T01:17:00.000+05:30

Does one need to comment on this? The Records tumbled and fumbled on the New Wanderers Stadium at Johannesburg with the Porteas beating the Kangaroos by a wicket by scoring over 400 runs in just 299 deliveries. Seven years after the semi-final of the 1999 World Cup, this match has helped the Porteas to loose their Chokers tag. The ghosts of the match has been finally burried.Phew! What a match. Unbelievable Stuff.

Till yesterday (2348 One Day Internationals), no team had ever achieved a score of 400 and today on the 2349th ocassion it was done twice. The highest cumulative total for an ODI stood at 693 when India beat Pakistan by five runs in Karachi in March 2004. However, no respect was shown to history as the teams went on to score a total of 872 runs. Mike Lewis' bowling figures of 10-0-113-0 must have provided Murali with some comfort as his most expensive bowling analysis in a LOI was shattered. He conceded 10-0-99-0 against Australia in Sydney in February and was the worst (in terms of most runs conceded) bowling performance in the LOI history.

However, one of my batch mates found one more Murphy's law: All good cricket/football matches and F1 races happen one day before ur exams begin... And I second that. Have end terms beginning tomorrow. So, time to put an end to this post now. More to follow.

Days are still Blue as Alonso grabs 10 on 10 !

2006-03-13T00:40:00.000+05:30

Did one feel that the Schumi days are back? In fact I did for sometime as Schumi lad Ferrari ended up with the First row after the qualifiers. Neways, the feel din last long and the blue flags held high this season also with Fernando Alonso clinching 10 points, finishing first on the podium followed by Schumi and Raikkonen. Briton Jenson Button finished fourth on Honda followed by Columbian juan Pablo Montoya for Mc Laren. They were followed by Mark Webber and rookie Nico Rosberg, son of 1982 world champion Keke, both on Williams. Nico became the 54th driver in the history of the sport to score on a race debut.

Earlier Massa's first race with Ferrari was wrecked as he spun on lap eight, narrowly missing Alonso's Renault, and then pitted. There was confusion in the Ferrari pits as mechanics struggled to remove the rear right tyre with a faulty pneumatic wheel gun. He was kept waiting 46.8 seconds before rejoining the race among the tailenders, but managed to finish ninth.

For the first time since 2002, when Toyota entered the sport, 22 cars and 11 teams lined up on the starting grid with the arrival of newcomers Super Aguri. The fastest lap went to Rookie Nico Rosberg who clocked 1 min 32.408 secs in the 42nd lap with an average speed of 210.838 followed by Schumi and the Alonso.

The countdown to Kuala Lumpur begins with just 6 days and 11 hrs remaining!

Are gud old days for Schumi led Ferrari back ?

2006-03-11T20:10:00.000+05:30

The much awaited F 1 2006 season kicks off tomorrow with Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, Bahrain. Its gonna be an all Ferrari front row 21 hrs from now. Michael Schumacher equalled the late Ayrton Senna’s record for pole positions when he took his 65th Pole here in Bahrain this afternoon during Formula One racing’s first knockout qualifying session. Fellow Ferrari racer Felipe Massa will start alongside him, with Honda’s Jenson Button and Renault world champion Fernando Alonso on row two.

Though Schumi managed the Pole, he (1min 31.431seconds) could not match Alonso's ,the champ of the last season, second session best of 1min 31.215seconds. With the tempreature rising by almost 10 degree centigrades on the Bahrain track, one needs to wait for the kick off tomorrow to witness the premium challenge. The bigger question however is "Are the days for Schumi back, or its again blue and yellow (F Alonso) all the way ?"

The First 10 Grid Positions,

1. Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2. Felipe Massa, Ferrari
3. Jenson Button, Honda
4. Fernando Alonso, Renault
5. Juan Pablo Montoya, Mclaren-Mercedes
6. Rubens Barrichello, Honda
7. Mark Webber, Williams-Cosworth
8. Fisichella, Renault
9. Christian Klien, Red Bull
10. Nick Hiedfeld, Sauber

Air Deccan : It can not get more bizzare than this !

2006-03-11T19:12:00.000+05:30

Ask a common man about his travelling plans for the summer. 9 out of 10 times one would get to hear about Air Travel. Thanks to the Low Cost Carriers. However, a twist in the story !

Over the past week, a sizeable number of passengers turning up at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport, Dumdum, Kolkata have been told that the Manipur bound Air-Deccan flight DN-581 on which they are booked and holding tickets simply does not exist. Similar treatment waited scores of Kolkata bound passengers in Imphal for DN-582. The passengers are stunned by the soft reply of the staff at the Check In counter that Air Deccan does not operate to Imphal at all. On production of the e-ticket, they are told that the same is result of a technical glitch on our server. Please proceed to the booking office for the refunds.

On further enquiry, Air Deccan chief revenue officer John K Kuruvilla informed that the airline had planned to launch a daily ATR service on the Kolkata-Imphal sector from March 1 but was unable to do so due to operational reasons. And that they will rectify the fault at the earliest.

Great work guys, Keep the stone rolling !

Kumble enters the magical hall of 500 Test Wikkis !

2006-03-11T18:39:00.000+05:30

The English danced to the tunes of Jumbo as the braveheart from Bangie stormed into the elite 500 Test Wickets Club. He becomes the fifth bowler in the world to achieve his feat and more importantly the second fastest. However, the journey this far has been a long and uncomfortable one with some fond as well as bitter memories. Today on this very day, the one man Demolition of Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla; and the first day of the Indo Aussie Test, Chepauk, Oct 04 is worth mentioning. Not to forget the appearance of The Mummy in the Antigua Test where inspite of a broken jaw, with no support the man bowled 14 overs and took the prized wicket of Brian C Lara. What a fightback by a true warrior after witnessing the dressing room for couple of tests! Ignoring all the medical advises after getting the jaw fractured by a Dhillon delivery, entered the ground with his jaw supported by a surgical guaze. Imagine the pain and on top of it the determination.

There has been numerous ocassions when Kumble's armoury has been compared to the ripping leggies of Warne, and the doosras of Murali, but his nearly straighter ones with varied pace and bounce have dated with a generation of batsmen since 1990 with the same lust.

I must sign off by endorsing "Form might be temporary, but Class is Permanent". Thanks Jumbo for your services to the nation.

Record 36,406 passengers flown by Jet Airways in a day !!!

2006-02-16T19:32:00.000+05:30

Jet Airways flew 36,406 passengers with a seat factor of 86% on Wednesday February 15, 2006 and thus set a new record in the history of Civil Aviation in India. This is the first time that any Indian Airline has done the same with an available capacity of 42,522 seats (Inclusive of International Sectors)

This achievement by Jet Airways has been attributed to the semaless coordination between Management, Marketing and Sales aptly supported by the highly efficient Revenue and Yield Management System of Jet Airways (India) Ltd.

Great Going Jet !!!

Mumbai Airport on a new High !

2006-02-12T16:17:00.000+05:30

Minutes after i posted my last comment " Dogs play menace on Goa Airport !", I realised that just 263 miles further the Mumbai runway 09-27 has set a new record for itself. Yesterday i.e. on 11th feb 06, this runway alone handled 304 arrivals and 301 departures in a span of 24 hrs. This meant that every 2.38 minutes (2 minutes and 23 seconds) this runway witnessed an activity. If we compare this with some other airports in the world it might appear normal but one must realise that Mumbai operated this on a single runway unlike other airports in the world which operate on Multiple runways.

This must be seen as a matter of happiness and must go in the record book. But this also comes with a alarm that expansion work needs to be carried out and infrastructure building needs to happen as early as possible. A call for the authorities. Lets keep the fingers crossed !

Dogs play menace on Goa Airport !

2006-02-12T13:13:00.000+05:30

A couple of flights bound to Goa from Mumbai were delayed by atleast 20 minutes yesterday on 11th Feb 05 as some stray dogs played menace on the Dabolim, Goa Airport runway. It was 7.20 am in the morning and the Jet Airways flight 9W-479 Mumbai-Goa had started descending to the runway. Just before the flight was approaching the runway, the pilot noticed something on the runway and took off only to be informed by the ATC that there were some dogs running on the runway. The flight circled Goa for around 20 minutes before the officials managed to run those dogs away and the flight carrying 175 passengers managed to land around 7:50 am.

Who is to be blamed for it and what if the flight had approached the runway ? Is anyone there to answer the same ?

Moin Khan - Lets criticise everything and anything !

2006-02-10T01:01:00.000+05:30

The Indo-Pak 2006 ODI series have not even started and the controversies have started taking birth. Thanks to the former Pakistan Wikkie Moin Khan and the present captain Inzamam. Moin Khan joined Inzi in slamming Dravid for the appeal which was made against Inzi. In his column for Press Trust of India Moin wrote that Dravid's decision to back the appeal was "deplorable". He also said that it appeared as though India wanted to win "by hook or by crook" and Dravid should have realised what bearing his action would have on the series.

It was Moin only who before the start of this ODI series told that Sachin's days are over. These comments prove that Pakistan have lost it and their former players who have always been taken to the court for some reasons or the others can not see prosperity in the Indian team. One may think where was Moin Khan when the Pak team appealed against Tendulkar in Asia Cup Test Series at Eden gardens in the second innings. And it was Moin only who once caught Ganguly off the bounce in the test match and went to appeal so loudly. Might be he was trying to learn the Game Spirit that time. Nice learnings !!

It seems that the need of the hour is to ban all these former Pakistani players from expressing themselves as they have failed to take the game sportingly and have always reacted against the spirit of the game. Hope, PCB does something and if they do not then ICC must come forward and make sure that that these elements are taken care of who are killing the game of cricket.

Inzi learning the Game Spirit..!

2006-02-08T22:13:00.000+05:30

The dismissal of Inzamam was one of the rarest of its kind in Peshawar in the first one day international of the Indo-Pak Series 2006. Even after playing as many as 352 LOIs and and 107 Test Matches, the 35 year old Pak Captain slammed the ICC rules. The best part about his statement was that he could not comprehend the rules of the ICC. So, Slam ICC. Great gesture. Not even this, he went on to slam the Indian fielders also. In his words "In my role as the Pakistan captain, I would say that the appeal from the Indian fielders was against the spirit of cricket. Certainly, there are several modes in which a batsman can be declared out, but many of them are not in the spirit of the game." This did not stop here at all and the hefty right hander went on to add this "I would not have imagined that Rahul Dravid and his team would do such a thing. I am not bothered about my dismissal but an appeal made in an unsportsmanlike manner by the visiting team can have an adverse affect on the relations between the two opponents. I have surely asserted on my boys not to make much of the Peshawar incident. However, in my personal opinion the appeal was not made in a sporting manner. Instead, it just might have left a bad taste in the mouth."

I do not wish to comment on the memory of Inzi but if one reminds him of the wicket of the almighty Sachin Tendulkar in Asia Cup Test Series at Eden Gardens, second innings. Just to refresh our memories Sachin was given out as the Sub (Nadeem) throw from long on rattled the stumps at non-strickers innings where Sachin was found short of ground. Why short of ground? Because he had a collision with Shoaib Akhtar and as a result of that he was draaged out of the popping crease. So what? That was true sport. Then Inzi was not bothered about the sportsman spirit. He was bothered about the result. Lil did he know that it was a friendship series. But winning hearts. Well thats not taught by PCB.

And lets read the final comment by him. "I am also not in a position to say anything about it because the ICC code of conduct doesn't permit me." Now, what else he wants to comment on. The Umpiers or his predessors !!