Workshop Viva

Hope you read the title as vieee-va and not vi-va. Do you believe in luck? Well, at least probability is science.

A few Engineering "Workshop" were part of our graduation curriculum. Foundry workshop was first of the series. The floor had series of rusted machines and tools. It gave an initial feelings of an old time car mechanic shop. Not the type I would have preferred to be for long. Over four months, each week had to spend four hours - actually doing nothing. Finally end of it had to appear for a viva. The foundry workshop viva set the pattern .

They paired students by a natural algorithm - flow of roll numbers.. and pushed them for viva together. To start with I was uncertain on the pair dynamics to follow. Later realized I was lucky!

By virtue of roll number my workshop partner was the uncontested best! He knew all. With time and more workshop vivas we got tuned. Oops .. I got tuned as he had not much to gain form me but I did. He carried loads of knowledge to viva room while I just had my common sense switched on - in case ever needed. Apart from occasional re-framing of what my partner said I just had a smile on my face to offer in such interview. Our scores were same for such workshop in the semester. Sheer Luck - you thought - right? Well let me tell you the next part..

It was my 5th semester. I had a bad cough two days before the scheduled Lathe Workshop viva. Over confident I still thought I could make it for the interview - the companionship was by then more of a habit than luck.

The night before the viva I was detected with acute bronchitis. In the dark hostel room I laid all alone with high fever under medication when all my classmates appeared for their vivas. The thought that I would have to give the viva alone kicked multiple sentiments mixed with fear and stress. At one point realized what was paining me was not the uncertainty of future that I had to tackle by self, but more than that I was lamenting the missed opportunity of a seamless partnership. Can luck vanish suddenly?

So much can change over a week ! In 3 more days Babri Masjid was pulled down. Curfew was launched , college came to a stall. At national level a history was created. For me off-course a small chapter of realization.One month down the line I was given a chance to face the viva - this time all alone.

It went well - I was second highest on this Workshop score. To give that simple viva I had studied more than a subject in my semester. It had an indirect good impact on my overall grades too.

Well not that I turned to be a great scorer - off course not .. Just that I realized what is risk of dependency.

Gyan #22 - Luck hardly comes for free!

Freedom In Dependence

Happy Independence Day ....

Lot is happening around to celebrate this independence day - some in thoughts and more in transaction. Today world, which is as flat as the one dimensional atlas is celebrating our 'Independence Day' across all media! Every occasion is a business with sentiment - full of packages, discounts , branding and broadcasting. This speaks of growth and we want to grow as a nation to realize dreams of many who scarified more than what we can think of.

In school days this calender day was meant for parade shows, college days it was lazy holiday, as professional have no control on any day as in dynamic business world things can change in seconds, so a full day is a luxury. Still when I see a tri-color flag fluttering on a neighbouring multi-storied tower from my window and hear a few old melodies on FM channels that is on from the morning, mind gets overcast with a few memories..

My grandmother knew what this day means more than what I understand. Dead of night with some of her children she had to leave the place they called their home. A home is not a roof and few walls - it is far beyond. Her elder set of children's had already moved the LOC to find a place in my country. I was fortunate to be born in a free country. Yes, couple of decades had crossed and my country was marked as "Developing Country" in economics text book, when I was born with me and my grandmother both called this country as our Nation.

The pain and pleasure of this Political Independence was more acceptable to me when my grandma shared her personal experiences of pre-independence times. They were so natural and rendered a feeling much different than the thick letters of my history book. Years progressed ...I got admitted to an esteemed Engineering college and wrote her a letter thanking her for all hardship that she underwent years back and expressed my gratitude. She had reciprocated with a bunch of blessings and wrote me back - "Today I feel independent. My dream that my generations to follow would be well rooted in an independent nation and be established as educated individuals has come true. I took a decision to leave my home with this dream in mind. Be a good human where ever you are and whatever you do." This was her message to me on Independence - hard decisions taken by predecessors that makes followers successful some day in future.

Yes - in the long pursuit of life full of uncertainties, a nation's plight can change where you stand , what you call your home, how you earn your living, but it can never change how you DREAM.. Never let it change ...

Gyan #21 - Render your share of sacrifice to make someone successful someday ..