My Bitsian Memoirs

The stuff!!!

nimitmehra — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:01:21 +0000

One of the most sought after things by first year engineering college students is “The Stuff”. Coming after 2 years of arduous preparation for getting here, these geeky kids who did not see the world for last two years suddenly want to grow and want the stuff.
So for next 4 years, living in a place where women are endangered species, the stuff becomes their life line.

So back in 1st year, when computers were still in short supply and DVD players were still used. There were some interesting incidents with the stuff

Sid bloke was the GOD of stuff with his large collection of 2 DVD’s of “Java”. Such was the impact of this name the even in 4th year if you searched for JAVA on DC, you would be more likely to find the stuff than well the language made by SUN corp.
Since computers were in short supply, there were mass screenings with people cramped in one room. Angad’s was one such room.
Once it so happened stuff was being viewed in the common room and people were vary of hostel assistant catching them. 15 minutes into the show, they see the assistant sitting besides them. Such was the power of stuff.
Once when stuff was banned from being shared on DC explicitly unique names such as FYRH ( for your right hand) were invented
Anirudh was uncrowned god of searching of the elixer. Even in the days of censorship which rivaled that of China, he knew the code words which would get you the right stuff.
In first year, people kept their laptops pure by not keeping stuff on it, by 4 th year life had screwed everything, including their laptops.

So well that is all about the stuff chronicles which I could write here.

PS: those who made the most disgusting faces on the mention of stuff, were the one’s who saw the most. They were also the one’s who saw the most gross. Two faced Hippocrates.

Finally this post should not end without saying – THANKYOU SIDBLOKE!!! you made my 4 years easier to bear

Pamela aunty

nimitmehra — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:24:22 +0000

We were all very serious in the first semester. Going to classes everyday, attending tuts and ya that was the semester of mini tests. However one course which was a bouncer to most of us was Biology. So the day before the midsem gill comes to my room and says ” yaar yeh funda samajh nahi aa raha”. Thats when I unleashed upon him Pamela Aunty. Explaining all the things to him taking into account the things which remain on the top of an 18 year old boy’s mind. The reciprocating actions by which some molecules are released, the regenrative cycles…. all of these things just became so clear. We both scored decently in that test. Pamela aunty was to become our doubt solver for most of the future doubts .

Rejected Dancers Club

nimitmehra — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:32:12 +0000

During the very first week auditions for various clubs started. There were the usual Drama club ( with which I flirted for some time), the music club ( where purnoor sang in the very first meeting) and some more clubs which I dont remember. However one day there was audition for Dance club. Since me ( and most of my friends) have two left feet, we didnot even bother to go for the meeting/induction. While coming back there were a few people dancing on the road who claimed to be the member of Rejected Dancers club. That night we ( me and many others) got together and started dancing ( well you can put it as wierd jumping) outside my room ( I was the only one having speakers back then). Next day Gill created RDC yahoo group. Put me as the president, Popat as choreographer and meet too as something.

We made a oath, to be taken by every new inductee. It was nothing but jumping around and making a fool of yourself. But when everybody around you is doing it, it doesn’t feel that wierd. I however was the one to make the new inductee not feel like one. I had to make him recite the oath .

Various funny incidents are the part of RDC. But one clearly stands out. The midsems had just ended, and all of us were in mood to well act foolish. So there was another inductee session . Sometime in the middle somebody shouted that the warden hadcome in the hostel. For the uninitiated, AH4 that time had a warden who had by then become a legend with his infrared binoculars, UK stories, self boasting and well making the lives of the students miserable. Coming back to the topic here is what happened:

1. Purnoor whose room is opposite to mine, instead of running in his room ran towards the end of the corridor into the bathroom. The funny thing is 3 people actually got in his room.
2. Rao ran towards his room shouting ” Warden aa gaya , Warden aa gaya” and bumped into somebody. That somebody turned out to be the warden.
3. Pralav was shouting and informing people in AH3 that warden has come. When he saw some people from AH3 pointing at him. When he looked back, he saw the warden.

Ohh Btw we had an official RDC song- ” Who let the dogs out” and an official RDC step. FOr more info ask Popat.

The First time I felt like a Bitsian

nimitmehra — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 15:05:59 +0000

It was a midsem exam in the first sem. I don’t remember which one but I think it was physics mostly. The invigilator that time was Dr. S.K Ray who had just come from Pilani. he gave this speech about BITS, its alumini , their accomplishments and other stuff. But still the feeling didnot come. When he finally distributed the answer sheets. I looked up at them and there it was written Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani-Goa campus. That moment was the first time I truly felt like a Bitsian.
I distinctly remember, I was so overjoyed at the fact of having finally made it that I forgot half of the answers and got below av by a great margin. That was to become a trend later ( not the overjoyed fact but the averages.) .

The Firsts

nimitmehra — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:24:37 +0000

The First Interaction with a Proff :
Professor AP Koley : I had not come to BITS as a student of Mechanical Engineering but rather as a student of Chemical Engineering. While registering I registered as a Chemical Engineer. One hour after that a list came from Pilani about the sliding of various people here. Apparently I was blissfully unaware of any such list and went about the usual business of finding ” more people like me ” ( as Rao had once put it). Sometime at around 9 somebody told me that he had been told that his stream had been ” upgraded”. I got a shock ran to the notice board and there it was Nimit Mehra slided to P4 for P1.
Happy and confused I roamed about till i bumped into a senior – VP Srivatsan. When I explained about my problem the response i got was a sarcastic ” Great”. He appeared extrememly helpful and took me everywhere sadly it was 10 and everybody was back home. Thinking now I don’t know whether the help was truly genuine or an election motivated generosity. However next day I walk to the chamber of ARC Dean : Proffesor AP Koley … he grudingly dismises me to come after 1 hour.

During that one hour I meet Purnoor, ask him about his time table and believe it or not that was the only reasearch I did while selecting my first time table. After one hour I interacted with a Proff for the first time and this is how it went.

For those from campus who know how Proffesor Koley talks he started off like: So bhere bher you yaesterday. Gone phor a movie. bhy didn’t you come after 1 hour. Maeny studeents deed. You theenk you are shome Bheeg Maharaja. …….

This thing went on for about 15 minutes and here I was, a home sick first year student who has no idea about the rules and regulations of this new place being scolded 3 hours into his offcial tenure at BITS. I was never ever scolded by my teachers in school and this was my first interaction with a proff in college …. no wonder I attended so less classes in BITS … proffphobia.

My First lecture :
It was a physics 1 tutorial taken by proffesor AV kulkarni ( yes in the first 3 days unknowngly i had met the big shots of this college .) It was pretty uneventful except during the introduction around 60 percent of the class was from andhra. The introduction went something like this. Nimit Mumbai, kishore Andhra, Mahesh Andhra , Teja Andhra, Teja Andhra , Teja Andhra , Kak Delhi ……

My First lecture in my actual Tut:
I don’t really remember what happened in this tut. Others do. Apparently they also made imaginary fights which they fought with me for over an year.

My First stage appearance:
It was for a play called shipwreck ( that name pushes me to write something about a waves event in the future but that will wait). I potrayed Lalu Prasad Yadav. The only Drama I did in the college. Made friends likeBharat, Gaurav Sapra and Abhinav Lakhotia in it. A few things which i remember about the play itself was that i had to wear a kurta pajama and never ever in my life had I worn one. So on the day of the play I borrow one from Gill. Now that time I didn’t know but Pajama’s have this weird system of a Nada which you have to tie. The only strings which i had ever tied in my life were my shoelaces. So I tied the Nada the same way. Everything was going well till in the middle of the play i felt my pajama loosening.There i was in front of a thousand people giving my first performance in a loose pajama. Very few people noticed but I did the rest of the play holding my pajama with one hand. The people who know this still can’t stop embarrasing me about it.

My first outing:
It was to Bogmalo with Purnoor, Punter and Popat. The only thing I remember about the trip is that there were insane number of lemons that day on the beach. Till this day I don’t know the reason for that.

Memoirs 1 – Genesis

nimitmehra — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:16:42 +0000

I am currently in my last semester of Bitsian life ( Hopefully ! ). The last semester or Psenti sem ( for the people in this sem for various reasons other than the obvious) is a relatively free sem for any Bitsian. So sometime last month while living my lethargic and mundane life a thought occured to me , why not write down about these roller coaster last 4 years. And so the idea of writing about my experiences, thoughts and about the people whom i met in these 4 years occurred to me. The posts titled memoirs will contain my Bitsian experiences some known to people some known only to me. So here it starts :

The Genesis:
It was 6:30 am 8 August, 2005 my flight had just landed on Goa international airport. There was slight drizzle. I was having an emotional cocktail a bit of excitement, a bit of anxiety, apprehension, feeling of an adventure. I remember enquiring about how to reach BITS from airport and the first thing the lady asked were my marks in 12th and the gave me a look of awe. That time i felt like a king but later on coming to BITS it was nothing great when 90% of my corridor was above 90.
I reached campus at around 7. I will never forget that sight, the campus never looked so beautiful ever again. The slight drizzle, the expanse of the river on the left, the majestic B Dome, plants swinging with the wind … it was as if some one was writing peotry. After the usual formalities i was alloted my room , my abode for next 3 years here BH4 364. The last room in Boys Hostel 4.
That same afternoon was our induction into BITS. I vividly remember standing and everybody around me happened to be from andhra. There was a cacaphony of telegu and everywhere i looked i didnot find a person with whom i could strike a conversation. I thought to myself ” Kahan phas gaya mummy”.That same night we had our orientation. The majestic auditorium was opened to Bitsians for the first time. I was awestruck when I saw it and I get the same feeling everytime i walk inside it even now. Little did I know back then that i would be the part of one of the first dramas on that stage. About the orientation it was just a feel good exercise where everything looked rosy and blue. We were promised Swimming pool and some other stuff for which some are still waiting till now.
The next day after my parents left, I walked to the library for the registration. There i spotted a tall lanky Sardar standing. To me seeing a sardar that time in BITS was like finding an oasis in a desert. So i tried to make small talk. I asked where was he from ? Instead of an answer i was asked a question in return ….. “Guess where?” . So I thought a sardar how tough can it be … Punjab… no … Delhi … No … Mumbai … No …. now i gave up. The answer was Kerela and I thought to myself … ” Ek sardar mila aur vo bhi illad”. Sometime into the conversation some asked me my room number, on replying AH4 364 …. the Sardar gave me a wierd look and after a second said ….” oye me in Ah4 363… we are neighbours” ….. And thats how I met Purnoor Singh Sodhi.

One day me and purnoor went to some obscure lecture ( yes in first semester we used to attend all lectures !) There Purnoor called someguy. The guy looked to say the least…… cool. Came sat with us, we exchanged greetings… and while the lecture was about to begin he pulled out his mobile and read us a joke after the laughter he took our numbers. The next thing I know I have subscribed to A joke a day on my mobile. Little did i know then that i had met one of my closest friends then – Angad Singh Gill

So one day Gill calls me up and asks me Vasco chalega. I reply “ok khaane chalta hu “. He was accompanied by an imposing figure. The kind of materials which bullies are made of. Some one you better be in good books of. He introduced himself ” Hi I am Shashank Tandon ” ” Or Boxer” said Gill. Later I came to know about this shrek. The guy just looks imposing he wouldn’t even have hurt an ant till now.

One day a person comes to my room and asks ” Hey today is my birthday … will you come and dance” ( yea thats what he said!) So i went to the birthday party of a person whom i hardly knew. Later that room would be the room where some debates would happen which would go on till 4 in the morning … Room of Mohammed kheezer Hayat. In the sam party i met a sleepy drousy fellow who i thought i definitely on weed – Puneet Gupta.Later I came to know that was his normal self, this bathroom singing drously fellow would be involved with me in various things which were important to me in BITS.

One day while sitting in the computer center … a person comes and sits next to me me and asks me my email address. I give it to him and ask why , he replies I am starting this yahoo group ” cool bitsians” and adding you to it. I thought jaan na pehchaan group me add yeh kya banda hai. During that one hour where he added more and more people to his group by asking anybody his email ID he gave me various computer fundas which were greek and hebrew to me and thats how I met Shubham Malhotra aka Choos for the first time.

I had interesting bunch of neighbours. A jingoistic sardar living opposite. A geek living next door. I remember meeting Anirudh for the first time outside his room while he was reading some book or paper ( i don’t remember exactly but it was not a text book …. perhaps the only time i saw him outside in the corridor without a textbook.) Some how I knew this guy would be extreme. Either an extreme gamer or an extreme Geek. He turned out the latter when he blasted nearly every course which I had with him. The guy who would later become the my source of grapevine. Diagonally opposite to Anirudh lived Aalok. I remember meeting him and Himanshu together in Aalok’s room. HIs room became my stress buster. We all will make pointless jokes, link each other with wierd people or just pull aalok’s or anirudh’s leg for no reason there.

Among my other friends i dont remember my first meeting specifically. I do remember going out on my first outing with punter, popat and purnoor. Seeing a lamp light on opposite from my window and me cursing that guy for giving me a scare and after 2 months coming to know he was Vishrut. I remeber hearing about an IIT ranker aamir khan look alike who used to solve every problem in thermo book , who in his first meeting lent me his LOTR and thus met Rao for the first time. I remember a person coming and sitting next to me in Eg and rotating his mobile before any greeting and then saying ” Mera naam akshay hai ” .. Akshay Khatreja … the person with whom i screwed nearly every lab I can remember. Meeting Dhruv and kak on the first day when we went about and checked out all the LT’s and realised this was an A/c campus. Seeing a person hopping around in the hostel and coming to know about the creature called Varun Shah. I remember hearing a person speaking about jammu and me saying ” dogri punjabi bhai bhai” and meeting Lalit for the first time. Meeting a person from bokaro asking him about Dps bokaro and giving a reference of my room mate from NITK and meeting Mayank ” bake bihari” Singh for the first time.

This is how i met some people who you will encouter frequently in the other memoirs. The people who are not mentioned here are not so because they would requirea background and so will be introduced in the subsequent posts.