My privilliege November 23, 2006

Well, being at IIFM has been a privillige for me. But today was the day full of oppurtunities to meet such wonderful people that I feel even more privilliged.

The First person I happened to meet were General Manager( Project Foundation), FDC, Madhya Pradesh. I happend to meet him because of an assignment again given by another well read faculty. Anyways comming back to Mr. GM, he was an IFS officer sitting in a small cabin painted green ( I should here tell you that the whole Office was painted green even the information boards : truely reprensentative of the forest ) with a computer. The cabin was so small that our team comprising of five members seemed to be crowd for it. However he got sufficient chairs arranged for us and made us feel comfortable. To my surprise he odered chai for all of us. IIFMites as I understand now are seen with high regards at all such places. Before we started he made us feel home by asking our names ,backgrounds or in short parichay as they say. As usual we had little idea about what to ask and then where to start from. But perhaps he sensed it or what because he started on his own and kept on and on….. MY GOD!!! he downloaded so much of info in such a small span of time and that to adding relavant examples ,proverbs whenever relavant. Knowledge is power as some one rightly said. It indeed is , because it gives you strength, a perspective, a vision. He was a balance of professional as well as informal attitude. A civil servant and a common man. For the first time forestry seemed to be a science not of books but of observation as he pointed out. Well it was really a prvillege to meet a person with such a practical mindset.

As We came back to our insti we were supposed to attend a guest lecture by another IFS , author of several books , published so many papers almost four times of our age. Well, we also happen to read his book on forest mensuration. Most of us thought that we are heading for another boring lecture. Many thought of skipping it aswell but whenever there is a guest lecture people make sure to attend it because IIFM’s reputation is at stake. Again a surprise, such an aged person with a voice that can put many of our faculties at shame( because many of them preffer using microphone in a class of 40). Clarity, voice modulation so perfect. He started with a simple tree and I wonder when he ended with management. He was so fluent that I do not remember that he paused for a second. He maintained such a rate that every body was able to comprehend. It was rare to see my batchmates listening with pindrop silence and none of them with eyes shut or a leaning body or a tilted head. It was a session of 40 mins or so but worth attending. Not only me but every body was influenced by his aura. For the first time I realised that silviculture could be so simple and I just fell in love with the subject or may be the man himself.

Well, The next person that we all interacted was Regional Director, of a well known non profit organisation and an IIFM Alumini from the batch of 1990. For the first time was such a session so much of LEARNing and NJOYing. He gave us some gyan about what to do and what not to do. He was not quite young as we are but made us comfortable by cracking jokes. Every body could not help but laugh at the one liners the man had to offer. His gyan dhan was related to good and not so good experinces of his life. He made us realise that no books can make you good manager but simple things can make you an effective manager.  Organised, Networked, orator, charmer, rational, practicle may be the words if I was to define him.

Well lot learnt , lot felt and lot observed. May I continue to meet such charismatic people

A Reveleation November 21, 2006

Well, it was the most tedious assignment given by one of our most well read faculty that made me spent almost 2 days in the library. Though I am a regular face in the library but my usual dealings were the reference books and related stuff. Never bothered to look beyond that.

Before I go further let me tell that ours is a well stocked library comprising three floors. The library boasts of 33000 volumes and subscribes to over 200 national and international journals. And in this tech savvy world it ought to be digitised and it is.

Our assignment required us to dig into the journal section and select around 8 peer reviewed papers. It seemed so easy that a laid back person like me kept on delaying the task. Now one fine morning which happened to be a saturday morning I decided why not finish it off.

Here began my tryst with the IIFM library. I started at 10 in the morning went to the journal section to find that whole of the 2nd floor is full of journals. Well their are almost 15-20 years volumes that makes 10000 articles per journal. And hold your breath we had a choice to select 8 articles from as much as 90,000 or more articles. Tedious task indeed!! Struggled hard and the search went on and on….. hard luck !! Got so frustrated that went out 4 tea and then lunch.After the lunch again ready to try my luck went to the same second floor.

This was for the first time in life I realised what I do not know… Well to know what you know is a bliss but to know what you dont know can be a blessing.And I think it is for me that I have become little keen about what to read and how to go about it.

Comming back to my assignment well Library staff came to my rescue. Sir introduced me to the unexplored options of the LibSys software that we have( well may I tell you that am one of the most computer illetrate person). It is like a magic wand – You move your fingers on the keyboard to enter few keywords to get the list of related articles. Now note down the reference numbers search for them in the journal section and get it xeroxed. It is dammn so easy i thought. Well laughed at myself for moment and then carried on.

However I was a kind of late, 6 ‘o’ clock rang the clock and library was closed for the day(weekends it is shut early). Next morning I was back on my mission this time knew exactly where I was heading. A little digging a little toggeling and I was through by lunch time gave all the papers to be xeroxed . A happy soul I was… task half done now the challenge lies to read them and prepare review articles

Though it took me two days, spoiled my weekend, I could not complete the assignment Still I was happy. It is because I might not be better off literally but what is more imporatant is I am more aware. Aware of what I know and what I do not

Hope to continue such small trips to library  

It makes the day…. November 18, 2006

Whole day you sit besides someone nothing to talk… nothing to tell. I wonder where the gossips go not a single one to utter. The whole day you ponder dont know what.You lie numb not listening the noises around you and then suddenly a small hello!! , a small hi!! makes your day.

You sit infront of the screen, toggle with your keyboard, do not know what to do. Have lots to look for, lots to write but do not feel like. Not even music and pics intrests you and then suddenly you open your mail box and read a mail which makes your day.

You struggle so hard. Work as if all is today or never. But you have difficult time. Nothing seems to be going your way. It feels so low… you are depressed and then suddenly a pat on your back makes your day.

You stand in front of the mirror make faces give poses but still are not satisfied. Always wish if i was….if it were…. that extra something bothers you and then suddenly that smile those eyes…. makes your day.

You blabber whole day. The talks that you share seems as if its all rubbish, useless. Everything seems to be futile. The evening goes on and on. And then suddenly a little conversation makes your day.

When big things do not effect it is the small ones that creats the magic…… small thing and only small things make your day

Journey so far.. November 16, 2006

It’s been about four months in IIFM . Seems as if it was yesterday that we joined the campus. Strange it was……… unknown place …. unknown faces ….but don’t exacty remember when all of us started gelling together………n now yelling together All that was not so easy…. I still cant forget those stupid little…tit for tat…quarrels. Always being part of some or other argument.But then every body was full of zeal……ambition……enthusiasm…..may be this worked or the late night walks….dirty assignments….canteen talks….groups that study…..or the ones that don’t….dance in the rain…..sharing umbrellas…..sitting wella…and then the baddy court…….can’t even dare to forget that…..otherwise GBM hai na….Still many more moments to come that we will cherish all our life. Three cheers for the IIFM…..hip hip……hiphip….hiphip….

life…. November 16, 2006

It goes up and it goes down!!

One moment you are happy and the very next moment sadness creeps in. One hour you have nothing to do and the very next lods of things to do, with many left undone. One day you are great freinds and the very next day you don’t even wish to see each other’s face. One month you slog in so hard and the very next month you get bored of the very same thing. One year you may have all wonderfull people around but the very next year the table may turn around.

But it goes on and on…..

One moment you have God but the very next moment fear of devil. One hour you feel so bold but the very next hour cowardice plays the music. One day you are a free soul and the very next day envious about evreybody. One month listen to music and the very next month nothing but shrieks. One year you might feel overloaded with love and affection and the very next year u may be empty handed.

But it goes on and on…

This is life and it goes on and on…..

Today was a special day… November 14, 2006

Today was indeed a special day. So many special people, special feelings, special efforts. It was 14th november, the Children’s day. We went to a children’s day care center. They were like little angels on this earth with such smiling faces. It felt they were the winners of the race. Yes, always felt that challenged kids are at some disadvantage but i guess, i was wrong. Very wrong…..

They are full of love which oozes out when you meet them. They will give you such a welcome smile that you might have never come across. They might never see you but they would feel the way no one does.

No hesitations, no corruptions, pure soul they are….such strong beliver of themselves that I wondered for quite a while ” What is it that gives them strength?”

May be they are the blessed one’s. God has given them that special strength that we do not have. He has blessed them with an extraordinary sense to be different, to be happy like we are not, to be carefree like we are not, to be selfless like we are not!

Almighty has send us all with five sense which holds us with the materialistic love. However he has blessed them to be free souls who know nothing but spreading happiness….