WINTER 09

WINTER - Winter IISc National Training for Entry to Research.. This was one of the most awaited events in my calendar... coz WINTER 08 is the reason that I’m here. I was waiting too anxiously to see what it is like to organise such an event... how it feels by being a part of the organising team rather than being there form the participant side. Had lots of thoughts lots of ideas...

It all started long back... probably in September.. The meeting for WINTER 09, I was present there by default. The meeting started off by assigning different duties to different people. I went on commenting on the various flaws WINTER 08 had, without actually going deeper or thinking why that had happened. I never realised then that those who organised were after all students senior to us by just few years. if we can’t be errorless how can we expect them to be so flawless courtesy all the blabbering about the defects in web page of WINTER 08 in the first meeting itself it was decided that I along with shalu and digvijay would be responsible for the web page designing.. It was like a shock for me. When I don’t know abc of html programming how am I supposed to design!!! Then had an immediate relief when I heard that digvijay knew how to do it. That was the first time I came to know him.. Though in structures we had never met earlier.. Within a weeks time shivani di asked us to come together and show her the design.. Digvijay did the whole lot of work.. The only thing I did was to disturb him saying this and that had happened last yr.. blah blah blah.. I remember he had just asked for a suggestion of the colour scheme.. That also I think I couldn't help much.. So the web page was ready all by his efforts.. And so the responsibilities were off my shoulders.. Next thing I was asked to do was to prepare a excel sheet of a few student who had applied.. I think that is the only work I had done pre WINTER. 

Then again I was assigned the work of arranging the caterers as I was the one who had complained most against the food last time.. 1 month went by.. I got busy wid the classes didn’t think abt this.. Then one fine day a meeting is called and when asked .. Rest all had done their parts. except for the food arrangement.. Prof. Anbazhagan thought I’d do it after exams but then got furious when he came to know the fact that I was going back home rt the day after exams. and return just the day before WINTER. rescuer again was digvijay!! he said he would talk wid the caterers and arrange the food.. I was all smiles and went abt happily.. latter when I think back I feel that how irresponsible I was in working the things out.. shifting the workload from my shoulder to someone else's.. that way what happens is the system tends to get into chaos.. any ways thanks to digvijay he did all the parts so very well taking all the responsibility and accountability.. the only other thing I kept on doing  pre WINTER was responding and replying to the various queries and posts by the participants in the orkut community.. I learnt a lesson that day: if u can’t take a responsibility don’t say yes.. it only ruins the system by creating additional work load on others..

Then I returned back to IISc after a sweet trip from home.. results were out.. it was pathetic as expected but in some it was beyond my expectations and comprehension.. so with all that result tension in mind I came as a volunteer for WINTER 09 on 28th  dec. rt form the previous day since the time I had landed in the campus I had been in the hc seeing darshana. she was sick probably for the climate change.. but she had to be looked after. I remembered my IIT K days.. though I could not be of that much gr8 help as gyan bhaiya or saurabh bhaiya or ravish bhaiya.. I tried to do my best for her.. that gave a sense of satisfaction and the guilt in me for not contributing anything in WINTER subsided a bit.. the days passed by I got to know more of these campers and more of my dept people..

Though I knew anil since long we never got that time to interact so much after joining IISc. we had attended summer camp at IIT K winter at IISc together.. so knew quite much abt each other but after joining I guess we hardly had time to talk.. but in WINTER we had all the time.. then abhishek bhaiya... I had known him since last WINTER. he was our volunteer then.. this time we were friends.. all from the same side.. from the organising team it really feels gud then.. u see urself in a different position all together in just a yr.. it really felt nice when prof. Nagesh Kumar said.. changing roles :) with the work I came to know lots of people. came to know a lot of geotech ppl.. tarun, sandeep, gaurave, sreevalsa, arif bhaiya.. the friendship grew.. I came to know paramita di and amit sir better.. I had a new band of friends with me :)

The chat with digvijay, with amit sir and with abhishek bhaiya it was so nice.. I got one more lesson in life.. be happy with what u have; live and enjoy the life..then the new year eve.. the celebrations.. the cake.. the fun games.. anbu sir and his daughter cutting the cake :), the drive.. it reminded me of the days back home when for every alternate thing I used to go with my brother.. missed him the most that day..

Then after 2 days WINTER came to an end but I was glad that it was fruitful for me too.. there is a saying "Days pass by but it’s the memories that remain.." though over long back it still gives me a sense of deep satisfaction of getting involved in it. and I can say WINTER has given me a lot of things.. 

And the best gift I had from WINTER was a group of sweet brothers here at IISc Abhishek bhaiya, Digvijay, Amit sir and Anil..