Friday, October 06, 2006

MICA...a wonderful place

Hey people!
Welcome once again to the crazy blog and an insane blogger who has been bugging you for a long time! (cracking a joke on oneself is known to be a great quality though!)
And this time, readers, it’s not one of the whine stories. Because when one has tried his or her (now, that’s called being politically correct) patience and stamina, it’s best to let go. That’s what I have done. Because sometimes, if one tries persuasion, then others take a deaf ear deliberately and want to prove a point. So be it.
And oh…I was running a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit (sorry, I forgot the crlsius conversion) maybe because of the extreme abuse of my body.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if people’s bodies had the capability to sue the people! Yikes! I would have gone bankrupt! Thank God for small mercies!

Now about this post. This one is about Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA). This is the place where I am learning (by making lots of mistakes though) copywriting. It’s known to be the best in the country…no, in the continent (Asia, for the ones who didn’t catch it!) and the place is…in one word…amazing!
No they haven’t paid me to write (I know its very mean of them) and hence it’s not an advertisement for them. Because if I start writing for free then where do you think I will get my bread, butter, cheese, marmalade, omlette, milk, coffee, corn flakes, mayonnaise et al. from (yeah yeah I know I eat a little more than normal but c’mon, it’s not bad, is it?)?

Ok…enough deviation (God knows when I will be a little more focused!).
Now about MICA. The place is, as I already told you, amazing (oh! Repeating points is another thing I need to take care of. Remind me when I do repeat points.) and the place around is an absolute contrast. Yikes! It’s the typical INDIAN COUNTRYSIDE…complete with bulls, cows, occasional camels, snakes and whole lot of other flora and fauna. Inside…the place rocks. Beautiful intelligent people, brilliant faculty and infrastructure, a sprawling campus and a huge but harmless dog. The dog happens to be a German Shepherd called Roxy (guess you have read about him already. If you haven’t, then be a little more regular!).

When the Sun dawns on the campus, it bathes the entire campus in soft sunlight. Every morning, plenty of birds flock to the campus. Peacocks are not uncommon and early in the morning (which I mostly see because I stay up at nights mostly, like many others) one can hear them crow. Walk out in the that velvet like sunlight and fatigue just disappears like a whiff of smoke! The mornings are the best part of the day and it’s an experience in itself. And every morning Roxy can be found sleeping either in the computer lab or on the porch of one of the many hostel blocks. Squirrels set out to hunt for food with the first ray of light. Never had I seen nature from so close and at such a pinnacle of glory! Enchanting…truly enchanting. And the campus never sleeps. At any given hour of the day (or night), people can be found awake and either working or taking a break from mentally taxing work. Oh…I forgot…eagles and monkeys have also made themselves at home here and live in absolute harmony. Ok. Enough about the animals and birds found here. If I write any more about them (there is plenty more, though) you will probably think this is some kind of wildlife sanctuary instead of an institute for communications!

Now about the buildings (bored?)! there is a water tank here that’s pretty high (in fact higher than just pretty high) and the entire countryside is visible from the top. Though the place is a little difficult to reach, considering the narrow winding staircase with cobwebs and bird nests at places along the way, its simply marvelous! Romantic, yes the spot is VERY MUCH SO but not much romance takes place because nobody (I mean no SANE guy) will take his girlfriend there because she will probably have thrown enough tantrums to have the dissipated the romantic clouds (hey! That’s a good line!).
Then there is the terrace of the academic block which also is a brilliant spot and is a great place to sit and think. It, of course, serves multiple functions though (or so I have heard)! The hostel blocks are in the shape of the letter “C” of the English alphabet and hence every door face the opposite and when one steps out of the room, it doesn’t look deserted and desolate. Thankfully so! Did you know that similar style of construction was followed in most old Indian homes? Even the terraces of the hostels provide a brilliant place to think and brood (though the metal stairs are a little rickety, but who cares? It’s every bit worth it!). I have spent countless evenings at that place when I needed time all to myself…and in the past couple of months, such occasions have been plenty and hence I know the place. And all the terraces are connected with metal frames laid across the parapets! Good eh? I know!
Now about the mess. This is one of the few hostels where the mess isn’t in a MESS (see?! A good line yet again!) and it’s a big, I mean BIG hall with a great arrangement of furniture.

Then again, we have our little Mac lab with the apple G4 systems. This is where most of the time is spent (the air-conditioning just increases the duration) working, watching movies and well…what else do you think one can do in a lab anyway? Go for a picnic??
I love my Mac! There are 15 of them here. One for everyone!

At nights, the campus is quiet and serene. Just the sound of crickets and otherwise, absolute silence. Not the eerie one though! It’s the comfortable, cozy silence of the night. Then…what else?...oh…yes…Chota Canteen. Probably the most visited place on campus and the most well known too! It’s the smoking, brain storming and idea generation zone. Occasionally, classes also happen here (because it’s easier to call students there instead of classes!). So then, it’s coffee, class and cigarettes! What a combination. No no…I have quit smoking…I was just mentioning! And as far as the faculty goes…I can easily and effortlessly fill up another 100 pages, writing just about them! Fine, brilliant and extremely knowledgeable masters of their respective fields. That’s what they are, in one line!

I have been thinking about what I missed out (because there is SO freaking much to write about that things just slip out of the un-stretchable walls of memory) and writing for the past half hour. I know I haven’t covered anything of this place…but I have a class in 20 minutes and I have to rush to the shower, and eventually to the class! And I take a little more time in the shower because the frame happens to be a little large people! So that makes it… 10 minutes for the shower and attire (I know that’s long…you must understand that I am a lazy bum and work isn’t very deeply embedded in my system…at least the liking for such mundane work isn’t!) and then 5 minutes to HOG like a hedgehog. Then the last five minutes are for than sprint to the class! Christ…I am getting late already! ☺
Hence I shall see you later and comments shall be appreciated (please make them nice eh?? Just kidding) and valued…so WRITE them when you have a blogger i.d. and don’t be a lazy bum like me!

Adios.