Memoirs Of A Phoneless Bugger

Dear Readers,

I finally got a phone after months of living without a handheld communication device a.k.a. a cell phone. It is a welcome relief from having to borrow friends' phone for making calls and getting the customary,"Balance nahi hai bhai" and the shocked expression that would follow the mention of the fact that I didn't have a phone that were similar to the expressions of a Rabbi meeting an uncircumcised Jew. But despite all the various obvious downsides of not having a phone, I survived quite harmlessly for more than 3 months (which to be honest seemed like a couple of years). I'm so amazed by how different one's life is just with the involvement tle plastic piece of awesomeness. 

It would be hard to imagine months without a phone when a single day without it leaves you completely handicapped.  But in my experience not having a phone is not all doom and gloom. You tend to be a little more relaxed and gives you an opportunity to notice stuff you wouldn't while you're glued to your phone. Not having a phone tends to make your conversations longer than the monosyllabic grunts that we give to acknowledge the presence of fellow human beings. We become so oblivious to the world around us that we wouldn't even notice a treasure chest if it was right in front of us. (There's a pun in there if you read with a little imagination) Remember the countless tales of phone engrossed people dying on the streets or on the railway tracks? Not having a phone reduces 1 threat to your life. (The half drunk style in which you cross the road could be the leading threat in that case). You also will learn is the value of being punctual. When you decide a rendezvous time and place you have to be there on time because you will have no way of letting the other party know you will be late. (Although in all likelihood they will be late themselves) You are free from the constant need to charger your phone as the dying battery shrieks for more energy to keep your Whatsapp lust lasting for those few more minutes as some poor helpless guy gets chopped repeatedly on the friends' group chat. Your lunch money doesn't need to get sacrificed on the bonus packs and top ups. The constant blare of earphones in your ears is replaced by the sounds of the city and nature all mashed into a mixture of sound that is so distinct that even David Guetta would have a hard time recreating it.

However this bed of roses too has its fair share of thorns. The amount of abuse I got just from my boss at SAMUN, Saar Rahul Jawahrani is unbelievable and with good cause too. Whenever there's a crisis people have to wait for you to meet them or call you from someone else's phone. You are left constantly on your PC trying to keep the Facebook channel of communication open in the odd chance that something urgent comes up. When the something urgent comes up it usually comes along with a "call me asap". To make that call you need to borrow your parents' phone and that opens a Pandora's box of questions. The people who need to contact you often end up asking you to buy 500 buck phones and question your every purchase other than a phone. A day after my birthday a friend of mine sees the new shoes gifted to me by other friends and goes,"These shoes are worth 700. You could have bought a phone in that much!"

All in all, I am over joyed at having a new phone but I will miss those moments of total solitude that Whatsapp just doesn't allow you. Guess that's all for today, folks! Wish me luck for my ongoing exams and pray especially that I pass Maths! Until next time, hwyl fawr!

Yours Truly,

Why I love MUNing, you ask?

Dear Readers,

I have not written for quite a while (no sir, saying good riddance was a little premature) but I'll get down to it and not mince my words. For the few know me, would also know how much I love MUNing and I have had a blast since I was appointed Director General of Saint Andrew's MUN (SA MUN) which is to be held at my own college, St. Andrew's College, Bandra. Coinciding with this appointment I was asked to write an article in the college magazine about my MUNing activities. As one very smart man once said MUN stands for "Marketing UNlimited" and so here I present an extract from the article I will be submitting for the College Magazine. Hope you enjoy it and a shout out to all my MUN buddies. Thank you for these months of awesomeness!

MUNs (Model United Nations conferences) are recreations of United Nations Committees wherein the Nations are represented by students who are the “Delegates” of their given country. You might not have heard of this but it is a global phenomenon that has caught on in our own dear India. We have global leading Universities like Harvard and Stanford and Oxford who host their own MUNs and are looked upon as the holy grail of many an MUNer (we use this term to describe a person who participates in MUNs.
To be honest, the first time I heard about an MUN was on the beloved TV sitcom “The Simpsons”. The character Lisa Simpson is depicted as participating in an MUN as Delegate of Azerbaijan and when one of my friends at Jai Hind College told me they were organizing one, I leapt at the opportunity to participate.

GLC MUN where I was (joint) youngest in committee and won Special Mention 

It all began at RCJC MUN at Jai Hind College in December last year. I went into the world of MUNs clueless and bewildered. I was Egypt in the Disarmament and International Security Council (DISEC). Well it was an embarrassment to say the least but it sparked an interest that has not dimmed since then.

No comment on the expression but this was taken at Podar Summit (I don't know why they didn't just call it Podar MUN)

That MUN was followed by 6 more bringing the total to 7. I’ve won 3 Special Mentions (MUN way of saying 3rd place) and 2 High Commendations (MUN style of denoting 2nd place) and narrowly missing out on being Best Delegate (The 1st place)  a couple of times in the process. But more than these prizes (which are appreciated since they come usually with some decent cash) this entire journey has been more than amazing!
I have learned quite a lot and grown, not just as an orator and a person of intellect but as a human being who makes an attempt to understand someone else’s point of view. I have been a delegate for a wide variety of Nations. From Egypt (twice)  to Qatar. From Qatar to United Kingdom. From UK to Russia. From Russia to India. From India to the United States of America. Every Nation has been a part of my growth. Researching for MUNs has taught me way more than what I had learnt in the years before I was introduced to it. The intellectual growth that one undergoes is tremendous and manifested in one’s speech and demeanour. It even helps in my academics. I usually take part in the ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) at MUNs and this has helped me in my Commerce stream studies quite a bit. (P.S.- I research more for MUNs than I study..)

My first outstation MUN at Nashik MUN

The Social aspects of MUNs are an added bonus and attraction. Many a shy nerdy geek has transformed into a confident speaker after a couple of MUNs. Staying in session with a bunch of people you may have never met turn into mates you cherish long after the closing ceremony of the MUN. You meet people you wouldn't have met anywhere. I have met engineering students in economic committees and BMS guys debating on Human Rights. I have seen kids from the 9th grade rubbing shoulders with Post Graduate students and giving them a run for their money!

With Namit Sharma and Paras Chedda two good friends I made at MUNs

And it isn’t all doom and gloom in MUNs either. We have “Social Nights” which are basically like after parties. Not attended many of those but I’ve heard they are crazy fun.  Why talk about after parties? Within committee we have a lot of fun keeping aside the intense discussions and deliberations. We aren't allowed to talk unless it’s our turn to speak so we have to converse via chit. And the flirting that happens through chits, Oh My Word! And the jokes and innuendos are numerous in number as well!

TCET MUN 2013

All in all it is a totalitarian solution for integrating fun into intellectual activities. I am grateful that I was fortunate enough to have grabbed the opportunity when it presented itself.

Well that was all for tonight folks. Hope I get the time to get back to this blog that I love so much. Have a great time folks and do visit The Saint Andrew's MUN website. 

Till I write again, Auf Wiedersehen!

Yours Truly,