Feeling the Need for Speed

The latest craze on the campus is need for speed 5. A game that allows upto 8 racers to race on a LAN and pit their skills against each other. As usual it has more appeal than a class discussing the nuances of the financial instruments. A few tips for new racers. This is a highly specialised area and this post is not for people who are blissfully unaware of this piece of software.

1. Familiarise yourself with the ins and outs of a track. Common mistakes that can occur. Keep special track of the turns that lead to overturning. :)

2. Try to keep to the centre of the track and exercise restraint when overtaking at the corners.

3. Dont blindly follow the guy in front. More often than not he makes a mistake and you follow in his step.

4. Do not accelerate through the turns, unless the turns have a large turning radius or have a banking. If damage is on, then this could lead to a damaged car. Problems are bound to follow.

5. Do not look at the rear view mirror or the standings regularly. At least not until you have really mastered the game.

6. If you have an accident, the sooner you restart the better. Keep the finger on the accelerator for an instant start.

7. For very sharp turns use the handbrake (space bar). However this requires a lot of practice and decreases the speed quite a lot. Chances are there that the car will swing out control. Use of the normal brake is advised for slightly difficult turns.

8. Try and have a race with the minimum number of restarts, that will automatically lead to a good position. Most people, even the winner will make at least one mistake.

There could be a lot more tips. Just a few for the rank amateurs. Needless to say, even I am learning the tricks of the trade.

Out of Breath

It is 4 o'clock in the morning, speakers are blasting away lounge music, have 3 more chapters to finish before tomorrow's test. Chances look bleak. And yet I am up writing my blog.

The seniors are in the proess of leaving the campus after finishing their course. Thats it, they are done. They have completed their MBA. Done with it. Standing here it still feels like there are a million miles to go before I finish my MBA. Looks like it has only just begun. I am reliving an old feeling. As a young lad, I used to take swimming lessons. And when I was asked to try and swim the length of the pool, more often than not I would get out of breath in the middle. The edge of the pool would seem a kilometer away. And soon enough the body would give up and I would sink to the depths. Survival Instincts would kick in after swallowing a mouthful of chlorine water. Gasping and out of breath, I would make a beeline for the nearest edge. And then hold on for dear life. Confidence busted, it would take almost 5 minutes for me to garner enough courage to restart my attempt.

I can easily draw a parallel here. Except that both the final destination and the easy way out look like a distant target. Hope to get to end of this term without running out of breath. Hope to. I maybe already out of breath. It is going to be a struggle. Hoping those survival instincts kick in and I am rescued by a last burst of adrenalin.

Sometimes, I wonder what it would take to get into a job like the one Ian Wright has. He is the traveller photograher of "Lonely Planet", a travel show aired on discovery channel. I rather juggle a camera and visit the most exotic places rather than work on a PC for a living. But looks like I am destined for the later. Maybe someday I will apply to Discovery Channel for a job. As of now, they dont come to the campus for placements. A little piece of fantasy?