Purpose of the title was just to catch attention. This is not about any big mistakes which affected my life, but three blunders happened in my college life in fact all related to CSI computer exhibition which I mentioned in another blog before.
The Not so bad :
This was on the last day of our 1998 exhibition at Mahatma Mandiram in Kannur. Since there were lot of computers and other accessories in the venue some of the organizers stayed at the venue for security and I was among the few who were supposed to come early in the morning so that those staying overnight can go home. In the hurry to reach as early as possible, I forgot to ask for cash from my father. I had some money with me, sufficient enough to last a normal day. Problem was I never realized I had limited cash with me. So I had a good lunch and then I was left with only a few rupees, around 5. I just needed less than Rs 2 to reach home on a normal day. In Kerala, student concession applies from 7 AM to 7 PM. Exhibition stalls were closed by evening around 5:30 or so, but it was well after 6:30 when we left the place. When I reached the bus stand it had crossed 6:50 and I did not have enough money to pay for the full fare and I realized the fact only then. There was no bus in the bus stand about to leave towards my place. Also there was none of my friends around from whom I could borrow. Going back to exhibition venue also would not have helped as everyone had left by then. I did not know what to do, but luckily a bus came at that time which was to leave just after 7:00 PM. I had travelled by the same bus once or twice before and they had accepted the concession. It was the same conductor this time also and I was saved.
The Bad :
This happened in our second exhibition in 1999. Event was bigger this time with more participants, bigger stalls, more advertisements and bigger venue. We were doing it in Kannur Town hall this time . I was the secretary of the CSI college unit at that time. It was on first day of the event when some of the companies were still setting up the stalls. A few of our batch mates were cleaning up the place and they could not find a place to put the thrash and they came to me asking. We looked around together for dust bins but could not find any. Then we moved to the side of the building and saw some old banners and advertisement boards and some "trash looking stuffs" lying there. Seeing that all of us concluded it is definitely a trash place and we put all the trash we had there and came back.
About 15 minutes later someone came asking for the organizers of the event. I went to him standing tall (as much as I can) and head high in pride and asked how could I help him. He started shouting saying "some guys from my team" has put trash in front of their office. I followed him with another guy, who was not originally part of "the team", to the place and he pointed to the place where we had put the thrash and asked me. "Can anyone think this as a place to put waste? This is right in front of our office". "Definitely not" I said.
and the Ugly :
Back to the first edition of exhibition. There were two batches senior to us still in college. They were doing all the important things of marketing, arranging venue, getting the press to cover the event etc. They also covered most of the establishments in Kannur. Our batch was supposed to cover 2-3 shops in nearby smaller town Thalassery. Three of us were in one of the computer institutes trying to convince the owner that participating in the exhibition will benefit him. He was not convinced and had his reasons not to spend money and effort on an exhibition happening in a different city. We had run out of the points our seniors had given us while going. All of us were trying their on sales skills and suddenly I got a brilliant a new idea and said. "Look at your classroom, there are so many empty seats and machines. Participating in our exhibition can help you fill it all up" ! Our prospective customer stared at me for some time. My friends looked at me with their expression asking are we here to sell something or to tell him his shortcomings.
No point in guessing if that institute joined the exhibition or not. On our way to next destination, one of the other two guys remarked. "We did our best" !
The Not so bad :
This was on the last day of our 1998 exhibition at Mahatma Mandiram in Kannur. Since there were lot of computers and other accessories in the venue some of the organizers stayed at the venue for security and I was among the few who were supposed to come early in the morning so that those staying overnight can go home. In the hurry to reach as early as possible, I forgot to ask for cash from my father. I had some money with me, sufficient enough to last a normal day. Problem was I never realized I had limited cash with me. So I had a good lunch and then I was left with only a few rupees, around 5. I just needed less than Rs 2 to reach home on a normal day. In Kerala, student concession applies from 7 AM to 7 PM. Exhibition stalls were closed by evening around 5:30 or so, but it was well after 6:30 when we left the place. When I reached the bus stand it had crossed 6:50 and I did not have enough money to pay for the full fare and I realized the fact only then. There was no bus in the bus stand about to leave towards my place. Also there was none of my friends around from whom I could borrow. Going back to exhibition venue also would not have helped as everyone had left by then. I did not know what to do, but luckily a bus came at that time which was to leave just after 7:00 PM. I had travelled by the same bus once or twice before and they had accepted the concession. It was the same conductor this time also and I was saved.
The Bad :
This happened in our second exhibition in 1999. Event was bigger this time with more participants, bigger stalls, more advertisements and bigger venue. We were doing it in Kannur Town hall this time . I was the secretary of the CSI college unit at that time. It was on first day of the event when some of the companies were still setting up the stalls. A few of our batch mates were cleaning up the place and they could not find a place to put the thrash and they came to me asking. We looked around together for dust bins but could not find any. Then we moved to the side of the building and saw some old banners and advertisement boards and some "trash looking stuffs" lying there. Seeing that all of us concluded it is definitely a trash place and we put all the trash we had there and came back.
About 15 minutes later someone came asking for the organizers of the event. I went to him standing tall (as much as I can) and head high in pride and asked how could I help him. He started shouting saying "some guys from my team" has put trash in front of their office. I followed him with another guy, who was not originally part of "the team", to the place and he pointed to the place where we had put the thrash and asked me. "Can anyone think this as a place to put waste? This is right in front of our office". "Definitely not" I said.
and the Ugly :
Back to the first edition of exhibition. There were two batches senior to us still in college. They were doing all the important things of marketing, arranging venue, getting the press to cover the event etc. They also covered most of the establishments in Kannur. Our batch was supposed to cover 2-3 shops in nearby smaller town Thalassery. Three of us were in one of the computer institutes trying to convince the owner that participating in the exhibition will benefit him. He was not convinced and had his reasons not to spend money and effort on an exhibition happening in a different city. We had run out of the points our seniors had given us while going. All of us were trying their on sales skills and suddenly I got a brilliant a new idea and said. "Look at your classroom, there are so many empty seats and machines. Participating in our exhibition can help you fill it all up" ! Our prospective customer stared at me for some time. My friends looked at me with their expression asking are we here to sell something or to tell him his shortcomings.
No point in guessing if that institute joined the exhibition or not. On our way to next destination, one of the other two guys remarked. "We did our best" !
