The Pune Blogger meet 2008

Dr Roshan Radhakrishnan
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I attended the Pune blogger's meet, hosted by Indiblogger and backed by Microsoft, held this Saturday at ( Duh !! ) Pune. To be frank, I only came across it the night before when Preeti messaged me informing that such an event existed. After a lot of should I - shouldn't I, can I- can't I, I finally found the time after a busy baby-delivering night to register via my mob's gutterbrand net connection at 1 am in the morning.

For me, this was a first time. I've never attended a meeting like this ( religious cults don't count, right ? ) and I was pretty nervous. I shouldn't have been. Because once inside the Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning campus, I realised this wasn't gonna be a tie and suit affair. It was all about being yourself.

Being yourself... isn't that what blogs are all about, after all ?

After a lovely intro by Vineeth, who had taken the initiative to host the event in Pune, the Indiblogger creators ( Renee, Anoop and Anwin - the 3 hunks in the pic ) explained how the concept of Indibloggers was created and their aims and goals.
We were all then invited onstage to showcase and talk a bit on our blogs.. luckily, there were no rotten tomatoes or eggs being sold outside, so I escaped with a typically crappy explanation of my blog ( ummm.. I write better than I orate.. seriously, I do. ) But I got to know quite a few talented Pune bloggers (Prakash Dubey, Karamveer ) from their intros.. funnily enough, I've even read quite a few of their blogs earlier ( Aparajita, Rajeev Rajan ) but had never got back to them in the sea of blogging and work ( oops.. sorry guys and gals ). Karamveer had our eyes popping out with his stats ( 200 sites, February earnings from blog - $ 55k, sold hindilyrics.com last month/year for Rs18 lakh ). I'm still working out a scheme in my head on how to convince him that I could work as a full time anaesthetist for .. umm, his sites ? Hmmm... Yes, I know, I need to work on a different angle to sell myself, huh ? Maybe begging and grovelling at his feet / holding "Pick me, KV" placards outside his window would be a better idea.. that last plan depends on whether he has armed guards and dobermen inside his house or not.

I also finally met Preeti who, like her blog, is a gem of a human being and a deserved blog-celeb. Uncharacteristically shy to come onstage to talk of her blog, when she was eventually goaded on, she just had to start with "Hi, I'm amotheroftwo..." Preeti, if you could hear the "hey, that's her" / "Woah, that's her"/ "Wow"/ "cool" that pervaded the atmosphere in that room, you'd know the term "celeb-blog" fits you like a tee.

Dinner at 6pm was unlimited pizzas and Coke ( thank you Microsoft... umm, is this coming out of my next Vista Premium bill ?" ). Everyone really loosened up and chatted freely with each other... I found out there are actually people who've read my blog ( and all this time, I just thought it was me refreshing my page 23,700 times in 2 years..) But seriously everyone, I'd appreciate it if all you hunks and babes would comment when you stop by, anything, just so that I know you've been to my site.

Anyway, an impromptu skit on blogging( they gave me a no speaking part - I swear, these guys are smart ) and a demonstration of LiveWriter by Sandhya followed.
The vote of thanks, too early by far, followed and we all parted, happy to have been there, sad to leave.
Thank you Vineeth, Indiblogger team & Sandhya( Microsoft ) for this fun event, for taking the trouble, for hosting it brilliantly... and for finally giving me the chance to say this...
"I came, I saw , I got the T-shirt !!!!"

Afterlude :
This is in no way related to the above event... just something I wanted to share. I and my co-docs were having our dinner later that night ( Yes, I had dinner EVEN after mooching all that pizza.. why do you think I asked for the XL t-shirt, guys ). A new place near my hospital, it was quite fancy by my locality standards ( valet parking out here ? Woah.. we used to be lucky to have no-fly soups ). I was still high from my experience at the meet, and my co-partner was celebrating one year in Pune ( by God, I've finished one year myself.. unbelievable. To think, I thought Godyears would die with my arrival here and the workload. ) Anyway, there we were, enjoying the good life, when the phone rang. It was from the hospital. My co-doc picked it up and spoke. It was from his roommate, a paediatrician-to-be. After speaking, he cut the line and told us " That was N. He called to ask that since we were eating at a restaurant, could he have my tiffin ?"
I asked "Why, isn't one tiffin enough for him ? Where does it all go ? He's as thin as a stick insect !!"
"It isn't for him. There's a man in the paediatric ward whose child died today of heart failure. He hasn't eaten anything since 24 hours. N just wanted to give him something to eat."

Sometimes you need to follow your heart. I've spoken earlier on the need to be impersonal while being a doc, but you know what... this is the kind of person I want to be. God willing ( are you listening up there, lazybones ), some day I will be.

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40Comments

Let me know what you think.

  1. Yeh ofcourse there are readers to your blog. I came in only recently and had read some of your earlier posts. It's definitely a place where I will visit often.. So keep writing :)

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  2. oh rosh.. i missed the one in hyd cuz.. well.. i was too shy to just go there and show my face, and also cuz.. well.. i wud have had to spend some 200rs on auto to and fro (stop judging me!!)

    shud have gone!!

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  3. lovely!!now u've got additional fans...mayb i shud stop commentin...busy doc may not have time 2 read it wen flooded wid other comments....

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  4. :) thats great detail u've gone into doc! was great meeting you. for a doc, u are very very friendly! thanks for being there. I have uploaded the video incase u wish to see it and upload on ur blog.

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  5. Dhanya, as i said, It's always heartening to know that these posts are actually read. Keep coming back.

    Nags, ok, I'l leave you lightly since you told me not to judge u. You really ought to have gone.. It was fun in hyd i heard.. And i paid more for my auto too. It's the memory i guess, not the cash. Though those who were there wil vouch i made up for it with the pizzas.

    Reni, no way. If i don't have my old gang of bloggers, i'm right back at the beginning, ain't i ?

    Vinni, thanks again for the meet.. And yes, we docs can be friendly too if you can get the steths out of our ears and our hands out of your wallets!

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  6. missed it too in bangalore...din know where the venue was!!!(dumb excuse)

    ha ha...you deserve every crumb of the pizza,doc !!!!and the ending of the post is why prob we all keep coming back.if the pizza din get the scales soaring..the compliments will!!!!

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  7. great! hey next time, could u grab an additional t-shirt for me when a blog meet happens ;-)... I always make up my mind to attend one of these but always get stuck in something or the other... will add it to my dusty new-years-resoultion-list

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  8. hey dat was a real nice account!!! was one of teh back benchers... :D
    but by far a very good description!!!

    as for the last bit... guess one has to follow the heart!!!

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  9. Hey, it was great meeting you at the pune indiblogger meet. And looking forward to more meets and meet you too :). Of course, it was really fantastic of you to volunteer for the skit.

    Awesome blog too dude!

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  10. The last para completely moved me.
    Thanks for all the lovely things you have said about me here--Have mentioned it in my latest post. :-)

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  11. thanx gazal.. you really should attend it next time it hits bangalore.. its real fun..

    rejoy, dont worry, will definitely pick up an extra tshirt.. umm, thats iif the indibloggers and vineeth dont kick my ass first..

    sam, thanx man

    anwin, thanx man.. keep up the good.. nay, great work.

    ps, all that is said is deserved..

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  12. being impersonal...it must be difficult, isn't it?
    first time here ... gr8 place roshan...
    & thanx for sharing info on the meet ..

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  13. Thank god for computers (or should I think MS) otherwise only a chemist could understand what you write :)

    It feels nice to see a doctor blogging. I wanted to talk to you but never got a chance to catch up. I am sure we will meet sometime, hopefully not as a doctor and patient but as bloggers.

    Tarun

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  14. For the record, I'm one gal from Canada who visits quite often. I enjoy your writing and your perspective a lot.
    All the best!
    Magnolia.

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  15. Hey Roshan,

    Nice to know that you had a gala time !

    FYI - I open your page atleast once in two days and smile when I find a new post to read - everytime :-)

    About that God willing thingy, you are on the right track doc..keep going!

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  16. Naveen, thanks and welcome :-)

    chandel, visited your site the day after the meet. Lovely site. Definitely wil meet up someday.. And not as doc-patient.

    Magnolia, thanks for the compliments.

    Aishu, thanks. That reduces my 'refresh page' requirement ! Yeah!

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  17. Fantastic stuff man!
    Added you to one of my fav bloggers.

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  18. Hi buddy,
    Really nice review. :)

    I wish I would have met you some time back so you could be my anesthetist when I got operation for my femur, calcanium, shoulder and L3/L5 (burst compression). ha ha ha!!!

    Nice to meet you buddy.

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  19. tht sounds so damn cool ( the first part)..are bloggers indentifiable with their blogs? does this familiarity effect their blogging?...

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  20. Hey .u do u have a big fan following :)

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  21. K10, thanks man. Your site too is great.. A real tribute.

    Karamveer, ouch! You had a really rough year man. Seeing you noone would think that.

    Tysonice, nice question- seriously yes. Poets reciting their poetry, people with a good heart discussing the passion in the causes they fight for, spunky girls full of life with fun blogs.. There really is so much similarity. How does it effect their blogging.. Don't know really.

    Thanks smart phone

    ap, i know. Think It's time to start releasing the 'we love hunky Roshan' t-shirt memorabilia yet?

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  22. Heey!! This is sooo cool! I used to live in Pune ten years ago and wish I was still there so that I could attend this meet!!

    I am verrrrrrrrrry impressed!

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  23. solitaire, should have been here.. chechked ur site,... woah!! intense stories !

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  24. I always yearn for such meets here in Delhi. The thought of attending one excites me as well as give me goosebumps.

    I'm no writer. I just spill out whatever I have in my mind. And I wonder will I fit in those bunch of super, savvy and awesome writers/bloggers?

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  25. Hi...just came to ur space thru...chandni space:-)))

    Yup I just read about this meet in newspaper...never thot...that I would be raeding a post on it:-)))


    good you njoyed it:-)))

    Actually meeting people in reality is more exicting I guess:-)))

    Will visit you often...
    tk cr
    and njoy:-))

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  26. Nm, same thoughts went thru my mind.. The excitement cum fear. But it was pure fun. As for real masters of blogging..They're the minority. Personal bloggers lik us form the majority.

    Chakoli, seriously It's so much fun to be able to put a face to the blogs

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  27. lovely! won't there be one like this in Mumbai too? :(

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  28. woww that sounds like fun...
    hopefully il'l be able to make it for the next bloggers meet and il'l get to meet u wonderful ppl who ive only read yet :)

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  29. Shruti, check out the indiblogger site. If i'm not wrong, next meet is mumbai.
    Pri, would be lovely to meet you too. It's a lot of fun meetin people you read.. Makes you feel lik you're meetin a celeb.. Ha ha

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  30. wow..good to know u had agood time..its through preethi that i saw ur link ...good post..frm now on i'll be a regular.. :)

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  31. Hahah! Which site did you check? I have four open blogs. Come check

    http://shortabbreviations.blogspot.com

    Not intense at all! :)

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  32. hi buddy, came to your blog after looping from one blog to the other. but treated with a nice article abt the pune bloggers' meet. been longing to hear abt this for quite sometime. will check out the other articles soon enough

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  33. enigma, the more the merrier..

    solitaire, I was referring to realimaginations of course...

    satish bolla, always welcome mate

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  34. Hi.. dropped into ur blog from PS's blog!

    Wooow..u guys have had so much fun!nice stuff huh...

    n the last para was so touching..God bless ya docs!

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  35. hi..eeee!!!
    great read... nostalgic for me since have spent good old 13yeras in Pune...!!! U guys seemed to have great time!!
    luved the last para...especially the line sometimes you need to follow your heart!!!

    cheers
    Padma

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  36. pavi and padma, it was a lot of fun... trust me.

    as for the "God belss ya docs" bit.. well, blkess that doc.. he's the good guy.. Im gettin there ( I hope )

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  37. Are you looking for Online jobs?!!!

    Online jobs


    U can do this online jobs from ur home or from office and u can do this from cybercafe(browsing centre) also ................

    in this job there is no limited earnings(salary), from this job u can earn unlimited because this gives the commisions for ur work......
    ican challenge you that u can earn 1000$-2500$ for a week by spending one hour time/day.the earnings may increase with increase in ur time in this job .....

    definitely u will earn more than the other ways......................


    Forum online jobs

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  38. :( i dont even know how old the post is... the only thing that stayed with me was the tiffin box part. and i think u did injustice to that part by including in the same post (that too at the fag end!) i m not being judgemental but just opining... :(

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  39. you're right, Jinu.. back then it was a spur of the moment thing.. two incidents that happened on the same day at a time when i was planning to write on the blogger meet... in hindsight, it deserved a stand alone post.

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  40. Hi.. dropped into ur blog from PS's blog!

    Wooow..u guys have had so much fun!nice stuff huh...

    n the last para was so touching..God bless ya docs!

    ReplyDelete
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