EY 27

Perhaps the strongest emotion of EY27 was pain, closely followed by anger. The year ended on a angry and bitter note, but I'm to say that the rancour has passed, and the anger has already been channeled into more productive pursuits.

The pain, of course, came from the preparation and the riding of the Brevets. This was brevet year, and like I noted, I'm not going to be a Super Randonneur this year, but it was a great experience preparing for each of the rides. There were so many firsts, my first interstate ride, my first ride in the night, my first ride back with a busted bicycle, that the neophile inside me would have been sated beyond measure. Cycling continues to maintain my sanity, and though I have little time for it these days, I try to ride atleast once every week.

It wasn't all about bicycles, though. This year marked the debut of the "Black Chair Quiz", an idea hatched while staring at the stars at Ranebennur on a bus back home. I'd always wanted to conduct a quiz that mimicked Mastermind, and the BCQ was it. Perhaps the most singular thing about this three-month long event was that it involved so much work (over 240 questions, 120 of them on specialized subjects) that it was simply beyond my abilities to take it to completion. The half-a-dozen or so volunteers that ended up setting the questions did a fantastic job. First time I've ever worked with a team to bring an idea to fruition.

For a repeat, another team ended up doing the Race of Truth, a individual bicycle time trial on campus, perhaps the first time ever on any campus in India. Sadly, though, it might not happen again.

Today also marks the culmination of five years at the Institute, and co-incidentally, also about five years of blogging. I think it is about time that I left.