One of the cities that I always loved, right from my childhood, was Bombay. My visits to Bombay were usually during the summer hols or Diwali, when our whole family (consisting of abt 11 adults and 7 children) got together and had loads n loads of fun. The fun we had there was usually supplemented by the train journey. The train journey was a whole experience in itself. And jus FYI, for the journey from Madras to Bombay, I preferred the Chennai Express over the Dadar Express, for no reason whatsoever :|
The around-24-hour-long train journey contained a lot of memorable moments, with Mani & me fighting it out desperately to establish our superiority by obtaining "prasiddhi". A small detour. Mani & me had this quite funny game. Whenever the train stops at some station, the person who sets foot first in that station has obtained the "prasiddhi" of being the first there. And this continues till the train reaches Kalyan or Dadar, as the case may be. Whenever the train approaches a station, we both stand near the door, waiting to jump down and score a point. And apart from this, we also had the ubiquitous 'train game' i.e., playing cards [:)]
It was not until the final year of college did I first realise that I really loved the city. I was there for a couple of months for my engineering project. We (Gobi, Antony & Me) had a really great time, staying at Shri Kutir in Dombivli. Though I had been to Bombay many many times as a kid, I saw the city in a totally new perspective now. Oh yeah!! The city was brimming with females of my age!! [;)] The daily trek (read ordeal) i.e., the journey by the much-hyped, over-crowded "Locals" of Bombay was an absolute adventure. You had to be on 'Red Alert' all the time to save your purse, cellphone or any other belonging from being pinched.
And one incident that stands out during those two months was the 'date'. Incidentally, I got the date all because of Deeps!! I bet she still regrets why she ever did that!![;)] Anyways, things moved on and the 'date' finally got married (of course, to someone else :P), much to the relief of Deeps!![:)]
My 3-day trip to Mumbai last weekend made me come back to the city after a hiatus of 2 years. This time I stayed @ Andheri. Bombay was even more splendid, keeping me awe-struck in its grandeur. Fly-overs crisscrossed throughout the city and newer, taller buildings were being built everywhere. After all, you cant keep Bombay quiet when India is growing rapidly!! But sticking out like a sore thumb, was the city's road traffic. I had always travelled by the suburban trains and hadnt travelled extensively by road within Bombay. This time, most of my travel was by road, which exposed the congested traffic!!
The number of malls and theatre complexes seem to have increased at a rate faster than the Indian population!! Every road has a shopping mall with its attached theatre complex, with abt 4 screens, showing about 6 movies!! I watched 2 movies in the 3 days I was there. For the outdoorsy types, which includes me, Bombay has all the ingredients to keep you busy forever!!! And one of the main criterion, a beach, is also present (in addition to the abundant availability of the other two criteria - booze & babes!!)
With the location of my summer internship still not decided between Bombay & Singapore, I would prefer Singapore, though I would not be having any regrets if I am posted in Bombay!! So get ready Bombay, to welcome me with open arms!!!
P.S: As you would have noticed throughout this post, I prefer to call the city by its old name "Bombay" than "Mumbai", again, for no reason whatsoever!![:)]
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Plight of a "Tam" guy in WIMWI
As you all know, WIMWI is the toughest B-school to get into, in Asia-Pacific (and as some might argue, even all over the world). Such a brand image attracts participants from every corner of India and Tamil Nadu is no exception. With a lot of coaching centres setting up shop in every nook and corner of Chennai, and the other Tier-II cities, the average CAT aspirant has an increased chance of making it to the hallowed portals of IIM-A (though the contribution from the coaching centre's part is absolutely negligible, in my opinion).
Students slog it out, day and night and clear CAT. And those who manage to keep their heads up, make it thru the GD & PI. And when the "Tam" (Tam - Tamil or Tamilian, depending on the context) guy does make it to IIM-Acads, he is not alone. Last year, about 40 ppl made it here. This time the figure is around 35. So, with about 15% of the total population, Tams are the largest ethnic community in WIMWI. And there is a separate informal 'association' (if I may call it that), named "WTF". No. Its not "What the f**k?". It stands for "WIMWI Tamil Fraternity". :)
Basically, there are two kinds of Tams. True Tams and Fraud Tams. Fraud Tams are the ones, who have never lived in TN, but speak Tam and are Tams by birth. And there is one more classification of Tams, based on their fluency in Hindi. Many of them have no clue (except the famous Hindi movie names), while the others are quite proficient in conversing in Hindi. But nothing to worry. The former group would not have too much of a trouble communicating with people, since everyone speaks English, and that you are not required to know much of Hindi, to survive outside the campus, since you rarely go out alone (if at all, you get the time!!).
Almost all the Gults (i.e, the Gultis) are quite fluent in Hindi. So when people converse within the campus, they almost always speak only in Hindi (except of course, when you need to put a CP in the class!!). So the Tam guy, with no clue about Hindi, would be reduced to a silent listener, gaping open-mouthed, trying to comprehend what is being communicated. And most of the Mallus also go through the same ordeal as these Tams. Only a handful of Mallus know Hindi here. Believe me, I have seen some people, who just act as if they understand whats going on, only to be humiliated by me, when I ask them to repeat what was just said!!! ;)
I was saved from all this, since I can understand Hindi quite well and somehow I can put forward my point to the other party. People say I have become quite proficient in Hindi now, though I still prefer to converse in English. I have started experimenting with Hindi lately, and hope to get better and better!!! Agar tujko ye samajh mein nahin aa raha hai, tho, tu zaroor Tam hi hai!!
And yeah, I have updated my Hindi vocabulary with all the expletives!!! ;)
Students slog it out, day and night and clear CAT. And those who manage to keep their heads up, make it thru the GD & PI. And when the "Tam" (Tam - Tamil or Tamilian, depending on the context) guy does make it to IIM-Acads, he is not alone. Last year, about 40 ppl made it here. This time the figure is around 35. So, with about 15% of the total population, Tams are the largest ethnic community in WIMWI. And there is a separate informal 'association' (if I may call it that), named "WTF". No. Its not "What the f**k?". It stands for "WIMWI Tamil Fraternity". :)
Basically, there are two kinds of Tams. True Tams and Fraud Tams. Fraud Tams are the ones, who have never lived in TN, but speak Tam and are Tams by birth. And there is one more classification of Tams, based on their fluency in Hindi. Many of them have no clue (except the famous Hindi movie names), while the others are quite proficient in conversing in Hindi. But nothing to worry. The former group would not have too much of a trouble communicating with people, since everyone speaks English, and that you are not required to know much of Hindi, to survive outside the campus, since you rarely go out alone (if at all, you get the time!!).
Almost all the Gults (i.e, the Gultis) are quite fluent in Hindi. So when people converse within the campus, they almost always speak only in Hindi (except of course, when you need to put a CP in the class!!). So the Tam guy, with no clue about Hindi, would be reduced to a silent listener, gaping open-mouthed, trying to comprehend what is being communicated. And most of the Mallus also go through the same ordeal as these Tams. Only a handful of Mallus know Hindi here. Believe me, I have seen some people, who just act as if they understand whats going on, only to be humiliated by me, when I ask them to repeat what was just said!!! ;)
I was saved from all this, since I can understand Hindi quite well and somehow I can put forward my point to the other party. People say I have become quite proficient in Hindi now, though I still prefer to converse in English. I have started experimenting with Hindi lately, and hope to get better and better!!! Agar tujko ye samajh mein nahin aa raha hai, tho, tu zaroor Tam hi hai!!
And yeah, I have updated my Hindi vocabulary with all the expletives!!! ;)
Sunday, September 16, 2007
1st Term @ IIM-A
I apologise to all my faithful readers for keeping this blog very silent all these days, err...months!! Life @ IIMA has been going at an unimaginable speed that I hardly have time even for a wink. This, from a person who used to sleep a minimum of 12 hours during college days!! Well, gone are those days when you have something called 'free time'. I doubt if I will get to see it before my retirement.
But all said and done, IIMA is really THE place!! It rocks big-time!! The academic rigour might try wearing you down with a minimum of 100 pages of cases and readings everyday. But there is a wholly different 'other-side' of IIMA, which takes you on a once-in-a-lifetime fun ride.
D1330 - My address @ WIMWI. UnDaA - My Identity. ClaC - My Section
We were given the "best-ever opening ceremony" that lasted a whole week!! Due to insti-loyalty, I cant reveal much about it to my readers. My Dorm Tuchchas gave us Pizza treats and there was a rampty party (read disco) arranged for us. We learnt our Dorm Tempo Shouts (Tempo shouts - Slogans praising our group [dorm,class etc] and making derogatory remarks about the other groups). Shortly, the dorm-naming ceremony was held and yours truly got rechristened as 'Undaa'!! The naming process and meaning will again lie a secret due to insti-loyalty. Dont get mad at me!! IIMA has lots and lots of such cultures, which is very unique and specific, that the legacy is not to be revealed!!
The four sections (ArbitRaj,Beagles,Clac & Dhinchak) in PGP-I fought hard for the first sports event - the Inter-Section Cricket Tournament. B (beat A) and C (beat D) met in the Finals. ClaC romped home to a comfortable victory (Undaa took 2 & 3 wickets in the 2 matches).
All this amidst a tough academic course, which required a person to stay awake till atleast 4am. Though it looks as if people would be having the toughest time of their lives, I really had a nice time with this kind of rigor. The half-prepared OM cases, looking for some kind of insight into the HR cases, the clueless MANAC, the sleepy Economics classes, high-energy QM classes etc etc. Every bit of it was fun, in a way!! After all, it all depends on our perspective. There is no point cribbing about having to read so much, when you have no other choice. I would rather not look at it as rigorous, but just that the learning curve is a little steep. Life becomes much more easier if you have this mindset.
The Mid-Term examinations came in no time. I fared quite well in some subjects and quite badly in some others. But more than the mid-terms, everyone was looking forward to the inter-section cultural war called "TNite". It starts from the day after mid-terms and continues for 4 continuous nights (and days). TNite is one of the most important phases in the life of a fachcha. He/She gets to know every other person in the class during this time. The whole section bonds together like a gel and continues that way thereafter.
The name ClaC was chosen for our class just before TNite. And as we hoped, TNite was WON by ClaC!! Undaa danced for 'Andangakka Kondakaari' from Anniyan (in a group of 6), sang 'Anjaane' by Strings and 'Du Hast' by Rammstein. The TNite Photos can be viewed by clicking here.
The academic rigour was even more stressful during post-midterm. MANAC went over the head. OM was mostly arbit. I started accumulating backlogs in Economics. Life seemed really tough. But still, I was able to keep my head above the water. End-terms approached much faster. The exams loomed large in front of me, while the prospect of going back home and seeing Deepu was topmost in my mind. The exams were better than midterms (I hope!!). The exams just raced past me, 2 in a day!! And the much-needed, much-deserved holiday of 5 days raced past even faster!!
I am back @ IIM-A, setting foot into 2nd term now. The acads is a given now. No one seems to worry about the rigor anymore. But there is something else thats looming large in front of me now. The Summer Placements. I hope I can get into a good-enough company for my summers. Wish me luck, readers!!
I will definitely try writing more often in future!! I promise!! :)
But all said and done, IIMA is really THE place!! It rocks big-time!! The academic rigour might try wearing you down with a minimum of 100 pages of cases and readings everyday. But there is a wholly different 'other-side' of IIMA, which takes you on a once-in-a-lifetime fun ride.
D1330 - My address @ WIMWI. UnDaA - My Identity. ClaC - My Section
We were given the "best-ever opening ceremony" that lasted a whole week!! Due to insti-loyalty, I cant reveal much about it to my readers. My Dorm Tuchchas gave us Pizza treats and there was a rampty party (read disco) arranged for us. We learnt our Dorm Tempo Shouts (Tempo shouts - Slogans praising our group [dorm,class etc] and making derogatory remarks about the other groups). Shortly, the dorm-naming ceremony was held and yours truly got rechristened as 'Undaa'!! The naming process and meaning will again lie a secret due to insti-loyalty. Dont get mad at me!! IIMA has lots and lots of such cultures, which is very unique and specific, that the legacy is not to be revealed!!
The four sections (ArbitRaj,Beagles,Clac & Dhinchak) in PGP-I fought hard for the first sports event - the Inter-Section Cricket Tournament. B (beat A) and C (beat D) met in the Finals. ClaC romped home to a comfortable victory (Undaa took 2 & 3 wickets in the 2 matches).
All this amidst a tough academic course, which required a person to stay awake till atleast 4am. Though it looks as if people would be having the toughest time of their lives, I really had a nice time with this kind of rigor. The half-prepared OM cases, looking for some kind of insight into the HR cases, the clueless MANAC, the sleepy Economics classes, high-energy QM classes etc etc. Every bit of it was fun, in a way!! After all, it all depends on our perspective. There is no point cribbing about having to read so much, when you have no other choice. I would rather not look at it as rigorous, but just that the learning curve is a little steep. Life becomes much more easier if you have this mindset.
The Mid-Term examinations came in no time. I fared quite well in some subjects and quite badly in some others. But more than the mid-terms, everyone was looking forward to the inter-section cultural war called "TNite". It starts from the day after mid-terms and continues for 4 continuous nights (and days). TNite is one of the most important phases in the life of a fachcha. He/She gets to know every other person in the class during this time. The whole section bonds together like a gel and continues that way thereafter.
The name ClaC was chosen for our class just before TNite. And as we hoped, TNite was WON by ClaC!! Undaa danced for 'Andangakka Kondakaari' from Anniyan (in a group of 6), sang 'Anjaane' by Strings and 'Du Hast' by Rammstein. The TNite Photos can be viewed by clicking here.
The academic rigour was even more stressful during post-midterm. MANAC went over the head. OM was mostly arbit. I started accumulating backlogs in Economics. Life seemed really tough. But still, I was able to keep my head above the water. End-terms approached much faster. The exams loomed large in front of me, while the prospect of going back home and seeing Deepu was topmost in my mind. The exams were better than midterms (I hope!!). The exams just raced past me, 2 in a day!! And the much-needed, much-deserved holiday of 5 days raced past even faster!!
I am back @ IIM-A, setting foot into 2nd term now. The acads is a given now. No one seems to worry about the rigor anymore. But there is something else thats looming large in front of me now. The Summer Placements. I hope I can get into a good-enough company for my summers. Wish me luck, readers!!
I will definitely try writing more often in future!! I promise!! :)
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Off to Ahmedabad!!
The flight to Ahmedabad departs tomorrow at 09:35 Hrs from Chennai. All my bags are packed. All the items in the checklist have been ticked. The tough but exhilarating life ahead @ WIMWI beckons me. (For the uninitiated, WIMWI is an acronym for Well-known Institute of Management in Western India.)
After an endless wait, the time has finally arrived for me to say goodbye to Chennai (at least for the foreseeable future), a city I really love. Ahmedabad doesn't seem to be the ideal alternative. But given that I am going to IIM-Ahmedabad, I can salvage some pride. I know that my blog posts have been trickled down to a few spurious posts, occasionally. And I also do not know, if I can make it better in the near future. But still I will try, at best, to keep my online existence as much as I can.
One thing you would notice right away, if you open my bags, is that I am carrying a lot of sports goods (my baseball & glove, Flight control Joystick, TT bat, Tennis raquet) with a rather far-fetched dream of using them regularly. The only difference will be that instead of me using them, it will be the tuchchas who will utilize it to the maximum. (again for the uninitiated, Tuchchas - PGP 2nd yr students & Fachchas - PGP 1st yr students).
The sign ahead of me shouts "Tough Life Ahead". I neither ignore it, nor brood over it. Let me do my best. It all depends on how you wish to lead your life. I guess I am getting too philosophical. It must be the sleepiness that has crept over me.
My next post will be from Ahmedabad, my city for the next 2 yrs. Will share more and more of my experiences. See ya all there!!! Bye!!!
P.S: I was really happy to know that there IS someone who is really looking forward to new posts in my blog. Felt truly elated. Dint know ppl were actually waiting to read this crap. Anyway, do keep waiting for more posts!!! (See, i dint say wen i wud post it) ;-)
After an endless wait, the time has finally arrived for me to say goodbye to Chennai (at least for the foreseeable future), a city I really love. Ahmedabad doesn't seem to be the ideal alternative. But given that I am going to IIM-Ahmedabad, I can salvage some pride. I know that my blog posts have been trickled down to a few spurious posts, occasionally. And I also do not know, if I can make it better in the near future. But still I will try, at best, to keep my online existence as much as I can.
One thing you would notice right away, if you open my bags, is that I am carrying a lot of sports goods (my baseball & glove, Flight control Joystick, TT bat, Tennis raquet) with a rather far-fetched dream of using them regularly. The only difference will be that instead of me using them, it will be the tuchchas who will utilize it to the maximum. (again for the uninitiated, Tuchchas - PGP 2nd yr students & Fachchas - PGP 1st yr students).
The sign ahead of me shouts "Tough Life Ahead". I neither ignore it, nor brood over it. Let me do my best. It all depends on how you wish to lead your life. I guess I am getting too philosophical. It must be the sleepiness that has crept over me.
My next post will be from Ahmedabad, my city for the next 2 yrs. Will share more and more of my experiences. See ya all there!!! Bye!!!
P.S: I was really happy to know that there IS someone who is really looking forward to new posts in my blog. Felt truly elated. Dint know ppl were actually waiting to read this crap. Anyway, do keep waiting for more posts!!! (See, i dint say wen i wud post it) ;-)
Monday, May 28, 2007
I am still alive!!!
First of all, I owe an apology to all my readers for keeping this blog in abeyance and not posting anything for the past 1 month. But I guess the reason is good enough to talk you out of throwing ur choicest epithets at me!! Let me elucidate the happenings in order.
Firstly, once the IIM results were out, I initiated my resignation from Wipro. And my image of Wipro has never been the same again. Ever since I joined Wipro in August '05, I regarded the company very highly for all its quality processes, the freedom it gave the employees, good recognition of talent with a linked compensation etc etc. But since the day I came to know for sure that I will be leaving this place, all I see are its shortcomings.
And then the news came around the 5th of May. While I was trying to book flight tickets to Ahmedabad for Appa, Amma, Myself and 'She', she was booked on another flight to Chicago, due to depart in another 20 days. We both felt the ill-luck. While we planned that she would send me off to Ahd, it so happened that I needed to send her off to the US first. We fought against time to spend time with each other, relishing every moment spent together. We left no road in Chennai, unvisited.
Her shopping list was prepared and the items started accumulating as we delved deep in the shopping spree. No shopping mall was left alone, and no sales assistant was spared. We ransacked all the outlets to buy her wonderful formal dresses and cool casual tshirts.
And between all this, I still had to go to office. I need to do that till June 8th, after which I will be unemployed for the next 2 years (assuming that I will land up in a job, once I complete my course @ IIMA).
Also, I gave treats to my family members and friends, separately. Both the occasions were well-attended and were fun-filled. There was also a Bhajan at 'her' house, on my behalf, since their prayers that I get admission in IIMA came true.
And finally, she was all set to leave to the US last Saturday, after I spent 2 days packing all her belongings. The separation, though for 3 months at the least, proves to be very disturbing. If you have managed to read thus far, wading through all the crap this post contains, you would have found a stark contrast in the writing style and attitude, which was a trademark in the previous posts.
Though they say, separation makes the heart yearn for more, it also makes one feel bitterly lonely. To change the topic, a meet for all IIMA fachchas and tuchchas from Chennai has been planned on June 8th in Besant Nagar. (For the uninitiated, fachchas = 1st year students & tuchchas = 2nd year students, as per IIM-A lingo). Hoping to meet some of my fellow batchmates there.
And mark my words, my next post will be out very soon... :)
Firstly, once the IIM results were out, I initiated my resignation from Wipro. And my image of Wipro has never been the same again. Ever since I joined Wipro in August '05, I regarded the company very highly for all its quality processes, the freedom it gave the employees, good recognition of talent with a linked compensation etc etc. But since the day I came to know for sure that I will be leaving this place, all I see are its shortcomings.
And then the news came around the 5th of May. While I was trying to book flight tickets to Ahmedabad for Appa, Amma, Myself and 'She', she was booked on another flight to Chicago, due to depart in another 20 days. We both felt the ill-luck. While we planned that she would send me off to Ahd, it so happened that I needed to send her off to the US first. We fought against time to spend time with each other, relishing every moment spent together. We left no road in Chennai, unvisited.
Her shopping list was prepared and the items started accumulating as we delved deep in the shopping spree. No shopping mall was left alone, and no sales assistant was spared. We ransacked all the outlets to buy her wonderful formal dresses and cool casual tshirts.
And between all this, I still had to go to office. I need to do that till June 8th, after which I will be unemployed for the next 2 years (assuming that I will land up in a job, once I complete my course @ IIMA).
Also, I gave treats to my family members and friends, separately. Both the occasions were well-attended and were fun-filled. There was also a Bhajan at 'her' house, on my behalf, since their prayers that I get admission in IIMA came true.
And finally, she was all set to leave to the US last Saturday, after I spent 2 days packing all her belongings. The separation, though for 3 months at the least, proves to be very disturbing. If you have managed to read thus far, wading through all the crap this post contains, you would have found a stark contrast in the writing style and attitude, which was a trademark in the previous posts.
Though they say, separation makes the heart yearn for more, it also makes one feel bitterly lonely. To change the topic, a meet for all IIMA fachchas and tuchchas from Chennai has been planned on June 8th in Besant Nagar. (For the uninitiated, fachchas = 1st year students & tuchchas = 2nd year students, as per IIM-A lingo). Hoping to meet some of my fellow batchmates there.
And mark my words, my next post will be out very soon... :)
Friday, April 27, 2007
Time for sheer exhilaration!!
There are times in our lives which, we feel, should remain frozen, etched in our hearts and minds forever. Today was one such very special day, causing untold happiness and satisfaction to myself and everyone else around me.
The day started when I woke up from my middle-berth no 5, coach S11, KanyaKumari Express at 0600 Hrs, with my bladder parting at the seams, trying to break free. I obliged immediately to take the call from nature and could not put myself back to sleep. I was coming back from Tirunelveli, after attending a friend's marriage. (I am indebted to write a separate post on the entire trip, with the kind of fun we had for 2 days. But since a lot more happened today, I will save that for another day.)
I got a phone call at 0610 Hrs informing me that the IIM results will be annuonced by today morning, after 1000 Hrs. Myself and 'she' got down at Chennai Egmore and went straight to Anna Nagar. After dropping her there and gulping down a nice filter-coffee-OR-Bru, went home. I waited impatiently for the clock to strike 1000 Hrs, but started hitting the IIM sites well before that. Cometh the hour, but cometh not the results. :-(
I called up IIM-A, only to find that the HRD Ministry had not yet sent an official communication to the IIMs to release the admission list. I was infuriated. The HRD Ministry had already done enough to keep the students' fate in abeyance. And after announcing to the press that the results can be published, they have the audacity to remain incommunicative. I was frustrated with the way these people played ping-pong with the students' lives.
And at around 1400 Hrs, 'she' informed me that the HRD Ministry had just sent the fax to all six IIMs, allowing them to release the list of selected candidates. She called them 5 times, to get this information. But I was already off to her place and was on the way. She called me up again at 1405 Hrs to inform that IIM-C had decided against offering me admission. I felt a little sick, given that the IIM-C GD&PI were the best ones I had. I felt scared about my fate with IIM-A. Not that the GD&PI were bad, but just that they were not as cool as IIM-C.
I returned back home, a little jittery. I confirmed my IIM-C reject, and waited for the others to publish their results. The wait was very annoying, and adding fuel to the fire was the 'IIMC Results Out' thread in pagalguy.com, where every selected candidate was broadcasting with messages like 'I got thru','I am IN', etc etc with funny smileys. I did not know when I fell asleep. 'She' called me up at around 1500 Hrs and informed me that I got into IIM-I. I was a little relieved, because of the fact that I can proudly submit my resignation letter at my workplace, avoiding the no-IIM-admission-continue-work situation. (Note: 'She' had been faithfully checking all the 5 IIM websites for the results, since morning.)
By around 1530 Hrs, the IIM-L result was OUT and I was IN. I was a little more relieved, but not jubilant at all. I had hoped to make it to A or C. Meanwhile, as expected, IIM-K rejected me from even getting near their campus, after my dismal performance in the interview. That left only IIM-A and IIM-B (which I was not concerned about) to publish their results. I was frustrated. The IIM-A website was behaving oddly, going down often and coming back with no updates. I was in a foul mood. So I dozed off again.
I was woken up by her call, and I cut it religiously, opting to call her back, as is the custom. But she was adamant. I kept cutting her call, trying to call her back, but in vain. The landline sprang to life suddenly, making me jump in my chair. I mumbled a feeble 'Hullo' into the receiver. It was her father, from his office, in a high-pitched, excited voice. "Congratulations!!!!" "Thank you!!(thinking it was for the L&I admit)" "You getting into IIM-A was really an expected one" "What???IIM-A result is OUT??And I am IN???(suddenly becoming alert)" "Yes!!Dint you know??(what kind of a person is he?will my daughter be happy with him?)" "No!!I dint know!!Oh wow!!I am sssoooo happy!!" etc etc. And then I called her up, she shared the great news with me. We both were flying (or atleast feeling like it!!).
My happiness knew no bounds!! I felt the feeling of the previous sentence, in its whole purest form. I was over-joyed and other-words-which-I-am-not-able-to-find-in-my-vocabulary. The journey has been confirmed. This itself had taken loads of efforts and hard work put in by her to make me come this far. I wonder how the journey will be. I wouldn't have to wait for more than 2 months to get an answer.
I called up my friends and relatives to share this moment of happiness and for those whom I missed, I do it through this blog. I have made my parents, my brother, her parents and my friends feel very proud. And as my Mom rightly put it, " 'She' was the sole reason for this achievement of mine. What I am today, is mainly because of her". I cannot imagine what I would have done without her. Thank you sweetie!!
I am eagerly looking forward to my 2-year sojourn at IIM-A, however hard the curriculum tries to hit me!! I will keep my readers updated on the joining procedures as and when I encounter them. And for the time being, I am looking forward to a peaceful slumber, and waking up to find that my admission into IIM-A is, indeed, true.
The day started when I woke up from my middle-berth no 5, coach S11, KanyaKumari Express at 0600 Hrs, with my bladder parting at the seams, trying to break free. I obliged immediately to take the call from nature and could not put myself back to sleep. I was coming back from Tirunelveli, after attending a friend's marriage. (I am indebted to write a separate post on the entire trip, with the kind of fun we had for 2 days. But since a lot more happened today, I will save that for another day.)
I got a phone call at 0610 Hrs informing me that the IIM results will be annuonced by today morning, after 1000 Hrs. Myself and 'she' got down at Chennai Egmore and went straight to Anna Nagar. After dropping her there and gulping down a nice filter-coffee-OR-Bru, went home. I waited impatiently for the clock to strike 1000 Hrs, but started hitting the IIM sites well before that. Cometh the hour, but cometh not the results. :-(
I called up IIM-A, only to find that the HRD Ministry had not yet sent an official communication to the IIMs to release the admission list. I was infuriated. The HRD Ministry had already done enough to keep the students' fate in abeyance. And after announcing to the press that the results can be published, they have the audacity to remain incommunicative. I was frustrated with the way these people played ping-pong with the students' lives.
And at around 1400 Hrs, 'she' informed me that the HRD Ministry had just sent the fax to all six IIMs, allowing them to release the list of selected candidates. She called them 5 times, to get this information. But I was already off to her place and was on the way. She called me up again at 1405 Hrs to inform that IIM-C had decided against offering me admission. I felt a little sick, given that the IIM-C GD&PI were the best ones I had. I felt scared about my fate with IIM-A. Not that the GD&PI were bad, but just that they were not as cool as IIM-C.
I returned back home, a little jittery. I confirmed my IIM-C reject, and waited for the others to publish their results. The wait was very annoying, and adding fuel to the fire was the 'IIMC Results Out' thread in pagalguy.com, where every selected candidate was broadcasting with messages like 'I got thru','I am IN', etc etc with funny smileys. I did not know when I fell asleep. 'She' called me up at around 1500 Hrs and informed me that I got into IIM-I. I was a little relieved, because of the fact that I can proudly submit my resignation letter at my workplace, avoiding the no-IIM-admission-continue-work situation. (Note: 'She' had been faithfully checking all the 5 IIM websites for the results, since morning.)
By around 1530 Hrs, the IIM-L result was OUT and I was IN. I was a little more relieved, but not jubilant at all. I had hoped to make it to A or C. Meanwhile, as expected, IIM-K rejected me from even getting near their campus, after my dismal performance in the interview. That left only IIM-A and IIM-B (which I was not concerned about) to publish their results. I was frustrated. The IIM-A website was behaving oddly, going down often and coming back with no updates. I was in a foul mood. So I dozed off again.
I was woken up by her call, and I cut it religiously, opting to call her back, as is the custom. But she was adamant. I kept cutting her call, trying to call her back, but in vain. The landline sprang to life suddenly, making me jump in my chair. I mumbled a feeble 'Hullo' into the receiver. It was her father, from his office, in a high-pitched, excited voice. "Congratulations!!!!" "Thank you!!(thinking it was for the L&I admit)" "You getting into IIM-A was really an expected one" "What???IIM-A result is OUT??And I am IN???(suddenly becoming alert)" "Yes!!Dint you know??(what kind of a person is he?will my daughter be happy with him?)" "No!!I dint know!!Oh wow!!I am sssoooo happy!!" etc etc. And then I called her up, she shared the great news with me. We both were flying (or atleast feeling like it!!).
My happiness knew no bounds!! I felt the feeling of the previous sentence, in its whole purest form. I was over-joyed and other-words-which-I-am-not-able-to-find-in-my-vocabulary. The journey has been confirmed. This itself had taken loads of efforts and hard work put in by her to make me come this far. I wonder how the journey will be. I wouldn't have to wait for more than 2 months to get an answer.
I called up my friends and relatives to share this moment of happiness and for those whom I missed, I do it through this blog. I have made my parents, my brother, her parents and my friends feel very proud. And as my Mom rightly put it, " 'She' was the sole reason for this achievement of mine. What I am today, is mainly because of her". I cannot imagine what I would have done without her. Thank you sweetie!!
I am eagerly looking forward to my 2-year sojourn at IIM-A, however hard the curriculum tries to hit me!! I will keep my readers updated on the joining procedures as and when I encounter them. And for the time being, I am looking forward to a peaceful slumber, and waking up to find that my admission into IIM-A is, indeed, true.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Bizarre display of wit!!
Imagine you are all alone in your office in the eleventh floor of a 20-storey building. Your brand new Tag Heuer reads 01:45 AM. The office management personnel are very particular about electricity wastage. All lights are switched off except the one directly above your balding head, radiating the room with a faint brightness due to the reflection of the light off your head. You have not stayed so late in office ever before. After being here a full 8 years, the job stress has started taking its toll on you.
When you joined the firm, all pastures were green and nothing could have been better. A new job always has its store of advantages, outnumbering the disadvantages. The people at the new firm would never come to know how incapable you have been in the previous employer's firm and other information capable of keeping you unemployed for the rest of your life. But here you are, boasting a highly responsible position, earning enough to spend lavishly and still have money left to stuff all your orifices with gold. You have been happy all the time, except one nagging thought that has accompanied you all these 8 years.
And tonight will be Judgement Day. You are resolved to unravel the mystery tonight. At 6 PM, when the last few colleagues started to leave, they shot furtive glances back and forth, unable to find the reason for your unusual presence in the office. You have not told them yet. That can wait. This needs to be announced to those lesser mortals only by someone like you.
When the sun was retiring for the day, you started seeing the first signs. And as darkness was creeping in, it was happening!!! At this time of the night, it's normal. Everyone knows that. You decide to wait. You wait for the dust to settle down. As your Tag Heuer shows 10:00 PM, you know it is happening big time!! But still you decide to wait. It's not time yet.
Now its almost 02:00 AM. You have been witnessing it all. And then suddenly without any precaution, it hit you!!! YOU KNEW IT!!! You had the answer to why the adjacent 18-storey Citibank building never had any of its lights switched off, why their workforce was interchanged every 8 hours, why they had no dormitories for employees who stayed late and a host of other 'why's. The surge of relief you felt was fathomable, given that you have been pondering this for over 8 years.
Your heart beats faster. You are pleasantly surprised by your unusual wit in deciphering this. You had to write this down, in case your memory fails unpropitiously. You take the felt-tip pen and scribble down in the notepad.
When you joined the firm, all pastures were green and nothing could have been better. A new job always has its store of advantages, outnumbering the disadvantages. The people at the new firm would never come to know how incapable you have been in the previous employer's firm and other information capable of keeping you unemployed for the rest of your life. But here you are, boasting a highly responsible position, earning enough to spend lavishly and still have money left to stuff all your orifices with gold. You have been happy all the time, except one nagging thought that has accompanied you all these 8 years.
And tonight will be Judgement Day. You are resolved to unravel the mystery tonight. At 6 PM, when the last few colleagues started to leave, they shot furtive glances back and forth, unable to find the reason for your unusual presence in the office. You have not told them yet. That can wait. This needs to be announced to those lesser mortals only by someone like you.
When the sun was retiring for the day, you started seeing the first signs. And as darkness was creeping in, it was happening!!! At this time of the night, it's normal. Everyone knows that. You decide to wait. You wait for the dust to settle down. As your Tag Heuer shows 10:00 PM, you know it is happening big time!! But still you decide to wait. It's not time yet.
Now its almost 02:00 AM. You have been witnessing it all. And then suddenly without any precaution, it hit you!!! YOU KNEW IT!!! You had the answer to why the adjacent 18-storey Citibank building never had any of its lights switched off, why their workforce was interchanged every 8 hours, why they had no dormitories for employees who stayed late and a host of other 'why's. The surge of relief you felt was fathomable, given that you have been pondering this for over 8 years.
Your heart beats faster. You are pleasantly surprised by your unusual wit in deciphering this. You had to write this down, in case your memory fails unpropitiously. You take the felt-tip pen and scribble down in the notepad.
" The Citi never sleeps."
Thursday, April 19, 2007
American Football
I know that not many of you would agree that American Football should be called a 'sport', because you see nothing more than absolute lunacy. Human behemoths weighing 300 pounds crashing into each other would not do much to change your conviction about the game. And until last March, my notion was not any different.
When Mani (as my brother is fondly referred by me!!) came back from the US, with an almost-egg-shaped-but-much-bigger ball in his bag, I was not too thrilled. I was more interested in the cricket-like Baseball, with the gloves on and throwing the ball at full force. Mani introduced the Football (meaning American Football for the rest of the passage) and explained the basic rules of the game. Thus started my tryst with football.
But why do they call it football, when they carry it in their hands?? Doesnt make sense?? The ball is exactly one foot in length, giving it the name 'foot'ball. Makes sense now?? Mani, having had prior experience in 'throwing the pigskin' (thats how throwing the ball is referred), was doing the 20 yard passes easily, while I was toiling hard just to throw it at him, standing 5 feet away. A 'perfect throw' makes the ball spiral on its longitudinal axis, creating an illusionary effect akin to a missile.
If you thought the entire game was centered on the ball-carrier trying to manoeuvre his way to the endzone, you are mistaken. Other than the ball-carrier or the Running Back (in NFL jargon), there will be a Quarterback (who sometimes turns into the ball-carrier) trying to find the right receiver to throw the ball, the Line Backers blocking the defense team from crossing the receiver's path, the Tight Ends required to play the dual roles of blocking the defense and catching passes from the Quarterback, and the Receivers, the highly agile athletes, running at lightning speeds to see a 70-yard pass from the Quarterback fall into their arms like a baby.
It was not long before I was hooked on to throwing the pigskin, making beautiful 20-yard passes (my apartment parking space did not allow me to throw it any further). Mani and I spent many an evenings throwing it faster and faster, till our shoulders can take no more. The sight of the football spiralling towards me and the hard 'thud' as it crashed into my arms are unforgettable moments.
One of the highlights of my US trip was the NFL Game between Minnesota Vikings and NY Jets at the Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. The indoor stadium was brimming full with 64,000 NFL fans. The atmosphere was electric. I was vociferously supporting for the host Vikings and the game was off to a great start with the Vikings making a touchdown within minutes. Inspite of increased vocal support for the hosts, the Jets took complete control since then and went on to win the game 26-13. The experience tempted me to book tickets for another match in New York (where I was visiting) the following week. But due to lack of time, I withstood the temptation. But it was not before I filled my bag with 2 NFL t-shirts and a couple of NFL memorablia, that I flew back home.
The Super Bowl ended fittingly with Peyton Manning helping the Colts win the championship, the only distinction which he was yet to achieve. The NFL 2007 season calender is out and am looking forward to it, with my arms outstretched!!!
When Mani (as my brother is fondly referred by me!!) came back from the US, with an almost-egg-shaped-but-much-bigger ball in his bag, I was not too thrilled. I was more interested in the cricket-like Baseball, with the gloves on and throwing the ball at full force. Mani introduced the Football (meaning American Football for the rest of the passage) and explained the basic rules of the game. Thus started my tryst with football.
But why do they call it football, when they carry it in their hands?? Doesnt make sense?? The ball is exactly one foot in length, giving it the name 'foot'ball. Makes sense now?? Mani, having had prior experience in 'throwing the pigskin' (thats how throwing the ball is referred), was doing the 20 yard passes easily, while I was toiling hard just to throw it at him, standing 5 feet away. A 'perfect throw' makes the ball spiral on its longitudinal axis, creating an illusionary effect akin to a missile.
If you thought the entire game was centered on the ball-carrier trying to manoeuvre his way to the endzone, you are mistaken. Other than the ball-carrier or the Running Back (in NFL jargon), there will be a Quarterback (who sometimes turns into the ball-carrier) trying to find the right receiver to throw the ball, the Line Backers blocking the defense team from crossing the receiver's path, the Tight Ends required to play the dual roles of blocking the defense and catching passes from the Quarterback, and the Receivers, the highly agile athletes, running at lightning speeds to see a 70-yard pass from the Quarterback fall into their arms like a baby.
It was not long before I was hooked on to throwing the pigskin, making beautiful 20-yard passes (my apartment parking space did not allow me to throw it any further). Mani and I spent many an evenings throwing it faster and faster, till our shoulders can take no more. The sight of the football spiralling towards me and the hard 'thud' as it crashed into my arms are unforgettable moments.
One of the highlights of my US trip was the NFL Game between Minnesota Vikings and NY Jets at the Humphrey Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. The indoor stadium was brimming full with 64,000 NFL fans. The atmosphere was electric. I was vociferously supporting for the host Vikings and the game was off to a great start with the Vikings making a touchdown within minutes. Inspite of increased vocal support for the hosts, the Jets took complete control since then and went on to win the game 26-13. The experience tempted me to book tickets for another match in New York (where I was visiting) the following week. But due to lack of time, I withstood the temptation. But it was not before I filled my bag with 2 NFL t-shirts and a couple of NFL memorablia, that I flew back home.
The Super Bowl ended fittingly with Peyton Manning helping the Colts win the championship, the only distinction which he was yet to achieve. The NFL 2007 season calender is out and am looking forward to it, with my arms outstretched!!!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Me, Myself and the CAT
I am not writing this because people can follow this while preparing for CAT, but just to record my acquaintance with the preparation. And in case someone from Mars was reading this, CAT (Common Aptitude Test) is one of the toughest competitive exams in the whole world, testing the candidates on basic Arithmetic and English. The preparation method worked for me does not mean it will work for everybody else. And that's one of the key attributes of CAT. :-)
First and foremost, why did I want to take up a career in Management?? Was it because of my people management skills I exhibited by being Class Leader in IV standard? Or because of my transactional skills I displayed by making my VIII Std class-mate buy me a Coke to have a ride on my new bicycle? Or the negotiation skills I flaunted by making my XI Std Chemistry teacher boost my percentage? Or the innovative skills I manifested by inventing newer reasons for not going to college? Or the communicative skills I paraded at work? (Nothing wrong in bragging!!Who knows, my potential recruiter may be reading this!!)
On a more serious note (not that all the above are false ;-) !!), one of the main reasons I decided to pursue an education followed by a career in Management, was the accelerated growth of my career path. In two years, I would be inhabiting a new role, a much responsible one, earning 4-5 times what I do now. Now, who would say NO to such a lucrative career (without taking into consideration the countless hours to be spent to achieve that level). The social image that curls you up once you are from an IIM will skyrocket at lightning speed, taking you alongside the stars.
Coming to my preparation for CAT 2006, it kickstarted once I joined the TIME course in April '06. I got the shelf-filling books of all sizes and neatly stacked them. Little did I know that they would remain there without any disturbance till October. For the first few weeks of classes, the basics in all the required areas were covered extensively, allowing me to cope up with the proceedings without any effort spent at home. I am basically comfortable with numbers (and also with her around, or my friends, but it doesn't matter here!!). I have been maintaining a good track record in all Maths papers ever since my 10th standard. But it did not get me too far, once the mock CATs started.
The mock CATs crushed my hopes just as Australia crushed Sri Lanka in yesterday's WC match. I fared miserably in all of them. Every week, I faced it with renewed vigour, thanks to her for raising my spirits, only to find that the results were consistently below par, very much like the Minnesota Vikings' last season. Many classes went abegging for attendance. Workload was on the increase. Lotsa movies were released. The NFL season became more exciting. Schumi's last races were numbered, making every race a must-see. The days ran as fast as Marvin Harrison running to catch the 60-yard pass from Peyton Manning. And still my mind kept telling me that there was plenty of time left to prepare.
And voila!!! CAT is just around the corner, with a month to go!!! The harsh reality struck me like a speeding truck!! All the expectations, all my dreams (or infact, our dreams!!) was making me a little nervous (Ok. I admit it. I was really a hell lot nervous!!). The last one month saw a complete transformation come over me. I relinquished all my movie-going, took a week off from work, stayed away from the TV and my PC, but more importantly was glued to every available material in relation to CAT's preparation. Worked out a number of mock test papers, borrowed from my friends. But still my TIME mock CAT was as consistent as Roger Federer.
And on D-Day, I really dont know how I was able to score over most of the people who fared much better than me in the relatively-tougher mock CATs. CAT was much much easier than expected. I was very much satisfied with my performance. And I attribute most of this success to the incessant motivation provided by her and the pure hardwork put in the last 1 month. With the final admission results due to arrive in 3 more days, dont stop your prayers (and of course, your comments!!). Waiting for the good news!!!
First and foremost, why did I want to take up a career in Management?? Was it because of my people management skills I exhibited by being Class Leader in IV standard? Or because of my transactional skills I displayed by making my VIII Std class-mate buy me a Coke to have a ride on my new bicycle? Or the negotiation skills I flaunted by making my XI Std Chemistry teacher boost my percentage? Or the innovative skills I manifested by inventing newer reasons for not going to college? Or the communicative skills I paraded at work? (Nothing wrong in bragging!!Who knows, my potential recruiter may be reading this!!)
On a more serious note (not that all the above are false ;-) !!), one of the main reasons I decided to pursue an education followed by a career in Management, was the accelerated growth of my career path. In two years, I would be inhabiting a new role, a much responsible one, earning 4-5 times what I do now. Now, who would say NO to such a lucrative career (without taking into consideration the countless hours to be spent to achieve that level). The social image that curls you up once you are from an IIM will skyrocket at lightning speed, taking you alongside the stars.
Coming to my preparation for CAT 2006, it kickstarted once I joined the TIME course in April '06. I got the shelf-filling books of all sizes and neatly stacked them. Little did I know that they would remain there without any disturbance till October. For the first few weeks of classes, the basics in all the required areas were covered extensively, allowing me to cope up with the proceedings without any effort spent at home. I am basically comfortable with numbers (and also with her around, or my friends, but it doesn't matter here!!). I have been maintaining a good track record in all Maths papers ever since my 10th standard. But it did not get me too far, once the mock CATs started.
The mock CATs crushed my hopes just as Australia crushed Sri Lanka in yesterday's WC match. I fared miserably in all of them. Every week, I faced it with renewed vigour, thanks to her for raising my spirits, only to find that the results were consistently below par, very much like the Minnesota Vikings' last season. Many classes went abegging for attendance. Workload was on the increase. Lotsa movies were released. The NFL season became more exciting. Schumi's last races were numbered, making every race a must-see. The days ran as fast as Marvin Harrison running to catch the 60-yard pass from Peyton Manning. And still my mind kept telling me that there was plenty of time left to prepare.
And voila!!! CAT is just around the corner, with a month to go!!! The harsh reality struck me like a speeding truck!! All the expectations, all my dreams (or infact, our dreams!!) was making me a little nervous (Ok. I admit it. I was really a hell lot nervous!!). The last one month saw a complete transformation come over me. I relinquished all my movie-going, took a week off from work, stayed away from the TV and my PC, but more importantly was glued to every available material in relation to CAT's preparation. Worked out a number of mock test papers, borrowed from my friends. But still my TIME mock CAT was as consistent as Roger Federer.
And on D-Day, I really dont know how I was able to score over most of the people who fared much better than me in the relatively-tougher mock CATs. CAT was much much easier than expected. I was very much satisfied with my performance. And I attribute most of this success to the incessant motivation provided by her and the pure hardwork put in the last 1 month. With the final admission results due to arrive in 3 more days, dont stop your prayers (and of course, your comments!!). Waiting for the good news!!!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
The wait is finally over!!! Or is it??!!
Not one child in this world knows exactly what it will be after it grows up. Or atleast the children that I have known. And my childhood was no different. I have had ambitions to pursue a number of different careers in my life so far, with only a couple of them achieved/achievable.
When my IV standard class teacher asked what I wanted to become when I grow up, I was aware of only one carefree career. My father's. The reasons that allured me to taking up a bank job were:
1. No uniforms to office
2. He travels by bus daily, unlike the cramped rickshaw drive I take
3. No homeworks from office (or atleast I thought so!!)
4. He earned money!! ;-)
And the fact that most of my relatives and family friends also constituted of bankers made my decision easier. Then I came to know the 'Doctor'. But since I was as interested in biology as Bill Clinton is in Chennai's water problem, I did not even think of becoming a doctor. And I also fancied myself of becoming an actor someday. They were handsomely paid, danced with beautiful damsels, drove big cars and were famous!! But it died away very soon.
Once I started playing cricket for my district, I was hellbent on becoming a professional. One of my family-friends insisted that I stay in Chennai to pursue my cricketing career. But my Dad turned him down. I still continued to play cricket, though. And once my 10th results were out, I was seriously considering joining the commerce stream and becoming a CA. But due to a remarkable last-minute change, I ended up studying Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Comp Sc. My love for F1 increased exponentially around that time and I was considering racing as a career. Little did I know that one had to shell out lakhs and lakhs of rupees just for being trained in a racing school, located in some obscure part of France.
With my 12th exams looming large, the only option I had was to become an engineer, as my brother did. But I was subject to the younger-sibling syndrome. My brother was born with the Midas touch (No, not literally. I meant figuratively). He excelled in whatever he did. And poor little me was trying hard to emulate his achievements, only to fall way short of the mark. (Well, I dint fare too bad I guess!!) And during my Engg course, I was engrossed with Microprocessors and ICs that I wanted to work on VLSIs. Though I was part of the creamy layer recruited by Wipro from my college, as you would have guessed, I did nothing more than adding one more to the count of IT professionals in India.
And 8 months into joining Wipro, I was reminded by her about my plans to do a MBA after gaining a couple of years of experience. I had taken to work very well and was enjoying it. So this MBA plan looked like stretching myself. After a couple of days of deliberation over this with her, I decided to join classes to have a go at CAT 2006. The career ahead of me will next be in Management. The coaching institute made me fill my shelves with books, and my attendance was as intermittent as India's victories in cricket. The mock CATs were miserable. I fared very badly in all of them, never breaking into the top 1000 ranks. The Management career seemed bleak.
But on D-Day, when it mattered most, my wits helped me do much better than ever and the score of 99.64 percentile seemed pride-worthy. (The secret behind the transition from the forgettable-mock-CATs to dream-CAT will be disclosed in another post!!). The 5 IIM calls (except IIM-B) made me soar high in the sky!! And for the first time in my life, I was successful in a competitive exam, pitting myself against more than 2,00,000 other aspirants. The Group Discussions and Interviews went so very well, making me quite confident of getting into either IIM-A or IIM-C.
The results were supposed to have been announced on Apr 12th, but have been postponed till Apr 21st. So one more week to go. And I see that I am on the verge of achieving something that I have been craving for. My career in Management is just a step away and I am happy that I dont have to face the what-will-I-become question hereafter. But did I just say that??!! I still have to choose my specialisation stream, my elective papers which will shape my career, my line of work, my dream company, my job profile etc etc.
Well, I guess the lot-of-options-choose-one scenario will keep haunting me. Let me put aside the decision-making for now and cross the bridge when it comes!! (This is one if the easiest ways to avoid any such dilemma!!). The IIMs results might be out before I post once more, so keep praying for me!! I do not promise you all an all-expense-paid-trip to Mauritius if I get admission to the IIMs, but I do promise you my sincere 'Thanks'!!
When my IV standard class teacher asked what I wanted to become when I grow up, I was aware of only one carefree career. My father's. The reasons that allured me to taking up a bank job were:
1. No uniforms to office
2. He travels by bus daily, unlike the cramped rickshaw drive I take
3. No homeworks from office (or atleast I thought so!!)
4. He earned money!! ;-)
And the fact that most of my relatives and family friends also constituted of bankers made my decision easier. Then I came to know the 'Doctor'. But since I was as interested in biology as Bill Clinton is in Chennai's water problem, I did not even think of becoming a doctor. And I also fancied myself of becoming an actor someday. They were handsomely paid, danced with beautiful damsels, drove big cars and were famous!! But it died away very soon.
Once I started playing cricket for my district, I was hellbent on becoming a professional. One of my family-friends insisted that I stay in Chennai to pursue my cricketing career. But my Dad turned him down. I still continued to play cricket, though. And once my 10th results were out, I was seriously considering joining the commerce stream and becoming a CA. But due to a remarkable last-minute change, I ended up studying Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Comp Sc. My love for F1 increased exponentially around that time and I was considering racing as a career. Little did I know that one had to shell out lakhs and lakhs of rupees just for being trained in a racing school, located in some obscure part of France.
With my 12th exams looming large, the only option I had was to become an engineer, as my brother did. But I was subject to the younger-sibling syndrome. My brother was born with the Midas touch (No, not literally. I meant figuratively). He excelled in whatever he did. And poor little me was trying hard to emulate his achievements, only to fall way short of the mark. (Well, I dint fare too bad I guess!!) And during my Engg course, I was engrossed with Microprocessors and ICs that I wanted to work on VLSIs. Though I was part of the creamy layer recruited by Wipro from my college, as you would have guessed, I did nothing more than adding one more to the count of IT professionals in India.
And 8 months into joining Wipro, I was reminded by her about my plans to do a MBA after gaining a couple of years of experience. I had taken to work very well and was enjoying it. So this MBA plan looked like stretching myself. After a couple of days of deliberation over this with her, I decided to join classes to have a go at CAT 2006. The career ahead of me will next be in Management. The coaching institute made me fill my shelves with books, and my attendance was as intermittent as India's victories in cricket. The mock CATs were miserable. I fared very badly in all of them, never breaking into the top 1000 ranks. The Management career seemed bleak.
But on D-Day, when it mattered most, my wits helped me do much better than ever and the score of 99.64 percentile seemed pride-worthy. (The secret behind the transition from the forgettable-mock-CATs to dream-CAT will be disclosed in another post!!). The 5 IIM calls (except IIM-B) made me soar high in the sky!! And for the first time in my life, I was successful in a competitive exam, pitting myself against more than 2,00,000 other aspirants. The Group Discussions and Interviews went so very well, making me quite confident of getting into either IIM-A or IIM-C.
The results were supposed to have been announced on Apr 12th, but have been postponed till Apr 21st. So one more week to go. And I see that I am on the verge of achieving something that I have been craving for. My career in Management is just a step away and I am happy that I dont have to face the what-will-I-become question hereafter. But did I just say that??!! I still have to choose my specialisation stream, my elective papers which will shape my career, my line of work, my dream company, my job profile etc etc.
Well, I guess the lot-of-options-choose-one scenario will keep haunting me. Let me put aside the decision-making for now and cross the bridge when it comes!! (This is one if the easiest ways to avoid any such dilemma!!). The IIMs results might be out before I post once more, so keep praying for me!! I do not promise you all an all-expense-paid-trip to Mauritius if I get admission to the IIMs, but I do promise you my sincere 'Thanks'!!
Friday, April 6, 2007
And everything will be fine after this...
Usually, it is in our 10th standard, when we first hear that. It is the most fabulous thing to hear, when you are slogging it out for the 10th Board exams (though I hardly did that!!). It is the light at the end of the tunnel, where we trudge along. The exams go by in a flash, and the ultimate moment is due to arrive!! Only we think so!! :-(
It is again in the 12th standard that we hear those magic words. They fill you with such euphoria that you feel like studying (atleast something!!) just to bask in the pleasure that awaits you after the exams. The exams arrive and depart just like a Mumbai local. And the much-awaited bash fails us again, not unlike Mohammed Kaif.
And at the end of the 4-year-long Engineering degree (which I managed to complete in 4 years!! Phew!!), the same old words start filling the air. And we being strongly allied to such popular misconceptions, again fall in to the trap. We still dont learn from the previous episodes. Even a man with an IQ equal to that of a cheese burger would have done better!!! A job at hand, the degree completed, the farewells long begone, we wait impatiently for the 'ultimate moment'!!!
The job starts with a training, which brings back the by-now-regular words. And do we realise its just an illusion?? Hell, NO!!! We welcome it with our outstretched arms, knowing little that it's never due to arrive!! And then comes a post-graduation, or a certification or more trainings or watever!! But come what may, we still find a cosy feeling whenever we hear the words, wishing it to come true, without giving up!!
And now, I can see you all getting impatient ready to hurl your choicest expletives if I dont say what those words are. And fail I will not.
"This will be the last time you ever need to study hard in your life." (And the title completes the message......)
It is again in the 12th standard that we hear those magic words. They fill you with such euphoria that you feel like studying (atleast something!!) just to bask in the pleasure that awaits you after the exams. The exams arrive and depart just like a Mumbai local. And the much-awaited bash fails us again, not unlike Mohammed Kaif.
And at the end of the 4-year-long Engineering degree (which I managed to complete in 4 years!! Phew!!), the same old words start filling the air. And we being strongly allied to such popular misconceptions, again fall in to the trap. We still dont learn from the previous episodes. Even a man with an IQ equal to that of a cheese burger would have done better!!! A job at hand, the degree completed, the farewells long begone, we wait impatiently for the 'ultimate moment'!!!
The job starts with a training, which brings back the by-now-regular words. And do we realise its just an illusion?? Hell, NO!!! We welcome it with our outstretched arms, knowing little that it's never due to arrive!! And then comes a post-graduation, or a certification or more trainings or watever!! But come what may, we still find a cosy feeling whenever we hear the words, wishing it to come true, without giving up!!
And now, I can see you all getting impatient ready to hurl your choicest expletives if I dont say what those words are. And fail I will not.
"This will be the last time you ever need to study hard in your life." (And the title completes the message......)
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Music : Sleep-Inductance OR Sleep-Impedance
Its 2.30 am in the night and I am not feeling sleepy yet. But what is the reason behind this??
A very bad day at office due to the (un)usual goof-ups because of sheer carelessness (which I am notoriously famous for!!) leading to a string of bashing from my manager. NO. None of this happened today.
The no:of hours a guy smitten by the proverbial "love bug" will sleep is as much as the no:of people in Burundi who own a Swiss Bank account and a dacha next to Putin's. Though the arthropod did bite me, today's reason is not this. NO again. I am not talking to her right now. She must be snoring her way to glory, unmindful of the sleepless nights that all the people in her aparment spend. (You all know I was exaggerating!! Actually, she sleeps like a baby!!)
One more reason why I might not have slept is if Australia had lost any of their World Cup matches. But it dint happen. NO. Going by their current form, I would be getting good, contented sleep well after they lift this World Cup. It wouldn't be too surprising if they romp their way to winning the title in a lossless streak, as they did in the previous edition in 2003.
And there are countless other reasons, like becoming petrified seeing Adnan Sami inches from my face, being in the night shift at work, being trampled by Larry Johnson on his way to a rushing touchdown, biological problem involving the bowels, making it discharge very often etc etc. But none of this came true (atleast not today).
I had a very normal day at work. The type of day you can easily forget, nothing much to do, but not nothing to do. (Oh!!It gets really confusing!!). On the way home from office by cab, the ubiquitous companion of the cab driver, the FM radio, was playing "Vellai Pookal" from Kannathil Muthamittal, sung by A.R.Rahman. The song starts with a light rhythm from the guitars, Rahman pitches in with his nasal, high-pitched voice and with no ear-drum-shattering beats, the song takes you somewhere around the height of the Empire State and before you know its over, the RJ breaks-in and you come crashing to the ground, regaining some sense. It was one such moment for me today, flying somewhere above. (But i anticipated the end of the song and caught the lift going down, saving myself from crashing down!!!)
I really wonder how music, to put it plainly, vibrations, creates such an impact on the human mind, with the ability to change the mood of the person and control his senses.
"Wherever I May Roam" by Metallica will make you get your ass up and whip the devil's tail!!
A good articulation of "Shubhabanthuvarali" would make you weep out of deep sorrow, while you never knew what made you dolorous!!
"Azhage Sugama" from Parthaley Paravasam by ARR would make any bickering couple to recoup immediately!!
"Take It Easy" by The Eagles lets you take a long ride on a highway, thinking about all the 'hotties' who pleaded to take them with you!!
"Tanha Dil" by Shaan makes you reminisce all the long-lost beautiful things in life!!
"Fanaa" from Aayutha Ezhuthu by ARR makes even the most self-restrained, uncommunicative person to shake a leg and roar along!!
And not only this, music can also take you to sleep, as "Aarariraro" from Ram by Yuvan Shankar Raja did, playing in my iPod. Guess the milkman and newspaper-man will find it odd seeing me awake so early in the morning. Gotta catch some sleep anyway!!
See you in the next post!! Until then hear some good music!!!
P.S: The title is to show the author's proficiency in Electrical Engg. ;-)
A very bad day at office due to the (un)usual goof-ups because of sheer carelessness (which I am notoriously famous for!!) leading to a string of bashing from my manager. NO. None of this happened today.
The no:of hours a guy smitten by the proverbial "love bug" will sleep is as much as the no:of people in Burundi who own a Swiss Bank account and a dacha next to Putin's. Though the arthropod did bite me, today's reason is not this. NO again. I am not talking to her right now. She must be snoring her way to glory, unmindful of the sleepless nights that all the people in her aparment spend. (You all know I was exaggerating!! Actually, she sleeps like a baby!!)
One more reason why I might not have slept is if Australia had lost any of their World Cup matches. But it dint happen. NO. Going by their current form, I would be getting good, contented sleep well after they lift this World Cup. It wouldn't be too surprising if they romp their way to winning the title in a lossless streak, as they did in the previous edition in 2003.
And there are countless other reasons, like becoming petrified seeing Adnan Sami inches from my face, being in the night shift at work, being trampled by Larry Johnson on his way to a rushing touchdown, biological problem involving the bowels, making it discharge very often etc etc. But none of this came true (atleast not today).
I had a very normal day at work. The type of day you can easily forget, nothing much to do, but not nothing to do. (Oh!!It gets really confusing!!). On the way home from office by cab, the ubiquitous companion of the cab driver, the FM radio, was playing "Vellai Pookal" from Kannathil Muthamittal, sung by A.R.Rahman. The song starts with a light rhythm from the guitars, Rahman pitches in with his nasal, high-pitched voice and with no ear-drum-shattering beats, the song takes you somewhere around the height of the Empire State and before you know its over, the RJ breaks-in and you come crashing to the ground, regaining some sense. It was one such moment for me today, flying somewhere above. (But i anticipated the end of the song and caught the lift going down, saving myself from crashing down!!!)
I really wonder how music, to put it plainly, vibrations, creates such an impact on the human mind, with the ability to change the mood of the person and control his senses.
"Wherever I May Roam" by Metallica will make you get your ass up and whip the devil's tail!!
A good articulation of "Shubhabanthuvarali" would make you weep out of deep sorrow, while you never knew what made you dolorous!!
"Azhage Sugama" from Parthaley Paravasam by ARR would make any bickering couple to recoup immediately!!
"Take It Easy" by The Eagles lets you take a long ride on a highway, thinking about all the 'hotties' who pleaded to take them with you!!
"Tanha Dil" by Shaan makes you reminisce all the long-lost beautiful things in life!!
"Fanaa" from Aayutha Ezhuthu by ARR makes even the most self-restrained, uncommunicative person to shake a leg and roar along!!
And not only this, music can also take you to sleep, as "Aarariraro" from Ram by Yuvan Shankar Raja did, playing in my iPod. Guess the milkman and newspaper-man will find it odd seeing me awake so early in the morning. Gotta catch some sleep anyway!!
See you in the next post!! Until then hear some good music!!!
P.S: The title is to show the author's proficiency in Electrical Engg. ;-)
Sunday, April 1, 2007
A boring tribulation turned into a pleasant evening!!!
First things first. Before I post about anything else, I definitely need to pen down (or is it key down??!!) what happened in the outing that was planned for us at work.
It was a hot Friday afternoon that saw 3 party-expecting, work-bunking guys get ready for the outing. The itinerary was not too attractive, without any dancefloor event at the end of the day. But I was not upset. My dancing skills are as superficial as John Abraham's acting skills. Just watching people shake their legs and hips (and what not??!!) and getting into a frenzy, irrespective of the song that was played, as long as there was sound coming from the 4-foot high speakers, was too much for me. Not that I detested them, but I just couldn't do it. And in the one party when I actually tried to do a jig, everyone in the whole floor came to me by the end of the party and suggested that I take classes in the Jon Britto's dance school before I tried doing any such thing in the future. (Dont you dare sneer at me with derision!! You sadist!!!)
The outing, as informed, was destined to be in a beach resort, under the banner of one of Chennai's better amusement parks. This gave us something to be happy about, dreaming about the exotic beaches and the host of facilities we can enjoy over there. The first item in the agenda was a welcome speech, the type which we better forego instead of attending and going through the pain of a discursive talk. So the three of us, having the liberty of using our bikes to get to the resort, started an hour after the bus carrying the others left off. After some deliberation whether "she" will join us, which she dint, the trio left with a bag full of snacks and mind full of Bs (beach,booze & babes)!! (I promise you, the last B did not apply to me!! PROMISE!!)
As it turned out, the beach resort was located on the ECR (for the uninitiated, ECR is East Coast Road, the scenic highway that runs between Chennai & Pondicherry). But disaster struck!! It was located on the wrong side of the road!! Not on the side of the sea, but inland. One 'B' was out. And the place was a bit too small for any group more than 5 to have a party. I guess the party organisers did not expect a higher number anyway. Little did they know that people were waiting to get out of office for any reason, real or orchestrated.
And even worser, the welcome speech was not over!! The reason being one of the buses had come only minutes before us. Everyone was gathering in a room no wider than Dhanush's torso. We (the trio) put on an emergency meeting and decided to get away ASAP. But due to an unremarkable 'keep-my-laptop' request from my manager, I was not able to get away and we went through the ordeal of sitting through the 'welcome' speech. And by this time, we figured out that the other two Bs too had very little chance of making it. :-(
Once the 'speech', which lasted for about half an hour, was over and done with (Phew!! At last!!), and as the few participants were divided into groups for further activities, we escaped through the door and went to the parking lot, only to find that only 2 of us had come out. The other guy (obviously a fresher to outings) was so enthralled by the activities that he remained indoors and was participating enthusiastically in all events. We had to go inside again and literally carry him out of the 'hall'.
Once outside, I called up and confirmed that "she" will join us after all. (Now stop asking me who "she" is. How dare you try to break into my privacy!! Anyway, you will get to know if you keep reading future posts). I picked her up from office and off went the group of 4 to Mayajaal!! To just say we were all hungry would not have done any justice to the rumblings coming from our bellies. We ordered food and bought tickets to the movie 'Mozhi'. Savoured all the dishes brought by the waiter, munched and gulped away to bring back some vision lost due to hunger. Ahaa!!! What a feeling to have your stomach full!!
The movie was good. Good to view atleast once.(very much unlike the Vijay movies!! hehehe). And the drive back home through ECR was aaawwwwsssssmmmmm. ECR, being one of my favourite roads, with a cool breeze through the air, with "she" sitting behind me really made up an 'electric' atmosphere!!
The day which dreaded to trap us in an 'outing', thus ended on a high note with all 4 of us having a great time with a more-than-average dose of mokka pottufying!!!
It was a hot Friday afternoon that saw 3 party-expecting, work-bunking guys get ready for the outing. The itinerary was not too attractive, without any dancefloor event at the end of the day. But I was not upset. My dancing skills are as superficial as John Abraham's acting skills. Just watching people shake their legs and hips (and what not??!!) and getting into a frenzy, irrespective of the song that was played, as long as there was sound coming from the 4-foot high speakers, was too much for me. Not that I detested them, but I just couldn't do it. And in the one party when I actually tried to do a jig, everyone in the whole floor came to me by the end of the party and suggested that I take classes in the Jon Britto's dance school before I tried doing any such thing in the future. (Dont you dare sneer at me with derision!! You sadist!!!)
The outing, as informed, was destined to be in a beach resort, under the banner of one of Chennai's better amusement parks. This gave us something to be happy about, dreaming about the exotic beaches and the host of facilities we can enjoy over there. The first item in the agenda was a welcome speech, the type which we better forego instead of attending and going through the pain of a discursive talk. So the three of us, having the liberty of using our bikes to get to the resort, started an hour after the bus carrying the others left off. After some deliberation whether "she" will join us, which she dint, the trio left with a bag full of snacks and mind full of Bs (beach,booze & babes)!! (I promise you, the last B did not apply to me!! PROMISE!!)
As it turned out, the beach resort was located on the ECR (for the uninitiated, ECR is East Coast Road, the scenic highway that runs between Chennai & Pondicherry). But disaster struck!! It was located on the wrong side of the road!! Not on the side of the sea, but inland. One 'B' was out. And the place was a bit too small for any group more than 5 to have a party. I guess the party organisers did not expect a higher number anyway. Little did they know that people were waiting to get out of office for any reason, real or orchestrated.
And even worser, the welcome speech was not over!! The reason being one of the buses had come only minutes before us. Everyone was gathering in a room no wider than Dhanush's torso. We (the trio) put on an emergency meeting and decided to get away ASAP. But due to an unremarkable 'keep-my-laptop' request from my manager, I was not able to get away and we went through the ordeal of sitting through the 'welcome' speech. And by this time, we figured out that the other two Bs too had very little chance of making it. :-(
Once the 'speech', which lasted for about half an hour, was over and done with (Phew!! At last!!), and as the few participants were divided into groups for further activities, we escaped through the door and went to the parking lot, only to find that only 2 of us had come out. The other guy (obviously a fresher to outings) was so enthralled by the activities that he remained indoors and was participating enthusiastically in all events. We had to go inside again and literally carry him out of the 'hall'.
Once outside, I called up and confirmed that "she" will join us after all. (Now stop asking me who "she" is. How dare you try to break into my privacy!! Anyway, you will get to know if you keep reading future posts). I picked her up from office and off went the group of 4 to Mayajaal!! To just say we were all hungry would not have done any justice to the rumblings coming from our bellies. We ordered food and bought tickets to the movie 'Mozhi'. Savoured all the dishes brought by the waiter, munched and gulped away to bring back some vision lost due to hunger. Ahaa!!! What a feeling to have your stomach full!!
The movie was good. Good to view atleast once.(very much unlike the Vijay movies!! hehehe). And the drive back home through ECR was aaawwwwsssssmmmmm. ECR, being one of my favourite roads, with a cool breeze through the air, with "she" sitting behind me really made up an 'electric' atmosphere!!
The day which dreaded to trap us in an 'outing', thus ended on a high note with all 4 of us having a great time with a more-than-average dose of mokka pottufying!!!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Blogosphere!! Here I come!!
This is my first tryst with writing something (let alone blogging!!!). In a very crucial part of my career (which I will explain in future posts), I seek to bookmark various happenings in my life through this blog. So welcome aboard the flight making the journey across life!!! (No air sickness bag will be provided in case of turbulence!!)
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