Nothing In Particular

Out come the knives

2010-07-03T01:08:00.001-04:00

Was just wondering why I am not able to bring my usual sarcasm to my writing. And as usual several seconds of deep contemplation later, I was quite close to answering the question. As close as I am to solving the world's peace problem. And so here I go.

Immediate provocation for this post come from the people who have been commenting on Raavan recently. Multiple reviews have been irritatingly repeating the same thing, that the movie is average, but the production values and cinematography is outstanding. Yeah, right, I believe you people. Coming as it is from a bunch that would probably not be able to recognize the business end of a camera if they bumped into it. But then, is it not something to expect from a nation's people where the majority of the people have no hesitation in proclaiming loudly from rooftops how Sachin should be batting. Never mind that the closest they would come to him would be...well...never mind. Rich, telling Sachin which shot he should have played with the gifted hindsight. Or telling the Pathan brothers how to play the game. Ok wait, that one is acceptable.

In other news, read a couple of days back that our honourable Home Minister feels that the violence in Kashmir was caused by anti-national elements. Really? And I here I was, stupid enough to think that peace loving patriots were the cause. Used to respect the guy, but you can never have too much of a good thing I guess. Must confess that he is an improvement over the previous joker who occupied the office. The level of improvement probably Bangladesh could do with to think they can play Test cricket.

I should do this kind of thing more often. The world needs it. No, who cares about the world? I need it.

Expect more regular posts and all that in this space. About as often as you would expect the Dutch beating Brazil in a World Cup quarterfinal.

Retro Steps

2010-06-19T23:34:00.003-04:00

Following the recent Asia Cup matches and the T20 world cup in the Windies, I could not but help notice that I might probably never get around to stop following cricket completely. I follow almost formats of the game these days, mostly on the net. Even if it is not India that is playing. And just realized that Tests are what I enjoy the most these days. Not completely sure what the reason is, but most probably it has something to do with the overdose of T20 I guess. One dayers seem to have too much of a lull in the middle overs. Was always there, but it has been brought home more emphatically with the advent of the shortest format of the game. Cricket is constantly evolving and I would love to see the dual innings idea tried out in ODIs soon. Cricket is going the football way in some way with IPL bringing in the club culture, and quite successfully at that too.

Started to say something and then seem to have gone off in quite a different direction. Should stop doing that. Or at least stop doing it too often...

New York, je t'aime

2010-04-25T01:16:00.001-04:00

Yes, I do. Had the chance to visit New York last month during the Easter weekend and I really liked the place. I have never been the type that understood why people keep saying one city has a faster pace of life than some others. Always been of the opinion it is more of an individual trait. One is laidback or not. Anyways, been digressing here. New York has a vibrancy of its own, something that is better experienced rather than explained. NY has been the closest I have experienced to being in India after coming here. There is something about the chaos in the city, the free movement of people that is a welcome relief. The ability to move around without inhibition, the comfort of a crowd and most importantly it is a city where the streets are not deserted by 7 pm. The simple pleasures of life, like walking without people staring at you as if you are form a different world, which I probably am.

Every city here has a similar thing to offer, with a signature skyline, some museums and a bridge with a view. NY has all that and that little extra. The Empire State Building is something you should definitely not miss when you are there, especially the audio tour which is a brilliant touch. And while I am at it, I would not really recommend the National History Museum, you are better off spending your time at the Central Park just outside. There are a lot of other things to see there too. Look up any NY guide and you will get your

New York. Do visit. Highly recommended.

And yes, it was a very good weekend as Kajal, Kunal and Puneet turned up. Not to forget the perfect hosts for the trip, Amrapali and Sachin - Thanks a ton guys !!

Advertising & TV in the US

2010-04-25T00:39:00.001-04:00

Another US related post. And no, this is not going to be gyaan about advertising. Just a layman's view of what the ads on TV seem like. Or as some of you might say, a not so layman view of the whole thing. I think I preferred the advertising in India. Seriously, the quality of the ads here leave a lot to be desired. At least the ones I see on the list of channels I surf regularly. It is as if the advertisers have made a not so subtle assumption that the targeted audience are probably too dumb for sophisticated ads. The ads seem tailored to cater to the lowest common denominator, making it really tough to sit through them. They spell out everything explicitly, leaving very little or nothing to the imagination.

I really do believe that lack of talent is definitely not the root cause for this because the TV shows here are of top quality. Well, some of them to be honest :) The creativity and sophistication of the TV series and movies somehow has failed to spill over on to the ad world. An interesting dichotomy probably and one for which I have no clear explanation. Any pointers anyone?

The ads range from dumb to ridiculous to just plain irritating. Especially the pharma ads, which typically have 1 minute of extolling the virtues of the drug followed by 5 minutes of side effects. Funny. And yes, insurance is way, way too expensive in the US. Else there wouldn't be so many ads on so many channels all the time, right?

Public Transport and Walking in the US

2010-03-08T00:34:00.001-05:00

Been almost 10 days since I came to Charlotte and my only way of moving around is the public transport system. It gets me to office within a very respectable time frame, but I sorely miss the buses during the weekends. Saturdays here have a limited bus service, but Sundays is next to nil. Limits my options to areas just around the hotel on a Sunday. And it is quite irritating. The other problem is the footpath. While in India, I am used to walking around quite a bit both on the footpaths and on the roads itself, it is a very difficult thing to do here. Some of the areas do have excellent walking lanes and the car drivers are very polite and give you right of way, it still doesn't solve the problem. You just can't walk around freely here. They really need to get buses running on Sundays here and have a few late night options too. Buses in India are much better in this regard. Even in Pune for that matter. Wonder how the folks around here get around on weekends.

Any suggestions guys from other cities? I doubt too many cities (except the New York types) have a decent public transport option.

Irritating, but I guess I will have to live with it. And get the driver's license soon. And the car too.

Initial Adjustments in the US of A

2010-03-01T23:40:00.000-05:00

Slowly settling down here, Have taken an extended stay hotel and will be staying here for a month. Tried my hand at cooking, burnt rice the first time, but slowly getting better. A couple of months and I shall be ready to host people over for dinner, I promise ! Lesson 1: Microwave ovens can do more than making papads. They are a lifeline here :)

Some small adjustments to be done here, having come from India. Let me list them along with my response to the same
1) Driving on the wrong side...I mean right side. Still tend to look in the wrong direction first while crossing. And enjoying the status of a pedestrian here. A welcome change from India
2) Degrees in deg F does not come naturally. I instinctively do the math to convert it to deg C. Will take a while getting used to this.
3) Miles vs Kms. Am okay with the miles measure, but the km measure runs simultaneously in the head. Stop counting and converting - this to myself.
4) Dollars and Rupees : Things are not as expensive as people said it would be. Not exactly impossible to shop here. This is one trap I haven't fallen into yet, converting everything back to rupees. (BTW, the PPP conversion is roughly 1:10, so America doesn't seem all that expensive. The economics 101 helped, one of the few lectures I did not sleep completely through at B-School)
5) Strolling aimlessly in the evenings - Not possible here, everybody warns you against it. Really miss India on this front.

Summing up, initial adjustments seem to be happening at a nice pace. Looks like I will fit in. The job - well that is a different cup of tea altogether. More on that later (well, maybe).

P.S. : Need to settle down, and fast. Time to pick up the bag again to see the world !

Charlotte & USA....First Impressions

2010-03-01T23:28:00.001-05:00

Time to bring out the quill to jot a few things. Almost a week since I landed here and have not yet written about it. As usual, have been meaning to, but staying true to form things kept getting delayed. After all, I do have a reputation to protect !

Flight from Mumbai to Charlotte, via Doha and Washington. Good places both the intermediate stops, though they really should learn one major thing from Indian airports in Mumbai and Delhi - free wi-fi. Makes life so much easier for transit travelers (can't believe I am switching over to the American English, or are the 2 opposites?). Anyways, nice lil stopover in Doha before I land in Washington. Long queue there, but the process is smooth and I recheck the baggage to Charlotte and call Kunal. Thanks for coming over dude, made passing time a lot easier at Dulles. Had my first Starbucks coffee and must say that it is a decent enough thing.Called up a couple of people, chatted for a while and said goodbye after making grand travel plans. Hope they fructify soon ! And yes, there was still a lot of snow left over and then some more from the snow storm that hit the Washington areas a while ago. Roads had been cleared, but it made for quite a sight from up above. Not sure too many of the DC residents would share such a charitable view of the snow

Flight to Charlotte delayed by 40 mins and that is one thing you do not want after a 7 hour stopover. My first experience with United and it just wasn't good. Landed at Charlotte and found a cabbie to drive me over to the hotel. Snow flakes all along the way. Good drive to the airport and I enjoyed it. Checked into the hotel well past midnight. Still could not resist checking my mail. Getting to be an addiction this, mental note to myself to cut down on my browsing hours :)

Charlotte is quite beautiful, at least the areas I have been to till now. And the public transport is quite decent. Comfortable enough for me to get to the office and back without any strain. it does get QUITE WINDY here and more than the temperatures, the wind can literally freeze you over. Temperatures were always lower than what I thought it would be.

Enough rambling on this post I guess, already a longish one. Will describe things in detail as and when I explore more of the city and outside.

And yes, lest I forget. People here are very very nice, courteous almost to a fault. Have never wished so many strangers in so short a time before.

Ciao !

Insufferable Incompetence...and A Spade is a Spade

2010-02-19T12:47:00.000-05:00

I have had it with the bureaucratic types. There are people and there are incompetent people. Let nobody con you into believing otherwise. Every office, public or private, has them. And I have just realized that I cannot suffer incompetent fools. Call me condescending, but there are enough people out there who have next to nothing between their ears and have an amazingly high pigheadedness when it comes to a refusal to learn and improve. I might be guilty of being in the same category when it comes to certain things, but being absolutely dumb is not something people have accused me of before. In spite of many feel good movies and books telling you that every person is special and has some talent, I can vouch to the contrary. Some people really do not have any talent and nothing is going to change in the future.

Bloody political correctness be damned, this nuisance of not calling a spade a spade is killing me. And I promise to cut down on diplomatic niceties as much as I can in certain areas.

Mr. Sehwag, you were absolutely spot-on and right in calling Bangladesh an ordinary side. They are. Whether he should have said that or not is the moot point, but people seem to be missing the point that he was absolutely bang on target as ever.

See it, say it !

There, finally managed to get this out of my system and feel the better for it.

The Reading List

2010-02-02T08:06:00.000-05:00

The last 2 books I have read are by Indian authors and I must say I did enjoy them a lot. 2 States and The White Tiger. Chetan Bhagat and Arvind Adiga. Like the Bhagat book, enjoyable but just about makes the grade. To put it bluntly, it is a Hindi (or any other language for that matter) film story, that all of us would have seen a countless times. Coming to "The White Tiger", I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but it did tend to drag a little at times. An excellent read in my opinion, Adiga captures a lot of the nuances of the Indian way of life in a superb, matter-of-fact way. The interesting thing however is that we all know that these things exist, but generally find it difficult to articulate the quirks and idiosyncrasies of the Indian way of life in so engaging a manner. Atleast I do. It is all a part of being an author I suppose, and without their keen eye for detail and the ability to spell it out without letting the reader doze off is an art.

An art, that Eric Van Lustbader fails spectacularly at. The guy has finally managed to kill off the superb Bourne series, spoiling the Jason Bourne character I had come to love. Bringing in oriental mumbo-jumbo is certainly not the way to go with Bourne. The only good book he had written was the 4th installment of the series, The Bourne Legacy. You should have stopped there, Mr. Lustbader.

Updates

2010-02-02T07:56:00.000-05:00

The visa interview dates have finally come in and if all goes well, could see myself in Charlotte by the end of this month. Things have been delayed long enough and I could do without any further hiccups. Brief stopover in Bangalore en route to Chennai, with this being typed out at the airport (typed doesn't quite have the feel of saying penned though). Got to meet a lot of friends for one last time here, hopefully the next meeting will happen soon enough in the US of A. The last batch of guys are scheduled to fly out this month. Job has been interesting on and off, and here's hoping it would be more on than off once I get to my intended location.

On another front, I must say that I have enjoyed Pune quite thoroughly, with the entire gang from KPIT (well, almost) getting together for a week again. Been good reminiscing about old times, but this would turn out to be more an exception rather than the norm, with each of us going our separate ways.

I liked Bangalore a lot during my 5 month stay there, but the place you still call home has to be the one you grew up in. Not sure where I would place Joka in this scheme of things, that place gave me the 2 best years of my life and is not something I would be forgetting anytime soon. Or even later for that matter.

Rambled along enough, one of those posts living up to the tagline of the blog :)

New Year Prediction...

2009-12-31T13:15:00.001-05:00

This blog will soon make a comeback...and I will be a lot more regular...Looking forward to quite a few things this new year...

That is my New Year Resolution..or should it be prediction?

Been a roller coaster 2009. Passing out, new job and all that jazz....And another year goes by..

Watch this space for more !!

And yes, this is the last post for this year. Another 15 minutes and it will be time to start making good on the promises.

Never Say Never Again !

2009-11-08T11:52:00.000-05:00

There used to be a time when I only wanted to stay back in India. I never had the slightest intention of going abroad, be it for studies or for work. I just had to be back here. And there was no real rationale for the same. Always felt that the money would anyways flow in and the quality of life here is much better. But things change and how !
Then it so happens that I decide to take up a job that requires me to soon (or after a while, depends on if and when the visa comes through) go to the US. And I took it up after a lot of thought, with people saying that the exposure would be good and related jazz. My views on the money part remains the same though. Now, once decided that I am going out, time just doesn't seem to fly fast enough.
Never imagined would be in this position. Never say never again !!

A(n) (un)forgettable trip !! – The Backwaters of Kerala

2009-10-22T08:51:00.002-04:00

I would say that the title would be an apt summary of our trip to the backwaters of Kerala at Alleppey. The trip would be a fitting sequel to that other one I undertook a year and half back to the North-East. That story (Jinxed, Stuck, Stranded, Luckless) though differed in one major aspect. It had quite a few redeeming features after a bad start, this one had none. But wait, I am getting a little ahead of myself here. Let’s rewind to the night of Friday, the 16^th of October and Diwali eve. That is where it all began and here goes the story.

As usual, we kept vacillating till the last moment about the destination for the weekend trip. Finally on the morning of Friday, the brilliant plan was finalized and we booked a cab for the journey. The trip straightaway got off to a flier with the start being delayed by a couple of hours to 10 in the night. Yes, we planned to travel through the night and reach Alleppey in time next morning for the boat house check in. Perfect, no? Well, it wasn’t. We did some basic groundwork and had decided on taking the road through TamilNadu, but the driver convinced us otherwise and told us of an alternate route through the Bandipur sanctuary. Mistake no.1: we listened to the idiot. (And no more count of the mistakes from here on, there were just too many.) Just before we reach the sanctuary, we get to know that it is closed from 9 to 6 at night (Kajal says she knew this and a lot of other things later on as well, but very conveniently forgets to tell us, and was the lead hindsighter for this trip.with Kunal and yours truly not too far behind). With no other option than to wait it out, we find out that the car battery has died completely and we were stranded right in the middle of nowhere with no transport. After trying in vain to get a lift we started walking and sometime later, hitchhiked on a truck (yeah, there are a lot of good guys doubling up as truck drivers) to get to the closest bus stand. And here we spent the better part of 2 hours appreciating our flawless hindsight and planning arrangements. Next comes in a kindly gentleman who drives us through the sanctuary and we get finally manage to sneak into Kerala.

And then began our endless journey on the famed Kerala buses. These buses run more on a prayer than any actual working parts. Moving parts yes, with every part looking like it will just fly off the next bend in the road. The roads I must not forget, they had a neatly arranged series of potholes connecting the whole of Kerala making for a jarring ride that lets you know the exact count of bones in your body. Because, by the time you get off the bus, you won’t miss a single bone and it takes quite a while to get everything in working order again. We keep up the travel through Calicut, Thrissur, Cochin and finally, finally reach Alleppey. But then I look at my watch and it says 12.30 am, bringing to our notice the small matter of being delayed by 14 hours in a 12 hour journey. Completely exhausted, we flop onto our beds (Gowri Residency, must mention here that the place was quite comfortable and one of the exceptions to the trip). Next morning, Kajal and Kunal go off to the Marari beach, while I sleep away to glory. But who has ever heard of people going off to the beach at 6 in the morning at a place they have come to relax? Absolutely worthless people I had with me on the trip I must admit, even though I have a suspicion that I might be accused of sour grapes here.

Next stop: Alleppey for the backwater ride on a houseboat. We decided to rent one houseboat and check out the backwaters at leisure. And we though this possibly couldn’t go wrong at all. But we hadn’t lost our touch at all and we selected the wrong boat. Not sure if this is the Alleppey everybody was raving about, because what little we saw wasn’t enough to justify any of the hype. The boat was good, but the service was hopeless. We had a crew out to make a quick buck, with no concerns at all about customer satisfaction. Out of the 22 hours, the boat would have hardly been moving for 4 hours. They stop for lunch, the night and everything else in between. A royal rip-off this one, though the boat was decently comfortable. Monday morning already and it’s time to head back to Bangalore. The plan was to take a Volvo straight to Bangalore and be done with it. The holiday season took care of our next set of the best laid plans. Everybody in Kerala wanted to leave for Bangalore that day itself and the bottom-line was that no tickets were available. Another rickety bus ride and a couple of hours later, we find ourselves in Ernakulam and book a ticket on the only available bus scheduled for the evening. And here our endless good luck charm just refuses to die out and the bus is cancelled. The alternate arrangement is a minivan, with an extremely comfortable leg room for the tallest 4 footer you can find. Miserable journey throughout with me trying out all kinds of yoga tricks to settle down, but to no avail. Sleep deprived and bone tired, we finally make it to office at 7 in the morning and then its time for office again. I sleepwalk through the day and finally manage to hit the sack for some sleeps after a good 40 hours.

You would call this an extremely cynical post and I must agree. So let me end this on a good note.

Yes, there was one very good part about the trip that I have not mentioned yet: It got over.

Diwali over the years

2009-10-16T11:10:00.000-04:00

Just realized the fact that the places I have been at for Diwali have started becoming diverse. 2006 was celebrated at Pune at home. This was followed by Calcutta for the next two years at one of the best places I have ever known, the IIM Calcutta campus @ Joka (damn, I really miss the place. Reminder to myself: Plan that campus trip soon). Leaving for Kerala tomorrow, which means that I shall be celebrating the Diwali of 2009 in God's own country at the backwaters of Alleppey. And if that US visa thing comes through, 2010 shall see me in North Carolina. Not bad at all, I must say !

Actually, tomorrow won't be much of a celebration. Would be on one of the houseboats, taking in the sights and sounds of a place I have longed to visit for quite some time. A long journey it will be, considering that we will be going by road rather than the comfort of a train, thanks in no small measure to our far-sightedness in finalizing the trip in the last 24 hours.

This post also means that the blog will be restarted for the umpteenth time in the last few months. Hopefully, this time will be different, and Samvat 2066 will see a more regular, non-lazier version of me here.

Happy Diwali to all of you !!

I promise that I will be more regular from now on, and you can expect a report on the Kerala trip next week.

Darker

2009-08-14T13:18:00.003-04:00

The humour is getting darker. Or is it really? Either way, need to keep it in check. Not the easiest of things to do for me at least. Never been the type that understood why people take things so seriously. Why can't people just laugh at themselves, their quirks and idiosyncrasies? Even better, why can't they let others do it for them? Will definitely try to blunt the edges a bit. Yeah, right

A humbling experience

2009-06-26T14:23:00.002-04:00

Orientation on at the company and today we got to go to an institute for the mentally challenged children. Humbling is the only way to describe the experience. To be frank, I had my apprehensions and reservations before I reached the place. Situated right next to the Kidwai hospital, the place ensured that all my apprehensions remained nothing more than mere figments of imagination. Whatever awkwardness I felt might be there simply vanished when I spent some time with the kids there. Connecting with these kids and spending some time there is best not described in words. Challenged they might be, but it is exaggerated more by society and it's refusal to treat all people equally. You realise the importance of being normal when you see the struggles these kids have to endure to perform the everyday tasks that we take for granted. Sat and chatted with them for a while and then played cricket with them, and then we were all treated to an amazing dance performance by the kids. One day at the centre and a lot of misconceptions and stereotypes removed. The idea of giving back to society has been playing in my mind for a long time now, but just hadn't found a channel to do so. Today probably was a start in the right direction. Hope to work towards a more tangible contribution for the less privileged members, having just realised that there are multiple avenues for doing so. It is just about finding out the right place and taking the time and effort to see what is the best possible option for you.

Thanking the kids for an absolutely wonderful and amazing day, a real eye opener !

Not something I will forget for quite a while. Time for some quiet introspection now and then some real work in this direction.

Bangalored....First Impressions

2009-06-14T13:40:00.001-04:00

May 24th, 2009. Today is the day I get officially Bangalored. Not maybe in the conventional sense of the term, but because of the fact that I start off my post MBA career in Bangalore. So, there I am all set to board the Jet Airways flight from the new Pune airport. To put this into context, I had the Kingfisher guys call me up a day before the flight telling me that the flight had been cancelled due to operational reasons, whatever the hell that means. That is when I guess my luck started changing for the better.

So here I am at the Pune airport, and as I reach the check-in counter, I realise that I have around 13 kgs of excess baggage. But surprisingly, and pleasantly refreshing for a change, the girl at the counter waives it off and I get to take in all of it without extra charges. Then after boarding the flight, me and another girl realise that both of us have been allotted the same seat in the aircraft. On getting to know of this, the cabin crew then takes both our boarding passes and a few minutes later they apologise and ask me whether I would be willing to shift to the Business Class. I thought long and hard, and after 2 full seconds I say yes and a Business Class seat is mine. The food and service obviously match the class and my first feeling was that the Bangalore part of my life has started off well.

Evening 3 pm and I land at the Bangalore (no, I am not calling it Bengalooru yet) Airport. The thoughtful guys that the planners are, they conveniently built the airport a good 65 kms from where I wanted to go. Not that it is close to any part of the city. Kind of kills all the fun of the flight journey as it takes me a little less than 2 hours to reach Electronic City. But the ride in the Volvo i pleasant enough and it doesn't take me long to confirm the fact that the Bangalore traffic has indeed improved a lot in the last one year. Bangalore the city has a kind of charm that you take to instantly (atleast I did) and I am beginning to like everything about the city. The last time I came to Bangalore was in April for a friend's wedding and that time I had come by train. You know you are down South, when huge 50-100 feet cutouts of actors and movie stills greet you wherever you go and you spot 4 theatres withing 10 minutes walking distance. The South knows its cinema and worships it. Period.

The Infy campus is one of the most beautiful that I have seen and they have thought of almost everything to make it comfortable, aesthetically neat and eco-friendly. Excellent rooms in the in house hotel and I vouch for the fact that this is one of the best places I have ever stayed in. A good start to my stint in the city and I hope it continues to be this way.

May 25th, 2009. I start off my post MBA career. Been a long time since I last worked full time in the corporate world. Looking forward to everything that this job will bring.

Posting here a little belatedly. Its been 3 weeks since I arrived here and I shall update this space with more soon.

Random Musings

2009-04-14T14:12:00.000-04:00

Went through the last few posts and this blog reads more and more like a travel blog. But then I would say that it is a fair reflection of what I have been doing over the last few months. A lot of ground has been covered, and what's more, my calendar says that I shall only be travelling a lot more in the near future. With still some time to go before I end up in Bangalore, I am back to reading again and also watching a few TV shows. Not a bad way to spend time I must admit. Will try and keep this space as updated as possible.

It is a completely different way of life now that the campus life is behind me and adjusting to this completely will still take some time. The thing I miss the most is the completely unstructured timings that I was used to back in IIM Calcutta, though it is not all for the worst. Being at home means adhering to and a certain amount of lifestyle changes are almost inevitable. Still miss the student life with its all night activities, the movies, the TV shows, footer volley and all the random things I used to do.

Finally got to see a bit of Calcutta when my family had come down for the convocation. Something that never happened inspite of 2 full years off stay in the city. Also, went to Sikkim and Darjeeling again, and still came away amazed at the stuff they have to offer.

Also looking forward to the IPL season 2. Was planning to watch a couple of matches in Bangalore, but now that won't be happening. The idiot box it will be for this year's extravaganza. Actually got up at 3.30 to watch the New Zealand-India Test series and felt pretty good about it too. Good to know that after all these years my interest levels in cricket remain high as ever. And yes, Sachin, Rahul, Laxman and Gambhir provided superb entertainment by deciding to fire in the same series, making it all the more memorable.

Lined up starting this weekend is another 2-3 weeks of non-stop travel, also hope to read more books in this period. Also addicted to my laptop a lot, and am yet to decide whether to lug it along on my trip. And yes, have enjoyed using the new Nikon Coolpix P80 camera. An awesome piece of work that, with it's 18X zoom and excellent battery life. A huge improvement over my Kodak point and shoot, which is now almost 2 & 1/2 years old and was my first digicam.

Things are changing, and most of it for the better.

Just graduated from IIM Calcutta..and feeling fantastic

2009-04-04T02:29:00.004-04:00

The title just about sums up perfectly what I have been feeling whole day long. An official ceremony to end it all and it could have gone better than it did. The convocation was an event that had been eagerly awaited by everyone on campus and true to form, it lived up to it's billing. Had KV Kamath as the Chief Guest and Ajit Balakrishnan as the presiding Chairman for the IIM Calcutta convocation held on campus today. Nothing though had prepared me for what really was a gruelling day. Knew that it would be a long and hard day, but at the end of the day I am ready to completely crash. But not before this one post, which I felt is best not delayed as part of my standard operating procedure. Also had my dad, mom and sis visiting the campus for the event. Got to show them around the campus, the only hassle being the fact that I was in formals and the campus is best covered in footwear that is somewhat more friendly on the soles. No real complaints though and at the end of the day, I have to admit that some things are just priceless. A once in a lifetime thing and one that shall be cherished for a long time to come. A perfect way to cap the best 2 years of my life, the convocation unfortunately also happens to signal the end of a lot of good things in life. I shall miss Joka, my wingies, the fun times, the unearthly waking hours, the Maggi and a lot of other random things.

Been a pleasure being a part of the Pi batch from 2007 to 2009. The "June mein hum Joka aaye" song will forever keep ringing in my ears. All the best to everyone from the Pi batch in all your future endeavours.

Keep in touch guys !!

Orissa Trip Part 3 - Konark

2009-03-13T09:54:00.001-04:00

New day, new place. This final day of the trip was for the Sun Temple in Konark. We started off again from our base in Puri, this time heading along the coast on the way. The Puri-Konark trip measured in time units is about 2 hours long. Stopped by at the beach just before the Sun Temple. This is supposed to be one of the more violent beaches and there are restrictions in place for the people. Wonderful view and one of the cleaner beaches I have seen, this is probably due to the fact that human interference has been limited. Next stop was the Sun Temple. A magnificent structure is how you would describe it at first glance. It was love at first sight for me, and the next 2 ½ hours that we spent exploring the place shall be definitely amongst the best ways I have spent my time. Designed in the shape of a giant chariot pulled by horses, the Temple has lost some of its sheen over the years with time taking its toll on parts of it. But none of that can take away from the beauty of the whole magnificent architecture and you just can’t stop marveling at the time and effort that has gone into the making of the Sun Temple. Every part of the temple has been carved with meticulous detail and artistry and each rock probably has a story to tell you. Countless photographs later, we finally had to force ourselves to get pout and head towards the bus. Needless to say, whatever description and praise of the place I try to fit in here will always fail to do justice to the whole thing. It is something that needs to be seen to be believed. And yes, one unique thing about this temple is that there are absolutely no restrictions on what can be carried inside. You are allowed to go in wearing footwear, but then this is not a conventional temple in the sense of the term.
On the way back to Bhubaneshwar, we also had a brief stopover at a Buddhist peace Pagoda in Dhauli. Built on the banks of the Dhauli river, it is again an eye catching structure. One of the many peace Pagodas built by Asoka, these stunning structures are a definite sight for sore eyes. Golden Buddha statues are installed on all sides and they have a white tower shaped structure. This was the last stop on the trip for us before we headed back to Bhubaneshwar station to take the train to Howrah. And get back to good old B-School life at IIM Calcutta.

Orissa Trip Part 2 - Puri & Chilika Lake

2009-03-13T09:46:00.006-04:00

After being done with BhitarKanika, the group of 4 split and while Nikhil and Divya headed back to Joka, Murari and yours truly began the second half of the Orissa sojourn. This leg of the trip was pretty much unplanned and we guys headed back to Bhadrak and booked tickets for travel in opposite directions. Then we got lucky and the open ticket to Bhubaneshwar gets converted to an AC ticket on the Janshatabdi and what’s more we decide to extend the tickets to Puri on the spur of the moment based on an inspired change of schedule. A few really peaceful hours of sleep later, we find ourselves at the Puri station. Getting down, we checked ourselves into one of the hotels on the beach and got ready in double quick time for the day’s sightseeing tour. The plan was to go to Chilika Lake and other assorted places on the way.

The trip started off and the first stop was the Alurnath Temple. A regular temple is what it was. Next was the Chilika lake and after a lot of anticipation we finally get there. Pertinent here is the fact that we were just back from a fabulous trip which exceeded every expectation that we had about the place. Here, we were really looking forward to a good boating trip and the sighting of the famous dolphins. The sight of the boats was an immediate downer moment and after travelling first class in BhitarKanika with a 35-seater boat rented for just the 4 of us, we were talking of two very different worlds here. Anyways, we began the boating and fairly soon we had our first dolphin sighting. Okay, not exactly a full sighting, because they just plain refused to get out of the water and we never really got to see the full dolphin. I guess the TV shows on national Geographic and Animal Planet build expectations way too high. Whatever be the reason, the whole affair was a big letdown. But even more disappointing for me personally was the complete absence of birds on what was supposed to be a hotspot for the feathered variety in Orissa. We stopped by an island close-by and it has an interesting legend about the temple that was built here for a princess, but then this interesting tidbit was told to me later. In spite of the fact that this might seem like a crib post, I would say that Chilika lake is still a must visit for the birds rather than the dolphins. We probably visited it at the wrong time, but preliminary research indicates that it is indeed worth visiting for the feathered friends.

Next stop was the famous Puri Jagannath temple. Not a part of the tour as such, it was more of a personal visit late in the evening. Was expecting a jam packed place, but it seems even the Gods like their off season and it was pleasantly manageable. After having handed over our mobiles and digicams, we entered the huge temple. Set on a 10 acre spread, the temple is set beautifully in an inner ring, outer ring type of setting with deities all over the place. It is one of those temples with a classical design, the kind I have seen in lots of places in South India. It is a temple and it shows every bit of the way. Odd description you might feel, but I guess you will understand when you complete reading this. Liked the place, a must visit is how I would rate it.

List of places I have been to...

2009-03-04T12:53:00.000-05:00

Here is a list of all the places I have visited post college. Tried to maintain a chronological order of sorts.

So here goes

1) Delhi
2) Agra
3) Dandeli (forest, sanctuary, rafting place...was really awesome)
4) Kolhapur
5) Lohagad/Temghar/ Sinhagad (Fraudy trips actually....all day trips from Pune)
6) Ooty
7) Mudumalai sanctuary (great place this, a must visit)
8) Nagaon (beach on the Konkan coast)
9) Matheran (hill station between Pune and Bombay)
10) Goa
11) Alibaug and Nagaon ( nice place..the walk to the fort is great)
12) Sunderbans (not really recommended)
13) Bhitarkanika Sanctuary and National Park (absolutely fabulous...a must visit)
14) Puri and Konark ( The Sun Temple is very nice)
15) Sikkim (beautiful locales again...the whole state is a delight)
16) Bhutan (fraudy again...was in Bhutan for a day, but could do nothing)
17) Sana Beach (near Digha on the East coast..worth a dekko)

Lined up next is one or 2 short trips once I am back in Pune and then a trip down South. Hopefully I shall be able to add to this list before the summer is over.

One last trip from Joka

2009-03-04T12:38:00.000-05:00

Looks like my last few posts have all been about leaving this place or about my trips here and there. Here's one more to the list. Just been packing to take back stuff home. Never realised that I had brought/bought so many things here. Packing is one of the most boring exercises, but will soon have to get used to this as a way of life I guess. And yes, I am planning one last trip from Joka before I head for home, that is good, old Pune. This one shall be to Darjeeling and maybe Kalimpong or one of the other nearby places from Siliguri.

Have covered a bit of the country over the past 3 years and I must say that every trip is a refreshing experience. Shall not be a student for long and this final Darjeeling thing almost materialized out of nowhere. I have hardly been the most regular soul when it comes to keeping track of things especially on my travels and this is reflected in the travel-travelogue mismatch on this site. Group of 10 this time round, and there shall be an account of this one soon. Also am planning to list down my trips in the last 3-4 years but that will be in the next post.

And Then It All Got Over !

2009-02-27T16:40:00.001-05:00

Time flies, and how ! Seems like just yesterday that I walked into IIM Calcutta and today 2 years, later I finally become an MBA. Just gave my last exam and then that was it. The two best years of my life are coming to an end and I will miss this place more than I can imagine. Still haven't been able to love Calcutta the city, but Joka is a different story altogether. The International Finance paper in the afternoon was the last paper here @ IIMC and then it all got over. Just like that. I had completed all the necessary requirements for my MBA. Results are awaited, but in your last term, they hold lesser significance than before. Things shall soon change and it will be back to the corporate world for good now. Infosys is where I shall begin my second innings and Bangalore is my next destination. But then, that is still sometime away. Shall miss these exams then. The crashers by the friendly neighbourhood whizkid, the night out desperately trying to study to stay afloat and then getting screwed in the paper anyways...all these and more shall be duly missed.

Today, our entire wing got together and decided to go out for a treat. Red Lounge was the chosen destination and it was one of the best nights in my two years here. Probably the nostalgia factor is clouding my judgment, but then that's how things will always be and should be. Drinks, dinner and dance were the items for the evening and all of us had a blast. I shall be staying on campus for a few more days, but things I guess will never be the same again :(

A little break with some travelling to a few places and rest at home should prove to be an ideal break before joining Infy. And that is exactly what I plan to do in the coming couple of months.

Shall be updating this space again soon !

Nostalgia

2009-02-12T15:48:00.003-05:00

For almost 2 years, this has been a home and it is now time to say good bye in a few days time. And I sure am getting nostalgic about the whole thing. How do you just leave a place that has hosted the 2 best years of your life? A place that has given me some of my best friends. A place that has become an integral part of you. Saying goodbye to everything here at Jokaland was never going to be easy. But until now, everything seemed a little distant and hence there was no need to contemplate much about the same. But the future has become the present and what was distant has now become real and near. It has been an awesome 2 years as a part of the Pi batch of 2009. And time to get nostalgic.

To sum it all up (best captured by one of the best selling T-shirts here)

7 Lakes

6 Terms

5 Blocks

4 Lecture Halls

3 Hostels

2 Years

1 Soul.... IIM Calcutta

And this is one soul I shall definitely miss !!

BhitarKanika - Just Plain Fabulous

2009-02-08T11:29:00.002-05:00

Been quite some time since I had been on a good trip and I wanted to set things right. The last trip was to Sikkim in November with little else happening after that. Also, there happened to be a lot of things happening in campus around this time right from CV making to placements. Anyways, after quite a bit of research through the Internet and friends, we decided that BhitarKanika is the place to go this time. And what a great decision it turned out to be. Four people for the trip - Murari, Nikhil, Divya and yours truly. The only apprehension was that it would turn out to be like the Sunderbans trip, a lot of hype and not much else to show.

The fears of it turning out to be a damp squib were entirely unfounded. A must visit place, this place is just plain fabulous. Imagine kilometres of lush green scenery and waterways entwined throughout the region. Add to it rich flora and fauna and you have just about scratched the surface of what this place has to offer. Reaching here takes a bit of travelling though. We took a cab to Howrah, a train to Bhadrak, a bus to Chandbali and finally a boat to Dangmal. The group size was also just about perfect, neither too many nor too few. The stay was booked at a place called "The Crocodile". Anyone who goes there will agree that it could not have been more aptly named.

Starting from the time we hired a boat for the ride to Dangmal, we spotted crocodiles all along the way. They say that this is the largest collection of salt water crocodiles and you will not be disappointed. After Sunderbans, where I failed to spot even a single one, this place was heaven. Not just crocodiles, you could also see a lot of picture perfect Kingfishers sitting on branches as you passed them, deer coming to have a drink in the water, monkeys and storks and a whole collection of birds which I did not recognize but were great just the same. And at the place where we were put up for the night things got even better. The service was good, but nothing compared to the other perks on offer.

A whole group of water monitor lizards, deers, monkeys and birds come down just outside the dining hall, used as they are to having been fed by the people there. Harmless and quite a sight, they were all used to people and we spent a long time just staring at them and clicking photos with them. And they also had a couple of big Indian pythons and baby crocodiles in cages and one more big crocodile at the place. Apart from all these, there also happened to be a superb 2.3 km nature trail, which was reason enough for me to shun my usual laziness, get up at 6 a.m have a splendid cold water bath and then briskly cover the full trail. It happened to be dotted with a lot of wooden pathways, some rickety and some not so rickety. And since I had the best gravitational pull in the entire group, I was chosen to lead the way. Except for a minor hiccup, the trail proved to be incident free.

Immediately after breakfast we decided to hire a boat and check out the BhitarKanika National Sanctuary. The first stop took us into another forest and with the weather being extremely pleasant, we had no problems whatsoever in taking a nice hike through a few kilometres of awesome tree lined trails. Here we sighted a lot of birds. The flying formation at the lake was truly a sight to behold. Divya, Murari and me also used the opportunity to become trigger happy again and tried our best to capture things as they were. Next stop was the Baga Gahan. Here there wasn't much except for a tower which offered a superb 360 degree view of the entire sanctuary and the water creeks criss-crossing the place. Back we went for lunch to Dangmal and this time we were treated to deers on our path, including a small one measuring no more than 2 feet. Infact they seemed to be posing for photographs. And then it was back to the boat again and with things getting hotter, we decided a round of poker could do no harm. Murari finally started losing and seemed to have regained his touch, which he had lost briefly by winning huge amounts earlier. Along the way, saw kingfishers, parrots, storks and birds of many different hues apart from the mandatory crocs and monkeys. The icing on the cake was towards the end with a couple of dolphins being sighted.

The only thing we probably missed were the Olive Ridley Sea turtles because of the constraints of our schedule, but then that is something that can be rectified soon enough.

Finally we reached Chandbali back again around 5 pm just as the sun was setting, capping 2 great days in the sanctuary. From here it was back to the station, where we split with Nikhil and Divya going back to Calcutta and me and Murari heading to Puri for the next part of the trip. That will be another post altogether.

This place was advertised as one of Asia's most spectacular wildlife destinations. And I completely vouch for the same.

Useful Info :
Getting There :
1) Train from Howrah to Bhadrak (4 hours)
2) Bus/Cab from Bhadrak to Chandbali (2 hours)
3) Boat from Chandbali to Dangamal (2-2.5 hours)

Best covered in a 2 day trip with a boat that can be hired for 1500 - 2000 bucks a day. Economies of scale are better if you are a bigger group.

Stay at the Sand Pebbles hotel. Highly recommended from my side. Good, clean rooms available at extremely reasonable prices with great food and service too. Added benefits would be the 'visitors' during lunch and dinner hours.

There and back again !

2009-02-07T15:54:00.003-05:00

Just came back to campus after a great 4 day trip to Orissa. Pretty hectic, but worth every moment of it. Was planning to come a day later, but kicked the plan at the last moment and decided to come back. Bhitar Kanika is just plain fabulous. Also visited the Puri Jagannath temple and the Sun Temple at Konark. Loved the Sun Temple actually. Was my usual trigger happy self again on this trip and have just too many photos now to be uploaded. Shall be sharing them as usual through Orkut, Facebook and Picasa.

The best part was that I am back to travelling again. Footloose and fancy free are how things should be and that is how it is now. Had been a lil while since I last travelled and was kinda itching to do it again. With this being the last term in campus and a relatively less loaded class schedule, there is more time to travel.

And yes, shall be updating this space soon with details about Bhitar Kanika, Puri, Konark and Bhubaneshwar. And...and...will also write about Sikkim soon.

Drifting Times...and the Beginning of the End

2009-01-15T09:46:00.001-05:00

There are certain times in life when you feel that things are just charting their own course with no assistance from us whatsoever. And worse, you are just too lazy to do anything about it. This is just one of those times. Probably because it is my last term here, but I guess that there is more to it than just that. I have to keep thinking of things to do here to keep me busy all day. I wish I were back to the good old days when there was so much to do and so little time to think. The days when there seemed to be less time than you wished. Still, this is not without it's accompanying perks as I am able to increase my list of movies watched and the endless amount of TV serials that Uncle Sam is excellent at churning out.

Thought that the least I could do was to capture everything that happens on a real time basis, but don't feel like doing that. Finally managed to pen down this good for nothing post on, well, nothing. Things shall and will improve soon and this is just one of those passing phases. Have quite a few loose ends to tie up on many fronts and that is the next item on the agenda to be taken care of. The small little things have added up to a sizable backlog all over.

And yes, I have less than 2 months to go at this wonderful place. And I am damn sure that this place is what I will miss more than anything else. The best 2 years of my life will soon be coming to an end and it will be time to say my goodbyes to everyone here. The Beginning of the End @ Joka is too close for comfort.

Life is Good...Damn Good

2009-01-03T15:14:00.002-05:00

Life is Good..Damn Good !!!

Nothing like IIM Calcutta !!

Those who know me will know what I am talking about :)

Make or Break

2008-12-18T17:14:00.003-05:00

My article in Business World. It's about life in IIM Calcutta. Check it out

http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/B-School/Make-Or-Break.html

The full text has been pasted below

Make Or Break

Why rigorous schedules of B-school is a love-hate relationship for some

Classes begin at an unearthly 8:30 a.m. and go on till late evening. Quizzes and assignments designed to keep you busy week whole long and then a few extra classes to top it all. Add to this projects and term papers which include trying to map the 4Ps of marketing to the last case study done in class or take a real world survey in Park Street to know what the common man thinks about your latest innovative idea.

All this makes sure that this poor soul in IIM Calcutta goes to sleep late at night (or is it early in the morning) at 4 a.m. And then the damned alarm goes off in the morning when you are absolutely sure that you have just about slept for a few minutes. Anything that gives you a break from 18-20 hour days is supposed to be pure, unadulterated fun, right?

Wrong. Dead wrong. And that is what I gathered in the week-long break from campus life. For those of you wondering as to which guy in his right senses would be saying this, allow me to offer you my take on the whole thing. The point is after a certain amount of time spent in a campus, you get used to a certain standard of living. And when the campus is one with awesome scenery (imagine 7 lakes in a 135 acre setting with tree-lined roads on both sides), you do tend to enjoy the whole experience.

Back home, even though you are given the royal treatment for coming home pretty infrequently, there is only so much one can do to keep busy. Enjoying a good 10 hours sleep and waking up late you eat a leisurely breakfast while going through the entire newspaper from end to end, starting with the sports page of course. And then try and answer a couple of mails and try and update your Facebook status.

Meeting friends is a task that is done within the first 2 days. These guys don't enjoy well timed breaks around this time, so here I am, twiddling my thumbs and wondering what to do next. This is exactly the kind of scenario that would never occur back at IIM Calcutta. You always have something or the other to keep you engaged. And to be fair, I would be lying through my teeth if I insist that B-School is all about academics. There are a lot more things that are worth your time and effort. For some of us, it is the game of footer volley (a variation of Sepak-Tekraw) which is the most popular game on campus. This is generally played all through the night with the players changing as and when they get free from other stuff. So don't be surprised if you walk into a hostel well past midnight and see a fully lighted quad hosting a game on in full swing. Others generally take their pick from tennis, badminton, TT, snooker, cricket or chess. We do have something for everyone here.

And Kotler, the friendly (and aptly named) neighbourhood hostel shop, sees soaring business with a bunch of guys and girls engaged in animated discussions on Obama becoming the next President of the US and its impact on the Indian economy over a cup of instant coffee. The midnight Maggi, without which MBAs will never be possible, is something that has become a habit for me over the last year and half. Then you have the various clubs on campus — be it the Finance, Marketing or Consulting — which again keep you awake. And the more exotic ones like the Lakeside Lens Lovers, our newest photography club, which sees some of its members staying awake to capture the perfect moment during sunrise on the Howrah Bridge replica on the lake front. Try staying awake a little into the night and the folks back home start wondering which planet we guys inhabit when we are away pursuing the great Indian MBA dream. Unlike back in hostel where the guy next door knocks your door at 3 a.m. to inform you that you will be taking part in the next big case study competition lined up for tomorrow.

There just isn't enough incentive to stay back home for one whole week. All said and done, I am waiting to get back to campus and enjoy the last term that I shall have on campus. Waking up to an 8:30 morning class is any day preferable, after all.

The Reading Habit

2008-12-09T14:25:00.001-05:00

Or rather the lack of it these days. Though not exactly dying, it does seem to be on the decline. No, I am not talking about the world. I am no flag waving torchbearer for the same. I don't give a damn about whether other people read or not, though I appreciate people with refined tastes. I was talking about myself. The number of books that I average each month has been on a steady decline, even though it is still well above the world average. And it kinda coincides with the time I started my MBA. For a big time reader like me, the signs are not too encouraging

Something that I hope is not irreversible. There were a few positive signs during my summer internship in April- May. I bought and read 12 books. But then, I had decided that I would not take my laptop to Mumbai. Needless distraction is all that it is, and the best part is that it actually worked. More often than not, on my way back from office, I ended up buying books from the roadside. The Bombay booksellers at Fort/ Churchgate have quite a decent collections of books to keep one more than interested. And the best part is that they stock authors who may not be the most popular guys around. And then back at IIM Calcutta, I decided to visit College Street once and bought a few books again. Even promised myself that I would visit the place again soon. But the best laid plans just go awry.

A hectic life is not the problem. Even an MBA is not a good enough reason, which leaves one other thing. The only logical explanation that I can come up with is that hostel life is not exactly conducive to reading, at least in my case. And the main distraction is the laptop, which ensures that I spend a lot of my free time mindlessly surfing the Internet. A habit I am not going to be able to give up anytime soon. All is not lost yet though. Have 2 books on hand and they seem pretty interesting too. One is "Liar's Poker" by Michael Lewis. Currently reading that. Good stuff about Wall Street and the investment banking profession. The other one is Rashmi Bansal's
"Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish", which is about entrepreneurs from a Well known Institute of Management in Western India. And yes, my copy has an autograph from one of the entrepreneurs featured.

I promise to improve my monthly reading average when I head back to Joka after the break, which has been a welcome one for me. This is a promise I would love to keep and one that might not be all that difficult to fulfil.

Feels Like Home

2008-12-06T13:35:00.003-05:00

Saturday morning, 6:55 a.m at Pune Station. Just alighted from the train (which was dot on time) and took in the sights and sounds. Felt good to be back here. Really good. There are places where you can get around by just having a feel of the place. You can move around on auto-pilot without any fear of being lost whatsoever. A place called home. The sights and sounds just come back to you and you feel as if you have never been away. In my case it was a case of coming back after just 3 months. All that jazz about change being the only constant remains just that. Jazz. The more things change, the more they remain the same. Irrespective of the number of changes around you, it is almost always a sense of déjà vu when you get back. And being back in my favourite city feels like no other. The ubiquitous auto driver trying to make a quick buck at the station by telling me how far my house actually is in as convincing a tone as he possibly can manage. And my reply reminding him that I still remember where I stay better than he does. The number of potholes has definitely gone down though. And I have the Commonwealth Youth Games to thank for that I suppose. The traffic I am sure would not have changed much, that much I am pretty sure of. But then, on a quiet Saturday morning, it is not exactly something to complain about. Getting my hands on my bike and being able to ride it after a forced break back in Joka feels just about awesome. The good old Caliber is still the same. I am going to be moving a lot in the coming week, that's for sure. Meeting up with old friends all gone their separate ways is an unavoidable and welcome routine that never changes. Will get to meet a lot of people this time round, except for my KPIT gang. Not much else to do this week, except tie-up a couple of loose ends. My idea of a perfect week.

A place called home. A city called Pune. One and the same. One that I consider mine.

Jinxed, Stuck, Stranded, Luckless

2008-10-14T00:32:00.003-04:00

We had a 10 day break on account of Durga Puja and instead of the usual trip back home, I decided to go to Sikkim and Bhutan. What follows next is an account of how messed up a trip can be when misfortune meets lack of planning. So here goes the story.

First up, try as we might we could not get the train tickets from Calcutta to Siliguri (the starting point for the North East trip). So, 8 of us had to then book tickets in a bus. The bus was modern by Calcutta standards, which means rickety, creaky and with a suspension that had stopped working ages ago. Combine this with the evenly potholed roads for the rest of the journey and you have an unbeatable combination that cannot be rivalled on the comfort scales. Finally at around 8 p.m. the bus gets going and the journey is officially on. A decent 1 and 1/2 hour into the journey, we reach Singur. Yes, the one and only place made famous by Mamata Banerjee. There a few kindly souls decided to protest against the car project by torching a few buses/trucks, followed by a blockade of the roads. This leads to a nice long line of vehicle on the State Highway. After being stuck there for more than an hour, we finally decided to chuck that particular route and headed back to Calcutta to try an alternative route. No problems here, except that the route now chosen was way longer than the original one. So, instead of us reaching Siliguri at 8 in the morning, we slowly rolled in at 3.30 in the afternoon. A delay of just over 7 hours. On the way, somewhere in Bihar/ Jharkhand (I don’t remember exactly where), there was an accident and the local people staged a flash road block, delaying things by a further one hour. And yeah, did I mention the condition of the roads? Well, lets just say that we flew for most of the journey, thanks to the roads scattered between potholes and the state of the art bus suspension system.

Finally, finally we reach Siliguri and try to book a couple of cabs for the next leg of the journey to Bhutan. We keep going al over the place trying to find cabs, but it would have been easier to try searching for snowfall in the Sahara. In the end, we did manage to get 2 cabs for a price that definitely would let the owners take a couple of days off without any noticeable drop in income.
Next, we reach Jaigaon (the border town adjoining Bhutan) and camp there for the night, with conflicting versions that the roads inside Bhutan will be closed for the next 2 days. As you would have realized by now, we started off at a time and place which ensured with full guarantees that the trip will be one to remember. Next day morning, quite early I must say, we get into Bhutan and fill out the papers required to get permission. In between we kept flitting in and out of the country. I must have made around 3-4 trips to Bhutan that day. Anyways, after remaining in the office whole day admiring the furniture, we were finally told that there has been a landslide and that we will not be allowed to travel to Thimphu, the capital and the next point in our journey. And the guide also conveniently informs us that the next day all roads will be closed for maintenance, so it will be 2 more days of twiddling our thumbs. Frustrated beyond description, we decided to chuck the Bhutan leg of the trip and planned for the Sikkim part of it only.

Early next day, we leave for Gangtok in Sikkim and the journey is a relatively comfortable one, if you leave out the fact the vehicle had a flat tyre before the journey even started and one more on the way. This meant that we again had to change vehicles midway, but by now we were almost used to it and no one even complained. Next day, we planned a trip to the famed Nathula and everyone was ecstatic with the change in fortunes. But short lived was what it was. The passes weren’t available and we were allowed to proceed only upto Baba Mandir, which was just short of the Nathula pass. And when the journey began and we had made our way up the hills completing a major part of the journey, there was the friendly neighbourhood landlslide that ensured that the journey did not go much beyond the scenic Tsomga Lake at 12500 feet. With the rains also making a perfectly timed entry, we were freezing and had to do some impromptu shopping for warm clothes to survive there.

To sum it all up, there were a couple of other things that made us believe the trip was definitely jinxed, but they were relatively minor in comparison. Also, we ended up paying exorbitant rates for most of the trip, especially in Sikkim. The good news is that, thanks to us, this has ensured that the Sikkim economy is now on one way spiral upwards and not even the subprime and the global financial crisis can do anything to get Sikkim off its new growth story. We also ended up proving right all but two of Murphy’s Laws, and have applied for an award for the same.

P.S. - If you think that this has been written in an extremely cynical way, I agree with you. For the things that did go right and there were quite a few of them, watch out for my next post. There I shall describe the best parts about the trip and how our luck finally turned around. Also, why Sikkim is definitely worth a visit and more !

The Calutta Metro, College Street and a Few Other Things...

2008-09-11T15:55:00.001-04:00

Been a lot more than a year since I came to Calcutta and I must confess that I have hardly moved around the city. Decided that things would change this time round and am determined to ensure that it happens. Somehow, Park Street was all that we managed to go most often to in the first year. And just a couple of other places, apart from the long drive to the airport once in 3 months.

Went to the Hyatt the other day for a party and it would rank midway on my enjoyment scale at best. Then yesterday, me and Nikhil decided to go to College Street or Book Street as it is called in popular parlance. And it was also decided that the mode of transport would not be the regular yellow cabs that we have come to use for every trip outside campus. Joka, not exactly being in the heart of the city, does have its disadvantages. And it was one of the best trips outside campus that I have been on in a long time. We took a couple of ricks to reach the closest Metro station. And from there the famed Calcutta metro took us in 20 minutes flat to our destination. They say that you can set your watch using the metro and it is hardly an exaggeration. Extremely reliable and convenient, is the metro.

Got down at MG Road and walked it to College Street. Though a little late in the day, we did manage to find a few bookshops open. It was almost deja vu for me as I went about checking the assorted collection of books, though visiting the place late in the evening isn't really the best of options. Deja vu not because I had been to the place before but because it reminded of my summer internship in Mumbai where I went on a book buying spree. The fact that I did not take my laptop to Mumbai helped a lot though. As we started buying a few books, the shopkeepers respect for us shot up a notch or two as there was this one guy who opened up his shop again and showed us the books he had. Pretty considerate of him to have done so, I must say. And it felt really nice to indulge in some good old street side haggling. That is one of the other charms of buying from the street as opposed to a bookshop, the cost of buying in a branded bookstore being another. Not that I don't like the shopping ambience at the bookstores, it's just that I would have gone bankrupt long ago if I had bought the new and original editions of all the books I have read.

Clive Cussler, Arthur Hailey, Wilbur Smith. Ken Follet and a couple of new authors later, we sought out the other reason we had been there. The Coffee House. Part of many Bengali movies and books, it is a part of history. We had heard a lot about the intellectual discussions that happen here over a cuppa chai. And once we entered the place we kind of realised why it is so. We had a few tables occupied by people engaged in discussing art and books among other things.

All done and a couple of places ticked in my list, we traced back the route we came and returned to Joka. Hopefully the josh levels will remain intact and I will be seeing more of Calcutta.

A long post by my standards, but just felt like writing again today.

Will keep this space updated!

Things shall change

2008-08-12T08:26:00.003-04:00

Its been almost four and a half months since my last post. I shall revive the blog soon. Be a little more regular with my posts. Update it more frequently. I promise. Just like so many other things.

Watch this space for more. Just incase I decide to make good on my promise.

Why don't good intentions ever translate into good work?

Boredom sets in

2008-03-27T02:12:00.000-04:00

Coming back after a hectic two weeks on campus to unlimited rest is what you think is the ideal situation. Eat, sleep and enjoy yourself lazing around is what would normally be termed the good life. I agree, but not if it stretches for more than a week. Being on campus there is always something or the other to keep you engaged. You are done with the usual rounds of meeting up with all friends, which happens as soon as you are back home. After that there is nothing, I repeat nothing, to keep you engaged.

Same is the case with me now. And hope I snap out of it soon. The boredom does get to me. One thing that I cant get out of my system. Read 3 books in the past 7 days. Felt good, but it is not like the days of old. Cant really put a finger on what has changed. Maybe it really is the MBA. Never thought that it would happen. Me changing I mean and getting bored so soon. Always been someone who could do absolutely nothing and still enjoy it. Not anymore.

A post for nothing. See what I mean.

The times, they are a'changing.

The year that was...

2008-03-16T14:27:00.000-04:00

One year @ IIM Calcutta. Time to take a rain check. A roller coaster ride is what the whole year has been. And today as I write this, I am not alone in feeling that the entire year has just sped by without knowing how. So many things have happened since June 2007, which was the first time I set foot on Jokaland. It has been a whirlwind of activity whole year round and yet it feels just yesterday that I arrived on campus.

Also, the fact that we will no more be the facchas when we will be back in June puts things in a whole new perspective. The 43/13 batch has done its time and will soon bid farewell. Convocation day and they will formally bid farewell. Thanks a lot for everything that you guys have done and all the best for your future!!

The last couple of weeks especially has been a blur. The sleepless nights in the infra room with one day stretching into another has been an awesome experience. You really get to know the limits to which you can push yourself when you want to. Running backup was never so much fun.

Chapter I is over and done with. Will soon be beginning a new chapter in a couple of months time.

A sense of deja vu as it will be " June mein hum Joka aayein..." all over again.

A short post and I promise myself that I will be more regular in the future. But the cynic in me says "Yeah, rite".

Intangible Takeaways

2007-12-23T17:44:00.000-05:00

At many points, I have had this feeling that the workload will slightly go down a bit in the near future. And every time I have been proved wrong. And it hasn't even been a close call. Been hopelessly mistaken. First came the elections, then all the media related work and now am trying hard to get things rolling smoothly. December and January have so many things happening at the same time, you could almost be forgiven for playing favourites. So many things, so little time. I bet I am not the only person wanting 28 hours in a day to get that scarce commodity generally referred to as sleep.

It is these intangibles that are the biggest takeaways from here. Formal learning is but a small part of the learning experience, just like in real life. Something the cynics of the outside world will never realize.

Am penning all this at an unearthly (or is it?) 4 am in the morning.

B-School is fun. It really is.

The signing ceremony and the breakfast

2007-11-20T12:24:00.000-05:00

The last couple of days has been one helluva roller-coaster ride for me here at Calcutta. After having become a banker courtesy the summer placement process, I was lending a helping hand to the process and it sure does get hectic. Sleep became the first casualty as a result of this. A lil over 3 hours sleep in 42 hours is something less than what I am normally used to, even by B-school standards.

Once the entire batch was placed, it was time for the signing out ceremony of the summers process, the culmination of it all. Having decided to go out for dinner, we were more than halfway through to the city when we got the message asking us to get back to the campus. And I sure would never have forgiven myself if I had missed the ceremony. Not something just to be described, it needs to be experienced. An awesome end to an awesome process, one that had been executed with the kind of precision and smoothness that would have made a Swiss watchmaker feel proud. The place for the ceremony was the Audi and it was one of those times where you generally feel happy, regardless of your personal interest.

Then we had a party on campus to celebrate and around 3 ' o clock in the morning we had this brainwave to go and watch the sunrise at the famed "Howrah Bridge" . So, off we set out for Howrah on 3 bikes ( 6 of us wingies). Didn't know Kolkata gets this cold in winter, but we soon found out and there we were at around 4.45 - 5 in the morning. The famed "Howrah Bridge" which has been used for umpteen movies was where we were waiting to watch the sunrise. This was supposed to be one of "the" things to do in Calcutta. And trust me, it was an unforgettable experience.

Then we went straight to the Taj Bengal for breakfast. Good food after a long long time. Thoroughly enjoyed it. First time in a five star hotel with me paying. A long, long day definitely but one I could go through again. Hit the sack the minute I got back. Slept for 12 hours. Slept like a log. And finally woke up to write this.

Sarcasm and Dark Humour

2007-11-09T00:53:00.000-05:00

Some things in life are hard to give up. Especially if you have been doing it for as long as you can remember and you rather enjoy it. Enjoy is not the right word here. Rather, its a way of life for me. Reading and humour. That's what I am referring to. Make that reading and dark humour. For those of you who are wondering as to why on earth is this guy rambling on about two unconnected things, let me explain.

The other day I was reading an Alistair McLean novel, "Way to Dusty Death". I simply love the guy and his writing style. The common element in quite a few of his books is the hero or the protagonist. A calm, cynical, competent guy devoted to his work who battles against seemingly unbeatable odds and usually comes out trumps. My connection with the books ends with the humour part, because I am not half as competent as the lead characters in those books and nowhere as resourceful. The humour in his books is a little obscure and more than a little dark. Also, noticeable in his books is a marked lack of sex and romance, making the story fast and without distractions, but that is something best covered elsewhere. Clive Cussler also has a lot of dry humour in his books, especially the Dirk Pitt ones.

And yeah, coming back to the humour part, I guess that's one of the reasons I am such a big fan of his. Practising the same brand of humour for so long a time, that it is now an integral part of me. People say it probably runs in my blood, but I think it is just practice and something that has been perfected over the years. I must confess here that the sarcasm is normally quite sharp and more than what might be called a few have taken offence. Not that I care too much, but its just that for people who matter and know me well, they realize that the offence is incidental and not intentional. As far as the rest of them are concerned, I have neither the time nor the inclination to set the record straight.

Reverting back to my usual immodesty, I must say that the number of people affected are far less than it should have been. Sarcasm just passes right through most of the people (research says sarcasm misses 7 out of 10 people), making their life so much more tolerable to themselves.

And here is one of my favourite quotes to sign off with " Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege."

P.S. - I just remembered, today happens to be Diwali, and I shall be celebrating it on campus.
Happy Diwali !

No More !

2007-09-14T05:58:00.000-04:00

No more staying awake throughout the night studying for the next exam. No more ordering Maggi (what would B-Schoolers do without this?) at 3' o clock in the morning. No more trying to catch 40 winks during the day trying to compensate for lost sleep. No more worrying if the previous paper was as bad as this one ( or was it the other round?). No more trying to figure out what the hell is meant by Chebychev's Inequality or desperately trying (and failing) to fit in multiple linear regression lines or trying to figure out various Game Theory payoffs (Yes, the Nash kind) at midnight.

No more of all this. For the next one week at least.

Term 1 has come to an end. And I have survived.

Questions

2007-09-09T08:58:00.000-04:00

Is there such a thing as a point of no return?
How much effort does it take to turn things around?
Who is John Galt?

India Rocks !

2007-09-06T02:20:00.000-04:00

India beat England with just 2 balls to spare in a high voltage chase that saw them chase down 316 in incredible fashion. Watched quite a bit of the match. Kind of difficult to resist watching cricket, exams or no exams. Infact the whole hostel, well almost, had turned up to watch the final few overs of the match. Life here is not just about academics, it seems after all.

Was great to see the whole room go up as one when Uthappa struck the final boundary!

It was even better to see the old firm of Sachin and Sourav turn on the charm and the style in a rollicking opening partnership. I sincerely hope the talk of Sachin quitting ODIs is not true, considering the way he is playing right now.

And as the folks here in IIM Calcutta would say, let the final match andozzzz....

After effects of CV writing

2007-08-31T11:33:00.000-04:00

After making a CV to project yourself to the outside world, you suddenly realize that things are no more the same. Funny, how even the most innocuous of things are dramatically magnified to the best possible extent. It is not lying, it is just creative story telling and there is a very fine line separating the two. You could probably draw parallels between exaggerating and lying. Only an expert would know where exactly the line needs to be drawn. For the reader, it is one huge task trying to differentiate fact from fiction:))

A few examples of how you learn to better your writing skills, while simultaneously working on selling yourself in the best possible manner:

1) Before : You ask a friend to do something for you
After : You coordinate with your partner to get the task accomplished.

2) Before : I spoke to him
After : I communicated clearly and concisely with him

3) Before : Developed a new tool to reduce time
After : Conceptualized, designed and developed an ingenious tool to drastically reduce the time involved and significantly enhance productivity.

Communicate, lead, execute, disseminate, generate, restructure etc etc are some of the catch words you use as it is commonly perceived to get the reader's attention.

I could go on and on, but I suppose you get the idea or rather the drift of my thought process, to put it in CV speak. All these are a part of the transformation process that happens when you are doing an MBA from one of the best institutes. It is things like these that contribute to the overall development apart from the regular education that happens through attending classes and doing assignments.

Now you know what goes into honing and polishing your skills as a future business leader!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2007-07-24T03:40:00.000-04:00

I finally managed to read the last installment of the Harry Potter series and I have loved it. Here's a brief review. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" lives up to the expectations of almost all fans. In fact, I am yet to come across someone who has not liked it. The books starts off at a furious pace and manages to maintain it throughout. This book is mostly about Harry, Ron and Hermione and they are kind of omnipresent throughout.

And yes, the book is probably the darkest of the series, what with Voldemort out in full force with his supporters. The trio go about the task of seeking out horcruxes and destroying them. I wont give away what the Deathly Hallows are, but rest assured that it is explained very well in the book. It finally has Harry coming of age and assuming his rightful place in the war against the dark forces. The transition happens suddenly and it is extremely delightful to see him take charge. This part is probably one of the two highlights of the book, the other being the finale, where the much awaited face off occurs. Harry then moves ahead with a renewed sense of purpose and from then on it is one mad race against time to destroy the horcruxes.

Maintaining the pace for over 700 odd pages would have been a daunting task for any author, but Rowling not only manages that beautifully, but actually surpasses expectations quite a few times. There are quite a few shades of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and something akin to the Da Vinci Code in the Quest that they have to undertake. But then Harry's world still has a charm of its own. You will also see quite a few questions being answered. There was the Half Blood Prince, which had set up everything for the final showdown. The Deathly Hallows takes over from there and never really lets up.

The last part keeps moving between the past and the present and also between Harry and Voldemort as the connection between Harry and Voldemort keeps getting stronger and stronger. Rowling manages to tie up most of the loose ends, but a few questions still remain. The finale is really awesome, with Harry having to make decisions at every turn. Without giving away the ending, lets just say that The ending will appeal to most fans, in spite of all the speculation that has been going on for almost two years now over what the end will be like.
The final episode is probably a little thin on the plot, but that is more than made up for by the superb pace and the answers to almost everything that we had been waiting for.

A must read for everyone, get your hands on a copy as soon as possible. You will not be disappointed.

To sum it up in just two words, Rowling rocks!!

Temporary break from blogging

2007-07-18T03:27:00.000-04:00

Haven't had the chance to post anything for almost a month. Probably due to the fact that life at a B-school takes up a lot of time or just that I am plain lazy. The truth probably lies somewhere in between and it is a combination of the two. Anyways, will try and get back to a more regular routine as I learn to manage time better. No guarantees though!

Will be posting something about life at IIM Calcutta soon..

Unemployed but Fully Occupied

2007-06-13T04:00:00.000-04:00

It's been just 3 days since I was relieved from the company, but it seems more like a lifetime. Thought I will finally be free to do nothing (something that I am very proficient at), but looks like life affords me no such luxuries. Time seems to be just whizzing by and before I know it the day is over. Considering that I will be leaving Pune next week, I should ideally be getting everything in order for that. But no, meeting friends and saying my goodbyes takes a whole lot more time than anticipated. But then, these things also cannot be avoided for sure.

And yes, I almost forgot. I have to get back to the basics of everything I have learned in Mathematics right from school through college. Whoever thought that doing an MBA would mean going back to all the stuff learnt and forgotten over the years. Unbelievable, but I am actually getting back to calculus and stuff. And even more surprising, I am actually enjoying it. Lets hope the enthu level remains the same for the next 2 years.

The "to do" list is now over a mile long and growing. Hopefully I will be able to complete everything by Tuesday. But at the current rate of work, I doubt it. True to form, it is going to be one mad dash on the last day. Nothing like the last minute to tie up all the loose ends.

Goodbye

2007-06-08T03:05:00.000-04:00

It is my last day in KPIT Cummins today. Been over 2 years since I joined the company. Am logging out of the software industry as well for now.

Time to say my goodbyes now.

Goodbye Pune.

Goodbye KPIT.

Goodbye Ameet, Amruta, Denila, Devi, Ketan, Ketan, Kunal and Reva.

Been a great time with you all this while.

Will miss ya all. Keep in touch guys!!

Bye,
Krish

Pune Departure : 19th June
Calcutta Arrival : 21st June

One Week To Go...

2007-06-03T00:41:00.000-04:00

With just a week to go before I move out of the software industry, everything seems a bit surreal. In another 5 days, I will move from being a software programmer and join the ranks of the "educated unemployed" . Or to put it more correctly, "the being educated unemployed". The company now has a strange kind of attachment towards me or is it the other way round or is it that I am just imagining things? Some things can never be answered completely I guess.

Never thought that I will miss the everyday routine, but it seems that I will. There are also quite a few things that I will relish not doing, one of them being made to account what I did every hour:)) No more billing the client and no more worry about having to complete 40 hours a week.

I think the frequency of my posting here will also decrease if all that they say about days at IIMC stretching well into the night are true. Will try my best to keep this space updated from Calcutta as well.

Signing off for now. This is my last week in the near future with a regular job. Come next weekend, and my status changes to "unemployed'. Really looking forward to that...

Bitten by the Travel Bug...

2007-05-09T06:00:00.001-04:00

I belong to that typical breed of homo sapiens who think more and do less. This used to be true at least as far as travelling was concerned. Inspite of having a travel wishlist that is over a mile long, I never really got around to visit any of the places. It is only in the last one year or so that I have actually had the chance to move around a bit. Though I still haven't done enough to be called a frequent traveller, I have not been completely idle either.

The places I have covered over the past one year include Lohagad (a fort near Pune, requires a trek) , Ooty in the south, Dandeli (Went river rafting here), Matheran (a hill station) and Nagaon (a beach on the Konkan coast).

That still leaves a whole lot of other places to cover. As they say, so many places and so little time. Life is so unfair:)) I will be in Calcutta for the next 2 years and hopefully will try and manage to get away from the busy schedule to explore the eastern part of India. Having never been to that side, I really am looking forward to it.

Having travelled to a few places last year, I found it to be a pretty good way to break away from the monotony of the regular routine that is otherwise known as the software industry. Yes, I happen to be yet another software engineer working in yet another software company. Travelling is something which lets you explore different places and things and it is quite addictive. If you are the kind that happens to be passionate about exploring places, you would know exactly what I mean.

"Bitten by the travel bug" it is said. And in my case, it is a perfect case of "Once bitten, never shy"

Made it to IIM Calcutta

2007-04-30T02:19:00.000-04:00

April 27th was and will remain a red letter day in my life. It was when the IIM results were finally out after the reservations imbroglio. (My sister keeps reminding me that it also happens to be her birthday). And when the results finally came in, it was not me but a friend who did the honours for me. Georgie, you deserve a treat for this. When I got to know that I had made it to IIM Calcutta, the first thing that I noticed was that my hands were shaking. And it stayed that way for quite sometime.

As the news finally sunk in, I was on cloud nine. And my feet refused to walk on terra firma for a while. Almost everything else in the world seemed insignificant at that time. And then the other results came in one by one. Realised that I had made it to IIM K and IIM I as well. And that IIM A and IIM L rejected me. But I couldn't have cared less at that time. Joka was what mattered the most.

If you feel this piece sounds like I am publicising the fact that I have made it to Joka, then you are absolutely right. Modesty does not happen to be my middle name and this is one achievement that I am extremely proud of. Infact, I have never felt better in my life.

I keep telling myself that the spring in my step and the swagger in my stride have nothing to do with my making it to Joka, but the image in the mirror thinks otherwise :))

P.S. I forgive IIM A. I forgive IIM L. I forgive XLRI. I forgive them all. I feel like God.

Why I Blog?

2007-04-20T06:14:00.000-04:00

Flashback to Oct 2006 when I wrote my first blog. I had registered this particular blog name ( Note that it is rather unimaginatively named) quite some time before that, but never got around to actually posting anything on it. At that time blogging was the "in" thing and it was the most logical thing to do ( or so it seemed at that time). I had just come back from a trip to Dandeli and had decided that I would write something about it.

Some guys feel that I started blogging to have my 15 minutes of fame, but I vehemently deny this. When I started, I was looking at something more lasting than just 15 mins:) But unfortunately, my blog did not exactly set the world on fire ( as I secretly expected it to) and the readership it garnered was unlikely to threaten any of the top blogs. But then I thought, what the hell!, this is my page and has my views on it and I will be damned if I let mundane things like the popularity affect whether I continue posting or not. I still hope that the viewership improves (else I will have to change my tracking software.. It just refuses to detect the actual number of people visiting)

On a more serious note, here's why I blog

1) Because I want to
2) I have actually started liking it
3) It is addictive
4) Its a place where I can pen down my thoughts on various topics without any kind of censorship (I think the concept of the blogging code of conduct is foolish and quixotic)
5) My writing has improved (OK, that's just my personal opinion)

I now don't care as to whether this blog is rated as good, bad, poor, excellent etc. And do I play to the gallery? Of course I do, but once in a while. Mostly, its just random rambling as yours truly is not too bothered about what the world thinks of him. Call it indifference, call it nonchalance....I don't care. This is the way I have been and this is the way I shall be.

A Few Of My Favs...

2007-04-15T16:00:00.000-04:00

Just thought that I would come out with a list of my favourites...All the lists are subject to change as and when I feel like it...

Movies

(I do like watching Hindi and Tamil movies, and am not too much of a English movie buff)

1) Life is Beautiful
2) DDLJ
3) Andaz Apna Apna
4) Anbe Sivam (Tamil)
5) Swades

Ads

1) Pepsi "Nothing Official About It" 1996 campaign (Absolutely rocking one)
2) Suzuki Samurai " No Problem"
3) Amul (Perennial Favourite)
4) Bajaj Auto (Don't know how they do it, but they come up with really cool ads)
5) Hutch

Authors

Am into fiction big time, so don't expect Stephen Covey and the like over here)

1) Robert Ludlum (A pity he is no more)
2) JK Rowling (Harry Potter !!! Need I say more)
3) Clive Cussler ( For the adventures and awesome humour)
4) JRR Tolkien (It doesn't get better than the Lord of The Rings)
5) Ayn Rand ( Does she make you think????)

Will be editing this post as and when I find something worthwhile to rank...

Reservations...

2007-04-11T02:45:00.000-04:00

A topic close to my heart, for all the wrong reasons though!! I thought all that could be said about this has been over and done with, but no!, it seems to come back with a renewed vigour each time. This time the reason being the stay on the OBC reservation implementation by the Supreme Court, which has left the government all nervous. And the reason for me coming up with this piece is because as of now I also happen to be an aggrieved party, what with the results of the IIMs being frozen till further notice.

Though I do support reservations in principle, the way the governments of the day have gone about implementing it does not seem to inspire much confidence in even the most sympathetic. What was once envisaged by Dr. Ambedkar to lend a helping hand to the downtrodden has now become a tool in the hands of unscrupulous politicians to garner votes before every election. And for this I feel that each and every part is to be blamed, for not one of them has come forward to oppose such blatant misuse of legislative power. And the government has now gone on record saying that reservations will go ahead this year come what may.

The reason for my anguish is the fact that reservations, if they continue unabated the way it is right now, may well divide the country like never before. As someone, who has decided to remain in India, be it for studies or work, a kind of disillusionment sets in when something like this happens. Having argued relentlessly in favour of India time and again, I feel let down by what's happening around me right now. And the way the political parties are behaving after the Supreme Court questioned the logic of using a 75 year old survey to implement the OBC quota does make you question the future of India as an emerging superpower. Also, the Congress opposing a fresh census saying it will divide the country was a bit rich, considering that they were the ones who started this controversy in the first place.

Two wrongs do not make a right and that is exactly what is happening now. While affirmative action is most welcome in some cases and absolutely necessary in some, that does not means reservation to entire castes/communities is the right thing. And considering that reservations seem to benefit only the well-off(except in very rare cases), it does make sense to scrap reservation for the creamy layer. This is especially true for the urban creamy layer , because they are at no disadvantage whatsoever vis-a-vis the rest of the population. One can make out a strong case for affirmative action in the rural areas, where oppression is real and targetted at the lower class, but not elsewhere.

Finally, the fact remains that for India to make progress, it has to be a meritocracy. This means having the best people for the best jobs and positions. Anything else would be a travesty of justice and the best people would simply go abroad instead of staying back here and being treated like a second class citizen in their own country.What this means is that while reservations do help, in cases like Tamil Nadu, where there is already 69% reservation and there are plans of increasing it by a further 10%, it leaves one with a feeling that the government is playing Robin Hood by robbing Peter to pay Paul.

P.S. : I still think that all is not lost and eventually we will see a better India. I still feel that this is the place where I can make a difference and my resolve to stay in India has not diminished yet. I do hope that the time will come when reservations are slowly phased out and then eliminated altogether (though I don't see it happening anywhere in the near future). I hope that I don't have to choose the lesser of two evils every time I go to vote and that one day the
politicians will look beyond themselves and put the country before self.

Here's hoping that the future will be better!

My IIM Indore Interview

2007-03-09T19:00:00.000-05:00

Date : 8^th Mar

Venue : Mumbai

A guy and a lady on the panel

Just 6 people in our group. Only 20 out of 24 turned up, so we were split into groups of 7, 7 and 6.

Case : Rohit starts a cellular service company by paying 100 lacs as the license fees. The govt has now given licences to everyone in the circle. So, the big players have come in and competition has increased. Rohit has not met his financial obligations and the company is not doing too well right now. He has a team of 250 members of whom half are high performers and he has recently given them a hike. Apart from him no one knows the state of affairs of the company. They might leave if they come to know of the financial situation. He knows that the company is going to come out of the current situation, but he also needs to retain the employees. What should he do?

The GD was quite good with everyone getting a lot of airtime and was more or less cordial. We were given 5 mins to think, 12 mins to discuss and 5 mins to write the summary.

The Personal Interview

Guy (G) , Lady (L) and Me

Walked in and wished both of them.

G : Starts off with the question of why I shifted from the manufacturing sector to the software sector

Me : Blah blah blah… ( Was expecting this so had a well prepared answer and was quite convincing)

G : What was your role in Bharat Forge?

Me : Was in the Production line. Then gave the details of what I was doing, which part of the line I was handling etc…

G : Since you are mechanical engineer, lets try a few questions on that…..

Me : Sure, sir

G : What's the third law of thermodynamics?

Me : blah blah

G : First Law of Thermodynamics ?

Me : blah..blah…

G : Explain the Carnot cycle w.r.t reference to the first law

Me : Explained this part well with a diagram and all

G : What are IC engines? Explain

Me : Explained this too with proper diagrams and stuff

G : Using the principles of thermodynamics, can u explain air conditioning?

Me : Not sure sir ( The only question I dint answer)

( Overall even I was surprised at my technical prowess, this normally being my weak point. But full credit to the guy for asking the right questions…..meaning the ones to which I knew the answers)

( Now, we moved on to my work ex part)

G : Describe your current job profile?

Me : (I am working in the automotive embedded domain), so explained the entire life cycle to him.

G : What is simulation testing?

Me : blah blah..

G : What is simulation? What is a simulation model ?

Me : blah ….blah

A couple of more question on my work… don’t remember the exact details, but they were pretty straightforward..

(Now the general part… And it is over to the lady)

Had mentioned Reading fiction, cricket and writing as my interests)

L : So what do u read?

Me : Mentioned a few authors and the type of books I read…

We settled on Jeffrey Archer finally

L : What books have u read?

Me : Told them “As the Crow Flies” and “ Not a Penny more, Not A Penny Less)

L : What did u like the most about the book?

Me : blah .blah..Told them the last line was great , where they realize that they have to return the money( U will have to read the book to understand this part)

(Both seemed to agree with me on this)

G : How many extra pennies did they have?

Me : Sir, Its been a long time since I read the book, so I don’t remember the exact amount.

G : (Laughing) Actually, Krishnan, I do.. Its 76 pennies

Me : ( Smiling) Ok sir

L : Why was he sent to prison?

Me : Because he lied under oath.

L : Whats the word for lying under oath?

Me : Perjury

L : Excellent ( Don’t know why, but she was extremely happy with this )

L : What is your opinion on celebrity endorsements? Do you think it affects their performance?

Me : Said no…Gave the example of Sachin Tendulkar… Said players are signed up to endorse products only when they are performing… blah blah….

L : But should Sachin endorse products? Is he an authority on toothpastes, cars etc?

Me : No, m’am he is an authority on cricket, but the reason he is asked to endorse products is because he has a huge fan following and might be able to influence people. Blah.. blah…

L : Would you be influenced by him?

Me : Not really, I would not buy a product just because he is endorsing it.

L : But others might get influenced right?

Me : Yes, that might happen but since the final decision Is in the hands of the consumer, the celebrity should not be blamed for endorsing the product. Being public figures, I feel the only place they should draw the line is when it comes to endorsing alcoholic drinks and cigarettes

L : SO u follow cricket.. I know you would have prepared about the World Cup, So I am not going to ask you that… Name a couple of women cricketers from India..

Me : Mithali Raj and Anjum Chopra

L : Why was Anjum Chopra in the news recently?

Me : Told them about the cricket show on DD that she is a part of…

G : Name a few Indian bowlers from the 70s and 80s

Me : Kapil Dev…

G : ( Interrupting me) Did Kapil play in the 70s?

Me : Yes sir, he made his debut in 79

G : You are a South Indian born and brought up in Pune, right? SO, name a few bowlers of that period from the South..

Me : Venkataraghavan and BS CHandrashekhar

G : Can you name one more?

Me : Erapalli Prasanna ( His eyes literally lit up when he heard the name… Must have been a big fan….)

L : Now name a few batsmen?

Me : Sunil Gavaskar, Ajit Wadekar……

L : ( Interrupting me) No, no… Only South Indian batsmen

Me : Krish Srikanth, WV Raman, and then said Gundappa Vishwanath ( Again the guy is almost jumping with joy on hearing this name)

Then asked me a couple of question on what I write etc etc…

End of Interview

Don’t know about what the final result will be, but I sure had a big smile on my face when I walked out of the room

Comments on the interview are welcome.

My IIM Lucknow Interview

2007-03-09T05:16:00.001-05:00

Date : 5^th Mar

Venue : Mumbai

GD Topic : That so few people now dare to be eccentric, is the chief danger of our times.

Wrote a pretty good description in the page they had given us. The GD was complete chaos, with too many people speaking at the same time at any given point.

Now, the interview.

2 guys in the panel. Don’t remember who asked which question, so will just give you the interview. Panel (P) and Me

Me : Good Afternoon Sir

P : Good Morning

(Took out my folder and kept it on the table)

P : (Looking at my form) Krishnan, your marks are too low. You do not meet the standards of IIML. We cant take you. (Oh yeah, then why give me a call in the first place???)

There are a lot of dropouts at the IIMs also. Only the best survive.

Me : I know, sir. I have made a mistake during my graduation, but my graph has gone up from the second year onwards. Infact I have also got a couple of jobs on the basis of my merit, so I don’t think that marks reflect my true potential.

P: (Shakes his head) Tell me something about Poisson’s distribution?

Me : I don’t remember sir.

P: Marks don’t reflect your true worth, eh?

P : SO, you have studied in the Maharashtra board for ur 10^th and 12^th?

Me : Yes sir

P : And u did ur mech engg from DY Patil College, rite?

Me : Yes sir

P : Where would you rate your college in Pune?

Me : In the top 6-7

P : 6 or 7?

Me : There is no fixed rating as such. It is more to do with the general perception. There are a few colleges better than mine and a few which are in the same league.

P : ok. SO, u paid for your seat or got it on the basis of merit

Me : Merit Sir.

P: (Acting Shocked) On the basis of these marks? (Pointing to my 10th and 12^th marks ) Even these marks are low. U haven’t even got a distinction in your engineering, only a first class.

(And now the arbit part starts!!!)

P : What does APJ stand for in APJ Abdul Kalam?

Me : Don’t remember

P : Is he Mr Kalam or Dr. Kalam?

Me : Dr Sir

P : Why did he get his doctorate?

Me : For his contribution to nuclear physics. He was also an ISRO scientist?

P : Where did he get his doctorate from?

Me : I don’t know sir

P : Where did he do his graduation from?

Me : Madras

P : What was his subject during graduation?

Me : Don’t know sir

P : What is the ADB?

Me: The Asian Development Bank..

P : What does it do?

Me : Told them that it functions on the lines of the World Bank. Lends money for infra development and gen development..

P : What is the AICTE? And its role?

Me: Told him. Also explained its role completely..

P : Who is the current director of AICTE?

Me : Don’t know sir ( Y don’t u ask me abt the secretary, chairman etc also???)

P : Took out a list and asked me, Which party does RamVilas Paswan belong to?

Me : (Knew it was something Lok and janata) Lok Shakti Party sir..

P: SO, u had a couple of management courses during engg..?

Me : Yes sir. Had 2 papers on Industrial Management

P: What did u have in IM ?

Me: Blah blah blah

P : MacGill University, Minsworth or Winsworth . (Not sure what he said, but dint matter) What was his contribution to management?

Me : (What??????????????????) No idea sir

P : One person has reached self actualization in motivation (Yes, that’s what he said!!!)

(Was just looking at the guy when the other guy helpfully adds that it is an Indian)

Me: Don’t know

P : Tell me the car companies in India which have a major market share?

Me : Maruti, Tata Motors and Hyundai.

P : Which companies did Tata Motors takeover?

Me : The Daewoo truck plant in Korea.

P : Anything else?

Me : Not sure sir

P : What do you feel about Tata Motor’s acquisition of Corus?

Me : Tata Motors?????

P : Said sumthing abt Tata sons being the holding company of the Tata group. What do u feel about Tata Steel Corus takeover? Does it make sense?

Me : told him abt the comparative benefits of setting up a new plant as compared to taking over Corus. Also said they were tying up the inputs to be sourced to Corus and the synergies. Told them it impact wud be positive in the long run, but negative in the short run.

P : Who is the CEO of Tata Motors?

Me : Ravi Kant

P : Not Ratan Tata?

Me : No sir

P : Asked me something about Component based modeling..And said Microsoft makes it..

Me : Not sure sir

P : Who is the CEO of Microsoft?

Me : Steve Ballmer

(A couple of questions about my job, which I answered)

End of Interview

Comments on the interview are welcome.

On Top Of the World…

2007-01-04T15:20:00.000-05:00

Well, D-Day (see previous post) did arrive and the New Year seems to have begun on an awesome note for me. After hours and hours of trying, I finally managed to access the IIMK site, which had virtually crashed, to see my scores. It was more or less on expected lines, but the IIM guys still proved that they had an ace up their sleeve by coming up with an answer key that sent every key provided by the coaching institutes out of the windows. That kind of messed up my overall scores a bit.

Reason enough to feel on top of the world? I guess not. The best is yet to come. By evening, the news was out that the IIM, Ahmedabad shortlist was finally put up. Time to access the site and I was a complete bundle of nerves. This was because as far as I was concerned this was the more important part- Getting calls as compared to cracking the CAT- even though most people feel that it is the other way round. After what seemed an interminable wait, the site opened up and much to my delight, the screen said that

“You have been short-listed for Group Discussion and Personal Interview for admission to PGP (2007-

2009 batch), IIMA. You are requested to visit the website on or after January 10, 2007 to check for

Interview date, time and venue.

You will receive our official letter soon.”

Words and emotions alone cannot express what those words I black and white mean to every person who gets a call from the best management institute in the country. Saying I was ecstatic would be a complete understatement. The next day only proved that the good news was going to continue for some more time. This time, it was a shortlist from IIM, Calcutta that had my name on it. The only problem was that the IIMs had decided to stretch the results out over a period of one week instead of giving it out on the same day. So, will have to wait for a few more days for the rest of the results to come in.

Well, all good things must come to an end and it was the same story here also. IIM, Bangalore did not find me good enough to call me for the next round. That now makes it 2 out of 3 for me, with 3 more yet to come in. Considering that this happens to be my third CAT attempt, I am hoping it would turn out to be a classic case of third time lucky.

One Day To Go..

2007-01-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

The New Year has arrived and for me as well as a couple of hundred thousand other people like me who have given the CAT, the day of reckoning has almost arrived. With less than a day to go, most of the serious aspirants are keeping their fingers crossed to see if they have made it. I will be one of them too and come the 2^nd of Jan and I will be refreshing the website of every IIM to see if I have made it. The suspense is almost killing, considering that there is atleast one section (English), which is going to throw a lot of surprises. This is going to be the section that is going to make or break most of the students. The wait becomes unbearable and I am of the opinion that giving the test is almost a cakewalk as compared to waiting for the results.

Will the morrow bring in good tidings? Will have to wait and see, but atleast the waiting has come to an end (well, almost). Watch this space for more updates and all the best to everyone out there!!

Last Spell For McGrath and Warne

2006-12-25T02:49:00.000-05:00

Come early next year and Sydney will see two of the greatest players of all time taking a bow from the world stage after the last Ashes test against England. Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, amongst the finest bowlers cricket has ever produced, will both be bidding farewell to the game they have dominated for a long, long time.

Shane Warne first. He and Muralitharan are probably the best in their class, legspin and offspin being their specialty respectively. Going purely by stats, Murali is probably the better of the two, but then that would be missing the point completely. Warne has been one of the most colorful characters on the cricket field (and off it too!!), but he will be best remembered for "the ball of the century" that Mike Gatting was clean bowled with. A gem of a delivery, that one ball alone won him many fans the world over. Spinning a web the world over, Warne had an answer to every batsman and made a habit of running through almost every middle and lower order(McGrath took care of the top, but more of that later) with an artistic ease matched by very few. He has single handedly restored the art of wrist spin, which was seen by many as a dying art. Many feel that the only reason he missed out on leading the Aussies was his off-field behavior for which he has come in for a lot of (justified) criticism. Sydney is going to be the last that we shall see of this extraordinary bowler and the cricketing world is going to miss one of it's greatest crowd pullers.

We come to Glenn McGrath next. A brilliant fast bowler, one more long innings will come to an end. Like wine, McGrath has only gotten better with age and is probably bowling at his best now. Coming back from injury, he has silenced his critics who felt that his best was behind him by leading Australia to a crushing 3-0 lead over England in this year’s Ashes. This is one bowler whom you could always count on to rip every top order apart and McGrath himself made it his personal mission on every major series to target the best batsman from the opposition ranks. I would infact say that part of the credit for Shane Warne's success should also go to him because he ensured that almost always he top order was back in the pavilion by the time Warne came to bowl. Bowling unerringly outside the off-stump, ball after ball, over after over, he probed the corridor of uncertainty with such precision that it was only a matter of time before the batsmen succumbed to his wiles. Known to be extremely miserly with the ball, he also never shied away from giving the batsman a piece of his mind from time to time. An impeccable record in both forms of the game speaks volumes about his ability to perform irrespective of the format of the game.

He and Warne have played a crucial role in ensuring that they regained the Ashes in double quick time this year and England seem destined for a whitewash unless they can come up with something out of the ordinary, like these two greats have done time and again. Choosing the right time to call it quits is not a skill that many sportsmen have mastered, but these McGrath and Warne have set an example by quitting when they are on top of their game. With over 1000 Test wickets between them, batsmen the world over would silently rejoice the fact that they will finally be getting some respite. I feel privileged, as would so many more around the world, to have been able to watch some all-time greats in action in my lifetime. I would like to salute these two and really feel sad that an era has come to an end, atleast in Test cricket. Goodbye Shane and Glenn!!

India wins a Test in South Africa!!

2006-12-20T01:12:00.000-05:00

December 18, 2006 will be a day to remember for Indian cricket aficionados. This was the day India recorded a historic first Test win on South African soil.

Personally, there are a few things which made the test extra special for me. One of them was obviously Dada's return to the team. Even his most ardent critic would have been silenced by his stunning comeback. He was the epitome of poise in the first innings and for me the highlight of the innings was the six he hit off Ntini. Rocking on to the backfoot, he let fly a pull shot right over the mid-wicket fence in the way only he can. I just hope that he is drafted into the one-day squad as well!!

The other was yet another Very Very Special knock by VVS Laxman. The stylish right hander literally carried the Indian second innings and along with the tail put the match out of South Africa's reach. There are few sights in cricket better than Laxman on song. Being a long time fan of Laxman, I really fail to understand why he is the one who seems to be perpetually on trial.

About Sreesanth's bowling and the famous sixer off Nel, a lot has already been said so let's leave it at that. Another good comeback to the team was that of Zaheer Khan, who was impressive with both bat and ball.

I once again doff my hat to the excellent team work displayed by the Indians and hope that they go on to win the series. That would really be the icing on the cake!!!

Ooty - The Queen Of the Nilgiris

2006-12-12T06:19:00.000-05:00

A spur of the moment decision when I was bored and looking for a way to get away from the (boring) routine and I decided that Ooty is the place to go. Part of the decision was also based on the fact that it was 10 years since I had last been there. Destination decided. Now it is time to plan the journey. Visiting Ooty in the end of November not being the best idea for most people, getting tickets was not a problem. The other thing I really wanted was a nice long train journey as it was ages since I went on one. No flights for me this time around as I didn't really want to hurry on anything. The intention was just, plain and simple : RELAX and ENJOY

Train journeys are really something to savour, especially if taken after a long time. The route to Ooty from Pune (The one we chose) was something like this. Upto Coimbatore by train and then a bus to Ooty from there. We reached Coimbatore in the morning and then had to take a roundabout route to Ooty as the regular one through Conoor was under repair due to heavy landslides. tea estates dot the entire route to Ooty starting from Conoor or Kotagiri(depending on which route you take).

Sunday, 26th Nov.: We went to Glenmorgan, which is a beautiful spot about 10 kms from Ooty, the vehicle of choice being a rugged Mahindra Bolero. An absolutely stunning place, there is this viewpoint here from where you can see the borders of Karnataka, Kerala and TamilNadu. Glenmorgan also has a power plant and also a winch, which unfortunately happens to be there for the exclusive use of the electricity staff. The view from here is not something that should be missed. This is not one of the tourist hotspots, so you can enjoy and take in everything minus the sounds.

Monday, 27th Nov.: Few things get you going as much as a wildlife sanctuary. Just looking at the miles and miles of greenery makes you want to settle down there. The place I am talking about now is Mudumalai. It is not often that one gets to travel in a forest department vehicle. One of the perks of doing so is getting an inside view of the way the sanctuary works. Also, certain places where visitors are prohibited suddenly become accessible. I spent an entire day in Mudumalai, the difference as compared to a regular visit to the sanctuary being that I was able to go off the beaten track. There was this absolutely cute baby elephant which was rescued from the forest and which is being nourished back to health. The elephant seems to be well on the way to recovery and will soon be released back I guess. Next, we got a message on the wireless saying that a doe was seriously injured by stray dogs(yes, there are strays here also) and required immediate medical attention. We went with the vet immediately to the spot, but unfortunately could not save the animal. But, I did get to have a look at a postmortem for the first time in my life. Next we had lunch and at the place got to see a few spotted deer. Also saw a Malabar squirrel. It is bigger than the normal ones that we see and definitely a looker. Evening took us to the Elephant Camp, where lots of tuskers are trained. These tuskers definitely know how to pose for photos. All they need is some friendly prodding by the mahout. One thing I missed sighting was the tiger, but then not everyone has all the luck I guess.

Tue, 28th Nov.: Time to go sight seeing within Ooty. Ooty also has lots of places to visit, and considering that I spent most of my time till now outside this was also something I was really looking forward to. First stop is the Botanical Garden. Extremely well-maintained, this is one of the star attractions as far as Ooty is concerned. A huge area full of plants, amazing flowers and some awesome lawns spread over 55 acres would be a rather modest and unflattering one line description of this place. Seeing is Believing if you are talking about the Botanical Garden. This is a place where you should spend atleast one complete day to do justice to the garden. I spent half a day here. The glass house houses some of the finest flowers and they also keep adding more and more variety to the place.

Next Stop was the Rose Garden. Yes, They do have a place dedicated only to roses. A recent addition, it is a beautiful 3 layered terrace kind of garden which boasts of being home to an astonishing array of roses. You name a rose, you will find it here, and also a few which you may not have seen or even heard of. Wrong time of the season to have visited the place, the best time would be in the summer where the roses would be in full bloom.

Wed, 29th Nov.: Destination Boat House. Went boating here. This is one of the few places which has lost it's charm. This is partly due to half the lake being swamped by sea weeds. The strip surrounding the lake is still well maintained though and you do get to see a few deer.

Thu, 30th Nov.: Went to the Doddabetta viewpoint. 5 kms from Ooty, it offers a bird's eye view of Ooty as well as the surrounding towns and cities. There is a telescope kept on the top through which you get a better view.

Places I didn't visit include the Pykara falls and the Tea Factory. That still leaves something for another visit I guess......

The CAT 2006 Experience

2006-11-21T09:12:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning the 19th of November and I was at my centre waiting to see what the IIMs would be throwing at me this time around. Considering that this would be my third attempt( and the second serious one), I wasn't really expecting them to throw me off balance. The papers are distributed and except for the fact that the number of questions have gone down and the marks have been doubled, there seems to be nothing much different this time round. But that was till I began attempting the questions. As usual, I start off with the English section ( can't really call it the verbal section as I didn't manage to find a single question based on usage).

10 minutes into the Eng section and a knock out punch square on the jaw wouldn't have had me reeling more at that point of time. Only experience and the secure knowledge that I wasn't the only one reeling from the punch ensured that I didn't let that affect me to much. But considering the fact that at least 3 options seemed right for every question, that can't said to be too much of a consolation. I am sure that even the CAT guys would most probably have used lots to pick up the correct answer as there seems no (logical) way you can pick the right one (at least not during the CAT).

45 minutes into the paper and I move on to the Quant section and a pleasant surprise awaits me there. At first glance, it would be appropriate to draw an analogy with what is called net practice in cricket. It seems ridiculously simple. This is one section that could have been completely solved given time, but I should say that I still managed a decent number of attempts. Ditto goes for DI. Both the sections left one with the feeling that the performance could have been better, but I guess that happens after almost every paper. My feeling is, the IIMs decided that they had to drastically reduce the difficulty levels for both the Quant and DI sections to provide some kind of compensation for the verbal, oops English, section.

This was one paper where most aspirants would have walked off feeling good ( atleast I did) at the end. Probably more to do with the fact that the traditionally tricky sections were relatively simpler. But, but that still leaves one-third of the paper with no one the wiser as to what the correct answers are.

Post CAT :

Analysis time. And every coaching institute worth it's salt seems to be out with a different answer key for the English section. It seems like a ridiculous game of "guess the right answer". Considering that the answer key seems to vary on each institutes' whims, I am also planning to put up my own answer set on the net.

My Forecast :

Time to stick my neck out and make some predictions as to the expected cut-offs for IIM calls. I think a score of around 110 should ensure a single IIM call (assuming that the sectional cuts have been met). And a score of 125+ would ensure that multiple calls (5-6) is a distinct possibility.

That's it for now guys. Will keep you updated if I feel that any of the estimates (or anything else) need to be updated. Watch this space for more:))

Let me know as to what you feel about the CAT, whether you agree with what I think or whether you feel otherwise.

Dreams Come True...

2006-11-02T07:17:00.000-05:00

Ever been in a situation where you had a dream, but had to let go for various reasons? I am not talking about the dreams you have when you are between the sheets, but dreams as in aspirations, dreams as in ambition, dreams as in goals. What happens is that in the name of being practical we tend to let go of certain things due to circumstances. Does this mean that you stop dreaming? The answer is a resounding NO. I would in fact say that our dreams are the reasons for living. What is life without an aim? What is life without a few impossible goals?

And it might not be just one dream that you have, something like a signature that you would like to leave as your legacy. Chances are, as life goes on, you would hold different things close to your heart at various points of time. Though there are certain things that you may have to sacrifice for your family or friends, there are some dreams which are really special. These are the ones you should be pursuing to its logical conclusion. There are some things that I cherish too much to surrender them to practical difficulties.

There will always be people who will doubt your abilities, but that is all the more reason for you to prove them wrong. There will be people who say (maybe, even with the right intentions) that what you are trying to do is not possible. In fact there are very few things in this world that spurs us more than odds that seem impossibly stacked against us. Because, if there is no challenge, there is no chance of rising to the occasion. There is nothing sweeter than the scent of success, especially if it is something achieved against all odds.

Fulfilling dreams is a lot of hard work as anyone who has slogged to achieve them would vouch for. The end result of what we believe in is motivation enough for most of us to pursue our goals even when the going gets tough. If the dream is special enough, it almost becomes an obsession and almost nothing can stop us from moving ahead to achieve it. And believe me, nothing is more fulfilling or stimulating than actually see a long cherished dream take a concrete shape.

So, start dreaming, and then go right ahead to fulfil your dreams. And remember, as they say, the impossible only takes a little longer!!!

Cracking the CAT - Gyaan from my side

2006-10-16T05:44:00.001-04:00

With just over a month to go for D-Day, I would just like to share a few thoughts on how to go about cracking the CAT. What follows is entirely my personal experience and I am not sure as to how useful it will be to everyone or whether it will even be applicable to all of you. If you who are still interested, read on.

If you are serious about getting into an IIM, and nothing but an IIM will do, you most probably will get there without any problem. What I mean to say is that the first step to cracking the CAT would have to be an absolute (and unshakable) belief in your ability to do it. This would mean ignoring low scores in the mocks because what actually matters is the real CAT. And believe me guys, no amount of simulation is going to be a match for the real test. I know guys who used to get average scores in the mocks, but have actually cracked the CAT when it really mattered.

The first step when it comes to tackling the paper would be to pick and choose what are generally known as sitters in the papers. Now, this is easier said than done as it is not usually possible for ordinary mortals to judge whether a question is simple or complex at a glance. This is where all the practice comes in handy. If you carefully analyse a paper, you would realise that every sectional cutoff can be cleared without too much of an effort. The CAT is structured in such a way that it is very much possible to clear all the cutoffs even if you are not too great at remembering formulae (I can vouch for the fact that I am pretty bad at remembering that kind of stuff.

The most important thing and probably the most potent weapon that you could use in the CAT would be a cool head. Show me any paper and I will tell you how most of the questions can be solved just by using the basic symbols ( by this I mean addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) and common sense. If you have a well developed sense of logic, you would have understood by now that THE CAT is no big deal. Shying away from false modesty, I have to admit that I am pretty good at this sort of thing( and that's one of the main reasons I could crack it the last time around) and I have been able to get pretty good scores without falling back on the usage of too many formulae. This combination of a cool head and uncommon common sense (and great presence of mind) is not found everywhere and may also partly explain why people who seem to mug up formulae are found wanting when it comes to solving unconventional questions.

As far as the Quant and DI sections are concerned, the answer option approach is a great way of eliminating at least 2 of the 4 choices. This is because quite a few questions can be solved by putting in values and checking if they are right. All you have to do is identify these questions and half the job is done. Now, you might object saying that this is a time consuming process. I agree, but let me tell you that time is not really an issue in the CAT unless you are the kind that attempts each and every question. Even if you take 2-3 minutes to solve a question, it is fine because that will still give you a cushion over and above the sectional cut-off.

The DI section especially is a test of your imagination nowadays, because if you look at the mock cats of this season, you would agree that the paper setters have been able to come up with an extraordinary range of questions. For the DI section, practice is one thing that will really hold you in good stead. It is much more important to have your wits around you for this section at least.

Don't ever try to prove how intelligent you are at solving the difficult questions in the CAT, because the best time to do that would be after the test is over. The CAT is not about intelligence, it is more about doing better than the rest of the junta. Keep this in mind throughout and don't let any of the questions turn into an ego issue.

As far as English is concerned, there is not much one can do to improve your vocabulary at this point of time, but here again the trick lies in finding out what is actually required to clear the cutoffs or even crack this section. Having a good grasp of the English language certainly helps you in saving time as far as the verbal usage section is concerned, but if you look at the last few CAT papers, there is a clear trend away from direct usage and more towards an understanding based approach. This is where people, who feel that English is not their strongest section, can try and make up for the lack of command as far as the usage based part is concerned. My advice to these people would be to concentrate on the following areas, where command of the English language is not a prerequisite, whereas an understanding of the question is more important

Arranging sentences to form a paragraph
Reading Comprehension ( Time consuming but wort the time and effort involved)
Analytical Reasoning questions

And finally, just to reiterate what I have just said, I feel that a cool head and loads and loads of common sense will take you where no amount of formulae ever can. So, instead of trying to cram more stuff into the limited space between your ears, it would be more prudent to put on your thinking hats and come up with a plan to outsmart the CAT. Because if there is one sure way of cracking the CAT, it is not through hard work, but smart work ( A most misused cliche, but something which is true for all it is worth)

ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR CAT!!!!!!!

P.S. The above mentioned strategies resulted in yours truly cracking the CAT twice, so whatever has been written above may not all be gibberish:))

For any further clarifications, additions etc please drop in a comment or mail me at krishnan83@gmail.com

Please pass it on to others if you feel it may be useful.

The Dandeli Trip

2006-10-10T02:48:00.001-04:00

Before we begin, let me first tell you the cast for the trip... Here they are, in no particular order, ---Ameet, Kunal, Amruta, Devi, Reva, Ketan, Manish, Veerendra and Yours Truly....
The whole trip (well, most of it ) was organised by our in-house encyclopedia, who goes by the name of Ameet Phadke. This is one guy who can tell you everything about everything.
We first had a leisurely dinner at Coffee House around 10 in the night and then walked down to the bus stand, where the bus happened to be conveniently late by around half an hour. So, we now had an hour to spare. Now, it so happens that my new digicam is just a day old and I am itching to try it out. Reva has with her a hat that has been brought for the trip with the sole intention of lending it to everybody who wanted to be photographed in a hat. So, we spent the rest of the time clicking snaps and waiting for the bus to appear.

The next part of the journey(in a bus) stars Kunal, a part time professor-cum-techie, and his beloved Fruit Punch. This fruit punch is commonly referred to by everyone else in the world as port wine. This guy was helped in his mission to finish off the "fruit punch" by Manish, who also happens to be no mean drinker and Mirchi(i.e. if u call someone who had exactly 4 drops of the liquid as a drinker). Unfortunately, the mission could not be successfully completed as the bottle was forgotten in the bus. Every time, Kunal had a sip, the ordinary girl in the seat next to him turned into " a gorgeous item" (to borrow a phrase from Kunal). Also, the bus journey was one in which none of us got any sleep as every bone in the body happened to be in some alien location, thanks to the awful roads all the way from Pune to Dharwad.

The sun rose and we set foot in Dharwad. Ameet, the local guide, arrived an hour late and claimed to be standing at a different bus-stop. We guys had a doubt bcos there seemed to be only one stop in the whole of Dharwad. The first thing that hit us when we got down was that Dharwad had more buses than people, at least early in the morning. We then had a brief stopover to freshen up and then it was time to leave for Dandeli, the promised place.

The roads leading to Dandeli were amazingly bad and narrow. But I think none of that would have registered on any of our minds as the view on either side of the road was just breathtaking. I mean, in how many places do u see lush greenery extendng as far as the human eye can see on either side?

We reached the place where we were supposed to stay around midday. It was love at first sight looking at the beautful tents right in the middle of trees and lawns. The tents were extremely cozy and comfortable and we settled in right away. As it was raining heavily, we assembled in a single tent and sat down for one of India's favourite pasttimes (cards). Afternoon soon became evening as there was absolutely no sense of time passing with each of us completely engrossed in the card games. Dinner was pretty early (around 8 pm) and after that it was back to deciding as to what is to be done next. We settled on dumbcharades, and the next few hours just sailed by with each of us displaying our histrionic skills.

Tue morning: Time to go rafting

This is what each of us were eagerly looking forward to, considering that none of us, except for Ameet, had gone rafting previously. We reached the Kali adventure camp and then just went beserk over there clicking photos in all possible permutations and combinations. The Kali adventure camp office is an awesome place with lots of places to explore nearby and we did just that. We went all around the place and have a few stunning photos as a result.

Next we headed straight to the place where we were supposed to go rafting. For a change everybody paid rapt attention to the guy giving the instructions. Then we got onto the raft fully loaded with a life jacket, safety helmets and paddles. Now everyone had to jump into the water and then be rescued as part of a mock drill. It turned out to be pretty uneventful except when it was Ketan's turn to get in. This was because Ketan decided to do some breathing exercises underwater and was extremely panicky when he surfaced. That was an absolutely delightful Kodak moment. A pity we were not carrying our cameras to capture it. He immediately developed a fear for the water and stubbornly refused to take a dip in the water again even as the rest of us jumped in enthusiastically and had a blast swimming. This was one exhilirating experience that had everyone on board promising that this is not the last time they would go rafting (Ketan included). Ketan has now vowed to learn swimming at the earliest. The way you go over the rapids in the raft is something to be savoured. And considering that it was the first time I had gone rafting, it was absolutely unforgettable.

We then got back to the place we were staying to change over. By this time we were almost starving and prepared to eat anything in sight. We finally managed to go to a nice hotel a good couple of hours later. It was then time for Ameet to show off his college. Just acouple of words about his college. A great place, it actually had everything Ameet said it would have. An hour and a few more photos later, we reached the Dharwad bus-stop and here it was once again Reva's cap that turned out to be the cynosure of all eyes as we once again clicked a few more snaps.

We reached Pune in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

That's it for now. Will soon post one after the next trip. And I promise the writing style would have improved by then:))