Just Another MBA

Back after a break!

2011-01-13T01:06:00.000-08:00

Back after a LOOOOOONG break!

Will try to write in enough!

Flood like situation!

2009-09-03T23:32:00.000-07:00

wat a date! wat an adventure! flood like situation!!!!! :)

The Plot Thickens

2009-05-18T00:02:00.000-07:00

'The next 9 days will be pretty tough in everyone's lives'

That line really scared a lot of people!!!!

Can't wait to get thru them and be on the other side!

P.S.: "There will be a robust severance package" was the silver lining,though. Its wait and watch time @ work.

IPL - reincarnated.

2009-04-01T22:32:00.000-07:00

Update : Wow! I should be a cricket astrologer! Check this out

A re-incarnated IPL.In South Africa!

Chennai Super Kings playing Mumbai Indians in Durban or Cape town? Wow....

Will it work?

If it does, it means that cricket has taken one more step forward. A step forward on the road to globalisation.

What Lalit Modi may realise, sooner rather than later, is that this is the format of cricket that he might be able to sell to the US marketplace in a few years. I won't be surprised to find an IPL-ish tournament happening in the USA in some time! Its going to be a great journey for the sport in the next 20 years or so... my take is that, a few years hence, the ICC will be very grateful to him for widening the reach of cricket.

Amen to that and bring on the beers!

Why it cant work

2009-03-24T03:23:00.000-07:00

When you're about to start something new, something unexplored,you're always looking for any advice that you can get.More than anything else, you're looking at getting the kind of advice that says, "Hey, you're on the right track and these are a couple of suggestions from me that you can think about"

I think a lot of people, when they hand in advice, give it as if there is only one way something can be done. Truth is that there isn't! When you throw a new idea at people, they come to the table with pre-conceived notions about how it should be done.

When you're starting something new, I think you should prepare the best you can and after a point, just trust your sensibilities.If you've prepared well enough and you have a strong instinct about what will work, you should just go about it your way.

And when it works, you can tell the story about why it does!

ishant and zaheer

2008-10-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

ishant and zaheer are beginning to become a fantastic fast bowling pair. getting breakthroughs early on,keeping the opposition under check in their opening spells and then coming back to use reverse swing with the old ball.

its a pleasure to see that the 2 quickies have 16 wickets between them within the first 2 tests. and this on supposedly flat indian wickets meant only for spinners!

way to go guys. stay fit so you can entertain us as you've been doing in the last few games.

an hour at sushantlok police chowki

2008-10-18T04:51:00.000-07:00

so you're moving into a new apartment.everything has gone as per plan and the only thing that remains is your police verification.

in all the roaming around looking for flats, finalising one, dealing with brokers, i did not feel the trepidation that i felt while going to the sushantlok police chowki today. and guess what, the folks at the police chowki did not disappoint. the treatment meted out was nothing short of criminal-like.

when will our public servants have some sense of public service? why does our police force have to treat all citizens as if they're criminals? doesn't my tax become the policeman's salary?

last but not the least, when the private sector is talking about a paperless world, i did not see one computer in the police chowki. the only technology element in the chowki was an almost-broken walky talky transciever. oh, i forgot, there was also a TV in the barracks (no wonder most policemen were hanging out there - leaving 'public' like me waiting for 'sahabs' to find some time from watching kyunki saas bhi kabhi bahu thi........

bah! i expect too much...........!!!!

27!

2008-10-15T04:36:00.001-07:00

Someone will turn 27 tomorrow. Easy to digest? No choice!

I think I've had a good life for my first 27 years. Great life experiences.

What are my unfulfilled dreams for the next 27 years? Well, here's a list...

1. Travel the world. Even though I'm fairly travelled, there are still places to go. And now I have someone nice who I can go with :)

2. Work abroad for at least 3 years

3. Learn more salsa.

4. Get back into shape(this is perpetual and is a regular on all lists).....lol

5. Start out on my own.(This will take considerable guts and determination)

6. Buy a home

7. Buy a vacation home(something close to a beach......)

Anyone has matching items on their lists? Get in touch....we could get a couple of beers and discuss some of them...

Crests & Troughs

2008-10-15T04:27:00.000-07:00

Well well well! Not surprising is it? What went up has come down.

The markets have faltered as a cascading effect from the US sub-prime crisis. Not unexpected if you've been reading your news for the last 7-8 months or so. Bomb blasts, upcoming elections, and anti-Nano andolans have not helped the matter at all..

What would be interesting to see is how this affects the real estate sector. Realty in India has become very expensive in the last 3 years and places like Borivali(my home town) have apartments now running at 8000/- Rs per sq foot! Just for perspective's sake,that was Cuffe Parade(prime South Bombay) 3 years back!

Banks will definitely cut down consumer lending and narrow their risks for the next year at least. And that's why the real estate boom should slow down in coming times....

Its a good time to invest. Now where did I park my last million? ;)

It starts from the top

2008-07-19T23:35:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how 'issues' in a organization can resolve themselves once the direction from the top is clear.

When the guy at the top has a clear,unwavering direction - 'issues' tend to resolve themselves. Work gets done without having to ask.

Its amazing to experience such a transition - from 'every issue is a discussion' to 'every issue warrants discussion but ends in a decision and direction'.

This is the one reason why smaller companies move faster and quicker than bigger ones - the time taken on getting decisions made is a lot lesser in smaller organizations than bigger ones!

Male,committed

2008-02-18T05:01:00.000-08:00

Wow...these days I log on to orkut and everytime, there's someone in my friends circle who's changed their status to 'male,committed' or 'female,married'.

and it kinda hits me....my day is not far....i'm not too far away from officially becoming a ' married uncle' myself!

there's something in that status, though. its a statement of change.... change in your life...change in the way you think, the way you do things.

i think the change comes with being ready for it....it comes from asking yourself a few questions -

1.do you have friends of your age who have kids?
2.on a weekend, do you plonk myself in front of the tv when you could be out somewhere getting sloshed?
3.do you look forward to getting home after work?
4.when you stay alone without company for 2 days do you get bored?
5.when someone says 'did you have it yesterday', do you think about food and not about sex?
6.is your idea of 'fun' to sit at home and have a couple of beers?
7.do you have people in your family asking you dumb questions like - 'do you like slim females or 'healthy' females'?

Have i had enough of the single-guy-roaming-about-flirting-with-anything-remotely-female status? I dont know.

But when I ask myself these questions, I know i've started answering yes to a few of them.

And that means its coming. Soon....

Consumer Focused B2C

2007-10-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

My Airtel Landline broadband connection has been de-activated because of non-payment of dues.

I am sure this happens to a lot of us – we don’t pay up because of various reasons. In my case, the reason was that I wasn’t around in the city around the time of the due date/ bill payment date ( I was traveling on business.)

So when I was back home, I realized that the broadband connection is not available and I will have to go to the bill payment center to pay the bill. An exercise that will make me have to take time out of hectic/ busy schedules. Also, an exercise that I dread because at most times, paying the bill like this means that you have to stand in a line for more than 10-15 mins.

I was wondering if Airtel has ever gone about thinking about this consumer problem and ways of resolving it.

There are 2 things that a consumer who has ‘non-payment of dues’ against his name would want to do.

1. Pay the bill and restart the connection

2. Pay only the remaining outstanding amount and request complete de-activation because he/she wants to discontinue services of Airtel.

My simple solution to this:

When the due date passes, if a consumer tries to log-on to any website, he should be re-directed to an Airtel bill payment website. The website will probably ask for User ID/ password, and then proceed to accept 2 things :

1. Credit card payments for those who want to re-activate connections.

2. Requests to discontinue services.

I am sure they do this for connections that are active. Consumers who want to pay online can pay online while their connections are still active. It won’t cost much to extend this to de-activated consumers.

I am sure it will bring consumer goodwill(or delight!) since lazy bones like me(who fall in number 1 above) will be able to pay from home, and wont have to show their faces again at a bill payment center!!

And people in the number 2 category (above) will not have to go through the frustrations of being called by Airtel executives every 2^nd day for bill payments!!

The BIG NIKE Sale

2007-09-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

Big NIKE sale in Gurgaon! 50% off on everything!

Date :20th to 23rd September.
Time:11 am to 9 pm.
Venue:Apparel House,Near Gold Souk Mall,Opp. Powergrid Apartments, Sector-44,Gurgaon.

Go buy!

Just noticed..

2007-08-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

Just noticed....

Borivali, a suburb in Mumbai has 7000 odd members in its orkut community, the same as Gurgaon, which is an entire city(supposedly one of India's IT hotspots)!!

Bureaucratic Reactions

2007-08-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

As with most other bureaucratic,monopolistic set-ups, the BCCI is another one which is 'reactive'.

Rewind 15 years,when India opened its doors to liberalisation and globalisation.Back then, Fiat and Ambassador were the only 2 available cars. Car monopoly was such that there were black bookings of cars 6-7 months in advance. Enter liberalisation, enter Maruti-Suzuki, and the Fiat monopoly fell flat on its face in less than 10 years.Whatever Fiat did in those 10 years, was reactive - done because of existence of competition. You cannot be a market leader by being reactive.

The folks in the BCCI are feeling something similar right now.Competition has come out of nowhere.And the BCCI is reacting.

Check out this,this and this.

By signing on the initial basket of domestic and international players, the ICL has sent out a clear message -that it means business.And this is what the ICC has to say about the whole thing. The ICC has learnt from the Kerry Packer breakaway of yore, and knows what happened to Australian cricket after that. The ICC, I'm sure,will be more than ready to wait and watch on what happens in the ICL v/s BCCI battle. It is in the ICC's interest to have a more professionally managed Indian cricket control body and a more competitive Indian domestic cricket scene.

My take - one,unless the ICL can sign on someone really big/experienced from the current Indian Cricket Team,it will not get the kind of mileage/importance which it is really looking for.Maybe someone like a Tendulkar/VVS Laxman/Sehwag/Ganguly etc.This will be a big coup and will need lot of money, but it will be worth it. Two, getting the right infrastructure(grounds,coaches,academies,practice facilities) will be key to their success.Three,they will have to rope in the 2 key Ms of today's entertainment business - money and media.

Will be interesting to see how this battle pans out.

Money is a 3 letter word.

2007-07-25T07:58:00.001-07:00

And the word is OIL.

The whole world wants a share.

And guess what,Bush wants it too!:)

Patilanchi Sarkar!

2007-07-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

India has its first woman president.And she made her first address to the nation today.

So now we have a remote controlled prime-minister and a remote-controlled president! Wow. And to think remote-controlled governments were the bane of Maharashtra alone! :)

I look forward to her tenure as president. I'm expecting some hilarious quotes from her in the next few years,especially in situations where she has to respond extempore to questions from the media.

Mrs Patil,here's wishing you all the best.I'm sure you'll keep us entertained. Amen.

Losing My Religion.

2007-07-14T05:12:00.000-07:00

Oh, life is bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up

That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight, I'm
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

Every whisper
Of every waking hour I'm
Choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up
Consider this
Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around
Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream
That was just a dream

But that was just a dream
Try, cry, why try?
That was just a dream
Just a dream, just a dream
Dream

P.S.: Didn't know someone could make me feel as miserable as I'm feeling right now.In 10(?) days.No more dreaming,thank you.

Update on previous post : I don't want to be in Bombay anytime soon!

8th thing.

2007-07-03T11:51:00.001-07:00

The 8th thing playing on my mind:

Move to Bombay a.s.a.p.

Some people know why!

7 things..

2007-07-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

7 things playing on my mind right now:

1. Need to get back to serious running. Need to get out of my comfort zone of 2-3 km.

2. Find a salsa class and keep learning.Salsa is addictive!

3. Learn to swim.

4. Learn MS Excel well.If needed,take a course.

5. What will my salary hike look like? :) Can't keep turning down good opportunities!!

6. Download more country music.

7. Find better things to blog about! :)

Current Mood : Jovial

Current Song : Tim McGraw -Just to see you smile.

Movie Review:Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.

2007-06-18T08:29:00.001-07:00

If you think you're going to get a review,think again.

Shitty movie.Watch it when you're totally ,completely bored of your life and feel like you should end it. JBJ will give you enough reason to do so.

R.I.P.

Slow Coach.

2007-06-18T04:31:00.000-07:00

So the BCCI has been slow and dumb in appointing the new coach.

Result - we don't have a coach for the England tour.

We have Chandu Borde,team manager, who will:

a) have zero accountability for the team during/after the tour.Believe me, Rahul Dravid will face the brickbats - Borde is a seasoned administrator and will know how to get out if the team does badly.
b) have zero background on training methods/discipline instilled by Chappell/John Wright.
c) become a puppet in the hands of senior players.
d) become a fatherly figure who provides advice at net practice and not much else(he's 72.)
e) do lots of shopping in England.

I wont be surprised if :

a) India fare badly in England.
b) Dravid faces tremendous pressure if we fare badly. After all, if the team screws up, Borde will get absolved of all responsibility ,saying that 'he was too new to the job'.
c) India takes a step back in the quality of cricket( its already pretty low!)
d) Fielding standards go down.
e) Players start playing for themselves(including the captain and the senior players)

Overall, Indian cricket will be worse off after this tour than it is,right now. As I say this, I'm also wishing that they make me eat my words. But I know its highly unlikely.

The BIG Nike Sale.

2007-06-07T22:42:00.000-07:00

Big NIKE sale in Bangalore! 50% off on everything!

Date :7th to 10th June.
Time:11 am to 9 pm.
Venue:St Joseph's School,Museum Road

Go buy!

Still Applies.

2007-05-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

I posted this onto my MBA e-group last August.Applies even today.

"6 months into a job and there have been a few realisations:

1.salary packages are misleading.sure,the money comes into ur bank account at
the beginnning of the month - only to mysteriously dissappear into some
unknown blackhole by the month-end.

2.the pretence of work does not work.u REALLY have to work.it takes some time
to realise dat.

3.however hard u work - ur manager's times were always a lot harder.the sun
shone harder on their heads when they were on the streets and the people they
dealt with were tougher to deal with.u and ur peers have it too easy.this is a
fact to be accepted,never to be challenged.

4.u cannot be orkutting when the boss sits right behind u.and u definitely
cannot be checking out dat cute babe's album when he's standing right behind
u,staring at ur laptop screen!!!

5.Five-day weeks are a myth.

6.on friday nights, all the good chicks come out of their hiding places and
can be found at select pubs - hanging out with the nerdy guys wearing IIT/IIM
tshirts.gee,do they sell these IIT-IIM tshirts somewhere?

7.when someone-u-know is in town, they will get hold of ur number.from
somewhere.and they will let u know dat they are here by calling bang in the
middle of the monday morning meeting.

8."i work at nike" can be a successful pick-up line :-)

I am thinking about compiling a list of tidbits of information/learnings from my professional and personal life.Maybe one day I might make it into a book(Hah..what a thought!)

Made in India.

2007-05-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

This was bound to happen.With India's growing manufacturing prowess,and the way global corporations are setting up huge manufacturing units in India,this was a logical conclusion.Only that it is not a conclusion.It is a beginning.

Think about this -

4,maybe 5 years from now, you might be successful/rich enough to buy something with 'superior german engineering' - only that its made in India by Indian engineers!!!

As I see it,we are on the way to breaking long standing perceptions/pre-liberalisation baggage that comes with the term 'made in India'.

Now,if only the government could formulate strong SEZ policies and people rehabilitation policies quickly.Otherwise,we would be facing many Singurs in the coming years.

Is work personal?

2007-04-23T03:42:00.000-07:00

After putting in a lot of work for an important presentation, I got rammed for not doing a good job at it.My boss and my colleagues maintained that it was great work, but my boss' boss rammed it based on one wrong assumption(which he made,by the way). A clarification was issued by my boss in a separate e-mail,clearly defending me and my plan.

The whole experience was quite shattering for me, but I guess its part of professional life.You take the crests with the troughs and ride along.

The question that the whole experience left in my mind was - "Is work personal?"

People tell me - " Its work. Its business.Its not personal." But for me, work is my time away from my family,my home and hearth and its the sole reason for me being here in a different city away from my folks.How can it not be personal?

Are we supposed to be totally rational and not have any emotion while working?Is that even possible?

Flitting between Cities

2006-09-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

Travelling has,somehow ,become a part of my life.In the last 3 years, I have moved from one city to another, trying to take in whatever that city throws at me - in terms of people,climate,attitudes and culture. Starting from Panaji,Goa(where I worked !) ,moving on to Pune , to Chennai, to Bangalore,to Gurgaon-Delhi and now Bangalore again -(of course with trips to Mumbai thrown in from time to time) its been a great ride.

One thing travel gives you is a perspective.About how things are different in different cities - though unique and sometimes,necessary in their own way.The other thing it gives you is allegiance to that city. So when someone in Delhi says something about Chennai (or vice versa) which does not make sense - then you rise to that city's defence -because you have stayed there,and you know its not really true. Its a natural bond one forms with a city when one stays there and mingles with its people.Tough to explain.

So when one has to go back to a particular city again - it brings back fond memories.Your mind goes back to the great times you had there,not so long ago.Though you know,this time around - it'll bring you a whole new experience - you might meet a different set of people and have new things to talk about.Its this factor of the unknown - the ambiguous - that I love about travelling.

Have to keep travelling.Lots more to see. Lots more people to meet.Lots more experiences to have.

P.S.: Moving back to Gurgaon soon.New role,same company.New people.Different experiences?You bet.

Cheaper By the Kilo?

2006-08-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

In Bombay, they sell bananas by the dozen.

In Bangalore, they sell 'em by the kilo. Neat,Huh?

The Axe Effect

2006-08-29T02:54:00.000-07:00

Till some time, I'd just heard of the security ramp-up at the airports. A few days back, I got to see it too.

A deodorant in my personal baggage was stopped,screened and confiscated by airport authorities.This ,despite me making frantic attempts to save my poor li'l deodorant.I even sprayed it on myself to show them that it actually WAS a deodorant and not some fluid bomb!!!

Futile attempts.Finally I packed up and left. (I had a flight to catch)

Net loss of Rs 225/- (price of deodorant)

Net gain = Some avoidable body odour !!!!

On a more serious note, what happens when you donate your deodorant to airport authorities?Is there a way to get it back?Or get re-imbursed?Who is responsible?What if it wasn't a deodorant worth 200 bucks and was a Bvlgari perfume worth 4000 instead?

Security is indeed important and checks are necessary.But will passengers keep paying for it like this?

Business By Night

2006-07-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

In the middle of the night,you get up and feel like having a coffee.Or maybe a tea.When you're a student,you get up, take your bike and find a chai-ka-tapri on the road -where you have your cup of chai with rickshwalas,paperwalas,truckwalas and of course your friends.But I wonder,if someone wants a better 'midnight-chai experience' then where will they go?

There are not too many cafes open in the middle of the night.And I'm wondering,why not?With so many night-only call-centers blooming all over the place,the time has come for some cafes/hotels to become all-nighters.That is the natural next step in the evolution of next-gen India,eh?Most big call-centers have a cafe in the office building -but the same is not the case with small,start-up call centers.

If taken to its logical conclusion, this could be a sizeable business for any cafe.I'm sure the idea is there in the right minds already.It probably needs some policy intervention from the government.

Till then, the chai-ka-tapri beckons..

Blogger break

2006-07-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

This has been a blogging break for a bit too long.Work's been kind of busy.But will post something soon.(Not that many people are reading anyways!!!!hahahaha)

Rohit

Films of Change?

2006-05-07T00:04:00.000-07:00

'54% of India's people are in the 15-25 age bracket.This is - well, the future generation - the generation that will define what India will become in the next few decades.' Haven't we heard this argument enough times in enough places?

But somewhere,we fail to realise how its already started changing the dynamic of our everyday existence.Today.

Film-makers have started realising that this is the segment of the population which will make or break a movie.Hence the number of family-entertainment movies have gone down - and the number of movies that appeal to this young audience have increased.The Hum Aapke Hai Kauns of this world have given way to experimental concepts - Dhoom,Salaam Namaste,Darna...series - Madhuri Dixit and Anil Kapoor have given way to Mallika Sherawat and Emraan Hashmi.Yash Chopra now makes movies like Neal n Nikki!!!

I remember there was a time when there were discussions in the family as to whether Rangeela was a good movie to take young kids to - because of the levels of 'exposure' in the movie.Today, 'exposure' is in our drawing rooms - and audiences are lapping it up. Today Salaam Namaste -the 'live-in' movie - has become family entertainment - which just goes to show how the social fabric is fast changing from the times gone by. I'm not suggesting that if I decide on a live-in relationship with someone tommorow - my family will support me - but yes, they surely wouldn't be shocked when I mention it. And that is a HUGE change.

Films are becoming very representative of this 15-25 generation , their ideas and ideologies.And that generation is responding.The latest is a political-party by IIT-passouts promising 'corruption free governance'(seems straight out of Yuva).Then there are Rang De Basanti type candle-light protests at IndiaGate against the court decision on the Jessica Lal murder , another against reservations and quotas. And from the looks of it, these wont be the last ones.

Very rarely do I have positive things to say about Hindi films.They have generally been, well, too filmy for my liking.But if any of the above is even partly because of films - then those films and their messages deserve a pat on the back.

So here's to more RDBs,Yuvas , and a few Murders too!!!

Gurgaon's Travel Problems

2006-05-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

This post has been long overdue.Anyone who's been in Gurgaon and has had to travel locally will identify with what I have to say.

Gurgaon has no public transport.No buses.No trains.No autorickshaws.There are just the Kolkata-ishtyle man-pulled cycle-rickshaws which take people from place to place locally.But these are slow and take almost 4 times the time that a motor-vehicle would.People travelling within Gurgaon on business -and their kind is increasing- have no means of public transport.Pretty sad, coming from a city which seems to be exploding on the development front and is supposed to be competing with Bangalore as a major MNC/IT/BPO hub. This lack of public transport is a serious challenge for travelling salesmen, to people new in the city and the people on temporary stays - for whom, a personal vehicle isn't a viable option.

I was wondering what could be a good answer to this problem.The easiest would be ,of course, to go in for the 3-wheeler meter-based rickshaws which ply in most other cities.Which would be great.But the quick implementation of which would be difficult.

When I was in Goa a couple of years back, for the first few days,I did not have a vehicle to commute.There were the state run buses - which ran at their own speeds.But a quicker way to get around was using the 'pilot' - a guy on a bike who would transport you from one place to another at good speeds.Typically, you haul yourself onto the backseat and the pilot takes you to your destination for an agreed-upon priceThis is a state-supported concept in Goa - and it works great - because long distances are covered quicker on 2 wheelers - and the fuel-efficiency of the 2 wheeler keeps the costs affordable to the traveller and the operator.

Could this work in Gurgaon?Worth a try.

Days Go By

2006-04-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

The whole sentiment of college life finally being over.The overwhelming feeling of days gone by so quickly , never to return.

Just feeling like this song right now.

Days Go By - Keith Urban

I'm changing lanes and talkin' on the phone
Drivin' way too fast.
And the interstate's jammed with gunners like me
Afraid of comin' in last.
But somewhere in the race we run,
We're coming undone...

And days go by...
I can feel 'em flyin'
Like a hand out the window in the wind.
The cars go by...
Yeah it's all we've been given,
So you better start livin' right now
'Cause days go by...
Oh and a woo-hoo...

Out on the roof just the other night
I watched the world flash by,
Headlights, taillights,
Running through a river of neon signs.
Mmm-hmmm...
But somewhere in the rush I felt,
We're losing ourselves...

And days go by...
I can feel 'em flyin'
Like a hand out the window in the wind.
The cars go by...
Yeah it's all we've been given,
So you better start livin' right now,
And days go by...
Oh and a woo-hoo...
Yeah, the days go by...
Oh and a woo-hoo!

We think about tomorrow then it slips away.
Oh, yes, it does.
We talk about forever but we've only got today...

And the days go by...
I can feel 'em flyin'
Like a hand out the window as the cars go by...
Yeah it's all we've been given,
So you better start livin',
You better start livin',
Better start livin' right now!

'Cause days go by...
I can feel 'em flyin'
Like a hand out the window in the wind.
The cars go by...
Yeah it's all we've been given,
So you better start livin' right now...
'Cause days go by...
Oh and a woo-hoo...
Yeah, these days go by...
Oh and a woo-hooo!

Oh!
So take 'em by the hand,
They're yours and mine.
Take 'em by the hand,
And live your life.
Take 'em by the hand,
Don't let 'em all fly by!

Come on, Come on now...
Yeah!
Come on now!
Oh and a woo-hooo!
Don't you know the days go by...

The Myopic View

2006-04-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

When I was in Bschool - and that wasn't a long time back, there always used to be 2 sides to things - there always used to be 2 or more viewpoints to consider,analyse ,decode - to arrive at an acceptable , 'middling' though workable solution.

And looking at things from an 'outside' perspective, I used to think - 'hey , how can this company make such a dumb mistake in their strategy??'

Now I discover I'm polarised.I'm on one side.I'm inside an organisation.Polarisation and objective perspectives don't go hand in hand. It becomes harder and harder to cultivate and maintain that objective streak.

So the battle for objectivity begins. The battle against blind belief in personal opinion and in organisational propaganda.And I surmise this will be a bigger fight on a professional front than work-related stress, corporate politicking or dangerous bosses .

Global Connections

2006-03-02T00:48:00.000-08:00

Up until not so long ago, my experience of 'globalisation' was only restricted to the customary visits to McDonalds/Pizza Hut and consumption of fizzy cola drinks.Maybe a few friends working in BPOs here and there.

Had someone asked me 4 months back - " RP what do you think about globalisation?" - I would have given some pre-formatted MBA gyaan on foreign companies coming to India,setting up factories , selling their products ...all the normal MBA blah..the 'world-view' of things - as people call it.

But if someone asks me that question today, I will probably tell them how it feels to work together with people from different countries who share the same office workspace with you.How even though people come from drastically different cultures - they work on the same platform towards common goals. How world level ideas are translated into effective local action.

Its quite an intriguing , fascinating ,though novel and surely a 'global' experience.

For the Shoestringers

2006-03-01T03:21:00.000-08:00

Sometime last year, I'd read an article on budget hotels and how there is a gap to be addressed in the Rs 800-1200 a night hotels.Now I have experienced the gap, having stayed at a few budget hotels in different cities. The one which I really liked , becomes the subject of this post.

A few days back , when I was in Bangalore, I stayed in Indione Hotels . At 975/- a night for a single room and 1175/- for a twin-bed ,it is one of the better bugdet hotels I have stayed at.The USP of the hotel is 'Smart Basics' - every facility/convenience is basic - the idea being - AC, TV,bed, compact bathrooms,and rooms are not unneccesarily large. The idea being - if you want frills , you gotta pay extra for it.

Every room has a table with a water glass and tumbler. If you need water , you have to fill up the tumbler from a cooler which is 10 metres outside your door.There is a dairy whitener ,tea-sachets,coffee sachets for you to make your own tea or coffee in the room.

Room service is charged extra. And if you go to the hotel restaurant, you get a basic menu to choose from- 2 sabjis, 1 chicken dish,dal and maybe a few fast food options.All priced at udipi prices - sandwich@ 20 bucks , dal @25 and so on.

Just a smart hotel with basic facilities that suit a non-fussy business traveller like me.

Hope there are more of these around in the next few years.

So....

2006-02-22T21:29:00.000-08:00

I suddenly realised that I have a very receptive vocabulary.When I go to new places and I meet new people, I tend to pick up their style of speaking - their style of communication.

It is not a conscious choice - but it happens even before I know it.

When I was in Pune, I stayed with a Delhi-ite and a Chennai-ite.So I picked up a few words here and there - for example - chutiyap,pel diya (courtesy my Delhi roomie) and picked up a nasal 'uhh' .....courtesy my Chennaiwala roomie.

So when I had to ask a question - I went ' You new in Pune ,uhhh ??'.

Even while at it , I realised I had picked up the lingo.

Now, in the Nike Gurgaon office , people have a habit of starting every sentence with 'S0...' and I fear I will pick that up too in no time.

'So how are you today,Mr X?'
'S0 ,I went to this mall yesterday,and I saw.....'

Quite funny actually.Even while I'm doing it , I realise it. But its not in my control !!

And the experts even have a term for it - Neurolinguistic programming(NLP) !!

Dad & Mom

2006-02-16T20:07:00.000-08:00

25 years of being together.25 years of marriage.Thats something.Dont know whether I'll be able to pull off something like that. :-)

There's a sense of achievement in the air.For Dad, who comes from a family of 6 people who stayed in one room in a dilapidated Dadar chawl - a family of limited means - and for Mom who came from not-so-dissimilar background - bringing up 2 kids - and bringing them up well - and with that , moving up in life themselves - is a big deal. Virtually everything they have done in life is a first.They have walked on a bed of thorns to make a bed of roses for me and my brother.

Mom and Dad - what can I say.Thanks.For everything.

I'm proud of u guys.

Heart Wrencher

2006-01-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

Australian Open action just got over.Yes, Mahesh and Hingis won.Good . But the action was somewhere else.

Marcus Baghdatis , an upbeat,enthusiastic, talented though erratic Cyprian, made it to the final , beating a host of highly seeded players.A player who overwhelmed competition by the speed of his movement, his coverage of the tennis court and a power-packed forehand.Dubbed an 'unstoppable freight train' by Alan Wilkins, he matched and bettered the shots of all his opponents upto the final , thus firing the imagination of the Australian public and the hearts of millions of spectators worldwide.

Playing against Roger Federer , the acknowledged champion, Baghdatis was like a fiery tornado in the first set , winning it in style , whats more , he had the champion all over the court. But patience and the silent confidence of Federer saw him through in what was , probably , one of the most exciting matches in recent tennis history - simply for the quality of tennis on offer. Federer went on to win the championship, but Baghdatis' infectious smile , his go-for-the-guns attitude and his incredibly cavalier game found him new fans all over the world, including yours truly.

Baghdatis, you're the new heartwrencher. You're the one who'll keep coming close to the champions to try to beat them . And we will keep loving you for it.

While watching the game , I couldn't help but remembering the last one - Goran Ivanisevic....and he brought back a flood of memories.

Someone rightly said -

'Champions make good discussion. The Heart-Wrenchers make great nostalgia.'

Not a Student No More

2006-01-24T01:18:00.000-08:00

These days my friends say that a big rock seems to have hit me.

As a matter of fact, it has.It all started when I asked myself - "I mean, is that really it ? College life's over in 10 days??"

No longer a student. What does it mean ?

It means that there will be no more listless hours in the canteen.No more wandering about in big groups. No more purposeless bike-rides in the night.No more staring at 20-something bimbettes with scarce guilt.No more hitting on professors.No more getting screwed in vivas by the hit-on professors.No more booze parties with babes being the sole point of discussion.No more kheechofying friends on little issues.No more being kheechofyed by friends on mushy,queasy issues.No more all-nighter study groups. No more 11.45 night-movies at Esquare.And definitely no more maska-pav at Pune railway station at 4 am.

Its almost like someone has proclaimed -" Your train-of-fun stops here."

When I came for an MBA , I thought I'd prepared myself for a more responsible life 2 years later.Now someone up there wants to cut that time-frame by 3 months.Funny ,huh?? Its almost like a pre-mature ejaculation - you expect something, and you get the unexpected.

And does a more responsible life come with the unwanted add-ons of less fun, less frolic ?? I will try to find the answer in the coming year or so.I guess , somewhere, I will have to strike a balance . No longer can my life be one continuing joyride ,one pleasure trip.Somewhere,I will have to take the crests with the troughs , the ups with the downs.

But a new phase of my life begins.A scary phase dat I have not seen.

But will venture.Will try. Will fall.Will get up and dust ass. Will try.Will do.

And will keep venturing.

Worst Movie Ever

2006-01-24T01:16:00.000-08:00

I saw the worst movie ever. And it was recommended by a friend.Needless to say, I wont be following his recommendations anymore.

The movie goes by the name of VULGAR. Dont watch it even if you are paid to do so.And remember, u read it here first.

Run !

2006-01-20T03:57:00.000-08:00

Mumbai ran .....some ran 7 ,some ran 21, some ran 42.

Some ran as Gandhi, Some as Patel, some as Nathuram Godse, Some as Nehru , Some as semi-deities , some as turkeys (yes,dats rite - turkeys) and most ran as themselves.

The marathon saw a turnout of 26000 people this year.People of all hues - old, young, kids , grandpas, nobodys, somebodys and celeb-bodys were on show.A friend says there were as many people cheering as there were running.

A fundraiser event for a charitable cause - the marathon sees people become selfless selves for one half-day.It sees corporate do-gooders, media-savvy celebs, filmstars, sportstars,industrial tycoons, social workers and ofcourse , it sees common-man do-gooders like you and me - everyone comes together on one platform for one cause.

The Mumbai Marathon has ,very quickly,come to represent an annual demonstration of Mumbai's spirit.2005 gave Mumbai enough opportunities to showcase its spirit - July 26/27 being the case in point - flood waters brought strangers together in untoward ,unexpected circumstances - resulting in acts of unforeseen bravery and heroism.

But if spirit need be showcased, may it be through events like the Marathon than unfortunate natural disasters.

So, run Mumbai run. Run and keep running , never to stop or to hesitate .

Pink !

2006-01-09T07:14:00.000-08:00

Hutch goes Pink !!

Pinky Ponky Pink !!

I think they should do some co-branding with Fair and Lovely ...hehe...LOL !!

P.S.: A friend said they want to get femmes with the pink colour. hmm....

Purposelessness Personified

2006-01-03T06:54:00.000-08:00

Placements are over. Everyone is placed.

The placements process at a Bschool is a melange of emotions and expressions - anxiety , curiousity,expectation,depression, desperation, happiness,glee, delight, hopelessness, self-doubt - a combination which is tough to explain ,unless you see it for yourself.

Now that its all over, a sense of purposeless-ness will pervade our lives for the next 3 months.Everyone comes for an MBA with one purpose - get a job (where one had none) or get a better job(where one had one) - the intention being to move up in life.Suddenly, one day, that purpose is lost on you when you have a job in your hand. So what do you do after that????

You have all the fun that you can in the remaining time at college before getting into the rigours and routines of a job. And this is where a lot of MBA students are caught unawares.They find it difficult to adjust to realities on the ground after leading a rigourous ,yet cushy life in an MBA course.

MBA classrooms have the habit of treating business difficulties in an objective problem-solution manner.Businesses have problems , and MBAs are the solution-providers.

So MBAs go out into the business world armed with their case-study approaches and problem-solution methods.But real life , they find out , is a lot more complicated. A lot of political, economic, social,human issues affect business decision-making - and these can never be simulated in a classroom. Bschools also make your life interesting and exciting by simulating different situations - but real life is a lot more dull(everyday, you live the same case study,and it doesn't change!!) .A lot more routine - and never as interesting.

I read on a blog somewhere - "An MBA is like a great wine-tasting session.Enjoy it while it lasts."

Well Said.

Bangalores Galore

2005-12-31T01:13:00.000-08:00

A shootout at IISc Bangalore.AK-47 et al.

Its not just another shootout. Its a slap on the face. A slap on the face of the new India we are so proud of.An India of knowledge workers, research scientists,malls and multiplexes, and new, un-inhibited attitudes and ambitions.

Its a slap which will resound loud and clear - in police departments, government offices,parliament(?) tech centres and most importantly, corporate boardrooms and investment offices worldwide .Its a slap which will put doubts in the minds of new-age believers of the India story.

The message sent out ,by the terrorists-that-be , is clear : India may be the flavour of the decade, but it is still a third-world country ridden by terrorism , so think twice before sending your dollars here.

What should be India's response ? People say - beef up security, monitor,watch, frisk everyone - sure ,it will help - but wont it be a waste of resources to defend against a rare freak attack??

I say , do the best you can with security.But more than that, make sure you make more Bangalores. May there be Bangalores galore.

How many will you target??We will be unfazed, we will defend our institutions and educators, but we will not stop making more and more of them.We will not play into your hands .We will keep going.We wont stop.

20 passports daily,bas!!!

2005-12-25T07:09:00.000-08:00

Passport authorisation has been decentralised.What this means is that passports will now be issued centrally, but will be authorised locally.So,there will be no middlemen/agents doing passport work by paying bribes at the HO. Instead, a person goes to a local police station,and applies for a passport - the application is verified by a local passport officer, and sent to HO for final authorisation.Good move, I must say. You gotta give it to them - its a good move - it cuts down the processing time at HO, it cuts down the huge queues, it cuts down transaction costs, and reduces interface time for the passport-aspirer.

What is beyond my understanding is why , the local passport office cannot process more than 20 applications in a day. The whole idea of localisation must be to process more applications with the least amount of redtape and help make the HO an 'enabler' ,not a regulator.

The '20 applications only' rule is ridiculous to say the least.What this means is that people who want a passport need to go to the local issuing office as early in the morning as possible(weird times like 4 am are not uncommon) and get a number amongst the first 20 applicants for the day.

So, what this means that , a public which is happier that passport work will get done locally- returns home feeling disgruntled ,since localisation has only simplified the HO's operations - life for the average passport aspirer is still inconvenient.

Just Did It

2005-12-19T06:54:00.000-08:00

There are days , and then there are days.

Most times, life is like sport. On some days everything, absolutely everything ,goes wrong. You feel bottom of the pile, and feel as straijacketed as ,well, a straitjacketed guy.

And on another day, everything seems absolutely perfect. 18/12/2005 was one such day. Nothing went wrong. Everything went right , and went my way all the time.

Ok , enough shit. I did it. I Got Placed. I am no longer a jobless MBA. I have a job.

At 'I still cant believe it' - Nike. Yea, the sportswala Nike.

I Just Did It.

Why fresh MBAs jump jobs

2005-12-18T11:46:00.000-08:00

Its placement time.Companies are here. They want us. Some want us bad. And they will go to great lengths to get the best people.

Most of these companies come to campus expecting to meet mature managers. What they get is a bunch of confused souls (including yours truly) who dont know where they're headed or what they want.

Here's a sample of some questions plaguing students ---

' This company's paying pretty well , but I hate the sector - what should I do ?'

'I love the job profile, but they're paying peanuts yaar.'

A lot of times, students apply to companies based on what they hear about the companies , or simply on the basis of pay packages. I dont blame them - half the world believes that MBAs are supposed to make a lot of money - and its a bias which is very deeply entrenched in young minds. Plus, most students have loans to pay off - since most are financing their higher education themselves. So accepting a job which doesnt pay well, but might have good levels of responsibility or might be exciting, is a tough call which very few courageous blokes make. Also, the way the placement process is structured, the companies with the best 'pay-packets' come first , so the placement rush becomes a rush to get 'placed' first ,rather than getting placed at the right 'place'.End result - a lot of people land up where they never thought they would - very lucky few really make it to the places they want to be.

The next one or two years go in finding your feet - knowing where you want to be. And then to be there, MBAs hop jobs.

That ,in short explains why many fresh MBAs hop jobs.

A Chill in the Air

2005-12-09T07:57:00.000-08:00

There's a chill in the air. The stirring of a changing season.And I feel it every day when I'm out on my 15 minute jog in the wintry mornings.But that's not the chill I'm worried about.

Somehow the 'chill' seems to be settling into college ,too. Placement season is nearing , and students are huddling together in groups -discussing strategies, tactics , and gameplans to corner the top companies and the best jobs.There are some exciting times ahead for all of us , for , the future beckons us with arms wide open.

But there's something about placement season that scares me. Friends with whom I've spent close to 2 years now, will become arch-enemies in the quest for that 'hot' job.Its a cut throat world out there, and a lot of what will happen over the next month or so, will be just that- cutting throats ,getting sidestepped, getting trampled over, squashing someone else's hopes to keep your own alive.Like any sport, the placement game is played the hard way, with a lot of gamesmanship thrown in.But at the end of the day , in sport ,people shake hands , and salute the spirit of competition.

Not so in this game.

People will hold grudges long after placements are over - 'You cut me ! You did not let me speak in the GD ! I was right !!' Someone will blame me for what they dont have.Or vice versa.

And that scares me.At the end of it all, will I be able to look into my friends' eyes without feeling that I short-changed them ?

Will things be the same between friends ? Coz if they dont, everyone loses.Whatever job whoever lands up with.

I have been a big advocate of Bschools and their methods - and their 'birds-eye-views'.But I'm having second thoughts about this one thing.

New Age Melas

2005-12-03T18:04:00.000-08:00

My mind wanders back 100 years...and I think, hey ,what did my ancestral folks in the villages do to entertain themselves??

They had their own forms of entertainment - cock fights ,bull races, tamashas,jatras , and above all - melas - where people turned up (and still do) in HUGE numbers for fun,frolic, and some shopping with the family.

But times change.Sure.So people moved to cities.And started running corporations,government,and other services instead of farming crop.

So what do the people-of-today do to entertain themselves ??They watch movies , play sports,eat out , shop , and so on.If that's what people do to have fun , then the malls &multiplexes have come to represent the 'new age' melas - where people gather,,shop some,eat some and generally entertain themselves.So malls are the new age melas - melas which exist everyday in people's lives - where a different set of people come everyday for their dose of fun.

Times change . Sure they do.

Hutch on Target

2005-12-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

hutch ads work.period.

take the latest ones.the ones with irfan exhorting people to buy top-up cards from Rs 10/- to Rs 198/- ,each for a different reason - 'girlfriend ko i love you bolna hai, to chota recharge'

yesterday i was in a small retail shop- and a construction worker walks into the store with his friend - and asks for a Hutch recharge card of Rs 10/- with a mischievious smile on his face(maybe the girlfriend funda touched a chord somewhere!)....

this is not surprising - ads generate responses.but i'm in pune.hutch does not exist in pune.(it exists as BPL cellular , but the common man doesnt know that).nowhere is there a hutch poster /dog /banner in pune.but our friend the construction worker insisted on the hutch chota recharge.dats good advertising for you.keep going Hutch.way to go.

P.S.: my sympathies,though, lie with the retailer who had to explain to our friend over and over again that the card wasnt available in pune yet , and that it was a top-up card with a single-day validity only....

I-Pod & the need for Plenty

2005-11-25T07:45:00.000-08:00

The Apple I-Pod must surely be the latest,most-wanted craze amongst yuppies like me . may it be the Ipod mini, Ipod nano or any other , Ipod has become the buzzword , the one key accessory-to-have amongst the musik-crazy generation-next.

the ipod is just a step forward from the walkman - which made music portable.it does 2 things :

1. it keeps music portable
2. it allows u to keep a huge stock of songs/videos - since u store them in compressed format.

so , dat makes the case for an Ipod Nano - 2 or 4 Gb of space - which gives more than enough space to store all your choicest music for convenient listening.but an ipod with 30 Gb of space?? 60Gb??what does one do with so much space??the average music listener does not listen to more than 100 new songs in a year.

but people buy.so what makes them buy it ? i feel its the feeling of plenty - of never running out of space to store things....its like an attic which never fills up ,however much you dump into it.

Partly what makes Gmail tick ,too......the feeling of 'security in plenty'.

Bus Update ...

2005-11-25T07:30:00.000-08:00

Neeta travels better look out !!

there's raj national express(RNE) coming along ....and from what i can see , it might be pretty big.one of the buses of RNE was on display at Kothrud , Pune.its a modified,customised Volvo bus , but has 2 TVs, one over the driver's head , and one in the center of the bus for the backseaters who miss the movie action otherwise.moreover ,instead of forcing everyone to listen to movie noise , this one makes the choice individual - by providing headphones with every seat. so u can watch the movie , or just catch up on ur sleep.

every seat (except the last row)has leg supports and considerable leg room - which means a more comfortable ride for all, instead of the privileged few in the other buses.

i'm not done yet.guess the ticket's price ? Rs 99/- !!! Introductory offer,of course....but i'm not complaining !!

bring on the Neetas of the world !!

now if only the travel times would come down to 3 hours :-)

Swedish Technology , Swadeshi Time !!!

2005-11-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

Travelling the Mumbai-Pune route over the expressway has to be one of the most visually pleasing rides for a traveller....more so,when its done in a dust free, air-conditioned,Volvo bus.Now I'm a frequent flier(roadie?!) on the Pune-Borivali-Pune route,but why do I hate the ride so much?

I think it has something to do with the Volvo bus taking 6 hours to transport me to my destination.
Classic case of videshi technology ,desi attitudes…

And to think that the expressway would save time !!

Well,the expressway DOES save time. once you’re on it ,that is.once you join it post-panvel ,u reach pune in 45 minutes flat.now dats something.but what screws my mind is the 3 hours(sometimes even 4) the bus takes in pick-ups in mumbai (or the 2 it takes in pune on the other way round).i guess the neeta and metrolink fellows have to get their optimum revenues-per-seat on every bus,every time.

i think there are 2 ways to change this consumer torture:

a. move the buses to highways rather than the traffic-stopping S V Road

b. start express buses which wont stop (except for a toilet break )and sell these tickets at 320 rupees(the normal ticket is 270).the people who're really bugged(i'm in dat bracket,too..)would merrily buy the tickets at that price.

the third thing that could change the scenario is competition - i hear konduskar and raj travels are starting ferry services just like neeta, so this could be a point of differentiation for either of them to pull customers.

Well, that’s how a smart-alec wannabe MBA will try to solve a problem…….(if only it were that easy, hah !!)

One Night...........

2005-11-18T00:52:00.000-08:00

Just finished readin Chetan Bhagat's book number 2-One Night @ The Call Center....read it in 4 hours flat.

must say dat after five point someone , CB disappoints with this one.Somewhere it just goes off on a tangent after a certain point.Personal opinion ofcourse.

My ratings : FPS : 8.5/10
ON@TCC : 6/10

But his languid style of writing has made me a big fan.I want more.No holds barred, yuppie writing at its best.the language is great ,and talks straight to the heart.while reading the book , something inside just 'clicks' and finds a voice.

I would love it if more chetan bhagats start writing books...

Bring them on.....wouldnt mind more bhagat soup for the yuppie soul.....

Yo-Yo Man

2005-11-15T18:08:00.000-08:00

Everyone's heard of yo-yo dieters.The ones that go on a fast-track diet for some time, get back in shape, only to indulge later on and lose it all.They're all over TV and press....heck,I think even Oprah did a show on them.

I think i'm a yo-yo man too. but i'm not a yo-yo dieter.i'm a yo-yo exerciser.i take to exercise only when i absolutely, necessarily have to.When family and friends tell me dat i'm looking 'healthier'(nice euphemism ,dat.)

Dont know if there are more of my breed around(and if there are , would they dare to come out of the yo-yo closet ??...hehe)

P.D.A.

2005-11-13T17:28:00.000-08:00

Public Display of Affection. Those dreaded words.

"Oh , I think PDA is not done yaar."

"These guys should get a room if they cant control themselves(rather than spoiling the atmosphere around here)!"

...are some of our reactions to PDA.

But is PDA that bad?I think not.

PDA is but an expression of love. Love between 2 human beings.And hence , PDA also applies to mother-kid, granny-baby and father-daughter.Do we express the same shock when a mom kisses her 6 year old all over the face?We just smile.But a guy and a girl - oh no, dats not the same for our hypocritical soul.We're queasy, we're intrusive, we're arrogant, and more than half of us will say - these people need to get a room!!

Moral policing at its best.

Well, like all other things in life , there is never a right side to be on.

After all , life is but a point-of-view.

The Street Sellers

2005-11-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

Whenever I'm in Mumbai , I have a small ritual.i go to churchgate , to 'book street' as they call it , to get the latest bestsellers(pirated of course) dirt cheap.i have even made friends wid a few booksellers there.

on this occasion i decided i wanna buy some books, so off i was. onli this time , there was no book street.the street was there of course ,but no booksellers.all ,it seems , in the name of 'bombay ka beautification to make it shanghailike'...the onli trace of bookstreet dat is left is 4 vendors trying to sell whatever they can to a pretty loyal customer-set (before the municipality vehicle rudely takes their wares away.)

business is bad , they say. almost 40% down than it was earlier.i feel bad for them.they're doing good service to poor ,book-hungry people like me(believe me there are lots like me)

i'm not against beautification.but doesnt mumbai have bigger problems on hand than troubling small livelihoods?

sure, mumbai will look like shanghai.but will it feel like mumbai then??

7 things....

2005-11-04T05:52:00.000-08:00

i guess everyone's got a motley list of 7 things they want to do b4 they die..

so here's mine.:-)

1 GET IN SHAPE

2 learn to swim

3 be on a sea cruise

4 learn salsa

5 start my own company

6 write a book(now dat one is cliched alrite !!)

7 do some social work in my own small way

Back Home Again

2005-11-04T05:41:00.000-08:00

There's something about coming back home again dat makes the heart go nostalgic all over again. coming back to cozy families, old friendships and of course the warmth and brightness of Diwali.

Kinda happened to notice that time sorta expands when ur coming back home.minutes seem like hours and hours like days.well,part of the game i guess.

this diwali-ka-khana-peena is killing me....have had too much of it already...gimme my maggi and durga coffee any day!!

Good and Great

2005-10-30T11:53:00.000-08:00

There's an air of arrogance about him. There's a rumbling stir.The sense of disrespect for opposition is back.And how.Sachin, Reborn, again.

Someone said the other day - " The difference between good people and great people is that great people can make big changes in small time.Good people need time."

As the movie Hollow Man puts it - "Great people can go from A to D without knowing the B &C ."

Maybe Sachin's too bored with the B&C too.

A tesT of Courage

2005-10-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

So a guy takes 4 classes in 4 months.

Doesn’t teach anything worthwhile.

And then sets an application-based paper. Bad.

What do we do about it?

Sit there and write the paper for 3 hours. Hopeless.

We let ourselves down today guys.

When the time for revolt came, we caved in.

Student-driven institute ? Not really.

I'm Beyond All this !!!

2005-10-23T03:16:00.000-07:00

Its official. I hate exams .I’m too old for them.(I’m 24.) At least the written ones.It gives me a heightened sense of hopelessness – because I know that most of what I write is not really making sense !! At many points I keep the pen down and wonder – why am I writing this c*** ?

But passing is at stake. So I write more and more .Its almost like saying – hey you put me through this. Now face the consequences.

As one of my friends put it –

“It’s a marks v/s lines trade off – more marks , more lines of worthless stuff. If you want quality, you have to find it in the quantity that I give you.”

An MBA for Posterity ?

2005-10-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

Some people say that an MBA is just a tag for posterity. A lot of what you learn, you will never use. But you learn it nevertheless. True.

The experience of an MBA, though , is a whole different thing altogether – it makes you think about yourself , about others , about mota issues that concern the world and about what one can do to change the world. It gives you a whole new worldview that you never had before. Kinda opens your mind like a can of coke – with the fizz waiting to come out . …. And I wouldn’t exchange that experience for anything else.

Guess dats why they say – Its not a degree , It’s a way of life.

A Night At The Movies

2005-10-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

Watching 3 movies in a row.

Watching ‘em before they’re in the theatres.

Near Dolby sound for effects.

The choice to stop and replay it whenever you u like a scene.

A steaming hot cup of tea .

A blanket to curl up with.

And a nice room-mate to discuss the movie late into the night.

Movies on DVD - Sometimes laptops can be put to constructive use.

One More.......

2005-10-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

One more exam approaches .4 days to D day. And one more 4 day stint of hustling to finish whatever one can , before dumping whatever one remembers - and doesnt- into an answer paper.Sometimes I pity the guys who read those papers.

One more birthday goes by.Feels good when friends and family call and wish you - make you feel important for that one day in the year. And its been a good year ,too.Life has suddenly assumed a pace so frenetic that there's hardly any time to reflect on what went by.And to think that a year back I had all the time to do all I wanted and chose to do nothing !!!

One more friend leaves for a foreign land. And the heart feels the longing already.