Mumbai- A city of dreams or rubbish?

Mumbai – Something about the city always excited me. I think it was the local trains or the buzz and the hurry burry. May be it is the anonymity that one gets that is appealing to me. I love to get lost among the crowds. This time however, I seemed to notice all the wrong things about Mumbai.

1) Dirt
The streets are laddened with piles of rubbish as you see ‘Joppar pati’ on both sides of the railway tracks. Everything from the counters to the stair case to the roads had filth. I stayed at a friend’s home to realize they had no garbage system but rather dumped their garbage outside their homes. Shocked? Well imagine my friend is a manager in one of the big IT firms and yet he seemed to be nonchalant about it. He explained that there was no garbage collection at all. Someone would come and pick the garbage and God knows what he would do. They have a compound sweeper who collects the bits and papers that one throws so randomly from their window.

2) People

The people are so poor. It’s one thing to be poor but totally different to be poor and live filthily. They are small time road traders selling stuff at Rs. 5 ($ 0.13) to Rs. 40 ($1) however; they are not bothered about the flies and the kind of water they use, their hands, and the dirt filled nails. Does one get so dishearten by poverty that even keeping the place around them swept and neat become unthinkable? I passed through the red light areas of Mumbai and saw the way the prostitutes lined outside their box rooms wearing traffic light red lipsticks. They were not pretty. Dark in complexion and wearing gaudy colors, they looked down- graded. The taxi drivers would bat an eye while lying about the amount of fare. I was duped by Rs. 10 and I didn’t like it. Therefore, as a visitor to the city, always check with the meter list how much the exact fare is.

3) Weather

Hot, humid, rainy, damp and sticky.

The rain mixes with the garbage that is literally around the city and people walk on least bothered. You will feel hot and sticky and sweaty all the time unless you happen to be the lucky one out of a million who works in an AC office and can eat in an AC restaurant.

4) Food

Good food. As long as you don’t know how it is prepared.
Else
Cook at home
Eat at trusted brands like Coffee day or Italiano or Kobe’s.

The one restaurant you shouldn’t miss out is Delhi Durbar. You can order anything blindly and it will be delicious. I strongly recommend the Biryani’s and the Tandoor Chicken dishes.

5) Overall

It’s not the place that matters but the people. When you go to Mumbai, go with your best friend whose company you enjoy tremendously. It might fade the background and who knows, while chatting and laughing, you could drink away a glass of melon juice without noticing the flies around.

A visit to Infosys

Today was an amazing day. Fifteen of us were selected based on our country presentations on MBA prospects in various countries. I happened to be one among them :-). The lucky ones got to go for a onsite company interaction and guess which company? Infosys!!!

Infosys as you all know is among the best rated software companies of India and we hold a lot of pride in it. I have been hearing about Infosys ever since I came to India for my undergraduation. Infosys came to our Chirst College campus around 2004 and a lot of my juniors got selected. During my time we had Digital Globalsoft (now 100% HP), Amphasis, Tata Elexi to mention a few. I had seen Infosys from outside many times on my way to work (HP also in Electronic City) and today I finally got to see the whole of Infosys.

We had an hour's interactive session with the Senior Vice President of Infosys, Dr. L.P. Ravindra. He has 31 years of experience and we were spell bound by the way he spoke to us.

The main topics we discussed were about why Infosys has reached were it has today, it's marketing strategy, CSR, role of an MBA at Infosys. He gave us valuable advice on how we should keep adapting, moulding, changing. He handles and E &R, Education and Research division and pioneered the concept Industry focus in colleges. Currently out of 1800 Engineering colleges in India, 400 have tied up with Infosys where Infosys conduct their training to the students and get them established in the industry. Amazing.

Everything about Infosys spelt 'Quality'. Our guide also spoke excellently and had in dept knowledge of the whole campus.

It was a great day!

Infosys Photos

The internet is back

Well I finally had to threaten Hathway that I would withdraw the connection and I wanted my money back to get my internet going.

I really don't like it when I need to be 'Firm' in order to get my work done. Anyways in India, it's only when you threaten to cut your connection.. whether it's your cable, your mobile or your internet that the company actually 'realises' you have a problem and solves it. Not 'Try' to solve it. Did you know there is nothing like 'Try' in this world. Either you do it or you don't!

Internship Report Done!

Yahoo! I finished I finished I finished! I finished my internship report, my resume, my appraisal, my everything. Now I no longer have any tensions wrt the placement department for all is done :)

Of course my sales report is yet to be done and I need to complete it by Friday L but hey it’s close to my heart and I think I will actually have fun writing it.

Yesterday, there was chaos in the house. The gas cylinder finally came only to find it’s leaking. I got the small gas cylinder on my bike scared like a kitten. I saw myself exploding anytime if God forbid, the gas starts linking and catches a spark from my bike. Thankfully, my imaginations remained imaginations. Back at home Namrata confirmed that it could happen and it had happened to her neighbour back in Raipur. He was a young boy of twenty, twenty two and was getting the cylinder on his bike when he met with an accident and was blow off. Made me realize it’s truly very risky.

The T.V. Repair guy finally came and thanks to God, the T.V. is working fine. Some cable had died and it was making a cracking sound and the screen flashed. This is the interior snap of our T.V :)

Ok, now I am hungry coz in the hurry and adrenaline rush, I forgot this body needs food too.

Warning note: Dad called me to pass a message from the BOSS – Mom. She has ‘Commanded’ me to start exercising and begin yoga early in the morning. I just realized, you’ve got to be careful about what you say on your blog… lol

It's time to make a choice...

Yesterday I 'think' I had a panic attack. This is because I was standing in the middle of the kitchen looking for something... I don't know what and I was like real scared. I suppose it's the tension of the reports I have to make. I think it's a 'perfection disorder' or something... and of course a 'delay disorder'. I got up at 5.00 am to give it a shot but after prayers I just couldn't sit. This time it was not mental but physical. My back was acting funny and even dinner became a problem for me! I just couldn't sit without feeling uncomfortable.

I seriously have to start some sport. Anything for now I don't want to became 52 instead of 25. I am at the peak of my adulthood! I should be running around the world with my back pack instead of lying down on the bed trying to make my report! What am I? Some retired oldie?! Its 4.oo p.m and I am feeling exhausted! (Thankfully I can type ;) )

We learnt an interesting concept in Production Management. "How much can a man work?". Professor explained the various techniques used to calculate the time it takes to get work done in the factory - both for products and services. This has got me thinking... How much work can one really do? Is it 4 hours? or 6? or 8 or 12 or 16? Today, with India emerging as the next big economy, the metros and the cities have became a 16 hour job cycle. Out of 16 hours that one is 'supposed' to work, how many hours is actually 'productive'. I personally believe it is humanly impossible for an individual to work using his brain for 16 hours. Once in a while, that is fine but everyday?! The poor man is going to crack down sooner a later. Work is a huge part of our life, but it is NOT life.

If you want a successful company, you need happy and successful employees and customers. To get a happy employee, you have to take care of him not only from his job perspective but his overall growth. Nowadays MNCs (Multi National Companies) keep aside a room which they call 'They gym' or 'The recreation center', yet do they ensure that the employees get the chance, get the TIME to go there? Usually the employee is kept so busy that he forgets the geography of the company and remembers just his cabin.

I do understand that a company has to meet targets. Therefore, a lot of planning is done, schedules are laid. so if the life of an employee is not being balanced, then it is obvious the issue lies at the top level management. There is a defect in the strategy and in fact the whole 'Vision and Mission' of a company if they expect to exploit their very own people.

Thankfully, I have not encountered 'Cruel' managers personally. I know they are there. I have seen them, I have observed them. I know how greedy and mean they are but thankfully, My immediate manager has been a good one so I have been in a way always 'Protected' from the mean bad world. What I can't stand, is seeing my fellow colleagues being used! Being shouted at! being embarrassed in front of their colleagues. What to managers think they are? God? Especially middle level management!

A lot of these thoughts have been running through my mind. I will be leaving my cozy nest and venturing into the 'Big bad world' in less than a year. What is it that I want? Where is it that I want to go? What kind of people do I want to work with? Do I want to work 16 hours so that I can afford a car or do I want to work 9 hours and commute by bus. Do I want to work under someone? If yes, who is that someone? What is it that I want to work for? I want to leave something concrete behind. I don't want my life to be wasted on doing something that will have no benefit to human kind, to this world that God has created for us to develop.

I don't want to sale cosmetics to the 'upper uppers' or work in a financial institution that promotes speculation which has destroyed the lives of millions of 'investors'. There is one thing that has come to my attention which I find cause worthy. That is Micro finance. This is one industry that has shifted focus to the less-fortunate. Today we have banks like ICICI and CITIBANK calling you every now and then, "Mam, would you like to avail a personal loan of Rs.20,000?" Yet, a poor widow, who needs money for the funeral rites of her husband is refused by all major banks simply because there is little guarantee of repayment.

I am still studying the Micro finance industry in India and I admire Vipul Ahuja of SKS Micro finance who has not only succeeded in the field but has helped thousands of poor women through his micro finance structure.

There are always pros and cons while selecting your career. After 12th Std, I had to choose between Medicine and Computer science. I had seen enough T.V. programmes to know that the life of a doctor was miserable. I read 'The river and the source' and got to know doctors don't sleep for 36 hours at a go! No ways! I opted out. Thankfull, for now, even the smell of disinfectants disturb me. Especially after my bike accident few years ago. No, I was not meant to be a doctor.

After completing graduation, I didn't want to work 16 hours like the software engineers do here. They go to work at 8.00 am and come back home at 10.00 p.m., I mean that is o.k. while you are a bachelor, living away from home and may be for a year or two, but then what? Are you going to do that all your life? One moves ahead to the next phase of life - Marriage and children. Imagine never getting a chance to go to the annual school day of your son because you had a release?

I know it's happening and millions are living this life. However, Life is a choice! It's our choice to live like this. It's our choice to put pressure in our lives. I had a choice and I choose not to join the industry. A good thing for I was an average programmer. I got the work done, but I had no passion for it neither did I enjoy it.

And now.. Here I am. Back to the question of what I want. What choice should I make. Should I join a corporate that pays me a six digit salary and takes from me my life in totality, or should I join an industry I believe in, I believe that is out to help, that is out to make a difference. The pay would be less. Far less, may be not even 4 digits. Should I forgo my car? Should I forgo this AC room and a personal P.C. for days under the hot village sun?

Most importantly, do I have the confidence that "I" can make a difference? Do I have the capability? Do I have the ability?

A lot of questions for which I still search answers

Our House on the front page of "The Times of India"

Wow and Ha Ha

Imagine this - Fake threats of never taking your report ;)

Either I have become terribly naughty or terribly haughty..hehe

I love it when I am this way. Instead of being the 'oh-my-god, mistress in distress' I'm like pretty cool dude ;) I think I'm becoming my dad. LOL nothing affects him. you can scream and shout and tell him bla bla bla and he will give you his cheeky smile as though he's least bothered. Love you dad! :-)

I choose not be get screamed at.. one of the poor girls got so miserable that she was literally crying! I mean can you believe it? You could understand that if it was your National exam and you just flunked and have to repeat the whole year... yeah then, may be, you cry but for a term report??!! Imagine how insensitive 'the people' are? or how silly we are ;)

Ok too many winks..hehe.. but I'm just amused at this Munna bhai flop hogaya movie threats on 'I'm not accepting your report! and I'm not going to place you either!"

Today I had a good 'G.D.' with Mr.Akash whose 'thinking' is that in a G.D. be open to discuss anything including selling a 'girl'. BS (in his language) We objected.. all the good students and all who could defend their stand. I told him he was a fence sitter and forgot to add that then hey you have no ethics. If you can say things you don't mean to get a job, trust me, I would NEVER hire you. Who wants to work for a company who actually gives you such silly topics to 'Discuss' on. Don't they understand Indian Taxation System or how to improve the thirld world country's economy? Isn't topics like 'Should prostitution be made legal in India' outdated and pathetic? and to actually tell a bunch of MBA guys that they should go ahead and support the claim.

I asked him straight on his face 'Will you introduce your sister.."Meet my sister, she is a prostitute'? Would you? If you wouldn't do it for your own sister then why say that for other women. That is hypocricy.' Ok I didn't tell him about his hipocricy but just let him win by giving him a scarcastic cum amusing smile. Figure that! What kind of training is that.

Devendra told me, speak with facts, real world is bad, it's all about politics and dirty games and corruption that is so rampant in India. Hello->? Heard of Saudia Arabia? Heard of Indonesia? O.K. forget countries who are Islamic less I'm labelled as 'Oh she is a muslim so obviously she will just speak from that point of view'

You want your examples?

Take Mahatma Gandhi. One man. Freed the whole nation, and slavery is a more tough war to win than corruption and silly politicians.

So am I fuming up? Of course! I wouldn't accept the wrong just because the whole class or 'Mr. Akash' happens to think -"If you want a job, be diplomatic' and that is how I have got the above punkymood pic ->Two faced. Bahar se kuch aur, Undar se kuch aur ( Something on the outside, something else in the inside) In short -> word of the day -> HYPOCRISY

Thank God for me that I've so far never had to be one and have never been asked those silly questions. Why give the right to ask someone questions like that to you. No, I'm not being ohhh so sensitive, ouch! kinds. I mean the dignified 'Do I come across as such a person that you ask such degradable third grade foul queries?'

Once again... I smile :-) 'You either fume up or you laugh at things you can't do anything about' - you can't do anything about 'individuals' who think prostitution should be legalised or of those who are free to lie on their hearts to get a job! Chhh! Where did honesty go? Shopping?

so hey.. I'm smiling :-) I'm still young and I don't want ulcers so soon.... Ciao!

A bad week

Yesterday was a real bad bad bad day. Actually the whole week was real bad. Why?

1. I was down and out
2. I forgot all plans
3. I became paralyzed just before my taxation test
4. I missed a seminar and a class
5. I did not submit my report
6. I feel guilty and 'Oh common!' at the same time ;)

Well I won't worry coz this week I plan to get back in shape. I do feel sad at my poor performance in Tax and the report. Anyways, the report will take hardly an hour 'if' I sit and just do it zap zap zap.

So I am again off to replan my 'plan' and I will let you know how this week goes. :-)

My castle

This was a gift from Czech Republic. One of my colleague who did his internship in Czech Republic and got me lots of souvenirs. I took this photo because I love the snow fall pieces and you simply can't resist shaking it up every time you see it :-). That's why I keep it far away from my study table.

I tried to get the snap right in time when the snow falls.

It's beautiful, isn't it!

IIM Bangalore Library

:-) This is me with my books at the IIM Library. I will soon be posting pictures of the campus soon. While taking this snap, I learnt how to disable the flash light. Yes! :-) I learnt one thing..hehe


This shows the view outside from where I'm sitting. It's beautiful outside with all the lawns and greenery.

Prof. Narayan Swamy - Where knowledge speaks everything

Its not the flashy clothes that you wear

or the american accent that you put on

its not the color of your skin

or your fancy background

its not the paper called a degree

or the years of wasted experience

its not your shoes or your ties

or you so so expensive coats

its what you carry in your mind

and the ability to transfer it to young minds

that makes you the best professor in this world!

As Usual...

Last week I achieved a record of being on time for all my classes.

Today I went back to old routine. I was in time for my lesson but you know.. I hate saying that word 'late'. On the other hand I found myself having excellent concentration power. I feel that if I save my energy on not talking too much then I make it out with reading a lot and concentrating on my lessons

There isn't anything new. Lots of assignments and submissions and so working on them...

A good sunday

Today was a good sunday because I finished my Investment Analysis revision so far. I still have the last chapter on Capital Market theory to master but otherwise, Thank God, I managed to revise and understand all about dividends, returns, risk, variance, covariance and corelation and how this are used in the analysis of investments and portfolio management.

On friday morning I was really mad coz I told my driving instructor off when he spoke to me in his rude voice. I was sulky the whole morning... haha.. in the end I realised it was only my peace that I was disturbing so I let go.

Nisreen and I had gone for friday morning prayers and we had slept late also. This took a toil when I found myself sleeping in my investment analysis class. On the first row right under the nose of my professor! My friends were waking me up! During the break, I drowned myself in coffee and crackers so that I'd keep myself alert. I had lost the flow of the subject matter. One class of Prof. NarayanSwamy is like 10 chapters of the book. When we returned for the next session, he said 'Those who did not follow the first class, don't worry. Concentrate in this one and you can still catch the thread"

Yes.. He was talking to me :-) He is so understanding. In the first class itself he told us that at times we don't feel like sitting in class due to some reasons - personal or otherwise and we were free to walk out. He would not think badly of us or judge us on that single class behavior. How many professors can give that kind of a 'security' and if they do, how many truly believe. That's why all of us adore him. His weapon is the knowledge he carries with him and his ability to transfer it to us. Hats off to him!

Well today I sat and I went through my notes. My notebook is almost complete and it's not even a month of classes. At this rate I think I will need three notebooks, that would be my record ;) Trust me, Investment Analysis would have been the toughest subject to understand if we didn't have him. The way he explains it makes us feel that it's the easiest. All my friends agree that he is the best sir we have had.

Ok I will stop here.... In the next post, I will post his photographer and see him for yourself. Till then.. Happy sunday! :-)

Beware! I'm going to become a photographer..hehahaha

I have decided that I will actively start using my digital camera. It was a gift from my brother-in-law. I ordered the Olympus coz my cousin has one and when I visited the US, I thought it was cool. Sleek and slim compared to the Canon I had. It was bulky and I couldn’t place it in my handbag. I always had to carry it in the camera case and I got frustrated… so I got an Olympus. When I got it I didn’t like it for Canon gave me better pictures and the quality can’t be compared. I admit that at the moment I really don’t know how to use my camera apart from ‘click’..lol.. so hey don’t take it as a review until I really learn how to use it and check out the modes. Canon had modes for moving images and various others. Olympus Stylus 710 on the other hand is a simpler camera with few options. Of course you’ve got to sacrifice one thing for the other.

Hopefully now you will see some photos from my end as well :-)

Prof. B.K.Kumar - The teacher who got me to read newspapers! :-)

Today I did something crazy :-) While class was going on, I took a photograph of Prof.B.K.Kumar, My Strategic Marketing and International Business or Global Marketing professor. He was surprised to say the least..hehe and the class started laughing.

Actually I forgot to ask Prof. Kumar if I could take his snap before the class. I did inform him later that it was for my blog and he was happy.

I hope to take photographs of all my professors. Firstly, as a tribute to them and acknowledge them as the teachers who have inspired and taught me and secondly as fond memories.

How do I maximise the output

There are two good news today:

1. I got up at 4.00 am and studied Production Management

2. I was dot on time for my class

The end result:

I was too tired in the afternoon to study therefore I took a nap. I am fresh but I still feel guilty. No doubt the early morning studies can't be compared as that is my best 'Alert' time but hey I want to utilise the rest of my day as well.

I got 'Beyond Competition' by Xavier and Ramachander and I hope to finish it today. It's not a huge text. Prof. Sunil recommended it for our Power Strategies class. I also want to read 'Blue Ocean Strategy'

So far I have realised that strategy or otherwise. It's one thing to sit on the stand and bark orders at the players. Totally different thing to actually get down on the field and play.

Onc interesting fact I learnt in Production Management was 'Learning Curve' or Experience theory. The theory goes like this that as you repeat a task over and over again, you get better at it and take less time to do it. Conjured.

Though there are very few areas where you can apply this: cooking, cleaning, assembly and ok not few but many however, in this dynamic world the learning curve won't be so relevant coz you always have to keep learning new and new stuff and so everytime you're a novice and never an expert.

The fuse died on us today and we just got it repaired. The land lord is asking us for our details in case of 'complains'. Really, doesn't everyone know about 'E.Q'? Prof. NarayanSwamy was also exclaiming in our financial opportunites class that B-Schools don't teach 'E.Q'. I think it's a BIG MUST. I measure myself on a 7/10 for E.Q (Don't want to give high marks coz hey I'm human and I make mistakes as well) but my land lord has 2/10 E.Q. They are good people but they are one's you rather avoid than mingle. Talked to my brother-in-law and he asked me to get a disclaimer that they will not disclose it to anyone without our permission. Fine and agreed. I'll do it, but I don't like it.

At the moment I have to work out a 12 hour working schedule. Proper concentrated and fruitful working hours. Prof. Sona asked us how many hours we work and I'm currently on a 8-9 hr output and she's like 'That's all!! You guys are doing your MBA right?' Sarcasm taken. Today Tarique sir came and talked to us generally about the classes and how serious we have to become now that we have started our finance specialisation. I adore Prof. Tarique. He may be a professor but he still looks like a student. When he first came in class in the first trimester, I didn't even notice him. I thought he was a student. I think he is the best among our full time faculties and also Prof. Ratneshwar. I think he is a great communications prof. One day I will write a prose for all my professors who have taught me.

Right now... let me move on to 'Beyond Competition'. Ciao!

Return on investments- Seminar

On saturday we had a set of seminars on Return of Investment. We had a vice president, a CFO and a marketing strategist to talk to us. It was a good learning experience.

We had only one class on saturday on Power Strategies. We revised concepts of SWOT and The vision and mission of a company. The various kinds of strategies one can apply. I was so sleepy and I just couldn't concentrate. I guess I am not getting enough sleep or again my body has to adjust. In a way I am now missing being alone.

Today I took a break. Wrote a story or rather completed it. Tomorrow I will start up again. Temporary falls don't matter right?

I read 'The truth about Hilary'

I am happy to inform that today I made it to class only 3 mins late. I reached at 8.33 am for my 8.30 a.m class. Prof. Joy was already in class but the LCD was not set up and so I was in time for class though not timely. We had a good session on how to sustain a brand once we have launched it in the market. We went over the various ways we could do it with examples like Titan, Kingfisher Airlines (Everyone is getting tired of this example... the purchase of stake in Air Deccan airlines has been on everyone's tongue for now too long.. something new please!)

I was free from 10 to 1.30 pm and so I spent my time reading 'The truth about Hilary'. It was an interesting book as I had read a few parts of Hilary Clinton's biography. What is my review? Well read it skeptically. Both this one and her own biography. Both books seem to be made up to a great extent and honestly, no person in this world, especially one who wants public approval will write the truth about themselves and those who hate another to write the truth about the person. It makes interesting reading as to what kind of people the ex-USA president and family are; Terrible. Power, Power and Power is their whole life motto surmarised. (I suppose that's the story for any political family)

The afternoon classes were of MacroEconomics where I tried to concentrate by writing and here and there I picked up the concepts. Accounting Management was fun coz it was company accounts and I have already done it in 12th Std. My favorite subject Forex Management was back and I got to learn what happened after Triffin. We are currently in credit rating and the type of credit rating agencies. When I think of Prof. Narayan, I can't help but aspire to be like him. He teaches so well and he is so clear about what is what.

I have the DBMS assignment to submit tomorrow so my morning will be filled with studying. Oh Gosh, I hope the class goes well... Till tomorrow...

My sister got into PhD at the University of Texas, Dallas!!!

As you all can see, my sis made it to her life long dream of pursuing her PhD. She had applied for Masters I assume and then move on to PhD although she had already done her MCA from Bangalore University and has more than five years of work experience holding the post of a tech leader.. obviously any university would feel.. hey, you don't need to do Masters, You're fit for PhD!!! I was elated the whole day. Ben(Sis in gujrati) asked me for what was I so excited... Hello??? You got into PhD and I should NOT? be excited!!! I sure did a lot of boasting today.

Since school, I always envisioned myself to admonish my kids to study and be like their aunt, a PhD!..hehe.. well kids or no kids I'm glad MY dream of seeing my sis do her PhD has come true. Partly coz it makes me proud to have such a brainy sis and partly coz.. Dreams come true :-) I still can't get over the fact that I have a sister who will be a PhD! (Don't you dare even ask me if I want to be one... I will shoot you from wherever you are!!)

My parents are the most proud of all. Especially dad and I can't even begin to comprehend his happiness. For a couple who have lived for their children, there is no greater joy than to see your dreams come true, through them. Great going sis!!

As for the tiny me, insignificant master student, I attended my Project Management class which was rather uninteresting today and then a seminar on World Environmental Day that was held by our Insitute and we had a PhD Researcher talk about the biodiversity of India and how it is depleting. My favorite Prof. Kumar took up the reasons why we turn a blind eye to the global warming issue, whether as individuals, corporates or Government. It's actually sad. very sad.

Therefore my earnest request to one and all, please plant a tree wherever you can and as many as you can. We really need to save this earth for our children.

Listening to the lecture also made me think that the Day of Judgment must be very near. With temperatures so high and predictions of islands going underwater(though I don't truly believe it can happen.. really Sri Lanka disappearing??!!) I think the world is coming to an end pretty soon.

My Organizational Development seminar went fair. I did a fair work so can't expect exclusive or excellent. From the five teams though I felt that we were the only one's well prepared and well presented. Team 5 did an ok job and hey as I said mine too was just about ok... Hmmm (Not happy)

I then went to the University to get my sisters transcripts sealed and signed and boy am I out of shape. Catching the bus coz I hate the traffic (it took me 1 hour more but I could sit relaxed in the bus without always keeping my feet down from the bike) I hopped on a bus after a long time. Three years actually. I enjoy travelling by bus. It makes me feel humble and I feel I come from here... Middle Class... no matter how far I go and which vehicle I buy, I guess I will always feel at home in a bus.

Strange but true.

With this I sign out.... Good night. Sweet dreams! :-)

The mystery of 'Triffin'

I made napolean rice yesterday and it turned out o.k. I haven't done personal studies and I actually have a lot of reports to work on plus my term's papers. So far the good news is that I have been submitting all assignments on time and have attended all classes except for DBMS where I let go of one class. Partly coz it was the only class that day and partly coz I do not enjoy it. There was a case study done so I'll pick up. I have done DBMS and it took me 4 months to understand it. That was 5 years back. wow! 5 years. Feels just like yesterday. So well I am sure once I hit the book it will be O.K.

My OD Professor makes us work too much. I feel so coz OD as a subject is like reading a how to study book. It should take 1/100 of your time and not 90/100. I have a presentation tomorrow for which I will be reading almost five chapters and hey forget real life cases. I simply have no time to read about company histories to find which one did OD interventions. I understood the concept and yeah sure, it's good, but group dynamics are one you can't put a label on. Do this and this and this. Hello?!! Pure waste of time. Instead of that why don't you concentrate on skills. When you are good at your job, trust me, you don't need OD or OB or any other O's ( I read OD, OB as novels... I am more right brained afterall! :-)

I was again gonna be late by like 10 mins for my Distribution Management class and last week Prof. Tiwari had remarked "You are becoming late by the day!" I agree. If there is one thing I struggle with it's Time. It's not like I have never got it right. My funda of Just-in-Time has worked 9/10 come catching a train, getting to the airport and prayers. I am bad at class timing... out of 10 morning classes I attend, I am five mins late for 7 of them! shish. Bad Alefyah.

There is one place I have to work at. Let's say tomorrow we make a plan to really be in class by 8.25 am. wow cool! I would love that. haha... will let you know what happens ;)

Thankfully Prof.Tiwari didn't come for the class. I got to finish the Brand Management revised presentation, take the printout, submit it and teach Devendra the whole concept of BM. We have covered 5 clases including today's. Prof. Joy is really good and knowledgeable having working in the industry for so long. However, I find myself day dreaming in her class. My attention is not really 'Caught'. The solution: Write. Write every tiny thing she says to keep myself from day dreaming and concentrate on what is BM. I need to read tooooo which is why I am not grasping fast. and for that I'm MAD!

Services Marketing was ok. I think I have managed a 5/5. I haven't got the marks but Prof.Raj said he was really impressed by our essays and most of us have got 5/5. Pray I am one of them. I also got my live project assignment on analysising a company that is into services and personally visiting and doing a SWOT analysis. Hmmm, see when I said: "No matter how large the assignment- Finish it then and there within two days" else we will keep having lots of other projects.

My favorite of all classes is afterall Investment Management/Wealth Management and Forex Management coz they are being taught by so far one of the best professors I have encountered. Hey! Do you think I'd be able to teach like them? I don't know :-( I mean the presentation I do on the surface I can't expect that people listen to me but when you are real knowledeable and know your craft well and know exactly how to deliver it to different kinds of people. Wow... that's like the ultimate. Today in Forex Management we got to know about the international monetary system right from the bimetalic era to the Gold Stage to the Interwar period and finally dolarisation. When we reached 'Triffin Paradox' where Triffin, a professor at YALE university discovered that USA was simply printing money without any inherent value, they gave his discovery an acknowledgement..LOL... while in India, Triffin would most probably been killed with his whole family and renamed 'Dabbawala' haha - Hindi for Tiffin. When Prof. said I will end now and continue in the next class I cried out "No!!!" I mean hey! it's like that suspense story. So what happened after Triffin discovered that the IMF was simply printing dolars???!!!ohhhhh it's killing me and I want to find out! I know you guys will say just search in Google and check out but I want to hear it from my Prof coz I love his style of narrating even the most serious event.. He is totally cool!

Well here I am back at home working on my OD Process and cleaning up the house at the same time... I will definitely do some serious reading today. Till tomorrow... Take Care! :-)

Hectic Day

I had a hectic day. We had production management class and my prof is actually from Havard Business School! When I walked in class, I saw an aged professor and I simply adore the elderly. There is something endearing about them. I can't explain the feeling but I get very emotional. So well as you can picture I fell in love with the professor and he was like so nicely explaining about production management and all. He gave us our handouts and the whole course in a CD. I love such professors. It makes our work so easy and we have a framework as to what to follow.

We had Strategic Management next and Prof. Kumar asked us to write down the headlines of the last 7 days. I started elaborating and managed only 4 by the time he asked us to stop. I also noticed I still wasn't getting deep in. I still look at the news on the surface. Point to improve on.

As for Executive Communication, We had three management games and since we didn't win as a team it was not a good feeling. I realise I really don't like the feeling of defeat. I mean, victory has come easy to me all along and when you come across something you realise u really are not going to make it then gone... it's abhorable.

I cooked today and it was appreciated :-) Currently dead both by body and mind and therefore, I take leave... Good night, Sweet Dreams!

A school is made by its students...

The girls are here and they are fantastic!! :-) I am really enjoying myself after a long time. I thought having roommates was like soooo risky coz if you don't gel than you're gone. Its like living with hell. I know coz I have been through it. Well not hell but hey it was not too pleasant. My roommates are from VNIT Nagpur. That is the institute that comes after IITs. Is that cool or what. Talking to them has been so stimulating and I now truly understand how important it is to study in a place with your kind of people.. your level of intellect and where you don't have to explain someone how to open wikipedia!!!!! Trust me, It's been an eye opener.

I choose a MBA school based on the programme and faculty. Beep. STUDENTS are the most integral part. Good students-> Good School, Bad students-> Bad school. May be one of these days I will write a theory or paper on it. Somewhere within I feel a tinge of regret as to why I really didn't go for a 'School with better students' My school is great in terms of the programme and faculty and opportunities -10/10.. It's the great students that I miss.

Otherwise all is good and fine. I submitted 3 assignments on time. My boss called me and asked 'hey how you doing?' isn't that so nice! I should finish my reports and get down to Hosur, do my office work. I am off to IIM now till the next post... Ciao! :-)

My mood: Irritated

Tomorrow my freedom, my space will be officially taken over and I will have to learn how to share. I am getting four roommates! They are architect students who will be doing their internship in Bangalore for around six months. I have been rearranging the rooms, the cupboard, the almirah and I still am to get a bunker bed. That's the major part, shopping for one which is reasonable.

In this process, I have not been able to do any extra studies, go for my internship or work on my reports. I have also not been able to write a new story :-( that's the saddest part coz I already have so many themes to write on. InshaAllah another one or two days we will all be settled in and hopefully by this weekend, I'll have finished my pending reports. Then it's take it as it comes and definitely keep sometime aside for writing.

We had a placement session on the usual dresscode. I wouldn't want to comment because I personally feel that wearing a suit does not imply you are good. You may feel good and you may look good. Short term gains.. ok but long term- Naaa, it's your work and only work that counts. Dressing no doubt is important but from what I see especially in my school, it's overemphasised wrt academics and personality development. I think if the placement works more on these and less on 'how to create a first impression', it'd help us not only on our first impression but also last. Well the sessions are not over so let's see what next they have for us. I so far have disliked all the two sessions. They are not talking to us on a one to one level but rather talking down at us - don't expect this or don't expect that and you are this and that - This has been so far the least fun class but rather a demotivating class.

I am going to focus on my studies and learn as much as I can. I took up MBA to LEARN and not to get a job. If I wanted a job, I'd have gone for it long time back and all this job stuff is really irritating me. I'm not worried about it and it's too early to worry about it. I know that if I am good, I will get one InshaAllah. My focus should be on becoming good. The rest will follow. There are millions of avenues and millions of city where I can work under millions of profiles. Being a jack of all trade you know you can fit in anywhere and excel in it.

Almost there...

Well I am almost there... Another 2/3 days and I will be fit and fine :-)

My maid has shifted states and has gone back to her home state. I actually wanted to release her months back but she is really a good worker. She comes, cleans and leaves. I can leave the house on her care and don't have to worry about my stuff and money. Even if my wallet is lying on the table she will not bother. Very rare to find such people. She liked working for us because we didn't treat her like a maid or commanded her to do this or that. Even when we needed some extra bit of cleaning to be done, we'd talk to her politely and cajoling her. She never felt she was doing extra. I will miss her. In a way she has inspired me to be a good worker like she is. God bless you!

Saturday classes: Two of the professors 'Bunked'. we had 3 hrs free and finally Corporate Tax. Am I so glad I took finance specialisation. I am learning soooo much and all that I wanted to understand but could not. In class it's systematic and from the basics and I love it!

I met good old friend Elizabeth. Her daugther has grown big! 2 1/2 now. Wow time does fly by fast, doesn't it? That was my saturday.

Today we have a family celebration at one of the restuarants. My cousin got 91% 10th STD ICSE examinations. We are all so happy. She is not only beautiful but also brainy. Unfortunately, didn't get through my college, Christ College, cause she didn't apply for PCMB but rather PCME and so has settled for Jain College. Anyways, I firmly believe, whatever happens, happens for the best and we all are there backing her up and supporting her to excel further.

My driving classes will be over in another four days. Yipeee! and no more swamy. Actually now he is better but really! One day I saw REVA and asked him how much it costed, he answered me back in an angry tone implying 'How dare you open your mouth! You are just supposed to shift gears and turn left and right!" Perceptions. Wrong or right, that was the message taken and well good to get over with the classes and the tutor.

Well I am off to work away on my sunday. Pray you guys sunday is a sunny day :-) Ciao!

When will I get in form?

By 6.00 p.m I am dead. Oh gosh when will I get back into the routine. My back pains, my legs are swollen and this head just wants to stop thinking.

No need to get worried. This is my usual start after a break (Exams or Internship). Getting back to the class routine, the studies and all takes me a week to adjust. I remember my first day in II sem BCA, I couldn't walk back to the hostel. I was like 100 ft away and I felt I was going to fall. Got on track in the second week. Same pattern is replaying. InshaAllah I hope I get into routine fast.

I am eating out now that classes have started and it's affected my health. Trust me hotel food is bad for health. Especially on a regular basis. I have to start cooking as well early morn and take my tiffin to school.

As for as classes, we had brand management : what would you do as a brand ambassador and studied branding of luxury goods. MacroEconomics where we looked at GDP,GNP,NDP,NNP, Per capita Income, the whole ecomony structure. Our first finance class began today and we have Prof. Narayan Swamy. He is too good. I like him. The way he explains the concept and he is the first lecturer so far who has taken time to outline the syllabus, what we will learn in each chapter and how it will help us. It gave us and overview of the whole subject and that is THE most important thing especially for students going into a new subject.

Am at home now and want to finish two of my essays and start my paper of Organizational Development. I think I will rest for sometime before I do it coz this back of mine is protesting.

The 12 hour schedule is here.

There is nothing like an evening filled with rain as misty light filters through the window. You sit by the candle light and think of how lovely it feels. The rain drops, the cool air, the white sky, the dim room gently lit by a long golden flame.

Its rained after a long time and I enjoyed it tremendously. Yesterday we had Distribution Management by Prof. J.P. Tiwari. He has taught us Market Research and Consumer behavior earlier. Prof met with an accident on his bike and his right leg is fractured. My heart goes out to him to see him walking with a crutch. He is one who is always jolly and joking with the students and I simply can’t bear to see him this way. Get well soon sir!

From the class he took, I got this much: Don’t think you can do away with your distributors. We did a case study about Arvind Mills in the 1990’s when they had introduced their denim jeans ‘Rough and Tough’. It was a runaway success until one day they decide to do away with their distributors and the whole business collapsed. I will have to do more research on the company and get the details.

After Distribution Management we had Brand Management by Prof. Joy Chokraborty. She had taught us Advertising Management II trimester. We did a basic introduction about what exactly is a brand, brand equity, a brand to the user and a brand to the company. Prof. asked us to forget all the jargons and just think like a normal person out there. What do they look for? We came down to qualities like Variety, Quality, Design, Package, brand ambassador who we like so we like the product. I must say it was pretty difficult to think normally after having read and read about branding and marketing. Jargons like brand identity, brand awareness, top of the mind recall were the only words I could think of coz now I’m so used to the terms and their meanings. I think I learnt a lot from this process of: Think like a user. What are you looking for?

Finally we had Services Marketing which was again lots of fun. Prof.Raj got two of my classmates to play a role play. One as the customer and the other as the sales man of an air line. We evaluated on the kind of service he provided, his attitude, whether he achieved the given purpose of providing great service. We drew the tangibility spectrum which has a perfect product at one end like salt and a perfect service on the other like teaching. There are 7Ps n services compared to the 4Ps of Marketing. The extra ones are P=>People, P=> Physical environment and P=> for Process. I got the text of Services Marketing by Zeithaml and Bitner from the library. I think this subject is total fun. I have to write an essay on the uses of Internet or benefit of it in the service industry. I have already done my research (took me an hour) and I will sit and make the first draft.

By 7.30 pm last night I was dead. I thought I’d rest for sometime before continuing and got up at 3.00 am. I have been up since then. Getting my resume ready for the placement cell. I submitted the resume to Mr.Akash who heads the placement cell and he was pretty impressed! J Let’s see how impressed the recruiters will be when they come down. I told Mr. Akash that I can’t sell. He said, well you gotta start from there. I know but it still doesn’t change my mind. I dislike selling – the kinds were you gotta follow people and ask them if they would be interested in your product. Please spare me! We have left it at 'open for discussion' but I am still convinced. I have done it, I know I can do it but I have a choice now and I DON’T want to do it.

As for today’s class: We had Project Management which will be taken by Prof Anil. He is a project manager at Hewlett Packard, India and handles 2500 people. Cool! HP was my company so hey, I’m quite biased you can say towards any HP’ian :-). We had a fun class and he taught us through examples the difference between a project and an operation task. One is unique and uncertain while other is repetitive and certain. A project manager would need to plan and try to convert the project into an operation task, manage risk and handle people as the project goes on. We will be referring to the PMI book from Project Management Institute.

Next was International Marketing or Global Marketing. Prof. Kumar saw me in the library going over the Economic Times and gave me thumbs up sign. I simply adore him. I saw Prof. Sunil Pevekar and waved at him. It feels so good when your professors like you. Prof. Pevekar is from IIM Ahmedabad and I really value his opinion same as Prof. Kumar. IIM has a class no one can compare. In Global Marketing we talked of how the general marketing mix varies from one country to the other. We discussed how the political factor plays a major role in a developing country while on the other hand for developed countries; it’s the economic and technological factors. We took a look at 4Ps, the selling and marketing concept. As usual Prof. Kumar asked us Qs on our general knowledge and well thankfully I could answer here and there... may be I’m improving!! Hehe

Final class was Organizational Development. A brief intro to resistance to change and how we accept it in the long run and a case study to conclude that it’s the people at the end of the day who matter coz what’s the use of all the policies, procedures and what not of a company if your people do not accept it. Point. Prof. Neena Kamal will be guiding us through the sessions and we have already got our first essay on the History of OD and it’s development. We have also got to submit a paper as a team on the OD procedures implemented in a huge way on a financial company in the past ten years.

My 12 hour a day ‘Process’ begins again ;) A lot of planning, risk management and people management will have to be done. And if I don’t stop talking like this soon I think I will need the hospitality industry to provide excellent service in the field of health care to one who have been overloaded and pressured into performing to the optimum level and produce results.

Didn’t get that? Neither did I.

Swollen feet to elephant feet: Wecome to Second Year MBA!

Yes, as my heading suggests, i came home only to realise i had baby elephant feet. I mean what am I doing??!!

How did my first day go? Late by 5 mins. I thought I'd make it on time, but not, the biological clock in my body and the one in the living room are arch enemies. I just wish at times the living room clock would win. Anyways I will try once again. Like dad told me "Try and try and try" (I think it's supposed to be a proverb)

The first class was of Service Marketing and we went into the definition of services and products and their differences and why should we as MBA grads, learn about service marketing. My Professor is Prof. Rajashree Chakroborty (Hope I spelt it right!) and he is a great speaker! I like his style and he can retain the concentration of the students. I think that's quite a feat.

The second class was "Strategy Management" by my favorite Prof.B.K.Kumar and what to say.. I'm just so happy to have been teach me this trimester. I think he is adorable. He must be elder than dad and he loves quizzing us on everything to see our General Knowledge. Today I hid my face less he ask me who Captain someone was. Hey I was trying to remember what Strategy was and where did this captain come from?!

I am in Finance 1. There are around 50 students in my class. From last year around 15 from my section A. Devendra Pratap happens to be one of them. LOL he is still in Delhi so I plan to scare him by saying he is not in my class and he better ask someone else for notes. Ohhh, I'd love to see his expresssion.hi hi.

My sis read the blog on swamy and is defending him! Says when you are learning how to drive you should go slow. You know what I did today? I stepped on the accelerator while I turned left and he had a fit! You should have seen how he scolded me then! Hello, excuse me, I'm here to learn and not to race ;) ..hehe

Oh well that is all from me. All in all I am damn happy classes have begun and am totally busy. Hey! Sharay came back from Czech and got the whole souvenier(I don't know the spelling) for me. A pen, a mug, and a flag. Was it republic day when you left? Just joking! :-) Thanks for Czech. I think I am being to feel it was me out there. Sharay looks horrendous in his mustache but now I am getting used to the scary movie.

I better go rest my feet now else I might actually turn into a baby elephant..

Blown up

Swollen feet I can understand but swollen hands? The right hand in particular? This was the mystery I began to solve since I got up in the morning. Was it something I ate or was it the cockraoch spray I had sprayed liberally when I saw one daring to scuttle in front of my eyes! Hey Doctors, if you get sprayed by doom, do you swell up?

Apart from that, I cleaned up the house, neately arranged my clothes, my files, my computer files, got my books ready and wrote a new story. Tomorrow I start my second and final year of MBA. Sigh! Time passes so fast and I know another one year, I will no longer be a student :(. When I was not a student, I didn't want to be one and now that I am, I wouldn't want to be anything else.

Reminds me of a nice analogy I heard. Life is like a train journey. There will be good stations and bad stations. Everyone wants to stay on the good station forever, but then one has to board the train and leave, for our destination is not a station.

Hmmm (Introspecting)

Hybernation

What do you call those days when you simply don't feel like doing anything but cuddle in bed with a thriller and a few m's and m's? Lazy days.

Today was one of those days... I simply didn't want to budge. I have loads and loads of work to do and I could even surpass the president's things to do list, but nope, I wanted a Lazy day.

That was all it was today... I just chilled out, read, cooked, wrote and wondered why my feet were swollen.

Internship

At the moment I am frustrated coz I just got over the phone with one of the people in the world who think I am 'aggressive' and talk to me as though they just don't want to talk to me. Hmmm, me and aggressive. I wish. I think I am too timid!! ;) So well I have this horrible feeling in my stomach. I hate this kind of days where you have to interact with them.

Let's talk about something I love! My internship at Star Drugs and Research Labs! This is one absolutely fantastic company. The best I have worked so far and I have got the greatest manager I can ever hope to get. We have a fun quotient in our relationship and though you are working, you really don't think you are! How many managers can achieve that ;)?

I worked under operations, finding out their process cost and ways in which we could cut down. It was fun! I also got to see how a pharmaceutical works- right from purchase of chemicals to their processing, packing and delivery. The various managers of all the departments sat with me and made me understand what each department does and how they are interlinked with each other. I saw in details both the work in the factory as well as in the administration. I am yet to learn how the marketing is done which is what I really want to know and with time, InshaAllah I will.

My internship trimester officially ends tomorrow on Saturday and Monday I begin my 4th trimester where I start my specialisation in Marketing and Finance. I have to admit that though the studies are stressful and just unbearable at times, I will miss my MBA days immensely. I loved doing MBA, my first year was great. It had ups and downs and brushes with all and one and I lost my temper many times - especially during deadlines- Uff, horrible! However, I loved each moment and the end report.. it's great! I love it!

Coming back to my internship, I had not mentioned that I wasn't really focussed on getting into a company quick. I kind of took my own time. The only interview I gave was to Mahindra Finance coz a friend got me the lead, they wanted salesman for selling their mutual funds (Horror!!) and I never got a call from them. LOL. A lady and a lady in veil. Nope, not the candidate for a salesmanship job, zooming across bangalore on the bike in the summer!

Star Drugs happened just like that. As if it was a miracle. I got it through a friend's friend and one call saying "Your welcome to do it here". I think I am so spoilt :-) My sister calls me a brat. The good thing about me, put me in anything and I will fit. I am the jack of all types kind of nut. Of course all the credit goes to my wonderful company and all the people I have worked with there.

Flip. Talking of not so good tutors, my driving tutor! My sis learnt it from him so I thought he must be good and friendly...schreeeech, who am I kidding! He talks to me so rudely! The first day or so I couldn't make it coz I had gone out of Bangalore and rushed to the class and I simply can't describe his attitude. So well, I go, I don't even say Hi, I just sit in the car and drive. He says turn left, I turn left, he says turn right, I turn right. He makes me drive at 20km/hr, I drive with grinding teeth ( I want to learn how to drive a car not a bullock cart! Even the cycle guy rode faster than me!). Today he seemed ok but hey I still don't like him. Another 10 more classes and hopefully I never get to see him again. (I know it's harsh but really. The same way I feel about all those 'other' guys)

A few more days to go, finish up my internship and start off the next chapter: Trimester IV. The sales report is pending and I have simply no inclination towards doing it and I know it's v.v.bad but I can't help it.

LOL: May be I should see a therapist! What say you? ;)

Hello!

As I was just explaining the other day to a friend of mine why I had not updated my blog for a long time. To tell you the truth so many things had happened and some not so pleasant that I was no way ready to depress you all!! lol

Well coming to what's up right now: Project Trimester + Internship. I conveniently missed out a whole trimester i.e. my 2nd trimester on the blog. It was pretty O.K. Nothing much apart from classes and projects and my trip to Hyderabad for ICFAI Hyderabad fest. We got through the first round of marketing (2nd after Christ) and I was like ok.. so many be my marketing ideas are not so bad after all. Unfortunately, that evening two of ICFAI Hyderabad students died in a bike accident and the fest was winded up. I did visit Husain Sagar and the Biryani at Paradise Restuarant is over hyped. Brand Image > Brand Identity. If there is Biryani in India that is truly Biryani in my dictionary it's Delhi Durbar's (Mumbai). Overall it was again an 'experience' as you realise there is so much competition and great brains out there.

Coming to right now, I have 3 projects: Sales, Advertisement and Finance. Under sales we have decided to do a live project on KIDZEE which is a private play school. It's owned by Zee and runs under the franchisee model. We had and still having a nice time visiting the schools around Bangalore, conducting a satisfactory survey and studying their sales model.

Advertisement Project is on a study of women as the decision maker/influencer or purchaser today. We will trace the traditional role played by women to it's changing one today. What are they today? What role do they play, their 'power' quotient. A few case studies on Ads which are totally unrelated e.g. Su-Kam Invertors which sells AC now use women in their Ads to capture the market. Plus how influencial are women in the choices of the men in their lives. Again a small survey will be done to test our hypothesis. Our environment being India and subjects, the Indian women.

Finance is interesting. I get to reorganise or at least 'suggest' changes a micro-business can make in any one of the financial aspects like Stock keeping (though it comes under operations as well) and Creditors/Debtors turnover. Our industry: Iron and Steel and Company: Immaculate Steel Pvt. Ltd. The number to stock itself is staggering. For each type there are a thousand sizes, shapes and quality. Let's see what aspect we can improve for there are thousands of things you could change and test how it works. Not that Immaculate Steel would actually go out and do it but you never know, some points might help them run their business better.

We left for Washigton on the 4th of October, Wednesday. The group packed and checked out by 9 am so as to read Washigton which is a 4-5 hour drive from Newark, NJ. At Washigton we checked into the Hilton Washigton Hotel and there was this huge confusion on rooms. Everyone wanted to swap and the Pune girls wanted to swap with us and at the end we ended up in the corridor with a kind bell boy from calcutta carrying our luggages up and down. Thankfully, Prashanto sir came to our rescue, we dumped our luggages in his room and rushed to the US Chambers of Commerce for our meeting with the USIBC - United States India Business Council.

The USIBC is an advocacy organization representing the largest U.S companies investing in India. They serve as a link between the businesses and the Government to encourage policies that would lead to increased trade and investment in both the countries. We were given a presentation by Mr.Ron Somers who was excellent in his delivery and message. I think he knew more about India, truly understoond the culture, the economy and the politics more than anyone of us sitting in the room. He greeted me in the Islamic greeting 'Assalam Alaykum' and I was truly amazed. I mean you have to hand it out to him, he really get's down to your level of comfort and makes you totally at ease. Great personality. For a few seconds I was thinking of making him president of United States. Then I came back to reality..lol.. however, I did a chance to tell him I was a huge fan of his :-) and he seemed quite happy. There were a few more distinguised speakers like Mr. Anoop Mishra who talked on behalf of India and why today, it's the fertile land for investments. All in all, I was awestruck by the whole seminar and in life, I know I would love to be able to speak like Mr.Ron Somers. He was outstanding from all the presenters.

After the conference we went back to the hotel, got a room which was facing the swimming pool and the tennis courts. The hilton is huge and ofcourse a very good, luxurious hotel. It had a large reception, a nice restuarant and a bar on the lobby. There were party halls, and outside garden restuarant, a gym etc. The rooms were pretty too. Two king beds, TV almira, a desk, couch and two telephones. However, they were smaller than Holiday's Inn. I preferred Holiday Inn coz it was small and cozy and all the facilities that were in Hilton were also there in Holiday Inn. On one of the days we saw a gay party. They had worn evening dresses and make up. Its rude to stare but none of us could help it. They had bizarre flourescent rainbow dresses or black dresses. Yikes!

In the evening, we went out for dinner and thankfully, Hilton is located in a very nice area where there are shops and groceries and it's a very very beautiful town. I went to rocket fellers where our waitress Allyson was so wonderful. She served us food and was always smiling. She was so beautiful. Now that i think of her, she is my snow white come alive :-). I always pictured snow white to look like her. A few days later when we were passing the restuarant, I waved at her and she waved right back. Anyone who goes to Washington D.C, has to go to rocket fellers. The food is amazing and so is the Oreo cookies and cream shake which is out of this world. We also tried out Chinese and I ended up eating cold noodles in sesame sauce. A definite no-no. The vegetable fried rice was much better so I ended up having Divya's rice while she dreamt about her 'Dhal chawal'. The vegetarians had a tough time with food because they found the sandwitches blant. I think it was only Vijay and I who were eager to try out all american dishes - a bit of chinese, fast food, italian and mexican. In U.S you get all types of restuarants.

Hi! Hi! Hi!

I know its a long time since I have blogged and hey! I was in the US for around 12 days. Just arrived to home sweet home. This is a few lines I had jotted down in US. I have not run a spell check on them so please excuse the grammar and spelling mistakes. Hope all of you are doing great and drop me an email on what's up at your end. I will update with the other events as soon as i can. Tomorrow I am off to the IIMB for a Marketing event. Second trimester has begun and this time I plan to work from day one to avoid a break down. LOL Just kidding. Happy reading and I will augument later. TC!

4th october, wednesday 2006

Time 7.45 am Place: New York

After 4 days i am getting the chance to sit and type and i must say that this is like heaven. the internet, my writing, my reading is my saviour. i left bangalore on 27th sep and met Artrivia, my co-passenger. we didn't talk the first day or the second but in the evening he talked to me and we had a nice chat on MBA, his family etc. He is doing his MBA from ICFAI chennai and came across as a computer nerd trying to fit into the management world.

Shamshard came to pick me up... I had messaged him that i was in AS1 where A stands for AC but he didn't know that so he went to the Sleeper coach S1. I waited for 5 minutes for him wondering if he got my sms. Artrivia voluntered to drop me at the taxi stand and we were waiting outside for some 5 mins. Then I saw a guy and my glance stopped at him for like 5 seconds. I was thinking 'This one must be how delhi guys look like' it was at that time that he came and asked me "Are you Alefyah?' I said "Yes" and I realised he was Shamshard. Artrivia was quite surprised that someone I had never met or seen was coming to recieve me and drop me to the airport. In that way I too felt that I was blessed. Shamshard took care of everything. We bidded farewell to Artrivia, wished him happy holidays and went off to get a taxi. I thought we would be going home to freshen up but Shamshard's place was like 3 hours from the station and my train was already 3 hours late.

Getting a taxi in delhi itself is an 'experience' you will have 5 drivers after you 'threatening' to take you for Rs.450. Honestly I would have agreed coz it was so hot and I just wanted to sit and go. Had it not been for Shamshard I would have done it too but he had the patience and he said 'No ways! Don't take me as a stranger here. I know what is the fare and I am not giving anything above Rs.250' We starting walking out to the road and the driver followed us. The price was finally fixed at Rs.260 and that for me would have been like the best bargain made ever. Hats off to Shamshard.

So I got to know my new friend on the way to the airport. He told me about Patna which is in Bihar. Bihar is a controversial state where on one hand the whole of India laughs at Mr.Lalu Prasad Yadav and the people in Bihar suffer due to the poverty, kidnapping and tyranny. We also talked about what a nice friend Rahman was and he told me about his degree day and all the fun they had.

We reached the airport by 5 pm and checked into the waiting room. There is a charge of Rs.30 per person but it was worth every cent to sit in a cool AC room compared to the outside heat. I also got the chance to freshen up in the bathroom. The bathroom facilities were good and since a lot of cabin crew are on transit they have good facilities.

I must admit that this has been the best plane trip so far. for once, I was not travelling alone but with my group of friends and Continental airlines gave excellent food! The dinner, brunch and breakfast was too good. I was sitting between two very friendly americans. Arien, a lady from Michigan who had been to India for a week on business. I had a nice chat with her and a gentlemen from the Bio Research Industry. It seems they are doing R&D in India and he had been to all different cities. He was full of praises for the Leela Palace. He liked the Indian architecture and the hospitality. I told Arien to come down to Bangalore in future.

When we touched Newark at the Liberty International Airport, the temperatures were low. The imigration check was normal just like that of India. Only here there were a few questions like why you are here for etc. The immigration officer must have been a native of Brazil. Unfortunately, In my trip so far I have not really gotten a chance to sit and interact with any one. America is people from all over the world. Its like a menu card. You want Irish, french, Germans, Indians, Mexicans etc. They all are available. Infact my cousins said that the Indians are doing pretty good economically.

The first thing that struck me was the roads. wow, they are so cool: broad and smooth. Nothing like my good old indian roads laced with potholes. Holiday Inn, Newark International airport is very near to the airport. They have their shuttles which bring the guest to the hotels every now and then. We were mixed up with other section students as far as the room allocation went but we all swapped. Divya and I had a room to ourselves. The room had two king size beds, a desk table, chair,sofa chair, TV almira and a side table. Quite spacious, carpeted and we kept the thermostat on to keep the room warm. Its fall and its pretty cool at the moment. Much like Nairobi's climate.

I freshed up and called Rasheeda, My maternal uncle's daughter. Her husband works for Karvy consultancy in NY city and boy am I happy or what! Its was absolutely fantastic to see her... We went around Walmart, Sam's club (where I went crazy and bought $72 dollar chocolates!) I saw what best buy looks like, Radioshack, FedEx. All the MNCs which I had worked indirectly with from India. Over the phone I would just tell the customers go to Best Buy or talk to the agents in Best Buy and here I was actually seeing the places and most probably the people with whom I had once talked with.

In the evening we had a nice time where Rasheeda cooked a grand meal of Chicken, gralic toasts, 'Special' dhal and Jeera rice. Hmmm, very delicious. We sat and chatted and they told me about their life in NY. Their home is so sweet. Rasheeda has decorated her home very well and I admired her taste. Its amazing what marriage can do to a person. I have seen her from a college girl to a working professional to a fiancee to a wife. Star dust to Good Housekeeping.

On Sunday, Shabbir and Rasheeda took me around NY. We took a path train to ground Zero were the twin towers were. My dream of travelling in the subway came true. All that I had seen in the movies and TV shows. We went to down town NY, the wall street, Battery park, took a ferry across Straten Island, saw the statue of Liberty. We had been to the Liberty state park on saturday so I got both the front and back view. I thought the statue of liberty was grey in color but its actually Green. We then went to Central Park, Times Square, Empire state building, the downtown Pier. Lets see if I can get to post Photos so you guys can see the tall tall building of NY. I have never seen such tall buildings in my life. In Mombasa, the Bima Tower is still the tallest building since the day I was born. Bima would definitely feel short in NY.LOL. We are talking 100, 200 stories!

The one place i fell in love with was Central Park. I simply adored it. I loved the greenary and got to see lots of dogs. All kinds. Tall ones and short ones, and poodles and bulldogs and dogs with sharp ears. Even the cop dog. I don't know the breeds so this is the best I can describe them. I should be going back to Newark on Sunday morning and Definitely go to Central park just for the day. It would be amazing. Farid, my cousin in California said he might be coming down to NY to see me and I told him he HAS to go to central park. I am looking forward to going back to NY and meet my cousins, May be I am emotional or what but I need my family and friends. That's my weakness. And that's my strenght.

Two days in NY and lots of sight seeing, lots of chocolates and back to the hotel. My friends went to Madam Tussad's Museum of wax and had a lot of fun there. They showed me their photos and it looked fun. They also went around NY city and got a crysalised 3D photo of theirs. That was an amazing thing to have.

The first day of our G.O.T.A programme was NYMEX (New York Merchantile Exchange) and our presenter was Ms.Linda. I liked her immediately. She made us at ease and told us to make a lot of 'noise', took us to the ground where the trading takes place. I saw how the brokers sell and buy energy and metals and it was shocking. I was flabbergasted to see them in snickers and shouting out like in a fish market. In fact in here, you have different rings for GOld, Plantinum, energy etc. Later on in the conference hall we had a discussion on the importance of NYMEX, its role in the economy, Business policies and strategies. It sure opens up your mind which is confined in a small place like Bangalore when you come out and see them trading. I couldn't see myself day in and out trading on the NYMEX or COMEX floor shouting out the prices. I guess the brokers make a lot of money in it and may be that is what keeps them going. The amazing thing about NYMEX is that it started out as a cheese and butter exchange in 1872 where farmers got together to trade cheese and butter which was rare during those times. Then came eggs and then potatoes! Right now, its metals like copper, gold, silver, platinium, and energy like crude oil, heating oil, petroluem products that they trade. I wonder what would be the next 'precious' commodity.

UCA Global was a pleasant surprise. Its an IT solutions company so most of the employees were Indians. We were given a site tour and a talk on Enterprenuership. Mr.Asim Hassan showed us that at the moment it is Thailand and other Asian countries are raising as Enterprenuers. Mr.Anwer Qureishi drove down a good point about 'Experience Delivery' which is the X-Factor of any business. That is something I totally agree. When we go out to buy a product or service, we don't remember the product or service much like a shampoo or a visit to the dentist, but we will remember how the sales man spoke with you, how friendly and helpful so in your mind, next time you see a shampoo and you see the brand which you had fun buying, you will unconsciously go for it. Similiarly when we go to the dentist or doctor, if he has the ability to put you at ease, talk to you and connect at a personal level, next time you fall sick, you ideally prefert to go to that particular doctor. These are ofcourse my examples coz after the brief definition he gave us, the previous day's toll of walking up down Manhattan and the few hours of sleep look over me. I just found myself very tired, very sleepy and very hungry. Fasting is really difficult while travelling. Anyways I did my best to get as much as I could. We took group pictures and all loved the organisational feel and culture. Friendly is the word.

On the way home, I slept like a baby. It was a hours drive to the hotel and I just prayed, had iftar ('Ready to eat' is a knight for Indians on a trip abroad) and went to sleep. The funny thing is that I woke up at 3 am and couldn't go back to sleep. we got ready for the next day: Dow Chemicals and Sanofi Aventis.

Dow Chemicals. What can I say about it! I have fallen in love with Dow. Dow is a chemical company that makes chemicals that are used in our day to day stuffs. From shampoos to skin care to toothpastes to paints- Everything! We visited the R&D center where scientists were working on all new chemicals that can be use to make the already 'great' products even better or to bring about a new innovative product. They gave us a lovely welcome and had a video camera on. A presentation about the company, its vision, mission and they why NJ was the ideal place for their company. The students were divided into groups of 20 and taken to
I adore the way they speak and are cohesive in their speech and delivery.