Slumdog Millionaire

Watch this movie. For three reasons:
1. If you ever liked watching good movies. And by good I mean good as in good quality.
2. If you want to see a brilliantly executed screenplay.
3. If you want to see one gem of a performance - Dev Patel as Jamal Malik.

My Rating - 5/5

ps: Unarguably the best movie of the season for me.

Fault Finding Time

So finally we have got the results of the first year at wimwi.
First year result? Is the first year over?
Thank God, it's not yet over. There are so many things to do before I become a tuchcha. So less time left. Gosh...
So what I received from Acads office today is a consolidated mark sheet of some of the innumerable exams that we have been giving since the day we landed in wimwi campus. Its contents I can not share. Not due to any placement process related rule, but out of personal choice. :)

So why is it the fault finding time? No idea. Still for sometime all of us are going to crib about everything possible under the sun. 9 subjects a slot schedule to scary evaluation methods. :)

It's 6/7 for 4th slot. Just one more paper to go before I head for home.
God... I can smell maa ke haatho ka bana khana :D

Saturday Night Smiles :D

Merry Xmas

It is that part of the year that I used to spend with my family. Sarthak and Shachi's birthday celebrations marked Xmas celebration for me and my family. This year, they are celebrating it today and I am preparing for my end-term exams. :(

Merry Xmas...

Strategy

Strategy is not about opening doors.
It's all about closing door before they are automatically shut.

ps: Saral Da rocks.

haha huhu hihi

So we had a MANAC quiz.
that did not have any numbers
except question number
and marks allocated.

Strange it is.
Still
Ye hai IIMA meri jaan...
:)


ps: The exam prep is taking its toll on me. :D

the winds are changing

This slot has been a relaxing one so far. No WAC reports to worry about, no PS assignements either. OM hasn't been in that severity too.
This slot is more about the business concepts.

But now the winds are changing. Exams are approaching. And with the kind of subjects we had, the worst fear is that we don't have an idea about the exam pattern. Kuch bhi aa sakta hai.
So pappu beta.. Lag jaa .. Mug le...
:)

tapori day, back-to-scool day and others

Gujarat University students want to celebrate Rose Day, Tapori Day, Chocolate Day, Mix & Match Day, Tie and Saree Day, Traditional Day, Balloon Day and what not.

Mr. VC dreams of replacing these events with National Leader Character Day, Anti Terrorist Day, Blood Donation Day, Thalassaemia Day, World Peace Day, World Environment Day and Nirmal Gujarat Day. He says, “The aim of this circular is to ensure students engage themselves in activities which will inculcate the spirit of patriotism and unity in them.”

Nice thoughts indeed Mr. VC.

But, tere is a big uproar amongst the students. They term the order passed by VC as dictatorial and have come forward under the banner of NSUI. NSUI - the students group supported by youth congress. See something fishy?
Ok, not so apparent. Still I am a little apprehensive about NSUI angle.

Leaving NSUI crap aside, I feel this issue makes me think and write about certain experiences from my college life. After 4 years in an engineering college and now almost 6 months in IIMA, I feel students in any college need opportunities for extracuricular events specially echnical and cultural fests. They serve in many ways:
1. Showcase their talent,
2. Learn organzing and team skills,
3. Interaction with outside world specially corporates
4. Networking.
It's one nice way to channelize raw talent and energies. The flip side is that, a limit has to be defined. I come from a college, where we had 11 technical fests a year (one for each department). You can imagine the quality and impact of such events in such a case. Here in IIMA, we receive atleast 3-4 mails daily about events happening in management colleges around the country. This basically speaks about the craze for such events. Somewhere, I feel, they become a me-too phenomena. If we can control the temptation of copying others and feeling of a false competition, we can do good justice for the very purpose of existence of such events.

Coming back to case of various 'days' that are celebrated in colleges. Even though these events are widespread, I find them funny. Too immaturish for a college level junta. May be Mr. VC's suggestion is too idealistic, still we can do much better than a 'tappori day'.

I remember working for Rotaract Club of RVCE while I was in college. Some of the most satisfying moments of my life - organizing blood donation camp, eye checkup camps and interacting with clubs from other institutions. These we did, while we were in college. Prayas in IIMA is another such effort.

Leaving social service work aside, we can always count on literary and arts activities. In Bangalore, I was amazed to see the interest of college going crowd in Theatre and Arts. There are theatre clubs, music bands and other such groups and activities that keep students together. They are a way to break-away from the monotony of studies. They are a way to live.

Why can this not be replicated in Gujarat University? I am sure we have enough enthu junta here, and if we don't, its the right time to invest in such activities.

Mr. VC, you have done the right thing. Just that apply some more sense and you can be the leader that colleges here need. Please don't budge to the pressure from NSUI or any such gang.

ps: My personal views.

Legal Aspects of Ethics

1982 / D. S. Nakara And Others Vs Union Of India

Coram: Baharul Islam, D A Desai, O Chinnappa Reddy, V D Tulzapurkar, Y V Chandrachud (CJI)

With a slight variation to suit the context Woolessey's prayer : "Had I served my God as reverently as I did my King I would not have fallen on these days of Penury" is chanted by petitioner in this group of petitions in the Shelian tune : "I fall on the thorns of life I bleed." Old age, ebbing mental and physical prowess, atrophy of both muscle and brain powers permeating these petitions, the petitioners in the fall of life yearn for equality of treatment which is being meted out to those who are soon going to join and swell their own ranks.
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41. The last submission, the absence of precedent need not deter us for a moment. Every new norm of socio-economic justice, every new measure of social justice commenced for the first time at some point in history. If at that time it is rejected as being without a precedent, the law as an instrument of social engineering would have long since been dead and no tears would have long since been dead and no tears would have been shed. To be programmatic is not to be unconstitutional. In its onward march law as an institution ushers in socio-economic justice. In fact, social security in old age commended itself in earlier state as a moral concept but in course to time it acquired legal connotation. The rules of natural justice owed their origin to ethical and moral code. Is there any doubt that they have become the integral and inseparable parts of rule of law of which any civilized society is proud ? Socio-economic justice stems from the concept of socials morality coupled with abhorrence for economic exploitation . And the advancing society converts in course of time moral or ethical code into enforceable legal formulations. Overemphasis on precedent furnishes as insurmountable road block to the onward march towards promised millennium. An overdose of precedents is the bane of our system which is slowly getting stagnant, stratified and atrophied. Therefore, absence of a precedent on this point need not deter us at all. We are all the more happy for the chance of scribing on a clean state.

ps: Read this peice as part of ethics course.

randomization

It's been a week since I blogged. That's a long break. A not-so-welcome break.

This 4th slot has been a big respite from the usual routine in IIMA. Ask anyone here and you will hear that it does not seem like any of the earlier ones. It's not any 'learning curve' effect, let me assure you. Just that post summer placements and confluence, things has slowed down a bit. With lots of soft-skill courses in this slot, it has been a good change from the hardcore fin and accounts subject. Courses like LS (leadership Skills) and SBC (Spoken Business Communication) added to the fun. It's been a peaceful time so far. Now, when exams are just a week away, the winds are changing. One more exam and then we head to home. The first official break after we landed in this campus. I am looking forward to it.

Last few weeks I have spent a lot of time learning some more new tricks in photoshop. It is addictive. Yesterday when I got up, I had an idea and I just could not wait till post-class to put it into a poster. I woke up and headed straight to my laptop, opened photoshop and made the poster. It has come out well. My day was made. :D

I have uploaded some of the designs on Myntera, let us see how others like the design. You can browse the designs here.

It's time for some more timepass before I start with the preparations for classes tomorrow.

Adios..

Martyr

What image comes to your mind when you think about Mumbai attack?

I see just two images - a burning hotel Taj, and Kasab carrying his gun on CST platform. More often than not, it is the later one that I see. I will blame this purely to the media. Electornic and print media has shown that one photo (and some more of his photos) that you just cannot forget him.

I call it making a martyr out of someone. We would have easily forgotten him, if not because of the excessive attention he got on media. Itna airtime to ek bhi shahid jawaan ko nahi mila. That's the irony.

Whatever he did, he did it for his cause [if one wants to call it that way]. He did not die, don't know if he will be executed. But he has become a martyr nonetheless. 'They' will show videos of him fighting the Indian forces single-handedly in their training camps in future. If not his act, media attention he has got, that has made him a martyr for jehad.

ps: No photo attached.

debut performance

Oh my lord.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity.
It was a dream come true.
I am really thankful to you and to the SBC course that I got chance to act in a small play. :)

One devoted news reporter

Something is not right

I am not able to figure it out. :(

Satvit Food Festival at IIMA

If you call yourself food-freak, this is the place to be.
6th to 8th Dec in IIMA new campus.

I was there today and trust me it is one of the best food festival I have ever been.
Highly Recommended.

Find link to invite here.

850 steps

As I approached to complete the second round, I could feel the heat. For last two days I was getting 'tired' in two rounds and was stopping my daily dose of exercise. Today also It was the same feeling. But was I really tired, I thought let me check. And I kept running. I crossed the starting point, moved forward and completed the third round without any pain. So it was a mental block. I am on the field after such a long time; I need every minute that I can spend there.

It feels nice.
I did 3 rounds of run and 4 rounds of walking. Looking forward to improve it with each day.

ps: Took CPI test and got a feedback on that. Will update more about it at the right time.

Scene from Class

There are just two kinds of people in this world -first who are fool, and second who are grateful fools ie who know they are fools.

- IIMA professor in a class in Operations Management

Law book says, "a company's name should not be misguiding regarding what it is meant to be doing." So what the hell is APPLE doing in computer business?

- IIMA professor in a class in Legal Aspects of Business

This is what you do to keep yourself awake in a class after a long dark night working on an OM case that you got as an assignment at 11pm in the night.

Sabarmati Ashram

Place: Sabarmati Ashram

ethics survey...

Calling all the loyal readers (and others) to help Nams by filling up this survey -
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=p7hmTlQtfMV2igOhX9hU7dQ

Thanks in Advance...

who ... contd...

Last morning when I wrote this post who, I had just one thing in mind and this line from Being Cyrus perfectly put words to it.
"Who YOU let in can CHANGE your life..."

Today when I think about it, I feel there is more to it. There are more feelings that I can attached to the line. I am sad, I am angry. Mumbai must be having similar feelings. It's crazy; it's mindless. No doubt, mumbai will bounce back. It always does. That is the great Mumbai spirit.

But, there is more to these attacks than jusrt the fighting spirit of mumbai. It makes me think about "who we let in." How careful can we be? The waiter in Taj says the terrorist showcased the best of behavior before starting the firing. How could they be identified from the hundreds of other people that we see all around us. They are one amongst us and we have no way to identify them.
This is the greatest tragedy.

who

Who YOU let in can CHANGE your life...

The Sound of Forest

Back in the third century A.D., the King Ts'ao sent his son, Prince T'ai, to the temple to study under the great master Pan Ku. Because Prince T'ai was to succeed his father as king, Pan Ku was to teach the boy the basics of being a good ruler. When the prince arrived at the temple, the master sent him alone to the Ming-Li Forest. After one year, the prince was to return to the temple to describe the sound of the forest.

When Prince T'ai returned, Pan Ku asked the boy to describe all that he could hear.

"Master," replied the prince, "I could hear the cuckoos sing, the leaves rustle, the hummingbirds hum, the crickets chirp, the grass blow, the bees buzz, and the wind whisper and holler."

When the prince had finished, the master told him to go back to the forest to listen to what more he could hear. The prince was puzzled by the master's request.

Had he not discerned every sound already?

For days and nights on end, the young prince sat alone in the forest listening. But he heard no sounds other than those he had already heard. Then one morning, as the prince sat silently beneath the trees, he started to discern faint sounds unlike those he had ever heard before. The more acutely he listened, the clearer the sounds became. The feeling of enlightenment enveloped the boy.

"These must be the sounds the master wished me to discern," he reflected.

When Prince T'ai returned to the temple, the master asked him what more he had heard.

"Master," responded the prince reverently, "when I listened most closely, I could hear the unheard - the sound of flowers opening, the sound of the sun warming the earth, and the sound of the grass drinking the morning dew."

The master nodded approvingly.

"To hear the unheard," remarked Pan Ku, "is a necessary discipline to be a good ruler. For only when a ruler has learned to listen closely to the people's hearts, hearing their feelings uncommunicated, pains unexpressed, and complaints not spoken of, can he hope to inspire confidence in his people, understand when something is wrong, and meet the true needs of his citizens. The demise of states comes when leaders listen only to superficial words and do not penetrate deeply into the souls of the people to hear their true opinions, feelings, and desires."

ps: This was a part of one of the readings - "Parables of Leadership" for the course "Leadership Skills". We played the game of Broken Squares as part of classroom exercise for the same course. Click here for description of the game. This slot we have some intersting subjects. Lot of focus is on soft skills and development of managerial potential. I will share more stories from classrooms as they take place.

Fall Winter 2008

Time pass ki hadd ho gayi hai... :)

500 Rs

Ye Hai Meri Kahani

Certificates say my name is Pritesh Jain.
I say I am Pritesh,
Also known as PJ, for the obvious reasons.
Wonder if my parents had foreseen my talent.

Dad is a banker, mom a housewife.
Have an elder sister,
And her two little kids.
I become a kid with them.
They are my love, they are my life.

Born in Khandwa – the birth place of Kishore Kumar
Did not realize it till I was in class 4th.
It has no significance anyways,
I sing terribly even by bathroom singing standards.

Always topped in school,
And made my parents proud.
They told me -
"Success is a journey, not a destination."
So keep walking.
And to this day I haven't stopped.

Indore – Bangalore – Ahmedabad
Three stops in my journey.
Each one more significant than the other.
Each one as crucial as air, water and sun.
They showed me the world,
Helped me become what I am today.

Indore – city of my dreams
3F of my life - family, friends and food.
School, board exams and merit ranks.
My first interview in a news paper.
Success and happiness.
And then the question – am I content?
Home was nice, I was happy,
But naaa, It was not the time to stop.
I had to explore more.
And so I moved on.
Good Bye Indore.

Come Bangalore – city of opportunities
RVCE - my abode for four years.
Four best years of my life,
Studies – the first love,
My gang – the second one.
College fests, cricket and rockbands.
In between blood donation and eye check-up camps.
Goa, Panchagani and Gokarna
A new experience every time,
Newer learning to go with it.
Those 4 years went very fast.
I did well.
I did well in exploring.

Riverstone was the next step,
A small start-up situated in the heart of Bangalore,
A place filled with enthusiasm and optimism.
Saw myself getting transformed into a so called IT professional
Projects, deadlines and deliverables,
All became part of my life.
I worked, and learnt bit by bit. Step by step.

Learnt French between in between,
Became a movie freak and a reader.
And worked for an NGO.
Those kids taught me a lot,
To be patient and caring.
They taught me virtue of enthusiasm and optimism.
In return, I taught them computer basics.

Riverstone got acquired, Lucent was the new master.
Things did not change much.
Still felt like I needed a change,
I needed some more challenges.

Juniper offered the same.
A place where I could challenge my limits,
And define them again.
Big team, bigger customers and even bigger targets.
Opportunities.
To learn, to grow and to help others grow.
I grabbed them all.

Work is fun and fun is work – my motto in life.
If it is not fun, you better find something else.
Change is the only constant thing.
And it is good.
Challenge your limits,
Else they will restrict you.

I needed more.
Opportunities, challenges and responsibilities.
I wanted to grow faster
As a person, as a business leader.
And so happened CAT and IIMA
Time to say goodbye Bengaluru

And here I am today in Ahmedabad.
IIMA – the place where excellence is the norm.
Red bricks, big arches,
Dreams, passion and ambitions.
A class apart, all along

Excellence
I have always strived for
I continue to do so.

Want to work more for children.
Want to bring more smiles on their faces.
My camera – my passion
My Blog – that keeps me alive
I call it “in search of UTOPIA”

Got lost once during a night trek.
It was an awesome feeling -
To find my own way,
And come out of the troubles.
I want to do it again.
And again.

One day I want to jump from a high bridge in New Zealand
With an elastic rope tied to my ankle.
They call it bungee jumping, I call it my dream.
I am sure I will survive.
I will survive.

Saw it on TV last night –
“Be born everyday
Aaj rockstar kal pilot
And who knows what the day after
Kabhi kisi anjan station par utar ke dekho
Kabhi kisi gumnam shahar ka ticket katao
Dusri ki galtiyo se kya seekhna, make your own mistakes yaar
Never resemble your passport photo for more than three months
Har subah shock your reflection
Explore
Bachpan ke kya kuch nahi banana chahte the
Why not today?
Be born everyday”

This's my new mantra.
Change – Innovate – Reinvent
Myself,
My life.
Live on the edge.

To this day,
I keep walking.
This journey will be interesting for sure.
And for me, that is all what matters.


ps: Wrote this poem as part of an application process for summer internship. Never got to know if the firm I applied liked it or not. Nonetheless I am happy that they gave me a reason to look back and think.
Life has been hectic post placements. That's the IIMA magic. You are never free. Confluence is starting today. Looking forward at having a great time.

Day Zero and many more

I have witnessed one of the most brilliantly executed process in my life. Lots of people put untiring efforts to make it a happy ending for every one.
What others see is a mere number anad some salary tags, I saw the real placement process in IIMA.

I am amazed.
I am happy.
I congratulate everyone.

I thank the placement committee. For their support and efforts. You guys really are "On the job."

champi expert

CAT days have always been lucky for me. Finally I am eligible to sell hair oil.
I am loving it.

Finally I got what I wanted.

dhak dhak...

dhak dhak...
dhak dhak...

Did we miss it???

Am not sure, but this has been making some news for last few days (or is it weeks). :)
Check out new logo for pepsi.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31870561@N07/

I guess this is official photos from Pepsi on flickr. Are we seeing a new trend in marketing???

_No Fear_

General, gather all your arsenal. Pileup the food reserves. This war is going to last longer than expected.

Inshaallah fateh hamari hi hogi....

Amen!!!

23, 24 ,25

Count is still increasing...
Pata nahi is jeth ki dopahar me baarish ki pahli boond kab giregi...

Sometimes I feel frustrated, sometimes I am just indifferent. But one thing is for sure, it is giving me strength to be more focused. Rahul told me once that first year in IIMA teaches you only one thing - how to deal with failures. We all have been toppers, always successful in our life. This first year in IIMA is meant to fail you. If you don't learn it here, you will spend rest of your life learning it. Failure is inevitable, it is inevitable for success.

I am facing a brick wall. Stuck on this junction I can stop, or turn back or try harder to cross it. Prof Randy Pausch in his Last Lecture had this piece of advice - "The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They are there to stop the other people!"

Anyways...

And here is one interseting thing. One of the firm requires us to answer this question as a part of their application process. [In fact this is the only requirement to get an interview for a internship there. No resume needed]

Q. Please describe yourself as a person to me. [prose, poem or essay]
No particular structure required. No word limits.

I am loving it...

ps: If you have not heard the last lecture by Prof Randy Pausch, please do so. Strongly recommended.

Be Born Everyday

Chapter 1:
I had this particular exercise as a part of an application form. I really enjoyed doing it, thought will share it with you.
a. We see lots of "How to" books around today. People want to share their experience and make life easier for other. If you were to write your own "How to" book, what will be its title?
b. Readers generally buy a book after reading about its theme on the back cover. What would you say your book is about on the back cover of your book?

Chapter 2:
Have you seen the new advertisement for Titan? One with Aamir and the new punch line "Be Born Everyday" One of the shortest motivational speech you can ever get. Brilliant use of visual medium, backed with an even better script. And to top that Aamir. Just go for it...

Fight Club...

Warning: If you are reading this then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this useless fine print is another second off your life. Don't you have other things to do? Is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Or are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all that claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think every thing you're supposed to think? Buy what you're told to want? Get out of your apartment. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive. If you don't claim your humanity you will become a statistic. You have been warned- Tyler.

News You Cant Use

Or may be you can not use...
But still they find a mention here....

1. Sonal Shah of Indicorps part of Obama's advisory board - Just last week I got to know about Indicorps and I had a discussion with Sonal's sister Roopal and her team here in Ahmedabad. It feels so nice to know some of the right people in town.

2. Times Ahmedabad Festival is on full swing - Kailasa live tonight. God I am so much game for it. More so for the performance by Rahul Sharma. I just hope I get to see these. :D

3. Engineering student wants exam postponed - scheduled on 26th nov as it is very close to CAT exam scheduled on 16th Nov. Gosh!!! There are 10 full days between the two. And I would really be happy to meet an engineering student who prepares for more than 3 days for a paper. I can still buy the ATKT reason given by the students. But for CAT reasons, I will say - "go get yourself a life."

4. Yuvraaj Music released - I know this is an old news. Still it does matter. Go and sample the music. A.R.Rahman rocks as usual.

Baaki khabarein... Break ke baad...

crisis

The Chinese character for ‘crisis’ consists of two symbols. One means ‘danger’ , the other ‘opportunity’ . Every bad time hides an opportunity in it. It would be visible only to those people who really want it to see it.

EXCELLENCE

Some of the most inspiring moments from the talk by Harsha Bhogle -

On Excellence:
Talent dazzles, but it has hardly anything to do with excellence. It is what you make of that talent that matters. Arrogance is the biggest stumbling block to excellence. It is something similar to what Shane Warne’s wife recently said — about him living in a ‘rarefied bubble,’ wherein nobody had the courage to tell him he’s doing something wrong. It is more important to surround yourself with people who are better than you.

On Cricket:
There are no excuses. The Aussies will never say that we have lost. They’ll just say that we’ll come back and do better next time.

Harsha, the cricketer:
I loved fielding from the bottom of my heart. Have you heard the ‘cluck’ sound that a ball makes on hitting the bat? I used to fantasise about the sound of it hitting my palm. And being a fielder meant I could be friends with everybody. The bowlers loved anybody who could save them even a single run.

On live television:
Being unprepared helped. Initially, I used to compete with others. But you can’t comment on a reverse swing when Wasim Akram is sitting next to you. I realised that if I make them look better, I will look better myself. There is no space for ego here.

On luck and IIM:
At 21-22, I thought it was all a matter of luck, like all 21-22-year-olds do. I did not receive the interview letter from IIM, Ahmedabad. But when my father forced me to call and inquire, I found out my name was in the list, but the letter hadn’t reached. So you see, it wasn’t luck alone, but also the fact that I made the effort to call. It is important to recognise an opportunity. For as someone said ‘The harder I practise, the luckier I get.’ So is also the case with IIMA, which has moved with the times. Excellence, after all, lies in the present.

Ref: http://fuel2economy.blogspot.com/2007/09/excellence.html

WANTED - New Blog Template

PritS is looking for a new blog template. Suggest him and win exciting prices. :D

ps - A hint - One friend suggested me to put adwords on my blog. I really prefer to keep it void of any faltu stuff.
Special Offer - If the theme adds on to the title of the blog 'in search of UTOPIA' then there is a bumper price.

CAT gyan...

Parcel's blog is tempting me to write this post that will be easily classified as RCP in this campus. :)
Still... Can't stop this thing I've started... :)

CAT 2007 for me was a rewarding experience. A year that has potentially changed my life.
But how did I do it? No idea. I am not joking. I do not have a concrete answer to what special did I do, that brought me here at IIMA. It was my pursuit for excellence that matched with luck and I landed up here.

On luck front, I cannot help you. But still let me give some gyan on CAT.

1. Formula for cracking CAT - I am sorry to disappoint you if you thought that I have a formula to share with you. In my opinion, there is no forumula that will give you sureshot output. One would just pray to God that let there be some chemical reaction saying-
Solve 2 books of DI questions + Rattofy one vocabulary + Read 100 RCs + 15 chapters from Quant book = Interview call from 7 IIMs + Biproduct ( Calls from other institutes)

Alas, it never exists. There is no formula to crack CAT.

2. Strategy - It is not the time to make new strategies. Make sure you are comfortable with the way you approach your paper. No creative or innovative risk now. If you have been attending mockCATs, stick to things that have worked for you all these while.

3. CAT is full of surprise. That's the best part about it. So make sure the surprise in the exam is the only surprise that comes your way on the D-Day.

4. Confidence - Last few days before CAT are the time you boost your confidence. If you have had good track record in mockCATs and are seeing a slump in last few ones, leave mockCATs. Yes, leave them. MockCATs do help but make sure they do not hurt your confidence in these crucial days.

5. It's ok to be a little tense - Just be yourself. If you have prepared well for CAT, you are going to do well. CAT is just an exam. You are approaching a day that will define the course of your life. It deserves this much effort.

6. Don't overdo it - This is one of the fear that haunted me a lot. Once I faced a situation where I got bored while writing my mockCAT paper. Every sunday 2 mocks, I was getting too used to it. That evening I got really scared about what will happen if I felt like this on the D-Day. I took a break to gain back my enthusiasm. It really helped. So make sure, you don't lose your interest. Enjoying the exam is really important.

I guess I am losing my writing flair. Still I guess above 6 points will sum up any CAT gyan that you would extracted out of me. Last buy not the least, here is my favorite quote that I have always kept with me. I hope it will help you too.

"End of the day you can have only two kind of feelings -
1. If I had done it.
2. Yes, I did it.
And you know which is more glorious."

If you have some time, listen to this talk by Harsha Bhogle. He gave it in IIMA. I am really jealous of the people who heard this live.

4 5 6...

No 4, 5, 6...
It's all the same. Still waiting for some good news.
Macro Eco is sleep inducing. :D
Manac is showing its true colours. Actual cost, absorved overhard, budgeted volume, actual effeciency... It's all confusing. :(

ps: Exams from tomorrow.

dead lines

23:59:59
This tag is attached to every task that I am doing these days. :)
It's there, everywhere.

erase, write, erase again

It's a fast track out here. You keep racing against everything, including yourself. There are some inherent breaks, you stop, take a breath or two and get going again. And the most interesting part of it is that many a times all these activities are totally unrelated to each other.

Till day before yesterday I was writing SOPs and Cover letters, last night I was making arrangements for a market research fair, today morning I was working in the fair, and now I am thinking what to do. Fair is over, new forms are lined up for coming days, classes are slotted and I am standing here thinking.
Now I will have to erase this fair thing from my mind, and take up something new. Let me take a breath for now.

i want to become a "fighter plane pilot"

"What do you want to become when you grow up?" ask this question to any 5 year old kid and you will get an instant answer. Doctor, Pilot, Miss India, Engineer, Actor ... what not...
Ask the same question to grown up people, you have put them in a fix. If you happen to be in a well known institute of management in western India, the answer would be something like this -
I want to become an IBanker. So what Lehman is no more. I have many other option.
Two minutes later...
I want to become a Consultant. I love working with CEOs you know.
Two minutes later...
I am made for marketing. I am a brands guy. HUL here I come.
Two minutes later...
I want to get into a high-paying job. Show me the money...
I am sure by now you must have lost your patience. :)

This is bitter truth. It is the same everywhere. We have grown up to become more confused. I wish they had given me my pilot licence when I was 5. Itna tension nahi hota life me.

ps: Got my second rejection letter today. Another IBank. WTF do they think they are. :)
Thanks Neha for the insightful and fun filled chat that prompted me to write this post.

from the class room

"Sir I have realized Operations Management is quite complicated," said the student.
"Oh yea that I know. What is the name of your professor who teaches you OM."
- in one of the OM classes.

Is it fear of tears or tears of fear?
- in LAB classes while discussing current affairs.

I am giving you an idea. An idea can change your life.
- Professor in ProbStats class

taarikh pe taarikh, taarikh pe taarikh...
- It has to be the LAB class.

This is the easiest quiz that I have set in last 10-15 years. I am expecting that the average this time will be 2-3 (out of 10).
- OM quiz feedback.

Tell me the faculty is a fool. Tell me that I do not add any value. Challenge me.
- The day we lost the battle in OM class. :(

The job of the faculty is not to solve doubts but to create confusion.
- Cannot recall if it was OM class or MAC.

ps: Context for first one - The name of the professor is SARAL :)

last post on 12th Oct

I logged in my blogger account and saw this message against this blog.
"last post on 12th Oct"
GoD!!! So it finally happened. I have been away for almost a week. "So what is the big deal," you might ask.
It is a big deal. Indeed it is as big one as the fact that I have not gone on my morning jog for last 6 days.
Bad bad bad!!!
I can surely say that jogging one is real bad, trust me on that. Yesterday in the changing room of a clothing store, I felt like killing myself for this. :D

I sit back and try to recall what kept me busy these last few days. Ans here is what I could recall:
1. Wrote cover letter to Company1 describing "why I want to become an IBanker and why they are the best place for me to start my career."
2. Submitted my resume to Company2, Company3 .... Company14 [If you thought IIMA me job aasani se mil jaate hai, you might want to rethink]
3. Attended presentation by 3 IBanks, 3 Marketing firms, 3 consulting firms and 1 startup. Ate pizza or burger at the end of each presentation. Collected unlimited brochures, 3 pens and 1 writing pad.
4. Wrote cover letter to Company5 describing "why I want to become a consultant and why they are the best place for me to start my career."
5. Gave psychometric test for a Bank's recruitment process. Was rejected. :D
6. Wrote 1000 character (including spaces) essay stating why I want to become a marketing guy.
7. Wrote my short term and long term goals.
8. Rewrote them.
9. Wrote them one more time.
10. Recalled incidents from my life where I faced some moral dilemma. Wrote them in 950 charcter (including spaces).
11. Recalled incidents from my life where I had to face opposition and how I overcome them. Again 950 character to write them. Spaces included.
12. Rewrote answer to questions in 10&11 in 500 characters (including spaces).
13. Wrote about three values that drive my actions and thoughts. 1000 characters.
14. Filled some of the most user-unfriendly online forms.
15. Kept checking my dbab (an internal IM tool in IIMA) for more updates. Daily we get around 200 messages so missing it for even an hour can create a mess in your inbox.

And yes, I attended some classes too, prepared for some of them, left others for luck and coldcalled some corporates to search for some sponsor for an event on the campus.

In short, life has been nice. I am loving it. :)

Scene: Classroom

11:55 hours. It's the last class for the day.
Professor enters the class wearing his usual smile. I am sure he has cooked up a new joke on the way to the class. It's going to be a rocking class.
He is carrying a news paper and the case-material.
News paper???
What is he up to? Forget it, must be running late today so forgot to drop it off in his office.
He goes to the the console PC in the class and starts keying in something. God!! phir se Indlaw.com :( :(
And there is a tune...
"mauja hi mauja... teri mauja hi mujha..."
playing in some distance.

God! Who the hell forgot to put his mobile on silent. And why the hell has he/she such a sad ringtone?
There is no movement in the class. All students are surprised about the sound.

"mauja hi mauja... teri mauja hi mujha..." volume increases.
And then there is a smile on Prof's face.
No prize for guessing. It was youtube.com today. Prof's was preparing for the class it seems. :)

Music fades... Class continues.

2 minutes to the end of class -
Prof finally takes up the news paper. And turn to page 8. There is a joke about ibanks. He read it aloud. We all laugh. Professor exists.

ps:
1. This is a real life incidence. We are learning Legal Aspects of Business in this class.
2. In next class the prof showed us old interesting advertising from cigarette companies from US.

G3 gets a new logo...

Got this idea in FinMarket class today [actually this is the only productive work I did it in that class today. I slept in the rest of the class]

This is a dedication to Group 3 of Section A of PGP 2008-2010 at IIMA.

Group Members: [from right to left]
Chang aka Varun Gupta
Chaatu Singh aka Abhinav Singhal
Parcel aka Rahul S.K.
Boondiii aka Pritesh Jain
Saafi aka Prosenjit Das

OMed

New week starts with an OM class in this slot. Prof. Saral Mukherjee, teaches it with utmost dedication. His passion for the subject and his teaching is inspiring, to say the least. OM is one of the core subject, so a lot of stress has been given to this course. It follows case based teaching. As usual (at IIMA) the cases are the chosen from the best in their class. They are tough to say the least. It takes 3-4 hours of group preparation and still we do not get result/solution. I dread entering any OM class. The fear of getting cold-called by the professors is something I can not describe in words. It's not embarrassment or fear of losing CP marks, but the plain fear of disappointing someone so passionate about something. I don't blame him for anything. He is just superb.
Still, end of every class I thank god for keeping me safe and secure. :)


ps: We have been shown one youtube video and one Charlie Chaplin movie as a learning tool in this course.

in front of me...

This is what I am seeing these days. :)

why MBA?

What does an MBA course teach you?

Bhushit told me once - "An MBA does not help you in making right decision, that you will have to do on your own. The MBA will help you make the decision the right way."
I don't have any reason to not to agree with him.

3 months here in IIMA, I have learnt one more thing about MBA. It helps you to learn how to ask intelligent questions. The information is all out there. Internet search is the best thing that could have happened to mankind. This widespread information availability makes it a level playing field for everyone. To rise above the rest, you need to find this information fast and utilize it in the best possible way. This is where an MBA might be useful.

I hope I learn this art too. :)

free pizza, garba and some sleep

If you ask me what is the most important thing in life, my answer would surely be SLEEP. I have been deprived of sleep here.
8:45:00 AM class, followed by quizzes (that are difficult to pass), pre-readings, company presentations and then OM or Marketing case. No wonder, it's well beyond midnight, or should I say it is almost dawn.

Buzz on the campus is that this is 'high time' we fasten up our seat belts. Summers will arrive shortly and we need to prepare ourselves for them. REMs by tuchchas, presentation by companies and a little bit of studies on your own - all these squeezed in your already jam-packed schedule. God!!! Only cherry on the cake is the free pizza that you get end of every ppt [gosh! some companies did not even do that. :(] I am hoping this novelty feeling remain for some more time. :)

Garba time is here. And imagine, taking some time out of the above mentioned time-table. Difficult naa? Now add an invitation to this condition - to enjoy garba in NID campus in an event specially conducted for IIMA, NID and NIFT students. Do I need to say anything? :)
So we went there, to the so called mecca of design and class. Amazing place and even more amazing experience. Dance and masti for over 3 hours. More than that it was the feeling of doing something that we wanted to do. Free will - we can call it.
Feeling refreshed.

And here I am signing off for the day. Ek company ppt and marketing case is waiting for me. :)

ps: Before you write any comment saying "daily pizza is not good for health," let me make an announcement. I am trying my best to go jogging every day. :)

I'm asking why

I was childish and unfair
To you, my only friend
I regret, but now it's too late

I can't show you any more
The things I've learned from you
Cause life just took you away

I'm asking why I'm asking why
Nobody gives an answer
I'm just asking why

But someday we'll meet again
And I'll ask you

I'll ask you why
Why it has to be like this
I'm asking you why
Please give me an answer

Many years and stupid fights
Till we accept to see
How it was and it'll always be

Why it has to be like this
Why we don't realize
Why we're too blind to see the one
Who's always on our side

I'm asking why
I'm asking why
Nobody gives an answer
I'm just asking why

Just tell me why
Why it has to be like this
That the good ones disappear
I'm asking you why

I'm asking why I'm asking why
Nobody gives an answer
I'm just asking why

I'm asking why

ps: Enigma rocks. Bangalore ke din yaad dila diye... :)

above average

Last three months of my existence in IIMA, 2 slot exams and innumerable surprise quizzes have proved one thing - I am above average. :)

ps:
"I don't want to survive, I want to live" - Kungfu Panda

OMy god

ps: The grind has started. :)

conversations with God

God:

I think I understand what it is..
You feel overwhelmed with smiling, laughing people..

who seem to have everything under control..

Me: may be

God: 

They have the best in life... intellect.. love.. family.. friends..
They seem to sail through life without any hiccups..

Me: yes...

God: 

:) :O
Catch them when they are alone. They may be more neurotic than you are.. :D
I learnt it so late in life.. But to give them credit.. they play by their strenghths
While we try and mould ourself in their world.. by their rules... and which is why we feel like we are losing it...while they keep winning each and every invisible battle

Me: haan...

God: 

What if we refuse to engage in any battle whatsoever
What if we decided to play our own music?
What if we decided -this is my life and I am going to live it by my rules
And do exactly what WE felt like doing that minute without comparing our choices with theirs?

Me: hmm.. won't I be left behind?

God: 

hmmm... again.. if we think in terms of being "left behind" that would imply that there is a race in progress
Is it really there?
or we only think that there is?

Where does race matters?

Grades??

Nobody gives a shit about your grades. You pass out..and thats it
It's the idea and capacity that counts 

Other than studies how will you compare yourself otherwise?
Is their idea of fun better than yours?
Do they have more love in their life than you do?
Do they contribute more to life than you do?

Me: No idea.. but they seem to have control.. I have lost that

God: 

I'ts endless...
They seem to have control because they are not comparing themselves with you
While you are trying to dance to a tune only they can hear..

What are the odds of your matching the exact rhythm that only they can hear?

I am trying to say is... Feeling like you are losing control means... you are not doing things you want to do...

Just do it your way and you will regain all the happiness.

Take my words.

I have done it.

S M T W T F S...

no title

aSpirals

A case material (or casemate as they are fondly called).

ps: Got books for third slot. Gosh!!! They were heavy...

1/6th of a future manager

Ah... It feels so good. Term 1 exams are over and term 2 is still 2 days away. Lot of us are going home; but I am staying back in this campus. I guess this is the only time I have got in next 3 months or so. Slot 3 (We have slot systems here, each term is divided in two slots), then summer placements follows by slot 4 - things are going to be tough in these 3 months.

Exams were a like a lost war this time. And this I am saying not from the point of view of expected grades. I just did not feel the confidence in me this time. I just did not enjoy giving exams. After a long time (or is the first time in my life) that I felt like this.

PJ bole to Professor's Jokes

Profs here have amazing (!!) sense of humor. Here are some example:

Optimistic make the best of if when they get the worst of it.
- In endterm paper for Probability and Statistics.

Good that you are confused. Confusion leads to clarification. Hope you will become Confucius one day.
- In a mail regarding a submission.

Too much analysis leads to paralysis.
- This one is a favorite of many Profs. We hear it on a regular basis in classroom discussions.

i bank on nothing...

Heard it in one of the dinner conversations:
"Why should I work for an i-bank when I can probably buy 2 !"

ps: 2 over, 5 more to go. Media cell in college has suggested me not to answer questions like "how were the exams?" and "what are your views on Lehmon Bros.  ?" :)

And here is one more first

And for the first time I have won a photography contest. It was a competition organized by the photography club "Perspective." My photo was chosen as 2nd best amongst the lot. It was a competiton open to all fachchas.

Theme: Lights and Shadows


Title: The path to heaven.
Here is what the judges have to say about the photo -

2nd Prize goes to Pritesh Jain for the pic titled "The path to heaven" (Dorm). ACP to the title :) The play of different coloured light makes this pic stand out. The angle and the thin lace of shadow adds that extra to the pic.

Don't ask me I thought that much about this picture. It was just a random shot that I took on the day we had our first photoshoot for Placement Brochure.

HBD Nams

Nams,

Happy Bithday to you
Happy Bithday to you
Happy Bithday, Happy Bithday
Happy Bithday to you

Here is something all of us wanted to give you on this day.

From Temp

Click on the image to see the video Or go to the album by clicking at this alternate link

You rock girl...
Enjoy the day and every moment of your life.
You bring life in life of lots of people around you.

Lots of love...

- PJ

Sindbad The Sailor

Rock On… Hai Ye Waqt Ka Ishaara
Rock On… Har Lamha Pukaara
Rock On….Yuhin Dekhta Hai Kya Tu
Rock On….Zindagi Millegi Na Dobaara…

Us Ke The Jo Sapne Wohin Us Ke The Apne, Aisa Tha Sindbad The Sailor….Sailor…

moments...

Rock On

A music video stretched to a two and half hour movie. Music rocks. The tunes are hummable and they just stay in your head after the first time you hear them. 

I feel the storyline could have been much better. None of the character is written well, the puzzle (if any) is broken at many places. I would have loved to watch a transformations in behavior rather than the binary step functions [an i-banker to a singer in just one scene!!!]. Life is never like what they have shown.

Still...

Watchable. Watch it for its music and music videos.

And now a 'F' too

And the stage is set for the first 'F' grade.

Happiness is short lived here. I am not so concerned about the grade but am worried about the learning. I am failing at things that I believe I have put a lot of efforts in. All my efforts seem to go waste every now and then.

This slot is turning out to be a really tough one. They say the real toil hasn't yet started.

Somebody show me the way...

- Pritesh

WACing with NCFM

An open and shut case went awry. The first time you read it, you felt what the hack is to be done in this case. 12:43:00 when you submit it to the TA, you are still wondering if you could have solved it better. 

WAC has been one wonderful subject in this sense. Learning is not restricted to a particular subject. We have done 4 WAC assignment in this first term and here are broad themes of those cases:

1. Terocog Global Positioning System - Conflict and communication on Project Aerial [Interpersonal and group dynamics in an organization]

2. Westlake Home Furnishing Ltd. [Business opportunities in a competitive market]

3. Peer Review of Assignment 2 [Analysis of reports]

4. AWC Inc. - The Ventilation Dilemma [Business ethics and standards]

Needless to say these cases are kind of flagship tools in their respective area. It is great experience when 7-8 people in my dorm sit [or stand] and discuss WAC case. Emotions run high, so do creativity. My performance in these reports have been mediocre and I am happy to have gone through this experience. "Learning is important," says Prof Pandey.

But imagine writing 1000 [plus minus 100] word reports [This word limit is as strict as 23:59:59 ones] on a given case. It's a pain. One night spent in number crunching and making sure that you do not cross the word limits. 

I talked about WAC runs in one of my early post. There is a new addition to the vocabulary:

WAC challenge [ writing a WAC report in a 3 hour sitting]

I did not take it this time though, 35% weight for a report makes it a risky proposition.

NCFM Capital Market - One fraud of an exam for which I spent half my night and full morning. And guess what I barely  managed to pass it when others came out with flying colors without even reading the book. I am getting rusted. :(

ps: It is confirmed now. I have got my first A grade. :)

chinchaism

Chamanlal was cornered because he was standing in the corner.

without A...

Looks like I am going to get my first A- grade.

Keep it up boondiii...

boondiii ka tempo high hai... baaki sabki lega zig zag zig zag... :)

shantaram special

If fate doesn't make you laugh, then you don't get the joke.

ps: Picture taken from flickr.com

jaane tu... continued

Tu Bole Glass Adha Khaali,
Mein Boloon Adha Bhara

Mein Boloon Kithna Saara,
Tu Bole Zara Zara

Mein Boloon Din Hai To,
Tu Bole Raath Nahin

Baath To Wahin Hai Na,
Bas Wahin Baath Nahin

Baath To Hai Bas Yahin Hai,
Meri Baath Hai Bas

Jaane Tu Jaane Tu Yeh Jaane Na
Maane Tu Maane Tu Yeh Maane Na

Jaane Tu Jaane Tu Yeh Jaane Na
Maane Tu Maane Tu Yeh Maane Na

Tu Soche Yeh Zindagi Yeh Na Badlegi Kabhi
Mein Sochoon Sab Badaltha Hai, Yeh Na Badle Kabhi
Mein Socho Sirf Tu, Mera Koi Aur Nahin
Tu Soche Mein Hoon Tera, Bas Tera Koi Aur Nahin
Koi Aur Ho Ya Na Ho, Tu Hai Bas Mein Hoon

Jaane Tu Jaane Tu Yeh Jaane Na
Maane Tu Maane Tu Yeh Maane Na

Jaane Tu Jaane Tu Yeh Jaane Na
Maane Tu Maane Tu Yeh Maane Na

ps: Rahman rocks...

jaane tu...

Watched "Jaane Tu.." last night.
If you have been regular to this space, this news must have come as a shocker to you.
Indeed it is shocker. It took me so much time to find time for a movie that I badly wanted to watch.
But the experience remain the same nonetheless. A really cute movie that I enjoyed thoroughly. I should have watched it a lot earlier.

While I was preparing for interviews for IIMs, I always put "effecient in time management" in my qualities. Luckily none of the interviews, they grilled me on this.
But a week into IIMA, and I realized that I suck at time management. I am always short of time and this truly has nothing to do with IIMA life. When others can find time, why cannot me? I gave up my blog, my camera, my friends, my love; I gave up so much. Some of the decision that I took after coming here were purely my personal choice and I could have avoided them in normal conditions.
I am in process of evaluating each one of them, I know I need to do that.
Watching Jaane Tu on a weekday is just a step into this process. More will follow soon.
:)

IIMA's vocabulary - Part 2

Coldcall: Being invited/dragged/pushed into the ongoing discussion in class by the instructor. Often involves random selection [in some cases randomization can go to an extent of rand and randbetween functions of excel]. One of the most dreaded dreams of any student if he/she is not prepared for the class.

Dunking: IIMA's way of celebrating holi 24x7 throughout the year. Throwing water on anyone, no reason is required & generally no questions are asked. Mostly performed from upper floors of every dorm. Persons from opposite sex and other dorms are primary target of such attacks. Regularly used during birthday celebrations.

REM: Historically meant as REMedial sessions, they now serve as crash courses on various subjects. Generally taken by Profs, TAs and Tuchchas. Sometime even fellow fachchas can take up the responsibility. Hold significant importance in life of any student in IIMA. Their contribution to final grades is unquestionable.

Come, Let us learn IIMA's vocabulary

Globe: Global gyan, motherhood statements. Genralising any phenomenon or event.
Used extensively in Marketing case discussions.
eg: Globe mat mar yar. Nahi to Koshy hamari maar lega.

Chamka: To understand, to strike one's mind. To flash.
Origin: IITs, grapewine says IIT B wants to take full credit of it.
eg: Is case me ye hota hai, ye diya hai... bhah blah blah...
chamka?

Arbit: Arbitrary, random, not defined in a particular mould.
Used extensively in all the classes and in daily talks.
eg: Vo bahut hi arbit statements marta rahta hai.

Emotional Manager

Who says that manager do not get emotional?
Here is a repost from our section nb.

Unite We Stand

This post deals in general, and about Marketing classes in particular.

Hope you all remember the Marketing class last Monday. The prof had initially asked if anyone would volunteer to start the case discussion. He repeated his request twice. And still, there wasn't any response from the class. He then resorted to cold-calling.
It'd be obvious that its not possible for all 80 students to come prepared for each class. We all try and work-hard to be so, but still a few may have been burdened with some other work the previous evening. And if it so happens that the prof picks that person:
1. Its not CERTAINLY not a pleasant sight to watch our classmate getting embarrassed.
2. The prof starts building a bad reputation about our class.

Come on, I'm sure you can relate to this... Have there not been instances when you were praying that the prof doesn't look your way... And won't you shower the guy who raises his hand to answer, with a million 'thanks'... Let us all take turns in being 'that' guy. And we will certainly need the favour in return someday...

So, in the common good of the class, let's take a solemn commitment to volunteer if we are prepared (however inadequate it be... Its still better than nothing). From now on, we should be able to see atleast a dozen hands going up when the prof asks... That'd be a perfect parameter to judge our loyalty towards our class.

ABSOLUT rocks...!

ps: :)

my technology

I attended a talk by Padmashree Anil Gupta last night. It was about his efforts about promoting innovation at grassroot level. A nice experience. Here is an example of some of the innovations that he discussed.



Here is a brief of what we learnt in those one hour.

Fuchcha TP

Letter of Transmittal:

To,
Members Absolut, WIMWI

Dear all,
This report discusses the implication of Time Extenders (TE), those who extend class hours by raising doubts at the fag-end of the class. It also recommends that everyone should keep their mouth shut 10 minutes from the end of class timing


Situation Analysis:
Today members of 'Absolut' are being made to lose out on their available break time between the classes by 75%(15 min out of 20 min) due to and extension of class hours by 20%(15 min out of 75 min) , thanks to a few TEs. Similar incidents have occurred in the past and ways to stop this ave to be found out.

Problem Statement:
How to ensure that all the members of 'Absolut' get the benefit of the full break time provided without having to walk out of the class.

Options:
1. Allow the current situation to continue
2. Ensure that everyone stops CP 10 min before stipulated class hours.
3. Give bumps to ppl who don't comply with "Option 2"

Criteria for Evaluation:
1. Respecting other's time
2. How much Bumps to give

Evaluation of Options:
1. Allow the current situation to continue: This shows a gross disrespect on the TEs part towards other peoples' time. Today 20 man/woman hours were wasted. Also the marginal utility of the 'Knowledge' acquired during the extended class time is low. So asking 'doubts' is not economically viable.
2. Ensure that everyone stops CP 10 min before stipulated class hours: This is by far the best and logical option and will not waste time explaining this line.
3. Give bumps to ppl who don't comply with "Option 2": This option has widely practiced across the classes through generations at WIMWI and has shown good results. During this process junta can vent out their frustrations on Quiz, mid-term, life and anything else on the TE.

Recomendation:
Option 2 seems to be the best option which is beneficial to all. If not Option 3 should be implemented.

Action Plan:
Implement the options by 22nd August 08, Friday.
Forms a Bumps team, headed by a Bumps manager

ps: Reposted from class nb. This is our learning from WAC. :)

can't stop

Listening to Can't Stop by RHCP.

Two roads diverged in a wood

Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,'
'I don't know where. . .'
'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.

Prof Koshy mentioned this quote in Marketing Class today. So apt it is.

ps: Prof Koshy's classes are out of the world experience, the big question is that will we survive his passion? :)

starting from scratch

iim ke student

Outside the college gate:
[It's raining. I am not getting any auto. Suddenly an auto with 2 passengers in it stops in front of me]
Autowala: Vastrapur lake?
Me: Yes.
Autowala: Aa jao.
Me: Oh cool. Thankyou.
[It's a shared auto]
Fellow pessengers: IIM me student ho?
Me: Haan uncle. First year.
Fellow passenger: First year nice, so in two years you will earn like anything. Nice...
[I smile]
[And we chitchat...]
After reaching Vastrapur Lake -
Me: Kitne paise hue bhaiya?
Autowala: Arre aap student ho. Jo dena ho de do. Abhi do saal ki baat aur hai, baad me aap apni car me hi ghumoge...
Me smiled and gave him the money.

In the barber's shop:
Barber: 1st year?
Me: Yes, 1st year.
Barber: Aapko time kaise mil gaya?
[Me shocked!!!]
Me: Arre aaj time nikal kar aana pada...
Barber: Sahi hai. I have been serving IIM students for past 9 years so a lot about you people.
[We chitchat..and then I leave the place.]

Somehow I felt that someone in the background someone was shouting "Muggo Fachcho Muggo..."

without A

Without A it's just another IIM.

Sounds rude?

This is the caption for the winning design in TNite 2008. Section A or Absolut as we call ourselves came up with this amazing catchline for their tshirt. Attitude personified. I am proud to be one of the designer for the tshirt. :)

Abslout came 3rd in the overall competition but we had time of our life. 5 days and nights full of fun. Dance, Music, Acting, Poster making and what not!!! We just let ourselves free.

Flash news: I gave three dance performances, one of them being Choli Ke Peeche. :)

sleepless nights

30th Jul: Resume - 4 hour sleep
31st Jul: MC assignment, 2 hour sleep
1st Aug: Resume and then MC class work, 3 hour sleep
2nd Aug: WAC assignment, 2 hour sleep

And now mid term mugging starts.

Jaane kya hoga rama re...

Bomb and Ahmedabad Rains

It's raining heavily in this part of Ahmedabad. After a long spell of scorching summer heat, this rain feels like a soothing balm.

Bangalore and then Ahmedabad - Bomb blasts made a scar on the city's face. I was talking to an autowala yesterday. He was on roads with his auto on the day of the blasts. He did not have any choice - he told me when I asked was it safe out there.
I received so many calls and msgs from my friends asking about my well being. I did not know how to respond to them. I was not the one affected by the bombs. Sometime I feel I do not live in Ahmedabad. I live in IIMA. We live in a different world. A world of our own. Life here is such that we hardly go out of the campus. What happens in the city, we get to know through msgs or mails or through internet.

Thank god that this world is safe as of now. So here is the message - I am perfectly fit and fine.

Slot exams are approaching us fast. So are TNites. And we have to do our best in both of them. More about all these sometime soon.

For now let me enjoy my favorite rain song - The Indian Rain by Colonial Cousins

From PritS to Boondiii

Best foot forward
22nd June - I landed in WIMWI campus. My family accompanied me when I entered the gates of this news world. The shine in my parents' eyes said a lot, I was taking a giant step in my future. Dorm 3 Room 23 became my new abode. Parents looked satisfied with the setup and left with tears in their eyes. Shine and tears - its pure love.

Day 0
First day at new place has its own charm. The impressions that you make this day are imprinted in your memories for your whole life. Registration, Bank formalities and Inaugral lecture - activities kept me busy the whole day. But still there was something in the air that made me beleive that it was going to be one of the most significant days in my life.

Dorm 3 Room 23
I was alloted Room 23 in Dorm 3. Those of you who have been to IIMA campus would recall that this dorm used to be the only co-dorm in this campus. A majestic building with 30 odd rooms. 19 of us PGP 1s and 6 from PGP 2s batch. A great mix of people from all part of countries and varied backgrounds. First impression - this is going to be a great experience. Simply great!! Dorm 3 calls itself "Dorm 3, The TE3N Spirits". I have become part of this spirit.

Section A
Rated A, known for their high grads and winning performances in TNites, that is how we describe our section junta. Section handoff ceremony that happened on the night before our first class, was amazing fun. It was the first platform where we got to know our section, and ofcourse tuchchas from PGP2s. As with other things, section system has its culture too. And roots to this goes long back. Looking forward at TNites that is going to follow our slot exams in Aug 1st week.

Boondiii
Culture and heritage prevails in thie campus. There are things that do not make much sense but still happen with great enthusiasm and dedication. Dorm Names is one such experience. Each and every student who lives in these dorms, gets a dorm name. This name is a tag that will be associated with him/her for the rest of the life. I, from now on, am known as Boondiii on this campus. As soon as I expand my horizon [read at summers and then final job] more and more people will know me by this name.

These are just few moments from my life in last month or so. There are so many things that I want to share, but not getting time. Still...
Here are some of the moments from my birthday celebration in the dorm.
Video [Bday invite], Photos

Is it worth the effort?

Everytime I face a dilemna, I think of this question. Many a times the answer is not very clear, still I feel it will help me getting my life in order.

boondiii

Boondiii was born at 2:30 am on 19th July 2008.

in search...

"in search of UTOPIA" - Does it still seem to be an apt title for this blog? Given that last 10 odd posts have all been stories from IIMA life, I can very well rename it as "Life @ IIMA" or for that matter "Stories from the far far land of WIMWI".

No doubt, life at WIMWI is devoid of peace. There is intense pressure to perforom, that too in a group that is fiercly competitive. Things are unpredictable, and still there is very little scope of error. My grades have been pathetic in the first set of surprize quizzes. Cs and Ds are something that never featured on my report cards, but here I have plenty of them. It's going to be a tough game improving these so that first slot results are atleast above average.
phew!!!

Everyone is running fast, and you are the only reason if you are left behind in this race. So Run Forrest Run.

Where is the peace in this then?

So, should I change the name?
Aakhir naam me kya rakha hai!!!

Behind the Scene

the world sees us like this:

This is behind the scene: :)

250 characters

Task: Introduce yourself.
Background Info: This writeup is used in the placement profile that is sent to various companies.
Constraints: Max 250 characters. [Yes, you read it right, it is character and not words]

I have spent almost a day solving this riddle.
Give it a shot if you have some free time.

ps: As 'usual', in IIMA 250 characters span just 250 characters.

Clock

Time runs so fast here that we don't even realize it.

It's a lazy sunday afternoon. Here is what my todo list reads like at this moment:
1. PlaceCom survey - by 14/7 23:59:59
2. MicroEco quiz - 14/7 @2:30pm
3. Study for FRA (Financial Reports and Accounting) class
4. Presentation for PS (Probablity and Statistics) due on 15/7 16:59:59
5. Cover ID (Individual Dynamics) backlog

:)

CP bole to Class Pareshan

#define CP "Class Participation"

CP rules in IIMA.
It constitutes almost 20% share in your final performance rating. In principle, It helps the professors in evaluating the learning process on an ongoing basis. Presence in class, attentiveness to the proceedings in class, contribution to class discussions - three major ingredients that make a CP.

This is the knowledge most of us had when we attended our first class in PGP1. And as you can imagine, the whole class was a mess. It was a dejavu from the IIM GDs that we all had been part of few months back. Everybody wanted to make his/her presence felt in the class. There were moments of "let me finish my point" or "I have a slightly different view on that" or even more intersting "we need to look at this problem holistically and think of short term and long term goals." blah blah blah.

But, as we attended more classes, the science behind CP became clear. You don't need to talk crap as the professor knows who is making sense and who is just blabbering for the hack of it. Still there were some creatures who do not want to learn. And bugs like this make everyone's life miserable. You get shorter breaks, and then extra classes to cover portion that should have been covered in the class. God give some brain to these people and save us from their out-of-the-box thinking.

Good news is that things are changing, albeit slowly but. A proposed punitive punishment for nonsense CP has been a good deterrent for many. I hope it continues to be effective. We will come up with more such solutions in time to come.

ps: In an alumni meet, batch of 79 mentioned about one such bug that existed in their batch. So this too is part of tradition. Ooof!!!

post 502

Yaha ki daud bhag ki jindagi me mein ye to batana hi bhul gaya ki I have completed 500 posts on this blog.

And for me, this is a really big achievement for me. I always had this problem of getting bored with something too soon. I have passion for some things, but never ever I was able to turn it into an addiction. It always comes from nowhere and fades away without even slightest of hints.

Somehow I got stuck to this blog. 500 posts spanned over 2 years. And I know I will go on for a long time to come. There are so many things to write about, so many things to share, that I feel that I will never be able to do justice to everything. None of us can do that.

Next two years or so are going to be the most crucial part of my life. And I want to capture each and every event from it.

It's been almost 15 days now in campus. I still have to take out my camera and capture the beauty here. Will do it sometime soon.

For now, its time for some accounts cases. Balance sheets and P/L statements are waiting for me.

ps: I did it, and I did well in the task today. :)

RAMP

After a grueling week filled with loads of activities [all academics related that is], the nicest way to beat the heat is to let yourself lose and dance your heart out.
RAMPs here give such a platform to everyone. A night filled with music and masti.
We had our first RAMP last night. A dance party where everyone was invited.

If you ever thought that these RAMPs are the place for singles to get lucky, think again. 19 girls and 300 guys - this is our batch composition. This is one thing for which I will curse IIMA profs my whole life. Arre yaha to koi chance dete. :(

Anyways.

The dance floor was no different from what we used to have in hostel functions in college. All guys dancing their heart out. Bhangra to dandia to free style and even the snake dance. I-me-myself Dance [origin not known] needs a special mention here. This is one form of dance that does not require any skills. No matter where you spent your life [hostel or home] you have got to be an expert this. Its an inborn skill.

I did some dancing too. You might ask "Bapu!! aap aur nach gana???"
Arre!!! I did dance. Trust me you don't want to see what steps I did in those 2 odd hours. :)

Most of what I have described so far is something I had expected. So not much disappointed. Ab to aadat si ho gayi hai...

But what disappointed me was the enthusiasm from my fellow fachchas. Just about half of the batch was present there. That is in the first RAMP. Even if one is not the party type, missing such an event is sad. It's part of culture, and we are slogging our ass off here to be part of this place. Everything has its first. And I feel this was the best opportunity for anyone. Best part of these events is that nobody judges you for anything. You get to be yourself. I am really happy for those who came. We might not have gotten what we had fantasized but still we got to become ourselves. And that is important.

Tomorrow I get one more chance to do something that I have never done. It's out of my comfort zone. But it is part of culture, so I know my comfort zone will have to expand. I am here to become part of this glory and I will not miss any damn thing that makes me feel one.

Keep reading for lots of updates from Dorm-3 Room-23

Till then, Good Night. :)