Running around...

I'm into the last week at work (yaaay) and, very strangely, i really look forward to the day when i can say i am officially jobless. Work surely has been a lull and motivation at workplace is at an all time low. Eventhough i hate being without work at office (which actually feels very weird at times), that is where i see myself everyday. I do have bits and pieces of work to do and many transition of responsibilities as well, apart from cleaning my desk and archiving data for backup. Plainly, it sucks :) But then, u gotta do what u gotta do!!!

There are a few updates related to the MBA side of life.

I finally got the tourist visa to the Federative Republic of Brazil i needed for my Random Walk. The procedure to get one is very simple - visit the Brazilian Embassy's website and thou shalt know everything. In short - u fill in the app and send it (along with a covering letter and all support documents) to the embassy in Delhi. I'd applied early this month through an agent and I was made to chase my HRs (yeah - in my company, u have to search for them. they don't have the basic courtesy to reply fone calls and tell u that they saw ur emails when u finally do meet them) for a few days to get some letter (stating that i have resigned and when my last working day will be) which the Embassy required. Eventually - the company said they wont issue such a letter. I then had to get my manager and HR-manager attest my resignation letter and also made them state my last working day, which luckily the embassy accepted. All's well that ends well!!!

I was finally allotted an apartment. It is a huge (635 sq.ft) studio in the 18th floor of a high rise that is 2 miles from the school. The height and the size of the apartment means that i pay a whopping rent of $1100 per month. Now i am all set to work out how, sitting here in Chennai, i proceed with the paper work involved in signing the lease for the apartment. Gosh - will the paper work ever cease...

In news related to GSB, i will be talking to a counselor from the Dean's Student Office, regarding my plans for the course work. Since Chicago GSB has a completely customizable curriculum, you find more support for people in this regard and support starts much earlier - as soon as 2 months before school. This, i believe, is a great thing - as i can clarify all doubts i have regarding the course work and try to zero in on what i can do and what i cannot do. I really want to know what can be done (how far one can stretch himself) and what cannot be done (something like common mistakes). This is especially helpful for someone like me, coz i decided that i want to make the fullest use of the academic rigor GSB is so famous for, but at the same time i dont want to overload myself with too much on my plate. I have some plans regarding the curriculum, and I have many doubts as well. I really look forward to the call on Wednesday.

In between crazy emails from classmates, frequent chats with other classmates, farewells to friends who're flying out to their respective schools, farewells to colleagues who wont see me in my seat from next week, burning dough at shopping malls, puncturing self with the numerous immunization shots, checking up with lists to ensure that i've got everything i need, contemplating on when to really start packing and all the other things related to moving to a new continent - i can see that my new life at GSB is now very close.

Less than a month to go before i fly to the Windy City. Cant' wait :)