Where's my Fall???

I am from Chennai. We have four seasons. Hot, Hotter, Hottest, and one where it rains. I moved to Chicago. I was promised I'd experience the real four seasons. I've seen them all. Cold, Colder, Coldest, and one where the sun teases us between rain showers. As much as i enjoy cold weather (I honestly do), can a brother enjoy some variety please!!!

This last month (yeah I post once a month these days) has been all about the weather.
And all that resting and relaxing.
And a lot of cooking - the internet is full of information goldmines!
And discovering more of Chicago - thanks to all my friends.
And the movies - thank you Hollywood for a fairly decent summer line-up. NetFlix rocks.
And the PlayStation3 - thank you Sony for the new device, and the drop in prices.
And the books.

Yeah - I said books. I started this summer with this grand plan to finish writing a biographical book. Given how long the break has been (Four more weeks to go) I've been inspired with two other plots that I'm seriously considering writing. These are fiction plots, and hence completely uncharted waters for me. But I'm excited about the plots - so I might at least try. The first book hasn't made as much progress as I'd like to claim - but it has made some good progress. I'm only working on that book for now - the fiction books need a LOT of research that I haven't even started looking into. This is going to be a great winter! It's time for that library membership ;)

So all these "activities" kept me occupied during last month. Next month seems to promise more of these activities, and a return to a some analytical, business world stuff - as I prepare to transition into my work. Given how much I've relaxed, I plan to get working on some basics in the next few weeks. Hopefully they'll get me up to speed. I'm really looking forward to start working.

So that's that for now. Till later, stay warm and be nice!

I Dont Know What I'm Doing This Summer

First of all - thanks to JulyDream for helping me with the contact details of her friend who wrote and published a book. It was very nice of her, and her friend was very very helpful. It has definitely given me more direction in my pursuit.

It has been a month since I graduated. So much has happened, and still so little has moved forward (if at all)! I feel like I'm in a stage where I'm leaving one life and moving into another one. Beyond anything, I'm finally entering the this-is-so-boring stage of this summer! Really cannot wait to get busy again.

The city of Chicago has been quite a phenomenon during the summer - with so much happening. Living in this city isn't just about the snow after all! Even with all that's happening, the city has an empty feeling to it - now that almost all the folks who're moving out of Chicago have officially moved out. I'm trying to take advantage of these options, but going alone is kind of boring.

I managed to find a new place to live and I'm VERY excited about my new home! It is pretty close to work, so I can walk when I feel like walking to work. I'm moving there by the end of this month, and hence a lot of other things have been status quo! That kinda makes sense since I'm busy picking furniture for the new place ;) Over the next 15 days, I have loads of things to do - formalities to be completed before I move into my new place.

I also feel like I'm going through one more of my transformation stages. I mean, the process has been happening over the last many months - but I am now in the stage where I see myself different from who I've been over the last few years. The whole journey of business school, with all its ups and downs, has added a lot more to me. Things that happened to me and the people I met over the least few years also adds to the mix. Overall I feel like I've learned a lot more about good and bad, and also know where exactly I stand in that spectrum. I also feel I have a greater sense of clarity in what I want to be, and where my life is headed. Since I have too much time at my disposal, I've been introspecting a lot on these changes; and I must admit I feel pretty good about the things I've learned about me during some difficult times.

Overall - the mood is one of anxiety. Of looking forward to what's ahead. New place; New job; New people - I feel like I'm all set for a new chapter in life. Being the eternal optimist, I'm working hard to take only the positives from the last few months and move forward with new zeal.

And yeah - I do hope to blog more often. Till next time, adios!

The Man in the Mirror

For many people in my generation, Michael Jackson is arguably the biggest global celebrity of our lives. The music, the moves, the magic - all very hard to replace. His shadow looms so large all along my childhood, and I'm sure all of us have SO many Jackson moments - crying to his songs, trying the moonwalk, wearing the single glove or simply just watching in awe at his performances!

This man will truly be missed, but will truly always be remembered through his music.

School ends; Life continues...

This comes exactly three years after the day of my GMAT. A perfectly timed MBA experience! Not a perfect one though :)

I had my last class yesterday. It was a great class to end my two years at Chicago Booth, as it reminded of everything this school stands for - good professors, great analysis and wonderful classmates. As I was joking to someone at the Class Celebration yesterday evening, I feel like I've grown old faster over the last couple of years. Many of us here think that way! In the process, we've also become wiser.

Yesterday, in more ways than one - academically, professionally, personally, socially - summarized the story of my life. The 24 - 30 hour period between Thursday evening and Friday night was filled with huge, life-impacting, unforgettable events and as I sit here on this lazy Saturday morning, musing at all that happened and all that led to all that happened; I can't stop thinking "How did I get here."

I am in a bittersweet mood. What started more than three and a half years ago, the quest for fine business education finally came to an end yesterday. Three and a half years!!! That's a lot of learning and thousands of hours of hard work. That sure is a good reason to celebrate! The Dean's office did time it perfectly in hosting the Class of 2009 Celebration yesterday. It was a wonderful event, and everyone had a lot of fun - with great food.

But as I wandered around the alleys of the Winter Garden in Harper Center while the rest of my class was letting go on the dance floor, the other things in my mind made me sober. The greater challenges ahead of me prevented me from jumping in. For all the insulation supposedly offered by the cocoon of the business school environment from the real world, we all know that the times are a lot less celebratory in nature.

Over the last couple of years - I've been through a lot and quite understandably learned a lot! So it always helps me stand away from a moment, and look at the big picture. The picture in front of me was not good.

Most importantly, my personal life could be a lot better. I could have done some things better, and as a result I find myself in a very difficult situation. At this moment it looks like a fight I'm going to fight for the rest of my life - but I'm fully committed to that fight! This is a lifelong commitment either way! The sooner I win it, the better my life will be - but if, unfortunately, this is going to drag on forever - I'm up for it.

Professionally though - I am standing at the verge of a great opportunity that I hope to make the best use of. But far beyond that - I look at all the things I see in this world, and I wonder what role I could play in improving some of it; any of it! This blog won't be sufficient to list all the issues we face today - there's so many people out there who need so many things, very basic things in some cases, and they all could use so much more help. Here in Chicago, my new home, I am close to so many of these vagaries. I see the results of racial differences, neglected communities, poverty and homelessness! My trip to Africa took me closer to some of the other vagaries - neglected countries and people with a lot less opportunities. I was thinking of the movie "Hotel Rwanda" throughout the trip!

People will argue we're making progress, but we all know that there could be more done. Organizations that are currently working on these issues are far from efficient. I've worked with an organization that tries to create opportunities for people in lesser economies and I've seen the inefficiencies. I've helped and interacted with a few non-profit organizations fighting various causes in America, and I have friends who have worked with them too. I'd like to think I know a little bit. I was recently discussing regarding these issues with a friend on our way to school one day. She had a lot of experience working with such agencies and is very passionate about leading some kind of change, and she was talking about the inefficiencies she had faced so far. My answer was that there's still a lot of work to be done and that kind of work needs a lot of committed people. If you look at the lives of various groups of people around the world - there are way too many complex issues to tear this world apart. This world, and the human race, could be SO much better!

I was not sure if it was the right thing to sit and think about my personal issues and these issues of my fellow homo sapiens at a place where we were supposed to rejoice the achievements of the past two years – but that's exactly what I did. The personal issues obviously weigh in always, but the other stuff has been playing in my mind for a long time. I really see me playing a role to make some kind of change somewhere. I wonder what I could do. I wonder what any of us could do. And oftentimes, I wonder what ALL of us could do.

I started writing this blog to chronicle my life, not just my application and business school experiences. I intend to continue doing just that - chronicle my life, its joys and vagaries all included. As with everything I've done so far, I also intend to discuss my efforts towards some of these goals I want to set for myself, and get public opinion on what I'm doing and how I should proceed.

So there goes two great years of my life. And here's to the rest of it. I hope I continue to work on what I've done so far, and build on that further to do something to help with these challenges that surround us, while continuing the constant search for a hopefully satisfying life!

Home good home!!!

I'm back in Chicago.

The flight went well. Me reached in one piece. All bags came through safe. Home is in good condition after the sublet. Chicago is hot and happening. People speak to me in English. Good to be back!

India(n) wins Olympic Gold

India's Abhinav Bindra won the first individual gold medal for my country in 61 years in the Men's 10m Air Rifle event at Beijing Olympics. It is one of those moments when you feel instinctively ecstatic; and in a short while start to ponder about the million questions yet to be answered. Lets give it to the man, he has really defeated multiple odds. He really deserves all accolades that comes his way - Congrats Abhinav. You really have earned the love and applause of the billion and more Indians world wide.

You have also earned instant overreaction from the Indian Media, Politicians and general public that will come your way in the next few days! Having lived in India for the best part of 25 years, I can visualize the mindless euphoria that would follow. And everyone would forget the fact that this gold medal took 61 years coming and was not a result of a system but the sheer brilliance of an individual!

No one gave the Indian athletes any chance of winning medals, let alone a Gold, in the Olympics. To quote Suresh Kalmadi, president of the Indian Olympics Association, India should not "expect too many medals in China." The IOA and SAI are hardly worthy of supporting, let alone creating, world class athletes. There have been multiple complaints of shabby politics, favoritism and all sorts of discrimination against athletes. The latest was when Indian weightlifter Monica Devi apparently failed a drugs test and was pulled out literally hours before boarding a flight to Beijing, only to clear the same test when it was too late to play in the event. A CBI probe is looming at the biggest sports bodies of India. The national hockey team, the only Olympic gold winner for India till Abhinav, did not even qualify to Olympics this time. There has been literally no improvement in grass root level development of games. There seems to be no clear planning or execution in improving sports in India. Very often, athletes leave India and travel to other nations to train before key events - that act explains the state of the facilities. The lesser we talk about the individual sports bodies, the better.

The point I am trying to make is that this is hardly India's Gold medal. This is simply an Indian's Gold medal. In 61 years of Independence, we have not made significant strides in our quest for sports supremacy. And the people in the important positions certainly have their priorities wrong. Everyone who can talk will talk about Abhinav. He will receive a million accolades and pose with every important person in India who wants to bask in his glory. But soon, he will be forgotten and the nation will move on to the next political scandal or the biggest summer blockbuster. Including the people who could use this moment and this person to spur the imagination of a country and take steps towards creating the necessary infrastructure and providing fair opportunities to create more gold medal winners. They will claim their share in Abhinav's success, consider their job done and move on.

I believe that Abhinav has earned everything that will come his way in the next few months and perhaps many more. In a system that does not promise any podium finishers, he managed to stand on top of the podium and gave us Indians on of those rare moments of listening to our national anthem at the Olympics. I congratulate and salute him for his achievement.

10 days in the Metro

I'm home! Been here for 4 days now. Have done SO much work. It is fun to catch up with Chennai roads and the mad rush of traffic. And it is more fun to be reunited with my motorbike :)

Exam week was crazy. I gave a final Monday morning, finished off a take home that took me almost 25 hrs and gave a client presentation that was well received. On the way back, i met with almost half the Indian GSB admits in Delhi (including my mentee) and had some good conversations! Looking forward to September to spend more time with them, but looks like recruitment starts very very soon! So we'll see :)

I'm flying out this Saturday, contingent to the issue of the Chilean Visa. My agents say it should be fine. I'm very keen to begin the internship but am certainly not looking forward to the 40 hour flight from Chennai to Santiago.

I'm hosting a GSB mixer in Santiago. Hopefully there will be a decent turn out. If there's any native from Santiago here, any suggestions for a place to arrange an informal meetup???

Wind on your face...

This might sound mundane for many of you, but I just realized how blissful it is to experience a ride with the wind flowing on your face. Especially if the ride happens to be right next to a beautiful water body like Lake Michigan. To really understand what it means, you must have experienced the Chicago weather. Not just the winter, but the stop-gap method in which it transitions from winter to summer.

That's right, Spring is not a long-term affair in the windy city. There's really 10 - 15 days of spring, not continuous; and then the sultry summer is here. I just happened to be in the right place (inside a car on the lake shore drive) at the best time possible - a springy dusk. My heart weeped like a kid whose candy was stolen, when the car took the exit closest to my destination.


In one blissful moment, I suddenly felt at home.

A Forrest Gump Like moment...

So today morning, earphones in place, MSS pouring her blissful voice (Kurai Ondrum Illai) into my ecosystem, I walked out of home to meet a friend at school. I live in the 18th floor, and the elevator stops very soon on its descent to the lobby. Enter two burly men, and behind them someone very very familiar. Someone who has been, a year ago, little known in America, let alone the world. Someone who's been sweeping victories all over America in the recent few days. Someone who could potentially be Mr. First Citizen of USA in a year's time.

Mr. Barack Obama.

We exchanged greetings and knowing smiles. I was too overwhelmed, and the elevator journey too short, to talk anything.

For some strange reason i was reminded of Forrest Gump, his moments and his journey. I smiled to myself and started walking. Kurai Ondrum Illai...

Here's to a great 2008...

In a few hours from now, I will leave home, only to return next year. It is that time of the year! It is party time - time to welcome the New Year in style – dancing, full of happiness, yelling hopeful wishes and praises for the things the New Year promises to bring with it.

Having seen as many new years as I have seen in my life, I am learning to understand life better. I look back at the recent many New Year Eve's i have had and I see a mix of all sorts of emotions. I especially compare it to last new year's eve, and look at all the things i have learnt and experienced over the last 12 months. This year has been unbelievably educative. I have had some of my best experiences over the last 365 days. Really, at this point, the plan for next year would be to imbibe all the learnings i have had this year and improve into a better person.

I see that nothing is constant in life - as cliched as it might sound. I see that one keeps learning new things every day, even more so while at business school, and one has to try make improvements all the time. Every year - some of our theories and beliefs get proved, some get disproved and some modified. In the process ,we also form new beliefs and theories - to be meddled with next year. Every man, as an individual entity, evolves every single day; every single year. Fundamentally though, it is very important to live the moment, enjoy the times, stop worrying about anything at all, and try to be more happier today than you were yesterday! At the end that is what matters :)

I would like to quote this line from a hindi movie that i watched recently - "hamari filmon ki tharah hamari zindagi mein bhi, end thak sabh kuch theek ho jatha hai." A literal translation of that would be - like in these movies, even in our lives, by the time the show ends everything gets alright.

So live the moment, live this NYE and live it out tonight. Have so much fun and enjoy so well that you can say that tonight, you were more happy than any other day in your life. So that tomorrow, you can wake up and try to beat that!!!

So here is to a great 2008! Cheers to everyone!!!

Iday got an iPhone

and it absolutely rocks...

I'm really amazed by the intuitive design of the GUI. There are very few products in which you expect something somewhere and then actually find what you expect in the place you expect to find it. iPhone gives you that in most, if not all, places. Beyond the cool looks, the snazzy works and all the jazz, the iPhone is a very well designed customer device that serves most, if not all, of an individual's needs.

I heart iPhone!!!

Update: Apple slashed the price of iPhones by $200. So the 4GB version costs just $300 now (which i think is an amazing deal). Since my purchase was done within the last 14 days, i was eligible for a refund of the $200. So it worked out to be really cool for me, but this price slash is creating a lot of negative feedback for Apple. Personally, i think what Apple screwed it up this time. And to follow it up with a $100 Apple coupon (as against a genuine refund) is screw up no:2 within a week. I already hear stories of angry Apple fans changing/reconsidering their loyalties (coz they think Apple took them for a $200 ride) and many public hate mails et al written to Steve Jobs. I'm interested to see how this goes forward.

In the Windy City

I reached Chicago yesterday evening [CDT of course ;)] after a long and tiring flight journey from Chennai. The short version of it is that the entire journey was good and hassle free. The flights were on time, I could bring all that i had packed in my two bags, my bags reached Chicago in 99.99% good condition and I had no issues/delays at Immigration (time taken = 5 mins) or Customs (time taken = 5 seconds).

A classmate had booked a cab for me already, so reaching my apartment wasnt too difficult. The studio is awesome, has a good view of Lake Michigan and the resident area and I'm feeling at home already.

I have a long version coming up very soon, with more description and pics of course ;) But that has to wait till i get things set up over here, and perhaps for the Brazil Random Walk to get over as well.

My first Laptop

I just ordered my first laptop, with lot of help from a classmate who's in Chicago.

It is a Lenovo Thinkpad T61. If everything goes on well, the laptop should reach the first destination in abt a week or so, from where i pick it up on reaching Chicago.

Cant wait :)

The week that was...

It is less than 2 weeks for my flight to Chicago and a lot has been happening.

I traveled to Bangalore for the weekend. There were a few college friends there whom i wanted to meet and bid farewell before i took off to the Windy City. I did meet them and had a real gala time or so to say. I also met two other friends who have been very influential in my life at different stages - and I was meeting both of them after a very long time. It was very good to meet them in person and spend time with them.

Bangalore is a city that i never liked, and the city has given me back as much as i have given it :) Guess the city wanted to give me a farewell gift as well, and hence i came back with multiple complications in my body. A throat infection, a minor stomach infection, a slight cold and a bad fever!!! After a visit to the doctor and two days of rest, i felt much better today morning. Since I lost 2 days in taking rest, i had to get up when possible and get things done. So i did some shopping today, completed a few minor tasks and visited some more friends to bid farewell.

I feel much better now. Tomorrow and the weekend, my mom has lined up appointments in the homes of numerous relatives. The fact that some of these appointments require me to make cross country rides doesn't help at all. Anyway, it is something that must be done and hopefully i will have fun riding around the city, after days of inactivity coz of the fever et al :)

PS: An update on my previous post, yesterday i got to know that i will not be able to avail the 3rd luggage offer from British Airways, because i booked the tickets through my company's travel agent. So I am back to packing my world into two bags :(

Jobless

Yesterday was my last day at work! So, now i am officially unemployed :D

The last week has been awesome! My manager's been ultra proactive about getting all my separation formalities done, so much that he kept calling all concerned people almost everyday (something i shud have been doing) over the last one week and ensured that everything was ready on Friday. He is VERY VERY famous for his promptness and the effortlessly smooth way in which he gets his tasks done! So, this was nothing new, but worth a mention for sure :)

Last week threw a few pleasant surprises as well. My mentor (whom you all know very well by now) hosted a surprise farewell lunch for me on Wednesday. In all 4 years that i have seen him, he's done this for very few people - there are only 2 that i can remember :) As if the gesture was not enough in itself, he also gifted me a Swiss army knife, and a few honest pats on the back with some nice words for the future!

Thursday i hosted a lunch for my team members and that was fun too. My manager, who has hardly attended any outside gatherings over the last 2 yrs, attended both the lunches (with pressing commitments on both days) and that was a pleasant surprise too. The team members were all very warm in their farewell, and i also received a cool gift voucher as a parting gift.

Overall, the 4 yr long experience with my ex-company has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride, as i went thru the few highs and many lows of being employed in an Indian IT services company. Nevertheless, the experience has certainly improved me - both as a person and as a professional.

That's one chapter of life closed and I really look forward to the beginning of the next in a few week's time.

Now, I'm all set to do one of my favorite activities for the next few weeks - shopping!!! Then comes packing and then flying :)

The silent me...

Long post no time. So unlike me...
I had nothing to blog about :( Nothing "happening" is happening in life :)

Over the past few weeks, life has been a mess. With four marriages (two of which i could not attend) and the responsibility to organize an event in my company, i really dint know how time flew.

Things are slowly, but surely, moving along at the Bschool end as well. But nothing concrete to share yet. Keep watching this space for more news in the days to come :)

I can say one thing about the GSB class of 2009 though - we've got amazing people and the google group is one huge RIOT :D Cant wait for August, when I'll meet all these amazing people in blood and skin :)

Orange and Maroon Effect day

Virginia Tech alumni have declared today, the 20th of April 2007, as a national Orange and Maroon Effect day, to honor those who lost their lives in the VTech shootout and the many others who have been directly and indirectly affected by the incident.

On this day, individuals are requested to wear Orange and Maroon, the Virginia Tech colors.

So the blog wore Orange and Maroon for the weekend...

The VTech shootout

A lot has been said about the shootout in all possible media. What happened is a totally unfortunate event and the loss of so many lives is definitely an irreparable damage. I can only say the families of the deceased are not alone in this moment of grief. They are not alone. The whole world is praying - with them, for them.

The list of victims is out. As tvu mentions in his latest post, please do take some time and read the list. The list at least serves as a snapshot of what a mindless act of an individual can do to the harmless world. The shattered dreams, the broken hopes, the lives that ended before they began and the books that never saw the last chapter!!! Reading the list was my way to pay my respects!!!

You can register your condolences, thoughts or prayers, in this memorial site maintained by the university.

As a closing note, i would like to quote these words from the speech given by award-winning Tennessee poet and Virginia Tech professor Nikki Giovanni, during the prayer service conducted in the Cassell Coliseum at Virginia Tech today:

"We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did not deserve it but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the night to avoid being captured by a rogue army. Neither does the baby elephant watching his community be devastated for ivory; neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy..."

The transcript of the speech is present here.

Happy birthday BLUE :)

Here's wishing a very happy birthday to Ms.inblue :)
May you have a wonderful day, a great year and a wonderful life ahead :D

New year - "Unplugged"

What is the first thing that comes to your mind if i ask "How will you spend the new year?"
Definitely not what i did. Definitely not...

I spent the new year "unplugged", incommunicado, out of reach!!!

Now, neither did I go for a wild trek on the numerous hill stations around, nor did I visit one of the beautiful back water resorts which are only a night's travel away, nor did I hit the highways for a long trip with my biker buddies - even though i would have preferred to have done any of these.

None of your "ideas" on what i could have done will match what exactly happened.

I slipped water on my mobile.
How bad is that to begin a year :)

It happened in the noon, after lunch. I was crouching on my bed and was deeply engrossed in Straight from the gut. I had the mobile to the right and in a moment of carelessness, i toppled the water kept near the phone on to the phone. I switched the phone off immediately and tried cleaning all the water from the phone. I frantically blew out water from all possible locations, but was not sure whether i had completely removed all water or if a little water had entered inside.

After about 30 minutes, when i restarted the phone again, the display was screwed. It was as if i was looking at it through a thick layer of fog :( Some of the keys were also not working. I was able to make calls and send/receive messages though - so i know the phone works well. I switched the phone off again and decided to drop in at the service center tomorrow.

So for the entire day, i was all that i said above - out of reach :(

I just started the phone again - and to my delight, everything seems to be back to normal. The keys which were not working are working again and the display is absolutely perfect. I still did not want to take any risks - so i have switched it off again. I am visiting the service center anyway tomorrow - and will let them confirm whether the phone is okay or otherwise.

Great way to start a new year!!!
I've been using mobile phones for almost five years now (and this is my 4th model) and this has NEVER happened. I've been caught in the occasional rain, but nothing more than that.

This really is a funny thing - now that everything seems alright :)