Twenty Years of Tendulkar

Sachin completed 20 years as an international cricketer recently. It deserves a salute, a prayer and gratitude. I wonder often, what could be termed as Tendulkar's calling card. It's not pure ability (Sehwag and Lara surpass him), neither is it grace (Ganguly and Laxman) nor is it stoic longevity (Waugh and Dravid). Why then has this Mumbai batsman has been regarded as the greatest modern batsman ever ?

Perhaps to answer that question, one needs to put it in context of what his exploits meant to a generation of Indians. I grew up without a world cup exploit to talk about, or a No. 1 test ranking to boast about. In the decade of the nineties, my sole link to the Indian team was Sachin - the epitome of excellence in batsmanship. I guess it also has a lot to do with the person within. Perhaps Rahul Dravid comes close - but the gravitas that Tendulkar the person brings to an occassion is unrivalled.

When Tendulkar was young and rising, we had no multi-crore sponsorships, no IPL. It was a different time. India itself was confused - what was our identity ? Would we, as a nation, succeed or fail ? The economic riches that some of see today were just a glorious tapestry then. We weren't aggressive, we weren't brash, we didn't slap team-mates and never were we accused of racism. Unfortunately, neither did we win.

But my memories of the 90s is defined by Tendulkar's achievements. The century at Perth, the marvellous 169 in South Africa, Chennai the lost cause, The Desert Storm at Sharjah. They inspired. They told of talent harnessed to achieve perfection. They told of one man against everyone. Tendulkar's achievement at this time was to show us the infinity of possibilities. Perhaps, as he became older, this also became the albatross around his neck. He grew up, his fans didn't.

Tendulkar at the crease caused us to devote attention. This was not a case of mind-numbing stonewalling, neither was it a case of unabashed swinging. With Tendulkar, you knew it would be a battle of wits. He had the technique to match the best of them. But perhaps Tendulkar realized that technique for technique's sake is useless. It has to be applied to score runs - that was his dharma as a batsman. And that made all the difference. Each delivery was analyzed carefully, field placements noted, angles calculated before that club of a bat came down like a bludgeon.

Tendulkar, together with Dravid, is the last link to an earlier generation. There is no show of strength but humility in his achievements. Behind that helmet, also rests a thoughtful brain. My dad just cannot relate to the Indian cricket team without Tendulkar and neither can I. But when Tendulkar does talk, the audience listens. As the Aussie coach found out earlier.

With the swagger of a few lusty hits, the joy of a few undeserved wickets, some of the players have the gall to call him grandpa. They forget that this Grandpa, just crashed a majestic 175 against Australia recently. Why Tendulkar failed as a leader and a captain will always remain a mystery to me. I suspect there was more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye. Perhaps it just wasn't in him - the cheeky tendlya just couldn't lead the masses.

How will history remember him ? Perhaps as a fine product of Bombay Batsmanship. A thorough gentleman in a rapidly changing milieu. A thinker and a genius. A fighter, worn down by responsibility in his best years. A star reborn as part of a winning team. An underrated bowler. A beacon of hope for a generation past. A monument to greatness for a generation to come.

Thanks for the memories, Sachin.

Dude, where's my Term Break ?

Winter's Here !! The air's crisp and cold. And the placement bug going around seems to be a pandemic :)

Amidst the hoopla, term 6 has seen a quiet start and term 5 ended with a bang. Term 5, BTW, was one crazy term. The fact that you were outside your sections for the first time was quite disorienting. Each class had different faces, different groups and different interactions. It took a little adjusting to.

And I realized how much I missed my section. There was a maturity about our section that helped everyone belong in one way or another. Not to mention being exposed to other CP Kings and Queens. I never realized people had so much to say about everything !! At times though, I think Section A had gotten it right wrt CP.

Term 5 was a very Quant-heavy term for me. With Fixed-Income Sec, Options and Marketing research, the work load seemed a little overwhelming. But the learning was equally good in most cases. The final project that we submitted for a new product launch was a great experience that taught us pretty well the uncertainties faced by management. However, the slew of project work meant that my term break went up in smoke.

The last few days have also been ones of introspection, personally. The decision of which career track to pursue cannot be put off any further. One way or the other, I have to decide and pursue my choice with gusto. Oh, what I would give for some BHU-style procrastination !!

Neha was here for here Birthday. That meant she experienced it ISB style - with a freezing dunk, cake, wine and a sumptuous meal !! Anyways, that's it for now. Solstice, ILS and other events are on the cards in December. I'll try to put up some pics in the next post.

Time

It's that simple four letter word around which our lives revolve at ISB. It controls our day and our night, our sleep and our action. Without time, life at ISB would have been incomplete - time gives meaning to our existence at ISB. That's what the philosophically minded folks would say. In my opinion though, time is pure evil. Satan's invention intended to cause ulcers to MBA students. And ISB is its favorite haunt. We understand the meaning of Just-In-Time through practical experience.

With so much to do, we prioritize and organize to the minutest detail. Assignments are pushed back to the day before submission. The actual deadline though is hilarious. Imagine the scene - 8 AM on a Monday morning. You're in the atrium at 7:45 enjoying a nice warm breakfast, proud that you slogged through the night for the submission, yet feeling guilty that you had to leave it till so late.

And then you see inspiration running towards you - a fellow ISBian in PJs and all, half groggy, a handwritten assignment in three different inks, writing tilted at a 45-degree angle. "Give me a god-damned stapler!! Whaddaya mean you don't have one ?! I tell you, carrying staplers should be made mandatory - just like I-cards." 10 minutes to go. You hear frantic shuffling as the masses gather to deposit their pieces of wisdom in the drop box. I hear sighs of frustration, mingled with exhaustion. 5 minutes - and the rush turns into a flood. TAs emerge, to claim their property. "Damn, I forgot to attach the Excel sheet - puuuuuhllllleeeezzzzzz can you extend the deadline while I fly back ?". And with the final drop, the torture ends. It's now in the hands of the almighty TAs to strike down a night's effort with the stroke of a red pen. Cruelty knows no bounds.

But there's no relief - the 8:15 class beckons. What's it today ? Management of Organizations ? There was a pre-read ? What ? 45 pages, there goes my CP ! A cuppa in one hand, out comes the course pack and you hear random words like "enterpreneurial networks", "cognitive biases" etc. You take a deep breath. Considering that you have risen above the mortal maya of puny CP marks, you congratulate yourself on not having read a single word. What's more, you are confident that nobody else has either, which means we're all in the same boat thanks to relative grading - No tenshun.

So begins another crazy day. The prof tries his/her best to make us see light - but alas, halfway through class, most of the students are in various stages of dozing off - CP be damned. Sometimes though, you hear absolute gems of knowledge that truly brings "insight" to those who were unfortunately awake.

I hear snores emnating from the guy next to me. Nice. Four hours later, positively refreshed, we head off for the real education - study groups, meeting, clubs and parties.

C'est la vie

Poised on the edge of Forever

That's one of my favorite phrases - from Sagan's Cosmos. I guess that beautifully captures the essence of the past few weeks at ISB. Things move so rapidly here that it's like falling into a black hole - everything seems to slow down and accelerate at the same time.

Term 3 ended in August. Not a bad outing - I had some apprehensions about Managerial Accounting, but did well in the end. Operations was as I had expected - did just about average. No big surprise there - Ops was never my favorite subject. Entrepeneurship was...interesting. A different class experience where we got to intereact with a lot of entrepreneurs on a first hand basis. And then there was Corporate Finance. Prof. Bhagwan Choudhary really brought the discussion alive and made seemingly complex concepts sound simple. Combined with his sense of humour and the energy, we devised a new slogan - In Bhagwan, we trust!

And then, in September, something snapped, and ISB has just burst forth in a wave of creative orgy. Music, dance, painting, drama, workshops, speakers, conclaves - all seem to be swirling in a majestic kaleidoscopical experience. The PaEV projects and the ideas that came up were amazing. Most of them would fail in the real world - but some of them, like the on-demand singing choir - turned out to be really interesting. I wonder what has changed but a sense of energy has come back to campus, that was sorely lacking in terms 2 and 3. Everyday there are at least a couple of events for us to sample.

Time has moved on to a new plane that I'd like to term continuum. One really can't decide where a day ends and the next one begins. People might freak out at the amount of work students put in. But the good thing about this is that it helps us test our limits. It teaches us to prioritize and makes us understand the importance of each activity we undertake.

At ISB, I learned that you need to adapt, you need to stand still, you need to learn, you need to unlearn, you need to chillax, you need to focus, you need to listen to others, you need to make yourself heard, you need to be practical, you need to be moral, you need to bullshit, you need to mean every word, you need to....always push yourself.

I've been kept busy with the BTC and ELP activities. The conclave is coming up in October and preparations are in full swing. Now that we have won ourselves a ELP, there has been some additional learning on the sidelines, combined with the demands on time, of course. These days, I see more sunrises than ever before - and not voluntarily I tell you!! But the campus has begun to look really pretty. With just a hint of light rain, the cicadas singing and the stillness of early morning, it's hard not to simply fall in love with this place.

The short trip home in August was a big boost. Rest, recuperation, rejuvenation - perfect! Combined with the Ganesh Utsav, it provided for some fun and entertainment. Neha's having a hectic schedule at JBIMS, makes mine pale in comparison.

Anyways, been interacting with a few guys from PG and if that's any indication, ISB is going to have some interesting profiles next year as well!!

Exhale

This is pretty much going to be a rambling post. Term 2 is at an end and we're in the vortex of timelessness before the next one begins. Time for reflection, rest, rejuvenation, movies, music, masti !!

The campus wears a deserted look, since most have gone home to seek solace from the rigor of term 2. Somehow, it seems more imposing with the clouds hanging around, windswept trees and the peacocks singing themselves hoarse. Indian Hogwarts, anyone ?

LRC is empty and I feel for once as if it's home. Books surround me and I have no distractions from people mistaking this for a cool place to hang out. Term 3 sounds like a finance-laden term, but I expect it to be slightly easier except for the submissions.

I've finally gotten time to work on the BTC activities. 1st order of the day is to get the pages on the website up to standard. I hope to add some more depth of information to these pages and work simultaneously on the insider. Technology will make or break placements this year for many of us and efforts are already under way to make sure that we are well-prepared.

2009 placement stats are out. And things are much better than expected. Apart from the drop in the salary figures, what might concern me is the quality of the placements that might not have been reflected in the placement statistics. Many-a-time, people accept jobs which may not pay highly, but are excellent spring boards. I wonder if this desire for quality was not sacrificed last year.

PG is buzzing again with profile evaluations. I don't see the point of these questions. I mean, come on, is your life so uni-dimensional that a 5 lines can enable a complete stranger to put a number on it ? Some people just don't see the uselessness of these questions. And suppose I tell you that there's no way in h**l you'll get into ISB, is that deterrent enough ? Would you give up so easily ? If not, why ask ?

I'm contemplating forming a book club out here. Lots of well-read people, but the LRC has a severly limited collection of fiction. OIC is on to it, but a book club might bring like-minded people together. Let's see how things pan out.

At home, things are looking up. Neha's JB course should start by July end. Hopefully (I think that's not a recognized word), dad should be around to get her started. I would have loved to be there to welcome her back from the 1st day though...

That's it for now, expect a few more posts before the term starts. Until then, so long...

Once more unto the breach...

So the all-too-short term break came to an end and my Mumbai trip seemed to be a distant dream as the grind began, this time under the new avatar of Term 2!! The Term 1 results too were released last week. It seems I did just about OK - neither too bad nor too well - Above average in most cases. Most of the class was just waiting to exhale, and when the results came out, it's as if the campus heaved a collective sigh of relief that they had made it to term 2.

Prima facie, term 2 seems to be much more interesting than term 1. With Marketing and Competitive strategy, it now feels like a B-school !! However, underneath the veneer, it's a non-stop roller-coaster of assignments, homeworks and presentations. So thrilled was I to read that there would be only two mid terms, only to discover that the MarkStrat decisions require much more work :(

Speaking of MarkStrat, it's one of the more interesting ways to teach a management student. By giving you almost complete control of a firm, it provides a very realistic simulation of a typical business environment and allows you the chance to apply all the concepts taught in the classroom. In many ways, it's similar to the Management Game that's taught at various US B-schools. How did we do ? Just one decision into the game, we are already facing a price war. How we respond will determine our survival.

Overall, the focus this term seems to be on the practical side of things. Even though Optimization seems a little theoretical, its application certainly is not. Combined with the MarkStrat simulation, the Competitive strategy cases and Macroeconomics, this term will be critical in shaping our understanding of the world of business.

On the co-curricular side, now that the GSB core is in place, things are beginning to get a little more traction. If I can only manufacture time, I'm sure this avenue will be equally critical in building up a perspective of the real world.

On another note, the admissions for Class of 2011 have begun. I met some prospective students on campus and I could sense their trepidation. Deja Vu !! When I get some time, I'll put up a comment on the essays this year.

Until then, be good !!

Dazed and Confused

It's been exactly a month since I landed up at ISB. And as I celebrate the fact of having survived 30 (thirty !!) days of this never-ending roller-coaster, it's perhaps time for some reflection.

Classes here are nothing like the ones I was used to at the under-graduate level. Heck, it was an achievement if you even showed up in class back then. Out here, you have to show up and contribute !! Some do buckle under the pressure to put the best foot forward, succumbing to the foot-in-mouth disease. Compared to other sections, though, mine has fewer horror stories to report. For an understanding of the quality (or the lack of it !!) during class discussions, check out ISB Co10's Bakwas Band Karo blog. And all for a fistful of CP points :)

While some of the classes are top-notch, others not so much (yet), the overall quality is still pretty high. You're expected to hit the ground running. Sometimes, even that is not enough as the prof dashes through 2 hour sessions, leaving you wondering what the hell just hit you. With, pre-reads, reads, post-reads, assignments, planned and unplanned quizzes, club meetings, dunkings, parties and sports, I and Mr Sandman haven't had much time to catch up !!

I do wonder whether such concentrated and intense doses of academics will help me retain things in the long run. Perhaps ISB subscribes to the theory that pressure brings out the best in a student. For example, some teams have to submit 2 assignments, solve 1 quiz and prepare for another in 3 days. Relaxed learning that allows you to delve into a particular subject in detail is probably not going to happen out here. Already the strength of club meetings is dwindling. BTC found it tough to even fill up a Mini LT.

On a lighter note, a classmate of mine was particularly targeted by fiends of the slithery variety. Not one, but THREE snakes in his quad. Now that is probably an unforgettable experience. I leave you with some amazing pictures from the 1st month:

Hello, ISB !!

Obviously, my absence after the last post has been rather long, busy as I have been in moving to Hyderabad. Let's get the first impressions out of the way - the new airport is smashing, its location bad and the city center clean and green.

Staying at Lakdi-ka-pul for the first day meant that we were almost in walking distance from Hussain Sagar lake. It's kept neat and clean and the surrounding gardens lend an excellent ambience. I did manage to take in the view from the Birla temple (heavenly), a quick walk in the NTR and Lumbini parks (pleasant) and a jaunt in Snow World (fun), before I landed up in Gachibowli for the registration. Mom, dad and sis did manage to catch some more spots before they left, though.

The registration was a rather stressful affair, but passed off without any glitch. I should have been better prepared for the heat out here. It makes even walking out for lunch a laborious affair. Thankfully the apartments are air conditioned !! Speaking of the accommodation, I've been put up in the new student village - SV4. The quality of the construction and furniture is quite good, although it looks a little morose since the landscaping hasn't been completed yet. However, my room affords me a beautiful view of the setting sun each day !!

The campus as such is very well maintained, with lots of trees around. It's a far cry from the wild but humongous campus I was used to at BHU. At around a 100 acres, it's quite small compared to the 1300 acres that BHU occupied. However, the quality is infinitely better.

The first week was the O-week. We were bombarded left, right and center about ISB's capabilities, the professional clubs, the social clubs, the various departments and the honor code (hmpf). To top it up, we've had a talent night, a sports meet, a treasure hunt, painting, team building, movies, alumni interaction sessions and three parties. Already, the duration of my sleep has dropped by close to 50% !!

"Get Future Ready" is ISB's tagline. However, as I look at the course details, I'm reminded more of "Abandon all hope, ye that enter here" from Dante's Inferno. ISB's academic rigor is very high. However, this time, the batch admitted has a very diverse profile, with representation from almost all industries. The average GMAT has dropped a little to 716 while the work-ex has increased to 5 years. A brief write-up can be found here.

I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few of my friends from BHU out here. Already, the class is beginning to gel rather well, making us feel as if we've been here for 7 months instead of 7 days. On a lighter note, though, I haven't had so many introductions in my entire life, as I have had in this 1 week. Stepping outside the campus for the first time yesterday, we realized how comfortably enconsed we are within our own little world.

Well, time's running short and I gotta rush to the library (surprise ! surprise !). I'll keep this blog abreast of the development as time goes along.

PS: To clear the air:

1. ISB has admitted around 575 students, close to its target of 560, not the rumoured 630.
2. Around 300 students are now out of the placements. The tentative time frame is June 09, but can be extended if required.
   

T minus 10

I'll be leaving for Hyderabad on April 10, just around the corner. It's been a long and arduous journey for my MBA, and I do hope that it will be worthwhile. The last few days have been quite hectic. The preliminary shopping has been done with, all that remain now are miscellaneous items and last-minute food stuff.

I'll be accompanied by Mom, Dad and Neha, presumably to take in the sights and sounds of Hyderabad, but I suspect it's more to ensure that ISB doesn't admit that it made a mistake in letting me in and turn me back at the gate :). Time permitting, they should be able to take in a city tour, Ramoji film city and the Jyotirling.

I'm finished with all the pre-term exams as well. It was fun getting re-acquainted with Mr Calculus. I realized how much I had missed the beauty, symmetry and unpredictability of maths while working in IT. Quant and Stats presented no real problem; it was Accountancy that I was worried about. Thankfully, with a little bit of reading, I was able to pass this test as well. After reading up and chatting many ISBians, I had decided that the pre-term was better spent networking and learning core subjects. The fact that the pre-term was not graded also weighed against it.

Finally, my housing at ISB was finalized yesterday. I'll be king of SV4-I11, dispensing favors from my high throne !! SV4 is the new student village, not even found on the current ISB map. Perhaps we'll all be put up in a 5-star hotel like the 1st batch of ISB was. At the very least, we'll get first use of a brand new hostel.

On an unrelated note, Neha cleared the written portion of the CET with flying colors - 166/200 with a 99.99 %ile, thereby almost guaranteeing her a place at JBIMS. In fact, she's done so well that she'll probably finish off with a single digit rank. Quite an accomplishment considering that CAT was so disappointing. Anyways, to get into JB is ordinary, to get in with 99.99 %ile is extraordinary.

As expected, mom's over the moon that both her kids will be starting MBA simultaneously. I think she's still unconvinced of the horrors that await us at placement time. Until then, she can bask in the glory of having taken the final step in the implementation of a plan that started many a year back.

Marhaba Bahrain

Dad's back in Bahrain since Nov 2008 and I finally found the time to visit the place where I spent the best part of 16 years. Woweeeeeeeee !! This place has morphed into something way more hip than when I saw it last in 2002.

One can almost see the petro dollars at work here. New construction has popped up everywhere. I might venture to say that it even eclipses the boom in India. The spending on infrastructure by the government is astounding. New marinas coming up in the city to house the new bussinesses. Free-hold apartments are also being offered. Bahrain is probably the best place to settle to a quiet, luxurious life.

Bahrain is positioning itself well as a financial hub. Throw a stone in the Seef area and you're likely to hit a bank. It's the Middle East's Bangalore of Banking :) Lots of diverse people are joining in and the population has pretty much exploded. Shopping malls have mushroomed all over the place.

It was great fun visiting some of the old landmarks, checking out new ones and mourning the loss of others. The Indian School is still pretty much the same, too bad I couldn't meet all the teachers. The Bahrain F1 circuit is quite beautiful, with lots to do.

Well, rapid development has come at a cost. Traffic snarls are now the norm in the city. The open spaces where you could catch a game of football at any time have almost disappeared. Children now hang out at malls and around PS2s. The scenic roundabouts in the city have been replaced with soulless traffic signals.

Still, Bahrain continues to offer the perfect mix of sun, sand and shopping that make it unique. To anyone who wants to visit, all I can say is Marhaba !!

PS: This post comes to you courtesy of my new laptop - HP DV4-1225ee

Free !! Now, tell me what to do...

I had dreamt about this moment for a long time. After my final day in IBM, I had imagined life to be much more exciting. I had hoped that I would have complete claim over those crucial 8 waking hours each day. Well, yesterday was my last working day before I join ISB and, to tell you the truth, it was a bit of a disappointment.

Trouble was brewing on the project front with the last release having a host of critical issues. As the team sought to fight the fire, there was very little time to say proper good byes. Besides, I had already talked to the people that mattered. Anyways, as per tradition, the team gathered around, wished me luck, appreciated my work and gave me a parting gift.

It seemed a little weird to leave. IBM was my first job and I was sorry to be leaving. But other horizons now beckon.

Sometimes I marvel at the human tendency to always glorify the grass on the other side of the fence. When I was working, I longed to be "free". Now that I was free, I longed to get involved in one final problem on the project. For almost a month, I had been like a dead man walking, cut out from all decisions and consigned to weird looks and glances. I hoped to be a Deus ex Machina, emerging one final time to save the project from embarrassment. Alas, it was not to be.

Ultimately, it seems, we are all lemmings, happy only until someone tells us what to do and absolves us of all responsibility and accountability. As long as someone dictates to us, we have a target to rile against and criticize. Left to our own devices, we seldom put our time and effort to good use.

As a management student, I hope that I am able to change that. I would not want to look back and say "My technical job was better", just because it was simpler. That would be a huge let-down. Perhaps I'll be motivated enough to assume more responsibility in whatever I do and wherever I end up. The one thing that I have learnt is that no work is completely bad or completely good. It's all a question of perspective and expectations.

Well, of all my posts, this one seems to ramble the most, perhaps because I have time to kill and no set plan. That reminds me of a great Chinese proverb to conclude this post - "A good traveler is not intent upon arriving"... 

In vino veritas...

I skipped the usual weekend post this time I had to travel to Nashik. The journey itself was quite tiring, mainly because the roads aren't all that great. However, Nashik is a quaint little place.

The first thing I thought was "This is was Mumbai must've looked like in the 70s". Hardly any traffic on the roads, acres and acres of fields, just beyond the city limit, nice dry weather. Since it's winter, the evenings get cool, a little like Pune. Beautiful time to visit.

Since my stay was quit short, I could only visit a few places. One place I insisted on visiting was the Sula Vineyard. Nashik represents the Indian wine industry and I was keen to get a first-hand view of this fascinating subject. Coincidentally, our tour guide told us that the owner was a Stanford graduate and had brought a scientific attitude to the cultivation.

Most of the product is consumed locally. Some of it is exported as an economy wine to Europe, although they also produce a limited quantity of high-quality aged wine. Still, we have a long way to go before we can put India on the international wine map.

The tour was quite insightful. Sauvignon was the primary grape variety grown there. Almost 27 acres of vineyards dedicated to wine making. Awesome !! I shall be going back in March to witness the harvesting of both, the table and the wine grapes. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to indulge in some wine-tasting the next time around.

We also visited Trimbakeshwar. Like all other holy places, this one reeked of crowds, ceremonies and cowdung. I guess that's the price you pay for admission to heaven !! Still, it was better than some of the other places I've been to.

Overall a very satisfying trip. On an unrelated note, I officially submitted my resignation today. It feels a little weird to know that I won't have a job for the next 14 months. IBM has been a roller-coaster of a job and I'm glad I'll be leaving on a high.

I desperately wanted the sabbatical to fall into place as a backup for the placement season. However, the policy diktats don't measure up to my expectations. Perhaps, I'll be able to rejoin at a later date, I'm keeping the option open.

For the next few weeks, I'll be busy saying goodbyes at work...

Sea of Poppies

The last few posts were all related to my MBA sojourn, primarily because that's been been occupying large chunks of my time over the last six months. In between, I did manage to squeeze in time to read Amitav Ghosh's Sea of Poppies. I very rarely like epic Indian fiction which tends to go on and on without really going anywhere. A Suitable Boy is a case in point. However, Ghosh's novel is different.

It's fast-paced yet descriptive, bringing to the forefront India's contribution to the Opium trade and its impact on the local communities. At the same time, it manages to evoke a vivid and raw image of the life of a sailor. The book seems to be well-researched as the author has managed to include lingo that is suitable to the period and the occasion. Moreover, in order to capture the mood of the times, the author uses Hindi words in English (a precursor to Hinglish ?), thereby lending a more phonetic feel to the language of the book.

In the course of the story, it addresses various ills of the times - Sati, Opium, Untouchability, Racism, Imperialism, Missionary zeal etc. However, it does so without judging the characters, and therein lies its charm. There is also a sense of humor pervading through the book, a sense of hope, a sense that better things lie in store for the characters.

Being the fist instalment of a trilogy, I can only wait in anticipation of the next two books. As I simultaneously read The White Tiger, I couldn't help but wonder why the Booker wasn't awarded to Ghosh. Perhaps time will correct this error with Book II of the trilogy.

Videshi v/s Swadeshi MBA

With all the time on my hands these days, I can now afford to post twice in one day :)

There has been some heated debate on the ISB group about whether to go for an MBA from the US in these troubled times. I too have sailed in the same boat until last week and can very well identify with the conflict. Having been admitted to UCLA Anderson and CMU Tepper, in addition to ISB, I was momentarily unsure about which option to pursue.

To tell you the truth, this is an inherently personal choice. I had given the GMAT only so that I could apply to ISB. Later, I had to consider the question of what to do if I didn't get in and that's when I started researching US universities. Gradually, I came to respect and admire some of the schools.

Even before I started applying to US universities, I was cognizant of the cost factor involved. Shelling out 60-70 lacs for a two-year course would be a challenge. Therefore, I had divided my applications into 3 categories:

1. "Dream" schools such as Wharton, Sloan, Stanford, where I would have gone irrespective of the cost
2. "Schol" schools where I would have gone if the admission was accompanied by a good scholarship
3. "Safeties" where I would have gone if not admitted anywhere else

As it turned out, I made it to schools falling in Cat 2, but the scholarship did not exceed USD 20,000. For a while, I was elated with the admits. However, when I went back to the basics, I realized that:

• I wanted to stay in India
• I wanted a quick turnaround post-MBA
• I wanted a cost-effective course without compromising quality

ISB seems to fit this bill perfectly. Given the present economic scenario, I'm concerned about the following:

1. Placements: I have heard of students from UCLA, Darden, Tuck etc being unable to find jobs. International students find it difficult anyway since most companies are unwilling to get into the visa tangle and don't always earn close to 6 figures.
2. Internships: For career changers like me, internships play an important role. As companies become cautious, it will become difficult to locate relevant internships, thereby directly affecting my chances of securing the job I want
3. Funding: I don't have any rich relatives in the US. Without any non-co-signor loans being made available by universities (after Citi withdrew the CitiAssist program) and the lack of sizeable scholarships, I would find it virtually impossible to cobble together the required amount. Of course, I could apply to schools like Marshall and Kelley, but the quality of the program would suffer, an option I am not prepared to accept.
4. Visas: The lottery system gives no guarantees of getting a visa after your MBA. Worst case scenario - Come back to India with a HUGE loan on your shoulders.
5. Indian Alumni & Brand Awareness: The strength of the brand and alumni associations in India is likely to be small when compared to ISB and IIMs. The benefit I would accrue is likely to be minimal.
6. Time & RoI: I would be spending the better part of the next 10 years under a mountain of liabilities. Plus, a two year course would be more time consuming.
   

when it comes to plonking for a US MBA. Therefore, keeping all things in mind, I'm 99% certain about going to ISB this year, ahead of other US-based universities. I have spoken to current students, past students, prospective students, professors, directors, industry peers and almost everyone seems to be in agreement with my logic.

As someone on the PG forums put it - ISB, the place to be :)

The ISB interview

The decision and planning that had begun in July '07 before I left for Canada acquired another milestone I received a call for an interview from ISB. After doing well in my GMAT and writing what I thought were coherent essays, I felt reasonably confident of at least being interviewed. Still, it was a relief to receive the official email in my inbox.

My interview was at Taj Lands End, Bandra. The Bandstand is one of my favorite spots in Mumbai, right after Marine Drive and it's always a pleasure to look out over the Arabian Sea. However, I was a little concerned that the panel in question might already have been fatigued by the time they got to my interview at 5:30 PM.

Anyways, the day started off rather badly. My suit wasn't ready, had to wear a blazer, which actually turned out to be not so bad. Combined with the Raj Thackeray fiasco, Mumbai was still tense. As it turned out, it would have taken a complete bloackade to stop me from attending arguably the most important interview of my life.

Mom and Dad were around for moral support and a quick drive. We reached waaaay ahead of time. The attendant wouldn't allow me to start on the essay till 30 mints before the scheduled start. I spent some time freshening up and chatting up the other candidates. Expectedly, very few people from the IT/Engineering background. I felt my hopes go up a bit :)

Finished the essay for the word "ferocious". I get the feeling someone at ISB had flipped the page to "F" in the dictionary. Everyone got an f-word that day :) My slot was delayed - I guess the interviews were longer than expected. Surprisingly, nobody prevented me from continuing on the essay. That was a little odd. Ideally, everyone should get the same amount of time. However, since the coordination was not being done by ISB, I guess it could be simply an oversight. It shouldn't really the candidate anything more than 10 mints to write a 100 words, anyway.

I was called not to one of those conference rooms but to an actual residence room on the 15th floor. Looks like someone messed up with the scheduling of the meeting rooms !! Anyways, the setting was quite informal and the view was excellent. There was Ms Hema from the ad-com, a gentleman from ISB and an alumnus.

The discussion started off with Raj Thackeray. The panel expressed surprise that I had traveled from Thane while many others had rescheduled their interviews. Since the TV in the lobby had been ON, I was able to offer further developments, much to my advantage (at least, that's what I think !!).

I was asked to recap my experience so far. They were curious to know why I hadn't shifted jobs like other IT professionals. My answer was simple - I enjoyed my work at IBM. I was provided for in every way - the money wasn't bad, flexi-hours, challenging work, international experience, vertical growth, WFH. What more could a guy want. They were keen to know whether I'd go back to IBM after ISB. Sure, I replied, provided the opportunity exists and fits. There followed a discussion about sabbaticals, policies etc. Hopefully, I managed to show that I had done my homework and was seriously considering the alternative. I feel many candidates will be asked this question, especially entrepreneurs, since the placements aren't likely to be great for the CoMMX.

We moved on to my blogs. There was a long discussion on affirmative action and other posts. We managed to cover the role of the government in daily affairs, censorship etc. In between, there was a quick reference to my strengths and weaknesses and to my stay in Bahrain and Canada. The most interesting part was regarding the loyalty management domain. My functional expertise really helped me out in describing the three avenues of growth for such programs.

All in all, it was a very pleasant experience. Of course, doubts started creeping in the moment I reached home, but there I saw an email from CMU requesting an interview and a whole different cycle started !!

My advice to other candidates:
1) Know yourself and your application
2) Don't bullshit. If you don't know an answer, say so
3) Do not fabricate stuff that you have no clue about
4) Stay positive, exude confidence in your abilities and be relaxed
5) Take initiative in directing the conversation if you feel it's going downhill

Hope this post helps others to prepare for their interviews.

Edit:
A brief comment about my profile. I am an electronics engineer by qualification and hold a B.Tech from IT-BHU. My professional experience consists of the 4.5 years with large MNC in software services, some of it (over a year) international and some of it leading my own team (around 6 months). I covered a host of technical certifications, submitted some code assets and won a few awards during this time, finally being recognized as the top 5% across India.

I've traveled a lot and spent close to 15 years in the middle east. My academics have been consistent, sometimes even eye-catching and include 90% + on most exams, a scholarship from CBSE and a 1st class in Engg. I generally enjoy reading, blogging and playing the tabla in my spare time.