I know what I Don’t want to do April 22, 2009

I entered ISB a completely aimless person (I must have repeated the word “clueless” so many times in my blog, it must be getting irritating so changed it ). I chose to do a MBA because I thought there will be something in the course of my study will direct me towards my “calling” in life (Whatever THAT is!)..After spending around 10 days here,  listening to alums talk and listening to club presentations,I finally have some clarity in my life. Hurray for that.. I am very focussed now about what I do NOT want to do in life. and that would be Finance and Consulting! I don’t want to join their overcrowded clubs or  maaro desperate CP in class or work 20 hours a day.I don’t want  that “dog’s life” that the fin/consults alums keep promising us about.(Wait a minute, why do they call it a dog’s life anyhow. All the dogs I know are really chilled out in life man..They eat,sleep and play! Maybe it should be Donkey’s life).Anyhow what I am saying is I want to live MY life not some burdened animal’s sad life.I want to be cool..chilled..bindaas..the whole work-life balance thingy.Too much to hope for after giving 20 lakhs I guess???  I know this still leaves me with some 7-8 options but well I am atleast 2 down!  

Another thing I like about being here is that classes have started. No I don’t like the fact that I have to go for classes, but I like that there will be subjects which you can relate to or atleast think, oh yeah this happens in real life.I mean compare it  to my engineering days, when I either slept in my room and missed class or slept in the class and things like Electromagnetic engineering and RFs and Analog communication totally went over my head,I can actually ”understand” the accounting I am being taught. Or maybe  since this is the LKG waala Accounting class,I find it interesting and relatable. Plus Atul is my MBA guru who I am counting on to give fundas and crashers and drill things into my head (He better since I already hold a grudge against him for not doing it in Kharagpur!! ) Time will tell how much I can relate to courses like “statistical methods of decision making” and those type of courses, but for now, all’s well.

I have finally escaped the “coding” world :) ..(I hope!!) April 20, 2009

It’s funny how life turns out. Two years back I couldnt even have dreamed of going to ISB , more so when I got married I never thought I could take a decision with my “head” and not my heart (poor atul!) , and today here I am sitting in my SV on my newly formatted laptop in ISB a week after joining it! The first week was Orientation Week thankfully, so you sorta get to know people before you are pushed in the whirlpool of academics with everyone. I have had such a  good time  that I wish the whole year had such fun activities.

We started out with treasure hunt on day 1 which was, to say the least, the most “sun” I’ve  had in the last 4 years . My group was pretty chilled out so I had a pretty goood time. But trust me when I say this, the burning hyd sun is no fun and roasts you like a chickun (waah waah for my rhymes ) . So anyhow, other than the treasure hunt, day 1 and 2 were pretty daunting for me.I was meeting all these sooper accomplished people (atleast they all say they are ) who were all so confident and dominating and talked too much (or so I felt then, now probably people think that about me too ) .Being a slow starter, I was totally intimidated and kept thinking Nobody will be my friend..(The song that kept playing at the back of my head —> Lonelyyyyyy…I am so Lonelyyyyy…I have nobodyyy ..I’m on my ownnn..eeee)sniff…I think I totally Psyched my husband out by sobbing on the phone to him about how lonely I was here..hehe..But now I have seriously warmed up to the place and the people. My quaddies (with whom I’m sharing a flat) are great and our wavelengths match, so atleast I am comfortable and happy coming back “home”. There is a good chunk of people who hate the most overused, sooper abused word “networking” (Thank god for small mercies!!) Apart from the whole socialising thing, We have also been having loads of presentations and some serious gyan overload, right from ASA to CAS to finance club to the flying club to CCA (Yup, I’ve become good at the TLA’s now — which is Three Letter Acronyms for the uninitiated ). After all that, I am completely confused with regards to what I should do, which club I should join and all that. Every  club presentation I listen to, I suddenly have the urge to go into that field. So as of now I am interested in Energy, Infrastructure, Marketing, Social Sector and Media!! Good to have diverse interests I suppose?  Three Cheers for everlasting confusions!! hip hipppp hurray

The most recent activity we had was the talent nite, which was sooper fun. I was first trying to get away from doing nething since Atul will be down here that time, but somehow ended up being part of the funnest,most energtic TAM song , Appadi podu podu…After which I got a kutti role in the fashion show too, which involved playing twinkle khanna and pulling ”akshay kumar”’s nada..okay weird thing to say so I am shutting up!! I was afraid someone will file a obscenity case against me tooo haha. Least to say, this whole week’s been one huge awesome party and I’ve had a blast.

Speaking of parties, it’s just been 8 days here and we have already had 3 of those famous ISB page 3 parties ..Page 3 because of all the PYTs (I am just continuing to show off my TLA knowledge )  who make an appearance there! I feel old, fat, ugly and overdressed in these parties. Ofcourse nothing the vodka doesnt take care of.  ..Also we have all heard the saying “There’s no such thing as free lunch”. ISB epitomises that. We have to buy the booze with coupons you get by standing in queues ..Hehe.Not that I expect the institution to pay for my drinking, but I’d have been happier if they just cut if off our mess bills or watever..But the mantra in ISB when it comes to spending is  ” I have paid 20 lakhs already, a few hundreds pale in comparison”

Time to wrap up, pre-terms are starting today. I am feelin sad that orientation is over and I actually have to study, but as my husband says “Shut up and study, you’ve not paid 20 lakhs to party!!” ..That sword will forever( 1 year i.e)  hang over our heads and force us to study I guess.sighhhhh

Ciao