Summer Diaries: From a Cafe'

Certainly one of the most unique and educative experiences in Summers: learning to work in Coffee Café s … numerous in number in Chennai that they are, they prove to be extremely useful- n not just as an oasis in the heat.... You see- I live way far from my Office and take refuge in these li’l places to work during the day, when our Guide puts us ‘on hold’…my laptop is my workstation. :P Its quite unique…. Besides ignoring that you block their table for a few hours, ordering an arbitrary coffee…I’ve started to see it in a way I haven’t for the 3 years I lived here previously.. Its thronged by the recently-freed college couples ;)- their chattering and sweet nothings which you’ve to blot out if you want to make headway with the mountain of topics left to research on…. :D It’s a solvable problem out with earphones and some well-chosen rock-cum-Hip hop music….It also serves the blessed purpose of saving you from the music playing in the café that, for some strange reason is NEVER in sync with the hapless TV.

You’re saved from the heat, which is definitely a huge plus-point… but who will save you from the pairs of eyes that will follow you around or is fixated on your laptop? Sometimes I wonder whether they think Im trying to do act it up like a la’ Mazumdar Shaw, or something…!! :P If only they knew Im internally wishing all of them out of the Café so I can be left in blissful solitary-dom. :P That’s when this God-Awful idiot will come up to you with a line… unfortunately he picked up one of my Factsheets, and he got one of the rudest brush-off s uptodate… :D

Working in Café s can give you perspective on the worth of fast food, even…. You figure that the fast food you’ve been missing in ASB is really does not sate your hunger pangs, not even close to our normal Indian food, and what’s more: they skin your pocket!! Now that’s what I call… ‘Paying a Price!!’ :P

Anyway, all said and done: I’ve gotten quite a lot of work done in these places… So conclusion: some earphones and a desperate need to work will do the trick.…!! :P

And if any other hapless Chennaiite is considering this idea: I strongly recommend any of the ‘Barista’ as against Coffee Day or Qwiky… They have plug-points for the laptop and actually encourage Corporate Meetings there…. :D

See you there!! :D

Good Luck all, Im signing off now….

Until later,

Rajeswari

Then, Now n Tomorrow....

A year gone by and it’s the last day: we are all wishing each other ‘Good Luck’ for the Summer Internship filled with God-Only-Knows-what! :) Its quite amazing actually: the spirit of the students and Profs alike….So here’s hoping each and every one of us does a good internship: atleast that we are satisfied with we do…. (HAHAHA) :) If atleast a fair percentage of us aren’t treated like flobberworms, then this is Utopia!!

Anyway, coming back, or rather: looking back…. Its been one long year. Im certainly not in the tribe to say ‘Oh no, it went by so quickly! Never felt it pass at all…..!’ Well, sure did feel it alright: every month, every Event, every colloquium go by. Utsav, Exams, Colloquia. Pragati (marketing project), Colloquia, (The ten-thousandth P.O.M Assignment), Exams. (Marketing Project) (HRM Project) (1000………th MIS Assignment) Farewell, Exams. :) It certainly has been eventful…. In fact, on reaching home, I was asked: ‘So do you feel any wiser; having done 3 semesters in an M.B.A?’ Welll…… (What did I say?) I smiled. You just try condensing the previous list into a sentence or two. I think we are wiser… In more ways than can be explained or described…

Next year looks like its gonna be very different.. Well, whadya know? There are new ways to put you through the grind! GASP! :) Semester system. A whole new ball game. Just right to keep us on our toes, me thinks…

Thankfully it’s a nice while off, giving us 2 months to work in the Industry with enough time to contemplate on that we are to be welcomed with a lovely schedule that promises to make us value each extra hour we get to sleep! :)

Kidding, batch-mates! Im sure Summers is gonna be a lot of fun; actually a time when we can enjoy FREEDOM (!) and learn a whole lot: in a way that will make us value having knowledgeable Profs who’re just waiting to fill in our gaps of knowledge as mannat from Heaven. :) Having done Internships before, I have an idea as to just how stupid you can be made to feel at these situations. Im sure we’ll hear more on this as the Summer progresses. Meanwhile, here’s wishing everyone All the Very Best!, and do try to avoid challenges that may lead to cowdung-chilli sauce situations!! :)

Until later, Ciao.

Until next time....

Second year of MBA is finally drawing to a close…
The last exams are being written…
The bags being packed… stuff being discarded… good-bye’s being said… and right now is when out of the blue the reality kicks in… we’re actually leaving this place for good. I mean … until today morning it never really struck me that I am vacating this place.. Somehow I guess I still thought that I would be coming back.. That I was going on a holiday.. But today morning….
Today morning the prayer was sung by the second years – people who sung the prayer the initial days we joined Amrita – friends of mine… my own batch mates.. they sung the Amrita prayer for the last and final time together… their voices sounded so strong and rich.. Resonant with the pride they felt reciting the hymns…
That was when it struck me.. shucks man.. we ‘re really leaving this place…
In another couple of days our hostel corridors will be empty.. no shouting from one end of the corridor to the other end… no going down to the mess for tea and food cribbing about them all the way down.. no more fear of the hostel wardens confiscating our laptops… no walks to the college through the shortcut.. no cribbing about the afternoon classes… no meeting friends at college swapping stories about the latest gossip in the hostels… no more teas at the canteen.. no more chilling out at the campus…and that’s just to say a few… :-(
Am I going to miss all this so dearly?? Well.. depends…
More than anything else I will miss my classmates here… the times I have had with them are like no other..!!!
Missing someone gets easier every day because even though it's one day further from the last time you saw each other, it's one day closer to the next time you will….:-)
We are a great bunch – if I say so myself..!!! :-)
But some to think of it.. I have had lots of memorable times here..!!
And I’ll definitely miss something or the other in each and every place (read the bank with the atm that never works ;), the stores, the std booth, the Xerox shop… )
And most of all the ASB building ….
This place holds a lot of memories… of times good and bad, joyous and sorrowful, frustrated and depressed… u name it.. this place has seen it all…!!!
And if there’s one this that I’ll most of all other than the people I’ve met over these past 2 years.. then it has to be this building..!!! each and every floor of this building holds some memory or other and they will always be cherished always..!!
Not only by me but by all others…. Each one will have their own stories to tell… their own memories they cherish…!!!
Until we meet again..!!

May you always have work for your hands to do…
May your pockets hold always a coin or two…
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane…
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain…
May the hand of a friend always be near you…
May the road rise up to meet you, ..
May the wind be ever at your back. ..
May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. ..
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand and fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.