Amrita School of Business: Best Kept Secrets

I luv College Life

2012-01-17T21:53:00.000+05:30

With memories still fresh in our minds of sending off the previous batch, IN we enter into the final trimester of our MBA education (or shall I call “OUR STUDENT LIFE?”). With loads of hopes, wishes and prayers in the minds and hearts of all of us to get placed, there is also an intention in the corner of the minds to store each moment in the form of pictures/videos and enjoy every second to the fullest.

Yes! In this auspicious moment, we all take oath to strive more harder like never before, burn our mid night oil even beyond the wee hours, take that extra pain,... not for studies, but to disturb our pals even more, celebrate a little more, play a lot more, bunk classes furthermore, and sleep in day time. Yes… an oath for a new year, an oath for the last trimester and an oath for everyone to finish our college life and enter into the corporate life - playfully…ooppsss… responsibly…!

Reflecting on Arunbabu’s post on the empty second floor not even a year before when the previous batch left ASB, time has come for each of us to realize the same awaits us in three months time. This is the moment guys… ENJOY it, CHERISH it and RELISH it!!! Cuz we don get another chance to sit in the REAL bench, sleep in working hrs, bunk first hour and still feel as proud as a king while we come to the second hour, (and some good uses like the variety of books in lib, inter-collegiate competitions for whatever reasons J) and a lots more.

Welcome to the sixth trimester my pals J

Why So Serious?...Because it’s my Life!

2012-01-08T00:38:00.001+05:30

Why So Serious?...Because it’s my Life!

Why is it important tohave a serious approach towards things that matter? Getting serious does notmean tracing out the smallest hint of fun in one’s life and executing it! Lifewill be so bland and boring without those lighter emotions. But to ‘getserious’ is to have respect towards things one take up –those things that willhave a lasting impact on the person – relations, academics, work, habits &hobbies – all that matters.

To get started, it isimportant that we allow ourselves to indulge – not in the passing pleasures oflife, but in meaningful introspection that leads to a soul searching. Thatseparates people ‘who are’ from ‘who could have been’. I am not against takinglife as it comes. But there is a certain passiveness to it and that mightbecome counterproductive.

Soulsearching does not necessarily mean taking to activities like reading a book orlistening to spiritual talks or practising yoga. It can be done much morejoyously. Pick up something you love to do or you have always wanted to do butprocrastinated for long. It could be anything like a sport or a workout regimeor a get away with friends. This activity will shake one up from theabyss of complacence. It acts as the fountainhead of energy to move away from thestatus quo. It will give enough impetusto wake up from the daily chores and use time productively, adding flavour to life.As a very meaningful Ad recently said, “It is what you do in your free times thatmake you who you are”.

Thereis nothing wrong in taking a laid back approach towards life – to each their own - and what suits best. Butit should not happen so that 10 years down the lane, you look back and despairover the things you could have done, however small they may be.

Life is too short anduncertain to not be serious about. Have short term goals for life...Worktowards achieving them...Enjoy the pains and pleasures involved...

At the last mile, whenone looks back, the rear view mirror should be full of mile stones to be proudof.

ArunBabu.

Let the Reason be...

2011-12-17T23:40:00.000+05:30

Never imagined I'd feel this happy to log in and key away...without the faintest clue as to what this would be about.

Looks like asb blog has undergone some great change! There is a fish pond :-)...active bloggers..and well...the great name "Best kept secrets"!!!

Glad to be back...guess that is how it begins!!!

Here is the first one as an alumnus (Gee that sounds weird!) and this is not about job or pay or career :-) :-)

I guess it is the time of the year when ASB is at its busiest best! Suits, trousers, ties, sarees...proof of what we have done over two decades summarized into two pages of "resume"...waiting for placecom message about companies. Suddenly you are a B-school grad...bargaining for salary...profile.... :-)

Reliving it again.....

And then again...its Pragati time!!!! The ASB season!!! Suddenly we have an identity! And I guess it would have kicked in by now. The discreet smses under desks,scrolling inbox as we lose track of what we told whom, increasing scrawls and doodles on the back of notebooks, small notepads filling with things to be done, desktop screen cluttered with Pragati stuff, classroom boards with meeting reminders, new company for tea....Yes! Its Pragati time again...and like every year, we will scale a new "awesomeness"....

On another note it is Christmas time...the trees are up and decked. Bangalore seems to have an extra chill for the occasion...and Santas are in plenty...just like the reasons to be back to ASB Blog.... and like I began.... 'Let the reason be..."

-Anitha Kaveri

Set in your ways?

2011-12-07T22:17:00.001+05:30

Set in your ways?

Who doesn’t like to be in control? Be it of our deeds, our thoughts, our urges, we all would like to rein them in. Then what is it that is stopping us? It is our diffidence, our indecisiveness.

Although we are aware the way we are leading our lives is not exactly the way we want it to be, we do not want to change the status quo. It is true that we WISH to, but its feebleness stops it from becoming a WILL. This is why it is said that a person’s life turns out to be the way one deserves.

Take the case of an addiction – Alcoholism, Smoking or anything for that matter. The most primary indication is a shift in our priorities. Our Friends, Family, Career – everything takes a backseat. The addiction takes over our life to the extent that it dictates our very way of life. You lose focus. This is exactly why many promising, abundantly talented people burnout early in life – just because they have let themselves fall in to the downward spiral of an addiction.

Often, addiction is an attempt to run away from the facts of life. That is why even though people say they no more enjoy the process, they cannot give up. Unconsciously they think it is helping them forget their suffering. But in fact all it is doing it is aggravating it.

And the accompanying guilt, it’s cancer for your mind. The reigning emotion becomes numbness. The mind loses its ability to take cognizance of emotions – be it glum or glee.

We think we will change the way we live by the weekend or month end and most popular one, by New year. If you really want to do it, today is the day. All we need to do is think about what we are losing out. For the passing pleasure of a frivolous way of living, we lose out on a fulfilling journey. Take control of your Life and live it to the fullest. All you need to do is DECIDE and the time is NOW.

ArunBabu.

Yi National Summit

2011-11-27T23:46:00.000+05:30

25 & 26th November 2011 were two days of a different world all together! Yes! The entire nation gathered in Kumaraguru College, Coimbatore for the CII - Yi Net national summit.
Day 1:
The proceedings started with Ms. Namrata Samra, National Chairperson - Yi, welcoming the audience for what seemed an amazing 48hrs ahead, followed by Mr. Shankar Vanavarayar just energizing the crowd with his flamboyance. If this wasn't enough to realize what lies ahead, Dr. Rahul Mirchandani, Mr. Srikant, Mr. Prasanna and Mr. Romit were all on stage, taking us through a series of thought provoking discussion on TAKING CHARGE - The theme of the summit.
Hold on guys!The best is yet to come... Yes.. it was post lunch, and there stood a tall man with big mustache, Black coat and staring at the crowd. :-) Mr. Kiruba Shankar Started the session with energy, deep breath and his talk revolved around his mantra - "In any work you do, just tell OH YES, I CAN, OH YES, YESSS, YEs, Yes or Just a NO(and don't do it)." Mr. Murugan of Nizhal Maiyam followed Kiruba with a scintillating speech on the ways and means of youth Taking Charge, which literally drive the entire crowd emotionally motivated. OH YES !:-)
Is that all? Well the highlight of the day was Mr. Karthik Kumar (KK) - Evam Entertainment, who spoke for close to an hour, right from his journey which started after graduating from MICA to this passion in setting up a theatre (drama), his satisfaction in doing what he always wanted to do, the social barriers and most importantly, his energy. There was a mutual admiration between Mr. Kiruba and Mr. KK, we can all it mutual respect, admiration or anything, but it was quite amazing to be on that day in that venue to share, see and feel the admiration that each speaker had for other.
The day ended with Anmol Vij going out of Entrepreneurship and speaking about Studopreneurship.
And the stage for Day 2 was set and rearing to GO!
Day2:
Did the Day one keep us excited? OH YES! Well, Day 2 was equally exciting with lots and lots of speakers lining up for the day, the list which included names like : Mr. Shankar Vanavarayar - National Chairman, Mr. Irfan Alam - Founder, SammaaN Foundation, Dr. Kancha Ilaiah- Social Activist/writer, Mr. Rajeev Karwal - Founder, CEO Milagrow Business and knowledge solutions, Mr. KK - Evam Entertainment, Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan - President Lok Satta Party and lots many.
The auditorium was filled with at least a century of experience in myriad of fields and literally, every single person TOOK CHARGE after the two days. It was the best couple of days one could wish to be a part of. Lots of experience, bit of gyan, more of networking, more of life changing ideas, situations and knowledge sharing was bound to happen.
Thanks to CII-Yi Net for arranging such a wonderful summit in Coimbatore, for it definitely made a lot of difference in many minds.

The 5th P – Popularity!!!

2011-11-17T23:14:00.001+05:30

The 5^th P –Popularity!!!

Blame it on our country’s governance system of democracy, we have a liking towards everything that is popular. Quite often, we end up measuring merit with popularity. That is why there is a collective despair when a popular film loses out to an art film or a widely read book is trashed by critics.

Even our opinions are dictated by its mass following. S&P said the truth which was against popular opinion and heads rolled, although there was merit to that argument. If you have seen the candidates nominated by political parties, they might not have any qualification but they will be popular for sure.

Is it that the most popular college is the best one? Aren’t the theatre artists supremely talented than most of the bollywood actors? All these point towards the supremacy of popularity over merit. The sad part is that at times, mediocrity has appeal and that becomes the norm. The few who understands this ‘play to the gallery’ becomes outcasts. It is all about the appeal. Come to think of it, what else is marketing but enhancing this appeal?

Arun Babu.

The Most beautiful smile I ever saw...A shortstory

2011-11-13T16:59:00.001+05:30

The Most beautiful smile I ever saw...A shortstory

A bright Sunday morning, the millennium year, city of dreams-Bombay. I woke up to the first photograph I ever took-of my then eight year old sister’s. For some reason, I liked it more than any other, much to my sister’s disagreement. I never liked working early morning, one of the perks my profession allowed, that of a photographer. But today, I have to keep the promise I made to my dear friend- to do a photo shoot for her NGO.

It was not a rosy picture. The building the NGO was housed in was in ruins. They worked for the betterment of children who didn’t know whom to call a ‘mom’ or a ‘dad’. The photo shoot was to be sent to a UN body that they expected to provide some funds.

Hema, the caretaker of the home came with a bunch of kids. They were not like the child artists we see on the TV. They were not cute and chubby. But they had a sparkle in their eyes. What nagged me the most was that they were not happy, something that made both the person and the photographer in me, disappointed.

After some wide shots with all the kids, I wanted a single shot with a kid, smiling. For some reason, my eyes caught Amir. I asked Hema to tell Amir to smile for me .But whatever I did, I couldn’t get that smile from him.

I and Amir went to the courtyard of the building. We got talking. He asked “Bhaiyya, who all are there in your home?”.I said I have a younger sister. He asked “What about mom and dad?”.I said everyone has mom and dad. He said “Not everyone has”. I could feel a tear straining at the corner of my eyes. I tried to recover fast and asked him “What do you like the most?” He said “I like it when someone scolds me”. I was surprised and asked why. Amir said “Bhaiyya I feel some one is bothered about me when they scold me. Someone cares for me”. I was really beginning to like this boy now.

“Amir, what do you miss the most?”He said “Bhaiyya, I miss having a pet name. No one calls me anything that comes from the heart. Everyone is either sympathetic or looking down on me”.

Swallowing the lump in my throat I asked “Amir, will you smile for me?”He said, “Bhaiyya, do you know when a person gets angry most? When you are hungry! I have not had food. How can I smile?”

I took out a chocolate from the pocket and gave it to him. He grabbed it and said “Bhaiyya I will come now”. Before finishing the sentence, he started running. I went behind him. He entered a small room in which a small girl was sitting. Amir offered the chocolate to the little angel. She took one bite and gave it to Amir. He shook his head, gave it back to her and smiled...That was the most beautiful smile I have ever seen and I will ever see. Stealing the moment on my camera, tears started rolling down my face...

Arun Babu.

Chase Your Dreams...

2011-11-07T22:00:00.002+05:30

Chase your dreams...

Celebrated actors, Illustrated artists, Eminent academicians, selfless activists...I have often wondered what keeps them going? The most predictable answer is one of the most abused words – Passion! I don’t buy that.

Lesser mortals like us are also passionate about something or the other. But why don’t we achieve those heights?

Is it the fact that they are charismatic? Yes, there are some people who are born with that ‘spark’ .Those who can effortlessly make people take a liking to them and turn them in their favour. But not everyone is charismatic and attributing that same reason for all their achievements will be unfair.

Prod about it a bit more and a more logical answer appears to be their Perseverance - the urge to be at it, the desire that is ignited continually. It is said that a space vehicle faces maximum resistance during ‘atmospheric entry’. There is an analogy between this and a person’s ability to keep striving to achieve excellence. Many of us would have reached close but blame it on us being myopic, we would have given up quarter a mile before.

A by product of perseverance, the conviction to not bring down even by a notch, the level of achievement that will bring them contentment. Many of us settle down for a lesser level of achievement or bring down our life’s goals so as to make ourselves happy.

And yes, of course the courage to tread the path less traversed. If there is someone to positively reinforce that courage, count yourself blessed.

Those who have tasted success has the intellect to understand consistent striving will take one to a stage that becomes self driving and that it will give enough buoyancy to keep going.

Chase your dreams, backed by an equal measure of longing and nothing will ever stop you.

Arun Babu.

If Only

2011-10-27T14:30:00.002+05:30

If Only...

How often have you longed to go back in time? It’s not about living in the past. It’s about cherishing good moments in life. It’s about fond remembrance. And why remembrance? Because these days, we are too preoccupied to enjoy a moment when it is happening.

While watching a film, there will be a few moments, a few scenes that lingers on even after years. If you miss those, you miss the essence of the film. Such is Life too.

In the race to achieve, if we miss out on those moments, as short lived as a dew drop, one will reach those heights. But when you look back, all you will find is a deafening solitude.

Believe me when I say most of us are getting too busy to pause and ponder. We are all on the lookout, for what lays ahead. We are too busy looking at the finishing line that we zip past life’s happy little pit stops.

But like it is with all things in life, it is easier said than done. If only I could learn to BE in those moments...If only I could live in the moment.

2011-08-28T22:45:00.004+05:30

The Four Lettered Word

I woke up for the evening tea. I have never been a nice person to talk to right after a nap; add to that the ongoing ‘Midsem’ massacres. Having got our precious little share of tea, Vivek and I headed to the pavement en route the UG hostels. I badly needed this serene time before heading to the college for next day’s paper prep.

A seemingly innocuous guy approached us and asked where the UG hostel is. Being not out of the cranky mood, I kept staring at the Elephant Mountains, sipping tea. Vivek showed him the way. He said that he is a 2008 batch alumnus. He went on to add that the campus has changed much and it is always great to come back to this place. I was hoping this person goes away soon.

Then he asked what course we were in. Vivek very proudly proclaimed that we are MBA students. Never the one to lose a networking chance, he added that our average CTC is 5.5 Lakhs and that we had 90%+ placements last year. Then this person asked if Deepak sir and Kulkarni sir are there in ASB. We said yes. He said he also completed MBA this year. We with our “chip on the shoulder” attitude ;) , asked him which college. We were expecting some lesser known college. But then he very humbly told “XLRI”!!! I turned around and Vivek said he will never forget the look on my face!.

I have never been humbled like this in my life. We were amazed at the humility of this person. No doubt, he ll be known by the four lettered XLRI tag from now on. But the humility that he carries is definitely the gift of being an Amrita alumnus. Love it, Hate it, but this is a university with a difference.

Arun Babu

Going International ! ! !

2011-08-21T11:31:00.000+05:30

"Too many cooks spoil the broth!!!" ???

Well here is a classic case in ASB which defies this well known proverb. With International Business subject kick starting the proceedings with Sreeram sir this year, followed by a guest lecture from our beloved Dean Dr. G.K, we. the second years had an opportunity to listen to Dr. Sivakumar Venkataramany, the co-author of the IB textbook that we follow.

With each session being as interesting as the previous ones and each concepts bettering other, and each faculty's style of lecture delivery being unique, IB has just been going all guns blazing this year. What started as a series of assignments graduated to class tests and slowly moved into a combined class session from our dean, a power packed session filled with loads of information (yes.. ofcourse filled with sense of humour to keep the class lively), finally transformed into some international teaching from Dr. Sivakumar Venkataramany (From Ashland univ).

Well, are we done??? Hmm .. not yet... things are once again getting lively with yet another professor gearing up to teach IB for us (or shud I say.. we are gearing up to listen from yet another professor???). Yes... this time its Dr. Amalendu Jyothishi from ASB-Bangalore. With loads of expectations, we whole heartedly invite professor to this dream journey.

A Lifetime of Change

2011-08-15T22:24:00.002+05:30

A Lifetime of Change

No other generation would have lived in a better time. If there is one word that defines the last couple of decades, it is ‘Transition’.

The harbinger of real and visible change was the IT becoming the ‘it’ industry. The quills and the Reynolds gave way to the keyboards. Then there was the

splash of colours on to the only doordarshan -monochromatic- CRTS which went on to become LCDs with multitudes of frequencies.

The liberation of the figure ‘36’ that restricted our moments of happiness by the digicams. The padminis and the Ambys being overtaken by the wagons, Volks and others.

The landlines, once lifelines are now deadlines. The billboards gave way to social media posts. The chaats and golgappas pushed aside by the KFCs and McDs. The post boxes being outdated by the inboxes.

The Tatas and the Mittals replacing the Fords and the Hiltons. The rise of the dragon and the jasmine bloom in the deserts. The STREET losing its WALL and the subcontinent holding its fort.

Looking forward to next 64 years of Transition,

Here's wishing you a very Happy Independence Day!

Arun Babu.

2011-07-24T22:35:00.004+05:30

Days of our Lives

05:45am.The alarm goes off…Too lazy to get up. 6:00 am. There is chit chat in the corridor and the tea arrives. After seeing off those who go for the morning jog (which is on a forever procrastinated mode) and games, I go to the first floor cooler to get some warm water. The view from there is spectacular. The tree that blossoms like a burst of happiness to the backdrop of the mountains. I remember one of the first things that I started liking was the Mountain View in the morning.

08:40am.Yes I slept off after having tea and now I am rushing to get to class. A painful decision to skip the breakfast! After catching a ‘disposable tea’ from canteen, we climb the stairs and reach CR3 ‘Just in time’ at the last hum of the hymn.

1:30pm.Post class, tests, assignments and lunch, I stop by at the paper stand on the ground floor seriously contemplating whether to read something or rush to the coziness of my bed for an afternoon siesta. Leave your window half open and it’s the kind of warmth just enough to let you fall in to blissful slumber.

05:00pm.There is shouting outside and arrive, the evening snacks and tea. This is when we discuss world affairs and M&As. Just kidding. We talk about the most trivial of things, yet so enjoyable.

You pickup strange habits at a hostel. I enjoy switching off the power from outside of C307 (Sharan, who is more of a day scholar). Of course when he is not inside and at times, when he is in ;).I have this compulsive urge to look at the ground and beyond , from the first floor balcony before hitting the bed.

08:00pm.The sumptuous dinner. It is just an excuse for the night canteen coffee and the walk around the lawn after that. Once back in room, the contemplation begins for ‘things to do’ for the day after. There will be 5 assignments and you end up doing one if not, will bring a grade cut or public humiliation!

11:30pm.While watching an episode of Friends which has been re run an infinite number of times, you hear people shouting and running. No it’s not a fire drill. It is a birthday. Boy, it’s fun. The cake that you won’t get to eat a bit, the cheer, the bashing up…

01:00pm.Having finally decided to slip in to sleep mode reading a book, someone starts a juke box with all those songs you love. When the volume is finally down, the hostel is so quiet that you can hear the crickets and the dispossessed creatures of Planet E!. When it’s almost 2 o clock, you shout a goodnight and someone from another floor shouts back and it is time to call it a day!

2011-06-28T18:21:00.003+05:30

Celebrations unlimited @ ASB

Although there is no better colour than pristine white that describes this unblemished campus, there are times when we bask in the bright festive colours.

We started off with Onam, the festival of flowers. The day began with the ‘Pookalam’ competition between first years and second years. Shobhana mam opined that both the floral carpets were laid out very aesthetically but that of first years’ is more pleasant on the eyes, much to the glee of us, juniors J . It was a sight to behold to see the girls in their traditional saris and guys in dhothies.The ‘thiruvathira kali’ put up by the senior girls in Kerala saris set the tone for the day. The first year boys matched step to step with their ‘pulikali’, the traditional onam game. Bala sir, always a sport joined the fray. We all gathered in the courtyard for a round of ‘Naadan paatu’. The day’s celebration ended with the ‘payasam’ distribution and we all were rushing home for the vacation.

Then came September and it was time for Amrita’s own unique and special festival, Gokulashtami. The ambience and energy in the campus on that day was truly magical. The preparations began a week before with each department setting up a float based on Lord Krishna’s life. We were up all night putting together our float which depicted Kurukshethtra.All the boundaries break loose on this day and the whole campus comes together as one to enjoy this celebration. The floats were taken in a procession across the university and to the main ground. There were little Krishnans and Radhas all over the campus. Deepak sir had a field day filming some wonderful shots. There were various cultural programs from Bharathanatyam and Classical music to Bhajans at the Amriteswari hall. But it was the Uriyadi and tug of war that we enjoyed the most. This kind of harmony and synergy is rare to find. The whole University seemed like one big happy family.

A month later, the Festival committee was at it again. Mid November, and it was time for one of the most beautiful festivals, Diwali . The whole college was lit up with diyas .Seeing everyone decked up in Kurtas and traditional dresses, Ankur , a first year student said “Happy to see a bit of Gujarati Diwali Spirit here tonight. I feel closer home today”. The celebrations continued with Anthakshari, games and dance at SKH .We had to fight tooth and nails for the diwali sweets though J

We also celebrated Utsav and boy it was fun. A few of us went on stage for the first time in our lives and never felt better. From writing out of the world stories to sketching ‘modern art’ to singing and dancing to the most unpopular songs, it was full on madness and fun. The short skits inspired from life at ASB had the audience in splits. But there were also people who were graceful dancers , melodious singers ,who played instruments wonderfully well and who could take your breath away with one stroke of a brush. As always with Utsav, there were casualties in the sports events, but we enjoyed the early morning and late night games thoroughly.

Then came Pragati, The B-Fest of ASB. It is something which needs to be experienced. It is the rush, the madness, the learning that defines Pragati. It is in one word, ‘magical’. If you are an ASBian ,you will never forget the memory that is Pragati.

In ASB, here at nature’s shrine, everyday is a celebration.

From Chennai to Everywhere else !!!!

2011-05-05T18:11:00.001+05:30

My mom’s penchant for temples knows no bounds and it can be easily understood by the number of kilometers our cars have clocked so far; 32000 kms in the past one and a half year!!!! Coming the month of April, 2011 between the dates of 11th and 23rd we did a road trip from Chennai to the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. I have done quite a few drives so far but this has been my longest and most demanding one, mainly because I had to cover almost 7000 kms within 2 weeks time in largely unknown territories, bear the summer heat, visit all the places and more importantly manage with my limited knowledge of Hindi..!!!! This trip was even more adventurous because, till one week before our start, we did not know clearly where we were heading and which places to be visited. Usually, before any of our drives, me and my parents would sit around and discuss about the distance and places to be covered each day, plan for the night halt and would arrive at a fairly decent outline which we would try to follow. But it was not the case this time. I was in my hostel in Coimbatore till the last day and the day I arrived at Chennai, we had started for the drive and we were not even sure where we going to halt !!!! Most importantly, it was the help and guidance from H.V.Kumar sir, “Sachin Tendulkar of Indian Highways” which made the trip successful without any hiccups. I can never imagine the drive without his route plan, meticulously prepared and accurate to every km…!!!!! Thanks a lot Sir..!!!

Day 0 ( April 10th):

For a trip that spanned 7000 kms and for 2 weeks, it did not start very well. I had taken my car to Coimbatore to vacate my hostel and bring all the stuffs back home as my MBA life at Amrita School of Business had got over. I had to drive all night to reach Chennai early morning on April 10th. As a result I did not get some good sleep. Then, my mom packed the luggage for the three of us for two weeks without keeping in mind that the vehicle in which she would be spending the time is not a generously spacious one like a Scorpio or an Innova, but a hatchback Ritz..!!! According to the original plan we had decided to start around evening by 4.30 from Chennai and reach Hosur to halt for the night. So, once we got ready and started loading our loyal Ritz with the really big size VIP hard bound suitcases which can be deemed fit only for an air travel, we found the Ritz falling ridiculously short in space. You cant blame the car, the blame was on us.

So I suggested we should change the suitcases to a more practical cloth bags which would fit fine inside the Ritz’s boot. By the time, we finished re-packing and loaded the Ritz, it was around 5.30 pm.

And hence we started by around 5.45 pm towards Sriperumbudur through Pallavaram to catch the NH to Bangalore. It was election time in TN and we found that Jayalalitha would be addressing a massive gathering in Pallavaram and there was a fairly decent traffic jam heading towards it. We managed to put it behind us and started cruising in the SH only to realise in horror that I had left my laptop back in the house. All the details about the route, places prepared by HVK Sir was inside it and the tour would never be possible without it. Cursing our luck, we decided to head back to pick it up and crucial time was lost. This time, when we started again at around 6.45 pm, we were caught in the thickest of traffic possible as Jayalalitha had started addressing the public. The clock was ticking but our wheels were not and we were stuck more than half an hour. I certainly did lose my cool and the mood to drive after all the obstacles from the start. I suggested we should return home, retire for the night and start afresh the next day as going ahead with the drive seemed no more logical as it would be very late by the time we reach Hosur. My father was visibly agitated by the idea and the held ups and delays in everything we did today did not make him feel good. So we returned back to our home, visited the nearby Lord Ganesh temple, prayed for a trouble free journey, had our dinner in a nearby restaurant and retired for the night with the idea that we should start very early the next day, by 1 am !!!!!

Day 1 (April 11th, 2011):

We were already behind schedule even before we had even started and had to make some serious distance before catching up. After a decent amount of sleep, we started the drive really early morning by 1 am on Monday. I never thought about where should I stop for the day but just wanted to cover as much distance as possible. Took the NH 4 towards Bangalore and I was able to maintain some seriously good speeds as the traffic in the NH was sparse. But, as always, the odd pedestrian or an auto can take you by surprise and hence nothing can be taken for granted. By 2.30 am, my dad started grumbling about having a coffee and lucky was he, as we spotted a tea shop open along the highway near Vellore. Thats Tamil Nadu for you..!!!! After energising ourselves with double coffees, we continued the drive. The drive was mostly uneventful, except for the large amount of Omni Bus traffic early morning towards Bangalore and that stole my speed a bit, but by 6 am I was cruising on the NH towards Tumkur after taking the exceptionally expensive but well laid NICE Road. Reached Chitradurga by 9, filled the tank with diesel , filled our stomach with breakfast from Hotel Naveen Residency and started moving again.

The NH after Chitradurga was incomplete in very short stretches and I still cant figure out what speedbreakers were doing in a NH as I found myself taking one at more than 120 kmph !!!! Kudos to Ritz’s suspension for making it clean!!! The stretch between Hubli and Belgaum was a normal 2-laned one and after that it was 4-laned again. Watch out for KSRTC buses especially in that stretch as they may exhibit road behaviour which doesnt acknowledge your presence on the road. Stopped at Hotel Sangam @ Belgaum for lunch as per HVK Sir’s plan. Called him to update our location and he suggested I should stop at Mumbai for the night. I had already done 800 kms for the day and I still had 600 kms more !!!!

Undeterred, we moved on again, and once we entered Maharashtra, the traffic and its indiscipline increased. The good roads helped me maintain my speed and I was able to reach Pune by 6.30 pm. It started raining in Pune and the road towards the Mumbai Expressway was tottering with traffic. Finally I was able to catch the Expressway and it was almost a nightmare. I had already done the expressway during my drive to Mumbai last year but this time it was even worse. Nobody cared for the rules. It is not that vehicles follow rules in rest of the NHs in India but with the level of speeds that this expressway lets you to take, it can get quite dangerous. The Audis , the BMWs race against each other and are forced to zig zag through the slow moving lorries and trucks which never stick to their lanes and seem to be in a world of their own.

Finally reached the other end of the Expressway around 8.30 pm to enter Navi Mumbai and my cousin's house was still some 30 kms and 2 hours of drive through Mumbai traffic away, in Guregaon !!!! I stopped at each signal and each landmark to stop the car and get directions from my cousin and it was a tortorous one and a half drive in Mumbai traffic which was aggregated by my near exhaustion. Finally, we reached his place only to find that the lift did not work and that we have to climb six stories !!!!

It was very welcoming to see him and his family waiting for us. Atlast, we could rest our bodies to get some really deserving sleep. I was very satisfied by the drive and I simply could not believe I had done a non-stop Chennai-Mumbai in 21 hours..!!!!! As I closed my eyes, I was yet to realise that this was only a starter and full meals was waiting in the days to come !!!!

(to be continued….)

Summers : Week 1 - A Rollercoaster Ride

2011-04-30T20:10:00.007+05:30

I woke up to a drizzly saturday morning at Banaswadi station,Bangalore,not exactly the kind of climate I had in mind.Had breakfast at my cousin's home and idled away just going around the place.Sunday morning was bright and sunny :) .It took a lot of time to find out my office ,thanks to the infamous Blore traffic.

Monday morning, we (Shabhari and I) reached the nearby Udupi hotel which was to become our meeting point for the days to come.We met our guide and started off with the induction process.The days followed saw us visiting the plants and meeting the key personnel there.We wound up the week with a presentation for the plant managers and waited for those magic words of our guide "Guys, we ll call it a day " :) . Our guide was kind enough to offer a stay at his home and the hour long ordeal of commuting is now done away with.

I was sure I would miss some of my friends but some came by quite as a surprise :).

I never knew I would miss the serenity of ASB among the blitz of Blore.

I am enjoying the pleasant climate of Blore and missing the warmth of my home ,all at once.

Believe me when I say the ambience at the McDs and the corner houses fade in comparison with the laughter and chatter at our canteen.

I always thought the seniors were just having a 'emotional atyaahcar' moment when they said once you go out of ASB, you ll be dying to get back.But it is so true.Can't wait to get back!!!

My First Blog at ASB

2011-04-11T20:46:00.006+05:30

Yea u read it right!!! and its one of those mixed emotions which makes it even more special to pen it down!!!
Many times have I wondered abt my decision to quit job n persue MBA, tht too in the remotest of places (at a decent whether condition),,,, am I in the right path? Nevertheless, everytime I heard such a voice from within, i seek justifications externally. Sometimes it was a resounding YES, at times a dull OK but never did i hear a NO to myself.
Before emotions die down or time take its priorities over me, i felt it fitting to thank all those who made ever single day at ASB a fairy tale for me... be it the second years who were always there for experience sharing to night time cricket to the volley ball court to the mess to the classrooms to the exam rooms (well u know wat i mean) to the canteen to a lot many places... to my very own batch mates in all the above places along with a few outings like salem or ibru's marriage!!! It really was a wonderful journey.
I personally feel that it is hard to realize but true that we are gonna occupy the classrooms at secondfloor, only to miss those lending hands, only to be more mature in handling things, only to take care of our own textbooks, only to exposed to the heat n reality without the umbrella of second years and finally... only to miss u guys!!! the presence of a senior batch was always a comfort zone for many, but sad but its true that we gotta take up the responsibility to set the shade right for the upcomin juniors. Never have i seen farewell over farewell over farewell like the ones u ppl had. Maybe thats one thing which u ppl now got accustomed to that which restricted any emotions creepin out from many of ur eyes n faces, but ur words n heart speaks for u! as i login to FB ever day, every hour, i see nothin but albums of Faces, joy, funny moment, those missing verses... just to reemphasise on the fact that u ppl just don seem to be worried of the fact of gettin lost in the real world... courtesy --> ur belief in stayin together!!! Am pretty sure that physical boundaries will have little impact in a batch like urs, with the lights of FB, its just that u ppl are gonna re-live those wonderful days every single day in ur life!!! Come convocation, u wil re-live in reality too!
To my wonderful batchmates, miss u guys.. only to meet u soon!!!
just a small wish ... jus cuz u ppl left the univ, it doesn mean tht u cannot post in here... it was gr8 readin ur posts n wil be gr8 if u can keep postin!!!
Finally, type in "course completed" in google translate n select Thai n then convert it to chinese to japanese back to thai n finally to English to get the output as only "COURSE" without completion... thats exactly what i meant in here... let this MBA relationship never have a halt or terminate button.. this course has no completion!!!
Luv,
Pras

When the Second floor fell silent...

2011-04-11T18:00:00.003+05:30

"Woh pal hamein yaad aayenge...woh kal yaad aayenge..."Over hearing this song in the train,on my way back home made me write this...or was it the boredom that set in when Vivek slipped in to his usual 'power nap'....

Saying Goodbyes have never been fun, well there are exceptions though :) .... For us,we know we all will be back in the comfort of Ettimadai once the mosoon sets in...But it's not the same with seniors...

It dawned on us after visiting dg sir regarding summers.We looked across the second floor and we saw closed doors and a deafening silence.

It was comforting to know you were there for us...even if for a trivial thing like getting a calculator at the eleventh hour or to get some gyaan on placements...

We could always ask what to do in a Professor's class and more importantly,what not to do ;)

Just to borrow a text book we misplaced at the eve of the exam ,or about how to get things done for Utsav or Pragati,we knew where to turn...

Now that you are gone,it surely leaves a void...

As Murthy sir says, as you move on from a state of zero accountability to one that holds you accountable for every deed of yours, we wish all the very best for you...

A few of you have left a mark in our minds and we missed out a few...But all you guys will always remain close to our hearts.

47 Things I will miss about ASB(47)

2011-04-10T00:54:00.001+05:30

THE FINAL ONE

When I started on this series 47 days back, I drew up a list of things, apprehensive of whether I would be able to keep up! 3 days later, I dumped the list and started enjoying the “blog time blues”. 47 days of gathering up memories that touched our lives in little ways… 47 days of feeling “Oh, what is it going to be today?”, 47 days of telling friends who bothered to ask “What is today’s blog about?”, that I still had no clue… Now that I am on the last one, I feel there could have been many many more!

So as I pack my bags, with memories forming a lump in my throat, I have GBs of pics in my laptop and just too many happy moments than I could probably count….

The day I walked in to this campus I realised this was very different from my previous stint for 3 years at Amritapuri! I realised we could live here in 2 ways. We could either feel miserable about the way things were or we could choose to be happy. I am glad I chose the second one and I should say, I am happy I came here for an MBA!

I met some of the greatest professors here…DG Sir, Shobhana Ma’am, Kulkarni Sir…. Some of the most amicable professors like Bala Sir, Shri Krishnan Sir, Prashant Nair Sir etc! Life was so much easier because of these people and if some of us do come back, it would be for these people! They have been so fabulous!

I guess this blog is dedicated to the “Spirit” of ASB…. The soul that was made by all of us, dreaming about something happening or bringing about little changes that would make a world of difference! I will miss the fact that I am not a student anylonger and I would miss dreaming of things to hit the 47 mark…

This is the end of a series which I thoroughly enjoyed penning down…

But this is not the end either…

It is just a diversion from a path we treaded together…

We may part ways here..

But ways are made so, people could meet

And that we will, before time fleets!

So long dear friends…. The Last Post as an MBA student ends wishing all of you everything that is awesome in future!

47 Things I will miss about ASB(46)

2011-04-09T01:55:00.002+05:30

RELATIONSHIPS AT ASB

Relationships have been enigmatic for as long as I could remember! Who knew when we first walked in, whom we were going to end up with as friends!

Some of us hit it off right from the start and are parting as great friends, some of us tagged along because it felt right, some of us joined others at breakfast and lunch tables, some of us felt in our element with some others and totally out of it with the rest, some of us felt classes were everything during orientation, some of us felt MBA was a wrong choice during the same orientation… some and many… so many ways that we chose to become what we are today!

The friends we bonded with in the beginning of this journey, but parted midway before we reached the destination… the friends with whom we crossed the finishing line… Friends who stood by us through the toughest of times, friends who shared with us laughter and smiles…

Some of us fell in love, some of us rose in it… Some of us proposed, but remained single… Some of us kept it within us and thought it might just spoil what exists. Some of us feared what tomorrow holds and some of us just went with the flow…

Some of us found out that professors could be your best friends…some of us opened up to them and some of us just felt contented by ourselves…

Some of us befriended strangers and made them beloveds and some of us made our beloveds mere strangers…

Relationships…so many colours…and yet so myriad…. With me it was like this… It took me a long long while to find out the set of people I could be myself with…and by the time I realised, it was time to pack things and shift J…

Yet,I loved the way relationships turned out at ASB…

I will miss them so dearly

TBC...

47 Things I will miss about ASB(45)

2011-04-09T01:17:00.000+05:30

MOVIE TIMES

Its almost nearing an end… I was just going through my laptop yesterday. The one folder I had opened most would be “Show Time”, my movies folder. Movie supply at ASB is phenomenal!

The downloading wizards and the circulating wizards…they keep our lives going! Movies whether seen in the sanctum sanctuary of our rooms or a dozen of us, huddled together in a single room…movies had become a part and parcel of the life at ASB!

The western digitals that bring GBs of happiness, that do the rounds at hostels.The reviews that you seek before pushing the play button and those knocks you make on the doors of the “right people” when you feel “movie bugged”… almost a daily routine!

Now that the credits are about to roll and our life at ASB nears the end, all our C drives are nearing their capacity. Some of my techie friends have invested in TBs of memories and would store enough in the hump…

Pooja and Raji- The movie goddesses of Gargi, my next door neighbour Pooja Nair who has introduced me to some of the best movies I have watched and the reason for my newest addiction to the Korean Serials…. I will miss them so badly!!!

I must say, I was wondering… where will I knock when I feel like watching a movie???

TBC…

47 Things I will miss about ASB(44)

2011-04-06T22:24:00.000+05:30

OVER THE COUNTER

I guess these series would be incomplete without the uncle who sits at the billing counter of the canteen! Over the two years, this grey haired man clad in white and white has been a bunny bear to us J He speaks perfect Malayalam, doesn’t forget to smile on busiest of days…

He knows most of us by faces and knows what we like and don’t! He doesn’t mind telling us that we could give him the two rupees later, doesn’t mind telling us that the tea cake is stale and wouldn’t be a nice buy! Ask him to suggest something special for the next day and he actually might!

I am crazy about Pazham Poris or banana bolis! On rare days when it gets to canteen, he looks for my friends and asks them to inform me that it was the d-day! True friends like subbu and anupama pack some and get me if I am sleeping in the hostel. On days when he doesn’t find any of my friends he saves a couple of the treasures for me…. J

So what sparked this blog? I asked him yesterday…I will be gone in 4 days..is there some chance I for banana bolis? He said he would put a word… and last evening…Banana Bolis were served at the mess!!!

Such is the heart of the owner of that beautiful smile…sitting behind the canteen billing counter!

I will miss him so much!

TBC…

47 Things I will miss about ASB(43)

2011-04-05T23:40:00.000+05:30

ALMOST OVER....

Goodbyes are in the air. Somehow a sinking feeling has settled that we are about to leave soon enough. Slam books are doing their rounds, signatures and one liners are appearing on mugs, the batch created memento for the batch, the sipper bottle has arrived, photos are getting transferred from systems to systems and memory on laptops have started showing red!

Exams feel painfully long and answers are redundant…still three exams to go…before the three golden lettered degree attaches itself to the tail of our names!

The last moments at ASB… some of us are trying to make this longer, wishing time gets stuck here! For others, it is time to strike days off the calendar…

Last days at ASB and these last moments that seem to pass with the blink of an eye…

I will miss them so badly!

TBC…

The Last...Dance

2011-04-05T21:14:00.027+05:30

Renoy K George, 5'th blog...this one's special!!! i wrote this one for the e-mag...however i was informed that it'll take more time to come out....so i decided to share this piece with u guys thru the blog...anyways this is my tribute to ASB.... its the story of what every ASBian, will go thru, the people they'll meet.. the moments that they'll encounter @ ASB..of course there are people and situations i have missed out on...but i have written mostly about the things that are dear to me...anyways...this my story...this is ...the last dance....

Prologue

“Mast…mast mast...Kalandar...”

While leaving Madras Christian College, my podium of chance
This was a song to remember…
…coz this song provided for, what I thought was, my last dance.
Finishing three years of college…
With my bachelor’s (B.com) degree
Standing at the MCC edge...
I bid farewell, as I readied myself for ASB!!

THE FIRST YEAR

Chapter 1 - Name, place and do your thing

Inductions!!! My least favourite ceremony
Standing or sitting alongside strangers, while mimicking
harmony.
And a corny name for the ceremony, to strike a chord on the “different experience” meter
This induction process was no different. They called it the “corporate theatre”.

We introduced each other, with our names and places preceding a p
referential acti
on
While the res
t of the group, followed us with the same reaction.
Grouped into teams,
We were then asked to enact life’s most intricate scenes
Then a dumb-charades of sorts,
where a team decoded & enacted their participant’s - action in thoughts.

Today when I look back at the induction ritual at Shri Krishna hall...
By the way, this was ASB’s grandest stage of ‘em all
… An induction ceremony still remains as my least favourite…
But the “corporate theater” was the induction experience, which remains as my most favourite.

Chapter 2 - Semester: B.C

Assignments and MBA are like Siamese twins
Except that it’s a package deal that you can’t mince
Some are tedious while some are worth the combination
Like the NGO assignment, part of (B.C) Business Communication

Mrs. Shobana Madhavan, the faculty “in-charge”

High – spirited and energetic, she saw life, the small and large

An amazing teacher and a remarkable woman...
..She taught us all, what it means to be a good human

Divided into groups, this project was more than we could ask
As a 1’st year MBA, @ ASB, this was the 1’st ultimate task.
We had our group meetings, arguments & fights as time went past
Social loafing, procrastination till the D-day, and we presented it at last.

Chapter 3 – “Clash of the Titans”

13 cultural festivals and 16 stage shows,
For me, this stuff never gets old as it goes.
UTSAV ’09 (clash of the titans) was here.
The intra-college fest of ASB, it’s time to cheer!!

The Mba’s Of ASB were divided into 4 groups
Like armies, with their set of troupes
50 competitions, each with its own difficulty phase
All set and spanned out, over a period of 10 days

“Kurukshetra wins UTSAV ‘09”

I was happy, the team was mine
I got a chance at dance, 3 in competition!!
My friend & team captain Anoop, earned the “Mr. lucky” reputation

Chapter 4 – “PRAGATI ROCKS!! GEN-M ROCKS!!”

PRAGATI...
The B-fest event of ASB.
Organised by first years,
This event marks a season of fun and tears
A selection procedure by the MBA seniors
9 members representing six forums, formulated over the years
One for fun and 5 in accordance to the different MBA specializations
Marketing, Finance, HR, Systems and Operations

I had always been interested in marketing.

I applied & got selected in (GEN-M) “generation marketing”

For one job and one goal, every forum worked hard

To design games and to win the “Best Game award”

Gen-M won at Pragati ‘10

We were a team of 3 women and 6 men.
The best manager winner got on stage and talked
Jasmine was her name; she said Pragati and Gen-m rocked!!!!

Chapter 5 – The ‘DeeGee’ Effect

Prof. Deepak Gupta’s (action-packed) classes…

…were customized for the sophisticated and the masses
An inspiring teacher and an incredible human being
He’s taught us the power of love and self- believing

His Marketing Research course…

…kept us on our toes
Divided into groups of 5 or 6,
The MR project began, and we were in a fix

At first, it was tedious, frustrating and tiring
And then, educational, exceptional and rewarding
The purpose of projects were finally understood
We did our best and learned everything one could

Chapter 6- “The Talent show”

ASB is not just a place for the MBA education

But also a place for an identity renovation
And the talent show “Kalakruthi” provided the platform for it
Quoting the late MJ’s words, “THIS IS IT!!”

A Tribute to MJ was also part of the act

And this marked my 4’Th dance, to be in fact
Debate, music, photography, singing, writing, drawing…
…the MBA’S showcased the talents in yearning

Chapter 7- Almost Seniors

The end of another academic year at ASB
We were almost seniors or the next 2’nd years, meant to be
Competitions, exams and assignments, balanced out over a year
Farewell to the seniors, and goodbye to the MBA 1’st year!!
‘Employment’ summoned from various directions for the ex- seniors
While ‘summer internship’, did the same, for the ex- juniors

THE SECOND YEAR

Returning back from our internships as second years
We looked forward to the new batch of juniors
The ice was broken and soon every senior had a 1’st year friend
Some quicker, than the normal trend

CHAPTER 8- Prof. Kulkarni

ASB would never be complete without him...
The marketing personality, who needs neither hair-cut nor a trim
Clairvoyant by nature, along with graciousness and nobility
He taught us the solemnity of integrity

He handled the courses: SDM, CB, B2B and Retail
We submitted all our assignments via e-mail.
He shared real- life experiences that taught us more than the texts
Case studies were his game, and they endowed our exams and tests

CHAPTER 9- “Here we go again” (UTSAV ’10)

UTSAV, one last time!!!
The theme was warrior clans, this time
The time period was spanned throughout a month
The gladiators, samurais, knights and Spartans, all ready for the battle and the hunt

Finally, the samurai’s reigned supreme!!

Once again I was lucky to be a part of the winning team.
Applause, congratulations, the Captain- Eldho and the shield were passed around the group
And this time, there were 4 dance competitions in which I partook

Chapter 10- Placements

Almost every MBA’s period of imminent dreams and nightmares
A season of triumphs, heart-breaks and vocational prayers.
Our Placement season was no more or no less different
The ambience of weightiness existed among ASB’s toughest and ASB’s innocent
It was an intense period, where even friendships were put on hold
A job for a friend would entail pressure, giving the innards a feel of cold.
Then the no. of attempts that can dampen one’s spirit
Finally, when your day comes, everything just brightens up in a minute.
I attempted a total of 6 times, and 6 times I fell
I picked myself up for the 7’Th time, and got placed in Bajaj Capital.

Chapter 11- Pragati: On The other side

Along with our placements, we had our own recruitment process.
The previous year’s forum members initiated their selection sans pauses
Forum queues outside the first year classrooms were formed all the way
Forum promotions became the order of the day.
Being on the other side of pragati had its benefits and disappointment
This time we experienced pragati as a spectacle tournament
However, we missed the adrenaline pumping action…
…that goes behind in organising the function.

Pragati ’10 belonged to the operations team- OZONE!
Right from day one! They were game on.
Sweeping the awards for best game and best forum
“Team OZONE.., this is your victory in memorandum!!

Chapter 12- Kalakruthi Returns

Dance no.9 will always be my most memorable dance at ASB
Joined by the best dancing partner one could ask for… the scintillating Lakshmi
This was ASB’s first boy-girl dance…
It was doubtful & risky, but we took a chance.

..This marked my dance no.10 at ASB
MJ’s ‘Smooth criminal’ marked my last performance at Kalakruthi
A special appearance was made by my bro & dude -Sam Koshy
Together we worked up the audience into a frenzy

Sheila ki jawani like never before…
The girls rocked and we did roar
With this last performance of that evening in validity
We reached the finale of our last kalakruthi

Chapter 13- One month to farewell

Only a month away from leaving this place
I ask my self what is the one thing you’ll miss most about this place.
Till today, I haven’t figured it out
I guess its everything and more what ASB is all about

This is my tribute to ASB
A place that allowed me to be, whatever I wanted to be
This is my story written in 14 hours of seriousness…
… the story of my MBA life @ Amrita School of Business

EPILOGUE

As I prepare myself
For the professional and managerial experience…
…I tell myself
“Competition is just another test of your Perseverance”

With that in mind, I prepare to leave…
…bidding farewell to all my friends and the student romance.
As I look back at my life, through an imaginary sieve…
It gives me strength for what’s ahead, as I prepare for the next dance

-Renoy K George
MBA 09082

Special Thanks to: Raghav R, Anoop S,Vivek Vincy and Eldho A. (For their support and encouragement )

47 Things I will miss about ASB(42)

2011-04-05T01:12:00.001+05:30

DETOURS...

Detours are our speciality.

Kiruthigha and I had reached college at 8:30 am for the first hour, had the customary tea and then cut the first hour just for the heck of it in the first year! We roamed around and went back in time for the second hour! Detours- this and many more…

Like the detour to store and half a dozen pens that we bought when we were finally at the verge of bidding goodbye to studies! Purple, pink, green,red,black...all colors!

Or, like the detour to IT canteen when hostel was the actual destination.

The desire for a cool lime juice took three of us there today! Lime juice was absent on the menu, but we saw “butter milk”, written in pleasant green letters. That was the dinner!

Detours that give time with friends and make us laugh and dream more…

Detours that make us throw the worry of what happens after 5 days(that’s what's left of our MBA days) in to air and live the moment!

I will miss them so badly!

TBC…

47 Things I will miss about ASB(41)

2011-04-03T22:33:00.000+05:30

HOURS BEFORE THE EXAM....

The exam fever has returned for one last time! Needless to say, academic motivation has discovered newest lows! World cup win and exam are such a discord! Anyway, on some saner days I had taken down notes for the IMC classes! So at around midnight, Anupama and I sat down with our notes! While trying to make head and tail out of what we had written between gags of laughter inflicted by our professor Satish Krishnamurthy and our own dividing attention, we felt hungry! Noodle time J, said mutual smiles!!!

Hostel life has equipped many of us with a few skills. Sweeping, mopping, washing (for blessed few), chasing insects, killing roaches and well…making a night’s meal (If it is noodles J). Intuition that tells us how much boiling water to add, intuition that tells us when to stir and take the first mouthful…. Noodle making in hostels is just beautiful!

Last night was one such! Two packets of noodles and half a bottle of water later, we had proceeded by 3 pages! Time to call it a day! So we slept peacefully, feeling warm and full of noodles!

The late night attempts at studying, the mind and stomach that disagree… and the plain surrender!

I will miss em so badly!!!

A tribute to the Son of this Nation

2011-04-03T21:08:00.002+05:30

In life,many moments pass, but some moments pause.They will loom large over you till you can digest the magnitude of the happening. On April 2,2011, the entire nation witnessed the moment which paused at them, which loomed all over them, which threatened to suck of all the sadness from them, a moment which was befitting for a country this large, this diverse but yet, this united. The "World champions" tag had been erased from the face of mighty Australians and rewritten on the face of India after a span of 28 years by none other than the man who was blessed with the destiny of doing it; Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The script of the final of the Cricket World Cup 2011, could not have been written better, thanks to Sreesanth's inclusion. Had he not been there in the team, the target would have been significantly lesser and more importantly, it would not have irked Mahendra Singh Dhoni to promote himself ahead of Yuvraj Singh to nullify his errors in team selection.

The innings played by Dhoni really deserves special attention. The ultimate final, not many runs in his bag in this tournament, Sachin and Sehwag back in the pavilion, 30000+ crowd and a nation full of loyal fanatics to answer, Dhoni showed his class as a leader. He soaked the pressure as if he was a sponge and took the responsibility head on. The way he paced his innings was amazing and it was his determination combined with Gambhir's grit which earned India the WORLD CUP.

This World Cup victory is all the more special because of one man,nay,one God, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Till April 2,2011, SRT's resume was incomplete even after 21 years of experience. He has the highest number of centuries, scored maximum number of runs, has the highest number of "man of the Match awards"...name any record and it would have SRT's stamp all over it, but one..being a part of the World Cup winning squad. It had eluded him since 1992, and if there was any chance left, it was this...

If the Indian team dedicated this World Cup victory to this entire nation, the entire nation dedicated this Cup to this single Super human, just for the love for him. How loyal he has been to the Lady Cricket!!!! He has spent the greater part of his life dating her than not...and he deserved this special gift from her..!!!

It was also the day when Sachin turned into a kid. He laughed, he cried, he was angry, he was disappointed, he was tensed but the moment when Dhoni blasted Kulasekara into the stands for the winning runs, he let his emotions run beserk. He held the Cup in his hand, like a child holding onto an ice cream and never let it away from his grip. If Sachin had not seen the team winning the Cup, all his achievements, all the laurels, all the awards, all the records would have had zero value to him. And the 1 billion people in India, would have felt empty in the stomach not because India did not win the World Cup, but because she would never have another chance to see her son feel the World Cup in his hands.

No longer a Cricket World Cup victory is a myth for our generation. As my friend had pointed out in his FB account, we no longer need to open our mouth in awe when our parents describe how they felt when India lifted the cup in 1983. This team has given us the true taste of it.....Now we have a story to tell to our children about how the whole of India wanted to win this Cup badly, just to dedicate it to one superhuman...Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. It is almost certain Sachin will not play the next World Cup. He may even retire soon. But when he does so, he can with his head held even higher.

Cricket may be just a sport, but for us Indians, it is the way of life.It is in our blood. It is our religion. It is so because, Sachin Tendulkar plays it...!!!!! Jai Hind..!!!!

47 Things I will miss about ASB(40)

2011-04-03T13:18:00.000+05:30

Our Cup Moment

Yesterday gifted us the single best moment at ASB! Needless yto say, it was India’s world cup win….!!!

Hundreds of us, sitting on mats in SKH, huddled together, anticipating what each ball would be like, wishing gautam gambhir and Dhoni pull us through it all. The huge screen showed us everything we wished and when the ball went over the ropes for the last time…the moment when the cup became ours…hundreds of us, joined together by destiny for the last two years, danced, hooted, howled and celebrated! The Indian flag was waving in SKH and cameras clicked, locking the memory of the moment and the memories of the ones we shared it with!

Sharing a world cup win with your batch mates, watching the last minutes with hearts in your mouth in an auditorium where you have been entertained for the last two years…

We owe a huge thanks to our dean, Dr. Gurumuthy Kalyanaram for being the change that we had dreamt of…

I will remember that moment of world cup all my life…

Years down the lane…I will miss the batchmates I shared this moment with!

ASB rocks!!! You have a doubt? Just watch videos of SKH yesterday!!!!

TBC…

47 Things I will miss about ASB(39)

2011-04-03T00:30:00.000+05:30

THE CHAINS AT AMRITA….

The shackles that hold together many things…Definitely worth blogging…

The pen that hangs by a thread near the register at the hostel! Funny how we tug at it, try to pull it till we fill in the last column!

The news paper bound by the string preventing us from taking just what we want….

The chains that hold the tumblers together at the coolers, the loud noise that emanates when we try tugging it to our mouths and it slams back…

The chains at the gate that forms the barricade between us and the world…

Chains at ASB…that may look like the barrier…but the ones that link us closer…

I will miss it so badly

TBC…

47 Things I will miss about ASB(38)

2011-04-02T11:49:00.001+05:30

TOGETHER... A GOODBYE...

Bidding goodbye was never easy… and when we thought two years would be too long, we were so very wrong!

The batch trip was everything we imagined could happen at Amrita… The fun en-route, the dances, the hooting, screeching and howling… The cat calls, the food…the boating during which renoy and I screamed our hearts and lungs out J, the monkeys on the way, the water falls… everything that made the trip what it was…

The clicks after clicks and the GBs that ensued, the lull that fell on the way back, intelligent conversations on the back seat of the bus with Basant, and DG sir’s views and advises, the dinner I sat though, not eating tiniest bit nevertheless enjoying evey bit of what was happening… even the splitting headache that plagued!

Sharing tablets and water bottles… feeling that you are so close to reality that it was frightening…

And well… everything and everyone that made that trip so very wonderful…

I will miss it so much!!!

TBC…

47 Things I will miss about ASB(37)

2011-04-02T02:14:00.001+05:30

THE CORNERED ONE

The corner of every room has an eternal fixture- avoided, hated, ignored, stale and probably overflowing!!! The fate of a laundry bag!!!

The one thing I avoid like plague is- Washing! Partly the reason why I pack my bags to brim and take the first available train home is, well, my wardrobe is almost completely in the laundry bag!

I always thought Jeans was the best invention ever! Probably not for all the moms who was themJ!!! But the black pyjamas and dupatta we gals wear every other day are simply the best!!! Unbeatablly convenient!!!

Washing was a ritual in 1^st year, on Sundays that we weren’t in Coimbatore! Anupama, Kirthigha, Sunanada and I would occupy the row of washing stones and it was actually fun! I guess Kiruthigha was the most sincere! While I soak, scrub, wash and dip, pull out clothes from fabric conditioner and pour a lid of Dettol like garnishing ‘em in 20 minutes flat (irrespective of the quantity of clothes), Kiruthigha would actually be scrubbing them clean!!!

Well…nevertheless, I gave the habit up for good! Now I have a proud yellow laundry bag in the corner, smirking at me with a look that says, “Try harder, may be you could stuff more”, and well, I oblige!!!

I will miss the brimming overflowing laundry bag in the corner so very much!!!

Coimbatore to Melbourne: A Sojourn to remember! (Part 1)

2011-04-01T07:28:00.001+05:30

Phew!

A month of hard work to make it happen, a weekend of travel to reach there, and three days of exhilarating fun and work – If only words could describe the experience that was ESOMAR Asia-Pacific conference 2011!

In this post, I attempt to capture my journey from a small town in South India to Melbourne, the second largest city in Australia (after Sydney) to attend the ESOMAR Asia-Pacific conference there.

This is not an account of the ESOMAR event itself, but the experience of my trip to the event. To read more about the event, please follow these links to blogs we students compiled for ESOMAR….

http://rwconnect.esomar.org/2011/03/22/asia-pacific-2011-day-1/

http://rwconnect.esomar.org/2011/03/24/asia-pacific-2011-day-1-2/

17, 18^th March: Onward journey

The sweltering heat was getting the better of me. Amidst beads of perspiration, I peered out of the window of Coimbatore-Chennai intercity express. The train was pulling into Chennai central. It had been 6 long hours since early morning when I boarded from Coimbatore. Stepping onto Chennai central felt like stepping into a hot cauldron. But all the discomfort was quickly forgotten when I ran through the list of things to do: Check into a hotel, Meet Anand Menon (ASB alumni) at Thomas Cook, collect my passport, get a haircut, have lunch, and make sure I reach the airport 3 hours before departure …. The list looked daunting, given the little time at hand! But then, the past few days had taught me how short a leash life can hand you down with. It had been a roller-coaster week. From the time I got that mail from ESOMAR (“Congratulations, see you at Melbourne!”), I had barely had my forty winks. The struggle to get my visa stamped from the consulate in record 5 days and the struggle to book my flight tickets in time are in themselves a story worth another blog post. But all that was behind me now. What remained was that feeling of elation at having made it and the anticipation about what awaited me at Melbourne.

Walking out of the station, I quickly checked into a hotel. I kept my bags in my room, tipped the bell boy (to make sure my bags are there when I come back!) and rushed into a waiting auto. “Anna, Thomas Cook office, Chetpet”.

Thomas Cook office: The A.C was a welcome relief from the outside heat. After a short wait at the reception, Anand walked in. He took me into his cabin. That’s right, his cabin. He headed the place…. and the entire Forex operations for Thomas Cook in Chennai. It slowly dawned upon me why he was such a celebrated ASB alumni. Anand handles sales targets that run well into over a thousand crore.

After a short tete-e-tete, that included everything from his work, to our final placements, to summer internships at TCL for our first years, he took me to Vasudevan, his colleague. Vasu handed me my passport, freshly stamped with an Australian visa. The feeling when you see the first visa stamp ever on your passport is…. well, priceless! J

After a short nap back at the hotel, I had a quick dinner and headed off to the Airport. Now, for an international flight one needs to be at the airport at least two to three hours in advance. And I quickly realized why. Entering the airport, I found a battery of checks and procedures to go through. I had done domestic flights before. But this was completely different. Check-in your luggage, get your hand baggage tagged, join the long immigration-check line, join the security-check line and finally, get your baggage and body whisked by security. This is the tough part. You have to place your shoes, laptop, mobile, purse, etc in a special tray and make sure you don’t have any metal objects on person. Once you are whisked, you are required to collect all the items from the tray and clear out in quick time, before people waiting behind you in line start cursing! And finally when you are through with that entire circus, grab something to eat before you board the flight.

18 March, 12.45 AM, the flight from Chennai to Kuala Lumpur takes off. Inside, sits a nervous fellow who is leaving the shores of India for the first time in his life. J

A brief stop-over at Kuala Lumpur: I have a three hour wait before I board another flight to Melbourne. I decided to take a walk through the airport. That was when I had my first brush with International shopping: Brands that I had only read about – Starbucks, Hermes, Gucci, Armani, Harrods, Tissot …. Suddenly was surrounded by them!

Before I knew, three hours flew by in all that window shopping. I rushed to Gate No.5, departure gate for my flight. Very soon I found myself on a Malaysian airlines flight bound to Melbourne. It was an eight hour long flight. To blunt the passage of time, they had in-flight entertainment panels in front of every seat. One could choose from a range of movies in English, Malay and Regional languages (including Hindi). I chose ‘Black Swan’, given the rave reviews. They kept us well fed throughout the flight. Rice and shrimp curry, chicken croissants, sandwiches, orange juice, cappuccino, chocolate pastry, and finally an ice cream. The economy flight didn’t really feel like “economy” to the stomach. J

I was tired ….but the anticipation and the excitement about what lay ahead for me at Melbourne would barely let me sleep. I was soon to experience life in a city that I had only seen on a map…...

The Executive Development Program held in ASB on 16 March 2011

2011-03-30T19:33:00.003+05:30

It started on March 16, 2011 with the lighting the lamp ceremony followed by a wonderful speech by our dear Dean G Kalyanaraman, popularly known as GK. The speakers were introduced and the stage was taken over by the first speaker Paul David. The topic he wanted to discuss was Leadership Transition and Change Management. It was not a lecture as I expected it to be. It was a full time interactive session. The session included an exercise where we were asked to quote the names of some leaders whom we think are charismatic and the names were written on the board. Then a discussion on each leader took place. It was fascinating to see how enthusiastic the corporates were in giving in their inputs. It was interesting to see the speaker listen to each of the comments and even learn things which he was not very aware of.

There were many examples quoted and through those examples various points were covered. The session continued with the second speaker David L Ford giving us managerial insights regarding individual / leader, team and organizational effectiveness. This also involved a few exercises like the bar graph exercise which gave us an opportunity to reflect into ourselves. He was followed by Dr. Ella who gave an insight on how to deal with diversity.

As an HR, I would say the session gave me an opportunity to brush through the theories which I have learned in OB, HRM and Leadership in my MBA. More than that, this give me a chance to listen to speakers from different nations and cultures, meet people from different companies and be a part of the various discussions which took place during the session. It was a treat to see them get introduced to each other and to see them chit chatting during the tea breaks. And it was captivating to see our dean play the role of a moderator and handle the disagreements with a flavor of humor. On a whole I would say it was a great learning experience both on an academic as well as the on the social front.

47 Things I will miss about ASB(36)

2011-03-30T00:34:00.001+05:30

Being sent off L

Saying goodbye is never easy…So it was finally our farewell today! Must say, it was absolutely wonderful! Once more, SKH got to witness talent! Dances, songs and games- things were so lovely.

Tea and snacks served on the ASB lawns, the screening of crowd to find a comfy place, posing for GBs of photographs…shutter bug that bites all of us… The applause that hasn’t yet died down, the revenants of make-up left to be wiped off and the heartbeat that hasn’t slowed down after the DJ…

The coffee mug that spoke everything about our two years here… the launch of the E-magazine and the yummy food…. Saying Goodbye was made easy by our beloved juniors!

A goodbye which wasn’t a tear jerker…but a celebration of friendship and togetherness…

I will miss these juniors who have never ceased to amaze us…

TBC…

Women. 25X7

2011-03-30T00:16:00.004+05:30

My First Blog....what can be a better topic to open my account!

“Women”, a topic which is really close to my heart and time and again, knowingly or unknowingly I have spoken, expressed, condemned or supported issues related to 'women'! May be because I am a woman and from such society where she is respected, honoured and also suppressed to certain degree! Yes, I am a Meitei, the major community from Manipur. We have an entirely different outlook towards the roles & responsibilities of ‘women’. Generally in India, women are encouraged to do household work and be homemakers. Whereas in my place, the eligible and the most sought after daughter-in-laws are the ones who are working, preferably in a government sector and expect them to do the same even after marriage. Each woman is expected to earn, look after their in-laws, raise the children and not to forget, to socialize as well! It may seem loads of task but believe me it’s doable! My mother did it and I plan to do the same...A Super Woman! Women. 25X7!

This is the topic of the convention I recently attended. This Convention was organised by the Madras Management Association (MMA) on 19th March 2011 at Hotel Taj Coromandel, Chennai. And some ASBians got the chance to participate in this event since ASB was the Academic Partner. I was one of the lucky ASBians.

The eight hours long Convention had thrown some insights on the nature and role of women and how a woman can successfully fulfil all these roles. As a part of the inaugural session, Mrs. Sabitha, Director, Cerebus Consultants, had mentioned the concept of ‘Super Women’. We women are so determined to be a good daughter, a very good wife, an understanding and caring daughter-in-law, a nurturing mother, a friendly neighbour......a seer perfectionist in each and every role she plays! Impossible but (it looks) so possible! Women by nature are perfectionist! We strive for perfection in all the roles we play. Sabitha reasoned out that it’s natural to have shortcomings, and it is almost impossible to excel in all the roles. She also cited her own life as an example when in midst of fulfilling all the responsibilities, she had told many a times, ‘Wished I had more than 24 hours a day’. That’s how she connects to the topic of the Convention “Women. 25X7”, women performing different roles for 25 hours, seven days in a week!

Another thing which struck me was the findings of the survey results of Women. 25X7. I must say, I do have many doubts in my mind....how these surveys were done, what was the hypothesis, what was the sample size, how was the sample selected, the background of the sample, and how genuine were the responses of the people surveyed. Of the many findings, some of the very ‘heavenly-like’ findings were 74% of the male respondents said that they will relocate to another place for their wives’ career growth, majority of the females said they are treated as equals by the male colleagues, etc. These findings seemed so good to be true. If this is the reality, then I believe we have come a long way to reach the ideal state where there are no man-made differences between genders and all human beings are treated as equals! But as my experience goes, I could hardly swallow the statement that even half of the male population will be willing to relocate for their wives' career! But as one of the panellists Mr. Muthukumar Thanu said that instead of questioning the findings, we should acknowledge the result of these findings at the face value and then work towards achieving better results. May be this is another way of looking at the findings!

Another personality I instantly felt connected with was Ms. Farzana Haque, Global Head- Large Accounts SBU, TCS. She is a young, highly successful and a dynamic person. She spoke about commitment to work, self and community. She explained how important networking plays in ones career, especially for women. She also cited her personal example how her mother had ingrained in her that hard work is the only key to success. Despite being from a conservative Muslim family, her parents supported her and enabled her to become what she is now.

Last but not the least, one ‘Surprise’ panellist who moved the audience and got two ‘jabardast’ round of applause was our own Meera ma’am, Associate Professor, Finance (Amrita School of Business). Today at the Convention, madam’s story of her encounter with two kinds of women took the audience by surprise.

While all the panellists have been talking about themselves, how they have achieved or succeeded and what one should do, ma’am stunned us by narrating the story of a woman who became an entrepreneur by accident! Accident because she had never imagined herself to be enterprising any business and the idea of the business came as a result of an unfortunate accident that happened to her family. She had lost a very close family member and on whom the responsibility of organizing the ‘Sharadha’ ceremony rest. She was quite in a dilemma, on one hand she was mourning the loss and on the other hand she was expected to look after the rituals and ceremony! She then decided to form an organisation which will help a mourning family host a ‘Sharadha’ ceremony. The idea clicked instantly and she is successfully running the organisation now. What a wonderful idea; business which is profitable yet with a strong social motive! Another was the incident that happened during the Tsunami Relief Camp. A devastated woman, a tsunami victim had just come to know that she had lost her child. Despite the loss, the woman offered herself as a volunteer in identifying the lifeless bodies. A rare courage and determination!

Once again, we have shown why we stand apart from others. When other panellist were sharing their own story, we shared a story of two ordinary women, which anyone can relate to, despite hardships have proved themselves in their own way! If these women who are less fortunate than many of us, can surpass the situation and stand up for bigger, better cause; many of us, irrespective of gender, why can’t we overcome and face bigger challenges, and yet achieve better....food for thought!

47 Things I will miss about ASB(35)

2011-03-29T01:47:00.000+05:30

Ideas... Never Short of em…

Its everywhere…and everyone keeps having loads of em… ideas and ASB…the inseparable twins.

Already used the month’s gate pass? “Don’t worry… I have an idea!”, says someone. “There is an event coming up…let’s get a poster up.” Script, design, printing…everything falls into place and every time it is better than the last!

Ideas…when someone doodles on the notebook, an idea is born! Ideas that led to Pragatis, Ideas that bled to some great presentations, Ideas that made subbu bring a train on powerpoint that huffs and puffs to the Ettimadai station, idea that made karthik think of a awater bottle for the batch, idea that made kiruthigha think of signatures around it, idea that made someone think of thirumoorthy falls for the batch trip, idea that made us skip lunch and eat at canteen (which was a very bad idea, on an aftermath), the idea to start the blog and the ideas from Renoy, Anupama, Subbu and Halley that kept it going…

Ideas…ASB is full of them..we are full of them!!!

I will miss ideating and witnessing ideas so badly…

TBC…

47 Things I will miss about ASB(34)

2011-03-28T19:03:00.001+05:30

WHEN IT FILTERS...

The crowd is full on in IT hub these days! Last minute presentations and well, the AC!!! The series of 47 already has IT Hub in the list…but I almost forgot…

FORTIGUARD webfiltering!!! The integral part of searches at ASB!!! I’ve been seeing this screen for 5 years now…UG days at Amrita were full of these messages. We used to be hell shared in the first year that our IDs would be blocked as we were trying to access unauthorized content!( IT Hubs in Amritapuri are much stricter than ours J). Well, so this is the grind. You get it once and then you keep getting it! Its like a jinx! And this orange and black screen has been the villain of many! Some days you feel you wanna hear a joke, or are so bored that you wanna play hangman! Try…All you get is the Fortiguard screen! Cricket streaming, YouTube and now Facebook, its web is spreading and catching onto everything that makes us tick!!!

The moments when we click on a link and hold our breath for a long second wishing the orange-black monster doesn’t pop up…and the happiness of finding something that the web team has missed… I’ve been having those happy moments for 5 dear years…and will miss them so badly!!!

TBC…

47 Things I will miss about ASB(33)

2011-03-26T23:42:00.002+05:30

5 rupees and the world is Orangy!!!

Like yesterday’s post on surprises…there are so many little things that bring that wide smile on our faces…

Like for instance, the ice lolly…or paddle pop as kwality walls calls it, or ice candy as we were taught at the convents. Orange stick…watery, cold, orangy –orange stick! Happiness that comes from sitting on the hostel verandas at 8pm and enjoying as the the teeth and mouth turns orange. Orange is the colour of happiness…

With summer heat comes the craving for ice lolly. I might have chanted “I want Ice lolly so badly” at least a dozen times to anupama today! Her answer cannot be reproduced here, but what she meant was that she could not synthesise it/ salvage it JJJ. I had almost given up hope, when I saw Kiruthigha coming with fresh dripping orangey Ice lolly!

As we relished our second ice lolly I told Anupama, “5 rupees can still bring unfathomable happiness in 2011!!!” and she gave an orangy smile and said, “Heyyy… Blog about it!!!”

So here it is today… the Orangy Ice Lolly…that I will miss…

TBC…

47 Things I will miss about ASB(32)

2011-03-25T20:47:00.002+05:30

A SURPRISE FOR EVERYDAY!!!

Surprises: the little ones that make a big difference! Ettimadai and ASB are so full of it. Some surprises that bring a special glint in our eyes and some that put the light out of our eyes for a few moments. Surprises nevertheless… that make each day worth writing about J

It could be the red jam-hearts the canteen put on the pastries on valentine’s day and the tricolour cream flag that appeared on the chocolate pastries on republic day- little things that made a smile creep up our lips. The geese that caught the hearts of participants during Pragati, the hundreds of photographs that they posed for, the gobi parathas that we used to get in the canteen in the first trimester of 2009, the moon that is extra bright on some days, or the rain that falls without any reason like it did today…like Halley posted earlier, the varsha and its scents… so earthy and heady! And surprises like the chocolates that Bala sir gave us today topped with the genuine expression of the batch we were! Such genuine compliments from a faculty who has signed greatest number of leave forms J surprises!!!

The surprises of the last classes and surprises which are in the air…

I will miss them so badly
TBC...

47 Things I will miss about ASB(31)

2011-03-25T01:29:00.001+05:30

PEACOCKS OF PLANET E

How can the blogs about Planet E be complete without one about the king of birds? Planet E’s fair share of peacocks…

Before I joined this campus a friend had spoken about peacocks in Ettimadai. He drew as he talked and soon there were cycles, pathways, buildings and departments, stores, railway lines and well…the peacocks. “They fly!!!”, he smiled as he recalled!

Yes, they fly…and perch on top of the wall, hang their plumes for show on the other side of the wall and sit with such pride! The peacocks that make us stop and take notice of them however busy we are or how bad a day it is…

The peacocks and peahens that call for each other and the little ones, barely bigger than a hen…the sight of them cross the road near our college! The peacock feathers that I picked up and gathered during my fist year…the little blue feathers and the grey ones with dots… I had a hundred in all J

The peacocks and their beautiful plumes and the moment we spare to take a look at them…

I will miss it dearly

TBC…