After 2 weeks of pre-MBA , I thought we might get some respite over the weekend before we embark on our journey of acquiring knowledge to become managers for the future.However after the festivities of Friday nite when the bunch of us went to have a nice,quite evening at Mall of Asia (MOA), the events which unfolded during the nite more or less ruined the weekend that was to follow.Not that I didn't enjoy myself at Hoopster's and then later at Pandi's Point along with Akshel,Aseem,Nash,Harsh & Emile; however the festivities went so late into the nite that it ate into my day on Saturday.However, I couldn't have asked for a better way to unwind after a gruesome week in pre-MBA.
Another development which has taken place in the last few days is the formation of our "CAN group"...A kind of study group which will be part of my life @ AIM for the next 8 months.
Well my group consists of Dr. Preeti (our CP), Mukul ( a really chilled guy),Vivek G.(experience hand at work), Emile ( the wizard as I like to call him since he is awesome with presentations and analytical thinking) & last but not the least Mikko(Our own financial & accounting wizard).
I am quite satisfied with my CAN group (No. 8), and am looking forward to the next few terms where our collective effort will define how we perform individually in this highly competitive & demanding MBA course @ AIM.
p.s: I don't understand the fuss everyone is creating about the lack of time or the high tension & anxiety everyone in my batch is facing already.:) :) :).I guess my time still has to come...
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Week 1of (pre-MBA) @ AIM...Barely survived...
Week 1 started on 11th May'09, with my first blush with a subject known as "Language of Business" or LOB for short.As I have progressed along the week, it seems more and more certain that my survival in this fiercest of college (AIM) in terms of happiness and peace of mind depends on my grasp and comfort level in this subject.
Our Professor (Hilario Tan), one of the best I have encountered till date in my short and sweet educational career has sent the shiver wave across the batch about the perils of not understanding LOB.
Next comes Economics in our pre-MBA course of 2 weeks.Our prof in economics Mr. Federico M. Macaranas is one of the most remarkable man I have met in my life yet.His insight and understanding of economics is par excellence and his way of teaching has really changed my outlook towards economics completely.The way he provides real life examples for different concepts in economics is quite remarkable.I just wonder what would have happened if my professors back home in India, were half as good as the ones here in AIM.
The 3rd and the last subject to be undertaken in the pre-MBA course is the QA, one of the few subjects I have had a prior idea about before I joined up this course.Our professor for this subject is also our program director going by the name Wilfred S. Jr. Manuela, PhD.A relative young man and one of the most friendliest professors of this college.
Well this entire week has gone within a blink of a eyesight.The daily time table has started with lectures early in the morning at 8 am till afternoon 3.30 - 4 pm. A short nap of 45-50 mins followed by self study and reading for the next day.The night ends around 4 a.m in the morning,after having spend the entire night figuring out why I have invested close to 15 lakhs for all this hardship and tension.The only saving grace in my opinion is that once and if I survive these grueling 16 months in AIM, I am sure to come out of here, a better man in every respect of the way.
Well I am off for the Friday festivities. A beer pub has been organized for us, Student of MBA cohort 4.The first official get together of our group.
Cheers...
P.S:- Have to crack LOB over the weekend + I believe the Ambani's should not pay any player in the MI team for this year's IPL. How can you loose the plot when one needs 5 runs off 7 balls with 4 wickets in hand and ends up being all out with a ball to spare losing by 3 runs.(APPALLING)
Our Professor (Hilario Tan), one of the best I have encountered till date in my short and sweet educational career has sent the shiver wave across the batch about the perils of not understanding LOB.
Next comes Economics in our pre-MBA course of 2 weeks.Our prof in economics Mr. Federico M. Macaranas is one of the most remarkable man I have met in my life yet.His insight and understanding of economics is par excellence and his way of teaching has really changed my outlook towards economics completely.The way he provides real life examples for different concepts in economics is quite remarkable.I just wonder what would have happened if my professors back home in India, were half as good as the ones here in AIM.
The 3rd and the last subject to be undertaken in the pre-MBA course is the QA, one of the few subjects I have had a prior idea about before I joined up this course.Our professor for this subject is also our program director going by the name Wilfred S. Jr. Manuela, PhD.A relative young man and one of the most friendliest professors of this college.
Well this entire week has gone within a blink of a eyesight.The daily time table has started with lectures early in the morning at 8 am till afternoon 3.30 - 4 pm. A short nap of 45-50 mins followed by self study and reading for the next day.The night ends around 4 a.m in the morning,after having spend the entire night figuring out why I have invested close to 15 lakhs for all this hardship and tension.The only saving grace in my opinion is that once and if I survive these grueling 16 months in AIM, I am sure to come out of here, a better man in every respect of the way.
Well I am off for the Friday festivities. A beer pub has been organized for us, Student of MBA cohort 4.The first official get together of our group.
Cheers...
P.S:- Have to crack LOB over the weekend + I believe the Ambani's should not pay any player in the MI team for this year's IPL. How can you loose the plot when one needs 5 runs off 7 balls with 4 wickets in hand and ends up being all out with a ball to spare losing by 3 runs.(APPALLING)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Manila Here I Am...
So finally after 25 yrs and 6 months, I finally got the chance to realize the pleasure of traveling to a foreign country.On 6th May'09 I bid adieu to my folks in India and embarked on a new journey in the pursuit of enlightenment (read a MBA degree).
So a night after I saw Manchester United butcher the Arsenal defense in the 2nd leg of the UCL semi-final at the Emirates, I was on my way to the airport and within 16 hrs was in another country.
My first impression of Manila and that of my college i.e AIM was WOW...Where the hell have I landed...This place is beautiful.
The first thing that strikes anyone who visit's this country for the first time is the smile on the faces of the Filipinos.The people of this country are extremely friendly and always with a smile on their face.
The malls are huge, bigger than any I have seen or imagined back in India.
The college is awesome & the first few days have gone down with me going of to sleep as the sun rises,having no idea what time it is...
As the first official day @ AIM comes to an end at 2.39 am (now), I am still lagging behind the schedule and work left for tomorrow morning's lecture which actually occurs in the next 6 hrs.
Anyways updates about the weekend and the first day is still to come...Hope I get the time within the next few days.
Cheers...
So a night after I saw Manchester United butcher the Arsenal defense in the 2nd leg of the UCL semi-final at the Emirates, I was on my way to the airport and within 16 hrs was in another country.
My first impression of Manila and that of my college i.e AIM was WOW...Where the hell have I landed...This place is beautiful.
The first thing that strikes anyone who visit's this country for the first time is the smile on the faces of the Filipinos.The people of this country are extremely friendly and always with a smile on their face.
The malls are huge, bigger than any I have seen or imagined back in India.
The college is awesome & the first few days have gone down with me going of to sleep as the sun rises,having no idea what time it is...
As the first official day @ AIM comes to an end at 2.39 am (now), I am still lagging behind the schedule and work left for tomorrow morning's lecture which actually occurs in the next 6 hrs.
Anyways updates about the weekend and the first day is still to come...Hope I get the time within the next few days.
Cheers...
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Passport blues revisited...
In June 2004, I had applied for my passport hoping that I'll like many others from my engineering batch,too shall crack the GRE exam and pursue my future in the United States of America...Alas, what I didn't know was that getting my passport in hand would be a adventure in itself.Let me explain...
I had registered 14th September'04 (Tuesday) as my GRE test taking date.However till 7th September'04, I received no news of my passport and also went to the passport office to inquire for the same.After all the traveling and meeting different people in the end I decided to postpone my exam to the 28th of the same month.
My passport finally reached my house on 15th Sept'04;a day later than my first GRE date.Since I wasn't home to receive the passport myself the postman left a chit and I had to go to the local post office the next morning to take my passport on my way to college.
This is where the actual bad luck starts.I went to the post office early in the morning (8.00 am) of the 15th-Sept'04 and took my brand new passport from the post office and went to college as usual in my car.
Around 11 am I went to Vile Parle and left my bag with the passport in it inside the car to run some chore.By the time I returned i.e within 5 mins, the bag in the backseat of my car was nowhere to be seen...Can you believe it!!! The day I get hands on my passport the very same day I lose it...
Since I lost my passport I had to cancel my GRE exam taking date.Well the story doesn't end here.
In mid October'04 I get a call from my local post office informing that they have a parcel for me with my passport in it.Now I was surprised.It was already a month or so since I had lost the passport but luckily for me my passport was in the envelope in which it was posted to me by the RPO. So I guess the guy who stole my bag did the nicest bit of thing by posting the envelope back. So finally I got hold my passport for good.
Fast forward to mid 2006 and I am caught in a rainy day at office with the same passport in my bag. God knows why I chose to take the passport from my office locker to my house in Pune on the same day when it was raining the heaviest.Well as one could imagine, my bag got wet and my passport also got a bit wet and damaged at the edges.However I didn't thing too much about it because all the vital pages were unaffected.
Back to the present and in 2009. Since I am planning to travel to Manilla for my MBA in May first week, I made another trip to the old passport office to get my PCC (police clearance certificate) done.The procedure was simple and the work was done in a matter of a few hours.
However, I needed to make one final trip to the RPO, to get my ECNR done too.I went for the same on 2nd April'09 and to my utter shock was told that my passport was damaged and it would be difficult to get an ECNR stamp on the passport because a few of the pages were smudged due to water.
One can just imagine the shock which was there on my face at that precise moment when the madam at the counter blankly told me to apply for a new passport in tatkal and do the entire procedure for PCC & ECNR again.The same lady who a forthnight ago had taken my application for PCC and passed it in a eye blink.Well I composed myself and tried to reason with the maam at the counter and then on her insistence wrote a letter addressed to the chief of RPO Mumbai, who would be the one to sign on my ECNR in the passport, explaining him/here my circumstances.
I was told to come back on Monday, a good three days later at 4.30 pm and collect my passport from the new passport office in Worli.
To get my mind off the tension, I left for Pune the same day and returned only on Sunday morning.
Monday evening I was there at the passport office sharp at 4.30 pm, with my heart in my mouth and the thought of having to go through the entire passport application process again creating havoc to my piece of mind.
Thankfully, when my chance came and I showed the guy my receipt, instead of telling me that my ECNR was not done, I was pleasantly surprised when he asked me to sign on the form and check my passport for the ECNR stamp.It was done. They didn't raise any objectionand my passport was good to go.
Finally, now I guess there wouldn't be any hindrance for me to get my first visa stamped on my passport. After 5 years of waiting, I can look forward to my first trip outside India.
Thank you god and fingered crossed for my visa application...:)
I had registered 14th September'04 (Tuesday) as my GRE test taking date.However till 7th September'04, I received no news of my passport and also went to the passport office to inquire for the same.After all the traveling and meeting different people in the end I decided to postpone my exam to the 28th of the same month.
My passport finally reached my house on 15th Sept'04;a day later than my first GRE date.Since I wasn't home to receive the passport myself the postman left a chit and I had to go to the local post office the next morning to take my passport on my way to college.
This is where the actual bad luck starts.I went to the post office early in the morning (8.00 am) of the 15th-Sept'04 and took my brand new passport from the post office and went to college as usual in my car.
Around 11 am I went to Vile Parle and left my bag with the passport in it inside the car to run some chore.By the time I returned i.e within 5 mins, the bag in the backseat of my car was nowhere to be seen...Can you believe it!!! The day I get hands on my passport the very same day I lose it...
Since I lost my passport I had to cancel my GRE exam taking date.Well the story doesn't end here.
In mid October'04 I get a call from my local post office informing that they have a parcel for me with my passport in it.Now I was surprised.It was already a month or so since I had lost the passport but luckily for me my passport was in the envelope in which it was posted to me by the RPO. So I guess the guy who stole my bag did the nicest bit of thing by posting the envelope back. So finally I got hold my passport for good.
Fast forward to mid 2006 and I am caught in a rainy day at office with the same passport in my bag. God knows why I chose to take the passport from my office locker to my house in Pune on the same day when it was raining the heaviest.Well as one could imagine, my bag got wet and my passport also got a bit wet and damaged at the edges.However I didn't thing too much about it because all the vital pages were unaffected.
Back to the present and in 2009. Since I am planning to travel to Manilla for my MBA in May first week, I made another trip to the old passport office to get my PCC (police clearance certificate) done.The procedure was simple and the work was done in a matter of a few hours.
However, I needed to make one final trip to the RPO, to get my ECNR done too.I went for the same on 2nd April'09 and to my utter shock was told that my passport was damaged and it would be difficult to get an ECNR stamp on the passport because a few of the pages were smudged due to water.
One can just imagine the shock which was there on my face at that precise moment when the madam at the counter blankly told me to apply for a new passport in tatkal and do the entire procedure for PCC & ECNR again.The same lady who a forthnight ago had taken my application for PCC and passed it in a eye blink.Well I composed myself and tried to reason with the maam at the counter and then on her insistence wrote a letter addressed to the chief of RPO Mumbai, who would be the one to sign on my ECNR in the passport, explaining him/here my circumstances.
I was told to come back on Monday, a good three days later at 4.30 pm and collect my passport from the new passport office in Worli.
To get my mind off the tension, I left for Pune the same day and returned only on Sunday morning.
Monday evening I was there at the passport office sharp at 4.30 pm, with my heart in my mouth and the thought of having to go through the entire passport application process again creating havoc to my piece of mind.
Thankfully, when my chance came and I showed the guy my receipt, instead of telling me that my ECNR was not done, I was pleasantly surprised when he asked me to sign on the form and check my passport for the ECNR stamp.It was done. They didn't raise any objectionand my passport was good to go.
Finally, now I guess there wouldn't be any hindrance for me to get my first visa stamped on my passport. After 5 years of waiting, I can look forward to my first trip outside India.
Thank you god and fingered crossed for my visa application...:)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
AIM Batch meet...
Date:- 22nd March'09
Time:- 16.00 hrs
Place:- CCD at Carter Road,Bandra
Occassion:- First meet up with my AIM batchmates.
Finally, after a 6 month wait, I came to know in the 3rd week of March about my future classmates who were going to accompany and become my friends in AIM,Manilla.
A few of us met up to get to know each other on 22nd March'09, on a glorious sunday afternoon.
The five of us i.e Harsh,Avinash,Gouri,Agin and your truly met for a chat...
It was a fascinating meet and the diversity within the five of us has just whetted my appetite to know the rest of my batch asap.
A small profile of the guys I met,
Harsh- The entrepreneur
Gouri- The judo master & fitness instructor
Avinash- The gold banker
Agin- The software and finance expert.
With such a diverse group of people I can imagine that my time in AIM is going to be an interesting one with different viewpoints on different issues from various quarters.
A welcome change from my time as a S.E. where everyone had the same opinion about things (Life sucks unless onsite comes calling...).
Time:- 16.00 hrs
Place:- CCD at Carter Road,Bandra
Occassion:- First meet up with my AIM batchmates.
Finally, after a 6 month wait, I came to know in the 3rd week of March about my future classmates who were going to accompany and become my friends in AIM,Manilla.
A few of us met up to get to know each other on 22nd March'09, on a glorious sunday afternoon.
The five of us i.e Harsh,Avinash,Gouri,Agin and your truly met for a chat...
It was a fascinating meet and the diversity within the five of us has just whetted my appetite to know the rest of my batch asap.
A small profile of the guys I met,
Harsh- The entrepreneur
Gouri- The judo master & fitness instructor
Avinash- The gold banker
Agin- The software and finance expert.
With such a diverse group of people I can imagine that my time in AIM is going to be an interesting one with different viewpoints on different issues from various quarters.
A welcome change from my time as a S.E. where everyone had the same opinion about things (Life sucks unless onsite comes calling...).
Squash...A new favourite !!
It's been 3 months now,since I left Infosys and Pune. It's also the same time period for which I haven't touched a football.Going by my time in Infosys where we used to play every alternate day and at least on every weekend, the present scenario seems to be unthinkable.
However to keep myself busy and more importantly fit, I have taken squash in a big way since coming back to Mumbai. Not that I didn't play squash in Infosys, but then I used just play the game not knowing anything about technique, strategy or game sense.I just played the game hitting the ball well and trying to return everything which came my way.
However,from the time I have started training with my marker(coach is known as marker)since the start of February, I have found a new zeal as well as enthusiasm for the game.Not that I was bad at the game, but I could never give a good account of myself due to the inconsistencies and the wrong technique I had inherited in my time playing the sport at Infosys.
Back to the present & now I am more confident about my own game,more aware about my opponent's skills and my position around the court.Though I need to learn a lot more to become a really good player,still I am happy with the progress I have made in the last few months and the way I have taken a liking for the game.
Finally,I have a sport which I can look forward to play for the rest of my adult life,given that continuing to play football regularly is going to be very difficult task.
However to keep myself busy and more importantly fit, I have taken squash in a big way since coming back to Mumbai. Not that I didn't play squash in Infosys, but then I used just play the game not knowing anything about technique, strategy or game sense.I just played the game hitting the ball well and trying to return everything which came my way.
However,from the time I have started training with my marker(coach is known as marker)since the start of February, I have found a new zeal as well as enthusiasm for the game.Not that I was bad at the game, but I could never give a good account of myself due to the inconsistencies and the wrong technique I had inherited in my time playing the sport at Infosys.
Back to the present & now I am more confident about my own game,more aware about my opponent's skills and my position around the court.Though I need to learn a lot more to become a really good player,still I am happy with the progress I have made in the last few months and the way I have taken a liking for the game.
Finally,I have a sport which I can look forward to play for the rest of my adult life,given that continuing to play football regularly is going to be very difficult task.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Retrospect of the second half of 2008.
The second half of 2008 brought with it new challenges and loads of great news…
June: - As I had stated in the previous blog (retrospect of 1st half of 2008) about my football with team Infosys; June started off with the first 11 a side tourney of the year in the form of the Deccan Gymkhana Football tournament. After having practised for close to 4 months on the lush green ground of Infosys Pune; the team was confident about a good showing in the new season and I donned a new role as the first choice keeper of the team. June went by and we qualified for the final of the tournament.
July: - July was one of the most happening months for me in 2008. First there was a small case of playing against Kanbay in the final of the Deccan IT tournament which took place on the 5th of that month. We won the tournament beating them by a score line of 1-0. The game was more significant for me since it was supposed to be my last game for Infosys Pune, since I had got transferred to Mysore for the next 6 months. My team-mates gave me a guard of honour and I also came up with a MOM kind of performance during the game. We had a blast the same night partying our heart out at Veer Da Dhaba (not the highway one) till the wee hours of the night.
The next agenda on the list for July was to travel to Mysore, since my project had got transferred to the city of Tipu Sultan. I left on 10th of July and set foot in the Infosys Mysore campus on the 11th. The period in Mysore with the ABN AMRO team was one of my best times professionally as a software engineer. I lead a team of 7 to gather KT on the entire debitcards application and won myself an award for the same.
On the AIM front, I got the news that Aug08 batch was not happening for me and that I might be considered for the May09 intake. The decision would be known by September end.
July and August was spent working in the beautiful Mysore campus. I was joined by Gagan and Shruti at the Infosys hostel and the 2 weeks I spent with them were awesome fun. We worked hard during the day and went partying every night to the different restaurants and pubs in Mysore.
Along the way I also made a trip to Bangalore along with Shruti and we partied at the Hard Rock Café, Bengaluru (my first experience of the renowned HRC franchise).
It was an amazing experience and the night was unbelievable.
I also caught the Indian women team in action at the Mysore campus where they were having their annual training camp. It was exciting to catch glimpse of the eves of Indian cricket and the sights of Mithali Raj, Anjum Chopra, Julan Goswami got the adrenaline pumping.
During this period I also bought my own Dell laptop which was my second significant purchase during my Infosys tenure after the Bajaj Pulsar 180 which I had got in Nov’06.
The second half of August, I shifted out from the campus hostel and moved in with Gaurav, Siddharth and Arun. This was an altogether different experience since I was staying outside the campus now and got more opportunities to roam around the city with these guys. On the work front I was relishing the responsibility of leading a team and was enjoying the experience thoroughly. I even got a chance to represent the Infosys Mysore Football team and won a trophy with them too.
I also made one more trip to Bangalore to meet up with Divya and Abhinav (school friends).
September: - I finished off my project during this month and took a much deserved vacation with my family. Mom n dad travelled to Mysore and we embarked on having a family vacation after a gap of 7 years. First stop was Mysore. After a few days we went off to Bangalore to spend the second leg of our vacation. The city of Bangalore didn’t really appeal to me since it was too crowded and there was lot of traffic on the roads. The city itself was very vibrant seeming to be a modern and sophisticated version of Mumbai.
One of the important things to have happened in the end of September was, first the bursting of bubble of Lehmann Brothers which ushered in the era of economic downturn which subsequently meant the end of my dreams of travelling onsite to Amsterdam since the project was cancelled. However with this sad news came another piece of news which made my entire year memorable. AIM got back to me, offering me an admit in their May’09 session.
Finally after 3.5 years my dream of securing an admission to a good MBA college saw the light of the day. Also during this period I was fighting with the management to send me back to Pune since they didn’t have any work for me in Mysore
October started off with me travelling back to Pune after a 3 month stint in Mysore. Since the project was cancelled, there was nothing for me in Mysore and I came back to Pune and back to my old life.
Partying with roomies became a ritual of sorts and we had a blast for the rest of the year.
November was made special by my girlfriend (Divya), friends and family who made my Bday a memorable one.
In Dec, I won two major tournaments with Infosys, while captaining the side.
The most tragic incident of the year also happened in Dec. Arvind & Ankit (my roomies) met with a bike accident and Ankit was seriously injured. He was hospitalised for 3 weeks or so and had to undergo 3 operations.
The year which had promised so much and which had been great otherwise ended on a sombre note.
The mood towards the last week of 2008 was one of despair and tension as we all were really worried about Ankit’s well being.
However all’s well that end’s well and as I finish the summary of my year I am pleased to inform that Ankit is back in Pune after a nice rest of 3 months in his hometown of Meerut.
June: - As I had stated in the previous blog (retrospect of 1st half of 2008) about my football with team Infosys; June started off with the first 11 a side tourney of the year in the form of the Deccan Gymkhana Football tournament. After having practised for close to 4 months on the lush green ground of Infosys Pune; the team was confident about a good showing in the new season and I donned a new role as the first choice keeper of the team. June went by and we qualified for the final of the tournament.
July: - July was one of the most happening months for me in 2008. First there was a small case of playing against Kanbay in the final of the Deccan IT tournament which took place on the 5th of that month. We won the tournament beating them by a score line of 1-0. The game was more significant for me since it was supposed to be my last game for Infosys Pune, since I had got transferred to Mysore for the next 6 months. My team-mates gave me a guard of honour and I also came up with a MOM kind of performance during the game. We had a blast the same night partying our heart out at Veer Da Dhaba (not the highway one) till the wee hours of the night.
The next agenda on the list for July was to travel to Mysore, since my project had got transferred to the city of Tipu Sultan. I left on 10th of July and set foot in the Infosys Mysore campus on the 11th. The period in Mysore with the ABN AMRO team was one of my best times professionally as a software engineer. I lead a team of 7 to gather KT on the entire debitcards application and won myself an award for the same.
On the AIM front, I got the news that Aug08 batch was not happening for me and that I might be considered for the May09 intake. The decision would be known by September end.
July and August was spent working in the beautiful Mysore campus. I was joined by Gagan and Shruti at the Infosys hostel and the 2 weeks I spent with them were awesome fun. We worked hard during the day and went partying every night to the different restaurants and pubs in Mysore.
Along the way I also made a trip to Bangalore along with Shruti and we partied at the Hard Rock Café, Bengaluru (my first experience of the renowned HRC franchise).
It was an amazing experience and the night was unbelievable.
I also caught the Indian women team in action at the Mysore campus where they were having their annual training camp. It was exciting to catch glimpse of the eves of Indian cricket and the sights of Mithali Raj, Anjum Chopra, Julan Goswami got the adrenaline pumping.
During this period I also bought my own Dell laptop which was my second significant purchase during my Infosys tenure after the Bajaj Pulsar 180 which I had got in Nov’06.
The second half of August, I shifted out from the campus hostel and moved in with Gaurav, Siddharth and Arun. This was an altogether different experience since I was staying outside the campus now and got more opportunities to roam around the city with these guys. On the work front I was relishing the responsibility of leading a team and was enjoying the experience thoroughly. I even got a chance to represent the Infosys Mysore Football team and won a trophy with them too.
I also made one more trip to Bangalore to meet up with Divya and Abhinav (school friends).
September: - I finished off my project during this month and took a much deserved vacation with my family. Mom n dad travelled to Mysore and we embarked on having a family vacation after a gap of 7 years. First stop was Mysore. After a few days we went off to Bangalore to spend the second leg of our vacation. The city of Bangalore didn’t really appeal to me since it was too crowded and there was lot of traffic on the roads. The city itself was very vibrant seeming to be a modern and sophisticated version of Mumbai.
One of the important things to have happened in the end of September was, first the bursting of bubble of Lehmann Brothers which ushered in the era of economic downturn which subsequently meant the end of my dreams of travelling onsite to Amsterdam since the project was cancelled. However with this sad news came another piece of news which made my entire year memorable. AIM got back to me, offering me an admit in their May’09 session.
Finally after 3.5 years my dream of securing an admission to a good MBA college saw the light of the day. Also during this period I was fighting with the management to send me back to Pune since they didn’t have any work for me in Mysore
October started off with me travelling back to Pune after a 3 month stint in Mysore. Since the project was cancelled, there was nothing for me in Mysore and I came back to Pune and back to my old life.
Partying with roomies became a ritual of sorts and we had a blast for the rest of the year.
November was made special by my girlfriend (Divya), friends and family who made my Bday a memorable one.
In Dec, I won two major tournaments with Infosys, while captaining the side.
The most tragic incident of the year also happened in Dec. Arvind & Ankit (my roomies) met with a bike accident and Ankit was seriously injured. He was hospitalised for 3 weeks or so and had to undergo 3 operations.
The year which had promised so much and which had been great otherwise ended on a sombre note.
The mood towards the last week of 2008 was one of despair and tension as we all were really worried about Ankit’s well being.
However all’s well that end’s well and as I finish the summary of my year I am pleased to inform that Ankit is back in Pune after a nice rest of 3 months in his hometown of Meerut.
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