2006 is coming to an end..In retrospect it turned out to be a very good year..9 months of sustained effort..and I am in at Tuck!
Lotsa people have often asked me over the years as to why I havent done my MBA yet..I just like to say that I have been waiting for the right moment...and that moment has arrived!
I also completed a very happening trip to India. Got to see Bihar for the 1st time :). Attended a kick-ass marriage ceremony..It was real fun.

Met Debu at the Dubai airport !! It was a pleasent surprise. He was on his way back to Mumbai from Hartford. Feels good to meet old friends at unexpected places.

I must thank my wife for being extremely supportive and for her proof reads of my essays..Yeah..it sounds odd thanking my wife in such a formal manner..but just felt like it :)

The trip to India was amazing. Spent a total of 3 weeks..Lotsa fun. Visited Patna for the 1st time in my life..and survived to tell the tale !! My sister-in-laws wedding went of very well;very good food to boot..

Have to resist the jet-lag for today..back to work from tomorrow..but now with the knowledge that I will be moving on in a few months!! YEAH!!

Got back to NYC this morning. Was a very long flight. Missed my connection in Dubai and had to spend my entire day there. I took a tour of the city.Found it amazing..very clean, well organized and you get just about everything under the sun inclusing some of the sexiest cars ever produced!!

The Tuck admit has finally sunk in :) . I got home to the admit pack from Tuck. Will start the loan/visa process soon..
I am forfeiting ISB. Have decided to pursue Tuck.

Got in at ISB and Tuck !!!!! Both news on the 15th of December....
Will post more details later.

Had another horrible experience at Cafe Spice in Newport.
The Mango Lassi comes in 10 min late. Then the waiter brings in Lamb coconut instead of the kovalam fish. Then turns out he did bring the correct dish, he just didnt know the name so he made one up.
Then 5 min after getting this entree, the waiter asks us why we arent eating yet. Are we waiting for something? Duh..the Naan we ordered 20 minutes back..Have lost interst in the dinner by then. Got it packed and came home... So much more enjoyable with Jay Leno on the tube !!

Saw The Man Who Knew Too Much.[the colored version].Nice Hitchcock one..and Sabrina..Another good Audrey Hepburn movie.
The packing project is in full swing..

Stern has been submitted. At 1AM on 1st Dec..
Handed in my supplementary materials directly to the Admissions office.
So I am finally all done with my MBA application saga for tihs year..YEAAA!!!
6 months of thinking about submission deadlines draws to a close. But the real relief will only be when I get an Admit somewhere..And that is not looking too promising right now.
Anyways..

Now looking at a weekend of packing for the India trip.Really looking forward to it!![The trip that is..not the packing :) ]

3 days left for Stern. Havent even begun the essays!!
I am hoping I havent lost my touch and will be able to thump out the essays and also mail the supplemental forms in the required time.
So this Friday will mark then end of the application submission saga for this year [and forever hopefully].

Applied to 8 schools:
Rejected by 1 without Interview
Denied by 1 After Interview
Awaiting results for 2; Interviewed at both
No news [which is not necessarily a bad or a good thing] for the other 4 yet.

I am totally sapped of all strength at this point. Hopefully the 3 week India trip will be the start of better things for me. And hopefully I will not have to go into any stupid backup plan mode..

Saw Dhoom 2. Some one needs to ride a bike up the directors backside. What a load of crock. Even for the usually crappy Hindi film genre, this one takes the cake. For some reason the director thinks that the Indian population will still believe stupid stunts like blocking bullets with a skateboard, while balancing yourself on top of a train!!! Techno music maketh not a great movie my friend.

Trying to keep my mind off the not-too-good ISB interview. I was kind of depressed in the morning. But then thought over it rationally. If a good interview at Columbia was not good enough, maybe a crappy one at ISB might be :)..Seriously.. I dont care anymore..I am just giving my best at this point..

ISB interview done..
Just 3 questions:
1. Indian History
2. Define leadership
3. How do you manage team dynamics

20 mins. Went just like my other MBA interviews. Absolutely neutral. So will find out only on 15th Dec...And no false hopes this time..A good interview means zilch in this process.
Oh and by the way..its the only interview I have given in my skivvies :D..Unless you get the wrong idea..It was a telephonic interview.

Got an interview call from ISB today. Scheduled for next week. So will start going through my application and the other usual steps to make sure that I am ready and prepared.

Gotta start on my Stern essays tonight. So 10 more days.. 4/8 schools will be 100% done from my end. Nothing to do but wait for results from Tuck and ISB [mid-december] and interview calls, hopefully, from Harvard [yeah right], Yale, Ross and Stern..

Oh and did see Casino Royale..WOW!! what an amazing movie..specially the foot chase scene in Madagascar is just off the charts..

And saw Chashme Buddoor [excellent], Pyaar ke Side Effect [nice], Clerks [great].

Hmm...brushed off by London Business School too..So now thats 2 rejections out of 8 schools..I get the feeling that I may have wasted 1600$ on this process. or maybe not..I really dont know now..Ah well..life goes on..

Got my dad a new Toshiba M115-S3094.. I am being so precise about the version as there seem to be a lot of M115s floating around :) Not a bad deal for the cost..
Saw Sooraj ka Satvan Ghoda. Loved the movie. Its very offbeat but kind of the ones I like..

Had my NYU Stern visit last night. They make good use of their limited campus space. Everything is very compactly arranged. There seemed to a very positive energy around all students. I sat in on the Advertising Management class. What a great class. There was a lot of interaction and free exchange of ideas. The tour itself was rather stretched out. I guess there is not much to tour around in a small building like that :). So Stern Essays for the next few weeks..Gotta get the focus back to essays for hopefully the last time.

Babel..What a good movie. A simple storyline but very well acted by everyone. Was a very engrossing movie.
Also saw Ferris Beuller's day off. This is a classis anyways :)

Went to view the NY Marathon a week back..At the usual 8 mile mark in fron of BAM in Brooklyn. Then headed over to Bedouin Tent for my assorted salad plate. This has become an annual ritual. 6th Marathon for me..

Saw Don. I liked it. Just dont compare it to any other movie and watch it like a govinda movie:)

And saw Caddyshack. Now I had high expectations from this but was disappointed. It was just OK.

Was reading an article in NYTimes today. It compared the life spans of monkeys under observation based on their diets. The monkey eating a normal diet [not overfed, just normal] had a slight paunch, looked slow and older. The monkey on the regulated diet [upto 40% less than a normal diet] looked alert, was aging gracefully..Hmm...Now would you like to eat good food everyday and die when you are 70 or eat a restricted diet, living in self-denial and live to be 80. The way I see it, you can choose to prolong your misery by 10 years :)).... Anyways a very personal choice always..

Saw a hilarious episode on Comedy Central last night. About an Indian Storekeeper running a 7-11 store. Its the turn of the Desi storekeeper to parody other cultures [It was just in fun. I dont believe in stereotypes..]. He used a standard format: 1) Ask forgiveness from a Hindu god for what he is about to do 2) Insult the customer 3) Say out aloud what he would like to be reborn as , so that he would not meet the customer in the next life.

E.g: To a spanish lady with 12 kids. I wish I were born a condom so I never see you again. To an African-American lady. I wish I were your feet so I have to never see you again. and so on..Just simply funny seeing the tables turned for once :))

Funny Incident..I am talking to Vikas and Manish near the elevators. Guy walks up to us. Shakes Vikas's hand : "Hi Milind!". Then turns to Manish :"Hi Manoj!".. Talks details and moves on. These 2 guys are still trying to process whether the guy wanted to talk to them or someone else..

Saw "Socha Na Tha"..Maine bhi socha na tha ke mai itni ghatiya movie dekhoonga.Saw Dor...Now this is an excellent movie..

I still cant believe I just submitted 3 apps in 3 weeks..Strange buzz in the head :)

Ross application has been submitted !! It was for some reason the most painful to submit. I am just bored of the process. Luckily, just 1 more school to go..and I have 1 month for it !!!

Saw Casablanca, Just my Luck and Angrez... Now Angrez is really hilarious. See it if you can.
Got myself a new printer :)

Listening to some old tracks on Mezzanine by Massive Attack..

Experienced The Motorcycle Diaries.... moving..

Yale is done! Short and sweet application..Extremely simple to fill in..

Watched What's Eating Gilbert Grape...for the 10th time maybe..Excellent..

London Business School is also submitted ! Onto Yale..

Am I crazy to be applying to so many schools? Or do I know the strength of my candidacy :)

Saw O Brother, Where Art Thou?.. What a great movie..

Had a fight with a lady in the PATH train this morning. She was sitting in the corner seat and was kinda spread out with her arm dangling over the edge of the seat. She asked my wife to move away as her personal space was being intruded upon.. WTF!! I launched into her..She gets to sit in a crowded train and then has the balls to ask the people standing to give her space !!
Laughable really :)

Anyways.. I feel you get to see such behaviour in the western countries..Let het travel in the Mumbai local train..She'll know what its like to travel for an hour with your face in someone elses armpits :).. Getting a seat is like a blessing..

Oh..by the way...found a Sukhadias near this office..Yum...Lunches are going to be so much fun now :) [Note to self: Buy stretchable pants...]

Harvard was submitted last weekend. Its just too much of a long shot to be even thinking about.
Now what I really am thinking about, is whether I answered the Tuck interview questions intelligently or not..I know its a waste of time to be thinking of all that..
I'll try to get in LBS this weekend. Saturday will be spent finalizing the essays.

Nothing musch else happening. Work is super hectic as usual. Leading a team of 12 is lotsa work..but its fun. Feels wierd to actually not programming anything and moving onto the management side..not a complete move..but still..

Why am I stressing out so much over the MBA results. My life is great as it is..I am doing this to get a serious leg up. But its not like its the be-all end-all..I know it ..Yet I cant ignore it..Damn this process :)

I am just so tired of these MBA applications. Given the fact that I am not a very strong candidate, I am applying to 8 schools...I am getting sick of answering the same stupid mind numbing questions over and over again.. Just take my money and let me in..Why torture me so :)

Watched the Guardian...passable.. usual father figure dies to save hero bullshit..

Hahahahahha....Nice one

Kicked in the b*** by Columbia..
Well...I have to keep on submitting and hoping for a positive one..
I truly believe that all that happens, happens for a reason..a good reason..
Or is it my way of justifying this disappointment?? A bit of both I guess..
Who knows..it was the only way to be rid of the early decision ethical dilemma ;)

The month ahead will be a very tight one. 4 schools to go. Will be free by Oct 25..
Then 1 more in November..

Went to IndoWok last night. Its an “Indian-Chinese” joint on Lex. Ave. Horrible. We ordered a chicken lollipop. It looked like they reused old eaten up chicken thighs, coated them in batter and refried them…Seriously..it was like eating bones coated with batter… Yuck!! Just lost my appetite for anything after that.

Anyways, later in the night ended up watching Das Boot. What an amazing movie. I saw the 3.5 hour remastered version. It was worth every minute.

Come on Columbia..Show me some love !!

Columbia Interview is done..Met with an alum at the University Club of New York..Amazing building..
I reached the club 10 min nefore my 6:30 PM interview. Got the chance to relax a bit.
The alum was a super nice guy. It was very conversational and lasted around 35 minutes. The interview format was general with resume based and personal interest based questions.
The interviewer did indicate that he liked my approach to the Why MBA part of it and was positive about my candidacy..I just hope the adcom thinks likewise :)

So that means 2 colleges are done from my end..Tuck and Columbia..Nothing to do but wait on these...

Till then the journey continues with my other target schools..Essays to write and Recos to collect :)

Tuck has been submitted. Now its all done for Tuck..Interview/Application etc..
1st school which is all done from my end..Nice feeling...

Saw Adaptation and Rear Window today. Great movies both..Fun..

Got myself a new 250 Gb LaCie External Hard drive today..Just 99$ ..I think its a good deal..
I am copying over my entire drive as I write this...I will then free up lots of space on my laptop..
Thinking of getting it checked by the Geek Squad at BestBuy.

My trusted Vaio is acting funny...Got the dreaded "Operating system not found message".
The hard drive also is making scratchy noises...I feel so bad.. It was a trusted buddy..
I kept it switched off for a while...Now its back up...
I'm going to get a 100 gb or 250 gb HP backup drive today..and maybe a new laptop in a few days.

Saw Fight Club. Excellent movie.. and the Return of the Pink Panther too.. Good for its time..

Went to Chennai Garden a few nights back. Extremely oily food..Serves me right for ordering a Gujarati Thali in a South Indian Restaurant :))

The week just flew by..lots of work and no time for anything else..good in a way..

The new gym is coming along good..Will try to get to a cardio of 30 min followed by 30 min of targeted strength training..and this time i'm not going to be as strict on myself about the diet..I'll try to ease into it..

All righty....Got a call from Columbia today for the interview..
Saw the old Don yesterday..Good movie..I can see why it was a super hit during its time..
and saw Witness after a long time...

I am balding rather rapidly..not that it troubles me...Alarms my wife a bit though :)
Nowadays when I get a haircut, I a\literally have no hair left on my scalp :)
Anyways, I bought BrylCreem today..might as well use it while I can..

new client from tommorrow.

Woohoo!!!
Starting on my new project tommorrow. Cleared the interview. It was a real fun experience..
So now I'll start working again in Manhattan after a long time.
Definitely makes my commute so much easier..

Went to the "WhyMBA" event at Columbia last evening. Was a pretty heavily attended session. Some good speakers. Got to talk to a few alums too. Just hope my app. is being read by someone out there..its been too long since I submitted it :)

Moved to the Beta Blogger today..Hope it works OK ..

Tuck Interview/Visit

Wow...what an amazing place. I really fell in love with Tuck and Hanover.
Had my visit and interview yesterday.
The interview with an adcom member went well...thats what I think ;).
The visit was useful. All the students I met and talked to seemed very pumped up by the fact that they were at Tuck...nice thing..
My class host for the day was very friendly. Since they too have just started term, he asked me to also help out in the case study being analysed in the Leadership class.
Cool gym on the premises. And lots of great eating joints within 5 min walking distance. Yum...
And overall a very nice atmosphere..

Seems to be a good decision on my part to shortlist Tuck...Just waiting for the reverse to happen :))) [Dec 15th seems such a long way away...]

Spent an excellent weekend at Ann Arbor with my nephews.
Finished with my assignment, and looking forward to a new one. Lets see where I land up.
No movies in a long time :)

Oh....and saw Amisha Patel near WTC. I dont like her acting..but she is so much better looking in real life..

Met Alan today..Went to a dim sum place in Chinatown. Then Lychee icecream in Chinatown icecream factory.Then on to Ferrara in Little Italy for cannoli. Then Pakistani tea house for kebabs :)
Yum.. very tasty weekend..

Saw Chokher Bali..Excellent film.

Wow...Pluto is no longer a planet.. To quote NYTimes:

Much-maligned Pluto doesn't make the grade under the new rules for a planet: ''a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.''
Pluto is automatically disqualified because its oblong orbit overlaps with Neptune's.
Instead, it will be reclassified in a new category of ''dwarf planets,'' similar to what long have been termed ''minor planets.'

Feels kinda sad. Its a very huge thing to happen in ones lifetime I feel.

Oh..saw Snakes on a Plane too..now this is a good movie :) [I hear: Gasp!!..udybabys wierd..]..Definitely a B-grade film, which makes no attempt to appear classy..and succeeds as a result.
Not for those with fear of snakes or horror films in general..

Just got back from a tiring but very enjoyable trip to Providence, RI. Attended an engagement ceremony and also my sisters baby shower.

Saw Ultraviolet..Crap.

Too much going on elsewhere..When will I find focus in life? Or is this what life is all about !! Its not like I am searching for inner peace or anything..Its just that I am not getting a feeling of being settled in a place.. Still living out of a suitcase.. Lets wait and watch.. No..Lets do something !!

Am in the office. A couple of managers just walked in, after conducting a technical interview.Laughing off the candidates experience and skills. That ticks me off the most. It is so easy to adopt the smarter-than-thou posture when you are on the other side of the table. I know of people in my company who take a rather moronic and sadistic pleasure in showing off that they are smarter than the person they are interviewing.
Now , that is not what an interview is supposed to be.
Any ways...these are the stereotypical jerks..

Send them to me..I'll straighten them out and show them how to take an interview..Did I just take the smarter-than-thou stance ??? Who cares..I am smarter :)) [demonic laughter]

Going to Providence over the weekend. Should be fun..

The days have been floating by..a feeling of not getting anywhere is everywhere..2 schools are done, work will begin on 3 more.. Will get them done by Sept end.Then 2 more..till Oct end..And 1 finally in Nov..
Its too long a process and the wait seems interminable. But you gotta do it.

Indra Nooyi became the CEO of Pepsi. On cue, the Indian media has erupted with how an Indian has made India proud.. Idiots.. They did the same with Kalpana Chawla, and countless others. Most of these are American citizens, who have chosen to give up Indian citizenship.I dont get it. How does a person, who has left your country to achieve his/her personal goals,suddenly make you proud?? Given that your country has not had any hand in helping the person achieve the dreams!! India needs to get out of this mode. Look within yourself a little more.The Indian diaspora went out looking for opportunities. Celebrate them when they do something for India.Not when they do something big in some other country.

Dont get me wrong. I fully support people doing what it takes to live a better life. Its the Indian media this rant is directed against. I mean we immediately get a comparison that Indra Nooyi makes more than the hottest Indian Filmstar..Duh..She earns in $$s and the poor guy in Indian rupees.. He is going to be beaten hands down by the conversion ratio [45 Rs to 1 $at the time of writing] :))

Back to work now ...;)

Saw Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna yesterday. ..OK..My backside and brain went numb around the same time..15 min into the show.. We saw the movie in Imaginasian. The seats are just horrible. But boy was the show houseful..People shouldnt be allowed to make movies this long. If they are, then atleast give me a break in there somewhere..3.5 hours of Shahrukh Khan pouting is more than enough..
Just of out curiosity I would like to know the salary a junior school soccer coach earns. Must be a lot. Shahrukh is able to afford a DUMBO flat!!

Wow!! Just found the website for my old high school , KV DRDO.
This is great!!

Seeing The Eagle has landed. Slow but good movie.
Have some shopping ahead this weekend. Buying Indian clothes in NYC. Feels wierd. I have never purchased Indian clothes in India.. I prefer a simple shirt-pant combo over the kurta-pyjama.

Work just feels so meaningless right now.. I am getting out of this project on the 31st of Aug. So 3 more weeks. I still dont know where I'll be heading to.
Funnily enough, too many people in this organization are now opening up to me and complaining about their lack of motivation and feeling of worthlessness :) . Its maybe because I'm leaving, so they are comfortable about all of this..

A colleage of mine purchased a Toyota Camry. The delivery has been delayed. The dealer states that he cannot guess the ETA. Ridiculous. If the dealer can procure the VIN of the car, he can very well track the shipment.

Columbia ED - HERE WE GO !!!!!!!!!

A funny one from the Indian Laughter Challenge. [Knowledge of Hindi is a must :)]

Saw Omkara last night. A couple of extra songs slowed down the pace, else very good movie. Must see.
Saif Ali Khan was excellent. He represents the jealousy and envy present in all humans. So you really dont feel bad at all that he does.

TOEFL scores are in !!!

Got a 117 out of 120 !! Amazed at myself :))

Was out sick yesterday. The heat got to me.. Yeah yeah..so what if I am an Indian..It still gets very hot in NY. Try standing in the 14th street subway for 10 minutes, when its 110F outside, and you'll be crying for mommy...:)

Saw Force 10 from Navarone..Nice..

Read an article in New York Times today. About men in their 40s or 50s who have lost their jobs and do not want to go through the humiliation or pain of searching low paying jobs to keep their finances up. So they just lie low, passing time by doing nothing and waiting for opportunities to come up, which may suit their skills.
Felt sad for these people. It was weird. No one, I'm sure, wants to end up like that. However much you struggle in your life, you want it to have a happy , easy , carefree ending. Not one, where years of struggle come to a naught..

Saw Miami Vice over the weekend. Cool movie.. very stylish..

Okay..Let me make it clear that I am a very open minded person and have lived in New York for the last 5 years. So I Have naturally seen a lot of weird going ons. I am absolutely at ease with all of this. All right now that all this is clear, lets begin..
Started my MBA college visits with Columbia yesterday.. and the first thing that I see are 2 girls sunbathing on the college grounds.Now I have never studied in the US education system. So my dear readers may be used to it, but it was something new to add to my list. :))
The campus is small but seems very well arranged. Typical urban campus. The adcom presentation was the usual go-over of the stuffalready present on the website. A few stupid questions like "Does 'Application Deadline' mean I cant submit after that date?" floatedaround...Jeez..
I sat in on a class too. Quite interesting. Chatted with a few fellow visitors. The usual mixof IT consulting, management consulting and IBanking. Had a creative writer in there too..Overall I liked the feel of the campus and the students.
My wife turned an year older yesterday..Went to an Ethiopian restaurant. Amazing Rose wine and excellent food. Great Fun..Though didnt feel that good on the way back. The heat and humidity make themselves felt in the subway system.. Felt very drained.
So now to a peeve..Why in the world cant the transit authorities in NY install Ceiling fans in subway stations !! There is absolutely no friggin ventialtion in any of the stations..I mean I can understand that installing an AC system is not feaible giventhe cost and logistics..but atleast a fan please..

Neal n Nikki and Underworld Evolution this weekend.
The lesser said about the 1st movie the better. Hero is shown to have been born and raised in Canada, yet has an accent as if he has been staying in Mumbai all his life.. I mean , just crap doled out as dad Yash wanted to make a film for son Uday...
Underworld Evolution was excellent.

Went for a BBQ at Staten Island on yesterday. It rained heavily over the weekend, but people still had fun. Thats the spirit!! Good food ! The Goethals bridge is a sorry excuse for a bridge.

Oh..and also saw My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Now this was a funny movie. I like Uma Thurman, and she manages to look stunning here too. And good to see Anna Faris in another non-Scary movie :)

Saw Wait Until Dark. Good movie.
Finished first draft for a couple of my target schools. Feels good.
And also had a chat with my ex-boss about GMAT. He is planning to give it later this year !! The fever is catching on :)

Workwise, I will lay out my plans to move on to a new assignment next week. So should be in a client situation by Aug end. I love moving to new client sites. Get to meet new people and make new friends.

Ever met a manager who believes in super-delegation? This guy will not respond to emails, voice-mails or meeting requestsunless you direct them to his subordinate. The subordinate will then talk to this manager and respond.
What the f***?? My thoughts exactly.Anyways, I have put a plan in motion to get out of the current project in a months time.

Went on a Circle Line Twilight Cruise around Manhattan. Thank God for the night..It was a blazing 105F on Sunday..got roasted in the afternoon.

Am on a diet these days. Which means no Dunkin Donuts, no Pizza, no Starbucks, no Lays, no FUN!! But I've lost 8 pounds :) So thats good. Gotta lose another 20. Then I'll look like..well a thinner me..

Its midnight. Just got back from my TOEFL center. Still maintain its a scam.
Was expecting to see many indians at the center. Was surprised to see mainly east european girls..!!! Not that I am complaining :))

A wierd incident at the center. A guy walked in wearing a windcheater. The lady at the counter asked him to remove the coat as it was not allowed in the room. Turns out the guy is wearing nothing underneath the coat !! Not a single shred of clothing !!! He was allowed to sit with his coat on..

All the colleges have interviews these days..Why the hell should I spend money on the TOEFL too !!

I will try to make this the last rant post about TOEFL :)

Saw Iqbal this morning. Nice movie.

Got my TOEFL tomorrow. From 7PM to 11PM !! Jeez..Anyways.Its a necessary evil.
Most colleges waive TOEFL these days in lieu of 2+ years of international experience.
But I just want to get over with this.

Its got a very wierd format. And I feel it seems very heavily biased against non-native speakers.
Imagine reading a passage for 60 seconds, then hearing a lecture for 45 secs, then preparing a response in 15 sec [!!] and then responding[speak into a microphone] to the written and spoken passages in 45 secs..
I dont know of too many native english speakers who can do that..
What a scam..

Saw A Few Good Men again last night . I love Jack Nicholson in this movie..Damn..I guess you have to have officers like that to get the job done..

Rediscovered my love for my old iPod Shuffle. Got it in Jan 2005 and used it for a few months before giving up and listening to the FM on my cell phone. Have just downloaded some good music Podcasts and am back into the shuffle :)

Have gotten ito the habit of consuming upto 3 cups of tea in the office. For a person who doesnt drink tea often, thats too much..Gotta reduce..

Thinking about the MBA application essays can be taken in two ways:
1. Crying over the wasted years , when you did not join the neighbourhood charity club and instead just hit all the pubs and movie halls you could.
2. Actually try to bring something positive about all those hours spent in pubs and movie halls, and show your unique nature..If you can bring anything positive out of those, you must be unique :)

Its fun filling in all the essays. Really makes you think in ways you never have or have avoided. Kind of makes you wish that you heeded your mothers advise and helped her in the kitchen once in a while..Who knows you might have started a restaurant..a bit of a stretch but you never know..

Went to Newport RI. Beautiful place. Especially the bridges that you hit just before the town..
And I always love towns with small boating communities.
I as a matter of fact stayed in Newport/Pavonia NJ for almost 3 years. It is the most amazingly hip place to stay at.
This was a slow long weekend.Mostly lazed around in Stamford.
And I saw The Russians are coming. What a hilarious film!! Good to see a script like this at a
time [60's], when the Cold War was at a heightened level.

Reached Stamford last night. Saw Superman Returns. Nice movie..Well worth the money.

Its extremely hot over the weekend again. But Dubey has 2 table fans in his house now :)

Quote from a fortune cookie in my office cafeteria:
"People who are late are often happier than those who have to wait for them".

Seems like the premise around which the interesting concept of "Indian Standard Time" is built.This doesnt refer to a time zone.It refers to a state of being. When someone tells me that they will meet at 6:00 PM , I know that I wont see the person till 7:00..and no explanation offered/required. It may be very odd for someone unaccustomed to this culture [and sometimes annoying for people accustomed to it too...], but thats the way it goes.

This habit is changing. and its for the better I feel.Take for example , a North Indian Wedding. The marriage vows will be exchanged somewhere during the early hours of the day. I mean 1:00 AM !! . Now the brides family waits for the groom to show up in a traditional procession called the "baraat". The wedding/reception commences when a baraat arrives. The wedding invite may say that the baraat will arrive at 8:00 Pm..but that can mean that the grrom may show up at even 9:00 or 10:00 PM..Imagine the frustration caused to the brides dad [He swallows it as it is a part of tradition], and the hunger pangs consuming the guests :)

Why is that we have this tendency to keep up with the Joneses. [Now dont lie to me that you have never ever had this feeling. Oh..you may be Swami Vivekananda.] Anyways, I was having this discussion with the Mrs. about this. Why should I have a better car than my neighbor. Or maybe a better salary..Why cant one just be content with his 60 inch Plasma TV, with a 1000+ channel cable, high speed wireless internet access [working off a neighbors feed will make it doubly sweet :)]and a fully loaded Honda Civic [See..I dont want that BMW].

To cut a long story short..I do get those feelings sometimes..but I try to curb them..not supress them, mind you. Just to take a step back, look around and then pat oneself on the back.Udybaby, you have done well..:) Inspite of coming from a country like India, and staying in a city like Mumbai, it is easy to lose sight of the perspective. I guess it is important to be content with what one has and to improve oneself if one becomes dissatisfied [But wait..doesnt that mean I just compared myself to someone?Or does it mean I compared my possessions to something new on the market? So I guess if it is the 2nd one, then I wouldnt be trying to keep up with the Joneses in the truest sense..Anyways..]

Pet Peeve: Guys [or gals for that matter] who acquire an American accent within 2-3 years of coming to the States. It becomes hilarious when you have a local Indian accent [Punjabi/Maharashtrian/Gujarati ..whichever] combined with the newly-acquired American accent and a poor vaocabulary..
I can understand people who have been staying here for decades acquiring the accent. That is natural. But 2-3 years..Give me a break people..Its just so not happening.Talking about accents..India is rich with them..The south indians feel that they have the best vocab in the country..Sorry..you may have the best vocab, only if the other person can get pastyour accent..

Being a native maharashtrian, it would be unfair to leave them out here :).
"I lost my pain in the train" ..before you jump to conclusions about a magical train in India [coupled with the snake charmers ;)], the person probably just meant that he lost his "pen" in the train..

Disclaimer: Some of my best friends are South Indians..So if any one of you is reading this [I doubt that], you know me :)

Still wondering what to do on the july 4th weekend..

Dubey pointed a funny thing on the website for the VNIT hostel.

"Students are not allowed to keep weapons including NANCHAKOO etc. in their possession in the hostel."

Hmm..makes me wonder..Too much of Bruce Lee perhaps !! :))

I work with an amazing set of people..Amazing, not for their brilliance or creativity, but for being some of the most dense people who have held this job.

I think it was in the "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" that a species builds the greatest computer to calculate the Ultimate Answer to Life. After 7.5 million years it comes back with the answer "42".

"Forty-two!" yelled Loonquawl. "Is that all you've got to show for seven and a half million years' work?"
"I checked it very thoroughly," said the computer, "and that quite definitely is the answer. I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is."

I think I am that computer in some ways.. I may be a bit slow but the other one is definitely in the dark ;)

or maybe look at Alice in this Dilbert strip here. Perfectly describes the situation..

This is purely a rant post.
My project just moved across management teams. One of the member who has joined as a result has become a real pain in the a**. He has this annoying habit of adding the word "thingy" at the end of just about every sentence.
Lets go for the lunch thingy.
Lets write the email thingy.
Lets complete the document thingy.
Lets have the meeting thingy.

I just feel like kicking him in his thingy thingy ..

thats it..

Was in Boston this weekend. Met a lot of friends after a very long time. T, Swapnil, Pal, Gohil..

T made excellent Idlis. I admire the guy for his cooking skills apart from other qualities..

The Greyhound ride from NY to Boston [7 PM till 12 PM] was extremely tiring..I gues thats because we were seated right besides the toilet at the back :)
Me an Dubey purchased a mango smoothie at a stop. I was able to finish the drink, but dubey was half way through when the sleep gods struck. He dropped the half finished smoothie, right at the toilet door step. It looked like the toilet was overflowing. Scared a few few passangers seated nearby :)))

Wondering what to do about the long weekend coming up. Most probably will drive down somewhere..Cheasapeake bay perhaps..Lets see.

I have to now start thinking very seriously abt completing the applications for the various schools..

May drop in at IKEA over the next week or so to furnish the house a bit more..

Oh..and saw Van Helsing again in Boston..I like these kind of movies..

Saw the The English Patient again after a long time...This time with my wife..
It was as good as ever..

I am trying out the new Performancing plugin for Firefox..
Seems pretty cool..Easier for me to blog from work ..hehehehe

Was in Stamford over the weekend..Nice little place..A person could really enjoy staying there..
But my friend , dubeyji has just shifted in , and has no ACon, not even a table fan to circulate the air..And boy was it hot this weekend.

Summers finally here.

And my good friend 'T' :) got engaged a week back..So we will be in Boston next weekend to celebrate..Busy weekends lately..too much fun :) ...Well there can never be too much fun..


Update: The damn plugin doesnt work..Humph...back to the old way..now probs..

I must say that the get-together with Alan, Mickey,Manny,Rodney, Bimal and Dubey was just great fun !! I guess we were meeting up after more than 2 years.No one seemed to have changed at all..Same old jolly bunch..There were so many things to catch up on and so many things to remember too :)) It even funnier when everyone is slightly high, even if it is just wine :)

Completed a whirlwind tour of NY with Medha moushi..It was tiring but fun..I guess we covered every major landmark in the city :)

I hope to see a Hindi movie tonite..Will let you know if I like it..

"Never become indispensable..You wont get promoted" ..I think thats true..
I would like to add, that you may never get a vacation for the rest of your life, and you probably will end up being unhappy with your job.
Wow!!..just seemed like I described my job :)
Actually, I am at a project which has undergone a lot of team and management changes. And I am unfortunately in a position , where I am the only surviving member of the original team..Hence I end up doing almost everything while the rest of the team plays catch up.

Well..what can I say..I am working towards changing that situation..Will know in a few months..

Saw Memoirs of a Geisha a few days back..Umm..Its a good movie..Not a spectacular one though..Anyone following Hindi films will be kind of reminded of Umrao Jaan. That was an excellent film.

Have you ever noticed that drinking a whole bottle of Iced Tea leaves you with a taste of ..well.. tea leaves..Duh..But I find it akes me more thirsty than ever before..Must be the damn sugar in the drinks.

I am going to over to meet some old colleagues and friends over at Salaam Bombay tonite..looking forward to it..the food and the company as well :)

Saw Match Point by Woody Allen...
Good movie.
Scarlett Johansenn is a good actress [See her in Lost in Translation]..

My aunt, Medha Moushi, is going back to India tomm..So we get to spend a day with her in NY during her stopover from Cleveland to Mumbai..Should be fun..

Just got back from a 12-hour GreyHound ride from Cleveland..
Got a strange buzz in my head..

Got the official GMAT score card..scored a 5.0 on the AWA...
Pretty happy with that..

Saw taxi 9211. I liked the movie...Got to see some Mumbai too :)

Oh how I miss the parathas at Khasiyat...Mmm..

Dubey was in town this weekend. Lots of fun..
Went to a friends wedding party last night. Had so much wine after a long time..:)
and great food..
I have to now start seriously on the B-School apps and visits.
I'll try to lose some weight before visiting these schools :D

TOEFL still remains scheduled for 15th July..

And by the way, thats Dubey with the shades on and your truly in Maine.

GMAT -- 730 !!!!

WooHooo!!!
Done with the GMAT today. Scored a 730.

Read all about my GMAT experience here.

Saw X-Men III 2 days back..and Fanaa too..Fanaa was strictly OK..No great shakes.
X-Men was awesome..

Waiting for the shuttle to transport me from the office back to my place..

4 days to GMAT..Actually looking forward to it..
I guess it is the that urge to do better in ones life that finally stokes the fire within..
Work has been hectic as usual, but the rewards in terms of satisfaction and happiness have been decreasing ...for the last year I guess :)

A good friend of mine landed up in Stamford from India last week. So I am sure we will meet up more often now. We were roommates in New York back in 2002, and then in 2004. He was also present at my wedding in Detroit..Fun guy to be around :)..

Its been almost 6 months since I purchased my piece of land in the madhouse called Bombay..Worth all my savings and my wifes savings too :) and then some ..
I have always felt that purchasing that 1st home is a defining moment..breaking from the bachelor lifestyle..someplace to call my own..(apart from my parents home ofcourse :D)

Still stuck with those allergy symptoms..runny nose , sneezing..Hmm..has never happened before to me..

Oohhh..and the Indian stock markets crashed..Damn..My first year of investing..and. well..Atleast didnt have too much to lose, so not that bad..Lost around 20% in a couple of days..

My Vegas trip from earlier in the month is haunting me..I feel like I was born for that life..Not the Gambling or the topless shows :D..I mean the waking up late and doing nothing kind of life..
The chopper ride in the grand canyon was amazing..real fun..But Hoover dam was a let down..More like a manufactured tourist spot complete with a cafeteria, than anything else..

Where the hell is that shuttle...

Taking a day off from my GMAT studies..Not feeling too well..must be the high pollen count this year..
My wife tells me that no one anyways reads what I write, except her..So why dont I just tell her all of this, instead of blogging it.. :)

Saw an amazingly funny movie last night - Crimen Perfecto - "The Perfect Crime"..

I have been making full use of my NetFlix acct...catching up on old Peter Sellers and David Lean movies..Zhivago, Bridge on the river Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia...

I am all set for my GMAT on the 19th of June. Though I plan to advance the date by a couple of weeks. I feel that I have prepared well enough and am actually bored of reading the same material over and over again :-)

I am facing a bit of trouble in sentence correction..but nothing serious..and also dont have the time to really learn the grammar behind it all..

So really have only 2 weeks to go...and then...prepare for TOEFL..This is pretty ridiculous...but then I guess the univs wont have any other way of determining if a student can actually understand English..

And saw Da Vinci Code last night..Hmm...OK..its actually well made..a bit heavy on the dialogues, but thats to be expected.. Really looking forward to X-Men III.....now that'll be fun..

fire up the boiler again

Wow!...getting back to this after a very long time..Will try to be more regular from now on..
Exciting times going on right now...making an attempt this year to get into an MBA school..
GMAT due in a month..the TOEFL in 2.. and then start the application process...
Meanwhile, I'll take it as it comes,and keep you guys updated too :)