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..