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 :)