Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Into ISB!!

With one week down the lane of ISB, let me tell you what has the experience been like. Through with the orientation week, two things have been definitely grilled into me. Firstly, ISB life is strenous and ISB life is FUN. When I say strenous, it includes the stress that would come from the FUN part too.. :) One week of orientation was planned in such a way that we got to know our own batchmates quicker. Now now.. I am not saying that I am already friends with the whole batch of 428 (or something closer). :) Its not humanely possible but still maintaining contacts with a few 10s is easy. The Alums were here to give us company for the first week and they were the ones who helped the CCA (Co-Curricular activities) office organize this week. They were very well aware as to what they missed during their orientation week last year. This itself made clear to me that ISB gives a lot of importance to a change for betterment.

The whole batch has been divided into 6 sections and Section B has been really lucky to have me as a part of their racous group.. :) The orientation week included a whole of activities. Cricket, Frisbee competitions, Quizzes, Section gyan from last years analogous section, Photography contest, Talent Nite etc. etc. As a new concept, the alums had brought in point system for each of these contests so that sections start working together right from the start and there is some sort of bonding which, believe me, would definitely be necessary over the next one year. And can you guess which section won the tourney considering all contests? Ahh... ok.. you got it right... it was Section B... sweeping everyone off their feet in almost every duel.. :)

Apart from all these fun activities, our alums also gave us "GYAN" on what group activities to take up to have some kind of movement in a direction which would help us decide (or rather finalize) the career opportunities we want to take up at the end of a gruelling year. At ISB, its common to hear: "You need to give something to get something" and if whatever you are getting is worthy enough, its good enough to give a gruelling year from my life for its sake.. :)
Now with all the fun and partying over with the orientation week, all have taken a plunge into the pre-term courses. I have registered for all 3 courses though I didnt have the need for it... Mann its been sometime I have been confronted with the classroom environment.. and nothing better than the pre-term courses to make yourself accustomed to it before the core term starts on 1st of May, 2006.

Hoping that the fairy tale has just started and its ends as a pleasant reality.. :) Next to come would be the core courses.. and with that would come an actual day in the life of an ISB student. :) Sayonara!!..

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Hectic Hectic!!

March 21st, this was the day I received a dream offer.. Naa... with all those placement news floating around, dont start thinking this to be a job offer. :) ISB had offered me admission to their PGP course which is to commence on 15th April 2006. Now with excitement all around what was expected of me? I needed to accept the offer, apply for a loan, resign from my current job etc. etc. Leave apart all the hassles of shopping, closing bank account, changing addresses and all that crap!! So how do we expect a guy to find time to write a blog??.. :D

Also with the kind of change I was about to have in my life, I was expected to party out at least a couple of times.. right? So 21st March evening saw me with my close friends "rauking" to some "rauk" mujic and drinking some "child" beer!! Then I had some friends join me for a party at the "phamous" hookka joint in Pune... "Bashos". Even God would not know why the owner ever thought of naming his eating joint after some obsolete Chinese poet no one (I hope so) as ever heard of. Anyways, nonetheless we had a good time with some "peggas" of "Bodka" and "Bhisky"!! Now with all this happening in Pune, why should we quarantine Mumbai, my dearest hometown.. my first love.. my blah blah blah.. :) I ended up partying again in Mumbai. Amongst all this partying, fortunately I did remember that I had a lot of things to be done before I end up spending, presumably, the busiest year of my life at ISB.

I had expected that bidding adieu to my beloved organization would be tough... my last 4 years at this place have been eventful and fruitful.. for me.. I dont know if it was the same for the organization.. ;) Must have been.. what do ya think? :D But not surprisingly, I walked out of the gate as an "ex-XXXX" without any guilt!!.. :) But mann they did make me work the most on my last day.. making me run around for so many chores.. even my mom has never made me do so much of running around when I used to irritate her.. :). At last, on 4th April 2006, I ended up completing all "official" formalities and handed over my ICard to the facilities department, may be they would need it for hanging someone else.. ;). Now I am running through the personal checklist and I end up adding one new item to the checklist everytime I see it. Miraculously, I have not seen any item being struck out till now.. :) I wonder how can that be??.. Ok.. Ok... I will finish those off, please dont ride on me for it... I think this will be the only few days of freedom I am going to enjoy, with no one pushing me left and right and front and back and up and down.. so let me take care of it at my own pace.. ;) More blogs to follow!!.. Ciao!!