The first one has happened today and how.

And today was cold compared to all these days.

**
I had been to two university campuses earlier, and hence the campus hasn’t excited or overwhelmed me to as much an extent it should have.From back home, when I am asked the question, how is the campus I usually answer with an ok. But the campus is actually quite good. It feels so much like a park. As I mentioned before, I can’t still digest the fact that I am going to study here..

**
There were some team building activities. And again, they were quite awesome. But it wasn’t as overwhelming to me to that an extent that it should have been, perhaps for the reason that I was exposed to them earlier during our team building outings in corporate settings and most recently - in theater. In YT almost every activity we did was immense fun with a learning aspect and team building activity lesson built along with it.

**
People here hate cloths. I feel over dressed with a full arm shirt and jeans.
Well, it is no surprise to me that people here are comfortable with as much less weight on their bodies, but am looking forward to their ability to continue the same during winter.

**
Penn State may not be the best university out there, but certainly the most popular(due to the football). With 400000 alumni network, there should be a proud Penn Stater in any which company or in any which distant relative of any body.

**

When I was looking for schools, this was rated 7th among Supply Chain Management schools in US. Now it is No.1 (well, I don’t bother about the ratings as long as we are 1).

But this is restricted to our department. What is of more significance is that, when I was searching for schools, this university was number 2 party school in US. Now it is No. 1 party school.

Listening to the experience and diversity of the classmates, realizing the experiences of the teachers, I again wondered if I really was sitting in this class. It is strange that even after two weeks of this college, sometimes I still wonder if this is real. Looking back at the last two years when I was following this school, the admission process, the results, the other process of getting here - it still hasn’t sunk in that I am doing MBA and at US, and at Smeal.

I met few more 2nd years who are just back from an intern experience and few with job offers.

Talking about the class - I wish I could just concentrate on the subjects rather than bother about the career fairs just like I wish I could just browse internet at home rather than cook and clean !

After 6 years of working, it feels great to be back at school. I am fortunate and thankful for many, most importantly for my parents for this to be possible.

I met many Indians who are pursuing PhD here, and many straight out of BE..and I kept feeling jealous ! I heard myself saying ‘better late than never’. I drew consolations from some of the classmates who have more than 10 years work experience and the average seems to be around 5.

Yesterday and day before I met lot of Indians and Kannadigas(attended a Ganesha pooja function too!) ..and realized there are some opportunities to pursue my other interests like community service, running, theatre and even salsa. But I fear that it would be highly difficult to manage my time with my studies and all these interests. Plus I want to participate in so many activities that I fear biting more than I can chew. So am thinking twice before making commitments.

Why talk about last week, last few months were very busy. There were so many things going on in my mind that I was more often than not absent minded. I realized the importance and value of many things in life.

The todo list ever kept growing.

I closed some ends, some not in the way I would have wished to.

It was quite messy and hurried at the end, with mounting confusions and uncertainties. I wish I had better sanity and patience at many circumstances.

And am here, State College. I am possibly going through another transition in life, the only thing that continues is that I will continue to observe and understand people.

Wish I could jot down regular thoughts and updates.

Since almost my early career, I have sent a good morning quote on every day I went to work, just before I started working. I have written about them earlier here.

I am putting an end to it now. (May be temporary, may not be temporary). So I sent a mail explaining the same and attached a FAQ about my transition. As it makes a good read, am copying it here with some improvements.

Frequently asked questions and answers or anticipated conversations …

1. Where are you going?
To pursue MBA
2. Where
Smeal College of Business
3. Where
US
4. Where
Pennsylvania (Technically to be accurate, in University Park which is a small municipality within a borough called State College (which is nicknamed as “Happy valley”) which is in Centre County, which is in Pennsylvania state…well, never mind !)
5. Which university
Penn state university
6. (Not so frequent) Wharton?
(blushing)…well..no not University of Penn, but Penn State University …
7. Full time?
Yes
8. 2 years?
Yes (actually 21 months ..)
9. Wow… how come suddenly planned ?
Hmm….

10. No clue at all..you didn’t tell me ?
You didn’t ask me .. ! [But actually, I have told anyone and everyone I have met or those who interacted with me, in last few months.]

How did you get admission.. ? Did you write exam ?
It is a long process from planning Gmat to final acceptance.

How much did you score in Gmat ?
Gmat score alone does not help, it is a holistic evaluation of the entire application. [See, I am already ready to speak in managerial lingo – ambiguous yet meaningful.]

11. When did you plan and how did you go about selecting college etc…
Mail me if you really are interested to know/ thinking on similar lines.
Plan was there from long time..but nothing concrete. Motivation level changed due to various reasons. Finally, something worked out at the fag end. Nothing great to talk about, but if you really want to know the best way to do it, mail me.

Basically, my outline of this long journey was like this comprising of close to 2 years..
mba.com - gmat – switch off- wake up- toefl - school selection –switch off – wake up- essays - deadlines –reject- change of schools – essays - deadlines –apply-apply-apply- crossing finger - reject - reject- reject-school selection- apply - apply - reject - admit –apply-apply-apply-reject – reject - beg borrow money - loan - documents – accept the admission - resignation -visa – scholarship- air ticket - relieving

12. What have done differently that no one else would have done?
Many things…for one, I sent a long mail with a gist “Get lost, you didn’t deserve me..watch out for me” to the adcom of an university after they took long time and then rejected me ..

13. What ? Are you crazy ?
Hmm..

14. When are you traveling?
August 5th

15. Can we meet over a cup of coffee/ for lunch/ for dinner / for breakfast / for a date/ for beer?
Sure! I will be happy to – provided you take care of the bill and provided I am free/ available at your convenient time. [Hope questions from this FAQ are not repeated!]

16. Can I come to airport to see you off?
Sure ! Provided you are going to present send-off gifts!
17. What gifts are you looking at
Well anything ! wrist watch, sunglasses, your unspent dollars, books, my photos with you, the money you have to return to me ..anything.

18. Direct flight ? Which flight ?
No. Am going by Luftansa to Philadelphia via Frankfurt. From Phi to State college I catch US Airways (Yes, our university town has an airport too! And its own postal code too! How cool is that )

19. Finished shopping ? What is the weight allowed ?
Shopping going on. Weight - 23*2. I have some space left for your gifts.

20. When do the classes start
August 24th, but mandatory orientation from August 9th

21. Resigning the job ?
Yes, resigned.

22. When are you getting relieved?
July 20th hopefully.

23. Stay and all there?
An apartment has been booked, on sharing basis with 2 other guys.

24. Any friends there? Contacted anyone?
No. Yes.

25. You know cooking? What will you do there?
No. Hmm…Let me see.

26. Will you put on weight ?
Hmm..don’t know..

You will.
Hmm

27. Will you go running, salsa, theatre, aerobics, gym, swimming, there too ?
Hmm..don’t know.

You will not.
Hmm

28. Why MBA?
Please…I have heard this question and answered this lot of times…

29. Which concentration/branch/major/area/etc
Not sure now…general management…entrepreneurship..but let me see. Specialization is to be taken in 2nd year.. College is famous (6th ranked in US) for Supply Chain Management..so hoping opportunities will be better in that area.
30. Will you work in US? Will you settle in US? Will you not come back to India ?
Hmm…nothing decided as of now.. I take things as I go by.. flexible plans. Let me see how things work out.
31. When will you marry?
Hmm…nothing decided as of now.. I take things as I go by.. flexible plans. Let me see how things work out. [Perhaps you can help if you come across a rich, ready-to-marry girl who is looking for a MBA to manage her finances – and is ready to help me repay my loan]
32. What is the cost /expenses?
Hmm… Mail me if you want to fund a good boy’s education. Your money will be returned with attractive interests!

33. How are you arranging it ?
Bank loan..rest savings..rest beg borrow from family and friends…so it includes you. Mail me if you want to donate for a good cause.

34. Which bank ? How much ? What is the rate of interest ?
SBM. 20 lakh (maximum possible!). 13.25 (floating)

35. How will you repay it ? Is it not huge amount? Are you not taking a risk ?
Hmm…[philosophical tone] What is huge….what is not… no body can take away money while going …
[or]
[diplomatic tone] It all depends on priority.
[or]
[practical tone]
Hmm…nothing decided as of now.. I take things as I go by.. flexible plans. Let me see how things work out. There is internship…there is a possibility of scholarship…there is a hope of job that may help me repay loan pretty soon. Let me see. It’s a long journey I am starting.
[or]
[even more practical but pessimistic tone]
If nothing works out, I have backup.

36. That is a huge amount of money you are spending on MBA. If I had that money – I would have [bought a 2 bedroom apartment and settled down/ started my own company/ bought diamond jewellery / went on world tour/ invested in stock and made lot of money ]
Hmm

37. You don’t need a MBA .. managers only talk some hi-funda ..throw around attitudes…it is others who get the real work done…don’t run behind money .. MBA will just be a fancy degree and does not teach you anything….people succeed even without MBA.
Hmm

Dhirubhai Ambani did not have MBA ..
But his sons have.

What do you mean ?
Hmm..

38. The Hmms as replies are bad… you are proud.. You have ego, attitude..
Hmm..

39. How much money you need ..? I have some lakhs which I have not invested anywhere…
Now you are talking, mail me.

40. What if I can’t donate money ?
Give me “loan”

41. What if I don’t want to give you loan..or what if I want but I can’t , my money is all used up.
Well I have a scheme for everyone. Wish me. Pray for me. I want to try out this crazy theory called “intention- manifestation” which says if sufficient people think and pray strongly, it will happen. So wish me and pray for me - I get full scholarship next year. Pray for recession to end before my course ends. Pray for super paying job for me.

42. No, I will not do that for you..if that was true, I will pray for myself only, why should I pray for you ?
Hmm…

43. What will I get in return if I loan/fund ur education ?
If loan better than FD rate of interest…
If funds:
If you are boy/married girl/etc: Good karma and a preference in partnership in the company that is going to world-dominate.
If you are an unmarried girl: If we can work out something together, full ownership of that company to you.
if (parent of an unmarried girl)
{
How about an alliance to your girl with a charming young eligible bachelor – engineer turning MBA, programmer turning don’t-know-what. Also a blogger, marathon runner, theatre enthusiast, salsa dancer, thinker & a dreamer – all in one.
}
Ps: If I convinced you in this answer, may be MBA in marketing is my real forte.
Pps: Just to remind you, not related to the above, this mail has come with photo attachments.

44. Are you excited about going back to school..?
Of course yes.. But bit scared about hectic schedule too.

45. Are you happy to leave the job?
Hell yes..as if you didn’t know the answer to it. I never thought I would say this – but yes, I am not going to miss coding or technical work.

46. Why did you chose US…there is recession…there is H1B problem.. Europe/Singapore/Manila/Switzerland/Ethiopia were better.
Well… I attempted at other places too. But competition is quite high[and particularly this year as Murphy chalked out things personally for me] and I am left with best option. I didn’t have patience to wait or to retry.

But somehow I feel Smeal was pre-defined to be my destination. I have read about it even before I planned gmat. [There is a dancethon event, how cool is that !] Been reading their updates. Even if all other schools I had shortlisted kept changing, Smeal always remained on the list. This is the only school I applied neatly within planned deadline. And everything about it went smooth – no waiting for results, no major disappointments , no confusions or hassles in the process.

47. What were the other problems you faced ?
Recession, which has resulted in 1. increased number of applicants 2.reduced funding and some universities cancelled loans to international students.

48. Will you not miss home…mom’s food. ..country…. parents… friends… food… climate… people
Hmmm

49. Masalapuri, masala dosa, tours, get-togethers, attending marriages, Basavanagudi, jayanagar, rangashankara,
Pls don’t make it tough for me.

50. How can we keep in touch with you ?
Gmail/gtalk and my blog. [blog, twitter, orkut, facebook, you name it]

51. Why are you stopping the GM mails? You were sending from your personal id anyways.
Hmm …

52. This is not fair, you never told us the supposed pre-condition that we were supposed to keep in touch with you or tell our updates in response to your mails or in order to continue to receive your gm mails ..you selfish fellow..
Hmm..

53. Don’t act as if it was a big effort ..
Hmm… You miss the point.

54. Will you not send Good morning mails at all… will miss your mails …

I was earlier than normal days that day. I wonder what had made me go early there. There is a freshness in the atmosphere and the cool breeze only increased the pleasantness. I am little happier for whatsoever reason. Oh! There she comes. Looking beautiful in that probably new dress. Is that a miracle ? I remember now that I had woken up after a dream and she was certainly in the dream. And something in my dream had made me come earlier today. Is it real ?

We smile to each other. No one has come yet. She is comfortable at my presence. Did I really wake up or this is the continuation of dream ?If it is a dream, why is it a dream ? We walk upstairs as if we realised what exactly we need to do. In the terrace, coffee is served and we sit opposite to each other. We sip hot coffee while the cool breeze brushes our faces. Is there an other heaven?

I am afraid if she can hear my heartbeats. Today is the day. Now is the time. I have to say. It would be a foolish thing to start the conversation. I am not even sure whether my voice reaches her properly. Let me warm up.

“What is your plan for the weekend ? “

This was one of my earlier writing attempts. For some reason, I still like my attempts of those times. Those were the times, writers-block never hit me. I felt then I could churn up many snippets like these. However to this day, I am not sure if they were interesting to the readers - these were either lost in the now dead hard disk or held private in drafts.

The above one has been submitted to Yt contest and I wish to see your endings. Submit your endings to the email yteditors@gmail.com :

What happens next? How does the conversation go? What is the reply? Get your grey cells cracking and complete the story in not more than 250 words and give it ANY ending you desire.

As a bonus, you get to suggest the title of the story too. Who knows this may be your chance to become a famous writer. Send your entries to yteditors@gmail.com and win exciting prizes. Hurry! Last date 30th July, 2009.

Note: All entries must be original, accompanied by your full name, E-mail id and contact number.

Oh yeah, my ending of the story would be posted on this blog after the contest is over.

I had joined Yt and there is still a lot to talk about the experience for the brief stint I had there with the workshop and later rehearsals. As usual, I regret not having enough time and will to document nicely on this blog. More than theater/acting perspective, I feel I gained quite a bit from personal perspective. I’ll probably elaborate some other time, but in brief - if you are wasting your weekends, if you want to understand yourself or the world little more, do attend their workshop..it is immense fun.

Well, this post is about the Yt newsletter to which I was supposed to have contributed a lot, for being in the editorial team, but as it goes, my contribution is minimal. However, request you to visit the site and explore the contents and give feedback. Don’t forget to send an entry to “complete the story” contest.

I want to read those nice blogs..I want to read important news so that I can talk authoritatively based on facts rather than about my opinions and views..want to read and understand economics and politics and history .. add a word ‘world’ behind each of the above.. I want to read those umpteen books I can have access to..those comics I never read..want to read children novels, fiction, science fiction, philosophy and those odd romance novels ..

I want to watch all movies possible..and if possible write reviews there by improving my command or understanding..listen to all songs possible..watch all the plays possible..

I want to spend great time meeting all my friends..want to talk away the time..want to spend quality time with family..

Want to travel a lot… travel unusual places..villages..remote corners of Karnataka/India as well as want to visit exotic places of the world..visit all continents..visit all the wonders of the world..explore Europe..stay for some time in some of the places so that I really understand and experience the culture rather than just visit-smile-take a photo as a tourist..possibly own an island..

Want to learn some art forms…like theater..film making..something other individualistic..want to learn some fighting techniques..

Want to have alternate sources of money that I am not forced to work, but yet I work due to the sheer love of doing something ..making some difference to society by my work..and some how incorporate my some other wishes as a part of work rather than having to live two lives..

Want to live a long healthy and wealthy life and also having well wishers and close family around me always..

Want to make people smile at me whole heartedly..and cherish my presence and company…and leave behind cherishable memories…

**
There are only 24 hours a day.And __ years. And I can be present at only one place at a time and do only one thing at a time.

Here is to my 29*. Damn.

*: Belated, reason should be obvious by now.

As usual comments are welcome and appreciated. Also, what name would you suggest to the story ?
__
The usual day of Borak was to lead sheep up the hill for grazing, or to the fields at its bottom, to sleep under the shades of a tree by keeping his pet sheep with him. Drink water at a near by pond, and if he packed and carried food for that day eat it. Most days, it is only water that quenched his hunger too. At dusk, his important task was to count the number of sheep. If they matched the morning count, he is quite relieved. Else, it is the search across the fields and the hill, the thought of the task itself was scarier.

His counting methods were simpler. He collects, in the morning, the number of stones as exactly as the number of sheep. So evening, he discards a stone for each sheep. These days, if only one stone is extra, he aborts the stone rather than reproving the search for the last sheep. The only problem, if it happens quite regularly, there is a chance his father might find out about it.

Some days would be different. Like the day when he met few children who were of his age, wearing all similar clothes, marched right across him and he stood amused. Where do all these people go together and why do they not have any herd behind them. From next day onwards he made a point to come to that spot right at that time, so that he could try to make sense out of it. Soon enough he learnt, they go to a place where they have lot of fun. But his father said that was untrue, and they were taken to be punished.

Some of those people were benevolent to him and gave their food to him. Those days he overslept. Often waking up from the nightmare of having lost more than one sheep. Those days he felt even more scared to return home than normal. His father was a drunkard who berated every action of Borak accusing him of making attempts to steal his clandestine belongings.

Stood besides the place where those children went to get punished was a rectory. Borak decided to follow the children that day and hid behind the rectory. He noticed later that there was nothing happening that remotely seemed like punishment except for an old man saying something loudly and other children repeating it. It didn’t seem like any fun.

He didn’t realize he had spent quite some time there, and along with it lost a few sheep too. More stones than the number of fingers were left extra. This horrified him. He searched for lost sheep till late, but found only one. He decided to part with his beloved sheep and made it a part of herd to be returned to father.
More agony was waiting at home. Not only his father beat him almost to death, accusing him of selling the extra sheep, the very act- selling the herd- which he was about to do.

On being woken up, Borak realized that his herd – along with his beloved sheep – and his father were missing. After crying half a day, Borak felt, his going to that place – where other kids assembled for punishment – was indeed a place of severe punishment. And his going there has definitely resulted in his punishment – what else could explain his current fate.
__
Words were Berate,Benevolent,Reprove,Clandestine,Rectory

As usual comments are welcome and appreciated. Also, what name would you suggest to the story ?
__
“Oh Sottu … come .. lets go there…I see a throng in the field” shouted Kitta on top of his voice over to his neighbour while keeping his eyes transfixed on the far field on an early morning. The early mornings for these kids, during this summer vacation, is the most exciting time of the day. Dads getting ready to office, mothers busy in kitchen, these kids are left to themselves – save the worry of homework for the later part of the day.

While most of their classmates preferred to wake up late, these two guys, as if competing with each other’s energy and enthusiasm, wake up early and find new ways to entertain themselves – be it a beach hockey played with a cricket bat, or a stroll to a nearby police station. Yes, police station – a place where any normal children would forbid themselves from going, these kids were brave enough to go near it. They overheard the conversation, came back home and enacted the same, often tried to find a solution by one acting as a police and the other as another party in the case.

Summer vacation, was perhaps the busiest time for these two kids. Often they built a castle from the empty matchstick boxes and cigarratte boxes they collected through out the year or sometimes just spent entire time reading a book together and enacting the story by themselves. Their passion and curiosity was uniform in fields ranging from science to astronomy to history to mythology.

Sottu, who was hurriedly brushing his tooth, swallowed half of it in a hurry and washed his mouth and ran hurriedly to mother asking her for a pair of dress. She was preparing pooris – his favorite breakfast. While watching her prepare, he also noticed, her work carefully. She was preparing the round shaped objects from the flour. In between she was stirring the delicious-by-smell sagu by left hand while using the right to fry the already prepared ones. He was quite awe-struct at the rapport and speed of her eyes and hands.

Lost in the observation, he was again alerted by the shout of Kitta, who was now shouting on the top of his voice and in absolute hurry. “If we don’t run now, we can’t see what others are already seeing… come fast, this is my last call for you, I am going otherwise.” Sottu quickly responded “WAIT, only a second”, without waiting for his mother to give him clothes, he put on yesterday’s and ran outside the house, neglecting his mothers question “When are you returning?”

Both ran towards the field where more people were joining every minute, this usually happens during an accident scene. But this was no highway, it was a big playing ground. Both the kids squeezed in between the people, shoved and managed to go to the front of the gathering. They were astonished by the sight ! It was a dead huge bird and not known to alive in this era. Sottu said “Oh my !! Was it hiding in our town ?” Kitta replied “This bird has been surely obsolescent..probably from dinosaur era”. Both were, like other people there, not stunned by only its gigantic size, but more about the mystery behind its finding in that field now.

While Kitta looked at the sky for some clues, Sottu looked at the lorry that stood at the corner of the field. The lorry looked dysfunctional and aborted. It surely wasn’t there previous day, recalled Sottu. He grabbed Kitta and pointed him towards the lorry suspiciously. They tried to look for any other hints at the spot. On finding more crowd and camera men coming to the spot, they both deserted and headed towards home – discussing the possibilities of that bird being there.

That night, Kitta said Sottu, let’s keep a watch on the lorry. Sottu had other star gazing plans, but that could be put off to some other day, he thought. They both went and hid themselves at a considerable distance for long time in the night. Nothing happened, they returned home with mosquito bites. Sottu suggested they could watch the lorry from home using the telescope he was hoping to use for star gazing. For next few nights they watched the lorry in the night, while searching for clues about the mystery in the day. They visited local library to collect the information about the bird, they tried to obtain the lorry registration information and also learnt how the bird was being moved out of the city to a museum in the capital city.

After nights of result less watching in night, in addition to the scoldings by their parents, they finally decided to try one last night. That day, the bird was moved out of the city. And finally some people came to take the lorry. Sottu and Kitta jumped out of house and followed those guys.

Rest, as they say is, history. The local lads had become world famous in the small town, thanks to the front page city news paper article “Kids help bust a smuggling racket in town”
**

Few lunch break after the school re-opened were filled with sessions of question and answers by their classmates. And their explanation of the story in animated style. “That night …we were sure some one would come and take away the lorry..we knew it.” “They pushed the lorry till some distance ..so that the sound of it does not disturb ..when they started it, we both jumped into it.” “It went for a long distance..we tried hard to keep us awake. Finally it stopped and we got down and hid behind the bushes…..”

In such detail their narration went. The newspaper article had put it briefly thus:
“Two kids who were suspicious of a lorry parked in the field for few days, decided to follow it. They found that that lorry was one of the lorries used to smuggle various illegal goods out of the city. They were waiting for this day when the entire police was diverted to the transport of the huge bird, which was a fake replica these smugglers created and planted in the heart of the city few days ago.”

Sottu and Kitta waited for their next vacation adventure !
___
The words were : obsolescent, throng ,rapport,passion,forbid