Five things I miss about my work-life!

It's almost seven months since I'm jobless, and the initial excitement of leaving IT field for "good", seems to have it's own dark side. Things have settled down pretty quickly in Mumbai and this city rocks completely. Although MBA life is supposedly very strenous, 24X7 work and ..... ahhhh, I don't know why I can't experience any of this! Having learned a few jargons here, I thought of finding my "opportunity cost", had I not pursued this degree. Let's see the five things which I miss about my work-life:

1. SALARY! SALARY! - Trust me guys, the kick of money being credited into your account on last day of every month when you don't work is really different! Leaving all that, paying a hefty amount for MBA and then being asked to study, is really painful.

2. FREEDOM! FREEDOM! - This would mean no group works, no quizzes, no assignments. Can just go out with friends any time (read this as ANY TIME) for movies, bike rides, shopping, playing 29 all night, and what not!

3. ALTUS! ALTUS! - Well, this is surely one thing which makes me feel that I really left something special at Sterling!

4. SPL! SPL! - Nothing can get bigger than SPL at Sterling! (If Rajesh/Vaibhav is reading this blog, then please give my MoM and MoS trophy!) :P

5. SICK LEAVES! SICK LEAVES! - For a lazy bum like me, sick leaves are a breather! Where else will you get paid even when you are ill.. ! And yeah, no worries of a down-grade also if missed too many days! :D

I know the list is too small, but then I selected the first five which came instantly to my mind!
Nice to blog after a long time..!

My Tryst with CATs - Part-2!

The Other Day -
My Dad came to Bangalore for Aero India Show in February 2007, and I thought of showing him my company. After I introduced him to my manager, and went on a "office" tour, he asked me if I was happy working here. Believe me folks, this is what I told my Dad then - "Dad, I like being in this company, but can't see much future here, and I want to go for higher studies, perhaps a MBA. I am going to PREPARE for CAT this year."
My Dad that day was really proud of me and my decision!

CAT 2007 -

The next few months after I told the dialogue to my Dad, had been really taxing for me, as I knew I wanted to go for MBA, but was lethargic enough to put an effort for that. I had already given one year break after my 1st attempt in 2005, thinking that I will gain some "industry experience", and then go back studies (little did I knew that work can make a person too lazy to study! Ok, this is another excuse from me!). The same time, my roomie (Siddharth) was preparing really hard for the CAT 2007 as he wanted to move out of the company as well. He's a a real stud when it comes to analytical skills, and I knew he would be going to an IIM the same year. So I followed him, and applied for every damn exam (CAT, XAT, SNAP, JMET, FMS) and every institute in Top-15. Yeah, as I said I "applied". It doesn't mean I put an effort to actually stand worthy of my candidature! I joined TIME test series (got a discount as I was a TIME student 2 years back! Yeah, I somehow found the TIME Mangalore contact!). I went to almost all the test series, however my dismal performances continued. I used to sit with Sidd and see the types of questions he solved in Quants. He used to explain lots of fundas to me, but all of that just whizzed past my head!
Days passed, I knew I was not faring well, and slowly the D-day arrived. I took a good 10 days vacation from office so that I can prepare for the CAT. Well, such intentions can sometimes backfire! I slept almost all the day!
The day and went by. I knew I succumbed in my 2nd attempt at CAT. Rest of the exams were a disaster as well. No hopes from any of them. I need to confess that this 2nd attempt was the most serious attempt from my side, as I always kept thinking after those Mock-CATs different ways to improve on the scores. (Well, I just thought and never acted on that!)

CAT Results came, and I won't give a break-up of the sections.
Overall - 80% tile
Other Exam results were also something like this!
Siddharth got 99.37%tile but then his VA score was less, and thus no IIM calls. He is now in 2nd Year at MDI, Gurgaon.

After this attempt, I realised that some people are not meant to be serious in life. Hard-work(here I mean the time spent in thinking of how to better my score!) for me has never paid off. The enigma of success in CAT eluded me yet again! At the end of the day, I knew I just have to be my stupid self and stop thinking!
That comes to the grand climax. Do watch for the Part-3 :)

Cheers,
KC

My Tryst with CATs - Part-1!

Present Day -
Last few months have been really happening for me! Before I could blink my eyes, so many things have happened! Mostly on the career front! Last few years, I wondered of where life will take me, and the day I joined Sterling, I had this josh in me to change the company. But somehow I started liking this company not for their work, but for the fun part of it! Work has always been good enough to be done well within my capabilities, but then I kept wondering if MBA is within my reach or not. As I look back now at my various attempts, the pattern looks pretty weird!

Not so long ago! -
The year was 2005, my final year in college had started, and we were finding every possible way to hang out! Giving CAT was a show off for many of us there(including me). Many of us filled the CAT form with the sole intention of coming to Bangalore and having a good weekend! I coaxed my brother to fund for the TIME coaching classes, as it happened in our college campus, butI hardly attended the classes! We went there to keep arguing with the lecturers on trivial things of the subjects, it was fun! I sucked at the TIME test series(maximum i got was some 85%tile), but then the attitude I wore was "Who cares!".
First of the 3rd Sundays of November which I faced was a complete disaster. Venue was BMS College of Engineering(Our foes in the cultural fests, but then NITK rocks completely!). I didn't wear a watch, so hardly I checked the time! I always loved the DI section, and I could easily crack it!
Being the son of Mathematics teacher, I should have ideally done well, but I completely lost the fundas of Maths after I came to college!
With the last bell of 2 mins to go, I had just started with English section. Later I realised that I was so engrossed in trying to get the answers of Quants right, I almost spent an eternity in that section!
I came out, and tried to put a sorrowful face in front of my bro, saying him that he didn't buy me a new watch! [:D] Yes, I can find a reason for any outcome!
He told me that I can go back to college, but then I came to have good fun with frenz in Bangalore and that mission I accomplished successfully!
Result of CAT 2005 -
DI - 99.92%tile
Quants - below 60%tile
English - some 55% tile
Overall - 90%tile
Wow!! I was so happy about the DI section. I thought that next 2 years I will crack the other 2 sections, then I will be good in all 3 at the end of 3rd year, which would mean in the 4th attempt, I will have 99%tile+. Well what can I say now about that thought I had in 2006... !
With that, my 1st attempt at CAT was over! And yeah, I was so kind that I didn't take the watch from my brother!
Next blog would be about my 2nd attempt at CAT...!

FlashBack- 2

In continuation of my previous blog, here is the second poem written in the same era of -"KC-The Poet", and this poem also is another kiddish kinda poem! But then, you folks need to acknowledge that I really am a ardent fan of Sachin!

Here is my 2nd poem. Do leave your comments!

Truth

Friends today I tell you a truth,

truth that has to be unfolded,

there is a person in my life,

surely that person is not my wife,

he makes the people dance on their feet,

whenever I see him I can feel the heat,

for a moment I think who is he to me,

other moment I think he is everything to me,

for one say that I am mad about him,

but I say that sadness is removed by him,

he is the one who controls my anger,

whenever I think of him,

I think of God,

Whenever joys are at my feet,

It is largely due to his run-feast,

This is the truth of my life,

He is my life!

FlashBack!

A Handful of people know that I write( or rather used to write) poems. Thought of posting some of my old poems. And yeah, some of them will be really out of this world, so that's why I have even given the date when I had written the poem!

My first official poem - Candle of Joy is about my childhood idol - Sachin! I know that sounds pretty weird, but yeah he was one of those persons whom I idolised!

Candle of Joy
(my first official poem!!!!)
Written on : 15^th December 2001

Whenever I get depressed,

I remember him,

He who is the symbol of humbleness,

He who makes people happy,

Also makes them cry,

Whose smile makes millions of hearts fly,

By visualizing him makes a great day,

And shows me the right way!

I fly in the sky,

I forget my sorrows,

My life turns as a candle of joy,

But I must remember that this is a candle,

A candle which can be turned off any moment,

But still my depressions go off,

Hope so he remains in my soul,

So that the candle burns till I die.

Flights of Fantasy!

It seems to be an eternity since I blogged(although its just 18 months!), and now here I'm! Before you get confused with the profile photo of mine thinking that I have changed my profession, let me tell you that's part of "Flights of Fantasy!", which is the topic of my blog for today!

I couldn't find a better reason to write than the music video "Flights of Fantasy", which was made by team ITIS as part of the intra-company competition "War of the Videos"(WotV)- a mega-event of the extra-curricular gala, what we call as "Altus". This video although not technically brilliant, will still be special for me, just for the gusto shown by very few of us-(check the photo-Kaus, Anurag, Ria and me). As a matter of fact, the ones in the video were the ones who actually did everything! Oops, apart from the folks seen in the video, Niks and Majeti did help us a lot!

Let me give a jiffy of "Altus" for the mortals who haven't heard of it! As I mentioned, our company is divided into 6 cultural teams, namely - Aqua, Itis, Ventus, Ignis, Lamina and Terra. under the Altus umbrella, a variety of events are conducted, and typically an Altus cycle goes for 6-7 months. This was the 3rd cycle of Altus, and team ITIS, had almost been on the top, but Terra took a huge leap before the WotV, which was the last event of the cycle. The penultimate event (Spin of the wheel), nailed the hopes of ITIS team, and our plans for making the video which had started long before the "Spin", got dented. We had got our story in place with every day meetings, but soon after the event, many of us lost enthu as we couldn't be at top this time also! However, in a matter of 3 weeks, BOY! we fought, slogged, changed scripts at last moment, shoot, re shoot, broke our heads over the dimness of the light, the angles of the camera, the non-existence of helpers, the costumes, the various takes and retakes, "behind the scenes" in E-inn resort in E-city( I dropped a Rs.600/- white-forrest cake on the floor, the reactions of Majeti and Kaus on that and finally we ate the same later!), Tavarekere road scene which was shot on the morning of the Bangalore bomb blasts in the same vicinity and Ria madame showing her modelling skills in front of the camera when she had to mime "Aslam bhai", the school scene which was shot twice-once in Baldwin's (and this scene was not good enough), and then finally in SRV school,the L'Oreal Salon in BTM, the editing, the publicity, and finally we came up with what we called "Flights of Fantasy".

This video may not have won the 1st prize( we were 2nd of 5 teams which participated), but then we really acheived a sense of accomplishment, as for us those numerous moments which went by in making this video, will bring a smile on our faces in the years to come!!

Do check out the video - Flights of Fantasy!

And yeah, the icing on the cake- paintings which were sketched by Ria in an hour flat, that made even the judges go gaga over our video! Truly we owe Ria for the amazing work she did!!

Dreams Shattered... but show must go on!

Over the past week, there has been lot of hoopla about our Indian Cricket Team which gave a dismal performance in the World Cup 2007 in Carribean, and had a shock exit from the group stage itself! Well i'm no expert in jugding what went wrong and what happened, but thot of penning down what i felt. First of all i do agree that the "1-Billion" expectations has gone to dogs, but has any1 thot actually why is so much of expectations from the team! I mean this team is no doubtedly the best in the world in terms of the Super-Cricketers it has! But a close look
into this team will actually tell the story! The unit which was sent to Carribean had not actually played together as a team from Alteast last 6 months! I mean apart from the injuries to Munaf, Yuvraj , there was more off-field drama with the mantra of experimentation going on! Infact only for the last 2 ODI series at home the team had a chance to be together! Now ppl will argue that why all is this needed?? The answer is simple but hardly any1 thinks abt it! Its a Team of 11 which has to win at the end of the day! You could see that even with minnnows like Bangladesh! The way they played their cricket! Enjoying each moment of it! Wowww! Thats the way to play a sport! I know its tough to have the burden of representing a country like India wherer Cricket is a religion and still Sachin is the demi-god! Even i'm a a crazy fan of Tendlyaa! But then there should be a reasonable understanding in all these matters! Our media perhaps gave the biggest send-off to our team before going to Carribean! Pages were flooded of the team's preparations and then the "expert" comments from people who actually had no knowledge of what cricket is all about, and then this drastic change within a fortnight, any lay man can see it all.. The team is worth for applaud but then people forget that there are other 8 teams fighting equally hard ( or perhaps more :D ) than our team! The things which come in my mind while talking about our team can easily be told in term of their strengths and wekanesses:

Strengths:
1. Perhaps one of the most destructive batting line-up in the world with Sachin, Saurav and Dravid Amassing runs all these years under their belt.
2. One of the best wicketkeepers India found in over a decade.
3. Some very decent bolwing line-up.
4. Emergence of youth like Irfan, Munaf and Dinesh Karthick!

Weaknesses:
1. The batting lineup is not consistent.
2. Having Utthapa and Sehwag ( both play alike in the sense they ll be out going after the bowling) in the team.
3. The jelling of the team as a single unit didnt really happen, with politics doing the rounds for over 3 yrs before this world cup.
4. Too much of experimentation resulted in not giving enuf thought of picking the best team well before in hand.
5. Too much of individual talent but hardly team effort.
6. This point my friend Siddharth told pretty well.. The presence of Dravid should always be near the bowler, at mid-on or off continuously talking to him or at the slips! But he was sometimes found at covers, and strangely later even at the boundary!!
7. Team never went for the kill, and always went for "Play Safe" game!
8. With so much of experience, the pressure situations always faltered the team.

Well there are many more to it! But what i want to say from this write up is actually very different from cricket!It's about the psyche of people in this great country! The day india lost to bangladesh, there were a billion curses! People never understand that in a game especially a ODI game, the better team wins! The same people who made audio cassesttes of Dhoni, ransacked his place! See the heights of madness! There is a small example here! In the
recently concluded CB series in Australia were cruising in the group matches and belted both England and New Zealand. But in finals, England thrashed Australia in straight matches and it was 1st time in some 17 yrs that Australia has lost that series! And after that Australia lost in New Zealand also! But then, did we ever hear a news that Pointing's house was attacked?? or were there any protests? The problem with our team is the administration! The richest board in cricket, perhaps is more of a business which are lead by people who have no knack of admistering a sport, and are for the sake of those politicians who want to mint money! The adminstration has to satisfy every1. There has to be players from all the zones! Else there would be a protest! Rather than bringing a player on his credit, the zone which he represents is considered! Such things do affect the way a team is chosen!Chappell did a pretty good job, but his funda of experimentation went bit too far or may be the board dint give him the freedom which a coach should have. Either ways, the team suffered! I personally think that our team was capable of being till semis if not win the world cup, but its obivous that a team very low in morale cant do miracles! They dint have any opportunites to come back! And if they did in a match or too, the expectations from the fans hit the sky! This adds to the pressure of the players! I still remember the incident in Wankhede Statium where Sachin was Booed by the fans coz the way he performed! That was his homeground! The place where he grew up playing cricket! There has been upteenth incidents which happen here! Cricketers in India live life on a double-edged sword! A player should play not for the sake of fulfilling some billion dreams, but because he loves playing it! That's the difference with other countries!Aged-horse like Muttaih Muralitharan was a live wire on field during the all important match against India last week! Indians had that pensive look all through out the match, coz they knew their fate if they lose the match! They will the worst time of their lives back home!Anyways, this has been tooo long a write up... hope atleast some will agree with what i have written here! Else... can always say that opinions are different and unique!In the end, this World Cup has still lots of store in it, and well i'm surely gonna enjoy every bit of it! After all, Show must go on!