I should have posted this days ago...but have just been a lazy bum!!
Better late than never though..
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I reached Pune, along with my parents, on 23rd night by train, which by the way I had caught just in the nick of time. The guest house we realized, to our dismay, was a good 11 kilometers away from the institute, where I had to report at 9 am each morning.
The Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, where I had been called for a second round of interviews, was conducting it Fest-o-Comm and Admission procedure for the batch of 2010 simultaneously.
The campus was full to bursting with applicants of 3 specializations and their guardians, easily around a 1000-1200 people. My darling parents escorted me and waited till I was registered and asked to move to another part of the campus to collect my schedule for the next four days.
After the initial confusion, we were directed to the institute building where I met hordes of people, basically my contenders. I say contenders because I found out that we were around 350 applicants vying for just 36 seats!
And what should the first thing I see on my schedule be?? My Panel Interview was going to be conducted in exactly 37 minutes!! Despite my immediate panic I did laugh mentally at the ridiculously "accurate" timings(military style) on the sheet viz.
INTERVIEW 1019 hrs 24th January 2008
Well thankfully I just about managed to gather my wits and my interview went off just fine. After a series of questions about why I wanted to do advertising and what exactly I wanted to specialize in, a couple of questions more and they wrapped it up. It lasted exactly 5 minutes, the shortest interview I've ever given in my life.
I also had a group discussion scheduled much later in the day. I decided to make use of the hours available till evening to socialize and make some new friends. I met some wonderfully brilliant people in the course of the day, some of whom I'm still in touch with. You'd be amazed at the spectrum of people who might apply for an MBA in advertising! A 21 year old Latin American dance instructor, a bassist from Goa who works in the radio, a B.Com honours squash captain from Delhi etc. Every person was infinitely more interesting than the other!
Still left with spare time, I participated in a Salsa workshop and took part in an advertising contest for which I won a cap. I finally wrapped up the day with a satisfactory Group Discussion, to head home tired and sleepy.
The next day dawned bright and early. Completely unused to the temperatures in Pune, I was chilled to the bone in the rickshaw ride to Symbiosis. I was glad for the fact that I'd made friends the previous day as it made 25th infinitely more pleasant and relaxing. It was the Journalism day of, Fest-o-Comm. I attended the seminars which were on subjects like- Brains, Beauty and Broadcast, Is the media removed from the majority addressed by speakers like, Sivanti Nayanan, Vidyashankar Iyer etc. The person seated next to me by strange coincidence was my friend's girlfriend, whom by the way I had never met before. I still dont know how we figured it out, but thanks to her my day was made. After the seminars I had the most tasty Alu parantha I have ever set my teeth into, at Kakke Di Hatti, in the canteen of SIMC. The only thing I had on my agenda for the day was the verification of my documents which I managed to get done earlier than scheduled. Well, after all the day had to have its down side right, I broke my bag and my shoe. But fortunately for me my Pune based friend, who was visiting me on campus, lent me hers. As for my shoe I walked barefoot for a while but was the proud owner of a smart , brand new sandal from Woodlands by the end of the day.
26th January began in the usual way, with flag hoisting in the premises of the guest house where I had put up The third day on campus was the Advertising day of the festival. I was really looking forward to listening to the seminars. So I was there at 9.30 am despite having only a peer interface at 2032 hrs. The six hours from 10 am to 4 pm were extremely informative and inspiring all at the same time. We had eminent speakers such as Ad guru Alyque Padamsee, the brains behind the "toing"(Amul Macho), Mr. Pushpinder Singh and a few others address us on topics ranging from Conceptualizing and Media Planning to the simple generation of an idea. Madhuri, the friend whose bag I was still using, came to spend the evening with the malai kulfi available at one of the stalls, and as a by product catch up with me. We caught the beginning of the rock band competition-Distortions. I then headed for my Peer Interface, where as a test, they made me sell an ugly cat to a finicky feline lover.
That evening I met a childhood friend of mine, Gayatri. By the end of our tete-a-tete I marveled at the ease with which we slipped back to being friends at a level so uncomplicated, its a rare thing in today's world.
27th dawned, a chilly Sunday, supposedly the last day of the admission process. My parents left early to return to Mumbai. I lunched with Gayatri and her family and went ahead to Viman Nagar (location of the SIMC campus). The submission of my Assignment, which each short-listed candidate had to complete, was scheduled at 1329 hrs. I was happy that I would finish early and be able to hang out with my friends for the remainder of the day, but things just spiraled out of control from there on. The Director of the institute, dubbed Spacely Sprockets by some(no prizes for guessing why!), was assessing each applicant's assignment personally and individually. On reaching the specified location I was told that there spill over of yesterdays applicants were being tackled presently and this at 2.00 pm on the last day of the procedure. Things just got progressively worse, the back log and delay increased. It was a scene of utter chaos, confusion, disillusionment and last but not the least frustration was rampant. Amidst all of this who else. but my guardian angel, Madhuri came to keep me company. Though she enjoyed ourselves, speaking to random people and taking on the role of delivery boy for the famished, she got unfairly yelled at and water accidentally thrown at her. Thanks to her, I had a memorable dinner of pizza and a chicken wrap amidst pandemonium. It was actually extremely entertaining, the only drawback being, hungry people staring at you as you eat is not pleasant! The queue didn't seem to be ending, and finally the Deputy Director announced that those who wished could come back the next morning to submit the assignments. The announcement immediately decided my course of action.
The remainder of the night was a pleasant stay over at Madhuri's house.
The next morning I had to miss my pre-booked seat on the bus to Mumbai and go back to the insti instead. But fortunately everything went off smoothly and the director appreciated my work on the assignment, which made it worth the while. Immediately, I headed back for Mumbai in the company of an interesting couple. I finally reached home at 6 pm on Monday evening thus concluding the SAGA OF SIMC!!
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A few good things that came out of this:-
1.)I realized that my networking skills are genuinely good and I'm really thankful for knowing all the people that I do.
2.)I met some amazing, interesting and lively people in Pune and mad some good friends who will hopefully last me a while. Also I reconnected with a childhood friend. And last but not the least have come to truly appreciate Madhuri!
3.)Good management should not necessarily be expected from a Management school.
4.)Irrespective of any city I stay in or visit, Bombay will always feel like home!
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE
I just got back from a trip to my grandmother's house in Nagpur. For the 4 days that i was there, i took a morning walk with my uncle who is a Brigadier General in the Indian Army, and as i just realized after all these years, an extremely interesting human being.
Each day we had a different topic of conversation, arbitrarily chosen. On one of these walks, we had an interesting discussion on Religion and Philosophy.It started interestingly, when my uncle suddenly asked me, "Are you an atheist?"
Now I AM an atheist-at least according to the dictionary. Basically I don't believe in worshiping God, in religion or idol worship. I do, but, willingly partake in all the social and cultural activities which have a religious inclination. This i do as per the advice of my late Grandfather, firstly because these are abundant in India and secondly to avoid antagonizing my parents and stay away from societal controversy and consternation. Considering all this, I Do believe in a power above myself and that the universe is governed by a higher energy force, this I do for my own reasons.
So, getting back, I answered my uncle's question in the affirmative and explained to him that I believe in the omnipotent energy, of which I have seen proof, and this belief I require for strength when my mind is weak or when I falter.
He then explained his point of view with the help of the Upanishads and the Bhagvad Gita. Having said that, I must clarify that though a religious person himself, he took a purely philosophical approach while speaking to me.
It would be quite impossible to retrace the exact discussion owing to my rather poor memory and the fact that we digressed a lot in the course of the discussion.
But at the end of it I wished to summarize the conversation. That resulted in the following:
The concept of 'God' is a man-made one. Every different religion is the result of the limitation of the mind of man in the way of 'conceptualizing' God.
For eventually every religion in essence preaches the same thing- 'God is and omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient manifestation of our belief.'
Religion is a tool for initiation into the 'philosophy of life'.
The various contorted consequences and unfortunate abbhorance in the name of religion is a result of the decay and limited cognitive and perceptive abilities of man's mind or a shrewd mind with an ulterior motive.
I found in my eccentric perception a certain degree of consensus between the age old 'Bhagvad Gita' and modern day philosophies of Ayn Rand, who propounded the concept of 'Objectivism'.
The Bhagvad Gita says that, Lord is not removed from the universe i.e. they are one. I interpret this thus- You are a part of the universe, thus You are a part of the Lord.
So, if the Lord is power, then you are in that power and a part of that power!
Ayn Rand, exults the capability of MAN, not men, and HIS potential, above all else. This concept she calls Man-Worship.
These two philosophies in conjecture tell me,
"To believe in MYSELF, MY energy, spirit and thought and move towards MY goal."
Everyone has a right to their own opinion and philosophy-this is mine.
This may seem like a warped or half-baked or even a brilliant philosophy, with which people may agree or disagree, but, it is MY PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE.
Each day we had a different topic of conversation, arbitrarily chosen. On one of these walks, we had an interesting discussion on Religion and Philosophy.It started interestingly, when my uncle suddenly asked me, "Are you an atheist?"
Now I AM an atheist-at least according to the dictionary. Basically I don't believe in worshiping God, in religion or idol worship. I do, but, willingly partake in all the social and cultural activities which have a religious inclination. This i do as per the advice of my late Grandfather, firstly because these are abundant in India and secondly to avoid antagonizing my parents and stay away from societal controversy and consternation. Considering all this, I Do believe in a power above myself and that the universe is governed by a higher energy force, this I do for my own reasons.
So, getting back, I answered my uncle's question in the affirmative and explained to him that I believe in the omnipotent energy, of which I have seen proof, and this belief I require for strength when my mind is weak or when I falter.
He then explained his point of view with the help of the Upanishads and the Bhagvad Gita. Having said that, I must clarify that though a religious person himself, he took a purely philosophical approach while speaking to me.
It would be quite impossible to retrace the exact discussion owing to my rather poor memory and the fact that we digressed a lot in the course of the discussion.
But at the end of it I wished to summarize the conversation. That resulted in the following:
The concept of 'God' is a man-made one. Every different religion is the result of the limitation of the mind of man in the way of 'conceptualizing' God.
For eventually every religion in essence preaches the same thing- 'God is and omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient manifestation of our belief.'
Religion is a tool for initiation into the 'philosophy of life'.
The various contorted consequences and unfortunate abbhorance in the name of religion is a result of the decay and limited cognitive and perceptive abilities of man's mind or a shrewd mind with an ulterior motive.
I found in my eccentric perception a certain degree of consensus between the age old 'Bhagvad Gita' and modern day philosophies of Ayn Rand, who propounded the concept of 'Objectivism'.
The Bhagvad Gita says that, Lord is not removed from the universe i.e. they are one. I interpret this thus- You are a part of the universe, thus You are a part of the Lord.
So, if the Lord is power, then you are in that power and a part of that power!
Ayn Rand, exults the capability of MAN, not men, and HIS potential, above all else. This concept she calls Man-Worship.
These two philosophies in conjecture tell me,
"To believe in MYSELF, MY energy, spirit and thought and move towards MY goal."
Everyone has a right to their own opinion and philosophy-this is mine.
This may seem like a warped or half-baked or even a brilliant philosophy, with which people may agree or disagree, but, it is MY PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
<<<<<<------ONE YEAR BACK..........>>>>>TODAY
A YEAR BACK
December, in Mumbai, is one of the most pleasant months. The residents of the city get a respite from the humidly oppressive heat without having to bear harsh winters.
On one such day in December 2006, they met around mid-morning at Churchgate station-A casual meeting between friends who hadn't met for a while because of exam schedules. They greeted each other with brilliant smiles, reserved for people who "make your day".
They exchanged initial pleasantries and headed towards Mocha for a relaxed morning of coffee and chatter. Most of the day passed by like a breeze...lunch at Pizzeria....a walk along Marine Drive...well almost...
Come evening, they sat together at the sea-side. Each of them involved in their own thoughts--thoughts of events, other people and life in general. The conversation was just perfect, just enough to suggest company and comfortable enough to allow room for the thoughts.
Suddenly, she glanced at him and caught him staring at her. She held his eye and they looked....just looked at each other.
They only noticed time, when it began trying to veil the intimacy of their gaze, with the dark blue of the night sky.The spell lifted and a chill breeze blew in.
Not a little conscious, she eventually asked him,"Usually when we speak, even when you are miles away from me, over the phone, I always know what exactly is going on in your mind and heart...
But today, you are here sitting, not 1 foot away from me and I'm incapable of understanding anything about you."
He just smiled a mysterious smile and answered.."Thats because I was thinking about you..."
TODAY
A year has passed that day....a year full of turmoil and unpleasant events.....
He calls her up.
Him: "Hi!! Whats up?"
Her: "Hey, nothing, just watching TV..U tell me.."
Him: "How are your studies going on?How was todays paper?"
Her:"Sucked big time...Better try to make up in the next one..What about your work?"
Him:"All great as usual."
Her:"And your amma?"
Him:"She's fine. But I do miss her."
.
.
.
.(a pause..the kind that you would call pregnant..)
.
.
Her:"I think I should get back to my work now"
Him:"Yea, I guess you should...bye!"
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I guess life goes on....
we haven't seen anything that qualifies the end of the world yet..
December, in Mumbai, is one of the most pleasant months. The residents of the city get a respite from the humidly oppressive heat without having to bear harsh winters.
On one such day in December 2006, they met around mid-morning at Churchgate station-A casual meeting between friends who hadn't met for a while because of exam schedules. They greeted each other with brilliant smiles, reserved for people who "make your day".
They exchanged initial pleasantries and headed towards Mocha for a relaxed morning of coffee and chatter. Most of the day passed by like a breeze...lunch at Pizzeria....a walk along Marine Drive...well almost...
Come evening, they sat together at the sea-side. Each of them involved in their own thoughts--thoughts of events, other people and life in general. The conversation was just perfect, just enough to suggest company and comfortable enough to allow room for the thoughts.
Suddenly, she glanced at him and caught him staring at her. She held his eye and they looked....just looked at each other.
They only noticed time, when it began trying to veil the intimacy of their gaze, with the dark blue of the night sky.The spell lifted and a chill breeze blew in.
Not a little conscious, she eventually asked him,"Usually when we speak, even when you are miles away from me, over the phone, I always know what exactly is going on in your mind and heart...
But today, you are here sitting, not 1 foot away from me and I'm incapable of understanding anything about you."
He just smiled a mysterious smile and answered.."Thats because I was thinking about you..."
TODAY
A year has passed that day....a year full of turmoil and unpleasant events.....
He calls her up.
Him: "Hi!! Whats up?"
Her: "Hey, nothing, just watching TV..U tell me.."
Him: "How are your studies going on?How was todays paper?"
Her:"Sucked big time...Better try to make up in the next one..What about your work?"
Him:"All great as usual."
Her:"And your amma?"
Him:"She's fine. But I do miss her."
.
.
.
.(a pause..the kind that you would call pregnant..)
.
.
Her:"I think I should get back to my work now"
Him:"Yea, I guess you should...bye!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I guess life goes on....
we haven't seen anything that qualifies the end of the world yet..
Sunday, December 09, 2007
REVELATION
Today I'm Liberated..I'm Free..
There's no place else I'd rather be..
Gone past the irrevocable change..
New Beginnings..They can be strange..
---------------------------------------------------
I've just got my Life back..
I'm doing the same things..
But my heart feels so light..
And everything feels so right..
---------------------------------------------------
In order to move on confidently and unabashedly..
I have to make peace with my past..
See the path I've traveled..
Learn not to regret the ME of the past...
And Understand and accept the me of the present..
There's no place else I'd rather be..
Gone past the irrevocable change..
New Beginnings..They can be strange..
---------------------------------------------------
I've just got my Life back..
I'm doing the same things..
But my heart feels so light..
And everything feels so right..
---------------------------------------------------
In order to move on confidently and unabashedly..
I have to make peace with my past..
See the path I've traveled..
Learn not to regret the ME of the past...
And Understand and accept the me of the present..
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Pune..
Getting away from Bombay was what was uppermost in my mind when i planned my trip. Pune proved itself to be the most convenient destination as I had plenty of friends to meet and its just a 3 and a half hour bus journey...I was all excited..this being the first time i was traveling without parental accompaniment..
The trip started on a good note, considering my friend managed discounted fares on a morning bus to Pune...We traveled in comfort in a Raj Travels ,Volvo...Rather uneventful journey..(barring the fact that my normally sane friend complained "But the movie isint over!!!" for a movie as dumb as 'Hulchul', when we were about to disembark!)
My 2 days was basically characterized by good food and great company..2 wheeler seems to be the ONLY way to travel in pune..So with both my friend and her(considering i cant ride a bike!) 2 wheeler at my disposal began my tour.We started with the area she lives in..Boat Club area( as it houses the Royal Connaught Boat Club).. one of the poshest residential areas in pune.
First day was devoted to discovering eating joints...
We spent some time at a mall at East Square..Since we were being treated we had to consider pricing, distance et al..I figured the eating scene in Pune is waaay better than Bombay..
Its more economical, with as good if not slightly better variety and with acceptable quantity and quality. We decided on Malacca Spice in Koregaon Park area(thats near the Osho Ashram). One of the originally quaint places...South East Asian cuisine..Candle Light dining area...Paintings on sale...A portrait artist...the works...Good service and even better food..
We ended up with 5 dishes between the 6 of us, 3 being non-vegetarian and a bottle of Red Wine all for Rs.950..(not complaining at all!!)
And the bakeries just yum!! A quest for a birthday cake revealed this fact..Baker's Basket..Khayani's...Just Baked...the list never ends..
Next morning I spent in catching up with most of the people I know in Pune..And after lunch we headed for shopping(girls are allowed to indulge once in a way)..That covered Koregaon Park(for oshos of course), F.C road, Junglee Maharaj Road etc. My friend studies in COEP so i obviously got a guided tour of that as well( with special repeated mentions to the chimney of the only functional boiler!) and their Boat Club(where Raegatta is held every year)...I thought that BC was anice place to relax..and it amazing when its within ur college campus..
To kill some time before heading for Prabhat colony..we had a dekko at Shambhaji Garden, one of the famous albeit less visited places in pune...I like the view of the Mulla Muttha river you get from all the sites along its banks(including BC and Shambhaji Park).
We then headed for Hanuman Tekdi...which was the most brilliant thing I saw in Pune..Tekdi in marathi means hillock..this one ran along a hitherto stone quarry and offered a beautiful bird's eye view of Pune. A place for people to walk..for lovers to romance...children to play...friends to hang out and loners to revel...We had to leave just before dark because apparantly the place is infested with muggers after dark.
I had dinner with one of my aunt's friends and 2 of my own at the Pizza Hut at Deccan. She then took me back to her house at Swaar Gate via Chavni(or Camp area) and M.G.Road..
I had to unforunately leave for Bombay the next morning but with a happy heart because of a good to days and also that my mind was longing to be back in the pace of Bombay..
So my summarization of Pune is..
A nice city...Lots of greeney and natural beauty( with all the gadhs and tekdis)..
No consideration for traffic rules whatsoever...
A moderate pace of life..
The "City of Tekdi's" and "A Mini Metro"
The trip started on a good note, considering my friend managed discounted fares on a morning bus to Pune...We traveled in comfort in a Raj Travels ,Volvo...Rather uneventful journey..(barring the fact that my normally sane friend complained "But the movie isint over!!!" for a movie as dumb as 'Hulchul', when we were about to disembark!)
My 2 days was basically characterized by good food and great company..2 wheeler seems to be the ONLY way to travel in pune..So with both my friend and her(considering i cant ride a bike!) 2 wheeler at my disposal began my tour.We started with the area she lives in..Boat Club area( as it houses the Royal Connaught Boat Club).. one of the poshest residential areas in pune.
First day was devoted to discovering eating joints...
We spent some time at a mall at East Square..Since we were being treated we had to consider pricing, distance et al..I figured the eating scene in Pune is waaay better than Bombay..
Its more economical, with as good if not slightly better variety and with acceptable quantity and quality. We decided on Malacca Spice in Koregaon Park area(thats near the Osho Ashram). One of the originally quaint places...South East Asian cuisine..Candle Light dining area...Paintings on sale...A portrait artist...the works...Good service and even better food..
We ended up with 5 dishes between the 6 of us, 3 being non-vegetarian and a bottle of Red Wine all for Rs.950..(not complaining at all!!)
And the bakeries just yum!! A quest for a birthday cake revealed this fact..Baker's Basket..Khayani's...Just Baked...the list never ends..
Next morning I spent in catching up with most of the people I know in Pune..And after lunch we headed for shopping(girls are allowed to indulge once in a way)..That covered Koregaon Park(for oshos of course), F.C road, Junglee Maharaj Road etc. My friend studies in COEP so i obviously got a guided tour of that as well( with special repeated mentions to the chimney of the only functional boiler!) and their Boat Club(where Raegatta is held every year)...I thought that BC was anice place to relax..and it amazing when its within ur college campus..
To kill some time before heading for Prabhat colony..we had a dekko at Shambhaji Garden, one of the famous albeit less visited places in pune...I like the view of the Mulla Muttha river you get from all the sites along its banks(including BC and Shambhaji Park).
We then headed for Hanuman Tekdi...which was the most brilliant thing I saw in Pune..Tekdi in marathi means hillock..this one ran along a hitherto stone quarry and offered a beautiful bird's eye view of Pune. A place for people to walk..for lovers to romance...children to play...friends to hang out and loners to revel...We had to leave just before dark because apparantly the place is infested with muggers after dark.
I had dinner with one of my aunt's friends and 2 of my own at the Pizza Hut at Deccan. She then took me back to her house at Swaar Gate via Chavni(or Camp area) and M.G.Road..
I had to unforunately leave for Bombay the next morning but with a happy heart because of a good to days and also that my mind was longing to be back in the pace of Bombay..
So my summarization of Pune is..
A nice city...Lots of greeney and natural beauty( with all the gadhs and tekdis)..
No consideration for traffic rules whatsoever...
A moderate pace of life..
The "City of Tekdi's" and "A Mini Metro"
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