To know that Prof. Uday Damodaran knew my by name did not come as much of a surprise (given his much acknowledged interest in student blogs) but that I came to know of it for certain in this way, really took the cake. It was the first of a series of UD's quizzes on readings from The Economic Times and I was peacefully writing whatever precious little I knew of the answers. I have this habit of moving my head and craning it upwards and towards the left at an angle of nearly 45 degrees whenever I am thinking hard (am not sure but I believe that I have read it somewhere that it is natural for people to look Left Up if they are trying to make up something, Right Down if they are trying to recollect something and so on).
To say that I had no idea that UD might take it as an indication that I was cheating, would probably be an exaggeration. I admit that it may look to the 'suspecting' eye as something not really out of a book but then again, the truth of the matter is that there was hardly anything that I could have cheated for (even at the cost of hypothetically admitting of my intention to cheat). Nobody would have known more than what everybody (including me) knew and so, it was not worth it at all. Whatever it may have been, as Ravi rightly pointed out, I am now in the spotlight and I better take care of myself and my neck movements from now on if I don't want any more trouble from UD.
I might as well go for that band those people wear around their neck for some back/neck problems...
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Of Extremes, Munnar trip, Genesis of Gandh and others...
As she used to say, I am capable of only two extremes...either being the life of the party or being as aloof from it as humanly possible. I never believed her then and in fact, it was one of the things we fought the most about. After the Munnar trip, however, I think that she was actually right. The trip started off really well for me, with songs and dance aplenty, making life difficult for light sleepers like Mustu and all the more exciting for people like me. Having already explored the mountains of Munnar on my bike trip, the only reason I agreed to go along this time was that I wanted to have some fun. With 25 people coming for the trip in a mini bus arranged for the trip by the Women in Charge, the trip was certainly going to be fun.
And fun it was, till I decided to take myself out of the fun. We were all having a great time, singing songs, playing Antakshari and Dumb Charades, cracking some really pathetic jokes, building and popularising liaisons :-)...I don't know exactly what happened but by the time we were done with our late lunch, I had been turned off by something...it may have been some thing some one said, it may have been the food (if it can be called that), it may have been the memories of Kodaikanal and her, it may have been the lack of sleep for the past three days in a row...whatever it was, from there on, it reduced my role in the trip to that of a spectator who watched, smiled, and even laughed but did not speak...a loser, as the people on the adjoining dinner table would have defined the term.
Despite what happened to my role in the proceedings, life continued to rock and roll for all others. The genesis of Gandh group was complete, with a full court sitting on the matter of the three caps (pink, white and blue) and the Bond. With a detailed analysis by the special correspondent and some candid confessions by the witnesses, all came out in the open as the audience cheered and jeered at the revelation of who was after whom, whether the red cap was accessible, if it was, then for whom...or was it the pink (another one) who was sought after by the Bond...many questions and even more answers...
And fun it was, till I decided to take myself out of the fun. We were all having a great time, singing songs, playing Antakshari and Dumb Charades, cracking some really pathetic jokes, building and popularising liaisons :-)...I don't know exactly what happened but by the time we were done with our late lunch, I had been turned off by something...it may have been some thing some one said, it may have been the food (if it can be called that), it may have been the memories of Kodaikanal and her, it may have been the lack of sleep for the past three days in a row...whatever it was, from there on, it reduced my role in the trip to that of a spectator who watched, smiled, and even laughed but did not speak...a loser, as the people on the adjoining dinner table would have defined the term.
Despite what happened to my role in the proceedings, life continued to rock and roll for all others. The genesis of Gandh group was complete, with a full court sitting on the matter of the three caps (pink, white and blue) and the Bond. With a detailed analysis by the special correspondent and some candid confessions by the witnesses, all came out in the open as the audience cheered and jeered at the revelation of who was after whom, whether the red cap was accessible, if it was, then for whom...or was it the pink (another one) who was sought after by the Bond...many questions and even more answers...
The next morning was a little better for me and as the day just broke, I was into another of my extremes (yet again), but this once, the extreme seemed to have been forced (by me???) and did not last for long. Before I knew, I was back in the Yes Sir, Yes Ma'am mood and it was thus that we eneterd into Calicut. The last couple of hours were well spent, with some more concept laying for the Gandh group, Reddy actually making an OB-style relationship map of all the liaisons that we were able to establish on the trip (by hook or by crook :-)), and the many photographs that we had as proofs of the real intentions (cruel???) of the femme fatales...
Myself apart, I found a few more people on the trip who were not really having a great time, or so it seemed. For some reason, the initiator and organizer of the trip, Pavithra was in one of her worse moods...though Karfa joined the party at times, he was a little away at times, too...or perhaps, I had been thinking a lot, especially since I was reduced to one of my reflective moods. Even the people whom I do not know well enough (haven't observed them enough) and who may normally belong to the quiet version (Kundan, Rahul, Qaynat...) were suspects when it came to finding like minded souls :-)
On the whole, it was a nice trip (I was in my full of life extreme for a majority of 21 out of the 40 hour trip) that made me realize that there is a lot that is possibly wrong with me, that there is more than a substance of truth when people describe me as idiosyncratic, that there are things about me that make me appear inaccessible and not-worth-it...that I waste a lot of my time thinking and cribbing about things that may or may not have any relation with reality...
Myself apart, I found a few more people on the trip who were not really having a great time, or so it seemed. For some reason, the initiator and organizer of the trip, Pavithra was in one of her worse moods...though Karfa joined the party at times, he was a little away at times, too...or perhaps, I had been thinking a lot, especially since I was reduced to one of my reflective moods. Even the people whom I do not know well enough (haven't observed them enough) and who may normally belong to the quiet version (Kundan, Rahul, Qaynat...) were suspects when it came to finding like minded souls :-)
On the whole, it was a nice trip (I was in my full of life extreme for a majority of 21 out of the 40 hour trip) that made me realize that there is a lot that is possibly wrong with me, that there is more than a substance of truth when people describe me as idiosyncratic, that there are things about me that make me appear inaccessible and not-worth-it...that I waste a lot of my time thinking and cribbing about things that may or may not have any relation with reality...
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
I am on air
RJ Baba welcomes you all to the voice of IIMK. It is 30 minutes past 10 and you are tuned in to Kdio.
Kdio ke saare shrotaaon ke naam ek sher arz kiya hai:
Gunghat Mein Tujhe Dekha To Deewana Hua,
Sangeet Ka Taraana Hua,
Shamaa Ka Parwana Hua,
Masti Ka mastaana Hua,
Jaise Hi Gunghat Uthaya Is Duniya Se Ravana Hua
Kdio ke saare shrotaaon ke naam ek sher arz kiya hai:
Gunghat Mein Tujhe Dekha To Deewana Hua,
Sangeet Ka Taraana Hua,
Shamaa Ka Parwana Hua,
Masti Ka mastaana Hua,
Jaise Hi Gunghat Uthaya Is Duniya Se Ravana Hua
The intranet radio channel of IIMK went on air two nights ago and what awesome nights I have been having since then. Having taken over the RJing thing for the initial few days (just to promote the concept of the channel) from Chimpy, I did two night outs yapping away on the microphone. Kdio (and yours truly) was on air from 11:30 PM in the night to 4AM in the morning over the last two nights and believe me, it has been an experience that I will not be able to forget too soon.
I have never had any experience of RJing before but for this once when I thought that I will just try to be natural and do what I can do, without trying to emulate some body who goes live on Radio Mirchi or Times FM or MTV (yeah yeah, I know I have been going on for just too long now but...:-)). I don't know how good or bad, decent or attrocious I have been during these two nights of RJing and blabbering away in the nights (when I should have been studying for the OB quiz or completing the Finance assignment) but what I do know is that I had a great time.
The best part was to look at the dedications. With the imagination of junta taking huge leaps, songs were dedicated right, left and center from one party to another without either of the parties having any idea of what was happening. The girls, obviously, were in huge demand as they got connected to so many of the guys through songs as subtle as straight from the heart to as blatant as Rape Me (I applied some RJ discretion (sic!) and did not play all the songs as dedicated by the junta). All the same, no one can take it away from the girls we have here at IIMK, either, with Neeta and Priya having some real good time the night before with dedications and some fooling around with song titles (yes, I do know some of it ;-))
Two nights into Kdio and the radio bug has caught the campus. With KDio's popularity jumping from a peak of 15 odd listeners on the first night to a peak of about 60 last night, I am not too sure about what UD would say of the valuation of Kdio in IIMK and whether it will crash to below 10 in the final run. However, regardless of what happens to KDio finally, I believe that it has done its job...already there is some talk of a rival channel KLPDio (courtesy Kunal and JC) coming up tonite :-)
I have never had any experience of RJing before but for this once when I thought that I will just try to be natural and do what I can do, without trying to emulate some body who goes live on Radio Mirchi or Times FM or MTV (yeah yeah, I know I have been going on for just too long now but...:-)). I don't know how good or bad, decent or attrocious I have been during these two nights of RJing and blabbering away in the nights (when I should have been studying for the OB quiz or completing the Finance assignment) but what I do know is that I had a great time.
The best part was to look at the dedications. With the imagination of junta taking huge leaps, songs were dedicated right, left and center from one party to another without either of the parties having any idea of what was happening. The girls, obviously, were in huge demand as they got connected to so many of the guys through songs as subtle as straight from the heart to as blatant as Rape Me (I applied some RJ discretion (sic!) and did not play all the songs as dedicated by the junta). All the same, no one can take it away from the girls we have here at IIMK, either, with Neeta and Priya having some real good time the night before with dedications and some fooling around with song titles (yes, I do know some of it ;-))
Two nights into Kdio and the radio bug has caught the campus. With KDio's popularity jumping from a peak of 15 odd listeners on the first night to a peak of about 60 last night, I am not too sure about what UD would say of the valuation of Kdio in IIMK and whether it will crash to below 10 in the final run. However, regardless of what happens to KDio finally, I believe that it has done its job...already there is some talk of a rival channel KLPDio (courtesy Kunal and JC) coming up tonite :-)
Sunday, October 17, 2004
When days became 0, 1 and 2
As I don my ties and formals for yet another presentation by yet another company on campus, I can't help but wonder at the awesome work that the placements committee have done to make all this possible. Three odd days...30 odd companies...80 odd people getting placed...and the list goes on...not to mention the quality of companies on campus. Whether it be an Aditya Birla or a GE Corporate Finance...an Ernst n Young or a PWC...an ITC or an Asian Paints...a UTI Bank or an ICICI...the recruiters have been here on God's own campus, wooing their potential employees like they have never been wooed before. The game has been big and so have been the stakes for which it has been played. Competition with people you stay with 24 hours of the day, people you dine n wine with...euphoria...frustration...hope...cynicism...shock...expectation... haplessness...happiness...sorrow...tears...smiles...so many things that have been hallmark of the days gone by.
It all started with what is popularly known in B-School parlance as Day 0 when the companies at stake were the biggies...the ones where B-schoolers dream to be after completing their MBAs...the ones that offer the best projects to the people they consider to be the best fit for their organisations. The larger the number and stature of companies, the larger the logisitics problems for the placement committee members. The tension was palpable, what with companies asking for them to be slotted earlier than the others, asking for things like hot chocolate as if they have come for a picnic to some resort (agreed that the institute does look like a resort but still...). On top of all this was the problem of plenty that some students might face. With diverse and amazing profiles aplenty, there were bound to be multiple offers on Day 0 and it was the responsibility of PlaceCom yet again to make sure that no seat goes waste and that IIMK benefits wholely, and not just a particular person.
On a personal front, I was one of the luckier few. Having been shortlisted for a good chunk of the biggies, I was slated to appear in the Group Discussions for ITC, Asian Paints, Aditya Birla Group (Marketing), and Perfetti. Above this, I was also fortunate enough to be shortlisted for the telephonic interview to be conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the dream company for any MBA across the world. The first in line was the telephonic interview by PWC and I guess that the person on the other end seemed to be pretty impressed by my academic record. Let me see if I can recount the experience:
Hello...Good Afternoon, this is Nitai here
Good Afternoon Nitai, so how has your day been?
Pretty good, Sir...thank you
Ok Nitai, we have your brief profile with us but not your entire CV. Could you just take us through your academics? How did you select me then???
It all started with what is popularly known in B-School parlance as Day 0 when the companies at stake were the biggies...the ones where B-schoolers dream to be after completing their MBAs...the ones that offer the best projects to the people they consider to be the best fit for their organisations. The larger the number and stature of companies, the larger the logisitics problems for the placement committee members. The tension was palpable, what with companies asking for them to be slotted earlier than the others, asking for things like hot chocolate as if they have come for a picnic to some resort (agreed that the institute does look like a resort but still...). On top of all this was the problem of plenty that some students might face. With diverse and amazing profiles aplenty, there were bound to be multiple offers on Day 0 and it was the responsibility of PlaceCom yet again to make sure that no seat goes waste and that IIMK benefits wholely, and not just a particular person.
On a personal front, I was one of the luckier few. Having been shortlisted for a good chunk of the biggies, I was slated to appear in the Group Discussions for ITC, Asian Paints, Aditya Birla Group (Marketing), and Perfetti. Above this, I was also fortunate enough to be shortlisted for the telephonic interview to be conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the dream company for any MBA across the world. The first in line was the telephonic interview by PWC and I guess that the person on the other end seemed to be pretty impressed by my academic record. Let me see if I can recount the experience:
Hello...Good Afternoon, this is Nitai here
Good Afternoon Nitai, so how has your day been?
Pretty good, Sir...thank you
Ok Nitai, we have your brief profile with us but not your entire CV. Could you just take us through your academics? How did you select me then???
Certainly Sir. I did my schooling from Patna. I passed my high school examinations from there in 1996 with an aggregate percentage of 87.4
Did you say 87.4? Hard of hearing, too...what is PWC coming to?
Yes Sir...I then moved on to Delhi to do my +2 from Delhi Public School, RK Puram. I passed in 1998 with 88.4%. I qualified for IIT-JEE thereafter and joined Institute of Technology, BHU where I did my B.Tech in Ceramic Engineering. I passed in 2002 with a CGPA of 8.67 out of 10.
You seem to have a good academic record Nitai.
Thank you Sir I thought that I was needed to say something more but what???
What was the rank that you got in your graduation?
I stood 4th out of 29 students. Who knows what the truth is...I could have said I was first and what more, could have got away with it
Did you say 87.4? Hard of hearing, too...what is PWC coming to?
Yes Sir...I then moved on to Delhi to do my +2 from Delhi Public School, RK Puram. I passed in 1998 with 88.4%. I qualified for IIT-JEE thereafter and joined Institute of Technology, BHU where I did my B.Tech in Ceramic Engineering. I passed in 2002 with a CGPA of 8.67 out of 10.
You seem to have a good academic record Nitai.
Thank you Sir I thought that I was needed to say something more but what???
What was the rank that you got in your graduation?
I stood 4th out of 29 students. Who knows what the truth is...I could have said I was first and what more, could have got away with it
Ok Nitai, tell us what you expect out of your summer project...I mean, what is the kind of work that you want to do?
Sir, I am looking at a position where I can act as a bridge between the client and the organisation, say for any IT Company. I would like to be able to offer complete business solutions to the company. I do manage to lie through my teeth, don't I?
You necessarily mean a consulting project. What if we are able to offer you a project with an IT flavor?
That would be absolutely fine with me as I already have an experience of IT solutions in Infosys. and I don't want to go back to it...please
Nitai, you have had a good academic record...why not continue as an engineer? Why did you decide to do your management? What a stupid question
As I joined Infosys, I realised that as an engineer, the role that I could play was very limited and that I could not really be a part of the decision making process...even if I were to become a part of the process, I wouldn't be prepared enough. What a stupid answer
What specialisations do you intend to take up at IIM?
Sir, I plan to take up Marketing and Finance. Here goes my foot in my mouth
Marketing...hmm...so why don't you go for a marketing project for your summers?
Sir, I have already seen Systems as a part of my experience and in order to give complete business solutions to my company, I need to have a fair idea about the other two important functions of business and that is why I chose my electives to be marketing and finance. The other foot, too
That makes all the more sense for you to go for a marketing project...since you already have systems exposure, get some marketing exposure too...so that you will be more complete.
I accept your point Sir but I wish to test my preparedness for the company when I come out of my MBA, during the summer project. Therefore, it will make sense for me to do the same thing that I used to do but with a different approach. What bull****
Hmm...Nitai, tell us what you know about PWC
PWC is one of the leaders in Consultancy arena in the world and believes in offering complete business solutions to its clients, including financial and IT systems solutions. I see a person-company fit here as this is exactly what I had in mind for my own career. Person-company fit in deed!!!
Nitai, do you mind if we do not offer you travel reimbursements?
No Sir, I don't. I do a lot, actually but can not tell that to you, can I?
Out of Bangalore, Delhi, Calcutta and Chennai, which one would you prefer as the location for your summer project?
I don't have anything against any center but I would prefer Calcutta as it is the closest to my home. and because it is your headquarters where in all probability, you will have some projects.
Thank you for talking to us, Nitai. It was nice talking to you.
Same here, Sir. The pleasure was mine. At least, it is nice not having to talk to you any more
So this was what one of the biggest consulting companies on Planet Earth asked me during my first ever telephonic interview for a job (I have had interviews on the telephone for research positions in foreign universities but that is another story...perhaps later). As I was just getting prepared to sit through the pre-placement talk of Asian Paints, news arrived that I had been selected for the second round of interviews for PWC, which will take place at 6:30 in the evening. I was in dual minds at the time, not sure if I was taking a good decision by falling for the brand, knowing fully well that the kind of work I want to do will not be offered by PWC. But what the hell, I could as well have ended at a Wipro or a TCS and a PWC was anyday better that both these combined.
So it was with the knowledge that six people out of a total of 21 were through for the second round for PWC, that I had to participate in the group discussions for the other companies. The first in line was Aditya Birla Group where we were given a case study on distribution channel problems. The case talked about how exclusive dealership for a particular high margin product led to conflict amongst the other dealers who now threatened to go to the competitor if they were not given a share of the pie. A good case and some good points raised, too. Debojyoti was at his notorious best, demeaning the points of all others with his monologues comprising of some solid Kotler terminology (I have still not got over from his co-capitation, co-participation and co-something-or-the-other :-)). Nikhil and I were shortlisted from the group of 10 while from the other group, Kashyap and Kunal were shortlisted, making a total of 4 applicants for Marketing position in Aditya Birla group.
Before the final interview at Birla, the GDs of other companies were due. And thus, I went for the GD of Asian Paints which was probably the best regulated, the most decent, the least fierce group discussion that I have ever been a part of. Everybody spoke and spoke at length on the topic There are no good or bad soldiers, there are only good or bad Generals. No body spoke unless the other had finished the point and it was really constructive, the way we thrashed out the topic amongst ourselves. That I was not finally shortlisted from the group did disappoint me as I thought that I had done quite well in the GD but then...
Next in line was the second round of the PWC interview for which I was already late. I had to run to the placement office and had hardly caught my breath when I had to speak to the people on the other side. This time around, they were even more cordial than before and talked stuff about confirming my academic record, and asking me about the grades that I received in the two subjects at IIMK, results for which have been declared (luckily for me, I had As in both of them). There was also some talk about whether I will be okay with down-to-earth projects on the lines of those that I may have already done in Infosys. After my saying (unwillingly) that I was fine with that, too, it seemed that they had made up their mind. They even asked me about what will happen if they give me an offer right then. I said that I was not really sure of the poilicy in that case and that they might have to talk to the PlaceCom about it. There were some just-for-laughs (at least that is what I thought) questions about what will I do if I receive offers from both PWC and Asian Paints. I answered by saying that this was a hypothetical question and that I did not have an answer to it at the moment. They were pretty happy with that (thank God!) and that was the end of the second phase.
By the end of it, I was almost sure that I had made it to their final list but I wanted to explore the marketing projects before I gave a final answer to PWC (in case they did make an offer). So I went back to the ITC GD with a new enthusiasm and yet with a laid back attitude, a kind of security over powering my intentions to fight it out further. The ITC GD was a little different, too (come to think of it, there were so many different GDs that I attended this day that I actually lost sight of any common strategy that I could have adopted). There was a case of a plane crash where the eight of us had landed in the tropical rain forests of Mizoram with about 15 things that we could use to help ourselves. We had to initially rank these items in order of our own individual preferences and then discuss the order in the group to arrive at the consensus for order of preference for the team of survivors. Debojyoti was with me yet again in this GD (he was not there in the Asian Paints GD and as I have already mentioned, that was the only peaceful GD that I had in the entire day :-)). As expected, we were not able to reach at any consensus about the order of preference and as expected, not even a single person from our group was shortlisted for the interview process.
The Perfetti GD was the last and I was bushed by the time I went in for it. With a group of 12, it was anyway going to be a crowd and with Debojyoti in yet again, I was almost prepared to lose out on any hopes. There were other big shots in the group, too including Qaynat, Neeta, Pavan and others who all had the potential to wreck a guy's chance in any GD by simply stealing the show. Though I had guessed the nature of the GD pretty correctly, I was in for a surprise as far as the perpetrators of that nature were concerned. There were two gangs in the GD with each talking in its own language and I was actually reduced to try and act as a bridge between the two (even that, as the result of the GD indicated, I was not able to do properly). The topic Marketing is more of a science than an art was pretty good and enticed some verbose participation from one and all. When I was asked to express my opinion, I thought that I had done a good job but as Abhijeet later pointed out, perhaps it all sounded like a lot of shit to others. One key learning from the GD: There were others far ahead of Debojyoti as far as making a mess of GDs are concerned...Nimish, Abhijeet, to name a few.
At the end of it all, when all I needed to hit a sack was a sack :-), Neel and Ron told me that I had made it to the final list for PWC and that if I did want to take it up, I should not waste any seat in other companies. Also, since PWC had not declared any wait list, I would be wasting one seat if I forego that for any other company. After saying all this, they said that there was absolutely no pressure on me :-). Actually, I did appreciate their coming and telling me the way things stood and as it turned out, they actually encouraged me to give the Birla interview process my best shot if I wanted to go for that.
Despite what these people said and wished me, I could not really take off in my interview with the Aditya Birla group. I was tired, I knew that I already had been placed and I was not sure if I wanted to try for Aditya Birla at all. In all this confusion, I made a mess of the interview, saying things like the total branded apparel industry in India is worth only 200 crores (when it actually is 200 thousand crores). I did some other major goof ups and as I came out of the room, I knew where I was headed...I knew, above all, that I will not have to make any difficult decisions (like Yash and Nikhil had to with their two offers from both Aditya Birla and GE).
It has been only two days since that evening even though it seems that a lifetime has passed attending presentations, celebrating successes, ruing missed chances, consoling and encouraging people, running around looking for people, talking to the HR people, pushing more and more resumes...
With another 50-55 odd people out of a batch of 134 yet to be placed, and with about another 30 odd companies to make their appearance in the coming days, the picture is certainly looking rosy, if not very clear. There has been some very hard work done by the Placement Committee that is being rewarded and any amount of praise for their dedication would be small. Thank you guys, for working so hard for all of us. I hope and wish and pray that you get what you want in terms of placement yourself (whether it is the lateral or final placement for seniors or the summers for juniors). I am sure that the entire batch will be behind you guys (with certain exceptions like Kiran, of course) in trying to get for IIMK and its students, what they rightfully deserve.
Sir, I am looking at a position where I can act as a bridge between the client and the organisation, say for any IT Company. I would like to be able to offer complete business solutions to the company. I do manage to lie through my teeth, don't I?
You necessarily mean a consulting project. What if we are able to offer you a project with an IT flavor?
That would be absolutely fine with me as I already have an experience of IT solutions in Infosys. and I don't want to go back to it...please
Nitai, you have had a good academic record...why not continue as an engineer? Why did you decide to do your management? What a stupid question
As I joined Infosys, I realised that as an engineer, the role that I could play was very limited and that I could not really be a part of the decision making process...even if I were to become a part of the process, I wouldn't be prepared enough. What a stupid answer
What specialisations do you intend to take up at IIM?
Sir, I plan to take up Marketing and Finance. Here goes my foot in my mouth
Marketing...hmm...so why don't you go for a marketing project for your summers?
Sir, I have already seen Systems as a part of my experience and in order to give complete business solutions to my company, I need to have a fair idea about the other two important functions of business and that is why I chose my electives to be marketing and finance. The other foot, too
That makes all the more sense for you to go for a marketing project...since you already have systems exposure, get some marketing exposure too...so that you will be more complete.
I accept your point Sir but I wish to test my preparedness for the company when I come out of my MBA, during the summer project. Therefore, it will make sense for me to do the same thing that I used to do but with a different approach. What bull****
Hmm...Nitai, tell us what you know about PWC
PWC is one of the leaders in Consultancy arena in the world and believes in offering complete business solutions to its clients, including financial and IT systems solutions. I see a person-company fit here as this is exactly what I had in mind for my own career. Person-company fit in deed!!!
Nitai, do you mind if we do not offer you travel reimbursements?
No Sir, I don't. I do a lot, actually but can not tell that to you, can I?
Out of Bangalore, Delhi, Calcutta and Chennai, which one would you prefer as the location for your summer project?
I don't have anything against any center but I would prefer Calcutta as it is the closest to my home. and because it is your headquarters where in all probability, you will have some projects.
Thank you for talking to us, Nitai. It was nice talking to you.
Same here, Sir. The pleasure was mine. At least, it is nice not having to talk to you any more
So this was what one of the biggest consulting companies on Planet Earth asked me during my first ever telephonic interview for a job (I have had interviews on the telephone for research positions in foreign universities but that is another story...perhaps later). As I was just getting prepared to sit through the pre-placement talk of Asian Paints, news arrived that I had been selected for the second round of interviews for PWC, which will take place at 6:30 in the evening. I was in dual minds at the time, not sure if I was taking a good decision by falling for the brand, knowing fully well that the kind of work I want to do will not be offered by PWC. But what the hell, I could as well have ended at a Wipro or a TCS and a PWC was anyday better that both these combined.
So it was with the knowledge that six people out of a total of 21 were through for the second round for PWC, that I had to participate in the group discussions for the other companies. The first in line was Aditya Birla Group where we were given a case study on distribution channel problems. The case talked about how exclusive dealership for a particular high margin product led to conflict amongst the other dealers who now threatened to go to the competitor if they were not given a share of the pie. A good case and some good points raised, too. Debojyoti was at his notorious best, demeaning the points of all others with his monologues comprising of some solid Kotler terminology (I have still not got over from his co-capitation, co-participation and co-something-or-the-other :-)). Nikhil and I were shortlisted from the group of 10 while from the other group, Kashyap and Kunal were shortlisted, making a total of 4 applicants for Marketing position in Aditya Birla group.
Before the final interview at Birla, the GDs of other companies were due. And thus, I went for the GD of Asian Paints which was probably the best regulated, the most decent, the least fierce group discussion that I have ever been a part of. Everybody spoke and spoke at length on the topic There are no good or bad soldiers, there are only good or bad Generals. No body spoke unless the other had finished the point and it was really constructive, the way we thrashed out the topic amongst ourselves. That I was not finally shortlisted from the group did disappoint me as I thought that I had done quite well in the GD but then...
Next in line was the second round of the PWC interview for which I was already late. I had to run to the placement office and had hardly caught my breath when I had to speak to the people on the other side. This time around, they were even more cordial than before and talked stuff about confirming my academic record, and asking me about the grades that I received in the two subjects at IIMK, results for which have been declared (luckily for me, I had As in both of them). There was also some talk about whether I will be okay with down-to-earth projects on the lines of those that I may have already done in Infosys. After my saying (unwillingly) that I was fine with that, too, it seemed that they had made up their mind. They even asked me about what will happen if they give me an offer right then. I said that I was not really sure of the poilicy in that case and that they might have to talk to the PlaceCom about it. There were some just-for-laughs (at least that is what I thought) questions about what will I do if I receive offers from both PWC and Asian Paints. I answered by saying that this was a hypothetical question and that I did not have an answer to it at the moment. They were pretty happy with that (thank God!) and that was the end of the second phase.
By the end of it, I was almost sure that I had made it to their final list but I wanted to explore the marketing projects before I gave a final answer to PWC (in case they did make an offer). So I went back to the ITC GD with a new enthusiasm and yet with a laid back attitude, a kind of security over powering my intentions to fight it out further. The ITC GD was a little different, too (come to think of it, there were so many different GDs that I attended this day that I actually lost sight of any common strategy that I could have adopted). There was a case of a plane crash where the eight of us had landed in the tropical rain forests of Mizoram with about 15 things that we could use to help ourselves. We had to initially rank these items in order of our own individual preferences and then discuss the order in the group to arrive at the consensus for order of preference for the team of survivors. Debojyoti was with me yet again in this GD (he was not there in the Asian Paints GD and as I have already mentioned, that was the only peaceful GD that I had in the entire day :-)). As expected, we were not able to reach at any consensus about the order of preference and as expected, not even a single person from our group was shortlisted for the interview process.
The Perfetti GD was the last and I was bushed by the time I went in for it. With a group of 12, it was anyway going to be a crowd and with Debojyoti in yet again, I was almost prepared to lose out on any hopes. There were other big shots in the group, too including Qaynat, Neeta, Pavan and others who all had the potential to wreck a guy's chance in any GD by simply stealing the show. Though I had guessed the nature of the GD pretty correctly, I was in for a surprise as far as the perpetrators of that nature were concerned. There were two gangs in the GD with each talking in its own language and I was actually reduced to try and act as a bridge between the two (even that, as the result of the GD indicated, I was not able to do properly). The topic Marketing is more of a science than an art was pretty good and enticed some verbose participation from one and all. When I was asked to express my opinion, I thought that I had done a good job but as Abhijeet later pointed out, perhaps it all sounded like a lot of shit to others. One key learning from the GD: There were others far ahead of Debojyoti as far as making a mess of GDs are concerned...Nimish, Abhijeet, to name a few.
At the end of it all, when all I needed to hit a sack was a sack :-), Neel and Ron told me that I had made it to the final list for PWC and that if I did want to take it up, I should not waste any seat in other companies. Also, since PWC had not declared any wait list, I would be wasting one seat if I forego that for any other company. After saying all this, they said that there was absolutely no pressure on me :-). Actually, I did appreciate their coming and telling me the way things stood and as it turned out, they actually encouraged me to give the Birla interview process my best shot if I wanted to go for that.
Despite what these people said and wished me, I could not really take off in my interview with the Aditya Birla group. I was tired, I knew that I already had been placed and I was not sure if I wanted to try for Aditya Birla at all. In all this confusion, I made a mess of the interview, saying things like the total branded apparel industry in India is worth only 200 crores (when it actually is 200 thousand crores). I did some other major goof ups and as I came out of the room, I knew where I was headed...I knew, above all, that I will not have to make any difficult decisions (like Yash and Nikhil had to with their two offers from both Aditya Birla and GE).
It has been only two days since that evening even though it seems that a lifetime has passed attending presentations, celebrating successes, ruing missed chances, consoling and encouraging people, running around looking for people, talking to the HR people, pushing more and more resumes...
With another 50-55 odd people out of a batch of 134 yet to be placed, and with about another 30 odd companies to make their appearance in the coming days, the picture is certainly looking rosy, if not very clear. There has been some very hard work done by the Placement Committee that is being rewarded and any amount of praise for their dedication would be small. Thank you guys, for working so hard for all of us. I hope and wish and pray that you get what you want in terms of placement yourself (whether it is the lateral or final placement for seniors or the summers for juniors). I am sure that the entire batch will be behind you guys (with certain exceptions like Kiran, of course) in trying to get for IIMK and its students, what they rightfully deserve.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
A theory of valuation
Having sat through the jokes of Dr. Panda in the first term and having actually enjoyed his classes (and of course, the jokes) for the most part, I had been more or less swayed towards Marketing as a specialisation. Coming into Term 2, and having heard so much of Prof. Uday Damodaran, I was prepared for another assault on my sensibilities in the form of something which I had absolutely no idea about. I mean...come on, marketing is more of common sense and related, in a lot of ways, to what I had been doing at college and work for the past six-odd years (festivals, talking to clients, and so much more). However, finance has been one fish I had never laid the line for.
As I write all this today, I am still under the effect of today's class, which to me, has been a revelation, both in terms of the content in absolute financial jargon as well as in a more philosophical way which I will talk about in a little while. As far as the basics of corporate finance go, my eyes have been opened (even literally :-) unlike Ravi, who was dozing off right in the next seat)...to ratios, like they were never opened in the accounting classes...to criteria for evaluating the financial health of companies, which never came across while doing the analysis of ITC for the marketing project. I just hope that this goes on for another little while and I don't have much to do in terms of thinking while making a choice for my electives...a Mark and Fin MBA...hmm...sounds good, what say?
As I write all this today, I am still under the effect of today's class, which to me, has been a revelation, both in terms of the content in absolute financial jargon as well as in a more philosophical way which I will talk about in a little while. As far as the basics of corporate finance go, my eyes have been opened (even literally :-) unlike Ravi, who was dozing off right in the next seat)...to ratios, like they were never opened in the accounting classes...to criteria for evaluating the financial health of companies, which never came across while doing the analysis of ITC for the marketing project. I just hope that this goes on for another little while and I don't have much to do in terms of thinking while making a choice for my electives...a Mark and Fin MBA...hmm...sounds good, what say?
As for the philosophy in today's class, as UD would say, with the relativity of things in Finance, most of the things are decided more on the basis of philosophy and intuition rather than plain science and logic. Perhaps so...however, that is not what I want to mention right now. It is more about an example that UD gave in today's class about why it is important to have a theory for valuation. He said that almost all of us are able to associate certain values to things, events, and people but as long as we do not really know the guidelines, the process, and the theory involved in making that valuation, we will never be able to succeed. He gave the example of how all of us gave up something or the other to come to IIMK...existing jobs...probable jobs...other security...so much more. It may be true that at some point, we may find that the decision we took in coming to IIMK was actually wrong (some people like Karfa rue leaving their jobs and coming to IIMK) but the real regret will not be felt at that realisation. The real regret will be caused due to the realisation that when we made the decision of coming here, we did not have a theory to value IIMK...no way to find a clue about why we are doing what we are doing.
I am not really sure if I did all this analysis before coming to IIMK, at least I did not do this on pen and paper, not in so many words. However, I did have certain things in mind, based on which I decided to leave Infy and come to IIM Kozhikode. Perhaps it makes sense (even now, after a term is over!!!) to just list them down so that if, at a later stage, God forbid, I regret my decision to come to IIM Kozhikode, at least I will know why I had taken that decision in the first place. So here goes, my reasons for coming to IIM Kozhikode and what I wish to achieve from this place:
I wanted to acquire an asset that will differentiate me from others 10 years down the line when I am competing for a position in a firm. I believed that because of its brand, IIMK will help me do that.
I wanted to get access to a network that is going to help me leverage my contacts when I need them the most...in getting a contract...an appointment...a favor. I believed that IIMK will make me a part of the IIM group, an elite gang of go-getters.
This actually turns out to be quite a big list of expectations if one looks at it cynically. However, as far as philosophy goes, I can still hold my water, or at least that is what I hope. As UD says, I still have to see whether my decision turns out to be right or wrong vis-a-vis my valuation of IIMK on the above criteria...I just hope and pray that IIMK damn well sticks to what I had thought of it :-)
I wanted to acquire an asset that will differentiate me from others 10 years down the line when I am competing for a position in a firm. I believed that because of its brand, IIMK will help me do that.
I wanted to get access to a network that is going to help me leverage my contacts when I need them the most...in getting a contract...an appointment...a favor. I believed that IIMK will make me a part of the IIM group, an elite gang of go-getters.
I wanted a job that is more than the mundane, a job that gives me more return, both in terms of the challenge as well as the compensation, as compared to what I could expect to get from Infosys in another two years and perhaps even later. I believed that IIMK had the reputation in recruiters' minds to give me that kind of a job and perhaps even more.
I wanted to do things that I had not been able to do during my college and professional life because of lack of knowledge...opportunity...reason. I wanted to be able to pursue things that are closer to my heart and not get bogged down by technical mumbo-jumbo but actually get down to brass tacks and work in the field. I believed that with the resources of IIMK, both material and human (especially the senior batch, alumni and faculty), I shall be able to achieve this.
This actually turns out to be quite a big list of expectations if one looks at it cynically. However, as far as philosophy goes, I can still hold my water, or at least that is what I hope. As UD says, I still have to see whether my decision turns out to be right or wrong vis-a-vis my valuation of IIMK on the above criteria...I just hope and pray that IIMK damn well sticks to what I had thought of it :-)
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Oh No!!!....IT's here
Talking too much about the placement process on this blog will be sacrilege and I will definitely be held up for letting out the secrets :-)
This notwithstanding, it is common knowledge across institutes of management in this country that the summer placement process has already started or is about to start in various institutes. Common knowledge also includes the fact that the process generally followed in such placements is shortlisting of candidates and then the final selection, based on any combination of selection procedures (that might include interviews, group discussions, etc). What is not common knowledge, however, is that I do not want to do my summers in an IT company, not after having already tested the waters for two years in Infosys.
Agreed that Infosys is a great company and that there is a lot of opportunity in IT companies to just sit back, relax, do your little bit and get your big chunk...agreed that there will be quite a few eyebrows raised when I say that I do not want such a life, at least not for the next five years...perhaps later...agreed that my experience and profile suit best to a summers and final placement in one of the IT companies...but if at all I had wanted to do that, I could very well have continued to work in Infosys and never come to an IIM. The very reason for coming here was to learn something new and what is the use of learning that something new if I can not apply it?
Agreed that Infosys is a great company and that there is a lot of opportunity in IT companies to just sit back, relax, do your little bit and get your big chunk...agreed that there will be quite a few eyebrows raised when I say that I do not want such a life, at least not for the next five years...perhaps later...agreed that my experience and profile suit best to a summers and final placement in one of the IT companies...but if at all I had wanted to do that, I could very well have continued to work in Infosys and never come to an IIM. The very reason for coming here was to learn something new and what is the use of learning that something new if I can not apply it?
Before coming to this place, I was not sure whether I will take up Marketing, Finance, or any other specialisation but I was sure of one thing...that I will not take up systems...even if that means getting less of a start when I pass out of IIMK. However, I do admit that I chickened out when the summers process started and we were supposed to show our interest for the different companies. With common sense telling me that my resume is not good enough to be shortlisted for Fin and Mark companies, I did apply to other companies which included...yes, you got that right...IT companies.
The best part of the whole thing is that inspite of all my hopes against hope, as the shortlists for the various companies start coming up, I realise that I am being shortlisted by the IT companies and though we are still waiting for the shortlists from the hard core Fin and Mark companies, somehow I feel that with the summers, I have already lost the first lap of the race against doing the same boring job all over again.
But then again, perhaps I am not looking at the other side at all. When I discount any IT company for my summers and final placement, what I don't realize is that even an IT company has to run, has to manage its finances, market itself...what I don't realize is that even in an IT company, pr perhaps more so in an IT company because of its ever increasing size and importance, there is a lot of scope for challenging work which I am actually seeking. I might not anticipate and yet be placed for summers in an IT company that gives me a finance or marketing project that may be better than the project that some one might handle in a core finance or marketing company. So, as is said, tomorrow is still uncertain and anything can happen...so here's being prepared for the worst and hoping for the best...
The best part of the whole thing is that inspite of all my hopes against hope, as the shortlists for the various companies start coming up, I realise that I am being shortlisted by the IT companies and though we are still waiting for the shortlists from the hard core Fin and Mark companies, somehow I feel that with the summers, I have already lost the first lap of the race against doing the same boring job all over again.
But then again, perhaps I am not looking at the other side at all. When I discount any IT company for my summers and final placement, what I don't realize is that even an IT company has to run, has to manage its finances, market itself...what I don't realize is that even in an IT company, pr perhaps more so in an IT company because of its ever increasing size and importance, there is a lot of scope for challenging work which I am actually seeking. I might not anticipate and yet be placed for summers in an IT company that gives me a finance or marketing project that may be better than the project that some one might handle in a core finance or marketing company. So, as is said, tomorrow is still uncertain and anything can happen...so here's being prepared for the worst and hoping for the best...
Monday, October 11, 2004
My own shade in the rainbow
It seems strange that people from all corners of the country, from entirely different backgrounds, having seen the water run under different bridges, having worked with different philosophies...can all gather here at IIMK for a single purpose. As strange as it seems to be, the fact of the matter is that if you discount a few exceptions (which, anyway, go into proving the rule), most of the people in this batch of 2006 (or any other batch, for that matter) at IIM Kozhikode have come here to beat the others at the game. The sceptic might ask, "But isn't that expected of people who have come to an IIM after clearing one of the toughest entrance examinations in the world?"
Perhaps...and perhaps not. Is it justified to think that a person who has seen the highs and lows of academic, professional and above all, competitive life for more than four years (graduation plus work experience, if any), will still try to walk the path that he/she knows, is not going to lead him/her anywhere? Does it seem logical to conclude that even after having burnt their fingers through frayed up nerves, broken relationships at college and/or workplace, insufficient returns that are non-commensurate with the efforts put in, the focus will remain the same?
As I mentioned earlier, however illogical it may seem, it still remains the truth. The underlying truth, the basic criterion, the watch word is still that dreaded phrase Marks Obtained. Having discussed something on the lines of the purpose of coming to this institute with some one (I don't remember who) some time back, I just got thinking about it yet again after today's Microeconomics term results. Not that I have anything to complain about (not much, anyway :-)) with a really good grade of A only (why only?) that puts me into the top six of the class...but the point is something else. There are people who have grades that certainly do not match the effort that they had put in for the course. Does that mean that they should cry out at the injustice of it all, curse their luck and rue their missed opportunity of getting ahead in the game because after all, the measurement is being done in terms of marks and marks alone?
I personally feel that even if a person does not have good grades in an IIM but is able to make that up through what some call learning (and what others knowingly smile at), I think the effort has received its due. Most of the times, if not always, when a person has to face the corporate pressures for which an IIM supposedly prepares him/her during the MBA, it is this learning that actually comes to the rescue. The ways in which you have interacted with your class mates (who, by the way, are going to be some very important assets for you, down the line), the ways in which you have made the difference by doing what others are too lazy or incapable to do, the ways in which you have become some one else after those two years of MBA, the ways in which you are what you are today...are actually going to be the differentiators not only in your career but even in your personal and social lives.
Lot of idle talk...but will I, myself, be able to relinquish the thrill of receiving the highest marks, the frustration of not performing (at least in terms of marks) and all that goes with it? I am not sure but what I am sure of is this...that even if I do end up on the lower side of the spectrum, I will always be proud of making my own shade in the seven colors of the rainbow...no one repeat no one can take that from me...come what may.
Perhaps...and perhaps not. Is it justified to think that a person who has seen the highs and lows of academic, professional and above all, competitive life for more than four years (graduation plus work experience, if any), will still try to walk the path that he/she knows, is not going to lead him/her anywhere? Does it seem logical to conclude that even after having burnt their fingers through frayed up nerves, broken relationships at college and/or workplace, insufficient returns that are non-commensurate with the efforts put in, the focus will remain the same?
As I mentioned earlier, however illogical it may seem, it still remains the truth. The underlying truth, the basic criterion, the watch word is still that dreaded phrase Marks Obtained. Having discussed something on the lines of the purpose of coming to this institute with some one (I don't remember who) some time back, I just got thinking about it yet again after today's Microeconomics term results. Not that I have anything to complain about (not much, anyway :-)) with a really good grade of A only (why only?) that puts me into the top six of the class...but the point is something else. There are people who have grades that certainly do not match the effort that they had put in for the course. Does that mean that they should cry out at the injustice of it all, curse their luck and rue their missed opportunity of getting ahead in the game because after all, the measurement is being done in terms of marks and marks alone?
I personally feel that even if a person does not have good grades in an IIM but is able to make that up through what some call learning (and what others knowingly smile at), I think the effort has received its due. Most of the times, if not always, when a person has to face the corporate pressures for which an IIM supposedly prepares him/her during the MBA, it is this learning that actually comes to the rescue. The ways in which you have interacted with your class mates (who, by the way, are going to be some very important assets for you, down the line), the ways in which you have made the difference by doing what others are too lazy or incapable to do, the ways in which you have become some one else after those two years of MBA, the ways in which you are what you are today...are actually going to be the differentiators not only in your career but even in your personal and social lives.
Lot of idle talk...but will I, myself, be able to relinquish the thrill of receiving the highest marks, the frustration of not performing (at least in terms of marks) and all that goes with it? I am not sure but what I am sure of is this...that even if I do end up on the lower side of the spectrum, I will always be proud of making my own shade in the seven colors of the rainbow...no one repeat no one can take that from me...come what may.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Little Johny wants to play
Did you say something about IIMC-XLRI sports meets? Or was it some talk about how Harvard kicked butt when they met Yale this year in the sports meet? Or hey, are you talking about the way IIM Kozhikode thrashed IIM Bangalore in the IIMK-IIMB sports meet?
The inaugural edition of the IIMK-IIMB sports meet is here...the team from Bangalore comprising of some 40-odd guys, one firangan, and some 7-8 girls has landed on Kozhikode's soil with their own slogans and cheerleaders. The stage set, and the drums rolling, the first leg of the first IIMK-IIMB sports meet is on and how...
The inaugural edition of the IIMK-IIMB sports meet is here...the team from Bangalore comprising of some 40-odd guys, one firangan, and some 7-8 girls has landed on Kozhikode's soil with their own slogans and cheerleaders. The stage set, and the drums rolling, the first leg of the first IIMK-IIMB sports meet is on and how...
Starting off with the football match in which our team had had practice sessions for some 5 days and was supposedly not match fit, IIMB guys creamed us right, left and center. They were the better team and deserved to win was what I heard from everyone who watched the match. I could not see the proceedings (had classes) but from what I heard, the 2-0 margin we lost by was actually quite decent, considering that some three goals were saved by the posts.
Next came Throw ball and whatever the IIMB guys might shout about it being our national (???) game, the girls did us proud. Coming back from 10-0 down, they not only won the set but won the match in style (2-0 in the best of three mode). Some really good stuff and resilience were shown by them (especially in light of the slogans and chants and jeers and boos that they had to face from the IIMB junta) in winning the game.
The tennis game was on simultaneously in the adjoining court and it was really sad to see Richard (one of our better players) lose out to Pali from IIMB, and that too, in a match which turned out to be actually irritating, even for the viewers. This guy, Pali, has got a strange game where instead of serving hard or returning strong, he just tries to simply put the ball in the other half of the court and does only whatever it takes for that. Richard, playing his normal game, would have been frustrated, first when he got such serves and returns and later when his own serves invariably found the net. The 6-3,6-3 loss was certainly not reflective of the skill of the players. The other game, better played and certainly more interesting from the viewer's point of view had no takers, with most of the crowd having dispersed after the throw ball victory :-). Gaurav Vohra took on Padam in the game and though he lsot 3-6,1-6 to him, it was a good game with both the players coming up with some good serves, volleys and returns...the better player won.
There were a lot of expectations from Table Tennis, especially since it was one game that we had been in regular practice with. There were some big names in TT, including our own Sports Committee member, Babbar. All of it turned out to be an anticlimax as Babbar was defeated by IIMB's star player in the very first match. The second match between Anirudh and Ashish was the best part of the Table Tennis contest as Anirudh made mince meat of Ahish in the first two games. Ashish's dogged persistence, and his strategy of limiting Anirudh to his backhand, paid off, however, as he took the last three games in a row. 2-0 down, the TT team looked really upset when our own Jeph teamed up with Anirudh to take the match away from the IIMB guys and deny them victory with a straight sets win. The reverse singles saw Babbar playing his second game, this time with Pali, the player with an irritating style in Tennis. As soon as Babbar seemed to have come back to form and had won the first two sets (in his own words, he was having a laugh at his opponent), there was a distraction and the firnagan came in, wearing a skin-hugging top and stood right in the center of the room. Whatever Babbar might say about the reason for his loss, I still believe that the Bangaloreans' strategy paid off and the distraction proved to be too expensive for Babbar :-)
Chess was the last game of the day. Having been a part of the trials process myself, I was particularly interested in the way our team plays. Four matches were scheduled and as I joined the first match a little late, I got to see Alok, the celebrated Chess player on campus (supposed to have won national championships) lose tamely to IIMB's own national champ, Shiv. In the next match, Vijay lost to another guy who did not have a good game but still...
Next came Throw ball and whatever the IIMB guys might shout about it being our national (???) game, the girls did us proud. Coming back from 10-0 down, they not only won the set but won the match in style (2-0 in the best of three mode). Some really good stuff and resilience were shown by them (especially in light of the slogans and chants and jeers and boos that they had to face from the IIMB junta) in winning the game.
The tennis game was on simultaneously in the adjoining court and it was really sad to see Richard (one of our better players) lose out to Pali from IIMB, and that too, in a match which turned out to be actually irritating, even for the viewers. This guy, Pali, has got a strange game where instead of serving hard or returning strong, he just tries to simply put the ball in the other half of the court and does only whatever it takes for that. Richard, playing his normal game, would have been frustrated, first when he got such serves and returns and later when his own serves invariably found the net. The 6-3,6-3 loss was certainly not reflective of the skill of the players. The other game, better played and certainly more interesting from the viewer's point of view had no takers, with most of the crowd having dispersed after the throw ball victory :-). Gaurav Vohra took on Padam in the game and though he lsot 3-6,1-6 to him, it was a good game with both the players coming up with some good serves, volleys and returns...the better player won.
There were a lot of expectations from Table Tennis, especially since it was one game that we had been in regular practice with. There were some big names in TT, including our own Sports Committee member, Babbar. All of it turned out to be an anticlimax as Babbar was defeated by IIMB's star player in the very first match. The second match between Anirudh and Ashish was the best part of the Table Tennis contest as Anirudh made mince meat of Ahish in the first two games. Ashish's dogged persistence, and his strategy of limiting Anirudh to his backhand, paid off, however, as he took the last three games in a row. 2-0 down, the TT team looked really upset when our own Jeph teamed up with Anirudh to take the match away from the IIMB guys and deny them victory with a straight sets win. The reverse singles saw Babbar playing his second game, this time with Pali, the player with an irritating style in Tennis. As soon as Babbar seemed to have come back to form and had won the first two sets (in his own words, he was having a laugh at his opponent), there was a distraction and the firnagan came in, wearing a skin-hugging top and stood right in the center of the room. Whatever Babbar might say about the reason for his loss, I still believe that the Bangaloreans' strategy paid off and the distraction proved to be too expensive for Babbar :-)
Chess was the last game of the day. Having been a part of the trials process myself, I was particularly interested in the way our team plays. Four matches were scheduled and as I joined the first match a little late, I got to see Alok, the celebrated Chess player on campus (supposed to have won national championships) lose tamely to IIMB's own national champ, Shiv. In the next match, Vijay lost to another guy who did not have a good game but still...
The highlight of the day was still to come, however. It came as Mayank locked horns with Shiv in the third game. Mayank started playing fast and with an unconventional opening that made the opponent think more than the time allowed him to. As Shiv's flag went down (that is, he was timed out), Vijay and Mayank almost simultaneously called out to claim victory. This was when the supposedly intelligent IIMB guys started showing an utter lack of sportsmanship. They started cribbing about the player being prompted from outside about the flag going down (as if he was blind and couldn't have seen the clock himself). A re-match was claimed and was held but not before Alok made mince meat of the opponent in his reverse match. Not having watched the first game, I had thought that Alok's was also a story of better amongst the worse but this game disproved all this as he went on a blitz, demolishing the other player like nine pins.
It was time now for the rematch and believe me or not, the game was from from over, as the national player, Shiv claimed this time that Mayank was playing for a draw, well at a time when both the players had a lot to play for. Shiv was short of time yet again and this time, it was Rohit Bansal's turn to shout Yeah when the flag went down. Yes, you got it right, there was to be a re-rematch, this time in the library as the party was to begin in the mess.
It was time now for the rematch and believe me or not, the game was from from over, as the national player, Shiv claimed this time that Mayank was playing for a draw, well at a time when both the players had a lot to play for. Shiv was short of time yet again and this time, it was Rohit Bansal's turn to shout Yeah when the flag went down. Yes, you got it right, there was to be a re-rematch, this time in the library as the party was to begin in the mess.
With two victories in a row that were not recognised, Mayank was being stretched and probably, too far. The third game was in his hands, too but for the rare miss in stopping his clock after his move. In utter disregard for the spirit of the game, the other player, Shiv, took all his time for the next move as he sweetly let Mayank's time run out. By the time Mayank realised what was happening, it was too late. That Mayank was still able to salvage the game and despite a trail of about 10 minutes, was able to bring the game to the last nail, speaks a lot about his ability and mental toughness. Hats off to you, Mayank!
One of the now-famous IIMK parties was next on the agenda as the music started beating, and the food and drinks flowing. There was enough for everyone this night and perhaps even more. The IIMB people were surely having a good time in the party and so were the hooligans (that is, if Deki decides to let IIMB guys off from this adjective she gave them during the football match) of IIMK. Reddy was in one special mood and right from the first swig, he was on to the floor. His calls of Sorry and Thank You filled the background even as the sound system kept tripping for some reason. I came back quite early from the party and was in my room by 2.
The cricket match in the morning was missed completely and I made optimum use of the Sunday to fill up my sleep quota. When I got up, the last few overs were remaining and it seemed that our team stood a good chance. Having made 149 in 25 overs, IIMK had IIMB gasping for breath at 97 for 7. The victory was not to be, however, as the IIMB people kept their cool (which they have been doing through out the last two days) and got the required 11 runs off the last over (4 required off the last 2 balls)...they even hit a four (or was that a six?) off the second last ball to take themselves to victory...unbelievable, but true.
The IIMK girls' team won the badminton tie, yet again inspiring the organisers to put in more sports for girls in the next meet (if that's the way we can have some points, so be it). With no referree available for the basketball match, there was only one last sport left for the first leg and that was Swimming. Manu from IIMB has played national but even our Kiran was not bad. With the first position in almost all swimming events going to them, we could level up only with the help of the second and third positions that kept going to us (that is, if you account for the disqualification of Piyush from IIMB, who was actually swimming freestyle in breast stroke). The final decider was going to be the relay and what a decider it was. With the teams level, and the four players of our team ready, it promised to be exciting. Exciting it was, and how! Kiran got us the lead in the back stroke as he lost the IIMB guy way behind. Kunal was next with breast stroke and he maintained the lead and perhaps even added a bit to it. Anurag had to compete with Manu, and that is when Manu showed his class by not just closing the lead that we had got but also taking a good lead himself. When Vaibhaw lunged into the water for the final freestyle 100 meters, the other guy from IIMB was about 40 meters ahead of him. However, when Vaibhaw rose from the water after his initial start, I knew that he was going to do something special today. And he did do it, he beat the IIMB guy hollow...getting us the first victory in the men's events.
The next leg of the meet is going to be held in Bangalore on the 23rd and 24th of October, when we go there to play football, cricket, throwball, volleyball, basketball, carrom and badminton. Though we are a little too down on the points tally right now, I am sure that we have the talent to beat them. It is only a question of practice and that razor sharp match fitness that is lacking. With two weeks remaining for the second leg, all of us here at IIMK hope that our team turns up the tops.
The cricket match in the morning was missed completely and I made optimum use of the Sunday to fill up my sleep quota. When I got up, the last few overs were remaining and it seemed that our team stood a good chance. Having made 149 in 25 overs, IIMK had IIMB gasping for breath at 97 for 7. The victory was not to be, however, as the IIMB people kept their cool (which they have been doing through out the last two days) and got the required 11 runs off the last over (4 required off the last 2 balls)...they even hit a four (or was that a six?) off the second last ball to take themselves to victory...unbelievable, but true.
The IIMK girls' team won the badminton tie, yet again inspiring the organisers to put in more sports for girls in the next meet (if that's the way we can have some points, so be it). With no referree available for the basketball match, there was only one last sport left for the first leg and that was Swimming. Manu from IIMB has played national but even our Kiran was not bad. With the first position in almost all swimming events going to them, we could level up only with the help of the second and third positions that kept going to us (that is, if you account for the disqualification of Piyush from IIMB, who was actually swimming freestyle in breast stroke). The final decider was going to be the relay and what a decider it was. With the teams level, and the four players of our team ready, it promised to be exciting. Exciting it was, and how! Kiran got us the lead in the back stroke as he lost the IIMB guy way behind. Kunal was next with breast stroke and he maintained the lead and perhaps even added a bit to it. Anurag had to compete with Manu, and that is when Manu showed his class by not just closing the lead that we had got but also taking a good lead himself. When Vaibhaw lunged into the water for the final freestyle 100 meters, the other guy from IIMB was about 40 meters ahead of him. However, when Vaibhaw rose from the water after his initial start, I knew that he was going to do something special today. And he did do it, he beat the IIMB guy hollow...getting us the first victory in the men's events.
The next leg of the meet is going to be held in Bangalore on the 23rd and 24th of October, when we go there to play football, cricket, throwball, volleyball, basketball, carrom and badminton. Though we are a little too down on the points tally right now, I am sure that we have the talent to beat them. It is only a question of practice and that razor sharp match fitness that is lacking. With two weeks remaining for the second leg, all of us here at IIMK hope that our team turns up the tops.
Friday, October 08, 2004
I want to crib
The Harry Potter DVD I got from the DVD rental shop downhill does not work
I have been kicked out of the college basketball team
I have missed the deadline for submitting the scholarship form
I lost the trials for the college Chess team
My legs hurt after the basketball practice of yesterday and more than that, my ego hurts after the realisation of how unfit I have become
I have been kicked out of the college basketball team
I have missed the deadline for submitting the scholarship form
I lost the trials for the college Chess team
My legs hurt after the basketball practice of yesterday and more than that, my ego hurts after the realisation of how unfit I have become
I am not looking forward to the weekend party when the IIMB people come in and am actually losing all enthu for parties
I screwed up the quiz in UD's Financial Management class today
I have not been able to update my blog as regularly as I want to...have not been feeling like writing
My ICICI Bank ATM still doesn't work and I am under the debt of so many people
I have been thinking a lot about her nowadays
I screwed up the quiz in UD's Financial Management class today
I have not been able to update my blog as regularly as I want to...have not been feeling like writing
My ICICI Bank ATM still doesn't work and I am under the debt of so many people
I have been thinking a lot about her nowadays
Sunday, October 03, 2004
9 days and 1250 kms in God's own country
Day 1: 125 kms from Kozhikode to Thrissur
Day 1: 65 kms from Thrissur to Athirappally
Day 2: 70 kms from Athirappally to Kochi
Day 3: 60 kms from Kochi to Aleppey
Day 5: 120 kms from Aleppey to Thekkady
Day 6: 110 kms from Thekkady to Munnar
Day 9: 300 kms from Munnar to Kozhikode
380 kms in no-man's land
1250 kms of bliss in God's own country
Day 1: 65 kms from Thrissur to Athirappally
Day 2: 70 kms from Athirappally to Kochi
Day 3: 60 kms from Kochi to Aleppey
Day 5: 120 kms from Aleppey to Thekkady
Day 6: 110 kms from Thekkady to Munnar
Day 9: 300 kms from Munnar to Kozhikode
380 kms in no-man's land
1250 kms of bliss in God's own country
It has been a record 20 days since I last wrote in this place inspite of there having been so much to write about in all this time. A term ended at IIM Kozhikode, the end-term exams got over with their own share of highs and lows and most importantly, I am back from a road trip through the length and breadth of Kerala. It was always there somewhere in my mind...the idea of a road trip. I remember being impressed with stories of people who travelled across the country or even the world on their vehicles to promote world peace or some other such junk. Despite not feeling too strongly about the idea behind these trips (world peace, et al), I always used to like the concept of being free with your time and resources and going out in the open with no care in the world. In short, it will suffice to say that the idea of a road trip was not a novelty or impulse for me.
It was a little difficult, though, to find partners for such an exercise and individualist though I consider myself to be, even I can not go on such a long trip all alone. Coming to IIM Kozhikode solved this problem, too. Not only did I find just the ideal destination for my trip in Kerala's pristine beauty, but I also found like minded individuals who were ready for such adventures at the drop of a hat...or at least, that is what I thought initially. When it actually came to sacrificing the term break and the impending home visit for the sake of this adventure, though many applauded the idea, they preferred to stay away from the nerd who does not want to go home. So it turned out that on the day we left Kozhikode on our bikes, there were only three of us, Ravi, Sumit and yours truly (I personally would have loved another couple to make a good team) with two bikes and two back packs filled with clothes to last us for the next 9 days.
On the morning of September 24, as the three of us were having a typical Kerala breakfast at a road side dhaba in front of Baby Memorial Hospital in Kozhikode, we were all thinking about the days ahead of us and wondering if it was a good idea, not going home and coming out on such a trip...the trip of our lifetime, as it later turned out to be. The breakfast of something whose name I can not recollect now (not that I had understood it even while I was eating the thing) over, we were ready for the first leg of the journey which was to be from Kozhikode to Thrissur. The highway beckoning our bikes and our promise of not going beyond 70 kmph holding us back, we made a good start, covering considerable distance in the first hour or so. However, the confort was not to continue any longer, as we found out pretty soon with the road turning into a nightmare and the dust and smoke charring our faces beyond recognition. With the backpacks exerting unbearable strain on our backs (how do the foreigners manage to carry them all day long and still smile???), we reached Thrissur half-dead and almost ready to turn back from the trip.
Thrissur, famous for its Vadakkunathan temple (read more about it on Priya's blog) and the Thrissur Pooram festivities with processions of elephants and what not, received three tired, dirty, and hungry backpackers at about 12:30 in the afternoon. Vadakkunathan Temple already closed for the day, we had to do with the external view and appreciation of the fact that the busiest part of a city could be built around one of the most serene places in the city. We called up Priya to find out if there are any other places in the city to visit. She replied in the negative and when asked about good eatouts for lunch, she suggested her home, Lucia Palace, and Elite in that order. Her place being a bit out of the schedule for us, and the Palace sounding particularly appealing, we decided to quench our hunger at the Lucia Palace. The place looked really good and the menu was reasonably priced, too but when the food came, how I wished I had the neck of Priya to wring at the time :-). The food was, in one word...pathetic.
So much for Thrissur, then...well, almost. We also purchased Sumit's Neo goggs and 5 meters of rope to tie Ravi's bag to his bike. The next stop was a place called Athirappally, located some 30 kms from a diversion in the Thrissur Kochi highway. Unlike the road from Kozhikode to Thrissur, the NH47 from Thrissur to Kochi was a biker's delight. I think that it hardly took us half an hour to cover about 35 kms on the highway before we took the diversion for Athirappally.
Athirappally, a quaint little village located up the hills, turned out to be a difficult place to reach. With Kerala's Rain Gods (I seriously believe that they are of a different variety in Kerala, these rain gods) making merry, there were sheets of water in front of our eyes, making driving impossible. Fortunately, there was no dearth of sheds on the way and we made full use of them, stopping every couple of kilometers to get some respite from the downpour. It was during one of those stopovers that we coined the word Chetties (for Chaechies, as I believe they ought to be called).
Having planned to get to Kochi on the same day, our plans were abruptly spoilt by the rains and some beautiful scenery that freshly washed Athirappally presented for our eye sores. Last I had seen a waterfall this big was way back in 1994 when I went on a trip to Mussoorie with my parents. It was amazing to see water flow like milk, the glory of it all seemig beyond words. A night stay imminent now, we planned to make the most of it by having a bath the next morning in the amazingly clear running water of the falls.
The next day was an early one. Having been just spared from the coming onslaught of local bathers at the falls, we had our early bath and breakfast before starting for Kochi. Ravi was particualrly happy at the thought of having the lunch at Domino's and seeing a big city for the first time in about two and a half months. The road was pure bliss, and speeds of 90 to 95 kmph were reached with no effort (all our resolutions to go at less than 70 be damned :-))
Kochi, or Cochin as it was known earlier, is called the Queen of the Arabian Sea. With one of the biggest ports, handling a lot of trade, its so-called metropolitan nature, and its historical significance, the place has got a confused look. It seemed to be stuck between trying to be a modern city with Marine drives and MG Roads, and at the same time maintain its spirit with Fort Kochi, Jewish synagogues, and numerous museums. The famous Chinese fishing nets (why are they famous???) were there and so were the ferry boats running to and fro the Kochi city wharf. Sandeep Gopal turned up in his car in the evening to take us to a pub (on Ravi's special request). The pub, unfortunately was closed for renovation and there not being any others of the new relaxation fad in the city, it was time for us to turn in for the day. Lest I forget to mention, we knew more about Kochi in one day than Sandeep did in his lifetime at the place (yes Sandeep, I have broken the promise...so what :-))
We had initially kept two days for Kochi but the feelings about the place were not that happy-happy (another term coined during the trip) and I guess that even we were confused about whether we liked the place or not. The Yatri Niwas where we were staying, being available for only one day, made the decision simpler. Personally, I was just tired of the place and wanted to go somewhere closer to the nature, so to say. The next stop, anyway, was to be Aleppey, known for its unbelievably beautiful backwaters.
Aleppey, home to India's Venetian life style, was a revelation. The place introduced us to a lot of things, the least being the concept of home stays which is so reasonable if you are roaming around in Kerala. These home stays are rooms rented out on a daily basis by the local residents in their homes. These rooms are well-managed, neat and clean, and despite the owners being in the category of auto and taxi drivers and bus conductors (that is what we found out), the places are well-equipped and filled with all luxuries possible.
The backwaters cruise the next day was wonderfully relaxing. The serene backwaters and the Keralites, Chettas and Chetties going about their daily chores in the boats with an unusual nonchalance, made me wonder and think. Is it really worth spending so much time and effort to be able to lead a life that is so radically different from this one that we were seeing in the backwaters? Why do we want to have a bungalow in the biggest and most poplulated, dirty cities when a life like this is possible?
It was a little difficult, though, to find partners for such an exercise and individualist though I consider myself to be, even I can not go on such a long trip all alone. Coming to IIM Kozhikode solved this problem, too. Not only did I find just the ideal destination for my trip in Kerala's pristine beauty, but I also found like minded individuals who were ready for such adventures at the drop of a hat...or at least, that is what I thought initially. When it actually came to sacrificing the term break and the impending home visit for the sake of this adventure, though many applauded the idea, they preferred to stay away from the nerd who does not want to go home. So it turned out that on the day we left Kozhikode on our bikes, there were only three of us, Ravi, Sumit and yours truly (I personally would have loved another couple to make a good team) with two bikes and two back packs filled with clothes to last us for the next 9 days.
On the morning of September 24, as the three of us were having a typical Kerala breakfast at a road side dhaba in front of Baby Memorial Hospital in Kozhikode, we were all thinking about the days ahead of us and wondering if it was a good idea, not going home and coming out on such a trip...the trip of our lifetime, as it later turned out to be. The breakfast of something whose name I can not recollect now (not that I had understood it even while I was eating the thing) over, we were ready for the first leg of the journey which was to be from Kozhikode to Thrissur. The highway beckoning our bikes and our promise of not going beyond 70 kmph holding us back, we made a good start, covering considerable distance in the first hour or so. However, the confort was not to continue any longer, as we found out pretty soon with the road turning into a nightmare and the dust and smoke charring our faces beyond recognition. With the backpacks exerting unbearable strain on our backs (how do the foreigners manage to carry them all day long and still smile???), we reached Thrissur half-dead and almost ready to turn back from the trip.
Thrissur, famous for its Vadakkunathan temple (read more about it on Priya's blog) and the Thrissur Pooram festivities with processions of elephants and what not, received three tired, dirty, and hungry backpackers at about 12:30 in the afternoon. Vadakkunathan Temple already closed for the day, we had to do with the external view and appreciation of the fact that the busiest part of a city could be built around one of the most serene places in the city. We called up Priya to find out if there are any other places in the city to visit. She replied in the negative and when asked about good eatouts for lunch, she suggested her home, Lucia Palace, and Elite in that order. Her place being a bit out of the schedule for us, and the Palace sounding particularly appealing, we decided to quench our hunger at the Lucia Palace. The place looked really good and the menu was reasonably priced, too but when the food came, how I wished I had the neck of Priya to wring at the time :-). The food was, in one word...pathetic.
So much for Thrissur, then...well, almost. We also purchased Sumit's Neo goggs and 5 meters of rope to tie Ravi's bag to his bike. The next stop was a place called Athirappally, located some 30 kms from a diversion in the Thrissur Kochi highway. Unlike the road from Kozhikode to Thrissur, the NH47 from Thrissur to Kochi was a biker's delight. I think that it hardly took us half an hour to cover about 35 kms on the highway before we took the diversion for Athirappally.
Athirappally, a quaint little village located up the hills, turned out to be a difficult place to reach. With Kerala's Rain Gods (I seriously believe that they are of a different variety in Kerala, these rain gods) making merry, there were sheets of water in front of our eyes, making driving impossible. Fortunately, there was no dearth of sheds on the way and we made full use of them, stopping every couple of kilometers to get some respite from the downpour. It was during one of those stopovers that we coined the word Chetties (for Chaechies, as I believe they ought to be called).
Having planned to get to Kochi on the same day, our plans were abruptly spoilt by the rains and some beautiful scenery that freshly washed Athirappally presented for our eye sores. Last I had seen a waterfall this big was way back in 1994 when I went on a trip to Mussoorie with my parents. It was amazing to see water flow like milk, the glory of it all seemig beyond words. A night stay imminent now, we planned to make the most of it by having a bath the next morning in the amazingly clear running water of the falls.
The next day was an early one. Having been just spared from the coming onslaught of local bathers at the falls, we had our early bath and breakfast before starting for Kochi. Ravi was particualrly happy at the thought of having the lunch at Domino's and seeing a big city for the first time in about two and a half months. The road was pure bliss, and speeds of 90 to 95 kmph were reached with no effort (all our resolutions to go at less than 70 be damned :-))
Kochi, or Cochin as it was known earlier, is called the Queen of the Arabian Sea. With one of the biggest ports, handling a lot of trade, its so-called metropolitan nature, and its historical significance, the place has got a confused look. It seemed to be stuck between trying to be a modern city with Marine drives and MG Roads, and at the same time maintain its spirit with Fort Kochi, Jewish synagogues, and numerous museums. The famous Chinese fishing nets (why are they famous???) were there and so were the ferry boats running to and fro the Kochi city wharf. Sandeep Gopal turned up in his car in the evening to take us to a pub (on Ravi's special request). The pub, unfortunately was closed for renovation and there not being any others of the new relaxation fad in the city, it was time for us to turn in for the day. Lest I forget to mention, we knew more about Kochi in one day than Sandeep did in his lifetime at the place (yes Sandeep, I have broken the promise...so what :-))
We had initially kept two days for Kochi but the feelings about the place were not that happy-happy (another term coined during the trip) and I guess that even we were confused about whether we liked the place or not. The Yatri Niwas where we were staying, being available for only one day, made the decision simpler. Personally, I was just tired of the place and wanted to go somewhere closer to the nature, so to say. The next stop, anyway, was to be Aleppey, known for its unbelievably beautiful backwaters.
Aleppey, home to India's Venetian life style, was a revelation. The place introduced us to a lot of things, the least being the concept of home stays which is so reasonable if you are roaming around in Kerala. These home stays are rooms rented out on a daily basis by the local residents in their homes. These rooms are well-managed, neat and clean, and despite the owners being in the category of auto and taxi drivers and bus conductors (that is what we found out), the places are well-equipped and filled with all luxuries possible.
The backwaters cruise the next day was wonderfully relaxing. The serene backwaters and the Keralites, Chettas and Chetties going about their daily chores in the boats with an unusual nonchalance, made me wonder and think. Is it really worth spending so much time and effort to be able to lead a life that is so radically different from this one that we were seeing in the backwaters? Why do we want to have a bungalow in the biggest and most poplulated, dirty cities when a life like this is possible?
With a trip to the Krishna temple in search of Payasam turning futile (this place is supposed to be famous for the origin of Payasam), we were ready to leave Aleppey after two days of unforgettable fun and relaxation. Our hosts at the Gowri residence were wonderful and the hospitality excellent. There was a party in honor of some German guests, too...the music and especially, the enthusiasm of the Keralites was truly infectious and joyous.
Lots of people had suggested us to visit this little known place called Thekkady, home to the more well known Periyar Tiger Reserve. We decided to pass Kumarakom (since we had already had enough of backwaters by that time) and move on to Thekkady and try our luck at spotting some tigers.
Lots of people had suggested us to visit this little known place called Thekkady, home to the more well known Periyar Tiger Reserve. We decided to pass Kumarakom (since we had already had enough of backwaters by that time) and move on to Thekkady and try our luck at spotting some tigers.
Thekkady, notwithstanding the recommendations, turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Not only did it have the Periyar forest reserve and one of the largest artificial lakes that I have ever seen (nearly 16 square kilometers), it is a beautiful place in its own right. Another home stay and a good found, cheap room (only Rs.300 per day for a room that was worth a thousand in any hotel worth its name) later, we were ready to explore this small town that had all markings of a successful tourist destination, minus its hustle and bustle. We even tried our hand at a mela in the town.
The next day was spent in the adventure that all three of us will remember for a long time. The boat cruise through the lake the previous evening had awakened the desire to view some more animals from closer quarters and so it was that we started off on a jungle trek with a guide in tow. In fact, we were the ones in tow, with the guide making us run behind some elephants and showing us the elephants' dung for our efforts (we did manage to see the elephants, later). With the guide taking us off the regular trail for a more natural and strenuous walk in the woods, Ravi was left particularly tired and irritated.
We were now six days into the trip and it was soon going to be time for the final leg. This was going to be the now-famous hill station of Munnar, home to some of the largest tea and coffee plantations in the country. The place has the reputation of being an unspoilt hill station. More than the hill station, however, it was the way to Munnar which was the best part of the trip. Every couple of kilometers, we had to stop to admire one breathtaking image after another. After some time, we started skipping places that would have occupied pride of place in any photo album on any other day.
The next day was spent in the adventure that all three of us will remember for a long time. The boat cruise through the lake the previous evening had awakened the desire to view some more animals from closer quarters and so it was that we started off on a jungle trek with a guide in tow. In fact, we were the ones in tow, with the guide making us run behind some elephants and showing us the elephants' dung for our efforts (we did manage to see the elephants, later). With the guide taking us off the regular trail for a more natural and strenuous walk in the woods, Ravi was left particularly tired and irritated.
We were now six days into the trip and it was soon going to be time for the final leg. This was going to be the now-famous hill station of Munnar, home to some of the largest tea and coffee plantations in the country. The place has the reputation of being an unspoilt hill station. More than the hill station, however, it was the way to Munnar which was the best part of the trip. Every couple of kilometers, we had to stop to admire one breathtaking image after another. After some time, we started skipping places that would have occupied pride of place in any photo album on any other day.
We spent nearly three days in Munnar, a major part of the first one spent just looking for a place to stay. Not as lucky as we were at the other places where we stayed, though we did find a reasonably priced room, the hosts were certainly not that accommodating. Regardless, the place and its beauty made us forget all such petty things as we spent the next day lazing around and taking walks around the sleepy little hill station. It was only on the last day of our Munnar stay that we actually got round to start visiting places in the vicinity. The tea plantations (with Tata Tea owning more than 90% of them), the top station of the now dysfunctional rope way to Tamil Nadu, the Nilgiri Tahrs of Raja Mala (found in only one other place in the world), biking to as close to the highest peak in South India as we could get (rest of it was restricted area), the echo point where we shouted our throats off, the Kundla dam where we had bhutta...were just some of the places that make Munnar one of the better tourist destinations of Kerala.
The way back from Munnar was long and despite starting at 6 in the morning, we were hoping to cover the 300 km long distance to Kozhikode only by the evening. Some good roads, and the last-day idea of tying both the bags to the bikes helped us cover the roads faster. In spite of a forced stop over of about one hour in a workshop/garage due to rains, we made it to Kozhikode by 3 in the afternoon. Other people of the batch are now back, too from the vacations and we are about to start with the second term here at IIMK. This reminds me, I still have to write about the last term and a summary of its experiences...tomorrow, perhaps.
As for the next term, I am sure that with all the talk of some strict teachers promising to make life difficult, this term is going to be even more exciting compared to the previous one. There are a lot of contests coming up, including the ITC busoiness plan contest and the Loreal-eStart strategy contest. The summer and lateral placement season, the IIMK-IIMB sports meet, the Operations Seminar, the Horizons fest and so many other things are in the pipeline this term. I don't know about the others but at least I am rejuvenated (and tanned, as all my batchmates have been pointing out) from my trip and raring to go...
The way back from Munnar was long and despite starting at 6 in the morning, we were hoping to cover the 300 km long distance to Kozhikode only by the evening. Some good roads, and the last-day idea of tying both the bags to the bikes helped us cover the roads faster. In spite of a forced stop over of about one hour in a workshop/garage due to rains, we made it to Kozhikode by 3 in the afternoon. Other people of the batch are now back, too from the vacations and we are about to start with the second term here at IIMK. This reminds me, I still have to write about the last term and a summary of its experiences...tomorrow, perhaps.
As for the next term, I am sure that with all the talk of some strict teachers promising to make life difficult, this term is going to be even more exciting compared to the previous one. There are a lot of contests coming up, including the ITC busoiness plan contest and the Loreal-eStart strategy contest. The summer and lateral placement season, the IIMK-IIMB sports meet, the Operations Seminar, the Horizons fest and so many other things are in the pipeline this term. I don't know about the others but at least I am rejuvenated (and tanned, as all my batchmates have been pointing out) from my trip and raring to go...
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