strawberrytints

choices and changes

2007-11-21T12:41:00.000-08:00

I should be doing a hundred other things but I also have a hundred things to write about so I'm playing hokey on strategy & finance to write this post. Its been over three months at INSEAD and the world has changed. Without any real time to digest any thing we hear or learn about in class and absolutely zero connection with the outside world, it took some time coming & then it hit me. INSEAD is slowly, insidiously transforming us!
Reading my CV, I suddenly knew I would never have written it this way three months ago.Looking at my selection of electives, I wonder is that really me? are these really my interests? Some of the courses which would have attracted me earlier hold almost no sway on me now and I have no clue when this happened.
I also found myself applying for the European Entrepreneurial Accelerator program to do a project for a company. Again I surprised myself, I chose a company whose business plan would be Greek to me and surprise, surprise, it chose me! So I now have a real world project to do and I'll get a nice little credit for it.
Life is about choices and sometimes those choices can define me. I'm choosing differently now than I would have some time ago and I'm not really sure why.
Maybe all this introspection has been bought upon us since it is the season of choices. We the J08 as we are called, are moving into 3rd gear. We now choose our electives which effectively takes away all bitching rights. From now we cant crib about the course, the professor or the workload. It's all been laid out before us & we must partake of the feast. Indigestion would be very hard to explain.

The INSEAD life

2007-11-04T06:31:00.000-08:00

The Montmilian ball lived up to its infamy, four hundred MBA wannabe's sinned over too much alcohol, too much dancing, too much poker and just too much everything. Barely four hours after the party finished the first pictures are already up on facebook - i wasn't joking when I said its an INSEAD obsession. This should tell you something about the drive people have here. Most normal people will require a few hours to recover post a party that rocked till 7:00 am but no not INSEADers!
Before you are awake, you have been tagged, you also have three lunch invitations and you are already behind the rest with the corporate finance reading due on Monday. when they said it was hectic, they meant it. When they insisted they need motivated, driven people who live on less than two hours of sleep(squeezed between classes or sometimes in class)and who partied as hard as they worked, well they meant that too.
This is just an MBA but for all of these reasons and many more INSEAD is so much more than just that and its very hard for anyone outside of our famed bubble to understand the irrational, illogical self inflicted way of INSEAD life.

Tragedy

2007-10-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

Tragedy has stuck again at INSEAD. We came back to campus on a rainy cold, dark morning to hear the worst. it could have been us...Singapore, we feel your pain.
to friends we never met....

Class(ic) Quotes

2007-10-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

Just some of the stuff heard in the last classes of P1

"Future income has a negative correlation with grades"
(M.Lobo, UDJ)

"In one of the bad bad years for MBA recruiting,Goldman Sachs came on campus & only hired 1 student -a girl who flunked Finance 101"
(Harald Hau, FMV)

"If you are stressed right now just remember, in 10 years this will feel like Club Med & eventually you are all going to be RICH and GOOD LOOKING (well, most of you, anyway)..."
(Nikos Vetas, P&M)

All this motivation....sigh, last day of P1 and I'm already nostalgic.
So,Is this the best year of your life then??

exam fever

2007-10-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

The exams are not important. The dean tells us, the finance professor tells us and the amiable UDJ prof makes a joke about how if the paper is difficult we will all be clustered around the mean....
No one though is listening. There are sponsored students, there are brilliant students, there are students who have done most of this all their waking life but are they listening? Nope, not at all
The library has replaced the bar as the new hang out joint. A week ago most of us wont be caught dead going there but this week your cool status depends on which seat you managed to grab as the early bird.
The tests score will never be revealed to recruiters, or parents or spouses or siblings, basically anyone with any stake in our lives.
Statistics show a negative correlation between the deans list & professional success (apparently a successful CEO is more likely in a rock band than in the library!)
So if we are still not listening, what would you call it? pigheadedness? super competitive? just plain dumb?
LPG taught us the importance of incentives...so why are we still not feeling incentivized to not care about a bloody test?
I think the riddle lies in this - we dont care about the deans list or grades but somehow we'll look so much more cooler saying that when we are on it :)

The typical INSEAD week

2007-10-07T04:40:00.000-07:00

No excuses for my absence but I'm sure my fellow INSEAD bloggers have left you with an accurate impression of life in the forest. They have also reminded me that i have fallen off the rodeo horse & must at least make an attempt to scramble back on.
so this is my version of a typical INSEAD week -

Monday - late for class - champagne fine,dozing in finance class - champagne fine
Panic at lunch as you realize that you dont even know what language your professor is talking in,
run to your cubicle to study but find solace in Skype & facebook - the two INSEAD obsessions apart from costume parties
brains fried & off to Margarita Mondays with the chicas to discuss the various hook ups which are commencing with alacrity

Tuesday - dazed & hungover, 5 cups of coffee & more strange concepts to fill into your head, Bar of The Week comes to the rescue
Wednesday - You decide enough is enough, you really need to hit the books but the Dean comes calling & then somehow the company presentations or the leadership summit or the scholarship dinner keeps you busy hey they offer free food & drinks....and we are poor students after all

Thursday- stressed out beyond comprehension now, you start to dolefully look for the contat info proided by INSEAD for the free counsellings sessions..yup the same one you laughed & sniggered at but saved in the depth of your locker! But then you figure a good pirated downlodable movie will be equally therapeutic & so organize a film fest of your own for the rest of the stressed out humanity

Friday - and hey the week is over & yes the exams are closer but how much can a girl in france study....you leave your untouched books untouched again & go on the hunt for the costume you really should have packed but somehow forgot

Saturday - the party was so much fun & you had so much to drink with so many people you never saw in school that now you have decided with some of them to finally get some city air - you really need the pollution, the lights, the buzz & of course the shopping!

Sunday - you wake up & count the number of hours you slept through the week & congratulate yourself for surviving on what must be nothing short of torture. You decide you still haven't seen France & go off looking for a quaint lunch by some river front & ogle at picturesque towns that are so beautiful & how you wished you lived there...completely forgetting that last night you couldnt get enough of the city. You make promises to yourself of becoming organized & prioritizing & studying & writing your CV & hunting for jobs....and then its Monday again.

At sea...alone

2007-09-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling weird. the first pangs of nostalgia for my life- as-it-was have started and we are not even a month into the new one....i miss my husband & he's the only one who knows how tough this is for his wife to admit on a public forum (most often spousal compliant is that he is missing from these pages)
As my head spins with new concepts, classes, people, cultures, clubs, groups, assignments, readings, parties & a little bit of wine too I look for my anchor and suddenly I realize it isn't there, suddenly I feel lost, a bit adrift on uncharted waters with not so much as a sketchy blueprint for this grand new life I'm trying to create....
Its only a feeling, a moment & it'll pass

"We'll do it all, everything. On our own.
We dont need , anything or anyone...
If I lay here, if I just lay here
will you lie here with me & just forget the world"

Chasing Cars, Snow Patrol

Culture Vulture

2007-09-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

Had an ineresting french lunch experience, you know the lunches that go on for more than 2 hours and how they leave you feeling so full of new prespectives and insights but a little light on the wallet :)
A group member came up with an interesting Q - whats the culturally most important factor in your country/ what are you guys really hung up about?
So here are a few quickly polled responses -

German - Cars

Australian - Sports

French - Balance & Pleasure - the good life

Indian - Family or marriages

hmmmm, so when its incentive time we know what to offer which culture specific individual? something tells me $$$ would do just fine over all the countries & all the cultures...so much for diversity, lets talk about the unity!

In more such really breathtaking exciting news - my group made it to the Top 10 in the drunk driving poster competition. Not bad work for half an hour but we suddenly have heavier schedules next week. And if we make it to the Top 3, who knows a dinner with the dean?.... who i happen to think is real cool, maybe I have a thing for authority figures? I dont know but I do recollect a rather long conversation over at a party about men in uniform & dirty dark fantasies....
keep expecting more such snippets from my culturally diverse, socially hectic, strangely manic new life

confession: 700+ gmat does not mean you have a mind that can bend around financial algorithms or even a simple financial calculator...
i'm telling you, you only getthis kind of gup here & as i blow my trumpet ( no puns whatsoever) let me welcome our v new prolific entrant, Yareev!

Life in the forest

2007-09-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the infrequent postings but when warned about time limitations this particular blogger wasn't listening. Already behind on class readings, yours truly is fast realizing that this thing is spinning way out of control & we are still 'settling in'

French bureaucracy doesn't help either, just makes it a bit more of a merry go round. Welcome week was a round of parties, an exit language test, 4 classes worth 8 hours a day, opening ceremony & cocktails & finally the welcome week party.
You really should have seen the faces roaming fonty streets on Sunday noon,making last minute attempts to enter monoprix for the weeks groceries... i'm still keenly awaiting the cleaning ladies arrival back from holiday. Yes we have the pleasure of one in france but as of now she has been off for a month already with no clear signs of emerging soon from her hiatus. Maybe its the Indian mentality but her presence is going to greatly comfort me...

Classes have started in earnest & its a mixed bag. Enjoyed 4 professors immensely, 1 I shall get along with and 1 can be avoided at all costs. 1 more shall do his inaugural class before the week is over & then it'll be time for tutorials

10 months are not long enough

1st impressons

2007-08-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

I'm back! yes, again. awake from slumber & already trembling with fear. Fear? why? Well lets see, I've landed in France & school starts tomorrow. Stage fright was always a problem & the roll call hasn't even started yet.
So a quick round up of 1st impressions-

Dont understand a word of French after 2 months of classes & too embarrassed to try, so mostly I'm backing off from the language exam this week. dont want to start the year feeling more miserable than I already am

Fontainebleau is pretty & quaint but tres cher

House is sweet & almost exactly like how it was described. Though have to admit we have got lucky. Word of caution - when the agent says its a 5 min walk pls remember he/she is a state level athlete & can cover huge distance in record time that mere mortals will not be able to. For simplifying life just multiply by 3 & you'll be fine.

This is v exciting, we live in a venture capitalists backyard & he has 'good relations' with INSEAD professors when asked if he comes to campus for recruiting! hmmm, have to be friendlier to his dogs now

As expected, there is a party or get together every day noon & night. Been for 1 dinner, 1 party, a couple of meet ups, 1 lunch,1 excursion to Paris & its only been 4 days. Yes, my networking skills suck, seem to missing as many as I'm attending

Repeated by almost everyone from the Business foundation group - its tough, too much work, no sleep & goes way too fast. I have no business background, too broke to sign up for the rich kids express learning tour & too lazy to have gone the self taught route. This is dangerous & definetly not recommended. Have to rely on charm only from now on but in this 'charming' little town thats not a quality in short supply, sigh...at least i know enough economics to realize I'm in the merde.

Again repeated by every BFP attendee - the professor specifically stated that networking is far more important here than learning. great can they start grading us on how many parties we attended, how many invitations we garnered & how many inane conversations we could squeeze into an hour?

Reflection on above point - I'm not good at 'networking', at all the meets people finally ended mixing as per gender & nationality. Not as per recommendation right? Some seem genuinely great at it & very enthusiastic towards one & all. Somehow I'm already feeling like I'm not making the cut into the 'cool peoples group, damn I actually said no to a party, i don't have a future, this is going to haunt me all my life....oh god i better pause for breath

2nd reflection of same point - if its only about networking, wouldnt 70,000Euros be a great kitty to start my own party hearty club? So are we here to become a fully paid up member of the club?

So whats going to be my USP, seems a bit unlikely I'm breaking into the deans list, and if I'm not the networking energizer bunny, where do i stand? Is the middle ground gonna be good enough?

There are so many of us, when they say diversity they mean it. Already met marine engineer, consultant,economist, lawywer, PR agent, every engineer under the sun( they all somehow blur into this single unit for me)

The sections just got announced & now I know my group mates. Having refused the car ride to the party I am now the loser sitting in my pj's & checking the stats out - we are 311 of us here in Fonty.

My group has 5 members & 5 nationalities, 3 continents & 4 careers. Between us we speak 7 languages. great!
More such v random thoughts running thru my head & we are now under 12 hours to registration.

The surreal life of Miss dee

2007-08-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

So I'm back & not yet dead (not that anyone seemed to have missed me :(...) Should be leaving for Fonty in a week & I'm still feeling stuck, no pre reading done, no bank account yet(well this is a lie since I just got confirmation that I do have an account except I cant access it till snail mail arrives after 10 days!)7 no confidence in my French..ah well such is life
Last couple of days have seemed like a never ending party with day & night all mixing into each other creating a very surreal situation. As if on cue, most reasonable & not so reasonable ppl I know have also started acting a little well 'revealing'. Its as if after years of knowing them,you suddenly get a completely new perspective on them and it makes you wonder what were you thinking all this time...no, no none of this is inspired by my leaving for other shores, just suddenly for no reason we are having some very 'interesting' days....
Meanwhile daddy dearest has decided to pitch his bit into the confusion & landed into hospital so now we are just getting more weirder by the minute...family time is also becoming very 'revelatory'
All in all a lot of fun & games before departure & by now I'm just sick of hearing about the 'farewell' so if I hear it one more time I might just retch in that direction!

A quick update...still alive!

2007-07-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

Ok so i know I've been missing for awhile but honestly so much is happening in the non INSEAD sphere (yes, it does exist, i admit) that blogging is one of the last things i can devote my time too....all waking hours were spent on Harry Potter just like the rest of the millions of muggles & I'm happy to say it's all over now...finally!
So a quick round up of what I've been doing (apart from practicing with my wand that is)
Went to the 1st farewell party - hosted by INSEAD alumni who to quote them wished to answer any questions we may have...oh yeah a couple- how soon do I get out of debt? how soon to the dream job?....nope but these are not the 'right ' questions so they were left unanswered. A few insights from the meet -
V few alumni showed up but the admits were so exuberant it didn't seem to matter.
Of the few who did most were recent grads on their visit back home before leaving for unknown lands...
Everyone insisted the toughest challenge was clearing the exit language requirement & advised whole heartedly to tackle this monster at the very onset
the quote of the night - "INSEAD will offer you a lot but finally its up to you to make what you can of it. Be greedy & grab every opportunity to network & party because the program is great but thats just the basics."

Ok then, we get the point

Apart from this v interesting night, life is filled with last minute prep to open a bank account - i shall most certainly post my recommendations once i've finally procured one.
The final payment (for moi... scholarship holder & all) has been made & now as a fully paid up student I fantasize about signing bonuses that cover everything I've spent...how gredy can I be?

Year of Possibility

2007-07-12T00:08:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again. The change of guards is taking place & interestingly the mood on both sides of the border is rather similar albeit for different reasons.

The class of J07 have graduated & the bloggers are saying their goodbyes. May they all make tons of money & hold interesting positions in a variety of careers. May they always be available for the rest of us that follow for advice, networking and hopefully a drink or two over discussions on the alma mater.

I now feel the need to change status on hella's list from applicant to student. There are only 45 days to start of school now & "the one year to challenge our thinking, change our outlook" is about to start with a vehemence.

So whats the activity like 45 days before school? here's a round up-
I'm still struggling to become a Francophone - in a desperate bid to pass my exit language requirement
I still have not touched my pre reading material, emboldened by so many others who claim the same but may just be the best economists, finance gurus or account maverick. I'm none of the above but I took heart when a current D07 student put it simply - this is the time to enjoy with family & friends. Re charge the batteries & rest because the next 10 months are anything but an easy ride.
Socialising is paramount right now. There are a round of parties & almost all weekdays & weekends are filled with them. The parties are not being called 'farewell' just yet but interestingly thats all we talk about now a days. From friends, family, colleagues, boss the conversation runs the same ground - the new life... and like clockwork within 5 minutes of this conversation the Q comes up - are you coming back?
I don't know I say, i don't know anything...
What are you going to do? I don't really know
Where will you work post college? I don't really know
How will you cope away from home, away from your spouse? I don't really know

My reluctance to commit to any answers & hug all this uncertainty comes from simply realizing that this year is special. Special because its the year of possibilities & maybe thats the reason why for all those who passed out from INSEAD still call it the best year of their lives.

One year to challenge your thinking, change your outlook and choose your future

I intend to do that.

What makes a terrorist?

2007-07-06T00:35:00.001-07:00

After the London & Glasgow terror attacks, terrorism is on the front pages again. Now WSJ reports a study by Princeton economists that shows there is no provable link between poverty & terrorism nor between illiteracy & terrorism.
The London attack was planned by doctors & a new book theorizes that its not your income level or education that determines if you become a potential terrorist but the curtailing of civil liberties.
So how come China is not suffering this epidemic?
Have terror attacks increased or decreased since India's growth rate exceeded its innate 'hindu' rate of growth?
How is that most of the foot soldiers for various 'jehad', 'separatists' movements come from the underbelly?
What drives doctors or LSE grads or pilots to

2007-07-02T03:18:00.000-07:00

After much dithering about when, where and how the Bombay admits finally decided to meet up again...only to be rained in. Another point to the Bombay monsoon for playing the spoilsport. And again the heavens win this round too by finally making the municipal authorities confess that they can do no good & we must wait till 2011 for roads that wont become rivers.
So the weeks been gray, rainy, wet & v mucky. And how I'm going to miss it. Count down for departure has started, bought on very early by the rain clouds insisting on moments to be spent alone in introspection as the city drowns...again.

Morality ? anyone ?

2007-06-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

Saw Thank you for Smoking - intelligent & funny, that is a rare combination to have.

The protagonist believes that a properly constructed argument is more important for winning than the content of the argument. He demonstrates the tricks of the trade to his son over a debate on chocolate vs. vanilla ice cream -
Firstly you must push your opponent to make a claim - the more extreme the better for you.
Then you must offer evidence that brings this claim under question.
This makes the audience disbelieve your opponent,and so without proving your own stand to be correct you have proved the opponent to be incorrect.

Of course if your intention is to convince your opponent then maybe instead of an argument you should try a discussion.

All this just lead me to think about the moral ambiguities of day to day life. Some things believed to be a certain way are totally another thing in a different aspect, and therefor arguable.

Like drinking - in Europe & surely in France having a glass of wine or pint of beer with lunch is absolutely fine. In India though a drink in the afternoon especially a work week is totally reprehensible - drinking on the job is morally, professionally & socially wrong.
Similarly when an American friend of mine started working in India she was perplexed. Now the way she worked in the US was to never commit anything that she could not deliver & when she committed something it was sacrosanct.
Indians on the other hand will readily commit to sending you to the moon, tomorrow!
Here saying no to a client or a person in authority is just not done.

Last week over a chat with the INSEAD career services - a strange fact came up. Apparently the low figures for placements in Japan were because in the past the few who did manage to work there, quit in less than a year citing cultural difference or rather culture shock.
My husband told me of a trip his colleagues took to Japan. They went there to meet a client & were shocked to see that people actually kept their pets in office & most in fact lived in their offices - sleeping under the desk, showering & working again.
The Indian team felt v guilty to walk out of office at 11:00 pm as the office was still buzzing with activity.

So some amount of moral flexibility (another phrase from the movie) might just be a good thing. Maybe soon it'll be fashionable to take a centrist position on the moral crossroads....who knows but suddenly I'm buying into this whole diversity aspect of the b school.
My position on it was ambiguous, I mean it helped my own application but I wasn't sure how it was supposed to translate into an asset on the work field.If its such an asset then how come the big b schools from America aren't embracing it so whole heartedly but lately i think it would be really important to have a varied exposure in your work life - just makes you more well rounded & maybe even a bit 'irreplaceable'
Also given that the world keeps changing so fast, adaptability might be the new personality trait recruiters look for?

Dialogue baazi

2007-06-16T03:48:00.000-07:00

"You are analog players in a digital world"
Oceans 13

"By pretending to be a man in love, he became a man in love"
Paris Je t'aime

A few additions to the classic one liner pantheon...

p;s: can you tell I'm not doing any work anymore

Coffee, tea or Politics?

2007-06-16T03:12:00.000-07:00

Inspired by D.T.L.F and with ample of time to kill I have now come to realize that I am a leftist liberal...damn, what am i going to B school for?

To figure out where you stand in the quagmire of politics - check it here

My score, if anyone wants to compare

Economic Left/Right: -3.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.23

My work

2007-06-14T23:38:00.000-07:00

Just one of the projects I recently produced...no its not the best of my producer's capabilities but what the heck, its a 'buzz' creating film so the clients happy

1 more reason to LOL

2007-06-13T02:23:00.000-07:00

I got Aid....scholarship ahoy!!!
This is the best news I've heard (post of course the admit decision)....so totally awesome! Rather generous too ; )
Not just a big relief but honestly the biggest motivator..I'm feeling so loved up by the universe right now, its unbelievable. Just the sign (rather a big billboard) to let me know I'm so totally going to be OK...
btw this post comes from my brand new mac & the first email it opened was the scholarship decision...talk about being lucky!

INSEAD Class of '08

2007-06-06T00:06:00.001-07:00

The Insead bloggers for J'08 is growing everyday. At last count we are 9, if we count neha in as an Insead spouse. Cool...now to see how many of us remain in the fray post our 10 months.
Welcome to new ones, lets rock!

The new pecking order

2007-06-01T23:56:00.000-07:00

After a rather long wait, INSEAD finally released it's Career Report 2006. Just in time to intice the next round of initiates, even the website has undergone cosmetic changes. I like the effort put in to entrap us and make us salivate.
Around this time last year, the brochures, career reports, websites all seemed to paint this fantsyland with its gates firmly shut. It was all we could dream of, gaining entry to never neverland :) So its tres bizzare to be sort of at the halfway house...not yet in but waiting in line with an assured place. This blog has already started getting queries from 2009 applicants, I'm feeling old.... a definitive heirarchy is in place -new applicants, halfway house bloggers now with clear loyalties to schools we are attending & the current batch of students who we all revver for the inside gup
Should I change status now from applicant to student?

Another interesting titbit - there's a lot of noise around about Indians coming back home, the NRI coming back to roots, India offering the best oppertunities etc etc,... The Career Report though showed that only 18% of all Indians at INSEAD in 2006 came back to homeland. The lowest figure from all the other nationalites... anyone want to analyse the trend?

The funny business of Films

2007-05-31T00:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to write a post on the film I saw last night. As with most mundane of offerings, the more worse off the product is, the more creative my critique becomes. This suffices but you start to lose your zeal when everything you watch is mundane, irrelevent and just plain old bad. Its becoming a sad plight, I love the movies. Its one art form that captured me young and has never let go. I ache to be able to go to a film and feel moved, to feel... But apart from the growing DVD nights, the multiplex doesn't satisfy & its disappointing.
So instead of another ranting on another bad flick, this is a ranting on the whole big picture.
Zantos wrote about the Danish TV show about kidney donation & to continue that discussion, here are my thoughts.
The media business is set to explode all across the world. I can imagine salivating executives coming out their conferences with numbers buzzing in their heads, new jargons flying about like saucers and a triumphant boss rubbing his hands with glee shouting "Show me the money!"
Technology has created new ways to create content, new ways to distribute it and new ways to digest it. So the going should be great but it isn't. Why?

Because no one knows how, why or what that 'content' should say. Over last month I met many so called important movie executives & it all seemed so strange. They all have money, bags of it . They all want movies which are different, which are cool, which are meaningful but don't know where to look. They proudly stake their claim to spot a winner because now they have a 'script' department. What they don't mention is that this script department is two nubile young things working on subsistence pay to read and judge scripts. Who are they, what is their qualification and on what basis do they judge.
I wrote a script some moons ago, but never took it out anywhere. No I wasn't scared of the judgment but yes I was scared of who would pronounce this judgment. Whose subjective sensibilities would make my destiny? Whose own childhood memory, first love, college experience, his first pay, the car or the humble train e/she took to work would decide what I offer is of what quality?
And herein lies the problem. On one side of the stage are the waiting audience needing entertainment, information, insights. And on the other side of the gangway is the executives wanting to deliver, wanting to satisfy this apparent need and make some serious moolah.
In the middle are the artists - not knowing on whose directions to move. Who pulls the strings? The money men who'll offer them a chance? The audience who will make them a star? Or themselves & that voice in their heads that made them come to this tentative world of struggles & souls?

And so we get the kidney doner show, the movie with all the resources but no resolution, the song with all the pomp but no voice, the art with all its shenanigans but no voice.
We are developing so fast & there are so many opportunities but no training, no world -view, no ethical conundrum, no definition of taste, no political stand point, no basis in the role we play in the world. No clue how are actions and our work acutely affect and create a new consciousness. No idea of long term impacts and absolutely no concern that as a small or large part of the media, of the world, we leave our imprints in one way another.

Apologies, this turned out to be a highly personal stream of consciousness piece but then true love does always have the deepest agony :)

2007-05-30T23:20:00.001-07:00

A few years ago, Maharashtra decreed that before every movie show, the national anthem needs to be played. I'm yet to truly make up my mind on this though.
As some friends have vociferously pointed out over many drinks & random conversations that never really lead anywhere, a compulsion to hear or play the national anthem is still a compulsion & therefore an infringement of a free individual.
You may not want to stand up but you do, fearing the crowd around. You may not want to hear the anthem, but you do even if the flick you came to watch is just pulp & you love it. You may not share the patriotic feeling, but you pretend you do because what kind of an individual would you be otherwise...

I'm not sure where I stand on this debate. When it first started I loved it. I don't think I've heard the anthem after school & that makes me sad. I don't do the things that would make me come into contact with any of the nationalistic 'compulsions' we had at school. Strange after reading the preamble of the constitution in every school book I've ever owned I think I've actually forgotten it. So yes it was surely welcome...at first.
Soon it became another advert, another 3 minutes you could come in late, another 3 minutes to buy popcorn, just another 3 minutes...

At last nights excursion to the multiplex - a weekly standard issue of my night life, I heard it again. This one was beautifully composed by Rehman & sung by some of the best singers in India. Being blind to it for so long, it suddenly struck me.
Why, oh why do we have to have a karaoke version of our national anthem?
So basically have the makers of the video concluded that Indians don't know the words to their anthem?
Or is it that Indians never show a vocal passion for their national anthem because well heck they don't know the words?
Don't know what was going on in their minds when they made this video but a suggestion for improvement might be to identify all the singers. Apart from the Bollywood regulars hogging the limelight, the average joe (or jarmeet) doesn't know the rest & that is as sad as not knowing the words to the national anthem.
What merit to being Indian if you haven't discovered the Indian gems which lie silently buried under the Bollywood glitter...
And why after using some great voices does the composer need to donn all white & untie his unruly locks & finish the crescendo? I do enjoy his music but honestly his singing is mediocre at best..but then maybe this is another exercise of 'ego maintaining'

As for the film that I saw..another post coming right up :)

Good news, Bad news

2007-05-22T00:12:00.000-07:00

Sad news stared at me in my inbox today. I didn't get a scholarship I had applied to. Strangely i thought it wouldn't hurt this bad but it does. Maybe just the prospect of rejection- something I haven't mastered the handling of...
The website declares that 2 of the scholarships i applied for have been decided upon yet I have only received an email on one of them. Both these were scholarships i had hopes for so let see what happens to the remaining 4. Shouldn't start mourning just yet, keeping the fingers crossed

On a happy note I have finally managed to book a romantic getaway holiday and I'm super excited...its the same place & hotel as our honeymoon. It's a befitting holiday to mark the end of one phase & the start of another...where we'll reach by the end of the year is anyone's guess but i love nothing more than an open road & such opportunities come so rarely in life

Meets & Misses

2007-05-07T02:34:00.000-07:00

The Insead Alumni in Bombay meets every first Friday of the month. Unfortunately they change this policy rather often leading to some forgone opportunities :(
Some 30 odd students from Insead were in India for BBI - building Business in India and I suppose to fit them in the Alumni meet happened on Thursday rather than on Friday. Woefully I only managed to get in touch with Domo while he was on his way to the airport & so missed this party for now...
But the Sunday before, the new admits did manage a nice evening of our own.Over drinks flowed the typical patter of MBA hopefuls. The first time we met, just after news of an admit most conversations were about the relief, the stress and the GMAT. We were still evaluating each other and more acutely our own applications....thanking heavens to be part of this bright people's universe.
The last meeting though concentrated on our current preoccupations, namely all the admin mess we need to sort out from housing to visas to finances to insurances... And also the hint of our very ambitious though completely ambiguous, sketchy post MBA dreams...mostly everyone was open to change, hopeful for it and honestly just bewildered that soon life was about to present very varied opportunities...again a hesitant smile & crossed fingers accompany most of this chatter. Posts from Domo about interviews and dings ring a harsh tone. but ensconced in the bright brave new India with rising pay packets and unheard of options we are happily dreaming of new lives

The working life

2007-05-03T01:13:00.000-07:00

Shot a marathon shoot and yesterday was a first in my career - went a total of 24 hours without sleep at work! Wow! Am I ready for the consultants life or what - I mean it almost sounds cushy compared to what I'm doing right now.
Had a fantastic moment at wrap of shoot. With everyone functioning at near zombie levels we finally called wrap after a 20 hour shoot and a spontaneous applause rang out. Some sixty odd sleep deprived, exhausted crew bonded so well...I'm going to miss this crazy energy!
Back at work today & flooded with so many of your comments & others on the netvestibule - feels good to be back!
Mr. Anonymous - I accept the challenge, I love mystery so I'm going to enjoy playing this game but you ought to give me some clue...??

Nations at INSEAD

2007-04-28T03:25:00.000-07:00

Some random numbers
Of the 359 registered INSEAD class of 2008

The Americans are No. 1 with 45 students or 12%
We are 42 Indians!!! - Almost 11%
France is No. 3 with 34 - 9%!
Canada - 23
Germany -20
Russia, China (12),UK, Belgium, Australia,Netherlands, Taiwan all stand at 10 students a piece
Even Portugal has almost 10 I think...
Pakistan with no loan support for its students comes in with 3 students
Africa all together garners around 10
Europe obviously leads in the continent race, Asia comes a close second
And we are approx. 57 nationalities...not bad for the diversity!

Stamped & ready to go!

2007-04-27T01:18:00.000-07:00

Yup, the visa is duely stamped & in my hands! Seems I'm the early bird coz they kept asking me why I was applying so early...hell just coz I can and i like sitting easy on my ass with no admin worries.
So here's the lowdown -
Warning: information is decidedly Indian in bias

1st Step - You can contact the Consulate via their website.
You need to download the long stay visa form & print the two pages on the same page - back & forth. You may even go to the Consulate & pick up the original. Be warned - the form is in French! The translation is available at the Consulate though I managed with help from my French tutor. Yes, I think the French are telling us what to expect when we get there...speak French or suffer

2nd Step - You can book an appointment via the website itself or on the telephone. Both are impersonal events as you only get a recorded synthetic voice over the phone. maybe the French are telling us something again, there was no option at all of talking to someone!

3rd Step - You will also have to book an appointment with the Educational Attache at the Consulate. Her details are provided on the site and thankfully this is a living breathing (even holidaying!) being. Do remember though that the Education Attache is only to provide the NOC - No objection certificate. You need a separate appointment with the visa officer.
Plan both these appointments on the same day, just half an hour apart.

4th Step - Collect all the data. This is a bit of task if you happen to be a disorganized person like me but nothing to bother for us MBA applicants. After managing applications successfully, this is a piece of cake.
You'll need the following documents -

A valid passport for the entire period of your stay in France
One long stay visa application form with all columns filled in and 2 recent photographs in the size of 3.5 cms x 4.5 cms with white / light background. The face should cover about 70-80% of the photo area*
A letter of registration / admission from a French academic institution
Proof of resources for living expenses for the period of your stay (420 euros/month) OR An accommodation certificate from a respondent in France and proof of resources for living expenses for the period of your stay (210 euros/month)
Proof of accommodation in France for the period of stay (we need to ask her about this one before getting our appointment)
A short bio-data
Copies of your degrees, diplomas and/or certificates
Overseas medical insurance policy + repatriation, evacuation cover (equivalent to 30000 euros)
Copy of air ticket

This information is available on their website too. I would advise though to carry all other documents you feel may help your unique case. For e.g. for married students carry your marriage certificate. For students with bank loans - carry the loan sanction slip. For students taking family loans - carry a sponsorship letter etc.
I carried my transcript, GMAT scores etc etc.
Btw the housing receipt is also easily organized. I found the house via city-junction, so I presented a domicile receipt with the house address that I'll be staying at. This receipt was obtained after paying the city-junction agency fees and not the house deposit. So you needn't wait till you pay the deposit too.
I forgot to carry my bio-data but she sweetly filled out most of the information required.

Step 5 - Land up on time. Things move swiftly enough. You will first be escorted to the Education Attache. He/She will want to see all your originals and will conduct a mini interview - v basic like why France, why Insead and how are you financing it. Have you been to pairs before etc. She will make an NOC which she will directly forward to the visa section. you dont see or touch this copy.
Beyond this it's just waiting for your turn. Forwarding your visa form all filled out & all your xerox's of other documents. They will not ask for the Originals again. You pay the visa fees - which as of now is 50 Euros for Students.
Then its another bit of wait - approx. 20 mins and you will be handed a student visa valid for 3 months from your date of departure. You need to reach your school where they will register you and convert your visa into a 'carte de sojourn' which will let you roam free in Europe for he year.

So it's that simple.
A few pointers - carry a book or magazine and be prepared to hand over your cell phone, Ipod or laptop. All in all it takes about 2 hours and the staff is helpful. Make sure your air ticket has the date that you wish to travel on - your visa will be granted from that date itself.

So now the new super cool me has already notched up a few tick marks on my extensive to-do. House -booked
deposit - paid
visa -obtained
medical insurance -done
air ticket - done
Information on bank account & tenant insurance has been gathered and in the next two weeks I shall have put a done on their side too :)
Feeling really warm with the thought that once I leave my job there will be v little nuisance to take care of...
Just a lot of shopping, relaxing & French

For a fistfull of euros

2007-04-20T00:26:00.000-07:00

Finally the scholarship essays are done. I managed to apply to 6 though I qualified for around 8 or 9. But no point in being too greedy. The focus has to be on the quality of your essay rather than the quantity of essays.
Though the greed is just a natural phenomenon with INSEAD offering a multitude of scholarships but a student can be awarded only 2 by law and only 1 really by tradition. I suppose they try their best to spread the money over as many students as possible.
INSEAD is also one of the few schools that doesn't offer scholrships along with your application. The school makes you work hard for your money by doing innumerable essays for each scholarship. Somehow though even the thought of cash and less debt is not very motivating.
here's my grouse with the whole system -
a) The questions for most of the scholarships are so vague and open ended that you dont know where to begin
b) every website, essay writing service, students, etc etc warn you not to keep talking about yourself - keep the I, me, My less. But what do you do when most of the essays simply ask you - Why do you think you deserve this award? hello, I don't know why, I just want it thats it plain n simple
c) the process expects you to grade yourself against your classmates but how do you compete with ppl you don't know jack shit about? I mean I don't know why I'm such a creative hot shot or diverse candidate if I have no clue who's in the class with me...

Anyways I'm done with them and thats all. I still think I have a fair chance at bagging one and I guess we'll know by July if i'm right. My evaluation is purely based on the fact that my gender, geographical location, job background and life goals will all come together to make me sound rather award worthy...keeping the fingers crossed but who's to know if there isn't someone absolutely brilliant, beautiful, gifted who saved the whales & the tigers in their spare time who I'm competing with.

Scholarship Blues

2007-04-04T00:14:00.000-07:00

Just finished one of the most grueling jobs I've ever undertaken and sleep is seeming to be a luxury to pine for... good preparation for an intensive MBA, I suppose.
So after about 125 hours of little or no sleep I find myself sitting in front of the comp in my first free hour in a month, hoping to find the motivation to get started on my scholarship essays...
even the prospect of winning close to all my tuition is not making the gray cells work and I find myself drifting to this blog and of others, in hopes to feel connected to my goal of an MBA...
After months of obsessing about little apart from an admit decision, I find myself drifting on a fast track life without a moments pause to wonder - how did I find myself here? is this really my dream? is this going to realize my ambitions? c est la vie....
Am i having doubts about doing an MBA? no not really...just after the entire gamut of feelings experienced in the process of gaining an admit, I'm feeling a bit disconnected...life is going on and August is feeling far removed...almost a morning dream whose details you cant quite grasp

And as those scholarship essays beckon but little seems to flow out.... except an ardent desire to be on the beaches of goa with hubby dearest, just sitting, doing nothing and staring at the sun... re energizing the stars in our eyes

Home, at last

2007-03-31T00:53:00.000-07:00

My house hunt is officially over! Haven't seen the place & don't even know too much about it but its lovely. With the domicile in my hands, the next stop is at the visa office.
I spoke to the Consulate officer & have fixed an appointment for 27th of April, 2007. She thinks I'm very early...wanted to tell her it would have been earlier if she wasn't going on a holiday!
She had such a cute accent! Dying to start my French lessons in the coming week. Have found a private tutor too....

Sounds like I'm really working hard to get there but honestly the picture is quite the opposite. Another classmate from Bombay chased me down, did all the hard work and even paid the agent fees while I sat on my fat arse and sounded worried. So thanks K....it'll be fun to be roomies, even though I haven't met you yet

More news is that I'm suddenlt swamped with work. Currently producing the most challenging production of my life - it'll be a film to remember...hopefully my swansong to Production!
Keep watching...it'll feature v prominently here in these pages :) - my blog so I'm totally allowed to blow my own horn...

Comment Ci, Comment Ca

2007-03-06T22:28:00.000-08:00

Almost a month to the last post..but I'm back now. This year has been whizzing past,leaving me completely unfettered. I have no clue if I made sense but I was dying to use this word today, for some strange reasons which I rather not elaborate or else this post will be something else all together.
As evident from the title I have started learning my third language and after a strenous three hours i'm fast losing hope. French is just....too strange. its spelled wierd, its spoken weirder and after listening to it my brain on reflex does a quick shut down. So the self teaching route is proving tricky and i have decided to enlist the help of an expert though haven't quite managed to fit him/her into my tight schedule.
Though I'm sounding oh so busy I still have countless hours to fret about my life and dream all sorts of MBA dreams, you know the ones I'm sure, the dreams which are mostly about $$$ and some more $$$... :)
Sound so materialistic but there is another phenomenon underfoot. Absolutely unexpected from an MBA aspirant on the way to selling her soul (or so it is viewed in my culturally artistic group of peers), I am experiencing a spiritual epiphany! No, no god babble sorta stuff but more on the universe and the world of dreams etc etc. Gosh I was thinking not to write this, fearing I may sound quite the freak but it just escapes me.
Maybe like a big new year party, its the impending change and the fact that life as I know it will be altered significantly that is bringing it all on. And I'm wondering if any of you out there are having similar thoughts?
I shall explain. I've always been a sucker for signs and omens and sometimes just dream them up to convince myself that I'm on the right path but it works for me. I'm also suddenly a huge believer in the universal laws, though if you ask me I wont really be able to explain it. All I know is that if you want something so bad that it feels more like a need... it just happens. And that we can alter the world we live in by just altering the way we think or look at the world.... Ok I know I've lost you be now so wont go on, but indulge me a bit further.
On Monday morning, the day I usually hate as I run around with to-do lists etc I woke up feeling unexplicable happy. Not given to early mornings at all, this was rather unnatural. So I drive to work and without even knowing it, I'm totally grooving to the music and loving the world. Almost like a mild high of a loving drug. I wonder to myself whats happening to me, why this behavior? The song on the radio changes & this is what it says-
"Nayi Subah, nayi disha
Kyu mein hawaanon mein ghum raha hon?
Naya sama, naya jahan
Ab mein jahan se kadam mila chal raha hon"

{Translation - New dawn, new roads. Why am feeling like I'm on clouds? A new world and I'm ready to walk in step with the universe. (As close as I could manage)}

A red light and i stop. The car in front of me has a sticker, it says
"Angels are watching over you"

Hmmm, I asked a question in my mind and I get an answer in the universe. I laugh and look away, only to find myself parked next to a billboard showing a man on a hammock and a few angel fairies blowing him kisses. Never mind that the billboard was actually selling booze but the whole thing gave me goosebumps. And made my day too.

The unwelcome 'welcome' call

2007-02-08T03:37:00.000-08:00

Some freakish moments- received an email yesterday from the associate director of the MBA program stating she wanted to review some information!
Had a sleepless night & imagined various sets of problems & complications.
Got a call at 9:30 am with a cheery voiced woman which dissolved my fears. It was a welcome call! Short, sweet and v friendly. I already feel like this place was meant for me.

What they failed in on their acceptance package they made up with this call.
The acceptance package was barely 3 pages of basic quality paper with a handwritten congratulations & signature. I think they should have carried the marketing effort onwards with a brochure of activities & life on campus. After all some percentage of the applicants must have had other offers too. Sounds shallow and yes no one bases their decisions on the quality of paper & images but I do feel it pays to whet the appetite...what say?

Cost of an INSEAD mba

2007-02-06T23:46:00.000-08:00

Some back of the envelop calculations regarding the impending cost of an INSEAD MBA:

Cost of Tuition Euro 48,800
Business Fundamental Euro 1200
Cost of Living Euro 20,000

Additional Costs

Laptop Euro 1000
Air Flights Euro 1000
Wharton/Campus Exchange ???
Miscellaneous Euro 3000

Total Cost Euro 75,000 approx.

I don't yet have the figures for the cost of campus exchange but do realize that its not factored into the average cost of living provided by the school. Miscellaneous covers visa charges, medical insurance, travel insurance, books and other factors for which no exact figure is known.

As of now with my Indian salary I only make approx. Euro 20,000 pre tax. Obviously this means there is a huge gap which can not be filled without aid & loans.
So here's the clincher, according to the Forbes's ROI calculator for MBA'a ...you can check it out here

I get a 5 year MBA gain of approx. Euro 2,25,000!!!

Its calculated based on 2003 average salary indications & a rate of growth of approx 11.6% based on the batch of 2000.
Of course the return is spectacular given my pre MBA salary is in Indian rupees while the average post MBA salary is in Euro/dollars
But before I blow my horn, a few key factors to consider:

Average salary does not always translate to what one can expect, especially with global recruiting
The rate of growth is also largely dependent on the conditions of the economy at large
I have no clue if they have taken taxes into consideration, after tax its a completely different story.

I wish there was a clause by which all b-schools had to declare the range of salaries for all employed grads - from the lowest to the highest with mean, median and mode figures provided. Self employed entrepreneurs would be exempt.
It would help us make more efficient decisions (something we are going to learn during our mba, right?) and not just be swayed by the gigantic reputations of the schools and ranking in all the publications - of course those too are dependent on the same factors but some data would be insightful

The Storm after the admit

2007-02-05T04:09:00.000-08:00

So the CFA plan is canned...at least for now. Between Feb and August one has to master a foreign language or at the very least learn enough to pass a test by the fiercely protective Franco-phones.
One also has to work to keep skin on the bones, though any dreams of saving enough to last a season on foreign shores, with decidedly unfair currency exchange, is fast evaporating.

And another strange emotion is taking grip. After months of anxious applications and awaiting judgment day, a weird calm has descended. With it have the doubts - will this investment be a wise decision, will I get a good job, will the diversity work for or against me, will I make friends or feel alienated, will i manage to cope with the workload, will I...

As I grapple with all of these issues I suddenly realize my new status amongst friend, family and colleagues - somehow my achievement is theirs, they are proud and sure, for the first time there is a unanimous feeling that my star is on the ascendant, somehow with me reaching these schools has given them a surge of hope, of change and of control over their own destiny.

I brush off the crumbs of doubts and hope the wind in my sail suddenly doesn't die out.

Reading List & CFA

2007-02-02T22:17:00.000-08:00

So this is the reading list for INSEAD though for the year 2005. Maybe it will have some more additions.
I have a query - is anyone planning on doing the CFA? I fear I'm too late in the game but wanted to know where I can get more info on the same. I know atleast some of you have already cleared beginner levels. Anyone wanna do a informational post on the benefits, time, effort required etc.?

Essentials of Accounting, (9^th Edition)

Authors: Robert N. Anthony, Leslie K Breitner

Publisher: Prentice Hall

ISBN: 978-0131496934

Finance For Executives (3^rd Edition)

Authors: Gabriel Hawawini, Claude Viallet

Publisher: South Western College Publications

ISBN: 978-0324274318

Principles of Microeconomics (4^th Edition)

Author: N. Gregory Mankiw

Publisher: South Western College Publications

ISBN: 978-0324319163

It aint over...yet

2007-01-29T01:32:00.000-08:00

Its been awhile but I'm back in the saddle again. Apart from the v airy happy feeling in my head after an admit decision, there's a whole other tornado going on in my humble little cranium.
So here's my updated list of all that I must accomplish before getting on a flight to France

Pay the deposit. The ulcer this 10% deposit is causing me is making me wonder what the state of my digestion system will be when in debt of close to $90,000!
Learn French. Though I'm still confused if I should make Spanish my 3rd language...may help with the Latam course and the entire emerging markets scenario. Any suggestions which would help more?
Get the International Drivers license, even though I doubt I can afford renting a car for the whole year. But it may help on short trips across the French country side :) though my bank balance loudly lets me know that any holidays from now to July 08 are just a fantasy
Figure out the list of visas I'll be needing - French, Shengen, Swizz & UK. Maybe I can get to Wharton on my tourist?
Start on the pre MBA reading list. Its only about 5 books but Where's the time?
Start an accounts 101 and a finance 101 course. Want to wiggle out of the foundation course in hopes of saving some moolah but Shall I repeat - where is the #%^& time?
Find a house & house mates. No problem here except where is the money?
Write all the scholarship essays. Well here is the money but guess what? I pay the deposit & then just wait & hope I get to be the lucky 20% who gets any money out at all.
Figure out an education loan, though most of the one's on offer fall woefully short of what I really need.
Shop for winter, shop for college, shop for fun. But what about that money, honey?

And some wise soul had advised that from now to August was just R&R.... no hopes on that happening. So this is the next leg of this long road, so all say Hail Mary( or whatever religious/ quasi religious/philosophical/theological expression that helps) and hop on for the ride.

Thanks

2007-01-19T23:01:00.000-08:00

My big thank you post to the entire blogger gang (community just makes it so v serious)
I'll be starting at Fonty in Sept and I'm just overwhelmed. I started the applicant journey sometime in July and today in Jan its finally over.
Well as over as possible without taking scholarships, loans, shifting etc into account.
The funny thing is in July I had never even heard of INSEAD...yes, embarrassingly I was that naive but today it feels like the biggest thing that ever happened to me.
So now I bid adieu to the 6 odd months of applicant hell and raring to get to the other 6 odd months of getting the practical stuff into control.
INSEAD here I come!

In INSEAD!

2007-01-17T22:02:00.000-08:00

I'm in!!!
I only had one interview and was on tenterhooks this whole week. Another friend in Bombay who interviewed with the same person was called yesterday, 2 days before the decision deadline and interviewed on the phone. She didnt tell me since she knew I'd push the panic button.
But news just got in we are both in!
I'm over the moon....Life is good and there is going to be a big celebration tonight ;)
Its been a tense week in the blogosphere with HBS and INSEAD decisions happening all at once but this is the end of my endless wait.
My applicant journey is just about getting over - now its scholarships, loans, banks and dreams of FB :)

Business & Politics

2007-01-10T03:51:00.000-08:00

The latest news in the business dailies -
ThePawar family to buy 49% in UB breweries. Sharad Pawar is the Union agriculture minister and responsible for reducing duties on wines in Maharashtra.
Apparently this all above board. Are there no laws in this country to protect against vested interests?

Reverse Outsourcing

2007-01-08T22:49:00.000-08:00

So while I patiently twiddle my thumbs till Jan 19th (INSEAD deadline), a little report on Reverse Outsourcing

Lately every India glossie, item song, ad commercial, print work is being adorned by foreign beauties. Coming from far away places, mostly from developed yet not economically strong nations of East Europe, Mexico and Brazil, these girls are giving the Indian models a run for their money.

Time was when a few genetically blessed chicas would rule the ramp and make hay while the sun shone on them a little more brightly than it did for the less endowed mortals.
But not any more - the foreign invation is a strong challenge - they are younger, better bodies, taller, less inhibitions and far more affordable.

So its no surprise that from small stores like Seasons & Benzer to big brands like Himalaya Aryuveda, Colgate, John Player etc have them grace their commercials. Only condition is to dye their manes black - apparently the Indian audience loves to salivate over the 'imported' talent but not if they are blonds - something about aspirations!

INSEAD interview update

2007-01-05T03:35:00.000-08:00

An update on my INSEAD interview -
After weeks of chasing my interviewer I finally met her in the last week of December. I was peeved at being asked to keep calling and then having the appointment can celled. So went prepared to meet someone I was not going to like but came back feeling not so bad.
the interview was long and exhausting - lasted an hour and a half and I felt we covered a lot of ground. I would even say we exposed my weak areas and hopefully strengthened some otherwise weak spots. The interviewer followed the same path as others but somehow different individuals make the experience wholly dissimilar.
this interview took place in my interviewers house. I didn't ask but I think she has left her job. It started with her dog sniffing me and her daughter & friend bursting in & out. Even her husband came back and decided to move about the house in shorts. So yes the setting was most definitely not professional but the interview was.
What a contrast to my LBS one - the setting was an investment bank but the tone was uber friendly and casual. Here it was the opposite. My interviewer took her time, was very
professional and cold, though I'd like to believe she thawed by the end of it.
She didn't reveal any information regarding her feedback. She felt I was one of the most unusual candidates she had met but my 'diversity' could work for or against me since the competition was so high.
Oh well as again time will tell...
(Have to say though she had some great art on her walls, maybe all the culture you pick up after INSEAD and hopefully a job too which can afford it all :)

2007 & the world is the same

2007-01-02T04:47:00.000-08:00

The New Year is here and so are the lists. Resolutions, to-do's, trends and whats in store lists.
I love lists so no guesses on what I did on the first morning of the new year...in bed in my pj's with at least 3 dailies and read thru all the supplements. Ooh the simple joys of life!
So here's my list...no resolutions but what I in my rather short sighted, ill informed, hastily put-together way think will be the trend for 2007:
- the big brands & corporations will bend backwards to reach any consumer they may not have already bombarded with their so called 'USP' They will have interactive platforms, 60 sec spots, jingles, billboards, events and even sales to push up that bottomline- everything infact except actually working on their product or improving their service. No need for that if the PR is in overdrive.
Think Big Play Small- SME companies will continue to feel threatened & look apprehensive and act scared. They'll even win all the sympathy with photo ops of cutsie cuddly mom & pop store owners outside giant cold large retailer. But secretly they too will find the balance sheet not too bad. Large corporations on the other hand will bring out their own devices to make people part with their money & they too will find the going smooth.
- Indian companies will continue to buy out never-before-heard of companies in their bid for global domination. The pink dailies will froth over with excitement on the exotic locales these companies are going.(Reports of executives in Brazil, Switzerland, Belgium negotiating multi million dollar take over bids will keep us green with envy). In all the hype & hoopla no one will check on the health of these so called strategic investments for awhile and no one will question why on earth we are suddenly so damn good at running an enterprise which has been in deep trouble.
- Economists will disagree on everything from slow downs to safe landings to growth projections and inflation worries. But whenever in doubt will put yet another India growth story on front page news and relax in the feel good haze.
- MBA salaries will make headlines & the competition will become intense. This will be the road to the city of gold but it will suddenly find the traffic a trifle too much to handle.

Finally the real main trend will be Duality and everything in between. While sometimes we will find consumerism on the rise, at another we'll see more socialists on the streets of Paris - giving up a warm bed but not their revelry.
Chavez will enjoy the attention his remarks will bring him and Bush will give him adequate competition in stupid sound bytes.
The Indian economy will grow yet it will isolate its own large majority.
We will sign trade treaties with our neighbors but mistrust them completely. For all the trade growth, we will see a far higher growth in our defense purchases.
Salaries will go up and so will our EMI's.
You will enjoy greater connectivity with the world yet find no time for a family life.
Web 2.0 will have to work harder to find new shining stars or find itself in the midst of another small bubble...
SRK will hunt out all of AB's old shoes and try to fill them.

Alladin & the genie

2006-12-20T22:59:00.000-08:00

Been having some very interesting conversations lately. My boss is on a spiritual trip nowadays so work hours often sprinkled with deep insightful talk.

He started telling me about the Alladin concept - basically a reworked Alchemist theme. The idea is to see yourself as Alladin and the whole world as your genie. Every thought you have strokes the lamp and the genie i.e. the world goes out there to make it happen. I think the Little Prince also speaks about this. So we have to be very careful & discipline our minds not to let ourselves down by negative thinking because that just might be the wish that is granted today.

I'm still upset though, I honestly had my hopes up on LBS but somehow my genie didn't get the message. But a firm believer in destiny that I am, I suppose there is a grand scheme in place... there is some place else I need to be.

Dinged by LBS

2006-12-18T21:32:00.000-08:00

Win some Lose some....
Dinged at LBS. This was my number one choice but I suppose destiny has other plans. Somehow I'm still in a daze, just don't understand what went wrong. Probably the interview.
I dont think I have the energy to go thru R2 applications. So its goodbye to London from me

2006-12-18T01:04:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, little late in posting but good news is always welcome
I'm through to ISB!
This means no matter what I am going to school next year, even if where is still open for discussion.
LBS will send out its decision tomorrow and that will decide the fate.

A little economics

2006-12-08T21:04:00.000-08:00

5 days for decision day at ISB
9 days for decision day at LBS
Insead interview - still awaiting response from interviewer
So in the meantime, I've nothing to do apart from a whole lot of work and a whole lot of day dreaming and a whole lot of twiddling my thumbs looking at R2 apps...
Did pick up 'Free Lunch' by David Smith, a sort od Eco for dummies just to get the studies going. Having fun with it right now since most of it is nowadays all over the papers and doesnt require too much brain power...with holiday season around some serious lack of the aforementioned :)
On an interesting though disturbing note - read a UN study which qoutes the following statistics
1% of the world's population owns approx. 40% of the world's wealth.
The top 10% own over 85% of the world's wealth
The bottom 50% own ...hold your breath... only 1% of the wealth of the worlds

Its rather disgusting, the inequality obviously proves the trickle effect doesnt work. This has been going on for so long but with all the laws and good intentions and experiments with socialism, capitalist, left & right - nothing has worked.
So congrats to all who read this blog - it only takes assets worth $2200 to make it to the top 10% but do spare a thought about the world...

Interview over & out of my hands

2006-12-02T01:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all for all the wishes, I hope to meet some of you at some school on some continent, in some country under some circumstances.
I started the MBA journey in June and I have no clarifications on any of the 'some's listed above :)
So now for the interview update.
I met an alum from LBS, an investment banker (expected that) and he turned out be very nice. He was extremely open and chatty and very welcoming. The interview was in his office, the investment floor of a large bank. Interesting lace though I've been to one before when the floor was abuzz and alive with action. My interview of course was at the end of the day and the space was rather quiet.
We started with the most common of all Q's - why mba? I started my rehearsed, rehashed line he smiled and said 'I'm hearing jargon now"
Quickly changed tactics and relaxed since he seemed humorous. The q's were all of the expected kind but were framed more conversationally. I have no clue if I answered it well or not coz once I get chatty, well I get chatty.
The case presentation was interesting and I hope I fared well though on second thoughts I may have messed up understanding the basic issue. Hope not. V much like GMAT AWA.
All in all it took a little over an hour.
I asked a lot of questions especially regarding financial planning for LBS,London life, exchange programs,oppertunities. I suppose the problem was that I was meeting someone who wwas available to talk about my dream school and the questions just kept pouring out. I'm hoping I didnt mess it up.

Its out of my hands now and I've started counting down to Dec 19th already (17 full days to go)

About to interview

2006-12-01T03:31:00.000-08:00

So the big LBS interview is today, well actually in another 1.5 hours and what am I doing? Blogging, after too many days. Its like a comfort zone you turn to in stressful circumstances. It helps to know that somewhere in the world strangers are going thru much the same thing and actually understand your views right now, much better than the loved ones.
I've been feeling a bit disconnected lately, work has been hectic and with everything changing, including my comp from a PC to a Mac so life is just a big merry go round.
Ok time to go and best of luck to myself and everyone else out there...

Blissed Out

2006-11-23T04:47:00.000-08:00

"Happy, Happy, Happy

Joy, Joy, Joy"

- Ren & Stimpy

ISB - Interviewed
LBS - selected for interview
INSEAD - selected for interview

I am so super excited - this is a 100% success ratio and completely super! wont say its beyond my dreams since been dreaming about this for a very long time now. Its been a good month and I hope I can say the same for December and Jan (when the admit decisions come in).

Neither here, nor there

2006-11-21T01:12:00.000-08:00

Posting after a small gap. Have managed to fall ill, part allergies and part the stress. The year is about to end and cant stop my thoughts wandering to what the next year will hold.

Three colleges applied to -

1 interview down,
1 shortlisted for interview and waiting,
1 still waiting to hear the outcome.

All in all not that bad a situation but I feel stuck in limbo. Wish I'd managed to apply to all 5 schools...
To apply or not to apply? R2 deadlines are looming large in the horizon and I'm still stuck on the decisions.

LBS interview invite :)

2006-11-17T02:00:00.000-08:00

Not much time today but had to yell it out to the world -
LBS INTERVIEW INVITE is sitting there in my inbox.
This is the school of my dreams... I am so very very happy today.
Drinks on me if anyone coming to Hard Rock (bombay) tonite :)

The long road

2006-11-14T03:25:00.000-08:00

Unlike most of the people in line for MBA, mine was not a life long dream. Infact I was one of those people who looked at the dark suits and frowned with disapproval. The corporate life was something to be shunned and that I did.
Then suddenly in July the bug bit and hard. Why? I dont really know. Like most big decisions, this one was also rather ambiguous in formation. No big thunderbolt from the sky but suddenly I was ready for a new role.
The bargain I stuck with myself was to prepare for the GMAT and if the scores are decent then go for it. That was it. The extent of my preparation.
But you wouldnt think it if you met me now 5 months down the line. Lately all I talk, dream, write, discuss, read about is the grand MBA dream.
And as the D-day comes forth, I'm on tenterhooks. I think they should just give you an MBA for applying. The preparation just doesnt end.
GMAT preparation, GMAT test, Essays, Applications, Transcripts,Recommendations, Resumes, Job description, Application Fees and then a long silent wait.
Then the constant nagging fear 'Am I in? Am I out? Am I in?'
Then the second round of frantic dances begins- interviews and then again the long agonizing wait...
Through the insecurity you plan ahead or atleast try your level best to. I mean you dont really know which city or which country is going to be your home from the next year. How much money are you going to need? New clothes? new friends? visas? fees? scholarships? new careers? and on and on it goes.

Think I'm going a little numb. just a bit. To tell the truth:

This wait is killing me

Oops

2006-11-14T03:21:00.000-08:00

Just found out that if gven an offer for admission at ISB, will have to pay a hefty fee of approx.$3000 by Jan3rd.
Whats the Oops for? INSEAD has a deadline of Jan19th for final decision!
Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place. Cant afford to pay both, completly out of the question.
This is just too hard... wish I was better planned for the whole shebang.

ISB interview

2006-11-13T00:25:00.000-08:00

I had my interview with ISB Hyderabad this Sunday. My experience went thus:
On arriving I was handed over a peice of paper to write a 50 word essay.
The topic was 'Government of India'
Now dont get me wrong but honestly such an open ended topic to be dealt with in 50 words? There is no sense of doing any justice to it or even revealing some brilliant prespective from your end. All in all a very half hearted attempt to put another aspect to the interview - not thought out properly according to me. Even if they were looking for a concise get-to-the-point type essay the questions could have been more tickling. Anyways thats my feeling
I was made to wait in a room with about 6 others, they were very nervous and some even paced up & down all the time. Everyone made an effort to get along. I think its got something to do with the emphasis on being a team player. Ooh cynical me :)

Interview started 10 minutes late, was informed right in the beginning not to be nervous as their style is 'zero stress' based. Took the advice on face value and talked thru the interview as a conversation.

All the questions were geared on my carrer and profile. I have a slightly unconventional profile, coming from the world of films with a creative background.
They asked many pointed questions on what are the revenue streams, how the industry works. If I were to consult someone who wanted to make a movie what would be my advice. If I were to launch a production company what would be my primary motives, business plan and how would I go about it.
How does television work, what are the revenue models for it.
Will Big Brother work in India? It has just started its innings in India. They asked this very pointedly - in the long term as well as in repeated seasons etc. Tried my level best to give a knowledgeable reply but honestly my line of work in so notorious precisely because we can never predict an outcome.
Towards the end they specified that their only concern is if I will be able to cope with the academic rigour at ISB with my profile
Found this slightly insulting - does being creative automatically typecast you as someone who cant follow 'academic rigour'?
Answered that I was really not intimidated and had already started reading up on finance & stats - the only areas I have less experience in but that with Economics in my undergrad I dont see it as a big problem
Now it was my turn and if I had any questions. Unfortunately I did seem to have a few. I asked them about recieving other people in the past with similar profiles - they cited that they had. So asked them if those had any difficulty following the academics. Answer was a very wishy washy "yes and no"
So i pointed them to my GMAT score and said it should answer their trepidition since i hit the books only 2 months before the test while still working 12 hour days.
They asked me if I was satisfied with my score.
Strange question - I mean if I got 800 i would be satisfied but I did mention that i found it very easy over all and not much of a stretch.

I have no idea how the interview went. I came out feeling good, and I think I answered every question confidently. I just have a problem with being judged and all interviews are basically a process for pronouncing judgements. I think in the end I put a bit of pressure on them too with a few questions. Did it in a very 'zero stress' friendly style :) but came out feeling that I really didnt get any answers. So thats my judgement.
Will have to wait another month to hear their side of this story.

Pre MBA plan

2006-11-09T02:22:00.000-08:00

If all things go according to plan (apps, interviews, admits etc etc) then I should be facing the gates of my choosen college by September'07. So the optimist in me has decided to draw up a list of goals to be achieved by then (i love to-do lists)

#1 Lose Weight- i know, i know not a very intellectual aim and all but I think most of humanity makes the same resolution every midnight of the new year. And proceeds to guzzle down a few thousand calories just to show how commited thy are to the plan. But seriously I'm not going to college looking like a beached whale or any other bovine animal of your choice. I'm losing min 15 pounds. There its been said (not in stone but here is good enough)
#2 Taxes - pay my taxs and be up to date on all that personal finance shit. See like the rest of the wannabe MBA crowd I havent been too good with the planning and saving so this is a big challange. I have to order all my bank statements, drop them off at a decent CA and expect him to do some magic, thats all. Not too much to ask

#3 SAVE - I've been saying this to myself for so long that I need to make it all caps. Maybe some subliminal message might help correct some majorly deviant behaviour. But honestly student life is making me very scared- so much to do but no fun if the pockets are empty right? I mean how to finance all the cross Europe treks, exchange to USA and random running aroung the world feeling all diverse & global

#4 Do my self styled mini MBA - I have no background in accounts, finance, stats and god knows what else. So my plan is to beef up on some of these if I can so as not to be the only dumbass in a room full of happy bright people

# 5 Read - sort of like the above but generally read up on some good 'ol management guru speak - another step to feel smart. Glad to report I have already got hold of -
The Mckinsey Way
The Mckinsey Mind
Leadership in an Uncertain World and
MBA in Finance

I'm good or wat? Please please add some names to this list so I start school next year somewhat more intelligent.

# 6 Learn Spanish - Nope i dont need the second language really but I thought might as well learn another language . I did two years of Spanish in high school but honestly its now limited to 'Hola amigo' level but I should be able to pick it up. My interest also lies in mandarin but i've decided to make the challenge a little less cruel...come on we have 10 points to cover

# 7 Learn to cook - again to make me ready for poor student life. Unfortunately I've been poor working adult so long I dont know if there will be any difference

# 8 Watch the entire latin american films list at my local DVD store. I'm not going to have any time when I'm a student plus I have to save for the rent

# 9 Buy a New Wardrobe - this is going to be so pleasurable especially once I've lost some of that weight. I can already see myself looking so cool in brand new business sits, slinky shoes, boots and all. The only thing we have to address is that we cant burn a hole in the wallet when its already in need of some serious mending. Plus have to make it practical and warm - its going to be so much more colder where I want to go

# 10 Blog Away. Being a recent blogger I just wnat to continue boring everyone and feeling good about letting my creative juices flow. I'm adding myself to the MBA applicant list soon and I can already dream of graduating to MBA student then Alum and maybe one day the Millionaires Club!

I've put all ths down as the first step to commit myself. In less than 10 months I hope to put a nice big red tick mark on all of them. Who knows, maybe I will manage that for real.

Interview Invite

2006-11-05T22:03:00.000-08:00

Just heard from ISB (Hyderabad), interview on 12th Nov. I'm very excited this is the first interview invite & this was the first application submitted. So things are looking better this week.
Any suggestions on the interview prep?

Is 700+ enough?

2006-11-02T02:57:00.000-08:00

While preparing for the GMAT, my whole preparation was aimed at crossing the 700 mark - the psychological barrier. But is 700 enough?
A look at all the MBA/GMAT discussion boards and everyone seems to have crossed over to the greener side(i.e. 700+. Looking at all the blogs too, one is filled with the same feeling.

So I have two theories
1)There are today more 700 club members than before.OR
2)People who are more active on the discussion forums are more likely to reach the 700 mark
My vote is with the second theory. So whats the connection you ask? My analysis is that you'd have to be genuinely motivated and committed to look for online resources, discuss and debate the merits of quant vs. verbal and do all this on top of prep time, work and applications. And we all know these take time, a lot of time
So the explanation for so many vocal 700+ applicants is that this is the small percentage of people who are interested in 'learning' therefor they are seeking information. Just the right combination for being in the top 90% I suppose.
All I'm hoping for is that being in the 95%and above group will hopefully also put me into atleast the top 25% of the applicant pool at my college of choice.

I guess the answers will reveal themselves by Interview descision deadlines...untill then fingers are crossed!

The very 1st Post

2006-11-02T00:23:00.000-08:00

My first post! After searching for innumerable blog names and seeing all of them taken, I am finally blogging!
StrawberryTints is about me (of course), my current status as an MBA aspirant and about life , mostly veiwed with rose tinted glasses on.
A quick rundown of my MBA journey so far -
GMAT taken - 720 (Q47, V42)
Applied in R1 to - ISB (Hyderabad), INSEAD & LBS
Waiting n waiting for the interview invites to appear...sigh

So after religiously reading all the MBA blogs out ther I figured I might as well contribute & be part of the process. Thanks to all the bloggers out there, you guys have helped without realizing how much.I'll attempt to cover the path already covered thus far and hope soemone would enjoy reading it to.

Running back now as my very short lunch break just got over & I hope to see a few of you around.