Blog Update!

For the certain predicted circumstances* in MBA, the blogger has decided to take a small break from the blogging!

Shall see the loyal readers of the blog sometime in early December! Till then pray for me that I survive!

* Includes following things
a) Projects
b) Presentations
c) Reading for Projects
d) Meetings
e) Elections (btw, the horizontals are over and I am eagerly awaiting for verticals and the MBA Club President tomorrow)
f) Working on Projects (Sometimes, I have to)
g) More Meetings
h) Lectures
i) Reading for final terms
j) Chutku (Small) submissions
k) Swinging on the indifference curve (Copyrights belong to KC)
l) Checking and keeping tab of emails for meetings
m) Applying for internships
n) De-stressing (read a Can of Beer)
o) Downloading new bollywood songs
p) Working for Fin Club and Cerebration
q) Apartment Hunting (how could I forget this - this had to come in top 10 things)
r) Travelling from the border of Malaysia to school and back
s) Finding deadlines for internships
t) Chatting at 2 AM about nothing in general
u) Thinking about Mumbai (everything including pollution and trains)
v) Thinking about good food (read ghar ka khana, AMar Juice Centre pav bhaji, mithibai ka dosa and vada pav, Filter kaafi and Kanchipuram idli at RK, pani puri at sahkari bhandar)
w) Thinking about what all I have to do when I am in Mumbai
x) Resolving not to repeat same mistakes in 2nd Semester
y) Thinking about grades (yes I cannot afford two subjects beyond B- level)
z) Blogging when I am supposed to 25 things mentioned above!

Pichle Saat Dino Mein......

Well it is the end of a well utilised Mid term break....... Proud of my achievements here in Singapore!!!

Starting with the Bintan trip! Oh Man! What a beautiful island this is!!! Although in Indonesia, it is only an hour away from Singapore!! Imagine the number of visitors that might be visiting Bin Tan that all the prices and currency accepted everywhere on the island is Sing Dollars!!! Visa on arrival... direct ferry... lotsa options to stay... no hassles... a perfect tourist spot!! It is actually very rich in flora and fauna... Of other things I saw Komodo Dragons, Snakes and Black Squirrels!! Cannot really comment on one highlight of the trip coz there were many things which were absolutely amazing... to start with it was the first time I had a 15 year old Single Malt Glenfiddich and I have become a big fan of Baileys as well... I drove an All Terrain Vehicle through the dirt track and it was first ever time I drove a car. Good Lord saved my co-rider!! Although she claims that she more fun when I was driving but I know she would have been praying all the time! And the Snorkelling.... I admit I was really scared to go in water coz I dont know swimming but whatever I could see underwater was toooooo good!!! I saw a school of blue small fishes and the scene was what we generally see on Nat Geo or Discovery... I saw marine plants and the corals!!! I saw jelly fish in the ride to the place where we went snorkelling!!! These experiences stay for life!

Coming ahead in the week... I attended first class where I know I will be using these skills at work... The advanced excel workshop was a great refresher in between the theory classes. Although the prof did solver and pivot table, it was quite helpful to get refreshed on modelling skills... and the highlight was prof gifting me a original McLaren Key Chain for answering questions on Pivot Table!!!! Here's the link - http://f1store.formula1.com/stores/f1/products/product_details.aspx?pid=50364

Kaise bhoolon saatva jo din aaya..... I witnessed first ever race in my life and that too my fate was that it was night race on street.... i am still in trace... the sound of engines buzzing in my ears.... no words to describe... need to be there to experience it... I am not an F1 fan nd hence I decided I wont go to race... Hence the bintan trip happened in first place... I could not afford to spend that kind of money on tickets.... But, as I always say... I am here to enjoy every bit of my life... Studying will always take a backseat... So I decided to take a chance since it was a Street race... God bless the originator of street race.... So I reached by 6:30 and got an awesome view.... Just opposite one of the stands... the only difference between them and me was that I dint have seat.... The first roar of engine was deafening.... and the second got the adrealine pumping... and the noise then turned ito music... And I was in absolute daze!!! Thru the evening I witnessed race from 3 different views... each without paying a cent!!! The highlight was the moment when Ferrari overtook Red Bull and sparks flew all over the place!!!! And luckily we found a group which had mobile tv so he could update us on the number of laps and drivers.... We could make out the teams from the colors but not the drivers.... So when people say its difficult to make which car is which team, they are actually bluffing... Go for yourself and experience the thrill!!!! Btw, I have now atleast decided to follow the F1... So even though I regretted about not taking up a sport, this can act as consoloation prize!!!!

MBA - 1 month 1 week later

Extremely bad time to post but I just need to spend some time here blanking out..... I have Eco project to be submitted tomorrow, marketing mid term on monday and statistic presentation on thursday - but still I find its pretty manageable! Tough - yes but not quite impossible!

Well, before you put me in the race of super humans - I am not! Here at NUS - you have set your priorities straight from the day one - what you want to do! There are so many opetions that you have problem of plenty..... Studies is just one aspect in MBA here... If a cap score of 4.5+ (out of maximum 5) is a priority - then you concentrate on your acads from day one because class participation forms a quite a bit of .... Not on my list though!

Now what else - extra currics - but yes this too has huge meaning here - you got your usual organising and business cases and stuff... but what stands apart here is the enormity of the "university" - At uni level, there is so much happening - randomly speaking - you have all sorts of sports (archery) and all sorts of art (operas) and all sort of cult following (how about toast masters club)... Falls somewhere in my list! But yes majorly on usual stuff - havent been able to pick up a sport yet....

And there are companies which come to cmapus day in and day out... so if you wann "network"... you got all the opportunity to do so... and believe me if one clicks - nothing like it!! Coz your job depends upon on you effort - unlike Indian schools where companies come shopping with gunny bags of cash to lure yet-to-enter-corporate-world students... Here, its all about meeting the right people at the right place at the right time!

And ya - party!!! Man, Singapore is big happening place!! The government does not want people to go out in the night coz it stops MRT and bus services and the cabbies charge 35% extra but still the party places are open all night!!! Clarke Quay is a major spot - though I found it too be too hyped up and steep! Just been to Ministry of Sound - and yes it lives up to the name!! If you are a trance fan - this place is must must visit!!

Yea - this is what I have been doing in MBA!!! Coz I see that this is the last time in my life I am really gonna enjoy life! These days wont come back again... your last visit to campus and last bit of freedom before you go back to professional grind.... and sober down a bit when you settle down socially... so for me - MBA is all about having to study very optimally and enjoy my time as much as I can!!