23 April 2007

What's up with Inblue ?

Don't ask !

She was working crazy on a project she working on. She's so scared to talk to her manager and tell him that she's gonna leave soon. She got her Chicago Enrollment packet but still to open it and read it ! She took time off to go to one of World Heritage Sites ( Ajanta Ellora caves) she always wanted to go to.

Work has been crazy to the extent that I am in office until the very last hour before I catch by bus for my vacation, hardly any time to pack. That does not mean everything is bad at work. Rather this has been a good professional year for me and the results and rewards have been great as well. Alas ! This only complicates things when I'll go to my manager( who has been very supportive of my MBA application process) and tell him I am going to quit. :(

After almost a week of time off, and a great time off, I'm still to put in efforts to see what's happening in my Chicago world. But for now, its very thing non MBA. Ajanta and Ellora was one of the best holidays I've ever had in life till date. Never learnt, never lamented and never excited at once in a single moment ever in my life. The paintings and carvings( some of them are intact from 2nd century B. C) will leave you dumbfounded at the skill of the monks who created them.

On another note, what happened in Virginia Tech was so gruesome and scary. Makes me think, does Education always enlighten and mature people?

On the MBA front, I still need to check the Enrollement Packet Chicago sent and fillout the FRS to get that I-20.

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07 April 2007

BoB !!

So there this blog was nominated for the Clear Admit Best of Blogging.. I mean WOW ! I just thought I was ranting away all my B-School application thoughts and all that. I mean really ! Never knew I'd be here.

Thank you folks at Clear Admit, its been a good feeling. I've known so many more things and wonderful people through this network!

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19 February 2007

An incredible journey

At the end of 9 months, irrespective of the destination I have to confess that what I have enjoyed most is the journey.

How 3 years ago with a close friend and I began to think of an MBA in down town mumbai - the banking district of India, how I slogged through the GMAT. ( I am seriously not a good test taker, 6 years ago I screwed my GRE in a similar manner), the relentless soul searching, school choosing, debating with friends and my reviewers on what a good essay is, whats bad about me,chasing my recommenders though we sit across the cube, freaking out on people close to me when I couldn't keep up the schedule, kicking myself when I wrote bad, cribbing about mind-blocks but ultimately completing applications and then panicking about interview calls, fretting infinitely an hour before submission and interview and then niggling about missing admit calls. I hope the years to come we'll see a book "The ultimate roller-coaster ride-An MBA applicant's confessions ".

Anyway, in all, it has been a wonderful experience. At different stages in life, I have drowned myself into a lot of things , Mainframes ( that's where the inblue comes from - translated to awed by the 'big blue'), into Nicholas Sparks books or into making that perfect cup of mint tea but MBA has been a different saga altogether. Probably, because, planning an MBA during these months ( which have been the most challenging for reasons beyond the scope of this blog), I have come closer to the meaning of 'I'.

Looking back at the year that was there was so much good, so much not so good and so much I really didn't want to happen, but then everything passed making me biased or lets say overwhelmingly objective at times and yet supremely dejected and pessimistic at other times.
Its been equally wonderful reading everyone's anxieties, fears, progress and ultimately celebrating their admits and coping with dings ( which continues).


Folks, Thank you all for watching the race and being there to cheer and support while you yoursleves were racing.

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30 January 2007

Long time.. no see..

Folks, first of everything , Thank you for the wonderful b'day wishes !
I know, its been long I wrote something . Believe me , I have just been idling around. Anyway here's a quick snapshot of what's happening.

MBA related
  • I met a fellow Chicago GSB Admit in Mumbai this weekend and we basically went over things like- housing, are we waiting on other schools, when to enroll, resign and so on.
  • Thought real hard on what all fellowships I can and want to apply for at the Chicago GSB. Believe me , I found the writing admission essays easier than this fellowship one. Its not so easy to write on economics and how one can help change the dynamics. I am going to work this one though before Feb 9 and fax it.
  • Wharton interview invites have started to go out for R2 and needless to say I am hoping.
  • To get any enrollment packet ready, I need my official transcripts and unfortunately my college has told me they wont issue another set of transcripts.Huh ! more following up there.

Non- MBA related


Office is a little laid back these days. This means I have a lot of time to read random things, Check out The world in 2007. I borrowed a paper copy from a friend.Some articles are really good. The TIME edition too has some good articles on the Global economy in 2007 and possibilities of economic slow down in US and its implications.

I have not got my laptop in operational state ( deliberately ) and I am kinda liking this wire-less-ness. Lot of time to chit- chat, reading and SLEEP of course. Nearly 8 months later I have began to cook again and get back to some art work as well.

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31 October 2006

Certified

ITIL Professional now !
I had been planning this for a while now but never got to the point of writing an exam. Work, work and more work and then Chicago was approaching fast.
Finally did it today morning in the most dramatic , non OCOD way.
(Am I getting unorganised these days?)

Started late from home.
Reached the exam centre 20 min late.
Withdrew money to pay the exam fees from the ATM in the building.
20 mins into the exam, I needed a scratch pad I never bothered to take before.
Was done in the next 10 mins and stormed straight to my office.
Ultimately, I have some updates for Chicago Adcomm now.

The weekend seemed to be like never before. Movies and yes, some thing refreshing. After a long hiatus I found time to sit with colours and calligraphy. It feels so good doing something else other than hitting keys on my laptop. Alas ! This fun ends for am starting the Tuck journey tomorrow. I finished reading on TUCK yesterday,so tomorrow on , it is going to be reaching out to the Tuck community and working on my essays.

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27 October 2006

Free that I am

and because I am almost done preparing for all my changes next week, I spent some time grooming my blog.

So there you guys see a new template :)
Can't wait for the weekend to come by.

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26 October 2006

I am alive

That means that I am no more sick and that also means that I am no more writing an MBA application essay.

The past 6 months were a kind of race. I remember being bed-ridden in late April and most May and then toiling through the GMAT ,the schools , the hectic work , house hunting,etc. Whatever I did - slept or went out watching movies or read something else or went out for a picnic - the application always seemed to be on my head. But yesterday was different. Yesterday was the kind of college day week ends. All I did was idle around and read Glimpses of World History - a book I so very much love ( and rest on for its as fat as my pillow is )

So long had it been when I woke up at ease, not lost, not tense, no plans, no deadlines, no office.
So long had it been when I had soaked myself in a good book most day and chilled alone in the evening and back to the book at night.
Not long ago had it been yesterday.
Now its morning again with the MQ world around me in office.
Not long will it be before I drown into the IT service management texts.
A week will it be when I will be ruminating over my Tuck application.

But yes ! I feel I am alive.
The grey cells got a good change to think about so many other things except the MBA apps.

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24 October 2006

How not to

think and think and think about your APPS?

Simple. Fall Sick !

Yeah, I did that and have been down sick for the past 4 days. It helps. It really does. You stop thinking about the little app things and start dreaming of times when you will be able to eat
and jump and enjoy.

I know a lot of people have been suffering anxiety attacks in the past week.
Chill ! Take it easy !
PS: I am luckly the wearieness and fatigue is manifesting itself before I set into the next round of apps. Call it refuelling !

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20 October 2006

Lost

Chicago is done.
The status says 'Received'. Now what on earth does it mean ?
I know it will be complete only after the adcom has verified the matter. Unitl 18th it said submitted and after recommender submitted his letter, it says received.

Alternatively,Am I feeling empty ? Or kind of lost ? R2 is when most of my apps will go in so logically I should be gearing up for the next phase but I dont even feel like reading a Danielle Steel now, let alone something serious. Its a void. Anyone joining me here ?

May be I am suffering from some post submission 'if disorder'. What if my GMAT looks less to them ? What if I made a foolish gramatical error out there in the essay ? What if I missed something little ?

'If' is a bad disease and I hope a weenend should cure it.

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Posted by Inblue at 11:23 AM | | Comments

19 October 2006

Head on-

With my boss's boss !

This is not a cribbing post but just wondering how the IT world works, how strong middle -managament vision is and how modern their strategy is. When it comes to pitch for new business, develop expertise - some how they have a frog-in-the-well thought process

And that's when we clash head on with 'my boss's boss.'
After an application cycle, What an adventure it is to listen to funda and theory :)

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Posted by Inblue at 5:19 PM | | Comments

18 October 2006

How does it feel ?

Well, dont know but it feels nothing right now. Its just one application. But yes if there is one word for this - 'satisfaction'.
Trashing my goals essays 5 times needed some real courage becuase it was me who had to write it again. What did i get for it ? Well.. humm.. my reviewrs comments and belive me they were awesome. Their comments made the essays complete ! Some how every other day when I looked at the essay I grew more critical until October 7 when I finally knew the essay was a picture of 'me'.


The team picnic was a good stress buster and so were the little parties and lunches. With the work pressure and new tasks, I needed so many de tours ( including a Danielle Steel book ) and today I realise that it also pays to be 'unorganized'. 'Dont rush, take your time. Quality !'. Yes i must admit that its the largest contributor to satisfaction. I must admit that the solitude of the picnic helped.My goals came out cogent, cohesive and clean.

When it strikes , it does hard. So much new at the job and some bad experiences- all came in at once, but finally yesterday all started to get right.

I know I have been out of the blogosphere and of the app circle for a while.. Time to catch up !

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28 August 2006

Moving..

Its been a weekend to remember- moving my appartment ( through the week), chasing the broker and owner to return the deposit I payed on the previous apparment, settling the new place. Ah !!! I am content its all over now.

The new place is good to go now and I am hoping it would do me good. I spent the sunday hanging out with old friends from college ( not to mention the encounter with pune mamu's over my towed two wheeler)

The moving and other errands including some laziness. The progress on the essays is slow but i do feel like a daily diva having completed this moving project ( imagine a smug look here).

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21 August 2006

Detour - Cars, Maximum City

Its an amazing movie for animation lovers. If you found Finding NEMO great, you ought to see this one. The whole concept is just incredible.

The last week and the week end and the whole week wasn't too exciting.While almost drowned in Maximum City ,I managed to write down some work and project history and interospect. (call is the start of apps),sorted out who would write my recommendations and now need to get heads up with the apps, talk to my recommendors and put together the drafts.
(Occaissionally, I do feel like a Indian with less than 7xx)

Such a long road !( At times I really am skeptical of seeing myself through the whole process).

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13 June 2006

Switching !!

I used businesweek earlier.Belive me it was too cumbersome. So finally after a frustrating experience i am switching back to my dear blogger.com for ease. I guess since am relatively free today at office will organise this blog from my previous post on business week.

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