~ The End ~ June 6, 2007
Posted by Simba in : General, Frivolous Me , 9 commentsI have been planning to stop blogging for a long time now and I guess the time is right. 
I started this blog so long ago and used it effectively (ahem!) to pen my progress, give vent to my frustration & talk in length about the MBA experience. Now, that I am officially done with MBA et al, I don’t have much to write about. I have always hated people when they stopped blogging but now, I guess, I understand. I think I will keep my life a lil private and having this blog is not helpful. This way, now, I am not obligated to write down my daily experiences & that’s the way I like for now!
And for all those who want to write to me, feel free to contact me. I will try my best to get back to you. You can look up SimbaRulez for contact info and also look up MBA Queries section. It is quite helpful.
Thanks for everyone for reading my blog and patiently leaving your comments. It meant a lot to me! And hey, do bookmark http://simbarulez.com, I will keep that site on! And anything interesting, I will put it on the website.
Adios and God Bless!
~ The End ~
Sweet Life… March 18, 2007
Posted by Simba in : Life Marvels, Duke, Frivolous Me , 7 commentsI was just reading a goo’ ol’ pal’s blog and realized that I have done so many things in the recent past that I haven’t blogged about…so, maybe the time is just right
I have caught up on some really cool movies over the last few months - Fire, Water, Salam Bombay - Half way thro, Hotel Rwanda, The last King of Scotland and Munich! In the next few weeks, I am planning on watching Syriana, Crash, An Inconvenient Truth, The Contender, Namesake etc. Many of these movies are screened as a part of Ethics Institute. I am surely looking forward to these! I have watched Crash before - it is awesome! Other casual, what I would call ‘popcorn-movies’, that I have watched recently are Salam-E-Ishq, 300, and Zodiac. Phew, never in my life have I been sucha movie buff! Well, for now, movies seem to be substituting my reading… I guess, it is a ok replacement for entertainment.
Haven’t had much time to read books after I started school in January. Currently I am onto Shataram, R.K. Narayan’s biography, One of Sudha Murthy’s book and No God but God. It is an eclectic collection I must say, but each of them have their own inter-woven reasons. I am extending some of these as they stir something really deep within… well, now that’s one helluva good excuse! Recently I attended Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues - V-Day: Until the Violence Stops. It was my first time and I was really amazed. I had expected a funny play but was pleasantly surprised by a very bold and empowering play! I must say, it is surely a great way to share knowledge about the trauma inflicted on women & empower people to act! I wish I had known about the organizers - SWOOP earlier. I would have loved to work with them during the time I was here at Durham!
Recently, I was at the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour who performed at Duke. Absolutely brilliant! These middle-eastern guys were amazingly funny and refreshing! Anyone who is new to comedy shows… take my word, go & watch them - they release some of those endomorphins or something like that which makes you feel a zillion times better! 
And Russell Peters.. I am a big fan of him! On a serious note though, we had Paul Rusesabagina (yes, the real man from Hotel Rwanda!) as a guest speaker at Duke. We had a house-full of audience to see him. Though I was amazed at what he had done at his time, it was kinda perplexing how he did not deliver such a strong speech. Understood, he wasn’t a speaker but he basically narrated his story - I would liked to see more to the man! Things which inspired him to stand by his people and his answers fell short when he was questioned about what he was doing currently to some of the similar problems of genocide. But I was in awe of his presence & simplicity!
And I just got back from LA & Vegas. It was great fun! I was just counting & I have already seen about 10-12 places in US in less than 2 years, quite an accomplishment! LOL! I was there to attend a career fair which showcased some retail careers! Fingers crossed! I am still interviewing and trying to wriggle my way into something I truly like… another 2 months before I graduate. Hope I have something to fall upon by the time I graduate! And ahoy, finally… after undue stress & hopelessly fretting about it, my grades have steadily climbed over the last few terms.. this Term I aced the chart with a straight 4.0! Whoopie! And a professor’s mail calling me “Outstanding” was like the icing on the perfect cake! Now, that I am slowly gearing up… I am graduating - did I ever tell you, how unfair life is!!??
Thats all for now. My last day of the last break before I graduate. School starts on Monday and back to classes, assignments, resumes & interviews. Aloha, here I come…
And then she woke up… February 18, 2007
Posted by Simba in : MBA, Frivolous Me , 10 commentsAhhh… I hate myself for not writing as often as I would like! I have almost disappeared from the face of earth. Now, thats what I would like. Hmmph! From the time I got back and the school started, it has been BUSY! But more than ever, the feeling that I will be out of here haunts me. I will so miss the school, my friends, my life-style..my everything. Fuqua has grown to become sucha part of me that I will truly miss it.
Anyways, this Term has been a personal favorite! Probably the best one I have had. The courses I have taken are a little different and that adds the zing to the whole thing. I have taken a writing course which demands so much writing that no wonder I have not written on my blog! But still I argue, for a 2 credit course, it is way too much writing. I thought I was good at writing till I started seeing the grades for this course.. phew… the Prof ’s green indents.. ah, I hate them! And learning a foreign language is soooo cool! I have taken Mandarin which will last for the whole semester. Though I wont be able to do a 15 day immersion program in China at the end of the course, this has been the most satifying learning I must say.
Ni Hao. Zaoshang Hao! (Hello, Good Morning!)
I have never had a chance to learn new languages, or maybe I did, but never really thought about it! It is so awesome.. personally, it liberates me.. two weeks ago, I didn’t know anything about ‘Chinese’ language. But now, I not only know that there is nothing called as a ‘Chinese’ language… but also can read & understand a little bit of Mandarin! Thats a wow effect! I should learn more languages.. I owe that to myself!
On the job search, it has been dampening. The firms & industries I really want to be with don’t want to have me due to work authorization requirements. And that’s when I am pretty confident that life really sucks! Why did I come so far and do so many things if I dont get a chance to do something that I truly enjoy. But then again, what makes me sure that I wont enjoy other kind of work?! I dont know.. I just feel sick. I have working real hard to get merchandising, startegy, leadership rotation firms in retail/ fashion retail/ luxury brands but they either don’t need an MBA or can’t sponsor me. Boooo….
On the other hand, I am so happy for some people who are doing really well. One of them is getting married.. thats one helluva surprise. Good Luck ‘S’. And another has just started a new way of sending greetings - by recording your voice on the card! Now, that is fun, try Teledora What’s better? He is a Fuquan So thats the update for now… I will try to be more around this place… now, thats the promise I make every time, ain’t it?!
“Where do you live?” January 5, 2007
Posted by Simba in : Bookie Rookie, Frivolous Me , 6 commentsAnd I squarely looked at the beggar for taunting me about the 50p I gave him. He wanted a buck and nothing less. I would have happily given him if I had it but I was just taken back by the audacity with which he talked back to me. Jeez, don’t you get anything for 50p was a ridiculing question for which I was asked “Where do you live?”
Before I start rattling about my experience here, I would like to thank a lot of people who went out of their way to get in touch with me. It really meant a lot to me and hope I was able to add a cent or two to make your call or visit worthwhile
It has been a good self-discovering trip for me. Though I anticipated very less time on hand, it has not been the case. Just meeting a few friends here and there & eating as much Indian food I can LOL, I have easily put on 5 pounds in 2 weeks, thank god, I am out of here soon. Not that I am hunting for the best restaurants in the city and invading them but its been like, you go out to meet friends which extends to a lunch or a quick snack in a small fast food joint to stuff myself with the rava-idly (the south indian delicacy - winning hands down over the rest!) And living in the US, I constantly crib about the lack of tasty dosas around Raleigh-Durham and the moment my mom came to know that, she has been feeding me dosas of every variety she can conjure up, all shapes & colors & tastes. Just one word - Yum! Of course, MTR being bought over by McCormick and Co. is not easily digested by her!
Its amazing the number of people I see flocked in all the malls of Bangalore. I have tried my best to stay away from any of the malls for the lack of space to breathe freely. But this trip did a lot of good in terms of making my entrepreneurial idea much stronger. I have been thinking about setting something back in India and during this trip, I have torn down as many magazines I can to see how the retail industry has been faring. Really impressed by some of the giants spanning into retail. Any news about fashion & retail and fashion retail is my kind of news these days. And with a friend in tow who is into total branding, it’s a sweet deal. If I can shell an admirable amount of $ on a cool haircut in a hip hair salon here, then I think there is so much more potential around. Now, it will be more realistic planning about when I can take the leap and things I need to do before that leap. Silent prayers!
The last year has been really bad in terms of my general reading abilities. I think I had just lost it in me to read a book but this time around, I have been so into reading that I am almost impressed with my skill. Since I left home, I have finished two good books and am onto third one. 3 in a matter of 2 weeks is commendable – don’t ya think so! I was not too crazy about “The Inheritance of Loss” by Kiran Desai. Somehow the booker winners’ have failed to impress me beyond a certain point. Maybe I am not that grown enough to understand and appreciate the suaveness in them. I am more into variety now, hoarding my baggage with new authors and can anyone explain my sudden interests in reading Indian expats! I will end now… need to go out for lunch and munch on some more rava-idly with that spicy chutney and sagoo. Ha!
Where am I heading?! November 2, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Life Marvels, Frivolous Me , 12 commentsI know it has been a while since I wrote something significant. So, today, I thought I should stop by my blog and see what I can do with it. It is amazing how things take priority in life. Long ago, I would ‘live’ on this blog constantly thinking about ’stuff’ I can throw in here & increase the counter hits. But now, I guess I am almost on the verge of giving up writing! Huh?! Nah, but you will definitely see me getting more lazy around these parts
I have re-started doing my job search, except that it is coming with half the interest and quarter the effort compared to last year. No, I still need a job, now lets not have any doubt about that one! I was talking to a good friend of mine a couple of weeks back and he asked “what is your alternate arrangement if you don’t get a job?” Phew, someone asking me sucha a direct question right on my face is something I still am not used to! So, my only answer was - Well, I need to get a job & there is no other alternative! Of course, it is challenging and I am not being very focussed at this point. I just had an interview yesterday which went ok but there are time when things just don’t feel right.. I still haven’t heard from them but well, I guess I have a gut about it!
But when I start thinking about the job scenario & some of the challenges, I am spooked about the amount of work ahead of me with the time running out. Seriously though, once I look back and see the quantum of things I have achieved over the last couple of years to get to where I am, I am not worried about the coming months. I know, it will be ok and I might actually survive. But, there is this deep nagging feeling that keeps reminding me of the true reason why I came so far and why I have worked so hard - Well, of course a good job with a good pay would do me a world of good as I don’t even remember the last time I stepped into a huge store to exhaust my pay chek - but I did have a good job with a good pay! My MBA was a reason to get a hold on my life, achieve my dreams, work with some of the best minds, challenge myself everyday and stress out every hour… but more to do something that I really really want!
So, that obviously takes me to the next question - what do I want to do? There was a time, not so long back, when I would keep wondering about how people would get brilliant ideas to start companies. I failed to see any gaps in the existing scenario and didn’t think I had it in me either to venture that way or be innovative! I always wanted to do something but never knew ‘what’. And I would just be amazed at things people achieve but I guess it is all one big learning experience - Life - It teaches you some of the best lessons! At this point, I have thought about so many things that I can do here, or back home in India,or internationally in many countries - I am constantly wondering how things would be different with this product or that service. I really want to do many of these things and not for the fame (if there is any!) or for being ‘cool’, but for the challenge associated with them.
Yeah, I know it is a great thinking but well, who will repay my loan in that context. As a small entrepreneur I really cant expect mega earnings for at least couple of years i.e ‘at-LEAST’! So, may be like the rest of the herd I should be a little more serious about job hunt and get a decent job which can pay me decent enough for me to pay off a decent amount of debt! But at the same time, I wish I could be involved with a non-profit because that kind of work fascinates me but, the inner knock comes through - How will I repay the loan and Who will process my work visa? See these are the some of the questions which haunt me through harrowed hallways and upsets me so many hours in a day & so many days in a month! So, for time being I want to be pratical & pragmatic - Go ‘for-profit’ - Fashion Retail interests me a lot but I need some one to get me in! Consulting is another great profession to be in and though the travel would get to me, I could be a good consultant but hello, who is calling me for an interview? Finance major sounds cool too but where do I start..Should I be picky about the industry or function? Wow - I think more education just makes life more complicated 
I think I am done with nagging for today and for a week from now, so take a breather! Get some hot chai - You are not alone. Each of us deal with some kind of stress, either taken upon voluntarily or bestowed upon!
Writer’s Block October 20, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Frivolous Me , 5 commentsI want to say so many things but can’t get anything out! This is my block, I guess!
Term 1 of Second Year - Done!
Fall Break - Almost done!
Pre-Assignments - Hmm.. lets not talk about it!
MBA Talk - Nope!
Life - Kinda wandering! Miss home toooooo much…
And yes, Diwali - zilch celebration 
Wish you all a fully-loaded Diwali - loaded with love, laughter, gifts, sweets, happiness & sunshine!
Mumbai rules August 3, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Life Marvels, Frivolous Me , 9 comments“Where is he from?” - asks the driver
“New Zealand” - says Prabhakar
“New Zealand?”
“Yes. New Zealand. In Europe”
.. blah blah blah…
“And make sure he doesnt learn any bad words. Don’t teach him any swearing. There are plenty of arseholes and bastards around who will teach him the wrong sisterfucking words. Keep him away from motherfuckers like that.” - driver retorts.
Tears welled up as I bursted out in laughter. This incident from the book ‘Shantaram’ so beautifully encaptures the essence of everyday happennings back home. This conversation happens between the bus driver of one of those Maharastra State Board buses, referring to the ‘gora’ on board who is the author himself & the Bombay guide who is showing the ‘gora’ around! I have been reading this book for a while which brings home, so many so sweet memories of Bombay, Mumbai… it feels so nice as the author describes the city as if it is something that has a life of its own. He says something like - “If there were any other place like Mumbai with all Americans, or all Australians or all Europeans so cramped up in sucha small place… there would have been so much more violence and hatred.. but not here, not in Mumbai, not in India!”. LOL, reading so much about the place I love, I almost dont want the book to end.. I want to go on with it for a long time! Reading this book brings home so many feelings about the city, the people, the life! I usually dont mush around too much on my blog but what the heck! I fell in love with Mumbai the minute I landed there and have always felt one with it ever since, the pulse of the place, the pace of life there and other zillion things..Oh, miss the Amchi Mumbai!
I was born in Bangalore and spent a majority of my childhood & adult life there but never got to love the city not as much as I would have liked to, didnt get it under my skin… didnt speak to it as I would have liked to, everyday as I rode back home hiding my face, my feelings & much of myself in the head-gear (the ugly looking helmet!) in the musty, over-crowded traffic, always dreaming of a better life and better days. Not that I was unhappy but I didn’t think I belonged to the city, it didn’t own me! As the flight took off from Bangalore, I still remember the excitement I felt. I was thrilled to start off something afresh, not everything turned out the way I wanted but right from day one, Mumbai was my home. Being so away from the main city, staying almost on the outskirts, I could feel the verve of the city, its busy life, the thin heartline connecting so many people, bringing so many religions & castes & languages so closer to one another. I love it when I woke up to hear the noisy traffic outside, something stirred inside which used to make me feel so alive. The people, the language…everything about the city was fascinating.
Never having had the need to travel by public transport, I started learning the tricks of traveling on the Mumbai buses & local trains. It was an amazing discovery each time, just to see how fast you could get from one place to another. I have known a lot of people who took the train daily and weren’t crazy about it! But I loved the local train… as I used to go into the city for multiple B-School receptions, talks, fairs, conferences, interviews et al, I actually looked forward to such train time. It was amusing to see the city go on & on & on while there was an almost inner life to the trains themselves. It was a time for me to get lost into the world of my own thoughts. Dreams I spun a many, worked up many a goals as I sat crammed on those wooden seats…bearing the sights, smells & sounds of everyone around me. But I liked it… I, infact, enjoyed it! Sometimes, I would let my mind blank & observe the people around me… it was so fascinating! So many things were said.. so many things were left unsaid, all smiles, laughter, anger, curses.. all of them vibrated through the very compartment simultaneously…the old women haggling over small items and trying on some designer head bands, the sellers of cheap fake jewellery trying to make a quick buck, the young girls keenly observing the dressing, walking & talking style of the executive women, a bunch of giggling girls constantly talking about boys, younger women stuck to their cellphones either incessantly arguing with their male counterparts or complaining about some men at work, some lost souls…lost in their i-pods & cd-players, women busy chopping veggies to take back home & cook, girls immersed in their books while they hang on to the bars with their other hands, group of women chanting their bajans & devotional songs on their way back home from a busy day at work… oh my god, it was like a movie shot at one stroke… no cuts, no edits, no retakes.. it was beautiful to watch a live movie! No wonder I stayed glued to my laptop watching NDTV & Times for latest news & photos when I got to know of the train bombings! 
Phew, now I am almost home sick… If ever I want to live in one particular place, it might just be Mumbai! But will I ever do it, will I ever make that decision or will life just go on without forever deciding where I want to rest & lay back? Who knows? But I really don’t think it is that important now but reading about places, people, experiences you have seen, met and felt kinda walks you down the trodden memory lane…
Edit >> Check out http://www.shantaram.com
Yada yada yada… July 26, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Work & Beyond, Frivolous Me , 8 comments…whatever. Okai, I have about 4 days to wind up my act and come up with my first ‘final’ presentation! I have no idea what I am going to do! The reports that I am supposed to be using as the base for all my analysis seems to be seriously flawed and I get to know about it now. Hmmmph! The surveys that I had sent out to validate my findings.. well, let alone validate… I need to use them as a first finding report. And the percentage of survey takers seems to be so bad that the whole thing might look skewed. I havent done almost 50% of the things that I should have completed by now. I havent spoken to half the people I want to, in order to get their opinion on my recommendations. And my recommendation sucks! I have almost no material to talk about nor any numbers to fall upon. For the life of me, I dont know where to go from here or what do about everything. And my supposedly creative brain has fallen prey to the corporate environment around me and refuses to budge. Maybe its that thick ‘old-age-memory-lapse’ layer which is the culprit, after all, for blocking up my innate creative juices.
When I look back on all the stuff I have done over the summer, all I can see is numbers and numbers. Now, my mind draws up sheets of excel even in my sleep and I am squinting at the screen to ensure that I dont ask the ‘Window/Door’ vendor about a sink! So, why am I sitting here and blogging when I have so many things to do… Hmmm, thats an amazing question that I am asking myself at this point! Well, maybe I dont want to lose you as my blog reader, maybe I want my counter to keep counting up & beyond, maybe I am tired of messing up so many things that I can only think of keeping this blog intact, or maybe.. I have finally lost it!
We all have bad days and bad times. So do I. But after what I have been through with regards to my health, I cannot say.. how trivial all these seems at this point! So, I might not be able to impress the people out here, or worse, disappoint them and not get that final offer. The only thing that would bother me is if I knew i could have done a better job than I ended up doing.. well, is that the case..maybe, to some extent but surely nothing to spend sleepless nights about! All these…surely doesnt define the way I look at things. If it means so much to me, I will come back to work for them again next year even if it means, staring a fresh post-mba-job-hunt web page But that’s ok. I can still dream of better days and many a better times! It is wonderful to wake up in the morning and see the bright sun make its way through the blinds… its a beautiful day, everyday is a wonderful beginning… and I hope to keep it that way!
Life Update July 13, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Life Marvels, Work & Beyond, Frivolous Me , 9 commentsWhen posts on a blog become less frequent, then it’s not a blog update, rather it’s a life update. The last month has almost been one helluva roller coaster ride. I wish I never ever go through such a upheaval again. Never ever. People closer to me have gone far away and those further away have come closer. Its weird when trouble comes, it really pours!
We always hear about people dying and people coming down with incurable diseases. What if you come to know that sadly, now, its your turn to be real sick! I have been worried, scared and almost dead thinking about what I might have contacted. It has been a journey with many anxious nights and worrisome days. I am still far away from knowing what is wrong but slowly & painfully I will get there. I have been so mad at God for a long time, most probably the most bitter amongst all his men. Never had I made my peace with Him. But with so many things going out of sync, there is only Him to turn to! It’s so surprising that we so easily forget to thank Him for the blessings but once we are a wreck, we miss him so dearly.
And of course, PaGaLGirL will be closed soon. Maybe it’s the way it is meant to be! My first venture fails horribly but it has been a learning experience. Building a community is definitely not my forte and maybe venturing into unknown at a wrong time was not sucha great idea. Too many bad mouthings & words have been flung into thin air which has reduced wonderful relationships and friendships to almost nothing. It is too sad things had to turn so bitter. Have been overwhelmed by the support I got from the entire girl community! Its truly awesome! But now, I have almost run out of things I would have wanted to say!
Work front has been ok. Too much work and too less time. There goes weekends & free evenings. I have to wind up a lot of stuff, the biggest problem being I need to figure out everything. The project I am handling is probably the most undefined of the lot. Either they presumed that I am too smart to figure it out or they didnt have the faintest idea why they hired me! Phew! I will let you know how that will go..rather, how it will all end! Final offer tho bhool jao! 
Have a couple of interesting things coming up and will definitely post about them. I have made some very good friends in my internship circle and we all do have a lot of fun once we get out of work. Tired. Will pen a better post later. So exhausted!!
Am bored! April 5, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Frivolous Me , 1 comment so farAm so bored that I am taking an online quiz to test my temperament! Jeez, I need to see a doc! Am all thats said below & more! So dont mess with me!
You Have a Choleric Temperament |
 You are a person of great enthusiasm - easily excited by many things.Unsatisfied by the ordinary, you are reaching for an epic, extraordinary life.You want the best. The best life. The best love. The best reputation.You posses a sharp and keen intellect. Your mind is your primary weapon. Strong willed, nothing can keep you down. Your energy can break down any wall. You’re an instantly passionate person - and this passion gives you an intoxicating power over others. At your worst, you are a narcissist. Full of yourself and even proud of your faults. Stubborn and opinionated, you know what you think is right. End of discussion. A bit of a misanthrope, you often see others as weak, ignorant, and inferior. |