Crazy days… October 2, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Wiggles, MBA , 11 commentsI dont remember the last time I have been so busy! Phew, what is with B-schooling? Aren’t the Second Years supposedly the official slackers… thats the joy of being a second year student! But looks like the joy is crushed with tons of assignments, case studies & exams. So, even as a second year, I am slogging my a*** off to at least keep my head afloat, if not the whole part of myself 
Nothing much has been happening otherwise. I actually had planned a lot of stuff, apart from the academics & career part but looks like all that might have to wait. For e.g, the development of this blog into something more substantial, learn some new languages, learn golf etc etc… but I must agree that I am doing some interesting things in the whole grand scheme of things… trying to sqeeze in gym & racquet ball sessions regularly (yeah, trying 
), bakin’ & cookin’ some interesting stuff & learning salsa dancing! For now, that should keep my platter busy! Day before, we headed out to ‘Hindu’ bhavan here which had organized Navratri celebration on a grand scale. I had always heard of Garba & Raas but never had tried my hand at it… & now, I did! 
Went late, hence missed the Garba part but the Dandiya Raas was sure a lot of fun! I think I kinda got pretty good at it.. its pretty simple & easy to learn! And of course, there was some sheer thrill in having hot samosas & garam masala chai in the middle of the night.
Career has taken a paramount position in my to-do, must-do lists. I havent heard back from my summer and I am not very surprised considering they are not pro-internationals.. but what’s wrong in being cross-fingered! The companies are back on campus & there are tons of things to do almost everyday. Last week, we had the Duke MBA career fair and I had a chance to talk to some of our seniors (Class of ‘06) and some interesting firms. Lets see how that goes. So, it is down to this one now.. have to get a job offer so that I can get a work permit… else pack bags & back home! Home … *sigh* where is it?!
Right now, I am working on dropping off my resumes & coverletter… so, I will get back to that! Alrighty… am out for now…
Hey, BTW… Happy Ayuda Puja & Gandhi Jayanti
Welcome Class of ‘08 September 4, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Wiggles, MBA, Duke , 1 comment so farI know its a little late for the official welcome of the First Years to Fuqua. But I think, it is the appropriate time to do so. This post is officially dedicated the ‘08 Fuquans Hope each of you had a great time at the Orientation Week, the ILE Week and the first week of classes. I have had a chance to interact with many of you and its been great knowing each one of you. I wish you all the very best in your classes, assignments, club activities, job search and zillion other things you wish to do when you are here. Fuqua is an amazing school. Period. Ensure that you get the best of it!
I am always amazed by the people I have met here and the Class of ‘08 has been no different. I am specifically interested in knowing all the ‘Desis’ who flew in directly from India because I know how hard things can get and how badly you need someone looking out for you! It is very weird being a second year as you are suddenly in the harsh light of close inspection by the first years who want to ensure that they get every ounce of knowledge outta you, again by the first years who view you as a demi-god for surviving the ‘terrible’ first year at a business school, by the Profs who suddenly assume that you are more smarter than when you applied and hence expect more out of you, by the Career Centre who expect you to be an expert in the world of job-search and career management, by team mates who expect you to bring in a lot of worldly knowledge from your 2-month stint of summer internship, by classmates who are all fidgeting by the expectations of everyone around them and by the first years again, who think you have the ace weapon to land the stupendous internship! Phew! If you think it was hard being a first year student, think again… second year can drive you insane! Am I kidding?! Ofcourse I am It has been an amazing ride and this year, the last in my life time as a student, I better get everything outta this place and people here!
It feels so nice when people instantly recognize my name or when I see people grinning as their eyes light up when they address me as ‘Simba’. It is pretty amazing that so many people know me through this blog of mine! When ‘The’ gets prefixed tp your name, its kinda flattering & scary at the same time. LOL, some people are actually surprised by the low profile that I maintain around here! I am serious! I am low-profiler! Taking the cue from Ms.N I feel the need to share some of the pointers with the First Years. I agree with her on all counts and would like to stress on the last one. Have fun…
Have fun - In the process of running around for classes, winding up the finance assignment in the nth minute, cursing the team mate for not doing a great job on his/her part, grabbing a quick frozen meal due to lack of time, trying to accomodate the gym session once in a while, doing the cold-calling, reaching out to the career centre and the second years… stop for a moment and take a deep breath. It is ok. It is fun! Trust me, start seeing beyond the everyday ‘to-do’s’.. you have invested an awful lot to be here, you were selected out of god-knows-how-many candidates… it is just an MBA! Just a small break from the normal life. Enjoy every bit of argument, dis-agreement and every mug of beer while you are here!
Job-search - Everyone lands up somewhere or the other either for an internship or a full time role. But no one hears of the struggles some of them have to go through and the insecurities that each of them face when they dont hear back from firms.. we all have been through hard times of self-doubt. Career Centre is here to help and so are the people around, utilize them to the max. Absorb the wealth of knowledge and the potential networks in your own classmates & seniors & alums. Work on your strategy. It is easy to push the job search for the months of Jan & beyond, even more easy to put all your money on the on-campus recruitment… but be realistic! Why take a chance with only on-campus firms, why not your dream firm which doesnt make it to your campus, why settle for something lesser than you think you are capable of, why put all the eggs in just one basket?! There are innumerable firms out there.. if they dont get to you, go out and feast on them!
Get outta groups you feel comfortable with - This advice is especially for the International students. Dont stay with the people you feel at home with.. I know, there are times we all need it but ensure that you really get out and meet other people. Talk to other international students, americans, seniors, profs etc. Get to know people and learn about new things & new ways. I didnt do it as much as I would like to but something I learnt from my summer job. You are here to feel comfortable in uncomfotable situations, so start getting used to it…
Clubs, extra-curicular - Dont take too much, dont take too little. Balance it out! My big advice to all first years have been, take leadership positions in 1 social & 1 professional club and be active in any other club you want without any official posts. You must take on some load to ease the pressure of the course work but be warned, when you do sign up for work… there is work to be done! It is not just a set-up!
I can go on and on rambling about what can be done better! But seriously, the best way is to meet as many people you can and start thinking about ‘why’ you are here… the bigger and larger picture of how these 2 years fit into your big fat album of life!
Sunny Florida August 23, 2006
Posted by Simba in : General, Travel Bug , 2 comments
I have been trying to make this post for sucha long time.. This will be a small post! I am having sucha hard time aligning the pictures. This is the best I can do with my limited time, so bear with me. Ok, after the edit, this post looks goooood!!
Almost a year here and I finally managed my first real vacation last week - Universal Studios, Island of Adventure & Sea World, Florida. Yeah, Disney world has to wait for now. The drive was a tad too long close to 10 hrs from here but sure was worth it! I had an amazing time! I haven’t been on any kind of rides for a long time but managed to sit on many of the deadly roller coaster rides and actually survived it! I am so proud of myself LOL!
Remember the talking donkey in Shrek… He actually talks soooo much! Some of the best theme rides in Universal Studios were, Back to the Future and the Mummy! Havent laughed & screamed at the same time for a long time now…
And I move on… August 11, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Work & Beyond, General , 10 commentsAs I sat across the table having our last lunch with our Director, I just realized how swiftly the whole of summer had gone by, at least with respect to my job. Exactly 2 months ago (yeah, it’s ‘ago’ here ) I was sitting with the same people getting to know them and trying to be nice.. today, it was a more relaxed atmosphere… talking about the project, the work for them after I leave and the forward strategies for our department. On a scale of 10, I would give myself a 7 considering how much better I could have done stuff, quicker way of getting organized, faster way of meeting the right people etc etc. But ain’t that the way always?! In hindsight, everything could have been done better and faster.
I have given the same presentation about 4-5 times with a little bit of modification after each. And by the time we got to today’s last one, I was so tired but it is so fascinating how each team perceives the work. It was amazing how the senior management started working on the action items & timelines looking at my recommendations where as some of the other team members rolled up their eyes seeing more work coming their way. Some are so open to change where as others are so closed to all new ideas. It is pretty fascinating how the management tries to please both the extremes and in the end, get them to do exactly what it wants to be done!
And the big ‘O’ question - Did I get an offer from Lowe’s? Well, at least, they literally didn’t invite me to a room and hand me a package saying so but they were pretty impressed with the work and the efforts that went in. As I was discussing with a close friend, I didnt get much of the negative feedback which is one way good, but obviously, they have been nice while appraising my work. But that kind of candid feedback would have given me a chance to understand things I should have done better and areas in myself which needs serious improvement. Retail is fascinating and the talk about ‘home-improvement’ will never go out of fashion! I dont know if I want to come back but it would be great to at least get an offer, it would validate my work, boost my confidence but to even get there, they need to have an open position in that department. I so wish I had gone ahead and met up with the people in some of the departments I wanted to work in but my health doing a roller-coaster this summer, I had to play it easy!
One thing I was absolutely thrilled about were the people I have worked here with. They are probably the best I have seen in the corporate world. 6 years into corporate before B-school and I haven’t met anyone even close to how nice these people have been! But then again, I was here for too short a time to make some gradiose statements but at least I got see happy faces and genuine smiles .. people truly loved their jobs, though I constantly felt like shaking up some of them to get things done faster!
And I got a chance to make some fantastic friends here.. some of the things I have learnt now…roll up my eyes when I see disgusting things, use a lot of ‘whatever’ & ‘hell’, sigh loudly, try to blow my “where’s” & “when’s” (to accentuate the ‘w’ in them!), make up my own veggie dishes on any restuarant’s menu, pick up some great accessories and blow up big $ on them and pretend that it doesn’t matter….. all these & more. But seriously, learnt a lot of things from my fellow interns and it has been amazing… tweak my dressing sense, eat more salads & less of spice, take less coffee & soda, work out more religiously, keep going on that treadmill even when my heart is threatening to stop any minute, work on learning more about Hindu scriptures and visiting more churches! I have a lot of friends who hail from different churches around and so badly wanted to go with them on every Sunday but somehow couldnt make it … will start doing it once I get back to school. My fellow intern and close friend was a Mormon with whom I spent a large part of one Sunday, knowing so much about their beliefs & faith. It is amazing how strongly they connect with God! Hopefully, some of her great attributes will rub off on me.. also received a lovely parting gift - “The Book of Mormon”
I start school in a week’s time. Though I am kind of sad about leaving Lowe’s and missing the people here, I am pretty excited to start off school, meet good ol’ friends, start worrying about grades & quizzes, nag about crazy schedules and curse some of the course works! Ah, blissful second year…. I wish! I think I am over loading much stuff this year than last, but not on the academic part. I will try to pen in some of the interesting stuff I will latch onto pretty soon. But by the looks of it now, it sure seems like a big year with a lot of ‘ACTION’ items.. things to set into motion, plans to work on, things to lay down and kick start new beginnings! And I move on…
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!
Habitat for Humanity July 22, 2006
Posted by Simba in : General, Volunteer , 4 comments
Its been a while since I did some community work and I almost had this urge to do something over the last few days. Maybe because I was over thinking about myself, my health, my life etc. It’s at these times, I kind of get into a sympathetic phase and feel sad about the days I go through. I guess we all face such days and the only way to get out of that phase is to go out and work for others. And I did exactly that for Habitat.
As a part of Intern Community work of Lowe’s, we helped out the Habitat builders in building a home. It was fun but owing to bad health, I couldnt be of too much help. But hey, I tried my hands on drilling & the electric saw.. I wish I could do this on a more regular basis as it is proper labor work with sweat et al. We started out pretty well but as the sun moved right on top of our heads, it started getting a little tiring. And the actual builders on their front were very helpful in teaching the tricks, rather the art of building a home! I have done a host of other things as a part of my voluntary service but never ‘this’ kind. It is pretty interesting how they operate. On lay man terms, they buy a lot of land and build homes for the homeless. But how do they pick on whom to donate the homes to.. Am not really clear about that but anyone who wants a home should have assisted them for ‘x’ hours building other people’ homes! Interesting, huh!?
I really love the attitude of ‘Do-it-yourself’ out here. Most of the work around the house is generally done by the owners themselves.. yeah, manual labor is crazy but I think, there is also a sense of satisfaction when you probably build your own table even if it doesnt compare with a designware! So, should I think about doing up my home.. once I get to that point.. Ahem, an interesting thought! Lets see how that goes!
I am still working on this website, and just not this blog. It will take a while. Stay with me. Will keep you all posted!
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!!
Work and beyond… June 14, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Life Marvels, Work & Beyond , 8 commentsI know I haven’t written for a while. The last few days, my life has been almost a haze which I cannot describe. Hope God up there will bestow the strength in me to make the right decision and move on. I have always wondered why life throws up strange things at different stages of life, maybe its all a game.. something you will always be working on & trying to overcome. Its been almost a battle with myself to come in terms with how I have changed over the last one year! I have even lost sense of what kind of a person I am, things I believe in, priniciples I would follow and people I would die for! Now, I am taking some time off to figure out all that and more, it feels weird.. its almost like teaching the kid within me the first few steps. I have always seen life as a big furry fun ball but now, I understand how serious life can be.. It teaches you things in some of the hardest challenges in life. I am facing probably my hardest challenge.. lets see where I go from here….
If you are thinking that all this has got to do with my MBA & my job… you are so wrong! No, I dont have any regrets for coming sucha long way to study and get a life. Life, I did get.. & more. After the GATE, I was pretty much moving stuff & shifting which took a lot of time. I started my first job in Corporate America and think I am doing ok, just dont ask me what I am doing… becos I dont know! I need to figure out something that has gone wrong and I dont have the slightest clue where to start. So, maybe I will restrain from the normal advice part *wink* We had an awesome Orientation Week for all the incoming interns and it was so fun. I keep thinking that some day I will get so old that I will stop enjoying all these get-togethers & celebrations.. but dont think, I am getting any closer to that one at least! There was a time when I was the youngest of the whole lot.. I am not the oldest, not yet..but sure getting there! Its been an awesome journey so far and I know, I have much farther to go… The office is a beautiful place to work in overlooking a beautiful countryside. My fellow interns are so much fun and its great hangin around with them. We are planning to get somewhere this weekend.. there are too many things around this place and boy, summer is here! The last weekend was an absolute bliss, doing the best I normally do.. lazing around! Work slowly will start picking up in full gear & you will some whines & nags. You are warned! LOL! I am out for now.. More laterz.
Aloha… May 29, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Life Marvels, Travel Bug , 4 commentsI know I havent blogged in a while but these are not the best days of my life and I am trying my best to keep my sanity. I wonder why things should always be black or white, why dont people understand that the grey areas are the ones which give us the hardest time. I hate it when people talk in riddles making themselves look highly intellectual and all knowing…No, I dont intend to be like that! So, I will let that feeling pass and continue my normal blogging.
I came back from GATE last Monday and though I wanted to share so much, I just havent been able to! I was completely sleep deprived on the flight & later, I was so jet lagged and didnt sleep for almost 4 days. After that, I slept so much in order to catch up and it just got all weird. Anyways, almost a week after my return, I am slowly feeling ok. A small review of my tour… Shanghai was the first stop and I realized what a big barrier language is! English will take you nowhere and it is so hard to tell them! And you can guess the time I had trying to get some vegetarian food. The first day, I almost had veg food.. except the last spoon dished out something I hadnt seen in my whole life! Phew! Throughout the tour, something that always amazed me was how understanding people were in any part of the world.. we all may behave differently and talk different languages but there is this common bond between all of us.. something that reaches out to help others! And out there, I had the best Italian icecream, something that makes me grin even now! Yum! We visited 2 companies and I really wished we had gone to visit the Great Wall! The hotel was probably the best during our entire visit. 3 or so days there, we moved to Hong Kong. I had heard so much about foot massages in these places that I almost endangered my dear life in trying to get one! It was scary and let me not write about it and show off my stupidity! Hmmmph!
Hong Kong - I didnt like the city at all, maybe I found myself in the wrong places as I found it really dirty & unclean. And in the middle of it, we also managed to have some decent desi food .. Samosas for lunch!? I had never seen that but who cares.. I cleaned up my plate! The Victoria peak and the Giant Buddha are definitely the must sees. Travelling in the world’s steepest cable car, well, that adds to the fun. We tried so hard to make it to the huge amusement park, Ocean Park but missed it due to a lil bad timing. Ah, next time! I was super impressed by the DHL Super Hub company visit. The night junk cruise, sailin by the Victoria Harbour with the entire city lit up was a great experience.. the much talked about laser show to attract the tourists was a complete let down! We had plenty of free time in Hong Kong and it sure did me a world of good. But during all these days, I didnt feel tired one single day but the minute I got back, it hit me real hard.
I almost didnt want to get to Japan becos it was the last leg of the journey but boy, I fell in love with Tokyo. And I thought NY was a great place.. it still is but Tokyo beats it right, left & centre. I have always considered more homely at Mumbai than in Bangalore maybe becos how active the city is.. Tokyo is exactly that and much more! And the women are the hippest in the world. Trust me. Take my word for that! And also the city is so densely populated that any place you go, you just see so many people.. so many just walkin around all the time, immaterial of the hour of the day. I wanted to learn a foreign language next year and was thinking about Arabic.. ok, keep your grunts to yourself… but now, Japanese seems too good. I would love to work in this city for a while if I ever get a chance. Traditional Japanese meal didnt suit me just fine as it might just be a tad too bland for the Indian within! And seeing the stuff that is available on display .. it just shows how hard it is to impress these guys. They are definitely the most demanding and guess, thats why you get some amazing stuff! Desserts etc on display .. they are just picture perfect.. Getting veg food was a little simpler here, thanks to too much modernization! Visiting Toyota was the biggest fascination for me.. with an entire assembly line with robots! Wow! Then we left to Kyoto…
The last place was kinda a dampener in the whole trip.. there was nothing much to explore and also the feeling that the trip was coming to an end was on everyone’s mind. And almost 15 days after we had left, having some of the best times of our life.. we were ready to come back home and start our lives again! Before I left on this GATE, someone had commented.. Oh, this is sucha expensive thing, a complete waste of money.. LOL, how wrong that person was! As the Chinese proverb goes - “Walking ten thousand miles of world is better than reading ten thousand scrolls of books.” More later…