Confessions of a devoted Mumbaikar !!!

It seems that I have been riding my luck for quite some time now....touchwood. But the trend continued yesterday when my ex-project leader called me and handed me a Buffet dinner voucher for two @ Frangipani, Hilton Towers Mumbai.
The catch, however, was that I had to visit the place yesterday itself. But heck, who cares...The way they say in Mumbai..."Fukat te paustik" (What is free, is always nutritious). So I called up Hilton Towers to book a table for 2. Surprise Surprise !!! I am greeted by a dame, named YASHODA. I was expecting some Sandra to greet me with a top notch English accent. But she spoke just about normal English (sounded like a fresher, coming right out of one of those Hotel Management institutes) referring to a cab as a TAXI. Well didnt expect this @ Frangipani. Anyway if anything, this only made me feel at home :D.

So the bookings are done - A table for 2 at 20:30 IST, 24April2006.
I couldn't have possibly gone there in my shabby office wear. So I headed home, had a bath, dressed up in neat casuals and took my 100 wheeler (the famous Mumbai local train) to Churchgate. The train had its usual share of fights amongst passengers, singing of paupers, etc. But a small incident left me mesmerised for the whole evening. It was the sight of a middle-aged couple, seated right across me, relishing VADA-PAVS...Mumbai's own version of burger/hotdogs!!!
The bread tantalisingly soaked in hot and tangy chutneys (sauces) and the sumptuous vada, held my attention till the very last bite went down. With hunger at its peak (and the food freak that I am) it took a lot on my part to control myself from asking for a bite (pun intended)!!! I pacified my thirsty taste buds by reminding myself of the buffet at Hilton.
Soon I was at the coveted Hilton Towers, hogging away to glory. But I still couldn't stop reminding myself of the oh-so-desirable vada pav. The food as expected was on the bland side, with lots of grilled and baked stuff (good for the heart you see). Also the chicken had a touch of UK in it!!! The chicken and other main course dishes reminded me of my days in UK, eating anglo-indian chicken curry. The only good part of the dinner was I got to spend 2 hours with a dear friend;-) and experience the plush ambience of the restaurant. Ohh yeah!! Also the delightful desserts:-)
I would rate the food as pretty good (considering the health part), but mind you I have had better food (eg. The Buffet at Renaissance is far better, do try it once if you have the budget). But for some unkown reason, yesterday, I would have proabably traded the food that they served for a vada pav. Perhaps its my love for Mumbai and Indian food that lies at the foundation of such a brave statement.
I know I am throwing comparision to the utmost level of mediocrity, but wouldnt it be a wonderful idea if you can have the yummy vada-pav sitting in a lucullan restaurant like Frangipani. What can you say, this is an ardent Bombayite speaking !!!
I would end with 2 lines, any Bambaiwalla would vouch for...
aaee dil hai mushkil, jeena yahan..
zara hat ke, zara bach ke yeh hai MUMBAI- meri jaan !!!

IIMs calling or WHAT???

The Day: 12thApril2006
The Time: 00:00...
So whats up on just another day of the year, or rather just another midnight of the year...Nothing much, just waiting for my IIM result...Hahaha...Things werent that casual for sure!!!


My heart skips a beat as I key in my number on the IIM C website.
The most anxious 5 seconds of my life....!!! But after they are done I am jumping with joy. Phone calls flow over my cell (without bothering about the call rates)...Yes the moment I had awaited for 3 years has finally arrived. I am going to be at IIM C. I couldnt sleep that night. I Get out from my bed at around 2:45 am to check the other IIM websites. No results...Anyway the reason for not sleeping was joy rather than anxiety of other results. Finally at 4:00 in the morning I manage to catch up with some sleep.
I wake up at 7:00 and try the websites again, no luck again. But hell who cares, I am very happy about making it thru to IIM C. My boss calls me to know my results at 8:00 and he is pretty elated to know that I had made it through. I had decided on the previous day itself, If I make it thru to A,B or C I will carry sweets to office.
And so I do!!! I rush early in the morning to pick up 2 kg pedas and then I am on my way to office. On the way there are lots of phone calls as the news of me getting into IIM C spreads.

I reach office and another moment of nervousness...While I am walking towards my cubicle someone tells me that IIM A results are out . Whats more 2 guys from my office have already made it thru to IIM A. I walk pensively to my computer and tell my boss that IIM A results are out. He is more excited than me. He asks me to check the result on his computer while my system boots up. I decide to lay back, take a deep breath and wait for my PC to start. I get onto IIM A website, but dont find the link to the results. After a short messaging over the LAN messenger, I finally manage to get the link. Soon I am waiting for my results to load
.....
....
...
..
.
It says " You have been selected for admission to PGP (2006-2008 batch), IIMA "
I read it over and over again before I shout a loud YESSS.....as I am still shaking with disbelief. My boss and other friends come and congratulate me..I am in seventh heaven as I open the box of sweets. My hands are still shaking while I call up mom, dad and sis to inform them about my biggest achievement till date. I then call up Nidhi, who is equally euphoric and then Amrish who almost drops the cell in disbelief. After a flurry of phone calls I again sit in my chair and let the feeling sink in. Swapna calls soon and while I talk to her and surf the IIM B website I hit jackpot....
Admits from the 3 best management institutes in INDIA....IIM A, B and C.
I then decide to share my moment of joy with my office friends as I draft a mail to them. I run through the entire Mumbai mailing list to ensure that I dont miss out anyone (I chose to keep the HR out though;)). Whilst doing all this I attend a project meeting (with half my attention outside the meeting room). Soon friends start to flow along with mails that leave me overwhelmed.
So many people happy for me, proud of me and some even looked upto me as a source of inspiration. Work got a day off even while I was in office.
Soon the 3 junior IIMs came out with their results. After some confusion about the date format on the Indore website, the records were set clear. A person who 3 years back was not wanted even by a single IIM was today called up by all the 6 IIMs.
I am speechless.

And today, after 5 days I feel that the" GOING TO IIM A" feeling has half sunk. A few parties are over, I have splashed a lot of cash and will splash some more as I now stop pinching myself. I realise that I am not dreaming and yes I am indeed heading for IIM A. I decided to write this post only after my mind and heart have accepted this fact. While I relived the moment of joy writing this post I know that this is just the start of two rigorous years.

Just thanking God for having brought me this far, and also asking him for his blessings to help me move from strength to strength.
Would like to end with two lines from Sonu Nigam's song
"Aayi hai khushiyon ka paigam leke bahare,
yeh pal hai apna, is pal mein aao takdir apni sware"
With the blessing of my friends and family I feel confident of facing the challenges lying ahead. Thanks you all for your wishes...Luv you all and again, thank you Almighty...!!!

R E S E R V A T I O N S - 2B or Not 2B !!!

So its D Day tomorrow...

Yeah its going to be India playing England in the 6th ODI...Finally some cricket !!! And for the actual cricket fans(mind you not just Indian cricket fans) there is this nicely poised Aus vs Bangladesh test match too....yeah you read it right Bangladesh is giving Australia (The world champs) more than just run for their money...

Well but is tomorrow just all about cricket....Well cricket happens day in and day out....So what is so special about tomorrow???
Hmm without any further ado, let me rephrase my self...Its D DAY tomorrow for all CAT 2005 aspirants.
Yeah, the IIMs have announced that the final results of CAT 2005 are to be announced tomorrow....Even as I type I feel the fear chill run from my head to toe....
For most of you who would read this post, this would have been bygone news. But as I reflect back and dwell on the present, one can't help but say that IIMs are right now in news for the wrong reason.
Yeah you guessed it right. R E S E R V A T I O N S

However one good thing that this whole issue has done is that, it has definitely cleared a few myths on reservations, for me to say the least.

1) I was one of the guys who would had said that if there has be reservation it should be only for the EBCs(Economically Backward Class). However thanks to NDTV (read media) I now know that being economically deprived might not mean being socially backward.
Hold on!! Before you decide to react, let me complete.
I for one found some rationale in this argument. Having read some history at school I am surely aware of the kind of trauma faced by the so called untouchables. So today if we enjoy freedom thanks to efforts of our freedom fighters, why can't the so called backward classes enjoy some liberty for the hardships that they (have) face(d) in society.
BUT is reservation serving this motive?

2) That brings me to point number 2 and a foregone conclusion: "Kutte ki dum kabhi seedhi nahi hoti"
Yeah I meant the politicians. I can see nothing more than mere vote bank politics in this move to increase reservations. With elections in the states like UP soon to take place, what better way to woe the OBC vote bank than coming out with these ostensible perks.
My point here is if the government is really looking at the welfare of the backward classes, then give them more facilities, give them extra coaching, waiver their fees, give them scholarships, etc. making them as potent as the other students, rather than hurling them into a sense of ease, where they dont feel the pinch of today's cut-throat competition.
Today the reservation is not reaching the actual backward community, the socially challenged, ones who reside in rural India, the ones who still bear the brunt of untouchability and other social evils. The government needs to address issues like these first. Provide basic education along with instilling a sense of self belief in these people, so that they can feel confident of facing competition not just in India but across the globe (where reservation is not recognised;)).
The most simple question to ask the politicians is: Why dont they have 27% seats in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for OBCs?
Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to answering this question...Kissa Kursi Ka....!!!

Having said all this I dont think anything is going to stop this reservations spree. So what should be done by the government in this case?
Well for starters an attempt should be made to phase out the reservation with time. A strict deadline should be aimed at to this effect.
Also there should be a minimum cut off, below which even a reserved category student will not get admit.
Eg: If CAT admits closed on 98%tile for general category, then say a 93-95%tile cut off for the reserve category can be set. (P.S. These figures are just arbitrary).
Again steps should be taken to ensure that the reservation reaches the right students.

Another million dollar suggestion is that reservation shouldnt be passed on to the next generation. Eg: If a student gets into IIM on basis of reservation his kids shouldnt be allowed to use the same facility. It is more than fair to assume that an IIM graduate should be able to provide his kids with the required facilities as that enjoyed by the general category students. Also reserve category students who have reaped the benefits should take the onus on themselves in such cases. Having benefited from the reservation policies they should try to do something for the societies they represent and ensure that reservations is steadily phased out.

To wind this up I would say we need to approach this situation with open minds. Lets try to understand the reason for having reservation and move towards sorting out those issues, rather than just crying foul.
As an aspiring manager, I would reactively say, NO reservation(I signed the online petition too :D), but on second thoughts I would ask WHY reservations? and How do we move from RESERVATIONS to NO RESERVATIONS in optimum time?

Hmm....I bet that would fetch me a lot of marks in a GD on this topic ;)