MUMBAI

Mumbai is a city with its own culture. To understand this culture, one needs to be a part of this city. A city, which at times can make someone dream to reach the stars, and at other times, make the same person sink in his loneliness.

I haven’t stayed long in Mumbai…just a few months during the beginning of my professional career…the second half of 2002, to be precise. My stay was indeed an experience then. The experience of the first job in life carries with it some very basic lessons. It is one of the biggest transitions of life.

My post MBA career also follows the same path. It is destined to begin in Mumbai. The industry, which I will be joining, is not very different culturally from the industry which I worked before. Shipping, energy/power, oil industries are closely linked with each other and I can see myself moving within these sectors.

Life in Mumbai will be vastly different from what it has been over the last five odd years. It will be tough in a number of ways. But, I do feel happy on my decision to return back to India. Life outside India might be easy, but something was missing…something which I feel should not be compromised with. Not that I dislike going to other countries…I will always love to visit new cultures and new lands…but the base should be in India now.

So friends…my last post from Bhubaneswar…vacation is almost over. I will try to write as frequently as possible from Mumbai…try to post my experience of Post-MBA Mumbai life.

I am always reachable on my email address: sabyasachimohanty@gmail.com

Don’t hesitate to drop a mail if I can be of any help. Keep commenting, as comments keep on motivating me to continue this blog.

A LONG VACATION INDEED

Five more days remain for my vacation to end…a long vacation...two-months is indeed a long time. The summer heat wave forced me to spend most of time indoors, though occasionally I did visit some places.

The break was remarkable in the sense that I got a chance to meet many relatives and some very old friends.

Read the blogs of Class08. This is perhaps the best way to relive the ISB experience.

Unearthed my complete collection of ISB snaps and arranged them in a systematic manner. The collection looks pretty impressive now.

Played videogames like never before.

Read all the spam mails of all the e-groups, I am part of. Reading spams is quite interesting if you have the time.

Managed to reduce the ISB baggage by three kilos. Still need to get down by three more to reach the standards.

Attended seven weddings…Through the experience…got convinced that people love to make simple things complex.

Slept during the nights and also during the days…will really find it difficult to attend office in the morning.

CONSOLING MYSELF??

The storm had receded. It had rained heavily through out the afternoon. Hail storms are not so regular in this part of the country, yet at times they do make their presence felt. The wide roads were flooded with the fast flowing rain water.

The night was clear. I moved the window screen aside so that from the comfort of my bed, I could see the stars twinkling. It has been always a refreshing feeling to look at these stars. The fresh nocturnal breeze carried with it the fragrance of the jasmine and champak flowers of our garden. It seems as if an age old friendship exists between these flowers and the mystery of the night. The magic of such an ambience was evident. It was as if the beauty of the night was smiling at me.

But at times, when the outside is so clear and beautiful, it is the internal faculty that is shrouded with confusion. The same thought reappeared. I am still unable to discover the reason of my existence. Ancient texts and wise people say that God has created every person with an objective. The Alchemist reiterates the fact that however small it might be, yet every individual plays a central role in the universe, with or without his knowledge. Till now, I am not aware of any role that I am playing, nor can I think of any such role in future. I am just another of the selfish individuals who spend their whole lives in fulfilling their own desires and aspirations.

I can see only one path which I am likely to take…the path which seems worn out as most of the travelers find this path easy to tread. I don’t possess the courage to take an unknown path…a path which is vastly different from the other path. But this lack of courage is something which defines an ordinary human being. It is the lack of this courage in most of the individuals which makes world an easy place to live in…and lively too. Am I trying to console myself for this lack of courage or for my inability to discover the reason of my existence….yeah…may be.

SEC F REVISITED

While browsing my ISB collection, I came across this snap. This was taken during our orientation more than a year ago. Sec F was newly formed in ISB, and this snap pictures some of the people of this section in the Khemka. Friends who are so familiar now, were busy introducing themselves then...

I heard that Sec F rocked this year (Co08)...they came winner in most of the orientation events....

DREAMY REALITY

Nothing much happening these days…and an idle mind provides the ideal recipe for the genesis of insensible thoughts. When there is nothing to do today, we tend to think a lot about future…like how we will be five years down the line…or 10 years down the line or even twenty years from today. I know these thoughts are as silly as the silliest things in the world (couldn’t find a better phrase within my abilities), but no harm in dreaming….

Well…so what after 5 years…will I be a vice president of a division (most ambitious perspective) or will I be doing my PhD in US….absolutely no idea….but I do want to be a vice president as soon as possible and at the same time I am quite clear to do my PhD at some stage of my life…
(Vice president because I feel that’s the earliest connection to the happenings of the top management)
And how will the moments in the airports and the flights be…will I be still busy admiring the beauty of the air-hostesses… or… the sweetest girl on the planet will be sitting beside me to listen to the crap I speak.

How about life ten years hence?? Quite possible that I might be teaching in some university…being in the senior management (while dreaming, why be stingy) of an organization is another possibility…
And on the personal front…I just cannot imagine how life will be then…but I am sure the sweetest lady on the planet must have got accustomed to me then….may be some new members will have joined then…..with admirable traits.

How about life twenty years from today…well…I think I must be trying really hard to develop the traits which professors like Stine and Jay possess, by the virtue of which they can inspire generations of students whom they have taught….
Now regarding the personal part…just unable to discover the right key to imagine this….

Hahaha….its fun to imagine and dream about life…..especially when it is not clear what’s going to happen after a week…but no harm in dreaming...dreaming to move to the top..both in industry and academics....

ETERNAL ISB SPAMS

ISB spams are eternal….we just cannot avoid them…at times they irritate us and at other times the response to these spams can make you laugh like anything. The latest spam series within the ISB alum mailbox goes something like this

A lady (ISB alum) with a sweet name (the name of girls are always sweet, but in this case it’s just too sweet) writes - “three bedroom apartment available in one of the hottest sea-face locations of Mumbai. Now if “anyone” is interested to share, get in touch”.

A gentleman (unmarried ISB alum) finds the offer irresistible. He replies back to the complete group just to verify if the lady has provided the option of sharing the apartment with the humble beings of the opposite sex as well. This mail in itself is a class act of romanticism painted with an ideal mix of optimism.

This reply infuriates the third gentleman (I am sure many more will be there seriously ready to pick up a skirmish on this issue, but it is the early bird which catches its prey). The mail that followed with an avuncular tone advised the earlier gentleman some serious doses of practicality and a note on email etiquette. This note is another class act in itself.

The reaction of the lady and the first gentleman is not public yet….

(The contents of this post are exaggerated and should be taken in lighter spirits)

BANKI CHURCHIKA

Lately, I have developed a special liking to visit those places which are not the most well known tourist destinations and those which are still away from commercialization, yet hold a deep significance in the minds of the local people of that region. Recently, I visited a temple on the bank of river Mahanadi in a small town called Banki. This temple is called the Churchika Temple. Not many outside Orissa know the existence of this temple, yet in the minds of the local people where this temple is situated, this temple has shaped the myths and legends. No one knows how old the temple is, yet legends say that The Goddess Churchika (the same power clan as that of Goddess Kali) still appears in personified form during the rituals.

Who will believe that such exquisite wooden architecture and paintings can be found inside one of the most obscure temples of the land?

Such architecture reminds me of the Oriental architecture (mostly Japanese and Korean).

River Mahanadi in a serene mood and a distant hill - the view from the Temple. This river is the trademark of Orissa.

HONOR CODE VIOLATION

Here is an example of the consequences of violating the Honor Code in reputed universities.
This news is covered in NYTIMES.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/01/us/01duke.html?_r=1&oref=slogin