End of a chapter, not the book! (Last mail - Adios Amigos)
Dear loved one's back home,
Last few weeks of this MBAttle has been melodramatic to say the least. There had been enough time to introspect and reflect the roller coaster ride. The last day of the class was as usual touchy. The usual Yada-wada on "it was great knowing you" " I am sure you will have a bright future" and so on. However there was another dimension that only a global MBA could offer "If ever you come to Beijing you know you have a friend to call" replace the city with Rome, Amsterdam, Brussels, New york, Taipei and Bangalore. You get a kick in knowing that your network is quiet stretched. But all you really want is at the end of the day catch these guys for a drink down the street (Only Coffee!). An Anonymous student distributed(Through the MBA Office) roses to all the girls in the class. My bet is it has to be a European student. Nobody has the geniality, grace and touch with women as the Europeans do. My American classmate summed things up beautifully in a 5 minute long speech titled "End of a chapter, not the book". The women as always were in tears. I think these regular emotions are common throughout the world.
My Breakaways
When I took up the MBA, I had taken the Visa ad line quite seriously, "When was the last time I did something for the first time". I set out planning to do some exotic stuff. I would do fencing, Tai Chi, learn Mandarin, learn Salsa, parties, networking, trekking, rafting, tennis, Golf and last but not the least DATING A CHINESE GIRL and the list went on. Some where in between all this I was planning to do a bit of studying! It so turned out that most part of the list remains uncrossed :(. I would blame it on different things, no money, student life, exams, no interest and dark skin (that's for dating part!). Now more than ever I have this ominous feeling that these lists will remain incomplete and I will always discover some reason to put them off. One more of my biggest cribs will be my crass inability to foster strong friends outside the Indian Community. While I made acquaintances among Chinese and Europeans, I cant claim that I have a best friend in a Chinese. I fell victim to this typical shepherd syndrome. That dis satisfaction will always remain.
My Takeaways
Academia has always been my nemesis and will continue to be so. MBA confirmed what I already knew that I cant add 2 and 2 but can write paragraphs about the abstract interpretation of 2 and 2. However I am glad this has been only such time ever that I enjoyed the process of learning. I hung on the words of the professor and tried to glean as much as possible. I went to some lengths to cram the books in the library. I told myself that the next time I get to sit in the library would be when I retire and at that time its not going to be pleasant! Among other things, I loved the conversations on politics, culture, history and of course the ubiquitous China. I met a lot of interesting people from diverse back ground. I met a Cuban who said Fidel Castro is not as bad as he is made out to be. I met an editor of Forbes who had written a book on India & China. She seems to be a personal friend of Ratan Tata and said his ambitions are alarming to hear for an American! I met a Pakistani who said the religion was the greatest undoing for Pakistan. I met an American marine who spent a term in Iraq. He said America is a nation of lions led by lambs, met a European banker who said Zinc is the new gold. A German who said SRK is the greatest actor on this earth (and I concur!) Met a hard nosed Brit Prof who said it is an Irony that Communist China is pro business and Capitalist India is Anti-Business! A South African said she thinks very highly of this Indian Women, Benazir Bhutto. (I didn't bother to correct) A Russian said she had no clue of the disintegration of USSR the night before it happened. A Swede business man said India's beauty is not its Taj Mahal nor culture nor history but the riot of colors that he gets to see when he comes out of the dingy and dirty Delhi Airport. No where in the world had he seen such colorful dresses, turbans, people(White, Brown, Yellow & Black) and buildings. He swore India will be the next fashion capital of the world. I believe this is the kind of learning that I could have never received from any classroom in the world.
My Giveaways
I took some course with fancy titles. Creative Business Design, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, World Economy, Problems and Prospects to name a few. However I don't think I am any more creative or innovative or worldly wise after any of these courses. As a generalist I know bits and pieces of few things. However I fear a keen interviewer would easily see through the shallowness. The MBA has not exactly armed me with any more technical competence than I already did. However some where deep in me there is a sense of satisfaction that all this will be worth its while in an intangible way.
My Leave aways
Now I am packing and leaving for LBS. I hope to savor every moment of my time there. I am going to make another list of things to do. I am going to keep asking " When was the last time I saw something for the first time". I am going to repeat the same mistakes in life and before you accuse me that I keep saying the same things over and over again, I am signing off!
Its been nine months since I started this quest of boring you with my bi weekly mails. My ramblings went on for far too long than I had expected. I am calling a stop before you add my mail ID to your spam filter!! Personally the monologue with you has been a very satisfying and gratifying experience and I hope you miss this bi weekly monologue in the days to come. Without any ado I would like to get off the stage before the curtain goes down on me. This will be my last mail to my dear loved one's as I pack my bags and memories of Hong Kong.
Excuse me, then! you know my heart;
But loved one's, alas! I must part. :)
Last few weeks of this MBAttle has been melodramatic to say the least. There had been enough time to introspect and reflect the roller coaster ride. The last day of the class was as usual touchy. The usual Yada-wada on "it was great knowing you" " I am sure you will have a bright future" and so on. However there was another dimension that only a global MBA could offer "If ever you come to Beijing you know you have a friend to call" replace the city with Rome, Amsterdam, Brussels, New york, Taipei and Bangalore. You get a kick in knowing that your network is quiet stretched. But all you really want is at the end of the day catch these guys for a drink down the street (Only Coffee!). An Anonymous student distributed(Through the MBA Office) roses to all the girls in the class. My bet is it has to be a European student. Nobody has the geniality, grace and touch with women as the Europeans do. My American classmate summed things up beautifully in a 5 minute long speech titled "End of a chapter, not the book". The women as always were in tears. I think these regular emotions are common throughout the world.
My Breakaways
When I took up the MBA, I had taken the Visa ad line quite seriously, "When was the last time I did something for the first time". I set out planning to do some exotic stuff. I would do fencing, Tai Chi, learn Mandarin, learn Salsa, parties, networking, trekking, rafting, tennis, Golf and last but not the least DATING A CHINESE GIRL and the list went on. Some where in between all this I was planning to do a bit of studying! It so turned out that most part of the list remains uncrossed :(. I would blame it on different things, no money, student life, exams, no interest and dark skin (that's for dating part!). Now more than ever I have this ominous feeling that these lists will remain incomplete and I will always discover some reason to put them off. One more of my biggest cribs will be my crass inability to foster strong friends outside the Indian Community. While I made acquaintances among Chinese and Europeans, I cant claim that I have a best friend in a Chinese. I fell victim to this typical shepherd syndrome. That dis satisfaction will always remain.
My Takeaways
Academia has always been my nemesis and will continue to be so. MBA confirmed what I already knew that I cant add 2 and 2 but can write paragraphs about the abstract interpretation of 2 and 2. However I am glad this has been only such time ever that I enjoyed the process of learning. I hung on the words of the professor and tried to glean as much as possible. I went to some lengths to cram the books in the library. I told myself that the next time I get to sit in the library would be when I retire and at that time its not going to be pleasant! Among other things, I loved the conversations on politics, culture, history and of course the ubiquitous China. I met a lot of interesting people from diverse back ground. I met a Cuban who said Fidel Castro is not as bad as he is made out to be. I met an editor of Forbes who had written a book on India & China. She seems to be a personal friend of Ratan Tata and said his ambitions are alarming to hear for an American! I met a Pakistani who said the religion was the greatest undoing for Pakistan. I met an American marine who spent a term in Iraq. He said America is a nation of lions led by lambs, met a European banker who said Zinc is the new gold. A German who said SRK is the greatest actor on this earth (and I concur!) Met a hard nosed Brit Prof who said it is an Irony that Communist China is pro business and Capitalist India is Anti-Business! A South African said she thinks very highly of this Indian Women, Benazir Bhutto. (I didn't bother to correct) A Russian said she had no clue of the disintegration of USSR the night before it happened. A Swede business man said India's beauty is not its Taj Mahal nor culture nor history but the riot of colors that he gets to see when he comes out of the dingy and dirty Delhi Airport. No where in the world had he seen such colorful dresses, turbans, people(White, Brown, Yellow & Black) and buildings. He swore India will be the next fashion capital of the world. I believe this is the kind of learning that I could have never received from any classroom in the world.
My Giveaways
I took some course with fancy titles. Creative Business Design, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, World Economy, Problems and Prospects to name a few. However I don't think I am any more creative or innovative or worldly wise after any of these courses. As a generalist I know bits and pieces of few things. However I fear a keen interviewer would easily see through the shallowness. The MBA has not exactly armed me with any more technical competence than I already did. However some where deep in me there is a sense of satisfaction that all this will be worth its while in an intangible way.
My Leave aways
Now I am packing and leaving for LBS. I hope to savor every moment of my time there. I am going to make another list of things to do. I am going to keep asking " When was the last time I saw something for the first time". I am going to repeat the same mistakes in life and before you accuse me that I keep saying the same things over and over again, I am signing off!
Its been nine months since I started this quest of boring you with my bi weekly mails. My ramblings went on for far too long than I had expected. I am calling a stop before you add my mail ID to your spam filter!! Personally the monologue with you has been a very satisfying and gratifying experience and I hope you miss this bi weekly monologue in the days to come. Without any ado I would like to get off the stage before the curtain goes down on me. This will be my last mail to my dear loved one's as I pack my bags and memories of Hong Kong.
Excuse me, then! you know my heart;
But loved one's, alas! I must part. :)
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