My Musings

I am back after a tidy break. Lof of water has flown by in the last 1 month. I can only claim to have thoroughly enjoyed it. I love the freshness that is London. LBS is situated right opposite to Regent's park. There is greenery as far as your eye can set its sight. The climate is a little moody but that adds to the London life.Most of my expectations are well met, I should admit. As it is I am quite impresionable but even the not so easy to please fellas were floored by what London Business School had to offer. First the Campus, albeit not big but clean and beautiful. I love the lawn opposite the school and the view to the duck Pond from the school. The profs were worth all the hype that I had created with in me. The quality of class discussion I guess is a few notches above what we had seen at HKU. The diversity is in the air. Wont harp on it too much but to make a case in point. My team consists of a German, Mexican, Russian and Filipino. By the way I am the only male in the tea...

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....

Dear loved one's back home (This is the easiest line to write!) Countdown for HK party has begun. We have another 27 days to leave Hong Kong. There is palpable excitement in the class. Some of us have put London Business School in the Altar and are near worshipping it. Chinese are actually nervous since for many this will be the first time they will be going to an English speaking country. We had a few speakers (Britishers) who have given us a talk on life in London, how to behave, how to eat, what to talk and what not to talk. If that was not enough, some LBS Profs have emailed introducing them and instructing us on the course outline. From whatever little I have seen the faculty at LBS has some class! Did I mention that LBS was ranked no 2 B School in th world by financial times? Forgive me I have this tendency to sound a little repetitive, and whoever spoke about modesty, forgive me I dont understand the meaning :) The China and India Factor The world over, there is this cur...

Dear loved one's back home, I have just returned from Shanghai and feel compelled like many other travellers before to become a self confessed chinophile. The university arranged a 1 week tour to visit Shanghai and learn about business in China. China has been a nemesis for many western business investors. Many of them with dollars in their eyes have burnt their fingers doing business in this sea of little people . I am so sorry, I am a vegetarian I am now quiet capable of writing a book on the life of a vegetarian in China. On my trip to Shanghai I was literally treated like a handicap. A special needs person. I was given a small chit by the faculty coordinator that said in Chinese "I am a vegetarian, I only eat vegetables, grains, plant, fruit and rice." Do look at the photo attached. She simply said you MIGHT survive with this! While my Prof. and others assured me, "don't worry you will be fine". For the people who didn't know th...

Dear loved ones back home, I was telling myself to cut down on the email spams that I seem to be generating on your mailbox. The last mail was supposed to be the year end mail and I was planning to take a long siesta before I come up with some more crappy thoughts. However I couldn't resist my temptation to write this last rambling before I could lose my thought on this issue. I hope you don't mind, but if you do, the delete button is on the top left hand side of the window :) Some of you took offence to my labelling myself as an NRI. I only meant that I am a NRI (Non Reliable Indian or Not Required in India(n)) Today's problems come from yesterday's "solutions" I did not mention about Prof. Jim Newton. He is a typical Englishman and in the same league as Prof. Ali (and that's quiet a league!). He teaches us political economics and his narration style usually leaves you at the edge of the seat. He narrates the issues like a story and often he would talk as...

Dear loved one's back home, The last few weeks has been a little rough. Couple of exams and vain attempts to rote learning of reams and reams of archaic content. I am through those dull moments of MBA! I can now proclaim myself comfortably as a half MBA ! Phew that's quiet some stuff. Its getting freezing cold here and my definition of cold is quiet skewed. Less than 30C is freezing winter for me and its 13 C here ! Om Sweet Om I cant wait for the winter break coz I am GoInG HoMe !! Its the "NRI returning home syndrome." Gosh am I an NRI :) Well I wont make melodramatic Swades like Comments . Vivekananda said " I travelled all over the the world and came home to find peace" well that's all crap. I am going home to find chaos! Its kind of mixed emotions. While I am elated about feeling my dear home, I am unduly concerned about the uncanny questions from my stake holders and investors (Read parents and brother). Debts are piling up and still no signs of...

Dear loved one's back home, China reminds me of India like no other world city has !! Beihaai could have been Bangalore and Guangzhou could have been Gurgaon! A China Travelogue I made a quick sojourn to China last week. As always the act of travelling always entices me. Planning the travel, the vroom of the flight, The tension of getting through the immigration check posts are enough to pump your adrenaline. Before I reached China I was itching to get my foot in, after I reached China I was dying to get out!! It is this nomadic instinct in me that kind of gets me to do new things and quit before it comes to a logical conclusion! Somebody said " MBA is like a public toilet ; People outside cant wait to get in, people inside are dying to get out. " well well... this time I am in no hurry to come out of the loo without getting the work done !! A Communist tongue trapped in a capitalist body : There was one thing I wanted to do when I went to China, type democracy into googl...