In the cradle of civilization

So, the upshot of the things are that I'm in Cairo and blogging with all my blogger tabs in Arabic. I can just about make out the "Publish" button.

I'm here with my parents on a family vacation after about 5 years. Last time we went on a vacation, we got caught in a terrorist attack, this time hopefully, it will be less eventful.

Love Cairo so far. Managed to see the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, the Pyramids of Giza and the sphinx! Climbing inside the great pyramid will easily count as one of my most memorable travel experiences! It was completely dark, unlit - felt like you were going into the nether region. We literally had to crawl forwards on all fours because of the low ceiling. You realize how much fun it must have been to be an archeologist discovering these pyramids.

I also loved the museum. The collection of egyptian antiquities is enormous. Scratch that. Ginormous. never seen anything quite like it. It was apparently setup in 1902 and was the first building in the world setup solely as a museum! walking up the marble stairs through the giant doors, one could imagine archeologists and egyptologists in the 1930s strutting around in excitement.

Our guide, was great and gave my family a full political download of Egypt as well as the history of egypt. Its hard to believe how exceedingly sophisticated and intelligent ancient egyptians were. Like ancient sites at Mohenjodaro and Harappa, Egypt displayed an extremely superior sense of architecture and civilization.

So my take away from the whole day was the while most people's ancestors where still swinging from the trees, these people where building pyramids. Incredible that!

Where Karma Fights Back

Due to certain events in the recent past, namely my laptop hemorrhaging on me and that my passport is still stuck in a certain embassy when I'm due to fly out on Saturday, I've come to believe in the powers of Karma's retribution.

Aditya Jalan, my trivia team mate in college and the awesome one-third of team tonic, once told me, that I had the "The Karma of a loud kettle in Buddhist Monastery." That statement was epic and it stuck with me because all of a sudden the events in my life made sense. He also said that HIS karma was that of a "curtain in a bhuddist monastery." and abhishek's (the final -third of team tonic) karma was that "of a well fed cat in a bhuddist monastery." The latter is definitely true. He is certainly well fed.

But coming back to my tryst with karma, I'll tell you why that statement makes sense.

1. For some reason, in this life I'm obsessed with Kettles. I like the way it looks and feels. When I'm at a Williams -Sonoma store, I stand infront of the kettle section and sigh. Those kettles are beautiful. Infact, there is a huge design competition in the culinary world on designing Kettles. When Kettles whistle, I find it utterly adorable. I never knew why till J made that statement. then it hit me. I MUST have been a kettle!

2. I identify with Kettles. They are quirky, chirpy, do-gooders, boiling water and saving the world one tea cup at a time. They don't have any grand illusions about their purpose in life, but yes, they do know how to boil water and take that purpose seriously, whistling merrily. Yes, if you happen to be in a monastery, one will find the whistling annoying but generally Kettles are peaceable blokes. One could do with a lot worse.

I am exactly like that - definitely quirky, not terribly ambitious, and enthusiastic about doing things most people would likely scoff at and find mundane. For example, I like washing dishes. I find that activity most therapeutic. Most people I know, hate that activity but not me, i'm internally whistling while washing dishes. Seeee the connection??

so given that I truly believe that I was indeed a kettle in a monastery and that undoubtedly must have caused the buddhist monks some discomfiture, I figure, I'll do well to simmer down a bit and lie low in this life.

So dear karma, I'm sorry. Give me a break and I promise the whistling will stop.

True Love

When I think about it,

I don't want dinners amidst candles

or

to walk down the aisle in a shower of confetti

or

even pictures of us as shiny happy people.

All I want is that when I look at you,

from across the room,

you get me.

Stuff that should be on my resume but is not..

1. Expert "Fire Fighter"

I'm sooo used to dousing out fires and explosive situations in real life that this is second nature to me. When shit hits the fan, they come to me. Sort of like the character "Wolf" in Pulp Fiction, but without the Lamborghini. (on an aside, I've had to really restrain myself from putting this on my actual resume, its an impressive skill no?)

2. Ability to spot obscure music bands before they eventually make it big

I knew Alicia keys before she was Alicia Keys..apart from her mother ofcourse. Being a music snob, I listen to artists that are out of the mainstream and abandon them after they become mainstream by which time they would have sold out to the whims of music labels anyway! If you don't believe me hit up Janelle Monae and Lisa Hannigan. I'm confident both of them are the next big thing. And ofcourse, willow smith, by virtue of being will smith's daughter. She is the next big little thing. (heh!)

3. Expert *insert any aerobic fitness activity* Dancer

Be it zumba, step or cardio dance fitness sessions, I have the uncanny knack for picking up the routines after watching it just once. yes you heard me right. just once. One will ordinarily not appreciate this talent but come to one of these fitness sessions and when you flail you arms and legs in an uncoordinated manner and look stupid, hit me up! It takes supreme hand-eye coordination, an innate ability to catch rhythm and comprehension of the language of aerobic fitness sessions. What language you ask? you have to know what "single, single, double", "belly dancer", "grapevine" "booty shake" mean to respond quickly and not look like a dork.

4. Charmer Extraordinaire

I say this because I'm a people person and generally can connect with anybody.Yes anybody. Even a hippie in a farmer's market and the dude at the Indian store. The indian-store dude near our house is so taken in by me that he gives me either cream biscuits or a can of Canada Dry (I have no idea why!) everytime I buy something from him.

5. Fashion Connoisseur

I love fashion and I read an obscene amount of fashion blogs to know exactly whats on trend and whats not. I've also become something of an online shopping expert, as in, I want a particular item, lets say sequined skirts, I know which online portal to turn to. I don't have the budget but I yearn for the day when I will. May be I should go after Nina Garcia's job! (smacks head!)

Other notable mentions:

1. Can run 3 miles after eating a heavy burrito

2. Geography whiz - Knows the name of that obscure lake in central asia that looks like a blob.

3. Expert knowledge of African politics including dictators with hard-to-pronounce names

4. Read books by obscure Literature Nobel Prize winners. (Like Naguib Mahfouz. Yes he won. honest!)

5. Online Scrabble Champion - It actually involves a ton of strategy. ok may not a TON but still...

Sadly,

Our love, my love

was strong and delicate.

Was.

Our love, my love

was loud and subtle.

Was.

Our love, my love

Was kind and harsh.

Was.

Now, it's like the fragrance

left behind, when the person is no longer there.

Still there but will fade eventually.

a balanced month

Dear October,

I hate to see you go. I hate to bid you goodbye. You are always the most funnest month of the year for me. Not only because my birthday features in this month, but also because you incorporate so many fun stuff like Halloween, Fall break and End of term parties. But, you being the month of Libra, also strive to balance it with non-fun stuff like Exams, Submission deadlines and interview dings. At the end of your month October, I look back at the crests and troughs and realize that regardless of the events themselves, you do however, keep it exciting.

First, there was my birthday! yay!! Although I had two exams on my birthday this year, I still had fun. I called a bunch of my friends to party with me afterwards. Inspite of having exams the next day, they came to wish me for my birthday. Some got balloons and others bought me drinks. I also got some lovely prezzies! the best part of birthdays no? This year my prezzies included a pair of sooper gorgeous pink heels, powder puff and stuff from bath & body works. At the end of it, I felt happy turning a year older. The best part of it though was the b'day luck - my exams turned out to be ok (I expected to get absolutely mauled given my inadequate preparation) and I got an interview invite (which I later turned down, long story) but still...

Then there was the Fall break which I spent in Seattle. Seattle is such a fun, quirky city. Its right up there as one of my favourite cities in the US. I love cities that have a distinct character. Cities that you adapt to rather than vise-versa. And since I come from a sea-faring family, I loved the salty scent of the ocean that permeates everywhere. There were hippies galore and bars which served a gazillion drinks. I'll always remember stumbling about downtown in a Fernet Branca induced happy daze. oh such good times! I'll also remember this hippie who sold paintings at the pikes place market who gave me a painting gratis because we both had a shared India connection. All he asked in return was a post card from wherever I travelled to next. This is what makes travel so much fun for me - meeting interesting people and having interesting conversations.

And finally, Halloween. You do end it with a bang, don't you October? I'm not so into this holiday as most others but hey, I'll never turn down an opportunity to wear weird outfits and partay!! This year I'm going as a "word-play" costume. Its rather stupid but has the right amount of stupidity to qualify as a Halloween costume.

So October, I'll have to wait for a whole year to meet you again. You're the month that ushers in the bitter cold gently. The month where the leaves are falling but where the sun still shines fat headedly in the sky. That's what I love about your weather - the lazy sunshine. Not so cold, but not so hot either. I'm glad I could still wear my summer outfits in your month. You were very kind to the tropical me.

You kept it real and made it fun. You run a very balanced show indeed!

Au revoir,

Hugs & Kisses,

A

Term 1: Hits & Misses

Hits

1. Loved the courses I took - Managerial Accounting, Marketing of Innovations and French. Whether I did well in them is another matter altogether. I've decided to take up a host of "quant" courses each time, so much so that it looks like my concentration is going to be in Finance and Accounting. How on earth did this happen??

2. Mentoring FYs - Being a Career Fellow and TA was great fun! I gotta meet a lot of FYs and dish out recruiting and academic advice. Yes, I'm an awesome zen advice-giver!! They seem so sorted though! This time last year I was lost and barely getting by!

3. Keeping Fit - Despite it being hectic, managed to do the 3 mile Wa duke trail atleast twice every week. I could still do better but I definitely feel sort of fit which is a huge improvement over last year where I didn't seriously exercise till term 3.

4. Fall Fashion - Managed to dress better to school this fall. My fall wardrobe was a total hit as I got compliments almost everyday! I know this sounds shallow but my moods are influenced by the clothes I wear and so it is very important for me to dress well. My clothes really make me happy!

Misses

1. Recruiting - This blew up on my face as I was too selective in my approach. Compared to the internship search, definitely performed below par in full time recruiting. Sigh, I need to buck up. But you know what, I like my approach. I don't want to end up with a job, I want THE job. Its a huge risk and a long haul but I cannot work on something I'm not psyched about. so lets see. *fingers crossed*

2. Socializing - we had tons of dinners but not enough rad parties! hoping this will change in fall 2

3. Dating - Just not in the frame of mind to date. Its too much - balancing studies, recruiting and dating but there are times when I yearn for someone to hug and tell me its ok. Thats what I miss the most about not being in a relationship and the back rubs and not paying for dinners ..sigh!

4. Reading - I miss reading a good book, even a "management" book for that matter. I started reading Dan Ariely's new book - the upside of irrationality - dealing with "irrational" consumer behaviour. Its very well written and he is funny. but I can't seem to get past page 50 for some reason. If there is one reason I want to find a job quickly, it is to get back to my beloved reading. I feel incomplete without books. I miss the feeling of being wonder struck at every page, of drinking in beautifully composed sentences and wondering why I never thought of things that way. Reading made me feel smart, made me feel like I was growing as person - without it I feel stunted. My new resolve is to read atleast one book a term. Here's to wishful thinking!!

That was term 1 in essence - few hits and misses. Really hoping Fall 2 will end well. God willing!

Jazz > Finals

been hit by a major case of 2nd year senioritis and so am being extremely lax about the impending finals on Monday.

I had decided to be extremely diligent over the weekend and spend every minute studying but things, sadly, haven't gone according to plan. First I woke up at 1 PM today (Massive Fail!!) as a result of end of term partying. 2nd, decided to go to Saladelia, my fav cafe, to study as there was afootball game today, which meant that there would be no parking at school. But at Saladelia, a Jazz band began playing live at 6PM and that brought all my studying to halt. I loved it! especially when they began to improvise on autumn leaves. aaah love Jazz.

So here I am, late on a saturday night desperately trying to salvage my finals. But its looking like a lost cause!

What is love?

...don't hurt me, don't hurt me no more.....

remember that iconic song by Haddaway? remember? We were at a 2Y dinner today, about 20 of us, tucking into an awesome spread that my roommate made, and suddenly this song came on the system, and me a couple of others started singing this song and doing some sort of co-ordinated dance thingy. Fun! I felt like was transported back into the 90s. The best place to be methinks.

So about the dinner, it was a cozy evening and we were all catching up with each other and listening to Year 2 recruiting cautionary tales, when suddenly some FYs barged in drunk as hell. You see, in the same apartment complex, we were also having the "Around The World" Party - a bunch of 10 apartments, each representing a country and its party experience. As a FY last year, I did the country crawl and got hammered drinking sangrias, margaritas, limoncellos, wine, gin and tonic and ultimately, irish car bombs. The after effects weren't pretty but the party was sooper fun. This year though, my heart wasn't in it and I found that a lot of my fellow 2Ys were also giving this a miss.

We are growing up, my 2Y cohort. We are skipping the get-hammered-silly parties and focusing on small cozy dinners instead. Focusing on getting to know each other very well before the time ran out.

Oh well, getting back to the drunk FYs who barged in, we told them they had the wrong apartment and pointed them in the right direction. I, btw, ended up going to the apartment representing Iceland. It was themed like the smirnoff bar, lot of dry ice and white everywhere and they had the AC down to 40!! a good friend of mine was DJing there and played some awesome techno. Very Iceland indeed. I stayed there till the place started filling up with eager FYs looking to get hammered. Thats when I exited.

Sigh, I'm growing up aren't I?

Status Update

In list form:

1. I got a speeding ticket today. Its going to burn a HUGE hole in my pocket. super ouch!

2. but considering I did earn a lot of money teaching accounting and reviewing resumes of FYs, it sort of compensates

3. So... good karma = bad karma. let this be a lesson! also DON'T ever speed.

4. Good friend of mine had a baby. Super cute and so happy. She is going to be the coolest mom ever!

5. Also, 2 exams on my birthday. again, super ouch!

6. Planning to go to the 2nd exam with a bottle of vodka (hey! its my birthday!). My logic - open book, open notes and open bar

7. heh!

8. My schedule for this term is AWESOME. No classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

9. but I do get sooper effed on Tuesdays and Fridays with back to back classes.

10. not so heh

11. Being extremely languid in my job search. Very bad that.

12. but on the flipside, am making a lot of friends in my class and getting to know a lot of new people.

13. Did trivia at Dains after ages. Did poorly in terms of scores. Poorly by my standards. We beat the undergrad upstarts but still poor

14. Hurts as much as getting a speeding ticket.

15. Actually scratch that. Speeding ticket hurts more. definitely.

16. actually. It depends..

17. New friends also include undergrads from French class.

18. Undergrads are definitely channeling their inner gunner self at the aforementioned French Class.

19. Its sorta annoying but understandable.

20. Reminds me of..well..me

21. They also abuse the use of exclamation marks in their emails/texts!!!!!!!!!!!!!

22. Heh!

23. This is fun!!!!!!

24. ok. will stop.

25. Told you - annoying!

26. Its late and I'm in the mood to quote shakespeare

27. "When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions." - (Hamlet Quote Act IV, Scene V).

28. "As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport" - King Lear

29. Oh, I'm such a drama queen. But an eloquent drama queen, C'est ne pas?

30. Au revoir world!

I'm a PC

Just introduced this man to an audience of 500, including the Deans of all grad schools at Duke. Had lunch with him as well. The geek in me is doing major cartwheels!

Campout Crazy!

Yes, I love me some campout!

Its seriously the coolest thing about being a grad student at duke. Campout is a 40 hour sleep-deprivation exercise to see if you really are a serious fan of Duke Basketball and if you do succeed in making it through the weekend - Fri Night to Sun Morning, you do get to win season tickets for all of Duke's home games.

I did it last year and did not sleep a wink over the entire 40 hours. I still remember the sigh of relief and the rush of adrenaline when the GPSC campout committee announced on Sunday morning that the Campout was over and that we - the remaining intrepid fans - had successfully completed campout! Finishing campout is something I'll always be proud about considering I like sleep so much! I'll also cherish it because it made me love Duke Basketball all the more.

I didn't do it this year because of the weather and I was worried about falling ill but I still did go to all the parties and participated in on the general madness. Campout has the best array of parties and what makes it super awesome is the outdoor setting, the smell of barbeque and the plethora of sounds that hit you. Every club literally has an RV area, blasting music.

The most intense party rivalry is between the Latin American Club and the South Asian Club -Indus. I'm happy to say that this time Indus owned the campout party scene although my ILE teamate, who DJ'ed the Latin American party, did a super job in playing some BRILIANT techno music. I love techno music when it comes to clubbing and the DJing that my buddy did was soo top notch, that I felt like was at a club in amsterdam.

Campout is also a great way to get introduced to a plethora of drinking games like Flip Cup, Beer Pong and Slapping the bag. I got hammered at last year's campout although my beer pong abilities improved exponentially. This time though I went easy on the drinking as I had to drive back.

I love the way campout brings us all together. We have this survivor syndrome, where a kinship is built on surving campout. It is not for the faint of heart, it separates the fans from the non-fans. What I like best about campout are those 4am conversations. Desperate to not fall asleep, you end up talking to random people and have the most discerning of conversations. Last time, I remember, talking about Middle East Politics with a Jordanian Grad student.

To see what campout is about, check out this video, but to experience it, you have to be at Duke. GO DUKE!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLQo_aPTSdE

Monsoon dreaming

The rains in Durham over the past few days have made me crave for the Monsoons, which is strange because I hate rains. I hate what it comes with, atleast in my associations - Traffic Snarls, Power cuts, Gloom..you get the drift. I've never been able to see the rains like most people I know do - liberating, enchanting and hunger inducing.

But weirdly enough, when it started raining incessantly in Durham, in the last few days - it had me craving for that monsoon feeling. I can't define it but its the anticipation of the Monsoons, the effect it has, after a scorching summer. I always looked forward to the first day of the Monsoons. That day in the first week of June, when all of a sudden the earth would smell fantastic, the weather would turn balmy and within moments, the torrent and the awesome force of the Monsoon would pour down.

I don't like rain but I can look at it for hours and catch up with my thoughts. Thats why I like the Monsoons of Mangalore. Its the time to "ponder" during the rains as my grandma put it. She would sit in the courtyard, legs stretched and crossed, keep herself occupied with splitting peas and just watch the rains. Occasionally, she would let slip something like "I once saved a drowning man, when the river flooded."

The Monsoons in the coast are fierce. It would rain continuously for days without respite. The sea would become much fiercer and the people more vary but tranquil. I remember my family was always concerned about losing boats and friends during the season. Since our ancestral house was practically on the beach, my family would get pretty grim fearing the worst. But when it rained, there was nothing one could do but ponder.

Considering how busy I am, I miss that luxury of pondering and just thinking about things instead of being swept away by this tide called B-school, which requires you to act rather than ponder. I miss that.

Dinner was nice

You sit there before me,

your eyes a-twinkle,

and the conversation meanders beautifully,

with good food and drinks galore,

But I sit there, thinking,

You and I are never going to be a whole.

Its sad really.

responder a la questions

Questions I ask myself these days, for instance:

1. Why, as a 2nd year, I'm busier than ever?

Really, why? I thought I'd huffed and puffed and paid my dues in first year and that the 2nd year would be about lounging in the Fox centre or sipping wine by the WaDuke golf course. But no such luck. As usual I committed to more than I could handle and am now going through school in a bleary, sleep deprived daze.

2. I'm sorry, did you opt for French?? Everyday??

In a rush of madness, one that comes with hanging out with some crazy friends, I decided that B-school wasn't challenging enough and that I should opt to learn a new language - in this case French. I'm now signed up for an intro French Course that goes on till December, everyday. I mean EVERYDAY. with Homework!!

I'm actually enjoying this course though. I've always wanted to be fluent in French and this course is perfect to get me there. Although its a ton of work, its a pleasant departure from B-school case mode. Also, it helps me see quite a bit of the university, especially the other graduate schools and the undergrad campus. Duke has a whimsical quality that I absolutely adore. The architecture is gothic and makes you feel like you're in a weird fairy tale. The walk to the Romance Language institute in the morning, taking in the sights of the campus and the crisp morning air, sets me up nicely for the rest of the day. Its a good thing

3. I'm sorry, YOU are a mentor??

Thats the thing about being a 2nd year at Duke. You get thrust with a ton of responsibilities and part of it is mentoring FYs and getting them through their recruiting process. So you help them through their career goals, resumes etc. Its a great way to get to know FYs and give back to the community but its a lot of work. Sigh, and with classes and recruiting and club stuff, things get mighty hectic. I'm also tutoring and so besides concentrating on my current classes, I'm also brushing up on an advanced accounting to teach some FYs. I love accounting and thats why I elected to do it but where's the time. really??

4. Where's the party tonight??

Although, 2nd year is hectic, the party doesn't stop. I think our class has gotten a lot closer. Instead of wild, crazy, parties, I find myself in close gatherings, with good food and wine and sometime even fondue, having deep discussions. Although I must add, I do still enjoy the occasional mindless partying. Campout is coming in 2 weeks and I'm sooper excited about it. There is no feeling the world that captures the essence of campout. Different clubs play their own music all night long, so you find yourself dancing all night to Latin, Indian and Euro tracks. Can't wait for it!!

I like my classes, my activities and all the stuff thats happening around me. I'm not getting my full quota of forty winks but I definitely like being back in school!

Sun kissed skin so hot will melt your popsicle...

So here I am, back in good ol' Durham, having finished with the internship. I didn't realize how much I missed D-town's lazy insouciance till I got here. Its a town that lets you be unlike Big cities, where they almost seem to chastise you for being unproductive.

So as usual I'm concerned with moving duties these days. This is like the 9th time I've moved in the last 6 years. the last year alone saw me move around 3 times. I'm a moving expert now. I know how to pack things efficiently and neatly with everything labelled and all. Infact the movers were impressed with my organized ways - they just had to move 9 boxes for me unlike moving zillion dubious plastic bags with other people. But I have to say that despite moving so many times, I still continue to amass material things. I still continue to make every attempt to grow roots and not live out of a suitcase.

This was vehemently proved when I saw all my stuff. My shoes and my clothes and my replica ship collection. Yes, thats my new hobby - assembling 17th century miniature replica ships. There is something about medieval ships that flips me out. I mean that. I'm rooted to the place and will not move until I can have it. I can spend hours putting together the whole things with all its sails and masts and err.. Moving on to to my other passion - My shoes..ahh my shoes... I dote upon them as mothers dote on their babies and given this motherly pride, I'm not content with shoving them in a box and storing them in an attic. I need a separate closet for them and Thats my new dilemma - how do I make space for all my babies. Actually I have a ton of other dilemmas but this is the one that has a delicious possibility of working out. I am a shoe fiend but I'm not a brand conscious shoe-fiend. Thats what makes me a true shoe fiend because I adore my street chappals from commercial street, bangalore just as I do my 6 inch heels.

My other splurge has been a burgundy sunshine chair. I love it! Its perfect for curling in, with a good book in tow and that my friends, is the bestest feeling the world. Since I have time on my hands, I'm really going to get my space upto a cozy level compared to my last apartment which was spartan at best. And as this is 2nd year, maniacal photo blogging will follow - so watch this space.

Apart from moving, I'm also prone to sitting in my favourite greek cafe Saladelia and watching the world go by. They always play jazz and the food is magnificently light and fresh, sometimes oozing with feta cheese or the most amazing freshly made hummus. Since I have time, I read the NYT through and through and spend hours rather than just skim through it. I have developed a fond affection for its opinion column. They make me think and ponder long after I've read them. Bliss! Also, my daily ritual is to go through a plethora of fashion blogs. I'm addicted to Mrs-o.org - a style blog dedicated to Michelle Obama's style.

I know when school starts I'll be consumed with issues of grave consequence like recruiting. I know I'll be swimming in a tenuous world of fierce competition and grappling with issues of self doubt. I know there will be days in the future where dark clouds will loom, so allow me to revel in the sunshine and insouciance. Allow me to be childish and brazen. For a brief while atleast.

American Revelations

Discovering a new country is one the most exciting journeys that one can undertake. The fun part is developing habits one never had but cannot live without now. These are a few of my favorite things

1. Online Shopping: I'm a compulsive shopper by nature so this should not come as any surprise. the day I learned my dress size, I got hooked to online shopping and started receiving clothes by the droves. two things that I love about online shopping is 1. the larger inventory and 2. the return policy. I could order clothes and return them at the store if I didn't like it. My only other online shopping experience prior to this was ordering books on Amazon. The nerd me is understandably worried by the clothes-horse me.

2. Driving: I never drove before coming here so driving on the "wrong side" of the road was not a problem. What was a problem was the fact that everybody here followed traffic rules religiously. People actually navigated by reading road signs. Who does that I asked?? I was politely told not to display such naivete at my driving test. Which was another proud moment for me considering that in India I got a driving license without ummm driving. The officer who sat beside me at my driving test told me that I drove too cautiously and that I should ummm go easy on the brakes. He still gave me my license even though his nose almost touched the windshield when I braked out of sheer nerves

3. Basketball: I've become crazed basketball fan thanks to Duke's NCAA Championship team. So much so that I even followed the 2010 NBA draft . I know the rules, I know some awesome cheers to heckle the opposition and the refree (eg: I'm Blind, I'm deaf, I wanna be a ref)...err you get the drift. I actually prefer basketball over cricket because its much faster and gets over in 90 minutes so the ratio of Emotion Invested Vs Time is much higher in Basket Ball especially when your team loses. You know in 90 minutes and get over it. As an aside I used a ratio to compare Basketball and Cricket. The nerd me is understandably worried by the MBA me.

4. Obscure Coffee Choices: Before coming here nobody told me to get up to speed on my coffee choices. Its extremely important to have your coffee choice down pat. The more complicated the better and cooler. Also, if you don't have an overtly complicated coffee choice like "Double shot, non fat, decaf, no sugar, free trade, organic, grande Latte" you will be looked at strangely by those good folks at Starbucks.

5. Cardio Dancing: I was always a gym nerd but discovering Zumba & cardio dancing took it to another level. These classes are a lot of fun and you end up learning a LOT of dance moves which come in handy for those B-school parties. You also end up doing strange things like doing salsa for a bhangra song. To quote a popular refrain " Yes you can!" My indian self wanted to protest this anomaly. I wanted to tell all the peeps that this was wrong. An insult to two great culture but then the dance instructor yelled "Booty, Booty, Booty" - a cue for all of us to shake it and sigh I just gave up and "bootied" instead. The choices one is faced with!

6. Student Discount: As a student, largely in debt and a shopping addiction, this is something I'd want to be in School forever for. You get student discount in the oddest of places. For car washes, gym memberships, for theater, music recitals..you curiously never get discounts on things that you actually need as students like books for example or coffee or food. I try my luck anyway. I'll shamelessly ask any establishment if they offered student discounts. Thats how I got $2 off for car wash.

I could go on but here's the rest of the list in bullet points:

1. Food network (which is not good considering I watch it eating a bland salad)

2. Tailgating (getting drunk before a game..like a pre-game party)

3. Barbecues

4. Chipotle Sauce (I dive towards it like an Indian in a mexican Restaurant)

5. Hulu (I dread the day they go subcription based)

6. Biscuit, Scramled Eggs & hash browns at waffle house

..aaah waffle house, I think I'd better stop.

1 year in the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave

A significant enough milestone to warrant a post methinks.

I want to sound like those immigrants in a Jhumpa Lahiri book right now and muse about how I came here with nothing but thats not exactly true though. I came here with 3 suitcases - 69 Kgs - thanks to the generosity of Jet Airways which recognized my student disposition and fleeced me accordingly. And contrary to all those immigrants in Ms. Lahiri's books who went on to do well for themselves, (that is, if you consider becoming a tenured professor at University of Oregon or wherever, doing well for yourself) I continue to descend faster into student loan debt than those scary roller coasters at Disney World. Yes, a massive negative. So judging by conventional FOB (Fresh Of the Boat) standards, you might be tempted to categorize my one year as a massive "FAIL" but that too is not exactly true though.

I think I've had a change of heart about America. Let me explain. When I first came here on a work trip, I left begging God not to EVER send me on a foreign trip again. Knowing how all of us clamour for foreign trips and assignments, you must guess that my trip was awful. It was not awful. It was terrible and traumatic and Emotional scar inducing. I got ripped off by a cab driver to the tune of $150 (my fault entirely) and lost my luggage (not my fault). I wept on the sidewalk of NY and watched people pass me by without so much as a cold stare. I never wanted to return to such a cold country I declared. I must admit that I was deeply injured that a NY cabbie duped me. But that incident not withstanding, I found myself opening the door of an empty house in North Carolina this time last year, not half ready to meet the rigours of a demanding MBA program. I was out of a long term relationship and I felt alone and messed up.

I reconstructed my life gradually and it must be said America made it easy for me. I had a bank account, phone, a furnished house and a car in less than ten days. Nowhere in the world would I have been able to grow some roots so quickly and so easily. My 3 suitcases grew to fill up an entire closet and I have, with great alacrity, amassed a shoe collection which at last count was 42 pairs (alarming hint on where my loans are going). Tucked away in my own bubble, America gave me the space and time to introspect about my life. Space that would not be possible in any other place. I eventually came out of my bubble and was embraced by the extrovert population of this country. The people I've met and the experiences I have had have made me more social and extroverted.I like the fact that I can start a random conversation with anybody here something I don't do back home. I once got an education on Japan by a waitress at my favourite cafe. It also made me more independent and self reliant. I would have also added "polite" but I was always polite FYI.

After a year, I feel enriched and different. Thats when you know you've changed. Your outlook on life, people and experiences are no longer black and white. For that alone, thank you America.

Crazie for life

(*an article I previously wrote for the Fuqua Times*)

To say my family is sports mad would be an understatement. Sports was not an indulgence. It was a way of life. We, my brother and I, learnt to swim before we could spell and shot hoops at 7am in the mornings during summer holidays while all other kids got to sleep an extra hour. So, yes, we felt deeply about our sports.

Naturally, our television was dominated by sports. My fondest family memories, in fact, were watching important games with my brother and Dad. I’ve watched every world cup football final with them since 1987. I still remember watching my brother jump with joy when France beat Brazil in 1998. My dad was bitter because Brazil was his team. And I watched dispassionately. That was the problem for me. I never really felt for any team. I supported the teams that my brother and dad supported because it seemed incongruous not to do so. So while my brother moped for days when his team lost, I never quite reached the depths of despair like he did. Oddly enough I envied him. I envied him for the connection that he had with his team. For finding that deep, inexplicable bond that ties an individual to a team, regardless of swings in fortunes. I, of course, did not have such a connection with any team till I discovered Duke basketball.

I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I honestly knew nothing about Duke Basketball till my Student Visa Interview in May of last year. I remember prepping for the interview for all possible questions the consulate could ask me – Why MBA, What plans after? etc. So imagine my surprise when the first question I was asked was “Are you a Basketball fan?” Stumped, I mumbled something about vaguely following the Chicago Bulls. The consulate officer then proceeded to educate me on Duke and its history with Basketball. Even after school began, it wasn’t until campout that I got a sense of how important Basketball was to the heritage of the school. On campout Sunday, after spending over 36 hours sleep deprived, hung over, without having won a ticket and facing an impending Stats quiz, I vowed to watch at least one basketball game at Cameron.

My first game at Cameron happened due to an impulse decision. A friend and I decided to “walk up” to the Long Beach State game on December 29. We stood in line, amidst freezing conditions (hey, I’m Indian, if it isn’t sunny it’s ALWAYS freezing for me) and hoped to make it into Cameron. We were allowed in after waiting for an hour and I still remember the moment I first entered the arena. The atmosphere inside was pulsating to say the least. Within moments I got up to speed with all the cheers and was ready to harass any opposition team as a true Cameron Crazie would. I fell in love with Basketball during that game. The fast pace and frenetic energy made it a keeper in my books. But most of all, it was the team – watching them execute strategic maneuvers was like watching sublime poetry in motion. I was hooked to say the least.

I made it a point from then on to follow every game. I was a Cameron Crazie even when I watched the game on TV. I held my hand up when free throws were attempted and yelled “whoosh” if it went in. If Brian Zoubeck made a save, I would twist my fingers in to a “Z”, even if I was watching the game at the airport (NCAA – Duke Vs Cal). When we lost to Georgetown, I was miffed for days. When I met Duke Haters (of which there are plenty – even as far flung as Leuven, Belgium) I defended our team to the core. That’s when I realized that I had begun to care. That’s when I realized what my brother, a true fan went through – to stick by your team, to stay loyal despite the whims and fancies of fortuna.

During the NCAA final with 13 secs to go, when Butler had the possession and it looked like they would sneak past our score, I remember my heart sinking. I remember telling myself that I would celebrate our team even if we lost and would be an even fiercer fan the coming year. We won that game and I wept tears of joy. It was surreal to say the least. I called up the older sibling, who had no idea about what the NCAA meant, but understood the sentiment perfectly. That’s when I realized I had finally found MY team, my connection. To paraphrase Lord Tennyson a bit here, teams may come and teams may go, but I’m a Crazie Forever!!

'nuf said