join the bandwagon

If you are an aspiring MBA/MS candidate, then this post is for you.

Specially if in the country of 'Yes we can - Obama' and more specially if you are Indian, then you have hit the right spot, oops URL.

New term is approaching and application season has started. When the graduate admission office is busy sorting out stuff and deciding on whom to admit to their elite club, here are some tips for starry eyed aspirants.

1. This whole process is very exhaustive. Specially if you don't have any close friends/peers giving you company, cursing the courier people, understanding the essence of going through this ordeal, then there are very bright chances of 'you getting frustrated'. So have loads of patience. Start meditation to avoid catastrophic situations!

2. Start your application process as early as possible. Always remember the invaluable lesson of logic and practicality, 'First come first served'. This improves your chances of getting admitted with a handsome aid (financial of course, you weirdo :P) by your side. 

This does not, at all, mean that the ones who apply around the threshold don't get through. Most of the applicants lie in that region. But as a victim of that attitude I would advice to be smart by starting early.

3. Keep all the paperwork like recos, transcripts, sops and financial docs ready. This adds to the smartness quotient on your part. Remember we are trying to reduce stress, strain and assorted relatives. 

4. Unlike in India, here people do not have entrances except for the GMAT/GRE (I call them the GATE PASS, as they are nothing more than that, but the scores are crucial, no matter). So once you have the initial score ready, start your research immediately. Focus is required for any kind of post graduation. I would seriously stress on being serious about stuff. What you do after coming here, I mean focus or not focus is totally your choice. But for the application part show focus and dedication. The energy and national currency converted in US dollars (which is in comma right now) one invests in this process should not be wasted according to me.

5. Professional help is not so mandatory for the recos and sops, if you are focused enough on what you want to do. But if you are not sure, then I would suggest that you join one of them. It will help you get a point of view on what you want/should do, at least.

6. Once you start applying, enjoy your time. Because, once you come here, life would be totally different. Your peer group, life style will change drastically. So get ready for the change by having a blast. This is based on my optimistic observation that, if you apply to 7 schools, you get through minimum 2, with 80% chances of actually landing here! :)

There are many personal experiences, I would like to share. Maybe sometime later. Do take care of steps 1-3. 

Life's is much better if you come here with a clear and focused mindset. 

All the best!

nightflier :)

Dil vil pyaar vyaar !!

Love is in the air. I know its not the holy month of February, all you love gurus and valentine suckers !!

Its in the air, because I sense so. (Again, its not about me. Better clarify. Spare me your oooh's and aah's :D)

So, when I see people around me (hush..hush..) in the 'ooooh..so sweet' (flutters eyelashes) thing called love, I ask myself, what is love, baby???

I secretly know I do not know the exact answer though I love so many people in my life :). But then when I do not know perfectly about something, I make it a point to know the things not associated with that something. Like, I do not know about the game of baseball. But I seriously know that its not like cricket, though people run amock in a field for a single ball (!!!) like mad and you score runs and get caught, etc, etc. Now, you got the point ?

Anyways, coming back to ishq vishq and all that matters, my take on what is not love.

Love is not something which makes you miserable. Where you cry over a stupid thing someone said, for hours. Then the other person broods over it and then the chain reaction. Phew. If someone says something stupid to me, I tell him/her how stupid it was. It did not make sense. And end the stupidity there. I mean crying over such things wastes a lot of energy, unless it is something very serious, like 'hey, you are such a jerk, to love Shahrukh khan.' Its self invited war in such cases !!! 

So number 1, love does not make you miserable. Miserable to emotions, circumstances, stupid mistakes.

Love is not about 'me' or 'you'. It's a lot more about 'US'. Not the country yaar, the 'we' part. The togetherness part :) Me and you put a lot of pressure on the 'love' quotient. The 'we' part helps love grow in a free manner :)

(disclaimer: I did watch 'u, me aur hum', liked it in bits and pieces, but these are my views!!)

The fall in love is not just a phrase. It symbolises the ultimate rise. This applies to every relation according to me. Again stressing that things are supposed to make you happy. There has to be a sense of belonging, caring and bonding. The rise is just felt in the right way then. It is such a high I tell you!! Not better than dancing all night to bollywood tunes though!

Love is not a do or die dependency. The dependency is more mutual. But it does not hamper any one's lives. I mean 'main tumhare bina nahi jee sakta/sakti' stuff is too hyperbolish and filmy. Even you know that, each of us can live without each one of us. It's the way god designed our genes, that makes us a social animal. Not much of our fault, you see.

I do not know how KJ and yash chopra movies work (I am a sucker for this mush though!!) when they say love is friendship and love is not just friendship, but I would ultimately like to believe that  love has companionship. How boring it would be otherwise to watch all this mush alone?

Love is not just girl-boy. It can be between anyone. Brother-sister, father-son, professor-student (the respectful love, don't raise those eyebrows), girlfriends (girls who are "friends"), boys who are friends (!!), your dog and me (ohh..do I miss bruno?? :() I find the 'love actually' (great movie!!) type of love definition appealing. 

Love really is not bound by cast,creed and religion. For the conservatives, I can love anyone. Come on' its love we are talking about. Its a natural and pure feeling. If only we could filter our feelings that way!!

Love does not necessarily metamorphosise into a successful relationship/wedding. Some 'love' stories are good as just stories. Love and relationships have really different dynamics. Love relates you to someone, but vice versa can not be true always. Like a boy and girl though really great as friends can sometimes not hit it off that well, if they were betrothed. So specially teenagers and people my age (I am not so old, you see) should chillax. Love happens and so do relationships. You just have to take it easy.

Lastly, though love brings along some anxiety and possessiveness, it's not desperation. I can not think of how to explain this point. :-/

My love fundas are not coming out of my ever exhaustive brain anymore. I know a lot though :D

I just blogged because had this unbearable urge to write something down and got up out of my slumber, to jot this down.

The thoughts could have been more coherent and synchronised, but this was an urge after all !! :)

One last thing once again, Love actually is all around :)

nightflier!

P.S. Not being in 'love' in the v-day fashion also entitles you to write you views ;)

coming around

What do you do when you have had the fight of your life with one of your buddies?

What do you do when you realize how lonely you have become?

What do you do when you realize that you are in the US of A?

What do you do when you are sulking in the remains of a nasty fight?

What do you do when you have not slept properly for the past 3 weeks?

What do you do when sense finally starts prevailing and ego starts shedding?

What do you do when you realize 'Relationships are horcruxes. One should not break away 

from things so easily.' (Someone really sane had told me this once).

What do you do when you realize that you have been secretly brooding over things yourself, and counting on the chances of the other person coming around?

What do you do when the 'other person' actually calls up after all the shit?

What do you do when you start realizing how selfish and small you have been?

What do you do when the better of you, the goodness tells you to forget?

What do you do when the ego tells you that its ok to forget but not so easy to forgive?

What do you do when the void forming inside is too much to bear?

What do you do when you are really down in the dumps and need a shoulder to cry on?

What do you do when the real meaning of friendship starts sinking in?

What do you do when 'it's time to be good and nice again'?

I think, you just dial the number in your phone directory and don't ask so many stupid questions to yourself.

Life is too short to be bad and nasty to people. Friendships are too bigger than ego, to give up on.

Emotions are too complex sometimes, to actually give so much thoughts and energy to.

Life is really easy if you set it straight!!

nightflier !

General..

Fall break is over. So is Diwali (almost!).

Life has seen some highs and lows. Highs of scoring good in mid-terms. Even such stuff feels like a high when you have had some of the most bitter experiences in relationships. It was like gulping a dose of that yuckiest syrup (i hate syrupy medicines !!!) which your doctor prescribes in spite of you telling him that you would prefer being sick than having to force 'that' through your esophagus!! But some things need to be learnt the hard way and you have to move on!! Move on as in slap yourself a 100 times for being such a fool, then kicking your ass another 100 times and trudge forward !!!

One new lesson learnt and life is the same again. But this time I have A. R. Rehman's refreshingly superb music by my side. 

Yuvraaj's music is out. I have a gut feeling that the movie is going to suck big time, but hold on, the music is amazing!! Listen to Mastam Mastam, and you will know what I am saying. 

Gulzaar is weird, mann!! The song goes like this..

bheje mein bhauchaal hain,

pairo mein pataal hai,

dil ka ahwaal le ke aaye !!!!

only he can write such stuff! Specially after that na na song from Guru, it can only be him!! But this is not about how weird Meghna Gulzaar's dad is. This is about what a super musician, mr. Rehman is! This song has a carnival feeling to it. So many emotions are strewn in this song. So many moods. I bet after the initial, what the hell was that reaction, you would rewind it again and again and again. Alka Yagnik is mint fresh. And Sonu Nigam proves that he is talent and loads of talent. The mouth organs, violins and the chorus at the end just add to the awesumness of the song!

The other song which made quite a rounds on my media player is Manmohini. Good fusion of classical and modern notes. I liked all the classical notes.

Zindagi is the softest song from the album. Has some really good high notes and refined singing.

Shano Shano is the ultimate club song. There's everything international about it.

Tu muskura is again nice. Wonderful lyrics (I understood them for a change. Gulzaar can be kind sometimes!). I would have preferred Kavita Krishnamoorty or Sadhna Sargam better still. hmmm.. I don't doubt the god though :)

Tu hi meri dost hai is one of the high points of the album actually. The music is simply amazing. Singers scores a 10 on 10, with Rehman's complex music.

Most of the music comes as a crescendo. Initially soft stuff and then some really high and complex notes. After all Ghai claims that Yuvraaj is a musical!! The music has that MUSICAL quality. 

(I know I have conveniently not written about some songs because I simply have not listened to them. I mean I don't listen to stuff like 'main hoon yuvraaj'!!!!! which is not even a song) And so now you also get that I am not reviewing the music here :) 

Also listen to Desi girl from Dostana. If you did not shake your leg on that beat, I would suggest you meet a doctor. Shankar Mahadevan has this uncanny ability of bringing life to the most ordinary song (sadly most ordinary music). 

Listen to mastam mastam. It is playing for the 1000th time in my house, much to my roomie's dismay. (conspiring whisper, she hates that song !! :D)

mast mast dar mastam, dar bhind bhind dar mastam, ast hast gar mastam, dar mastam.. (I loudly sing this to annoy her some more :D hope she will not read this!!)

Listen to it :) :)

Happy Diwali !!

Wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous Diwali !!

This is my second Diwali away from home, in a string of 'away-from-home' Diwali's, a routine which looks kind of set now. 

On the first away Diwali, I was in Mysore. Trying hard to catch a glimpse of those festive lights in the markets and houses. Dying to wear new clothes on each of those 5 days. Craving for Diwali faraal. And jumping at the distant sound of bursting of a cracker sitting in my hostel room, 25 km's away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Well, it was a different experience. I had watched a movie, first day first show, more of a premier of DON, the SRK one. This was a prohibited thing to do back home. Watching a movie in a theatre, that too on Laxmipujan day was considered a sin!!!! Actually, it never occurred to me as a kid that you could also celebrate Diwali, in such modern fashion !! :D

The saving grace that time had been a visit to a temple and some couriered faraal (puran poli,chakli and chiwda) from home. Mom's are incorrigible. The thought of enjoying all these pleasures without their kids around is torturous to them. Meriwali (as SRK says in kal ho na ho) is sending some stuff this time too :)

Some things to reminisce about.

I used to have a set of allotted tasks every year. Making torans (garlnads) for the house. Every year me and my bro would come up with some new ishtyle and decorate the front door and gallaries. 

Then was the herculean task of drawing Rangoli. Herculean because, I would draw a single big rangoli for our entire neighborhood (my place and the neighbor aaji's place). That was the most fun activity. Everyone would try to help me out in their own ways. Aajoba used to get his big ruler and help me out aligning the dots. I was never a free hand person so would always draw the rangoli with dots and straight lines with as little curves as possible :) Then my brother and dad, would help me out choose the color scheme. It was a matter of neighborhood pride, you see, which house has the most colorful and spectacular rangoli. Mom would be the last person to take a peek along with aaji, too busy in the kitchen with a grand menu of Puran Polis, bhajji, saar (aamti) and rice. They would give critical remarks or try to suggest something  different, which I would just shrug off saying, they should be happy with the 3 hours of collective efforts!!

The last task used to be arranging the living room, lighting lanterns, illuminating every nook and corner of the house, inviting goddess Laxmi to enlighten our lives (that's the childhood story I have been told and come to believe). 

Well, the list ends here. Shows how much my mom trusts me!! 

No heavy duty work my way :D 

There were some routines which I secretly detested as a kid. The get togethers for faraal, where entire neighborhood families will come over. The joshi's today and the Sharma's tomorrow. For the sole reason that, I would never finish off the stuff in my plate, only to get sneers and booos from other kids. Thankfully mom-dad were too sweet to say anything in front of everyone!! I still wonder how some kids can eat just anything in their plates. I have no disrespect for food, but I can eat only little at a time :( A trait which is in my system. I admire those kids and their parents, who never had to teach their kids eating manners, unlike mine :(

I also did not approve of it very much it, when my brother would just drag me to the terrace and burst those noisy crackers. The peace loving me would just disappear in a corner with ears covered with both hands. Why guys his age loved to show off their firecraking skills, was a mystery to me then. Initially like a good caring sibling, thinking that I have a perpetual fear of crackers, he would encourage me to try bursting them. Thankfully he gave up :) But can you imagine, he's celebrating a non polluting Diwali this year, as a mark of respect to my absence!! Poor thing sure does not know that, I enjoy the navy pier fireworks almost every alternate weekend :D

I miss all this.

But Diwali away from home, also gives me a chance to celebrate it in my own way. To try something different. I kind of have an apartment of my own (haaan..rented hai lekin mera hai :D) So I am making elaborate lunch plans. No match to mom's culinary skills, I admit. But my desi and non-desi friends will not mind, as long as they are getting good food!! Planning to attend Diwali mass. And light some lanterns too. Catch up on studies and watching some animated movies is something else I want to do.

We have also cleaned the house, almost. And now I know what a pain it must be for the motherkind to do this huge task all by themselves with a little help from us and maid aajibai.

All the good things and bad things apart, what matters is the festive spirit. Celebrating life and making yourself and in turn others happy :) Indulging in small activities to make life more fun. We need such breaks to enjoy the feeling of togetherness. Many people don't need a reason to celebrate, but for those many who have forgotten the little incentives life has to offer, this is like an opportunity offered every year, without any 'conditions apply' tag at the end. 

I wish that no conditions apply to your happiness and good spirits this festive season. Wish you all an illuminating Diwali and a-throw-your-fears-away Halloween (just remembered..it's the halloween on 31st OCT!!).

nightflier :)

Unaccustomed Earth

Its a collection of short stories by noted author Jhumpa Lahiri.

Each story opens up the human nature in a different way. A brief synopsis.

1. Unaccustomed earth : The title story tells the tale of a father and daughter, separated by the invisible walls of loneliness, after the death of their only common thread, his wife, her mother. The distances which grow between them. Each's idea of bridging it. The father never wanting to be near his daughter for more than a fortnight. The daughter wanting him to take care of her family in an Indian fatherly way. The unaccustomed earth of her kitchen garden, where she has recently moved, becomes their bonding place as the father develops a special love for his grandson.

This is the best story of the lot. A deep uneasiness in the characters. The uncomfortably comfortable relations they share. The way even a father and daughter separated by a huge emotional gap, would bond at an unaccustomed place.

Thumbs up to this story!!

2. Hell-Heaven : This story explores the psyche of a woman. Her instincts and her emotional capabilities. As a woman, the author knows eaxctly which shades to highlight. Her observations of the human mind leave a lasting impression.

3. A choice of accomodations : The story of an emmigrant boy and his american wife. A very simple story, about how marriages work, fall apart and again work. Again her observations of those tiny emotions, captured in words, is simply amazing.

4. Only goodness : I personally liked this one too. The story of two siblings, who brought up in a foreign culture, loose the bonding while growing up. The efforts of one as the responsible and competitive sister always losing against the carefree and lost brother. A secret of drinking beer at nights after their parents fall asleep, turns into an addiction for the brother. Something which is unacceptable to the Indian mindsets of the parents. This devastates the perfect family the sister's trying to nurture.

Again her meticulous observations and the ability to weave story in a flashback stand out.

5. No Body's Business : A complicated love traingle. That's the only thing that comes to my mind when I think about it.

6. Hema and Kaushik : Fiction at its best. The story of two individuals with separate lifestyles joined by a single thread, a dead woman. This story travels from American coasts to Europe to Asia to leave a lasting impression. Kaushik's need to keep on moving, not to settle at a single place, not to feel the sense of belonging. And Hema's struggle to make herself feel belonged, by trying to settle in a foreign country. Their love and its defeat. The sad end to the story. Every part is touching.

Lahiri's emotional wisdom is just amazing. She delves into such realms of the mind, so effortlessly, that you relate with the lives and struggles of the characters. The stories do seem bounded by the whole emigrant experience.

A good and soft read if you are really into short stories.

Ironically I have not read her earlier works. I have to dig more now. She is impressive!!

Minnesota diaries - day 2

Actually I have no mood to write this part. Feeling too lazy.

But as I had already mentioned about it in the earlier post, I can't run away from the responsibility of giving my readers the updates about my 'oh-not-so-boring' life !! (yawn ....)

The second day was marked with a bad start. People were struggling with hangovers. Not that I minded a late start to the day with an already long previous night and very little sleep. 

So as planned we reluctantly started off towards 'River Wild State Park' to watch fall colors, with a rented car and the car stereo. This was the first time that I saw use of the GPS application for directions. I don't know if I liked it or not. I am more of let's explore and find our way types, when it comes to such expeditions. But in the lands of the organized and meticulous planners, this thing is a must. May be its good to have some sort of guide in the unfamiliar terrain. Not that the GPS thing was a great help!! Thankfully (for me) and disdainfully (for others) it could not recognize the start address. But like in India, we had a chalta firta guide on roads and freeways friend. We did make it without any hiccups. For our surprise (in that sleepless state nothing could really shock us!!) the fall colors were no where to be seen. Only barren trees and their leaves on the grounds, waiting for the winds to sweep them away. The team of 5 got separated in 2. 3 of us (who were proved not so smart enough, me not included, of course !!!) went in for canoeing in the st. croix river. I and another friend opted for exploring the woods.

It turned out that the canoeing team had a really tough time, as they had to row against the winds while going up and row against the river flow while going down. The 2 hours when these people were inside the waters, we took a long 5 mile walk in the jungles. We visited the small museum, 'the visitor center'. There was loads of useful info about wild flaura and fauna. The concept of 'an alien species' specially amused me. After reading the definition (I don't remember it word by word though) I actually started feeling comfortable. I constantly had this out of place or somehow I don't belong here feeling, from the moment I landed in this country. I would feel weird at the use of the word 'Alien' on every official document I filled up here. Were not Aliens just Sigourney Weaver movies or the enemies from Independence Day who threatened our planet? Anywho the denial of accepting the fact of being a foreigner finally ended in the small museum in the woods. 

After this enlightening self acceptance, I prompted to take a way which seemed closer. Not that we had a map of the woods or anything. You don't get 100 points for guessing that it was a Wrong Turn. Well, I also have this instinctive quality of confidently suggesting a wrong way. But in self defense I would say, it makes the journey meaningful, longer and more meaningful (with the way I get cursed for being such a dodo, it sure sounds meaningful !!)

Anyways, we found a kind enough American couple who gave us their used map, after we gave in the fact of being officially LOST. We were not in such a bad position after all. We found a shorter route along the river stream (just 3 miles you see) which would take us to the canoeing team. On my way, I collected some interesting foliage. I wish I had the craft books we used to have in schools, to paste the evidence of my trip, right away.

The river stream made us so cheerful that we totally forgot the fact that the canoeing outing was a disaster for the other team. The journey back was not so great for the friend who was driving, as we conveniently dozed off in the back seats. 

In the evening we went to St. Paul Cathedral (Minneapolis and St. Paul form the twin cities and the capital of Minnesota). We reached in time for mass. End to the day could not have been more peaceful. The cathedral had this calming and soothing quality about it. Its spectacular interiors did take my breath away for a while! After that we went to St. Paul Capitol Hill. Another beautiful monument, full of roman architecture. After posing for some tired snaps, the day finally ended. Oh I forgot the dinner at the Chinese joint. It was amazing as well. Specially, the way the cook made the chicken fried rice really spicy to make sure that the toilets will remain clogged for the next 2 days !!!! No kidding, it was so spicy that, we wasted it thinking good about the toilets.

Anyways, my trip ended there. A 2 day break from god knows what. But a trip makes you think about small things in life. Things which you normally leave unnoticed. The many facts about yourself and your daily lives. It lets you unwind. So do plan something the next time you get a chance. Its a nice way to indulge.

nightflier :)