Day 3:

Was the day of Orientation. Reached JUST IN TIME ( JIT )... a vast improvement over the previous day... lets see, for how long the new Punctuality Pang remains in my system.

Finance-Accounts-Economics : The pegigree of the Prof was of the tallest order : IIT-IIM-Law school-Director...etc.. enough to put u in a daze. Having reached on time, i seemed to be in a elated state of mind. The problem was, I managed to plant my ass right upfront for the lecture; while the rest of the sensible blokes took the back seats.

Then the barrage of Financial lingua franca was unleashed @ me like the SCUDS of Saddam... My Patriots had no clue where to traget; for it was a torrent... Credit-Debit-Equity-Instrument-Bonds-Interest Rates-Strategy-Risk-ECAP (Enhanced Capital Advantaged Preferred Security ). 10 minutes into the lecture, I has started the familiar ritual of staring @ the watch in exasperation... awaitng the tea break. After a while, i gave up for the goddamn clock was just not willing to move. Next, i began to devote undue attention to my Cello ballpoint pen; admiring its well crafted parts. Every once in a while, the cap might just go flying into space, giving me the breathing space to move my ass.

We were about an hour into the lecture; with no sign of break or tea. The Economic Times lying on the table was a disturbing thought. Carried that yellow paper; only when i had to create an impression..else it was more valuable to invest money admiring the Mid-Day mates & Asian Age belles. As i had feared, the discussion now revolved on a few articles from the Yellow paper; with all its graphs & figures ( numerical ). We have been adviced to read this yellow paper & make notes on a daily basis... Wish, somewhere in those yellow pages, i might find Beattle Bailey or Mandrake .. Hmm, finance was never meant to tickle my funny bone...

Strangely, I was as much concerned about the rest; how the remainder of the junta was enduring this barrage. By biggest mistake was to rotate my neck by about 50 degrees around the fulcrum. and what i saw. left me mindfucked.... My good friend from Kota was vigouroulsy nodding his head in sync with the Prof's statements. Holy Cow...I sighed...!! was he the next generation Amritya Sen or Allen Greenspan whom i was witnessing in action!!

The Prof is a very honest & down to earth bloke, very passionate about his subject & eager to develop a sense of facination & admiration withing us for the subject. A few clings & clangs... & boy... there was finally some distraction. The canteen boys were serving something.
Good civilised behaviour meant, I don't turn around but rather wait eagerly ... Drinking 7-UP in the middle of a Finance lecture... ( My mind was howling... CHAI....CHAI...CHAI....) Need to sort this issue asap... I mean, the drinks that are offered during lectures. ... So what if the course is modelled on foreign universities.... Can't take a chai out of an Indian..can u...proposterous!!

Eventually, when the 2 hr marathon ended, there was a sigh of relief all around. It was now time, to grab those FAT ass books... which adds glitz ,glamour & value to the persona of even the Intellectually Challenged..!!

As things stand, it appears to be quite a committed bunch of guys, who are very keen on making this course rock. Lets hope, the committment, enthusiasm & exhuberance lasts the full distance.

Tomorrow is again time to cool myself, before the ship sets sail on 3rd Dec-05.
In the meanwhile, its time to get holf of those fancy jargons & financial terms. Can't afford to be Lost In The Wild... back to back.... With the markets & economy on a BULL run, better get the wheels moving, else Oppurtunity Cost might just remain a Finacial term of zilch value.

Day 2:

Was an Official Off.... Basically meant to do all the ground work....
So, stayed grounded @ home.

Open Sesame.....

28th November 2005:

After a great deal of analysis, confusion & introspection, finally the doors of the Aegis School Of Business were thrown open to welcome it's first bunch of wanabe Managers ... or should i say Monsters.

Punctuality.... I am yet to decipher the meaning of that.... Reached a cool 1-1/2 hrs behind schedule..... ( By now,i am so used to giving a truck load of execuses... which even sound genuine to the uninitiated... aka stuck @ the Bank, Trains running late, caught in traffic, Railway ticket counter closing down..blablah) Does that mean, i already have the essential prerequisite to become a Manager...?? Ahmm....!! No ways... i don't intend to be the standard Gobi Manchurian, available @ each & every nook & corner .... I do perceive myself to be an exotic specie... aka Tofu baked in Oyster Sauce with some Tiramisu ( though never tried this befr)..after all my lifes mantra happens to be.. "Live a Life, Less Ordinary" ..For some strange reason, ppl like my mom , tend to skip the word "LESS", reminding me of the Dark Side of The Moon....

But being the first day, not much was happening..except registrations... ( now that means.. paper work.... perfecting the art of Thumb Impressions...) for Managers & Management is all about creating Impressions.... meant to sedate the person in front... & before he realises..Patli gali se Satko..... types..!! Having accomplished the first task, it was time to indulge in the next best occupation of a streotype Manager...& i.e ..aha u got it right honey.... SOCIALISE...!!!

Eventually , i expect these tasks to be achieved by over indulging in WWW ( wine-woman-wealth).... For starters, i had to make do with MMM ( men-men-men )... Oh!! there was one woman though, but from the faculty..& yeah..she was pretty. After the generic introductions, i got to know 3 of the handfullof blokes with whom i am expected to spend 1 year in solitary confinement..( if i may say so..). Don't be surprised by the term HANDFULL.... afterall, not everyone can aspire to be Neo ( the Chosen One). ( hmm.... my heart feels better.... the Spirit soaring & the Ego..rising steadily up the complex web called MATRIX )

To gain some, u need to first appreciate the art of giving.. ( eastern philosophy ..i was told..Not sure if the Bongs who happen to be so far in the east had anything to do with it)... Anyways, was feeling hungry & it was time to shell out hard cash to satiate the worldly desires of my gluttonous intestines..hoping, it would be reccyled & serve me well in the days ahead.... ( might sound a tad confusing..don't bother..its my tummy that is doing all the talking...)

Next on the agenda..was house hunting... Travelling from Goregaon to Belapur.... Can't afford to hold the class @ ransom, with my innovative execuses for being late....(might soon run out of ideas...) So have descided to shift base.... Though my momsy hates the very thought....
( I must say..What a woman... even after enduring me for 31 long years, the last 2 years of which have been so frighteningly eventfull, she still expects me to hang around @ home.... Ballu Marley might have sung.... WOMAN..U MAKE ME CRY....sob..sob)
We were accompanied by a broker, who reminds me of the bloke from Monsoon Wedding. This tiny creature, seems to be the Lord & Master of Sector-15. No, house is rented out without his knowledge, all watchman in the area are his chums, he has multiple offices, has good contacts with the MSEB blokes & most of all, the landlords trust him ekdum blindfolded.....( All this he has claimed ..one mighty Chaman..I must say!!..) The room he showed was under renovation... eagerly awaiting our arrival.. A huge 1700 sqft 2 BHK mansion with no fan, no lights & no furniture... Bare to the basic ..i.e water in the Loo & power points that are powered ..( god knows for what..some invisible source??) @ rs.5000/- as monthly rental... with 5 or 6 of us holed up in it, sounds neat... Though i am worried, about my early morning tea.... But all of that later... as i am still @ mom's place... & have another week befr my tryst with destiny ..( missing my morning tea..i.e)

My good friend from Kota was in dire need of temporary accomodation. The hotel rentals were driving him nuts. Payed a visit to YMCA @ Belapur ... & bingo... all his problems were laid to rest.

Tomorrow is my first official off.... basically there is not much happening @ college.... & i need to sort out through the maze of paper work with regards to the bank loan....

As i finish writing this piece, The Dravidians have thrashed the SpringBooks into sumbission @ Wankhede, to level the series & redeem themselves of the Kolkatta misadventure.
Bravo Chappelli & Dravid..for all the experimentation/strategy.whatever... Don't be disheartened by failures... & avoid those straight jacket skunks..called critics... For they shall get fingered any which ways..:)...........................................................Signing Off....Adios