Brazil

Brazil...phew...just got back from a wonderful spring break from my first visit south of the equator. The actual reason to go there was for the Global Business Experience (GBE), a week long exchange program with Darden's partner school IBMEC that seeks to give us a sense of the business climate in those countries. But lets talk about that some other time.

I had a lot of fun in Brazil, and the best way to get a sense of it is to run into me sometime and you will find me gloating about that place. Sao Paulo is alive and the city gets you pumping. It might have been so because I was surrounded by undergrad students and guys from Darden who thought they were on spring break (we actually were) or the fact that I got to see an active night life and other nice places there. What really boded well with me was that people were laid back, liked to have a nice time and were forthcoming in helping me, even though my language skills were limited to a few words of Portuguese and a lot of hand signals. Maybe the fact that I was there with 30 people I know helped he have more fun.

I got to see the art scene in Sao Paulo, visit their corporate giants (Abril, Azul, Embraer) and see Ronaldo in action in his comeback game (he scored a gooooooooooooool). All this meant that I am glad I decided to go to Brazil as part of the GBE. My first visit down under,at least from the equator if not Oz, was a huge blast. Look forward to seeing another part of the world next year.

Charlottesville

The hidden secrect of getting a Darden MBA and going to school at UVA is the city of Charlottesville as evident in the following video.

Darden MBA

:)

Communicate Baby

Over the few months I have spent at Darden, the one thing that I have observed is that you need to communicate to be successful. You build rapport, friends, relationships and all that matter using effective communication. I have seen naturals as well as people who cringe at that thought. But I believe that everyone can communicate well and its just that they have developed a mental block. It helps if you are well read as you can pick up a conversation about any topic and lead the conversation into something meaningful. And Everette Fortner's(Executive Director for Corporate Relations and Career Development, Darden School of Business) blog is an excellent reminder of the efficacy of communication. I would encourage a read.

Happy reading

Student Life Re-visited

It’s been a while since I last wrote, but b-school is so demanding on your time that you have little left for anything else. It’s been close to a month since school started and I thought it would be apt to write about my experiences as a student (again) and life in general.

To start off, Darden is a wonderful place to be and I am glad I chose Darden. The place is overflowing with energy, creativity and ideas. And they catch you very soon. Classes are very discussion based (case-method) and this has 2 benefits. 1) You are forced to speak out and this is a good thing and 2) your thoughts are challenged, so you learn to think on you feet and focus on giving accurate answers. But let’s leave the class room for a minute. How about the campus? I would use a single word to describe my home for the next 2 years: elegant. As with any organization, people are Darden's biggest asset. My professors and friends in class are some of the most accomplished people I have known. All have this urge to succeed in life and that is an eclectic atmosphere to be in. The aura we all create lifts each of us to succeed together.

Darden is giving me lots of opportunities to train to be the leader I want to be. I had my first, albeit unsuccessful, attempt at student politics. But the whole effort had me writing and practicing giving speeches. I wanted this challenge to give me some experience in public speaking (in election mode). But I did manage to get into the student admissions committee. And I am also on the opportunity consultants groups and so on. This gives the idea of what happens to my time and also what sort of opportunities I have to hone my skills.

Will keep you updated about my journey....but before I leave, check out this photo.

Update

I have been keeping this under wraps for a long time, but its now time to come into the open...

No....I am not gay...thank you....

I applied and got into Darden School of Business (University of Virginia - www.darden.edu).

A lot went into this and I am glad to be there.

A tribute to a gentle soul

My dad meant a lot me. I always assumed he, along with my mom, to be next to me at all times, good and bad. Over the last 3 years, I have been outside India; I used every opportunity to talk to them. No one drew more happiness from my achievements (big or small) than my dad, me included. I will always love him for that. He made me work hard to achieve something so that I could tell him as it would bring him happiness.

He taught me the importance of eating our food together. He made me realize the significance of family and his commitment to keeping his family together really amazed me. He used to insist on frequent family holidays, doing fun activities together, cooking on a coal stove ,helping each other at all times and much much more. It is because of him that I relish our forests, our mountains and, of course, our food.

He was a very intelligent man, no doubt about that. And I attribute what ever intelligence I have to him. Perhaps the one thing that I would most love to inherit from him is his jovial attitude, willingness to help and kindness. He always had a smile on his, no matter what the obstacle in front of him. We had our rough moments in life, but he smiled through out. Perhaps that is the reason none of those moments really mattered to me then and now. I knew, and he knew too, that we would get out of that phase. But keeping the smiles going has paid rich dividends in terms of memories.

The best decision I took in life has to be when I invited them to spend 3 months during summer of 06 with me in the US. It cost me a lot, but I was determined to give my parents a trip of their life time. And what a trip it was. We literally drove around the US allowing us to bask in and absorb this country's pristine beauty. I am glad I got to enjoy those sounds and sights with him. He enjoyed the most and in the end, that’s what really mattered.

My father passed away in December of 07, just a month and a half short of my admission into the B-School of my choice. He was so involved in the process and I am sure this would have made him happy. I dedicate my success in school and life to him, for I have nothing else to offer him as a final tribute.

Checha, I love you.......................As I cry while writing this, I truly wish you would have been with us for a long long long time, but I will try hard to rest with the knowledge that you are still with us listening, looking, talking, playing, smiling and being a part of our lives.

Temblors - 3 and counting

It was a typical Tuesday evening. I was at the Banana Leaf, a Singaporean restaurant in Milipitas, California. I was savoring a spicy Pad Thai while my friend was wolfing down a "Red Curry". At around 8 PM on October 30 2007, I suddenly felt this strange thing in my head, the kind of thing you feel when you are too exhausted from working and feel dizzy. The last few days had been hectic and I guessed that it was catching up. But this was different. I felt like I had a tad too much to drink and this was confusing as it had been a while since I drank any alcohol. I looked around and saw people do their thing, nothing out of the ordinary.

Then came the strong rumbling noise and the strong shaking of the table and the kitchen. People were confused, bewildered and wore a puzzled look. They were still contemplating what was happening. My earlier experiences told me that this was a pretty strong earthquake. The shaking lasted for a good 15-20 seconds and during the last 5 seconds was when people realised and started to panic and head out. A few were still puzzled and unable to comprehend what was happening around them. I guess people do become unresponsive during such events.

I was about to head out when the shaking stopped. Phew...this was the strongest I ever endured. My brush with plate tectonics started sometime in the 90's. I do not remember when, but the first one was in Bangalore, India. I was in my bedroom when a 2-3 pointer occurred and even before I new it, things were back to normal. The second one was in Santa Clara, California sometime in August 2004. This was a 3-4 pointer and I was at work. Like I described earlier, I had this strange feeling in my head before the shaking actually started. I wonder why that happens and, surprisingly, a few seconds before the quake.

Seeing the trend, I can infer that all the earthquakes I experienced are getting progressively stronger, with the latest one being a 5.6 on the Richter scale and occurred just 5 miles from where I was. What does that say about my luck with quakes in the future? Anyone wanna be around me now ? ;-)

(FYI- The latest quake had the epicenter near Alum Rock which was 5 miles from where I was and 8-10 miles from my home. The center of the quake, on the east side near the intersection of the Hayward and Calaveras faults, northeast of San Jose, was not reassuring. The geological survey recently said Hayward endures a major quake about every 140 years. The last big one there was in 1868, or 139 years ago. Hmmmmm....)

Homestead Lounge

Imagine driving around your neighbourhood with the only intent to get your job done and nothing else. Well, I was doing that one day, but I chanced upon a place called Homestead Lounge. This is the exact image you would see in a b grade Hollywood flick.

The place where the cigarette smoke hangs in the air, the smell of beer below that and loud guffaws and weird laughs. And outside, you have bikers with a leather jacket, a pot belly and their female companions, who look more like males. Now in our b grade flick, the main protagonist, with a lit cigarette in his mouth, walks in to a room where rednecks and well endowed, leather clad lady's stare at him with an intent to kill. Our hero walks to the bar and orders a beer/shot of something which the bar tender throws at him. As he walks around, a drunk tries to start a fight...and so on..you get the picture.

When I saw the Homestead lounge and the broken cocktail sign outside, flickering like a fly zapper would, I wondered if I should venture inside. I guess a brown dude is sure to stand out. This thought and life got in between and I did not bother to get in for the 3 years I have been in that country. But a couple of weeks back, I did. "Will these people stare at me like they do in the movies?" I wondered. "What the heck.." I told myself as I stepped in. I was greeted by an old lady who would make a good model for Botox. With a drink in one hand and a pack of camels in the other, she fit the bill of a b grade stereotype. She gave me a smile and with a voice marred by years of cigarette smoking she said "hi there". So far so good, I thought and went to the counter, choosing a chair in between the old lady and a middle aged guy who though he was a dude.

Went ahead and ordered my beer, a Sam Adams and started to explore the new surroundings. It was not too crowded that day. I started to watch some American football on TV and the dude next to me started to ask me a question about the game like I was playing it for years. I excused myself for my ignorance and then the conversation went towards formula 1. "That's not bad" I thought, so far so good.

Why discussing the F1 scenario, a bystander pitched in his 2 cents starting with 4 letter words. This was getting interesting. The conversation moved to the outside now as it was time for a cigarette and this is when I got to know these guys names and have a real freaky conversation.
The dude's name was "Beau" and the bystanders name was "Riche". Then there was "Mike", the wrinkled old guy who stood in one corner with a Que stick and hoped that someone would play with him. I am guessing Riche was drunk when he started talking about spirit and choice and freedom and ...get the picture. Dude wanted to prove him wrong and started on a tangential note. While this was going on, I got myself another beer and sat in the side lines having a good time.

After a couple of hours of mindless banter, Riche bought me a beer and asked me if I would play pool with him. Shot a couple of balls and it was 1 AM by then. As I was saying my goodbyes Riche, I guess, wanted me to hang around more. He offered to buy me one more drink. I refused, thanking him and headed out as a couple of hardcore redneck bikers arrived. Maybe I should have stayed back for some more time. But nahh...

And that is the Homestead Lounge. For easy times with your favorite drink.

Culture Conflict

I am from India, a beautiful and timeless country that stands at the crossroads of transition. With the new generation exposed to the modern world, the seamless sharing of ideas, the instant communication mind set has set the ball rolling for one of the biggest culture conflicts that man has to see. People deep rooted in tradition that dictates almost all aspects of life, are being challenged, opposed and reshaped because of the new found knowledge. Is this a good development? It is. All along human history, old times have mingled with newer thoughts and cultures and morphed into something that defined that generation. The same is happening now. People are looking for a more balanced approach to life. Trying to fit in the new found convenience of life into the old traditions that they were bought up on. And with this exercise comes the myriad flavors of life that we all love and feel daily.

Favorite Quote

The quote that I love and that got me thinking about myself is: "Be the change you wish to see in the world…" – MK Gandhi.

It’s a thought provoking quote. The real power of the quote comes when we ask ourselves, “What does that quote mean to me?” It forced me to introspect, to take a real hard look at myself. Coming out of that exercise, I realized that change of any kind seldom comes in a prepackaged form. It comes from the cumulative impact of our everyday choices. It thought me to show respect, to be humble, to work hard and to empathize with everyone I had to interact because these were the qualities that I expect to see in my surroundings.

As I live that quote, I find that my world has gotten a lot easier and a lot friendlier. It has helped me to overcome problems and continues to be a source of inspiration whenever the going gets tough.

Story Board??

Hi there,

I have been planning to write a short story for some time. Here are my attempts to come up with a rough draft. Please feel free to send me your review comments and help me better the narration.

Cheers.

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The wind was blowing slowly across the manicured lawns of the municipal park, picking with it the faint scent of wet earth. An indication that a sprinkler was working somewhere in the park. It was a hot summer afternoon and all one could see when they looked up was a bright blue sky with an intensely hot and yellow sun. The park was almost empty except for a couple of kids running around. I was sitting under a tree and resting, while trying to figure out how best I can tell you what I intend to tell.

Before I proceed further, let me introduce my self to you. I am the narrator of this story. A story in which I play the major part. A story of how my eyes opened to the world and how I had to adapt to it. And for the records, my name is Rohan.

I had a normal middle class upbringing in India. And this story has a lot to do with that aspect of my life. Nowadays, people are talking about how the middle class of the world are driving markets and so on. Lets leave that topic for another day. What that meant in India was that you wouldn't go hungry, but you couldn't do a lot of things either. Taking vacations to exotic places, for example. But I wasn't complaining. Like millions others, my dad worked in a government controlled firm. Mom was at home. My daily life, while in school, went on routinely and one day was not really that different from the other.

Over the years, I learnt that I had a disease. Now don't worry if the story line is going to change, or I am burdening you with a sad story of how I almost escaped death or am living with half my vital organs chopped off. I had something called optimist-ism. A very rare disease which is 50% of the time curable. What ever I did, even when all hope is lost, I would say that we almost are winning. Or if we lost, I would say things that would make people want to kill me but they let me go because they know that I have a disease. I would probably rally around the Indian cricket team when they are chasing Australia's 350 with 8 wickets down and 100 on the score card. But then again, I have a disease. You get the picture.

To be continued....

Independence Day

Independence. What does that mean to you? For me, it’s something I can't live without. A few years earlier, I wouldn’t have said something like that. Back then I was carefree and nothing in the world bothered me. I did what I thought fit.

I realize now that was what independence was all about. No curtailing of thought, any dogma to follow, freedom to express my thoughts. And thankful I am for being born in such a country. I pity the poor souls caught in countries where oppressive regimes try to control and enforce their line of thinking or way of life. I used to think, as a kid, that the grass was greener on the other side. But now, oo boy... the greenest is at home. I have traveled far, I wouldn’t say wide because I still have to go there, and understood that the basic requirement to thrive as an individual and as a community was independence.

As the 59th year of India's independence goes by, this little and rather warm memory comes to my mind. I don’t remember when, but I think the year was between 1992 and 1995. I was at Nagahole, a wildlife preserve on the Karnataka/Kerala border in southern India. It was the rainy season and monsoon was in full force. The forest had come alive with renewed life and vigor. With bustling green and the smell of rain & earth filled in the air, it was a treat to the eye.

We went up to the road next to the main building of the forest department. It was noting big and elegant. But for the board and the flag pole, you would not have been able to differentiate it from any of the other building there. There was a small crowd of people assembled there including the IFS (Indian Forest Service) official, the one who is the head official of the forest. Before we could proceed on the ceremony, a small group of tribal kids who were from the local school chugged along to watch the flag hoisting ceremony and sing the national anthem. This was one of the most amazing sights I saw there. Here are these children, who unfortunately are at the far end of the development ladder, but were still participating in celebrating our country's tryst with destiny.

People might question if they really intended to be there celebrating or do they know the significance of independence, because they are still oppressed in their own country. There is no place on this earth where there has not been some form of oppression. Be it the rich oppressing the poor, one religion/caste against the other. Operession stems from inaction and ignorance. People have to stand up and make it felt that this sort of behaviour cannot go on. And what best place to do it in but a free and independent country.

I only hope that those kids realize their full potential and make the most that our country has to offer and in turn do us proud.Independence is something that we don’t realize we had till we loose it. My experiences in the past as well as present have proved one thing: Not to take what I have for granted.

Chandra Giri

Latest on this: This became my second speech at toastmasters :-)

I haven't been to Tirupathi, the abode of lord Venkatesha in AP, that often. The last time I was there was in 1997 and before that in 1992. Tirupathi is a good 5 to 6 hour drive from my hometown of bangalore. The road passing thru some quaint little villages in AP. One thing that caught my attention was a diapalated old castle with all the works. An outer wall with cannon slots and a moat. As these sighting were thru a speeding car window, I had formed a vague image in my mind. (The view to the road)

Thru the ages, that image transformed itself into a simulacrum of India in the middle ages. I had built up my own version of the forts history. Starting from beautifull and ornate chambers, barracks and a dungeon. But time had taken its toll and these images were buried deep in my mind and were wanting to be satisfied. I decided to take a break from work and head to India for some time with my family and friends. Thats when my folks planned a trip to tirupathi. This was an ideal time to visit tirupati as the weather was good and I had unfinished business.

On our way back, I saw Chandra Giri ("Moon Mountain" when translated literally) in the distance. This got me sitting on the edge of my seat and absorbing the view. Trying to get the details and compare them with what I had built in my mind.

This place is really breathtaking. It has so much history built into, starting from the 10th Century AD. (A sculpture damaged by Hyder Ali's invasion. Also notice the roof design. The castle was redesigned by Hyder Ali)

Here is a little history about the fort:

It is believed to be have built about 1000AD by Immadi Narasimha Yadavaraya, a Karvetinagara chieftain of Narayanavaram. It was considerably improved by the Vijayanagara rulers. After the battle of talikota in 1565, chandragiri became the third capital of the declining Vijayanagara Empire in 1592. It came under the control of Hyder Ali in 1782 and was under Mysore till the treaty of Srirangapatinam in 1792 after which the British took over. This site was also witness to the signing of the document relating to the grant of fort St. George to the British East India Company.

The Mahals inside are from the time of Vijayanagara Empire and is a fine example of Indo-Saracenie Architecture. (The other view)
The central durbar has occupied two stories and is crowned by Dravida Vimana. The floors were supported by massive pillars in groups, carrying cross arches with square coffered ceilings. The entire construction is made of stone and brick in mortar. No timber is used. The entrance faces hills on the north while the balconies and windows on the south over looking the extensive grounds where perhaps the troops paraded.




The rani mahal (-->) was a separate quaters for the queens with a bath. And the gallows (<--) was located on top of the hill.

This trip to tirupati and the visit to chandra giri was really good and worth the effort involved. It was really educational and gave me a lot of insights on the life in those times. The mahal now houses a museum with priceless art from chandra giri and surrounding places. It also has arms used in those days. The Archeological Society of India has done a good job in maintaining this historic site. This trip reminded me what Patrick Hazard said once "History in our kind of society is not a luxury but a necessity". Until my next trip....