Not Fitting In

Rat Race. Politics. Only work towards winning. Networking and tapping. Blocking someone's chances. Underhanded tricks. Bitching. Gossiping. Cliques. Negotiating. Power games. Free riding.

Just another day in an MBA college

Proud to be a misfit in this world!

Delhi Times

D-d-d-d-d-dilli dilli dilli.... d-d-d-d-d-dilli dilli dilli... This song has been playing continuously in loop in my head for the past three four days since I got the confirmation that my induction is definitely going to be in Delhi in May second week.....

"Delhi in May! It's going to be SOOOO hot! You'll hate even going out of the room! Don't make much sight seeing plans" Thanks for the heads up everyone! As if I didn't already know that! I mean seriously people..go on state the obvious one more time....as if evenings are going to be as hot as mornings or afternoons..and thats when I plan to do all my sightseeing....because hell I am going to a new place, for the first time on my own and I am NOT going to miss seeing it because of well...some people's irrational comments... 

So for the past two days I have been making lists of places I want to see in  Delhi.....the "city of kings" and the seat of power of my country. Here are the sites I plan to see...or at least a longer wishlist which I may reduce in the days to come depending on how much time I actually have:

1. ISKCON temple: I have this thing....whichever city I have visited (which are not too many seriously) I have seen the ISKCON temple there if there is one, so I have seen Ahmedabad's.  one of the very few sites I have seen in the city that is kinda like my native place..... Mumbai's (very recently...shameful considering I have lived 22 years here), Bangalore's....and I find quite some peace in these temples and I want to visit as may of them as possible. Delhi has one! And I will be there! So this tops my list!

2. Red Fort, Qutub Minar, India Gate: I would really be a fool to go to Delhi and not see these classics!

3. Humayun's tomb: When I was about 11years old, I saw Aurangzeb's tomb.....and was in awe of the grandeur with which Muslim rulers were treated in their rests....so want to visit this one too!

4. Raj Ghat

5. Chandni Chowk: for seeing the purani dilli 

6. Pranthwaali galli, Hotel Sarvana Bhavan, etc etc: I plan to meet my foodie friend Radhika in Delhi, if she has no travel plans, and explore Delhi gastronomically! More on that will be on my food blog if I manage it!

So here's to the city which beckons me soon! 

Taking Risks

I take a lot of risks in my life.... I win some and (more often than not) I lose some...but at least I don't have many of those moments wherein I say to myself, "What if I had...?" of "If only I had...." and regret!

How Things Go Phbbt! Memoirs of Day 1 of Project

6.30 a.m: Wake up all excited at the prospect of the first day of project: reading done? Check! Notes ready for reference during the interview? Check! New stationery to take notes (copius) during the interview? Check! Smartly dressed for office? Check!

7.00 a.m: Bathed scrubbed to a shine and ready to leave in full office formals, feeling very professional!

8.00 a.m: Got a good seat in the train (after elbowing and being elbowed)...feel good about myself! Head chant keeps repeating itself: Thou shalt be confident! Thou shalt be polite but firm during interviews! Thou shalt finish at least 5 interviews today!

11:00 a.m: Reach office...greet everyone with a big smile, be allocated a desk and set it up for yourself all professionally and very neatly (controlling the instinctive urge to have everything on desk at one go so that you can have everything you want within hand's reach.

11:15 a.m: Start going over your notes....with a cup of chai...

12:00 noon: First call! Here goes! Put a smile on your face so that it reflects in your voice....

12:01 p.m.; Trin Trin..Hello? Mr XYZ This is Disha from the HR team...you must have received a call about the project we are doing....?

Voice on phone: "Sorry Ma'am no call!"

12:02p.m.: Ask colleague for help in checking....

12:03 p.m. All potential regions of South and North not informed!

12:10: Try West..they're informed!

12:11: Nope not informed!


12:15: One informed to be called....

12:17: "Ma'am please call after 3.30 p.m
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Nothing significant happening really!

3.35 p.m: First interview.

4.15 p.m: Leave office: no other scheduled

Target: 5 interviews

Completed: 1!!! :-0!!!!

All About Food

Dear All,

It gives me great pleasure to announce that I have (finally!) started my own food blog. The first post is about the first meal of the day.... Breakfast Times.

Hope you will join me there soon!

Disha

Toasts

No! This post isn't about bread....I sitll haven't lost my mind enough to write about that.....! I mean really: how many variations can there be to that toast? Really??!! This post is about the anticipation of that "heady" feeling; the small celebration of things that is before a drink.

I love raising toasts! There is definitely something to be said about the summing up of the reasons of celebration (be it birthdays or weddings or simply the end of a long Monday!) in a few words and dedicating that drink to it.

My father, a solitary drinker on most family social occassions, would tell us this story almost every time he raised a toast about why toasts are raised (or in his words why "cheers!" is said) before a drink. You see, a drink has something for all the senses: colour for the eyes, taste for the tongue, smell for the nose and the coolness for skin, but it doesn't have anything to give to the ears, and hence toasts are raised to make up for that particular lack.

Some of my favourite toasts? My fathers "cheers!" before his annual beer bottle (yeah my mom used to allow him like only once a  year), the one raised to fresh lime soda on my ex's best friend's birthday, the one raised on the night of my first beer, the one when me and CD went out for our first drink together, the one raised on and to my first cocktail and of course our perennial toast to our "San/Sun"/ All these toasts hold great memories for me!

So ladies and gentlemen, please raise your glasses to the "cheers" that create great memories...to toasts!