Random Thoughts

When it comes to chance, luck has not been on my side more often than not. This year was no exception. After five years, the H1B Cap was reached within 5 days and the USCIS adopted the lottery system to randomly select the 65,000 visa applicants. As luck would have it, I got dinged in the H1B Cap lottery. Well, with more than 75% of Cognizant's revenue comes from the US region, this means that I won't be travelling this year.While it is definitely a loss of opportunity as well as a monetary loss, I believe that some good will come out of this bad luck. I truly believe that what happens, happens for the good. Sometimes the good is just shrouded in a short term mist that blurs our reality and understanding. It is just a matter of time, when the mist clears out and the underlying good is visible clearly! Until then.. Photo Source: Wired New York

So I have decided to move out from the bachelor pad and take a separate apartment. Since my dad goes out on work for a few weeks out of Ranchi, I wanted my mom to stay with me during such times if not otherwise. However, this was not possible in the bachelor pad where I was living in with my iim friends. This new apartment flat is a 4 BHK- 1500 sq unfurnished flat in Jal Vaayu Towers in New Town, Rajarhat . While I will have to spend some money to furnish the house, but   I think that for 13K including maintenance, it is quite a deal. Calcutta is for these very reasons quite affordable as compared to other cities such as Bangalore and Hyderabad.

I grew up reading, watching and feeling poverty all around. It is not a rarity if you are in a city or town in India. The towns and cities of India are teeming with millions of poor people. Beggars asking for alms, old and helpless begging on the roads all these are a very common sight in any city or town in India. While people in villages might not have to beg but there is a different form of poverty there. Millions in the Indian villages live a life full of hardships, toil, misery and disease. Even my initial years were not very plentiful, though there was enough and my parents ensured that my brother and I had all our basic necessities covered. But I did get a close look at what poverty means and how the poor in this country live while I was growing up in Ranchi . It was a constant reminder for me to take the opportunities that life gave me and be thankful because there are others who did not get as lucky as I got. When I look back at times and compare myself with some of my...

Within 10 days of toil and a few late night study sessions, somehow I managed to complete the syllabus for the APICS CSCP exam. Well, probably it is the longest duration exam that I have given till date, 4 hours!! So, how did it go. I think it did not go that bad. I think i do have a shot a clearing it! The results would be out in a month or a month and a half. So this is what is left now....Waiting... :)

Here I am, facing the CSCP exam after 14 days! Did I not have time? Yes, as a matter of fact I had two months. But I again procrastinated and have put at risk 70K and a reputation. Can I do it in 14 days? Well, I don't have the choice, will have to make the impossible possible. 5 books- 1000+ pages- 14 days! - Now this is interesting challenge. I am game for it :)

Had been planning this so many years now! In 2009 after I returned from Zurich, I was already in love with the mountains. Wanted to go to the Himalayas especially  Ladakh . But as Harry Chapin  says " there were planes to catch and bills to pay.. " It did not happen in 2009. There was a chance to do this in 2010, but as luck would have it, it snowed in June in Ladakh and the roads opened 15 days late. Late enough that i could not go on the Ladakh trip as my b-school classes had started in Indore by then. Summer internship and financial constraints did not help me fulfill the dream of visiting Ladakh in 2011. And 2012 was spent in fighting it out in the new job. Finally, its in 2013, after four long years when i first thought about the trip, that I am going to Ladakh . The weekend starting with 9th August till 18th August has 2 public holidays (Id and Independence day , in case you are wondering!) and there are two weekends. So, by just taking four days off...

In the last 10 days I got an opportunity to watch two matches of the IPL 2013 at Eden Gardens. The first match that I watched was between KKR and PWI. Incidentally  I watched this match for free. A friend from my B School gave me two passes in the corporate stand. It was a good match and KKR won. The second match that I saw was between KKR and CSK. The tickets were arranged by a friend, though they were not free this time around :) Although CSK won, I was disappointed that Dhoni did not bat much. Liked the game experience, and probably am going to watch at least a few more  matches in the stadium.