Another reject – this time from MBS

DING !!!

Came as a surprise to me. Even Manchester does not think I will be suitable for its next class. Disappointed.

Even more so because I did not get any feedback about what went wrong.

Anyways, its not the end. Will take a break and start again.

UK B-Schools : List and Rankings

I will be applying to the B Schools in the UK this season, and have created a list of them. I know there will be someone who will be interested in these as well.

[Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_business_schools_in_Europe#United_Kingdom]

[Source: http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/global-mba-rankings]

List of Schools as per FT Rankings:

(Click on each link to go the b-school website for further information)


1. London Business School.

2. Said business School, Oxford

3. Judge Business School, Cambridge

4. Lancaster Univerty Management School

5. School of Management, Cranfield

6. Imperial College Business School

7. Manchester Business School

8. City University, Cass

9. Warwick Business School

10. University of Strathclyde, Scotland

11. Aston Business School

12. Durham Business School

13. Birmingham Business School

14. University of Bath business School

15. University of Edinburgh business school

16. Bradford School of Management

A complete list of b-schools can be found on wikipedia here.

A lot of these schools do need GMAT (top 10 for sure), not sure about the others.

Google Internet Bus and the internet awareness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4Faoo1wDag

Google has started an awareness programme in India to go to every nook and corner of the country and spread awareness about internet. How ? Using a bus equipped with internet where people can visit, surf and be aware of whats in it for them.

Quite impressive. Internet in India has penetrated just aout 7%, considering that we have a very wide network of wireless and wired connections all over India. Internet is cheap in india as well, you just need to pay 10 Rs per hour in an internet cafe. So the reason behind this low penetration is lack of awareness.

So I think Google has hit the bulls eye in its effort to increase the internet user base. This way people will be aware of how they can use the internet, be it education, news, entertainment or business. And it will mean more business for Google as well. Companies like Yahoo and Indiatimes should partner with Google in this campaign. A booming business will help everyone in the long run.

Got a reject from JBS, Cambridge

Got a reject mail from JBS today. It was disappointing. JBS was my dream school for various reasons, and now it remains a dream.

They didnot even give a feedback. Just a simple reject.

When I retrospect, I find various possible reasons for this decision:

1. Quality of work ex - They do take people with lesser experience, but the quality of exp has to be top class. I have 6 years of exp with worlds largest enterprise software company, but not as a manager, pre-sales, lead . I am  a simple developer, and so might have fallen into a big pool of applicants.

2. International Exp - I was thinking of ignoring this fact. But now I am sure this matters a lot. A UK experience defintely gives you an edge. I have none.

3. Quality of application - I was truthful to whatever I wrote in my apps. I glorified to whatever extent I could keeping my integrity. But I think it didnt sell.

Where do we go now  ?

From here, I have only 2 choices. First to improve my profile, try to get better job profile in the next 2-3 years, get an international exp and then apply for an MBA. Second, keep trying in other b schools this year, and hope someone is interested in your kind of profile.

I have decided to take the second option. Will apply to a few more this season and if I still do not get through, will have a serious look at changing my job profile.

Till then, may the force be with you.

6 Reasons why India is growing more than ever before

Source : http://www.ted.com/talks/nandan_nilekani_s_ideas_for_india_s_future.html

A speech by Nandan Nilekani.

I have tried to summarize the whole speech here.

Ideas that have arrived - The 6 reasons why India is growing at a rate greater than ever before.

1.Population as an asset - as opposed to a liability. Only youngest country in an aging world.

2.Entrepreneurship as a positive thing in society.

3. English as a language of aspirations.

4. Growing need and adaptation of technology.

5. Seeing globalization as a good thing and feeling a need to participate in it.

6. Deepening of democracy - improved society.

Ideas in progress - The ideas for which need has been felt but not yet implemented.

1. Education - Primary education, especially in govt sponsored schools.

2. Urbanization -

3. Cities as engine of growth - Develop cities, and see the as centers of growth, innovation and creativity.

4. Single Market - View India as a single market.

Ideas in Conflict - The de-accelerators


1. Ideology of caste etc

2. Labour policies - need to regulate highly un-organized labour force. More benefits.

3. Higher Education - Need to de-regulate so that opening up universities is easier. Make it easier for foreign universities to setup centers here.

Ideas that we need to anticipate

1. Technology

2. Health - Better health prospects, and not have diseases of rich countries.

3. Pensions and entitlements - Social security for the old.

4. Energy - Carbon footprint, global warming etc need to be controlled via growing economies like India.

The light’s better here

The joke goes like this - Someone was looking for something on the ground below a lamp-post. The cop asks him, did you lose something. He replies "yes, i lost my keys". Cop - "Did you lose them here ?" .  The man replies "no, I lost them over there, but the light's better here."

Most of us figure out what to search for , or figure out a brilliant business idea but spend most of our time in the wrong place. This is what is called as "majoring in minors" (courtesy this video). Most people spend major time and effort in minor things and cant figure the more important things.

Example being when starting a website. Spending most of time in developing it, using cool and newest technologies, starting from scratch, but missing out on things like target audience, business proposition. If  you do not know whats the size and type of your customer, your website is doomed to die. So 90% of the thing could be to launch it, but the most important thing would be the last 10%.

Moral of the story - Do not just concentrate on what is the easiest to do. Concentrate on whats more important. Searching for the key under the lights might be an easy task but you are going to fail as the key is not there.

The elevator pitch

Elevator Pitch

Came across a nice video about how to pitch about your business idea to an investor in a 2 minute presentation.

A good elevator pitch is made up of two key elements

1.layout the pain statement - what you are trying to solve

2.value proposition - how does your venture solve that problem

A good elevator pitch must pass four key tests

1. It should be short - you might have just 2 mins to deliver your pitch

2. It should be easy to understand - even a non technical guy should be able to get the idea.

3. It must be greed inducing - how are you planning to get $$ and how much ?

4. It must be irrefutable - must be self explaining and leave the investor with more answers and less questions.

Quite impressive !

The Pros and Cons of doing an MBA

Now that I have decided to do an MBA, there is not turning back. But still there are thoughts in my mind about the pros and cons of doing an MBA. Especially now, when global economy is under recession. And when I am married and having a good job that pays well. Let me list all of them out.

Cons
1. Huge Opportunity cost - I will lose more than 10 Lakhs PA of salary for the next 1-2 years that I spend doing an MBA. That will be a huge amount. Add to that the costs of an MBA which will be in excess of 30Lakhs (min).

2. Moving away from friends and family - out of sight is out of mind. Isn't it ? We often do not get a chance to meet, even in weekends, living in the same city. Moving away will definitely mean less social gatherings.

3. Strained relationships - though you are in touch with your spouse over the phone and email, but its just not enough sometimes. Same about your family. Its going to be difficult.

4. Stress and Burden - An MBA is not an easy affair. Its not like the 9-6 job (oh come on! face it, we do have a relaxed job , even in IT). Its going to be stressful, and loaded. Top it up with the burden of loan which one must take. And then the tension around internships, projects, placements,visa, .. .. ..

Pros

1. Once in a lifetime experience - If you join a good reputed b-school, you are bound to have an experience that will change your life for sure. The outlook changes a lot. Not experienced personally, but read a lot about it. Also this would provide you with the much needed confidence to do anything in life.

2. Add weight to CV - before an MBA you might just be an IT professional from IIT/NIT with experience in XXX,YYY,ZZZ. But after that, your CV will read "MBA from xxxxx". This definitely will be an added advantage in any future endeavor you might take up.

3. Career change and progression - Though not very simple, but it will be easier to change your career and a swifter progress after an MBA. All depends on how one fares in the b-school, but it is definitely easier than without an MBA.

4. Life long network - You will gain a network of friends, alumni, and faculty which will help you in the longer run. You will have to contribute as well, and thats how it works. Give and Take.

5. Money will come later - And if everything goes well, you will definitely earn more than now in long run. Enough money to cover the money you lost as 'opportunity cost' in a lesser time.

[Update - May 28/2010]

Read an interesting article about how to decide between an Indian MBA and a foreign MBA. A good read indeed. The most important point is about having the right expectations. True indeed !

http://www.mindinsight.com/viewblog.action?blogId=35  :

Why do I give so much of gyan?

I am good at giving gyan. Most of the times they do not make sense. But I dont get tired of giving gyan.In all the forums and blogs that I have subscribed to, I have been found myself giving gyan more than taking them.

Why do I like giving so much gyan ? Because I am an Indian and Giving Gyan is the Indian expertise.

Whether we follow the same or not , we do preach. And preach at every other chance we get. Good and bad.

Good in the sense that in anybody having any doubt on anything in this world gets an answer from the gyan his neigbour or colleague has to provide. The other day I heard my friend giving gyan on entrepreneurship, though he has never done anything entreprenurial in his life, and nor is he an MBA ;).

Coming back to my gyans, I have always given gyan on things that I believe in. I am an applicant for MBA for fall 2010 and as and when I am applying and researching more schools, reading more about schools, contacting alums, listening podcasts I am gaining more insight about the b-schools and applications. And hence the gyan.

Also its my moral duty to help other fellow b-school applicants like me.

Isn't it amazing that whatever information you need on applying to a b-school is always available to you,at you fingertips. Courtsey to our brothers all over the world blogging , and posting from all over the world about their b-school experiences. I wonder what would we do without such a network.

Mafia Wars !

Have lost a lot of energy, stamina and health in the last 6-8 weeks, first preparing for the GMAT, and then preparing for the application.

Energy recuperated very slowly, probably one refill per day, stamina is slow to refill, health can be refilled at a hospital, but not that quickly. Amidst doing a lot of jobs in the mafia as don corleone, I was also busy doing the app.

Have you heard or played Mafia Wars ? If yes, you will know what I am taking about here.

Mafia wars is a highly addictive game in Facebook. I must warn you before you start playing, its highly addictive.

So addictive that I even once thought of buying some energy !

Well, now that one app for R1 is over, I can play it more often. Hoping to reach level 100 in a few days.

Until the preparations for the next app starts, going to Mafia country.

Submitted app for Judge Cambridge today

Just submitted the Judge, Cambridge app today. Must say, its a relief. Was editing the essays for a long time now. Frankly speaking, even if you give me a year to write, I would still say its not perfect yet.

Could not get anybody to proof read my essays. That's a negative and could weight against my candidature. And this is my first app ever. Also this is my only app for R1 this season.

Still, hoping for the best. Lets see what happens.

Will keep my fingers crossed until then. Now the ball's in their court.

Shortlisted another B-School for app : Richard Ivey

Richard Ivey school of busines, University of western Ontario.

Things I liked about the school.

1. Small class size of around 140. (Though this also means low chances of getting in. Especially for average people like me , or for those who are not over-achievers.)

2. 70% of course is done via case study.

3. One year course and a reasonable course fee. (not that less though, 100,000 $ CAD)

4. Placements in consulting are higher than other fields, and hence can be considered a strong consulting school.

5. Location - Canada - its a good place to live and study. People are warm and friendly. No visa worries.

Another interesting thing I found about the school is that they provide travel rewards up to the value of 1200 CAD for traveling and visiting the school and actually sitting in a class for a day. They also have other events in US, Canada and Mexico, but none in India I guess.

Overall a good school, and I find it a good match. The deadlines are quite stiff though.

R1 - Oct 5,

R2 - Nov 2.

R4 - Jan 4.

R1 is alreayd gone, and cant make it to R2 as well. Will think about R4.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Just thought of cracking a joke on canada , its original , i swear.

An MBA applicant was contemplating various options for his mba in different countries, and finally found just a few to match his profile. Here is how he saw them:

1. INSEAD - Cant speak or understand french, can't apply, will lower job prospects in France post mba.

2. Rotterdam erasmus - Dont know dutch either.

3. IMD - Dont speak German. Only German thing I know is Hitler.

4. Ivey, Canada - I Know punjabi - good fit. Bingo ! Final. Applying now . Surinder uncle will lend money as well. Hadippa !

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Indian way of thinking

Whats the Indian way of thinking. What represents the Indian way of thinking. Is it always being ready to cut corners whenever given the opportunity. Is it jumping the signal whenever not seeing the traffic cop, or is it the babu culture we have. I think its more than that.

Here are a few instances at work that I think are typically Indian.

- Always ready with an excuse : Ask somebody about a missed deadline and more often than not what you hear is an excuse. We need to start accepting our shortcomings and work on them.

- Always ready to take a dig on others : Just see the newsgroup we have at office, everywhere someone or the other is throwing some kind of slander on the other. The newsgroup is meant for sharing information and not for proving who is better and who is not. We have a very bad habit of finding something peculiar or bad about others. Someone speaks a different accent, and we start giggling. Someone gets a bashing, and we feel happy. Someones gets an award or even buys a new car, we get jealous.

- We copy - we do what others do. we want our kids to become what other's kid have become. Even when buying furniture we want the same thing as others have got, and we want go to the same place where the neighbor had gone last summer. We are not original in thought and action.

- We can't handle others successes - we just cant.

- We can't accommodate foreigners - We don't even treat people from other parts of our country equally and often blame them for 'stealing' our job.  Leave alone the question of welcoming foreigners.

PS : I love my country, and I am proud of being an Indian.

PS: Many of the things above are true for people in other countries and cultures as well, but we need not follow them. Do we ?

Why not IIMs

Since I am applying for the one year courses for in the UK, I am often asked why not IIMs ? IIMs also have the one year PGPX (names may differ across IIMs) courses. And I have the required experience as well (will complete 7 by july 2010).  Most require at least 5 years of WE after graduation, with IIM A and B requiring 7 years.

Here are a few answers.

1. I am looking for diversity - Might look like just a funda, but its true. I want a class with people from diff backgrounds and countries as well. While IIMs do have students from different countries, but the number is limited and Indians dominate the pack. I might end up meeting a few old friends from my college, or past colleagues at IIMs. This will not be the case if I go to the UK. The class at most foreign universities are well represented by different countries and people with different backgrounds. Even the faculty will be diversified. Here in India, I will be stuck with the Indian way of thinking, but in UK I will get the opportunity to work and interact with people all of whom think differently. I will gain a lot of perspective and will grow personally.

2. Also, post MBA jobs at IIMs are mostly in India. And I do want to work in a foreign company at least for some time post my MBA. I have worked in India for the last six and half years and now I want to work in some other country and get to know the cultures. I want to get exposed to a foreign culture and gain more - work-wise and personally.

3. Getting out of your comfort zone.  After having Studied, Lived, Worked in India for so long, I think I am quite cozy in my comfort zone. I have done what all others of my age, my peer have done. Studied hard in XII, get into engineering college, then get a job in IT. All has been smooth as of now. And somewhere the challenge is missing. I want to challenge myself now. Not denying that studying at IIMs will also be a challenge in itself, but it will be much more in a foreign land.

4. What about the cost ? IIMs have relatively lower cost than any foreign MBA in UK or the US. But I wont let the cost come in between this time. Till now, I have done only those things which have looked favorable. Now its the time to break the trend and do something different. "But 50 Lakhs is not a small money dude" - reminded one of my friend. And I say - people have taken loans, and so will I. Lets think about repayment when we come to that.[see how I plan to finance my MBA] It may be recession, but I think I will land a job in UK and be able to repay soon. And hoping that I  get some scholarship as well, this could be an easier ride.

5. The one year courses at IIMs are more useful for those already in a managerial role and/or having 10-12 years experience. So I think I do not fit in. Moreover, IIMs look into the marksheets and degrees more than anything else.  On the other hand, the schools in US and UK look more into the personal aspects of the application and less into the acads and managerial experience. This is my personal belief and need not be true. Also because of the tough competition in India a few candidates get through, and my views might be biased.

Hence I decided not to apply in IIM. May be 4-5 years down the line if I have a profile that suits the IIMs, may be yes.

TOEFL - to take or not to take

TOEFEL is required by many institutes especially in the US. But since I am yet note sure about applying to any US school in this round, I am not sure about taking toefl either. Frankly speaking, its a waste of money. I do believe I have good command on the English language. Though while speaking, I might sound like I am not that natural, and speak with an Asian accent (whatever that is). I still think I need not take the test just to prove my comm skills. Let the interviews bekon, and I will talk my way through.

Also, I dont think many institutues are strict about TOEFEL. I think many of them give waivers to students who have completed their degree course from a college where mode of instruction was English. Here is the mail which I got from adcom from Oxford:

"To apply for an exemption to the TOEFL test, plesae address a letter to the Admissions Committee, stating the reasons why you feel you do not need to sit the TOEFL test. Please then upload this letter to the TOEFL section of the application form. The Admissions Committee will then make a decision on this letter."

I do believe this could be decided on case to case basis, and depend on the school one is applying to. For those who want to apply for a waiver I would suggest to write a strong argument on why you do not need toefel. Like if you have worked in MNCs, international exp (small or large), debates won, toastmasters club or anything of that sorts.
Also, if they still think your application is strong and your toefel is below par, they may ask you to retake before giving a final admit. I am not sure about this though, but a few schools do it like this.

I would suggest work hard on your essays and your overall application, and low score in toefel or lack thereof would be nulified. Like the way I am doing.

Have edited the essays for the hundredth time now. The first draft was ready on 31st august, and its more than one month now that I am tweaking it. I think after a while one should stop looking at the essays and just submit them. Gosh ! Wish it were a bit easy.

About Recos

I hear often that for an application to be strong as a whole , strong LORs (or Recos as we call them) are essential.

I can not ignore the importance of recos. And hence talked to my manager about this a month back. She took it as a shock when she heard about it but when I told her how firm was my decision to pursue an MBA was, she was ok with it.

After that we had one more meeting in between and then I listed down some achievements/strengths etc that I thought she should mention and then sent across to her. She gave some very good examples that she thought she must mention as well. I am very happy with how it went. Now i think I have a fairly strong application at least in terms of the reco.

As far as the other reco is concerned, I took it from a peer. As I am applying to Judge Cambridge in R1, and they require a peer reco. For other apps this season, I will have to find another referee.

Now fine tuning my essays.

IIMA Alumni will head PepsiCo's quaker unit

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/iim-alumni-named-new-head-of-pepsicos-quaker-unit/102774-7.html

Jaya Kumar, an Indian born and an IIM A alumnus will now be the president of Pepsi's two billion dollar Quaker Foods and Snacks division

People of Indian origin already at the top of PepsiCo leadership include Chairman and Chief Executive Indra Nooyi and SVP of corporate strategy Vivek Sankaran.

Kudos !

Lets take over the world.

 

-----------------------

Added 29 oct 2009

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/infotech/software/At-Microsoft-six-Indians-call-all-the-shots/articleshow/5174535.cms

Indians call the shots at Microsoft as well. At least 6 Indians are among the top 25 , of the company’s 95,000-strong workforce.

How am I going to finance my MBA ?

These are the sources from which I am going to finance my MBA

1. Loans - 60%

2. Schols - 30%

3. Personal savings - 10%

So for a 120,000 $ USD course  (60 Lakhs approx), the maths comes out to be:

Schols ~ 36K

Loans ~ 72K

Cash from personal savings ~ 12K (6 lakhs)

Looks tight to me ! A few thousands here and there and I will be seen begging for more money.

About Loans - many schools do not offer loan without a cosigner, and so will have to take this into account while choosing schools.

About Schols - will look for schools which offer schols generously.

Now that an MBA is dependent on so many things, its becoming more and more challenging. Especially the financing part. Well, I will not spend too much time on this and will look into it as I reach there. As of now back to school researching and essay writing.

Relocating and a business idea

I came across this site called relocateeasy.com . It claims to provided end to end solution while relocating, starting from finding a rental accomodation, packers, moving your LPG connection etc etc..

Cool, isn't it.

Thinking about relocation, another idea hit me today. I have given out my number and address to a bunch of restaurants. And when I relocate, its going to take some time and effort to register my new address. Huh !

Well, what can be done is a registry, online of course, to keep your number and address updated. And the pizza guys just pick that up from the registry instead of their own database. This solves two purposes. First, any new restaurant or cab company need not create or store its own database to store numbers and addresses. This would be handy when you do not want to invest too much on such things for a startup. Secondly for the users, its easy to update the details.

Any takers !

Applying to Judge

I will be applying to Judge, cambridgein R1. This is my sole applicatio for R1.

Here are the reasons why I am choosing Judge:

1. Small class size. In range GMAT score. Average work experience is near to mine.

2. Entrepreneurship environment of Cambridge is excellent. With lot of hi tech companies starting up in Cambridge, its like a hub.

3. Course structure and mode of learning. They have 4 consulting projects that on has to complete during the course. Also the electives are huge in number, and its easy to choose the ones which you want. Like entrepreneurship in my case.

Here are a few reasons I think my application is strong for cambridge:

1. Work experience : Though I do not have any leadership experience, I do have a good exposure to IT development and a little bit of consulting.

2. Essays: I am working extra hard on the essays, and since its just one app I am putting up, I have more than a month to prepare. I think I will be able to gather some good feedback from my recommenders as well.

3. I am focusing mainly on entrepreneurship, and Cambridge is a good match. Hopefully this will stand out.

Here are a few reasons I think my application is weak/below-average for cambridge:

1. Lack of international exposure : I do not have any international exposure. They do look for candidates who have worked in countries other than their homeland. Also I do not know any foreign language.

2. Lack of managerial experience : Though I am focusing on some leadership qualities that I have, I do not have any experience of being a team-lead or a manager as such (on paper).

3.Average Acads/ECs : I have average acads and my graduate degree is not from an IIT.  Its from NIT, though good, but not excellent. I also am poor in my ECs.

I am still confident about making it through. At least I would get an interview call. What I have read from various forums that I have read so far is that most applicants (especially Indian/IT)  do not even get an interview call. If i do get an interview call, I am hopeful to convert it.

Getting back to my essays now.

The return of the 'Bond's - preview of India NX - Compaq cup

New Zealand has a new strength in their bowling side, with the return of Shane Bond, who now plays for the national team after all that happened with ICL.

This could give the much needed sting in their not so formidable attack. Kyle Mills is uncertain and overall the team lacks form.

India have an edge here as they have done well in their last appearances here in Sri Lanka winning their last two series. A couple of wins here could well take them to top spot in the ODI rankings.

But we still have to take on Bond. Not to worry, we still have the two most successful one day players in our side. With Sachin opening the line up, and Dravid at no 3, we could see the much needed solidarity in the line up, especially in Sri Lankan pitches which seem to be slow, and under light and dew its difficult to connect.

Yuvraj, Raina, Rohit, Dhoni and Yusuf coule add a fit of firepower if needed, especially in power plays.

About the bowling options we have, I would look forward to seeing Nehra perform well. He is a natural swinger of the ball and could trouble a few batsmen under lights. Ishant might be a bit of worry because of his form off late, but I think he will come back. He is a bowler with good pace and good attitude. Bhajji must have a good warm up after slapping that reporter few days back, and should be ready with his googlys and doosras. PK should show his agression and will hit the deck hard as he does. No worry for him.

Overall I think we are looking good. And should be able to take on NZ easily.

Looking forward to the match today.

English summer of 2009

After winning the Ashes against the not so Mighty Australians, English cricketers are in a holiday mood. At least it seems so when you see them play against Oz in the ongoing 7 one dayers.
Its 3-0 now.After losing 3 matches in a row, its difficult for them to come back.

Australians are eying 7-0 whitewash here. Huge win that will be !

Though I am not a big fan of the English but I think 7-0 is not possible. I wont be surprised if England come back and win all the four in a row. But its highly improbable considering the form of the Oz players and the lack of it in the English camp.

Stranger things have happened in Cricket though. If its a 7-0 win, I will 'eat crow'. Literally.

Dear Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal

Dear Mr Mittal,
I am an airtel user for a long time, and until recently I have been very happy about the service.

This happened with the broadband connection I have. I am using a 512 Kbps unlimited plan which costs 1499/-, for quite some time now . Though it seemed not like a 512kbps connection, and was a bit costly I was still using it as I thought Airtel is the best provider.

Now, one day while surfing the internet I come across a 1299 Plan from airtel, called the Turbo plan. It gives 512Kbps in daytime, and 1Mbps at night, unlimited. You also get freebies like free talk time, speed on demand etc worth 499. Wow !

Now here is the question. I am sure this plan was lying around for quite some time now, Why was not I informed about this plan ? Every now and then you guys do call for some plan change or the other, but when a plan of lesser cost, and higher value arrives, you do not intimate the customer ! I checked out with customer care (which again is pathetic) and yes, they have all my details including my mobile number, landline number, email. Then why not.

I think this is cheating. Pure cheating. Fraud !

Regarding the customer care, first, it takes a loooong time to get through, and then when connected, I do not understand what language they talk. Really pathetic.

Mr Mittal, I think as you are growing, your service is degrading. And so is your support staff. Just visit one of the customer relationship center someday in Bangalore, and you will see how they behave and work. Lazy and Pathetic.

You have grown big but your quality instead of improving has gone worse. It’s your service, your total packaging which matters to me and has been worst.

PS : I do not want to talk about the incident that happened with my airtel mobile connection here.

Relocating and a business idea...

I came across this site called relocateeasy.com . It claims to provided end to end solution while relocating, starting from finding a rental accomodation, packers, moving your lpg connection etc etc..
Nice idea,

Another idea hit me today. I have given out my number and address to a bunch of restaurants. And when i relocate, its going to take some time and effort to register my new address. Huh !

Well, what can be done is a registry, online of course, to keep your number and address updated. And the pizza guys just pick that up from the registry instead of their own database. This solves two purposes. First, any new restaurant or cab company need not create or store its own database to store numbers and addresses. This would be handy when you do not want to invest too much on such things for a startup. Secondly for the users, its easy to update the details.

Any takers !

1 Lakh Car and the 1 Year MBA

Whats this about shortening everything. The 1 Lakh car is already a hit, even before being launched. And we know how popular are the 1 Year MBA courses now-a-days.

Is there a correlation ? We all know short is sweet, and in case of the car, it also appeals to the masses.

The 1 Lakh car and the 1 year MBA

Whats this about everything getting shortened. The 1 Lakh car is already a hit, even before being launched.  And we know how popular the 1 Year MBA courses are now-a-days.

Is there a correlation ? We all know short is sweet, and in case of the car, it also appeals to the masses.

There is a difference though, the 1 lakh car may be short in capacity and price, the 1 year MBA is still a hefty $$ affair. Especially if you want to pursue one abroad. Its no way the nano of the MBAs.

Finalized the list for R1 now

I am going to apply for Judge, Cambridge now for R1. Rest all later or never. I don't know as of now.

As of now I am concentrating only on the Cambdrige essays.

Of losses and moanings

Australia lost the Ashes, and as a result suffered a big drop in the ICC test rankings.

Of all people, I was hoping for a OZ victory and was disappointed. While everyone else is blaming Ponting for the loss, I would say he is a poor guy and needs to be felt for. The Oz team is a new team, and almost all of them were having their first Ashes outing outside of Australia. Do not forget the absence of McGrath, Warne, Langer, Hayden et al. And to top them, Bret Lee was not fit.

It will take time for this new team to come up to OZ standards. I will wait for the complete OZ dominance in tests.

While for One-dayers I will still back my home team India. With The 'Wall' back in team, i am looking forward to a recuperated Indian team in the Champions trophy and the upcoming triangular series in Lanka.

A word on AWA for GMAT

Now that I am done with GMAT (My Experience with GMAT) with an AWA score of 5.5 I can give some gyan on improving your AWA score in GMAT and something about preparation.

1. Be consistent in preparation - Read a lot, may be one or two essays a day. No need to spend more than 5-10 minutes per day on this. But avoid last minute reading.  Many people concentrate on the AWA only in the last few days and try to cram everything they read. This is a bad strategy unless you are a news reporter or someone who is a skilled writer.

2. Do not use heavy lingo - Try to gather strong arguments and not heavy phrases or jargon. Essay should be written in simple language and the reader should be able to comprehend.

3. Have arguments that are strong -Think with a cool head and list down all the arguments that you think are relevant here. Also think about what other information you could add. If you come across a lot of arguments, do not write all your arguments in the essay. As it might go very long and remember time is always ticking. Stick to the strongest points.

4. Think through the essay first, and outline how you want to format it. Dont just start the essay as soon as you see the topic.

5. Assumptions - Most of the times the statements being provided are based on some assumptions. Read them carefully and find out the hidden assumptions.

6. When preparing for essays - Do not just blindly read the essays. Read the subject first, what is asked and then try to list down points. No need to write the whole essay, and then when you read the essay, see what are the points you missed and how you could have improved the structure of the essay.

7. The format and structure of the essay - while there is no template to follow for essays, you must space them out carefully. Separate logical statements into paragraphs. Think about how your ideas should be conveyed to someone who reads them. Starting and concluding statements should be strong and have an impact on the reader.

8. Grammar - Your essays should have ideally no grammatical errors. But it is fine to have a few mistakes here and there but not too many.

9. Revise - You must read it once before submitting. Its is a MUST to do.

10. Save time for the end - For revision and do further editing you must save some time. Do not write till the end. And do not try to write a very long essay. Two to three strong arguments are often good enough.

11. While taking prep tests, take them once in a while. This helps in making you ready for the actual test in which you will have to sit through long hours. If you can attempt the AWA in each test. But in the last 2-3 tests that you take (mostly GMAT prep tests) , you must take the AWA seriously. Send them to friends for review as well if you can. It helps.

12. Read from trusted sources - Do not read from just any source. Buy a book or a CD. Reading magazines and newspapers also helps but when it comes to essays you must have a collection of some good AWA essays to read and get a feel.

13. Read the instructions and tips from the GMAT official guide very carefully. I read them twice, once when starting the preparation and then one day before GMAT (i had nothing to do that day ;))

14. Do not panic if till the last day you are not confident about your essays. Remember AWA is the easiest part of the whole GMAT test. So take it lightly and do not worry too much.

15. If you can not write grammatically correct sentences, then you must refer to a good grammar book and have a solid grounding in English grammar before thinking about GMAT.

Urge to do an MBA

Day by day, moment by moment, the urge to do an MBA is increasing. I cant think of anything else now. Its like a cancer. I cant get rid of it now.

I think I am desparate to do an MBA now. It was just a dream, a few months back. Now things have changed. I can not live a day without thinking of doing an MBA now . It will be painful if I do not get admit anywhere.

Need to list a few more reach schools now. Need to get practical with the list of schools.

Started researching US B-Schools as well

Until now I have been thinking about schools in UK only. But it seems the job scenario in UK is bad as compared to that in US. People are recruiting in US, especially if you want to go into consulting/technology related field post-MBA (think tech think silicon valey in the west coast).

Now I think I will have to start thinking about a few schools in US as well. Trying to find a few where cost is low, or where scholarships are easy to get. A few which come to my mind are:

Kelly, indiana. - around 92 K USD

Texas AMU - around 80k USD

Now the question is - "is it worth it?" .  I am now in a situation where I am deciding schools as per Budget and not as per my goals and ambitions. Need to rethink. Need to go back to my dreams. Need to sleep.

More schools added to the list of target schools

I have added the following to the list of schools I am targetting:

1. Cranfield : Good feedback from one of the alumn

2. Richard Ivey, Canada : Reasons  - 1 year course, case study based learning, visa requirements simple.

3. Manchester Business School - a safe school incase ....

Asked my supervisor for LORs

Had a talk with my manager for letter of recommendation. She was shocked to know that I would be leaving my job. She was probably thinking that after having being worked for 5 years now in this present company, I would be continuing till retirement.

I think I somewhere expected this reaction. I know she has some limitations in terms of understading the future aspiration of people she manages. Well, thats a different story altogether. Point is, she has agreed to give me the LOR and I am obliged. I hope she writes a strong recommendation for me.

Now the search is on for the second person. My choices are 1) my previous manager, 2)my manager in previous company 3) my team lead in previous company 4) some other manager in current company.

I think I will be taking one from each for the various schools I will be applying to. Each and every reference counts.

First shortlist of b-schools

1. Judge, Cambridge

2. Said, Oxford

3. NUS, Singapore

4. ISB Hyderabad

Why Judge : Best reach school as per my profile. Best school as per my post MBA goals. Good number of scholarships as well.

Why Said : Oxford's brand value. And nothing else.

NUS : Brand singapore. Good rankings, and placements are good. Good fit in terms of profile. Closer to india and hence would feel closer to my wifey in case she cant leave her job ;)

Why ISB : Do not know. !! I need to find out more on this, if I want to be considered a serious applicany. But yes I would be applying becuase its in India. And cost is reasonable. R1 deaslines close on sept 15, so cant make it. Will think about it in R2, and will have time to research as well.

Search for Schools started

Now that I have got my gmat score, I can start my search for B-Schools. Its already august and I am probably too late. But I think I will be able to apply to alteast 1 school in R1.

Here are my criteria for choosing a b-school :

1. 12 months course : It should be a 12 -15 months course and not more. So I am tilting towards the courses in UK.


2. Fees : Frankly speaking I can not afford more than 80k USD in fees. So most of the US schools are out of range. About Schols ? Lets see.


3. Focus on Entrepreneurship/technology/consulting. Being an IT professional and having being worked for more than 6 years now, I am in love with IT now. And I would love to work in it post MBA as well. Of course not in the role of a developer but as a consultant or a business head. I have a fair bit of experience in managing a small startup as well, and I would love to join it post my MBA, and hence choosing a school with good focus on entrepreneurship.

My GMAT story

Done with my GMAT on 05 aug 2009.

My Profile : Indian IT Male, 6 years Exp.
GMAT booked : 17th June 2009. Preparation started the same day.
GMAT taken : 05th August 2009.
Preparation time : 50 days.
Score : 720 Q50, V38. (overall 94 %ile) AWA - 5.5

Books and materials referred :
1. OG12. (The Official Guide by GMAC)
2. Kaplan Verbal workbook
3. Kaplan Premier 2009
4. Manhattan SC Guide
5. 1000 SC. - One of the most commonly used Sentence Correction material referred by students. Search over the internet to get it.

Tests taken prior to GMAT (not in chronological order):

1. GMAT Prep1 - taken thrice - : 700 (Q49, V37) , 700 (Q50, V35) , 740 (Q49, V42)


2. GMAT Prep2 - taken twice - : 720 (Q50, V38), 730 (Q49, V40)


3. MGMAT Free test - 670 ( Q48, V33 )


4. MGMAT 1 - 640 - ( Q46, V32 )


5. MGMAT 2 - 680 - ( Q48, V34 )


6. MGMAT 3 - 710 - ( Q51, V36 )


7. MGMAT 4 - 720 - ( Q51, V37 )


8. MGMAT 5 - 710 - ( Q49, V38 )


9. MGMAT 6 - 680 - ( Q49, V34 )


10. Kaplan Test on CD - 1 - 590 (Q48 V28)

Here is a summary of what I have to say about my GMAT experience and advice to others.

1. Regular practice is the key. How many days you take, depends on the individual, but I think one should be in touch always. One month practice, then break, the practice is not the way. You should be in the zone when you are taking the actual GMAT. For this, one has to build a momentum , and carry that to the test.


2. At the time of the test, staying focused is the key. Take a lot of mock tests to make yourself aware of test environment. To gauge time strategies etc..


3. GMATPrep tests are the key to success. You should use them wisely. Retaking them helps, but you should not retake within 2-3 days else there is a repeat of questions and you will get skewed scores. I would suggest one should take the GMATPrep tests atleast 3-4 times. Save GMATPrep 2 for last 5-10 days of your preparation and take this test in absolute test environment with AWA, breaks etc. Try to score as much as in GMATPrep2 and do look at where you went wrong.


4. For any materials other than SC, i dont think you need to go for materials beyond OG. Take the OG seriously, and keep a error log. Revisit OG once completed. For PS/DS I reinstalled GMATPrep quite a lot of time and got a lot of new questions. It is a huge bank !


5. For SC, Manhattan SC Guide is a must. I also referred to the 1000SC series.


6. Kaplan books and tests are a waste of time, in my opinion. Kaplan tests have different styles of questions, esp in Verbal, and sometimes I didn't agree to their CR answers. So I found them useless.


7. For AWA, one must practice writing, and that too in test environment. Sometimes 30 minutes seem very less a time.

Whats with these Bangladeshis in West-Indies

First they upset India in 2007 WC, and now they beat West Indies in their home turf, both in the test matches and the one dayers as well.

Looks like the B'deshis save their best for the Carribeans. They are definitely not the underdogs, but often manage to lose matches after coming a long way. But not this time. With the test series win, their first overseas test win, and a one-day series win after that, they are high on confidence and looking to maul any side they come across.

And OZ struggle again, this time without a Freddie Onslaught

Its day 2 at Birmingham and its the 3rd Ashes test with England leading 1-0.
And OZ have disappointed again. 250/9 does not look a good score for a team with a formidable lineup. Batsmen have failed again, to negotiate the swinging ball.
This time its Jimmy Anderson who took 5 wickets, supported by Onions who took 3. Flintoff just bowled 12 overs in 65 which OZ have managed to survive till now with no scalps.
Its time OZ come to terms to English conditions. There will be no time to recover if they lose this game.

After Vass its Murali

Vass has announced his retirement. And now Murali has announced that he will retire in 2010.

The 'Freddy' factor

This is the last tour of Freddy Flintoff and he will try his best to secure England an Ashes win. England did what they could not in last 75 years, a win in the Lords in Ashes. They are now 1-0 up with 3 more to go. And with Pontings men not in top form, an English win is highly likely.
But Australians cant be taken lightly. More so because of the over dependence on Flintoff. The right arm fast bowler has his own limitations, especially against right handers. And if Ponting and Clarke can steer the ship , and Hussey giving support at the right time, with a much needed support from the bowling department, OZs can come back.
Lets hope to see some exciting matches.

Samsung Jet - Amidst cricket and chaos came my new mobile

I got hold of this amazing phone just 2 days back, and haven't been able to leave it for a while since then. Having been waited for it for so long, I just love it.

Its loaded with lot of features, and the style and build quality is also superb. Well done Samsung !

I bought it for 21K in Bangalore, and it is worth every penny. I love the bright AMOLED display, the superb camera, and connectivity options. I love browsing the internet over my home wifi connection. Yet to try the GPRS.

It has a 800Mhz processor it and shows up in its good responsiveness. Its a good competition for LG KP Arena. And is defintely a candidate for iPhone Killer.

As this is recently launched, its price is a bit high. and will defintely come down by a few Ks in a few months or so.

5 things commentators love to say

Here are a list of 5 things cricket commentators love to say. They literally swear on these. And when I say commentators, I am talking about the Shastris, the Gavaskars, the Chappels and the Lyods, and not the modern ones who do not swear by test cricket as these oldies do.

1. "Look at the bat these guys use now-a-days. We used to have lighter bats" - when a simple back-foot nudge goes for a six from Yuvi or Viru. As if saying everything depends on the bat.
2. "These things should be taught a junior levels" - when a batsman does not stretch forward enough to save himself from getting run out. You would often hear Gavaskar saying this.
3. "Mind you , there were no helmet those days ..". I still can't believe those guys used to play without helmets.
4. "Look at the sledging these days, in our days it was just a look in the eye, or a humorous comment". - I believe this sledging issue is overrated.
5. And finally "So much cricket being played these days, the players are bound to get injured"

World T20 starts in England

World T20 starts in England, and unlike the IPL there is no hype around it.

With all the action switching to ESPN/STAR, the difference now is the increased number of ads being shown. I don't think these BCCI guys ever watch matches , and that too on TV. Because if they would, they would understand how much pain it is to watch our favorite players among the numerous advertisements. .....

IPL 2 : Down to the deciders...

We are now in the final stages of the IPL2. With only 2 games left to be played per team, and its not clear who are the four teams who will play the semi finals. Its so close this time. Of course, Delhi Daredevills , who are at the top, are through. From the other 6 (leaving KKR) , any 3 can make it. Take your pick. Lets take a look at the highlights from last few matches.

Heroics of Rohit Sharma : Two matches, back to back, and Rohit Sharma is assigned the task to finish it up for his team. He does one of them, and gets out on the other. Luck favours the brave, but not every day. The first match, against KKR, needing 21 runs of the last over, scores 26 runs, and wins it for the team. What a match. I would say Mortaza lost it for the KKR, rather than Rohit winning it. He just didnt bowl how it was required. First match for him in the IPL, and I think the pressure did him in. First bowl itself was a no ball,reason being there were not enough fielders in the ring, and it went for four. And with six balls still remaining and 15 to win, it looked difficult still. Two sixes came after that, and it reduced to 1 off last ball, which Sharma dispatched to the onside with a skilled hook off a bouncer. Thrilling finish indeed. Now, the second match, next day, different opponent, KXIP this time. And this time it was 11 runs required of the last over. Irfan was given the ball, and he started with a wide, and a boundary. With 4 required of 4 balls, it looked easy. But then Rohit tried to smash the ball, and saw his stumps broken off a slower one. It was 4 off 3 then, and then RP Singh was out the next ball. Harris came to the crease, required 3 off the last ball. Hit the ball to the cover boundary, and guess what, stopped after running the second one, without trying to squeeze the third one.

Secret of Munaf Patel : The way Munaf has been performing recently, I wonder whats his secret. In the last match, took an amazing catch off his own bowling, running towards short leg, and then in the last over, kept his nerves till the last ball, protected a single, held a throw from Warne, and ran the non striker out. Winning it for his team. What a finish. Again, in this game against DD, took an amazing catch, again off his own bowling to bowl Gambhir out. This is amazing how he is performing recently. Especially when he plays for RR, under Shane Warne. He is the ace bowler for his team, and I think that gives him the edge. Many times you see stars perform better when given the responsibility. And such is the case with this guy. Not a swift mover in the field, but has the uncanny length, and upright seam every time he comes to ball.Also because of his height, extracts bounce every other ball. I guess Dhoni needs to take a leaf out of Warnes book and treat Munaf like he does.

Ah ! That Warne Vs Sachin Battle again

Those who watched the Mumbai Indians (MI) VS Rajasthan Royals (RR) match (14May,Durban,IPL2) would have seen the Warne Vs Tendulkar battle. It was amazing. Deja vu.

Warne might have won it in the end by bowling sachin out LBW, but it was sachin who was giving him some run for his money. It was fabulous.

With 146 runs to win, MI didn't start well. Lost 3 wickets early, but Sachin and Sanath were on the crease. Sanath scored 16, and when he was out, at 56/4, it was all on Sachin and Duminy. Duminy got out on 4, and the score was 76/5. Sachin was scoring briskly as well, and then Shane Warne brought himself on. Shane started with legside, a wide, a not-so-wide, and sachin scored 5-6 off those deliveries, paddle sweeping, hitting one, and missing other. And then came the straight one. And this time sachin was struck straight on the pads.Shane appealed profusely, as if praying, and the dreaded finger came up.

IPL 2 : A mixed bag for English Cricketers

IPL Season 2 has been so far a mixed bag for the English Cricketers. A few of them performed well, while others disappointed the fans.

Andrew Flintoff (Freddy): A total failure. He was picked for a huge price by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He brought lot of promise but ended with disappointing figures. Picked for $1.55m, he will be paid around $300K for playing three matches. The fact that he picked only 2 wickets and scored just 63 runs, indicates how costly he was to the CSK. But judging a great player like him in 3 matches, and that too in a 20 overs match is unfair. But may he is just not right for the shortest format of the game.

Kevin Peterson (KP) : A lot was expected from him after the poor performance of the test-like squad of Royal Challengers Bangalore(RCB). Mallya even made him captain ahead of stalwarts like Dravid, Kumble, Kallis and Boucher. He delivered little, and so did the team. With only 2 wins of the first 6 matches, KP has little to show. And now he has to leave for his home series against the Windies.

Ravi Bopara : After a couple of good performances for his IPL team Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), he was selected for the no 3 batting position against the upcoming Windies series. This series has comes as a positive for him, Though he will be sad to leave his good T20 form in between, he should be happy to be recalled for his national side ahead of Vaughan and Bell.

Paul Collingwood : He has been kept in the sidelines for the Delhi Daredevils (DD) team, and has been the 12 th man as of now.The other 4 foreign players playing in DD are Daniel Vettori, Derk Nennes, Dilshan and AB DeVilliers. With all of them in great form, there is hardly any chance that he will get a game in a star studded squad in coming few days, before he leaves to join his team in England.

Dimitris Mascarenhas : He has been playing well for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), and wont be leaving anywhere. Good for RR.

McCullum says he will quit if KKR cant make to semis

"I'll quit if we don't make semis " - McCullum

A bold statement from a captain whose side has already lost 4 out of 5 matches, and also lost lot of faith from the fans because of the controversies. (Multiple captain formula, sending back players in the mid of the series et al.)

What he does not understand is, its not his fault. Just make Saurav 'dada', the captain and see the difference. If not win, at least the faith of the fans will be regained.

Also he needs to understand that no matter what happens in this season, he will lose his captaincy anyway. SRK will not stick to him for long.

Its final : India to host 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Finals

Its good news for all cricket fans in India. India is going to host the final and one semi-final of the 2011 World Cup along with 29 other league matches across eight venues.
Also, Sri Lanka will stage the other semi-final along with other 12 league matches in three venues, while Bangladesh will stage eight matches at two grounds.

Its really a good news for India and Indian Cricket. There is no better place than India to hold any cricket match.

Another Pakistan Australia match goes down to the wire

This is the third one dayer, and with series levelled at 1-1, this is a must win for both sides. And as it has been, this too is a low scoring match.

At the time of this post being written, Pak require another 30 runs from 4 overs with 3 wickets remaining. Shoaib Malik and Tanvir are playing well, but its still a tough ask.

And again spin is king, here in Anu Dhabi. Today the Aussie spinners have dominated. And the way they are beating the bat, looks like they are world beaters.

Watching the match on Ten Sports was fabulous and value for money. Because there were no ads. Watched the last 10-15 overs straight, and there were no ads being shown at all. Even in between wickets. They were showing the batsmen leaving the field, the new batsman coming, the fielding changes, everything. It was just amazing. I wonder how will the channel retrieve its money.

Whats with Tony Gregs Voice ? Looks like he has lot of cough up his throat, or is it just the old age turning him in.

De-Mystifying code names from Fake IPL PLayers Blog

If you have not seen it yet, then here it is. The fake IPL Payer blog.

The blogger claims to be a KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) player of the current Squad, and does not use any ones names. Here I have tried to solve the mystery. :)

Do correct me if i am wrong.

Bhooka Naan : J Buchanan , the coach
Dildo : SRK
Lordie : Saurav 'dada' Ganguly
Calypso : Chris Gayle
Ganji Hanger : Sanjay Bangar
Shakespeare : Akash Chopra
Kaan Moolo : Ajit Agarkar
Little John : Ishant Sharma
Junta Tormentor: Ajantha Mendis
Bangla Tiger : Mortaza
Appam Chu*** : Sreesanth from the Kings XI Punjab team (The Bubblies, because of the owner Preity Zinta)
Bevdaas : The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team. "Bevda" is a hindi term.
Peter Ka Beta : Kevin Peterson, captain of RCB
Prince : Yuvraj Singh
RVR Singh : VRV Singh, [who has done the implants it seems ;)]
Sheikh : Shane Warne
Sheeghra-Patan : Yusuf pathan
Meera Bhai : Harbhajan Singh

Another bowler held for suspect action...

Saeed Ajmal, the Pakistan offspinner, who has baffled the Aussies in the ongoing 5 match ODI series in UAE has been reported for suspect action. No wonder, the suspect action is because of the numerous 'doosra's he bowled to the Australian batsmen in the first 2 one dayers.

Its not the first time any bowler's action is being reported, especially for the doosra delivery.Murali, Harbhajan and the recent SA bowler Johan Botha have been reported in the past as well. While Murali , and Bhajji have been cleared, Botha's case is still under investigation by the ICC.

It is not clear whether this has happened because of the tip-off by Shane Watson during the second one dayer in Dubai, but its clear the Umpires have found enough evidence.

Whats with these doosras anyway ? I think, with players all over the world starting to learn to negotiate spin , ever other spinner now a days is turning to doosras to baffle the batsmen. Look at how successful Murali has been with it, and not to mention Bhajji's doosras which Ponting and co failed to read many a times in recent times.

IPL 2 : the story so far...

The IPL 2 started, and with a bang. In SA this year, because of elections in India.

Indian Premier League, but why the heck in SA ?
The IPL shifted to SA, and the reason, indian government, mainly the states unable to promise security for the tournament because of the on going general elections. And would you believe the irony, there are elections in SA as well, and that too during the IPL. Well, it does not matter for them i think, as they have better neighbors than ours.

Pathan smacking Mendis
As an Indian cricket fan, I got immense pleasure seeing Mendis whacked out of the ground. Especially after the much hulla created around him. So much so , that he was called the next big bowler, and was been compared among the ranks of Murali, Kumble et al. And if you ask me, he got the much needed beating. Along with this, what pleased me was that the team coached by Buchanan, lost. He probably will call for another captain just for the super overs. SRK, what about having another coach altogether to do impart some coaching to John Buchanan.

Gavaskar's Love for the Carribeans
Every time Sunny is in the commentary and any of the players come to bat from the West Indies, he breaks into his Caribbean accent. He can not help it. He just has this love-hate relationship with the West Indies. Love , because he loves the place, in fact calls Trinidad and Tobago his second home. Hate because he has been troubled by the West Indian pacemen and the spectators so much during his playing days.

Whats with all this "thanks to the sponsors"
If you have noticed, the commentators , in IPL 2 keep on thanking the sponsors every now and then. As if this was the first tournament being sponsored ever. As if the "Citi moment of success", and "DLF maximum" were not enough to do the advertisement.

Whats with this sudden spin attack from Pakistan ?

Pakistan is playing a 5 match ODI series with the Aussies in Dubai. And when everyone (including me) was thinking that the Aussies who are in better form than the Pakistani team, would win it easily. But the Pak team who have hardly played any cricket in last 6-8 months, came out all guns blazing, and drew first blood by winning the first match. And guess what, it was not the pace attack of Shoaib Akhtar, but a deadly spin attack, mainly from Shahid Afridi which did the Oz in. And if anyone has watched how these oz players played the spinners, you would think they are the minnows. Even Bangladesh or an Ireland would have negotiated spin better than the OZ team who are playing without the experienced Ponting and Mike Hussey.

So whats with this sudden spin attack from Pakistan ? Agreed, the track in Abu Dhabi was spinning, and the spinners made good use of it, but a target of 168 was too low to defend and the Paki batsmen chased it comfortably. With this win, suddenly the Pak team have gained the much needed momentum, and great deal of confidence for the rest of the series. And if the Ozs keep on playing like the way they did, they would lose it on next 2-3 games. They looked like under 19s in the game that day. No use of the feet, nothing.

Though the Ozs have won the next game, the series is still on. If you look at Afridis statistics, and by stats i mean the bowling stats for a change, they are staggering. 10-0-38-6, in the first match and 10-0-38-2 in the second match. You would say the Aussies , mainly "big-mouth" Symonds, played him well. But he has been good. Also Michael Clarke has to get back into form as soon as possible. In the second match, he was completely in disarray.

With this sudden surge of the Paki team, with its spin attack, i wonder what might have happened in that team all of a sudden. Or is it just the un-skillfull Aussie team, especially against the spin. Bring on the Indians, and you might see the difference. With Sehwag, Gambhir as the openers, and never looking to get out, i wonder if they would ever bring on Afridi. ;)

Watching a cricket match live : frustrating as it can be

Though the Indian team is winning a lot these days, watching a match live in India is getting frustrating.

The number of ads being shown in between overs has increased manifolds in last few years. There are numerous occasions where one could not see the replay of a wicket , and also the first ball of a over. Not to mention, the field changes being done in between overs, we miss them all.

In spite of the numerous complaints made during last series of England in India, last year, it seems nothing has been done by the BCCI. It is really getting frustrating to watch match live now a days.

Is a court litigation required for getting everything done in India ? Or will the BCCI do something regarding this ?

Should we do a protest outside BCCI's office against this ? Or its just a small issue to fight for ? We have certainly a lot of other real issues like terrorism, poverty, non-governance, naxalites, etc to fight against. But "pub culture" is also a non issue which has been blown out of proportion and women being assaulted. So why not.

Nadal wins another battle with Federer

Yet another time Nadal has beaten Federer in the finals of a grand slam. And this time its the Australian open, the first grand slam of the year. With this Nadal wins the his first grand slam on hard court, and his 6th overall [4 in rolland garros, 1 wimbledon]. Had Federer managed to win this one, he would have equaled Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slams, a record which has eluded the swiss for a while now. Last year, in July, it was Wimbledon when Federer eyed to equal the record, and it was Nadal again who came in between, and won his first title on grass. By beating Federer in Wimbledon, Nadal had already replaced Roger Federer from the top rank. And this win has done nothing but announced that he is here to stay at the top, at least for a while.

Coming back to today's match, it was a contest between two great players, of contrasting styles. I am sure both of them, Nadal and Federer have already been listed among the all time greats who ever played the game. But it was Nadal's power and his improved serve that won the day for him. Federer was clearly seen wary, and under pressure. Nadal brole the first game of the match which Federer served, which was evidence to the fact that Federer was under pressure. But he came back strongly and showed great play off his forehand. But it was Nadal who made fewer mistakes and finally won in the fifth set, only second time in the history of australian open that a final has gone till fifth set.

I was watching the match, hoping that the swiss will win, but it was not to be. Although Nadal was a bit tired after his win in the semis over compatriot Verdasco (two days back, a game which lasted more than 5 hours), he played superbly. No doubt he is at the top of his abilities, both physical and mental. Without which you cannot beat a champion like Federer.

I think Federer has lot to do in the coming grand slams.

Tunday ke kabab

A visit to Lucknow is incomplete without having kababs at this place called "Tunday Kababi".



Specialities : Almost everything you order here is tasty, and is a speciality. Do not forget to try the finger licking Mutton Kababs. Roomali roti goes well with it. Also the delicacies come at a very reasonable price.



Also , you should try the ubiquitous tandoori-chicken.



To reach this place, just ask for Tunday kababi, at Aminabad. If you are coming from Hazratganz, take a cycle-rickshaw to Aminabad, and its for sure that the rickshaw-walla will know this place.