Rain or No Rain

The monsoons have hit most parts of India barring the sun drenched, parched, scorched, dried out Ahmedabad. It seems as if the Rain Gods are unhappy for some reason unknown to the Amdavaadies. On most mornings I find myself looking up into the cloudy sky and proclaiming loudly to R - "Its going to rain today". None of my prophecies have come true till now, and more so are being repeatedly ignored with a half hearted nod from R. I hail from the Himalayan valley and to get my rainfall judgement incorrect is quite a blow to my weatherman (read woman) instinct. I was born, bred and buttered to recognize the signs of an oncoming shower. How can anyone go wrong - the clouds are there, the breeze is there, but where IS THE RAIN?

I chattered on with my incessant rantings about the missing monsoons with the fellow wives who like me were contemplating a fasting session to please the Rain Gods. It was just then that I read an email from a frustrated colleague in Delhi. My thoughts drifted back to the unbelievably chaotic Delhi city during the monsoons. Hours and hour of traffic choked roads, flooded underpasses, idiotic drivers who honk for no reason in the middle of a bumper to bumper traffic situation, sudden death of the traffic lights all over the city, truckwalas who decide to park their great vehicles as per their whims and fancies on NH 8 and a pitiful state of government affairs that chooses to overlook the problem year after year. I could see myself trapped in my Alto for unbelievably long hours on my way to and from work between Noida and Gurgaon, battling  the rampant call center cabbies who drive as if they own the roads- how I wished and prayed to the Rain Gods to end my trauma then. 

I realised that this year in Ahmedabad was the answer to my prayers and yet I had not stopped cribbing. I must have driven the Gods crazy. 

I looked up into the cloudy evening sky, and sent out a small mental note

"Dear God, 

Thank you. Rain or no Rain!" 

Yours truly, 

Kay

I have decided to let the Rain Gods get by their business in this extremely busy season of the year. As for me,  I will patiently wait with a mug of coffee to enjoy a rainy day on my balcony in IIMA. 

Spotted a piece of Art - Liekart!

Today morning as I strolled into R's syndicate room (group study room assigned to a group of 6-7 PGPX students where they spend most of their waking hours) where he was frantically taking printouts before the final exam, I came across this pictorial representation of the Term 1 exam timetable on the white board. The picture left me thoroughly amused and appreciative of the artist's representation of what the exams meant to them and what I love is the drawing of the 'killer' Term 2. I can't stop laughing, these guys are amazing!

 A liekart or liekert scale as explained on wikipedia is is a psychometric scale commonly used in questionnaires, and is the most widely used scale in survey research. The scale captures the intensity of the respondents feelings. The scale is named after its inventor, psychologist Rensis Likert.

The End of Term 1

With the last exam tomorrow before the Term 1 officially draws to a close, the buzz word around is "the holidays". The Academic Gurus have been kind enough to grant a 2 day Summer vacation to unwind before Term two -  2 days i.e Saturday and Sunday :) The prelude to the holidays was pretty evident post exam today. The Joos cafe was teeming with groups discussing, planning, re planning and excitedly looking for "things to do" in Ahmedabad while the Mumbaiwalas began their final "hours to go" count down to the airport tomorrow evening. A few fitness freaks were happily jogging and we decided to attack Gujju food yet once again and headed for Swati Snacks. R has sailed through the dreaded Term 1 - yay!

The campus which was quiet and deserted until last week is now buzzing with activity. The PGPs are here. A few sets of proud parents walk about clicking pictures of their young geniuses in India's crimson campus. Its not uncommon to see a guitarist strumming away while his friends swing and sway to the music. 

Squeals of laughter erupt from out of nowhere at regular intervals followed by pulsating chants of "Muggo Fucho Muggo" that seem to increase into decibels enough to vibrate the brick building. The slogan is a traditional way of introducing the facchas to the unending stream of case studies, quizzes and the famed IIM A academic rigor. 

For a few seconds I stop & smile and then head to the LKP lawns with my friends to watch the Frisbee match underway at midnight. 

We all scream for ice-cream!

Miss B came over to spend a few days with me in Ahmedabad before heading off home and starting the countdown to her "big day". For the past 10 years that I have spent living across the length and breadth of the National Capital Region, Miss B has spent a few weekends at all my crash pads including my latest abode at IIMA. Most of those weekends with her would be spent watching a few movies, catching up on the events in our lives and eating every meal at a different joint.

Just like those weekends spent in NCR, the highlight of her extended weekend in Amdavaad was FOOD, great Gujju food!!

We began our tour of the Gujjuland gourmet with our lovely Ami mami and her thorough insight into what was not to be missed. The round around Ahmedabad with her was probably the best vegetarian street food I have ever consumed on a single day!

Besides IIM A, Ahmedabad is also famous for its ice-creams. Miss B's first day on campus, the late night ladies meet decided to head to the Vastrapur Havmor. At 11 pm we queued up for a scoop of the famous Havmor ice cream with the Gujarati families who have a penchant for their after dinner ice-creams. For forty bucks a scoop, the ice-cream is far better than what I have tasted up North and I would rate my Mocha brownie fudge a perfect 10 followed by the sandwich icecream and then the black forest cake ice cream.

Besides Havmor, Patel Ice cream, opposite the Stadium on CG Road seems to be a popular guy. The ice creams are hand churned (hand made at their shop), and have a creamy texture. We tried butterscotch, chocolate and kesar pista. The local kesar pista flavor emerged the sure shot winner of the day, leaving the choco-chips way behind.

On our way back, Miss B spotted Hokey- Pokey at the nearby Shivalik Plaza and shrieked in excitement. Hokey Pokey is originally a Gujju chain of Stone creations hugely popular in Mumbai (as per Miss B). A delighted Miss B insisted on taking us out for a taste of her favourite ice cream creations. Creations because the ice cream is mixed with various add - ins such as kit-kat, brownies, chocochips, jujubes etc on a frozen stone slab. The guy flings the final product into the air and puts on a display of minor juggling of the ice cream before it lands into a hokey pokey cup. For final touches a chocolate feather is added to the ice cream cup. The entire sequence was amusing and hokey pokey turned out to be a great discovery!

Amdavaad truly lives up to its reputation of being the ice cream Capital of India. From a hand churned to a cool stone ice cream, they have it all!

In Miss B's words "Gujju food bau saras chey"

The famed IIM Ahmedabad Academic Rigor

When we first spoke about an MBA, R was pretty sure that it had to be IIM -A -  for the sanctified institute's long standing position as India's Super B-School. But did he know what he was really getting into? - I'm not sure, but it sure is a package deal! (pun intended).

In short here are the various moods that describe R's very first month as a PGPXer at WIMWI:

1. Zombied

2. Miffled

3. Stunned

3. Pondering

4. Meditative

5. Dude, this is IIM A, it can't get better than this...

Resting on the lines of mood no. 5, he goes through the grind every day, waiting for more to fall upon him. This is also widely the mode of being in the 6th batch of the One -O- One future CXOs who are walking the "walk" - 11 months to go!

For us, the ladies on campus, it can't get better than this and to think that there are 11 more such months to go, the party has only started.

P.S -  WIMWI: Well known Institute of Management in Western India - modesty huh!

A peek into IIM A - Old & New

The IIM A campus, our home for the next one year is typically a mix of exposed Red bricks and concrete. The Main campus is connected to the New campus built very recently by an underpass under the 132 Ft ring road.

The numerous arches and circles are the high points of the Louis Kahn design. According to a professor's wife I was recently talking to, there are about 400 neem trees on campus along with hedges of tulsi around the green spaces. 

The three of us - dedicated wives, decided to capture the campus one sunny evening a few days back.

The facade of the Main building & Louis Kahn Plaza

The famous Harvard Steps. According to a survey, 62% of Indian CEOs have walked these steps 

One of the numerous arches in the Old Campus

The underpass that connects the Old & the New!

The Married Student's Housing - New Campus

IMDC - New Campus

Classrooms - New Campus

WIMWIAN :)

PGPX @ IIM A

October 2010 was a great month that brought in a lot of good news. One that we had been looking forward to (and not talking about) was Rahul being accepted for an MBA at IIM Ahmedabad. And from that day on, began our 6 month wait to eat, pray and live on the hallowed campus starting April 2011.

All bills were paid, accounts settled, house wrapped up, car loaded and we were ready for a 1000 kms trip from Noida to Ahmedabad. The drive through Jaipur - Ajmer - Chittaurgarh - Udaipur - Himmatnagar and into Ahmedabad was fantastic. Pothole free roads, minimal traffic, and a smooth drive was a breather from Delhi/ UP roads. Finally on the evening of 6th April, we checked into the campus that would be our home for the next one year!

Just about 3 weeks in, and the course has started taking the best of R. I see him in precisely in three states - sleeping, studying or eating and this is just 60% of the peak in the first term. Life isn't the same for the wives on campus. While PGPX6 are at their case solving best, evening spouse meetings in the MSH courtyard is the high point of the day. Amidst peals of laughter, occasional shrieks from the children, the evening chatter moves into a more fruitful midnight coffee session - planning and re- planning and then perfecting plans for the week ahead.
For this week - Dam Maro Dam it is!