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 :)