Wednesday, January 28, 2009

MBA Updates

I have been accepted into the Kellogg School of Management (1 year program) as well as the Harvard Business School for my MBA.

I dont know which one to go to. It's an agonizing decision. Which one, dear reader? Which one? 

Some very mature ways of decision making I have resorted to -
- if I see two mynahs , it;s a sign I have to go to Kellogg. If I see three, I have to go to Harvard.
- if the bus arrives in the next one minute, i have to go to Harvard.
- if the leaf falls off the branch and touches my right shoulder, I go to Kellogg.
ad infinitum, ad infinitum,and so on.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

One Egg

There was a store in our colony where we did most of our grocery shopping. I often ran the chore of getting a dozen eggs from the store for Mother.  I liked that chore. I liked to feel eggy cool smoothness. Hunt for cracks. Jiggle 'em a bit. Pick the largest. I took my time. The owner didn't mind. He knew me since my toddler years and he let me select my own dozen eggs. 


On one particular trip when I was 9, I laid them carefully in a paper bag and walked over to pay up. While walking, I counted them all over again. I counted 11. So I grabbed one more egg and added it to the paper bag. At the counter, the owner-uncle took my money. Before stapling it, he took a quick peek and counted. He counted 13. He looked up and looked at me. Or rather, he gave me a look. A very quiet look. A very very quiet look. A look that held me guilty. Without saying a word, he took one egg out and stapled the bag. 

I, very puzzled, opened my mouth to protest. I grabbed the bag and counted. I counted 12. I shut my 9 year old mouth. He gave me another look. Other customers witnessed this, convinced of my guilt. A nine year old cheat, their eyes said. But I didnt say anything. Nothing in my defense. What could I say?  I didnt know how to count? I counted incorrectly? I really wasnt stealing? After that day, he always counted my eggs over the years. And after that, i didn't like my chore any more. I was guilty every time I stepped in his store. 

It took just one egg to lose my credibility.

This ancient memory still stings - the helpless humiliation of being thought a cheat. That one egg quite simply wiped out any possible desire to really pilfer pennies or shoplift for real. And from that one egg stems my abhorrence to a situation where the integrity of my actions or motives are questioned and where I have to explain myself or prove my honesty. Because I know I shall do a bad job of proving it. As bad a job as on that day when I was 9 years old. 

So I choose to speak the difficult truths everyday. In any given situation.  Especially with people who are part of my life 24x7. And expect the honesty be returned in good number. And expect to be trusted. Always. 

Thursday, January 08, 2009

The Cure for Emptiness

There are days when you feel utterly empty. You will yourself to feel something. Anything, and yet you dont. Not a tingle. Not a whisper. What is the cure for those days? A change? A walk in the park at eventide? Getting a dog? Or a goldfish? Reading a book? Cuddling up to mom? What is the cure? Tell me right now!

Friday, January 02, 2009

Travel Agents

My parent's wedding anniversary was around the corner. In preparation of a surprise, i decided to go to ABC Travel Agents to get them a nice weekend holiday. The ABC happens to be the Walmart of travel agents in Singapore. Except that they are not as cheap as Walmart. (Which actually means that they cant be the Walmart of travel agents, but thats beside the point.). 

I had a bit of a nasty experience.

One chirpy day was spent being put on hold by their really advanced telephone system for 50 minutes, being directed to the wrong branch (they have all these silly branches which serve you depending on the region of travel, the mode of travel, your race, ethnicity, mother's name, last name, time of birth. No seriously!), spending 1 hour in the queue system (again supah advanced) and talking to the officer and then being directed to the correct branch, only to find it closed. 

The second day was a lot less painful. But, the prices quoted were..lets say, not Walmart cheap. In fact, M travels was doing a visa for $30 while these people quoted $58. The man called Jackson who was serving me wouldnt give me any packages other than those for just ONE hotel. Then AFTER paying the deposit, he says something suspicious "Your deposit is non refundable and we do not gurantee that you will be able to travel on these dates or gurantee a place in the said hotel". WTFudge???? I mean seriously, WTFudge????? Have you ever come across a travel agent saying, "you will have to travel on alternative dates as we dont gurantee these said dates AFTER taking a NON-REFUNDABLE deposit."

At this point, I stood up, snatched my money from him, l.i.t.e.r.a.l.l.y and stopped nearly short of swearing at him cuz I was brought up to be well mannered and polite to people who serve you. Then i told him how utterly stupid that statement was. He said I could take my business elsewhere.

Of course, after this, i took charge of this whole situation - entirely.

I gave him my money, agreed to his condition and walked out thanking him.

And 10 min ago, I see my Staff Club organising a trip to the same destination for a decidedly cheaper fare.

The Agony of Many Options

Suddenly i have a guzillion books that I have to read and are staring at me from my bedside table. The Known World, Cloud Atlas, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Prozac Nation...just to name a few. And, i am so terribly excited that I could jump up and down on my mattress had I been 5 years younger. I want to read 'em all at once.

A new year and a new resolution to be more disciplined. That has saddled me with the burden of bearing the agony of many options and only one choice.