Back from India & Wharton no more

Finally got the chance to reflect on the latest developments in my life. The pace has been so hectic since my last post. A lot has happened since then, basically the summary is as follows: Interesting business trip to India, got rejected by Wharton, decided to apply to a few more schools, friend gave birth to a beautiful baby, and throw in a hectic schedule at work submitting 3 tenders.

Now the India trip - as expected I had a relatively enjoyable experience in a new country and seeing a totally different culture, but I have to admit the traffic there really puts KL's so called traffic jams to shame. Mumbai was very very busy and Pune was a bit cooler and nicer. One thing... the food was delish. The picture above is of a busy Mumbai street and the other is of my company's office in Pune. A slight contrast to Reliance's supercomplex (with their architecturally astounding buildings and manicured lawns) which I managed to visit in Navi Mumbai. To see the people there (especially the poor living in the slums area) and the lives they lead kinda makes me realise that we have it so good here in Malaysia.



I have to admit my experiences in India did soften the blow of getting the ding from Wharton. Now that that's done (I really expected to at least be interviewed!), I guess I have no choice but to move on. After returning home, I went to an MBA tour event in KL, and though the turnout was quite disappointing (from the schools), I did manage to get some good discussions with the Darden admissions lady and also had a long chat with an INSEAD alumni. I'm glad I attended though as I walked away feeling that I would fit in well at INSEAD. Wharton was there too but I didn't go and say hi, though maybe I should have as I may end up reapplying next year if I don't get into any of the other schools.

3rd event - a good friend just delivered a beautiful baby girl by the name of Sarah. Worst thing for me is the pressure I got from her friends and family, i.e. "When's your turn?" Oh well, I guess it'll have to wait till after the MBA........ or maybe even during :)

Going to Bangkok for work again tomorrow. Not too excited as I've been there a few times this year already but looking forward to some nice Thai food. All this travelling really plays havoc on my health as I end up eating too much and forgo any exercise for the week.

INSEAD apps are due Dec 7 so I doubt I'll be posting before then. Wish me luck again guys!! cheers..

India Trip

Tomorrow I'm going to India for the first time. It's exciting, though I'll be going for work and thus won't have much time for sightseeing. Unfortunately, I'm not going to Delhi so won't be able to visit the Taj Mahal at Agra. Oh well.. guess I'll have to make another trip there to catch this magnificent sight.

This trip will keep me occupied enough to not be worried about my interview invites. It's still at the back of my mind though as the Wharton deadline is looming. Being the eternal optimist, I still think I have a good chance. I'll update soon on the outcome and also on my trip with more pictures upon my return. (I just discovered how to add pics to the blog)

Oh yeah one more thing - the past weekend has seen no Premier League action so I won't be bitching about some boring rich London team... to the relief of the few readers of my blog!!! :)

Gunners record stays

And what did I say?

Chelsea has lost in the league and for now the Gunner's legendary unbeaten record is safe again. Not that I really expected Chelsea to beat the record as they were due to play at Highbury before they could reach it, but at least it's out of the way now and the Gunners can now focus on our own game. A win with the game in hand cuts Chelsea's lead to 8 points, and open's the title race up. Too bad there's a break next weekend for Internationals. Just when Chelski was stumbling.

On a more personal note - this past week of holidays in Malaysia has been hectic yet enjoyable. I spent Eid celebrations away from my family for first time in a while, and it was kind of sad, but at the same time I also had lots of good food and quality time with the "in-laws". Also stuffed myself silly having 5 meals on Thursday and Friday (and this after going 1 month with just 1 meal a day!!). Oh well - at least the fasting is done for this year.

Still no news on the interview invites yet. I'm starting to get nervous. Perhaps it's time to take out the essays again and start changing them to suit the other school's application. My ego will take a severe beating if I don't get invited to any interviews. Please pray for me! cheers to all the good wishes so far...