We went to Tawang from 11th Feb to 14th Feb, the 10 of us. It was naturally a wonderful experience. Here is detailed information about everything that I used to plan the trip which may be useful for everyone, especially the IITGians :)
Firstly, you could go via a travel agent. Probably the best would be Himalayan travels. The biggest advantage is obviously that you don’t need to plan anything and there is very low possibility of things going ‘wrong’. On the other hand, you would naturally lose your freedom and would have to follow the agent’s schedules, which includes quite a lot of extra stay in hotels (for obvious reasons!) e.g. a night stay at Guwahati, a night stay at Bomdilla. In addition, it costs easily 30-50% more due to high hotel changes. It would probably suit professors and their family, as the agent told us. Still if this option interests you or if you want to find out more about it, you can contact Himalayan Holidays - Himalayan Holidays, Kabar Khana Road, Tezpur. Ph: 03712-223580 (O), 221646(R), 9957178796.
This was supposedly our first plan which never materialized (isn’t that obvious ;) ). I finally asked a few of the people around who had already been there, and from what I gathered, I found what I finally planned to be quite the optimal. Of course that was the best that suited us, which may not be the case with everyone or every group. The main thing was that the stay part at Tezpur and Bomdilla were absent. This also resulted in a considerably less time required for the whole trip.
The final plan:
Someone very recently asked me what the phrase ‘back seat driver’ meant. I can now explain it to him more clearly :)
We started from IIT Guwahati in the night on Wednesday, about 11:30 pm. The reason was that it seemed pointless to include a night stay at Tezpur. This was the only ‘not the best/optimal’ choice I had to make, but was unavoidable since no one wanted to go to the city to get the best bargain. It took the 10 of us Rs. 3500 to go to Tezpur, which was costly since the travel was during the night, the pickup was from IIT Guwahati and the driver whom I contacted couldn’t manage to get a sumo :( We finally ended up in two vehicles – a Maruti van and an Indica. To those in the Maruti van, we would remember that the best moments of the trip would never be possible without this division into two groups :P The tyre got punctured a couple of times, but it didn’t take long to fix it and the story going on inside was way too interesting for anyone to bother even the slightest bit :D Use this contact only in the worst case. The best thing to do would be to go to the city and book a sumo for the trip. Taxis and other vehicles like Maruti vans are available too. The vehicle can be decided by the size of the group. In any case, the cost of hiring a vehicle isn't really proportional to the number of people or its seating capacity, so you can always book a larger vehicle like Sumo instead of a Taxi at almost the same price. In the worst case, you could call up these drivers: Khan – 9864055474 (preferable), Bapan – 9859156172 (NOT preferable! Was drunk!) We reached Tezpur in the morning, about 4:00 am. Spent some time at Bapan’s house on his continuous insistence. Then we went to Himalayan travels, which opened about 5:00 am, Thursday.
The driver that we got was seriously the best. Lots of people had previously complained about getting grumpy or poor drivers, but we seemed quite lucky with this. I would very strongly recommend that if you are considering a trip, do contact Himalayan Travels and book yourself this guy. He’s from Arunachal Pradesh and originally from Tawang. His contact: Lakpo – 9402070455. The charge was Rs. 4000 for the trip to Tawang, (Rs. 400 per head). It is a standard rate and I don't think you can get it for any less. This is where the real advantage of 10 people came in. Each sumo carries 10 people, so if you are more, you will have to split and if you are less, then there would be other passengers along with you as well. Otherwise it might also be good to consider paying the whole 4000 rupees and getting the sumo for yourself – perhaps more comfortable. Going by my personal experience, I would always prefer a Sumo over other vehicles like a Taxi or Maruti Van at roads such as these, for the sheer performance of the Sumo - somehow gives you much more confidence. During winters, the roads are all covered with ice and it becomes very difficult to control the vehicle.
We started around 5:30am. Had a stop at Bhalukpong to get the passes. It is a very easy procedure there. I went with Lakpa to the officer’s house. He gave us a few papers for the application, then went to another person for the approval. Finally got the passes in a relatively short time span. Cost us Rs. 300 in all for 10 people with absolutely no bribe!
Finally reached Tawang at about 9:00 pm in the night. Had no idea about the stay. We did go to a few places mentioned by people who had gone before, but they were out of the ‘common rooms’ that had cheaper accommodation. After seeing about 3-4 hotels, finally decided on this one. It was quite good, we took 2 rooms with double bed and a single bed in each room. For two days, it cost us Rs. 4500 in all, including the stay, heater (they charge extra for this!) and one dinner and one lunch. Contact is Hotel Tawang View Ph: 03794 – 223009/224548/222433 Mob: 9436895447 (Lohit Sharma)
About sight seeing in Tawang, we were lucky when Lakpa agreed to take us on a day’s trip around. Charged us Rs. 2500, which is quite cheaper than if you go by the standard procedure of hiring Taxis or perhaps even other sumos. Places worth visiting are a couple of lakes – frozen, semi-frozen, the Madhuri lake (good and famous!), an army memorial for the war heroes of 1962 (closes early but should visit!), a monastery. All views are extremely beautiful, especially the sceneries on the way. Sela pass is the highest point on the way. Took one day to roam about in Tawang. Actually there isn't anything special in Tawang, it is the surrounding places and the scenic beauty on the way that really makes the trip worthwhile.
Return again we went with Lakpa to Tezpur. Took comparatively lesser time than the earlier onward journey. Also stopped by on the way for playing around in snow – was great fun :) Return again cost Rs. 4000. Then finally booked another sumo from the Himalayan Travels office in Tezpur for Rs. 2500 to IITG back.
Was a great trip overall. Food is pretty good – rice and curry are standard meals. Helpful to carry some anti-vomiting tablets if anyone isn’t very comfortable with the mountainous roads. The time December-January and even February beginning are very cold, so do carry adequate woolens. Gloves and a monkey-cap are a must during this time at least :) Any other queries, you are welcome to ask anytime :)
References (on request :P)
1. Pranjal, IITG, 2011
Friday, February 20, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
IIM Kozhikode Interview Experience on 9th February 2009
IIMK GD/PI experience
----------------------------------
Had the GD/PI of IIM Kozikode at 9:00 am on Monday, Feb. 9th. Venue was Kelinworth Hotel in Kolkata. Hotel was pretty good, lots of foreigners too - guess its 3 star but not sure. Reached the centre by 8:15 am; decided it was too early, took a stroll outside for 10 minutes and went in. Some chairs to sit in the open, so sat there. 6 others had already arrived. A few others had come later. By 8:45 we were asked to go inside and be seated. About 18-20 people were present. 3 were girls ;)
4 people arrived, we figured they would be the interview/GD panel. Not dressed formally at all. At least two thought an "in-shirt" would do no harm! For the first panel, they called out the names. One person was absent. My name was called in second last. Total of 9 in my panel. We were seated as they called our names, so I was in the last but one chair - next to the corner one. Was getting pretty tensed already - I still just HATE GDs!
There was a paper in front of us, covered. We were instructed to read it and jot down any points for 5 minutes on the same sheet of paper (wonder why there was a pad present too!) and would then be given 15 minutes for the discussion.
The case was about how some Janavi was called Jane in her office, worked when her family and friends slept and thinks the Indian Independence day is on 4th July (?!) and the question was whether the IT/BPO industry had destroyed a whole generation of Indians. I had no clue whether to support or go against it (as usual!) ; didn't write down any 'points' for discussion since I never start the GD anyway! Just wanted to go with the flow. Was already getting tenser! My first impression for the group was they are not as dominant as say the group in IMS or the all 'charged' up group at IITG thanks to VC! (thanks again to him for the impression I carry about GDs!!) It did prove right in the end.
The case started with someone trying to define the problem. As usual it sounded dumb. As usual, three guys then tried to 'pitch in'. As usual, I was clueless! Didn't speak for about 2-3 minutes initially at all. Then tried to say something, got cut down by the 'market'. Remembered what Ankit said - if needed raise your voice, keep continuing what you are saying. Went for it. Was surprised the group became silent to listen to me, though my points weren't the best or even as good as I would have liked them to be. Still, it felt nice. Then on, I periodically kept pitching in and people progressively paid more attention. The one girl in our group never got a chance to speak but kept trying. Out of frustration sometime in the middle when she was cut by someone, she went on a recorded tape recorded mode - 'May I May I May I' and then the whole group became silent. Was fun to watch.
Overall GD was far better than my expectations, at least in terms of the number of times or minutes that I spoke for. In terms of time, I would be in the top 3-4. Still, was a good experience. The moderators seemed quite 'warm' and un-intimidating.
The interview was to be in the same order. Sat with 3 others - a guy Sourabh from NIT Nagpur who stayed in Guwahati for 14 years, another guy with 4-5 years experience in some Japanese company and the girl in our group - Madhuri from Patna. Sourabh had gotten all calls (97 odd percentile). Chit-chatted for quite some time about a variety of topics including some GK/current affairs. Didn't get anywhere near tensed during this time, all to be changed soon.
Sourabh was the first to go in and come out. Immediately after was Madhuri. Then some guy and then me. Both Sourabh and Madhuri said it was quite OK types, not a stress interview. The others from the second panel said it was a proper stress interview, quite unhappy about it.
Got quite tensed in the interview initially for about 5 minutes, then it was all cool. Interview had two people, P1 and P2. P1 asked mostly technical, P2 was more into other stuff. Both were very cool about it all. SK is me, Siddharth Kalla :) The other group had questions like explain refrigeration etc,which I could never answer!!
SK: Good afternoon sirs
P1: Please have a seat. Please hand over the form and the certificates.
SK: [does as told]
P1: Ok so Mr. Siddharth Kalla, you from IIT Guwahati right?
P2: [meanwhile looks at my form]
SK: Yes sir
P1: Tell me something about yourself
SK: [realizes he wasn't prepared for this. How DUMB!]
SK: I am Siddharth Kalla from final year Mechanical Engineering from IIT Guwahati
P1: [Nods his head as if telling me he already knows it all and wants something 'more']
SK: Tell him my hobbies, my final year B.Tech project (?!) and about my family background.
P1: So you are Mechanical Engineering. Do you know about engines, heat exhangers and thermodynamics?
SK: [this is the worst part! Thats one area I know just nothing of! ]
SK: I know the fundamentals, we had the basics of it in a course (No way I was going to tell him how many courses we actually had!!)
[now the best part he asks me the real basics. happy with it]
P1: So what is the zeroth law of thermodynamics?
SK: Tell him about thermal equilibrium. Try to act 'smart' and tell him thats the principle a thermometer works on.
P1: So what is the principle in a thermometer.
SK: For a mercury in glass thermometer, it is expansion on heating.
P1: OK so any other methods for measuring the temperature?
SK: [thinks for a while] Pressure of a gas - when heated, the pressure increases.
P1: [nods] So anything else?
SK: [thinks again for a while longer] Resistance changes with temperature, so that can be measured.
P1: Nods more emphatically. So any others?
SK: [thinks way too longer! - how could I forget thermocouples!]
P1: OK, so what is the first law of thermodynamics?
SK: Sir, basically conservation of energy.
P1: So what is the second law of thermodynamics?
SK: Sir it basically [word used for the second time - to be avoided in future!!] says that the entropy of the universe always increases.
P1: [Gets WIDE EYED. I should have told about how heat--> work can never be 100% efficient or something about heat engines and source-sink stuff]
P1: What is entropy?
SK: It is a measure of disorderness in a system.
P1: So why should it always increase?
SK: Thats how things are - there can be no proof for it, it is just like the conservation of energy - it cannot be proved but found to be true in all cases.
P1: Okkk [seems semi-convinced]
P1: So why are the laws named as zeroth, first and second instead of first, second and third?
SK: Sir the first law was stated earlier and then the zeroth law.
P1: Are you sure?
SK: Yes sir [remember reading it somewhere, don't know where!] the first law was stated first, then the zeroth law was identified and found to be more fundamental than the first law. So it was called the zeroth law.
P1: Ok so what is a heat exchanger?
SK: [thinks for a while] It is basically (?!) for heat exchange.
P1: Heat exchange where?
SK: Between a hot fluid and cold fluid.
P1: Ok so what are the different modes of heat transfer?
SK: Conduction, convection and radiation.
P1: What is conduction.
SK: [explains about molecular vibrations etc.]
P1: Does it always occur naturally or can it be forced?
SK: [thinks for a while] I am not sure if it can be forced, but convection can be forced.
P1: So in a heat exchanger, which is the most dominant mode of heat transfer?
SK: Sir convection is most dominant
P1 : Ok... [seems convinced]
SK: [why does he say this?!] but conduction is also important
P1: CONDUCTION?
SK: [tells hims about the surface interface where conduction takes place blah blah blah]
P1: So why is there conduction and convection, why not just conduction?
SK: Tell him that it is convenient, and it occurs regularly in nature, like land breeze, sea breeze. Also tell him its something like electricity and magnetism that we study separately though they are unified. No visible reaction from him.
P1: So how many types of heat exchangers are there?
SK: Parallel and counter parallel.
P1: What are they?
SK: [explains]
P1: Any other types?
SK: [thinks] None that I know of
P1: Ok, so which one is more effective?
SK: Counter parallel?
P1: Why is it so, when it is the same cross sectional area.
SK: [Tries to explain, not convinced. Leaves it.]
Turns to P2.
P2: So have you learned any managerial skills during your college study?
SK: Fundae about organizational skills.
P2: Do you follow current affairs, politics, economics etc?
SK: To the basic level, yes sir. (Had no intention to take my chances!)
P2: So what is the latest happening?
SK: Gaza ... explains blah blah
P2: Anything in India?
SK: [begins to think!! OMG couldn't come up with anything - VERY BAD!]
P2: So what is GDP?
SK: Value of all the goods and services produced in a country.
P1: So is the renumeration of Sachin and Shahrukh added to the GDP?
SK: Sir I think so
P1: But they are not producing any goods?
SK: Sir they provide a service that people like to pay and watch.
P1: But that is already covered in the advertising.
SK: [didn't want to argue. pretend to think] I am not sure sir
P1: [smiles] OK
P1: [looks at P2, both nod]
P1: Thank you Mr. Siddharth.
SK: Look surprised(?!) I felt the interview was too short - later realized it was for 15 minutes -seemed like 5 minutes! I stand up to go and also wish them
P1: Are you surprised that the interview is over? (!?)
SK: [Smiles, thinks and says] Sir, A little bit yes sir. (very timidly!)
P1: [laughs!]
P1: Is this your first interview?
SK: Yes sir
P1: All the best to you
SK: Thank you sir!
----------------------------------
Had the GD/PI of IIM Kozikode at 9:00 am on Monday, Feb. 9th. Venue was Kelinworth Hotel in Kolkata. Hotel was pretty good, lots of foreigners too - guess its 3 star but not sure. Reached the centre by 8:15 am; decided it was too early, took a stroll outside for 10 minutes and went in. Some chairs to sit in the open, so sat there. 6 others had already arrived. A few others had come later. By 8:45 we were asked to go inside and be seated. About 18-20 people were present. 3 were girls ;)
4 people arrived, we figured they would be the interview/GD panel. Not dressed formally at all. At least two thought an "in-shirt" would do no harm! For the first panel, they called out the names. One person was absent. My name was called in second last. Total of 9 in my panel. We were seated as they called our names, so I was in the last but one chair - next to the corner one. Was getting pretty tensed already - I still just HATE GDs!
There was a paper in front of us, covered. We were instructed to read it and jot down any points for 5 minutes on the same sheet of paper (wonder why there was a pad present too!) and would then be given 15 minutes for the discussion.
The case was about how some Janavi was called Jane in her office, worked when her family and friends slept and thinks the Indian Independence day is on 4th July (?!) and the question was whether the IT/BPO industry had destroyed a whole generation of Indians. I had no clue whether to support or go against it (as usual!) ; didn't write down any 'points' for discussion since I never start the GD anyway! Just wanted to go with the flow. Was already getting tenser! My first impression for the group was they are not as dominant as say the group in IMS or the all 'charged' up group at IITG thanks to VC! (thanks again to him for the impression I carry about GDs!!) It did prove right in the end.
The case started with someone trying to define the problem. As usual it sounded dumb. As usual, three guys then tried to 'pitch in'. As usual, I was clueless! Didn't speak for about 2-3 minutes initially at all. Then tried to say something, got cut down by the 'market'. Remembered what Ankit said - if needed raise your voice, keep continuing what you are saying. Went for it. Was surprised the group became silent to listen to me, though my points weren't the best or even as good as I would have liked them to be. Still, it felt nice. Then on, I periodically kept pitching in and people progressively paid more attention. The one girl in our group never got a chance to speak but kept trying. Out of frustration sometime in the middle when she was cut by someone, she went on a recorded tape recorded mode - 'May I May I May I' and then the whole group became silent. Was fun to watch.
Overall GD was far better than my expectations, at least in terms of the number of times or minutes that I spoke for. In terms of time, I would be in the top 3-4. Still, was a good experience. The moderators seemed quite 'warm' and un-intimidating.
The interview was to be in the same order. Sat with 3 others - a guy Sourabh from NIT Nagpur who stayed in Guwahati for 14 years, another guy with 4-5 years experience in some Japanese company and the girl in our group - Madhuri from Patna. Sourabh had gotten all calls (97 odd percentile). Chit-chatted for quite some time about a variety of topics including some GK/current affairs. Didn't get anywhere near tensed during this time, all to be changed soon.
Sourabh was the first to go in and come out. Immediately after was Madhuri. Then some guy and then me. Both Sourabh and Madhuri said it was quite OK types, not a stress interview. The others from the second panel said it was a proper stress interview, quite unhappy about it.
Got quite tensed in the interview initially for about 5 minutes, then it was all cool. Interview had two people, P1 and P2. P1 asked mostly technical, P2 was more into other stuff. Both were very cool about it all. SK is me, Siddharth Kalla :) The other group had questions like explain refrigeration etc,which I could never answer!!
SK: Good afternoon sirs
P1: Please have a seat. Please hand over the form and the certificates.
SK: [does as told]
P1: Ok so Mr. Siddharth Kalla, you from IIT Guwahati right?
P2: [meanwhile looks at my form]
SK: Yes sir
P1: Tell me something about yourself
SK: [realizes he wasn't prepared for this. How DUMB!]
SK: I am Siddharth Kalla from final year Mechanical Engineering from IIT Guwahati
P1: [Nods his head as if telling me he already knows it all and wants something 'more']
SK: Tell him my hobbies, my final year B.Tech project (?!) and about my family background.
P1: So you are Mechanical Engineering. Do you know about engines, heat exhangers and thermodynamics?
SK: [this is the worst part! Thats one area I know just nothing of! ]
SK: I know the fundamentals, we had the basics of it in a course (No way I was going to tell him how many courses we actually had!!)
[now the best part he asks me the real basics. happy with it]
P1: So what is the zeroth law of thermodynamics?
SK: Tell him about thermal equilibrium. Try to act 'smart' and tell him thats the principle a thermometer works on.
P1: So what is the principle in a thermometer.
SK: For a mercury in glass thermometer, it is expansion on heating.
P1: OK so any other methods for measuring the temperature?
SK: [thinks for a while] Pressure of a gas - when heated, the pressure increases.
P1: [nods] So anything else?
SK: [thinks again for a while longer] Resistance changes with temperature, so that can be measured.
P1: Nods more emphatically. So any others?
SK: [thinks way too longer! - how could I forget thermocouples!]
P1: OK, so what is the first law of thermodynamics?
SK: Sir, basically conservation of energy.
P1: So what is the second law of thermodynamics?
SK: Sir it basically [word used for the second time - to be avoided in future!!] says that the entropy of the universe always increases.
P1: [Gets WIDE EYED. I should have told about how heat--> work can never be 100% efficient or something about heat engines and source-sink stuff]
P1: What is entropy?
SK: It is a measure of disorderness in a system.
P1: So why should it always increase?
SK: Thats how things are - there can be no proof for it, it is just like the conservation of energy - it cannot be proved but found to be true in all cases.
P1: Okkk [seems semi-convinced]
P1: So why are the laws named as zeroth, first and second instead of first, second and third?
SK: Sir the first law was stated earlier and then the zeroth law.
P1: Are you sure?
SK: Yes sir [remember reading it somewhere, don't know where!] the first law was stated first, then the zeroth law was identified and found to be more fundamental than the first law. So it was called the zeroth law.
P1: Ok so what is a heat exchanger?
SK: [thinks for a while] It is basically (?!) for heat exchange.
P1: Heat exchange where?
SK: Between a hot fluid and cold fluid.
P1: Ok so what are the different modes of heat transfer?
SK: Conduction, convection and radiation.
P1: What is conduction.
SK: [explains about molecular vibrations etc.]
P1: Does it always occur naturally or can it be forced?
SK: [thinks for a while] I am not sure if it can be forced, but convection can be forced.
P1: So in a heat exchanger, which is the most dominant mode of heat transfer?
SK: Sir convection is most dominant
P1 : Ok... [seems convinced]
SK: [why does he say this?!] but conduction is also important
P1: CONDUCTION?
SK: [tells hims about the surface interface where conduction takes place blah blah blah]
P1: So why is there conduction and convection, why not just conduction?
SK: Tell him that it is convenient, and it occurs regularly in nature, like land breeze, sea breeze. Also tell him its something like electricity and magnetism that we study separately though they are unified. No visible reaction from him.
P1: So how many types of heat exchangers are there?
SK: Parallel and counter parallel.
P1: What are they?
SK: [explains]
P1: Any other types?
SK: [thinks] None that I know of
P1: Ok, so which one is more effective?
SK: Counter parallel?
P1: Why is it so, when it is the same cross sectional area.
SK: [Tries to explain, not convinced. Leaves it.]
Turns to P2.
P2: So have you learned any managerial skills during your college study?
SK: Fundae about organizational skills.
P2: Do you follow current affairs, politics, economics etc?
SK: To the basic level, yes sir. (Had no intention to take my chances!)
P2: So what is the latest happening?
SK: Gaza ... explains blah blah
P2: Anything in India?
SK: [begins to think!! OMG couldn't come up with anything - VERY BAD!]
P2: So what is GDP?
SK: Value of all the goods and services produced in a country.
P1: So is the renumeration of Sachin and Shahrukh added to the GDP?
SK: Sir I think so
P1: But they are not producing any goods?
SK: Sir they provide a service that people like to pay and watch.
P1: But that is already covered in the advertising.
SK: [didn't want to argue. pretend to think] I am not sure sir
P1: [smiles] OK
P1: [looks at P2, both nod]
P1: Thank you Mr. Siddharth.
SK: Look surprised(?!) I felt the interview was too short - later realized it was for 15 minutes -seemed like 5 minutes! I stand up to go and also wish them
P1: Are you surprised that the interview is over? (!?)
SK: [Smiles, thinks and says] Sir, A little bit yes sir. (very timidly!)
P1: [laughs!]
P1: Is this your first interview?
SK: Yes sir
P1: All the best to you
SK: Thank you sir!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
What you are supposed to carry when you travel :)
It might sound like a funny post. Nevertheless, with so little time to plan things out, sometimes going directly from the classes or just after exams, I thought this would be a small quick reference to all the things that you need to take for your journey to the IIM interviews. Of course I might have missed something, you are more than welcome to point it out so that I can incorporate it into the list. Hope it helps at least a few (at least me!!)
The essentials:
1. Money!
2. Ticket
3. Call letter + form (if any)
4. Certificates, including CAT admit card, CAT score card, originals of undergraduation, 12th, 10th marksheets, originals of certificates of extra-curricular activities and any other certificates for activities mentioned in the form.
5. College id card, credit card (required at times for verification of booking of flight, if any)
6. Cell phone with a SIM that works (you may find this 'stupid' if you ain't from Guwahati!) and a charger
It always helps when you have some last moment questions about say your hobbies (like I did before my IIM Kozikode interview!) that you might wish to know by calling up a friend and asking him to google it up!
7. Address of the hotel, any booking details etc.
8. A couple of photos might come in handy
9. Some ask for the xerox copies of your marksheets, so make sure you have them.
10. A pen!
Dress:
You will need 1 or 2 formal shirt(s), pant(s), tie, belt, socks, shoes. Some also wear a coat, which I don't.
Personally I find it very inconvenient to wear formal clothes, especially shoes on informal occasions. When traveling by flight, I wear the formal shoes along with my informal dress, and carry my formal dress and a pair of slippers with me. I always travel only with a handbag, and all items do conveniently fit into it!
So when I go out or in my room, I would never have to wear the formals except during the interview/GD.
Misc:
1. Toothbrush
2. Toothpaste
3. Soap (many smaller hotels don't have it!)
4. Towel (it may come in handy. The towels I was given for my first stay weren't as clean as I would have liked them to be. A towel always comes in handy; remember Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!)
5. Few old newspapers (again comes in handy to keep your clothes. The shelves given weren't very clean again and I didn't want to keep my formals directly on it. A few old newspapers/today's newspaper again always comes in handy)
6. Shoe polish/brush (If you wear your formal shoes during travel, it would be good to have them polished before the interview)
About shoe polish, I found quite a few cobblers on my way to the hotel, who would polish your shoes well. You might want to make use of this facility! However, I don't know anything about their timings etc. so it might be risky if you land in the evening and your interview is in the morning. Perhaps I'll ask them about their timings and update it here!
7. Shaving kit
Again, there are a few barber shops around, but it might be risky. If you are like Gunda, forget this ;)
8. Shampoo
Again this depends on you. I prefer a head bath on the night before the interview.
9. Pen
10. Watch
You can generally get all the above items from the shops around, but you may have to travel a bit and it might be risky if you don't get it.
The essentials:
1. Money!
2. Ticket
3. Call letter + form (if any)
4. Certificates, including CAT admit card, CAT score card, originals of undergraduation, 12th, 10th marksheets, originals of certificates of extra-curricular activities and any other certificates for activities mentioned in the form.
5. College id card, credit card (required at times for verification of booking of flight, if any)
6. Cell phone with a SIM that works (you may find this 'stupid' if you ain't from Guwahati!) and a charger
It always helps when you have some last moment questions about say your hobbies (like I did before my IIM Kozikode interview!) that you might wish to know by calling up a friend and asking him to google it up!
7. Address of the hotel, any booking details etc.
8. A couple of photos might come in handy
9. Some ask for the xerox copies of your marksheets, so make sure you have them.
10. A pen!
Dress:
You will need 1 or 2 formal shirt(s), pant(s), tie, belt, socks, shoes. Some also wear a coat, which I don't.
Personally I find it very inconvenient to wear formal clothes, especially shoes on informal occasions. When traveling by flight, I wear the formal shoes along with my informal dress, and carry my formal dress and a pair of slippers with me. I always travel only with a handbag, and all items do conveniently fit into it!
So when I go out or in my room, I would never have to wear the formals except during the interview/GD.
Misc:
1. Toothbrush
2. Toothpaste
3. Soap (many smaller hotels don't have it!)
4. Towel (it may come in handy. The towels I was given for my first stay weren't as clean as I would have liked them to be. A towel always comes in handy; remember Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!)
5. Few old newspapers (again comes in handy to keep your clothes. The shelves given weren't very clean again and I didn't want to keep my formals directly on it. A few old newspapers/today's newspaper again always comes in handy)
6. Shoe polish/brush (If you wear your formal shoes during travel, it would be good to have them polished before the interview)
About shoe polish, I found quite a few cobblers on my way to the hotel, who would polish your shoes well. You might want to make use of this facility! However, I don't know anything about their timings etc. so it might be risky if you land in the evening and your interview is in the morning. Perhaps I'll ask them about their timings and update it here!
7. Shaving kit
Again, there are a few barber shops around, but it might be risky. If you are like Gunda, forget this ;)
8. Shampoo
Again this depends on you. I prefer a head bath on the night before the interview.
9. Pen
10. Watch
You can generally get all the above items from the shops around, but you may have to travel a bit and it might be risky if you don't get it.
Monday, August 4, 2008
This doesnt realy belong here! :( :P
I am in Tampere, but where do I go now?!
We were given student accommodations in the student housing apartments called TOAS. The problem was that it is open only for a specific time – the office hours and that is the only time when you can collect your keys. I knew of this before hand, so I asked the ‘friend’ who was also on a similar internship under the same professor to collect my keys, who promptly refused (it was only much later I knew the real reason of refusal!) so I asked the secretary of my professor to collect it and give it to him, which she did. Now I reached Tampere a bit late – may be a hour or two after the office closed. As told by the ‘friend’ I came to the office only to know that the address he had given was completely incomplete! And I did ask a few people around and no one seemed to know. I then asked a person sitting inside a car, who googled this place up in his cell phone (if you are not aware, Nokia is a Finnish company!) and told me that the place was 6.4km from the place that I was in! (I do not wish to elaborate more, for the respect of my word that I gave him that I would not disclose the truth in the blog :P)
One important thing that I missed was carrying luggage without wheels! Now I had two bags of luggage and one laptop bag, which in all weighed about 35kg. And it was really difficult to get moving with 3 bags! I think it was by far the worst levels of unpreparedness from my side!
Anyway, I took a bus to a hotel that I had booked earlier (somehow sensing things would not be as smooth as I would like to be – another reason justifying my nick as clairvoyance :P ). I was clueless about which stop to get off, and the bus driver couldn’t understand what I was saying! It is wise to remember that most bus drivers, at least in Tampere, do not understand English! So I was clueless, with 3 huge bags inside the bus, which itself felt awkward and looking out of the window for some unknown clues! An old lady (probably 65-70 years old) was staring at me, which made me feel even more awkward, but then she came to me herself and asked me where I wanted to go. I think it was perhaps easy to catch that I was completely lost! Anyway, she told me, in a very broken English combined with Finnish that it was ahead and that she would tell me where to get down. When the stop came, she said that the route was a bit complicated and hence she would guide me! She got down at that stop too (she had to go further down!) and then helped me with the route.
People here are quite reserved, however, when asked for help, they are very prompt and go out of their way to help you, especially if you are completely lost!
Some things to keep in mind
I believe that my 3 month stay taught me many things. These are some of the things that one should keep in mind:
· If you are unsure of your destination or need to travel by busses or if your professor doesn’t come to pick you up from the airport, I think you should have a suitcase with wheels!! (I carried 3 bags, which were really very inconvenient and perhaps the worst thing in my trip!)
· One thing that I missed carrying was the nailcutter!! I did try to find it in a few shops, but they never seemed to understand what I was asking for! For those who are in the same situation, there is one shop ‘Vaapa Valinta’ (spelling may be wrong :P) at Duo. You get all the household items, including nailcutters there.
· For the phone connection, I took the prepaid cell connection, which was very convenient. There is a shop at Duo again, where they sell the connections. DNA and Kolumbus are quite popular there. I took the Kolumbus connection – for 5 euros you get a new connection and also 10 euros worth of talktime! (don’t ask me how!)
· Calling home: there are calling cards that are available there, to call up home. The cost to call up India through them was almost the same as a call from India. For 10 euros you get about 1 hour 40 min of talktime to India. These are available at the oriental shop that is behind Duo – it is run by a Pakistani lady.
· I later switched to VoIP service, which turned out to be quite cheap. I chose the chatlife service, which was good in that the pulse – the rate for which you are charged, was 1 second. So even if there seemed to be a few other services that appeared cheaper, I found this to be the cheapest option there. Also, the setting and installation were quite straightforward and well explained in the site. The owner, Daniel, is also a personal friend of mine through the internet forums. So this was quite ideal for me.
· For a bank account, Nordea is supposed to be friendly for foreigners. Opening a bank account is really very straightforward – just go to the counter (there is always a token system here; you press a button and you get a slip with your number, wait for the number to flash at the counter!) and give them your passport (you need to have your passport to open a new account and even later for some modifications etc to your account) and they do all the work! No form filling! After some 5 minutes of typing at the computer, they give you a couple of pages to sign. Also ask for a visa electron (which is useful – all grocery shops etc have this facility, also this is the ATM card) and internet banking facility (it costs 2 euros per month but certainly worth the effort. Transactions done via internet banking are free, but those done at the bank by the staff will cost you!) The lady at the counter showed me how to use internet banking by paying the rent of my first month. Nordea branch is also located at Duo.
· Generally the TOAS apartments have the required utensils if there are people already living there or if the previous tenants have left theirs. I had almost everything in my kitchen, right from pan to 14 forks and 8 knives and 6 chopsticks! I used to cook too, mostly, since I wasn’t really interested to try out beef and pork :P
· For shopping, LIDL is the cheapest store. There are no MRPs written on the packs – each supermarket seems to have their own pricing! A carton of full cream milk costed 99 cents at SIWA – a supermarket near my apartment and 79 cents at LIDL! Now most Finns don’t actually like LIDL (I think coz it’s a German chain!) but the prices are really cheaper and you can actually make that out!
· Since I am a vegetarian, it was initially difficult for me, since all the food labels and all information on the covers is only in Finnish. Full cream milk, which is quite good, is in red coloured cartons. Among frozen pizzas, cheese mozzarella is purely vegetarian. There are many snacks and small chocolates etc available too. You also have noodles – both ordinary and chow meen. The ordinary ones are again vegetable and chicken. I also liked the cornflakes and equivalent stuff. Chocos was available, which tasted much better! And there are many such equivalent stuff, which I tried out. Most are quite good. A wide variety of juices are also available.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
My "Limericks" Part - 5
41. SIMPLICITY
In your life, you should be simple
On your face, you should wear a dimple
Life will be so easy and fun
You will feel your life like that of sun
As the time you will find will be ample
42. STATE OF EARTH
The earth will be in a very bad state
It will be abandoned by fate
We have destroyed this beautiful place
Of life, there will be no trace
To mourn now, it is too late
43. STOP POLLUTION
Man will destroy earth one day
This, the soul of earth says
We should stop pollution at once
The waste will then be reduced by tons
Else, for our foolishness, others will pay
44. THE LORD
At every moment you are seen,
In all places you have been
A supreme power watches you
He knows what you do
So keep your heart clean
45. THE MYSTERIES OF SCIENCE
The mysteries of science are very deep
All we can do is just take a peep
When will everything be known to man?
He is trying as much as he can
If he succeeds, we can have a peaceful sleep
46. THINKING DEEP
You should always think deep
Only then will your efforts reap
Everything should be your own
But if you fail, you shouldn’t moan
But from others work you should not peep
47. WAR
A war is definitely not right
At any cost we must not fight
So many people are slain
And many more in pain
And no one sees their plight
48. WHY ONE SUCCEEDS
The same divine exists in all
Still one rises, rest all fall
It is a known to man
That if he thinks he can
Then he will stand tall.
49. WRONG WAY
Why do people take the wrong way?
When they know they’ll have to pay
Probably they see only momentarily gains
They want to be happy and without any pains
But one thing for sure is-in trouble they’ll lay
50.
In your life, you should be simple
On your face, you should wear a dimple
Life will be so easy and fun
You will feel your life like that of sun
As the time you will find will be ample
42. STATE OF EARTH
The earth will be in a very bad state
It will be abandoned by fate
We have destroyed this beautiful place
Of life, there will be no trace
To mourn now, it is too late
43. STOP POLLUTION
Man will destroy earth one day
This, the soul of earth says
We should stop pollution at once
The waste will then be reduced by tons
Else, for our foolishness, others will pay
44. THE LORD
At every moment you are seen,
In all places you have been
A supreme power watches you
He knows what you do
So keep your heart clean
45. THE MYSTERIES OF SCIENCE
The mysteries of science are very deep
All we can do is just take a peep
When will everything be known to man?
He is trying as much as he can
If he succeeds, we can have a peaceful sleep
46. THINKING DEEP
You should always think deep
Only then will your efforts reap
Everything should be your own
But if you fail, you shouldn’t moan
But from others work you should not peep
47. WAR
A war is definitely not right
At any cost we must not fight
So many people are slain
And many more in pain
And no one sees their plight
48. WHY ONE SUCCEEDS
The same divine exists in all
Still one rises, rest all fall
It is a known to man
That if he thinks he can
Then he will stand tall.
49. WRONG WAY
Why do people take the wrong way?
When they know they’ll have to pay
Probably they see only momentarily gains
They want to be happy and without any pains
But one thing for sure is-in trouble they’ll lay
50.
Your level should be higher than the sky
For every statement you should ask why
Then you will reach great heights
You will be remembered day and night
Even when you reach the heaven high
My "Limericks" Part - 4
31. NEVER WASTE TIME
Never waste the time you get
Things will then automatically set
Just hard work you must do
And be interested too
Then for success one can bet
32. OBSERVATIONS
Nature should be observed by you
Many things, then you can do
You should observe the stars and the sun
Learning will become easy and fun
New things can be discovered too!
33. PEACE ON EARTH
In this world, where do you find peace?
Whether it is free or you have to pay fees
Man is destroying everything on this earth
He now does have a very cruel heart
And will one day kill all animals and trees
34. PEACE WITH EVERYTHING
You should not cut trees
With animals, you should be in peace
Then the earth will be full of life
There will be absolutely no strife
And life will then be full of ease
35. PEACEFUL MIND
You should be calm with a peaceful mind
Then you can do whatever you find
Because then you will be slow
And definitely ideas will flow
In your brain, from front to hind
36. PERFECTION
The price for success you must pay
You must work throughout the day
But everyone does so much
What’s special in your touch?
“He’s different”, perfection will say.
37. RECOGNIZING PEOPLE
We can know a person by his words
Whether or not he picks up swords
Crow and nightingale look the same
But one is wild and one is tame
By the voice, we distinguish the two birds
38. RELIGION
For religion you must care
But such people have become rare
God exists- you can see him
But the chances are dim
But if you do, you are a flare.
39. REVENGE
Taking revenge is not right
With others you should not fight
Forgive people for your own sake
Your own peace of mind is at stake
And then will day dawn after a long night
40. SCHOOL
Why do you study at school?
For studies it is not a powerful tool
At home, you can be
And study for hours, you see
But without socializing, you'll be an eternal fool
Never waste the time you get
Things will then automatically set
Just hard work you must do
And be interested too
Then for success one can bet
32. OBSERVATIONS
Nature should be observed by you
Many things, then you can do
You should observe the stars and the sun
Learning will become easy and fun
New things can be discovered too!
33. PEACE ON EARTH
In this world, where do you find peace?
Whether it is free or you have to pay fees
Man is destroying everything on this earth
He now does have a very cruel heart
And will one day kill all animals and trees
34. PEACE WITH EVERYTHING
You should not cut trees
With animals, you should be in peace
Then the earth will be full of life
There will be absolutely no strife
And life will then be full of ease
35. PEACEFUL MIND
You should be calm with a peaceful mind
Then you can do whatever you find
Because then you will be slow
And definitely ideas will flow
In your brain, from front to hind
36. PERFECTION
The price for success you must pay
You must work throughout the day
But everyone does so much
What’s special in your touch?
“He’s different”, perfection will say.
37. RECOGNIZING PEOPLE
We can know a person by his words
Whether or not he picks up swords
Crow and nightingale look the same
But one is wild and one is tame
By the voice, we distinguish the two birds
38. RELIGION
For religion you must care
But such people have become rare
God exists- you can see him
But the chances are dim
But if you do, you are a flare.
39. REVENGE
Taking revenge is not right
With others you should not fight
Forgive people for your own sake
Your own peace of mind is at stake
And then will day dawn after a long night
40. SCHOOL
Why do you study at school?
For studies it is not a powerful tool
At home, you can be
And study for hours, you see
But without socializing, you'll be an eternal fool
My "Limericks" Part - 3
21. HEALTHY LIFE
You should be healthy and strong
Then what you do will not go wrong
You can enjoy your life
Then there is no need to strife
Even in a huge throng
22. HELP OTHERS
Help others who are in need
For money, do not have any greed
Money won’t give peace of mind
Goodness with it-you can never find
So make this earth better-sow its seed
23. HELPING OTHERS
You will surely die one day
For all your deeds you have to pay
So when you live, you should
Care for people and do them good
Since a false tale, you cannot say
24. HOW TO LIVE-1
You should observe, not see
Plant not a plant but a tree
Help many but not one
Please a million and hurt none
Think not of ‘you’ but of ‘we’
25. HOW TO LIVE-2
You must respect the young and old
You should survive in heat and cold
You should respect the ideas of every man
And be as patient as you can
And prove to the world that everything cannot be sold
26. HOW TO BE GREAT
You can become great
You will be helped by the fate
Only if your mind is pure
And assistance of fate is for sure
Only thing is you have to wait
27. LOVING NATURE
The trees provide you food
All the animals are good
You should love the nature around you
As you are a part of it too
And for nature, only good you do
28. MATHEMATICAL EQUATIONS
0+4=4; 4+3=7; 7+4=11; 11+9=20
Zero added to four is four
And not a number more
Four with three make seven
Another four make the sum eleven
When added to nine, gives a score
29. MATHEMATICS
Mathematics is interesting and sane
For it, you should use your brain
But people have become lazy
And think the subject is crazy
And the thoughts get entangled in a chain
30. MATHS
Maths is easy and fun
It’ll make your brain run
You have to think a lot
And get the plot in the right spot
And then you’ll know the paradoxes and puns
You should be healthy and strong
Then what you do will not go wrong
You can enjoy your life
Then there is no need to strife
Even in a huge throng
22. HELP OTHERS
Help others who are in need
For money, do not have any greed
Money won’t give peace of mind
Goodness with it-you can never find
So make this earth better-sow its seed
23. HELPING OTHERS
You will surely die one day
For all your deeds you have to pay
So when you live, you should
Care for people and do them good
Since a false tale, you cannot say
24. HOW TO LIVE-1
You should observe, not see
Plant not a plant but a tree
Help many but not one
Please a million and hurt none
Think not of ‘you’ but of ‘we’
25. HOW TO LIVE-2
You must respect the young and old
You should survive in heat and cold
You should respect the ideas of every man
And be as patient as you can
And prove to the world that everything cannot be sold
26. HOW TO BE GREAT
You can become great
You will be helped by the fate
Only if your mind is pure
And assistance of fate is for sure
Only thing is you have to wait
27. LOVING NATURE
The trees provide you food
All the animals are good
You should love the nature around you
As you are a part of it too
And for nature, only good you do
28. MATHEMATICAL EQUATIONS
0+4=4; 4+3=7; 7+4=11; 11+9=20
Zero added to four is four
And not a number more
Four with three make seven
Another four make the sum eleven
When added to nine, gives a score
29. MATHEMATICS
Mathematics is interesting and sane
For it, you should use your brain
But people have become lazy
And think the subject is crazy
And the thoughts get entangled in a chain
30. MATHS
Maths is easy and fun
It’ll make your brain run
You have to think a lot
And get the plot in the right spot
And then you’ll know the paradoxes and puns
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