Reflections

Thursday was election day in Kolkata, which meant I had a day off from work. Only had to meet one gentleman who was some big industrialist of Kolkata, having his own tea plantations and paper mills. The way he was dropping names of the top brass of papers division, looked like he was some real big shot. Otherwise, he was really unassuming and helpful. I had a real free wheeling conversation with him which revolved from the dynamics of the tea industry to the life at an IIM. Actually, I ended up discussing very little about paper than what I should have.

Have four or five visits lined up for the next two days. Frankly speaking, I think I might get bored of asking the same questions to so many different people. But, I guess, marketing summers is all about market surveys.

On a personal front, I dont see much joy in travelling to so many places all alone. In contrast, its a different matter altogether if you are travelling with friends or family. I see quite a few places on Park Street to eat out or kill time but dont feel like going there alone. Its not that I don't have any college mates here in Kolkata, but in what I believe is remarkably opposite to my nature, I have very few friends at K. And I guess I'm not even on talking terms with most of the ppl at K. Its not that I've become selective or anything, its just that my initial days at K were quite uncomfortable for a variety of reasons. I never felt like being a part of the crowd. Different priorities, different mindset or different purpose, whatever. Ofcourse, I'm discounting the possibilty that no one there wanted to be friends with me :)

To make matters even duller in Calcutta, there is some hard-to-fix problem with the status of my ifone in Reliance's system. My phone cant get activated and being without internet most of the time, I'm feeling cut off from the world. I had grand plans for summer - gymming, running, french, swimming and what not. Alas, with the project I got here at ITC, none of that is possible. I'm not complaining though, as I'm getting to see all the big cities of India. Its just that I hope they put me up at some decent places where I atleast have an opportunity to interact with other people. Not like the current guest house where I'm the only guest!

Reflecting back on the past year, I suppose I've got all the opportunities that I looked forward to when I first thought of coming to a B-School. And it all came easily, So I've raised the bar now. I've a different set of expectations now and I know, I'll have to work real hard in the months to come to achieve all that. Too early to say but I think I'm not exactly looking at a career in marketing. I've thought hard about finance but I keep hating desk Jobs. In my heart of hearts, I know I want to do my own stuff, but i'll have to wait and see if I have the courage and the resources to take the plunge. I hope my three month stay in Paris would give me some more exposure to decide batter.

The other day, Nitin Jain gave me a new perspective on life. This was over dinner about a week back. In about 750 weeks from now, I'll turn 40. And its already been three weeks since I started my summers and one week since I had this conversation with him. Time is pretty much flying off, and one must get started as soon as possible if one thinks of doing anything different. And ever since he said this, I've really started to look at things in a different light. Many situations seem to demand a now or never response. Don't know if it is a good thing or a bad one. Anyway, talking to Nitin over the last three or four months, I can always see a person with a remarakble enterprise. I hope and wish, he achieves what he has set out for.