Wednesday, September 9, 2009

BIGGEST Decision of my Life...

By the end of this post, I will be taking the BIGGEST decision in my life. I would like to share this with my extended family in the real and virtual world. There comes time in your life when you are almost literally struck by lightning and you go out your wits thinking how this happened! You don’t know what to do, whom to go for advice! You are literally torn apart by your own mind, thinking and thinking, and finding no solution. People giving you their own free opinion, but you are never satisfied. I’m today in a crossroad. One road leads to the path which I always liked, and I always saw my cousins and brother getting into, i.e. the IT industry, and then the other one leads to a completely uncharted territory, the Banking Sector, about which I’m yet to gain knowledge.

I was never seriously interested in pursuing the Banking Sector, but then things changed after I passed out in June 2008. Recession had set in by then. Like the Russian winter, this recession stopped and grazed to the ground that came in its path. One among them was my morale and will to get into the IT industry. I started giving BANK PO exams. Among these was ICICI PO. I had once applied last year, but they never called me for the apti exam, no idea why. I applied again this year. This time I was called and appeared for the apti quite casually, as always. It was the only PO exam which I cracked and got into GD/PI rounds. May be it was the easiest (and I’m pretty sure everyone will agree). But then when the final results came, my name wasn’t in the list. I wasn’t surprised or unhappy at all. By then CTS had given the much awaited joining date. I wouldn’t say I was entirely happy, but I was moderately satisfied. I was gearing up for joining into the IT band wagon. I even got myself enrolled into an Oracle course from CMC.

Now all of a sudden, as a Bengali saying goes “bina meghe bojropaat” (thunderbolt in a clear sky), suddenly the HR dept of ICICI calls and asks whether I want to join! I was out of my wits from that day onwards, spent some nights when I would wake up more than once in the middle of the night, wondering what to do! This is by far the most difficult decision of my life. I consulted lots of friends and “well wishers”, everyone had their own opinion. I was never satisfied with any of them. But while asking each and every individual made me compile everyone’s view and made me analyze myself the whole situation. If I get into CTS, I would never be satisfied with the salary but the job would satisfy me and I get to stay in Kolkata. Going to office from home is a big plus point in this regard. But, after some days, the weight of the salary would surely make my sick! I will have to do an MBA. My plan is to crack SNAP and go for SCIT. But this is a very very dicey thing. Cracking an MBA exam is tough and then finally converting it is another deal! Now in this regard ICICI will provide me with a PG Diploma in Banking. After I complete a few yrs in the banking sector, I can also do an exec MBA from a top college either in India, or outside. Some of you might say I should go for the tried and tested path, the path that I know of. But then if everyone would have thought like that, Colombus wouldn’t have discovered America, Vasco da Gama wouldn’t have come to India nor would Sindbad have so many adventures. Sometimes, you have to take the wheel in one hand, clutch your heart in the other and go for the unknown. From what I have gathered from discussions with different people, even strangers from different parts of the country, is that ICICI is a tough company to survive in. If I manage to survive well in the company, I’ll be treated as a champion of sorts! Some people might think “surviving” here must be VERY difficult but from what I have gathered it isn’t really that tough. Of course I’ll have to struggle initially, sacrifice a lot, but then if I don’t struggle at this age, when will I? I might say Farhan Akhtar’r dialogue in Rock On, “compromise kaun nahi karta, akhir compromise to sabko karna padta hain”. Another dialogue from the film Kaminey (Vishal Bharadwaj has been my favourite director in the Hindi film industry) which goes on like this “waatt aise nahi lagti ki tum kaunsa raasta chunte ho, waatt aise lagti hain ki tum kaunsa raasta chodhte ho”.

I have finally made my decision of going to Bangalore. I will get trained at ICICI Manipal Academy for 9 months, then 3-5 months of internship, and then finally get posted somewhere/anywhere in the country. BIG decision, I know, and there will be LOTS of people who will scream out and say NO to this! I’m ready to face the challenge. I’m not afraid of anything which comes in the way of the thing which I have determined to get. I will struggle and I will survive! Wish me luck my friends. Hope your good wishes will be with me.

“tanha rahi apni raha chalta jayega, ab to job hi hoga bas dekha jayega”

~Lots n lots of love~

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

The way of Force Fisi...

As VJM says “It’s the best day of my F1 life”. So much was at stake for him. There were too many criticisms regarding his investment into the risky venture of F1. He hold on to his passion and truly achieved what many have failed before him. He even took a big risk in changing the whole management of Force India and also the VJM02 car with Mercedes engine and McLaren gearbox. The difference was visible from the 1st GP of the 2009 season. Still a point or a podium seemed distant every time they raced. Finally it was Giancarlo Fisichella who did the impossible for Force India at Belgium GP, a pole position and then a podium finish! This surely will give Force India the much needed psychological boost and a big satisfaction of achievement. The car was really good throughout the race. Although Kimi Raikkonen went past Fisi powered by his KERS after the safety car in the first lap, Fisi chased Kimi all the way to the chequered flag. The car seemed really fast and competitive enough. It could have even beaten Kimi if not for the unfortunate pile up in the first lap and the safety car.

As for the reaction in India, it is all over the papers and news channels. Suddenly everyone is taking notice of a sport called Formula 1. In spite of all the attention, the govt. remains apathetic towards F1. The comments by Sports Minister MS Gill says it all. He doesn’t even consider F1 to be a sport. Even after the podium finish, he remains adamant. He considers F1 to be an “expensive entertainment” in the west! VJM’s and millions of Indian F1 fans’ hopes of seeing an Indian GP in 2011 trashed brutally! In a country where Cricket is considered the only sport playable, this is not surprising. Shashi Tharoor’s tweet confirm’s govt’s point of view - “So an Italian driver in a German car wins pole position for team calld Force India & we're all ecstatic. Triumph 4the Agglomerative Indian!?”. Disgusting to say the least. I must laud VJM’s effort and his determination which triumphed against all odds. Cheers from an ardent follower/fan of Formula 1 and Force India.

Pics courtesy F1.com and Forceindiaf1.com

~Lots of Love~