Going back home?
The last three days have been hectic to say the least. But before that let me start by wishing my parents a very happy and wonderful 29th marriage anniversary. Mom,dad - if you ever read this then I want you to know that I love you guys a lot.
Now where were we? Right, the last three days.
I was at the Indian Institute of Management - Calcutta (IIM-C) for the orientation of my management course (titled Certificate Programme in Management of Software Development, or CPMSD). This was the first of the two campus visits that we as students of CPMSD were to take in the duration of this course - one at the beginning, and the other at the end. So I landed at Kolkata, the city of joy supposedly, and looked forward to the session with limited gusto.
The place where we were put up was expected to be far from the airport, but it was further than expected. And to say that traffic in Kolkata is bad is to underestimate it. Trams, buses, rickshaws, cycles, pedestrians, motorcycles, cows, and finally cars can be found in the carpeted tarmac we commonly call "the road". And weaving in and out of this amazing maze of obstacles, I could only gape in awe at the driver's skill and prowess. Even though I was coming from Bangalore, a place known for its notorious traffic conditions, this was quite a handful. Finally, after close to two hours we arrived at the destination - a dilapidated room at the Indian Institute of Training and Development, Joka, Kolkata.
I settled in, taking in the sights and sounds. And the mosquitoes. People started pouring in from all over the country slowly, and soon it became a festive atmosphere with introductions and conversations all around. Finally, the pitiful state of the rooms was forgotten and it was all OK. We were told that the pick-up to IIM would arrive at 6:30AM (an unearthly hour for us techies) so everyone retired early.
The next day, the classes began. The professors and their lectures, the interactiveness that they could bring out among us, their audience - all of this was well worth the ride so far. It gave us a sneak peek into what our lives would be for the next 8 months. As our professor Dr. Subir Bhattacharya said, "I sympathize with you. The next 8 months are going to be gruelling for you!". Like we hadn't figured it out already!
That's how the next two days were spent. Classes, case studies, discussions, tea breaks, smoke breaks, new acquaintances - it felt like going back in time. Only that after almost 6 years as a working professional, it did get a teeny-weeny bit difficult to concentrate during the post-lunch sessions. But other than that, the experience was amazing.
Finally, the three days came to an end and that is where in time I am right now. Most of the folks have already left for the airport and the railway stations to catch their respective modes of transportation back. Lot of handshakes, smiles and "best of luck" wishes were exchanged, the last one being of most importance. IIM-C t-shirts bought to prove the genuineness of our IIM visit claim. After doing most of the above, I'm typing this post at the lounge of the TATA Hall in the IIM-C campus. In retrospect, it felt good to have met so many new people from varied spheres of the industry, all gathered for a common cause. It felt good to live the college-style of life, if only for a while. It also felt anxious thinking about the tremendous pressure that we'd be undergoing in this course, all of us at the same time.
I'll be leaving for the airport in sometime to catch my evening flight to Bangalore, my city of residence. "City of residence", yes. But home? I don't want to leave this behind - maybe the college lifestyle will really be missed. But why? Now that's a case to be discussed I'm sure.
Someday, maybe.
Now where were we? Right, the last three days.
I was at the Indian Institute of Management - Calcutta (IIM-C) for the orientation of my management course (titled Certificate Programme in Management of Software Development, or CPMSD). This was the first of the two campus visits that we as students of CPMSD were to take in the duration of this course - one at the beginning, and the other at the end. So I landed at Kolkata, the city of joy supposedly, and looked forward to the session with limited gusto.
The place where we were put up was expected to be far from the airport, but it was further than expected. And to say that traffic in Kolkata is bad is to underestimate it. Trams, buses, rickshaws, cycles, pedestrians, motorcycles, cows, and finally cars can be found in the carpeted tarmac we commonly call "the road". And weaving in and out of this amazing maze of obstacles, I could only gape in awe at the driver's skill and prowess. Even though I was coming from Bangalore, a place known for its notorious traffic conditions, this was quite a handful. Finally, after close to two hours we arrived at the destination - a dilapidated room at the Indian Institute of Training and Development, Joka, Kolkata.
I settled in, taking in the sights and sounds. And the mosquitoes. People started pouring in from all over the country slowly, and soon it became a festive atmosphere with introductions and conversations all around. Finally, the pitiful state of the rooms was forgotten and it was all OK. We were told that the pick-up to IIM would arrive at 6:30AM (an unearthly hour for us techies) so everyone retired early.
The next day, the classes began. The professors and their lectures, the interactiveness that they could bring out among us, their audience - all of this was well worth the ride so far. It gave us a sneak peek into what our lives would be for the next 8 months. As our professor Dr. Subir Bhattacharya said, "I sympathize with you. The next 8 months are going to be gruelling for you!". Like we hadn't figured it out already!
That's how the next two days were spent. Classes, case studies, discussions, tea breaks, smoke breaks, new acquaintances - it felt like going back in time. Only that after almost 6 years as a working professional, it did get a teeny-weeny bit difficult to concentrate during the post-lunch sessions. But other than that, the experience was amazing.
Finally, the three days came to an end and that is where in time I am right now. Most of the folks have already left for the airport and the railway stations to catch their respective modes of transportation back. Lot of handshakes, smiles and "best of luck" wishes were exchanged, the last one being of most importance. IIM-C t-shirts bought to prove the genuineness of our IIM visit claim. After doing most of the above, I'm typing this post at the lounge of the TATA Hall in the IIM-C campus. In retrospect, it felt good to have met so many new people from varied spheres of the industry, all gathered for a common cause. It felt good to live the college-style of life, if only for a while. It also felt anxious thinking about the tremendous pressure that we'd be undergoing in this course, all of us at the same time.
I'll be leaving for the airport in sometime to catch my evening flight to Bangalore, my city of residence. "City of residence", yes. But home? I don't want to leave this behind - maybe the college lifestyle will really be missed. But why? Now that's a case to be discussed I'm sure.
Someday, maybe.
Great to know u had "fun"... See ya soon dude :)
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see u write...:) loved the way u described the roads in Kolkata... It sure feels great to be studying for a change...maybe..it's the nostalgia...or maybe the carefree days in schools and colleges...All the very best for the course nati !
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