2009: A lifechanging year

January

• It began with quite a nightmare, 31st night itself finding myself rushing to the hospital at 5:00 am with a friend frothing from his mouth after an accident. Hours in the hospital and leaving without any good news.
• On a brighter note after quitting IBM had lots of time on hand, and had met a number of ppl from ISB and it began. A series of meetings week after week - house parties, scrabble, lots of drinking, coffee, movies and dinners. A house party at my place with bonfire and lots of alcohol, whole lots of fun.
• A trip to Amritsar, wagah border and bhatinda - Kari, dolphy, tashan and I. Lots of good food, train rides and reminiscing college days.

February

• The saga of ISB meets continue, the gang - Sushant, sangram, sree, kat, aarti, fluffy, dolphy, kari and I.
• A trip with the ISB gang to Rishikesh - fire by the river, good music n a few drinks. A day full of rafting, ending with a photoshoot of us modeling for the camp!
• Guttu's wedding - 3 days of B52's Sambuka's and black label. Meeting whole lots of ppl, dancing and having a blast!
• The IIM experience - Dad, Rahul maus & I suited up to go to IIMs to recruit! I gave the presentation, accepted applications, shortlisted candidates, and interviewed them. Boy at the end was i glad that i did not go to IIM I (not that i got through!) .. Very disappointed with the quality of students, did not pick anyone.
• Goa in style - with the opening of the hotels in Goa, boy was it lavish!

March

• MDI - After the IIM fiasco, I thought of going to MDI to recruit. Spoke to someone at the football field while playing and got me a slot. Repeated the routine, but this time did pick one guy.
• It was finally time. Our US trip. Dolphy & I packed our bags and we were off to the states! It started with quite a disaster. After an 18 hr flight, we finally land in New Jersey and took a shady cab to jha's place, went quickly to see newport and back on the tube towards the airport to board the flight to Costa Rica. American Airlines took off from JFK only to make an emergency landing back at JFK because they couldnt retract the landing gear! Thus began a never ending wait for the next flight in a queue served by this bugging black .. oops.. african american guy! Finally our flight takes for miami (we had a connecting) but by the time we landed, our connecting flight to costa rica had left. Again in a line, got ourselves some coupons for accomodation at a nearby holiday inn. After sleeping for a few hours (slept an hr less coz daylight saving changed that day but the clocks said the same time, i really wonder how these guys manage!) again back to the airport. A couple of hours flight to Costa Rica, finally after almost 72 very long hours, most of which were spent on the airport or a plane, we reached our destination!
• Costa Rica (8th March - 13th march) - Meet Ashish's cousins Manan and Ranjana. Almost saw a live volcano (the bloody guides pointed and said its there, all i could see was fog!), went to hot water springs, ate tons of beans and rice, lots of beer (forgetting the name!), swim in the pacific ocean, boat ride to a desolated beach, caught a fish, stayed at a locals home in san jose. (Pics)
• Miami (13th - 16th March) - Miami spring time with college friends. Wat do you do the first night - yea strip club! Bandar volunteered not to drink and was driving, lots of alcohol later most of us were thrown out :) wont divulge more details here! An awesome drive to keywest the next day, hitting the beach next day, and a major culture shock at 'The Mansion' A nightclub in miami. (Pics)
• Orlando (17th - 19th March) - Chilled for a day then 2 days of universal studios and tons of exciting rides, only let down was that i couldnt do skydiving :(.
• NY - Atlantic City - Boston - Philly - NY (19th - 29th March): Times Square, a singles party at a club opening, a night of gambling from - $150 to + $300 to + $50, Harvard, Columbia University, west village, Statue of liberty, Rocky steps, Empire state building, hot dogs!, NBA game, wharton 52 disco inferno (painting my hair red!). (Pics)

April

• A rushed one week before joining ISB, lots of work to wrap up!
• Time to pack my bags, a last night with the boys and off I go to B school ..
• Settled into school, a hectic O Week - treasure hunt, first case study (krishna's dilemma), talent night - emotional atyachaar & love mera hit hit, football, cricket (ghungralu baal!)
• Pre terms - Accounts, still struggling with that subject

May

• A number of ISB lounge parties, ending up at 8 am followed by breakfast at goel/ista/ell, lot of new ppl, friends and weird asses.
• Sushant & I regularly went to library to do our assignments and pre reads, only to realize we stand no where after the first mid terms, never went back :)
• Campus elections - stood for the president of Real estate club, but lost. Cant blame a guy for trying ..

June

• More long nights of assignments, drinking, sports, more assignments and exams!
• Came back home in the first term break to meet up with the gang before they left for their B schools.
• Birthday night was treated by my friends at sports bar, but that wasnt the end, the birth-day was extended to a birth-weekend. It was a blast!

July

• Term breakTrip to Mumbai to meet her, lived at ritesh's place and spent some really nice evenings with her watching a movie, taking the local, eating awesome food, a night at HRC, morning breakfast, n drinking
• Rest of ISB seems like a blurr - more assignments I guess!

August

• Again seems like a blurr, like night after night it was this race against time with so much to do and so little time.
• Started the league - ISB Football League, the wild greens, the golden rays, the blazing reds, the lightening blacks and the icy blues!

September

• Went to Humpi in the term break with a gang of 20 ppl, didnt really see any ruins, just ate drank, played poker and slept - perfect :)

October

• Diwali on campus! played lots of cards, dressed up for diwali, did pooja at DK's place and ofcourse enjoyed a few drinks!
• End of core terms, fate was sealed, couldnt do much about the CGPA any more.
• Bandar came over on probably one of the most boring weekends on campus!

November

• Goa again! this time with the entire ISB gang! 9 bar, Curlys, Mandolin, brito's, Mykonos Blue and ofcourse 'do your own thing' the infamous quote of suzi.

December

• International placements begin on campus with a few bagging a couple of hundred thousand dollars.
• Solstice - kari and dolphy came over and 72 hours of non stop drinking and fun began! I still dnt know how kari managed to take his flight back! A good prank pulled on me by the SLC, and ofcourse one jerk was there at the end of the party to irritate 30 of us but surprise surprise not a single punch was exchanged
• New years - Threw a party at the new house, ended up at 7 am, was a blast!