It was my first.
Although I had heard about it, I had never quite experienced what it felt to see the sun rise by staying awake the entire night.
The COMPSTRAT assignment did that for me... While dawn is quite beautiful to watch, you really don't look too good yourself after staying up the night. And, I was not alone...three of my group members saw the dawn too.

Term 2 got over two days back, but the assignment due after that was really exhausting. There were quite a few others whose faces bore the marks of a demanding night.
At ISB, deadlines drive everything...and I guess that teaches one to respect them, plan ahead, and prepare for contingencies when some team members are unavailable.

The Term had DMOP exam, which took most of our breadth away...when the invigilator said that "5 minutes remaining", the entire class started laughing...It really didn't matter.
CSTR - race against time, and all those open book notes to refer to and not spend too much time reading them.
MKTG - a challenging exam...
GLEC - Four articles on world macroeconomics....this field is open to interpretations of all kinds...how does one really know which macroeconomic variable changes faster than another, thus ensuring one certain outcome?

Caught up with a few movies in the meantime, "In Good Company" - a 26 year old MBA becomes the boss of a 52 year old chap...Certain marketing fundamentals in action, and a lot of tension between the old and the new ways of thinking. Nice watch, interesting comedy especially when the chap falls in love with the daughter of the ex-CEO.

"Bourne Supremacy" - Too much action and violence....

I organized a violin concert for my Section...And it was really a soothing experience to listen to the melodious tunes of the violin while sitting under the stars with friends. From 11 in the night to almost 1:30 the time passed quite swiftly...It was given by one of our section mates..and he played really well..from classical to Hindi music ditties...

Now, I need to catch up with my sleep...
:)

This Tagging business...Someone somewhere thought of finding out a lot more about another person, and made the poor fellow answer some questions. Now, this chap, getting wiser, and following the rule of "Pay It Forward", tags his unsuspecting friends into answering the same questions. It is a circle, if you ask me, and it seems to grow by the day. I wonder who started it.

Now, I have been tagged...by Swapnil.

I am thinking
What is the value of life? It seems so vulnerable, and the Serial Bombay blasts just emphasize it.

I said
Nothing really. Actions speak louder than voice.

I want
To jump to Term break without exams.

I wish
I was a student, always.

I miss
My sis, mailing RM, chatting with BSS, walks to the temple

I hear
That they have given 15 Fs for Marketing 1…Hope it is a prank.

I wonder
Always, and on everything and anything.

I regret
Nothing.

I am
Enakshi.

I dance
When I am in the mood, when there are others to dance with.

I sing
To hear my voice.

I cry
Easily.

I am not
Meenakshi…whenever I say my name to someone, they usually presume me to be that.

I write
A diary, poems and stories.

I confuse
Sometimes when looking at the LDP video records, I see my sister.

I needNothing…chocolates are always welcome!

I should
Study for the exams…and time just seems to fly by.

I finish
The letters that I begin (I still write those in this age of email)

So now I have passed the tag...to Meenakshi, Rahul, Samir

:)

ISB has speaker series, and throughout the year. Some are a part of club activities, others are a part of ISB management. I have been to quite a few and while some managed to awe me, others were not so great. Overall, it was a good learning experience to know about their experience, about the life of managers and the difficult decisions they live through and make, and it was inspiring to hear them.

Prof Raju had his last class with us today...He has been a good prof and inspired thinking in his students. He mentioned, that one must be prepared to think small...it was a part of our learning from a case.

I have taken up the job of observing one of my friends, and his interactions with people around him. This is in order to tell him whether he is missing the fact that there is actually someone who likes him so much, that he can actively pursue the avenue. Which means, if there is no one, his purpose is defeated, though I will get to hone my observation skills and learn to read more in expressions.

Saw the movie " Good Will Hunting". Geniuses need some pushing to know they are capable of loving and receiving the same.

:)

Done with the Mid Terms - Macroeconomics and DMOP.
DMOP has a long name, and since I really don't want to spell out the name here (laziness), let me tell you, it is about making decisions after a given solution has been optimised to address the problem.

The macroeconomics paper was really innovative and a great way to think about world affairs. The prof put in articles from magazines to ask us questions, and apply our classroom knowledge to real world issue analysis. He had made the paper really well, a challenge, so to say. Though tough, I must admit, it made sense in studying the subject, to find the relevance of the thories studied in our lives, and in the world around us.

He had also screened the movie Commanding Heights, and it chronicles the change in the world order from WWI to the new millenium. It gives a very good idea of the way certain countries have embraced market-driven policies, while some of them chose to remain closed. The fight between the classical and Keynesian theory, the followers of Hayek's beliefs - Maggie Thatcher and Reagen, India's doing away with the Permit Raj and embracing the free market, Hernando de Soto's ideas on capitalism...and much more. It is worthwhile to watch this movie, in case you are interested in knowing more about global economics.

I was busy this weekend with the LDP schedule and learning Business Presentation skills. The facilitator, Mr Rajehwar Upadhyay, is himself a great speaker and very inflential with a style of his own. The two day programme, has changed a few of my beliefs about good presentation skills and given me a fair idea of what I need to do to move from being good to great. In fact, even in the span of two days, I have witnessed change in the presentation style of a few of my classmates...and also in myself. For one's own personal style to evolve, one needs practice and regularly so...which has to be worked on, given the rigorous schedule that ISB has.
A great learning session...and highly productive.