My Mumbai Trip

I had made a trip to Mumbai earlier this month and had posted my experiences on www.pagalguy.com also referred to in my posts as PG.

I had gone there for the TISS group discussion and personal interview. TISS being Tata Institute of Social Sciences and i had gone for the PMIR programme [Personnel Management and Industrial Relations].

Day one on the TISS PMIR trip / 05 June 2005
hey my GD date is the 6th of june...landed this morning at DADAR railway station. There were three of us who endured the worst weather that can be thrown at you on a 2nd class Indian Railway coach travelling across AP and Maharasthra in the peak summer heat!

At 6.05 am the train landed on the dot at Dadar and all i could think of was a nice shower! We split with two of us taking a taxi to TISS and ramkrv going to his relatives' house. TISS is pretty close to the RK Film Studio...about 300m. but remember to take the 2nd left and not the first like we did! And avoid a 2 km detour!!

Looks like they're pretty used to straddlers like us turning up every June hoping to try our luck at TISS admits! The security guards didnt even bat an eyelid as they told us where to go. Once we went in were given our tokens after we paid for 2 days stay and told to go to the New Men's Hostel. Which was another climb! TISS is situated on the side of a hill so u either walk up or down to places...the only even ground is inside the buildings.

This is one of the better men's hostel you will come across! The bathrooms were clean [maybe coz we were the first few to arrive 10th i guess] But they had a geyser there!! AND IT WORKED!! That was a major surprise. Now for the shock!

On the bulletin Board at the men's hostel there was this warning about poisonous snakes on campus...cobras, vipers etc!! and they even listed whom to contact for an anti-dote! Im hoping this is a practical joke!! There was a warning about not walking on the grass and to wear shoes and not sandals after dark!! I'm supposed to meet a friend and be back only after dark tonight! If i do not post after this .... i demand to be declared a PG martyr!!

The campus itself is really really beautiful. Both the seniors and the website understated how beautiful this place is. Its real greeney man! That explains the snakes!! But be advised to move around with an umbrella or a cap else u might be a target for aerial manure bombing like urs truly!! Though you might look like an idiot with an umbrella in a campus where u barely see the sun!!

Your not allowed to lock your room doors when you go out so i suggest you leave all fancy paraphrenelia at home. There was this poor soul from Delhi who had come to our room pantin heavily to take rest. He had taken a bus to TISS from the Station and having lost his way eventually turned up and had to lug his baggage all way up initially to get his token and then to the Mens hostel. MY advise ppl...take a taxi...might cost u 200 bucks but if ur a first timer in this city. Just take the taxi and get as far into the campus as u can and just save the hassle! You can save money on other things

The weather they say is hot and humid. I'm coming from Chennai and i find this cool!! But guys not used to humidity might wanna rethink your blazers or suits!

Only crib so far...Though there is an STD booth in campus, i had to walk 1 km to find this net cafe...and this is supposed to be india's commercial capital!!

Thats all for now
Cheers

EDIT: that snake warning was in the new mens hostel campus which is about 100 m from the TISS campus. Its a separate annexure campus which is close though not in the same campus as TISS. So I dunno if the snake warning applies to the main campus! Though im gettin some vicarious pleasure out of relating this msg to ppl who are scared of snakes!! ... Truth be told i am too!!

Day two on the TISS PMIR trip / 06 June 2005 as posted on www.pagalguy.com

After bloggin my experiences on PG yesterday i decided to proceed to Colaba. But not before changin into some shoes! I counted the lamp posts on the way from the gate to the room and thought...dude do you really wanna risk it with a King Cobra, Russell's Viper and a Krait?? [ these were the names listed on the notice board!] And thats when i decided to call their bluff coz u see there are no kraits in india!!

off i went to colaba, which if u see a mumbai map, is at the south end of the city!! crazy man !! and after meeting my friend i waited about an hour for a bus but to no avail....These damn Mumbai buses have nos written in hindi... and i boarded the wrong bus once and was chucked out!! Eventually i decided it was getting too late and they might not lemme back in teh campus!! So Taxi it was and Rs.215/-!! on my post i said take a taxi to TISS from the rly station and save the money elsewhere!! Well this is something you can save on!! Dont Go To Colaba and Stay Late!! ...IDIOT!!

And to compound my feelings of stupidity i came back to realise that there wasnt exactly any curfew time as there were guys who came back even an hour after me and wud refuse to keep their mouth shut in the corridors!!...Dude ppl are trying to sleep u moron!! This a boys hostel who the hell are u trying to show off to??

I caught only 4 hours of sleep last night...Woke up early at 5.30 am and had a jog...It felt really good running up those slopes and no fear of snakes! Got ready and was at the dining hall by 7.45 am and met a few friends. Assembled at the main porch at about 8-45 am. Thats when it hit me...the nos flocking to TISS. The conference hall to which we were directed was overflowing with ppl....i was thinking gosh...10 more days of so many ppl for 30 seats!! all because of overpopulation...and i was cursing all our forefathers while the seniors were giving some gyaan on TISS...Nothing which has not already been said here...so if u follow this thread chill...Take a look at the gals and vice versa!!

From there to the Essay test and apparently only about half the students in most halls had turned up! in my room of 40 ppl there were 25 absentees so only 15!! This was a pattern in most halls with about 50% abstaining!

My topics were
1. Nation States are becoming irrelevant in a global economy.
2. Decentralisation and democracy in India.
3. Can Eco-tourism contribute to Regional Development?

I chose the first topic and wrote only 2 sides in their ruled four side booklet. People wrote a lot more. I dont really know what to make of it, Some of my friends have finished their GD. The choice given was

1.Knowledge generation or practise which is more important to managers?
2. How possible is people participation in development

They had time to interact with their group for 5 mins before the GD and they decided not to make it fish market...so theyve done ok

Ive just come out to post this and have lunch,,,as i said the same net cafe 1 km to your left after u come out of the TISS main gate ...
My GD is at 2.30 pm. I dont know what to make of it. Ive seen the crowd that turned up and not many were very impressive but thats the point. You just need 15 good ppl to come every day to make your life miserable and thats why TISS is so tough.

I'm due for my GD in an hour...adios amigos and wish me luck! I would love to stay for the PI...who wudnt!!

TISS GD/PI exp as posted on www.pagalguy.com on 6th June 2005

What a diff 3 hrs make to a person's mood! I really dont know what to do now. Between now and the next 4-5 hrs when the results come out im left in limbo to brood over whats left now.They dont seem to be repeating GD topics...so whatever you get from me is only worth for practise, at any time there are 4-5 GDs running with the same topic.

My topics were

1.Entrepreneurship or managers what shud be the emphasis of B School education.
2.Should FDI be allowed in indian media

We Chose topic 1. 20 mins and the process of chosing the topic is also included in this 20 mins. There are times when you wonder and wish you had a great GD. And this was close to that. We almost even came to a conclusion. Of the 10 ppl 8 were very robust speakers and only one kept quiet through out. It was a great group with a bunch of good freshers and guys with good work ex.

We were all very active in putting forth our view points but whenever there was a conflict of many ppl speaking at the same time it was immediately resolved. There was no one person in control of the GD . Total of 4 guys and 6 gals. It was one of the best GDs ive participated in. I dont know how they evaluate GD's in TISS but anywhere else at least 6-7 of us wudve made it.

I dont know how to judge myself today, This is one of the very few occasions ive come off a GD not sure of my own performance, I can only twiddle my thumbs and go back and catch some sleep. Im taking an auto back!! ...im too tired!

TISS GD/PI exp as posted on www.pagalguy.com on 7th june 2005

I did not make it to the PI for PMIR... yes it was very disappointing. The results came out around 6.30 pm yesterday. 46 ppl made it to PMIR. None from my GD group. That was what set me thinking. Why? I have been through enough GD's to know that it was a good one, but that didnt fit the pattern of what they were looking for. It was a good aggressive GD but not a fish market. And I felt good about it. If that did not fit the culture of TISS that they were expecting it was too bad for us. But i have no regrets because I am sure it wasnt a reflection of the wonderful ppl in my GD but more on what the institute was looking for.

However, there were others who didnt have a chance. There was a GD in which our very own Thedragonreborn was involved in which they entire grp was out coz of one gal who went ballistic. This after they decided beforehand that they wud have a quiet GD. It took me about an hour to get my bearings right after the result but it wasnt as bad as it might have been 3 days back before i came into TISS. All of u who read this post wouldve guessed i was keen on it! But i met some great ppl here and greater men from PG who i always wanted to meet!

I had a nice dinner with dragon bhai last night. Good man to man discussions! i got out of TISS early this morning. Didnt want to meet the other guys who might have come along for their GD's! You see i wanted to move on! Went to Colaba and now near Gateway of India! Guess what...there are Tiss rejects roaming around Mumbai all around right now!! Met two of them there! and one standing and smirking reading this post right next to me!!

Life moves on. I have no regrets not getting into TISS. You might start to have an idea why when you begin to see their presentation! If anyone comes here to TISS plz do try to meet vinayshende if he is free. He is a great guy and inspite of how busy he was he really tried to help me out. I owe him one for that! Some great senior you guys who wud get in have there! Too bad i couldnt meet Mystique! But kya pata...its a small world!

TISS GD/PI exp on www.pagalguy.com on 9th june 2005

My Final TISS Post!

The other day after posting my experiences on PG i went to watch "Baunty Aur Baubli" at Regal Cinema!! It was a hilarious movie for Tiss rejects!! My friend and i Totally had fun!! There was so much identification with the main protoganists! Lets face it...not all of you who come to mumbai and go for the GD will get thru to the PI...but go watch this movie...its the best antidote!! This is the first time i watched Amitabh Bachchan in a theatre...wow! His opening scene in the movie is really amazing!

But the tobewatched part of the movie is the song is Aaja Udiye and Rani Mukherjee's costume in that!! My friend and I almost got thrown out of the theatre coz we were laughing so hard!! Ramanathan should thank his lucky stars there werent women dressed like that at TISS!! ...Rani mukherjee has some baby fat on her midriff and she gyrated there were layers on undulating fat moving like unceasing waves! At that moment and time Tiss was a distant memory....After the movie...i broke my vegetarian vows and tried some chicken bhel at a small joint opposite Regal...It was Good!!


Then we went to Marine Drive and to near that spot where that gal got raped in the police booth and my friend decided to do her bit for Women in mumbai and started adam teasing every man who went by!! At that moment and time i realised why she didnt get into TISS!! Another realisation was that she might provoke someone and since i was the guy there...mujhe maar kanne padenge!!

So out of there back to Navy Nagar to take a bus back to TISS and again no bus...this time i was determined not to pay out 215/- on a taxi! So a bus to VT and train to Dadar then to Kurla and then to Govindi and finally a rick to TISS....total 23.50/-...Thats mumbai for you....you can have fun at 10% of the cost and it took me only 30 mins over the one hour in taxi!!

I heard 61 ppl got selected that day! Ramanathan and Suhail Khan included...Good luck to them and hope they make it! I heard on Day 2 it was the opposite criteria the selected ppl were the more dominant ones in the GD! and i also heard that 61 is the largest number ever for PI's almost unheard off!

Next day morning i was out of TISS at 7 am after saying bye to dragon bhai...You might notice i stayed the extra day at tiss...well i thank tiss for that! But leave as soon as possible guys! I reached NavyNagar and put my Bag at my friends place and we headed to Bandra. Carter Road. Cafe Coffee Day... Great view. They had this bigger than life poster of Bipasha Basu there...i sat staring at it for 2 hrs while my friend was trying to analyse a couple having a fight at the next table! ...That was fot the First time we went somewhere in mumbai and didnt meet any tiss rejects!! Maybe we didnt recognise them! Then went to Crepe Station around the corner for lunch...that is dino morea's restaurant and we did meet morea!

Off to colaba and Barista there...final adieu to mumbai before i headed back to NavyNagar and picked up my bags and left for the station! It was a much better journey back to Chennai as most of south india seemed to be under a cloud cover! Im home now!

Thank you all for your best wishes... Someone said let the force with me...thank you mate but the Force is Always with Me! I head off to Delhi this month end to start my MHROD course in Delhi School of Economics. Good luck to all aspirants. Im sure we will be in touch.This is my last post on this thread. Its been great fun on this TISS thread! Helped me boost my post count on PG and also find some really good friends on PG. Im thankful for that.

God Bless.