Summers Diary : Recovered from Laptop

Day 1

Touchdown at Bombay. The rather undecipherable cackle of the captain over the intercom announces it’s a warm 34 Degrees outside.

This city has this amazing way of making me feel completely at home and I guess it’s a feeling shared by many. If you ever feel alone and lonely in the streets of Mumbai, then you better visit a shrink. Every time I visit Bombay from Delhi I wonder how 2 cities can ever be so contrasting. Bombay is ugly, full of slums, and has a very functional look to it. There is no attempt to beautify the city; there is no gloss around it.

Delhi, on the other hand is beautiful and neat, parts of South Delhi look right out of a majestic European town, and there is an extravagance of wealth all round it.

Yet the average guy you meet on the road is cold, pugnacious, aggressive and rude. The vastness of city, the abundance of space, the lack of pedestrians and the harshness of the weather cover it with a blanket of ice (sometimes literally).

The town of glitz and glamour, on the other hand, has ironically very few dreamy people. Bombay’s gentry have their feet firmly on the ground, their head firmly on their shoulders and there is earnestness behind that hardworking attitude that is commendable. Believe me you, the city of dreams is still alive with dreams, but the people are not dreamy. Everyone’s too busy charting their destinies to daydream. They know that before their dreams come true, they have to work their ass off.

Training center at Gulita is awesome; unfortunately Infy has spoilt my frame of reference. The other interns think I’m a big show-off when I say I’ve stayed in similar facilities for more than 4 months at the Mysore DC.The view is awesome, nevertheless.

There seem to be too many girls among the 50 interns. I know that must sound stupid or gay or both. But a quick calculation of the average B-school sex ratio shows that the company’s sex ratio is far more women-friendly than that. You are free to make your own inferences.

Have a nice time in the evenings walking along Worli sea face. Armies of Xlers and IIM-A guys have turned up.

Day 2

Day full of talks from the legends at the organization. I wanted to join this company for its people and it has not disappointed me. The head of Sales is awe- inspiring.

This company takes its summer interns seriously, and it shows. Half the people we meet have been summer interns. (Statistically more than half of Management Trainees are PPO candidates).

Day 3

First day at work. Invited to a Monday meeting about the week’s targets and forecasts.

I am more sold on an FMCG career. I don’t think you can get a more exciting life in any other profession. You can get stressed out, burnt out or completely exhausted from this line of work, but you can never get bored. Ever heard of a soldier getting bored from war. Fed up, yes. Tired, maybe. But a boring life. Never. That’s enough for me.

Decide to stay with dad and commute from Andheri everyday. I think the Bathtub, and the Jacuzzi apart from the air-conditioned guesthouse might have had something to do with the decision..