Initially it was quite amusing, but when I started getting calls at all unearthly hours* it took a turn for the worse. After a while, I decided that I should bring the humour back into the equation and find some way to enjoy the unwarranted interruptions – so I started introducing myself over the landline as “Hello, Café”.

The reactions varied from the wary to the enthusiastically-order-10-teas. I must admit though that the number of people who quickly apologized for dialling the wrong number went up drastically when I answered the phone with the helium-voice or the Pink-Floyd-Comfortably-Numb-voice (“hello hello hello.. This is the Café Café Café”). Hmm, I wonder why. Well, at least I’m happy to say that there never ceases to be a multitude of opportunities to entertain myself.

For the moment, this is the Café
Signing off…

Oh wait, in other news, someone sent a mail today asking a lot of questions. One of them being: “Did it happen to you that you never found time to smell roses that bloomed in your backyard?” Poignant. Brilliant. But you know honey, I thought that the entire purpose of coming to ISB was so that I could first afford a backyard. Do you know the prices of one of these backyard thingies in any Indian metro? Through the roof I tell you! Ironical, considering most of them are on the ground.

*You know, 10am to 1pm – the peak of the normal sleep cycle. Hey, don’t judge me – when you’re an MBA student, we’ll talk about your sleep cycle then!

Also, getting the K vote is rural marketing. After Kotler and Gillette and SouthWest airlines, classes in this class are refreshingly ‘Indian’. I enjoy the quirky insights about Indian consumers we are getting exposed to and the fast facts on consumer trends. I feel ready to market to this market. I mean, there seems to be oodles of potential in this market and I am looking forward to getting my hands dirty (ummm…pun unintended).

At the risk of changing tracks mid way, (this is exactly how CP happens in class sometimes by the way…why don’t profs get annoyed?) lobbying heavily for the K vote is also the all new menu at the Café. The find of the century is clearly the Spouts and Pomegranate salad.

Track change again.

Ever since I have come to ISB, the duration and intensity of my happy and sad phases have declined considerably. There is so much to do constantly that life gives you no time to gloat, mope or remain angry for more than 12 minutes precisely. After a nasty round of negotiations which about seven months ago would have left me irritable for the entire day, all it takes is a random but sweet message from home and the famed sprouts salad to restore my worn spirit. Maybe I am getting to superficial or maybe I am finally growing up.

Anyway, contending for the K squat scores is the upcoming weekend with a total of 6 deliverables through it. Also, vying for a spot on the K squat countdown is the bidding exercise. Barely stepped out of one round and now we are already in the thick of the second. Sigh! We are living life in the fast lane these days.

 

Pre reads for Marketing Research (also a great course) and Managing Teams (Is Prof. Moon cool or what! Love his humor and sarcasm.) homework beckons…Make way, here I come!