Hello New Year 2013

Happy New Year!.  As noted here 2012 was a year of very important decisions. I left Singapore to do my MBA in US. 2012 first half was with family and second half was alone doing my studies. There was a sharp contrast between the two halves.

Bid a raucous farewell to 2012. Never been this boisterous. Had lots of fun in New Orleans. New year and new challenges. 2013 is going to be interesting. It can be a turning point for my career. Cant wait to see how it turns out.  Hope there are less bumps on the road.

And finally, I think 'Memories' should be hibernated. I made sure to put at least one post every month in the last year. But it has become more like a chore rather than fun task. Might take a long time before I post again. Adios. 

End of Semester: Hello Columbia

Before joining the Bschool everyone was saying things move fast. Not until I wrote my final exam did it really hit me how fast the semester has come and gone. Sometimes things moved fast and sometimes super fast. It was a roller coaster experience. And after 4 months of struggle it was time to take a break and spend time with my friends in Columbia, SC. Its a total different city to start with. Weather is much better than that of Boston. Its more like a country side with new houses.  And more than the place, it is the people you spend time with that matters. Ending 2012 on a high note. The end of year celebration is in New Orleans. Sounds  fun.  

First Snow

There were no signs and warnings for this. Only information was the weather application which indicated the probability of change in weather conditions. I was locked up the whole day in the school and seen people sneaking out to feel the change. Yet until in the evening there wasn't much difference in the color of the roads. So I resigned to the fact that it is too early to expect the whiteness. In the evening when I stepped out of the school it was a total different experience. Its cool but not chilling. There is something falling from the sky but its not raining. Within minutes my black coat had specks of white flakes. Then I realized it is snowing.My first snow experience. I let my jacket turn white while others scurried under their umbrellas. 

                                         The next day in the morning from my window. Refreshing .

NY & NJ

As noted in the previous post, life in Boston has been pretty much hectic. I have to change a lot of things to keep all the things in control. Before coming here I was rarely awake beyond 12 midnight and here I rarely go to bed before 12 midnight. Well the latest timing stands at 4 am.

So trip to NY and NJ was more than a break from the chaotic life here in Boston. The best part is meeting with Kolli. Meeting him after 5 years made me feel how much I missed the good old undergrad days. And he was more than nice to me by getting biryani and showing the city around. Guess I will always cherish my undergad days and the friends I made there. NJ was more than a surprise to me. The place where Kolli stayed is literally swarmed with Indian restaurants and shops. Heck even the street was closed just because there are playing dandiya. I didn't see that many people playing together even in India. All of a sudden my chaotic life felt connected in some way.

I heard so much about NY before and it didn't disappoint me. Even though I seen just a fraction of NY it stood up to its reputation as being running on a fast pace. I always knew that NY subway is most complicated line in the US. But having experienced the subway, 'complicated' felt an understatement. For a stranger it is like a kid trying to figure out the first day of a school. Nevertheless it was fun to get lost in a strange city. And yes subways are HUGE source of entertainment. No matter what time it is in the day, there is always someone to entertain you!

  

B-School and Boston

Life in B School is kinda formula1  race. You race for everything. Not like a competition but to see yourself on the other side of the finish line. Just to reach the other side of the finish line on time. And the next one starts as soon as you start breathing heavily at the finish line. And this cycle doesn't seem to end any time soon. Endless loops of work.

As mentioned in the previous post yours truly started doing everything on this own. Cooking, laundry, housekeeping.Trying to juggle with so many things is a huge task. I have become a better cook I must say. Even though my dishes may not taste perfect like my mothers, I am liking the way I am cooking. Initially I messed up with some of the dishes but as time passed by it only got better and better. 

My first impressions about Boston weren't so good. Coming from Singapore, this city seemed to be very substandard.I thought Singapore is a expensive city. But Boston beats Singapore black and blue. Everything is darn expensive here. Food, housing, groceries everything. The only thing that is cheap is the MBTA transport. That is because it is so lousy compared to Singapore's MRT. 

One thing that surprised me is the running culture in Boston. Here at any point of time you can see at least one person running on the streets. Noon Sun doesn't challenge anyone. May be its because it is cooler here compared to Singapore. I did my first 5K last week and it surprised me that I barely sweat! Winter has barely started but I am already feeling the shivers. Scared to even think of January now. I already started hating winters. It is making me so lethargic that I cant even wake up to my alarm. 

Sometimes miss all the little joys of Singapore. The Kopitiams, the NTUC's, Mustafa, the every 2 min MRT train, the pasar malams, the close knitted society and the easy accessible malls. 

And yes, need to finish off my next assignment soon!