Eureka Batch it is!!!

You know what!! This is a beautiful time of the year. I know....I know it is still Jun and the sun is beating down on us with all its might but it is also the time when summer vacations get over. Now, It is ok if you guys raise your eyebrows and wonder: how on earth do summer vacations impact him ? Is he not a working professional? He does not get summer vacations!! Relax people, you are right, I do not get summer vacations (though I don't mind!!) but the kids at AID NOIDA do. For the past two months, the children were far away from the hustle-bustle of the city. Most of them went to their village and met their grand moms and grand dads. But, they are back now!!! Once again, the community is bustling with kids and most importantly our classes are back in session.

Yes!! After two month of lull AID NOIDA centre is again full with kids and volunteers. But there have been some changes. First of  all, The responsibility of senior batch (2007) has been transferred from I and Prashant to Prateek and Darshan. Secondly, I have been given responsibility for the Eureka Batch (2008-2010). Initially, it did not seem like a very big shift but last Saturday when I went to the class I realized that batch shifting is not that small a thing after all.
 
First of all, I will miss teaching the Senior Batch. The batch consists of the eldest and the most responsible kids studying at AID NOIDA. Being the batch owner for past 6 months I had seen a lot : Aashmina performing very funny" tum paas aaye... badbu phelaye" skit, Jaanbaaz, Sajaad and Subi managing junior kids and wonderful sessions on volcanoes, water cycle, earthquakes and many others topics. The innocence, the inquisitive nature and the sparkling intelligence of the kids have spellbound me. In fact, I feel personally attached to the senior batch and I will miss those classes.
Secondly, I was a bit nervous when I entered the new class. Yes, I was kind of worried how the kids in the Eureka batch would respond. Will they appreciate the change? Will they listen to me the way they pay attention to Anvita - Eureka Batch owner. What do I need to do to develop that trust? You think that I am being paranoid. No I am not!! It is not easy to teach in a class. One needs to connect with the kids. One needs to develop a bond of care and trust with the kids. It is the bond which lays the foundation of a healthy student-teacher relationship. I had developed that bond with the senior kids. It took me time, but slowly and steadily I was able to connect with them. Janbaaz, Sajjad, Subi, deepak, Danista, Julekha, each one of them had specific behaviour patterns and I knew how they would react to various situations. But now, I have a new batch and I need to start again.

Therefore, to make things easy during the transition, I requested Anvita and Charu to be present during the first class. Anvita arrived early and informed the kids about the change. The result: - the moment I entered the class Jainab said:"sir hum aapse nahi padhenge, hum Anvita didi se he padhenge"( Sir, we want Anvita madam to teach us, not you) . I had not expected that and I did not know what to say. I just smiled and sat down, knowing that many cute but big eyes are watching my every move. You know, it is a strange feeling when the kids observe you. Some of them look affectionately with their big black eyes, some of them have that curious look on their face - wondering “who is this new guy?” and some of them look confused and baffled, still contemplating on how to react. What did I do? I just maintained a broad smile on my face remembering what someone had said "A smile can go a long way".

As the kids settled in the class, we started a formal introduction session. One by one, the kids told us their name, the school in which they studied and the class they were studying in. Most of them were a bit jittery, scratching their head and speaking in barely audible voice but they still looked super cute.  Actually I am quite lucky, majority of the kids in the Eureka batch are girls. The benefit with girls is that they do not create a ruckus like boys do. They will generally sit quietly and pay attention. After the kids' introduction, it was my turn. I introduced myself to the kids and asked them what they did during the summer vacation. Some of the kids raised their hands and I asked them to come on stage one by one. Everybody had an interesting story. If some of them just talked about the good time they had with their grand dad, grand mom and other relatives, others told us how they won a cricket tournament in their village. So, everything was going smoothly and I felt like I am on a roll but suddenly, out came a voice " Sir Khadoss lag rahe hain"( Sir looks like a strict person). After a split second of silence, just enough to realize the innocence in the words of the child, we all started laughing and I recalled my own words: "Himanshu, it will take time to connect with the kids. It will take time".

Overall, it was a good class. I met some wonderful kids: Jainab, Quaish, Gudiya and Gia. Quaish in particular, is a very inquisitive fellow. He wants to know new things. He tries very hard to grasp everything that is said in the class and when he is in doubt, he asks the most basic of questions without any inhibition. It is these instances that make me feel that we can learn a lot from the kids. We take too many things for granted because we know them now. But we forget the time when we did not know much. For e.g: we all know how to tell time on a Wall clock. Try teaching this to a kid. You will use angles, table of five and clock diagrams to teach them the very basic of all things: Telling time.  To summarize, the fundamental concepts are brick walls which need the reinforcement of mortar named “teacher” to build a castle we know as “An Educated Adult”.

This time, the kids are even younger with easy to mould habits and personalities. We need to tread carefully, one kid at a time, because in a very short time the mould will harden and habits crystallize. We at AID Noida have to make sure that no cracks or air pockets go unnoticed. Let us see how it goes.

Cheers!!

Toastmasters Project 5: Power of failure

Last week I gave my project 5: Your Body Speaks.

The aims for this speech project were to complement my message with my body during delivery. Specifically, I needed to be aware of my:

• posture,
• body movement,
• facial expressions, and
• Eye contact.

Power of Failure 

In the 19th century there was a man with some great ideas, and to test his ideas he used to carry out experiments. In fact, he was so much driven to conduct experiments that he intentionally worked during the night shift as a telegraph Operator. Alone at night, he used to conduct experiments and document his research. But one night, one of his clandestine experiments went wrong, and he ended up spilling sulphuric acid on his boss's desk. Next day, he was fired. Fired at the age of 20!!!. Now, this man could have easily sulked and given up, but he persevered. He sold newspapers and chocolates on the train. He even sold vegetables to supplement his income. But he never stopped conducting experiments. Eventually, that man held more than 1000 patents, started world's largest electric company (General Electric) and invented the world's first commercially viable electric bulb. That man was Thomas Alva Edison.

Madam Toastmaster, fellow Toastmaster and dear guests, failure is one bitter pill we all have to swallow some time in our lives. However strong we are, however rich we are, the dreaded bugbear named ‘Failure’ somehow comes out of the shadows and bites us. But you know something, one does not need to lose hope because failure itself does not matter, the way we respond to it does.

In general, there are two ways in which we can respond.

Response number 1: We can hide inside a cocoon of pain and suffering, and constantly punish ourselves.

"Oh my God, I have failed once more. I tried really hard but still it was not enough. What more do I need to do to succeed. I am tired of all this. I cannot take the pain and the humiliation. Look at everybody, all of them are laughing at me. That's it. I have had enough. I give up."

Response number 2: Calm and composed analysis of the outcome.

"Hmm, so it happened again. It does not feel good at all but still I need to analyze what went wrong. I must have done something wrong. I will talk to people who did well. Let me get their feedback. They can help me identify my weak areas. Aahh here you go, may be I should have practiced a little bit more. But, it is OK, this time I will leave no stone unturned and I will succeed. "

Just like Apples and Oranges, there is a stark difference between the two approaches.

One makes us feel miserable and sad. It even makes us doubt our own abilities.

The other calms us down, makes us feel confident and most importantly, it gives us hope.

Actually, it all depends upon how we perceive failure. If we fail, it does not mean that all the hard work we did, all the sacrifice we made and all the long hours we put in have gone down the drain. On the contrary, our each and every attempt leaves a lasting imprint on our personality.

So what, if you did not top your class, the hard work you put in has made you realize the importance of hard work and discipline.

It is OK if you did not win that public speaking competition. Remember the time when you went on stage for the first time, your hands were shaking and your legs were trembling. My dear friend, you have come a long way. Instead of cursing yourself, take heart from the improvement. 

You know, there is one more thing all us learn from failure. Perhaps, it is the most important lesson. We learn to empathize. Earlier, when someone failed, we could have easily ridiculed his effort but now when we found ourselves in the firing line and when we succumbed to the pressure, we realized success never comes easy. Once we fail, we start respecting other person’s efforts. We start showing empathy.

Therefore friends, failure is not that bad a thing after all. In fact, Failure is one of our best teachers. We just have to realize that the ultimate goal is to constantly improve ourselves. All the road blocks on our way symbolize learning opportunities: the bigger the boulder, the better the learning. So get up, flex your muscles and use your failures as the motivational platform to launch your dreams. Do not let people around you judge you. It is not their dream. Is it? It is yours. They do not know how much it means to you. They never will, No one will, except you. Thomas Edison tried 10000 times before discovering the right combination for the electric bulb and you want to say “I QUIT” in just one, two or three attempts. No, do not give up, because there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel. We just have to aim a little bit higher, try a little bit harder and endure a little bit longer. 

After all, men are not defined by just the success they achieve; Men are also defined by the failures they overcome.

Madam Toastmaster.

Body language is definitely my weakest area. I was worried about each and every movement: my stance, my facial expression, my hand movement. Overall, it was a decent project. My evaluator complimented me on the facial expressions and purposeful eye contact, but he advised me to be more formal and composed at the start.

Cheers!!

Wharton Admission Reception: New Delhi

Last Thursday Wharton organized an admission reception at New Delhi. The Wharton panel consisted of one admission committee member, 6 alumni and around 6 to 10 current/admitted students.
The event was a great way to know the "Wharton way" of doing things. The alumni were especially helpful as they gave very practical answers to our( prospective applicants) questions. They answered questions regarding the application procedure, "why Wharton?" and general errors committed by applicants. Here is a brief list:

• Do not obsess with GMAT score. This was repeatedly stated for Indian applicants. In fact, one of alumni said whenever he meets applicants, they ask him about his GMAT score. GMAT score is just a data point. Beyond that your essays and recommendations play the most important role. James, one of the alumni who is a full time entrepreneur based in India,  told us about an instance when he read the file of an applicant with a 790 GMAT. James said "when you see a 790, you expect a lot from an applicant. But when the applicant does not come out as a right person for Wharton through his essays, no score can defend him". Basically, if one has 80% or above in both sections, then you do not need to worry. Focus on the application. But there is a caveat, score above 700 is desirable.
• While defining your long and short term goals do not fall in the trap of "Things might change at School". The admission committee knows that it is natural for applicants to change their goals once they are in the MBA program. But, when you define your short term and long term goals, just focus on what you have done till now because that is what you have with you, rest all is just a wild guess.  Moreover, Long term and short term goals should be unique i.e no one should be able to write exact same long term & short term goals.
• Make your essays personal, one of the current student told me that one of his essay was about how is proposed to his girlfriend!! Through that essay he was able to tell the adcom about his thought process and things that he values.
• One more tip about essays: Try to choose events that are recent ( around 3 years old). The adcom wants to see career progression. They want to see how you developed over a period of time. Therefore, it is great that you have some meaningful leadership stories from your college days but you also need to show that you have continued your development as a leader by taking leadership roles in your organization, community and even your family. This one was emphasized a lot, so I guess many of us commit that mistake.
• For consultants, do not include consulting jargons in your essays. The adcom personnel might find it difficult to comprehend.
• Articleship( residency) is considered full time work experience.
• And finally, Just be yourself. Do not write what you think Adcom wants to hear. They have been reading applications for a long time, it is very easy for them to differentiate marketing statements from real life experiences.

Overall, it was a fantastic event. The humility with which alumni answered all the questions was commendable. They were genuinely trying to relate to our queries and gave very realistic responses. One of alumni told me that he is glad that he is standing on the other side as he knows how emotionally draining the application process is. You know what, with half of June almost through, I am already starting to feel the pressure.

Cheers!!

Toastmasters Speech 4: My Tryst with the Extraordinary

Ok guys, one more Speech from Toastmasters. Please do not think I am running out ideas for my blog. This one was long due. The aims for this speech project focus on selection of words and phrases:

• Choose words and grammar which communicate clearly.
• Choose words and grammar which appeal to the senses.
• Eliminate jargon.

My Tryst with the Extraordinary

It is three in the afternoon and we are still driving. We started at 4 in the morning (its been 11Hours!!) and have covered more than 600 kms but we are not tired. The roads are, how should I put it, DEAD STRAIGHT, consisting of 30-40 kilometers long stretches. You just have to look straight and you can see the road kissing the clear blue sky at the horizon. In fact, we had to hardly change gears as our car cruised at 150 Kms/Hr on the Formula 1 track like tarmac. The landscape has changed though, from lush green fields in the morning to dusty, brown and barren stretches now. Moreover, the arid land signals that we are nearing our destination. Till now, to say the least, the journey has been different. After all, we have driven right through a dried up lake, zipped past numerous Havelis and Royal Villas, and just seen a group of 20-25 Bikers, clad in all black, cruise on their giant Enfield bikes towards our very own destination. It has been an incredible journey till now but we wonder what else is in store for us as our real journey is yet to begin.

Mr. Toastmasters, fellow toastmasters and dear guests, fasten your seat belts and ride along with me on a road trip to the royal Indian state of Rajasthan.

Our first destination is the blue city in the heart of Rajashan : Jodhpur.
The first thing that strikes you when you enter the city is the presence of colors. In fact the city personifies the colorful spirit of Rajasthan.  The women wear colorful dresses, flaunting all the possible hues of red, blue, yellow and green. The men dress conservatively in their plain dhotis and kurtas but, take my word for it, their turbans are the most colorful ones I ever seen. Even the long, funny looking, overstretched auto rickshaws flaunt colors as a newly wed bride flaunts her jewelery. The use of color is so profound that it appears as if all the colors in the world have conspired with people of Rajasthan to mesmerize all the travelers.
After soaking in the colors of the city, we wanted to experience royalty, so we headed towards Mehrangarh fort. As we entered the fort, we were welcomed by tall guards sporting intimidating moustaches. Immediately, we were directed towards a lift. A lift in a fort? We wondered. The guard announced " The tour starts from the top". Now the real fun began. As we came out of the lift on the top floor, we immediately realized the strategic importance of the fort. The fort is located at the highest point in the city, making it ideal for reconnaissance. Huge cannons capable of ripping through any armor are placed along the walls. No wonder that the fort has never been conquered. Moreover, the whole city is visible from the top. Small houses, big houses, hotels and shops, all are painted in blue. It appears as if the sky has come down on Earth to savour the beauty of the fort.
As we went deep into the fort, there was a sense of royalty in the air. The daggers, the swords and the royal dresses of kings and queens were displayed in the Fort museum. But the most awe inspiring ones were the huge palanquins. These majestic structures, which at one time served as royal transport, personify the luxury and authority of the Royals. After enjoying the beauty of the fort to the hilt, we sat on the fort wall as the sun set and wondered what else is in store for us as we decided to drive towards Jaisalmer.
The great golden city of Jaisalmer rests in the heart of the Thar desert. If Jodhpur is the heart, then Jaisalmer is the Soul of Rajasthan. Without doubt, it is one place where you can experience silence. Just go and sit in a lonely corner and you will not only hear yourself breathe but also hear your own heart beat. As we drove through the desert towards the Khuri dunes, we experienced enormity. As far as our eyes allowed us, we saw sand dunes, one overlapping the other till they met the sky. The sun played hide and seek as the dunes rose and fell. The sunset and sunrise were majestic. I had never seen a sun that big. As the sun descended in the lap of the dunes, I stared at the whole disc and somehow felt loosing myself as thoughts about life, its purpose, the cosmos and  its existence overwhelmed me.
As the night enveloped us, we decided to stay in the desert although we were warned: It will be a cold night. We were given sleeping bags and extra blankets to protect us. I gave a stupid smile thinking " What an irony, Sleeping bag and layers of Blanket in the desert" and tried to sleep. But mother nature had other ideas. She wanted to share more, show us more. As I opened my eyes at around midnight, I realized that there was too much brightness for a night sky. I could literally see the light Grey sand ( looks Grey at night) in the milky light.  I wondered where the light came from. I was sure there was no moon that night. But then how come so much light!! As I braved the cold to peep out of my sleeping bag, I saw an army of stars spread across the night sky. It appeared as if someone had sprayed white paint on a black Canvas. Dear friends, I was witnessing the milky way in all its glory. Apparently, the pollution levels are so low in the desert that you can see the milky way clearly. Something almost unthinkable in metros.I dazed at the stars with a feeling of contentment and fell asleep thinking that mother nature had kept the best for the last.

Of all the incredible thing in Rajsthan, the one that I remember the most is the feeling of Vastness. The realization that we human beings are just a small peg of the giant wheel called Universe. Kings and Queens will come and go, Lords and Bishops will come and go but stars, deserts and rivers are timeless. Therefore, there is no point in worrying about trivial tangibles, in fact life is all about valuing the intangibles such as love, faith, friendship and peace.

As we turned back towards New Delhi, we knew that we had experienced something extraordinary, something unique. In those 4 days, we had tryst with royalty and experienced actual serenity. We had realized the fragility of human existence. In totality, we had experienced the magical state of Rajasthan.
 
Over to you Mr. Toastmaster.

Good project overall. The evaluator really liked my topic selection. He told me i did justice with it. But he also told me , there could have been more purposeful stage movements. Ahhhh.. I have to get this correct.. lets see.. may be next speech.

Cheers!!!

Phase 2 Begins!!

There is a different kind of feeling post GMAT. I am feeling a bit aimless of sorts. This might come as a surprise but really after coming back from office I sometime look around and just scratch my head. I used to prepare for the GMAT almost everyday. Ok, at least visited all the GMAT prep sites and read out articles and practice some questions. All this took my time, but now it is all over. I know there is lot more to do. In fact whatever I have done till now is may be just 10% of the whole thing. But you know, I have realized something. It is much easier to prepare for an exam than to work towards a goal( read B-school admission) which does not have a fixed framework in place. GMAT is actually quite straightforward. You have a set of books to prepare from. After sometime you know your weak areas. Keep on working on them and eventually if you are consistent enough, you will show some improvement. The bottom line: you have a framework or methodology in place, follow a strict schedule and you will get a decent score, if not a stellar one.
BUT my friends, identifying your long term goals, short term goals, strengths and weaknesses is much more difficult. It requires honest introspection, detailed analysis of who you are and most difficult of all realization of you weaknesses which eventually limit the size of your ambitions. I have been trying to do the same for a while now. Trying to look back at my life, calling back all those instances which have left an imprint on me. It is darn difficult you know. On top of that when you have to write essays that bring out the real self of you like a 3D Hollywood movie, it becomes a herculean task. But I am not disappointed with the confusion around me. I know there is a way out. It requires concentration, hard work and perseverance. At present, I am a confused dude who is looking all around his inner self to frame a story which is worth a read. But like Winston Churchill, I have nothing to offer but blood, sweat, toil and tears. Lets see how the story unfolds.

Cheers!!

Toastmasters Speech 2 : PRAYAS - An attempt to educate

Recently I completed my second project at East Delhi Toastmasters. The project's main aim was to organize my speech by developing a strong opening, explain the theme through main points & sub points and conclude effectively.

So here it goes.....

Do you know which country has the largest illiterate population in the world? ........It is India. We have an adult literacy rate of mere 66% and child literacy rate of 82%. One might say that 82% is not that bad but dear friends let me inform you that the world average is around 88%. We are way behind the world standards. On one hand we are the second fastest growing economy in the world and on the other hand we have this demon of illiteracy looming over our heads. What should we do? sit back and relax.... wait for the tiring Right to Education Act, Mid day meal scheme and Sarva Shikha Abhiyan to make an impact or should we rise up, take responsibility and try to create a difference through our efforts.
Mr. Toastmaster, fellow Toastmasters and dear guests, Prayas Noida is one such education initiative that aims to create a difference and bring change in our society. Prayas, as the name implies, is an attempt by young working professional to develop a sustainable education model which instills the importance of education among the residents of the Noida slum community.
The model is based on a three step process, each of which aims to develop a self sustainable system.
Step 1: If the kids do not go to school, bring education to the kids.
Most of the kids in the community do not go to school or drop out because of lack of good government education system. Government schools do not motivate kids to perform well in schools and are not responsible for poor academic performance. This unaccountability seriously diminishes the learning intent of kids and forces them to drop out. Prayas Noida works towards decreasing this drop out rate. We take up classes on weekdays which cater to primary school subjects such as English, Hindi, Maths, Social studies and Science. The classes aim to develop basic understanding of science, English, Hindi and other subjects among the kids. But as all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, we organize activity classes on the weekends to develop the kids' creative side. In the weekend classes, kids participate in plays, sing songs, play games, identify countries on the globe and learn about earthquakes, volcanoes, rains and lot more. In summary, Prayas aims to make education fun and enjoyable. But, Is this a sustainable model? Without Formal education, kids will not progress beyond a limit. They need degrees and diplomas to make it big in life. The next step addresses exactly this issue.

Step 2: Formal education
After the kids have developed interest in education, the next step is to ensure their admission to recognized schools. Prayas Noida volunteers visit various schools in Noida such as Naye disha, OM foundation, Holy Angel and others.  They persuade the school management to organize entrance tests and if the kids do well admit them with full scholarship. Many of our bright students have got admitted in good schools and are performing really well. For instance, Jaanbaaz, one of our students, has scored 74 out of 75 in mathematics. Just imagine a kid from the slums whose family barely make its ends meet is performing so well in school. Prayas was recently able to admit 4 more students of the junior batch to OM foundation public school.
But again, is this enough? Is this approach sustainable? No it is not. Because Prayas will not be there with the kids for ever. In that case, who will encourage them and keep a track of their performance? I know the answer.. It is the parents and more specifically the mothers. Here comes step 3.

Step 3: Educate the women.
Women are the foundation of every society. If the women of the house are educated, it is guaranteed that the children will be educated. Prayas organizes weekend classes for the women with an aim of imparting basic education. The women learn  basic mathematics so as to keep a track of their house hold expenses. They learn to read and write. Now the community women can write their name instead of using the ubiquitous thumb as a sign of their identity. They manage the family grocery store and maintain the accounts independently as their men go to work. All these small changes have empowered the community women. The women now know the importance of education as they have seen the difference it makes. Correspondingly, they want their kids to do well. The women keep a tab on the kid's school performance by checking performance reports, meeting school teachers and ensuring that kids finish their homework.

Now, we have a sustainable system in place. A system that thrives on itself : Young children hungry for education - good school system- Parental support that ensures continuity.  So friends this is what prayas does, but what will you do? Most of you were lucky to be born in affluent families.You and in fact I, did not have to worry about the basic necessities of life. We just had them all around us. But look around, their are lot more people who do not have this privilege. Therefore, It is our responsibility to share the gift of knowledge with others. We can take some time out of our lives, not much just 2-3 hours a week and share our knowledge with the underprivileged. Because remember education is not a privilege, It is a necessity.

Over to you Mr. Toastmasters.

So this was my second speech. The topic is very close to my heart but I did not show much energy and my evaluator pointed exactly what I felt...You were low on energy. So from next time I need to be more convincing and more passionate, especially when speaking on a motivational topic like this one.

Cheers!!

GMAT Done

Yeah it is true!!  I have finally given my GMAT and scored a 720( VA 37 - 80%, QA 50 - 93 %) Overall -94%.  Not a stellar score but i know the score is enough to target any top school in the US. I am finally relived that I am done with the GMAT. Now I have to focus on the applications: research schools, contact students, go to college receptions, ask for recommendations and finally write my essays.
It is a long journey but as Robert Frost said 'I have miles to go before I sleep'.

Cheers!!