Its a girl !!!

Akka gave birth to a baby girl today morning. Alhamdulillah..!!!
I am in seventh heaven.. and its been snowing since morning, as Nature celebrates with me.

- Proud aunt of 2 nephews and 2 nieces, all nicely evened out !

FT Global MBA Rankings, 2009 - ISB rocks !!!

The Financial times, London , announced its annual global ranking of business schools today and Indian School of Business is ranked 15! Jumped 5 places ahead from last year's 20...
http://rankings.ft.com/global-mba-rankings

And pray, why am I so excited ??!!!

Here's to the new year...

Despite the worst of starts, I am hoping this one will be the most fulfilling so far. Come to think of it, it promises to be a year filled with dreams come true. As I look over the threshold, I see the comforting familiarity of yesterday making way for an uncertain tomorrow. And I am ready to take it on, armed with faith, courage and perseverence, patience to the levels I am not familiar or comfortable with. But above all, I cling to a gentle but constant hope - to be able to fight against all odds, to push myself to give the best every time, to hold on to the very last thread of inner strength and move on, to believe that its not the end till it ends well.
At the beginning of another year, here's to Happies Endings !!

I miss you so..

Wherever I go, whatever I do
I still see you and I miss you so

I miss your laughter, I miss your touch
I miss the everyday things we shared
I miss telling you everything that happens in a day
I miss showing you things that I pass by on the way

I miss kissing you goodbye, when you leave for work
I miss holding your hand, when I try to cross the road
I miss being with you all the time, to share your laughter and your joy
I miss finding your eyes across the room, to share a secret thought or two

Everyday with the morning prayer,
I remember how providence brought us together
The rising Sun brings newfound hope, and I start my day with a single thought
Inshah Allah, it wont be long before we are together again

Chennai to Bangalore Road Trip

We’ve been planning on a trip to Bangalore since we got married. That is to say, since 2006. There is a reason why I believe this particular plan is jinxed. You’ll know what I mean when I say, the number of times we have postponed the trip is more than the number of governments India has had since 1947. And that is to say something. The last time we planned a trip to Bangalore, I fell sick. We didn’t have it in us to postpone the trip yet again, after all I can sleep well in the train and hopefully feel better in the morning. So we went all the way to the railway station, only to learn the train is delayed by 4 hours and will be in only at 3 am. No, I didn’t have it in me to stay in the railway station till 3 am. And good thing too, because later the train was canceled.

To cut a long story short, on Thursday, 2 October 2008, we drove from Chennai to Bangalore in our Santro Xing. Finally. We started early in the morning from our home in OMR, filled the tank to capacity at Velachery and grabbed a bite at Ratna Café. H was at the wheel, and I had driving instructions to both the routes to Bangalore. The scenic yet not-so-good road via Chittoor – Kolar and the recently completed Golden Quadrilateral via Vellore - Hosur. We chose the Golden Quadrilateral. No particular reason, just one of those spot decisions.

The drive till we cross Poonamallee and get onto the highway is best left unmentioned. Why relive the horror? Once onto the highway, roads are as smooth as butter. The medians are well maintained with flowery shrubs throughout the length. The scenery on both sides of the road is breathtaking. Our first stop came at Sriperumbudur, where we visited the Rajiv Gandhi memorial. Surprisingly, it was very well maintained. Almost as well kept a public monument as Rajghat and Shanti Van.

We stopped at a TNRDC traveler’s stop for lunch. It was this cozy little haven which was right on the highway, but still managed to cut off all the hustle and bustle of the traffic. It brought back memories of times spent at the Woodlands Drive In on Cathedral Road. The food and the service were good. We passed a number of small towns, but didn’t spot anything which warrented an extended stop. Krishnagiri, mango’s own country, didn’t offer much except for occasional glimpses of green hiltops in the distance. I guess a trip in the summer would have been more “fruitful”. However, the road was amazing, and we had been craving for a long drive, for a long long time.

Next time we do this route, we will definitely include a detour to Yercaud. This time we thought about it a tad bit late.When we passed the road which goes to Yercaud, to be exact. We covered the 350 km stretch in a bit more than 6 hours, including the stopovers. Past Hosur, the roads were yet another nightmare. But I must say, within my limited experience of the Golden Quadrilateral, the project is a runaway success.

Tere Mere Sapne...

Its been two years since we got married... and H hasn't run for his life, yet.
A song which is special to us...

Tere mere sapne, ab ek rang hai
Jahan bhi le jaaye raahein, hum sang hai

Mere tere dil ka, tay tha ek din milna
Jaise bahar aane par, tay hai phoolon ka khilna

Tere dukh ab mere, mere sukh ab tere
Tere yeh do naina, chaand aur suraj mere

Lakh mana le duniya, saath naa ye chhootega
Aake mere haathon mein, haath na ye chhootega

O mere jeevan saathi...
Tere mere sapne, ab ek rang hai
Jahan bhi le jaaye raahein, hum sang hai

Credits:
Movie: Guide
Singer: Mohammad
Lyricist: Shailendra Kumar
Music Director: S D Burman
Actors : Dev Anand, Waheeda Rehman

760 - Yippee..!!

Attaboy, way to go !!!
I owe this to my DH.
And a certain someone who has been helping me to sleep all through the half an hour I spend in the office bus getting to work. For all the lessons I skipped, for all the practice tests I took, and for all those that I didnt, Thank you, Kaplan !!

P.S: For the record, only "academic" books can put me to sleep while I am in a bus. It never ceases to amaze me how I find it difficult to fall asleep in the warmth of my own bed, when the fan hums, but sleep like a baby through all the potholes in the Sholinganallur-Navalur stretch, over the incessant honks and the sweet nothings the drivers share when they get into each other's way.