Dinner with Prof Shally of Kelley

I wasnt much excited initially about the invitation I got from Professor Shailendra Pratap Jain (Shally) from Kelley School of Business. Not in a very great state of mind...but one of my friends convinced me that I must go there and to reach on time... 7:00pm was the time I was supposed to be there....and tried to frighten me by saying that it would look so odd if I reach wen everyone is already at the dinner table. Honestly, this time i had decided to be there on time...my first networking dinner enroute to MBA. But somethings would never change in me...this eternal lag of half an hour in my timings wld prove to be fatal someday...i wonder!!

7:30 pm. There wasnt any1 in the hotel lobby of Maurya Sheraton...Being the 1st time i happened to be at that 5-star (obv it doesnt mean dat i am a regular visitor at other 5-stars), i checked at the front desk if i was at the correct hotel lobby. Unfortunately i was. So i racked my brain and i am thankful that it did remember the name of the restaurant...Westview. As i feared, everyone was seated and i found myself making an entry like an Indian Guest of Honour!!! I introduced myself to evryone and got seated.
The lady serving at the table asked me, "What would u like to have Sir. Scotch, whiskey, beer, vine?"
"I dont drink"
(luckily i gathered back my senses after hearing all those names...whiskey n all... i was like...where am i!!!! and escaped from the awkward situation)
"Any soft drink". She had decided that she wld make me drink something today.
"Ok, get me one Fresh Lime water..salted".
(The focuses shifts from me)

Suddenly a guy stands up and starts giving his business cards. I was wondering what had happened to him...and i thought i am the guest of honour!! Why at all I need his business card???? he wasnt a good looking gal ;) neither he seemed like someone having the capability to hire me in future!!
Anyways, i thought i shld jump in the opportunity and give my cards as well..which were so fondly printed for me by PwC...and I had never used apart from showing them once to my Mom when I first got them. Though its not like I havent had good business meeting before where there are chances to give your business cards...it just that everytime either i wasnt carrying my visiting cards or having enough number to distribute to all. Today was no exception!

Then starts all those general conversations which we were called for. Which school is good, why it is good, what are accomodation options, cost involved, culture, weather, visa, financial aid, loans etc etc. Prof was going bla bla bla on the questions shooted by us. He warned us that we wont be able to catch sleep of more than 4-5 hrs a day in the devilish first semster!! This was the only thing which was bothering me and I ensured this twice. But the professor wont move from his statement! OK...shld i rethink my decision of pursuing MBA degree?? I sometimes think i wont be willing to marry even aishwarya rai (she is still not married no?) at the cost of my sleep! NO...i am not lazy...i just love my sleep... its a personal preference...I AM NOT LAZY!!

And ya...how can i forget to tell you my location in the table. I have heard dat even though u r talking to the person to your right at the dinner table..u shld be equally attentive to the person sitting to your left!! This made me pay attention to the lucky souls sharing there RHS and LHS with me!! As luck wld have it, they were the most dumbest of the people at the table. No i wld still not rate myself lucky even though i was sitting next to the only female available at our table. The person to my left wld not speak a word even if shaken violently...and this lady wld not stop speaking even though u dont respond to what she says!
"Hi, this is shweta. So are you joining Kelley School?"
"Yes", I replied.
"I have got another option as well, and I am confused"
"Ask professor, he may advise you on something", i try to give her a terminal reply again.

(After few minutes)
"Has professor chosen the Italian cuisine", shweta murmers again."I dunno who has chosen it, but i guess the menu suggests the Italian Cuisine", i tries to answer her stupid question without
losing my calm. I had no clue who had chosen what.. only thing i cld really understand on the menu was Pasta (though later on i cld not figure out when it was served). I was also wondering, why shld we really care abt dat now?? The menu is already chosen...u just have option to eat or not to eat. I wld obviously prefer the first option...dats wat i am here for.
Not satisfied with my reply (or the type of my reply), she speaks aloud, "Professor, I like Italian cuisine. Have u chosen this?
(I wanted to tell her dat we are all admitted students, buttering the professor now wont do any good)
"Actually, this was chosen by my niece, who is working in ITC...the choice of restaurant and cuisine was hers only", professor gives a disclaimer that if someone doesnt like the choice then its not him who shld be blamed for.
"I am so fond of Italian and its so nice of you to invite all of us here. I felt glad to see your invitation", she flatters again.
By this time, i was totally pissed off with her comments/questions/ talks and I had already completed third round of fresh lime water...and I was desperately seeking to go to the
loo now coz 1. i wanted a break from her irritating voice 2. for the obvious reasons!

It was 9:30 pm and i started yawning. Its always hard to keep my attention at one particular thing for so long. I exercised my neck and went beyond paying attention to the persons next to you at dinner table. This time i was paying attention to the next dinner tables itself. No doubt both the couples (read females) were amazing!! That was enough to keep me occupied for sometime.

The evening progressed. I was getting lessor and lessor interested in professor talks and students inquiry desk. There was no charm left in the surroundings. They were testing my patience. I must say, Rahul Dravid has got this good quality. But I havent. I was delighted to hear professor saying, " what wld u chose for deserts". Not that my taste buds were constantly pressurising me for the same... but through all my knowledge...i am aware that its the last course in any meal! Since I cld not get the names of the dishes she offered...i pointed towards a chocolate colored dessert and thought this wld be last of the series of trauma i faced!

11:30 pm. It was time to bid goodbye. We all shaked hands one by one ( i never understand the purpose of shaking hands...at the start of the meeting...and at the end of it....perhaps it symbolizes the start and the end of terrible time u have in between meetings). And off I run to my sweet Zen...parked in between a Merc and a Corolla. As much as i wanted to return back home quickly, things were lined up specifically for me. At the back of my mind, somehow i had this feeling that the evening went fine. Keeping to the tradition, something had to go wrong. No, this time i hadnt forgotten the keys in the car. They were right up there in my blazer pocket. I sit inside, but the key would not start the ignition!
Oops...i had kept the headlights on during that 4-hr long ordeal!!!!????!!!!!!????!!!