Playing basketball helps you concentrate on studies. Experiences @ Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon.

Yes, you read it right. Basketball does help you concentrate on your studies.

My study began a week after I played basketball. Now you're wondering why a week after. That's because I was limping with a cast all over the place.

"Sportsman Spirit", he called it. The radical human being who "checked" me FROM BEHIND. Yes, EXACTLY!

Looking at the swelling on my foot, I went to the nearest hospital, Columbia Asia. WHAT A RIPP OFF. Oh my god! Freakin insane. The X-Ray, Bandage, POP and the medicines all combine came to a good 1,600 bucks. "Not bad for a super specialty hospital", one might say but then came the actual bill which included the doctors labor charge for  a PISS-POOR job in putting a plaster for my bad ankle, a whopping 3,800 bucks. WTF right! One can only imagine what they'd charge for something like a simple surgery. Guess, they'll charge more than what Dr. Devi Shetty would charge for his most expensive treatment. COLUMBIA ASIA, never again.

Term 1 - Team 9 - L-R - Vivek, Yogesh, Yashpal,Anshuman, a few laptops and no bed spread. Location- My room @ GLIM 

Getting used to the cast took a while but I did. I had to. Flew down an Aircast from Bangalore to compensate the crap which the doctor at Columbia Asia put on my ankle as I had to wear it for four weeks. In the meantime, apart from gaining weight, I was very involved in my project work. Which I must admit turned out better than what I expected. \m/

Stuff you learn in B-School, "You're here to compete, no matter what the ground. There is always trying to get you from the back." (No negative connotation intended. You pervert!). FACT.

Cheers!

-Yogesh Babu

(www.fb.com/yogesh87)

A semester gone by @ Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon.

"Swoosh!" That's how 8 weeks here went by@ Great Lakes Institute of Management,  Gurgaon. DAAAYYYUUUM!! I still can't get over it.

I'm trying to recall what I did. Week 1 - We were at Rishikesh, Week 2 - I remember books. Lots of books, Week 3 - I remember a lot of late nights with "Orange juice" and BAM!! It's the eight week. I'm unable to decipher if its a good thing or a bad thing. *goes into thinking mode*

This is how 2am looks like from where we stay. Coutesy - Raj Vikas (PGPM 14)

Good thing? Bad thing? I dont know. What I do know is that I have made friends. The kind who will help you up when need be. And that's not something you come across everyday.

A birthday party every week. A lot of "orange juice" and loud music. The neighbors are wild already. And I do not mean it in the fun way. Get your head out of the ditch man!

This is my first time ever being out of my house and I must say. I'm impressed. Again, I don't know what I'm impressed with. They serve Veg food 99.9997% (Six Sigma) of the time. And when they do, I wanted to throw a fork at the cook, the weather is either scorching or it rains so much that one needs a boat to get around and classes can get killing sometimes but hey! guess what, I'm impressed.

It's a package they say. This is that package.

Term 1 - Thanks to you. My friends in Bangalore are pisd off with me because of this post.


Cheers

-Yogesh Babu

(www.fb.com/yogesh87)

Stuff you relate to when @ Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon

There I was, limping around Gurgaon with a busted ankle when suddenly I bumped into an article written long ago by Rohit Venkatesh, a friend of mine. And could relate to it perfectly.

It goes like...

CHRONICLES OF THE FRACTURED FOOT

By Rohit Venkatesh

A guide of possibly useless tips and questionable insights of navigating through a life experience

Fibula Oblongata –

‘TIS WISE to note that a broken leg has a mind of its own. So whatever designs your overzealous sense of will may have, your leg most probably has other plans.  Eg.

• Beating your sister to the remote
• Answering the land line in time
• Walking your beloved dog etc.

Dialogues of Disaster –

Should you happen to be the victim of said unfortunate scenario, ‘tis wise not only to exercise caution over the movement of your leg, but over that of your tongue as well. A carelessly dropped phrase could result in you being the subject of many a curse, the butt of many a joke and the target of the occasional flying shoe. This in turn remarkably affects recovery time, state of mental well being etc.
For your ref.- Some tried and tested dialogues to be avoided:

• “I’ll be down in a minute…”
• “No problem, I’ll take care of it...”
• “Sure! What do you want to draw on my cast…?”
•  “Oooh…what does this button do…?”

Conversation Jumpstarts-

The sight of a known face hobbling around pitifully in a crutch and cast usually inspires a torrent of curiosity to bubble forth from the onlooker. But every now and then you come across the odd concerned bloke whose creative interrogation refuses to go beyond “So how are you feeling now…?” The vast awkward silence that follows the cursory “Much better now, thanks.” is rather uncomfortable. Fear not. If hair can have extensions, so can this conversation- 

1.      Since the poor chap has run out of questions from his not-so-abundant repertoire, drive the conversation by conducting an inquisition of your own: “So have you ever broken your leg?” If he has, you’re in luck. The conversation continues for another 5 mins. If not…

2.      Puns. A conversation about the subject of a busted leg gives birth to many a pregnant pause. Mostly because you are wincing and cringing at the multitude of bad puns the situation breeds.  

“…can put your best foot forward (followed by smug guffaw)”
“…when I said break a leg, I didn’t mean literally go and…(followed by smug guffaw)”
“…costed you an arm AND A LEG…!!(followed by smug guffaw)” 
Horrible as these may be, it’s not as bad as the ocean of awkward silence. Indulge in the pun theory and you will survive the ordeal with merely a slightly swollen forehead (from facepalming).

To be continued…

Coming up next:
The Sympathy Milkshake – How to milk the situation, and have your boss get YOU copies and coffee.

Varun Methil, Rohit Venkatesh and Yogesh Babu - The Good Life!

-Yogesh Babu

(www.fb.com/yogesh87)

PS - You're welcome.