Jun 29, 2007

Back from Bhavani to Bombay!

How things change!

Finally, after a loooong vacation, I have joined my company and have got a taste of the ‘corporate life’. Bhavani had no proper Internet facilities, and hence the long absence from the blog. (For the late comers, Bhavani is a place, not a person).

Company has been kind and generous enough to provide accommodation in a hotel. It is a hotel so posh that it has toilet paper (and no water!) in the loo. And the bathroom there is bigger than the room I used to stay in pre-MBA. The AC is centralized and it is damn cold. I press the 'bell' by mistake, and there is a knock on the door. The room service guy. I apologize, and he smiles. He must be thinking, "kahan kahan se aa jaate hain?" In fact, even I am thinking the same. How things change!

I arrive at work, excited about my first day at ‘work’. (with thoughts like “A small step for SRK, a great leap for MBAkind” etc etc.,)

I do no work for 2 days but listen to people explain the in and out of the company. All I can gather is that we lend money but we are not a bank, we help companies raise funds, but we are not an I-bank, we manage others' funds but we are not a Mutual Fund, we advise corporates for a fat fee, but we are not a consulting firm. If this is confusing, imagine listening to this for 2 whole days. (that too after a sumptuous lunch!)

Anyways, after 2 days, I am assigned to a department. This dept is even easier to explain. Go meet rich guys, convince them to part with their money, play with it in the market. Play right, win money, rich guy happily gives yuou more money and good fees. Play wrong, lose money, rich guy is angry and takes away money to give it to competitor to play with. More money to play with helps, so playing right is important. What I am supposed to do in the midst of all this is still being worked out!

Anyways, as I sit in this plush Nariman Point Office, I wonder whether the rent paid for the sqaure feet I occupy would be more than my pay? (and I am sure it should be!)

Well, on the weekend, I go house hunting, and I realize that the cost of the square feet that I occupy at night definitely is more than my pay. So, I have nmo option but to share a small flat with big people.

Finally, I go back to my cosy room in the hotel, and watch the n-th re-run of Friends. I then play some NFS on my comp. And, I begin to think, not much has changed after all!!!