Category: I’m waiting on my CCL video to format, and I thought I would share a few words with you. If you are reading this, you already know what I’m talking about…or you are gonna find out by August.
So here we are again, on the cusp of a new term and another country. My hangover from Delhi, Agra, Kathmandu, and Nagarkot is but a distant memory now. As some of my classmates have already mentioned, we are at the halfway point of our short MBA careers (or life, or whatever you want to call it).
So what happened last term? This is what I remember; I remember seeing a new world. I remember that India was so unique in its way that I had no other land or culture to compare it to. I remember that sleep was tough, that 10 hour difference is just tough to overcome. I remember being impressed with my two professors in ways that I didn’t think possible (yeah, I know, I’m saying that just two days after turning in our finals…shameless plug). But let me tell you what I really remember…
I remember being (still) awake at 4:45 am, and ending up on a bus 15 minutes later to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. No picture can ever show you how grand, beautiful, and overwhelming the Taj really is. I remember seeing Gandhi’s gravesite…more powerful than I could ever write. Even in death the man has more power than most people alive. I remember seeing the poorest, middle, and rich on my first day in India. That gave me a new perspective what it really means to be poor, and a new respect for the people of India for what they are accomplishing given their challenges. I remember seeing Mt. Everest. An awe-inspiring moment that I will take to my deathbed. And again, no picture can really tell you what this great beast is like.
Which brings me to today. For all the great things that we have seen, there is a price to pay. Here we are at the halfway point; exhausted, beat up by a stats exam that was tough as nails. I miss my family, I can’t travel to see them because I have to use my vacation, sick, and personal time for the school travel. I miss my friends, I haven’t spent any time with them in ages. Every time someone calls me to go out I reply back with “I have a test, assignment, or paper (or some combination of) due today.’ I miss my hobbies…the winter has not been helpful in my love of cycling, camping (not that I can spare a weekend), or golfing. And finally, I really miss my weekends. I miss sloth Sunday. I miss not getting out of my PJ’s till 6 pm on Sunday.
For all these negatives, I still can’t wait to travel to Shanghai and see my classmates, for these are the people that I am humbled by their presence on daily bases. And I can (and will) endure this time till we finish our last day in December, and walk across the stage together in May. Eye on the prize boys and girls.
See you in the ‘Hai…
Love the post bro – and like Randy say, right there with you. I think you’ve captured probably what’s on everybody’s mind. A hurry to finish and yet a sense that we want this to go on. It seems like only yesterday we were holed up in a Tower in London waiting to be rescued.
Wasim, great post! I had that exact epiphany while working on the video last night… thoughts about the halfway point (wanting the exams and assignments to end but the experience to continue), the great admiration for the country of India, excitement about travel to China.
There is something markedly different about the way you process a region when you actually have to go to places and try to get people on camera by sticking a mic in front of them…
Amazing post Wasim. I’ve been thinking about what to write about my first 3 residencies, but I haven’t really gotten the ‘feel’ right. You’ve nailed it here. I’m still going to write about my first half experiences, but maybe I’ll focus on a different element!
You’re dead on when you say India is the residency that changed everything. For you 2011′ers, I’m not saying that London and Dubai weren’t amazing, but I didn’t “get it” until I traveled to India.
Hello
I’m one of the 2011′ers, and our schedule has changed up a bit. We will be doing our 1st in Shanghai (get to see the new development in Kunshan! Nice!). With that being said, I have to ask; is there any way to prepare mentally for the residencies? I know that flights, visas, time off of work and family are all things that we can plan for, but how did you mentally prepare for two weeks of residency?
Thanks,
Andy D
Hey Andy, welcome! The mental preparation is a good question. Let me think about it, see if I can pull a few others in, and then I’ll write a post about it. It’s actually a good time to reflect on this, since we’ll be leaving for Shanghai in the next week or so.
When your class blog gets up and running, are you interested in writing?
Hello Randy,
Sure, I’d love to write as part of my class. Is the class blog going to be here or on the school site?
Andy
Well, I’ll keep maintaining this blog, with the idea of extending the number of classes under the ‘TFE’ umbrella; I’m not aware of any blogs through Fuqua (although, there might be).
Hello Randy,
My wife wants to know if there is a CCMBA spousal support group. She needs some guidance from experienced people on how to survive my MBA LoL
I’m only half kidding………
Andy
And It’s no joke, we have 2 official sections but there is a unofficial 3rd section for spouses.
nicely put Mr. Wasim! You’ve summed up your travel experiences to South Asia very well and I can sense from the choice of your words, the humbling impact that these milestones have left on your life.
Also, I can say, with confidence, that I am probably the one student in our class who is most excited to hit China just because I missed all of you in India. For me, its the next residency after Dubai (try to imagine that). Seems like ages since I’ve seen you guys and your post just made me realize of the great things to look forward to in China (most of all, the great company of the CCMBA 2010d).
Impeccable post Wasim…the depth of your writing helps visualize the experiences we have shared and increases the excitement looking ahead to Shanghai. For me, when I am heads down in course work, I can’t wait for it to get done. However, when I think back to the residencies and the people I have shared them with, I want it all to slow down. Can’t wait to be back together with CCMBA 2010d in Shanghai!