Game of Cricket - The Ice Breaker :)

Well, hailing from India, since my childhood I have heard and read about the wars and bad relations with our neighbouring country Pakistan. This scarred history prevents us from starting a new chapter where both countries live in peace and help one another out. The feeling of brotherhood.

Well, TU Delft offers us students a chance to acquire one of the crucial management skills and that is interaction with different multinational students. In fact this is one of the reasons for the orientation project to help u settle down comfortably with other students from different backgrounds.

Now, whenever you look at some “Indian” looking people on the way, you always start wondering if they are Indian or Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshi’s etc. But after a period of time you stop thinking that. You become one. This feeling indeed get proven when I recently saw a poster on the TUD page by some students who called out others interested in a game of cricket.

Well, cricket to Indians is like the unofficial National sport. There was a time in the 90’s when the whole nation was into it. You could bond with total strangers over a radio commentary of the match. And cricket match against Pakistan was more important than dinner or work (Thanks to the war still being so fresh). Every kid of my era has played cricket at some point of his life or another. It is more like a religion back home.

Now that you get the picture, let us continue. So, the thought of playing cricket here was something so wonderful. And so we arrange to meet in the Sports Center (The snow still hadn’t cleared) and realize that the majority of the students playing are Pakistanis. Okay! Tense moment! But it’s Cricket!!! So my friend and I go to play. Turns out one of the players had his birthday on that day do got welcomed with some delicious cake.

Then it begins. The nagging, the fun, the comments added to the wonderful moment of playing cricket. No more religious or national difference but simple and pure bonding over a game of Cricket.

Later that week, there was a Pakistani Cultural Night hosted by the Pakistan Student Society. Great food, music and atmosphere. It surely makes you feel that all is not lost and that there is still hope when peace and oneness will become a reality :)

Btw, if you do get an opportunity to watch a India Pakistan match, do watch. There is nothing like it when both sides give their best :)

The DDB Saga - How To Get The Best Out Of Career Fairs

To be frank and honest, many people were not satisfied with what the DDB had to offer. To some extent I agree with that. But I would like to differ. There were company stalls and presentations along with CV checks etc. It was a great atmosphere where you could meet people working in the companies and knowing what they do and what they look for. Many of my friends expected them to take CV’s and maybe screen them later. Except a few, others did not accept the CV’s on the spot and instead asked us to apply on their online portal. So many failed to see what the DDB was all about.

This is about what I feel about this concept and how you can get the best out of any career fair you plan to go to.

To start with, you need to have checked out the companies you are interested in and are going to be there in the fair. You need to see what they do, what markets they are part of. What roles they play and how you can fit in. Then, if you really would like to be a part of it, go ahead and check out their career page and apply for positions if available. See what obstructions you face in terms of eligibility or availability or even visa issues. Make a mental or physical note of these.

Next, move on to what your interest lies in and how flexible the company can be in incorporating those. Go ahead and send them a mail if you would like to know more. Check how the company is divided and which department applies to you.

During the fair, you can ask for the person who can come closest to that department and ask them about the work atmosphere and relevant technical questions. If none, they will give u the contact details of the person who can answer those questions. Next you can meet the HR (who usually is present during these career fairs) and ask them about any issues that you faced while applying and learn more about the process involved.


Of course, I have to agree to this one point my friend Ravi made and I am sure many others did: When there are international companies in the fair and when you approach them, they say they are looking only for Dutch students or at least students who can speak Dutch. It does not make sense when a Multi National Company says so because even if the position is based in Netherlands, they will be interacting with offices in other countries and obviously it cannot be done in Dutch. It is sad but since you cant do much about it, no point cribbing, just move on to the next ;)

Basically, career fairs are not about what they offer. Almost everyone can find out about it. You should not expect to receive a job/internship there on the spot. It is more about what you can get out of it. Clear your queries and learn how you can apply successfully. Moreover, you can learn about the personal opinions & stories of the employees and learn more about how the company operates and the opportunities and other factors involved.

Last but not the least, they did have good food and drinks and we definitely got a pocketful of goodies ;). So go ahead and have a good time .. Good luck for the next one :)

The General Update

After a long long time, I finally met my friend from Eindhoven when he came to Delft for his interview with IBM for an internship. We had a great time rushing to IKEA (IBM is next to IKEA) and he was against taking a bus because he was worried what he would do if he misses it "somehow". And so there we were holding a huge map of Delft which I had got during the introduction days and figuring out the shortest way to walk towards IKEA. Well, we did manage to reach on time despite having to wait at signals :D He was telling me how in Eindhoven that is not the case and people just jaywalk without worries.

So I left him there and headed back home. He came back later and told me it went good and was still worried. He kept on bugging me till yesterday saying the results are still not out and today they told him that he has got the internship (Phew :D).

Ok serious stuff now .. 

On 7th of Feb I had a training organized by De Delftse Bedrijvendagen (DDB) or The Delft Business Days. It brings in companies and students under one roof. It is something like a campus fair. The training I had was an Application Training for hunting, applying and achieving a job in Netherlands. I know, I know that it is too early for me but it is a great chance for me to use it in finding internships too :) The training was provided by Nannette Ripmester who works for the institution Expertise in Labour Market.

We were provided with valuable tips regarding how the Dutch society works and what approach works best. We were also briefed on how to make an effective resume and what questions can be expected in an HR interview. So overall, a great training session.

Tomorrow onwards we have the Presentation days till 15th of Feb and many companies will be coming and setting up booths in the Aula. NLR - The Dutch Aerospace Laboratory will be coming tomorrow and I hope to get an opportunity to talk to them and get some crucial insight. Day after there are many more aero companies coming like EADS, Rolls Royce, Fokker, Atkins etc. So do wish me luck for that :)

Catch ya all soon :)

Snow-Update

It sure has been a long while since my last post. Exams beating down on you sure isnt a pretty time but it aint no excuse either. It was on 3rd Feb that we had a very heavy snowfall and we sure as hell had a good time packing snowballs (not as easy as I thought) and hurling at each other. After some time we got so tired of making snowballs that we just carried the snow around n hurled it on people :D

After a few days I was walking by the major Delft canal and I saw this black bird happily walking away on the ice making a nice plop-plop-plop sound. And suddenly the ice gave way and the bird had a dip into the icy cold river. It crawled its way back onto the ice and sat there with a totally new expression staring at the place the ice broke. Looks like the birds do find the water cold after all :P

The snow experience was great. The whole city covered in a blanket of white. It almost brought in a spirit of Christmas. Too bad it dint snow back then. But everything has its own time :)

Few days into the snowfall, it had been walked on, compacted and turned into ice. It was sometimes slippery made getting around scary but it was fun none the less :)

We tried walking on the canal first and boy it was fun until a Dutch lady came to us and told it can be risky and guided us to the frozen pool in front of the Industrial Design. There were people skating and sliding. It was a great atmosphere. Then my friend and I had to be idiots and walked to the other end near a bridge and as we approached it more, we could hear the ice cracking. We panicked and scrambled back to safe ice and told the others. Maybe thats human tendency but they had to disprove it. So off they went and heard it cracking again and came back running as fast as they could :D

Chilled Beer

Will be back with more news. So stay tuned :)

Journey Back Home

The return home is always something very special and after every trip you just wish to be back home and same was the case with me. However, I still had to make my way to my cozy spacebox from Schipol in the early hours of the day.

While I waited for my baggage to arrive, I recalled my journey from Delhi airport to Schipol. The Delhi Airport has to be by far the best airport I have seen and trust me it is a very proud moment for an Indian who says this after having seen the Amsterdam, Paris, Dubai, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysian airport :P

While it was technologically advanced as per international standards, they had a huge wall with different hand mudras on it. It simply made my heart leap and my eyes tear :) I was so glad that we had finally learnt to combine and showcase our heritage with modern advancements. Moreover, it was really a proud moment when I heard the ground staff using Standard Phonetic Alphabet Codes to guide the passengers :D Sure was surprised when the Indian ground staff asked me to head towards the '10 Bravo' gate and then decoded it 10 'B' hoping I understand :D

Well, I settle down in my KLM flight and I am perfectly positioned (Thanks to me having selected my seat ;)) behind the wing and I am all excited to observe the flap positions (Comes with being a aero engineer :P). But then the sleep God decides to bless me and I am trying to stay awake long enough to see the take off positions but the pilot has his own ideas and decides to taxi around for 20 minutes. And finally he takes off and we must be around 2 Km from the ground when I am all out.

I wake up just in time for breakfast. Most important meal of the day ;) As we came closer to our landing, the land below was so beautiful. The wasnt out yet but the lighting down in Schipol was so ordered. It looked like mini circuit boards. Everything in perfect alignment and in straight lines. Sure was fascinating to see everything in perfect order :D

I finally breathe a sigh of relief as I spot my bag. And after 2 train changes and a bus ride, I walk another 400 Metres and 3 floors up to my lovely cold room :P Luckily the weather was much nicer than when I left. Felt good to be back and Delft was really welcoming :) Felt so perfectly synced with the birds, the people and even the wind .. Had kinda started to miss it :D And from the next day the deadlines and sleepless nights began :D One of my friends even went all broke with no food or sleep for 24 hours. But thats just us keeping things for last minute ;)

Exams creeping up and still a few assignments and presentations to do :) Will surely share any juicy news that come up my way ;)

For now, awaiting my neighbour's return from India :) Hope you all have a lovely time too :)

Love,
Ab9

My 'Self Declared Jealous Girlfriend' ;)

Well, as promised this section is for my 'girlfriend' :D

But let me first tell you about the 3 girlfriends of mine :)

Dont get me wrong, aint a playboy but without each of em, my life would not be the same and currently now that I am here, they all miss me back home :)

Well, the first one is my 'Royal Princess' :D She is my Purple coloured two-wheeler :) Too many close shaves and yet we both are going strong ;)

Then came my beautiful and strong hearted 'Red Princess'. This 4 wheeler beauty of mine is my soulmate. I was afraid I wont be able to drive her when I go back since I was used to riding my bike on the right side here while back home its on the left side. But once I sat in and powered her on, things just switched into gear automatically like it was in my DNA. I almost remembered every pothole and every turn. I say almost because there were new potholes added to the collection of old :P However, we both had quite a lovely time these few days and spent many a days together ^_^

And finally, my last and definitely the star of this blog, is my third and final girlfriend. She is quite something. She gives me access to the whole world but the moment I start talking to a girl, she switches off and wont listen to me no more :( For those who did not get it, she is my beloved modem :P She has a mind of her own and loves controlling my virtual social life :P No amount of coaxing pleases her once her mood is off and its only the next day that she shall forgive me :P

I am sorry if I have bored you away with this one but do come back for the next one because things are just about starting to get interesting in Delft :)

Until next time :)

And so the King of Procrastination finally gives up his title …

I am really sorry for the long gap since my last post my beloved avid readers. If you remember, my last post was from the Paris airport. A lot has happened since then and so I am going to give you all a crash tour ;)

I land in Bangalore and was supposed to be greeted by my Dad. But his flight got delayed and I ended up receiving him :D He was the only one in on this plot of mine ;) So the next day we take a bus to my hometown Mangalore. We reach there by night 9 and head straight to my grand aunt’s place .. She was so pleased to see me :D Then headed over home where mum was praying and thinking it is dad asked me to come in as the door was open. So there I was still ringing the bell and she got irritated and came out only to find me .. Surprises sure are the best things in life :D

Btw, I don’t think I told you but I had come home to attend the wedding of my favourite cousin sister. Little did she know I was making my trip :P And so the next day she sees me and was so shocked that she asked me to go back :P

All in all, her wedding went great and was glad I was able to make it. I met many of my relatives and friends. Was back with my old job of getting people around in my 'Red Princess' ;) And I so loved it :D They say Christmas is a time for family and friends and in that sense I had the perfect Christmas :) I hope you all had a wonderful one too :)

But once all the excitement got over, I was missing my beloved city of Delft and all my dear friends here ..

Wow .. The ‘Grass is greener on the other side’ thing really plays up :D

I wanted to write things for so long but as my dad always says, I am the king of procrastination :D But had many a deadlines to meet and still do. More on those but my next blog I want to dedicate to the ‘self declared jealous girlfriend’ of mine and my 'Red Princess' ;)

Have fun people :)