Meeting at Singapore

4 May 2002

4 May 2002 - a day marked in red on my desk-calendar. I had been looking forward to this day for quite sometime.I was excited and a little bit nervous. I followed the directions given to me and reached the Bar-B Q pit to find Ananth and Padmaja standing there getting everything in order.

One by one people started pouring in. Most people already knew each other and I thought that I may end up feeling a little left out. But surprisingly, I felt absolutely at home. It was like being in a family gathering where you are meeting far off relatives, yet feeling completely at home.

It was nice to meet people who had been in XIMB at a time when the institute had just started. While I got to know what the place was like back then, they got to know how much it had changed since then! Somehow, it seems a little strange and I don't think I can imagine the campus without the tennis court or the Russi Modi Hall, or classes without air conditioning... and I am sure it is the same for them... they can't imagine the campus with all these things!

For me, it was a great learning experience. There was of course the light stuff-- talking about the professors, their habits, their teaching styles... and realising how some things haven't changed at all! On a more serious note, I learnt a lot from that one evening. I am very glad that I got to meet my seniors, who, I can proudly say, are in high places today, by virtue of their hard work and excellence!

Everyone was so very helpful-giving me the right advice, offering to help wherever they could. I was advised about what stream to take, what subjects to study, etc. Some alumni were even helpful enough to offer suggestions on course contents, what needs to be added from today's industry point of view, and what can be omitted easily. I heard about personal experiences and how different people struggled through various stages in their careers, how they worked things out-it was a whole lot of learning and fun.

And of course, the food... how can I forget that!! The food was absolutely scrumptious! Delicious home cooked food was for me, a great delight! What I did find a little amusing was how everyone was calling me the catalyst for the entire event when all I did was send a mail to Ananth... he was the one who then took the initiative and arranged everything!

I was however a little disappointed about one thing: most of the people there had not visited the campus since they graduated. I would like to say,whenever you happen to go to India, do keep a day just to visit your campus - believe me, you will not feel as if the day has been wasted!

You know, when you are all alone in a new country, you do tend to feel a little lost and sometimes a little bit homesick. Thankfully for me, I had no such problem! After all with an extended XIMB family here, ready to welcome me with open arms, I could feel only happiness and a sense of belonging! Thank you all, for making me feel so at home here in Singapore!

Ishita Shively, PGP 2003

Currently doing Summer Internship at

Siemens Ltd.

IshitaShively@yahoo.com

OLD REPORT

7 June 2001

On 3 June 2001 it was the turn of the utopian island to host the XIMB Alumni meet. In a very short period the XIMB crowd has grown and the mathematically inclined would call this growth rate non-linear. The occasion was even more special because

Fr. Abraham

was present (on his way back from Rome) and he was kind enough to invite Fr. Mathew (Principal of St. Xavier's Calcutta) and Prof. Gomes (also of Xaviers Cal) to join the get together. The venue was the "posh" American Club (courtesy

Ashish Khosla

- 93) on Orchard Road. After cooling ourselves with

Tiger Beer

(no match to

Kingfisher

though) we began chit chatting and became nostalgic.

In attendance were:

Vandana Ghai - 89 (with Atul Ghai)
Anish Mathew - 90
Ananthanarayanan - 93
Ashish Khosla - 93 (with Archana)
Girish Bangalore - 94
Sandeep Bagla - 94 (came in fresh from attending the Mumbai meet)
Vijay Pattabhiraman - 95 (with Purnima )
A.Surendra Kumar - 97

The following could not make it for "genuine" reasons:

Padmaja - 93 (unwell son)
Arun Natarajan - 96 (unwell - we believe him)
Sandeep Hota - 91 (stuck in a meeting)
Manjula - 92 (about to deliver baby #2)
Rajit - 94 (presently in Europe)
Shriram - 96 (in the US presently)

We grilled Fr. Abraham about the developments in the Institute as a board would its CEO. The alumni suggested that we should pursue Singapore companies for placement 2002 and that we are prepared to assist in this by contacting companies. Fr. Abraham also floated a few ideas on how the alumni can help the institute (sponsoring needy students, assisting in building an auditorium, taking guest lectures and close interaction with each other)

The food was great - Mexican & Indian.

One thing about the Singapore Alumni - very antiseptic!! No dancing, singing, or partying. Jokes apart, the response had been spontaneous and each one who missed the event, called me or

Ashish

to inform!! The bond is strengthening and we are meeting regularly. We now await

Prof. Ramana's

visit later this month.

Rajit & Shikha

are playing host.

I take this opportunity to welcome

Sid & Saby

of 92 to the Singapore Group. Welcome also to

Suresh Subramanian

- 95 of Jakarta Although they are based in Hong Kong/JKT, we have now expanded Singapore to include HK and SE Asia. Anybody aware of alumni in South East Asia or HK please email me or

Shrirams@hotmail.com

. We want to make Southeast Asia/HK second only to the US in terms of overseas strength. Watch out Europe.

Thanks Fr. Abraham for making it. Hope you are taking happy memories with you despite the not so accidental firing of questions at you. And finally a BIG THANKS to Ashish Khosla (93) who silently worked in the background (true backroom style) to make this happen.

Warm regards on behalf of Southeast Asia - HK

R. Ananthanarayanan
(1993 Batch)

Alumni Home: Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar 751 013, INDIA, E-mail: <alum@ximb.ac.in>