Full Circle

Its been done.. I've made it with Microsoft for the SDE role. It was an interesting challenge to pit myself against the interview machine at Microsoft and come out with a prize in the bag. Where does that put me now?

Amazon v/s Microsoft. I'd have liked it to have read Amazon v/s Microsoft v/s Google. Being unable to be at optimal alertness at the Google interview spoilt my party. However its not been spoilt totally as i've got offers from the high of distributed service oriented architectures and the grand daddy of computing as we know it.

Its a challenge for me now to decide which one to join and blend with.. Amazon with its challenges of scale are probably never going to be offered anywhere else on the planet. Their quest to do business on an interplanetary scale is indeed something that takes my breath away. Its not everyday that you can be part of the team that works on such distributed challenges.

Microsoft has gotten me with their security group for the msn network. It deals with issues of privacy and safety and trust. I can work on all aspects of the windows network of computing problems and space.

How can i make the decision when both alternatives are so alluring. Monetary benefits being great at both places, what factor must i look to show me an advantage in either.

Its that time of life when i must make a decision on my future. A time when i find myself heading back to Seattle, the place in the USA where i first truly felt in awe of its natural beauty. Washington and NYC have been great but the reflect the triumph of human architecture but seattle has that and more!

Life has come Full circle for me.. Which one do i choose. Any ideas/suggestions??

Time to Travel further West - 2

Life does indeed come full circle.. The first city i fell in love with in the USA is now where i'm headed once again. This city wooed me with its scenic beauty and charm so akin to Ithaca@Cornell. Maybe it was the beaches or the stupendous view from 520 feet above the earth,or was it the smell of the flowers in Spring when i was last there. It just seemed right.

Is it where i get to call home for the next phases of my life? The outdoors and the mountains seem to beckon. Would be tons to do in the summer.

Looks like it will soon be time to say a farewell to the Ithaca as i make my journey Westwards..

Time to Travel farther west

Who would have thought that after coming to the west i would have to travel further west to the west. Its at last time for me to undertake the journey to the rainy territory at the shores of the pacific ocean.

Another few thousands of kilometers and i'd be moving back to home. Seattle is a beautiful place i've been told.. I love the rain and from the forecast it seems like the weather gods will be kind to me.

Microsoft and me.. its been a journey really.. from being a user to a probable coder..the metamorphosis has taken sometime.. will know whether i make it soon. The groups i've been asked to interview with are certainly interesting. MPG and MSN Safety. Will get to work on security and privacy once and if i get the internship offer.

So its a farewell to the recently warmer Ithaca for a few days as i make my journey Westwards..

Funny thing is that one must pay for the food in the aircraft.. cost cutting measures are still in place...Since microsoft will generously pay for my food should i sample some finer delicacies ??

Thats the question for tonight..

Ephemeral Glimpses of Home

Have I survived midterms ??? somehow.. I don't know how.. Computer Networks a subject where i am supposed to be good has left me broken and devasted. I've somehow managed to perform so miserably that i've shocked even myself..

I Need to get alive for the next phase of studies.. as they always say, it ain't over till the fat lady sings.. I hope somewhere some fat lady will sing.. Maybe i will get smarter or more efficient.. something will happen.. it has always been that way so far..

Tonight saw swades for the upteenth time ... This time after watching it i've figured i miss indian railways... Maybe its bcoz i wanted to be a train driver?? Maybe its the oppurtunity to train-foot board and the on route scenery or the whistle!! I've never figured it out...

Nothing like watching an indian movie when you are feeling low.. glimpses of home however fleeting, enthuse you with energy that does not seem to be within you...

My last train rides to Goa and then to Chennai on the Brindavan and back on the lalbagh are so vivid in my memory... Everything just brings me back to the one question...when will i ever get to go back?? Those were the days of fun and frolic.. No worries accompanied with independence..

I remember wanting to come here for the presumed tough academic challenge.. I've run into it all right.. now comes the part where one has to stand up and be counted.. The time has come.. its a first and last warning for me to improve or perish..

Time to get my act together...
M

MidTerms + Campus Recruiting

Its already time for midterms.. How fast time seems to fly away.. Two months in the videsh and i am still alive and kicking..Has the worst passed??

With all the cramming for exams, i've been asked by microsoft if i am able to intern with them? Its not confirmed as yet. I have to pass the 2nd round of interviews which i gather are mentally taxing and physically draining.. Life is getting more and more fun..

Cornell is bringing out the best of me slowly and slowly...Maybe i will discover new sides to the lazy ol self i've known through the ages from bangalore to temuco to washington to helsinki to athens to jena to colombo to ithaca..

Life will one day come full circle and i will go back to bangalore .. Till then more excitement and the never ending quest for knowledge continues..

But first a break...

T

getting to Cornell from India

This blog will outline the steps i had to take to get selected at Cornell and then the ardous journey all the way from bangalore to india


Step 1: Write the GRE and TOEFL and try and do above than average..
(I got 1420+5.5 and 287 on these tests)

Step 2: Try and get some paper publications out there for all to see and understand ur not dumb, also implying that you might be smart with a greater probability than usual.

Step 3: Do some fantastic undergraduate project work bordering on the rare and esoteric, enabling you to some amazing recommendation letters from outstanding people.

Step 4: Its a cakewalk after this at Cornell.. Then comes the harder part of surviving the Visa headache at Chennai. For all you know this simple step could throw a spanner in your effort. Try and get some professional advice from a VISA counseller.. Tons of them are always around looking to get rich off your wallet. Choose one who has some reputation by word of mouth at least :)

Step 5: Start packing your bags, prepare for the homesickness which will engulf you when you land here. Buy books back in India as its cheaper there and frankly use the 100 odd kgs AirIndia gives students on an I20 :)

Step 6: Get your I20 stamped, passport stamped and I94 stamped on arrival at the immigration counter, else you will have problems trust me.. i had to go to Syracuse and get the I20 stamped coz some genius at the immigration counter expected me to tell him how to do his job..I mean isn't that trouble coz i had no idea on how things move here..he he he.. so save yourself some time and ensure all is done correctly whereever you are landing.

Step 7: Survive the first night all alone in the university dorm or house where you are staying.. You need to... believe me its one hellofanight.. full of filmy flashbacks and why the hell did i leav e home stuff.. Its going to be bad..trust me..

Step 8: You have a bright new day ahead and its time to live the american dream.. Will tell you if it was worth it in some days ahead..

Cheers
M.