A Day with Anu!

Rex and me had the opportunity to hang out with Anupma, at San Francisco. She whisked us to a quaint breakfast-brunch All American place (one of her favorites) for some delicious pancakes, fresh orange juice, eggs-benedict and freshly squeezed orange juice. We loved the side order of potatoes with cheese and couldn't get enough of those!



Later, she gave us a tour of the Legion of Honor museum. Since we had heard so much about the place, we decided to check it out.
The museum itself is very beautiful, overlooking the Golden Gate, situated in a park. The museum was built in honor of Californian soldiers who died in WWI. The museum is set on a hill top, such that one can see the Golden Gate bridge, the ocean and the city. As for the collection, the museum boasts of an exhibition of paintings, drawings, arts and sculpture of 4000 years European art.
We loved the European paintings, and the special exhibition of European jewelery was particularly stunning. Here are a few favorites ( there were so many, and we couldn't settle on one "best" painting).







There were so many more that we really liked but didn't quite capture them well on the camera (Flash was strictly prohibited) Hopefully one of these days we will go back and take better pictures of some of them...
Here are some of our pictures on the new camera :)







We ended the day with a game of scrabble and dinner at a hole-in-the wall Chinese place, before driving back home.

MBA


Its my second quarter at Santa Clara University. I never believed that I would enjoy myself so much not only at college, but the entire journey really. Its interesting to look back and see how it all started.

Some of my friends had asked me what it takes to start off with the MBA degree. And I thought it would be nice to document this on the blog. Not only for folks who find this useful, but also a reminder to myself - the journey I undertook sometime back.

The GMAT experience:-

Dates/Deadlines:

First and foremost I think one should set a target date. I can not emphasize the importance of this step. Planning for taking the GMAT, submitting the application after writing the essays and waiting for the results is a very long drawn process and requires not only patience but also perseverance.

This process also makes you know your time lines which are very important for MBA application. For me I could not even apply to Berkeley, because their deadlines for Fall are very early and I had not given my GMAT. Also Berkeley has a series of rounds of applications and people say that sending applications early is the best to get in. I think that is the same case for many well known schools and each have a set of deadlines and time lines that one MUST know before even starting for GMAT. Everything will be driven by those submission deadlines. Once you know which colleges you are targeting, you can broadly select a few, then work backwards to set a date for the GMAT exam. Again, I think one must block the seat on a particular date and time for taking the GMAT very soon, because all the slots for the exam get filled up really really fast when the application deadline comes closer. So early booking for the GMAT test is important.

Some helpful websites here:

Rankings websites:

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/

http://www.forbes.com/2003/09/24/bschooland.html

http://www.princetonreview.com/mba/research/rankings/rankings.asp

http://rankings.ft.com/rankings/mba/rankings.html

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/rankindex_brief.php

GMAT Test informaiton / booking slots:

Official site: http://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT

GMAT prep:

Taking the GMAT is of course the very big first step. Its scary and overwhelming too, but trust me its not unbeatable. Its a test of perseverance and practice more than anything. Having said that, its also important to be very well prepared for the test. Thankfully, there is plenty of information to help get real good scores on the test. Here is what I would recommend:

1. Get your hands on the Official GMAT test guides:

http://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT/ToolsToHelpYouPrepare/GMATPrepProducts/OfficialGuideforGMATReview11thEditionNEW.htm

The editions change once in a while, so take the latest one always. I recommend buying all the GMAT official guids:

a) The Official Guide for GMAT Review

b) The Official Guide for GMAT Verbal Review

c) The Official Guide for GMAT Quantitative Review.

2. There is a free software on the site for giving students an idea how the actual test is like. You should download this :

http://www.mba.com/mba/TaketheGMAT/ToolsToHelpYouPrepare/GMATPrepProducts/FreeGMATPrepTestPreparationSoftwarein2006.htm

3. Take a practice test. The practice test is the one in the Official Guide for GMAT Review book. Check your answers and see where you are on the matrix. I didn't get a great score on the practice test. So there is nothing to fear, i doubt that many people really do well on it. So not to panic.

4. Next take a look at your weak areas and strong areas. Identify the specific sections which are important for you to practice on thoroughly.

5. Take a look at the sample/suggested study plan( on the www.gmatclub.com website) . I used this and it was very helpful. Again the key is to stick to the plan and start practicing.

6. If you can, invest in these few books for your study:

a) The Pinceton Review - GMAT : http://www.amazon.com/Cracking-GMAT-2007-Graduate-Test/dp/0375765530/sr=8-1/qid=1166478341/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-5451113-2620831?ie=UTF8&s=books

b) GMAT 800 - Kaplan : http://www.amazon.com/Kaplan-GMAT-800-2006-2007-Gmat/dp/074327931X/sr=1-1/qid=1166478394/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-5451113-2620831?ie=UTF8&s=books

c) Kaplan GMAT: http://www.amazon.com/Kaplan-GMAT-2007-Premier-Program/dp/1419541846/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b/002-5451113-2620831

These are good guides to start studying. The study plan gives a detail outline of how one could approach the subject. The most useful resource for me was this forum:

http://www.gmatclub.com/

I HIGHLY recommend being active on it. Its free to register and you can ask any / all questions during your study time and there are really good folks who manage the entire website. They also give very good suggestions for essays and admissions as well. I think you will find yourself visiting this website almost everyday to get your doubts cleared and helping others on the way. Its a really good site.

6. Take the sample tests in a timed mode well before the exams. Again this is a very important point. Cannot stress its importance! Take and re-take the sample exams to strengthen your confidence. Its very important to do this timed, because the test can easily be passed at this point in time (after studying for so many months) without the time pressure. But the timing is what puts the ultimate pressure. And doing it well in advance of your actual test date will only give you more confidence.

7. Take the exam!

If you are targeting a full time MBA program, you will be targeting 720+ for really good schools. But to check the exact scores for various schools, you should look at the schools website. You will also find more insights into required scores by asking on forums.

8. Start with your essays asap. Every school has a set of questions for the essays. You need to think a lot and put down your thoughts on paper. I highly recommend you to write them on your own. You can always get it proof read from your friends and family. But they must be in your own language. The schools now-a-days get your actual essays from the GMAT exam ( there is an essay section in the GMAT exam apart from verbal and quants )and compare it with the essay that you have written during application. That way they know for sure that its the same person writing and not done by someone else. So be aware of that.

9. Keep all your deadlines. Post / Courier / submit all your documents and applications well in advance of your deadlines. You need not wait for the GMAT test scores to come in. Just send out all the required school certifications and documents required so that there is no trouble meeting your deadline.

Sin City & the Grand Canyon

We have always wanted to go to Las Vegas. An opportunity presented itself when we got invited to Shafali's surprise Anniversary party hosted by Mami. It was a wonderful event and as you can see Shafali and Richard were very surprised!



We had lots of fun at Las Vegas. We drove through desert and couldnt believe that the city, is actually right in middle of it. Temperatures were soaring and using the car air conditioning was not recommended for fear of car overheating. So we were relieved to get to our hotel Golden Nugget which wasn't on the Strip (which is that part of Vegas where all the popular and larger casinos are situated).



The hotel was next to another popular attraction called the Fremont Street experience which boasts of a unique light and sound experience. The entire street of 1400 feet has a unique foyer with columns 90 feet high supporting a screen over one's head. The LG screen (also called as space frame) requires 32 computers to display animation. The space frame has 2.1 million lights in the inside surface. The sound comes from 208 speakers producing 540,000 watts of sound. Its awesome!




Over the next 3 days we managed to visit almost all of the hotels on the strip. We visited the Madalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, Tropicana, MGM Grand, New York New York, Aladdin, Paris, Ballys, Bellagio, Flamingo, Ceaser's Palace, Mirage and the Venetian. Whew! And there were still a few more that we missed!
Here's a link to the hotels on the strip:
http://www.lasvegasmaps.com/stripmap.html
And here are a few snaps:

Thats Rex in front of the Lion statue in the MGM Grand.


This was our favourite place for lunch and dinner buffet. It was called the Main Street Station. We loved the vast choice of menus available and the ambiance was amazing!


We loved the Luxor for its Egyptian setup. We cant wait to see the real thing. But the view in the night outside was quite breathtaking.


The Mandalaya Bay was stunning from inside as well as outside (as were many of the others that we visited). From the picture one cannot begin to imagine the grandeur of these hotels from the inside. The parking structures are huge and in most of these popular hotels, its tough to get a good spot. The casino from inside are amazingly huge. You can easily spend the whole day just in one casino and never have to go anywhere else.


Ceasers Palace was another stunning architectural wonder. Its amazing how much design and detail has been incorporated in the buildings. For most part we found the architecture of the hotels in Vegas more fascinating than the "chi-ching" of the casino slot machines!



The tower in New York New York hotel was unfortunately closed for construction. So we had to make do seeing it from the outside.



Between the Ceaser's and Mirage was one of the fanciest malls that we had seen. It was called the Forum shop. Some of the most exlusive and expnsive goods are sold at these stores.



The Bellagio had a most amazing display of models of various buildings made completely out of 100% natural material. Here are some snaps:



The Venetian was one of my personal favorites. It was a setting right out of the victorian era. I could close my eyes and just imagine ladies and gentlemen dressed up in the victorian corset dresses and ready for a ballroom dance. There was a nice little gondola ride just outside the hotel. The architecture on this hotel was very European, it reminded me of our beautiful buildings in Mumbai!




But our undisputed favourite was Paris. When we walked in we were completely stumped by the setting. The entire casino floor was made out to look like.. well.. the streets of Paris! We didnt get a good shot of it, so here is a link to whats inside:
http://daguerre.frejol.org/photo.live?id=20040805010
We didnt get to go up the Eifel tower because it was under construction. But we have heard that the view from top is one not to be missed.
We also didnt get to take a snap from inside, but we did get one from the outside which is also quite spectacular.


The gambling and stakes at Vegas was quite an experience. We got to see and feel why one could completely succumb to the temptation. We saw young and old alike gambling hundreds of dollars at a go on the crap tables and at the poker tables. It was quite unnerving. We decided to try our luck on slot machines and we had a net gain of $50!

Las Vegas was a sight to see.. an experience by itself. A man made wonder in the middle of the desert!

But the desert had yet another wonder to offer... A natural wonder.. one which left us speechless and stunned. The grandest of all wonders: The Grand Canyon.

This is one experience which is NOT to be missed. The magnificence of the Canyon cannot be described in words.. so here is a peek at what it looks like.

This is the place we stayed at.


A glimpse of the Gand Canyon:














Some quick facts of the Grand Canyon:
The Grand Canyon stretches over 277 river miles. The average rim to rim distance is about 10 miles. The elevation of the South rim is around 7000 milses and the North rim is 8100 miles.Approximately 4 million people visit the Grand Canyon national park every year. The canyon is over 1 million acres of land and is over 1,900 square miles, one of the largest formations on the earth. It is one of the deepest canyons on earth. The vistas from different parts of the rim offer stunning and diverse view into its grandeur. Geologically it was formed by the erosion of the crust by the Colorado river over thousands of years. The oldest of the rocks found in the canyon date back 2000 million years. The canyon itself is five to six million years old!