I amaze myself with my inability to manage time to do everything I ever want to do. This blog should have come by a month earlier had I been more disciplined. But then I take too much stuff onto myself to ever be free for the very essential things.
Well – This then is a small story about my visit to Montreal, Canada. As for the results of the competition we participated in my friend Arvind has written well and in detail at our MBA program student blog site. This then is a recounting of my personal experiences from the 9 day stay at Montreal.
I am sometimes branded stupid and little too “silly” for finding meaning in things and places where there was nothing profound in the first place. But then that is me. I always believed that no matter how short a stay or an interaction is – if it meant something to you – it always stays with you and this has been true in all my journeys so far. One of the earliest trips I ever took in my life was as a college student – an all India trip covering all the “tourist” spots in North India. I have so many memories from that trip, 8 long years back – which i still hold close and dear – the totally freezing ride to Shimla, sitting on the steps of the train passing through misty fields in Punjab-listening to Madonna’s Frozen, being enchanted by this one girl for almost 36 hours on the train journey back … All are fresh in some corner of the memory.
So too was my trip to US. Arizona – a place i started off hating, only to find myself falling in love with it over a 1.5 year stay – thanks to many friends whom i found there and the memories we shared – parties, Tempe downtown pub hopping, philosophical sojourns spurred by Jose Cuervo Tequila… standing at the south rim of the Grand Cayon at 6:00 in the morning watching the sunrise, the first trip to Las Vegas -on a Greyhound bus, passing through miles of desert in total darkness only to be awakened with LV glistening like gold far away, the trip to New York, the feeling of being a nobody in the midst of mass humanity, sitting at the Liberty Island, looking at the Manhattan skyline … and ofcourse the few friends with whom you shared every moment of the day – from the morning cup of coffee, to the late night drink shot…from the latest movie to the oldies you loved, celebrations – birthdays, graduations, Onam, Christmas … sharing the occassional bout of loneliness and homesickness … I can almost write a book on them….
Then came the year long stay at Milton Keynes, UK – something i thought shall be just a trip since the virginity of the enjoyment was had at US – the been there, done that syndrome… Though it started off in a more less predicted manner with comparisons of this visit to the US one, soon things changed… A bunch of friends – quite unlike me formed a circle of life – to be complimented by colleagues at work. An amazing love story began – the misty mornings – the bike rides to work – the afternoon leisure walks on the nearby country park – numerous films at easyCinema, the MK library, french fries from MacDs, Metallica concert at Donnington Park, trips to Lake District, London – Sherlock Holmes musuem, Scotland { my secret wish is to be able to reside there for sometime}, a wonderful trip to Paris … unforgettable memories …
On the return back to India a great trip to Punjab to attend a good friend’s wedding – the drive on NH1, the Wagah border, the visit to Golden temple in Amritsar, the scotch whisky binge drinking with the happy-as-ever Punjabis, the baarat of my friend …
Compared to all that the visit to Montreal was unique since I never had a chance to reflect much when there – a jam packed schedule of the competition ensured that much. Serendipity – never had a chance to define that word – but that was what happened on my flight from Frankfurt to Montreal abroad Air Canada. Besides me sat a wonderful man – Dr.Klaus – the head coach of the German team – Universitat Paderborn, enroute to join his team participating in the same competition. After a while we started chatting. A totally unassuming person – a Phd- who thought it was worthy enough to know my rather juvenile opinions on everything 
A small introduction there developed into a full term friendship over the 9 days we were there. He helped us with the details of the competitions , how it should be approached, invited us to dinners with their team. A jovial man -full of life – once away from business, a zinda-dil(lively heart) as we say in India.
He introduced and lend us the man who made it possible for us to come back with a prize and a performance we can think back forever- their assistant head coach Sebastian became our coach for the competition. A person who made a bunch of happy-go-lucky freaky guys focus, prepare and deliver, often times taking a big hit on his personal time. After a point we carried on giving our best since we didnt want to disappoint him. We owe a big bunch of gratitude to these two fine German gentlemen – the Round Robin winners and the Richard Outcault team award we won belongs to them and their team as much as it does to us. Toward the end of the competition we called the two teams together as the International Paderborn team…
All through the competition we met some wonderful, interesting and loveable people from all around the world – the organisers, the participants, the faculty … A bunch of Indian students at the university made our life as smooth as it can be. They rooted for us, supported us, carried the IIMB placard, took care of our belongings, bore with our constant fightings during prep time {our secret;-} and last but not least inviting us to a sumptous lunch at their apartment on the final day… I wish them to be as they are for as long as they can be .. Three cheers to you guys and gals for letting us eat your brains and time… We have a treat for you when you come down to Blore.
Personally – I did manage to have a few personal, intimate memories of my own. The late night walks through snow – after some hard drinking at the Hilton, an introduction to a wonderful person from the French team- the few hours we shared, the late night coffee and random thoughts at the Youth hostel, the Starbucks on St.Catherines …. To cap it all the memories of the final Banquet night – the awards, the feeling that we had done justice to what we went for, we lost fighting and fight we did … like professionals…
Sometimes when I reflect back on those 9 days things are a little blur since days merged into nights with all the case studies and preparations. But sometime everything clears up and the whole experience shines through like a wonderful gift that I got quite unexpectedly. Like i say – i did leave something of myself back in Montreal and brought back something new – an indelible experience of a lifetime.