My Visa Interview

United States Of America. A land where dreams are realized.

But i never dream. So why am i going there. To tell you the truth, no idea. Just that some university named Iowa State University has offered me an admit to do a Master of Science Program in Mechanical Engineering. What that is , i don’t know, but it involves a hefty sum, which i will try very hard to reduce.

Anyways, everyone says the first step after being admitted is to obtain the visa. Hell boy, they do forget to mention the fucking amount of tension that is mounting till the very last moment that the golden words are uttered “Your Visa is Granted”.

My Visa Interview lasted about 45 secs to 1 min

VO: Good Morning Sir, How are you ?

ME: I am fine, thank you. How are you ?

VO: Good. Thank you. Pass me your folder.

.

.

.

VO: So, why Iowa State University ?

ME: Master’s in Mechanical Engineering.

VO: What’s you Under graduation aggregate ?

ME: 72% without back logs.

He seemed impressed, no idea why. But then i was lucky as two guys before me has 37 and 10 backlogs respectively.

VO: What are you going to do after that ?

ME: I am going to come back to my India and work in the industries. Learning the knowledge of improving the industrial processes is my main aim, as the processes followed in many companies are either redundant or outdated.

VO: So, who is funding you

ME: My parents and i have also availed a bank loan of XXX. ( Told my parents annual salaries to evade further questions about financial resources)

VO: All right Sir, I am issuing you the visa. It will mailed to you in 3 days time. Enjoy your stay there.

ME: Thank you

And i came out with all the documents with which i had gone in sans the passport, which i duly received after 2 days.

I guess the only worrying factor about the visa interview should be the amount of backlogs. Apart from that, a straight face should do the trick.

Federer – End of Impeialism

End of imperialism, that’s pretty sure. Can the fallen king summon his army to reconquer his lost territory? Highly impossible. Not when the elder wand has chosen a new master.

Hail Rafael Nadal, clay court specialist. Hmmm…Ok….So now grass court too. The list might be extended to the hard courts in the following years. But i will have to time to write for him. So let me get back to the fallen king.

Where is the man in the white cardigan? Where is the warrior whose arrows were poison? Where is the greatest player ever? Or is he? But if he isn’t, there will never be one.

The man closest to impersonating the Rockhamton Rocket, climbing Mount Sampras and surpassing Ice Borg is being laid to rest in 2008. He is 26, old in this world. His nemesis is 22, ripe and ready to replace him.

6 months ago, we were talking of him overtaking Sampras this year end. Now we will be talking about him passing 12 when. Surely, if he cannot win in Wimbledon, where he achieved greatness, he can win nowhere else. Only  2 titles this year, but 9 losses already. He has not amassed so many losses in the past 2 years together. And to top it all, 0-4 vs Nadal in 2008.

Move aside King Federer, its time to start betting in tennis again. Because we know for sure that the greatest time of the greatest player is gone. Will he retire with grace or will he be disgraced, the next few years will tell. But one thing i can say, 14 looks a leap year away.

M.N.M.Jail Engineering College

TC – Transfer Certificate. Its the receipt to freedom. For me, more specifically, its freedom from M.N.M.Jain Engineering College.

Lets accept the facts. No college requires its passed out student’s particulars for a long time. No alumni would ever want to return to this college every other day. So when both sides want to stay apart at such distances which can be measured in units like only ‘light years’, why is it not happening in our dear old institution.

My department, which is mechanical, has 9 laboratories. The number is not even close, but they want to show that they have some labs. And then, the only 9 professors which my department consists of, are made in charge of one each. Each passed out student is required to get a signature from each lab in charge, stating that he doesn’t owe the lab any thing(Also called as No Due). The joking fact about my dear department is that, we are being forced to compulsorily submit a book to our department library, which is one of the above mentioned labs. Only then will the in charge sign.

I had gone to my college on Wednesday. This in charge didn’t sign since i refused to donate books. So i went to the HOD.

Me: Sir, I require a sign from the in charge of dept lib, but he is not putting his sign.

HOD: Why

Me: Sir, I am refusing to donate a book to the lib. Hence the problem.

HOD: So donate a book and get his sign.

Me: Yes, but i don’t have books. So i can’t and hence refuse to donate.

HOD: But without donation, we can’t sign.

Me: I cant possibly go buy a book and donate it.

HOD: So i can’t sign

Me: Ok, so what is the next step.

HOD: (Quiet)

Hence i took up the matter with my principal, who immediately called the HOD and informed him of the difference between ‘mandatory’ and ‘obligatory’. Ok first hiccup parched. However i ran out of time and the prof ran out of college and i couldn’t get his sign.

So i went back on Friday. The respective in charge was absent. So i went to the HOD.

Me: Sir, i have to get a sign from the prof in charge of the Dept. Lib.

HOD: Ok.

Me: Sir, He is absent. I request you to sign the form on his behalf.

HOD: I don’t understand you.

Me: I am asking you to sign the form instead of the other prof, who is absent. It will ensure that i can collect my TC today.

HOD: Who are you to tell me what to do.

Me: I am not telling you what to do. I am asking you whether you can sign this form instead of the other prof. This will help me collect my TC today, so that i can go for my Visa Interview in peace. I have my Visa Interview on Monday. So i urgently require the TC today.

HOD: Again don’t tell me what to do. You come back on Monday, and if the prof is present, get his sign and then only come to me.

.

.

So i left. I will go on Monday hoping for the presence of the one guy who can sign the goddamn paper which will help me to collect mark sheet. And that day will be added to this post.

I next intend to publicize the pathetic condition this college is in. I would require the help of all the former students, as well as the current students, to help me out in this regards. Only such actions from concerned seniors will help save the college.