WHADDYA KNOW!!

VACATION TIME!!!!!!!!!!
The first family sight-seeing trip in 10 years. We used to holiday every year before that, but since 1994, we've been only visiting grandparents, or small family get-togethers. Hyderabad, 4 days, starting tomorrow night. This time is about the only time all 4 of us will be around together. Unless I defer my admits.( Talk about counting chickens before they hatch... just about mailed those packets out).

Visited a Universities Fair today. The poor representatives were shouting themselves hoarse and trying not to get mad at people who didn't do their homework before shooting out questions. Sample this : " Do you have anything for Electrical Engineering? "( Yes, I have feelings for it, if that'll do.. ). This was the first question I heard as I walked up to the counter. And that was the student's first question as well. We're all given carefully prepared brochures so we can look up the courses offered by the participating Universities and ask more specific questions.

If stupid questions didn't drive the representatives up the wall, their repetition by every mindless batch that passed by, did. Initially most of them were in jovial spirits, and were speaking of Indian Thali and how odd jobs on the campus can get you enough money to get those. One particularly cheerful old man was animatedly discussing the courses they offered, and happened to read out Transport Management. And paused for a second to see the reaction of the crowd. I knew what was on his mind, and I couldn't help agreeing, he read the half smile on my face. Then he said " God knows this city needs more of you guys taking up that course." But slowly most were losing their sense of humour. I have to hand it to them for holding to their enthsiasm each time they saw a new face. They kept their wide smiles even though their eyes gave them away. But I do wish some of them did THEIR homework. They ought to look up statistics and understand the fact that Electrical engg, Comp Sc. Engg and MBA are the most sought after, compared to the newly budding biotechnology or biochemistry, or the non-existant Transport Management. When the crowd gets too specific, they direct you to the website, give you someone's email address. I understand I can't have them looking at my profile independantly, but they really ought to know the typical scores that form thresholds that we can refer to. And they ought to give us more than general information on the NSF funding grants for these branches at least. Or on the current aid scene in these branches. Almost nothing they say, that I haven;'t already looked up on the website.

One more thing that surprised me was that Purdue University was there too. Why WOULD a University such as Purdue need to even advertise itself through such fairs?????? I understand that University of Alaska, Anchorage needs to make itself known ( Not that it worked, even the most ignorant of the students knew that Alaska is kinda off-limits because of its weather.. so the Lady from Alaska was most of the time sitting by herself, drinking water she didn't need to, while others finished a bottle after shouting themselves hoarse, opened another and couldn't even get away for a second to visit the bathroom! Kept shifting on their feet even while talking to just one person. ) But seriously.. Purdue coming to Linden tours Fair...they must be FLOODED with applications as it is. Why ask for more?

Anyways, I'm off to sleep, have to be up early tomorrow to pick up my brother.

:)