Having resigned last Friday, now I am working on the relocation to Singapore. And first stop is accommodation.
There are two options which are extremely popular with INSEAD participants. Dover Parkview & Heritage View are within walking distance of INSEAD, are a bit posh and because of ample demand from INSEAD are definitely overpriced. I spoke to one real estate agent over the weekend and he mentioned that one other reason for them being pricey is because quite a few landlords have had bad experiences with INSEAD students and hence they want a premium for taking the risk.
Anyways, at these two places you are looking at about SGD 4500-5000 for 3 bedroom apartments. Other option could be Normanton Park which is a 5 minute bus ride from INSEAD. It is significantly cheaper and lacks the Club Med feel which Heritag & Dover have to offer. Normanton Park goes for about SGD 3500-4000 for 3 bedroom units. Third option could be Clementi, which is one subway/ MRT stop away from INSEAD (which is by Dover stop). At Clementi, decent condos go for about SGD 3000-3500..
The cheapest option is HDB units which is available all across Singapore. These are low cost units developed by the Singapore government and go for about SGD 2000-2500 for 3 bedroom unit.
As for me, I am preparing a list of all available options and then will look for fellow INSEADers to share the condo with. I am open to Dover & Heritage, second option being Normanton. Given the supply of condos around INSEAD, its not too difficult to get your hands on one. With recent economic downturn, the rentals do seem to be coming down but not so much so at Dover or Heritage.
On a different note, my wife will not be able to join me during this MBA year as she really wants to use this year to build up her professional experiences. Before taking up the assignment in China, I had little or no knowledge about what professional opportunities it could offer to my wife. Unfortunately, the opportunities were hard to come by and even the ones that came through were not as exciting. Both of us are now done with our first phase of professional life and we both want to use this MBA year to build up our future. And our post MBA goal is to see ourselves moving to an exciting place where both can pursue professional growth. I will definitely miss her a lot next year. She has been with me through thick and thin. I almost got her to kill me because of my constant nagging during the INSEAD application process. Unfortunately, next year I wont have her by my side telling me that I am an absolute champ irrespective of all the failures that I have in my kitty.
H....will miss you tons !
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
One year to challenge yourself !
This is what INSEAD says and you bet your ass its true. Right from GMAT to applications to actually moving to INSEAD. Its a tough ride and given the current economic situation, it also becomes highly unpredictable. I did not post in the last 2 weeks as I was running around like a headless chicken. I was excited about INSEAD but at the same time nervous about the whole transition. Yesterday I was talking to a potential applicant and he said once GMAT is smashed, everything will fall into place. That is so god damn wrong. If you had access to INSEAD portal you will know how so many of admits are working hard for raising funds for this MBA. Plus there is also a big question about the employment scene next year.
Argh....am sick of challenging myself. And its still P0!
On scholarships I got pre-selected for one of the juiciest scholarship worth Euro 25k. But I screwed up in the interview and here I am back to square one. I still have two applications pending but I dont expect much. Right now I am preparing for funding this MBA year all by myself and at many times I do question if this is the right thing to do. Am I being lazy about career building and going for this expensive MBA as an easier way out? Only time will tell.
Last week I was out traveling and met a French admit and it was quite reassuring to get a feel of the kind of people I will be studying with next year. Young, ambitious, smart risk takers. The only disappointment was that we failed to achieve our goal for the evening, which was Drinks>Dinner>Drinks>Drinks>Breakfast>Sleep. Somewhere in the early hours right before breakfast, we both had to give up and go back home. J, if you reading this then we gotta do it again at Sgp !
I also spoke to my contacts in Consulting across APac. Message is simple - Consulting is still seeing significant growth across Asia and recruitment will be strong next year. But firms will look for the fit in terms of regional experience, language skills etc. On banking side, the picture is really gloomy.
Agenda for this week:
- Resign - Yes...finally its time for me to f off my employers. I am planning on scheduling a telecon later today, talk about some important project and our growth and shit and right in the middle of it all, I will say..."urmm...listen fellas...go screw yourselves...am outta here". Naah...only in my dreams. I am going to speak to my Directors and be cordial about this whole stuff. I still have got money stuck with the firm which I need badly and above all, they gave me the opportunity which helped me become a stronger professional. I know I am being politically correct here but its the truth. No one else would have given me the opportunity to run a full scale business at the age of 25.
- Setting things up for the relocation. Accommodation, flat-mates, lease etc. etc. Waiting for confirmation on available condos and then will look for partners to share with.
Argh....am sick of challenging myself. And its still P0!
On scholarships I got pre-selected for one of the juiciest scholarship worth Euro 25k. But I screwed up in the interview and here I am back to square one. I still have two applications pending but I dont expect much. Right now I am preparing for funding this MBA year all by myself and at many times I do question if this is the right thing to do. Am I being lazy about career building and going for this expensive MBA as an easier way out? Only time will tell.
Last week I was out traveling and met a French admit and it was quite reassuring to get a feel of the kind of people I will be studying with next year. Young, ambitious, smart risk takers. The only disappointment was that we failed to achieve our goal for the evening, which was Drinks>Dinner>Drinks>Drinks>Breakfast>Sleep. Somewhere in the early hours right before breakfast, we both had to give up and go back home. J, if you reading this then we gotta do it again at Sgp !
I also spoke to my contacts in Consulting across APac. Message is simple - Consulting is still seeing significant growth across Asia and recruitment will be strong next year. But firms will look for the fit in terms of regional experience, language skills etc. On banking side, the picture is really gloomy.
Agenda for this week:
- Resign - Yes...finally its time for me to f off my employers. I am planning on scheduling a telecon later today, talk about some important project and our growth and shit and right in the middle of it all, I will say..."urmm...listen fellas...go screw yourselves...am outta here". Naah...only in my dreams. I am going to speak to my Directors and be cordial about this whole stuff. I still have got money stuck with the firm which I need badly and above all, they gave me the opportunity which helped me become a stronger professional. I know I am being politically correct here but its the truth. No one else would have given me the opportunity to run a full scale business at the age of 25.
- Setting things up for the relocation. Accommodation, flat-mates, lease etc. etc. Waiting for confirmation on available condos and then will look for partners to share with.
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