Thank You!

It has been a very long process trying to get a visa. I read in this book called The Alchemist, that when you live your dream, the entire Universe conspires to help you. And, it sends people in the form of good omens to help you. Some of these good omens are in the form of people who help you; they are like angels. I would like to thank them here:

My elder uncle – for specifying him as my guardian and sponsor. I made him run to get my sealed mark sheets and to the finance broker. At the age of 60, it is a great achievement!

My younger uncle – for being supportive and lending his scooter to move around in Chennai during for my visa process. He still doesn’t know the reason for the scratches on his scooter - that I hit his scooter on two different cars. Sorry, dear Uncle!

Naveen – my dear friend and “motorbike-driver” who ditched me at the last moment. We had spent days and nights together in the process of applying for the MS. Thanks to him for letting me use his credit card. He backed out because he was sent to the US. Morever, he has got a job of being a permanent driver for some other person – for his girl friend. Well, I had ditched him the first time we had planned to apply for the MS, soon after getting the job at Oracle. So, I forgive him!

Shri Hari Vasudevan – my classmate from college. He had always been there for me. Always analyzing my questions in detail and giving me very good answers. I wish him very good luck in whatever he does. Luck is what he needs!

Bhaskar – my Guru from Oracle. I was working under him some time back. He was good enough to give me a recommendation letter. I have never seen a colleague better than him.

Badri – another of my dear friends who has completed his MS and working there. Thanks for getting information from other friends there. And, ya, thanks for confusing me now and then!

Amarnath and Murali – for providing me information on the US universities and helping me make a decision. Amarnath still says that the Oracle job would be a better choice than MS!

Mrs. Shrimati – one of my best teachers, best as in teachers who like me most, for signing on whatever crap I wrote about myself in the recommendation letter.

Mrs. Malathi – thanks for lending her Ph.D. degree stamp on my recommendation letter.

Ahilan – for signing my recommendation letter even after going out of Oracle.

Skely and Aki – for helping me move my computer between Bangalore and Chennai. Thanks to Skely for meeting Ahilan and getting his signature. Skely never believed that I will do my MS the first time I spoke to him about it. Well, he still does not.

Safer and Rajesh – my roommates. Thanks for bearing my computer-light late in the night, disturbing your sleep. Safer, having known him for 7 years, didn’t believe till this week that I am serious about my MS. Safer, if all goes well, we will work together sometime in the future.

Amogh – for getting information from his friends in the US and Germany.

Chells – just a sorry to him that I didn’t inform him about this when he was my housemate. Chells always used to wonder what the heck am I doing so secrectly with the computer in my room.

Debu – for listening patiently to all my crap while commuting between home and office.

Oracle – for letting me use its resources.

Strangers – from foreign land and in India. I used to get their numbers from the Internet and call them up asking for information. I remember a guy from Kentucky who spent a lot of effort explaining me the US education system.

Friends – whom I troubled now and then asking for their suggestions.

And to all others – who I might have missed in the list. I apologize for my bad memory.

It would not have been possible without the help from these people. This is a statement that I have read at many places. But, it is only now, that I know its meaning!