It is almost end of year and suddenly I realise that this year has gone real fast. Yeah, I remember the cold ( real cold - snowy)morning at Hazard, Kentucky when we wished each other happy new year 2009.
2009 started with Satyam scam in the financial - IT world - which shook everyone about the corporate ethics.
At personal level, I realised how relationships work - at crisis point and at happy points:-) Looks like wisdom came knocking at my door and I was left with no option but to become wiser. Learnt the true meaning of Vittu Vidudhalaiyahi.....
Learnt to take situations as it happened and not expect situations to happen as I want... learnt more acceptance, tolerance, understanding and yes, I am thankful to God for giving me all these wonderful lessons in not so harsh way....
Then came the Madoff scam which was more shocking to see how clever Jews can also be duped by another Jew... that was selective swindling at its best/worst!!
Waited for my academic qualification accredition in USA - how strange for us to expect them to say that what we have studied is worth something or equivalent to something that they know. I wonder how they will evaluate me in case I had done masters in Hindu Mythology or in Tamil Vedam!
Pleasant surprise came in the form of 124 credit hours given to my B.Com+ICWA and my GPA being 3.80+ out of 4. Thanks to Madurai University for having given me a sound foundation in commercial subjects!
Started preparation for CPA exam in Urbana, Illinois, sharing the apartment with my daughter and two more girls. New experience. Studying all day, cooking, cleaning,washing, shopping for vegetables, groceries and milk could not have been more interesting. I should admit that not a single day went without its own share of drama, suspense, thrill, laughter and learning.
Learning to live with 3 adults who are 30 years younger to me was fun and I think I could have done better in terms of relationship-building. I think I should grade myself at 3 out of 4 in this, whereas I should have tried to score 3.99 in this examination. Anyway, hopefully, if God gives me one more chance to practically apply understanding and tolerance to strangers, may be I will do much better and score better and make my maker proud of me!
Walking in 20 inch snow with normal shoes in unknown places, searching for bus-stops and looking for some shelter was something that kept my adrenalin pumped-up. Barnes& Nobles at Urbana used to be my camp-site from 11 am to 4 pm for many days. How I used to curse the bus service for taking away 1 dollar for a small ride! In India such distance would have attracted only 5 rupees and not 46 rupees. Nothing to beat our public-transportation, though it is not so clean. The rates in India are really people-friendly. Thanks to our State and Central Governments for the fantastic buses and trains that they run. They can be better is another point, but the fact that they are available for use by common man is what makes me thankful to our Government.
Thank God I am not born outside India!
I wonder why Prometric goofed up CAT entrance exam. I gave CPA exam through Prometric and I should say that they are meticulous, strict, follow rules absolutely, and are very very efficient.
ASHA at UIUC gave me the wonderful opportunity to make Carrot-halwa for their fund-raiser. For someone who has never cooked much in all these years, it was a challenge to make 100 cups of carrot halwa, that too during my exam preparation time. Frantically I googled for recipes and I got this Manju's kitchen where she demonstrates the preparation. Thanks to her recipe, I managed to make carrot-halwa for 4 consecutive ASHA fund-raisers. It was all the more thrilling when I came to know that carrot-halwa was a big-selling item on all those ASHA sessions.... thanks ASHA and thanks to all those volunteers who helped with scrapping the carrot and enthused me on my preparation.
I got to meet some lovely youngsters - who are all research students at UIUC and have reached there after so much of hardwork academically.
I should thank my relatives in USA for encouraging me on my attempt and for congratulating on completion. Special thanks to the Doctors for their continuous support - financial and moral!
Thanks also to Princeton friends for showing so much love to me who was not known to them at all till then.
So 2009 is year of completion of CPA! I am sure 2010 would start with my career getting into audit related work.
From 1991 till now, being in marketing related roles, has sort of made me talk more. I wish 2010 onwards I internalise my energies, talk less, look more and be a good and ethical auditor, thus preparing me for my next phase in my career. Assuming I will work till 2020, 10 years in audit would be something that I am looking forward to.
Thanks 2009 and welcome 2010!
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