Finally, I get to blog – been dying to do this. Blogging to me is like writing an online diary – remember the days when we used to write our diaries, detailing what happened to us on that particular day, or this is what I felt like today etc. etc.

Well, that’s what my blogs are going to be from now on. An inside look at me and my life for all out there. It’s a good form of release for me while I do my studies here in the land downunder, far far away from my hometown in Punjab.

This one is a short one – more soon (ish)

My room smells of lavender.

My closet is in a bit of a mess.

My closest relationships aren't faring too well either.

My shoe size is 6.

My hair is a little bit messed up.

My skin is oily.

My hair is dry.

My mind is always cluttered.

My bedside drawer is too.

My nails are purple.

My glasses are blue.

My moods swing.

My favorite pair of shoes doesn’t fit.

My lists always make sense.

My life sometimes doesn't.

Think this should give you an idea of the kind of person I am (maybe not). If not, maybe my blogs following this one will.

"Excuse me, do you speak English? ", a random South Asian stranger asked me while I was waiting on the corner of Exhibition and Lonsdale Streets in Melbourne. I couldn't tell if he was Indian or Pakistani, but he definitely was a Muslim.

Now, whenever I hear those words, my metal GPS springs into action. There's nothing more embarrassing than not being able to tell someone the general direction of a street or station. It's a prestige issue for me. I like to think I am a stud at directions. (W will tell you otherwise. Don't listen to him.)

Anyhow, in that split second I knew that this wasn't going to be a conversation about directions. The thing is, I had ten minutes to kill. I was a little early for an appointment, and I was ambling about anyway. So he asks me, "Why don't people live with their families here in Melbourne"? Somehow the conversation suddenly morphed into one in Hindi.

I was quick to judge him. I thought he was going to tell me that the Aussies don't care about their parents, and everyone here believes in deserting their parents. I was steeling myself for that bit. Except he said, "There are so many people from all over the world here, I suppose they cannot always bring their entire families with them". And he just looked so sad.

So I told him well, it makes more sense, given how small some apartments are, or how people really prefer to be in their own space. He nodded. He said "My brother got married recently, and he wants me to move in with him. My life maybe easier, but I don't want to disturb them. He doesn't understand that. But it will be easier, I can't even make tea."

Now that annoyed me. I tell him that making tea is a relatively simple process that can be mastered in about five minutes. He says he works for twelve hours, so he doesn't have the time. I tell him half the world works for twelve hours, they manage to make their tea and their dinner. He asks me what I should do. He also tells me about the rest of his family. But my ten minutes of free-time were almost up. I tell him, "Talk to your brother. "He tells me I am right. Says his Salaam, wishes me and my family well, thanks me for talking to him like his sister, and walks away.

Later on the phone with R, I ask her why random strangers tend to feel so free to come and talk to me. She gives me a very unflattering explanation.

Alright people this was just a quick random blog from me – hopefully with a few more to follow.

Last Wednesday I woke up late and happy. I decided to avoid the sardine train service and took the bus to work. So ipod in ears, taking in the views of peak hour Melbourne, I am enjoying the bus ride snaking its way to the City. All is well with the world as I know it.

Quarter way into the journey, amidst a gaggle of eager beaver office goers, a well dressed man with a black rucksack gets on the bus. He stands in the area reserved for wheelchairs and pushchairs as needed. He takes a sign out of his bag and hangs it around his neck. It’s bold lettering clashes against the small check of his shirt and proclaims: REPENT YOUR SINS! REDEEM YOURSELF IN THE EYES OF THE LORD!

And then he starts on a sermon about how we must all become Christian, go to church, repent our sins, find peace. About how we could all die this very minute, or by the time this bus reaches the next stop, or maybe tomorrow and would go straight to hell if we hadn’t found our path by then. I have to say I could only make out snatches of what he said over the music from my ipod but it was engaging to watch most of the passengers pay attention and listen with interest. Bus folk are so unlike train folk. For train folk acknowledging that anyone else exists is taboo. I suspect the winter air has gone to the heads of the Bus folk.

Then I pressed pause on the ipod to scroll through the playlist looking for some inspiration and I heard this:

Preacher man extolling the virtues of repenting our sins: This morning how do you think you woke up? You only woke up because God himself made you wake up. Did you hear me? It’s God that made you wake up.

Very white collar worker with mid-row view: No way MY-TE (that’s mate to you and me), it was my alarm clock!

Round of laughter and applause. Almost everyone got off at Melbourne Central.

I love blogging. This is my first of many more blog posts to come

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/jun2008/bs20080627_391632.htm

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/jul2008/bs2008071_278439.htm

Businessweek reported: The cheating scandal that has engulfed the B-school world grew vastly larger on June 27, when the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) said the number of prospective MBA students facing questions about their entrance exams now totals more than 6,000—six times the original estimate.

You might wonder how one can 'cheat' on the GMAT. After all it is an online test involving logic and reasoning, not your Year 12 board exam where you can scribble some formulas on your knee.

Well it appears that the controversy is actually about www.scoretop.com, a site which students used to prepare for the GMAT. The site featured several 'live' questions i.e. questions that GMAT serves from its vast databank to actual test takers.

The unique thing about GMAT is the fact that it is a computer adaptive test and that no two test-takers get exactly the same set of questions. But no system is infallible.

Anyone who's taken the test can memorise a few questions, note them down and pass on the same to future test takers. These questions were apparently known as 'JJ' or jungle juice on the scoretop site.

Numerous CAT prep institutes used to do this kind of thing before students were allowed to take the test paper home a couple of years ago. Of course, CAT questions are not re-used. But coaching classes liked to 'solve' the paper and indicate to students how much they could hope to score.

Since the IIMS are thinking of taking CAT online, this may be a good time to consider whether the GMAT model is practical in the Indian context. A live question bank would easily be leaked by coaching classes using the 'human memory' method.

Of course by GMAC's own admission students probably gained 'very little' by having access to questions.

Even if a site is illegally able to obtain some “real” questions, it is extremely unlikely that anyone accessing the site will see the same questions on the live exam...The reliability of the test taker’s score is less in question than the ethical behaviour of those trying to “game” the system.

Either way, a system where a fixed exam is offered 4 times a year and questions are not reused would be much safer in India. Because in a test like CAT where competition is so intense that even a single question can make a difference, you don't want to take a chance. After all credibility is paramount.

I also think India must have an online + offline model in order to make the CAT fully accessible. At least for the next few years.

Getting back to the GMAT controversy, students who had purchased 'VIP' access to Scoretop over the last 5 years are currently under scrutiny. This includes those who are current students and even MBA graduates.

GMAC has won a $2.3 million copyright infringement judgment against the Scoretop site, thus shutting it down and getting access to the hard drive containing all subscriber information. The suit was filed in June 2007.

It is unlikely that all 6000 VIP members will be affected but GMAC is following the 'electronic paper trail' which indicates which users were aware of the fact that some questions were indeed live and not "fully owned by scoretop [and] written by our own…tutors" as the site claimed.

Incidentally the owner of Scoretop - Lei Shi - has fled to China. There are at least 7 sites similar to Scoretop based in China and Businessweek writer Louis Lavelle reports that GMAC's lawyers have been in touch with the Chinese government re: copyright infringement.

I suspect there might be sites based in India with live questions as well... Or private tutors/ classes who share the same. Anyone with info on this should drop a comment below. Might be of some assistance to your fellow students.

Personally I say it is not worth the risk of getting permanently busted.