The Green signal

Place: Anna Salai, Near US Visa Consulate, Chennai

Time: 7:57 A.M, June 08, 2011

Fast pumping Heart praying to all gods, Numb hand holding heavy folder having enough information to write a biography on me, anxious eyes searching for confidence, attentive ears scanning the environment to get clues about the current interviews discussed by co-aspirants and aching legs due  to standing in multiple long lines - That’s how my day at consulate started.

Place: Inner Building, US VISA Consulate, Chennai

Time: 8:00 A.M, June 08, 2011

 After initial formalities of verifying your initial documents such as DS-160 confirmation with photograph(If your photograph in DS-160 form was a older one, then you need to supply fresh photograph at the counter, else not needed), VI appointment letter, degree certificate, GRE & TOEFL score sheet, SEVIS Fee, I-20 and photograph, they collect your finger prints. Thank god, they do not collect toe prints! You are ushered into another building which looks similar to Railway reservation counter in all terms as mentioned by one the fellow EDULIX member, but the difference is the crowd obeys the rules and remains calm. So, you can clearly hear what is going on in all counters. My heart started to race when I witnessed the interview at one of the counters where the Interviewer was framing questions based on the answers provided by interviewee for the previous question. My mother’s prayer helped me to gain god’s blessing which allocated my number to a jovial Interviewer. He was big American whose size when compared to mine is like comparing USA and India’s map area 3:1! I sharpened my ears and listened to what conversation was going at the counter. The interviews were short at my counter and all were approved! So I gained confidence which got further boosted after seeing the Wisconsin guy’s approval, who was standing in front of me in the line. I tried to grasp what his accent was during the Wisconsin guy’s interview and appeared before with a big smile in my turn.

Place: Inner Building, US VISA Consulate, Chennai

Time: 8:20 A.M, June 08, 2011

VO: Hi

Me: Gd Mrng Sir (with a beaming smile)

VO: Gd Mrng, How are you?

Me: Fine

VO: Can I have your docs, please?

Handed the docs thru the tray. Thank god, they collect and arrange the necessary docs before hand, put it in separate folder and avoid us from fumbling at the Interview.

VO: SO, Where are you going? (Starts typing in the computer and maintains same posture till the end of interview!)

Me: Pursue Masters in Comp Science at UCI

VO: Why UCI?

Me: Distinguished Faculty, Flexible course structure which matches my career interest.

VO: What was your Undergrad score? (Fished out my GRE and TOEFL score simultaneously)

Me: Ours is a percentage system, I scored xx.xx%

VO: What you did after graduation?

Me: Worked for so and so company and then shifted to another company.

VO: Who is going to fund you?

Me: My parent and I have availed a loan.

VO: Your Visa is approved, Please go and concentrate on your studies.

Me: Thank you sir (Heart pumped at the speed of twice the Horse power!)

Wore pink glasses, floated in the air and conveyed the news to my nervous mother waiting outside the consulate.

Guys the only tip I could share with you based on my experience is:

“Chin up, wear a big U on your face, walk ahead, get the green signal from the government, put your career expedition on tracks and start accelerating!”

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Go Nuts

I carried out espionage during my early days of career. I shared cubicle with my previous Team Lead. She was a health freak and used to carry a Tupper ware filled with sprouts or fruit slices. I used to tip off about the whereabouts of this secret energy to my other senior mates. After frequent theft, she started to carry the box in her hand bag, and thus we lost our daily nutrient supplement. Being health freak is not gender biased; I had a friend in my college who was a body builder. He used to soak a handful of sprouts daily in the night like an old man safeguarding his false teeth set. Early morning, friends it means 4:00 A.M not 8 or 9 A.M, after rigorous exercise he used to eat it which replenished his exhausted body. Through him I came to know the terms like Biceps, triceps and Wings. Wings? Yes, it seems we human too have some sort of muscles in the shoulder which expands, but the difference is only visible for the body builders not for soggy bodied souls.


If you are not interested in rigorous exercise and bland food, then subscribe the next easiest method i.e. “healthy food in limited quantity called healthful snacking”. Each and every word is important to be followed in the previous line like an insurance claim condition. Snacking word doesn’t cover junk food, masala fried food, oily and crispier foods. Healthful strictly includes only fresh fruits, dry nuts like almonds, walnuts, salt free pistachio and no aerated drinks (Are Bar drinks prohibited? This question is out of scope for this blog :-P). Limited means, the above food items won’t serve the purpose if you munch them in large quantities. If you are interested to know more about what to eat, and how much to eat, then please visit this link. Also I do not want to bore you like nutritionist saying eating this will stimulate this and will result in that. You can find those details too at the above mentioned link. So, start following the above guidelines in a gradual process and see the effect in longer version of time. Yes you read it correct; this is not a single click or instant mix result. Finally, do share your desk and location details with me! ;-)