Friday, December 4, 2009

Getting Ready for the Visa

Hi All,

I have tried and searched for a form download of DS-156 and DS-157. All links seem to lead to http://evisaforms.state.gov. I followed the steps below and got back a printable application.

(1) Read the instructions on the page given carefully before entering the details of application.
(2) Click on the DS-156 link at the bottom of the page
(3) You will see a form into which you can enter the details like passport number, name and address, purpose of visit etc., [Its a pretty detailed form, so have a cup of coffee/tea/favorite beverage handy just in case you find it difficult to answer a few questions :) ಮತ್ತಂಗೆ!! ಜೋಕಿಲ್ಲ ಅಂದ್ರೆ ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಮಜವಿಲ್ಲ!! ಏನಂತಿರ??]
(4) Fill in the details accurately. Consult Dr. Upendra for any clarifications, if any. Then click on the "Continue" button at the bottom of the page.
(5) This will give you a PDF Document with all the details that you have filled in. Save that in your system and/or print it out.

We can exchange notes, when we come to get the photos.

Best of luck

Getting ready - USA

Dear friends,
As another step towards our preparation to reach USA, can we all down load the nonimmigrant visa application form, fill it up and exchange the notes on 12th when we meet. This helps us to iron out any items not clear to us.
Similarly, let us try to down load CBP forms I 94 and CBP declaration form to get ourselves acquinted with the form.
Reply at the earlies.
Rtn.Dr.Upendra

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Its My Team!!

If there is one place that I am very comfortable with, its my team!! At college, I have a team of faculty who support me in all that I do. Oh! we have great difference of opinions. No one agrees to what the other proposes. But, the most exciting thing about us at college is that we are willing to live with that difference and are willing to openly share our ideas, inspite of knowing that there will be differences. We schedule a meeting for half hour, but know that it will extend by atleast fifteen minutes, because of our differences.

But, we sit and thrash our differences out. Bring our points of view in the open and finally decide what we got to do. Once we decide that this is what we are gonna do, then there is no looking back. We go ahead and execute. There will be no further meetings, no further discussions, no further changes. Lot many number of times I was asked by colleagues in other departments, why we dont meet every week like they do in their departments. My only answer is that there is no such need. We know what we have to do and unless there is some serious issue, we dont have to meet. We review our progress, of course, and we do so with the help of emails or chat. I send out written communication on all important things that affect our plans and take decisions according to the policy decided.

Whenever I want to know if things are going as per plan, all I have to do is walk into the faculty member's chamber and ask. Usually it takes me five minutes per week during the semester to get feedback on execution. I usually do it when the faculty members walk into my chamber to pick up the attendance register or the projector. I sometimes wonder, that when I joined in 2007, I knew no one. But now, we are a team. We know each other well and we understand what each other is capable of and structure our work according to our strengths. Believe me, we did not do a single team building exercise, nor did anything explicit to build together as a team. How did it happen then? Magic?!! Frankly I dont have an answer. Does anyone have?

There is another place where the Magic is happening. Its My GSE Team. We meet, we share and we get to know a bit of each other every time. We havent had a big difference of opinion anytime now, but the way its going, I am sure we will see atleast one in the whole trip. There is and will be a lot to talk about. Will we be able to hold up to it and agree to disagree? Will we see through the tough and light times and go through dissimilar experiences and be okay with the only similarity being the dissimilarity of our experiece?

With those two gentlemen, who are our leaders, I am sure we should be able to make it. They are sane, sensible, and are making us into a team that holds. It is one thing to theorize and another to live the experiences of the theory. I like both. I am being able to do both. AW GAAD!! AM I ONE HAPPY PUPPY TODAY??!!??

Group of people to a team

I am happy that group of unknown people is transforming into a team. We have started knowing each other and slowly we also start understanding our responsibility. Unless we are a team, the whole objective of GSE is lost and we will not enjoy the program. So let us keep all our personel agenda aside and there will be only one agenda - agenda of the team. Can we make it to happen? Yes, I am confident that we can acheive that.
Rtn.Dr.H.A.Upendra