I would say that the person in the post is incidental. It was simply the President of the US who had visited us…not an individual. This can be validated by the sheer fact that the placard displaying his identity also said Prez and not bushes and hedges…!

The experience was amazing. The setting was perfect. The atrium had never looked prettier! And the school never as excited.

He was scheduled for 1225 hours. We had to start assembling at 1000 hours…which we did. The security was tight…the frisking was equivalent to the US port of entry…! These ‘manual scanners’ must have the weirdest feelings within…about their job. I mean…how cool…or the opposite of it…is it to feel 300 guys in under an hour. And I mean…feel…believe me…if you are thinking on ‘those’ lines…you are actually not very far from the truth…!

So we take our seats and it’s a wait for the next 2 hours. We had good fun though…cracking monkey jokes…general arbit CP…trying to second guess his jokes…and very soon it was 1210. at that precise moment we heard the copter fly over us…the pre had arrived.

The next 15 mins were very similar to the pre-interview experience. The butterflies in your stomach suddenly realize that there is more room for them to dance than they ever thought…! And my stomach…oh u bet…there is an entire airfield…!

In comes Condaleeza Rice with Rajat Gupta (Chairman ISB Board and what not…check the link…!!!) I don’t know if you felt this…but it’s a pretty weird feeling when the person whom you have seen so much on TV…read so much about…is suddenly in front of you. its not a feeling of “oh my god…she will feel I am nothing as compared to her…”…but more like… “oh my god…she is actually real…and lo behold…looks the way she always does…!!!”

And then…

“Ladies and Gentleman…please welcome the ambassador Mulford…and the president of the United States”

And in come the 2 gentleman. It was pure basic instinct for everyone to get up. For all that he is worth…no one can deny the gravity of his post…

What followed was a 1.45 hour session with a select panel…and us as the audience. Some observations:

1. He was definitely wittier than I though he would be…very impressive…
2. He is totally bullish on India…!
3. And he was repeating this so much that he didn’t quite end up answering the exact questions that were asked…!
4. He has made some bad decisions in life…and we won’t ever…come to know why. But I do accept that his is not the best position in the world…I mean…I don’t for one envy his position…because everything that he does shall always have opposition. But then he has to take a stand…
5. “American is a nice country…and Americans are decent people. They are nice. You probably don’t like America because of me…”. Now that’s a humble statement according to me. I didn’t think this guy was capable of saying something like this…

Overall…great experience. Wonderful opportunity for ISB especially to put itself on the world map…which has started in a tremendous way with the kind of publicity this visit has provided. Phenomenal to say the least.

After his departure…students were interviewed…I was too…! By TV9…that’s the world famous Hyderabad channel…watched by close to 23 people…22 of whom work for the channel…! But what the heck…atleast someone watched…! :)

The 1st 10 mins of his time at ISB:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/03/20060303-3.html

~a