@ Work

Sitting at work, an observation hit me hard once again. All said and done, men of any nationality do seem to be very nice to women, to start with at least; its civility and chivalry at its best.

There is a definite advantage being a woman and making use of it does make some sense to the pragmatic mind. Now the purists might say that this isn’t ethical, but then, will this be coming under the banner of ethics and all, if a lady has not in specific asked for it and then got it as a result of her sex? The answer is clearly, No. Firstly, the woman never even thought of something like that and secondly she didn’t want the help. Well at some point of time it does help one’s cause to make life livable, I personally think it should be used, but like all things life, caution and discretion is a must.

So being a women at work and making the most of it because of the simple reason that you are a woman and not have to do anything to get that is a flattering proposition. I for one, never seemed to have understood why and have asked many of my close men friends. They have this wonderful smile on their face (surely thinking about that last incident which they are relishing it again now) and just say, “Understand madam.” Hmm… I guess my readers did understand and can probably throw some light on this. One of the burning topics that I have been unable to unravel and my guess is, no one really has been either. Comments and observations as always are welcome.

Parthipura - Part 1

I have been getting numerous mails asking me as to how am I doing “Down Under”. “What have you seen so far?”, “Post all the pictures.” Hmmm.. I wouldn’t want to start the blog on a sad note, but then the most FREAKING thing about this place, or so I have heard about most places in OZ is, shops close down by 5 or max 6 in the evening. Praise the lord there are some shops that are kept open till 7 or 8 in the evening. Apparently, Thursdays and Fridays are the designated shopping days for the folks here. Logon, aasha ki kiran ab bhi kahin jeevit hai!!!

I am dying to talk to someone and talk more than just a “how you doing?”- I am supposedly doing good. I have all the time in the world to do absolutely anything. Unfortunately everything closes by 6 and it is dark by 5:30. A woman going around alone is not safe. So, will the kind souls tell me what other options do I have? Well, apart from updating my blog (every other day), I think I can hear folks back home yelling and sayinh, cook, cook. Yes, I agree. Even without them yelling. The last few days have been spent eating “ghaas-phoos”, in ordinary English, I am living on salads, burgers, wraps and weird stuff that folks here call food. Mercifully, I will be going to an Indian store this weekend. Why mercifully? Well, I did try getting something for today to cook, and came to know that chilli powder is out of stock. Not my fault, and left to eat one of the funniest dinners ever possible. Soup, apple, orange juice and left the Greek salad. He just put all possible crotons that one sees in the pots back home, into it. I couldn’t eat it. Just chucked it into the bin without least of remorse.

But the thing to still look forward is the lovely weather, pretty scenic views and some interesting shopping left to be done. I hope these things will not be disappointing. I’ll have to go about with a pinch of salt, am all alone, so wherever I go it will be “Main aur meri tanhayee, aksar yeh batein karte hai….” Oops, forgot my Ipod Nano and the rebel, chalo kuch to hai.

PS: The title is inspired by my dear friend, recent Ex-Infoscion.
PS 2: It is that undying habit to comment and express my critical views upon everything, something and nothing that is driving me to end up writing such posts. Earlier it was just few people who were subjected to this torture, now thru this blog I have the humanity. (The sadist in me - Chuckles!! )

Heroplane

My daily bus drive to office takes me around the city in about an hours’ time. The best part of the morning ride is the view of the airport runway. Many a times the timing of our bus has been such that the aeroplane just about lands or is about to take off. The alignment during take off is perfect. The front wheels are exactly in middle of the lights that are placed for marking this. There is hardly any level of deviation to this.

To me, the take-off, airborne flight and landing have always been a matter of awe. Fine, I heard people yelling that science has progressed so much and all the jibberish and so on, but I insist on writing this blog. I insist on capturing those innocent and pristine memories of childhood when I used to stand in my balcony and wave at those helicopters or an occasional plane that flew over our house. And assume that they can actually see me and they do wave back, just that I can’t see that they are waving. Sometimes even go running behind the plane in an attempt to chase it. I remember my little bro calling the Airport, Hairport and the Aeroplane, Heroplane. It has kind of stuck on and mostly all of us at home still use the same name. It instantly brings a smile on our faces and throws one into reverie of the golden period.

Looking at the surface from a height of thousands of feet for an acrophobic can be a quite exhilarating experience. I never miss the window seat in my journeys. Well if the plane crashes then I might as well see my last descent. Some would say, what a pessimistic way of travel, but then I look at it otherwise. I am in absolute awe of the latest Boeing 787. The pics sent were courtesy one of my Aerospace engineer friend. This guy is scared of flying, for the simple reason that he kinda knows what could be wrong because of such and such noise. Good gracious! I didn’t take that branch in my engineering; otherwise added to my fear things would just have been “flights of fantasy”.

And yes, I am soon to get a Boeing craft as a gift from the same “Aero” friend. Will update the blog with a pic, as and when I get it.

This post is dedicated to the same “Aero A” friend.

Can't think of a title!

Ahh!! I finally get some time to start this new year on my blog. 2006 seems to have gone past in a whiff. Thought it was just my perception, surprisingly many people have concurred on this. In a way, it feels good.

2007 is here and we are soon to hit mid Jan. I am yearning for a pause: a pause from duties, responsibilities, ambition and relationships. Not that I am vexed, but then life a little slow paced would probably suit me a lot better. May be just take a year off and go around India. Splendid!

But, the flip side of all this is that am enjoying myself tremendously. Just read about the ephemeral and ever changing factor in life conveyed as a simile through Water. Yes, I quite agree to that.

Coming in touch with long lost friends, one always ends up being jittery as to how would this meeting be. The moment you meet the void automatically fills up and there seems to be a continuum of time. The magic of the days gone by rekindles itself and results in the best.

This year, has started on a similar note. Lets see hows the desert safari this year :-))

Urge

The urge to blog comes up at the most inopportune moments. Worst time is when the lights are out and am cozily wrapped up in my blanket. I think am at my scribing best at that time and totally loath the idea of changing status quo. Chances are rare when I have overcome my “Garfieldian” tendencies to open my lappy and start scribbling.
Presumably this situation is similar with many of us. Some I heard, have their brainwaves in the loo (man! What a place!!??!!) . I wonder what all are the other places/times when the bulb glows. (doesn’t that phrase immediately remind one of the scene when Jerry has a brainwave to tackle Tom? It does for me :-) )

So whenever or whatever, I hope the bulbs keep popping for you when required all through the coming year.

Yippie…. 2007 is coming soon.

Winters in Hyd

The onset of winter in these parts of the country is very different from those in northern part of the country. For that matter elsewhere in the world where temperatures dip very low during the day and snow covered landscapes are a regular feature.

All said and done, the winters here in Hyd are nice in their own way. A respite from the scorching summers that never seems to end. Mornings are lined with sun and a slight chill in the air that seems to play a hide – n – seek with ones mood. An instantly smile is obvious. What better way to start a day?

The slightest signs of chill in the air and folks around are out with their winter couture. Well, even we should get a chance to sport all those cardigans and jackets painfully collected to ward off the wintery blues. आखिर हमे हक्क नही है क्य। ? That kind of seems to be the attitude around here. Having stayed in a very cold place at one point of time, this attitude did seem to put me off. Did have a condescending look toward all those creatures who brought out the sweaters at the slightest provocation of cold. But then, times have changed, am soon to be a quarter centurian and more to say “Once a Hyderabadi, always a Hyderabadi”. Caring a damn about what the outsiders think, I have joined the bandwagon with utmost alacrity.

With the IT corporates abuzz, this laid back town is now running to keep up with the changing times. I am both happy and sad with this change. The city dresses itself to follow all the myriad festivals coming up and Christmas and New year being round the corner along with Id, winters in Hyd are very vibrant, in spite of the chill. What the heck!!! I get to wear my jackets ;-)

A pleasure

Just when I thought the day will never end...
The last ounce of patience seems to be ebbing out...
The auto breaks down...
Water seems to be the most elusive thing ever available on the surface of the earth...
And the face wears an expression of a disgusting frown...irritated and depressed....

A child looks at you and suddenly waves with a divine smile.....

I was jolted to reality with that. A smile was then inevitable and suddenly the day didn't seem bad at all.

That scene of the child will remain one of my fondest memories - Keep smiling!

Days gone by...

Sometimes the days are so busy that it seems merely a couple of days and an entire week or fortnight has gone by. The busy schedules and the eternal rush to get to some place or the other has made me forget that June is coming to an end. Half of the year would be over!

Hmm.. so its definitely some time to stop and take a stock of the situation. This definitely reminds me of the famous Einstein quote –

“When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity.”

How the relativity factor brings in a different angle to every aspect. The days that seem to have flown past or the hours that dragged on like days. All in all a pretty interesting month so far. Managed to get another stamp on my passport and enjoyed my stay in KL. Experimented with my new cam and realized am relatively a mere novice and a long way to go to be considered a true amateur.

June brings back many fond memories and its been three years since I started working. I think its time I get back to my books now :-)

Random thoughts

There are times when I feel like entering a copy of every moment that goes past or rather observations that would make up something interesting to ponder. The feeling is overpowering. A greed to capture the most vivid or weirdest of incidents that fascinate me.

An interesting play of light on water or a lovely long ride to end of a country on a moon lit night, the moment seems just beyond words to capture. The harmony of the waves gently caressing the white sands or the expanse of azure stretching to the horizon. Some of the most stellar settings of the nature are so simply done, I am humbled.

Thrown in with an equally interesting and lively mix of company makes the experience cherish. The disparity in thought or the equanimity in action is also fun. Couldn’t help but notice that there should just be one chef per kitchen. The rest as followers makes things amiable. One place where I can surely say that team work is good but contributing ideas is a bad option.

What makes all this randomness complete is the music that seems to be inherent in all the elements that are a part of it.

Deadlines Amuse Me!

Well this was my motto, as a developer, things are cool. You are given such and such work to be completed by such and such time, you just do it. There always remains a yearning desire to be in the coveted position of a lead.

Progress to be a lead and deadlines are no more amusing! Why? Well, simply because doing a task is by far the easier thing to do than getting it done by someone. Struggle or search, whatever the means one can learn and complete a task. There exist varied elements that one comes across, while getting tasks done. Some dependable and some who are not. Now welcome to the third variety, who seemingly gives one, a very high perception of his/her capability but in the end churn up issues that definitely create a perception of standing in at the bottom of an abyss.

But then, all cribs being put up, I still love it when I am in charge. The satisfaction of seeing a good job done or rather let me put it, getting a good job done with such disparate elements is a matter of glee.

Hoping to bask in that situation… I now get back into my monitors role. Yes, deadlines kinda amuse me.

People

The people around me are many... one need not comment upon this, but the the myriad personality types is what intrigues me the most. I have come across some of the best and worst in this short span that I have been on this planet.
To start with some of the worst... these are people who validate the saying "Empty pitcher makes more noise" time and again. These people are typical nosey, do not do any work, but keep "supervising" the others. I might sound very harsh, but I hate the lot who expect everything doing nothing. Such elements have kept me at my harshest best all through the last few weeks. Couldn't help mesmerised at the cheap tricks they resort to :-) .

But, on the other hand I have soo many others who make my life worth by their mere presence. Many a times now, I cannot help but being smug at the number of such people. They have been with me through all my ups and downs and are ready to help me whenever I need them. Each of them are highly talented individuals and I continue to remain in awe of all of them . It so happened that two of them decided to shine with their brilliance at the same time.
One of them has put up a superb article in his blog. I must admit that at no point while I was reading, felt that this was just a post. It had the lucidity of expression coupled with facts and observations that made the article what it is. Hoping he will not mind me adding the link to the same....
http://sarvamekam.blogspot.com/2005/03/advertising-adversity_03.html
I am sure whoever visits this will not be wasting their time. :-)

My acquaintance with this spirited lady has made me take a number of things in a much different perspective. I love her exuberance and her spontaneity. This characteristic is reflected in all her actions and more so in her literary works. One such lovely example is here....

" baat kucch khaas hai, warna dil kyun udaas hai...

kyun aankon mein jalan, dil mein ek kashish hai pyaas hai
kyun nahi kahin chain kyun chubhta hua sa yeh ehsaas hai
kyun yaad aatey hai woh saare pal kyun dil ko aaj bhi teri talab teri talash hai
kyun nahi milta pyar ka sabab kyun iss dil ko khushi se aitraaz hai
nahi hai inn sab sawaloon ke koi jawab bus itna saa abhaas hai.. ki baat wakai kucch khaas hai. "

Agar kisi ek mukhde ka koi itna sundar antara likh sakta hai, to woh zarror meri yeh dost Archana hi ho sakti hai.

Thanks for allowing me to make this piece a part of my blog.