Insight

@Work: There were times when my cubicle became my home. 70 hours a week at office. I did gain a lot of respect from my peers for indomitable spirit and can do anything attitude. did learn a lot of technical concepts, Worked (patiently) with complete ********, got a hike, lost out on promotion. A mixed bag, really. But in the end I can say I scored well but a familiar sense of disappointment looms large. @Home: I had decided to spend more time at home with my family, but I didn’t even come close. Did enjoy a vacation with my cousins and their kids, but that ate into my holidays and the little time i spent at Home was filled with my outbursts about incompetent colleagues, and my non existent social life. I had them more worried when i was with them than away. I had failed big time. @Social Life: My social life has been a disaster. I would spent a zillion hours staring at my laptop. Total Internet consumption for the year has been a staggering 160 GB. There was this trip for a collea...

There was this eye camp at office, and I did go to get an eye check up. The optician makes me stare at a computer and almost blinds me with her flashlight, then after a while he asks me to read the alphabets on a board about 3 meters away. I reeled them off at 2 alphabets per second. I was ready to give my triumphant smile, when she pointed out that I had the last row completely wrong, she fits a lens over my eyes, and the letters became much clearer. I had read P as S Q as O and X as H. That’s right, you can smile now, I need glasses. So I did plan to go to an eye hospital and get myself an in and out test, and set off. On the way I had to give my camera for a service. I stopped by at KFC for a Zinger meal, and though it was a hot afternoon the food court was full. There were a lot of attention grabbers as well. (Read hot chicks). Just as I finished ordering a burger a smoking hot blonde walked in. Naturally, a lot of heads turned, she came and stood over the counter and until she lef...

Yesterday, we decided to sell off our old fridge. To begin with, it was weird to sell off something which we took for rent. But we called up an agent and he agreed to send someone to take the fridge away. My roommates were busy and had to go out, so i was the one who had to wait for the guy who was supposed to pick up the fridge. i was given the Contacts number and name ("Kabaali"). I told the agent that our apartment was at the second floor, and it would take some effort to get the thing down. His response was "Elaam Kabaali pathukuvaar" (Kabaali will take care of everything). Two hours later, i got a call from Kabaali, he couldn't find my apartment. He wanted me to come to the street corner, where he was waiting with his vehicle. I went out to meet him, and when i reached the corner i found a couple of very tough looking guys next to a mini truck. I was about to ask them to follow me, when my phone rang again. It was Kabaali and he had found my apartment a...

Last month, a friend of mine and I had to go out. It was super hot that day, and we decided to stop for a drink. As we were relaxing with the drink in the shade of the shop, I saw a group of youngsters who had set a stall in the roadside and were holding up messages against Child labor and were conducting a signature campaign. The first thought that came in my mind was “What are the Idiots doing?”. I pointed it out to my friend, (who to my surprise was offended by my remark). She went on about the need to speak out and let our voices be heard and people like me had to empathize. I remained silent. I couldn’t somehow understand how a signature campaign or giving out notices in the hot sun will help stop Child labor. In a democratic country such as India, the idea of people’s voice being heard is very much in. Students, political parties, and various groups use mechanisms such as hartals, rallies, protest marches to showcase their strength whereas smaller groups, a...

Last month, a friend of mine and I had to go out. It was super hot that day, and we decided to stop for a drink. As we were relaxing with the drink in the shade of the shop, I saw a group of youngsters who had set a stall in the roadside and were holding up messages against Child labor and were conducting a signature campaign. The first thought that came in my mind was "What are the Idiots doing?". I pointed it out to my friend, (who to my surprise was offended by my remark). She went on about the need to speak out and let our voices be heard and people like me had to empathize. I remained silent. I couldn't somehow understand how a signature campaign or giving out notices in the hot sun will help stop Child labor. In a democratic country such as India, the idea of people's voice being heard is very much in. Students, political parties, and various groups use mechanisms such as hartals, rallies, protest marches to showcase their strength whereas smaller groups, and ac...

Humans are very conscious about their Identity. It shows by the way we try to parade ourselves in the society, we wear the best when we go out, young men show off their well tanned muscles, ladies show off their elegant curves. It is there everywhere! But when we ask somebody to identify themselves they identify themselves as an Asian, Indian, Malayalee, Hindu and so on or as a part of a Community based on their Religion or Ethnicity. Rarely do people identify themselves with their own capabilities, we do show off our "Assets" to others but we area bit hesitant to say I am "Intelligent", "Smart”,” Beautiful" what not? So it is like each one of us are Comfortable in identifying ourselves in plural communities. People coexist in a number of communities. A person can be a Hindu, a Scientist, an Asian, a Researcher, a CSK Team Supporter, but the question remains as which identity we would, prefer to be identified with. The importance given by a person onto a c...

Living in India is fun, you can always expect something out of the blue. After suffering two accidents in the same day, i decided not to use a two wheeler for some time. So almost for the last two months i take the bus(MTC) to my office. i have to travel about 6 miles. The journey ideally should take about 20 minutes, but in the bustling traffic it takes a little less than an hour. This one hour has been an eye opener. I have learnt the art of dangling precariously on a footboard holding on to a fellow commuters shirt, joust with other travelers trying to get out. If i do manage to get a seat, then the sights and sounds of this city can keep one so occupied. The MTC manages to find its way through the traffic with minimal effort. I am pretty amazed at the skill of the drivers, they treat the big green monster like a bicycle and zoom around. The MTC edges out all the vehicles to the side and marches on. I have heard our driver call out to the vehicles in traffic “Clear my way for your o...

Mornings, i love them, the sunrise, the fervor which we do things, for me at least it sets the tone of the day. And nothing beats it when you start the day off with a steaming mug of tea.My room mates and I, have been bitten by the laziness bug of late. Each one if us would loveto have tea in the morning, but who makes it is the million dollar question. Making tea, sounds an easy thing right? No, not in Plot 162. We do not have a stove, do not buy milk. Here, Making tea involves the tedious processes of boiling water in a electric heater, using tea bags, and mixing the right amount of milk powder. More often than not i found myself making tea for all, because i was the first one to get up in the house. Though not an expert i can make something that i can gulp down with minimal difficulty. For the past two months, work at office has been so hectic that i dont wake up early in the morning, Now the tea making responsibility is being shared by my roommates as well. Last month one of them g...

Of late work has been so hectic that i have to take my evening call with my clients at 8.30 PM. I have always been against working late nights, but suddenly i am stuffed up with so much that, i can clear up the mountain only by then. The harder i try to complete it soon, the more difficult it seems to get. The work is good, am enjoying the challenge, but in this i have missed doing two things that i love doing my evening walk and Dinner. By the time i start most hotels are closed except a small eat let near my place. Getting stale dosas from a guy who likes a murderer and eating it at 10:45 by the road side was not what i expected in my life. What else i am going to live with in the pursuit of dizzying heights in the corporate world, God Knows!!  And when i come back to open my blog to crib about i see ( Rowena's Blog ) with pict ures of delicious looking stuff she has made, and hear Goofy blabbering about her cooking skills. Life is Cruel. I miss GOOD FOOD!!!!!! I took a break fro...

“The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.” How true, how many times have you seen some one do something you never expected them to do in the first place. These people make you feel all pumped and are the inspiration to make you move from what you are! I follow the Reality show Britain has got talent. I watch the show for a couple of things. First for the extremely beautiful judge Amanda Holden, a pleasure to watch her. The Second reason being Simon Cowell, the master of Cynicism, his sarcastic replies can make Chandler Bing look mortal. Some of the acts were outrageous, some hillarious. There have been times, when I've stared, and wondered is that possible. If we are to judge a person, the first thing that some of them look for is the way some one looks. i have been guilty of that charge too, we tend to write off people who have absolutely no chance to figure on the cover Page of Vogue or any fashion Magazine for that matter. Last week, i saw a 48 year ...

I parked my car in the garage, and sat inside the car for a couple of minutes. i longed for a minute of silence before I drowned in a world of chaos. Being a single parent was tough, and trying to manage twins along with a high paying job was crushing me. I knew that it was only time before i cracked completely. My baby sitter was waiting for me at the door with a scorn. I mumbled an apology for being late. According to her “The Imps (as she called them) would show her Hell everyday on Earth”. My daughters were'nt naughty, they would go that extra level to make Dennis the Menace look nice. I wondered what the little imps were up to. As soon as I stepped inside the house i was mobbed by Ria and Aria. I was almost knocked over. A flurry of words hit me, complaints about teachers, about the baby sitter and news from school was thrown at me in less than a minute. The human mind is designed to consider a million facta at a time but right then nothing made sense to me. I tried to calm th...

I was looking at a photograph in my wallet, when a snob walked in, saw the picture and threw a nasty remark. For a moment I forgot everything, the office, corporate world, and gave a full blooded punch on his face. He reeled from the effect, held his hands against a bloody nose and ran away without a word. The whole office floor looked stunned. Nobody knew that the punch carried the weight of disappointment. For five years, I had kept the disappointment away, but today the small comment brought the emotion out. I walked out straight to the tea shop behind my office, lit a cigarette, my first in years and sat there lost in thought. I took, out the photograph, and stared at the picture of the girl in it. I had never stopped loving her. My thoughts went to the day when we last met, she stood there looking upon me with complete disappointment, in spite of my best intentions I would always find myself on the other side of her. That day, the gulf between us stretched too far, and she left me...

It was a hot day, Zafar felt the heat, in spite of the Air conditioned car. Are we there yet? he asked his chauffeur. No sir there is a block ahead, and we might be a bit late..stammered the old man. Zafar didn't like to be late. Now what..mumbled the star. The chauffeur lowered his window and asked a pedestrian as why the traffic was being held up? The man gave a shrug and walked away..apparently he had a lot of things to be worried about than a road block. The chauffeur looked back at the actor, he had already lost interest and was stretching in his new car. What a life this man had was the only thing he could think about …He was 26, a multimillionaire, had a girlfriend every week, and most importantly paid him very well. that was the sole reason that he put up with the actors whims and fancies. “Where is My IPOD?”. The Chauffeur knew that Zafar was in one of his moods and it would be best to leave him alone. He got out of the car and realized how hot it was outside..dusty too…he...

I remember the first thing that came in my mind when the clock struck twelve this new year eve was "i am not going to let this year out of control". If you take out a couple of failed attempts at the GMAT, a crush that Crashed, a bad Accident, and getting kicked out of a Project after slogging for three and a half years the Last year was not a bad one, I just played the big points badly and that cost me dearly. It was these mistakes that i wanted to correct this year. And something that is helping me do it is the book " The Flight of Jonathan Livingston Seagull". I have read this book before, but now that i find myself in a situation very similar to Jonathan Livingston; this has become life altering. So let us come back to what has happened in this year so far... A few days into the New year and here i was facing the first big point of the year . I knew i had to pull it off. I set my heart to it. I do not know if i have pulled it off, but am happy with the eff...