A journey that had started five years back had reached a conclusive closure last year… and now its one year since the event. I know I keep going back to the past… but tell me who can ever forget the Wonder Years of WASE? Who can ever forget the day when WASE was finally over, or for that matter when it started? The dream… how strange it felt when it became a reality. I have dedicated two of my blogs to WASE but it still seems as if I have not done justice to the Wonder Years.
The timing for this blog couldn’t have been any better… five years back, on this very date -8th of September, I had set foot on the Wipro campus… A beginning of an era. I know it’s not cut to cut one year since we have completed WASE but for all practical purposes it is.
I’ve had enough of looking back at WASE. This time I wanted to write about where all the ex-WASEians are, one year hence after closure of their WASE. Apart from that, I wanted to comprehend how a WASEian faces life and career after the completion of the course. I guess one year is enough time to look back and evaluate how we have put into action what we’ve learnt from WASE… in life and in work.
I’m not sure if I would be able to remember all so please utilize the comments section, should I miss you or otherwise as well. Here we go…
Call it coincidence or whatever. The guy with whom I shared my work for the four years of WASE happens to still be working with me… even after WASE was over. He is working as an associate consultant for a Private Banking company based out of Zurich. Still in Wipro, his name is Libin Thomas. He has lost more hair than the waist-size that he has gained.
“Tum humsha haste hi kyun rehte ho?”. “Kya karun Ma’am… meri shakal hi aisi hai”. That shakal (face) is something that has not changed except for the extra pounds that he has gained. His dream of having a six pack abs is still a dream. Having traveled to the US for a couple of times over the short term visa he is currently resting in Bangalore, before Uncle Sam gives him the H1. He holds the position of a Senior Software Engineer for a telecom major. Name: Debabrata Bhattacharya
She was beautiful when I first saw her… she still is. But I never knew that she talks so much and so fast!!! She’s a good blogger as well and a topper. No wonder I do not know much about her… I always kept my grades and myself as far away from the toppers. She’s a module lead for a Stock Exchange major based out of New York. The name is Kimi Shrivastava.
The first thing you would notice about this lady would be her ability to crack a joke without much of an effort. She has a big heart. A voracious reader, she had worked out of the US for quite a lot of times before she finally answered to India calling. This Module Leader has a remarkable mind and is fantastic with words. The name is Vrushali Nayak.
A pure coder and a technical guy, he didn’t know the meaning of A**Hole when he joined Wipro. Over the next four years he has improved a lot. Having worked out of the US, he is now back to Chennai as a Solution Delivery Analyst for a financial major. The name is Hemachandra Jayapal. “Ada Paavi”- his favorite quote.
He often gives the look as if he’s just been dropped from the sky. The curly hair adds to his composure well. An excellent and analytic mind, but extremely down to earth. The Hindi is pure, the jokes genuine and the look hilarious. After completing a short assignment at Montreal our Solution Delivery Analyst is back to Namma Bengaluru. No points for guess the name… its Deepak Aravindan.
Her smile is the most remarkable part of her. A ready 100 watt smile greets everyone. She prefers to be in Bangalore and not move too much though she works for a US major in Consumer Goods. She holds the designation of Senior Software Engineer. The name is Abitha Gujala.
They were together always. They came from Pune to Bangalore and were the members of the Pune Party. They worked for the same Insurance client. Having worked for a few months at the US, they came back home, got married and went back to Uncle Sam’s land. One is an Application Lead and the other Senior Business Analyst. Both complement each other… but he is lucky. The names are Azima Afrin and Fakhrudin Munshi.
“Yo, yo yo”. The American from Hyderabad. A dream to be in the US. Loves a certain genre of rock which is hard to pronounce and even harder to understand. Having been to the US for a couple of times. Getting ready for the final leap. Working as Module Lead for a Finance giant, he sees to it that he gets what he wants. The name is SaiKrishna Rao.
Size is deceptive. This lady is a potential atom bomb. Working as a Project Engineer for an Insurance major based out of Pune. Ask her something which she does not want to answer and she will ensure that she confuses you such that you would think (a) What was my question? (b) Why did I ask? If you have learnt how to surpass these two questions then believe me this atom bomb will never burst. She is now a content woman with a steady married life. The name is Anna… oops Annie Mathew.
Living life in slow motion- this is the mantra of the next person to be described. Her Hindi is masha-allah but atleast she tries. Jai Prakash Mishra loves playing pranks on her. A hardcore Bengaluru-wasi, she has been currently deported to Canada working as a Module Lead for Healthcare major. The name is Shylaja. “Aarey tum log hass kyun rahe ho”.
Another topper so I do not know much about him. Apparently we belong to the same for our graduation degree. God knows how many A+s he has got while I struggled to keep out of the Es. Works as a Technical Lead for a Retail major based out of Minneapolis. The name is Gupta babu... aka Niladri Gupta.
Another member of the Pune party, the most vocal. She has Bangla written all over her. A mischievous smile always on her she has finally resolved to India calling. Designated as Project Leader for an Insurance major she had once shared a plane trip with our annadata Azim Premji. The name is Cinema Ghosh… sorry Sunnyma Ghosh.
He could touch the ceiling while his hair could touch the floor. No flesh only bones. Based out of Boise for a Retail giant this Project Engineer is another potential topper. The name is Abhinav Das.
A lawyer would have been a suitable role but not a Senior Software Engineer. There is no autowallah left in Bangalore who has not had a row with this powerhouse. A charmer with the ladies, but luckily only once. His UP-70 Splendour does not leave him come what may. Someone once told him that he looks like a DJ and since then there is an honest attempt at pursuing this art… atleast the photos in orkut say so. The name is Kartikeya Roy. No no, he is no Bong…
Intense. Practical. A module Lead working for a banking major based out of London. Everything has a limit and every problem has a solution. Like me he also believes that daru peene ke liye sahi partner hona zaruri hai. This guy will make it big. Mark my words. Meet Sonal Srivastava. Please… it’s a he and not a she.
This guy is already big. Its hard to miss him. Debu had once seen a huge body coming from quite a distant and told me Panky is coming “Itna bada aur koi nahin ho sakta”. Over the years he has grown in all directions. His marriage was also one reason for him to grow. A perfect advertisement for the power of the Pulsar 150, a module leader for an Embedded product based company. Over the last few months has made the NSE/BSE as additional source of income. Meet Pankaj Dwivedi… Bade Pankaj.
Another lady with a ready smile on her face. I never knew that behind a serious face there was a funny character… leave that apart I even did not know that she was in my WASE batch. She had to do a lot of arm twisting to get into where she is now: an associate consultant for a private banking major. Just back from a two week business trip from the US; the name is Supriya Ananth. Always giggles. Her Hindi is lovely.
Late night Romeo. This is what the orkut profile says. Otherwise he is module lead for a manufacturing company. Always the heart of a party… loves to enjoy the jokes, most of them would be on him. Had worked out of Canada and would be traveling to the US… thanks to the H1. The name is Jaiprakash Mishra. “Aarey Saala…”
My erstwhile roommate. Loves to live in a world of his own. At times confusing but otherwise fun to be with. An application analyst with a financial major based out of Boston. Books, “Friends”series and any untouched concepts are his favorite. Otherwise he would be seen gyming or jogging. Meet Pankil Shah.
Netaji. Breaks all deadlines and promises. Too good with the Hindi language and caught in the wrong profession as a project engineer from San Francisco. He has the remarkable capability to talk gibberish about anything and to such an extent that you’d go mad. Meet Niloy Sen.
Mr Cool... the silent one, he speaks little but never one of those who misses out on the fun. Working as a module lead based out of Pennsylvania for a healtcare major. Loves his Apache... Its our own Awinash.
Last but not the least. Seth. Based out of Beaverton this Solution Delivery Lead has a secret dream of owning the BSE, NSE and the NYSE. And he has embarked on the journey long long time back. Everything is planned and there is a plan B always ready. Till that place its fine… but I get mad when he comes out with Plan C and D as well… supposing A and B does not work. This is one of the toppers who happens to be quite close to me… Life cannot be boring when this Hyderabadi is with you. The name is Bhavesh Heniya.
Of-course there are many others whom I have missed due to lack of information on my part. And that brings us to a couple of important questions: Are we there where we wanted to be? Have all the ex-WASEians started the journey towards their dreams? One year hence…
The timing for this blog couldn’t have been any better… five years back, on this very date -8th of September, I had set foot on the Wipro campus… A beginning of an era. I know it’s not cut to cut one year since we have completed WASE but for all practical purposes it is.
I’ve had enough of looking back at WASE. This time I wanted to write about where all the ex-WASEians are, one year hence after closure of their WASE. Apart from that, I wanted to comprehend how a WASEian faces life and career after the completion of the course. I guess one year is enough time to look back and evaluate how we have put into action what we’ve learnt from WASE… in life and in work.
I’m not sure if I would be able to remember all so please utilize the comments section, should I miss you or otherwise as well. Here we go…
Call it coincidence or whatever. The guy with whom I shared my work for the four years of WASE happens to still be working with me… even after WASE was over. He is working as an associate consultant for a Private Banking company based out of Zurich. Still in Wipro, his name is Libin Thomas. He has lost more hair than the waist-size that he has gained.
“Tum humsha haste hi kyun rehte ho?”. “Kya karun Ma’am… meri shakal hi aisi hai”. That shakal (face) is something that has not changed except for the extra pounds that he has gained. His dream of having a six pack abs is still a dream. Having traveled to the US for a couple of times over the short term visa he is currently resting in Bangalore, before Uncle Sam gives him the H1. He holds the position of a Senior Software Engineer for a telecom major. Name: Debabrata Bhattacharya
She was beautiful when I first saw her… she still is. But I never knew that she talks so much and so fast!!! She’s a good blogger as well and a topper. No wonder I do not know much about her… I always kept my grades and myself as far away from the toppers. She’s a module lead for a Stock Exchange major based out of New York. The name is Kimi Shrivastava.
The first thing you would notice about this lady would be her ability to crack a joke without much of an effort. She has a big heart. A voracious reader, she had worked out of the US for quite a lot of times before she finally answered to India calling. This Module Leader has a remarkable mind and is fantastic with words. The name is Vrushali Nayak.
A pure coder and a technical guy, he didn’t know the meaning of A**Hole when he joined Wipro. Over the next four years he has improved a lot. Having worked out of the US, he is now back to Chennai as a Solution Delivery Analyst for a financial major. The name is Hemachandra Jayapal. “Ada Paavi”- his favorite quote.
He often gives the look as if he’s just been dropped from the sky. The curly hair adds to his composure well. An excellent and analytic mind, but extremely down to earth. The Hindi is pure, the jokes genuine and the look hilarious. After completing a short assignment at Montreal our Solution Delivery Analyst is back to Namma Bengaluru. No points for guess the name… its Deepak Aravindan.
Her smile is the most remarkable part of her. A ready 100 watt smile greets everyone. She prefers to be in Bangalore and not move too much though she works for a US major in Consumer Goods. She holds the designation of Senior Software Engineer. The name is Abitha Gujala.
They were together always. They came from Pune to Bangalore and were the members of the Pune Party. They worked for the same Insurance client. Having worked for a few months at the US, they came back home, got married and went back to Uncle Sam’s land. One is an Application Lead and the other Senior Business Analyst. Both complement each other… but he is lucky. The names are Azima Afrin and Fakhrudin Munshi.
“Yo, yo yo”. The American from Hyderabad. A dream to be in the US. Loves a certain genre of rock which is hard to pronounce and even harder to understand. Having been to the US for a couple of times. Getting ready for the final leap. Working as Module Lead for a Finance giant, he sees to it that he gets what he wants. The name is SaiKrishna Rao.
Size is deceptive. This lady is a potential atom bomb. Working as a Project Engineer for an Insurance major based out of Pune. Ask her something which she does not want to answer and she will ensure that she confuses you such that you would think (a) What was my question? (b) Why did I ask? If you have learnt how to surpass these two questions then believe me this atom bomb will never burst. She is now a content woman with a steady married life. The name is Anna… oops Annie Mathew.
Living life in slow motion- this is the mantra of the next person to be described. Her Hindi is masha-allah but atleast she tries. Jai Prakash Mishra loves playing pranks on her. A hardcore Bengaluru-wasi, she has been currently deported to Canada working as a Module Lead for Healthcare major. The name is Shylaja. “Aarey tum log hass kyun rahe ho”.
Another topper so I do not know much about him. Apparently we belong to the same for our graduation degree. God knows how many A+s he has got while I struggled to keep out of the Es. Works as a Technical Lead for a Retail major based out of Minneapolis. The name is Gupta babu... aka Niladri Gupta.
Another member of the Pune party, the most vocal. She has Bangla written all over her. A mischievous smile always on her she has finally resolved to India calling. Designated as Project Leader for an Insurance major she had once shared a plane trip with our annadata Azim Premji. The name is Cinema Ghosh… sorry Sunnyma Ghosh.
He could touch the ceiling while his hair could touch the floor. No flesh only bones. Based out of Boise for a Retail giant this Project Engineer is another potential topper. The name is Abhinav Das.
A lawyer would have been a suitable role but not a Senior Software Engineer. There is no autowallah left in Bangalore who has not had a row with this powerhouse. A charmer with the ladies, but luckily only once. His UP-70 Splendour does not leave him come what may. Someone once told him that he looks like a DJ and since then there is an honest attempt at pursuing this art… atleast the photos in orkut say so. The name is Kartikeya Roy. No no, he is no Bong…
Intense. Practical. A module Lead working for a banking major based out of London. Everything has a limit and every problem has a solution. Like me he also believes that daru peene ke liye sahi partner hona zaruri hai. This guy will make it big. Mark my words. Meet Sonal Srivastava. Please… it’s a he and not a she.
This guy is already big. Its hard to miss him. Debu had once seen a huge body coming from quite a distant and told me Panky is coming “Itna bada aur koi nahin ho sakta”. Over the years he has grown in all directions. His marriage was also one reason for him to grow. A perfect advertisement for the power of the Pulsar 150, a module leader for an Embedded product based company. Over the last few months has made the NSE/BSE as additional source of income. Meet Pankaj Dwivedi… Bade Pankaj.
Another lady with a ready smile on her face. I never knew that behind a serious face there was a funny character… leave that apart I even did not know that she was in my WASE batch. She had to do a lot of arm twisting to get into where she is now: an associate consultant for a private banking major. Just back from a two week business trip from the US; the name is Supriya Ananth. Always giggles. Her Hindi is lovely.
Late night Romeo. This is what the orkut profile says. Otherwise he is module lead for a manufacturing company. Always the heart of a party… loves to enjoy the jokes, most of them would be on him. Had worked out of Canada and would be traveling to the US… thanks to the H1. The name is Jaiprakash Mishra. “Aarey Saala…”
My erstwhile roommate. Loves to live in a world of his own. At times confusing but otherwise fun to be with. An application analyst with a financial major based out of Boston. Books, “Friends”series and any untouched concepts are his favorite. Otherwise he would be seen gyming or jogging. Meet Pankil Shah.
Netaji. Breaks all deadlines and promises. Too good with the Hindi language and caught in the wrong profession as a project engineer from San Francisco. He has the remarkable capability to talk gibberish about anything and to such an extent that you’d go mad. Meet Niloy Sen.
Mr Cool... the silent one, he speaks little but never one of those who misses out on the fun. Working as a module lead based out of Pennsylvania for a healtcare major. Loves his Apache... Its our own Awinash.
Last but not the least. Seth. Based out of Beaverton this Solution Delivery Lead has a secret dream of owning the BSE, NSE and the NYSE. And he has embarked on the journey long long time back. Everything is planned and there is a plan B always ready. Till that place its fine… but I get mad when he comes out with Plan C and D as well… supposing A and B does not work. This is one of the toppers who happens to be quite close to me… Life cannot be boring when this Hyderabadi is with you. The name is Bhavesh Heniya.
Of-course there are many others whom I have missed due to lack of information on my part. And that brings us to a couple of important questions: Are we there where we wanted to be? Have all the ex-WASEians started the journey towards their dreams? One year hence…
24 comments:
I am speechless....Don't have words..really...How you come up with so touching posts every time?
You rock Kunds!!....Thanks for connecting all of us together so beautifully!! :)
Posted at an very apt time..here i am reading your lines at 1 in the morning ..coming directly after a excursion.Reading this was just as beautiful as sitting by a stream of river,it seemed as if streams of memories gushing out as we move though the words.This is one subject,where even if time dosnt permit..every one of us..would find enough time to read it.
yeh dil maange more..
Tumne mere muh pe ek badiya hasi laa de :D ...how else could someone cherish the yesteryears of wase on a day like this! Spell bound...u rock buddy!
sourav - reading this post has been a heart warming experience for me... i don't know any of the characters in your post (except libin), but at the end of your rendition i can visualize most of them... just borrowing from one of the commentators of this post - "you rock and keep rocking on"... :-) cheers!!
Dont have words seriously....
:):):)
too good...
Kutte saaale.... Rulata hai be.... Aaj raat ko dekho sone nahin denge tere ko... Aur likhaenge... Likhte rehne... Waise how could you miss out on Awinash and Neel.... Mister cool & composed and mister casanova... Unke baare mein bhi likho....
Good one Kundu...really liked it ...
Good one Kundu...really liked it ...
Hey Sourav...nice article... keep writing... your comments are really touching :) :) Njoiiiiiii....
Till now i knew you, LIBIN and SONAL, but now i know Many More..Nice One..Mujhe to sab ab mere dost lag rahe hai..
Because of this blog of yours and others like this (written by you of course) LOTR seems boring... But anyways I am gonna finish LOTR :)
For me your WASE related blogs are the best..I can relate to them very easily..No need to use too much imagination!!! I miss WASE days and these blogs intensify the nostalgic notion..
That was such a good read...Got to know a little more abt everyone....Thanks for including us as well...keep up the good work...
Simply simply looovely!! :) early in the morning, u put a smile on my face dear!
Curious, innocent and cheerful faces - huddled into a common noun called 'wase 2003'
Five years hence, and countless moments in between, this post has re-lived the jewels we gathered along the way.
Rock On Kundu da :) u were superb!!
Hmmm.. no words... Kya liktha hai yaar... bahut maza aaya...As Im part of this.... i cud recollect all the memories.... U write too well....keep it up Sourav...
Hmmmm...Don know from where to start...
Due to lack of time to read, I have been saving all your mails in my 'To Read' folder. And I managed to read a few today. Both are awesome, the work done and the effort that has been put into it. And it was a plesant surprise to find my name there as well.
The blog rocks!!! Keep it up!!!
Dude...your words talk...
Sant.
Good Sweet Memories for today
Its has been 3 Years now; and the memories does seem to be so old
Good Old Sweet moments.
hey...loved reading ur blog...seems lyk u had a gr8 tym at wase!!
sry to ask u a silly question specially at such a place where u r refreshing ur old memories...buy can u pls tell me more abt life and career after wase.I hv been selected in wase...but my parents r worried if it wud yield any fruitful results.How has ur career been after completion of wase??
Hey Malika, I'm sorry for the delay in responding to your query.
2003 when I took up this program... it was a pretty different scenario out there, while now its quite different. If you have not enrolled for the course, you're not missing out on anything spectacular. If you are enrolled, please keep your exit options open after 4 odd years.
Good Luck!
Post a Comment