Sam woke up on time and got ready to leave for his office. “Goodbye Tejas, bye-bye Arnav… ghar mein badmashi mut karma…good boy hokar rehna… Theek hai?” Both the kids waved goodbye and out of curiosity, that is so much associated with them, asked Sam, “Uncle aap office kyun jate ho?” Sam waved them goodbye and walked away as if nothing had happened out of the unusual, as if this question had been asked a million times and he knew what the answer was but the kids were too naïve to understand. Or was it the other way around? Even if it had been the case, Sam didn’t let it show on his face. The obvious answer to the kids would have been- Beta, humko company paise deta hai office jane ke liye. Throughout the way to the office, Sam was silent and I could figure out what was going on in his mind.
Sam does not have a poster-boy charisma. He was not in the who’s-who of his school. He was not the best in sports or in studies. Net net, he was a mirror image of you or me. He comes from a small town and carries the values and believes that are so quickly diminishing in our fast paced world.
Sam comes from the era when dad came home by five o’ clock in the evening from the factory or the office. Dad would bring samosa or jalebi while coming back home. Mom would have prepared tea by then and it would be a small family spending its time together, talking about how the day was. Sometimes Dutta-uncle or Raj Uncle would also come home with dad. The friends would have garam “chai” while they spoke about work or anything else. Their lives were so good, they were in control, and they were free. We kids envied their lives and vowed that one day we would also have a life like theirs. Sam’s dad earned less than 10% what he earns now, but I guess he had other ways of making up for the remaining 90%.
Sam works for an IT firm as a consultant. He’s earning good money, but he does not find samosas and jalebis to buy.
Sam takes the best food in the restaurant but the risotto or the burgers are nothing when it comes to simple sabjee with roti.
He stays in one of the best places to say, but still misses a place called home.
He works, works diligently but does not know whether the work is really making a difference, atleast not to him. Does he get a sense of fulfillment? Of personal satisfaction? Let’s not talk about it.
He’s not working on some cutting edge technology but plain vanilla process improvement consultancy. The work might be good, but is it challenging enough...:)
He stays in a place where his neighbors are from around the world, but he still misses his family.
Even if Sam returns home by five o’clock in the evening, even if he comes home with a few friends and has the garam “chai” he would still envy his dad’s life. The five o’ clock office won’t be for long. The friends won’t come everyday and the garam “chai” would not be garam for long.
Dads… we just missed your lives…
Sunday, 26 October 2008
Sunday, 7 September 2008
One year hence...
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…
Saturday, 30 August 2008
The scent of a woman
The only way to tie the necktie that I know is the Windsors’. Generally I prefer wearing heavier ties but today I was wearing a lighter one, after a pretty long time. The result was that it took me three attempts to adjust the length. Before I left my house, I knew that I’d miss my bus. My fear was granted when I saw the bus leave from the bus stop, 50 meters from where I was.
As expected the bus stop was deserted when I finally settled down, trying to figure out which are the other connecting train and trams that I’d be missing for this delay. The frequencies are quite high at that time so I might not get delayed for the meeting.
I was waiting for my bus when a pretty lady came and sat just besides me. Usually I do not bother to look at whoever sits besides me, but she was someone different. It was the perfume that she was wearing, fresh floral fragrance. All that I can recollect was that the smell was fresh. Well, for the rest of the time I just tried to relate the scent to something which would help me remember it. I didn’t see her face then, but I knew she must have been attractive. A floral skirt and a thin anklet is all that I could see. She was reading the newspaper, while I tried to focus my attention as to what Nicholas Sparks had written in “The Rescue”.
The bus arrived and I found an empty seat, one of the only two empty seats and I was being followed by someone. This time I saw her face. The reason to be glad was that I could spend more time with the perfume. Our eyes locked and she smiled, I smiled back. Throughout the journey I contemplated whether to ask the name of the perfume that she wore. I knew it would be too rude on my part, but… but I wanted to know what the name was. Our destination came and we parted. From this place I was to board a train and at this time around it gets pretty crowded.
Putting the scented thoughts behind me, I started figuring out how my day was planned. A meeting at 8 would be the one which I was looking for from quite sometime. I had a couple of presentation on the solution proposed for the stakeholders in my assignment. Just as I was thinking about my work, it struck again, though mildly. I searched for the source frantically, because I was sure the carrier was not here with me. She had walked in the other direction as we alighted from the bus. This had to be someone else.
And then I found her. She was standing a couple of feet from me. Striking though, I thought I could do nothing more than to remember the smell. Our destination came quicker than what I had anticipated. Having spent quite sometime with the scent, I was sure to be able to describe it to the shopkeeper when I’d ask for it for my sweetheart.
My last leg of travel was via the tram. This time I did not have to try so hard. The lady sitting just ahead of me just took out the bottle as she sprayed modestly over herself, giving me enough time to read the label on the bottle and also have an extra share of the refreshing smell, just as the tram came to a stop. Feeling quite contend on finally being able to retrieve the name of the producer without much of an attempt I started for my day. How many times has it happened that something irresistible strikes and after eluding for a couple of times finally reveals itself? For me this was the first time.
Just one thought had lingered -all the three ladies were not one of the best looking but had dressed too amazing well. And I knew that my babe would have been as good as them and with the perfume… well I would need convincing reasons to leave her side.
As far as the name is concerned, it was Weekend by Burberry.
As expected the bus stop was deserted when I finally settled down, trying to figure out which are the other connecting train and trams that I’d be missing for this delay. The frequencies are quite high at that time so I might not get delayed for the meeting.
I was waiting for my bus when a pretty lady came and sat just besides me. Usually I do not bother to look at whoever sits besides me, but she was someone different. It was the perfume that she was wearing, fresh floral fragrance. All that I can recollect was that the smell was fresh. Well, for the rest of the time I just tried to relate the scent to something which would help me remember it. I didn’t see her face then, but I knew she must have been attractive. A floral skirt and a thin anklet is all that I could see. She was reading the newspaper, while I tried to focus my attention as to what Nicholas Sparks had written in “The Rescue”.
The bus arrived and I found an empty seat, one of the only two empty seats and I was being followed by someone. This time I saw her face. The reason to be glad was that I could spend more time with the perfume. Our eyes locked and she smiled, I smiled back. Throughout the journey I contemplated whether to ask the name of the perfume that she wore. I knew it would be too rude on my part, but… but I wanted to know what the name was. Our destination came and we parted. From this place I was to board a train and at this time around it gets pretty crowded.
Putting the scented thoughts behind me, I started figuring out how my day was planned. A meeting at 8 would be the one which I was looking for from quite sometime. I had a couple of presentation on the solution proposed for the stakeholders in my assignment. Just as I was thinking about my work, it struck again, though mildly. I searched for the source frantically, because I was sure the carrier was not here with me. She had walked in the other direction as we alighted from the bus. This had to be someone else.
And then I found her. She was standing a couple of feet from me. Striking though, I thought I could do nothing more than to remember the smell. Our destination came quicker than what I had anticipated. Having spent quite sometime with the scent, I was sure to be able to describe it to the shopkeeper when I’d ask for it for my sweetheart.
My last leg of travel was via the tram. This time I did not have to try so hard. The lady sitting just ahead of me just took out the bottle as she sprayed modestly over herself, giving me enough time to read the label on the bottle and also have an extra share of the refreshing smell, just as the tram came to a stop. Feeling quite contend on finally being able to retrieve the name of the producer without much of an attempt I started for my day. How many times has it happened that something irresistible strikes and after eluding for a couple of times finally reveals itself? For me this was the first time.
Just one thought had lingered -all the three ladies were not one of the best looking but had dressed too amazing well. And I knew that my babe would have been as good as them and with the perfume… well I would need convincing reasons to leave her side.
As far as the name is concerned, it was Weekend by Burberry.
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