Monday, March 12, 2007

Eternal Companions

"I got good news, Mohan", my manager with an artificial smile on his face. That instant I knew it was the very thing that I dreaded all along. I was being shifted to another Project.

“Please don’t send me out of this team”- though it was obvious, a final request from my side. “No, you got into a very good project where you have a good scope”- a convincing reply.

Managers, synonyms to “convince / convincers”. They can convince us to do anything. Includes, having a sendoff from team.

“You can catch the office shuttle at 3.00 P.M, need to report at 3.30 today itself” – manager back to his work.

It was my first team experience being with them for more than three months. Body and mind proved that there is some thing called inertia - the state in which a body remains in that state as long as no force is applied on it – Newton, although I doubt if Newton had intended my manager as a force.

So, with a heavy heart went to catch the intra-office-shuttle. More bothered about leaving the old office and friends. There lies the real problem, which I never expected to face in near future.

I started at 3.10 after a very hot noon. And reached new office at 4.00 pm. “Oh god! What is this?” A 10 K.M journey took almost around an hour, not even happened at peak hours of the day (8 am or 6pm). “Not noticed” as if it is the first time.

But later on wards I found the only reason why people scared of going to sophisticated E-City office it is “Hosur Road Traffic”. Hosur-Horrible-Hectic. Flyover’s flying one over the other, roads becoming wider and wider-demolishing the shops and houses, middle part of the roads serving as laboratories for new fly over construction, every stop on this road will create a smoke-cloud front to me. Every now and then I start thinking about “What to do?”

There I got the solution: “Why is that girl laughing, with out any reason?”-sitting alone-holding an IIT like book in her hand (That is a ‘big’ novel I guess), one day I noticed this unusual thing. Oh, reading books, though I don’t have that habit, let’s start it, at least to overcome that boring 3 hour journey every day.

So need to start with a good book, “Indomitable Sprit” by -APJ.Kalam, very nice 150 page book, describe how to do develop your personality so that you can enjoy every moment in your professional and personal life. Completed it, so need to buy an other book, brought “Five Point someone” by Chetan Bhagat, From E-city campus book store. “A perfect ten -this is 270 pages of pure fun” – written on the first page. A perfect ten is grading to a scale of ten. It’s really fantastic. I don’t want to tell more about it. Suggest you to read it. Every episode will take us back, deep into our college days. And my next book is Norman Vincet Peale’s – “Power of Positive Thinking” along with Chetan’s another master piece “one night @ call center”.

Now, I feel - when will I get into the bus, what will happen next in the story, what is the next book I need to read, what is the best way to remember this beautiful vocabulary-where to use them. Very wonderful experience, feel proud and happy to this great change from “What is this bus journey?” to “When is the bus journey”. Never the less it is fault less fact as Kalam said, books are our “Eternal Companions”. So all E-city guys, take a book, catch the 7.30 or 8.30 P.M shuttle and complete the Hosur road journey within 20 minutes. No traffic no bore.

Monday, February 19, 2007

License to drive the change?

Woke up early, even on a week end, Saturday. Got ready with all the documents- learning license, Xerox of the passport and my SSC certificate. Went to RTO office at 11 am. The office there is punctually late. Requested the clerk to tell me the procedure to get my old LLR (learner’s license) renewed and also to get a driving license for a motor vehicle with gears?. “It charges Rs 500/-” - the only short answer I got – Pity no scope to learn new things, only bribe.

Okay, agreed. I submitted all the documents and he asked us to wait outside till he finds time. Only issue storming in my mind was “What if he asks for the original LLR?” which I have missed! I have an old photocopy of that LLR but not the original one,. So I had to submitted a new Xerox photocopy of the old Xeroxone.

“Vamsi” a thunder call from that unofficial officer (clerk's assistant), I understood the reason for that.

“Where is the original for this document?”,

“I lost it”. I replied humbly.

“Then go now and come after 30 days” he replied harshly.

Hmm need to wait another 30 days? Then there comes a real friend, when I am in need – Ravi, with that old Xerox photocopy of the LLR and I submitted it. I told (to Ravi), “Even that is not original”.

He replied, “You wait, I know it”.

The clerk checked, agreed and accepted that document. I wondered. We looked at each other and smiled.

Though the old document is not original, he agreed accepted it because “The Old photocopy looks old and new one looks new”. Again, he asked us to wait outside the clerk spoke– “Wait out side, you have to take a test ride, helmet is mandatory”. We were ready with every thing.

I was the last person,. Though I was riding it for the past 3 years now, my hands were still sweating. Every body done a small circle in front the RTO officer, with bikes as a test ride. No body has shown the hand signals or even lighted an indicator. And so was I am not an exception.

But the royal officer called “Mohan”my name, loudly, “yes” – I replied.

“Where was the hand signal?” a lump in the throat.

I said, “Ohh,! Sorry”,
“Go and sign in that book” (as every body did). “When will I get my license?”
“You will get it by post”, they he replied.

Now the question is, Will I get my license to drive my bike? Answer is definitely yes, because of the Rs 60/- which I paid extra (Rs 500/- instead of 440).

Bottom line(s):
I don’t want to approach a broker,
Don’t want to bribe any body,
Don’t want to encourage corruption,
Don’t want to sit lazily saying I don’t know how to apply, but I have license.
Ended up with paying Rs 60 /- extra.
Still happy. Because achieved 50% of my objective.

A humble request: Please, every body try to change this culture, we may not end corruption, and but we can atleast control it. Don’t say it’s impossible.

I appreciate your time spent to read my blog, thank you, feel free to comment.

Monday, January 29, 2007

My weak end ...

Its true that time will have expansion and contraction. May be this way: The 9 hours that I have spent in my college couple of days back passed away just like few minutes. And probably I will never forget those moments in my life.
Cheers to all the 22 people who made their presence; proud to say we crossed another mile stone called MITR-07 (MITS Reunion-07). We are the pioneers for all student centered associations like ILLUMINATUS, POSITRON, and 6th Element. Hope every thing started from our batch will continue. Those who missed this chance of attending Alumni meet - don’t worry; you just plan another interesting event in our department, we swear our participation and presence.
The best part of the whole event was juniors made some stalls with smileys ( :), :( …) and the gained profit goes to SR (Sarvepalli Radha Krishna) trust, started for welfare of poor children. They sold Indian flags in the eve of republic day, again profits go to SR trust. That’s really a great initiative and an equally good implementation. I felt so proud and guilty because they are doing a work which we never thought. That’s the spirit of education; we have to think beyond horizons. Apart from curriculum subjects there are many things (responsibilities). Congrats to my juniors, I always heartily welcome them for my help.
Thanks to Sunil for organizing such a great event. Really it’s my pleasure to work with you, hope I learnt a lot with your interactions.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Where is my dream.

Dream, one which wakes up from the sleep and makes us to work for it. I had a vision for career, now I found myself entirely in different place, but still I have a ray of hope to achieve it.
I am an electronics guy, but working for an IT giant, in a technology called ERP-SAP. Really very interesting but, some times I fell I am not practicing the things which I loved and leant in my 4 year studies of engineering. Planing to do my MBA after 2 years of working experience. Started with previous exam patterns of CAT exam. Confident to achieve it, giving my 100% each time, improving myself in all possible ways. Just doing every where, never thought of a result, thought of result will spoil the work that’s what I have planned and have been practicing.

Reflection # 1 - Sep 26th

Everything works when reset . This certainly applies to human & human relations as well. Managing kids' schedules, managing family,...