Sign on Air-Deccan flight from Hyd to Chennai:"Seats can be used for floatation purposes".
Air-hostess to passengers sitting near the emergency-exit: "In case we crash-land, you guys have to open the emergency exit. Make sure that there is no smoke or fire outside before you do this. Thank you." She said this with the same inflection that she would use for saying,"Two beers and a sandwich. Thank you." They HAVE to figure out a different way of saying that.

Changed my routine for the last couple of days...its already paying dividends. Feel much much better...physically and otherwise. Log-in around 11 and leave at 7. Go home, call people,watch TV, cook...basically live like a normal human being. Going-home-at-11-and-sleeping-like-a-dog doesnt work for me. Was telling freddie about this and one thing lead to another and I started talking about my "perfect job"...well here goes:-

1.) IT/Telecom Infrastructure
2.) Domestic client
3.) 9 To 6
4.) Prefer Chennai
5.) Lunch outside office
6.) No work in the week-ends
7.) No ID-Card

Thats all I can think of right now. Everybody agrees that I am asking for too much. I'll never work for a "domestic client"...will never work 9 to 6 and will always have work in the week-ends.
I still believe that its in the realm of possibility. All this dint pop out of ether...I am looking at my "western colleagues" and frankly I am jealous. I am jealous of ppl who do the same thing I do, but who do it in a much more balanced way.Agreed there will always be the time-zone issues but I am determined to get a life!!!

Of course the small matter of a team-lead-who-left-onsite is also playing a role in my new life, but all the same!!

Sathish must work on a book titled,"How to ruin your friend's Friday". He sent me an innocuous mail in the fag end of Friday that totally ruined my week-end. It was just another manic work-day for me in which I was so deep into work that I dint even have time for chain mails. Chain mails are the new torch-bearers of the lazy and the work-less. Nothing says,"I am jobless", like a mail from an Infoscian which reads," Macha finally bought tooth paste da...otha I dint know what I was going to do without it...I tried all over Mysore couldnt get my brand da...but finally........." or something like," Mama the girl sitting in my next cubicle is sooooooo hot da...ayyyyyyoooooo if only I was a little more courageous....ok leave it how are your classes going??". What makes someone to write such wonderful prose,I do not know and I dont wish to find out.

It was in the midst of this ocean of 'work' and 'toil' that I got this mail from Sathish. It contained among other things, a web-link. It turned out to be a "marriage site". Yes you read that right, a "marriage web-site" like this one!!! Hey listen I have no problem with the institution of marriage...personally, i think its a great thing. But why in the name of god would you want to have a web-site dedicated to your marriage?? Why do you want to send that to Sathish?? And why does he want to send it to me--the forlorn lover!!!

Yep, it was Naga's girl's "marriage web-site". Frankly, it was pretty obnoxious and not only because I had a crush on her. Even otherwise they looked......Arghh...*puts his head down on the key-board and starts crying*

I simply dont understand the logic behind this kind of a thing. What are you trying to prove? that the groom was an uber-geek who dint have a life?? Oh cmon!! Why do you want everyone to know how you guys met, how you guys chatted using a web-cam for 6 months(i was right, groom was a geek), how the "Second India Visit" went....Hey I understand how it feels to finally get a girl after 26 years(been there)...i know the feeling of "What?? Is this happening to me?? Am I really going out with her???". But this is just pushing it.

A few months ago Ms.P told me an interesting fact. Her best-friend had told her NOT to talk to me!! The funny part is that I have never ever spoken/interacted/socialized with 'best-friend' before.Its amazing how strangers form a virulently negative image of you without even talking to you once. Agreed, my extended social group dint exactly treat 'best-friend' properly. Agreed life dealt a few fateful blows to her...but what the !@## did I do to you?? You dont know me,I dont know you, you dont know my values, you dont know where I come from... yet in 10 seconds you form an informed opinion about 22 years of my life. Oooofff, people!!

Some good news from F*R*I*E*N*D*S. Sathish may come back to Hyd. Thats a relief. How do I put this? He is 'like me'. He is from the same heritage as me--'OBC-Middle-class-Chennai-Suburbia'. Too may small-town boys in 'Cyber Residency'...not that I cant get along with them...just that it'll be nice to have atleast one guy who is 'like me'. Hmmm...the farther I get away from 'Chennai Suburbia' the more symbols I need to relate to it :))

Another good news is that 'Motta' Karthik is joining CTS today. Really feel happy for him...that guy had it really bad during campus placements...they are more like lottery anyway. Funny thing is that CTS was the only company which played truant in campus...may-be its destiny :))

One by one all my friends are coming back to Chennai. In 2 years hopefully the whole 'lala gang' and the extended drinking family will be there too.Amazing how things turn-out so differently from how you plan...In 2001 when we joined college there were 35 jobs available on campus(out of which many offers were not honoured),you had to go to Bangalore to find any meaningful work...the only legitimate alternative employment would be the H-1B route. My my, how the times have changed!!!

Finally decided to go to Chennai anyway. Spending a week-end with the guys is always an amazing carrot to dangle. Otherwise, it is an enormous waste of everybody's time and energy. By the time I get ready to say good-bye to my folks,I am mentally and emotionally drained. Mom cries everytime I leave.Now I can see the justification if I was going to Idaho,but considering that I am about 1 hour away from them by air,I really dont understand it. Its funny 'cos we are the only 'emotional-NRI-family-scene' in Kamaraj domestic Airport. By-standers probably think I am in the Army or something.

Apart from that its the constant exposure to old memories. Fucking good memories too. And they produce one inevitable feeling-What the heck am I doing in Hyderabad?? Now thats NOT a good feeling to have. Trust Me. Throw in all the 'strategic-re-alignment' thats been happening here in Hyd and you have a tidal-wave of negative emotions.

Only reason I go there is to be with the guys, catch up with old times,crib about everything,come up with 'strategic action plans' that dont work,talk about the "women in our lives",probably watch Andy's fav Vijay movie...Basically be my old-self. For 3 days. Then I'll come back and join the rat-race.

Atleast the commute has become bearable now. Deccan cost me 3407 two-way. Eat that Indian!!!! Thats cheaper than their one way!!!! Air-travel has become so normal nowadays. Guys in Hyd used to tease me 'cos I was travelling by air frequently. Now, those very same guys are notching up frequent-flier points like anything. Subbu is off to Pune to meet his friends,from there he'll go to Bangalore to meet his parents and then fly back!!!! Avinash(bumulu) did an amazing 'around-south-india-in-3-days' last week. Seriously dont know how long these fares(or the airlines) will last. But hey, make hay while the sun shines!!

Sidin Sunny Vadukut,the owner of Domain Maximus, has turned a new leaf in his book. I cant even begin to imagine how he feels. But I sympathize with the provocation...Office Space can be an amazing motivator to do something you've always wanted to do :))

Here's wishing him ALL THE BEST...

Was talking to Dhileebhan during one of our regular fag sessions(he smokes, I drink tea.somethings never change,i still havent figured out how to smoke). He is part of the Storage team here--basically deals with back-up,disaster recovery,SAN,NAS etc...He has been asked to work for an especially hot project...it has something to do with Creekpath's product. Needless to say, he is thrilled. Thats a good thing for me cos he was putting some serious mokkai regarding the lack of "quality work" here. Ppl in an IT company can be divided into 2 types--guys like Dhilleban,who want to be on the cutting-edge of mother nature and guys like me, the drifters(who are basically lucky to make it this far).

Thats not surprising really. He is from REC Trichy...he is part of a peer group which judges him ruthlessly on how cutting-edge his work is. Nobody could ever accuse me of being a 'techie'. I must admit that I tried pretty hard in the first two years of engg. to develop that side of my personality. But, you reach a point where it becomes painfully obvious that you just dont have what it takes.

Anyway during those days I used to be fascinated by these young,hot start-ups.One of those companies was Ittiam. At one point, it was my 'dream company'.Back then I was fascinated by DSP,signal processing et al. But DSP is somewhat like fashion and gay people-only the quant gods could ever really understand it(thats an over-statement, only 2 guys out of a batch of 120 work anywhere close to DSP). Another hot-shop that was making some noise was Flarion--anyone will get an orgasm by just thinking about the possibilities that something like OFDM has to offer.

After engg. I culdnt have really hoped for a career with any of these guys,cos they would have thrown out my resume after seeing the "Projects Undertaken" category..."ADPCM Using PIC Micro-controller"...damn my hardened-in-IT-Team lead was able to see through that one!!!

But anyway I continue to visit arbit websites of arbit companies trying to make sense of what they are saying. And I continue to be fascinated by techies like Dhileebhan.

Amazing how life swings between absolute bliss and total agony. The weekend before the last one was terrible--a snide remark by someone, a phone call,ensuing bickering...ohhh, it was terrible.Wanted to run-away to Chennai. This week-end was pretty chilled-out--pongal wishes,laughter,quality work for Asha,an interview on TV by Infy's founder,the ensuing excitement,thinking about potential/possibilities at work,Cocktail on Zee, long STD call to a pal... Amazing how everything changes in a matter of days.

Was chatting with Mr. A about his "Six-year plan". For as long as I can remember, I and 'A' have been discussing our 'exit-strategy'--one amazing plan that will deliver us to the pinnacle of success,good fortune and fame. Nothing has materialized so far, but I enjoy these conversations a lot.So much that I annoy other ppl who dont have the same temperament as 'A'. It takes a certain kinda guy to persist with someone like me. I read something to the effect,"Optimism doesnt necessarily guarantee success,but it drives enough people mad to make it worthwhile." Very very true.'A' is one of the few who dint go mad .Lucky me.

AXN is heavily promoting "The Man's world". Being a single,Indian man living in India, I am proabably in the forefront of the target audience. I am curious and sceptical. Curious 'cos it REALLY is an interesting concept. Sceptical 'cos the promos look like they were made for 'brown-sahibs'. Hey,I dont want to know "How to pick-up a girl in a dance bar". Mostly because I dont visit dance bars. In the few bars I have visited, the only women were the waitresses. So in a TOI-ish way,this is one more " Indian reality show" that is not real.

Times Now is the latest Indian News channel.It is promoted by the same group that owns TOI. If they use the same part of their body that comes up with TOI articles, Times now's headlines would look extremely funny. "Shahid and Kareena split-up today. Bad sex was reportedly the reason for the split. We have an exclusive with Kareena's gynaec. Oh and Btw, Advani quit today. "

My Yahoo inbox is the very definition of the word chaos. I have a bewildering 1798 mails in my box. 90% of them are mails from yahoo groups. The groups represent the amazing journey ive taken in the last 3 years and the range(??) of my interests..."Speech-coding" when I was trying(and failing) to develop an interest in DSP,DSP_INDIA...same genre,'Xilinx fans'...dint work out,'NidhiRazdan'...hey I am a fan ok, "Friends of Nidhi"...ok I guess I am REALLY big fan and they are the ones who post better pics, the usual school and college groups,the usual rival-groups from school and college which we had to join bcos of emotional blackmail and the fact that one of the rival-mods tried and failed to woo the original mod. Other than that Ive joined some MBA applicant groups for some schools...man they are the worst offenders in terms of mail frequency...

ive given up on my yahoo account...now use only rediffmail for personal mail...

oh btw,am using 21% of my 1GB...anybody who can beat that????

Around the end of December I received a mail from a friend titled,"Sad News". I opened it to find the most shocking piece of scanned graphics I have ever seen in my life. No no it wasnt porn...it was Ms.MA's marriage invitation. Yes, as some of my friends reading this already know,Ms. MA got married recently. The reason I was shocked was that I never expected M to go like this...without a mark on the planet,without her guns blazing...in an arranged marriage!?!!?? To a "software professional" from Australia(seriously seriously how boring is that!!!).

She was always different from the rest of the girls in the class. I always thought she would go the farthest among the girls. You know something like modelling(she had the bod,btw) or choreography or something like that. Always knew that she never fit into engg.(just like me and about 100 others :) She was also gutsy.Mr. MRR,in his inimitable way, was trying to get the better of her...she just gave it right back in his face...very unlike how some of the other girls or even some staff reacted...I remember thinking,"What balls!!!".

She also made her share of mistakes. She went out with all the wrong guys...she was always know as 'someone's girl-friend'....which was not correct 'cos she was such a fierce individual in her own right. Of course,our own friendship dint bloom beyond the occasional "Hi" and "Bye".Some of my friends still dont know that I changed my place in 4th sem to sit near her :))

So why am I cribbing about some arbit stranger on a Monday morning?? I dont know,I strangely feel let-down by a stranger who I barely spoke to!!! Amidst all my life's problems and complications and complexities, I still find time to feel sorry for a nobody.

On a related note,here's a quote from 'Good Will Hunting' that echoes my thoughts on friendship.

Chuckie:Look, you're my best friend, so don't take this the wrong way. In twenty years, if you're still livin' here, comin' over to my house to watch the Patriots games, still workin' construction, I'll fuckin' kill you. That's not a threat. Now, that's a fact. I'll fuckin' kill you.

Will:Oh, come on! What? Why is it always this? I mean, I fuckin' owe it to myself to do this or that. What if I don't want to?

Chuckie: No. No, no no no. Fuck you, you don't owe it to yourself man, you owe it to me, 'cause tomorrow I'm gonna wake up and I'll be 50, and I'll still be doin' this shit. And that's all right. That's fine. I mean, you're sittin' on a winnin' lottery ticket. You're too much of a pussy to cash it in, and that's bullshit. 'Cause I'd do fuckin' anything to have what you got. So would any of these fuckin' guys. It'd be an insult to watch if you're still here in 20 years. Hangin' around here is a fuckin' waste of your time.



TOUCHE!!!!

We have a "team get-together" this Sunday. There was a time,about 2 months ago, when I was really excited about these do's. I mean cmon...its free booze and free food...how many of us would say no?? And the chance to socialize with the 'high and mighty' of the team. But now its turning into a pain. After spending 5 days with these guys, I am supposed to smooch with them on the only day I have for myself?? And also the very concept of "team" is debatable...my "team" sits in Aldershot...my client is in Copenhagen. I hardly interact with 3 guys here...but hey who am I to argue. Only saving grace is booze and food in a 5-star place I normally would'nt venture into with my fresher-salary.

Nicely settled into the new account. Not much paper work,but I end up being on some kinda con-call most of the days...its fun...like the other day I was talking about Pondycherry to a French-guy in Switzerland and how different french ppl there were as opposed to Quebec. Oh yeah we also spoke about 6-sigma and delivery assurance,but only for 2 mins :)) ....

This new-year was spent a lil differently. With a bunch of 20-somethings in a house and later in a restaurant. Amazingly commited individuals. Interesting mix too.There are ppl like me--22 ,24 year-old-IT types. There are the late 20-early 30-NRI types. It was the first meeting for me. Hope to make it a regular thing. There was one project I was interested in. The girl who was in-charge of it said she'll mail me about it. I guess she's a lil sceptical of recent-converts. Well, I guess just like in the office, I need to prove myself here.I've made a commitment...its going to be interesting to juggle work,classes and this...but trust me,its worth it...