The team I am part of, has completed the current assignment we were on. It's walk through time and so a lazy week last one was. I hold back from doing all the stuff acting as a sort of trouble-shooter. No trouble -> no shooting -> No work! Gawking at the females who are part of the walked-through team was our main occupation. Me and my friend N, who is from Vietnam, exchange notes.
N: Dude! 'S' has a fiance!
Me: Hmmm...How did you know this? Thought you were executing scripts.
N: We "talk", dude!
A bit later,
N: 'A' is a bit skinny.
Me: I remember seeing a ring on her finger three months back, which is now gone.
N: Oh! Those things don't mean a thing. And she smiled at me today.
Me: Excuse me. I am the single guy here.
N: But I am the more aggressive one.
Me: So what? you are married, Man!
Unfazed, N continues,
N: I'll get 'A' to go out.
Me: What!!
N(mollifying): We'll go out as a team.
Me(ever the gawky tourist): I'll bring the camera with me.
N: No way! I don't want any evidence for my wife!
Here we stop and part ways for the weekend!
Monday comes.
A middle aged femme J is responsible for signing-off some of our work. Our team lead guy P asks, "Who wants to finish that walk-through?"
I, keeping quiet, let it go.
J(humorously): Oh! I have two guys competing for me? I like it.
N(acting as a big help): He is the single guy (pointing at me)!
I grit at the wise-crack.
I show P the responsibilities I already have and beg-off.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Friday, March 24, 2006
Sweet home Chennai!
Today morning I was online chatting with a friend who was planning to move back to our hometown, Chennai. I didn't give the matter much thought then. I finished chatting and went about getting ready to go to office as usual but splashing cologne a little extra than usual(nothing) idly wondering about how today will fare.
Suddenly my inner voice screamed, "Chennai". I was suddenly day dreaming, lost in thought, mind in Chennai while body in Chicago. Chennai, my mind cried.
It's two years since I moved out of Chennai. All of a sudden I started missing my friends, my bike, the Chennai roads and traffic which I used to course through, Parry's corner, the downtown of Chennai, the suburban trains, the southern suburbs. How I wish to be back there.
It's not that I dislike the cities which I have lived hence, Indore and Chicago. Indore has it's slo-mo style inspite of it's pretence being a big town. It's not fast enough for a big city guy. And Chicago, I like the city, for everything it has. But still I miss my Chennai where the climate is abominal and one stinks in sweat like within one hour of taking bath. The city where water is liquid gold, in value as well as in colour. Chennai, the city where the rudest auto-rickshaw drivers of the country can be found. But I still love the city. So I'd love to go back there.
While on this moping mood, my mind opened another parallel stream of thought. I miss a silly thing as living in a city. Any city can be good as well in these days where mail, chat and mobile have made sure that you never miss out on your friends. Yes physical presence is something which cannot be replaced, but still these devices have gone a long way in keeping people together. I miss all my friends, though. It's hard for a person who is used to have gangs of friends (yes, more than one gang). But will I get the same environ if I get to go back? Probably not. Hmm...Definitely not. And another thing is that one's mind tends to blur out all the negative things and focusses only on the happy events of the past. So it's all a collection of experiences that I can recollect but which I will never regain.
Suddenly my inner voice screamed, "Chennai". I was suddenly day dreaming, lost in thought, mind in Chennai while body in Chicago. Chennai, my mind cried.
It's two years since I moved out of Chennai. All of a sudden I started missing my friends, my bike, the Chennai roads and traffic which I used to course through, Parry's corner, the downtown of Chennai, the suburban trains, the southern suburbs. How I wish to be back there.
It's not that I dislike the cities which I have lived hence, Indore and Chicago. Indore has it's slo-mo style inspite of it's pretence being a big town. It's not fast enough for a big city guy. And Chicago, I like the city, for everything it has. But still I miss my Chennai where the climate is abominal and one stinks in sweat like within one hour of taking bath. The city where water is liquid gold, in value as well as in colour. Chennai, the city where the rudest auto-rickshaw drivers of the country can be found. But I still love the city. So I'd love to go back there.
While on this moping mood, my mind opened another parallel stream of thought. I miss a silly thing as living in a city. Any city can be good as well in these days where mail, chat and mobile have made sure that you never miss out on your friends. Yes physical presence is something which cannot be replaced, but still these devices have gone a long way in keeping people together. I miss all my friends, though. It's hard for a person who is used to have gangs of friends (yes, more than one gang). But will I get the same environ if I get to go back? Probably not. Hmm...Definitely not. And another thing is that one's mind tends to blur out all the negative things and focusses only on the happy events of the past. So it's all a collection of experiences that I can recollect but which I will never regain.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Meeting Mr.Murphy
Murphy does his thing (Part I)
We have a walk-through scheduled this week. And I have taken responsibility for a crucial area that has to be done first before anyone could start their work. We'll have to start at 9.00 AM and since another team is involved, my lead cautions everyone to be at 9.00 sharp. That doesn't matter to me as I come well in time always.
Last night my cold and cough after a week or so finally get my attention. I down two alka-seltzers, take a dash of cough syrup and lie down earlier than usual. Drugged I sleep for ten straight hours! When I get up it's eight already and in an hour I'm supposed to spear head a delivery.
8.00 - I get up
8.13 - Brushing, Shaving, Shower done
8.35 - I start my car, get on the interstate expressway, not minding the toll today.
8.59 - Reach office!
Murphy acting up - Part II
9.00 - I rush in like a whirlwind dump my bag, jacket and start the system. I ask my colleague whether the previous day's work by another team is done which we have a dependency on. I come to know that there has been an environment issue, which means baton won't come to me for another day!!
I need not have bothered getting up at all!
Murphy's world, after all!
We have a walk-through scheduled this week. And I have taken responsibility for a crucial area that has to be done first before anyone could start their work. We'll have to start at 9.00 AM and since another team is involved, my lead cautions everyone to be at 9.00 sharp. That doesn't matter to me as I come well in time always.
Last night my cold and cough after a week or so finally get my attention. I down two alka-seltzers, take a dash of cough syrup and lie down earlier than usual. Drugged I sleep for ten straight hours! When I get up it's eight already and in an hour I'm supposed to spear head a delivery.
8.00 - I get up
8.13 - Brushing, Shaving, Shower done
8.35 - I start my car, get on the interstate expressway, not minding the toll today.
8.59 - Reach office!
Murphy acting up - Part II
9.00 - I rush in like a whirlwind dump my bag, jacket and start the system. I ask my colleague whether the previous day's work by another team is done which we have a dependency on. I come to know that there has been an environment issue, which means baton won't come to me for another day!!
I need not have bothered getting up at all!
Murphy's world, after all!
Saturday, March 18, 2006
I miss you! *
I was totally wrong when I said sometime back that I won't be seeing any more snow. Yesterday, it snowed and how!
All day long, flakes flying fast and far.
To see they crash in the windshield of your car!
Wow! And on my way back from office, it was a thick white blanket all over with black snakes of cleared roads slithering through.
I was a bit irritated at drivers driving very slow :-). Now that was something new.
Today morning there was sun. And when I set out I saw all the trees standing happily with half-melted snow. They were all lined up fall-blown brown with streaks of white. It was like chirpy children running into the living area wet and happy after a bath!
Hmm..Some sight!
I MISS MY CAMERA!
* - Darren Hayes/Blink 182 - Take your pick
All day long, flakes flying fast and far.
To see they crash in the windshield of your car!
Wow! And on my way back from office, it was a thick white blanket all over with black snakes of cleared roads slithering through.
I was a bit irritated at drivers driving very slow :-). Now that was something new.
Today morning there was sun. And when I set out I saw all the trees standing happily with half-melted snow. They were all lined up fall-blown brown with streaks of white. It was like chirpy children running into the living area wet and happy after a bath!
Hmm..Some sight!
I MISS MY CAMERA!
* - Darren Hayes/Blink 182 - Take your pick
Monday, March 13, 2006
Take it easy *
It's Sunday.
Everything moves at a languid pace.
Morning, I had stepped out around 8.30, tooled to a friend's friend's place, handed over a thing which needed to be given to my friend. Then I had gone to temple, had darshan & lunch and then came back. A good movie had been followed by some browsing and then I realised our home needed another week's grocery supply. So I had come out again.
Now, here I am at the supermarket pushing the cart around, mentally checking out vegetables. "Tindori - No, had them just three days back. Potatoes - Oh yeah, they are our staple diet. Okra - sure, haven't had them in the past 10 days, Onions - three big bags because we put them in everything except coffee". And thus I decide on the menu for the week. I load them in the trunk, drive out to my next stop, the video rental where I have to return our weekend viewing and take out a next set.
There is a drizzle showing off its percussion talents on my car. Traffic's slow, everyone having wound up early to start a new week fresh. And suddenly for me it's a moment of self-reckoning. I ignore Santana filling the car. I am immersed in looking back. What have I achieved so far, I wonder. What am I doing here and what have I done to be here, I mull. My life at present, looks to me like a string of chances and nothing else. Nothing has happened as planned and nothing that has happened was
planned such. I am not one of those who live life according to a plan, achieve goals that are aimed and in general lead life in a focussed manner. And as Unforgiven goes,
"What i've felt
What i've known
Never shined through in what i've shown "
I ponder whether the life lived so far had been a success or failure. I know for sure it is not a success. For a dose of luck at appropriate times has helped me. Or it could have been god's way of showing his presence to an ex-mild atheist of me. Nor my life can be called a total failure. Bar certain important events of life where I've been a loser, I've done quite well, thank you.
And then I proceed to think why a life should be evaluated, rated or ranked in terms of success or failure? Maybe we are in this game to see who gets maximum things wrong, and by succeeding we might be actually failing! Who knows! Or life may be merely a roller-coaster ride of a reality show where we forget the reality once we get on the ride. Mine's been a true roller-coaster so far!
"Last thing I remember
I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before "
- Don Henley
But as the doorman said, I relax as I can't leave any sooner.
* - Eagles
Everything moves at a languid pace.
Morning, I had stepped out around 8.30, tooled to a friend's friend's place, handed over a thing which needed to be given to my friend. Then I had gone to temple, had darshan & lunch and then came back. A good movie had been followed by some browsing and then I realised our home needed another week's grocery supply. So I had come out again.
Now, here I am at the supermarket pushing the cart around, mentally checking out vegetables. "Tindori - No, had them just three days back. Potatoes - Oh yeah, they are our staple diet. Okra - sure, haven't had them in the past 10 days, Onions - three big bags because we put them in everything except coffee". And thus I decide on the menu for the week. I load them in the trunk, drive out to my next stop, the video rental where I have to return our weekend viewing and take out a next set.
There is a drizzle showing off its percussion talents on my car. Traffic's slow, everyone having wound up early to start a new week fresh. And suddenly for me it's a moment of self-reckoning. I ignore Santana filling the car. I am immersed in looking back. What have I achieved so far, I wonder. What am I doing here and what have I done to be here, I mull. My life at present, looks to me like a string of chances and nothing else. Nothing has happened as planned and nothing that has happened was
planned such. I am not one of those who live life according to a plan, achieve goals that are aimed and in general lead life in a focussed manner. And as Unforgiven goes,
"What i've felt
What i've known
Never shined through in what i've shown "
I ponder whether the life lived so far had been a success or failure. I know for sure it is not a success. For a dose of luck at appropriate times has helped me. Or it could have been god's way of showing his presence to an ex-mild atheist of me. Nor my life can be called a total failure. Bar certain important events of life where I've been a loser, I've done quite well, thank you.
And then I proceed to think why a life should be evaluated, rated or ranked in terms of success or failure? Maybe we are in this game to see who gets maximum things wrong, and by succeeding we might be actually failing! Who knows! Or life may be merely a roller-coaster ride of a reality show where we forget the reality once we get on the ride. Mine's been a true roller-coaster so far!
"Last thing I remember
I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back to the place I was before "
- Don Henley
But as the doorman said, I relax as I can't leave any sooner.
* - Eagles
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Faith! *
The latest issue of Rolling Stones carries a special report on Scientology, which it calls the secret church.Every one knows that Tom Cruise is into it. All along I've been thinking that it's some zany idea of his. Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, the Scientology cult was founded by L.Ron Hubbard, a science fiction writer in 1954.
The Scientology "religion" espouses that 75 million years ago, an evil galactic warlord named Xenu controlled over populated 76 planets in this galaxy. To reduce population, Xenu rounded up 13.5 trillion beings and then flew them to Earth, where they were dumped into vulcanoes around the globe and vaporized with bombs. This scattered their radioactive souls or thetans until they were caught up in electronic traps set around the atmosphere and implanted with false ideas like God, christ and organized religion. These "thetans" attach themselves to human beings and cause emotional and physical problems.
Some theory this is! Whew!!
Rolling Stones reports that before starting his religion, Ron Hubbard was into black magic and sex rituals. After his death in 1986, David Miscavige leads this cult now. Apart from Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kelly Preston and some more Page 3 (or Page 6, depending on the country) mainstays practise this "religion".
It was a fascinating article which details how the organization revels in having their own jargon and how it is very secretive in nature.
Reading that, I could not help wondering how seemingly normal people join this obviously abnormal groups. This is not an one off group, I am sure. The world over we can see money being made in the name of some religion or bonding, whatever.
I guess all these cults play on an individual's insecurity at some level. Also they feed on the human being's social needs. All rituals and invokings of any group can be seen to provide a feeling of belonging to the members.
Also surprising to me is the ability of a single individual who leads the organization to hold in thrall, the people who are actually no different or no lesser than him. Such is the power of the mind. It can dominate everything around it or it can be so submissive.
In our country, where religion is a big draw, I have seen clean shaven personalities lead organizations in the name of religion. What struck me was they need not have to grow beard and morph into scraggly sadhus, to convince others. Such is the power of the spoken word. Seeing them i've always wondered, "In what way this guy is different from me?". But not everyone does and hence they thrive.
And I thought Tom Cruise was a normal handsome guy like me having a string of beauties as girl friends! Ofcourse on Penelope, I have reservations. But when the guy ditches someone like Nicole Kidman, I should've known!
* - This song from the eponymous album is by George Michael. A Grammy winner which went platinum, I absolutely love this album. All the songs are good, to say the least!
The Scientology "religion" espouses that 75 million years ago, an evil galactic warlord named Xenu controlled over populated 76 planets in this galaxy. To reduce population, Xenu rounded up 13.5 trillion beings and then flew them to Earth, where they were dumped into vulcanoes around the globe and vaporized with bombs. This scattered their radioactive souls or thetans until they were caught up in electronic traps set around the atmosphere and implanted with false ideas like God, christ and organized religion. These "thetans" attach themselves to human beings and cause emotional and physical problems.
Some theory this is! Whew!!
Rolling Stones reports that before starting his religion, Ron Hubbard was into black magic and sex rituals. After his death in 1986, David Miscavige leads this cult now. Apart from Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kelly Preston and some more Page 3 (or Page 6, depending on the country) mainstays practise this "religion".
It was a fascinating article which details how the organization revels in having their own jargon and how it is very secretive in nature.
Reading that, I could not help wondering how seemingly normal people join this obviously abnormal groups. This is not an one off group, I am sure. The world over we can see money being made in the name of some religion or bonding, whatever.
I guess all these cults play on an individual's insecurity at some level. Also they feed on the human being's social needs. All rituals and invokings of any group can be seen to provide a feeling of belonging to the members.
Also surprising to me is the ability of a single individual who leads the organization to hold in thrall, the people who are actually no different or no lesser than him. Such is the power of the mind. It can dominate everything around it or it can be so submissive.
In our country, where religion is a big draw, I have seen clean shaven personalities lead organizations in the name of religion. What struck me was they need not have to grow beard and morph into scraggly sadhus, to convince others. Such is the power of the spoken word. Seeing them i've always wondered, "In what way this guy is different from me?". But not everyone does and hence they thrive.
And I thought Tom Cruise was a normal handsome guy like me having a string of beauties as girl friends! Ofcourse on Penelope, I have reservations. But when the guy ditches someone like Nicole Kidman, I should've known!
* - This song from the eponymous album is by George Michael. A Grammy winner which went platinum, I absolutely love this album. All the songs are good, to say the least!
Friday, March 03, 2006
Hasta Manana! *
Today morning I start for office. It's a 35-40 min drive from my home.
Today as I start my car, I notice that's the climate is very cool, after being around 40 - 50 degrees (fahrenheit) for the past 10 days.
And when I come out onto the road, there are flurries!
It's nearly 3 weeks since we had snow! Usually I become careful when it's snowing! A bit tense and watchful while driving!
Today I was happy at seeing the flurries falling on the windscreen and with reluctance set the wipers to work.
I daily pass through a forest preserve on my way to work. Usually I never relax to notice. Today it's different. Because I know that probably I may not be seeing the snow again this season and so wanted to enjoy.
Climate chilly
Vishnu Sahasranaamam by Smt.Vedavalli playing in the car
Flurries falling
And Nature by the roadside trying to regain its beauty after the autumn shedding.
One never appreciates something which is always beside oneself. Only at the prospect of getting separated from something, one realises its value!
I was bidding farewell to the snow before I see it again.
Hasta Luego!!
* - Good old ABBA!
Today as I start my car, I notice that's the climate is very cool, after being around 40 - 50 degrees (fahrenheit) for the past 10 days.
And when I come out onto the road, there are flurries!
It's nearly 3 weeks since we had snow! Usually I become careful when it's snowing! A bit tense and watchful while driving!
Today I was happy at seeing the flurries falling on the windscreen and with reluctance set the wipers to work.
I daily pass through a forest preserve on my way to work. Usually I never relax to notice. Today it's different. Because I know that probably I may not be seeing the snow again this season and so wanted to enjoy.
Climate chilly
Vishnu Sahasranaamam by Smt.Vedavalli playing in the car
Flurries falling
And Nature by the roadside trying to regain its beauty after the autumn shedding.
One never appreciates something which is always beside oneself. Only at the prospect of getting separated from something, one realises its value!
I was bidding farewell to the snow before I see it again.
Hasta Luego!!
* - Good old ABBA!
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