Ants in my pants

No, I dont literally mean that, I thought this kind of a title will make my blog look more catchy...not sure if it actually served the purpose.

No ants, but worse...I had bed bugs in my house. They started in my bedroom some time early this month. But for some unfathomable reason, they never attacked Db. Not that I would want him to be bitten by bed bugs, but why the hell me all the time. We didn't know there were bed bugs then, I thought it were mosquitos giving me a tough time, and Db thought it was psycological for me since they never made their presence felt to him.
Nevertheless I tried everything I knew to fight against mosquitos...all out, kala hit spray, mosquito coils...but it didn't help. That made Db's case stronger, that it was psycological fo me.
Hmm may be.
I tried not to think about them...didn't help.

And, one fine night we saw them, just two weeks before Db was supposed to travel to Australia. They were clinging conviniently to the mattress, we carried the mattress to the balcony. I had no prior experience of bed bugs, thankfully Db had.
It was his idea not to kill them, it seems they reproduce from their blood. So we started collecting them in a little bottle or flushed them down the toilet. Looked like it worked, but we shifted our base to the living room bed nevertheless. I slept peacefully for a whole week before they started attacking our drawing room bed as well.
Awhhh...there was no rescue. Another week of cleaning the mattress and drying them in the sun, didn't help too much...but in a few days Db had to travel and I was left alone in the house with the bed bugs to gimme some unwanted company.

Those were the worse days...probably the bed bugs are also like pervert men, who want to hit on a AKELI LADKI.
I tried a small experiment. I have a huge tweety bird at home, a soft toy, who is big enough to be mistaken as a human kid in the dark. I placed it on the bed one night and switched off the lights. After half an hour I suddenly switched on the light to find the tweety bird lying helplessly while 7-8 of the bugs were trying to feast on her. So now I know how it looks on me.
'Awhhh...I'll kill you, I 'll bloody kill you all'. Someday I'll write a blog post on it, if I can get rid of them.

As my 1st move, I decided to consult Google Devta, he knows it all. I came accross this. I decided to take up the duct tape solution, sicnce I cannot take up a pest control session in the middle of the week.

This is what I wrote to Db the same day.

I found a way out to torture the pests...one sadistic way. :D :D :D
I found this on the net
I have bought some duct tape here, I am gonna paste it around the bed and the mattress.
When the bugs come having dinner on me, they ll all get stuck on it.
In the morning I ll dispose the tape and add one more the next evening.

Think this should work. :D

And the next day Db queried:

Any interesting adventure ? did the duct tape work ?

To which I replied:
not exactly.
It was a long night 4 me yesterday.

I came late from offc, while I came back from the church it was already 9. So picked up my favorites from Magnolia ;)
soon after that started the tape work. Since I didnt find duct tape which have adhesives on both sides, I had to manage with single side tapes.
it took me 2 hours to seal the bedroom matress.
Though I couldn't cover all of it.

I slept almost peacefully all night, sine the bugs obviously couldn't reach me, except a few smarties, who eventually got caught and flushed.
But contrary to what I expected, I didn't find a single bug stuck to the tapes in the morning.
though I found a few wriggling on the floor, and they eventually also got flushed.

Any way I have fixed the appointment with the pest control guys, they assure me in 2 sessions they would be gone.
hope it works out.

But it was still the middle of the week, 2 more days to go for the pest control. So I kept using the tapes every day, at least I could sleep peacefully...well almost.

This weekend I got my house pesticied. I was a difficult day for me, since the house was totally dismantled. Also because I have severe allergy to dust, smoke and any kind of sprays, so it kind of left me panting for fresh air. I finally sealed the house for next 5 hours but I didn't know where to go to kill that amount of time. So I went for a movie at PVR, called Lahore. The movie was good, but intension was just to kill time.

I came back around 5 in the evening with a severe headache and the consequences of the alergy still prominent. My house looked more like a refugee camp to me then. I had asked my house maid to come to help me in the evening, I was expecting her around 6. So I cleared a part of the drawing room, spread a small bedsheet there, opened all windows and switched the fan on at full speed, covered my nose and went to sleep for an hour. For a second I had the feeling of self pity which I hate to have. Woke up with my maid calling on the door. She helped me a lot in clearing off things and arranging the house back to normal.

my house is cleared of bugs, for as of now. I have been sleeping peacefully since last two days, except for the persticide smell which still lingers.

My idea of bliss

NB : I didn't want this to be my first post soon after Db left for Australia, the pun is absolutely unintended.

The bug I had been working on all day, gets resolved exactly at 5.34 for me to leave the seat at 5.35 to catch the 5.45 bus. The traffic is mercifully too less and I reach Kormanagala in 45 minutes square...with the lovely melody of 'iktara' swarming from my Ipod and bottle of Thumbs up tantalizing my taste buds, while I take this 15 minutes walk home from the bus stop in a lovely breezy weather...and reach only to find that the yummmm chicken curry I prepared yesterday is still waiting for me in the fridge and a portion of the forgotten strawberry ice cream you bought for your guests last week awaits you.

MMMMMMMMMMMM...I love my life, but I miss you love!!!!

On Leave today

I am on leave today, while I am not supposed to. While on the probation period in here, I am not supposed to take leaves. But I guess I had to.
I have a bad stomach upset, I had a bad pain in my stomach, not to mention the no. of times I have been running into the loo all day, also running a little fever
I wanted to keep my sick leaves, since I normally need to call in sick at least once in the month. But that reminded me of a story, and I stayed back.

Once there was a poor old man. He had a gold coin. He decided to keep the gold coin to use it during the worst time of his life.
Life gets tough for him, he is left with no money. He goes around begging for food, but he doesn't use the coin in order to keep it for a worse time. And one day, he dies due to his poverty, still having the coin to use it for a worse time.

So I stay back to use my leaves while I need them.

Random Nothings

It’s been a while that I wrote something here.
Well!!! There’s been not much updates though.

Now that I have finally adjusted with the work timings and travel factor for the new office, they are moving my project to another building in the Old Madras road. So starting from 29th of this month, I am gonna ride a vehicle all the way to office from Kormanagala to Old Madras road, crossing the major bottlenecks of the city…the Inner Ring Road, Indiranagar and the CMH Road (Anybody who can suggest me a better way from Sony world signal to Big Bazaar in Old Madras Road, is my angel).

Work has already started for me in the new project…even while the KT isn’t quite finished. There was another guy who had joined with me here, but he is more or less kinda absconding. This guy has loads of attitude problem, though he doesn’t look like one could carry such attitude. He hasn’t come to office in the last 3 working days and didn’t feel necessary to inform anybody in the team.

There are no updates regarding Bhai, we are pretty much where we started from.

Times have changed for me. When I started my career in the IT industry, I had this team mate called Debu. He was a non-stop nonsense, doesn't-know-what-he's-speaking-about kinda guy. But we were good friends, despite of the fact that I tried to keep a fair distance from him since he had a tendency to get flirtious at times. Now I have a bit refined version of Debu in my team now, but somehow it doesn't matter to me anymore. May be I am getting too old and all these just look like baby talk to me. Pata nahin!!!

Db is travelling again. This time for a minimum of 2 months. So going back again to a temporary singlehood life starting sometime next week. But this time around I have a few friends, so hope it wouldn't be all that bad.

So that pretty much sums up the last 3 weeks for me.
The next to next week is gonna be a little lonely for me.
*Sigh*

About Kids...

Kids…I love them. But I think it’s just convenient to say I like kids when they are other people’s kids.

No…I am sure, people who have their own kids are happy to have them, but I feel having a kid is a huge responsibility or as Db would like to put it…the ROI (Return on Investment) is very bad.

I do want to have my own kids at some point in life (donno when though), but I am not sure if I can handle the responsibility it comes with. But there are times when I look at other people and feel that I could have done a thousand times better than them. As I told Db the same day, it’s been a while that I met a kid whom I found sweet.

We went for one of Db’s nephew’s 5th b’day party this week. Now, I come from a nuclear family, I have never got to seen so many kids together. Here there were too many kids, most of them seemed to have both working parents.
Now, I believe there is a very thin line between pampered and spoilt, mischievous and ill mannered. Like I feel, I am a pampered kid but I was never spoilt, mischievous but not ill mannered. I remember Bhai and me to be quite well behaved as kids.

These kids were spoilt to the extent that they refuse to speak Hindi or Oriya even with the elderly people in the family, yell at the guests whom they have never seen before ‘Ae…you get out of that sofa, I have no place to sit!!!’…while their parents watch and smile in silence ‘Awwwww my baby is cho chweet!!!’
The kids had all kinda firang names, who believe that speaking, yelling and swearing in English is kool. They refuse to listen to their own parents. Now, what will they grow up to…a confused generation, who would probably have an identity crisis.

I mean...I have nothing against speaking English or beahaving like firangs, but I have a problem when they say ‘I don’t speak my mother tongue’. Even my Oriya is not great, I was brought up in Rourkela, which had a more cosmopolitan culture, and also Oriya was not mandatory in our school then. We got to speak our mother tongue only at home, or within the family and relatives. Despite of the fact that my father is a renowned writer in Oriya literature, me and Bhai have only got a descent knowledge in Oriya. But that is not something we are proud of, nor are we shy to speak in our mother tongue. That kinda shows your upbringing.

I really don’t wanna have a kid and bring him up this way, so that he grows up to a confused individual, and unable to identify himself among any group, American or Indian. I want to bring him up so that he/she can adjust himself in any group, with family he can be as pleasant and charming...mischevous okay but not ill mannered, and yet can be at par with the kind of friends he mingles with.

My first blog from my new office

Now this is my first blog from my new office.

Being a bank, they have some real serious security procedures. Too many passwords…way too many. To set up the minimum no. of passwords to let me access the internal sites and internet took good one week. But my software installations are still on its way, so you see I haven’t got much to do.

Though I am yet to check out the code base, yet going by the technical documents given to me, the project is hardly any challenge. We used jdk 1.5 earlier (planning to upgrade to jdk 1.6 soon), hibernate and springs, and ajax and rich faces in my earlier project…but here they work with jdk 1.4 and JDBC…that’s it!!! So you see, technically its pulling me back to where I was 4 years back. Since this is the IT division of the bank, there isn’t any competition from other servicing companies. So people take a chill pill here.
So it’s not a good feeling at all…kills your enthusiasm.

I have to wake up at 6.45 every morning, contrary to my earlier schedule at 9 am. I have to walk to the bust stop, a 15 mins walk from home, two times a day. I can’t manage to sleep a blink on the way, in the bus. I reach home around 7-7.15 in the evening, saving hardly 2 hours compared to my earlier schedule.

So am I complaining???

No I am not.
Hmm…well let’s just say, not yet.
The reason being the team and the office. The office is the coolest I have ever worked in.
People reach here between 8.45-9.15 in the morning and leave at 5.45-6.15 in the evening.
It’s a good change to find non-frowning faces around.
The team is a bunch of mad caps (most of them), but an otherwise fun loving team.
The HR and Finance are very friendly, and the managers are friendly and enthusiastic.
The food in the IT mall is great…so I gotta watch my weight again.
I walk quite a lot all day, so might lose all that I gain at the IT mall.
The tea at office is very nice, and needs no coupons.
It’s nice to work in a carpeted office after a long time.
They have 13 holidays all though the year, my previous employer had only 9.
I have *Drums roll please* 32 leaves in a year, out of which 26 are mandatory, meaning they are not to be carried forward to the next year. With all my provious employers I had 18-20 leaves per year. Also getting the leaves approved was a huge pain in the neck. Here they are pretty flexible with the leave system.
I have a personal IP phone at my disposal, at all other places that I have worked earlier, 3-4 people used to share one phone.
I can carry my I-Pod inside which none of my previous employers allowed.
There are quite some short term onsite travels here, to Egypt, Paris, Russia among other places (yipeeeee!!).

So it’s kinda great, except for the everyday travel to office and the technology I am to work with. I will certainly try to find out some good projects around and see if I can get through them.

Second Happy Walla Anniversary...

Db: So you are a housewife now.
Me: Howzzat??? I am gonna start my new job on Monday.
Db: So what??? You are not on anybody’s payroll for the next two days, so that makes you jobless.
Me: But these two days are weekends.
Db: So what?? You are not paid for the next two days, so that makes you a housewife.
Me: Big deal!!! So what if I am a housewife for a few days.
Db: So behave like one.
Me: As in????
Db: Make me some good food, mere pair dabao, meri sewa karo.
Me: Huh!!!
Db: Nothing doing!!! For the next two days you have to behave like a housewife.
Me: Okay.
…Dal is getting so costly these days, and all Gobi’s in the market are damaged….what do I cook?? …My friend nam got amazing diamond studs last week, you haven’t given me a single piece of jewelry in last one year,
…The neighbors next door got a new Honda City, we don’t even own a car.
…Nam went to Srilanka for a vacation on this New Year, you haven’t taken me any where ever since our marriage.
Db: ??!!!!??
…. Your Mom called yesterday, wants me to visit the temple everyday, who has the time for all this. Grrrr!!!
…Your siblings are not doing well in their academics, lemme tell you, I am not going to take their responsibility.
…When are we going onsite?
…This house maid bugs me so much, get me a new one.
…Take me to a movie…Shahrukh Khan!!! I am bored…take me shopping.
…Why are you with your laptop, talk to me!!!
…Where are my Saas Bahu serials.
Db: Okay…I lose. Don’t you dare ever leave your job, work till you retire.
Me: **GRIN**
Let the madness never end. Happy Anniversary Love!!!

NB: Since this is my blog, I prefer to write about only those arguments that I happen to win, which again happens once in a blue moon. But my blog is my business…so Meri Marzi!!!

I'm calling it quits

Today is my last day at office
I had finished the farewell mail sending business late in the evening yesterday, so that my clients at US get a chance to respond back to me. My team held a small farewell get together for me, and they gave me a nice surprise, a huge TWEETY BIRD as a gift to me. So all z been well here.

But I am not feeling sad or guilty while I leave today.
Despite of the fact that my managers have been facing the music because of my resignation. My clients were extremely unhappy with my resignation, more so since another key member also resigned with me. It's also come up to the extend that my clients are reconsidering the contract they have with my employer.
My clients have been ever so sweet with me. I not for my employer, I do have some kinda camaraderie with my clients. My team here was very pleasant to work with. Less of team mates and more of friends. For sure, the best team I ever got to work with. That's one thing I am surely gonna miss.

But somehow it does not matter to me. Not anymore...
May be because I firmly believe they did deserve this, may be because life has taught me to be selfish...or may be I am just, plain and simple, happy about it.
I know that once I get my relieving letter in hand at 3.30 in the afternoon today, I am gonna run off in top gear, without even looking back once, even if calamity strikes. If tomorrow I have to join back here for some reason, I will think (1000 X 1000 X 1000 X 1000) to the power 1000 times before I do that.

Finally when I went to meet a few people before I left, they all greeted me with a congratulations first, and then an all the best...and I completely understand.

And right now I am just waiting for the clock to strike 3.30, so that I can just get over with it all. Monday I am starting with another company(yes!!! No break for me), hoping the management there wouldn't be as bad as here, and hope the team be as good as the one I had here.
And puhleeease gimme some simple work there, nothing too difficult, for which I have to stay too late at office.

And before I call it quits, I would like to say farewell to all those who I leave behind, in our national language अलविदा कमीनों !!!

Phir Mile Sur Mera Tumhara

I am sure for every person in his 20's and late 30's, Mile sur mera tumahara would be an iconic song. I remember, I grew up with it. Those were the days were hadn't heard of mobiles, cable TV, play stations or video games...all we had was a old colour TV with just one channel called Doordarshan, DD1.

Those were the days, when the celebrities were mysterious for us, there were no channels airing every single detail about the celebs. Unlike these days, when a (non-)actor is a star even before their first film is released (Deepika Padukone anyone!!!), those times we hardly go to see them out side the films they were a part of. So it was through the 'Mile Sur' and 'Baje sargam' kinda stuff where we got a glimpse of our favorite actors not trying to be somebody else but just themselves.

While I say this, I feel like a old granny. A feeling akin to when my Dad said that he started with a job which paid him 300 rupees a month, and he was called a genius for that.

Well...not deviating from the topic, when I first saw the 'Phir Mile Sur' on TV, I couldn't help but compare it to the old version of the same. Certainly, its a great idea, re making the iconic song with people from this generation who have made a mark in the society.
But I was terribly disappointed.

The remake looks more like a commercialized khichdi, very unlike the original which looked so genuine and had the heart in the right place. It more looks like a marathon of bollywood actors and non-actors (call them stars), again trying to be somebody, and not themselves.

Picture these:

- The length of the segment is annoyingly long, and the individual segments look very detached from each other, most of them looked very forced.

- Salman Khan sitting amidst variously disabled children, looks less up for a social cause and more for a Rupa Baniyan or Rin Supreme ad.

- Deepika-overhyped- Padukone, my first reaction when I saw her was, arre eske kapde kahhan hai (where are her clothes???). She stands with a reveling dress on a ramp like pose looks less talking about national integration and more like advertising champi with parachute hair oil, before shampooing with fiama di willis shampoo.

- Aamir Khan doing his Bum Bum Bole act yet again with a group of kids, looked like a total caricature.

- Sonu Nigam looks like he is straight out of a mental asylum. He is a good singer, no doubt, but he should avoid the forced koolness and acting like plague, as much as Himesh Reshammiya should do the same.

- Aishwarya-plastic-Rai, redoing her look-I-am-so-pretty act yet again, and Abhishek lurking behind her back in a consolation 3 seconds role for being the son and husband of a talented father and plastic beauty respectively. Wonder why Jaya Bachan was missed out, since the Bachans kind of expertise in making all occasions a family get together.

- Shahid Kapur has this I-am-a-rockstar-but-they-wont-let-me-dance look.

- Ranbir Kapoor in a pyjamas, looked like he is straight out of bed and hardly interested.

- Shahrukh with his ever constipated expression, stretching out his hands wide doing his typical Shahrukhanisms synonymic to saying 'My Name is Khan'.

- The Olympics winners Bindra, Virendra, had in a blink and you miss contribution.

- What's Kavita Krishnamurthy doing with her entire family??? Trying to give competition to the Bachans is it!!!

- Its all bollywood bollywood all the way, the sports icons were conveniently missed out. I would have loved to see veterans like Om Puri, Lata Mangeshkar (who were a part of the original version) and Naseeruddin Shah as well.

Terribly terribly disappointed. Bole toh akha memory ki watt laga dali.

Some old memories that I still visualize - I

A real long post on a few gems that I can clearly visualize from my past.

A real long post with a few censored stuff.

Sexy Sexy Sexy mujhe log bolen. It was sometime during my class 7th or 8th when this legendary song was released, which went into troubled waters due to the repeated usage of the word sexy. They later replaced the word with Baby which they believed was more milder.

During those days, we had just one smartie in our group...Lekha.

During the biology class I whispered to her

Me : Why did they ban the song?

Lekha : Because it had the word sexy in it. Its not a nice word you know.

Me : Why!!! What does it mean?

Lekha : You donno??? Sexy means somebody who shows off her sex.

Well!! Given today, I believe that was a very straightforward and smart definition of sexy that she gave. But back then my grey cells were underdeveloped.

Me : So, whats wrong in it. We wear skirts to show that we are females and the boys wear pants to show that they are males. So that makes us all sexy right!!!

She didn't reply anything, but somehow I vividly remember the expression on her face, half disbelief, half confused, half oh-you-dumbass and half well-you-have-a-point look on her face. PRICELESS!!!

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My maths sir at school was not very fond of me. I was a 80 percent scorer in all my subjects, except maths, wherein I always scored less than 60. I went on to believe that I am weak in maths, and decided to take tuitions from the sir who taught us Physics at school. When my tuition sir reviewed my maths terminal answer sheets, he found that I should have at least got 70. It turned out that the maths sir was liberal with marks for people who took tuitions from him, while he would treat the rest with an iron hand. When I confronted him, saying I deserved more marks, he shouted at me humiliating me infront of the whole class.

The next terminal,which was the last terminal of my 10th std, I failed maths with 38 marks.

I again showed my paper to my tuition sir, who believed i should have got at least 6o something in this paper. But I was scared to confront him. So my tuition sir decided to confront him all by himself.

I am not aware what happened that day. The next day was our last day at school, we had a 15 day holiday after which we had our ICSE board exams. My tuition sir called me to the staff room, he pulled out a notebook from my bag. On one of the pages, he wrote a 90 on it and put his signatures below. He gave the notebook to me and said, don't show me your face if you cant pull off more than this in the board exam. He left.

I scored a 92 in maths in the board exams which was the second highest in my school. And yes, I did show my face to him.

I still have the notebook with me, one of whose pages says a 90, signed by Mishra sir below it.

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During my hostel days, somebody would steal away our undergarments from the rope on the rooftop. Never did we hear a case when dupattas, jeans, t-shirts, handkerchiefs or skirts were stolen, it was just undergarments. Later we found out that the guys that stayed around our hostel (our hostel was inside the city) used to climb up to the roof top and steal away things.

During one of the late night gossips in our room,

Me : What kind of chindichors steal undergarments man!!! I mean at least steal better things to gift your girlfriends, what sense does it make to give them used underwear!!!

Others in the room : ROFL

Well!!! Now I know why guys would steal female undergarments.

Thinking aloud

Five things that would have bothered me if I hadn't resigned

1. My manager, either he would have killed me or I would have done the same to him.

2. My promotion was shelved. I am the only one in my team who did not get the promotion. And worst of all, despite of repeated reminders from my end, they made it out to be a careless mistake. On the day the promotions were announced, my manager actually came to me to ask how much hike I got.
Oops !!! It seems I missed to initiate your promotion. He said
What???????? who made you a manager!!!

3. The dissatisfaction in the team has been increasing exponentially because of lac of motivation from the management side. Its getting more and more difficult to get them to give their best at work.

4. PAISA!!! Duniya kya maange, money money!!! Well that could have been the fist item on the list.

5. I have been in this same project for more than 2.5 years, needed a change after all. If I would have asked my manager for a release, then please read back point no. 1

Five things that makes me happy for my resignation

1. PAISA again!!! I got a bhayanak hike. I have got coins glued on my eyes right now.

2. I don't get to see his face again...do I need to elaborate who is 'he'!!!

3. People who have got promotions, have hardly got an hike of 5-6% on an average. I mean that looks like some kind of charity given to them. And the best part is, my salary is still way higher than anybody else in the team. And still read point 1 again.

5. I have got my confidence back. The fact that I have got almost 3 offers already makes me want to pat my back myself.

I have another interview lined up in Db's company, TW. They have a unique recruitment procedure, a tough one at that. If I get through that, I will be on cloud nine.

So I Quit...

I quit my job this week, the very day I set my foot in Bangalore from my vacation. It was a little difficult since two more people also resigned with me on the same day with me, hence it certainly is a huge blow to my project.

Now my days are getting busier than ever. Conducting interviews to find our replacements. I am also trying to pull in some of my friends into the project. The times had been bad, and now that I have the power, I want to pull in some of my friends who have seen bad times in the last few months. I wish I could do something for Bhai though...**sigh**

So I would be on another payroll early next month. I am happy, will be happier if my friend gets through for my replacement coming Friday, and would be happiest if Bhai strikes gold.
God please gimme this news that we have been waiting for since months, I promise I wouldn't ask for anything else...ahem...at least for one year.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!

I thought I'd forgive him. I have just landed in Bangalore after a really great vacation, the after effect of which tends to calm me down.

I was just happy with the fact that I am resigning today, and will get rid of him soon...who else...mera manager!!! But he has to take panga with me.
A personal attack, a God Damn personal attack, with a mail CC'ed to the who's who of the project and the HR as well...subtlety blaming me of conspiring with my friends in the team to resign on the same day. Gawd!!! Do these people go through some managerial training at all before being thrown in to sit on our heads.

Dude!!! Blow fire as much as you would like to, you can't change the fact that 6 people have resigned from the team in last two days, and that's due to your arrogant behavior. Your ass is on fire now, go figure out how you are gonna explain the resignations.
I will have the last laugh.

Last day of my vaccatiom

I am writing from my Dad's desktop, from the city Rourkela while its freezing cold here, like 4-5 degrees and it literally feels what Jack said Rose, it feels like a thousand needles...no marks for guessing the movie.
Its just a simple twist of fate, lest I would have been in the train to Bangalore right now. But the train has got rescheduled, delaying it by 7 hours, which is now 4 in the morning. So you see I haven't got anything better to do.

Its been a good vaccation this time. The plot deal was done,met my in laws, went to Puri and the Jagannath Temple, had a blast at the new year carnival at the local club at Rourkela(an entire post coming up that shortly with elaborate pictures), caught up with an old friend...and most importantly had a great lazy time at home, chilling...yes literally. The house miraculously got cleaned, the clothes miraculously washed , the food was miraculously ready. Nothing like it **Yawn**!!!

Now Bangalore looks so far to me. I feel when I would reach Bangalore day after tomorrow, the city would have changed, the people would have changed, my company wouldn't recognize me any more, everything seems just so alien. All of a sudden, I almost feel like forgiving my manager...such is the effect of a good vaccation.

Well, as the reality strikes, I have a train to catch in 6 hours, I have to resign from office day after tomorrow, and as I had expected that my resignation is gonna trigger two more resignations, one is already pipelined one day after I resign. So lots of action awaiting me back an Bangalore...so gear up gal!!!

The Secret Santa

As a part of Christmas celebrations, we are having the game called Secret Santa at office.
Since this is the first time I am playing this game in 5 years of my career in the IT industry, I took my job a little too seriously. I have been gifting my devil once everyday, sometimes twice as well.
The first day, I gave him a bottle of Appy Fizz, which got warm by the time he discovered it...arghhhhh!!!, so I gave him another can of chilled Diet Coke post lunch.
The next day I gifted him a garland, which had various snacks items.
Today I gave him some 20 lollipops.
And, I am thinking of something really wacky for tomorrow, since its the last day.

But you know, you should pass on the kindness. I have been receiving all boring gifts a pen, a chocolate bar...that's it!!!
Come on now!!! Looks like I am the only person who likes to have some fun!!!

Coming to other updates, my manager has finally given in to my leave request. But it has certainly triggered a cold war between us. I also communicated to them my intention of putting down my papers soon after I return from my vacation, but looks like he hasn't taken me seriously since he hasn't started looking for my replacement yet. Looks like my wild imagination is finally going to come true. **grin**
I know, my resignation is gonna trigger two more resignations from the team of six, and then the project is gonna fall like a pack of cards. But I couldn't have been here for another month, this manager is driving me insane.
Anyhoo, I have done my bit by warning them beforehand and for the rest, I couldn't care less...and over these years I have learnt to be selfish and mind my own business. I prefer giving tension to others than taking it myself.
So most certainly, this new job opportunity is the best gift Santa could have given me this Christmas.

Looking forward to the vacation. Will go to Bhubaneswar for the plot deal, will meet my parents and in laws, will meet Db's friend who hitherto I have met only in the web cam, will visit the Puri Jagannath Temple(its been a while I went there), will visit Rourkela, probably for the last time, since Dad will permanently shift to Bhubaneswar after his retirement in late 2010.
Quite a happening vacation this one would be.

Kung Pao Paneer

As much for my love for cooking, I realized I do not have a single recipe on my blog
Inspired by a few more bloggers on the blog world, I choose to write a recipe on my blog, the one I tried this morning.

I love the kung pao chicken at Magnolia, served with Chicken Malaysian flat noodles. So much so that I order the same each time I visit the place. I tried looking up the recipe for the same sometime last year and didn't find anything interesting. While looking for the same recipe last night, I came across quite some blogs and sites which provided the needful.

So I followed this recipe, replacing the chicken with paneer (since Db does never allow me to cook chicken at home, he has his own reasons to believe that cooking chicken is a laborious task which he wouldn't like me to do), replaced the sesame oil with the normal vegetable oil and skipping the rice wine or dry sherry altogether.
The rest of the procedure remaining the same.

For my Kung pao paneer, I rate it 9/10 on looks, and 6.5/10 on taste. I can sure give Magnolia a run for its money after I try the recipe a few more times to gain expertise on the same.

Will post a pic on my wonderful Kung pao once I reach home from office. Here at office, we are deprived of all worldly things including the camera and the USB cables.

My Home Sweet Home - I

So didn't I tell you we (me and Db) are buying a plot in Bhubaneswar. Dad arranged this 2000sqft plot for us. We pay a whooping 2 lahks in 1week and the rest of the money in a year's time and by the end of next year, its oursssssssssss.
Now I know its too early and Db is gonna bang his head saying a SATYANASH to himself when he finds this on my blog, but can you blame me for my excitement !!!

Here is the draft version of my house plan.

Ground Floor. Please ignore the water mark and click to enlarge.


First Floor Floor. Click to enlarge.


And I have already put up the print out on my cubicle. Hee Hee
**Grin**
Will keep the blog updated with more news on the same.
**Grin Grin Grin** again.

I can do with some encouragement

I am quite sleepy today.
Not just today, I have been quite sleepy during the daytime everyday since last three days.

I have been getting up at 7 in the morning since last three days...my usual timing being 9 in the morning three days before.
After trying everything I could to lose weight (except exercising and pampering my taste buds), I finally gave up to the slimming centers. I couldn't try harder or wait any longer...what if the world is actually coming to an end in 2012, I wanna die pretty or at least look good during the last days of my life ;) .
And the first phrase of encouragement came my way on the very first day of my visit to the center.

On the Saturday morning, I reached the center at dot 7.30. There weren't many people, means the recession is quite done with. I was wearing grey tracks with a black T-shirt. There was another girl (say Lolitha) who was sharing the room with me. She was quite overweight and hardly five feet tall, she wore a pink printed nighty which made her look heavier and shorter.

Lolitha : You are here for the size zero program?
What??? Did she really say that. I mean...I have never been size zero in my entire life.
Me : No, that's too much of an optimistic thought. I need to shed quite some weight before I reach even close to thinking of being size zero.
Lolitha : Really!!! Doesn't look like you need a slimming center.
Me : Trust me I do. I am sure black has more slimming effect that I thought it did.
Lolitha : Oh May be then.
She turned away with the people-have-so-much-money to-spare look.

Not that I mind, its not often(read ever) that I get the envy of a woman for my weight or lack of it.

2012

have finally caught the most anticipated movie of the year, 2012 this Sunday.
Frankly, I enjoyed the special effects more than the storyline which actually wasn't there. The special effects were spectacular to say the least. My favorites were the chases and the Tsunami sequence.
By the second half I had already started a headache, even the movie didn't seem logically fool proof to me. Time and again, I would look up to Db with some logical pothole...

'Don't look for logic now. Just enjoy the special effects'
Me : 'Isn't it supposed to be a hollywood flick, I am supposed to ask questions.'

Well...I do not intend to make this post a review on the film. I intend to jot down a few things I would like to do if I happen to know that the world is coming to an end we do not have a chance, of course...we are no Brangelina the world would like to preserve.So here is my list:

Now that I wouldn't need the money I have saved in two years, I would buy Dad the Ford Icon he always wished he had.
Now that I wouldn't have to repay the bank, I will buy a Honda City for myself...eeks!!! Sorry Dad.**wink**.
I would go abroad, once, even if its for a day.
I will have Tandoori Chicken in every single meal of my life.
I will finally give in to slimming tablets, lose at least 10-12 kgs, and wear all skimpy and designer dresses and click lotssssssss of pics.
I would tell Bhai that no matter what, he has always been my hero.
I would call up H to say sorry and tell her that I have always missed her all these years.
I'd like meet my ex once and Thank him for breaking up with me.
and last but not the least...
I'd barge into my managers cubicle slap him across his face, multiple times similar to the exaggerated effects of the saas bahu serials. and run for my life soon after.

Please God!!!

Just one this thing I want so badly, not for myself but for others who matter to me.
Please, if you believe I have done anything in life, which will pass as a good deed, please let me have this.
It's time like these that my faith on you is proved yet again to myself, when something wrong happens only to make way for something far better than what has been lost. But enough wrong has happened already, its time he finds the light at the end of the tunnel. Please show him the light, please let it be the end of the dark tunnel.

Please let it be the end of his ordeal.

Update 16th Nov:
Looks like He isn't listening...
I do not have a problem with you keen on testing someone's patience and will power, I have a problem when you show light to someone and take it back, plunging them into a bigger darkness of hopelessness.
He might not be your favorite child, but by doing this, for sure, you aren't getting into any good books either.

While the Search is on...

Without getting into the name of the company, which might or might not land me in trouble, I will come straight to the happenings of the day.

Last Saturday, I went for an interview to Whitfield, which, I was told a scheduled one. But when I reached there on the scheduled time, there were quite some people waiting for their turn for the online test. I was kept waiting for almost 3 hours, while people who came after me finished and left as well. Despite my repeated reminders to acknowledge my presence, nothing really happened. At the end of three hours I left a message on the desk for the HR and left.

Now, two days back, I get a call from the Senior HR of the company, apologizing for the inconvenience and asking me to come for the interview on the coming weekend. It didn't match since I had already committed to other interviews on weekend and Whitefield is too far to go on a weekday and come to office after that. They were willing o send me a cab to pick me up from my doorstep and then drop me back to my office after the procedure was done. I wondered what I had done to deserve this (may be the message I left with the receptionist didn't go well with the HRs) , but I accepted the offer. My only concern was what if I flunk in the first round itself and they believe I am an empty vessel which sounds too much. The harm could be many degrees ranging from losing my face, being blacklisted from their company for ever to confiscate the cab and send me back on my own, while I wasn't sure of my way back nor the conveyance.

I woke up at 6.30 this morning for the cab, I reached the Salarpuria Tech park before 8. It felt great, some hundred acres of land, with buildings each one better than the other, huge lawns, broad roads without a speck of dust anywhere, a lone coffee day standing in the middle of the road...looked like I had left civilization far behind. Not that I have never been to a tech park, but never so early. They look awesome early in the morning, quiet and serene. The HR hadn't arrived by then...so waited till 8.30.The online test went till 9.30 and as I feared, I flunked. There were quite some questions on EJB, which is not my forte...but without any unconvincing excuses, let me just face it...I flunked.
Lost my face, yes. Blacklisted from the company for life, I donno. But they certainly didn't confiscate the cab. I called the driver, he said he would take a few moments to come down since he went home. I decided to wait, any way it was too early for office, I had to reach only by 11.30. I looked around, and boiled down to the coffee day on the middle of the road.

I halted there for a corn-spinach sandwich and a Masala tea. While he prepared the same, I took a seat and looked around.
The weather was just perfect, to sit in an open air coffee day , it was cool and windy, I put on my jacket. People had started coming now, young girls, who were probably late because of the time they took to decide what they'd wear, were running to reach before their managers. Young men, walking lazily, I couldn't decide if they were sleeping while walking or walking while sleeping, they needed a coffee urgently. Older men, some in suits and tie, walking in a group were probably saving time by having the meetings on the way.
I felt the vacuum in our lifes...
When I was young my Dad said, work hard for your 10th grades and get into a good college, life is easy after that,nobody studies in college. When I was in college, he said, work hard to get an engineering seat in a good college, life is cake walk after that,nobody studies in college. When in engineering college, he said, work hard for your engineering percentage, land up in a good job, life is easy after that(Now I know, how smart he was, and how he manages his huge team in the plant he works in). I am still waiting for that easy life. I am, touchwood, doing quite well in this rat race, but life still isn't half as easy. Then, the board exams were my biggest concerns, looked like an herculean job to me...now its something else, and tomorrow it would be again something new. It never stops. I feel the urge to ask my Dad, when would I finally get the time to be relaxed, but I know even he doesn't have the answer. He is gonna retire in a year's time, and he still hasn't found his peace.
I believe, this is how God makes his presence felt to us. I am not a believer nor am I an atheist. I believe in a superpower but do not believe in tradition, religion and rituals. But, there is certainly somebody, something out there who balances my life and yours. I look at Bhai's plight today and I am positive his ordeal is gonna end soon, because I believe he has learnt the lesson God wanted to teach him.

It had started drizzling then, my tea was over and the thoughts going round my mind were exhausted. I called the cab driver, he said he's stuck in a jam and would take another fifteen minutes. I pulled out the book in my bag, Chetan Bhagat's: 2 states. It started good, dragged in between but now it was getting interesting.

In a few minutes the cab was there. I boarded the cab which dropped me till the office gate. I thanked the driver and approached the gate. I held my access card in my hand while I looked at the old building...I wondered if Akbar would have walled up Anarkali in this building. The campus if any, was occupied with the vehicles that came along the employees. I felt like I have landed from the US straight into Jhumri Talaiya.
As I entered, the security guard stops me with an open palm.
'Maa'm you are breaking policies, please wear the access card round your neck before we raise a security incident against you.'

Sigh!!!...Welcome to reality!!!

One pakau weekend

A weekend no so great.
I went for an interview to Whitefield which did not happen. They kept me waiting at the reception with a bottle of coke, cookies and chips at my disposal. I lasted in the reception only till the snacks did last. After the end of two hours, soon after the coke bottle was empty and the chips and cookies exhausted, I left in a fury asking the HR to call me later when they can scheule my interview. Life ke teen ghante waste ho gaye!!!

I had been of the impression that HR is one of the coolest job in IT. Most of them are babes or dudes, with no technical work, no clients...must be damn kool. But this notion is changing too fast.
Last week we had this mass drive, where I was a part of the interview panel.This lady HR was almost in tears, since she couldn't handle the pressure. Even today, even I blasted on the HR, when she kept me waiting for more than two hours...while she wouldn't get me another bottle of coke as well, I might have considered waiting for a while otherwise.

Among all this, what gives me a fits attack is, I have an interview scheduled with Adobe on tuesday. I asked Db's friend to refer me there...what I didn't realize is, they would gimme a call the same day to appear for the interview process the next day...
I am not prepared man! Atleast not for the written test on datastructures, algorithms and operating systems. I mean these topics are for the kids (read freshers)...for me, the names just seem to ring a bell.
Luckily I was able to buy some time. Wish me luck people, this one matters to me.

Watched the movie 'Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam', an old bollywood classic. This one and a few more old movies were ordered by Db online from the Moserbaer website.

Its two in the night now, and I feel dog tired due to this long day. Must go to sleep now, planning to prepare tomorrow for the kids stuff for the Adobe interview.
Uwaaan Uwaannn!!!

No title as of now

Its going to be a total random post with no head or tail...you have been warned!!!

I am writing this blog because I have nothing better to do.
Not that I do not have work, I have this screwed up code which I need to fix in the next half an hour, I have this sql query which I need to optimize since it takes ages to just bring up just 500 rows of data. Also, I have this offer letter which I might consider if they 'give me an offer I can't refuse'...but when I said the same to them, they never got back to me...which in words, means TEL LENE JAA!!!
And while I still have to bear my manager's face and my Dad calls me to share his concerns on Bhai's plight and on the other hand talks about his wish of gifting me and Db a 2400 sqft land in Bhubaneswar by taking a loan from his provident fund, I almost feel like booking myself a bed in the Ranchi Mental Hospital ASAP...I belong there.

Here, in this world, things happen too quickly sometimes. And at other times, if feels like Vajpayee spoke at lightning speed as compared to the movement of events in your life.
Things aren't changing for me. They are pretty much the same...same worries, same concerns, same project, same manager and the same code, same husband...ahem...err!!! I mean nothing new in my married life(marriage if not a full stop, a comma it certainly is).
*yawn*

Db says I am a champion in finding reasons to get worried about.
When I am not worrying about my family, my weight, office, cleaning my house and cupboards, chasing off the cockroaches or why we do not have a swimming pool in our apartment among other things, I am can still manage to be worried about why I can't find a title for this post.

When at college, and among the minimal few of the junta who were not-hooked-not-committed, I believed that expecting someone to be with me for life scores a perfect ten on the optimism meter.
Back then, and now I still believe that I am not the girl of his dreams for a man.
Since, I was and still am higher on testosterone and lower on progesterone...and also, I never needed a man in my life just for the heck of it, or because everybody had one.
Guys from college didn't approach me since they loved their life...guys outside college hardly tried, since they believed this option must have been closed by now (I was quite a babe then...WAS, PAST TENSE. I wore a huge cross round my neck, a skull on my index finger and an iron chain round one of my ankles...pretty bold going by Oriya standards. Db would have fainted if he would have managed to get a glimpse of me then).

I believe there are three kinda girls. One, you fall for on the first sight, second kinds are the ones who grow on you slowly and third a the kinds you wouldn't like to touch with a barge pole. I belong to the third category.

I seriously think, Db deserves some gallantry award for jhelofying me for almost two years now and more so considering the anticipation for the coming years...

I donno what I am writing. My thought process is going haywire because I am what...yes, that's right, worried.
If you have reached this far you are either as vella as me, or a very brave reader.
In either of the case, Thanks for hearing me out (I am choking).

So here comes the first offer!!!

So here it is.
After appearing for some 4-5 interviews I have finally, DRUMS ROLL PLEASE, managed to pull an offer from the Societe Generale Global Solutions Center.

But true to my Gemini self, I am darned confused.
I wanted to switch from my current employer, since I wanted a job which doesn't have such stringent policies, next to impossible goal sheets for the appraisal process, gives me an option for work from home and last but not the least, a dhin chak package.
With this new offer, I have got nothing matching my needs, except for a better package.
And, they want me to join in a months time.
I am in a fix. :(
Okay...did I forget to mention my manager, my blood pressure shoots up every time I see his face.

I know I hate my manager so much that I can put down my papers right now just to get back at him.
I can already visualize when I barge into his cabin and say "The words".

I would like to quit my job. So I would like to start the 1 month notice period starting today, and since I have 20 days of earned leaves left, I would like them to be adjusted to my notice period. In short, I am leaving in 2 weeks time...

There is this pregnant silence when we both look into each others eye and neither of us know what to say (does it sound romantic???). Also, I imagine myself ducking behind the chair, just missing the file hurled at me.

But Alas!!! This is just going to be a figment of my imagination as of now...since I do no hate him as much as I love my career. I hope this offer was exciting enough to make my imaginations to reality, I would have loved to see the expression on my managers face when I broke the news to him.
But alas this sadist pleasure has to wait as of now.

I am happy with the offer letter though. I can certainly do with some confidence of having an offer letter from a leading banking firm.
Hope some good offers come my way soon.

Happy Deepawali!!!

On this festival of light as I crib about my job(as usual) and personal life, soon after I gave another shot to set things rolling for Bhai, mere hours after I screwed up my interview with ArisGlobal and just minutes before my first telephonic round with Accenture is scheduled...I am here lighting up my life with this ray of hope with a belief.
A belief that this day is gonna finally light up our life and bring an end to all our worries, I believe that yes, everything is gonna be all right soon.
Yes, this belief gets me going now. I am positive and will ever remain so, till things turn to our favor.
So, here's lighting this little light up, believing this light will chase away the darkness in our life's and bring a new dawn where things are better if not rosier.

Hope this day lights up your life too...Happy Deepawali to all!!!

Do I think like a man???

Many a times I do feel that I think more like a man than a woman.
I look at Lara Dutta sizzling on screen in Blue, and I go 'Man she is hot!!!' more than I do the same for John showing his butt in Dostana. When we are roaming around Church Street on one of the evenings on a weekend, I scream more than Db when I see a babe around, 'Dekho...Babe hai yaar!!!'.

Lemme give a few more examples in chronological order...

A few months ago...at the cafeteria...
Nam : Did you notice that new trainee. Guess what!!! I have noticed her working out a the office gym almost everyday. No wonder she has such awesome figure.
Me : Yeah.
Nams (still envying her figure) : Look...not a single inch of fat anywhere. She would look awesome in a saree don't you think???
Me : I think she would look greater in a two piece bikini...why saree, which covers all of what its worth!!!
Nams : !!!????

Another time, we were three of us having our evening coffee at the cafeteria. We were talking about how sad it feels to see these little girls pregnant and working late hours at office.
Bh : This girl in the other project, I am sure she is gonna have a baby boy.
Nam : What makes you think so??
Bh : I believe if you have a baby boy in there, the tummy is more pointed.
Me: This can surely go as the weirdest of all your weird logics you ever gave. The baby boy certainly can't have his genitals so prominent to make the tummy look pointed.
Nams : What!!! That's so dirty...how could this even occur to you!!!
What else then????

Just yesterday I talking to my colleague, she happened to mention this reality show on NDTV Imagine...Pati Patni aur Woh.
Yeah, I said. I changed upon one of the episodes once when I was switching channels. Rakhi Sawant was carrying this little kid while showing her assets generously to the camera and to the baby. This kid must have found this one good chance to dance on, he started hitting her right on her boobs with his little hands. I was wondering what would the real father to the baby (I believe, these kids are rented from their parents) be thinking behind the screen, 'lucky chap!!! wish they rented fathers and not their babies'.
Nams :I don't believe this...You have a mind dirtier than most men.
Do I??? I thought this has to be the most common observation by anybody...irrespective of whether he is a man or woman.

So the bottom line is, I am starting to wonder if my mind actually works like a man.

Update 23rd Nov 2009
I did it again.
The topic of discussion was how this generation is commitment phobic and conveniently shies away from responsibilities. While few of us managed to get into the commitment of marriage, we shy away from the responsibility of having babies.
Now, this friend of mine is keen on having babies and her husband is not ready to carry the burden of kids. While she meant she is trying too hard to convince her husband for a baby, and her husband is putting equal effort to convince her otherwise, she put it into words, such
'We are trying too hard to have babies'
Later I queried Nam...How hard are they trying, every hour???ROFL
Nam : Torn between grin and disgust.

My interview with TM

I am not keen on joining Tech Mahindra.
For reasons similar to why I want to leave my current employer. Its also a company less like a work place and more like a jail. In the name of security, they believe in the concept of maximum inconvenience to employees.
I wanna work some where, where I don't have to think twice on what I can or cannot wear to office, where the company doesn't treat you like charity.

Yes, I still appeared for it just to gain some expertise, to get some confidence to face interviews.

The interview was okay. I mean I answered almost all questions to the first interviewer. He was mostly asking on things that we practically work on. So, it went quite well.
The second guy obviously wanted me to read some books before I appear the interview. He asked me all bookish questions, which cannot determine if you have actually worked on the technology. Any person who has done a google on 'java interview questions', 'hibernate interview questions' and 'spring interview questions' can answer a lot better than me. If that's the kinda people you want in your project...great...good luck to you!!

So, basically I am sure the first guy will say I was good and the second one will say I was not...
But anyways it doesn't matter since I am not planning to join there. But I can do with the confidence boost that a offer letter in hand could get me. Lets see...

Well I have one more interview with arisglobal day after tomorrow. This one sounds good to me...but I am sure it would e equally tough. I hope I get through this one.

A Weird Dream

I had a weird dream last night.
I wasn't keeping very well when I crashed on my bed, and instead of sleeping like a log, which I usually do, I kept waking up each half an hour (when I would cough), giving way to a new weird dream one after another. But I generally tend to forget my dreams as soon as I wake up, so I remember just one, which I narrated to Db as soon as I got up.

I saw myself and Db sipping coffee at our balcony, and I noticed this friend of mine on the apartment rooftop. This friend was Mani, a guy who I was friends with during my school days and I am not in touch with him since last 10 years or so, he happens to be in my Orkut friends list but, mostly idle and I have no clues where he is and whats up with him...so in short I am darned surprised what was he doing in my dream.
Okay...back to my dream. I saw him on the rooftop with a girl dancing to the tunes of Ek aankh marron to (the famous number with Jeetendra and Sridevi from the movie Tohfa). BTW did I ever tell you that for a really long time, till my second year in college, I believed that couples actually dance on their dates as shown in our Bollywood movies. So that was excatly what he was doing...dancing with his girl on a date.

Me : Kya Mani, Dance maar raha hai???
Mani : Yep. Ladki ke liye kya kya karna padta hai...
Me : So, is that your gf or your wife??? (I have no idea if he has either)
Mani : Wife hai yaar!!!
Me :Oh great!!! Why don't you guys come over for a cup of coffee
Mani : No yaar we'll have it at home.

And he disappears with his wife.
I open my main door to see them entering their house, which happens to be just infront of mine. I call him again
Me : Sure you don't wanna come down for coffee.
Mani : No yaar!!! Don't bother. We'll make it here.
Me : Sure!!!
Mani: Yep.

And I shut my door.
Soon, my call bell buzzes. I open the door to Mani.
Mani : Hey...would you mind borrowing me some sugar?
Me : Oh not a problem.
I take his bowl and move towards my kitchen. Then realization strikes, and move back to the door.
Me : Fuck the sugar. Come and have coffee with us...
Mani tries to move his head in negation.
Me : No arguments.
Mani : Okay then, I 'll just be back.

He disappears again to return with his wife and two cups.
Me : Now what's that for???
Mani : I thought you wouldn't have extra cups.
Me : (Insult!!!) By chance you know, I do. So just come on in.

He follows me to the kitchen...and here's the shock. The kitchen floor and walls are full of dead cockroaches. The corpses are sticking on to the walls, floor and the windows...lakhs and lakhs of them (I swear on God, I do not have so many cockroaches in my house). I find the last night's remaining curry on the gas stove, which I forgot to keep in the fridge. The cockroach corpse queue seems to have originated from there.
Mani is scandalized.

Mani : Now what's that???
Me : Donno. Looks like they tasted the last night's curry.
Mani : !!^&@*!& I want no coffee!!!
Me : Okay...how about the sugar???
But he had already disappeared with his wife.
Now, that's about it.

It was 9 in the morning now, and Db and myself were getting ready for office. I was starting early today since I planned to see a doctor. So Db went to the kitchen to prepare tea while I was getting ready.
Db : Hey...looks like you forgot to keep the last night's remaining curry into the fridge. It still lying on the gas.
I rushed to the kitchen...looked around the walls and floor. So sign of cockroaches, dead or alive.
I gave a sigh of relief.

Success And Failure

While searching for a number from my phone today, I came across this number of a school friend sleeping idle in my contact list. She is old friend of mine, and a very good friend she was.
She stayed in the same colony, her gate just infront of mine...and we were class mates at school. We were both from middle class families, but hers was a little poorer than ours I believe, due to her mother's illness. I would share my books with her, so that she wouldn't have to buy them...I would give her my notes since she wouldn't have time to make any due to her household responsibilities, we would help each other in every possible way...and that made us very thick friends. I was a better scorer among the two, but she wasn't too far behind...and somehow that didn't matter to both of us.

The trouble in paradise came when we both passed out from school. I kept moving steadily towards my goals and she got left behind due to her family responsibilities. I wouldn't also blame her family for everything, since they made sure she got the best school and tutions, but may be she herself lost her focus...I donno. Eventually I landed up for engineering and she went for a normal graduation, since her ranks were not good enough in the engineering entrance. That pushed her down her edge of jealousy(I guess) and she made it very clear to me, and eventually stopped speaking to me after that. Soon we moved to another house far from hers...I tried to make it up with her before I leave, but she wouldn't speak to me.

During my holidays, when I came home, I came across that she has been spreading horrible things about me among our school friends. When we met during the school get together, she tried speaking to me...but I gave her a piece of my mind. I told her, I wouldn't like to speak to her since she is not the friend anymore whom I loved and cherished. She stood speechless while I left.
I never heard from her after that...

I came across her again though common friends on Orkut a few months back. She didn't send me a friend's request nor did I send her one. But from friends, I got to know that her father is retired now, and both her parents are not keeping well, her brothers are now late 30's but not married, she is now working as a nursery school teacher at Rourkela and not married yet(she was two years elder to me though we were in the same class), since she didn't want to get married till one of her brother's get married and get somebody to take care of her parents. I saw her pics on Orkut, she looks terribly frustrated, lost a lot of weight and her face also looks tired and drained out.
I felt as bad for her as then when we were at school. I felt like time as gone back to those days, when she would cry in front of me for her mother's illness or her brother's callousness...and I wished she did the same now and I could help her the same way I did earlier.

I arranged for her mobile number from a friend...but never called her. Many a times, I contemplated calling her, but discarded the idea...what if my genuine words of concern sound sarcastic to her, what if instead of helping her I make her feel more terrible,what if the fact that I am more successful than her reminds her of her failures.
I decided to keep track of her from friends, and make sure I call her once she is settled, or doing better than now...but soon enough I got busy with my life and lost track of her again.

Now I am not sure, if what I had heard true or not, whether she really was spreading things about me...I regret I didn't give her a chance to defend herself...may be it was wrong on my part to go and blast on her without getting to know her side of the story. May be even I was feeling superior at that point of time because I was doing better than her.
I see her number in my phone directory now, I think its time I call her. But I am still fighting the thought.

This weekend is getting boring...

While I am down with a sore throat, this long weekend is not going half as good as planned. Yesterday I couldn't even manage to step out of house. Planning to go out in sometime to buy a pair of shoes for Db...which he can't do without anymore. Also planning to go out to check out the Dusherra celebration in and around Kormanagala.
Among all this, one good news that the weekend got me was a bright ray of hope that came from my Delhi trip...hope things start rolling soon.

The Delhi aftermath

I have a sore throat ever since I came back from Delhi...and running a fever since last two days.
Yesterday I reached office and left in half an hour since I couldn't stand the AC. A day's rest can do wonders to you. The fever is mostly gone but my throat continues the harassment.

We spent almost a good 30K on the trip...but the kinda experience I got from it is worth millions.

I am happy I got to see the real persona of people which they hide under their designer clothes, make up or the constant 'hey' 'oops' 'yeah' and 'man'. Within they are people who can stoop so low that leave you with a gaping mouth. Ever since our return Db is full of appreciations for me, believing that he is lucky to have me...but of course.

I am disappointed to see this generation being so irresponsible and callous towards their carrier and family. Also I must say they are way smarter than what we were at their age. They lie with such a straight face, have no signs of regret whatsoever. I wonder what makes them such, since I believe all generations have their share of temptations. May be easy access to things (bikes, mobiles, internet, laptops), may be the feeling that everything will be taken care of, or the Oh-I-am-so-cool attitude, or mere overconfidence. I donno.

I do not have a problem with the choices they make in life, since I have always believed that they are all adults and smart enough to make their decisions, but they should also have the guts to face the consequences...which they clearly don't have.

I am so awfully disappointed.
Yes!!! its now that I eventually realize that I am way more matured than any of those people who I thought were. I look at them and feel proud of what I was then and what I am now.

Back from Delhi

I am back from Delhi since last night.
We started from Delhi around 9 in the night, when we were still sweating in the heat, and 3 hours later when we landed at Bangalore International airport, it felt like we were back from hell, to land in heaven. I wonder why people like to stay in Delhi, considering that it's awfully hot, everything is just too far and pollution is horrible.

Well...to start with good news, I did a lot of shopping and more so since most of things I got, I got them dirt cheap. I got my hands on some awesome parathas...and the best part, I got to meet Db's college friends, which was FUN...and also I was able to address some of the issues that I had gone to help out for.

And...some bad ones.

I had this friend of mine from school. She would tell me that friends who would say only things that I would like to hear are not true. She would correct me when I was wrong, tell me things that she wouldn't like about me and things she would believe that I was doing wrong. And I believe that makes your relationship stronger and more dependable.
But I witnessed it myself that people only want those kind of relationships in their life who tell them things which are music to their ears. The moment you say things which doesn't sound flattering, they turn you into villains instantly.
I wonder these people who are educated, so-called civilized, wear such designer clothes, work in huge offices, are in fact so cheap within. They could talk high about table manners while dining at the most expensive restaurant in the city, but back home they are such cheap filthy people who are worse than the house maid that works for a menial wage.
Yes, it was someone in my family, whom I intended to help sail through turbulent times, but she was adverse to any kinda criticism, and wished to hear it wasn't her fault at all. And here I return with my own hands burnt in the fire I wished to put out...and a relationship lost.

Also,
Youngsters, these days...irresponsible is the word that comes to my mind.
There are temptations at all ages, at all times. We had our share of temptations during our graduation days as well. But I think youngsters were more responsible then...or lemme say...there were more youngsters who were responsible then, a number which has reduced drastically over the years.
My gang at college was richi-rich. People who had a lot of money to spare on worldly pleasures, an option I never had since my Dad is just a government employee. I would get 1500 rs a month, and made it a point to never ask for more. I would target to save at least 150-200 rs every month so that by the end of a few months I could buy nice T-shirts to match my other friends.
Yes, there were other easy options. A convent educated girl from Rourkela has plenty of options in college. People would race to make her their girlfriend, since she is a feather in their cap. It wasn't a big deal. And then, all your expenses are taken care of...and there were people who would do it for the easy life that it brings along.
But on the flip side, I knew the kind of money, effort and sacrifices that my family was going through, to have me get the degree at the end of four years, I knew the consequences of being caught since my Dad was a pretty well-known person in Bhubaneswar, I had an idea of the kind of complications that this relationship would bring on me and my family later...and I went on to become one of the very few people who passed out from college with pretty decent marks + a job + single status - complications + proud parents...a great combination I must say.
But this is a very selfish and irresponsible generation...and I am really disappointed with all the youngsters that I have come across.
Decieving parents for just like that, irresponsible to the core where money is concerned, giving absolutely no value to the trust that parents place on them, lying on the drop of a hat...I am terribly disappointed.

When asked, Db's friend Nehru said that he prefers getting a pet dog than raising kids, at least he wouldn't bring as many problems along. Well!!! I am giving it a thought, I already have a handful.

Prelude to my thoughts before I start for Delhi

I am early to office today. Not because I didn't have much to do at home or more to do at office. I came early because I am leaving early today for the flight to Delhi this evening.

Now, there is this is a weird feeling...
May be it's because its a long time since I have been ever early to office...
Or may be since I am traveling after a really long time, other than my parents or in-laws place...
Or may be because I am excited about Delhi, or may be I am not...I am not sure what am I gonna do or say there that would help someway.
I feel like this damsel in distress who is too weak to change things...and I hate to be so.

As a kid I believed that my Dad had a magic wand. He was able to handle the toughest situations in the most graceful way. Things which would look so very impossible to us, just when we would lose hope and give up on it, he would get it done. I didn't know this word then...JUGAD, but back then I thought he had a magic wand which he would use to solve all problems. (But he is getting old now, or may be the power of the magic wand has fallen short to the rising inflation...his magic though still working would not be able to hold too long.)

Obviously I wanted my husband to be the same...dependable.
But when I actually started looking out for prospective grooms, somewhere I missed this criterion. It was my mistake...I would compare every guy with my EX, a superfit football player, with a great dressing sense and lot of Dollars...but he was not dependable, of course. Well!!! I was quite young then to realize that...and I believe things are much rosy the first time.
But that I realize now that everything else aside, if your man isn't dependable, your life gets hell. It's very important that your man stands by you when you need him the most. And my life is easier because I have just the man I need. I wouldn't have been able to go through this if Db hadn't been understanding enough.

I had this friend of mine, who believed that it takes as less as a day for a person to change.
'People change like this' she would snap her fingers...

I did never find it true...I never changed in the last 26 years. Yes, I wish today some people would change...and some never do. And the second one is Db.

Missed on my CHOTA FHORTCUT

To quote Shahid Kapoor in Kaminey
"There are just two ways to success...FHORTCUT and CHOTA FHORTCUT"
I missed on my CHOTA FHORTCUT this weekend.

My frustration with my current employer is a known fact to my readers (anybody there btw???). But I wasn't ready for a change yet, it needs a lot of preparation before I actually jump to the pool. But I chanced on this requirement on Accent(Times Of India) for a walk-in for HP. I might give it a try I thought.But I wasn't ready. So be it...lets just find out where I stand.
Last Saturday, just when I was about to start, Db gave me this wonderful news that this drive was actually only for women who had 4-8 years of experience. Bingo!!! that's my CHOTA FHORTCUT. Since I believe women between 4-8 years of experience would be quite less in number, most of them looking for jobs after a break due to marriage or kids, mostly Aunties. So I stand a good chance since there would be hardly a 100 people. Ah!!! I wish I was a little prepared...but still there is a fairly good chance.

And I was right. There were maximum 70-80 people who turned up, most of them were Aunties who wanted to resume their careers after a break.
I had reached there by 10 am, but I was kept waiting till almost 3pm...while people who came after me had already finished and left. After continuous inquiry, it turned out that they had lost my resume.
Finally, my turn came around 3, after I gave them another copy of my resume. My tech round was quite good. I wonder, if I am actually good at my concepts or like the lucky JAMAL in Slumdog Millionaire, I was destined to be asked only those questions for whom I knew the answers...except one. For that one question caused all the unpleasant trouble. The interviewer was one lady (who had enough facial hair to be called a man, and looking at her face actually distracted me), she asked me to write a program. I used a logic which she wasn't expecting, I tried convincing her that it would give the same result and she looked convinced...at least that what I thought.
I was selected in the Tech round, and proceeded for the Managerial round...which again went very well and I was passed on to the HR for the rest of the formalities. By the time it was 5.30 pm, and I was the only person left. The HR lady approached me, and we started the discussion, if I was ready to relocate to Chennai and my current package etc. It was unbelievable, I could resign on the next Monday...I had already started to imagine my manager's expression when I would tell him that I quit. Yeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Just then a man approached us, to say that he had some technical questions for me. But I already finished that round, but he insisted on one. And before I could even understand what was going on, the HR was gone and he was seated across the table taking another technical interview.
My mind went numb...so am I not resigning this Monday!!! He asked me a few questions and I could realize that I was too tired to think. He asked me to explain the same program which I had written for the other lady...he said the results would be the same but the performance would be bad...Ohh!!!...so I might have to bear my manager for some while now. He looked angry for some reason, he was hell bent to prove I wasn't good enough. I answered most of his questions, but each time he gave me the expression like he was sitting next to an idiot of the first order. What is he so mad about???...I still donno.

It was over...he asked me to leave.

I knew this was not right. It was less of a technical test and more of stress test. If I wasn't good enough they could have rejected me in the 1st round itself...or are the interviewers not good enough to judge people. Who makes them sit in the panel if they can't judge if the candidate is good. I wanted to turn back and give a piece of my mind to the HR, I had nothing to lose...but I felt tired and humiliated.
It was like smelling me the chocolate and taking it back.
This was my CHOTA FHORTCUT, and I just missed it by a thin line.
I wish I would have said "No...I donno how to do it" for that piece of code. I knew I would still have been selected, the rest of the interview was good. If not I wouldn't hurt so much, since I knew I wasn't prepared.

No worries...I know I am good at my work and there are sure better places to work, and bigger problems in life to worry about.
Like my Delhi trip this weekend, which is neither for MY business nor pleasure. Its more to try to straighten things for people who are family and who refuse to help themselves and have become the cause of worries for the rest of the family.
God help me help them...Amen to that.

Ah!!! Problems...do they have a tail???

The Tide

I am on a lot of caffeine now, empty stomach, a severe headache, with some moronic stuff to be completed while all I want to do now is to slip off home.
FUCK IT... I'M FRUSTRATED AND I REALLY NEED TO PUSH THOUGHT IT!!!

There is an underlying truth to frustration...there is something that seems wrong...something that you are driven nuts about because it is NOT happening, or IS happening...and you can do nothing about it while you can't also bear the pain of being a silent spectator and watch while the drama unfolds itself.

Why is it so difficult for some people to accept their failures gracefully? Why is ego so important? Why is it so important to be like somebody else? Why can't people look within themselves to find the happiness that they are actually looking for from other people?
Why is changing oneself so difficult? Are we locked into our persona...so much so that we can never break free from it and change ourselves.
Can we not realize that the glorified picture we have of ourselves is not correct, and instead of waiting around for things to change, we change nothing, that's foolish.

I am helpless, feeling like a loser that I can't help my own people, people who are all I have. I clearly see what's going wrong and who's going wrong...but I can hardly do anything about it. People who I love, who I care for, are in so much pain...it hurts. And I am not helping, I can''t.

Awhhh!!!...Honestly, it's one of those days that I could just scream...

My colleague was complaining me today that she has spotted this new guy in our team staring at her boobs. Needless to say she was very irritated with this regular practice of his, so much so that she now avoids meeting him and discuss work with him.

Accepted that men are programmed that way...but there has to be some decency at office.
Now, I remember the bollywood movies in the 80's would have the heroines with huge boobs and God knows what made them think that they ought to look conical in shape (and don't get me started of the kind of dresses that would had the boobs in a different and darker shade). Basically those are the kind of boobs that catch attention.
But this colleague of mine who is hardly 5 feet tall and looks more like a school girl who has lost her way and landed up at a office, and hardly any noticeable assets is quite not something to be stared at...unless the guy has challenged himself to check out her assets to find if she has any at all!!! Okay that was a PJ...at least that's what she told when I said the same thing to her.

Ok now...don't feel bad...I tell her. If you really wanna do something about it, stare at his crotch whenever he stares at your boobs (at least we used to do the same when at college...but well yes...office is different), still worse...raise an incident with the HR. And if nothing else we will screw up his appraisal for this.

WTF!!!

Finding a blog name for Db

Db wanted to start a blog for himself, not that he doesn't have one. But its not been put to good use...which he intends to now. So it was like turning a new leaf with a brand new blog name.

So we started looking for a good blog title for him.
We started with more relevant names like mydailybites, randommusings...and more, which were all taken.
Next he started playing with titles like jorukagulam, thehenpeckedhusband, mujhemeribiwisebachao...only to find that there were people who had already gone through the same misery long before Db realized his state...heh. After an year of marriage, what else is a blog good for if you cant pen your rants on your wife.
Lastly, we even tried all dirty slangs like sa*le, ter*maki, kuttakamina, bewda (and more which I have censored keeping in mind that my SIL has started reading my blog), but no luck.
And finally we tried, allcoolblogtitlesaretaken, cantfindatitle, cantfindanything and those was taken too. I totally sympathize with these guys, having realized what we went through to find a blog title for Db.

If you are still reading on and expecting that I am gonna pass on a link to Db's blog from mine, huh!!! forget it.
After 3 years of blogging and investing so much time, energy, imagination and internet bills on glorifying myself on my blog, you think I am gonna pass on my readers(hardly any though...sob) to read his blog and throw all my efforts to the drains.
Nopes!!!

The price of trusting a girl and her plans...

I had been so tired of saying alone this weekend. So I invited one of my friend home this Saturday. What I conveniently ignored is never to bank on a girls punctuality, her plans and her moods.

So, taking all at her face value, I was waiting for her, all set by 9.30 in the morning. She gives me a call around the same time to tell me that she is about to start from her home in another 10-15 minutes. Here I would like to mention that her home is good 20 kms away from mine. So there was no hope of her to join me for breakfast, so I was now expecting her by 11am, so that she could join me for lunch. But it was 12 noon already, and there was no signs for her. I called her, to find her still a good 10kms far from my residence. I gave her a piece of my mind and asked her to please make it fast since I was starving by then.
To divert my mind, I started watching Notting Hill on Star Movies, but that was not to be for long, since soon the power went off, and the security guards didn't bother to start the generator. It was 1 pm already.

Fuming by then, I decided to make a move and go to he Oasis center, which is the closest mall. I tried calling my friend, but it went unheard for. So I left her an SMS and started for the mall. I felt having lunch without her would e too rude, so I started killing time window shopping at Lifestyle...trying her mobile endlessly all the while in vain.
Finally she arrived around 1.45 pm...only to say that she was late because she wanted to pick a gift for me since she was coming my home for the first time...and apologized that she couldn't find me anything, so she bought me some pastries. Grr to that!!!...I would have been a lot happier if she would have come an hour early instead of getting those god damned pastries. Finally we finished lunch at the food court.

Now she wanted me to take her around the mall, since she was here for the first time. So we went around the gaming zone and lifestyle. She suddenly realized that the next day was Ganesh Chaturthi, and she is supposed to get some new stuff for her younger brother. She wanted to pick a T-shirt for him. Kool with me, since I believed picking one T-shirt (without hitting the trial room) should take 15 odd minutes (I could take less than that. No matter what I shop for, my shopping takes 15-20 minutes maximum...Yeah!!! I know Db is the lucky one). But now she was on a T-shirt hunt for almost over an hour, and I was left for an endless wait doing what...NOTHING (since I had already finished my share of window shopping, and anyway I can't even do that for more than a few minutes).

My blood pressure was shooting up to new heights that I never knew. I went up to her a a couple of times, telling her that she was ruining my weekend, but in vain. She ended up shopping for 3 T-shirts and two trousers for her brother since she was not sure if he would like her choice...so she bought more things, hoping he would at least like one of them (what a pathetic theory!!!).
Anyways it was 4 in the evening already, so we came home. I served her some cold coffee, and she was on her way in half an hour since I had to leave for my dance class.

So that's my sad story of a spoiled weekend. I bet I was happier when I was alone watching movies, painting, reading or for that matter sleeping. This is the price you pay for trusting a girl on her plans.

For people who don't know, I am a girl myself.
But may be when the God Almighty was manufacturing me, he forgot to plant the hormones in me, which makes a girl take half an hour in the bathroom ( I take hardly 5 min), take another 1 hour for make up, unpunctual (I am overtly punctual), make haywire plans (I am a big time planner) and shop like there is no tomorrow(I can't stay in a shop for more than 15 min). Yes, Yes, Yes...I know Db is the lucky one...is he listening BTW???

Not that I am without my flaws...but that may be some other time, another post.

I had a bad bad day today...

The day started well...I slept till almost 10 in he morning.
So had only half n hour to get ready for office. I decided to have the boiled egg, that I had kept in the fridge last night, for breakfast since that was the most quick option I could think of. But the egg was too cold, so I thought I could keep it in the microwave for a few seconds.
I put it in the microwave, and left it for 20 seconds.
Now a sudden loud sound of a blast caught my attention, only to find that the egg has exploded inside the microwave, creating one of the filthiest mess I have ever witnessed. Cleaning off that stuff took me 15 minutes.

Now I finally managed to start for office only to get trapped in one of the ugliest traffic jams.
Needless to say, I reached almost half an hour late to office, only to find my manager has come back from his long leave TODAY.

For lunch as we started, my brand new pair of shoes decided to ditch me, by quitting their heels. Now, I was absolutely handicapped, I couldn't even go to the loo without any footwear.
I took the footwear of one of my friends and got a new pair of new sandals(a temporary workaround) for myself from the national market.
Finally, when we could manage to start for lunch, there were brinjals in the lunch (not that its any better other days) which we unanimously despise...also the burgers in the coffee day express were done with. Since it was too late to go out for lunch, we managed with samosas for lunch.

It's certainly a bad day for me...but there are still a few hours before the day ends. Lets see what more awaits me.

A Wild thought...

One wishful thought that occurred to me last night after my manager kinda rejected my leave request for two days next month.

Hope I someday join as a manager to my manager, I am gonna screw up his life. I would not let him take even half a day off in a year, I will screw up his appraisal every time and make him do piles of work with a system slower than a snail. (Ah!!! The thought of it gives me immense pleasure)

Well...Db, the playing his usual Devil's Advocate, enlightened me that to get that kinda sadist pleasure, and join as a manager to a person 3 times more experienced than me, the minimum I need is an MBA degree from some likes of ISB, Hyderabad.

Hah!!! I don't mind trying that hard to get even with him.

Great!!! He goes...
You earn the lakhs and I am gonna leave my job and become a house husband.

Now that's some wilder thought...I must say.

Awaiting my independence day

Sounds like my frustration level is gradually rising...right!!!
So be it!!!

We had a so called independence day celebration at office today.
A so-called celebration inside the cafeteria, in a 800 sq ft area, where a total junta of odd 1000 people were expected to stand and watch the ongoing celebration, with people breathing over each others neck (literally), pushing each other with their sweating hands. Now that's some celebration!!!
A company which a respected brand over the globe, treats its employees like damned charity.

I am sick of these brands and big names. With my experience of over 4 years in this industry, I have worked with the biggest brand names you could think of, and eventually I realize that all that glitters is actually not gold. Big brands which show huge profits on their balance sheets, are also achieved by curbing the rights and privileges of people like us...starting with cutting on our paychecks, leaves to toilet tissues.

What stops me...you might ask!!!
The recession is one of the answers...also the fact that I need the money that comes from this job. I am desperate to leave this place ASAP, but I need to go through this till I have another offer in hand.
Hope that happens soon.

And yes, before I forget...HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY.

How time flies...

My friend L turned into a mother yesterday.
She was my first roommate at hotel...one of the first friends that I made during my graduation days.
Feels like yesterday, that we were standing in a queue at hostel waiting to be ragged by the seniors...doing all kida silly stuff which passed as ragging...laughing, crying, dancing, eating and again ragging the juniors together.

She is a the proud mother of a son today...the first mother in our group.
Congratulations dear...to this bright new chapter in life.

Lonely tonite

I am feeling lonely tonite.
Not sure if Db's absence is the only reason.
May be the anticipation of office tomorrow also plays a big part for it.
I am starting to hate my office already...my manager, the policies that this company claims.

Nothing helps...no amount of chocolate, colddrinks or chicken is helping.
Next weekend, I am gonna try wine.

I have started my dance lessons...
My entire body aches...but I hope I'll lose some kilos this time.

And finally, I managed to get the full version of Diner Dash, something I have been looking for since quite some time.
But as i played till the 18th level, I am already bored of it.
Geminis...I tell you!!! Its tough to be one.