Monday, August 25, 2008

The techie that I am...

On a tiring day at office (playing carrom board, walking around the office, talking to my (huge group of) friends, total-damaging my friends and getting totally damaged), I was reading the soft copy of The Bourne Identity" . I turn around to see my team mate talking to our IT Management Services group personnel. I move towards my team mates seat and listen to what they are discussing seriously. I notice that my team mate's hands are busy clicking the mouse and writing and rewriting some code that was very new to me (I can hear you saying, "Like you know the other codes of your project"). But hey, back to work (Yes, work!) I hear them talking about VB Script, I see a few batch programs and they crack some joke about Microsoft's products (Hell, who doesn't? except me, who don't even understand such techno jokes, leave alone cracking one!)

And then IT DAWNS ON ME - they are talking like computer engineers - professionals - working in the IT indusry. And me... Was reading something (not working), that was not a computer magazine (no!) or an e-mail (which is not a funny forward); but a novel... My team mate turns towards me and says, "Hey Sandhya, you are done with reading your novel?". I, the dumb-ass that I am, say, "No, just taking a break!!!" for which he replies, "Oh!!!"

I am sure he must have thought, "This girl doesn't wanna learn anything, she's not interested in her job." I can only thank God for making him my team mate and not my PM (else my already pathetic appraisal grading would have been worse). This makes me think if I actually fit in here in the IT industry. It is not that I am not bright/smart enough (trust me guys... For those who already know the real me, please shut up and don't totally-damage me with your comments); it is just that I don't wanna sit and romance my computer and unix and java and perl and all similar things (seriously, I have a problem identifying what is what when it comes to programs and software). I'd rather read a novel (there are so many books to read - books that do not have techie terms (I'd like to name a few of these techie terms, but I don't know any, hee hee) and books that do not have pictures of new computers/laptops that are really cute - although I can understand the pictures part of such books).

I simply can't be a techie... So, now I'm thinking what I am good at.

1. Eating - Although most of you might have your doubts about that; I do eat a lot, it is just that I don't gain any weight.
2. Talking - I can talk nonstop for how many ever hours (I should be able to give RJ Dheena a run for his fame). My friends even tell me that Kareena's character in the rom-com "Jab we met" was vaguely inspired by me. (Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you - read in Vivek style). Oh my God, I should be an HR person (any place where non-MBA grads are recruited as HR personnel???)
3. Chatting - I guess that comes under talking too...
4. SMSing - That too is talking??? Come on people... There is nothing else to write in this list!!! Anyways, I can text without seeing the keypad at a great speed.
5. Playing - Carrom board. One of the (read Only) things that motivates me to come to office everyday.
6. Sleeping - Yes... I sleep lavishly....
7. Shopping - I am a girl after all (for everyone who has had a doubt on that - FOR THE RECORD, "I AM A GIRL")

I guess I am feeling too hungry and sleepy to include more in the list of stuff that I am good at (though most of you, by now would have gathered there is actually nothing more to add to it)

Monday, August 11, 2008

Heart at Ettimadai???

Everywhere I find people who are in love with their college life and are desperate to go back in time and live those "carefree, hassle-free, wonderful, colorful" moments. But I don’t seem to understand why they would want to do that. I know most of you who are reading would tell, “Oh, come on Sandy; don’t give us this I-hate-my-college crap again!” I hear you… So I am not here to crib about my college life, which was a disaster to say the least.

Of course, I had my I’ll-never-forget-this moments at my college because I did enjoy it (Yals and Sangu, I hope you are happy now – I still remember the time you bashed me when I told college life was horrible and stuff like that - Yals at AIMS canteen and Sangu at IT block canteen ;-)) But looking back at it, it is the pain and the incidents that caused the pain that flash in my heart. But, as usual I don’t like anyone being sad and I am anyone (of course, I am self-centered… lolz…) Also, I promised I wouldn’t crib about college-life.

So me is smiling now (thinking about the good moments of college). Me is thinking about our first IV (to Ooty for which we boycotted classes); about the innumerable hours we sat and chatted about the “newly formed couples” (I can hear you telling me, “That is called gossiping, you idiot”); of the times we day-scholars just had to open our lunch box only to find them empty within the next minute (Can’t tell you guys, specially Paru, Rithu and Sangu, how happy it made me when you guys finished up the not-so-tasty food saying, “Home food is always great!” It was thayir saadham, dude!!! Anyways, it made me escape from my mom who otherwise would have grounded me for wasting food); about our Somu sir’s gait and the way we sent him out when he came late to a lecture; about the time Narendran told, “Nadandhu varathuku late aayiduchu sir”; about the time when we had no lectures and all hostellers would be sleeping merrily in the hostel and we day-schis roamed around first at IT block canteen, then at AIMS canteen and then at the main canteen; about the hours we spent at Ettimadai railway station platform talking about nothing; about the 4 people-4 parathas-4 minutes….

Wow, there have been so many incidents, so much laughter, so many friends and everything; but still, I feel there were more lessons learnt from while being there than what we learnt from books. I can still hear one of my closest friends telling me, “Unakku eppo, yaarkitta, enna pesanumnu theriyadhu di.” – I still am like that (big sigh). College life taught me the most valuable lesson I have learnt so far – “Don’t believe everyone.” I think I kinda miss it; no no… I’m not missing it. $%@&; Who am I kidding? I miss college life and the few (but real close) friends I made when I was there… I miss you people!!! Love you guys…

Thursday, August 7, 2008

B'lore and Chennai

Sorry, I did not write more posts last month. (Or were you expecting a sorry for the posts I have written so far?)

But anyways, I was a litlle held up wit work. I can see your raised eyebrows; but trust me I was working (by that I mean I came to office, played carrom board, took my daily tea/coffee break, played carrom board, then lunch break, played carrom board, then afternoon tea/coffee break and played carrom board again)

I spent the last 2 weeks at the Garden City - well, if you can call Electronic city a part of B'lore, that is. I had gone there for a training and I didn't get a chance to explroe the city as such because I was at office for 10 hrs a day 5 days a week... I had made plans to go for a movie with my friends there during a weekend; but I had to rush to Coimbatore on friday night because my mom was afraid after the bombs blasted on that fateful friday.

Nevertheless, I got to spend a few hours with 2 of my closest friends at Forum mall on the last day of my stay there. B'lore is a cool city. Every other person you meet is a IT/ITES professional. Made me feel like there is no "Aam aadmi" there. Part of me was enjoying the lifestyle there, how thw mall was abuzz with activity even beyond 10pm; but another part wanted to roam around the city and know how the others lived.

It is for this reason that I have fallen in love with Chennai (the city that is home now). This city is for everyone. You come here educated ot not, skilled or not, as a student or worker, rich or otherwise - the city would give you a life. It is unfortunate that the same can not be told of the other cities.

By now, most of my friends know that I am wierd in my own way. When I am bored on a weekend, I go to the bus depot, take a bus and get a ticket to the other terminus and upon reaching there, I go have tea with the conductor and driver and take the same bus back to my place. It is so much fun. It is possibly the cheapest way to enjoy 4 hours on a dull weekend. While in the bus, I talk to my co-passengers, listen to their comments about other passengers, it is even more fun if there is a gang of college guys/girls in the bus - listen to them talk and you wouldn't know how time flew by. Somehow I couldn't bring myself to travel in Bangalore that way. It was probably because I wouldn't understand what the local folks speak or because I didn't have the time. In any case, B'lore didn't tempt me to roam around without reasons.

Chennai is a whole lot of fun! There are thousands of people who say a million bad things about Chennai, but I love this place totally!!!