Thursday, August 19, 2010

..."The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that man may become robots."...

... so how many mails u get on an average in a day? ... and before u read further... guess the number... and NO this is not any quiz or anything...

... the thing is... i received a letter from my sister today... and the envelop also contained the rakhis inside it ... and i asked about the mails and not the emails ;-) ... the old school style, hand written letter... albeit in a very poor handwriting... but who cares! ...

... i have read it 5 times since evening and have taken three photographs of it! :-) ... and in another photograph i tried to pose with the letter! :-D ... it is so freaking fun getting a letter in this manner... with zillions of emails and attachments and FB status and Chirkut scraps and all ... this form of communication is so touching and effective and personal and makes more impact on the reader than any other way... err... barring the phone call and video chat... but then the fundamental requirement of a phone or a computer with a broadband is just a little too much for a large swathe of population...

... do u know u can still send a postcard? and inland letter? and if that sounds oh-so-poor-middle-class u can start writing a letter on a paper with a pen... to anyone u care writing a letter to... put it in an envelop affix postage stamp and then post it... provided you still remember where the heck is the letterbox!!! yes! it was of red color! ...

... you don't have to write it to your distant relatives... try posting a letter to your sister or brother who resides in the room next to yours... or to your mom who resides in... errr... the kitchen most of the time... or to your dad...

... see the expression on their face once they open the letter and realize that it is not a bill or cheque or spam (the original one!) ... i think i am going to do just that... after all u have to reply to a letter na? it is the custom bhai! ... remember? "patr ka jawab zaroor dena" ...

... i am off to watch Qurbani ... not again ... i didn't finish in the first sitting! ... and btw Zenat is so maasha-allah! ... "laila-o-lailaaaaaaa... aisi tu lailaaaaaa" ... you got the drift...

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

..."Every song ends, but that's not a reason to not enjoy music."...

... for the first time in my life... i went inside the vault... The Vault!... can u imagine? ... MP asked me to come along to discuss with this guy about this proposal for our project and there i was... inside one of the most well guarded places on the company premises...

... and i met in-person with one of my school alumni... she happens to work inside The Vault... and all these months i wanted to meet her... talk to her... and there it was... all over... in less than 45 seconds... one of the briefest and coldest 'first meeting' with someone... anyone actually... but then i am happy....

... u have to take the small step before u can take that giant leap...

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

..."If you ever need anything please don't hesitate to ask someone else first."...

... its been quite a week... wait!... it is only tuesday!... i mean... its been quite a 'week' since i last posted here...

... remember i told ya about the movie we went for last weekend?... i mean I went along with AS? ... well... it was on a Sunday and it was (i think!) Aisha... the movie was okay and all... and it was then that we decided that it is actually a pain in ... well alot of areas whenever we have to go for a movie on a Sunday... i mean the logistics and all is pretty darn tiring!... so rather than going on a Sunday we should plan the similar schedule on Saturday... and it was readily agreed upon... BUT! ... August 14th was booked and not for a movie but a 'party'...

... its been VERY long time since i attended the Independence Day celebrations... i mean ... more than a decade or so... it used to be fun in school... the best part of the occasion? motichur ke laddoo ... and they were oh-so-yummy-fresh! ... the feeling of deshbhakti and all was one thing ... i am talking about the innocent and pure ecstasy about celebrating something that was is important and it had to be preserved because we acquired gained it after giving qurbani and all...

... i am talking about motichur ke laddoo ... and all the sweetness they would bring... i want to write more but... i gotta watch this movie and then have dinner and then sleep and then... well... u know... get up early in the morning and then gotta go to office...

Saturday, August 14, 2010

..."Work is the curse of the drinking classes."...

i m off to AS's place for the party!... u enjoy the blog post originally written by our company's President::

...psst... no news of the appraisals yet! :(

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Many of my colleagues were concerned at my reaction to what they perceived as “negative” feedback. They needn’t have worried. I’m delighted that many of you cared enough to comment publically. It takes a great deal of courage to volunteer an opinion in the way that more than 50 of you did, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Some of the comments are sobering, and others are misplaced. However, one of our values is to be “straightforward and honest” and I think that many of you who took the time to post are embracing that value fully.

Disengaged Management?
One of the consistent themes of the postings is the limited interaction between managers and their direct reports. Recognizing management as a “role” and not as way of deferring status and additional compensation is a major concern of mine. The role of the manager is critical to the evolution of our company. It is central to our ability to scale and grow. However, it is unfortunate that whilst many managers want to stimulate the development of highly-engaged employees they do not see themselves as active players in the process.

Sometimes, this comes from a mistaken idea that an employee should be totally self-motivated. Other times, it comes from the view that the “company” is responsible for employee engagement. In this context, I’m not sure who the “company” is. In fact, employees should be self-motivated, but the manager or supervisor plays the key role in setting the climate for that motivation, and for employee engagement.

I can't overstate this point.

If a manager wants his or her team to be motivated and engaged, it is very likely that he or she will have to change. If they don't, any team is doomed to failure. If you look at teams in other contexts, you will quickly realize that leadership determines success. A sports team has a coach. A symphony orchestra has a conductor. These teams don't spontaneously develop without effective leadership; they develop and grow with the help and guidance of a leader whose job is not to control, but to teach, and encourage; and – when necessary – organize. A good way to describe the role of the manager is that of a catalyst, a force that causes things to happen for other people, and for the team.

Managers as Catalysts for Improvement
Some success factors that enhance a manager’s ability to perform his or her role well include:
1) Highly developed inter-personal skills
2) An understanding of basic psychology regarding what makes people engage and perform
3) The capability of balancing between tasks (getting the job done) and people (ensuring that team members are satisfied with the process of getting the job done)
4) A willingness to listen and ability to communicate – Managers must have a preference to listening and understanding, rather than controlling and talking
5) Demonstration of a sustained commitment – Managers must commit themselves to the team, and not give up when the going gets rough, or success is slow to come
6) Consistent behavior – Managers must behave in a consistent manner regarding team work because managers who sometimes encourage team process, and then sometimes bypass the team, confuse the hell out of everyone
7) Walk the talk – A team takes its cues from the manager; you cannot break inter-personal rules, fail to listen, and use autocratic prerogatives, and still expect members of your team to believe that you really value working together
8) The ability to deal with the problems of team members – Sometimes a team does not have the internal resources to deal with a member that is uncooperative, or so unskilled in group behavior, that he or she becomes a barrier; a manager must be able to coach when necessary, problem-solve, establish consensus, mediate and –ultimately – deal with the problem

To practice these skills, the manager needs – first and foremost – to engage. This is a first step in any relationship, and yet it’s the biggest mistake that I think managers within our company make. I have weekly staff meetings with my direct reports. I also have a two-day face-to-face quarterly review. How many managers ensure that they have the same level of interaction with their direct reports?

Managing for Effective Engagement
Many of the managers I’ve spoken with have said that they have too many direct reports – particularly those managers who have responsibility for staffing, or our hourly-paid employees. Whilst I empathize with the challenge, I also believe that in these circumstances managers need to be proactive, work smart and appoint team leaders who will share the load and responsibility for “managing” the team.

Since my last blog, I’ve asked a number of managers how much time they spend with their direct reports. The responses I’ve received have been disappointing, and yet extremely revealing.

Most managers don’t have formal staff meetings. Nearly all the managers I’ve spoken with don’t gather their teams after the quarterly briefings, to reinforce key messages. When company announcements are made (e.g. organizational changes, corporate initiatives, etc.) most teams do not get together to discuss these important issues. It is no wonder that we have a communication challenge in this company; when our managers are not talking to their direct reports.

I urge all of you who have direct responsibility for people within Tata Technologies to reflect on your performance as a manager. If you don’t have staff meetings, then start having staff meetings. If you don’t have time set aside to interact with your direct reports every week, plan to do so. Take responsibility for solving many of the problems that were raised following my last blog posting. My job is to create the environment in which you, as managers, can effectively execute your responsibilities.

It’s your job to manage!
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Friday, August 13, 2010

..."I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."...

... was feeling low in any case... so thought of doing this 'tag'...::

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1. How did you get one of your scars? – ah! unwillingly through a painful event! :-)
2. How did you celebrate your last birthday? ummm.... at my company along with my team mates, thoughtful enough to order a cake and all! :-)
3. How are you feeling at this moment? tired and sleepy!
4. How did your night go last night? good!... was on an outing with a close friend and his family...
5. How did you do in high school? do wat? duh!
6. How did you get the shirt you’re wearing? i bought it like most of my other clothes! :-D
7. How often do you see your best friend(s)? one of them is in my company, on same project so daily!... others are always available on phone!
8. How much money did you spend last month? who are you? my wife?
9. How old do you want to be when you get married? i am old enough to get married!
10. How old will you be at your next birthday? exactly one year older than i was at my previous one!
Nine what’s:
1. Your mothers name? i already filled that in my college admission form!
2. What did you do last weekend? oh! i went for a movie with a friend! :-)
3. What is the most important part of your life? being alive with no physical disabilities and caring and loving FnFs...
4. What would you rather be doing? taking my dinner with a movie playing along...
5. What did you last cry over? argh! this one is overheating my grey cells! :p
6. What always makes you feel better when you’re upset? someone looking at me and passing a smile... trust me it feels so good!...
7. What’s the most important thing you look for in a significant other? this is tough to answer... :-p
8. What are you worried about? becoming another TBG!! (no offence to ze original TBG!!)
9. What did you have for breakfast? white bread and sprouted dal!
Eight you’s:
1. Have you ever liked someone who had a girlfriend/boyfriend? Yes! Yes! (and No! that is not for two different persons!)
2. Have you ever had your heartbroken? Yes! Yes! ( this time i think it is for two different persons!)
3. Have you ever been out of the country? i fly to home... so does that count as 'away from the mainland'?? :-p
4. Have you ever done something outrageously dumb? Yes!
5. Have you ever been back stabbed by a friend? it was a pretty close call, so Yes!
6. Have you ever had sex on the beach? nah! it's so ... umm... sandy sandy!
7. Have you ever dated someone younger than you? Nah!
8. Have you ever read an entire book in one day? it was close call, so No!
Seven who’s:
1. Who was the last person you saw? i saw "her". i see "her" does that make any sense???... then leave it! :-p
2. Who was the last person you texted? MG
3. Who was the last person you hung out with? AS and SRW... i am pretty available awl the time...
4. Who was the last person to call you? SRW
5. Who did you last hug? Romeo (remember??)
6. Who is the last person who texted you? MG
7. Who was the last person you said “I love you” to? ah! i will pass!
Six where’s:
1. Where does your best friend(s) live? one at drivable distance and others at flyable distance
2. Where did you last go? to my gaadi's service station
3. Where did you last hang out? Star Bazaar, Poona
4. Where do you go to school? there... right right! yes! there!
5. Where is your favorite place to be? to be wat??
6. Where did you sleep last night? wat a silly question!


Five do’s:
1. Do you think anyone likes you? liking someone is a broader term, be specific!
2. Do you ever wish you were someone else? No! (trust me!!)
3. Do you know the muffin man? muffin wat?
4. Does the future scare you? not enough to wake me up from sleep!
5. Do your parents know about your blog? not sure! i guess not!
Four why’s:
1. Why are you best friends with your best friend? there is no answer to that question, u can't have reasoning behind it...
2. Why did you get into Blogging? first time because i thought it wud be cool, second coming because i was in pain and wanted to vent it out!
3. Why did your parents give you the name you have? wait! i neva asked! ... (though i know the story behind my 'pet' name!!!)
4. Why are you doing this survey? i have "alot of free time" ... some one said that... in a very sarcastic sadist tone... and we were not even on the phone!
Three if’s:
1. If you could have one super power what would it be? heal the pain with my touch, ANY pain...
2. If you could go back in time and change one thing, would you? m not sure... may be yes, probably not...
3. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could bring 1 thing, what would you bring? a satellite phone with built in GPS... duh!
Two would-you-ever’s:
1. Would you ever get back together with any of your ex’s if they asked you? don't have any Axes! :-p
2. Would you ever shave your head to save someone you love? to save someone? as in from baldness?? :-D
One last question:
1. Are you happy with your life right now? may not be completely...but Yes!
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... don't forget to comment :-)

Thursday, August 12, 2010

..."In modern business it is not the crook who is to be feared most, it is the honest man who doesn't know what he is doing. "...

... it was quite an evening with SRW and his family... at the soft opening of the Star Bazar in Poona... and even though we missed the opening ceremony , where the chief guest was Mr. Noel... we had a good time there anyway... and then the hot dhaniya and jeera parathas with the traditional makhhan ... simply yummy! ... pizza nahi to yehi sahi! :-D ... i am loving it!

... the food court there is awesome and the crowd was good! ;-) atleast today it was! :-| should i visit there 2moro as well?? mayby on sunday??? :-D

... i must catch some sleep now...

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

..."Eighteen holes of match play will teach you more about your foe than 18 years of dealing with him across a desk."...

... it worked! ...

... as i am writing this, i feel content about the way this day unfolded and is now crawling into the the darkness... dry and warm and breezy... my 'no-holes-barred' lashing on those who were not following the practices put in place for our project made a good impact... i was feeling a little nervous after the meeting... "i should have shown restrain" and stuff like that... but hey! who is suffering because of that?? if i am responsible for some quanta of work and it involves a big team with members from different functions (a.k.a CFTs) then it is the prerogative of every darn individual to step in and keep every one on the same page or at-least keep *that* one person in loop who is going to answer the whole bloody progress... i was getting sick-and-tired about fire-fighting and clarifying and clarifying again and filling the communication gap...

... neways... there have been more updates on the project's partial status in past 24 hours than there were in past 7 days... i am already feeling good about it! ... apart from it ... i learned a lot in one of the CAD platform we use here... i had to make a design proposal and this [long-phrase] duffer has already proven his in-capability... so i decided to take the initiative and do some CAD work myself... and it was very very humbling... i learned somethings and at the end of the day i was proud of the work done...

... and then there was this one a li'l embarrassing moment... while driving away from my parking, at the end of the day in office, i passed two PYTs who were looking in my direction and before i cud notice (and nod!) i moved away pretty fast and then realized that my Vista was all covered with mud... dried over two days in baking sunshine! ... sheh! ... i felt so... ummm... bad... that i went straight for the car wash... and got it all cleaned...she is so yummyly shining in the streetlight right now! :-D

... and it was my cousin's birthday today as well... and AJA dropped by to say hello... and she smelled good! :-) ...

... and it seems SRW is having a bad weekend! ... :-| ... u take care champ! may ur network card comes to life and u get 'ek botle petrol' as well! ;-)

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

..."Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."...

... i have found some very interesting stuff to keep myself engaged with my laptop... i have yet to start exploring it, and i am pretty excited about it...

... and i must mention about couple of incidences before my grey cells give-up on me... first was my comment in response to the blog post of the President of my company... his last post was quite... ummm... very well responded by the employees... with exact 60 comments... this was the most popular blog post of our President... and thanks to the kind of response it got... he decided to do a follow-up post as well... and today we got the emial about it... first to comment was one of my team-mate... and i was supposed to post another comment immediately afterwards... however i had to visit our 'planning shop' and the after posting my comment... i found it appearing third! neways!... better late than never...

... second important thing that happened today was my outburst in our project's weekly review meeting... while i have been trying to impart some 'best practices' gyan to my extended team about the project management, communication and wat not... all is going in vain... in-fact the communication gap is now wider than the grand canyon... so when i was asked, in a connotation that i am NOT doing the work i was assigned, i told everyone what i thought needed to be told to everyone... why crib later on your blog and with your friends... you have to rise to the occasion sometimes and vent it all out... (thanks Chanz for igniting the fire!) ...

... and while i was about to close this piece... i recalled... i got a very important piece of software code today ... a friend helped in procuring it... and i must devote more time in 'going through' it... while i can't disclose more about it... all i can say is that i am pretty happy about it...

... and i am happy that Rokr took time from his busy schedule to comment on my post! it is not a common occurrence people! ... and i am eagerly waiting for his latest work of art...

Monday, August 9, 2010

..."Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday"...

...many a times i feel blessed... and this feeling usually remains in the less understood world of the sub-conscious... it has happened on more than one occasion and it happens on fairly regular basis that i notice this 'blessed' life consciously... ever wondered what is that makes human life special?... and if i may say better than some of the other species sharing this planet with us...

... what makes human life better is the fact that you as a human can read this blog and your pet can't! ... and before curse me with that word you use with your gang let me tell you that i started writing this para with different state of mind and then decided to go the lighter way...

... and boy-oh-boy it feels great ;-) ... and now we must start with the adventure trip of the Saturday... i was feeling impatient, for the whole day in office... and i was going through all the emotions and feelings that flood during such anticipatory meetings... when you have to meet someone in the evening and you haven't seen that person in a long time and you have good memories of old times and since you have spent some time together there is some common memories to laugh to sigh and to crib and then there is this funny feeling about the meeting itself... about 'catching-up' on the old times...

... so there i was rushing on the highway with raindrops splashing on the windscreen and music blaring on the speakers and my fingers dancing on the steering wheel... i was flowing with the traffic and i was not even angry at the stupids behind the wheels... and this eagerness was not just for my good ol' schoolmate... the tall-darkfair-handsome guy with infectious smile and spring in the walk... the eagerness was about meeting him along with his oh-so-beautiful-better-half...

... Romeo... so addressed here because his name starts with R... and Juliet ... his oh-so-beautiful-better-half ... so called because her name starts with... you guessed it right! J... ah! and now wipe that smile off your face... so i was eager to meet this loving and charming and caring and friendly couple... and i couldn't think of using them with any other pseudo name...

... on my way to his place i called him as well, just a courtesy call... and Romeo informed me that he is 'on-the-way' to home... "perfect!" i thought... just enough time for me to stop-by for some 'take-home' for vahini ... and there i was... on this by-lane on the highway of this 'adventurous' trip ... and just when i thought it may take longer than i have planned for ... she smiled again ... the ever-so-lovely seductively-charming Lady Luck... the parking wala was eager to know how much time i will take at the 'market' ... i asked him "tell me a good bakery and i will come in 15 minutes" and before he could charge his grey cells for the answer, i spotted one right there in front of us ... so i pointed the store to him and "five minutes" i muttered ...

... this bakery was however pretty well stocked compared to the size of it... so i took all my time to scan through the mouthwatering delicacies and then asked this girl to help me out with the stuff... while the 'chocolate box' was almost immediate choice for the Juliet... i thought it would be better if i have some sizable stuff to take a bite on... so couple of muffins for the destination were packed and one piece of pie and one chilled can of sprite refreshed me for the road ahead...

... and as i was inching towards the destination... i tried to match the coordinates i downloaded from wikimapia and google and the verbal instructions from a friendly colleague... and i was doing pretty good till i noticed the PYTs ... WTeF!! this area was is this haute?? how come i neva visited this place? ... and then i realized that i neva had any reason to visit this place earlier... so bad! sigh! ... neways... i was there for another reason... and so i continued with the mental map...

... and after some wait in front of his 'colony gate' Romeo arrived along with his dad... and then we proceeded for his house... and here is the funny part... Romeo neva told Juliet who exactly is coming for the dinner... and it's not that we have met before it's just that i had used my tuti-futi marathi while commenting on some of the photographs on Chirkut... so she has some reference in her mind of me... or that's what i think... and while i was still busy with the 'welcome ceremony' and exchanging greetings he asked her if she can recall me... and 'puneri mulgi' was enough to retrieve me from the vast warehouse of intellect...

... and i must admit that i was feeling so-at-home there that i removed my shoes and socks after a while... and was busy watching some live show from Poona... and was actively involved in zeroing upon the right car for the couple and then... well... we continued chatting for quite late... and during this time Romeo told his father that "he is a very good writer!" pointing at me... "writer?!" i mumbled nervously and he corrected himself by explaining my blog mania... i was startled... i had absolutely no idea that he was reading my blog!!! ... i mean... i have some IP addresses that i have 'labeled' thanks to the technology... but this was a bingo moment! ... i found this new praise very very ... ummm... seductive! ... i remember i saw myself like Chetan Bhagat and Paulo Coelho on the back cover of my blockbuster... neways...


... and then we sat together for the dinner and vahini served along with her mum-in-law and there it was... one of the best smelling most delicious-mouth-flooding-yummy poori and chole and ful-gobhi!... and i was not even aware that it was drizzling outside!! ... i mean... who cares when u are being served such delicacies... and as if this was not enough there was more! ... then came some traditional sweet dish... made of coconut and boondi and sweetened with... well.. something sweet... and this accompanied with custard and the ever so desirable the one and only the best the bestest the rass-gulla ... and i was so well fed that had it not been for my uniform that i was wearing, which reminded me that i have to travel awl the way back to the outskirts, i wud have fallen asleep there!!... :-)

... and the trip back home was even more delightful... when was the last time u raced with a BMW?? ;-) ... more on this tomorrow... keep reading and keep commenting...

Sunday, August 8, 2010

..."The day I am afraid to do that is the day I am no longer fit to lead. "...

... i set a personal target to post precisely 31 entries this month... which would mean precisely zero 'no show' ... a feat that many of us would boast of in our school time... ninety nine won't do ... the attendance has to be one hundred percent... and before i get more nostalgic about the school time i want to put it on the record that i failed in keeping that particular personal target... like some of the other personal targets that i had set for myself... but hey! that's okay... because this time i was having good time... it feels great meeting old friends and devouring maa-ke-haath-ka-khana...

... the past Friday was almost a freak day... it started and then progressed with some high temper and halla... however as the day was coming to end i was feeling... well... tired... and while i was posting my last adventures i was already exhausted with the frayed nerves... and then there it was... the ever-so-charming Lady Luck... oh-she-is-so ... umm... neways... she smiled and Vikz pinged... it was yet another goody-goody chit-chat with an ol' shipmate friend... and then i pestered him for paying a visit to Shirdi and Nashik... and also suggested him to make it along with another ol' shipmate friend... and then... cop'la minutes later we ended the conversation...

... and then another cop'la minutes later someone pinged me... the same ol' shipmate friend i was suggesting Vikz to come along with... his name starts with letter R ... so i will call him Romeo... (reasons later)... and Romeo told me that he is in town... and i was ever so delighted... and then he told me that his wife is also with him... (it was very dumb of me to ask "where is she?"!) ... and since last time he they were in town we were not able to meet... this time i suggested him instantly that we meet on Sunday... only to get a straight reply that they will be leaving on sunday... and u don't have be a genius to figure out that the only day we cud have planned out meeting was Saturday... and so that was decided ... and then the co-ordinates of meeting were exchanged ... his present house was the meeting point... and it was is on the other corner of the city i am staying ... and that wud mean i have to make a dash straight from the office in case i have to arrive closely on time... and ofcourse he asked me to stay for the dinner... and i can go to any part of the city only to get one mouthful of ghar ka khana...

... now i am not going to blabber about how the saturday was spent in the office because the fun started from the evening... and the final 30 minutes to strike 1700 hrs were harsh... very very anxious moments... that is the moment u don't want to be in the 'cabin'... for watever reason... and this is true on ANY given day... on a saturday this anxious feeling gets squared... finally it struck 05:00 in the clock and i was racing my Vista on the highway... it was raining and i was not complaining...

... now i have never done this... but i am going to take a break here and continue with the story in the next episode post...

... keep reading...

Friday, August 6, 2010

..."Why should we take advice on sex from the pope? If he knows anything about it, he shouldn't!"...

... my day started didn't started with the good ritual today... i was pissed off and it was not even 0630!!! ... and it is such a trivial matter that i can't even mention it at such a platform... neways... i tried a lot NOT to spoil my day because of it... and even though now i remember reading in my daily forecast in the newspaper about the upcoming 'trouble with colleagues in office'... i kept my calm... and let the music 'take on my nerves'... and of course my car was all washed up ... :-) ...

... but as they say ... it will strike when you are least prepared ... the bolt struck me... in the rabbit's cabin... i was given head start by SRW on wednesday about this issue (let's call it Katrina) brewing on... and to some extent i tried to resolve other (equally) important work on thursday and thought of working on Katrina, still at the horizon and heading towards me, on friday onwards... after some breather...

...and today ... pretty early in the morning ... i was already full with my day's quota of work... calmly put into my lap by rabbit... when i got the phone call from SRW ... he reminded me of the urgency about Katrina and i immediately started working on it... when i was called by rabbit in his cabin, the messenger was his pet tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core kongo ... i walked in with my usual confidence... head high shoulders straight and spring in the walk...

... and then started blah-blah-blah and i had to answer blah-blah-blah ... and there was some more Blah-Blah-Blah ... and i replied with Blah-Blah-Blah ... and then there was some calm... the 'solution' was provided by rabbit... and i suggested some improvisation which involved rabbit's pet the tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core kongo... and while i agreed for the long term solution...the short term solution... the fire extinguisher involved tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core kongo ... and while we were in the rabbit's cabin he nodded with scary resemblance of that of a daug! ... and we walked towards our respective seats...

... and then this tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core kongo came to my seat and asked "tum kya keh rahe the wahan pe? mujhe samjha nahi"... and i wanted to say that you tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core agar samjha nahi to wahan kyon nahi poocha?" ...

... lekin office ki maan maryada ko dyan mein rakhte hue maine apne upar kaabu kiya aur fir conversation thoda progressive banane ki koshish ki... lekin tabhi tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core kongo ke super-duffer excuses ko sun kat mera fuse ud gaya... and then the conversation became almost free-for-all-use-all-mouthful ... almost free-for-all-use-all-mouthful ...

... i walked away... and one glassful of cold water and one facewash later the day progressed with cold glares and mincing teeth...

... had it not been SRW's arse on the line-of-fire i wud have taught tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core kongo some lesson in the art of taking responsibility...

... to end this post on a lighter note... here is the saar of Ramayana::


Poori RAMAYAN biwiyon ki kahani hai...

Laxman apni biwi ghar pe chhodkar chala aya.

Rawan doosre ki utha ke fas gaya.

Hanuman ki apni thi hi nahi magar doosre ki dhundhne mein Lanka jala dali.

Ram ko apni wapas laane ke liye 10 din tak war karni Padi.WapasLake
bhi kya mila?

Ek dhobi ne apni biwi ko wapas ghar mein nahin liya,to Ram ne apniwali
ko out kar diya.

Aur end mein kya hua?

Jis biwi ke karan itni badi ramayan hui wo to underground chali gayi!

Abhi socho,itna jhamela hua kayko?

Kyun ki Dashrath ki 3 biwiyan thi!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

..."If you ask me anything I don't know, I'm not going to answer"...

... it requires a little more than 20 days to develop a habit... and it takes abundant and perhaps unmeasurable amount of conscious brutal discipline to keep it that way... and if i am not making any sense it is because i just returned from the Service Center and after four days my Vista got some replacements...

... the scratch was painted over (rash driving by the service station guy during first service!)... combi-switch replaced (was sticky in operation!) ...one head lamp replaced (water condensation inside the sealed unit!) ... chrome plate on the bonnet replaced (it was burnt because of the Inter-cooler overheating!)... fuel lid replaced (it was cracked since inception!)... burnt fuse replaced (the reason why i saw the white smoke from the AC vents)... and the leather on the dash will be replaced later ( the glue was no good and the wrinkles can't be repaired!)...

... i guess my car has claimed more warranty with-in six months than they (us) ever thought of... no wonder photographic proofs were asked from the service station... should i sleep happy or drive like i love to drive???

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

..."Some folks never exaggerate - they just remember big."...

... i am not sure if u have heard about the "disruptive idea" theory/concept ... however i can bet my one week old grown up beard that once u know or read about it, u can sense that the it holds true in our day-to-day events... no matter how well u plan or u think u have planned there is that one element that can will change how ur day is going to unfold...

... so i was supposed to get my vehicle today from the service station, i was planned to leave almost on time from the office and then write about some entertaining events that occurred on previous sunday etc. etc. ... but nah!... my Lady Luck is ever so seductive and charming and loving and caring and what not... that first she decided that my can won't be ready for me... then SRW will persuade me to go to this shop for purchasing a mobile phone...

... and as if this was not disruptive enough... i asked him to go out for a pizza (WTF!! again???) ... so he cooked up a story at home for coming late... and then SHE smiled again... we were told that a particular offer was not available... so we were pissed off and decided to go to the McD ( i know that is pathetic!) ... and then on the fly i realised that there is Dominos' ... and there we were... now as if the pizzas' choices were not enough they killed me with the confusion on the offers... finally we i ordered a family size pizza for two of us...

... and now fully stuffed and tired to core i am wondering how i ended up writing this much when all i wanted to say was that i can't write about the entertaining events that happened on previous Sunday... sigh!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

..."I don't believe in God but I'm very interested in her."...

... i wanted to narrate the Sunday story... got caught up in office ... now not left with energy to type that much so here is a fast copy-past job...

the song is "Damn, Sam (I Love a Woman that Rains!)" by Ryan Adams
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a man I ain't never been much for sunny days
I'm as calm as a fruit stand in New York and maybe as strange
But when the color goes out of my eyes its usually the change

But damn Sam I love a woman that rains
Clear as a bell and sound as an old engineer
Clear as a bell and sound as an old engineer
With talented breezes that blow off your hat with a sneer
As a man I've never been much for talking to
I'm as open as the door in her house that leads to her room
And when the color goes out of my eyes she's usually too

But damn Sam I love a woman that's blue
As a man I aint never been much for sunny days
I'm as calm as a fruit stand in New York and maybe as strange
But when the color goes out of my eyes its usually the change

But damn Sam I love a woman that rains
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS: i have written two hundred and two posts (including this one!)... and my blog will complete one year on Aug 30th! ... thanks :-)

Monday, August 2, 2010

..."If at first you don't succeed, cheat, repeat until caught, and then lie!"...

... the knocks on the door were getting louder... and there was some coughing and noises... i knew it was morning and it was not THAT early... still... i knew it was Sunday... and i was not in mood to move drag myself out of bed to answer the door... and then i heard my name being called... in a voice that was more familiar than the others... my landlord had arrived... and it was ten in the morning!...

... argh! i recalled that i woke-up earlier and put-off the alarm before it can... well... wake me up... and then i went back to sleep... i guess... but now i cudn't escape... i had to answer the door and he mumbled something and i gave that sneer and then he looked around and then he left... but the damage was done...

... wait-a-minute ... what did i put that alarm for?... it was a rhetorical question... ah!... my car had to be taken to the Service Station...(i know GarryZ is smiling now!) and this reminds me that i missed mentioning one another important event that occurred past week... and i wonder how i missed mentioning that!...

... one fine evening past week... while returning from the office, i dropped a colleague (who also happens to be a friend) on the way and just when i was less than 100 meters from my place... i saw a white puff of smoke coming out from my AC ducts and there was this smell... something had burned... i pulled over to the side and switched off all electrical accessories ... switched off the engine and waited... coming out of the car first and then waiting was another option... but i never executed that one... and after 30 seconds of anxious moments i cranked the engine and went straight to the nearest service station...

... it was six in the evening and there was only one person over the counter... and the moment i started narrated the incident he interrupted and told me that it is six and it is closing time and that was the 'tipping point'... i blasted him first and then went over to have a word with the Works Manager and then he assigned another engineer and after few "diagnostic" moments later i was asked to leave the car for the check-up... and since i was not in a mood to do that at that particular moment... being already pissed off and then it was late in any case... i told him i will do that on Sunday...

... so there i was... with sleepy eyes and unkempt hair... sitting on my bed and wondering if it is late for the service station trip... so i completed the morning business in jiffy and called the Service Station... the lady on the counter told me to come over ASAP... and voilĂ  i reached there ASAP ... and then i realised that i forgot to break-fast! grrr... that was how my stomach was talking to me... and this was despite of the pizzas and garlic bread and pepsi i devoured previous nite... sheh! kabhi na mitne wali bhookh! :P ... so i asked the receptionist there to arrange for Tea ... and i slipped into the sofa and started enjoying the morning newspaper, while some show 'India got talent' was running there... i finished the newspaper and devoured some more time on the magazine... i was actually not feeling bored at all... in any case it was Sunday and it was drizzling and i was not in any mood to go anywhere...

... and that is when i heard someone calling me... i looked over and it was the same guy i vented my anger the other day... and since it was a different morning... i tried not to let my previous emotions ruin this day for this young chap... so i patiently narrated the issues and he kept logging them on a page... i could see he was running out of the space... he suggested that i leave the vehicle straight away and i was pretty okay with that... on one condition that he arrange a drop for me back to home... as the gentle drizzle had turned into rain... and then he said that there was no driver available... and before my temper raise it's head again... i suggested that he collect the vehicle Monday morning from office... and he agreed...

... so now i was free to go back... and then i called this friend of mine who moved out last nite from the floor above mine to the floor above my landlord... and he was more or less ready to go... he had to take bath and all but then guys are speedier in such tasks so i drove to my landlord's place... and the good thing was that he had not eaten since morning... so we thought of going out and then a movie as well... in next 15 minutes we were on the way to the usual place for our movies...

... and then i could see the trailing cars on their way to the parking... and the red sign of 'Parking Full' was already up... and this was on a wet Sunday in NOT the posh Poona ... and it was 1315 hrs!!! W.T.efF!!! ... now we had two options... either to park the car at the other shopping mall on the exact opposite side of this one and then take the subway to kill time OR drive to some other place...

... we chose the second option and he called another friend to inquire for other 'good' multiplex in the vicinity... and meanwhile he asked me to keep driving... his gut feeling was that this 'other' multiplex is close-by... now the truth is that i love driving and add rains and low visibility due to clouds and well maintained roads... and i can take you anywhere... even to the moon... so while i was enjoying the music and drive my co-passenger was on phone getting the instructions LIVE on the phone ... who needs GPS eh? ... anyways... we realized that we have overshot the correct turn...

... more confusion followed on the 'actual' turn to the multiplex ... and we were not complaining... to cut the chase (i am disappointed that i have to...) we watched the Inception... to end the Sunday...

(i will be bringing a detailed version on the Multiplex hunt and movie selection and some more excitement... keep visiting...)

Sunday, August 1, 2010

..."I have introduced myself. You have introduced yourself. This is a very good conversation"...

... it was turning out to be another Saturday... nothing extraordinary... however... some events... rather series of events... unrelated to each other... had occurred... and some were still occurring...till late nite...

... the thing is... all of us in our company are eagerly waiting for the Appraisal Letters... i mean u have NO idea how eagerly... EVERY mail from the APAC or HR or any official NOT related to E&D was given utmost priority... so much that the 'Send/Receive' became the most clicked button after 'Delete' in our MS Outlook app...

... so when one fine morning we received one such mail... about our President posting on his blog there was a swarm in the office... everyone even remotely aware of the word 'blog' ended-up on the link... and some people (including ur's truly!) were also busy in 'spreading' the awareness about his latest post... and dear-oh-dear... it has become the MOST read and MOST commented and MOST viewed item on our corporate intranet till date!!! ...

... and as if the hell broke loose in response to that post... the comments and the arguments and reasons and the anger and the frustration and every possible emotion except the ecstasy (and related ones) were flying in all the directions... phew!

... and then one Friday morning while i was busy gearing up for the office... AJ pinged me on Gtalk... now he is one guy who has kept himself insulated from the adverse effects of technology w.r.t social networking, to a very good extent... so i was mildly (and pleasantly) surprised seeing his 'Hi!' on the screen... to cut the chase ... he wanted me to make some arrangements for some trips... and even after some frantic phone calls and requests for favors i felt kinda bad coz his wife had to close the deal on her own... although seeing the bottom line today i am happy that the things worked out for 'em...

... so now that i have mentioned today i must continue from the morning... but nah! wat happened on Saturday MUST go on the record! ;-) ... one of my colleague staying at the floor above mine was moving out on saturday... and my landlord, being the good man he is, helped him... so while all the guys were busy packing and all... an idea, that i have executed on prior occasions as well... was put into my mind (... i am already inspired by the Inception! ;-) ... ) and it was simple... all that we had to do was to sell the raddi and the money that we would get will be spent on the Pizza and stuff... now this time the idea made even more sense... in terms of the money we might get... this colleague of mine had apparently never sold the old newspapers to the scrap dealer... so all i had to do was open the boot of my Vista and fill it to the top... with the good old newspapers... and boy-oh-boy it was trunkfull...

... and we ordered what we thought wud fit in that budget and sufficient for us... but when u have spent the entire saturday afternoon packing and moving and unpacking your hunger has no bounds... so while i collected the pizza, others were busy in moving and un-packing the stuff at the far away lands... and when they came back and opened the Pizza box... our jaws dropped... not because we were starving... i mean not ONLY because we were starving... our jaws knew no bounds of the ground beneath and they followed the gravitational pull without any effort...

... we realized immediately that the pizza was insufficient for the workforce sitting around it... and i had to make the emergency phone call to the PHD for repeat order... and then we waited... slowly munching the mozzarella and whatever topping was there... while the pepsi flowed like anything... and then it arrived... the second batch... and then came the signal... the stomach was quiet... all the growling and whining was gone... the eyelids were falling over... had trouble keeping them 'upright' ... and the speech was... well... ummm.... i dunno... i felt asleep...

... it was the knock on the door this morning from my landlord that made me realize... it was Sunday! yippie! ... and now the story begins...