Reallusion !

great poem.. donno who wrote it... or which computer wrote it..
But can you see its uniqueness???!!!
-Bhaskar

'Illusion is itself reality', Yeah!
that was what I thought, and,
reality engulfs illusion.
Happy felt I that I knew, Smiled I.

there was, of course, doubt. No clarity was there,
but, I learnt, I laughed, I cried, as
'the years' passed by life, t'seemed.
One million questions asked I, but, was I answered?

........I continue to dream, and,
dream to continue, I.......

Answered I was, but, I asked questions, million one!
T'seemed life bypassed 'the years' as cried I,
laughed I, learnt I, but, there was clarity.
No doubt, of course, was there. I smiled.

Knew I, that I felt happy.
Illusion engulfs reality.
And thought I, what was that?
yeah! reality itself is illusion.

Tirumala - Tirupati

Hmmm.. I was at Tirumala – Tirupati last week. Had taken a couple of days off from work and was there to attend some puja ‘Vasanthotsavam’ my parents and relatives had booked for us. We were some 11 people who arrived in 3 groups at Tirupati and got together there before again splitting into 3 groups on our way up the hill.

Let me explain.. I and my cousins had initially planned to walk the stairs up the hill. It’s a 3hr climb and I have done that some 4 -5 times in my life. (I must’ve visited Tirumala some 10 -15 times.. earlier, we used to visit the temple almost every year.) But this time, just a couple of days before the ascent, my left knee was paining a bit.. I’d probably hurt myself in the gym.. and hence, I decided to take the bus uphill. Thus got the 3-way split - there was one group that visiting some temples in Tirupati (downhill).. and me going up by bus and my cousins walking up.

Anyways.. now I am at the richest temple in India and probably the world too. And what do I see? Money.. commercialism.. Indians are very creative when it comes to making small-time money. There were soooooo many jeeps manning the roads and offering rides across the hill-station to the pilgrims. Tirumala has some ‘free’ buses but I’m sure these guys have some kinda deal with the bus drivers.. and I guess Murphy’s law will also aid the jeepers.

There’s a facility to transport the luggage for the pilgrims walking up the hill. Though this facility is supposed to be “free”, again the operators and enablers request you for ‘something’.

The accommodation on the hill is at very nominal rates… very good cottages for just Rs.100 per day. But the caretaker requests you for money supposedly for cleaning the room after you vacate.

And so on…

Even, Cool drinks are at a premium – Rs.7 Coke is available for Rs. 9

Somehow, the whole trip for me was a reminder of the state of India… diversities and contrasts. For example, they give anyone free food at the temple. Still there are beggers around..

Note: Tirupati ‘laddus’ are world-famous - atleast among the Indian diaspora. But they are also in short-supply. Its so difficult to buy them at the designated counters these days..

Am Back..

Just to let the world know that I'm back... in India..
well.. I never got out of India.. but then.. never mind..!!

Sweet Child O' Mine

She's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that
special place
And if I stared too long
I'd probably break down and cry

Sweet child o' mine
Sweet love of mine

She's got eyes of the bluest skies
As if they thought of rain
I hate to look into those eyes
And see an ounce of pain
Her hair reminds me
of a warm safe place
Where as a child I'd hide
And pray for the thunder
And the rain
To quietly pass me by

Sweet child o' mine
Sweet love of mine

Where do we go
Where do we go now
Where do we go
Sweet child o' mine




Amazing song... I just love it..

"Sweet Child O' Mine" Copyright Guns N' Roses 1988
From the album "Appetite For Destruction" Released November 30th 1988

Happy New Year!

Well.. It's Tamil New Year Day today.. As Also Vishu - Mallu New Year day... As also Baisakhi - Punjabi New Year Day..

Happy New Year to y'all !!

And we also have our superstar's movie being released today.. Chandramukhi!

What do I write?

What do I write? I don’t know… there are so many things around.. that I don’t know what to write! Hmm… let me talk abt accents.. that is something I get to hear often given the BPO setup that I’m in. my gawd! What accents.. at times I just cant bear to listen to all those crap.. the put-on kinds. But there are some who have actually imbibed the accent - probably given their continuous interaction with the Americans.. its interesting to hear them and notice the subtle ways in which they differ from the rest. But I think I need a lot of practice on enunciations. I hear myself a lot these days too.. all my conference calls with my US counterpart are recorded for documentation purposes. And it sounds horrible at times.. i’m someone who didn’t bother with my accent or enunciations.. the focus was on speaking and conveying.. may be that comes with the kind-of monotonous madras tamil that I speak. (all the properly enunciated tamil seems too ancient.. Sangha Thamizh) I do understand the importance now. Anyway, better late than never..

Recognition ;)

Life is full of funny incidents. Yesterday was one such day for me. Well.. let me tell you what happened.. and you decide for yourself..

Dell provides door-to-door pick-up to all its employees. Yesterday they changed the cabs along the different routes. The new cab driver called me up, took directions and with some difficulty, reached my home. We were to pick-up another gal on the way to office. The driver requested me to call her and get the directions to her place. She lived at a place called Jayamahal. I spoke to her and took the directions and earnestly lost the way. (see.. it was her fault.. she didn't know how to lead anyone to her house properly!) One wrong turn and we landed in front of the Cantonment railway station. I called her up again, told her our location and got the new route from that place (there are a lot of one-ways in Bangalore, in case you don't know) and again lost our way ;) (I told you na.. she just didn't know how to guide someone to her house.. once a bad navigator, always a bad navigator!).

Ab kya karen.. had her call me and took real-time directions (running commentary types) and finally reached her place. She looked Hep with bandana and all.. but then you know na.. most of these BPO gals are like that.. stylish, sexy, accentuated et al. So, she got into the cab and spoke just a few words and then turned the other side. Well, she had been standing on the road for quite sometime waiting for us to arrive. So, I thought she's probably cursing me under the breadth or something.. she didn't want me to know and hence, turned the other side :) After sometime, I recalled that the group that she was working with was very much similar to my own.. in that.. both weren't part of the typical call-center operations and there were only a few such groups in Dell. I was curious and asked her about her floor and she said 'ground floor'.

Hmm…I was even more surprised now 'cos I was also in the ground floor. Our floor is usually filled with call operations and the babes start pouring in only by 6pm. At 2pm, there are hardly two gals. One of them is quite good-looking, dresses pretty well (no.. not the lack-of-it kinds ;), sexy and all that and I have been 'eye'ing her at times when I pass that corner! Oh my gawd! I realized that it's the same gal in the cab right beside me!!! I didn't know I was so bad at recognizing people.. gals in particular :) She might have recognized me.. no wonder she was looking the other way! God knows what she must have been thinking.. 'sight adikkaradhum adichitti ippa theriyadha maari nadikkaraan paaru..!!'.. 'line bhi maartha hai aur ab achcha bachcha jaise act kartha hai!!' or something to that effect.. my gawd! I had a tough time controlling my laughter. Once I reached my cubicle, I just burst out laughing and all my cub-mates were wondering "what's gone wrong with him?!" :)

Bhaskar

Angel Falls

Angel Falls.. what a name.. like a paradox.. Truth fails..
But it actually the name of a waterfalls in South America.. Venezuela.. Ammmmmazing place.. I saw it on the AXN over the weekend.. some program by the name "Hollywood's best Stunt scenes". It seems the stunt guys had a free fall of about 15secs in the air before opening their parachutes.

I would love to see the place.. stand on the edge.. and look down the entire length.. Dont know if I would dare the free fall though.. THAT depends.. ;)

http://www.venezuelatuya.com/gransabana/saltoangeleng.htm
http://gosouthamerica.about.com/library/weekly/nangel.htm

In my childhood (when I was abt 3yrs old!), my parents took me to Vizag to one of my relatives' place. He was working for HPCL and they had this wonderful quarters - British style bungalow- on top of a hill facing the sea. We could see the ships docked at the harbour. There was a big tree.. dont remember which one.. just on the edge. And that had a swing on it. And I remember the swing that took one far away.. into the free air.. crossing the edge.. Man.. That was amazing!

I've had quite many dreams in my life related to that particular setting ever since.. I dont know whats the significance.. do you?

Bhaskar

"A Small Step for Man.. !

But a Giant Step for Mankind.."
Thus spoke Armstrong..
And the purists were enraged.. 'cos of the grammatical error..
But then.. what the hell!

YEAH!! I've gone 'B' :)
Got my broadband finally!!

Bhaskar

As a Guide

The past 2 days, I'd taken the role of a guide taking my manager from the US to places in 'n around Bangalore and Mysore. And discovered that I knew quite a good bit about these places :)
The Safari at the Bannerghetta National Park, shopping at Forum, Big Bazaar, Cauvery, Cottage Inds Emporium and ISKCON temple in bangalore and Srirangapatna, Mysore Palace, Balmury and KRS Brindavan gardens over 2 days... Was a bit hectic, but sure was good and thanks to his adventurous spirit, he enjoyed it too!

He has a pilot's license and has said that he'll take me flying on a Cessna when I get to spend some time in Texas ;)

Will post some pics soon. Yaar, this broadband is taking forever. Chodoonga nahi..

Bhaskar

Pappu Pass Ho Gaya!!

Yeh! Finally.. I got my diploma ;) actually.. Post graduate diploma in Management
Its so nice to see almost all of my batchmates here back on the hilltop and invariably everyone had got along someone of their near and dear (read family) to share the occasion. I had my parents with me here.

We didnt have the ceremonial cap.. just a gown and scarf on top our formal attire. And at the end of the ceremony and rituals, we through our scarfs up in the air and shouted in chorus "pappu pass ho gaya!!"



BTW: this pic was taken with my mobile Sony Ericsson K508i

Chance

Got a chance to post... and here I am!
Things going well.. Transitions everywhere :)
At work, transitioning business processes from the Americas to here.. Trainings, trainings and more trainings..
At home, working on going 'e' or rather 'b' (broadband)
At the personal level, quite some transitions..
some of them are..
-would be changing my mobile number (again).. fed up with these airtel guys.. anyway, hope an airtel corporate conn would be better.. or is it?
-started going in my office cab from y'day.. door to door cabs are cool.. but, i'll have to get used to the jolting..
-and then, i'll get my diploma soon!! going to indore on friday night.. will be back on the 24th
That's for now..
tata,
Bhaskar

Control + Alternative + DELL

YAhooo!!! I've just now been sounded out an informal offer from DELL. Just that they want me to wrap-up my holidays fast.. actually they have asked me to join next week itself.

Looks like I'll accept this offer. But then, anyway, I'll be there for the Convo...
Chow!!

Bhaskar

The Chemistry That Was!

If you are reading this chemistry series for the first time and even otherwise, since it was quite sometime since the last post, do read the previous posts “Chemistry!”, “The Chemistry”, and “The Chemistry That _________!” in that order. :)

Bhaskar
_______________________________________________________


The Chemistry That Was!

Somehow the entire weekend was going too slow for me.. even though I spent the most of my time with my dear friends in Chennai, still I was very restless. I was cursing myself for not taking her mobile number or atleast some contact number in Chennai. ‘But then, she would have given me if there was one, wouldn’t she?’ ‘I didn’t see any mobile with her’ ‘How can she give her contact number in Chennai to someone who she has just met on the train and even if he is from the same office?’ That’s how my mind was trying to console me…

Finally the appointed time arrived and I had actually reached the Chennai central railway station much earlier.. more than an hour earlier (which was very much against my values and principles of JIT (Just-In-Time), but then there were always exceptions to the rule!) I even bought two tickets on Tatkal (for the funda behind this, pls refer the previous episode ;) and had stocked myself with a 500ml bottle of Sprite and 2 bars of Nut ‘n Treat (her fav as I had found out during the small(!) talk on the fateful Friday).

So, there I am... beside the electronic weighing machine (there was only one those days) close to the main entrance of the railway station. Five mins.. ten mins.. time seemed to be ticking off like on a time bomb, but she was nowhere to be seen. Was she another late lathief*? Well, I was already standing on my toes… it was just another ten mins before the train would depart. And I was getting torn apart… it was like a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea.. well, not exactly.. but then I didn’t have the time to think of a better one. I had to decide and decide fast.. what if she didn’t turn up.. what if she turned up at the last minute.. what if she turned up JIT and miss me since I would have already moved to the train and she wouldn’t know where to find me.. the money I had spent and which would go waste was the least on my mind that time.

Slowly I was moving towards my train and by the time I reached my berth I was comfortably numb. The disappointment was just too much to take. At the same time, I was worried and concerned about her. ‘what happened to her?’ ‘did she meet with an accident or what?’ those were the little voices at the back of my head…

I lost track of time as I was moving in and out of my sleep. And in that state of semi-consciousness I went about the routine of alighting at the Bangalore City, catching the pre-paid auto, reaching home, sleeping for a couple of hours more, finally getting up and reaching office on the bright Monday morning. And of course, the first thing I did on reaching office was to find out if Deepa was in. I went up to the receptionist and asked for her with the tech support team. And the answer I got had me seeing-stars-in-stark-daylight. There was no person by that name in the team!!

My first perceptible thought was that it should be some mistake but then she confirmed with one of the team members. There was no Deepa in the team and there was only one Deepa in the whole office.. Deepa Nagesh, married, project manager, semiconductors group. Definitely not her….

What kind of a cruel prank could this be?? How can she lie to me and that too get away with that???? I’ve heard of glib liars but that was the first time I met someone in reality... my gawd.. did I have to meet someone like that at all? how did she know certain details about me and my office? Was she actually from my office but with a different real name? My mind was whacking me with questions…

By the end of the day, I had resigned myself to the fate. Still unable to accept the disappointment I put on my crib-shoes and turned to my faithful companion.. the yahoo messenger…randomly cribbing with whoever I could find online.. one of them was my long-time online friend, someone whose pen name was Saki and who had refused to give her real identity. After a couple of mins into the chat, she messaged back to say “Bhaskar, I have a confession to make”, “no, actually many confessions”. I visualized some bulb switching on and glowing somewhere.. “Saki, pls give me some good news” “Ok.. let me put it this way.. Bhaskar, I’m romantically attracted to you!!”

Concluded
_________________________________________________
*late lathief – I don’t know how this term originated but then it is used to denote the chronic late comers

Rock a Doodle Doo :)

welllll... guys.. How are you doin'?

Am settling down in cozy bangalore and my material.. cargo hasnt reached yet. Those GATI guys are taking a longer time than what they promised. Let me sue them...

Heh.. Had an interview with the most profitable PC company (in fact, only two in the whole branded PC world are profitable, it seems) just on the day I landed here and now the next level guy from the US is going to call me for a telephonic interview.. hopefully tonight itself. It'll be nice if this works out... I can stay here itself :)

And then, I heard abt one of our guys being offered the post of Country Manager by Wockhardt. Hmm.. the rocking continues... !!

Chow!
Bhaskar
PS: yes.. yes.. I'll post the concluding part of the 'chemistry'.. soon.. as soon as I'm done with this tele stuff.. :)

I Rocks!!!

Wow!! It feeels really good that everyone of my mates is placed by Day Zero itself!!! Feels good is an understatement.. Man.... IIM Indore Rocks!!!!!!!!

Placement Process wrapped up on Day Zero with many good companies having to return empty-handed. With about 1.8 jobs per person and companies like Deutsche Bank coming first time on campus and fighting it out for our Topper among others definitely bodes well for I!

Kudos to the Placom, you guys are amazing. Now... You only have your own record to beat :)
200% percent placement within Day Zero for a 100% bigger batch. You dare?????!!!!!!

Bhaskar
Covansys Chennai, Here I come ;)

The Chemistry that ...!

To understand the situation and to recall to mind, read the previous posts “Chemistry!” and “The Chemistry!”, in that order.

Bhaskar
_______________________________________________________
(cont.. )

Gathering my wits and realizing that if not anything, atleast I wouldn’t be facing any chappal slaps, I decided to speak to her. Well, it is not every other day that one gets to meet such a lovely girl and that too under such a circumstance, you see! Though I had absolutely no idea what I was going to talk, her captivating eyes and the dimpled chin gave me a sense of purpose like never before :)

I went to her side and said a simple ‘hi!’. She reciprocated the monosyllable with a grin and sat up thereby making space for me to sit. Easing into position, I asked her:
“why were you staring at me?!”

“staring? may be.. but, dont tell me that you haven’t seen me earlier!!”

I wasn’t sure of that, but then..

“well... i would never say to a girl your age that I haven’t seen you..
just that i dont remember where!” ;)

“oh comon... we work in the same office.”

“Duh! ... “
Oh.. that explains it...
Our group had moved in from Unit 4 to the new campus “Millennia” only that Monday. But then, how could I have missed noticing HER in the office? May be I was a bit too distracted by the settling-down issues and the urgent customer escalation that I had to handle as soon as we got the things working in the new building.

By now the guy in the adjacent berth (who was trying his Romeo antics earlier) was looking at us but we were beyond concern and didn’t bother with such insignificant things ;)

We were talking for quite sometime and during the conversation, found out that her name was Deepa and that she was with the tech support group. She hailed from Indore and she was of the living-with-friends-in-Bangalore-due-to-job kind. She was visiting a relative in Chennai and she was also returning back to Bangalore on the Sunday night but had planned to return by bus as she couldn’t get a reservation in the trains.

I also didn’t have any reservation but then, from my frequent visits, I had cultivated the friendship of some TTEs* and got to know that typically a few Tatkal** tickets are unused and can be purchased about an hour before the train’s departure from the TTE room at the Chennai Central Railway station. Now here was another chance to impress her and how can I miss that ?!! She did seem to be happy to travel by train but tried to give some excuse. Using a bit of my charm and after some convincing, she agreed. Even if we don’t get the train tickets, later we could always board one of the numerous tourist buses starting right in front of the railway station.

By then, it was already 12.30pm. We worked out the details of our rendezvous for the Sunday night, exchanged ‘good night’s and ‘sweet dream’s and parted. What with the excitement of meeting her again on Sunday, it was not until another hour that I could actually sleep.

(To be concluded)
_____________________________________________________
TTE* - Traveling Ticket Examiner

Tatkal** - Special railway reservation available one day prior to the date of travel at some extra cost

Hey!

Hey!

Have my final placements and stuff going on now and hence, I'm taking some time in posting here. I didnt want to leave the story hanging but then I've ended up doing that. Sorry!
Lemme try and post it tomorrow..

Ba'bye,
Bhaskar

The Chemistry!

Happy V’Day Dudes and Dudettes!!

If you have just wandered to this page.. I suggest you read the previous post “chemistry!” before reading this.

Have (safe) fun! as always ;)
Bhaskar

__________________________________________

The Chemistry! cont..

I was amazed at my own luck that lovely Friday night. I had gotten this ticket out of the blue. Actually, I was traveling on someone else’s ticket. It was a sudden decision to go to Chennai and I contacted our local travel desk.. Bala.

Bala is my friend working in the same office (yes, the same building.. Millennia.. next to Ulsoor lake) who used to travel almost every weekend to Chennai. And he was also a very friendly and cheerful guy. Thus, he soon became the friendly neighborhood travel agent for our circle of friends and close acquaintances – the weekend traveling bachelors. He had even created a yahoo group for the purpose. Anyone who has a reserved ticket to / from Chennai and is thinking of canceling the ticket would contact him. He, in turn, would inform the others thro’ the yahoo group. And usually, there would be no need to cancel the ticket :) (There would invariably be one or two people traveling by bus and any day, train is preferable)

On Friday morning I decided that I had to go to Chennai that evening itself and contacted Bala. As luck would have it, just then somebody had informed Bala about an unused ticket. That is how I had landed my ticket that fateful Friday night.

And now I’m sitting in the adjacent coupe to this dream-like girl! From experience I knew that once contact has been established, one should appear a bit aloof. It should seem as if we are doing something else quite casually and at the same time we should be vigilant for the opportune time to strike a conversation. It is all about confidence and belief!!

Now that she was talking to some bloke half-heartedly (you can know that, cant you?!), I tried reading a couple of pages from the novel. Soon she ended the chatting and took out a blanket and stuff and also the latest issue of the ‘India Today’ and settled into a comfortable reclining position. As usual, in my attempt at reading, I got thinking about a conversation I had had the previous week with one of my close friends. We were talking about girls and ‘sight seeing’ and how at times they also ogle at you. One thing got to the other and he said that he would wink at any good looking girl who is ogling at him.

This went on for sometime and then, she put her magazine down and was looking directly at me. It seemed as if she was trying to make up her mind on something.. whether to make the first move or not?? I didn’t know. But, that moment I gathered some courage and gave her a *wink*!

Even to this day I don’t know why I did that. Anyway, she stopped whatever that she was thinking and was looking at me. She kinda surveyed the scene and the next moment, she winked back!! Man….I was shocked to say the least :)

I froze that moment and I had absolutely no clue what was to follow… but for that, you will have to wait too ;)

Chemistry!

It has been a overdose of senti for the past few days.. its time for some light romance.
Its V-day eve folks! What better way to welcome St.Valentine than a love story!!

I’m sure it would resemble your own love story at some point or the other. Cos this is the ultimate love story! Any resemblance is unintentional though very welcome ;)

Love stories come out so well in the first person. That why I’ve chosen to write it in the first person. Let me give the disclaimer here.. This is not my own love story… definitely not in its entirety!

Bhaskar
__________________________________________

Chemistry

It was one lovely Friday night in a strangely not-so-packed Chennai Mail. I donno how I got to think about that day now. Something reminded me of our rendezvous on the train from Bangalore to Chennai.

That’s when I saw her (rather noticed her) for the first time. I noticed this girl who I thought was inadvertently staring at me. She was sitting in the side lower berth in the adjacent coupe. I was just about settling into the lower berth facing her side. I immediately opened my bag and took out my friend, philosopher and guide at such moments - a novel. It didn’t matter which novel, it was comforting none-the-less.

Slowly, I took another look at her. She was now talking to some guy.. must be just another guy, trying his Romeo antics! Little did he know that she was MY Juliet ;)

Something about her caught my gaze. She was very attractive and looked strangely familiar. Poring into my novel I got thinking: ‘Who does she remind me of?’ It was then that I realized that she reminds me of my adolescent Crush, Drew Barrymore! That enlightenment had my heart pumping even faster.

I looked at her again to confirm her resemblance. That very moment she also glanced at me as she paused between her speeches. Our eyes met! It was a little more than a fraction of a second but it was definite. We both acknowledged each other’s gaze. That look was worth a million dollars.

But then, I shouldn’t have winked at her.. more about that soon!