Friday, June 22, 2007
I am in the brick brick walls...
But one thing is certain. this is a management institute in India. Albeit the best school, but still in India. So there is stuff like lack of Internet access, strict traditions and adherence to those that you need to take for granted! Nope, no complaints again. I would love to follow the traditions, and this note is made just for the sake of it.
Another thing that is special is that this place is hot and sticky and wet. And that in totally the non-erotic sense. So a cooler, a blazing fan, and even open doors leave you sweating and gasping for some relief!
Overall, well... nothing great shakes! Lets see if i find time to reflect more on this later!
Saturday, June 9, 2007
An ode to my family
So being this big and Punjabi family, we love to celebrate, and in this nuclear-family world, we need just another reason to get together. So this was the havan that happened today... The sorts without a sacred fire and all the 'ahutis' and all the heat, this was the 'sunder kand ka paath'... Being a loud Punjabi myself, I totally love these occasions... There is the whole family, everyone chattering with someone; and looking for someone else to chatter with at the same time! I chatter a lot, and then when i am beginning to get bored, I take pictures!
The most wonderful thing I love about my family is what they say when they meet me... for the same of convenience and anonymity, I divide my whole family into three generations:
The Oldies
The Matures
The Kids
Lets start with the oldies. This is like the Raj Kumar generation - high on ideals and idol worship. The people who have been there, done it all... These are the grandmoms and the granddads of the family, and they have spent their entire lives being loud and Punjabi, and hence these days they spend their time being pious... So the first thing you tend to do when you meet up with them is to bow down and touch their feet. and you get blessings. And these can be real varied... Here is a sample...
"Oh you are leaving... come back quick, and we will find you a very pretty girl" Okay, but well, what for?
"Oh my god... you are leaving. We stay 300 kms from the place, but do drop in... you will get free food at our place..." yeah, and you will have to give counselling sessions to our children
"Oh, we have a place in Ahd. why dont you shift there. We wont charge you a thing..."
A typical conversation:
Auntie: Son, why dont you get married before leaving... there is this very pretty girl... (to mom) you remember mrs. Malhotra - her daughter. She is 22 and very pretty.
Mom: (respectfully) right
Auntie: You know... she has done her MBA... from xyz college... they carry out such big full page advertisements... she earns 20,000 per month... works in some computer company...
Mom: (somewhat irritated) right...
Auntie: In case you are interested, we can try and match up the kundalis... but im sure they will match... so beta, where do you think will be appropriate for the honeymoon? how many kids? will you go in for family planning? or let nature take its course? will you let her work? what do you expect in the dowry?
By this time mom and I are over the edge, and we just walk away... I am certain she would be sending a pic and the portfolio of the girl in a few days...
So the good wishes keep on coming, and you really exercise your tummy bowing down and getting back up all the day... you bow when you meet them. You bow when you they leave, and you bow some more when you receive the good wishes...
I do believe that all the grandmoms should open a dating consultancy... They know all the pretty women in the world. It would be a great help to a lot of poor souls in this world... The granddads are really nice. they are serene, relaxed and always want to play cards.
Then there is the second layer... This is where my mom and dad fit in... And looking at this generation, you realize why India is the most populated country. Their parents totally ignored family planning. so there are 4 childen to each pair of grandparents on an average... Somewhere aroung 20 members in the generation - not to mention their spouses. The best things about this generation are common to most of the members:
These guys are the loudest and carry the 'loud Punjabi" tradition very well
These guys take the maximum amount of volume
These guys crack the maximum (and the worst possible) jokes
These guys are the most concerned about everything... from the color of the shirt to the size of the vest!
These guys are also really confused between being overtly pious or otherwise...
These guys cook awesome food!
And lastly, there is my generation. Everyone congratulates you, everyone looks upto you... these are the kind of people foy think are from the same earth as you...
I just love my family!!!
I always wanted to blog
- I have a Gmail account
- I believe in the shades-of-grey-thingy, and am all set to prove it to the world
- I am just totally super intelligent and this gives me a kick
- I want to impress all the 37 people who will read this blog
- I am an egotist, and I like to brag about all the loser-like things that make me
- I want to be reviewed by those great personalities who review blogs and earn money... there are some who do it just for the sake of it, but those are not the ones i want to get reviewed by
- I was told by a fortuneteller that i would blog one day!
- I like typing
- I like coming up with random numbers, thoughts and stories and hope that some day, exactly 456234 people from a certain unpopulated part of this universe would read them
- All my vests are white
- Gujrat is a dry state, and i would need some place to vent out my frustration
- I just got a new laptop and i wanted to try out the keyboard
- I have been jealous of all the bloggers i know
- My secret ambition (fantacy) is that some girl will fall in love with me after witnessing my amazing writing skills
- I am just so totally amazingly turned on all the time
Monday, June 4, 2007
My Graduation from Evalueserve
This is copied from the goodbye mail I sent to my office folks... got a Tom Clancy game as a farewell gift... so i got something to do now!!!
Hi Everyone,
Today, I leave!
For starters (for the purpose of being politically correct as well), I’d say that my limited time with this organization has been absolutely fantastic. I am not about to say that this has been “that-perfect-place-to-work-for” kind of stuff, but there is still a lot I will take back with me; most of all some great friendships, and a great deal of respect for my co-workers.
There is so much about myself that I have discovered here – from being abruptly annoying and not-cool-at-all, to being weird at times and random at others, and then being perfectly adept at doing some kind of work. I have been everything from funny to downright rude with different people at different times. Recently, I realised that I have also been plain stupid on one occasion. But that’s not the be all and the end all of it all... what I want to point out is that I came here in a very harmless mindset, and leave having gained 15 kgs J.
As I move on with my life and into my own theatre of dreams, there is a lot that I have to thank the organization for… so here goes:
- For instilling a great sense of ethics with regard to plagiarism and client confidentiality
- For giving me the best environment to keep my brain alive and at the same time interact with some of the brightest minds imaginable
- For giving me exposure in handling not-like-minded people – the best learning possible
- For instilling a sense of “we over I in a professional environment”
- (Most importantly) For supporting me when I could have become a wreck and helping me prove my mettle to myself
So here is to say farewell, and to wish you all the very best in life.
Piyush
Mobile: 09810914232 (this will change wef 21 June 2007… will update you guys with the new number)
PS: At this juncture I realize the importance of places like Orkut… you will find me there
Sunday, June 3, 2007
A new start with an end...
The last day of the first organization, this has taught me a lot. Seriously. For all the cynics who do believe that a job with this organization can only suck, bah!
It does suck at times (especially when its 7.00 am in the morning, you haven't been home in like 23 hours, the socks are beginning to itch, and everyone who enters looks at you like you are Major Major Major Major - even though you bear not even the slightest of resemblance to Henry Fonda), but the central theme of the job is mostly "anti-suck".
Wha... "Anti-suck", did someone say... this calls for the definition
ANTI-SUCK:
an-ti--s-u-c-k
- adj
- An attribute typically signifying random-dispassionate-indifference towards a job.
- A state usually attained after working for more than ten months in a KPO, and having been in a variety of competitive GDs with a variety of people (eg-talkative moron, dumb moron, super intelligent stud, moron taught by a certain IIT-IIM alumnus, et al).
- 15 kgs, and about 3 inches at the last count
- Document formatting skills - if there were super heroes in the world of MS-Word, i'd be called "formatting Man". The sad part is though i couldn't possibly fit in the tight superhero outfits in my current shape - so bah - idea out of the window!
- Presentation - RCP to the previous point
- Patience to deal with situations
- Methodology to solve estimation based cases
- The essentials of a market study
- lots (and lots (and lots (and lots))) of jargon
- Some more formatting skills - and this time, presentation designing skills as well
- The importance of using bullet points
- And the effect left by sub-bullet points
- The non-desirability of using too many bullet points
And the impending new start... in a great manner was facilitated by the organization...
For all those who work with my organization and are reading this, request you to read this in lighter vain. I have nothing but the deepest sense respect for the organization. I thank you all for making my stay here a pleasurable one... For all those who do not know... Usual disclaimers about all contents being personal opinions apply.