My apologies to those who religiously visit my blog (They being very few, I can’t afford to lose them). Life’s been very busy at work front. My Grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was less competition there. I being the hard worker that I am have not been finding time at all for my FANs ;-) sorry once again.
My mom had conveniently convinced us how we always tend to remain in the same state of mind as on New Year’s Day. If you cry on 1st January then you end up crying the entire year, if you smile then that’s what you do for the rest of the year. If you study on that particular day then you’ll study the entire year. Now this looked like a fair deal. We had to study only for a day and rest will be taken care of.
This New Year’s Day, I consumed calories!!!! OMG! I am gonna do that for one whole year and yes, this is the year when my worst night mare comes true and I grow FAT.
All scared and panicy I went on a diet for a week. But the only thing I lost was the week…. Nothing else. I also vowed never to consume sweets and keep my hands off condensed milk. C’mon! Whom am I kidding? I have guzzled Condensed milk my entire child hood as it was delicious and FREE. Now it's a necessity to keep my taste buds alive.
So dieting was futile. The next best option would be to burn the calories I consume. I made a time table (reminds me of my school days when the only thing I would do was renew my time table). Wake up early morning, jog, yoga, meditate, work, walk, dance, yoga and sleep. The only thing that I am following now is “sleep”. Quite typical me. What was I thinking?
Now, the only option left is, rush to a temple now and pray to god to make all my other friends fat. If you are my friend, I am kidding about the last option… ;-) I am just signing off to WORK.
Cheers
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
While I was away!!!
Gtalk Chat Window:
Me: Hey! I am coming to Jammu on 19th. So come to the Airport to receive me
Friend: tell me about your plan. Wait! I’ll call you
Me: No no, don’t call me. This new office is too small and I have to talk softly
Friend: hahahahaha
Me: ?
Friend: Talk softly? Is that even an option for you? You are so Loud!
My answer to that was, “You have to come to Jammu to see what is loud.”
So I was landing Jammu (Yes! It is safe to be there), after about 3 years. I have missed this place a lot; have missed all my cousins, my uncles, aunts, and all those Jamwals in Jammu who are distantly related to us. Somehow, EVERY person in Jammu has a story to narrate about my Dad’s notorious childhood. After all this is where my dad grew up and left his impact.
Coming back to the point, nothing much had changed there. People still living under the bridges, beggars with torn clothes everywhere (only now they had mobile phones), overcrowded tempos, and no electricity. Even the ditches were at the same place where I had left them (only they grew bigger in size). I headed my home.
The feeling of being amongst your own people is amazing. I have an elongated, extended family back in Jammu whom I haven’t met for the past 3 years. Those 3 years seemed like ages when I first saw my "kido" cousins for whom I had bought gifts from “Weekender Kids”. They have all grown to heights ranging from 5’4” to 5’9”. Somehow, I am the only one who stopped growing vertically after class V. Wonder if I can exchange those “kids” clothes for something my size.
My chachu’s (dad’s younger brother), grey head look took me by a surprise and made me wonder “How long was I gone?”. He who is 12 years younger to my dad has suddenly started looking 12 years elder to my grand dad. Not that he’s not charming anymore. He is very charming, but in a different league altogether.
The cousin, I have played “ghar- ghar” with, the one with whom I have grown up, is suddenly a mom. She was playing all mom duties, feeding the baby, instead of running around in the garden with her mom’s dupatta. She was behaving herself, instead of ringing stranger’s door bells and fleeing. She was a MOM. Those words are still ringing in my mind, and I think it’ll take some time to digest the fact.
The scene during nights was pretty much the same. Everybody comes over, dadima gets busy preparing tea and arranging for snacks, and then starts the “gossip” session. This ever lasting Gossip session is my best part. It makes me feel alive. Everybody shouting at the top of their voices from every corner, no body listens to anyone yet make their point, Dadima shouting from the kitchen, kids running around the room, chachu passing his invaluable comments in between which would crack up everyone and then that laughter (loud laughter) which continues for good about 10 minutes, till the time of next session. Ah!!! I simply love it.
Another part that I totally enjoyed was, everybody coming upto me and telling me how I have lost so much weight and have gone weak. According to some, it was the work pressure, to some I am not eating well, and to some I am worrying about my future too much. The fact they all are missing out is that I have been working too hard to lose weight. As long as, my hard work is showing, I don’t care what label they put to it.
I think the point that I am trying to make is, I loved every bit of being in Jammu (including the cold). For a North Indian turned South Indian like me, minus 5 degrees was unbearable. But I somehow managed to survive and come back alive. Or maybe that was because of the fact that I bathed once on Monday and was done for the week.
It was very cold. I was standing under the single ray of sunlightfrom that single ray, when a stranger walked upto me and asked, “Oh! You must be feeling very cold. Look at your lips, all blue”
Me: “Oh yes! I can’t stand winters”
Stranger: “yeah! People from the south usually cant. Where are you from?”
Me: “Jammu”
I should really visit Jammu often to save myself from such embarrassments.
Me: Hey! I am coming to Jammu on 19th. So come to the Airport to receive me
Friend: tell me about your plan. Wait! I’ll call you
Me: No no, don’t call me. This new office is too small and I have to talk softly
Friend: hahahahaha
Me: ?
Friend: Talk softly? Is that even an option for you? You are so Loud!
My answer to that was, “You have to come to Jammu to see what is loud.”
So I was landing Jammu (Yes! It is safe to be there), after about 3 years. I have missed this place a lot; have missed all my cousins, my uncles, aunts, and all those Jamwals in Jammu who are distantly related to us. Somehow, EVERY person in Jammu has a story to narrate about my Dad’s notorious childhood. After all this is where my dad grew up and left his impact.
Coming back to the point, nothing much had changed there. People still living under the bridges, beggars with torn clothes everywhere (only now they had mobile phones), overcrowded tempos, and no electricity. Even the ditches were at the same place where I had left them (only they grew bigger in size). I headed my home.
The feeling of being amongst your own people is amazing. I have an elongated, extended family back in Jammu whom I haven’t met for the past 3 years. Those 3 years seemed like ages when I first saw my "kido" cousins for whom I had bought gifts from “Weekender Kids”. They have all grown to heights ranging from 5’4” to 5’9”. Somehow, I am the only one who stopped growing vertically after class V. Wonder if I can exchange those “kids” clothes for something my size.
My chachu’s (dad’s younger brother), grey head look took me by a surprise and made me wonder “How long was I gone?”. He who is 12 years younger to my dad has suddenly started looking 12 years elder to my grand dad. Not that he’s not charming anymore. He is very charming, but in a different league altogether.
The cousin, I have played “ghar- ghar” with, the one with whom I have grown up, is suddenly a mom. She was playing all mom duties, feeding the baby, instead of running around in the garden with her mom’s dupatta. She was behaving herself, instead of ringing stranger’s door bells and fleeing. She was a MOM. Those words are still ringing in my mind, and I think it’ll take some time to digest the fact.
The scene during nights was pretty much the same. Everybody comes over, dadima gets busy preparing tea and arranging for snacks, and then starts the “gossip” session. This ever lasting Gossip session is my best part. It makes me feel alive. Everybody shouting at the top of their voices from every corner, no body listens to anyone yet make their point, Dadima shouting from the kitchen, kids running around the room, chachu passing his invaluable comments in between which would crack up everyone and then that laughter (loud laughter) which continues for good about 10 minutes, till the time of next session. Ah!!! I simply love it.
Another part that I totally enjoyed was, everybody coming upto me and telling me how I have lost so much weight and have gone weak. According to some, it was the work pressure, to some I am not eating well, and to some I am worrying about my future too much. The fact they all are missing out is that I have been working too hard to lose weight. As long as, my hard work is showing, I don’t care what label they put to it.
I think the point that I am trying to make is, I loved every bit of being in Jammu (including the cold). For a North Indian turned South Indian like me, minus 5 degrees was unbearable. But I somehow managed to survive and come back alive. Or maybe that was because of the fact that I bathed once on Monday and was done for the week.
It was very cold. I was standing under the single ray of sunlightfrom that single ray, when a stranger walked upto me and asked, “Oh! You must be feeling very cold. Look at your lips, all blue”
Me: “Oh yes! I can’t stand winters”
Stranger: “yeah! People from the south usually cant. Where are you from?”
Me: “Jammu”
I should really visit Jammu often to save myself from such embarrassments.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
My farewell speech
I have never given a farewell speech but have always wondered how it would feel to give one. When Girika (Name changed to keep identity intact) was delivering her farewell speech, a series of questions kept racing my mind. Does she really mean what she is saying? Why the hell is she so thankful to her boss, the same boss who had made her life miserable here and is the reason behind her resignation? Does she realize that she is never going to see these people again in her life and this could be the only chance to outburst all the lava inside?
And now it was my turn. I had made up my mind to speak the truth and nothing else (unless somebody asked me about my age). The moment arrived. Everybody gathered in the conference hall and had laid down goodies to eat on the table, which included the chocolate balls that I had specially asked Binoy to order.
All eyes were set on me, and it was understood that they wanted me to speak first. I took a long, deep breath and the words came out of my mouth:
“Please pardon me if I choke with emotions, since I am very depressed about leaving this place… But to tell you the truth…” That is when my eyes whiz passed a big pack kept behind the table wrapped in shiny gift paper. This looked like my farewell gift. I had just three seconds to decide. I could either speak the truth and let the gift (which could be a diamond necklace wrapped in a big box) slip away from my hands or be sugar coated for the last time and win the gift for myself. I could do the second option since I have had 24 years of experience in that. So I continued:
“… this being my first work place will always be very close to my heart. I have loved and enjoyed every moment working with people here. It did take some time for this fact to dawn my senses that I’ll be moving out of this place. And I think it will take some time for me to fully recover from the tragedy.
I have learnt a lot here. This is one place where I could multi task. I could chat, be on the phone and check out those really funny forwards sent by Charmaine. And of course work at the same time”. That is when I heard someone say, “Yeah right!” But I ignored that and continued.
“There will be no more mini breaks near the coffee machine, no more gossip sessions, no more heated arguments at the lunch table on which is better ‘Police or Army’, because without a doubt Army is better. There will be no more loitering outside office to soak some heat, no more watching movies in office hours (not that we did that much) and of course, no more exchanging movies and ‘Big Bang Theory’ seasons.”
“It is a blessing to have a boss who is more of a friend. It really made my life easy here.” By this time I was already choking with emotions. That’s the time when I realized that I was, for real, leaving and this was my farewell. I’ll not be working here anymore. I was sad by this moment and was really going to miss this place.
“On a serious note, this was a wonderful place to work. And as I join Ahmedabad office, I’ll envy you all. Also, if anyone ever happens to visit Ahmedabad, please do let me know. I’ll be more than glad to host you all.” Though I don’t understand why I said the last sentence.
This was my farewell speech, which was followed by an even more senti speech by my boss and then an elongated snacks session. So elongated, that by now, the excitement to open my gift was dying. Finally people left me and my gift alone. I loved the 4 shirts that were inside the packet.
All in all, my last day in office was one of the best ones.
And now it was my turn. I had made up my mind to speak the truth and nothing else (unless somebody asked me about my age). The moment arrived. Everybody gathered in the conference hall and had laid down goodies to eat on the table, which included the chocolate balls that I had specially asked Binoy to order.
All eyes were set on me, and it was understood that they wanted me to speak first. I took a long, deep breath and the words came out of my mouth:
“Please pardon me if I choke with emotions, since I am very depressed about leaving this place… But to tell you the truth…” That is when my eyes whiz passed a big pack kept behind the table wrapped in shiny gift paper. This looked like my farewell gift. I had just three seconds to decide. I could either speak the truth and let the gift (which could be a diamond necklace wrapped in a big box) slip away from my hands or be sugar coated for the last time and win the gift for myself. I could do the second option since I have had 24 years of experience in that. So I continued:
“… this being my first work place will always be very close to my heart. I have loved and enjoyed every moment working with people here. It did take some time for this fact to dawn my senses that I’ll be moving out of this place. And I think it will take some time for me to fully recover from the tragedy.
I have learnt a lot here. This is one place where I could multi task. I could chat, be on the phone and check out those really funny forwards sent by Charmaine. And of course work at the same time”. That is when I heard someone say, “Yeah right!” But I ignored that and continued.
“There will be no more mini breaks near the coffee machine, no more gossip sessions, no more heated arguments at the lunch table on which is better ‘Police or Army’, because without a doubt Army is better. There will be no more loitering outside office to soak some heat, no more watching movies in office hours (not that we did that much) and of course, no more exchanging movies and ‘Big Bang Theory’ seasons.”
“It is a blessing to have a boss who is more of a friend. It really made my life easy here.” By this time I was already choking with emotions. That’s the time when I realized that I was, for real, leaving and this was my farewell. I’ll not be working here anymore. I was sad by this moment and was really going to miss this place.
“On a serious note, this was a wonderful place to work. And as I join Ahmedabad office, I’ll envy you all. Also, if anyone ever happens to visit Ahmedabad, please do let me know. I’ll be more than glad to host you all.” Though I don’t understand why I said the last sentence.
This was my farewell speech, which was followed by an even more senti speech by my boss and then an elongated snacks session. So elongated, that by now, the excitement to open my gift was dying. Finally people left me and my gift alone. I loved the 4 shirts that were inside the packet.
All in all, my last day in office was one of the best ones.
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