New faces at IBM

"25 degrees Celsius is the outside temperature", said the pilot when our IndiGo flight was about to land in Bangalore. "Aha!" After getting out of the flight, I started to experience the first difference between Chennai and Bangalore. 25 degrees in Chennai, at 12 noon, would have been impossible between March and October I hope. Bangalore is cool!!! was my first expression about this city. Left Chennai, at last!!! was my second one.

I never knew what this city had in store for me; nobody would have ; but something told me that I was about to experience something, that would run throughout my life, no idea of how it would be.

I joined IBM on 11th September, 2007 (what a date!!!). The induction program was in the Grand Ball Room of the Grand Ashok hotel. There were about a 150 odd people, my future colleagues, some of whom might accompany me for a long phase of my life, perhaps til the end.

When u join a job, u have some expectations on it, like the salary, the prospects, etc. But what I had was, a great number of people. I wanted to see a lot of people, from whom I can choose my close ones again - just make a fresh start!

I was indeed happy to find as many people as it would take to feed my apetite for people. The ice broke between some of us so soon, and we started to use those 'bad' words that were customary among members of a 'gang'!!! Still, I had that usual apprehension towards girls, and backed away from them throughout the day.

Next two days at the "Your IBM" programme was a mix of bore and fun, and this was the place where I got to meet some cool people as friends. I recieved my first shock at IBM when we were separated into domains. I was put into Testing (what i wanted was web development). "Fine, let's go ahead as it is intended to!" was what i thought.

Training for testing began the next day, September 14. It started off with a good note. It put an end to some of my apprehensions about software testing. Other than that, I found that my class was flamboyant. A fun filled group. I admired most of them. Let me name a few and tel u how they looked to me....

Vignesh ----- I would call him a romeo!! He's smart, calm and cool. He has that kind of spark that would attract a lot of people towards him.

Raji ---- She's sweet, I admire her "Solitaire" and "minesweeper" skills. Possessive and short tempered, but she's a perfect friend for anyone, I bet.

Swathika ---- Oops I'm sorry !!! Twinkle! That's how she prefers to be called. As far as i know her, she measures her words. She is always up to the point, I like that. A couple of times she looked sad to me, but otherwise, she wears a cute little face.

Prima ----- She made me look at her closely for a whole day!!!!!!! I meant so say, I desperately wanted to find 6 differences (atleast 5!!!) between her and Sowgandhi (my friend, about whom u might have learnt from my previous posts) . Both of these girls have striking similarity, in almost everything. Personally, Prima is chirpy. I like the way she mingles with others, the way she looks when we laugh at her!!! She must surely be a great friend to many, as Sow is to me...

Arun ---- I should say he's the Rajnikanth of our class. He's a man of style.. A man of brains too! I like him personally. I don't know why, but he gives me a feeling of being with a brother. Cool dude..

Rahul --- Another good guy in the class. I haven't talked to him much, but I liked his approach when we were put into testing.

Barani ---- This guy is another cool person in the class. He minds his work, makes less comments, but when he does, he makes an impression. He's caring. I like his kind ness and his being active throughout the day.

Ganesh ----- He always has us in splits when he talks to Prima. He likes to do new things, and that always shows in the sms'es he sends every morning and night.

Anusha ---- She is another prototype girl, who doesn't talk much, and when she does, she's up to the point. I had a chance to talking to her much one evening, when we were waiting for the bus. From that, i have the impression, that she's trustworthy and kind to a friend..

Vandhana ---- She's tall, to begin with. She's pretty. Above all, she's intelligent. The presentation she made one day still lurks in my mind. And she's a nice companion. Happy-go-lucky girl (she appearst to me so)

Vinai --- My companion for the past 3 years. He's been a great friend till now, and he'll be. There's nothing much i can tel abt him, as both of us share the same mentalities most of the time.

THis is just what i observed in the first 15 days. All i hope for is, may these people remain as cute and as precious are they are now, forever....


Wil post the IBM experience in a short span..

The day of Color...

June 1, 2007 – As the TNSRTC bus from Tirunelveli crossed Chozhapuram (a village that separates the districts of Thirunelveli, and Virudhunagar), I was greeted by the once-felt scent of fresh, raw tamarind, and the sight of numerous “Ezhandhapazham” bushes on both sides of the highway. After the bus had gone four kilometers further, it came to an abrupt stop in front of a lime-powder factory, and that was when I set foot in my hometown again for the vacation.

I had been to Rajapalayam only six months before, but that’s a long gap for me. I miss the place so much, that six months is too much to resist. But practically there is nothing I have to do in that town, my uncle lives there with his family and my grandmother, and I’ve got two of my aunts there. There’s no place for sight-seeing, no big shopping malls, no rivers, or landscapes. There is a waterfall in the mountain section in the border of the town, but that is highly seasonal. Except for that, Rajapalayam is a place not so interesting. Most of us are sure to be greeted by boredom, if we don’t have real business in the town (if we don’t study there, or if we don’t work there, etc).

Surprisingly, I’ve never felt bored there, because, whenever I’m there, I’ve never had the time to realize that I’ve got nothing to do. The moment I set foot on the soil of the town, my mind starts to churn out stills from the past – those 4 glorious years I had spent here. And my mind continues to do so at every instant, till I close my eyes for the night in the train or bus when I leave.

This time, for instance, as soon as I got down the bus, I started to imagine how the get-together this time would be. Initially we had had confusion over the date. Somebody wanted it on June 10^th, as it was a Sunday. Some people including me wanted it on June 9^th, as I had to attend Viji’s engagement on the next day. Whenever it is, still I had to wait for 8 days at least for the meet. I swallowed hard. After all, I was going to see those guys and girls who colored up those 4 years in Rajapalayam.

As I reached my uncle’s home and settled down, I started to make a list of who all would attend the meet sure shot. Though five of our guys were not in town for the vacation, I had faith that the rest of the guys would make it. I met Karthi that night, and we chalked out a plan, making occasional calls to Ram mohan, who started off this “Get-Together” talk.

After two days of confusions, discussions and clarifications, we had in our hands, the final list of all those who were likely to make it to the meet. My eyes ran through the list, only to have an impression that this time, the strength would be much less than that of the previous meet. I felt a bit heavy, as the next get-together with me in it was out of sight, at least for the next two years.

Suddenly, Karthi and me had the instinct to find out Rajarajan, our classmate with whom we had lost contact. He used to stay somewhere in a village called “Thalavai puram”, some 7 km from the town. Without his number, address, Karthi and me went in search of him, and came around the whole village, and found his house at last. But we were told he had gone out of station for a project. We left our contacts with them asking them to inform him about the meet and call us back, but we din’t get any.

It was decided on June 7^th, that we have the meet on June 9^th, 10.00 am, in the senior school. Karthi and me met the principal, got the permission, and extended him an invitation. We then decided to order a cake and cool-drinks for the meet.

Everything was decided, and the night before the meet, my mind and heart was filled with the recollections of the past, and anticipations about the future. My classmates started to feature in my mindscreen one by one.

First, it was Naveen, who my parents used to consider as my twin. He was both a buddy and a bully, and is the guy with whom I had spent the maximum time at school. Anyway I would miss him in the meet.

Then it was Kathiravan and Kannan, the great comedians. They always had us in splits throughout higher secondary.

Darshna was next. One of my good friends now and at school, she was the most sportive, easy going girl in our class. Her smile had a spark. She was the working element entirely, when we were in the same house in XI std.

Narmatha followed. The girl whom I really valued after I left school. No get-together would be complete without her. She’s cute in poetry. I still have the rakhi she tied to me on Raksha bandhan day, and I still owe her the gift I had to give as a brother!!!

Ram, Karthi, Mani and Ajay were next. These guys and me meet frequently, and are with me always.

Amritha varshini appeared next. She was with me to lead Yamuna house in XI std.

Then, it was Praveena, the silent, cute girl. I still have the impression, that I had given lots of trouble to her. Yet, she has been a great gifted friend till now, one which stays in the heart.

Praveena was the last person to come to my mind, but not least. My eyes started to feel heavy, and when I opened them, it had dawned.

The meet, however, was incomplete, as Narmatha wasn’t present. Yet, it gave me peace. School is one of the places I consider as a replica of heaven, and seeing those people who made the school a beautiful place made me feel on cloud nine. To top it all, people whom I never thought I’d see after school, were in the meet. Kamala Priya, for instance. Three of the girls were about to get married and enter a new phase of life. The air was filled with camera flashes and clicking sounds. Those 3 hours went off like a jiffy, but it’s been remaining in the heart for a long time. The day coloured me up.

As I got into the train that evening to Chennai, I felt happy to play the entire episode again on my mind screen. They gave me solace, happiness, and above all, a deep sleep.

My tiny pal...

I thought I would tell you about the most important people in my life in the beginning posts. So, the first few blogs tell u abt those important people. This is the shortest of all my posts, yet it is the deepest in meaning.

I wanted to let you know about one special character in my life. I would call it ‘my pet’!!! Okay, I’ve got a pet, a squirrel, that talks, laughs, cries, plays games, sings, dances, fights, studies, and works(in the future!!) – my friend, but I’d call her “Squirrel”, cos I love the name.

I don’t know what we really are. We just tell others that we are friends. In fact, we’re more than just friends. I mean to say, I am unable to describe our relationship in a word. We’re not just friends, nor acquaintances, nor relatives, nor fellow citizens, nor any other any other word you could think of. I hold it somewhere above every relation. Squirrel comes into my mind the moment i think of either my family, or my friends, or well wishers, or even enemies!!! Thats the sort of relation I've been sharing with her. We just like each other to the core.

There’re only 4 people who know me fully, and Squirrel is one of them. She’s my longest lasting buddy till now. We’ve known each other for 7 years till now. We've been sharing a great unmatchable rapport, and this will go on………..

Squirrel is really cute. I can’t stop thinking of her anytime. She just stays in me (let alone forgetting). She has the cutest voice and the best eyes. She’s another good example of how a girl ought to be. She's practical, supportive, and one of the best friends anybody could dream of.

Squirrel and I are ingenuous to each other. We’ve had the most number of fights. When we were students, she would fight for the smallest reason possible. Squirrel resembles a kid, her eyes grow bigger when she sees “perk”. She’s fond of chocolates, dolls, and everything a kid is fond of. But i really admire the mature decisions she takes when the need arises. She's really a 20 year old kid.

She's more like a baby to me. If I were near her, I’d have taken care of her like a baby. But, squirrel and I have never been together personally for the past 3 years. She’s 500 km away from me. Still, both of us are always there for each other whenever, wherever and however we need.

Hey anil kutty, however far we go, I’d never forget to remember you; you’re special, impeccable, and nobody can fill up the space you’ve dug out in me!

When Spring Came Calling...

Not in many instances will you see yourself smiling from the heart, eat much with a free mind, sleep soundly without worries, wake up with a smiling face, so on and so forth. Such times come occasionally, lasts for sometime, most for a day, or two, then fades off, then our minds automatically start working out with its own problems and tensions. That too in today’s world where-in you need to be extra cautious in anything you come across, you don’t find that sort of a pleasant mind or a pleasant and pleasing self often.

I have had that divine feeling twice in my life. First, on June 1^st, 2006, 11.34 am. Right from that moment, I found myself on the clouds. Suddenly, all the burden in my heart started to ebb, they made their exit from my body in the form of tears. They filled up my eyes. I felt I was the happiest man in the world. Then I realized, the “Spring” in my life had come around. I enjoyed it for 23.5 hrs, only to see the first “Spring Season” in my life come to an abrupt end at 11.15 am, June 2^nd, 2006.

Right from that moment, life started to take a new turn. New problems, new disturbances, something I had never felt before. Then came a period of THE WORST SUMMER in my life. I din’t know how to cool myself off, mentally. Not even a single day passed by without feeling heavy at heart, without tossing and turning on the bed, without waking up with a sluggy look.
When I was wondering how long this is going to continue, came September. I got acquainted to two girls. One is Viji, about whom I mentioned in my previous post. The other is Sowgandhi (let me call her ‘sow’ – this is how I love to cal her). I din’t mention about her in the previous post, because she is a bit different from other friends. So, I decided to dedicate this post to her.

She, coupled with Viji, made the “Spring” revisit my life. Life without these both, would have been as dry as the Sahara till date. This time, the spring lasted for some 150 days, between September 2006 and January 2007.

Those were the days when I found myself on the clouds again. The worries in my heart came out of my body, this time, not as tears, but as words. I began to do something I never did, share my sorrows to another person. I was of the perception, that I shouldn’t share anything that worries me, rather I’d share something that made me happy.

When I saw Sow for the first time, I hardly looked at her face, as I was busy talking to Viji. But from the second time when we met again in the temple “Theppam”, I had a chance to talk to her for a few minutes. It started then. The blooming of a new friendship, which I thought would be as same as others – just one more person into my small friends’ circle.

But when things started to unwrap, I had the instinct to share everything with Sow. To be very frank, she has spent a whole lot of time and mind into my issues, more than what I spent.

Initially, I was an introvert, mum, moody, not caring much about people, minding my own business, like a robot switched on. Only after Sow came into my life did I realize the real kind of affection between friends, and how it feels like to talk to more people, and I started to make new friends only after Sow’s entry.

We have spent a great deal of time together, be it at Viji’s home, or through SMS (That’s how we used to spend most of the day), she is cool to be with. The way she listened to all my problems, the way she made assertions, the way she told me solutions, kindled in me, the urge to listen to others’ problems and try lending a helping hand.

In fact, Sow worried more about me than I did myself, and she would always be available for a solution. Any worry, she would be my inevitable destination.

The kind of friendship I shared with her, I would say, was something new. Sow made me find a new meaning to a boy-girl friendship – something I am unable to express in the right words. But I can say, that she’s unique. I have got the truest and the purest form of friendship for her. Happiness or sorrow, the first people to be with me would be viji and sow. Next only to parents, viji and sow were my only sources of happiness during this “Spring Season”, and the happiness and support they gave me was enormous.

Then came January, when the friendship between Sow and me was at the peak. I don’t know if they call it “Dhrishti”, but “A Dry Summer” knocked my doors all of a sudden, and slowly it’s driving the “Spring” away. A series of failed expectations, not-so-good words (evidently from my side), and stuff are trying hard to make days tougher for me.

To be very frank, in these days of our friendship, Sow has been the source, and I have been the destination, for all the goodies. For sorrows, it’s the other way around. One of the first things I’d ask if God stands in front of me, is to make me more tolerant, and gimme enough brain to keep a good friend, and give me a chance to be with such a friend as long as I’m in this world and give her two times as much happiness she ‘s given me.

Viji and sow – when u read this, i’d like to tell you, that if not for you both, it would have taken me hundred times more time to get out of all the mess I had faced. Everybody may get friends like you both, but nobody would value both of you as much as I do!

My Mentors (Think twice --- it's a bit too long)

“Books and Friends must be few, but good” – goes an old saying.

I don’t know whether I’ve got good books, but I’ve got just a few but good friends. I dedicate this post fully to them. In the following para’s I ve tried to describe my friends, and what I’ve learnt from them, and how they’ve changed me, and my outlook towards life.

HemaMalini:

She was the first girl who came up to me and spoke when I went into Chinmaya Vidyalaya for the first time for my 9^th std.
“What rank were you getting in your school?” she asked.
“4^th or 5^th” I said.This was the first conversation we had had.
In fact, she was my first girl-friend (a friend who’s a girl -- for those who’re used to the other meaning of the word). Since then, she has been my confidant in many issues when at school. After school, she became my closest buddy. There is almost nothing about me that she is ignorant of. She’s a person whom I value as much as I value myself. This cute girl has taught me the way one has to handle one of the toughest problems anyone could encounter in life. She’s been my role model at times of distress and agony. She’s selfless, supportive, and the best thing I like about her is that, I’ve never seen her lamenting, or staying gloomy, or drooling over a problem. She wears the best smile I can ever see, she’s one of the best friends I can ever get and she’s the girl who’s reserved a confirm ticket in my journey of life.

Viji:

To be frank, I would term her as, “The syntax of a good girl”. I’ve never seen somebody with so much affection and love for her friends as this girl. She has been my friend, teacher, sister, role model, companion, and so on. We’d been acquainted to each other as kids, but we never saw each other, but for a few hours together when we played some childish games. We’re cousins of some sort, but I’d prefer to call her a friend, rather than a cousin. She maintains perfect balance with everything - friends, family, fun, god, etc. She’s a highly religious devotee. I’ve learnt the art of giving up (vittu-koduppadhu) things for the family from her. Not only that, she made me a bit religious too. She taught me how to expect less from others. She has been the only destination to my sorrows, and she’s borne all the “mokkai” till now with a smiling face. This is one friendship I never want to lose.

These two girls have created the greatest impact anybody could create.

Ram:

My buddy since 11^th std – we talk less to each other, but understand more. We’ve been maintaining enough distance as well as intimacy. He’s good to be with. He’s taught me the art of “BUILDING UP”! Seriously, I started to build up stories with the need of the hour, and that helped me to escape with a good reason for low attendance!! Now coming to the positive front, he has the credit of making me a responsible guy to the family. The long hours of walks I had with him made me realize my importance to my family and take matured decisions. I’m indeed grateful to him.

Karthik:

He’s another school buddy. Though we din’t spend some great time together, all those small moments I had with him were precious. Frankly speaking, I go to my hometown just to meet him. He is one guy like whom I would like to be in the days that follow. He’s practical, precise, man of few words and great action, polite and gentle. He never pokes nose into other’s issues, nor does he make an open comment about anybody. He is himself always, and this is what I started to do after looking at him.

Above All,
The Spectacular Seven:
My college guys – These seven people were the guys from whom I learnt to stay happy even when I had problems. I’ve to create a separate blog to describe each guy in detail, so I just make it short and sweet.
College was good only because of these guys. Our views, ideas, takes were similar. We just fit into each other in such a way, that it is hard to find such a homogeneous group of friends elsewhere. Thanks to these people, I learnt all those things you should be aware of, if you want to live a happy and contended life – Practicalities, hospitality, work, patience, fun, enjoyment, whatever you could imagine.

The spectacular seven:

• Vaidhishwaran
• Naresh
• Sai
• Rajan
• Veeran
  
• Vickram
• Vinai
  

So when you have good friends with you, you’re half way through in building up a happy future. I’ve succeeded in doing so.

To anybody mentioned above who reads this : HOPE WE REMAIN TOGETHER!!!

Monday to Thursday, 8 – 9 pm

Monday to Thursday, 8 – 9 pm – a time slot I have dedicated to the TV these days (ha ha ha!! As if I’m not in front of it any other time during the day :D). Nowadays I’m very much reluctant to go out anywhere, or do some other work at that time. This is what I watch – Kanaa Kaanum Kaalangal (KKK) on Vijay TV.
KKK is a serial for which I would give a ‘U’ certificate (here, I mean to say, most of the serials deserve an ‘A’ certificate. Oops!! No issues.. I meant AUNTY’S ONLY!!). The two best things about this soap are its characters – school students, and the backdrop of the story – PACM School.
KKK reminds me of my own school days at Rajapalayam ( which I’l describe in the following posts). Every time I watch KKK, a faint breeze of those golden old days rocks me. Not only that, but KKK has also made me yearn for certain things. One in at least two scenes have had a similarity with those I had faced when I was at school (obviously most of us have had similar experiences at school and KKK depicts just them, but it’s sweet when you watch them on the screen and think or scream,“hey! It happened to me too!”)
Now coming to the characters and the outline of the story – Bala, Pachai, Pandi, Joe and Raghavi make up a team, while Vineeth, Krish, Sangavi, and two others ( I don remember those names – I’m new to the serial !!) make another group. Bala & Co, and Vineeth & Co are always at logger-heads, never heading for a compromise. Raghavi tries to fill up the rift within these two groups. Rest of the story, you can imagine. But still each episode is fresh, with lots of humor, sentiment, etc etc.
All these guys show great friendship, which lot of us ought to have. You really say, “I would be d happiest guy on earth if I have such a friend like him”, when you see this scene – When Pandi and Bala are not sure whether they’d pass the final Chemistry exam, Joe steals their answer sheets, and as a result, the school decides to waive Chemistry marks to al the students. The scene that follows after Joe confesses his act is scintillating. You see a similar kind of friendship between Vineeth and Krish, when Vineeth tries to save Krish and get him out of drug addiction. These are scenes that really move you and make you realize how valuable good friends are. I ‘m not just getting words to express all of them short and sweet (maybe I’ll learn it soon).
Raghavi – my sweetheart in the serial. I dream of a friend like her. The affection she has on the guys in her group, and the friendship she maintains with the guys of the opposite group, she’s the best friend anybody can have – a syntax for the best friend.
Pachai is one guy I whose character, I feel, was better not included – just for one reason. He tries to propose to Raghavi (HOW DARE HE???) Ha ha…
After starting to watch this soap, I’ve started to realize the value of a good friend. The affection I had on my friends til recently has increased many folds.
Hope I had something like some 20 years bonus with a time-machine, I’d have gone back to my school!!!! But good things don’t happen too frequently :(

The moments of smile - The past and the future

When your heart smiles for a moment, it is enough to elate you for a day. Smile is a fuel that keeps you running. Whatever you become, you're useless without happiness. I 've given just a few moments which made me smile from the heart - those moments I cherished. Then come those moments I would live to see for - the moments to experience which I'd do anything.

The moments when I felt on top of the world:

• The moment my dad smiled and patted on my head when I gifted him a small mobile.
• Those moments of happiness my parents showed when I told them I’d got placed in a good software company.
  
• The moment when my best friend sent this SMS: “My message must be the first in your inbox and sent items everyday!!”
• The moment when Viji’s eyes shone with happiness when I started to do what she told – Avoid keeping my purse in the back-pocket of my pant.
• The moment my dad asked me this for d first time: “Business has been in loss for the pastffew months. I’m thinking of switching tracks. What do u say?”
• The moment my student, not so close friend said, “I was feeling much lonely. You made me feel much better. Thanks a lot!”, when I suggested a solution for a small problem of hers.
• The moment I told my friend, “Take ur own time machi… Give it as and when u can”, when I sponsored his movie ticket at INOX. ( He still owes me that :D)

Moments I long to see:

• The moment my mom sheds a couple of tear-drops as she waves me ‘tata bye bye’, when I board my flight to a place far away from her, for a job.
• The moment my mom hugs me after I return home for a vacation, and says “Ezhachi poita da nee!”
• Those drops of tears my parents would show when I give them the keys of my new car and say, “Mom and Dad, this is for u!!”
• The moment of happiness a guy shows when I help him, without a second thought, with anything he deserves.
• The moment I set eyes on my own “HER”.
• The moment I start to do funny and crazy things to impress her.
• The moment she hugs me and says, “I love you too!”
• The moment, like in Kalaaba kaadhalan, when she says “Hayyooooo”, astonished, when I show her our new ready-to-occupy flat, with her largest photo in the hallway.
• The moment of satisfaction she shows when I present her with something
• The moment of joy she shows when I say, “You gifted me a great watch”
• The moment her eyes glow with joy when I show her two tickets for a night show movie.
• And above all,
  The moment when I hear my dad tell someone, “I have got a good son!”
  
• The moment she hugs me hard on the bed before we sleep, and says “I’ve never felt happier before!”

Watch out!!!!!

Hi,
Like most of you, I am a simple guy of great imagination and fantasies, and like most of u again, I'm a bit poor when it comes to pouring them out. So feel free to comment and i'd rectify any error soon.

I felt tat i should start with what I think life is.

I believe, that life is not worth living as long as you are inside a circle around yourself.

"Break Free, and take in everything as and when it comes. Then decide which one you really need to make you and your life greener and better. Just wash away the remaining!!"

This is my dad's best dialogue till date. It's got complete relevance to how one's going to lead his life in today's state of the planet.

Life's all about stayin happy. No matter you become Bill Gates' greatest rival, nobody's goin to call you successful as long as you stay detached from life as it is.

This is my own perception of the journey called life. Though it is like a journey in the day-time in a second class chair car on Vaigai Express from chennai to Madurai, it depends on the way you take up the journey. You be the passenger, then it's boring like hell. But you be the driver, then the whole journey is at your command. Similarly, it is your life. Live it, and don't just fit into it. Create your own opportunities, make your own happiness.


So, the ultimate thing anybody would wish for is "Smile". "Happiness". I just go to only those places, where I feel I get them. I've got plenty of them till now in two places. One - my school. Two - My friends.

I can't get back to school. I see everything equally and everything has got its own importance. Yet, if some crack forces me to assign priorities in my life, friends would be an inevitable second place ( first must be for parents!!!). Life has no meaning when you stay alone. You need somebody as a destination to your happiness and sorrows. Everything has got a value only when there's somebody to receive it.

So, go there, where u feel you can smile, live life to the fullest, love people, never complain, never say die.