Today is my last day in Mumbai..:) I watched a movie "I See you" for the last time @ my favorite In-orbit mall. There are some things I will surely miss about mumbai..the crowds, the malls, the local trains and of course the babes..:)

In the evening I had my last darshan @ the Siddhi Vinayak temple, Dadar. I hope the New Year begins on a new note not only for me but also for countless other people across the world.

Time to wrap up now as I have an early morning flight to catch @ 7:20 a.m. So it's time to say bye to Mumbai and Bangalore here I come..:)

Yesterday i.e Friday was my last working day and after sending a farewell e-mail to my colleagues and superiors, I personally shook hands with some of them. However before that I had a lot of running around to do..to get the final relieving letter.

In between I got a shock when I saw my final settlement amount. The company had deducted approximately INR 10000 from my salary towards training cost. Adding insult to injury my pay was calculated only for 29 days. I thought that was a huge financial blow coz I didn't expect it. I can understand if the company had deducted somewhere around 5000..but deducting 10000 bucks didn't make sense.

But to be fair, I should have seen it coming when someone leaves the company after being for just 3 months. I began to sulk, then I realized that there's nothing I can do about it.

In the evening I had an appointment with the dentist, however I was kept waiting. I was happy when I got the scaling done coz one of my teeth was giving trouble. It cost me a neat 450 bucks. It was the first time I paid for my treatment and felt the pinch coz normally my dentist (none other than my kid brother..:)) did it for free.

It was a relaxed Saturday morning as I had a sound sleep yesterday night. I didn't have much to do today. I watched a movie on TV "13 going on 30" starring Jennifer garner and a good looking guy as hero( I don't know the name..:)). It had a nice story line as the title suggests. By the time, I began watching the movie I had missed a huge portion of the movie, still I could make sense of the climax.

Just got some of my passport size pics taken and must say it has come out well..:)

We had a rocking party y'day night and thankfully our christmas carol went fine barring a few hiccups. I had to rush to the party as I was a bit late. I had called up the cargo movers and was waiting for them to transport my luggage and a carton box containing some books, kitchen utensils etc.

I couldn't believe my eyes and had a quick rewind down the memory lane. It was on June 5th 2005 that I had arrived in Mumbai with a big luggage and a small hand baggage.

And now after 18 months, the luggage pieces have doubled to 2 + another big carton box with my stuff. I was relieved now that I had taken care of the extra luggage coz on board the flight you're allowed a max of 30 kilos. Above 15 kilos you're charged @ INR 70 per kilo. My only concern now is that the consignment should reach its destination safely.

Now for the party..it was good fun with all the employees, their wives and kids being present.The best highlight of the show was a bollywood dance item which had a medley of songs and the climax was the song "Signal, pyar ka signal" from the movie "Bhagam Bhaag". I loved the desert with Malai Kulfi and Gajar ka halwa..for the first time I let the good times roll as I savored the sweetmeat. I was stuffed and decided to take the walk home which immensely helped me to burn off the excess calories.

There was no hangover for me from the party last night, the reason being I reached home around 10:30 p.m in the night and thankfully I don't consume alcohol. In Hrithik Roshan's word's "I believe nothing is bad in moderation but things like smoking and drinking are difficult to moderate".

My flat-mate and I had a nice conversation after a long time, probably the reason being its my last few days in Mumbai. He must be relieved that his bug-bear is leaving..just kidding..:)

Anyways it was the middle of the night and I was blissfully enjoying my sleep when a sudden scream jolted me out of my bed. It was my flat-mate who was screaming "Ashith, please help me..these mosquitoes are making my life miserable. Do you have anything to protect me against the mosquitoes". I was a bit stumped and it took some time for me to recover. He said me "sorry for waking you up". I told him that I don't think there are any mosquitoes(BTW I light a tortoise mosquito coil every night before I hit the sack..:)).

In the morning, I gently told my flat-mate that the mattress he was sleeping was dusty and the real culprits might well have been the bedbugs. In other words I could see it coming coz my flat-mate used to always lie nearly naked on his bed with all the bedsheet rolled up. He admitted that probably the fact that he was sleeping without the bedsheet on, might be the reason for the rashes he has suffered.

As I was going to work on thursday morning, a familiar sight greets me that of the makeshift homes on the pavements with people going about with their daily chores. It really strikes you that there is not much space in mumbai and obviously even the pavements have become extinct with pedestrians being forced to walk on the roads @ a great risk to their lives and limbs.

It's another story that the people living in the temporary shelters live in apalling conditions along with their children and more often defecate in the open. The other thought in my mind was that the water supply will be restored today morning after the dry day y'day.

At work, there are a few tasks remaining to complete my handover formalities which included getting signatures from my Project Manager.

It was snack time and I had my favorite Neer dosa with coconut chutney. As the day draws to a close there's a tinge of sadness and hope. Sad coz tomorrow i.e Friday will be my last working day with the organization and hope coz I think everything happens for good and I can start my new year on a fresh note..:)

It was a very lazy Tuesday morning after a long weekend..:) I was shocked to see my watch..it was already 8 a.m and I was running way behind schedule.I quickly finished my morning chores before rushing to office.

BTW I had gone for shopping yesterday. I had to purchase a red t-shirt for the christmas carol we will be singing. As I reached In-orbit mall, I could see a huge bill-board of Saif Ali Khan wearing a bright red full-sleve Provogue t-shirt. I thought to myself that the shirt looks pretty cool and wanted to grab one soon.

The entrance of the mall was chock-a-block with shoppers..I haven't seen such a huge crowd @ the mall in any of my previous visits. It looked more like a crowded market place.

At shoppers stop I asked the sales rep to show me the same t-shirt (which featured saif)..When I saw the price-tag my jaws dropped and my eyes popped..it was INR 1596. I thought it was pretty outrageous and the t-shirt didn't seem to be worth the price.

I asked the sales rep whether I could get anything cheaper than that. He showed me the next aisle. Thankfully I could find what I was looking for..not only did it look fabulous it also came @ a decent price tag of INR 295. The sales rep asked me whether I want to look @ some more stuff however thankfully I resisted the urge to splurge..:)

Sometimes I wonder that with so much of decorations, bright neon lights etc..a person needs to have a lot of courage to resist the temptation of doing impulse buying. I had done that earlier and didn't want to go through a similar experience when you end up buying stuff you just don't need. On the way home, I also brought a big luggage(which I badly needed..:)) to pack my stuff.


Work @ office today was pretty cool. We had a final rehearsal for the christmas carol wearing the santa cap..:) Hopefully things should work out fine tomorrow..:)

Jai Gurudev!!

It was good fun on Sunday evening when I attended the Yuvaratri celebrations. One of the best moments was when the comedian Naveen Prabhakar of "The Great Indian Laughter Challenge" arrived @ the show.

The audience which was a bit restive had a good time laughing @ his jokes. Other highlights of the show was Suneeta Rao who sang the hit number "Pari Hoon Main" and performances by singers Udit Narain, Sanjay Maroo.

I couldn't stay till long as squatting on the uneven ground made it a bit tougher for my back and left the venue around 8:35 p.m. This time it was early bed-time for me..:)

Nothing unusual for a saturday morning except that I slept till late in the morning and then I had to attend an interview, however couldn't make it..coz I was feeling quite lazy. Missed having my favorite scrambled eggs as it was too late by then.

Post-Lunch I had a nice nap as the weather was quite pleasant and couldn't resist the temptation of just lying down on my bed. I am not an avid TV watcher and even if I do watch TV, I restrict it to a few reality shows or my favorite comedy soaps.

I missed out 15 mins of my favorite comedy show "Friends" and was feeling about it. Anywayz it was worth watching it for the remaining duration. I followed it up with a reality drama series "Vanished without a trace". The story revolves around a typical american small family of a husband, wife and their adorable daughter.

One day, both the husband and his daughter disappear leaving his wife distraught. That brings into picture the FBI which has a special cell dedicated to missing persons. How the story evolves with its twists and turns and comes to a logical conclusion made riveting viewing.

The one thing which stands out is the professionalism displayed by the sleuths who do their job quite well. They are calm and composed when dealing with the victim and their hysteric outbursts, however they don't hesitate in asking tough questions. The ultimate aim is to bring closure to the case which may or may not be achieved.

Gotta go now as I need to catch up with some old friends of mine..:)

I didn't have a proper sleep y'day night and in the morning was feeling a bit
groggy. Bleary eyed, I pulled myself out of the bed and was relieved only after splashing my face with water..:)

My flatmate Rahul will leave for his native place and so will a couple of other guys. I have bought a Cadbury's Bournvita Jar y'day which has a new flavor "5 star magic". When I put 2 heaped tbsp of bournvita, 1 tbsp of sugar and added some milk to it and began to stir the milk, the aroma was too good that it literally gave me a high. It tastes so yummy that I have become a fan and I am sure that my mornings will never be the same again..:)

It was a lazy morning @ work. I spent some time browsing news from around the globe. One of my colleagues Monika was going on a vacation so I had to take up her assignment. Monika looked tense as she was scared that she will miss her train.
Anyways I assured her that everything will be fine. I hope that she did catch her train in time.

In the evening we once again practiced the christmas carols and it seems to be getting better every time. The moving spirit behind the christmas carols is Neela Joseph. I must say, she really has a good sense of humour. It's really fun to be with her as you can never expect a dull moment. Being a mom of 2 kids and handling office + home, she comes across as a person who has taken humour as the best medicine to handle any sort of stress. That's one thing I really admire in her. Humour is something which is missing from most workplaces and of course to put it bluntly in our everyday lives.

While returning from office, I went to Reliance Web World, Andheri-Kurla road to get a "Yuvratri pass" for one of my friends. Yuva Ratri is the festival for the youth to be held @ K J Somaiya grounds, Sion where apart from guruji Sri Sri Ravishankar, a lot of celebrities like Diya Mirza, Akshay Kumar etc and of course the younger generation are going to come together on 24th December.

As I was waiting for the customer service rep, one of the customer's notebook(laptop)fell on the floor with a thud. I thought the notebook was a gone case however miraculously except for a small broken piece it seemed to have survived the fall. The customer who had a tense look on his face seemed relaxed..I too was happy that nothing happened to the notebook..:)

As usual when I was having my favorite "Amul cool" milk, there was this old lady who bought stuff from the shop and forget her 100 rupee note @ the counter. The shop-keeper asked me whether it was mine, I replied in the negative and he quickly told me to give the money to the old lady. I ran as quickly as I could and gently tapped the old lady's shoulder and gave her the money. She was very happy and said "Thank You". I told her to thank the shop-keeper and not me..:)

I normally write my blog from the "Sify Cyber cafe", however due to some work going on, there was no power supply. One part of me was telling me to take it easy and other one was insisting that I write my blog. I am glad I chose the latter though I had to walk some distance to get to the next cybercafe.

It's going to be 3 days of vacation and I hope to have a good time..:)

My day got off to a flying start today. I completed my assignment and my Project Leader was happy with my work. I also completed one of the presentations I was working on. When I was done with it, it didn't sink in for some time that I actually completed it..:)

I e-mailed my presentation to my Asst. Training Manager Vaishali requesting her to give me a suitable time slot for my presentation.

Post-Lunch one of my Project Manager's called me to his cabin. I was a bit surprised however I knew what the matter was about. He asked me as to why I am leaving..whether I am unhappy with the job, profile or the fact that my trip abroad got postponed. I told him that I had no grievances and just wanted to be with my family. For sometime he did try to convince me however I politely said there is no change in my stand.

After the meeting was over he told me to wait coz the Delivery Head (who is in charge of the entire projects) wanted to meet me. I was not much surprised this time..:) The man had a great sense of humour. He had a good experience having worked for top companies out of which he worked for 7 years in the United States. By coincidence he has also worked for my previous company..:)

He was aggressively trying to convince me to stay back atleast for a period of 6 months. I appreciated his gesture and said that there is no going back. Still he wanted me to come up with my decision tomorrow.

In the evening I had a good time rehearsing the christmas carols. The song which I most enjoyed singing was "We wish you a merry christmas" and "The Reindeer Song".

I am tired and hungry now and can't wait to grab a quick bite..:)

I felt a bit sad today coz I wasn't able to finish my assigment and my Project Leader was not happy with it. Obviously I am to be blamed for the whole mess and I didn't give it my 100%.

My PL has given me another assignment. I really had to wrack my brains to finish the assignment. I have to send it to him for a review.

In the evening when it was snack time, I had neer dosa( rice pancake) and coconut chutney (south indian speciality from Mangalore),it was yummy..:) The last time I had neer dosa was when I visited home. Neer dosa is my personal favorite coz its not only healthy but tasty too. Making neer dosa is an art in itself unlike masala dosa which is a bit greasy.

We are going to have a christmas party on 27th @ Kohinoor hotel, Mumbai. So today we had a small meeting @ 6:15 to decide what songs are to be sung for the christmas carol. Personally I am a bit apprehensive about singing..:) Anywayz I'll give it my best shot as this is my last party with the organization.

I am tired @ the end of the day and barely managing to keep my eyes open. Hoping to catch up on a good night's sleep..:)

For the past few days there has been little conversation with my flatmate. I am not sure what's the reason..however we both mind our own business without exchanging pleasantries.

I have got this new flat-mate chintu who has been staying with us for more than a month. After a long time I have seen someone who shares the same concern like me about cleanliness and hygiene. Y'day night he brought his PC from Pune(where he studied earlier) and was quite overjoyed when he finished setting it up. He also bought a workstation to house the PC.

My day @ work today went off quite smoothly. I finished the assignment given to me and I am currently working on a new one. My hand-over formalities are almost complete. Early in the morning we had a Ganesh Puja. They had installed a wooden ganesh sculpture right in the middle of the office. I must say it really was a divine experience. The elephant headed god happens to be my favorite god as well..:) I am just fascinated by him and also have a miniature ganesha right in front of my flat monitor.

One of my colleague who reported to me earlier came upto me and asked me whether I had resigned. I replied in the affirmative..she asked me where are you joining? I said I'll tell you later. She just smiled and said I know you're not going to tell me however I do know it will be something better.

In the evening when I was coming back from work, I saw a auto which was a converted goods carrier stuck in the middle of the road and holding up traffic. Two men were struggling to get the auto to the side of the road. I lent a helping hand and thankfully we bought the auto safely to the edge of the road. I felt happy that I did something good..:)

Time to wrap-up for the day..:)

It was a nice and pleasant Monday morning. I wasn't grumbling at all and was keen to look forward to the day.

As for work @ office, I must say today was neither boring nor very interesting..it was just about okay. Post-Lunch my Project Manager had assigned me some work. I also gave a Knowledge Transfer(KT) session to my Project Leader Sunil and couple of my colleagues. I was very passionate about the prototype application that I had developed which I consider as my "baby..:)".

I explained to them the intricacies of how the application was developed etc. I have packed in a small polythene bag some almonds and cashews when I left for work in the morning. It came handy as I was able to satisfy my hunger pangs when it was snack time. At the time of writing this blog, I must say my energy levels are high and I am still feeling fresh @ the end of the day.

In an interesting development, one of my colleagues Kalvinder wanted to know about the diet I was having, so that she can cut down on the flab. She is not so much on the heavier side but needs to reduce a little bit and I have no doubt she will have a fabulous figure..:) I told her that I'll get the details tomorrow.

I left early from work @ 6:30 p.m and hope to catch up on some reading before having my dinner..:)

I couldn't make it in time to write my blog for Saturday. The events are still fresh in my mind. I got up a bit early @ 8:30 a.m(that's early for me on a Saturday..:))

There were several tasks to do for the day. I had to meet up with my friend Priya from New Zealand, also had a meeting with the HR manager of my new company. Things went a bit haywire as suddenly some of the pest control guys landed @ our flat.

They started drilling holes in the corner of the rooms and then filled it up with a white liquid. We were told that these were permanent measures to get rid of the white ants. The drilling made all the rooms messy with the floors sprinkled with dust. I had to hurry up as I was already behind schedule.

I prioritised my tasks. So met the HR guy first and then met Priya @ In-orbit mall, Malad(E). I had to apologize to her coz I was one hour behind schedule. She was very happy to see me after a gap of 2 years. Last time we met was in New Zealand.

She had a list of things to shop for. We went to the Cross-word store where we browsed through the books section. While Priya was busy I helped myself to some of the books in the Travel section. There was this picture book by Raghu Rai. You can say its more of a coffee table book with nothing but pictures in it. Going through the book, I realised what makes Raghu Rai one of the biggest names in photography.

The pictures were so realistic and startling, it traversed the length and breadth of India. It really strikes you that there's so much beauty in India with all its poverty. After I finished reading the book, I felt as if I have just completed a journey across India.

Then I went over to the Health & Fitness section and my eyes fell on the books regarding the much taboo topic "Sex". One book which aroused my curiosity was "How to enjoy Life without having sex". That was something which goes against the grain of what many people think..that sex is something which needs to be enjoyed and is a part and parcel of any relationship.

Anyways I read a couple of chapters in the book and found some of them quite hilarious. Now I glanced on another book..I cant'remember the title however it was something like "How to make Love..." There was a chapter on the positions one can choose when making love as per kamasutra. I was amazed when I flipped through the pages, there were so many positions to choose from while making love. All the while when I was browsing through the book I was quite conscious of people moving around me and so tried to keep a low profile.

After we were done with the shopping, Priya and I went to watch a movie "Babul". I was not happy with the choice coz I had read the review and it wasn't too great. However we had no options left as Priya had watched some of the movies I wanted to watch and it was the same with her. As we entered the hall, I could see that more than half of the seats were empty which was a bit of surprise. I never expected the movie to be packed to capacity however I didn't expect such a poor response as well.

Anywayz the first half of the movie takes a lot of time building up the romance between Salman(screen name: Avinash) and Rani(screen name: Malavika). The story picks up from the second half after Amitabh wants to get Malavika remarried to John Abraham(screen name:oops..I forgot the screen name). I was so moved by some of the scenes that I began to weep. Priya who was sitting beside me could only laugh seeing me cry. I responded by saying "Real men don't cry..right".

There are some redeeming scenes in the movie like Amitabh coming face to face with a furious Om Puri who plays his elder brother. Om Puri is quite belligerent and one thinks there is going to be a show-down. However Amitabh despite the provocation keeps his cool and makes his point. He doesn't backtrack and with all humility conveys his message to his brother. Rani as usual excels. John and Salman are average. Rajpal Yadav provides some comic relief. Sarika plays a cameo and she leaves a mark.

However the real stars of the movie are Amitabh and Hema Malini, their chemistry still crackles and it lights up the screen. By the time the curtains came down, my hanky was totally drenched. I was struggling to hold up my tears as priya watched me with amusement. I wasn't ashamed @ all that I was crying, it felt good that I cried after a long time and the emotions were so strong that it tugged @ my heart strings.

Priya and her family are staying in Mumbai @ kandivili with some of her relatives. For the first time she had the first-hand experience of travelling by a crowded local train. I wanted to escort her back and then leave. However I ended up having dinner @ her place. I was quite overwhelmed by the hospitality. There was samosas, soup, alu bondas, raitha etc..my diet plans really went for a toss..:)

When I was finished I was really stuffed..and my main worry was to get back home. It was around 10 p.m and the heavy dinner made me even more drowsy. Thankfully I reached home just before midnight. It was really a long day..:)

Coming back to Sunday morning..it was quite a lazy start. I ironed my clothes, read the newspapers, had a chat with my flatmate. Rahul is going to give his last exam and I wished him all the best.

I have these food coupons from Accor and the expiry date was December 2006. In the evening I quickly made a dash to the supermarket and brought a pack of apricots, cashews and almonds.That will keep me going atleast for a couple of weeks..:)

One of the things I enjoy doing is polishing my shoes and cleaning the loo. It makes me more humble and rooted to the ground.

It's the end of another weekend and the beginning of a new week ahead. As the countdown starts with each passing day for my stay in Mumbai, I become more nostalgic..:)

When I opened my eyes in the morning I was very excited as it was a Friday..and thanked god, that it really was a Friday..:)

In the office there was not much work to do as I was waiting for my Project Leader Sunil to review the assignments I had completed, however Sunil was quite busy as he had some other pressing assignments.

Birthday celebrations were held today @ our office and it was quite a hilarious affair. The Birthday bunnies and the newcomers were asked to choose their partners. One of them sat in the chair and the other stood behind them. The one standing behind must peel the banana and feed it into his/her partner's mouth. The partner sitting in the chair must not touch the banana with his/her hands.

Whoever consumed the maximum bananas will win the prize. So the prize went to Ashish and Mahesh. It was quite fun to watch how fast Ashish was taking the peels off and the ferocity with which Mahesh devoured the bananas. All of us kept cheering them and had a hearty laugh..:)

In the evening I had a conversation with Vaishali, our Asst.Training Manager. I am interested in giving a presentation on using a certain technology when developing programs in .NET applications. I felt that I can share my knowledge with others and the other reason is I love to teach..:) Vaishali was quite receptive about the idea and told me to send my presentation so that she can review it. My presentation is not yet ready however I am hopeful that I can prepare it in stipulated time.

There is this lady whom I have seen a couple of times @ the cybercafe. When I saw her for the first time, I was awestruck. She was very pretty, fair, not quite tall and had a flawless complexion. Her face and especially her eyes was something which stands out in a crowd. I used to glance @ her and she did the same.

So this time when I saw her @ the cybercafe, I mustered the courage to strike a conversation when she was getting her CV printed. It seems like she was looking for a change of job. BTW she works as an air-hostess for Air-India. I told her that I have seen her a couple of times and just wanted to know her name and she replied that she too has seen me and wanted to know what's my name and where do I stay.

I am not bothered that we may or may not meet up in the future, however
I am happy that I could fulfil my desire of striking up a conversation with Angelina(yes, that's her name..:))


It's time to wrap up and I look forward to an exciting weekend..:)

I didn't have a good sleep on Wednesday night courtesy my flat-mate who comes quite late in the night and as usual switches on the light and compounding the misery further talks loudly on his cellphone.

I was so pissed off that I felt like flying of the handle, however I told myself that I need to keep my calm and it shall pass,
thankfully that's exactly what happened.

The weather now-a-days is more pleasant. When my flat-mate woke up,I gave him a piece of my mind and he didnt seem to be too pleased. My day @ office went quite slow today, I had completed my assignments and now need a review to be done.

We have this office-assistant Mangesh who is not only polite but also keeps himself wellgroomed. He always has a genuine smile on his face..:) I said genuine coz today, smile is something which comes @ a premium...even if some people smile, they have an ulterior motive like expecting something in return or maybe it didn't spring from the bottom of their heart.

I was tired y'day and tired today as well. I need to take a warm shower and then have my supper before hitting the sack.

The chilly breeze blowing in from the window only made me cozy up in the bed. When I opened my eyes I really felt all pumped up and energetic. All through the morning I could still feel the slight nip in the air and the gentle breeze kissing my cheeks.

I haven't felt like this for a long time and that too in Mumbai which has a very insipid and humid weather(I hate to say this, however it's true).

As usual I was busy @ work and time just flew. I have got stuck a bit on my assignments. Hope to resolve it tomorrow. I have a new friend now for my stroll during lunch time. She is one of my colleagues..:)

On my way home, I saw this girl who was wearing a tank top and a skirt. She had shoulder length hair and was quite tall. I must say, she was looking very pretty.It was a visual treat for my tired eyes..:)

It was back to Monday morning and I had a early start for the day. It was a day of hectic work as I was on my toes all day long.

One of my friends has come down from New Zealand and it was nice talking to her. I hope to meet up with her sometime. She was suffering from jet-lag which is obvious as it was a tedious 20 hours of journey time.

My day was quite productive and my new assignment started on a jittery note, however as the day came to a close, things fell in place..:) Getting an auto proved to be quite tough on my way home..however thankfully I didn't have to wait for much time.

It's time to wrap up now and have my dinner before going to bed.

I had my favourite scrambled eggs for breakfast in the morning..:) I couldn't iron all my clothes y'day night so finished it off today.

In the evening I went to In-orbit mall (Malad). There were a lot of movies playing @ FAME adlabs, however my choice narrowed down to "The Prestige" and "Dhoom 2". No prizes for guessing which one I chose..:)

I chose to watch "The Prestige". I knew "Dhoom2" would be the typical bollywood story, however after reading the review of "The Prestige" it really piqued my interest. I must say I wasn't disappointed.

The story revolves around 2 brilliant magicians who can stoop to any level to get even with their rival. Bolton(Christian Bale) and Aignor(Hugh Jackman) not only look good on the screen but also really get into the skin of their characters. Scarlett Johansson plays the assistant(you can say she is the "eye candy"...:)).

The twist in the tale comes in the climax..Don't worry I won't reveal anything about it..:) The movie holds the audience interest from the beginning till the end. I was left scratching my head @ the end of the movie trying to unravel the climax, I must confess I could understand only a part of it. The other half still continues to intrigue me..:)

It was sort of an early and I must say quite a heavy dinner for me. I normally prefer a light dinner so just wanted to try something different today. I am wiser from my experience and won't experiment again..:)

It's time to say "good night" and I look forward to a fabulous week ahead..:)

For a Saturday morning the fact that I was through with all my morning chores and ready by 8:30 a.m was a revelation. I mean I surprised myself..and the reality is I had no other option if I had to reach the interview venue on time.

Yesterday night(Friday) was a bit of a shocker for me. I received a call on my mobile and the caller asked me "So you're going for an interview tomorrow". I was a bit stumped coz I didn't know who the caller was. The biggest shock was that she was one of my office colleagues. Though we both work in the same office it's just the past 2 weeks we started to know each other better.

I was scratching my head as to how my office colleague read my blog. I have never mentioned anything about it, to my colleagues. The only exception is my flatmate Rahul. Anywayz it took time for the reality to sink in. The realization dawned on me that these are the perils of being on the worldwideweb..:)

Coming back to this colleague of mine, she was pissed off with me and accused me of being a person with a split personality. The reason was she had asked me a couple of times whether I have put in my papers, however I flatly denied it. When she read my blog, she was visibly hurt that I had lied to her.

I tried to convince her that I keep my personal and professional life different. Even when someone puts in their papers most of them don't reveal it to anyone till the last day..except maybe a couple of close friends or colleagues. The reason being you never know when things can take a turn for the worse..and the worst nightmare..people asking persistent questions like.."where are you going", "which company are you joining", "what is the pay package".

My colleague wanted to know the reasons for putting in my papers, however I just said as a policy "I don't comment on my blog". I did tell her that I'll get back to her once I join the new organization. Anyways all those words didn't cut any ice with her. After reading today's blog, I am not sure about my colleague's reaction.

However, one thing is clear in my mind that I write this blog for my personal satisfaction. I won't buckle under pressure and change my writing style or the content just because some people take offence. Personally the intention is not to hurt anyone, if people still feel aggrieved I can't help it.

Fast-Forward to today's events as I was already running late, I had to skip my favourite scrambled eggs for breakfast. I took a auto-rickshaw to Santacruz. The building where the company was housed is named "Windsor". It was an imposing structure with a glass facade, the lobby was quite spacious and there were not many people around. It felt like I was in a skyscraper in any other western city.

The interview was an hour behind schedule due to the delayed arrival of the interviewers. My interview lasted for an hour..I could say that if it was a score of 100..my rating would have been 75. However I think that wasn't good enough and I didn't make the cut. It was quite an irony that till the other day I was taking interviews and rejected a few candidates and now it's my turn. True, "What goes round, comes round". The saving grace was that when I asked the HR to tell me how did it go..she was quite forthright.

I was happy for not being kept in a state of suspended animation..:) Post-interview I took a train to Andheri station.The return journey was quite cheap..:) Trust me, travelling in a local train on the weekends is such a pleasure compared to the nightmare one endures on weekdays.

After having my lunch, I couldn't resist the temptation to lay my hands on a Amul Butterscotch Cornetto, and I savoured every moment of it. Some times "guilty pleasures are to be welcomed"..:)

It's now 8:30 p.m and I need to get my clothes ironed before having my supper and hitting the sack.:)

My morning started on a very colorful note..:) I saw this lady..she wore a green saree with a matching blouse..however when I looked closer it was a guy...I mean in our society..we call them "Eunuchs" however that's considered rude. Politically right way to address them is "Crossdressers".

However the "crossdresser" wasn't looking bad @ all. He was quite impressive with the lipstick and the powder smeared on his face. They would easily give the real women a run for their money..jst kidding..:)

My office work was going good, infact better than the previous day. After some teething troubles I have finished my assignment. In our reception area, they have kept a X-mas tree with all the decorations like candystick, small gift boxes, berries etc..must say it's a festive like atmosphere. The decorative lights are like the icing on the cake..:)

It's a great start to my weekend. I have a interview coming up tomorrow(Saturday) morning and then need to catch up on a movie..:)

I was feeling quite better in the morning and raring to go to work. For the past couple of days, the excitement has been building up.

I was excited that today I'll surely gain a lot of valuable knowledge and regain the technical edge which I was missing since the past few months. I must say I wasn't disappointed coz I exceeded my own expectations.

When I left home, after working till late night, I was more than a happy man. My PL spoke about my resignation and said, he was sad that I am leaving.

I was feeling a bit low today especially in the post-Lunch session. However the pace of my work picked up in the post-Lunch session. I could finish the work on a couple of things which was initially looking like a daunting task.

For the first time I had bhel puri which infact surprised one of my colleagues..It was sweet revenge for her as she taunted me for having junk food. Anyways it was all in the right spirit. I must say I really enjoyed the bhel puri though I wouldn't like it to become an addiction.

At the end of the day, my Project Leader was quite happy with the progress of my work. I hope to maintain the same pace of work tomorrow if not better it..:)

I had a great day today. Great coz I was able to finish my work on time and the end result was too good, thanks to some valuable inputs from my Project Leader Sunil.

When I sent my document to Sunil for a review, he was never harsh on me, however he gently told me, how it(document) would look better if certain sections in the document were edited/deleted. It was also a test whether I could take constructive criticism, and I must say it really helped me give the finishing touches to the document.

In the evening, I left a bit early coz I wanted to meet my cousin from the U.S. I hadn't met him since the last 10 years. I was waiting for a BEST bus to take me to Andheri(E) station. However luckily for me I noticed my previous company(Deloitte) bus and my colleagues helped me get into it.

I was quite happy to meet a few of them and they were also surprised to see me..:)
I had a good conversation with my cousin's. I also met my cousin brother's wife who is an American and her son (he was too cute:))

Before leaving, I hugged my cousin Smita..I didn't know why..or how I did it..it was a spontaneous gesture..:) She had a wide smile on her face. The moon was again quite spectacular silhoutted against the hazy sky..:)

It's time for my supper and then hit the sack..:)

Missed writing my blog for Sunday. It was a gr8 sunday to wake upto. After a long time I had scrambled eggs and bread for breakfast. Believe me, it tastes great when you cook it yourself..:)

One of the problems of losing weight especially when you lose inches of your waist, most of the clothes you're wearing need to undergo an alteration. It happened in my case..with the waist length of my trousers measuring @ 34 inches and my waist which now stands @ 32. So the first thing I did was to visit the tailor and get the clothes altered. Thankfully, I can breathe a bit easy now..:)

My flat mate was surprised to see his bed kept nice and tidy and asked me whether the maid did it, I replied I did it..:) For a moment he was a bit shocked and surprised and then said "Thank You". I gently told him that its good to know that someone is well groomed when they go to office, however you also need to take good care of your home. It seems he has taken the advice seriously. He now keeps his bed neat and tidy.

The update for today i.e Monday is that I have finally made up my mind. I was a bit nervous when my Project Manager told me to meet him. He asked me about my decision. I said there's no change in my decision. His face turned a bit pale.

He told me to give him a hardcopy which I eventually I did after signing it. Thereafter it took some time for me to come to terms with reality. I am not sure whether it's eventually going to be a right or a wrong decision however I am glad I did what I felt was right under the circumstances.

Today I took around 5 interviews. For the first time I felt a bit sad when I wrote in the "Remarks" column that I am rejecting a candidate. Infact I ended up rejecting 3 of the candidates. I was more forthright with the last candidate when I told him upfront that he needs to improve and I can't consider him for the position right now, instead of the classic HR mantra.."We Will get back to you" which effectively means they won't.

It was a long day today. In the evening we had birthday celebrations of a couple of our colleagues, one of whom was my Project Manager. I have finished my assigned work,
however it now seems there are some changes to be done.

After shutting down my PC and on my way back home, I looked up @ the moon against a clear sky. It was a full moon and she was looking quite pretty. It was quite soothing to my eyes after a hard day's work..:)

Saturday morning's are something which I often look forward to..:) Guys in the software industry and others working for MNC's are truly lucky for they get Sat & Sun off.

I got off to a lazy start and then ironed my clothes for the next week. I also cleaned up my room. My flat-mate who shares my bed-room dresses impeccably when going to the office, however that's not the case with his bed. It's in such a sorry state. The funny thing is his clothes are not on...when he goes to bed and he is quite happy to sleep in only his undergarments, I was not amused at all. I wanted to tell him, however I thought may be that's his way of going to bed..:)

Even more funny, is he roams around the flat wearing only his undergarments.
He doesn't even have a stunning body which girls can die for..probably it's his paunch which is the star attraction..:)

Anywayz enough about the undergarment story..:) I watched the movie "Casino Royale". I must say that makers of the movie did a good job. There was a lot of criticism when Craig was chosen as the 007 in place of Pierce Brosnan. However all the fears seem to be misplaced, coz Craig though not as suave and stylish as Pierce Brosnan has done a pretty good job if not better than Brosnan.

However bond beauties like Catherine Munro and Eva Green really enlivened the screen. Catherine looked stunning with her long dark hair, curvaceous figure and flawless complexion and Eva Green was not bad either..Must say it was a real feast for the eyes..:)

The scene between Craig and Catherine was really erotic. Judie Dench as Madam "M" still looks hot inspite of her age. No wonder Craig said in an article that he finds her eyes arresting inspite of being surrounded by pretty ladies.

The actions scenes especially the one @ the beginning of the movie where Bond chases a suspected criminal in Africa was shot & executed very well. There was a small trailer of Spiderman-3 and I eagerly look forward to it next year.

I watched the movie @ PVR cinemas, Nirmal Lifestyles, Mulund and must say it was a great experience. The seats were not only cushy and comfortable but also were sliding. The one thing which played a spoiler in the whole movie was the couples sitting beside me. Both the couples seemed to be cozying upto each other kissing, smooching, hugging and god knows what..:)

Time to go home now and catch up on my dinner.

My cellphone beeped in the morning. My eyes lit up when I saw that it was an SMS from my bank. I was really happy to know that my pay was credited to my account. Sometimes it really doesn't hurt to have some cash in your pocket..:)

Today was a day of dramatic events. Dramatic coz after much dilly-dallying I clicked on the send button in the e-mail to send across my resignation. Which as expected resulted a flurry of activities.

When I was having my lunch, my Project Manager came upto me and said that he wanted to talk to me after my lunch. Post-Lunch, I had my usual stroll. However this time, I was plagued by thoughts and some deep soul-searching about the decision I took and the questions I have to face from my Project Manager. Believe me..it's quite tough to put in your papers just after a couple of months.

My Project Manager was very curious to know as to what prompted me to put in my papers. He said that he understand that there might be some communication gap. He also assured me that my on-site chances are still good. However I told him politely that I didn't have any problems as such. My only priority was to go home to be with my family. He has given me time till Monday to think again. Let's see.

I took 3 interviews today. Couple of them were girls. The first one was quite good looking, however fortunately for her (unfortunately for me..:)) she was married. Her forehead bore the red crimson. However the fact that they were girls didn't deter me from asking some tough questions. In the end all the three were selected.


I went home a bit late as I had some pending work to do. Still thinking as to what to do..Hope I can catch a good night's sleep..:)