I had a very sound sleep y'day night and woke upto a pleasant morning..:)At work, I tried to install a new software however much to my surprise even after removing lots of redundant programs for installing the new software, the disk space was quite less. On the contrary it was getting further reduced when I started removing the software programs. I informed the IT helpdesk and he too found it a bit bizarre.

Finally we decided to format the C drive of the hard disk so that there will be enough space to install the new software. So for the rest of the day I had to make do without a PC. I concentrated fully on preparing for my next round of client interviews. Rama and Shaiju (my colleagues) went for their interview today. We wished them all the best and are keeping our fingers crossed.

I had a fabulous weekend @ home with my family. The one sour note was the overnight journey by bus to Bangalore. I had got the last seat in the Volvo bus and compounding the misery was an army of mosquitoes baying for our blood.

The situation was worsened by the fact that even though I had boarded the bus @ 7:45 p.m, it was 11 p.m and I was still in Hyderabad. What happens when you switch off the A/C in a bus with closed windows. Obviously you tend to suffocate besides the foul smell and inhaling the carbon dioxide from other people. When I went to the driver to complain about the A/C I was stumped to see that he had switched off the A/C.

Thankfully he turned it on after my intervention. The bus reached Bangalore @ 8:30 a.m way behind schedule. My office timings went haywire and I managed to reach office @ 11 a.m.

At work, I was already feeling tired and sleepy so there wasn't much work done today. The only silver lining was I managed to finally get my photo ID card.

Y'day was a bit of nightmare, I hired an auto to go the KSRTC bus station in the city. The auto driver nearly took me for a ride..coz he didn't know the exact route. I was stumped and asked him as to why he didn't tell me that he was not aware of the route. He said he was sorry..meanwhile the digital meter had already clocked around 33 bucks.

I was upset coz my Hyderabad bus leaves @ 9:40 p.m and it was already 8:45 p.m. We asked a passerby for assistance, he said that he wanted to go till the bus station and that he knew the route. We told him to hop in. Then he started blaming the auto driver for taking me on a round trip. I didn't answer much coz I was a bit tense and was looking @ my watch.

To my utter surprise the passenger who accompanied me and the auto-driver literally got into a brawl. They hurled unprintable abuses @ each other. As it is, I was tense..it was already 9:15 and the spat between my co-passenger and the auto-driver was getting a bit out of hand. Thankfully my co-passenger got down and I managed to catch my bus just in nick of time.

My bus reached Hyderabad around 1 hour 30 mins behind schedule. I reached home around 10 a.m. For breakfast I savoured my mom's idly and chutney and after a long time it was a feast for my taste buds..:)

I had my dental appointment in the evening.

Today was quite pleasant. I wore this flowery shirt with a light blue jeans and got loads of compliments for it. Also I tried my new sunglasses and must say it was a lethal combo..:)

Of course as it was a thursday, there were questions like "what are you doing in casuals on a friday" I smirked and said "I am going home tonight and that's the reason I am quite relaxed. So for me the weekend has arrived a bit early.:)"

It was a much better day today as I got to learn a few things..:) Need to hurry up now as I need to pack up my stuff..:)

It was another non-productive day for me. There wasn't much work today. I am now waiting eagerly for tomorrow so that I can get back home.

Sometimes life can get a bit dull and boring and maybe a trip home is just the perfect prescription to rejuvenate my mind, body and soul..:)

As usual on Tuesday morning, I had to cross the road to reach the bus stop. Suddenly I could hear a screeching sound. It was a motorcycle and the rider who was coming fast had applied his brakes. However I guess it was a case of too little and too late. The bike banged into the Indica car waiting @ the traffic intersection.

It happened right in front of me..and my first reaction was to find out whether the guy was okay. He lost control and fell down and so did his mobile. I quickly helped him get on his feet, picked up his mobile and handed it to him. Poor guy was dazed and in a state of shock. At this moment, the car owner(whose car he banged) started shouting on the guy. I realized it was the bike rider's fault however I was happy that he was safe. Life is precious and we all know that..:)

At office it was quite boring with not much work to do. I had a discussion with my delivery manager about my next interview. Everyday in the evening, I am having fruitbowl for snacks, I must say it's not only healthy but I am also enjoying it..:)

Time to wrap up for the day..:)

In my previous entry I had written as to how excited I was about the weekend and that I planned to visit some of the hotspots in the city. Contrary to what I thought Saturday morning I spent doing household work and then ofcourse washing my clothes. Here my washing machine did a pretty good job..:)

I couldn't wash the whole set of clothes so washed 1 set on saturday and kept the rest for Sunday. Saturday morning when I heard the door bell ring and opened the door, it was the landlord's son who had a plate full of dosa and coconut chutney in the bowl. I was tempted to have it however I politely thanked him and his mom for the hospitality and said "I am not interested".

Sunday morning I couldn't wait to prepare my breakfast of scrambled eggs. I bought the whole stuff including the container for salt, red chilli powder and the cooking oil the previous day.

I left my house @ 11:30 and had to meet an ex-colleague of mine. The last time we met in Bangalore was 6 years ago. However we kept in touch on phone and via e-mail. Here I should commend the beauty of technology which has really "made it a small world". It helped me keep in touch(it still does..:)) with many of my old colleagues, friends and helped me befriend new people, though in many instances we have never met..:)

At Anil's(my colleagues's) home, I had a good chat with him and his wife Janet and their adorable kids, dion and their daughter(forgot the daughter's name :)). The lunch was pretty good and I left after having tea in the evening.

Going back home was a troublesome experience as the bus services were discontinued. The area where Anil stays is close to shivajinagar (Bangalore East) which has in been in the news for the riots which occured last friday. It seems riots broke out again around 4 p.m and people were left stranded waiting @ the bus stop.

I tried my luck waiting for sometime hoping that the bus service will be restored, however seeing the crowds swell, I didn't want to take any chances so hired an auto. It turned to be less expensive than I had thought and the auto driver was quite helpful..:) At times like these I realize how being multi-lingual can really help. I am not very proficient in kannada, can speak bits and pieces..however my familiarity with Telugu and Hindi really bails me out..:)

Monday morning, the day just passed by. I thankfully got the bus ticket for my travel home(hyderabad) on the 25th as it's going to be a long weekend. I was lucky to have got the tickets as most of the buses were full.

I also got to know the results of my client interview. We couldn't make it as the client's expectations was different. Anyway we were told to prepare ourselves for the next interview which is for another project.

In the evening, everyone made a quick dash to the exist as it was announced that all the office cabs will be leaving and it was the last shuttle. Probably as a precautionary measure due to the riots.

One thing which has been regularly making the rounds around coffee tables, canteens and ofcourse the media has been the intense discussion about "Shilpa Shetty's" appearance in the UK version of "Celebrity Big Brother" .

A lot has been said and written about it..however I personally feel shilpa should have known what she was getting into and she is being paid sh** loads of money for her appearance. I am not justifying racism here..I have personally experienced it when I was studying in New Zealand, however never encountered anything so nasty.

We Indians are as racist or more racist than anyone else. Shilpa didn't help her cause either when she introduces yoga to her house-mates by saying "We are so involved with our day-to-day activites that we have forgotten how to breathe"..these may not be the exact words but as per the article, a UK newspaper then screamed "Are we all dead then." It was a serious issue however on the lighter side I couldn't stop smiling when I read it.

It was Friday morning and as usual I was waiting for my office bus @ the bus stop. I see this lady who has a small child dressed in school uniform accompanying her. The lady who is wearing a saree looks very frail, you can say almost malnourished. Her teeth was stained dark red which gives an indication that she eats a lot of betel leaf.

I could make out that she is from the lower strata of society probably doing hard labour. However what was striking was even though the mom was shabbily dressed she saw to it that her kid was neatly dresssed. Truly if there was a class divide nothing can be starker than this. As a mom she knows it's education that would give her son the best chance to do well in life. That reminded me of my own mom and countless other mothers who endure a lot of pain and suffering for the sake of their kids so that their children can have a better future.


I had my client interview yesterday. And what a formidable distance it was. It took us 1 hour to reach the destination. It's like going from one end of the city to the other. But the Philips Innovation Campus @ Hebbal was too cool. Right from the reception lobby, the whole campus has been aesthetically designed.

The interview lasted for a good 2 hours and I was totally drained out by the time it ended. My main concern was how will I reach home..thankfully "Philips" had its own transport shuttle.

At office today, I came to know that one of my colleagues who had an interview after me..his session lasted for 3 hours. I must admire the patience of the interviewer who could take a session of nearly 5 hours. Every interview is a learning experience wherein we get to assess our strengths and weaknesses. This intervew was no different.

In the evening, the Videocon technician finally turned up and now my washing machine is up and running..so touchwood the weekends needn't be nightmarish anymore. I can just put my clothes in the washing machine and relax. However I need to mop up the floor tomorrow and ofcourse..yuck.. clean up the carcasses of the dead cockroaches.

I must admit the Baygon spray was quite effective. The cockroaches continue to die even a day after spraying the insecticide. I am praying and hoping that the cockroaches don't develop resistance or immunity to the insecticide..:)

Yipee it's a weekened and hopefully I'll get to meet some of my friends and probably visit some hotspots in the town..:)

When I was having my dinner @ a restaurant yesterday night, I felt like someone gently tapping my shoulder. It was this cute little girl child. Her mom was sitting beside her. I smiled @ the kid and when I looked into the child's innocent eyes all I could see was..even though I was a stranger to her she didn't have any suspicion about me. On the contrary there was a lot of trust and a feeling that somehow she is familiar with me.

So as the saying goes "Children are next to god", I can't help but agree..:) Noida killings for example where innocent children were lured by chocolates and then slaughtered shows us how innocent kids are. As adults we have our own stereotypes and motives but children have none of them which makes them a breath of fresh air in an increasingly materialistic world.

At night I was feeling thirsty so I got up from my bed to fetch some water from the water jar which is kept in the kitchen. When I switched on the light I was shocked to see the place crawling with cockroaches. It really was frightening. These cockroaches which were not seen during daylight suddenly found freedom in the dark.

It was Tuesday morning and it was time to have my cup of Bournvita. However to my dismay I found that the stove wasn't working. I kept on trying till I ended up with a bruised finger. Now the option is to get the stove back to the dealer to find the cause of the problem.

At office, work was slow. I called up my landlord and informed him about the cockroach menace. Let me see how things go..:)

It was a hectic Sunday for me. I bought the household items like buckets, mugs, hangars, cooking pot, mini gas cylinder..all of which come upto a neat INR 1480.

In the afternoon I also mopped the floor with a detergent. It was really hard work cleaning 2 bedrooms, hall and the kitchen. But I enjoyed it as it was more of a workout. My landlord used to come now and then curious to know what's going on.

In the evening after much deliberation, I went and brought a Videocon fuzzy logic washing machine which came with a price tag of INR 9500. The only thing now missing is a television..:)

Monday morning was pretty cool as the roads were deserted and everyone seemed to be in a holiday mood. Today it was the auspicious Hindu festival of "Makara Sankranthi"

We were given the option to leave early by our Delivery Manager..however most of us except for some..stayed back till 6:15 when we have our shuttle.

Today morning by around 11 a.m, I finished shifting all my luggage to the new house. There was this small luggage auto and I jostled for space with the driver. It was really cool...:)

In the afternoon, I caught up with one of my earlier flat-mates from Mumbai. His name is Agni and he works for Infosys. We both had lunch together and had a good time. I bought a mattress and an Iron cot for INR 4,800/-. Bed was something which I thought was missing. However I think that was a bit expensive. We had this mini auto. I and Agni sat together and shared the space with the auto driver. It was really cramped and I hoped and prayed that we reach the place pretty soon.


Nothing much to do today. I need to go back to the guest house now as it will be my last stay tonight. I will surely be missing the good food made by Rajesh(caretaker).

When I got up today morning, my energy levels soared..reason..yipee "Thank God, It's a Friday"

Today being casual dressing, I wore a body hugging black t-shirt and a light blue jeans. Black & Blue are my favorite colours and it also summed up my mood..:) At work, it was just about okay. There was something hilarious which happened post-lunch. Our Delivery Manager with whom we had a meeting y'day noticed me and Rama(my colleague) having a conversation. He joined in and asked us about the progress of our work.

I said that we will be prepared and give it our best shot. That I think was like ammunition to him..He started off by stressing the importance of how hard work doesn't matter..the bottom line is the result. I and Rama were getting a bit impatient..while another of our colleague sitting in the adjoining cubicle was having a good laugh sensing our predicament. .:)

I was really feeling drowsy and badly needed a tea-break. As soon as my Delivery Manager paused ..I excused myself and started walking away. My DM was quick to notice that and he asked me "you're running away" to which I smiled and replied "that I was going for a tea-break". Everyone including Rama and the Delivery Manager couldn't stop laughing..:)

I had a look @ the Rental Agreement on my way home. There were certain points which I was not happy about. One of the clauses in the agreement mentions that the tenant must paint the house when he/she vacates it or else pay a month's rent. The other clause was regarding sharing of water bill.

I was more bothered about the first clause. That would mean boo hoo..I would be poorer by 4000 bucks. I also realized that it was a 2BHK which is not bad at all for the rent I am paying. I called up the real estate agent and asked him to clarify regarding the terms in the agreement and also called up a friend of mine. He told me that the terms in the agreement are a standard in most of the rental agreements. Only then I felt a bit assured.

Gotta go home now..I need to start moving my stuff tomorrow to the new house. There's a bit of nervous anticipation and excitement..:)

It was a pleasant Thursday morning I woke upto..:) I missed having my favourite fruits for breakfast today. I was getting late so had to rush to the bus stop or else I would end up missing my company bus.

It was a busy day starting with the morning session wherein we had a meeting with the Delivery Manager.

The topics of interests included why Software Engineers must expect a pay hike when they don't assure the company or the organization of a corresponding increase in their productivity. How many times do we(Software Engineers) analyze and think whether we are really doing our job. My take on this was "We need to analyze ourselves everyday as to what did I do to earn today's salary". This is not applicable only to IT professionals but to any other professionals be..it in the BPO, Telecom or hospitality industry etc..

It was an hour long meeting but the funny thing was when the meeting finished a couple of colleagues who didn't openly air their disagreements except for a few asked me "what was the bottomline or the message sought to be conveyed @ the end of the meeting" for which I didn't have an answer. They did agree with some of the valid points but not all.

In the evening we had a training session on "OOAD(Object Oriented Analysis & Design)" which was quite interesting coz not only was the content good but majority of them were freshers. It was like going back to school with everyone calling the faculty.."Madam"..:)

In the end it was a productive day as I did get a fresh insight into things, we often take for granted and also gained valuable knowledge. As the saying goes "Knowledge is Power"..:)

The winter in Bangalore makes you feel so lazy that you just want to snuggle up in bed. I had a first hand experience when to my horror by the time I got up it was already 7:15 a.m.

At office it was the usual round of preparation for my client interview. I am now a bit relieved that I have a PC to work on instead of spending my time in the library.

I test drove the Suzuki Estilo in the afternoon. It had a funky yellow color and made the heads turn. After a long time I sat behind the wheels. It took me some time to get adjusted to the gear knob. But I enjoyed the drive..:) Ideally, it would have been great if it did come a bit cheaper though. It was priced @ INR 3 Lakhs + and other expenses and that too for the base model.

Buying a car has been a dream for me since a long time and it's one of my new year resolutions..I wish it comes true..:)

Looking for a house in a new city and especially an IT city like Bangalore is a challenging task. The last time I was in Bangalore was 5 years back.

The rents have become steeper now and so have the prices of houses. A good two 2BHK(Bedroom, Hall & Kitchen) flat costs anywhere from INR 25 - 30 Lakhs. However after having lived in Mumbai I find it still worthwhile to live in Bangalore.

Sunday was quite a productive day as I found the dream home I was looking for..When I said "Dream home"..I didn't mean buying it but for renting it out..:) Initially I found it a daunting task but my patience and perseverance paid off. The rent is INR 4400 month and I'll be paying 10 months deposit of 40K. Thankfully I had some savings which should help me..:)

Work-wise..last week didn't see much action. I was initially supposed to be in one of the project..however it seems the project got delayed. Then I was proposed for another project which I declined coz it was not the technology I was looking to work on. Then again I was proposed for a maintenance project. It was the same story..as I came to know that my skillsets won't be utilized. It was a tough decision to take but I had to take a stand.

Finally I have been assigned to a project, where if I have successfully gone through the client interview I would get a chance to work on cutting-edge technology. My PC has the New Windows VISTA operating system installed and it seems to have a cool interface..:)

Yesterday night I watched "HITCH" on HBO. It was a pretty interesting storyline. The movie is mainly about Will Smith(screen name: Alexis Hitch) and Eva Mendes(Screen Name:Carla). Hitch plays the date doctor advising people on how to get the lady of their dreams. He sure is damn good @ his job coz he can read a woman's mind. The irony of the situation is..when it comes to his personal life he finds it very tough to charm his love(Carla).

It's a must watch for those in love, those who have failed in love and finally those who are looking out for one..:)

I have never thought that it will be a long time since the last time I wrote my blog.

As I had written in my previous blog last year, I wanted to start of my new year on a new note. New note..I did by missing my 7:20 a.m flight..:) I had to book another flight which took off @ 9:15 a.m.

When the aircraft took off from Mumbai the outside temperature was 32 degrees and when it landed @ the Bangalore airport, the outside temperature was a cool 22 degrees. That's one of the USP's of Bangalore..its famed salubrious climate.

As I took a pre-paid taxi from the airport I could feel the cool breeze and the balmy sunshine..:)

Past few days @ the new organization has been quite hectic for me with a lot of running around to do. I am put up @ the company guest house in Banashankari closer to the Mysore road. The caretaker (Rajesh) cooks excellent food and I have really become his fan. For a change, it was nice walking on the tree lined pavements. The traffic has worsened in Bangalore however it's still better than Mumbai.

The only worrying situation is looking around for a house as I only have 15 days of accomodation. I did have a look @ a couple of houses however the rents/deposits were a bit steep or they were located deep in the interior areas and some of them were not upto the mark.