I forgot to mention that y'day I had missed my office shuttle. A miss that proved too costly as I had to hire an auto and ended up poorer by INR 80 bucks. Wiser by experience, on the way back home I noted down one of my colleagues cell number.

So today morning I got up quite early(by my standards) @ 6:30 a.m and managed to catch the shuttle comfortably with lesser hiccups..:) I had a lot of documentation to complete today regarding the formalities to be completed while applying for a vehicle loan. The dealer is Concorde Motors, company owned showroom of TATA Motors located @ Hosur main road.

After much research on the internet reading the car reviews and ofcourse first hand experiences of some of my friends who own the same brand of car, I decided to go in for the petrol based INDICA V2 XETA GLS. It comes with power steering and airconditioning. For a reasonably tall person like me, it's quite spacious with lot of legroom and headroom. It does have its flaws though, however it scores over its competitors.

At the on-road price of INR 3.43 lakhs, Indica is quite a steal compared to its competitors like Hyundai and Maruti. To be fair, I can't comment much on the car right now as I haven't even started using it..:)

I would have loved to go in for a diesel car however that was beyond my budget and the last thing you would want is the EMI payments of the car eating into your salary..:)

My main dilemma was which color scheme to choose. I finally narrowed it down to shital's choice i.e Arctic Silver. Other shades available were Salsa Red and the new color shade Carbon Grey. Delivery would probably take a couple of days.

At work, it was a proud moment for me, as I got to know from Dalia (Project Manager) that I had cleared my interview and was confirmed for the project. In the evening, I had a short discussion with Dalia. She wanted me to coach one of the freshers who would be assigned to our team. I said I was happy to take the responsibility and would help the fresher in whatever ways I can.

My sis Shital had come down to Bangalore over the weekend. We had good fun shopping, eating out and visiting malls. She got her self clicked with a femina magazine cover in her hand @ one of the Femina stalls located in the Forum mall @ koramangala. That's a nice memento to carry home and treasure the moments spent together..:)

I also took Shital to the TATA car showroom to get her suggestion as to which color scheme should I choose if I did go in for the car.

When I dropped Shital @ the airport, I just realized how time has just flown by. I gave her a warm hug and bid her bye. One of the downsides of Bangalore is the pathetic public transport. Getting into an auto is not only expensive apart from listening to the extraneous demands of the auto drivers. I wish I had a 4 wheeler to show Shital around Bangalore.

Monday was pretty much lacklustre and very laidback. Time just flew and by the time I realized it was almost the end of the day..:)

Yesterday, when I was done with my interview, I couldn't believe it. I surpassed my own expectations. I was expecting my counterpart to be an Indian sitting in the U.S. However to my surprise it was 2 Americans from the client side taking the call.

By time I had logged into make the call via the VOIP phone, I was running late by around 5 mins. As the interview progressed, I showed no signs of panic or nervousness. I was all ears when I listened to the conversation. When it was my turn, I spoke slowly and clearly. Overall the conversation went well and to my surprise even my PM Dalia joined in from her home. I didn't hesitate to ask a few questions which were @ the back of my head. My PM seemed impressed and said that I had done well.

I was expecting a feedback today..so far, I haven't heard anything from my PM. My project schedule has now been shifted to 1st March. I have a corporate induction program beginning next week and which will last for 2 days.

So..finally it's the weekend again and time to do the routine domestic chores..:)

It's 7:50 p.m now. Just 10 mins to go for my client interview. It's been a hectic day so far. I am happy that I have now got a PC to work on and a place to sit. Only problem is that my Outlook mail account hasn't been configured yet as the mail server is at a different location and needs to be relocated to the new location.

My eyes are drooping as I am pretty tired after going through the interview material. I hope everything goes smoothly for me.

It's been happening for the past 2 days, I did get up early but had to huff and puff my way to the bus stop. Take for instance on Monday even though I had got up @ 7 a.m, I still managed to reach the stop just in time.

Yesterday i.e Tuesday and Wednesday, I got up @ 6:30 a.m however had to run till the bus stop so that I don't miss my office shuttle. That made me wonder as to where I was going wrong or wasting my time.

In the morning session after getting our swipe cards, we(myself & my colleague Vijay) had to give our fingerprints and other details. It was a weird method to get our finger prints. We had to press our fingers in the stamp pad and then put our individual finger prints on a sheet of paper. It was quite funny coz I was expecting a finger print scanner.

For the first time, I was literally a "Angoota Chaap". I and my colleague Vijay couldn't help stop smiling @ each other..:) We were told that it was for security reasons. In the afternoon we went for a drug test wherein we had to give our urine sample.

After coming back we had to take a technical interview. We were a bit apprehensive because the person who we were supposed to be interviewing was applying for the "Tech Lead" role..meaning our boss. We told the PM(Project Manager) that probably we may not be the ideal person(s) to interview the candidate as he was applying for our superior's role.

The PM assured us that she won't reveal our rank to the candidate. After the interview process was over, the PM wanted the feedback from us. I felt he was ok, however Vijay felt that being a Tech Lead he should be having more knowledge than us. I felt a bit sad however felt that Vijay did have a valid point. The PM had asked us to rate the candidate on a scale of 1-10 on technical, analytical, troubleshooting and communication skills. It was not all that gloomy for the candidate as we told our PM that she could consider him for a Senior Software Engineer role in another project.

Tomorrow it's my turn to be in the line of fire, as I will be attending a client interview @ 8 p.m (IST) and 9:30 a.m(US time). All the best to me..:)

In the morning when I was standing on the terrace of our office building, I got a bird's eye view of Bangalore city. It was a nice weather with a balmy sunshine. All I could see was lots of greenery with many trees dotting the residential houses and commercial buildings.

Beside the office premises is the famous St.John' s hospital which is again full of trees dotting its campus. No wonder people call Bangalore the "Garden City"..:) Right in front was the main road with lots of vehicles jostling for space on the road which has been made one-way.

As usual @ work, there was nothing much to do. But there was a positive development. I and one of my colleague Vijay finally got the go-ahead from our Project Manager to initiate our entry into the project. We had to fill out a form with clearances from the Admin, HR and Technology Services department. Only clearance pending is a drug test and some other documentation.

Hopefully we should finish our remaining formalities tomorrow and will be assigned a temporary PC @ our new work location. I will be missing our "Valmiki" room which was our home for the past 2 days..:)

The weekend was nice..got to visit the Garuda Mall which is closer to the most happening place in Bangalore i.e Brigade Road. I also watched the movie "Eklavya" starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Raima Sen, Boman Irani, Vidya Balan, Jimmy Shergill and Sharmila Tagore(in a guest appearance.) The movie was okay. Cinematography was excellent where in the frames have nicely captured the fort and landscape of Rajasthan.

There was a news article about Amitabh being gifted a Rolls-Royce by Vidhu Vinod Chopra (Producer and Director of "Eklavya") because he was impressed by Amitabh's peformance. To be honest I do share the opinion expressed by a film critic in the "Times of India" that Amitabh has given far better performances than that.

The story line is quite thin however the film is watchable (atleast once..:))

I didn't have any Monday morning blues. I got up a bit early as I will be working in the new office location from today and it's quite a distance. I had to hurry up or else I will miss the cab. Thankfully I was there just in time. The weather was so pleasant and beautiful and the traffic very thin. It was around 8 a.m in the morning. Eventhough it took 40 mins to reach office, I didn't realize how time flew.

The lunch @ the new office location was awesome. I was prepared for the worst..however it turned out to be a pleasant surprise..:) In the evening I took advantage of the long journey and had a nice nap..:)

Ahh...it was a Friday morning..:), I was in a better frame of mind when I got up. Y'day I got to know that I was being considered for a project. So that was something to cheer about though it's still tentative.

Today I wore a white double pocket casual shirt with a camouflage cargo trousers (army style). My day got off to a bad start as I missed my morning cab. It seems everyone got a shock when they realised that the cab has already left. The irony of the situation is the cab came @ the right time. The driver was new and probably that was the reason he was quite punctual.

We (the employees) had got used to the late timings of the earlier cab and so had a laidback approach. Thankfully one of my colleagues had taken an auto and we shared it till the office premises. She offered to pay the full fare however I told her to split the bill.

I got loads of compliments for my dress and there were some people who were staring (for good or bad reasons.:). Jaya, my earlier Project Manager was a bit surprised. She told me..I don't think it's allowed..although more in a lighter vein.

In the afternoon, I got a call from Pradeep (executive from RMG (Resource Management Group) saying that I had to go to the koramangala office and meet his counterpart Anjali there. RMG allocates resources who are on the beach(I mean on the bench..:)) to projects.

I met Anjali and she directed me to Dalia, the Project Manager, who told me that it will take atleast 1 week to kickstart the project. Till then, I will be sitting in "Valmiki". Now that's the name given to the room where people on the beach can use the PC..:) It's a lot better than my current office where one had to sit in the library..:)

The existing campus has a sprawling area with coconut palms, lush green lawns and well maintained roads. It houses the offices of Kyocera, MindTree consulting, MphasiS and TCGIvega. If my project gets confirmed I'll really miss all these and especially the food court where you get different cuisines like WeightWatchers, Fusion, Tandoor, South Indian and North Indian under one roof.

In the evening as I was enquiring about the cab which goes through my route..I met this guy from Koramangala office. He asked me..so you're a 2006 passout..for a moment I was a bit stumped before gathering my wits..:) I replied with a smile that I graduated in 1995. Incidentally this guy was a 2005 passout.

He couldn't believe it and told me that I look so young. I couldn't stop blushing and told him "thanks" for the compliments..:)

It's the weekend and I hope to catch up on some new movie releases..:)

Today is Valentine's day..I don't know its a sheer coincidence..or just a design, I happened to wear a pink formal shirt and trousers. I went around wishing valentine day greetings to lots of people..of course as you guessed..it was mostly ladies..:)

Tuesday and Wednesday was hectic for me. In the afternoon, I had to visit the Kormangala office for the interview. There was no result from the discussions I had on tuesday and some positive outcome for the discussions I had today. I was drained out mentally and physically by the time I reached home.

Yesterday I watched the movie "KingKong" (latest version). I am a early goer to bed however the movie was so captivating that I ended up going to bed @ 12:30 a.m. The love story of the beauty and the beast might have been told before but this instalment of kingkong would leave you asking for more..:)

I had a gr8 weekend..:) Sunday especially was cool. I checked out a flat and also got some information about other flats.

In the evening, I watched the movie "Blood diamond" starring Leonardo Di Caprio with my friend Agni. How many people even bother to think the engagement ring they are gifting their fiancee or the jewellery they are purchasing is clean i.e not brought in from the conflict zones in Africa.

"Diamonds are a girls best friend", that's the catchline ads some of the big diamond companies use to sell their wares, but what if they are stained with the grime and sweat of people working in hazardous conditions with their lives @ stake at some remote location mines in Africa.

Leonardo plays the diamond smuggler "Danny Archer" and there is also a lady journalist (don't know the name of the actress) from the United States apart from an african working in the captive mines in Africa who is searching for his lost son.

Danny is hunting for the big diamond (only the african known it's exact location) and the journalist wants her story. Everyone has a vested interest here.

From the way diamonds are smuggled to other countries and finally ending up @ sweatshops in Surat and Mumbai in India, "Blood Diamond" comes very close to reality or you can say nothing gets more real than this.

Some movies are made just for the heck of it and some movies send a message. "Blood Diamond" clearly belongs to the latter category. Even after I finished watching the movie, I couldn't get over the hangover.

I and Agni had dinner @ Pizza Corner and we had a nice time. The food was good and so was the ambience..:) We did some shopping on the way home as Monday there is a bandh and Agni had to do purchase some food stuffs lest he goes hungry..:)

It was a lazy Monday morning, I spent the day preparing breakfast, lunch, washing & ironing clothes. The lunch was too good coz after a long time, I got to make noodles. For garnishing I added some green peas and sliced onions.

It's 7:40 p.m and still no signs of the hotels opening up. I hope & pray that they do open else for dinner I need to go in for noodles again..:)

I had a very early start today morning. I was all excited about my prospective project. I finished all my morning chores by 8 a.m. I wouldn't have imagined the rest of the events which unfolded for the day. As scheduled I went to one of our company offices @ Bannerghata.

I reached there by 9:15 a.m, however the Project Manager wasn't there. I waited till 10:30 a.m and made a call on her mobile..she was in the koramangala office and told me that one of the guys in her project will take my interview.

The interview didn't go well, however what irked me was that the guy who took my interview was in the same position that I was in. He had lesser number of experience compared to me.
If it was a Project Leader or the Project Manager, I would have understood the situation. I went ahead with the interview thinking that I shouldn't let ego come into the picture even though I was still feeling uneasy.

As far as I was concerned the interview was ok..I mean it wasn't too good nor too bad however the interviewer gave me a shocking response saying that I had performed very poorly. Adding insult to injury,when I wanted to meet the Project Manager, she said that I can leave without meeting me in person.

I told the interviewer that I am not leaving without meeting the PM in person.I told her what I felt and she apologized for the hurt that either she or her team member had caused me. I returned back to my main office with a not so happy face. How does someone deal with frustration? After a long time, stress was taking its toll on me.

In the evening we had a fire drill wherein a lot of life saving techniques were displayed. I had a chat with my colleague and he told me to keep my cool. He said that probably I was overreacting. I told him maybe he was right. I seriously need to de-stress myself.

Writing this blog is so therapeutic, it soothes my frayed nerves..I needn't break any glass or hit someone coz this provides a safe outlet to vent my grievances. BTW I will be working this weekend..courtesy the bandh on Monday.

I have now been relieved from my earlier project and need to search for a new one.

When I went to work on thursday morning, I was just wondering what will I be doing @ work today. I had a interview in the morning with one of the project managers which I knew didn't go well. In the end, I did get the feedback from the HR executive which was on expected lines.

Tomorrow I have been asked to report to one of my company offices @ Bannerghata. I hope this one works out for me. Even though people do like a paid holiday, I personally end up with a guilty feeling. I feel like sitting idle and getting paid for it, isn't a good thing.

Some times its ok..however you need to move beyond your comfort zone and utilize your skills. One of the shining examples of our times is none than Hrithik (bollywood star).

He does have his flaws however it's far outweighed by his positives. He packs in such energy into his acting & dancing skills, that you can't stop admiring him..:)

Just like wine which tastes better when it ages, same is the case with some people. Take for instance Richard Gere with his salt and pepper hair or George Clooney. They can give any young men a run for their money. Richard Gere is 60, however still looks hot. BTW I am not gay..:)

Yesterday I was watching the movie "Red Corner" starring Richard Gere. It's a story of how Richard Gere who is on a trip to china to meet his girlfriend gets framed in her murder. The rest of the story is about how Richard fights to proves his innocence. He has a chance to escape when after a riveting chase he reaches the U S Embassy in Beijing. As per diplomatic norms the embassy is considered private property and as Richard is an American Citizen he can safely be escorted back to his home country.

However Richard does what some may think a foolish act when he comes out of the Embassy premises to protect his chinese counterpart who was trying to prove his innocence. He is immediately bundled into a waiting police van, stripped naked and dumped into a dark dungeon. This movie had won rave reviews from the critics. It shows the powerful chinese army which overshadows everything.

Imagine being in an alien country where most of the people don't even speak English and facing a prosecution and judge trying to get you convicted by sidelining whatever evidence or any witness has to say in favour of the accused. The phrase "Innocent until proven guilty" is turned on its head. You feel helpless coz everything is loaded against you. How can an individual battle a state, judge and the prosecution hell bent on sending you to the gallows.

I have met a cross-section of chinese students when I was studying @ Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. Whenever I asked them about their government there used to be a deafening silence. They either didn't wish to talk or were more circumspect talking to me. Such is the fear that pervades that most of them even though they are miles away from their home dare not criticise or say anything about their government. No doubt China has achieved great economic strides and is a force to reckon with, however it has come at a price.

So we as Indians should consider ourselves lucky and value our freedom.

Today was a day which saw high drama. The morning bus or mini-bus(to be more precise) which I board to get to office was literally crammed with people either standing or sitting in an inconvenient posture.

What bothers me is that people put up with the inconvenience rather than doing something about it. I spoke to couple of my colleagues who are frequent travellers on the shuttle and fired an e-mail to the person in-charge and the whole admin team.

It seems to have worked when I get a prompt response from the admin in-charge who seemed to be a retired LT.COL. We had a pretty good discussion and I did realize a few things which he said was right. In the end the matter was sorted amicably for now.

Today I received my NSR(National Skills Registry) ID card. NSR is a joint initiative of NASSCOM(National Association of Service and Software Companies) and IT/ITES companies. Some of whom are reputed names like Satyam, Wipro, Mphasis, Zenta.

NSR is useful for IT & ITES professionals as it maintains their details which includes previous employment records and other personal information like
the permanent address and the passport details in an online database.

This helps in a single point of background verification. IT companies just need to log in and verify the details of the candidates. The card is difficult to duplicate. I can vouch for this coz I had to give the impressions of my index finger, middle finger and the thumb impressions of both the hands. I have seen such stuff in movies. To see that happening in reality was an eye-opener.

We had to leave office early today by 3 p.m as there were reports of trouble once the Cauvery Water Tribunal's decision was announced. I had a small nap when I came back. It was a big relief to see my television coming alive with the cable connectivity. I had run out of drinking water supply and thankfully got my 20 litre jar today.

The most fascinating animal I have seen so far are the cute little ones with alternating black and white stripes running across its fur. I am talking about squirrels here..:). There seem to be lots of them in Bangalore. The way they savour their food mostly nuts is a treat to watch.

Yesterday i.e Saturday, the first thing I did was to attend a property show in Koramangala. I must say I was quite stumped by the flat/apartment prices most of which are anyway slated for completion in October 2007 or January 2008. The price range was from INR 25 lakhs to INR 32 lakhs and one was an astonishing INR 70 Lakhs for a 2BHK(Bedroom Hall & Kitchen). The EMI on such a loan with a floating rate of interest for the tenure of 20 years worked out to Rs.23,000 odd.

That made me wonder what if tomorrow there is a slump in IT just as it happened during the dotcom bust, will I be able to repay the amount. It reminded me about the BBC website article which mentions that the real estate boom has outpriced non-IT people from the market. It indeed is a sad reality. For example a teacher, govt. employees etc..will they able to fulfil the desire of their dream house with the salary they are drawing. Sadly with the enormous growth in population its more of a demand v/s supply situation. Land is something which is not in infinite supply, nature has only provided that much to sustain mankind. Whether its Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore or Hyderabad all are experiencing sky rocketing real estate prices.

To come back to where I was, after the reality check of property prices...I went to the Forum mall(supposed to be one of the happening places in Bangalore). I had to drop off my cheque for the credit card payment. After having seen In-orbit mall in Mumbai, I didn't feel Forum came anywhere close.

This may come as a contradiction as I am not into junk foods..however when I saw McDonalds @ the mall, I couldn't resist the temptation to grab a bite. I had a McVeggie burger. When I looked around me there were lots of people munching their french fries, desserts and burgers. More than half of them(it was mostly teenagers and children) were looking very healthy..u know what I mean..:)

I later went to meet one of my old pals..her name is Sanju. I can never forget the first time we met..it was quite hilarious. It was 6 years back and we still manage to stay in touch. When I saw her, I was stumped..she seemed to have piled on weight.
She was @ work..however she was gracious enough to spare some time out of her busy schedule. We went to sweet chariot, its a cake shop which was close by. She said its her and her colleagues frequent adda.

Some of her colleagues dropped by and everyone seemed to have a good sense of humour. I told her she was lucky to have such people around her. A source of concern is Sanju has become so pre-occupied with work that she has neglected her health. No proper sleep and she had her personal problems too. She is a nice girl always willing to help others even those who don't like her. Career wise she seems to doing well working for a UK based insurance firm and she is eagerly looking forward to clearing her interview which will make her a Team Leader.

After bidding Sanju goodbye..I came back home..however this time I ended up visiting a electronics showroom and purchasing a 21 inch flat Philips color tv. I bargained hard for a tv stand which seemed to be a used one, however the quality of its finish was quite good. I convinced the shop owner to sell it to me @ a discounted price.

My weekend has come to an end and tomorrow I need to buckle up for the week ahead..:)

Y'day night I got my photographs which I had given for processing the day before. Lot of them were snaps of my sis which was taken @ her office and some with her colleagues. I took some of my pictures @ the place where I am working i.e Global Village. Most of them have come out well and I couldn't stop but keep admiring them..:)

It was a Friday morning and today I didn't have to run my way to the bus stop. I had ample time and it was a relaxed walk. I wore a round neck Red t-shirt, sleeves had white borders and the words "SWISS MADE+" emblazoned across it. I wore it with a black jeans and my white sneakers. It seems to have caught the fancy of the people with me getting loads of compliments..:) Unfortunately it was all from my male counterparts and none from the fairer sex..:) Anyways it made me feel good..:) I always believe in the concept that "clothes make a man" and love to dress up..though I am careful never to overdo it.

There is this guy from the travel desk @ my office who helped me get my bus tickets to Hyderabad. Recently he had his moustache shaven. I complimented him on his new look and told him that he is much better off without a moustache. He was quite happy and told me that a lot of his friends didn't like it.

I asked him whether they had a moustache..he answered in the affirmative. I said "No wonder, they don't like your moustache" and adviced him to keep it that way. I told him about my story..the first time when I had my moustache shaved off..I felt a bit odd but now I never feel like growing it and abhor(no pun intended) people with a moustache. I hate my photograph in the passport in which I sport a moustache..honestly it was a different matter that however hard I tried I couldn't get the perfect moustache..it looked more like a chinese moustache and I am better off without it.:) I have a hearty laugh whenever I look @ my picture..:)

In the end, I told him there are some people who would look better with a moustache however they're in a minority.

The Last few days of my blog has becoming so boring even for me to go through it. One thing I have realized is, you can never expect interesting things to happen everyday and there are some dry phases in between where you just keep plodding on.

My fruit bowl today was so yummy that I went and complimented the guy who made it..he had a big smile on his face. The day has come to a close and it's time for the weekend to set in. Not sure what to do this weekend.

As I woke up this morning there was an air of excitement. Today is my pay day and I am looking forward eagerly to check my account online.

As usual when I was waiting for my bus, I saw a couple of school kids cycling their way home. That made me nostalgic about my school days. Then I used to walk to school and envy the other kids who came on bicycles. I thought they must be quite rich to afford a bicycle. When I got my first bicycle my joy knew no bounds. It was a "BSA Champ" with small tyres and 2 stands with small wheels to give support to the children. It had a white guard and a cute sticker. I used to always wash and maintain it in a neat and trim condition.

Fast-forward to the present day, we see cyclists more as a menace obstructing the smooth flow of traffic. We are more into motorbikes and cars. My trip abroad gave me a different insight. There we have seperate lanes for the bicycles. The greatest surprise was that the bikes were more expensive than the second hand cars.

The first thing when I reached office was to check my inbox, and thankfully my payslip was right there.. however it was a bit of a shock for me..coz it was radically different from what I was expecting.

I met the finance guys to get it sorted. The one thing which makes me sad is that the major chunk of my pay will go towards paying my credit card bill which is very much on the higher side. Then there is also the paperwork for the IT declarations to be done.

The due date for filing the returns is closing in and I need the documents for availing the tax exemption. The only smartest thing I have done so far is to get all the documents ready when I went home.

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.

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..:)