The thief, my chain and the police

I was on my way back from office, and since it had not been a long day, I decided to take a walk home which I just love in the Bangalore weather. And before you ask me, it wasn't that late. I was going back by 7:00 pm, afterall who doesnt like to go home early?

Soon I reached our main gate, and started walking along the main road. There is a very busy signal around here (just like all the other signals at Bangalore, yes, I can hear you say that!), and I started crossing the road, towards the service lane which will take me home. It started drizzling and I soon had my umbrella opened.

It was then that I felt a cold pair of hands on my throat, and I could see the people on bikes and cabs staring to see what is happening. My first reaction was to free myself off as I was afraid to the core. While I was twisting about, I saw a young man of about 25 running away, continuously looking back at me.

Another few microseconds passed and then realization struck me that he had got away with my chain. It was my favourite chain which I had been wearing since I was 28 days old. You know, all such emotional involvements. But at that moment, I couldnt think of that. I could only think of the numerous people around me who were straining their head out through the windows so as to get a better glance of what is happening, without extending any hands of help. Well, thats the kind of society we live in, and thats an altogether different issue. Sigh! And here begins my first trip to the police station.

Me, my friend and our house owner set off to the local police station nearby. I saw the lockup, and was thinking that it looks exactly the same way as it does in movies before I corrected myself. No! Directors have shown it the way it is. And Lo! there was a thief inside. And there were guns! I was busy looking at all these just the way we do while we visit museums that the inspector came in. And then came the questions, which had all been very familiar from the movies I watch, 'do you think you can recognize the thief?', 'how many sovereigns was it?' and so on.. After the question-answer session and occasional glances at the thief(it was after my friend reminded me that thief is also a human being, not an ET, that I stopped staring at him!), we left home.

I thought that this would be the last time I am gonna hear about my chain. But then, there are no end for surprises. I got a call from the police officer one day saying that they caught gold from somewhere and will get a chain made (though much lesser than mine in weight), and asking whether I am interested. I was not, initially, but after certain coaxing from friends and my house-owner, I agreed. And again we set off to the police station. Though there were no thieves this time for us to glare at, I got a chain, along with the bill for it from a famous jeweller here, saying that I can exchange it in 5 days time, if I wish to do so. Man, weren't we surprised? Till we reached the police station, we had never thought that this would happen even though we were informed of it. Thanks to Bangalore police, and their eccentric ways!!!

Inmates of the 'chocolate' house

The chocolate house,
Bangalore..

This is our house, the one we transformed into a home.. And ahem, ahem! we cook here! Not just that... we watch movies here, we play here, we sleep here, and we do all household stuff here. So u might wonder, what is special about the chocolate house.. and that is, the very fact that WE stay here. And let me tell you who WE are...

Well.. one of them is not feeling well at the moment, and is taking maximum advantage out of it.. :) . she blackmails me, orders me around and makes me roar with laughter. She is Surya, and always insists that the actor Surya took after her name.. Now I see that you get the point, about what she is all about :) . And to describe her, I should say that she is more like a ghost, u never know when she will pounce on you and fight next. But if you are down, you can bet on anything in the world that she will be right next to you. And hey, forgot to say about her culinary skills. She is a great 'dough-maker'. She makes the dough for chapati, puttu and what not! And know what? She speaks proper 'madhyathiruvithamkoor' language. She is from God's own Kollam, u know...

And the second, and the shortest, is Simi. No, no, dont be apprehensive about her name. She is not actually very dangerous and is not involved with any bombs. I can assure you so much :P
'Bhaiyyyyaaaaa... ', and if she starts of this way to any Rickshawwala or shopkeppers, all of us around her gets cautious and starts kicking and pinching her... Thats what Simi is.. u know, kind of a blabbermouth. But dont take this against her. Its only coz she has still not grown up, 'height-wise' and 'brain-wise' (She is gonna stand up on a chair and hit me for this, am sure :) .

And now that leaves Lisha, our elder sis. She is the puli amongst us, running around for patents :) . She looks after us all, and if not for her, am sure we would have died having daal and onion curry. She is the one who insists upon keeping the house clean, and keeps us on our toes :) . She is sweet and have a great photographic smile...

Oh , oh.. I forgot about the 4th and the great person.. Meeeeeee!!!!!!!! Am Vandana, a very sweet and tall gal... And you know what, so many nice things about me to be said. But then, being the very modest gal I am, Lemme leave things about me to you..

And now, you know the inmates of the chocolate house.. And hey, do you know why its called chocolate house? 'coz it is painted with a dark-brown chocolate color and people as sweet as chocolates stay here... And know what? Dinner time is really special here, with all of us having it together, and I get the smell of it.. So catch u later :)

One year @ IBM (A Flashback )

Today is September 16th.. and I have been here, at IBM for an year and 5days now.. Hmmm.. How does it feel? Well, great!!! Am no more an ELTP (Freshers recruited into IBM are called ELTPs until we finish our first year), am an IT professional, with one of the world's greatest companies...

Let me take a ride along the tunnels of my memory, of how my year here was..Everything started the moment I touched my plastered feet at Majestic Railway Station, cut the plaster the very next day, and took a rick(started with Auto rides on the very first day!!) to go to Grand Ashoka, for my Induction Programme.. Little did I know then that the people I am about to meet there are gonna be my buddies, little did I know then what IBM had in store for me.. And when I walked back that day, I didnt know what awaited me here...

We were put into batches and the trainings started, in Software Testing. And to be honest, was feeling a little aloof that I was put into testing :( . But then, those trainings were as good as college days. And when I say as good as college, you can definitely imagine the kind of fun we had. And after the training, just when we thought that all fun is over, we entered a phase of life called 'Bench-Life', inevitable for all budding software engineers. The old IBM towers at Airport Road, became a second home to us, with all of us looking forward to those long walks everyday to have lunch at various restaurants. Vicky, Swetha, Swathi, Sriram, Vinai, Rahul.. all of us had a grt time then.. After that came FTP days with GT closing down. Well... Hamara ek dushman tha vahan, naam hein Dush, Dushyanth!!! He started taking attendance and made us take that looong trip to FTP everyday.. We thought that the worse will be over once we enter projects, but then, came another vampire, in the form of RCM exams. We witnessed many colleagues moving out of the company. And all of us went different ways too, to different projects, different offices, different locations and so on... And my life took twisted turns too, like moving from Testing to Java, and then to C++. But we had this ray of good hope, MS program, where we get to meet all our dear friends. Only thing is that you need to bear with the professors.. But then, thats ok.. ;)

And once we got to work, we all learnt what professional life is all about. There are days, when all you do is check the mails and listen to music, and there are those days, when you dont know what day it is, what time it is or how many days has it been since you came to office. But the best part is that there are always people around you, to help you, to support you and to say encouraging words. You would never know yourself maturing into a young professional...

There are status calls, meetings, lunch-outs (Yummeee), n cafe lunches (Well, I just hate that :( )... There are smiles around me, and fights too. There is innovation n there are mistakes too. There are friends and Managers too ;)

And its not just your professional life that improves too.. Personally, one becomes a much better person than what one was when he/she started out. I have now learnt to put up with my friends, one who puts looooots of salt in whatever she cooks, another who puts looots of chillies, and another who likes to have everything around her clean. I have learnt the A,B,C,D of cooking (and when I say this, I mean it, I do not know E,F,G..,Z !!) , I can now travel long distances alone, I now have a confidence on myself, I am independent, I have made a few friends whom I know will be with me forever, and so on...

And going back to my professional life, am now with AT&T.. Ahead Today & Tomorrow, is what the T-Shirts around me say, and let me see where I go...

(To be contd. like a mega-serial !!!)