Nasty Nasty Nasty Day Today....Almost Lost My Cool!!!

कुछ चुनिन्दा बुरी यादों को किसी से जोड़ कर,

आप उससे दूर हो सकते हैं,

या फिर,

कुछ चुनिन्दा अच्छी यादों को किसी से जोड़ कर,

आप उससे जुडे रह सकते हैं....

मर्ज़ी आपकी है....ज़िन्दगी बड़ी छोटी है.....

Death anniversary of one of my heroes

Today is the death anniversary of one of my heroes, Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, who was awarded the highest wartime gallantry medal, Param Vir Chakra, posthumously. Jai Hind!! Jai Jawan!!


http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/HEROISM/Sekhon.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirmal_Jit_Singh_Sekhon

Today is the day, when dressed in a PC Sorkar costume, I got hitched. 5 years already!!!! I had the costume but she had, and still has, the magic.  

I have always been fond of sweets. When I was a kid, which many believe I still am, I used to search all the cabinets and drawers looking for sweets. On 14th December 2006, I opened a drawer and found the sweetest thing.... that's you. My wife and my best friend.

Happy Anniversary!!!

5 Years of Togetherness

Ok, HTN is back to haunt me.....had to come back early from the office. Would not have been too bad had a deliverable not been staring into my face :(

I am starting to hate some of the poet types....Some of them keep saying controversial stuff, maintaining intentional ambiguity. Miyaan, hamaara shayraana andaaz aapko khaasa pasand nahi aayega.

Aankhon mein jalan....Seene mein toofan sa kyun hai

My days have become much longer. I wake up at 7 am.....get ready and reach office around 8:45 am. I leave office around 6:30 PM, buy stuff for dinner and reach home at 7:30 PM. I freshen up and then I typically work from home for a few hours. Later, I chat with my family on skype. I read (book/newspaper) before I go to bed. I usually have a tough time getting sleep. Before I know it, it becomes 1 am!!! That happens everyday.

Then I wake up the next day with burning eyes....do not know when was the last time that I slept properly.

(and for the record, I have intentionally swapped the words in the heading!!!) 

Ready?........Say 'Bhaaaeeein'......Click!!!

After several rounds of hit and trial with the tripod, we finally managed to click a decent one....everyone seemed ready....except the chief guest!!!

(Diwali 2011)

Fare Enough

Today, while talking to a colleague, I told him that my wife and daughter are joining me here in KL at the end of this month. When I told him that my daughter is around 4 months old, he asked who is coming with my wife. On learning that she will be travelling alone, he 'warned' me. He told me that I should go and bring them here. Travelling with a small kid wont be easy and wives 'do not forget'!!! He was talking with his own experience.

It scared me. How will I deal with my wife if she has a bad time handling our daughter? I immediately checked the fares.....INR 49,000 for my travel to Delhi and back!!! 

The fare gave me the confidence to deal with my wife :P

What a cricket match it was!!!! NZ won a thriller by 7 runs....and we are talking about a test match over here!!! Till lunch, it seemed that Australia would cruise to a win but what happened post lunch!!! 

BTW, Australia's recent performances call for a match fixing enquiry :P  

Missing my mom

Everyone loves a set of people - parents, spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, children, siblings, friends etc. When you are away from them, you miss them. But do you miss everyone in the same manner? Or do you miss everyone whom you love at the same time? Not sure about that.

I have been away from my family and friends for a while now. I miss all of them but whom I miss at a particular time/moment differs. Or let me put it this way...I miss all of them but sometimes, I miss someone more than everyone else. More often that not, I miss my daughter. Sometimes my wife. Sometimes my father......and right now, I am missing my mother a lot...more than anyone else. I would like to be with her at this very moment. :(

I have become a cry-baby since I have come to Malaysia. Not that I actually cry but I get depressed pretty frequently as my miss being with my loved ones.

Overwhelmed!!!

There are times when you work in a team and there are times when you are supposed to play an individual contributor's role. That is fine as one has to be good at both. However, there are times when you are made to feel that you are working in a team but then you are made to play an individual contributor's role. That is when it starts to get frustrating. Hard work is not an issue....lack of clarity is.

Mis-Match

Just realized that there was a cricket match yesterday!!! This must be the first time since I started watching cricket that I have missed a match because I did not even know about it. This is what happens in another country; you miss the buzz :(

Though it is a pretty boring series. Flat tracks and useless opposition. Moreover, Sachin is not playing. But, I would have loved to watch yesterday's match since Manoj Tiwary and Irrfan Pathan were making a comeback (not that they are my favorite cricketers. Still I want them to do well as I strongly believe that they are extremely talented). 

I am glad both of them had a good outing.

Morning Morning Blues

Monday morning woke me up with a big to-do list....a lot of follow-ups, which would result in additions in the to-do list...and lots of work on the deliverable. 

People have been telling me that I should be careful about the laid back attitude over here. Till now, I have not experienced that here and in fact, most people have looked pretty professional to me. But, last week I had a bad experience with a global team and that too with people, who are generally perceived to be extremely hard-working and professional!!! It affected my plans and going forward, I must be more careful. 

I hope to see off this deliverable pretty soon. Do not want to screw my weekends and nights like this.

Most part of Saturday was spent in secondary research and slide-making. The plan is the same for the remaining part of Sunday. :(

Strange

Varun Aaron has declared himself unavailable for the Australian tour due to an injury and Vinay Kumar has been picked as the replacement!!! Till now, the theory was that pace is being preference and now they have selected a military medium pacer. Brilliant!!! It is just me or is the bowling looking weak to everyone. 

Irrfan Pathan would have been a better choice than Vinay Kumar. He is better in terms of pace, variation, experience and batting. The only aspect where he scores low is that he has not played an international match in a while. However, the point is that he is in form. Moreover, Vinay Kumar does not look like a test material to me at all. 

Army Kids

Copied from somewhere.....but it is so bloody true!!!!

YOU KNOW YOU ARE A PURE BREED FAUJI KID IF:

• You were born in a Military Hospital
• Half your toddler years were spent being looked after by Bhaiyas (no explanation here)
• You went to school either on Bhaiya's cycle or in a Shaktiman
• You know what a Shaktiman is. ( No! it isnt the TV serial about half man and half machine starring AB lookalike)
• Jeeps & Jongas dont excite you - they were your regular mode of transport!
• The only alternative to the Central School was the Army School .
• You always called Kendriya Vidyalaya Central School . Gosh even today that > sounds better!
• Your entire family could survive in one room temporary quarters with 25 trunks, wooden crates, the dog, the bedroll and two bhaiyas flitting around.
• The smell of Brasso & shoe polish was regular staple.
• Mess was not what you created in your room, it was where you went every Friday for the free "english" movie.
• The "English Movie" was very often a western and you couldn't follow a word! Sometimes you just went for the samosas and the local drink that they insisted was Cola.
• At the end of the month your dad had to pay for many pink slips showing how many samosas and local drinks that they insisted was Cola you had consumed. They never missed any!!!
• You attended many May Queen Balls before you knew what Miss India was.
• Your mother regularly got dressed, perfumed and disappeared for the Ladies Club.
• You knew towns like Mhow, Wellington, Deolali and Bhuj
• You weren't a millionaire but hey you had Swimming, Horse Riding, Squash, Tennis and Golf!!
• You thought the main reason to have a Golf Course was to have a Holi Bash.
• You can still take one quick look at the epaulets and figure out the rank.
• You discussed Wednesday's Chitrahaar in the Shaktiman.
• You can still recall the special & particular smell of the CSD canteen! A special prize for the correct concoction - mine is - it was a mix of Hamam Soap, Ponds Dreamflower Talc & Surf i think. In some corners it had overtures of Brooke Bond red Label as well.
• Your vacations were a package deal consisting of D-forms, Sharma Uncle Ka jonga and Army Mess ka kamra.

Wait...this does not make any sense!!!

Yesterday, I went to a nearby electronics store to buy two pedestal fans (houses over here generally do not have ceiling fans and only ACs, which are not too kind on the electricity bills), an electric rice cooker and a toaster. When I told the salesman what all I wanted to buy, his expressions changed as if he won a lottery!!!

He told me that he can offer me a discount. I asked him to let me know the total price and the discount he can offer. He told me that the price would be 560 RM but he can give me a 65 RM discount, so I will have to pay 495. Great!!! Then I asked him about delivery. I told him that I stay 5 minutes walk away but I cannot carry all this. It is difficult to get a taxi for such a short distance. He said that the delivery charge is 50 RM, irrespective of where it needs to be delivered (of course in the city)!!! I told him that it is not fair. He said that he will check and went to talk to his supervisor. He came back with his 'best offer'. If I do not take a discount on the products then they can deliver it to me for free!!! So instead of 50 RM they 'offered' to do it in 65 RM!!! Dude, I may be bad in maths but I still am from India. Save such calculations and offers for others!!!

Ya, finally I made him carry all the items to my place without any extra charges!!! :P

Feeling slightly better now. Is it due to a little bit more clarity or is it because I know that my family's arrival is KL is not too far away. Whatever it is, I am feeling better now. I wish my parents could also join me. The family is never complete without them.

One month old

Today, I completed one month with my current employer. I was given a letter, dated 07 December 2011, that my joining date will be 08 November 2011!!! Funny games that HRs play!!!

F-I-N-A-L-L-Y!!!!

He finally scored a double ton in ODIs!!!! Out of all the cricketers playing ODI cricket right now, he has probably looked like the only one who has it in him to score a double hundred. Of course Sachin scored a double hundred before Sehwag and anyone else but then, SACHIN is GOD.

The highest score in Tests as well as ODIs for India!!! Time for a 400 in Tests Veeru.

Missed Trick

I think the selectors missed a trick by not selecting Irrfan Pathan for the upcoming Australia tour. I agree that he has played only few matches after his return from injury but he has bowled well. His experience would have come handy. And if he has indeed rediscovered his in-swingers (as reported by many newspapers) then he should have been given a chance. Plus, he is a useful batsman as well.

In Australia, we will do well only if our bowlers do a good job. You let the Aussies off the hook and they will make you pay. Of course batting will be critical but bowling will determine how much 'extra' heroics we need from our batsman.

An attack with Zaheer Khan, Irrfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma/Umesh Yadav along with one spinner would have been interesting. Now, if Zaheer does not play (he still needs to submit a fitness certificate) then we have to depend upon Sharmas, Yadavs, Aarons and Mithuns.....it will be an attack without depth and variety. I have not seen much of Yadav and Aaron (thanks to the cable network in Malaysia) but I know that Yadav has pace and variation. Aaron, till now, sounds only like a bowler who can generate good pace but in short bursts. If that is correct then Australian batsman would have a lot of experience in tackling and sorting such bowlers. Mithun was exceptional in one of the Ranji matches that I saw but has hardly done anything noticeable in the international arena. That is why we needed Pathan, of course if he is fit and in form.


Irrfan may still make it to Australia but only if Zaheer Khan is declared unfit. That will be a huge blow. All the others are good support bowlers, Zaks is the only genuine wicket taker. Lets see...I hope the others prove me wrong. I am excited about Umesh Yadav though and hope that he performs well.

30 over.....20 more to go

Completed one month in Kuala Lumpur!!! Life has moved at a slow pace in the last one month and so this one month period has looked much longer. 

The good thing about today is that it brought some good news. The calling visa of my daughter and wife arrived today and they sent the documents to Delhi for single entry visa processing. Now, I can finally look forward to a particular date.....26th December......thats the day my wife and daughter would join me here. The last one month has gone by at a slow pace but I hope the next 20 days get over pretty quickly!!!

Cant wait to hold and hug Ananya!!!

sent from Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Feeling stressed

Things have not been moving very smoothly. People say that they would not like to get involved unless there is enough clarity. I wish I had the freedom to say the same. You made a mistake....understandable. People make a wrong judgement sometimes. I would still make it happen....but you need to help me out. You do not do that. Now you are expecting that I will take the ball and run with it. You want me to meet the expectations when you have set them wrong. And if you cannot help me, at least do not create issues for me by sending ambiguous and confusing communication. I ask a question and I am pointed towards all directions!!! One has to sometimes work in an ambiguous environment but then there is a team that works together to come out of the situation. The team should not just expect that one person will do some magic and bring everyone out of the mess.

Feeling stressed. Feeling very stressed.    

The day before, I got up in the night with pricking pain in my left hand. I thought this is it. I am having a heart attack. With a series of health issues...weight, high blood pressure, cholesterol....I wont be surprised. Thank fully it went away.

I have been taking too much stress....not unnecessarily though. I have been not eating properly, not sleeping properly, have been spending more hours on google and presentations than ever. But that is not a problem. The problem is lack of clarity!!! I am trying to make things happen but I am being pulled down. Normally, I talk to my family and try to recover. However, that is not possible here.

Though it was a false alarm, I wont be surprised if the real thing is round the corner. 

:)

My first post using my Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 from my house in Kuala Lumpur....and that means......I got the WiFi!!! 

Plate Under Scanner

Experienced the most unusual 'buffet meal' system. In India, you go to a place for buffet lunch/dinner, pay a certain amount (it sometimes differs across veg and non-veg meals) and you eat till you cannot breathe any more!!! No one comes and looks into your plate and makes you uncomfortable.

Here, they let you take whatever you want and just when you are about to dig into your food, a waiter comes, stares in your plate and makes a list of items. Accordingly he prepares a bill. I do not know about everyone but I do not like my plate being analyzed when I am eating!!! 

Ok Black Caps, if you allow Mr. Ponting to get back in form, I am going to come and kick each one you. Get the punter....boot him out!!!

Biiiiiig things to do list today......have to have a project kick-off  call in the office, do a lot of secondaries and come back home at 3pm. I have to get the landline, internet and cable (TV) installed, get the air conditioner fixed, get a heater fixed and get the gas connection!!! Hopefully everything can be finished as per schedule.

For some reason, feeling guilty about leaving office early

Mr Praveen Kumar, why do you have this knack of getting injured at the worst possible times? First the world cup and now the Australian tour? 

Wait.....we won the world cup!!! PK, if we win the series in Australia, we will find (or establish) the mantra for our success. Now you are sweating, haan!!!!

Sales vs Research/Consulting

In research and consulting, the sales people should take a back seat after bringing a lead/project. After that, they should allow the project execution team to take over and set client expectations and manage delivery. 

I could be wrong with my assessment. There could be companies where the continued involvement of the sales team in project updates, presentations could be proving to be positive. 

However, I am yet to work with a sales person who does not start acting more like a client representative than my team. You give a suggestion in your favor, the sales guy will start talking on the client's behalf!!! They very well know which side their bread is buttered on. That is why I am not a big fan of this approach.


No offence sales guys....I love you for bringing the business and earning the commissions!!! I do not screw your happiness, you do not screw mine, fair isnt it?

Big Developments Today

Back from office. Big developments today. Got my first salary in Malaysia!!!! And they did not deduct any tax!!! Moreover, the company did not deduct anything for the salary advance that I have taken!!! So the pay cheque was much much much bigger than I was expecting. Seems they will start deducting the tax only from January but then I will have to pay the tax for November and December. And the company would start deducting for the salary advance from December. So jitna mazaa karna hai, abhi kar leta hun....baad mein to khaane peene ke vaande hone waale hain!!!

The other big development is that the dependents visa for my daughter and wife is looking to be approved in a day or two. My daughter will get a 3 year visa as I have a 3 year visa. My wife will get 2 year visa only....I am so thankful to the immigration department :P 

Some colleagues in the office showed me how can I cross the firewall and access gmail and facebook. It is good to have people in the team with tech background. However, blogger is still blocked :(

Dear Blog,

You know that they have blocked you in office. In the past 3 weeks, you have been the friend with whom I have been communicating the most. Whenever I used to feel stressed, I used to find some time to talk to you. But now, I will not be able to do that. It is not that I talk to you a lot during office hours but it was nice to have that option open. Now it is no more open. Evenings are for my family. We will catch up over the weekend. Do not worry, I will find time for you.

Animesh

It feels nice

Got up half an hour back and found myself in total darkness. That is unusual as when I go to bed in the night, I usually leave a light on. Surprised, I got up to get ready for the office.....only to realize that it was around 8:15 pm!!! It does not happen to me often as I seldom take a nap during the day. 

Feeling so nice as I can enjoy the 'left over' weekend.

It rains EVERYDAY. Yesterday I could not go out for shopping as it rained from 2 PM till 11 PM...non-stop. Today, I woke up to clear skies.....rushed to the supermarket. As soon as I returned, it started to rain again. And not light rain (tupur-tapur). It is raining pretty heavily. Everyday affair though. Guess I should buy an umbrella.

Paneer Butter Masala

Back from my weekly grocery shopping.....bought a lot of bachelor stuff. Maggi, Bread, Jam, Corn Flakes, Milk, Chips, Ready-to-Eat meals etc. 

I bought ready-to-eat Andhra rice and paneer butter masala. At the counter, the billing clerk (a Pakistani boy) asked me if I find the taste of the paneer butter masala same as what we get in India. I wanted to be polite and I said that it is close. With a smile, he said that he does not like it...."In India, the paneer butter masala is brilliant". 

:) I know :)

Revolution 2020 by Chetan Bhagat

A few days back, I read the book Revolution 2020 by Chetan Bhagat. I must admit that I am not much of a book reader. Seldom do I find books gripping enough to make me finish it. I like short stories better as they require less commitment. I would rather watch a movie than read a book as I do not have the required patience. However, Chetan Bhagat's books are different.

I have read all his books and pretty quickly too. I have finished all his books in less than 2 days....that is unbelievable as per my standards!!! The difference between other books and Chetan's books is the instant connect. You can almost identify with the characters. If you do not see yourself in the characters, you would know someone who is pretty similar. Moreover, the stories are set up in India and you can relate to the places, issues, successes, failures, dreams...everything.

Coming back to the book....I loved it. I do not know if everyone would like it or not. It is very different from his earlier books. Not many people had liked "The 3 Mistakes of My Life" (I do not have official figures but  a lot of people have told me that they did not enjoy the book as much as they enjoyed other books of Chetan Bhagat), which was again a very different book. I loved "The 3 Mistakes.....". Out of all Chetan Bhagat's books, Revolution 2020 can be compared more with "The 3 Mistakes...". 

I loved Revolution 2020. It is an extremely gripping tale. I do not want to give away the plot but I felt a rock on my chest while reading it. Among the main characters, no one is totally right or wrong...that is the way we all are, isn't it? Though what happens in such cases is that you are bound to end up feeling sorry for someone. I must say that I was a little partial towards the main character. I want to say a lot of things about the character but I do not want to spoil the reading experience for anyone. I do not know how is the book doing commercially but it can be made into an extremely interesting movie. 

I strongly recommend the book to everyone. Now, I am waiting for the movie.

(request for Chetan Bhagat: Can you please increase the pace of writing books?)

Employment Visa to Malaysia: Some Doubts Cleared

The last one month that I spent in India was full of anxiety. I had to get my visa endorsed from the US High Commission and get a single entry visa to Malaysia. I was confused about the entire process as everyone had a different approach and suggestion in mind. Let me clarify a few doubts here;

• Attesting the Certificates: Once you get an offer letter from a company in Malaysia, you will be required to submit the copy of your certificates along with other documents. The certificates include education certificates, marriage certificate (for dependents visa for spouse) and birth certificate (for dependents visa for children). They ask you to get the copies attested from the High Commission of Malaysia or the Malaysian embassy before sending it to the employer in Malaysia to submit the application for employment pass. You do not need to get the certificates attested by the embassy/High Commission. Just get them notorized from a notary and they will accept it.
• Calling Visa: The calling visa will be sent to you by your employer. Now, there is a difference in calling visas from Malaysia and it depends upon how your employer is set-up in Malaysia. For any general employer, the letter has to come in a sealed envelope and it cannot be opened by the employer, candidate or any agent. It has to be opened by the embassy officials only. However, some companies have a different status in Malaysia. Their calling visas are issued by MSC and they are sent electronically by the employer. It seems, not many companies fall under such category and thus there is a little lack of knowledge about MSC in India
• Getting Single Entry Visa in India: One has the option to go to Malaysian embassies in Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai however, it needs to be pointed out in the beginning as it would be mentioned in the calling visa. There are loads of agents that can get the visa processed but most of them do not have much idea about the employment visas, especially when the calling visa has come from MSC. The agents keep asking about the sealed envelope, which the candidate will not have in case of a calling visa issued by MSC. The best way of getting the visa is through VFS. They have centers in major cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad....not sure about Bangalore) in India. It is the fastest and most economical way of getting the single entry visa processed. Even the officials of the embassy/High Commission ask you to get the application routed through VFS. And I must add that I found VFS extremely professional. They know all the requirements. Unlike the regular agents, VFS representatives knew about MSC
• Once Single Entry Visa is issued, a candidate has to travel to Malaysia and then the employer submits the application for the employment pass or long term multiple entry visa. Please note that the calling visa that will be sent to you will mention the duration of the visa. In my case, it is 3 years. Yet, you will be issued only a single entry visa in India and the long term visa will be issued only in Malaysia.
• Tax structure in Malaysia: Though this point is not relevant to visas, I would like to clarify it as there is lot of confusion about this. Expats have to pay flat 28-30% tax but if the employer has the special status (if the calling visa has been issued by MSC), then the tax would be much lower. I am yet to get my first salary but I have been told that the tax should be in the range of 12-15%. Much better, isn't it?

I hope this clarifies some of the doubts. In case you have any questions, please feel free to reach me on animesh.ajaykumar@gmail.com or on +60176675620

Height of Velapanthi!!!

Sleepless in KL!!!

Trip to Little India

In Kuala Lumpur, there is a place called Little India. Actually, the name of the place is 'Brickfields' but since a lot of Indians stay in the area, it is now known as Little India (LI). I was told by several people that one should go to LI to get original Indian stuff. I am yet to set up the kitchen at my place but yesterday, I went to LI to get a feel of the place and get familiarized before my family joins me here. 

It was not a long drive from Mont Kiara, the place where I stay. I could make out that we have approaching LI as I could hear the latest Tamil-english sensation, 'Why this kolavari di' from a distance. After reaching the place, I roamed around a little and looked at the kind of shops they have in LI. 

Honestly, I could not find much of a price difference between Little India and Mont Kiara (an upmarket place). Hence, it will make sense only if someone is going to LI once or twice a month and getting all the supplies. The good part about the place is that a lot of Indian stuff is available. From parachute coconut oil to Margo soap!!! I had Imarti over there. Actually I wanted to have Jalebi but could not find it so I settled with Imarti. I liked the place as majority of the people over there were Indians. It looked like any 'extremely and unbelievably' clean street in India (does such a place exist??!!!). Overall it was a good experience as it gave me a better idea about the choices available in Kuala Lumpur and it was great to be among so many Indians.

My favorite couple

You should know that I know

A conversation that took place some time back....

He: Sir, suna team bandh ho rahi hai?

Me: Confirmed to nahi hai but lag raha hai aisa....parent company kaafi teams band kar rahi hai across the globe

He: Sir kab tak pata chalega?

Me: Mujhe pata chalega to main to tujhe bataunga hi na

He: Sir, suna aapko koi offer mil gaya hai?

Me: Nahi yaar, agar aisa hota to tujhe bolta main

He: Sir, sab to yahi bol rahe hain...mil gaya hai to bata do

Me: Arre nahi mila hai bhai....lekin ek-do jagah baat chal rahi hai

He: Hmmm...Sir mera to nahi ho raha hai kucch....bahut try kar raha hun....

Me: Pareshan mat ho....ho jaayega...

He: Sir, kahin kucch lead hai kya? Jahaan baat kar rahe ho wahaan mere liye bhi baat kar lo na...

Me: It wont look good but I will try when I can.....trust me

He: Sir, dekh lo....kucch kara do.....

Me: Pakka....poori koshish karunga...CV bhej apna....main try karta hun

He: Thank you Sir

He thought that he disconnected the phone and started talking on another line.......Here is how that conversation went. (Of course, I do not know who was he speaking to (though I have a fair idea) and what was the other person saying)

He: Yeh to bol raha hai ki iska nahi hua hai!!!..........

He: Arre, isko kya problem hai.....24-25 ka package yahaan tha.....thode din baith bhi jaayega to kya hoga....

He: Haan, yahaan aise paise utha raha tha and iske upar waali 35-40 utha rahi thi....Inko kya problem hai....

He: ....baahar koi poochega nahi inko.....

He: Haan chal, main aa raha hun waapas Hyderabad. Aa kar baat karte hain....kucch pata chale to bataana. Chal rakhta hun abhi.

This conversation shocked me....I was wondering why did he speak about me in that manner? 

I have always been friendly with him, have helped him whenever possible....in office and outside.  Why do some people talk to you with respect only when they are in front of you? I never asked him to call me "Sir" and I did not deserve to be talked about in this manner either. People always complained about his attitude and rightly so....but I chose to ignore a lot of things and defended him on several occasions. He is young and immature and I chose to let him be. After all, till work or work culture is not getting affected, everything is okay. 

This incident disturbed me a lot after all I have always shared a good rapport with most of the people who have worked with me. I discussed this incident with a lot of people who are close to me. Everyone told me that I should ask him the reason....and not help him in any manner. 

However, for some reason, I did not take that path. Even after this incident, I helped him in many ways. I recommended him to colleges, I referred him in companies and mostly said good things about his attitude and exaggerated his skills/abilities. In fact I referred him in the company that I now work with!!!....I could have easily not done all that. I could have easily screwed his happiness. But I thought he is young and probably everyone talks about his/her Manager like that. I chose to ignore the incident but I will be lying if I say that it does not affect me any more. 

The guy of course does not know that I know. He continues to talk to me with respect but at the same time he asks for help in a manner as if I owe him something. I really do not owe your anything buddy. As I see it, YOU owe me a lot as even after this incident, I have gone out of my way to help you. During my last few days in India, when I really wanted to spend as much time as possible with my family, I spent a lot (read: A LOT) of time writing recommendations for you. And, I will still help you in any way that I can but I want you to know that I know.  

The curious case of second keeper

The India squad for the upcoming tour of Australia was selected yesterday. The team composition is more or less on the 'expected' lines. I was personally disappointed with the omission of the leggie, Rahul Sharma. With whatever I have seen of him in IPL matches, he seems to be a promising spinner for all formats of the game. However, he did not do too well in his last few domestic cricket outings and did not get included in the playing XI for the test matches against WI. On the other hand, Ashwin and Ojha grabbed the opportunity with both hands and bowled really well. That is the main reason why Rahul Sharma got dropped. In any case, too many spinners cannot be included for a tour like Australia. 

The inclusion of Ajinkya Rahane in the Test squad is a positive move as he looks an extremely talented batsman, who should somewhat fill the gap once the big guns leave the scene. I would love to see some more young batsmen to be given a chance and tested. AT Rayaudu looks like a good batsman for the longer format of the game and should be given a chance soon. Manish Pandey looks good but had a quiet domestic season last year. Moreover, I think some of the top bosses (who are friends with Vijay Mallya) are not too happy with Pandey. If that is the case, I hope the issue is resolved soon as we may lose a gifted cricketer otherwise. Cheteshwar Pujara is still recovering from the ACL damages in both knees. I read an article on him a month back that suggested that his injuries could be career-threatening. I am not sure if this is correct or not but I really hope and pray that he recovers soon and gets backs to business. However, the batting composition of the squad does not have too many surprises. It is a good line-up. Kohli and Sharma deserve more opportunities and they have been rightly retained.

I am not too excited about Aaron. I think he lacks variety and experience. Moreover, Australian batsmen would have faced such "pure play fast bowlers" regularly in their domestic cricket. Compared to him, Umesh Yadav looks much more promising. I would love if Aaron proves me wrong though. But I also think that he may not get a chance in Australia, especially if Khan dost (Zaheer Khan) proves his fitness. I do not think India will include five bowlers (that is why we seriously miss an all-rounder. I really wish Irrfan Pathan was fit and in-form. Someone should tell him where he can find his swing!!!) and I think the bowling line-up will have 3 seamers and 1 spinner. If that is the case and if Zaheer is fit, it would be Zaks, Sharma and Praveen Kumar who will get included. If the team gets a little adventurous, Umesh Yadav may get a game or two. The chances of Aaron getting a game are remote unless he bowls really really and REALLY well in a build-up game.

The only member of the squad that I am surprised about is Wriddhiman Saha!!! I think Parthiv Patel did reasonably well in England (in ODIs) to get included in the test squad. I personally believe that Patel can be a better Test batsman than ODIs or T-20s. He has a good and steady stance, plays straight, has good timing and has good temperament. I do believe that his batting has been somewhat corrupted by IPL, yet he is a good batsman. And why Saha? I sometimes believe that selectors pick the reserve keeper in a squad only to give equal 'earning' opportunities to keepers. Lets face it, there is no chance of a keeper getting selected in the playing XI of a test match unless Dhoni gets injured or he finally realizes that he is not a great test batsman. (okay, I let my personal feelings flow a little bit over there)!!! So, the second keeper is merely a passenger. I believe that the selectors do not pick the second keeper purely on the basis of performance. Of course they will not suddenly pick the wicket keeper of Nagaland!!! They pick 1-2 good keepers (of course, except Dhoni) and keep rotating them on tours. "So Parthiv, you travelled to England...did sightseeing...had good food....did shopping....earned enough to settle your bills, loans in India....Now, we will give a chance to Saha...let him also have a little fun....let him also earn a little. In any case, he wont get a chance to play so do not worry, he can not cement his place in the team. Even if he gets a chance and does well, we will still pick you for the next tour.....But ya, we have not given a chance to Dinesh Karthik in a while. If he scores in  double digits in ANY domestic match, even if it is against Arunachal Pradesh Team A, we will have to consider him. But then, next series...and you will be back!!! Fair, isnt it?" 

I guess its too late but I should buy a pair of keeping gloves. 

Various Moods of Ms. Ananya Ajay

My father's last day in the olive green...08-Nov-2011

Kolavari Di Fever Caught Me Too

Hand la glass, 

Glass la Scotch,

Eyes-u full-aa tear-u,

Empty life-u,

Girl-u come-u,

Life reverse gear-u!!!

All the more reasons to miss India!!!

The weekend has not started on a great note. The A-Con is not working in one of the room and the heater is not working in the second bathroom. The electricians came right on time, said Hi, talked to me for a while and then told me that they wont be able to fix them today. They will have to come back next Friday. Brilliant!!! 

And now the gas connection is not working. It seems the owner did not pay the bill on time and now it has been disconnected. Nothing can be done before Tuesday!!! 

All the more reasons to miss India!!!

Who said there is nothing for the bowlers in this pitch...Look at Ashwin....He scored a century!!!

Long Weekend

The long weekend is fast approaching. I had planned to go on a city tour tomorrow but that will have to wait. Here is the exciting list of activities that I am planning to do;

1. Get the air-conditioner repaired tomorrow. The guy is not willing to come early morning not even late evening. So basically, he wants to screw my Saturday
2. Afterwards, I will go and purchase broom, floor cleaner, detergent etc etc. It is a list that has been given to me by my maid
3. On Sunday, I have to get the house cleaned, fills some applications. The issue is that the maid will come at 12:30. Again, neither here nor there.
4. Monday is free till now but since the other offices are open on that day and I am working on a global engagement, I may end up working on Monday.

So basically a screwed up weekend in which I will be doing pretty much the same things that I do everyday after office hours. I will try and change this and include something interesting. At least I would go to Little India. I am also planning to hit the gym from this weekend.

The party is over....Ravi Rampaul stepped on the cake!!! :(

He is feeling at sea

He was feeling a little clueless. New in the system, he was trying to work his way around the issues and understand the processes. However, he was feeling little at sea as noone seemed to be helping him out. People assigned him a task and became hands-off. He did not ask for spoon-feeding but initial hand-holding is something that is not an unjustified expectation. People question him about the decisions that they made before he entered the scene. People say that they will help with certain things but they do not. You can ask a few questions but everything is questionable. He has never hesitated from asking questions but over here he has to ask questions about everything and the answers may reflect the lack of common sense on the part of the people around him. He is feeling at sea especially with no one to discuss his woes......

Important day tomorrow....someone is on the verge of a milestone....hushhhhhhh!!! Don't jinx it fellas!!! Special prayers tomorrow morning!!!

'Crash' and 'The Green Mile'

Two movies that have been in my collection since last 5-6 years at least....'Crash' and 'The Green Mile'. I cannot believe that I took so long to watch them. Both of them are simply outstanding. The concept of Crash is interesting and has inspired a Hindi movie "YMI: Yeh Mera India". YMI is a little known movie which did not do  well commercially but I would strongly recommend the movie (if you do not mind the see the true picture of life, with a little bit of abuses and obscenities). Coming back to the topic, Crash is a great movie and a must watch.

The other movie, "The Green Mile" is simply awesome. It has some great performances. It was nominated for academy awards in multiple categories but if my memory is not failing me, it did not one any. It is not the typical Oscar nominated movies (which are a little difficult to understand and takes some watching!!!). It is a pretty interesting movie that will keep you interested till the very end. The ending was dragged a little but it was fine. Tom Hanks is brilliant as usual but Michael Clark Duncan is the real winner.

I strongly recommend both the movies. 

Why have I suddenly started blogging so much? These days, whenever I get any free time, I start blogging!!! It was not like this till a few days back. I used to spend time on Facebook (which I still do), watch movies, takes pictures etc. But now....blogging is on top of the list.

I guess its mainly because I do not have many people to talk to. Cannot spend all the time on phone and am still pretty new to this place to have friends to hang-out with. So, probably I am talking with this blog to overcome the loneliness and boredom. 

Weekend is round the corner. Had planned for a city tour but that cannot happen now. For some reason they do not include a single passenger!!! So I guess, there would be a lot of blog posts over this weekend....unless I find something to keep myself occupied.