Professionalism!!

They used to bunk lectures. They were the regular backbenchers. They struggled to understand the very basic of concepts. They used to free-ride on projects. They made spelling mistakes during last minute copying of lab journals. They looked baffled at the unending pages of their engineering tomes. It was only during the exams that they realized they were actually supposed to pass them. They rushed to different people to get gyaan on select topics, to find answers to questions from previous years papers. With such abject helplessness and hopelessness, it was nothing short of a miracle for all these people to survive the 4 years and finally get hold of a degree.

Post those 4 years, some of them called it a day on their academic pursuits and started working. Some like me, for reasons unknown to them, went for further studies: an MS or an MBA. And, the ritual continued. And, now we are all working. We put atleast 8-9 hours everyday at office. In this context a thought comes to me often: How on earth are all these people, who had such a struggle through their academic life (I am not talking about marks or grades here) , are today working 5/6 days a week in their respective organizations, and managing to be competent in an unforgiving corporate world. I mean, one who couldn't write a decent piece of code in C is today typing away line after line of more advanced languages. One who was confounded by jigs and fixtures is working on advanced aircraft designs. One who had no idea what the sensex stood for is today doing security analysis day in and day out (ahem!) .. and so on.

Is it the fear of the pink slip which forces people to get work done on time? Or, is it the money? Work hard, go up the hierarchy faster, taking their pay packet up all along. Or, have they suddenly found that elusive competitive spirit in them selves? How come these people who didn't care about who topped the class have grown ambitious today? May be I am completely wrong in assuming that in general all these people are doing better off at their work than in college. May be they are still surviving. I do not know. I guess it boils down to one's professionalism in the end and the discipline that it induces. How it comes about is a mystery to me. But every one (including me) seems to be doing just fine. And that is enough for now.

Ladies Special

Yesterday, I was delighted to see an almost empty bus for home as I left office. I rushed with much joy and just as I reached the foot-board the conductor shouts at me saying it was a Ladies Special bus. It didn't register on me when he said that. I just peeped in and to my surprise and utter dismay, the bus indeed had only female passengers. What the hell!!, the occupancy was not even 15-20%. That too at peak evening traffic. I don't know which moron came up with such an idea, that too when there is already close to 50% seat reservation for women.

Regarding this seat reservation in a bus, the bitches tend to sit one per seat (if they are empty that is - and everyone wants a window seat) and not be accommodating, as if the entire male population is hungrily awaiting to molest them - in a bus that too. So, only the elderly get to sit next to them. A 24 year old has no other go but to stand. You should see the frowns one gets if you accidentally happen to touch them. I try my level best to avoid any contact, lest I be showered with abuses and sandals. I fail to understand the ultra-conservative tendencies of South-Indian women. Bus rides were far more enjoyable in Bombay with better looking females to ogle at and not having to deal with such silliness.

Anyways I took the next bus and as usual it was insanely crowded. Had one of the worst bus rides in my life. Somehow managed to get out at my destination. I don't know how many feet I stepped-on in that process. Getting out of a Virar bound fast local in Dadar would have been more easy. If you are in the right spot, the crowd will take care of the boarding or exiting process. I should soon buy my own conveyance. Till then autos jindabad!!

Bachelor Blues.. :)

There was an interesting discussion going on between some colleagues at American Express about arranged marriages and love marriages. Smriti, who is a manager there suddenly says to the extent that most of the cases in a love marriage are those involving love blossoming during school/college days and that there is no point in we guys (the not so successful ones in school/college and who are now working and rather old) discussing about it at all. Basically, she meant we are quite hopeless now. Obviously, I was at a loss for words. But she did have a point.

Her point was this : outside of office, where do you get to meet women? Even if you meet them, interaction would be quite limited compared to school/college days or if they are from your office. How can one expect to develop a relationship in such a case? Well, that is true in my case. I have hardly interacted with the opposite sex after school days for no particular reason and that obviously shows in my social life..:(. And, I am totally clueless about what to do about it. Somebody should write a dating handbook for beginners with step by step guidelines (with an Indian perspective!!, I know there are too many otherwise).

Her argument is, obviously, flawed. People do seem to find love after school/college (thankfully). But I don't know the mechanics involved. How do they build on a relationship ?(Come on! it can't be that easy as shown in the movies). And the word 'find' worries me.. :). So what, one just waits for something to happen? Does one just bump into someone he finds very interesting and attractive? and then what ? I have no idea. And I am sure no enlightenment is going to happen in the near future. In the meanwhile all I can do is envy the lucky ones, feel a bit of self-pity and carry on with my life. "Dil pe math le yar,.... " well! you knw that line, don't you :D

Back again!

It's been such a long time since the last post. Not a writer's block kinda thing but good ol' laziness. A lot has changed since then. I am no longer in Gurgaon. I do work other than gtalking and blogreading. I get paid more. I get to eat idlis for 4 bucks. Bus and auto rides have replaced the office cabs. I reach office by 9 30 A.M. for which I have to wake up by 7 30. I don't have a pseud laptop and make do with a decent desktop. There is no comfort of working for a well known firm anymore. Basically, I am asked to repeat the name of my firm as people don't catch it the first time. Despite losing the trappings of a laid back job (I have to work a little more now), a cushy apartment and a jet-setting life style (yes, I have flown almost every single domestic carrier in the country in the last 8 months, all at my own expense), I am at peace. Atleast, everything around me feels real. The friendly banter with the auto drivers. The shoves and pushes in the bus, an occasional glance from a pretty female, a city that reminds me of my childhood, of the places I had seen, of people I had met. So I have begun living the 25th year of my existence in Hyderabad ( a city neither too familiar nor too alien) and looking forward to the times ahead.