New year has started with new challenges. Since marriage, life has been fun but new responsibilities have kept me on my toes. To begin with my office is now near ITPL. Though the project is interesting, the distance to work is more and perfect time management is needed to strike a work life balance.
At work, I am now designing an application for a banking client. It is a responsibility I have not taken up till now. It is a challenge professionally to bring together technical and management skills. Especially communicating to the client and about my design and convincing them that my approach is a viable one. Its challenging but fun. Especially when the client is from the US of A, it becomes difficult to get your message across. Most of the US clients that I have worked with have a do as I say attitude(especially when there is an American desi sitting over there). Well, that is how it goes. Taking such things personally only spoils your night's sleep. I can never compromise on that.
At home, life has been different. Now I have to finish work on time and rush home. Someone is waiting for me. Most of my friends have started complaining that I do not have enough time for them. Even preparing for my sisters wedding has made my life pretty hectic. In short everything has been hectic but interesting.
Many of my friends had warned me about the responsibilities marriage will bring along and marriage as an unpleasant experience. For me marriage has been the only way to seek a companion for life. It has come with its own challenges but it has been worth it and I am definitely not complaining.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
New and interesting chapter
Last month or so has been the most interesting phase of my life. I have graduated beyond the bachelor stage to the uncle stage. I got married to Ruqaiya on 10th Dec at Hyderabad. This has opened a new chapter in my life. One of more responsibility and full of thrill. The journey so far has been interesting and I believe it will be even more interesting in the future.
The journey began with the ceremonies in Hyderabad. The Sanchak and Nikah in Hyderabad were both a fun experience. Everybody stayed in Taramati Baradari resort. Same place where we stayed during the engagement trip.
Sanchak was a family function on 9th Dec where the entire contingent from Bangalore was welcomed by the bride's family. It was a dress rehearsal for the big day on 10th. That day was in fact more interesting than the function in the evening. Earlier that day, the entire contingent from Bangalore reached Hyderabad. On reaching I caught cold and started sneezing and it was a big thig that the groom started sneezing. As if that was not enough, I had scheduled a bit of my shopping for that day in Hyderabad. I went out with Naseem to get my turban. The turban shopping was very interesting yet stressful as everybody back in the resort was worried.
Hyderabad was in a mess that day because of the Telangana issue. Anyway, I was back later that evening in time and the function went as per schedule. One lesson I learnt out of that experience is, not to leave anything for the last minute. Things might fall in place but the stress is just not worth it.
Nikah on 10th was the main event. The entire day was spent at the resort relaxing. Many relatives went out for shopping to the old city. It was strange that I din't feel nervous. Most of my married friends had warned me about the pre wedding jitters. The whole day went fine and the evening was a memorable one where Sakhib and Naseem helped me handle the attention and hype. It seamed as if the nature conspired towards making the day special. The Telangana issue also was mellowed down just the previous day, thanks to the home ministry temporarily aggreeing to their demands. All my friends in Hyderabad and those who came to Hyderabad to attend my big day came comfortably. The best part of the evening was seeing some of the close friends present at the wedding and going through the ritual in presense of family and friends. The wedding was the first Hyderabadi wedding for me and most of my family. It was an ocean of sherwani's, a rare sight in Bangalore. How can you talk of hyderabad and miss out on the biriyani. The biriyani was special.Not just the biriyani but the entire menu. My friend Afroze had told me about the "khatarnak" Hyderabadi craze for food. But one thing was different about my wedding, The entire function wound up by midnight. My Hyderabadi friends say it is one of a kind wedding. I guess this is Hyderabad meets Bangalore in the true sense.
I spent the next two days at Hyderabad with Ruqaiya and it was a new experience to share my personal space with someone. Marriage is an interesting experience, I would recomend every single person. Marriage has already taught me a thing or two about collective thinking. Hitherto it was missing in me.
I reached Bangalore on 12th night and the reception was scheduled on 13th. Dad picked me from the airport. Ruqaiya found her new hometown much greener. I always felt that Bangalore has lost its true greenery in the last ten years. But still is remains green for an outsider. She had her first taste of living away from her immediate family and everyday has been a new experience for her. It has been interesting to see her come out of her shell and connect pretty well with my side of the family.
The reception day on 13th was full of confusion to begin with. Everybody was back from a long journey and in my mind the wedding was over. But in reality this was the day my dad had spent so much time organizing while I had been busy with work. After all the confusion throughout the day it turned out to be a pretty good event. I felt really happy to meet my old coleagues and some friends whom I had not met for ages. Though it was great to see them I did not really have a chance to catch up. The food that night was really good for most. However the Hyderabad contingent felt it gave the Hyderabadi cuisine a good fight(but came a close second). It is nearly impossible to impress the Hyderabadi in terms of food. That is one lesson I learnt. The function unfolded with some really good singing by Omer bhaiya. He truly has a great voice to go with his awesome attitude. He kept us entertained through the night.
Overall the wedding experience was fun. The best part is that everybody was happy with the events and the new relationships that came along with it. For me the real life began at this point. Life seams much simpler as a singleton. Next phase of the journey began with our first holiday together in Malaysia.
Both of us flew to Malaysia on 16th Dec and reachec KL in the early hours of 17th Dec. Post fajr prayers in the surau in the airport we were off to Batu caves in the taxi provided by the travel agent. The drive was a beautiful one. It reminded me of of my Japan experience(only other overseas trip so far). Batu caves are a spot where there are some hindu temples built by the Tamil imigrants. It felt like going to Chennai from Bangalore via Kuala lumpur. We had our south Indian vegetarian breakfast in that complex in one of the restaurants and left to Genting Highlands. The cable car that took us on top of the Genting Highlands was fun. Especially since I left my cell phone inside the cablecar. Luckily, my handicam spotted the cablecar number and I could trace back my cell phone. The journey began with a mishap but luckily the situation came under control. Ruqaiya had the first taste of my lost and found habits.
While going to our hotel room Ruqaiya saw a Baskin Robins shop where she saw her favourite strawbery cheesecake flavour but did not buy it then as she felt very sleepy. We were then off to our hotel to catch up for the lost sleep. Next two days were an ideal getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city and we had a great time at the amusement park in Genting. However, we did not find the strawbery cheesecake ice cream again in Genting Highlands. Ruqaiya really loves this flavour and she felt angry for having missed it when it was available.
We reached KL on 19th by car provided by the same travel agent. It was a good drive and we stayed in KL at Citrus hotel. We were really lucky to have the best view of the twin towers from our room window. On 19th we took the monorail from Chow kit station to Bikut Bintang where we did some headscarf shopping for my family, followed by dinner at a Moroccan restaurant. It was a good outing where we got a taste of KL but could not find the strawberry cheesecake from Baskin robbins anywhere in KL.
Next day we went for the guided tour of KL city. It was a good tour. We went to the Pewter factory, Batik factory, National mosque, Chinese temple, Little India and ended the guided tour at the twin towers. The twin tower visit is one of a kind. It is so huge. I had seen Roppongi hills in Tokyo but this was really huge. We had a good time at the shopping complex in the twin towers. One thing that stands out of that experience is the mogrib prayers in the surau inside the petrona's. It was led by a yound North African guy who impressed everyone by his qirat. Both his voice and tajweed were exceptional. I would call it the best part of the KL trip. I don't remember having heard such beautiful recitation for a long time. We returned back to our hotel room after dinner at Burger king in the Petronas. That night twin towers looked class apart. Especially later at night when we saw the lights go off one by one.
We were off to Penang next morning by bus. We boarded the bus from old railway station. The country side looked very beautiful and the spot where the bus stopped in the middle for snacks was also so mich better than similar stops I have seen in India. Our country has lots of catching upto do on the infrastructure front.
At Penang we stayed at Grand Continental. The hotel was not that great but the area around the hotel was pretty good. We saw the previous tallest building of Malaysia pretty closely. The Comtar has some good shopping complexes and there is a new up coming mall behind the Penang times square. I bought a baseball cap there for myself. We again tried to look for Baskin Robbins but could not find it. We found out that there is a Baskin Robbins in Platicus mall in Penang but that was pretty far from where we were.
Next day we had a guided city tour when Danny Lee(our driver) took us around Penang to Batik factory, Fort Cornwallis and the botanical garden. The best shopping we did was at the Batik factory where we bought some silk scarves. Best part of the Penang experience was the street food and Desi food over there. I would recomend everyone to eat Nasi kanda at Kassim restaurant near brick kiln road. Overall, the Penang experience was good though the weather was really hot. Still the strawberry cheesecake evaded us and Ruqaiya was sulking about the fact that she missed it at Genting.
We were off to Langkawi next day early morning at 7 am by boat. The boat journey was a fun experience. On reaching Langkawi, I met my driver who would take me to the Aseania resort. I could locate a Baskin Robins right behind the driver at the Jetty station and that made Ruqaiya really happy. Like her purpose for the journey was fulfilled and she had her strawberry cheesecake, The ice cream flavour that she loved so much but never found during her stay in India.
On reaching Aseania resort, we found out that the rooms were still occupied and we have to come back around 3 pm to checkin. Ruqaiya and I went with the guide to watch the underwater world and had our lunch at an Indian restaurant right next to the Cenang beach. It was an expensive but great lunch. I had wanted to swim throughout the journey but for some reason did not find time when there was a pool and did not find a pool when there was time. The first day in Langkawi concluded with a good walk down the beach at Cenang beach and with a plan to return the next day for water sports.
Next day began late but we had planned to go for adventure sports. I had my swim in the pool while Ruqaiya got ready for the day at the beach. At the beach both of us enjoyed jet ski-ing and para gliding. Paragliding especially was a mindblowing experience. The instructor told us that if both of us go together, we will fly like a bird but fall like a coconut. Thats what happened, but in the process I lost my cap and Ruqaiya conquered her fear of hieghts. That day was the best part of the journey where we did something that involved adrenaline rush together.
This adventurous day was followed by a terrible complimentary dinner at the Aseania resort. The dinner was full of half cooked meat dishes. It put off Ruqaiya completely. I did not enjoy the dinner though found it edible. The dinner was followed by a long walk on the beach. It was a beautiful sight for me to walk with my life partner on a beach where there was a group of youngsters playing music. It was like being played for us.
We flew back the next day from Langkawi-KL-Bangalore. The journey was an unforgettable one but began a new chapter in my life. I am happy to start this journey with Ruqaiya as my life partner and looking forward to spend rest of my life with her.
The journey began with the ceremonies in Hyderabad. The Sanchak and Nikah in Hyderabad were both a fun experience. Everybody stayed in Taramati Baradari resort. Same place where we stayed during the engagement trip.
Sanchak was a family function on 9th Dec where the entire contingent from Bangalore was welcomed by the bride's family. It was a dress rehearsal for the big day on 10th. That day was in fact more interesting than the function in the evening. Earlier that day, the entire contingent from Bangalore reached Hyderabad. On reaching I caught cold and started sneezing and it was a big thig that the groom started sneezing. As if that was not enough, I had scheduled a bit of my shopping for that day in Hyderabad. I went out with Naseem to get my turban. The turban shopping was very interesting yet stressful as everybody back in the resort was worried.
Hyderabad was in a mess that day because of the Telangana issue. Anyway, I was back later that evening in time and the function went as per schedule. One lesson I learnt out of that experience is, not to leave anything for the last minute. Things might fall in place but the stress is just not worth it.
Nikah on 10th was the main event. The entire day was spent at the resort relaxing. Many relatives went out for shopping to the old city. It was strange that I din't feel nervous. Most of my married friends had warned me about the pre wedding jitters. The whole day went fine and the evening was a memorable one where Sakhib and Naseem helped me handle the attention and hype. It seamed as if the nature conspired towards making the day special. The Telangana issue also was mellowed down just the previous day, thanks to the home ministry temporarily aggreeing to their demands. All my friends in Hyderabad and those who came to Hyderabad to attend my big day came comfortably. The best part of the evening was seeing some of the close friends present at the wedding and going through the ritual in presense of family and friends. The wedding was the first Hyderabadi wedding for me and most of my family. It was an ocean of sherwani's, a rare sight in Bangalore. How can you talk of hyderabad and miss out on the biriyani. The biriyani was special.Not just the biriyani but the entire menu. My friend Afroze had told me about the "khatarnak" Hyderabadi craze for food. But one thing was different about my wedding, The entire function wound up by midnight. My Hyderabadi friends say it is one of a kind wedding. I guess this is Hyderabad meets Bangalore in the true sense.
I spent the next two days at Hyderabad with Ruqaiya and it was a new experience to share my personal space with someone. Marriage is an interesting experience, I would recomend every single person. Marriage has already taught me a thing or two about collective thinking. Hitherto it was missing in me.
I reached Bangalore on 12th night and the reception was scheduled on 13th. Dad picked me from the airport. Ruqaiya found her new hometown much greener. I always felt that Bangalore has lost its true greenery in the last ten years. But still is remains green for an outsider. She had her first taste of living away from her immediate family and everyday has been a new experience for her. It has been interesting to see her come out of her shell and connect pretty well with my side of the family.
The reception day on 13th was full of confusion to begin with. Everybody was back from a long journey and in my mind the wedding was over. But in reality this was the day my dad had spent so much time organizing while I had been busy with work. After all the confusion throughout the day it turned out to be a pretty good event. I felt really happy to meet my old coleagues and some friends whom I had not met for ages. Though it was great to see them I did not really have a chance to catch up. The food that night was really good for most. However the Hyderabad contingent felt it gave the Hyderabadi cuisine a good fight(but came a close second). It is nearly impossible to impress the Hyderabadi in terms of food. That is one lesson I learnt. The function unfolded with some really good singing by Omer bhaiya. He truly has a great voice to go with his awesome attitude. He kept us entertained through the night.
Overall the wedding experience was fun. The best part is that everybody was happy with the events and the new relationships that came along with it. For me the real life began at this point. Life seams much simpler as a singleton. Next phase of the journey began with our first holiday together in Malaysia.
Both of us flew to Malaysia on 16th Dec and reachec KL in the early hours of 17th Dec. Post fajr prayers in the surau in the airport we were off to Batu caves in the taxi provided by the travel agent. The drive was a beautiful one. It reminded me of of my Japan experience(only other overseas trip so far). Batu caves are a spot where there are some hindu temples built by the Tamil imigrants. It felt like going to Chennai from Bangalore via Kuala lumpur. We had our south Indian vegetarian breakfast in that complex in one of the restaurants and left to Genting Highlands. The cable car that took us on top of the Genting Highlands was fun. Especially since I left my cell phone inside the cablecar. Luckily, my handicam spotted the cablecar number and I could trace back my cell phone. The journey began with a mishap but luckily the situation came under control. Ruqaiya had the first taste of my lost and found habits.
While going to our hotel room Ruqaiya saw a Baskin Robins shop where she saw her favourite strawbery cheesecake flavour but did not buy it then as she felt very sleepy. We were then off to our hotel to catch up for the lost sleep. Next two days were an ideal getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city and we had a great time at the amusement park in Genting. However, we did not find the strawbery cheesecake ice cream again in Genting Highlands. Ruqaiya really loves this flavour and she felt angry for having missed it when it was available.
We reached KL on 19th by car provided by the same travel agent. It was a good drive and we stayed in KL at Citrus hotel. We were really lucky to have the best view of the twin towers from our room window. On 19th we took the monorail from Chow kit station to Bikut Bintang where we did some headscarf shopping for my family, followed by dinner at a Moroccan restaurant. It was a good outing where we got a taste of KL but could not find the strawberry cheesecake from Baskin robbins anywhere in KL.
Next day we went for the guided tour of KL city. It was a good tour. We went to the Pewter factory, Batik factory, National mosque, Chinese temple, Little India and ended the guided tour at the twin towers. The twin tower visit is one of a kind. It is so huge. I had seen Roppongi hills in Tokyo but this was really huge. We had a good time at the shopping complex in the twin towers. One thing that stands out of that experience is the mogrib prayers in the surau inside the petrona's. It was led by a yound North African guy who impressed everyone by his qirat. Both his voice and tajweed were exceptional. I would call it the best part of the KL trip. I don't remember having heard such beautiful recitation for a long time. We returned back to our hotel room after dinner at Burger king in the Petronas. That night twin towers looked class apart. Especially later at night when we saw the lights go off one by one.
We were off to Penang next morning by bus. We boarded the bus from old railway station. The country side looked very beautiful and the spot where the bus stopped in the middle for snacks was also so mich better than similar stops I have seen in India. Our country has lots of catching upto do on the infrastructure front.
At Penang we stayed at Grand Continental. The hotel was not that great but the area around the hotel was pretty good. We saw the previous tallest building of Malaysia pretty closely. The Comtar has some good shopping complexes and there is a new up coming mall behind the Penang times square. I bought a baseball cap there for myself. We again tried to look for Baskin Robbins but could not find it. We found out that there is a Baskin Robbins in Platicus mall in Penang but that was pretty far from where we were.
Next day we had a guided city tour when Danny Lee(our driver) took us around Penang to Batik factory, Fort Cornwallis and the botanical garden. The best shopping we did was at the Batik factory where we bought some silk scarves. Best part of the Penang experience was the street food and Desi food over there. I would recomend everyone to eat Nasi kanda at Kassim restaurant near brick kiln road. Overall, the Penang experience was good though the weather was really hot. Still the strawberry cheesecake evaded us and Ruqaiya was sulking about the fact that she missed it at Genting.
We were off to Langkawi next day early morning at 7 am by boat. The boat journey was a fun experience. On reaching Langkawi, I met my driver who would take me to the Aseania resort. I could locate a Baskin Robins right behind the driver at the Jetty station and that made Ruqaiya really happy. Like her purpose for the journey was fulfilled and she had her strawberry cheesecake, The ice cream flavour that she loved so much but never found during her stay in India.
On reaching Aseania resort, we found out that the rooms were still occupied and we have to come back around 3 pm to checkin. Ruqaiya and I went with the guide to watch the underwater world and had our lunch at an Indian restaurant right next to the Cenang beach. It was an expensive but great lunch. I had wanted to swim throughout the journey but for some reason did not find time when there was a pool and did not find a pool when there was time. The first day in Langkawi concluded with a good walk down the beach at Cenang beach and with a plan to return the next day for water sports.
Next day began late but we had planned to go for adventure sports. I had my swim in the pool while Ruqaiya got ready for the day at the beach. At the beach both of us enjoyed jet ski-ing and para gliding. Paragliding especially was a mindblowing experience. The instructor told us that if both of us go together, we will fly like a bird but fall like a coconut. Thats what happened, but in the process I lost my cap and Ruqaiya conquered her fear of hieghts. That day was the best part of the journey where we did something that involved adrenaline rush together.
This adventurous day was followed by a terrible complimentary dinner at the Aseania resort. The dinner was full of half cooked meat dishes. It put off Ruqaiya completely. I did not enjoy the dinner though found it edible. The dinner was followed by a long walk on the beach. It was a beautiful sight for me to walk with my life partner on a beach where there was a group of youngsters playing music. It was like being played for us.
We flew back the next day from Langkawi-KL-Bangalore. The journey was an unforgettable one but began a new chapter in my life. I am happy to start this journey with Ruqaiya as my life partner and looking forward to spend rest of my life with her.
PS: Now I am back at work updating my blog in free time. Have new challenges to conquer. Especially get back to work schedule with full flow. Even need to get back my lost fitness. I had 10 buffet breakfasts and a party almost every night. More on this in the next post.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Another reason to celebrate the children's day
Twenty years ago on the childrens day(nov 14th) a child(almost) announced his arrival in international cricket. He was a 16 year old and stood 5ft 5in tall. Everybody said he would make it big and he has lived up to every unrealistic expectation our nation had. Twenty years have passed and he has the same child like enthusiasm towards the game as he did on day one. He is Sachin Tendulkar a legend and an inspiration to everyone.
Sachin was picked into the national side within one year of 1st class cricket which included debut centuries in Ranji trophy, Irani trophy and Duleep trophy. He is the only Indian cricketer to have such a start to his 1st class career. His first international tour was a visit to Pakistan. He faced the fiercest fast bowling attack fearlessly and had moderate success but showed his true potential in an exibition game at Peshawar where he wallopped Abdul Qadir for 28 runs in an over. The kid had now arrived.
Soon after he scored test centuries in Perth and Manchester. Indian cricket team was considered pretty weak against fast bowling, especially in alien conditions. However, the real turn around to his international career was when he opened the innings in an ODI in Aukland. He smashed 82 off 49 balls. There was no looking back since. Though he got his first ODI hundred after 73 ODI's, he made up and scored hundreds in dozens. He was such a high impact player for close to a decade that if Sachin fired India won else the Indian cricket team was pretty ordinary. Many other young cricketers had similar starts to their career but few stood the test of time.
He had a brief stint as Indian test/ODI captain. He was not that successful as a leader just to prove that he is a human after all(contrary to belief of many cricket fanatics). Even his batting form slumped(only by his standards). During that transition phase from Azhar to Ganguly era many felt that this is the end of Sachin. That was when the best opening partnership of ODI cricket was born. Sachin/Sourav broke all possible records possible and Indian cricket touched new hieghts under Sourav's leadership. Sachin played a pivotal role as a senior member of team India. Sourav was a great leader who must take the credit for making most of the young cricketing talent of India.
Many players like Yuvraj, Zaheer, Harbhajan and Dhoni came in and made a mark for themselves. India was now a team that did not completely depend on Sachin's performance to win. Sachin adjusted his game as per the teams requirements. That was a phase where his genius was a bit overshadowed by the overall team performance. We have seen so many stars get carried away with stardom and lose sight as cricketers and as team members. But Sachin has always been a cricketer par excelence who played for the team, records just came along.
The innings of 175 last week silenced his critics in a big way. He was criticised for being the old man of the team. A selfish player who scored only when it did not matter. He was considered a failure in finals. He played some of the best innings under pressure in the last couple of years. The team might have lost but he certainly did his job. When such criticism is made, it is often forgotten the number of victories were set up because of his start and opener is not the one expected to finish a run chase.
A lot was written about his injuries, age and fitness levels but he has been the greatest ambassador of the game. He has been one of a kind who played with total dedication and discipline. One of the qualities anybody could imbibe in professional life.
When I reflect on my career at this moment I feel the need to stay focussed on achieving excelence at my craft. There is a lot to be achieved but there is no shortcut to success. It is easy to get carried away with some success but consistently achieving and striving for excelence is what matters.
PS: All these things are possible if and only if one loves and enjoys his work.
Sachin was picked into the national side within one year of 1st class cricket which included debut centuries in Ranji trophy, Irani trophy and Duleep trophy. He is the only Indian cricketer to have such a start to his 1st class career. His first international tour was a visit to Pakistan. He faced the fiercest fast bowling attack fearlessly and had moderate success but showed his true potential in an exibition game at Peshawar where he wallopped Abdul Qadir for 28 runs in an over. The kid had now arrived.
Soon after he scored test centuries in Perth and Manchester. Indian cricket team was considered pretty weak against fast bowling, especially in alien conditions. However, the real turn around to his international career was when he opened the innings in an ODI in Aukland. He smashed 82 off 49 balls. There was no looking back since. Though he got his first ODI hundred after 73 ODI's, he made up and scored hundreds in dozens. He was such a high impact player for close to a decade that if Sachin fired India won else the Indian cricket team was pretty ordinary. Many other young cricketers had similar starts to their career but few stood the test of time.
He had a brief stint as Indian test/ODI captain. He was not that successful as a leader just to prove that he is a human after all(contrary to belief of many cricket fanatics). Even his batting form slumped(only by his standards). During that transition phase from Azhar to Ganguly era many felt that this is the end of Sachin. That was when the best opening partnership of ODI cricket was born. Sachin/Sourav broke all possible records possible and Indian cricket touched new hieghts under Sourav's leadership. Sachin played a pivotal role as a senior member of team India. Sourav was a great leader who must take the credit for making most of the young cricketing talent of India.
Many players like Yuvraj, Zaheer, Harbhajan and Dhoni came in and made a mark for themselves. India was now a team that did not completely depend on Sachin's performance to win. Sachin adjusted his game as per the teams requirements. That was a phase where his genius was a bit overshadowed by the overall team performance. We have seen so many stars get carried away with stardom and lose sight as cricketers and as team members. But Sachin has always been a cricketer par excelence who played for the team, records just came along.
The innings of 175 last week silenced his critics in a big way. He was criticised for being the old man of the team. A selfish player who scored only when it did not matter. He was considered a failure in finals. He played some of the best innings under pressure in the last couple of years. The team might have lost but he certainly did his job. When such criticism is made, it is often forgotten the number of victories were set up because of his start and opener is not the one expected to finish a run chase.
A lot was written about his injuries, age and fitness levels but he has been the greatest ambassador of the game. He has been one of a kind who played with total dedication and discipline. One of the qualities anybody could imbibe in professional life.
When I reflect on my career at this moment I feel the need to stay focussed on achieving excelence at my craft. There is a lot to be achieved but there is no shortcut to success. It is easy to get carried away with some success but consistently achieving and striving for excelence is what matters.
PS: All these things are possible if and only if one loves and enjoys his work.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Need of the hour...
Last few weeks have been an amazing journey for me. Since my last post life has been really dynamic on the work front. I have done almost everything except what I am good at. Problem is I am not sure of the role I am supposed to fulfil in my project. I have done development, production support and even done testing. All that without requirement documents. This is the flipside of working in a smaller company especially when things don't go as per plan. You have to be utilised by hook or by crook. Especially, when Uncle Sam does not want you to visit him. As far as I am concerned, Uncle Sam is not the most important thing. There is a much bigger world to be explored. I would rather look ahead.
I have been thinking for the last few days whats the way forward? I guess for now I should start relearning things right from the scratch. One big thing that I have gained from my current project is being able to look at things in its completeness. I have to relearn my existing skill again with respect to new insights I have gained from the current project.
Apart from work I have been busy with sherwani shopping and some other stuff focussed on the big day in december. It has been fun to look for sherwani. Especially considering that there are very few showrooms that sell sherwani's not made of silk. Silk-sherwani is such an oxy-moron. One of the things strongly disliked by the holy prophet is muslim men wearing gold or silk. Yet it is not easy to find a traditional muslim attire without silk. Hypocracy is widespread and can only be addressed within ones limits. These things cannot be changed easily and there are more important issues to be addressed.
Another thing on my mind is getting fit. I started jogging and exersizing last week. It has been a beginning after a month of recovery from post fever weakness.
To sum up the post... need of the hour right now is... I need a new start in all aspects. Professionally, I need to start learning my craft right from the basics. Personally as well I need to restart my fitness program and also get connected with some of the long lost friends keeping the big day in december in mind.
I have been thinking for the last few days whats the way forward? I guess for now I should start relearning things right from the scratch. One big thing that I have gained from my current project is being able to look at things in its completeness. I have to relearn my existing skill again with respect to new insights I have gained from the current project.
Apart from work I have been busy with sherwani shopping and some other stuff focussed on the big day in december. It has been fun to look for sherwani. Especially considering that there are very few showrooms that sell sherwani's not made of silk. Silk-sherwani is such an oxy-moron. One of the things strongly disliked by the holy prophet is muslim men wearing gold or silk. Yet it is not easy to find a traditional muslim attire without silk. Hypocracy is widespread and can only be addressed within ones limits. These things cannot be changed easily and there are more important issues to be addressed.
Another thing on my mind is getting fit. I started jogging and exersizing last week. It has been a beginning after a month of recovery from post fever weakness.
To sum up the post... need of the hour right now is... I need a new start in all aspects. Professionally, I need to start learning my craft right from the basics. Personally as well I need to restart my fitness program and also get connected with some of the long lost friends keeping the big day in december in mind.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Eid Mubarak.
It is that time of the year when ones heart has mixed feelings. One of joy looking ahead to the feast and one of slight emotion thinking of the fasting. For me it is slightly different this time. I am recovering from the high fever I had till yesterday. In the process I could not fast for three days.
This Ramadan was a very challenging one as some of the most difficult work situations came and went causing minimum harm. My US visa is still stuck with the consulate in Chennai. They want to review my background till perhaps till the client has blowed the wistle on the project or maybe till I no longer want to visit their lovely country. There are more important events happening in my life in the near future. Anyway, Uncle Sam always commands and we all are expected to listen.
Tomorrow is gonna be a reward for the fasting and worship done through the holy month and the celebrations should get life back on track. A new routine after that. Whether I visit Uncle Sam or not, I have to start to work hard on my fitness and there is lots of shopping left for the big day in December. I have to hurry with that big time.
Lots to plan and do in time to come but as far as tomorrow is concerned, only thing I have on my mind is eat, celebrate and wish everybody "Eid Mubarak".
This Ramadan was a very challenging one as some of the most difficult work situations came and went causing minimum harm. My US visa is still stuck with the consulate in Chennai. They want to review my background till perhaps till the client has blowed the wistle on the project or maybe till I no longer want to visit their lovely country. There are more important events happening in my life in the near future. Anyway, Uncle Sam always commands and we all are expected to listen.
Tomorrow is gonna be a reward for the fasting and worship done through the holy month and the celebrations should get life back on track. A new routine after that. Whether I visit Uncle Sam or not, I have to start to work hard on my fitness and there is lots of shopping left for the big day in December. I have to hurry with that big time.
Lots to plan and do in time to come but as far as tomorrow is concerned, only thing I have on my mind is eat, celebrate and wish everybody "Eid Mubarak".
Friday, September 11, 2009
Topsy turvy
This ramadan has truly been the most eventful one of my life. It began with a buzz that I have to visit Uncle Sam for a knowledge transition. I had to reschedule my visa interview date because the client invite was unavailable. When the client invite was available, I got busy solving a major bug. Luckily, everything so far has got through but...
Yesterday, I was in Chennai to attend the visa interview in the USA consulate. It was a good journey. I landed in Chennai just around the sehri time and met Zafar. I was pleasantly surprised to see how organised his appartment was. A very rare organized bachelor appartment. He took me to the consulate. The consulate experience was just like the one I had two years back. Some questions were asked and I was told "Sir, we need to process your case further. You can check the website for the latest".
However, one difference this time is that they have taken my passport. There is hope that the visa will be through. Question is, "WHEN?". The whole plan is a very topsy turvy one as I need to visit Uncle Sam early to be back in time for my wedding this December. The journey back to Bangalore was also good as I was just again back in time for sehri. The best part this ramadan has been that the busy schedule has not disturbed my ramadan plans.
If the visa is through by next week, there could be another interesting case that I might not get the Eid-ul-Fitr after fasting through the holy month. In the USA Eid is scheduled on Sunday and in India on Monday. If I fly out of Bangalore on Sunday, I'll miss the festivities in both the countries. I had plans of joining my cousins in Detroit to celebrate eid. This one has truly been a very funny situation.
Everything said and done, I hope and pray things fall in place and above all next few months are fun. There is lots of work, but also an opportunity to learn and enjoy. I am hoping for the best but I'm prepared for anything that the Almighty has planned for me.
Yesterday, I was in Chennai to attend the visa interview in the USA consulate. It was a good journey. I landed in Chennai just around the sehri time and met Zafar. I was pleasantly surprised to see how organised his appartment was. A very rare organized bachelor appartment. He took me to the consulate. The consulate experience was just like the one I had two years back. Some questions were asked and I was told "Sir, we need to process your case further. You can check the website for the latest".
However, one difference this time is that they have taken my passport. There is hope that the visa will be through. Question is, "WHEN?". The whole plan is a very topsy turvy one as I need to visit Uncle Sam early to be back in time for my wedding this December. The journey back to Bangalore was also good as I was just again back in time for sehri. The best part this ramadan has been that the busy schedule has not disturbed my ramadan plans.
If the visa is through by next week, there could be another interesting case that I might not get the Eid-ul-Fitr after fasting through the holy month. In the USA Eid is scheduled on Sunday and in India on Monday. If I fly out of Bangalore on Sunday, I'll miss the festivities in both the countries. I had plans of joining my cousins in Detroit to celebrate eid. This one has truly been a very funny situation.
Everything said and done, I hope and pray things fall in place and above all next few months are fun. There is lots of work, but also an opportunity to learn and enjoy. I am hoping for the best but I'm prepared for anything that the Almighty has planned for me.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Time to introspect, repent and reform
The new moon tonight will kickstart the holy month of ramadan. The month when the noble Quran was revealed as a guidance to mankind. It is a month when a believer connects with his creator by submitting himself completely. One completely gives up on food, drink and other pleasures from dawn to dusk to exersize self control. It is the month of introspection, repent and reform.
It is a month when a muslim gives zakath(2.5% of savings) to the needy. It is a reminder to the ummah "stop being greedy...help the needy". It is a reminder that the wealth, life and every other possession is only an amanah from Allah. To spend it in his path will only increase the wealth in terms of barakah(blessing).
For me personally it is yet another new beginning. I will start working on a new project and might have to visit Uncle Sam for some consulting work. Looks like this ramadan might be spent half at home and half with Uncle Sam. It will be an interesting experience. This will be my second ramadan spent away from home.
Last couple of months have been very lazy for me. I have let myself down by being very laid back. I have not been moving in the right direction. The work has been monotonous and a bit boring. Though there has been an opportunity to learn I have not actually made the most of it. I need to introspect and get my life back on track.Need to get things moving in the right direction.
Beginning tomorrow, I have to focus on getting my sleep cycle on track. I have to make the most of the morning time. The best phases of my life have been when I got up for fajr and used the morning fruitfully. Sleep after fajr destroys the entire day. I can not work with a heavy head. Another priority is to continue with the understanding of the Quran. This endeavor has been on hold for sometiem now. I studied more than half of the book with understanding last year but suddenly dould not move ahead. Inshallah, I need to put some effort on that front as well.
Another thing I need to completely get rid of this newly acquired habit of procrastination. It surely does kill the opportunity. I have to start doing things now. To begin with I need to brush up with some of the technologies which I consider my strength but I am out of touch for a while now.
There is a lot on my plate(work wise). I hope this blog entry will get me back on the right track both professionally and personally. Inshallah, this will be a ramadan that will give me the right direction and make my life more valuable in all respects.
It is a month when a muslim gives zakath(2.5% of savings) to the needy. It is a reminder to the ummah "stop being greedy...help the needy". It is a reminder that the wealth, life and every other possession is only an amanah from Allah. To spend it in his path will only increase the wealth in terms of barakah(blessing).
For me personally it is yet another new beginning. I will start working on a new project and might have to visit Uncle Sam for some consulting work. Looks like this ramadan might be spent half at home and half with Uncle Sam. It will be an interesting experience. This will be my second ramadan spent away from home.
Last couple of months have been very lazy for me. I have let myself down by being very laid back. I have not been moving in the right direction. The work has been monotonous and a bit boring. Though there has been an opportunity to learn I have not actually made the most of it. I need to introspect and get my life back on track.Need to get things moving in the right direction.
Beginning tomorrow, I have to focus on getting my sleep cycle on track. I have to make the most of the morning time. The best phases of my life have been when I got up for fajr and used the morning fruitfully. Sleep after fajr destroys the entire day. I can not work with a heavy head. Another priority is to continue with the understanding of the Quran. This endeavor has been on hold for sometiem now. I studied more than half of the book with understanding last year but suddenly dould not move ahead. Inshallah, I need to put some effort on that front as well.
Another thing I need to completely get rid of this newly acquired habit of procrastination. It surely does kill the opportunity. I have to start doing things now. To begin with I need to brush up with some of the technologies which I consider my strength but I am out of touch for a while now.
There is a lot on my plate(work wise). I hope this blog entry will get me back on the right track both professionally and personally. Inshallah, this will be a ramadan that will give me the right direction and make my life more valuable in all respects.
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