Series Stalking

"PB I'm addicted, I'm outta control..u r the drug that keeps me from dying"

Well this is my version of the Enrique song dedicated to Prison Break(PB)...my addiction for such TVseries' started with Heroes..
wait a min..I got to take a step back..it actually started with "I Dream of Jeannie", "Dennis the Menace" & "The 3 Stooges"..back then, I managed to finish up my homework so that I could catch a glimspe of Jeannie & Dennis..evenings were blocked for these shows & I wouldn't care for more TVwatching after my daily dose of these shows.
And then years later...there was this trip to US which actually introduced me to "Series Stalking" & "Desi Chores"
These are the most apt phrases according to me...as soon as a desi sets foot in the US, he is greeted by American desis(some wannabe americans too)..ppl who think thy know every thing abt the US & then there is a desi laundry list of things to do wen in the US..& one of the most imp items is downloading torrent & following a SERIES... yeah & if u don't ..well u cannot become an american desi... ;-)
Then there are standards to follow...u hav "SERIES TO START WITH"..within 2 months every desi who has never switched on star movies or HBO in his entire life embarks upon "FRIENDS"..(yes this is what everyone starts with)...people who in their initial 2 weeks in US are watching hindi movies or listening to sufi, qawaalis or pathetic songs on free, speedy internet move on from desi-ism to am-desi-ism & talk abt how many seasons of FRIENDS he/she has watched.

Now before this blog gets more desified..let's move on to topic at hand...I'll have to write another blog on American desis..I owe them one  !!

So off I was to catch hold of some series that I could cling on to..& found Heroes..I was just done with Xmen Origins: Wolverine
(for the record : I'm a die-hard fan of Hugh Jackman & this movie released on my B'day 1st May 2009 ..wat more cd I ask for ??)
& with the special power concept still fresh in my mind I was too inclined to watch it...few hours into the series & I was blown away...instant crush was Peter Peterelli...the person who was still discovering his powers .. as I clung on ...I was totally impressed by Sylar...Zachary Quinto portrayed the part so well it was almost real..Sylar was a person u'd love to hate...!!
I was in a different world altogether..some part of me longed for these powers...I used to pray to god daily to make me one of them....& then  I found some soulmates..ppl who longed for these powers too..we often used to ape our fav character ..guess that was as close as we got to the powers :-)

Came back to homeland .. the memories of Heroes still afresh in my head ..I convinced Chin to giv it a try too...(Initially it was "OMG..another US returned alien forcing ppl to get into the her mode !!"
..2-3 episodes down.."I don't understand wat's so great abt ths one"
..and finally..evn before he cd step inside the house.."I want to watch Heroes...are u sure u hav all seasons..all episodes?? I don't wanna brk the rhythm" Bingo !!

And Heroes was quickly followed by Prison Break(PB)...and many jailbreak movies...we got so puzzled at one point in time that we used to look for movie characters in series n vice-versa..this was followed by a long break...(Project Mayhem)...finally we started over with PB last week & there has been no looking back since...this was the first ever weekend wen we were done with all household chores by 12 PM to get on to PB.. :-) it's been really difficult to disconnect from it ...u keep thinking abt what happens next ..at home..at office practically everywhere..both of us have been unplugged from all prjct related discussions for past 1 week ..I haven't been able to fix a simple mapping for past 2 days as my mind wanders each time in the lanes of  Mexico, Kansas, Dallas & Fox River Penitentiary..!!

There are times I think I understand how saas-bahu serial addicts feel ..but wen I compare the content thy are put through...Serial Stalkers are better off..!!

Time to sign off...PB Calling :-)

The 3 Stooges

So here we are...3 of us..chatting over the customary cuppa tea/coffee on a sunny afternoon...only 3 of us now at this location...!!
We talk about many things....the weather, upcoming movies, a game of squash, weekend, lame projects, our resolutions & plans of quitting IT ..everything under the sun..but there's something we keep coming back to in every discussion-friends who traded places..people who were a part of this discussion until few days back..but are remotely logged in now :-)

Funny...ain't it..!! It feels like just yesterday when this group was formed..the foundation was laid on the shittiest project all of us ever worked in..guess that was the binding factor..most of us were alien to this new process(??) or lack of process...(I'm still confused) & wanted out of it...the group expanded over lunch gatherings..rapport caught up like fire & there we were enjoying the time OUT we got ..the Barista breaks, the mandatory 10 min walks..the bitching sessions, the  laughter riots..planning an outing every week..was fun.

Then came the parting times....and the parting times continued..now all we have is the 3 stooges left at this place...still sharing the old jokes, creating some new ones ......and yes...remembering one or the other stooge in the motley ..the stooge who logs in remote.. :-)

Timberland

The year 2011 ended with an awesome event...an epic wedding !!
I dwell into my childhood & there's this amazing bunch of people...Dad's best friends & their families.
We grew up together & were like extended families.

As we move on in life, there are numerous ppl we befriend-one has different cliques at different stages in life..sometimes these cliques intersect..& sometimes they are way apart.

We used to meet often ..at birthdays, get-togethers, summer /winter breaks, festivals...long weekends...!!!
I have so many beautiful memories -I think of forests, trees, those huge government quarters, that carefree life & the games we played..riding tricycles, bicycles, to hitching a ride with the orderly...fighting for the corner seat in jeep when we hardly sat on it ...coz we were always dancing & jumping around.

I can never stop talking about the awesome time we had at Nepanagar-
It was a very small town famous for the paper mill...since our background was "The Forest Department"....the postings were always at small, peaceful towns with abundant greenery, huge bungalows..most of them built by the British & slow life.
We were quite close to this place & a visit to Nepa was always on the cards whenever Dad & his friends felt the need for a quick reunion..
As soon as you land into Nepa-the VCR used to be turned on with the movie : "Amar, Akbar, Anthony"...we kids were so much in love with it....watched it with the same rigor each time-(precisely at every trip-countless)
By the time we were done with AAA, supper was already at the table & then there was this lush green lawn outside with bonfire set up...we played  & played till we were sleepy only to wake up next mornin for a quick Bfast & a walk to the nearby forest....it was a walk uphill with trees swaying at both ends..collecting pebbles, stones, dry leaves & flowers..& the soft twigs...we often used to pack bread-butter & bottle of water for an all -kid- picnic..& then at times we encountered these nasty monkeys & used to run downhill with double speed....!!!
The worst time was to get out of Nepa -get to our place & get started with school..

This is one pack I never lost touch with-no matter how much our lives drifted apart, we were always in touch.
And then came the time for this epic wedding-GRB(as we all call him) was getting married -it was a pact not to be broken-the reunion of childhood friends..& we had a gala time ..the journey to-and-fro, recalling the Nepa visits , our kiddish fights, the jungle escapes, to dancing on all songs we loved all these years- fab vacation-I was a kid again ...!!!

Why this Kolaveri Di ???

Do I really need to put any clever lines to jumpstart this blog..?? ..the title says it all...

"Why this Kolaveri Di" has created quite a furore..a week full of FB updates...this time Kolaveri updates took over the Thanksgiving updates..consistent updates mussay...all my friends clinging to the word ...it has toppled everything that was popular before this...for once it might have even taken over Rajni-isms or Sardar jokes...
And I got to know the global popularity of this chartbuster wen one fine morning mom called up & asked.."Hey did u chk out this Kolaveri song?? I kinda like it !!!"
I was Knocked out !!! Now this is Kolaveri Di !!!

Though literally it means "murderous rage" the word has become the most popular word to save ur day..:-)
So wen u don't find a better word to fill in go ahead & use Kolaveri...
While it's applied as : "Why this Cola Very D " &  Mr. Joker utters "Why so Kolaveri Di???" I'd like to take a step further to use it -

We could have high defect bugs defined as "Kolaveri"...so instead of Showstopper u see KOLAVERI flashing in Red on ur screen..

Kolaveri should be the answer to all "Good Questions" If my manager pesters me next time with irksome questions I should be allowed to say Kolaveri & get away

No appraisal forms please...i m so sick of them..ask me to put Kolaveri in the form & rest all assured(well u already know wat ur fate's gonna be..even though u put pages of appreciation abt urself in tht form)

And now my favorite part..being the movie freak, u tend to get there don't u ??

Hollywood can cash on a lot from this word...Y don't pick up the word & create sequels, trilogy out of it ??
Mission Kolaveri, Mission Kolveri Di ...Mission Kolaveri Tri ??? :P
The Lord of Kolaveri, Kolaveri Panda, Kolaveri Age-I,II,III.. A Ferry named Kolaveri, When Kolaveri met Di, Wolverine could be name Kolaverine..and the famous dialogs could be tweaked :
"My name is Di, Kolaveri Di"
"Houston, We have Kolaveri"
"Hasta La Vista, Baby" can be replaced with "Kolaveri, Baby"

Apna Bollywood is never behind..imagine Gabbar guffawing & asking Sambha:
"Wo 2 they aur tum teen...fir bhi wapas aa gaye"
"Sardar...Kolvaeri Di"

"Pushpaa...I hate Kolaveri...re"

Rockstar to KolaStar & Ra-one to Kola-One.. Kolaveri can kill thm all !!

I can keep churning Kolaverisms & before I get deeply engrossed in Kolaveri-fever, I'll call it a "Di"
Kolaveri is definitely going places !!

Mission Impossible !!

Gosh...I've got plethora of trainings to complete...u rem those mandatory ones ..don't u..???
Jeezzzzz!!!....1+ month on beach & I'm so lagging behind!!!!

This is the thought churning in the techie's head every day..rather each EOD ..so next morning after the traditional chores..

(u know rt..a day in techie's life involves ...abusing traffic, abusing oneself of being Goofy, GFN(good for nothing) ....vowing each day to become faster, smarter, fitter..... somehow reaching ofc..logging on to FB...(till outlook syncs all folders)...chking everyone's status....pics of ur long lost buddies who are settled in the US ...how thy seem to be enjoying every weekend of their lives...wen u r weekends look so messy n just fly by ...then there are some ppl who u hate so much but thy are still on ur friends' list..looking at their happy faces makes u feel oh so pathetic abt u r life...tht's wen u logout of FB to chk Outlook..only to lock it in less than 2 mins n rush out to grab a cup of coffee)

....the techie(referred to as "U" going forward) registers for some training after careful R&D(asking colleagues which one's easy to wrap up & has easy assessment Qs)
"Industry trainings ...Reforms , 101,202 bla bla bla..."

Okay..so the training page opens...YAWN!!!!!! couple of lines are read through fast,with an exclaimation "Big Deal" ..u move on....
10 lines down..."YAWN 2"...oh oh. u are stuck on the same line for 15 mins...login agn on FB...refresh it cpl of times...nothing worth ogling..
Open up IBNLIVE..."Mayavati to churn out 4 states outta UP...!!" hell yeah..this is the only way she can giv Chetan Bhagat a tough competition..."endless Aishwarya & Big Boss updates later..u flip back to the training page ..
Line 15 agn..for 5 mins "YAWN 3"..so u fall back on the age-old sleep bhagao formula..Music...!!
You queue up some latest songs on the media player & take a shot at the training agn..
"Firms will likely need more capital...........Kun Faya Kun..faya kun faya kun....."  "YAWN 4"
change the song...
"In the near future...Keh do my chammak challo....surely m gonna get u ..."
"YA YA YA.....oh YA YA YA ......Ohhh yay yayyy"....

Your mind totally off the training...u start a random topic of conversation with a colleague right next to u over instant messenger(IM) & then invite more colleagues on the same chat..pull someone's legs & then make a last attempt at the training ..

"Tougher standards linked to...Sadda Haq...etthe rakh ......tum logon ki iss duniya mein har kadam pe insaan galat...main sahi samajh ke jo bhi karun..tum kehte ho galat....!!! "

There u go ...u r so deeply engrossed in the song..everything in your life can be linked to it...this is the perfect song to describe ur life..so u go back listen to this song 4 times on high volume..start headbanging...and get carried away to some unknown destination...!!!

And then the IM flashes again...time for lunch..friends calling up...u shut down the song..rush off for lunch...& are elated that u only have to deal with half-a -day now..as goes for the training page::
"The page has expired due to prolonged inactivity.Please re-login to continue"

The Techie's life moves on..!!

Striking Contrast

Yeah..!!!! Finally after almost 1.5 yrs of endless struggle I have some vela time to myself :-)

In normal IT world this time is called "Bench Time" but my organisation has an entirely innovative name for it..."BEACH" ....it took me a while to make peace with this word...the first few times I heard it,thought I'd mistakenly heard it as such ...
So Beach time or "On the Beach" is the time when you are rolled off the responsibilties of a never-ending project (I can blabber endlessly on how outrageous this project was but let's not get into it now).
There's this endless toil & hardwork u've put in for months together & u get so much involved in it that u literally start seeing the biz codes in vehicle number plates...spend sleepless nights & weekends trying to get things together to come outta the "GO-NO GO" phase wen one mrng u r jus kicked off....Gosh it hurts... !!!
Atleast I had my ego bruised a bit ..thn there's more to it..u get nasty reminders & emails...pls log u r time by eod to update ur resume, ppl are after u for documents & last but not the least..."vacate ur place email"
This is wen the word beach makes complete sense as u r literally stripped off ..u have no place, no responsibilties...no work....

But look at the positive side..it took me 10 mins to take the anger & frustration out & it was an amazing feeling..I felt like a free bird...this burden that I carried on my head for so long was just gone...!!!
I had so many things to think about..the first thing I did was book my tkts...break time..time to go home...
(Home is word IT ppl use for their hometown...no wonder where we live "ghar/home" is where ur parents stay & u visit ..best destination to get recharged)

So I had this fun filled trip home ,caught up the dandiya fever & came back a refreshed person ...
The past few weeks have been good given the rigorous routine I have had from past 1 yr..was 200% occupied with setting up both home & data ...;-)
This is something that goes more with the word beach...now that the picnic's gonna be over,
         "I'm gonna miss this beach!!"

Project MA(y)HE(o)M(e)

"For good plans, you pay now.  For bad plans, you may pay now and will pay later."

Apt word of caution for any one who's pipe-dreamin of  building a space of his own..!!
Well we fell into that pipe too ... :)

Vani & Chin were two happy souls- Good old pals who decided to be friends for life...
Their life was relaxed, chilled, laid back...like any other IT couple who spend 5 days cannonballing through traffic; deadlines & defects & the weekend whiling time ,shopping for unnecessary stuff; worrying abt the peanutty salary & miniscule, receding account balance -thinking...(mind it only thinking)..about achieving smthng big some day !!

And then, on a not so "dark & stormy day" (rather...a very bright & sunny day as summer was around), the brilliant idea of possessing a house of their own banged in their heads...tht's where the fun began...

Survey, going thru numerous ads, visiting places in the scorching sun, collecting brochures, brainstorming, evaluating affordability went on for months ....all they did for a couple of weekends was call up agents, set time, visit sites, brainstorm agn...
Poor souls...by EOW(End of Weekend) they were exhausted, irritated,mortified & petrified...so much so that thy longed for the weekdays & hated weekends... :-)

After 3 months of hunting they decided to call it quits & be contended with the rented place..but the sorry traffic only added to their woes...& they started looking out agn...but a rented spot this time ...well that was not meant to be..3 years in a comfortable house only spoils ppl & thy don't want to settle for less..

This lead to the revival of HouseHunt..they went over few options & finally narrowed down on the same apartment they liked 3 months back....but Vani was admant as it wasn't a comfortable travel given the distance & the lonely stretch(that was the only excuse she had..the place was jus awesome..but she was used to getting down the apartment n stepping into an auto, she thought it wasn't worth the pain.."SpoilSport !!!")
So this kind of went into a pending state....for as long as 2 months..it took considerable amt of cajoling, visiting the place n times & reflecting back for her to agree..(Pity Chin...din't take him this much time & effort to get her to say "Yes" the first time...Aah...!! ...<no more comments> !!)

Finally the house was purchased, formalities done...how u wish it was that easy..now u need to turn the house into your home..nothin emotional here..builders are smart ppl..they sell u a ready to move-in house..which is not really ready to move-in....that's where the designers debut....builders might be smart but these guys...thy surpass everyone....u gain PhD in Mortification...

So the bubbling enthusiasm of designing a space of their own -which was clutter-free, super-contemporary,out of the ordinary(a smart home to be short) was curbed down by the struggle that went in planning & getting the basics right.

I read this amazing quote smwhere :
"Do you think that the devil's in the house plan details?   The only devil in the house plan details of whom we know is the devil serving lazy, lousy home designers and home builders."

True..Devils they are...devils you cannot curse, scream, yell at, thy make u drink from your nose & make u feel happy abt it...u got to turn ur grimaces into grins..snarls into sweet talks...scowl into smiles....u gotta master the art of patience...!!

Phew...!! Vani & Chin -here they were caught into an infinite loop of travelling b/w work, new house & old house..(and our dear spoilsport was also working on a prjct with so calld strict deadlines...she found it easy to skip the new home class..Chin was all by himself..into the deep dust (..of wood accumulated in the house...) it was like a 30 km ride each day....problems din't see an end, there were absolutely no solutions...none..just a lousy bunch of people(the devils) who thought they were too good with their work no matter how mch thy spoiled it...
                      
                      Project My Home turned into Project Mayhem..

On & on it went...thanks to the devils...the notice to the landlord was revised twice..and then the deadline came in..thy had to move...!!! Yes move to the new house..but guess what...timelines were not met..it was still not ready to move-in..but thy did move-in..hoping one day..yes one day thy'll have the chance to unpack..

This gets me to another tailored to perfection set I read :
"Whatever you know about designing a home isn't likely much.  Really.  Whatever you know about building a home isn't likely much, either.  For sure.   So where you are is in-between folks who know way more than you do about the home you're paying out the nose to get home-designed and built, live in for maybe a major chunk of your time on this earth, sell someday to cash-in.  You know more about groceries than about home design and home building.  That can change, but only if it's in you to get from here to there"

We will get from here to there..."We shall overcome...we shall overcome..Someday...!!"