Wrackspurt!

I thought I had missed July. But thankfully I had written a meaningless post, so the continuity is maintained. Phew!

Anyway, I haven’t been very active lately… and that is not going to change anytime soon. This post will explain everything that happened in between.

The Results

As expected, I flunked Embedded Systems….

Nah! I am just kidding. I passed all my subjects and I got double of what I was expecting in Embedded Systems. Yeah, miracles do happen. So now I am an IT professional working (undergoing training, to be precise) at one of the best IT companies. No more weeping over long essay questions for exams! Yay!

The Job

I had thought of updating you guys about my results the moment they came, but there were a few more urgent things to be done… like running downstairs, screaming “I PASSED I PASSED !!”.

Then of course I was busy shopping as I had to leave for Mysore on the 31st of July to join the company. Then I was here with a bunch of my friends.

The Hostel and The Classroom

I am living in a campus that is hundreds of acres huge. My hostel is on one end and the classroom is on the other. Every morning I have to walk for half an hour to reach my class. Of course there are cycles, but they are never available in the morning. Plus the terrain is undulating, which makes it easier to walk than cycle. I must say, my company cares about my health. Early morning walks and stuff.

The Campus

It’s great! Lovely! Beautiful! There’s a swimming pool, Tennis court, badminton court and other stuff that I haven’t tried.

The Health

Mysore has lovely weather. Keeps changing from cool to cold to sometimes wet (unlike Hyderabad’s disgusting hot and wet). As a result, my tonsils swelled with happiness in the first week itself. Luckily, we have an Apollo hospital in the campus itself and thanks to the nice doctor, I am fine again. Although I do have a cough.

The City

The first thing you will notice about Mysore is the traffic… or the lack of.

The downside is that there are too many pedestrians on certain streets. And also there are horse-drawn carriages, apart from the usual buses and autos. We went to see the Mysore palace, and frankly, I do not understand why all the fuss is being made about the palace. Too crowded and nothing special. Some dumb family paintings of some dead ruling family, whose name is too difficult to remember. Next time, I have decided to go to the Water park nearby rather than some heritage site. Realized history is not for me.

Something I noticed about the people of Karnataka (are they called Karnatakites or Kannads or Kannadians??). They seem to adore Salman Khan. The taxi that brought us from the Bangalore station to our Mysore campus played Salman Khan songs even though we protested for some peace and quiet. The bus that took me to Mysore city on my firist trip to the city also played Salman Khan songs, so did the bus that brought me back (maybe that is because it was the same bus!). Then a fruit seller called my friend “Salman Khan” in Mysore.

The Training

Well, the technical training started only last week. So it’s been pretty easy till now. We have daily assignments to be submitted and self-assessment tests. But our first MAIN test is on 31st August. The good thing is that there’s no mugging up of long answers. It’s going to be an objective test that will test our concepts!!! What I’ve always wanted! Still that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t worry.

***

That’s all for now. I will try to update week from this Reliance Web World store inside the campus. But no promises! Have fun.

There was a time when on the verge of doing something I used to stop and think about the consequences. Not those that would directly affect me, rather those that would affect people’s thoughts or opinions about me.

My condition would be similar to Kareena Kapoor’s when she would try to down a double cheeseburger. Oh I love Cheeseburger! Mmmm… smells delicious. The cheese! My mouth is watering. Just one bite. Just one. And she almost takes it when she thinks, Oh but I cannot eat it. I am size zero. If the media finds out I have been eating cheeseburger, then my career is over!

OK that is exaggerated. But hopefully point made. I used to worry a lot over what “people would think” if they found out. Then Imogen Heap (yes! She has the answer to many of my problems ) said:

Do what you feel.

Just how you like.

Nobody has to know.

These lines, from the song “Tidal”, just hit me like a slap. Through these lines, Imogen Heap told me, “Just do it Mobi. Nobody will know if you never let them “.

Today, I really fell in love with Lady Gaga’s “Telephone”. OK, I don’t like Lady Gaga, nor do I like her music. It’s trashy. Having said that, her music is my guilty pleasure, also Britney Spears’ (music, that is). Anyway, coming to the point, I was enjoying grooving to the music, when I had the urge to call someone up and tell them about the song, maybe play a bit of it over the phone. I thought and thought of people I know, who might be interested and I came up with… Niks – my best friend from junior college. My best friend – with whom I have not spoken for two years now. Or has it been three?

None of my (present) friends are interested in music (or at least not in the type I like). Don’t take this the wrong way friends, you are all great. We simply have different tastes, which is good because we learn a lot many things from each other. However I cannot deny that I feel left out when you guys discuss a Telugu movie or yap (oops, I don’t mean that) along in Telugu.

Niks and I were birds of the same feather. We had (almost) the same hobbies. He was the one who introduced me to English songs starting with Shania Twain (great songs), then Nelly Furtado (whom I adore) and a lot many more. In the middle of exam season, we would be on the phone talking about Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” when he would try the high note at the end, something I would never dare. Yes, sometimes he would irritate me with those endless “why” questions with the sole intention of annoying me (I mean that is just too childish!).

But then one day he did it! He said something that really hurt me and angered me, and I vowed never to speak to him again. Then suddenly today, Lady Gaga (of all people! Why not Imogen Heap or Florence and The Machine?) has made me want to dial his number – which is not saved in my mobile, but safe in my memory.

I am wondering if I should do it. Now. At 2:08 AM.

I don’t think this is such a good idea.

Update

Just in case you want to know, I tried the number last night… and nothing happened. It did not connect. There was a beep-beep, which could imply that the number is no longer in use. I decided to hit Niks’ land-line phone in the morning. But when I woke up, I decided that it was a good thing for the number to have changed because it is just stupid to call up an old friend after a two (or is three?) years gap and try to start a conversation. I mean what would we even say to each other?

I would say “Hey!!! Hi Niks!! How you doing??”

And he would reply “Uhh.. sorry who is this??”

Feeling slightly hurt, I would say, “Oh sorry. I am Mobi. From Intermediate. Remember? Anyway, I just called to talk about this song Telephone by Lady Gaga. “

He would either think I was crazy, pathetic and desperate for a friend, or he might choose to pretend to not remember me. After all, I always choose the latter option when I come across unwanted “friends” from junior college.

OK! Whoever’s running blog.co.in, you are bringing me over the edge. You are driving me mad!

It’s bad enough that you do not allow me to publish my own posts from my own admin console, but what is worse is the fact you are not notifying me via emails about comments posted on my blog, which is simply disappointing, because once I publish my post, I naturally wait for comments, which encourage me to write more.

I give you time till July, the 28th. If you do not fix the mess by then, I am moving to wordpress. I am giving you such a long time because July 28th is my blog’s birthday and also it takes a lot of time to transfer a blog (with so many posts connected to one another with hyperlinks, I will have to modify each one of them!)

So clear all the problems and be fast at it.

Today while chatting with a friend:

He: So do you have any plans?

Me: For life? Or for holidays?

He: Like when are you going to establish yourself and all that…

Me: Establish myself?? I am not a building or an organisation that needs establishing…!!!

-

On a serious note, I have never considered "establishing" myself. I have never made plans. OK, if you count the plan for preparing myself for the placement interview, then I have made one plan in my life. I guess that the fact that I am not a planner shows my poor managerial skills (which could be a good thing, because I have found that whatever Management subjects were included in our Engineering syllabus were downright boring.)

I never planned (nor intended) to take up Mathematics for my Intermediate, but one day my father just took me and admitted me off into the MOST horrible Junior college imaginable, for Math, Physics and Chemistry. Two years of torture. And if you take Math, of course you have to take Engineering. So here I am.

I have always taken life as it came. I took what it had to offer and went along with it. The results have not been especially bad. I have no regrets. Of course I complain about this and that now and then, but who doesn’t?

Coming back to the major question: When will I establish myself? Have children? Get married? (Oops marriage first, isn’t it?) Will I get married and have children at all? I don’t know (hopefully after I am thirty though). I am not going to plan it all out and then regret it when the plan falls apart. I’d rather just jump on this carnival ride and close my eyes, never knowing where it will take me (OK, that line’s borrowed from Carrie Underwood’s "Wheel of The World".) Who knows? I may have my own company "established" in 10 years. Or I may die in a plane crash (or car crash, anything.) Or be captured by terrorists while visiting Afghanistan and be held for ransom. Or I may become an Olympics swimmer (I cannot even swim yet). Or renounce the world and live on high mountains and dress myself in leaves. Or I may be a victim of a Tsunami or earthquake. Or I may become a chart-topping singer. Or a best-selling novelist. Or simply remain a dreamer.

The possibilities are endless. Why spoil the suspense and fun with a boring plan?

Went to the neighbourhood doctor to obtain a medical certificate to attach to my application form for the swimming classes.

I had to wait for about half an hour before the doctor arrived. Then he asked me my problem and I told him that I had no problem, but needed a medical certificate for swimming. He nodded and started writing the certificate.

While writing he asked me, “Where do you stay?”

“Oh in the lane right opposite to your clinic.” was my reply.

“So when anyone in the house needs medicines, where do you go?” he enquired.

Umm to the pharmacy, I thought. But then I felt he meant something else, so asked him, “Sorry?”

He repeated his query and it still sounded the same to me, so I replied, “I go to the pharmacy located at the crossroads, I forget the name.”

The doctor shocked, “What!? Don’t you go to a doctor!?”

Comprehension dawned on me. “Oh yes! We come to you for treatment. In fact, only two weeks ago I came to you with fever during my exam, remember?”

He could have asked me “Which doctor do you go to when anyone in the house falls sick?” Or maybe he didn’t want to use the work “sick”.

Then he asked me to pay at the reception, which was being (wo)manned by a lady. I handed a her a Rs. 50 note and got a terse reply that the fee is Rs. 100.

I don’t really understand the problem with receptionists. In my mind, receptionists are of two kinds: male and female.

The male receptionist is smug and proud, and when you approach him, he gives a look that says, “Hey, I know everything! But I will not help you! Maybe if you plead.”

The female receptionist sits pretty and looks snobbish with all those layers and layers of make-up. (I seem to have a problem with make-up. Simply dislike females who use too much of it.) She has that look, which simply says “Am I not the loveliest thing you have ever seen? Are you trying to hit on me? Don’t you dare.”

If you are a receptionist reading this, then don’t expect an apology. Rather mend your ways and be helpful. That is why you have been put on that counter.

Yes! I did!

Although technically, it wasn’t a swim. It would be called “floating on water”. And I have to stop for breath halfway across the breadth of the pool. Nor have I learnt to use my hands in the process. If I beat my hands, I forget about my legs, and promptly drown. Nevertheless, this is a HUGE progress from my childhood swimming classes, and although I still cannot swim to save my life (literally), I am happy as can be.

Anyways, wanted to write “Meeting The Ex – Part 2”, but felt this is a more significant post.

Toodles.

I am using Windows Live Writer while blog.co.in is under maintenance, so I just want to check if my posts can be… posted.

We all have them. The nosy ones, the bossy ones, the dull ones, the sweet ones, the bad ones.

In fact, I have loads of them. Problem is, I like only a very few of them. Most of them simply CANNOT stand seeing me relaxing during my holidays and give me piles of work, most of which is slow, boring, running-around-government-offices kind of work. Just because they are living elsewhere and have work they that needs doing here and just because I am the only young boy left here in this hell-hole, doesn’t mean that I should be the one to be picked to run boring errands AND not be paid or rewarded in some way. Even if I do agree to carry out someone’s work (which I do all the time), that someone should practise a little patience and not pester me with calls and ISD SMSes enquiring about that progress. After all, I HAVE got a LOT of my own work to do (yes I do have to book train tickets, open bank accounts, apply for PAN, register for NSR, fill a million online forms in order to be ready to join my job in the event that I pass my exams), therefore it may take me a day or two to finish their work.

Look, I may sound ungrateful. My relatives have a done a lot for me and my family, and I could probably never ever repay them. But what am I to do? I HATE doing government-related work (like PAN, Passport, etc) for my own sake and to do it for someone else is just a punishment.

I would be glad if the intended audience gets to read this. (In fact, one of them will, as I have to send them an email and my email signature has the link to this blog.) At least, I wouldn’t have to tell them directly.

PS: Blog.co.in moving to another server between 11th June and 13th June. So I will probably not be able to blog during that time. Think nothing of this post. It’s just a rant to relieve my aching head and bones.

***

Golden skin, silky hair

fresh smile, cheeks fair

cutest nose, juiciest lips

that sparkle in the eye

one cannot miss

A height to match

A weight to catch

A waist so small

to fit easily in my arms

So no surprise my heart skips a beat

***

Note: Don’t judge me by this awful piece of poetry. This was only written on request by someone. I do not have a girlfriend. I am not in love. This post is just to tease someone. Others can simply hate this piece of poetry (if you call it that) and not tell me about it. Hopefully, something sensible tomorrow.