As new year is around the corner, few happenings in my life - 2005.
January - This month has special strings attached to me; since both my mom’s & my Bday are in this month. Now a day I was traveling to home every week from bangalore since i joined this company. This was definitely a advantage than hyd. I felt i already like my work. I shifted from indira nagar house to airport road apartment, which was even more close to my office. Its hardly 10 min walk to my office.my previous place was like 15 min walk. I meet manesh. i am happy that he joined IBM. his office is 5 min walk from my office.went and meet him.
On my bday went to pillaiyar patti and shiva temple. this is the first time i am going there. i liked the temple very much. its definitely an awesome temple.its definitely one of the big temples.senthil told me about the temple.so we just stopped by.i decided to come to this temple when ever, i come to pilliyar patti. kovil elephant name is sivakami. we took couple of snaps and we went to thirukozhittiyur lord sowmiya narayan sawmi temple.. that's again wonderful temple. now its been some 5 months since i am driving my accent. i am more confident in highways and city traffics.
Febuary - Not sure whether I got my papers in jan or feb.I was not very much excited about it this time.My thoughts were its just another country.very usual month except, one of my project was experiencing all time low's because of improper plans, result work over time to cover it up. So I think I didn’t go to home for 2 week ends continuously and that became big news in my team, while in my other project my DM told going fwd even my project has to follow CMM standards. I started preparing all the necessary documents and getting proper approvals. My take away from this exercises were tremendous. I was tightly held between 3 of my projects leaving no time to breath.
March - Usual month going to home every friday and returning back on monday morning. Mom came to bangalore on a short trip mainly to see me, office, some shopping and to visit our old ellis nagar neighbor sambath amma, that week i was completely occupied roaming with my mom to all the shopping complex and so on. Believe me that was the first time i am experiencing week end bangalore life. There seems to be some thing in malls and theatres..girls and girls everywhere and they were looking beautiful too. I told OMG y did i miss all this for the last 6- 7 months. Till this time my bangalore was office, cafeteria, office park- i spent some time while talking to my friends,my apt, near by nandhini, annachi's, Little Italy, chinatown,KFC, Pizza hut, some restaurants I went with my friend in his bike few times, Bus ride to / from railway station, on friday’s I made a point to go only by bus so that i can see people, try understanding kannada (which i didn’t till i left India). I had my first appraisal with DM and got a very good hike. i felt really happy on the other end i was kind of confused, how i am going to resign from this company soon.
April - usual month except that project was getting stabilized and expected to end phase one by may, other 2 projects were also getting stabilized with induction of CMM stds, except for one incident.I forgot to take archive my code in VSS in a week end rush and US dev server crashed.(auto backup code was not enabled in this time) I couldn’t make much noise, since mistake was on my side. spent 3 nights in row to rewrite all the code for that implementation, my adrenaline was flowing in full, after my first appraisal and hike . Got stamping in passport after much dilemma gave my resignation.
May - Dad and mom came to bangalore for shopping since it’s high time to leave to US. I kept telling i dont want so many dresses. But this time i couldn’t counter to their arguments. So spent 2 whole days in shopping. This was the first time in my life i was spending days for dresses; else usually mom would buy for me. I just need to accompany her to the shop at maximum 1 hr. I am not very much particular about dress. (but ennoda friend’s ellam tsunami yee vanthu kathava thattunallum nalla dress, hairstyle illati kathava open panna mattanuga.)
Last day got relieved from office, after all exit interview and last minute rush. I was really moved by the best wishes, call and personal visit to my cube by all my colleagues, DM, SDM's. Before leaving office I went to cafeteria to say good-bye to boys there and buy some snacks for travel. Came back and said final good-bye to all in office and gate security also wished me all the best. I felt I lost a good career not another job in a techie company. I now fully understood the difference between a job and career. Left bangalore with final good-bye. Was in house for 2 days. Since this 1 month some time’s I don’t want to go to US, but if I saw this no one would believe me, so kept quite.
I packed my bags to begin life again in the far away land called USA, I left my lovely Mother. I left my temple town madurai.I left my mama,pangalli,machi friends.I left the great company that i have ever worked.I left everything and everyone I knew to start a life as IT Consultant.Armed with a ticket to Chicago, 2 suitcases full of cloths,Books,home food items that my mother forcibly packed. Dad was fully excited about US job even though we had mind full of cold indifference, I leapt into the darkness at 10 pm from chennai international airport.I still remember how hard i felt for the very first time when i left my mother.
I didn't know what awaited me on the other side, but I was determined to explore the new land and chase the american dreams. I had left the past behind – after all, how much of it could I pack into Air India's 70kg luggage allowance? The future was uncertain. I was suspended in an emotional abeyance. I had washed out 27 years of memories – some wonderful, some unpleasant. Now my mind was sterile and void of nostalgia. Thus I arrived, numb and indifferent.chicago was looking good and weather was awesome in month end.
June – came to phoenix on a short term project.got a new room mate luckly there was a bus service from my apt to office. so no much change.but i didnt like US that much. i had all the disliking that every new comer to US will have.. i started thinking of going back to india asap.every 1 told i am lucky to have a bus service.slowly i was trying to settle down.summer was in its peak temperatures going over 100F.Oh boy i definitely miss my champions league, EPL, and whole lot of foot ball and F1. here food ball is called soccor.
July - went to california with roomie on long weekend.This is my first long drive trip to other state. i did enjoy it.did all usual things that any tourist to calif would do.no thing much to say except work was demanding in client place.my roommate left to india and never came back. temperatures was easily crossing 120 F.for the first time i saw beggers in streets and demanding food and drink.
August - transfered apt lease to my name. learned a lot about lease systems in US. my frustration was all time high.started seriousy thinking about going back to india.got a new friend mohammad.now a days i came with him. he used to drop me in my apt in evenings..some how i was oke, but still i didnt like US. weekends i enjoyed really well. getting up late in saturday afternoon around 12 prepare food, take a short shower and swim like as if there is no tomorrow for 2 hrs. take bath. take food and sleep again. get up at 6 pm sharp. go for downtown. hangout in downtown till 8 or 9 pm. take a veggie sub. india call for some time.and my sunday would start at 9 am.read books i had over and over. do all laundry.buy groceries for coming week. swim for an hour or so. eat and sleep and i am ready for next 5 days of work
September - during this time i believe security in bus and all over downtown was tight,occasionally i saw F-16's flying over. my project was over by 09/30. packed all the luggages. donated some dress and utensils we bought to salvage army. mohammad dropped me in airport.started thinking about driving, and a car for transport.some times i was thinking indian life in lot of aspects is better than my US life.one of the biggest disappointment was i never felt like i am in US mostly bcose of climate.. its much worse than chennai.but its realtively smallar town.. i was living in sub-urbs of phoenix.temperature is still hanging around 120 F's. its a god damn desert.
October - came to chicago again.back in india all my flight journey's were either good or oke, but flight journey has become pain in the neck.now my house is like 7 miles away from my office.but still its one of the shortest place's i can find..i decided to buy a laptop for my personal use during thanks giving week with my dream configuration. got new friends
November - got used with new office envirnment.Got a good grip on project requirements and was occupied with work mostly my team members are in EMEA region mostly.my first person laptop dell latitude- got it delivered.Its doing pretty good. bought some accessaries and back pack.got almost settled down.deepavali came in a working day. so just went to aurora balaji temple in the evening.except that no crackers, no nonsense suntv programs. Got new roomie
December - This month i almost got settled in chicago my first winter in US. i was not very much interested in them. i dont know why.i felt i miss my friends. i didnt find any one in my frequency or i couldnt adjust to other's frequency.I heared my x- roomie got a job. congrats and all the best da kumaresh.
Overall this year it was good year except i am away from India. I have my resolutions for 2006(resolutions ellam secret ippothaikku). let me see how things are gonna go.
