Monday, May 10, 2010

Monday, the 10th of May, 2010

I've been neck deep into specs the whole day and I reserved this post for the end of the day, so that I have some incentive to finish my work :) It's been a crazy Monday as usual, but special though- the day when I joined the company I work for, six years ago. Ever since, lot of things have changed - the team, the work, the people I work with and even the country- the only constant being the company.
Lot of things to reminisce about - night outs in the office, home drop anytime in the night, a bad dinner at Windows of the World(yes...what name for a restaurant!) with the rotten coconut chutney, movies in the conference rooms, dance practise for the annual party, the late night customer web chats with less participation but good food from Olive Garden, the unforgettable chai time gossip with the girls gang(god knows how many people were victimized!), the sense of accomplishment on getting your tool working after spending the whole night on it, thank you mails from customers who say their job has been saved, difficult times when you figure in the post mortem when things take a bad turn, the adrenaline rush when you break the build when you really shouldn't have, the innumerable team lunches, coffee treats at Barista, the heated discussions around design and bug decisions etc. etc. (I cant think of more right now!)
Hoping that the years to come are as interesting and eventful as the past ones have been.

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Happy birthday Appa!

It's my dad's 60th birthday...yes....time flies so fast! I still remember my 'Daddy strongest' running behind me to ensure I don't crash into the bush, as I wheeled away in my new BSA champ bicycle. It still seems like yesterday when my dad dropped me at the bus stop and when I realised that the bus had just left that I coaxed him to overtake the bus and drop me at the next stop (which obviously he couldn't as my dad never drove faster than 30 kmph :))
I am not near him this year for his birthday, and so I let me thoughts flow along about the wonderful dad he has been. Though I feel this all the time, there are very few times when I would have expressed this to him. So here it goes - this post is dedicated to the only man I trust completely - my dad!
My dad has been with me all throughout - whether it was the speech competition at school, or the state board examination or the extremely stressing campus interviews at college and even during times when I had to make important personal decisions - by my side, helping me understand that life did not end with these situations and there was a lot more in store for me to face, and above all giving me the reassurance that he and my mom will be with me throughout, supporting every decision of mine. When in college, I was tired after campus interviews with 6-7 companies and was almost losing hope, when my dad told me "You should never get dishearteaned. These are all mere companies, real life is different from these. The best is always reserved for the future. When you are successful after 10 years and think back, this moment will sound funny to you, funny in the sense that you attributed so much importance to it."
My dad did everything possible to ensure that I and my brother had a happy childhood. Of course, we didn't realise this then, but do realise now the umpteen sacrifices that he and my mom made to keep us happy, the numerous lucrative jobs offers that he turned off with the worry that it might displace us, the frugal-simple lifestyle that they lived to ensure that we could have the best education and life. Every good habit that I and my brother have cultivated was instilled in us by example.
So coming back to the topic. Appa - Wishing you many many more happy returns of this day! And hoping to be by your side for your coming birthdays. I really miss you a lot, Appa!
You are the best and I love you a lot!