A Spell of Rain, Whose Mischief Couldn’t be Managed!

I really wish I’d received my letter from Hogwarts. I know I would have had to wait for 6 to 7 years to learn to apparate, but at least I would’ve been able to fly on a broom till then. Considering the current road conditions (the small stretch of concrete or tar amidst the potholes), I’d prefer to apparate or fly rather than ride, drive or walk in/on/around Chennai roads.

When my mom warned me about the possible rains in Chennai a week back, I didn’t give that much of a thought. Riding during the first day of the rains turned out to be a very difficult affair with reduced visibility, and with the eyes constantly trying to find a way among the vehicles, pedestrians and water puddles. On top of this, care had to be taken to avoid getting drenched by the water splashes from bigger vehicles, which could have been wonderfully Instragramed through Slow-motion video in my camera. I was skeptical about riding right through the puddles since it proved difficult to guess how deep the puddles were, so I had to avoid all the short-cuts and take the main roads. Somehow I managed to reach office and vowed not to take my two wheeler to work for a few days.

Image Courtesy : FreeDigitalPhotos

4 Years and Counting...!

What a journey it's been so far! :-) 

It's been 4 years since I stepped into the corporate world. I remember by first day very well. Mom and Dad dropped me at our Training Center and I stepped into the building with a bunch of documents and a truckload of dreams. And here I am, 4 years later, standing with considerable satisfaction looking back at how things have gone so far, how incredibly lucky I’ve been and looking ahead, looking forward to the rest of the journey.

Image Courtesy : FreeDigitalPhotos

Over the 4 years, I’ve switched between teams and this is my 3^rd team.  I’ve jumped to completely different streams, which is not quite common in a predominantly technical oriented organization. I started off as a developer in Java (hey, I am an oracle certified programmer in Java!). After a year of working in Java, as much as I got to learn I got bored because I knew I’d have to keep doing the same thing over and again and I moved to a non-technical role. I had to take up an interview and some written tests and then I was ready to become a Technical writer.

Festive Spirit - Here, There and Everywhere

During the Diwali weekend, I was riding back home from work through the commercial hub of Chennai - T Nagar. As I crossed a flyover, I couldn’t stop to admire the brightly lit buildings. I could sense that festive spirit that was around. Scores of people had descended on the streets of Chennai to shop for themselves and their loved ones. The lights, the noises of the crowd and the 'Sale' signboards everywhere, did add to the festive spirit and from nowhere I had started feeling excited.

Commercialized Celebrations?

Many people cry that a lot of festivities have been commercialized. Considering that they are done to keep customers (citizens) happy, I don’t see what's wrong with that. I get to wear new clothes, make/buy sweets and savouries, watch special programs or movies and burst crackers (depending on my budget). But when you step back and take a look at the big picture, it's about sharing these moments with our loved ones that makes it all the more special. I see it as a way of expressing our love and affection for those around us.  Buying new clothes for the family and extended family, bonding while preparing special sweets or enjoying a good conversation while eating them, bursting crackers with the tiny tots and the elders; all this gives us an opportunity to spend time with our fellow beings, something which we might not be able to do on a daily basis. So on these days, when you have options to pamper your loved ones with stuff apart from your love and affection, what's wrong, I ask.