Rain is Beautiful…

My day started off with this lovely forward SMS that I have received today..

“Its Monsoon and I’m sure u must be very happy. U must feel like going out, drench urself, singing songs, splash water and find sum1 spl. right?

Every Frog feels d same!” 🙂

It surely set the tone of the day and complemented the weather nicely!!

Its raining in Chennai! When I wake up from the plush comfort of my bed, the weather warms up my spirit as cool breeze envelops me in crisp silence and the little drizzle forms tiny droplets on my forehead.. Rain makes everything beautiful.. Roads, flowers, trees, and me.. I was feeling like Maggie while riding her bicycle towards the end in ‘City Of Angels’.. I donned my sweater and umbrella and blissfully shut the noises of the world with soothing music flowing from my N70.. I sang with Bangles, and Belinda, acted like a original composer and must have looked a Sight on the roads of chennai.. Yet, who cares!!!

Savoring the moment, soaking the fresh rain, dancing in vain and living it up…

This is Life!!!

My Trip to MGM!

After hearing a lot about MGM since long, I ventured out for MGM with my buddies on a sunny Saturday! MGM has all the amenities to qualify for a amusement park equipped with roller coaster and several other rides. The star of the show is “Ranger” ride though! Ranger takes you through a 360 degree spin and leaves your head rocking n rolling! Rest all other rides are sober and cool with a balance of slow rides for the family entertainment. MGM is fun for whole day and is ideal for family! I prefer Queensland though!

My Visit to Shankar Netralaya!

Well, its time to pay visit to the Sankara Netralaya in Chennai, one of the most renowned eye hospitals of India. I was always little lazy to venture for LASIK, willing to make do with spectacles to correct my shortsight. The hospital is really process oriented, and yes one needs to dedicate atleast half a day with an appointment to complete the check up and I went there consecutively for three days to confirm whether my eyes are suitable for LASIK or not!

Getting an appointment at Sankara Netralaya is itself a task. In case you are wondering, you can get an appointment through Telephone, Internet or in person. If you want to get the same day appointment, well dress up and join the queue at morning 5.30 AM to collect a token against cancellation for the appointment. And, do remember that Sundays are strictly for emergencies. Also, a patient can only take a single attendant/friend/family member along with him. Looking at the crowd waiting at the main block, I can only understand the reason behind the same.

After taking the same day appointment, I reported at the reception desk at 8:15 AM and commenced on a long wait for the secretary to call me for the 8:30 AM appointment. Well, finally she took mercy on me and I get to meet the optometrist by 11:00 AM and the doctor by 12:00 PM only to hear that I need to go to the specialist for which I need to take another appointment! Lol!!! I was completely unaware of what’s happening with me and what are they trying to test apart from the haziness due to the dilation of eyes!

Gamely, I requested for the specialist appointment and luckily got it for the very next day again at 8:00 AM! So again my long wait commences for the specialist! Well, this time, I went through a battery of corneal thickness check and other check up (I lost the sequence) and finally get to meet the doctor. What I liked most is the nonmercenary approach and the safety first attitude of the doctor. He didn’t really advice me to head for LASIK. So, a little lately I decided that being lazy is the best and I cant take this waiting for cosmetic purpose.

Sankara Netralaya offers the best of eye care for sure. Yet, they can concentrate more on the communication to the patient so that he may not feel lost in the process. I am really impressed by the crowd management and the organization. Being an impatient self, my only complaint is the long waiting hours! Sure knock the door of Shankar Netralaya for the best of eye care for complicated issues and expert opinion but you can make do with your family doctor for minor ailments!

Rowing to my Delight!

This weekend was an absolute fun for me as I had a gala time visiting Mahabalipuram. I chanced to spend some time at Muttukadu lake. I’m with a friend and together we hired a row boat to add to the fun. The experience was worth the half an hour waiting we did at the lake front. I have never boarded a row boat before and it was quite an enchanting experience to observe the sinuous waves and the serene atmosphere. I begged the rower for a role reversal. He readily agreed, willing to share his work with us. So here we go, rowing our way in delight under the ample guidance of our bemused rower. I never realized that rowing requires so much of observation and strength. I had quite a lot of fun and sealed the day with a sumptuous dinner at Copper Chimney!

My Convocation!

I went to Pune on this 21st of Jan. 22nd Jan was our batch convocation at IMDR. The moment Chennai Express reached Pune, every grueling moments of the 23 hour journey was forgotten and I was giggling like an idiot! I never know that I was suffering from such heavy dose of nostalgia! The train journey was quiet enjoyable, thanks to my batch mate who gave me a good company. I went to my old flat at Mini Apartments on Bhandarkar Road. Everything seemed so normal…

I met an old friend there. He became sick without proper food and a lot of tension in life. Well, he is working in sales in the financial sector and guess there lies the reason for his unbalanced life. Financial sector frightens me with a strenuous work life. I just wonder about those poor souls who are facing the heat! I spent the evening with another friend over dinner catching up with the old times. Nothing changed infact!

On Sunday Morning, I had a great time running to the railway station for booking my return tickets.. That was quiet a long walk which rejuvenated my old memories. Infact, I went for walking for about 4 km a day throughout my stay in Pune.  I went for the convocation dressed in the Maroon Sari, a tradition of IMDR. I was feeling curiously strange as the convocation discussion was a little off the track. Surprisingly, I was a little tensed! Ultimately I was called on the podium as I stood first in Lady Students of our batch. I won a cash prize called “Late Shri. S.G.Barve free studentship.” Well, I felt strange that they decided to have a prize for a ladies topper and that ended up to be me of all probabilities! I was happy that the most creative award of the batch went to Reema Sahay. Who else? I can never forget the beauty and simplicity of her poems.

After the convocation, I had a grand lunch with my Mentee. There is a thing called Mentorship in IMDR where one senior takes the charge of one junior in the process of begadofying and guiding. That’s quite a fruitful relationship as it creates the pegs and relationships across the batches. After that hearty lunch, I went to my relatives place. I love their daughter, who is just 6 years old. She is too sweet and pleasant. Infact, I extended my trip in order to spend decent time with her.

My Observations

One thing that echoed common among a lot of my batch mates is disillusionment, as their expectations are no match to the kind of profiles in which they all ended up. I could sense the dilemma and the turmoil. Life has become a struggle in work life with the emerging challenges. The desire to keep the dreams alive is dwindling and life is rolling in pursuit of mundane tasks. Sad, yet true. I felt little lonely in the campus, guess that’s because of the lack of the comfort factor. A lot of things changed, isn’t it? That’s all about my convocation..

Back to Normal with a Bang!

I declare with indecent happiness that life has returned back to normal in Chennai. The rain got stopped in the night itself. I can’t believe my eyes when I saw a little sun today. I wanted to mention about my day Yesterday. I reached office like a drowned rat at 9 AM only to find myself alone in my project. The rain was such that I couldn’t even go back. Added to that, I got work which kept me engaged till 2 PM. There were a lot of SMS circulated stating the condition of city. A few roomers about the current wires dangling on the roads. A lot of water logging on roads and it was difficult to find the path. Auto drivers had their hay day charging 50 bucks for 2 kms. I somehow managed to reach home by 6 PM wading my way through knee deep waters to catch an auto!

Yesterday night was another affair altogether. There are 9 girls along with me in my hostel and we booked tickets today night. We were anxious to know about the weather reports as we were wondering whether our trains will get cancelled or not. Yet, the funnier side never rests. We chatted our way till the wee hours of morning and had quite a lot of fun too. I guess it been ages since I last indulged myself in girly gossiping! 🙂

Now today morning, its absolute bliss! The same sun in Chennai and the same old day.. As if yesterday is just a nightmare. I am hoping to catch train today to reach my hometown Rajahmundry. Hope it arrives and reaches in time! Happy Diwali to all. I just can’t wait to see my Mamma!

Chennai Rains!!!

Today is really horrible in Chennai. There is a lot of water clogging and all you could see are the mud puddles and water on the roads. Nothing is particularly visible and with wind blowing harshly, its really difficult to keep your umbrella on your head! Umm, that’s is a near description of what I am facing in Chennai today.

Hope this rains end soon. I somehow managed to wade through the water to reach the office sharp at nine. Only to ruefully grin at myself that the office is completely lonely save a single man who is working at his desk. Some of my project mates reached office at noon after a tiring 3 hours of journey. Remarkable commitment, isn’t it? I went down for lunch to the Canteen downstairs. I wished I could take a snap of the people sitting at the Food Court of Tidel Park in Chennai. I never knew that there are so many obedient souls who care to come to office literally drowning themselves! Most of the offices declared leave today. As I find leisure in my office now, being one of those stranded souls who are waiting for Cabs which would start only after 5, I am catching up on my long due posts. Guess it been ages since I last saw this kind of rains with knee deep water clogging on the roads! Umm… I am longing for those sunny days again!!! Wishful thinking?! Hope it comes true!!

A trip to Mamallapuram..

Yesterday we went to Mamallapuram, also known as Mahabalipuram from Chennai was a trip based on just a whim and was planned on the spot. The climate added to the temptation too. The soft breeze and the cool winds beckoned us for a long drive. It took us an hour to reach Mamallapuram from Adyar Chennai and I would say that the drive was fabulous. The road connecting Mamallapuram and Chennai is parallel to the sea coast.. U can imagine the luxury of watching the sea breeze soothe your mood while driving! It was wonderful. After reaching Mamallapuram, the rain started pouring down, challenging our expectations of the sightseeing. Yet, we could cover the beach, the Shore temple and the Pancha Radhas. I have seen some of the marvelous carvings on the black rock and the stone carvings are beyond any praise. We stopped at E.C.R. Dhabha to have a quick lunch. The landscaping of the restaurant was simply superb with seating overlooking a miniature pond complete with swans! The food was a downer though. Finally, after getting deluged both by the experience and by the rain, we came back looking like drowned rats! Quite an experience indeed! Hope it stays tucked away in the memory lane forever..

Chennai IMDR Alumni Meet..

Yesterday we had an IMDRite get together at Dhaba Express in Cenotoph Road of Chennai. Thanks to Juniors and thanks to Placement preparations, I could see a lot of IMDRites. It was a small gathering of around 15 people. There were a few who were about 5 to 10 years seniors to us. I really liked their commitment to come after this many years.

The gathering brought back quite a lot of memories.. Sitting under the Bodhi tree, fighting for the computers, gossiping with friends, arguments with Doc, the serene quadrangle and the feeling of Bhupi’s presence. Every moment seems the Best. I am pretty impressed by the feeling of unity among the alumni. Really, its very important to have a sense of identity and IMDR has a unique culture of itself. IMDR makes one simple and down to earth. It made me more introspective and observant. Down the memory lane, I know that IMDR has made a big impact in my life.

For a moment, I wished to be at IMDR.. To silently walk around the campus, to see Bhupi from far (I am a little hesitant to talk to him,as always), to sit on the stairs and to listen to the humming of the birds. It really made me nostalgic. I know its not possible, yet, its great to have good memories, longings and a sense of belongingness. When I was at IMDR, I never thought of the feeling of being an alumni. The corporate life is quite a shift from the sensitive culture of IMDR. Yet, I need to come out of the shadow someday.. To realize myself and to be myself.

Why Robert Frost comes to mind always? May be his poem is very exquisite. It sums up my feelings..

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Hi from Chennai!!

Its been quite a long time since I last keyed in my musings. I am quite occupied these days and the time I spend on myself is dwindling these days. yet, I am grateful to TCS, I got time to breathe! When I hear the stories and working hours of my peers, I feel as if I got a lot to thank for!

Regarding Kaam, I joined Innova Lab in Tidel Park,Chennai. My profile deals with Concept Marketing of quite a lot of innovative stuff. Its just my kind of role and I’m loving it every moment. Chennai is quite hot, only that I am not exposed to it in the plush A.C. office of the TCS out here. I have seen the other Karapakkam and Sholinganallur offices, and I liked the Sholinganallur office better. It got a lot of open area and can keep one quite engaged, especially when one got no work!

Chennai Disco(Discovery of Chennai):

I have checked out a few theatres in Chennai: Satyam, Casino. I was told that Satyam is one of those Hip multiplexes of Chennai, but it turned out to be a complete downer for me. I have seen better ones in Pune. Added to that, the movie I watched there, “My Wife’s Murder” , was PATHETIC at its best. I really don’t understand the purpose of making that movie. I went to the Spencer Plaza and I felt it was too crowded and disorganized. The service lanes and the mount road make me feel as if there is a lot more to explore. Chennai is a real big city!

Coming to the best part, The best thing I saw in chennai is British Library located on Mount Road. The ambiance and the building was fantastic! I loved the time I spent there. A great hangout for book lovers. I went to the Paris Corner, the old Chennai style of Market and then to Marina Beach. I always get enticed by beaches and the sea. The inviting waves and the soothing breeze makes me heady and contented. I feel that the persistence of waves to reach the shore is the perfect illustration of Never Say Die attitude. Its an awe-inspiring sight! Guess that sums up my Chennai Disco. Hope I get more time to explore this great culturally rich Metro!