Start the day with a quote

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

not everyone will come into your life ready-made, but there’s a difference between dusting off a diamond and fighting a battle you’re never going to win.

How and when do you decided that its dusting off and polishing the diamond or fighting a battle. Even the diamond would need lots of work before been able to command its right worth. Guess it comes down to the person who has the diamond in their hand and their patience to fight the uphill battle (as in all relationships) and their ability to convert the raw stone into its true potential.

Wished Bob Ripple a Happy BirthDay another the American casualties cause of the jobs going off to Indians. He is been thru a lot sticking by his wife thru thick and thin. Staying by her side to take care of her illiness, when he could have just said, too much work, I can't handle this anymore, I can get a better deal with another women,,,,etc WEll people make choices and that reveals their strength of character. And Bob has my earned my respect for that.

Just got back after taking Vikram to the Clinic for the drug test before his work starts Tomorrow.

Cheers.... just have to focus on the movers and coordinating with them for now and I am all set to go to Van and for a long bye bye...

AGain no movement at the Fry Wagnor end. Sent mail to Nicole, who said that she is no longer handling and its Ivanna thats going to handle stuff with my move from Canada.

Called up Katie again around 1:33 no pick up, then got her @2:15 and she said that she is waiting for the response from the Coordinator at the vancouver office.

waiting for Ajit to get back to me after his talk with Sangeeta regarding my dates of travel to Vancouver. Stone walled in all directions. not able to book the tickets. Patience is in control, but frustration is building up.

Feeling sleepy and trying to keep my eyes awake, with nothing much to do. As i am still waiting on the mgr to approve my access the Data base. Should I start looking for a new job !!????

Also compounding the frustration is the feeling of not having contributed to any productive work and effort. And not having done or not having the scope of doing something productive. (for now).

Blogging seems to be a great way to let out my frustrations and not really talking with anyone, but its like talking with my own imaginary best friend...

after 5pm Hoping to go with Vikram on a dry run to alen town. So that he can go on his own tomorrow morning.

3:30 got call/missed call from Katy of Williamson movers of Vancouver. She was told to take an onsite estimation. The after letting her know of my situation, she asked me to talk to Katie Alvey of Fry-wagnor... called up Katie,, who was giggling and acting all funny. Ask her to please get back to Kathy of Williamson about telephonic estimations.

After a series of running around and calling back and forth, Katy of Willamson gives me a move date of 3rd or 4th.

Get back to ajit regarding the flight date approval. Atlast around 6 he says go ahead and book the tickets,, the flight I wanted to take ended up costing more by $300... ahhh sudden change in prices.. then had to research again on orbits and got a flight via toronto Air-canada and return via seattle, US Airways.... not a big fan of Air canada after hearing lots of bad things about them.

Get call from Vikram regarding taking a print out and needing to fax his agreement form to his employers(middle companies and recrutiers) he has 4 to 5 layers of middle men. And in the end he is just about making min. wages. So sad a state of people taking advantage of situations and other peoples dire needs. Just the hope that things will improve is whats keeping people from India here, the hope that things will improve one day for the better gives us the strength and will to continue and put up with all kinds of ill treatment and crap thrown at up by middle men/brokers and others.
The sadder part is that all these middle men are again Indians who are out there exploiting their own country men for their short term financial gains.

Well get back home around 7, go to the office center at the apartment comples take print outs, come back to my office and send out the fax to his companies and also scanned images.

Then head off to Alen town, 30 mile drive, with 2 dollar toll each way. kind of difficult to manage financially when one is just earning basic min wages. of about $14/hr.

So the move to the new apartment room to share with 3 others , which would cost him just $300 plus util and expenses is much better and its just about 1.5 miles from his work. Walk able.

Meet the owners/leaser who were sub-leasing. Couple from Orrisa who spoke Telegu with two cute girls. They were moving away and wanted to sub lease instead of break the lease they thought of renting it out to Indians and move over to their new place.

maybe I should look at that.

Return back exhausted.

Long day ahead

Monday, April 19, 2010

Went to sleep late, with an over loaded stomach with all the goodies from Narayans house. And a few from temple. Was not able to sleep.
Anyways woke up around 5am but got out around 6, did some light work out and could feel the difference in my tone around the chest . Getting better at push ups..

Have to return the rental car, before that deposit the check and buy more bottle water and milk from costco . have to manage till my things get here from Vancouver.
7:20 heading off to work..

got cracking on the two days of mar that i was supposed to be an employee of Cognizant. sending out mails to the HR , amit , justin, joanna//

then around 11 head off to costco to get more water bottels, milk and cereals and tortilas.
get back home have lunch and then head off to drop off the car at enterprise.

On the ride back met an wonderful old lady "Ann" who had retired as a nurse. And since she was not able to live on her retirement had taken up part time work at enterprise. Such a sad state of affair, that the rest of the world does not get to see about americans. They end up working their whole life. no happy retirement for the majority. While the rest of the world are enjoying their senior years in glorious peace of their homes, taken care by their kids and family. The Americans are made to work and work more.

Get back to work and start the series of calls to get Katie of the moving company. who does not seem to be replying to my emails. Get her around 2 and ask her for firm dates. which she dodges and says she will get back to me tomorrow.
Tell her that I need to book the tickets to YVR based on her firm dates.

then latter not getting any call from the sub agents from yvr call her up again , get her after a few calls and ask her to give me their number so that i can initiate the call.

But she refuses to give saying corporate policy....grrr.

Evening walking out of the office, kannan and kris both offer to drive me home. But refuse and start walking with the load of the two lap tops. talk with Narayan who says he is heading to my house from NJ with Vikram..... Then get a call from AV, who is drunk on wine and is preaching to me to drink wine daily.... grrr

he goes to bed early as he did not get to sleep on his journey from sfo to atlanta.

around 11pm narayan and virkram make it to my place. The first thing they say is , this place is "posh".. whoo hooo...

Narayan leaves after seeing the house and vikram takes the main room.

cheers to new beginnings...

1st Pay Check

Sunday, April 18, 2010

wake up around 6:am and go to sleep again. get out of bed @ 6:30 and finish off with the bathing and washroom.@ narayans house. have break fast.
Then go to gym with Narayan around 8 and get back by 10. Do some cycling at the gym waiting for him.

then go to wal mart and buy shower curtains and knife set. As it seems to be cheaper here.

Narayans sister and family turn up there too, seeing her after about 11 years. Great family atmosphere with lots of kids playing.
Have a lavish lunch, Mutton curry, Chicken curry, veggie curries. Veggie biriyani, white rice and yogurt. All cooked in Pakka Andhra style, spicy and yummy by Narayans wife.

@3pm say bye to all of them and head back via temple again. :) Stay there for about another hr trying to meditate thru the loud wailing of kids. then again to the Temple cafetria and got 3 tamrind rice to go. got to test it.
Saw the ad for the guruvayoor temple( http://www.krishnatemple.org/) , maybe thats where all the malus go.. maybe next time I might head there and check out the malu girls...... they are the worlds best.

Get home around 6 set up the shower curtains and then return the costly knife set brought at lansdale.
Check my mail box for the first time and discover that I have got my pay check too. kool .
Also in the mail was my corportate Credit card. cheers.

Now to focus of completing the rest of the canadian taxes and booking my flight to YVR. have to get in as much dancing as possible too when there.

Attitude and Life of wandering

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Woke up to: ""Attitude and Life of wandering results in developing a personalty and mentality that is incapable of sticking to a Place or Committing to a Relationship. ... Does that explain why I am still single?""

Is that why my life thou seems great subject matter to talk about or as a great conversation material and invoking envy from others in a party or initial meeting, is still something to me that is missing that special someone-forever and family that most others seem to have?

Its great to experience and get exposed to lots of different exotic places and cultures, but in the end human mind is really seeking that peace and fulfillment, which only comes when one is calm and in stable. Just like Gautam Buddha, who had the world or riches and pleasure, but realised the moksha (liberalization) to Happinesss only by giving up all and everything.

To me it summerizes that no matter how far and wide you travel, no matter how exotic your experience is, in the end when the temporary rush and excitement subsides (as anything that goes up must come down) is there someone or something that makes you feel at home and at peace and fill you up with happiness. That someone who would be there no matter what ever happens outside the HOME. That someone special who would make me want to return home and look forward to returning HOME. That special love and tenderness with which she could make me feel special and loved......
And with time the seeds and fruits of our love (kids) and their life..... A loving family!

Called up home again to mom tell me about the new year horoscope stuff, about things clearing up for me getting married. About time.
Was chatting on FB with Geetha chechi and relying info between them. hehehe modern tech. One in Arabia, me in US and mom in Kerala... cheers

Got call from Narayan, so tempted to go to Jersey again to the temple. tried renting and was told that the car is not available for economy. Then called up after 2 hrs and got an intermediate size car. Well got to go with it, and satisfy the urge to travel and pray.

Chatted with Lubo, he is a good man and good person at heart. Only wish that others close to him could have got some of the goodness from him.

Went and got the car around 1pm. 2pm head to office to get the receipts for the Visa expenses scanned and sent to the mail id. Called up narayan and told him i am starting off around 3.. its already 3:20 as i was not able to find the map.. well heading out for the Temple ,, hanuman darshan. more this time as per the suggestions of my mom.

cheers and off to NJ after that.

Reached temple around 5pm, then after been there for an hr, went to the cafeteria and had their famous Veggie Biriyai. packed a few tamrind rice and onion bajji(pakoras/pakodas).

Reached Narayans house around 7:30, latter go out in Narayans new Honda CRV. wow loved the new model with its sleek features.....
Returned back to his house and got watching Hindi TV channels. It felt a bit heart warming to watch TV from back home, thou it felt a bit sub-standard. And it was me watching TV after a very long time. Also got to see the movie "Dil Chahata hai", felt like I was living the life of the character Sameer.. :((( always having my heart broken.

Call Center Demo

Woke up early and went about the now routine of light work out and yoga. Feels good and fills me up with energy. Did not drink coffee of Tea either.

Today will be going to for the call center demo.

But before that there was this tressure hunt that is been organized by CTSH and there was an early bird prize. So there was a competition with in the room to be able to send out the mail as soon as the registration started.,,,, we ended up as 5th.. awwww

10:30 to 12 Got a demo from Anish Thomas, who used be into supporting Siebel. Moved into the call center for a more even-time job.
He was informative and seemed to know a great lot to talk with the doctors. The call that came thru was one related to surevey. They were using MOC for the doc to initiate the call online and then after anish confirmed about the Docs credentials , started off with the other process. Then again after the end of the call approx 16 mins , he went to Siebel to enter the details of the call.

Around 12:05 called up Katie of Fry Wagner regarding the details of the move. but she did not pick up , left a msg.

12:40 off for lunch

Got to Katie after a series of non-stop phone calls and having her paged by her receptionist.

Said will have her agents in Van get in touch with me regarding the documentation for the move.

Had a last min meeting regarding leave and stuff. Might get to go to India during jul aug got to work out the logistics based on the requirement..... have to see when I can return back to india on long term.

Things are slowly moving and one hurdle after another seems to be clearing off. Feeling more relieved and less dis-oriented with the new place. Home sweet home feels a great place to come back too, glad i took up this place.

VISHU (real day)

WISHING EVERY LIVING CREATURE A HAPPY VISHU (Malayalam new year).
And may the world be filled with Happiness and Good positive feelings.

Opps thought that Vishu was yesterday. But looks like its today. So what, I get to celebrate it for two days. :)

Called up home and talked to them all..... 3:45 pm
Talked with Adhira, Kanka aechi ,,,,, Looks like everyone was there at my house to party and surprisingly they all had some kind of alcohol. woooo that is a new development considering my dad never was into any of these things.
Even Ganga aetan turned up from mumbai there to celebrate. cheers to family and celebrations.

After a physically demanding walk with the weight of two LTs on my back pack for about 30 mins. Went in directly to the War Room and got testing on the changes made to fix the buy.

Went perfectly well with DTC (English speaking and spanish) and then the NSC call centers too.
Was about to send george a mail about the tests, when I got a mail from him to do the tests.

Right on time!

Then had to go out of the room as Joe was trying to have a meeting there.

Started setting up the installation of Tools and Client on my machine. only finished around 5:30pm
12:30pm Brought lunch from the cafeteria and had it at my new desk. Then around 1pm headed out for the Kick off meeting for the project that I have been brought here for. Saw a bunch of new faces that I will be interacting with the next few months. So far I may be guaranteed work upto Nov-2010.
Not sure after that what.

4 to 5 was CTSH meeting got introduced to another bunch of new faces and got to see ajit heading his team. Good work.

Got a mail from Katie regarding the movers. Got to coordinate with her about the logistics of moving all my stuff and the car. At last after 17 days.

5:30 was the walk back, not so tiring as I was walking at a lisurely phase.

might as well got out for a walk and check out the neighbor hood.

VISHU

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

VISHU...... NEW YEAR, NEW DAY of NEW MOON. Time for new beginnings and new phase of life.

A time for forgetting and forgiving and moving ahead as friends and wishing every living creature the best of lifes sweetness and happiness.

A time to let go off old baggage , resentment, bad feelings and negativity. Move ahead into the new phase. Thus symbolizing the true essence of New Year and new Beginnings.

Got to work on the Shuttle service. Took more that 30 mins as it went to all the other locations of the company. Rather prefer walking on a good day that the shuttle.

At work, was lost in the maze of emails to HR and Ajit to help with the time sheet. As there did not seem to be provision for entering the time for Mar 30 and Mar 31.
Frustrating with people not knowing how to fix the screw up.

The good thing was towards the end of the day, I was allocated a Desk with a phone. Cheers to that. Now I have my own office phone with voice set up.
Walked back with Sudendo and Rajshekar. As they live close by the office. I had to walk another 20 mins with the load of 2 lap tops on my back.
Almost 7pm and its really bright outside. maybe I need to go for a run again today. :)
and need to start working on finishing the Cad Taxes. been putting it off for too long.

Ended up doing some light work out in the empty main hall and some yoga stretching. Is this how life is when one does not have TV? I am tempted to continue this way. ;) And will be saving a bundle on Cable connection too.