It had to come! I was expecting it, sooner of later ! I am homesick! Yes, the viral fever, that spreads during the festive season, when one is far far away from family !
Although Christmas is not such a huge thing at home for my family, it definitely is that time of the year, when everyone seems to be in a cheerful mood. New year cometh....new and exciting events to look forward to ! Yes, most adults do remind themselves of their receding hairline, or the extra flab. But hey, come on, lets smile and show the kids that we are all gonna have more fun, in 2007 ! :)
Theres one particular new year's eve that I remember well. It was probably when I was in the 8th or 9th grade. We had exams in January first week, and on Dec 31st, I was forced to sit at home and study !!!! My vociferous appeals went unheard. Any fast bowler worth his salt would have been proud of me, for such tantrums could have hardly gone unrewarded on the cricket field. But alas, my mom, with nerves of steel, simply and disdainfully ignored me! I wanted to go out on New year's eve and goof around! My friends were waiting!
I was sitting in my room, reading how sulphuric acid can be caustic ! My parents were watching the new year eve programs that the channels used to dish out...Some family friends were also in and the world was having a jolly good time. My brother, well past his school days, was a big college boy, with freedom written all over his forehead. I just couldnt take it anymore. I got up, put on some fancy clothes, ran my fingers through my scalp to settle the strands , and went past the living room, to wear my slippers. As I was doing this, my mom, with a tone that could send jitters, enquired about my act ! Before she could get up from her chair, I was out of the door, onto the stairs, and out on the road, in a flash. Free at last !!! Sulphuric acid and its caustic properties, were not going to ruin my night out. I was 14. I was growing up. I wanted to be with my friends and the group included some pretty girls. And pretty girls in their fancy clothes, dont come out late in the night too often. Thats the beauty of the new years eve! Everyone gets to break the rules.
Well, this time, I wish I could simply get up and leave this place and join my family...breaking rules the same way I did that new years eve !
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Saturday, November 25, 2006
The Boeing Everett Factory Tour
* The photos are reproduced from the tour brochure.
To see the largest passenger planes being assembled !
PART 1
Wow!.... On a lazy saturday, Nikhil, Shiv and myself decided to take the tour.
http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/tours/
Umm, the new age kids...you ask them, 'Where do we get milk from?' .. their answer most probably, would be ' The refrigerator!' (No offence meant to anyone, any generation!) . Well, my answer to a question 'Where do the planes come from' would be similar to some degree. Yes, I know they are built in huge spaces, by robots and robotic men and women, but did I ever imagine of visiting the worlds largest factory (by volume the largest building in the world!) to see this.....a big NO!
Thanks to the opportunity of being in Seattle, we were off. Not too far from our place (30 miles, I guess).
PART 1
Wow!.... On a lazy saturday, Nikhil, Shiv and myself decided to take the tour.
http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/tours/
Umm, the new age kids...you ask them, 'Where do we get milk from?' .. their answer most probably, would be ' The refrigerator!' (No offence meant to anyone, any generation!) . Well, my answer to a question 'Where do the planes come from' would be similar to some degree. Yes, I know they are built in huge spaces, by robots and robotic men and women, but did I ever imagine of visiting the worlds largest factory (by volume the largest building in the world!) to see this.....a big NO!
Thanks to the opportunity of being in Seattle, we were off. Not too far from our place (30 miles, I guess).
We didnt bother to book online. It was easy, as ticket booking at any counter is, in the US. We were among the 10 folks who took the 10:30 Am tour. The group had representation from India (thats us and another Indian family), folks from Korea, China, and some locals ( Americans from different states) .
As we sat in the auditorium, with bated breath, a lady emerged from the shadows and introduced her self as the tour guide. She seemed to be a veteran in this. Carefully chosen words, to explain the rules and regulations of the tour, and doing her best to be as succinctly informative as possible! 'No cameras or any gadgets in the tour', she warned! Looking at our curious faces, she went on to explain the rationale. Apparently, few tours ago, an excited teenager, frantically taking snaps of the assembly process below (the tour walk is at quite a height so that we can observe the interesting stuff below), accidentally dropped the camera. It hit one of the air - plane parts being assembled and one thing led to another and there were damages worth over a couple of million ! Hearing this, i guess, each one of us immediately calculated the number of years we would have to be on this planet to repay the debt from our meagre earnings, and some of us, even didnt bother taking the effort....A couple quickly got up to hand over all items at the reception.
As we sat in the auditorium, with bated breath, a lady emerged from the shadows and introduced her self as the tour guide. She seemed to be a veteran in this. Carefully chosen words, to explain the rules and regulations of the tour, and doing her best to be as succinctly informative as possible! 'No cameras or any gadgets in the tour', she warned! Looking at our curious faces, she went on to explain the rationale. Apparently, few tours ago, an excited teenager, frantically taking snaps of the assembly process below (the tour walk is at quite a height so that we can observe the interesting stuff below), accidentally dropped the camera. It hit one of the air - plane parts being assembled and one thing led to another and there were damages worth over a couple of million ! Hearing this, i guess, each one of us immediately calculated the number of years we would have to be on this planet to repay the debt from our meagre earnings, and some of us, even didnt bother taking the effort....A couple quickly got up to hand over all items at the reception.
After this initial and most important clarification, we were told to sit back and relax, and watch two short video clips - first about the BOEING history and then on the assembly process of a giant 747 !
Both were remarkable. Power packed! Watching the planes, I couldnt help but marvel the ingenuity of the Wright brothers and William Boeing and their respective dreams. Looking at the assembly video gave me goosebumps. How efficiently and laboriously (lot of automation, and a much larger manual labour) are these flying machines built! We were getting impatient. We wanted to quickly get to the place where all the action is....
Sensing this, the tour operator (TO) asked us to board a tour bus waiting outside. Ironically in this hi-tech complex, the bus microphone was not working ! Our tour guide, banged the box, cursed the microphone and after many such futile attempts, gave up and cleared her throat. She had a pleasant voice and all of us could hear her clearly. As the bus got on its way, she pointed to our right, and we could see the test fields! Here, all the assembled planes, were ready to be taken for a test flight (untill now my world was restricted to test drives. I was in the process of buying a used car and was busy taking test drives at user car dealers, prospective private sellers!) by the customers. We saw planes ordered by Singapore Airlines, Angola Airlines (they fly!!!??), and others waiting for their turn. That field itself, was bigger than the Mumbai Airport!
The TO added: ' The planes are test flown by the customers' pilots and if all is well, they fly it to their own hangars. BOEING does not ship the planes'.
Slowly the bus was on a road bridge, and this one was on top of a free way! A private brigde on a free way! This was meant for the planes to be taken out of the hangar and then park them in the fields for the test drive, oops, flight. Untill a few years ago, this was done in the day and it used to cause mayhem below on the freeway. Startled and pleasantly surprised folks got out of their cars abruptly to take a quick snap before the gigantic 747 dissappeard. Confusion and a few accidents later, the BOEING management decided to do this only in the night !
After crossing the bridge, we were confronted with the largest building in the world. Not tallest, but the largest in terms of volume. I strained my neck to make a quick grasp of the expanse and almost pulled a muscle!
PART 2
Slowly the bus was on a road bridge, and this one was on top of a free way! A private brigde on a free way! This was meant for the planes to be taken out of the hangar and then park them in the fields for the test drive, oops, flight. Untill a few years ago, this was done in the day and it used to cause mayhem below on the freeway. Startled and pleasantly surprised folks got out of their cars abruptly to take a quick snap before the gigantic 747 dissappeard. Confusion and a few accidents later, the BOEING management decided to do this only in the night !
After crossing the bridge, we were confronted with the largest building in the world. Not tallest, but the largest in terms of volume. I strained my neck to make a quick grasp of the expanse and almost pulled a muscle!
PART 2
We slowly entered the building and were made to walk in a single line, behind our leading lady. Staff, taking a break, walked by us. They were dressed in casuals, one just too casual, in a sweat sogging half shirt and a almost fully torn, faded pair of cut jeans. Wanted the extra ventilation, I guess.
The TG was sharing some interesting trivia. Some of the introductory ones were,
a. It can take more than a year (nowadays its getting shorter) from a time a customer places an order until the airplane is ready to be delivered. About half the time is needed to get the parts, a 747 has just 6 million for example. These are sent to this factory to be assembled from hundreds of suppliers spread across the globe.
b. Talking about suppliers and supplies, the costliest ones, guess.....the engines, are procured from GE, Pratt and Whitney, and Rolls Royce.
c. We all know US exports comprise mainly of arms (to maintain peace around the world, if I may put it) and wings! In 2004, Washington state accounted for 17 billion US dollars of them, just by exports of Aircraft, Spacecraft and Parts. Chunk of that comes from factories such as these!
At the viewing section on the top, specially built for the tour. We could see the giants below, slowly being built with precision, looking so bare without the fancy paint and the finishing. Believe me, building a plane is laborious. Yes, theres the technology to make life easier, friendly robots and all, but for example each of those window moulds have to be installed manually. Each row of seats need to be fixed firmly, and tested multiple times. On so on...takes almost 6 months to assemble a 747. For a moment all this didnt seem too interesting or challenging. Planes are passe ! And building them seems no longer a hearty challenge. I dont want to be in the shoes of one of those technicians, diligently playing god, with the responsibilty of assembling the pieces together with six sigma perfection.
The next moment, it seems fascinating..designing new flying machines to take the skies, always striving to make aviation cheaper, faster, less risky and of course to make it more profitable (isnt that the goal of any business!).....the skys no limit, literally. The 787 dreamliner by Boeing is one small step. This jet is expected to rule the skies in 2008. About half of it, is constructed of composite materials, making it about 40,000 pounds lighter than other similar airplanes. They claim of it being 20 % more fuel efficient and shorter by 20 % in fuel emissions. And yes, it is also meant to be more comfortable to passengers.
We were enamoured to say the least. As the TG took us down again, we thought something else is in store. Unfortunately, an hour for the tour makes it feel like an abrupt end to a fantasy. We were just getting into the mood, to probably go down and pat on the back of those technicians, encouraging them to keep up the good work!, but sadly none of this was on the cards. We were made to board the waiting tour bus, the lady driver, definitely sensing our discomfort on being grounded so soon, greeting us warmly with a beautiful smile!
As we returned to the base, to a new entrance, no prizes for guessing what was on the other side of it. The gift and souvenir shop! Caps, miniature models, key chains, cards, all with neatly marked price tags. Each one, enticing on its own right! I bought a key chain! I felt that was good enough to remind of me of the short, but enriching tour of something that I had least expected to see, ever!
On our way out, I played the flying captain in one of the dummy cockpits out there.
As I switched a few buttons on and off, I couldnt help looking for the rear view mirror !!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Fights and Patchups
1. Communication gaps - Altercations - Fights - Stress - Loathing - Life
2. Communication gaps - Altercations - Fights - Calm - Communication - Peace - Patchups - Life
Yesterday I had a minor tiff with my flat mate. I think we ended up as mentioned in point 1.
I hope we can quickly shift gears to point 2 and get on with life ! :)
2. Communication gaps - Altercations - Fights - Calm - Communication - Peace - Patchups - Life
Yesterday I had a minor tiff with my flat mate. I think we ended up as mentioned in point 1.
I hope we can quickly shift gears to point 2 and get on with life ! :)
Monday, November 20, 2006
The library !
I am a sucker for books! Deep down, I know I am. But I had never been able to easily expose myself to the world of wodehouse, kafka, tintin, asmiov, sheldon, seth, lapierre, agatha christie and others (not in any specific order) at the same time and at the same place. The Asiatic Library in erstwhile Bombay ( ya ya its Mumbai now), was in deep downtown and almost out of reach to the suburbian (dont know if this word exists in the dictionary) folk. The British Library, as the name suggests, was for books authored by Britis authors, and similar to the Asiatic, was out of reach.
Although, I could blame myself for not taking the 'pain' of taking the local train all the way for picking and dropping off a few books. But, I cant be solely blamed for this. The government assumed that suburbian folk (again) were somehow less intrigued by literature and were probably more focussed on livelihood, survival, politics and academics (in that order!). Hence, I would assume, they did not build any public libraries, where bulk of the population lived.
Libraries in colleges/universities/schools were good. They were full of books. Mostly academic. I already had enough of them, thanks to my professors. The thought of going to the library for more studies, made me sick.
My idea of a library is something like this. Atleast 10 storeys tall, with multiple seating and reading rooms, tons and tons of neatly stacked books and segregated as per field, author, academic/non academic, age groups, and so on and so forth. Add in an auditorium for book reading, discussion groups, and community building activities. And of course, free!
I would love to be lost in this world.
I did visit a library like I have mentioned above. Last weekend, in downtown Seattle, I went to the Seattle Public Library. It took me 5 minutes to avail a membership card and I was free to browse and read whatever caught my eye in those hundreds of shelves. I was like a child, running around, looking at the different sections and books, and simply overjoyed. I also found a lot of homeless citizens, using the library for shelter, simply seated there and waiting for the day to pass in solitude. And of course, the ubiquitous STARBUCKS.
As I browsed through the sections, I realized that in the US, these are basic facilities, in every main city. I did not want to tread further into yet another deep US - India comparison that we as Indians in foreign land generally do. I borrowed a few books of interest and headed out, with a resolution to make the most of this opportunity.
PS:
Starbucks, this coffeee chain is literally round the corner, everywhere in Seattle.
Although, I could blame myself for not taking the 'pain' of taking the local train all the way for picking and dropping off a few books. But, I cant be solely blamed for this. The government assumed that suburbian folk (again) were somehow less intrigued by literature and were probably more focussed on livelihood, survival, politics and academics (in that order!). Hence, I would assume, they did not build any public libraries, where bulk of the population lived.
Libraries in colleges/universities/schools were good. They were full of books. Mostly academic. I already had enough of them, thanks to my professors. The thought of going to the library for more studies, made me sick.
My idea of a library is something like this. Atleast 10 storeys tall, with multiple seating and reading rooms, tons and tons of neatly stacked books and segregated as per field, author, academic/non academic, age groups, and so on and so forth. Add in an auditorium for book reading, discussion groups, and community building activities. And of course, free!
I would love to be lost in this world.
I did visit a library like I have mentioned above. Last weekend, in downtown Seattle, I went to the Seattle Public Library. It took me 5 minutes to avail a membership card and I was free to browse and read whatever caught my eye in those hundreds of shelves. I was like a child, running around, looking at the different sections and books, and simply overjoyed. I also found a lot of homeless citizens, using the library for shelter, simply seated there and waiting for the day to pass in solitude. And of course, the ubiquitous STARBUCKS.
As I browsed through the sections, I realized that in the US, these are basic facilities, in every main city. I did not want to tread further into yet another deep US - India comparison that we as Indians in foreign land generally do. I borrowed a few books of interest and headed out, with a resolution to make the most of this opportunity.
PS:
Starbucks, this coffeee chain is literally round the corner, everywhere in Seattle.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Pandora
Your own seamless jukebox...
Read more about the Music Genome Project at
http://www.pandora.com/mgp.shtml
And log onto
www.pandora.com to set up your free account and to rock and roll !
Prakash
PS: Thanks lipi for introducing me to the Pandora ! Definitely a box to keep ! :)
Read more about the Music Genome Project at
http://www.pandora.com/mgp.shtml
And log onto
www.pandora.com to set up your free account and to rock and roll !
Prakash
PS: Thanks lipi for introducing me to the Pandora ! Definitely a box to keep ! :)
Saturday, November 18, 2006
How are you doing today?
Thats what the lady at the counter enquires, in a high pitch, and in the most elated of tones. ' How are you doing today ? '. 'GOOD' comes the response. I then add, ' What about you ? '. The lady replies, with beaming eyes, ' I am doing good too'.
This is a ritual, a daily one. Rather something that is replicated at every counter, of every store that I go to in the US. I find it so mundane, an opening act for any business to be conducted, for any discussion to begin. Can you ever imagine speaking the truth in this act? Can I say, ' Well, my girlfriend left me yesterday, and sob, I am not feeling good today !'. And if the lady at the counter goes mushy with me, the folks at the queue behind,wont be too impressed with my sob story. 'Hey dude, say that to your therapist. In US, we have such folks specifically for the unhappy people. The lady at the counter is not meant for your sobs.'
Boo Hoo
This is a ritual, a daily one. Rather something that is replicated at every counter, of every store that I go to in the US. I find it so mundane, an opening act for any business to be conducted, for any discussion to begin. Can you ever imagine speaking the truth in this act? Can I say, ' Well, my girlfriend left me yesterday, and sob, I am not feeling good today !'. And if the lady at the counter goes mushy with me, the folks at the queue behind,wont be too impressed with my sob story. 'Hey dude, say that to your therapist. In US, we have such folks specifically for the unhappy people. The lady at the counter is not meant for your sobs.'
Boo Hoo
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Cab Lessons
Hello Parkaashhh, How are you doing today? Shall we go?
The previous day, I had booked a cab to take me to the airport. I had a business meeting at LA. Abdul Qadir, my seattle cab driver, comes 15 minutes prior to my start time from home. I am one of his regular cab customers and he is good company during the 30 minute drive to the airport. He still finds it hard to pronounce my name, but I do find it amusing to be called Parkaashh.
He drives the cab 5 days a week for 10 hrs a day, then he works in the weekend as a pharmacist trainee at Walgreens and also attends the Bellevue Community College to take Pharmacy classes. He sometimes assists his teacher as a lab assistant. 3 jobs and classes to attend...too much too do for a living? Nope. Abdul is simply driven because of his dream, a dream to become a pharmacist, to have a good job to support his family, here and back home in Somalia, and more importantly to earn respect from folks around him who treat him as nothing more than a cab driver !
He is happy the way I talk to him with respect. He says I am his favorite customer. Yeah, he must be saying that to all his regular patrons. But according to him he has a reason - He relates himself to the indian community. The work ethics, the desire to lead a better life, the ability to communicate in the same language, the capacity to do any kind of job...these are the qualities that inspire him to live his dream.
He knows me well now. I have hired his cab services three times till date and each time he tells me how good it is that I had the opportunity to complete my education before I started working full time. I agree to that. He is envious, but he is also happy for me.
Abdul is 28, two years older to me, works his ass off and so do I. Every time, I take a ride, I learn something from the brief time I spend with him. Much more than what I learnt in the classroom!
The previous day, I had booked a cab to take me to the airport. I had a business meeting at LA. Abdul Qadir, my seattle cab driver, comes 15 minutes prior to my start time from home. I am one of his regular cab customers and he is good company during the 30 minute drive to the airport. He still finds it hard to pronounce my name, but I do find it amusing to be called Parkaashh.
He drives the cab 5 days a week for 10 hrs a day, then he works in the weekend as a pharmacist trainee at Walgreens and also attends the Bellevue Community College to take Pharmacy classes. He sometimes assists his teacher as a lab assistant. 3 jobs and classes to attend...too much too do for a living? Nope. Abdul is simply driven because of his dream, a dream to become a pharmacist, to have a good job to support his family, here and back home in Somalia, and more importantly to earn respect from folks around him who treat him as nothing more than a cab driver !
He is happy the way I talk to him with respect. He says I am his favorite customer. Yeah, he must be saying that to all his regular patrons. But according to him he has a reason - He relates himself to the indian community. The work ethics, the desire to lead a better life, the ability to communicate in the same language, the capacity to do any kind of job...these are the qualities that inspire him to live his dream.
He knows me well now. I have hired his cab services three times till date and each time he tells me how good it is that I had the opportunity to complete my education before I started working full time. I agree to that. He is envious, but he is also happy for me.
Abdul is 28, two years older to me, works his ass off and so do I. Every time, I take a ride, I learn something from the brief time I spend with him. Much more than what I learnt in the classroom!
Friday, November 03, 2006
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
HELLO again !
Yes, i am guilty for my long absence. Its pardonable, of course. My writings on this blog affects only me . So I can not prosecute myself, for promising to write and failing to do so! I was in hibernation for no specific reason. I think I was depressed, or was I happy ! Cant explain, so i will let it pass. So where was I, during my last blog post.
Yes, I was in Plano, TX. Trying to keep myself cheerful in that morose town. Nothing to do, nowhere to visit! My imagination of US of A was taking a beating. I had thought of tall skyscrapers, jazzy clubs, punks and tramps, snowfalls........and Plano was devoid of all this. It was a place for retired folk, for people to hide in obscurity after all their wordly sins....it was not a place for me. Cause lord, let me sin first and then come to plano for divine ablution !Saying so, I headed to the west coast. A bit north as well.
Now, I am in Seattle. The city that I am falling in love with. New people, new project, new client, new challenges, new chaos, .....Sunny today, wet tomorrow,....
I arrived here on 4th October and since then have not spent a weekend at home. Its a crime, if you stay back. Have been to Mount Rainier, The snoqualmie falls, the BOEING factory, the PIKE PLACE MARKET. Love the downtown! Seattle is home to some major corporations - Microsoft (my current workplace, it looks like little india out here), BOEING, Nordstorm, STARBUCKS...and maybe more!
For someone like me, who has stayed almost all his life in Bombay, the weather here is a blessing. Its like Bangalore, a bit more chillier! But unlike the east coast, like NY, where my friends say, the weather is biting cold!
Today is halloween. At the Microsoft campus, I am told that children would scamper around, and say, trick or treat....I had got a few candy pieces, I ate them all ! The children would hate me, for sure !
Yes, I was in Plano, TX. Trying to keep myself cheerful in that morose town. Nothing to do, nowhere to visit! My imagination of US of A was taking a beating. I had thought of tall skyscrapers, jazzy clubs, punks and tramps, snowfalls........and Plano was devoid of all this. It was a place for retired folk, for people to hide in obscurity after all their wordly sins....it was not a place for me. Cause lord, let me sin first and then come to plano for divine ablution !Saying so, I headed to the west coast. A bit north as well.
Now, I am in Seattle. The city that I am falling in love with. New people, new project, new client, new challenges, new chaos, .....Sunny today, wet tomorrow,....
I arrived here on 4th October and since then have not spent a weekend at home. Its a crime, if you stay back. Have been to Mount Rainier, The snoqualmie falls, the BOEING factory, the PIKE PLACE MARKET. Love the downtown! Seattle is home to some major corporations - Microsoft (my current workplace, it looks like little india out here), BOEING, Nordstorm, STARBUCKS...and maybe more!
For someone like me, who has stayed almost all his life in Bombay, the weather here is a blessing. Its like Bangalore, a bit more chillier! But unlike the east coast, like NY, where my friends say, the weather is biting cold!
Today is halloween. At the Microsoft campus, I am told that children would scamper around, and say, trick or treat....I had got a few candy pieces, I ate them all ! The children would hate me, for sure !
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Make hay while the sun shines
I am not sure how many folks are aware of the ERP boom. Well for many non IT folks, the IT boom is the time when dot com companies went bersek, and so did the bourses. It was the time when everything went up. Stock, Real estate, salaries, bonuses, girlfriends, marriage count, remittances, ego, personal worth, rent, and a host of other things! This was during the late nineties and till the big bad crash in 2001.
I work in the ERP space. ERP boom was part of the IT boom too at the same time. Organizations were desperate to find people who could implement ERP products like SAP and Oracle for them. They were ready to pay as high as 400 $ / hr, for a year !!
The senior folks that I work with now have been part of this boom. And the bust after that. But when the time was ripe, these folks have made millions. Forget 400 $, just take 150$ an hour, for 5 days a week, 52 weeks! Close to 300 grand!
I realize that I have been a late comer in this gold rush. When I graduated from engineering, it was 2001. Then as per the laws, everything that had gone up, was coming down, at breakneck speed. People were laid off, many gold miners were forced to return home, many survived (guess the genuine good ones).
But today, it seems the market has matured. Although its way better than the days of the bust, its nowhere close to the days of the boom. But the desperation for good folks to work on these multi million projects still exists. The fake CVs still float in the market and headhunters are still making merry.The only difference is that market has matured a bit. Organizations have become street smart after burning their fingers before.
End of the day, as organizations grow, as more entrepreneurs enter the market, as more engineers and business professionals get into the ERP space, it seems theres room for all. Genuine good resources will make merry, whether its the good or the bad times.
I am happy that I am in this space. Better late than never. Best part is that currently I am enjoying what I am into! Not for the money, but for the kind of work. And being employed to an Indian company means I only make pittance. Soon a day will come......................
I work in the ERP space. ERP boom was part of the IT boom too at the same time. Organizations were desperate to find people who could implement ERP products like SAP and Oracle for them. They were ready to pay as high as 400 $ / hr, for a year !!
The senior folks that I work with now have been part of this boom. And the bust after that. But when the time was ripe, these folks have made millions. Forget 400 $, just take 150$ an hour, for 5 days a week, 52 weeks! Close to 300 grand!
I realize that I have been a late comer in this gold rush. When I graduated from engineering, it was 2001. Then as per the laws, everything that had gone up, was coming down, at breakneck speed. People were laid off, many gold miners were forced to return home, many survived (guess the genuine good ones).
But today, it seems the market has matured. Although its way better than the days of the bust, its nowhere close to the days of the boom. But the desperation for good folks to work on these multi million projects still exists. The fake CVs still float in the market and headhunters are still making merry.The only difference is that market has matured a bit. Organizations have become street smart after burning their fingers before.
End of the day, as organizations grow, as more entrepreneurs enter the market, as more engineers and business professionals get into the ERP space, it seems theres room for all. Genuine good resources will make merry, whether its the good or the bad times.
I am happy that I am in this space. Better late than never. Best part is that currently I am enjoying what I am into! Not for the money, but for the kind of work. And being employed to an Indian company means I only make pittance. Soon a day will come......................
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Random musings
Phew! A weekend finally....Time to just relax and unwind....not for some of us!! Got up at 6 am to play cricket....yes amidst our huge Indian IT population here, there are few blokes who still want to play this game. So every weekend, Saturday morning, they play or rather make an attempt. I joined them, my first cricket game and boy it hurt! With an almost broken wrist, I set out to bat, bowl and field. Blame the craze or simply the carelessness. by 9 we had to wind up cause of the heat! Its really hot here and going out in the day is simply not recommended.
But, my desperation for a car is increasing day by day! Here, cant do basic things without it. But when I think of it, this is how the Car and the Oil Companies want it. They dont want the state to provide any basic public transportation. They want more and more people to buy their cars and burn out the fuel. They dont want to see any hybrid or electric cars on the road! If man can send man on the moon, definitely man can produce super efficient hybrid cars. Tell me, building efficient hybrid cars is not as difficult as building rockets. Not that they dont do it already, but we dont see people buying hybrid cars, do we? Only reason I can think of is that Vehicle Manufacturers and Fuel Companies have this big cartel and an even bigger scam. Right in front of our eyes, but nobody wants to see it!
If everyone starts using hybrid and/or electric cars...Imagine what would happen to the fuel cartel thats spread across the world and more so all folks who benefit from it. Imagine of gas prices fall, and fall so low,...............Newayz, untill anything changes, I will have to join the bandwagon. My search for used cars is on and hopefully I will be able to strike gold !!!
At work, it was a hectic week and next week is only going to be worse. We are supposed to 'GO LIVE' (which means the user community of our client organization would start using stuff that we have developed/implemented for them). And as any football game, there is high drama, last minute changes and heated debates. No, not always, but sometimes it can go to any extent!
But the main difference here compared to home (mumbai in my case), is that people can actually concentrate in excelling at work! They dont have to worry about the basic stuff in life, cause all that is taken care of. Dont have to wait for the maid, dont have to stand in the bus queue to office, dont have to wait in long traffic jams on crater filled roads, dont have to yell or honk wildly at the vehicle ahead of you, dont have to plan your way back home in the evening, dont have to worry about electricity going off, dont have to worry about water entering your home in every mumbai monsoon, ....................
I forgot to take my camera out this entire week. Next week, camera everywhere! :)
But, my desperation for a car is increasing day by day! Here, cant do basic things without it. But when I think of it, this is how the Car and the Oil Companies want it. They dont want the state to provide any basic public transportation. They want more and more people to buy their cars and burn out the fuel. They dont want to see any hybrid or electric cars on the road! If man can send man on the moon, definitely man can produce super efficient hybrid cars. Tell me, building efficient hybrid cars is not as difficult as building rockets. Not that they dont do it already, but we dont see people buying hybrid cars, do we? Only reason I can think of is that Vehicle Manufacturers and Fuel Companies have this big cartel and an even bigger scam. Right in front of our eyes, but nobody wants to see it!
If everyone starts using hybrid and/or electric cars...Imagine what would happen to the fuel cartel thats spread across the world and more so all folks who benefit from it. Imagine of gas prices fall, and fall so low,...............Newayz, untill anything changes, I will have to join the bandwagon. My search for used cars is on and hopefully I will be able to strike gold !!!
At work, it was a hectic week and next week is only going to be worse. We are supposed to 'GO LIVE' (which means the user community of our client organization would start using stuff that we have developed/implemented for them). And as any football game, there is high drama, last minute changes and heated debates. No, not always, but sometimes it can go to any extent!
But the main difference here compared to home (mumbai in my case), is that people can actually concentrate in excelling at work! They dont have to worry about the basic stuff in life, cause all that is taken care of. Dont have to wait for the maid, dont have to stand in the bus queue to office, dont have to wait in long traffic jams on crater filled roads, dont have to yell or honk wildly at the vehicle ahead of you, dont have to plan your way back home in the evening, dont have to worry about electricity going off, dont have to worry about water entering your home in every mumbai monsoon, ....................
I forgot to take my camera out this entire week. Next week, camera everywhere! :)
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Saturday, July 29, 2006
A week already
Well, have already spent a week here. Mixed bag actually.
Reached here on Sunday (23rd July) evening 7 PM and it wasnt dark at all. Sanjeev was at the Dallas FW airport to pick us up. Sanjeev's wife was also traveling, in the same flight and boy was he glad to see her ! :)
The first few things that hit me about US, is... customer service, the Texas heat, broad open spaces, and the sheer independence.
Yes, on many occasions, I will keep comparing things here with the way its done back home. Thats natural, isnt it.
Here, the folks behind the counter make you feel like a king! Lacks a lot in India, except in high end restaurants or shopping malls. Next, there are no people stamping on each others shoes. Theres so much open space, that sometimes its hard to find people. For a Mumbaite, this is a wierd, uncomfortable phenomenon. We are so used to forcibly sniffing others armpits in our local trains....not finding a single soul for miles is too unnatural! :) Yesterday, I went to a WAL MART store(we had read so much about retailing in our MBA classes, and WM was a favorite example, that i was very excited to visit the store). IT WAS HUGE! Probably our VT station in Mumbai was as huge! And i could see, folks loading their pickup trucks with probably a months supplies.....
Heat was ok.. For me, the west was always a cold place. I was well aware that it is summer season here, but never thought that summer here was as bad or as good as Mumbai.
And yes, no bus, no train, only cars. No folks manning the petrol station (yes yes, its gas here)...all do it yourself culture.
Anuj, my project mate and an Infoscion, visited and invited me to his place for dinner. His wife and mother had joined him recently. His house did give an impression that he is quite settled here! After 23 hrs of being airborne (Mbai to Paris, Paris to Atlanta, Atlanta to Dallas and Dallas to Plano by road), edible home made indian food was a welcome respite.
Last time when I was in Hong Kong, for nearly three monhts, I learnt one important lesson. Whenever you travel abroad, and intend to stay there for long, do remember to take the HAWKINS pressure cooker along ! A lifesaver...:) I had erred in HK, not this time. I was ready with my arsenal...All essentials like the Indian Masala, Spices, Pressure Cooker, Medicines, were well packed.
Monday, and my first day at work. Our client's workplace is not far from our apartment block. Anuj picked me up from my house (i had a minor bike accident in India a weeek before I left...Was limping and still have a sore hand) and reached office in 15 mins. The client knew me well as I was working in Pune for the same project for six months. My job was much easy here...Didnt have to make a good first impression !! :) Within 30 mins, My desk wass setup, my laptop allocated and security badge ready, and I was raring to go. Only for a small hiccup...Jet Lag !
It was noon, when i started to feel the effects of a mundane 23 hr journey. I was so sleepy ( i hadnt slept well the night before), that I had to throw water on my face on more than one occasion. I guess everyone at the workplace knew (most of my colleagues would have faced this too). The client didnt discuss many project related activities either!:)
By wednesday, the Jet Lag was almost gone. I also got busy taking care of some personal stuff, like getting a bank account opened. It was so easy. At WELLS FARGO, the service was so quick, that within 15 mins my account was ready. They made it so simple, even for an alien (any NON US Citizen, is an alien!!). No snide remarks, no suspicious glances (they are so used to Indian IT folks now).....Go to an SBI branch in India and you will spend the first 15 mins in queue!
One interesting point...Rutwik (one of my project mates) was kind enough to take me to Wells Fargo (in his car). The first thing the gentleman at the counter asked was 'Do you want to open a joint account?'. And thats when I was 100 % sure that I had arrived in the US!! :) The GAY WORLD does exist here...and probably a lot of gay men do walk into banks to open a joint account! A small chuckle from me (i was offended though) and a reply 'NO' was good enough to start the process...
Next week, I need to get my SSN and initiate the process for a DL. Moree later....
Will post photos...soon
Luv
~Prakash
Reached here on Sunday (23rd July) evening 7 PM and it wasnt dark at all. Sanjeev was at the Dallas FW airport to pick us up. Sanjeev's wife was also traveling, in the same flight and boy was he glad to see her ! :)
The first few things that hit me about US, is... customer service, the Texas heat, broad open spaces, and the sheer independence.
Yes, on many occasions, I will keep comparing things here with the way its done back home. Thats natural, isnt it.
Here, the folks behind the counter make you feel like a king! Lacks a lot in India, except in high end restaurants or shopping malls. Next, there are no people stamping on each others shoes. Theres so much open space, that sometimes its hard to find people. For a Mumbaite, this is a wierd, uncomfortable phenomenon. We are so used to forcibly sniffing others armpits in our local trains....not finding a single soul for miles is too unnatural! :) Yesterday, I went to a WAL MART store(we had read so much about retailing in our MBA classes, and WM was a favorite example, that i was very excited to visit the store). IT WAS HUGE! Probably our VT station in Mumbai was as huge! And i could see, folks loading their pickup trucks with probably a months supplies.....
Heat was ok.. For me, the west was always a cold place. I was well aware that it is summer season here, but never thought that summer here was as bad or as good as Mumbai.
And yes, no bus, no train, only cars. No folks manning the petrol station (yes yes, its gas here)...all do it yourself culture.
Anuj, my project mate and an Infoscion, visited and invited me to his place for dinner. His wife and mother had joined him recently. His house did give an impression that he is quite settled here! After 23 hrs of being airborne (Mbai to Paris, Paris to Atlanta, Atlanta to Dallas and Dallas to Plano by road), edible home made indian food was a welcome respite.
Last time when I was in Hong Kong, for nearly three monhts, I learnt one important lesson. Whenever you travel abroad, and intend to stay there for long, do remember to take the HAWKINS pressure cooker along ! A lifesaver...:) I had erred in HK, not this time. I was ready with my arsenal...All essentials like the Indian Masala, Spices, Pressure Cooker, Medicines, were well packed.
Monday, and my first day at work. Our client's workplace is not far from our apartment block. Anuj picked me up from my house (i had a minor bike accident in India a weeek before I left...Was limping and still have a sore hand) and reached office in 15 mins. The client knew me well as I was working in Pune for the same project for six months. My job was much easy here...Didnt have to make a good first impression !! :) Within 30 mins, My desk wass setup, my laptop allocated and security badge ready, and I was raring to go. Only for a small hiccup...Jet Lag !
It was noon, when i started to feel the effects of a mundane 23 hr journey. I was so sleepy ( i hadnt slept well the night before), that I had to throw water on my face on more than one occasion. I guess everyone at the workplace knew (most of my colleagues would have faced this too). The client didnt discuss many project related activities either!:)
By wednesday, the Jet Lag was almost gone. I also got busy taking care of some personal stuff, like getting a bank account opened. It was so easy. At WELLS FARGO, the service was so quick, that within 15 mins my account was ready. They made it so simple, even for an alien (any NON US Citizen, is an alien!!). No snide remarks, no suspicious glances (they are so used to Indian IT folks now).....Go to an SBI branch in India and you will spend the first 15 mins in queue!
One interesting point...Rutwik (one of my project mates) was kind enough to take me to Wells Fargo (in his car). The first thing the gentleman at the counter asked was 'Do you want to open a joint account?'. And thats when I was 100 % sure that I had arrived in the US!! :) The GAY WORLD does exist here...and probably a lot of gay men do walk into banks to open a joint account! A small chuckle from me (i was offended though) and a reply 'NO' was good enough to start the process...
Next week, I need to get my SSN and initiate the process for a DL. Moree later....
Will post photos...soon
Luv
~Prakash
Howdy
Well, its my first trip to the west! And I guess, I will be here for a while!
Already miss my India and my home! But, these days, India and Indians are everywhere. And a lot right, here in downtown Dallas!!
~kash
Already miss my India and my home! But, these days, India and Indians are everywhere. And a lot right, here in downtown Dallas!!
~kash
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