People around you talk continously in Telugu and then turn to you and ask why you are so silent
The guy sitting behind you is staring at your screen while you mail and doesn't know that you know he is staring
Someone wearing an atrocious attire is asking for an opinion and you don't want to lie or burn bridges
You talk loudly about someone only to turn back and find him looking at you
Someone you are trying to avoid keeps coming on to you and socializing
You receive forwards from strangers at work
Your normally considerate PL loads with work at 7:00 p.m on a Friday and wants it to be done immediatly.
*Yes, I promise to make an attempt to stop cribbing all the time and blog about nice things in life too *
Friday, May 27, 2005
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Eating Alone
Today we did something high funda at work - failing over the primary server to the secondary server on purpose and checking if all the jobs, scripts blah blah run fine. And this had to be done during lunch to affect minimal users. So by the time I reached our cafeteria, everyone from my dysfunctional lunch group had left leaving me to lunch alone. :-( I looked around and though I found a few people I knew and who would engage in decent conversation, they were sitting with people I didn't know or people I knew and knew they wouldn't talk! Feeling very pathetic and wallowing in self pity I sat a table all alone, finished my meal in record time and ran to the refuge of my cubicle.
Now don't get me wrong here, I not a namby pamby girl who can't get anything done alone. Heck, I've survived three and a half years in Pilani, half a year in Bangalore and almost a year in Hyd all alone. I am pretty brave and independent kinds. But I can never ever go to a restaurant alone and dine alone!
I don't know why this is so. I have gone shopping alone umpteen number of times and never felt odd. Come to think of it, it makes more sense to drag someone along while shopping to prevent impulsive purchases that lose its charm as soon as you go home. A meal is for an hour but clothes are forvever! :-) And I do other stuff (that I can't think of right now) also alone. But eating is a big no-no! Once I almost entered a restaurant alone, and then I perceived the imagined snickers, glances of pity, shouts of "loser loser" reverbrating all around and ran right back!
Ann Landers (no I don't know who she is) said "It is far better to alone than to wish to be alone". So with this knowledge in mind and a book in hand for company I am going into march into someplace nice and dine alone and then blog all about it! :-)
Now don't get me wrong here, I not a namby pamby girl who can't get anything done alone. Heck, I've survived three and a half years in Pilani, half a year in Bangalore and almost a year in Hyd all alone. I am pretty brave and independent kinds. But I can never ever go to a restaurant alone and dine alone!
I don't know why this is so. I have gone shopping alone umpteen number of times and never felt odd. Come to think of it, it makes more sense to drag someone along while shopping to prevent impulsive purchases that lose its charm as soon as you go home. A meal is for an hour but clothes are forvever! :-) And I do other stuff (that I can't think of right now) also alone. But eating is a big no-no! Once I almost entered a restaurant alone, and then I perceived the imagined snickers, glances of pity, shouts of "loser loser" reverbrating all around and ran right back!
Ann Landers (no I don't know who she is) said "It is far better to alone than to wish to be alone". So with this knowledge in mind and a book in hand for company I am going into march into someplace nice and dine alone and then blog all about it! :-)
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Storytime: Untitled as of Now - Part II
*If you are new, read Part I first, just in case.*
The day was grey and dull and seemed to be geared up for a storm. Srishti hardly noticed it though. With a crinkled nose she tried to find out where that tricky variable was initialised. Like a mountain looming over the sleepy village, Venkat waited patiently. "I have some work, you leave da", she attempted a futile battle. The chivalrous giant never let her stay late in office and never let her go alone. And she always acquiesced after mild protests. She had always been the spoilt brat at home, fussed over and coddled. Her first few months in the city had been choatic to state the least and she had wandered like a wet puppy that had strayed from its home. Until she met Venkat that is. Venkat treated her like the princess that she felt she was. He knew when to take her out, when to put his foot down, when to pander to her whims and things like that.
It was love at first sight for Venkat. He was that kind actually, he had never been the ladies man and when he found his woman, he intended to stick to her. It this were Old England, he would be of a sturdy peasant stock and funnily enough he looked that way too - tall, well built with a ruggedly handsome face. Dependabilty was his middle name and that was one the reasons he was well liked all around.
And he loved Srishti with all his being. He wasn't the kind of guy who made lists like "I like the way her hair falls about her face. I adore that tiny mole above her lips. I love it when she tilts her head to the right while talking. Her tiny smile, her flowing dupatta ...". He didn't watch romantic movies, he never took her handkerchief when she wasn't looking to sigh at later and he couldn't rhyme to save his life. He was chivalrous though, he pulled out chairs, carried bags, held umbrellas, never allowed her to pay - almost romantic but not quite.
He pondered a lot before proposing. He knew she was his, but he didn't know the protocol one followed while declaring that. But he didn't like to go on as though nothing had happened when something indeed was happening deep inside. So like all good men do, he bought a bunch a roses, gathered himself and gave words to his feelings under a shady tree. And to be honest, he never expected what happened to happen; they were meant to be. It hit him hard, more because he couldn't understand it.
The day was grey and dull and seemed to be geared up for a storm. Srishti hardly noticed it though. With a crinkled nose she tried to find out where that tricky variable was initialised. Like a mountain looming over the sleepy village, Venkat waited patiently. "I have some work, you leave da", she attempted a futile battle. The chivalrous giant never let her stay late in office and never let her go alone. And she always acquiesced after mild protests. She had always been the spoilt brat at home, fussed over and coddled. Her first few months in the city had been choatic to state the least and she had wandered like a wet puppy that had strayed from its home. Until she met Venkat that is. Venkat treated her like the princess that she felt she was. He knew when to take her out, when to put his foot down, when to pander to her whims and things like that.
It was love at first sight for Venkat. He was that kind actually, he had never been the ladies man and when he found his woman, he intended to stick to her. It this were Old England, he would be of a sturdy peasant stock and funnily enough he looked that way too - tall, well built with a ruggedly handsome face. Dependabilty was his middle name and that was one the reasons he was well liked all around.
And he loved Srishti with all his being. He wasn't the kind of guy who made lists like "I like the way her hair falls about her face. I adore that tiny mole above her lips. I love it when she tilts her head to the right while talking. Her tiny smile, her flowing dupatta ...". He didn't watch romantic movies, he never took her handkerchief when she wasn't looking to sigh at later and he couldn't rhyme to save his life. He was chivalrous though, he pulled out chairs, carried bags, held umbrellas, never allowed her to pay - almost romantic but not quite.
He pondered a lot before proposing. He knew she was his, but he didn't know the protocol one followed while declaring that. But he didn't like to go on as though nothing had happened when something indeed was happening deep inside. So like all good men do, he bought a bunch a roses, gathered himself and gave words to his feelings under a shady tree. And to be honest, he never expected what happened to happen; they were meant to be. It hit him hard, more because he couldn't understand it.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Mixed Bag
We had this small birthday party at work and looking around I realised that I hate a lot of people!For example, I hate R for talking and laughing too loudly and for her general brash behaviour and I hate A for his taste in clothes and I can go on and on and on. Something is wrong somewhere...
And going in line with my hate theme, I am going to repeat my smileys rant with added emphasis. Every site I go to seems to have this Smiley Central ad and there is this one smiley with red rashes scratching itself furiously and this really takes me to the lowest point of disgust! Yech, why would anyone ever want to use that in a mail?
On a happier note, my much missed roomie is coming back tomorrow. Yaayy! And I have started my plans for elaborate weekend revelry. :-) Also L has made a job in Pune, congrats girl. :-) And oh it is S' birthday tomorrow and in case you are reading this, "Hap hap happy birthday!" :-)
I am reading English, August now. (If you haven't clicked that link, do it now.) It's been made into a motion picture and so the cover has a picture of Rahul Bose(I am not going to link to him in imdb, do it yourself!). And now I have lost a little of the pleasure of reading the book 'coz in my mind Agastya is Bose! I have this thing actually, I don't like to see movies made out of books and if I happen see the movie first I never can read the book!
Moi hasn't got a single call since morning! :-( But lot of emails to make up! :-)
Ok ending with a snippet from Carry On Jeeves - "Yes, sir,'' said Jeeves in a low, cold voice, as if he had been bitten in the leg by a personal friend.
:-)
And going in line with my hate theme, I am going to repeat my smileys rant with added emphasis. Every site I go to seems to have this Smiley Central ad and there is this one smiley with red rashes scratching itself furiously and this really takes me to the lowest point of disgust! Yech, why would anyone ever want to use that in a mail?
On a happier note, my much missed roomie is coming back tomorrow. Yaayy! And I have started my plans for elaborate weekend revelry. :-) Also L has made a job in Pune, congrats girl. :-) And oh it is S' birthday tomorrow and in case you are reading this, "Hap hap happy birthday!" :-)
I am reading English, August now. (If you haven't clicked that link, do it now.) It's been made into a motion picture and so the cover has a picture of Rahul Bose(I am not going to link to him in imdb, do it yourself!). And now I have lost a little of the pleasure of reading the book 'coz in my mind Agastya is Bose!
Moi hasn't got a single call since morning! :-( But lot of emails to make up! :-)
Ok ending with a snippet from Carry On Jeeves -
Monday, May 23, 2005
Muted
A question was thrown at me
My answer was lost in silence
Friends poured forth pleasantaries
I smiled weakly in return
My boss asked for an estimate
And I emailed my answer
I ate the lunch which was served
Without making any demands
Inquiries, questions and condolences
I replied in tenorless single syllables
The world is a hard place to live in
When you have lost your throat to soreness!
My answer was lost in silence
Friends poured forth pleasantaries
I smiled weakly in return
My boss asked for an estimate
And I emailed my answer
I ate the lunch which was served
Without making any demands
Inquiries, questions and condolences
I replied in tenorless single syllables
The world is a hard place to live in
When you have lost your throat to soreness!
Saturday, May 21, 2005
I Wanna Go to Switzerland
Picture 155
Originally uploaded by sjanani.
Thanks Sharan for the lovely snaps and for permission to reproduce them! :-)
Friday, May 20, 2005
Calling it a Day
How do you objectify a day? One question I hate answering is "So, how was your day?" (But I am guilty of posing this question many times though - it's is one of the easiest things to say when you can't think of anything else.) How do I answer that question without seeming curt? If I had an exciting job, maybe my reply would have sounded like "Yup me had a good day, managed to isolate yet another stable isotope in the lab today" or "Not so good pal, broke my neck while bungee jumping today". Unfortunately moi is just yet another Indian software engineer. Most of my days are spent looking at and some days writing code. And more often than not, the person who is asking this question is also YAISE and I am always worried that answering this question might lead to the complete dissection of my job profile, my project, the team I am into, the method of source control we use, C++ or Java yada yada yada or worse it could lead into a detailed monologue of his/her job, the kind of project she is into and so on.
So leaving the work part aside, the other parameters that I could use to evaluate my day are my journey to work which takes approximately 15 minutes, my lunch and my travel back home! I can imagine myself answering "Yeah I had a great day, in the morning I got an auto very easily and they actually served gobi for lunch today" and the other person's opinion of me will sink to an all time low.
After a lot of pondering and rejecting many possible possibilities, I have hit upon this one - "Yeah my day was not bad. Survived a man eater in the morning, and then the afternoon was spent disproving the Pythagoras Theorem. My evening was good, I swam across the English Channel - nothing more invigorating than a brisk swim. And now here I am talking to you." Either she will give an awkward laugh and quickly change the topic or hang up - works for me eitherways! :-)
So leaving the work part aside, the other parameters that I could use to evaluate my day are my journey to work which takes approximately 15 minutes, my lunch and my travel back home! I can imagine myself answering "Yeah I had a great day, in the morning I got an auto very easily and they actually served gobi for lunch today" and the other person's opinion of me will sink to an all time low.
After a lot of pondering and rejecting many possible possibilities, I have hit upon this one - "Yeah my day was not bad. Survived a man eater in the morning, and then the afternoon was spent disproving the Pythagoras Theorem. My evening was good, I swam across the English Channel - nothing more invigorating than a brisk swim. And now here I am talking to you." Either she will give an awkward laugh and quickly change the topic or hang up - works for me eitherways! :-)
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