Out on the streets of NYC!

I really don't know how to start off with this post but I want to share with you all what has been one of the most memorable weekend of my entire life!! We were off to New York this entire weekend and man, it was fun!!!

Me, Debashish, and Upinder hit the NYC early morning and by the time we came back it was 10 at night and we are dead tired and we slept like dogs!!

One of the nicest part was that I met with my one of the best and long lost friend, Nishant. We were in the school together and he came to the US for graduation just after the we completed our school. So, I met him after some 12 yrs (damn, I still don't believe it's been so long since we were in school). It was so much fun catching up with him, I was literally in tears when I saw him (though I did not admit that to him :). I am hoping to visit NYC real soon again when I will be staying over for a couple of nights at Nishant's place, really looking forward to that!

We had loads of fun, went all around the times square, empire state and so on. I also shopped a lot at the ToysRus store at the Times square for my daughter. I am hoping she will like watever I bought for her. 

All and all, it was the trip and I was looking forward to this one for so so long...am so glad I finally made it!!

20 Days old, another 2 months to go!

It's been 20 days since I landed here in Philadelphia and may I say that the going is getting tougher. Not so much professionally cause I am learning new "Tricks of the trade", but because I am really missing home. Not that I have not stayed away before, I was in Hyderabad for about 1 year with GE and then almost 3 years in B'lore (2 years Infosys and 1 year IBM). But that was different, Hyderabad I was a bachelor and Bangalore I was with my wife and kid. I have not stayed away from them for more than a week in the last 3 years, so that's the thing killing me.

Also, we came back from B'lore in Aug'08, been almost 1.5 years. In this time I was comfortable (or rather too comfortable!!) at home. IBM spoilt me by giving this "Work from Home" option so luckily I didn't have to go to office more than twice a week (actually a devil in disguise). I can spend more time home and thus more time with my kid, which of course I rejoice so much. I have avoided coming alone to the US for sometime now, but this recession took it's toll on me.

Anyways, not much I can do except for cribbing. Trying hard for my wife and kid to make a short visit to the US, with crossed fingers. That will be awesome, atleast I will have someone to go home (or hotel) to! Help me God!!

First week in Philly!

It's been around 10 days since I handed in Philadelphia and I am beginning to find new ways to kill time. I got majorly bored the whole of last week with work and everythg and by the time it was Friday, the last thing I wanted to do was sit at the hotel doin nothing. So what do I do, I hitch hike with a colleague and went to New Jearsey to meet another friend, Debashish who is also on the same project.

On Saturday, we drove back to Philly and hired a car. To be honest, I was kinda hesitant to get into the car at first but then I decided, wat the heck!! I must tell you the following as they say, is pleasant history!! Both me and Deb had the most awesome weekend of our lives. We drove all around Lansdale, found couple of gems around and had loads of fun!

On Saturday we found a Patel Store here in lansdale and went there to buy some parathas and shahi paneer. In the evening, we went to a mall and then to Best Buy, I bought myself a GPS and a mobile phone, down 200 dollars. Then we went to a Mexican restaurant and ate Burritos with ice tea. By the time we came out, it was snow showering...did I tell you that it was beautiful!! For dinner, we cooked some chicken curry and rice which BTW came out amazing as well.

Sunday morning, post our breakfast at the hotel, we decided to hit the roads again!! First we went to an Indian temple which is close by, was an interesting experience and feeling is how I will put it. Then we went again to the same mall and spend some time. Came out at around 1 and decided to look for an Indian restaurant nearby. Our GPS was very helpful and found us a gem, "Sultan Indian Cuisine", had a lunch buffet there for 10$ and ate like there was no tomorrow. Post that lunch, it was hard for both of us to get up. Did that with difficulty, got into the car, drove to the hotel and hit the bed straight. Deb left to NJ around 5.

Now am just waiting for another Friday to hit me and we will be off again, for the ride of our lives!

Philadelphia, PA, US

I reached lansdale in Pennsylvania this week for a 3 month assignment. This place is close suburb of Philadelphia and about 30 miles from the downtown. I came to Newark and then took a connecting flight to Philly on Thursday. Its blurring cold here, the temp today is -7 celcius and it's snow all around. I had some difficulty getting off my jet lag, so I slept all of yesterday which was Saturday and I am doin fine today. I am planned to be here till April end and am already starting to miss my wife and daughter...I wished they were with me :(

New times, new age, new bond, new salvage...Happy New Year!

Am I am being too philosophical here?? Well, yes and no...details follow but let me start off with wishing everyone a prosperous 2009!! May this year comes with less (I wish I could say "no" instead but deep down I know that will not be!) terrorism, less strikes, less political crap, even less politician crap (dunno if they are the same), more happiness, more hope, greater vision and a happy nation.

The year did not start off though with what I wished for in the first para. There was blast in Assam on the day 1 of the year, then there was Satyam saga which continues till day, and then the strike by Oil PSUs and Trucker's union. Not to mention the 26/11 drama with Pakistan continues with both side talking more than doing anything substantial on the ground. I don't wanna say much here but I really feel that I am living in some sort of a jungle where anyone (and I mean ANYONE) can stand put, pull out a trigger and hold my life at ransom. Be it the government, the private player, neighbour country or the well established IT organisation...u name it and my country has it!! 

And my assessment remains the same, we are too used to all kind of crap now to react to anything under the sun. We fail to raise our voice, we fail to react in a way that matters, we fail to learn from our mistakes, and we fail to do ourselves or our country proud. This post is fast becoming another crib post of mine but this is the only way I can get my vent out!!

Is there hope, I don't know to be honest but I hope and pray for the HOPE!

What's happening? Recession, job cuts, pay cuts...

It's been quite some time since I wrote about what's happening on my professional front, what is it I am doing and am I going the way where I intended to? Well, come to think of it, it's more of a philosophical question than a straight objective one. Don't agree with me, well...that's what I think.

Anyways, these days I am working on creating a major chunk of online training for one of the global electronics major (can't disclose details for obvious reasons). We are creating web based trainings for them, been a very tiring project so far largely due to lack of clarity on what they want. It's very difficult to manage a client who is not even sure about the basic requirements. Another is quite an interesting project, we are developing a small mobile app which will used in the EMEA region of our organisation. Am really missing my flash development days!!!

Been hearing a lots about recession, job cuts, pay cuts. Touch wood, but nothing much has drilled down here in the IT industry in India. Of course there have been cuts, but those are more of waste cut than the cost/job cuts. I agree with Abdul when he said the more you talk about it, more you get worried about and more you get distracted from your work in hand. I am pretty clear on this one, we will think about crossing the river when we reach it :) 

I am sure prople here have different views, tell me yours for sure!

Angry, Disturbed, Disgusted: My emotions!

It's been over 3 days since the Mumbai Mayhem ended and it's been 2 days since our very dear politicians have started doing what they are best at: Barking!!

I read a placard in one of the peace marches yesterday "The politicians speak and divide us, the terrorists fire and unite us"...so true, I mean the least these idiots can do at this time is shut their f***ing mouths and sympathise. NO WAY!!!

Their insulated and inflated egos make them speak in patronising tones to a martyr's father. They make fun of a multitude of mourners. They make light of a calamity that has not only claimed lives but scarred whole families. They continue to show the world that if there is one are India exceeds everyone else is the lack of brains, heart and all the vital organs in our political system.

What we need as someone rightly said is another no-cooperation or a Quit-India movement here. We need to show these idiots that we don't need lame donkeys to sit on their asses and keep gulping my (taxpayers) money to feed themselves and their dogs (actually, am still ok feeding their dogs!!)

I am angry, disgusted, and disturbed. 

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/03mumterror-remove-politicians-security-now.htm

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/03mumterror-kerala-cm-deeply-pained-by-controversy.htm