Places

There is an overwhelming demand about the next blog ( if you can call 2 people asking as overwhelming ). This two men army has asked why there is such a delay in writing and I already feel like a king. The fact that there are people expecting you to say something is heart-warming.

Just that I don’t have much to say. Been busy! That’s also a reason. Hey, this is not to say that I was idle in Sify, you may presume that at your own peril but you will be right in your presumption, just that I don’t want the guys who paid me handsomely to have some kind of remorse. But anyway they aren’t those types of people. If there is something called as remorse, there would be something called as conscience and that means they would atleast rarely do some right things. So let’s not worry too much about this. Yes I was having a lot of time while I was at Sify and now I find myself doing decent work.

Life is one funny thing. You seem to think that you belong to a place and grow a feeling of sadness about leaving the place. Only to come out and find that there are other places which are simply great. Places where you are seen as a human being, an intelligent one at that and give the respect you deserve. And I think maybe because you are new, people go out of the way to smile at you, please you and you get stuff like a new laptop, Datacard for remote connectivity blah blah on the first day, so you also start feeling pretty special.

But the fact is places are nothing but people. You feel sad about leaving the place because of the people there. There I can’t have any other feeling but sadness. And despite the respect in a new place, till the time the people know you as a person as you had been known, it is just an alien territory.

There is always a piece of heart that is left behind in every special place, a place made special because of wonderful folks. And I am not ashamed to say that I left a piece of mine at Sify.

This is dedicated to all you wonderful folks. May you all find special places for yourself pretty soon. And here is a stanza from an amazing song from Beatles about places.

There are places I remember all my life,
Though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain.
All these places have their moments
Of lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I loved them all.

Storm in a 'B' cup

This is the latest raging debate in the US of A. This was triggered by what Hilary Clinton wore in a TV debate and a fashion writer chose to participate in the proceedings. Obviously he had no opinions about the National Security Policy and he decided to talk about what he knows and the security of the men around him. He commented about the pink blazer and the black tops which showed a bit of a cleavage line.

And then the storm started. Everyone is now jumping talking about how a woman is judged based on what she wears and not by what she talks. OK, I am not a prude. I am definitely not one. Why else I would try to be non-conservative by wearing a ponytail and bright shirts to work, when the bosses swear by what they call as Power dressing that is plain shirts in blue or white with a staid tie. But even I have my opinions about what women should wear for work.

Not that I am a MCP and have different rules for different genders. Just that, I am passing an opinion because I know what others talk about it ( as topic no 2 in a pubbing session, used to be no 1 earlier, but more recently at my office Boss-Bashing has become the pressing priority, this has been given the second slot ). It is like this. If someone is going to kid herself that men would look and comment upon women, which is catalyzed by what they wear, then we are in Planet Mars. I am not passing a judgment here whether it is right or wrong, or I may even confess that it is not right. But the reality is that men do.

The primary vocation of men I suppose is watching women and try to get a sneak preview. If the attempt is aided, then it is welcome. Maybe, if something changes in the way we reproduce then this will also change. Maybe when cloning is the order of the day and men had to use theirs for pissing only, this will change. But men’s brain is designed to look for opportunities to procreate and now that has become the main recreation. ( I know this is a typical MCP judgmental statement ! ). The fact I am trying to drive home is that, it takes an evolutionary change and not plain education and etiquette.

Otherwise, why would people talk about Sania’s T Shirt and nose ring instead of her forehand and backhands? It is tough on the women, but then I think it is so for men also when they are going to be watched. No one would approve a shorts & a blazer, tie unless you come from Fiji islands ( there I think they would not mind if women don’t wear anything on top, leave alone the cleavage ).

All I would say is that, just be prepared to be noticed if you dare to dress differently and you know you stand in a crowd. There are many people who have asked me in recent days about my long hair. They would. If you are men, they will walk across and talk. If you are women they will walk away and talk, including their own ilk.

But it is a shame, real shame. Even if I bring the evolutionary practices to men’s defense, it should be remembered that men adorned themselves with all kinds of ugly things to scare the enemy and women just did the opposite. So, guess we need to give them a break.

But then it is kind of tough to ignore a B Cup. Ain’t it ?

Quitting

It takes quite an effort to take the decision of quitting from an organization, where you had been gainfully employed for 9 long years. And that too, when you started your work there it was a start-up and later became a behemoth and you can take pride in making it so by contributing your bit.

Come to think of it, leaving a job of 9 years is something like divorce. Death & Divorce are highly personal according to me. There is no overt reason about why these stuff happen. But people inside would have suffered silently for long that they would rather welcome the end.

There will be some untellable reason that would force someone to take the extreme step of quitting a marriage, which mostly gets played to an audience that includes the ‘supposed’ stakeholders who are not an actual part of the marriage. Deep inside you would know nothing works and the marriage sucks. There will not even be a mirage of happiness in the couple of centuries to come. But you may still hang on, not even on the proverbial thread of hope, but out of sheer compulsion of the playing the main role in the drama. Afterall the audience loves it !!

This is all because at most times we don’t want to hurt people. We want to take the role of Atlas and carry the burden of the world on our shoulder and smile for a mug shot. Only you know that the knees are jelly and given a chance you will throw the world aside and sit down for a while. Or sometimes because of fear! Fear of an uncertain future ( actually this is a redundant phrase, when has future ever been certain ) , whether life will be the same after I quit. But if the current one is plain shit, why would you even care about how shittier future can become.

Actually all these symptoms should appear when you quit a 9 year job. Your throat gets parched, the fingers tremble while you type the letter of separation, get maudlin about leaving the folks with whom you have associated for half of your professional life, start thinking that furniture will miss you and strongly believe that the business will die without you.

For me, there is nothing like that. I am plainly delirious. I care a damn about what is in store for me in the so-called uncertain future. All I know that my present is simply great, after having taken a decision.

I feel light as if I have attained Nirvana. And I am soaked in a state of bliss and feel like that I am sitting on top of the world that Atlas carries. And I will tell you, it is much better to sit on top than carrying it. I would highly recommend it to all. : ))