It ain't easy honey!!

Recently (about 1 week ago) I was having this conversation with a friend of mine who happens to be a chartered accountant, that software guys have it all easy. And there I was righteously defending the honour of an entire tribe out there. In the process, I chalked out a number of hazards, dunno if I ended up with a few outrageous ones in the process or not. But honestly, I was too miffed to think straight. I simply leaned on my ability to bluff and well.... he bought my story. What happened after that later, till then here's a snippet from that conversation:

CA: "I mean all that you guys do is in front of that computer and punch away something on the keyboard. An absolutely relaxing job I'd say."

Me (absolutely caught unaware on this one): "Huh!!! What makes you think so?"

CA: "Aw c'mon!! I mean what do you apart from sitting in front of that computer and chatting. Play TT?? That's it!! Quite a fun life!!"

Me (really wanted him to work on my project that minute): "Not really, you have a wrong impression. Our work stations might be stationary, but it's not esy work on soemthig absolutely conceptual. You never get to see what's happening after you've written that piece of code. And let's not talk of all the benefits and professional hazards."

CA: "Benefits??"

Me: "Yeah! Not for us though. It's for all you people out there. You talk on the phone, you book your tickets, the salary that you see on the screen at the ATM counter, the Orkut that you swear by, the e-mail that helps you connect... they all are due to some software techie slogging it out in front of a computer on a diet of a few packets of chips, burgers and coffee."

CA: "And hazards??"

Me: "Ah well..... all those hours typing causes the wrists to damage. The angle they bend after is all too unnatural. The starin on the eyes. The serious inactivity and bad diet causes all sorts of diseases in the long run for them. Obesity, Heart problems, chronic back problems, bowel problems, spondilitis, depression, stress induced damages.... these are just to name a few. I'm sure there are more. They do pay a handsome salary, but then that would hardly compensate for the loss of health causing a 25 yr old to resemble a 35 year old. Which is why, you'd see many youngsters givinh up the life of a coder before long."

CA: "Then why are you still in?"

Me: "For am qualified to do nothing else!! Sad but true....."

CA: "Hmmm.... all that glitters is not gold!! I guess it's so true."

There I had won another sympathiser. Believe me, it was not as easy it seems in this converstion, for it was longer than this and quite a argumentative one. But then I don't remember much of it now!!

The moot point is this got me thinking. The picture for the world outside is that we software guys have it real easy. Whereas this job isn't really that hunky-dory. It's as good as any other job out there. And frankly, a telecom engineer does much better with time than a software engineer. At times I really feel terming this entire lot, especially the ones in the service sector of Software as "White-Collared Labours". Tell me what do you think?

Asche bochhor abar hobe (It'll happen again next year!!)

In case you did not get it, this a line spoken out loud by jsut about every other Bengali breathing now (infants and toddlers excluded!!). Wondering why?? You see starting th 17th of October this year Bengalis the world over celebrated Durga Puja. Five days of worshipping the goddess and loads of celebration. The flavor of puja remains the same everywhere it is celebrated. And the hub of it all is Kolkata. For the third year in a row I spent the puja away from Kolkata. This year it was in Pune. Now, there are many die hard bongs who would claim that puja in Pune cannot match up to Kolkata. I agree but partially. The decoration and glamour is missing. But what is in plenty is the attitude that one sees.

The idol at Khadki Kalibari, Pune (2006)

Sample this: it 2:00 am, different team of youngsters gather at prominent puja location. Guitars, Pepsi, smokes and water in tow..... the plan is to rock the place. How? Well... simple... sing!! Oh yes!! Singing on till it was 5:00 am. And trudging back, for one has to turn up again early the next day. Sleep is meant for daytime, if you cannot find anything to do..... but then, for youngsters this is the perfgect time to do anything with full permission. At no other time of the year can you flirt with such ease with any girl you fancy. It seems that all the beautiful ladies start coming out of the wood work..... and that's when we guys realise why they say Bengali girls are the most beautiful.

It is during the same time period that Navratri is celebrated, culminating on the 4th day of the Puja. The navratri brings in 9 days of dance, music and Devi worship. The tenth day is Dussera, the day it is believe that Lord Ram defeated the evil Ravan to claim his lady Sita. It is also the last to Durga Puja, the day being noted as Vijaya Dashami. It is marked with the immersion of the Goddess idol in the river and later the burning of an huge effigy of Ravan.

And now it's all over....... People should be tired after all the dance, the pandal-hopping (going around to catch a glipmse of all the idols in town), gourmet pleasures. But then, who has ever been tired after having a good time??

Not me!! How about you??

The moments that one lives through during these few days remain forever etched in the mind. And it is to relive these moments again... the call of "Aschhe bochhor abar hobe exists!!"

On this note, "Shubho Bijoya" and "Happy Dussera" to everyone!! :)

It's all in a name... the middle one if you please!!

Got tagged for this one quite sometime back by Rashi....

Here are the rules:
* Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
* When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
* At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag.
* Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged.

Now, I was never baptized with a middle name. After much thinking I couldn't come with one and there isn't a single name which I fancy!! So, I'll go ahead with my own name: SAM (I know that's a nick... but then...)

S : Sophistication - Call me a snob if you feel like it, but somehow I'm of the opinion that no matter how good you are at what you do, if there isn't any understated sophistication about you, an air about you which would define you well, then you haven't really learnt much!! I mean, imagine having the know how about that matters in the world, but then dressing up, speaking or for that matter dining in the most inappropriate manner.... YUCK!!!! It is a necessary skill set if you want to climb up the ladder.

A: Amorous - Alright now this is a major confession, but an essential part of me!! And frankly, I'd like my girl to be the same. No comments on this one please ;)

M: Masti (Fun) - That's what life is for me. I consider it to be too short to be serious all teh time. One must, I believe, stop by to smell the flowers on the busiest of days. Helps clear up a lot of clutter on the mind.

Done!! :)

And time to bug others. Let's see:
S: Ummm..... someone who is game enough to take this up!!
A: Aashi and a girl I like to call Ananya!!
M: Madhavi!!

Happy writing girls!! C ya!!

Getting things in perspective!!

It's been quite some time that I have been away from blogsville. Loads of work, some personal rasks, personal issues stuff which kept me to occupied and high strung to write a simple coherent sentence. Result, I have been staying away from most of the things I loved. Hanging out with friends, playing my guitar, blogging and god knows what not!! Hell... I wasn't even around to read blogs patiently!! And that is something which should be avoided. While being totally lost in my own personal world, staying away from these have brought my mind to a standstill... and as I see it, the same has happened to many. I realise my follies, at this juncture. Hell.... I didn't turn up here to be a ghost blogger!! There are so many things that are pending. Numerous tags, my time at BUF, a request from David.... so many!! And I'm yet to tend to any one of them!! Instead, I'm writing this post!! Why?? May be I'm guilty. Guilty of not following what I preach - "Never let go of what you enjoy!!" I did, and I find things falling apart at seams!! That's not what I like!! Sorry for being away!!

I'm back to blog... So stay tuned... I'll visit you soon.......