4 years back...

Four years back, this day, I started off my career as a Technical Writer. I still remember how nervous I was! But to my luck, I had two of my colleagues joining along with me then. So I never felt left out. We were a batch of around 15 new joinees - all freshers. Within no time, all of us were good friends. Our training spanned over a period of around a month and then we were sent to our respective departments. Joining the documentation team made me nervous again. But soon, we were able to gel with the team and work. And there my career took off well documenting, learning, and reviewing. I spent the first one and a half year of my career at SunTec. It was in Trivandrum, the place where I spent some of the best years of my life. Well, when I had to leave the place, I was indeed sad. I left behind some really good friends.

Then I came to Bangalore and joined Sasken. The experience here was rather a different one. Lot more of professional and skilled people. What took me by surprise was the 50+ member team, which was very huge compared to the 10 member team at SunTec. I had a tough time remembering all the names. Timings were flexi, writing styles were different, cubicles were welcoming, and I got some dear friends. Within a short period I got adjusted well to the place and found myself adapted to this big team. I enjoyed the time I spent at the Bommanahalli office. Then our office location shifted to the Embassy Golf Links Campus. It was here that some of the good things happened in my life. I got married, took to crochet and other itty-bitty crafts, got into a good project and so on. But slowly things started changing at the office. We started seeing a steep increase in the number of people quitting from the firm. The number dropped down drastically over a short span. Though there were chances and small initiatives for revival I had decided to move on. And that's how HP happened to me.

Its just a week of being at my new office and I am settling down.

Almost an year!

Its almost an year since I reached Banglore, left SunTec, and reached Sasken. :)

One month left for an year of starting blogging too... I checked the date today and found my progress in blogging is very irregular. Too lazy nowadays. :) I see that ppl on my list keep blogging almost daily but I am finding it hard now :(

An year of being lazy and idle. But now I plan to be a bit more organized. No idea how well its gonna work out. Long time since I watched any movies or read a book. Its almost a week since I am having a copy of "Five Point Someone" but have managed to read only a couple of pages. Plan to complete that soon as I have to return it :D And also need to buy a few selected ones. All these years I bought no books. Just borrowed books from the library or friends. But now I feel, I must have my own personal collection!

Well time for dinner!

Idle and bored

I literally have nothing to do for the next few hours. I have given a document for link validation (2847 links) and last day 2000 links took 3hours. Don't know how much its going to take today. And today I really have to post it! :-(

Caught up idle with nothing to do. I am extremely hungry but the cafeteria guys havent finished arranging the food. So just thought of blogging in btwn but really have no topics. Again a weekend is here. But this one wont be boring as the old ones. Reason - my parents and mittu are back :-) Need to catch up on lots of sleep. I am literally sleepless nowadays. I am forced to share my room with my aunt who wakes up in the oddest hours of early dawn to complete her pending office works and start her day! So my day starts with all those bangs and bongs here and there. Its really annoying but can't help. Then this weekend, a few friends would be coming home for lunch hopefully (torturing my poor mom).

I have bought a few books also. Need to start reading those and also re-start a few things I left mid-way years back!

Time again to set goals!!!

Its the time again to set the goals for the next year... Appraisal period starts now. The last day to set our objectives and send it across to the manager is past one week now. But still I am sitting here trying to frame up things. No idea whether late submissions would be rejected. I wouldn't have cared a damn about that had not salary hike been related to this. Unfortunately it is! :(

My first appraisal was when I joined SunTec. I was so confused as to what the process was. Setting goals, framing stories of accomplishments, and what else you can. But finally after the meeting with the Manager and the appraisal grades were released I realized, like all others, do whatever you may, frame whatever you may, you are left to the mercy of your Manager and the interests of the company.

Soon after the appraisals we see dumbass people roaming in brand new cars and holding treats, while hardworking efficient people move to the depressed group and look out for job changes. But somehow we set these objectives and goals in hope. Hopes too high! Lets see what this appraisal has in store for me and the likes around! :)

Awaited Onam Vacation…

It’s a long time since I had vacation. Well there’s no point in wishing for that also. In school and college, we just had to go on a holiday or vacation and come back with a sick note. But now with work, it’s not so simple. Of course we can bunk, but not so often and long as we did in schools and colleges.

This time I have applied for three days leave to go to Kerala for Onam. Earlier I never had to do that. Of course Onam meant 10 long days of holidays. At SunTec also we had three to four days off. But here, there is nothing like that… :( I have to take three days off from my well counted and meager, so called Privilege Leave.

I’ll be starting on my journey within a few hours and am quite excited to be at home again. The thought of payasams, chips, and Onasadya has already made my mouth water. Onam was a celebration when I was in school. Ten long days of vacation just after the Onam exams. Onam vacation meant holidays, relatives and cousins, swings, and lots of food. And cousins meant Raji especially. This was the only day when we had our baths early in the morning. We have never put pookalams for Onam, but I enjoyed doing that in college. Payasam is another aspect that keeps my love for Onam still alive.

Now all are busy. Not all have time to get together during the festival. But still I look forward being at home and having my Onasadya on a plantain leaf with my family members (Mittu included :)). Happy Onam to all of you well in advance!!!

Things I miss badly

I miss all these:

1. Trivandrum
2. My room at our home in Kerala
3. My cousin, Raji
4. Reading
5. School Days
6. My friend, Anupriya
7. SunTec
8. My hostel, MTTC
9. College days
10. And what else I don't know

What I feel I must actually do at this point of time - Keep those memories fresh and start building new ones.

My SunTec - my first job

While making this post, I am having a chat with an old colleague from SunTec (my first company). Well surely this invokes a lot of memories and nostalgia. I still remember the first day I reached SunTec's corporate office for the initial round of interview. The office was located at a place Kuravankonam (Trivandrum). We were actually going for an interview from the institute where we underwent our Certificate course in Technical Writing. We had a little difficulty in finding the place. But when we were in front of the office all apprehensions were gone. It was more of a big house with a big lawn and lot of woodwork.

We were taken inside the building. This was the first time I was attending an interview, but I was not tensed or nervous. Because I had no expectations. I didn't even know the company profile. We were taken to one of the conference rooms. I still admire the buildings and paintings inside SunTec's corporate office, with all those yellow dim lights, and wooden staircases with lots of carvings on it. While we were all getting set, a lady from HR (she left SunTec the day we joined) came and distributed the written test question papers. We all took it so lightly and happily completed it. It was a bit quizzy. Once that was over, she left with the papers and we were all chatting and loafing around the place. But after the first round, when a few were eliminated and asked to go home, we became a bit serious. That was when we realized that this was no silly affair. And somehow, Narayan, Arun, and me were taken as Technical Writers at SunTec. And yes, that was my first job, my first step into the corporate world.

For one month we had to undergo a training on the product. It was at the Knowledge Solutions Centre at Vazhuthacaud. The training rooms were quite large and nice. Sitting and listening to 'God knows what product' for 4-5 hours and then a 'hands-on' session. Literally speaking, they were boring. Thanks to the others in the batch, that I cleared the final presentation. My favourite hobby was playing Soltaire. Though the trainings were boring, we were a good batch. I enjoyed the lunch breaks when we went out for lunch. Our tea-breaks were more enjoyable. The pantry was on the roof-top. Somedays when it was cloudy or raining, having a hot cup of coffee over there was perhaps more than what we could ask for.

A month later, the training was over and all were allocated into different teams. We, the technical writers, were to move to the Technopark. In the beginnings, the place and people seemed quite alien to me (infact, to them I seemed more odd.. ;-)). But over a period of time, everything was normal. I felt myself a part of the team. Work went on well. Aswathy and me, we always had confusions during our lunch time, over what to choose. Perhaps, we gelled well in terms of food :-) Celebrations, meetings, trainings, all went on well till I decided to leave the place. Now I realize how much I miss everything. Though I have lots of opportunities and freedom now, I miss SunTec. I don't know whether I would ever choose to go back. But still - 'first job is always special'. And SunTec is really special to me.