It’s been 10 whole days that 2010 has commenced, another year becoming a yesteryear. Each 31st December we realize- we put behind an entire year, a bunch of moments that affected us somehow, some made us happy, and some penetrated deeper to change our lives entirely.
2009 was a very fruitful year for me. It began with me working on the year-end eve in office till 11 pm, and spending a half day alone in office on Jan 1, cursing my company (Cybage) as much as I could :-). Cybage HR policies were at its worst, market conditions were far from the hope of a quick revival, and to follow suit were my project deadlines. I was desperate to quit Cybage and it was in March, when I received a hard earned offer from Zensar Technologies; I didn’t think twice to switch my job.
My 5 month stint with Zensar began in April 2009, not knowing it was a sprint track that I was put on, and only thing expected from me was- to RUN, and keep running without getting tired. I had overcome the financial loss I would have otherwise encountered in Cybage, but that came with a price- I was to sacrifice my personal life to Zensar- NG ODC in particular. There was hardly a weekend I didn’t attend office, and not a day I reached home before 9 pm, things would SUCK.
Finally, just as vCustomer, Zensar proved to be a stepping stone, and finally I got into a company that I admired not only for its posh office and impressive growth, also for its typical “Marathi” culture- Persistent Systems Ltd. I didn’t think twice before accepting the offer. Life so far, is very good here and I have no regrets for the nights spent working hard in Zensar.
2009 was a year to make hay in the stocks as the sun was shining bright. One couldn’t expect a better time when succulent stocks were available in mouth watering prices. I was “investment literate” at the right time, and had great opportunities to put my theory into practice. Sometimes I feel- global recession started at the right time- it all began with Lehman Brothers getting bankrupt, and that happened just 4 days after I returned from 4 months’ stay in the US :-). I wasn’t short of my savings from US trip, thankfully, that made me an aggressive investor in stock markets.
This year also came with a lot of ups and downs in my personal life, from a few strained family matters to some of the most joyous moments. Many good friends got added, some of my best friends got married, some relations got stronger, some got weaker, a bit of “Emotional Atyachaar” towards the end of 2009, but all in all- more credit than debit :-) And, just like every year, I grew a year older in December, and this year I stepped into my late 20s (that means I came a year closer to 30 :-(.)
But finally, as it is said that all’s well that ends well, nothing better could happen than our family being blessed with a baby girl, my niece, on 6th December. After all these great gains and teachings, I have nothing but to thank God and 2009 for making my life better :-).
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Childhood longings
Thinking of the yesteryears of childhood makes one nostalgic. It is said that childhood days are the best part of one’s life. The innocence, the carefree, responsibility free life, gully cricket, Dabba aais-pais, lingorcha..the occasional fights, maybe tense then, bring a smile now :).
Remember your childhood longings, the things you wished would make you the happiest person on earth? Those like me who grew up in the 80s and 90s in middle class families would agree that having a telephone, a colour TV or a refrigerator then would take you financially ahead of most of your collaterals. We had a colour television, but I had a particular fascination towards a “remote control” :) I would be very excited whenever my elder cousin would allow me to operate the remote control of his television. There was a similar attraction towards remote controlled cars, I remember thanking my dad for many days when he bought me a remote controlled car (it was a Porsche :)) when I was about 8 or 9.
Speaking on telephone was another “great” thing to do. We had our first telephone in 1995 (which my dad had booked in 1991 :)) and I would run to receive the call every time the phone rang. Having spoken on telephone was an experience I would share with friends in school.
We lived in a chawl and I dreamt of living in a flat, that too a flat in a building that had an elevator :) When I was in school, everyday I would be the first to get down and run to call my Rickshaw buddy, as I would use an elevator to reach his house on 4th floor.
Having a bicycle was a wish I would do anything for. For me, even a bicycle then was something I would “possess” rather than just “own” ;) The BSA-SLRs and Hero Rangers mattered more to me than what the i10s and Swifts matter now. Car was an elite thing, and the surroundings made me realize that car was not our cup of tea. A childish mind would still long for a ride in a car, and there would be no limits to excitement when we would ride in my maternal uncle’s Maruti 800. The engine power, CC, small car, sedan were jargons, all that mattered was a “CAR”.
I belonged to a family where my parents would not unnecessarily spend money (and even teach their children to do so) on unhealthy manners. That made the smallest wish, when fulfilled, the greatest pleasure of life. Having a “Malai Kulfi” was one such pleasure I would cherish on a rare day when my mom would be kind enough to offer me a rupee to spend it the way I would like to :).
Smoking a cigarette was a MAN thing (thanks to Bollywood) and it had me wait whole of my childhood, even my teenage to try one. I was 23 when I inhaled burning tobacco the first time, reaching my lungs and smoking out… it was my first experience of something I considered masculine all these years :).
One thing worth noting and which we eventually realize is- wishes never end. One fulfilled wish gives birth to another, “longings” become “possible realities” and we start working towards fulfilling them. As the age grows, so do the wishes- in the same proportion, although much more matured than before, they still remain our “longings”.
Remember your childhood longings, the things you wished would make you the happiest person on earth? Those like me who grew up in the 80s and 90s in middle class families would agree that having a telephone, a colour TV or a refrigerator then would take you financially ahead of most of your collaterals. We had a colour television, but I had a particular fascination towards a “remote control” :) I would be very excited whenever my elder cousin would allow me to operate the remote control of his television. There was a similar attraction towards remote controlled cars, I remember thanking my dad for many days when he bought me a remote controlled car (it was a Porsche :)) when I was about 8 or 9.
Speaking on telephone was another “great” thing to do. We had our first telephone in 1995 (which my dad had booked in 1991 :)) and I would run to receive the call every time the phone rang. Having spoken on telephone was an experience I would share with friends in school.
We lived in a chawl and I dreamt of living in a flat, that too a flat in a building that had an elevator :) When I was in school, everyday I would be the first to get down and run to call my Rickshaw buddy, as I would use an elevator to reach his house on 4th floor.
Having a bicycle was a wish I would do anything for. For me, even a bicycle then was something I would “possess” rather than just “own” ;) The BSA-SLRs and Hero Rangers mattered more to me than what the i10s and Swifts matter now. Car was an elite thing, and the surroundings made me realize that car was not our cup of tea. A childish mind would still long for a ride in a car, and there would be no limits to excitement when we would ride in my maternal uncle’s Maruti 800. The engine power, CC, small car, sedan were jargons, all that mattered was a “CAR”.
I belonged to a family where my parents would not unnecessarily spend money (and even teach their children to do so) on unhealthy manners. That made the smallest wish, when fulfilled, the greatest pleasure of life. Having a “Malai Kulfi” was one such pleasure I would cherish on a rare day when my mom would be kind enough to offer me a rupee to spend it the way I would like to :).
Smoking a cigarette was a MAN thing (thanks to Bollywood) and it had me wait whole of my childhood, even my teenage to try one. I was 23 when I inhaled burning tobacco the first time, reaching my lungs and smoking out… it was my first experience of something I considered masculine all these years :).
One thing worth noting and which we eventually realize is- wishes never end. One fulfilled wish gives birth to another, “longings” become “possible realities” and we start working towards fulfilling them. As the age grows, so do the wishes- in the same proportion, although much more matured than before, they still remain our “longings”.
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