My last professional working day.. atleast for now

It was Aug-2000, the penultimate year of our engineering. Many companies had come to our campus of our college Siddaganga Institute of Technology (SIT), starting from IBM, Wipro, Infosys and many more. But I could not get in any of those, from the beginning of the campus placements started. Then there came a company called Netkraft which was into networking domain. I got through after 3 weeks of campus placement started. I was delighted and on cloud nine.

Then was getting ready for final exams of my 8^th Sem in year Sept-2001. Then the 11^th-Sept attach happened on twin towers in US. Along with that all our job offers also went to tizzy.  Then after my professional degree only few went to their companies which had hired them in campus. But I did not. Our offers were withheld.

Then the frenzy search for the job started even though I had good score. I and my friend once I remember were wandering in MG road and many IT corridors giving our resumes. That much of job searching we had to do for around 8 months. Meanwhile we had prepared for GRE and I got 89percentile in that. I was ready to join for MTech in Surathkal. Then Honeywell came to our campus looking for 2001 passed out who are looking for job. I prepared extensively over that week. Then on a Saturday I gave interview. It was multiple rounds and I cleared finally and got offer at the end of the day around 7pm that day. Again delighted.

Then I and my father went to Bangalore the next Monday for joining. My dad had come with me on my first day. I was with full of energy and enthusiasm on my first today. Till today I remember sitting in the reception of Honeywell and waiting for HR to come and take me inside.

Then my professional journey started. Honeywell was a great company from the start. There was no looking back I worked through ~15 years in the company. Saw many ups and downs like many other professionals see. But when I quit Honeywell it was with very heavy heart. Then I joined company called Esterline, which was near to home ~8kms. Then I started there and completed ~ 3years here. Today I resigned here and is my last working day.

So many mixed emotions are running through my mind now. Have mixed feelings as before I started thinking of quitting, always I used to think why I started, how much struggle for starting this career. Then why did I decide to quit? May be various reasons – both professional and personal. But final I quit.

But when I look back there were many times throughout this time when intermittently I wanted to quit. But somehow I pushed through. When my husband went onsite for one year, when I had my first miscarriage, when my son was born, when I used to fall sick often and many more times. But again pushed through. Also sometimes I used to be super tired of office and home work without any support many times and used to feel exhausted in the mornings itself and rushing to office in the mornings.

But to come so far it would have been not possible if not because of my family and friends support.

1.       First and foremost my parents, who educated me and stood morally with me whenever needed or even whenever my son used to fall sick.

2.       My sister who is always with me morally whenever I used to call her. Before my marriage I used to stay at my uncle place at Rajajinagar(My mom’s brother).

3.       My aunty(My mom’s sister) used to cook for me in the morning. And both my uncle and my aunty had taken me personally to many interviews.

4.        My husband who did not force me to quit and come when he went onsite for long term and whenever I used to have long hours calls, he was managing at home. 

5.       Then my son, who since he was baby of 7 months he went to day care.

6.       And then my real friends who used to give me support many times at office whenever I used to feel down. Some of the strong friends I have made in my professional life, they are still in touch with me :)

But overall I feel I have fulfilled professional life. I am not sure whether this break is long one or a short one, or forever I want to make use of this to the fullest.

Once again a big  Thank you to all and above all the dear God!

   

With Best wishes It's TVR..

World and lives with an unseen enemy

Jan-2020:

Heard about a disease being spread from human-to-human by a virus called Coronavirus. Somewhere in Chinese town called Wuhan. End of the month, heard about the news of lockdown of the Chinese cities. Saw empty streets of Beijing in a website.

Feb-2020:

Flights to and from China cancelled. The Chinese goods were blocked at customs and some of our equipment to be shipped to office were blocked too. Many of us were laughing at the situation at that time. Thought about it as an outbreak which cannot reach us like Ebola/SARS.  The passengers arriving from China were screened. Heard ~3 cases of such affected people in Kerala.

Mar-2020:
First case of affected person was reported in somewhere Whitefield area in Bangalore, the city I lvie. Still it was far. Then the number of cases of affected persons being reported slowly started increasing linearly.

Then the scenario of it becoming an epidemic was evident. Human nature is to not to bother about or having empathy towards issue happening elsewhere, until the problem is at our doorstep. Now the panic started. WHO declares the spread of disease from Coronavirus as Pandemic, something which has affected multiple countries. Everyone is cautious of going out of home. Suspecting almost everyone we meet. Washing hands becomes obsession suddenly. Then the Government declares an imposition of lockdown to make Social distancing compulsory because of which people cannot venture out of their homes. A new world which the people have not seen or never experienced even from our parents’ time unfolds!!

All these happening and we are watching the world only through the windows of media from home. The world has come to halt. All this while especially the new generation(our generation) has only seen the world running at a mad pace. To conquer something which others have not conquered, to see something which others have not seen, to experiencing something which not many have experienced, to eat, travel, socialize, work, have fun, to acquire worldly materials, to feel superior and to reach places including Moon and Mars! To please whom, to satisfy whom or to achieve what we were running so madly?

 All this for what? – A big question when an unknown enemy invades the human race now which puts half of the humanity under lock down, the way we keep the animals in Zoos as if they are our possessions.

I used to hear about phrases like – ‘To save earth’. There is no such thing. It is only about saving us and Earth knows how to save itself. Earth will be there for another billions of years. It is we humans who were at the edge of perishing with our over-possessiveness towards nature and its elements as our own. The nature has put a pause on our activities now if not brake. Of course we will continue our activities even after this pandemic is gone as if nothing had happened.

But when in-pause it is time for our self-realization as individuals, family, society, the human race.

1.       We may not need the luxury we all will be looking for in worldly materials. Our ancestors had lived with minimal living and were happy. We are back to same situation now, happy or not?

2.       It is not the living which is costly but the lifestyle – are we all living healthy now with home cooking and with reduced costs?

3.       What matters the most is human relations. When we cannot talk to someone physically who are close to us. Some of the stories which moved in this time which I came across:

·       I see a mother giving birth to her baby, but was not able to see her baby because she tested positive. When the re-union happened after her recovery, it was an emotional one.

·       A son in Mumbai hears about his father’s loss in Kolkata, not able to reach seeks help. Then his friend helps and gets permissions from authorities to travel in his car. Mumbai to Kolkata – 2300kms. What an example of friendship and a kid’s love

·       A mother travels 1400 km in her tow-wheeler from Telangana to get her son back who is struck in Andhra Pradesh.

 Like these there were many situations reported, which actually rekindles our beliefs in human
relations which are fading away.

4.       The indomitable spirits of frontline workers – Doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, sanitation workers, media, Police, Shop keepers providing essentials, our house maids, essential Govt service providers, some of our leaders. Absolutely stunning, they know they are interacting with a highly contagious disease but still not stepping back.  These are our peace time, but crisis time soldiers/warriors of our nation or rather of humanity.

5.       A time in quarantine has helped many people spend quality time with their families which all these while were struggling to get the time required. With parents, brothers/sisters, spouses, children etc.

6.       Time to rekindle the sparks in us for our passions. Many are spending time on their favorite hobbies.

7.       It has helped the earth atmosphere to breathe more relaxed. The pollution levels have come down drastically, with people becoming healthier. There are newspaper reports of reduced heart-related and other ailments!

8.       With more animals capturing back their habitats. Like Dolphins coming back to shores in Venice because of non-existing pollution because of boats, turtles coming out in sea shores of Odisha, peackocks roaming around in streets of Mumbai, sea turtles hatching in Thailand etc.. :)

9.       There are people who are selflessly serving food to starving and providing shelter to the needy, how Govt has been providing the materials to the needy at its best. Rising to the occasion are many good Samaritans who are not under lockdown but serving poor in the streets and their areas. Hats off to them.

We all know many of the above have happened because of Coronovirus, 

1.       But the people who have suffered or survive know what they have gone through.

2.       The people who have lost their loved ones, how much pain they are enduring because of not of any of their faults :( . Around the globe more than 1.6 lakhs people have died at the time of writing this article.  

3.       Also there is an increase in domestic violence/ child abuse happening because of continuous locking of people inside their houses under abusive people :(, across the globe It is heartening to hear about it.

4.       The pain of migrant workers is awful. The pain of daily wage workers, homeless, auto drivers, taxi drivers, some of our house staff like cooks, maids, small shopkeepers etc.., who earn their living on a daily basis.

5.       The economic losses to Government, a possible entry to recession, job losses, farmers not able to sell their goods,  -- the impact may be huge.

How we wish all the positives would have happened not because of Coronavirus but because of changed human behavior over a period of time?

How we wish the lessons learnt should not be forgotten at-least in the coming few years?

How we wish the goodness shown continues forever so that world we live becomes a better place at-least for the next generation to come?

The world is small and our lives are much smaller, it is time for us to come out of our cocoon of ego and greatness and see small things in life, values human relations, appreciate and respect nature, love others also who are supposedly not ours,  stick to healthy eating and lifestyle, compassionate with one who do not have what we have as privileges, learn new things to satisfy our soul,  forgive who hurt us and forget bad memories, to live a fulfilled life :) !!!!!!!!!!!!

My lockdown time

The world is reeling under the impact of Novel Coronavirus and people are put under lock down to be at their homes to avoid socializing. I happen to move to my hometown just in time before the long time lock down was announced. It is so that both my in-laws and my parents stay in the same area. My husband could get to spend some time with his parents which I do not think usually men get to spend because of their continuous work commitments and family, unlike women when during their child birth they could have spend some time at their parents homes.

This time it was  a long time I could spend with my parents after a real long time. Apart from eating home made food without my efforts, I also happened to spend my time philosophically with my parents. Learning about their experiences in life, the insecurities they had faced, the struggles they had gone through, the joy they have seen, life in their parents time and the bond they had with their parents, the hobbies that interest them the most and the life fulfillment according to them.

It was kind of an eye opener for me, looking life from their perspective, their joys and sorrows and we connecting with them individually with each one of them, with ample amount time given to them. I felt this time was required so that they also feel satisfied by spending time with their kids who otherwise will always be running. Understood that it is kids’ prime time of their careers and their respective family lives, but also it is the parents’ sunset times, and cannot spend time with them. May be this lock down time came as an opportunity for those especially who are living in different cities than their parents, who cannot visit them often.

I felt happy and content of spending this time with them without any inhibitions (which by default will not be present with your parents), and spend quality time talking about life’s questions and answers, the self-realizations and spiritual realization. Given the time they have spent life, they will have more insight which we can definitely learn from them. Also being elderly, realizing their insecurities is very important, because sooner or later we also will one day get into such situation.

May be in every trouble there will be opportunity. And because of Coronavirus this is one opportunity I got the memories of which I will cherish in my life.

With Best wishes It's TVR..