VISA power

As part of my company’s training routine me and my fellow recruits are to be send to our head office abroad for a three month training session.

So when I first landed in my new job in this new town I was informed that we all will soon have to go to Chennai to fulfill our visa formalities. As it turned out, that day was long, unique and action packed.

I left home at 2 in the night. Reached office, got on the bus to airport. Bangalore airport is fancy enough to make your eye balls pop out. It is also far enough to ensure the road trip till there will invariably be longer than your air trip. We reached the airport by 5 am. I was sleepy to the core. So as soon as I got into the pigeonhole of a airplane which we were assigned I slept off. I woke up only after we landed. Many adventures followed in Chennai airport, given that it was early morning, a time when nature beckons you.

Chennai airport it by no means comparable to Bengaluru airport, but at least it is close to the city.

We went to the embassy lounge. It was not what we had imagined. It was a small building in one end of a tiny street. The queue to enter was not long, but it took forever for us to enter as they scanned us and our belongings to every slightest detail.

We entered the place, completed the formalities and waited for our turn to be escorted to the embassy. I went on the third batch after a good portion of my colleagues had left.

We reached the place, all that I could see was a very high boundary wall, the kind you see encircling forts and palaces. Then again the US embassy is a virtual fort. There was just one tiny window in the entire wall which seemed endless. This perfectly fitted what we had imagined.

After submitting our documents the ghost from behind the glass pointed towards a small steel door. I was frisked before as well as after crossing the door. The inside was calmer. Now there were numerous glass windows. I waited for my turn. I kind of had the hunch that everything will be ok. As always my hunch turned out to be incorrect.

I walked up to the glass window. Once again I submitted my documents. A lady was seated in front of me. She examined all my documents. They were all fine.

“Kindly place your two thumbs on the finger print scanner”- said the lady with a smile. I obliged.

“Now place your left four fingers on the scanner”. I obliged once again.

“Now place ……..”. I stopped hearing. I knew she would ask me to do the same, but with my right hand instead. What is the big deal? I have done it twice. I will do it once again.

I did it. But this time something wrong had happened. The lady’s expression changed. She gasped, my heart skipped a beat.

“Can you do it again”. I did it, but her expression did not change, mine got worse. She asked the others behind me to wait. She made a few calls. Soon many people gathered at her desk. People from adjoining windows also went to her. I was asked to wait. I moved back, away from the action.

The wait seemed endless. I could see my colleagues going for their Visa interviews. They went in and came out smiling. I was still waiting. My face was becoming paler by the second. Finally the wait was over.

They called me. I knew I had the Murphy luck. Of course I will not get visa. I stood there waiting to hear the bad news.

“You have jointed fingers in your right hand; the machine cannot read all four finger prints of yours. It is accepting only three and not four prints. “

Give me some good news please.

“You have created a bug in the system; we got to learn something from you today. You may now proceed for your interview.”

I did not believe my luck. Turns out that I a am unlucky, but not ass much as Murphy.

Seeing me so nervous she promptly added –“Don’t be nervous. Go and give your interview with confidence. Wish you luck”. She was very sweet. I finally went for my interview.

It was a breeze. I was asked no questions whatsoever. I finally got the much sorted stamp of approval.

I went out with a jump in my step. I am a computer science engineer. I fix bugs, but today I turned out to be the bug. I left the fort, my colleagues were long done with there interviews. They were all waiting for me.

I celebrated by treating myself to lunch at The Taj (not worth the price) and then taking a bath in Chennai sea (in spite of the heat it was totally worth it).

I boarded the 5 pm flight back home. Reached home by nine and slept like a baby. That was the end of a highly tiring and sleepless 24 hours. But it was successful. Now even I have the VISA power.

BANGALORED

“It is time that we stop shifting our jobs to Bangalore. It is time that we started promoting our own cities like Buffalo and not Bangalore”.

These words are those of the most powerful man in the world. These words symbolize the effect the city of Bangalore has had on the world. This city of 6 million is the primary reason why people approach us Indian and say “Are you from India? There is something wrong with my laptop. Can you fix it?”

Such has been the impact of the city I now reside in. Such has been the impact of the ‘city of gardens’.

So now people abroad work twice as hard, because they know the slightest inefficiency means they risk being “bangalored”. They know there is someone or the other in this amazing city who can do their work in a faster, better and cheaper way. But there is so much more to this city than its IT safe haven.

Bangalore or Bengaluru as it is now know is truly a glamorous city, it has a mall in almost every street, its business parks will give you the illusion that you are no longer in India, the lifestyle of some of its people will give force to you believe that India is not a poor country.

All big cities have a darker side. Mumbai’s slums accounts for 40% of its total population, Delhi does not fare better but surprisingly Bangalore hardly has any slums. The people are also highly congenial. The co-passengers of my office cab refer to my cab driver as “sir”. You may have been careless while walking and end up bumping into someone, but who shall always hear a “sorry” from the other side before you can utter one. Even the autowallas who are the most dreaded elements, especially in south Indian cities, more often than not agree to go by the meter fare. The city is a huge air conditioned room. When the entire country burns, here in Bangalore you hardly feel anything.

But it is not all rosy, nothing in life is. People looking for a place in this city do not just consider the house, the rent or the locality. They also take into consideration the number of traffic light between the house and their office. Many times this becomes the deciding factor. People who think Bangalore is a north-Indian city in south India are in for a surprise. In Bangalore you will be the odd one out if you do not know at least one south Indian language. Given that is way better than any of its southern counterparts and that English can get much of your work done, but sooner or later you will find yourself scratching your head trying to figure out what the other guy is trying to say. The city has a high per capita income, being as expensive as it is the lesser off population must have succumbed and migrated. Mumbai may need 90 cm of rain to bring it to a standstill but in this city areas get flooded even in the summer.

I am new to this place. But I have developed a liking for it. But any given day I will still prefer my janam-bhumi over this tinsel town. I think that is the case with most of us. No matter where we end us in search of prosperity, a part of our hearts shall always long to go back to our hometown.

But I have heard people say that there is something about this town which makes you make her your hometown.

For now at least
It’s a new place………..A new Beginning

THE PROFESSIONAL LIFE

It has been three weeks since I have embarked upon this new journey. Needless to say many things have changed. The fact that I my posting this piece so late in spite of having the urge to do so much earlier speak volumes about this change. Priorities have changed; factors which motivate have changed in general one’s outlook has changed.

Not too long ago I was a student. The fact is that being a student you are never expected to come up with ground breaking achievements. Not that it is any different now; no one expects much from a fresher one week into the job but still once gets the notion that the margin of error is small. In college one always “knew” the other person. We had a very good idea as to which professor was the blood thirsty Dracula not to be messed with and who were the rather “cooler” ones. We were thus able to choose our battles. The new world which I have entered offers no such liberties. Everyone is congenial to the core. This is a very good thing but I am the type who appreciates constructive criticism and thrives on it. With everyone busy with themselves, no one is there to tell you what you are doing wrong. You are own your own. Thus after falling down if you cannot get up on your won, you will soon be buried. This may sound as rather harsh, especially coming from a person with such minimal truth but it is true as well as necessary.

For if it was not like this the professional life will lose it’s most unique and prized characteristics- freedom. You are truly the master of your own destiny. You can dig a hole for yourself or build your own staircase to heaven. You cannot let the situation get the better of you; one cannot be overwhelmed by the first impression which more often that not is scary. You have to believe in yourself and remember this simple truth that all those who made it big in this “mean” world were amateurs once, they too must have found all this a bit too overwhelming but gradually settled in.

Yes all the above statements may seem boring to those who are still “young” at heart irrespective of which “life” they are leading. But my first impression of this “life” was that it is boring, at least at the onset (may be it has something to do with me practicing indolence all this while).

The lack of one-upmanship is the greatest difference between my past and this life. Although it may still exist but you certainly don’t see it superficially. That is all well and good especially because of the tried and tested formula of star teams and not star players. But this difference leads to lesser zeal but at the same time better compatibility and harmony.

Another interesting observation is that you can mould the professional world to suit your requirements. It gives to that much freedom but that does not mean it will cut you some slack. It demands certain minimal things, which you have to give else risk being booted out. It is up to you how you can mould your actions to get the result that is required but still do it your way.

Such subtle differences do exist. But the fact still remains your life is what you make of it. I am a professional now, but at heart I shall always be “me”.