Rail Diaries#1 - The Blue Malabar Wagons : Blog # 35

Rail Diaries#1 - The Blue Malabar Wagons

       7:00 pm, Sunday, 24^th June, Onboard Aleppey Express: I  am on the first of many many Chennai trips to come, my office being at Mahindra city (a planet far far away from Chennai ;) ). Having recuperated from a small bike accident for a week at home, I am going to be back at work tomorrow morning.

         I find train journeys reasonably boring. At Palghat station, I got down for a cup of tea and to take a stroll. Blowing in to my cup of tea, I looked across and there is parked, the all too familiar blue wagons of Malabar Cements Ltd (MCL) and it got me thinking.

            A quick flash back to our engineering days; the reason being a couple of my close friends had done their final year engineering project at MCL. Out of sheer curiosity, I had set out on a journey to MCL with them when they went to collect their certificates from there. Seated on the concrete slabs, I remember staring at these wagons back then from the very same platform. I distinctly remember us collectively fretting about placements. But we were moderately confident and hopeful. Later on, some of us joined some IT firms and the rest including me set out to Bombay in search of a job. Luckily, all of us landed jobs and is now spread across India.

           After a year at Bombay, I resigned from RIL and came to do MBA and thus began the train journeys to and from ASB, Coimbatore. Boy, those were fun! Even then I remember noticing these blue wagons. I used to give some gyaan to anyone who cared to listen as to how they belong to MCL and how it might be on lease from railways and so on, usually that person being Vivek. Many a time when I repeated the same gyaan (which was more often than not) he shut me up too J .Even then, we used to wonder where we will be after the course ends. I guess the blue wagons just manifest themselves whenever I am in search of a job.

        And now, again on a Sunday night, I see the blue wagon J, enroute my office. I hope it’s not an omen of an impending search for a job! Given the market situations, you never know J. But being the wanna be optimist I am , I look at it as a sign of luck and as something which is going to bring me seasons of good times to be cherished.

 

                                                                                                   Arun Babu.

       

F.R.I.E.N.D.S, the Series : Blog # 34

       A blog on FRIENDS, the series           

   The title song of this stupendously successful sitcom brings a smile on my face, every single time. When it comes to TV shows, ‘Friends’ is the first word and the last. It is what they call a CLASSIC! This series was aired on the US Television and then the world over for 10 long years. What is more fascinating is the fact that it had the same star cast of 6 friends all through the 10 seasons.

           What I love about the show is the fact that it doesn’t have a story per se. It portrays the everyday lives of 6 friends (Chandler, Phoebe, Joey, Monica, Rachel & Ross) set against the back drop of a coffee shop. Even in the first episode, there was no narration involved. The show implored the audience to understand the story line over a period of time. This might be one of the many things that worked in its favour.

            There is something about it which makes it worth watching repeatedly without a pint of boredom. It is about friendship, love and family. It touches up on all the emotions without being preachy for even a second. I envy the scriptwriters. How abundantly talented people! Same goes for the cast. One cannot resist but fall in love with each one of them.

          The subtlety with which each episode is approached is praise worthy. There is no in the face messages or mushiness. It leaves a lot of room for the audiences’ imagination .It doesn’t confine the audience’s thought process neither does it consciously guide them.


            Yes, there is a certain degree of Idealism to it. The Friendships of the real world might not be as perfect or as hassle free. But Life is all about aspiring , isn't it? - for a better companionship, for a happier existence. 'FRIENDS' manifests as a small reason for us to look up to and to aspire.

         The 1990s were a dynamic phase in any part of the world with the advent of many inventions like the internet. Still the show never went out of vogue. I don’t think it ever will.

                                                                                                       Arun Babu.

Call of Duty! : Blog # 33

Call of Duty

      

                    When my sister and I were school goers, we used to stay at a rented house closer to her school. That home has many sweet memories and remain a favorite till date.

              One saturday morning, we had a visitor. I was in 8th grade then.Dad was on his 28days leave from Abudhabi. He used to work in off shore rig back then. I opened the door and saw a person in white shirt and black pants.What caught my eye was his golden framed spectacles. I closed the door half way and went back to dad telling him he has a visitor.Dad went to the door and ushered that person in. I heard him saying " My son don't know you.Sorry that he kept you waiting here.Please come inside."

                Then they discussed many things over a cup of tea. When he left, dad told me "You shouldn't have left him waiting at the door. He is a Bank manager".  From next time onwards, I made sure he was welcomed properly. He was a very unassuming , humble  person.

               Now I understand the relevance of his visiting us at home. It was in mid 1990s. He was a branch manager at SBT. The four lettered private banks were not as prolific back then. So a Bank manager had no need to visit a customer's house. 

               Over the years, he became a friend of dad's and Suresh uncle for us.He was given the charge of a branch in Ollur, a small town in Kerala. That branch was facing  shut down and he was in charge of bringing some business. Dad, being an NRI back then was a premium customer. At times, he went on to the extent of delivering cash at home when dad was away. ATMs were a rare sighting in those days.

               Dad says  Suresh uncle used to travel up and down to Trivandrum (6 hrs away from here) every weekend to meet his parents.He was working so hard and yet he had a wonderful work-life balance. He used to visit many of his customers at their office/home and saved the branch from closure . Later on , he got a transfer with a promotion. 

                Thinking about it now makes me realize he was a great manager indeed.

                                                                                                                                               Arun Babu.

Spirit of Life : Blog # 32

                         Spirit of Life

                 I believe the essence of Life lies in the smallest of things. Life fills up in a hearty laugh. A lover's stolen glance epitomizes life as does a friend's hug.

                

                 Life is the most giving in the wide open arms of our Grandparents. It wells up in mom's eyes and rests lightly on dad's shoulders. Life hides in your sibling's sulk :).

                  Life is as much there in your home's favorite corner as in the most sacred of the God's places. 

  

             Life sings from the notes of an impassioned melody.Life plays around in a good game.It manifests beautifully in a good film.  

          Life hides in the tears behind life’s little sorrows.Life spills over in the unspoken love of your pet.Life buoys up in a spirited person.

                Life is there at a dawn and a dusk and all the moments in between.

                                                                                                                                         Arun Babu.

7th Grader is not a Five point Someone! : Blog # 31

7^th Grader is not a Five point Someone

                After having a sumptuous lunch from Kris’ home, I headed for MCity in a taxi. I have always loved cabs. Have always had this feeling that taxis are so comfortable, with the chauffeur et al. When I was in Bombay, I used to wait for a cab to come along even if autos were there. For one, the local cabs (fiats) were cheap there and it gave that comfy - indulgent feel.

             Stuck in the traffic signal, he told his name is Ibrahim, from palghat in kerala. My mom is from Palghat and hence I have a liking towards people from there. The awareness he had about things that mattered amazed me. The only difference was that he did not use the jargons that we people do.

He was reminiscing about his middle east days. He used to own a taxi service in Saudi. He was employing 4 guys. He said his business did well. The roads there are great, so no maintenance for the cars. The petrol price was very less. He said “ I agree that Saudi has oil in the country and that is why the price is very less. But it is highly over priced in our country. It is all due to the taxes. That is why the price of every damn thing is going up. Politicians should do something about it”.

  Ibrahim ikka loves Kerala beyond anything. He said “Kerala is an amazing place to live, truly God’s own country. But there is minimal employment. That is why our youngsters are moving to middle east. We cannot blame our government completely. We do not have the kind of barren lands that a Karnataka or a Tamil nadu has.”. “But what about the IT sector ikka?” I probed. He said “Yes that can be done. All these companies should come there - Infosys, CTS, Ascendes (I thought he was referring to Accenture. But there is a company called Ascendes!)”.

     

             The music system started singing a beautiful song from the malayalam movie “Ee Puzhyum Kadannu”. He said “There is no one like Yesudas. What a talented singer! In my lonely gulf days, his voice brought me back to Kerala in a second. You know, I did not come back for 20 long years! Can you believe that? First five years, alone and then 15 years with family. If I had stayed on, I would have got Saudi citizen ship. I said no way! I will die in my country”.

            Then the conversation got candid. He said that he has studied only till 7^th grade. “My wife is also a graduate. During that time, many people made fun of me and asked my father in law not to go ahead with the marriage. If you ask me, it’s all in the head. It never stopped me from doing anything. I worked very hard and made sure all my children studied". His elder daughter is a graduate and married a software engineer in HCL. His younger daughter is pursuing PG in Chennai. His face lit up when he talked about them.   

            I thoroughly enjoyed the journey (all the while, he was driving above 100km/hr, but eyes firmly on the road) and the conversation. As I got down I gave some extra money rounding off the fare. He got offended “You think I talked to you for this?”. I insisted again. He said “ I will not accept any extra money from you.  Next time when you call our taxi service, ask for me  :)  , or for any help in Chennai for that matter.“

           

             And I thought education widens the horizons of people’s thought process!

                                                                                                                                Arun Babu.

Addicted! : Blog # 30

Addicted

Having got a weekend off from Infy guesthouse, I headed to my cousin’s place. After some chit chat, she asked me if I wanted tea. I said yes. Then a guest came and my sister asked if I want tea. I said yes. Then my brother in law came back from work. Again she asked and my answer was yet again, YES! She laughed and said “You and your bro in law are mad about tea. He too never says no to tea J.”

What is it with me and Tea???There is a morning tea. There is a tea during breakfast. There is a 4 o clock tea. These are routine.

When I was in college, I used to wake up at 6! – for the TEA! There was a tea during every break. At times, it became two. Then there is a tea at 7 in the evening to call it a day!

Now at work, there is a tea between training sessions. To make things worse, there is a tea set in the room! So it has become even more frequent. 

There was a move to make Tea the national drink. I am all for it. It gives me a legitimate reason to indulge in my favorite drink J

                                                                                                                                 Arun Babu

City of Good times! : Blog # 29

        City of Good times

                     It is so easy to fall in love with this city. Be it the weather, the cosmopolitan appeal, all add to its charm.

               Yes, it has its own misgivings – the traffic is horrible, connectivity is bad by any standards. But no city is perfect and attempts are being made to make it better. Given the unexpected explosive growth that this city underwent, it needs some time.

                I used to visit Bangalore during my vacations when I was in 12^th and early years of engineering. This is where I first went to a multiplex, I had my first Pizza and even to a McD! Once, I came to B'lore for my sis’ scholarship test. It was in  Leela kempinski. Since then, I am in awe of B'lore and all of its charms.

              Later on,I did my summer internship here. There are some wonderful memories from that time too.

                 

               I am in love with the red Volvo buses here. It is so plush! Some ad says “ Noises are to be seen, not heard”. These buses give you exactly that kind of comfort - of course, that comes with a price! :).

            The people of B’lore are also very welcoming – at least so far. Although the numerous fly overs are cutting across the city’s landscape, some areas have retained their lush green - garden city character.

                            

           B’lore is also home to some people whom I hold very close to heart – friends, relatives – across all demography :) .

          The commercial street, the MG road , the Brigade road, ISKCON temple, Lal Bagh – all of them define the city that is Bengaluru! My friend, Unni jokes Silk board Jn is the Trafalgar Square of B'lore! All it lacks is pigeons :).

 There is a very rare blend to this city. It is as much home to a Vidhana Soudha and a palace as it is to a Forum or a UB city.

          And for those, who love a lot of beer and a bit of music, there are the heavenly pubs. Many of those in the twilight of their lives have settled down to wake up to the beautiful mornings of this city.

                       There is something for everyone in B’lore.

Arun Babu

Keywords : Bangalore, City, Metro, India, Bengaluru

In Pursuit of Happiness : Blog # 28

       In Pursuit of Happiness                   

         I was trying hard to get some semblance of why I was moving back and forth from happiness to melancholy. These are some of the thoughts and reasoning that emerged.

 At times, we just lose the streak of happiness. We try hard to deliberate about the cause, but in vain. Then out of the blue, the smile returns to our face. We feel light and liberated. I guess we just need to understand we go through emotional highs and lows and accept them as transient phases and not waste much time around them. It is easier said than done. Lost happiness is a highly irksome bother.

              I think all we can do is to maintain a well balanced emotional portfolio. For instance, if you set the onus of all your happiness on a certain person, you end up being obsessed with that person. Also, when you invest too much in one habit seeking happiness, it becomes an addiction. Having said that, it doesn’t mean one shouldn’t have a passion in life.  Addiction and passion are two entirely different ends of a spectrum.     

            And then there is the classic living in the past syndrome. I have heard people saying quite often “Those were the days”. What they forget is the fact that today will also become a good old day, a good old memory.

           We should ensure that our life doesn’t become monochromatic. It should have various shades to it. For instance, there are people who are workaholics. The only source of joy they have is work. They miss out on a lot in Life and burns out along with their work. 

         Where many of us go wrong is in not acknowledging the happiness. Whenever we feel happy deep within, register those happenings. They will act as a fountainhead of joy later on.

         While filling up your basket of happiness, do not forget to include your soul in it. One grows as a person when one understands how to derive happiness from within and it is the one which is the most lasting and the most blissful.          

                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                       Arun Babu

What a weekend! : Blog # 27

What a weekend!

            The ecc (employee care centre) at Infosys was giving me all sorts of blues. I stayed there for two whole weeks just because of Raja sir, Gokul and Raj. I just wanted to get back home and meet my folks. The moment I came to know that Friday is off, I called up my brother in law. I got the very last seat in the bus. But the call of home was getting too loud to ignore. After the Thursday’s training session and an elaborate dinner, I took an auto to BMTC bus depot at electronic city. I reached a bit too early and the bus was to get late. Thankfully, Vivek called. We chatted for a while. All through the call, I was thinking whether or not to tell him that I am coming home. I didn’t tell him J  and anyone else at home. An elderly couple humoured me till their bus came. Then I turned to my senior Anup’s blog. Just as I was reading fourth blog on my cell (me using a cell for purposes other than calling and messaging might come as a shock to my friends, the technologically challenged person that I am  J ), the bus came.

       I took an auto from the KSRTC stand to home. The roads and lanes of which, I knew every turn. There is something about familiarity. It’s so comforting. As the auto reached home, Cleo my pet dog got up from beneath the car wondering who it is so early in the morning. She was the first one to get surprised seeing me. As soon as I opened the gate, she was up on my shoulder talking to me in a language we both understand. It’s one of a bit of sulking and a lot of love. Romila aunty (our neighbour) says she knows that either I or my sister has come home when Cleo barks in that certain way. I pressed the door bell and Akhila, my sister opened the door. She said “I had a hunch you were coming.” Amma in her usual Palakkad Malayalam exclaimed “Oh Vannuoooo J… lemme make tea”. Dad had already left for pump. I called him up and he said “Ha! what a surprise. I shall come soon for lunch J “

     The whole day I lazed around and had a lot of catching up to do on FB as I could not use internet at eec! I and sis made a short trip to visit grandma and she also had a pleasant surprise J . I think the defining word this weekend is Surpriiiiise J .In the evening, I went to meet my friend from engineering. It had been some 5 months since we met last. He had some cancellation to do and we met at the railway station. We reminisced about our Bombay/Pune days, our college days and all things good and old. Then we threw a surprise visit to another friend of ours from college. He was delighted J .  We talked nonstop and had many a hearty laugh over some steaming cup of tea. I was back home by 9 and we ordered some domino’s – what a treat for the taste buds! We chatted about Bangalore, Infy , training and many other things over dinner. I also learned dad had taken a serious liking towards pizza and has been ordering home delivery quite often J.

           I woke up late and had a small chat with amma while she made the morning tea. I plunged in to the easy chair with the day’s Times leaving the TV on. I just love that time in the morning. I called up all my uncles, aunts and grandma. One of my aunts, Jaya ammayi asked “You felt suffocated there, didn’t you?”. That was exactly why I came home. She asks all the right things at the right time and I love her for that. I got a call from Vivek telling he is coming to town. We met by noon and we felt like I never went to Blore and it’s been ages since we met, all at the same time. We are updated by the second about each other, still it felt like a lot of catch up J to do . When it comes to people like him, I understand Friendship is truly a blessing. He left with a promise to come to Chennai soon.

        Back home, I and amma came to the balcony. This is our favourite place in home. We chatted for a while, amma updating me on the latest happenings in our colony. Lying on the balcony swing, I texted and called up some of my dear friends whom I hold close.I got a message from Kris and I knew exactly why I was gonna feel at home in chennai. God has been kind to me when it comes to friends :) .

        I had to attend a function at a relative’s home in Ottapalam. It had been a while since I met many of them. Although we had a tough time figuring out where the house was, It was good fun. You feel a sense of security when you meet many of your relatives, of course when it comes to the good ones. The high point was that I got to meet Raghu. He came to my relative’s home and then began the uninterrupted tete-a-tete. We went on and on about things that mattered and the trivial ones. I shared, asked, sought advice and confirmed many a things as it is always with him. (My dad says I keep on saying “Raghubhai” when I talk to him over phone. Even Jai told the same once). We went to Raghubhai’s home after that. That home has such a soothing effect. Uncle will always be there in the easy chair with a welcoming smile calling out to me as he sees me walking towards the door. It is one of those rare places where I go around like it’s my own home.   

     On the way back home, Akhila and I decided we will have food from outside. Dropping dad home, we went to our usual place but we did not order the usual things. (my friends who think I keep on ordering the same stuff, I ordered fuyong, kallummakai and schezuan style chicken! ) It had been a while with us being busy with our own colleges. We chatted about people only both of us knew and of things we grew fond of as we grew up. We talked about how much we miss our colleges and friends and how happy we were to be home. We discussed which all our cousins got married and who all are yet to take the plunge. We had a great time discussing how many of our friends took to ‘newer things’ in life and how much close we went to doing the same.

                  It is just Saturday night and I have one more day to go .Can’t wait to know what tomorrow has in store for me J .  

Arun Babu.

      

To Sir, With Love: A Potpourri of Memories #14

**An ode to my Alma mater, Amrita School of Business(ASB)...The time when every day was a celebration, our college days...Here is an attempt to revisit those fond memories...

To Sir, With Love        

The greatest learning I have had from ASB is to be comfortable in the company of greatness. For this and many other learning that happened over the two years, we are all thankful to our beloved Professors.

Right from day one, our professors were a class apart. Neither did they have the haughtiness of their premier degrees nor the arrogance of the industry knowledge. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if I say these are a class of teachers who have been the most loving and caring among all teachers I had all through my student Life.

We could always walk in to their offices. Even after office hours, they were just a call away and many a time, a sms away.   

It is from them that we learned what it really meant to go beyond the call of duty. The placement time was the most critical of all. Many of us poured our hearts out to them. Not even once did they turn us away. In spite of their hectic schedules, they always lent an ear.

Our peers found it strange when we said we will miss our professors. They almost got a stroke when we said we include our professors when we send out a group message for celebrations.

We will always remember the “Chullu bhar paani...” the “Let’s talk... (With the Berkley accent ;) )”, the “Beautiful Ma”, the  "People aaare rational" and all those one liners etched in our memories.

They inspired us; they constantly pushed us, all to help us fulfil our own dreams. Now, they are among those people we look for, both when we feel all down and when we have the heartiest laughs. You have given us the learning for a lifetime.

We thank you for giving us the courage to pursue our dreams, the conviction to face life standing by our values and the audacity to hope for the best in career and in Life.

Earlier blogs on ASB : http://praisesnbrickbats.blogspot.in/2012/04/asb-memoir-potpourri-of-memories-1.html                                                                                                                                        

Arun Babu.

It’s Good to be Good! : Blog # 25

It’s Good to be Good!

Being good comes naturally to us. Then, we grow up! Corrupted by the ways of the society, we tend to tweak our perspective which is more suited to our convenience. We look for what we stand to gain from each and every action of ours.

Is there really anything for us in being good natured? Yes there is. It is said as we grow old; an unaccounted guilt grows in us, for the various deeds of ours – small or big. Being selflessly good wipes out a great deal of this guilt. This might be the reason why people who have scaled great heights in life turn to philanthropy in the twilight of their lives.

No favour goes unreturned. It might not fit in to our frame work of instant gratification, but it definitely comes around. Moreover, our small deeds do make the world a better place. Pass around a smile, you get a smile back. Put on a smirk and u will be smirked at. The choice is always yours.

A selfless action gives as much joy to the doer as to the person who experiences it. It gives us the luxury of feeling good about ourselves without putting in a great deal of effort. It can be chipping in for a friend in time of need or as simple as giving away a bus seat for an elderly person. In our busy- to- breath lives, these little deeds of heart will make us feel alive.

Let’s do our bit and make the world a better place to live...for you and for me and for every one J .

Arun Babu