Mmm.. Was watching a movie yesterday.. ABCD was the name of the film. It is acronym for America Born Confused Desi. Desi is the desi term generally to refer to Indians in USA.
I was going through mixed feelings as I was watching the movie. So many thoughts.. so many questions.. some were answered for my self.. some were not.
I really did not understand why people want to change their selves over night once they land in USA. I have a friend who, always tries to behave as pure American..!! He does not want to be with his INDIN friends in any group gatherings, and only wnats to be alone(??). Though accidentally as well, by chance if you want to pat him on his shoulder or just hang on his shoulder.. he used to shout.. Heeeeii.. Comon man.. Don't behave like a GAY!!" For the first time I asked, What? Here in US if two guys are closer physically (Only in distance, no other thoughts please.. :-)!!), they are considered Gays.., He explained!! Oh my GOD..!! one cant even show his closeness with one's friend in this country.
The first thing people wanna go to in USA.. the night clubs and the strip clubs. My room mate was telling me.. One of his friends asked him if he had ever been to a strip club. This guys said, No. His friend astonishes and says, Oh man..!! Comon, how you gonna learn the American Culture!!?? His friend's expression was as if, this guy was roaming on the roads without putting his clothes on!! Is American culture only visible in strip clubs?? I was confused.
I did come across desi people who ovewhelmingly explained me about all the fun and things one can have and do at a strip club. Apparently, one of them happens to be a married guy and has his wife waiting for him back in INDIA (I could not dare asking him, if he can imagine his wife having and doing the same fun and things in India). I did come across people who never even thought of these things as they are so close to his own wife and children.
Then comes the friday night fever. The dance clubs are the hot spots for spending the weekend nights. They officially start at 10PM, get on to swing at around 1AM and closed by 4AM. Every day would be a special flavour of the music like Pop, Rock, Latin, Hip-Hop etc. played by the popular DJs in the town. Drinks flow like waves of an Ocean. Beer is almost replacement for water here. Smoking is just like breathing fresh air. For both boys and girls. As people start getting on to the dance floor it gets around 1AM everybody is high on drinks and Josh. I never understand the concept behing MTV Grind... thanks to these night clubls, I did undestand what was grind is all about.
Most of the Desis do try to get on the dance floor. Unlike in India, they do not dance with their fellow desi friends as some one would think that they might be gays. When they try to get close to the white girls, they look at desis as if we are aliens trying to grab them in our poisonous clutches. There are desis who could really dance and make the white girls go mad about them. there are every kind of people. The black people are the best dancers and the body builders as far as I could see (Size does matter!!). obviosly better the dance skils of one, better the chances of getting close to more girls. I am a bad dancer.
Then comes dating. I over heard one of the american girls asking my friend on phone, why you (Indians) people only date us for sex? Don't we have a heart? Does that not deserve love? When it comes to marriage, you would look for a girl who is a virgin & Indian and at the sime you do not your self a virgin. What the hell is this? mmm.. no comments.
From all this mayhem, what I undestood was, back in India, you are under the control of your paents. You are in a restricted society. You have people around you. Watching you. Observing you. in USA, you are a free bird. Answerable to only self (some times, this self thing stops questionaing..!!) You can apporach any one. Ask any thing that you would have never evn dared in INDIA. No sandals hitting your face. Dating is fun. Marriage is out of question.
Desis who are americanized, have no probs. They enjoy every bit of their life here. Desis who are pure Indians by virtue, they too enjoy life here. Its always the middle layer, neither could dare, nor could stop thinking about getting Americanized. Confused (!!??!!).
Where do I stand??
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Working From Home!!
This concept looks interesting and exciting right?? Yah.. for me too..!! When I was told - "Vijay, you might have to work from home..!!" That sounded really interesting.. for the first time. I need not go to office. Need not iron fresh pairs of clothes every other day. Need not take bath early in the morning. The list goes on...!!
( I am placed in USA, Florida, the sunshine state on behalf of my company and working for a gaint client. Its been 5 motnhs that I came to US and a month, been working from home.)
As days started rolling, I feel like, prisoned. Yes. Literally. I do not have an office to go. I do not have colleagues. I do not have social contacts. I do not even got people to speak to. I am all alone. I am married to my laptop and dating her sister, my celphone.
I share an aprtment with two other guys, who work in different places. By the time I wake up, they are already left for work. My offshore team wakes me up with their sweet (Is it??) wakeup call. Thats the way I sart my day with my celphone. Then switch on my laptop, start checking mails, discussing with offshore. Depending on these, need to write to cleint or call him on need basis. Get clarifications or inputs and put them to offshore. This is what I do.
So, from an Analyst now I have become.. a mediator. (Yes that is true, but there should be another blog for that) . Working from home is really a nice concept, when you are with your family, friends and the near and dear ones with you. if you are all alone, its hell. Some times, I debate in my self, do I really need to lead such a life?? mmmm... I have to. Because of so many personal commitments and responsibilities.
These MNCs in India as well started this concept these days. It is like in a week a day or two one can work from home. That is really cool right. You have additional time gain escaping the long hour travel to office and traffic. Stay at home, spend some additional time with your family. Nice idea.
Any ways, work from home concet has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on one's situation. With the increasing band width of internet and all the traffic, Work from home might becme very normal in the near future.
But as far as I concernced, love to work among people, be in a lively environment called office.. work filled with fun... Hope, I would again get the back to that kind of environment again..!!
( I am placed in USA, Florida, the sunshine state on behalf of my company and working for a gaint client. Its been 5 motnhs that I came to US and a month, been working from home.)
As days started rolling, I feel like, prisoned. Yes. Literally. I do not have an office to go. I do not have colleagues. I do not have social contacts. I do not even got people to speak to. I am all alone. I am married to my laptop and dating her sister, my celphone.
I share an aprtment with two other guys, who work in different places. By the time I wake up, they are already left for work. My offshore team wakes me up with their sweet (Is it??) wakeup call. Thats the way I sart my day with my celphone. Then switch on my laptop, start checking mails, discussing with offshore. Depending on these, need to write to cleint or call him on need basis. Get clarifications or inputs and put them to offshore. This is what I do.
So, from an Analyst now I have become.. a mediator. (Yes that is true, but there should be another blog for that) . Working from home is really a nice concept, when you are with your family, friends and the near and dear ones with you. if you are all alone, its hell. Some times, I debate in my self, do I really need to lead such a life?? mmmm... I have to. Because of so many personal commitments and responsibilities.
These MNCs in India as well started this concept these days. It is like in a week a day or two one can work from home. That is really cool right. You have additional time gain escaping the long hour travel to office and traffic. Stay at home, spend some additional time with your family. Nice idea.
Any ways, work from home concet has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on one's situation. With the increasing band width of internet and all the traffic, Work from home might becme very normal in the near future.
But as far as I concernced, love to work among people, be in a lively environment called office.. work filled with fun... Hope, I would again get the back to that kind of environment again..!!
Monday, March 5, 2007
How do I do IT?
I am a software engineer. To say precisely, I am an Analyst. What do I do? Do I analyse? mmm.. give me some time.. cause, I have to think about it for a while!
You know, I am in such a position/Job, where every one says.. comon Vijay, what are you worrying for? You must be the happiest person on planet Earth!! You have a nice job.. working for a great company and have a five figure salary..!! What do you need more?
Comon guys..!! Give me a break..!! Is that all one needs to have in one's life? Don't you want job satisfaction? Don't you wanna do and get paid for what you really wanted to do instead??..Huh..!!
Now, I know, what's your next question to me is..!! Didn't you say, you are an Analyst? Yes. I am. I am an analayst. I do analyse.. people. Not projects. Not new trends in Technology. Now your next question comes.. here it goes.. Why do you do that.. when you don't like it? Because, I do not have another option..!! I have to get things done by others.. does it sound familiar to you?? May be.. cause, it's the fundamental principle of management. What a manager does.
Then the question comes, are you crazy? When you are managing.. shouldn't you feel proud of that? You have people reporting to you.. You are assgining work and getting it done..!!
Yes. I am. I am getting work done. At the same time, I do not know, if the work done was the best work done. Means, was the work done using the fisrt solution or the best solution?
Ahh.. gone all those good days, when I was an Engineer ( Not an Analyst!!). I used to strive to give the best of me. Always used to think for the BEST possible way of solving a problem..!! Now what is happennig? Either I do not have time to really look into what my reportees have done.. or I must accept, at some times, I do not really understand what they have done..!! Because, I stopped re-serching and learning new things since I started managinf people. Isn't that sound like WHAT? I know, you want to ask me, who stopps you from learning? See.. I guessed it right..!! No body stops me..!! I my self..!! Do not even know what happens with my 8 hours of office life (Not to say, it was never 8 hrs, some times either 16hrs or some time may be 2 hrs..).
I am tied up with so many mails I have to go through from my Project counter part from overseas... Need to reply them.. Need to hone my skills in arguing with him about the present estimates we have delivered.. or some thing that was not caught at our end, was caught by our esteemed customer.. what not.. it's a different ball game every day..!! Half the day goes this way..!! The other half.. need to give the expalanation to my manger.. why things are wrong? (mm.. "Because they are things..!!" I always wanted to say this.. but never could..!!) Why the project is not running at CMMi Level 5 (I am not sure.. how many of you understand this.. But, Sorry.. please excuse me.. I would really not want to explaing that now..!! May that would need a separate BLOG for it self!!)?? And then.. the loop goes on and on and on..!!
In an organization which is small, where everyone knows the other ones.. it is easy to prove your self, to get you voice heard.. or to show you innovation..!! You have the control over the organisaton. But when an organisation becomes SYSTEM.. mmm.. now it's beyond your control..!! instead, it starts controlling the people..!! (Doesn't it sound like MATRIX..?? Hei Marphius.. come on.. find me man..!! I am NEO here.. waiting to be discovered by you..!!)
In a system, you can not do what you want to.. cause, the System does not allow you to do that..!! You can not learn what you want to learn.. cause, System says, use resources who already knew. But, do the resources knew the BEST? Really? or.. with out YOU knowing the BEST.. how do you certify that, the task was completed in THE BEST way by the resources from whom you are getting things done??
No answer. Because, you manage. You no more learn.
I do not want to manage. I want to learn. Implement. Innovate.
How? How do I do IT??
You know, I am in such a position/Job, where every one says.. comon Vijay, what are you worrying for? You must be the happiest person on planet Earth!! You have a nice job.. working for a great company and have a five figure salary..!! What do you need more?
Comon guys..!! Give me a break..!! Is that all one needs to have in one's life? Don't you want job satisfaction? Don't you wanna do and get paid for what you really wanted to do instead??..Huh..!!
Now, I know, what's your next question to me is..!! Didn't you say, you are an Analyst? Yes. I am. I am an analayst. I do analyse.. people. Not projects. Not new trends in Technology. Now your next question comes.. here it goes.. Why do you do that.. when you don't like it? Because, I do not have another option..!! I have to get things done by others.. does it sound familiar to you?? May be.. cause, it's the fundamental principle of management. What a manager does.
Then the question comes, are you crazy? When you are managing.. shouldn't you feel proud of that? You have people reporting to you.. You are assgining work and getting it done..!!
Yes. I am. I am getting work done. At the same time, I do not know, if the work done was the best work done. Means, was the work done using the fisrt solution or the best solution?
Ahh.. gone all those good days, when I was an Engineer ( Not an Analyst!!). I used to strive to give the best of me. Always used to think for the BEST possible way of solving a problem..!! Now what is happennig? Either I do not have time to really look into what my reportees have done.. or I must accept, at some times, I do not really understand what they have done..!! Because, I stopped re-serching and learning new things since I started managinf people. Isn't that sound like WHAT? I know, you want to ask me, who stopps you from learning? See.. I guessed it right..!! No body stops me..!! I my self..!! Do not even know what happens with my 8 hours of office life (Not to say, it was never 8 hrs, some times either 16hrs or some time may be 2 hrs..).
I am tied up with so many mails I have to go through from my Project counter part from overseas... Need to reply them.. Need to hone my skills in arguing with him about the present estimates we have delivered.. or some thing that was not caught at our end, was caught by our esteemed customer.. what not.. it's a different ball game every day..!! Half the day goes this way..!! The other half.. need to give the expalanation to my manger.. why things are wrong? (mm.. "Because they are things..!!" I always wanted to say this.. but never could..!!) Why the project is not running at CMMi Level 5 (I am not sure.. how many of you understand this.. But, Sorry.. please excuse me.. I would really not want to explaing that now..!! May that would need a separate BLOG for it self!!)?? And then.. the loop goes on and on and on..!!
In an organization which is small, where everyone knows the other ones.. it is easy to prove your self, to get you voice heard.. or to show you innovation..!! You have the control over the organisaton. But when an organisation becomes SYSTEM.. mmm.. now it's beyond your control..!! instead, it starts controlling the people..!! (Doesn't it sound like MATRIX..?? Hei Marphius.. come on.. find me man..!! I am NEO here.. waiting to be discovered by you..!!)
In a system, you can not do what you want to.. cause, the System does not allow you to do that..!! You can not learn what you want to learn.. cause, System says, use resources who already knew. But, do the resources knew the BEST? Really? or.. with out YOU knowing the BEST.. how do you certify that, the task was completed in THE BEST way by the resources from whom you are getting things done??
No answer. Because, you manage. You no more learn.
I do not want to manage. I want to learn. Implement. Innovate.
How? How do I do IT??
Sunday, March 4, 2007
My first Blog..!!
Mmm.. Hi my friends.. and my readers..!!
All these days, I have been going through lots of blogs.. and was wondering.. man.. that's cool. And then.. it tool sooo.. long.. to start mine.. my own!!
It's a different feeling.. now you have your own interface to show the world..!! Talk about whatever you want.. you opinons.. your likings..!!
It's cool right..!!
So.. I will be right back..!! With all that I have in my heart to share with my friends.. and every one out there.. who are going to be.. !! :-)
Vijay
Believe in yourself..!!
All these days, I have been going through lots of blogs.. and was wondering.. man.. that's cool. And then.. it tool sooo.. long.. to start mine.. my own!!
It's a different feeling.. now you have your own interface to show the world..!! Talk about whatever you want.. you opinons.. your likings..!!
It's cool right..!!
So.. I will be right back..!! With all that I have in my heart to share with my friends.. and every one out there.. who are going to be.. !! :-)
Vijay
Believe in yourself..!!
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