शोक भरा नववर्ष

सन् २००५ अपने साथ तबाही और शोक लेकर आया है. २६ दिसंबर २००४ के दिन मैं चेन्नई मे था. मेरे भाई के मित्र ने फोन पर बताया कि समुद्र शहर के अन्दर घुस गया. मैने पहले सोचा कि यह कुछ किस्म का मज़ाक था. फिर जाकर पता चला कि यह समुद्र का सच्चा प्रकोप था. सुनामी ने लाखों की तादाद मे लोगों का जान लिया. हमारा घर समुद्र के काफी दूर होने के कारण हमे इसका कोई एहसास नहीं हुआ. पर समुद्री तट पर स्थित कई घर और मनुष्य पानी के साथ बह गये. कुछ किस्मत वाले वापस आ गये, पर ज़्यादातर लोगों की जल समाधी हो गयी. औरों की लाश तट पर बह आई. भारत के अलावा और कई देशों को भी समुद्र का प्रकोप झेलना पडा. नववर्ष के समय, सारा एशिया शोक मे डूबा था.

मेरा सद्मा इसी हात्से के साथ खतम नही हुआ. हमारे सहकर्मचारी, संतोश का येर्काड मे निधन हो गया. संतोश की शादी पिछले महीने १९ तारीख को हुआ था. उसने अपनी पत्नी और अन्य मित्रों के साथ, नववर्ष मनाने येर्काड गया.मैं भगवान, अगर है तो, को प्रार्थना करता हूँ कि वो यह तबाही का काम छोडे और पुनः निर्माण करने वाले व्यक्तियों की सहायता करें. अगर, यह उनके काबिलियत से बाहर है, तो चुप चाप मनुष्यों को अपने काम पर छोड दें.

Good Bye!

Finally, the day has come to bid adieu to my role (and the organization) that I am currently in to move on to a more challenging role. I am moving to Bangalore and I am faced with a new set of challenges. I know very little Kannada and have more chances of being misunderstood than to get some favors done from the natives. Fortunately, for me, most of the folks in Bangalore speak Hindi equally well. So, I presume that communicating would not be much of a problem. BTW, I my native toungue is Tamil but my friends believe that I do a very efficient job in butchering the language.

I am supposed to start off with my new role this Monday. I would still be working with InstallShield, but I have promised myself that I would involve myself with WIX whenever I get time. The previous week has been really busy with me handing over stuff and finishing off with the formalities. I have finished my exit interview and just finishing of some more work that I have to. Unfortunately, I will not be having access to my computer or my TV at home for at least one more month. <sigh/> I do not know, if I could survive a month without Quake 3, Internet and Cable. On the bright side, it would give me some time to catch up with reading and reduce some flab around my mid-section. <smile>

Since Bangalore is just seven hours from Chennai, I might find some time to get to my blogging in Chennai. I read that Rob was moving to to the Windows Setup team. Unfortunately, he expects to be a little tied down and would not be able to contribute on the same scale as now.

Well, Let me get back to work now. I only have a few hours to go before I finally bid adieu to this organization. This is my last blog from this office. <sniff/>

But, I am sure that I would keep blogging. :-)

I am in the Weekend Mode

Somehow today seemed to be a nice day to start off with my personal blog as well. I came in to the office and I was pleasantly surprised to see Rob's invitation to join Wallop. I was not very enthusiastic about it as it seemed like Orkut. I had almost got sick of Orkut. There is nothing for me to do there. It all seems so pointless. But I immediately liked the interface and couldn't get my hands off it. I had to force myself to do my work. Wallop advanced my weekend mood and I started thinking that today is a Saturday. (today is actually Friday)

Wallop is a pretty cool tool. It allows a higher degree of interactivity. The interface is beautiful and smooth. I live in India and I really am yet to see its performance when I go back home. I am traveling to Bangalore tonight after my work. I will be back Sunday night. I don't think I will have time to get online then. I am still not sure if the RSS thing really works. So this would serve as my test blog entry. BTW, Riko has written a good blog entry on Resources and Data. He actually said that I was one of the sources of inspiration for him to blog. Wow!

I have to stay in the office till 6:30 PM. I was hoping to get out early so that I could get my packing done before I head to Bangalore. I guess it is not gonna happen. But still I am not in the mood to work. I was killing time browsing. I guess its just one of those days when your brain refuses to work. As trivial as it might be, these are the entries in Webster for 'Wallop'.

1 a : a powerful blow : PUNCH b : something resembling a wallop especially in suddenness of force c : the ability (as of a boxer) to hit hard
2 a : emotional, sensory, or psychological force or influence : IMPACT <a novel that packs a wallop> b : an exciting emotional response : THRILL
3 British : BEER

As you can clearly see, I am in no mood for work now. I am already in the weekend mode. Ah! Have to get back to the weekday mode, at least for the next 90 minutes.