First few days @ bangalore

Everything happend in a span of three days. It was on the day while I was leaving to bangalore for ISRO interview I got a call from sajeer telling about the opening at ittiam. As I was in bangalore I gave it a try. It ended up smoothly and within three days from a guest lecturer post I was elevated to a MEDIA PROCESSING ENGINEER, with a salary hike of more than thrice. Yeah, that's what i wanted, a core job at bangalore and a reasonable package. I had to join soon and I reached bangalore within one week after my interview. While leaving I got a series of advice from my mom: It's bangalore don't fall into bad friendship, go to church on all sundays, keep an account of ur spendings, if u r falling in love with any girl make sure that she is christian, romancatholic ,younger, from a good family ,has acres of family property and the list goes on...

There I was at bangalore next morning. I was aware about the challenges that I will have to face. I saw an autorikshaw driver and started arguing with him over the price. As I was good at hindi (no i am not boasting my friends used to say it often, and one admirer even wrote a blog on it) I thought I wil give a try. he started with 150 and I started with 50. Atlast he agreed for 70, I made it sixty, he never showed any chance of reducing further so I took the eighteenth adavu, I started walking back. Amazingly he wasn't calling me back. But thats not the way it should be rite?. Anyway he might not be knowing about it. So I waited a long time there for next auto and agreed on 90 Rs and he left me at my Three Star hotel.

Eventhough I was depressed with my first defeat, the hotel ambience was great. My company had made a great arrangement for us, with food worth 200Rs free twice a day. It was for the first time i was in such a posh hotel. I tried almost all the dishes and was clever enough to make the bill 200Rs all time. On the last day of my stay i ordered something different and was conscious about the bill. It was at that time the waiter brought a bowl with a fresh lemon on top of it. I was amazed because the bill was almost 200 . I asked sajeer what it is, he too seemed to be unaware of it. I called the waiter and asked him what it is.He said that it's finger ball. "Oh look i haven't ordered it so u may take it back because i am not going to pay for it" I replied soon. Sir its free!!! He looked scared." Oh is it free k then where is the spoon i can't have it without a spoon". "Sir its finger bowl" and he backed of and started laughing with his face turned towards the wall. Next time when he came to collect bill i told him" BAHUTH SHUKRIYA" , just wanted to avoid the usual notion about mallus.

I never went back to that hotel, thank god it was the last day. even now when i have to cross across that hotel, i prefer to walk on the other side of the road. As my mother wanted me to go to church on all sundays i found one, that too, catholic. (But that wasn't enough now i have to get powers to know whether one was from good family and with rubber estates). On one sunday after the service i went to archies gallery to get a birthday card and thought about having a meal at the Mc Donalds. So i went their and ordered a meal, only after finishing it that i found the tomato sauce below the tissue paper. i looked at either side no one was watching i slowly slipped it to my pocket. I got up and started walking out, some one from behind started calling me. how on the earth could someone see me taking it. I put my hand in my pocket and picked the packet and turned to him. "Oh Sorry Sorry" i told to him with my hand stil in my pocket. he handed me the card that i had bought. Thank god my response time is large, otherwise i would have handed him all the sauce and tissue paper that i took from their. Now they are mine!!

Anyways bangalore in life is great. I love this place. This was what i wanted in my Life. Though realizing the great words of one great man :We develop new principles for the world out of the world’s own principles. We do not say to the world: Cease your struggles, they are foolish; we will give you the true slogan of struggle. We merely show the world what it is really fighting for, and consciousness is something that it has to acquire, even if it does not want to.

From Kudiyan To Fejo

College days were over and only the sweet memories were left. Looking back at these four years, it was really fun. It was filled with lots of emotions, friends, love, pain, fights and gossiping. In the mean time my country ‘friends’ started calling me ‘KUDIYAN’ which was quite "ironical" to my behaviour. Like everyone else I too hated to study in college. But I really loved exam times because that was when “we” really had lots of fun. Lot many subjects came up in our discussions, even though the main topic during the final semesters were about the real “sasi”’s, who were born after third year tour and many awaiting sasi’s. In the mean time I forgot one thing: to prepare for my placements. May be it was because I had been offered a lecture post in a nearby college or perhaps I could complain it on my disinterest.

Thus I ended up as a lecturer just fifteen days after being a horrible student. On the first day, I tried to bring in a fake maturity on my face and entered into a class room filled with sixty young pretty girls. It wasn’t that tough for me to give them an impression that I really was a budhijeevi. I was assigned to teach digital electronics for one batch and micro processor for another . I really wanted to be a good teacher. But with my limitations (knowledge-wise), I couldn’t be one. So I taught them only the topics which I knew and skipped the rest by giving them as one page assignments. As they were new to one page assignments, they kept liking me. In the mean time I was really struggling with my ‘limitations’. I even put a test on a day when I hadn’t prepared anything and gave them all very nice marks, which really improved my popularity. I think I wasn’t that strict coz some of my students even commented on my dressing style (obviously negatively). Through these, what I call it as ‘udaaip’, I survived there.

Meanwhile I studied, for two reasons: one I was out of college so I was beyond the curse, second I was selected for an interview at ISRO with the best talents of my class and I didn’t want ISRO to wonder how I had cleared written test. But even that couldn’t help me as I screwed up the interview big time. But after that, I attended an interview at “I Think Therefore I AM” and the questions were from topics which I had to teach to my young pretty students.So that went fine and i was back home taking classes,when the HR guy from ITTIAM called and told me about my offer. I had no one around but my dear students to share my happiness and i'm pretty sure that without their help, I wouldn’t have cleared the interview. As ITTIAM had asked me to join immediately,the next day was going to be my last day as a teacher.

Next day, I was sitting in the staffroom writing my relieving letter,when a large group of students called me out of the staffroom and they exchanged a lot of senti dialogues with me. I was really surprised when they told me that I had a pet name ‘FEJO’. I never knew that I could "influence" them this much.(http://picasaweb.google.co.in/103642992275374071913/Personal#5514433052304345234). In the afternoon another set of girls whom I had never taught before came to me and congratulated me and mentioned about the popularity of my new name. For a second I became emotional. For the first time in my life I was being respected, loved that too by beautiful young ladies.

PS: Here in ittiam its total fun. It’s an amazing place, with amazing people (like those in PCI) and I really enjoy every moment here. I am learning a lot, apart from Table tennis and preparing bournvita, I also learn C, ANDROID and lot more......

fehlinterpretieren

Last few days I was witnessing an extraordinary drama in my family. Thank god that none of the malayalee tv artist came to know about this otherwise it would have been a tearsheded serial. An interesting fact is that there are no main protagonists, everyone have got a side role and special appearance by many “eve” for their alleged role in data corruption. I would thank each and every one and especially the almighty in making me believe that these things did happen in real life.

Once upon a time, to be exact on 27^th may ISRO results came and I was shortlisted for the interview, since then my mother was forcing me to attend a retreat at attapadi. Poor me, I was forced to attend the retreat with my brother and his classmate, that was scheduled to be held from 13^th june. I was trying my best to get out of it, but with my brothers sincere effort my last door was closed. I was ready to adjust with the fate as I don’t want my mother to worry upon that too.

At the same time one of my cousin sisters daughter (CSD), wanted to attend the same retreat. Hurray one door opened. I tried to bring maximum grief on my face and said I could sacrifice my seat for her. But my mother who was aware about my disinterest could easily find what exactly I have in my mind and made my door to close. But she had already promised them a seat so only option in front of her was to scrap my bro’s classmate. But my brother couldn’t accept that as he had already promised her the seat and she really longed for it. I don’t know whether it was this reason or the tiresome journey accompanying CSD (she was 26 and suffered from some “serious disease” and my bro was unaware about its details) to the retreat centre, which would degrade her health made my brother to object it. Real fun starts. My mother called my cousin sister and explained that we were afraid of taking her to retreat; they misinterpreted it and assumed that we were not interested in taking her with us. This made them worry and asked us not to take care of her but give her the valuable seat. This distressed my bro. Then there was a series of phone call to convince them but it started to back fire and it ended up in a mess. Few days later this cousin’s daughter’s sister (CSDS) called me and started firing. I explained what we really meant and it took me more than half an hour to convince her. By this time my mother made up her mind and suggested me to back out and let her go. I couldn’t stop jumping and ended up in cloud nine. So it turned out that my bro, his classmate and CSD will attend the retreat.

Days went on and one evening CSDS called me and said that her sister is not going to attend the retreat. OMG, My half an hour lecture in vain. When I enquired about the reason, she complained that my mother was calling each one in my her family and telling them about the risk involved and my mother’s brother had said that someone must accompany CSD as she can fell ill anytime and stay in some lodge till the retreat ends. And they thought that my mother was provoking him to say so. It took me another half an hour in convincing them that there was no conspiracy behind this and what he said was just his view. By this time they were stubborn that they won’t attend the retreat. And I really had to be little senti (YUCK!!!) to windup the conversation friendly. When my mother enquired about her brother’s view, nothing really happened and her brother’s hand was clear. The news travelled from his mouth to someone else and got modified and at last to CSD and they confirmed that we were completely disinterested in taking her with us. What I could see next was a series of phone call which ended up in a senti with lots of tear shed. Now the controversial seat remains free and my mother was trying to close the door again. But I had already jumped out of the room, as I couldn’t change my schedule for “interview preparation”.

 I really wonder how religion tie bond, when my experience itself make it clear that relationship do hurt with u r religious excitement even for a short period. I seriously don’t know what makes them so attracted to attend a five days long boring lectures with complete silence, lengthy masses along with more than 500 his holy peoples. People say religion improve u r mental strength, u r ability to love each other, u r patience, u r consideration for fellow beings, even if it don’t I don’t care as I could get a nice memoir to laugh at. I know the whole story was confusing, but that was just a bonus which religion could offer.

PS: The controversial seat remains vacant. Anyone interested to keep their head on railway track feel free to call me.

The story of my experience with three abnormal and one normal guy

Alcohol consumption is always injurious to health, but wise men say laughing can increase your life expectancy, what if  the latter can overcome the side effects of the former. This intuitive thinking made me believe that if you are in the right company, it’s always nice to hold one beer bottle in your hand. This incident happened about 4 months before, just after my first series when i was back home. Me and my brother went to my mothers home town about 30 km from my house. It’s a beautiful, hilly area with rubber estates and very low population density— almost 8 acres per family.

 It was  a hot and humid day, and only one of my cousin brothers was free. So we planned to go to another cousins house. Unfortunately my uncle alone was there, so we sat there the whole afternoon and discussed all topics below the sky, gossiped, criticized .  As time passed everyone became restless,as it was only 5 in the eve and as beefco remained open till 9 pm we planned to buy beer. I, being the youngest of the lot, was taken advantage of.

My cousin and me were sent as the delegates to the nearby befco.  As I was not that familiar in that town I was asked to stay behind in the peaceful and obedient queue. There were lots with whom I had acquaintance,they all smiled to me but I didn’t smile back wanting to give  them an impression that I was not the one they had in mind. As I waited in the queue my cousin came back buying the necessary side dishes. Seeing the long queue he took a fresh thousand note and waved it in the air and shouted “chetta oru case beer” the queue got parted as if mosses ordered red sea to. One person came and took the money and handed one case beer to him. I wished he could come earlier. I was forced to carry one case beer and load it into the fridge. As no one was expected to come to that house that night we (me my bro my cousin bro and uncle) planned to have a bash there.

Sitting on the balcony we started gossiping again. Suddenly my bro’s phone rang, there was a huge firing from the other side he made it in loud speaker mode and made all of us to bare the sin. The firing could really help me add some new words to my dictionary. It was my other cousin brother, who had just come to know about our drama at befco. He was angry because we never called him. I don’t remember how my bro settled the situation any way he said he will be there in an  hour. Astonishingly i could see his car coming in fifteen minutes, when i really got amazed about my cousins sincerity. He came to the balcony and was unusually startled to see my uncle there. He sat near me and asked whether uncle was here when he called, giving me a sense of his shock. I recollected the new words he donated to my dictionary to make him feel little more comfortable. But he suddenly changed his mood and kept one “full”(bag piper) in front of us and ordered me to bring beer and water and the side dishes and glasses and on and on and on. I settled down with one bottle of beer as i was the youngest i was supposed to have only one and wait for their whole heartedness. I waited but things got really interesting when these people started discussing the nuclear deal. I stopped drinking and listened to it as i don’t want to miss any of the lawpoints. I assure u that even barrack obama might have not have found such loop holes in the Hyde act as per my frenzied uncle. All of them except me and the cousin bro who came late were under the charms of the bagpiper. As there was no one in the house we were asked to report to another cousins house for dinner. But the crossfiring finished only by midnight, and my cousin and me, managed to get them in to the back seat of the car. I really had a tough time in convincing them that we have to be in the front seat so as to to drive the car, as they kept asking us to sit in the back as there was enough space left.

As we reached the foothill we saw one person sitting in the bus waiting shed.  We stopped there and my seemingly normal cousin asked him why he was there, to which he replied that he was waiting for the rain to stop. Being suspicious my cousin called others near by. They started questioning him. My cousin asked me to park the car and stay inside, as I had to take care of the “three lambs.” I parked and stayed inside the car , and heard the three of them snoring from behind,i understood that this is what it meant by being a good shepherd (st. Febin sounds nice!!),but my cousin woke up and enquired about the situation. The detective in him awoke and made other’s awake too. They started questioning him, when they suddenly found another person hiding behind the waiting shed. Then there was a series of interrogations. I was trying my best to be a good shepherd ,with his detective nephews questioning, my uncle couldn’t stay back he came with the verdict. Moving towards them he ordered “these are criminals, they don’t deserve any sympathy. Hang them now!!!” “kutta (that’s one of my cousins pet name) hang them now!!, pointing to the waiting shed. One among the criminals spoke out abruptly “height is not enough.” My uncle reframed his verdict “ kutta!! Ask them to kneel down and hang them now!!.” My cousin reminded me about my duty. I took them back to the car and came back soon. By then the “criminals” had confessed .They had come to get bamboo from jobi chettans (my another cousin) property. My normal cousins face seemed to be depressed he said “ come I will get it for you, do u have any vaakathi ( knife)with you”. I now wondered who really was normal. I somehow managed to get my cousin back to normal. What I saw when I accomplished that job was a series of photo sessions by my bro, cousin bro and uncle, holding the criminals— with a victory symbol, in the middle of road at 1 am.

നാളെ എന്‍റെ ആദ്യത്തെ ലേഖനം ചേര്‍ക്കാന്‍ പറ്റുമെന്ന് പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കുന്നു.

back at home

എന്‍റെ ആദ്യത്തെ ചുവടു ഞാന്‍ വയ്കേട്ടേ. കോളേജ് ജീവിതം കഴിഞ്ഞു വീട്ടില്‍ തിരിച്ചു എത്തിയപ്പോള്‍ ആണു എനിക്ക് പലതും നഷ്ടപെട്ടു എന്ന്‌ ബോധ്യം ഉണ്ടായതു  .ആദ്യമായി ഒരു സംരംഭം തുടങ്ങാന്‍ അത് എന്നെ പ്രേരിപിച്ചു. എങ്ങനെ തുടങ്ങണമെന്നോ എന്ത് എഴുതണമെന്നോ ഒരു ബോധ്യവുമില്ല. തത്വചിന്തകള്‍ ആണോ വ്യക്തമായ വിശകലനമാണോ വായനക്കാര്‍ പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കുന്നത് എന്ന തിരിചറിവുമില്ലാതെ ഞാന്‍ പിച്ച വച്ചു തുടങ്ങട്ടേ.