Thursday, July 06, 2006

Change is inevitable I know...but sometimes pretty fast too!

Whoa...
It's been 2 weeks since my last post....
Now let's see...what all has changed around me and in my life...... A LOT.

Hmmm..for starters..
England is out of the World Cup!!! (boo hoo! I rushed home to tvm via a rickety AirDeccan flight only to see them crash out.)
Brazil is out too!! (Yeaaah!!!! Atlast those overhyped samba boys have been given a dose of reality.)
Argentina is out!! (I feel sorry for them. Germany, who is also out, somehow managed the upset. Credit to them.)
Portugal is out!! (Double YEAH!!! Serves them right!)

So now its an Italy-France final.
Italy: I started respecting them during the Australia match. They're playing very well, and combining brilliantly as a team.
France: What a comeback story! and Zizou is signing off his career in style..if they manage to win it, he'll be surely beheld as one of the Gods of all time..if he isn't already that is.

Well..on the personal front, there's a lot to say too.
I'm into a new project - for HillCrest Labs, who are based out of Rockville, Maryland. Getting selected for the project was tough; I had to scrape through a written test, followed by lengthy HR and Tech interviews. Got through (luckily) somehow, and 5 of us have been selected.
I was in Delhi last Friday for my visa interview. Got through that. It was sursprisingly pretty easy, and went something like this:

Me (speakin): Good Mornin Ma'am.
Interviewer (Strict-lookin lady) : Gooooood Moaarnin!
She starts lookin through my docs, but has difficulty in getting the bar-code read.
Me(thinkin) : Damn! All over before it started!
She: Okaaaayyy..how many months in MindTree?
Me(thinkin): phew..atlast its underway..the tension is tooo much i say!
Me(speakin): 10 months Ma'am.
She: And before that?
Me(speakin): First Job Ma'am.
She: Why are you going to the US?
Me(speakin): Requirements Analysis..blah blah.
Me(thinkin): Oooohh pleeeezzz...no more questions regarding the project...don't make life tough!
She: Do you have any family in the US?
Me(speakin): No Ma'am.
She(givin me a doubtful look): Hmmm...where did you do your schooling?
Me(thinkin): Damn...do i have to say my college's name?
Me(speakin): Marian College of Engineering Ma'am.
She(givin me a sharp look): You don't have anyone in the US?
Me(thinkin): Ohhh i told ya already! But i do have like 20+ cousins..relatives...
Me(speakin): No Ma'am. (n giving my best smile)
She: Where is your family then?
Me(speakin): Trivandrum, Kerala.
She: Ok, thank you Staney, we will send your visa-stamped passport to you by courier.
Me(thinkin):Whhaaaa!!!! Over so soon!!! I'm I dreamin?? Did she say it was over!!!??? No way!!!
Me(speakin): ThankYou Ma'am!

Aaahhh...phew...it got over within 3 min! And then the whole day was spent sightseeing...Lotus Temple, Qutub Minar, Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate, Humayun's tomb etc. Aroused my interest in Mughal history by leaps! and Delhi is seriously preparing well for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. What roads! What order and discipline! Bangalore take a hint! Reached back via KingFisher.(Yippeee!!!! Now that is sakkath hot magaa!)

Well, I'm leaving for Washington DC this Saturday night. (Which means i'll miss the WC finals most probably, unless there's a delay somewhere and i catch the match at some Airport.)
Will be there for 3-6 months. Hmmm...seems my hotel's name is Sleep Inn Shady Grove.
Hehe..i can already forsee some very mysterious things in store! Can't wait!

I'll be blogging every part of my trip right here...so keep checkin in regularly folks!
Adios! Take Care!

2 comments:

poloolop said...

One interesting detail missing. You hadnt flew for the last 10 years, and in the space of 1 week, you have caught 6 flights (worth over $2000!!)

1. Bangalre-Delhi (round trip)
2. Bangalore-T'ram
3. Bangalore-Mumbai-New Ark-Washington

A bit like Hi-flyin Execs (even if it is only for a week)

I was hoping, you'd blog from Paris Airport lounge, guess you were too busy sight-seeing to open the lappy.

--
US

stan_da_man said...

@pangu: *hi 5 and low 5 back*...gee..sorry cudnt meet up before leavin dude..had like a millions things to do..its an achievement dat i dint majorly screw up anywhere! hee hee :)) u take care and blog away too!

@us: seriously...6 flights..phew..i'm gettin used to this life! :) juz kiddin...Paris airport was so damn busy ok..had like 6 planes in a traffic jam at d runway! lol..but Newark was sesski traffic too..had to hover about for 20min before getting permission to land! :))