After 11 years

I went to my home sweet home far away from home. It was my trip back to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.I was going there after a period of 11 years. This is the place where I spent 11 years of my school life. I left Port Blair in 1996 and here I am on Dec 007, 2007 back on the island. It was the morning flight(spicejet) which landed on Port Blair around 7:30 in the morning. It is a very small airport, big runway though. I(& my brother) came out of the plan using the old fashioned staircase. After walking 20 steps I was in the airport. To my left was a small escalator, where you can see things getting unloaded from plane, loaded on escalator and your luggage coming to you.

The whole airport seemed so small that i haven't even collected my luggage and i can see my dad standing out waiting for us. We picked our baggage came out, usual greeting and get into a taxi. Here I am entering into a fantasy land. Everything has changed. Nothing is like what it was 11 years before. On my way journey from airport to home, I was trying to recognize places which i use to pass through two times a day each day for god knows how many years. I was going hard on my brain trying to rewind myself to 11 years before state. I didn't get much success there.

As soon as I reached home, Even my house has changed completely. The house which we use to live has been rented out and my house has been extended. The place which used to be a nice garden has been changed into the extension of old house which my dad and mom call their HOME SWEET HOME. It’s painted nicely and there are two rooms one for each son, a living room, a kitchen and nice galary, long connecting all the rooms.

Reached home, greeting with mom and there it goes, it was breakfast time and my plate was full of stuff which i haven't eaten in many years. Some goes back to more than 11 years. Dream come true. Perfect breakfast and then a perfect nap as i didn't sleep last night. I had to come to airport previous night itself as the flight was in the early morning at 4:30.

Well here is a picture of me and my family on a very nice beach called "Chidiyatapu" which means Birds Island. The best thing about this beach is that you can almost walk around 200 to 300 meter and the water will be knee deep. Can u imagine. The water is so clear that you can see the sand, fish and crabs swimming across you. You can just stand in the water and gaze for hours the marine life. My best time was me chasing the crabs with my brother. Damn these crabs are really fast.

Well, I need to sleep now. Rest I will write in next.

Take care friends.

Why didn't I write Blog yesterday?

I was too tired yesterday, feeling low, very slight headache. Lets get over this. Lets see how was i today.

Got up feeling good this morning. Don't know why? I think it was because, it wasn't raining. Well got fresh and went to office. I skipped my breakfast today, quite unusual though. I am serious about my breakfast. OK, here is something which i wanted to mention. Yesterday I went to a book review gathering. It was part of the library week going on in my office. It was quite interesting though. The book under discussion was "FISH". It seems that there are total four books written after the success of first book.

Well, I have seen this book on the shelf of my office library, but never cared(rather dared) about opening this book. It's some kind of inspirational book. You know these inspirational books, they always tell you what to do and what not to do. As if you already NOT have enough people to do that. But I guess it must be pretty good, as everybody were singing Christmas carols about this book. This book was about a lady who was stuck in a office space which is called toxic dump, as nobody liked each other, nobody talked to each other, no work was being done(getting done) out of the office. Basically the office was full of morons, as will I say. She didn't know what to do as she had no other choice other than to stick through this job as she was going through some hard financial situation. She was assigned as the manager there.

One fine day as she was taking her lunch walk(This story is based in San Francisco), She happen to pass through the fish market which is smelly, not clean(compared to an office space), full of noise and what not. Basically not a real fun place to work. But there she found out that all the people working there(selling fish) are full of energy and joy. They are tossing fish around, shouting, laughing, playing jocks with colleagues. She was really amused by the amount of energy at such a place.

Well she happen to catch one of the guy who sells fish there asks him the inspiration behind the same and the guy tell her four points of work/life, which is all this book is about. Attitude(of course good one) about what you do, make your work fun, know your neighbour(at work in this case) and the fourth one, I am sorry, I forgot.

Well this sounds interesting to me, but i think i will read all these four books one day. I just need to muster some courage.

During discussion, one of the colleague brought out a nice story which has really happened. Last year when the whole Mumbai was in(under) water due to heavy rains, there was a TCS customer(a client) from America or Europe not sure, but he was on a business trip to india and since he was the customer of TCS, he was given utmost respect and honour as TCS does for every of its customer. Well on his way back, he was being driven in a TCS car to airport and the car gor stuck in water. The TCS driver was so committed that he called his wife and asked her to make some parathas and bring it to him as the customer was hungry. His wife made some parathas, packed them and walked all the way in water for around 7 kms to deliver paratha. When contacted by TCS guys, he said don't worry i will make him reach airport safely over my life. He took care of him whole night and left him at the airport safley. I am sure all the plans were grounded for many days.

Not sure what makes people go such lenghts as part of their job. I am not sure if it was just the situations which change people how they react or did he love his job so much that he was totally committed. Well the story was good and inspiring.

I did bring up some points in this discussion. I honestly told that i haven't read the book and they were totally fine with it. I mentioned that here people don't smile when they look at each other which everybody conformed, but when they all know then why don't they do it? Why?

Well today i happen to do some serious work at office and sent very important mails. Now stop laughing. I do, do important work. Came back home late in the evening after passing through "Reliance fresh". Picked up some vegetables. Came home made a nice dinner while watching "Conair" Nicolas cage movie. Oh common you all have seen that movie. Finished my dinner than called Ranjan. He has safely reach back to Boston.

Well its 12:35 in the morning and tomorrow I will be going to pondicherry. I won't have access to Internet till Monday so my next blog will be on Monday night only. Probably i will upload lots of pictures. Have to get up early in the morning and pack some cloths for two day vacation on the beaches of the Former French colony.

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Rajesh Choubey 11/23/2007, 12:13 AM

A very lazy day

I had a very lazy day today. It was raining like hell in Chennai. Actually, it was raining heavily from last night. This morning around 7:00 AM, I head a deafning sound of thunder and i was wide awake. It was, you know a very lazy morning. Had no mood at all to go to office.

Sat in my bed and read newspaper(Hindu). Got up to get ready for office. I always walk to my office, as today. Guess what, the road to my office was full of water and I really can't spend my day in office with wet shocks.

I decided to take an auto. As always you have to bargain with them. Since i have become good at it, it successeded to force them to give me a ride of Rs. 30. Actually this itself is a big money, but anyhow.

I had a headache in the evening so i came back home early. Watched "Friends" and then "Seinfeld". Cooked a nice meal for myself. Had dinner and then took a shower. Its very tough in Chennai, not to take shower in the night and go to bed.

Humidity is so high here, by the day your day gets over, your body is like a sticky gel.

OK, I am done for the day. I will probably read something for some more than and they bye to Nov, 20th 2007.

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Rajesh Choubey
Chennai 11/20/2007, 11:36 PM.

Today I got my BSNL internet connection.

Who says BSNL is a government office? Well it is a government office, but doesn't come with all the tantrums of government. Believe me I got a landline phone connection and Internet within a week of applying and with only two visits.

As we all know we indians start work late and work till late(not government offices though). By afternoon they stop accepting applications. I went first time around 1:30 PM one day before diwali. Guess what it was half day to prepare themselves for diwali. Well they also informed that forms are accepted only till afternoon.

So here I go, after the diwali blasts were over, here I am in BSNL office on Monday morning. It was Air conditioned and well maintained office. I got the form, filled it gave Rs. 1000 for landline connection and left the office to my own office in not more than 20 mins.

I got the number on the same day and they came to my house to give the connection on the same day around 4:00 PM. Can you believe this? Hmm Govenment office, not BSNL.

Well since i was not home, they came next day as I told them i will be waiting for them. They came, installed the line and said that your number will be active by tomorrow. I was happy and offered them Rs 50, which they gladly accepted(Phrr who won't?).

Line was active by next day. but i had no dial tone. Today after a week, I went to their office and picked up the Modem which was ready, pre configured for me. They guy said he will fix the dial tone at my house and really after two hours my phone was ringing.

I was blinded with joy. Why not, I have a modem and i will go online in few minutes.
Guess what, it took me total 7 mins to open the package and get online. Nothing to install, just fix the wires and my google talk told me that i have 83 unread mails. I am so happy and first thing i did was to show my gratitude to BSNL.

Thanks BSNL you did a great job.

Guys Rest will be in next blog. Its my first blog from india. Now since i am online with 1.5 GB limit per month with Morning 2-8 unlimited, I am ready to rock and roll. Keep watching the blog.

I will love, if you post comments. Just scribble down a hai.

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Rajesh Choubey
Chennai 11/19/2007, 3:52 PM