Monday, April 19, 2010

The way...

It's worth a wait. Wait for the reason for my first blog. One can write on anything literally.

Be it the review of a movie, be it the incident that happened, be it the speech that inspired, one can write on anything. But, there isn't anything like first and first can't happen second time so it is special, it is an universally accepted fact, even the zero inventors, the fellow Indians would agree this. I got the reason for my first blog.

I have completed one year in a foreign country. I know its definitely not an achievement but the way I got here is making me feel that it is special. The flight journey, the day before the travel, how it felt when the flight took off, what I miss, how much I miss, the void feelings and the isolated mind etc etc.. all these things are as old as diffusing a bomb right at the last second. I'm not gonna write anything on that, nothing that is already analysed, accepted or known.

I do not like disclaimers, they are just the announcement that I'm gonna tear u apart, but u don't take it personally.. still its more like a thing without which the things would look incomplete.. Just like the 'I'm feeling lucky' button of google. Just being a Roman.

DISCLAIMER:
DO NOT RELATE YOURSELF ANYWHERE. I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU DO SO.


About my current and future writings, I like things when they are simple, no right click synonyms in MS Word for equivalent complicated words and I try not to exaggerate things as much as possible.


Here we goo...

It all started one year before, no add two more months, when the word 'bangalored' was added in Oxford, when states' state was like never before, when almost all gods were flooded with plenty of requests and obligations, when even swiss bank was bankrupted, my project got scrapped.

It was expected yet unacceptable when we got the news. We a group of 30 thrown to bench together where there were at least 200 bench mates already awaiting a new project. There were not many projects coming in, in fact every company was firing the average performers, laying off ppl who usually worked just 10 hours a day to maintain the profit margin.

In spite of knowing that the firm I work was honestly trying to keep its employees, we the employees were panic. The situation was really worse that could force even the most stubborn employers to lose their grip and become villains anytime. I was clueless about whats next. What if I don't get project in the next 700 hours, what if I lose my job, what's my bank balance, how much my parents earn, whats the safety I have in life, every answer I got was negative and I could still remember the day I turned pale thinking all these things. I was in no man's land where the entire world was standing very next to me.

I was searching hard for openings outside and within the company and finally a good news reached us about few onsite openings for a duration of 6 months for which we need to fight among ourselves to be one among the luckiest few.

Luck ?? It is still a mystery. A formula even the biggest of biggest scientists failed to find. All we need in life is a formula for luck, I keep saying this. The battle began, profiles forwarded, so many profiles, so many replies almost every profile was accepted for the initial screening except mine. Just because my experience was a month less than 2 years, the minimum experience to get a work permit.

Nobody except me knew that I had the needed experience and I was two full days more when I got the rejection mail. I was 2 years 2 days then. I knew I cant give up, I don't afford to give up, I have to prove somehow that I'm an eligible Indian to work on foreign soil and I managed to do with almost no hopes. My profile was finally taken in. In the mean time the positions got filled, there was only one left. The competition was becoming heavy everyday.

The profile got shortlisted in the second level of screening along with few others and we were asked to undergo the interview the very next day to fill in the last available slot. The topics were given and the challenge was to prove all your skills to the foreign client, to the world, to yourself before the next sun set.

The day I went home early with all the technical books in hand, the day I read, read, read and read every minute. I was almost ready for the technical discussion right from the day I heard the word recession. More than my technical skills I doubted my communication. I wasn't a English movie watcher then, all I watched was 'Titanic' a couple of times and ten other movies with subtitles which I don't even remember many of their names. I was a typical government school passed out and the fact was my school was lot better than my college. I'm strictly against smileys !!!

I thought I need to do something for my communication, so watch a movie as well. I ended up watching an English movie late night and woke up the sun well in advance.The next 8 hours in office was full of tension and friends who weren't shortlisted for interview, who were still in problem, gave lot of confidence that I could deliver though they knew the competition is among people who were twice or thrice as experienced as me.

Time, the only consistent worker reached the place on time, the interview started, after few 'pardon me's and sorries I was able to understand the questions. The last night's English movie dint do any magic but gave some confidence, the technical questions were just up-to my level and I did average.

The local project manager asked how the interview went, the answer from my side was 'ordinary' in fact 'very ordinary'. Anybody would have scolded me for screwing the chance but he dint because of the designation he belonged. The result will be broad casted the next morning, (evening in their land) and I somehow managed to sleep that night without thinking what I have done. All I knew was I gave everything I had, I was even little satisfied with my interview, but was not confident.

Next Morning, 6 30 am I got the call from the manager saying 'congrats, u got selected.. apply for the work permit asap'. And the most shocking news was, I was the only person who is gonna travel because the requirement got changed to one. Just one.

Luck... I still don't know its formula, but, if at all some one derive it, I'm quite sure that the formula will include something called hard work.

I was like an athlete who won the gold medal for his country, like a girl who crowned as the Miss World, I remembered the pursuit of happYness climax, (don't laugh) I made three calls one by one.. To three beloved ones of that time..

To be continued...