An 'OFF' spent

It's raining, it's drizzling, and it's raining and drizzling.  Ow! It's so romantic.  It's been raining intermittently for a week now.  The last thing I want to do in the morning is to get up from my bed, which is a toughie in this cozy classic weather.  Feels to burrow deep under the bed cover like a cocoon and be asleep.  If it was not for my mother working in the kitchen banging the dishware and plates to make clattering noise (to give me an idea about how angry she is for the reason that am still in bed), I would be sleeping till 10 am or 12 noon.

Yesterday night we had a servere weather and the power went off sometime after midnight.  It was impossible to sit inside anymore in the absence of 'All Out' in spite of the beautiful weather.  The weather was calm, but the power was not on tapp.  For half an hour or so mom and myself started strolling through the balcony at 2'o clock in the early morning.  Mom was dozing off and sort of sleep walking.  But I was fully awake by then.  After some time we shifted ground to couple of chairs and engaged ourselves talking about this and that in hush hush tones to keep ourselves awake.  It was dark and I couldn't make out moms face.  When there were no more response from her side, I assumed she dozed off in the chair.  At the same time Big B was sleeping like a baby inside.  I got up and walked around for another 10 minutes or so.  Then retired to the chair and later on zonked out on the floor with couple of pillows.  It was chilling outside.  When I awoke, I was in my bed.  Either mom dragged me in or I sleep walked to my bed.  Anyways yesterday morning I was dozy from last night's forty winks.

Today am on OFF (compensatory holiday for working on Saturdays) and stayed back home.  Housekeeping is something I love to do when am alone at home and like to keep myself engaged (unless the temperature is boiling).  The family who stayed in the apartment earlier were so untidy that it was obvious from each and every inch of the floor and taps.  As it happens, the owner didn't get a good deal of time to refurbish the place before renting it out.  He did a touch up to the walls and cleaned the tiles (for the sake of it).  Really had a rough time when we first moved into this place.   It was a hard slog and took almost one month's vigor to bring back the shine and freshness to the floors.  

Now that's sorted out, the only thing that seems a bit of a nuisance for me is drying the washed clothes.  However dry they seem to be the clothes will be damp from the chilled air.  I prefer to have them stiff and dry from the boiling sun and of course, germ-free.  After early morning rains, the sky was on track to be clear and sunny.  Good day for my clothes.  

In between I switched on the TV and there was 'The Brothers Grimm' playing in Star Movies, so took a break and watched the show.  Later in the afternoon, I was watching 'Alwin and the Chipmunks' when it started to drizzle and I had to rush upstairs to pick the clothes.   Two good movies.  Can't say anything bad about both.  I was entertained for 3 + 3 = 6 hrs :-)

It was still drizzling.  I helped myself with a cup of black tea, took couple of pillows with me and made myself comfortable in the balcony.  It's a great view from there.  Just across the road is St.Antony's church and it's just heavenly to sit there and wander deep into the Amazon of my thoughts.  Adding fuel to the flames the drizzle, the mild cold breeze, the greenery, God !  I never stop if I start describing the beauty of the monsoon.  I set off this post with the rains and walked all the way through my housekeeping department, beefs about my landlord, and movies I watched of late and in the tailpiece hit the rains - back to square ONE! 

Aliens Attack !

Aliens attack was set in motion this week and am the eyewitness.  One of them is VP (D) of another department and the other is a Senior Manager (SK) of yet another department.  As far as its other departments,  its risk free for me.  Anyways, for two days its going to be a real mess.

Day 1 : I reached office by 9.30.  We were all asked to report by 9.30 strictly and no late-commers (for their own good).  So I had to skip my breakfast and come rushing to the office.  We were expecting D to come any second and blast, but it turned out that he was staying back at the hotel and going for some client visits with the manager and not coming to the office for the day.  So much for the day.  So, I kept myself busy rest of the day by updating database for mailing my clients [Eureka ! 1000 in a day] and other routines.   

Day 2 : Today SK showed up.  He was supposed to come early in the morning.  Rumour has it that he is a workaholic and we were all expecting him to be in office by sunrise.  So today also I had to skip my breakfast (poor me!) and come rushing to the office.  But my skipping the breakfast was in vain.  SK din't come to the office as expected in the morning.  SK went for client encounters straightaway from the airport.  What a workaholic he is.  Hearsay confirmed!    

 God!  If it was me, I would have headed directly to the hotel, taken a quick bath, freshened up, then come to office and later go for the client meetings and work work work, (Hi hi hi.. crazy lazy bone me).  Maybe that's why am not a manager as of yet.  Always in a holiday mood :)  LoL.   

Later in the afternoon he came.  He came, he saw, he conquered!  He is likely to be in the branch for couple of days.  He took anchorage of this branch this financial year opening and this is his first visit to the branch.  In fact, I had met him when I was in Trivandrum.  He was the manager of that team at that time.  But again, that was one year ago.  So, not a complete alien.  Acquaintance alien.  LoL.  I din't recognize him initially.  Suddenly there he was standing in front of me.  He has gained weight (he says he ate lots of cheese during his European trip couple of weeks back).    

The only one thing that is ringing in my head is the comment made by Mrs. Tony about SK's view "He has under-estimated Cochin.  His view is that there are only couple of roads in Cochin."  So mean to state like that about our great little Cochin.  He is basically from Chennai.  So Mrs. Tony too is as keen as mustand on showing him that he is wrong.  In fact, area mapping Cochin is not such a big deal, but at the same time its not so silly.  I've been in Cochin since my school days and most of the places in Cochin is a bit too familiar.  In case of some areas I know every nook and corner.  Credit goes to our house-shifting process - Its the 21st house in Cochin that we shifted to one month earlier.  Of course, I have loads of acquaintances, which turns to be 'not so good after all' at times, because of the nosy character of some people; especially if I have to go out with J.  But then who cares about all these nowadays.

Day 3 :  D flew back to Bangalore yesterday evening.  SK showed up in the morning itself.  Rest of the day he was having a busy schedule travelling about with Mr. Mathews, Mrs. Tony, Mr. Mathew, and SA for the negotiations.  By now he might have grasped the fact that Cochin is not microscopic.   It was  raining heavily at intervals and occasionally there were drizzles.  Since boss was in town everyone in office was more than busy and full time engaged with their duties.  Very dedicated.  SA was complaining about having light headaches because of getting exposed to these sudden drizzles.  She loves to be in the sun than the rains.  Weird girl.  Mrs. Tony was complaining to Mr. Mathews that I described their manager as 'an alien'.  To soften the edges I'll rephrase him as 'an outlander'.   SK is a cool-headed guy.   Outlander attacks over and SK took charge of planet Cochin.  To be continued...

Slowdown

                        I've been quite full of activity lately.  Job search is in schedule, two of my colleagues are resigning, bank tests are going on, applying and preparing for bank tests, loads of work to do in the office, etc...  Am in a safe position as of yet, but afraid of getting far-away transfer or pink slips.  In fact everyone is under the shadow of the same fear, however safe their so-called jobs are.    

                        A good company, best package - this combination is a bit tough and rare to dig up nowadays.  Dictum is try try till you succeed.  Its not that I've been laid off, but afraid of the same or transfers and pink-slips.  One another option is bank PO exams.  Well, in fact that is the only one good other option in front of me.  My mother has been behind me for ages compelling me to get into some bank.  According to her that’s the only job in this whole universe which is safe.  Well, I think its time that I listen to her words.

                        Oh yes, nowadays people appearing for bank PO exams are highly qualified.  There are candidates who were earning lakhs per month abroad and now searching for "a job" here.  IT fellas are the ones in huge numbers appearing for these exams nowadays.  Midst of all these giants a dwarf like me getting through is of rare possibility.  But again, try try till you succeed.

                         Many of them have lost their jobs.  Although, India has not been affected so hard by the financial meltdown, Indians all over the world are suffering from the layoffs and pink slips.  Some say the recession has not hit India; its just a slowdown.  With reference to the current situation its obvious what is going to happen once it hits India.  It’s going to be hard, real hard.  Already I've got candidates walking in, searching for vacancies, and these candidates  are those who were previously employed in Dubai and the US or UK.  It’s such a hard time to go through.  

                         The slowdown  is happening, people are getting layed off, pink slips are being given; but at the same time there are recruitments happening all around us.  We can’t say that the recruitments are freezed.  There are recruitments happening, but on a lower basis.  The HRs are short listing very few and intake is just the minimum.  Earlier they used to recruit in larger numbers.  It’s a more competitive market than ever before.

                         Some companies had stopped the intake for a brief period as a curb.  Now, most of them have restarted, but again on a lower basis.  Some took deterrence in terms of cost reduction, etc.   Moreover, even if someone gets through an interview they are afraid to go for it, last in first out.  So people are sticking on to their precious jobs and rowing harder than ever before to please the management.  Me too.