My third company in Hyderabad was into making of Automated Meter Readings(AMR's) which has a very very small manufacturing set up in a 3 floor building converting a nice home into an electronic manufacturing. My first day, my blood rushed to high peaks of converting this nano company into atleast a micro. As I owe them the gratitude of offering me a job offer during crisis.
I hardly understood anything in the process. But gradually, I learnt the parts go into it. Spoke to the vendors for quick deliveries and negoiated on the volume discounts. Understoof the process of purchasing and electronics industry. I was giving my best shot to the company but I very quickly found that the management and the directors of the company don't have sufficient funds to run the business and inturn delaying employee salaries. Delayed for upto to months together. Even then I worked in the interest of the company.
On personal front, I was doing okay. My wife started working to compensate the household expenses. On one bad morning, she started getting severe stomach ache and when taken to the doctors, they pulled out the scan reports which stated she has fibroids, small tumors in the uterus, and has to be taken care of immediately. This has blown off my mind. Doctors scared us so much that it was like "now or never". This was first encounter with the corporate hospitals. We both were frightened. Informed our angles, our beloved parents. With the help of our family doctors, she was taken to a room wherein she was lying for overnight to get prepared for the operation next day. The surgery took about 2 hrs. Doctors have removed all the fibroids performing laproscopic myomectomy. This was the most disturbing part in our lives after marriage. She has lost weight post surgery. She has to be extremely careful while walking. No bending,carry heavy weights and no strides at all.
My pockets were empty for paying the hospital bills. I just have close to a lac which was not enough to cover up the expenses. Hospitals suck your hard earned money especially when you do not have a health policy in place. I sold few of my stocks which gave me an oxygen of about 50k. Then I got some money from one of my uncle's and my sister from States. This was very difficult time. Professionaly it was not encouraging. I could'nt take it anymore. I quit the company again with out having a backup plan. It was then when we bith us together discussed and rolled out our business selling ladies garments from our house. We had those leggings sourced from Tiruppur, Tamilnadu, from one of my friends. Then we had stock of kalamkari sarees, dress material and kurta pyjamas. I ran shop to shop to market the leggings. From one end of the city to other. We got few orders. We supplied them. But everyone wants on credit which I cannot afford at that time. We are making reasonal money.
One day from one of our acquaintances, we discovered the permanent resident for Canada is easy and we got into the details with one of the consultancies. We have decided to go for it and I gave IELTS with a score of 6.5. Proceeded with all the documents and process with no hopes of getting any close to it.
After a gap of nearly six months, I landed another job in a mattress making company where I was incharge of the production. Life was going good again. We got a good news that my profile has been selected for the Canada PR. Due to long distance travel to work, have managed learning car and used to commute by car. We were so much confused over planning for kids in India or in Canada. Personally I wanted to have it in India as this would be her first time and she has to be taken care of.
On professional front, I used to be very busy, coming late home, tired and drifting to sleep in 5 min. Once the marriage is done, there will be a mounting pressure fom parents to become grand parents. Every phone call to my mom, she asks only one question for which I really do not have answer. Every month, she asks for my wife if she has mensus. She tried explaining me how complicated it would be if we keep on delaying for kids. She explains me how the planning should be if we wanna go for a second child. She literally persuaded me to go for kids asap. After every mensus cycle she would ask me if we made love and would wait for another cycle to hear the happy news. It was'nt just my mom but every relative whom we talk over phone, whom we visted on weekends. If my wife gained a bit if weight and wore loose tops/kurtas the instant question is: are you conceived? Everybody was "in persuit of an answer".
By the time I was sure of the Canadian PR, I again quit my job hoping to receive the final PR in just couple of months.But it was taking more time than I anticipated and again I was back to square one. In just three years I rolled over 3 times to various companies. But all through this, my wife stood by me like rock solid. I'm very lucky to have her in my life. There's no frame in my life without her.
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
Hosur Dairies
My bride, tied up in a red and green saree with jasmine flowers buckled up in her tied up hair holding a glass of milk in her two smoothie like palms entering room on our first night. I was just eager to get a complete picture of top to toe made me more nervous and anxious.When the door clinged, my heart beating at some 200 kmph, blood levels rose, might be sugar levels as well, sweating like I was in Sahara desert with A.C turned on at 18. My legs shivering. My palms wet and soaking. As she stepped in the room, I was like a blown up baloon. She was wearing a normal kurta pyjama with no milk glass, no flowers and not even a naughty smile on face which I saw in movies over 1000 times since childhood.
When we made ourselves comfortable, aftersome chit chat I gave a ring for her thumb finger to extend my gratitude for choosing me in her life. For making a strong decision to change her family name. For coming to me leaving her parents and loved ones behind. For becoming my future. For stepping in my house as a daughter. The first thing I did was to lay my head on her warm lap. We talked alot. It was memory to cherish. Its been 5 years since then and still all those memories are echoing in my mind crystal clear.
By the time I was married, I had an offer letter from one of the competitors of my current company. I thought my wife could not get habituated here in Erode because of the difference in culture, language and on top it is a village. This was a costly mistake I made very drastically in my very early marriage days.
We moved to Hosur, 40 kms to Bangalore. The place is quiet diversed in culture, with most of the people from southern part of India and mainly we could communicate in Telugu, my mother tounge. Both of us were having a really good time. We used to visit Bangalore, watch movies, get dominos pizza over weekends with vodka. Life was pretty good. We both celebrated the festials together, made lot of wishes, and the thing in common was, God, please make sure all goes well. There were also moments where we both had verbal fights, did not talk to each other for few days, we did not quiet understood each other and parents from both sides used to interfere and made us understand the intricacies and delicacies of wife and husband relation.
There has been mounting pressure on professional side, where I was unable to meet the huge expectations from the management, all of them were keralites. I spent sleepless nights with the crisis of my job, was even thinking of going back to Erode and join my previous company. Things were not going as expected. My wife could'nt take all this. She prayed god. She beggeed him to show some light. She cried alot sitting alone. Finally Ive put my papers on the table. I resigned without having a back up job. All my well wishers suggested to come back to Hyderabad and start taking some software courses. I had no choice but to follow.
I felt like my life has been ripped apart. Torn into pieces. But my wife stood by my side. No matter where what how, I'm gonna be with you, she said. I felt like crying. She hold my hands strong. She kept on pushing me. motivating me. One of my uncle's has a small one room on the terrance of their three floor building in Banjara hills, one of the richest localities in Hyderabad. When me and wife saw the saw, she instantly with hesitation said she is gonna stay in there with me which has no proper lighting, no cieling fan, no attached washroom and no saperate kitchen. Just one small 150-200 sqft room. There's a saying. A real man's loyalty for his woman is checked when he has everything at his disposal and the real woman's loyalty is checked when her man has nothing left in his pockets. My woman not just held my hands but supported me all through for which I shall always be indebted to her.
Just as a ray lof light in darkness, I received a call from a very small company offering a job in their electronic manufacturing set up as a production manager. I was on cloud 9. No limits for my happiness. I quickly accepted the offer and joined the company on 1st Feb 2016 and only then I realized this joy would not last longer.
When we made ourselves comfortable, aftersome chit chat I gave a ring for her thumb finger to extend my gratitude for choosing me in her life. For making a strong decision to change her family name. For coming to me leaving her parents and loved ones behind. For becoming my future. For stepping in my house as a daughter. The first thing I did was to lay my head on her warm lap. We talked alot. It was memory to cherish. Its been 5 years since then and still all those memories are echoing in my mind crystal clear.
By the time I was married, I had an offer letter from one of the competitors of my current company. I thought my wife could not get habituated here in Erode because of the difference in culture, language and on top it is a village. This was a costly mistake I made very drastically in my very early marriage days.
We moved to Hosur, 40 kms to Bangalore. The place is quiet diversed in culture, with most of the people from southern part of India and mainly we could communicate in Telugu, my mother tounge. Both of us were having a really good time. We used to visit Bangalore, watch movies, get dominos pizza over weekends with vodka. Life was pretty good. We both celebrated the festials together, made lot of wishes, and the thing in common was, God, please make sure all goes well. There were also moments where we both had verbal fights, did not talk to each other for few days, we did not quiet understood each other and parents from both sides used to interfere and made us understand the intricacies and delicacies of wife and husband relation.
There has been mounting pressure on professional side, where I was unable to meet the huge expectations from the management, all of them were keralites. I spent sleepless nights with the crisis of my job, was even thinking of going back to Erode and join my previous company. Things were not going as expected. My wife could'nt take all this. She prayed god. She beggeed him to show some light. She cried alot sitting alone. Finally Ive put my papers on the table. I resigned without having a back up job. All my well wishers suggested to come back to Hyderabad and start taking some software courses. I had no choice but to follow.
I felt like my life has been ripped apart. Torn into pieces. But my wife stood by my side. No matter where what how, I'm gonna be with you, she said. I felt like crying. She hold my hands strong. She kept on pushing me. motivating me. One of my uncle's has a small one room on the terrance of their three floor building in Banjara hills, one of the richest localities in Hyderabad. When me and wife saw the saw, she instantly with hesitation said she is gonna stay in there with me which has no proper lighting, no cieling fan, no attached washroom and no saperate kitchen. Just one small 150-200 sqft room. There's a saying. A real man's loyalty for his woman is checked when he has everything at his disposal and the real woman's loyalty is checked when her man has nothing left in his pockets. My woman not just held my hands but supported me all through for which I shall always be indebted to her.
Just as a ray lof light in darkness, I received a call from a very small company offering a job in their electronic manufacturing set up as a production manager. I was on cloud 9. No limits for my happiness. I quickly accepted the offer and joined the company on 1st Feb 2016 and only then I realized this joy would not last longer.
Monday, December 28, 2020
24-12-2015
T12345, T45678, T....., these were the common T codes which you can see scribling everywhere possible. No, that is not SAP related Transaction codes but related to the matrimony websites in sreach of a bride for me.
Attaining an age of 26 and 23 for boy and girl respectively makes Indian parents go sleepless nights and sometimes nightmares till the time they get married and I'm no different. There was quiet a lot of buzz going on with the girls photographs, their zodiac signs and the family background. I just a simple requirement. We should be making a good pair as in "made for each other". I've visited to couple of the prospective bride's house for a very casual and formal discussion. When parents of both side ask the prospective bride and groom to go to another room to get to know each other, it makes me very uncomfortable and nervous as well.
Then all those days, my mom was very excited and eager to know who shall be the lucky charm as the daugther-in-law, who can take responsibilities, who can live up to the expectations, who can imbibe in our family's traditions and culture. She had a vow to perform my marriage before i turn 30. This number to my mom is very alarming and intimidationg. The bride's market is so limited and dont wanna look for a grrom who's 30.She just wanna hit the bulls eye. On the other side, my dad, 62, was learning the art of astrology. Kudos to my dad who has the quest to learn something entirely a new subject at such an age. He learnt the basics so well that he used to tell the bride's parents right away, after asking the nakshatra & gotram, for a yellow, red or green lights.
On one fine day, my mom decided to stay with me at Erode for few days as she thinks I've become skinny and very soon my skeleton would be visible for a science fair. She wanna add some fats to my body. Together we had good time. I told her that I used to eat non-veg and now restained completely. I told her that I very occasionally take alcohol. It was when she received a call from back home that one of the tenants has occupied a commercial space and now not vacating the thing even after polite discussions. My mom's BP rose to the highest levels, blood boiling to the some 1000 C and was unable to sleep that night. She has decided to go back home the following cutting short the trip. I also wanted to go along her so that there should be nothing bad happening and everything under control.
By the time we reached our hometown, there were few discussions with the tenant and there was also a formal meeting on the table with the prospective bride at a temple on mutual agreed time. Since we both had a brief video talk, we know a bit of background about each other. After we had blessings from the temple diety, we sat under a tree on a cemented bench at the entrance of the temple. I talked a bit and I can see she was bit nervous talking to starngers. Conversation lasted for about 5 min may be. Out both families departed. I liked the girl. She liked me. Our families came together and the final date was decided for the auspicious ceremony, Dec 24th 2015.
Marriages are made in heaven does'nt need to be literally be that way. In my case, I was headed to my hometown for some other purpose and something else was destined to happen. We exchanged no.s and we spoke hours together. Texting. Sleepless nights. During work. During meetings. In canteen. This is a very strange feeling. I loved it. Love was all over the place. Marriage was indeed a huge responsibility. Unprepared and ready to face the challenge with a smile along with my better half.
We had a grand reception on Nov 21 2015 and the marriage date was fixed on Dec 15 2015. The marriage was pulled out in a very grandoise way. Held in a truly sounth Indian brahmin cultured style, me wearing just a white dhoti exposing my white skinny with a little flesh over my skeleton all through out the ceremony and my better half changed the costume couple of times. Since both the families are from the same place, Warangal and both of the families have a lot of common relatives, the hall was full with nearing about 1000 attendees. The stage was decorated with one of the most unique designs at the time. Till date many of our relatives talk about the extravaganza.
Attaining an age of 26 and 23 for boy and girl respectively makes Indian parents go sleepless nights and sometimes nightmares till the time they get married and I'm no different. There was quiet a lot of buzz going on with the girls photographs, their zodiac signs and the family background. I just a simple requirement. We should be making a good pair as in "made for each other". I've visited to couple of the prospective bride's house for a very casual and formal discussion. When parents of both side ask the prospective bride and groom to go to another room to get to know each other, it makes me very uncomfortable and nervous as well.
Then all those days, my mom was very excited and eager to know who shall be the lucky charm as the daugther-in-law, who can take responsibilities, who can live up to the expectations, who can imbibe in our family's traditions and culture. She had a vow to perform my marriage before i turn 30. This number to my mom is very alarming and intimidationg. The bride's market is so limited and dont wanna look for a grrom who's 30.She just wanna hit the bulls eye. On the other side, my dad, 62, was learning the art of astrology. Kudos to my dad who has the quest to learn something entirely a new subject at such an age. He learnt the basics so well that he used to tell the bride's parents right away, after asking the nakshatra & gotram, for a yellow, red or green lights.
On one fine day, my mom decided to stay with me at Erode for few days as she thinks I've become skinny and very soon my skeleton would be visible for a science fair. She wanna add some fats to my body. Together we had good time. I told her that I used to eat non-veg and now restained completely. I told her that I very occasionally take alcohol. It was when she received a call from back home that one of the tenants has occupied a commercial space and now not vacating the thing even after polite discussions. My mom's BP rose to the highest levels, blood boiling to the some 1000 C and was unable to sleep that night. She has decided to go back home the following cutting short the trip. I also wanted to go along her so that there should be nothing bad happening and everything under control.
By the time we reached our hometown, there were few discussions with the tenant and there was also a formal meeting on the table with the prospective bride at a temple on mutual agreed time. Since we both had a brief video talk, we know a bit of background about each other. After we had blessings from the temple diety, we sat under a tree on a cemented bench at the entrance of the temple. I talked a bit and I can see she was bit nervous talking to starngers. Conversation lasted for about 5 min may be. Out both families departed. I liked the girl. She liked me. Our families came together and the final date was decided for the auspicious ceremony, Dec 24th 2015.
Marriages are made in heaven does'nt need to be literally be that way. In my case, I was headed to my hometown for some other purpose and something else was destined to happen. We exchanged no.s and we spoke hours together. Texting. Sleepless nights. During work. During meetings. In canteen. This is a very strange feeling. I loved it. Love was all over the place. Marriage was indeed a huge responsibility. Unprepared and ready to face the challenge with a smile along with my better half.
We had a grand reception on Nov 21 2015 and the marriage date was fixed on Dec 15 2015. The marriage was pulled out in a very grandoise way. Held in a truly sounth Indian brahmin cultured style, me wearing just a white dhoti exposing my white skinny with a little flesh over my skeleton all through out the ceremony and my better half changed the costume couple of times. Since both the families are from the same place, Warangal and both of the families have a lot of common relatives, the hall was full with nearing about 1000 attendees. The stage was decorated with one of the most unique designs at the time. Till date many of our relatives talk about the extravaganza.
Saturday, December 26, 2020
Road to Erode
Gap. The three letter word makes a lot of sense when recruiters look at the career gap which the candidate has due to various reasons. I totally understand now. After a long 8 years of gap I've started writing my blog again. There's a lot changed in my life, new goals to be fulfilled, new commitments and priorities changed. I gave it a though as in how and where should I start. Decided to start from where I stopped.
I'm gonna start my story in tits and bits, from what ever I can extract from my lil brain and jot it down here.
So I was having a very peacful journey with my professional life, have achieved a lot at very young age, managing the entire production floor, managing various behavioral issues with the workers and on top of that I had a made my mark in my first company Sheela Foam. I was transferred from Gr.noida to Erode plant on Oct 2012 where I was welcomed entirely by a new culture, new people and citizens of the country look like as it they are the brothers and sisters of coal. Everywhere it was written in Tamil which appears to me a bird scratching on the sign board. The way they take food also surprised me. People here would smash idli, break dosa into pieces, as if there is some championship titile for the most pieces smashed, pour sambar onto it and mix it throughyly with hands but like a grinder and take palmful of it to mouth. Smashing was not just limited to idli or dosa but extends for roti, pavbhaji and beyond your imagination. It then appeared to my mind that this country is as diversified as rainbow colors with each state has its own way of living, its way of culture and their own way of eating habits.
I took charge of the unit in the mattress division and started educating, training, hiring, people. Erode is located just at a very strategic location, 4 hrs by road to Kerala. 3 hrs by road to Bangalore, one of the main business for mattress. Initially I was unable to understand their language. I used to talk in hindi and English and in this part of the country is like greek and latin. It was very hard to get things done. Then I started talking butler english which very few people understood. Then eventually I learnt their language "Tamil" and I've got some of my best professiona career in terms of catering best services to our channel partners, fulfilling the requirements within the predefined service levels and also increasing the production capacity within the approved quality parameters. In some instances there were issues like the north vs south workers and sometimes it was murali vs the unit head narendran. I managed quite well with no conflicts. Made some changes to the existing way of working. I read somewhere that everything can be predicted in the world but the human behavior. It got geeply engrossed in my mind and since then on I handled like holding a blade with razor finish on both sides.
On personal front there was nothing to do much as I used to stay long after office hours and coming back to home, eating out and going to bed. This was my almost daily routine. I enjoyed those days thoroughly. When I call up my friends, they hang out on weekends, partying, dating. But for me, all this was a distant dream. I was on the hope, everything goes well. I've got some very good friends who were very supportive, very helpful and can arrive on call during emergency. I also got acquainted with a very good family who knew telugu and rechristined the head of the family as "Jangaon" uncle after a place nearby my hometown where he worked for quiet a long time. I have some memorable visits to the actual country side view of the place, lush green fields, flowing riviers, houses built with leaves and wood. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Sometimes when I look back, it appears to me that it was because of me the unit head was fired as I was not liking him the way I was getting treated. Talking in tamil in meetings, not giving importance to me and by passing me in my mattress divison made me act againt him which lead him to get fired when I outspoke against him with the top management. I would have been made the unit head now if I stick to that company. But there's something else in my destiny.
I was always looking for ways to get out of the company for a higher salary and get closer to a city from a remote location like Perundurai in Erode. Altogether I was more in managerial position by the time I quit from the company on Jan 2015.
Gap. "G"et "A"gain on "P"ath. After writing this blog, I've given a new definition. Gap in resumes should be considered as the looser is not the one who falls in the boxing ring but who fails to get up.
I'm gonna start my story in tits and bits, from what ever I can extract from my lil brain and jot it down here.
So I was having a very peacful journey with my professional life, have achieved a lot at very young age, managing the entire production floor, managing various behavioral issues with the workers and on top of that I had a made my mark in my first company Sheela Foam. I was transferred from Gr.noida to Erode plant on Oct 2012 where I was welcomed entirely by a new culture, new people and citizens of the country look like as it they are the brothers and sisters of coal. Everywhere it was written in Tamil which appears to me a bird scratching on the sign board. The way they take food also surprised me. People here would smash idli, break dosa into pieces, as if there is some championship titile for the most pieces smashed, pour sambar onto it and mix it throughyly with hands but like a grinder and take palmful of it to mouth. Smashing was not just limited to idli or dosa but extends for roti, pavbhaji and beyond your imagination. It then appeared to my mind that this country is as diversified as rainbow colors with each state has its own way of living, its way of culture and their own way of eating habits.
I took charge of the unit in the mattress division and started educating, training, hiring, people. Erode is located just at a very strategic location, 4 hrs by road to Kerala. 3 hrs by road to Bangalore, one of the main business for mattress. Initially I was unable to understand their language. I used to talk in hindi and English and in this part of the country is like greek and latin. It was very hard to get things done. Then I started talking butler english which very few people understood. Then eventually I learnt their language "Tamil" and I've got some of my best professiona career in terms of catering best services to our channel partners, fulfilling the requirements within the predefined service levels and also increasing the production capacity within the approved quality parameters. In some instances there were issues like the north vs south workers and sometimes it was murali vs the unit head narendran. I managed quite well with no conflicts. Made some changes to the existing way of working. I read somewhere that everything can be predicted in the world but the human behavior. It got geeply engrossed in my mind and since then on I handled like holding a blade with razor finish on both sides.
On personal front there was nothing to do much as I used to stay long after office hours and coming back to home, eating out and going to bed. This was my almost daily routine. I enjoyed those days thoroughly. When I call up my friends, they hang out on weekends, partying, dating. But for me, all this was a distant dream. I was on the hope, everything goes well. I've got some very good friends who were very supportive, very helpful and can arrive on call during emergency. I also got acquainted with a very good family who knew telugu and rechristined the head of the family as "Jangaon" uncle after a place nearby my hometown where he worked for quiet a long time. I have some memorable visits to the actual country side view of the place, lush green fields, flowing riviers, houses built with leaves and wood. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Sometimes when I look back, it appears to me that it was because of me the unit head was fired as I was not liking him the way I was getting treated. Talking in tamil in meetings, not giving importance to me and by passing me in my mattress divison made me act againt him which lead him to get fired when I outspoke against him with the top management. I would have been made the unit head now if I stick to that company. But there's something else in my destiny.
I was always looking for ways to get out of the company for a higher salary and get closer to a city from a remote location like Perundurai in Erode. Altogether I was more in managerial position by the time I quit from the company on Jan 2015.
Gap. "G"et "A"gain on "P"ath. After writing this blog, I've given a new definition. Gap in resumes should be considered as the looser is not the one who falls in the boxing ring but who fails to get up.
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