Sunday, August 19, 2007

Bangalore Diaries - Part 3

Part2 of my narration of Bangalore experiences had glaring loopholes as was rightly pointed out by the gravity defying 'Dream Lover' Hemant.I had missed out on 'Biscuit Queen' Delnaz's blackberry which she would brandish at every juncture - whether to note down your number or to show the refulgence of that human invention to show how accurately it reflected the other human beings countenance. I also missed out on 'Hitler Jajee' Lohit who happened to be shoulders for crying out grub related tribulations during our college and his Hitlerish cap which reminded most of the Fuhrer's era.

Back to the source of my provender and my subsistence and a few of my colleagues. Act 1 Stage 1 - The Three Ammas - Aditi, Divya and Sireesha.

Aditi - Sleeping and Snoring Piglet. Perpetually pink and seems to have befriended cold. Slumber can incarcerate her any moment. She does indeed articulate brilliantly and was our 'awaaz' during the training period.

Divya - Daisy Duck (also affectionately called Mickey Mouse). Descry a ponytail wagging at a distance and lo! thats the duck waddling her way through. A countenance so cheerful that can stop 100 armored ships, even a grimace on her looks rapturous.My fellow Mumbaiyya loves her vadapavs and the inundating rains.

Sireesha - Badi Amma for the fact she seems to be pertinacious on getting me incarcerated for life in to a relationship called marriage. Heart which beats within is no less than gold.

Next stop - my fellow assasin in foraging for chocolates - Charu or as I would call her Parakeet or Mirchi. Wit,Optimism and sarcasam precede her presence, she adores her slumber and lugs to office in the morning under duress.Irreproachable gift for her - clothes coloured black or gray! On that note - I should thank this person for introducing me to a fabulous outlet in Bangalore- Cakewalk - Chocolate lovers of the world rejoice!

Roll back time in to my B-School days. Two people I have hardly spoken to - Love and Siddharth. Behold, I find them as my colleagues!!

Love - Energy oozes out of this 6 footer. The staff and helpers at the college know him more than the fellow students.A childish grin daubs this dudes face as he wishes you a healthy morning.

Siddharth - Punter drives his horse of trading to death and then drags the body out of the grave till the person listening to him turns deaf and may be blind due to stress. Derivatives runs through his veins and gets filtered out through his heart as treasury. Passion peaks new levels in his case.

Bangalore was an exhilarating stop over. Plenty to look back on and ponder.....

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Bangalore Diaries - Part 2

As I further try to articulate my stay in Bangalore, let me venture out of the Manor. Let me warn the claustrophobics – this is no effortless task for out of the cozy comforts of the home you step in to gravity-defying vertical ‘travellator’ called the elevator which at the Manor gives you an eerie sensation of disquiet and succumbs you in to numbness as you summon aid from the mighty forces to consecrate their sanguine prayers during your voyage in this mean machine.

Next stop – Lighthouse. Yes my office building in Bangalore. The sojourn was daubed with a training period which lasted 2 months – etched indelible experiences and memories.

First stop – project presentations. Sublime team with an ever bubbling buddy and a serene and collected mentor. I have attributed them with an ode before in my blog. I shall paste the same

Andhra Mess drives him higher and ‘rounder’,
Kaushik effuses a pertinent beam and energy - propels him farther and farther.

Smiling eyes belie the fire that in her soul, forever, dance,
On Marketing and Branding, Jennifer takes an obstinate stance

Cheer precedes her presence and Pumpkins make her skin glow,
Sinchana can wand her magic and pinch presentations from an unutterable low!

Reticent he may appear but the talent behind those specs he does belie,
Baboo (Vikas) scales new heights in concentration, tenacity - and success I do descry!

Universal Buddy Solutions is around when you need the most,
Mani’s lunch time is with dames galore, he – grossly engrossed- almost!.

Mentor indeed slogs and inspires to drive stronger and higher,
Intuitive and thought provoking, perfection Vinod strives over and over!


So Kaushik is ‘Andhra Mess’, Jenny is ‘Smiling Eyes’, Sinch is ‘Pumpkin’, lets call Vikas as Baboo, Mani is UBS and Vinod is….hmm…Mentor!!

My stay at Bangalore was dotted with sporadic meets with the most entertaining characters of yore who would never fail to conjure blithe and a rotund smile of my countenance.

These included the ‘Biscuit QueenDelnaz who with her boundless energy and spark can scintillate a smile-blitzkrieg on the most blighted of the spirits. ’Dream Lover’ Hemant was his energetic gravity-defying self (his feet are never on the ground) who would ‘networked’ with every other Bangalore-an you would have come across. ‘Two left feetRajaram has stopped dabbling around with basketball for the benefit of NBA aspirants and Mother Earth – still gets fired up with the word ‘Bangalore’ and adores a place called Chennai. ‘OracleMurali smoking down Bangalore with his flagship product and is the ever chirpy character who would go ends for you.

More in next….

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Bangalore Diaries - Part 1

As my flight to Bangalore segued itself in to the spongy clouds that resembled wings of angels bestowing their saccharine benevolence over the city – a feeling of enchantment overcame my soul. It would be a mammoth task to narrate in to the ‘its and bits’ the of stay which began 3rd June 2007 and ended 9th August 2007 – but I shall try my best.

Let me begin with the inmates of Oxford Manor. Yes my abode during my Bangalore sojourn. The species inhabiting this place were variegated indeed as well as splendid and blithe characters.

There was Janish. The nick for him was hard to come by but I shall resort to ‘Surfer’(he surfs through not ocean but movies,channels and yes books!!) Movie buff and bookworm indeed – and yes he likes his food more for the looks than the taste! This capital chap could finish three voluminous tomes in a day or flick through five or six movies in one sitting! Adores does he – sparkling colours (kidding) and is the latest bloke to sport the Anupam Kher look.

There was Mayank. I will call him ‘Chimney’. He abhors, detests all those in the populace who have fallen victim to the dreaded tobacco and are caught using the tobacco stick (eh? Mayank?). The ‘Young Man’ is indistinguishable when flat on his cot; you would have to rummage around hard for him amongst his quilt. He adores his idols – Indian Idol – would not miss it for the world. A stopover to the Manor and you shall find this bloke – on the couch or cot (almost indistinguishable) or at his IBM machine – cursing no ends or up in smokes (: )).

Then there was Divya. I am again at loss for a nick. A decade of acquaintance has only reinforced this dude’s marvelous personality. Oft mispronounced and referred by a feminine name – he has taken it in his stride. Neat and dapper – he folds every cloth so meticulously that he will give the most benevolent housewives a complex. My hindi falls to smithereens in ignominy when it encounters this fellows chaste diction. Camera is his new found love ( Divya – get married) for he finds art even in a towel- a wet one- arbitrarily placed on the cot.

Oxford Manor – indeed were capital times – from midnight tea at Electronic city , Scoops of icecreams at Gelato, frequent visits to Manipal Canteen for filter coffee including visit to the Manipal Hospital( Me not visiting a hospital in a new city? Impossible!!) and yes – accidentally bumping on to old acquaintances as well!!

More in next……