Archive for the 'Anecdotes' Category

The Happiest Days of Our Lives

Published
by
Shahab
on June 1, 2008
in Anecdotes, Chit Chat, Living Single, Whatever and World Around Us
. 12 Comments

Spoiler : Well .. The title has got nothing much to do with the content of this post. Its just the song that I was listening to while writing this post and wondering if it did have something to do with the post .. Another spoiler: Most people wont know what I am talking about :P  .. Whatever ..

So I am remembering the unusually rainy day when I arrived this place dreamy eyed two years ago. As I’ve already blogged about my adventures in the year to follow, I’ve decided to recall and post some incidents that happened this year ..

So here are some notable incidents that happened this year :

  • Being scolded for coming late : Hahhaaa .. Man .. I tried defending my case by saying I stay late at office but my DGM says “Officers are on 24 hour on duty ” .. Someone tell him insomniacs cant reach office at seven .. They SLEEP at seven .. :|
  • SBI winning over TCS : So this was the first year that SBI turned the table and won more matches in this season. We in fact won a tourament too this time ( I wasnt playing though and it was NOT the cause we won :D ) .. My performance was just so so this season .. But I’m playing well in our local matches ..
  • I cleared JAAIB : Hahaahaha .. Thats not the news .. News is while I was taking this CAIIB exam, I was warned by the invigilator not to create a ruckus in classroom. He took my admit card and ID card away and I’ve no idea if he had reported me to IIBF .. If he’s done that my chances of being a CAIIB this year are gone .. I hope IIBF dont ban me or something … :(( Continue reading ‘The Happiest Days of Our Lives’

But it Rained

Published
by
Shahab
on June 16, 2007
in Anecdotes, Living Single and Whatever
. 5 Comments

It was giving signs all day long .. and by the time I reached office, it started pouring .. No matter.. I said to myself . .. it will be over soon .. I didnt know.

Time to get back to home .. My boss has already left and people who came late brought equipments to deal with the rains .. I didnt have rain coat . .. nor umbrella .. Umbrella is pointless though as you cant use it while you drive .. At around nine in the night, the rain’s intensity looks diminishing … it will be over soon .. I said to myself yet again … I didnt know ..

At around ten in the night, I decide to take the plunge .. Those are little droplets, I’ll reach home in no time .. So I try my luck at praying .. “Oh God .. Please stop the rain for just five minutes ..” and starts from my office.. No luck .. it kept raining .. and after only a minute of drive, I stop at a chai dhaba .. I’ll wait here and soon it will be over .. So drinking hot chai and watching water leaking from all corners of the dhaba shade .. and listening to Lata Mangeshkar “Chalte chalte yunhi koi mil gaya tha” on the radio .. Welcome change from Atif Aslam whom I am listening to very much these days .. All this environment makes me nostalgic .. So I brace myself again and start again towards my home …

At first I close my eyes when the rain drops hits my face .. then I began to enjoy the feeling .. I’ve always loved rains but after I spending my last year in Mumbai’s rain, all the romance was lost .. Anyway .. earlier I was driving fast .. then I started driving slow .. there is nothing that can match driving in rains .. Raindrops entering your eyes ..dodging the splash of water / mud from the car you are trying to over take .. hitting brakes too hard .. singing (yelling) on the top of your voice .. How come rains make people crazy …?

I am shivering when I reach the building .. Smiled when I see neighbor girl giggling at me .. Warm my frozen hands on the gas burner for at least five minutes (or was it ten ) .. Check my phone line .. whoa its not dead .. check the internet connection .. whoa .. its up too .. Great …!! Listen to November Rain for some five times .. writing this post and watching rain drops from the window .. ..

Its official raining in Bombay …

So its been a year ..

Published
by
Shahab
on June 1, 2007
in Anecdotes, Living Single and Whatever
. 6 Comments

Warning: This post can be a monologue. ..

The opening lines of every post are the most difficult ones to think .. How to write something that the reader will find interesting and captures the theme of the entry .. ? Well .. For this particular post, I couldnt think of any such opening so here it goes ..

It all started a year ago when I arrived in this city of dreams called Bombay ( I still call it Bombay) with many dreams and even more hopes in my heart… It was raining heavily and I was all wet when I somehow managed to find out the SBI guest house (where my friend Nisheet had already booked a room) .. We chatted about how our next day which was going to be our reporting to the job was going to be and how life would be after that ..

The next day was even more interesting .. We found out that we’ll be posted for the rest of our service in Bombay itself (or if you are lucky you’ll get a foreign posting afterwards .. ) .. We were allotted departments and roles… We had our first lunch in the Officer’s mess (why is it called Officer’s Mess ? ) and then went to our respective departments for introductions and all .. I still remember one of my senior told us “Now with what qualifications or experience you have come with doesnt matter ..What you can give to the bank will matter the most .. ” I still believe in those words .. Anyway .. too many things happened in the first day and I cant write all of them here .. We were given temporary accomodation in guest house till our flats were ready .. (Getting listed in guest house was another great experience) ..

So .. I moved into a new room in guest house and it turned out it was to be shared with three more guys .. Three guys literally from three corners of India .. Man those guest house days were some very well spent days of my life .. As I stroll down memory lane, I remember listening to FM and chatting till late night .. Learning Malayalam .. or Manipuri .. :D .. Having dinner together .. Racing in morning to get the bathroom .. Getting others late for office ..:D .. Sleeping in boring training sessions .. Waiting for the rains to stop which poured as if its the end of world ..

Earlier days were spent in shock and awe .. Being so far from family and friends was a new experience for me (and a very tough one).. Slowly official work started to fill this void. .. Earlier it was feeling important .. than feeling responsible .. sometimes feeling exhausted .. Then I got my first salary .. Earning money was not a new thing for me but now I had to manage my living all by myself .. Seems I am doing pretty good … A major part of our salary used to goto mobile bills .. And eating those horrible food at mess .. And as you are expected to work at office, chat protocols were blocked and most timepass websites were also blocked .. So that ended my Orkut addiction .. Finding out proxy sites to bypass the restrictions and finding out new new ways to access blocked site ..  It was nice experimenting with our newly found independence ..

So this year brought many ups and downs in my life .. It highlights again that life is a constant learning process .. and I am still learning .. and I am still coping .. I’ve made so many friends here and who made living here all alone a bit easier for me .. Thanks to everyone just for being there for me ..

Growing Up …

Published
by
Shahab
on November 18, 2005
in Anecdotes, Noteworthy, Personal News and Whatever
. 12 Comments

      For most people, growing up is synonymous to getting older. But after living for almost a quarter of century, I look upon my life and realize its much more than just getting older.. Its about getting more experience, getting more ideas , its about getting mature (I seem to hit upon the exact word ) ..

      So here I am, with my life before me … So much time seems to have passed .. I have lived my life as it came .. played, laughed, cried, teased, run, fell, got up, hurt, got hurt, learned, unlearned , forgot , remembered .. I have done it all .. and I liked it … If I’d given chance to life again, I’ll still make the decisions I made, I’ll go from those paths that I went ..

      So what did I learn from all my life’s experiences ..? When I compare myself from what I was 10 years ago, I find many changes in myself … The most prominent one: becoming deliberate from being spontaneous .. Now I think before I act .. and I am no more impatient ..I am now more content then I was ten years ago .. and I am more aggressive .. Perhaps those are the signs of maturity … I now know that maturity isn’t something you’d gain just by being old .. You’ll have to interact… think .. feel … act .. I now know that world isn’t perfect — it was never meant to .. I don’t expect perfect outcomes now .. because if you become perfect, you wont have any chance to improve — which is imperfect in its own .. Over the years I feel becoming more self centered .. which I think is a by product of maturity - or vice versa .. Here too I am talking about myself from the start .. I now feel more confident in being honest about things I feel .. which is a nice thing as I have said everything about myself without any hesitation and without any lie .. Over the years I have seen people’s expectations from me growing .. sometimes I find it choking me .. sometimes I find it very stimulating … I have learned that if you fear something it will keep you haunting for ever .. and if you face it firmly you will conquer it .. .. Be it a memory of someone …

      I stopped celebrating my birthday long ago as I don’t see the logic in people congratulating you on something to which you have no credit .. I’ve been very less emotional from start and I feel birthdays are just like other days .. But I still love the surprise feeling of answering some long lost friends’ call .. Hey .. thats the reason I remember all my friend’s birthdays .. :) ….I dont believe in making resolutions becuase I don’t need any resolution to do something …

      Hmm… I wanna end this monologue now .. So when I look at my 11 year old cousin who now dreams to become a pilot, I get reminded of myself … One can draw his inspiration from anywhere .. and thats why I believe that this is a continous process .. I have yet to see more .. and experience and explore …. Life is meant for learning .. and growing up .. these years will keep coming and going … what counts in the end is how you utilize the time alloted to you …

[Listening to:Why does it always rain on me by Travis]