Harry Potter writes....

Being a die-hard Harry Potter fan, I just imagined what he would have to say if made Software Engineer...

Dear Ginny
How are you? I just hope that you are fine and must have done pretty well in your O.W.L.s. How are the other things around? Has the rampage by Voldemort and the Death-Eaters affected any one in our lot (I mean the DA or the Order of Phoenix). This hunt for the horocruxes is indeed very painful. These days I am in India and working undercover as a Software Engineer at a firm.

Though I have a good long experience of abiding with muggles but this is truly a different experience altogether. The people here make the Dursleys look so lovable and great. All day long I spend in a small room filled with numerous desks (which they call cubicle) and staring aimlessly at my computer (a muggle invented machine which is taking over every thing). These people expect me to do some daily chore which they call as ‘coding’. They seldom try out their hand in teaching me also and believe me I find it more boring than reading “Hogwarts – A History’ (Don’t tell this to Hermione else she’d throw me a Bat Boggy Hex). All day long they sit at their place and do this damned coding and keep on drinking coffee and tea.

All these years I used to think that magic exists only in our wizarding community but I was so wrong! I have seen these muggles here (called programmers) performing some non verbal spells. All throughout their working hour, they mess up the work. I , being a member of the debugging team also, have to work real hard over these codes( I daresay, I sometimes use the spell ‘reparo’ over them), but right at the time of their delivery, these programmers somehow are able to come up with a perfectly working solution. This has to be some kind of a magic!!

My post here , as 'Assistant System Engineer – Trainee’ is much more jinxed than the Defense Against The Dark Arts post at Hogwarts. My supervisor (here known as PL or ML) is no better than Snape. He finds no reason and gives me a detention every day by making me work overtime. But fear is something which these muggles and we wizards have in common. The fear of the GL (group leader) and coming deadlines terrorize more than what Voldemort does to our lot. I find many people here who keep on E-mailing (a muggle invented fast post system) to others all throughout the day. I must say their way of sending message is an equal comparison to our owl-post. But I cant send mails often as it wouldn’t be appropriate bringing Hedwig in open. Also these people have an instrument called “cell phones’ which can do almost everything, right from talking to distant people, to using it for storing information, to listening music and getting information from round the world to using it for many leisure activities. Everybody seen engaged in their phones here. These cell phones come in different shapes and sizes and it literally gives me a uncontrollable urge to take out my wand!!

Working here sure feels like you have been hit by a sectumsempra curse. I wish I was 17 so that I could legally Apparate out of this place or much better if I had my ‘Fire Bolt’ to escape out from here. But I am on a time critical mission of hunting the horocrux and I am prepared for any traumas and pain, like this, which will come for the ultimate aim of my life is to kill Voldemort!!

Say my hello to Fred, George, Bill and Charlie, my hug to Ron and Hermione (if she is there) and my regards to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. I Don’t know weather I wud be coming to join the seventh year (only J K Rowling knows). Love you and really looking forward to meet you soon.

Bi and until then
Mischief (almost) managed!!

Harry

serendipity......

Its 1615 hrs and I am sitting on my desk (or cubical as ‘they’ call it!) and watching the monitor aimlessly. An unexpected and insurmountable anxiety is building inside me. No! It’s not because of the 5 cups of teas that I have taken throughout the day. The reason is something else.

Throughout the day I had no work. All I did was eating, taking tea and coffee, web mail, Google, chatting with friends on net messenger, listening to latest songs on my headphones and ya off course, writing blogs!! The day was fine and not at all hectic. Actually this is what I like and am here for. It has been one rare and beautiful day where one could really sit and appreciate the beauty around (not exactly!!) and feel the pleasantness of the ambience. One thing is sure, no work at office does make a man creative and especially when it comes after a long epoch of workload; it really is ‘a deserving change’. After literally slogging-off my ass for 14 hours in the office yesterday night, this respite was like a dream. All day long, I enjoyed noticing the other comrades and making mental note of them (which is going to be the topic for another blog soon!). Just whirling around my rotating chair, I tried to give an ‘executive’ look. I surfed the “New York Times’ site, just to sham a ‘studious’ look. While listening to music, I slowly tapped my fingers on the desk putting on a ‘hepp’ look. Similarly I tried many such looks all over the day.

But now, I am experiencing an unconquerable anxiety. There is a mix of intimidation in it. What if….what if, at this hour, when I am about to leave, I get some WORK!! No, even the thought scares me. I look at my watch again. Its 1630. just 15-20 min to go. Nervously, I check my mail again, praying that there is no mail from the ML delegating me work. The damn web server is taking time... Finally it opens. Thank God, their ain’t any mail. I hear the sound of opening of door. I look at it half-expecting my ML. luckey again!!At 1645, I stand up,lock my computer and move out from the back door. I dio this just to avoid some of the troble-shooters (or shall i say trouble-maker) of my team.I move quitely and rapidly. But there I saw my ML comming towards me. I cross my fingers and continue moving. He just looks at me once, acknowledges my head shook and passes by. "WOW!" I utter and walks rapidly towards the exit door.Outside I could feel the cool B'lore evening beeze and really wonder when did I ,last, left the office in daylight ( it was day before yesterday!!).

It sure was a lucky day for Software Engineer!!

'vi'sion of the editor

Hey people of the world! I am back with my good for nothing blogs!!

Joining such a big comapany as a fresher, after enjoying the training period(The ILP is often reffered as the initial leisure period!) when u really get down to work, beleieve me its a little tough. I have joined a project and the team expects me to be sound in what they call 'basics' of computers. Having a bachelors degree in engineering from Computer Science background sure makes them feel this way. But the fact is that I havn't done my engineering from an IIT or something. It was an ordinary college with a bunch of usual know-nothing/do-anything people. All thruout my BE, my PC has rightfully served my purpose of music and Internet! Leave aside my programming skills, even my grip over the so called 'simple' Windows OS is questionable!! And these people expect me to be superb, Huh! are they kidding??

Now I have to work and develop codes on the 'classical' unix editor 'vi'. 'vi' is a product of strange mind. The person who made this ever popular (i dont know how it got so popular) editor must have a lot of ego and filled with extream hatred towards the mankind. Nothing works the way it is supposed to. Either the man was insane or the keyboard came into existance after the creation of this editor!! For every thing you have to press escape key and then proceed. Now what all should i remember? The codes that I have to cut-copy-paste or the various commands for 'vi'? Now i realise why and how did Bill Gates managed to overturn the world of computing in early 80's...No doubt DOS and its refined versions are far better!! What so ever be the case, the world is full of die hard fans of 'vi' and to tell u the truth, even I have started liking it! Somehow its very cooland i feel kinda sexy while using it.I can go on and on as I am writing this whole blog on the 'vi' editor. Now i'll stop as u guys must be bored. All i have to now is to cut-copy-paste this editorial from 'vi' to the blog space! After all 'cut-copy-paste' is the bread and butter of a Software Engineer!!
bi for now but not for long

hasta pronto, adios!! (ya i even know spanish!!)

It ain't easy at a Software Major!!

Ya this is true....It's really not easy at a software major!! TCS - Asia's biggest software firm...People say that there is not much of a work for freshers at this place..Damn! they are wrong...Ask me..
I joined TCS-blr after my AMAZING ILP at Trivamdrum. On the very next week I was made to work on saturdays and sundays. Why? becaus I had the presitge of joining a development project!! I really face problems writing a 'Hello World' program and now I am working on Pro C (precompiler for Embedded SQL) with Oracle 9i on Sun Os!! these are big words and so is the platform!!...I am currently working on Visa International delivery!! (lets see how long this company works now ) What more could a fresher want...A development project that too an oversee one with bright on-site chances in the comming future(about 1-1.5 years), yet life sucks sometimes...No time for socialising!!!!
For a guy like me who loves to sleep, read novels and watch movies(first day)..every thing has changed. I wake up at 0530 hrs in the morning and if i am lucky enough(to escape the burden of work at office), I make myself go to bed at 2200-2230 Hrs!! I
Sometimes at the work, my inner self asks me..'Hey Dude! whats yr age? are you 35 or something?'.. I feel like a grown up 'Uncle'. yet they claim that this company has the highest Employert satisfaction!!!!.If this is true...GOD bless other IT employees!!...enjoy and keep me blogging!!!
(01/10/2006)

Penning the ILP.....

Nostalgia hits hard, when we part our ways
I still cherish those gud ol’ ILP days!!
The time we spent were like amazing dreams…
That hostel, those beaches and our ‘Coffee Beanz’!!

Those rocking parties – that fun we had
Some times were frustrating, some were sad!
We lived with friends, we ‘died’ with friends
It was one and half month of breaking ‘trends’!!

Sometimes we were subdued, sometimes very rash
With absolutely no concern for our parent’s cash!!
We induced ‘Electrika’ – we made it LIVE
Separated just by names T83, T84 and T85

Those miscreant faces, those cherubic smiles
The distances we walked, from meter to miles!!
That food we ate, loathing the coconut curry
Those late wake-ups and getting dressed in hurry.

(to be cont....)