Today is 10.11.12

Today is 10.11.12, a progressive line of digits in this year!

I feel our generation is lucky to see these dates:

• 1.1.1
• 2.2.2
• 3.3.3
• 4.4.4
• 5.5.5
• 6.6.6
• 7.7.7
• 8.8.8
• 9.9.9
• 10.10.10
• 11.11.11
• 12.12.12

Attitude, committment, and respect

Life is full of compromises!! The attitude you carried during youth like "duniya ko ghuma ke dikhaunga" is not the same after you turn thirty. That attitude simply kills you unless changed!! It leads to a disrespectful life in all fronts, be it social, personal, professional...You have to bow down to some circumstances, it means you have to compromise.

Durga Puja in Hyderabad 2012

Today we along with Pranab and his family were hopping three puja mandaps in Hyderabad. We had a great day out. Although it was xoptomi and falls on Sunday, but the crowd was not so huge which we didn't expect. I this time had gone to Puja after several years, don't remember when I went last.

@Tankbund

First, went to Tankbund puja mandap organized by Vivekananda math Bengali committee. Saw a thin crowd here enjoying misti dahi and bengali sweets. Aarti (evening prayer) followed immediately after 6PM, where we saw four drum players most probably from Kolkata.

Missing the grandeur and quaint of those Guwahati or Kolkata pujas.

@Secunderabad

Then we started heading towards our next mandap at Secunderabad. It was a huge area housing all the stalls, seemed to be a fair.

What I noticed, the whole puja area is a makeshift of a very big commercial market having stalls of cars (TATA, Hyundai, GM, Honda), Bengali sweets, electronics goods and what not. The price is sky high for all the items. We had tiny rosgolla, each of Rs 15/ which is not at all worth :(

@Chanda Nagar

Finally went to a small mandap at Chanda nagar. But the style is different one as we saw only one idol of Vaishno Devi.

An Auspicious Moment

Today, 16 June 2011, is a memorable day for us. We had the first transaction on this day to buy our house in Hyderabad. The family from which we are buying the house is a celebrity family. They are Nihal and Padma, his better half. Nihal is a playback singer of the Telugu film industry and Padma is an IT professional. Padma in the mid of our conversation introduced one girl to us, she is Sudha, their niece. Sudha is a software professional working with IBM in US, also she sings very well. Krishna, my ex colleague also graced the occasion.

Padma requested Sudha to sing a song, without any hesitation and ego she statrted singing. We were thrilled see Sudha singing a song for us, which will remain in our mind as the auspicious moment as I consider the song as an auspicious opening for us. Sudha has chosen a very melodious and soothing song that enamored us very deeply and cast an impression in our hearts. We were really surprised to see Sudha singing so instantly that shows her down-to-earth attitude, her cool personality and, I would rather say altruistic. Her uncle is an established singer in Tollywood, Sudha herself confessed that she also inherited the same genes from her uncle and her singing talent is the default gift. Even I do admit that, she was so impeccable and flawless, and she was so deep into singing, her expression was so visible, one can easily make out her seriousness and passion towards singing. Although she is working with IBM as a software professional, I wish her to explore this musical field as I can see her to be on the top 3-4 years down the line. We realized the dormant singing potential in her. Her voice modulation in classical side is also superb (Although I don't know anything about music).

She could have been reluctant to sing a song in front of us as she has reached a celebrity status, but didn't show any hesitance or reluctance. We wish Sudha all the very best to lead a very successful career in the field of music and singing.

Later we came to know that she was an anchor with TV9.

A Pleasant Personality

Last week, I took my wife to a hospital. The hospital does not take any prior appointmnent over phone, so you must go to the hospital to book a slot. I chose the evening 6 o' clock slot. I reached the hospital well before to avoid the last minute chaotic and erratic situations in the hospital. The receptionist told us that the doctor would consult us at 6.30. We had enough time in hand to hang out in the catchment areas so that we can come back on time to the hospital. Once we are back, we inquired about the doctor, the receptionist told again that it would take 10 minutes more. Again we sat for half an hour. After getting pissed off, we had to again ask the receptionist for the doctor's arrival, asked again to wait for 10-15 minutes. We had this time zero tolerance and started blasting, because we had some other tasks in the pipeline.
But, we didn't have other go but to consult the doctor, although at a later time same evening. Other patients had already left due to the doctor's late arrival. Finally the receptionist called us after a prolonged halt. The moment we entered the doctor's cabin, the doctor passed a very pleasant smile to us and greeted us with great enamor. All the way long she maintained her cool and soberness, we were stunned. The anger was vanished and the mental agony got subsided automatically. The doctor was so polite and pleasant in handling the patient, it gives a mental support to the patient for a quick heal. After coming out of the doctor's cabin, my wife got relaxed and told, half of her problems is already cured at the doctor's pleasant behavior.
I think, boosting and the mental support of a doctor to a patient is more effective than the prescribed medicines!

Charging Camera Battery in Paris

Finally we reached the Louvre museum after a long walk from the Eiffel Tower down the Seine. This is the place where the most popular and the precious paintings by Leonardo de Vinci are housed. It was a long queue in the ticket counters, although there were many more ticket counters. We entered the museum in the late afternoon. By this time, the charge of the camera battery was exhausted. Haah !! What to do. Lot of unmatched sculptures are there to take the photos!

In front of the Eiffel tower

I was searching for an electric plug point where I can get my camera bettery charged. In one of the gallaeries, I could see so many plug points at the floor level and a security guard siting close by. I approached the security personnel and told my problem. If I cannot click a photograph the trip will be a flop. Although he refused first, but understood later and allowed me to charge the battery. I was very happy and immediately started charging. It was 5 local time in the evening. The security personnel went for a tea break asking me to sit in his chair. It was going well. Roughly after 15-20 minutes, an alert was sirened and a group of 3-4 security officers in uniform (probably holding higher ranks) rushed to the gallery with sophisticated security equipments and started combing the room. They saw my battery charger lying under a table and the glowing red light indicator. They yelled who is he owner of the battery charger. I came forward and owned the responsibility of the battery charging act! They quizzed me in French first, later in poor English, checked my passport and the authenticated entry ticket. They asked me to remove the charger immediately from the plug point, charging is not allowed inside the museum. The visitors around the gallery stared at me. The red light indicator of the battery charger was caught with their CCTV camera installed in each and every corner of the museum. It was a horrible experience. I removed the battery charger, somehow the battery got charged for 20 minutes :) and ready for the photoshots in front of the famous and much hyped “Monalisa”. Monalisa could not cast any impression on me.

In front of Louvre museum

This is not the last drama on battery charging, it followed me to paster for the second time same day late evening on the first floor of the Eiffel tower. That is another more hammering and horrible experience for me!

The camera battery again got exhausted at the time of taking the photographs with the Eiffel tower. But I had yet to climb the tower to take the photographs from the top. We got the ticket after waiting in the queue for more than one and half hours at 8.30 evening. The laser show already started. At the first floor, I saw many shops and restaurants. A very young girl was the shopkeeper in one of the artifacts selling shops. I approachd her for charging my camera battery. She immediately allowed me to charge. I was pretty happy. I moved out of the shop telling her that I would collect the battery after half an hour and we were roaming and enjoying around in the first floor.

With Monalisa in Luvre

We came back to the shop to collect the charged battery. But it gave me severe shock. A middle aged lady was sitting in the cash counter instead of the young girl, who, I gave the battey, is accountable. I asked the lady for the battery, she does not understand English properly, another problem before me. She denied that I did not give any battery to her for charging. Even I didn't see any battery being chareged there. I started pressing her, met another Indian in the same shop, asked for his support. But the Indian didn't pay much attention, he smiled and went away. For a couple of minutes, the fight went on and on, and the lady was trying to defend herself in wretched English leaving the customers behind.

At the same time, a young girl came to the shop and saw the fight. The lady told the young girl about the story in French. This young girl happened to be the same girl to whom I gave the charger. This is a different shop, the young girl said, from the one where I kept the battery for charging, but with the same look and feel, same sellable craft items. I apologized the old lady for what happened. The young girl took me to her shop and showed me the charging battery. It still was in the same place and connected to the same plug. I thanked her and collected the battery. I was bit relaxed and had a new experience. Started clicking the photographs from the Eiffel tower with greater entho & ardor than before and enjoyed the late evening on the Eiffel.

Kalita in Poland !!

I was writing a mail from office Outlook express to one of my colleagues in Germany. So, trying to check his name in Outlook. To my surprise, I could see a name by "Kalita" which is a prevalent and popular surname in Assam. So I was emotionally glad (an Assamese characteristic) to an extent that I have got another Assamese freind/colleague in the same organization. I started trying to trace out his hideout and the contact deatils. He is sitting in our Poland office. I was also equally happy that an Assamese is working from Poland!!!

Being an Assamese, I could not hold myself back from asking about him. So I drafted a mail immediately introducing myself in a broader way mentioning my district and place in Assam I belong to and sent. Even after I got pestered, I thought so many times not to write (which looks unprofessional working in the same organiztion) but finally I dared to write a mail.

Here I would like to say something about the natural bond that the Assamese tend to develop among themselves. Without any prior knowhow, the Assamese can embrace a person instantly which showcases the impeccable adoration and affection towards humanity. I don't know the current scenario in Assam, everything does change with time and situation.

I did not receive any reply so far from "Kalita". I was in dilemma and it struck the deepest part of my brain if I had done correct by sending the mail to Kalita. But yes, nothing wrong I have done from my side. So I started googling..........

Came to know later that some of the Polish people also write Kalita as surname. So the "Kalita" in Poland is not an Assamese........

I don't think Kalita would in offing or ever respond to my mail!!