making the non-work to work transition

Despite, how I have strong reactions to some situations in life (consciously not using the word HATE as it is quite a strong emotion in my world) I am quite enjoying this new phase of starting new work.


I quite startled myself, when on day 1 I did not have (forgot to carry) a few documents, I did not panic, not even a bit. I was cool as a cucumber (I am craving for kiwis right now, are they considered cool?), raised my hand told the HR I would submit them the day after or a week later may be and instantly became her favorite in the batch. On the contrary in the past, I have made mine and my parents' life miserable in such scenarios, making them run around, breaking hell loose and all such exaggerations.


All said and done, I am not even minding eating lunch alone or the idea of it. In fact to my amazement, the people watching time I get during lunches has started to feel very personal. Initially, when I showed no aversion to eating food alone, I was concerned, thinking may be I have gone numb or something. But then the prospects of getting some company in future, triggered a pretty strong (HATE) reaction, and things were back to their fairy tale existence in lala land. Oh and btw a friend recently told me, that distressed reactions is a good sign, it shows you are sensitive.
Oooh, I am not sure if I agree or not, but the amount by which I can be distressed by people, ideas, places, situations, one can happily conclude that I am sensitive. More than enough.


So, I will leave these little worries, as something I have grown over or evolved over more like. And that too in a sensitive manner ;)


Also, the cubicle when I entered was not empty, but had a rather talkative (this is a let's not use strong/harsh words post) inmate. With all the benefits of knowing someone who has been there before you (it helps in mundane matters in a new office) I now know all sundry details of her life. Of course, she doesn't know mine because it does not matter, cos she's so genuinely talkative and inspired and pro active. Energy levels are always sky high in this new zone. I am amused by such people. Oh, because they are plain un-aware of themselves :)
Oh and don't even worry if you think she might read this. She has not done a lot of routine things since she had a baby and her in laws started living with her (she told me in such a happy haze matter of factly, I am not making this up).
And it is helpful, since I am not sure how to approach this new phase in life, with unbound excitement or cautious corporate moves. I have settled for this go with the flow feeling.
Also when told about this new friend to pregnant friend, she quibbed, don't talk a lot to 'the married female' (which is not an option as I told you), she might just change your opinions about marriage. :D
Pregnant friend is constantly trying to increase the head count on her side of the world by trying to sell the idea of marriage. I think it is in a way cute. :) (she is pretty not at all over bearing but genuine in her efforts)


In other news, it is good be inside office for 8 hours. I have realized my creativity and thinking is at an all time high in the past 3-4 months (barring the best friend's wedding period). I am enjoying the new routine.
And also a friend recently said that 'You (I) have an open mind'. Its a very feel good compliment, when you are struggling with few other things in life. Oh btw, I confirmed and it is definitely a compliment. (also, I dont know if it can ever be a negative remark :D)


So, anywho, life as you can see is interesting. Work may or moy not start as early as it was promised (I don't approve of non-work days inside office. I might as well stay at home and read myself a good book), but a rather dramatic soap opera has already initiated itself. For days to come, which this blog will witness ;)

~nightflier

P.S. work-wise, responsibility wise I feel pretty confident. And I think the only credible reason is I kept reading, learning new things, up-to-dating myself with stuff which I need to know in the technology sector. #Win :)

vegetables, groceries and the familiarity

Since I got domesticated (read started living on my own, cooking on my own) buying vegetables/groceries has been an integral part of life.


As a kid aai won't normally take us. With those bags to carry and my love to sit/stand in the front of the scooter who would take me! (on a totally random note, baba had an LML vespa and it had more flat room to stand comfortably. That was one big reason why I did not like bajaj scooters! :D) I make it sound bad though ;) For most of the part I never liked going to vegetable markets because


1. There would be lots of puddles owing to water generously thrown over and around vegetables to keep (make them look) fresh and I had a knack for stepping into them. Clumsy much ?
2. Aai had fixed vendors selling her type of vegetables (I will come back to this) and I never liked made to walk a lot inside the market.
3. There would be lots of known faces in the crowd. *not much of a like*


Plus instead staying at home and getting to watch an episode of Shrimaan Shrimati/all the best (depending on if it was tuesday or friday) was too tempting and the numerous fights that would ensue between me and bro and then later partners in crime agreement if asked by aai-baba what we did for that 1 hour. Filmy but quite heart warming :)


Anywho, so I am back to the routine for past few months. And I realize (coming back to 2) since I am prone to associations, I have marked my vegetable vendors. Every time I visit the same thela (wooden cart) and buy my routine stuff. The thing is its same for grocery stores as well. I *avoid* (unless I am cash ridden) super markets. Not because the uncle at the kirana (why is it called kirana?) shop will give me any discount. In Chicago I used to make sure to go to the same check out lady at Jewel osco (ok sometimes this hot dude on whom I and roomie had a massive collective crush). And if Chicago's charming weather allowed we would go to china town where they had fresh farmer's market every week just for the hand picking vegetables and haggling part. 
May be its because faces seem familiar. Its like people know me. Its a in general feel good factor of my any random day. This boring monotony and the familiarity. (its a very nice song so please click :P) Fun of this fact is I am equally 'I am so bored of the routine, I want to run away to dream land *Calvin* types ' on some days. That's how balance happens and I survive. May be.


~nightflier


P.S. No system has been allocated to me at work. So this day at new work has been spent in reading tech crunch, running off to pregnant friend's dohale jevan function (baby shower) during lunch break, making sure to take snaps of friend with all the decorations adorning her (traditions and customs even though cute, at times can be quite embarrassing and awkward) and day dreaming about what subji to make in the evening. Hence the ramble.

2nd Innings!!

As I sit here at my workplace waiting for another file for transcription, tired of irrelevantly stupid facebook quizzes (I still take them, height of un-creativity!!), I am thinking about the innumerable people I have met through these interviews who fought horrible atrocities and survived, my job here at the library and how it all started.

Well the project ends on 30th (and Thursday for me :() giving me another reason to look back and reflect on what I have gained.

My initial reaction to the interview call for the job was euphoria. I had not cared what the job was going to be. I was more than happy to work for the library for Voices of the Holocaust project. It was after my supervisor told me that the work could be disturbing and stressful, that I realized, he may have a point. Another thing I have noticed about work is, sometimes if you don't have any idea about what you are doing, you end up doing a really good job. You look at it objectively, without getting involved. But can any work be complete without 100% involvement ? if's and buts ...

Anyways the point is this work has been interesting, at times depressing and unnerving, but most of the times educative. Our generation learnt about evolution of man, civilizations, struggle for freedom and world wars as part of history. The next generation will have to learn about some more cruel stuff. To come to think of it, we are making history for them!
So much for modern history!

P.S. I still think most of this stuff is research level and very few hands will ever touch these interviews. (I am just being realistic.)

But this work has given me an opportunity to learn various languages like Yiddish (I know!!), German, French, Spanish, Russian (!!!) and lastly English. I had the opportunity to work under an awesome supervisor who was damn cool, helping and fun! I have learnt to laugh over the helplessness one feels at times after reading such stuff. Plus this work also gave me an opportunity to read up history books (one of my favorite school subjects) and has also increased my hands on geographical knowledge of Europe (a subject I sucked at, in school) and lastly psychology (which I could never officially learn).

You wont believe it but I am equally sad even while leaving my second job, which is strange. There are some feelings which you can never grow immune to. :|

(I am glad for that in a way :))

If you guys find time then do visit this.

The project is still under upgrade and hence the look of the site will keep on changing.

To many more such innings to come,

~nightflier!