Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Catching a flight!!

This is something I wrote sometime ago for an editorial in a newsletter.. If you are planning to catch the flight, or have already taken one, you might find this interesting.

Most engineering students who enter the software industry nurture a common dream - to go onsite. From day one, sincere efforts are made to be the best, stand out in the crowd, so that the manager picks him/her as the next candidate for visa processing. Getting your name in the visa applicants list is half the goal achieved. What is it about 'going onsite’? Is it the 23-hour Boeing airplane ride which one literally sits through or is it merely the feeling that you are in the United States of America, the most powerful nation on the globe?
Going onsite can be compared to a child's first day at school. Till that day, the child grew up in a cozy, protected atmosphere of his house. Suddenly one day he faces a new environment, a whole new group of people he's never seen before, a different culture and the rest of the story is how he adapts to this change.There are pros and cons to this location-specific work environment. Onsite means exposure to the client personnel, ready accesses to project documents and of course the symbol before the numbers on your paycheck. Onsite personnel get the opportunity to be involved in the initial phases of the project, which one lacks when at offshore. The ability to represent one's firm at the client place is a distinction by itself. And there is tremendous opportunity to grow and sharpen your communication skills. A 'popular' myth about working onsite is that you get to wear jeans and sneakers to work. No Sir! USsociates embody organizational values even in their attire. Its business casuals all the way.
All said and done, the basis of survival – food, is a problem for many. Either you align yourself to the American fast food groove or mark the nearest Indian grocery store on your local map as a default location.
On the other hand, to live and work in an environment we grew up in gives us a sense of belonging and comfort. The vast sea of technical expertise and guidance at the offshore location is impeccable. Oops! I missed to mention the array of non-technical activities and personal development opportunities that knocks at one's door, rarely found at onsite. Being in India, equates to being at home, marking your attendance at most of the celebrations in your family - birthdays, weddings anniversaries et al.
So which is better - onsite or offshore? Let us not bother about this argument, because the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence and we will never stop dreaming!
In conclusion, don't get carried away by your onsite-returned colleague and his paraphernalia, and don't let your mother's food hold you back; success is defined by dedication, passion and teamwork.. Not location!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Yesterday or Tomorrow

Many a time my crazy self 
Has wondered if I could turn back time
Ask the waves to go back home,
So that I could tread once again
Onto my footprints in the sand.
I will start from where I started
I will follow a few steps, I think
Then trace a different path
For the waves to take home
Yesterday is what I know
Yesterday is what was there
Tomorrow is an unknown
I dont know if it will be there.
This time, I will make some better choices
Coz Yesterday taught me the wrong ones
I will laugh a little more
Yesterday showed me when I cried.
I would go back to yesterday
Run to it as fast as I could
Change many things one by one
To make them memories for tomorrow.
This time I wouldnt ask the waves to go back
I wouldnt look for my footprints
Would hold on to yesterday and feel happy tomorrow
That I was lucky enough to get a second chance!!

തുടക്കം...

തുടക്കം... എല്ലാത്തിന്ടെയും ആരംഭം... ഒരു പുതിയ അനുഭവം... കുട്ടിയുടെ ആദ്യത്തെ കരച്ച്ല്‍... 'അമ്മ' എന്ന് ആദ്യത്തെ വിളി... അമ്മയെ പിരിഞ ആദ്യത്തെ ദിവസം... കൗമാരത്തിന്റെ ആദ്യ ചുവടുകള്‍... ഈ തുടക്കങ്ങലെല്ലാം എന്റെ ജീവിത ജാലകമാവുന്നു...

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