Challenging Cake Cut and 3Cs

For almost all my birthdays, Iam blessed with loved ones around me. They make it unforgettable.

Be it the Dovetonians, Hackers, Netizens, TCSers or friends@CDM - all have always made each of this special day of mine an unforgettable one every year. Adding to this, now it is VIRIMAns. 

This time it was little different. These guys made a naughty-nasty plan to keep me off the desk. I don't know where they bought the candles from...!!!

3Cs is not just Challenging Cake Cut. It is actually - this time I got 3 surprised birthday cakes.

First one with Dovetonians, second one at my cousin's house and the third one at office.

My other unforgettable ones where...

... during my 2nd, 3rd and final year at Annamalai University. Generally by 12AM, they start the cermany with 4-5 bathings seasoned with eggs, tomatos and waste foods. Then, cake cuts and at times some notorious gifts. Once it was a small toy car that they made me ride within the house @ MSR Bhavan. During the day its the girls-team - the Twinkling Stars - a torture @ terrace, in the evening at Mother's Hall and finally at Sriram's house in the town.

...while at VIT. I get BDay bumps at my roomate's back! Poor guy!

...@TCS Trivandram while in training. T-123 made all arrangements with in the center.

...@TCS Pune while with Morgan account. As I was going for guitar classes then, I m so fortunate that my roommates would threaten me to play Happy Birthday tune for myself. My last birthday while in Pune was unforgettable - 3 surprise cakes. 12AM with roommates, in the evening at Vijay sir's house (a real surprise) and the next working day with my team mates (though the team was declared dissolved since that April 1st, but still the team gathered for me). My team mates were so confident on me (but actually misunderstood me) and gifted me a book related to guitar!

...@ Mother's Hall. Really blessed to have cut birthday cakes a couple of times at the Mother's Hall in Chidambaram center - a Divine Grace!

Effective Criminal Management

Just blogging one of my most unforgettable moments when I was in TCS – Bangalore (working for Ameriprise Financials with OB8). Ameriprise is a Financial Institution (AMPF) that spine Off from American Express (AMEX) since 2005. TCS has relationship with AMPF and AMEX. TCS associates at offshore, working for these customers together celebrate a grand function called ‘Sangam’ every year. I think it was the last quarter of 2009, when Sangam for that year was celebrated. I was then half a year old in OB8.

Amongst the events the ones in which our team is known for is – Badminton (Sunder), Throw-ball (Sadhana and Harshali), Cricket (Vinay, Rajesh and Sowndar), RFP (Kunal and Ashok). The one event for which the entire OB8 became famous was for cubical decoration. And this cubical decoration is all what I am having blogged.

We were a team of around 35-40, a mixer of all age groups – some married old people (if I mention the name Asha will kill me), some young folks (if I don’t mention the names Sundar and Sownder will weight-lift me) and some handsome guys (hope I get a treat from Ashok and Saroj). But what use… it was hard to get a theme for our stall. All the other bundles started off and were in good shape… and we had only about 3 or 4 days for judges to come. We all would look at each other and then at the watch, when called to the board room to discuss about this. At one point we thought of withdrawing.

Pan waala Kunal was our newly charged in PL then. Kunal and few others discussed for a while and came up with a mind blowing theme. They correlated life cycle of documents in AMPF with life cycle of a prisoner. Not only that. These guys redefined the term ECM as “Effective Criminal Management” which was originally “Enterprise Content Management”. (ECM is the technology domain for Document Management).

The analogy is as follows,

• 1.    A document being scanned – a person caught by policemen.
• 2.    Indexing the document – person being photographed while holding number board
• 3.    Document stored repository based on its business kind – person kept under section pertaining to the crime
• 4.    Meta data of the document maintained and document awaiting next action – person details maintained at the FBI office.
• 5.    FileNet, IU and other repositories where the document will be finally stored – person in prison
• 6.    Stored documents can be viewed by an application called OFM (Online File Manager) where the view depends on the type of user – person can be view if Only Friend or Family Member
• 7.    Document archived – Life imprisonment
• 8.    Destroy document – prisoner sentenced to death

Sinto Pinto (Mr Sinto Anthony, the master mind of the scene) joined the criminal minds. We bought lots of thermocal started constructing fence for our jail (three cubes of our team mates). After we had put that across – it looked like those wooden compounds that we see at hill station. From outside – it looked as if those three cubes where covered with snow. From no angle it gave a feel of JAIL.

Sinto drew numerous cartoons, like policeman, 3-4 models of same kind but with different posts and grilled jail gates. Harshali, Rajesh, I think even Ashok and Saroj also started cutting thermocal models. As each model was getting ready – Shruthi, Elja and Asha started painting models one by one (went back to school days). Those few days, the cube which Saroj and I shared was the workshop – no one could see the floor-carpet. It was themocal cuttings, paint brushes, Fevicol, a mini messed up stationary shop. People use to come to our desk as and when they get bored, and start painting any incomplete models.

Asha surprised everyone with many small thermocal trees which she made at home in one night. I believe her daughter and husband were kind enough to help OB8. Saroj and Kunal placed their reservations immediately. Hope they took it home after the event. As most of it was getting on track – Hima, Sudeshna, Sadhana, Asha, Prasad and Rajesh were kind enough to come on weekends to put that all on intended places. Ofcourse, criminal and the master minds were also there.

We were all set for the judges to come. Kunal and Ashok walked them through the jail explaining the analogy. But we clearly made out from the judge’s face that they were not happy with the theme as it was pessimistic. But the judges proved us wrong. In couple of days, after all the events are over (if I remember it right, it was 18^th Dec 2009) the grant finale was held at Good Shepherd Auditorium (the one near MG Road, Bangalore). Our team occupied two rows (one behind the other) somewhere in the middle. As the comparer went on announcing the winners and runners, we suddenly heard something and didn’t believe it until we heard the second time. We looked at each others face. What we heard was, “The Best Creative Stall goes to OB8 from Amperiprise – The Effective Criminal Management”. Our entire team filled up the stage to receive the award. As a team we achieved something great.

Some highlights on the model…

Policeman model was the first one to be created, I think at least six or seven of team mates would have painted that one model, in parts, when they find time. The funny thing is, we named that model after Gaurav’s name. I still remember people said, “hey, I am going paint Gaurav’s shoes…”, and someone else replied “I just painted his cap and badge, wait until it gets dry…”. I remember we also named prisoner-models after Rajasekar, Praveen Adiga and Alveen. Actually it resembled them and hence named so (not created intentionally).

 

The one model that lived, enjoyed and suffered for at least one year was – the model named after Alveen (my poor onsite counterpart). Saroj was our TL (for me and Alveen). Looking at how that model was at my desk, he would understand how well my day started off with Alveen. If the model is on the desk with a shining thread around the neck as a medal then everything is good. If the model is kept hung with that same shining thread then something should have gone wrong (either he should have blasted me or I would have got nicely from him).

The Jail Window for OFM/IU and indexing analogy models were the other two highlights. A model also carrying a white numbered-board has the number format same as the ones that are followed for documents. The caption Only Family Members caught every ones eye as it every much correlating.

These kinds of activities are only part of IT. Our BAU (AMPF’s BAU and deliverables) should not be affected. In spite of most of us were completely into this activity for that one week there wasn’t any escalation from clients. It was all because of those who had less or no time spend on decorations. They balanced our works. A team that had (has and will have) all mixture.

Hats Off to OB8 members

An article on Bala motta maadi ground !!!

An article on Bala motta maadi ground . Enjoy reading...chennai  (Not to hurt anyone)

Long standing Tall batsman

Ivnathanga kokku .... out panrathukulla vidinjidum.. sorry.. irutaidum.. nanga evening thane vilayaduvom...

batting mattum illa fielding, bowling, jumping, rollingnnu ellam pannuvam.. enna ellam ozhunga pannuvam .. oppposite teamku romba kastanga..

intha thadava 3 over than.. appuram retired hurtnnu sollidanum.. (Bradmannnu nennappu)

Old chucker

Athan chucker soltenla.. vera yaaru avnethan.. Pappa.. who doesnt know to bowl except oorutals...hits the leg stumps.. sorrynga legs and not the stumps.. (Shoaib Aktharnnu nenappu)

Batting sumar than.. thidirnu.. eppavthu suthi matna undu.. appuram eppavume oru super player matriye suthitrupan.. Captain vera..

yaarum captain iruka virupa milla enruthu theriyama.. than captain apdinnu nenachitruppan..

Hello Captaina namba VijayKanth Mathiri irupparu ninakatheenga... avar kai size than namba paiyan...

Faltoo opener

Ithu Santha.. open panrathoda seri runla opene agathu.... fieldingna... ball pakathuliye nikrathu.. catchla illa.. bodyle thadukrathu.. grt fieldera (Rhodes nennapu)

anna innumum opening mattum than pannuvennu solvan.. ketta.. kadaisile ada varatham...

ennamo opening panni apdiye 50 pottu vara mathiri....yaravthu sollungapa avan kitta...

Solid opener

Ithu Senthil ...Enga team opener... ennaku therinju senthil nanaum vera teamle irunthe illa.. But Santha mathiri illa.. 20 runs solid opener.. excellent bat pad fielder

ball pakathula vizhuthnnu batsmanukku theiryathu.. thavi vizhunthu pudichruvan.. yenna one pitch out irruku...

Solid opener.. than.. ana solida irukka mattan.. patha.. stump.. ..iyoo.. oru stump size thanga..

Commoner

Ivan Rajesh P... avlava solrathukku onnu illa.. pinna enna panrathu.. regulara practiskkum.. varathilla.. matchkkum varathilla...

Eppavthu varuvan.. epdiyum aayiram thadav solliyum balla kizha adihuravn.. ennaku therinu ivan ipdi than niraya out ayirkan..

Bowling la suthama varaathu.. fielding ok...sethuklam teamla ..averagea aduvan...

Last standing batsman

ithu namba Panay.. kokku long standinggna .. ivan last standing.. epdinna..

epavum lastathan aduvan.. illla illa.. appa than eraki viduvom..ellarum out aydivanga.. ivan mattum last batsmana irupuan...

avanukku romba kastam.. oru sachin tendulakar lastla aupranglennu... enna panrathu purinjikka matengra...ne ten runs koods adikka matedannu..

fileding super.. but ippa back out aytan.. back pain enna mathiri...bowling eppavthu..

Fighter

Ivan .. yuva... ivana mathiri oru all team la eppavum irrukanum..Fight panrathukku illanga.. decision avanga pakkam thirupatharku..

argumentnnu vantha udirathe illa...Epdiyavthu pesi... decison avanga pakkam vaangiuvanga.. nan avan teamla iruntha jolli.. illana.. onnum paan mudiyathu..

adutha balla aada poiduvom... bowling super.. batting average.. fielding.. kastam..ball porathe vedika pappan....

Owner

Finally enga ground owner .. Big Daddy .. Bala...thaan vilayadnumna.. oru oorye sethukrathu..

Ennaku therinji motta madilai guard.. padnnu. pakkava kit oda irangauvan...

ana paravala .. inga maatum than run adipan...Real groundle.. onnum panna maaten..

Ninth padikum pothe ..full kit vechirrupan.. school teamla vilayadrennu sollte iruntha.. iruntha.. irukka.. (dei avan substitue avthu vilaydanana illaya -- ?????? )

But home ground nala ... advantage.. bowling super... batting ok.. fielding.. mantham..

ball vanthu kaiyla uzahanum.. catch pudipan...

ivan thanga real captain.. amanga vijayakantha mathiri than irupan..enna color mattum white aydichu...(David Boon nnu soliklam.. )

Finally. ... unga BBC Radio jockey... PV

Nan epdni na....... kalathula vanthu paarungla... :)

cut.....

Taking a diversion...

Like how one cannot forget his first love, first kiss – I too will never forget my first company “TATA Consultancy Services Limited”. I have always been proud to work under the TATAs and will be for having served them for three and a half years. What I am now and what I will be – TCS is always a part of it.

Though it is tuff for me to think of moving out of such a great organization I had to console my self that I have responsibilities to fulfill and that requires a change. In fact, when I was drafting my resignation letter – tears blocked my vision. Some thing beyond getting emotion.

I just see this phase in my life as, I am traveling in a bus so far and its time for me to switch to another bus to reach a different destination where I am intended for…. There have been many co-passengers (my crazy team mates) I had nice time working, learning, sharing, caring, playing, outing, fighting, and what not… I adore them for ever and I doubt if get similar team again. Should not forget those excellent drivers who have been very important during many curtail turns when I traveled. In fact, should have to call them as the ones who carved me as a good team player.

Just trying to look back the road that I traveled……….

When I heard the news that I was also short-listed in the final round - I thought it was a night-mare. It was on November 17, 2006, a winter afternoon, napping on my sofa. One of my friend whom I met during the selection process had called me and said that he got selected in the final round and he say my name and few of others whom we got to know during the selection process – I just said ‘okay’ and dropped the call. Its 10 – 15 minutes after I woke-up (it was around 4 in the evening) this incident flashed. Until then I was just wondering around at home. It didn’t strike me to look at the received calls – I had to log in to the system to look at the mail - - - found a pdf file with at least 950 names listed. Still couldn’t believe that my name was there then.

So the seed sowed on November 17, 2006 is expected to be harvested on November 18, 2010. 18^th is expected to be my last day with my first company.

Though the final results were announced on 11/17/06, I had to wait till March 19, 2007 to join office. But before that, we formed a gang and started roaming out in Chennai.

March 19, 2007. Started my first day at TCS, Trivandrum, with few known faces and many unknown faces. We were referred as “T-123”, which became the famous batch during those two months. Yes, we won the best team award for that period. I was gifted with a very lovely, supporting, co-operative team. People from all over India were in our team. We (guys) stayed in a hotel which is 20 kms from the training center. We start our journey every morning very professionally and when we return back from training center – the tempo driver would be cursing us for the nasty dances. That was really a fun.

I think it was two weeks before the completion of our training program – few from each batch were asked to report to TCS Pune though already informed to report at TCS Chennai. I am one amongst them. Many of my friends were desperate in trying a replacement for me to go to Pune. But it was because of my stubbornness I landed up in Pune May 22, 2007.

New State, new language, new food, in fact every thing were new for me then. It took me a couple of days to get into a team. It is called STP (Straight Though Processing) a project team that serves for a leading capital market institution Morgan Stanley. Though being a fresher I had a privilege to report to clients directly. It always gave me a feel “a home, miles away from home”. It took me to heights of every thing. It’s a pride. Instead of stating it as a project team I should rather call it a mini family at work. Every one in the team though different in the work that they do, different in language, different in different things all our one when it comes to attitude. Be it an ODC event, a team outing or some get together – all are there.

When ever I was in trouble there a lot of helping hand. In fact, my manager once walked down to authorities’ cabin and solved a problem which didn’t happen when I went. They had given me stages were my works were show-cased will the top level at the client’s senior management. They didn’t stop with such techi motivations… One of my bosses made me join dance class and after that a music class – great folks. I will never my 2009 birthday. It was a surprise. Two of my managers called my all my other team mates and we celebrated my birthday.

My client managers have a big part in building me professionally. I worked for the Tokyo and Hong Kong region. They treated me as one of them. They gave me all necessary privileges and molded me the way how they work. That’s some thing which is still help full for me.

Happy Tuesdays, Thankyou Thrusdays, Anand Valley trip, Mathera trip, Bhopal-Jabalpur trip, Harishchandragath trekking, b’day celebrations, ODC events, team lunches, floor games, dance programs, funny fightings are all still green in my memories.

2008 – 2009 recession became a speed breaker. The project team had to dissolve. This shook dropped me in Bangalore.

May 20, 2009 I reported at TCS Bangalore. A few familiar faces, similar language, a sort of comfort and independent feel. A new project team that serves a financial institute Ameriprise Financials. A place where I had some thing to contribute to the extend I can. I was lucky to have a superb tech lead, a co-operative onsite counterpart and mangers who identified what I am capable of. In fact, there was fun team with in the project team – they are in fact the back bone or rather the strength of the team.

Client visit, Taj Vivanta party, Bimmeswari trip, stall decorations (PAN stalls and Effective Criminal Management), Server crashes, onsite calls – are some of them which I can never forget.

My managers gave me all that I deserve – I didn’t have to ask for any thing. The team around were more than a team member. The projects that I worked had enough challenges that I managed to implement. Now that all are good – I am in a comfort zone.

Just found a small cab which seems to have something that I was looking for for a long time. So just thought of continuing rest of my travel in that toward some where were I am intended for…!!!!!

Hunting for Ragging but Hunt

That was a Sunday night 10:30 pm at Tambaram railway station – late 2001. We were at least fifteen, waiting to board the train to Chidambaram. It was actually for Sriram (olli) sister's wedding reception – all our friends were in Chennai for that weekend. A techi gang from E&I, our notorious Comp Sci and Mech Arun. The train arrived at the platform and if I remember right, it was Muthiah and Arun started scanning the name charts. They were not looking for any girl's name in our compartment rather they were looking for some one who is of a year less than us – ' Hunting for Ragging'. That was our first few days after we stepped into the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the great Annamalai University.

There were traces of freshers in our compartment. We were all getting ready to rag them. But as time went we heard the TT blowing his steel whistle. Only then we realized that two more have to join us and all our tickets were with them (that's none other than Krishna and Ganesh). It was like a movie climax – the train that we have to board started to move slowly and the electric train (in which these guys came) had just arrived. Though both the trains are next to next they have to run over the railway-steel bridge to come to the other platform. By then, our train speeded up and we guys peeped into the train one after the other assuming that either Krishna or Ganesh will get into the train with the ticket. Unfortunately both of them got in – they were faster than ever before. It was like the last ball of the match and one run required to win against Australia or Pakistan.

As they were settling down, the talks of ragging took its own momentum. Arun and some one else walked across compartments to see where these freshers are hiding (like how we did when we were in first year). They came back saying that they found the prey but the bigger lions are tasting them. Since our guys were already prepared for ragging and didn't want to miss the chance – Arun went back and requested our seniors to send them to our compartment after they are done with ragging.

Just in a minute few guys came to our compartment. They looked very scared with fear in eyes – 'fear of ragging'. It was at least for 1 hour our guys ragged those three like anything. Ganesh, Santhosh, Sriram and Arun were at peaks. Specially "the grandy's vada and the crow" story. We had asked them to tell the story and if we get any doubt then they have to clarify it and again start from the beginning. The highlight was Ganesh's question (this was asked after the story was told at least 10 – 15 times). 'Is the crow black or white?'. Then, as usual – the 'Annamalai Salute'... We were having so much fun.

'Hunting for Ragging but Hunt'. Slowly the tone of the freshers started varying. They were little funny and started pulling our legs. They said that they have their brothers in final years and as they spoke our juniors also came to our compartment. They also joined with freshers and they started to rag us. Now is the big shock. Those guys whom we were thing as freshers were actually our seniors' fellow batch mates. Also they said that they are 'Anti Ragging Committee' members for Engineering department and one of them were our then VC's relative. It was like a graveyard silence. We wished it should be a nightmare. All our faces were blank, shocked and worried. They started scarring much in telling about the consequences that we would have to face. One of them who pretended as fresher was looking for the guy in us who asked him - 'Is the crow black or white?'. After a lot of warnings they left us saying that we would meet soon in the inquiry hall.

We all were completely lost. Luckily there wasn't any blame games within us. The next day we all were scarred to go to class room. Any clerk or senior enters our class room we would only think that they have come for us – invitation to inquiry. When ever we see any one of those guys in our collider we would vanish from there. Unfortunately our seniors were also on the same floor. Every day it is like an hide and seek game. But as days went we came to know that there is no such 'Anti Ragging Committee' in our university itself.

Ragging is one of the stage in any ones college life. It is generally the way how seniors introduce them self to juniors. In our case – juniors (we) ragged seniors and had to hide from them. Though it was scary and thrilling then – it is all fun when we recollect those moments.

Crispy Creepy Weekend – 09/12

Because of back to back religious festivals Bangalore IT professionals were gifted with a long weekend. Most of the people rushed home towns that Thursday evening. All buses towards Tamil Nadu and to various other districts with in Karnataka were overwhelming with non-பெங்களூர்'ians. Bangalore city was fully packed with traffic towards bus/railway stations. It would take at half-an hour to cross one kilometer. And that’s one reason why I didn’t plan to go home.

My room mates were no exception – I presume they would have left office pretty early than usual. Taking that as an advantage I planned for many things. Hey hold-on. I know, dirty minds have dirty thoughts. Let me clearly say what my plans were… It is like washing my room, watching some good movies in volume, some useful surfing, completes the long pending wblogs on Hackers, etc., I don’t know if it is my rasi or in capability to execute things that I have planned. This time too; adding to the records.

Friday afternoon, after completely cleaning my room, I laid down for a nap. I knew Vodafone sisters would call up at unusual times for advertising new offers. So I kept my mobile on silent mode and went to sleep. It is not more than a quarter of an hour – a loud ring tone woke me up. That was my landline. I didn’t attend the call but I knew who that was. Check my mobile – quite a few missed calls. That was from none other than our Madurai Maddy Mr Rams. Before I come out of this shock there was another shock when I called him on his mobile. I was at his house in the next couple of minutes. I saw two young (but actually old) gentle men appearing matured in family life seated with their better-halves at their sides. Mrs & Mr Ramasubramanian and Mrs & Mr Rajasekar - Raj’s daughter playing around. That was an unannounced get-together.

We started to chat with some home made snacks passed across. In fact the Mrs Rams came back from home town that morning. Hope you guys remember the invitation I Rams had sent out to all. I am still confused who was our first target that day. When ever I target Rams for boozing when his wife was not around I only see his wife reacting. Be it for boozing, Kaushalya, or for the AXE effect or for the FAT that he has in body – I only see his wife jumping in for his rescue, and this guys – as usual with his giggling and belly dance. Then after, we targeted Raj. You guys very well know what we have to tease him. I was not an exception, though. Later, we all planned to move to Raj’s house to spend that night there. But we pushed it to the next day as no one was planned of that.

Saturday evening, we all again gathered at Raj’s house. Some good Tamil movies were been telecasted for Ganesh chadurthi. As we were nearing dinner time both mistresses disappeared into the kitchen. I was in fact waiting for the dinner to get over so that I can start targeting mistresses. That was only to defend our friends and not their husbands. There were lots of complaints on Rams and Raj. These poor guys had lot almost all freedoms they had. Freedom of sighting, freedom of boozing, freedom of smoking, freedom of driving and many other freedoms. Since all you other guys are at different locations I had to solely rescue them. I don’t know what all struggles you guys are facing at your end.

As we were talking about all these freedom I got a call on my mobile. I don’t know if that was a coincident – it was Raama, he was boozing when he called me.

Next morning we spent most of the time in planning where to go for the rest of the day but by then I got a call from office and had to leave. Raj and Rams spent the rest of the day together at a bowling center.

Guys, Raj’s daughter has grown up now and pretty cleaver in remembering things.

Wish we all should meet once soon...

Raama - "the புருட"

This guy didn’t find a better place to introduce him with me. I was coming out of the rest-room near my room in the first year hostel. I was almost looking like a Santa with white snow covering my face – preparing for a shave. This guy, with his brush in his mouth, paste-cream slipping out, approached me. A typical Chetty-slang, started enquiring about me and my family background. Slowly we discovered that both of us are from the same native. I generally try to avoid people of my cast but Krishna and Raama are exceptional. We didn’t much mingle much until we met in a function in Chennai. It was the first time I met his parents though. Me, Raama and his dad were at the last seats of the gathering waiting to catch the first rows for dinner. But things were getting delayed because of some long discussions. On top of this, one aunty amongst the crowd started to sing some devotional song. I crazily started letting comments free flow. When every discussion came to end, people started moving towards the dining hall. Raama politely pulled me towards the singer. “Machi, this is my mom… and Ma, this is Panay, my classmate”. I was lost. Couldn’t even apologize. If I remember right, until second year completion, Raama was staying with few of our other classmates on the next street. Our relationship grew only after he shifted to MSR Bhavan.

Oops… before I forget let me mark his original name. Until first year, he was called M.Ramanathan. Don’t know if it is bcoz of another Ramanathan’s name causing confusion or for some good fortune – he changed his name to what he is called now ‘Raamakarthikeyan M’. That in fact made it easy for us to call him ‘Raama’. I personally like the way Santhosh calls at him – ‘Dei, va-lan-tha’va-nea’. Also the way/slang Raama himself pronouncing his name ‘Raam Karthik’. Actually he should be called ‘Raavanan’. We guys have also honored him with a title. This is for his nature of studying during exam. Raama hardly listens at any lecture delivered in class; rather I have to say he frankly attends classes. Kannaps is his perfect companion to bunk classes. Even during study hols or even a day before exam Raama hardly sits to read anything.
He has good relationship with varity of people within and outside our class. He is so good that he visits them all even without any purpose. But he doesn’t fail to visit them during exams. He will figure who is reading which part of the syllabus. He will then get into a mode of a Marketing Manager. He talks deals with others who are covering other parts of the syllabus. He makes sure that there is someone assured help for owing to explain him some portion of the syllabus. After a sometime, he takes his bike and start execution of the mission. He learns from one and explains it to the other. He makes sure that he explains something to whomever teaches him. At the end of it – he has learnt everything. The good aspect of this kind of exam-preparation (even I have experienced) is that, when we explain something to someone we never forget it. At the same time when we have someone explaining, it becomes rather a discussion and easier to understand than to spend time reading few pages. Really hats-off to Raama for cultivating this kind of a mode of studying. Even we guys (though not book worms) would wait for Raama to return home. For this only reason he is honored with a title ‘K.K.Er’ – “Ka-thai K’ta Engineer Raama Kathikeyan’. I think Krishna had the privilege of formulating this title.

Raama was in fact the Placement Secretary for the Computer Science department when we were in the final year. I thought he took on this, only to cover V’a. I was proved wrong later. He was smart and worked hard to get things done. Spoke to many people and went to many places. Finally came up with a broucher for the department. This was later used by the department for at least 4 years to invite companies for on-campus placement. He had organized many tests and other activities which help many. His efforts really brought some good fortune. Companies started to come to our university for placement.

Okay… enough of all this buttering talks about Raama. Let’s chill out a little. “Hey Raama, if you have already out-spoken to Meena then you are safe. If not I am sorry machi…”
Until college, even now, we spend for anything for each other; except that I wouldn’t spend for his cigrates. But there is an exception – I had to buy him a packet, or may be one or two piece for something silly that I had had done to him. There were a couple of incidents that happened in our room which flashes even now when I see a piece of cigrate lying orphan in my Bangalore room.

Raama & I shared the same room which had a telephone and an attached toilet-bathroom. His shelf is just above mine. In fact it is the top most which doesn’t matter him at all (for this tall guy). One summer weekend afternoon, this guy teased me for something and as usual drove down to fag. But I went crazy after that. I wanted to take revenge; I am not so humorous to tease him, then. I turned dull to my room. There was something glittering on the top shelf. It was a cigrate packet. My criminal brain started working. I took out one cigrate and walked to the terrace with a match box. Loosened some tobacco at the white ended. Powdered the head of a few match sticks. Stuffed them at the loosened end and finally patched up with some tobacco. I was conscious it shouldn’t create any suspection. I was so very anxious that I cannot wait until he takes this piece. So I took off the other pieces in the box leaving only this.

Our road side Romeo, after roaming like a loafer, came home in the evening. As usual took the packet to the terrace (his smoking zone). Something unexpected happened. He suspected Rams and Raj for the missing cigrates and was scolding them. I had to interfere to take him off the scene. Cribbing Raama walked back his smoking zone. …few seconds later, an expected but un usual sound. Throwing down everything he was holding came down searching for me as he was sure that I should have done that.

MSR Bhavan not only was a resident for young Doctors and Engineers, but also for scientists. The two scientist mankind has ever seen. Rams and Raama. These two buggers, one evening were experimenting if Petrol would actually catch fire. Rather, it would have made sense if they try to understand ‘why?’ it catches fire. The fantastic laboratory where they chose to do this experiment is our sit-out at the kitchen. LPG is not more than 2-3 yards where they were. Like Rawle and Hardy (Raama and Rams) at the sitout – Raama holding little petrol in the bottle cap and Rams firing it. These guys should have at least kept it on the floor. The bottle was carefully kept open near the LPG. It is so obvious that Raama’s hand catches fire – it did. Poor guy, spilled it over his leg. Then our scientists started jumping after seeking success (dam it… they jumped out for fire burns). This all action undoubtedly pushed off the petrol bottle. Petrol started flowing towards the LPG. Cannot even imagine if things would have gone serious. Thanks to our cook-amma and the wash woman. They shut down fire with sack bags and other stuffs kept around.

Krishna also has the privilege to give away one more title to Raama. And only he calls him so… This also suits Raama well – ‘Bu-ru-da Mannan’.

Raama not only blows up technical contents on the answer paper, he also blows up matter. Raama’s dad is not only a banker by profession but he is a banker for Raama too. Raama gets money on just a phone call; sometimes even a call is not required. But there is for sure a call from his dad, asking for over spending. There was one such call once in a weekday morning. Raama was still sleeping when we (B-batch guys) getting ready for lab session. The phone rang and Rams picked it. Raama was waked up then. Raama soared his throat and started to talk. I guess (rather for sure) his dad would have asked what Raama was doing then. This guys reply was “…having breakfast and then have to get ready to college”. I couldn’t even recall what he had said. The next obvious question his dad asked him was about the expense chart – ‘reason for over spending’ for that month. Seems like this guy asked some extra money from his mom. This guy, without any hesitation compliant his dad that our wash-basin had dropped off and collapsed. The over expense is because that we have to place them back as the owner didn’t agree for putting it back. His father smartly calculated and said that it would not cost so much as other (we other guys) would also share and not only Raama. Now he is caught. Poor Raama had to think look before even getting off from the bed. Now that Rams passed around him, Raama got a idea. Rams looks innocent. That was the catch for Raama. So he started building up his to his dad about the innocence of Rams. He told that Rams misplaced the house-rent amount when he was on the way to house-owner’s house. And this expense is because we have to put in extra amount to compensate this and Rams would pay us later. Hearing all this, we guys stood as a status where ever we were then.

What I wrote above is only a little. If I have to write all, then I have to write a separate blog with this title. If you guys can help – we can do that also. That will be a best gift to his kid (bed-time stories).

The only silly reason Raama loses his temper is when he talks to our cook-amma. Their chemistry is rather a dangerous one. I really love watching them fight. Raama looks at amma, as if she is somewhere deep into the ground and she looks at him, as someone on the top of the palm tree. This happens occasionally. It is a good seasonal show.

Raama turns a caring son any day when his parents are leaving the town. He would take pain going till the bus stand or station and call them up to check if the bus has started, have the crossed this place and that place. They should have been feeling proud of such a caring son. The moment the bus crosses the city limit, Raama is already in the bar crossing his limits. After reading this, his wife should be conscious enough to judge him if she is out of town.

I am happy that Raama is abroad when I write this. He is in US for a two month assignment. Otherwise, he will call me to buse me.