When I was a kid, the afternoons used to be long. Mom and
dad would return only in the evening, and I would have the whole day stretched
before me. Of course, I didn’t know the value of all that time then, but I did
have a few things I loved doing.
One of my favourite pastimes used to be pedaling my little
yellow scooter back and forth in our porch when the cars were not parked
inside. I would do it for hours. Making my tiny feet push against those pedals
and go taka-taka-taka across the
length of the corridor. I would think of many things then. Or maybe I didn’t. Sometimes
I just hummed one of the latest Bollywood numbers.
Another thing I loved doing was plucking the ripe, green
leaves off the Gulmohar tree outside
our house, adding water on it, squishing it under a stone, and making chutney! I would sit on my favourite
blue plastic chair (I’d know it was mine because it had a shiny Betty and
Veronica sticker on it, right in the center), and I’d just keep grinding the
poor leaves under an unfortunate stone and make a dangerous amount of chutney that no one in their right mind
would ever even attempt to eat.
But one of my absolute favourite hobbies was to listen to
Westlife, Backstreet Boys, and all the other popular ‘90s bands on my cheap Aiwa Walkman,
and note each and every word they sang in my ‘Songs Diary!’ Then sing it over
and over again, in front of the mirror, copying Britney Spears’ expressions.
Now when I think about that time, I can’t believe I’ve come
this far since then. When I think of that version of myself, I can’t believe that
was me. And yet, it was.
I am a working class professional in one of the best
cities in India. The IT hub. The ‘Silicon Valley’. The city which has
the good weather, the good jobs, the good places, the good culture. I have
begun my fourth week at work. I’m learning new things, trying
to absorb everything like a sponge. I have begun to almost love some of my
co-workers, who are rapidly turning into good friends. A couple of them, one
absolutely crazy, and one not-so-crazy, have been especially encouraging and
helpful throughout. I cannot imagine office without them. It’s a cozy
environment, not much different from a classroom, where you love everyone for
their specific qualities and idiosyncrasies. I love having lunch with them,
where everybody is random and where we can take a break from work and exchange
a few jokes.
I went to I-Bar with some of them this Saturday, and we went
bonkers dancing to all the Hindi songs we love to love, and the ones we love to
hate. We danced so much, and for so long, I woke up the next day with sore
muscles.
I even found a good PG to stay in, with a roommate, who is
sweet enough to accompany me outside when I don’t feel like eating PG food, and
who offers me alphonso mangoes she got from Bombay :) And this is just the
beginning. I can’t believe it has only been 20 days. I feel like I’ve gone
through a time warp in this time. A new city, new home, new friends,
colleagues. To think about how nervous I was on my first day at in Bangalore. (Will
I find a good place to stay? Will the work people like me? Will I be able to do
what they ask me to do?) It’s almost amazing how smooth this transition has been,
and how comfortable I’ve started feeling in this new skin. It is incredible to
think how things just start falling into place one by one. In the beginning, I
used to just tell myself, “Take it easy. One step at a time.” And now it seems
like I’ve crossed quite a distance without even realizing it.
 |
| (View from my new balcony) |
Today has been one of the best days here so far. I got up
way before time, took a leisurely hot water bath, had breakfast, plugged in my
earphones and played Queen’s OST (Man, Amit Trivedi!), and walked to the bus
stop. I always smile seeing all these people around me walking hurriedly to
catch their buses. I read the work tags hanging around their necks. Accenture, TCS, iGate, SAP. All
these young people, in their prime, including me, just starting off with our
lives, with our dreams. I feel so united with them. Crossing the road, though
always a tricky business, was relatively smooth today. I barely waited for the
bus for 5 minutes and even got a seat! Oh, the joy. Otherwise, on some days,
the buses are packed, with you barely managing to stand in the teeniest spot
you can find, jostling with the other women, trying to reach into your purse
and managing to find exactly fourteen rupees without falling hard on your ass, or
on the road (since sometimes you have to stand precariously close to the door).
I reached office way before time. I knew exactly what I had
to do during the day, and I think I was having a good hair day! What more could
you ask for? But wait, it gets better. My boss, who is supportive and very
approachable, told me I am performing really well at work. My insides were inflating
like a balloon, but I think I managed to say ‘thank you, sir’ very gracefully. He told me he thinks I have been working for a quite some time. Now
THAT, is the perfect ending to the day. But right now, I have a lot to learn. A LOT. So, without focusing on the feedback
much, I would just like to take baby steps, and improve every day. Bit by bit.
I feel so good writing after so long. Even though I worked
for ten hours today and I am dead tired. A blog post was long, long due. Please excuse the disjointed post. I tried to contain the scattered thoughts into cohesive
sentences. I have a lot more to share. And I will be back soon.
P.S. I still sing in front of my mirror acting like a big-time
pop singer. Some things never change, do they? :)
