In contrast to many other Software companies in Bangalore, I think MphasiS is very poor in accommodating we 'Mallus'. To my experience in most teams the count is limited between 10% to 15% or maximum upto 25% if some miracle happens. During joining I was the only Mallu member in my team. I was much perturbed about this lonelyness, but soon to my luck (or bad?) the things started to move. One by one new team members started docking in and it increased from one to two with the arrival of my best friend Jijo, then to three…again to four (enough…enough …I thought, but of what use?) … five and so on. It reached to whooping count of 6 within 4 months, where the percentage of Mallus in the team reached almost 40%. Oh God! I asked only for one but it looks like you want to teach me a lesson!! I am not getting why he is always like that, first make me suffer then flood me with more than I asked. I think its better not to ask him anything in some cases :-).
Now many of the team members are busy in settling down [ah! you don't have to heat up your brain. Why should I be an exception? ;-)]. Those who already achieved the first step are in the way to have a good base. As the part everyone is searching for an apartment with in Bangalore city limits. Our meetings are usually filled with subjects like, the possibilities of different apartments, benefits in taxes exemptions, re-sale values, amounts of 1bds…2bs...3bs…and so on.. Even though not settled down yet, I used to discuss some different ideas which, may be far better than investing in flats in Bangalore. This is because of the things like, my family experience upon businesses and lands outside Kerala, understanding that the hike of Flat prices in Bangalore are purely based on IT, after effects of another IT drop down on flat and land, generic ambiguity about the place of stay as we IT professionals have a general tendency to jump Companies or even Countries :-) , the difference in income from investing 80K on a home just to avoid Tax compared to investing the same upon some other industry or land and so on.
As the things going in this way suddenly one day, of my collogue Melvin done an interesting thing. During those days we used to say that transaction was illegal as he moved into a new apartment without any authorized notification. It was a purely unofficial movement and we were always insisting him to make it legal, means we want to have a house blessing party. I remember one day I threatened Melvin’s wife Jincy …”If you are not planning to call us home we will break into the house without permission. So what is your decision?” (Jincy if you are reading this, don’t take it serious. I am not just joking and if you are not sure you can try threatening me back….hehe). At last one day that magnificent thing happened. Melvin announced his party to all and he started arranging things for all our team.
It was on one Saturday and as per the decision I and my friend Jijo were in charge of purchasing one gift for Melvin and Family. We collected a fixed amount from all the team members to sum up an amount for purchasing a presentation for the party in the name of our Team. After purchasing the gift from Shoppers Stop near to our office and started to Melvin’s home. In between I forgot to tell one thing. With the invitation mail melvin attached a good routemap and landmark of his apartment so that everyone could reach there with out any confusion.
But he forgot to specify a minimum condition “PEOPLE SHOULD READ AND UNDERSTAND THE MAP AT LEAST”. So what, many missed their ways and I think we Jijo and me were among the worst affected. After staring from Shoppers stop we informed team members about the purchase and we are moving to location. I thought Jijo had a complete understanding of the Map and Jijo thought the same with me. But I even didn’t open the map and so not at all having any idea about the location. Jijo had gone through the map but he forgot the exact points and missed the first landmark itself. Because we couldn't find any ATMs even after travelling a lot, we called Vijay (he started only after we started, but already reached the location) and he gave the phone to Nelson another collogue.
One by one I started telling the places I noticed. Accenture….we just passed ..he says no man not that way….
HSBC BANK office…..where there is no such office on the way…where you are going……ooops! HSBC Office I saw was around 2Kms back…..
Have you seen IIM…hay man it is at the starting of IIM and Honeywell……OMG…? (Now the picture is complete. We had gone past the point around 3-4 Kms).
After comingback all the way to IIM we started searching for an ATM and we found one just after IIM and took a right turn. But after that also we started getting confused. Nothing is there as what he is telling. We rambled with our vehicle to and fro for around three times in all sides. Alas! at last we got it, the turn we took from main road is not the one. There is another ATM in front of that. The one we saw was a Branch while he told is only an ATM. So we again went back to main road and at last this time got the right way and reached the place. All the rest of our team members were waiting for us down there.
While entering in to Melvin’s flat’s floor first thing everyone noted is the abundance of common space available in front. It was so large that he arranged the space for party there itself outside the flat. I think this much space we can never see in any of the flats and it will be useful for many activities and a good place for children to play around. The flat is well ventilated and enough sunlight is there inside all the rooms.
As soon as we entered the flat everyone fell in to sofa in the visiting room as like we are the testers for Melvin’s furniture. This time I took one snap which I think one of the best among the whole.
A View of Kitchen
Some of the team members who seemed to be much tired suddenly got energetic. I don’t know the exact reason but I know that some of Jincy‘s collogues was there at that time. By this time everyone’s stomach started crying as it was almost 2PM and Melvin asked team to move for lunch. But we were in a plan to wait for our ex-collogue Sajith. But after some minutes irresistible smell of delicious lunch and call from stomach took us to the hall. We started our fight and by this time Sajith with his family appeared in front of the flat. After some time our PM Pravin also arrived and after finishing the food we planned to start back.
Yet now we didn't have gift handed over to Melvin. This responsibility we obviously put into the heads of our PM himself. After giving the giftpack, around 3PM one by one we started back to our places considering the cloudy sky and chances of rain.
After a long interval, today I visited the Forum, my favorite place in Bangalore. Forum is one of the best Shopping Mall in the city, though costly. The best place for those who are not ready for compromise on product quality. I was a frequent visitor to this place some time before. However, these days I am becoming a stranger here. The time I used to spend in Forum is stolen by travels to the new office. On the other hand, am I getting bored with this place?
Looking into the machine it looks like they are using laser beams to burn specific positions inside a plane glass cube. But how? I can say only one word, "Its complicated!!"
