Walking on

Tomorrow is three weeks since I started working. I still have a job! I am slowly getting comfortable with my surroundings.
The Pistons are beating the heat in the second game of the eastern conference finals. The Pistons are going to go all the way with this. The heat beat the nets and they deserve to lose for doing so. I don’t know what the hell to write about.
I spoke to gawker for a while on the phone yesterday and we talked about random shit. He seems to be losing his mind as time moves on. Hopefully we meet this weekend for lunch.
The drive has improved to work. It is 20 miles compared to 28 miles. There are a number of Indian restaurants around and I get to pick and chose where I want to go. I miss my old job because I made some very good friends there. It was like home and I could behave like myself. Right now, I am uptight, dress up well and have to be dignified. I don’t feel the warmth towards anyone as of yet other than my boss. I should be thankful that I work for a decent guy. It’s a much bigger setting with a lot of people and a lot of characters. Feeling my way through this. I will succeed. There are many goals to achieve right now. Succeed in my career and lose some weight. You take a risk sometimes in life and I have taken one. I will either be very successful in the next year or I will be somewhere else. I would like to succeed and make my way up through this organization. We shall see. Insha Allah.

Dharma

I am sitting at home. It has been a long day. New job, new environment. It’s going to be 2 weeks tomorrow and I got my first pay check. I have spent the past 2 weeks feeling my way through and meeting tons of people. Funnily, I remember all the names. I guess you can remember them when it really matters. My world has opened up and the challenges are right in front of me. I have to stand up and face it or be gone.
Previously, I was always unhappy and restless. Now I am where I wanted to be and I have to make use of it. Will I? Time will tell.
Just like that the season got over. The nets and heat had a mini battle and they beat us. Have to wait and see as to what happens in the off season. Major changes have to be made. Carter has to go. Certain men are heroes and are made for greater things. Jason Kidd is one. Carter isn’t and will never be. He cost us the season.
Money and power. You got a little taste of it and you go looking for more. Corporate America is not a very nice place to be. Dog eat dog world

Back

The nets are down one game. They played a listless game on friday night with Carter being highly irresponsible. He should not be allowed to handle the ball late in the game. Let Kidd do it. He has the balls, the mindset, the skill and the will. Anyways, today is a season making or ending game and we shall see how it goes.
I am back in Jersey after a 2 week break. Mixed emotions. What to do? Bangalore is not home anymore. I met an abnoxious character on the way to India. He was sitting next to me, had some bad BO and wanted to know everything about me. About my status in the US and all. I had to put my foot down when he asked me how much i make. He was from one of the IITs working for some financial corp in nyc and was from hyderabad. He had switched jobs and all he was travelling with his old h1 stamp and he claimed that he had already got it stamped with his previous job and apparently it was ok to travel on the h1 and he didnt need to go the consulate to get it stamped. I dont think it is true. I told him that he and said that it was ok to travel as they wouldnt know. Hopefully he made his arse back to the states.
I was jet lagged this time for some reason. With the heat, it was worse. I didnt sleep for a few days. I finally went and got myself a massage and then managed to get some sleep. There seem to be a lot of nice hep places in Jayanagar and i visited a few of them. Most of the time, i was drenched in sweat and had a bath atleast twice a day. I started driving from the day i got in and the traffic cannot possibly get worse. People continue to live in inhumane conditions without questioning the situation. The pavements are dug up as usual and the roads are pretty bad. The power cuts really donot help.
Everyone i met there talked in crores as i mentioned earlier. I think i would do better staying back in the US. I can better afford it here than there. If you are not part of the system, you would do good to stay out unless you have old money which i dont. So i return an outsider from my own town.
Other than that the trip was uneventful with me spending most of my time at home and with my folks. I went out a couple of times too. I went for a music concert at the american chamber of commerce. This guy Amit Heri who gave music for morning raaga the movie had a concert with his ensemble. It was pretty good.
I am back in Jersey. I hate flying and i am happy that i didnt die on this trip. I am scared shitless when i fly cos i feel there is absolutely no chance that i will survive.

Bangalore

I have been in Bangalore for the past week. The streets are congested, the heat is energy sapping and i have been looking every day. I have been looking for my good old Bangalore. My Bangalore from atleast 10 years ago. The quiet roads, the crisp early morning air and the sleepy town. I cant find it. I will never ever be able to find it. My friends are gone and the place has gone too. I feel like a stranger in my own town.
I met a few of my old friends and met some of their friends. Every person i spoke to used the word "crore" with reckless abandon. My dollar doesnt seem to matter anymore and the longer i stay, the more i spend. It will pinch too.The word "crore" was not only used but also actually there. Bangalore scares me with the money it has. People are absorbed in the real estate spike that is happening right now. There is no rhyme or reason for the price of land. It is fashionable to buy and sell land in the crores right now. Bangalore better watch out. Something will give.
Other than that, the food has been good. I have put on a few pounds and time has come to do something about it. The nets are busy battling the pacers in the play offs and there is not one freaking cricket match happening.
The heat is unbearable. If you donot have a house with an ac, you might as well walk around in a langoti. I have had problems dealing with the heat and sadly sound like a wuss everytime i talk to anyone who visits. I constantly complain about the heat. Someone said that bush doesnt think that global warming exists. He should visit Bangalore to see the marked difference in conditions.
I started driving from the day i came into the country. The good part is at 40 kms/hour nothing much can happen to you anyways. I have sworn many a times in the past week, have broken rules a couple of times and have been looking forward to beat up somebody to complete my life as it was. I still havent found anyone to hit.
The good part of this heat is that you get to enjoy the beer. The warmer it is out there and the colder the beer is, it kind of cools your soul.
They dont make any 2 stroke bikes. That sucks for all these kids who buy these stupid 4 stroke engines. Imagine, the first bike those days you could buy was a hero honda. I would have rather ridden a tvs champ. I saw a road king on the road yesterday and it took me back 10 years. Youth is intoxicating and exciting. We tend not to appreciate it when you have it and when you dont, it sucks.
3 days to go and then it will be back to good ol jersey. Life as i know will continue. Hopefully the rest falls into place.