not a good start of the month

Nothing official about it

i already said we are building a dashboard for both CFO & CEO. the cfo dashboard has been going on for months before i took over. after i took over, i didnt see it going well and i started afresh. we (dept head & i) kept the cfo informed of the progress and we said it will be ready by end of oct.

however, the ceo dashboard is ready now. that triggered a ego clash and the cfo summoned both of us (dept head and me) and blasted out. he even said that he will abandon the project quoting that the team is incapable of delivering.

not a good spirit to start with early on monday, that too start of the month 🙁

An ultimate sequel

Books/Movies

Generally sequels aren’t good. Take ‘Oceans’. 2nd one wasn’t any good. But Bournes breaks that. Bourne Ultimatum is an exhilarating, worthy sequel. The chases keep the viewer thrilled, while the story line keeps them fixated. It is very different from any of the Bond movies. They are a bore after few films. But Bourne keeps the thrill up.

it worsens

Life is like that

am sitting in the office with the back pain becoming unbearable. i’m almost in tears. i am not able to walk. i hope to get home in single piece and recover.

my (self) confidence is at lowest point now. i hope to recover that too.

Update: subsequently i went to the doc and she says either this is a simple nerve disorder or early stages of spondylitis. Hmm…hope it is not the later. she has given medication. probably wat i need is bed rest. but it takes a lot of effort just to lie down and even to turn to one side. it is excruciatingly painful. i normally dont prefer to weep; but i culdn’t bear the pain.

another update: The night was insanely painful – to start with i culdn’t lie down; it abt 10 min to lie down; then i culdn’t turn any direction; slowly i managed to position myself well; but i culdn’t sleep until well over midnight; i kept waking up with nightmares of being in a wheelchair or something like that. after couple of painkillers, now i feel little ok; i am doing some stretching exercises to get back to normal.

Jesus to a child

Life is like that

The moments that I spent in ‘Cheese Cake Factory’ near the theater is still so vivid with me. And this song was playing most of the time. This is one of the best songs of George Michael. So what he was a gay? The words in this song captures every emotion that one goes through after a loss. And the video goes well too.

As I go through pain, I keep listening to this time and again. Some of the words are eternal.

And what have I learned
From all these tears
I’ve waited for you all those years
And just when it began
He took your love away
But I still say

When you find love
When you know that it exists
Then the lover that you miss
Will come to you
On those cold, cold nights

When you’ve been loved
When you know it holds such bliss
Then the lover that you kissed
Will comfort you
When there’s no hope in sight

Well, I’ve been loved
So I know just what love is
And the lover that I kissed
Is always by my side

Oh the lover I still miss
Was Jesus to a child

Bittersweet

Books/Movies

As I already mentioned earlier, I absolutely love this book. Danielle Steel knows how to keep the readers hooked to the story. In fact I finished the novel in 2 days.

There are not many characters; not many twisting plots – it is easy to read and the way characters are depicted, it is very easy to imagine and follow.

India Taylor is married to Doug. Life seems to revolve around her husband and kids. To be a good wife and a good mother, she had given up photography. Once kids were all grown up, she wants to do few assignments to express herself in a way she likes. But her husband not only says no, but dismisses her earlier work as nothing. It hurts her. But to keep the ‘deal’, she keeps going with Doug. Then she meet Paul Ward, a charming figure. Paul encourages her to pursue her dream.

Rest of the book is about the challenges that India faces and how she pursues her dream and feels very satisfied for doing her ‘assignments’. But then what about love? She wants someone to appreciate her for what she is and not what she can do to keep the ‘deal’ in the marriage. Will someone cross the hurricane and reach her heart? Well, if you believe in your dream it might as well be.

Back home

Life is like that, Travel

It was an interesting day today.

I had breakfast with Sastry who was my PM in the earlier PM. As I’ve always mentioned, I spent less than 2 weeks working with him. But whatever project management that I know is that I learnt from him. He is an amazing person. He is now heading a firm which advices govts on eGovernance and technology issues. I had a fabulous time (though it was just 30 min) talking to him about so many things. I meet him after about a decade.

Then I left to Film City. It is the largest film studio in the world. But I’m not impressed. The quality of the rides and the other programs are no way nearer to other studios that I’ve been – Universal and Disneyland. But it is a good start.

On the way back to the guest house, I went to the old Hydrabad. Man, it was a horrible traffic. If you thought Bangalore has traffic problem, visit old HYD.

I managed to get the flight on time. And I’m telling you, it is a small world. Recently I contacted a small time vendor for making eLearning contents for us. And guess who was sitting next to me! Of course it was him. We had an interesting conversation through the flight. He said the same thing that few people have told me – I am way too mature for my age; I talk like an old man! Interestingly he also said that I look like an athlete. May be he said it just for the business sake or may be he meant it!

It has been hell of travel lately – driving for 10 hours to Tuticorin, and then to Chennai and now to Hydrabad.

It is good to be home enjoying a movie – Die Hard – in solitude.

Update: Photos are uploaded in Flickr.

Tell me your dreams

Books/Movies

I picked up this book from ‘Depot’ in the newly built-up cosmos (ok, it is no more new) when I planned to go to Chennai. I had already read a novel (Master of the Game) by Sheldon and I loved it. So I had an expectation that this would be good too.

It was much more than just good. The story is built abound multiple personality disorder – the alters of Ashley. The later part of the book talks a lot about MPD. It is another one of you-cant-put-down kind of a novel. Of course that is expected out of Sheldon.

I should confess that early in my life, I developed my own imaginary friend. I used to write letters and replies too. I did this to compensate for lack of friends / love in life. As I grew I talked myself out of it. However, even now I imagine having a lover (sometimes).