4 months on a platter

4 months in a few words… Wonder if that is possible!!! But then I will definitely try that with every ounce of effort while keeping myself fully aware that I need to be careful so as to not bore the world reading this “holy crap”. If you ask me why I’d decided to write all this, all you meet with is an ignorant and bewildered I-Just-Dunno why I’d done that expression. Cut the crap and let me start off.

May 8^th – 27^th Well that’s what my certificate says!!! I don’t exactly remember the dates though. Lovely vacation (read industrial training) in Vizag Steel Plant, Ukkunagaram…. Yeah the good ol’ Vizag….. Nag, Shankar and me…. Add Bunnu, Palli and Santhu for that extra dash of fun…Really fulfilling experience to say the least. Was our first window to the working of a large scale industry. The sheer magnitude of the steel plant can be quite intimidating. Really got to know quite a few things though I guess we should have braced ourselves a little more and showed sufficient enthusiasm to learn that wee bit more. Rue the fact that we have lost quite a bit of our inquisitiveness and the questioning aptitude since the JEE days. All in all an entertaining fun-filled knowledge-laced experience, something we will remember quite well for the rest of our lives. (The forthcoming interviews won’t let us erase this so easily from our memories). Now for a sneak peek into the days we spent there.

Lazy life – Uncles who are always eager to give us ‘lifts’/rides on their bikes till the factory and also further inside.(Love that lift culture – so helpful). -- Routine work shifts – literally had a ‘hot’ time in the furnaces and sooty bodies at the end of the day because of the coal dust that floats everywhere in the plant – Abysmally cheap and good quality food in the mess(Shankar’s eyes were always on that 10Rs chicken serving)—The customary afternoon session bunk and the quick naps— off to gajuwaka in the evening for some movie(Must confess here to watching about 12 movies during my stay)—the “chicken sp. Biryani” packets(Shankar, Do you remember???) to gorge on in the room at night—the innumerable mirchi bajjis we relished—long strolls in the plant—late night discussions about topics ranging from CG to CV to Palli’s girlfriend to anything in relation to the world—the occasional beach trip—Yeah man, training was fun, much much more than I expected it to be.

Then came June and I’d gotten home. Was desperately trying to land myself another training and so finally dashed off to Chennai with the hope of making it to one TVS Motors. But then they said I was too late. And just when it seemed like I would have to return without having accomplished anything, an uncle from Hyundai invited me over there. Also caught up with a few ol’ friends and teachers…. Visited SBOA, my school in addition to the training .

So another training for about 15 days in Hyundai Motors, Chennai. Lovely Place, Lovely people. Great work ethic, Even greater approach to work, dedicated target oriented workers. All in all a great place to be. But I can’t stop complaining about the hectic schedule.

Early morning wake up at 4 30 – Bus at 5 30 – Reaching the factory at 6 30 – Lovely, Absolutely Lovely Breakfast – Shop Floor Visits – Process appreciation – Reveling seeing the absolutely awesome-fantastic-ginormous-sophisticated machinery –Brief Lunch (Again Awesome) –Further shop floor study – evening bus home at 4 00 -- Almost mandatory traffic jam – reaching uncles home by 7 30 in the night – a few minutes of soccer world cup and then this tired guy eats a lil’ and jumps off to bed.

Then to Vijaywada…. Off to Hyderabad….. Caught up with a lot of Johnians….

Back home…. And don’t ever ask me what happened next??? The most tumultuous phase of my life… Nerve-wracking 15 days. Absolutely no idea as to how I – and other family members – got through this!!! And then returned back to Kgp.

Integrated back with friends… lots of new stories to tell… lots of stories I’d heard as well… Two and a half months being apart and then getting back together… Lots of fun moments to share… And yes this span is sufficient to change a person. Lots of changes I observed in my dear friends…

Right now, Midsems round the corner and I feel like doing everything in the world other than open my books. Open. Close. Open the book… stare at a few pages…. Call yourself an ass for not studying regularly. Look at the same page again for 5 more minutes. Nothing gets into your head. Concentrate again. Have had enough. Throw the book on the cot. Get in front of the computer. Start searching DC++ or the net. Chat with a few friends. Feels great!!! Look at the book on the cot and say “Man, Academic Books are not my cup of tea”.

Well, that’s my state right now… Absolutely clueless!!! Really trying to figure out why I’ve written all this crap in the first place.