IPL trophy is as butiphul as Mallika Sherawat’s Nose

What a waste of money and time.Probably SRK and Vijay Mallya now would have convinced themselves about the old indian proverb “Jo hota hai ache key liye hota hai” [ Whatever happens , happens for the good] after seeing the IPL trophy.

SRK’s diplomatic response after looking at the Trophy for the first time

Heyyhey !!! What a Sexy Trophy.I love the trophy but I love my Wife even more.

Mallya’s Candid reply to the media about the Trophies BEAUTY

Modi has been fooled by the Belgians , just like Dravid fooled me during the Auction.

Preeti’s (My Favourite actress) Response

Wow !!! it’s amazing ………What a Momento…..I never expected this just for reaching the semi-finals.Hey! where is the trophy you were about to show (looks around).

And for the captains who reached the finals of the IPL tournament it would be the ‘Karma’ for which they are fighting for,Dhoni for proving himself that T20 World cup victory was not a fluke and for Shane Warne it’s time to prove that Australian Board that he too could have been a good captain for Australia , certainly not for the Trophy.

It’s difficult to hold !!! man !!!

Cricket is a Men’s sport !! and Men like Curves …Smooth Curves….where are the curves in the trophy.The first time when Shashtri was describing about the trophy during the Rajasthan and the Delhi semifinal , I got excited to see the trophy.But when they were showing the trophy on Television, I literally vomitted just like the feeling I usually get on seeing Namitha’s potruding tyre shaped belly.I remember Ravi Shastri describing the trophy studded with Blue saphires.I couldn’t see any BLUE there.

Negatives in the Trophy:

The first thing I didn’t like about the India Map was it’s unfairness to the Game.IPL is a celebration of cricket by forgetting the political barriers we have during the international matches.We have seen some of the arch rivals in the game hugging each other during the matches.Putting the India map bluntly on a carved wooden board doesn’t really looks good even though the map is studded with diamonds.

Apart from that I have a personal guilt from my childhood about the Indian map.I always felt smooth structures and symmetry is the defining characteristics of any beautiful object.And also the right size.The IPL trophy is not only awkwardly huge but also has the asymmetry of our political failures of the past.I am talking about the gaps near Nepal , Bhutan and Bangladesh in the Indian map. They look like broken edges of a termite attacked bathroom door.Specially, Bangladesh reflects our political inability to retain the Original delta region of the Holy River Ganga. Pakistan is not an issue for me because , the map looks much better without pakistan. Also there is so much ambiguity in the map.We still claim parts of Kashmir occupied by Pakistan as POK. In future if any Pakistani player is a captain of any one of the Indian side and wins the trophy , there would be a huge media uproar in Pakistan , saying that the IPL has a wrong map of India , specially near the Kashmir border.

The only good feature in the Trophy that too short lived

The statue of a player smashing a ball ,square.But I think , I saw the face of the batsman in the trophy quite closely , but not for a long time.Ofcourse I tried searching for a close-up shot of the trophy on the internet but could get only the above pic with the broad smiling face of Modi behind it.I still think the facial features of the player immortalized could have been given more realistic look.

See the discussion going on the Trophy’s BUTIPHULNESS

JNR Days

Today is my last day in JNR.I am getting release from my current assignment.I am “moving on” for making my future better and more closer to the technology that reflects my passion for Art , Creativity and Innovation ( If not for the technology ) . But whatever reason I am moving for , I am really having some mixed emotions about my release.I can’t forget the days , more than two years, spent here , since the Bench days ended.

End of Long Bench Days

I still remember my very first day at JNR after the ILP.I reported to the stern faced MATC people ,along with Jose, Vinoth , Petti , Siva , Helen , Papa , Balaji and almost the complete tamil gang who got transfered to Chennai .The aloof looking MATC people directed me to Velachery where I sat on BENCH for a month , after which I was handed over to the Shollinganallur branch MATC people who thought I will be better if a Mainframes Training is given to me.They asked me to attend the Mainframes training for a month…So I did.During the end of the training period, I somehow was transfered to JNR office again , this time to attend the Insurance basics session by some lady whose name I forgot now.I used to remembered her name for a long time because her name was occupying my phone memory for a long time, though I never called her after being allocated to LFCS project.I deleted her phone number just a few days back.I don’t see her even in the admin these days.May be she got transfered or may be switched to another company.

Enthusiastic Induction Days

I was desperate to get into system and type the code and make it work…compile…making the client happier…really very desperate to work , after made to dry on bench for nearly two and half months.So as soon as I joined the project I started asking just too many questions.I was also doing heavy workouts and morning walking during those days,so I used to very fresh even till 7 PM in the evening.We were a small group of ILP freshers…Anandavalli, Thilakavathy , Kirithika , Keerthana , Suba Karthik , Sriram , Joby Johny , Shaheen,Priya darshini.We used to sit around a round table around the corner of a quadrant in the A block from where the Printer was either moved away or never placed.We were asked to study the RSM documents which we hardly understood.Sometimes there used to be classes by some project associates who are relatively(a must word)free.After reaching home , I used to read Robin Sharma books and at night used to watch English Movies , usually War Movies , Science Fiction or some Oscar classics.The next morning used to wake up at 4:30 AM and got for a walk and work out.Such was the life.

My First Project and the very first Assignment ; First Blasting from the PL

My first project was a very prestigious and long term project in Auto Insurance for one of the major client in USA.Ofcourse I am not supposed to tell the name of the client outside TCS, so I will be using the imaginary name as LFCS for the client I worked for more than two years till today.

I joined during the end of Design phase of the project so really did not understand anything about the project though I pretended a lot about my ability to understand quickly.My first assignment was writing a code for a Risk determination Module.I wrote it so badly that Brindha gave up trying to review it.The code moved to PI ( a SCM term very common in LFCS , which looked like Greek and Latin for me in those days).When the Tech Lead , Selva Kumari reviewed the code , she blasted on me and Brindha.I couldn’t forget Nigam sir who patiently taught me how to code and all.Of course, I learnt many things on ‘What to do’ and also ‘What not to do’ during the first project.The real learning started in my next project under Surendar Panuganti and Rajnikanth.

To be frank , I never felt comfortable with the Learning and Training Strategy in the project , which struck in my mind.I was about to innovate a lot in this area during the Property Insurance assignment.

Once ‘Lunch Events’ later just reduced to ‘Lunch Time’

Yes , Lunch time used to be like arranging an event.We even waited for 1 hour or so for making sure all the members of our sangam have gathered for lunch.We used to decide for nearly 15 / 20 minutes and sometimes debate on which hotel to go for, either Bhimas, HSB(Hotel Saravana Bhavan), Annapurna or Vasantha Bhavan.Obviously if no one in our group was able to convince others we took the Canteen option.Sometimes , we felt little Carnivorous , so we went to Ponnusamy or Pandyas.

As work started flowing in , arranging huge Lunch Events became a time costly affair.So we started going to lunch with whoever was available.I used to go with Sriram most of the time, who later started bringing lunch box.Due to his decision to bring lunch box , I have to go to canteen and have lunch.But when I wanted a more tastier food , I went with Srini or Jimin or sometimes alone.

The last part of the JNR days when I was in Property Insurance project, which was the only project left in JNR whereas all the other projects including the Auto Insurance projects where all my Fresher day’s friends were working were moved to Siruseri.So I have to go alone for lunch, occasionally with I used to go with Ashutosh , Swamy and sometimes with Niloy.I really missed the days when I used to have lunch with Sriram , Srini , Shaheen and Jimin.

Favourite Hotel: Bhimas was my favourite hotel of them all

Favourite Dish: Butter Naan with Annachi (pine-apple) gravy

Tea Time Memories

Thiru will never forget the dog(bitch) that used to always look at him, but never used to eat the food that he gives to eat.

Treat Parties

The people who went to onsite often used to give Pizza party or if was to be grander , it used to be thrown at Hotel Vasantha Bhavan (opp. Ambiga Empire), where Prasanna (my second last Tech lead) threw his Marriage reception party.I once dreamt to throwing such a party if I go to onsite but alas it never happened.May be I will throw a party for onsite , but it won’t be at JNR swimming pool area or Hotel Vasantha Bhavan.

Another party that used to be quite famous was the ‘Release party’.People who were going for higher studies or getting released or resigning the job also threw the party.One of such kind was thrown by Selva Kumar(my first mentor).He is currently in Covansus.I remember giving him a trophy for getting Release from the Auto Insurance project which was considered the most difficult task in TCS.

The last of the Parties which I attended was given by Giridhar Ram sir during my Underwritting project at Hyderabadi Food Court.Ofcourse , I was not really doing any critical work at that time except the Applogs, because I was asking for Release from the project, but still I enjoyed the party.This was a strange party indeed because , Giri threw this party for coaxing the team to achieve more test cases.It was something like giving the reward before the work being started.

Trips and Stress Busting Activities

There were only two trips I went to , One was with the Auto Team for the Pulicate Lake and the other was with Swamy and Niloy to Thirupathi.

I also greatly enjoyed the Entertainment hour that was used to be conducted by the HR buddy Lavanya Raghuraman during the ADM project days.ADM project was the biggest team I ever worked with.Team of 30 members.Unfortunately , I also share some of the terrible times of my career, due to the immature acceptance of Agile Process.

The Learning Curve

The Learning curve for me has been like a Hollywood Action movie.My learning curve was definitely on the rise from the day I joined TCS but something was missing until I joined Property , where I understood that “You Got to place yourself into the customer’s shoes to deliver Quality” and also “BIRD’S EYE VIEW” or rather “Proactiveness” is the key for making things happen.Thanks to Sathish (my last project manager and excelled in Micro-Management) , Hafiz (Tech. Architect) , Srinivasan Jagadeesan (My Second Last PL) and KP (My last PL in LFCS , admire him for straightforwardness )who were very approachable.For him your designation never mattered.To be frank,I was able rediscover myself and my abilities after a long period of crowd following.

Still Unsatisfied

Eventhough I was able to implement some of the innovative ideas (of course with the help of VijayMariappan and Thumati, without whom I would have done nothing) like the Yahoo Answers kind of discussion forum and Automation of the Interface modules, I was not able to make it part of day to day life of every LFCS’ians.What I missed was MARKETING.

So there is one more aspect for making innovations work apart from IMPLEMENTATION.The only positive I can take is that , the tool development helped me a lot in getting good appraisal H2.

Property Insurance Assignment

Property Insurance came as a boon to me.It was a project that started from scratch hence a lot of scope for learning and a vast reserve of opportunity for leadership.In many ways , I was supported by my supervisors and the Managers a lot, to express my ideas.I started opening up , after nearly one and half years of silence.

Forming unofficial Tribes for tool developement

Formed various unofficial teams of Freshers to develop tools for effective Knowledge management and did implemented the innovations I always had in my mind , ever since I joined TCS.The fact remains that eventhough the tools which I developed helped me a lot in getting above 4 in H2 appraisals , the tools never served the purpose it was meant to be.May be I succeeded in the Implementation part of Innovation but failed in the Marketing part of Innovation.

Leadership Lessons in Property Project

I learnt a lot of lessons while I was a team leader for the Interface Modules.I really implemented the leadership virtues I read in the Steve Waugh’s book “Out of My Comfort Zone”.I constantly made an effort not to repeat the mistakes my seniors have done in leadership and training a new recruit.I always concentrated on creating duplicates of myself and never allowed any dependency to be created around me.This was the key reason for getting me release.

Hard Work really pays; even though Smart work is Rewarding

I worked hard during my Property Insurance Assignment but I enjoyed those days too.Not to forget my love with the Knowledge Management Portal (Ultimatum-> Knowledge maximum) and Innovation in the last few days.I got so much involved with work that My Blogs started reflecting my passion for work.For the proof please click here , here , here and here.May be during the last days in this project , I felt that I have wasted two years of my career in a technology which I did not want to work in , but I learnt a lot of things apart from technology which will definitely be useful for me in the long run.

Some Other Moments from the Auto & Property Insurance Assignment

PLEASE NOTE : None of the Process names and Procedure names used in the Project have been revealed in the above write-up.The names used are imaginary

Ludo Cricket

Last week I posted a blog on Book cricket inspired by this blog which is probably the first ever written evidence that book cricket was infact a reality during the end of 20 th century before the advent of Video Games.I was cleaning my room when I got the Ludo-Cricket boards which I prepared nearly ten years back, that pushed Book-Cricket to new levels.The following blog is all about the golden era of Book-Cricket that thrived in the Pinastro illam.

Even after Video Games arrived but was still inaccessible to the middle class society the Book-Cricket was alive and attained new heights until the death blow was given by drastical fall in the prices of electronic goods.

I used to play a very different form of book cricket indigenously developed by Pinasto and his Sister.It had all the elements of Modern day T20 Cricket. Quick Scores , Quick Wickets and Massive Entertainement.The game was basically a cross breed of two timeless masterpieces of Time-Pass games ; LUDO and BOOK-CRICKET.

I named it LUDO Cricket.Me and My sister used to play this Weird Form of Cricket for hours and sometimes days.The plus point was it recreated the same thrill generated out of all the action on the field like , the Commentator’s excited commentary over the huge six that goes out of the park,The crucial Third Umpire decisions,The batsman hit on the Grill, Batsman being Run out by just a few inches from the crease, the sledging wars between the players,Catch being dropped by the fielder in the Slip,No Ball, Wide,Stunning Catch by the Wicket Keeper and almost everything that used to happen during the 1990’s to 2000 in the world of cricket.

A Different Ball-Game

The Ball used in this game was a Cube shaped , Red in color.This Cube shaped ball also known THE DICE which used to haunt many students in the Maths Mani’s , Probability class.

Rules of the game Ludo-Cricket

The Game is played on a board painted with images of action that happens on the ground.There are two batsmen standing on the board at a single time.

The coaches ( real players ) throw the Red Cubical shaped ball(dice).The dice shows a number.The batsmen on the Ludo cricket board move that many squares and ends up in a square.Whatever action is drawn on that particular square is the fate of the batsmen.Whenever a batsman scores a single , the next ball is faced by the other batsman.

Sometimes,when the batsman entered the square that had a small STAR at the corner.If the batsman landed on a starred corner , he is moved to a More Electrifying board that had nothing but Wickets and Boundaries and Sixers.More on the Electrifying board is explained below.

Advantages over other forms of Book-Cricket

All the action that happens in the real cricket can be felt on paper.Who bowled the maiden over, who thrashed the stumps of the batsman,How many dot balls the batsman wasted in the game,how many drop catches by the team,how many run outs by the team and almost everything except the FREE HIT and the CHEER GIRLS.

Disadvantages over the other forms of Book-Cricket

Very difficult to appreciate this game if you are allergic to Mathematics.I loved calculating the run-rates, strike-rate,runs-per-over etc. ofcourse everything was manual calculations.But this disadvantage can be an advantage too, if you seriously wanted to improve your math , as this game is a fun way to learn.

Since, this game was played by only two people in the world , me and my sister, I was the person who always did the calculation part (remember manual calculation)

Efforts taken to Maximise the Entertainment generated from LUDO-Cricket

Apart from the High scoring games there is a special type of Entertainment generated by the low scoring games.For Low scoring games a special board was painted which had most of the squares as DOT BALLS.

Also sometimes the games tend to charged up either due to the Crowd Noise or the Sledging Wars between the Bowler and the Batsman.For this kind of Game a separate board was painted with every square having either Boundary,Six or a Wicket, in which every square is richly illustrated which is called the Electifying Cricket Board.

Indeed Twenty Twenty was invented long back in the form of Book Cricket which was lost in the missing pages of Folklore ,due to the advent of Video Games.