Sunday, December 14, 2008

Aamchi Mumbai to America's Nashville

Life offers numerous instances which make us wonder "Why is the clock ticking?" Ironically, there are those instances in life which makes you turn around every minute to have a final glance at the moment that just passed by. I too got to experience this irony...

Soon as I was told of an onsite assignment, I wished I had a time machine that would race me forward to the scheduled arrival date in the US of A. Well… Time machines for goodness sake is just sci-fi (till date) so I gradually descended to reality and started with my shopping’s, VISA stamping blah blah blah...

With each passing day, I started to realize that I will be missing all the fun that I continued to have in my workplace and the city in which I have been working in for the past year and a half, Mumbai. I started my career with this account and I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed working under the Mumbai based healthcare/USGS leadership. What has defined my stay at the Mumbai based USGS account for this 20 plus months? For me, it would have to be the people I have met in the form of Leaders and Peers. Much of how I have mellowed from being a fresh college pass-out to a professional is because of the people I have met. And for that I can never thank my fate enough. I don’t know how I got so lucky that I came in contact with some unbelievably talented individuals, I managed to make some lifetime pals too. It was difficult for me to leave this place - which I already knew. Will my future workplace offer as much freedom? This is a question for time to answer.

The city is worth a mention too, the attitude of the city is contagious; I had already fallen in love with the city. I wished I could somehow be stuck in this time frame forever - but that’s wishful thinking on my part. But yes - the memories I carry will remain etched in my heart.

Thank you, MphasiS for everything you have given me.

Thank you, Destiny for bringing me here.

Thank you, Lady Luck for smiling upon me.

The thought that I am gonna miss all of these made my heart grumble. Looks like, I am sounding a bit too passionate!! Let me clarify, I am just trying to contemplate the genre of a different world waiting to be unveiled. Here's me looking forward to the next edition of my professional career.

As the D-day dawned, I could already feel the nostalgia and that’s when I turned behind to glance at every single minute that passed by. I had to tell myself that I cannot crib anymore, for I have to grow up, accept responsibilities and deliver. I bid adieu to my colleagues.

I was emotionally down and for this manifestation not to last long I should either walk or talk to lift the morale up (Weird me). That's when a person walked up to me "Excuse me, Can you help me fill this immigration form" unfamiliar though, who cares...especially after you figure out that you are gonna sit next to that person for the whole of your travel. I started to chat... continued in the flight... "blah blah... When blah... Yeah blah... Completely blah...” I paused only to stuff in whatever’s been offered in the flight. People around got up and stared at me... feels like they're saying " u blasted sleep stealer!! " :-D eventually, the sleep stealer (me) slept.. Zzzzzzzz...

Gosh!! I landed in New Jersey and managed to reach on time for the security check to board the next connecting flight to Nashville. Let me narrate a funny/embarrassing event that happened to me at the security check. Every time, I walked through the metal detector, it beeped. When there’s nothing in my pockets, no belt and no shoes either... I just wondered what was causing the beep. I was taken to a cabin aside and frisked carefully. Eureka!! The security officer figured it out. I was wearing a waist chain made of silver ;-) I had to explain to him, the south Indian tradition of wearing a waist chain. I looked like an Idiot and I could see a pretty co-passenger girl giggle as a result of witnessing the turnout of all these events. Embarrassed, I reached Nashville just to narrate the incident for everyone to laugh their hearts out.

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