CODE FREEZE

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Updated 21st November: Global End-Year Change Freeze Calendar
Date
07 Nov 2006, 12:52 CET Category

-->
Department
IT
Location
Global
Services IT Global Change & Configuration Management
End-Year Change Freeze Calendar
This communication is to give awareness to the End-Year Change Freeze periods that will be in place in the Bank throughout the regions around the end of this calendar year.
The Annual IT End-Year Change Freeze period will be effective for all IT production infrastructure and/or applications, except in emergency situations. All changes to software, hardware, communications and networks regardless of platform, are prohibited during the periods detailed below.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Does this ring a bell in your ears?

Come December and the worst awaits you. Am mighty sure that all of us (techies especially) would have heard abt this period – simply put, it is that period of the year during which no any changes should be implemented be it hardware or software related. This is primarily to ensure that none of the company's year end reportings get impacted due to any changes.

It’s also that time of the year when one faces the ultimate test of his/her endurance and patience. It is that time of the year when you are sworn into a period of forced rumination. It is that time of the year to display your prowess of being a fine actor, to pretend and display your extraordinary talent of being busy and stressed up – not that you were less busy or stressed during the remaining months.

You suddenly develop an eye for detail and begin to notice those little things. How you realize that the chair that you been parking yourself into for the last 11 months suddenly appears to be uncomfortable. How you wish that the back rest was a bit higher to enable you to have that after lunch snooze. It’s amazing how you now think that the walls of your office could have been painted a bit brighter, not that it would add any brightness to your work. I could go on endlessly but would stop at that.

That sense of being useless suddenly dawns upon you. You begin to think and ruminate as to what you are doing sitting here when something else is waiting beyond those swanky glass panes and walls. You have this instant pump to just break free and rush out into the wide wide world and do something worthwhile. You begin to scratch and introspect on the real purpose of your existence, you get the feeling that you are here for a purpose and that you need to fulfill it.

It was sometime during this period last year when I moved into this team called Change Management after having completed a spell of two long years in Operations. People familiar with an operational role would know that it is one power packed role, where you suddenly realize all the hidden energy and capacity within you to stretch into inhuman working conditions. My role within Change Management was a more toned down one. After the maddening rush rush of operations this was more of a project related role. You work when you have projects, else you know the story. Unfortunately I was greeted with Code Freeze well within a month of my joining the new role to add to my vexation.

Desperate times lead to desperate measures. I remember that one afternoon when I could stand it no more. My boss’s absence that day added to my encouragement to do something that once upon a time I couldn’t dare imagine. Readers of the popular fiction “Swami and Friends” would recollect that incident when Swami was being whipped mercilessly and in a sudden urge of rebellion decided to take control. He stomped out of the class much to the horror of everyone. Unfortunately in my case there was no one to cheer and laude my heroic attempt to do the same. I decided to call it quits (only for that day) and decided to give my job a hike.

But then on a positive front, it is that period of the year when the best flows out of you. It is an opportune period to sit down and list all the things that you would have wanted to do but couldn’t because of your work toll. Starting from regaining contact with your friends and family to learning how to strum a guitar to attending art workshops to pursue your interests in Bharatnatyam or to even starting a theatre group (remember our Bardy). Unfortunately the mad monkey mind decides to take the other route and helps us cozily settle into a mood of solemn and self pity, so much so it becomes nearly impossible to come out of it. No amount of counseling helps and sometimes your friends begin to look at you as a burden to handle.

I didn’t have any intentions to end in on a philosophical note because to tell you the truth I was never motivated to take that opportunity. But then things look different this year, maybe because I am now married, maybe because I have now matured to handle the situation (I still have my doubts on the same) and maybe because I have my blog spot to pen all my thoughts into and most importantly I have you guys and gals to read this and to feel associated and keep me going with our exchange of comments.

So what are you waiting for??? Go ahead and take a splurge!!!

ABY makes my day (n night)

Hey guys n gals,

Not that I ran out of topics…but then was thoroughly amused at the entire row of episodes which led to this that I decided to write it in the annals of my blog so that it remains etched there for posterity.

Well the last few nights starting Tuesday have been one hell of a time. I have been suffering from acute cough cum running nose cum loose motions cum body pain cum wheezing (hey I am not lying, you can validate this with my wife as she has been the most harassed and affected due to my never ending cribbing and complaints of how unfair god can be).

The doctor did prescribe some medicines but it was all in vain, the fever did go in the mornings but decided to play mischief in the nights. The result – endless, sleepless and restless nights.

Last night was one horrendous experience. Came back home around 10:30, then was bitching about office with my wife till around 12 midnight (don’t think its that hard to imagine – its quite a spicy topic , u c) and then as we both weren’t sleepy decided to take a peek at some of our old movie collections, we decided to watch American pie. That was fabulous and helped us kill time till around 2 in the morning.

I looked at Sangz (readers of my prev blog – “All for a goat” would & should recognize that name) and she lay there helplessly battling with her eyelids and before the end of the next minute, she was off asleep. I kissed her (GOSH) Good night.

And then it started…Sleep decided to play truant with me. I tried rolling this side and that side but every side showed me closed doors barring my entrance into the world of sleep. I think I must have fallen asleep because when I next looked at the clock it pronounced 4 am. Well am dead sure that I wouldn’t have been tossing for 2 hours. But then the question was – “What to do now?”

The mind then decided to play gymnastics…it was then I hit upon this idea.

That night I started thinking about all the articles that I had read about Abhishek, (don’t ask me why I got this thought) about how he had around more than 10 flops with DHOOM being his first hit. I decided to list out all the movies that he has acted starting his debut venture in J P Dutta’s “REFUGEE”. To my amazement I could list 20 off them, they are not even in order of releases,

1> Refugee
2> Om Jai Jagadeesh
3> Kuch Na kaho
4> Bas itna sa khwab hain
5> LOC Kargil
6> Dus
7> Dhoom
8> RUN
9> Main Prem ki Diwani Hoon
10> KANK
11>Bluff master
12>Yuva
13>Bunty aur Babli
14>Well I don’t remember the name of this movie but the story is about a plane hijack, there is Bips and Ajay Devgan in this
15>Umrao Jaan
16> The Guru
17> Dhoom 2
18> Hum Tum (guest appearance)
19>Lage raho Munna Bhai (guest appearance)
20>Sarkar

This is no tag game, where one has to log in and send corrections or even additions to the list, but if you find it too difficult to resist that temptation then by all means give it a try!!!

But when I look back at the entire episode I wonder as to why I ever did this and much to my amazement as to why I am posting all this here.

I am as clueless as you.

Its Friday evening...

Friday evening, 6:04pm (Nov 3rd)

Its Friday evening – the time is 6:05pm and I cant help but see outside. The weather is cool, with the wind gods promising of another torrent of showers. Its all grey outside. I can see the parking lot from where I stand and I see enthusiastic co-workers hastily exchanging “Good bye’s” and “Have a great weekend” notes to each other, before rushing to their vehicles to zoom away from the clutches of corporate life.

It’s Friday evening, and the time seems to have stopped. Even if it hasn’t, it appears to be dragging. Another two hours to go before freedom sets in. I can already smell the sweet scents of the oncoming weekend. There is so much to do, catch up with all the lost sleep, watch endless hours of TV (there is this final match between Australia and West Indies on Sunday), read the last 6 chapters of “Mediocre but Arrogant” (what would happen to our lover boy – Abbey, would he get back his lost love, would the two re-unite), get back to eating some regular home food (instead of those unhygienic, junk snacks) and yes going out for a long drive. So much to do, yet so little time. SATURDAY COME SOON.

It’s Friday evening, am so scared that the Saturday would come. God forbid the weekend to start. Saturday would go away in sleeping until the afternoon, lazing in the bath tub, diving into some hot food, lazing in the living room couch trying to find some interesting channels (sheesh, there is nothing interesting at all, god knows how ppl at home survive the afternoons during the week). OK – nothing on TV but atleast I could catch up with some afternoon snooze. Well that was something that I always wanted to do especially after that (sluggish) midnoon meals at office and me trying to keep my eyes awake staring into the monitor. But what the heck, try as I might my eyes simply refuse to co-operate with my thoughts. Hey its already 5 o clock, time for tea and gossip. Yummy tea but no gossip. Mom wants to go the temple, dad is busy praying. Who cares, lets go for a spin. But then where to go. The beach would be crowded, movie halls would be houseful, tired of going to any eat outs, wouldn’t want to disturb any of my friends as they wouldn’t want to get disturbed. OK – forget about going out, lets stay indoors, there is this book to read but wait I would read it before sleeping, my cupboard looks so messy and dirty but I would definetly clean it up next week. Gosh – its already 7pm and its so dark outside, mom is busy warming up dinner and insisting that we finish our dinner asap. Well she has got her serials to watch. That means – no TV. Mom ????

Its Friday evening, its now 6:20pm and as Friday slowly proceeds to dusk, so does Saturday in my mind. Well as much as I pray that Saturday never comes, there is nothing concrete that I have to do and regret for little time being available.

Its Friday evening, well so what if Saturday was a disaster, there is always a Sunday to cheer you up. But whatz this, everything is so messy, the maid servant has decided to play truant, mom is all upset and complaining that her family is not co-operating. Why have you switched off the fan, I want to sleep for some more time. Mom is all complaining that I am always sleeping and dad is always busy only with the newspaper. A frustrated dad picks up the broom and starts to brush the cobwebs away. Finally his age overcomes him and he comes up to me, smiles and promptly hands his weapon over. I am all sweating, all cranky by the time it all gets done. Decide to wash it away with a good long bath but mom complains that the towel has to be washed as well. What the heck ? I come out only to find that I have to dry the clothes from the washing machine. Why have you washed all the bedsheets and pillow covers, mom ? There is hardly any place to dry them. Mom comes out and shouts that I don’t even know to do this much, ends up in re-hanging the clothes. What the heck, its going to soon start raining and would need to dry them inside. Oh my gosh, its 1pm already, lunch wouldn’t be ready until another hour. Mom declares that she is not a superwoman. Ting tong – oh my god, here comes dad’s brother with his family. Its been such a long time they met. Mom starts fuming and grumbling beneath all those smiles – Lunch is not even ready. And I have not made any extra food. There goes my Sunday…

Its Friday evening and the time is 6:35pm and as much as I wish that I want to get home and do so many of those things that I really want to do, nothing actually happens. But then there is atleast a Monday to look fwd to (what the heck am I saying???), atleast Monday mornings bring with them so many mails, fwds and attachments sent from friends all over. There is this prompt from orkut saying that someone (for whom you have the hots) has scraped a message in your scrap book. Well atleast there are mails to look at and attend and relish. Well Monday mornings are in a way better than all those jobless hours throughout the week where you painfully stare into your empty inbox hoping endlessly.

Its Friday evening and the time is 6:40pm and I wish it never ends only to wish that Monday comes soon. Hmmmmmmmmmm.........!!!

(Disclaimer note – All ideas, thoughts and words expressed above are blind confused thoughts of this author as he helplessly watched a good Friday evening being wasted in the office. Any resemblance to anyone (living or dead - including the author) in particular is purely coincidental and unintentional.)

All for a GOAT !!!

Don’t blame me for such a weird heading, all credits to my better half. She was the wise crack who came up with this, although I half expected it then to give a good laugh whenever recollected.

Sangz (the real name is Sangeetha, however she preferred being called this way ever since the induction days at ACES) and me got married on Aug 28th after a long 2 year courtship. And we decided Kerala would be the perfect setting for our honeymoon. We got ourselves booked into this exquisite, tailor made honeymoon package which included Chertala, Allepey, Kumarakom and Munnar, all within a time frame of 6 days and 7 nights.

On the fourth day, it was Munnar. Our itinerary announced a stay of 3 days here. Munnar is beautiful and breath-taking in entirety. All along the way uphill, we were greeted with lashing waterfalls, moss strewn rock surfaces, tea estates with the dew drops still fresh and tender on the tea leaves. After an long and arduous drive which extended to 4 long hours (not that I haven’t traveled more than that, but my body is kind of accustomed with me doing the driving every time – in this case we had a dedicated taxi service with the driver being a Mallu who had only a limited collection of Hindi songs which we had exhausted listening to), we finally reached Munnar Woods – tired, desolate and most importantly hungry.

After spending the whole of the evening, doing nothing (which seemed impossible to me at one point of time – but then I reminded myself that this is exactly what we had intended to do all during the honeymoon), we checked in early to bed for a long and warm snooze.

Morning came for us to realize that it had rained the whole of the previous night and the sky promising to continue its showers throughout the day. Munnar was then under the spell of the north east monsoon clouds (as I learnt later from our driver Unni) and this would be the case for the next 3 months. The rains here are unpredictable, every time a passing cloud gets desperate to release and get relieved, it rains.

After a quick shower (we skipped the formalities of applying soap as we hardly sweat in Munnar) we rushed for breakfast. Usually I have a horrendous appetite during the mornings which exponentially decreases as the day progresses (at least that is what I think, but Sangz is positive that my appetite is always a constant). But who cares, the breakfast is complimentary and so we decided to dive in and enjoy. Me made merry with three omelets, two slices of toasted bread richly served with layers if butter to finally wash it down with coffee – a humble meal indeed.

Rains lashed throughout the 26km journey uphill to Rajamalai wildlife sanctuary. This sanctuary boasts of preserving 26000 of the "soon to be extinct species", the Niligiris Tahr. The Tahr is a goat, 4 legged with a short tail, brown in color and with two horns which bleats and consumes green grass. Well that was bad, but then thatz all that I can conjure after having seen the goat in its entirety. But wait, before we go into the details, giving an audience to the goat was by itself an experience.

Rajamalai was wet and slippery at the entrance. We gaped at the long snake like queue (which would have put Anaconda to shame) in front of the ticket counter and had half a mind to turn and head straight for the taxi and do it some other day. But then Unni coaxed us saying that it was worth the wait. Fortunately the resort had provided us with umbrellas which saved us from having a second shower (although it was only half a save). We stood that way for a good half hour with the queue being motionless and with Sangz complaining of the rain making her dress look transparent. I must say that she looked awesome with wet clothes and I was in all moods for starting an erotic duet like Aamir and Sonali in Sarfarosh. But then Sangz has the knack of pinching me at the right time to wake me up from one of those lust lorne dreams.

Anyways, cutting a long story short we decided to call it quits and come back the next day with hopes of a smaller queue. It was then that we realized that it was a Sunday and that most of the local crowd had come to pay their respects to the Tahr. And our hopes paid off. The next day saw us amongst the first ten and after quickly purchasing the entry tickets proceeded to join the set of people getting into the safari bus. These are small Eicher Mitsubishis converted into mini buses for transporting people to the highest point of Rajamalai.

After a 20 minute ride filled with skids, hair raising curves and the driver’s demonstration of superb navigating skills along the narrow lane we finally reached the foothills (imagine?) of yet another hill. The sign read – “This way up”. It was cold all right, but I don’t attempt to disguise in anyway the situation that we faced there. We understood then the need to have got more of woolen clothing but then decided to have fun anyways. Sangz hugged her dupatta closer and in turn pulled me closer to her (oh-how I loved it). I zipped my jacket to the point of strangling myself. And then began the trek.

All along the trek we were greeted with pink tiny tulips which presented a picturesque panorama. No amount of lens work can capture that breath taking beauty as much as the inward eye relished and rejoiced at the spectacle.

And then it happened, the mist cleared and made way to present the much awaited. Actually it was Sangz who first spotted it as I was too busy spying on the young lovers who were walking hand in hand, their bodies huddled together (the weather being an excuse). And then I broke loose, I looked at Sangz and said “Thatz it?” I couldn’t believe that what I was watching was a rare specimen. I guess all my earlier description of the Tahr would have said it enough. There was nothing great in the Tahr. I in fact even started thinking that the wildlife authorities could easily substitute the loss of the Tahr with its local cousin (of course by adding a dash of brown to their coats) and easily duping the crowds and the audience. Frankly there was nothing awesome about it at all.

I was disappointed, no doubt. But then the wisdom in me dawned and I realized that sometimes it’s the journey which pays off more than the end results. Imagination is sometimes better than reality.

And hey, that is when Sangz looked at me and sighed – ALL FOR A GOAT ???.

The REWIND Button

“How I wish that that I could have the ability to go back in time and set some things right?”
“How I wish that I hadn’t done it that way and instead this way?”
“How I wish that I had not spoken to him so harshly and rudely…would have avoided getting into such a messy relationship with him?”

All of the above and much more are certainly passing thoughts that would have hit each one of us when really bogged down or when we are into situations responsible due to a past happening…they only signify and reiterate that one common desire of having that simple “REWIND” button (which is not as simple as it sounds) with us…to help go back and undo and redo some things that would seem right and sometimes to forget and forgo the past episodes of ones life.

I vividly remember that crisp Saturday morning when I was all set to laze around the whole day…but it was this phone call from one of my colleagues…who called up primarily to complain about the “boss” whom I believe had awarded some task to another fellow colleague instead of her and she had christened the entire episode as “favoritism”. And to add to it she said that I too was a “favorite” of the boss and that I too was involved in the entire plot. I wanted to have a good laugh over the entire cribbing but then decided otherwise. I asked her to pause, “rewind” her way back to that Thursday evening and introspect the entire situation once again. I also asked her that all it would have taken was a simple walk up to the boss and query her on the act, which she didn’t and which eventually led her to mess up her weekend. On calling up the boss, she understood that the boss had observed that she had been away for a good dinner with her friends and that instead of reminding her of a pending task she had only made her life easy by giving away the task to someone else…very simple no complications.

But then that is not to be…we as humans are bound to err…and that is inevitable…but here is an alternative…. instead of just thinking and brooding over the past and its effects on the present and eventually wounding the future as well, why not sit up and take action and control? The many of us who would have cherished that simple desire of a time machine into the past fail to see that with only dreaming and introspecting so much about the past, we tend to lose the present as well. It is more like generating a post mortem report, which eventually can only be filed and stacked in the multitudes of files, and be lost in eternity.

The secret lies in using the “rewind” button as a medium of reflecting all that happened and rising from it. Learn from the mistakes. Remember…mistakes are okay if committed once but they turn to blunders if committed once too often. Stop, think, reflect, retrieve and react…that is the mantra…instead of stopping with just thinking.

So the next time when you are in troubled waters, know for certain that the coast is just an action away. With the strong strokes of the past, swim ahead of the present and reach the shores of a warm and cozy future. Get winding from rewinding.