Wonder What's Coming Next?

Things were just going their own separate ways; lives were on their regular trail when suddenly something struck. Tragedy! It was going to be like an everlasting nightmare to hard to be true, yet true and right in front of you. Terrorists! do not know how many entered via the seas to cause chaos in Mumbai affecting a thousand lives across the streets, at CST (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus), in the Taj (The Taj Mahal Hotel), the Trident, and at the Nariman House.

The nightmare that continued for almost 60 hours was the worst Terrorist attacks on India. There were plans to blow up the Taj Hotel again and also the Trident, but what was unclear was the attack on the Nariman House (were the Jewish Chabad-Lubavitch Group targeted here?).

In all these attacks only the common man suffered, while the politicians wrote speeches pointing out at oppositions for the lack of security at the ports. Really who is to be blamed for all of this, people who were ignorant or the ones who conducted these attacks? The attackers obviously came with an aim to cause more destruction and chaos; they were well planned and ready for a long fight (60 hours and there were still enough weapons to go on for another few more hours).

Our Police, Commandos & Naval Officers did their best to end it and they were successful in it too. But in all of it there was a heavy price to be paid, that of innocent lives and destruction of property.

I won't go on about it because it hurts to even think about it, the destruction, the chaos and the amount of lives lost. One can only hope to come out of it as fast as possible, but to come back to normalcy from such a big shock will take time. In that mean time let's pray for all the lives lost and the lives affected in these 60 hours of terror.

Now no one can even imagine what's coming in next for them - hope that everything will just be alright.

Trouble Times Ahead?

So here I sit to write again with so many thoughts in my mind, don't know what to say, what to write with all that is happening all around the country. Communal violence, terrorist strikes, political wars, caste differences, and so many other disturbances have taken place in the country all this month, and not to forget the stock market that's making people go crazy.

Firstly the attack on Christians in parts of Orissa, Bangalore, Mangalore, and many other places only targeted innocent people who just wanted to live their life as a simple Human Being, took up a religion for a change but the consequences were as seen and heard (well they say a true Christian has to face their own crosses - that's very true). But this has been happening now for years and there's no one to really stop it. There are brothers killing their own brothers just in the name of religion.

And there has also been a huge political dram between the North Indians and the Maharashtrans or the Marathi Manus. All this is leading to nowhere, but this all is just adding fuel to the fire that's being repeatedly burning on and on and on. In all this drama only innocent people were affected, the others either stayed far away or took part in ruining normal, everyday life all around.

To be more in the darker side, it's festive season in India and there have been a lot of problems this year, not only the political clashes but also the Indian Economy is going in for a swing... (Although these problems are faced throughout the globe, here in India, due to the festive season it makes it a lot worse, as the festive season id indirectly hit.)

To end it here and not make this stuff to lengthy, I hope this all changes as the time moves on, after all we are Human Beings in the end, we will have to forgive and forget (at-least try to) and again live together in peace and harmony, and also do hope that the market makes a steady comeback...

But in all of this mess, we find a brighter side, HEY - the Indian Cricket Team is Winning! And that too verses the (so called) Mighty Aussies...

Introduction & Swagat

8th September to 13th September 2008:

"Introduction & Swgat" it's a training session conducted by HDFC Bank for all it's newly joinees. It was conducted at Hotel Kohinoor Park, Prabhadevi (opposite Siddhivanayak Temple at Dadar West). Day one was a great experience; we were made familiar with the working of the Bank and most importantly we got to know how it really started - out of nothing to what it is today. This training was basically conducted in order to introduce us to the bank and not really introduce ourselves to the bank.

Our trainer for the event was Siddeshwar Natu who was a lot fun to go on with. So from the day two onwards it was pure learning about the bank and the ways it had to handle it's various processes. On Friday, we got a new trainer as Siddeshwar was to go to Delhi for some work purpose. He was replaced by Shalu Mathur who carried on with the programme and talked about the various types cards and the various types of accounts available at HDFC.

A week went by and so the training program over, we were wished our very best for the rest of our tenure at HDFC.

Signboards (Billboards) In Marathi Please!

Well off lately there's a lot of fuss going on in the entire Mumbai about "Who's the real Marathi" issue. This has taken a complete wrong turn now and is really disrupting normal livelihood of many people here. The MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) is forcing every shop to also put on Marathi signboards (billboards), why force them; just ask them, it should have been mediatory in the first place. I see no offence in that but I'd say, "It should not be imposed but implemented". Forcing on to something will not do any good. There should be a compulsion on to it rather than activists just going around and creating a huge fuss about it. Things do not work if they are forced upon.

Go to countries like China or Japan, they have got signboards in their own languages. Even down south of India, you see signboards in the regional languages, so why not Maharashtra? Why not make Marathi signboards mandatory? You can also have it in English at the same time. One only needs to understand that simple fact. But forcing and ransacking of property is just something unacceptable as it does not spread any goodwill.

Working Now

So I am finally working now, I'm working at HDFC Bank as a Personal Banker (trainee) and I am feeling good about that. So I was going to start my job from the 20th but it did not happen that way, so I had to start my job from the 22nd. Anyways did start to work anyhow and now I'm earning on my own. On the 20th, I along with a friend (who also got selected for the same) went to HDFC Bank Lower Parel to submit our documents and get our respective branches, but only half the job was done. We did submit our documents but did not get our branches on that day, the next day we got calls from the Banks HR department and we were called at different places, I was been called at Ville Parle. After reaching there I got to know that that won't be my branch, I was just called over there as they could give me my branch - Well got it, 'Virar East', it was a newly opened branch (started on the 14th of August, 2008).

My training (probation) period is for one year and maybe after that I'll be eligible to get a promotion or a raise - well, something like that.

Anyways having a good time, it's been more that a week now and I feel that I am learning a lot of things already.

So Life Goes On...

OK, so I've really thought about it, there are not going to be any complains from me this time around, nor would I try to complain about anything more (until and unless it's very important). So I was going to write a post last month about our '10 hours a day of load-shedding', but something stopped me, I saw in the new that some places there was load-shedding up-to 16 hours a day, and then I thought that I was just thinking about my self.
I also thought about writing about the so much (hyped) talked 'Nuclear Deal' but I just did not know how to put about that in words. Anyways, I hope that it really happens and the power problems (crises) in the country end for good. But also do hope that the government would make good use of the 'Nuclear Energy'.
So now, something about me, well, I did get a job, long back but my results weren't out yet. Well, they are now (passed my 6th semester), but still there are problems in it. (Not complaining) Well, I got a KT in the 5th Semester but after clearing the revaluation, I did pass, but in my final result shows it as 'Pass Class', which should actually be 'First Class' coz I got 60+ percentage. Anyways did a round of the university again and hope that everything turns out well.
Say I'll be joining my job from the 20th, one year of training, then lets see, where life takes me to, it's been a long and winding road and it keeps on winding every now and then. Hope you're havin' a very good time

'Till then, Live Life to the Fullest
Take Care!
Melvin

Is This Some Kind Of A Joke?

The first rains, those first showers that fall on the Earth bring happiness to everyone, but not quiet so for many like me thanks to the MSEB (Maharashtra State Electricity Board). Because when the rains came, they turned down the power supply. It was restored after a couple of minutes but there was another power cut, and then another and another, this went on until late night and then at midnight the power was restored back again.
So when the rain falls there is a problem and the power has to be cut, and this takes place every year, and there’s no solution for it. Sometimes one does feel that the electric board is playing games with the people. And if there is a real problem, then why does the board not take any necessary steps to solve this problem.
And they say that our country is progressing, how can it progress when little matters like these are not looked after properly? Well, here there are only a bunch of people who want to just give trouble to the residents.

My First Official Interview

Today I went to the AXIS Bank at Church Gate for my very first interview. The result, well all was good but I am still not a graduate, so I have to wait till my results come out.
Well, had a couple of interviews here and there, but none official as they were all for minute things. But today was the real test and for me I think I didn’t fair that well, coz I missed out on simple things. All I was asked to do was to operate MS Word and MS Excel, I did well, but certain simple things which should have been done right were done wrong - well yes I was a little nervous but at the end of it all I really feel I should have concentrated better.

Incomplete - Nobody's Perfect

Whatever I write (here), whatever I do – whatever happens is all incomplete I guess, because nobody's perfect. Whatever I want to say in my blog may not be complete (with all the detailed information) but for me, I think it is enough to send the message out loud and clear.
I write my blog as and when any thing crosses my mind (I only need an active and a proper internet connection for that) I write it with a purpose, to ask a few questions sometimes. I only wish that my blog is easy to be understood and that there are no problems as such.

Thankyou
Melvin Almeida

Mumbai To Bombay

We live in India, a free and a democratic country. But to live in this so called democratic country, we have to live in a communal divide. It was in 1990s when the Shiv Sena launched a campaign to rename the city (of Bombay) – from Bombay to Mumbai. Even the other cities like Bangalore – Bengaluru, Calcutta – Kolkata, etc followed suit in a few years time by changing the names just to fit in to their locality, but why do we need this – I don't seem to understand. Does a Human Being change with a change in the name? Then the same goes with the cities.
Everyone loved the previous name, but some minds wanted to change that. And if anyone uses the word 'Bombay' again, there's a fume and attack on those people/institutions. They want the city to (forcibly) accept the name 'Mumbai'. They say that the use of the word 'Bombany' was like a slap on the face of the 105 or so martyrs who had fought for the state of Maharashtra. Well, I say during their time the city was called as Bombay and they had no problems with it so why do some have a problem now?
First it was using the regional languages (that changed Bombay to Mumbai) then an ante North Indian moment – forcing is not accepted in a free Democratic country. This does affect the lives of other people who just wish to live in a free, safe, democratic Bombay, Mumbai or whatever you may call it...

A Moment In Life

You try to find a gun to start a war but never find means to end it; you try to invent a rocket that'll destroy the world but never try and invent something that'll save the world. You can lead a life with money and fame but that life is never yours. All the moments that you live in happiness are untrue as to live your life completely, you need the shadows of sadness too. There is Life after Death, Light after Darkness, Day after Night and vice-versa (Death after Life, Darkness after Light, Night after Day).
It is well said that when you live for yourself, you live for nobody and when you live for others, you live for somebody. Your life is a gift as well as a curse that is put upon you. It is a gift as it is given to us to live it as we want upon the Earth; and it is a curse as we do not own it for it is given to us by somebody to take good care of it.
Our every moment in life is important as it counts. The life that we live today will change tomorrow and will keep changing everyday of our life. Reading the palms of your hands won't do, you have to work them in life. Life is uncertain, life is precious, life is a single moment of truth that can bring you into reality.

When Pressure Pulls You In

"When you try your best but you don’t succeed,
When you get what you want but not want you need,
You’re stuck in a reverse..."

Where is this life going? When will it end? Will we be able to see ourselves successful in the future? – Too many questions, no answers, the mind keeps playing games and the world around you just stares at you watching your every move, giving you very little choices and just once chance. What are you going to do, where will you run; there is no place to hide. We are just put under pressure to be someone we cannot be.
There have been people who’ve said to be yourself no matter what, but in this world, today, being oneself is far more difficult than being someone else. We’ve been constantly put to the test, everyday of our lives to be someone but not ourselves. We been sacrificing for people because they think they know it all, but what we know it far more enough for us. We been tried and tested, molded to make perfect – but the truth still remains, ‘Nobody is perfect.’
We are always trying to be what others want us to be, we been put under pressure day-in and day-out to be just like someone else. But we cannot be someone else or ourselves. In each moment there’s a point you are made to fall down, and made to think that you’re loosing and that there’s no way out. Lost in all the nothingness inside yourself, you just feel so numb; you are not able to move.
Life comes with a lot of difficulties, being someone is also one – you certainly need an identity of your own. But the pressure that has been put on you is too much, you can’t freely move, you can’t be what you want to be – this is what pulls you under...
I know about it because I am going on in life with the same pressure put upon me.

Who's Marathi?

There were a lot of things said and done over the last couple of weeks over who is the real Mumbaikar (Marathi Manus). It was a war out there – Mumbaikar V/s Non-Mumbaikar. But for whom was this battle fought for really? It was all just a political game (divide and rule), an ugly face of politics in Mumbai trying to crush the true Mumbai spirit. Protests were conducted all over Maharashtra, just because of one statement hitting out on some people. But weren’t these people living in peace before, and there was no problem for anybody, no issues over their migration. These migrates had been given places here and if one had been kind enough to give spaces, why now try to remove them now that they have become a part of the society.
Let us now forget and try to forgive everything, and learn to live in a world of peace and brotherhood - in the true Mumbai Spirit...