THE PSYCH MOON

'twas another evening as usual thought he
all it needed was a hint of excitement, may be
it came across as a long drive with pleasant music to hear
but the psych moon snickered in the night sky, hear, hear

coming toward the end of the long drive that night
were two knights with no armor looking into the night
caught by the sight of the psych moon were they
dropped the lasses home and went hunting for prey

not intrigued by fowl play they battled odds all
as KFC was finger lickin' good 'n all
'twas all over by midnight and they turned to retire
a canine marked the end howling at the psych moon's attire

Little things, Big things

It's always funny how what we refer to as the little joys of life are generally what may be considered to be milestones in one's life.

One of these is how one spends his/her first salary.

The day I reported for my first job, I knew that with the first paycheck, I would simply use it all to do something for my parents. After giving it a lot of thought, I decided upon buying wrist watches for both my parents. This lead to a lot looking around at Titan Watches showrooms and a lot of research on the internet and with peers; and a lot more looking around at more resellers.

The funny thing is that once the money was actually credited into my account, I was already thinking just as my dad would think.

"Is the watch really necessary at this point of time?"

"Would this really make them proud of me without thinking about why I spent it all at one shot?"

So, finally this lead to a conversation between me and Richi( my sister) where we decided on what would be the best course of action; and thus, we executed the same just a few brief moments ago.

I just withdrew the whole amount and handed it over to my parents. I realize now that not only was this the most responsible thing to do, it was the only thing I could have done to bring about the glimmer and shine that I saw in their eyes. Yes, a picture perfect moment which can come only once in everyone's life; a milestone; a little joy.

Stop-gap job

I like the jargon. 'Stop-gap' has a distinct tinge to it; like we're trying to make something look better or cooler than it actually is. Here I am, having rejected what most fresh engineering grads consider as 'an amazing break' at Mphasis ( one of the leading IT firms in India) only because I do not want to be tied down by a two year bond ( I intend to start my post grad studies this fall). Now I'm thinking, was that really a smart move?

I can't really say; because last time around, I was dead sure that I will start my post grad studies at Nottingham last , only to find out that a delayed security clearance from the UK-FCO (ATAS) would spoil my chances. Whatever the reasons, just because their website claims to process your application within 10 working days, it isn't safe to assume that applying two months in advance is a safe deal.

I am now faced with one of the only feasible 'stop-gap job' options - the BPO, or more commonly known to most Indians as a call center.

Pros :

> Easy to find one

> Decent pay (can save up for a Mac RAM upgrade)

> Transport provided

> They don't really care if people quit after half a year. They have an entire new generation of youth coming out of college desperate for jobs at about the time that I plan to quit.

Cons:

> Odd working hours

> The "Oh, you work at a call center!!!" syndrome

> Future prospects if worst case, I can't make it for a masters this time around

Bottomline, having looked at other options for the last couple of months, other than direct sales, I don't see another feasible option for now.

Just hoping some of the applications for higher studies that I have made come back with positive results soon. That should make decisions a lot easier.