Well it is that time of the year to retrospect on all the important events that have happened so far this year. Coming to think of which, it is actually the end of a decade. Ten long years have just gone by and do I even remember what all has happened all these years?? That is when I thought I will push my retrospection to not just this year but the last decade. So here goes,
2000 – Fresh out of school and ready for college
Ten years ago, I was still a teenager; all excited about getting into college and saying good bye to my school uniforms, lunch boxes, polished shoes and regularly trimmed nails. Sweet 16!!! An awkward age for everyone. Overly conscious about pimples, trying to act pricey with guys and a receiver of prank calls. Thinking of which I don’t remember studying at all but I’m sure I must have studied a bit or else I would have definitely remembered flunking that year. So I basically just stayed pretty and gossiped my way through the whole of 2000.
2001 – The longest year ever
With the board exams coming up, I had no choice but to study and get bored to death. I pretty much made up for not studying the previous year. It was an extremely bland year and I felt like a complete geek sitting with books all the time either at college or at tuitions or at home. The only time I listened to music was probably when I was finishing my record work, how sad can it get?? I finally passed the boards with flying colors and put an end to the boredom that had consumed me the whole of the year.
2002 – My first step towards becoming an Engineer
Like every other person of my age, the next big career move was to get into Engineering and make everyone around me proud. The buzz word around that time was’ Biotechnology’ and luckily for me ‘Biotech Engineering’ was just introduced for the very first time in Karnataka and I thought these were signs for me to get into the field. Quite honestly I don’t think any other stream would have suited me better enough. So the mid of this year saw an enthusiastic and nervous me with an admit for Biotech Engineering at Sir MVIT, Bangalore.
2003 – Realized I had made friends that would last a lifetime
First and foremost, there are a lot of people who are not present in the picture below and that does not imply they are not my close friends. They may not be part of this picture but they are still in my thoughts. Engineering without you guys would have been like food without salt. Apart from the professional education I received in college, there were so many life lessons that I learnt from each of my friends. I can write a book on how I met each of them and how they became an integral part of my life.
2004 – Year of Confusion
People around me were already preparing for GRE and planning the next stage of their life and I was absolutely clueless about what I wanted. Was I interested in getting a good job after engineering or was my inclination more towards higher studies? Like the rest, even I started preparing for GRE, joined coaching classes but I knew I lacked the passion that one should have when they are sure about something. It was all about being in the rat race and not getting left behind.
2005 – Still in college but unemployed
Till now I was happy that I was doing well in Engineering and had even managed to get a distinction in all the semesters. However there was a worm in my head that was not letting me live the happiness. I was in my third year of engineering and this was the time when different companies would come to campuses to recruit the best of the lot. I saw people who got lower grades than me getting selected in more than one company and I was still “Unemployed”. My ego was hurt like never before, I remembered all the times I did well in the exams and sympathized with the ones who hadn’t done so well and destiny had totally turned the wheel upside down on me now.
2006 – Welcome to the Corporate Culture
A few months after I started cribbing about my unemployment status, I got hired and by a company that was offering a better pay than the rest. Finally I could roam around with my head up in the air and went around telling all my relatives that whatever happens, happens for the good. I was still in college and my company was kind enough to give me the final year project and also paid me for it. I was in awe of the corporate culture, the way everyone would call each other by their first names irrespective of the age or designation and the fearless attitude of the techies who always thought they would sell like hot cakes even if their current company threw them out. This year was all about learning the new culture, wearing formals, gaping at managers and trying hard to get out of the college mode and behave more professionally.
2007 – Is this what they call love?
Along with me and several others who joined the company, there was a special someone who caught my attention with his antics. I was amazed by the way he would openly flirt around with me but it was only during this year I realized that it was love. I have had crushes and infatuations before but was always confused and skeptical about how I would recognize that one person whom I truly love. After knowing him for more than a year now and being in a confused relationship with him, I decided that we both were just wasting time by not defining our relationship and only after I broke it off, did I realize that I was truly in love.
2008 – Marriage jitters!!
I guess marriages are really made in heaven. On April 18th I got hitched to the same guy I realized I was in love with. We anticipated some drama from our parents but surprisingly they were pleased with our choice and immediately gave their thumbs up. There was a brief period of marriage jitters where I and my future hubby successfully freaked each other out but it ultimately ended in a happy marriage. This was most definitely the most significant year of the decade as it gave me a partner who I am confident will hold my hand and walk beside me for the rest of my life.
2009 – The world outside India
The perks of being in the IT industry is that you get to frequently travel abroad and it was during this year I finally got my chance. This was my first trip abroad and I can’t explain the excitement and anticipation of visiting a new country and experiencing the culture. On the day of the flight, I got really nervous and emotional about going alone without family and was even wondering why the hell I agreed to it. Once I reached USA, it was a completely different experience, loved every bit of it. Strangely I loved the fact that I was independent and had to make my own decisions, I enjoyed the long flight watching movies at a stretch, I enjoyed shopping in a new country, I enjoyed talking to new people, I enjoyed the food. In short I enjoyed the whole experience.
2010 – Am I really brainy or am I just stressed out??
After working in the corporate field for a while, I realized that I wanted to do my MBA but was just way too lazy to prepare for the entrance exams. This year I decided that I should at least start preparing for the exams and with a lot of hope wrote the entrance for PGSEM at IIMB. What distinguishes PGSEM from the rest of the MBA programs is that it is specially designed for IT professionals who would want to work and pursue the degree. This seemed like the ideal course for me as I did not want to quit my company to study. After giving the entrance exam, my hopes were shattered as I knew I was not up to the mark but I guess fate had something else in store for me because not just did I clear the entrance but even got selected for the program. It was a great feeling to finally walk the corridors of IIMB as a student but little did I realize about the stress factor at that time. This year I realized that if I’m capable of managing work, studies and family, there is nothing in life I cannot face.
With this I end my retrospection of this decade. It has truly been a whirl pool of emotions and experiences and I eagerly await the new things in store for me as I welcome 2011.
2000 – Fresh out of school and ready for college
Ten years ago, I was still a teenager; all excited about getting into college and saying good bye to my school uniforms, lunch boxes, polished shoes and regularly trimmed nails. Sweet 16!!! An awkward age for everyone. Overly conscious about pimples, trying to act pricey with guys and a receiver of prank calls. Thinking of which I don’t remember studying at all but I’m sure I must have studied a bit or else I would have definitely remembered flunking that year. So I basically just stayed pretty and gossiped my way through the whole of 2000.
2001 – The longest year ever
With the board exams coming up, I had no choice but to study and get bored to death. I pretty much made up for not studying the previous year. It was an extremely bland year and I felt like a complete geek sitting with books all the time either at college or at tuitions or at home. The only time I listened to music was probably when I was finishing my record work, how sad can it get?? I finally passed the boards with flying colors and put an end to the boredom that had consumed me the whole of the year.
2002 – My first step towards becoming an Engineer
Like every other person of my age, the next big career move was to get into Engineering and make everyone around me proud. The buzz word around that time was’ Biotechnology’ and luckily for me ‘Biotech Engineering’ was just introduced for the very first time in Karnataka and I thought these were signs for me to get into the field. Quite honestly I don’t think any other stream would have suited me better enough. So the mid of this year saw an enthusiastic and nervous me with an admit for Biotech Engineering at Sir MVIT, Bangalore.
2003 – Realized I had made friends that would last a lifetime
First and foremost, there are a lot of people who are not present in the picture below and that does not imply they are not my close friends. They may not be part of this picture but they are still in my thoughts. Engineering without you guys would have been like food without salt. Apart from the professional education I received in college, there were so many life lessons that I learnt from each of my friends. I can write a book on how I met each of them and how they became an integral part of my life.
2004 – Year of Confusion
People around me were already preparing for GRE and planning the next stage of their life and I was absolutely clueless about what I wanted. Was I interested in getting a good job after engineering or was my inclination more towards higher studies? Like the rest, even I started preparing for GRE, joined coaching classes but I knew I lacked the passion that one should have when they are sure about something. It was all about being in the rat race and not getting left behind.
2005 – Still in college but unemployed
Till now I was happy that I was doing well in Engineering and had even managed to get a distinction in all the semesters. However there was a worm in my head that was not letting me live the happiness. I was in my third year of engineering and this was the time when different companies would come to campuses to recruit the best of the lot. I saw people who got lower grades than me getting selected in more than one company and I was still “Unemployed”. My ego was hurt like never before, I remembered all the times I did well in the exams and sympathized with the ones who hadn’t done so well and destiny had totally turned the wheel upside down on me now.
2006 – Welcome to the Corporate Culture
A few months after I started cribbing about my unemployment status, I got hired and by a company that was offering a better pay than the rest. Finally I could roam around with my head up in the air and went around telling all my relatives that whatever happens, happens for the good. I was still in college and my company was kind enough to give me the final year project and also paid me for it. I was in awe of the corporate culture, the way everyone would call each other by their first names irrespective of the age or designation and the fearless attitude of the techies who always thought they would sell like hot cakes even if their current company threw them out. This year was all about learning the new culture, wearing formals, gaping at managers and trying hard to get out of the college mode and behave more professionally.
2007 – Is this what they call love?
Along with me and several others who joined the company, there was a special someone who caught my attention with his antics. I was amazed by the way he would openly flirt around with me but it was only during this year I realized that it was love. I have had crushes and infatuations before but was always confused and skeptical about how I would recognize that one person whom I truly love. After knowing him for more than a year now and being in a confused relationship with him, I decided that we both were just wasting time by not defining our relationship and only after I broke it off, did I realize that I was truly in love.
2008 – Marriage jitters!!
I guess marriages are really made in heaven. On April 18th I got hitched to the same guy I realized I was in love with. We anticipated some drama from our parents but surprisingly they were pleased with our choice and immediately gave their thumbs up. There was a brief period of marriage jitters where I and my future hubby successfully freaked each other out but it ultimately ended in a happy marriage. This was most definitely the most significant year of the decade as it gave me a partner who I am confident will hold my hand and walk beside me for the rest of my life.
2009 – The world outside India
The perks of being in the IT industry is that you get to frequently travel abroad and it was during this year I finally got my chance. This was my first trip abroad and I can’t explain the excitement and anticipation of visiting a new country and experiencing the culture. On the day of the flight, I got really nervous and emotional about going alone without family and was even wondering why the hell I agreed to it. Once I reached USA, it was a completely different experience, loved every bit of it. Strangely I loved the fact that I was independent and had to make my own decisions, I enjoyed the long flight watching movies at a stretch, I enjoyed shopping in a new country, I enjoyed talking to new people, I enjoyed the food. In short I enjoyed the whole experience.
2010 – Am I really brainy or am I just stressed out??
After working in the corporate field for a while, I realized that I wanted to do my MBA but was just way too lazy to prepare for the entrance exams. This year I decided that I should at least start preparing for the exams and with a lot of hope wrote the entrance for PGSEM at IIMB. What distinguishes PGSEM from the rest of the MBA programs is that it is specially designed for IT professionals who would want to work and pursue the degree. This seemed like the ideal course for me as I did not want to quit my company to study. After giving the entrance exam, my hopes were shattered as I knew I was not up to the mark but I guess fate had something else in store for me because not just did I clear the entrance but even got selected for the program. It was a great feeling to finally walk the corridors of IIMB as a student but little did I realize about the stress factor at that time. This year I realized that if I’m capable of managing work, studies and family, there is nothing in life I cannot face.
With this I end my retrospection of this decade. It has truly been a whirl pool of emotions and experiences and I eagerly await the new things in store for me as I welcome 2011.
