Tripster!

I hear myself and other people say that 'Oh! I love travelling!'. But I find that very few people actually do what they love, in this area. There are many villain for not doing it..Lack of time, money, opportunity are few on top of my mind...I have myself gone through these dilemma. Thankfully, these reasons were overcome with urge of change and we planned to go to Isle of Wight last weekend.

This has been my 3rd trip to UK and possibly would be the longest. I have been quite lucky to see and feel this country in detail. I always prefer seeing one place across several days rather than several places in one day. This gives more feel to the trip rather than a superficial trip with incessant photo clicking (to capture the most in a short span of time).

We decided to go to Isle of Wight across two days (and regret it as I think you need more than a week to actually feel the place. But again the villain Time and Money came into play). We rented a car, booked the ferry to cross the  strait Solent, booked a hotel and were ready to take the trip.

The rented car arrived late thus delaying our trip. Thanks to the traffic to London we were slowed down again. We had reserved our ferry before hand hence we had to reach Portsmouth in time. Finally, when we arrived just in time, we found out that the ferries were running late :). We became relaxed and realised how perfect the day was - sunny with blue sky.

Our mind is a beautiful thing. It ignores beautiful things around it so easily, when it is pre-occupied with worry and is stressed

The Cars moving towards the ferry

We got into the ferry and found it to be well organized and people on their best behaviour. Just the thought of going to an Island is so romantic. And did I mention that we were celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary that day? Aha! what a perfect day...

Mr. A on the ferry

We reached the port Fishbourne in a short span of 45 minutes. Once on land, we zoomed on to  the beautiful roads. There were few roads marked for horse riders and we saw number of horse riders on those pretty roads. It was like a dream!!

We reached the hotel in Sandown with no major issues, thanks to our faithful Tom-Tom. We decided to rest for half hour before heading to the beach (which was literally 5 minutes from the Hotel). Once on the beach, we took a long walk along the coast. The sea was really scenic and the sound of the waves soothing. We decided to have dinner in one of the sea facing restaurants but found all to be full by 7 pm. After trying many places we found our perfect little joint which exactly fitted our idea of a quite dinner.

We headed back to the hotel as we wanted to have an early start the next day.

The next day we started off at 5 am ( I know, but we are kind of early birds).

We headed to a quite beach in Ventor. The sunrise was such a pretty sight. Is it not sad that the sun rises every day of our life without fail and we require a special vacation to appreciate it.

Then we headed for St. Catherine's Point (southerly point of the Isle of Wight) which was set-up in the early 1300s. Here, our tom tom went crazy and was asking us to drive on the right side of the road (UK is left side driven country). Looks like Niton was a American Port during the WWII hence the exception. The walk to the lighthouse was magnificent. We could see the cliff, the lighthouse and then the vast sea.

Bird's view of St. Catherine's Point.

Then we went to The Needles which are beautiful stacks of chalk on the western side of Isle of Wight.  Unfortunately we did not much time to walk down the end point. We decided to take the Chairlift to the shore of the sea. It was a sight to remember as we descended down to the shore. Mr. A was superbly scared as he felt that the chair lift did not proper safety (I disagree as the height was so low and the speed was so slow that there was no need of any safety). It was untouched with the stones on the beach whithered due to the wave. Peaceful! Later on, we also did some browsing and sightseeing.

But after sometime it was time to return back. As we had to get back on the top east corner of the island - Fishbourne. I enjoyed the peace of the ferry ride, this time on - trying to relive the wonderful moments on the island. Even though the above writing mentions only the destination, I would want to re-iterate that the drives from one point to another was the show-stealer.

I would recommend everyone to visit Isle of Wight who want to see a different side of England.

To Live Alone, again

Why is it so difficult for me to live alone? Is it because I have got used to him. There have been multiple occasions in the past where he has been away but I always have had a miserable memory of it. Not sure why? It is not that in those instances I was actually miserable. On the contrary, I had really good times with friends and family. But in those good times too I always wished that he was with me and that he is missing these good times. I am not dependent on him for my day to day chores. I can manage it quite alright. But still I miss him. Wish that he is with me. I guess, these long distances make you realize how important someone is to you and how much you need them. I guess this phase is quite enjoyable that you are feeling these complex emotions and some where he too is missing you... May be not as much to write about it... :)

This is my Infy :)

So here it comes, probably my last week in Infosys.

I have had a very emotional relationship with this company. Not because it paid me (peanuts) but because it made me who I am today, professionally as well as personally.

This was my first company (always a special relation),

the first time I left home and lived alone (in a guest house which was more comfortable than home),

got my first pay check here (Ahhh to see a bank balance in your name and which you have hard earned, what a joy!)

learnt not be afraid to speak your mind in front of people elder to you or more experienced to you (Thanks to Indian Culture we are taught to do the exact reverse),

learnt to do job in the correct way (pls note, not right or wrong way, but the correct way),

met amazing people here (list of friends and colleagues (who got lost too) is looong),

got re-acquainted to a distance cousin (who is my best and worst friend at the same time (can someone beat that?)),

met my future husband here (and had few lovely time off with him here(even till the last month))....

And a place where I got the confidence (first time in my life) that I am actually really good in something (credit - back to back good CRRs)

The list can go on...

Infosys is different than any company. The huge campuses, the large infrastructure, the large teams, process oriented work, brilliant people (and the super dumb lot too), the unexplained rules, the swipe ins and outs, the 9.15 hour clause, the tie (which are lost terms now), the huge MLPL, the weird shaped buildings (the ECC and the Anda building), the numerous blue colored umbrellas at the entrance of each building (which don’t seem numerous when it rains), the bus bay (can you imagine a huge area just dedicated to the company buses), the lovely and lush green cricket ground (there comes the twinkle in Mr. A’s eyes), the multiple food courts with multiple choices, the recreational facilities (which I admit I was a rare user), the pool facing Cafe Coffee Day, exotic birds chirping in lush green garden, the special CCD kiosk near gate-1 (covered with huge green trees and the squirrels running around fearlessly (Mr. A and my favorite place)), the journey from Home to Office and back (Initially the bus rides and then the lovely car rides (Not lovely for someone who was driving (Thanks to the much talked HJW traffic))...

Again the list can go on (will be updated as I will miss them)..

The last time I left Infosys, I felt bad but not as hallow as I feel today (as if I am leaving a part of me behind). At that time, it was more of missing friends more than this organization. Today, I feel that I will miss the organization as a whole. All the above things and of course the ring of the text on the last day of the month telling me that there is a credit transaction in your account….

　

Gyaan...

We were discussing about the commercial aircrafts and how it was a dream to go by airplane in last decade and how it has become a necessity now......:)
The next things that came into my mind was , how fast the journey has become for all of us , it requires just few hours to be at any destination in our country ( provided the airport is near J )….it’s like was having snacks in office few hours ago now eating "maa ke haat ka bana hua khana" for dinner J gr8 isn’t it?
Let’s be thankful for the people who made theses flying machine what they are and also for them who made it affordable.
Any way talking about the speed of these aircrafts , I realized I don’t know much what speed the commercial aircrafts fly? Which is the fastest Aircraft in the world?? What’s the measure of speed for aircrafts , is it KMP , MPH or anything else?
So I did what any normal urban human being will do , I Googled it J , hence sharing about few things I think we all should know…..

Commercial airplanes used in INDIA :
Airbus A320 : Maximum speed Mach 0.82 with seating capacity varying from 230 to 400 people at a time J ( Kingfisher ) Boeing 737 : Maximum speed Mach 0.785 with seating capacity varying from 255 to 420 people at a time J ( JET) Boeing 747 : commonly called a jumbo jet reaches cruising speeds of 885 km/hr (747 continues to be the world's fastest subsonic jetliner, cruising at Mach 0.85 -- or 85 percent of the speed of sound)

Now this brings us to the another question what is the measure to calculate speed of the airplanes , hmm you must have at least heard MACH ( Gillette Mach 1 shaving blade if not atleast BSA bicycle name "Mach 1" ), So do you know what 1 Mach equals to??

Let’s know what this MACH actually is…………………..
MACH :
Mach number (Ma or M) (generally pronounced /ˈmɑːk/, sometimes /ˈmɑːx/ or /ˈmæk/) is the speed of an object moving through air, or any fluid substance, divided by the speed of sound (1225Km/h) as it is in that substance. The Mach number is named after Czech/Austrian physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach.
As you know MACH defined as a ratio of two speeds, it is a dimensionless number , but we can say 1 Mach is approximately equals to the Speed of Sound i.e. 1225 Km/h.
But as the speed of sound increases with the temperature the value that 1 Mach represents can vary accordingly .
Any idea which commercial aircraft was the fastest , yes "Concorde"

Concorde :
The Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde aircraft was a turbojet-powered Supersonic passenger airliner which flew regular from London Heathrow (British Airways) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (Air France) to New York JFK and Washington Dulles, flying these routes at record speeds, in less than half the time of other airliners.
Concorde had an average cruise speed of Mach 2.02 (about 2,140 km/h or 1,330 mph) with a maximum cruise altitude of 18,300 metres (60,000 feet), more than twice the speed of conventional aircraft.

Unfortunately Concorde is no more L - On 10 April 2003, Air France and British Airways simultaneously announced that they would retire Concorde later that year. They cited low passenger numbers following the 25 July 2000 crash, the slump in air travel following the 9\ 11 attacks and rising maintenance costs.
So Why the Concorde was called as a Supersonic JET? Answer ….. here
Subsonic: M < 1
Sonic: M=1
Transonic: 0.8 < M < 1.2
Supersonic: 1.2 < M < 5
Hypersonic: M > 5

And last thing which are the Fastest aircrafts in the world ??
Plane Top Speed
X-43 (Unmanned) Mach 9.8 ( around 12000 Km/h J will take me 3 minutes to reach NPG from PUNE yeeipeeee but unfortunately it is
unmanned)
X-15 Mach 6.72 (The X-15 is the fastest manned aircraft in the world.)
SR-71 Blackbird (YF-12) Mach 3.2+ (The SR-71 Blackbird is the fastest airplane in the world. )



BTW DO you now Aircraft and airplane are not the same thing?? :O:O
We often tend to use the terms airplane and aircraft synonymously , but NO they are different.
Aircraft as any craft that flies through the air so it will include - an airplane, helicopter, missile, glider, balloon, blimp or any other vehicle that uses the air to generate lift for flight
Airplane is a powered vehicle that relies on fixed wings to generate lift.

So you can we say our good old KITE is an aircraft??? :):):)

Enough Gyan for the day….let’s get back to work……………. :P

Wierd

There are all sorts of people that you encounter in your daily life – some you remember, some you forget. Today I want to talk about a stranger who I can never forget. This person I remember due to the weirdness of the situation or the incident.

Pune station was bustling with people as always. I and Sandeep were seated in our seats. A man in his late 40s with a blue hand bag came towards the window and asked us where the train goes and what time will it reply. He was spectacled with curly hair, wearing a neatly ironed blue shirt and pant. Looked like a person who was searching his train. I gave him the information and he looked at his watch and walked off in hurry. I gave Sandeep a grin showing my accomplishment. He looked at me with a serious face. He told me that he has been seeing the guy with the same attire on the same platform every time he has been on Pune station. He asks people the same two questions, walks off as if he is going to miss the train but never boards the train. I was zapped and could not believe that he was a lunatic. I can never forget the guy.

Blink...

She talked, joked and laughed with her friend. She knew where she exactly wanted to get down. But she still mentioned to me to tell her when her stop comes. I am talking about a girl who got into my bus with her friend. Jovial and fun loving, like any girl of her age. May be she is in college, I thought. She sat besides me and started making conversation. Friendly too I said to myself. She told me she was learning acupressure in some local college. When I mentioned that I was from software, she said acupressure is very beneficial to people like me who had sedentary life-style. She also mentioned that she wanted to treat more people with this new skill that she is learning. I was impressed to see her confidence. When I told her I was new to Pune and dint know the stops well, she kept on updating me the bus stops. I thought to myself she is a regular on this route. She mentioned she had to travel for another 1 hour and for that she had to change the bus at Alka talkies. I was impressed. Just then the conductor shouted “Alka Talkies”. She looked in my direction and said a bye. I smiled back. She opened her white stick, got up and slowly climbed down of the bus.

I looked at her and she was waving me a good bye…

Some people leave a mark on your life and she just had!!!

Bye bye 2009

As the New Year is dawning, I see people looking back on the year gone. This prompted me to look back at 2009. 2009 will be a memorable year of my life, forever. This year brought in a lot of changes for me as an individual. The year started of with the decision on my wedding date. And the first few months went in the preparation of the wedding. During the early part of the year, I always thought that I was not prepared for the big leap. I was sure of the guy I was marrying but the whole marriage thing brought in jitters in me. The anticipation of the wedding and the changes following it made me nervous time to time. At one point I was excited to be married and the other side made me super-nervous. Every one knows that nothing is permanent yet none of us is prepared to face the change. We are all comfortable in our seat and then when we are asked to move away from that comfort zone, it is nerve-wrecking. I guess my parents and Sandeep had to face these emotional out-burst. I really need to thank them for tolerating my mood-swings. So I decided to shut my mind and enjoy the moment as it comes.

Anyway, enough of that. So after long months of preparation, the D-day arrived. I, myself cannot say if it was a great day or not as I was emotionally on a stand-by. With so many things happening at the same time, I don’t remember the wedding properly. I now see my wedding photographs and try to link it all. I went to Nagpur on the same day. It was a great week there with my new family.

Even though, I knew Sandeep for a long time, living with him was a total different experience. As I girlfriend, I knew only 19.92% of his personality and had imagined his 100% using that 19.92%. I was in for a surprise. It was a real joy ride. Sometimes it was real up, sometimes it was down. But before we could find more about each other, I had to be in Mumbai to join back office. That started a period of struggle for both of us. As everyone we know, knows, I was looking for transfer to Pune which I was not given in the name of recession. They tried to throw me to Bangalore which I resisted. The mental torture which I underwent in that month, prompted me to even think quitting my job. And then after a lot of struggle, depression and fights, I was on my way to interview for a Pune project. And then Sandeep broke the news that his company was sending him to Hyderabad for four months. I did not know how to react. There I was concentrating on my problem and suddenly out of no where a new problem had cropped up for Sandeep. That is when I realized that it was no more my problem and Sandeep’s problem, it was our problem and we had to face it and fight it. I cleared my interview and was asked to move to Pune. Sandeep had moved to Hyderabad. It was really bad at first. In a new place with new people and both in the same situation. The days were hard but at the end we both enjoyed it. The phone calls, the infrequent meeting, the missing each other, the supporting each other. I guess that made us know each other more and value each other more. During this time, I want to mention two people who were bolster support for me- Mangesh and Mayuresh. If it hadn’t been for these two, I would have gone nuts. They were the ones who kept me going. Thanks to both you!!! I never got a chance to mention that to both of you!

Anyway, days passed slowly but steadily. We were sensing that Sandeep’s stay in Hyderabad might extend. We (mostly Sandeep) decided enough was enough and he had to come back. We took some extreme steps and unexpectedly he was back in Pune. That was the real start of our life as a couple. There so many great moments that its difficult to write about them. We disagreed, argued and fought but still managed to find a middle path. We, as before, had great 2 months together and looking forward for many more to come.

The anticipation and nervousness of being married has completed gone. There is a great sense of relief that I am with some great people – Mangesh, Mayuresh, Ketan, Tejas and of course my husband dearest. Thanks everyone around me to make my 2009 so special. To sum it up in one line “I am loving it”

Looking forward for a greater 2010,
Sneha Chande – Abhyankar.