Me...me...me...

Last couple of weeks, i could not make out what is going around my head...i can only say it is so "unlike me".

I normally dont get irritated at work and if i do i just walk out of the place. There were only a very few instances like that in the whole of my eight years work. Last few weeks, i get so irritated and it was near to impossible to get back to the normal mood. There may be lot of reasons for getting irritated, but i could not identify a single reason to get unirritated. It will be comfortable to know that tomorrow will be much comfortable than today...knowing that tomorrow will be worse than today, how will it feel?

I dont care if anyone is as perfect or as professional as i would expect them to be. End of the day, it is all business as usual, but, how does it accompolish your unique selling property? Why should i getting irritated because of this? because, i have to share the same curve with these people and there is a good saying in தமிழ்...

"கோவணம் கட்டாத ஊருல pant-ட்டு போட்டவன் தான் முட்டாள்"
நான் என்னத்த சொல்ல...

பிரைட்

Indian Independence Day

Today, i could not attend the flag hoisting ceremony at the Indian Embassy in Bahrain, because of a meeting with the client. Finally, it turned out like the meeting was not of any worth than saluting the national flag on this day. Anyways, i consoled myself that i dont need a specific day to feel proud of being an INDIAN.

Jai Hind...bright

ஜெர்மனியின் செந்தேன் மலரே

சமீபத்தில் நண்பர் ஒருவர் ஜெர்மனியில் இருந்து திரும்பி வந்தார். உலக கோப்பை கால் பந்தாட்ட போட்டி [FIFA 2006] நடந்த சமயம் அதை நேரில் காண கிடைத்த வாய்ப்பு பற்றியும், கால் பந்தாட்ட ரசிகர்களின் முகம் மற்றும் சிகை அலங்காரங்களைப் பற்றியும் பக்கம் பக்கமாக விவரித்து எழுதியிருந்தார். அதை படித்த போது மனம் கொஞ்சம் பின் நோக்கி பார்த்தது.

இது வரை நான் நான்கு நாடுகளுக்குச் சென்றுள்ளேன். எல்லாமே எதிர்பாராமல் கிடைத்த வாய்ப்புகள் தான். ஆனால் இந்த ஜெர்மனிக்குச் செல்லும் வாய்ப்பு மட்டும் தட்டிப் போய் கொண்டே இருக்கிறது.

நான் முதலில் வேலை ஆரம்பித்தது ஒரு ஜெர்மன் client காக தான். ஒரு வருடம் கழித்து, 1999ல், அந்த client காக ஒரு புது development project செய்ய ஜெர்மனி செல்ல தொலைபேசி காணலில்[telephonic interview] தேர்வு செய்ய பட்டேன். அதே காலகட்டத்தில் நான் BITS Pilani - DLPD மூலம் MS படித்துக் கொண்டிருந்தேன். அதற்கான் தேர்வு நெருங்கி வந்தது, client யிடம் இருந்து invitation letter வரவில்லை. அதனால் என்னுடைய Mentor இந்த முறை ஜெர்மனி செல்ல என்னால் முடியாது என்று client-க்கு சொல்லி விட்டார். அந்த Project-ம் கிடப்பில் போடப்பட்டது.

அடுத்தது, 2004ல், ஒரு strategy presentation காக ஒரு நாள் மட்டும் ஜெர்மனி செல்ல வேண்டி வந்தது. presentation எல்லாம் தயாரித்து முடித்து கிளம்ப விசா பேப்பர் எல்லாம் அனுப்பிய பிறகு ஒரு நாளைக்காக எதற்கு வீண் செலவு என்று சொல்லி, ஜெர்மனியில் ஏற்கனவே இருந்த ஒருவரை வைத்து அந்த presentation முடிந்தது.

சமீபத்தில், 2005ல், ஜெர்மனியில் ஒரு Technical Workshop காக IBM Sponsorshipல் ஜெர்மனிக்குச் செல்ல வேண்டும் என்றெல்லாம் சொல்லி கடைசியில் அது என்னவாயிற்று என்றே தெரியவில்லை.

இதுல இருந்து நான் என்ன சொல்ல வரேன்னா, அட ஒண்ணுமே சொல்லலீங்க...ஏதாவது எழுதணும்னு தோணிச்சு...சரின்னு இந்த 'மொக்கை' போட்டுட்டேன். இப்ப எஸ்கேப் ஆயிக்கறேன்...

பிரைட்

Just a Moment, Please...

Sunday - July 30, 2006 - The day that should was like any other day except that it started with a series of frantic phone calls from all the known people in India. I was taking my bath and there were record breaking 10 missed calls from different people. Why? There was a flash news in a tamil channel [Sun TV] about a fire accident in Manama, Bahrain. It took a lot of effort for me to convince them that we are safe and the incident took in a far off place. However, this blog is for something else.

One day later, i read from the paper, that 16 person from the cuddalore, vilupuram region of Tamilnadu died in the fire accident that took place during close to midnight.

The facts are:
1. around 250 people were staying in 20 rooms.
2. the building was a very old building and it was the pathetic condition of the building wiring that caused short circuit and electrocuted 16 lives.
3. all of them are construction workers.
4. they were not paid salary for the last few months.

The working condition is under the scorching hot sun in the range of 40 - 49 degree celsius [the temperature will not go beyond 50 deg cel, because then the government had to declare holiday]

Living condition, they will be put up in a very sub-standard poor living condition - about 15 - 20 person sharing one single room.

Generally, the workers from Asia dont have a human value in this society and they are not covered under any insurance [both medical and life].

Even if they wanted to leave this place, they are under the mercy of their sponsor.

Okay...why do they undergo all these turmoils...money, but is it worth?

Let us work out some logistics.
A construction worker, staying in Bahrain for atleast 5 years, working 12 hours a day for 6 days a week will earn a maximum of BD 60. If he works extra time, he will get around BD 63. With this money he has to take care of his accommodation, transport, food and living expenses, save some money and send it to his family back home. Remember, they also have to repay their huge loan amounts taken to satisfy their travel agent, with the dreams of getting a job in this part of the world.

After one week, today - 7th August 2006, i dont find any trace of what happened to these people who lost their lives and the other friends of those dead...no one cares.

Whatever is discussed in this forum will not reach the deserved people - the labours who are headed to this part of the world. But, this message will be definitely read by the sector of people who have the comfort of browsing the internet and understand what is happening around them. This sector enjoyed the benefit of education which was directly or indirectly contributed by the hardship of their fellow citizens in the foreign soil.

The event of these deaths, caused a huge cry in the indian channels and the diplomats made big statements. But, i still have the questions.
Do these media and the diplomats think that the indians in this part of the world lead a royal life?
Was it a "real surprise" to the indian embassy in Bahrain that the Indian employees are put up in a sub standard living conditions?
Come on people, take a break!.

When i came to Bahrain, the first thing i realised was the way the Indians are treated as against the westerners. The very embarassments start right from the official airlines of this part.

Who can raise the living standards of our people?
Who can raise the image of our country in the global village?
Why do our country continue to be a body shopper, supplying cheap labours to this part of the world?

There was a similar news from the west.
In Canada, there are huge inhabited lands. In an interview, the minister was asked why Canadian government is not planning to bring more sub-continent people to Canada and develop those areas. The minister immediately replied to that saying that, the task does not end with just bringing the labour. The complexity increases for making arrangements for their living, medical facilities, schools etc., This shows the two extremes of the two world.

My friend had written a nice blog on the same topic. You can find it here.

...bright

கேட்டீங்களா...கேட்டீங்களா...

சூரியன் FM இப்பொழுது வலையில்...www.dinakaran.com-ல் music tab-ஐ தட்டினால் சுடச்சுட சூரியன் FM கேட்கலாம்.

இதே போல் Radio Mirchi வலையில் இருக்கிறதா? யாருக்காவது தெரிந்தால் சொல்லுங்களேன்...

...பிரைட்.