First day in Client Office!

Feb 09, 09
so many calls in the morning from and to my room mate for car pooling to office. its around 6 miles from our apts and a lot of our colleagues are put up in this appt, Barrington Lakes.
the New Formals, not sure if it did show me good. i reached office enjoying the OC ride.
Had to collect my Visitor Pass, which is a paper stick unlike a non-sticky badge i have seen in my own company.
Resting my Jacket, and Yet to be given a seat, took out my lappy and connected to the "Guest" wireless. First mail from my offshore counter (even i did know this only after this mail) part on the requirements. and then was slowly introduced to many there in our team.

it was completely a different feeling to sit in the client office. i see a lot of white faces. a lot of indian faces as well. and a few faces from across the globe. unfortunately did not find any attractive fig, which is what i usually search for anywhere i go. Most of them were in different shapes. i cant even stand besides....Though there were many mallus in our team, they formed their own gang :(

Have to tell abt this fountain water tap. You know what? i dint drink a drop of water the whole day in office :(.
at around 10 was told i have to join a meeting with client from 1 - 2PM on the requirements. What ? reapeat it...
Client meeting ? Me? oh i started to be serious and went thru the design doc. The requirement wasnt greek and latin after some 30 mins...mm i can manage.

12.30 My manager just came and we thought we should get our lunch from FC before the meeting, for FC closes by 2. on the walk he spoke a lot abt the requirements. Reaching FC, he helped me a lot as he knew am New to US. lots of counters were there, one for sandwich, one for burger....etc. I wanted a sandwich, the easiest choice, wait are u sure easiest? oh no have to make lots of choices and tell that person for the order, i mean, which size ( 6 inch or 1 foot), which bread, which cheese, what vegetables (tomato, lettuce, green pepper).....etc everything. "Manager, please make my order for today! " but he was kind enough to pay ($3.99 + taxes) for it as well :)

Back to the meeting on time. my team mate was going good with in the meeting. I tried to understand what they speak, their slang.....My DM joined in the middle. i had the notes (?) taken in my lappy. there was another new guy in the meeting who looked more pathetic than myself.
was waiting for the clock to hit 2, am hungry, though i could have had my sandwich in the meeting, i had it waiting in the small conf room , where am given a temp seat. Ah its over.
What a sandwich...it was good. i shud have taken the 1 foot long....

what next? i started to sleep and in between had a look at the requirements. i was kept looking at the wrist watch to move on. wah it hit 5, kept bugging my room mate to start. he was waiting for a car which can accomodate both of us. finally we reached home in another colleagues car amidst the drizzle outside.

Reaching home was hungry like Hell. Pepper paste from Grand sweets, Yummy, had my full stomach. now i need to understand the functional docs which my manager gave me....are u ready ??? "Hey...Hey.... wait...you are sleeping...so soon....hey wai.....zzzzzzz"

Chennai -> Chicago by a Vellorian!

Feb, 07, 2009
Have come to Hoffman Estates (IL, USA, 30 mins from chicago) for an assignment. not sure abt the duration. Am excited abt this new journey...things all look different. and hope i start writing my blogs as freq as possible.

And here goes the brief Desc of my Travel:
Just like many others,
First time in life i stepped into a flight. never dreamt would happen ever. Luckily had two connections. Qatar Airlines, Chennai -5hrs- Doha (Qatar)- 14hrs-Washington DC- 2hrs- Chicago, which helped me get acquainted with different customs and checks at different airports...etc. Nervousness accompanied me from chennai - Chicago until i met my friend and colleague sugumaran. Air Hostess were beautiful , but only one impressed me a lot of all in the chennai - doha flight. she smiled at me twice....woahh....:)
My mom, dad, hari, uma and surprisingly Lakshmikanth for my send off in airport.

The first H1-B, first flight, first air ticket, first check-in, first immigration, first customs check, first boarding, first take off, first aerial view, first landing, first ice view, first bath tub, first use of tissue for water.....wow i do not find words to explain those moments...thanks to those window seats in the first two flights. The lights in the night, the painted like clouds, the ice covered mountains, well designed city during landings, ....etc .first flight had one common television for a row, but second one had individual screens with tamil movies as well in its options, i enjoyed the ever green "santhosh subramaniam". was mostly occupied in sleep in the 2nd flight. break fast and meals twice....mm...good. guess i tasted fish as well served with the salad though have been a pure veg for more than 4 yrs now. what ? i asked for veg...no regrets...he he he.

Shopping! - I should tell you all about my shopping. i swear this sure would be the biggest in my life time ...formals, jacket, thermals, shoes, cooker, tava,....etc in spencers and pondy bazaar globus. thanks to Hari for giving his card to swipe everywhere for the purchase which hit approx 40k. most of them who heard about this got paralysed even the new room mate here in Hoffman.....:( Infact hari's whole family did my packing. i just started with the packed baggage to airport by 1 AM on 7th from his house for my flight at 4.45 Am.
unluckily for me casuals is very much fine an accepted formal here in this client office.....i just have brought 3 jeans...have to open an account soon and convert the TCs(travelers checks) to currency to buy more jeans...

I could easily see that it would be very hectic for the next two months as my room and team mate is working here today (sunday) from morning and giving status to client ....God save me....

About accomodation, have got a temp adjustment by the new team mate until i get mine. 4 in our apartment for now....its all great. water and ice outside the room, yet to check more beauty outside....havent gone out in the day yet....heard its 10 mins drive to office from here. have to buy a car and learn to drive asap.

Temp - its between 4 - 8 degrees centigrade. Though i could see the ice almost everywhere, everyone says am lucky for coming in at the right time. 3 weeks back it was in minus 20 to 30.

Finally, the tension of last two weeks abt my onsite travel ended by yesterday. Am onsite :)

Am sure this country is packed with surprises all over. starting from $3 for using a trolley cart in airport .....am all set to experience the surprises...

And yes, would miss my pulsar.....my love.....

Bad Times!!!

am held up tight from posting anything as its all blocked in the company :( need to wait till i get the broadband in room. :(:(:(:(