MEMORIES OF MY FIRST SUPERIOR

The first sight of the factory from outside the gate was stunning and beautiful. Three buildings that were three different companies of the same organization stood close to each other and each looked like a master piece in civil engineering. Lush green lawns filled with flowers in full bloom, adorned the areas surrounding each of these buildings. Many times a new recruit gets so overwhelmed with the sheer grandeur of these types in a large organization and would never know the imminent political undercurrents that would soon engulf him. It was the same with me too. It was my first job and my father had come with me on the first day and waited outside till I disappeared through the entrance to the factory reception area. He was proud as would have been the case with any parent, as he could always hold his head high in his social circle and tell his friends and relatives that his son was with one of the biggest engineering giants in India.

It took about a week for the orientation to slip by and then I met my first superior. I looked at him like I looked at my teacher, with so much reverence and awe. I was already given the role of a shift supervisor along with a senior supervisor. Before my boss stepped into the bay every day, he would bend and touch the ground first and then his forehead as a mark of worship. I liked it and I also started putting the cross before I stepped into the bay. Sometimes it’s funny that we tend to learn many things from our first superior. I liked the way he walked around the bay with his hands behind his back like an army officer.

When he found some time he would tell me that he would spend some time with me to teach me CNC programming and he led me to a few manuals related to the same. I think due the busy schedules that he go into later, we never really got a chance to sit down. The manuals were soporific to be frank and I really battled with it in my night shifts, trying to get something out of it and all attempts turned out futile.  Each time I saw my boss go past me I always had this feeling he would ask me about what I have done in CNC programming and I really could not do much. But a few days later, I found a friendly worker Freddy Cunningham who took me up the CNC horizontal boring machine and gave me a good introduction to CNC programming with all the practical nuances. And with that I really took off well.

But although we saw each other many times, my boss never asked me what I was into or what I had learnt. We smiled when I wished him each morning and his smile would reveal his grayish yellow teeth dressed with the betel that he was constantly chewing. He was bald and very beautifully kept the few hairs that remained on the central part of his head well set. On some days especially when the workers showed extreme dissent, and things were beyond his control, I could see him sitting alone in his cabin with his hair ruffled and his composure all gone. I would be sitting just outside his cube in the department room and the muffled hum of the machines and cranes would still be heard through the closed door.  The smell of coolant from used waste cloth and that of tools and inserts that lay around would be all over the room. There were two glass panes for his cube through which people from outside could see him.  All the supervisors would be out in the bay and I could see my boss sometimes sit just gazing and allowing his thoughts to drift through his mind. Having been there by then for a few weeks, I had also got to hear the political scene out there and what my boss was going through. This face of my boss, that face of helplessness in the middle of extreme tension and pressure, had and still does have a great impact on me. This is what makes me unconsciously run away from political scenes anywhere.

Our CEO would walk through the factory bays on a few days in a week. No one knew when he would do that. But the moment he stepped into the bay, there would be people who would quickly send signals to all the supervisors and managers and the whole place would assume theatrical dimensions.  My boss would rush to the latest horizontal boring machine that had been procured just months back and which was the cynosure of the top leadership. He would then join the workman on the carriage and go up in it at about twenty feet and be there in the pretext of having extreme focus of the machining that was in progress. 

Once the CEO left, my boss would leave the place as though the Scene 1 of Act 1 was over with no emotions attached to what went by.  I did not like this facet of my boss. A lot of supervisors in that bay copied this behaviour and joined the boss with their own theatrical performances. I saw one of them go under an iron casting that was lifted by a crane, to wipe the base and make it clean from coolant and metal chips. This was something that he could have done just standing besides the lifted casting, but he went underneath taking that risk of his life, in the desperation to portray extreme involvement when the CEO was around. During these times I would withdraw quietly and sit inside the department as I found it extremely difficult and embarrassing to put up a performance like this.

Twenty three years have gone by and I still am a misfit when it comes to performances of this type.  And on the contrary being too direct and open has also had its ramifications. May be there is a balance that I have to strike and I want to strike that soon. But I don’t know why, I still feel so much for my first boss and for all what he was going through. Many times there are thoughts like these that you can never take out of your mind.

MY FIRST ATTEMPT WITH ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

This painting you see is my first attempt with acrylic on canvas and it came out much better than what I expected. Drawing silhouettes is in one way a safe first step as you don't have to burn your head with the different shades that a painting of a landscape in broad daylight demands:))

I spent about 6 hours with the painting and that could be because I was doing it the first time. Prior to this I had spent about 2 hours sketching the camel, the tree branches, the mosque, the setting sun and the shrubs on the ground with a pencil after the background had dried up.

I had dabbled with Microsoft MS Paint and done a few paintings with the computer mouse. What you see below is a collective image of these.

I had also worked on some pencil sketches, some of which I have put into the older posts in this blog. I think I would have bought at least ten books on acrylic painting to understand the nuances of mixing and shading. I read a little of all these books, but never jumped into the actual activity as the various steps in that whole process still lay as obstacles in my mind. Some of them were the place where I would place the canvas and paint, the mixing of the colours, the different brushes that I should be using, the picture that I should start with first, how to do the basic sketching on the dried acrylic after the background was done and how to make changes in the sketch in case I wanted to.

I have seen my sister struggle with pencil sketching a year back and the outputs were never satisfactory. But somehow in the last few months that went by, she took up acrylic painting. I think 'took up' is a mild word. She rather 'jumped' into it. And although there was an initial period of struggle, I saw some beautiful paintings based on the Masaii tribe come out. I believe she was going through a difficult period after quitting her job to look after my father and when many people called up home and asked her about her career, it used to pile up as a mountain of pressure on her. But it was great to see that getting channelized in this creative way.

And so when I took up acrylic painting, most of the obstacles that were there in my mind, were already sorted out  and clear as I could see how my sister had gone about. She was with me when the brush with the first dip of paint hit the canvas and also right through the sketching and the editing of the sketch before the final painting. I was really surprised to know the several little things she had already learnt from her experiments and experience.

I think what held me back was the fear of failure and wanting to come out good in the very first attempt. That way I was only holding myself back with the fear to explore.

ENJOYING YERCAUD FROM THE GRT SKY ROCCA

I think I spent atleast two weeks talking to people and  going through reviews on the internet with the help of my daughter. None of the reviews were that impressive except for that of GRT Sky Rocca and another homestay. We wanted something that had a view overlooking the valley from the mountain slope and the Sky Rocca Nature Trails Hotel gave that hundred percent.

The way the hotel has been designed and constructed on the mountain give us a simply unique and awesome experience. Cost was indeed a factor that kept me guessing whether to go ahead,  but I believe it was really worth it. My friends told me that there was nothing in Yercaud to go around and see and so I cut short the stay from three days to two days. I realized that most of the time would be spent inside the hotel and that way I wanted to have a good stay for the family. 

And all the little pleasures we discovered were truly serendipitous. The beautiful views from different spots in the hotel, monkeys playing on our balcony, the incessant chirps of different birds, the glass floors giving a breathtaking feel and much more came in as splendid surprises while we enjoyed that brief tryst with pristine nature.

CARROT HALWA - IT'S WORTH A TRY

When my colleague brought carrot halwa to office last week, I had asked her on how to go about preparing it. It appeared to be much easier than what I thought it would be. There are very few things that makes an Indian working wife happier than when you get a cup of coffee ready for her when she gets back from work. And last Saturday I delighted her not just with a cup of coffee but also with carrot halwa.

It is pretty easy and for all those who are keen to experiment with some food making, here's a simple one to try and make a start. You could begin with a small quantity of five carrots. Shred it using a standard manual shredder.Pour five teaspoons of ghee into a pan. Grab ten to fifteen pieces of cashews and raisins and drop them into the pan. Saute them until they become light brown. Take them out and keep it aside. Now add the shredded carrot into the pan and fry it well, till the taste and smell of the raw vegetable disappears. Add milk to an extent such that it just covers the carrot. Add two tablespoons of sugar. The inherent sweetness of the carrot will add on. Keep the flame initially high when there is more liquid to evaporate and then bring it low.One thing what I noticed here is that the milk was taking real time to blend with the carrot and evaporate. It could probably be because carrot by itself has some inherent fluid.

Continue to mix the contents well especially when semi-solidification starts so that it does not get burnt at the bottom. Once the contents become semi-solid, drop in the fried cashews and raisins and mix well. The contents can then be taken off the stove. Serve it while it’s still a little hot. The original colour of the carrot will still remain.

I would be lying if I said that I was cool right through the exercise. Whenever I have been away from my family for long term work assignments, I have had to take up cooking. I believe I was able to do a good job, so much so that I was able to call individuals and families to my house at these locations and give them dinner. I have told this to my people at home several times and they always kept nudging me to do something so that they could see it with their own eyes :)) So it was but natural that I wanted this piece to come out well in the very first shot. Many times these little pressures in my life turn out to be funny.

My wife loved it and complimented me while also telling me that I can try out the regular side dishes for lunch and dinner too :-) My daughter too enjoyed it. Give it a try.

ANOTHER NEW YEAR

The dust and din of the city,
Was the same as ever,
As I set out for work,
Today morning.
My wife saw me off,
At the gate.
My daughter was still sleeping,
After we sat late yesterday,
To solve some maths problems.
She wants to score,
The highest mark,
And stand tall amidst her friends.

This journey of mine,
Is just another race,
Like that of my daughter,
And it will continue,
As money still seems to be important,
And I feel good,
When I receive it,
Every month end.
Soon my daughter may also,
Pursue a job,
Like me for money.
But what then is there in a New Year for me?
Just to call and up and greet,
A few friends and dear ones,
To hang out and party,
And to plan and break,
Some resolutions?

I think it is important,
To dream,
As to what all I can do,
With passion,
While I still exist on this earth.
I believe that I should dream more,
And search within me,
What I am made for,
While I step into the NEW YEAR.
I should compete with just myself.
My daughter will then  follow my steps,
When she sees the joy on my face,
While I passionately pursue my dreams.

A TRYST WITH THE FORSAKEN

I went through an experience last week. It is something that I go through every year and this time the intensity seemed to be more. Listening to people speak, reading books, watching movies and experiencing situations in life are those that bring intensity into life for me. I have been struggling with Mahathma Gandhi's 'My Experiments with Truth' for quiet some time, but in the process of that slow reading, I found  the areas of social service, that Gandhi had done, to be really incredible. I also happened to read some articles about Mother Teresa and watch 'Ben Hur' last week. And then Christmas was here and there is a church I go to during that time every year. The street leading to that church is narrow and I have always found beggars and lepers on both sides of this street during this time. I have never got back anytime without giving them something. This time when I dropped a coin into a leper's bowl, I went through that same experience, a feeling to quickly drop the coin and walk away. I think that the feeling of being in that environment was more this time, because of the intensity I went through through while reading the book and seeing the movie. In the case of beggars, I think this tendency in me to walk away fast, is a shade lesser.

I believe this year, I am beginning to realize all the more, that as a Christian am still crippled. I can only claim extraordinary things but I am nowhere close to being a good Christian. When I was in Sunday School I was a serial first rank holder in all the exams. I have served as a deacon in the church services for several years. I don't have any of the bad qualities to be termed as a bad guy. We pray almost everyday as a family. We go to church and participate in the worship almost every Sunday. I have been a teacher at the church Sunday School since my 12th standard. It's only in the last two years that I have dropped out of active participation in the Sunday School due to the demands from my family side. I have bagged a lot of prizes at the Sunday School and my daughter is also following the same path. But the realization that I get as I wade through the book of Gandhi is that, I am nowhere when it comes to showing compassion on the poor or the sick. My religious approach does not have an active social work component supporting the poor or the sick as yet, something beyond giving them money and food. I wonder how Mother Teresa or Gandhi got themselves into a service where they had to touch the sick and the poor. I believe that without being able to touch them, I am actually not giving them love. I am being noncommittal. I am not sure how my reaction will be, if one of these forsaken souls come into the church and sit beside me for prayer.

I can keep reading the Bible and praying all my life but I would still remain crippled as a Christian if I am not able to take this step forward.

THE BEST GIFTS FOR MY BIRTHDAY