Then and Now

Ten years ago, around now I was taking baby steps from being a college kid to graduating and entering the big exciting world. It was the first time I was going to stay without parents, grandparents or a sibling.

The first move was when I did my final year project at HAL, Bangalore. I stayed with a friend in a house 4 days a week and then went back to home base for the remaining 3 days. It was at that time I got a taste of the big city. It was nothing like Carrie Bradshaw in NYC…but well it was my own version. It was then that I tried the club-hopping, it was then that my girlfriends and I gave fake names at one of those clubs, it was then that spending hours at a coffee shop for a non-coffee drinker seemed possible, it was then that I turned 21.

I can safely say that Bangalore became home base for me in 2003; it still is. Mysore became associated with the formative years…when I really didn’t know or get a chance to explore who I am or want to be.

Bangalore let me do that. I got my first job, my first pay check, my kinda first boyfriend, my first pad, my first party with people I did not know, my first date with a guy I hardly knew, my first beach wedding in Goa…well, the list is long. And now that I am older I really need more time to remember all of it…so let me stop. I am sure you get the gist.

That was a start of a fantastic decade. I cannot believe it is that long ago…but well time does fly! In the last ten years that started in Bangalore with me experimenting with life a lot happened.

Pune was the next city I went to. This city did give me my MBA, but the best thing it gave me is my own love story. I met my husband there seven and half years ago. And well then the city also opened my eyes, widened my vision, merged the black and white to a larger grey area and suddenly I was not so much of a halli guggu. The transformation was not immediate, and was not easy…but Pune – or maybe it was Tarun - did make me a more accepting person.

And then I was back to home base now called Bengaluru for my first real job which I quit in 10 days and moved on to the next real job. I was finally working in an agency. No matter how much I crib about the pay and the hours both of which are rather shitty, I must say this – it is only in an agency that you can be yourself, speak your mind, be crazy (you must be if you do all that great work for the people you want to kill) and make great friends for life because all of them drink!

The last five years in Bengaluru have been nothing short of excitingly exhilarating – if that even makes sense! I told my parents I had met a boy, the boy.  And then Tarun got down on one knee at a restaurant and proposed and well we got married. We moved into a well-furnished house as his parents had set it up for us. That is the story in short.

Tarun and I bought our first car, travelled far and wide to Australia, Kerala, Thailand, Singapore, Kashmir, Bhutan and Sikkim to name a few, we made friends, we put on weight and then we hit the gym and lost most of it. We saw a sister’s wedding and a brother’s dream coming true.

We changed jobs.

Mine finally gave me the thrill of marketing and traveling in high heels and an award that took us both on a trip to California. His gave him a tough client, a great bunch of minds to work with, a few stars, respect and growth.

That growth today has put me back at an oddly similar spot. I am now taking baby steps from being at home to creating a home away from home. It is the first time that I am not a 3-hour drive or 3-hour flight away from my parents, grandparents or sibling. It is the first time I need to use Skype to stay in touch with them. It is the first time that the gap between my parents’ visits will give me a chance to miss them.

Tarun and I have moved to Hong Kong. And this time it is a big city but as I am married and have found my Mr. Big, it is not much of a Carrie Bradshaw story. But it is the first time that Tarun and I stayed in a hotel for a whole month, the first time we are working in a foreign country and the first time we are setting up home! We are moving today!!

A few weeks from now I will be 31 and all I am thinking is how exciting is this decade going to be?

And When it is Time to Leave...

Today is my last day in Maxus, where I spent over 2 and a half years of my life. My stay here had its share of ups, downs and in betweens. I made great friends, worked with good people and work was enjoyable as well.

Yet a month back I had to make this decision to move on as I realised that I was getting too comfortable with what I was doing. Also, I saw opportunities in jobs which I was always keen on doing; the monetary benefit also helped take this decision.

I have always been the one who takes her decision with her heart. But this time round I think my head was taking the calls all the way.

So yes today my heart is a little heavy, but my head is very clear with what I want for me. I guess it is a sign of growing up.

My time here I will always cherish. And though it is hard change has to be made. It is like ripping off a band-aid. There is a slight burning sensation now...but I am glad that the hard stuff is done with.

I have realised that what I will miss most are the memories and good times I had here...things which are not here today. I have come to understand with time that it is always letting go of familiar places and memories that is the hardest. Like when you leave school, college or a city you've grown in. I feel the same mixed emotion of sadness and excitement today.

As I sign off this is a mail I sent out at work that I want to remember for life.

Subject: My long mail - please be patient

Hi,

A long time back I had heard somewhere - Change is the only constant.

Long time back I did not understand the phrase and I also did not like change. But that is one thing I learnt in Maxus - Change is the only constant.

Be it my team, my boss, my client or their briefs - change was an inevitable part of my 2-year 8-month 15-day stay at Maxus. It was and I think will be the most dynamic work environment that I will work in.

Amidst all this, there were some things that were constant. I'd like to thank the ops team - Ilango, Sivadas, Praveen & Balaji - for having been here all through my stay and constantly helping me with plan implementations, makegoods (Sivadas you were the best!), sponsorships, material deadlines and all of it. My work would not have been half as easy without your help. Sanjay & Kini thanks for helping out with timely estimates and rushed MBA entries!

The team I worked for the longest with was the Britannia team. Asma I want to thank you for teaching me the ways and tricks of the trade. I will always stand by it that you were my teacher! Harpreet you were a super buyer. I know we fought...but you are the best I worked with. Parveen was like a breath of fresh air - so composed so solid. I truly admire that and someday I hope to be like that. But one thing you can learn is to chill out!! The funny guy in the group was definitely Shibu. I remember being apprehensive about you sitting in between HP and me...but well we managed to pull you into our chat sessions very quickly! Honestly Shibu did not resist!! Ranjani was the youngest in the team, eager to learn and sometimes eager to not work as well but a very very affectionate person. Ranj I will surely miss pulling your leg! Venky I think was the quietest member in this team. There is just one question Venky - how did you manage to send that TNS data so quickly?!? It is seriously still a mystery to me!

Naidu! I have told you this before but by being such a great boss you have not prepared any of us to work with normal bosses!! You just raised the bar so high! I truly enjoyed working with you and more so the few long talk sessions we had. Thanks for all the advice, guidance and helping out with work! It was superb working with you.

Two other very important people and fantastic sources of knowledge and entertainment were Praseed & Ratan. It was a thrill to work with them because they made learning fun! Praseed it was really sweet of you to check in on how I was doing. It really meant a lot to me. And Ratan you were the first person who sent me an appreciative mail for my work on Britannia Milk Bikis radio plan. Trust me, as a fresher it was BIG boost!

Vishy your one-liners and solutions to our silly problems always kept a smile on our faces. Some of them I will never forget! Thanks for that!

Post Britannia I moved to group 2.

Harish and Vimal helped me with the transition from presentations and briefs about the brands to anecdotes about the client! Initially I thought they were just being funny, but soon I realised that these were true stories! KK joined me in this adventure a few months late and I think he has got a good of hang of the clients after 25 meetings for Arrow's spring summer collection and Flying Machine's youth presentation! KK you have some refreshing ideas and I wish you success in implementing them! And yes if I open something up in Mysore I will contact you!!

Working with new buyers was fun. Victor I thank you for being patient and always smiling despite my ignorance in the print medium. You truly helped me with it! Ginka it was great to have Flying Machine on TV last year and also managing the Hum Honge Kamyaab video this year!! Good luck with Arrow on TV! Finally my oldest neighbour Kishan...I will never forget the time you cleaned up your desk...hahaha!! Maybe I can use the break to learn Malayalam from the book you gifted me.

Dina, Brad, Srikanth, Agniv and Anisha I admire the way you work. You have always had data and plans ready for me despite short notice. Thanks so much for that.

Post Britannia I was also a small part of the digital team.

My first interaction with Sai was during Mbrace where he was my team mentor. I remember us sleeping at 6 in the morning as we had sat up all night to make the ppt and Sai had been with us all through! His dedication actually scared me! I am glad I got a chance to work with you though it was brief. Sai thanks for taking time out to help me get around digital media. I will miss blogging with you. Chandrakant thanks for the session on Google search and Abhilash thanks for the forwards I used in the blog.

People who make administration work fun! Meena thanks for all the help regarding leave (especially during my wedding). I think I must have bothered you with things you were not even responsible for but you always helped! Suresh thanks for being the one-stop for dealing with all financial formalities. Murali I will truly miss coming down and chatting up with you either to collect my sodexo or other allowances. It was always a pleasure to meet you on Thursdays! Vijay & Vasant thanks for all the IT support which is so crucial in our work.

Titan team...you guys always made me jealous! You always had the 'award winning' ideas!! I remember how in Britannia we used to struggle to come up with entries and you guys just had so many!! I wish the spell continues and this year is an enriching award year for you guys!

Sanchi, we didn't really work much together. I will keep in mind your pointers and I wish you all the best in taking Maxus Bangalore higher!

Maxus has been a great halt. The biggest gift I got from Maxus are my friends - some are still with Maxus and some like Swati, Adi and Push are not. But these are relationships that I truly cherish.

Thank you one and all for being a part of such an important phase in my life.

And like I said - Change is the only constant - and it is time for me to make a change. Today is my last day in Maxus.

Cheers!