Simply awesome things to cherish from this weekend

I had a simply awesome weekend :). I'm so happy and content as I write this post....and I am not dreading to go to sleep and wake up to a manic Monday tomorrow.

Here are some of the simply awesome things that I will cherish from this weekend :):

- Having my sister feel the baby kick
- Using the new vonage phone at home to direct dial phones in India - I used to have this luxury years ago (and paid a lot for it), then switched to calling cards and cell phone, and having it back was just bliss!
- My neighbors kids A n R coming home from tennis practice on Friday evening, having dinner at our place, and A complimenting me - "This is the best corn I ever ate :) :)".
- Being served hot dosas with chutney early Saturday morning for breakfast by my neighbor and close friend V.
- My Saturday AM prenatal yoga class - my energy-booster for the week.
- Watching my first ever IPL game (IPL3 finals) at home with a group of friends while having hot tea made by hubby and sabudana khichdi made by my sister and me for breakfast :).
- First BBQ of summer 2010 in backyard.
- Getting introduced to my neighbor's 1-DAY old daughter Lindsey - my oh my that kiddo is sooooooooooooo adorable and cute :).
- Sunset at Chelsea Empire Ranch Entrance - with Shubhika and Waj.

I could add so much more to this list, coz the entire weekend was just so memorable. I feel truly blessed!

Hope you had a great weekend, and here's wishing you a happy and healthy week ahead :).

Interview nostalgia

When was the last time you went for an interview? Did you have to dress up formally in a suit? Were you a bundle of nerves that morning while getting ready? Do you remember how you felt when you walked into the office that day and were waiting at the lobby? And how you felt as you walked out at the end of the interview? How did you spend your evening?

These are the questions that went through my mind as I walked into work today. There were 3 young folks, all dressed up in crisp black suits, smelling heavy on perfume, in the elevator with me. They were nervous, I could tell. They had come to Intel with a lot of hope and dreams. One could easily guess that they were fresh graduates out of some college, and I could also assume that if they got this job, it would be the first professional full time job for them.

I remembered the day of my first interview at Intel. The exact date I am not sure - it would be sometime between Oct13-Oct18. However, that was my first on-site interview. When it got scheduled, I was thrilled. I had taken admission at CSU, Sacramento for my MS with high hopes of getting a job at Intel. So it was the first step towards that dream coming true.

I shopped for formal wear the weekend before, and was all ready for that day. I prepared the technical stuff as well as I could, and the behavioral stuff I didn't have to work on much. The group that interviewed me was amazing. Even though my interview lasted 8+ hours (including questions during lunch), I felt great about the entire team. They treated me really well. I was exhausted at the end of the day and just wanted to crash in bed, and I did precisely that with a feeling of content.

I was offered a position with that group on Oct 19, 2000. It was a full time position, only 9 months after landing in the US as a student. I was sooooooooooooooo excited!!!!! The job profile wasn't exactly what I had imagined, but it was the first step of my professional career.

I got several offers from other groups at Intel, as well as other companies. But I accepted this first offer that I received, mainly because I felt most comfortable with the team I was going to be a part of. And I was so right about my decision. I could never have found a better group to begin my career with. They were great mentors and friends. One of them is still my colleague after 9+ yrs, and others who have moved on are close professional as well as personal friends and mentors.

All these memories came back to me in a flash as I saw those 3 young folks in the elevator today morning :). I wish them all the best!

Managing time on the internet

As I walked into work today, I was told by a friend not to connect to the corporate network. There was a virus going around which was bringing everyone's computer down.

I did as I was told and later realized what a blessing it was to bump into someone who was kind enough to pass this message along to me before I brought my computer to a standstill and spent all day trying to fix it. Oh imagine the frustration I would have to deal with!

As I logged into my daily 9am meeting (on the phone), we talked how cool it would be to not have network for half a day every week. Think about it - wouldn't it be amazing? You can use this time for innovative thinking, reading up on material that you otherwise would not find time for, managing your PC/inbox/etc (which I only do on weekends), and so much more. There would be no meetings to attend during this time and no conference calls. The possibilities are endless.

At the same time though, I was able to get onto the Internet from my iPhone and find out what the problem was, and also a fix for it. I helped a few people with this information and they could bring their computers back up. Ah - the power of Internet!!!!

However, as I reflected upon this all day, I realized that you can spend all day, every day on the Internet, doing various things. But as much as its beneficial, its detrimental too. It is important to strike a balance and not become a slave to it.

I do some things for managing my time on the Internet:

- On most days, I browse news, social networking sites, personal emails, blogs, etc only twice a day - once in the morning and once in the evening.
- I finish my work during my work hours and do my best to not login from home in the evening/night.
- I use the wi-fi capability on my iPhone to do most of my personal stuff during the work day. I do this when I'm not at my desk - like bathroom breaks, going to cafe, walking towards car in the parking lot, etc. That way I spend the least amount of time for such things on my PC.
- I take print-outs of manuals, documents, etc that are lengthy and need more than 15 mins to review. I read those instead of spending that time reading them on the computer screen.
- I could never read a book online. Audio books are okay, but kindle is just not for me.
- I only use one instant messenger - gtalk. And I stay offline during work hours on most days, so as to minimize interruptions.

There are some off days, where I don't follow the above mentioned things, but I make a conscious effort each day to stick to these rules. It helps me focus and be productive at my work, and also gives me quality time in the evening to spend with myself or my family at home.

All these are from a perspective of an individual working in the corporate world, like me. There are several exceptions and these may not apply to your situation.

Do you have any tips for managing time on the Internet effectively? Please share, I would love to hear them.

I am not alone :)

Running errands and talking on the phone,
I am pleasantly reminded that I am not alone.
Little tiny hands, a precious rounded knee
pushing and twisting that no one can see.
Oh sweet child kicking up your heels,
it is our little secret that only I can feel.
I look forward to your birth,
when I can kiss your skin,
but for now I will just smile,
As I feel you play within.

Author: Unknown.

The above poem touches me very deeply.

I haven't announced it on my blog here, so here goes - I am in my 25th week of pregnancy. Hubby and I are expecting our first baby in 1st week of August. We are excited, thrilled, and feel very blessed.

My pregnancy is changing me as a person in so many different ways. Everything happening within me is just amazing and fascinating. I feel extremely blessed to be able to experience such a beautiful thing in life.

Stay happy! Stay healthy!

Weekend getaway to

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