A New Beginning

Hello? Helloo?? Helloooooooo????? Anyone there??? Anyone out there who is still reading this blog???

This is Reema, a widely read and very popular blogger [She only says so ] before she moved to Bangalore, became all lazy and uncreative,writing from her desk at her new workplace.

Heh heh..enough of third person. Hi to all the people still reading my blog irrespective of the fact I read their blogs or comment on their blogs or not. Thank you so much!!

# Joined new job on 1st August. Unfortunately, it is mandatory for female faculty members to wear saree [Apparently this is the Bangalore tradition ] So life is hectic and frustrating in morning. Saturdays are for casual wear. I just can’t understand this fixation Indians have on clothes, specifically sarees, and their equivalence to dignity and respect.

# The infrastructure is great. Got my own PC, stationery items and a large desk unlike at my previous job where only desk was given. Though social networking sites are blocked, WordPress works thankfully! Now I can catch up on my blogging and blog reading/ commenting during free time. Yayy!

# It’s strange how group dynamics come into play so quickly everywhere. 8 of female faculties joined on 1st August and by 4th we were already divided into two groups. Sigh! Though I have made 1 friends, 1 bus partner etc no one is of my wavelength.

# The favorite topic of the female faculties is …take a guess… Mother in Laws. And the other group just loves to sit around one table and chat and chat. No preparation of lectures, no studying, nothing which irritates me a lot. And sadly one of them belongs to my department.

# Facilities are great including the food court. Saved me from making and bringing lunch daily.

# As I travel by institute bus, D has to leave office on time to pick me up at bus stop. That means no more coming late from office. Yayy!

# Most South Indian colleagues are baffled by my “bhalo naam” i.e. my good and real name. It is a tongue twister for them. So I had to tell them my “daak naam” i.e. pet name – Reema and they were more than happy. And still Bengalis go on with the tradition of imposing their kids with the most indigenous, difficult, tongue – twisters for rest of India and World of a name in this modern age.

# Waiting for students to arrive and classes to start…you know…to get back into the groove after a year long break. And of course “insightful” posts on teaching experiences

So once again, for the nth time, I am BACK!

नौकरी की तलबगार भाग २

A sequel to this post

2012 began. I had been six months out of job. But those six months had been quite busy – visits from in-laws, parents, brother-in-law, sightseeing trips and then there was settling down in a new city.

As soon as March began, I got two calls for interview. One for a position in an Engineering college and another for a position in GATE Coaching Institute.

नौकरी की तलबगार

“The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.”~ Oscar Wilde

I had resigned from my job in July 2011 after working for 6.5 years and moved to Bangalore with D. After being in the teaching profession for so long and loving and enjoying it to the core, I couldn’t think of any other career. But I had no idea that the search for a new job in Bangalore would be hard even when there are so many engineering colleges here. For the same reason I had not searched for a job before resignation. Though I admit I was not that proactive in the beginning because I was kind of enjoying the break from work and was also busy setting up home and playing host & good DIL to in-laws. But soon enough I became proactive and here is my tale of job search in Bangalore.  Why a whole post on a topic like job search? Because it is my first experience of job hunting. My first job is the only job I have ever been in and I had got that quite easily. I stayed at same job and same place for 6.5 years.

All In A Day’s Work – 2

 

A Day Out With Students

Every year students of 4th semester are taken on an educational tour or power plant visit and picnic by the faculties of our department. Last year I had been unable to go. So this year I decided not to miss out on the fun and to go on the picnic & tour even if it was on a Sunday in hot season of March.

So on 7th March, three college buses taking 91 students, 14 staff members, 6 catering people and their pots and pans, left for CREDA Energy Park with all students hooting and cheering.

Who Is A Simple Girl?

I, my head of department and my colleagues S and M were sitting at HoD’s room having a general chat when the topic diverted to marriage and wives.

HoD :- That day I was having  some problem with my mobile. My wife solved the problem whereas I could not!! I didn’t think she can even use a mobile. You know one is lucky to have a simple wife.

M :- Oh yes sir! And in this matter I can say I am a very lucky man.

HoD :- What about you, S? When are you getting married?

S :- Parents are searching for a girl, sir.

Class Se Class Tak

Today was Teachers’ Day in India and I was on leave from college. So I have no inspiration to blog anything today But if I don’t post something today, my identity as a lecturer and a blogger will be tarnished!! Maybe I will come up with a better post on teachers and teaching job next time. At present I will leave you with some images.

A Day At A Workshop

Shucks! I am late! The program starts at 10.30 am and its already 10.10. I haven’t left college yet. Oh God, let the railway crossing be open please!

(People on road – Is it a plane? Is it a bird? No its Reema on her scooty!)

Phew! reached with five minutes to spare.

Whaaattt! A State-level workshop and they are also running late. Unpunctuality runs in the veins of Indians be it at any level. Now they are bringing the stationery stuff and compiling the folders for the participants. We have better organization at workshops held in our college.

Ego and Control

Incident 1. Location : College

Male Colleague : I have to go home but I haven’t brought my vehicle today. Can you take me with you as your home is on that route?

Me: Sure. Come.

Male Colleague : I will drive. You sit behind.

Me : *gets off the vehicle*

To Do List

This post has been started with the traditional Indian way of warding off  an evil  eye because I know after my announcement a lot of people are going to be envious/jealous

Viva-voce Experiences and Anecdotes

Viva-voce is an essential and integral part of any professional curriculum. Its supposed to be just as scary as a theory examination and sometimes even more as its an oral examination. Though I had given viva voce at school level I don’t remember anything about it.  You can read Ishmeet’s experience of a school viva here. In a field like Engineering or Medical, practical knowledge is much more important than theory. Viva-voce tests just that.

I don’t know about all but in many private engineering colleges viva-voce serves as a source of entertainment and frustration for the external and the internal examiners respectively rather than an ordeal for the students . The increasing disregard in students for studying before practical exams and the decreasing sincerity and quality of students in engineering can be attributed to cropping up of engineering colleges like mushrooms and the trend of not failing anyone in viva in private engineering colleges.

My First Stage Show

Being the faculty in charge of EETA, I’d organised Jhoom – 2008 along with students. Then the students wanted to conduct the yearly branch function of Electrical and Electronics department before the half year session ended. Last year I’d suggested the name Spark 2007 for the function. This year the students came up with Resonanzzz 2008. So I along with my colleagues and students organized the function on 4th Oct 2008. The function consisted of songs, dances (solo and group), drama, some interactive games, dandiya in open space and dinner for around 400 people. Our Head of Department had insisted on having some programs from the faculty side. So for the first time in history of our college, faculty participated in a branch function and showed their talents.

My Random Thoughts – Special Edition

This is a special post. After reading whole of it you will come to know what is special about it. Right now here is my blog “My Random Thoughts” inventory.

# Total views since 22 June 2008 – 26,570

# Busiest day: 565 hits — Friday, September 12, 2008.

# Same as in my earlier blog-inventory, Lallopallo’s blog is my biggest referrer. My blog has diverted maximum traffic to Amit’s blog.

# My All Time Top Ten Posts (except tags and email forwards) -