Confessions of a Tall Indian Woman

  I have lost track of time since Covid 19 took over and shifted our lives from its normalcy. I am talking from a position of privilege and this post may resonate with you if you look at it from that angle only. It is  what I experience and I thought its time I write about this topic close to my heart. I cant fathom what the frontline workers are going through and respect is too small a word for the medical community and this post isn’t about that. I don't think I can do justice to their service which is limitless. To me, the below are the unsung warriors of Covid 19..........   Local grocery store to the roadside vegetable vendor      Irrespective of their supply chain issues you see them working with a smile to deliver food and ensure your needs are met. The roadside/door to door vegetable vendors have started using speakers now so we can hear and go buy what we need. OF course the online versions of these stores have been a huge support system ...

Isn’t this the most heard phrase across all of 2020 and now? Since the pandemic set in, our most often used terms are Be Positive and Stay safe. Though soon this morphed into are you positive?  This is about actually being positive for the Covid 19 test. One of those few results where you want to see negative but the bold red positive throws you off balance. I remember refreshing the page and checking the results knowing 100 percent it will be positive. Not to mention you would have already isolated /self quarantined with any little symptoms so the test is still a formality to confirm your doubts.  Of course if you are a part of a nuclear family you need to ensure you all are tested just to rule out possibilities. In our case my husband and I tested positive and the rest of the household din’t. There is always a silver lining. This blog is to capture random musings and thoughts that kept us going for 14 days. I promise to keep it on the lighter side.. 1. One of the most often ...

Confused with the title? Let me take a step back and narrate a story which is familiar to most of us.    The Devas formed an alliance with the Asuras to jointly churn the ocean for the  nectar of immortality  and to share it among themselves.   Now in the modern hiring scenario substitute nectar with candidates who the prospective organizations want and the current employers want to retain. I am not calling out who is the deva and the asura here as its purely relative 😊 The only difference is there isn’t an alliance between the two, but in retrospect this can prove to be useful in getting this nectar faster.  This  elusive candidate or nectar is  being searched by prospective employers and on the other hand being retained by the current employer. Who wins in this modern day scene?   The gods and demons gathered on the shores of the milky ocean and performed Vedic rituals to ensure their success. They made offerings into a sac...

    2020 was a disruptive year. Whether you wanted to or not, you were forced to make changes and rapidly while you were at it. The interesting part is between March to May of 2020 most organizations adapted to the new ways of working, finding a middle ground and eventually embracing this change. When you do not have a choice, you adapt faster maybe? I am talking only  across most Information technology business as I do have first hand experience in this. Call it from a place of privilege if you want. This was the year, I moved jobs and decided to join an organization virtually . The interview process/ joining all happened remotely and my laptop was promptly delivered a day before my joining. As I jokingly said, the only change is I will switch laptops and login with a different ID on my first day.  But on a  serious note this is more than what meets the eye. As my role involves doing this everyday and hiring people into an organization in the virtual way, a...

I should have written this a  while back. I contemplated and put it on back burner thinking I am not that experienced to write. In retrospect it's all in the journey so why not? One of the few things am passionate about is strength training. Eight years back if someone had asked me if I know what it means I would have said huh what? Currently I have come to realise that this journey has taught me more as an individual and I have just not paused to take it in. Few simple life lessons that have stuck with me ... Reality Check: EGO doesn’t work  We have all heard it but when you start knowing zilch your ego is in place. Its not what you thought you were and your perceived sense of self but it is what it is. Funnily you cannot have an exaggerated version of self as you can see what you can do. That’s the interesting part when you thought you are super fit(whatever the definition of fit maybe) and you actually had to run 2 kms or walk up five floors you will feel it. Ego left at th...

  Have you seen the infamous show on Netflix on India Matchmaking? While there were more memes and jokes on the frivolous nature of the show and the trivialization of the whole marriage concept, it did make the necessary noise and draw our attention to certain norms in arranged marriage construct. Nope, this post isn’t about that.     I am just drawing an interesting parallel in hiring with the Indian Matchmaking Scene...   The wooing phase   There is an urgent need to hire X with a certain skill set. The hiring manager has a generic overview of what he/she has in their mind. It is loosely translated to a job description or role profile to help us identify the right match. Of course like your tall dark handsome or fair, good-looking and homely  criteria in finding a groom/bride  the close equivalent is great communication skills, attitude and cultural fit. You can compromise on anything but not this.  The recruiter tries to find the ...

Till about March if someone asked me " What's your plan?"  My answer probably would have  been" I think having no plan is a good plan. Just wanna be and chill. Too many things happening right now and getting out again seems overrated". Then life as we know changed. Heading out for a coffee admist daily work is a luxury you can't afford. Grocery shopping is carefully planned and meeting people seemed a distant dream. While this happened, and google reminded you of previous trips and outings you couldn't help but wonder when things will go back to being  normal. Whatever this normal will be. That's the beauty of conditioning your mind over something for months. There are infinite theories on what's the norm during these times and what is the standard protocol to follow.  If there is one thing I am still learning after talking to a lot of my friends and family it is there is absolutely no right and wrong in this. Now before you all jump ...