Mumbai

This is my first time in Mumbai, and there's definitely lots that I can blog about :) Everything about Mumbai looks ancient-the roads, autos, taxis buildings etc, it's only the local trains that look modern

Buses

The conductor doesn't use a whistle. There is a bell near the driver (see pic), to which a rope is connected. This rope extends till the back door, and is supported by pulleys at equal distances. To stop the bus, the conductor pulls the rope which makes the bell ring :)

Autos

The meter shows at 1.00 at first and increments in steps of 0.10. I traveled from Andheri(East) to Powai(about 6 km) in an auto and the fare came to 4.70! But my joy was shortlived, the driver enlightened me with this piece of information.
Actual fare = Meter fare * constant

The current value of the constant is 9. Whenever fuel prices are revised, they just change the value of the constant. So, no recaliberation of meters required.


Taxis

If you are a fan of vintage cars, you'll find plenty. Most taxis are old premier padminis. Warning: Travel in a taxi only if you have plenty of money to spare.














Local trains

There are 2 kinds of local trains-Fast and Slow. Fast trains stop at fewer stations than Slow trains. Since the trains stop very often, they seem to be equipped with a nitro-boost kind of mechanism which allows 0 to 60 in 10 seconds. Inside some trains, there is an LCD scroll which displays the next station, and a voice announces the station in 3 languages. Local trains - fast, cost-effective and convenient, but crowded.

Next blog, all about IIT Bombay! So long for now :)

15th July, 2008

After months of day dreaming, weeks of planning and days of packing, the day that I've been looking forward to with a mixture of excitement and dread has finally arrived. I leave to Mumbai today. The days ahead promise plenty of freedom, learning and realization.....a whole new experience......

Cisco, the best place to work

Work culture

Cisco needs only a reason to party. On the last day of every month, we have a monthly birthday bash, with all the people whose birthdays fall in that month cutting a big cake. Once a project is completed, the entire team goes out for a party, sponsored by Cisco, of course. The last such party happened on July 1 at Barbecue Nation, and had plenty of food, booze and fun. People leaving Cisco get a farewell party as well!

The people

The people here are as crazy as they are sweet.

This happened to me on my second day at Cisco. I walked into the men's room, and at that moment, all the three urinals were occupied, and so I had to wait. My mentor, Hafeez, was one of the occupants. He saw me walk in, turned back and said "Come, lets share"!

My manager Dharmendra's boss, Shanthi Iyer was in India one day, and visited our office. As soon as she entered, the team gathered around her for her pep talk. Dharmendra was still in his room supervising a P1. Shanthi noticed his absence, and shouted across the hall - "Dharmendra, mere bhai!"

On my last day at Cisco, my manager Dharmendra took me out for lunch. On the previous day, the Engineers there had arranged a small farewell party for me, and I got to cut a cake with "Good bye Prashant" written on it. And here are some sweet emails that I got from the people at Cisco on my last day.

Workplace resources

The office looks more like a resort than an office. Here are some pics.

Paycheck

Timely and fat.


Work

Now, where have I heard that word before?????

FAQs

1) Why Mint?
Refer answer to Q2.

2) What are you going to blog about?
I'll be blogging about
(a) Myself
(b) My Inner thoughts
(c) News and views
(d) Tech
So, Mint :)

3) How often can I expect a post?
I plan to post approximately once in 2 weeks.