An SBTian

        Four years gone past, SBT has gradually become my public signature. Over these years I have attempted many drafts to make an article on my SBT journey. Somehow it din’t reach the digital format for many reasons (primarily my laziness)

       Today on this pleasant Sunday morning, sipping a cup of coffee, I am trying to pen it again. “”CLING” whatsapp started to distract me again… can’t resist …  one minute plzzzz

      MJ is back..  My SBT life started in 2011 with a written test which was held on the month of January from SBI … oops…. Or was it on February ? CONFUSED  :o . One sec..plzz.. Let me figure out if my personal file have the exam date. Please do tune in…

      No..  it has disappeared. Only my appointment letter xerox is left with and all the rest (hall ticket, Interview Call letter etc.. ) divorced me at some point of time and vanished into thin air. The results of written exam were declared on April 2011 and I was asked to attend the interview on June 2011 at Hotel Pearl Regency Kottayam. In the midst of September I received an SMS which sung me the jingling bells of SBT. After the medical formalities, I joined Champakulam branch on 25^th November 2011.

      My first day at office wasn’t a memorable one. After the controversial start , I attended a 2 week durated fresher’s training with 60 new recruits at Ernakulam SLC, where I almost got back my college days. Stayed in the same centre, we shopped together, danced together, boat together enjoyed our training to its fullest. Many of the friendships trespassed into romance and later into life long commitments. SBT 2011 had the privilege of two weeks training, which was neither available to our predecessors nor to our successors. I consider myself really lucky to be a part of it.

                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgDML2xn8ug

     Another happy news was waiting for me, when I joined my branch after joyful 2 weeks. Transfer to SBT Ramankary. I always wanted to leave Champakulam after my controversial debut with the branch, for a lot of reasons.

I was relieved to know about my relief.

       On  Feb’ 1 2012, I joined Ramankary which literally started my banking career. I really struggled to cope with the huge in fact, humongous crowd out there. Back ache became a regular visitor to my body. STDs, RDs, FDBPs, ORDPs, RTGS’ & Co. made my seat worser. With the shortage of staff, i realized that it wasn’t a Tom, Dick or Harry’s seat to be filled. Thanks to the staff of Ramankary, which allowed me to enjoy the challenge with their proper guidance? Ramankary was such a great school to start and once I learnt to prioritize my jobs, it became manageable. After 18 months, I got transferred to a newly opened SBT branch at Thekkekara. Transition from a highly congested branch to almost an empty branch. Even though it was a new branch, Thekkekara took no time to flourish. After a really really fine 20 months, I was posted to Moncompu branch (across the river) where I had an indifferent experience altogether.

        On  12^th Dec 2015, I was given another opportunity to prove my mettle, as I was relieved off my duties after the working hours from Moncompu and will be joining SBT Champkulam, (where I failed miserably on my debut) the very nextday.

FINGERS CROSSED …………

                                                                                                                             

CAMERA IS BACK

                        

പണ്ടെങ്ങോ മേടിച്ച ഒരു ഡിജിറ്റല്‍ ക്യാമറ ഇന്നലെ മേശ വൃത്തിയാക്കിയപ്പോള്‍ കാണുവാന്‍ ഇടയായി. ഏകദേശം ഒരു 5 കൊല്ലം എങ്കിലും ആയികാണനം പുള്ളിയെ flipkart വഴി മേടിച്ചിട്ട്. ആദ്യത്തെ കുറച്ചു നാളുകള്‍ പല രീതിയില്‍ ഉള്ള ഫോട്ടോസ് ഒക്കെ പരീക്ഷിച്ചതിനു ശേഷം, എവിടെയോ വലിച്ചെറിഞ്ഞു ഇട്ടതാണ്, പിന്നീട് ഇങ്ങനെ ഒരു ക്യാമറ ഉള്ള കാര്യം പോലും ഞാന്‍ മറന്നു.

ഏതായാലും കിട്ടിയപോള്‍ ഒരു സന്തോഷം. ഇന്ന് കുറെ ഫോട്ടോസ് എടുക്കണമെന്ന് തീരുമാനിച്ചു ക്യാമറ ഓണ്‍ ചെയ്തു. പണി പാളി ! ലൈറ്റ് മാത്രമേ കത്തുന്നുഉള്ളു, shutter ഓണ്‍ ആവുന്നില്ല. അറിയാവുന്ന ചില പൊടികൈകള്‍ ഒക്കെ ട്രൈ ചെയ്തു. രക്ഷയില്ല... എന്നെങ്കിലും ടൌണില്‍ പോകുമ്പോള്‍ നന്നാക്കാന്‍ കൊടുക്കാം എന്ന് തീരുമാനിച്ചു ക്യാമറ കവറിനു ഉള്ളില്‍ ആക്കി. എന്തിനു വേറൊരു ദിവസം ആക്കണം ? ഇന്ന് തന്നെ സമയം ഉണ്ടല്ലോ.. അങ്ങനെ ഞാന്‍ ആലപ്പുഴയ്ക്ക് യാത്രയായി.

   കടയിലെത്തി, ക്യാമറ കൊടുത്തപ്പോള്‍ technician “ഇപ്പൊ ശരിയാക്കിത്തരാം” എന്ന് dailogue അടിച്ചോണ്ട് Entry Prohibited എന്ന ബോര്‍ഡ്‌ തൂക്കിയ ഒരു റൂമിന്‍റെ ഉള്ളിലോട്ടു കയറിപോയി. ആദ്യം ഞാന്‍ കരുതിയത്‌ നമ്മുടെ മെയതീന്റെ ചെറിയ spanner എടുക്കാന്‍ പോയതാവും എന്നാണ്. ഭാഗ്യം, അതല്ല. ചേട്ടായി ശെരിക്കും നന്നാക്കാന്‍ തന്നെ പോയതായിരുന്നു എന്ന് പുള്ളികാരന്‍ തിരിച്ചു വന്നപ്പോള്‍ പിടികിട്ടി. “ഒരു പ്രശ്നവും ഇല്ല, കുറെ നാള്‍ ഉപയോഗിക്കാതിരുന്നത് കൊണ്ട് shutter jam ആയതാ.. ok ആകിയിട്ടുണ്ട്” അങ്ങനെ തിരിച്ചു വീട്ടിലേക്ക്...

   ബാറ്റെരി ഒക്കെ ചാര്‍ജ് ചെയ്ത് ക്യാമറയെ കുട്ടപ്പനാക്കി. വൈകുന്നേരം ആയപ്പോള്‍ കുറെ ഫോട്ടോസ് എടുക്കാന്‍ പുറത്തോട്ടിറങ്ങി. ആദ്യം വീടിന്റെ മുന്‍വശത്ത് നിന്ന് ഫോട്ടോ എടുക്കാന്‍ പറ്റിയ സ്ഥലം പരതി.. പോരാ!!! എങ്കില്‍ പിന്ഭാഗയതെയ്കു പോയേക്കാം അവിടെ scenery ഉണ്ടാവും എന്ന് കരുതി വീടിന്റെ പുറകു വശത്തെത്തി. എന്നിലെ കപട ഫോട്ടോഗ്രാഫറെ ഉത്തെജിപിക്കാന്‍ പോന്ന ഒരു സെറ്റപ്പ് ഒന്നും ഞാന്‍ അവിടെ കണ്ടില്ല. അങ്ങനെ bikeil കയറി scenery തപ്പി ഇറങ്ങി. കുറച്ചു ദൂരം ചെന്നപോള്‍ ഒരു Just Married കപ്പിള്‍സ് ലവ് സീന്‍ ഷൂട്ട്‌ ചെയ്യുന്നു. ഞാന്‍ അവിടെ നിര്‍ത്തി. പക്ഷെ, അവിടെയും പ്രത്യേകത ഒന്നും ഞാന്‍ കണ്ടില്ല. camerman ചേട്ടനോട് ഞാന്‍ ഫോട്ടോ എടുക്കാന്‍ പറ്റിയ സ്ഥലത്തെക്കുറിച്ച് ഉപദേശം തേടി. പുള്ളിക്കാരന്‍ പറഞ്ഞു “അതൊക്കെ ഒരു cameraman..ന്‍റെ ഐഡിയ ആണ്. കേട്ടിട്ടില്ലേ പരസ്യത്തിലെ dailogue.. Perfect shots are not created but captured“ ഞാന്‍ ഉം എന്ന് നീട്ടി മൂളി. ഒന്നും മനസിലായിട്ടല്ല. എന്നാലും ചുമ്മാ ഒരു മൂളല്‍.... എന്നിട്ട് ഞാനും കുറെ clicks വെച്ചുകൊടുത്തു. clickodu ക്ലിക്ക്. അപ്പോഴേക്കും അവര് പണി മതിയാക്കി എന്നോട് tata പറഞ്ഞു യാത്രയായി. ഞാന്‍ ഫോട്ടോസ് ഒക്കെ ആക്കി വീട്ടിലെത്തി Fb..il പോസ്റ്റ്‌ ചെയ്തു. “ഐ ലവ് മൈ നേച്ചര്‍” എന്നും പേരും കൊടുത്തിട്ട്, നാട്ടില്‍ ഉള്ള സകല ആള്‍കാരേയും പിടിച്ചു Tag..ഉം ചെയ്തു. എന്തിനാ കുറയ്കുന്നത്, #nature #beauty എന്നൊക്കെ വെച്ച് കുറേ Hashtags കൂടെ കൊടുത്തിട്ട്, Likes..ഉം Comments..ഉം Wait ചെയ്ത് കണ്ണും നട്ട് കാത്തിരുന്നു.

വാൾ

                      Life is getting bored L

       Sitting before the TV set, I found myself in an uneasy situation. So, I decided to switch off the same and do something which I  enjoy.

             Suddenly, I remembered my blog, which has been lying in the dormant status. Rearranged my table, picked my tools, I started hunting again. What should be the topic ? I found myself in a chaotic situation. Should it be a poem… ? or a prose.. ? Whatever it is, never mind MJ, both are not your cup of tea (soliloquy). Over the past couple of years, I have attempted some ridiculous poems both in English and Malayalam. Here comes another

                                    വാൾ

 പടിപ്പുരവാതില്കലിൽ  പായസം പോലെ

കറുത്ത പായസം പോലെ

മണ്ണിൽച്ചെർന്നു  കിടന്നിടുന്നു

യാമങ്ങളേറെ കടന്നിട്ടും

വായുവിൽ തങ്ങി കിടന്നിടുന്ന നിൻ ഗന്ധം

നാസിക മൂടി യാത്രയക്കിടുന്നു

മനവകുലത്തിൻ മക്കളെ

പ്രാഥമിക സേവയിൽ പാളിയ

പിള്ളേച്ചൻ പിറ്റേന്നും വച്ചിടിന്നു

വാൾ,
             കൊടും വാൾ ,

                   ഒന്നൊന്നര 916 വാൾ               

The Bird

Swifting through the landscapes,
             her dancing feathers kissed the air
Climbing up the airy steps,
             she spread a warmy fair

(to be continued.......)

Losing my way..........,

Day by day
am losing my way,
Paths finding slippery
Body paining shivery

 I fear,
I had thrown it away

                          Day by day
                           am losing my way

Struggling to sleep,
losing my tastes
Nightmares beckoning -              
threatening faces

I fear,
Had i thrown it away

                       Day by day
                       am losing my way

My first ever lie (which i can recollect)

     "Nine AM" , my wrist watch sounded just before SWTD A2 took us away from "Pullambala" boat jetty. It was one of my routine journeys to Loyola English Medium School, Pulincunnoo.


              Morning wishes were passed to passengers, as we (me and my father) accepted one of the vacant seats in the half filled boat. The inexplicable beauty of backwaters, waves romancing with shores, lullabies of small birds along with breeze made us our boat journey worthwhile. My cousin, Jinoppan got into the boat from "Taluk" boat jetty along with his friends and sat near me. While sharing our usual casual talks, suddenly i delivered something against the run of play. From nowhere, i cracked a lie. I told him "I saw SachinTendulkar in Ernakulam last week" (During those days, myself wasn't aware about Sachin's native)
    He asked me "Where in Ernakulam ?".
    "Railway Station", i replied.
    Realizing that i was lying , he kept on pouring questions at me. Inorder to protect my lie, i showered lies one after the other.
     "What was the name written in the back of the T-shirt which he wore on that day? Is it Sachin or Tendulkar ?". I got confused. After a thought, i replied "Sachin Tendulkar".
     He laughed at me and said "It's Tendulkar, You are lying". I was in no mood to accept him. Q & A continued........
   He kept on irritating me with further questions. I gained confidence with every lies and got used to it in very short time. 15-20 minute durated serial lie came to an end, only when we alighted at Pulincunnoo boat jetty.

   It was my first lie (Which i can recollect from my memory). Still enjoying every bit of it........
   16 years passed by.... I have cumulated a large amount of lies to my credit. None of them gave me the excitement/pleasure/beauty....... (don't know what to call) of my "Tendulkar" lie.


Still enjoying every bit of it........

A Familiar "Stranger"

After having my banana roast, i looked into my coffee pot. 2 or 3 ants were having their last breaths in it. Their number rose to 4,6 .. I requested the bearer to replace my coffee after decribing the situation. He apologised and took away the pot.

"What is today's special item?" The sound gained everyone's attention inside the Indian Coffee House. Such louder were his talks. The ICH staff replied to his questions with a bright smile. With a convex lens fixed on to his nose, the white bearded egg headed sexagenarian continued
"Is Koshy absent today ?, What about Renjith's house rent?".

He went on with his talks, but i had certain plans to fulfill.

From ICH, I went to Abhinaya Theatre for enquiring about the movie "Anwar". Towards the left door of the theatre, saw a person reading a magazine. When enquired about the movie completion, he replied "30 minutes to go". I was desperate to know reviews about the movie but realised that i can't, due to the timing of my bus.

Disappointedly, i kept walking out "What is the name of the movie?"., that big noise was aired again. Yes, the same loudspeaker. He had some funny talks with the security. I realised that he was a popular figurein the town

Suddenly, i changed my plans and walked along with him into the theatre. Both of us sat on the chairs kept outside the cinema hall.
He asked me, "Hero of the film?"

Myself [MJ]: Prithviraj
Loudspeaker [LS]: What Raj?
MJ : Prithvi.. Prithviraj. Don't u know him?
LS : Stopped watching films by late 90's. Hope he's a new comer
MJ : Not really.., he's been in the field for the past 7 years or so. By the way, why you hate films these days?
LS : Am advised not to strain with my eyes, so cant go for films
MJ : So, why did you come now?
LS : Just to cherish my memories. In my healthy days, i never missed a single movie. Really.., this was my second home ..,
MJ : Oh.., i too consider this as my second home.
LS : Lemme tell you one thing. Take care of your eyes. Am telling you from my experience.

(He looked a bit serious with those lines..... )

Suddenly, he spotted some of his friends and left me, not before warning again about the eyes. For a split second, i foresaw a blindman in me and got perplexed whether to stay there to get the reviews. Then came a message sound from my mobile which threw away the confusions. It was a message from my "TIME" friend "Arun T John". The message displayed:

"Anwar kananam enna mohavumayi njangal 3 perum (Arun, Ajay, Kiran) koodi chennu pettathu Abhilashinte padivathilkal..kaiyilulla paisa mudakki theatreil kayari..... 2.30 manikkoor kazhinjappol cinema kanan vanna alukaludae therivilikalkku idayiloodae amal neeradinteyum, prithvirajinteyum vayil oru pidi mannuvari ittittu njangal irangiponnu"

Somehow, i managed to catch up with the bus and sat on the window seat in the third row from front, thinking about the loudspeaker.......................

Some cute old snaps

Paradise Lost.....,

 Zionicz was really a zion for RIT 2006-2010'EC. Gone are those days where we enjoyed our campus life to its fullest. Dedicating my video to those days which will never return..,

MISS YOU ZIONICZ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6XBwx667CE

MY SCATTERED THOUGHTS

    Eating your food is a sin - for it is selfish. But there is something to redeem you. i.e., a part of selfishness is "divine".You cant possibly exist without food.

    You can't simply exist without drinking water; but you can't live for half an hour if water drinks you. Then you will have an early watery-grave.

    Prayer and fasting are good and important. Prayer is spiritual food; occasional "fasting" has an additional benefit of cathartic effect; both physical and emotional.

    "Feasting" and "fasting" promote your personality when they are discretionary. Too much feasting will burst out your belly.If you extend your "fating",even for any good reason an iota beyond your withstanding capacity, you are surely to collapse. In both the cases, you are liable to be punished for the sin of commiting suicide.

    You may be a hero's hero jawan adorned with many awards and stars, for shooting down the maximum number of intruders on the L.O.C. But at home, calm of mind,all passions spent, you'll sit up in your bed in the stillness of the night doubting if you are a cannibal or a patriot. Then your dear wife will dolefully mourn into your ears: "Oh! my dear there is no difference between the two". Then she hastens to soothe you further. "You have been doing the sanctioned murders". You'll slip into a sleep. But when it is morning and you still mourning move to the preacher, who rubbing his sagacious nose quotes Shakespeare "murder most foul even in the best case". He resumes after reading your sulky face, "Who is to be punished is for God to judge".

    Half-solaced, you limp back home, seeking shelter in prayer, regretting that you had failed to do it prior to the war. There lies no mercy in mercy killing, even when it has been condescendingly granted to a requesting patient, because the best treatment and the quickest one neednot always coincide. When there is a feud between the two, eschatologically speaking the best should win.

    Abortion is a "great" act and it should be done with "great" and meticulous care. Doctors are very careful to the minute details; nurses too are on the alert. Ohterwise, it might prove detrimental to the mother.

    Coming out of the theatre, they all agree; "a great success". but the embryo says "there's no greatness in it. The operation was a success, but the patient died".

    The scattered thoughts as above will tell you that greatness lies not in destroying life, but saving it. Now, you may apply for an excuse on the ground that the situations reffered to spin beyond your control and capacity. But there is the other side that is feasible. In this respect, i would draw your attention to a picnic of some engineering students (girls only) from Kerala to B'lore. They spent the night there in a famous college. In the morning Fr. Principal came to see them off. He noticed long hairs lying scattered in the hall. He said "Now pick up each one your hair and deposit in the wastebin. They said apologetically:
    "Sorry Father, we will sweep it clean". He looked grave, he was not pleased with it. He said seriously: "I've 5 salarised sweepers, but they are not paid for this". Then he looked at them and repeated: " I want their owners to take them", even the teachers went pale, on tenterhooks. There descended a graveyard silence. They thought "he was alright in the evening, but there is some mistake now".   

    "There's someone who knows it; I'm sure" he said.

    The sound signified the sense. There appeared some smile on the teacher's lips. Then it spread among them all. He then gave them pastoral advice and said in the end.
    "Everything is possible with Him. Be with Him and pray constantly. Everything will then be well with the world".
   

An RIT Flashback

During the past few months, i was eagerly waiting for something to happen.The wait went in vain. Nothing unusual happened..., ZIONICZ bid adieu to RIT with tears.
      
           Myself was found 3rd time unlucky when i missed the farewell party @ Orchid Residency, Kottayam due to unhealthy conditions. This time (trust me) it wasn't a deliberate attempt like the previous two farewell parties organised @ RIT where i bunked. Infact the last bunk of my RIT career. The party details were narrated to me by the friends when i reached college for preparing myself for Microcontroller Lab exam. Thanks to Miss. Shimsy Purushu for her whole hearted support @ Lab. She taught us sincerely and even denied our treat. (Is this what you call " Service ?")

    

             A lot of unexpected shocking scenes were seen at college canteen. I thought about it for a while whether to enter the same here. Later, I decided not to.., never wanted to trespass into one's privacy......, SORRY!!! But those scenes were really shocking and that too at a public place (canteen was even half filled). Let's leave it...,

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             It was my last day @ RIT as a regular (sorry..,over these 4 years myself topped the list of irregular students !!!) student. Walking through the RIT rubber woods, a vehicle stopped nearby me and offered a lift to our Dept. It was Georgin in his van.., YES., the same van which i got into.., during my first day @ RIT before 4 years.


The whole incidents flashed across my mind in a second.

                

                 It was amidst Sept. 2006, when my first journey to our college happened along with my father. It was  my father's first and last journey to RIT.After the admission procedures, we were about to leave the college. Due to the unexpected entry of rain, we waited a bit. After seeing our situation, helping hands were offered to us by Georgin and his father from their OMNI van, which we accepted with both hands.It wasn't a rainy season but was raining. We travelled in his van on our way back to home and became friends. My first friend @ RIT........... ........... ...............

                    
                    Almost 4 years passed.., It was a rainy season but wasn't raining and moreover twas my last day @ college when the same van gave me the lift for the second time. First one in the first day and the second one in the last day. I wanted to tell the same to Georgin but i dint.., dont know why? May be beacuse of my soliloquy when i alighted from his van "Today, both of us are missing our male parents"

              It was a rainy season but wasn't raining!!!

Football WC: The Best Sporting Event

Tomorrow  is the most important day in the world of sports as the king of outdoor games (football) is all set to announce the Winners.I had fights with many of my friends about Olympics & Football. To me, winners of World Cup Football are greater than the Olympic winners.No force on earth is going to change my view and will ever be the same.I may be wrong to 99.9% of the world. But, i wont change. Such is the degree of excitement Football WC brings to me. No Olympics reached anywhere near it to me.

I may be delivering a prolix absurdity.........., dont know..........., still i repeat Winners of WC Football are the world champs

WC ' 10 ends for me

As expected they missed Riquelmi. Poor defending along with the inconsistent midfield caused another Latin American express to derail. Never expected such a humiliating defeat from the hands of Germans. It was a repeat of what happened in the prev., WC. No excuses for Argentines.

     I really doubt if the past week had something special.., Tennis king Federer's exit from Wimbledon, Cricket champs Australia lost to  England in ODI series, Top favourites of 2010 WC were gunned down. Still love u Messi. Hoping to see u @ Brazil in 2014. Bye BYe South Africa

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