SMART farewell

Today we went to Olive Garden, a well known Italian restaurant in US. It's not that I've not been to an Olive Garden before, it's just that today was a special occasion. My farewell after four years of service at Nashville office. Even though I have another month to spend here but the farewell was planned today as my manager ST will be out office in the first half of January. And a lot of the people would be travelling during the Christmas and New years holidays.

The travel from office to this restaurant was about 20 miles (yes I checked the trip meter). We were total 8 people. We split ourselves in two cars. ST took a fast route on interstate to reach there early. DD, who had an accident couple of months back refrained herself from driving on interstate. I quickly opted for riding with DD to be able to see the scenic country side roads, which I have not seen in all my 4 years in the city. At the end I did not regret my decision, the ride was fantastic. For a change it was good to be riding rather than driving :)

It was first time for some people at this restaurant, because of it's prices. As we entered in, ST & group were already there and had asked for a table of 8. UK had got her camera to capture the moments. So as we were waiting to get a table for us, we started clicking some pictures. Oops! Juster after few pictures the battery went down. UK was shocked, "I charged the batteries last night". We started teasing UK for her negligence on batteries. She was still determined to capture moments. She took GJ with her to nearby Office Depot store to buy a pair of batteries, though it was drizzling outside.

30 minutes went by but we were still waiting for a table. "What a crap!", that's what you could see on everybody's faces. Finally the waitress came to the group and explained that the problem is there is no table ready for 8 people. They will have to join 2 tables but they are not getting any two adjacent tables free at the same time. She suggested we can sit on two different tables, adjacent to each other but they cannot be moved as they are fixed to the wall. Huh! ST went into to check the position and location, and we got ok.

As we started sitting around the table, UK and GJ were also back with the batteries. We were on two different tables but not far but not very comfortable, as the idea was to have lunch together. Which means more than just eating food together. Luckily one other table which was adjacent to the other side and movable, got empty in the time our waitress got our drinks. We decided to join that table and move one half on the group. This felt better, everybody enjoying the lunch together.

All our orders were taken and we were waiting for the food now. All the gossip and chit chatting continued. Suddenly ST said, "Are you ready with your speech". "What speech", shockingly I answered. "I don't know any speech, I ain't giving any speech here". Everybody started to force me in a teasing manner but I kept on neglecting there request.

The food was good. I didn't experiment on my dish, I just ordered what I have eaten in past here. There are not many dishes to experiment for in US for vegetarian people. I was the only veggie in the group, but everybody liked the food. ST's speech request resurged once in a while, "We will hear your speech with dessert". And I spoke to myself, there is nothing for me to give a speech. I'm not a celebrity here, we have just come to enjoy a lunch together.

By the time it was time for dessert everybody was full up to throat. Nobody had any room for a single bite of dessert. "No dessert, no speech. Since there is no room for dessert so I don't have to give any speech now". Everybody started answering together, "No, no! if that's that case then we will order one dish and eat it later". "Then I'll give the speech when you eat it", I replied. I knew there was no escape. I used to be the one who would pull everybody's leg in such kind of situations and this time I'm at the receiving end. What you sow is what you reap :).

"It has been a great pleasure to be working with you people. I know a lot of people I worked with in past are not here to hear me but everything would not have been so great without colleagues like you all. I had spent 4 years in college to get a bachelors degree, and I can relate my 4 years in Nashville to same. So I feel like I'm a double graduate now. I don't know at this point what future holds for me. I've lot of plans but not everything will go as per my plan but I'll keep you all posted. All the best to all of you for future". That was my short and sweet speech. It was an emotional moment. It's hard to walk out of niche that unknowingly builds around you, but you realize it only when you leave it.

ST said, "Well, it has been a pleasure to have you here. You have been an asset to the team. Continue your good work. We will miss you here". Everybody wished me good luck. And the lunch ended with a different scenic ride back to office. I'll miss my SMART team.

(p.s. - No offence to any other team. SMART is a noun here and not an adjective)

Continuing with 12 days of Christmas....

Monday, Dec 15 2008:
So today it was my day to get some snack to the office. I choose to get the great Indian delicacy called Rasmalai (my mouth starts watering even if I'm just writing about it). Not only I decide to get it to office but I also gave it flavor of my hands.

This is not the first time I'm making Rasmalai but definitely this is the first time when I'm making it in such a volume. My roommate AT and I counted number of people in the office. It came out to be 22. We had 3 boxes of the rasmalai patties, which made it total of 30 pieces. AT thought this would be less, even I thought that too but I told him it would be difficult to prepare more than that. I said we would restrict everyone for a piece each and at the end whoever gets the second would be lucky.

We got the ingredients a week before itself. We go the Indian market here fortnightly, so we didn't want to make a extra trip just for rasmalai. Initially I had thought we will prepare the sweet on Saturday itself so that we can keep it in the fridge for a full day which will help condense the dish to enrich the flavor more. Somehow we did not get time on Saturday (had to take a friend leaving for India for shopping).

On Sunday as usual in afternoon, AT and I were watching American football match on TV. AT said when are we going to prepare rasmalai. I gasped, "Oh man, I totally forgot about it". I couldn't believe myself, how in the world I could forget it? The most important activity of the weekend and I just forgot it, what a fool of me. So after finishing lunch I did the 3 hours preparation hoping others would like it.

Monday morning I woke up and went to kitchen. Unlike every morning today I went to see the rasmalai first before I drank some water. It's intact and still looking good. I moved the dish to other container for carrying it to the office. The container was filled upto the brim, or may be 1 cm below the edge. I suspected that the dish would spill while carrying so I covered the edges of the lid with aluminium foil, so that the lid would fix tightly to the container.

All set and ready to leave home I picked up the dish and was waiting for my other roomate KN to lock the door. As he was locking the door I looked down at my dress to make sure nothing has been spoiled. Well the thing has already spoiled my jacket, trouser and shoes. Oh my God! I asked KN to pick up some paper napkins from inside. I decided I would clean myself later, first I need to get the container to the car. AT was already waiting in front of the stairs in the car, so that we can avoid walking in the rain as much as possible. Carefully I walked down the wet slippery wodden stairs, but AT didn't see me coming down. I stood in front of the car door but both of my hands were occupied and I could not open the door. AT could not hear me inside the car as all the windows were closed and he was looking for something inside. I had to knock the door with my leg to get the door open.

As I sat inside in slow motion I realised I could not place the container on the seat as the seat is tilted. The car leather seats, which are easy to clean plus I had put a pile of newspaper at the base to avoid any spill getting on the seat. I just wiped my clothes and shoes with the paper napkins as I didn't have time and patience to change my dress. All of these precautions but still at turns and brakes I had to struggle a lot to avoid spilling. Not wise enough, was what I learned from this experience. I should have taken a bigger container.

Finally it reached office. I didn't open it until the lunch time. In fact people we expecting it so they came looking for it and started opening it even before I planned to open it. Some of them had meeting so they suspected they would miss it, hence the rush. I had to literally pull away everybody. I quickly finished my lunch, put on some last minute garnishes and then let everybody attack it. Also I did make sure I mention tha everybody is suppose to take one piece only as the quantity is limited. Intially people followed but later they ignored.

It was nice to see anxiety and enthusiasm around but I did want it to be unfair for the people who were not in office that time. I think at the end of the day everybody got atleast one piece of it, which was good. Not to forget, everybody did praise it :)

Merry Christmas!! (Sorry had to edit the picture for some posters in the background).

Getting ready for Christmas

Friday, Dec 5th 2008:

It's Christmas month. Lights everywhere. Cold weather. Christmas tress. Santa Claus. And last but not the least, 12 days of Christmas.

Most of you must be wondering what is this 12 days of Christmas? Well at first even I didn't know about it. So I tried to gather some information about it from various sources. The 12 days of Christmas is also referred as Christmastide. The Christmastide starts from the evening of 25th Dec and ends on 12th evening i.e. 5th Jan, because 6th Jan is the day when Magi visited infant Jesus (as per Bible). So people keep on the festivities from Christmas for another 12 days. In some places, by superstition it has become bad luck to leave the decorations up after twelfth night.

Now in modern days, the 12 days and nights are celebrated in widely varying ways around the world. For example, some give gifts only on Christmas night, some only on Twelfth Night, and some each of the 12 nights (I would love last option as long as I don't have to give any :)). To my surprise in US the 12 days of Christmas are celebrated before Christmas and not after Christmas as the ancient documentation suggested. There is this famous song about 12 days of Christmas,
On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree!

Coming on to how it is celebrated in our office is another variety and I'm sure lot of offices must be doing it. We put down an empty list on the notice board. The list contains the date with blank space in front. There are two entries for each day. Now each person in the office has to write there name on the sheet at least once, which denotes he or she has to get some snack or dessert to office on that day for everybody to share.

It's fun and lot of weight gaining (for the ones on diet).

Monday, Dec 8th 2008:
So today is the first day as part of celebrating Christmastide. My roommate AT was one of the two volunteers for getting today's feast. We went to Krispy Kreme and bought variety of doughnuts for everybody. Everyone enjoyed it, as not a single piece was left till end of the day. I have volunteered for next Monday. Lets see what I come up with...