Marketics nostalgia

Yesterday, I left Marketics/WNS.

4 years, 7 months, 2 weeks. That is the longest I've EVER been in a single place. Also, the general pace of life - both professionally, and personally - had been quite high till early 2010. On the work front, I joined a small company, which had started up just a couple of years back, and wasn't fully settled - and saw it grow rapidly, get acquired by, and completely change character in just a couple of years. My own role also evolved a lot, as things changed around me.

Similarly, on the personal front - there was a lot going on. The house I live in now is the 5th I've occupied since I came to Bangalore. I've lived in HSR, Koramangala, Indiranagar and now Whitefield - and had 4 different guys as flat-mates at various times. I've made a lot of friends - at the office and outside - and also reconnected with some good old ones - and I've seen nearly ALL of them eventually leave Bangalore, in most cases also start their families.

But in the midst of all this, the one thing that hadn't changed was where I went to work (well, technically - the co. name changed and office address did shift - but it was still essentially the same workplace). For me, this job has been synonymous with living in Bangalore, and is inextricably linked with many, many memories. Even though it was my second job, I will always associate it with many firsts, which occurred during the same time. Listed below, in no particular order:

- First flat-sharing experience

- First F1 race viewed in a pub with friends. Learning that beer can - and should - be chugged.

- First F1 race LIVE with friends

- First Smirnoff/Tulleeho bartending workshop

- First party@home

- First professional crisis of confidence (thanks to Vinay CR - "Dude.... don't u know a set of percentages should add up to 100.0?". I cannot explain here.)

- First company offsite. Orange County. Director setting the pace of the party by throwing up a few hours into the trip!

- First double date (Opus. At one point, a friend-of-friend was singing and we were the ONLY four people dancing!)

- First visit to a disc, followed immediately by first midnight buffet

- First client delight

- First nap @ work

- First (and thankfully only) experience throwing-up-and-getting-carried-home-with-no-memory-next-morning at an office party! (the first Zero-G party - this is also the occasion that Neeraj, Aman and I really started being friends)

- First (and hopefully last) no-pants appearance at a party

- First Oktoberfest (OK, I'm referring to the lame Bangalore version, but still)

- First live rock concert

- First overseas trip (Hong Kong, for work, Nov 2007)

- First (and second) Goa trip. Candolim, Calangute, Paradiso, Britto's et al

- First Munakka night

- First 'sweater hatao' andolan (and several other antics by Tushar, which would be worthy of a whole, separate post!)

- First home theatre. And gaming console.

- First overseas holiday with friends

- First lone-wolf overseas holiday. London.

- First IPL game live. (Was it a date?)

- First dedicated beverage fridge

- First-ever chopsticks dandiya

- First bar at home

- First biryani at 3am (Royal Orchid, with 2 female friends, who found a naked stranger in their bed when they got home - BTW I had abs nothing to do with the latter story)

- First conference call with a girlfriend, a mutual friend and a colleague of theirs who had a crush on girlfriend (they called form their office, and yes, it was BLOODY messed up)

- First recliner chair

- First car

- First road trip

- First T20 World Cup game, LIVE

- First hiring decision

- First firing decision

- First experience interviewing potential boss candidates

- First 'meeting a girl for matrimonial purpose'

- First 'meeting the parent' (and brother)

- First gym membership

There are many more - some of them not listed above coz they weren't firsts, and others coz they're private :)

I'd like to thank all the people who played their parts in creating the fantastic memories I have from these last 4+ years - I will always cherish them!

Anyhow, yesterday, a journey came to an end - and I've not yet completely come to terms with that fact. I hope I do soon - and figure out where to head off next...