Under lock and key for a further three weeks!

The Prime Minister of India, our beloved Modi-ji, announced lock and key for another three weeks in the interest of the country's well being. A welcome move.

I was going to ring in turning 40 this April with a dinner and a cruise and now all that is out the window. Instead I get another three weeks of guaranteed family time with husband and kids and seniors all compulsorily staying at home. Come to think of it, it would not have been possible for all of us to stay together at home for six weeks in any other permutation and combination of events! Whatsoever. Absolutely.

And for that, the big 4-0 will be remembered for a long long time to come!!

Farewell, Cisco!

In a very eerie coincidence, today, 21-March-2020, I finally formally resigned from Cisco. Should have happened a couple of weeks ago, but thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic - things got pushed to the last minute. And how they landed on this very day!

15 years ago, I was due to join the company of my dreams on Mar-14-2005. After seeing a lot of rejections, 9/11-triggered unemployment and economic uncertainty, job freezes and what not, I finally landed that dream offer. Thanks to last minute H1 confusion and visa papers not coming in, the date was moved out to the next Monday, Mar-21-2005. Forced vacation for a week.

Then on 21-March-2008, after finally spending three stress-free, employed years in the US, I said bye-bye to my SJ campus since we were flying out a day later to India in what we were hoping would be a permanent move back :) Again another coincidence.

Now, after two weeks of forced staying-in, this Wednesday (25-March) would be my last day in Cisco - which also, thanks to another coincidence, was my first day with Cisco India (25-March-2008). Which also reminds me, it has been a dozen years since we moved back to this weekend! :)

Talk about coincidences and stars aligning! A new adventure starts 26-March. Looking forward to that now..

It has been a long journey, and a very cherished one. I leave behind some very good friends whom I will sorely miss and very many memories. Lot of lessons learned as well.

Finally, my marriage takes it's rightful place as the longest relationship I've had :)

US wants social media details for visa applications!

This is the only thing that could draw me back to my blog I guess :)))

Boss has been on my case to go to the US for at least half a year now. In fact one of my ex-managers and I had a bet on how much longer I can put off that trip to the mother-ship when I told him that I had never returned to the US after I moved back home for good. I "tried" opening a DS-160 in April, that is to say, I made a half-hearted attempt, filled my name and date of birth and then saw all the details they needed and just closed the application after saving the number. They want to know all details from my F-1 visa to the Green Card I abandoned, all the countries I have been to in the last five years etc etc etc. And NOW they also want this? I feel maybe getting a diplomatic passport or even investing a million dollars and getting a green card instead is a much easier option than applying for a visa :D And worse, this is when I don't even want to go :( 






It has been 14 odd years since I stood in a US consulate line and I am so NOT looking forward to it...