At this moment, I’m very happy, though its almost 1 week since I’ve received this happy news. Its my final year of Engineering and so the first thing that comes to anybody’s mind is ‘campus placements’. I was hired by SAP last Friday – 16/09/11.

It was only on 13th morning that I returned to college after the mass recruitment drive by Infosys and CTS at the Ettimadai campus of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. I was almost certain that I wouldn’t be attending any more placement tests that week. But, it happened all of a sudden – I would like to call it fate, and good luck! If it wasn’t for my friend Rahul, I’d never have enrolled for this company’s placement test.

This was my 5th attempt at placements. I had reached till the interview rounds of companies like Microsoft, Thoughtworks, Sourcebits. But, I couldn’t clear them. I attributed it to my weak basics. I was determined to brush up and strengthen my basics, deriving inspiration from my classmate, Greeshma, who made it into Microsoft. Even I was surprised how determined I could be. It all paid off. Thank God!

Ok, so the placement drive of SAP India Pvt Ltd (http://www.sap.com/india/index.epx) was scheduled for the 15th and 16th of September 2011 at the Ettimadai Amrita School of Engineering. Along with 13 other friends from my campus, I reached the Ettimadai campus on 15th midnight, around 12.30 a.m. The pre placement talk was scheduled for 12.00 p.m the very same day. I don’t know if you would believe me, now that I’m already hired, that I had the intuition that ‘this company is for me’ when the pre-placement talk was being delivered. I was very much impressed by the speaker, and the company. The hiring procedure began with an online test of 90 minutes at around 4.30p.m. There were 90 questions subdivided into 3 sections – logical analysis (30 questions), verbal skills (30 questions), and technical CS (30 questions). These were further subdivided, and each question was timed. The crucial factor was time management. The test didn’t go very well for most of us, including me, but this inner voice made me feel ‘I might get through’. And yes, I did.

Now, my nightmare would haunt me- interview AGAIN! I really didn’t want to fail in yet another interview. I already had had enough. Being one of the top scorers of the class, and losing out on simple, basic questions! I couldn’t take more of them! The very same day two of my classmates, Rahul and Chandni cleared the technical interview round. Mine was scheduled for 16th. That night I used the internet to look for some commonly asked questions and to clear my doubts.

My technical interview round began at around 10.30 a.m the next morning. I wasn’t very tensed. I wanted to clear this one! The interviewer seemed to be a very friendly guy. He briefed me on how he would be splitting time for various sections. After the first basic introduction, he began to ask the technical questions. First was on Linked lists. I was asked to write the code and explain how to swap the max and min elements of a singly linked list. Linked lists are my favorites, and I could easily solve them. Then he asked me if I was comfortable with binary trees, and then asked me to build a binary tree using the input he gave, and then write the code. I took my own time – around 5 minutes, and solved the problem. He didn’t really go thorough the code thoroughly, he only skimmed through it as I explained! I was confident about the solution, though! After this, he asked me to explain the object oriented features using the real world example – humans. Though I fumbled in this part, the interviewer really helped me and ultimately he could understand that I knew the concepts. He didn’t ask more, and in around 45 minutes, my technical interview was done.

After this round, I wasn’t satisfied. I felt I hadn’t done my best and a few tears trickled down my cheeks. One of the coordinators from the Ettimadai campus soon came with the news that I’d been selected for the next round, the HR round. I was overwhelmed at this news. Later I found that the interviewer was really impressed with my answers, and that I was one of the two students whom he had given a ‘yes’ within the first 15 minutes into the interview.

HR round was next. I had no experience with this, and so I was totally blank. Rahul and Chandni had already finished their HR rounds, and their only advice to me was ‘be yourself’. They asked me to think for a few seconds before beginning to answer the questions, which I followed exactly.  The interviewers weren’t looking for brilliant answers.  My interviewer, like the others, was very friendly and helpful, and I had to face the common questions like ‘why Computer Science and Engineering’ etc. They only wanted to know if we could literally THINK! As per my evaluation, my answers weren’t brilliant, but they weren’t very bad either. The voice inside me echoed that ‘i might get through’. After waiting for around an hour, the coordinators came to us with the happy news! I was overwhelmed. I am really grateful to God.

The SAP employees then invited us for dinner. They said was their tradition to take the newly hired students for dinner. No other company had done so at Ettimadai, at least till what I’ve known. The dinner was SUPERB! We got to know the employees better. They were very jolly people who loved to enjoy, and we enjoyed the food, and their company to the maximum!!

Can’t wait to join SAP!

Chers,

Shilpa

Aah, here I am, with another delicious dish that I tried out. The taste is different, but its real good! The cooking time is just around 10 minutes. You’ll love the dish if you are a fan of paneers and oh yeah, food!

So, here we go…

Ingredients :

Paneer : 250g (prepare with 1.5L of milk)

Fresh Cream : 200g

Tomato Puree : 200g

Chilly powder : 1/2tsp

Butter : 2-3tbsp

Dried methi leaves : 2tbsp

Garam Masala : 1/2tsp

Green Chillies : 2-3 (slit)

Salt (to taste)

Method:

Heat the butter and then mix the green chillies, chilly powder, methi leaves, tomato puree, salt and simmer for around 4-5 minutes. Then, add garam masala, paneer and cream and cook for another 2 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Sounds too simple? The taste of the methi leaves stands out, with of course the butter and cream blending wonderfully in your mouth. You’ll love it! Am sorry I didn’t take a pic. Can’t get my computer to recognise my camera (and I was too hungry to wait to get a pic). So,why don’t you guys out there give it a try and post your comments!

Chers,

A bientot!

Like I told you, I have been experimenting.. So, here is the simplest of all! Dal curry. It will take just around 10 minutes to cook. Dont take my post as a cookbook. It involves experimentation and your taste buds too.

So, here we go. First, pressure cook the moong dal, about 1/2 cup. In the meantime, chop 2 medium sized onions, ,one tomato, and 2 green chillies. In a pan crack some mustard seeds in 2 tablespoon oil and then fry the onion and green chillies till the onion is golden-brown. Now comes the role of your eyes. If you are a person who loves the bright colours, here is your chance! Add a pinch of turmeric and a tea spoon of chilly powder and enjoy the perfect blending of these two colours. Also put in the chopped tomatoes. When their raw smell disappears, add the dal, half cup of water, salt to taste, and wait till the curry has boiled for around 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and butter.

This was really a feast to my eyes. I could enjoy the way the colour blended and when all was done, it tasted perfect with chapathis!

Happy cooking!

Bon apetit!

Its yet another vacation, and I’m lost in idleness! Wondering what to do, I end up watching 2 movies a day on HBO, Star Movies, or some other channel on the television. They are all the simple, sweet movie genre, not the action packed ones. Don’t know why, I enjoy those more!

I am back to blogging because of the movie I saw “Julie & Julia”. Its about a government employee (a writer who happens to end up in the government jof), Julie, who finds an outlet to her frustration at office by cooking. She then takes up the challenge of cooking every recipe of the book “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” within a year, and blogging on it. She finds inspiration from Julia Child, an author of the book, a famous American chef, who helps her find her find her true talent. Julie’s blog is a hit and she becomes a writer.

Wondering why I am narrating the story here? Naa, don’t worry that I’ve turned into a movie buff and that I’ll be posting them here! The book I mentioned has majority non-vegetarian food! I can’t try them because I am a vegetarian. So here I am, back to my blogging, with a few recipes that I try out during this vacation. For those who wont believe that I actually cooked, the photos will be lined up too!

Common now, wish me all the best of luck! Happy cooking to me!

Cheers.

As a part of SSR (Student Social Responsibility), my group (8 of us) had decided to set up a food stall. We were very enthusiastic about our project, but when it came to implementation, we had no clue where to start!! Even our faculties appreciated the plan and worked a lot for the permissions. We had an alternate plan to implement because we were almost sure the permissions would be denied. To our surprise, it was approved. So the eight of us sat together, made a detailed plan : set up committees for various requirements like tokens, food source finders, stationary buyers, permission gatherers etc… We were almost ready to implement the project on the days of the cultural fest when the college authorities came into the scene, to announce that they would get the required items for us, and were involving all those interested for the project! The idea was exclusively suggested by our group and we weren’t all nods for that plan!! But then we thought it would be competition for us, and took it in the positive way. 2 days before the fest, the faculties called a meeting to jot down the requirements of each team. They said they would take the expenses and we had to pay only if loss is incurred!! That was not good news for us since we had all the things that it would take to set up the stall : paper cups, paper plates, fruit juice squashes etc, The snacks were still a problem for us. The college prevented us from buying anything from outside in fear of food poisoning.

As was not unexpected, the next day (mind you, day before the fest), the same authorities came with a SORRY guys!! We knew that this would be the ultimate response, and were relieved since we were well equipped. But due to the timely interference of an influential faculty, the head of the CIR Department of our college, the snacks orders were placed from the college canteen, and that worry was out of our heads!!!

The whole implementation was fun. I would like to put in my experience here. It was a team effort. I agree. 2 and a half days. They are bright and clear in my memory, like a movie. I had 9 events to participate during the kalotsavam, but the stall was the best part of the kalotsavam! I ran into the stall put up near the main stage everytime I could spare time from practice. Last year, all I did was practicing the group items and so I missed enjoying the events!! Especially dance. This time, everything was different. I am happy for myself for having suggested the topic and lead the team (I am only one of them : all 8 of us are leaders!). I saw team spirit, selfless help, unbounded fun and lots more. When everybody was having fun in front of the main stage, we were dancing in the stall. This should have been a special attraction for the customers : seeing boys and girls move to the music!! I was in the cash counter most of the time and so I did only ‘partial’ dancing, else I would have seen somebody dancing away with the money that we collected. We were a group of 8 girls and that is why I would like to thank my class’ boys! Without them, bringing 3 cartons of 2 litre bottles would have seemed like climbing mount Everest for us.! They were extra hands for us. In fact, I have no displeasure or jealousy in dedicating the success of the stall to all my friends who were a part of the stall.

If it wasn’t for the stall, I wouldn’t have got to know many of my friends better, and most importantly myself better. I realized I could actually do things. I walked around coordinating with the faculties, wooing customers to actually come towards the stall and “buy” something. That word, “buy” is important!! Else I would have been the sole customer. My money would have fed “customers”. I got to manage human resource : I could get people to do things. Not that I was a supervisor, I did my part too. But, my contribution would have meant nothing without the others whom I could gather to do the jobs. At the end of the day, we sat together counting the money collected and gave kudos to all the members of the stall!! The next task was to see if the accounts were right. We had to settle the deal with the snack provider, and our personal investments. The accounting was a bit difficult task. But I could settle them and give a crystal clear account sheet to the faculties. We had made more than 50% profit out of the money invested. Like one of my friend put it, we had collected enough money to sponsor 2 kids, or even more for one year of their school. Proud of it!

I know I have missed many things that need to be here, in the post. But when there is concurrent and non-streamlined flow of thoughts, many are missed. All I know is that those days will be in my memory forever, though I wanted you to know them the way I do. Sorry guys!
Take care!

Take care
A tout a l’heure

Yes. It has been almost six months since I blogged. Thanks to my college routine, that kept me busy. Now, after almost one week since my holidays began, and just 2 days past the publishing of our results, I am on a high note. Not because my holidays have been eventful, but because I got good grades. Honestly, I did not expect it.

If you would have noticed, my vacation posts have got nothing but expression of my frustration of sitting idle. Don’t know why, I always want to keep myself engaged, but that mood doesn’t just COME! Just when my exams were going on, I decided that I must do something this vacation and I trust that was a firm feeling, and a firm decision that I had taken. But, now I see, I am happy with my TV and my cooking. Over the top, I am not happy with what I have been doing. I like cooking and spending time in front of the television, but now it seems as though I waste my day, precious time, doing just those.

As I always say, time alone is equivalent to time for thought. Yes, I reflected on what I had been when I was in my primary school days. I always helped my mother. My father was out of station because of work, and I always helped mom with the work. Of course, not cooking!! Wondering where that girl is now in me?? hmm..

But, as usual, I am planning to do something, and I will put that up here, in case I do something.. Looks like my planning is never going to end?? Aa?

Take care. Keep smiling

I happened to enter the ‘normal lab’ and I was in no mood to do anything. So I thought of going through my friends’ blogs.. And I get disturbed again. I am not criticizing their entries. I am in full appreciation for them. They trigger some numb parts of my brain.. hehe… Its still bad to ‘see’ that my friends haven’t yet found their true friends at college. I had put in all my efforts to help them in the process. But the result is disappointing. I find them the most active people in my class. But, still??

I see my friends having the most fun at the extra labs on Saturdays and Sundays.. Yes, new rumours have popped up, my classmates are making the best advantage of it.. They crack timely jokes.. I enjoy them as long as they remain jokes. The favourite past time of our class is BINGO.. The kind of game usually seen played by school children. We enjoy it, though.. And, yes, such ‘multiplayer games’ could also be inspirers.. When we were with no clue as to which application to develop for android, TIC TAC TOE came to our rescue. We’re almost done with the project (except for my part)!!

That’s it. I started with nothing in my mind, I dont think I have put up somthing that brain triggering, except for the people whom I’ve mentioned in this post..

Bye.. Take care..

It was with sudden a thought that I realized that my second year at college has already been almost a month old. I made a comparison with myself in the previous year (I mean, my 1st year @ college and my present self). I must say not much difference but somewhere, I had changed. With friends at school having made vows of being in touch with each other, forever, I saw, and see, not even the slightest implication of their existence, other than at sites like orkut and facebook. I admit these were something like a new toy gifted to a small kid. Initially, he checks on it daily, handling it with utmost care, checking on it daily, and inspecting it with maximum curiosity, but with time, grows bored of it and only checks to see if the count of his toys is correct. By this, I don’t mean I like new sites of these kinds. Just that I’ve been bored by them…(Still, I wonder I keep wondering ‘what’s the big deal in it with so many people glued to the site—everywhere!! *Due respect to the owners, Google!)

July 7th, 2008 was the day where many bright, (and many not-so bright) faces walked into Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri campus amidst curiously and anxiously watching pairs of eyes. They were called ‘the batch of 2008-12’. (You know how it is when juniors – especially first years – walk into the college? You get to know the feeling only when you yourself can proudly be called a SENIOR atleast by the number of years you spent at the college. But, at Amrita, where authorities call the institution as 100% RaGgInG fReE’ (not free-ragging) campus, where even the slightest gesture of asking the name of somebody (esp. first years) is considered to be a subset in the class of ragging, where you have cent percent placement, things seemed quite OK-OK for me, Some people whom I already knew had briefed me about the college.

To be frank, even today, I am a bit reluctant and scared to walk through a place where seniors stand in groups. I don’t consider something as much as asking names to be a case of ragging (and, am not boasting or shoeing off almost all seniors know my name by now) but, the ‘asking names’ procedure is still applicable to me.. Even on the day when our juniors stepped into the college and I was floating in the air (but very close to the ground… hehe) I suddenly felt I was still a first year. Yes, a senior called upon me to ask “why didn’t you add me @ orkut?!! He was a nice guy and we had a small chat, and yes, now he is my friend on orkut too.

July 6th night itself I had got my personal experience of what elders say ‘you will meet different KINDS of people @ college. Choose your friends wisely’. I wouldn’t like to put it here, but everyone at college knows about my x-roommate, and then x- classmate, and now, x-college mate!! I know my post is growing lengthy this time, but, you know, I got a year’s things to say!! (And a little bit of influence from Arundhathi Roy’s ‘God of Small Things’ that, if you have noticed, a change in my style of writing… oops, blogging!! )

As in any institution, the first hour of every subject we had to learn was spent by self-introduction. I had learned everybody’s name after the second time repetition of the process. And then, we had different ‘types’ of introduction. Initially, not many seniors filled the corridors of our floor since the beginning of the year was BLESSED by the suspension of 3 third years for suspected ragging! I asked the seniors themselves about the case and to the best of my understanding, they were innocent. Just that the student affairs department wanted some work to do!! slowly but steadily, almost all seniors who lined upon the corridors got to know about my ISS history, and there began the journey of my ‘Ganamelas @ corridors’, only with a slight difference that, this time, there wasn’t any remuneration by means of cash, but by ‘see you again for more songs’ reward. I never complained because they were never ‘RAGGING’!! And, according to me, they were means to get to know more seniors, and memories to cherish in the years to come.

The composition of my class was more than 50% Andhrites, some very friendly, both inside and outside that lot, among both girls and boys. I make friends quite quickly and so the ‘class fitted me well’ (though not the subjects). The most annoying (atleast to me) fact about our college is that exams come every month! By the time we have just finished relaxing after the 1st exam, the next are already scheduled, and as in any 1st year B.Tech courts, the syllabus was heavy (both in the number of subjects and in the content of each). The heroes of school in academics suddenly saw their marks dip to the 20’s and 10’s. At the beginning, I saw them sad, but they got used to that very soon. Relative grading came to our rescue.

Almost all auspicious days are celebrated in a grand fashion at our college. Ah! I forgot! (Et, tu Brute?) My roommates!! I wonder how my life would have been, if not for those two. One always kept saying things that made no sense to anybody, or something which finally neither of us understood. The other always said anything and everything in the most jovial manner possible. I kept laughing all the time. The hostel life was also great since the 3 of us had almost the same mindset. None of us found it difficult, or took time to be very good friends.

Then came exams, exams, assignments, and all the work!! Relative grading the saviour and all pass with good grades. What more could I have asked for with so much little effort put in??

The 2nd sem was ‘cultural’ time. The time I always love. Music, dance, fun, anything and everything. The amritakalotsavam was just wonderful. All 4 groups (into which all students of the college fell) put in all their effort to take the trophy. The practice sessions (though you couldn’t bunk classes unlike @ school) went late into the nights and it remains still fresh in me. The kalotsavam fell on February 14th! And there you go!! Red, red everywhere! I got my share of love too . I think those boys still find it embarrassing to face me. Not because I made a mess of the situation and shot out at them, but since I replied them with the very same attitude that they had. They were on the way of winning something through a bet, while I was on my task of not shivering in front of them. I was in 7 or 8 events for the kalotsavam and so, I missed all other events where I should have been a spectator, the most colourful dances (where the maximum fun was being served). The hall was jam packed and filled with howling and hooting. There came the student affairs department again into the scene. ‘Suspension from the college for howling and hooting- for not maintaining the DIGNITY of amrita’. Seems silly? I guess even the department found it silly enough to not take any action. Thank god! I’d have been @ home, had they taken any action!

Then came RAGAM ’09. South India’s 2nd biggest cultural fest. I was in!! I was excited. More practice, much more fun!! What else could I expect from my very first year?? The bus journey to NITC was great. So was everything there. I fell in love with the campus. I haven’t yet finished my tour of the campus. Coming from a relatively small campus, anybody like me would have been in the same condition! I stayed at the room of my cousin who is studying there, and so I could make all possible comparisons. The students, the cleanliness of the rooms and toilets, and most importantly the MESS FOOD! I loved their mess food! Aah! I am just waiting for RAGAM ’10.

More seniors, more ‘what’s your name’ and ‘sing us a song’. On the day I thought ‘Oh no! First year’s last working day’ I was rewarded with the best possible treat! Dance, music, athletics, and many more. Confused?? “I WAS THE PERFORMER!!” Vivid and bright as a day in my memory. As I told earlier memories for the years to come. Fortunately, or unfortunately, some of my classmates saw my performance!

I had already posted on my vacation and the most important thing about it, to me, was that I realized I wanted to DO something and I realized my inspirers. 2 of my classmates!! They were my best guides (and still are) and my very good friends. And coming to the little ‘changes’ I thought had come about me: I found interest in computers, began reading (God of Small Things… It took me a month to finish reading the book… yeah!! I’m only a beginner yaar!!), tried to help my friend (out of his little frustration and a little not-in place feeling. He is doing better!! Not because of me, but because of himself), and little more interest in my life. Putting some things in order, correcting some mistakes, learning new things, an added spark to my smile.

Second year began with new expectations for me. I was into ANDROID project. I was in a much more comfortable environment. With everybody of our batch waiting for our juniors to arrive, to be called the ‘Seniors’. Some of us spent almost 7 hours to arrange for their WELCOME/ that is a beautiful procedure repeated in different styles to every first year – Handing over a lighted lamp to the juniors. Some of my friends and myself bore the exhausting 7 hours of work to get a glimpse (not because they were considered as superstars by us, but because, you know, the circle of procedures should go on- What’s your name – and we were spotting the ones whom we thought eligible for that prestigious ceremony !! ) of the juniors. But, everything came to our disappointment when we knew that ‘what’s your name?’ procedure was a case of ragging, and merrily brought work for the student affairs department. The first thought that came to my mind, to which some of my seniors agreed, ‘how good a junior I had been!!’

Yes, I agree, different people have different perceptions of situations. Everybody needn’t have my perception of any situation. But, I wish they had the minimum knowledge of those scenes which are rightly termed as cases of ragging. I wish the ‘looking- for- a- job’ department hadn’t overprotected the juniors. I mean, they wouldn’t have such a department to register their complaints once they were out of this ‘SECURE’ place. Everybody knows that. But, like anybody, ‘I do what I have to do now, I am not concerned of their future’ is the attitude of the ‘looking- for- a- job’ staff!! I wish they hadn’t told “don’t speak to your seniors. You got nothing to do with them” t the juniors and “you shouldn’t speak to them. They will learn what they have to, all by themselves” to us.

Ending this entry on a sad note, unlike my other posts. Take care…

Anybody could easily seach the web to get the TECHNICAL details of this great Indian woman… The first IPS officer, her DOB, the date she joined office etc.. etc… I know it is as important to post those details here… But, in my opinion, a Google search would do better..

When I was a kid, pictures and photos of police officers always attracted my attention. Though I wasn’t aware of what the post really meant (nobody would, at that age!), I had some special feeling on seeing such pictures.