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The Amtrak that made a difference!

Hardly do I miss an opportunity to let go off my headphones hanging around my neck. But I’m glad it happened. I did lose the opportunity to listen to my favorite folk numbers but it gave me a lot of time to ponder over me and myself.


Let me rewind a little, starting back from a couple of fortnights. After spending the busiest three and a three quarter months of my life amidst hectic school assignments, projects, part-time, team activities, exams and last but not the least – the stupid blondes at EVK, I ended up being on the losing front – two straight B+’s in two courses.; followed up with an A-, that if not resurrected the lost pride, but veiled the dishonor to some extent. But carefree and excited about having to end it all; I was living a gleeful life in SFO with my dearest and closest. Then suddenly in the middle of the day my phone rung; not even in my slightest of imagination did I expect an interview call and guess from where – PriceWaterHouseCoopers. No doubt I was excited, but not anxious about it because I already had a bunny in my bag. Thoughtless and fearless about the interview next day I went through the requirements and gazed through my resume. Having nothing to lose, I spend the whole night snoring and sleeping in order to prevent yawning over yet another boring interview. I answered most of the questions but couldn’t have escaped with screwing up on minor things, something that I had mastered over a period of time. This was so unlike my first interview with Microsoft where I spend the whole night recollecting the lost links between C and data structures and eventually caught clueless over the new format of questions not provided by the crack the interviews booklet. I started my day with checking my e-mails and was astonished to receive an offer from PWC. With no opportunity in months and suddenly two in my court, I was overwhelmed with joy and self belief. Joining PWC seemed daunting with taking up a course in Summer and moving out to San Jose, I would have become a tennis ball bouncing between San Jose and Los Angeles to take up exams. But I eventually decided to go for PWC because “paisa bolta hai meri jaan”.


Back to Amtrak, I started my first train journey in the US from Emeryville to Los Angeles, alone and music-less. Calm and quiet, I had a lot of time to discover what went wrong over the previous months. With too much to do in too little time, I was totally exhausted, trying to do everything and ending up achieving nothing. With wavering focus and dying penetration I could barely locate the target. Life seems so easy when you have no distractions around and you feel like you could rattle Rocky Balboa with a single punch. You can have this feeling only under two situations– either when you are brimmed with belief or when you are half a dozen patiala pegs down. Don’t doubt me, I was suffering from the former disease. I hope I have a lot of time to do something that I have been yearning for over a period of time – visiting six flags, reading the Bhagvat Gita, getting my amrikan driving license and driving a rented car from LA to SFO. The foremost and the latest are yet achievable, but still uncertain about the remaining. Finally, with an honest and pleading heart, I pray for Delhi Daredevils to win the engrossing IPL 2009 and to say goodbye to an engrossing season that I never wish to look back to.

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Vibhuti said…
You know what im gonna say after reading this rite? You are unbelievable :) Hope to see you soon..Wish you are still around SFO wen i come in December..
May 23, 2009 at 5:12 AM
Anuj Jain said…
Great one Verme !!! Truly reflects the profound reflection gone in to churn out this intuitive piece. Keep pondering, keep wondering and keep posting !!!
May 29, 2009 at 1:09 PM
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