The saga of interviews

I went for an interview at 10 am. The HR did not acknowledge and I started to form an opinion that they are unprofessional and doesn’t respect other’s time. She called me up from her desk and told me that it was scheduled for 4 pm. Came back and checked the mail to see that it was me who had requested her to change the timings from 10 to 4. How could I not remember?

Went to the Manager’s cabin on Tuesday for a one-on-one scheduled on Wednesday. I did not check the calendar and relied on my brains.

I think I am stressed out, stressed out from attending interviews.

Been attending interviews at a lot of companies and this is the first time in my life that I am facing a lot of rejections too. Ideally, when I apply in 3 companies, I get offered in 2 of them. I take one offer and stop the job hunt until the seat itches again. This time, I have been rejected in 5 companies already. One good company that I applied did not even shortlist me.

Are they getting wiser?

If you have to fail, failing in the first round is ok but it pains when you fail in the HR round or the 4th and the 5th rounds. By that time, I have forgotten what I am supposed to say and I am sure they have forgotten what to ask and therefore, whatever I answer is not right. Think about the time, money and energy wasted. I work in one end of the city and another company in the other end called me. I somehow managed to make the ends meet and attended the interview. They called me to a hotel that week-end. I went there. They called me again to the other end of the city. By this time, I don’t know which end to take care of. Atleast my rear end in the office was on fire due to the prolonged absences. Then they called me again, I went and finally, I am not offered. Bah!

I applied again to a company where I had failed two years back. I met the same manager. He had offered me icecream the last time. I gobbled up the ice-cream nicely but failed the technical round. This time, I wanted to say,’No’ to any ice-cream. (The ice-cream could be laden with something that would make your brain stop functioning at the wrong time. I mean I know it doesn’t function sometimes, but I expect it to function during interviews.) It did not happen. So, I asked for water. This time he cleared me and I met another person and I am still waiting after completing 4 rounds in that company.

My Senior Manager and Manager have joined another company and they wanted to pull me too. I applied as it would be fun to work with the same people again. I cleared some rounds and had to be interviewed by some head from Australia. I failed.
I told them that their company’s cab passes by my house and I am going to puncture the tyres.

Today, I have the 3rd round in another place. Sometimes, all I do is present myself in a nice formal attire as I have no idea what to prepare on or what else to prepare on. I come back and update Romila about my experiences. The other day when I said, “I went there and failed.” She said,”every dog(bitch) has her day. The bone is not far away. Don’t worry.”

Bone Bone Bone Bone
I want you in my life
Let's spend in work together
From now until forever ~ Inspired by Vengaboys

Korean movies, north-east youth and some thoughts

We have been watching a lot of Korean movies of late that S and I joke that we may start talking to each other in Korean. When I went home, I could see the youths trying to ape them rather than the Indian movie stars. Hindi movies and channels are banned by the militants and a famous Korean channel is watched in most households and loved. One thing could be because of our looks that the youths can identify with them more than the Hindi movie stars. Even after being with India for this long, we continue to search our identity. I feel they are right in some ways in trying to ape some other country. We are often not accepted. I hate it when colleagues ask me where my state is and what is its capital. Furthermore, some of them think we eat all kinds of living things.

Sometimes I ask them, “Were you fishing when your teacher taught Geography? Atleast know that I am from the north-east even if you don’t know which state, having said that I am an Indian.” I am more Indian in many ways than them morons. I am not saying this is all bad though. You are different; therefore you can be interesting too. I feel I have managed to remove many prejudices from the minds of those people who know me well.

Coming back to the Korean movies, I realise it is not just S and I who have been watching these movies but bollywood too. Welcome is copied from a movie called Marrying the Mafia. The revenge of Sanjay Dutt, Zinda was also copied from another Korean movie. There is another Korean movie on teenage pregnancy called Jenny and Juno and though the story is different, the subject is the same as Juno. So, I thought maybe, Hollywood was also inspired by this. Juno was a much better movie than the Korean, Jenny and Juno. I have a nagging feeling that You, Me aur Hum is also copied from A moment to Remember, but there are lot of other Hollywood movies on Alzheimers. I have watched the Notebook based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel and then there is Away from her for which Julie Christie was nominated for the Oscars. I wish to watch A memoir of Irish Murdoch. Read all the actors (Jim Broadbent, Judi Dench and Kate Winslet) got nominated for the Academy and Golden Globe.

A Moment to Remember has Son Ye-jin as the lead. The Classic was the first Korean movie that I watched starring this lady some years back. After that, I watched My Sassy Girl and now, I have lost count. Till now, I find A Moment to Remember to be the best movie on Alzheimers, Holly Bolly Tolly Golly, all the Woods considered. Some of the Korean movies are quite good. They have their own American Pies and American Gangsters. I remember one funny dialogue from one such movie. It is a movie on Gangsters. One of the brothers is always found with women instead of gang wars. So, the elder brother scolded him. The sub-title read,” You are always clinging to breasts. Are you a calf? “