Today is Independence Day. Not here in India, but on the other side of the world in the United States. But I'm enjoying it.
I'm celebrating Independence Day by working in office till 10:30 in the night. Eating sandwiches from the cafeteria and listening to the same old songs repeatedly at my workstation is a nice way of spending this special day. I am writing this blog post too. And oh yes, I almost forgot... I am also working!
As Nehru said, "At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom." Although I'll be going home an hour and a half before midnight, we can still apply that quotation to my plight... even now when much of the world is getting ready to sleep (especially in the semi-submerged Kolkata), I'm (hopefully) still awake and alive here in my office helping the Americans celebrate their Independence Day.
Correction. I'm helping our Indian onsite team in the US to celebrate the American Independence Day. They won't come to office, so I have to work from here at night. I'll probably help them again by coming to office on our Independence Day, for who ever heard about working at night at onsite unless it's an emergency?
Really, the life at onsite is the only life worth living if you are in the IT industry. And that is the only life where you get to celebrate your Independence Days. We, at offshore, are not eligible for that.
We are not eligible for that because we are still slaves.
My sympathies brother [:(].
ReplyDeleteAbout 'Life @ onsite', yes it sure rocks (I assume that onsite you mean US,Uk and all those foren places, though several companies have onsite at India as well. They sure are doomed.)
Hope you get a comp-off post independence day celebrations.
Its okey dude..
ReplyDeleteAt least now we should explore beyond IT.
At onsite you do slavery in better work culture and with better payment.
Really...!I feel my initials MB is something like Melanie Brown rather than Monami Banerjee...when I was given holidays on 4 july instead of 15 august....and now after working on both indpendence days I feel am none....we still in the shakles of bondage of "higher mortals" in the name of clients.
ReplyDeletehmmm well written! I could sense yr emotions!! I am with u:-)
ReplyDeletearre u r abt 2 complete 2 yrs @ wipro. now cheer up!!....ur onsite oppertunity should b somewhere arnd ur door-steps.
ReplyDeleteI am actually smiling at your post. I hope you do get a holiday on independence day.
ReplyDeleteyou seem so frustrated, I do hope you can get a well deserved break away from work soon!
ReplyDeleteHi Sugata,
ReplyDeleteI thought that was quite an angry blog. Also, when the option to be a slave is yours why get angry about it. Or are you saying there is no other option ?
:) (all in good spirits, I hope)
@kalyan: Yes, by onsite I meant US or EU.
ReplyDelete@abhijit: Hehe that's true, but that's at least better than doing it at bad work culture and less payment, right?
@monami: I have nothing against the clients. But I feel we treat our onsite people like kings.
@abhijit: Thanks!
@aurindam: Thanks! I don't think so though.
@shreemoyee: Thank you!
@bidi-k: Thank you! Actually it's not as if I'm not getting breaks... I have this weekend off, you know? But this point is irrelevant. What I wanted to say is that we treat our onsite people differently from the people at offshore.
Nice to see you online again!
@dhoritri: Yeah I was angry that night! Now it's ok :)
"Choice to be a slave" was not the choice that I made. Yes, I chose this industry and fortunately or unfortunately I'm working from offshore. I have no problem in that. My only problem is the step-motherly treatment that is meted out to the offshore team. I have no problem working late night in case of an emergency, but why should I do it on a preplanned American holiday? Especially since we have to cover for ourselves on our holidays.
I'm not saying there are no other options. I'll have to start looking for them.
Or...you just accept that it is not all that bad. I think the only think that you disliked is working that night ...it hardly qualifies for 'slave'treatment ! :)
ReplyDelete@dhoritri: OK, I was irritated because of that night when I wrote this, but it happens day after day. Meetings are invariably fixed at onsite time, weekend jobs are always passed on to offshore. When the onsite team is given some dirty work, they dilly-dally till the last day, then pass it on to offshore. A manager I know once even said "beggers can't be choosers"... It's just this attitude problem that I see here. Working one isolated night doesn't matter, facing discrimination day after day does.
ReplyDeletegood to have u back
ReplyDeleteSugata,
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if you have celebrated ID in America or life at onsite. Believe people at offshore are much more luckier for people at onsite, when you celebrate Diwali, Dasera, Holid and Durga Puja in India. There are some festivals which belong to my religion and region are not even heard of in those counties.
Grass is not green on other side. We should be happy that we get to celebrate Indian Independence Day in India.
Thank you!!
Ken