Tata Power days...

Time : Apr 2002 

Location : Tata Power, Electronics City, Bangalore

So finally I was an E&C engineer, passed out of PESIT!! Phew I was out of the engineering school. I dint want to become a software engineer (this was more to do with the fact that I dint get any job in software companies :)), I was more of a MOSFET, micro controller, assembly language, oscilloscope man, than a JAVA or C++ geek. The fact that I wasn’t good at programming added to the aversion towards software in general. More so electronics engineers were looked down upon by the software giants, probably the perception being that we E&C engineers can’t think “Software”.  Most of it was true; because in the 4 years of engineering we hardly “touched” computers until the final year. 

All this mutual repugnance between me and software, led me to join Tata power.  The interview itself was a welcome change, where I was asked about MOSFETs, h- parameters, sinking and sourcing currents and micro controllers in general.  Prior to this Tata Power interview, all my other interviews in software companies, gave me a belief that I was suffering from “software dyslexia”.. the labyrinth of terminologies…Constructors, destructors, abstraction, static functions, operator overloading sent my head spinning into orbit!!! (Even today, I hate C++ from the bottom of my heart :))

“Design a temperature controller circuit, the cut off should happen at 70 degree Centigrade, also make sure the heater is turned on once the temperature goes below -20 degrees and don’t leave the control loop open!”

This was my discussion with my manager after I completed 15 days in Tata Power. There was no discussion there, as such. I just said, OK sir, and came out, wiping the beads of sweat that had formed on my forehead.  Grey haired electronics Casanovas were spread like algae in Tata Power. They talked, breathed and probably even ate electronics.  Each one was a land mine ready to explode at the smallest hint of disturbance. With such an elite group of colleagues (basically I dint have colleagues there, they were all seniors), I huffed and puffed my way to design my first temperature controller circuit. The design did not even go beyond the schematics.  One grey haired nerd, scrapped the design, scribbled the circuit on a piece of paper, gave the PCB designer the details, all within a couple of hours. 

This too hot to handle technical stuff was, I guess a part of the run in needed for all the freshly minted coins from the engineering schools. I was no different, I felt the time 8 am to 430 pm was most horrible part of the day, each minute bringing in unforeseen dangers (read design discussions, hardware problems) from unexpected corners of the department.  The clock striking 4:30 infused new energy to my sapping mind and heart and like kids running out of school, at the stroke of 4:30 I used to run to our bus that would take me to my home sweet home. 

Sharp at 6, I would reach home, and the first thing I would do, is call Pachi.. “Lo baaro hogona” (Come lets go). “Hmm sari bandhe, 10 mins” (Ok fine, I will be there in 10 mins) That was the only dialogue between us over the phone, because that was our routine :). Pachi’s Kinetic Honda was one heck of a work horse, however we had kept a feminine name to her :). She would soar smoothly through the suffocating by lanes of Rajajinagar, and reach our destination, Malleshwaram.  Pachi and me sync well together in most of the matters, the first one, FOOD :). The destination was fixed, Janatha Hotel in 8^th cross. Most of the times, our snack was also fixed. Eradu single vada, followed by eradu masala dose. The taste was so divine that we had fallen in love with masala dosas and vadas. The uniform golden brown texture, that was both soft and crispy, served with coconut chutney, almost melted in the mouth. The not so pocket heavy combo was simply lick smacking, and of course satiated the two gluttony foodies. 

After the heavy snack, we used to stroll towards Sampige road, and automatically as a ritual, we were drawn towards Amruth Ice Creams. (It’s a small shop, serving homemade vegetarian ice creams) We either had butter scotch/fig n honey and one rum n raisin. Stuffed enough in our tummies, we used to walk towards the Malleshwaram railway station!! Sitting on the stone benches there, we two gluttons used to talk about everything. “Everything” in a young bachelors life is largely restricted to only three things.. Girls, job, money.. in that order!!, Okay, okay, the order may change for some serious career oriented geeks, but girls would always be a topic of discussion!

The hurtling rani chennamma at around 930pm or 945pm tearing through the silence of Malleshwaram, indicated the end of day for both of us, time to head back home, have dinner (yeah, come what may I never skipped dinner, despite my stomach crying… enough I cant take it more!!) and snore away to glory to fight another day at Tata Power!!

So there it was, my days in Tata Power. The more I think of Tata Power, the more I remember the days I spent after office hours J. Its been 11 years since those days, and always when I think of it... a smile finds it way on my lips!! 

Jaane kahan gaye woh din!!! (No, this is not the melancholy tune!! But yes, I miss those days...)

A[V]I