Telecom Billing : My Bread and Butter and CHICKEN too!!

It was just about 2-3 months after I joined VSNL project team at yantra park Thane.I was being called up by the boss and was told to join Billing team which required new resources.The time was such that I had just settled a bit into my first ever real life project and trying really hard to sustain and cement my place in the team.Like any other fresher I used to put 10-12 hours day-in day-out to make some positive impact and also in the hope to gain some practical knowledge.As even I had the will and grit to read more and more about the tool I was using and become expert in every aspect like my seniors around, I did not let go even smallest opportunity to learn something new.I guess this phase occurs in every freshers' life where he tries to prove himself and I just went a mile extra in doing that.Now I smile at myself remembering that I read product documentation completely that time which was about 1500 pages.Yes no doubt that it helped me a lot but more than that it shows a fresher's sincerity and dedication.
So I was just finding my place in India's biggest software company for that matter Asia's No.1.
And I was offered a place in telecom billing team by the Boss.I was in No Position to say"NO"to him.And without thinking what would it be I said Yes to the Boss hoping to learn something new in the process and increase my knowledge.Anyways freshers don't have choices,do they? So I accpeted gladly what came to my way.
I heard from some of my seniors that now life will be hell for me. As the billing process used to take around 2-3 days that time as system was unstable and even the process itself.Some of them advised me to say No to the Boss.But as I told before, I decided to go forward with challenge. My training was caried out by two of the senior people in team and I learnt many new things during that.
After some time Mr.Ashish joined me in the team as the senior most person was given some other responsibility.I learnt a lot from Ashish not only technical knowledge but also about professional things.We started working together and it was a wonderful experience.I had only practical knowledge about the system and tool and he brought his vast technical knowledge and we made a really nice time after Monica one more member was separated from the team.Now we used to solve our own problems with the complete freedom given by the Boss.We streamlined and enhanced the process together which takes only 6-8 hours now.One of the biggest achievements of my professional life.Thanks to ashish and also to the boss for the freedom we got in making some changes and providing required resources when we needed.I still remember those days when we used to be in office for 2-3 days together.
I never knew when Billing became an integral part of my life.Gradually all my appointments and dates were adjusted convenient to the billing date.And after hearing any plan or program the first thought that comes to my mind is whether I have billing on that date. Actually for past two years my vacations ,my programs,my plans all depends on the billing.So smoothly I have adopted with my new life style.I still remember 31st December 2007 ,when I went with my friend had a blast for new year for about 2 hours and again came back to office to do the billing.
Now it has really become part and parcel of my life.Dont know what people say but I actually love doing that.
Telecom Billing has given a additional dimesion to my skill set.People say everything happens for Good and I am a firm believer of that after all this.It made me a strong man personally as well as professionally.Though now there is nothing to learn new and everything is optimized to maximum but taught me a lot during the course. I learnt how to work patiently and dedicatedly to achieve your objective and how to meet deadlines without losing the hope even if things are not going your way.I still remember three of us (Myself ,Monica and Ashish) slogging for 2-3 days continuously like anything just to meet the deadline.
But now everthing is changed and the process has become much simpler.Thanks to the efforts of all who contributed time and again.But now billing has become part of my lifestyle and I actually enjoy doing it.There are lot many things I learnt and lot many things happened to me during these 2 years of billing not only professionally but on personal and emotional level.And everytime I learnt something new and thoght over my life when I am alone at night at office doing billing. I came to many important conclusions which helped me took many important decisions in my life during the thought process at night.Again thanks to billing otherwise how would I had got such free time with myself.
I growed a lot with the billing and matured professionally as the process itself got matured.
Nice Journey it was and many people helped on that way.Thanks to my excellent initial traing from Monica and Kiran.And then some important inputs from Ashish.I made friends and lost a few during these two years,but billing will always have a special place in my mind....

The Story of The Special One !!!

This is my own story... And I call my self the special one because if you dont then no one will.
And you will come to know why i call myself that as we go along.This is kinda brief intro of the Animal's life!!
I spent all my life till now at a very beautiful and small town called Vashi, Navi Mumbai.Its adjecent to Mumbai city,only crossing the creek bridge will land you up inside Mumbai.My birth date 26th January.So lucky I am as I always have national holiday on my birthday(India celebrated republic day on 26th January).But I was very sad because of this as all my friends used to distribute sweets on their birthday and I never had an opportunity to do it on the same day.But later I realised that it was God's Gift for me.As I said earlier in the post, Vashi was a very small but emerging township during my school days.And you will come across familiar faces whenever you go to market or to any fun fare or to a movie. So though one may be not be knowing everyone by name but certainly knew each other by face.Still remember those days when the roads used to be full of mud during rainy season,everyone would rush in for a new movie in Vashi's only theatre,the two lifeline buses for Mumbai 501 and 502 and ever chocked Vashi creek bridge!!
My childhood went very smoothly under the care and watchful eyes of mom and dad.Growing along with my cousins,learnign new things and how to adjust and everything that is useful for the life.As I was a single child going to my uncle's house at Sion was a really nice experience for me.I learnt sharing and many good things abt life with all the love n care of my cousins,uncle(Baba) and aunty(Aai).Really it was a dream childhood. The God had planned the perfect start for me.
I was a bright student during my school days and secured 1st rank till 10th standard. I came out of school with flying colours being awarded as "Ideal Student".I scored good 88 percent in SSC board exams but those who know me were expecting much more.But I never gave importance to the end reasult in my life ,If the efforts that I had put in are satisfactory its always more than enough for me.
I did all my education till 10th in vernacular medium and now in college I have to deal with English.But it was not the real problem.The real problem came when I was admitted in one of the mumbai's best Junior college and I have to compete with 100 students who were certainly cream of batch and many were topper of their schools and I had to improve my English skills at the same time.Thank God again!! There were some good friends who helped me all along and even my hard work paid off.I was well settled in the new environment though still facing the difficult situation.But I am the special one and I came out of it with good marks in 12th.Not Great score but enough to secure a seat in a nearby engineering college in the central admission process.
Then I did my engineering in Electronics and Telecommunications.There also God always give me the feeling that he is always with me and nothing can go wrong!! Two times in two semesters I did not know what to write in computer programming practical exams and guess what electricity went off before the exam finished and I got saved.There were many instances as such which made me believe that someone is guarding me from above.
One more time The super power helped me... I was initially not selected in TCS palcements but later I got selected in Tata Infotech Ltd.But somehow I was unhappy that my friends wont be with me and guess what!! TIL merged with TCS and I got offer later frm TCS.I just love you the one above!! He solves all the problem for me before I could realise...
After my ILP programme at TCS I got an offer to come and join at mumbai my hometown.And that too at office merely 50 mins away from my place.And not only that the magical spell continues... I got into a support project where computer programming skills were not required. And I ended up showing great interest in work and surpassing my own expectations too.Oh certainly large share of credit goes to my team mates and seniors who groomed a freaky Kid into a reasonable resource(as they say in IT)! I learnt a lot from my collegues and they certainly have large contribution in my life.Thank You all (Ram,Karuna,Sahil,Amit,Anant,Bipul,Swati,Kiran,Monica to list a few..sorry if anyones name is missing.. But here I felt like giving the names as they made my entry into professional world really smooth!!) Again thanks to Super Power above to give me such a nice team who all cared and nurtured me.
Oh you might think that I am a very religious person..But No,I am not.The fact of the matter is I hardly visit mandirs or say any religious place ( Not visited since last 8 months).The Great One above and The Special one (thats me) have a very special relation.I just thank him from bottom of my heart when I want to and he too accepets it galdly.( Just by closing my eyes).No flowers ,No gifts Just a special friedship I have with him.I never disappoint him with my actions neither do him..Kinda mutual understanding beetween us.But I know whenever I want him he is always there for me.
This Journey till now certainly makes me feel that I am the special one indeed..And someone is taking care of me from above.I need your blessings to flow like this always!! As I feel from inside there is certain work I destined to do.Lets see how it goes on...
Thank You for makin my journey of life special....Love You All for your valuable contributions in making this journey a funfilled experience.Need your blessings too in taking it to new heights!!

My First Blog

This is the time I finally decided to write a blog... Its like all my previous decisions where I followed the rest.I really feel that there should be something where you should keep noting down your thoughts before they disappear from the mind.It can really help you to grow as a person and may be you can compare your thoughts on the same, some years down the line to know the difference made by maturity,age and ever changing world surrounding you on your thinking process.May be one can judge how correct or wrong he/she was as life goes on.I have decided to write this blog to make way for my thoughts on various issues.Hope it comes out to be a joyful journey in the world of blogging!!!
Oh and about the name Animal's Blog.I really feel like I certainly prefer my animal instincts sometimes rather than my human ones.I guess they are more predicatable and relaible too.
Animal Instincts have never let me down but human instincts did.Anyways hope my blogs will be a pleasent experience for the readers.
So People.. Finally n Finally Animal is here to make his own way!!! Love you all!!!