The Bucket List 3

1. Bungee Jump
2. Learn to Sky Dive
3. Propose to the girl I love on my knees
4. Visit a country other than India
5. Visit Ladakh
6. Marry the girl I love
7. Fly a plane some day
8. Drive a Super Car
9. Ride a Super Bike
10. Wake up with a Hangover
11. Learn Scuba Diving
12. Become a father
13. Watch a India Pakistan Cricket Match Live in Stadium
14. Direct a Short Film
15. Buy my own Apartment
16. Buy my own car
17. Gift a Trip to my parents
18. Work in a city other than Hyderabad
19. Go on a Road Trip to GOA
20. Drive my car on the beach
21. Paragliding
22. Parasailing
23. Get atleast one photograph published in a leading magazine
24. Witness and Photograph a Space Shuttle launch
25. Get a Tattoo
26. Witness Snowfall

The Countdown begins.....

13th Oct 2014
6:55 PM

I came out of the room after a long meeting. A meeting that I called for. I felt something in my stomach. I had another meeting to attend in 5 minutes.
I returned to my desk, unlocked my laptop and dialed into the bridge to attend the meeting.

I was still thinking back about the conversation I had with my manager 5 minutes ago in that room. I was trying to remember the last time I did this. I was trying to remember the words I used last time. Things were different then. People told me I was too strong in my email. They said my manager would have definitely not liked that email. I didn't care, I was glad I did it. I felt relieved.

This time though, it was different. I didn't feel the joy I felt last time, I didn't feel the relief, I was anxious.

I sat quietly with my headset on, thinking, trying not to take in anything I was hearing.

I opened my inbox and started a new e-mail.

Words didn't come naturally. I typed, edited and deleted.......lot of times.

Finally, I decided what I was going to write, I started


"Hello XXX,

I wish to inform you that I would like to........."

I finished it finally, read and re-read it, made sure that there were no mistakes.I had to get this right. Make it sound like I am doing this for the right reasons.

I thought hard, what should the subject be? Should I be creative and put something funny? No, this had to be professional, I finally decided that it had to be simple, no fancy stuff.

So I typed in the subject field, "Vikram Mannava Resignation"

I finally clicked the Send button and thought, "The Countdown begins.."

Undavalli Caves

4KM from the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple is a village called Undavalli. A village you probably will not take notice if you did not knew it existed.

This small and little known Village, on the banks of the river Krishna is home to caves built in 3rd Century AD for Buddhist Bhikshus. Most of the people(including the locals) do not seem to know about these caves. We had to ask quite a few people to get there.
The caves are very old and they are carved in stone from small hills surrounding the site.

One of the most interesting things in these caves is the presence of a a 17foot statue of "Anantha Sayana" (one of the many forms of Lord Vishnu) on the 3rd floor.



The information provided by ASI also mentions that there used to be a 9 KM underground tunnel from this site to the Mangalagiri Temple.
This place is definately worth a visit and there seems to be little information about these caves on the internet.
The Archaelogical Survey Of India is doing a good job maintaining this place. The place is usually empty with very little visitors.

6 Years On!!!!

It was a cold day with intermittent rain. I looked at the faces around me. There were groups of people and most of them seemed to know each other, while I along with very few others sat alone in our chairs waiting for our names to be called out. There was an unsual feeling in the stomach, the kind you get when you are about to do something that you know you don't want to, but still have to do it. Finally my name was called - "Venkata Sai Charu Vikram Mannava" (Yes, a long name. blame my parents for that), I got up and walked towards the gate, The security guard checked my credentials, asked me if I had any "media" items, I replied "Bomb". He made me stand aside for a more thorough check. After a second round of checking, he let me inside the building. Straight ahead there was a hoarding, Although I have seen it many times, it felt special this time. There was a Rainbow colored flower on a White background and the text below the flower read "Applying Thought". This was a different world I was stepping into.
This was about to become the place I would spend the next 3 and half years of my professional life. A place where I became an "IT Professional" from a College Student. The date was 22nd June 2007.

After spending more than 6 years in this industry, I realized, that I really love what I do. Unlike many others who curse their jobs, I love my job but not necessarily the company that I work for or the projects that I am on.

After all these years, I learnt

1. Politics - it doesnt mean just BJP and Congress
2. Lying...effectively
3. How to spend money on unnecessary things
4. Sit at one place and do nothing
5. Networking means more than just wires and computers
6. Going above and beyond means screwing your personal life and working extra hours
7. "You did good" doesn't always mean you are the best and doesn't guarantee a good hike
8. How to say NO
9. Why you shouldn't have your wife working for the same company
10. Going Green doesn't mean you are jealous
11. Life is measured from weekend to weekend
12. Surviving in a cubicle
13. To Sleep in conference rooms 
14. To survive arctic like conditions
15. That people complaining of back pains were not just making it up to escape work.
16. Sometimes you have to ask for a day off on a holiday
17. No matter how much you earn, people will always ask you if you've gone to US, and if you didn't, it means you are not good enough

and the best.....
THERE IS NO FREAKIN BOX TO THINK OUTSIDE OF


After all this, I still love the industry that I am part of.

A Dream Shattered!!!!!

Every kid dreams big. I did too......

I wanted to be an Astronaut when I read about Rakesh Sharma and Yuri Gagarin at school. The thought of walking in space, watching the Earth Sun and Moon from the space captured my imagination as a child.

Then I wanted to be a scientist to help people when I learned about Sir C.V Raman and his experiments. And the first time I ever saw the Batman cartoon, I knew I wanted to be like him.

As I grew up, I figured out, what I thought were careers in my early years in school were just childhood fantasies (may be not the batman one :D). I had a very clear mind. I knew what I would be happy doing. I decided to become an Air Force Pilot.

The decision to become a Pilot was not because I was patriotic..Everyone is patriotic but no one does anything about it. Anyways, why I really wanted to become a pilot is because I loved the thought of being able to FLY.

I could have applied to fly commerical planes. But that path is "costly" and I am from a middle class family. Moreover, Commercial Airlines do not let you fly upside down :)

The thought of becoming an Air Force pilot consumed me.
I sat for the written test for NDA. Cakewalk. I knew I would get through that.

And then, I got the call from the AFSB (Airforce Selection Board), Mysore. The dates of the SSB interview clashed with my Engineering Counselling dates. I was still clear on what I wanted.
I went to Mysore.

I passed the PABT(Pilot Aptitude Battery Test).
A test that you can take only once in your life time. Either you have it in you or you don't. That simple!! Things were looking good. I was confident.

Then came the group discussion. As usual, as it happens in most of the Group Discussions, an argument between 2 idiots transformed the entire conversation into a verbal duel.

The outcome - I failed the SSB interview. I felt cheated.
They said something about group washout because none of us behaved the way we should have.
I was too shocked to pay any attention. I was reimbursed the money I spent on getting there and asked to go back.
A dream shattered!!!

The obedient son I was, I completed my Engineering thinking all the while that I can apply for CDS (Combined Defence Services).

I didn't factor in the brainwashing I would receive from all the people I was close to, about this career choice.
The greatest regret of my life will be that I listened to my family and let go of that dream.

Although I passed the written test for CDS, I never appeared for the SSB interview.
It still brings a wave of sadness when I think about it.

I dreamt of a career in a cockpit. Fate landed me in a cubicle :)

What Will Smith said in The Pursuit of Happyness is true

"You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period"

The Bucket List 2

An Update to the list


1. Bungee Jump
2. Learn to Sky Dive
3. Propose to the girl I love on my knees
4. Visit a country other than India
5. Visit Ladakh
6. Marry the girl I love
7. Fly a plane some day
8. Drive a Super Car
9. Ride a Super Bike
10. Wake up with a Hangover
11. Learn Scuba Diving
12. Become a father
13. Watch a India Pakistan Cricket Match Live in Stadium
14. Direct a Short Film
15. Buy my own Apartment
16. Buy my own car
17. Gift a Trip to my parents
18. Work in a city other than Hyderabad
19. Go on a Road Trip to GOA
20. Drive my car on the beach
21. Paragliding
22. Parasailing
23. Get atleast one photograph published in a leading magazine
24. Witness and Photograph a Space Shuttle launch
25. Get a Tattoo
26. Witness Snowfall

The Best Birthday Gift

The Date was 1st of October 2004
It was going to be another normal Birthday, people wishing me "Happy Birthday" with smiling faces just because they have to.

The first surprise - So I dressed up and boarded the college bus that day, my "bus" friends already planned a small party in the time it takes to reach college. After the customary cake-cutting ceremony and happy birthday wishes, I was given a book from one of the girls in the bus. Wow, I never thought I would get gifts from girls I was not closed to. But she smiled and held out the book. I said thank you and took it.

It was a pocket encyclopedia of sorts, The moment I took the book, she asked me if I could ask questions for a quiz that she was participating in College. I was struck dumb. That was the first surprise. The day was not looking bright anymore.

The Second Surprise - I was not expecting a "Cake" in the class as we had one the previous day for another friend and it was a "combined" celebration for both of us. So the Lunch bell rang and people brought forth another Cake just for me. That was the second surprise. In our class, birthdays are a great way to kick people in the name of Birthday Bumps and I'll never forget Mr.Rajasekhar's kick that day. Had trouble sleeping on my left buttock for 2 days.

The Third Surprise - After college, we went out for the "party" to a restaurant and yet another cake was waiting for me to be cut and eaten. The restaurant wallah realized what was going on and changed the music to Happy Birthday, and people joined while I cut the cake. That was the third surprise.

The time was already 8:00  PM and I was heading home. I went to Krishna's home and gave him back his bike. He seemed un-interested to talk to me. Not like him to be rude. I've known him since school. Feeling little awkward, I started back to home thinking all the while what was wrong with him. I reached home, went inside and was talking to mom and dad about that days events. Mom asked me to go into my room as it was "late". What was going on? Shes the one who usually complains that I spend a lot of time inside my room. And here she was asking me to go into my room when I was talking to her. Strange. I went inside my room and switched on the lights. A blast of sound greeted me. My "School Friends", the "Hawks" were all there.
Krishna , Harsha, Phani, Ashish, Naveen, Ashwin and Dattu.
So, in the time I reached home from Krishna's place on my Dad's old scooter, they've managed to overtake me unseen somehow, park the bikes in the next lane so that I don't see them when going inside the house, and wait in my room for me to show up.

THAT, FOR ME IS THE BEST BIRTHDAY GIFT TILL DATE.

Everything else that happened on the day were small moments of joy. But this was THE "Moment of Happiness"

Thank you Guys.