Aman's Blog....

It’s been two weeks since I had posted the wee travelogue . Though I had thought to post a quick update about the (boring) weekend but I was just so tired that I decided to mention about it in the final post only. Not only this, I was also worried about the outcome of the sessions of mine as well and that’s why, was not able to really sit and write any thing except just doing the preparation. Today it’s Friday evening which means, I am done with both of my sessions with rating of 1st one as “awesome” and of 2nd, “a full house” ! So I can finally have a little sigh of relief before starting to panic about being my return flight. The tour started pretty much the way it should had been-without any drama. I took the cab from home and reached airport at about 5am. My flight was leaving at 9am and as I had done the web-checkin already, I had plenty of time to get through the immigration and security. Once I was done with all of it, I grabbed a quick McCheese Roll from McDonalds followed by...

From the past few months, I have said it again and again that I shall be resuming my blogging habit but I guess, except for a few posts, I haven’t written much. Now, it wasn’t that there wasn’t anything worth writing a post about it but I was(and still am) just occupied in one thing or the other. Again, it’s the same excuse probably that I have given in the past too. Anyways, once again, I am going to try to write more often now compared to the last few months. Since most of my posts are about my travels, this current one is not an exception either. I am just about to start travel. It’s an instantly decided travel(it wasn’t planned earlier) so there was a little chaos about getting the logistics completed. And while I was taking a small nap in the car, my driver almost killed both us when he tried to overtake a car. But thanks to God, it didn’t happen and  you are reading this post.:=) I am just hoping that the work goes fine and so is the travel. Let’s see how it goes and also...

I come from North India region of India. Though this part of India is considered to the richest, both in terms of wealth and culture, one thing that it lacks really badly is the awareness about what’s going in the IT world currently! There are just so many colleges and universities but the number of IT companies, doing serious IT work can be counted on fingers of one hand itself. In such situation, awareness about what’s going on the world of Oracle technologies is just so little. And that did bother me for a very long time. I always wanted to start something at that place where I was born and brought up. I had this discussion several times with my friend Navneet Upneja and we did think about couple of initiatives as well. But finally, when I shared the same with Murali Vallath , he suggested something which he himself did for a long time i.e. arranging a tech-meet with few topics presented on monthly basis. And very kindly, he also mentioned that AIOUG would be completely supportive i...

Not sure what to say except that do take care of your dad, love him, respect him and all the efforts that he makes to make your life better on the expense of leaving his own comfort and remember, once there would be a time when he won’t be there. On that day, no matter how hard you would wish, you won’t be able to hear from him, not even his scolding that some of you probably hate too much right now! And for me, I don’t know that anything more I can than what is said already in the following pic,

At times, no matter how much you feel strong or push yourself, there comes a moment when you feel like really really exhausted and burnt out. And that’s exactly the same how I am feeling right now. I have finished this week’s work and now sitting at the airport. There is going to be a long delay in my flight( 45 minutes) which is not a surprise as the airline is Air India . If they are able to fly on-time, than it’s a surprise but being late is just so normal for them. Just one more thing to make me feel irritated. What’s the other reason that I am feeling irritated? Well, without any reason, I have got fever last night, that’s why! Last few weeks were really hectic and tiring, both physically and mentally. I had a back-to-back travel from Cambodia to Hyderabad and then from Hyderabad to Banglore. I was somehow managing but I guess, my body gave up on one day when I just collapsed. Took some rest and got my momentum back. Got a small break but I couldn’t get any rest as my mom wasn’...

So it is Saturday here at Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and I am done with my work of this week here. It was a tiring week and at some instances,  I got a really upset as well. Tiring because of the module-Oracle Security is a really difficult module to deliver if you ask me. There is a lot of concept that goes into the Security contrary to many who thinks when it comes to Oracle database Security, Auditing is the only thing to remember. Anyways, let me not bore you with what is Oracle Security. The other reason I found the week tough was the language. At the customer site, just a few delegates spoke English well while others did try very hard but not really able to do it so well. And that makes it really really hard to communicate with the people sitting in front of you when you have to look at their facial expressions, body language along with whatever they are saying to understand the context of the discussion. This proved to be the hardest part of this week’s session. I hope I managed ...

Many times, I am asked that how do I find traveling, tough, easy, enjoyable, boring, tiring( that’s not something to be asked but anyways) and whatever one can think of at the very moment. To tell the truth, except of boring, traveling is everything. But some times, besides being tiring, it can be a little frustrating as well. And the same happened with me just now when I came for check-in. I was told at the check-in counter that I am in a “RR” list which is a list of the people selected randomly for custom verification. Well, not sure why my name was in that list but it was nonetheless and that means, I had to clear the customs before I could be finally called “cleared” for flying. Now, it wasn’t that I was wearing tons of gold or was carrying loads of cash but still, the procedure had to be followed. So after I cleared my immigration check I was sent to the customs. The custom lady asked me couple of questions like where I am going , what do I have in my hand bag and the checked-in b...

It’s been quite a while that I have written any post and updated my blog. Not that I don’t have anything to say. On the contrary, there is a lot that I probably could share like how I travelled to KL and did deliver a very tough module and how I managed to survive in a recording session(it was an Oracle related one , just for the record), how I fell sick and was being so unwell in the past few days and many such incidents. But I couldn’t or probably, I didn’t for one reason or the other. Anyways, I hope that I shall be able to remain more active form now on. But still, it’s not certain cos I am not really in a pleasant state of mind and the reason of that is that my mom is not well since the very starting of this year. I have been at home for a week and in all these past few days, she has been able to sleep for just a day or two peacefully else at every night, she was having just so restlessness. And the worse thing is that it’s affecting her mentally. My heart shattered into pieces wh...

At times, just a little idea and support can do just wonders for a very large community. And that’s the same happened this year when I was talking to Murali Vallath about the user-groups and participation of Oracle professionals in India in Oracle related events organized in India by All India Oracle Users Group(AIOUG) (formed and managed by Murali only). As India is such a large country, it’s not possible for everyone to come from they are residing or working for attending some Oracle conferences happening at a city very far from them. So Murali mentioned that how he started organizing a local user event at Charlotte with just very few people showing up for it initially. But with constant efforts, finally he was able to make the event a success and continued arranging it on Charlotte on monthly basis. And on the same thought, he suggested to start of a chapter representing North India and initiating an Oracle related event for it on monthly basis. That was just a superb idea and ne...

It’s been a while that I have posted any song and it’s translation. Though I had mentioned that I shall be doing so, but still being struck up in tons of distractions, it hasn’t happened by now. But today, I thought, let me start doing it again as I have been listening to a song since two days non-stop. Surprisingly it’s a Hindi song(though it has few words of Punjabi) and even more surprisingly, it’s a song from a movie. Yeah, I know, not really a common thing for me but still, a good song is a good song. I can’t say that this has got the best of the poetry woven in its lyrics but still, its a very meaningful song and few words, makes you sit back and want to applaud the writer for his choice of words. The movie’s name is Gunday and song is titled as Saaiyaan. The word Saaiyaan may have different meanings depending on the context where it is used. When one is mentioning about god, it refers to god. And when it is used by a lover, like it is done in the song, it points to his/her be...

So I am probably very late in saying this but better later than never, right? And since it is still January of 2014, I believe it is okay to wish everyone a very happy 2014 still :=) . A very happy and prosperous 2014 to you, the reader! May god makes this year a really good one for you and fill it with just joys, happiness, success and good health for you and for all of yours nears and dears. I hope the year has started of well for you. If for some reason, you think it didn’t, don’t worry, it’s just the starting of the year and I am sure, as the time would move on, things are going to get better! Oh and before you are going to ask why I got so late, I am doing many things(writing this post sitting at Yangon(Myanmar) when the delegates are doing their hands-on lab) and despite that I wanted to write about many things, I just either forgot or thought to do so later. Hopefully, I shall be more active over my blog this year-at least that’s what is the plan!

Today, one of my friend, when asked by someone that how is he, replied using a short poetry. When I read that poetry, it just appeared how beautifully, truth about life of an ordinary person is depicted via it! Have a read, Havayein sehme hue charaghon se keh gayin thin ke, Aane waali rutton ke aaghaaz tak! Tumhare naseeb mein roshni ka koi safar nahin hai! And its translation in English, in best of my understanding, is given below Winds told to the nervous lamps while leaving, That till the commencement of the subsequent seasons, You have no luck of seeing any lights! So true, isn’t it!!

I have got a lot of emails and few have asked otherwise too that why there are no frequent updates coming up on my blog? Have I become lazy or blogging just doesn’t interest me anymore? Well, the answer for both the questions is a big no. Neither I have become lazy nor I have lost interest in blogging. The only reason for the less updates is that there is just too that I try to handle and manage, now after my dad has gone to God. And when I have a little time, something happens that just makes me occupied completely. I shall be getting back to my blogging regime and hopefully, this post should be the ice-breaker. I am sitting at the Chhatrpati Shivaji International airport, Mumbai and am en-route to Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International airport . I had started from Chandigarh in the morning and the travel from my home to Chandigarh was pretty much uneventful. Everything was fine, I took the bus and then the auto and finally reached the airport. The flight was also...

It’s that time of the year when the “meeting of  minds” is going to happen, yet again. The location is at Hyderabad and the venue is Sangam(meeting of the minds) , annual Oracle conference arranged by All India Oracle Users Group . Just as like the previous conferences, this one is also a star-studded one with just so many world renowned Oracle experts coming from all over the world- Arup Nanda , Syed Jaffar Hussain , Gaja Krishna Vaidhyanatha , Murali Vallath and many many more! So IMO, this is not a conference that you want to miss! And guess what, yours truly is presenting there as well. Yep, my abstract about What’s new in RMAN of 12c got accepted so if you are interested to know about RMAN of 12c, do come on 8th November! So since it’s 11 days and counting before the event to start, if you haven’t done already, do register and hope to see you there!

It’s a great relief to see that people have appreciated you and the efforts that you have put in the work. That’s the same feeling which I get, almost every week, when I am able to finish my session on a good note. Nothing is more satisfying to see that the delegates are able to understand that particular module, which we have finished in the session, in a little more better way. There must be satisfaction and interest in whatever you are doing and if these two factors are there, you are always going to like what you are doing-like me! That’s the same what happened this week as well. I had come to here, Kolkata, straight from my last assignment which was at Singapore. The session at Singapore got concluded on a very good note but I was really concerned about this current week. The reason for this was that the module which I had to take on this week is probably the most toughest ones to deliver. And on top of this, the delegates that were expected to come, were supposed to be all ve...

Today was a tough day, a very very tough day for my family and me. It’s a special day when for my dad, prayers were supposed to be done at temple. In less than a month’s time, that date is going to come when my dad was taken by god to him. I try to pretend all the time that I am very calm and composed but the fact is, I miss my dad so much, more than anyone can imagine and know. My mom told me few days ago that today, I must go to temple some time and pray at temple for my dad. I am in a session right now so I mentioned to the delegates yesterday that I shall be coming an hour late for the session, which they kindly accepted. I bought some stuff required for the prayers yesterday evening itself. I asked my guest house cook about any temple near by and he did mention to me about one too. So in the morning, I took a rickshaw and started for that temple. It wasn’t very far but it wasn’t an appropriate one as well. I asked the rickshaw puller to take me to some other one and he did take ...

I was going to post a song but before that, I just read the following lines and I changed my mind and decided to share them first. Don’t worry, the song is coming as well-very soon. In fact, not one but at least 2 songs are there in my list from a long time that I want to post. Anyways, have a read of the poetry first, Kitaabon Ki tarah bahot se alfaaz hain mujh mein, Aur Kitaabon ki tarah hi mein khamosh rehta hoon! And following is the translation of the same in English, Alike books, so many words I have within me, And alike books only, I stay quite! This is the 2nd one, Kaash woh laut aata kabhi mujh se yeh kehney, Tum hote kaun ho mujh se bicharney waale! Following is its translation in English, If only he ever had returned to say this to me, Who are you being separated from with me! Awesome isn’t it! It’s time now to come back from the poetry island and get back to the real world-in which I am scheduled to travel for work from today. T...

There are many things which when get done, you feel really happy and more than being happy, you feel contended. I felt the same on this 31st August when for the very first time, an Oracle technologies related conference, finally got scheduled and successfully got completed within my state Punjab. This was a mammoth task since never before, such kind of event was organized before at Punjab. I want to express my gratitude to the team of Al India Oracel Users Group( http://wwwAIOUG.orag ) – Murali Vallath, PS Janakiram and Satyendera Kumar for making it possible. Satyndera Kumar travelled all the way from Hyderabad to speak at the conference along with the other speakers – Rohan Walia, Jitendera Chittoda and Shekhar Gulati . I also presented two presentations of mine at the conference. In addition to AIOUG, I also want to thanks a ton to Lovely Professional University and its entire staff, especially Mr Mandeep Singh and Mr Naveen Juneija for making this event possible. All the arrang...

I am sitting at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport right now waiting for my flight back to home. It’s still 2 more hours before the boarding would start but thanks to the stupid staff of the hotel. who didn’t let me do a 2 hour late check-out, I had to come at the airport VERY early. Anyways, I just read an awesome piece of poetry which just made me recall a lot and at least I can say, what is said in the poetry is completely applicable to me and my life. Have a read, Waqt leta hai karvatein naa jaane kaise kaise. Umar Itni toh nahin thi jitne sabak seekh liye humne!! And it’s translation in English is, Just how many different twists and turns this fate takes, Why life has taught me so many lessons already when I am still so young! It is so often said that life is a journey and in it, you always learn and improve yourself. But trust me, at times, life and fate both make you learn lessons about topics which you never before knew did even exist! PS: I know the transla...

It’s been a whole month since I have written anything here. Though there are three sessions that I have finished since the last time I updated my blog and I wanted to write about all three of them, for different reasons but some how, I got struck in many many other distractions, tensions, whatever you want to call it! No, I am not going to mention those things in this post and thinking about it, probably not in the near future as well. But yes, I shall mention about the sessions, briefly, in this post before anything else. I deliver mostly very senior level sessions, where the modules talk about quite a bit of fancy tough. Since I like this oracle database stuff so very much, its not a problem. What one thing that is very hard to tackle, for me, for probably anyone who does even the least amount of public or any kind of speaking, is the handling of the people. Its tough to make people listen to you and when the audience is more experienced and if I may say, filled with pride, the job...