Wooden Bench to a Work Bench.

Simple word bench in school meant the coziest corner. On the first day of the school the only attraction used to be which class its gona be and which bench I m gona get.
I still remember the crazy efforts I have put in, to carve my name on my bench… and the tight slap my Respected class teacher gave me in return. :D
In the school, I was on the same bench for 3 complete years.
Hey..!! wao…waoo…waooo!!
I know what you are thinking. Let me clear your doubt. That definitely doesn’t mean I flunked. No, Of course not. I was an average student ranging in range of 75+. (at least in school ;)
The reason behind same class and same bench was...we both were promoted together to next level :D.
Years after, I had an opportunity to experience the bench. But this bench is different. Way different than the darling one I had in school.
This is a………………… Workbench!!
There you Go. I heard that :D.
I could actually hear the sigh of all my geek friends who utter it, even before they realized it. :D
Hmmm!! Let me tell you the process.
When your current project is completed or ramp down or you have asked for the released, you are moved to a resource pool. Then resource management group (RMG) allocates a new project to you. If you like it, you go for it or you may ask for the different one.
This is a process in nut shell, usually followed by all giant IT firms.
And…
Till then you are considered to be on Honeymoon. The time… when you don’t need to work officially, you have to relax … surf the web world… eat as much as you can (you pay for the food*) play all the games in recreation room and just let the RMG do their work. And guess what….you get paid for all this lavish life
at the end of the month.
Unbelievable?? Lucrative??? Tempting????
Ahh!!
I am sure you are planning to change the field if you are not in IT as yet.
Let me add an icing to your temptation.
The change of project takes time. As often, there is no project available matching with your profile or technology or domain or liking. And hence the permutation combination of these reasons has the potential to keep one in this resource pool or on the bench for months together.
I have heard about guys working in infy on bench for 2-3 years.
Woooo!!
Let me tell you my story.
I have been with EDS since last three years.
And this was my first bench experience. I was anxious, excited and may be eager to experience it.
The first 15 days are real delight. Eat...Surf…Play…Socialize... and Eat…Surf…Play…Socialize… and again ESPS and then go home happily.
It was the time when I spoke with all my lost colleagues and enjoyed all the coffee machine gossips.
Trust me…It’s a treat if you get the project in these 2 weeks time. I am sure, you will long for this bench period.
However, I got an opportunity to explore the world of bench, further.
I could enjoy this ESPS only for first week and then surprisingly started missing work.
After working continuously for three years, most of the time 12-14 hrs with sleepless nights, It was obvious to miss my work.
I found it very difficult to kill the time.
I started craving for work… not only this but I went back to the fixed code and tried to find another solution.
I managed to survive but as time passed, my desktop was retrieved. After all it belongs to the project and not to me.
My 3 years old, loyal system suddenly left me in the lurch.
From work station I was ushered to the library. Later on… may be in a weeks time I got an opportunity to do work from home (WFH).
Hey…
Again I could read your mind. What work…Right? Yeh!! That’s correct. Ah...well. It’s a sophisticated way of saying stay at home and RMG will get back to you when any opening matches with your profile!!
I liked the funda.
As WFH gave me the freedom to complete all pending tasks and even travel anywhere. But surprisingly, when I got WFH, my pending task list was completed in couple of days.
Hence I planned to go home.
First two days my parents were v happy but later on started starring me suspiciously… wondering whether I have my job or I have lost it.
Later on every conversation with them used to end up with… anything can happen in IT. You can tell us if you have any problem.
Not only this, our maid who has seen me growing up also did her part of loud thinking…Sharayu didi is on long leave?? Oh great…but she never takes leave. Bibiji sab theek hey na??
And then all my darling uncle and aunty had to play their role.
Now I had one more reason to be happy for not being married. As otherwise, I would have to justify my in laws as well :D
After rocking week at home I returned dejected back to my room.
My room… my cozy room… and my darling lappy.
But well…the surprise element was still On.
My roomies were jealous seeing me at home every day and afterwards started ignoring me, as I was no where in their bathroom queue.
My tiffin aunty was annoyed after a week as instead of tiffin I used to visit her during lunch hours. Tiffin used to be of 2 chapaatis where as now I used to eat daal and rice, the Xtra one :D Punekars are going to be Punekars!!
My land lady was also irate as in our absence she used to use the room which now was not possible.
Ooff!!
It was a great experience.
But as if that was not enough I had to loose my nerves.
My rising frustration inspired me to get inspired by daily soap. :D I went to temple and bribed Mr. God with flowers and sweets. :D
And the way it happens…bells started ringing. Not the temple bell but the phone bell. :D
It was a call from RMG.
(after a week, of course. Guess… Mr. God was busy with Level 1 tickets.)
But yeh....At last the long awaited call and the long awaited project greeted me back in the office.
I am glad that the bench episode curled up in 2 months time and I managed to be alive with un-rusted brain.

Now… I am allotted to new project and new workstation with new Boss and new Team.
I am looking forward for extensive training sessions and the new team to rock with.

Shall keep you posted. :D