Saturday, May 15, 2010

Goog5e



Dear Google,

How you've grown since we first met! You were a little noun then, and now I believe you have become a fully grown up verb in all the dictionaries. 5 years back, when we saw each other on this day in the hot Hyderabad summer, you welcomed me to your well air-conditioned home with all the food in the world. You were straight out of a fairytale, and continue to be.  I fell in love with you and still do.



We were both much younger then. I, just out of college, you, a year after going public. To me the idea of an office was that of steel desk and wooden chairs with loads of paper files piled up, gathering dust. Some young kid carrying trays of tea in chipped glasses and an old fan whirring above. I can't start describing how and how much you changed my persceptions. Having spent the three previous years in a college hostel, feeding off stuff that can be termed edible at it's best, the food you provided seemed to come straight out of a dream. To be honest, I still think I wandered into the Hansel & Gretel house, only here there's no witch, but a fairy godmother. All credit for helping me move from 66 Kgs to 87 goes to you. Also, thanks to your gym I am back to 74 now.

As I type further, I realise it's quite pointless to thank you for the past 5 years, because you figure in every nice thing that happened to me during this time. Some of the closest friends I have today, the little joys of promotions and hikes, the first foreign trip and the ones after that, the sense of achievements in setting up a part of the business in Gurgaon, the opportunity to learn from and interact with people of outstanding calibre, well everything actually! Besides everything else, you found me my life partner! To say you're family is understating the obvious. Oh yes, Misc-India too, for those who know:)

I am in an obviously emotional state as of now, and please do not assume that I will stop cribbing henceforth. Every time I am skipped for a promotion I will feel pissed and threaten about calling it quits, every bad review I will blame you and your screwed up systems, I will complain about the office being cramped, the lack of a campus, how all other offices are better than ours. I think we've learned to live with each other's eccentricities. [That doesn't mean you don't give me that next big hike, okay?]

I could go on and on, but as they say a picture says a thousand words, so signing off with some of the cherished memories. Thanks for everything, and looking forward to many years to come.

Love You,
Suhel

Batchmates of 16-May-2005 (Remita & Darshini missing from the photo)

The Hyd office - October 2005



Gurgaon Office, May 2006


Google India with Sukhinder, December 2006


Shailesh Joins Google India - April 2007



With my then girlfriend, now wife - December 2007



Team India grows! - November 2008



Lights Out at home, Night out in Office:) - September 2008




Tie Day In Google - December 2009




Google India offsite in Sri Lanka, November 2009





Google Dublin Office, April 2010



21 comments:

Ceeps said...

Superbly written!
-Chandan

Abhishek said...

Congratulations. All the best. To Google and you. From a Fan and a Friend.

Green with Pride said...

Very well written post Suhel. Makes me feel like I am a part of Google myself. Also, love the way you have presented your gratitude in the form of a letter.

Anonymous said...

Very honest. Straight from the heart. Liked it immensely.

Nabab

Suhel Banerjee said...

@Ceeps - Thanks a lot!

@Abhishek - Thank you, from Google and me.

@Green With Pride - Glad you liked it, and all Google users are a part of Google:)

@Nabab - Thank you. Means a lot.

hooloovoo said...

Congratulations Suhel! Wonderful post. Love the style. And it's brought back some lovely memories. Wishing you many more years at Google and lots more great writing!
:)
Ranjana.

Suhel Banerjee said...

@Ranjana - Thanks a lot! Had an avalanche of memories while writing the post:) And even after all these years, those early months in RMZ stand out. Thanks for visiting the blog. Hope to find you here more often.

Unknown said...

Beautiful snapshot !!!!
....Congratulations on this Grand Day !! ..I realise it has been 5 years of total working life for me too in May.. but with 4 employers :) Keep it going and all the best !!

amna said...

i wanted to say something else but don't remember what because my jaw is touching the floor after seeing that Lanka pic!

Prolaap said...

dis is so well written, suhel.....but..dis mks me miss google like crazy..dose sure were fun days....cud relate to every wrd of urs...(off crse oder dan the gf nw wife part)..:)
Cheers to many more yrs...

Harbinder Narula said...

Hey Suhel, Well Written. Congratulations on completing 5 years at Google, wish you continue this happy journey. Reading your post, got reminded on my stint at Google (specially the Vatika Atrium days). Wish you best, Herby

sahilkhanna said...

Congratulations Suhel! This is a wonderfully warm-hearted post. Absolutely loved reading it! Wish you tons of luck...

Charanjeet_BH said...

Wonderfully written Suhel....very touching use of words...hope everything in ur life is just as nice and rosy!!! all the best!

Poet's Marathon said...

Congratulations Suhel! 5 years! Wow, if I had stuck on I'd have done almost 5 too! Anyway, glad to have met you at Google! Cheers to the next 5 years!

Avik Haldar said...

xcellent post from an excellent man working in an excellent (if not the best) company.....

maxdavinci said...

ah 5yrs eh? good good

misc-india, you still spam the grp?

Twain said...

got nostalgic looking at the pics, sply the hyd office in oct, 2005, though i'm hardly visible in it!

Ridhima said...

I like your article. I really like the mention of Misc-India in it. Good luck for the coming years!

Suhel Banerjee said...

@Divya - Thank you! Same end, different means:)

@Nags - Let's have some more jaw dropping shots in Japan, what say?

@Prolaap - Thank you so much! Yes, Google has that effect on us.

@Harbinder - Thanks Harbinder! Loved those initial Vatika days, was like running our own little shop.

@Sahilkhanna, Charanjeet, Avik - Thanks

@Floydified - Assuming you are who I think you are, it was lovely meeting you at Google:)

@Twain - And the mattress? Remember, it's not the altitude but the attitude?:)

@Maxdavinci - Non-stop since 2005.

@Ridhima - Thanks! I really love misc-india!

Nanda said...

dude.. its superb man :)
i simply love google 4 loads of reasons :)
never knew u wre a G-employee.. was looking @ ur today's post and japanese prob..

hope i get into google in my placements :p

Suhel Banerjee said...

@Nanda - Ha ha! Thank you and all the best!