Bloggerama Updates

I'm back! And alive 'n kicking. First off, a very happy new year to everyone. I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year celebration and stuck to their new year resolutions through January ;) I didn't keep any last year and the year before that out of fear of not keeping up with any the previous years, but this year I did. And so far, I've stuck with it! I need to put a reminder on here to make a post about Resolutions 101 another day. Secondly, CHECK OUT THE NEW BLOGGER FEATURES!! (I'm floored)

As I wished (and God willed), I've started working this quarter. As our university follows the co-op program, we alternate 4 quarters working and studying. I love my current job. Its in the Marketing/Engineering department, and being not much of a technical person (I made it quite clear in my multiple interviews with my company), I think it suits me perfectly. It basically involves talking to our customers (who range from the US government to GM) who use our products, listen to the issues they're having with the products, think of a possible solution, solve and work with the Engineering department (the techie guys down in the labs) and bring the best possible service to the customers' doorstep. One of the main reasons I chose this job over the engineering one (which in fact, should have been my first choice as I'm an engineering major), is the people interaction the job entails. The Marketing job gives you the taste of the real world, real people, real customers and has you interacting with more people, as opposed to the Engineering job, which has one sitting infront of the computer, performing tests and basically using all the technical expertise to perform projects (and the MArketing people are involved in that too). I won't say I'm a hardcore people-person, but I somehow measure my success and personal satisfaction to the number of people I've helped in a day, or when it comes to my job, how many people I've been of avail to. 30 minutes of not talking to a person really has me fidgeting! And 'til now, I interact with people from all departments and its been a good time.

Anyway, moving on, Valentine's Day is coming up! Okay, maybe I shouldn't have sounded as excited, but hell... all these Hallmark greetings and tiny "gifts" on Facebook people keep sending makes you excited and feelin' good about the whole thing. On Saturday, we visited a friend who had had a pretty nasty accident and broken 3-4 ribs, and possibly injured a couple more (hope for the best for him). Over the regular banter, we started to talk about V-day and how it came into existence. I faintly recalled reading somewhere years ago it was because some St. Valentine was killed. It never made me think of the meaning behind the day. And now when I think of it, the more I'm convinced that we have skewed the meaning behind the day to something completely different. There are stories of a Valentine who was imprisoned and who performed a miracle on the jailor's daughter and the night before he was beheaded, signed a note with, "From your Valentine". But the story about the Bishop in Italy who secretrly maried off couples contrary to the Roman laws prevailing then. It is said he was burnt at the stake for it.

So am I the only one who thinks that the logic of celebrating someone's death is somewhat twisted? I've personally not heard of people "celebrating" former President's assassinations. Or Martin Luther King or Gandhi's deaths. We always have a moment of silence for them. Then why in the case of this Valentine (whoever he might be and for whatever reason he was killed), do we do the opposite and celebrate love? Does anyone know when he was born? Woudln't THAT be the appropriate day to celebrate Valentines Day? Its just one of those things you think about and wonder how in the world did it ever come to the way it is today. Recently, after I was intrigued by such thoughts and seeked familiarity, I came across a number of schools around the world that honor the 14th of February as a mourning day for the death of a certain Valentine. For instance, a City Montessori School in Lucknow (the largest school in the world, as of 2001) is one of them. You can read about it here. Its something to think about, yeah?

(that would mean I won't be doing anything out of the ordinary this V-day)

And that would be my chit-chat for today. Everyone have a good Monday! (although I'm not sure of Monday and "good" go hand in hand, especially with the worst snowstorm headed once again our way... but do drive safe this evening, there's always someone waiting for you at home). I'll be back with more hot topics to talk about later on this week. Until then.

-Mia