A new era....in the key to the pacific! Part 1

WOW!!! I never imagined that this would happen to me! When I joined my company on Sep 2008, and they told us that the toppers in the PG batch would be going abroad AND be given a double promotion AND be given a felicitation ceremony....my only thoughts as I remember them are wonderment as to who would be the lucky ones who would win such glorious things! never had so much as an inkling that I was even in the running for such destiny!

And come August 2008, when I heard my name on my convocation stage, as the third topper in my batch.....well....they say when god gives, he gives tearing down the roof! ELATION was what I felt that day when I went on stage! I mean...who would have thought that this dumb, wierd, careless girl with hair which is never under her control, could actually have done THAT!!! I for sure never did! And with this came the realization that I would also be going ABROAD!! I mean...i dont know how it is for you but for me, going abroad and that too as a reward for 2 years of slavery was a dream come true...only it was a dream I never dared to dream about!!

I remember I jumped about 3 feet into the air the day I saw Debapriya's ( My HR) ping about 6 months later, saying that my assignment has been confirmed to "Singapore"!!! My DREAM destination, my mother;s dream destination!!! She always said that she would love to see SIngapore...its a place where much of her family is connected with!! and poor thing she hasnt really had the chance to travel abroad much other than a 4 day China trip that she made recently after my father's relocation to China became confirmed!
Anyways thats another story and something I will probably tell you in some or the other of my subsequent posts!!

The flurry of activity as the day came nearer was too much for me to handle, not beacuse it was too much activity but because it carried with it an anticipation of happiness that I was too anxious should not be shattered once I landed! SO every time I had a jump of happiness about the trip, I had to pat myself down and tell myself that I should prove to be deserving of this beautiful gift that Swami had gifted me with! And so I spent my time over hauling my wardrobe as I had heard that only formal clothing was allowed here! I spent like about 15000Rs on clothing alone!! I mean - come on I am travelling abroad for like the first time - I COULDNT not be prepared right??!!! My friend Anwesha was such a darling - she was with me through and through - I mean - from selecting the shops where I could get the right stuff to telling me what looked good on me and what didnt! I could have got through half the stuff that I had to do without her. Such a darl she is!

And then the unthinkable happened! On my Bday, just when I was thinking about leaving all the familiar faces for another 3-4 months., my darling friend Suls turned up from Chennai!
She just had to - I mean - anyone who knows what she means to me would completely agree!

we had a wonderful time when she was here - we went to Deepa's place and had great fun there being teased by her oh! so pretty sister and parents!
And then....we went back to my place to celebrate my bday (belated) with about a dozen kids from the colony! They are such darlings come to think of it - my weekends in Singapore would seem almost incomplete without them!

And then after a lightning streak visit to Delhi, I ended my wait and Preethi Mohan's first ever trip outside the Indian soil was about to begin!!!!