The Highway Hit-And-Run

In Sep 2010, I was hit from behind by a car while riding my bike down the NH 49, near Kolenchery town.

I was riding smoothly at about 50 kmph from Kolenchery to Choondy, when the guy riding through the left side in front of me spotted a shop at the right side of the highway, and at once decided to have a go. He did just what an average driver in Kerala would comfortably and confidently do. He moved to the right. Seeing him, I slowed down, though not very suddenly. But the guy who held the steering of an Alto coming behind me was still in the good relaxed mood of passing the Kolenchery town to a comparatively free stretch of road, chatting with his friend on passenger seat. He just didn't know what all things were going on in front, and just kept going as usual, and hit my bike from behind. I guess it was the first time my body and bike were competing in rotary motion as well as straight line motion, both finally ending up flat on the center line of the highway at about 5.30 pm- which is about the busiest time on our roads. I, realizing the unguarded position of being at the center of the road, at once ran to the safety of the roadside, leaving my bike there.

The alto guys, when saw me standing on two legs, tried to escape from the scene quickly, literally saying "see he's fine". !!!!. In his opinion I was just fine, with my aching chest and leg when I somehow managed to stand up. When I say many of the drivers on Kerala roads are no better than criminals, most won't agree. But I leave it to you, to comment on it. This was a guy considered to be very decent in his area. Anyway, since there were some of my acquaintances there I guess, the guy had to take me to the nearby hospital, from where they escaped after paying some 200 bucks for the X-Ray and initial medications, promising me to pay for the damages on the bike. And it was the last time I saw them. I reached back to the spot on another car, and took the bike to home alone, since I was able to drive it.

Then came weeks of medications and taking rest. Bathing in some medicated water, which became black colored because of the components added in it, including pepper leaves and frankincense.

But, Thank you Jesus. For the care you had for me, and the quickest of actions at the most needed times. Any of the cars or buses or trucks on the highway could've crushed me to a lifeless collection of organs, had it not been the unconditional, ever active and ever so near love of Jesus. My God is Super!!!

Started loving some SUVs ( ssh... don't tell anyone )

Wonders always happen. When something unlikely doesn't happen, we don't even think of it. But when it happens we say " That too has happened, finally ". This is one such case.

An SUV is haunting me in my dreams for a few days now, being a strong contender for the 'dream car' position in my heart. Maybe that's because it's a Porsche. I'd like to call the Cayenne a 'big, heavy car' instead of 'an SUV' though. 

What the Cayenne started, CRV continued, and Land Rover and Q3 made to finish. Now I do love some SUVs, even though I hate most of them. 

The hype called salary hike in Indian software companies

From 1969 until 2013, India Inflation Rate averaged 7.73 Percent. Which means today's 10Rs equals last year's 9.25 Rs, and next year's 10.75 Rs.

Unfortunately, this rate is approximately equal to the annual hike we get in software companies here in India.

So from the context of a single employee, the salary he gets every time is the same as the offer he got when he started his career a fresher out of college. Modest gratuities and once in 5 yr hikes apart, this is the standard across the industry. If he wishes any more improvement in compensation, he needs to jump from one company to another, which draws an average of 30% hike. But company jumping needs some 2-3 yrs between them otherwise he's considered a 'frog' - someone who jumps too much.

For an average Indian software engineer, if he jumps once in 3 yrs with a hike of 30%, the annual hike comes around 10%. Provided he jumps at the best time - just after receiving the annual hike letter from his company. Otherwise he'll miss the hike in the previous company which is going to affect the offer from the next company. If he jumps before getting the annual hike, he'll not be considered for the appraisal cycle in the next company too, because he won't be completing the required period in the new company to be considered for the appraisal cycle.

In short, if an engineer aims at 10% hike per year, he should switch companies at least once in every 3 year - with proper planning.

This is how the attrition rate is ever-rising in software industry here. This is why the so-called brain-drain happens here.