There are times in one's life when no matter the time passed of a life memory, it's not easy to forget it. A beautiful and important day of life, a chance encounter and an exploration of a sweet crazy childish personality trait that was never known or thought to exist. All being presented in a silver platter during a dream work. I feel blessed to have a cherry on top time of my life. :)
Working at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon was something I have been wanting to since quite a few years. Not that its something out of the world but just that I always wanted to be part of big event's PR and Event Management team, especially after being introduced to the scenario at Commonwealth Games's Media Centre while I was also super enjoying and loving my work at International Broadcast Centre as Archive Logger.
ADHM has been a regular annual event, so I took the chance to dream of working here as a Volunteer at the Media Centre. Last year, during the time when applications were being seeked for the runners at the event, I browsed through ADHM's facebook page and official website and got to know of the openings for Volunteers. Having build up my résumé on a pretty good note I applied for the PR work post, which apparently required maximum days of work and thus maximum experience. I was confident about my application and I got called for the interview.
It was a November last week event last year and so the interview date was scheduled for 6th of the same month, which apparently was the date I was flying with my friend Karan to Mumbai for a leisure trip at Gullu's place. I replied back instantly and requested for a date reschedule one daye prior and good thing it got accepted. The interview went really good and it made me really happy when the interviewer, Mr Priyesh Sanghvi, told me that with a résumé like mine I can chose any of the available post for work. I obviously chose 'Public Relations' and he told me that I will be called again for another interview session for work briefing with a Media representative and I will also be paid for the work. The pay thing was something unexpected because, honestly, I was there for experience and work for free. I was proud of the my interview and even let go for a paid 15-day internship opportunity at a media house I had come across. But...the call back did not come.
I replied back on multiple e-mails without success. My angry post about the 'unprofessional attitude' on the event's facebook page was even deleted by page administrators. My mumbai trip went fabulous but the time following the return in delhi till the end of the event was indeed depressing, apart from the personal challenges in my professional and personal lives.
However, somewhere at the back of my mind I had promised me that I will try the next year again and make sure I take some contact number from the office. The subsequent interview day this year had lots in my mind therefore and I even mentioned to Priyesh about the turn of events last year. He specially noted on my key information form to specially give me a call but politely refused to give any contact number. However I did not want to go home this way. I spoke to his assistant outside and ask her for her number. On seeing her bit hesitant even in refusing me and also her holding a blackberry, I quickly jumped at the chance and asked for her BBM pin. I had turned Blackberry Boy just a few days back.
Staying connected with Swati through BBM paid and she called me for the media briefing. And the rest is now history; a beautiful chapter of my life that taught me a lot of the professional work ethics and also brought a lot of fun memories with new wonderful contacts I made there in the PR and Event Management team.
I still have to work a lot on my patience level on lazy co-workers as I did snap twice during the entire week, once on a guy (who openly confessed that there are 2 people at any work - one who works honestly and the other who dont work but know how to show/act in front of seniors that they do work) and the second time on a girl (the most irritating co-worker ever for patience-less person like me who used to do very little but make it a hue-and-cry about that like the event was running on her shoulder). Mixing work with fun in the appropriate ratio is an art I am inculcating every moment in me but when I was there chiefly for WORK, it was really tough for me to put on back-burner and have fun on its pretext.
Nevertheless, they both are good and nice people and everyone has their own way of working. So I am no one to judge. If at all anything, it is I who should be more flexible to any type of person in my workplace. A lesson to remember all my life.
The event went great and the best part being the compliments on my work by my immediate incharge Deepak and by Zzebra PR's Bhavisha for being really efficient in my work. The latter's compliment on her liking to see my sweet face in the morning was ultra sweet.
On another note, the Final Day or the Race Day brought a major surprise for me in the form of a Bollywood Superstar. I won't get into my definition of a 'Superstar', and just talk about the experience of coming face-to-face with the very beautiful and sexy and athletic yet feminine Bipasha Basu.
Dressed in a Black sporty dress, apt for the event, I was stunned the very first time she passed by. Her height and hairs made her truly desirable for the straight guy in me. :D And every subsequent meeting with her, be it at the Escalators outside the Procam Marquee while escorting Pantaloon Femina Miss India Hasneet Kaur or while entering the ultra-restricted Grand Stand area for VVIPs (I had infinity access, something even many celebs at the event did not have) or at her Press Conference with 2012 London Olympic Gold Medalist David Rudisha at the very end of the event day... It was a marathon affair that I will remember all my life. :) :)
This post will be absolutely incomplete if I leave the mention of the very work-ethic principled me taking my phone finally out to click Bipasha's pics for memory, something I never thought I will be doing in my life in clichéd fan-type manner. But such was the effect of Bipasha on me that even after many days since the event, I created a content post on her on the Bollywood gossip website Pinkvilla.com and also got myself to blog this one too. Restraining myself from mentioning the same things as on the other website, I have finally opened myself for a life event - a memory so amazing that it meant to be documented before time runs away in just thoughts.
Now RUN for other DREAMS. Dreamum Wakeupum. :) :)
Post Script:- My Post on Pinkvilla.com -
No comments:
Post a Comment