what's in a SURname??

Following closely on the heels of my friend Nishat's blog....I too thought that I cud write about something I went through....I recently shifted into my new job. Even before joining, I was requested to make sure my name was spelt correctly, so that there was no problem going forward. So, after checking some three times, I was happy that all was fine.

Than my first day on my new job....I am shown into my cubicle by the Admin Assitant.

AA: "Here is your seat Prasan sir"

Ok cool....A new CPU with a 17inch flat screen monitor. A little package containing a note book, a pen, a pencil and other stationery neatly arranged on my desk. But my eyes fall on the little name plate kinda thing that has been proudly displayed at the corner of every cubicle. Something that 'almost' says "This is Prasan's territory.....Enter at your own risk!!!"

Thats when I checked the spelling "PRASAN SHANBAG"

Me: "Excuse me, there is a H missing from my surname. It's B-H-A-G not B-A-G"
AA: "Ok ok...don't worry Prasan. Must be typing mistake. Everything else will be perfect. I'll get this changed. By the way, my name is R"
Me: "Thank you, this is OK. I am not new to spelling mistakes in my name" (smile)

The orientation happens. I am assigned my project, have a brief meeting with my project manager and function manager and finally get back to my seat a few hours later.
R aproaches me again.

R: "Prasan, here is your login and email id"
Me: (after reading) "Hey...it reads prasan.shanbag@xyz.com. It's wrong here as well!!"
R: "Ohh is it??....our system admin must have set it wrong. He is on maternity leave today."
Me: "You mean paternity leave?"
R: "Yes yes....can you mail him and tell him this. His id is s.p@xyz.com"
Me: "Sure...I can do that"

So, my first outgoing mail is to the system admin:

Hi S, can you change the name in my login and email....thank you,
Regards, Prasan

Reply:
Hi Prasan, I have reset you name in the server. You will see it from tommorow.
Regards, S.

Good.....thats a problem solved!!

So I come the next day and start working on the tasks assigned. When the time comes to send an email, I click on 'Compose' and see the following:
From: Prasan Shanbhag (prasan.shanbag@xyz.com)

I shoot out a new email:

Hi S, The name has been reset but the login and email still carries a wrong spelling.
Regards, Prasan

Reply (the next day):
Hi Prasan, I need to delete your id and re-create it. I will do it when I am in office next week. Can you use the same id till than?
Regards, S

As if I had a choice!!

Reply:
Hi S, Sure...I will continue to use the same id.
Regards, Prasan

So, the whole week goes past and I am welcomed on Monday morning with the following email:

Hi All,
S has been blessed with a baby daughter. We are glad to welcome her to the XYZ family.....He will be on leave for 2 weeks.
Regards, HR

The happiness that we all felt for S, was followed by the realization of the fact that my email was still wrong. For almost a week after that, at every introduction, I had to repeat the slogan:
Me: "It's B-H-A-G not B-A-G"

Sometime during that week, R replaced the name plate in my cubicle with the correct spelling and that provided some relief and at the start of a new week, S was back in office.

After the usual congratulations and 'sweets on my desk' formalities, I went up to S and introduced myself:

Me: "Hi S, I am Prasan....remember I had worried you last week."
S: "Oh yeah....It's ok yaar...sorry I was busy. I will fix your machine right away"
Me: "Ok....call me once your done"

(After some 3 hrs.)
TRING....TRING
Me: "Hello"
S: "Hey Prasan, S here....do you have any simulations running?"
Me: "Yeah"
S: "Can you kill them?"
Me: "haha....my manager will kill me if I do that"
S: "haha....it'll only take a few minutes"
Me: "Ok sir...as you say"

$> Ctrl+C
$> exit

It was early evening and I was almost about to fall asleep, when the phone rang again:

S: "Hey prasan, it's all done. Your login is prasans and password is ******"
Me: "Awesome....thanks a lot S"
S: "Welcome"

So I login and the system displays the message:
"WELCOME PRASAN SHANBHAG"

Aha....finally!!!

Me: "Hey S, what about my old emails?"
S: "Ohh...I may have to go back and take a back-up. Was there any important email?"
Me: "Hmmm....there was one sent by HR, the Holiday List for 2008"
S: "hahahaha.....don't worry...i'll get him to send it again to you....cheers" .....CLICK

I involve my other colleagues and managers at my new found success:

Me: "Hey DJ, see my new id.....hey PS, dekh mera email set ho gaya!!"
DJ: "Congrats man....finally you have an identity in XYZ!!!...hahaha"
(yeah right!!!)

Suddenly the unthinkable happens....

Me: "Oh Crap...the screen just went blank!!!"
DJ: " Did you hear that sound?? I think your CPU just conked off man......"
Me: "Oh crap"
DJ: "Dude....you just managed to crash a Linux based system....hahaha....Microsoft will make you their brand ambassador!!...hahaha.....don't worry, call S, he will will fix everything for you once again...hahaha"

Oh no....not again!!....but I had no choice

Me: "Hey S.....hege iddira sir...(smile)"

And they lived happily ever after..........