Tech slangs in Urdu

I've been associated with the Pakistani IT Industry for the past 3 years. During that time I got to learn a lot. Not just the latest tools and techniques but also fun stuff like tech slangs. Here are a select few:

buggy software = huggu (really, really silly)
spectacular software = unth (really, really cool)
initialize/setup/activate = khurra kur do (stand it up)
up and running = chul ra hai (it's running)
system failure = bhait gia (it collapsed)
runtime error = phut gia (it blew up)

Of course these words are only used in informal discussions. All official communication is conducted using standard terminology so that everyone can understand.

I like, like

Let’s say you have a database with over 100,000 records. And you want to pull up one particular record. Going through them one by one would not be good for your mental health. The easiest approach would be to search by primary key. But suppose the primary key is made up of 25 digits. Do you really want to type in that many numbers when writing your search query? Most likely not.

When I faced this situation I spent a lot time typing in numbers. With deadlines looming I found that this approach was not practical. That’s when I came across the “like” command. It let me search by only a portion of the primary key. Which means I only had to remember the first few digits of the key to get me going. Which was very convenient. (I am sure there are hard core DBAs out there who have better ways of doing this, do share)

That also raises the question of how people deal with pressure. Some would give up, which is a real shame. Others would keep at it and try to make it. This is when the pressure turns out to be good for you as it makes you better. It’s the old adage of the diamond in the rough.

Raising Angels

I don’t have kids, not yet at least. However I am a proud uncle and have two lovely nephews. I am not the primary caregiver for these tots. My sister and her husband are doing a marvelous job. I see how crazy they get chasing after the kids and I salute them for their valiant efforts. I am perceived as an authority figure by my nephews and have a certain degree of influence in their upbringing. Even though I only share a small percentage of this responsibility, I get nervous when I tell them about the world.

You see at this stage they’re empty vessels which can be filled with good or bad. In more geeky terminology they’re formatted hard drives waiting for instructions. I can very well mess them up, which scares me. That’s why I check and recheck what I say around them. I make sure that they hear the truth in an honest and objective manner.

The little one could care less what I say as long as he’s fed and well rested you can call him “billy-poo” and he’ll be okay with that. His older brother on the other hand has a lot on his mind and he needs to know things. Favorite phrase: “What’s that?” normally this gets tiring but on occasion I have fun answering his questions.

Pointing towards the sky “What’s that?”

“That’s the moon.”

“Can you live on the moon?”

“No not yet.”

“I wanna live on the moon.” Now I can either encourage him and say that someday you just might do that (this is based on current research being conducted to make space habitable) or do I give him a dose of reality and tell him that it won’t happen in his lifetime (this is based on the current economic crisis which is forcing governments to slash their R&D funds). My mind was caught between imparting joyful idealism or pessimistic realism. In the end I kept quiet and took him inside, it was dark and my sister was calling us. The mosquitoes were biting and dinner was ready. The galaxy would just have to wait.

I was glad to handover the child, I felt like I had dodged a bullet. But a time will come when I won’t be able to. When that time comes I hope to say the right thing.

Growing Pains

They be painful. Made a mistake at work. Lesson learned. However when something bad happens to me I take concrete steps to make sure it doesn't happen. I had a meeting with my superivisor and using my mistake as an example we chalked out an action plan to make sure this doesn't happen to me or anyone else on my team. booya!

yipeee!

I just recieved my first paycheck, plus confirmation via email. Excuse me while I giggle like a schoolgirl ODing on endorphines.

The Daily Grind

Well it's back to work for me. I returned to my desk and found it as I left it. Although I do tend to bang my knees against the drawers. It hurst really badly, that's why I moved my computer to the other side, it seems to be working.

Everyone seems well rested after the 5 day holiday. Good thing there is a lot of backlog to get through and tempers can flare.

EID MUBARAK!!!

EID MUBARAK everybody!!!

Today is the first day of Eid I am having a blast. The bestest part is eating whenever I feel like it!

Officially the holiday is from october 1-3 but add on the weekend and you get a five day vacation for free! Wooot! I plan on eating and napping most of the time. Need to recharge the old neurons. My uncle throws a party on the second day. This is a family tradition that we can't do without. I'll defintely be there.

Today I met with friends from the neighborhood. Everyone is in a very festive mood, it feels really nice. Unfortunately there is one family in particular who is not in the mood for celebrations. There breadwinner was gunned down by some punk that wanted his car. This happened yesterday afternoon. That night we all gathered in the local Masjid to offer the funeral prayers. It was a very bittersweet occasion. On the one hand we were happy that it was Eid on the other hand we felt bad for the family. We all know them very well. After the prayer was over a group of people took the coffin away and headed for a nearby graveyard.

They have my sympathies. I met a family member at the service. At first I felt like cheating and tried not to make eye contact. But I decided I was acting like a baby and headed in his direction. I didn't know how to comfort him. I awkwardly offered my condolences. He graciously accepted and we moved on. At times like these I wonder if I know how to be a good human. Can I comfort a grieving mother? Help a friend through some rough times? Soothe a baby to sleep? Comfort the dying? The list goes on.

I know that when people first meet me they think that I am cold and uncaring. That's far from the truth. I am emotionally effected by what's happening around me but choose not to express myself. This acts as an effective defensive mechanism but also creates distance between me and others. Once I gain the other person's trust I warm up and begin to express myself more openly. In the end I am able to forge lasting friendships.

Anyway this post was suppose to be about Eid. I'll have more updates (and photos) as they become available. I wish everyone a hearty Eid Mubarak. God bless.