Life is nothing but...

When you find your demerits,

And accept it then you put all effort,

To change them and make it work for you,

Similarly something happened with me too,

When I saw that my colleagues in telemarketing,

Were better than me, I put all my effort in learning,

With hard-work and dedication I became sales champ,

Initially my job used to be from 4 pm to 11 pm,

With my performance, I got three more projects added,

Into my portfolio for selling on the phone,

Now I work from 8 am to 11 pm 

Work, work, work, sell, sell, sell, products and products,

If you trust your product, it's easier to sell,

Every call of mine started becoming a sale,

Something which I never even thought in my dreams,

To be a top sales representative on phones for cold calls,

That too the products were, credit cards, insurance, electricity,

Long-distance calling packages, Phone companies,

I had never imagined people would buy these on the phone,

But it was the truth, and I believe like they say,

If you sell from your heart the other heart will listen to it,

One floor to the next floor and so forth,

I became famous in the office building,

Many became my friends, and admirers,

So many shared their love and some got rejections,

It's true success brings happiness and love too,

I don't have greed and never did had then either,

Life is to live in the moment and so I lived my moment,

I always had a dream to watch in person India playing cricket,

And that day has arrived too as I read Toronto Star newspaper,

I had decided on Sunday, I am going to watch the match in person,

Monday to Saturday was my work in the Call Center,

It was an hourly job for $10, it was like grasping at straws,

On top of that I was selling few products from 8 am to 11 pm,

It was India and Pakistan Sahara-Cup friendly match in 1997,

I was able to see Sachin - the God of Cricket and Azhar then Captain,

My dream Azhar batting on the field was a mesmerizing moment,

Me common person and they well-known famous celebrities,

Shaking hands with each-other and asking well-being of each other,

Ravi Shastri the commentator too was an interesting in person,

Dada- Saurav Ganguly- that moment still in my heart and mind,

Indian and Pakistani players together in warm-up sessions,

Helping each-other during warm-ups and net practice,

Life is nothing but only love, that's how I see this world!

~ Dawn

This was my first experience!

Living  alone has its own fun,

Fun and despair at the same time,

But if you have a goal in mind,

Nothing can distract you from it,

My goal was to stay there and learn,

Wanted to focus on my sales in Call Center,

Took the training very seriously and,

Understood the product better to sell,

Analyzed the benefits of it for self,

One thing was sure about me 

If I have really liked the product,

I am definitely going to sell easily,

I have always sold products from my heart,

Without cheating and without putting pressure,

I never had a confidence that I will sell anything,

But here, I was making sales 30 everyday,

My job was a bit strange as a telemarketer,

It starts at 4 pm and ends at 11 pm at night,

I used to reach to people where its no 9 pm yet,

I have heard and seen door-to-door sales,

But selling on the phone as telemarketing,

This was my first experience!

~ Dawn

Learn to adjust...

The way the training was going on,

It was clear its a sales job, you have to sell,

My situation wasn't such that,

I could say 'no' and walk-out from there,

I used to feel that's rude and mean to say,

But for me there wasn't any option either,

I had heard education is very expensive here,

I was lucky to to get learn about sales technique,

And whatever came in my way I learned,

It will come useful everywhere,

After two days of tough training,

We were sent to the call center to sell,

When earlier everyone was telling me to opt for sales job,

Because I can speak English and should try my luck there,

But I can't even imagine myself selling as I freak out, even now,

Till now there was no need of office going clothes,

As in the restaurant I had uniform and apron,

Here I will have to go in professional attire,

So I shared my dilemma with the Maharashtrian lady,

She took me to a Goodwill's store,

Here people donate their clothes and that's washed and sold here,

I bought a few for myself to wear in the office,

The lady wasn't that happy with everything going,

Not sure what was the issue was it I left the job or will I earn more now?

Anyhow, I had to move out of that place,

As the lady had given the ultimatum to find my own,

I looked around an apartment for rent at 

St Dennis Drive on the 8th floor,

At least here it will be my world and my ways,

Initially I was scared as I was still new here,

I never lived alone so far here,

As I landed I was at Pastor's house and then this lady,

I really want to thank both of them for my experience,

Today anyone asks, I suggest not to live with roommates,

If you want to stay, stay alone or else

Learn to adjust with roommates !

~ Dawn

You got to take risk in life...!

In all my effort and risks that I took,

No one ever encouraged me ever here,

Everyone say don't leave the cashier job,

At least you're at restaurant where you get food,

I feel either people are happy in what they are doing,

Or else they are scared of taking risks,

My problem was my boredom for sure,

But at least I should work as per my education,

Otherwise how would I challenge myself

How would I learn something and teach something,

Life was becoming difficult and depressing too,

I had to challenge myself and take some risks,

To feel life and live from a new point of view,

For me challenges were living life,

With the lady I had good and bad days,

The lady didn't like me looking for better opportunities,

Overall after living for three and half months,

The lady asked me to find my own way,

She insisted and took me to a place for renting apartment,

I had to pay 200 dollars deposit to get apartment in two weeks,

When I followed up there was no phone and no company,

The person did collect money from many and ran off,

All this and the behavior of lady left a bad taste in mouth,

In all this my training had started and I bid farewell from Movenpick,

Some were worried for me as how I will be?

And some thought I was brave,

Well you got to take risk in life,

Or else what would you get?

~ Dawn

Never let courage to drown in anyway...!

During this time I never gave up,

I was trying for a better prospectus,

Where I can enjoy the work and learn more,

A salary where I could meet my ends and save too,

After all to dream is not a crime!

I used to send my resume to many places,

And I would get rejection letters from there,

But I never gave up sending resume was my job,

One day a call came through for me,

It was an interview call with question and answer!

Everything was good as per the interviewee

But he felt I don't have a Canadian experience,

I also was prompt to say, give me an opportunity,

To show experience am sure you must be once in same shoes,

One opportunity every immigrant should get to be lucky!

I got an opportunity to meet the Vice President,

Interview went well had good discussion but still,

Vice President felt I will use this as stepping stone,

Later I will look for better prospectus and 

You will look for better positions as time comes,

And so sorry, we won't be able to appoint for this!

I have seen sunrise and also seen sun setting,

But I have never given up, kept sending those resumes,

There was a light at the end of the tunnel 

From Mastech company almost like signing the papers 

But something went wrong with them and it was gone too!

Like this many sunsets I witnessed during that period,

But then the Sun comes up everyday without fail, 

Same way I never let my courage to drown in anyway,

Then there was a call for training prior to hiring for a job,

Here I got the training and then the call center job too!

~ Dawn

Save your own life first

Let's look at my job that time,

A Cashier's job is not just counting money,

In fact cooking, sweeping the floor, washing dishes,

Many times I felt what have I achieved coming this far,

In a developed country my degree would be of some use I thought,

But here immigrants have to prove their caliber,

Well, let me tell you what happened one day,

One Saturday in Summer time, 

Restaurant was packed with tourists from across 

Business was good that day with collections,

My cash tray was filled with American dollars,

While helping a customer at the cash counter,

A hand came from behind on the cash tray,

The moment I saw the hand I caught him,

That hand grabbed the money from the tray,

He was trying to run with that cash,

How would I allow him to run with that cash?

After all I grew up in National Defense Academy,

How could I let him go so easily

I just caught him in all enthusiasm from behind,

He was seven feet tall guy and his shirt was in my hand,

I was only 5 feet 4 inches but I had no less energy and excitement,

With bravery I caught the thief and also released him,

If it was India where a girl catches a thief 

Everyone will come to rescue and help to catch the thief,

At least India was like that when I grew up there,

Well, after catching the thief I called for my manager Peter

Since he didn't showed up and rest of the people were watching the scene,

I said to the thief, go man its your day,

I went inside and asked the manager you didn't come to help?

The thief has robbed the money and left,

Manager without an eye contact, said he was busy,

Well, he was having his pasta at that time,

Here things were different I was kind a crazy for them,

The cops came and inquired and investigated,

There was a scratch on my hand with the nail of that thief,

Cop said, you're lucky that you're alive,

If he had a gun in his pocket and if he had aimed at you?

That day I learned a lesson there,

No matter what happens save your own life first,

Here no one cares for anyone, everyone mind their own business,

I reached home that evening when I came to know it was on TV,

A brave India girl got saved from getting killed!

~ Dawn

Sun is never the same from dawn to dusk..

At King street we were only a week

Then we shifted to condominium,

Here I didn't have a room for self,

I was sharing with the 9 year old kid,

Time used to pass very well with the kid,

Now after work I used to go day time work

At the restaurant where lady's husband worked,

Big cities, big restaurants had all this show-biz,

But only the employees who work their know, 

The real story of their life with minimum wages,

It was like people had only one dream how to add hours,

Drop by drop the hours will pay more 

But then it comes around there you earn more,

You pay tax more to the government,

But then if you earn less how would you manage expense,

The whole world is grinding under this,

I had a good job in India which I left

I wondered is this why I came all the way here?

I was not happy with this and this is the only job I have,

As per the lady, she kept pestering you shouldn't leave this,

I used to feel bad for such discouragement,

I used to consider them as family,

The lady used to go to work during the day,

Her hubby would leave in the evening to return at 4 am,

To make both ends meet this was the job,

I had decided I won't be at this job for long,

I gave myself four months to find another job,

The daughter used to like me we were friends,

We used to spend time talking discussing and playing,

Lady used to be insulting sometimes with her behavior,

Her parents were visiting and they loved me 

But the lady didn't invite me for her daughter's birthday,

She didn't want to invite me as I had less salary and a small job,

But the mother invited with love and affection,

She mentioned you are part of this family,

You must come for the birthday party,

I respected the mother and so went for the party,

Took a small gift for the little girl,

Lady after seeing me said, I didn't invite you

Because you may not have money to buy gift,

I still remember the expression and moment of that time,

One doesn't have to be in a situation forever,

Things change and one gets an opportunity to change,

The husband and the daughter were nice and polite to me,

Probably in this country I was scared to live alone,

I still decided to stay their and ignored everything else,

When lady had to get groceries she would be nice and polite,

I used to fall for those and help getting bags of rice and potatoes  

We used to go in bus to get these from far and carry the weight alone,

In all this if I get delayed to give rent because I couldn't get the cash,

She would really mess up my day with taunts,

In the beginning things were good but as time started moving,

The lady's behavior was different and disrespectful,

I used to wash the pots nice and shiny 

Since then that became my job,

Sometimes I would forget all this and make Indian crepe dosa,

I used to give hair massage and shoulder massage when they asked,

But then even Sun is never the same from dawn to dusk,

So I believed myself that my time will also turn into good!

~ Dawn