Laughter they say is the best medicine. How many ailments it can cure is a matter of conjecture and one can argue this till the cows come home. Considering our objective, this isn't the time or place; so, we'll let it pass. Nonetheless, a good, hearty laugh never hurt anyone. Agreed?
Most would, but Jocelyne D'Souza certainly does. She's doling out laughter at Digital as if it was going out of fashion. Maybe she's had doses in abundance of the 'ha-ha' medicine. She's forever laughing and is blessed with an important characteristic in today's all-too-serious world, to make others laugh as well. It's a pretty face with sharp features, dangling earrings and conspicuous is an unmistakable mischievous streak. You can't miss it. As a kid, during school vacations, apart from the prime occupation of climbing trees and throw berries at passer-bys, she'd bash up boys for good measure. Helped her stay fit. All with good intentions and fun, of course. Didn't Dennis the Menace once drop a spider in Margaret's frock?
We couldn't resist asking this engineer from Manipal, if this rollicking attitude was prevalent even when she was a kid and the reply was spontaneous, "Oh yes! Whatever I do, I bring a lot of excitement to it." Typical Mount Carmelite trait, no doubt. We can visualize a scenario. Jocelyne in the playpen is fidgety, getting bored and the tiny-tot is yearning for action. She spots this teddy bear aimlessly lying inside the playpen. The plot thickens. Suddenly, she lets off steam by knocking the stuffing off the soft-toy. And when mama comes to check on the commotion, there is innocent little Jocelyne with a sheepish sort of 'go-ga' grin as if nothing happened. "I was only looking for my feeding bottle and he came in the way."
Most software companies have changed not only the way their employees live but also the way they work. Besides comfortable work environments, they've also taken care to provide for relaxing. How else can one explain frequent coffee breaks, tête-à-tête in the cafeteria, indoor and outdoor activities, unwinding or charging up at the gym. Romance too. Ye All! Ye All! Break the monotony and ease pressure off the mind.
Which is why people like Jocelyne love being at Digital. "I'll never leave," she says. "This is my first job and I really like the company and I'm kind of dedicated. I want to see the company grow," Jocelyne's mannerisms bring to mind the 'Artful Dodger', Charles Dickens' adorable character from his famous work, 'Oliver Twist'. We found her to be an extraordinarily captivating personality, winsome, naughty, warm, friendly, darting eyes and so full of life. Naturally, she would hate monotony.
She was into sports when at school and always came third. Why always third? "I was a bit plump those days,' she claims. We found no evidence of flab. She's quick to tell us she managed to hive off a few kilos and attributes this achievement to regular workouts at the rooftop gym. Not surprising. Her favorite workout area must have been the punching bag considering her past experience of bashing up boys.
Off late, however, she's into music. Her favorite group - 'Deep Purple'. She sings for the Digital band called 'The Bandits' - we presume the pun is on 'Band-ITs'. "I coined the word," she laughs and in college, the band she sang for was called 'Turbulence'. Now, isn't she a riot?
Soon, Jocelyne may have to move from the city office to the facility at Digital Park in Electronics City. That would be akin to her natural habitat as a kid, with lots of trees to climb. But then, she's a grown-up now and though she has occasional 'mischief twitches' chances of finding Jocelyne programming or coding perched on a tree are rather remote.
As for the other childhood pastime, namely 'boy-bashing', hopefully that's a thing of the past. Or is it?
Note: This story was written when the company was known as 'DIGITAL'.
