Pearson India Blog

On 4^th May the Pearson finally shifted from old charming 482 Patparganj to big, spanking, shining, grand

Knowledge Boulevard. What a change it was, from humble pantry to big bunker and from old cozy clustered departments to huge sitting schemes! This morning as most of the Person diaspora, as they trickled into new office awed and overwhelmed by new found agoraphobia (fear of open space) felt also the pangs of nostalgia for good old familiar 482 building. At first sight at 7 th floor, the endless rows of abstemious creamy cubicles and bluish glass meeting rooms spread out till far end, echoing with mechanical whirl robotic printers reminded me of some starship enterprise.

But before this feeling could get better of us the day got a pious start with inter faith prayer meeting in which everyone read out short prayer for house warming. Then the party got started…We were still getting our stuff out of “giant” cartoons when this anorexic looking lady with mike came along with her infectious smiling asking names and giving prizes for repeating tongue twisters and saying things with funny proclamations like “sui laga ka” and “dhoti pad ka…”(wow)

Hina our chirpy girl from School Sales gave everyone run for their money by doing each of these tasks with breathless gusto. No guessing she won most of the prizes, so much so that the anchor girl suggested her to take up her job as career.

Some till now unknown singing talents decided that this is the day to let their voices be heard. No doubt Pearson can boast of some real sweet crooners in every department. Kundan the “reluctant talent” created a laugh riot of sort by his theatrics, giving sales demo of “German knife” extempore with some able star cast of Prashant, Hema, Rajnish and irrepressible Hina. Later Sanjeev, Srini, and Deepak pitched in with some delectable tango steps on “Singh is king” number!!

The final showdown was of musical chairs and what a rush it was!!

After several chaotic rounds of musical hustle it was game among Naveen, Hina and Babita. Naveen gave the fair maidens very tough fight in grabbing the chairs and then at last bowed out in gentlemanly fashion to leave it a dual between Babita and Hina. At final go it was the experienced Babita who captured the prized seat by out maneuvering Hina in thriller of a contest that went till last music beat.

After hard day work and games all Pearsonites gathered in Bunker cafeteria for their welcome party with cakes and beers. Rambir the oldest employee was given the honors to cut the cake and inaugurate the new office along with the latest new joinee. Every one had their fill of beer. Rambir reminiscing the old days talked about the one room office that could hardly accommodate four chairs when Pearson started and then shifted to adjacent rooms, then building and today into this massive big organization.

…among all the excitement and revelry as the first day drew to close I can see from seventh floor the orange sphere of summer sun after blazing the dusty plains all day sinking gloriously on the western horizon fusing the grey sky in the scarlet pool of light that filled the translucent vapors clouds with kaleidoscopic hues and the approaching dusk making the lengthening shadows of wind swept, high rise Noida cityscape creep slowly on to the fields….

It was then I realized that this not so familiar yet slightly enchanting urbane “Knowledge Boulevard” is going to be my office for days to come in Pearson and with all its faces new and old...sights and sounds…its manic mornings and mesmerizing dusk and With the moments of unanticipated joy and frustrations… ideas and introspection… I too have become the part of this new, exiting and bigger universe.

-Gitesh