Friday breaks for all

Santa has blessed techies with a special gift this year. He has gifted them an extensive weekend as Christmas fell on a Friday. Not just Christmas, many more festivals fell on Fridays and Mondays offering the techies a perfect ‘extended weekend holiday’.

While some decided to chill out and relax at home, others used this opportunity to travel around Bengaluru. This year, people could spend more time at home with their parents or make that much awaited visit to their grandparents. Bengalureans almost don’t want to say bye to this year as next year will have fewer extended weekend holidays.

This year, college students could visit their parents without bunking classes. Anchit T, a student, is new to Bengaluru. After seeking admission to an engineering college, he was waiting for an opportunity to visit his parents. As his college doesn’t offer a week-long Diwali vacation, Anchit was feeling home sick.

“Then, my seniors informed me that our college was observing a Diwali holiday on Friday and another one on Monday. I packed my bags and went home immediately,” he says. For students, extended weekends are bliss as it gives them time to relax or visit folks at home.

Making use of the August 14 (Janmashtmi) holiday, Govind R, a techie, visited his grandmother in Kerala. “I have always wanted to visit her but couldn’t find time. After getting a job, holidays were utilised to go home. This year, I could finally find time to visit them. They are ageing and wanted to meet me for one last time,” he says. Govind visited his grandparents after eight long years, thanks to the extended weekend. As May Day and Gandhi Jayanti fell on Fridays, Govind made a quick trip to Pondicherry and Coorg on weekends.

However, for some, 2009 was not a year of extended weekends but a year to focus on work. Alok S, a techie, could not enjoy many of these weekends. “I was working on a project this year that had to be delivered by the year end. Following a 9 am to 9 pm work routine, I have not had time to enjoy this year. While everybody has had fun this year, I am looking forward to my usual weekend holidays next year,” he says.

Roshani S, an engineer, wants to enjoy her holidays as long as they last. Her worry is that January 1 is a Friday, and post that most holidays will either coincide with weekends or fall in the middle of the week. “I won’t have the luxury of extended weekends next year as most festivals fall on a weekday. As January 26, 2010 will be a Tuesday and August 15 will be a Sunday— 2010 will be boring with fewer weekend holidays,” she says.

So, are we ready to welcome 2010 yet?