In a way, the idea I'm about to discuss here came about thanks to Nitya. When we first exchanged e-mail ids, I asked her if the 'behl' in her id was her second name. And she shocked me a little by saying that she didn't actually have a second name; but she wanted one that wasn't too region specific. Months later at a book store, I came across an interesting title - 'The Art of Tantric Sex' written by a certain Nitya Lacroix. I did suggest the name Lacroix to the first Nitya (though I didn't tell her where it came from :)). I still don't know what she thinks of it.
By saying that Nitya didn't want a region specific surname, she meant (and I like to think so) that she didn't want to be 'rooted' to one place; and that her name should rather symbolise the fact that she belongs to the world rather than to any one particular pocket of it. Globalisation has penetrated from amazon.com to our surnames. Along the way, it has flattened currencies, food, bureaucracy, temperaments, corporations, age and households. A 20 yr old behaving like 30 yr old or vice versa is no longer uncommon. Though that is besides the point, the message here is very simply to think like a citizen of the world.
A person living in Saket, South Delhi can learn a Spanish Dance,pick up Russian and practise Feng Shui by moving inside a radius of 3 Ks from his home. Like wise, someone in Johannesburg, S.A. has tasted idlies with 7 different types of chutney, is a Buddhist and is sold out to Paulo Coelho's philosophy. This is the Global Identity we are looking at. Boundaries dissolving between countries only gives us reason to celebrate and adapt to the change. As for the cynics, I'm told they still believe in a North and a South India.
Inspired by: The King of good times, who knows what thinking global is all about.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Beerability and Coffeeness- Part IV
Of all the cities in India that I have been to, I can say with very little doubt that Chandigarh is the most gorgeous. Yes, gorgeous! The G-City will leave you mesmerised with a) the planning and layout of the whole place b) the spirit of the Punjabi people c)Mochas, the Coffee Shop at Sector 26 d)sight of some of the most beautiful women in our country and e) The India Coffee House at Sector 17.
In fact there are 2 of them in Sec. 17. But the one near the Wills Life Style store is my choice. And as I munched on idlies(they charge you 'per idly' here; so my friends from the south might find this awkward) and dosa, and later on back to back cups of coffee, I mentioned it to Hworang Tamang(a.k.a The RAT a.k.a Prat the RAT a.k.a Pratik) who was with me about something each of us have. It is true, I like to believe that every one of us carries around ourselves a bubble, or a smoke screen if you might call it that. And we spent the next half hour trying to clear out this smoke screen (pun, absolutely:)).
How would you like to step into the shoes of another person and look at yourself the way he or she see you. And this person who's shoes you would step into shouldn't be a close associate. You know who you are. You know what drives you, what scares you, what attracts you and what repels you. This is the 'real you' that only you and your first circle of people are familiar with. But to a person who observes you from far, this is not what he sees in most cases. You might be the most amicable soul that's living as of today, but somehow because of the way you dress, or address people, or simply carry yourself, the observer might see you as successful but intimidating. And he might even admire you that ways. Or the reverse is totally possible too.
I remember a girl that studied in my high school. She was a year senior to me then and my best friend wanted to get to know her. She was the prettiest of the lot and every guy I had spoken to had fantasised her at some time. But funnily, not one guy had summoned up the courage to go talk to her. I remember sitting down with my friend and telling him that this girl must be like someone who would brush off guys, what with the way she strutted around. I thought that she must be tired of guys staring at her and hearing out to all those compliments from both the sexes. I also told my friend that it would be very bold on his part to just go up and talk to her(he was still a junior, mind you).
And talk, he did. Ask her out, he did. Say yes, she did! As I learnt later on, this girl had the same fears, the same needs and the same hunger for compliments and recognition amongst other things as anybody else. She was so 'normal' that in fact within a week into their relationship, my friend was already playing the 'bigger guy'.But the smoke screen she carried around was so not her and she didn't even know it.
How is your smoke screen today? It is not possible for us to bare it all on the middle of the street and come by as our core self to every Tom and Harry. But it is worth taking the pains to explore your smoke screen; something that everyone other than you yourself can see.
In fact there are 2 of them in Sec. 17. But the one near the Wills Life Style store is my choice. And as I munched on idlies(they charge you 'per idly' here; so my friends from the south might find this awkward) and dosa, and later on back to back cups of coffee, I mentioned it to Hworang Tamang(a.k.a The RAT a.k.a Prat the RAT a.k.a Pratik) who was with me about something each of us have. It is true, I like to believe that every one of us carries around ourselves a bubble, or a smoke screen if you might call it that. And we spent the next half hour trying to clear out this smoke screen (pun, absolutely:)).
How would you like to step into the shoes of another person and look at yourself the way he or she see you. And this person who's shoes you would step into shouldn't be a close associate. You know who you are. You know what drives you, what scares you, what attracts you and what repels you. This is the 'real you' that only you and your first circle of people are familiar with. But to a person who observes you from far, this is not what he sees in most cases. You might be the most amicable soul that's living as of today, but somehow because of the way you dress, or address people, or simply carry yourself, the observer might see you as successful but intimidating. And he might even admire you that ways. Or the reverse is totally possible too.
I remember a girl that studied in my high school. She was a year senior to me then and my best friend wanted to get to know her. She was the prettiest of the lot and every guy I had spoken to had fantasised her at some time. But funnily, not one guy had summoned up the courage to go talk to her. I remember sitting down with my friend and telling him that this girl must be like someone who would brush off guys, what with the way she strutted around. I thought that she must be tired of guys staring at her and hearing out to all those compliments from both the sexes. I also told my friend that it would be very bold on his part to just go up and talk to her(he was still a junior, mind you).
And talk, he did. Ask her out, he did. Say yes, she did! As I learnt later on, this girl had the same fears, the same needs and the same hunger for compliments and recognition amongst other things as anybody else. She was so 'normal' that in fact within a week into their relationship, my friend was already playing the 'bigger guy'.But the smoke screen she carried around was so not her and she didn't even know it.
How is your smoke screen today? It is not possible for us to bare it all on the middle of the street and come by as our core self to every Tom and Harry. But it is worth taking the pains to explore your smoke screen; something that everyone other than you yourself can see.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Beerability and Coffeeness- Part III
I was in Delhi week before last. And as I walked into this book store in CP (book stores btw, are great places to unwind, I discover), my eyes were drawn to a book titled 'It happened in India' by Kishore Biyani, the founder of Pantaloon Retail, the Big Bazaar chain and now chairman of the Future Group. I tucked it in and have been hooked on to it ever since. KB, as Kishore is referred to as, says that his strength lies in understanding the Indian customer. He spends his time in malls and shopping complexes simply observing people and their actions. Occasionally he does walk up to a few and strikes up a conversation with them; all this just to keep in touch with the common man on the street.
This afternoon, I'm sitting with Jogi in the mess. The rotis are taking longer than usual to arrive from the kitchen. Out of the blue, I look at him and shoot - “If there was one thing in life that you could get good at, what would that be?” Jogi, being the thinker he his, takes his time and answers cautiously as if the answer carried 6 marks- “I think it would be at building relationships with people.”
And I think, at that very instant, he nailed it. Often times, we are caught up in a rut chasing money, fame or recognition. All of that is fine, but those things arise out of a more basic soil called human relations. HR practises and marketing classes teach people to be good with people and deal with them professionally. The hospitality industry runs on the simple idea of catering hospitality to people by providing a memorable experience. In every other walk of life, one bumps into people more often than machines, I must presume. Why then, do some people have their way with influencing hundreds of people while on the other hand few others find it hard to get by without being abused behind their backs.
The focus should always be on building relationships with any person that walks into our lives rather than just rattling off pleasantries and coming across as hospitable. Each person that you come across, however arrogant or naive she might be, is there at that instant in our lives for a reason. And that person is there either to give us something, take something from us or lead us on to more people and/or experiences that we can learn from. And it is this foresight that makes it vital for anybody to enhance their people skills, which is a lot more valued (as a personal equity base) than just taking up a 30 day course on learning to speak confidently and shake hands firmly.
Invest your time in people today. The ROI is near infinity, says my coffee mug right here.
This afternoon, I'm sitting with Jogi in the mess. The rotis are taking longer than usual to arrive from the kitchen. Out of the blue, I look at him and shoot - “If there was one thing in life that you could get good at, what would that be?” Jogi, being the thinker he his, takes his time and answers cautiously as if the answer carried 6 marks- “I think it would be at building relationships with people.”
And I think, at that very instant, he nailed it. Often times, we are caught up in a rut chasing money, fame or recognition. All of that is fine, but those things arise out of a more basic soil called human relations. HR practises and marketing classes teach people to be good with people and deal with them professionally. The hospitality industry runs on the simple idea of catering hospitality to people by providing a memorable experience. In every other walk of life, one bumps into people more often than machines, I must presume. Why then, do some people have their way with influencing hundreds of people while on the other hand few others find it hard to get by without being abused behind their backs.
The focus should always be on building relationships with any person that walks into our lives rather than just rattling off pleasantries and coming across as hospitable. Each person that you come across, however arrogant or naive she might be, is there at that instant in our lives for a reason. And that person is there either to give us something, take something from us or lead us on to more people and/or experiences that we can learn from. And it is this foresight that makes it vital for anybody to enhance their people skills, which is a lot more valued (as a personal equity base) than just taking up a 30 day course on learning to speak confidently and shake hands firmly.
Invest your time in people today. The ROI is near infinity, says my coffee mug right here.
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