It was my Dad’s idea to name his son as Arjun. He wished that the name not convey an identity of N/S/E/W Indian-ness. There is a lot of pressure when you’re name is Arjun; not because of any demigod predecessor whose shoes are asking to filled in, but because of the unnecessary comparisons with the mythical character that your 3rd uncle pulls you into that you are expected to fulfill. Like shooting an arrow; or being fearless; or having Partha for a nickname.
My exposure to Mahabharata was grossly limited. Besides the episodes that played on Sunday mornings when I was 8 years old (remember that title song: yatha yatha hi dharmasya?) and the 3 verses that we read from the Bhagvadgita during school assembly, I never had the slightest inkling to look into the story of Mahabartha. Early one morning in 1998, the Sanskrit teacher announced that there would be a competition (some written exam) on the Ramayana and the Mahabhartha. One could choose which topic they wished to attempt. Now, this was an optional exam. When I saw nearly 80 percent of the class sign up in one or the other, I signed up too. You know that highly over rated thing called peer pressure. What was I thinking? You could have put on a fingernail the amount I knew about either of the epics. And since I was signing up for this examination, my teacher says “You are Arjuna! Neenu Mahabharata exam baribeku (You should write the Mahabharata exam).” Remember that unnecessary- comparisons-with-the-mythical-character-that-your-3rd uncle-pulls-you-into thing? Yes, exactly.
Long story short, I did not study for this exam (I mean, who in their right mind would have?). The exam was on a Sunday at 10 am. On the previous night, my Grandpa handed me his treasured copy of the Mahabharata yellow pages. I mean, not the Yellow Pages. I read the first 10 pages: the conversation between Valmiki and Ganesha. Call it the preface if you want.
In the paper the following morning, there were all kinds of questions: long ones, short ones, match the following, filling in the blanks – what difference did it make to Arjun? He saw stars in any case.
2 Weeks later: 17/100. I stood second from the bottom. I’m sure my mythical namesake is out hunting to shoot me down with his bow and arrow.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
5 men and 2 lessons
Times of India’s Heart Beat Concert that happened last night at the Central Auditorium of the University of Madras featured the very best of the very best - Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, Shivamani, U.Srinivas and Selva Ganesh. To say the very least, what a treat!
I’m not going into the sing-song of praises for the musicians because everybody knows them and their talent. But I can say this: Zakir Hussain’s fingers flow. I mean, they literally flow. Shivamani is insane. U Srinivas is “one of the greatest instrumentalists of all times”, according to Zakir Hussain who said that during the course of the performance. Sivaganesh is nothing short of a genius, for only someone like him can create such an array of beats with one drum. And Shankar Mahadevan’s vocals sound exactly like on the records, I mean, the guy is good!
But as the concert went on, I watched some very interesting things happen on stage that got me thinking about music and musicians. In my experience, I have noticed that almost every human being that plays an instrument really well, or in other words is a musician of some form or another, is a person of humble nature. I don’t understand this, but I sure appreciate it. You know what I mean. If you can wake up a guy or gal from sleep in the middle of the night, and they’re able to 5 minutes of coherent music groggy-eyed, chances are 9 out of 10 that he or she is your “down-to-earth” person. Maybe, all those endless hours of practice and hardships make you refined when you come out on the other side.
Here’s another thing I noticed on stage. During the solo performance of each artist, the remaining 4 had their eyes fixated on the performer and provided him much valuable feedback through hand gestures and mainly just by their body language. You could say that the guy playing was literally drawing energy from the 4 other champions on stage. And this happened in turns with all the 5 under the spotlight at different times in the evening. This brings me to another conclusion. Musicians respect other musicians. Only one instrumentalist knows what goes into the making of the other instrumentalist. When Shivamani stands and applauds for Selva Ganesh, that’s an applause of respect. When I stand up and applaud for Selva Ganesh, that is applause out of hollow excitement and recognition for a man that can play ‘an instrument’. I have absolutely no idea what has gone into the making of this A-class drummer. And so, by the time he gets off stage, my applause for him is gone and I’m now excited to clap for the next guy. But when Shivamani claps for Selva Ganesh and viceversa, there’s mutual respect in it. And I think, that’s a healthy lesson we can take and apply it in our lives and to the people that we come in contact with – recognizing and applauding for people’s talents, irrespective of what it is and how much we like it.
I’m not going into the sing-song of praises for the musicians because everybody knows them and their talent. But I can say this: Zakir Hussain’s fingers flow. I mean, they literally flow. Shivamani is insane. U Srinivas is “one of the greatest instrumentalists of all times”, according to Zakir Hussain who said that during the course of the performance. Sivaganesh is nothing short of a genius, for only someone like him can create such an array of beats with one drum. And Shankar Mahadevan’s vocals sound exactly like on the records, I mean, the guy is good!
But as the concert went on, I watched some very interesting things happen on stage that got me thinking about music and musicians. In my experience, I have noticed that almost every human being that plays an instrument really well, or in other words is a musician of some form or another, is a person of humble nature. I don’t understand this, but I sure appreciate it. You know what I mean. If you can wake up a guy or gal from sleep in the middle of the night, and they’re able to 5 minutes of coherent music groggy-eyed, chances are 9 out of 10 that he or she is your “down-to-earth” person. Maybe, all those endless hours of practice and hardships make you refined when you come out on the other side.
Here’s another thing I noticed on stage. During the solo performance of each artist, the remaining 4 had their eyes fixated on the performer and provided him much valuable feedback through hand gestures and mainly just by their body language. You could say that the guy playing was literally drawing energy from the 4 other champions on stage. And this happened in turns with all the 5 under the spotlight at different times in the evening. This brings me to another conclusion. Musicians respect other musicians. Only one instrumentalist knows what goes into the making of the other instrumentalist. When Shivamani stands and applauds for Selva Ganesh, that’s an applause of respect. When I stand up and applaud for Selva Ganesh, that is applause out of hollow excitement and recognition for a man that can play ‘an instrument’. I have absolutely no idea what has gone into the making of this A-class drummer. And so, by the time he gets off stage, my applause for him is gone and I’m now excited to clap for the next guy. But when Shivamani claps for Selva Ganesh and viceversa, there’s mutual respect in it. And I think, that’s a healthy lesson we can take and apply it in our lives and to the people that we come in contact with – recognizing and applauding for people’s talents, irrespective of what it is and how much we like it.
Friday, November 14, 2008
A short lunch break
There was this kid back in high school. He was the only one in our group of 8 that used to carry a ‘short break’ (I mean that lame 10 minutes break that we got in school that seemed to serve no apparent purpose). The rest of us ate our lunch in the short break and played terrace football in the lunch break. It came as no surprise then that this kid would turn up for the last 5 minutes of the football game in the lunch hour and end up being the goal keeper.
I say this for a couple of reasons. If you look back at school days, there were always these few odd people whose lunch habits were bewildering and fascinating.
So this kid that I mentioned earlier (the short break kid) – on one particular day opened his box for the short break. There were potato chips in it. But there was chocolate cream sticking on the walls of the box. We wondered how chocolate cream came out of salt chips. And then he clarified that he had got a chocolate pastry the previous day.
There was this other kid whose Mum used to pack 2 rotis in the first tiifin box, 2 rotis in the middle tiffin box and yummy Ladies Finger (pun intended) in the third dabba. The chap would munch up the 4 rotis dry and run it down with water in ten minutes of the short break. In the lunch break he would eat the ladies finger palya.Whoa! Call it a strategy.
Kid number 3 used to bring one sweet, one pastry and ONE CHIP for short break. And a spoon to eat them with. Lol!
But my pick of the lot is the kid number 4. Kid no.4’s mom used to pack the three-storeyed-tiffin-carrier and send it by lunch time through the ‘Automan’. This kid would pick up his basket and run up to the class and lay it out on his table. And this is what he found on some days: Top box- Tomato rice. Middle Box- Tomato rice. Last Box- Tomato Rice. And he would wipe them all clean without complaining! There’s a winner.
Well, as for the rest us, we played terrace football.
I say this for a couple of reasons. If you look back at school days, there were always these few odd people whose lunch habits were bewildering and fascinating.
So this kid that I mentioned earlier (the short break kid) – on one particular day opened his box for the short break. There were potato chips in it. But there was chocolate cream sticking on the walls of the box. We wondered how chocolate cream came out of salt chips. And then he clarified that he had got a chocolate pastry the previous day.
There was this other kid whose Mum used to pack 2 rotis in the first tiifin box, 2 rotis in the middle tiffin box and yummy Ladies Finger (pun intended) in the third dabba. The chap would munch up the 4 rotis dry and run it down with water in ten minutes of the short break. In the lunch break he would eat the ladies finger palya.Whoa! Call it a strategy.
Kid number 3 used to bring one sweet, one pastry and ONE CHIP for short break. And a spoon to eat them with. Lol!
But my pick of the lot is the kid number 4. Kid no.4’s mom used to pack the three-storeyed-tiffin-carrier and send it by lunch time through the ‘Automan’. This kid would pick up his basket and run up to the class and lay it out on his table. And this is what he found on some days: Top box- Tomato rice. Middle Box- Tomato rice. Last Box- Tomato Rice. And he would wipe them all clean without complaining! There’s a winner.
Well, as for the rest us, we played terrace football.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Day 4
Here's one for the road:
Question:
Chinese restaurants in India:
1) Are a poor excuse for chinese restraunts.
2) Get waiters from NE India and fool the customers into believing these guys are actually from China.
3) Serve a special Chinese dish called Gobi Manchurian that the Chinese aren't aware of.
4) Serve fortune cookies only to guests who have an eye in the forehead.
5) What a gas-bag of options are these?
Question:
Chinese restaurants in India:
1) Are a poor excuse for chinese restraunts.
2) Get waiters from NE India and fool the customers into believing these guys are actually from China.
3) Serve a special Chinese dish called Gobi Manchurian that the Chinese aren't aware of.
4) Serve fortune cookies only to guests who have an eye in the forehead.
5) What a gas-bag of options are these?
Winners
Heya!
After the first three takes of MCQs, the board has announced in a press release as under:
Part ONE: For the event Titled 'MCQ's' featured on the 27th of October, the reseults are:
Third Place: Shorty, for her x-ray vision.
Second Place: Aditya, for his dig at the sex-transmutation.
First Place: Akshay Vaidhyan a.k.a atvaidian, for getting the answer bang-on-target.
Special note
Cheato: Nice try, but better luck next time.
Part TWO:
Your board hereby announces the results for part 2 of MCQs titled 'Day 2'.
First Place: Cheato, for commendable humor.
Right answer: d.
Part THREE
MCQ # 3, published here on the 7th day of the eleventh month (and hour) proclaims the winner as:
Third Place: Cheato.
Second Place: Daily Milk
First Place: Games
Correct answer: Option 3.
(Games == Gems) and (Daily Milk == Dairy Milk)
Have a safe trip back home.
Sd
Chairman of the board.
After the first three takes of MCQs, the board has announced in a press release as under:
Part ONE: For the event Titled 'MCQ's' featured on the 27th of October, the reseults are:
Third Place: Shorty, for her x-ray vision.
Second Place: Aditya, for his dig at the sex-transmutation.
First Place: Akshay Vaidhyan a.k.a atvaidian, for getting the answer bang-on-target.
Special note
Cheato: Nice try, but better luck next time.
Part TWO:
Your board hereby announces the results for part 2 of MCQs titled 'Day 2'.
First Place: Cheato, for commendable humor.
Right answer: d.
Part THREE
MCQ # 3, published here on the 7th day of the eleventh month (and hour) proclaims the winner as:
Third Place: Cheato.
Second Place: Daily Milk
First Place: Games
Correct answer: Option 3.
(Games == Gems) and (Daily Milk == Dairy Milk)
Have a safe trip back home.
Sd
Chairman of the board.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Day 3
'Games' and 'Daily Milk' are:
1) Essential for kids.
2) Indispensable necessities of Jerry Seinfeld's apartment.
3) Duplicate brands of a famous Chocolate manufacturer.
4) Pseudonyms of President Hussien Obama's Secret Service Chiefs.
1) Essential for kids.
2) Indispensable necessities of Jerry Seinfeld's apartment.
3) Duplicate brands of a famous Chocolate manufacturer.
4) Pseudonyms of President Hussien Obama's Secret Service Chiefs.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Day 2
Here's the next one (sorry for the 10 days gap)... I know, no one really noticed it. Not even me :)
MCQ 2: Laughing Buddha is closely related to which celebrity?
1) Yukta Mookhey
2) Ato Boldon
3) Hobbes(the Tiger)
4) The guy who featured twice in the obituary column.
(Please justify your option)
MCQ 2: Laughing Buddha is closely related to which celebrity?
1) Yukta Mookhey
2) Ato Boldon
3) Hobbes(the Tiger)
4) The guy who featured twice in the obituary column.
(Please justify your option)
Monday, October 27, 2008
MCQ's
and if i hadn't bought that (THAT) cup of coffee at Kallmane Coffee Shop, I doubt if this post (series of posts) would have happened. so, here's the deal folks: Everyday (ok, as often as I humanly can) epxpect to find one lame/bizzaro question in this blog. There'll be four options to it.
Leave your choice as a comment.The board will compile the results and declare the winner soon.
So here goes:
Q: Why is that idiot wearing sunglasses INSIDE the coffee shop?
A: 1. He's an idiot.
2. He's hiding his red eyes.
3. He's just bought them.
4. It's actually a She. Look closer.
(Pick the closest answer.)
Leave your choice as a comment.The board will compile the results and declare the winner soon.
So here goes:
Q: Why is that idiot wearing sunglasses INSIDE the coffee shop?
A: 1. He's an idiot.
2. He's hiding his red eyes.
3. He's just bought them.
4. It's actually a She. Look closer.
(Pick the closest answer.)
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Gratitude Rock
Try this:
Pick up a small stone or a pebble. Clean it and let it dry completely. Carry this stone around with you where ever you go. For men, let it remain in your pocket throughout the day, and when you retire for the night, leave it on your desk along with the wallet, keys and the hand-kerchief. Ladies, it can remain in your bag. But take it out every night, and put it back in the next morning.
This is called the ‘Gratitude Rock’, and this technique has been featured in the movie The Secret. Every time you see the rock or feel it with your hands, just say this to yourself: “I thank the Universe for giving me _____”. If there is something that you’re missing in your life at this point in time, fill that in the blank. It could be as simple as “I thank the Universe for giving me a good night’s sleep” (which is something that I have been saying a lot lately!) or “I thank the Universe for giving me a stress free day” or “I thank the Universe for giving me a triple frappaccino latte with double cinnamon shot”. Ask for anything. And sooner or later, you will see yourself attracting it. Gratitude works well with anything in life. This is a law of the universe.
‘Focus’ is the next key word. Always be specific in what you ask the universe for, and focus on it in your mind. And that evokes another great law: What you focus on is what you get. If your want to be healthy, thank the universe for granting you good health. If it’s money that you need, every time you touch the gratitude rock, thank the universe for giving you an abundance of money. But do it regularly and consistently with focus. To burn a piece of paper, it takes a magnifying glass to remain in one position and focus the sun’s rays on to the paper. Obviously, nothing much is going to happen if you wave around the magnifying glass. Why? Focused attention ALWAYS delivers, but when executed with a sense of gratitude.
This might be heavy philosophy from someone who’s been writing about coffee and beer and escapades. But then, we all change tracks.
Coming soon: Coffee, beer and escapades.
Pick up a small stone or a pebble. Clean it and let it dry completely. Carry this stone around with you where ever you go. For men, let it remain in your pocket throughout the day, and when you retire for the night, leave it on your desk along with the wallet, keys and the hand-kerchief. Ladies, it can remain in your bag. But take it out every night, and put it back in the next morning.
This is called the ‘Gratitude Rock’, and this technique has been featured in the movie The Secret. Every time you see the rock or feel it with your hands, just say this to yourself: “I thank the Universe for giving me _____”. If there is something that you’re missing in your life at this point in time, fill that in the blank. It could be as simple as “I thank the Universe for giving me a good night’s sleep” (which is something that I have been saying a lot lately!) or “I thank the Universe for giving me a stress free day” or “I thank the Universe for giving me a triple frappaccino latte with double cinnamon shot”. Ask for anything. And sooner or later, you will see yourself attracting it. Gratitude works well with anything in life. This is a law of the universe.
‘Focus’ is the next key word. Always be specific in what you ask the universe for, and focus on it in your mind. And that evokes another great law: What you focus on is what you get. If your want to be healthy, thank the universe for granting you good health. If it’s money that you need, every time you touch the gratitude rock, thank the universe for giving you an abundance of money. But do it regularly and consistently with focus. To burn a piece of paper, it takes a magnifying glass to remain in one position and focus the sun’s rays on to the paper. Obviously, nothing much is going to happen if you wave around the magnifying glass. Why? Focused attention ALWAYS delivers, but when executed with a sense of gratitude.
This might be heavy philosophy from someone who’s been writing about coffee and beer and escapades. But then, we all change tracks.
Coming soon: Coffee, beer and escapades.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Throw the shovel - 2
After a month of going to sleep and getting up feeling like I had been run over by a truck, I had had it. I had a second panic attack as soon as I came into the office one morning. It was just a stroke of fortune that a hospital was right across the road. The Doctor prescribed some chewable pills and I told him that I was headed back to my hometown (Bangalore) for treatment. After being subjected to 13 tests from the head to toe, I was diagnosed with 3 inter-related sleep disorders: parasomnia, bruxism and Excesive Daytime Sleepiness.
I sat down with the psychiatrist and told her that I was feeling ‘disconnected’. I joked that it could be a psychological condition called ‘depersonalisation’. She laughed and asked me where I had heard of that term. ‘Bang’ came the reply: Internet. I had been reading up too much on psychology and sleep related stuff on the internet in the past one month. I was just out there looking for some cure; but I now realize, in retrospect that by doing that I was digging myself deeper and deeper into the problem.
Here’s some advice folks: The internet comes AFTER the doctor. Please do not Google for any health disorder issues on your own and read up random stuff from websites and come to conclusions about it. Lots of us like to perform a self-diagnosis. Bad idea, with the exception of this particular post, of course!
Besides some basic medication, here’s how I’m recovering, and these are generally good practices to follow to steer clear of any crap:
1)A positive approach: If you find yourself digging a pit under your feet with a shovel, what’s the first thing to do if you don’t want to get any deeper? You stop digging and get rid of the shovel. I had been gorging on negative information (the serial bomb blasts, and reading crime reports in newspapers). I understood that the media in general is a very negative source of information. I called the housekeeper at the place where I live and asked him to move the TV out of my room. I replaced my daily dose of news with the Monk who sold his Ferrari. Such books are not for ‘losers’ as many would feel; especially the ones that perceive themselves as floating above any need self improvement.
2)Good nutrition: It is important to have a balanced diet, more importantly at the right times in a day. Add health supplements to it if you want to get ahead faster.
3)Water: A minimum of 10 glasses of water a day (say about 5 liters). Drinking water BEFORE you feel thirsty is a good habit. If you have to ‘quench your thirst’, too late and it’s not happening!
4)Yoga: 30 minutes of basic yoga consisting of Pranayam and simple aasanas done regularly for 21 days can cure any sort of lifestyle issues.
5)Rest: Sleep for 8 hours between the same times each day. Do not sleep in the afternoon. And never, ever watch the TV before going to bed. A glass of warm plain milk can help a lot. Unwind for atleast half hour before bedtime. And eat your dinner an hour and half to two hours before you go to sleep.
But all said and done, nothing can really replace one’s attitude. I read a line recently that went like, the person you are going to be is the person who is made in the face of fear. There are many ways of saying this – you are like a tea bag; your true colour is revealed only when your put in hot water. Or, it’s easier to measure a tree’s length when it flat on the ground than when it’s upright.
I learnt that the outcome of every situation is the way we choose to react to it – either as a victim of the circumstance, or a victor of it. So, in every inch of the statement, it’s true that your problem is not really your problem. My problem was not my sleep disorder. My problem was attitude towards the disorder. With all due respect to the doctors, I like to think that the medical expenses went towards correcting my attitude, which in turn put my health back in place.
It’s all in the head.
I sat down with the psychiatrist and told her that I was feeling ‘disconnected’. I joked that it could be a psychological condition called ‘depersonalisation’. She laughed and asked me where I had heard of that term. ‘Bang’ came the reply: Internet. I had been reading up too much on psychology and sleep related stuff on the internet in the past one month. I was just out there looking for some cure; but I now realize, in retrospect that by doing that I was digging myself deeper and deeper into the problem.
Here’s some advice folks: The internet comes AFTER the doctor. Please do not Google for any health disorder issues on your own and read up random stuff from websites and come to conclusions about it. Lots of us like to perform a self-diagnosis. Bad idea, with the exception of this particular post, of course!
Besides some basic medication, here’s how I’m recovering, and these are generally good practices to follow to steer clear of any crap:
1)A positive approach: If you find yourself digging a pit under your feet with a shovel, what’s the first thing to do if you don’t want to get any deeper? You stop digging and get rid of the shovel. I had been gorging on negative information (the serial bomb blasts, and reading crime reports in newspapers). I understood that the media in general is a very negative source of information. I called the housekeeper at the place where I live and asked him to move the TV out of my room. I replaced my daily dose of news with the Monk who sold his Ferrari. Such books are not for ‘losers’ as many would feel; especially the ones that perceive themselves as floating above any need self improvement.
2)Good nutrition: It is important to have a balanced diet, more importantly at the right times in a day. Add health supplements to it if you want to get ahead faster.
3)Water: A minimum of 10 glasses of water a day (say about 5 liters). Drinking water BEFORE you feel thirsty is a good habit. If you have to ‘quench your thirst’, too late and it’s not happening!
4)Yoga: 30 minutes of basic yoga consisting of Pranayam and simple aasanas done regularly for 21 days can cure any sort of lifestyle issues.
5)Rest: Sleep for 8 hours between the same times each day. Do not sleep in the afternoon. And never, ever watch the TV before going to bed. A glass of warm plain milk can help a lot. Unwind for atleast half hour before bedtime. And eat your dinner an hour and half to two hours before you go to sleep.
But all said and done, nothing can really replace one’s attitude. I read a line recently that went like, the person you are going to be is the person who is made in the face of fear. There are many ways of saying this – you are like a tea bag; your true colour is revealed only when your put in hot water. Or, it’s easier to measure a tree’s length when it flat on the ground than when it’s upright.
I learnt that the outcome of every situation is the way we choose to react to it – either as a victim of the circumstance, or a victor of it. So, in every inch of the statement, it’s true that your problem is not really your problem. My problem was not my sleep disorder. My problem was attitude towards the disorder. With all due respect to the doctors, I like to think that the medical expenses went towards correcting my attitude, which in turn put my health back in place.
It’s all in the head.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Throw the shovel - 1
I’ve just come out of a sleep disorder called Parasomnia. The purpose of this post isn’t to bore you with my health report; but having been through the ordeal, I understand that this disorder can strike anyone and the reason for it is self-driven; what I mean is that it can happen to anybody simply because of the erratic lifestyles that we lead.
Studies in sleep sciences haven’t really progressed as much as the other branches in medicine, yet we spend almost two-thirds of our life sleeping. There are many types of sleep disorders known (wiki it for more info.), with insomnia being the famed one. However, many others like parasomnia, bruxism,excessive sleep disorder, sleep apnea etc. are equally predominant. I would like this text to sound as a precautionary note to all those who take sleep for granted, like I did.
On the 2nd of August 2008, I woke up to a cup of coffee in the morning. I was on holiday, waiting to report to my new company for work from the following week. I have loved coffee to the point where I have gotten addicted to it. I know many people are. That day, I was running around the city helping a friend of mine who was to leave to the US to finish his shopping. In the merry, I skipped my lunch, had horrible junk food (like I did everyday) and ended up drinking 7 cups of coffee through the course of the day. I am not the person who goes around drinking a lot of water either which in itself contained the seeds to my disorder.
Later that night, I worked on my computer till about 11 and went to bed. I kept tossing and turning in bed feeling uneasy (like many of us do). And then all of a sudden at around 1:30 in the night, I started having difficulty in breathing. My breaths got shallower, my heart started palpitating, my palms started sweating and they turned red, my legs started getting week and jittery – all of a sudden for no apparent reason. This is a condition known as an anxiety/panic attack. It typically happens to people out of a sudden surge of anxiety or fear in crowded places or theatres. I opened the windows to let in some fresh air. I started moving around the house like a mad man just to keep myself diverted from the way I was feeling. I tried distracting myself by turning on some music, but it wouldn’t help. About 20 minutes later, just when I thought I’m going to collapse, I went and woke up my grandparents (I was statying with them). My throat had gone dry, and I ended up drinking 2 litres of water with no difficulty.
After a glass of lemon juice and lots of prayers, I barely managed to go to sleep at around 3 in the night, hoping to get up alive the next day. And I don’t mean to exaggerate on that note.
When I woke up the next morning at around 8, my body was aching, I felt very tired and I realized that I felt kind of ‘disconnected’ from the world. I don’t know if your have felt this, but it’s very difficult to explain what ‘disconnected’ feels like – it’s like your not plugged into the world. It feels like you’re just moving around in a daze, something like a hangover but not exactly that either! It’s a very scary experience and wouldn’t wish it on anyone. One can perform regular activities, but as your say, taking a bath or even walking around, you can sense that ‘something is not feeling normal here’. My heart was still palpitating.
I went to consult with my physician. I walked into his chamber, and tried explaining what had happened the previous night, but I was lost for words literally. He did his test and declared that I was perfectly normal! He asked me if I had exhausted myself recently, and the answer to that was YES! But I have exhausted myself a lot more before and every single time; it doesn’t take more than a couple of hours of decent rest to overcome it. I wasn’t running temperature either. So my Doc prescribed a cough syrup (to act as a sedative) and told me to go sleep ‘properly’. I wish I could!
(to be contd.)
Studies in sleep sciences haven’t really progressed as much as the other branches in medicine, yet we spend almost two-thirds of our life sleeping. There are many types of sleep disorders known (wiki it for more info.), with insomnia being the famed one. However, many others like parasomnia, bruxism,excessive sleep disorder, sleep apnea etc. are equally predominant. I would like this text to sound as a precautionary note to all those who take sleep for granted, like I did.
On the 2nd of August 2008, I woke up to a cup of coffee in the morning. I was on holiday, waiting to report to my new company for work from the following week. I have loved coffee to the point where I have gotten addicted to it. I know many people are. That day, I was running around the city helping a friend of mine who was to leave to the US to finish his shopping. In the merry, I skipped my lunch, had horrible junk food (like I did everyday) and ended up drinking 7 cups of coffee through the course of the day. I am not the person who goes around drinking a lot of water either which in itself contained the seeds to my disorder.
Later that night, I worked on my computer till about 11 and went to bed. I kept tossing and turning in bed feeling uneasy (like many of us do). And then all of a sudden at around 1:30 in the night, I started having difficulty in breathing. My breaths got shallower, my heart started palpitating, my palms started sweating and they turned red, my legs started getting week and jittery – all of a sudden for no apparent reason. This is a condition known as an anxiety/panic attack. It typically happens to people out of a sudden surge of anxiety or fear in crowded places or theatres. I opened the windows to let in some fresh air. I started moving around the house like a mad man just to keep myself diverted from the way I was feeling. I tried distracting myself by turning on some music, but it wouldn’t help. About 20 minutes later, just when I thought I’m going to collapse, I went and woke up my grandparents (I was statying with them). My throat had gone dry, and I ended up drinking 2 litres of water with no difficulty.
After a glass of lemon juice and lots of prayers, I barely managed to go to sleep at around 3 in the night, hoping to get up alive the next day. And I don’t mean to exaggerate on that note.
When I woke up the next morning at around 8, my body was aching, I felt very tired and I realized that I felt kind of ‘disconnected’ from the world. I don’t know if your have felt this, but it’s very difficult to explain what ‘disconnected’ feels like – it’s like your not plugged into the world. It feels like you’re just moving around in a daze, something like a hangover but not exactly that either! It’s a very scary experience and wouldn’t wish it on anyone. One can perform regular activities, but as your say, taking a bath or even walking around, you can sense that ‘something is not feeling normal here’. My heart was still palpitating.
I went to consult with my physician. I walked into his chamber, and tried explaining what had happened the previous night, but I was lost for words literally. He did his test and declared that I was perfectly normal! He asked me if I had exhausted myself recently, and the answer to that was YES! But I have exhausted myself a lot more before and every single time; it doesn’t take more than a couple of hours of decent rest to overcome it. I wasn’t running temperature either. So my Doc prescribed a cough syrup (to act as a sedative) and told me to go sleep ‘properly’. I wish I could!
(to be contd.)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
"This is so going into my blog"
Two men are having a conversation.
1st: I need to buy a watch. Let's go to National Market.
//National Market is the chor bazaar of Bangalore//
2nd: What kind of watch?
1st: A decent one, like a Rado.
2nd: My friend is selling his Rado. Do you want to buy it? It's brand new.
1st: How much is he selling it for?
2nd: 25,000 bucks.
1st: Baalls! My budget is 300 bucks.
2nd: Bhull! For 300 you'll only get a 'Radio' watch in National Market.
1st: You mean, there will also be a radio in that watch.
2nd: Possible! But it'll say 'Radio' on the dial.
1st: (Laughs out loud)
2nd: The shopkeeper will say that a printing mistake has happened. He'll strike out the 'I' and make it Rado and give it to you.
Me: This is so going into my blog!
A round of coffee follows.
(With inputs from !Anoop and !Navneet)
1st: I need to buy a watch. Let's go to National Market.
//National Market is the chor bazaar of Bangalore//
2nd: What kind of watch?
1st: A decent one, like a Rado.
2nd: My friend is selling his Rado. Do you want to buy it? It's brand new.
1st: How much is he selling it for?
2nd: 25,000 bucks.
1st: Baalls! My budget is 300 bucks.
2nd: Bhull! For 300 you'll only get a 'Radio' watch in National Market.
1st: You mean, there will also be a radio in that watch.
2nd: Possible! But it'll say 'Radio' on the dial.
1st: (Laughs out loud)
2nd: The shopkeeper will say that a printing mistake has happened. He'll strike out the 'I' and make it Rado and give it to you.
Me: This is so going into my blog!
A round of coffee follows.
(With inputs from !Anoop and !Navneet)
My Grandma and Batman
I was at my cousin's school last evening to pick her up. Deepika studies in class 5 at Poorna Pragnya Education Center (P.P.E.C, often referred to as Poori Palya Eating Centre by rival school goers!). As she came out of the school gate and we made our way home, I got remembering of my school days in the early and mid 90's. And especially since I caught up with The Dark Knight later that evening, I couldn't help but thinking of the early days of the Caped Crusader as well.
I dedicate this post, firstly to my Grandma; the most light hearted soul on this side of the earth and to her noble idea that incomes must not be taxed. She was educated up to class 3. I think she would have done well in the finance ministry.
Secondly, to all those who went to school in the 90's; especially the twenty year olds. This text is intended to take you down memory lane.
And thirdly, to Star Plus who made living for school kids worthwhile between 4:30 pm and 6 pm on weekdays in the last decade of the twentieth century.
Narse Gowda would pull up the auto in front of no. 6 'B' street Sirur Park Road Sheshadripuram at 330 every evening. After ensuring that the shoes and socks were carelessly thrown in the corner, and some grub, a round of cricket would follow in the 10 ft by 15 ft area compound. Yes, one of those places where the minimum score always ran into 3 digits. But all action would seize at 2 minutes to 430 only to be resumed later.
My grandma would fix a huge glass of Bournvita and I would turn on Star Plus for the first show of the evening – Small Wonder. She would sit and watch the show along with me even when she didn't understand a word of what was being said. I translated the dialogues for her; even to this day I can vividly remember “Vicky” the Robot, Jamie, the Dawsons and Harriet. Close your eyes and I'm sure you'll hear a soft voice in your head singing the jingle “She's a small wonder!”
By now, with the chocolate milk in my glass missing, we would move on to slot 2 of the evening – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The four heroes – Raphaelo, Donotello, Michaellangelo and Leonardo and their Rat Master (I can't remember his name). Boy! Were they good! Close your eyes again and your sure to hear the jingle of the intro song. I really can't remember many of the plots from the series, but it did leave a mark that I remember the show to this day.
Show no. 3 for the evening was Batman. But this wasn't starring Christian Bale. This was the Batman with Robin (before the days when the word 'gay' was thrown around). This was the Batman that drove the Bat mobile through the bushes that concealed his hideout. All the fight sequences were punctuated with Biffs!, Pows! And Bams!Kapaow!. Batman carried everything he ever needed in his belt. Bruce Vain lived in a Victorian style Mansion above the hideout, not in a plush penthouse like billionaire head of the Wayne empire. That is where the library stack gave way to reveal the 2 pillars that Batman and Robin slid down to their den. The Mayor of Gotham City pressed the black button on the Red Telephone to call for the Superhero and the candy like Boy-wonder. The series where the villains' sidekicks could be replaced by a stack of cards very simply because the odds were always stacked against them. Every alternate episode ended with the good guys being trapped and battling for life and a closing message would flash: “Can Batman survive the horrible trap of the Joker? Can the Joker have the last laugh? Stay tuned.” No points for guessing who had the last laugh the next day.
It was serious affair for a 10 year old back then. I would watch the series like there was no tomorrow. My Grandma would suspend all her household chores to watch Batman. And she would follow the tale with translation from her grandson. That was the age of simplicity. Now, in a multiplex, the Dark Knight is shown in dark light. He loses several battles with the Joker, before getting the better of him. He still womanizes though, and his gadgets have gotten cooler. The plot is complex, the sounds are louder and you'll have to make prior reservations to get a seat in the hall. It's no longer fun viewing for a class 5 kid and his grandma. I doubt if I'll be able to explain even 10 % of the movie to her, and that provided she agrees to come and watch the show in a multiplex hall for the first time ever in her life. This is the age of pseudo simplicity.
I dedicate this post, firstly to my Grandma; the most light hearted soul on this side of the earth and to her noble idea that incomes must not be taxed. She was educated up to class 3. I think she would have done well in the finance ministry.
Secondly, to all those who went to school in the 90's; especially the twenty year olds. This text is intended to take you down memory lane.
And thirdly, to Star Plus who made living for school kids worthwhile between 4:30 pm and 6 pm on weekdays in the last decade of the twentieth century.
Narse Gowda would pull up the auto in front of no. 6 'B' street Sirur Park Road Sheshadripuram at 330 every evening. After ensuring that the shoes and socks were carelessly thrown in the corner, and some grub, a round of cricket would follow in the 10 ft by 15 ft area compound. Yes, one of those places where the minimum score always ran into 3 digits. But all action would seize at 2 minutes to 430 only to be resumed later.
My grandma would fix a huge glass of Bournvita and I would turn on Star Plus for the first show of the evening – Small Wonder. She would sit and watch the show along with me even when she didn't understand a word of what was being said. I translated the dialogues for her; even to this day I can vividly remember “Vicky” the Robot, Jamie, the Dawsons and Harriet. Close your eyes and I'm sure you'll hear a soft voice in your head singing the jingle “She's a small wonder!”
By now, with the chocolate milk in my glass missing, we would move on to slot 2 of the evening – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The four heroes – Raphaelo, Donotello, Michaellangelo and Leonardo and their Rat Master (I can't remember his name). Boy! Were they good! Close your eyes again and your sure to hear the jingle of the intro song. I really can't remember many of the plots from the series, but it did leave a mark that I remember the show to this day.
Show no. 3 for the evening was Batman. But this wasn't starring Christian Bale. This was the Batman with Robin (before the days when the word 'gay' was thrown around). This was the Batman that drove the Bat mobile through the bushes that concealed his hideout. All the fight sequences were punctuated with Biffs!, Pows! And Bams!Kapaow!. Batman carried everything he ever needed in his belt. Bruce Vain lived in a Victorian style Mansion above the hideout, not in a plush penthouse like billionaire head of the Wayne empire. That is where the library stack gave way to reveal the 2 pillars that Batman and Robin slid down to their den. The Mayor of Gotham City pressed the black button on the Red Telephone to call for the Superhero and the candy like Boy-wonder. The series where the villains' sidekicks could be replaced by a stack of cards very simply because the odds were always stacked against them. Every alternate episode ended with the good guys being trapped and battling for life and a closing message would flash: “Can Batman survive the horrible trap of the Joker? Can the Joker have the last laugh? Stay tuned.” No points for guessing who had the last laugh the next day.
It was serious affair for a 10 year old back then. I would watch the series like there was no tomorrow. My Grandma would suspend all her household chores to watch Batman. And she would follow the tale with translation from her grandson. That was the age of simplicity. Now, in a multiplex, the Dark Knight is shown in dark light. He loses several battles with the Joker, before getting the better of him. He still womanizes though, and his gadgets have gotten cooler. The plot is complex, the sounds are louder and you'll have to make prior reservations to get a seat in the hall. It's no longer fun viewing for a class 5 kid and his grandma. I doubt if I'll be able to explain even 10 % of the movie to her, and that provided she agrees to come and watch the show in a multiplex hall for the first time ever in her life. This is the age of pseudo simplicity.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Testified
Last Saturday was a quiz for all the trainees of the Murugappa Group at Dare House, Parrys Corner in Chennai. Mr. Austin Anandkumar was the quiz master and he had quite a couple of good ones under his sleeve. Here are a few:
1) What is the origin of the word 'testify' (as in to testify in the court of law?)
A: It comes from the word 'testis'. In the earlier days, men who walked behind the box swore on their testis to speak the truth and nothing but the truth. Yewh!Scary thought if he lied.
2) What kind of a magazine is referred to as a 'Top of the Shelf magazine?'
A:) Adult magazines are called Top of the Shelf because they are out of visibility for children.
can't think of more ... append if wish to.
1) What is the origin of the word 'testify' (as in to testify in the court of law?)
A: It comes from the word 'testis'. In the earlier days, men who walked behind the box swore on their testis to speak the truth and nothing but the truth. Yewh!Scary thought if he lied.
2) What kind of a magazine is referred to as a 'Top of the Shelf magazine?'
A:) Adult magazines are called Top of the Shelf because they are out of visibility for children.
can't think of more ... append if wish to.
Friday, July 18, 2008
House hunted
Many of my age group are just stepping into the The Great Indian Workforce. Housing for young kids like us is a real challenge. We are, as I see, not yet there to make a down payment and pick up a property to pay EMIs yet. We make good money to pay some reasonable rent. We are picky and choosy about whom we live with. We want to live independently and 'live it our way'. Food is important, but not as much as unwinding after a tiring week's work. For some of us, our private space is far more necessary than saving on those couple of thousands.
As I've been house hunting in Chennai for about 3 days now, I see that rentals have gone through the roof here for no apparent reason. Most of the houses that are now flying off the shelf didn't have takers a year ago, or maybe even 8 months ago. In 2007, houses that cost 2K are going for a bargain rent of 5k today. All this despite the fact the starting incomes have actually dipped. Work out the economics and it will show you that the situation is bizarre.
I responded to an ad for a single BHK house in Central Chennai (close to my work place in Nandanam). When I did end up at the location, I found the house to be well located, as in the approach road being tidy (which is a rarity here; no offence). The owner was a courteous gentleman who woke up from a relaxing siesta to show me the house. It was a cute little thing just right for a single person. I loved it. I could 'see' myself 'living' there. The house was 7 minutes walk to my office. It had a little hall, a cute little kitchen to fix the dishes and a small room. "Perfect!" I thought for a minute and decided to take it. I paid the owner a token of Rs 101 and told him I would arrange for the advance in 2 days time for which the gentleman kindly consented.
I came to my aunt' place with a sense of achievement. My first real estate deal was just finalised; it was a rental one, but a deal is a deal! I called on my mom to tell her that I had booked the place. Later in the evening as I sat discussing the place with my aunt, something hit me.
The house I was going to be living in had no windows. Not one. It dawned on me that I'd be spending the next couple of years in a box. And I don't plan to befriend Claustrophobia.
This morning, I called the owner and cancelled. At least, you want good cross ventilation in the house you live in. Coming to think of it, when the owner opened the door of the house for me to see, it was pitch dark as a burrow at 3 in the afternoon. As he turned on the lights, the darkness went out of the door along with my common sense.
In case your hunting for houses, I would suggest you to go with a prepared checklist of things your looking for in it. It makes life easier.
As I've been house hunting in Chennai for about 3 days now, I see that rentals have gone through the roof here for no apparent reason. Most of the houses that are now flying off the shelf didn't have takers a year ago, or maybe even 8 months ago. In 2007, houses that cost 2K are going for a bargain rent of 5k today. All this despite the fact the starting incomes have actually dipped. Work out the economics and it will show you that the situation is bizarre.
I responded to an ad for a single BHK house in Central Chennai (close to my work place in Nandanam). When I did end up at the location, I found the house to be well located, as in the approach road being tidy (which is a rarity here; no offence). The owner was a courteous gentleman who woke up from a relaxing siesta to show me the house. It was a cute little thing just right for a single person. I loved it. I could 'see' myself 'living' there. The house was 7 minutes walk to my office. It had a little hall, a cute little kitchen to fix the dishes and a small room. "Perfect!" I thought for a minute and decided to take it. I paid the owner a token of Rs 101 and told him I would arrange for the advance in 2 days time for which the gentleman kindly consented.
I came to my aunt' place with a sense of achievement. My first real estate deal was just finalised; it was a rental one, but a deal is a deal! I called on my mom to tell her that I had booked the place. Later in the evening as I sat discussing the place with my aunt, something hit me.
The house I was going to be living in had no windows. Not one. It dawned on me that I'd be spending the next couple of years in a box. And I don't plan to befriend Claustrophobia.
This morning, I called the owner and cancelled. At least, you want good cross ventilation in the house you live in. Coming to think of it, when the owner opened the door of the house for me to see, it was pitch dark as a burrow at 3 in the afternoon. As he turned on the lights, the darkness went out of the door along with my common sense.
In case your hunting for houses, I would suggest you to go with a prepared checklist of things your looking for in it. It makes life easier.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Corporate Baby
Stepping out of college into the corporate world can be a harrowing and fun experience. I certainly wish you noticed the oxymoron in the previous line. As I was getting ready to leave for Chennai to start work, my Mom went into her concern-for-her-little-boy mode and told me that it was now time for me to start building my own umbrella. Apparently, I had been living under the shade of the umbrella that she had built all these years (and boy was that comfortable!). And now, it was my turn.
The Umbrella could mean a whole lot of things. Initially I was narrow minded enough to assume that the Umbrella was one of money. And Money being one of my favourite subjects, I got out a pen and paper and started charting out an 'investment plan' in the dark. But as I look back to grasp the bigger picture behind the advice, I certainly understand that it's more to do with one's reputation, law abidance (and talking of which, rules are certainly meant to be followed) and mapping out a bigger picture for oneself rather than just keeping up with the Joneses; or Kumar's if you're in our country.
I'm told by my experienced colleagues at work that you need to be politically correct in the Corporate world. Back biting and judging can backfire and cause some serious damage, I'm told. Engineers might want to test it and confirm it for themselves. But I'm willing to take my colleagues' advice at face value. A corporate baby has a lot learn and the best way to do it: Don't touch the fire if you're told it's hot. I mean, listen and trust experience.
But yes the food, coffee and the glamour is good. I'm not too sure of the timings!
The Umbrella could mean a whole lot of things. Initially I was narrow minded enough to assume that the Umbrella was one of money. And Money being one of my favourite subjects, I got out a pen and paper and started charting out an 'investment plan' in the dark. But as I look back to grasp the bigger picture behind the advice, I certainly understand that it's more to do with one's reputation, law abidance (and talking of which, rules are certainly meant to be followed) and mapping out a bigger picture for oneself rather than just keeping up with the Joneses; or Kumar's if you're in our country.
I'm told by my experienced colleagues at work that you need to be politically correct in the Corporate world. Back biting and judging can backfire and cause some serious damage, I'm told. Engineers might want to test it and confirm it for themselves. But I'm willing to take my colleagues' advice at face value. A corporate baby has a lot learn and the best way to do it: Don't touch the fire if you're told it's hot. I mean, listen and trust experience.
But yes the food, coffee and the glamour is good. I'm not too sure of the timings!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
A Gate-a-way.
It's been almost a week now since the celebrated Chairman of Microsoft, Bill Gates stepped down from office. As an aspiring entrepreneur myself, I have always kept my ears open to the words that spring out of his mouth every now and then. Like many great men of the previous centuries whose words continue to be quoted long after they're gone, Gates will be be no exception.
There's little that remains unsaid of his scholastic, professional and financial genius; and Blogger wouldn't bail me out if I were jailed for repeating it. For a couple of days now, I have been keeping myself busy with Robert Heilbroner's The Worldly Philosophers. An interesting incidence that points out repeatedly in this book, and even as History has put into spotlight: there are always the theorists, and there are the practical men. Theorists will 'study' patterns and trends and show light into the way of the future. That is how consultants have always earned their bread and butter in any field. No one better than Peter Drucker in Management Circles and futurist Alvin Tofler pop up into my head here. I haven't read of much of Drucker myself; but the number of volumes that carry his name on the cover page across the book shelves of the world speak for themselves of the guru. I personally adore, respect, follow and worship Alvin Tofler. Call this clan as Toflerians, but if the previous sentence made you want to jump out of the window for lack of comprehension, I would at least urge you to read The Third Wave (one of the most influential books of the last century) before doing so. But Bill Gates would figure ahead of the two gentlemen. Having opened the doors of the information age, he has always operated ahead of the rest of the world by at least 5 to 10 years. What does that mean?
The 5 to 10 years window is not necessarily in the sense of a visionary. Most men/women that have achieved anything significant in life have all been visionaries. Bill Gates, as of today, can say what exactly technology will look like in some years from now. Picture this as the look out in a ship standing atop the sails and warning people on the deck know of what lies ahead. And the man is pin point accurate to what he says. Having started out as a programmer, he went on to play a sales man pitching the world to buy into his software, then built a strong business system and provided super leadership. Besides this, he's donned on other caps as a successful investor. an economist (he's a regular face at the World Economic Forum in Davos annually), a futurist, a writer and more recently as a philanthropist. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is far bigger than the Rockefellers' or the Fords'. In charity size does not matter, but then, it matters.
He deserves all the accolades that have been bestowed on him. Thanks Bill for the new age! I'm proud to have lived on this earth at a time that he did.
There's little that remains unsaid of his scholastic, professional and financial genius; and Blogger wouldn't bail me out if I were jailed for repeating it. For a couple of days now, I have been keeping myself busy with Robert Heilbroner's The Worldly Philosophers. An interesting incidence that points out repeatedly in this book, and even as History has put into spotlight: there are always the theorists, and there are the practical men. Theorists will 'study' patterns and trends and show light into the way of the future. That is how consultants have always earned their bread and butter in any field. No one better than Peter Drucker in Management Circles and futurist Alvin Tofler pop up into my head here. I haven't read of much of Drucker myself; but the number of volumes that carry his name on the cover page across the book shelves of the world speak for themselves of the guru. I personally adore, respect, follow and worship Alvin Tofler. Call this clan as Toflerians, but if the previous sentence made you want to jump out of the window for lack of comprehension, I would at least urge you to read The Third Wave (one of the most influential books of the last century) before doing so. But Bill Gates would figure ahead of the two gentlemen. Having opened the doors of the information age, he has always operated ahead of the rest of the world by at least 5 to 10 years. What does that mean?
The 5 to 10 years window is not necessarily in the sense of a visionary. Most men/women that have achieved anything significant in life have all been visionaries. Bill Gates, as of today, can say what exactly technology will look like in some years from now. Picture this as the look out in a ship standing atop the sails and warning people on the deck know of what lies ahead. And the man is pin point accurate to what he says. Having started out as a programmer, he went on to play a sales man pitching the world to buy into his software, then built a strong business system and provided super leadership. Besides this, he's donned on other caps as a successful investor. an economist (he's a regular face at the World Economic Forum in Davos annually), a futurist, a writer and more recently as a philanthropist. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is far bigger than the Rockefellers' or the Fords'. In charity size does not matter, but then, it matters.
He deserves all the accolades that have been bestowed on him. Thanks Bill for the new age! I'm proud to have lived on this earth at a time that he did.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Price Sensitive Indian Consumer
Week before last, within 2 hours of the Congress announcing a hike in fuel prices, 4 filling stations inside a circle of one km around Malleswaram circle were packed with cars and bikes lining up in huge numbers to get their tanks full. My friend was one amongst them, having filled in 11 liters of petrol into his bike. At five bucks a ltr, he saved around 55 to 60 bucks. The guys with the cars must have done a little more.
This is a classic example of the price sensitive Indian consumer. Every Sunday, Big Bazaar runs a 5% off sale on their products, and they're forced to bring in cops to manage the crowd. The telecoms sector is probably the best example of price sensitivity. The Indian telecoms market is said to be the most competitive in the world. Now, that's a little bizarre, given a couple of things: an incredibly huge consumer base, just 7 to 8 operators and low market penetration compared to a lot of other markets. But in this business, pricing is king and all else can come later. Brand consciousness is unknown. People are ready to chuck their sim card if there's another operator offering local calls at 20 paise lesser per minute.
The same is true for the airline biz. Airline search engines thrive on the price sensitivity factor. Ever wondered why yatra.com has the words 'lowest fare' very conspicuously displayed on its page? The vast majority of the flying population doesn't care which airline is taking them, as long as they're getting the best price.
Over the years, we've built up price-sensetiveness into our DNA. But with the yo! generation seeing some pretty heavy numbers on their pay checks, branding might just be the next answer on the drawing boards of several corporations. If pricing were still to remain the detrimental factor, companies might as well replace their MBAs with monkeys.
This is a classic example of the price sensitive Indian consumer. Every Sunday, Big Bazaar runs a 5% off sale on their products, and they're forced to bring in cops to manage the crowd. The telecoms sector is probably the best example of price sensitivity. The Indian telecoms market is said to be the most competitive in the world. Now, that's a little bizarre, given a couple of things: an incredibly huge consumer base, just 7 to 8 operators and low market penetration compared to a lot of other markets. But in this business, pricing is king and all else can come later. Brand consciousness is unknown. People are ready to chuck their sim card if there's another operator offering local calls at 20 paise lesser per minute.
The same is true for the airline biz. Airline search engines thrive on the price sensitivity factor. Ever wondered why yatra.com has the words 'lowest fare' very conspicuously displayed on its page? The vast majority of the flying population doesn't care which airline is taking them, as long as they're getting the best price.
Over the years, we've built up price-sensetiveness into our DNA. But with the yo! generation seeing some pretty heavy numbers on their pay checks, branding might just be the next answer on the drawing boards of several corporations. If pricing were still to remain the detrimental factor, companies might as well replace their MBAs with monkeys.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
On a Kaalej
Towards the last week of my college days, I went around the place saying 'This is the end of my formal education'. Anyone who heard this reacted in either of these 2 ways: a) They'd give a shaky nervous laugh and stop it at that or b) They'd shoot back with 'So, you won't be studying any further?'
To the second reaction, I would say 'No, I won't be studying for another formal degree.' From that reply, the talk would spiral into the mis-consequences of my irrational decision. Everyone's doing it; so how can you afford not to? All along, we have learnt to take a pro-Napoleanic no-nonsense view towards higher education, and this is true for most of us. But that is not the point of the discussion here. It is in my interest to take something that the reader already knows about college and package it around in a never before seen wrapping.
A new perspective
At the Fresher’s orientation in the Mechanical Engineering Department where I studied at NIT Hamirpur, the Head walked up on stage and said to all of us present there: “How many of you ended up here by choice? And how many came here by chance?” For the first time, we understood the difference between the two C-words.
In engineering admission circles, there is a dogma that one branch of engineering is 'better' than another. What with the definition of 'better' being so loose, it took a while to realise that the world needed both windows and bridges. And all of a sudden things began making more sense. Typically, an Indian kid gets into college largely due to pressure (like IITian writer Chetan Bhagat says). And as we know very well, what is being taught inside classrooms is rather uni-dimensional. When a friend of mine moved into the hostel at 18 years of age, his dad said to him “This is where you will become man from a boy”. For starters, he shed off his baby moustache and the rest of the story was true to the last word. My mother paid for my college. Like most parents who pay for their child's education, expectations were all always there. And like a dutiful son, I wished to carry out my mother's dreams to the best of my ability. But as my student years rolled on, I realised that the tuition fees that were paid for the academics actually gave me little in terms of value addition. It is what wasn't paid for that taught a lot more.
Backpacking to nearby places was favourite pastime. The thrill of getting into a horrible rickety bus and riding along the hilly roads and throwing up thrice in 2 hours was good fun! Well, not really the puking part, but the rest of it was. Settling down in cheap stinky rooms to save cash to try English cigars that cost a bomb were all a part of an experience I call unconventional education. Shoe-string travel would never be that much fun ever again. Keeping 'udhar' with the canteen wala and avoiding him, taking pangaas with seniors and hoping they won't catch you and pulp you, breaking window panes playing football in the corridors, asking for money from home each time and clearing out last time's debts with it; and yet managing to keep enough cash to buy a bottle of RS for the weekend are reasons to experience college life. You learn almost all the technical know-how they teach you in the classes almost anywhere, But there aren't very many places to experience the stuff you just read about.
Continuing education Post College
Everyone wants to get ahead at the end of the day, and wants to get there soon. Many of us are ambitious, a few are in hot water and we need to get out of it soon. Some just want to prove a point to somebody that didn't believe in them. A college degree is very important. But if truth be told, it is nothing more than a sheepskin. You might learn the technical stuff in there, but the skill set necessary to lead a fulfilling life will never be taught at school. If you are fortunate enough, there might be a great mentor in a teacher willing to help you out. But that's if you are fortunate.
Understanding humans, gathering success principles, effective living, learning ways to handle money, public issues, charity, growing mentally and spiritually and even maintain a stress free and a healthy life style are the least of which one would need to go through life and they were never even discussed at college or school. Instead we learnt math, sociology and thermodynamics. Giving back to the family that supported you, the society that defined you, the alma mater that gave you an identity, giving to a cause you believe in or to the people that really need it: all of this encompasses continuing education. There are hundreds of places imparting higher education. Few schools, if not none, impart continuing education.
Saying “My formal education ends now” is just a more radical way of saying “my continuing education begins now”.
Go to college, but get out of there soon!
To the second reaction, I would say 'No, I won't be studying for another formal degree.' From that reply, the talk would spiral into the mis-consequences of my irrational decision. Everyone's doing it; so how can you afford not to? All along, we have learnt to take a pro-Napoleanic no-nonsense view towards higher education, and this is true for most of us. But that is not the point of the discussion here. It is in my interest to take something that the reader already knows about college and package it around in a never before seen wrapping.
A new perspective
At the Fresher’s orientation in the Mechanical Engineering Department where I studied at NIT Hamirpur, the Head walked up on stage and said to all of us present there: “How many of you ended up here by choice? And how many came here by chance?” For the first time, we understood the difference between the two C-words.
In engineering admission circles, there is a dogma that one branch of engineering is 'better' than another. What with the definition of 'better' being so loose, it took a while to realise that the world needed both windows and bridges. And all of a sudden things began making more sense. Typically, an Indian kid gets into college largely due to pressure (like IITian writer Chetan Bhagat says). And as we know very well, what is being taught inside classrooms is rather uni-dimensional. When a friend of mine moved into the hostel at 18 years of age, his dad said to him “This is where you will become man from a boy”. For starters, he shed off his baby moustache and the rest of the story was true to the last word. My mother paid for my college. Like most parents who pay for their child's education, expectations were all always there. And like a dutiful son, I wished to carry out my mother's dreams to the best of my ability. But as my student years rolled on, I realised that the tuition fees that were paid for the academics actually gave me little in terms of value addition. It is what wasn't paid for that taught a lot more.
Backpacking to nearby places was favourite pastime. The thrill of getting into a horrible rickety bus and riding along the hilly roads and throwing up thrice in 2 hours was good fun! Well, not really the puking part, but the rest of it was. Settling down in cheap stinky rooms to save cash to try English cigars that cost a bomb were all a part of an experience I call unconventional education. Shoe-string travel would never be that much fun ever again. Keeping 'udhar' with the canteen wala and avoiding him, taking pangaas with seniors and hoping they won't catch you and pulp you, breaking window panes playing football in the corridors, asking for money from home each time and clearing out last time's debts with it; and yet managing to keep enough cash to buy a bottle of RS for the weekend are reasons to experience college life. You learn almost all the technical know-how they teach you in the classes almost anywhere, But there aren't very many places to experience the stuff you just read about.
Continuing education Post College
Everyone wants to get ahead at the end of the day, and wants to get there soon. Many of us are ambitious, a few are in hot water and we need to get out of it soon. Some just want to prove a point to somebody that didn't believe in them. A college degree is very important. But if truth be told, it is nothing more than a sheepskin. You might learn the technical stuff in there, but the skill set necessary to lead a fulfilling life will never be taught at school. If you are fortunate enough, there might be a great mentor in a teacher willing to help you out. But that's if you are fortunate.
Understanding humans, gathering success principles, effective living, learning ways to handle money, public issues, charity, growing mentally and spiritually and even maintain a stress free and a healthy life style are the least of which one would need to go through life and they were never even discussed at college or school. Instead we learnt math, sociology and thermodynamics. Giving back to the family that supported you, the society that defined you, the alma mater that gave you an identity, giving to a cause you believe in or to the people that really need it: all of this encompasses continuing education. There are hundreds of places imparting higher education. Few schools, if not none, impart continuing education.
Saying “My formal education ends now” is just a more radical way of saying “my continuing education begins now”.
Go to college, but get out of there soon!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Courtesy
Week before last, I was at the bank. The lady behind the counter was a fabulous person; always smiling and really helpful. Next to me at the counter was another woman who was there to transfer money to her relatives in a neighboring district. She was the typical villager who worked in the field all day, and she was roughly in her late 40's.
Since she didn't know the details of the account fully, she was facing trouble completing her work. But of course, the banker woman, being the helpful soul she was made this woman's life easy by going out of her way to arrange for information that she could have very well dismissed as being beyond the scope of her job. The two women spoke in pahadi (the local dialect of the hills). After a couple of minutes of going back and forth, the task at hand was finished. I stood there watching as the villager woman handed the currency notes to the banker lady. And just she was about to walk away, the villager stopped and looked at the banker and said : Thank you. I was stunned. So was the banker across the counter. She asked her customer to repeat what she said. And smiling, with her lips concealing her teeth, she repeated: Thank you.
Courtesy doesn't demand much time. It is something as small as a Thank you to someone who doesn't expect to be thanked. If a woman with nil education knows this, it is embarrassing for us who hold fancy degrees to somehow think that we are above all of this. Do I say I was touched by the woman's act? Yes. But I learned a valuable lesson that day - Be courteous even to strangers.
Since she didn't know the details of the account fully, she was facing trouble completing her work. But of course, the banker woman, being the helpful soul she was made this woman's life easy by going out of her way to arrange for information that she could have very well dismissed as being beyond the scope of her job. The two women spoke in pahadi (the local dialect of the hills). After a couple of minutes of going back and forth, the task at hand was finished. I stood there watching as the villager woman handed the currency notes to the banker lady. And just she was about to walk away, the villager stopped and looked at the banker and said : Thank you. I was stunned. So was the banker across the counter. She asked her customer to repeat what she said. And smiling, with her lips concealing her teeth, she repeated: Thank you.
Courtesy doesn't demand much time. It is something as small as a Thank you to someone who doesn't expect to be thanked. If a woman with nil education knows this, it is embarrassing for us who hold fancy degrees to somehow think that we are above all of this. Do I say I was touched by the woman's act? Yes. But I learned a valuable lesson that day - Be courteous even to strangers.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
A closing note
Stereotype demands me to resume blogging with a post on the senti-mity (I just coined the word) of leaving college. I'd have to be brain-dead to do that. So I thought I would give a little antithesis on the end of college and what's running through my mind at this point in time.
Without a whiff of a doubt these 4 years have been the best years so far, having taken away the cake, the icing and the little red cherry on top. But then, like I mentioned in one of my early early posts, this place is too rich that it gets to you after a while; kind of like the Death by Chocolate at Corner House. I like this place too much that it's now time for me to get out of here, go all the way around and come back to help it grow bigger and better (if that's making any sense).
And for the record, I showed Nagraj the middle finger. May he lead a long life. Having the last laugh is good, since you can laugh louder and longer than you would normally.
But as of now, it's time to play mentor to some fabulously promising people (Iti, I know you're reading this!)
Without a whiff of a doubt these 4 years have been the best years so far, having taken away the cake, the icing and the little red cherry on top. But then, like I mentioned in one of my early early posts, this place is too rich that it gets to you after a while; kind of like the Death by Chocolate at Corner House. I like this place too much that it's now time for me to get out of here, go all the way around and come back to help it grow bigger and better (if that's making any sense).
And for the record, I showed Nagraj the middle finger. May he lead a long life. Having the last laugh is good, since you can laugh louder and longer than you would normally.
But as of now, it's time to play mentor to some fabulously promising people (Iti, I know you're reading this!)
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Jaago NIT
Jaago NIT is a students' campaign for a better future.
This movement aims to fulfil two motives:
1) To strengthen student-alumni ties and hence improve the value of NIT Hamirpur's brand in
the outside world.
2) To make ourselves (the students) more accountable for our actions.
A Students' Parliament is being organised on Tuesday, 15th of April at the conference hall of the Auditorium between 430 pm and 630 pm.Entry for students only. Participants in the parliament are free to raise any issue and talk about anything of anything of anything.
The only criteria for participation is write out your views on this question:
“If resources (like money, time or contacts) are not a problem in the future, what/how would you
like to contribute to this institute as an alumnus?”
Send it in to arjunbs@gmail.com or abhinavjogi@gmail.com
This movement aims to fulfil two motives:
1) To strengthen student-alumni ties and hence improve the value of NIT Hamirpur's brand in
the outside world.
2) To make ourselves (the students) more accountable for our actions.
A Students' Parliament is being organised on Tuesday, 15th of April at the conference hall of the Auditorium between 430 pm and 630 pm.Entry for students only. Participants in the parliament are free to raise any issue and talk about anything of anything of anything.
The only criteria for participation is write out your views on this question:
“If resources (like money, time or contacts) are not a problem in the future, what/how would you
like to contribute to this institute as an alumnus?”
Send it in to arjunbs@gmail.com or abhinavjogi@gmail.com
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Full House
Here's hostel life for you:
Day before last, 5 guys get together in a room on B-top.
Reason: Major Project.
5 minutes later: Project chucked. A round of Tambola is in (one of them just remembers that he's still got unused tickets from the cul-fest).
One announcer and 4 players.
Prizes:
Jaldi 5: A spray of Axe deo on your underarm.
Top/middle/bottom row: A spoonful of Boost.
Four corners: A sachet of Nescafe Cappuccino.
Full House: A photograph with the basketball champions' trophy.
Hostel life is great.
Day before last, 5 guys get together in a room on B-top.
Reason: Major Project.
5 minutes later: Project chucked. A round of Tambola is in (one of them just remembers that he's still got unused tickets from the cul-fest).
One announcer and 4 players.
Prizes:
Jaldi 5: A spray of Axe deo on your underarm.
Top/middle/bottom row: A spoonful of Boost.
Four corners: A sachet of Nescafe Cappuccino.
Full House: A photograph with the basketball champions' trophy.
Hostel life is great.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Top 12 things I would do, if I were to start over again
With less than a month to go before I leave this place, I thought it is but right that I share my ideas on what would be some of the things I would do differently if I were to start all over again from 1st year at NIT-H.
12) I would care less about what others thought of me and more about what I wanted for myself.
11) I would treat my batch-mates as seniors and my juniors as batch-mates. I would stay away from the 'sir/maam' culture and would encourage people calling me by my first name instead (a nick would be far more welcome!).
10) I would get a girlfriend who lives in PGH. Not long distances. Not long phone calls. But a fabulous relationship with a girl that I can one day look back and say that “Yes! she was my college sweetheart.”. Life here is just so different when you have a partner, as against when you don't have one.
9) Exercise would be a part of my daily schedule.
8) I would work on improving my spoken and written English all the time.
7) I would read a lot more books than I did in my field of interest (outside of academics).
6) I would be obsessed about participating in national level events, especially quizzes, and I would focus on becoming a top of the notch business quizzer.
5) I would certainly pick up at least one art form – either singing, dancing, a music instrument or even a new language.
4) I would look for every opportunity to be an organiser of an event and I would do my part religiously.
3) I would travel around more often and see more places.
2) I would treat my projects seriously. I would focus on interning with an industry,a foreign university and a multi-national bank respectively in each of my three summers.
and the number one:
1) I would find the senior in the final year batch that I would want to model myself after and I would work very closely with him/her.
12) I would care less about what others thought of me and more about what I wanted for myself.
11) I would treat my batch-mates as seniors and my juniors as batch-mates. I would stay away from the 'sir/maam' culture and would encourage people calling me by my first name instead (a nick would be far more welcome!).
10) I would get a girlfriend who lives in PGH. Not long distances. Not long phone calls. But a fabulous relationship with a girl that I can one day look back and say that “Yes! she was my college sweetheart.”. Life here is just so different when you have a partner, as against when you don't have one.
9) Exercise would be a part of my daily schedule.
8) I would work on improving my spoken and written English all the time.
7) I would read a lot more books than I did in my field of interest (outside of academics).
6) I would be obsessed about participating in national level events, especially quizzes, and I would focus on becoming a top of the notch business quizzer.
5) I would certainly pick up at least one art form – either singing, dancing, a music instrument or even a new language.
4) I would look for every opportunity to be an organiser of an event and I would do my part religiously.
3) I would travel around more often and see more places.
2) I would treat my projects seriously. I would focus on interning with an industry,a foreign university and a multi-national bank respectively in each of my three summers.
and the number one:
1) I would find the senior in the final year batch that I would want to model myself after and I would work very closely with him/her.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Notes from the Tycoons Journal – P4
Day 3 and final day at camp. We head out to an hour long yoga session amidst the peace the hills always offer. By the time the heat of the sun is out, Satya and the Men erect a white board and we undergo a personality self-analysis. Hmmm, somehow, I'm just not too convinced at the end of it. The personality test says that I'm the kind of person who blames everything on himself. Well, I don't quite look at it that way; my belief is that I am responsible for the happenings in my life because of the choices I make each day. But then, what do I know!
Brunch is yummy. We click a couple of last minute keepsake pictures at the tent. And by noon, the whole troop empties the valley and marches towards the three buses that are waiting to take us back to the Capital.
7 hours later.
After battling the heavy evening traffic in Delhi, we reach Gurgaon at around 9 at night. We drive into the MDI campus (across the road from the Bata building). This will be our home for the next couple of days. After dinner that night, I head to room no. 218. Rohit Begwani is my roomie. Namma Bengaluru huduga. End of day.
Brunch is yummy. We click a couple of last minute keepsake pictures at the tent. And by noon, the whole troop empties the valley and marches towards the three buses that are waiting to take us back to the Capital.
7 hours later.
After battling the heavy evening traffic in Delhi, we reach Gurgaon at around 9 at night. We drive into the MDI campus (across the road from the Bata building). This will be our home for the next couple of days. After dinner that night, I head to room no. 218. Rohit Begwani is my roomie. Namma Bengaluru huduga. End of day.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Where's Henman?
I'm on the grass (well, not literally) in the Centre Court at Wimbledon. It's a Men's Doubles match. I'm playing the match; with Tim Henman as my partner. I don't know who the opponents are. Henman is beating the living daylights out of the opponents. I'm standing and watching him in action. It's turning out to be a one on two. I can see the guy's getting tired.
Tables turn. The opponents start dishing out the punishment. And they keep it going. Till we finally lose. Tim smashes the racquet to the ground and walks away into the tunnel.
10 minutes later is the presentation ceremony. Apparently, we have finished third in the tournament. The winners go up, heads high and proud. 2nd place guys go. They are visibly disappointed. Tim and I are up next. He isn't around. I guess that he must have driven back home. I go up. The Duke of Kent shakes my hand and hands me a cheque for 90,000 pounds and says - "You are the hero of our tournament. This prize money is higher than that given to the 1st and 2nd place guys." And I'm thinking to myself - "Why?""
I'm tossing one other question in my mind - "Should I split the prize money with Henman. He won't know. I think I'll just take it away. I'll go to college. I'll be rich and famous. I'll take all the hotties of PGH to HHH for lunch. (We might just stay on for dinner!) Drinks for the men. That's fun! Screw Tim Henman. He's got a lot of money anyway."
A dream is more than a dream when you write it down. It becomes a story. Like the one here.
Tables turn. The opponents start dishing out the punishment. And they keep it going. Till we finally lose. Tim smashes the racquet to the ground and walks away into the tunnel.
10 minutes later is the presentation ceremony. Apparently, we have finished third in the tournament. The winners go up, heads high and proud. 2nd place guys go. They are visibly disappointed. Tim and I are up next. He isn't around. I guess that he must have driven back home. I go up. The Duke of Kent shakes my hand and hands me a cheque for 90,000 pounds and says - "You are the hero of our tournament. This prize money is higher than that given to the 1st and 2nd place guys." And I'm thinking to myself - "Why?""
I'm tossing one other question in my mind - "Should I split the prize money with Henman. He won't know. I think I'll just take it away. I'll go to college. I'll be rich and famous. I'll take all the hotties of PGH to HHH for lunch. (We might just stay on for dinner!) Drinks for the men. That's fun! Screw Tim Henman. He's got a lot of money anyway."
A dream is more than a dream when you write it down. It becomes a story. Like the one here.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Notes from the Tycoons Journal - P3
Day 2 at camp. We need to report at 630. The slug line of this outbound round has been 'On time is late'. We slip our wet socks and shoes from last night and report at the field at 625. Even if one from the team is missing, the whole team is punished (translates to 5 rounds around the field; you don't want that, trust me).
Number one: Suryanamaskar.
Number two: A 12 kms trek to the waterfall and back (race to the finish line).
Number three: tent pitching.
Number four: Lunch.
Number five: five minutes break.
Number six: A six kms trek to the rappelling spot.
Number seven: Crossing the 'Burma bridge' [It is just 2 thin logs of wood connecting two landings with the river flowing below. forget safety harnesses. It's you and that thing called balls].
Number eight: Walk back to the base camp in the dusk with the fear of being attacked by village dogs.
Number nine: Reach camp and put up the cultural evening.
Number ten: chill by the bonfire.
Number eleven: Go sit on the hot seat and face an array questions from the instructors (camera rolling, Roadies style).
Number twelve: Crash.
(to be continued)
Number one: Suryanamaskar.
Number two: A 12 kms trek to the waterfall and back (race to the finish line).
Number three: tent pitching.
Number four: Lunch.
Number five: five minutes break.
Number six: A six kms trek to the rappelling spot.
Number seven: Crossing the 'Burma bridge' [It is just 2 thin logs of wood connecting two landings with the river flowing below. forget safety harnesses. It's you and that thing called balls].
Number eight: Walk back to the base camp in the dusk with the fear of being attacked by village dogs.
Number nine: Reach camp and put up the cultural evening.
Number ten: chill by the bonfire.
Number eleven: Go sit on the hot seat and face an array questions from the instructors (camera rolling, Roadies style).
Number twelve: Crash.
(to be continued)
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Notes from the Tycoons Journal- P2
We hit Rishikesh at 5:30 next morning. And for the record, we had a camera crew following us everywhere we went. The previous night, just as the bus started from Delhi, the crew came around to each one of us. One guy (forgot his name) who was handling the recording mike, thrust the lights,lens and the mike in each of our sleepy faces and asked what we expected the outbound round to be like! We answered, of course.
Krishna was the facilitator for our group. We crossed Rishikesh and went 12 kms further. It must have been around 6:30 when we stopped in the middle of nowhere. We got off the bus, rubbing our sleepy eyes. And Krishna announces: "The whole team together needs to do 250 push-ups." Rude awakening number one. We realised how rusted our bodies really were as we did push ups on the road blocking the traffic! Advice: Exercise. We carried our huge suitcases downhill for almost a kilometre before we reached our tents by the river. 48 of us were put into 8 groups of 6. I was in team 3 (and subsequently in tent 3) with Yash, Pikoo, Piyush and Saumya. Jasleen was the girl in the group.
We lined up for river crossing after breakfast. What an experience walking across the breadth of a flowing stream forming a human chain! The rule was that if the chain broke midway, we start from the beginning. Guess what happened? We crossed the river to and fro 4 times without our human chain breaking once. We played a soccer game (versus Team 4, I think). We were 1-1 and the game went down to shoot-outs. 4-4 and the last kick was there to be taken. The decider. I took it. And missed. I ran back to the tent (I wanted to drown myself in shame). After lunch that day, we set out on a 6-7 kms trek to the main Ganges river for rafting. (For the rafting experience, look up on the post titled 'Rajjan'). Jumping off the 20 feet cliff was the craziest thing of the day. 100 points for anyone who jumped off the cliff.When you stand on the cliff and look below, there's only green water visible. It feels as if you are on Mt. Everest, I mean it feels so high! And the boatman who's there tells you not to look down but to keep your gaze fixed on the hill straight ahead and just walk beyond the cliff. One chilling experience as the ground from beneath your feet disappears and the 9.8 kicks in!
We got back that night, gobbled down dinner and crashed in our tents. Some 14 people were called to sit for a 'hot seat' session with the facilitators after dinner. Rumours went around that these people were already selected for the next round (24 out of 48 were to be picked. So we were told by the rumour mongers that 14 were already booked). How untrue. Advice: Trust your judgement, not the rumour.
(to be continued)
Krishna was the facilitator for our group. We crossed Rishikesh and went 12 kms further. It must have been around 6:30 when we stopped in the middle of nowhere. We got off the bus, rubbing our sleepy eyes. And Krishna announces: "The whole team together needs to do 250 push-ups." Rude awakening number one. We realised how rusted our bodies really were as we did push ups on the road blocking the traffic! Advice: Exercise. We carried our huge suitcases downhill for almost a kilometre before we reached our tents by the river. 48 of us were put into 8 groups of 6. I was in team 3 (and subsequently in tent 3) with Yash, Pikoo, Piyush and Saumya. Jasleen was the girl in the group.
We lined up for river crossing after breakfast. What an experience walking across the breadth of a flowing stream forming a human chain! The rule was that if the chain broke midway, we start from the beginning. Guess what happened? We crossed the river to and fro 4 times without our human chain breaking once. We played a soccer game (versus Team 4, I think). We were 1-1 and the game went down to shoot-outs. 4-4 and the last kick was there to be taken. The decider. I took it. And missed. I ran back to the tent (I wanted to drown myself in shame). After lunch that day, we set out on a 6-7 kms trek to the main Ganges river for rafting. (For the rafting experience, look up on the post titled 'Rajjan'). Jumping off the 20 feet cliff was the craziest thing of the day. 100 points for anyone who jumped off the cliff.When you stand on the cliff and look below, there's only green water visible. It feels as if you are on Mt. Everest, I mean it feels so high! And the boatman who's there tells you not to look down but to keep your gaze fixed on the hill straight ahead and just walk beyond the cliff. One chilling experience as the ground from beneath your feet disappears and the 9.8 kicks in!
We got back that night, gobbled down dinner and crashed in our tents. Some 14 people were called to sit for a 'hot seat' session with the facilitators after dinner. Rumours went around that these people were already selected for the next round (24 out of 48 were to be picked. So we were told by the rumour mongers that 14 were already booked). How untrue. Advice: Trust your judgement, not the rumour.
(to be continued)
Monday, March 24, 2008
Notes from the Tycoons journal - P1
Tycoons 2008 was a nation wide leadership hunt. It started off as a hunt for India's youth business leader (which was why I was drawn to participate in it at the first place). However, towards the end, it seemed like the hunt had transformed more for a leader in the public domain (society,politics, welfare and the kinds).
Round 1 was an inter-college round. We had about 50 people participating from NIT Hamirpur. 6 of us were short-listed to go to the City round (the Metro of Hamirpur round). At the city round (which was at the Career Launcher centre in town), only 3 of had turned up from the insti- Neha, Brighu and I. There were 4 others from other colleges nearby. We had a couple of rounds of quizes followed by an extempore (which was a mere formality).
Out of 7, 2 of us (Brighu and I) were selected to represent the City in the Regional round at Chandigarh. This was where the real competition was. Round 1 was a Micro presentation. Every participant was required to make a presentation on an Indian business tycoon to a panel. My tycoon was (and has always been and will be) NRM. We then had a role play. Out of 27 that were at the Regionals, 10 were shortlisted for the next round which was a debate. The topic read as: India is growing but not everyone is benefiting. We drew lots to go for and against (I got against). From this 10 that had made it to the debate, 5 were picked to go to the Nationals. Ketan, Rahul, Zoya, Abhinav and I were the contestants chosen to represent the Chandigarh zone at the finals in Delhi. That night, we partied at Copper Chimney :), courtesy CL.
Since Deccan was one of the chief sponsors, we actually flew to Delhi from C'garh (not bad, eh!). 48 of us from practically every part of the country were there (barring NE). We had an orientation session with Satya and the other facilitators (Aashish, Amit and Krishna). After dinner, we picked up our luggages and filled into 3 buses and headed towards Rishikesh,Uttaranchal for the outbound round.
(to be continued).
Round 1 was an inter-college round. We had about 50 people participating from NIT Hamirpur. 6 of us were short-listed to go to the City round (the Metro of Hamirpur round). At the city round (which was at the Career Launcher centre in town), only 3 of had turned up from the insti- Neha, Brighu and I. There were 4 others from other colleges nearby. We had a couple of rounds of quizes followed by an extempore (which was a mere formality).
Out of 7, 2 of us (Brighu and I) were selected to represent the City in the Regional round at Chandigarh. This was where the real competition was. Round 1 was a Micro presentation. Every participant was required to make a presentation on an Indian business tycoon to a panel. My tycoon was (and has always been and will be) NRM. We then had a role play. Out of 27 that were at the Regionals, 10 were shortlisted for the next round which was a debate. The topic read as: India is growing but not everyone is benefiting. We drew lots to go for and against (I got against). From this 10 that had made it to the debate, 5 were picked to go to the Nationals. Ketan, Rahul, Zoya, Abhinav and I were the contestants chosen to represent the Chandigarh zone at the finals in Delhi. That night, we partied at Copper Chimney :), courtesy CL.
Since Deccan was one of the chief sponsors, we actually flew to Delhi from C'garh (not bad, eh!). 48 of us from practically every part of the country were there (barring NE). We had an orientation session with Satya and the other facilitators (Aashish, Amit and Krishna). After dinner, we picked up our luggages and filled into 3 buses and headed towards Rishikesh,Uttaranchal for the outbound round.
(to be continued).
Friday, March 21, 2008
Rajjan
There's joy in traveling, not to mention the people you meet along the way. It would be more interesting talking to the old lady who sells scarfs at the Eiffel Tower than in seeing the monument itself. There's nothing wrong with the monument; all I'm trying to say is people (by virtue of being humans) are far more interesting than inanimate objects. And as I understand, the grand sum total of people with their beliefs and practices in a region is culture.
Rajjan is a rafting instructor. 6 of us sat in the raft that was under his guidance. At the command of 'Forward All' we started paddling on our sides and set the raft in motion, heading straight towards a Grade 2 rapid. Rafting is fabulous. A 12 km downstream trip in the River Ganga (near Rishikesh) can cost about Rs 300 to 400 per person. Usually there are 6 persons in a raft and an instructor. Along the course, you learn how to navigate the raft through rapids, turn it, slow it etc. The exercise is very safe if it's done correctly under proper supervision. Adrenalin is not half the word to describe the feeling.
As we entered calm waters downstream, dusk was setting in slowly and we had another three kilometers to row. There was 1 raft in front and 4 behind ours. I chatted up with Rajjan asking where he came from. Rajjan is 28 and is a native of Nepal. He isn't married. At the age of 24, he left his country and journeyed his way through to India before moving on to travel through Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines and many other places in the east. His love for adventure found him a variety of occupations in all the places he went. Since he sans any family commitments, he has been able to move around freely. As he says : “Money does not really matter to me. I want to travel and see many places.” I could sense the free spirit in him. I had finally met a man who not only wanted to travel, but also did it. A month from now, he will be rafting in the Indus river in Ladakh before moving to Sikkim.
As we passed under the Ram Jhulla, I saw the temple lights burning in the semi darkness. We got off the raft. I shook hands with Rajjan and almost asked for his card; and then I remembered that the world was his home. He might not understand the meaning of 'permanent residence'. I climbed up the temple stairs and went to the chai wala for a hot cuppa.
Rajjan is a rafting instructor. 6 of us sat in the raft that was under his guidance. At the command of 'Forward All' we started paddling on our sides and set the raft in motion, heading straight towards a Grade 2 rapid. Rafting is fabulous. A 12 km downstream trip in the River Ganga (near Rishikesh) can cost about Rs 300 to 400 per person. Usually there are 6 persons in a raft and an instructor. Along the course, you learn how to navigate the raft through rapids, turn it, slow it etc. The exercise is very safe if it's done correctly under proper supervision. Adrenalin is not half the word to describe the feeling.
As we entered calm waters downstream, dusk was setting in slowly and we had another three kilometers to row. There was 1 raft in front and 4 behind ours. I chatted up with Rajjan asking where he came from. Rajjan is 28 and is a native of Nepal. He isn't married. At the age of 24, he left his country and journeyed his way through to India before moving on to travel through Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines and many other places in the east. His love for adventure found him a variety of occupations in all the places he went. Since he sans any family commitments, he has been able to move around freely. As he says : “Money does not really matter to me. I want to travel and see many places.” I could sense the free spirit in him. I had finally met a man who not only wanted to travel, but also did it. A month from now, he will be rafting in the Indus river in Ladakh before moving to Sikkim.
As we passed under the Ram Jhulla, I saw the temple lights burning in the semi darkness. We got off the raft. I shook hands with Rajjan and almost asked for his card; and then I remembered that the world was his home. He might not understand the meaning of 'permanent residence'. I climbed up the temple stairs and went to the chai wala for a hot cuppa.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Honda is right
In October 2004, I sat in an auto with 2 others driving around the India Gate area in New Delhi. A couple of blocks away from there, we chanced up on Hotel Shangri-La. At the very first sight, my brains blew out. This was the most enchanting (yes, enchanting) 5 star I had ever seen. I got a dream that day: to go into the Hotel on invitation.
I must have driven past Shangri-La at least a dozen times after that. Every time I looked at the tall building with its majestic driveway, I felt more strongly about my dream. I sat up at wee hours during many a nights in my little AF-2, and visualised myself walking through the doorway there. How would I get an invite? When would I get it? I knew nought, but I knew that it would come.
I was at the National Round of Career Launcher's Tycoons 2008 (separate posts on this coming soon). After 4 gruelling days into the competition, we were to have the Graduation Ceremony. It was at the Shangri-La.And of course, there was an invite. At 7 pm, I walked past the gates of my dream, up the drive way, into the lobby. I climbed the stairs leading up to the banquet hall. And I thought that my dream had come true. The best was saved for the last.
Satya, the Chairman of Career Launcher called me over to the table where he was sitting. There were 30 minutes left before the start of ceremony. And he said- "Will you be the Master of Ceremony?" I jumped at that opportunity like a hungry dog. And I went on stage and compeered the night. There were dozens of CEOs, Venture Capitalists, Journos,reporters et al. in the gathering. It was humbling to talk from stage that night. I also realised what a small thinking person I had been. I asked for one time chance to go the S'la and do nothing there. I would have been on top of the world if I just sat there for an hour, sipped on lemon coriander soup and walked out. But I got what i asked for and ten folds of it.
The Power of Dreams- Honda. They are right.
I must have driven past Shangri-La at least a dozen times after that. Every time I looked at the tall building with its majestic driveway, I felt more strongly about my dream. I sat up at wee hours during many a nights in my little AF-2, and visualised myself walking through the doorway there. How would I get an invite? When would I get it? I knew nought, but I knew that it would come.
I was at the National Round of Career Launcher's Tycoons 2008 (separate posts on this coming soon). After 4 gruelling days into the competition, we were to have the Graduation Ceremony. It was at the Shangri-La.And of course, there was an invite. At 7 pm, I walked past the gates of my dream, up the drive way, into the lobby. I climbed the stairs leading up to the banquet hall. And I thought that my dream had come true. The best was saved for the last.
Satya, the Chairman of Career Launcher called me over to the table where he was sitting. There were 30 minutes left before the start of ceremony. And he said- "Will you be the Master of Ceremony?" I jumped at that opportunity like a hungry dog. And I went on stage and compeered the night. There were dozens of CEOs, Venture Capitalists, Journos,reporters et al. in the gathering. It was humbling to talk from stage that night. I also realised what a small thinking person I had been. I asked for one time chance to go the S'la and do nothing there. I would have been on top of the world if I just sat there for an hour, sipped on lemon coriander soup and walked out. But I got what i asked for and ten folds of it.
The Power of Dreams- Honda. They are right.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Brain gain
I have been glued to this one book for the last couple of days. It's called The Tipping Point, written by Malcolm Gladwell. Most of us have probably come across the title while flipping through book reviews, or seen it on sidewalks (a pity that they give Landmark a run for its money). Malcolm Gladwell does a wonderful job in explaining why major trend changes often times happen within small time frames, as with the case of the sudden rise in popularity of the Hush Puppies footwear brand in the USA in the mid-90's. Keeping it short, Hush Puppies was a brand whose popularity was headed south. Sales were down to 30,000 pairs a year in 1994. But by late 1995- early 96, the brand had resurrected and sales were going through the roof at astronomical 430,000 pairs a year. Astronomical, considering the fact that all those tables turned inside a short span of 2-3 years.
I am still midway through the book. But somewhere along the way I couldn't help but to pause and think about the whole shift in trend in India w.r.t to immigration. The great Indian Dream of the 80's and 90's was so well woven into the public mindset: get a good education, go to 'foreign', get a job (the dollar was fetching 50 bucks back then), live frugally, save up, come home, get married and run back with her and lead a life of apparent significance in Uncle Sam's or Bob' s house. While in middle school, I remember participating in debates where an oft repeated topic was that of Brain drain: boon or bane, so to state. Writers, statesmen, industrialists and academics wrote and debated on this issue at length. Somehow, everyone was focused on fixing 'Brain drain'. In a doctor's tongue, brain drain itself wasn't the problem. It was the symptom of the problem. And the problem was economic growth. We were seeing ridiculous growth rates of 3 and 4 percent all through the 90's. For a developing economy, 3 percent could get us as far as the neighbour's compound. And for those who wanted to leapfrog on to the fast track, India was just not the vehicle. In retrospect, the government back then could have done little to keep these men and women from boarding flights to greener pastures.
And what has heppened now? Inside a short 4 to 5 years, post 2002-03, everything has been reversed. The same people who ran away are now coming back. Youngsters, like you and me, have realised that the go to US-drive a second hand Ford-stay there forever isn't such a good deal to get rich after all. The dollar's losing ground to the rupee. And 9% for India is like 'duh!'. KV Kamath, MD of ICICI Bank believes that the next 20 years (at least) will see India growing. Will there be fluctuations ahead? Of course. But will we stop moving ahead? Of course not.
If you happen to be typically in your early twenties, here's a wise thing to do. Get an education. Stay in India. Find a suitable employer (they are easier to find than you might think). But besides working 9 to 5, build a business part time. You might think, why? The answer very simply is that if there is anyway that you can participate and claim a slice of the Indian growth story, it is by owning a business and creating investments. To create strong investments requires knowledge of the business domain. Renowned personal finance guru Robert Kiyosaki talks about how employees investments' and those of business men are greatly different. You would want to get the best of both worlds, I presume. Work-build a business-invest in India should ideally be your mantra for the forthcoming years in your career. Does that mean the plan of going abroad as in the 80's and 90's is redundant? In all the probability, the answer is yes. But we won't have another debate on Brain gain:boon or bane.
I am still midway through the book. But somewhere along the way I couldn't help but to pause and think about the whole shift in trend in India w.r.t to immigration. The great Indian Dream of the 80's and 90's was so well woven into the public mindset: get a good education, go to 'foreign', get a job (the dollar was fetching 50 bucks back then), live frugally, save up, come home, get married and run back with her and lead a life of apparent significance in Uncle Sam's or Bob' s house. While in middle school, I remember participating in debates where an oft repeated topic was that of Brain drain: boon or bane, so to state. Writers, statesmen, industrialists and academics wrote and debated on this issue at length. Somehow, everyone was focused on fixing 'Brain drain'. In a doctor's tongue, brain drain itself wasn't the problem. It was the symptom of the problem. And the problem was economic growth. We were seeing ridiculous growth rates of 3 and 4 percent all through the 90's. For a developing economy, 3 percent could get us as far as the neighbour's compound. And for those who wanted to leapfrog on to the fast track, India was just not the vehicle. In retrospect, the government back then could have done little to keep these men and women from boarding flights to greener pastures.
And what has heppened now? Inside a short 4 to 5 years, post 2002-03, everything has been reversed. The same people who ran away are now coming back. Youngsters, like you and me, have realised that the go to US-drive a second hand Ford-stay there forever isn't such a good deal to get rich after all. The dollar's losing ground to the rupee. And 9% for India is like 'duh!'. KV Kamath, MD of ICICI Bank believes that the next 20 years (at least) will see India growing. Will there be fluctuations ahead? Of course. But will we stop moving ahead? Of course not.
If you happen to be typically in your early twenties, here's a wise thing to do. Get an education. Stay in India. Find a suitable employer (they are easier to find than you might think). But besides working 9 to 5, build a business part time. You might think, why? The answer very simply is that if there is anyway that you can participate and claim a slice of the Indian growth story, it is by owning a business and creating investments. To create strong investments requires knowledge of the business domain. Renowned personal finance guru Robert Kiyosaki talks about how employees investments' and those of business men are greatly different. You would want to get the best of both worlds, I presume. Work-build a business-invest in India should ideally be your mantra for the forthcoming years in your career. Does that mean the plan of going abroad as in the 80's and 90's is redundant? In all the probability, the answer is yes. But we won't have another debate on Brain gain:boon or bane.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Creative Block
and i thought that i ought to address this one particular issue. Call it a paradox if you will, but I just happen to find myself more creative while at home than when at hostel. My mind is running 24/7, laziness is the last word to describe my state of existence and there's always more to do and less time to do it in. Now this is the state of affairs every December, May, June and July.
The rest of the year (college months), I hit that cliched roadblock. Laziness is the outer most layer of my skin. My mind is constipated for ideas and the day has 48 hours.
And on such days, I blog.
If you happen to lead two lives - between the hostel and the home, you probably know what I'm talking about. I like to call it the creative block.
The rest of the year (college months), I hit that cliched roadblock. Laziness is the outer most layer of my skin. My mind is constipated for ideas and the day has 48 hours.
And on such days, I blog.
If you happen to lead two lives - between the hostel and the home, you probably know what I'm talking about. I like to call it the creative block.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
After a long while
I want to thank 3 people: Diptanu, Debbie and Vivek for getting me bloggin again. I wasn't planning on it, what with my hibernation and all that!
2 months have now passed since I put up anything here. Between the last post and this, I made a lone ranger trip to Pondicherry (to rediscover myself.), drank fine whiskey with a renowned Carnatic Muscian and a French Film Producer, booked my tickets to go to Lakshadweep and cancelled it, shared an apartment with a fine person for a brief period of time ;-), did the Phoenix Walk of 16 kms in 3 hours, bit my tongue twice over the Fries in McD's in Cannaught Place, turned AF-2, MMH into a mueseum, ran away to Mumbai with Sagar 'Just Do' Kattimani and found myself in 5 cities on 5 consecutive mornings.
For the record, ever since this blog began, I have had some insane times. INSANE. Well, not just I, but those lads who I hang out with- Prat, Sagar, Kaashe (off late) .. have had the same too. We've decided to throw it all up and come clean. I've even started attending classes! We made new friends, rediscovered some old ones and eliminated some toxic relationships along the way. A long journey is about to begin in 93 days time. And faith is what I'm hanging on to.
2 months have now passed since I put up anything here. Between the last post and this, I made a lone ranger trip to Pondicherry (to rediscover myself.), drank fine whiskey with a renowned Carnatic Muscian and a French Film Producer, booked my tickets to go to Lakshadweep and cancelled it, shared an apartment with a fine person for a brief period of time ;-), did the Phoenix Walk of 16 kms in 3 hours, bit my tongue twice over the Fries in McD's in Cannaught Place, turned AF-2, MMH into a mueseum, ran away to Mumbai with Sagar 'Just Do' Kattimani and found myself in 5 cities on 5 consecutive mornings.
For the record, ever since this blog began, I have had some insane times. INSANE. Well, not just I, but those lads who I hang out with- Prat, Sagar, Kaashe (off late) .. have had the same too. We've decided to throw it all up and come clean. I've even started attending classes! We made new friends, rediscovered some old ones and eliminated some toxic relationships along the way. A long journey is about to begin in 93 days time. And faith is what I'm hanging on to.
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