kaaya....

Being Indian

2011-08-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

Indianness is not about the country you are born in, or the country you migrate to, it's about your identity and emphasis towards discipline, hard-work, honesty and continuous learning. The values that hold true towards tolerance, and focus on intellectual and spiritual growth. It's your ability to be a global citizen embracing diversity, and believing in peace without prejudices of language, color or skills and abilities.

Go Oahu

2011-01-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

Recently we went to Hawaii, and I must say that this is the best vacation we have had to date.

We were both tired of the cold rainy Californian weather and wanted to vacation in warmer climes, and a google search for tickets made us catch a next day flight! Forgot to mention that this was also one of those vacations that was decided on the spur of a moment!Looks like no planning is good planning, especially when you visit a popular tourist destination like Hawaii. Everything you need to know is already online :)

We booked our hotel Waikiki wave on the basis of reviews on trip advisor/expedia. It was everything the reviews promised. Excellent location (on the Waikiki beach), reasonable price($130-200/ night), exceptional service (room service is very efficient and all the appliances and gadgets provided - fridge/oven/television are brand new) Amazing stay for a smart traveler!

While we are there, what do we do?

Since we were traveling from California, we didn't want to do what most tourists do - get drunk and hang at the beaches! Most Californian destinations offer that. We wanted to know the history related to hawaii and enjoy it's natural beauty. Since we were at Waikiki only for a period of four days, we had to plan things well to ensure that the purpose of our visit was met.

Boy! was it met, mahalo (thanks) to the 'Go Oahu' card. This card cost us $160 per person, it included all the popular activities one could do in Oahu and had a bonus feature for the longer durations (3/5/7 day offers). We chose the 3 day card and it was true value for money from the word go!

We landed Sunday afternoon, chilled around the beach and hit a local pub in the night. Wound up in bed by 2, as we had to wake up by 6 to take the 'Grand Circle Island Tour'. This tour covers 130 miles of the entire Oahu island and all the popular spots can be viewed on a guided tour.

We spent the evening at the Honolulu city lights festival which is a local attraction every Christmas.

The next morning we took the Pearl harbor and City of Honolulu tour where we watched the shooting of Hawaii 5 and were deeply moved by our visit to the Arizona memorial. Evening was spent at Germaine's Lua where I learnt a spattering of Hawaiian and the Hukilua - a simple yet fun dance for wahine (women)

The third day began with the breakfast cruise on the Makani Catamaran. A beautiful sail with snorkelling and whale watching as the main attractions. This was the most romantic and memorable activity we did at Oahu. We spent the afternoon canoeing. Must say it's the best ab workout you could gift yourself on vacation :) Evening was spent shopping and hanging in Downtown honolulu, the malls are as swanky as LA and we were dazzled by the beauty of the decorations all around.

Fourth day - our day of return was not a sad day, but a day of recuperation. Got the Lomi Pohaku massage which was refreshing and made us reflect on the warmth and joy of the aloha that surrounded us.

We will go back to hawaii, to explore the other islands. But as we continue with the grind of everyday life, we will remain happy in the wisdom of Aloha.

A- Akahai (kindness)
L- lokahi (unity)
O- olu'olu(agreement)
H- ha'aha'a(unity)
A- ahonui(patience)

Pictures of our trip : http://picasaweb.google.com/goolyaharsha/Hawaii?authkey=Gv1sRgCLr1neb4gsO3GQ&feat=directlink

Detailed reviews on Yelp : http://www.yelp.com/list/go-oahu-honolulu

Buddhism in a collage

2010-12-29T17:53:00.000-08:00

While I was hitchhiking for knowledge on the worldwide-web, I paused to reflect at the simplicity and beauty of this collage that brought out of the essence of Buddhism. I couldn't help but store it away on my blog to be revisited, and possibly stumbled upon by fellow bloggers.

For the love of the 'Queen's language'

2010-05-04T02:59:00.000-07:00

I sent the following fwd:

The English language is nobody's special property. It is the property of the imagination: it is the property of the language itself.

~Derek Walcott

Let's face it - English is a crazy language.

There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted.

But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices?

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible

PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'?

I recived this reply:

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5-year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English."

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy.

The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w"with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer , ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

Life's Budget

2010-03-01T21:25:00.000-08:00

Birth is our opening balance,
Deat, our closing balance,
Prejudiced views our liabilities,
Creative ideas and good deeds,assets.

Heart is our current asset,
Soul, our fixed asset,
Brain, a fixed deposit,
Thinking, our current account.

Goodwill and achievements are our capital;
Character and morals, our stock in trade,
Friends, our general reserves,
Values and behaviour, our goodwill.

Patience is interest earned,
Love, our dividend,
Children, our bonus issues,
Education, a brand,
Knowledge, our investment.
Profit and Loss is karma earned.

Before final assessment(death),
Balance your sheet!

Source: Speaking tree, authour: Anonymous

Triangle of Manifestation

2010-02-28T05:04:00.000-08:00

'Man- a being in Search of Meaning' Plato

A couple of years ago existentialism bothered me or rather haunted me on a daily basis. What is my purpose? Why do I emote? What is the significance of rituals? Is there a divided world between right and wrong?

Today, I have realised by experience, the power of silencing the thougts we don't need as the first step towards understanding the meaning and purpose of our existence. I feel a certain jubilation each day doing the same things I did yesterday deleting thoughts that bothered me. There is a certainty in the pursuit of happiness through the balanced conformity of the routine that I belong to.

I read about manifesting energies through Reiki and the simple act of drawing a triangle with my name on the left hand corner, my purpose on the right hand corner and confirming that the purpose of the manifestation is for the highest good of all puts a smile on my face each day. The steps of using this self created triangle of manifestation are simple:

1) Draw a triangle on an empty sheet
2) Write your name on the left hand corner and your purpose on the right hand corner
3) Indicate at the centre that your purpose is for the highest good of all
4) Hold the paper at the corners and spread your hands seeking energy around you
5) Close the paper amidst the energy created and thank the forces around you
6) Feel at ease and peace
7) Repeat the steps at the end of the day

This is a simple act of silencing and concentrating postivie energy but the joy of manifestation is blissful. Let the force be with you :)

heart of a problem

2009-12-14T10:41:00.000-08:00

A year ago, a group of us would visit b schools and engineering colleges and teach students problem definition techniques like 9 windows, ideal final result etc as we believed solutions can be arrived at when a problem is defined accurately.

Now a year has passed and the relevance of defining a problem in-order to arrive at a solution has become quintessential. If 5 Ws and 2 Hs are applied, the why comes before the how. Why am I stuck in a problem needs to be answered with clarity, before how am I going to get out of it.

The core to a problem usually lies in the expectation. We seldom do anything without expectation. Whether it's getting into trouble in school for unfinished assignments or a scenario where we present a counter offer on the first day at work expecting a higher salary or when we hurt a loved one in expecting that they would behave or react differently- the core to all scenarios of probable trouble are expectations which are closely linked to the assumptions one makes about fulfilling the expectations.

In an ideal world, if everything were assumed to be a hand of fate, one accepted life as it came, would it be problem free? probably not, as it's human to expect, get disappointed, compromise, make changes and live with the changes which we justify as solutions.

So the key probably lies in understanding the expectations, studying the variables and the affected outcomes and living with the outcomes.The many justifications one gives to avoid getting int a problem are best left avoided. Claiming that there is no problem when you lose a job or when there is a loss in terms of physical health or.mental well-being is mere avoidance and escapist.

A problem free life can be achieved, but through practice and constant conditioning of accepting outcomes even if they do not meet expectations. Being able to believe in 'everything happens for a reason and for one's own good' requires courage and willingness.

Fireflies- by owl city

2009-12-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI4JLa0hbUw

You would not believe your eyes
If ten million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep

'Cause they'd fill the open air
And leave teardrops everywhere
You'd think me rude
But I would just stand and stare

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems

'Cause I'd get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance

A foxtrot above my head
A sock hop beneath my bed
A disco ball is just hanging by a thread

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep

Leave my door open just a crack
(Please take me away from here)
'Cause I feel like such an insomniac
(Please take me away from here)
Why do I tire of counting sheep
(Please take me away from here)
When I'm far too tired to fall asleep

To ten million fireflies
I'm weird 'cause I hate goodbyes
I got misty eyes as they said farewell

But I'll know where several are
If my dreams get real bizarre
'Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
'Cause everything is never as it seems
When I fall asleep

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet earth turns slowly
It's hard to say that I'd rather stay
Awake when I'm asleep
Because my dreams are bursting at the seams

Spokeo! Gossip, pictures,wishlist, music- all that you need to know about your friend

2009-11-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

Have you spokeod today? Check out http://www.spokeo.com

What's special about this website?

Key in a friend/acquaintace/colleague/business partner's email address and you will be able to view their entire online activity on as many as 48 different sites. From photos they upload, to websites they dig and videos they watch to music lists they create to stuff they add on to their wishlist- the list just gets endless.Every digital footprint of yours can be accessed I found out that a friend added a specific casio watch to his wishlist, without him being aware I could give him a surprise gift!

The absolute potential of all the info you get out of this exercise is frightening! Imagine having a personal tabloid on all the gossip you want about your friends, their friends,competitors and just about anyone whose email addresss you know!

The term 'privacy' may just become redundant!

Lament of the heavy lover - bu phoenix ritu

2009-11-16T21:05:00.000-08:00

I saw her on Facebook, sent her a friend’s request
She added me, and then we also met on Twitter
For sometime it seemed that we’d remain unmet
For she had Gchat, I felt Yahoo was much better

Once where a poke or a LOL would suffice
She wanted us to meet, it caught me by surprise
I am fat and balding, my profile pic was photoshopped
She was comely, and witty, I felt my stomach drop

Reluctantly after a few weeks I have had to agree
My love story I think is coming to an end
We meet today, This is my poetic lament
For who would love a man so bald and chunky
===========================================================
The girl’s reply
Do not think that I am dumb or entirely lacking wit
As soon as you said you worked on the internet
I knew you were shy, had glasses and were fat
I had to break the ice, make moves, its a fact

I want a man with whom I can be comfortable and free
Not another male hunk who ogles at girls who are chesty
You techys will drool over gizmos and talk greek
And wont fuss if dinner is simple sandwich and coffee

If you like we can talk on chat box the whole day long
You wont know if I havent dusted or the curtain’s torn
You will drool over browsers, talk in HTML code
Why, you may even someday type me an ode

You never even noticed that my skin was pimply
That I am dark, plain and am quite skinny
I have met other men who are quite fussy
You dont know yet, I think it is you who I will marry

Its gonna be a great thing you just dont know that yet
Besides computer geeks earn a lot of money on the internet

For more by Ritu, see http://www.phoenixritu.com/

Comprehensive History of the internet

2009-11-16T12:14:00.000-08:00

One of the repeated topics of discussions in AWA portion of GMAT, group discussions in management entrance process and everyday conversation has been the all pervasiveness of the internet. I wanted to find a comprehensive and simple way of understanding it's evolution and impact so far.

Here's the best information I found on the same.

If you’re reading this article, it’s likely that you spend a fair amount of time online. However, considering how much of an influence the Internet has in our daily lives, how many of us actually know the story of how it got its start?

Here’s a brief history of the Internet, including important dates, people, projects, sites, and other information that should give you at least a partial picture of what this thing we call the Internet really is, and where it came from.
While the complete history of the Internet could easily fill a few books, this article should familiarize you with key milestones and events related to the growth and evolution of the Internet between 1969 to 2009.

1969: Arpanet

Arpanet was the first real network to run on packet switching technology (new at the time). On the October 29, 1969, computers at Stanford and UCLA connected for the first time. In effect, they were the first hosts on what would one day become the Internet.
The first message sent across the network was supposed to be "Login", but reportedly, the link between the two colleges crashed on the letter "g".

1969: Unix

Another major milestone during the 60’s was the inception of Unix: the operating system whose design heavily influenced that of Linux and FreeBSD (the operating systems most popular in today’s web servers/web hosting services).

1970: Arpanet network

An Arpanet network was established between Harvard, MIT, and BBN (the company that created the "interface message processor" computers used to connect to the network) in 1970.

1971: Email

Email was first developed in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson, who also made the decision to use the "@" symbol to separate the user name from the computer name (which later on became the domain name).

1971: Project Gutenberg and eBooks

One of the most impressive developments of 1971 was the start of Project Gutenberg. Project Gutenberg, for those unfamiliar with the site, is a global effort to make books and documents in the public domain available electronically–for free–in a variety of eBook and electronic formats.
It began when Michael Hart gained access to a large block of computing time and came to the realization that the future of computers wasn’t in computing itself, but in the storage, retrieval and searching of information that, at the time, was only contained in libraries. He manually typed (no OCR at the time) the "Declaration of Independence" and launched Project Gutenberg to make information contained in books widely available in electronic form. In effect, this was the birth of the eBook.

1972: CYCLADES

France began its own Arpanet-like project in 1972, called CYCLADES. While Cyclades was eventually shut down, it did pioneer a key idea: the host computer should be responsible for data transmission rather than the network itself.

1973: The first trans-Atlantic connection and the popularity of emailing

Arpanet made its first trans-Atlantic connection in 1973, with the University College of London. During the same year, email accounted for 75% of all Arpanet network activity.

1974: The beginning of TCP/IP

1974 was a breakthrough year. A proposal was published to link Arpa-like networks together into a so-called "inter-network", which would have no central control and would work around a transmission control protocol (which eventually became TCP/IP).

1975: The email client

With the popularity of emailing, the first modern email program was developed by John Vittal, a programmer at the University of Southern California in 1975. The biggest technological advance this program (called MSG) made was the addition of "Reply" and "Forward" functionality.

1977: The PC modem

1977 was a big year for the development of the Internet as we know it today. It’s the year the first PC modem, developed by Dennis Hayes and Dale Heatherington, was introduced and initially sold to computer hobbyists.

1978: The Bulletin Board System (BBS)

The first bulletin board system (BBS) was developed during a blizzard in Chicago in 1978.

1978: Spam is born

1978 is also the year that brought the first unsolicited commercial email message (later known as spam), sent out to 600 California Arpanet users by Gary Thuerk.

1979: MUD – The earliest form of multiplayer games

The precursor to World of Warcraft and Second Life was developed in 1979, and was called MUD (short for MultiUser Dungeon). MUDs were entirely text-based virtual worlds, combining elements of role-playing games, interactive, fiction, and online chat.

1979: Usenet

1979 also ushered into the scene: Usenet, created by two graduate students. Usenet was an internet-based discussion system, allowing people from around the globe to converse about the same topics by posting public messages categorized by newsgroups.

1980: ENQUIRE software

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (better known as CERN) launched ENQUIRE (written by Tim Berners-Lee), a hypertext program that allowed scientists at the particle physics lab to keep track of people, software, and projects using hypertext (hyperlinks).

1982: The first emoticon

While many people credit Kevin MacKenzie with the invention of the emoticon in 1979, it was Scott Fahlman in 1982 who proposed using :-) after a joke, rather than the original -) proposed by MacKenzie. The modern emoticon was born.

1983: Arpanet computers switch over to TCP/IP

January 1, 1983 was the deadline for Arpanet computers to switch over to the TCP/IP protocols developed by Vinton Cerf. A few hundred computers were affected by the switch. The name server was also developed in ‘83.

1984: Domain Name System (DNS)

The domain name system was created in 1984 along with the first Domain Name Servers (DNS). The domain name system was important in that it made addresses on the Internet more human-friendly compared to its numerical IP address counterparts. DNS servers allowed Internet users to type in an easy-to-remember domain name and then converted it to the IP address automatically.

1985: Virtual communities

1985 brought the development of The WELL (short for Whole Earth ‘Lectronic Link), one of the oldest virtual communities still in operation. It was developed by Stewart Brand and Larry Brilliant in February of ‘85. It started out as a community of the readers and writers of the Whole Earth Review and was an open but "remarkably literate and uninhibited intellectual gathering". Wired Magazine once called The Well "The most influential online community in the world."

1986: Protocol wars

The so-called Protocol wars began in 1986. European countries at that time were pursuing the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI), while the United States was using the Internet/Arpanet protocol, which eventually won out.

1987: The Internet grows

By 1987, there were nearly 30,000 hosts on the Internet. The original Arpanet protocol had been limited to 1,000 hosts, but the adoption of the TCP/IP standard made larger numbers of hosts possible.

1988: IRC – Internet Relay Chat

Also in 1988, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) was first deployed, paving the way for real-time chat and the instant messaging programs we use today.

1988: First major malicious internet-based attack

One of the first major Internet worms was released in 1988. Referred to as "The Morris Worm", it was written by Robert Tappan Morris and caused major interruptions across large parts of the Internet.

1989: AOL is launched

When Apple pulled out of the AppleLink program in 1989, the project was renamed and America Online was born. AOL, still in existence today, later on made the Internet popular amongst the average internet users.

1989: The proposal for the World Wide Web

1989 also brought about the proposal for the World Wide Web, written by Tim Berners-Lee. It was originally published in the March issue of MacWorld, and then redistributed in May 1990. It was written to persuade CERN that a global hypertext system was in CERN’s best interest. It was originally called "Mesh"; the term "World Wide Web" was coined while Berners-Lee was writing the code in 1990.

1990: First commercial dial-up ISP

1990 also brought about the first commercial dial-up Internet provider, The World. The same year, Arpanet ceased to exist.

1990: World Wide Web protocols finished

The code for the World Wide Web was written by Tim Berners-Lee, based on his proposal from the year before, along with the standards for HTML, HTTP, and URLs.

1991: First web page created

1991 brought some major innovations to the world of the Internet. The first web page was created and, much like the first email explained what email was, its purpose was to explain what the World Wide Web was.

1991: First content-based search protocol

Also in the same year, the first search protocol that examined file contents instead of just file names was launched, called Gopher.

1991: MP3 becomes a standard

Also, the MP3 file format was accepted as a standard in 1991. MP3 files, being highly compressed, later become a popular file format to share songs and entire albums via the internet.

1991: The first webcam

One of the more interesting developments of this era, though, was the first webcam. It was deployed at a Cambridge University computer lab, and its sole purpose was to monitor a particular coffee maker so that lab users could avoid wasted trips to an empty coffee pot.

1993: Mosaic – first graphical web browser for the general public

The first widely downloaded Internet browser, Mosaic, was released in 1993. While Mosaic wasn’t the first web browser, it is considered the first browser to make the Internet easily accessible to non-techies.

1993: Governments join in on the fun

In 1993, both the White House and the United Nations came online, marking the beginning of the .gov and .org domain names.

1994: Netscape Navigator

Mosaic’s first big competitor, Netscape Navigator, was released the year following (1994).

1995: Commercialization of the internet

1995 is often considered the first year the web became commercialized. While there were commercial enterprises online prior to ‘95, there were a few key developments that happened that year. First, SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption was developed by Netscape, making it safer to conduct financial transactions (like credit card payments) online.
In addition, two major online businesses got their start the same year. The first sale on "Echo Bay" was made that year. Echo Bay later became eBay. Amazon.com also started in 1995, though it didn’t turn a profit for six years, until 2001.

1995: Geocities, the Vatican goes online, and JavaScript

Other major developments that year included the launch of Geocities (which officially closed down on October 26, 2009).
The Vatican also went online for the first time.
Java and JavaScript (originally called LiveScript by its creator, Brendan Eich, and deployed as part of the Netscape Navigator browser – see comments for explanation) was first introduced to the public in 1995. ActiveX was launched by Microsoft the following year.

1996: First web-based (webmail) service

In 1996, HoTMaiL (the capitalized letters are an homage to HTML), the first webmail service, was launched.

1997: The term "weblog" is coined

While the first blogs had been around for a few years in one form or another, 1997 was the first year the term "weblog" was used.

1998: First new story to be broken online instead of traditional media

In 1998, the first major news story to be broken online was the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal (also referred to as "Monicagate" among other nicknames), which was posted on The Drudge Report after Newsweek killed the story.

1998: Google!

Google went live in 1998, revolutionizing the way in which people find information online.

1998: Internet-based file-sharing gets its roots

In 1998 as well, Napster launched, opening up the gates to mainstream file-sharing of audio files over the internet.

1999: SETI@home project

1999 is the year when one of the more interesting projects ever brought online: the SETI@home project, launched. The project has created the equivalent of a giant supercomputer by harnessing the computing power of more than 3 million computers worldwide, using their processors whenever the screensaver comes on, indicating that the computer is idle. The program analyzes radio telescope data to look for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence.

2000: The bubble bursts

2000 was the year of the dotcom collapse, resulting in huge losses for legions of investors. Hundreds of companies closed, some of which had never turned a profit for their investors. The NASDAQ, which listed a large number of tech companies affected by the bubble, peaked at over 5,000, then lost 10% of its value in a single day, and finally hit bottom in October of 2002.

2001: Wikipedia is launched

With the dotcom collapse still going strong, Wikipedia launched in 2001, one of the websites that paved the way for collective web content generation/social media.

2003: VoIP goes mainstream

In 2003: Skype is released to the public, giving a user-friendly interface to Voice over IP calling.

2003: MySpace becomes the most popular social network

Also in 2003, MySpace opens up its doors. It later grew to be the most popular social network at one time (thought it has since been overtaken by Facebook).

2003: CAN-SPAM Act puts a lid on unsolicited emails

Another major advance in 2003 was the signing of the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003, better known as the CAN-SPAM Act.

2004: Web 2.0

Though coined in 1999 by Darcy DiNucci, the term "Web 2.0", referring to websites and Rich Internet Applications (RIA) that are highly interactive and user-driven became popular around 2004. During the first Web 2.0 conference, John Batelle and Tim O’Reilly described the concept of "the Web as a Platform": software applications built to take advantage of internet connectivity, moving away from the desktop (which has downsides such as operating system dependency and lack of interoperability).

2004: Social Media and Digg

The term "social media", believed to be first used by Chris Sharpley, was coined in the same year that "Web 2.0" became a mainstream concept. Social media–sites and web applications that allow its users to create and share content and to connect with one another–started around this period.

Digg, a social news site, launched on November of 2004, paving the way for sites such as Reddit, Mixx, and Yahoo! Buzz. Digg revolutionized traditional means of generating and finding web content, democratically promoting news and web links that are reviewed and voted on by a community.

2004: "The" Facebook open to college students

Facebook launched in 2004, though at the time it was only open to college students and was called "The Facebook"; later on, "The" was dropped from the name, though the URL http://www.thefacebook.com still works.

2005: YouTube – streaming video for the masses

YouTube launched in 2005, bringing free online video hosting and sharing to the masses.

2006: Twitter gets twittering

Twitter launched in 2006. It was originally going to be called twittr (inspired by Flickr); the first Twitter message was "just setting up my twttr".

2007: Major move to place TV shows online

Hulu was first launched in 2007, a joint venture between ABC, NBC, and Fox to make popular TV shows available to watch online.

2007: The iPhone and the Mobile Web

The biggest innovation of 2007 was almost certainly the iPhone, which was almost wholly responsible for renewed interest in mobile web applications and design.

2008: "Internet Election"

The first "Internet election" took place in 2008 with the U.S. Presidential election. It was the first year that national candidates took full advantage of all the Internet had to offer. Hillary Clinton jumped on board early with YouTube campaign videos. Virtually every candidate had a Facebook page or a Twitter feed, or both.

Ron Paul set a new fundraising record by raising $4.3 million in a single day through online donations, and then beat his own record only weeks later by raising $4.4 million in a single day.
The 2008 elections placed the Internet squarely at the forefront of politics and campaigning, a trend that is unlikely to change any time in the near future.

2009: ICANN policy changes

2009 brought about one of the biggest changes to come to the Internet in a long time when the U.S. relaxed its control over ICANN, the official naming body of the Internet (they’re the organization in charge of registering domain names).

The Future?

Where is the future of the Internet headed? Share your opinions in the comments section.

Sources and Further Reading

A People’s History of the Internet: from Arpanet in 1969 to Today: A timeline of the Internet from guardian.co.uk.
History of the Internet: An early timeline of the Internet, from precursors in the 1800s up through 1997.
A Brief History of the Web: A series of videos from Microsoft to celebrate the launch of Internet Explorer 8.
The History of the Internet – Tim Berners-Lee: A brief history of major developments associated with the Internet from About.com.
Hobbes’ Internet Timeline – the definitive ARPAnet & Internet History: A very thorough timeline of the Internet, starting in 1957 and going up through 2004, with tons of statistics and source material included.
Internet Timeline: A basic timeline of Internet history from FactMonster.com.

Peter Drucker- Managing oneself

2009-11-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

Peter Drucker invented management. For 95 years he made management what it is today and I happened to read his thoughts on managing oneself in the HBR archives. His practical insights and simplicity of expression will be cherished by thousands of us who have pursued management.

Here is an excerpt of the general tenet of 'Managing oneself'

Girlie wisdom- bful fwd sent by Adhista :)

2009-11-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

1. A friend of mine confused her Valium with her birth control pills... She has 14 kids but doesn't really care.

2. One of life's mysteries is how a 2-pound box of chocolates can make a woman gain 5 lbs.

3. My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely.

4. The best way to forget your troubles is to wear tight shoe s.

5. The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you are doing, someone else does.

6. The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends.

7. Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today...

8. Sometimes I think I understand everything, and then I regain consciousness.

9. I gave up jogging for my health when my thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my underwear...

10.... Amazing! You hang something in your closet for a while and it shrinks 2 sizes!

11. Skinny people irritate me! Especially when they say things like...'You know sometimes I forget to eat!' .....Now I've forgotten my address, my mother's maiden name and my keys, but I have never forgotten to eat. You have to be a special kind of stupid to forget to eat!

12.. The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing and then they marry him.

13. I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying, and driving too fast. Are they kidding? That's my idea of a perfect day!

Mere Saamne wali khidki main

2009-11-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

I can't get enough of Kishorejis' songs...

While creating a playlist of the videos that have him as the playback singer, I came across this beautiful and accurate translation of the song' Mere Samne wali khidaki mein' in the movie 'padosan'

[Paragraph 1]
In the window across from me
Lives a piece of the moon
This is the problem, that she stays
Somewhat detached from me
In the window across from me
Lives a piece of the moon

[Paragraph 2]
From the day that I saw her
I have forgotten to light my lamp
I have just sat there clutching my heart
I have forgotten about coming and going anywhere
Now constantly in my eyes
That mischievous face remains
In the window across from me
Lives a piece of the moon

[Paragraph 3]
The rain even came and left
The clouds also thundered and rained
But for one glimpse of her
I remained thirsty, oh god of beauty
When will my eyes thirst be extinguished
Day and night this worry remains
In the window across from me
A piece of the moon lives
This is the problem, that she stays
Somewhat detached from me
In the window across from me
A piece of the moon lives

hygiene hypothesis

2009-10-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

Sushma carries her hand sanitizer everywhere. She hyperventilates everytime she finds out that her daughter didn't wash her hand or sanitise after eating, playing,dancing or any other activity where she believes there is a remote chance of the cooties attacking her little one.

Sometimes the little girl gets annoyed and yells at her mother as she finds her 'weird'.

Well! This is the story of every germophobe. Being a germophobe isn't necessarily bad, but having to live with one can get annoying and at times contagious. The girl gets called a 'freak' when she tries to imitate her Mother at school.

The emphasis towards health and hygiene in the western world, impressed and inspired Sushma. She dreaded every trip to India as she believed that the pollution and population were responsible for her daughter catching infections and falling sick. The little girl loved her visits to her grandparents and it sometimes made Sushma guilty that she avoided taking her daughter on regular trips.

People admired her at work as she cleaned her desk each day with disinfectant and wiped pens and other stationary regularly often drying out the gloves and scrubs she used to disinfect everything from her mouse to the oven buttons in the cafeteria. But back home her husband and daughter usually joked about her obsession and it didn't help that her daughter often got infected with one allergy or the other!

When Sushma realised that there must be something wrong and consulted doctors, they informed her about hygiene hypothesis. Experts believe that due to obsessions with cleanliness, bodies no longer need to destroy germs, resulting in an immune system less capable of warding infection.The logic being that the immune system is work in progress and develops during the course of one's growing years. In the case of a child, if his/her immune system isn't challenged, it will not develop into a successful germ fighting force, or in worse cases, may attack itself causing severe complications in the said child.

She also found out that germs need specific environments to cause harm.The right factors need to line up - enough germs on the finger need to be transmitted to the nose for instance. For people with compromised immune systems, everyday germs can become a threat.

Exercising caution does keep us healthy, however, not letting ones immune system fight is a different matter all together. Sushma felt a certain peace descend over her. She let her daughter pop a candy into her mouth from the vending machine in the hospital and didn't worry about the germs on the counter, the buttons and so on. She felt reassured that she was letting her daughters immune system work.

Happy Diwali

2009-10-16T17:43:00.001-07:00

Sparkles, splashes, blasts and Sweet treats,
What a delightful festival where every community meets and greets,

Sharing the joys of the triumph of goodness,
With warmth and genuine fondness

Come belong to a festival like no other,
As it adds joy and glitter and brings you close to one another,

Happily let's rejoice amidst those divine lights,
Lights of love, friendship, cheer and bright nights

Check out Student Loans by the Numbers

2009-10-12T08:26:00.001-07:00

I want you to take a look at: Student Loans by the Numbers

Technology in Education - Using Active expression by Promethean

2009-10-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

There is excitement in the classroom as orange-white devices are handed out. The children in 7th grade look in amusement at this device as it resembles a Mobile phone and begin to punch every key curiously.

The teacher joins in the excitement and declares that he will conduct a science test through this device. He explains that this device would eliminate paperwork, will help him compile results in real time and will also indicate the actual time taken by every individual to solve each question.
The test revolves around the lesson related to the study of atoms,molecules and elements. It has 15 multiple choice questions with 3 options as answer key and 10 questions which are to be answered as true or false.

The time duration set for the test is half an hour and every question is set between a half or 1 minute.

The test gets taken within 20 minutes and the teacher gives out the result in 2 additional minutes and streams the result as modifiable graphs indicating the time comparison and the accuracy of every response.

This has been possible because all public schools in San Francisco recived a grant for technology upgradation and every teacher underwent a training module to use Promethean active classroom devices.

How does this software impact/ redefine the role of a teacher-student interaction?

- Teachers will spend lesser time in evaluating and assessing student performance

- Teachers will have to become tech savvy inorder to improve the content and presentation of their subject inorder to effectively use these tools

-Teachers will be spared of allegations of bias or favouritism for certain students as evaluation is automatic and accurate

-Teachers will have to let go of expecting answers in essay format which will ease the burden on the children

-Teaching will become interactive, fun and current. There are modules as part of the software where mangas and other popular animation are used to present educational content

-Storing records, details of tests and other administrative functions that usually consume a teacher's productive time gets reduced and becomes more effective and efficient

-Students will enjoy presentations, movies and other visual form of representation of concepts which will help them retain, corelate and analyse better than the traditional system

-Students will be able to maintain and excel in time based reviews and assesments

-Students become automatically accustomed to technology and their interest in subjects such as Mathematics is bound to increase

The limitations in utilising this software are mainly the cost and infrastructure required to implement it. The usual roadblocks of training, resistance to implement and slow decision making could also stall technology implementations especially if the state is involved.

However, as a community of concerned teachers, parents and students one should welcome these technological developments as life solutions that are bound to simplify, stream line and strengthen the education system.

For more details on the device used please go through this link - http://www.prometheanworld.com/server.php?show=nav.15997

Food on my mind

2009-10-05T14:08:00.001-07:00

Apocalyptic movies have taken imagination to the wildest boundaries. The depiction of catastrophe becomes absolute,mind numbing and oddly entertaining.

Now if I were to make an original apocalyptic movie, my central character would be 'Food'.

To say that I am fond of food is an understatement. And I can't think of existing without something fresh and yummy to consume.

This particular video gave me a concept or theme where the world could end if better ways at conceptualising systems to produce, procure, transport and dispose food is not in place. Here is where my introduction on apocalypse comes into play. What would life be if we didn't know where our food came from and if we were to run out of food due to the shift in populace from rural to urban environments continued at the rapid pace it is at?

Can you imagine that day when there would be a war for food?

My point of view may seem extreme but watch this video as there definitely exists a possibility.

http://www.ted.com/talks/carolyn_steel_how_food_shapes_our_cities.html

'The Last Lecture' - my inspiration

2009-09-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

Experience is what you get, when you didn't get what you wanted

This is a lesson that rang true in my head the first time I watched this video. It was at an opportune time, a time when I was 4 months into my very first job.

My first career objective: Be useful! let your job be effective enough to help people around you gain tangible results.

I was raw, ambitious and cocky (being the first and only person to receive a pre placement offer made me believe that I can do anything well!) Yeah! notice the difference between the objective and the attitude!

However, due to the pre placement offer I never got to sit for placements and had to be satisfied with a salary which was considered below industry standards. Who does an MBA without having an ulterior motive to make money..Not me!

The nature of my role was something I never expected. Freedom, unlimited exposure to tools and training aids and a free canvas. However, i didn't know how to paint. This role was dynamic and not clearly defined. Such a role did not even exist as a norm in the industry. MindTree was ambitious and wanted to create efficiencies and tools that would clearly become a benchmark. I wasn't sure if I could handle the responsibility of being the first member of the analytics team.

I was big on ideas, but not yet there on implementation. The inherent dichotomy that exists where there is a continuous and free flow of ideas but not enough resources, time and energy for implementation was always a bother..

Who came to the rescue!

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture!

This is the video I kept going back to.

I found strength to have clarity and structure to my responsibilities.

Being in MindTree was not merely a professional choice. It was an acceptance of a unique lifestyle which made people become better humans.

It is an organisation that believes that a fresher can be nurtured into a leader under the right environment. The leadership had complete faith in me. They probably saw in me what I didn't realise about myself. They gave me training and exposure that many organisations may not expose their middle management to. They were always positive, patient and willing to go the extra mile to make me comfortable and enjoy the work I did.

Wouldn't it be a shallow dream to associate the importance of my role to the amount of money I made?

The more I went back to the video, the more I learnt. The bonds of friendship and loyalty in MindTree extended beyond office hours. People had a smile on their face and a rhythm in their step when they came to work. If I didn't grow in an environment like this, where would be a better place.

Today I can claim some knowledge of TRIZ, minitab, project management, data warehousing tools. I went and met Engineering and MBA students as part of a workshop through MindTree. I co authored a paper presented at the world TRIZ conference. I got to reconnect with Janaagraha(my first internship was with their communication team) All of this happened as a result of that one opportunity with MindTree and the inspiration of the video.

I watch this video again, everything has changed.

I am married now. Very proud that Kumar went to CMU(although it would be a fitting tribute to Randy if I tried to go myself)

I live in a different country teaching math to 7th graders.

I no longer belong to MindTree.

I want to teach, write, read and be involved in a continuous flow of knowledge.

There are lessons learnt and dreams dreamt and people who became a part of my life - who continue to inspire and influence me.

And it's important that I share this inspiration with them..Watch the video -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

Live your dream! in dreams begin reality!

Sharing and caring on the blogosphere

2009-09-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

This morning I had a sudden brainwave..

I wanted people who love to read and look for blogs know that there are some blogs that I enjoy reading on a daily basis. I also knew that these people would have their own personal list of favourites.

If I shared some of the blogs that made me happy, they would in-turn do the same.This way we would all get to know many more such pearls lost in the ocean called the blogosphere. Hence, I shot this mail into the inboxes of friends who love to read, write and cook as much as I do :)

Dear All,

Have been thinking of all of you and wanted to share links to two blogs which I have enjoyed reading for over a year now. I must admit though that Marsha's blog is more recent than Aparna's :)

What is different about these blogs?

Marsha's blog is a delightful take on things that seem personal, but are every woman's tale. Her choice of words and natural descriptiveness coupled with her mastery over the queen's language will amuse and educate you. Hence, I take pride in promoting her blog..

Appu's blog is an extension of her- she's versatile and she makes versatile khaana by combining multiple cuisines..I have added the link to her cooking blog but do read her other blog on general and not so general stuff..What's common between both of them is that they are souls who love to share and enjoy life to its fullest..

Why am I doing this?

I believe that there are many gems in the blogosphere that we come across and may not necessarily follow, but by following these writers we give them a reason to write more.Which is both intensely engaging for the writers and intellectually amusing for the readers..

So read on and share links of blogs that make you happy!

1) marsha's bolg: http://crimsonchaos.blogspot.com/
2) aparna's blog :http://aparnaskitchen.blogspot.com/

Love and wishes,

Harsha

Working class Hero - Lennon

2009-09-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

As soon as you are born they make you feel small,
By giving you no time instead of it all,
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all,
A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be.

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school,
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool,
Till you're so f**king crazy you can't follow their rules,
A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be.

When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years,
Then they expect you to pick a career,
When you can't really function you're so full of fear,
A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be.

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV,
And you think you're so clever and classless and free,
But you're still f**king peasents as far as I can see,
A working class hero is something to be,
A working class hero is something to be.

There's room at the top they are telling you still,
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill,
If you want to be like the folks on the hill,
A working class hero is something to be.
A working class hero is something to be. If you want to be a hero well just follow me,
If you want to be a hero well just follow me.

Mouse balls and mouse ball inspector - fwd i recieved

2009-09-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know how they wrote this with a straight face.

This was a real memo sent out by IBM to its employees in all seriousness.

It went to all field engineers about a computer peripheral problem.

The author of this memo was quite genuine. The engineers rolled on the floor! Especially note the last couple of sentences.

"If a mouse fails to operate or should it perform erratically, it may need a ball replacement.

Mouse balls are now available as FRU (Field Replacement Units). Because of the delicate nature of this procedure, a replacement of mouse balls should only be attempted by properly trained personnel.

Before proceeding, determine the type of mouse balls by examining the underside of the mouse. Domestic balls will be larger and harder than foreign balls.

Ball removal procedures differ depending upon the manufacturer of the mouse. Foreign balls can be replaced using the pop off method. Domestic balls are replaced by using the twist off method.

Mouse balls are not usually static sensitive.

However, excessive handling can result in sudden discharge. Upon completion of ball replacement, the mouse may be used immediately.

It is recommended that each person have a pair of spare balls for maintaining optimum customer satisfaction.

Any customer missing his balls should contact the local personnel in charge of removing and replacing these necessary items.

Please keep in mind that a customer without properly working balls is an unhappy customer."

For the love of Julia Child - in appreciation of Julie & Julia

2009-09-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yes! its been over a month since THE RELEASE(Julie and Julia) and it's a movie that is running very successfully! and no, I haven't stopped talking about and probably never will!

I am absolutely in love with Julia and Meryl Streep's near perfect portrayal of her. There is simplicity, humor and a certain charm that makes this movie have the effect of a warm donut in chocolate sauce.After compiling the responses of friends who have watched this movie, I must say they were left feeling the following:

Very hungry-complete recall of all the delightful and perfect food that becomes the essence of the movie
Weather transforms to a balmy romantic night where there's a song on your lips and the smiles of a stranger would seem like an extension of the warmth that envelops you
Passion overflows- the search for the absolute love of life resumes.All the dull, boring routines don't seem like a burden anymore as the higher purpose beckons!

Yes, Julia invites you to a world that is cheerful, familiar and innocent! An old world yesteryear movie appeal blankets you.

It is a story of two remarkable women- Julia Child every bit a legend who brought French cooking to a serventless America (a term she coined herself, while looking for ways to present her cookbook) along with her ingenious and supportive husband Paul Child who played multiple roles in making a success of her passion for cooking and TV show. He could've gotten himself a business methods patent in the present times for his inventiveness in preparing part of the dish before the show. This was a first in the history of food television.

The other central character of the movie is the author of the book Julie &Julia-Julie Powell who took on the daunting task of making 512 recipes in a year. As indicated by her, she had a regular existence as a Government servant whose writing career went nowhere and was freaking as the thirty year age mark approached. At this juncture in life, she found the Julie Julia project gave her strength, sustenance and a responsibility to make every day newer through the recipes she replicated. Isn't that one heck of a storyline - a story in a story to inspire another. That's the effect it will have on you.

About the acting- The effervescent Julia Child can only be played by one of the greatest living actresses Meryl Streep! She gained 15 pounds to play the rule of Julia and had to wear very high heels throughout the filming as the real Julia towered at a 6 ft 2''. Meticulous as she is, Meryl has perfected the lilt in Julia's voice and makes it as authentic that friends who watched the original Julia child swear that she was perfect. Is there a higher benchmark for the woman with the highest number of Oscar nominations?Maybe not, only the next nomination would say!

The movie also left me with a thought, about our love for food,every Indian's love for wood. If Bollywood would cash in on our craze for food and make an inspired version of this movie(apparently a first movie on a blog) would the movie be called Tarla aur Sarla in honour of our cooking legend Tarla Dalal or would there be a spin and dramatisation of the story a possible East west masala where the movie would be Indra aur Sandra after the popular food blogger Indra of Mahanandi fame http://www.themahanandi.org/ whose blog has become the quintessential guide to many Americans interested in Indian cuisine?

Warning! many such questions may spin in your head after watching this movie! Do not deprive yourself - Bon Appetit!

PS: A video with Julie Powell

My Barber's Wisdom - by Ramesh Ramanathan

2009-09-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

Once every few weeks, I visit my barber Narayan for a haircut —that mandatory male ritual that accompanies us throughout our lives.

Narayan is a successful entrepreneur, running two shops in Bangalore, employing several people and offering an expanding range of tonsorial solutions.

The haircuts are always accompanied by clockwork-rhythm conversations—we begin as he swooshes his crisp white cloth around my shirt and ties it behind my neck, and end as he brings the framed mirror for me to approve the haircut.

Normally, the topic of our talks are interesting but somewhat generic —movies, politics and cricket. But our last trimming conversation touched on a personal chord—Narayan’s life journey. It was filled with pearls of wisdom—about hard work, running a successful business, and surprisingly, the government’s poverty programmes.

“Narayan”, I began as the starched cloth settled on my shirt, “how long have you been a barber?”

“Oh, 37 years now”, he smiled.

“And how did it start? Did you always have your own shop?”

“No sir, I came to Bangalore from my village at the age of 19, running away to earn a living. No education, no skills, nothing to save me except my determination. I found work as a cleaner in Ashoka Hotel (one of Bangalore’s old premium hotels). One of my jobs was to clean the barber shop floor. Soon, I realized that there was a lot of money to be made from tips as a barber, so I learnt after work. In a few years, I was working as a barber, and did that for several years before I had enough to start my own business.”

“How did you manage to save enough with a barber’s salary and tips?”

“I never said ‘no’ to any opportunity to earn more money. Some of the richer clients preferred to have haircuts at their homes. So I would get there by 6am, finish the haircut, get to the hotel by 8, then repeat the same thing in the evening.

“I scrimped and scrounged—for food, I would go to the Janata Hotel near Shivajinagar, and order one idli, but the sambar was unlimited, so I would keep asking for more sambar to fill my stomach.

“Every single day, I saved money. Within a few years, I had enough to start my own business. And now,” he waved his scissors around with a blend of humble pride, “I have two of these parlours in prime locations.”

“And you still do haircuts, despite being quite well off?”

“For some customers, yes. This is a relationship business. Would you come back if I asked someone else to cut your hair?” he smiled cannily at me in the mirror.

“What about vacations?” I asked. “Do you take time off?”

“In the past 40 years, I have taken two holidays, of four days each.”

“That’s it!” I exclaimed.

“Well, I also take a two-day break every year with my staff. We go to some nice hill station, such as Ooty. We sightsee, eat well, enjoy ourselves. And then, back to work the next morning.”

“What about your family? Are they OK with this lifestyle?”

“I have a daughter and a son. My son takes care of the other shop. Daughter was married five years back, big choultry. I spent Rs50 lakh on the wedding. Called everyone from the village, gave each woman a silk saree. It felt really good to see the pandal on the stage that day. I thought of my parents. My family is used to my discipline, it is what saved us.”

He was working on the back of my head now, more than halfway done.

“So Narayan, you are clearly a self-made man, got nothing from the government. What do you feel about anti-poverty programmes such as NREGA?”

“It’s a good thing, poor people will benefit”, he said very matter-of-factly.

“But, you didn’t get anything from government, and succeeded with your own effort. Isn’t that the message we need to send to the poor, that they need to take ownership over their own lives, rather than depend on government handouts?”

“Sir, there are two kinds of poor people, those who have the capacity to improve their lives, and those who don’t. For those who don’t, we cannot just leave them to their fate, they need help. And even among those with capacity, luck plays a big role in coming out of poverty. I was lucky. There are many who are not. This second group of people also need help.

“In any event, most people don’t want to have their hands turned up all their lives.”

He had brought the mirror. I checked my haircut and nodded, even as I caught my reflection in Narayan’s hands.

Pandavas on Facebook

2009-09-03T08:17:00.001-07:00

comfy nook

2009-08-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

There I sit everyday,
Sometimes almost through the day and sometimes for a few minutes,
The orchids smile each day with kindness and certainty,

And there my mind trips and has it's many adventures;

Sometimes in isolation travelling many miles and returning to the moment at hand,
Sometimes in reflection undoing and redoing many things from the past,
Sometimes in utter boredom with the book mark dangling from the book at hand not comprehending any perspecitve or no perspective at all,
Sometimes curious at the light playing through the window mocking the gusts of wind that don't stop indulging it,
Sometimes in acute awareness and conformance,
sometimes playful - keying away complicated lengthy words at a game of Scrabble

All along there is one certain emotion
A chord that weaves through everything else- the comfort of the nook,
The certainty that I can lounge, feel, feed my every other emotion and need at that specific corner.

This realisation confirms that there is a commonality among all of us
Everyone has these special nooks and will have plenty of thoughts buzzing
Creating the fabric of our character and continuing to be central to the repeatability of life...

Men/Women

2009-07-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

There is a pattern to the complexity of women and a pattern to the pretension of simplicity by the men:)

I am one of those who hasn't figured out books that are necessarily categorised on the lines of 'Men are from mars and women are from Venus'.

And every time I have a conversation with a male friend talking about women in a certain context, they use sentences which are on the lines of 'Like all women you insult my intelligence' or 'that is typically how a woman reacts'

Now if we are so predictable, why the two ends of extreme- that of a whine or an adoration?

Most often the excuse by the men would be 'we are simple, predictable and adaptable' I come back to the question of why then do you classify us as a complicated bunch with a certain need for attention. What is complicated about the need for attention?

There will not be a conclusion to this debate on the different way we are tuned as men and women, but I must say there is no simplicity or complexity of character that is soo overtly categorised.

Funny quote on mind: There's tension over attention!

volunteer story

2009-06-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

Experience, expression and enrichment were the words that rang in her mind as she tried to articulate the reasons for being there.

She was in the heart of San Francisco, in the second floor of a school building on golden gate avenue where others like her, were assembled to attend the orientation program conducted by the San Francisco school volunteers. The San Francisco school volunteers were a Government supported organization that helped select focus schools enlist the help of volunteers to tutor and mentor students.

Two reference letters, a TB test and a fingerprinting id would allow her access to connect to the education system in the US which was a country she had only stepped into.

She looked at the other volunteers assembled around her and wondered what their story was? Why were they here? What duration would they volunteer for, and how would they use this experience to improve their lives?

The ice breaker- the natural starting point of the orientation gave her many answers. Most of them had a compelling reason to be there, their profiles summed up to:

A woman who lost her job, and her son to city crime wanted to volunteer to overcome her grief.
Another woman who was on a dependent visa and wanted to continue teaching through volunteering as she had given up her career as a teacher back home in Australia.
An old retired professor who was one of the founding menbers of a school initiative in the 60s was returning to his first love and passion as he felt he would feel closer to his granddaughter's stepping into school.
Four others were interested in linguistic education and were teachers who wanted to work in special education and classes that offered English as a second language to the large and culturally diverse student populace
A student who had benefitted through his mentor from SF volunteers and wanted to continue the cycle
A person who had lost all motor control and still wanted to volunteer as he felt his life was testament to hope and would inspire students

And, finally, it was her story.

The other volunteers looked at her with surprise and some amount of curiosity. She had worn an attire they weren't familiar with, and had an accent which was sometimes hard to understand and follow. She had a ringing voice and a laughter that almost seemed impolite in a group of strangers, her easy smile seemed like it was too happy to be true.

She was an Indian from Bangalore who had volunteered all through her life- from being a child nurse with Missionaries of charity, to working with Janaagraha in their communications wing to finally teaching through the baala janaagraha program, she had worn diverse volunteering hats.

When the realisation dawned among the group that she may probably be one among the two experienced volunteers in a room of first time volunteers, they felt a sense of ease to interact with her, and ask her questions on her experiences. Some even inquired about travelling to India and getting certified in yoga. Subjects she wasn't an expert at, but that which reminded her of people back home.

The eyes that looked suspiciously at her seemed to look at her with warmth, kindness and understanding.

Her smile only grew wider as this sense of familiarity grew and the relative anonymity of their existences began to decrease.

fitness on facebook

2009-05-30T05:29:00.000-07:00

I am an ardent follower of the magazine Shape. Thanks to their complimentary copies which introduced me to them. I cant stop waiting for the many complimentary doable workouts that come as part of the content.

Shape this month also featured finding applications on facebook which would help track our workouts, diet plans and also provide exercise tips. The applications I found useful among the ones that were listed are:

1) Fit-ify!- this application monitors your weight on a daily basis and provides a graph on your progress. This is a definite must for people like me who like pictorial representation :D The weight has to be keyed in on Lbs which many of us Indians may not be accustomed to- just multiply by 2.2. For ex- if your weight is 70 kgs, 70*2.2 will give you the Lbs. Wots best about this application is that it also converts your BMI- body mass index and indicates if you belong to either of four categories- underweight,normal, overweight or obese..

2) Yoga journal pose of the day - this application has a rating of one star which sums it all up. the application widget has issues and i logged it in to receive 3 free yoga poses everyday. Will review progress based on its effectiveness. Premature to comment on the poses as I have just updates this app.

3) Mapmyrun- this application made me feel relieved. It not only helps you map your route of run/walk/cycling but also helps you find the area based on the location you are in if you are new to the said locality. However, I have only checked it for people living in the US, do not know if suggestions cover earth's geography..

Will provide more updates on these apps based on usage. Until then do give it a shot and your comments.

Check out shape.com for more fitness/exercise and cool tips on what to wear ;)

Salute to Masashi Kishimoto- the creator of the anime Naruto

2009-05-20T23:18:00.000-07:00

The destiny of the world is determined less by the battles that are lost and won than by the stories it loves and believes in. —Harold Goddard

I have always believed that storytellers recreate magic, attach imagination its wings, and spread the power of beautiful idealistic thoughts, warmth and an ethereal fairytale that is full of hope and meaning.

When I chanced upon Naruto- one of the finest animes made in recent times, thanks to my lovely and kind friend sharuto (its a name I call her because she gave me the gift of naruto) and Alok(my brother,friend and guide) I didnt realise I was stepping into a world that would strengthen my belief in human goodness and deepen my trust in the power of our cultural influences.

As many of you would know animes are a japanese form of animated series which not only entrtain but educate the young and young at heart about the beauty and charm that life holds.

Naruto is special because it captures the life of an aspiring ninja, an orphan by birh but a believer in destiny to become the village head or the hokage. His mischief, loyalty, friendship and honor make this anime special and memorable. I have drawn strength from this anime whenever i have felt an ebb in my emotions.

Today I had the opportunity to read in detail about how Naruto is created as a manga-What is Kishimoto's background and what lies in the mind of such a beautiful storyteller? As I read through details of his life- a life that isnt very deviant frm that of Naruto's - humorous, matter of fact and always willing to share his techniques and ideas Shimoto is Naruto in human form. Whether the character grew on him or the character is an extention of him is hard to say!

He loves Matrix the movie and has been inspired by dragonball another popular manga. He uses a copic marker to make his drawings. He loves electric poles which many a times give him ideas to design and create opportunities to present the ninja in interesting formations and poses. He likes following and researching japanese culture and feels his nindo is to create more and more inspiring manga. He cant hav enough of his home town okayama and looks like he was inspired to imagine konoha as an exention of the beauty of homeland.

He likes spending time in japanese tea gardens and likes watching kabuki performances. Tokusatsu dramas and rpgs also seem to give him more and more ideas to make naruto what it is today.

All the above lines are biographical in nature, to me they are more reverence than record. Through this post, I want to capture the learnings of the day based on this powerful story teller's life:

beauty, imagination and humor make a great story
attention to little details- from symmetry to electric poles, can help strike a path breaking idea into a story
cultural roots are the bedrock for the future of entertainment
stories stick because they usually have seemingly ordinary folks out there who keep no secrets about their stories but strive to do what they do best better

Watching Naruto to completely understand this post is a recommend!

Compelling

2009-05-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

I have had two wonderful life altering experiences in a week. Sunday was a day where I discovered what artistic perfection meant, and today is the day I became a part of a structured teaching movement.

The San Francisco Ballet is one of the oldest and most established ballet in the world. Every year they produce performances which leave behind a sense of absolute admiration by the audiences that experience the magic of art taken to the level of effortlessness. As indicated in one of my earlier blogs- effortless is a manifestation of beauty that is achieved after it manifests as competent, magnificent and divine which means its at the highest level. Read the blog again here:http://somethoughtsoftough.blogspot.com/2008/08/excerpts-from-four-manifestations-of.html

As I sat in rapt attention as angels(my interpretation of the ballet dancers) flew by and sailed through forms colors and music I realised what it meant to be a true performer. If one could achieve beauty and magic to this extent, doesnt it serve to say that existence as a pursuit of perfection is achieved?

What is life if it cannot induce passion, pleasure and power?

The ballet artists created these emotions collectively. The dedication, commitment and single minded pursuit required to become a dancer of this calibre would only allow these dancers the distinction of being torch bearers.

I have seen time and again that the emphasis and appreciation that our forefathers gave to the the encouragement and growth of arts and pure sciences is on a downward spiral with our generation.Our sense of achievement usually doest recognise the impact of the arts as much as our recognition of academics. We tend to focus on a child's growth and perceive education to be the means through which you get high paying tech jobs - it is only a perception- as this form of education limits one's natural need for expression and by and large affects the freedom to appreciate, enhance and commit one's time to the pursuit of an art form.

There are trends that indicate in India that there will be more and more people who will be able to afford a higher standard of education for their children, however, due to the availability of lucrative jobs teaching as a profession and a passion is considered a complete no no by people who have a potential to make a difference. What is the point in earning and being able to afford better education if there wont be quality providers? I wouldnt want to get into diminishing returns theory but I would want to consider the prospects of the future of our children. I speak so loftily of encouraging arts and pure sciences what if our children wont be able to discern the interconnectedness of the two?

I don't want to give any answers to these questions as I believe each of us are capable of choosing our paths and understanding the needs of an unborn generation.

Maybe this ted video may add some more thoughts:

I added this video as it reiterates my need to find answers to the questions that ran in my mind and I think I have found a start - by volunteering through a structured program of teaching and being involved with children who belong to homes that come under the poverty line(which is less than 15K of drawn salary in a yr by the parents of the children according to state laws) And I think doing it through the district makes this voluntarism accountable and measurable from an impact perspective. I do not want to either belong or encourage volunteerism as a fad. It cannot be an option because you have nothing else to do but because this is what you have wanted to do always.

More thoughts and compulsions will follow...

Ballet and Beauty - my education and preparation to attend one

2009-04-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

In the ballet, you really feel like you're in the presence of something outside the rest of your life. Higher than the rest of your life- robert caro

I have always identified a danceform as a creative expression and fine balance of skill, beauty and versatility .Appreciating and being a part of an audience which has the opportunity to watch and experience one of the world's finest and oldest ballet productions in its 75th year of existance is a sense of exhilaration and anticipation. Representing a Nation which has many beautiful dance forms and classical recitals owing to its rich heritage and culture, the anticipation takes a crescendo.

True justice can only be made through knowledge of the complete picutre. Wonderment, magical fascination,mystique and curiosity not withstanding, a complete understanding of technique, terms, temperament, line, dynamics, personas and history is an essential part to savour and saitsfy the multiple sensory exhaltations.

I sat reading up on Ballet through multiple resources and the primary ones which prepared me to the forthcoming ballet that I was to attend are- the much recommended book 'My Ballet book' by Kate castle and the SF Ballet official website.

Some of the answers to my education in ballet include:

History - Ballet, as we know it today, began during the Renaissance around the year 1500 in Italy. The term ballet has its origin from the italian word ballare whcih means to dance.When Catherine de Medici of Italy married the French King Henry II, she introduced early dance styles into court life in France. The official terminology and vocabulary of ballet was gradually codified in French over the next 100 years, and during the reign of Louis XIV the king himself performed many of the popular dances of the time.

The official terminology and vocabulary of ballet was gradually codified in French over the next 100 years, and during the reign of Louis XIV the king himself performed many of the popular dances of the time.

From Italian roots, ballets in France and Russia developed their own stylistic character. By 1850, Russia had become a leading creative center of the dance world, and as ballet continued to evolve, certain new looks and theatrical illusions caught on and became quite fashionable. Dancing en pointe (on toe) became popular during the early part of the 19th century, with women often performing in white, bell-like skirts that ended at the calf. Pointe dancing was reserved for women only, and this exclusive taste for female dancers and characters inspired a certain type of recognizable Romantic heroine—a sylph-like fairy whose pristine goodness and purity inevitably triumphs over evil or injustice.

In the early 20th century, the Russian theatre producer Serge Diaghilev brought together some of that country's most talented dancers, choreographers, composers, singers, and designers to form a group called the Ballet Russes. Members of the Ballet Russes moved to America in the early 19th century as it grew in popularity.

Details

How long does it take to become a Ballet dancer?

It takes roughly 8 to 10 years of training to become a professional ballet dancer. Training ideally begins when a student is between the ages of 7 and 10. Beginners attend technique class once or twice a week. By the time a student is 15 years of age, they will be taking 10-15 classes per week. The hope of a career with one of the world's top ballet companies is limited to a very few people. These dancers are comparable to the finest Olympic athletes.

Why does it take so long to prepare, and isn't a dancer's career rather short?

A large part of a ballet dancer's job is to make the difficult look easy. Unlike professional athletes, whose exertion and effort is perceptible and expected, ballet dancers strive to create the illusion of effortlessness. Simply leaping and turning are not enough. Ballet is a theater art; the gravity-defying movements these artists can execute are meant to mystify and entertain.
Careers in ballet are indeed short. Typically, a dancer's career ends anywhere between ages 30 and 40. Dancers often move into choreography. Many also teach, direct their own ballet companies or resume formal education. The intensity of ballet training and short length of a professional career often mean that dancers do not study beyond high school. In recent years, however, many of the top universities in the US have devised special programs that welcome dancers, and many other artists, to join in resumed undergraduate and graduate level study.

Don't dancers get dizzy when they turn?

Dancers learn a handy trick called "spotting." Before they begin a turn, they select something to focus on, a clock, door, or distant light. As they turn they try to keep their eyes focused on that object until they have to whip their head around quickly to find the spot again. This helps the dancer keep a steady balance during consecutive turns.

What are pointe shoes made of?

Pointe shoes are worn by female dancers so that they can balance and turn on their toes. Made of satin and shaped like narrow slippers, they have no heel and there is no wood or metal in pointe shoes. The area covering the toes is made of layers of fabric glued together in the shape of an oblong "box" and hardened. The sole of the shoe is hard leather which lends slight support to the arch of the foot. Pointe shoes are worn two to three sizes smaller than street shoes. To keep them on tightly, dancers sew satin ribbons and elastic bands to the sides and tie them securely around their ankles. A pair of shoes cost between $65 and $80

Some Positions...

Pics indicate popular positions in Ballet - content and pics published by permission. Please dont copy or use content for commerical positions. This blog is only to share and learn about Ballet

Three phrases

2009-04-29T15:34:00.002-07:00

'I am sorry'

'I love you'

'You are right'

These 3 phrases will help you deal with all woman troubles...yes, you heard me right, you can get away from anything by using either of these 3 phrases with women...

hmmm

2009-04-29T15:34:00.001-07:00

When I am sane you will like me,

When I am insane you will love me ;)

Confessions of an Ingrate

2009-04-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

She is one of my persons.

A person who doesn't have to be physically around me, but is present in almost all things I do and in all that my mind wanders upon.

This realisation occurred to me after I reached here and miss talking to her.

She is a person who makes a difference by being passionate and honest about everything she does and believes.

She is the kind soul who would take me on a ride in the rain and make warm thoughtful meals after.She is a person I sought advice on - from colors, to clothes, to cooking and perfumes. She is the one I loved hanging out with- whether at a pub or at a play. She is the one who would buy surprise gifts which made me feel special - from stoles to leather bags to a little embroidered red skirt(which i wear soo often) to many of the shoes I wear ( we have the same shoe size and she would always pick footwear for me )

Her undying spirit, her ability to forgive, her willingness to feel the sunshine amidst the clouds made her very dear to me.She declared her friendship towards me on a social networking site as - 'its people like her that make me like people'. But I failed her. Our friendship is no longer shatterproof.

I don't know why? but I made her feel that I was an ingrate shit head who used her as long as I wanted.

I stopped talking to her just a few days away from my wedding, knowing too well that she couldn't make it because of reasons she had no control over and being the jerk that I am I conveniently forgot to thank her or do anything for her. I didnt bother to call her even when I was relocating...

I owe her many happy moments, I owe her memories that I keep reminiscing everytime i do things today-going to the theater,shopping or cooking. I wish she were here with me. I keep thinking of how she would react to things I do, things she taught me, things she loves, her interests are varied and creative as she not only ejoys life but understands it with deep respect.

I think of her more than I thought I would. She is a sane sounding board who would have been a selfless and kind teacher. Now I cant look her in the eye and explain myself.

Its become more pronounced -that longing for a friendship that's gone sour and that which creates pain as I cant look into her eye and give her a reason for why i did what i did.

I cant explain why I shattered her belief in me and I cannot undo whats done but I know her forgiveness and her honesty make me feel that I should become a person like her someday...

It seems that would be the best way to carry her spirit with me...

OCD on Susan Boyles performance

2009-04-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

There are N number of blogs about her today. Britains got talent has unprecedented hits on youtube and other search engines, thanks to her...She is Susan Boyle- a 47 year old singer from a non decrepit group of villages as she calls it- she dreams of singing like Elaine page and what have we?

Tears rolling down our faces as we listen to her performance I dream the dream as we have our ritual tea together - its her song that's made it a ritual!

This is an Obsessive compulsive disorder that I dont want to rid myself of- every time I listen to her- there are many thousand dreams I dream up of - of writing poetry that would make people cry, of running on a moonlit beach, of being able to realise the true meaning of visioning, of being able to understand what innovation truly means, of answering as many unanswered questions, of being able to make myself as useful as possible to the world- to feel and believe in trasformation not as a transient but as a constant truth, of sitting on a swing and teaching geometry to little children, of trying to write a one pager on what the real indian spirit is, of being able to make my better half feel proud of me everyday...ohhh the train of dreams never cease...

I shouldn't say more- but listen to her and you will know what I mean-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

There is enormous talent untapped and hidden and it is a true privilege to dream of enjoying it everyday of one's life...here's another indication of Susan's impact- her mention in South park - http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/marc_malkin/b120345_south_park_proves_it_susan_boyle_star.html

And I dream again - of having a funnybone, a wishbone and a backbone that supports and encourages many a Susan Boyle out there :D

indus ladies a mothers day blog contest entry

2009-04-20T16:07:00.001-07:00

She felt a tingle in her spine,

It was a pain that brought a smile on her face,

She wondered at the stages that the lifeform within her underwent,

From a single cell to its eventual growth as her successor,

She felt a delight that she could never explain,

A prayer would go out everytime she thought of that weird form of muscle and tissue,

The scan that she saw felt that it wasn't yet a reflection of anyone in her lost family,

However, she knew that it would be enough if it carried some bit of her beliefs and values,

Why would she have to sacrifice two of her ribs,if it weren't for the beauty and absolute divinity of childbirth?

In a conversation between the people she worked for Lalitha overheard that women were short of a pair of ribs in the spine because of this wonderful miracle.

She was a house maid who didn't have any support from her husband. He owned his own auto, but was lecherous and demanding in his ways. She feared the influence he would have on her child and avoided being in his presence.

The reality of her existence remained in the hope for her unborn.

Her single minded belief was that the new born would become her purpose and mission in life. Her role today would become meaningless tomorrow as caring for her flesh and blood would take precedence over all her needs. She was willing to let go of all her possessions just to ensure the happiness of this unborn child.

She knew that the path ahead had many sacrifices and pain that she had to endure.Pain she was well accustomed to. The changes she felt within her as the baby grew, the unpredictable feelings of elation and sadness, the hopelesness of poverty,the uncontrollable vomiting, the need to talk and hold hands with people she cared for were just the first few signs of this pain.

She chose to ignore it.

She wanted to have and do all the normal stuff that expecting mothers did.

She ate all that she could find to ensure that the growing unborn would end up being healthy. She had even stolen some money from her husband to get a scan done to feel the vibrations of the baby. She wanted to feel one with her true self through this baby, and she promised herself each day that she will do all in her power to give the little one all that she craved for, but never got - a shelter, hot meals, a school to go to.

She worked harder and harder each day, hoping that she would save as much as she could to ensure that her dream of becoming a nurse would become a reality through this child.She loved the purity of that white uniform and the utter selflessness of the role of a nurse.

She would spend her free time in temples, listening to the wisdom of ancient chants as she had heard that unborns who heard chants and readings from the Geeta would end up being wiser after they were born.

She tried to listen to the broken radio and many a times covered her broken down walls with color paper to make the unborn feel the vibrations of a vibrant colorful life. She would sit and gaze at stars in the night trying to remember fairy tales and stories that she vaguely remembered.

She watched the ramblings in her stomach and often spoke incomprehensibly in her sleep as she felt the days tumble towards the probable date of delivery.

She had one wish before she headed into labor -wanted to head to the beach to make the baby familiar with the beauty of the sun and the sea- she wanted to talk to it about nature's elements and its benefits.

In the daze of expectation she became impervious to the approaching car - the headlights of which possibly reminded her of intense suffering stars.

The papers next day had a small column in page five about a probable drunken driver who had mowed a pregnant homeless woman on the beach front road.

http://www.indusladies.com/forums/blogs/phoenixritu/mothers-day-competition-1717/

Time

2009-04-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday gives us wisdom to make a difference today

Today we are making a difference

Tomorrow we will bear the fruit of making a difference

Uppity women of ancient times - by Vicki Leon

2009-04-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

If you are wondering if i have stopped blogging:D
No I havent :D I have started writing hubs which is similar to a blog but helps me recieve more traffic and is more user friendly.

This is my latest blog in the hub community. Its a book review:

I have always believed that a good book, a mug of coffee and great music are the 3 ingredients to good living!

Add in a dash of history, laced with humor and its a flavored delight.

There are some books in a library which beckon you to them. This was one such book. The title is a winner! one that infuses a certain curiosity and the book itself was displayed as part of a special section in commemoration of 'Women' s day'

However, the reason I am writing a review about it is because the contents of this book never cease to amuse, entertain, inform and at times infuse a curiosity that makes you want to research further.The presentation is such that there is a certain abruptness to each account which would make you dig for more..

Its about 200 women who made history! approximately between the years 2500 B.C. to 450 A.DFrom pirates, to pyramid builders, to poisoners to priestesses, to princesses -they represent all walks of life. its a chronicle that brings alive the celebrations, the titillations, the pride and fantasies of these women and the glamour,gossip and mystery it added to their personalities.

There is an armchair archaeologist in each one of us. One who dreams of ancient times and life there in. This book is for us. It allows one to visualise the accounts on each woman. One would dream of Semiramis fashioning pants or Ashursharrat having to live with a cross dresser. These are experiences one can not only visualise but sometimes identify with.

Women today are no different from then. Their compassion, kindness, love, sensitivity coupled with pride, honor,intelligence and a hint of uppityness is what makes them who they are - whether yesterday, today or tomorrow. Recommended to all women who call a spade a spade.and like defining their own rules.

You can weave interesting activities around the book too -. A costume party, find a weirder name than that, a factfinder, a treasure hunt on clues from the book etc...

But most importantly enjoy reading this charming and informative book.

Dirty Jobs help find meaning and contentment

2009-03-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

Spending time on ted.com is a revealation.

When I wrote in one of my earlier blogs about the notion of being employed being misunderstood and misrepresented, I didnt realise that I would stumble upon this interesting and insightful video - www.ted.com/index.php/talks/mike_rowe_celebrates_dirty_jobs.html

Mike Rowe gives a fitting tribute to people out there who find happiness in the so called 'menial tasks/dirty jobs'. Being in the knowledge economy makes no sense if we do not embrace and encourage people to follow their calling and allow people an opportunity to decide to take jobs that help them find fulfillment irrespective of the notional significance of their job.

I believe that there are many lessons that go unlearnt in our single minded pursuit of jobs that we classify as 'hep and happening'. In our pursuit, we fail to realise that the jobs that we are blindly pursuing depend on other jobs which make us happen. More and more people want to replicate someone else's success in a specific career not realising that the definitions of skilled/unskilled/superskilled labor is becoming a blur.

My only prayer to people like Mike Rowe and many others like him is to help increase awareness amongst the rest of us so that it will help create a movement of realisation, gratitude and humility.

A season of gratitude

2009-03-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

Most Indian weddings are a celebration of opulence and grandeur but for us it was a season of gratitude. Many people walk into one's life to make it memorable and we had reason enough to celebrate the presence of every person who made us become the people we are and we will be. They are also the reason for us to have found each other...our wedding invite, which we wrote together conveys it all....

As we come together,

We seek your blessings in His glory.

We believe that his answers to our prayers is your presence.

Kindly grace our wedding celebrations.

Thank you for being a part of our prayers.

Love and Regards,

Harsha and Kumar

We chose the auspicious colors of vermillion and saffron alongwith the image of our isht diva - the Lord Ganesh as our backdrop and as we spend each day, reasons for gratitude only seem to multiply :D

The Best wedding wish I recieved

2009-03-04T11:26:00.000-08:00

As I stepped into holy matrimony, I recieved a beautiful letter from one of the people who inspires me - Krishnan. This is the most inspiring message I have ever recieved and I pray and wish that there are more people like Nipun,Guri and Krishnan who are blessings to us...

Dear Harsha,

Thank you for the invitation – I will come.

Here are the wedding vows taken by Nipun and Guri from Charity Focus (http://nipun.charityfocus.org/blog/ar/personal/000116.html) – you may like this!

Do you, Nipun and Guri, pledge to help each other in developing your hearts and minds, cultivating compassion, generosity, ethics, patience, enthusiasm, concentration and wisdom, as you age and undergo the various ups and downs of life, and to transform them into the path of love, compassion, joy and equanimity? Do you pledge to grow in dharma?

Do you pledge to support each other's journey, to continually shine light on each other's virtue, and support individual intuitions, even when it doesn't directly benefit yourself? Do you pledge to reinforce and complement each other's virtue?

Understanding that just as we are a mystery to ourselves, each person is also a mystery to us. Do you pledge to seek to understand yourselves, each other, and all living beings, to examine your own minds continually and to regard all the mysteries of life with openness and joy? Do you pledge to trust the inexplicable ways of the universe?

Do you pledge to work for the welfare of others, with all of your compassion, wisdom, and skill? Do you pledge to remember the harmfulness of ignorance, anger and clinging attachment, to apply antidotes when these arise in your minds, to recall the kindness of all other beings and your connection to them? Do you pledge to be an instrument of selfless service?

Recognizing that the external conditions in life will not always be smooth and that internally, your own minds and emotions will sometimes get challenged by negativity, do you pledge to see all these circumstances as opportunities to grow, to open your hearts, to accept yourselves, and each other? Do you pledge to be real, in all situations?

When it comes time to part, do you pledge to reflect on your time together with thankfulness for the ways in which you have grown, acceptance that all things are temporary and empty of inherent satisfaction, and joy that you met and shared what you have? Do you pledge to cultivate gratitude for the boundless gifts you have received?

Do you pledge to preserve and enrich your affection for each other, and to share it with all beings? To take the loving feelings you have for one another and your vision of each other's potential and inner beauty as an example, and rather than spiraling inwards and becoming self absorbed, to radiate this love outwards to all beings? Do you pledge to expand your family to include all living beings?

I look forward to interacting with you, Harsha – do stay in touch and continue to be a blessing to the world.

Regards,

Krishnan

TRIZing the H factor!!!

2009-03-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

Life is about contradictions!!!

Haven't we all heard and felt it time and again. The flow and the ebb of things triggers many happy coincidences, contrasts and most definitely contradictions! If Prakz were reading this blog, (a TRIZ practitioner and a very dear friend) he would jump at the opportunity to TRIZ on the H factor!!

What is the H Factor?

As a friend in her blog very cleverly describes it (the pattern between her writing style and lateral thinking being her prudent usage of the 'other way round' where she modifies the usage of 5W 2 H to 1W and 4Hs and then by the time she concludes also uses a parallel!) it is the state of an immigrant to the US on a H4 visa.

Her candid account is unbiased and should be read to be understood ;)- read the blog in its completeness here - http://http://mypenseiveshared.blogspot.com/2008/09/1w-n-4h.html

Now I add a twist to the tale! the tale goes like this, every nation (not necessarily the US alone) wants a premium productive society, it wants people with exceptional skills to grow and contribute to its economy. At the same time, these nations would willingly import help from other nations to improve their economic power and remain on top.

Now comes the funny bit, the imports from other nations will bring along their families. Most often family would include a spouse (considering the average age being between 24-30) who will and could be equally capable with similar competence and credibility as their other half on the permit. However, the said entry and visa permit would only allow one of them to work to increase and contribute to the productivity of the host nation.

The host nation will continue to import more people. Usually ignoring a "free resource" of the accompanying spouse who could contribute equally to the growth and productivity of the host nation. This would be in TRIZ parlance 'usage of a free resource'

Secondly, the host nation can set a cap on the number of people it imports and restrict the operational transactions it conducts in processing applications, permits etc by using the free resource of a qualified spouse who up until landing in the host nation was doing very well professionally.

In the meantime, the H4s need not be asked questions that put them in a spot, cause a state of being unemployed in itself is a paradox. Its all in one's mind as to how they categorise work as productive. However, that would be another tangent to a penseive.

Bloom 09

2009-01-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

A flower has no meaning until it blooms.

As I step into a year of new beginnings and promises, i choose to reflect on the we in me -Kumar and me will tie the knot this feb and it will be a year of blessings if we could make wows that last a lifetime!

If there were ten things I would want to do in this journey of togetherness, they would be:

To love unconditionally
To learn our family history and pass it on to our children
To do something others said was impossible
To never loose childlike curiosity
To help a stranger in need
To make something that will stand after I die
To write a book
To dream big and be willing to pay the price to make them come true
To walk on beaches under a full moon at midnight
To take a stand on something and not back down under pressure

Wisdom! A wonderful forward i recieved

2009-01-09T01:25:00.000-08:00

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip.

You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the following questions and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia "(Charles Schultz)

The season of red, blue and green

2008-12-20T19:14:00.000-08:00

I have a little angel flying around with a hammer, each person she hits gets a little bit of my love. I hope she beats the hell out of you!!!

The Secret Santa has taken us to a different platitude :D where every hour each day we look forward to little warm messages, gifts and takeaways. Our team is on a high celebrating the magic of sharing and caring!

As the format of the Secret Santa we are playing is about gifting your secret child each day, the range of gifts is far and wide and the opportunities for mischief are aplenty, from:
receiving snacks(inclusive of chips of all varieties, carrot halva-yummm, jamoon) every hour-fattening indeed ;)
to receiving flowers -the bay has an ethereal fragrance
to receiving tender coconut-as a gift for the health conscious :)
to receiving cute hair clips(the little child in us was impressed)- our teams gender ratio is tends towards the women
to one of us receiving a happy man the symbol of all prosperity and well being- divide of religious symbols clearly broken
to sending mischievous mails with pics of bful women to the menfolk- they are thanking their secret Santa for adding to their dreams :)...
the gestures being varied reflecting multiple personality types, however, with strong underlying emotions that are keeping us in a zone of happiness and good cheer!!!

Festivals are not about communities any more, its about the joy of celebrating and knowing each other! As we plan the gifts for our secret child, we learn more about them, find out little details about their likes, dislikes, choices and opinions. The attention we pay to their needs becomes absorbing and delightful! The sheer bonding which occurs as a result strengthens ties especially when its within office environs.

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating

Yes! any celebrations are incomplete without food! We are having a Potluck where each of us don our aprons to dish out delicacies for each other. The team's enthusiasm in creating a menu that serves everyone's gluttonous fantasy has been quiet a revealation! And to bring in the delights in stlyle, we wish to paint the world red by our symbolic team dressing.

This and every festival we celebrate also educates about the festival itself and there is an awakening and reasoning behind the blues, the reds and greens!!!

As we celebrate, cherish and catchup, wish you all a bright and cheerful season of blessings!

Morning Raaga

2008-12-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

For years now, I have been waking people, disturbing them while they are busy kickstarting their day and ensuring that am in their face each dayJ through the messages that I sent them…for the past two years they remained fun and generic…of late they are specific to observations, and general trips that the grey cells take J

Some of them receive equally interesting subways of other active cells…

The ones exchanged in the week gone by are:

Outside my window a new day I see,

And only I can determine what kind of day it will be.

It can be busy and sunny, laughing and gay, or boring and cold, unhappy and gray.

My own state of mind is the determining key,

For I am only the person I let myself be.

She was more greyed than him but she held him firmly and supported him as he tried hard to walk normally. This is the beautiful walk of life one chooses to walk forever, Have a blessed day!

Whether yesterday or today, children never seize to peep out of windows with those bright wonderstruck eyesJ let the sparkle of curiosity follow you today and always

From chand being the inspiration to poetry to chandrayaana becoming a scientific milestone, we are nation successful at both art and science all inspired by the balances of nature

How does one feel when someone who was a part of you passes away? As I watched Greys Anatomy, I couldn’t stop myself from crying but then there’s love and hope. People who were a part of us love us as much or more than we may have and they would only ope that our lives are filled with more promise. Have a day full of love and hope

A poem by WH Auden

2008-12-10T04:16:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine sent me this poem when I was talking to her about my engagement and forthcoming wedding, as I read through it I must say I would agree with Auden as he reflects my sentiments on Love and its logic ;)

I seem to be understanding what it means as I take this journey of togetherness :)

Some say that love's a little boy,
And some say it's a bird,
Some say it makes the world round,
And some say that's absurd,
And when I asked the man next-door,
Who looked as if he knew,
His wife got very cross indeed,
And said it wouldn't do.

Does it look like a pair of pyjamas,
Or the ham in a temperance hotel?
Does its odour remind one of llamas,
Or has it a comforting smell?
Is it prickly to touch as a hedge is,
Or soft as eiderdown fluff?
Is it sharp or quite smooth at the edges?
O tell me the truth about love.

Our history books refer to it
In cryptic little notes,
It's quite a common topic on
The Transatlantic boats;
I've found the subject mentioned in
Accounts of suicides,
And even seen it scribbled on
The backs of railway-guides.

Does it howl like a hungry Alsatian,
Or boom like a military band?
Could one give a first-rate imitation
On a saw or a Steinway Grand?
Is its singing at parties a riot?
Does it only like classical stuff?
Does it stop when one wants to quiet?
O tell me the truth about love.

I looked inside the summer-house;
It wasn't ever there:
I tried the Thames at Maidenhead,
And Brighton's bracing air.
I don't know what the blackbird sang,
Or what the tulip said;
But it wasn' in the chicken-run,
Or underneath the bed.

Can it pull extraordinary faces?
Is it usually sick on a swing?
Does it spend all its time at the races,
Or fiddling with pieces of string?
Has it views of its own about money?
Does it think Patriotism enough?
Are its stories vulgar but funny?
O tell me the truth about love.

When it comes, will it come without warning
Just as I'm picking my nose?
Will it knock on the door in the morning,
Or tread in the bus on my toes?
Will it come like a change in the weather?
Will its greeting be courteous or rough?
Will it alter my life altogether?
O tell me the truth about love.

Our team's journey to Dakshin Chitra

2008-10-18T06:31:00.000-07:00

Team TA- A journey to Dakshina Chitra and beyond

This is an account of the Talent Acquisition team’s visit to Dakshina Chitra – an authentic glimpse of the richness of South Indian architecture and a celebration of the magic of artistry.

This is a journey that will hold significance in the many memories that we shared together. In the many puzzles and questions that were resolved, in the quest to find purpose and meaning in our collective vision, in identifying and recognizing each others strength and in the hell of a joy ride we had.

You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth

Dakshina Chitra is a 1.5 hour drive from Chennai on the ECR highway and the route is marked by many a reflection of the bounties of nature that have been carefully laid out as gifts to us. In Dakshina Chitra, one finds architectural depictions of the houses that our ancestors built. Houses that were the soul of the families - which nurtured and cherished their dreams, their culture, beliefs, traditions, their occupation and provided them a self sustainable livelihood.

From the granaries to the cowsheds to the safes that held the families wealth-These abodes are testament to some of the most well preserved reflections of the victories of the human spirit which all of us today and the generations to follow can connect with and learn from. The soul or essence of existence is captured in the simplicity, strength and sincere attempt to replicate life as it were in the past.

For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life’s procession, that matches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite.

When you work you are the flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music.

Which of you would be a reed, dumb and silent, when all else sings together in unison?

Staying in Dakshina Chitra, meant being one with nature. From the practiced patience of the potter to the restless energy of the drummer, every artist who resides in Dakshina Chitra has a story to tell and share- Stories that would never cease to inspire or influence.

The peace and contentment that we felt collectively as people who belong to the same life blood were distinct and unique to the character at Dakshina Chitra. Everytime we failed at learning a new form of expression say making a pot or painting the pot, we would realize the intent and passion that the artist who guided us did – his never ending thirst to create the most perfect artifact, respect and acceptance of nature and a need to recognize the uniqueness of each creation. The potter paid equal attention to every pot he made irrespective of it being a replica of the earlier one.

The most important lesson we learnt- a true artist never measured his effort through the lens of monetary benefits like many of us would, but with the value that a creator can only feel at his creation having formed as a translation of what he perceived it as, in his mind’s eye. Perhaps, all the artists around would agree with Van Gogh when he said “I dream my painting and paint my dream”.

We also realized that each of us were artists in our own right, doing what best we could and ensuring that at the end of the day we would be grateful for the fruitful moments we created during its course. We understood too that the pride one feels for one’s profession is innate and in tune with Nature’s need to allow each of us to perform that specific role that we are responsible for.

Always you have been told that work is a curse and labour a misfortune.

But I say to you that when you work you fulfill a part of earth’s furthest dream,
Assigned to you when the dream was born,
And in keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life,

And to love life through labour is to be intimate with life’s inmost secret.

Many a times, in a journey there are unexpected forks and deviations in the path with no clear indication of the destination. Being an enabling function is hard because not many within the organisation or outside would understand the efforts that we make towards the pursuit of excellence. Many friends have asked me as to what a HR professional does? Their opinions are on the lines of - you have a bindaas role all that you need to do is communicate effectively (read smooth talk your way out of situations! J) and half your battles are won.

On the contrary, being part of recruitment is dynamic and challenging. There are many key performance indicators which are to be constantly measured and surpassed. Many a times these KPIs are driven by external conditions and stakeholders we cannot anticipate or address in real time. It could be the US economy, it could be Mexico’s abundance of human resources at lower costs, it could be the resurgence of a legacy skill none of us ever anticipated a client to request for, or it could be our next door neighbor looking for the same skilled resources we are in need of. Any of you may ask, how does it matter? It does matter as it affects the very responsible role of organisation building. It affects our bottom-line as much as loosing a long cherished client.

Everytime we postpone an event due to lack of interview panels, everytime we miss talking to a candidate who was offered a position in our organisation, it not only affects the tangibles which include cost, infrastructure and time but intangibles such as candidate experience and exposure and candidate’s perception to an organisation we proudly represent.

Thus it becomes more and more important for us to reflect on the road ahead, to increase our dependence on tools, subsystems and technology such that experiences are not only effortless but also efficient. Program management is as much our cuppa chai as it is to a technology expert or project manager. Metrics, cost, speed, accuracy are equally important and go hand in hand with ensuring candidate delight and sensitivity in all our interactions. It’s a fine mix of both reason and passion. Reason as we have to evaluate every step we take objectively and passion as our interactions are about being humble, accommodative and enterprising. Quite a juggling act!

We relooked at our vision as we traveled together. With the lessons of interactions we had with the artists acting as inspiration, we spent time in reflecting and identifying each others strengths and weaknesses. We had many candid conversations which may not have been possible if we were with in our bays at work. From discussing online recruitment models to envisioning an affective assessment mechanism to discussing sourcing channels to understanding the dynamics of vendor empanelment and engagement we realized that work could be more fun than fun. The innumerable possibilities held promise. At the same time we reflected on how people within our extended families were affected when we worked non stop during weekends or when we traveled to different locations. That interdependency is nature’s way of ensuring balance was also emphasized during these discussions and interactions.

We also understood why we had such beautiful values of CLASS to fall back on – from waiting for each other at breakfast to burying each other on the beach, to riding around in a multiseater auto, to negotiating for the best table with a view of the sand, the sea and a star kissed sky, to loaning money to each other as we shopped like never before and haggling for each other from mithais to murals, to dancing away with the drummers in the spirit of dussera, to having sack races on the beach we had our precious family moments.

With Sanjay being the father figure an excellent leader and a spiritual guide whose work is always in the Glory of the Lord, to Ashish being his witty and charishmatic self, to Sangeetha whose warmth and spirit that reflected in all that she did, to Rashmi who let us bury her and is the best sport one could ever have, to Sharon who rode alongside as I shivered in fright at the moods of the Horse I rode, to Rao, George and Chaitanya who kept their vigilant and watchful eye in protecting us and took our shopping counsel, to the hilarious and gifted Naveen who tapped his feet away better than a Kollywood star, the journey is always about the people – this is a family which will stand by each other through thick and thin , will trust and accept judgements and will collectively work towards the goals that where defined together. It’s also a family which believes that our DNA is relived in every interaction and most importantly one which will embrace each other’s individualism in driving towards collectivism.

Once we came back there was a renewed rigour to achieve and excel. Plan meetings had an element of humor as we carried warm memories alongside a focus that was clear and well defined. Every team grows into a family when it shares beyond the four walls of office and accepts that as individuals we will remain different but as a team and under able leadership and guidance we will excel beyond the differences.

In summation I think we are a reflection of Tom Peters views on stellar teams- "Stellar teams are invariably made up of quirky individuals who typically rub each other raw, but they figure out – with the spiritual help of a gifted leader – how to be their peculiar selves and how to win championships as a team...at the same time."

PS: Pics of Dakshin Chitra -http://picasaweb.google.com/goolyaharsha/DakshinChitra#

Chances,choices and chemistry

2008-09-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

Trays are a beautiful channel through which one can make may connections- they could be of any shape, size, form and weight but the weight they add to relationships is significant :) NOW how absurd can that get!

Think about it!

If you are a South Indian woman in the ripe marriageable age of 22+, a tray can b one of the significant stars that change your destiny especially if you want to follow the traditional path of finding joy in finding a partner through rituals :)

Yes, choices is all that one has to take- to either be the one holding the tray or not holding it- i wanna call this unique experience a 'tray session' though I haven't had more than a couple of them as some unforeseen circumstances put a sudden break to the significance of the tray... However, I can very well understand the circumstances, the pressure, the pleasantries and the flow of snacks and fruits that both the potential in law families have to become part of! In the drama of life, this is one of the most hilarious yet life altering experiences one can have...

A friend once told me that the best elimination question one could use was to say, 'Coffee/Tea or me?' :):)

If the guy on the other side of the tray didn't give u those weird frowns that make him look older or severe and has that sheepish silly grin, hes someone you should probably have a conversation with :):)

Well! now about the chances bit- probability is one of my favorite subjects in Maths- how does one know if the probability of an event is '0' or '1' especially in the case of finding the right life partner? Guess the best of mathematicians would blame it on the stars :)

Now back to the tray- should one wear this color, those clothes, talk about that subject or should one be quiet, concerned and waiting for the other to start of a conversation? Should one shortlist someone on their profile, more a CV of studied here, is working there and looks relatively close to that wonderfully well made GK Vale picture is upto individuals.... i.e. where the chemistry bit works- u just know at one go that a certain combination works better than the rest and then one also knows that if things really have to end up being a fairy tale the other two Cs become more important- Commitment and Compassion...

One has to be compassionate to tolerate another's idiosyncrasies, a need to laugh out loud like a hyena, a need to call close friends nick names and probably flirt with them, a need to bring the table down by one's clumsiness, a need to go bersek with one's loud dressing, or a need to just get soooo quiet that the silence may stifle..one cant walk with or without the tray hehehe if one cant wait for life to unfold the beauty of togetherness :)

P.A.S.S.I.O.N

2008-09-11T05:22:00.000-07:00

The week that went by seems to be one of the most inspiring one's that I could recall.

Children of teachers would identify how important the 5th of September is for their parents. I cant recall of a 5th which didnt have a student giving my mother something, or saying something that would make her smile like a Cheshire cat that Alice would bump into - there were many anecdotes that we grew up with which were interesting,inspiring and at times hilarious! :)

This year it was extra special as we celebrated 'Learner's Day' at work. Was fortunate to have accompanied a colleague to receive and host the guest of the day and his family.Proff.Anil Gupta is one of the few people who invokes a sense of responsibility and ignites a spark of energy within anybody who meets him within a short span of time. Having lived a life of example, hes an example to people who are committed to causes they are interested in despite the many constraints that many of us shy away from. Proff Gupta is an evangelist who has done extensive research and has helped many a rural innovations become acceptable in mainstream - read more on http://www.sristi.org/ What was further inspiring about Dr Gupta was his view towards life itself, he conversed with us about a concept called 'fun economy' imagine if one had to create more fun to receive fun- the world would be a much happier and peaceful place :) His wisdom also simplified the essence of life where he described it as an intersection of living, loving and learning. I couldn't agree any less and I must be forever indebted toProff for this profound and powerful message.

My observations of him made me feel more comfortable with the unanswered questions of my life as it helped me understand that time would allow things to reveal themselves. His grandson was a bundle of energy with whom I enjoyed playing, the flood of questions, the logical sequence of them and the ever observant and kind eyes that held me made me see the world through the eyes of the little boy. His daughter in law's sister who happens to be a filmmaker and writer made me realise that if one had the drive and passion to do the things they wanted to the world would stop and take notice.

With the joy of these learnings i stepped into my Saturday where I enjoyed a movie - 'Rock On' whose script was a tempered mix of energy, beliefs and realism just like the multiple notes of music that define the foundation o the movie :) Movies like rock on work not because they are the most perfect, but because they are the one's that one could identify with and would recognise as movies with a heart :) Arjun Rampal definitely raced into many of our hearts by carrying his beautiful tresses with panache - only hope that most men don't get overtly inspired and become bad imitations hehehe but the best performer in the movie would undoubtedly be Farhan Akhtar- we all knew he could direct- now we know he could sing and act equally well! Luke is the most convincing rocker and Purab was the most endearing and hilarious of the foursome. Prachi as a debutant was very subtle and played a supporting and strengthening role! Apart from the cast, the screenplay and the symbolism used in the movie is to be noted too - the bus stop board over Arjun's head has 'exhale inhale' on it suggesting his state of mind and the picture of the music director with Javed Akhtar made me laugh out loud :) Ill watch it again soon :)Keep rocking team rock on! hehehe (my grammar teacher would've a fit at the redundancies in my statements :))

As a toast to the wonderful things happening in and around me- 2 of my friends hosted a reception to celebrate their wedding - one of the most well planned and beautiful events in recent times. They have always been a couple whose creativity, sense o well being and innocence has made most of us who know them embrace them with gay abandon. Cheers to many more beautiful memories dear Venks and Pallu :):)

Now for the rainfall of these words that went pattar pattar recounting the many memories that I hold dear, i wanna decipher my interpretation of passion

P- purpose
A- acceptance
S-simplicity
S-sincerity
I-inclination to believe in the power of the unknown
O-Om
N-negativity eliminated

All the above words only keep giving me one message keep writing and cherishing!

One of the best forwards I recieved

2008-09-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

Here’s a poem by a teenager whose terminally ill..I think its one of the most beautiful poem’s I have read:

Have you ever watched kids, On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain, Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down. Don't dance so fast.
Time is short. The music won't last.

Do you run through each day On the fly?
When you ask How are you? Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores, Running through your head?
You'd better slow down, Don't dance so fast.
Time is short, The music won't last.

Ever told your child, We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste, Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time, To call and say,'Hi'
You'd better slow down. Don't dance so fast.
Time is short. The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through yourday,
It is like an unopened gift.... Thrown away.
Life is not a race. Do take it slower
Hear the music, Before the song is over.

Excerpts from’ The Four Manifestations of Beauty’ and my little prayer(24/Aug/08)

2008-08-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

With any form of beauty there are four levels of ability. This is true of painting, calligraphy, literature, music, dance….

The first level is called Competence-
The ability to draw the same thing over and over in the same strokes, with the same force, the same rhythm, the same trueness. This kind of beauty is ordinary.

The second level is called Magnificent-
This one goes beyond skill. Its beauty is unique – it conveys both strength and solitude. A lesser painting can capture one quality and not the other.

The third level is called Divine-
It’s like a painting of leaves – leaves which are visible only as shadows blown by an invisible wind, the stalk being more a suggestion of what is missing. And yet the shadows are more alive than the original leaves that obscured light. A person seeing it will be wordless to describe how this is done. Try as he might, the same painter cannot capture the feeling of this painting, only a shadow of the shadow

The fourth level is greater- it is within each mortal’s nature to find it. We can sense it only if we do not try to sense it. It occurs without motivation or desire or knowledge of what may result. It is pure. It is what innocent people have. It is what old masters regain once they have lost their minds and become young children again. If for ex: one looks at a painting of an Oval- it’s titled inside the middle of a Bamboo stalk – It is the oval that one would see inside-either looking up or down. It is the simplicity of being within, no reason or explanation for being there. It is natural wonder that anything exists in relation to another, an inky oval to a page of white paper, a person to a bamboo stalk, the viewer to the stalk – this fourth level is called Effortless

Krishna,

In our quest to become competent we fail to notice the power of the Effortless,
In all the beauty you sow, we seek many manifestations,
Some shallow, some deep, and some unreal,
The quest of the Divine,
Becomes timeless and all consuming,
Its magnificence is hard to resist yet difficult to gain…

Help us to walk towards you with the effortlessness of the flute that makes music out of the notes of ones breath,
Every single breath is yours alone and yours forever,
In the joy of those notes envelop and embrace us,
Such that we cease all mortal competition

Divine is thee,
Divine are we,
Prayer to you will be,
Effortlessly let us celebrate the you in we..

Age old/old age

2008-08-27T05:25:00.001-07:00

A friend asked me how the day went b y and I said- another day another year to a Bday I had celebrated recently..I believe that Bday are truly those days when one seems to be Born at the right time and hour- a day when time somehow feels like at a standstill,
the beauty of the past and the warmth of the future- all cascading,
when all excuses are accepted in good cheer,
when the world seems like its on a happy high and with you being the kind bouncer letting stags, underage kids, uncles,aunties, penniless, penniful, weight watchers, weight gainers get drunk on happinessJJ

In one’s abundant generosity also lies one’s need to relive good old traits of curiosity and mischief – I troubled my brother no end until he bought me a gift of my choice and made him indulge in the sin of gluttony knowing too well that he was invited to a sinful dinner, If he already had a quota of gluttony chalked out for the day would twice the sin matter!!! And besides when I was sailing in the same boat, didn’t I deserve company- afterall blood aint thicker for nothing!

We watched Dark knight together and I must say I would eat outta Ledger’s hand if he were alive- Gods justice is ironical, when people alive struggle to develop talent- he takes away people with exceptional effortless talent- Guess its his way of saying- there there hold it! Due to budgetary constraints, the light of the end of the tunnel will be turned off until further notice!

Atleast my vote would be to pray the budget will seem rosier post the American Presidential elections and we could hope that people would go back to their attention to Hollywood and nominate dear old Ledger for his name under the Oscar Sun- albeit its warmth and power would accord him no relative comfort!

And the day ends with repeat gluttonous indulgences along with an army of cheerful friends who wouldn’t mind the extra pounds as they have always believed that its directly proportional to my happiness and they were in the right spirits to buy me an interesting and funny book- ‘the Zoya factor’ which I finished in record time as I couldn’t resist the laughs and wanted to remain on my happiness high through the year as the day went by and normalcy had set in with longer faces, dark circles, round middles, dirty potholes, jumpy tempers, crazy and whacky drunkards-all coming back- cud I just choose to relive my BDay every single day until the next one or should I go about thinking up or compiling quotes like the following and just have a funny silly laugh..hehehe??? both is how human one can be-

Age is something that doesn’t matter unless you are cheese

There is still no cure for the common Birthday

There are 3 stages of man: he believes in Santa Claus; he doesn’t believe in Santa Claus; he is Santa Claus

Old age isn’t so bad if you consider the available alternative

Maturity is a high price to pay for growing up

The old believe everything;the middle age suspect everything;the young know everything

Lessons the river taught

2008-08-27T05:19:00.000-07:00

Imagine if birds were tickled by feathers,
One would see a flock of birds fly by laughing hysterically…

This and many more thoughts – some serious some others not so (I wonder y thoughts should ever b classified, isn’t there more humor in them than any relative value shouldnt the mind buzz continuously akin to the breathlessness tat continues to remind us of the life within us???) ran through the little radius of grey matter that my head held as we walked through the wilderness at 6.30AM through the jungles of Dandeli with our guide Manjunath. The drizzle that accompanied us made us appreciate the natural hues and the relative shades between the leaves of different species of trees and the collective splendor they held.

For someone accustomed to walking a stretch of road that keeps getting a painful and expensive root canal, the sharp contrast of the jungle – its pure crooked smile of little rivulets flowing in between, its eternal beauty manifesting in all life forms around –
From the many trees that stood embracing the sky as if holding it in a firm grip and ensuring the mischievous sun wouldn’t strike his playful and at times severe rays on us,
From teaks that were worth a few lakhs to Rose wood whose value was like an irritating tick on the back of one’s neck-many locals in their ignorance and greed scratching and prying over it to sell it like a tick that has insurmountable value and once disposed would be easily forgotten,
To the herd of deer who followed the lead of the handsome stag who shielded them from all danger,
To the lone jackal we caught sight of,
To the secretive and hidden elephants whose footprints one saw in the rain soaked muddy path acting like a teaser to the curious human eye,
To the many insects and creepy crawlies who continuously tried to create an orchestra which was as contemporary as the musical fusion of Carnatic Music and death metal(nobody is crazy enuff to mix the two! Well!just a thought:)),
to the man made God form - 3 steps looking up at the divine through the beams that fell at an angle and the beautiful expanse of the sky as colorful as a palette of multiple hues that sun the painter held and kept dabbling with as they became one and the more- it was a canvas sooo far that the human could not see, and sooo dynamic that it felt like an equation that became equal to null and infinity together
– the balance between strength and delicacy manifesting itself over and over reemphasizing that in contradictions are all forms and formless bound/unbound…

Bound were we with the education that Kali gave us unrequited and comforting and unbound of the clutter and clammer of the dull routines we belonged to..

The Kali jungle resort is attached to a forest reserve 240 KM wide, with 11 tigers and 35 panthers and black cobras whose numbers no one knows (some of them rumored to stand as tall as the tallest humans), with about 200 elephants that crossed paths across Karnataka, Kerala and TN covering an average of 40-50KM and joint wood spiders who taught humans to create life protecting bullet proof jackets and about 300 bird species with names as common as the woodpecker to Iora a little yellow bird- small yet significant in its brightness- she would glide by like a miniature shooting star:)

The jungle caught me in her spell- it was like a school of magic that had hidden meanings and reasons for existence- sometimes spoken some others felt and learnt through indulgences (experiments and experiences)- v ate a leaf said to have medicinal properties its bitterness and rancid taste making us spit it out half way..the pungent smell of the death of an animal making us realize that some spells could end up becoming curses and act as antidotes too -such is the essence of life- bitter sweet

Silence is not only golden its seldom misquoted is the lesson I want to carry.

With eyes wide open I tried to soak it all in, the silent comfort of being with friends who were carefree and cool, the infinite kindness of a family that hosted us and embraced us as their own, the sincere and candid confessions of a forest guide and the efforts that he believed our tourism dept made to improve his and his community’s life were all messages – Silent in their own light – powerful and significant as most of what was shared was not merely words but much deeper- it was in the concern in the eyes of a friend I knew briefly, as she looked at the many medications I had to consume, in the warmth of the household that barely knew us but allowed us become a part of their sanctum sanctorum, in the comfort that the little mouse who traveled as a co-passenger - unafraid and brave… that there was much to be held onto…these words are but empty if it weren’t for what was felt and needs to be recorded, silence she triumphs in the peace and purity of thoughts that run through the fingers that type across the keyboard…

Iora and angels

2008-08-04T06:13:00.000-07:00

'Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly,
Devils fall beacuse of their gravity'

The form, the formless, and the ones that say 'am distinctly in between' all love to wear the angels hat and fly once in a while to unknown farlands- lands that may hold enchanting beauty, or an emptyness of a thirstless desert....

In my humble quest to thrive in the angels good cheer, I set out to a beautiful river -

A river named after the Goddess that the angels both feared and loved...

I dreamt about the power of her creation- the rain pouring in a pre meditated sequence at intervals that almost seemed perfect, the river gulping all that the Rain God gave, and feeding her children- the crocodiles and the fishes, the sky mirroring the expressions of the Goddess and patiently holding us in a spell - a spell that was both magically colorful and comforting

She would hold us in her arms and we would fall into a sleep - calm and caressing...

and wake up as the children that we are- innocent and cheerful- babbling away about the food that she provided, the woods that sheltered, the birds that sang and the mountains that held our souls in balance...

Balance it was - the balance of the divine, the angel in me and the angel in her and the angel in the them...

The yellow colored 'Iora' zoomed past

Another angel -small but significant

Morning- the beginning and the end :)

2008-07-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

It was such a wonderful day, it was a pity to get up' - Somerset Maugham

The weather is wearing her magical robe and letting us rest in her lap as each day emerges with a calmness and holds its pure silence. I wake up not wanting to disturb the magic and walk out to embrace her and feel the beauty in her to an extent that I want to posess her in everything that I do.

I walk and I am awakened by the honk, by the cars that pass by, by the clock ticking away, by the sun trying to peek through the gray of the clouds, by the many birds who seem to be flying away in unison from a chaos that they don’t seem to understand –

there is a music that seems to be playing in my ears and it gets affected by the world’s knocks of attention-

I realize that there exists a mysterious yet visible line between the magic that is in me and the world’s progress in its everyday indulgences

There are times when these lines disappear as quickly as they appear :)

..and as I walked I saw a reflection - a sparkling blissful smile, bright yellow clothes and someone who could magically transform her form to entertain her fellow beings (unknowns)

She stands at the same junction each day, waiting for the traffic light to change into its bright red from its lollipop yellow to its green which seems to scream ‘go, hurry up’ but as the light pauses and comes back to the red

the girl clad in yellow dances and transforms into an acrobat worthy of an Olympic gold…

All of a sudden looses interest -
in the antics she’s painfully yet perfectly creating for the beings who stare at her in awe, with slight suspicion and sometimes disgust as she asks them for a teeny reward for her efforts..

While she looses interest in that next meal which many a strangers were responsible for rewarding

she seems to share that dream that the weather invites me into :) it seems to tell her ‘go ahead – have your fun’

she collects tiny pebbles from the street and starts throwing them at the unknowns who are collectively meditating for that switch in the color – red to green ..

When they look back in irritation, she smiles and laughs with an innocence that only the weathers magic could hold - and the irritation seems to vanish as unknown saw his/her reflection in the glint of mischief that the little girl held in her glowing eyes…

I walk on and the music is playing again and I smile at the unknowns :)

The pen and the sword

2008-07-21T01:43:00.000-07:00

A story is sometimes written less out of any real reaction to the viscera of life than it is written to relieve the anxieties of a writer

Sometimes the pen acts like a means of catharsis and reflects the mood or the state of mind of the writer. Writers - some of them I have known tend to lead an emotional life where they experience every fibre of their being and this makes them convey simple day to day instances with a power that affects the masses. For people like me who devote a few hours each day to read anything that maybe created- a writer is the ultimate guru.

Off late I read many powerful books, I call them powerful because they could invoke many emotions within me. There was a deeper message which spoke to me as I read and more importantly felt :) South of the border, west of the Sun and Sputnik Sweetheart by Murakami made me realise that dichotomy of existence is about the co-existence of pleasure and pain. Both these books had sooo much to give that its hard to describe. The author's interest in behavior, music and history acts as a pattern among the two books. For instance, I learnt about why gates were built out of the blood of dogs and bones of their ancestors in ancient China - This was to ensure that the soul of the city remains within the City. In a way the book also gave a message that if one has to make a significant difference one has to pay an equal price and sometimes contribute one's lifeblood to make an irreplaceable impact.

I read another book which will remain one of my favorites in the years to come - 'The world according to Garp' by Irving. This is a book on the life of a writer born to a world famous author who is successful for her autobiography which was the only book she ever wrote :) :) the subject becomes more and more interesting as we read through the influences in the author's life and how certain turn of events create a masterpiece. For some reason when I read this book, I thought about the parallels between lifes' of people especially in professions such as painting, writing etc and realise the deep melancholy they feel in the joy's that they create....

The Sword here is the state of a writer as he creates to recreate :):)

3 ideas – A pinch of Salt and a few grains of Sugar :)

2008-07-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons

The above quote definitely reflects multiple things:

1) Ideas are free
2) Whether synthetic or not if there is a usefulness there will be consumers and consumption is key to making any idea a successful venture
3) There is humor in the dual world of ideas :):)

Mr. P one of my dearest friends has always told me, “Harsha there a 100million others who may have had the same idea and there may be atleast a thousand of them trying to implement the idea and the idea may be at different stages of implementation”.

I absolutely agree. Its people like him who make me want to write down my thoughts on a discussion I had with another friend. He was reviewing a write- up of his friend who wanted to pursue an MBA program and had to write an essay of 250 words on - ‘How to shape the world in the future?’

Imagine the number of ideas and responses each of us would have thought of!

Well! Here’s what my head thought I should focus on if asked for an opinion. I firmly believe that if support on education, health and other existential needs were uniform, simply put all systemic support and exposure being common - and if one were to be identified as a potential leader/change agent all of us would qualify simply because every individual is capable of making a difference.

Back to my two cents on shaping the world :):)

I think AIDS has become one of the biggest pandemics in recent history and if not dealt with urgently could wipe out half of our Race. A possible mode of reducing its impact could be by legalizing prostitution around the globe. How would this make a difference? – Well! There are countries where prostitutes earn an assured some of money and are protected by the law. If there could be a clause include in the legal system where men and women prostitutes had to regularly be tested and also demand their clientele an attestation before they offer their services there could be a significant impact on the number of youngsters and sex workers dying out of AIDS. This is one of the solution areas I feel strongly about. Here in my country many of us don’t talk about sex as its considered taboo even among the urban youth.

The next idea was about making education system sustainable and value based. Again quoting my friend Mr. P, he says the best way to learn is to teach. There are some countries in the world where citizens are encouraged to contribute few hours to public service. However, many a times the effectiveness at finding benefit for their contribution may leave some people dissatisfied from an individual perspective. They are compelled to serve their socities and they may find they may not find the larger vision self serving. Its important to receive as much as one is ready to give as one cannot discount the power of the collective spirit when thinking of shaping a future. If there is no consensus and collective beliefs half our ideas will remain where they started. Ensuring that people worldwide develop a system where they can volunteer to educate each other in the subjects of choice will make a huge difference to developing countries like ours- the more and more our urban economy grows, I see that the rural economy is struggling to catchup and one good bridge could be through education. Also in a country like ours- we need to allow people who have the passion to pursue a certain area of expertise to do so by providing systems where anybody who has the inclination should be provided the support for research. Its like an umbrella of ‘Research areas’ interconnected by the energy and single minded pursuit of people genuinely interested in a subject

Thirdly and most importantly, I feel the system of Faith is depleting. As a little girl I was encouraged to learn verses and perform pooja at home. My mind is conditioned to do so everytime I am at home. The feeling of well being and contentment that I have everytime I know that the Lord is with me gives me the hope and courage to keep looking ahead and staying focused. There is a certain strength and confidence one develops when there is deep faith. The best gift we could give our world is to allow everyone the choice to believe. However, I see that there is a challenge attached to it as many of us think that faith and belief is about religion- if we do so we are limiting ourselves and creating divides/ barriers and boundaries. To each his own and to his own shall he carve his path

Hmmm..the above thoughts of mine grew because of my discussion with my friend..these thoughts aren’t unique nor are they measurable from an impact perspective they are ideas that we could look at if we really think we could shape the future- Again that is my belief :):)

F.R.I.E.N.D.S - Cheers!!!

2008-07-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

" Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience - an ideal life" Mark Twain

Well! a quote that goes well with my life:) A good book and a great friend would make my day anyday:)

2 weeks ago, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon I spent time with my dear friends from school-Rashu, Forlin, Pavi, Sabbu and Shabbu.

Each of them are like multiple flavors - flavors that are distinct yet powerful :) they contribute to making a delight outta my Life :)

They are funny and fabulous at the same time...

Rashu - soft spoken and gentle, always lending an ear and ensuring that we all met, her belief in maktub has made us all believe in the power of the stars :)

Forlin- beautiful and charming, an angel whose joie de vivre is infectious- her anecdotes kept us going :)

Pavi - simple and sensitive, her natural talent for dancing is evident in the many expressions that spread a smile on all our faces- she was and will be the one we would all take care of (being a few months younger definitely helps sweetz)

Sabbu-versatile, sensible and definitely one whose grit is evident in the many things she pursues - she added the japanese dimension to the lunch- her life in Japan and interactions with them clearly made us realise that they cannot be as identical as they seem :)

Shabbu- silent is what one would percive but shes one witty miss :) she laughs or lets call it giggles and the world giggles with her..pretty and precious as ever!

Elements was where we met where the food had succinct flavors which made us go yummmmyummm followed by a walk in the park which brought back many memories -of groups we belonged to, lunches we had, moral science classses and.... the animal models strewn around brought out the story teller in each of us :)

A chance bumping into another friend who seemed more shocked than surprised to see all of us together after soo many years and a few pics in the school that we all went to... the day ended pleasantly with a slight drizzle which added to the spring in our step as we continue to dance to the tune of friendship...

A funny quote to end this memorable record -"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked."

Her painting

2008-07-09T02:15:00.000-07:00

She is curious, observant and mischievous,

Her energy and smile can drive one mad,

She will never take no for an answer,

And her strength never seizes to amaze us ordinary souls…

I am talking here of a friend who is differentially abled. Working with her has been a blessing because it helps me realize my limitations and weaknesses - She held steadfact to a paintbrush even as her hand shook and made the finer details come alive :) …She is mute and cannot speak nor hear -these two constraints may prevent her from easily connecting with people.

However, she can talk- talk more powerfully than most of us through her paintings and she knows exactly what she wants to convey…no inhibitions, no diplomacy, no confusions, she will say it as is and the pure flow of thought and expression makes me sing praises to the Lord …

I thank him for people like her -confident and sure footed and devoid of the dark cloudy thoughts many of us feel…

I am thankful that she’s patient with me when I communicate through my eyes and expressions or when I am limited to communicate through paper,

I am thankful that she doesn’t complain about my handwriting, and seems to understand everything I write,

I am thankful for her optimism as she feels that her smile and goodwill will be felt through the colors in her painting ( her belief in personal touch inspires me)

I am thankful for all that she symbolizes – purity, joy and hope - all things we all speak of but struggle for, and cant hold onto even when we are embraced by them

I wanted to blog this awhile ago - but felt it maybe sensitive... again my manipulative mind worrying about consequences and other peoples interpretations

in being with people like her God allows me some opportunities to raise above myself…and am thankful….

Panchabhutas- A dance performance

2008-07-07T23:13:00.000-07:00

Indian belief associates the origin of life with the five basic elements – PanchaBhutas – Namely Prithvi (earth), Jal (water), Tejas (fire), Vayu (air), and Akash (ether) Each of the elements has its own unique rhythm, sound, color, emotion, quality and nature and it is said that the human ‘soul’ experiences pleasure and pain through them. These elements are thus kept in a certain balance in the universe and the body lacking which can cause natural disasters or diseases. The Indian system of belief in Divinity also worships the divine as a manifestation of these basic elements.

Together we all made a humble attempt to share our interpretation of the Panchabhutas through this performance which has derived its inspiration from Bhartanatyam and kathak dance forms.
Hope you recognise me :):)

FYH - for your humor hehehe

2008-07-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

The trouble with words are that you never know in whose mouth they have been in :):)

action items on thoughts of my dear bangalore :)

2008-06-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I felt I hit the wall, I wrote soooo many words again not knowing conclusively where it would go--its like being in the middle of a junction and finding the right road to choose to reach a specific junction...

After careful consideration of options, I decided I had to take volunteerism as seriously as the questions I tried to seek answers to..its not enough if one write about issues or NGOs/Non profit organisations and then say I did my bit..so what could i do which would contribute to visible change?

I did attend an orientation program for teaching 7th and 8th grade students through the Baalajanaagraha program, but it was more out of curiosity, but today after two days of careful reading up of available resources and views of people who have been a part of this program I have decided to volunteer 45 mins of my weekend to this program where I will learn from the fertile minds of children and understand Citizenship and democracy better. I have always wanted to teach as teaching is a profession which would allow a hitchiker of knowledge to remain satiated through the journey of life :)

I am looking forward to this journey and wish that I could do much more - but I guess sometimes journeys are meant to be one step at a time...However, if you would want to do something on similar lines you may look at multiple opportunities available at http://www.janaagraha.org/

Power of the People ( thoughts on my dear Bangalore)

2008-06-28T05:06:00.000-07:00

Broader scope:

Why do we tend to follow the leanings and manifesto of Obama and McCain better than the Manifestos of our leaders?

What does - I don't think I should vote because every candidate that contests in an election is bad and more corrupt, mean?

More myopic level:

How many of us know the ward number that we belong to?

How many of us understand that we belong to one among 145 wards in Bangalore city?

How many of us understand what a ward means?

What does citizenship mean to you and me?

Do we understand the How behind many rudimentary needs of our existence, especially details with respect to local surroundings and needs for ex: do we know who is responsible for garbage disposal?who is responsible for changing the street lights in our locality? the storm water collection drains which are on our roads and we misuse them for disposing waste and assume that its under the BWSSB jurisdiction - do we realise that the water collected out of here is not treated but directly harvested as rain water?

Many such question were asked through the day today and I was embarrassed by my ignorance. I claim to love my country but don't know if I love the Government that I was responsible for electing. I want to act like an 'arm chair critic' and do nothing about the many complaints I have with our governance and with the ignorance that I have towards questions like the above...

Until today, I didn't really think too much about giving more than I can take but when I realised that there are many positives happening around - like say the Central Govt under its Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission has allocated a whopping amount of money to improve my existence I felt like revelation happened. What could I do from a self deterministic perspective to spread the word?...I had volunteered earlier and written many words but did I wait to see if those words impacted or made a difference or did I drift away having done what I could and not looking back...

I slowly started recording my answers - Citizenship to me means collective collaboration which is critical to one's quality of life...this was just a subset as I realised when many friends discussed what it meant to each of us - the scope in itself is enormous its everything to do from the level of self to the globe itself :) No man is an island and the more he builds systems/ecosystems the more responsible he becomes to all that surrounds him. Responsibility is bidirectional and cohesive, one doesn't elect and forget, one elects to engage to improve ones state of existence...

How does one go from a state of being informed to being responsible and active to utilising that information. Shouldn't citizenship permit one's knowledge to translate into action? Action that could make a difference?

Butter and Mashed banana

2008-06-28T04:27:00.000-07:00

Hmmm...I know the title sounds interesting :)

It was of an equally interesting theater performance by a group called ' Harami Theatres' hehehe..I know that sounds hilarious too..However, I must say the cast which comprised of 4 artists were exceptionally talented...

I had the opportunity to spend a nice Thursday evening enjoying this well scripted play which brought out the multiple gifts of the actors involved. What I noticed first about this production which I mentioned to a friend - was that the stage was sparse and didn't have too many props, and the title itself of the play which made us (me and a friend) observe that most titles these days especially of plays have revolved around food :)

The curiosity was there and the observation on the props made me comment that the actors do have spunk as its difficult to hold the attention of the audience if the stage was as sparse - clearly these actors have a difficult job as it wouldn't be easy to keep a group of people entertained for an hour without anything else to distract us with...

Well! the performance held us all in a spell especially the use of song and dance - made it seem like a musical, very witty and humorous..the abrupt end to the play which some people did mention about left our grey cells on overdrive and that was the beauty of the production..I wouldn't rate it exceptional but i would definitely call it a good one...it dealt with multiple topics- topics of importance - politics and censorship - however, very well delivered and written...

These days seem to be like life's giving me all the best it can offer- plenty of work to do, things to have fun through and all along meeting interesting and energetic people...definitely the more one is involved, more will life inspire :)

Watching another play tomorrow by one of my favorite groups- Evam..will write about it as well!

My prayer

2008-06-25T22:12:00.000-07:00

O God, give us serenity to accept what cannot be changed.
Courage to change what should be changed, and Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

The above prayer was a consequence of a verse I read in the Gita and the many day to day observations that I see and feel. For some reason change and its constancy has put many of us in a state of discomfort.

Sometimes, insecurities come to the fore and comparisons and competitiveness seem to block the effective acceptance of change, and connecting that change to productivity becomes a challenge. Oftentimes, its noticed that whenever there is a change there is a silght dip in the process as people have to become accustomed to change. In the end, one accepts it as there is no other go!

I recall a dialogue in Sarkar Raj where Mr. Bacchan replies to his wife when she refers to the world changing that - 'If I change alongwith the times, how do I know that the world is changing'. There is a certain element of duality and contradiction in this statement as he admits that he should be a part of it but first wants to view its impact to become a part of it..typically, most of us due to our primeval need to survive, react in the same manner. Only once it impacts us do we want to become a part of a change :) Again, this is a pattern where we focus only on the short term needs of present state of exisitence.

Whether there is a change or not, shouldnt we all allow a natural flow of improvement to happen around us. If one were to reach a state of being impervious, inspiration could be drawn from the following verse:

There has never been a time when you and I have not existed,

Nor will there be a time when we will cease to exist.

As the same person inhabits the body through childhood, youth, and old age,

So too at the time of death he attains another body.

The wise are not deluded by these changes.

- Sri Krishna

think think :)

2008-06-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

Had some more thoughts on 'deep think' :)

I spent Sunday with someone I consider my Guru and mentor and he told me that as people grow w.r.t their roles they want more and more time where they can experience silence..if they could find a few moments of silence each day, it would help them plan things better..I cannot but agree!

Management happens naturally to all of us, we exist because we decide to manage our life's..whatever the circumstance we seem to want to control the flow of our life, every interaction holds a meaning of its own, every gesture, every transaction, every conversation hold a purpose to one's existence itself..

but what is the boundary to existentialism??? or should there exist a boundary? When each of us choose to define our boundaries, would we create a distinct individualism - one which is truly us...

If I were to define what I want from my life - it would be very simple - I want to do everything that I love doing, and want to do everything I do with love :)

My life is managed by me usually by keeping this broad thought in mind :) Each of us will have our own definitions and that contributes to the harmony of existence...

Setting expectations from anyone would only lead to limiting one's freedom of thought and expression..

If Managers need to be innovative and think deeply, why do we have to debate the need for them to think..they will, if they feel the need to or if they are shaken enough that they cant survive their old systems and processes..

many a times change happens as people want to catch up with it :) Lets allow the moments of Silence as individual space and wait for the already intelligent human mind to gear up!

think :)

2008-06-21T04:02:00.000-07:00

I read an interesting write up on the topic - Why don't managers think deeply?

Found 102 comments and wondered as to why all of us say certain things but do something else :) Are we meant to be that way or has it gotta do with thinking deeply at all...many experts have posted their comments, however, I wonder at how scary it is to be asking a question such as this???

Does it mean managers are supposed to think deeper than the rest of us or should we assume that thinking has to be measurable and linked to outcomes all the time :) what would happen to an insignificant blog such as this if i wondered if all my posts were deep enough???

Why should we expect people to think in a certain manner if they are playing a certain role professionally?

If all of us are equally endowed with a mind that can think, what does deep thinking mean?

And whom are we measuring today's managers against? Why so much of a focus on a manager's role? Are we trying to overemphasise their importance?

And if its only about managers - all that would differentiate the good from the great would be their decisiveness, their emotional maturity and their communication abilities...if as the article states this is about patterning metaphors, shouldn't this patterning only act as a trigger to decision making and how does it relate to the deepness of one's thought..if today someone has researched and found a finite solution to 70% of behavioral patterns and interpretation of metaphors and is glad with the commonality, what happens to the significant 30% and the differences that aren't considered...Aren't we becoming prescriptive of one's definition of 'Deep thinking' :):)

On a lighter note, sometimes would it be nice if we could use our mind as a clean slate where we delete all thoughts - thoughts powerfully positive and negatively bombastic :) extreme views of mine (they are thoughts of this nutty mind and shall remain only with me..hehehe) coming back to the slate if we had a mind where we could clean all our thoughts out and then reload fresh new thoughts which are customised to come out with creative, over the top ideas, yet packaged to be implementable and practical enough to not be time consuming..wow what a beautiful mind - a mind that thinks "deeply"...

Back to the actual link that made me think of posting this...

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5952.html

Maula Mere

2008-06-21T03:28:00.000-07:00

They lifted their hands in unison,
tapping their feet to the rhythm of the cymbals,
looking high above them,
they looked esoteric and gay...

Whom did they reach out to?
what did they hold?
why did they feel such bliss and peace?
where did they see themselves?
how could they feel all that they felt together - together in the midst of strangers...

Were they bewitched by the beauty of the Lord and his leelas depicted on the paintaings in the cieling? or were they in the midst of a painiting that they created for themselves somewhere within their sub concious that made them sway in unison...

I watched as an onlooker and felt a joy that cant be described...

I sat in silence during the waking hours listening to the chants of the prabhus and the temple had a life of its own talking to me, filling me with the gift of rhythm and sense of well being, energy flowed and trasnformed me into my heaven, a heaven where i saw the lord with Radha...As the dwara opens I walk and look in awe at Him with his Shakti (Radha) and feel a sense of surrender- a surrender so beautiful tat it liberates...

Maybe its the same surrender that made the people surrounding rejoice and connect - connect beyond the limitations and frail differences that we as mortals ordained..all dance as equals...

I walk out and feel that I gained and lost everything in that moment as an onlooker...

The radio plays Maula mere and I relate it to the beauty of Radha and think of this verse where Krishna describes Radha lovingly- "Although the effulgence of the moon is brilliant initially at night, in the daytime it fades away. Similarly, although the lotus is beautiful during the daytime, at night it closes. But, O My friend, the face of My most dear Srimati Radharani is always bright and beautiful, both day and night. Therefore, to what can Her face be compared?" (Vidagdha-madhava 5.20) truly her divine beauty is captured in the power of the melody of this wonderful song...

Response

2008-06-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

God has built a system (product) to do all these with enough emotional stabilities; unfortunately, He didn't create proper carrier for the emotions, and has made it more complicated by assigning the emotional intensity level differently among us. Your thoughts are good. Other creatures in our environment do act according to certain collective stability (don't know whether it is emotion though). Such as ants; the movements of ants are in such a way that they do understand the who is in front and in back, and sometime even scarifies the life for the entire ants colony!

These are the thoughts of an individual I do not know today and may not know tomorrow..the beauty of a medium like this is that systems get created where thoughts of similar kind collide, mull and sometimes may conclude - but most often leave threads which may never end up taking any form....

dear friend,

I agree that somewhere we tend to not show enough respect or value to the beauty and knowledge that nature holds. If we were to listen to the inner voice that guides all beings, we would probably become like the ants or the many other animals or birds which live lives as a perfect harmony with what nature intended all of us to do :)

Imagine if we listened to the rays of the sun and the intensity of its light to schedule our food intake during the day, if we could lead our lives on the basis of each season to grow our food, to nurture our little ones, to protect each other and to clock our minds with the time clock that Nature has already provided.

We would be able to understand unity for what it means, collective, collaborative efforts for what they could achieve, and respect the similarities and differences equally, the world would be at peace and would understand the hum of silence as it sang to us through Nature itself...

From an Indian context many gurus/sacred saints have meditated in the quest to connect with the Nature around them which is equated to divinity itself. I agree again with your thoughts and wish to hear more on similar lines...

Gin soaked boy :)

2008-06-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

These are the lyrics of a cute country song called gin soaked boy by divine comedy…many a times this is a song I identify with :)

U may find the lyrics interesting..hehehe

Im the darkness in the light
Im the leftness in the right
Im the rightness in the wrong
Im the shortness in the long
Im the goodness in the bad
Im the saneness in the mad
Im the sadness in the joy
Im the gin in the gin-soaked boy

Im the ghost in the machine
Im the genius in the gene
Im the beauty in the beast
Im the sunset in the east
Im the ruby in the dust
Im the trust in the mistrust
Im the trojan horse in troy
Im the gin in the gin-soaked boy

Im the tigers empty cage
Im the mysterys final page
Im the strangers lonely glance
Im the heros only chance
Im the undiscovered land
Im the single grain of sand
Im the christmas morning toy
Im the gin in the gin-soaked boy

Im the world youll never see
Im the slave youll never free
Im the truth youll never know
Im the place youll never go
Im the sound youll never hear
Im the course youll never steer
Im the will youll not destroy
Im the gin in the gin-soaked boy

Im the half-truth in the lie
Im the why not in the why
Im the last roll of the die
Im the old school in the tie
Im the spirit in the sky
Im the catcher in the rye
Im the twinkle in her eye
Im the jeff goldblum in the fly

Who am i?

Into the Light

2008-06-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

I am like most women well heeled,
But pathetic behind the wheel :)

As I travel to work each day, 14 kms in all by the 3 wheeled transport of an autorickshaw, I get to understand and talk to people of all kinds. I feel a special bond with most of my fellowbeings during the commute :)...the collective emotion we feel when we are all struck in traffic, the abuse that touches the tip of one's tongue but doesnt come out as we dont want to draw attention to ourselves, the stickiness at the nape of one's neck especially during summer, or the discomfort in bargaining for a rick when the roads are flooded and rain pours its anger on us...

As i feel i also think, at times I amuse myself by imagining what could be the vehicle of each person on the road :) Every God in our scriptures has an appropriate vahan, if we were to choose one of our own, would it be a bird, a mouse, an elephant or a clever fox??? the mind just doesnt stop working and the amusement is soo engaging that I loose myself in the tales I spin around complete strangers...

But there are times when I do think, think like the gyaanis and wonder...y cant we develop a system of emotional stability? Why cant we focus our emotions on positive thoughts and try to make little differences, why cant we address little hiccups on roads by building a collective bond...instead of wasting ones mind and thoughts on abuses and blame game shouldnt we focus on thinking how we could change things around us???

The grandparents who gave us our values are not there for our little ones - as our parents continue to drive the material bandwagon...

The teachers who were parents during most part of our day are busy hopping jobs and take teaching as a profession only as a stop gap professional choice, before they could get into better roles and job opportunities

The really dedicated teachers are often neglected or become victims of politics in the functioning of the institutes they represent

There is a poet, an artist in that techie whose job everyone envies but only does the individual know that he doesnt love what he does...

Will we ever a build an emotional system where our children arent forced
to flaunt the toys(gadgets) they own
or talk of the cars their parents bought or
the vacations they went to or
the many things that give them a particular material edge????

Could we build a system where they dance in the rain,
dirty themselves in the playground,
eat lollies on the roadside,
smell the flowers,
steal mangoes,
and fight with their grandparents and then convince them to carry them around :)
that glint of mischief,
that innocence of longing for life's little joys - that walk in the park, that school picnic, those days of funny secrets (secrets they most often forgot..hehehe)
keep failing and yet learning...

Shouldnt we start letting life lead its course, letting light define the form :) allow the formless and boundaryless to redefine this life that is sooo predefined everyones collective definition of existence :):)....

Invictus -William Ernest Henley. 1849–1903

2008-06-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

Hmmm..a friend of mine sent this to me long time ago, i draw stregth from it often :) enjoi :)

OUT of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

Performance with a purpose

2008-06-09T00:59:00.000-07:00

This is the title of a speech by Indra Nooyi and excerpts from the same caught my eye in the Economic Times.

I was convinced that the title in itself had a strong deep message apart from all the valuable insights that she put forward whether it was segmentation of their products into fun for you, good for you or better for you focused towards a consumer and responsible towards the environment at large, or her anecdote about how her mother questioned them as to what they wanted to do to change the world :)

Life has been inspiring to all of us if we just pause to notice all the miracles that happen around us. I was reminded of the other inspiring stories I have read or people I have met who made me recognise that all little things make a big difference...

the story that Sudha Murthy recounts in her book ' the old man and his God' which tells us about her grandmother's advice to her to be a mother of a thousand children is again on the lines that Nooyi's mother spoke to them.

My conversations with HN (Mr. H. Narasimhaiah- an educationist par excellence and a true Gandhian) where he quoted from his autobiography - Horatada Hadi has made me realise that life will take us wherever we have to - only if we believe in attaching a purpose to everything that we do.

My take on my purpose is simple I believe that my life is a continuous learning curve, the more I learn, the more i observe, the more i read and borrow from nature, and the more i notice patterns more the hunger to learn - it definitely makes me feel that learning curve could only be a circle :) whose diameter keeps increasing proportionally encompassing many realities within it.

Sometimes a quote that i read long time ago keeps reverberating - life has 3 ingredients - yearning (purpose), earning (more the intangibles ;) ) and learning (which is ongoing and limitless)

Lets see purpose and meaning in all that we do...

Amen!

Colors

2008-06-05T00:32:00.000-07:00

I have always had a fascination towards paintings...

The effect of colors has always been magical. Everyday, as I walk to my gym I wonder about what is it that makes the sky such a beautiful canvas and how the Sun and his light play a major role in naturally painting many a masterpiece for us :)

Even the many experiences that I go through- many a times indirectly - like say -
the joy at seeing a very old woman wearing colorful clothes and trying to hop over a pothole and the glint of mischief in her eye as shes transformed into another day in the past

or the cute charming couple who struggle to hold onto bags, lunch bags, laptops and listen to music on the same pair of ear phones

or the smile of innocence of the little child as he waves through the glinted glass of his father's car struggling to let his fingers touch yours as you wait at a traffic light..plentiful colors multitude emotions..

colors go hand in hand with energy and moods. Some shades make you jump with joy, some others provide solace and some other induce passion and anger and fear and gloom...wow as myriad the hues so are the multiple emotions...

Light is the core or the superset from which multiple colors are formed and its the same light which adds depth, fibre and tone to various hues many of which cannot be described or discerned.

If the intensity of the sun changes, the brightness and the associated energy that a color conveys also changes. Thus Lord Surya adds many shades to existence itself.

probably, Van Gogh did feel the power of the colors around him when he said - 'I dream my painiting and paint my dream'

Immersive Fiction

2008-06-02T02:59:00.000-07:00

How does it feel when there's a blur between reality and fiction?
When one steps into the skin of an imaginary all powerful character who saves the world or can create havoc...
When one could fly, fight, scream and feel as if an alter ego has pronounced itself from within???
ARG - alternate reality games can do all this and more...they allow you to take personalities, drive away boredom or dependence on friends, u can b all alone and still feel connected and resourceful. These games being story driven and reality bending genre..from merchandising to branding they help connect to an audience which wants to disconnect..brands like Macdonalds have built themes and formats of games which allow people to take forms and shapes and feel unreal in a real world...

read more on it at : http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2945731720080530?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology&pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Love itself

2008-06-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

Its been a whirlwind for me when it came to the emtional merry go round that I am into :)..A chance meeting with somene I had lost touch with for a long time made me realise that a part of you is shared with that someone -and all of it will impact your transactions with them no matter when or how you meet them, the caring, the love, the concern that one has will never change..however, what could change is the definition of the relationship that may have existed :)

many lives many masters reiterated this very powerfully, this book is about the many people who enter our lives and are referred to as our soul mates who are responsible towards a certain experience a certain memory and a certain state that we may feel in their presence or absence...

in summary, my views about this whole gamut of meeting the same people in different contexts is very simple..n Niks, Vani n Harsha this is a toast to everything we shared n will continue to :)

Most of us think of love as a one to one relationship, which is the limitation of love on the physical level.

But there is no limit to our capacity to love.

We can never be satisfied in loving one person here, another there.

Our need is to love completely, universally, without any reservations- in other words to become love itself...
Maybe these thoughts of mine echo the thoughts of a quote I read earlier:

Love all that has been created by God, both the whole and every grain of sand.
Love every leaf and every ray of light.
Love the beasts and the birds, love the plants,love every separate fragment.
If you love each separate fragment you will understand the mystery of the whole resting in God.

Cherish Yourself

2008-06-01T06:48:00.001-07:00

She made love to a man to protect the love of her life,

She could feel the many wounds that grew all over her- pain, guilt, anger and insecurity,

But she would go on to trade for her joy, her happiness, her freedom,

She wished she could rid herself of the wounds and choose only the pleasures of their consequnce,

She only tried to wash away the filth, but couldnt, as she scrubbed herself she could feel and it is the felling that she wanted to wash away...

These lines describe the life of an Artist in West Germany, a woman whose love for acting and her lover- a writer whose life was under the scrutiny of a repressing Nationalisitic East German Government, and very poignantly showcase the many emotions an artisit goes through when interpreted and perceived as against the tide...the lives of others chronicles their story beautifully...

A message I recieved from having watched this movie is that there is a force deeper than the physical wounds one goes through if the love for ones existance is stronger...when as an actor one gets described as being real an actor finds his nirvana, similarly when a taxi driver or an autorickshaw driver gets spoken to with respect and is made included in the boring tedious grind of traffic jams and suspecting customers he feels at peace...the pursuit of happiness and meaning is eternal but the definition of one' joy or happiness is changing everyday...When one starts living to fulfill the definitions of others happiness's they are loosing themselves and never closer to what their definition of it was...the value attached to all things around becomes relative to the value attached by all and not by the self, again devaluing happens...the love and desire to find oneself becomes diluted as one grows up! As a child people around you start influencing you, happiness becomes a better toy, a beautiful house, successful parents etc and by the time one defines their own defintion it becomes a combi of all other definitions...hehehehe

I dont know wot it means to any of you, all i know is the core to my happiness is hidden in essence in the subjectline :)

Conspiracy of Silence

2008-06-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

Silence!

Silence the word is all powerful,
It's the peace that flows within our soul as we allow Mother Nature to use her magic wand…
It's a bliss that a heightened sense of a meditative spell could take us to
Its that acute state where the formless is felt in the form

However, this very silence can become stifling, become restrictive and regressive
In a vocal context silence is equated to acceptance and voicelessness
A conspiracy of silence pervades as the voice remains stifled, unheard of and mute
Many a thought remains and doesn't transform into the simplicity of words and the silence becomes melancholic

Despair, desolation, helplessness everything connotes to silence
Silence that becomes a collective psyche
A nation's repressed consciousness
A conspiracy

I call this message the conspiracy of silence as I hear whispers, I hear egos, I hear attitudes and behaviours which feel but cant express. Acute transformations all around but no voice to make acuteness collective…

Subtle messages, sometimes through the media, sometimes through the so called intellectuals, collectively cohesively manipulate, end result remains- a nation of multiple dreams but not enough reality…

No voice to express love and passion for a job one enjoys,
No voice to oppose the exercise of mandate when existing candidates equally loot happiness and drive agendas glorifying the self,
No voice to say no to abuses, and reservations and unnecessary shackles of a caste system that grows more and more powerful..

A nation of contrasts,
Part of the exalted development driven BRIC,
At the same time a growing cauldron for the underdeveloped BIMARU,
Increased number of students getting educated abroad,
Lesser numbers willing to use that education to impact and influence life here,
The ones who return are busy mending their own lifestories marred with disillusionment

Women increasingly educated,
Cant say no to a boring proposal from a US returned who cant share her passions n dreams- ends up being a glorified educated, sophisticated housewife,
Men who are qualified and educated,
Come back to pick up a customized wife of the Jaat of their forefathers not willing to hurt their parents- guilt ridden and confused forever

A car worth a lakh rupees heralds a new era of innovation in manufacturing,
Jobs in manufacturing no longer excites the young breed of engineers from premiere institutions,
Every graduate worth his salt in Engineering wants to be part of the growing knowledge industry- preferably the techie league,
Feel left out and dissatisfied as more n more jobs become maintenance related

Catch 22 – here, there and everywhere
The conspiracy is endless J

Message is this writer seems to think that she can make you think and there is where the fine divide remains..she serves her nutty resolve :p…but like the critique on the egghead awards – all writers cannot be intellectuals though they may be intelligent as they play with words and manipulate the emotions of the not so discerning reader ;)

Being intellectual is not abt dabbling in certainties and observations, but deals with abstract concepts and pure reason. Many a times its about viewing the uncertainties with rationality, reasoned speculation, philosophical discussion and the like…primarily as someone once said, an intellectual is someone whose mind watches itself…

Ms Gs been fortunate that the world offers her with multiple experiences and interesting people who nurture and encourage her. Coupled with her trips to beautiful locales lifes one beautiful song J

As she sat watching the deer enjoy their lunch,
She could feel the mischief in the suns eyes as he peeped through the green sky,
She watched the little calf protected by his herd and felt the warmth of the secure blanket of nature,
She giggled at the messages that the birds sent her as they poked fun at the groups of families that came visiting to a world of their own,
She felt the energy and the vitality,
She wondered at her inability to walk away from her reality which in itself was an illusion,
She dived into the sea of forms hoping to gain the perfect pearl of formlessmess

The song remains incomplete…bonjournee!

World of probables

2008-06-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

Pretend you are happy when you are blue
It isn’t very hard to do –Nat king Cole’s song ‘Pretend’

There are many words which are fo no meaning and which are usually bidirectional and depending on the listners and the participant could be interpreted eitherways..maybe, couldbe, probably…sometimes when these words are used repeatedly or oftentimes, it may quell all hope an dwither away dreams and lead to illness such as hysteria siberiana...now if u ask me wot sort of illenss is tat wiki could help u with the definition :)

However, I wonder y we all tend to have conversations that abuse words and stretch conversations, with all the multiple conversations that i have- many a times with relatively unknown people I wonder why the wrods that I mentioned earlier - maybe, could be, probably...hmmm wot is one supposed to interpret when communication is like a dodge and at times more like roll your eyes and say well! god I dnt knw..hehehe

Is it difficult to say that one may not know of certain things or one probably cannot decide - y do we live among the probables and the pretensions which only result in many more of the same probables..its like a loop, a noose which doesnt hold a thing nor will ever resolve the corners of a circle it never had...

well, bottom line is pretensions are fun,
but they dont serve one in the long run,
many say that there are but a few good men,
and if there was one trait that they all posessed in common it would be the pretensions they shun...

Have completed a book called 'South of the border, West of the Sun' its by Haruki Murakami...it peels the many layers of existence and allows one to accept that many a times we may let go of things, run away from things and sometimes hurt things around but we are not alone it, its wot molds humanity to gether...many of the things that we feel isnt usually unique but universal...celebrate living
:)

Gon si fa che - Ver 2

2008-05-30T02:44:00.000-07:00

Today I write based on my experience as a guide to a summer intern who worked with us..the many things that i noticed in him were - his natural flair for culling down data, being detail oriented, patient,persistent and polite in every transaction he came across...one may wonder why these traits are special or any different from the traits one has especially from a background in the Service industry and when one is pursuing an MBA from a popular B- School.

I have come across many a B-School student or aspirant who has been told aggression is the mantra for you to fasttrack in todays corporate world but i beg to differ. The above traits that i noticed and constantly try to improve upon are still the traits that would help an individual become more effective at work. One has to have a grip on the situation that he/she exists in, knowing the industry one belongs to and being able to borrow from varied industries will happen only when one has an inclination to love information - to slice and dice it into various segments and look at it from a cube or multi dimensional view, this information wouldnt be useful if one does not pay attention or tempers oneself to persisit his or her efforts in knowing more and more...coupling persistence with patience is like chocolate mousse a delectable combination which makes one ask for more...Being polite is like serving the same chocolate mousse in crockery that is customised to the individuals taste, the experience would become special and long cherished..

What I see today is on the contrary, within a year's time many of my friends and colleagues are restless they feel the job that they do isnt valuing their education of a premier league MBA, but the question is have they tried to make their work valuable or worthy of their education? If system theory were applied here it would be looking at a perspective which is the other way around.

Aggression becomes coupled with impatience and we see many individuals floating their profiles in the need to confirm to their self exalted and self hyped impression of where they are supposed to be w.r.t their careers as against where they seem to be. This may end up creating imbalances not only at an individual level but also at an industry level.

However, this write up is just an observation on behavioral aspirations and is definitely not prescriptive. All i would want to say is wish people like the intern gon si fa che - which only means wish you good fortune and prosperity :)

14 Feb 07- Lines written on V-Day

2008-05-30T02:32:00.000-07:00

today is V-day, the towns painted red n radio stations add rhyme nrhythm to fantasies, hopes n desires... but is luv only b/n 2 lover swanting to defy the world,
fighting for each others independence to depend on each other,
today is said to b a celebration of martyrs for luv...but, do v need a special day to love...
luv is all around us, u n me are lovable each day, everyday :)
thr is luv whn my dad keeps a bowl of water n grains on our terracefor the birds n the squirrels,
thr is luv whn my bro wakes up early only to drop me off,
thr is luv when my sick mother tries to cook all my fav delicacies whenevr i go home as she feels i miss good hom food,
thr is luv when our grandparents chant holy scriptures xpecting miracles to happen everyday,
thr is luv whn we fwd messages whn a stranger is sick, in need of funds or whn we light cyber candles for causes v bliv in,
thr is luv whn music vibrates around us in a language we dont understand but v feel like dancing,
thr is luv whn v stick posters of celebrities on our walls n v r enamourd by thr bling bling,
luv in the sadness n heaviness v feel whn v miss somone
luv in the dreams of being everything frm a police officer as a kiddo whn v bcom techies as v grw older,
luv whn v watch a gory scene in' blood diamond' n flinch,
luv in the celebration whn everytime men in blue win,
luv in listening to a boring lecture whn the subject makes no sense but v respect the faculty,
luv in brking the strings in a guitar only to lrn to play more music:)
oops the list just doesnt seem to stop.... thrs definitely loads of luv in writng to u, n luv in u rdng every last line of each of my experiments... Celebrate luv each day....
Som smart dude said, ' Not everyone has earth shattering talent, onlycommon sense and LUV will do' :)

Hootch tragedy

2008-05-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

Page 15 of a popular daily speaks of sunlight deprived skilled labor who are having vitamin deficiencies due to thr limited/non exposure to Sun. Page 1 of the same daily speaks of a tragedy, the loss of many unskilled laborers life due to their consumption of hootch…

The reason I thought it necessary to write here is many read and forget these pieces of information as they presume that these people are poor and uneducated- their life is a misery wouldn’t harm the ecosystem if we loose them. However, what we as a society fail to realise is that the ecosystem wouldnt be as balanced without the presence of these very same labourers..

We may feel proud of being part of many a growth story, but the minute we ignore the actual realities of the majority- who depend on such poisons for their everyday peace... growth will remain an illusion...

In one of the staff room conversations of a popular educatioonal institute, a teacher said-' its nature ensuring the natural selection by ensuring the survival of the best and the fittest'...

Arent terms such as fittest and best relative and contextual? y should one live in pseudo status quos when one is always craving and desirous of being pegged at a higher level, and would prefer to be in the presence of a much superior person.

y cant one pause and try to identify as to what may drive these laborers to consume such poison knowingly or unknowingly?

Do they need to drink something after a hard days effort as they are unable to sleep? Or are they ignorant of the effects of such poisons and the consequences of such consumption?

Going by the numbers, am certain that half of them would've not drank the poison if they knew that it would lead to their death.

Where is the Government's role in all of it? Where are the regulatory bodies? Why is there a hype on partying restrictions in a city or dancing rules and not enough focus on the common man's lack of awareness? y arent we doing enough for all our fellowwmen- to provide an opportunity to take care of themselves?...

if we did respect life for what it is wouldnt we pause and think of what we could do to ensure that entire sections of a certain class doesnt get wiped out?

As long as contradictions exist [such that I mentioned in the initial bit of this write up, one mans lack of sunlight and another mans loss of life, both being equal in the eyes of a reader] there would be multiple solutions...but will we wait for someone to take up the cudgel?

Convergence

2008-05-21T04:39:00.000-07:00

When we are alone
We are together in it too :)

Convergence- from people to particles we all come together to make moments, to become elements to make something that never was and would never end…ideas, thoughts, memories, bonds, ties, sorrow, bitterness, joy and agony and many a times something that remains beautifully bittersweet…

Every convergence leads to some more.... and at times disperses into a divergence which leads to a convergence :)…life they say is complicated, but don’t we all agree that simply it’s the cycle that makes it seem that way and the obvious repeats itself…like someone said ' The sad thing about history is that it repeats itself'...

well, no guesses abt the line of thought here, its all too obvious...my defintion of convergence is the lifes beauty reminas in its many moments from particles to persons there seems to be a reason behind things coming together....when little rain drops touch our skin theres a bond which creates a magical feeling where weather changes and attaches a sentiment and says the sun had his laugh, now let the clouds shriek with joy and add to the mischief in your eyes...

We walk together today and always, as we experience moments that are identical yet distinct at the same time- its like numerals they are discreete and continous at the same time...

We all meet to converge yet diverge, in the hope of converging yet again...

The World of Silence

2008-05-19T00:40:00.000-07:00

I walk into a world of my own
A world where I don’t speak nor shout but only feel

I enter a world
A world of Pure Silence

A silence so divine
That I could feel the hymn of my soul

Nature they say plays music always
I feel it n felt peace

Peace I can’t speak of
But only can I share

To share is to cherish
N as I cherish I enter this world of my own much more

I float, I fly, I sense n I glow
The beauty that I see, the calm that I feel, the joy that is in me
Is the purity of my Silent World

The hymn resounds
The smile spreads
There is a rhythm that adds a sway into my step
The sky continues to expand into hues I cannot describe
As I feel, I see that I am but a part of the many hues
As I dissolve into these hues I am one with infinity n the null
The thin line between the confused n the carefree disappears

Lines written on the shore of a sacred sea

2008-05-19T00:37:00.000-07:00

The cosmos is a term that am fond of, but a term that I cannot define or understand for all that it symbolizes,

As I sat on the beach, I heard the bell ringing,
Did it ring to dispel the negative forces around us?
Did it ring to draw our attention to the power of the divine?
Or did it ring to amuse the little baby which smiled in wonderment,
It rang to me to make me a part of the magic of the panchabhootas

The water washed my feet,
The land held on to me,
The sun embraced me with his warmth,
The wind caressed my face and refreshed my being,
I felt one with the world…

The being is at times mistaken to the form that exists,
But isn’t the being beyond the visible form,
As I gazed at the sun, and as the time moved on,
I could feel different sensations within and around,
Its when I realized the being that is me is in all the things that touched me

As the water held the colors around it and within it,
I sunk into everything that surrounded me,
The tree nodded by waving its branch,
The dog swam into the sea with the little child giggling away,
The woman became malleable as her being extended into forms she didn’t know but could only feel,
The glint of gold in her hair made the sun smile and the wind sang to signify his evident joy

The bell continued to ring in her mind, in the being she was part of
The onlooker saw her as a speck in the multiverse,
Looked like a blob and like a bloom all at once,
It was in my eyes as I saw it,
The onlooker and me became one with her, the sea, the sun and the multiverse…