Few hours ago in Mumbai (India) -
26 degrees Celsius seemed to be torturous - I used wet wipes to clean my face every few minutes to see it turn black - Chilled Lime Juice was consumed every hour - I cribbed when N took me around in non-AC cabs - I wished the temperature went down a bit....
Few hours later in NewYork (USA) -
I was awarded for my cribbing: -6 degrees Celsius. Enjoy!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Mail-O-vation
I had ordered a laptop skin from SkinIt.com. As I was tracking my shipment, I noticed a new delivery method called UPS Mail Innovations. On further reading, I realized that it is not new, it has been in existence since 1997. Darn my ignorance!
Anyways, for those who think like me that only a "S" differentiates the two companies, here is some context -
Anyways, for those who think like me that only a "S" differentiates the two companies, here is some context -
UPS is a publicly-traded company that stands for United Parcel Service. USPS stands for the United States Postal Service and is a quasi-governmental agency. USPS is self-funded through the sale of postage stamps and delivery services. (Source)
So, the UPS Mail Innovation works as depicted below -
UPS Mail Innovations (UPS MI) has been a National Account of the United States Postal Service (USPS) business partner segment since 1997. Through this work-share partnership, we provide global mail services.
The program works like this:
UPS MI picks up the mail, processes (sorts) and transports your mail to the USPS.
UPS MI picks up the mail, processes (sorts) and transports your mail to the USPS.
Then:
The USPS accepts your mail piece and makes the final delivery to your mailing address.
The USPS accepts your mail piece and makes the final delivery to your mailing address.
Public Speaking - is it always by choice?
I have been a part of the Toastmasters Club both in India and in the US. Toastmasters is an international organization with a global presence. The clubs registered with Toastmasters International provide an avenue to people who either want to overcome their fear of public speaking or want to nurture their talent for public speaking. People take conscious efforts to become better public speakers. With both my fiance and brother as active members of Toastmasters (Mumbai), I have seen the efforts, the research, the practice, the dedication and the persistence that they have to put in, in order to pursue their passion for public speaking.
A random thought (the title of the post) crossed my mind after I read a column in Times of India about Dimple Yadav (Mulayam Singh Yadav's daughter-in-law) contesting by-elections from Firozabad, UP. The 32 year old shy 'bahu' got a ticket to the election solely because of her identity. The column also depicts a picture where she addresses her maiden rally of about a thousand people. And thus is born a public speaker, mind you, not by choice, but by virtue of her association to a political family.
- Does she like being a public speaker? - does she have a choice?
- Does she want to learn the nuances of becoming a better speaker - are you kidding me?
- Does she write her own speeches - are you from Jupiter to be asking that question?
- Does she care about the voice modulation - only if that means a larger vote bank.
From Rabri Devi in Patna to Kanimozhi in Chennai, both of them started as not-wanting-to-be-public-speakers eventually ended up becoming one. Is it their ability to convince masses through their speeches that was instrumental in their wins in the elections? They claim so, but I wonder...
On another note, while she is pitted against Raj Babbar in the political battlefield, it is Sanjay Dutt versus Salman Khan from the Bollywood fraternity extending their support and exhibiting loyalties in these political rallies. (This can be another topic for a post)
Election Update - As I am about to publish this, she has already lost the election to Raj Babbar. Looks like, she needs to attend a Toastmasters session to become a better speaker..
Monday, November 09, 2009
New learnings each day
I just finished reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseni. I had read his Kite Runner a couple of years ago, but this one is a masterpiece. For a few days after I have finished reading a book, I still linger on with the plot,the story and the characters of the book. And so this time, I have been doing a post novel reading on Afghanistan. I started with wikipedia and was surprised to learn this -
The name Afghānistān, comes from the Sanskrit word Upaganasthan meaning 'land of the allied tribes'. It was a Hindu kingdom until the 11th century A.D. Source
So what I thought of as an islamic nation till now, has its roots in Hindu Civilization, Indus Valley to be precise. I sometimes cannot help but pity my limited general knowledge.
A Romeo and A Juliet
Yesterday was an extremely beautiful day with perfect sunlight and just the right amount of cool breeze. For those who have experienced Fall on the east coast, would die for such weather at this time of the year. Since the weather was good, I decided to go for a afternoonish-eveningish walk with my camera.
I came across a flock of (I believe migrating) birds. Now, I am not a bird watcher to be able to tell if the birds in that flock were Canadian Geese or American Robins or Eastern Bluebird or Cedar Waxwings. The group just reminded me of some college friends hanging around carelessly after college. I stood in silence to notice their behavior for over an hour and was able to capture a few pictures that I thought are interesting.
I came across a flock of (I believe migrating) birds. Now, I am not a bird watcher to be able to tell if the birds in that flock were Canadian Geese or American Robins or Eastern Bluebird or Cedar Waxwings. The group just reminded me of some college friends hanging around carelessly after college. I stood in silence to notice their behavior for over an hour and was able to capture a few pictures that I thought are interesting.
(Shot 1: Someone makes a random plan to go out for a walk - the rest just follow)
(Shot 2: As the group starts moving, this smart little fellow has its eyes set on another bird)
(Shot 3: After contemplating for over 30 minutes, it decides to approach the other bird)
(Shot 4: The other bird obliges by noticing and then talking to our little romeo)
(Shot 5: Within 10 minutes our Romeo has impressed Juliet enough for them to walk together for the rest of the evening)
Meanwhile, the setting sun signals that it is time for me to walk back home. I return with a smile reminded of several such evenings after college when some Romeo had managed to impress some Juliet.
Friday, October 30, 2009
How did I decide?
How did I decide?
I have been putting off this question for 3 years now. 3 years and still counting, all my friends, colleagues and cousins want an answer to this question. I didn't have an answer back then, and I do not have an answer, even today.
How did I know that it would be him - I said I don't know.
How did I know that he would be the perfect one - I said I don't know.
How did I know that my story will be a "Happily Ever After" one - I said I don't know.
How did I know that I would have not found a better person than him - My answer does not change, I really don't know.
With so many I don't know's as my answer, I still take the most important decision in life. I decide to spend the rest of my life with N. And that is the only thing I KNOW!
And who can have answers to those questions anyway? And even if some intellectual soul has, can they still answer questions like - How do they know they will not fight over smelly socks and messed up closets; How do they know there will be no arguments over TV remote when one wants to watch a cricket match and the other a bollywood flick; How do they know that discussing daily chores a few years down the line will be a romantic conversation?
When life is surrounded with so many 'I don't know' answers, why bother answering those questions then.
But there is something amidst all these 'I don't knows' that I can share - I know that I want to be with this person because I know that he is smart, sweet and sensitive. Here is someone who I don't know about later, but for now looks pretty darn good. Here is someone who is as crazy as me. Here is someone who will let me do things I like doing. Here is someone who I have 360 degree freedom to disagree with. Here is someone who will not put the phone down until we have resolved an argument. Here is someone who will neither sleep nor let me sleep over a fight. Here is someone who I connect to. Here is someone I want to speak to first thing in the morning and before going to bed. Here is someone that complements me. To me these 'I Know' answers are far more important than anything else.
I have been putting off this question for 3 years now. 3 years and still counting, all my friends, colleagues and cousins want an answer to this question. I didn't have an answer back then, and I do not have an answer, even today.
How did I know that it would be him - I said I don't know.
How did I know that he would be the perfect one - I said I don't know.
How did I know that my story will be a "Happily Ever After" one - I said I don't know.
How did I know that I would have not found a better person than him - My answer does not change, I really don't know.
With so many I don't know's as my answer, I still take the most important decision in life. I decide to spend the rest of my life with N. And that is the only thing I KNOW!
And who can have answers to those questions anyway? And even if some intellectual soul has, can they still answer questions like - How do they know they will not fight over smelly socks and messed up closets; How do they know there will be no arguments over TV remote when one wants to watch a cricket match and the other a bollywood flick; How do they know that discussing daily chores a few years down the line will be a romantic conversation?
When life is surrounded with so many 'I don't know' answers, why bother answering those questions then.
But there is something amidst all these 'I don't knows' that I can share - I know that I want to be with this person because I know that he is smart, sweet and sensitive. Here is someone who I don't know about later, but for now looks pretty darn good. Here is someone who is as crazy as me. Here is someone who will let me do things I like doing. Here is someone who I have 360 degree freedom to disagree with. Here is someone who will not put the phone down until we have resolved an argument. Here is someone who will neither sleep nor let me sleep over a fight. Here is someone who I connect to. Here is someone I want to speak to first thing in the morning and before going to bed. Here is someone that complements me. To me these 'I Know' answers are far more important than anything else.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Strange...but true...
I am currently reading, Rohinton Mistry's "Family Matters"... this post is not a book review...it is simply an incident from the book that made me ponder on something that I had never given thought to...
How difficult or easy it is to trust someone? I don't know...i can't say, i can simply give a consultants' answer - "It Depends!"....Ask the same thing to a Mumbai local train commuter, and he might be in a better position to tell us...
I clearly remember seeing people who run after completely packed trains...some are successful in boarding it and twice the number are successful in loosing their lives in performing the marathon act...
Imagine, a person running after a train, that is about to cross the platform, running as fast as he can, suddenly raises his arms and people in the train reach out to grab him, with his feet dangling outside the compartment, half hanging outside, his foot somehow manage to find a spot for his frail body...what do you think, just happened? Hanging in the middle of no where, this man literally gave his life in hands of complete strangers...he trusted them without knowing them...It was not a miracle, it happens day in and day out...this is not unusual, its a commuter's routine...
Ask me the same question again - How long would it take you to trust someone? Answer would be same again - it depends!
How difficult or easy it is to trust someone? I don't know...i can't say, i can simply give a consultants' answer - "It Depends!"....Ask the same thing to a Mumbai local train commuter, and he might be in a better position to tell us...
I clearly remember seeing people who run after completely packed trains...some are successful in boarding it and twice the number are successful in loosing their lives in performing the marathon act...
Imagine, a person running after a train, that is about to cross the platform, running as fast as he can, suddenly raises his arms and people in the train reach out to grab him, with his feet dangling outside the compartment, half hanging outside, his foot somehow manage to find a spot for his frail body...what do you think, just happened? Hanging in the middle of no where, this man literally gave his life in hands of complete strangers...he trusted them without knowing them...It was not a miracle, it happens day in and day out...this is not unusual, its a commuter's routine...
Ask me the same question again - How long would it take you to trust someone? Answer would be same again - it depends!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
I was missing...
I was missing from the blog scene for quite some time, but now I am back ! Let me start with what made me come back...here is a post dedicated to a friend Avin, who forwarded me an email and made me realize that life is not all about running from pillar to post to reach the pinnacle of success in professional life. Life would be quite meaningful, if you hold back a little and give a thought to where you have come from, remember some old buddies, remember your school-your teachers-your playground. Cherish your memories, because they will be the most prized possession till you breathe last. Here's the email that I wanted to be on my blog, to remind me once a while about these things -
Those were the days,
When
The school reopened in June,
And we settled in our new desks
and benches!
When we queued up in book depot,
And got our new books
and notes!
When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet
managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.
We learnt writing with
slates and pencils, and
Progressed To fountain pens and ball pens and then Micro tips!
When we began drawing with crayons and evolved to
Color pencils and finally sketch pens!
When we started calculating
first with tables and then with
Clarke's tables and advanced to
Calculators and computers!
When we chased one another in the
corridors in Intervals, and returned to the classrooms
Drenched in sweat!
When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,
Playgrounds,
under the trees and even in cycle sheds!
When all the colors in the world,
Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays!
When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table,
Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons!
When cricket was played with writing pads as bats,
And Neckties and socks rolled into balls!
When few played 'kabadi' and 'Kho-Kho' in scorching sun,
While others simply played
'book cricket' in the Confines of classroom!
Of fights but no conspiracies,
Of Competitions but seldom jealousy!
When we used to
watch Live Cricket telecast,
In the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks!
When few rushed at 3:45 to
'Conquer' window seats in our School bus!
While few others had 'Big Fun', 'peppermint' ,
'kulfi', ' milk ice !' and 'sharbat !' at 4o Clock!
Gone are the days
Of Sports Day,
and the annual School Day ,
And the one-month long
preparations for them.
Gone are the days
Of the stressful Quarterly,
Half Yearly and Annual Exams, And the most
enjoyed holidays after them!
Gone are the days
Of tenth and twelfth standards, when
We Spent almost the whole year writing revision tests!
We learnt,
We enjoyed,
We played,
We won,
We lost,
We laughed,
We cried,
We fought,
We thought.
With so much fun in them, so many friends,
So much experience, all this and more!
Gone are the days
When we used
to talk for hours with our friends!
Now we don't have time to say a `Hi'!
Gone are the days
When we played games on the road!
Now we
Code on the road with laptop!
Gone are the days
When we saw stars Shining at Night!
Now we see stars when our code doesn't Work!
Gone are the days
When we sat to chat with Friends on grounds!
Now we chat in chat rooms.....!
Gone are the days
Where we
studied just to pass!
Now we study to save our job!
Gone are the days
Where we had no money in our pockets and still fun filled on our hearts!!
Now we have the atm as well as credit card but with an empty heart!!
Gone are the days
Where we shouted on the road!
Now we don't shout even at home
Gone are the days
Where we got lectures from all!
Now we give lectures to all... like the one I'm doing now....!!
Gone are the days
But not the memories, which will be
Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and
Ever and ever and ever .....
Gone are the Days.... But still there are lot more Days to come in our Life!!
NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE ,
DONT FORGET TO
LIVE THE LIFE THAT STILL
EXISTS...... ....
Those were the days,
When
The school reopened in June,
And we settled in our new desks
and benches!
When we queued up in book depot,
And got our new books
and notes!
When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet
managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.
We learnt writing with
slates and pencils, and
Progressed To fountain pens and ball pens and then Micro tips!
When we began drawing with crayons and evolved to
Color pencils and finally sketch pens!
When we started calculating
first with tables and then with
Clarke's tables and advanced to
Calculators and computers!
When we chased one another in the
corridors in Intervals, and returned to the classrooms
Drenched in sweat!
When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,
Playgrounds,
under the trees and even in cycle sheds!
When all the colors in the world,
Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays!
When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table,
Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons!
When cricket was played with writing pads as bats,
And Neckties and socks rolled into balls!
When few played 'kabadi' and 'Kho-Kho' in scorching sun,
While others simply played
'book cricket' in the Confines of classroom!
Of fights but no conspiracies,
Of Competitions but seldom jealousy!
When we used to
watch Live Cricket telecast,
In the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks!
When few rushed at 3:45 to
'Conquer' window seats in our School bus!
While few others had 'Big Fun', 'peppermint' ,
'kulfi', ' milk ice !' and 'sharbat !' at 4o Clock!
Gone are the days
Of Sports Day,
and the annual School Day ,
And the one-month long
preparations for them.
Gone are the days
Of the stressful Quarterly,
Half Yearly and Annual Exams, And the most
enjoyed holidays after them!
Gone are the days
Of tenth and twelfth standards, when
We Spent almost the whole year writing revision tests!
We learnt,
We enjoyed,
We played,
We won,
We lost,
We laughed,
We cried,
We fought,
We thought.
With so much fun in them, so many friends,
So much experience, all this and more!
Gone are the days
When we used
to talk for hours with our friends!
Now we don't have time to say a `Hi'!
Gone are the days
When we played games on the road!
Now we
Code on the road with laptop!
Gone are the days
When we saw stars Shining at Night!
Now we see stars when our code doesn't Work!
Gone are the days
When we sat to chat with Friends on grounds!
Now we chat in chat rooms.....!
Gone are the days
Where we
studied just to pass!
Now we study to save our job!
Gone are the days
Where we had no money in our pockets and still fun filled on our hearts!!
Now we have the atm as well as credit card but with an empty heart!!
Gone are the days
Where we shouted on the road!
Now we don't shout even at home
Gone are the days
Where we got lectures from all!
Now we give lectures to all... like the one I'm doing now....!!
Gone are the days
But not the memories, which will be
Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and
Ever and ever and ever .....
Gone are the Days.... But still there are lot more Days to come in our Life!!
NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE ,
DONT FORGET TO
LIVE THE LIFE THAT STILL
EXISTS...... ....
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Sandra from Bandra
Naah..I am not outta topics to write about, its just that I have far more interesting things to watch or read these days. One of them happens to be this short documentary about bandra chicks -
http://imaginingourselves.imow.org/pb/Story.aspx?id=1430&lang=1
http://imaginingourselves.imow.org/pb/Story.aspx?id=1430&lang=1
Thursday, March 27, 2008
I want the earth + 5%
Need answers to questions about credit system in US which has always been a mystery? The entire story demystified at - http://www.relfe.com/plus_5_.html
Awesome read !
Awesome read !
Saturday, March 15, 2008
I was underconfident..
It takes even the most courageous men to accept their shortcomings. I was taken by surprise when former Miss Universe, Sushmita Sen publicly admitted that she was an underconfident kid until the age of 16 and still has her complexes. In an interview with Vir Sanghavi on Star Talk she said that she went to a hindi medium school all her life and could not speak English till 10th grade. She was a skinny, unkempt, a frail looking and an undernourished girl who was scared to look at herslf in the mirror. She was a silent back bencher in school and was scared to raise her hand to answer a question or ask a doubt. In short, she recalls herself being an average girl both academically and socially. There are so many students in small towns of India who have similar complexes about their appearances and communicative abilities. Such students should consider Sushmita Sen as a role model who has made a significant mark for herself on the face of this planet. The entire universe had to bow down infront of her determination and will power. So if she can..anyone can !
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Shaadi - Vaadi...
Ek aur jhatka..another setback within such a short span of time ! The culture shock as I would like to call it, has this time come from a set of some desis who would like to be referred as N-R-I's. What surprised me was an invitation card from these non-reliable indians, which they sent out to their close relatives inviting them for their daughters wedding in US of A. This card suggests some of the possible hotels and resorts where their relatives who come from as far as India should be making their accomodation arrangements. The card highlights the rates of per night stay along with discount codes...gasp ! **shocked**
It comes as a shock because till date, Indian weddings are considered to be an elaborate, expensive and an emotional event. The grand affair spans several days where more than the bride and the groom, the invited guests, relatives and friends have to be pampered. Having witnessed a couple of weddings personally where my folks were involved in the wedding preparations, i can authentically say that it is quite an herculean task.
The concept of wedding planners is still obscure in middle class indian weddings, so the complete onus of making sure that everything goes off smoothly is on the parents of the bride or the groom. The trickiest part in the entire hoopla is to ensure that the chacha-chachi from bhatinda have their bed tea before they even get up, mami ji from indore has toothpaste of the brand she has been using all her life in the bathroom, pune waali masi ji has PEARS and not LUX in her soapcase, buaji gets the scissors, tauji's newspaper is in his hands before it reaches the news stands in the town, the kids get their strawberry milkshakes and cheese sandwiches, the pillows are soft enough for the aunty ji who is all of a sudden conscious of her spinal cord position, there are a couple of chauffers standing 24 x 7 to drive the young girls to beauty parlors, chachi ji to a tailor who realises at the last moment that the blouse she plans to wear on the D-day is not fitting her properly...uff...and the list goes on !! Ahh...I forgot to mention that the food which is prepared during these 3-4 days should suit the tastes and restrictions of diabetic chachi ji, buaji who has high BP, kids who don't want spicy food, health conscious young ladies who detest even half a table spoon of oil, tauji who relishes delicacies prepared in nothing less than Pure Desi Ghee, chacha ji from london who needs juices and shakes instead of lassi's and chaas...even this list goes on until eternity...
But if I think of it now, weddings without all these tantrums and turns and twists would be so boring and monotonous. Fun which we have with all these relatives who gather from far and wide gives the essence to joy and excitement in the indian weddings. These are some of the moments which I look forward to in any family wedding. But I guess..**Sigh**..things are different for desis in US of A.
The concept of wedding planners is still obscure in middle class indian weddings, so the complete onus of making sure that everything goes off smoothly is on the parents of the bride or the groom. The trickiest part in the entire hoopla is to ensure that the chacha-chachi from bhatinda have their bed tea before they even get up, mami ji from indore has toothpaste of the brand she has been using all her life in the bathroom, pune waali masi ji has PEARS and not LUX in her soapcase, buaji gets the scissors, tauji's newspaper is in his hands before it reaches the news stands in the town, the kids get their strawberry milkshakes and cheese sandwiches, the pillows are soft enough for the aunty ji who is all of a sudden conscious of her spinal cord position, there are a couple of chauffers standing 24 x 7 to drive the young girls to beauty parlors, chachi ji to a tailor who realises at the last moment that the blouse she plans to wear on the D-day is not fitting her properly...uff...and the list goes on !! Ahh...I forgot to mention that the food which is prepared during these 3-4 days should suit the tastes and restrictions of diabetic chachi ji, buaji who has high BP, kids who don't want spicy food, health conscious young ladies who detest even half a table spoon of oil, tauji who relishes delicacies prepared in nothing less than Pure Desi Ghee, chacha ji from london who needs juices and shakes instead of lassi's and chaas...even this list goes on until eternity...
But if I think of it now, weddings without all these tantrums and turns and twists would be so boring and monotonous. Fun which we have with all these relatives who gather from far and wide gives the essence to joy and excitement in the indian weddings. These are some of the moments which I look forward to in any family wedding. But I guess..**Sigh**..things are different for desis in US of A.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Just when i decide...
- Just when I decide to start my walks regularly, the weather goes bad...
- Just when I decide to start with my yoga again, the bed gets all the more warm and cozier...
- Just when I decide to vacuum the house, my roomie looks at me and I look at her...just to say..naah...may be some other time...
- Just when I decide to complete the book I started, I doze off...
- Just when I decide to start doing something constructive, I feel I wanna laze around a bit more...
- Just when I decide to go for a bath after trying to procrastinate by all possible means, the hot water stops flowing...
- Just when I decide to sleep early and get up early, some one comes online or some new movie holds my interest until wee hours of the morning...
- Just when I decide to go on a diet(I've been eating like a pig off late), comes a potluck or a birthday party...
- Just when I decide to stop reading blogs, someone directs me to another interesting one...
- In all these Justs, I forget that just when I try and blame some one else for delaying things, I am reminded of the fact that it is no one else, who is whiling away time...its ME !! :(
Monday, March 03, 2008
And the Award goes to...
8 PM..2nd March..all television sets tuned in to SONY entertainment television to watch Filmfare awards for the year 2007. The Filmfare Awards ceremony is one of the oldest, prominent and most coveted events for Indian Film Industry(I refrain from referring it as Bollywood, lest I might upset Big B). There are separate categories for popular awards, critics awards, Special awards and technical awards. Not only the film fraternity but even the masses eagerly wait for this evening. There is a difference in the eagerness though..the filmy junta waits to see who has won the auction and who gets to carry the black lady home, and desh ki junta waits to see the sizzling performances by the leading ladies and the heartthrobs of the celluloid.
My friends and family members in India are kind enough to keep me abreast with the latest hindi movies, the reality shows on TV,the masala gossips,the grapevine etc in the tinsel town. So, a day before the awards were broadcasted in India, my grandmom asked me not to miss the Filmfare Awards because the hit jodi is back to rock the stage. In attempt to guess, I thought it would be john-bipasha hosting the event. But NO. My grandmom who is nowhere close to being influenced by Kanta Ben was all excited about Sharukh and Saif being the comparer's of the evening. Now, I had seen them perform a couple of years back and I thought that their act was quite funny. So granny's excitement rubbed on me as well, and i was desperately searching for the links to watch the awards online. I did get hold of the link, but after a day's wait.
To begin with, the entire show was a thorough disappointment. Not that I should have held high expectations in the first place, but still...whatever...Actually speaking, i think with umpteen awards which exist we should by now habituate ourselves to the way the awards are handed out to Bollywood films. They have more or less the same concept, same dance numbers, same performers, same people sharing the stage..Filmfare has a reputation of satsifying one and all in the bright fraternity. They conveniently accomodate people in special categories or critics category and ward away any possible situation of annoying the members from filmy families.
Anyways, this year's Filmfare was woven around Saif and Kareena's love affair. From the beginning until end, it was ONLY about them. Moments like Sharukh addressing Kareena as his bhabhi and Karan johar's nudging Saif's elbow before Kareena's dance performance - it was all so irritating to say the least. There was a moment where i felt that there might be a special category of award designated only to honor them as the best couple of the year. And if this was not enough, the icing on the cake was Sharukh and Saif's slapstick comedy. No one was spared from the spears of their taunts except for the so called circle of Chopra's and Johar's. All in all, it was highly boring and an utter waste of time.
My friends and family members in India are kind enough to keep me abreast with the latest hindi movies, the reality shows on TV,the masala gossips,the grapevine etc in the tinsel town. So, a day before the awards were broadcasted in India, my grandmom asked me not to miss the Filmfare Awards because the hit jodi is back to rock the stage. In attempt to guess, I thought it would be john-bipasha hosting the event. But NO. My grandmom who is nowhere close to being influenced by Kanta Ben was all excited about Sharukh and Saif being the comparer's of the evening. Now, I had seen them perform a couple of years back and I thought that their act was quite funny. So granny's excitement rubbed on me as well, and i was desperately searching for the links to watch the awards online. I did get hold of the link, but after a day's wait.
To begin with, the entire show was a thorough disappointment. Not that I should have held high expectations in the first place, but still...whatever...Actually speaking, i think with umpteen awards which exist we should by now habituate ourselves to the way the awards are handed out to Bollywood films. They have more or less the same concept, same dance numbers, same performers, same people sharing the stage..Filmfare has a reputation of satsifying one and all in the bright fraternity. They conveniently accomodate people in special categories or critics category and ward away any possible situation of annoying the members from filmy families.
Anyways, this year's Filmfare was woven around Saif and Kareena's love affair. From the beginning until end, it was ONLY about them. Moments like Sharukh addressing Kareena as his bhabhi and Karan johar's nudging Saif's elbow before Kareena's dance performance - it was all so irritating to say the least. There was a moment where i felt that there might be a special category of award designated only to honor them as the best couple of the year. And if this was not enough, the icing on the cake was Sharukh and Saif's slapstick comedy. No one was spared from the spears of their taunts except for the so called circle of Chopra's and Johar's. All in all, it was highly boring and an utter waste of time.
Monday, February 25, 2008
He is my bumchum..eh ?
I had read about the culture shocks. I had heard about the culture shocks.I had even imagined about culture shocks. But had never been unfortunate enough to experience one for real ! This incident goes back a few months when i had to work on a case competition with an undergrad student in the business school. Now, this kid I was to work with, was absolutely brilliant. I was totally in awe of the fact that how comfortably he could do sensitivity analysis and play around with numbers on a spread sheet. While i was breaking my head on break-even analysis, these guys in my team started talking about the "Bikes". One thing I have realised over the years is that when guys hit on such important and critical discussions, expecting them to concentrate on work is similar to expecting Eskimos buying a refrigerator. Anyhow, I gave up all the hope of getting any work done that day and tried to engage myself in that conversation, which was again a foolish idea. My attempt at being tomboyish and trying to understand the mileages, the gears, the rockers and the shockers was all a waste! Anyways, so this undergrad american team mate of mine was talking about the bikes he had driven and wanted to drive. He suddenly mentioned about his experience while driving Harley-Davidson. Now, no matter how ignorant i might be in this field,but i for sure know about H-D. So i was interested to know more about it. I casually asked him - "So how and where did u get hands on a H-D?" He replied even more casually - "oh that,well..my mom's boyfriend has one. And he is my bumchum, so he lets me drive his bike." I took 5 minutes to come terms with the fact that he was so coolly talking about his mom's boyfriend. And it took me another 5 minutes to realise that he was close to being best frenz with that dude ! I think he was expecting a 'wow' or a 'cool' kinda phrase from me, but all i could say was - "what !!!! ???" He was surprised to see me surprised. But luckily he didn't understand the reason for my astonishment and i somehow completed the sentence - "what !!! ??? ---long pause--- i mean, thats nice he lets u use his H-D". I kept thinking about it for a while that how things were so different for the people in the west. Imagining a replacement of either of our parents is close to a nightmare.
Yet another revelation which I came across was that there can be as many homes as the number of members in the family. A team mate of mine had mentioned that his hometown is chicago. Having seen close knit families in India, I assumed that his family must be staying together as well. On our recent visit to chicago, he said he would be staying at his mom's house. Now, what was that supposed to mean...huh?? For a moment, I was again taken aback with the concept of Mom's house and Dad's house. It took me a while to realise that kids don't stay with their parents once they start going to college. This dude has started looking for an apartment for himself in the same city.
I cannot help but appreciate the closeness which we share with our family and relatives in India. When i was moving to Mumbai for engineering, there were absolutely no second thoughts about me staying with my masi(maternal aunt). Well, may be thats what we call difference in cultures !
Friday, February 15, 2008
Beyond the Obvious...
Today, somehow it occured to me that most of the times we do not think beyond what is obvious. The ability to appreciate things is restricted to what is presented infront of us with great pomp and show. The things which remain unspoken fail to get the due credit of their magnanimity. I came across a video which had many such examples. For those who say - "With enough experience comes success", should look upto the record breaking Indian cricketer 'Sachin Tendulkar' who achieved success at the age of 17. When people dismiss the hardwork and committment of the rich by saying that "Only those with family money ever become rich", I am reminded of 'Dhirubhai Ambani' and the legacy he created. When I come across a generalized statement like "The Black man has always suffered in America", I feel overwhelmed by the standing ovation which actor Denzel Washington received at the oscars. When I hear people say -"On earth we are born, on earth we are meant to live"; I cannot help but appreciate the likes of Neil Armstrong, Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams who have been fortunate enough to experience world beyond this planet. One man I am sure to write off the adage - "The official age for retirement is 58" would have been JRD Tata. He held office until he breathed his last at the age of 89. People who pass statements like "The only sport where India can be a World Champion is cricket" need to be reminded of the undisputed Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand who is responsible for taking India to the meteoric heights in the world of Chess. "Perfection is an impossible ideal" Nadia Comaneci, the romanian gymnast would raise an eyebrow to this statement and say - "Is it?" She was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. Some historian's statement - "The world, as we know it, is flat and ends at Africa" was enough to challenge Colombus who went on to discover America in 1942. When people remarked that "All computers will be ugly grey boxes", Apple made us think differently. In context of Indian politics, if a young man attempts to do things differently, his efforts are shunned off by saying - "An individual can never make a difference". I simply wish that someone could remind those people of the **difference** which a small man with the frail physique brought to the struggling masses of India. Millions of people revered this man as Mahatma Gandhi. To make someone realise that a certain goal is unrealistic or impractical, its been more than often said "If men were meant to fly, they'd have been born with wings". Had it not been for the aviation pioneers, The Wright Brothers, who were courageous enough to defy the statement, crossing the 7 seas would have remained a dream for most of us !
The idea behind listing down all these examples is to remind myself of the fact that - If you believe, you can , YOU WILL !!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Taare Zameen Par...
You could not have possibly expected anything less than TZP from Aamir Khan as his directorial debut...Kudos !
TZP has a realistic approach and is an eye opener for all those parents who want to fulfill their own unfulfilled dreams, ambitions & desires through their children. Its a must watch for those parents who want their kids to study in nothing less than IITs or IIMs...those parents who want their young ones to follow the footsteps of some godforsaken topper in their social circle...those parents who spend thousands of rupees to coach their little ones in all possible extra curricular activities which exist on the planet - be it swimming, painting, horse riding, cooking, lawn tennis, cricket ... those parents who conveniently fail to understand that their kids might have different interests ... those parents who shun away their wards confidence by comparing them to sons and daughters of friends, relatives or even their own siblings...those parents who want each of their kids to ace everything present in the universe...and finally those parents who in spite of realizing special needs of their kids shy away from the fact that their child is different from the rest !!
The movie beautifully highlights the stress and pressure which the young minds have been loaded with. It revolves around a dyslectic kid Ishaan Awasthi who lags behind in his class because the letters dance in front of his eyes, the numbers run away from him and the sports refuse to befriend him ! Assuming this to be his notoriousness, Ishaan's parents send him to a boarding school. God knows who gives such ideas to the parents of modern generation that a bunch of strangers can discipline their children better than his own family **sigh** Boarding schools are not a concept of today; they very much existed in the past. Boarding schools of ancient days were known as Gurukul's. But, there is a significant difference between the two. Parents sent their children to gurukuls and ashram's for their all round development, where as the modern day boarding schools are nothing but mere dumping grounds for rich parents who do not have time for their spoiled brats. Anyways, lets continue with Ishaan's story. This little boy already had less troubles in his life that his parents had to burden him emotionally by separating him from his family at a tender age of 8. He was called a trouble maker, duffer, retard, stupid, foolish and what not. And this little soul embraced all such awarded titles and many more with complete silence and grace. Had it not been for the art teacher (Aamir), Ishaan would have become yet another kid who had to be sent to a school for retarded children. Dyslectic kids are not retards, they are slow learners. Aamir introduces Ishaan to a whole new world of learning and discovers the talented painter and artist in him. Slowly and gradually Ishaan's lost confidence is revived and his academic graph starts rising.
Aamir's approach towards the movie is quite sensitive and the story is moving. I would credit him not only for his own performance but also the ability to make the little Ishaan perform at par. The movie raises an important issue about kids and their parents.The movie was sensitive enough to deliver the message, hope the parents are receptive enough to understand the same !
TZP has a realistic approach and is an eye opener for all those parents who want to fulfill their own unfulfilled dreams, ambitions & desires through their children. Its a must watch for those parents who want their kids to study in nothing less than IITs or IIMs...those parents who want their young ones to follow the footsteps of some godforsaken topper in their social circle...those parents who spend thousands of rupees to coach their little ones in all possible extra curricular activities which exist on the planet - be it swimming, painting, horse riding, cooking, lawn tennis, cricket ... those parents who conveniently fail to understand that their kids might have different interests ... those parents who shun away their wards confidence by comparing them to sons and daughters of friends, relatives or even their own siblings...those parents who want each of their kids to ace everything present in the universe...and finally those parents who in spite of realizing special needs of their kids shy away from the fact that their child is different from the rest !!
The movie beautifully highlights the stress and pressure which the young minds have been loaded with. It revolves around a dyslectic kid Ishaan Awasthi who lags behind in his class because the letters dance in front of his eyes, the numbers run away from him and the sports refuse to befriend him ! Assuming this to be his notoriousness, Ishaan's parents send him to a boarding school. God knows who gives such ideas to the parents of modern generation that a bunch of strangers can discipline their children better than his own family **sigh** Boarding schools are not a concept of today; they very much existed in the past. Boarding schools of ancient days were known as Gurukul's. But, there is a significant difference between the two. Parents sent their children to gurukuls and ashram's for their all round development, where as the modern day boarding schools are nothing but mere dumping grounds for rich parents who do not have time for their spoiled brats. Anyways, lets continue with Ishaan's story. This little boy already had less troubles in his life that his parents had to burden him emotionally by separating him from his family at a tender age of 8. He was called a trouble maker, duffer, retard, stupid, foolish and what not. And this little soul embraced all such awarded titles and many more with complete silence and grace. Had it not been for the art teacher (Aamir), Ishaan would have become yet another kid who had to be sent to a school for retarded children. Dyslectic kids are not retards, they are slow learners. Aamir introduces Ishaan to a whole new world of learning and discovers the talented painter and artist in him. Slowly and gradually Ishaan's lost confidence is revived and his academic graph starts rising.
Aamir's approach towards the movie is quite sensitive and the story is moving. I would credit him not only for his own performance but also the ability to make the little Ishaan perform at par. The movie raises an important issue about kids and their parents.The movie was sensitive enough to deliver the message, hope the parents are receptive enough to understand the same !
Friday, November 30, 2007
That's the Difference !
Working in an offshore team in Indian Industry gave me lot of exposure to interact with the clients in US. I had always heard of US work culture being different, but had never really understood the difference. I always wondered that what could be different - even they would have a cubicle to themselves, even they would sit with their teams and have discussions, arguments, even they would have jokes to share, team parties,even their reporting managers would stand on their heads to get the work done before some unrealistic deadline. But after spending few months here,I have got some idea of the difference in the culture - its the ATTITUDE !
First one which struck me was that there are no fixed cubicles for employees. This culture is prevalent mostly in the Consultancy firms. The Consultants who are traveling for 4 days a week to the client site don't necessarily need a reserved cubicle for themselves. On 5th day they can work remotely from home. Even if the employees are not traveling and decide to work in office, they have a hotel kinda check in system where they can reserve a cubicle on daily/weekly basis. This saves so much of work space which would otherwise lie unoccupied.
Second difference is regarding the interaction with colleagues at work place. In India, I had the liberty to visit any of my friend's cubicle without prior notice. I could stop by at their desk with a cup of coffee and have a nice chat about anything under the sun. Even amongst the team, there used to be lot of fooling around stuff. Playing pranks on juniors in the team, laughing loudly and discussing things like new restaurants, movies, what is going on in other projects used to be a everyday routine. On one hand it helped us to bond with each other where as, on the other hand, it kind of affected the productivity of the team adversely. The time which was spent in the non-work related things could have been put to use in a much more efficient manner thereby putting away the need to sit back long hours in office and burning mid night oil. Here, people work quite seriously from 9 to 5 and enjoy after office hours. People here have their ipods plugged in their ears and have their focus on work alone. They take a 1 hour break for lunch in between. Some desis like this kind of atmosphere where as some are uncomfortable with the silence around. A friend of mine finds it difficult to work in this kinda isolation and cannot concentrate for more than 2 hours.
Meetings here are not conducted for the heck of it. They are conducted after some deliberation with a strong Agenda. Some reference material or fliers are sent to the attendees prior to the meeting. The action items which I saw only in text in India are something which I saw being put to practice here. No one wastes time for documenting minutes of the meeting. The items discussed are written then and there in the wiki by the project manager or the convener of the meeting along with the action items. The tasks are assigned to the individuals on wiki, who then go and update the tasks after they are completed.
The reporting manager does not stand on your head to get the work done. He doesn't come to your workstation to peep into your system to know what you are doing. You are assigned work with a realistic deadline and are supposed to turn in your work by that deadline.
Everyone trusts each other. There is a strong sense of Integrity in everything people do. If you say, that you completed a task in 3 hours, people would buy that. They would never question that. Because they trust that you would report the actual time taken for completing that task.
People respect each other's job, however small it might be. I have seen the housekeeping or mail delivery folks being treated with so much of respect and courtesy.
There are so many things which I find different here that I can go on and on about them. But the most important thing which infact gave me the very idea of writing this comparative post was an incident at my work place (oncampus job). My manager got an additional responsibility in a research department.She was promoted in the management hierarchy. There was absolutely no compulsion on her part to have communicated this news to us(her current team). BUT, she convened a special meeting and informed us about it before we could learn it from an outside source and be surprised. The sheer transparency and trust which exists in the team is just awesome. I was extremely impressed with my manager's move. It might be a very small or routine thing for her, but for me who has seen how managers and PL's ***hide*** things which affect their own teams directly, it definitely means a lot. I would consider myself a little unfortunate to have come across seniors at my workplace in India who have not set very good leadership examples. May be they do not understand that taking ones' team into confidence is the key to team's success. It is quite important for team's morale. I have had this experience in India, where my PL's moving out of the current project was communicated to me by some one outside my project. Not that it matters in long run, but I did question the faith and respect I had for my PL then. But I decided to derive a positive learning outta this situation. I am preparing a list of Do's and Dont's for myself from these experiences. I would try and incorporate them in my work ethics when I assume the leadership roles.
First one which struck me was that there are no fixed cubicles for employees. This culture is prevalent mostly in the Consultancy firms. The Consultants who are traveling for 4 days a week to the client site don't necessarily need a reserved cubicle for themselves. On 5th day they can work remotely from home. Even if the employees are not traveling and decide to work in office, they have a hotel kinda check in system where they can reserve a cubicle on daily/weekly basis. This saves so much of work space which would otherwise lie unoccupied.
Second difference is regarding the interaction with colleagues at work place. In India, I had the liberty to visit any of my friend's cubicle without prior notice. I could stop by at their desk with a cup of coffee and have a nice chat about anything under the sun. Even amongst the team, there used to be lot of fooling around stuff. Playing pranks on juniors in the team, laughing loudly and discussing things like new restaurants, movies, what is going on in other projects used to be a everyday routine. On one hand it helped us to bond with each other where as, on the other hand, it kind of affected the productivity of the team adversely. The time which was spent in the non-work related things could have been put to use in a much more efficient manner thereby putting away the need to sit back long hours in office and burning mid night oil. Here, people work quite seriously from 9 to 5 and enjoy after office hours. People here have their ipods plugged in their ears and have their focus on work alone. They take a 1 hour break for lunch in between. Some desis like this kind of atmosphere where as some are uncomfortable with the silence around. A friend of mine finds it difficult to work in this kinda isolation and cannot concentrate for more than 2 hours.
Meetings here are not conducted for the heck of it. They are conducted after some deliberation with a strong Agenda. Some reference material or fliers are sent to the attendees prior to the meeting. The action items which I saw only in text in India are something which I saw being put to practice here. No one wastes time for documenting minutes of the meeting. The items discussed are written then and there in the wiki by the project manager or the convener of the meeting along with the action items. The tasks are assigned to the individuals on wiki, who then go and update the tasks after they are completed.
The reporting manager does not stand on your head to get the work done. He doesn't come to your workstation to peep into your system to know what you are doing. You are assigned work with a realistic deadline and are supposed to turn in your work by that deadline.
Everyone trusts each other. There is a strong sense of Integrity in everything people do. If you say, that you completed a task in 3 hours, people would buy that. They would never question that. Because they trust that you would report the actual time taken for completing that task.
People respect each other's job, however small it might be. I have seen the housekeeping or mail delivery folks being treated with so much of respect and courtesy.
There are so many things which I find different here that I can go on and on about them. But the most important thing which infact gave me the very idea of writing this comparative post was an incident at my work place (oncampus job). My manager got an additional responsibility in a research department.She was promoted in the management hierarchy. There was absolutely no compulsion on her part to have communicated this news to us(her current team). BUT, she convened a special meeting and informed us about it before we could learn it from an outside source and be surprised. The sheer transparency and trust which exists in the team is just awesome. I was extremely impressed with my manager's move. It might be a very small or routine thing for her, but for me who has seen how managers and PL's ***hide*** things which affect their own teams directly, it definitely means a lot. I would consider myself a little unfortunate to have come across seniors at my workplace in India who have not set very good leadership examples. May be they do not understand that taking ones' team into confidence is the key to team's success. It is quite important for team's morale. I have had this experience in India, where my PL's moving out of the current project was communicated to me by some one outside my project. Not that it matters in long run, but I did question the faith and respect I had for my PL then. But I decided to derive a positive learning outta this situation. I am preparing a list of Do's and Dont's for myself from these experiences. I would try and incorporate them in my work ethics when I assume the leadership roles.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a traditional North American holiday, where people thank for their possessions at the end of a harvest season. Every year, it is celebrated on 4th Thursday of November which makes it a 4 day long weekend break for everyone in schools, colleges and offices. I was fortunate to be a part of this American festival this year. The main attraction of this festival is the celebrations with thanksgiving dinner, where people invite family and friends and treat them with turkey, wine, cakes and all sorts of delicacies. I did not go to any such dinner, but my group of Indian friends got together to celebrate the occasion with some desi food and wine. Dinner was followed by some games with cards. I learned a new game called "Poker". Its addictive and quite interesting. By the time we realized that it was time to pack up, the clock had already struck 3 AM. It was pointless to sleep after that, because we had all decided to go out at 5 AM to throng upon the thanksgiving sales. So, while my friends caught up on a horror English movie, I surfed all the possible websites to check for the online deals. Soon it was 5 AM and we wrapped ourselves in 3 layers of clothing as a protection against the -5 degrees temperature.
People go crazy for the thanksgiving sales. They line up in front of the shops for buying electronic items from a night before. Our first stop was at Best Buy. There was a swarm of people in the store buying everything and anything. Some of the things were bought simply because they were cheap. They had no idea as to what use they would put that to. Other stores we visited were Staples, Target, Sears, Old Navy, Aeropostale etc etc. I bought most of my electronic stuff online - 2 Camera's Canon SD1000, a 4GB Sansa, a 2GB Sansa, two 2GB SD memory Cards. I got pretty good deals on all these items and so I was satisfied ! Overall, I would say, it was a unique and exciting experience !!
People go crazy for the thanksgiving sales. They line up in front of the shops for buying electronic items from a night before. Our first stop was at Best Buy. There was a swarm of people in the store buying everything and anything. Some of the things were bought simply because they were cheap. They had no idea as to what use they would put that to. Other stores we visited were Staples, Target, Sears, Old Navy, Aeropostale etc etc. I bought most of my electronic stuff online - 2 Camera's Canon SD1000, a 4GB Sansa, a 2GB Sansa, two 2GB SD memory Cards. I got pretty good deals on all these items and so I was satisfied ! Overall, I would say, it was a unique and exciting experience !!
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