Musings of a restless mind...

Smart Mom!

2012-02-16T21:12:00.000+05:30

Mom comes to visit her son Kumar for dinner... who lives with a girl room mate Sunita. During the course of the meal, his mother couldn't help but notice how pretty Kumar's roommate was. She had long been suspicious of a relationship between the two, and this had only made her more curious.

Over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact, she started to wonder if there was more between Kumar and his roommate than met the eye.

Reading his mom's thoughts, Kumar volunteered, 'I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you, Sunita and I are just roommates.'

About a week later, Sunita came to Kumar saying, 'Ever since your mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the silver plate. You don't suppose she took it, do you?'

Kumar said ,'Well, I doubt it, but I'll email her, just to be sure.'

So he sat down and wrote :
Dear Mother:
I'm not saying that you 'did' take the silver plate from my house, I'm not saying that you 'did not' take the silver plate.. But the fact remains that it has been missing ever since you were here for dinner.
Love, Kumar

A few days later, Kumar received an email from his Mother which read
Dear Son:
I'm not saying that you 'do' sleep with Sunita, and I'm not saying that you 'do not' sleep with Sunita. But the fact remains that if she was sleeping in her OWN bed, she would have found the silver plate by now under the pillow...
Love, Mom.

Source: Unknown (received as a mail)

Why not you?

2012-02-16T21:06:00.003+05:30

Today, many will awaken with a fresh sense of inspiration. Why not you?
Today, many will open their eyes to the beauty that surrounds them. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to leave the ghost of yesterday behind and seize the immeasurable power of today. Why not you?
Today, many will break through the barriers of the past by looking at the blessings of the present. Why not you?

Today, for many the burden of self doubt and insecurity will be lifted by the security and confidence of empowerment. Why not you?
Today, many will rise above their believed limitations and make contact with their powerful innate strength. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to live in such a manner that they will be a positive role model for their children. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to free themselves from the personal imprisonment of their bad habits. Why not you?

Today, many will choose to live free of conditions and rules governing their own happiness. Why not you?
Today, many will find abundance in simplicity. Why not you?
Today, many will be confronted by difficult moral choices and they will choose to do what is right instead of what is beneficial. Why not you?
Today, many will decide to no longer sit back with a victim mentality, but to take charge of their lives and make positive changes. Why not you?
Today, many will take the action necessary to make a difference. Why not you?

Today, many will make the commitment to be a better mother, father, son, daughter, student, teacher, worker, boss, brother, sister, & so much more. Why not you?
Today is a new day! Many will seize this day. Many will live it to the fullest.
Why not you?

By Steve Maraboli

It's up to you!

2012-02-15T12:16:00.002+05:30

One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.

One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal

One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
One step must start each journey.
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,

One heart can know what's true,

One life can
make a difference,
You see,
it's up to you!

Source: Unknown

What we see, and what kids see

2012-02-15T12:14:00.001+05:30

When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard.
My kids see flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on.

When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person who probably wants money and I look away.
My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back.

When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry a tune and don't have much rhythm so I sit self-consciously and listen.
My kids feel the beat and move to it. They sing out the words. If they don't know them, they make up their own.

When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk.
My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.

When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that.
My kids say, "Hi God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my Mommy and Daddy."

When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets.
My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross, and worms to play with.

I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from?
Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
I wish you Big Mud Puddles and Sunny Yellow Dandelions!!!

Source: Unknown

How would it be?

2012-02-15T12:10:00.000+05:30

Wouldn't this old world be better
If the folks we meet would say -
"I know something good about you!"
And treat us just that way?

Wouldn't it be fine and dandy
If each handclasp, fond and true,
Carried with it this assurance -
"I know something good about you!"

Wouldn't life be lots more happy
If the good that's in us all
Were the only thing about us
That folks bothered to recall?

Wouldn't life be lots more happy
If we praised the good we see?
For there's such a lot of goodness
In the worst of you and me!

Wouldn't it be nice to practice
That fine way of thinking, too?

You know something good about me;
I know something good about you.

Source: Unknown

Do you wish the World were better?

2012-02-08T05:58:00.001+05:30

Do you wish the World were better?
Let me tell you what to do:

Set a watch upon your actions,
Keep them always straight and true.
Rid your mind of selfish motives,
Let your thoughts be clean and high.
You can make a little Eden
Of the sphere you occupy.

Do you wish the World were wiser?
Then suppose you make a start,

By accumulating wisdom
In the scrap book of your heart.
Do not waste one page on folly;
Live to learn and learn to live.
If you want to give men knowledge
You must get it ere you give.

Do you wish the World were happy?
Then remember day by day,

Just to scatter seeds of kindness,
As you pass along the way.
For the pleasures of the many,
May be oft times traced to one.
As the hand that plants an acorn,
Shelters armies from the sun.

Source: Unknown

Lifting & Leaning

2012-02-06T10:33:00.002+05:30

There are two kinds of people on earth today,
Just two kinds of people, no more, I say.

Not the good and the bad, for 'tis well understood
The good are half bad and the bad are half good.

Not the happy and sad, for the swift-flying years
Brings each man his laughter and each man his tears.

Not the rich and the poor, for to count a man's wealth
You must first know the state of his conscience and health.

Not the humble and proud, for in life's busy span
He who puts on vain airs is not counted a man.

No! The two kinds of people on earth I mean
Are the people who lift and the people who lean.

Wherever you go you will find the world's masses
Are ever divided in just two classes.

And, strangely enough, you will find, too, I ween,
There is only one lifter to twenty who lean.

In which class are you? Are you easing the load
Of overtaxed lifters who toil down the road?

By Ella Wheeler Wilcox

If....

2012-02-06T10:27:00.001+05:30

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Source: http://www.kipling.org.uk

They still say...

2012-02-05T00:49:00.002+05:30

They say man must be obedient, to the extent of being submissive. They say man must be respectful of the society around him. They say man must give in to the expectations of the bigger want. They say man must seek advice and do things that the consensus feels is right. They say man has to educate himself to the norms of the world. They say man must dance to the audience. They say man must be more tolerant to every body else's soul than his own. They say man must think to suit those who cannot think. They say man must act for the convenience of those who has never acted.

Why don't they simple say man must cease to be man?

Today I can..

2012-02-03T10:26:00.004+05:30

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!

Have a GREAT DAY! Unless you have other plans.

By Anonymous

49 quotes on Gratitude

2012-01-31T19:49:00.000+05:30

1. “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” — Albert Schweitzer

2. “You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.” — G. K. Chesterton

3. “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks”. — Unknown

4. “Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” — Marcel Proust

5. “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” — Epictetus

6. “You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.” — Sarah Ban Breathnach

7. “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” — Thornton Wilder

8. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

9. “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward

10. “Take full account of the excellencies which you possess, and in gratitude remember how you would hanker after them, if you had them not.” — Marcus Aurelius

11. “Real life isn’t always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgement of what is working in our lives can help us not only to survive but surmount our difficulties.” — Sarah Ban Breathnach

12. “We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” — Cynthia Ozick

13. “Can you see the holiness in those things you take for granted–a paved road or a washing machine? If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” — Rabbi Harold Kushner

14. “We can be thankful to a friend for a few acres or a little money; and yet for the freedom and command of the whole earth, and for the great benefits of our being, our life, health, and reason, we look upon ourselves as under no obligation.” — Marcus Annaeus Seneca

15. “When we become more fully aware that our success is due in large measure to the loyalty, helpfulness, and encouragement we have received from others, our desire grows to pass on similar gifts. Gratitude spurs us on to prove ourselves worthy of what others have done for us. The spirit of gratitude is a powerful energizer.” — Wilferd A. Peterson

16. “Whatever our individual troubles and challenges may be, it’s important to pause every now and then to appreciate all that we have, on every level. We need to literally “count our blessings,” give thanks for them, allow ourselves to enjoy them, and relish the experience of prosperity we already have.” — Shakti Gawain

17. “Thou that has given so much to me,
Give one thing more–a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if thy blessings had spare days;
But such a heart, whose pulse may be
Thy praise.”

– George Herbert

18. “(Some people) have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy.” — A.H. Maslow

19. “If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would suffice.” — Meister Eckhart

20. “Find the good and praise it.” — Alex Haley

21. “Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot.” — The Hausa of Nigeria

22. “What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to thank you for it-would you be likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have.” — Ralph Marston

23. “Happiness is itself a kind of gratitude.” — Joseph Wood Krutch

24. “The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” — Henry Miller

25. “There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.” — Ralph H. Blum

26. “Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy — because we will always want to have something else or something more.” — Brother David Steindl-Rast

27. “Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.” — Denis Waitley

28. “As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world. ” — Adabella Radici

29. “For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

30. “Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It’s a way to live. ” — Attributed to Jacqueline Winspear

31. “When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them.” — Chinese Proverb

32. “Only a stomach that rarely feels hungry scorns common things.” — Horace

33. “But the value of gratitude does not consist solely in getting you more blessings in the future. Without gratitude you cannot long keep from dissatisfied thought regarding things as they are.” — Wallace Wattles

34. “Blessed are those that can give without remembering and receive without forgetting.” — Author Unknown

35. “If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” — Rabbi Harold Kushner

36. “Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.” — Albert Schweitzer

37. “God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you?” — William A. Ward

38. “Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic.” — John Henry Jowett

39. “Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life.” — Christiane Northrup

40.”The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.” — Richard Bach

41. “Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.” — Charles Dickens

42. “Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend… when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present — love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure — the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience Heaven on earth.” –Sarah Ban Breathnach

43. “Whenever we are appreciative, we are filled with a sense of well-being and swept up by the feeling of joy.” — M.J. Ryan

44. “Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.” –Doris Day

45. “Many people who order their lives rightly in all other ways are kept in poverty by their lack of gratitude.” — Wallace Wattles

46. “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” — Buddha

47. “Two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give.” — Edwin Arlington Robinson

48. “There is a law of gratitude, and it is . . . the natural principle that action and reaction are always equal and in opposite directions. The grateful outreaching of your mind in thankful praise to supreme intelligence is a liberation or expenditure of force. It cannot fail to reach that to which it is addressed, and the reaction is an instantaneous movement toward you.” — Wally Wattles

49. “Gratitude should not be just a reaction to getting what you want, but an all-the-time gratitude, the kind where you notice the little things and where you constantly look for the good, even in unpleasant situations. Start bringing gratitude to your experiences, instead of waiting for a positive experience in order to feel grateful.” — Marelisa Fábrega

It might have been otherwise

2012-01-30T10:50:00.001+05:30

I got out of bed
on two strong legs.
It might have been
otherwise. I ate
cereal, sweet
milk, ripe, flawless
peach. It might
have been otherwise.
I took the dog uphill
to the birchwood.
All morning I did
the work I love.
At noon I lay down
with my mate. It might
have been otherwise.
We ate dinner together
at a table with silver
candlesticks. It might
have been otherwise.
I slept in a bed
in a room with paintings
on the walls, and
planned another day
just like this day.
But one day, I know,
it will be otherwise.

by Jane Kenyon
©2005 by the Estate of Jane Kenyon

Random poem

2012-01-24T10:34:00.002+05:30

Some say love is a river,
That drowns the tender reed,
Some say love is the razor,
That leaves the heart to bleed..

Some say love is a hunger,
An aching endless need
I, say love is a flower,
And YOU its only seed.
Its the dream afraid of waking,
That never takes a chance,
It’s the heart afraid of breaking,
That never learns to dance,
The one who can’t be taken,
Who cannot seem to give,
The soul afraid of dying,
That never learns to live.

When you’ve grown too weary and the road seems too long,
And you begin to think that love is only for the lucky and the strong,
Remember – that in the winter, far beneath the winter snows,
Lies the seed, that with the suns help
in the summer, Becomes the Rose

CNN Heroes - Anuradha Koirala

2012-01-15T11:24:00.000+05:30

Absolutely INSPIRING. Did someone say GOD does not exist? Experience GOD.

Relationships

2012-01-15T10:56:00.001+05:30

Not everyone is healthy enough to have a front row seat in our lives.

There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance.

It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let go of, or at least minimize your time with, draining, negative, incompatible, not-going-anywhere relationships/friendships.

Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention.

Which ones lift and which ones lean?

Which ones encourage and which ones discourage?

Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going downhill?

When you leave certain people do you feel better or feel worse?

Which ones always have drama or don't really understand, know or appreciate you?

The more you seek quality, respect, growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you...the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the front row and who should be moved to the balcony of Your Life.

"If you cannot change the people around you, CHANGE the people you are around."

Remember that the people we hang with will have an impact on both our lives and our income. And so we must be careful to choose the people we hang out with, as well as the information with which we feed our minds.

We should not share our dreams with negative people, Nor feed our dreams with negative thoughts.

It's your choice and your life..... It's up to you who and what you let in it......

Source: Unknown (received as a forward from a friend)

Where do I hide!

2012-01-04T00:33:00.000+05:30

When going through my past postings, came across this. Embarrassing to think now that I felt UPA would be the best bet for the country.

http://hcmenon.blogspot.com/2009/05/historic-verdict.html

Weird interview questions

2012-01-03T18:34:00.004+05:30

What would your replies be!

“A man pushed his car to a hotel and lost his fortune. What happened?” asked at a Google interview

“How many people are using Facebook in San Francisco at 2:30 p.m. on a Friday?” — Asked at Google, Vendor Relations Manager candidate

“If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it?” — Asked at Hewlett-Packard, Product Marketing Manager candidate

“Given 20 ‘destructible’ light bulbs (which break at a certain height), and a building with 100 floors, how do you determine the height that the light bulbs break?” — Asked at Qualcomm, Engineering candidate

“How would you cure world hunger?” — Asked at Amazon.com, Software Developer candidate

“You’re in a row boat, which is in a large tank filled with water. You have an anchor on board, which you throw overboard (the chain is long enough so the anchor rests completely on the bottom of the tank). Does the water level in the tank rise or fall?” — Asked at Tesla Motors, Mechanical Engineer candidate

“Please spell ‘diverticulitis’.” — Asked at EMSI Engineering, Account Manager candidate

“You have a bouquet of flowers. All but two are roses, all but two are daisies, and all but two are tulips. How many flowers do you have?” — Asked at Epic Systems, Corporation Project Manager/Implementation Consultant candidate

“How do you feel about those jokers at Congress?” — Asked at Consolidated Electrical, Management Trainee candidate

“If you were a Microsoft Office program, which one would you be?” — Asked at Summit Racing Equipment, Ecommerce candidate

Any innovative responses? :)

Source: Washington Post

Off the mark

2012-01-01T22:18:00.002+05:30

Yeah, I am off the mark for 2012. The year has started off really well. Hope the flow takes me through and leads me to where I want to. Catch being, I do not necessarily know what the end target is! Big deal, who knows the big plan anyway.

Let me reproduce these lines I read somewhere:

The new years come, the old years go,

We know we dream, we dream we know.

We rise up laughing with the light,

We lie down weeping with the night.

We hug the world until it stings,

We curse it then and sigh for the wings.

We live, we love, we woo, we wed,

We wreathe our prides, we sheet our dead.

We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,

And that's the burden of a year.

Here's wishing you a fantastic New Year and rest of your lives.

God bless. Keep smiling.

Adi and dao theory

2011-09-09T22:33:00.001+05:30

Off late adi has been practising this theory very ably with his index finger. Theory came into being when adi realized the word "dao" n index finger can do wonders for him. for ex. when he says dao n points to the door with his tini mini index finger it means its time to go for a walk..... be it eve or morning a walk is a must for little baby's health...... also dao n index finger towards wht ur eating means he wants to eat wht ever ur eating n god save u if u refuse to gv him on his health n age grounds coz nw he knws one year babies should eat well...... dao n index finger towards a person means nw tht person should hold him in his arms n thank lord for the opportunity gvn....... dao n index finger towards u also means tht he's upset with u n conveying his displeasure....... so these r just few ways of using dao theory........ i think adi is again saying dao dao.....

National Flag

2011-08-24T21:29:00.004+05:30

I did not know that our National Flag went through these versions before what it is now.
Source: Blog named Windy Skies

What made you give me the stone

2011-08-23T12:02:00.002+05:30

A wise man who was travelling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day he met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise man opened his bag to share his food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the man to give it to him. He did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime.

But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise man!

"I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is. but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone."

Itna kyu sote hai hum

2011-08-22T13:23:00.001+05:30

इतना क्यूं सोते हैं हम,
इतना लम्बा, इतना गहरा, बेसुध क्यों सोते हैं हम ।

दबे पाँव काली रातें आती जाती हैं,
दबे पाँव क्या, कभी बेधड़क हो जाती हैं।
और बस करवट लेकर, सब खोते हैं हम।
इतना क्यूं सोते हैं हम।

नींद है या फिर नशा है कोई,
धीरे धीरे जिसकी आदत पड़ जाती है
झूठ की बारिश में सच की खामोश बांसुरी
एक झोंके की राह देखती सड़ जाती है,
बाद में क्यूं रोते हैं हम।
इतना क्यूं सोते हैं हम ।

खेत हमारा बीज हमारे,
हैरत क्या अब फसल खड़ी है,
काटनी होगी छांटनी होगी, आज चुनौती बहुत बड़ी है, कांटे क्यूं बोते हैं।
इतना क्यूं सोते हैं हम,

सबने खेला और सब हारे, बड़ा अनोखा अजब खेल है
इंजन काला,डिब्बे काले, बड़ी पुरानी ढींठ रेल है
इस रेल में क्यों होते हैं हम।
इतना क्यूं सोते हैं हम,

लोरी नहीं तमाचा देदो,
एक छोटी सी आशा देदो,
वरना फिर से सो जाएंगे

सपनों में फिर खो जाएंगे ।

चलो पाप धोते हैं हम,

इतना क्यूं सोते हैं हम ।

प्रसून जोशी

Integrity

2011-08-19T12:48:00.003+05:30

Chandragupta's Chief Minister Chanakya was a very wise and well-read man. Once an envoy came from China to discuss the philosophies of politics with him. The Chinese envoy had a royal lifestyle and was also arrogant. He requested Chanakya for an appointment and was told to go to his house at night.

At the correct time the Chinese man reached the hut of Chanakya. He saw Chanakya sitting and writing something under the light of a very small lamp (diya). He was surprised and wondered why the Chief Minister should use such a small lamp and thought himself as much better off in China.

Chanakya got up, respectfully welcomed him and offered a seat. Before talks could begin, Chanakya put the diya off and lighted another one. After the discussions were over, Chanakya put off the new diya and lighted the old one back again!

As the envoy was going out he could not contain himself from asking Chanakya why he did all this. Chanakya said "When you reached my house I was doing my personal work for which I use my diya. When I started talking to you, I put it off and used the government diya which I have put off as soon as our discussions are over. I am sometimes the 'Chief Minister' and sometimes an 'ordinary citizen' and I know the difference between the two."

Smart answers!

2011-08-19T09:29:00.000+05:30

Q- In which battle did Tipu Sultan die? A- His last battle !

Q- How do u stop acid indigestion? A- Stop drinking acid !

Q- Where was the declaration of independence signed? A- At the bottom of the page

Q- What's the main reason for Divorce? A- Marriage!

Q- Ganga flows in which state? A- Liquid state !

Q- When was Mahatma Gandhi born? A- On his birthday !

Q- How will u distribute 8 mangoes amongst 6 people? A- By preparing mango shake

The need for change

2011-08-18T20:59:00.003+05:30

The Anna Hazare led anti-corruption movement is a desperate call for a need to change the way things work around in our country. While we can keep supporting this and other movements, the underlying fact is that we live in a democracy and a long-term sustainable change can only be effected if we vote more consciously when the elections come by.

I had read the following article some time back. Want to re-post it here. Do read.

The good vote banks

India on FB!

2011-08-16T20:05:00.001+05:30

Click on the image for a larger view.

Source: Yahoo

Tozan's three pounds

2011-08-13T23:05:00.002+05:30

A monk asked Tozan when he was weighing some flax, "What is Buddha"?

Tozan said, "This flax weighs three pounds."

My two cents on Indian test side

2011-08-04T18:55:00.003+05:30

I was disappointed with the way we lost the two tests against England. I happened to talk about it in a lecture and was invited to comment on a student's comment on FB. So posted this.

Firstly, these couple of defeats per se would have been okay, but the way we lost, I felt, was spineless. There was no fight whatsoever. They did not just win, they out-played us completely. Sure every team can lose a couple of games in a row, but the 'how' is equally important.

Secondly, what is our future looking like? Sure we are statistically at No. 1, but how strong is our side! Be it pace bowling, spin or batting, the bench strength looks very raw. Who is going to replace the likes of Sachin, Dravid and Laxman? If we do not find the answers soon, we will go the Aussie way. Difference being, they cleanly dominated other teams for more than a decade and we would struggle to do it for a couple of years. Even today, India does not look dominating or powerful enough to claim the tag of world-beaters. What has been equally important is that other teams have not been very impressive except England and SAF.

Thirdly, I am tempted to look at the statistics of test matches during the last three years. India has played 33, won 15, lost 6. Out of 15 wins, 6 have been overseas. 2 in Bangladesh, 1 each in NZ, SAF, SL and WI. Out of these NZ, Bang, WI clearly not the benchmarks for us. So it is 2 'real' away test wins. 2 away wins out of 15 wins.

The SAF test win at Durban was a horrible pitch. In a way, spinner friendly Indian track. Dhoni mentioned about it in the post-match conference that the pitch was not of international standards. It was an uneven bounce/spin track and Harbhajan made a killing. The win against SL in Colombo was a Sehwag feast. His better than run-a-ball century won it for us.

Sehwag has been a key for us in the last couple of years. Sans him, we saw what can happen to our batting line up. His blazing start was vital for middle order batsmen to come in and capitalize. I am not sure how a world-beater side is so heavily dependant on 1 batsman. Perhaps pretty much like Hayden for Aussies, but look at the way other batsmen played for them when they were No. 1. There were matches that Gilchrist, Langer or Ponting won for them.

Coming to qualitative factors, Indians on the field looked spineless and lethargic even in Windies. We did not go for the win in the last test against WI!! That is not the sign of a champion. Windies are surely not the most formidable. We gave it up there.

Sure, statistically we are No. 1, and we could even retain it by winning/drawing the next two tests. But I am not going by the ranking. Even a WC victory was not convincing for me (personally) that we are the best. I want to see fear in the opponents when they face our bowlers and their bowlers should be left with shivers when we bat. Only Sehwag has managed that. I want to see our team kill others and win some games so one-sided that opponents must be in awe. Windies did it in 70s and 80s, Auusies in 90s and the last decade. We are not yet there. Sure we may some day, but not yet.

My finance blog is still alive!

2011-08-03T01:32:00.001+05:30

Just posted something there. The link's here!

http://finthoughts.blogspot.com/2011/08/20-years-of-economic-liberalization.html

Why Adi thinks bathroom is the coolest place!

2011-08-01T23:58:00.001+05:30

why aditya thinks bathroom is the coolest place in our house ? our bathroom has a sliding door. hence adi finds it fascinating tht a door shud slide n beyond it lies a disney land tht he craves for. n the only obstacle betn his wonderland n him is his eccentric mum who thinks its 'dangerous' for him to venture alone in bathroom. evry thing in bathroom fascinates him ie his bath tub, bucket, water tumblers, n last but not the least the toilet seat..... he tries to mount the seat the way u wud mount a horse but alas he cant n their again he blames me for tht...... he' s not sure y he's nt allowed to sit on tht seat since he's 11 months..... tht blue bucket shivers in fear every time adi walks into the bathroom coz it knws nw adi wl simply start hitting it with tumblers till it turns black..... bucket is wondering wht crime has it committed to deserve this beating every single day. then there's adi's bath tub. adi is supoosed to sit inside the tub n bathe but he does exactly the opposite. he sits outside n then pours water on the tub...... yes this is exactly hw he likes to bath n no i cnt question the logic coz then he gives me a look which says i dnt knw hw u cleared ur high school, mum? so i keep mum..... poor me :( adi likes to compare his stuff with his dad n nt me since i own one body shampoo n dad has body shampoo, body cream, body deo, body spray, hand lotion, hair gel, perfume n etc n adi has only body shampoo, body oil, body cream, baby powder, bum cream, hair oil, baby comb, baby clips. he cnt believe he's living like this whereas v r njoing the riches..... he's mkg notes hw to complain to shekhar appa bot me n nt his dad since dad is a sweet heart n m an alleged cleaner who claims to be his mum all the time. coming back to bathroom, evry time he's not allowed to play in bathroom adi pees on bathroom door mat n runs away...... i need to go adi is pushing the bathroom door....... god help the bucket..

Adi alias Jerry

2011-08-01T11:31:00.001+05:30

aditya alias jerry. when adi was four months young kartik (my youngest brother in law) would call him jerry the mouse. wht i didnt knw is tht adi was listening n has tkn message to heart. so nw he crawls faster resembling a mouse run if he sees tht v r running to catch him. his crawling is fastest if he has messed up bathroom rug or pulled dwn bed sheets, turned dwn his plastic table or distributed dirty nappies to all corners of kitchen. tomatoes, prunes, apples hv his beautiful mouse teeth carvings. n god help u if u disturb him when he 'having' his fruit 'by himself'. yesterday he graduated from langots to small colorful pants bot by his paa. he used these new pants to swipe floor when we were not looking. at nite adi takes a thin sheet to cover him n i tk three blankets to avoid death by cold. n i knw i m inviting trouble if i turn off or slow down a/c, coz he wakes up immediately n gives me a look tht wud wither a startched collar. he loves bum dancing hence on every foot tapping number he raises his left hand n moves his bums front n back.......

Adi is upset b'coz...

2011-07-31T21:10:00.007+05:30

adi is upset with me because: 1. i insist on he wearing clothes. he dsnt like to wear any clothes at all unless ur tkg him out.....he believes kids shud nt be dressed up until they can spell out which clothes they want to wear. 2. i dnt let him bathe himself. adi says he's old enough to play in his bathtub n dsnt like soap. so y cnt v leave him in wateer all day. 3. i comb his unruly hair. thxs to adi we need 5 bottles of oil a month, i mean he has wild mane but no i cnt comb it, tie a pony coz he dsnt approve of tht..... inspired by kangana ranaut look i guess.... or is it farhan akhtar in rock on !........ 4. adi is nt sure y i try to mk him sleep by 11 pm coz he likes to party till 2 am...... by then me n sree r half dead.... but adi is a noctural creature 5. tht v gv him only porridge n soft diet where as we binge on all delicacies likes pani puri blah blah lah..... hence me n maa eat in bathroom if he's awake..... 6. he's nt sure y i dnt allow him to turn gas knobs since nw he's tall enuf to turn them on his own...... net net adi is curious like a cat.. 7. yesterday he was upset coz he tried lifting the whole of watermelon n cudnt n held me responsible for conspiring agst him..... 8. he likes to run out the moment door is opened n i hold him back n then he howls....... y cnt he step out n run towards the staircase.

Adi & his red apple

2011-07-30T23:42:00.004+05:30

A very dear friend of mine (Kaminni), who is also a mother of a naughty little boy - Aditya (whom I have not seen yet), started sending me short emails on Adi's life! I loved what she wrote and more importantly, how she wrote. I could almost see Adi in front of my eyes doing all that she has described. So I took permission from her to re-post these short emails here. I am reproducing the text exactly the way she sent me. I have added few details in italics to add details that may not come out otherwise! God bless Adi, his mom and dad! :)

last nite adi wnted an apple. noooo he desnt hv any proper teeth to bite n eat apple just tht he likes "to eat apple on his own". so at abot 8.30 pm he stated "nibbling". at 8.45pm i noticed apple had shrunk thxs to adi's nibbling. at 9 pm adi noticed a blue stan c rubber ball (adi's dad works for Standard Chartered Bank - stan c refers to the bank) n thot it was a blue apple. so he started nibbling the ball. nw at 9.30 pm he got frustrated cos he cudnt nibble the ball. so he came back to his old apple. at 10 pm he got attratced to the bathroom door n kept banging it since i didnt let him in n play in water n yes he started howling....... finally at10.30 pm i made peace n gave him two bathroom tumblers yes...... after washing them properly else sree wl throw me out....... by 10.45 pm i had eaten two unwanted apples thrown by adi.....hw cud i waste... v r paying in $s (they are based out of Singapore now)........ vfm....... at 11 pm adi threw all his stuff, clothes, toys, blankets on the floor..... he likes to do a stock-taking twice a day from the fear that his mum mite be stealing his stuff...... hence he's veri cautious....... at 11.15 pm i had lost my patience n gained high bp looking at his room...... at 11.30 pm adi leapt on to sree (adi's dad - Sreeram) when door opened n gave me a look which said : i dnt knw when wl i go to play group...... i m tired of this home.....nw m thinking teachers r grossly underpaid...... god bless them

A little of something

2011-06-01T14:36:00.003+05:30

There is always a little truth behind "mazak kar raha tha".......... a little emotion behind "mujhe koi farak nahi padta".......... a little pain behind "it's ok".......... a little need behind "mujhe akela chod do".......... sometimes, a deep thought behind "pata nahi".......... and most times, a lot of words behind silence!

Received this a forwarded sms.

Saw...

2011-05-29T23:52:00.005+05:30

...the following movies this year:

No One Killed Jessica: Good movie.

Dhobi Ghat: Again, fine. But expected more considering the hype before the movie.

Dil To Baccha Hai Ji: Ok dokay.

Yeh Saali Zindagi: Very fine. Liked the pace of the movie.

Patiala House: Ok dokay.

7 Khoon Maaf: Good. Priyanka was very good.

Tanu Weds Manu: Ok dokay.

Thank You: Time pass.

Teen Thay Bhai: Time pass too.

Dum Maaro Dum: Good. Again, the pace of the movie was gripping.

Shor In The City: A fine movie.

Chalo Dilli: Ok dokay.

I Am: Good in parts.

Haunted: Stupid.

Ragini MMS: Better than Haunted, still not good.

Stanley Ka Dabba: Well, difficult to dislike a movie with kids involved. One particular kid in it was a chubby little boy, felt like adopting him.

404: Good, intelligent movie. Made me think. Still confused about some parts as to what exactly had they showed.

Fast & Furious 5: Awesome, the best of the lot.

Source Code: Good, akin to Inception.

Lots of movies for few weeks? This is what happens if you are unemployed and have another movies-loving-buddy with you! :)

Life's an examination?

2011-05-27T20:01:00.004+05:30

I am starting to believe that life, somehow, tests each & every belief you have had in life about various things. For instance, if I love sweets, I happen to get so much sweets-eating-opportunities that at some point I might lose the craving for it. It is as if life looks at you & says "So dude, you love sweets huh? Lets see how much you can take it". Of course, craving for sweets is a relatively trivial issue but the same applies to every other belief, liking and disliking you have ever had.

In my case, my belief system is being constantly put to test through various situations appearing as a small little test. And I must add here, I am not faring very well here. Also, I wonder now how this new belief of mine is going to be tested!

Seven and a half learnings

2011-05-27T14:20:00.005+05:30

As a student, taking up the CA course was not really a well deliberated decision for me. It would be incorrect to say that it was my dream to be a CA. In fact, far from it. The decision to take up this course was more by default than design. My elder cousin was doing this course and it was seen as a high Return on Investment course! Well, things went well and I did end up clearing the course in 2004. It has been 7 complete years (almost) since that eventful day.

The other day, in one of my many introspecting/reminiscing hours, I was wondering how life has shaped up since clearing CA. I could think of the following key learnings I have had over this period. Here they go...

1. Money is an important factor in life. To my mind, anyone who says money is not important is either lying or is ultra-rich. Financial security gives you a lot of space to do well in various aspects of life. In no way I am trying to imply that money is THE thing to chase, but having enough of it surely gives a lot of flexibility. Well, how much is enough is a totally different point altogether. Also, I feel earning a fair amount of money after being a CA has not been difficult. If you have a reasonable flair and grip on content, earning a lakh a month before you are 30 is not difficult at all.

2. Having a strong passion about something or having a genuine hobby is a very useful thing in keeping you happy in life. During phases when people and circumstances around you are being discomforting, your passion/hobby can see you through peacefully. It could be a sport, a game, an activity, travel, watching movies, reading books, music, anything. Anything that keeps your mind occupied and not idle.

3. Talking of mind, it is the most important part of our system I guess. Have a control on your mind, things are smooth. If not, it's havoc. Simple yet very difficult!

4. I have also learnt that our views and perceptions about things and people change over a period of time. What I believed 5 years back may not necessarily be my belief now. Things change. Change is the only constant. I know I know, it has been said a million times before.

5. We have a lot more time than what we think we have in life. There is enough time to live your life the way you want (assuming you know what you want!). We can afford to slow down, get off the rat race and relax sometimes. The important things will wait and the things that cannot wait may not be really important.

6. Love is an under-estimated concept. Even after thousand of movies and millions of exposures on it, it is still worth the time and efforts.

7. And finally, never say NEVER. I know I just did, but still!

These are my seven bits of wisdom for myself and for other takers. As always, for whatever it is worth :)

P.S. The final half bit of the learnings is that I am still so much a work in progress. Though I do not know how the finished product is supposed to be like, I am still closer to the start than finish.

4 years down

2011-05-18T13:00:00.002+05:30

Nothing remarkable to write about, but I felt I owe it to the blog to mention here that the blog completed 4 years yesterday. Been 'dead' for almost a year now though, there is always hope for an eventful tomorrow. These days, I am more a 'visitor' on my own blog, coming here to read some thoughtful long comments by readers :) Keep them coming.

Reminding myself

2011-04-26T23:18:00.002+05:30

Today's the first day of the rest of my life...

Whilst I cannot change the past, starting today I can try and avoid the stupidities I did till yesterday or I can continue to screw up things. The choice is entirely mine and the choice is available to be exercised.

Simple pleasures

2011-02-01T21:45:00.003+05:30

Most times in life, the simple things are the most pleasant ones. In our strive towards the big, rocking, earth-shattering events, we end up missing the tiny little precious matters. Ironically, today I happened to experience a similar high.

Firstly, saw this movie Do Dooni Char, starring Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh Kapoor. It is a very simple and basic movie. Yet touched me deep. Amazing flick.

Secondly, reading this book titled Mice in Men written by Anirban Bose. It is a collection of unrelated short stories. Again, basic and simple but hard-hitting.

Must see and must read!

Old-fashioned, yet timeless

2011-02-01T19:41:00.000+05:30

When was the last time you did something special for your loved one? When was the last time you surprised him/her with a gift? When was the last time you acknowledged their presence in your life? If you have LOVE around you, cherish it, nurture it, protect it. Not many are loved deeply. Not many can love too. Feel blessed if you are one. That is the GOD in our lives.

Priorities

2011-01-27T21:22:00.003+05:30

Our priorities in life about people & things change dynamically over a period of time. I guess that's normal. I am not what I was two years back. I experienced some serious change of priorities in my life over the last year or so. That in itself is fair. What I must add is, the people or things that goes off your priority list should not be too off, if I could put it that way. The imbalance, so created, can be disturbing sometimes.

When do I grow up?

2011-01-27T13:32:00.002+05:30

When I was a kid, I would think I could touch the moon someday. The belief was at the peak especially those days when the moon appeared bigger than normal, so it was like 'wow, it's coming closer'. As I grew older, my fetish for touching the moon evaporated.

What I did not realize is that am still the same little kid in many ways. Just that the moon has been replaced by many other things.

Resuming the musings

2011-01-27T11:42:00.002+05:30

It seems like a lifetime since I have posted last. Time, as they say, is an illusion. So, though the months of blogging-gap seems few, it seems like eternity since I was here the last time. As always, I resume blogging - hoping this time it will stay!

Life has been what it is always, life. Unsteady, surprising, shocking, happy, unhappy, volatile.. all these in regular phases. I have been trying to be myself through all this, but could not always. May be it is being too harsh to expect myself to be so consistently.

In a way, I am searching for myself these days. Somehow I feel I have lost myself, if that is indeed possible. Or possibly, this new me is the actual me. How am I to know since I'm living life for the first time :)

What do I want to write about now? I am not sure yet. Too many random thoughts floating around inside my muddled, cluttered mind. But will let myself go now and write with the flow. Me wants to see where it goes!

I do want to mention something here. I am pleasantly surprised to know that there are many in this world who has been waiting to see my blog active again. Not getting into self-praise. Just feeling a little humbled that few has been 'missing' my blog. Thanks to all such super-fellows :)

Well...

2010-08-31T20:24:00.000+05:30

...I guess I'm still around!

Office Humor

2010-07-26T23:40:00.003+05:30

Deadly ones

2010-07-26T23:17:00.002+05:30

Tumhari adaao pe main vari vari, Wah Wah....
Tumhari adaao pe main vari vari, Wah Wah....
Dial 139 for railway enquiry... :)

Abhishek Bachchan has one sister... But he wants more n more sisters... How do I know? ***think think*** Dont know? coz he sings in Ravan
'Behne de mujhe Behne de’... :P

Beer pine se phele bolte hai cheers..wah wah
Beer pine se phele bolte hai cheerswah wah
Arey o pushpa, I hate tears :P :P

Bhook meri mar gayi...mujhe lagti nahin pyaas..
The time period of pendulum is independent of its mass :P :D

Na jeene ki tamaana hai na marne ka khauf..(feelings to dekho)
Na jeene ki tamaana hai na marne ka khauf...
The number you are trying is currently switched off... ;) :P

Apne gamo ko mere dost apne dil me daba lo....
Apne gamo ko mere dost apne dil me daba lo....
Naya godrej powder hair dye....Bas kato, gholo aur lagalo.....

Na isko na usko thi mere pyar ki khabar
Na isko na usko thi mere pyar ki khabar
Arey mera diagram galat hogaya... rubber de rubber... :P:D

Clueless

2010-06-29T11:23:00.001+05:30

Don't know what to write these days. Really have no clue! I'm surprising myself, again!

Perception graphs

2010-06-25T14:09:00.002+05:30

How, and not what

2010-05-30T20:22:00.002+05:30

In most cases of strains or misunderstandings in any relationship, it is seldom what we say that creates the rift. It is, in most cases, the way we say it. If we watch the way we put things, even the most unpleasant things can be communicated effectively.

Taking efforts to communicate well in any relationship is a vital part of its sustenance. Or so i feel.

Worth a read

2010-05-27T23:34:00.002+05:30

Click on the image to enlarge

Simplify

2010-05-22T10:33:00.003+05:30

If we were to see how a typical life around us goes, there are just a few instances in one's lifetime where one has to take potentially life-changing decisions. Rest of the time, the things that we do are mundane, uncomplicated stuff. Yet these mundane tasks are the ones that test our mettle. Its these little moments that define what we are and what we could be in our lifetime. Unfortunately, we end up assigning a lot of undue importance to the big moments and take the smaller ones for granted.

Life's short - made up of tiny little beautiful moments. Capture them. Live them well.

As Anton Chekhov puts it: Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

Don't fantasize!

2010-05-20T21:45:00.003+05:30

No, I'm not veering towards what the title would suggest. I am talking of some froth we create in our minds - consciously or sub-consciously. Over the last few weeks, I have been audience to few incidents that had the same underlying theme - the disappointment of expectations not being met. Let me take few general instances here:

First: A die-hard fan of a mega superstar, who likes the star madly, desiring to meet him, goes and stands outside his house everyday from 5am till the sun decides to call it a day. Even after 10 such days of wait, the mega superstar does not turn up to meet the die-hard fan, who is presumably his greatest fan. The dejected fan goes back home and vows never to worship his hero who broke his hopes and dreams so brutally and heartlessly.

Second: A boy deeply loves a girl. He expresses his love to her. He is very sweet to her and takes good care of the girl. He wishes all the happiness in the world for the girl. He desires to marry her and keep her happy, always and forever. The girl, however, does not wish to marry him. Reasons? Irrelevant here. The boy is dejected. He feels cheated. He goes down hard on the girl and thinks of her as a heartless, brutal person who has no respect for other's feelings.

Third: A young married couple wishes the joy of parenting and wishes to bring a little bundle of joy to their lives. A baby is born to them. They are extremely delighted to have value and purpose added to their lives. The baby is well taken care of. The husband quits his job to be able to be with the growing baby who needs to be nurtured. The baby grows to become a very able adult and the parents are proud of her. She falls in love with a guy and wishes to marry him. She conveys the same to her parents. The parents are dejected and feel betrayed. Their hopes have been shattered by their daughter for whom they made so many sacrifices over many years. They decide not to be with the girl in this decision and makes it very clear that the day she marries the guy, she is out of their lives. Why? Because she is heartless and brutal who does not take care of her parents' wishes and expectations.

What is common among the three instances? Expectations have been broken. Desires have been left unfulfilled. Well, hard luck. Yeah, it is a simple case of hard luck. It is utter nonsense to put the blame on the superstar/girl/child for the state of mind of the fan/boy/parents. Sounds harsh? Well, so be it. If I expect something from someone, it is MY problem and not the other person's. Why should the other person accomodate your expectations if he/she is not happy doing it? If they are not able to see your viewpoint, fair enough. Different people dances to different music in this world. If they do not like your music, hard luck. Accept it and move on. Stop feeding sympathy to yourselves. Do it if you feel so, but do not hold the other person responsible. It is your problem and you must be the one who should take care of it.

The more unfortunate factor in all these instances is that the fan/boy/parents apparently love the superstar/girl/daughter. Unconditional love, they boast! Such unconditional love that their expectations comes much before the other person's happiness. Amazing love indeed.

To all the parents in this world, your children have a life and mind of their own. Accept it. Be with them if you indeed love them.

To all the lovers in this world, the person you love may not be be happy loving you. Accept it. Be with him/her if you indeed love him/her.

Accept things. Stop fantasizing. Everything we do for others are only because they make us happy. Everytime. Let us accept that we are selfish. Let us stop blaming others for breaking your expectations from them. Sure, feel bad that your expectations have been shattered. But do not hold anybody else responsible for it.

Am still around..

2010-05-18T09:59:00.003+05:30

Just a quick post to remind myself that I have a blog I am supposed to write on and that the blog turned 3 yesterday! Hopefully, I will be frequent soon. Let me do a little chance pe dance and thank all my amazing readers for taking the time out to read and comment on my musings. My followers list gives me this little bout of inspiration to be more regular in feeding you with some crappy stuff :)

Really really appreciate your readership from the bottomestestest part of my heart (cannot give you a proof for this though).

Me thinks..

2010-05-08T12:56:00.000+05:30

The more I live, I realize I cannot plan to live.

Well..

2010-05-01T23:22:00.001+05:30

I am around. Don't write me off yet!

Okay, I admit this was just to add to my count of posts :)

Children and values

2010-04-21T10:43:00.006+05:30

A lot has been talked about the demographic structure of India and the amazing dividends that we could reap owing to the fact that a large proportion of our population is in the productive age group. One dimension of the key to exploit such natural advantage is to ensure that the upcoming lot of younger generation is educated and skilled. Towards that, a lot is being done and a lot more promised to be done.

Personally, I am more concerned about another dimension. How and where is the value system of kids going to be cultivated and nurtured! Reason why I feel there is a lacuna here is two-fold.

Firstly, schools increasingly are money making machines these days. The entire process of education and teaching has now become more a business idea with the objective of creating knowledge-driven-weath creators rather than values-driven-productive-human beings. Money making at the cost of deteriorating values is an unwarranted scenario.

Secondly, families these days are increasingly becoming leaner and nuclear. A married couple where both partners are working professionals, staying nuclear away from their respective parents and trying to manage a full-time career is extremely productive for them. But when a child is born to them, the equation must change. What we are increasingly seeing is that the mother taking a maternity leave followed by a post-child birth sabbatical for few months (a year tops) to take care of the infant. Post the initial couple of years (where generally either set of grandparents are also present), the child is taken care by a nanny/baby sitter, sent to kindergarten, school, etc (with years passing). Now, when the child's mind is most fertile in the growing years, parents are not really available. They are, but not completely. In many cases, even the grand parents are not. So whom does the child learn the values of life from? He will surely be educated but will he grow up to become a man of strong values? In my generation, mothers generally were home makers and inculcated a lot of essential values to us. I can be sure in my case atleast.

And what do the children get exposed to when they come to home from school and wait for parents to come? Shocking television programmes, abundance of polluting information on the internet, social networking sites with hosts of online 'buddies'. 10-year olds are becoming memebers of networking sites these days and some of their status messages really shock me. Surely all this would make the kids cool, funky and street-smart but we should not complain if some of them later think that commiting a crime for money is fine or getting the latest electronic gadget for themselves must be the agenda in life.

I wonder about this for the coming generations. Should one of the parent completely devote himself/herself for the development of child in the formative years (between the age of 4 and 12 perhaps)?

Bringing a child to this world is a responsible decision. Does it end with sending the school to the best available school and coaching class? Isn't parenting a lot more than that?

Catch me if you can!

2010-04-19T17:17:00.004+05:30

During the good old school days, we must have all played this search-for-my-name game. It went like this: in the inside cover page of a book, normally we write our name. Instead, I write 'to know my name, turn to page 14'. On page 14 I write, 'now go to page 183' and then so on and so forth. Finally, you sometimes end up seeing the name in one of the final links. One of those little fun things we did as kids.

Interestingly, I was playing a different version of Catch-me-if-you-can game myself. I was the hunter and someone else the drifter! Today, the game ended when I reached the elusive! And how!! It was fun. The finding is also quite surprising. One of those oh-I-never-thought-it-was-you moments!

Quite satisfying, really.

All this around...

2010-04-19T11:25:00.004+05:30

... and I continue to lead a self-centered, selfish life.

Source of pictures: Amit Naik from Pankhudi (a very active NGO)

Aid birds

2010-04-18T18:09:00.001+05:30

What love means to me

2010-04-17T19:25:00.003+05:30

This magnificent piece is written by a dear friend Payal. I am really jealous of her in a sense that it is she who wrote this and not me! I totally loved it. Incidentally, one of her poems was also posted by me earlier.

- Love to me is a selfless feeling when you want the person to be happy, even if it involves him / her being with someone else

- Love to me is when even if you are fraught with pain, when you go to the temple, you pray for the one you love, not for yourself

- Love to me is when the two people have the ability to find the craters in each other's lives and fill each one of them with love and warmth

- Love to me is when you are not scared to expose that side of you, which can be otherwise judged

- Love to me is when you feel safe and complete with the person

- Love to me is when you feel that one lifetime is not enough to experience fully the karmic ecstasy when with your partner

Either it is love or it is not... there is no mid-way :)

How?

2010-04-15T19:18:00.003+05:30

After a gap, I am back to my favorite theme - Marriage. This time, a question to those of you who are married:

How do you decide when and with whom to get married to? Seriously. Try & share your thoughts. Please.

The IPL thread - Irritating PL

2010-04-10T19:03:00.002+05:30

Two things gets on to my skin a lot when I watch the IPL Television telecast. Firstly, DC playing akin to the Indian national side during late 1990s under Azhar - without a bite and ever looking to be fine with losing. Secondly, the MRF blimp, and references to Lillee and MRF pace foundation and the bowlers who came from there and their grand mothers and the man who fills the big balloon up. It irritates me so much that every time they show the balloon now, I mute my TV set!

Damn irritating.

Aha

2010-03-27T10:05:00.001+05:30

Life's changing... Slowly but surely.

Me thinks..

2010-03-26T09:33:00.001+05:30

Compatibility, looks, age, likes/dislikes are fairly over-rated parameters in relationships, aren't they? The basic parameter must always be respect. If you cannot respect your partner, all other things would fall apart sooner or later. If men could respect women the way they must be, we would not need a Women's Reservation Bill. Stop taking your partner for granted. Mutual respect is the essence of a beautiful relationship.

Never say never

2010-03-25T19:59:00.000+05:30

Well yeah, never say never! Really.

The IPL thread

2010-03-24T13:23:00.002+05:30

I love cricket. I love IPL - the concept, the conduct and the clink. Like the last two seasons, I have been closely following this third edition too. The matches till now has been superb and the quality of cricket on display in most matches are top-class. If there were doubters of whether cricketers would play whole-heartedtly for a franchise based format, they can now go and have a cup of tea because the format clearly works fabulously well.

It needs either a fool or a brave-heart to be able to put money on who will go on to win the tournament. For, firstly the format of the game is such that it is absolutely unpredictable and secondly (and more importantly), there is a long way left to go. Having said that, my money is on the Deccan Chargers and I hope they win this time too. Will they? We will wait and see. Can they? Surely, absolutely.

RCB, MI and DC are looking very good at this stage. Yet, the match of the season till date came in the form of a tied-followed-by-super-over match between KXIP and CSK. It was an important match, not just for the entertainment value but for the way KXIP won the match from almost being nowhere. That result will shower a lot of belief on many teams who might find themselves is a similar situation in the matches to come.

Interestingly, the mainstays of most teams have not been the high-ego-high-reputation youngsters, but their sober, senior team mates. Be it a Gilchrist/Symmo for DC or a Tendulkar/Sanath for MI or a Hayden/Murali for CSK. I am not taking away anything from the yonger lot but we will do well if we do not take anything away from the older lot too. Look at Kumble's accuracy in delivering bowls or the catches being plucked out of thin air by Dravid/Ganguly or the crisp textbook shots played by Kallis, and you will realize that they might be still calling the shots in T20 like they have in the more beautiful Test match cricket.

The beauty of the IPL lies in the lack of loyalties to a country/state/language. So when a Southie in Karthik leads DD against a Northie in Raina doing the job for CSK, the regional bias gets thrown out of the window. It is amazing how cricket cleans up the stains of regional politics. For, it is very plausible that Mumbai wins the league due to the talent of a Dhawan or Tiwary. Will some regional politicians suggest Sachin not to accept the trophy?

The pleasure of seeing Kumble bowl to Hayden with Boucher keeping wickets - three stalwarts from three different countries - is beyond words. It emphasizes the passion they bring in to play the game they love. How many of us manage to do that in our lives? I am truly jealous of them. Many say they play for money. Anyone who understands the intensity of cricket being played in IPL can only laugh at such observations. Money can be a motivator but cannot be the foundationstone for what Tendulkar does with the bat.

How can I not talk of the Mongoose bat! It looks weird to see Hayden holding something that looks more like an axe than a bat. But then, it is apparently effective. Symmo, like Hayden, is also a user of that bat. Would love to see what the monster can do with the mongoose.

My sense is that in insipid tracks of India, bowlers can not be the ones who decide the outcome of the game. And so, the quality of batting will decide the winner. Team with the best bat would go on to win the league. On their day, any line-up can do that as Dravid rightly answered to a Harsha Bhogle question after one of the matches. Peaking at the right time holds the key. Or else it will be like what DD experienced the last two times. Will they be third time lucky? Lot of people do think so. I am not one of them though. As I said earlier, we will wait and see.

So, here's to IPL and here's to awesome display of cricketing talent. Looking forward to more moments of brilliance. May the best team win (and may DC be that team!)

The zing of life

2010-03-22T12:58:00.004+05:30

Every time you think life's a cool ride and you know the route, there's a change in plan. With each day passing, the noise around is unending. The scenes change, the characters remain. The plot change, the actors remain. New happenings, different beginnings, several endings, old woes, new joys, an old face taken off, a fresh one added, an enemy here, a friend there, missing someone now, being with someone the next moment, a hope there, sometimes a wish, at times dreaming, most times chasing.

In all this, there has to be an underlying generic theme, isn't it? What is that constant?

Giving while living!

2010-03-21T21:04:00.005+05:30

There was once a very rich man in town who had everything that any one would want. He lived a life of extravagance and had all the worldly pleasures that anyone could ever think of: expensive attire, jewels, delicacies served everyday, innumerable mansions, a fleet of cars and help at his every beck and call.

However, despite his lavish lifestyle, he neither gave a needy person a penny to comfort nor did he say a kind word to soothe a hurting soul. Thus, everyone ended up calling him a miser. This perturbed the rich man and so he decided to do something about it. He informed one of his friends to let the enire village know about his plan to donate his entire wealth to the village after his death. Despite knowing this, however, the villagers spoke behind his back and continued to make fun of him. This further aggrevated his depression. One evening, the same friend came to meet him and sensing his disturbed mood, he narrated to him the story of "The Cow & the Pig".

There was once upon a time a pig who was unhappy that despite all the perceived help and assistance provided by him, he got only rude comments in return whereas his friend - the Cow was loved by one and all. So, one day the pig out of sheer curiosity, the pig asked the cow as to why the world treated her so reverently and the pig so crudely. The pig said, "All you give them is milk, while here I am, who gives them a lot more – I give them my hair to make brushes, I give them my skin, I give them my entire body but still they treat me so badly."

The cow heard all his complaints very patiently and then after taking a few munches replied – "maybe if you try giving something, even a little something while you are alive, you may be treated differently. Think about it!"

Received this as a forward. Source unknown.

For the teacher in me

2010-03-18T10:04:00.005+05:30

Someone sent this to me today and asked me to replace Math teacher with FM teacher! Thankfully, it was a friend who sent this and not a student :)

I'm sure a lot of my students would read this and say 'I wish'! :D

On a kind-of-related-note, I think I'm starting to lose traits of a professor/teacher. Ofcourse, the assumption here is that I had those traits at some point in the past!

Current Affairs.... the Lighter Way

2010-03-05T23:18:00.003+05:30

Received them as a forward.

Flickering lights

2010-03-03T15:32:00.005+05:30

It was a ‘blanket of blank’ as far as I could see,
Came tearing through the darkness, a tiny little refugee.

The tiny tot, small at his might, trembled,
Will I be able to survive the world, he fumbled.

Couple more joined him, to render strength,
Soon there was an array of flickering lights through the length.

The flickering lights…
Give me courage to face the world,
Wisdom to gather every stone hurled.

In togetherness, they lit up marooned streets gazed by yearning eyes,
In creativity, they give a new dimension to horizon-less skies.

In deafening silence, they create musical symphony.
In excess of stillness, they give a ‘reason to be’.

In times of rue, they epitomize victory over despair,
In times of iniquity, they symbolize en era of just and fair.

The flickering lights…
Give me hope for life,
Strength to cope through strife.

We may not be as bright as the big street halogen lights, they say,
But at least we provide twinkle to the eyes that pray.

We may not help you see all obstacles that lay,
But at least, through the falls, we give you strength to rise and walk away.

We may not bring jazzy colors, shapes and patterns to the variety tray,
But at least we bring variety to someone’s life’s monotonous, melancholic play.

The flickering lights…
Give me inspiration to light others’ lives,
Chance to spread optimistic vibes.

An en-route experience by Payal Sinha

(PS is a dear friend of mine, based out of Noida. Feedback & comments on the poem are welcome.)

Double ton

2010-03-01T20:00:00.003+05:30

Few days before my blog turned 100 posts old, Sachin had surpassed a Test record. This time, when my blog turns 200 posts old, Sachin has just surpassed an important double ton too! I noted this little co-incidence today when I realized about my count (with the posts-count displayed in Blogger, it is easy to keep such track).

Do not have much thoughts to write about. Been a lull period, blogging wise. No real reasons to offer, just avei. :)

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

2010-02-27T13:25:00.002+05:30

I have been wanting to write on this phenomenon named Sachin, but somehow could never match my words to his feats. While browsing today, read this well-written paragraph by TIME magazine on what Sachin has been:

When Sachin Tendulkar travelled to Pakistan to face one of the finest bowling attacks ever assembled in cricket, Michael Schumacher was yet to race a F1 car, Lance Armstrong had never been to the Tour de France, Diego Maradona was still the captain of a world champion Argentina team, Pete Sampras had never won a Grand Slam.

When Tendulkar embarked on a glorious career taming Imran and company, Roger Federer was a name unheard of; Lionel Messi was in his nappies, Usain Bolt was an unknown kid in the Jamaican backwaters. The Berlin Wall was still intact, USSR was one big, big country, Dr Manmohan Singh was yet to "open" the Nehruvian economy.

It seems while Time was having his toll on every individual on the face of this planet, he excused one man. Time stands frozen in front of Sachin Tendulkar. We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never will.

A year of discovery?

2010-02-11T10:49:00.003+05:30

Turning a year older seems to be quite normal. My birthday yesterday was absolutely 'normal' like any other day. Deliberately so. Looking at the year that went by, I do not know how to tag it. Perhaps, it was the year of discovery. Rather, self-discovery. One of the key things I have started to realize is that I really do not have any passions, so to say. If you asked me a year back, I would have said I am passionate about teaching, or finance, or reading. Now, it may not be the case. All these and even the other stuff feels 'normal' and 'ordinary'. Good for me, me thinks.

What I have also realized is I am extremely fortunate to have some awesome people around me. The value that they add to me is amazing. This has been surely a year of true learning owing to interactions I have had with them at various points. Also, the time I spend in the lectures interacting with a magnificent set of students also helps in keeping the mind steady. When you are trying to explain a concept to a batch of eager students, the world outside the concept comes to a stand-still. I cannot think of anything much - my deliverables, health issues, other trivial matters that would otherwise be plaguing my mind - when I am into a lecture. It's an awesome perquisite of teaching.

Things that I have discovered and realized over the last many months are quite contrary to my 'older' self. Moreover, I am loving the transition, if I could use that term. I think I have found my footing in the world. I know what my stance must be, talking like a batsman. I am at peace with myself. The noise inside me is surely dying down and I am letting myself just be. I do not remember the last time I 'seriously contemplated' my career options or the 'time-effective way to garner resources and build wealth'. All these things and a whole lot of related materalistic aspects of the world seems like a big, worthless zilch to me.

So here's to another year of discovery and realizations. A year ahead towards NOTHING. Let more and more of nothing come to me!

By the way, I completed 27 years of my physical existence yesterday.

Important & Useful

2010-02-10T11:29:00.003+05:30

Came across this at a site. Must share this in any way you can.

Colorful India

2010-02-09T11:35:00.001+05:30

Do see some awesome photographs on India and her different shades. Enjoy.

Tired..

2010-02-02T22:07:00.001+05:30

Tired. Exhausted. Completely saturated.

Social advertising

2010-01-16T11:57:00.003+05:30

Received these as a mail forward. Good ones. Click on the images to see them in larger size & to read the tag lines with them.

Disclaimer time

2010-01-15T22:16:00.003+05:30

The thoughts I expressed on my post on money being a mean and not the end has had many takers. The reactions have been amazing. I am extremely happy that a lot of us are inclined to think on these lines. Somehow, I feel there is a need to add some additional points (what I have called 'Disclaimers') about the thought-process and its implications.

1. I am basically only saying these things. Do I personally live by it as of now? - NO. Do I want to? - YES. Will I be able to? - I HOPE SO. Point being I do not deserve any credit for saying it. I have NOT done much on those lines. So you can well tag me as an arm-chair reformist :D

2. I have written the post after reaching a point where I am financially not constrained. I have been doing things to chase materialistic ends. Charity begins at home, isn't it? So we have to be reasonably secured ourselves before we try to go around trying to help others. When I say we, I include our family members too. They have their own set of expectations from us. We must try to adhere to them too. Balancing between the two set of 'ideologies' is a fine act to attempt.

3. Many have reacted something like this: Dude, all this is fine. What is to be done? We are not sure of it. To that I would say, surely lot has to be done and many many many around are already doing it (NGOs, Organizations, etc). I will be throwing some light on many of them on this blog going forward. May be that could help to begin with. Also remember, when the student's ready, the teacher appears (Deepak Chopra mentions this in one of his books). Once we begin to think towards an aim, everything will begin to fall in place. The paths will be relatively clearer then.

So with the air being cleared now, I can resume my musings guiltlessly.. hehe :)

Do you own things or do they own you?

2010-01-14T10:45:00.005+05:30

I read this statement recently and was quite struck by it: Things that you own now will end up owning you someday.

It is an extremely powerful thought. Loved it. It has been running inside my head since the moment I read it. Today, as I was having a conversation with my professor, he shared a beautiful story with me. It goes like this:

One fine day, while a sage is giving a discourse to his disciples, a man comes walking with his cow. The sage says to his disciples "See there, a man and a cow are coming together". The man hears this and gets a little agitated. He tells the sage "Hey old man, we are not coming together. You cannot put it like that." The sage replies "Oh yes, you are right. I am sorry. I will correct myself." He then tells his disciples "The cow is bringing the man". This makes the man very angry. He yells at the sage "Are you crazy? The cow is not bringing me. I am bringing it. I am controlling it. Do you understand?". To this, the sage replies beautifully saying "Sorry boy. The way I see it, the cow is bringing you alongwith it. If you leave the cow alone, it will still keep walking on its own, peacefully, without your help. But if it leaves you, can you do the same? So who's controlling whom?"

Awesome story. Hope you understand the gist and the message.

So, are you owning things or are they owning you?

I love movies

2010-01-13T22:26:00.005+05:30

Recently picked up few already seen/to be seen movies. Here are the titles: Firaaq, Train to Pakistan, Little Zizou, Black Friday, Ek Rukha Hua Faisla, Gulaal, Kameenay & Dharm. Amovie a day keeps the stress away :-) Have a lot more in my list of 'want-to-see' movies.

Well, I'm a self-proclaimed movie buff! I enjoy watching Bollywood, Malayalam and sometimes foreign language movies (mostly English, but sometimes other language movies with English sub-titles on UTV World Movies channel).

Isn't money simply a mean?

2010-01-08T11:24:00.003+05:30

Let me begin with a question. How much money is 'good enough' to leave peacefully? I realize it is an open-ended question with no possible consensus reply. But what I am trying to ask is, do we all really believe that money is merely a way of securing a peaceful life? If yes, then should we not also know how much is enough? On the other hand, if money is not the mean but the target itself, what's the target amount you are trying to reach? Is there a quantifiable answer to it?

I am fortunate enough to be at a stage of life where survival is not my main target. This is the case with a lot of people I know - my friends, my cousins, my seniors, etc. Lot of us earn substantially higher than our basic needs. Most of us also earn much above even our luzury needs that we enjoy. Most of us earn enough to take our families out for a movie or dinner few times a month. We earn enough to enjoy a couple of vacations in a year to a far-away place, away from the routine. Sure, we need money to do all this and more. Point is, many of us are earning much more than what you need to do all this. Day in and day out we are slogging out in our lives to get that higher increment or a super bonus that marginally/incrementally goes into our savings and not towards luxury spending. Saving for an uncertain future perhaps. Despite all this, I strongly feel a lot of us are giving way too much importance to money and financial safety, thinking about not just the next year or two but even 10 years and 20 years down the line. If this is how it goes, money will hypnotize us and leave us drained and dead even before we are actually dead.

I have two points to add further. First is the happiness quotient. If the money-making efforts are making you truly blissful, then half the problem is taken care of. You are not killing yourself internally for a secure future. However, is this not a rarity? Lot of us crib about not having enough time and mind-space to live for ourselves. The attempt to get 'work-life balance' has caught up in a big way among corporate executives. Clearly so, there seems to be an unhappy inner self even as the outer self is busy chasing the money targets. That, to my mind, is a problem one must address. If more money does not make you more happy on a daily basis (and not at a future unknown point in time), then we ought to change few things around.

Now, let's assume one is indeed blissful in doing things that consequently results in money being created. Case in point would be a sportsman, an actor, a painter, a musician or a CA for that matter who loves what she does. Even then, I have an inkling that there is something not-so-right. That's my second pointer. I cannot see a lot of sense in a situation where someone tries to achieve a separate room for each member of his family (by purchasing a 3BHK flat, for instance) at a time when some of them around in this world cannot afford a single small room for 10 of them put together. I am not intending to sound 'socialistic' here. Question that disturbs me is, do the money making people not think about the relatively under-privileged soceity? I am not taking anything away from people who make money. Surely they are extremly skilled and work hard to earn whatever they do. But, do they not believe that once they reach that point of security, they can then try to help somebody else around to get to security as well? Like as if we are one big family in this world and we seek & help each other out? Can we not do that more often than not? Can there be no collective efforts towards that? Or do we remain self-centered as always? Do we simply add more luxuries to our own wealth & lives, and may be end up not even enjoying them. By upgrading from a 21-inch TV to a super big Plasma, when life is so reckless & fast that we spend only a few hours in front of the TV. If that's the case, wasn't the decision to upgrade the TV just a symbolic gesture to tell the society around that you are a wealthy person and ought to be respected? TV is just an example, we could be spending our money in a lot of other ways.

I read this somewhere recently (I think it was Sri Sri Ravishankar who said this) that our education system needs to be modified to include two more things in it right from grass-root levels: a little bit about Philospohy and a little bit about Philanthropy. I totally agree. This will add a sense of perspective in our lives and see things in a different manner. We will be more compassionate and less wasteful in our attitudes.

I have asked myself how much money is 'secure' enough for my family. Working to reach that number and then trying to spread out for others is what my motto is. If you think this way of living makes sense, then ask yourself how much money is 'secure' enough for your family and their needs. Then work hard to reach a level where even 'ancilliary' works (read part-time) that does not consume all of your time will help you earn that bit. Rest of the time can be used to make this whole world a much better place. This is where education helps. A professional degree like MBBS or CA must be used to make our lives less complicated and easier. Unfortunately, we use these degrees to challenge ourselves to earn some obscenely high amount of money and screw up our own happiness in the process.

I began with a question. Let me end with a beautifully worded line that I read as the status message of one of my friends and is apt here. A perfection of means & confusion of aims seems to be our main problem.

Go get it

2010-01-07T12:42:00.004+05:30

Hey... Don´t ever let somebody tell you, you can´t do something. Not even me... Alright? You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can't do it. You want something? Go get it.

Will Smith says this to his son in the movie Pursuit of Happyness.

Creative ones

2010-01-06T22:31:00.002+05:30

Received these as a forward. Click on the images for a larger view

Another year, another chance!

2010-01-01T11:52:00.003+05:30

In an otherwise unending journey of life between birth and death, New Years give us a mini restart. With another fresh year ahead of us, it's another chance to chase our unfulfilled dreams, to revisit undone tasks, to re-ignite passion and hope in ourselves. We have been given a fresh stock of 365 days to try and pursue happiness. We have another chance to experience joy each moment and more importantly share joy with umpteen lives around us, known and unknown. Here's to more rays of hope and even more wishes for happiness!

Dream BIG... chase your dreams... ignite your passions... inspire... get inspired... love... be loved... smile... keep spreading smiles... LIVE...

Moment to live for

2009-12-30T10:40:00.003+05:30

One of the best moments to cherish in life is seeing your mother unable to resist shedding tears of pride & joy when someone you look up to is praising you enormously in front of her and many others.

What say?

Plagiarism

2009-12-29T22:12:00.005+05:30

Imitation, they say, is the best form of flattery. But plagiarism is very different from simply appreciating by imitating.

I stumbled upon a link to a newly created blog through Orkut and just a preliminary reading made me realize that the words and style are so very mine. It took me another 3 minutes to locate my blog post from where the other post had been apparently 'inspired'.

I am proud of my blog and whatever little I can write on my own. To see one's words being lifted verbatim, without any credit being offered to the original writer, is certainly not a pleasant sight. I am all for giving writers their due credit and insist on buying original copy of a book rather than a cheap, pirated, photocopied version of the same. Plagiarism is also a form of corruption.

Friends, please do not ever indulge in anything like this. I know of an instance where an analyst I personally knew was sacked from an organization for 'borrowing' from another report. This instance may not be as serious as professional plagiarism, but is still in the same league. If you intend to use a text that you like, ask the original writer before you publish it somewhere. As an unsaid rule, he MUST be the first to know about the reproduction of his work elsewhere.

It is heartening to know that my blog is followed and read. I am pleased to see many readers stopping by and reading whatever I have to offer through my writing. Yet, to see something like this leaves me perturbed. I sincerely hope that such instances do not hit me or any one else who has the patience to write something original.

P.S. 1: I have not resisted telling him what I thought of this incident.

P.S. 2 (updated later): I am told by the blogger that it was a mistake and that he had copied the text long back & did not remember where he had taken the text from! I am still keeping this post with an intention to hope that such things are not repeated, not just with my writing but any original writing.

3 Idiots

2009-12-26T11:05:00.005+05:30

I'm off writing movie reviews these days. For a simple reason that no movie has really 'hit' me that hard to sit and write about it. To be fair to other movies I have seen lately (Kurbaan, De Dana Dan, Wake up Sid, APKGK, Rocket Singh, Paa, 2012), 3 Idiots is also not a master-piece to write something about. Yet, I'm expected to write a review I guess, being a pseudo-teacher myself. So here it is.

First things first, it is an entertaining movie in parts. You would not feel bored, though some parts are as dragging as some other parts being entertaining. To my mind, the speech of Chatur was the most entertaining bit and the baby delivery scene was the most boring. Anyways, overall the movie does score brownie points on the entertainment front. Acting and direction is sensible. In any case, the actors in point are not among the inferior ones so one does not expect them to be boring. Aamir, as always, clicks with the audience.

Problem is, my list of what I liked ends with the above paragraph. The most disappointing part of the movie is the theme. Disappointing in a sense that there was nothing new in it. We have seen it before, haven't we? In most parts of the movie, I could not help relate things to Munnabhai MBBS or Taare Zameen Par. Do what your heart believes is right, don't be in the rat race, every person has a special talent, professors help you clear exams but not beyond, etc etc etc is all old gyaan. Another movie on the same lines where the hero does everything right and is demi-God does not work with me. I cannot be tempted by entertainment at the cost of realism. This move is a piece of too much goodie-goodie that I cannot take in. Too much sweet spoils the sweet.

So, as always, we have to keep off our thinking hats while seeing the movie. When I want to see some quick runs being made in cricket, I would prefer watching an Afridi to a Dravid playing big shots. On the other hand, when I want to see some beautiful cricket book shots, I prefer seeing a Dravid in full flow. If you get what I mean to say, for movies too I somehow expect the already set actors in the industry to focus on a movie with some essence rather than a repeat theme done commercially to attract a box office success. I cannot expect a newbie baby like Ranbir Kapoor to experiment with 'thoughtful-but-not-commercial' scripts and plots. He has to get his mark with some 'stupid-but-commercial' movies like APKGK and Rocket Singh. But if even the set actors like Aamir Khan and SRK does pure commercial movies only, the creative bend of the film industry loses its edge and that part of the audience would feel left out. To put it simply, on any given day, I would prefer seeing a Mumbai Meri Jaan over 3 Idiots. Again, if I have to see a pure entertainer, I would rather see an Andaz Apna Apna over 3 Idiots. Effectively, this film is neither here nor there.

Finally, on the message that the movie reiterates - chase your instincts & interests rather than following the crowd. Very true. I am a teacher myself and I have been trying a lot to get that message across of building 'passion' among students. Some take the message, some shrug it off. A lot of students doing CA is a part of the herd. Deep down, they do not like what they are doing. To put it more precisely, they have no clue whatsoever about what they really want to do. The only choice then left is to chase the already set conventional targets rather than creating their own road towards fulfillment. Latter is difficult, for the society would be against it. Yet, what I genuinely feel is that if you have the confidence to see it through, society (including parents) won't have too many issues about it. Point is, does the student have it in him/her to follow his/her instincts successfully?

Let me end it this way. I have interacted with hundreds of students between the ages of 18 and 23 for more than 5 years now and I can hardly think of anyone who has had the confidence to follow his/her own unconventional route to success. It could imply two things: Either all of them enjoyed and relished their curriculum (hardly true, I can sense otherwise in each lecture) or they never attempt to chase their dreams & end up blaming the system for making them marks/grades-chasers. The latter group then go and see a movie like 3 Idiots and thoroughly appreciate the message and love the character of Aamir Khan in it. When back to their normal routines, they opt to forget that they have a CHOICE to be that character themselves. That approach towards life and living, my dear friends, is too simplistic, too 'idiotic' (to end with some bit of movie:))!

Why men shouldn't write advice columns

2009-12-21T22:56:00.001+05:30

Received this as a forward :) Enjoy.

More on love

2009-12-20T20:13:00.003+05:30

As a comment to my last post, I was asked by PS: "So is true love the same as unconditional love? If yes, how do you relate this post with an equally striking post of yours on unconditional love?" Thought, would reply to it as a separate post.

Firstly, I do not subscribe to the idea of unconditional love. I believe human beings are too complex a creature to do something selflessly keeping his own happiness at stake. A one-off act could be seen, but loving is hardly a short-term act. So to love without keeping his own interest in mind is too improbable. If I am in a relationship, I am in it for my own sake. So is the other person. When such self-centered interests gel with one another, it creates a lasting fulfilling relationship.

Why do I admire the man shown in the video then? It's not because I thought he was doing a selfless act or was loving unconditionally. The admiration comes from the fact that his happiness does not come by being associated with a charming outwardly good-looking girl who is highly educated, well presentable and someone who can add some 'status' to his life. I was amazed by his source of happiness. He has been able to remain content by spending ample time with the girl he loves, though she cannot reciprocate in a way most of us would expect in a relationship. Her well-being being the key factor determining his happiness is a rare sight, especially with her having gone through an unfortunate accident. That is what made me feel good about what he was doing.

Hypothetically, if he were to come upto me and talk of how much sacrifice he is doing to be with her and how he has kept his self-interest aside to take care of her, I would lose a large part of my admiration for him. What I appreciate is an acceptance that someone is in a particular situation in life because he wants to be in it. If someone starts to package it like a selfless, unconditional act, I would laugh my heart out.

So what I am effectively saying is, if Mr.A is in love with a good looking, 'socially acceptable' girl and Mr.B with someone like in the video, I would not respect B more than A for him being selfless. I would rather respect the make of his heart/soul that chooses to remain happy with something like what he is doing. Fact is, both are in the relationship because that is what makes them feel good and happy. The day that ceases, they would walk out citing one or the other reason. Rather, they should or else the relationship becomes burdensome.

P.S.1: Purely my thoughts. Don't have to be subscribed to! :)

P.S.2: I have no intention to demean the girl in the video. I do not mean that she is inferior in any way to a 'normal' girl.

True love

2009-12-18T22:33:00.005+05:30

I have been a very firm believer in giving everything into a relationship with a person you truly, genuinely love. The concept of 'true love' itself is something I have thought about a lot. Infact, I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that giving a public talk on love is a dream I cherish. I cringe to see so many couples around who think they are in love. In most of such cases, they are in a relationship for the sake of it. A small argument or a difference of opinion can bring their egos to the forefront shattering the perceived love between them. For all those of you who think they are in love, I call you upon to watch this amazing display of extreme love and affection. Can you beat the love of this guy?

Sure, love isn't a war or a competition to win or beat. Yet, I am truly spellbound having seen this video. Hats off to him for showing me and many like me the way to love.

For me, there is no better definition of true love than to do everything possible to make your partner happy AND still feel content & blissful yourself and not feel burdened. The second part of the statement is as important as the first, if not more.

What the heck!

2009-12-18T13:49:00.001+05:30

Reading this made me furious today. Are we joking? Are we in some dreamland?? Ridiculous!!!

Passion

2009-12-18T13:15:00.003+05:30

Passion & Attitude are two qualities, I believe, maketh a man. I am almost addicted to talking about both of them in my lectures where I interact with a lot of supremely able minds and hard working students. For me, talent and ability matters less that passion and attitude. This post is not about their relevance.

When I look into my life today, with whatever I have and I don't, one thing that characterizes me these days is the lack of passion for anything. Strange yet true. Nothing, and I mean nothing, really incites me to be enthusiastic about. Events, people, work, matter, pleasure, sports, books. Nothing!

I am not mentioning this in a complaining/unhappy manner. It is just an observation of a strange phase. As much as I feel it's crucial, I am seeing myself without it. Any negatives? Well, just that the emotions are never too extreme in this phase. Never too happy, nor too down. The volatility of mood is lower. Mind is still.

As an aside, had been to a superb concert last night. It was truly blissful to see/listen to some extremely talented musicians performing together - Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, Sivamani, U Shrinivas and Selvaganesh.

shaurya kya hai

2009-12-13T21:34:00.003+05:30

shaurya kya hai
thartharati is dharti ko raungati faujiyo ki ik paltan ka shor
ya sehame se aasman ko chirata huwa, banduko ki salaami ka shor
shaurya kya hai, hari wardi par chamakate huye chand pital ki sitare
ya sarhad ka naam dekar andekhi kuchh lakiro ki numaish

shaurya kya hai
dur udate khamosh parinde ko goliyo se bhun dene ka ehsaas
ya sholo ki barsat se pal bhar mein ek sehar ko shamshan bana dene ka eshaas

shaurya, shayad ek hosla, shayad ek himmat, hamare bohot ander
majhab ke banaye daayare tod kar, kisika haath tham lene ki himmat
goliyo ki betahsha shor ko apni khamoshi se chunoti de pane ki himmat
marti maarti is duniya mein nihatte datte rehne ki himmat

shaurya, aane wale kal ki khatir
apne hisse ki kaynat ko, aaj bacha lene ki himmat

shaurya kya hai

An extract from a poem penned by Javed Akhtar, recited by Shahrukh Khan for the movie Shaurya.

Funny lines in hoardings/sign boards

2009-12-11T09:17:00.001+05:30

Lack of punctuations can make mockery of a normal statement. Hope a friend of mine reads this 'coz he surely needs it :D

In a London Laundromat:
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES:
PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT

Outside a London second-hand shop
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?

Spotted in a safari park:
ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR

Seen during a London conference:
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN’T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR

Notice in a field:
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES

On a repair shop door:
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR, THE BELL DOESN’T WORK)

People in other countries sometimes go out of their way to communicate with their English-speaking tourists. Here is a list around the world :

At a Budapest zoo:
PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY SUITABLE FOOD,
GIVE IT TO THE GUARD ON DUTY.

Doctors clinic, Rome
SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES.

Hotel, Acapulco
THE MANAGER HAS PERSONALLY PASSED ALL THE WATER SERVED HERE.

In a Nairobi restaurant:
CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE SHOULD WAIT AND SEE THE MANAGER.

In a City restaurant:
OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND WEEKENDS TOO.

By the way, received this as a forwarded mail!

Funny Oxymorons

2009-12-08T22:28:00.001+05:30

1. Clearly misunderstood
2. Exact estimate
3. Small crowd
4. Act naturally
5. Found missing
6. Fully empty

And the mother of all:
Happily Married

:)

Fed up

2009-11-29T20:20:00.004+05:30

I am fed up of the money mindedness of the world around me. Everything begins and ends with monetary considerations. Decisions relating to education, career, marriage, relationships, future - all are linked primarily to financial pay-offs. There seem to be absolutely no acceptance for the unconventional/non-conformists. Life, it appears, is only about adding more moolahs to your wealth by focusing only on monetary aspects of the world. I have been asked quite a lot of times by friends and relatives as to why I have not bought a house yet. It's as if that should be the key aim in life. Get a house, a car, then a bigger house, then a more lavish car. Gosh, where does this all end! Marriages are based on financial status. Sure, money is important. But so much that you become obsessed with it? You forget your human fabric in the quest for financial dreamworld?

My fellow professor beautifully described the virus: It is always about financial and mental strengths. Moral strengths are hardly looked for. So very true. Character and the strength of your values ranks a distant third or fourth may be to your ability to amass more wealth. And then utilise that wealth for things that you never really need or use. And then, propagate the same way of living to every one around you. Crazy.

Why can't someone dance to a music that the world neither hears or understands? Why can't an individual strive to do things that he believes is right? Why must he be always judged on social norms of wealth and assets? Why should the efforts of being a genuine human being not rated as highly as efforts to create wealth? Why must things be loaded on to him without realizing his preference or core beliefs? Why must a person with lesser bank balance be seen as less successful?

The longer these crazy ways of measuring happiness exists, more difficult it would be for the younger lot to create their own set of values. We are pushing them to be stereotypes, to be followers rather than leaders. We help them to learn the tricks of making money but not the ways of growing as human beings. We includes me and I cannot hate myself more for it.

Let me share an incident here. Something that happened few weeks back and will probably chase me for the rest of my life. While returning from my trip to Kerala, a family friend with me had a very heavy bag containing stuff bought from there. They seeked the aid of a railway porter for carrying the bag. The porter who came forward was a visibly weak, 60+ years old person. I could not imagine how he would carry that bag all the way through the long series of stairs. So I offered to carry that bag and give him my light bag to him instead. To that, the family friends and parents asked me not to since it is his job to carry it. I tried to insist but gave it up to avoid creating a scene. And for the next 10-15 minutes, I cursed myself seeing the old man carry that severely heavy bag and struggling for breath. I could have forced others and took the bag myself. I could have not listened to anyone. Instead, I chose to let him carry that bag.

The face of the man and his desperation for the 50Rs. he was doing the work for makes me feel ashamed of my lack of ability to change things around. Rational, educated people look away from such 'trivial' things perhaps. And that is precisely the reason why I am starting to hate the way a lot of us are, more so myself. Selfish, self-centered pigs are all what a lot of us are.

Quote of the day

2009-11-22T09:27:00.002+05:30

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's father quoted in Times of India:

People want a Bhagat Singh, but in a neighbour's house.

How apt and true! Pretty much the reason why the world at large have issues that needs to be sorted but have not been. We all believe somebody else should do the needful.

A point well made

2009-11-20T12:23:00.003+05:30

A friend's Facebook status message reads:

A Maharashtra born and brought up Shivajirao Gaikwad, calls himself a ‘Tamilian’ because that place made him ‘Rajnikant’. Hence he feels indebted to it and calls himself as ‘Tamilian’. Therefore when I don’t mind earning/living in Maharashtra, why should I mind the local culture and being called as Maharastrian.............. because it’s not about being Marathi, its about being 'Maharashtrians'.

Well put Romi.