प्रतिबिम्ब

Pre Paid Taxi

2011-11-15T16:00:00.001+05:30

Last four days were as eventful as they can get.
Covered a distance of around 2200 kms attended the marriage of two of my best friends.

As it is common with any kind of journey..it always leaves you with memories.
This one was no exception...

We landed at Jammu airport at 9:40 on the morning.
After collecting our baggage we were waiting for our friends ,who were about to reach in the next plane...

In this process...we took some 10-15 minutes...and by then a pretty long Queue came up at the Pre Paid Taxi counter.

I was standing behind some 10-15 guys in the queue.
For some reason the queue wasn't moving for some time....

It might be because of a confused tourist who doesn't know as to where he should take a taxi.
or it might be because of the guy at the Taxi counter does not have the change to payback to the guy.

Whatever it was ...after 2-3 minutes i checked my positon in the queue.
I was still the last....

This made me feel a bit uneasy...

Why was i still the last man...i glanced at Shagun and the two friends.
I feared they might even ask...why are you still in the last position in the queue.

After 3-4 minutes a group came and enhanced the queue a bit more.
Now as i was not the last person in the queue...i felt relieved.

I couldn't believe the way i was reacting...
The people who were after me in the queue had no impact on my reaching the Taxi counter...

but..
Somehow their absence made me insecure...
and their presence made me feel better.

While in the queue...i could make up my mood swings and tried to analyse the mood swings.

This might sound a trivial occurence...
but after a bit of analysis...i found my behavior shocking.

If the people in front or the people behind in queue could decide my happiness/sadness.
It could well be happening in the day to day events as well.

The people were in front because they did something different which got them in front.
The people behind did not do something that i did and that got me ahead of them.

but whatever it was...my TAXI-BOARDING-TIME remained a absolute function of my actions...and not anybody else's.

So when ...TAXI-BOARDING is the motive...and TAXI-BOARDING-TIME is an absolute function of my position in the queue.

Why was my happiness RELATIVE to my Position in the Queue??

Office- Once Again

2011-10-13T16:07:00.000+05:30

This is a post i wrote in 2008.

After reading http://img.ibtimes.com/www/articles/20111012/230203_google-plus-engineer-complete-failure-fail-hate-steve-yegee-reasons.htm

I felt like republishing it....so here it is.
Verbatim..uncensored....once again.... :)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I get up at 9:15 in the morning,take a shower get ready and off to office..
Rickshaw man (Baba ji) is standing right there at the same spot where he has been standing for the past 1 year.Its the same rickshaw,same road,same turns same speed,same me ,same everything.I just feel he takes some other route or for god sake vary his speed a little.I know the route to office but i just hope he changes that route for once.Monotony bugs me every single day.

I enter our office lift,press 7 .Its funny how all of us are standing in the lift with our heads down and staring at each other's feet.Somehow if i do make eye contact ,i immediately break it and start looking at the cieling of the lift.

Enter the office ..i am just praying that no more new assignments have come my way ..i just hope my bug was not identified by the client.After checking the inbox and confirming my worklessness for the day.I move around to see if i am the only one who is feeling like a pig.After finding people empathizing with me..back to my seat.

I open my gmail,orkut and blog to check for any new mails,new scraps or any new comments respectively.Nope none....no new mails ...same old scraps....same comments.Then i open a programming window..just in case BOSS tends to pass by.After that i ensure that when i'll press alt-tab it will be the programming window that will open and not the orkut window.

Apart from this keep a pen paper handy.Just in case some management hovers over or around you ,you should be able to do the next three steps in not more then 0.876 seconds

Step 1)Press alt tab
Step 2)Stare at the screen with your eyebrows tensed.
Step 3)Start solving some unfathomable equation on the paper

Alrite now i have checked my mail inbox/orkut scraps around 20 times from morning and i haven't received a single mail/scrap.I remember that last time i checked it was 4457 mails/2234scraps.It still shows 4457 mails/2234 scraps but i'll check the inbox/scrapbook .May be the counter didn't increase by one but somehow a mail/scrap was received.It is quite possible ....bugs you know.

Hmm its still a long day left and all my options are exhausted......What should i do??

Ok lets check my ICICI account,Its 22nd of the month and by no chance my account would have been credited ,but still lets check how much money do i have?Did it increase from yesterday???

No it didn't ...but OMG the account balance is too less..let me check the mini statement.Where the hell have i been spending my money?
hmm i need to be more frugal.

Now i start reading all the status messages on the gtalk accounts.I do this so relegiously that i am able to make out how many people changed there status from yesterday.I must say you just need to follow these status messages and you will get real GYAN.You are just too very close to get enlightened.

By this time i find myself slouching in my chair,feeling guilty about doing nothing the whole day...but then i see around and peep at my BOSS's seat.BOSS notices my stare and he jumps up from the slouch and gets himself nice and settled in his chair.
He tries to look fresh and busy.

In the next 0.876 seconds
1)He presses something on his keyboard(may be a alt-tab)
2)He stares towards the screen with his eyebrows tensed
3)He picks up the pen and starts to scribble something on a paper(may be the same unfathomable equation)

______________________________

This blog was read by my CEO.
What happened between me and CEO is not Bloggable... :D

Moroneity

2011-10-11T23:29:00.000+05:30

Have you ever been in a situation where you did something so embarrassing that you felt like disapperaing from the scene.

I mean just after committing the act you realize that you have committed a blunder.

I was the protagonist in three such acts-of-blunder....

Alright... the first act was performed at the IGI Airport.

Me and my wife were about to leave for Thailand just after our marriage.

Nervous...i was..as this was my first international trip .

Same was for my wife...she was looking up to me for taking her safely to Thailand.

I couldn't have afforded to not look in control of things.

I was repeatedly getting confused with the placement of the

passport, tickets, hotel vouchers, foreign sims, foreign currency etc etc.

I got into the check in line...the girl was checking in the baggages.

I was looking at the travellers ahead of me to somewhat learn the check in process...i didn't want to look out of clue when my turn came.

After learning from a few travellers ahead of me..it was my turn.

The girl at the counter gave a very sweet smile and extended her hand for the passports.

I saw the extended hand and shook it gleefully . :|

She was proffessional enough to not look perturbed...and very calmly asked me for the passports.

...her smile made pretty good mockery of me.

I tried maintaining my poise...and gave a very nervous smile to Shagun as if i was still in control.

She made a puzzled inquiring gesture towards me...asserting i was not at all in control.

I so wished i could have vanished from the scene. :)

Second story....is of this saturday.

We were enjoying the delicious paranthas made by our Maid.

The door bell rings.

I get up to check who was there.

The door bell rings again.

I open the door to see a lady in her late 20s with a small child.

She is scolding her boy "Beta dusron ke ghar me do baar bell nahi bajate".

This is the conversation that took place between me and the lady

Lady Smiles and says "Hi"

I Smile and say "Hello"

Lady Smiles again and says "Sunita"

I smile even wider and say "Gaurav"

Lady doesn't smile this time and says "No...i mean is Sunita there?"

I blush....as i was introducing myself to someone who was only interested in our Maid Sunita.

In all that embarrasment i facilitate the meeting of Sunita and the lady.

To complete this blog i was looking for a third story for some days.

I remembered one today...and this one is back from my childhood.

Our dada ji used to live with us...

Every night my mother used to give me a glass of milk which i had to go and deliver to dada ji.

Dada ji was living in a separate flat so it took a minute or so...from my place to Dada Ji's place.

After ringing the bell Dada ji used to take 30-40 secs to open the door.

That particular day...i got a whim .

I am standing outside the door...with the glass of milk in my hand.

I ring the bell.

Suddenely i say to myself

"If i am not able to take 10 sips of milk before Dada ji opens the door...i will score less than 85% in my 10th boards."

So the whim had set in...and the 40 seconds had started.

I had to take a sip almost every 3 secs.

I had kept 4-5 seconds to regain my composure.

So there i was sipping away like crazy and hoping to make the 10 sips before he opens the door.

In all this frenzy i couldn't see that he was peeping through the curtain.

I mean he saw all my 10 sips.

After i had secured my 85% target and had regained my compsure....he opens the door.

I offer him the milk...but he refuses.

He gives me a look that was full of pity...

Dada ji with a consoling touch on my shoulder "Pee le poota tu hi".

(Please Son...you only have it.)

siR Ji

2011-10-09T12:17:00.000+05:30

i ThiNk iT was 2008..Pragati MaiDan....Delhi Book faiR.
i Had recently developed a penchance for readiNg books.
i Was not iNto some partiCular genre but yes biOgraphies used to fasciNate me.

iT was on a random stroll iN the book stalls when i Saw a book tiTled...iCon.
i Knew a biT about iPod and iPhone...iCon seemed as catchy as iT's other iSiBliNgs.

i Bought the book and that was how i Met STEVE JOBS for the fiRst tiMe.
i Read each and every book publiShed on Steve Jobs after that.
The love affaiR kept blossomiNg.

ThiS blog iS not what i Read about Steve Jobs...as that would be liKe "StatiNg the already known" .
ThiS blog iS about why i Felt shattered when Steve Jobs left us on 5th October?

These are the three maiN reasons for me feeliNg that way

1)He made me look Smarter.
ReadiNg about Jobs always gave me storiEs. StoriEs that made me feel liKe a STAR whenever i Narrated them to my friEnds. i Felt smarter just because of knowiNg those storiEs. i Loved to see the awestruck people who were amazed by the unusual ness of these storiEs.

People feel great/cool/proud when they have a huge fan base....but wiTh Steve Jobs iT was kiNd of reverse.
People felt great/cool/proud just because they were a fan of Steve Jobs.
On hiS death...everyone wanted to prove that he iS the biggest fan of Steve...and so did i.
SiR Ji ....i Was and i Am your biGgest fan.

2)He made me do weiRd thiNgs.
iN hiS Stanford speech he asked all of us to follow our hearts.
He made me do thiNgs which often had no ratiOnale...but i Did iT because SiR Ji Had assured me that the dots do connect.

He made me do a extensiVe cycle trek of 60 kms iN the hiLls ... just two days before my marriAge.
He made me go iN search of a musiC shop at 10 iN the niGht just because i Felt i Needed to play that song on HarmoniCa.
He made me bunk my offiCe for 10 days...and go on a busiNess meet iN Mumbai Spending some 30k just to meet Narayan Murthy.

3)He asked me SeriOus QuestiOns.
WiTh hiS sudden death...i Was shattered.
i Was scared...i Was scared as he was one person who proviDed hope. He gave order to my chaotiC thoughts. He asked all of us one very seriOus questiOn

‎"iF today were the last day of my liFe, would i Want to do what i Am about to do today?"

May be i Am too weak to answer thiS questiOn.
May be i Am too weak to even face thiS questiOn.

but whatever iT iS....Answer to the above questiOn iS very clear to me.

i Do whatever i Want to do...whenever i Can afford to do.
He diD whatever he wanted to do...whenever he wanted to do...and wherever he wanted to do.

Death ...the occurrence of the event iS totally random.

He went at 56 ...i Can go at 26, 36 or may be 86.
i'M not sure...when i Leave...but whenever i Do...

i Don't thiNk i Can afford to leave this questiOn answered wiTh a majoriTy of "No".

_______________________________________________________________________

Cheers to a man...who made i so powerful.
iT's i that he asks me to beliEve iN.

Cheers to a man ...who liVed.

Kunjum Cafe

2011-10-02T22:08:00.000+05:30

There is this cafe in South Delhi ...Kunjum Cafe.

There are quite a few selling points of this CAFE...

To name a few..

1)There is no time limit on how long you sit in the cafe.

2)There is free WIFI in the cafe.

3)Music is really good but if you like to hear something of your choice...just plug in your iPod in the Dock.

4)The person who owns it is a ENGINEER turned MBA Turned JOURNALIST Turned TRAVELLER

5)You can go through a really well compiled collection of Travel books....actually the place is designed

for strangers to meet and make travel plans.

Apart from these there is one thing that left me puzzled .

THESE GUYS DON'T CHARGE YOU ANYTHING....YOU PAY WHAT YOU LIKE.

I was really puzzled at the business model of this guy...you can have unlimited coffee/tea/cookies and he won't charge you a thing.

But still i tried to see through the psychology he must be working on.

When you are asked to pay whatever you feel like...

you will try to be reasonable enough...and pay atleast equal to what you would have paid at a decent cafe like that...

...as the things are free you won't order but you'll request.

After you have sat for some 1 hour or so...and have had 3 cups of pretty decent coffee...i got up to make the payment.

I went to the guy who served us...i think i was being reasonable enough and i gave him Rs 200.

He refused to take the money and directed me towards a box...in which i had to push the money in.

It was kind of Daan Patra we have in temples.

Anonymity involved in the payment process ....refuted my psychology rationale behind his business model.

A place worth a visit... :)

Security

2011-09-10T12:14:00.000+05:30

A friend of mine...the most brilliant Programmer that i have met/seen/worked with.

He is just absolutely in love with this coding thing.

He feels disheartened when he sees a data structure being used that you shouldn't have used.

He feels ecstatic when he sees some well designed and well thought out classes .

Algorithms will be studied for the sake of algorithms not for any company.

Design patterns will be studied not because someone told him that they would be asked in a particular company...

but for the simple reason of keeping his code beautiful.

The Child like enthusiasm that he shows for good,challenging...beautiful code is contagious.

He is so sure ,so sound in his knowledge that you can sense the security.

Whenever he is around...you feel like asking for his opinion ...because you know he'll definitely make it better.

Recently he has joined a company in which he was the 5th employee.

He is getting a salary that people get at 2.5 times his experience.

Company might be insecure in comparison to the settled ones..but he just saw a exciting work opportunity.

He knows the company can close any day...he can be fired any day...but he knows his skill better.

Your skill security covers up for the probable job insecurity....

I have known this person for some time now...and i want to keep knowing him for as long as i can .

As he is the one who helped me understand...

"There are two kind of job seekers - secure ones and the insecure ones.

There are two kind of jobs - secure ones and the insecure ones.

Match almost always is diagonal."

Happy

2011-08-25T23:50:00.006+05:30

A lot of rickshaw pullers and daily wage workers leave their villages and come to Delhi in search of work. This is probably a story about one of them.

For most of them,the family is in the village and they are alone in Delhi.....working for a living.

They do go to their village at times...and at time it is their families who come to Delhi.

Just like each one of us...

whenever they are visiting the villages they do take some gifts along.

and just like each one of us...

whenever their families visit them...

they do take them out to show the city they have been living in.

Sometimes i see them on a metro station...

The head of the family(father) takes a lot of pride in introducing the family to the DELHI METRO.

He buys them a token each and then surprises them by telling them that this is the Ticket.

Each one of them is amused as to what kind of ticket is that.

A small demo follows.

Touch the token on the gate..the gate flap opens...enter and that's it.

Kids are usually excited to try this...ladies a bit apprehensive.

So the elder son gets to go in first. Father prompts him at every step...and in three easy steps he is in.

Now it's the mother and the infant in her arms..

There are a lot of things to be handled...the saree..the ghunghat..the toddler and the token ofcourse.

She takes some time...as she seems to be short of confidence.

She might do something wrong.

The son asks her to come fast as it is too easy...what is it that she doesn't understand?

Father asks him to be quiet and assures his wife to do the three steps..prompting begins again.

Touch the token on the gate..the gate flap opens...enter and that's it.

She does it this time.

Crossing the gate is followed with a giggle from the lady ,the son and the father ...Toddler is amused too.

All of them seem Happy.

Now the father asks them to queue up as everybody does so in Metro.

He takes a lot of pride in telling them that no body huddles up like they did in the village bus.

It's so very organized over here.

The father keeps waiting for the metro as he wants to impress his family even more with this state of the art piece of transport.

The moment it is visible on the station he looks on to his son and wife as to check if they are amused enough or not.

He's happy to see the big wide eyes.

If they hadn't been amused enough..he had his believe-it-or-not-facts ready about the delhi metro.

The metro is as usual crowded ...the people are pushing ...fuming...angry at god knows what...

Amongst all this crowd ...the family gets in ...

The father holding the son tight...the mother holding the infant...and the eye contact holding them both.

In all this chaos..they are listening to the announcement...they are even more bemused by the fact that the guy making the announcements repeats about the door-opening announcement every 1 minute.

At every station the family glanced at the father as he might signal to get off.

Finally They get off at Huda City center.

The boy kept telling his father about how a guy was almost stuck in the closing doors at one of the stations... The father dismisses it all very nonchalantly as this happens everyday...

he even scares him by telling him about an ACCIDENT in which a girl lost both her legs under the metro.

The mother asks them to slow down as the infant was troubling her and she was not able to keep up with them.

They wait for her and from IFFCO chowk they take a Auto...

The father had planned to show them the Airplanes take off.

He had kept it a surprise...no one knew after the Metro what would it be.

They were already awestruck after the Metro thing...he knew the airplane take off would just blow them away.

There is this road which is parallel to IGI Airport's runway and many a times i have seen people standing and watching the planes take off...the observing distance is less than 50 mtrs.

The family reaches there and the father announces the surprise.

The sons excitement holds no bound as this may be the biggest and the most exciting story he was taking back to his village.

A plane taking off and that too at walkabale distance.

The wife was happy as well....

The husband......Proud.

After some moments of wait A huge Kingfisher A380 started moving back....

The kid starts jumping...the toddler has his eyes wide open

The father puts his arm on his wife's shoulder..

The family totally engaged in the forward backward maneuvers of the plane....

Infact there are around 100 more groups like these..all standing in a queue..

In next two minutes...plane is right in front of them.

Father takes the boy in his arms...points towards the rising plane.

Mother does the same with the infant.

so do the other groups...

They whistle...They clap...

Someone feels proud to have shown this to his family...

Some feel proud to be wife to a person who everyday sees this...

While the plane is taking off there might be a similar family inside the plane that is going through the same emotions......may be they are excited for their first flight.

Or May be they are amused at the people who are shouting ..clapping and pointing towards them while they take off.

Whatever it is ..both sides of the plane had a proud father...a excited mother..an extremely happy child.

Everyone looked so same ... Happy for a reason ...that was completely their own.

RUN Forrest RUN

2011-08-08T09:24:00.004+05:30

I have been running /cycling for some time now...somedays i go for short short trips...sometimes i opt for monster trips...A 120 km CYCLING requires as much physical and mental endurance as is required for a 12 km RUN.

The longer trips are done more for the mental toughness than for the physical aspect of it.
I have seen a particular pattern in these longer rides....
The ride can be broken into three phases

Phase1: Destination-too-far phase
This is the phase when you have just started and you are really excited about the new journey.
Excitement very often results in a burst of energy (too much action) and that may lead to a rise in fatigue level and possibly a premature burnout and that may end your journey much before the anticipated timeline.

You have to get into a nice consistent rhythm to be in the race for a longer run.
In this phase Focusing on the journey and not on the destination helps you stay for a longer period.

Phase 3 :Destination-too-close phase
I came to phase three before going to phase two...just for the striking similarity in the destruction capability of this phase with phase 1.

This is the phase when the destination is visible and you are exhausted to the core.
Your fatigued mind asks you to quit as you are almost there....
In this phase complacency and fatigue...can prove fatal for the entire journey.
You did all the hard work but gave it all away in the end.

If you want to complete the journey and pass this phase ..just remember....
There is a lot of difference in "You were almost there" and "You were there."

Now we come to phase 2.

Phase 2: No-idea-how-far-or-how-close phase
This is the phase when you have no clue how far have you come and absolutely no idea how far you still have to go.

This happens mostly when you are running on the roads you have never ran before...
as opposite to..
Running on a road that you are familiar with....the thrill and the unexpectedness would always be lesser.

So in this phase you have no clue how much more physical and mental toughness is required...
You are done with the initial excitement of the journey...
You don't see the destination either...the only option you have is to HANG IN there .

Hang in...and believe .
You seem lost...out of clue...aimless
but just understand that any moment you may see your destination.
Whenever you think of giving up..it is very much possible that the destination was just a few paces away.

After you have hung in long enough...you will suddenly start seeing the destination and that's when phase 3 comes into play.

Don't let the Phase 3 ruin all your effort.
Make sure you have crossed the line before you begin with the celebrations.

Keep the celebrations mild as this race was probably a Phase 1 to some longer race.

Keep Running. :)

N8 for Rs 2000

2011-08-06T21:21:00.001+05:30

I was really excited for my first cycle trip to india gate.
We had to leave early morning so i made one last call to one my friends for the journey.

I - What all should i carry?
My friend - Just a water bottle wat else?

I was in a confused state as to if i should be carrying my phone or not.
Atlast i decided to carry my phone ,my camera and my wallet and put it all in a small backpack.

In the morning i started at 5:30 from noida and asked Gaurav to be ready by 6:00am.

I reached mayur vihar around 5:50 and called up Gaurav to the main road...he asked me to wait for 2 minutes.

I parked my cycle and as that part of delhi is on the greener side..i thought of taking a few clicks.
I was thinking about the clicks and the camera...two guys came on a scooter and stopped right in front of me.

One of them got off and shook hands with me.
Then he showed me a N8 and asked me if i wanted to buy it.

I refused and told them that i am not carrying any money and moreover i didn't want to buy that phone.
The guy on listening to my reply turned hostile and asked me to show him my mobile.

I reluctantly took it out...he grabbed it from me and started sitting back on scooter,
I tried to snatch it back...but in a very hostile haryanwi tone he asks me...

"Jaan se Pyaari koi cheej"
I thought for a while .

The guy driving driving the scooter also tried to scare me..
"Nikalooon kya??"

I was thinking whether to put up a fight or let go.
I was not sure if they had any weapon or not...but i didn't have the guts to confirm it.

I decided against the fight thing and agreed to their first question.
Jaan se pyari koi cheej nahi.

While leaving they gave me a black mobile pouch...
I was relieved somewhat as it was probably the second hand N8(or may be third hand) they were trying to sell me earlier.

Once they left the scene i could also see my friend crossing the road and coming towards me.
I opened to see the black mobile pouch and check the condition of the N8.

The thieves were damn professional in their work..they not only gave you the theft shock.
They cared about the customer experience after the transaction also.

The black pouch didn't contain a N8.
It had a RIN Bar.(Rin ki tikki)
-------------------------------------------------------
I = Bivek Kaushal
My Friend = Gaurav Vashist

Just think what would you do in such a scenario?
and please share as this may be helpful to other people living in delhi.

Why do we do the things we do?

2011-06-23T20:08:00.002+05:30

On our way back from office me and Ovais were discussing...

Why do we do the things we do?
Or For that matter....
Why does any one does what he does?

So the Initial answers were like for Survival..for food..for a better life etc etc.
Then we discussed a bit more deeply and came to the following result...

Each one of us enjoys being different.

Earlier people used to stay in villages and do farming..feed cattle..raise children.
Everyone did the same thing.
At that time if someone got a job in the city...he was considered kind of special.
Now the guy who got a job did something different from what his brothers were doing
and this way he got himself to be felt special.

Now this trend continued and almost all the families now had a child in the city doing a job.
This continued for few decades ...then a person got bored of that lifestyle also.

Everyone is in city doing the same damn coding job .So he decided to pack his bags and go back to the village.
Now this person did something different and was considered special by his brethren.
People staying in the cities...now felt like they should also lead a life style like that.

So in this discussion we found out that we always look to do something different and ....
more the uniqueness of that thing,
the more we enjoy doing it.

A person always looks to have some uniqueness about him...which sets him apart from the people
he knows or has some connection with them.

Now a person can look different with two different mindsets..

We'll take an example
A Person may leave his comfortable car and become a cyclist because of two reasons...
1)Reason one is there are a very few cyclists around and a lot of car owners...being a cyclist will set him apart.
2)Second reason is curiosity...he would want to challenge his comfort zone and see how his body reacts on a cycle?

In the first reason if all the people around him start riding a cycle the person may opt for a car.
Because the point is not enjoying the cycle..but the point is being different.

In the second reason the person won't give a thought to what the people in his closest promoxity are driving...
He'll ride a cyle just for the sake of riding it.

In both cases you look different....just that in one you are indifferent.

At this point of discussion i immediately started relating things with myself...and the people around me...
A few questions that came to my mind...

Would i keep on enjoying playing Flute if i don't put those videos on facebook?
The very fact that i put them on facebook is that i want people to notice that i am different and see how well i can play the Flute.

I want people to appreciate the videos..what if nobody likes them? Will i stop playing ?...

Am i different out of curiosity or out of a need to look different.
If a lot of people learn flute...will i try and learn a new instrument?
or...
Will i learn a new instrument when i feel that ...Flute is done now and what next?

I was confused and i am still confused as to why do i do the things that i do.

Infact why did i write this blog....

I wrote this blog out of curiosty and by the sheer enthusiasm and the excitement of the thought that came to my mind...
but the very point that i am going to share it on my blogspot right now ..and hoping for a few likes.....feeds my apetite .....

...as i think i have thought something different that people in my closest reference haven't thought of.

Living - By Default or by Design

2011-06-19T22:16:00.001+05:30

Recently i read a small Article on Lance Armstrong(The cycling guru).
...Infact not just the cycling Guru but there is a lot more to learn from him.
He is a champion while on cycle and a bigger champion for the cancer fighting cause.

In this article he had mentioned the way he would want to die...
He Quoted

"When i am 100 years old.....
I want to come screaming down an Alpine descent on my bicycle at 75 miles per hour.
I want to cross one last finish line as my wife and my ten children applaud,
and then I want to lie down in a field of those famous French sunflowers and gracefully expire."

This line struck somewhere...i read it again...and again and again.

Just think of it...a person is excited about his death...he is planning the way he is going to die.
I mean come on...there are days i am not even excited about the way i live..

I know Lance is a kind of person who doesn't take things as they come but the things come as he wants them to come.
That's how effective people live .....they don't live by default.....they live by design.

....but this was something different ...Lance not only lives by design...he wants to design the way he dies too.

Death will not happen to him...
he will die in a way that ensures he has lived till the very last moment.

Jai Guru Dev :)

Match Fixing

2011-05-24T10:59:00.001+05:30

Mr Gupta just retired as the Chief Engineer from State Electricity Board after a service of 36 years.
His son Utsav has just completed his engineering and has a job offer with him...it is with the same organisation that his father served(HPSEB).
Everyone in the family is so happy for the son as life seems well settled for him.

Following is one trivial dialogue between them .
Mr Gupta and Utsav are having dinner.

Son "Papa most of my friends are joining the Private companies..some are becoming full time painters,musicians. i also like dancing but i am not sure of the future. How far will i go? I have a fear of the unknown. what do you suggest? "

Father "Beta there is no comparison of Govt jobs with all these manias..or whatever you call them...Here you have your future secured..even after retirement you will be enjoying pension. You need not worry about your house..car,servants anything. after all you have to live a life that is free of tension."

Son "...but papa.."

Father "Listen ...you have got to make a choice..
you have entered as a SDO,
in 3 years you'll be promoted to Executive engineer(X.en)...
in another 5 years you will be Senior executive engineer...
and by the time you'll retire you'll be secretary To CM for electricity Board...
at worst you will be chief engineer."

During this conversation ..news channel started with a news alleging some senior cricket player of Match fixing.
Being a serious cricket enthusiast Mr Gupta was flabbergasted at this match fixing thing.

Mr Gupta "This is really sad how these cricketers do injustice to so many genuine cricket followers across the country.This is a crime. What fun is it to see a cricket match where you know the outcome already. To enjoy a cricket match the outcome should be unknown..it should be full of excitement and suspense.I think these cricketers don't believe there abilities and fix matches just to have a safe and settled life. They are commiting a sin to themselves and to the nation. Cricket will lose all it's craze if it is played this way."

Utsav was sad at the fixing thing but a stunning analogy dawned on him.
Match fixing was considered bad but there was something very similar he was about to do with his life.
He didn't contradict his father but he got his answer.

What fun it would be to live a life where at 23 you know what you would be doing at 58.

He understood that the
"Fear of the Unknown"
is a just an imposter and can easily be replaced by
"The Thrill of the Unexplored".

That day and this conversation...Utsav has not looked back.
He has danced..sang...travelled..painted...wrote poems...

moreover he has "lived".

He has lived a life that was not fixed.

Transcend

2011-02-27T16:31:00.001+05:30

Sachin has just completed his 100 th century and this is the interview that follows.

Harsha - "Sachin that is some achievement...the first person in the history to score 100 100s.How do you feel.?"

Sachin " It seems like the first one...believe me the feeling is similar."

Harsha "Great...How do the other guys in the dresssing room feel. Gambhir also scored a 100 this match..but it's you who gets all the limelight, and this has happened for the last 21 years. How do the other guys react to it?"

Sachin "It's not about me alone..it's always been about the team...If We would have lost today....i think i would not have been this happier for my achievement. I couldn't have made it in these 21 years without my teammates."

Harsha "That's really humble of you. It has been 21 years in international crciket. When are you planning to retire ..A lot of teams would sigh a breath of relief. You have really tortured them for long now.."

Sachin "(Laughs) No it has never been that way...I have always enjoyed healthy competition . See the game of Cricket is above all ...all the players are its students. All of us are serving the game."

Harsha " Sachin i am seeing a pattern in all your answers...however i'll not discuss that right now . WE'll go on with the interview ."

Harsha "Sachin a lot of players like ...Baichung Bhutia....Saina Nehwal...Sania Mirza... have told about how they take inspiration from you. How do you feel when people from different sports tell you that?"

Sachin "See the basic ingredient for success in any sport is the same. You should be able to handle pressure..you should be able to handle the success humbly and you should be ok with your failures. Thiese values are the core for any game...and this DNA transcends all games. You got to be a fighter and if you understand this ...you'll do well in any sport . "

Harsha "Infact we can extrapolate this to crores of non - sportsperson who derive a lot of inspiration from you. They also like to emulate your work ethics....
Thanks for all these 25 years."

Thanks Harsha I feel it was all possible because of the GOD up there...he has been really kind to me.

Sachin thanks for the lovely interview....i would like to share the pattern that i recognized in your answers.

When i tried to discuss the personal aspect of your achievement and compare it with the other team members you transcended your individuality and gave credit to the Team.

When i tried to compare the various international teams ...you transcended the various teams and gave all credit to Cricket as a sport.

When i tried juxtaposing Cricket with other games ...you transcended Cricket and took it to a higher abstraction of Sports.

When i tried comparing sportsmen with other profession people. I knew your integrity and profesionalism has transcended that boundary as well.

Sachin i think whatever you are doing is exceptional and you have transcended as a human.

Thanks for taking birth at a time...when we could experience the phenomenon.

A Champion Performer

2011-02-25T10:28:00.000+05:30

In that awe inspiring speech from Harsha he made a very profound point about how champions behave.

If you are a champion your performance is not at all proportional to the troubles/obstacles you face in your way.

A champion batsman will never say that I play well only on the Ahmedabad wicket but I’ll go 9 down against Australia at Gabba.

A champion bowler can never say that he is only good at the Indian pitches…because if a player says so ..its not the player that’s good.

It’s the conditions that were favorable.

I tried testing myself on this tenet of Harsha…and I found that I usually cycle my way to office almost twice a week…and this makes me feel like a champion. Riding 60 kms on a single day…and that too in the traffic of NH-58(Ghaziabad-Badrinath Highway) gives you a lot of confidence .

But there are times when I have pressure on me…work load is too much..and these are the days I give cycling a skip.

The excuse that I provide myself is that you need to have a peaceful mind to ride in that traffic….and as the work load is too much you might be thinking too much about the work and hence putting yourself in a trouble in that traffic.

But that’s not how champions do it. They play Bangladesh and Australia with the same tenacity. They keep a peaceful mind in the toughest of situations….in either case I am not going to lessen the workload while I am reaching office..so the excuse stands null and void.

Thanks Harsha for the beautiful lesson…Work load or no work load…I’ll perform.

PS: Cycling can be replaced with any activity that you feel like extrapolating this tenet to.

Score - 140/6

2011-02-19T14:42:00.005+05:30

Last Friday was awesome...Make my trip had its semi annual Town hall meeting...i met Harsha Bhogle...and yes i made a Debut on acting front.( Link to nautanki).

Harsha was as usual brilliant...just wanted to share a part of his speech.

"There are two types of teams...
1) The teams that are playing not to lose.
2)The teams that are playing to win.

At first i thought it's the same thing...in either case you win.
but than he delved a bit deeper into the concept.

Being in the first frame of mind can be disastrous for the team/individual/company.

Following is the example that Harsha gave to make this point...

Australia Vs Bangladesh Test match was going on.

Bangladesh was asked to bat first and they surprised everyone by making 350/4 on the first day.
Scoring at almost 4 runs an over and losing just 4 wickets would have been an amazing achievement
for the best of the teams.

At the end of the day Mohammad Ashraful was congratulated by the media for the team's performance.

One of the interviewers asks Asharful
"You are in a really good position...What is your strategy from here on?"

Asharful "Another 100 runs tomorrow and we are safe."

I mean when you are not in the habit of winning..you just don't believe that you can win.
Even after being in such a good position he wanted to be safe...he just didn't believe that his team could win.

Next day they were bowled out for 427.
and Australia was 140-6 at the end of the day.

Gilchrist came for a similar press conference.
Bagladesh 427 in first inning and The super power australia 140 /6.

"Gilli what do you have to say for that kind of performance?"

Gilli "Yeah mate we have dug ourselves a pretty deep hole. it's going to take some effort to win it from here."

This is what champions do...they play to Win...
They are not playing for not losing but to win.

Next time whenever i find myself in a soup...i would surely remind me of the scoreline 140/6 and ask myself this question...

"Comeon mate how do you win it from here."

Gilchrist scored a 144 in that inning.
Australia won that match. by three wickets.
that's the match http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/238171.html

"

ये उड़ान जारी रहेगी...

2010-12-11T22:10:00.001+05:30

संभल के चलो
गिरने से डरो
रास्ता चुनो वही....
...जिस पे मंज़िल
किसी ने तो हो देखी |

हारना बुरा है
उड़ना बुरा है

देखना वो.... ,
जो किसी ने ना देखा...
...पाप है|

ऐसे जियोगे तो दुनिया क्या कहेगी..
-----------

उड़ना रोज़ है मुझे
देखनी हैं मंज़िलें नयी

चलना संभल के बुरा नहीं..
...पर रास्ता क्यूँ हो वही ?

खुश हूँ मैं
हारकर ,गिरकर
शर्त बस इतनी है..की सड़कें हों नयी|

जीना ऐसे...
की एक मिसाल बन के रहेगी..

लाख रोको मुझे ज़मीन पे..
ये उड़ान जारी रहेगी...

Scale Or Intent

2010-12-03T09:37:00.002+05:30

I am looking to buy a new car, and i am discussiing various nuances(technical/financial) with my friends.
One of my friends is in DRDO and he has recently bought a car.

I asked him for his opinion as to his experience with the model that he bought.
He told me that the car is realy good and he had bought this car from the CSD..
Canteen Store Department is the army canteen and you really do get a handsome discount on your stuff.
He asked wether i also want to get it through CSD.

As the difference in amount was 40-50 k,
i agreed to it.
That same evening i told my fiancee about it and she also agreed to it.
I told my parents ,they also agreed to it.

In the evening i was watching some news channel and they were discussing the
Adarsh Society Scam.

The society was meant for the Widows of Kargil war Martyrs but was being used by some other influential people.It was(is) a painful news.
I really cursed the people behind it.

In next few moments...
A kind of analogy dawned on me.

Getting a car through CSD is almost similar to getting a flat in Adarsh Society.
Neither of the parties deserve what they are availing..

and moreover me ,my fiancee and my parents
were not even aware of the contribution that we were making to corruption
....the scale was really small i think.

What is 40k in front of 1000s of crores.

but is Corruption defined on SCALE or on INTENT?

Sycophancy

2010-11-24T23:06:00.000+05:30

Praying,Worshipping and asking for Favours from GOD is the highest form of sycophancy.

The most able creation of yours bowing and begging in front of you would really be a painful sight.

Instead of spending 30 mins ...burning incense sticks...chanting esoteric mantras..
Won't he be happy if you act and do some meaningful work.

I belong to a state which is called the DEV bhumi and there is a temple in each and every corner.
People are bowing,praying,worshipping and BEGGING for results.

The more people pray to god,the more coward i assume that group of people to be. In a way the group is
humilating GOD by telling him that he has created a species which is not able to survive on its own
and needs help at each and every step.

ACT ,PERFORM, EXECUTE rather than PRAY,WORSHIP,BEG.

If some one feels guilty if he didn't worship for a day, it is very much similar to a sycophant feeling bad if he
hasn't payed a servile visit to his master.
I know the visit is totally driven by my own needs and nothing else.

If i would have made such a visit to my BOSS everyday...i think that would have perfectly categorized as servile flattery.
Similar is the case with GOD.
I think we don't need to pay him those expedient visits rather we need to start taking action.

GOD would be more than happy if i forgot him totally for a month and engaged myself in passionate meaningful work.

After that month of passionate work

Don't bow ..Stand upright...
Don't close your eyes ...look straight into his eyes
Don't Pray for results but announce your achievement
Tell him that i'm doing great on my own.

Thanks for creating me.

Amma jiiiiii ......Amma Ji.

2010-10-12T09:09:00.002+05:30

If you happen to remember Amma Ji... she is our maid.
It's almost an year that she is working with us.

She is a very God fearing women and religiously visits the temples and the gurudwaras. There are a few beliefs that she dearly holds true and accepts those to be nothing less than the universal truths.(सर्वभौमिक सत्य )

Those beliefs can not be(absolutely SHOULD not be) questioned by any one at all.
I ,in my utmost innocence somehow happened to stand opposed to her beliefs at a few moments.
What follows are 3 incidents when i had to face the wrath and fury of Amma Ji just for falsifying her universal Truths.

Summers 2010- Delhi's heat was beating on us and we were almost embarrassed of asking for cold water from our neighours. Not that they refused anytime but still disturbing someone on a Saturday some 20-25 times is shamefully embarrassing in itself. We (me and Suresh) decided to get a refrigerator the very same day. We got the cash and we had made our research on the Fridge that we wanted to take. We waited for the evening and just when we were about to leave Amma Ji comes for preparing us our meals.

She complained a bit about the heat and told us something about the electricty cut that they had at their place.
She notices us getting ready and enquired about it.

We tell her that we are getting her a new refrigerator today and she now nomore needs to throw the old sabji or daal.
First expression was "Oh wow!!!! Great...."
Second was "Oh noooo!!! You fools don't do that."
I asked her about the disapproving expression that she gave.

She said "Aaj mat lo."
Suresh "Kyun amma ji?"
Amma ji "Shaniwaar ko loha nahi lete."
(it was a hindi version of -- "Bloody Freak you don't buy freaking Iron on a freaking saturday.")

A moment of silence
and then it was our turn to express.
First Expression "Desperation,Frustration... all synonymous and very close to WTF."
Second expression "A look at each other followed by a I-give-up smile."

The look that she bore suggested that she was in no mood for a discussion and indeed shaniwaar ko loha nahi lete to nahi lete.
Amma Ji 1 We 0. :(

October 2010 - I was just back from office and Amma ji asks about what she should prepare for dinner. she checks the refrigerator - (The same one that we bought on sunday.) for some vegetables. She tells me that for the next 9 days she won't be using Onion in our food.

On enquiring further she says that "Navratras have started and she doesn't touch Onions in navratras."
This was too much for me and i disagreed to that...may be i would have agreed to her some other day but not after her having her way in that refrigerator incident .
I got rebellious .... Fridge came on sunday and now onions will be used in Navratras.
(It was more of a childish stubbornness then a rational opposition.).

She agreed to it but said that now she needs to change her clothes when she gets back as she can not sit in a Aarti after touching those onions. Irritated i was but in that moment of irritation i tried to restore some rationality ,i asked her to do the Aarti before coming. She agreed to that. I had my little moment of victory.

Amma Ji 1 We 1. :|

Whenever Amma ji gets angry with us she kind of goes quiet. Not that she will make the food any less tastier but she won't talk to us. You can feel the cold war type tension in the house.

We were into the third navratra and she arrives for making breakfast. I had forgot everything about the onions . She asks in her usual way "Beta ji kya banana hai?"
"Paranthe bana do aunty."

Amma ji "Aaloo to hain nahin...."
We had had this kind of discussion earlier also...

I forgot we were in the middle of navratras and i totally forgot we were in middle of a cold war.
I was shaving...and while shaving only ....i went to the kitchen....looked at the tokri and in the most casual and obvious tones suggested "Aloo nahin hai to Pyaaz Ke Bana do".

She slowly turned towards me fuming.
She felt i was doing this on purpose.
I immediately made out that i have committed a sin and now i shall be punished.
In all this tension i felt that she was almost about to slap me.

After a few tense moments and a cold silence between us.
She comes out with this....
"Rab se daro beta ,thoda to daro. Paranthe to main bana deti hun....kam se kam Tuesday ko to Shave na kiya karo."

Amma ji 1000 We 0. :)

Delhi Doordarshan....Dhanyawaad

2010-09-18T12:17:00.001+05:30

My Father is at my place this weekend and he saw me busy with the Hindi discussions.

He saw something written in Hindi and he asked me about the topic of discussion. He has a natural penchance towards Hindi...and hence his interest.

He went through all the discussions and was visibly hurt by some of the comments.

He was disturbed by the fact when people were relating nationality with language.

We had a discussion and in that discussion... he asked me to open youTube and search for a song....

The song was the classical "Mile Sur mera Tumhara...To Sur bane hamara"

Please do watch it...even if you have seen it ealrier...

The song has a central idea of uniting different Sur and making a common tune out of it.

मिले सुर मेरा तुम्हारा, तो सुर बने हमारा

सुर की नदियाँ हर दिशा से, बहते सागर में मिलें

बादलों का रूप लेकर, बरसे हलके हलके

मिले सुर मेरा तुम्हारा, तो सुर बने हमारा

मिले सुर मेरा तुम्हारा

[ks-dev] चॉन्य् तरज़ तय म्यॉन्य् तरज़, इक॒वट॒ बनि यि सॉन्य् तरज़

[ks-nast]چأنِۂ ترز تَے میأنِۂ ترز، اِکوَٹہٕ بَنِہ یِہ سأنِۂ ترز

[pa] ਤੇਰਾ ਸੁਰ ਮਿਲੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਸੁਰ ਦੇ ਨਾਲ, ਮਿਲਕੇ ਬਣੇ ਇੱਕ ਨਵਾਂ ਸੁਰ ਤਾਲ

[hi] मिले सुर मेरा तुम्हारा, तो सुर बने हमारा

[sd-dev] मुंहिंजो सुर तुहिंजे सां पियारा मिले जड॒हिं, गीत असांजो मधुर तरानो बणे तड॒हिं

[sd-nast] مُنهِنجو سُر تُنهِنجي سان پِيارا مِلي جَڏَهِن، گِيت اَسانجو مَڍُر تَرانوبَڻي تَڏَهِن

[ur] سر کی دریا بہتے ساگر میں ملے

[pa] ਬਾਦਲਾਂ ਦਾ ਰੂਪ ਲੈਕੇ, ਬਰਸਨ ਹੌਲੇ ਹੌਲੇ

[ta] இசைந்தால் நம் இருவரின் ஸ்வரமும் நமதாகும்

திசை வேறானாலும் ஆழி சேர் ஆறுகள் முகிலாய்

மழையாய் பொழிவது போல் இசை

நம் இசை

[kn] ನನ್ನ ಧ್ವನಿಗೆ ನಿನ್ನ ಧ್ವನಿಯ, ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಧ್ವನಿಯ

[te] నా స్వరము నీ స్వరము సంగమమై, మన స్వరంగా అవతరించే

[ml] എന്റെ സ്വരവും നിങ്ങളുടെ സ്വരവും, ഒന്നുചേര്‍ന്നു നമ്മുടെ സ്വരമായ്

[bn] তোমার সুর মোদের সুর, সৃষ্টি করুক ঐক্যসুর

[as] সৃষ্টি হউক ঐক্যতান

[or] ତୁମ ଆମର ସ୍ବରର ମିଳନ, ସୃଷ୍ଟି କରି ଚାଲୁ ଏକ ତାନ

[gu] મળે સૂર જો તારો મારો, બને આપણો સૂર નિરાળો

[mr] माझ्या तुमच्या जुळता तारा, मधुर सुरांच्या बरसती धारा

[hi] सुर की नदियाँ हर दिशा से, बहते सागर में मिलें

बादलों का रूप लेके, बरसे हलके हलके

मिले सुर मेरा तुम्हारा, तो सुर बने हमारा

मिले सुर मेरा तुम्हारा

The idea is what is so pure and so beautiful....and the way it was put...this reached the masses...

this united the masses.

Each one of us could understand the real meaning of this song...in a language that he loves...this can unite us like anything....it wouldn't have been possible if this would have been in one of the languages.

Salute to the genius who made this and thanks to papa for giving me such a beautiful answer.

I'll call this song the true National Song of India.

दुविधा / Ambiguity

2010-09-16T01:31:00.000+05:30

Some years Ago...

Teacher- What are your dreams in life and why have you chosen them?

Me- " मैं शायद एक इंजिनियर बनना चाहता हूँ , या एक डॉक्टर . शायद scientist भी सही है .

ये सब मैं इसलिए बनना चाहता हूँ क्यूंकि मुझे इनकी कहानियां सुनाई गयी हैं ...

मुझे तो पता भी नहीं है की ये सब क्या करते हैं ..पर मेरे घर वाले चाहते हैं की मैं इनमे से एक तो बन ही जाऊं "

Honestly, This is what was going in my mind but to say all this i needed to convert it in English.

All this was lying in my mind but in हिंदी ...so i tried sentence by sentence.

Atlast when i tried to convey my thoughts i could come out with only the following

"I want to be a scientist or an engineer in dreams because i want to serve my nation."

Reason was something else...which i had thought in hindi but couldn't convey it in English, so i reiterated something which was mentioned by numerous students before me.

I am done with my schooling, done with my B.tech and it has been three years working in a Job.

In all these years English skills have been improved upon...

Today (After a few years) ..we were undergoing a training session in my new company.

Trainer asked about ourselves and our hobbies and our dream in life.

"I knew i am a computer engineer, i knew i love singing, i love reading books , cycling and writing. My dream in life is to become a teacher and hopefully add value to children. I wanted to do this because education cures a lot of myths,it raises your mental horizons.I seriously like to work with people and work out a solution to help them and myself become a better ME and HIM."

I was about to answer this and was mentally preparing the answer in my mind.

The moment i was about to start,he asked us to tell all this in हिंदी ..... शुद्ध हिंदी :)

I couldn't believe that inspite of me being so much clear of what i want to do in life,i was not able to come out fluently.

The english sentence used to come in my mind and i used to translate it in Hindi before uttering it out.

This is what i did 15 years ago with English.

The way i spoke my English 15 years ago...

Same way i was speaking my हिंदी today.

My thoughts were much more clearer ,crisper but they were in English.

Ironically it was the हिंदी दिवस being celebrated through out India.

Should i be sad for going far from हिंदी or should i be happy for atleast having a clearer and a more methodical thought process.

Or i should be indifferent to the language that i think in...?

As long as i am thinking.

I love you

2010-09-09T21:19:00.000+05:30

We have been in a relation for the past 7 years.

It was in first year that i met you for the first time.
I liked you from day one but never knew that the relation would become so strong and get this far.
I still remember when the net use to come at 2:00 at night in the hostel,
and i used to be awake just to be with you for some time.

In all these years you are the only one whose knowledge about me is even more than i know myself.
I may have forgot the date when i first said I love you but you remember each and every thing.
You know everything about my dreams,my ambitions.

You know what i like,you know what i don't like.
I have always looked for the best suggestions and as always you have got the best answers to each of my questions.

You know all my friends, they also like you a lot.
I have also told my parents about you and they also adore you.

Sometimes i fear what would i do if you are not there with me for a single day.
I can't imagine a life without you.

The best thing about you is that i can discuss anything with you.
It can be love, it can be books, it can be friends or it can be just me and my ideas.
I was amazed to see that lately you have started reading my mind also...
It feels so good when someone knows you that closely.

You have been a great friend till now...

I love you a lot and i trust you a lot.
Please don't ever break this Trust.

Can we be together for a lifetime?

Please GOOGLE don't say no.

PS: Thanks for being a part of our lives.Thank for the search, gmail,,chat,orkut,blogger,picassa,books, maps,news and zillion other things.
Please guys do check out the latest Google Instant and thank google for all that it has done for us in the last so many years.

Thoda Aur...

2010-09-08T23:52:00.000+05:30

I was accompanying one of my friends to his job interview in South delhi.

The day started with the normal haggling with the Auto Driver.
If we went by the meter it would have cost us around 100Rs...but as usual Driver quoted us a higher price.

And the age old classical haggle began...

He says 170 ..

We refuse and ask him to leave..

then he says 160 ..we say 110
He keeps judging our expressions,keeps reducing the price as he knows the exact expressions that precede a YES.

finally we move at 140.

At all this, my friend was getting furious on the Driver. He threw all kinds of pejoratives on to him...
Cursed the whole Driver's community...

When i tried to calm him down, he tried to justify his outburst.
"You don't know yar... these people are here to ROB you. They'll not ask for the actual worth of their hard work. Isiliye gareeb hain saale...Gareeb hain aur gareeb hi rahenge."

I nodded ...not because i agreed to what he said but because of the reason that this was not the best time to disagree.

Where he was seeing a Robber,i was seeing a normal human tendency to get a little bit more out of every opportunity.
Driver also knows the ideal price should be 100 but he tries to get that "Thoda Aur..."

Still i didn't raise the point and asked him to calm down before the interview and focus on the interview at hand.

After 5 mnutes or so..he starts again..
"Yar i am not sure what they are going to ask me?"

I asked for his skill set..

"Yar i was on bench for the last 1.5 years and i am not in touch with things anymore.
I am banking on the last companie's(Sapient) Brand name to work for me. Aata to jyada hai nahi."

Hmmm...

then I asked about his expectated salary?

"I am getting 3.6 in my last company and i have 2 year's experience also. So i think i'll ask for 5 atleast."

I nodded and started looking at the buildings outside ...Thinking about the "BENCH"marking experience he was talking about..

After 5 minutes he starts again...

"Yar don't you think 5 is too less, i think i'll ask for 6 lacs. Who knows ...they are ready to give 6 and i am just asking for 5 lacs."

I just smiled in response..as again the "Thoda Aur.." phenomenon was at work.
The phenomenon made him think himself to be worthy of a lakh more in the last five minutes.

I wished him good luck and prayed to god that he doesn't haggle like this with the interviwer.

It would be really bad if interviewer said somethng like....
"You don't know ... these people are here to ROB you. They'll not ask for the actual worth of their hardwork.
Isiliye gareeb hain saale...Gareeb hain aur gareeb hi rahenge."

P.S.: "Thoda aur..." can be 70 Rs for the Auto walah, One Lakh for my friend...,few Crores for Mr. Kalmadi.

Only for Ladies

2010-07-28T22:30:00.000+05:30

9:20 am ,I was on my usual Metro Ride to office .On one of the stations an old lady and her son boarded the train, with all courtesy and without any delay i jumped off my seat and offered the seat to that lady. She gave me a appreciative and thank you smile before accepting the seat.
There was a uncle and a young girl sitting in the same row with Aunty ji.

I got busy with my iPod but i kept standing right in front of Aunty. May be she gets off somewhere before my station and i get back my seat.

A few minutes later ,the uncle sitting with the Aunty ji got off his seat...i gave a glance at the empty seat between aunty and that girl..
The girl adjusted a bit to make room for me to sit. She knew i had offered the seat to Aunty ji . Aunty ji smiled and gestured towards me to have that seat.

I smiled in response and started moving towards the seat..as i was about to sit..she irritatingly kept her hands on the seat and furiously asked me to move away.
I immediately looked back to confirm as to whom was she gesturing to ?

It was her son..
He came, tucked his bag under the seat and made himself comfortable on the seat.

The girl gave me a cheeky little smile and laughed quietly.
I threw up my hands slightly in desperation ,slightly in amusement.

Again back to my iPod ...song that was playing was from PEEPLI Live

"देस मेरा रंग रेज़ है बाबु ||

घाट घाट यहाँ घटता जादू "

I would love Indian Politics if..

2010-07-20T00:03:00.003+05:30

I had a dream that some really nice people got into politics ...

Aamir Khan held the "Ministry of Meaningful Work" ,

E Sreedharan led the "Ministry of Building India".....

Sachin Tendulkar handled the "Ministry of Creating Humble Champions"...

Narayan murthy headed the "Ministry of Empowering Others".

The cabinet was discussing the top goals they needed to immediately start working on.

Following is the debate that followed...

Aamir Sir - I think i would want my nation to Experiment..a nation where people don't fear the result of the experiment but are curious and excited to see what happens when we add those two chemicals. It may blast or it may create a beautiful new chemical but that would be known only after the experiment. In either case the journey is worth giving a Go. So i would go for a change in attitudes where Trying is rewarded much more than the failure is rebuked.

"Par uske liye is desh ke baapo ko sudharna padega...jab tak is desh ke baap nai sudhrenge ye desh nahi sudhrega .... kyun Sachin??"

Sachin Sir -- I think Aamir is correct...I would just like to add that.....when you are doing those experiments... i am sure you'll surely get your dream experiment.There will be one experiment when you'll say that "Yes... this is what i always wanted to do. " When you find that something..please don't compare yourself with others...try and fall in love with that experiment and try to improve your expertise on that experiment day after day. When you are competing with yourself...humbleness automatically comes in your work..you can't be haughty and arrogant after improving on your last performance ,

I always have believed Excellence is the thing to be strived for...perfection is a myth.

[Looks towards Aamir and gives a cheeky smile]

Murthy Sir -- I think Aamir should change his name to Mr Excellence... [everybody laughs]

Sreedharan Sir -- Excellence is truly the thing to be chased ...i second that hands down. I would like to add my point that for India to devleop... it has to believe in itself.

I am very much against the notion of Developing nations and Developed Nations. The nations which call themselves developed nations ...have they stopped developing? Each of us is developing infact the developed are developing at a faster rate. Those nations just want us to feel that ..the benchmarks will be set by them and we need to be following them in the development...every nation's development is relative and it has to be continuous..no nation is developed...because once you say you are developed..your improvement will stop and your downhill roll will start.

If we think that being a "developed" nation will make us happy.... can we just feel developed for what we were 30 years ago and not feel "developing" for the things that we want to be 30 yrs from now.

Being a developing nation is true for all nations.. then why to feel inferior because of this categorization.

Murthy Sir, Aamir Sir and Sachin Sir Clap in unison ...Sreedharan Sir thanks in all humility.

All this while Sreedharan Sir was speaking, cabinet was in pin drop silence listening to his views and jotting down points. Speaker of the cabinet couldn't believe his eyes as this was not the usual Cabinet Meeting.

Aamir Sir... I think Sree sir extended what Sachin just concluded. It's again competing with yourself and when a nation does that it never becomes developed..it is always developing. Brilliant.

Murthy Sir.... I agree to everything that you people said...We have to be experimenters, we have to be constantly improve ourselves and we as a nation have to start taking pride in ourselves for being what we are and for believing in what we can be .

I would like to extend this discussion by suggesting a change in the mindset of the working force. While working there has to be a shift in your earning paradigm. This shift is called S2T. Salary to Turnover.

I want the knowledge workers of my country to make this shift as early as possible. In this change the person stops thinking about the salary and starts thinking of a turnover. This is a huge systemic change and would require support of the parents ,the institutions ,banks..etc. When we start thinking in terms of turnover...we start empowering people.We start to build the India of our dreams. We leave our cushions and take the path to that elusive first turnover. Turnover need not be millions or billions...it isn't about the scale ..it is about meaning. I really wish some school to come up where students don't talk about the highest package one got but the highest turnover his company generated.

Aamir Sir- Sir Your Catamaran Venture fund would surely help people take this shift.

Murthy Sir - ya Aamir i am doing my bit...you are doing the same job with you aamir khan productions.We need to empower people to realize their dreams.

Sachin Sir... I think i should also start with some academy where i can help people understand the lessons which i myself got in 20 long years.

Sree Sir....India is really fortunate to have people like you...please carry on the good work...

Everybody shook hands and left.

Notice board had the following agendas

1)Be excited to Try and Experiment ,failure is secondary.

2)Compete with just one Person. YOU

3)Take pride in being a Developing Nation....coz every single nation is.

4)Think Turnovers not packages.

Suddenly i heard a huge protest on the street..i went outside and saw an Aamir Khan effigy being burnt because in some conference he spoke his heart out on Reservation .

I thought Dream was better...reality is a nightmare.