What a life!

What are we really focusing on?

2018-10-11T09:02:00.001+05:30

Are the words Trust and Faith, really just words or do they truly matter?

These days, and most nights too, are really about nerve wracking, brain hurting, deep and constant thinking. Primarily because, in as much as, I would like to think that most people are decent and believable, it seems otherwise in reality. This is apart from systems, practices and processes that stellar constellations which seem to move at their own indescribable and mysterious ways. Surely, these must be the result of influences by the august governance, judicial and cultural mores of India.

Image credit: Shutterstock. Modified by Anish Kumarswamy.

All it takes to open one's eyes is to see the kind of business practices that have been and continue to reign in India to date, simply because of the convoluted thinking processes and policies which have been followed and implemented by successive Government regimes - be it at the central or the state level.

The current Indian Prime Minister embarked on a "destroy unaccounted / black money drive" by demonetising an entire range of currency denominations. Yet, I see that on the street, in the real world, unaccounted cash driven business practices are still the norm, rather than the exception. Seems nearly seven decades of systemic abuse is quite resilient to such surgical strikes!

After having resided in the UAE wherein systems and processes are not as complex or at least, geared for making life easier for the ordinary person, and far more transparent, this momentous eye-opener for me has been the equivalent of an volcano going off in my head! Further, for someone like me, who has no black money at all, but rather a little bit of hard earned legal and completely accounted for money, colloquially known as white money, as well as potentially - documented, collaterally secured high interest loans to invest into a fledgling business, the not so surprising but personally earth shattering revelation happens: faith and trust have only one outcome - it will be abused. Everyone simply loves the challenge on figuring out how to game the system. So instead of correcting the system, we make it even more complex.

The whole process of even starting a business is so complicated and fraught with the high possibility of getting abused by either the system or the people entrenched in the system, that this is far more than an entry barrier for most people. It is actually a huge, rock solid, wall of detriment over which those who choose to sweat blood and tears to clamber over, may even find that success is not getting on top of this wall. It is not even about figuring out if the drop on the other side, may only break their legs if not necks! It is so much more than such simple achievements. Should one succeed to overcome this phase, then comes the next uphill struggle of remaining afloat and working crazy hard to maybe achieve a semblance of returns!

Isn't this why as a nation, we are still struggling to get out of being a third world nation?

More updates on my bakery & restaurant business attempt will follow once I can get my head around the same. More anon.

Back in action

2018-10-05T20:23:00.002+05:30

Here we go again!

It has been a whirlwind four years since the last post that I had put up in 2012. That year, among the many momentous milestones, one was a meeting with a friend and his friend - a former rally champion, who had partnered with the national football team captain. Their objective was to create a brand and messages that could save lives needlessly lost on the roads. Convinced that this would be an opportunity to not just re-engage with Oman, but truly make a difference by saving lives of people, I accepted the offer to create a startup.

What a journey it was. Two years of non-stop mega-humbling action. No mean task to begin from scratch and set up everything. From branding to the organisational structure to securing sponsorships and then some. 15 hour work days, dragging myself back home and crashing on the bed with the glint of a smile in the eye, thinking that somewhere out there amongst the myriad blacktops criss crossing Oman, somebody had heard what we had to say and had maybe thought just enough to make a minor change in their driving behaviour which led to many a life being saved.

By mid-2014, life as an ongoing set of constant adrenalin pumping challenges once again intervened in a manner, wherein moving to Dubai became an option that I just could not refuse. Next thing was working with a firm completely run by Indians. UAE, its work and spend culture which I had detailed many a time before (tourist, job-hunter, philosophy), still managed to surprise me in more ways than one. From moments of sheer bliss to absolute horrifying let-downs. I shall leave it at just this - it was an eye-opener in so many ways that even my words may not have the power to make the reader fathom the impact.

Circa 2018, I am back in India for good. Hope soars as a strategy and plan to get going with my own business which began as a seed has now begun to sprout. Now, am on the cusp of getting the business started, whilst another project in nearby Kochi, keeps me more than somewhat occupied. Somewhere in the midst of all this clamour for time, space, energy, familial duties, monetary concerns, and whatnot, which not so strangely, features rather strongly in the typical life of a middle class Indian, there was this yearning to pen the words that convey my feelings out to the world.

So here, we go again. Am truly looking forward to a better future for all of us. Let's engage, chat, debate, discuss, share and care.

The Chances We Take. Or Not.

2012-02-20T13:06:00.000+05:30

Book under review:

Ahmed Faiyaz, Another Chance

Grey Oak Publishers, 2010

ISBN: 978-93-81626-02-3

Rs. 195

We all know that we have one life. There is a full stop at the end. Yet when life throws us many chances at moving forward or back, reassessing or developing priorities, making or breaking relationships – how many of us choose to shape our lives differently when those chances happen?

If our lives today are shaped by the choices we made in the past, then the future will be shaped by the chances we take today. Sometimes, we miss the chance but life may give us another chance to get things right. This is the premise on which the author has based this work of fiction.

A romantic story set in today’s urban Indian milieu, where the people are ever more so connected at various stages, across different cities and countries, as life progresses with its myriads of turns and twists. The story is quite relatable and is a pleasurable light read, given it remains at a steady pace. Interspersed with flash backs and present situations, the story is definitely a Bollywood film away.

The cast:

Ruheen is the heroine. A confused and scared, rich beauty who right from her boarding school days is plagued with wanted and unwanted attention as well as emotional distresses because of the chances she gets and the decision she makes. In her adult life, even when she seems to make the right sort of choices, her need for constant love and emotional security conflicts with her decisions.

Aditya is the hero. Smart MBA type, whose focus on education and marketing consumer products like oils and gels, is consistently battled with, in his head, by the unbeatable cravings that the heroine raises in him.

Varun is another hero. A small town boy, who makes merry in the city only to realise his destiny is tied to his hometown. An immature chap in his younger days, like wine, he seems to get better as he ages. A fellow with the heart of gold and a sensible head set on his shoulders, all which are available to the heroine anytime she wants.

Malika is another heroine. Could have been the vamp of yesteryear films, is today however an ambitious blackberry toting, marketing speaking, tweeter. Lives for the moment, has no issues in pushing aggressively if she gets a chance or feels the need.

Vishal is the villain. Son of a politician who likes to hit the gym and pump his muscles. Likes to hang out with daredevil buddies or baddies depending on whose viewpoint they are looked at. He likes to obsessively stalk the heroine giving her the fright of her life every time their paths cross, wittingly or unwittingly.

Rohan is another messed up character. The NRI type. Confused about his priorities. Has familial, substance addiction and rage issues, seeks to financially benefit from relationships.

The story:

Set in urban cities as well as small towns in both, India and elsewhere, the story weaves through college life and work life. It builds to a crescendo and the pace remains rather tight. The characters are fleshed out, realistic and are therefore relatable to people we know amidst our lives. As one of the main characters is a woman the author has smartly taken feedback from his women friends and colleagues, to give some depth and not make her appear vacuous.

The story is plausible, though there are quite a few moments when it certainly feels like a Bollywood potboiler on paper. There are gorgeous locations described, from which while reading, you may be forgiven for expecting a song and dance sequence to burst out from the pages.

Interestingly, the marketing challenges and time consumed by those challenges as described in the life of the hero are quite realistic, and would leave many a reader with a knowing smile or smirk on their faces.

Overall rating: 6/10.

Recommendation: You could take a reasonable chance at being entertained. Pick up the book online or from your nearest store, and enjoy a decently paced romantic read which does resemble life, as it is, these days.

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