Green Loco

Love Thy Neighbour(s)

2012-11-17T09:41:00.001-08:00

How do I revive this blog? It’s been on my mind forever.OK, for a few months at least.

Earlier today, a big (and notorious?) name faded from this state’s activity list. And with that, a bit of perceived chaos amongst local populace and several migrants is in play. All this has been incessantly discussed and debated on so-called news channels over the past few days. Now it’s all over. So that’s that.

Independence. It’s hygiene nowadays. If that’s what I feel , the next generation is a lot bolder about this topic with the wants and/or dislikes. The mid-older chaps have “earned” it over the years – you know, moving out, doing well for themselves blah blah - ultimately acquiring that perk. And I think the oldest lot faced a plenty of friction on the liberal front. I’m not sure what or how independence was looked at then. Or if it was there even.

Is the drive for independence bringing a lot more into societal dynamics?

Think about this: Talent acquirers of the IT/ITes industry find greater appeal in having a 20 something on board than someone who’s in his/her mid 30s. Reason being the pace and adaptability of the former to pick up or leave technology that directly influences business outcomes. With that, they’ve managed to assign a shelf life to the “techie” crowd in that same article – that of 15 years. Better make the most of that. Enjoy.

Coming to today’s meat : NH7 Weekender was a superbly organised concert, an outdoor musical event for me after ages. It was also a new format for me to experience, similar to a mini Woodstock version spread over 6 stages across the park, each sporting a different genre of music. Stroll to your preference and head further on after your ears are content. Or trace back (on foot) to a favourite. Like I was telling AH and SP, the audience for this concert was divided into 3 distinct groups, names for which have only been conjured now:

Younglings : The super peppy collegian lot armed with high-pitched vocals (boys included) swarming about in groups of minimum 6 - the girls dressed in little or nothing and prone to misbehaving chumps/sleazeheads while the guys brandishing newly purchased band t-shirts or riff-raff attire coupled with half worn footwear - formed a significant part of the event. Bold, vibrant and up for a challenge, we’ve got to learn a bit to learn from these girls and guys.

Mid-levels : Mostly standardized (acceptable!) attire with a subdued vocal contribution to the performances. Males bore stubble stricken facials with checked shirts and trousers or jeans. Females with the variety and combination of a casual outlook. Guess a large part of this audience was sporting both the white and blue band on the wrist. Alcoholics synonymous. Woohoo.

Few & far between : Oldies goldies. Retro raving lot of them. The “advisory board” lot you know. Understandably, they appeared in cameos throughout the crowd, probably in cautious approach of the inadvertent wandering into unknown territory – say for example a NotSoFriendly mosh pit – and emerging from it, never the same again.

The music as such was alright. No big bang for me. No fresh cuts. Just come and go. Noted a few songs that appealed. Then fade out. All this in spurts throughout the event.

What’s certain from all this however, is the stark dynamics of society on individuals.

In absolutes or in like-minded groups, I don’t think age can ever hit you. You’re gallivanting as long as you’re with the same kind, momentarily sharing life’s achievements, troubles and whatnot along the way but ignorant of the change in mental pace. Throw in people from another age band and feel your eyebrows raise ever so often at the seemingly odd behaviour of this neighbour .

And so, at times like this, maybe we can turn to the other to help us understand.

How I love my neighbours from Few & Far Between.

Simple Hits Hardest.

2012-08-06T11:45:00.001-07:00

This is such a kick ass pic.

Oomph galore.

Back In Business

2012-08-04T10:27:00.001-07:00

This task, as it seems to be, wasn't supposed to last so long. There's a phase which kills every attempt of mine to share experiences and situations. And that phase has been ever so persistent. Just like a straight set win.

So now, I'm going to roll up those sleeves, clench em fists and give back what is deserved.

The return of the virtual pen-on-paper : Green Loco is back.

I-Liner

2011-08-27T09:28:00.001-07:00

I ran Winamp with my earphones plugged in and organised documents across the HDD.

Once again, like the last 20 times, it took multiple attempts to start off something concrete on this blog.

Strumming nonsensical notes on the guitar during late night jam sessions can bring out the best of things.

Munching on one vada paav for lunch while in school, wait – make that four more.

Just recollected a crime I committed once – stop looking like that - I know you have your black tag too. Why won’t you admit it?

I’m not sure why or how this post got going but I’m liking the flow.

Power chords will continue to be the most super charged musical notes (in my dictionary).

“Keeping in regular touch” is the toughest goddamn thing on this planet cuz people aren’t bothered.

HongKong is a trip on my mind, and it’ll stick till I make it happen.

One can’t beat the weather in Pune. Sorry Mumbai, you lose here.

Transparency – that’s the key. What’s to hide?

Check Yourself

2011-05-14T10:10:00.001-07:00

I wonder how I’m changing with this experience in the job. Jobs change people don’t they? Unrealistic targets, plenty of politics and obligatory sweet talk can cause dents in the strongest of moulds.

That’s the real test. Which is how I think values are ingrained for every organisation. Seeing the kind of service they offer, the environment they work in, each one is laden with it’s golden trail… holy trail is it?

I’d want to highlight one value that my company propagates – integrity.

It’s a heavyweight category value if you ask me, one that demands the purest from it’s “devotee”. And I wonder how many of us are keeping that monstrous value in mind whilst engaging in our daily routine. Every step of the way, running a mental check on your actions and it’s consequence on the situation – that’s a big tease.

Have you violated? Are you within limits? Is doing A more tolerable than B? Can I tweak this a wee bit and still stay on safe grounds? XYZ has done this but it’s not by the book – should one request a probe into the matter?

Test your integrity....happy realisation?

The Cup Is Ours!

2011-04-04T02:45:00.000-07:00

Wow.

We did it. And I haven't yet absorbed the excitement completely. I mean, I did feel it while returning from a friends place that night and seeing horders of people spilling out from scores of cars, yelling and screaming whilst waving the Indian tri colour sky high.

A World Cup win 28 years later is incredible. The match was a thrilling one, fit for the perfect final.

Most importantly, this entire outcome proves that as a team, we are no longer dependent on our top 2-3 batsmen for the runs. We can do it banking on team mates who come down the order.

Sachin's dream has also come true. That's another vital highlight for every Indian in the country. The man has everything he wanted out of the game with a passion that's probably stronger than ever before.

Kudos Team India.

Sympathy & Empathy

2011-01-02T01:41:00.001-08:00

It had to happen.

Nothing feels as good as an assembly of old friends after a long gap. However, there is also a necessary evil that will sprout if any of the members have had a negation in the recent past, causing a reasonably stark difference in physical appearance which tends to become the topic of discussion with most of the conversations you work into.

After having gone through four dejecting months of jaundice, I was disappointed to engage in conversation that involved exemplifying the cause of the appearance. Thankfully, there were participants who had been victims of jaundice. With them, it was so much easier discussing the “fresh” symptoms, emerging modifications in the bug & latest prescriptions that doctors were shelling out these days.

To banter is a likely outcome owing to the camaraderie but at times it got awkward.

Never mind.

LIFE as he knows it

2010-11-25T22:44:00.000-08:00

I’d read 2-3 reviews of the recently published LIFE which is an autobiography of Keith Richards, the co-founder and guitarist of The Rollings Stones,an English rock band. Most publications rated his book as a very honest (& blatant) approach; a scenario not very easy to fathom for a stereotype image of a rockstar. Now I haven't heard much of the Rolling Stones’ music, so there was a little bit of worry if I would be able to relate to the matter. Luckily, no such obstacle thus far.(this acts as a cue for me to brush up on their discography)

Set in the year 1975, the book opens with a vivid description of the band traveling in a car through the tiny town of Fordyce in Arkansas. Keith promptly describes how silly it felt driving in a car stuffed with drugs everywhere;doors,seats,boot....all over. At the time, the American police forces were looking for as many ways to pin them down using the most paltry measure of evidence. Simply because the Stones were regarded as a "dangerous band", enticing rebellious activity amongst the young crowd. Past tours had triggered many a controversy, one of which was the notorious giant inflatable **** that was used on stage during the song "Starfucker". And in a very explicit form, there's a potent dig at Mick Jagger's "insecurities" relating to the same.

Of course, in all this jazz, thanks to their powerful lawyer Bill Carter (who was also a Secret Service man for Kennedy), the police network known to him was tapped in order to avoid any ugly instances.

The second chapter speaks of his childhood spent in Dartford – schooling,life at home,extended family,his grandpa Gus who introduced him to music and even a snippet on how he was part of the winning trio of a choir group in school before the "shit hit the fan"...He was given a "pink slip" because his voice had cracked. A keen interest followed in the basics of survival, which led to his participation & subsequent sucess as Patrol Leader in the domain of being a Boy Scout.

Keith has just picked up his first guitar- a Rosetti if I recall correctly – and his yearning for music is only increasing.

Will get back to this blog soon with another update!

Tireless Tubes

2010-10-23T01:20:00.001-07:00

I’m not sure how many times I’ve been punctured in the arm. Left arm. For the years that have gone by without any medication/treatment at the clinics or hospitals, the past 2 months have definitely made up for it.

I wasn’t ever scared of injections. I’d look to speed up the waiting time. That’s the killer phase. In fact, I think the wait is most disastrous. It gets people imagining glitches & other silly things to be part of the process. Hence the fear. Makes sense don’t it?

A few of my friends are still shaken by the thought of injections. Seeing that needle move swiftly towards the vein and finally inside it, it can cause (shudder) .. significant discomfort. In the 2 month experience I’ve been through, I’ve started noting the good and bad segments of this activity. I know, it’s not the best of things to dwell on but a patient’s perspective must always be considered.

The armchairs are comfortable. That’s a guarantee. Once you sit yourself down on one, the natural tendency is to start looking around and in all probability, towards the rack of sampling equipment. 2,5,10 and 20 ml measures stare back coldly. Meanwhile, the nurse/technician pulls out fresh stock and yanks off the plastic cover off each one. Till recently, I never paid attention to how thick that needle really is. (maybe that’s one way to stop the fear?) And it is one thick piece. Soon, the cotton swab does it’s bit of ensuring a shiny forearm on the inside and the alcohol scent finds its way to your senses. This is the good part. Then comes the syringe with the needle. A routine check of the piston clears out any trapped air and we’re good to go!

Every time I feel the prick I can’t help but look down at the needle. And it looks so much more deadly at this point.

Before one can settle in this phase, time is up. Phew..! made it.

~ 10 punctures in 45 days ~

Yellow Headless Wanderer

2010-09-29T08:20:00.001-07:00

A month ago, a lot of things started going awry. Something, someone or a whiff of nothing wished me the best for life at Pune and so there I was, feeling very odd one Saturday evening sometime late August. High fever came and subsided for two nights so malaria was pinpointed on my guesstimate. The blood test turned out negative. So I took another to realise it was jaundice. Awesome. Strike #1.

I spent a few days at family’s place in Pune feeling terrible. Then I got back to Mumbai soon after where I felt a little less terrible for the remaining part of my monthly recluse. Home is best. I’ve never seen so many movies (at home) in such a short span. Nor have I seen so many hours of useless content on TV either.

In that one month, I missed 3 landmark events at work. Crap. And then I made my way back to the office this week strapped with half day regimes on the timetable. I didn’t manage to stick to them. Something just kept coming up. This happened for the first two days.

Then HR planned an outbound for the entire Marketing team at Kolhad covering 3 days, starting today at 6am. Wow. Of course, crippled as I am, I couldn’t afford to go along. Over-exertion would have had my body sprawled across the beach/road/tent/jungle space and motionless too I’m sure. The diet you see, that’s what makes it happen. No fat. No proteins.

A diet that will last months – don’t forget that. And like I told AB, (as soon as he told me the same), I’ve accepted this diet dictat. Fate. Fatte. Solid.

HR sent an internal announcement mail stating my boss was now to head another vertical starting next month. That means from the day after tomorrow. I am headless at this point.

The incessant bile present under my epidermis continues to draw eyeballs every now and then. People point to my hand or neck and query, “But you still have yellow right?”. I counter this with a solemn shake of the head and explain to them that intricate cycle of bile in this process.

On the (only) clear cut positive outcome from all this blah blah --

1. This blog has awakened.

Unity

2010-08-12T10:36:00.001-07:00

We celebrate 10 million subscribers tomorrow.

So to commemorate the occasion, this entire week has seen various engagement activities thrown to the circle employees by Team HR (and a great initiative too).

We had an AD-MAD show to (compulsorily) take part in, in our respective departments. Given a 2min crunch within which we were to present, AS doled out catchy themes to align ourselves to. After a vote amongst the participants, we started “crafting” the script,necessary props and what not. It was fun.

We worked as a team from the start and we finished as a team at the end. Everyone was contributing somewhere along the way to better the output. And to think that AS had trouble gathering the group right at the beginning, we ended up as winners! Winning isn’t everything. Yea, we’ve read about this gyaan at some point. But I really felt we were doing everything as a single act. A persevering & synchronised collation of minds at work – no wait – I meant play. Along the way, we laughed, pulled each other’s leg, maximised our efforts and grew increasingly passionate about the activity we were involved in.

Our product was a mosquito net. And probably tomorrow, at the 10mn party, we’ll be performing it for the invitees with a (hopefully) scaled up version.

Fun will come.

Shit. And now it just clicked. This morning KP reminded me about a classroom learning we were asked to execute at the work place.

I think we’d ended up doing just that. Cool.

Jealousy – The Colour

2010-08-05T12:16:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I managed to colour myself a shade deeper. It was a realisation; a lethal unsuspecting viral that had dropped out of the bag during spurred conversations at home. An enlightening discussion that caused me to look back and check my move.

I couldn’t help but wonder – Am I really over the top with this? Am I playing with chance? Over the years, subconsciously feeding myself with more and more of the same, it had become a ubiquitous flavour in my preferences.

Not that it’s blasphemy, but the power of association has made it an awry obsession from a third party’s perspective.

The force is strong with this one.

Change

2010-07-24T08:49:00.001-07:00

Back in school, I was told about this word that was the crux of management philosophy.

It moved organisations, created a revolution, brought new ideas to the table and in short, did all that was possible in making a difference. Resistance is the only opposition to this phenomenon. Any change meets resistance. They never fail to meet at the brink of a revolution.

People say change is good. It brings about the best in us because we perform closer to our potential in testing times. You can be at the helm of change, overseeing the steps in hope of reaching success. Or you could be a helpless soul fighting aimlessly with wasted and misdirected energies.

Stand up. Make a difference. Show yourself in a different light.

It can change your next move.

Oh man

2010-07-15T10:41:00.001-07:00

Too long a break. Yuck.

Buck up loser.

That Much Closer

2010-06-19T10:36:00.001-07:00

..to home.

But I don’t want to head back to Mumbai. Not just yet. I love the city and it will always be home for me but I’d decided that knowing other places would be the only way to see how Mumbai isn’t all we think it is.

Guwahati had an amazing feel – the abundance of greenery in and around the hillocks will have you captivated as you travel from the airport to the main city. Once you hit the market place, there is a certain chaos about it all. But you don’t mind because that’s where our economy seeds from.

Kolkata (I’d still prefer Calcutta though) had a refined layout if it was in Salt Lake, but the old charm was featured all across the remaining parts of the city. Handcart pullers, cycle rickshaws, trams and quaint buildings are marvels that’ll stick in your memory. They love their football too, apart from the rich arts & crafts culture.

And Bhubaneswar, the underdog of the East. Having garnered a reputation for one of the cleanest & most well planned cities in the country, Bhubaneswar, apart from the state as a whole, will see tremendous growth in the next few years, spurred by the recent investment that the Govt has placed for it’s development. And it’s a great treat for the palate with desserts that are mistakenly assumed to have originated from a neighbouring state!

Left Right Centre

2010-06-02T11:41:00.001-07:00

I wonder why it’s not said as left centre right or even right centre left. Don’t we like to move sequentially rather than random? Or maybe that’s the beauty of the whole thing. Possibly.

Randomness.

I shot my love today. Would you cry for me?

We don’t need no more of your observations because we sit and hide under the robe.

Say something. Shout it from the rooftops off your head.

Now you see me now you don’t, don’t ask me where I’m at cuz I’m a million miles away.

No Surprise This Summer

2010-05-11T10:45:00.001-07:00

At times I wake up at an odd hour, only to see an ambient light pouring in through the window adjacent to the bed. The first few instances saw me up in a flash and grab the watch. . The sun rises in the East at 5am during the summer. Right.

What this early rising star does though, is make life more difficult during the middle months.

Humidity has always been around in Mumbai but there are two big fat C’s that make it to the top of the list – Chennai and Calcutta. The latter, where I’m currently put up, holds an immense measure of moisture in the air. 90% whereabouts is a terrible wrath to face.

It’s quite simply put, something like this -

A warm sticky, moist film of air envelopes your skin. You can’t even get rid of it because the minute you wipe it off with a hand towel or kerchief, another droplet of sweat appears to plug in the gap.

Go in for a shower. Surprisingly, instead of cooling off, the effect gets reversed the minute you step out of the washroom. Each pore launches it’s soppy sweat drop instantly. I don’t think ceiling fans work either.

Calcutta summer sure is a bummer.

Reservations

2010-05-02T10:46:00.001-07:00

He’s snooty, she’s manipulative, they’re only into themselves…. such premonitions about people and their characters is quite common not only at the workplace, but even during school days.

See, everybody has a right to their opinion. Now whether they wish to express it openly or share it with a select few is an entirely different matter. Or maybe not let it out at all.

Just like you, I’ve had my share of judgemental views on certain people I hadn’t interacted with earlier but I reckon it all changes later. Over time, you discover various things about a person and in some of them, there’s a substantial merit that you can learn from or use at a later stage. It could be an approach to a problem, a good habit or even timely aggression in a given situation.

Everyone’s set back with a few screw ups but people are good on the whole. There’s many positives that edge out the negatives.

LeaDisCharge

2010-04-14T12:26:00.001-07:00

There’s no holier than thou label here. Everybody is good and bad in ways, sometimes, slightly skewed disproportionately. But frankly, we all have our principles/beliefs that we vehemently swear and abide by. So be it.

To this effect, I will never accept seemingly right actions/processes. Or on a positive note, I have faith in doing things using specific method/manner. If someone’s out to burst my bubble, I’ll make another one in time before the first one disappears.

And I’ll scoff the moment you fall. God willing, I will be there to savour it.

Dark. Meticulous. Scheming. Irresponsible. But how much more?

Poseidon Drift

2010-04-10T13:49:00.001-07:00

I’ve never been much of a party animal. But I do long for rendezvous scenes with a friend,old pals, bum chums and such.

Don’t we all enjoy a good get together reminiscing the classic stories, instilled as they are in our minds? It rejuvenates and releases a tired mind of its burden. Unfortunately, and for naturally occurring reasons, the time to escape back in time is getting difficult by the day.

What are the options? Pick up the laptop & run the picture reel from yesteryear on Picasa, flash Tweets/fresh status messages of a broadcasted album on FB (damn that entity). Or stay capsuled & browse randomly selected media on the iPod as you listen to Zeppelin numbers.

My reel is catching dust. I have a book handy but I don’t feel like going beyond the cover. The FMV is frozen too. Chit chat is running dry. And texting comprises mostly of FWDz or other such relevant gibberish. People are getting hitched. Another nail in the coffin.

This is a tough one.

Rhythmic Beats

2010-04-01T12:37:00.001-07:00

Falling back to the known surroundings is soothing.

Instant relaxation for the mind and body.

I’m home. And loving it.

Heavenly.

Dont Make Mitsakes Wehn Texting

2010-03-28T00:23:00.001-07:00

With the raging trend of SMS’ flying to and fro across operator bandwidth, someone drafted a quick fusion of two simplistic words – thumb and typo - to cement a new one, thumbo.

To me, it sounds like a board game of sorts. It rhymes very well with dumbo too.

“Whoops!.. sorry for the thumbo. Resending the SMS again. Please confirm receipt.”

These words I tell you. Funny funny they are.

Kolkata’s Kool Cat

2010-03-21T11:10:00.001-07:00

Peter Cat is one of Park Street’s many popular food joints. Most of time, there’s a sizeable queue seen at the place. To make things a little tiresome, there’s no concept of booking that you can capitalise on to cement your place before others. Get there early and enter with ease. Simple.

Once you get in, here’s a snapshot of what things are like inside -

And if you’re a first timer who makes the effort to ask what’s the item one should try out, there’s a Chello Kebab recommendation ringing in from waiters,managers and of course, the company you’re lunching/dining with - presuming he/she is a local.

So a little more on this Chello --

A fluffy egg fry sits atop a layer of white rice which is laden with three small cubes of butter in the centre of your plate. This arrangement is ring-fenced by coloured elements consisting of soft skewered barbecue chicken, two mutton chop kebabs alongside & a couple of tomato & cucumber strips for aesthetic pleasantries.

Dig in. It’s a nice spread and a good fill.

Midnight Attack

2010-03-18T16:18:00.001-07:00

I awoke with a jump start.

When a mosquito bites you repeatedly - and this can only be happening when you’re in a deep slumber – the sting that comes firing in as you come to your senses is amazing. In an irritated and impatient outburst, I dart my eyes around the area of the bed hoping to catch a few black spots. Nothing.

Much discontent and disturbance from a single pesky entity.

Lock on Target

2010-03-18T11:48:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I have no clue what I’m writing on blog posts.