Fun Zone

Old British India Photos - 100 years old Pictures

2012-05-12T12:33:00.000+05:30

15 Little known facts about Indian Economy

2012-05-01T10:08:00.000+05:30

India is one of only three countries that makes supercomputers (the US and Japan are the other two).
India is one of six countries that launches satellites.
The Bombay stock exchange lists more than 6,600 companies. Only the NYSE has more.
Eight Indian companies are listed on the NYSE; three on the NASDAQ.
By volume of pills produced, the Indian pharmaceutical industry is the world’s second largest after China.
India has the second largest community of software developers, after the U.S.
India has the second largest network of paved highways, after the U.S.
India is the world’s largest producer of milk, and among the top five producers of sugar, cotton, tea, coffee, spices, rubber, silk, and fish.
100 of the Fortune 500 companies have R&D facilities in India.
Two million people of Indian origin live in the U.S.
Indian-born Americans are among the most affluent and best educated of the recent immigrant groups in the U.S.
Thirty percent of the R&D researchers in American pharmaceutical companies are Indian Americans.
Nearly 49% of the high-tech startups in silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. are owned by Indians or Indian-Americans.
India sends more students to U.S. colleges than any country in the world. In 2004-2005, over 80,000 Indian students entered the U.S. China sent only 65,000 students during the same time.
In a case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, an Indian-American woman scientist, Dr. Ananda Chakrabaty, won the argument that persons may be granted patents for useful manufacture of living organisms. She defeated the U.S. Patent Office, that argued that living things may not be patented, thus establishing the legal foundation for the biotech industry, (Diamond vs. Chakrabaty, 1980). Dr. Chakrabaty invented a microbe that eats oil spills.

Doses of Laughter's Medicine

2012-04-30T21:11:00.000+05:30

Sardarji buying movie tickets again again,

Finally ticket seller asks, why are you doing so?

Sardar ji, Some body standing near the door is tearing my tickets again again.

Santa, yaar tum subah se mitti khod rahe ho , kaya baat hai

Banta, kuch nahin yaar

Dada ji ne kaha hai ' ki maine unka naam mitti me mila dia hai" bas vo doondh raha hoo.

Santa, oye bante, ladki ko propose karne ki sab se safe jagah kon si ho sakti hai?

Banta, mandir,

Santa, vo kaise?

Banta, kyounki waha ladki ke pairon me chhapal nahin hoti.

Sardars looking at Egyptian mummy.Sardar1:Look so many bandages, pakka truck accident case. Sardar2: Aaho, truck nambar bhi likha hai. BC-1760!!

Husband asks, Do you know the meaning of WIFE.

It means...Without Information Fighting Everytime!

WIFE satys No, it means -

With Idiot for Ever

Father and Son were in conversation on the beach :

Son:Praaji , Ise 'beach' kyo kaheete hai ?

Father: Tumhe nahe pata ?

Son: Nahe pata.

Father: Woh to Aasmaan aur Zameen ke beech mein hai esliye eesai beach kahete hai

Ek ladka ladki dekhne gaya...

Both are in a room for 10 minutes to talk each other...

Ladki (Darte hue) : Bhaiya aap kitne bhai bahen hain?

Ladka : Abhi tak to 3 the..lekin ab 4 ho gaye.

Life before marriage is like AIRTEL : 'Aisi Azadi Aur Kahan'

Life during engagement is like RELIANCE : 'Kar Lo Duniya Muthi Mein'

Life during Honeymoon is like IDEA : 'A wife can change your life'

Life after one year of marriage is like HUTCH : 'Whereever you go your wife follows'

Life after 10 years of marriage is like MTNL/BSNL : 'The subscriber is not reachable'

Wife- I will die.

Husband- I will also die.

Wife- Why do you want to die?

Husband- bcoz mai itni khushi bardasht nahi kar sakta!

Teacher : Bachon wada karo kabhi sharab,cigrette nahi piyo ge

Bachey : Nahi piyenge

Teacher : Girls ka peecha nai karoge

Bachey : Nahi karenge

Teacher : Unn par awaaze nai kaso ge

Bachey: Nahi kasenge

Teacher: Watan par zindigi qurbaan karo ge

Bachey: Kardenge,aesi zindigi ka karna bhi kya hai..

Man : Is there any way for long life?

Dr. : Get married.

Man : Will it help?

Dr. : No, but the thought of long life will never come.

How to make a natural soap

2012-04-30T21:03:00.000+05:30

Making your own natural soap is easy. Craft supply stores abound in most cities and towns, and ingredients can be as basic or as exotic as local availability and your imagination will allow. This article will show you how to make a very simple and basic natural soap

1. Lightly grease the inside of your soap molds with the petroleum jelly. Set the molds aside.

2. Grate your soap base until you have the equivalent of 1 1/4 cups. Place the grated soap base into a double boiler over medium heat with the distilled water.

3. Heat gently while occasionally stirring until the mixture looks like a fluffy pudding (up to 30 minutes). Do not permit the soap base to boil.

4. Spoon the melted soap quickly, but carefully into the prepared molds. Tap the edge of the molds to remove air bubbles. Permit the soap to sit in the molds until completely cool and set.

5. Gently remove the soaps from the molds and place on the wire rack to dry for at least 24 hours before using.

Tips & Warnings

If your soap seems uneven around the edges, you can smooth it by using a sharp knife.r scented soap, stir in fragrance oils or essential oils after your soap has melted but before you pour it into the molds. Avoid alcohol-based scents. They will force your soap to separate.
For color variations, you may buy soap-making dyes, but food coloring will work just as well. If you would like to use natural sources of color, try the following: Green requires adding liquid chlorophyll. Red requires adding beetroot powder. Alternatively, you can boil red hibiscus flowers in water, strain out the petals, and use the liquid. Some herbal teas may work also. For yellow, add saffron or turmeric. If you desire a brown or cream color, add strong chamomile or orange pekoe tea.
For textured soap, mix in crushed almonds, oatmeal or cornmeal to the soap base after melting and before pouring into the molds.
Never wrap your natural soap in an airtight container. It should be allowed to "breathe." Use wax paper, netting or other porous materials.
Your soap may shrink or "settle" in the molds as it cools. To prevent this, slightly overfill the soap molds. You can always trim away the excess later. Save the shavings for your next batch.

Funny Laws Worldwide

2012-04-29T23:02:00.002+05:30

1) In Utah, it is illegal to swear in front of a dead person.
2) In 1911, pigtails were banned in China because they were seen as a link with its feudal past.
3)In Scotland it is illegal to be a drunk in possession of a cow.
4) Anyone under the age of 21 who takes out household trash containing even a single empty alcohol beverage container can be charged with illegal possession of alcohol in Missouri.
5) Flying Kites is Illegal according to Indian Posts and Telegraph Act
6) In Hong Kong, a betrayed wife is legally allowed to kill her adulterous husband, but may only do so with her bare hands. (The husband's lover, on the other hand, may be killed in any manner desired.)
7) In Breton, Alabama, there is a law on the town's books against riding down the street in a motorboat.
8) In Kentucky, US, every citizen is required by law to take a bath at least once a year.
9) In Saudi Arabia, a woman reportedly may divorce her husband if he does not keep her supplied with coffee.
10) You can't plow a cotton field with an elephant in North Carolina.
11) In New York, it is against the law for children to pick up or collect cigarette and cigar butts.
12) In San Francisco, there is an ordinance, which bans the picking up and throwing of used confetti.
13) It's illegal to drink beer out of a bucket while you're sitting on a curb in St. Louis!
14) In Quitman, Georgia, US, it is illegal for a chicken to cross the road.
15) In Georgia, US, members of the State Assembly cannot be ticketed for speeding while the State 16) Assembly is in session.
16) In Georgia, US, donkeys may not be kept in bathtubs.
17) It is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.
18) You are more likely to get a ticket if you drive barefooted.
19) New Jersey and Oregon are the only two states where it is illegal to pump your own gas.
20) In Georgia, it is against the law to slap a man on the back or front.
21) A barber is not to advertise prices in the State of Georgia.
22) In Louisiana, a bill was introduced years ago in the State House of Representatives that fixed a ceiling on 23) haircuts for bald men of 25 cents.
24) In Oklahoma, no baseball team can hit the ball over the fence or out of a ballpark.
25) In Philadelphia, you can't put pretzels in bags based on an Act of 1760.
26) Alaska law says that you can't look at a moose from an airplane.
27) In Corpus Christie, Texas, it is illegal to raise alligators in your home.
28) In Miami, it is forbidden to imitate an animal.
29) California law prohibits a woman from driving a car while dressed in a housecoat.
30) In West Virginia, only babies can ride in a baby carriage.
31) Until the 1960's men with long hair were not allowed to enter Disneyland.
32) Tipping at a restaurant in Iceland is considered an insult.
33) The penalty for masturbation in Indonesia is decapitation.
34) New Zealand is the first country to allow women to vote.
35) Moscow weathermen can be fined for inaccurate weather forecasting!
36) Mailing an entire building has been illegal in the U.S. since 1916 when a man mailed a 40,000-ton brick
37) It's illegal to own a red car in Shanghai, China.
38) It's against the law to pawn your dentures in Las Vegas!
39) It's against the law to burp, or sneeze in a certain church in Omaha, Nebraska!
40) It was once against the law to slam your car door in a city in Switzerland!
41) It was once against the law to have a pet dog in a city in Iceland!

Amazing Facts about India

2012-04-29T22:55:00.000+05:30

India is the world's largest, oldest, continuous civilization.
India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history.
India is the world's largest democracy.
Varanasi, also known as Benares, was called "the ancient city" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C.E, and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
The World's first university was established in Takshashila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.
Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our civilization.
Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth.
The art of Navigation was bornin the river Sindhu 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.
Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.
The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before the European mathematicians.
Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10**53(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera 10**12(10 to the power of 12).
IEEE has proved what has been a century old suspicion in the world scientific community that the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof. Jagdish Bose and not Marconi.
The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.
According to Saka King Rudradaman I of 150 CE a beautiful lake called Sudarshana was constructed on the hills of Raivataka during Chandragupta Maurya's time.
Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.
Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipment were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts.
When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization).
The four religions born in India, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.
The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.
India is one of the few countries in the World, which gained independence without violence.
India has the second largest pool of Scientists and Engineers in the World.
India is the largest English speaking nation in the world.
India is the only country other than US and Japan, to have built a super computer indigenously.

Weird Facts

2012-04-29T22:51:00.000+05:30

The chances of you dying on the way to get your lottery tickets is greater than your chances of winning.
You are about 1 centimeter taller in the morning than in the evening!
If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.
The can opener was invented 48 years after the can.
A donkey will sink in quicksand but a mule won't.
Some Chinese-made hair bands were fashioned from recycled condoms.
It would take about 1,200,000 mosquitoes to fully drain the average human body of blood.
There is a poisonous plant that leaves the victim with a smile on their face at the time of death.
The drummer for the rock group Def Leppard only has one arm.
For most people, no matter how hard you pinch the skin on your elbow with your fingers it doesn't hurt.
A Native American tribe in South Dakota collects bottle caps left by campers, using them as currency. Several banks in the area now recognize the caps as legal tender.
False teeth are often minutely radioactive.
Historically, sweat has been an active ingredient in perfume and love potions.
Consumption of TNT turns urine amber or deep red, which people often mistake for blood.
If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
If you eat lots of carrots, you'll start to turn orange.
Cherophobia is a fear of fun.
In 1984, a Canadian farmer began renting ad space on his cows.
There are around 200 corpses on Mount Everest.
One in three dog owners say they have talked to their pets on the phone.
It would take 17,000 McDonalds strawfuls of water to fill a standard bathtub.
Larry Walters tied 45 balloons to his lawn chair and rose to 15,000 feet.
In 1992, 29,000 rubber ducks washed off a ship. They were found thousands of miles away 8 years later.
In 1977 a 13 year old boy had a tooth growing out of his left foot.
Your statistical chance of being murdered is one in twenty thousand.
If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.
The world's tallest snowman was created in Bethel, Maine in 2008. It measured in at 122 feet / 1 inch and weighed 13,000,000 lbs.
The military used toilet paper to camouflage their tanks in Saudi Arabia, during the Desert Storm War.
All the chemicals in a human body combined are worth about 6.25 euro (if sold separately).
A donkey will sink in quicksand but a mule won't.
Your home is ten times more likely to have a fire than be burglarized!
You are about 1 centimeter taller in the morning than in the evening!
Whispering is more wearing on your voice than a normal speaking tone.
Until 1990, the deadly poison mercury was used in about 30% of latex paints!
There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.
The U.S. military's dried food rations can be re-hydrated with urine!
The U.S. Army accidentally ordered an 82 year supply of freeze-dried tuna salad mix for troops in Europe.
The Saguaro Cactus, found in South-western United States does NOT grow branches until it is 75 years old.
The opposite sides of a dice cube always add up to seven.

Dealing with unrequited Love

2012-04-29T22:34:00.000+05:30

Unrequited love is love that is not returned. Whether you are the one who loves or is loved, it can be a painful experience. This article will offer some guidance for dealing with unrequited love, which has haunted and inspired people throughout history.

If Your Love is Unrequited

Accept that romantic love isn't usually a conscious decision. So, if a person knows that you love them, but doesn't feel the same way about you, don't view it as some kind of betrayal or deliberate withholding. They might want to love you, but simply don't, for reasons they don't understand, and may never understand. Sometimes the feeling just isn't there. Try not to take it personally.
Eradicate any sense of neediness. If you're feeling upset, depressed, or bitter, it's probably because you feel you need that person's love in order to be happy. But, the research on happiness says that all you need is a healthy dose of optimism. You may also find that it's a sense of neediness (which you may be conveying without even realizing it) that's turning off the person you love, perhaps by making them feel like they are on a pedestal that they don't want to be on.
Distance yourself. You won't want to, but staying close to someone you want but can't have just isn't healthy. Don't tell the person or anyone close to them what you are doing, as they might try to convince you otherwise. Just try to get away for a while. Don't call them, don't go places where you know they frequently visit, and make yourself scarce. If you must have some contact (such as work) respond to messages slowly after a few days. Only call back when you have a good excuse to get off the phone after a few minutes. Take the time to reflect on your situation and learn more about yourself.
Enjoy being single. Dealing with unrequited love is a lot like getting over a break up, except you feel a sense of loss over something you never had. Still, you have to learn how to enjoy life without someone, which can be hard in our couple-centered society, but it's do-able.
If you want to stay friends, follow the steps in How to Deal With Being Dumped when You Want to Remain Friends. While you weren't dumped, you were rejected, and following that advice will help preserve your friendship with this person.
Practice unconditional love. If you feel that you really, truly love this person, then perhaps you can love them unconditionally. You'll know you've reached that point when you can genuinely feel happy for them, even if that happiness does not include you. With unconditional love, there's no sense of loss, because it's about deriving all your happiness from the act of giving - not from receiving.

If You Are the Recipient of Unrequited Love

Consider whether you are blocking out their love. Sometimes we feel undeserving or suspicious because of our past experiences, but if you reject love just because you can't trust someone, you're selling yourself short. See How to Receive Love if you feel this might be your conundrum.

If you're sure you don't love this person, be firm. Don't let the person believe that you're on the fence, that if they just do this or that they might be able to convince you to love them. The longer you wait to tell them, the harder it is to do. One thing you can say is "I don't feel the same way about you as you do about me. I don't know why, but I'm sure that's how I feel, and I don't believe it's going to change." They might be angry, bitter, depressed, but they will recover most quickly if you convey that this is non-negotiable.
Reduce contact or end the friendship if the boundaries can't be clarified or upheld. If the person is attracted to you as more than a friend and can't seem to put that attraction aside, it's probably best to take the friendship down a notch. Keep contact casual, conversations short, and get-togethers brief. If the friend continues to press or yearn for a romantic relationship when you've made it clear that you don't want one, if they constantly trash talk your significant other (without good reason), or if they let their own significant other demean you, then perhaps the friendship isn't worth keeping, and this person should just be more of a friendly acquaintance.

How to Perform Self Hynposis

2012-04-27T12:02:00.000+05:30

Self-Hypnosis is a naturally occurring state of mind which can be defined as a heightened state of focused concentration (trance), with the willingness to follow instructions.

1) Go to a quiet room and sit in any comfortable chair, couch, or bed. Although some people prefer to lie down, you are more susceptible to sleep than when sitting up. Whether you sit or lie, ensure you do not cross your legs or any part of your body. You may be in this position for a while and this could end up being uncomfortable.

2. Make sure you are not going to be disturbed for at least half an hour.

3. Close your eyes and work to rid your mind of any feelings of fear, stress, or anxiety. When you begin, you might find it difficult not to think. You may find that thoughts keep intruding. When this happens, don't try to force the thoughts out. Observe them impartially, and then let them slip away. See How to Meditate for more help with this step.

4. Recognize the tension in your body. Beginning with your toes, imagine the tension slowly falling away from your body and vanishing. Imagine it freeing each body part one at a time starting with your toes and working its way up your body. Visualize each part of your body becoming lighter and lighter as the tension is removed. Relax your toes, then your feet. Continue with your calves, thighs, hips, stomach and so on, until you've relaxed each portion, including your face and head. Using imagery techniques of something you find comforting or soothing, such as water (feel the water rushing over your feet and ankles, cleansing them of tension) can be effective as well.

5. Take slow, deep breaths. When you exhale, see the tension and negativity leaving in a dark cloud. As you inhale, see the air returning as a bright force filled with life and energy.

6. Appreciate the fact that you are now extremely relaxed. Imagine you are at the top of a flight of 10 stairs which at the fifth step start to submerge into water. Picture every detail of this scene from the top to the bottom. Tell yourself that you are going to descend the stairs, counting each step down, starting at 10. Picture each number in your mind. Imagine that each number you count is further down and one step closer to the bottom. After each number, you will feel yourself drifting further and further into deep relaxation. As you take each step, imagine the feel of the step under your feet. Once you are at the fifth step imagine and truly feel the refreshing coolness of the water and tell yourself that you are stepping into an oasis of purity and cleanliness. As you begin to descend the last five steps, start to feel the water getting higher and higher up your body. You should now start to feel somewhat numb and your heart will start to race a bit, but notice it and let any qualms about the situation just drift away into the water.

7. At this point at the bottom of the water you shouldn't really feel anything, just a floating sensation. You may even feel like you're spinning. Once you have achieved this state you should proceed to address your problems and decide upon what it is you want from where you are. (Note: if you do not feel as stated above, try again, slower with a will to grasp what is happening.) Now start to narrate what you are doing, speak in the present and future tense quietly to yourself, or as if you are reading it from a page. Start to picture three boxes under the water that you have to swim to get to. Once you have found the boxes open them slowly one at a time and narrate to yourself what is happening when you open the box. For example 'As I open the box I feel a radiant light engulf me, I feel it becoming a part of me, this light is my new found confidence that I can never lose as it is now a part of me' and then proceed on to the next box. You should avoid using statements with negative connotation such as "I don't want to be tired and irritable." Instead, say, "I am becoming calm and relaxed." Examples of positive statements "I am strong and slender," "I am successful and positive," and, if you have pain, "My back is beginning to feel wonderful."

8. Repeat your statement(s) to yourself as many times as you wish. 2 or 3 times should be enough

9. Once you are satisfied with what you have done and embraced, swim back to the stairs and feel with each step you take the water becoming lower and lower until you have once again reached that fifth step. Once you are out of the water and are on the sixth step you may start to feel heavy or as if there is a weight on your chest. Merely wait on the step until this passes, constantly repeating your aforementioned statements. Once it passes continue up the stairs visualizing each step by its number, feeling the steps underneath you, will yourself to carry on up the stairs.

10. Once you have ascended, give yourself a few moments before opening your eyes. You may want to visualise yourself opening a door to the outside world, do this slowly and imagine the light that pours in through the door way, this should make your eyes open. Take your time getting up. Then out loud tell yourself "Wide awake, Wide awake" or something maybe that your mother used to say when she woke you up in the morning as a child. This will put your mind back in the conscious state.

Tips

Have an idea of how you will present your suggestions to yourself before you lie down and are relaxed, otherwise it may interrupt your hypnotic state.
Writing out your suggestions before induction can be very effective, as a visual list of what you choose to work on can sometimes be more easily remembered than even carefully assembled thoughts.
Another way to relax your muscles is to physically tense and hold for ten seconds before releasing; you should feel as well as imagine the tension leaving.
Some find that imagining yourself in a peaceful natural setting will relax your mind sufficiently before counting down. For instance, you may imagine yourself wandering through a forest, smelling the trees and hearing the wind. Alternatively, you could imagine yourself walking along the ocean shore and feel the grit of the sand beneath your feet, the cool water washing against your ankles and sounds of the surf.
If you can't sleep, after you count down from ten (or go down your staircase), allow your mind to remain in this pleasantly relaxed state and keep your eyes closed while you are lying down and you will sleep much easier.
For those of you who like to meditate but can't sit still long enough, just use this as a form of meditation but insert a period of time in between counting down from ten and counting back up to ten.
It often helps to go to a professional, licensed hypnotherapist for a session first, to see what it feels like.
If you are struggling, try visiting a hypnotherapist or buying a recording in order to experience hypnosis. When you have experienced it once or twice you will better know the state of mind you are aiming to achieve.

Warnings

Hypnosis does not always work immediately; you may need to repeat it often (e.g. every day for a month or more) to see the benefits. You will need to "train" yourself with lots of practice.
Be careful when rising if you've been lying down. Getting up too quickly could cause your blood pressure to plummet, and you could easily become dizzy or pass out. (This has nothing to do with hypnosis, it is orthostatic hypotension.)

Things You'll Need

A comfortable place to sit or lie down. Subdued lighting and the correct room temperature.
A quiet environment where you will not be disturbed for at least half an hour.

Source : Wikihow

Inspirational Story

2012-04-27T10:25:00.000+05:30

"This is a story of a poor Scottish farmer whose name was Fleming. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby dog. He dropped his tools and ran to the dog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the boy from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. "I want to repay you" said the nobleman. " Yes," the farmer replied proudly. "I'll make you a deal. Let me take your son and give him a good education. If he's anything like his father, he'll grow to a man you can be proud of you." And that he did. In time, Farmer Fleming's son graduated from St.Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known through-out the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward, the Nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia. What saved him? Penicillin. This is not the end. The nobleman's son also made a great contribution to society. For the nobleman was non other than Lord Randolph Churchill.and his son's name was Winston Churchill. Let us use all our talent, competence and energy for creating peace and happiness for the nation."

A trip gone awry..

2012-04-26T21:56:00.001+05:30

This is one trip that i will remember for all wrong reasons, as the events before, during and after the trip were all far from pleasing. But one should face such incidents once in a while to spice up things. Moreover, it acts as a good lesson for you to learn for your future.

So here we were, a group of 10-11 friends, on that friday Night at Dadar TT, waiting for our bus, for our trip to Panchavati & Shirdi, a pilgrim centre around 230 kms from Mumbai. We had planned a weekend trip, so that no one would have needed to bunk the office. In a bid to decentralize my load, i entrusted one of my friends, the responsibility of reserving a railway ticket for return journey in the evening on Saturday. The responsibility he gleefully accepted.

The bus reached late by good measure, but since we were a closely knit group, we did not realize the loss of time, as we were spending our time chatting and joking. The bus finally showed up at around quarter to twelve and we all boarded the bus. The journey was non nondescript as within an hour’s time we all went fast asleep, as tired we all were by the chores of the day in the office. The bus screeched to halt at around 5.30 in the morning and we all reached Shirdi, a buzzing little town which came to limelight due to the noble deeds of Saibaba, a godly figure now. We booked a hotel for keeping our luggage and for bathing, resting etc.

At around 10 o’clock in the morning we had taken our darshan and we were out of the temple, fully contented. Our next destination was the pilgrim centre Nashik, the Panchavati, the Kalaram Mandir and all had occupied my space for quite a long time, i’d been there, but never got a chance to visit those places. So i was thrilled for sure. We reached at around 1.00 clock in the afternoon, and perhaps from then on the difficult phase of our trip began.

We visited a relative of one of our friends, kept our baggages over there, and then proceeded. We visited Panchavati and other places and reached a temple, Kalaram Mandir, the temple itself is built well with good architecture dating back to 11th century. I took the first click there from my camera. And suddenly, out of nowhere, a cop came and snatched my camera and proceeded back to the police chowki, somebody uttered that photography was not allowed. We could not see any board mentioning the same however. We went into the chowki and pleaded the cop to return the camera. He yelled like a madman, as if we had committed big crime, he told us amusing stories of how terrorists take pictures of such places and then plant bombs. Did he thought, we were terrorists. He however, mellowed a his tune bit, when i told him that i worked for a Central Government Department. But, the cop that he was, he did not relent till we had bribed him a 100 rupee note. He then returned back the camera and we made our way backwards. I felt, quite angry on myself that day, for having bribed someone, so blatantly, and in the premise of the temple. I had noted down the buckle number of the cop, with the resolve that i would make a written complaint. But back in the hustle bustle of city life, the resolve melted somehow.

At around 5.30 pm we reached Nashik Station, the train was scheduled to arrive at 06.00 pm. I inquired with my friend, who had booked the ticket, he had placed the tickets firmly in his upper pocket, he checked the tickets in his pocket and told that dont worry he had the tickets. So we all went to Nashik Station at platform no. 3, to await the train. That day, the security arrangement and the ticket checking drive was on over zeal, i suppose, as everywhere, we saw the ticket checkers in black coats. We had no reason to worry as we had proper tickets was my guess.

The train was scheduled to arrive within next five minutes as it was around 5.55 pm and i got jittery, as there was no indicator showing the train, or any kind of announcement being made about its possible arrival. My friend accompanied me to the board where the status of all the trains were shown. There was no mention of this train number. So finally, i asked my friend for the tickets to verify what the issue was. He handed out to me the ticket quite confidently, that was the last time i saw him as confident, that evening. On close scrutiny, i, to my utter shock noticed that the friend had booked a wrong ticket. He booked the ticket of a train that was leaving from Nashik to Mumbai in the morning, and our train had left for the day twelve hours before we. I was shocked and worried. Not for myself but for female folks who had their parents waiting for them.

Panicking wsa the last option that evening i had. The first challenge was to get out of the station complex, unnoticed and unquestioned. I told everybody, that there was minor problem and we needed to go out of the station. Everybody gave me stares that made me worry a bit more. But they complied. Thankfully, the ticket checkers did not bother to question us or ask for tickets and we came out of the station. I called another friend of my, Nilesh, who was bit more responsible a guy, than the one who had booked the tickets. I told him the scene and informed him that the next train was at 09.30 pm and we had no tickets for it and the train was packed. The train would have served no purpose as it would have reached Mumbai in the dead of the night. The next best alternative to reach mumbai by roadways. So we inquired with the Autorickshaws around how to reach Mumbai. It was around 06.30 pm in the evening, the sun had started sinking that evening, a bit too faster i noted.. We were told that if we reached “doodh naka” before 7 pm we may get some vehicles that routinely ply between the upper ghats of Nashik to the lower plains of Kasara, which however, still was good 100 kms from Mumbai. But atleast we could have caught local trains plying from there to our homes.

We informed everybody the hard fact, that we had missed the train. We could not face the eyes of the rest of the members. Anyways, we reached Doodh Naka within next fifteen minutes and fortunately got one MUV which noting our plight, spared no efforts to fleece us, money however was secondary aspect that day, time was the main issue.

The journey in that MUV was not especially a notable one, as we all cramped in somehow, and the driver gave us some more nightmares by his acrobatic sytle of driving on that dreadful accident prone road.

Dot at 09.00 pm we reached Kasara and we were happy to see the train waiting to depart at 09.15 pm. We took the necessary tickets and boarded that train. All of us reached home by 1200 midnight. Around two hours late.

After all that happened, i guess, two hour’s delay could have been excused, and everybody did excuse, for as it is said all’s well that ends well.

But, if i ever learn’t a lesson after that was never to hand over work to others, work which you can do yourself.

Wants are unlimited – Lesson Learnt well…

2012-04-26T21:56:00.000+05:30

Those were very simple days, when you really did not required any electronic gadgetry to remember the phone numbers or addresses of your friends and pals. A small pocket sized diary with neatly entered contact numbers alphabetically would solve your purpose. A calculator was all that we craved for during our college days. Mobile phones, ipods, ipads, androids and smartphones were the terms not used then. The first generation mobile phone that we saw in the market in the early nineties was like a wireless walky talky set with a large antenna protruding dangerously outside, many a times to the discomfort of others.

The pager or the text messaging services, with a small matchbox sized module, vanished as quickly as it came, i guess it had a life of about 2-3 years. The owners would feel a sense of pride everytime, they the pager beeped. We, friends were in our colleges, and our past time would be pester friends who had pager with them. A call to the call center guy to send a message with instruction to send the message twice was a routine past time then. The recipient friend, whenever, he would meet would give some angry looks quantifying the magnitude to which he was hassled. But the beep of the pager gave way to the mobile phones.

I longed for my mobile phone, quite a bit, and it was one such pesky advertisement call on my landline phone, that ensured that i would book the mobile phone, the offer made was so appealing that i could but not resist. My phone, the first one was nothing special to mention, just a basic phone. But, boy, didnt i like it then. It was a motorola model. And i used it for quite sometime and i felt satiated and felt that my search for a good phone had ended,

Until i got my LG color phone with good camera and multimedia. All of a sudden, my old motorola phone started looking a bit older, and today it is nowhere to be seen, I switched my loyalties to this new phone and was all praises for this phone. It had lovely music, a good handy camera to boast. I felt that may be first time i was wrong, but my search for a good mobile indeed ended here.

I was caught on wrong foot however, when the markets filled with touchscreen phones and suddenly i found that using my LG phone troublesome, my fingers started itching a bit more while typing smses, perphaps it itched for a new touchscreen. My LG phone was just 8-10 months old and i had no strong alibi to purchase a new phone. So as a shortcut and a short term remedy, i got a cheap chinese touchscreen phone just for fun, used it for a while, and finally got my touchscreen phone, a classy model, a costly phone, with rich multimedia, a 3.5 mp camera with flash and all i needed. It was a Java phone and yes, finally i felt that i did not need a new phone anymore. I went to many trekks and trips and used this phone for getting crispy crystal clear pictures and it worked marvellously. I could access internet, listen to songs, record videos and play games, it was gravity sensitive mobile and could play shake games. So i was all but happy with the phone.

Then suddenly, the market got flooded with android phones, the new operating system installed in mobiles by internet giant, google. One could see the whole market flooded with android phones and stuff android market offered. It had solution to just everything, you could use your phone as your mini laptop, it had word, it had ms office, it had games, it had rich media contents and just everything once could crave for. Suddenly, my java phone looked like it belonged to stone age and so i had no other option but to get my android phone. I got one, am using it right now and like everytime i feel and hope that this will be my best phone ever. It has just everything, it has google maps, travel guide, speedometer, temperature teller, barcode reader, office softwares, games, music and all that sony can squeeze in this little wonder. So i feel that my hunt for my best phone is over. But i know, i am wrong. For records this is my seventh phone in around three years.

The technology keeps on changing and we keep on craving for newer ones, its just human to do so, but, in the process, we suffer from bouts of frustrations when we are unable to achieve what we set out for, we simply miss out simple joys of lives and make our life a bit more complicated. Life is simple, but we complicate it just like most of you, i am sure, will do in the sum below.

Try to solve it without calculator and do not scroll the mouse below.

if 1=5

2=25

3=625

4=390625

5= ??

–

Ans : If 1=5, 5 should be equal to one. Lets make our lives a bit simpler friends I will begin with myself

Useful E-Books

2012-04-26T16:32:00.000+05:30

Useful E-Books

English Grammar, The Oxford Dictionary of New Words.pdf
(Ebook - Engineering) PLC_Theory Book.pdf
Mind Control - How To Get The Truth Out Of Anyone.pdf
Joseph R Plazo - Mastering The Art Of Persuasion, Influence And Seduction.pdf
Secrets To Peak Performance Fitness (Bodybuilding) .pdf
Mechanical Engineering Handbook (2000).pdf
Advanced Oracle PL_SQL Programming with Packages.pdf
Mastering Visual Basic NET.pdf
TOEFL - TOEFL Essay Writing Tips.doc
TOEFL - Test and Score Manual.pdf
html & javascript for visual learners tutorial - 1.pdf
Master of Body Language in Negotiation. pdf
Psychology - How To Control Your Brain At Will.pdf
VBA - Beginner How To - Computer Programming Concepts and Visual Basic.pdf
Hansen, Richard A. - Get Well At Home (Natural healing Remedies, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, More!).pdf
Planning and Scheduling in Manufacturing and Services (Series in Operations Research and Financial Engineering) .pdf
The Free Energy Secrets of Cold Electricity. pdf
macromedia flash 8 tutorial (es).pdf
engineering - lessons in electronic circuits iii - sem.pdf
ESAB Welding Handbook - 5 edition.pdf
Cooking - Pizza Recipes.pdf
How to Win Friends & Influence People - Dale Carnegie (Self Help) (ebook).pdf
10 Magic Tricks eBooks - Become a Magican!!.rar
30 days 30 tiffins Tamil Recipe Ebook.pdf
6 Six Sigma Project Planner Ebook Mgh.pdf
Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration. Mechanical Engineering Handbook.pdf
Art of Public Speaking eBooK PDF.zip
Cooking - Famous Fast Food Resturaunts Secret Recipes (ebook).zip
Drilling Fluids Processing Handbook.pdf
Electrical Safety Handbok.pdf
Project Management Manual.pdf
Safety Talks.pdf
Safety Toolkit.pdf
Economic Financial Analysis For Engineering & Project Management.pdf
Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering - Solutions Manual.pdf
Engineering And Design - Standard Practice For Concrete For Civil Works Structures.pdf
Engineering Software - Applied Object Oriented Analysis and Design Using the UML.pdf
English Book - The Ama Handbook Of Business Letters.pdf
Essential_Speaking_ Skills_Handbook. pdf
Excel Vba Programming (Ebook).pdf
Fiber Optics Handbook Fiber, Devices, And Systems For Optical Communication. pdf
Free Movies,Songs, Ebooks,Mobile Softwares,PC Softwares Download Site Links.rar
Gas Turbine Handbook - Principles and Practices.pdfGas Turbine Handbook - Principles and Practices.pdf
Handbook of Storage Tank Systems - Codes Regulations, and Designs.pdf
ISO 14001 Enviromental Systems Handbook.pdf
ISO 9000 Quality Systems Handbook.rar
Industrial and Oily Wastewater Control (www.chemicalebooks .com).pdf
Internetworking Troubleshooting Handbook.pdf
Jokes For All Occasions - ebook (234 pgs).pdf
MECHANICAL-ENGINEER ING - OVERVIEW OF PRESSURE VESSEL DESIGN
MS Office Excel 2003 EBook.pdf
Magic_Tricks_ Mini_eBooks_ -_Rare_but_ Easy.rar
Oracle.Database. 11g.DBA.Handbook .pdf
PERRY'S CHEMICAL ENGINEERING HANDBOOK (www.chemicalebooks .com).pdf
Petroleum Engineering Principles and Practice.pdf
Roberge Pierre R.- Handbook of Corrosion Engineering. pdf
Structural Engineering Handbook - Basic Theory Of Plates And Elastic Stability - E Yamaguchi.pdf
The Complete Presentation Skills Handbook.pdf
The Essential Handbook of Internal Auditing.pdf
The_Electrical_ Engineering_ Handbook. pdf
UNIT OPERATIONS OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING (www.chemicalebooks .com).pdf
VALVE SELECTION HANDBOOK (www.chemicalebooks .com).pdf
Visual Studio C++.NET ebook.pdf
Web Design - Creating Cool Web Sites With HTML, XHTML, and CSS Apr 2004.eBook - John Wiley & Sons.pdf
Yoga.A.Practical. Guide.to. Healing.Body. Mind.and. Spirit-eBooKerz. pdf
Architect Drawings - A Selection of Sketches by World Famous Architects Through History.pdf
rchitectural Design - Commercial Spaces.pdf
Architectural Detailing - Function, Constructibility, Aesthetics.pdf
Build Your Own Smart Home.pdf
Building Systems for Interior Designers.pdf
Construction Building Envelope and Interior Finishes Databook.pdf
Daylighting - Natural Light in Architecture. pdf
Design of Concrete Masonry Diaphragm Walls - CST.pdf
Encyclopedia of Materials, Parts, and Finishes.pdf
Joints In Steel Construction - Moment Connections.. pdf
Manual for the Design of Reinforced Concrete Building Structure.pdf
Handbook Planning and Design Data.pdf
Philosophy and Design - From Engineering to Architecture. pdf
Residential Structural Design Guide 2000 - PDR.pdf
Solar House - A Guide for the Solar Designer.pdf
Steel Designers' Manual - 6th ed.pdf
Sustainable Building Technical Manual.pdf
The Complete Book of Underground Houses.pdf
The Complete Book of Underground Houses.pdf
The Construction of Buildings 2.pdf
The Construction of Buildings 3.pdf
The Construction of Buildings 4.pdf
The Construction of Buildings 5.pdf
What Designers Know.pdf
Wood Handbook - Wood as an Engineering Material.pdf
Drawing - The Process.pdf
USB Driver Programming (1) - A DIY Developer's Guide.pdf
Interchange 3 Student Book - Third Edition 2005 - Jack Richards (Cambridge University Press) [study learn English l
Broadband Telecommunications Handbook - VPNS,3GW,GPRS, MPLS,VoIP, SIP - 2.pdf
anthony robbins Ebook - Mind Powers (How to Use and Control Your Unlimited Potential).pdf
Computer Programming & Scripting - PHP - PHP and MySQL Web Dev.pdf
Electronics_ -_The_Electrical _Engineering_ Handbook_ _1.pdf
ENERGY - FUEL CELL - Handbook - (Hydrogen Power Electricity .pdf
computer-mcse- training guide-networking essentials.pdf
How To Build Your Own Computer.pdf
e-books -biggest world secrets.pdf
excel_programming_ ebook.pdf
home_remedies. pdf
java - wireless programming in j2me - hungry minds (ebook-pdf). pdf
magic tricks 110 page ebook.zip
standard handbook of engineering calculations. pdf

.

.

__,_._,___

Interview Skills

2012-04-26T13:19:00.000+05:30

How to Avoid Acting Desperate During a Job Interview

In a tough economy where one open position can attract numerous qualified candidates and you've been job seeking for some time, on occasion it might seem difficult to hide your feelings of desperation. Although deep down you may be at the end of your rope and tying knots to just hang on, the odor of desperation is readily discernible from your demeanor, words and attitude. And an aura of "giving up" turns off prospective employers like nothing else can, thereby blowing your chances at what could be the job of a lifetime (or at least a steady paycheck). Rein in your desperateness and show that potential employer your real worth instead!

Steps :-

1) Be balanced. When summing up your work experience for the interviewer and your skills, take an approach that shows you have learned from your experience and still retain optimism for the future. Avoid using terms that describe current and previous experiences as totally dire or terrifically amazing, because both extremes will be discounted by an interviewer as unrealistic and unbalanced. Find the middle way to describe your experience and you won't sound desperate to convey exaggerated viewpoints.

2) Present well from the moment you enter the interview room. Dress well, even if the potential workplace consists of people who don jeans every day. Contrary to a desire to "be yourself" through appearing "casual as" or devil-may-care, you can't afford to give any impression of sloppiness, as it imprints "desperate" across your forehead. Be sure that your clothing is neat, ironed if appropriate for the fabric, adjusted to the standard of the workplace you're hoping to join, tucked in where needed (and nothing hanging out that shouldn't be) and that your hair is one hundred percent dry (wet hair suggests you only just made it out the door).

Have a firm handshake. Not too strong, not too weak––a handshake speaks volumes about your self confidence. In particular, a floppy handshake will cause the interviewer to feel that you aren't really into this interview from the start.

3) Never make excuses for any inadequacies. If you have a few hiccups in your resume, a long stretch of time out of work, or questionable happenings that may not be in writing but are likely to be known in the industry, don’t excuse them with self-effacing excuses. Interviews are a moment of self sales pitching, and making comments about your lack of skills, lack of confidence and not feeling worthy will scare the employer off––remember that they have a wide choice of people and understanding your personal issues isn't their top priority.

See a recruitment counselor, coach or therapist if the job seeking is bringing you down. It is important to get your anger, frustration, shyness, etc. dealt with away from the interview situation and the professionals in these fields are there to do just that. They can make a difference, especially if you start ruminating too much and begin to see the whole search as hopeless.

4) Never fingerprint. Things go wrong at work for everyone at times. Sometimes, they are wrong enough to cause you to want to leave a job or to end up in being fired. Yet, a potential employer isn't going to feel reassured if you explain that the reason for no longer being in your old job is because "X did such and such to me". Once you start placing blame or making excuses, you're going to look weak, lacking in the ability to be either a team player or to lead/manage, and you'll most likely come across as desperate. Avoid placing blame on someone else. Regardless of the situation, never tell your interviewer that you lost your job or a project fell apart due to the incompetence of another person. Instead, be confident when you state the facts and explain what it would take to create a successful situation (if you were able to do it over again).

Don’t just blame the economy or the job market. Once again, blame is typically frowned upon during an interview as it's an indicator of a wider tendency to place blame rather than accept responsibility––something few employers want to see in their employees. Your interviewer knows that the economy is down in the dumps and that jobs in various industries are scarce, so pointing out this obvious fact, or making it the reason you're unemployed, will only have a negative effect on your interview.

Never badmouth another person or previous employer in order to lay blame for a mistake. Employ the cardinal rule of “never burning your bridges”, no matter how much another person tormented you or perhaps even sabotaged your life. If you badmouth another, you may end up looking like a whiner, bad guy or worse... a victim.

5) Be calm and confident during your discussion. The best way to approach feeling nervous, being asked challenging questions and worrying about your general prospects, is to remain calm and cool during your interview. Don’t dwell on problems in the past. Instead, punctuate your strengths and play up what you can bring to the potential employer’s company now and for the future.

In preparation for an interview, write out your strengths on paper. This will help you to identify them, as well as giving you the chance to focus on those that truly stand out for you in relation to the particular job you're interviewing for. Read through these strengths many times and elaborate on them out loud, as if talking to the interviewer. The more that you know this aspect of yourself inside out, the easier it will flow for you during the interview.

Do the same preparation for common interview questions. Write them down and write down answers. Then role play scenarios in the lead-up to the interview so that when you're actually asked the questions, they are already familiar to you and you feel calm in answering them. There will always be questions that differ from those you've prepared for, but you will have enough basic material well ordered in your head to work from that these shouldn't throw you.

Do plenty of background research into the company you're applying for. If they ask you what their last year's sales figures were, what their corporate logo means, who started the company and why, what the corporate philosophy is, etc., you'll know if you've read their website and annual report or equivalent, inside out. While researching, never hesitate to call the company with factual questions that need clarification. It is better to have shown the initiative to find out than to panic and go blank.

6) Avoid using “desperate” language during the interview. There are certain phrases and language that are definitely off limits if you don’t want to look desperate. These include:
Stop yourself from saying that you’ll “do anything” to land the job. As opposed to having the right experience or education to handle the job, telling the employer you’ll literally do anything to land it may turn him or her off. It suggests that you no longer have credible skills or value yourself enough.

On the other hand, don't oversell yourself. Identify your strengths, but be humble when talking about your accomplishments. If you come on too strong you’ll look desperately aggressive––and possibly a little scary. Nobody wants to hear a narcissistic rant about how brilliant you are or how you single-handedly saved the company; keep it realistic and always remember that it takes a village as far as the interviewer is concerned.

Monitor how many times you communicate that you are the right person for the job. It’s okay to let the prospective employer know that you're the ideal fit for the job (after you’ve discussed the dimensions of the job as compared to your qualifications), but it will look like you are laying it on too thick if you keep telling him or her that you're the best person for the job after each statement or comment. Spread it thinly––they hear you.

7) Be careful with throwaway comments. Sometimes desperation shows in the little things you after a perfectly well presented answer––things best left unsaid. For example, you might have just explained why you want the job to the interviewers and really impressed them. And then, you add a final comment like "because my current job is just crazy and I don't really know why I'm still doing it." You've just undone all the good that came from what you said! Throwaway comments, even if a poor attempt at humor, are nervousness creeping in. Consciously avoid this nervous tic, as it's what the interviewer will remember.

Don't try to turn the interviewer into your co-conspirator. It may feel tempting to try and get the interviewer "on side" but the fact you've got an interview should already reassure you that they're interested enough. By saying things like "you know what I mean", or "I'm sure you know the kind of thing I'm talking about" or "I bet you've had a similar experience", etc., you cross a line from formal discussion into informal and rather invasive presumptions about the interviewer. You're not there to know their mind; rather, they're there to get to know yours. Doing this won't win you a friend and it may lose you the job.

8) Watch your body language and tone. Body language (demeanor) and the manner in which you speak can be a dead giveaway that you're feeling “desperate.” Practice a role play interview in front of the mirror, seated. Notice how you're coming across when you say certain things, such as describing why you want the job, talking about the company's background and answering standard (or not-so-standard) interview questions. You might even video yourself using your computer. Whatever method you use, look for body and demeanor tell-tale signs of confidence or desperation. For example, a confident interviewee will sit tall but not rigidly, will lean slightly in toward the interviewers and will smile more often than not. A desperate interviewee might fidget, look down, push the chair back a little and make poor eye contact.

Breathe regularly and slow down while you're talking. One of the telltale signs of desperation and anxiety is talking too fast and/or sounding like you're trying to get as much information out as fast as possible (so that you don’t forget what you wanted to say). Without being overly obvious, take a breath before you speak and consciously try to control the speed in which the words leave your mouth. It is okay to ask for a moment to restore your composure if you feel blank or overly nervous.

Never interrupt and never talk over the interviewer or answer questions too quickly. You may be overly enthusiastic about making sure the interviewer knows you're qualified, which may prompt you to talk over what he or she is saying. Or, your might try to jump in and answer questions before the interviewer finishes asking them. This will worry the interviewer that you're impatient, incapable of listening or just plain rude. Slow down, you will still get across everything in the time given.

Gently place your hands in your lap and relax. The idea is that if you appear relaxed but confident, your interviewer will see you as a viable candidate that could be an asset to the company. Relaxed people reassure others, so above all, work on looking confidently relaxed.

Sit tall, but avoid looking too stiff. Posture is an important subconscious indicator of a person's sense of self worth. Don’t lean too far forward or slouch––either position will give off the wrong signal that you're desperate or have simply given up.

9) Don’t act too available. Once again, the rules of dating apply. Without stating that you're interviewing with other firms, give your prospective employer the impression that other companies––possibly competitors, are pursuing you (even if they aren’t).

Bring your planner to the interview (that should be filled with “appointments”) to make sure your interviewer doesn’t think your dance card isn’t filled.

If the interviewer calls you back, don’t jump to answer the phone on the first ring. In fact, let the first call go to voicemail, listen to what the interviewer has to say and then call back within a few hours. If you do answer the phone, always ask for time to consider their offer.

Give the impression that you're fielding offers. Listen intently to what the interview has to offer and say. If he or she makes you an offer, thank the interviewer and ask if you can call him or her back later that day. Don’t wait too long or else the employer may think you aren’t interested, however don’t just jump with an answer of “yes” the minute the interviewer presents the offer. You still want to obtain the best scenario for you.

10) Follow up with your interviewer, but within reason. Calling your interviewer from your car five minutes following your discussion will most certainly make you look desperate. When it comes to follow up, apply a few rules typically reserved for dating:

Contact your interviewer after 48 hours of your interview with a thank you phone call and brief card. Don’t jump on the horn immediately but don’t drag your feet with follow up. A two business day wait time will make you still appear interested in the job but not desperate. Also, the two-pronged follow-up allows you to verbally touch base and answer any questions the interviewer may have, and the card keeps you front and center on paper.

Avoid re-stating why you should have the job. Instead focus on why you enjoyed meeting the interviewer. Your interviewer most likely knows the reasons why you want the job (based on your interview), so re-stating those reasons during your follow up may lend you toward appearing desperate. Instead, just re-iterate that you enjoyed meeting him/her and mention that you are open to any questions not covered during the interview.

Only follow up once, but make sure your follow-up left a positive (and not desperate) impression. If you follow up two days later but don’t hear anything a day or two later, leave it alone. At this point the interviewer knows you're very interested in the job and if you keep calling and/or following up, he or she may get annoyed with you. Also, when you make that follow up call, be upbeat and to the point. Tell the interviewer you were touching base in case he or she had any additional questions, and then mention something about the positive exchange you had.

Tips

Let much of your true personality come through by having confidence in yourself. Who you really are will ensure a good click with the interviewers if this is the right job for you, so do your best to relax and shine. On the other hand, don't be so much "yourself", that you think it's okay to take up residence in the interview room and parade your eccentricities, personal quirks and intense dislikes. Balance and propriety are more important than airing your personal laundry (which can make you seem desperate and unhappy with life in general).

Answer questions or make your point using succinct, concise sentences––avoid rambling on and on during an interview.

Remember to ask your interviewer questions––he or she should know that you too are interviewing the company to determine if the company is a match for you. Prepare these in advance so that you're not left scrambling for ideas once in the actual interview. Again, your research on the background of the company will help you to target good questions.

Do your homework prior to the interview. This will not only give you a leg up on someone who goes in blind, knowledge will provide you with confident power and insight on how your talents can be valuable to the company.

Warnings

Watch out for the potential to come across arrogant in an effort to show the company your value. Remember, it's okay to be positive but keep it humble.

Not all workplaces value group harmony––some actively pit team members against each other to achieve various good results for the company. In this case, showing yourself as the maverick who questions others may be important rather than toning down your anti-team rhetoric. Of course, this is the rarer case and as such, you should know the workplace ethos from your researching prior to the interview (in fact, it's probably why you applied to the company in the first place). On the whole though, respect teamwork when it comes to explaining why you left a job; taking your former job loss out on others usually smells of desperation.

Laws of Success

2012-04-22T21:32:00.000+05:30

********

The great sin -- Gossip.

********

The great crippler -- Fear.

********

The greatest mistake -- Giving up.

********

The most satisfying experience -- Doing your duty first.

********

The best action -- Keep the mind clear and judgment good.

********

The greatest blessing -- Good health.

********

The biggest fool - The man who lies to himself.

********

The great gamble -- Substituting hope for facts.

********

The most certain thing in life -- Change.

********

The greatest joy -- Being needed.

********

The cleverest man -- The one who does what he thinks is right.

********

The most potent force -- Positive thinking.

********

The greatest opportunity -- The next one.

********

The greatest thought -- God.

********

The greatest victory -- Victory over self.

********

The best play -- Successful work.

********

The greatest handicap -- Egotism.

********

The most expensive indulgence -- Hate.

********

The most dangerous man -- The liar

********

The most ridiculous trait -- False pride.

********

The greatest loss -- Loss of self confidence.

********

The greatest need -- Common sense.

********

Passionate Search

2012-04-20T21:51:00.000+05:30

Sometimes, it so happens with you, it happens with me atleast, that some old tune, some old scent, just keeps lingering back of your mind, and when you remember that thing, the entire cycle of events connected with that particular thing keeps rotating in front of you. Something similar happens with me, albeit, quite frequently, i guess. There are many a tunes, jingles that remembers me of some old memories associated with those things.

One such thing thing that had literally pestered me for quite a few years now is an old marathi song. A song that i liked so much, when i was a small school going kid. Our school then, assembled at 07.15 in the morning and we would have to leave our house at around 06.50 am. So, reluctantly though, i had to get up by 06.00 in the morning those days. And as any lazy kid, i would yearn to sleep for those extra few minutes. Those days devotional songs used to play on radio. I am not aware of the scene today, as i guess radio now is nearly out of fashion. And this particular song used to be the flavor of the season then, and almost routinely at around 05.50 in the morning this song used to play. By the time the song ended, i had to get up. Somewhat reluctantly, but when this song used to start, i used to feel to have the luxury of lazying around for atleast 5-6 minutes more. Soon the song became an habit. Quite surprisingly during my years of growth, i somehow lost track of the some, the song too faded into oblivion.

All of a sudden, as if old memories got a new lease, i started remembering the words of that song, the tune etc. Like a fumbling kid, recollecting tables, i somehow, was able to remember one stanza of the song. So i thought of searching for the song. First visited some CD Shops, but nobody could provide me the needed relief. I mass mailed my friends to help me find the song, i even posted the same on Facebook. But what i got in return was mails from friends that they have not heard of such a song. Then i thought, Internet could help. My problem was that the stanza was somewhere in between the song, and i had forgotten the beginning lines, I am not a music buff to remember the musician, singer etc. I googled the stanza and found n number of result thrown up on my screen, only to my discomfort. Somehow, but, i was able to know that the song was sung by Suresh Wadkar. Then i scrambled through list of songs sung by this great singer. But, he was a versatile singer and he sung in many Indian Languages and there were hundreds of songs. Somehow, my gut feeling helped me, i was able to zero in on one movie title, i was damn sure that the song belonged to that movie.

Now, that i got the singer’s name and movie name, i renewed my efforts to find the song. In the search i got the entire lyrics of the song and was sure that the elusive song that had hidden down the layers of memory and from the material and virtual world as well, was now not that elusive for me.

With renewed vigour and continuous backup, i tumbled through huge maze of data thrown up on google. Links that would guide me to number of music sites, some real, some fake ones, some full with virus and spywares, some sites hackers jobwork. Some were mere advertising portals. My experience of internet helped me to sift through the piles of sites.

All of a sudden, one fine evening to my amazement, i finally found the song!!!! And what a joy it was, the joy was doubled, doubled because i found the song which was till now elusive for me. Secondly, my efforts over Internet paid off.

That day and for few days thereafter, like a fool, i listened and listened to the song unabated. Sometimes, my likeness for these small stupid things are looked upon by my peers as sheer stupidity. But, its my own way, i feel bothered by petty things in life. Even I too feel the futility of my efforts, but the journey, the impatience, the joy at the end of it belittles everything else.

I am happy with the song that i am relishing upon nowadays, and till it goes in the oblivion once more time, i shall continue enjoying it.

Man O Man

2011-09-29T22:31:00.000+05:30

Man O Man !

When he is without money, he eats vegetables at home;
When he has money, he eats vegetables in a fine restaurant.

When he is without money, he rides bicycle to work;
When he has money, he rides bicycle to exercise.

When he is without money, he walks to eat food;
When he has money, he walks to burn food.

When he is without money, he wishes to get married;
When he has money, he wishes to get divorced.

When he is without money, his wife becomes secretary;
When he has money, his secretary becomes wife.

When he is without money, he acts like a rich man;
When he has money, he acts like a pauper.
He says share market is bad but he keeps on speculating;
He says money is evil but he keeps on craving for it.

He says high positions are lonely but he keeps on struggling for it;
He says gambling & drinking is bad but he keeps on indulging in it.

Man O Man !

He never means what he says and never says what he means !
He simply can't tell a simple truth !!!

Vintage Mumbai

2011-09-13T22:14:00.000+05:30

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2011-09-04T00:24:00.000+05:30

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Welcome to Nature

2010-10-03T11:05:00.000+05:30

What is this Blog About ?

2010-10-02T11:10:00.000+05:30

Friends,

Life is full of spice. It is a mixture of more than one elements. This mixture makes life an enjoyable experience. This blog is a tribute to life that we live.

I will try to make this blog an enjoyable stay for you. It will have just everything that one looks for. A combination of good articles, meaningful stories, motivational items, funny sides as well.

So happy browsing and keep on visiting and do not forget to give me your feedback, which will motivate me to keep on carrying this stupid endeavor.

A Journey cut short..

2010-01-08T11:42:00.000+05:30

Some days never belong to you, like this one perhaps.. It was Saturday, my weekly off, and i almost reluctantly got off my bed at six o’ clock in the morning. On other days six in the morning is like midnight for me. Jokes apart, who would like to get up and travel in these cool winter. All one would seek is an additional blanket to wrap around.

But, I had to attend rather an unusual meeting, a sort of business trip one can surmise. My outstation train was scheduled to depart at 8 in the morning, so i started my way to the railway station at 7.15 am. I have travelled extensively by trains, but still, the tentativeness prevails, especially, when travelling by long distance trains, the feeling of getting lost, the feeling of missing the train, or the compartment or the seat always lingers somewhere back in my mind. May be this feeling arises because of some wrongly planned journeys before.

Anyways, i reached the station in time, the usual platform from where the train was to depart was full with people and long distance trains were coming and departing. A north bound train was stationary on the platform no. 4. The train was fully crowded and people cramping to get in.

It was 8 in the morning and i was expecting train to arrive, but there were no signs of it, the indicator did not show any remote mention of the train, the compartment indicators were mum either. I was getting restless, the inquiry counter as ever was deserted one. At around 8.15 one announcement was made that the scheduled train was running indefinitely late. It rendered me just helpless. Our railways have discovered just an innovative technique it seems, to shrug away its responsibilities by announcing that the scheduled train will arrive indefinitely late. By doing so they avoid keeping the waiting passengers updated about the status of the train.

My wait for the train was taking me nowhere, i was in dual state of mind, whether to find alternate means of travel or to just stand and await the train. All the trains were coming and zooming past, only the one train which i was going to board was nowhere near the horizon. It was now around 9 am in the morning and i stayed put, for as per my calculation, i had to reach for the meeting at around 1 pm in the afternoon, I calculated that even if the train arrives at around 10 or 10.30 i would be well in time for the meeting. So, i stayed there, i used my cell phone to track the current position of the train on internet, everytime i would look for the current status, i would feel relieved, as it would indicate that the train was really round the corner and would arrive in about fifteen minutes time. This false motivation helped me that day. I sat on a seat on the opposite side of the platform where i was getting some sunlight which kept me warm and kept watching the usual hustle & bustle at platform, which as a routine traveller, i myself miss as i also become part of that large crowd always in a hurry to reach office, home or other destinations. Today i had ample lot of time, i kept watching, the porters, the canteen guys, the newspaper vendors, the travellers, the policemen just everybody, the platform being a big junction, was crowded as well. As trains would come and halt, people of the province from where the train originated would alight. India being a colorful country, the attire of the people alighting would tell from where the train arrived. I saw porters carrying away a dead body on stretcher on the opposite platform. Used to that we as travelers are now, i did not feel much about it.

It was 10.30 by now and now, it was time for me to take a call. I was getting too much restless by now. I had two options in my mind, one either to find a bus, but that journey would have taken good five hours to reach or to call off the meet altogether. When i was in double state of mind, one express came inside the station, the announcer warned the people at large to stay away from the edge of the platform as the train would not stop on that station. Being a crowded station, the train lowered its speed, but it did not stop, it was running faster than human sprint. At some 30-40 feet away from me, i saw a young boy running to board the train which was in motion. He had nearly fallen, but somehow, scampered to get in. I cursed the boy silently, for his hurry could have nearly taken his life today. By the time i ended my silent monologue, i saw yet another youth trying to alight from that train, which by now had increased its speed. The boy in his early twenties, jumped on the platform, but could not control his balance because of the speed, so to control his motion and balance, he held to the pole of the train, which in effect only pulled the boy, the boy totally lost his control and just rolled on the platform, but, luck was not on his side, like the earlier boy. The boy just rolled down from the platform, and I saw the boy falling down on the tracks !!! Oh Shit !!! was what i could say, so could others, nobody could have done just anything, as everything happened so fast and so furiously that it would have taken superhuman efforts to try and save the boy. As the train passed we all ran to the edges of the platform, hoping against the hope that the boy might have survived, might have saved in the corners of the platform edges. But what we saw was a gory seen, human flesh spread all over the tracks, the train had mowed the guy, he was cut into pieces, and there was nothing else but blood all over. I saw many such accidents in the past, but all i saw was dead bodies laying on the stretchers. Today i saw the accident happening in front of my eyes. I was terrified, so were all others who were near me, as we were the very first eye witnesses of this accident. I felt like crying, i felt like vomiting.

People alerted the railway authorities about the accident, in usual callous way, the announcement was made to call the stretcher porter and policemen on duty. By the time they arrived, yet another train, this time, Duronto Express zoomed past spreading the flesh all the way to many yards further away.

The pieces were collected by the porters, it has become their daily regime and they do not exhibit any kind of feelings, they were talking with each others and showing no signs of any feeling, good or bad. The body was carried away.

By now, i had no energy to even think about the meeting, all i could do was to ring and request for postponement of meeting. I walked my way to the platform for my return journey to my home. I was all occupied by the gory scene that i saw, i felt very bad for the guy who died, it was his mistake all the way, but what was the mistake of bereaved people whom he left back by his indecision ? I returned back to my home that afternoon totally shaken.

Next day when i read the news of this accident, i was able to rewind the entire scene. It was reported that twin accidents took place. One accident took place on the platform opposite me, i recalled having seen a dead body being carried away by the porter, the train standing in stationary position for quite a long time. Actually, it so happened that people were trying to scamper into this north bound train, and even before the train could stop they all tried to enter into it. In this melee the old man fell in the gap between the platform and train. He was alive for good forty minutes, but thanks to the efficiency of the authorities, the poor man died. Had he been attended aptly, he might have survived. The second accident that was reported was the one i saw.

I would wonder, and sometimes contest the news stories that were recently published in the newspaper that the Killer Trains of Mumbai have claimed 40000 lives in last decade (read here), but the one i saw forced me to believe that not all that i see is enough.

My journey was cut short that day…

So were the journeys of other two guys on that fateful day.

The Mad Mad Race…

2010-01-05T23:36:00.000+05:30

Next Day a driver reports for duty, after performing long gruesome duty last night, he asks for a short distance trip. He was denied the same. The driver walks away, boards an empty bus and just zooms it away, he drives on the wrong way, kills around eight innocent people, damages countless number of private & government vehicles, the police gives him a chase. His madness stopped only when he was stucked up in a snarling traffic jam in a narrow street.

After inquiry, it was found that the normal looking man, who performed his duties well for last twelve long years suffered from psychiatric problems, he was undergoing treatment which he left halfway down. This real incident happened some 10-12 days before at Pune, near Mumbai. The incident was first of its kind on this side of the planet, we hear about such cases quite often in the west, stories of mindless people going on shooting spree, killing hapless people. In one case i remember a shooter killing school kids in school. This forces me to think, are we all not, ticking human time bombs, waiting to explode ???

Sometimes, i feel, we all are mad !! the degree to qualify may vary, which in turn gives us a label of being a normal sane person. But somewhere deep down, we all are insane. Some mad after achieving some goals, some mad for gaining more and more richness, some mad for other worldly pleasures, some to please their egos. But mad, we all are, to some extent. We wisely cover our madness and label it as career oriented, upward mobility and other fantastic terms. But the madness is the same. Sorry, if somebody feels offended, mad that i am

Yes, a bit of madness is required, but it should be to a certain extent. This madness made Albert Einstein, Albert Einstein. This madness made Newton, a Newton. Your Madness should be your motivating factor, it should not be a depressing one.

We all carry a loads of anxiety, worries, frustrations with us. The world may see a very clean, sauve, sombre face of us, but beneath the mask lies real us. Modern life, and the demands of it, have only worsened the story. Has’nt it ? We all are running an endless mad mad race, a race which has no end, race to achieve targets, race to earn more, earn more for our better future, better future at the cost of losing our present.

Has this recklessness and stress not resulted in increased incidents of heart troubles in our youth. Youths in their prime are dying of sudden heart attack. Leaving behind their uncherished and unfulfilled dreams of a better tomorrow. Some fifteen twenty years ago the deaths of youngsters due to heart ailments were unheard of, surely these twenty years gap coincides with the liberalization of economy that government has undertaken. The situation becomes even more critical in developing country like ours, without much backup systems, the public health system is in disarray, the psychological health of a person is never even given a passing thought. Like in the case of the reckless driver above, the organization, a huge public transport organization accepted that they had no systems in place to check the mental fitness of their employees. Coupled with the fact that people find it very unacceptable to visit a psychologist. A belief most people carry is that only mentally unstable people need to see them.

Life has become more stressful, we don’t get time for ourselves, time to sit for a while, time to pause, enjoy smaller joys of life. I remember one gentlemen travelling in our train compartment quite often. He was a hefty gentleman, well dressed in formals with tie and would stand somewhere, and would travel very silently, but all of a sudden he would start talking to himself and it seemed that he was undergoing some very huge level of stress in his office, he would talk about office, targets, would plead apology to boss, and would talk in a way as if he is in conversation with someone. If a fellow traveller, touched him or asked him what was wrong, he would again get normal, but only for a while.

Are such people not a ticking bomb. For they carry with them their world, world that is not so rosy after all…

So be mad my friend, but, be mad for good and do press that Pause button for a while.

The eternal wait..

2010-01-05T23:34:00.000+05:30

It was one such weekend, i was longing for, had thought of a perfect saturday plan, planned not to do anything, just lie on the bed till atleast eleven in the morning and lazy around. Afterall, was working continously even on weekends from first of January this year. Not all the work was Official, but, engaged still i was since the beginning of this year. I said to myself, i really deserved this weekend’s break.

Nothing unusual happened to put spokes in my plans the day before, i.e. friday, atleast till four o’clock in the afternoon. A fax arrived from just nowhere from our headquarters that afternoon intimating that our top boss, the topmost bureaucrat was visiting the city and would visit the Office. No Sooner did the fax arrived, the office geared itself up in near war mode. ”Efficient” employees like myself are the ones to suffer these attacks as they are the ones who are utilized the most. I sometimes envy the not so “efficient” ones, who may or not may be efficient, but have surely mastered the art of dodging responsibilities. What is more annoying is that this lot of people, not only dodge their responsibilities on the shoulders of not so smarter souls like me, but they enjoy watching us toil with almost devilish grin, a grin that underlines how smarter they were.

So, after the review meeting, it was decided that a presentation be prepared, it was almost 4.34 by now and the process of collection of data from various departments, compiling the same into a presentable presentation was not smaller a task. Given the fact that this presentation will go through atleast three bosses from juniors to senior ones who would suggest modifications & re-modifications.

By the time the first raw presentation was submitted a peon came with circular intimating that the Saturday Weekly Off was cancelled and that everybody would have to remain present in the office by 8.30 am. Almost in tandem, the boss sitting next to me checking the presentation told that i would have to sit late today. I laughed myself. It was a case where man proposed and god disposed.

So the task of preparing the presentation continued, till late in the evening, till around 7.45 pm, to be precise. Tired and totally drained i returned home at around 10.30 pm that night. Just gobbled some food and went to bed, not forgetting to set the alarm clock on to ring at 6.30 in the morning the next day. I went to bed that night in no time.

The next morning the alarm ringed and i almost unwillingly and cursing the arriving guest work up and reached the office at around 8.30 am. The work was in full swing, the cleaning work, every department were giving final touches to their figures, preparing reports, giving final look to what they had prepared. A scurry of activities were going on in the otherwise slow and steady paced government office.

Our bosses went to the guest house to receive the top boss, this boss was infamous for his temperamental and aggressive nature and everybody were aware of his nature, hence, each one of them were getting themselves as prepared as they can to answer any query.

It was around 11.00 am, one of the boss once again came to give a final look at the presentation and suggested few more additions in the presentation, those were aptly incorporated. By that time a phone call came that the Bureaucrat had changed his mind and would be visiting our office first, actually visit to our office was second on the itinerary. We all rushed to the conference room to make arrangement for the Projection of the presentation and it was said that the Bureaucrat would be here within next half an hour. With heart losing its pace, we all waited for this gentlemen. All last minute preparations were in place, the bouquet, the photographer everybody were in place, for this elusive guest.

Half an hour passed but the guest was nowhere in the sight. Periodic updates were being received from the bosses who were with the top boss. In all this one thing was notable, one boss was at his cool, coolly carrying out this routine work, he said, that the top boss would not visit the office. One phone call came informing that the boss has now sticked to his earlier itinerary and is visiting the other office. Soon news came that this boss was checking almost everything, he did not spared even the toilets, telephonic instructions from the bosses came to be careful. Sweepers rushed to the toilets to ensure it was also sparkling clean.

By now it was afternoon, and we all broke down for much deserved lunch break.

We were now as prepared as we were, like young school going kid fully confident to face exam, each one of us were ready to face the top boss. So we were awaiting with our guest.

Since there was no signs of the arrival of the much sought after guest, i thought of leaving the conference room and went back to my cabin to check my mails. I was feeling lazy and bit of tired and sleepy. At 3.40, i called up the inquiry counter downstairs to get update of the guest, the reply was that he cancelled his visit to our office. I was feeling like being ditched. For two long days, i worked untiringly, i sacrificed my much needed break for just nothing. However, the news of drubbing that the other office received sent a sight of relief. For sometimes these bureaucrats are whimsical and prejudiced, some come with the only objective to fire, to show who is the real boss, and unnecessarily one gets dressing down for no reason, i’ve seen many a bureaucrats in last sixteen years of my job.

Sometimes, i really feel that because of such whimsical bureaucrats, the progress, in our country had to wait, just as i was made to wait for my elusive break

Does Education matters ???

2010-01-04T23:33:00.000+05:30

Childhood days were days of great dreams, dreams of becoming big, in haste to grow up we would imitate ourselves like grown ups, learn their body languages of grown up people whom we then idolize, habits which stuck up with our persona and in turn swayed us away from our own originality.

The common career trend in our childhood days was to study hard, become either doctor or engineer. It was a profession of repute, it still does is. IT, Biotech, Hospitality or other similar sunrise industries which we see now was not even heard of in the 80′s. Schools and Education was the main source of achieving what we’d then dreamt of, of becoming big. We would be pampered, cuddled, forced to study, study even harder. The boy or girl earning more percentages then us would be envied upon by parents, and at times hated by us, for because of them, we were being looked down and forced to do what we did not particularly liked much – to study.

Childhood days were of forced education i guess, because most of the times we kids did not understand what we have learnt, so just mugging up was what we used to do. But, as we grew up we started to cope up with the system and learnt more precisely what we were required to. Education then we thought was the only thing that can change lives. Education is important, but, it is not the only thing that can change lives, is now what i believe, your attitude, your experiences, your approach can also change things upside down.

We were in our tenth standard and it was the final year of our secondary education, a make or break year that could shape up our future permanently. Obviously, we all were very serious about the year. Coincidentally, the school in which we were enrolled was a new and our school wanted to prop up the best of results, the teachers exulted extra pressure on us to perform better. We all were a good batch and were expecting a good result for the school and ourselves. There were a couple of students who not so good enough, teachers pressed them hard to study.

Then there was this boy, who had different ideas, he was average in studies, he had good dreams, dreams of college life and the fun of it. He would study as hard as us. After the exams he was the boy who rushed to various colleges to collect admission forms, and he had scouted around 25 different colleges & collected forms in that one month of vacation.

Soon the D day arrived, and we all waited with anxiety for the results. At around 5.30 pm the teacher came with the results and declared the results, just the basic result of pass or fail, in the class of forty, only three students failed to pass the hurdle that evening , it was a good result by all measures. We were jubilant and it was one of the happiest moments of our lives.

But as our happiness sunked in we soon realized that the boy was nowhere around, we understood that he had failed the exam, the boy full with dreams to enjoy the college life could not have gone to college that year, he was broken, he was nowhere around. He was my best friend, he still is, after so many years, we were actually a gang of four. So we three friends rushed to our homes to find him, we checked up with our parents whether he was seen in the locality, the happiness was now replaced with tension, tension that this emotional boy might end up taking some drastic steps. We reached his home and inquired with his mother whether the boy turned up, the anxious mother said no and asked what was the matter and about the result. We lied to her that the results would be declared tomorrow morning and made a hasty escape. Now, we were really tensed, where would this boy have gone after all. We confided the story to one neighborhood uncle who was very close with us. He too now joined the search for this boy. Our search finally took us to the secluded railway tracks, where we found a faint shadow of a boy sitting all alone on the tracks for the train to arrive, we ran towards him, as we went near and near we found that he was the boy whom we were searching for so long. As the boy saw us, he became unusually aggressive and started shouting us to stay away from him, he picked up stones from the track and started throwing it at us. His anger might surely have hurted us, then the uncle came in front and said “…son, you want to harm me, come throw the stone, hurt me”, saying so he kept on moving closer and closer to the boy. The boy could not have hurted the uncle whom we all liked so dearly. He helplessly hugged the uncle and wailed and weeped like it was the end of the world for him. Somehow, just somehow, we were able to convince the boy that it was certainly not the end of the roads for him, we managed to bring him back to his house and then we told his parents what had happened. They were also broken. Time, as we say was the cure, the boy recovered from the failure. No he did’nt study further or re-appear for the exam. But that did not deter him from achieving his goals.

We are still in touch with each others, sometimes, the boy who is now a man, a father of two, becomes nostalgic, comes to the locality, he now stays in other suburbs, he becomes sentimental, takes me down the road where it all happens, once he even took me to the track where he was going to give up his life. He once thanked me and my friends for saving his life.

Today, the boy is a successful businessmen, he is a Wealth Consultant, last time when i visited his office, i found fifteen employees, mostly graduates and MBAs working under him. The boy in a jovial tone told me, you friends went to colleges to complete your graduation, i plunged into this field and today i employ graduates like you under me, come you too leave your job and join me, i will pay you more than what you earn.

The joke he did somehow hurted me, for i somehow felt that i spoilt some fine years of my life learning the subjects which were never of any use to me. The history of world some six centuries ago that i learnt, is of no use to me, the geography – the easterlies, the westerlies, the physics, the geometry the trignometry nothing, nothing helped, i never understood what Pythagoras, nor did i ever understood the laws of the elements, the law of probability, but still i mugged up just everything and scored handsomely. What was the use of such education ?

The boy on the other hand, utilized these precious years gainfully to learn life, to learn people, to learn trade and today he succeeded, he earns atleast five times better than me today. Money is not the factor, the confidence the boy gained is worth appreciating, the command in his tone, the way he presents himself is worth appreciating.

So the pertinent question that lingers to me, is education, the way that it is taught in this part of the world really helpful ? For the kid mugs up the entire year, reproduces it during exam and the next day he gets blank, he learns nothing in the process. In a way he learns the topic by heart but nothing ever touches his heart. Thankfully, some steps are being now taking to overhaul the education system, I guess it was long long overdue.