One of my favorite reality shows on Indian Television channels is MTV Roadies. And the best part of any reality show is the audition - be it Indian Idol or India's got Talent or MTV Roadies.
So, obviously, the auditions of MTV Roadies is so much fun. You will find the weirdest of characters there, getting blasted by Raghu and Rajiv. They make a poor show of themselves and face the ignominy right on national television, in front of millions of viewers. And 90% of the applicants fall in that category. The remaining 10%, from the sensible lot, probably never make it to the auditions.
But this post is not about the norm, this post is dedicated to the exception. I was so stunned when I saw this fellow's audition.
Only if 10% of India's next gen is made up of such people.
Edited on 03/21/2011 -- A friend pointed me to this link which says that the entire story narrated by this fellow is untrue. I did not know the reality when I posted the blog - neither do I know the truth today.
Edited on 03/23/2011 -- And here it is, from the horse's mouth.
Facts...
Here is one rule of any and every business --
Organizations choose to live in denial that this triple crown can be achieved, and sustained, and continue to pursue this goal. The day any company realizes the facts, and accepts it as a truth, it will make a lot of money. They will stop spending a lot of money to achieve this elusive trio, instead choose their top 2 attributes, compromise on the 3rd one, plan accordingly, and be successful.
A lot of people today are making money (writing books, become management gurus, conduct seminars) or even make a living riding on this elusive chase. They sell nonsense, and organizations buy it - year after year, decade after decade.
I am reading a book on this today, and within a few pages, I have to admit that the book is full of nonsense.
Everyone wants work done faster, cheaper and better. And, only (up to) 2 of these 3 attributes can be achieved in reality.Either you can get it faster and cheaper, but the work will lack quality. You can get it done faster and better, but it will be expensive. Or You can it cheaper and better, but it will take time. Sometimes, in an attempt to chase all the 3 desirable attributes, companies lose on 2 fronts, and occasionally it can be a disaster where you never get any product.
Organizations choose to live in denial that this triple crown can be achieved, and sustained, and continue to pursue this goal. The day any company realizes the facts, and accepts it as a truth, it will make a lot of money. They will stop spending a lot of money to achieve this elusive trio, instead choose their top 2 attributes, compromise on the 3rd one, plan accordingly, and be successful.
A lot of people today are making money (writing books, become management gurus, conduct seminars) or even make a living riding on this elusive chase. They sell nonsense, and organizations buy it - year after year, decade after decade.
I am reading a book on this today, and within a few pages, I have to admit that the book is full of nonsense.
Anyone who says that this triple whammy can be achieved is telling that there can be a electric car which on one charge can drive 1000 miles, give 1000 bhp of raw power and is also very affordable. And yes, this car can go up to 300K+ miles.
Give me this book to read when such a car hits the market.
10 years...
Today is 2/5/11.
Exactly 10 years ago, a tall, thin boy, all of 21, boarded a bus in Aundh, Pune and began a journey.
The waiting in a queue to get into that bus, the orderly way of sitting in the bus, wearing a tie etc was all too intimidating for him. But even though he was nervous, he was enjoying the moment. He soaked himself in that experience and within a few days, he knew that he belonged there.
Every day, week, month and year that he spent there, of the 5 long years that he did, he learnt something new. Some bad experiences, some good ones and a few memorable ones.
His sis got married from the savings of his first overseas tour. He got married to someone whom he met there. He made friends of a lifetime there and got a solid platform to build a good future for himself.
The man who walked out of the office after putting down his papers, was a much confident and a polished version of the boy who stepped into that bus. It might be ironical that on his first day at work and the last day at work, he was wearing a sky blue shirt and a cream trouser - a good indication that not much had changed on the exterior, although a lot had changed in the mind and the body.
Today, 10 years later, a lot has changed, although nothing really seems to have changed. A lot of water has flown under the bridge that I once camped on for 5 long years. The bridge is not that attractive to others, but it is still very charming for me.
It is still one of the most revered companies in India. When I joined, there were around 9000 employees, today it has 126000 employees. So, it may not be as employee friendly as it was 10 years ago. Employees may not be as proud to carry that badge, as I was on the day.
But I know one thing for sure - I might be out of Infosys, Infosys will never be out of me. What that company taught me, will never be forgotten. What I got from that company, I can never squander.
Thank you so much for everything.
Exactly 10 years ago, a tall, thin boy, all of 21, boarded a bus in Aundh, Pune and began a journey.
The waiting in a queue to get into that bus, the orderly way of sitting in the bus, wearing a tie etc was all too intimidating for him. But even though he was nervous, he was enjoying the moment. He soaked himself in that experience and within a few days, he knew that he belonged there.
Every day, week, month and year that he spent there, of the 5 long years that he did, he learnt something new. Some bad experiences, some good ones and a few memorable ones.
His sis got married from the savings of his first overseas tour. He got married to someone whom he met there. He made friends of a lifetime there and got a solid platform to build a good future for himself.
The man who walked out of the office after putting down his papers, was a much confident and a polished version of the boy who stepped into that bus. It might be ironical that on his first day at work and the last day at work, he was wearing a sky blue shirt and a cream trouser - a good indication that not much had changed on the exterior, although a lot had changed in the mind and the body.
Today, 10 years later, a lot has changed, although nothing really seems to have changed. A lot of water has flown under the bridge that I once camped on for 5 long years. The bridge is not that attractive to others, but it is still very charming for me.
It is still one of the most revered companies in India. When I joined, there were around 9000 employees, today it has 126000 employees. So, it may not be as employee friendly as it was 10 years ago. Employees may not be as proud to carry that badge, as I was on the day.
But I know one thing for sure - I might be out of Infosys, Infosys will never be out of me. What that company taught me, will never be forgotten. What I got from that company, I can never squander.
Thank you so much for everything.
Broadway, here we come
Heard that Disney's Lion King is in town and did not want to miss the opportunity to catch musical extravaganza. I had heard a lot about it, but did not get a chance to catch the movie in my teens.
Such is the repute of the play that within a week of opening of the booking, almost all the shows were sold out. And there were at least 6-7 shows per week - for 5 weeks. But still, most the shows were sold out and only few of them (weekdays only btw) had some open seats. These seats were either in silos or in some deep corners. So, I had virtually given all hope of catching this show.
But as luck would have had it, things just fell in place. I came in from Boston 1 day ahead of the scheduled arrival date, someone cancelled fabulous seats on the next day and I just called 10 minutes after the cancellation call. Luckily, both S and I had no plans for the evening. And within 6 hours, we were at the DPAC arena watching a show that we had given up any hope of seeing this year.
The 3 hour show was amazing - the synchronization of 100+ artists was superb. Everyone was energetic, yet rhythmic. The concept was familiar, yet novel. The experience was memorable. A must do for anyone and everyone.
It was a surprise for S which delighted her. She flashed her 1000 watt smile again. And I managed to complete one more item of the bucket list - watching a Broadway show.
Such is the repute of the play that within a week of opening of the booking, almost all the shows were sold out. And there were at least 6-7 shows per week - for 5 weeks. But still, most the shows were sold out and only few of them (weekdays only btw) had some open seats. These seats were either in silos or in some deep corners. So, I had virtually given all hope of catching this show.
But as luck would have had it, things just fell in place. I came in from Boston 1 day ahead of the scheduled arrival date, someone cancelled fabulous seats on the next day and I just called 10 minutes after the cancellation call. Luckily, both S and I had no plans for the evening. And within 6 hours, we were at the DPAC arena watching a show that we had given up any hope of seeing this year.
The 3 hour show was amazing - the synchronization of 100+ artists was superb. Everyone was energetic, yet rhythmic. The concept was familiar, yet novel. The experience was memorable. A must do for anyone and everyone.
It was a surprise for S which delighted her. She flashed her 1000 watt smile again. And I managed to complete one more item of the bucket list - watching a Broadway show.
DEJA VU...
Some things never change... Like these...
Some do... The only thing that has changed since is that we are now allowed denims every day...
Happy New Year!!!
Some do... The only thing that has changed since is that we are now allowed denims every day...
Happy New Year!!!
Kya kare kya na kare
Last day of the year... Driving to have breakfast at one of my favorite delis... Not a very cold day - at least not enough to start the heater in the car, yet cold enough to have the AC knob turned fully towards warm... Sunny day yet the snow from the previous snow shower had not fully melted from the freeway... Probably, nature's way of showing us how balance is achieved...
I was driving my wife's car and just hit the CD player button... It took a couple of seconds for the CD player to choose the song to play and it chose "Kya kare kya na kare" from Rangeela... And as soon as I heard the opening tune, my mind took a super-quick flashback to 1995...
In the junior college, we were a group of 5 good friends, amongst whom are S and V... V is the quintessential lively, beautiful and spirited gal who has been depicted in umpteen Bollywood flicks... S is the typical boy, present in each of those bollywood flick, who has likes V but still chooses to admire her from a distance... S chooses to keep his emotions close to himself and does not dare to say it... A typical teenage romance...
It has been a little more than 2 years and now both S and V are looking for admission to medical schools. S has done very well and is on his way to one of the best schools of Mumbai whereas V might have to look outside Mumbai for a medical school or has to choose a para-medical school (ayurvedic or homeopathy etc)... S is worried that V might meet other "friends" and some talker might just swoop in and sweep her off her feet, away from him, forever...
When chided by his friends, yours truly included, S played the same song on the car stereo... He played the antara of this song - atleast 10 times for us -
Today, when I heard the same lines, it was such a sweet memory... What better ending to this story that today S and V are both doctors, happily married with a doll of a daughter named Aria... We are still very good friends and every time I hear the song, the trip down the memory lane is so enjoyable...
Thanks S and V for such a good time...
I was driving my wife's car and just hit the CD player button... It took a couple of seconds for the CD player to choose the song to play and it chose "Kya kare kya na kare" from Rangeela... And as soon as I heard the opening tune, my mind took a super-quick flashback to 1995...
In the junior college, we were a group of 5 good friends, amongst whom are S and V... V is the quintessential lively, beautiful and spirited gal who has been depicted in umpteen Bollywood flicks... S is the typical boy, present in each of those bollywood flick, who has likes V but still chooses to admire her from a distance... S chooses to keep his emotions close to himself and does not dare to say it... A typical teenage romance...
It has been a little more than 2 years and now both S and V are looking for admission to medical schools. S has done very well and is on his way to one of the best schools of Mumbai whereas V might have to look outside Mumbai for a medical school or has to choose a para-medical school (ayurvedic or homeopathy etc)... S is worried that V might meet other "friends" and some talker might just swoop in and sweep her off her feet, away from him, forever...
When chided by his friends, yours truly included, S played the same song on the car stereo... He played the antara of this song - atleast 10 times for us -
koi baDi baat nahi hamein kahana tha jo bhi
voh to ham yun bhi kahate magar
phir bhi kahaan nahi vajah us ki hai yehi
bas inkaar se ham ko tha Dar
ab kahe ya tab kahe
kahaa kahe kab kahe
soch soch main hi voh gayi nikal
Today, when I heard the same lines, it was such a sweet memory... What better ending to this story that today S and V are both doctors, happily married with a doll of a daughter named Aria... We are still very good friends and every time I hear the song, the trip down the memory lane is so enjoyable...
Thanks S and V for such a good time...
Bourne and others...
Holiday time, lots of pending leaves and super cold weather... What better recipe for hoards of movies...
S and I decided to catch up a lot of movies which were on our watch list for a long long time...
1 - Bourne trilogy -- Each one is good, although they follow a similar pattern... Still, the movies are worth watching... The way he manipulates the system is kind of unbelievable, but still, its best kept outside the realm of this movie... What happens when a super-trained spy turns (or is suspected of turning) rogue, how they overwhelm the creators... All this is depicted nicely in these movies...
Somehow, seeing these movies reminded me of how it is difficult to tame the forces of nature... We humans think that we have wind, water and fire under our control, so much so that we think that we have created them... The day these creations of god decide to prove who is their master, we know how wrong we are... Probably, CIA went through the same thought process when they could not curb Bourne's movement...
2 - Spy Game -- How spies do not lose their sharp mind even though they turn old... How difficult is it to leave your emotions for your job as a spy... And to what extent can a spy go for their loved one... Or to what extent a senior spy can go to help out a junior spy, even on the last day at work... So so good... Worth a watch, atleast one watch...
3 - Duplicity -- If you want to be confused, confounded and surprised every 15 minutes... And shocked in the last 15 minutes, this is the movie... Only 1 word, amazing...
4 - Tees Maar Khan -- One word... Useless... if I meet Farha khan, I am going to demand my $20 back... And then sue her for mental torture...
8 more days of vacation and cold weather until 2011 dawns... Wait to read about more flicks here... Watch this space...
S and I decided to catch up a lot of movies which were on our watch list for a long long time...
1 - Bourne trilogy -- Each one is good, although they follow a similar pattern... Still, the movies are worth watching... The way he manipulates the system is kind of unbelievable, but still, its best kept outside the realm of this movie... What happens when a super-trained spy turns (or is suspected of turning) rogue, how they overwhelm the creators... All this is depicted nicely in these movies...
Somehow, seeing these movies reminded me of how it is difficult to tame the forces of nature... We humans think that we have wind, water and fire under our control, so much so that we think that we have created them... The day these creations of god decide to prove who is their master, we know how wrong we are... Probably, CIA went through the same thought process when they could not curb Bourne's movement...
2 - Spy Game -- How spies do not lose their sharp mind even though they turn old... How difficult is it to leave your emotions for your job as a spy... And to what extent can a spy go for their loved one... Or to what extent a senior spy can go to help out a junior spy, even on the last day at work... So so good... Worth a watch, atleast one watch...
3 - Duplicity -- If you want to be confused, confounded and surprised every 15 minutes... And shocked in the last 15 minutes, this is the movie... Only 1 word, amazing...
4 - Tees Maar Khan -- One word... Useless... if I meet Farha khan, I am going to demand my $20 back... And then sue her for mental torture...
8 more days of vacation and cold weather until 2011 dawns... Wait to read about more flicks here... Watch this space...
One more step...
A few days back, I was checking out a website when I found out that a local doctor, who is also a connoisseur and a aficionado of Marathi literature, has donate 250+ Marathi books to the regional library. A quick glance on the list and I jumped our of sheer excitement... There were so many Marathi books which I had virtually given any hope of reading... There were many other books which I had wanted to read once again... There are a few things that can get me really excited and finding
The first one was Radheya, suggested by a very good friend... This book is Mahabharat from Karna's point of view... After having read this and this, I wanted to read Mahabharata from Karna's point of view... Karna is the most tragic character of this epic and one of the most illustrious of the lot, so it made it so much more necessary to see this story from his point of view...
And though it was not great, it was a very good perspective... Someone who has always been on the misunderstood side of life, someone who has always been defaulted to be at fault, someone who was always doomed to be slapped with the blame... Thats Karna for us...
He was the bravest of the lot, but he was also the most loyal of them all... He was the most talented of the lot, but he was the most fateful of the lot... He was the most understanding of the lot, but he was the most misunderstood of the lot...
How he was insulted umpteen times by different individuals... how he was denied what he deserved at crucial junctures of life... How he justified his righteousness to each one of those plaintiffs...
There were umpteen memorable such passages in the book, but the one which really captured the essence of Karna was -- when Kunti comes to Karna and tells him how she wants her eldest son back more than anything... and how he can be the king if he defects to the Pandava side... At that time, Karna rejects the offer stating that he craves Duryodhan's friendship more than the kingdom... And as far as Kunti needing her eldest son, she can get it if she defects to his side...
This is quintessential Karna... Someone who chose righteousness over comfort...
Radheya, the book, is all about this choice... Dont miss it...
The first one was Radheya, suggested by a very good friend... This book is Mahabharat from Karna's point of view... After having read this and this, I wanted to read Mahabharata from Karna's point of view... Karna is the most tragic character of this epic and one of the most illustrious of the lot, so it made it so much more necessary to see this story from his point of view...
And though it was not great, it was a very good perspective... Someone who has always been on the misunderstood side of life, someone who has always been defaulted to be at fault, someone who was always doomed to be slapped with the blame... Thats Karna for us...
He was the bravest of the lot, but he was also the most loyal of them all... He was the most talented of the lot, but he was the most fateful of the lot... He was the most understanding of the lot, but he was the most misunderstood of the lot...
How he was insulted umpteen times by different individuals... how he was denied what he deserved at crucial junctures of life... How he justified his righteousness to each one of those plaintiffs...
There were umpteen memorable such passages in the book, but the one which really captured the essence of Karna was -- when Kunti comes to Karna and tells him how she wants her eldest son back more than anything... and how he can be the king if he defects to the Pandava side... At that time, Karna rejects the offer stating that he craves Duryodhan's friendship more than the kingdom... And as far as Kunti needing her eldest son, she can get it if she defects to his side...
This is quintessential Karna... Someone who chose righteousness over comfort...
Radheya, the book, is all about this choice... Dont miss it...
Good bye Ajji...
I never had the luxury of a maternal grandmom, she passed away a few years before I was born. My paternal grandmom passed away exactly 2 days before my 21st birthday.
I remember that day very well because I had my 8th semester engineering exams going on then. After the exam, Dad and I went to Nasik to perform her last rites.
When she passed away, I was very sad because from that day onwards, there was no one who would run behind me on the stairs with a cup of milk. From that day onwards, there was no one who would make potato chips for me with the same enthusiasm 3 times a day. From that day onwards, there was no one who would read Shravan katha every day of Shravan month and from that day onwards, there was no one who would tell my mom to not scold me just because I was still a kid.
But somehow I did not miss my grandma that much. Because...
The day I came back from Nasik after completing the last rites, my neighbor Ajji was standing right in the door. She told me - "I know you must be sad after your loss, but I am here for you... I want you to know that you still have an Ajji"...
My home and her home were exactly opposite each other. So I used to call my grandmom just Ajji and I used to call the neighbor grandmom -- samorchi Ajji (the Ajji from opposite home)... She used to get really angry with that word "samorchi"... She felt alienated and ostracized by that word... But after my grandmom passed away, the word "samorchi" just vanished...
She was just Ajji from then onwards... Not just me, but my sis, my parents, the entire neighborhood used to call her Ajji... She was the Ajji of the entire 300 apartments in our residential neighborhood... And I just realized, I dont know her first name even today -- she was just Ajji...
She knew pretty much everyone in the area and everyone knew her... If a baby is born somewhere, she would know the weight and the gender of the baby... She would be there on the street with a bowl of curd for every student going for his/her 10th or 12th standard exam... And she would know the percentage of every student -- right on the day of the result and the college where the kid got admission -- right on the day when the kid got it... She would be there to tie the sari for every girl if an alliance was coming home to "see" her... And she would know the moment the wedding was fixed -- and the wedding date... If someone was sick and admitted to the hospital, she would know the hospital, ward number and the visiting hours timing... If someone died, she would be the first person in the deceased home saying what she told me that day -- "I know you must be sad after your loss, but I am here for you... I want you to know that you still have an Ajji"...
She was with my mom in her cab on her way to the hospital for her first delivery... My sis was too small for a woolen garment purchased from a store, so OVERNIGHT she knitted a ultra small woolen cap / sweater / socks to keep her warm in the January cold... When my family suffered a severe bout of food poisoning, and the entire family was hospitalized, she cleaned and sanitized the whole house and attended 7 ppl for 4 full days at the hospital -- all by herself...
I loved her Valachi Khichdi (beans and rice) and even now, every time I visited Mumbai, my mom never prepared breakfast on the first day, because without fail, 2 servings of Valachi Khichdi used to be ready at 8 am... The day she knew that my nephew is coming home, his favorite fish curry would be ready... And on my dad's birthday, a special pomfret curry used to be waiting on the dining table...
But all good things have to come to an end... Today, she passed away after a brief illness... She was admitted but even on her way to the hospital, she was telling my mother - J, just see, I will be perfectly healthy in a few days and will come back very soon... but somehow, that was not to be...
Today, I really feel how it is to be without a grandparent... It has been particularly hard on my parents because my dad has spent 40 full years with her and my mom has spent 35 years... My mom has actually spent more time with Ajji than with her own mom... Not a soul today returned from her home without a teary eye...
I can not wish anything more than a special place in heaven for Ajji... May your soul rest in peace Ajji... Keep your smile and blessings showering on us from up there...
Weird things from life
1. A friend finishes his graduation and a couple of days before the graduation ceremony, his mom suffers a mild heart attack. He chooses not to go and see his mom (stays very far away btw) and instead chooses to go on a pre-planned vacation. BTW, he has to take along (and pay for) a friend along on that vacation, and that means that the credit card company is richer.
2. A friend's grandfather is very serious and might pass any time. She is waiting for the news to strike so that she can go home for the funeral.
3. A young man wants to get his Swastika tattoo removed. Its fine, except, he wants to get rid of the tattoo because he wants to create a good impression on the jury. The jury has been convened to meet justice on a double murder committed by this guy. Whats worse - the jail authorities are paying for the tattoo removal procedure.
There are so many weird things all around and the only one that bothers me is --
I take my wife to show my office and she starts cleaning my desk. She gives me tips for keeping it clean. I get a -- see how fat you have become -- instead of gratitude for keeping our beautiful picture on the desk.
2. A friend's grandfather is very serious and might pass any time. She is waiting for the news to strike so that she can go home for the funeral.
3. A young man wants to get his Swastika tattoo removed. Its fine, except, he wants to get rid of the tattoo because he wants to create a good impression on the jury. The jury has been convened to meet justice on a double murder committed by this guy. Whats worse - the jail authorities are paying for the tattoo removal procedure.
There are so many weird things all around and the only one that bothers me is --
I take my wife to show my office and she starts cleaning my desk. She gives me tips for keeping it clean. I get a -- see how fat you have become -- instead of gratitude for keeping our beautiful picture on the desk.
Thanks or No Thanks!!!
My first enduring memory of the United States was Thanksgiving electronics shopping...
It was a crazy cold New England Friday night when my roommate woke me up at 4 am yelling that we overslept and that now we are going to miss awesome deals... Less than a month in the US, I was inadequately dressed for the occasion - just a thick leather jacket, nothing to keep my ears and hands warm - and could feel the bone chilling cold the moment I stepped out of the apartment...
By the time the car reached the already full Circuit City lot at Nashua mall, there was no cold because the fingers and the ear lobes were numb... For the first time in my life, I wanted to be 4 feet tall so that I could fully wrap myself inside the leather jacket...
The queue was crazy long already - there were ppl who were waiting in the queue before midnight... Everyone wanted only the selected items -- a laptop, thumb drive, digital camera, flash card -- and was hoping that by the time they get entry into the shop, there atleast 1 one remaining to grab... And it was not just the FOBs like me - but there were Americans, Chinese, Indians, African Americans - everyone was there... Some of them had even brought their aged parents and kids along and instructed them to "lay their hands on whatever they could" for scrutiny before checkout...
After a long 2 hour wait in the queue, the doors opened... People rushed in as if this is their last chance to grab a seat in the last flight to heaven and by the time we could board the "flight", all the seats were taken - no laptops, no thumb drives, no digital cameras and no flash cards... We were supposed to rot in "cold" hell... Thats what we call in Mumbaiyya slang -- Khaya Piya kuch nahin, glass toda baraah anna...
This thanksgiving though, the picture was entirely different... There were no queues and rushing hordes of customers waiting overnight to grab that elusive item... I went with my friends to pre-screened stores at 7 am and yet the stores were deserted and full of goods... Even though a few stores were offering free breakfast, there were very few takers... Most the people came in with the intention of checking out the product and then going home and purchasing it online on a better deal...
It was very disheartening to see all the stores have their full staff at work at dawn and then find out that customers come in, get all their queries answered and then say "let me think abt it a bit more" and walk out of the store... The few sales that actually happened carry a 50+% chance of returns...
If this trend continues, how will these stores survive? These physical stores have real estate costs, staff salaries, benefits, insurance and still have to make enough profits to ensure survival and dividends to the shareholders... Compare this to the online vendors who need to maintain a website which can be done from a garage and only has to maintain a warehouse in the most remote town of US to deliver even better results...
But this is an indicator that the rules of the game have changed -- its either perform or perish... if the game means that the store model is history now, and the online model is the in thing, then so be it... The stores have to scale up the new rules of this game or face extinction -- the Circuit City way...
Everyone is going to play according to only one rule - survival of the smartest - and anyone who breaks that rule, will not survive to play for long... Thanks or no thanks...
It was a crazy cold New England Friday night when my roommate woke me up at 4 am yelling that we overslept and that now we are going to miss awesome deals... Less than a month in the US, I was inadequately dressed for the occasion - just a thick leather jacket, nothing to keep my ears and hands warm - and could feel the bone chilling cold the moment I stepped out of the apartment...
By the time the car reached the already full Circuit City lot at Nashua mall, there was no cold because the fingers and the ear lobes were numb... For the first time in my life, I wanted to be 4 feet tall so that I could fully wrap myself inside the leather jacket...
There was a Dunkin Donuts outlet at the next intersection and we were taking turns to go and get coffee for the other friends... Never mind that the overpriced coffee would be cold by the time it reached our lips, the activity involved in running to the Dunkin shop and back triggered enough metabolism to keep us warm - our sole consolation on that cold night...
The queue was crazy long already - there were ppl who were waiting in the queue before midnight... Everyone wanted only the selected items -- a laptop, thumb drive, digital camera, flash card -- and was hoping that by the time they get entry into the shop, there atleast 1 one remaining to grab... And it was not just the FOBs like me - but there were Americans, Chinese, Indians, African Americans - everyone was there... Some of them had even brought their aged parents and kids along and instructed them to "lay their hands on whatever they could" for scrutiny before checkout...
After a long 2 hour wait in the queue, the doors opened... People rushed in as if this is their last chance to grab a seat in the last flight to heaven and by the time we could board the "flight", all the seats were taken - no laptops, no thumb drives, no digital cameras and no flash cards... We were supposed to rot in "cold" hell... Thats what we call in Mumbaiyya slang -- Khaya Piya kuch nahin, glass toda baraah anna...
This thanksgiving though, the picture was entirely different... There were no queues and rushing hordes of customers waiting overnight to grab that elusive item... I went with my friends to pre-screened stores at 7 am and yet the stores were deserted and full of goods... Even though a few stores were offering free breakfast, there were very few takers... Most the people came in with the intention of checking out the product and then going home and purchasing it online on a better deal...
It was very disheartening to see all the stores have their full staff at work at dawn and then find out that customers come in, get all their queries answered and then say "let me think abt it a bit more" and walk out of the store... The few sales that actually happened carry a 50+% chance of returns...
If this trend continues, how will these stores survive? These physical stores have real estate costs, staff salaries, benefits, insurance and still have to make enough profits to ensure survival and dividends to the shareholders... Compare this to the online vendors who need to maintain a website which can be done from a garage and only has to maintain a warehouse in the most remote town of US to deliver even better results...
But this is an indicator that the rules of the game have changed -- its either perform or perish... if the game means that the store model is history now, and the online model is the in thing, then so be it... The stores have to scale up the new rules of this game or face extinction -- the Circuit City way...
Everyone is going to play according to only one rule - survival of the smartest - and anyone who breaks that rule, will not survive to play for long... Thanks or no thanks...
Well Said
This one comes from a fictional interview of a sportsman who is known for his clutter-free mind and uncomplicated game --
Hard times are like washing machines, they twist, turn and knock us around, but in the end we come out cleaner, brighter and better than before
Smooth roads never make you a good driver. Problem free life never makes you a stronger person. So never ask life, WHY ME? Instead challenge it & say TRY ME!
What a beautiful way of putting such a complicated line...
Hi Fi...
7 years ago, I saw her for the first time... 6 years ago, we agreed on something... 5 years ago, we got ourselves into a bond which we wanted to get stronger with every passing day...
It has been 5 years since and the only words we repeat this day, every year, are "Cant believe that it has been x years"... And it is so true...
Every year, this day, the near and the dear ones call and wish us a happier life... Every year, we wish each other the best in life... A life together... A destination and a journey in itself...
But for me, it is a simple acknowledgement is that she is my biggest strength... and my biggest weakness... Thank you for every moment, every memory and every glimpse of this breathtaking journey...
It has been 5 years since and the only words we repeat this day, every year, are "Cant believe that it has been x years"... And it is so true...
Every year, this day, the near and the dear ones call and wish us a happier life... Every year, we wish each other the best in life... A life together... A destination and a journey in itself...
But for me, it is a simple acknowledgement is that she is my biggest strength... and my biggest weakness... Thank you for every moment, every memory and every glimpse of this breathtaking journey...
Runaway Jury...
After a grand Diwali party with near and dear ones late until Saturday night, where we almost witnessed the Daylight Saving end, and a fancy Sunday lunch, there was only 1 thing left to do on a cold Sunday afternoon... Yep, see another movie...
This movie was in the queue for a long time... It starts with a bang and still, it takes a few minutes before the viewer can figure out the relevance of every character in the plot... The interim scenes do not let the pace slack and actually the climax is really very very good...
The amount of mind work that goes beyond the scenes in a courtroom drama where vested business interests, personal vendettas, one upmanship and building / destroying reputations take higher seeding compared to meting out justice is aptly demonstrated in this movie... Again, I wish I had read the John Grisham novel prior to seeing the movie...
Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman cast a vice like grip on the mind from their first scene in the movie... Rachel Weisz acted very well, especially in scenes when she confronted the proven attorneys inspite of being totally scared... But this movie belongs to John Cusack... He is like a chameleon in this movie and we do not know what color is he going to switch to next... This mystery is not reveled until the last few minutes of the movie...
I love movies where there is a mental maneuvering and manipulation going on... I love movies where you do not know what is going to happen next... This movie kept me guessing until the last minute... S is blessed with a sharp acumen at solving such mysteries but even she was left guessing until the climax scene...
Definitely worth one watch!!!
This movie was in the queue for a long time... It starts with a bang and still, it takes a few minutes before the viewer can figure out the relevance of every character in the plot... The interim scenes do not let the pace slack and actually the climax is really very very good...
The amount of mind work that goes beyond the scenes in a courtroom drama where vested business interests, personal vendettas, one upmanship and building / destroying reputations take higher seeding compared to meting out justice is aptly demonstrated in this movie... Again, I wish I had read the John Grisham novel prior to seeing the movie...
Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman cast a vice like grip on the mind from their first scene in the movie... Rachel Weisz acted very well, especially in scenes when she confronted the proven attorneys inspite of being totally scared... But this movie belongs to John Cusack... He is like a chameleon in this movie and we do not know what color is he going to switch to next... This mystery is not reveled until the last few minutes of the movie...
I love movies where there is a mental maneuvering and manipulation going on... I love movies where you do not know what is going to happen next... This movie kept me guessing until the last minute... S is blessed with a sharp acumen at solving such mysteries but even she was left guessing until the climax scene...
Definitely worth one watch!!!
Get a spine...
Scene 1 --
Manmohan Singh is visiting the states... The President throws a dinner party for the Prime Minister and 3 people breach all security protocols and manage to meet Mr. President... They clicked pictures openly with the dignitaries... On further investigation, it was found that these people actually planned to video shoot their adventures and actually came to the White House with a video crew...
Scene 2 --
Mr. Obama is planning to visit India, the first US President's visit since 1999... The President will be staying at the Taj and as a part of the security procedures, the actual staff at the Taj will be replaced by Obama's trusted staff... Anyone and everyone who will be meeting the President will first have to go through security clearance -- passport, PAN card, Driving permit everything needs to be approved... And no one is exempt to this rule -- not even the Chief Minister of Maharashtra -- even he has to go through the security clearance procedure...
In spite of whatever happened at the Presidential dinner, in spite of the blatant mistakes there, the security of their premier is more important than the security of our premier...
Scene 3 --
Mr. Obama arrives in Mumbai and guess who is there to visit him -- check out these pictures --
For all that your care, you are the god damn Chief Minister of Maharashtra... You may be puppet in the hands of Sonia madam, but atleast within your state, there is no one bureaucratically bigger than you... For the sake of the respect of the chair of the CM, he should have held his own...
And what does he do? Get a spine man!!!
Manmohan Singh is visiting the states... The President throws a dinner party for the Prime Minister and 3 people breach all security protocols and manage to meet Mr. President... They clicked pictures openly with the dignitaries... On further investigation, it was found that these people actually planned to video shoot their adventures and actually came to the White House with a video crew...
Scene 2 --
Mr. Obama is planning to visit India, the first US President's visit since 1999... The President will be staying at the Taj and as a part of the security procedures, the actual staff at the Taj will be replaced by Obama's trusted staff... Anyone and everyone who will be meeting the President will first have to go through security clearance -- passport, PAN card, Driving permit everything needs to be approved... And no one is exempt to this rule -- not even the Chief Minister of Maharashtra -- even he has to go through the security clearance procedure...
In spite of whatever happened at the Presidential dinner, in spite of the blatant mistakes there, the security of their premier is more important than the security of our premier...
Scene 3 --
Mr. Obama arrives in Mumbai and guess who is there to visit him -- check out these pictures --
For all that your care, you are the god damn Chief Minister of Maharashtra... You may be puppet in the hands of Sonia madam, but atleast within your state, there is no one bureaucratically bigger than you... For the sake of the respect of the chair of the CM, he should have held his own...
And what does he do? Get a spine man!!!
UDAAN... What a flight...
A physically and mentally draining week... Friday night... No mood to go out and eat... What to do? It does not take a genius to figure out the solution... Soul food and a movie...
This time instead of brainless comedies, we thought of trying out something new... I had read a lot about this movie in the last few weeks and we decided to give it a go... And what an experience it turned out to be...
The movie is about a kid who gets expelled from boarding school and has to return home to his dad... The dad has never visited the kid and vice-versa in the 8 years since the kid joined the boarding school... So, its a new life for him altogether... He also finds out that he has a half-brother who is equally dominated by the dad... This kid wants to be a writer and writes amazing poetry... The father wants him to be an engineer and take care of their factory... The uncle (dad's bro) is a soft corner but the father damages the kids way more than the uncle can mend...
This movie is all about how the kids manage to live up to the tyrannical father and still keep the kid in them alive... So, no climax or thrilling scenes, no big stars, no songs and no super cinematographic excellence...
But trust me, this movie is worth a watch... The way the script unfolds, leaves you (okay, only me, S never saw any hope in the father) with a touch of optimism every now and then... The more you see, the more you feel for the kids and more you hate the dad...
Definitely worth a watch...
For me, I had a realization while I was seeing this one... I found that I can appreciate poetry... The poetry in the movie are written by a 17 year old and I could thoroughly understand and appreciate it... Long way to go before I start reading poetry for my age...
This time instead of brainless comedies, we thought of trying out something new... I had read a lot about this movie in the last few weeks and we decided to give it a go... And what an experience it turned out to be...
The movie is about a kid who gets expelled from boarding school and has to return home to his dad... The dad has never visited the kid and vice-versa in the 8 years since the kid joined the boarding school... So, its a new life for him altogether... He also finds out that he has a half-brother who is equally dominated by the dad... This kid wants to be a writer and writes amazing poetry... The father wants him to be an engineer and take care of their factory... The uncle (dad's bro) is a soft corner but the father damages the kids way more than the uncle can mend...
This movie is all about how the kids manage to live up to the tyrannical father and still keep the kid in them alive... So, no climax or thrilling scenes, no big stars, no songs and no super cinematographic excellence...
But trust me, this movie is worth a watch... The way the script unfolds, leaves you (okay, only me, S never saw any hope in the father) with a touch of optimism every now and then... The more you see, the more you feel for the kids and more you hate the dad...
Definitely worth a watch...
For me, I had a realization while I was seeing this one... I found that I can appreciate poetry... The poetry in the movie are written by a 17 year old and I could thoroughly understand and appreciate it... Long way to go before I start reading poetry for my age...
Another one...
A couple of months back when I wrote this, I had vowed to come up with at least one more stab at this topic... S reminded me of this today and here we go...
On a dark and foggy night, a small figure lay huddled on the railway tracks leading to the Chennai station... Although it was really dark, the lamp post shed enough light that Roshan Arumugam, the station master at Chennai station, could see that it was a small boy desperately trying to cover himself with a visibly inadequate and a dirty shawl...
The sight took him 25 years back when another kid lay on the footpath of this very city... Having lost his parents to a cholera epidemic back in his village of Kumbakonam, his only means of survival lay in going to the city and earning a living, or so the elders in the village said...
But easier said than done... Even after coming to the city, the kidstruggled for survival... No one was ready to give a 10 year old boy any job, and anyone who was kind enough to give a job was cruel enough to pay only in form of a square meal... No money, no home and the torrential rains made it worse... After suffering from fever for 3 days without medication and a morsel to eat, he lay there on the bench forlorn and devastated, fearing the worst...
Thats when Gopalji saw him... Walking back home from his night school duty, Gopal Arumugam saw a kid lying on the bench doomed to die, and he took him under his shelter, literally... Gopalji , virtually gave him a new life... He gave him a home, gave him a chance to study in his night school and most importantly, gave him a reason to live... Gopalji guided him at every junction of life and ensured that every turn at that junction was in the right direction... Eventually, that kid became an independent young man and today thoroughly deserved the station master's chair at the Chennai railway station...
So today, when Roshan Arumugam saw another kid in a similar state, it was very easy to make the decision... He decided to take the kid home, just like Gopal ji did to him... This was his chance to give back to humanity, what humanity had given to him -- a life...
Roshan hurriedly ran across the tracks and held the kid closely in his arms... The moment he touched the kid, he could make out that the kid had high fever... The kid was very weak, and although not unconscious, barely able to utter a word...
Roshan took him home, bathed him, fed him and gave him medication... After a couple of days of thorough care, the kid looked little better... When the kid woke up from his slumber, Roshan went to his room, gave the most gentle smile and asked the kid -- What is your name?
From a pair of torn pink lips, popped the name -- Gopal... Roshan's smile said it all...
On a dark and foggy night, a small figure lay huddled on the railway tracks leading to the Chennai station... Although it was really dark, the lamp post shed enough light that Roshan Arumugam, the station master at Chennai station, could see that it was a small boy desperately trying to cover himself with a visibly inadequate and a dirty shawl...
The sight took him 25 years back when another kid lay on the footpath of this very city... Having lost his parents to a cholera epidemic back in his village of Kumbakonam, his only means of survival lay in going to the city and earning a living, or so the elders in the village said...
But easier said than done... Even after coming to the city, the kidstruggled for survival... No one was ready to give a 10 year old boy any job, and anyone who was kind enough to give a job was cruel enough to pay only in form of a square meal... No money, no home and the torrential rains made it worse... After suffering from fever for 3 days without medication and a morsel to eat, he lay there on the bench forlorn and devastated, fearing the worst...
Thats when Gopalji saw him... Walking back home from his night school duty, Gopal Arumugam saw a kid lying on the bench doomed to die, and he took him under his shelter, literally... Gopalji , virtually gave him a new life... He gave him a home, gave him a chance to study in his night school and most importantly, gave him a reason to live... Gopalji guided him at every junction of life and ensured that every turn at that junction was in the right direction... Eventually, that kid became an independent young man and today thoroughly deserved the station master's chair at the Chennai railway station...
So today, when Roshan Arumugam saw another kid in a similar state, it was very easy to make the decision... He decided to take the kid home, just like Gopal ji did to him... This was his chance to give back to humanity, what humanity had given to him -- a life...
Roshan hurriedly ran across the tracks and held the kid closely in his arms... The moment he touched the kid, he could make out that the kid had high fever... The kid was very weak, and although not unconscious, barely able to utter a word...
Roshan took him home, bathed him, fed him and gave him medication... After a couple of days of thorough care, the kid looked little better... When the kid woke up from his slumber, Roshan went to his room, gave the most gentle smile and asked the kid -- What is your name?
From a pair of torn pink lips, popped the name -- Gopal... Roshan's smile said it all...
FESTIVAL TIME...
Its Ganapati time again...
The best 2 days of the year are back...
The 2 days for which we prepare the most, but we never think that the prep is sufficient...
The 2 days when the prep is never sufficient, but it is never inadequate...
The 2 days when we work the most, but we are never tired...
The 2 days when we are most nervous of the task ahead, but we are most confident...
The 2 days when we miss the family the most, but still we never feel lonely...
The 2 days when we have the most guests, but still they feel like family...
The 2 days when the guest at home is divine and yet feels like a family member... Yet the divine family member leaves in 1.5 days...
Ganpati time has left so many memories over the years...
The first year -- when my grandparents were alive...
The second year -- when both of them passed away in a matter of 6 months...
The third year -- when I was basking in the glory of my job and first flight experience...
The fourth year -- when I was on cloud nine due to coming back from my first abroad visit...
The fifth year -- when we were all happy because my sister's wedding was set...
The sixth year -- when I missed the festival for the first time ever due to my US visit...
Then for the first time in US, with S and in-laws...
Then for the first time in US, this time with S and my parents... when I "took over" the festival from my parents...
Last 2 years when S and I are doing it all alone...
Every year has its own significance, its own special reasons to remember and never forget...
Every year has its own special place on the shelf of memories...
This year too -- Ganpati Bappa -- please make it memorable... I will do my bit... in effort... and you do your bit... in blessings...
Ganpati Bappa Moraya...
CONVERSATION...
Dad calls son...
D -- How are you son?
S -- Fine but busy... Whats up?
D -- Oh!!! I just was feeling lonely and missing you...
S -- (for next 5 minutes... ) this happened... that happened... this is going on... that is being planned... Okay dad, got to go... Talk to you later...
D -- Okay...
Son calls dad...
D -- How are you son?
S -- Fine but busy... Whats up?
D -- Oh!!! I just was feeling lonely and missing you...
S -- (for next 5 minutes... ) this happened... that happened... this is going on... that is being planned... Okay dad, got to go... Talk to you later...
D -- Okay...
Son calls dad...
S -- How are you dad?
D -- Doing very well... You called, am feeling better than ever... Whats up?
S -- Oh!!! I just was feeling lonely and missing you...
D -- (for next 1 hour... ) happy memories from childhood... how he cherishes the walk down the memory lane, every single day... What his son means to him...
S -- Dad, thanks for everything... I should go now, its already too late for your dinner...
D -- Are you sure? I am fine... I can talk the whole night... I am there for you whenever you need me... Just a phone call away...
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