Thank you

Mom: you brought me up almost single handed with so many sacrifices and ensured I had the right kind of education and thought process to survive in this highly competitive, selfish world;

Sujatha: you have sacrificed so much for the sake of our happy life: employment, career, privacy, health, individuality;

Sahasra: You are an angel who came to us after 7 long years;

God: for giving me all of the above  மிக்க நன்றி

What if...??

Developments in the medical world are simply astonishing. So many advanced technologies and equipments have made it possible to scan each and every part of the body inside out and understand the problems. Not only diagnosis, but these equipments also end up helping in the ultimate cure of the disease. Operations are done without piercing the body. Patients can walk home freely after the operation, in a span of few days. No bed rest, no hospitalization…. One can soon expect cure for the dreaded Cancer and AIDS.

Not only this, even other forms of medicine like Homoeopathy, Siddha and Ayurveda are doing a great service to the mankind by their sheer efficacy.

It’s a different matter that as we advance in such medical technologies, the numbers and kinds of diseases also keep increasing. We are increasingly bonded by our own lavish lifestyles. Eyesight problems, back pains, spinal cord issues, mental tension, BP, Cholesterol, Diabetes.. the list is endless…

It looks like a mega race. On one hand, we end up discovering more medicines to cure our diseases, and on the other hand, we end up getting afflicted to more diseases to make use of these medicines. Only time will tell who is going to be the winner.

All said and done, we would have definitely saved you if only you had fallen ill now, rather than 25 years earlier, Appa. 

Back....

Again a loooooonggg break. 4 years of hiatus is too long to give any excuse. There could be only few reasons: laziness, directionless, thoughtlessness, sleepiness......

Today I take a pledge that I will write at least two posts a month. Let me see if I follow this.

Where are we heading?

The world has become so money minded - genuineness and integrity have lost their application in this world. Everyone is behind money - me included.

Its not always wrong. After all, in an earth where resources are limited and wants are unlimited, there should be some factor which determines their distribution.

Unfortunately though, the concept of equality never exists. Some people are more equal than others. Some people are more dominant than others. Some people are more ruthless than others. Some people are more farcical than others. And of course, some people are more intelligent than others.

In our quest to consume as much resources as possible for our luxurious lives, we end up depleting the resources at a ridiculous pace. Our wants are never limited. We are doing a big disservice to our forefathers who have conserved these resources for us as well as to our successor generations.

Where are we heading?

What to do?

Again - a looooong break.. Misplaced priorities - Mismanaged timings... bla bla bla..

What should a 32 year old do for the next 13 years (legally, of course), so that he earns enough to retire at 45??

"Conditions: He does not like to mindlessly slog hard for 14 hours a day, does not want to travel for 3-4 hours a day and as part of his work does not want to get intimidated by the undue demands of some morons in Government service.. He wants to be himself, spend quality time with his family, explore the outside world and come out of the shell he is in"

Any suggestions?

Homage

Its more than a year now, since my previous post. Reason: Nothing but laziness, misplaced priorities.... No excuses though..

I restart by remembering the past and present victims of Hirishima/Nagasaki bomb attack.. what a shameless act it was... One only hopes such an act never repeats again..

I was astonished to read that with the current stockpile of nuclear weapons, our earth could be destroyed many times over... What are we going to achieve by all these?? Are these acts of supremacy or cowardness??

Only time will tell....

Backkkkkk......

Back after a long hiatus. Lots of events in my life between the previous post and now. I had completed another year end activity at my office, quite a hectic one. AND I GOT MARRIED. Roamed around Kerala with my partner (Should I call her wife or partner??). In fact my honeymoon is a strange one – it started with 2 and ended with 60 :) (Let me clarify - we joined our Finance team Picnic on our way back from honeymoon).

Then, its life as usual. I moved to a place near my office along with my partner and here started my routine again.

In the last 2 months or so of my married life, I had not taken her out anywhere. Not even to a dinner. Some unexpected emergencies ensured that I had to spend quite a lot of time in office. She is justifiably right in complaining about this.

AND HERE IT STARTED AGAIN. The back pain that I thought had bid me goodbye has come back to haunt again. This time, I have to take this seriously. After some dilly dallying, I had decided to go to a new doctor, who is quite famous in this part of the country. He made me undergo some tests, and now I am under a compulsory 15 day treatment, resulting in me being out of office. I am spending 2-3 hrs at the clinic for the treatment and taking rest during the balance part of the day. Fortunately for me, surgery is not advised and the doctor gave me comfort when he said that once I do regular exercises and take care of my postures, I can be ok. I only hope so.

Incidentally, visit to his clinic brought in new surprises. My estimate is close to 30-40% of the patients are youngsters, mostly women aged between 20 and 25. I understand from an employee of the hospital that most of them work in IT industry. He said that there is no proper guidance to these youngsters on the postures they have to take, on the exercises they have to do or the precautions they have to take.

I only hope such issues are addressed by the industry and the individuals, before it becomes a chronic disease.

China at the helm

I have always had a very biased opinion about the orientals, mainly the Chinese and the Japanese, with respect to their beauty. I felt that they have incorrigible looks. How can someone look beautiful with punctured noses and invisible eyes??

But it looks I am wrong. Miss China is Miss World now. I am unable to believe. I still feel there are hundreds of girls I have seen on the roads of India who have much better chances of winning this contest as compared to this girl (I am sorry, I cant pronounce her name. I am not trying it too). Forget about the Indian girls, they are high headed and chauvinistic, (what else do you expect from a blogger who has been ignored by many girls in his school/college life?) even the first and the second runners up seemed to be much better than the winner. (Awesome features you know – judges should have been blindfolded to have ignored them. Any one with knowledge of vacancies as make-up man in Miss World pageants please let me know)

Jokes apart, I am extremely surprised as to how some illusions form into our mind about something that they completely make one biased. I had a feeling these people don’t look good and carried on throughout. When I realize that the truth could be otherwise, I am apprehensive of my ability to judge/perceive. Lesson: Don’t take anything for granted, don’t ignore any body or any body’s abilities.

All said and done, for all the hungama, I am sure about one thing – a boom in the Chinese fashion market. Many cosmetic companies should be waiting for this opportunity. They will thrive in the new-found Chinese appetite for beauty and fashion, something that happened in India after Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen.

Hmm....

I have always tried to achieve perfection in whatever I do. But, alas… miserably failed most of the times. In the guise of attaining perfection, one ends up coming around in vicious circles and I have not been an exception to this.

'Sometimes, it is better to be 80% right, revisit it again and see if we are in the right direction and if so, then proceed towards the balance 20% rather than trying and completing the whole 100% only to realize that we should have worked in a different direction altogether. After all, in most cases, it is easy to complete the first 80%, what is difficult is reaching the last mile.'

‘It is better to be approximately right, rather than precisely wrong’

The above realizations are thanks to some interactions with my Exec. Director in the recent past.

Really worth pondering over….

Tax them like crazy

I was recently reading an article on this low cost car and the thoughts are worth pondering over. I am sure the Tatas and Bajajs will be successful in bringing out a cost effective car that will make this prestigious mode of transport more affordable to the ever increasing middle class population. It will open a lots of business opportunities to the auto ancillary sector and will have a huge impact on the way we live.

All are fine, but at what cost?? Are we prepared to handle this in terms of infrastructure, petroleum availability and other connected loads?? With the existing traffic already choking most of the Indian roads, where is the space for all these cars to ply?? Will they fly?? Where is the fuel?? What will be the impact on our economy on multiplying our dependence on oil imports?? What will happen to our air quality??

There is a limit to imitating west. In fact, as Thomas Friedman wrote in one of his articles, we should not imitate his country which has become a harbinger of pollution and is incurring billions on health care. We should first build roads, build flyovers, improve the public transport system, and make it more efficient so as to dissuade people from using their own vehicles.

Government should tax such low cost vehicles like crazy. Being employed in the automotive industry, I shouldn’t be suggesting this, but if the future is to be at least at today’s level, if not better, there is no option. The Government should use the tax solely to improve infrastructure and promote fuel efficient techniques. There is already lot of infrastructure tax money available with the Government. This tax shouldn’t go that way. It has to be vested with some Infrastructure Corporation, headed by eminent persons from the Government and Industry, should be free of political interferences and should finish the projects taken in a time bound manner. Based on the level of infrastructure growth, tax can be brought down. Government cannot abdicate its responsibility and forget the infrastructural needs of a growing economy.

What if...??

Developments in the medical world are simply astonishing. So many advanced technologies and equipments have made it possible to scan each and every part of the body inside out and understand the problems. Not only diagnosis, but these equipments also end up helping in the ultimate cure of the disease. Operations are done without piercing the body. Patients can walk home freely after the operation, in a span of few days. No bed rest, no hospitalization…. One can soon expect cure for the dreaded Cancer and AIDS.

Not only this, even other forms of medicine like Homoeopathy, Siddha and Ayurveda are doing a great service to the mankind by their sheer efficacy.

It’s a different matter that as we advance in such medical technologies, the numbers and kinds of diseases also keep increasing. We are increasingly bonded by our own lavish lifestyles. Eyesight problems, back pains, spinal cord issues, mental tension, BP, Cholesterol, Diabetes.. the list is endless…

It looks like a mega race. On one hand, we end up discovering more medicines to cure our diseases, and on the other hand, we end up getting afflicted to more diseases to make use of these medicines. Only time will tell who is going to be the winner.

All said and done, we would have definitely saved you if only you had fallen ill now, rather than 15 years earlier, Appa.

Sorry....

I am taking all arable lands away, converting them into plots and making money. Just don’t care about what you will do for your survival.

I am drying out the potable water resources and don’t think long term while planning my water usage.

I pollute the environment in the best possible way I can. Automobiles, industries, coal, petroleum et al.

I release all possible hazardous chemicals into the land, unconcerned about your living conditions.

I let my ego do the talking when it comes to relationship with other countries, when it comes to respecting other religions, when it comes to listening to sensible advises. I am making your era more war prone.

I refuse to understand climate change, completely selfish when it comes to global warming and its repercussions, the glaciers melting, cities submerging….

I am just unconcerned about excessive urbanization, the loss of forest cover, the pollution of rivers, the death of farmers…..

I indulge in all possible bad habits and take excess work load, intoxicated by the hefty salaries I get, forget about my health and the resultant impact on my near and dear…

I am eating into your share of the earth. I am making your life more unstable. I genetically pass on to you more diseases than what my parents have passed on to me. I am living in the glee of the present, knowing well that I am depriving you of a decent life.

I am extremely sorry my dear successor generations…. I am still trying my best, talk a lot about greenhouse emissions nowadays, give Nobel Prize to activists working on the area, working on rain water harvesting…. Please behold…

'Autograph'

I refused to beat her with a stick for talking in class. I was in 3rd standard then and was the class leader. I was more generous with others when it comes to corporal punishment in class, but not with her. My friends used to taunt me at this, but I never cared. Get lost you morons, you don’t understand my feelings.

That was village life. Then my life path changed, I came to city, joined English medium school. Now I met her. She was junior to me. I was the only one in my class to have taken up Hindi, and so was she. This was enough for my impish friends to take me on. And I gave in. I thought I liked her. She never even looked at me. She was a mallu. She started haunting me in my dreams; I felt I got my girl. And all these when I have not even dared to look at her face, forget about talking to her. After all, it was the beginning of my youth. I was in my 12th standard. Even before I could muster all the courage to talk to her, my exams got over. I had left the school, and then joined work and my life changed again.

Now work life, quite a hectic one. And now, she visited my house for a function. She was the daughter of one of my distant relatives. I now again felt I have got my girl. Alas, there is a talk of such a thing from their side too?? How lucky I am? I started dreaming as of we had been seeing each other for months and the families have come together without any issues. All these ended in a day. She went back, there were some technical hassles in our coming together and things became normal once again.

Then came Bombay college life. One of my friend’s girlfriend told me that her classmate is a tam bram and I would be lucky to have her. And again he woke up in me – I decided that this time, I am gonna have it. Who knows, what you did not get in Chennai could be obtained in Bombay. After all, fate is never known. I scrapped her in Orkut, introducing myself, wishing to be her friend, bla bla bla. Nothing happened, I was in orkut almost round the clock waiting for her reply, which was not to come. I came to know after a few weeks that she already has a boy friend. This is precisely the reason I hate Bombay - every girl is committed there, right from childhood.

Now I am back in Chennai, started working again. My folks have found a girl for me, we are getting married in a few months. I don’t think about any of the above characters anymore. I have FINALLY got my girl. My life of infatuations is over. I am back into reality. I have clearly realized that all these school life thoughts help one in becoming happier for the moment. When I recollect these thoughts after so many years, I feel surprised about my weakness to fall into the trap of infatuations. Not once, but multiple times.

All said and done, it is not without reason that Cheran’s ‘Autograph’ won the best movie providing wholesome entertainment. After all, most of us connect to it.

Weekend goof-ups

It was an interesting weekend. Mr.Karunanidhi’s ability to perform somersaults even at 84 needs to be appreciated

‘There is no proof that some one like Rama existed - The question of demolishing Ramar Sethu does not arise - Ravana is better than Rama - But Rama never existed, the issue is not about Rama but about the Sethu Project - Lets not drag Rama into the picture - Why drag poor Rama into these controversies, let him be left alone - There is no proof that Rama existed’

Did some one understand the above?? I definitely have not…

How is a strike going to help things?? Other than paralyzing the lives of crores of people and depriving millions of their livelihood. Will closing of shops help faster dredging?

One of my colleagues had an apt point – If Rama is a myth and hence Ramar Sethu can be demolished, then even Silappadikaram ( A Tamil Classic) is also a myth. Why make hue and cry when Kannagi (one of the central characters) statue is removed from the beach??

Secondly, if strike is a solution to the problem, why did not Kalaignar TV (patronized by Mr.Karunanidhi’s DMK) go off air on the day of the strike?? Does it mean its employees can come to work on that day, relay normal programmes, earn crores of revenue thru’ advertisements and sponsorships but others have to suffer??

I don’t think people can get away with these mediocre mindsets now as they did 2 or 3 decades back. Literacy levels have gone up and people will not be mesmerized by emotional blackmails.

Enjoying Moments

What an awesome match it was… A fitting finale to the enthralling competitive event. Both India and Pakistan deserve accolades for the way they have come back after the humiliating loss in the 50 over world cup.

Dhoni’s men have shown that they will not buckle under pressure. I really enjoyed the match till the last moment. It would have been a complete show if only some team members had shown some carefulness while holding the Tricolor after their victory.

123.... Never ending....

There are a lot of articles on this 123 agreement, its pros and cons and ifs and buts and then and there’s and whys and why not’s. But one thing is clear - I don’t understand ABC of it. The discussions are too technical for me to have a clue on what is happening. My only wish – Government doesn’t consider it as an affront on its ego to study what its critics are saying. After all, most of the critics are no-nonsense guys who have extreme knowledge on the subject. They have been with the industry for decades, highly contributing to its growth. Let it handle it professionally and in an unbiased manner. After all, nuclear energy is expected to contribute much lesser than the other sources.

'You'

You opened up this world for me.
You have undergone so many hardships for my sake.
You lost peace when I didn’t turn up from office on time.
You have protected me from lots of difficulties by taking them upon yourself.
You have sown the seeds of my growth.
You have given me my most precious asset, my education.
You taught me honesty and integrity.
You taught me the nuances of life.
You always ensured my preferences got prioritized over yours.

These are just a small portion of what you did for me. What am I going to do in return for you??

Thank you Mom…

Learnings

It has been a long time since I published a post - have been supposedly busy at work and with chit-chatting with fiancee. But the reason is simple, I just did not plan my time well. For all the so-called pressures, I could have easily written some 10 articles in the last 20 days. If I do a time study, I realise how much time I end up wasting in a day, (excluding work hours and the lovie-dovey part of course).

That brings me to the topic of work pressure. I am actually in a high pressure environment, where most of the times people have to be on their toes. I found it difficult initially, ( still feel so btw), but on the positive side, it gives lots of learnings. The art of prioritization is taught here. Unless you do so, you are doomed. You are fired indiscriminately, which severely affects your ego. On the other hand, on the personal front, it helps you in various areas like proper planning, communication, delegation ( this is the most difficult one I say) and above all, forces you to concentrate on the right things at the right time. I have observed that but for these mental pressures, one just doesn't prioritize and ends up delaying activities. He may be ruthless, but I like him for the fact that he follows what he preaches and helps me in my personal development. Thank you Sir...

'Nice One"

" The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work" - Harry Golden (Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle)

So much for worklife...

I normally lock my laptop at office after working hours. Sometimes when I have some work or when I hadn’t checked my mails properly in office, I take it home. Yesterday was one of those days.

It was then that I read an article in ‘The Hindu’ (published originally in Guardian Newspapers) about the addiction due to devices like blackberry. It is very well written and clearly highlights the negative impact of technology in our life. Thomas Friedman mentions this as ‘The age of interruption’, be it thru’ mails, cell phone calls or blackberry messages. We are gradually losing our privacy. We are getting addicted to technology and end up screwing our personal lives. The statistics given about Americans are shocking. 83% check mails on vacation, 60% check messages while on bed and worse, 37% reply to messages while driving.

Only after reading this article did I remember certain vows I had taken 3 months back after I left college. I wanted to come home on time, spend enough time with family, improve my reading habits and consequently, my language. I wanted to write more in my weblog. But now I realize how far I have gone away from my vows. I haven’t touched by blog for over 2 weeks now. I don’t even read newspapers regularly, haven’t even seen the cover of the book I bought some 2 months back.

Not all these can be blamed on technology; I have other reasons to get distracted. But I have to admit that after work, I get too tired to be able to concentrate on my other itineraries. Prioritization is the need of the hour.

But I hope I will improve now on… – while I brought the laptop home to read my mails, after reading the article, I ended up writing this blog :)