Goodbye to 2011, Hello to 2012 post

Whoa, surviving 2011! Phew!
Hopes and dreams and everything in between. Here are some things that characterised 2011:

1) Uphill Climbs 

2)France!

3) Bank!

4) Friends!

 

My stint as a guest writer...

Here is a story about the Indian education system which I wrote for a Norwegian colleague's blog . 

You can follow and read his blog at http://nor2ind.wordpress.com/

Indian education system is as diverse and layered as the nation itself. It’s got multiple influences and it would be difficult to isolate the various philosophies and motivations that guide it to its present shape. Yet, today’s education system is mainly dominated by “western” concepts and pedagogy, though India has had its own unique tradition of organized educational institutions since times immemorial. In the recent past, we in India have inherited among others, a mainly anglicized, socialistic and bureaucratic education system, which as per many critics, leads to straitjacketed students. In my opinion, the system has failed to evolve to the local realities and changed global scenario. Education is still not an industry in India (organizations or individuals cannot be profiting from educational institutions in accounting terms and only non- profits can run registered/accredited institutions even though 100% foreign direct investment is allowed).

All said and done, education is a very important element for India’s socio- cultural setup and a way for economic and even social empowerment for Indians. Consider these facts which may be interesting to you:

-          Hindus have a goddess dedicated to education, learning and wisdom, Saraswati.

-          In India, the Guru or the teacher is held in high esteem.  There is a Sanskrit verse that if the devotee were presented with the guru and God, first he would pay respect to the guru, since the guru had been instrumental in leading him to God.

-          In ancient times, a Gurukul was a residential type of school in India, where pupils lived in proximity to the guru. The Vedas or ancient texts of the Hindus , have classified a lifetime of 100 years, out of which the first 25 are best spent in bachelorhood and in pursuit of education , and termed as the stage or “asharama” of “Brahmacharya”, which is followed by “Grihastha”/Domesticity, and “Vanaprastha”/ Reflection and “Sanyasa”/ Renunciation.

-          Nālandā is the name of an ancient university, a Buddhist center of learning from the 4th to 11th Century.  It has been called “one of the first great universities” in recorded history.

During the colonial period, significant changes were effected in the system of education. It was then that knowledge of English language became the de- facto ticket to government jobs and provided expanded access to trading opportunities. The rise of English print media and establishment of Universities and convents were some of the direct implications of the rising acceptance of English as a uniting factor in a nation of multiple languages. In a way, this period marked the first important phase of globalization for Indian education system. Though this phase also lead to a gap between vernacular and English languages, which is still a struggle and subject of policy debates in this nation.

Following independence in 1947, Maulana Azad, India’s first education minister recommended a strong central government control over education throughout the country, to ensure a uniform educational system. Such a system may be ideal for a largely homogenous and smaller nation like Norway, but for a diverse and huge nation like India (with 23 constitutionally recognized languages) it meant that the state intervention clashed with regional and local educational needs.

Today, every child between the age of 6- 14 is guaranteed primary education by the state in India. However, the goal of universal education still remains elusive as the quality and access of schooling and basic educational infrastructure remains a challenge. India still suffers from the chronic anomalies in the government dominated educational system. 3 out of 4 of schools in India have one teacher for several classes in a single classroom. 

At present the literacy rate is 74% in India, and it may be noted that there is a gender divide hidden in the average figure, with only 65% literate females as opposed to 82% literate males. Rural India has the lowest literacy rates in Asia.  As India becomes a global outsourcing hub, one portion of India is using its English skills and higher education as a competitive edge over other nations like China, there is the “other” India struggling to become literate or use its education into employable skills to climb up the developmental chain.

Trek to Naneghat and Learning for Life!

I lead a sedentary yet 24x7 lifestyle of a consultant. I like to indulge in epicurean delights. This lifestyle is perfect to make me an indulgent sloth during the weekend. Last Saturday was different, I decided to push myself and enroll for a company trek. Travel is my only respite from the rigors of the corporate life and I decided to make most of my last month in this state. I did some basic research online on the destination Naneghat and non-nonchalantly put in my application and fee. My co-located coworker friends, thought I was far too quick to take an independent decision and we quickly realized that  it wasn't going to be fun if some of us do not go together. So I left it to them to decide the fate of my application. Either all were going or none. Luckily all of were prompt to organise ourselves and met on time for the T-day. Only thing was, that Mumbai rains were playing havoc since Friday night and were showing no signs of halting. 

On the day of the trek, I realized that too many people like me wanted to climb Naneghat at 3000 feet! It was a relief to see some familiar faces too. I was a bit sleepy from last night's movie marathon and my overall laziness was evident from the fact that I decided to wear my worn out Nike pair instead of buying some specific trekking footwear. So far so good, except I had no clue about the actual trek conditions. As my co-trekker, Karsten writes in his blog : it started as if it were a walk in the park to become more tedious.  Ultimately we had to walk through a steeply rocky and slippery pass to reach the peak.  The peak was a rendezvous with the clouds!

Image from: Sanket Sangwikar's blog

Learning from the Trek:


1. You are on your own, even if you are with people with the same goal. 


You may or may not be alone, but you are on your own. Each of us are responsible for our own actions and their reactions or implications. We learn this the hard way but I think if this fact is embedded in our minds, we trust ourselves and our judgement far more than if just think "Oh, I am bound my my circumstances or dependent on choices of X, Y or Z."


2. You can far do better than you think. 

There is a  general tendency to under-promise ourselves and avoid "raising false hopes" with oneself. Self- belief is one thing and the capacity to generate self- belief in adversity is quite another capability. Yes, you may fall sometimes, but you have outdone your beliefs in the past more times than failure! Isn't it?

3. The last mile is the toughest

Atleast for me,  I thought I did pretty well, considering the conditions, but I was drained when it came to the last mile. I was the most stressed at the foot of the peak (was feeling cold, hungry and wet). And there came the help from friends. The motivation they gave me to carry on and see the zenith was worth mentioning!

4. Timing matters

I wouldn't say we were well equipped for contingency. We started late around noon and reached the peak in 3 hours or so. While coming down the hills, it was sun-set already and we found ourselves huddled in a group, with only one torch in between 10 of us!We had no guide with us and no maps, compass or equipment. We just had our primordial instincts to rely upon. As one of my team mates put it, we realised in time we are lost, for our own good. It was timing that we quickly found our pathway (run over by rains) and got back. 

I am glad, I trekked. I am glad I could experience the amazing surprises that life brings to us!

Second Freedom Struggle and Beyond

I never thought I'd see this so soon. A small portion of my heart also never believed that especially the apathetic and heterogeneous Indian mass, erroneously clubbed as the "Great Indian Middle Class"  would be part of the uprising so openly.  Better late than never? Is this the beginning or the culmination of crescendo against the long- standing state oppression? Like most of us, I was unaware of the shape, form or timing of the movement, but I must confess I was discomforted since the past few years by the fact that we as citizens are being too tolerant of the state's growing power over us. Did we too easily accept the struggles of living in a "closed" country? It is possible that we have accepted that we are subjects to be ruled forever: first by colonialists and then by our own chaotic and oppressive authorities. Yes, we are "opening up" our economies and societies, but are we being too confused about our vision for the nation? We are not only a mixed up economy but also a mixed-up nation? Are we undermining our own power and restricting our progress by being less ambitious about the future of our country and the humanity? Do our leaders share our vision of a progressive nation or implicitly work towards keeping us divided, state- dependent and poverty stricken?

For long now, the common Indian is sick of being pointed out as a perpetrator of corruption. So we have been hearing solutions like “Don’t pay bribes” or “Stop Corruption” where he/she feels lost, misguided and completely left in the lurch. This angst combined with the pangs of a growing economy where wants are becoming needs, the rich and well- connected reap the benefits of globalization and marketisation more than the poor and marginalized. These processes are themselves not responsible to get us to this state, but we have been made to believe that they are . In my opinion the reason is that the state has an incentive to keep its subjects dependent and subjugated.  This further pushes the common folks to seek recluse and fan the rise of a cult figures like Anna Hazare, who were previously not understood or scrutinized.

The prompt gagging action of the government and diametrically opposite sloth-like response on being answerable to the citizenry has been the greatest disappointment for me and many others I am sure. Of course the protesters understand that the PM or the government doesn't have a magic wand for removing corruption but he or his government needn't wait for their voices to fade away to be answerable to a nation of a billion!

So I am keener on the fall-outs of the entire episode at this stage. Will we as a nation take this as a turning point and re-define the destiny of the nation? Now, the questions should extend further than just “Do you support Anna or not?”, “Do you support corruption and if not why don’t you protest at Ramlila ground?” It is a time to critically analyze the value addition of the web of bureaucracy and bulky government intervention that we have inherited/ created since the past century. It is a time to enunciate our vision for the nation and realize that the state will oppress the citizens at their cost till we have an aware, sophisticated and proactive citizenry that moves beyond fasting and sloganeering. It’s not to say that we should be condescending w.r.t. these common forms of protest, but let us extend constant constructive debate and due participation in civic, lawful and peaceful processes.

There is no doubt that today, the voice of the people is neglected once the elections are over or when laws or policies are drafted which will concern them. Isn’t this the peril of democracy that once we choose our representatives we find ourselves meek partners in the functioning of the government? Is the demand for “a more direct democracy” feasible when we need to implement a “ functioning democracy” first? How then will we seek greater participation and proactive role in public life?

Though it is definitely the virtue of democracy that we have many avenues available as citizens to be heard, to choose advice and even criticize our choices. The disappointing scenario will be that the junta will be further disillusioned with the “system” and withdraw its participation from grass-root level activism or boycott civic rights such as voting.

Will this nation of young and youthful people, hit the skepticism soon or will it choose to keep questioning those who are there to serve their causes? Will the government aid the nation towards peace and prosperity rather than exert a coercive power over the day – to –day life of the common Indian? Are we bracing ourselves to ask and answer difficult questions?

Learning the Importance of Moth Balls, Suede and Pinch of Salt

Melting Clocks by Salvador Dali:  Art History Guide

Time is a healer. Time is a teacher. Time makes you learn lessons. If you don't learn them , they get repeated. So I try to learn in time. I try to buy time. But it melts. Dali painted the "melting clocks". How profound!

How true were the fun proverbs in school "Life is like an ice-cream, lick it before it melts away." And its all about time. At work, you enter the "time card", you cross the maddening streets of Mumbai to reach your home in time. And time finds you behind it always. You find time for yourself on weekends, and others who have time for you. Time is money in this buzzing city and elsewhere. "You don't have time for me/us/them."

When I escape this city, I have to catch my flights in time. And there was a time, when I'd book trains and buses, but now times have changed. Time has again become money. I buy more time, to spend it elsewhere. I save time. I do 3 things at once.It's been a while, since I wrote here, time has melted away. Time has made me understand that my parents worked so hard all this while...I learnt why small things matter and coagulate into bigger ones.. issues/problems/crises...all different manifestations of change with time.

Well now, It's time to sleep and then wake up. In between is when I'd rule my world. Suddenly, I had so much of it at once that I didn't know how best to utilize it. I shared it, but they wanted more of my time. I tried to earn time by buying appliances, gadgets and fast food. I am still trying to think about the lost time and how many times I have been asked how well I manage it!

Well, do we have a choice? Whoever we are, we share 24 hour day, and that's all we have. Well, we don't know how long we will live...we just have no time. Just one life. Max it. Live it,learn. Because time melts. Times' square, and all we have are pieces.

Reflections on the past 2 years of my MBA

Image: marybethhicks.com

I just want to be able to express all that I can at this moment. I know words have their own limitations and human mind is fickle, and can only remember a fraction of what it absorbs. Still, I don’t want to miss this chance. I don’t want to fade away as one of the many…you know one of many Indians, many MBAs, many girls, numerous youngsters…. and that feeling is strengthened as see swarms of people like me… all waiting to discover and be discovered. At one moment I am feeling so unique and at others I just want to blend in the moment. Sometimes I am in awe of all the brilliant people around me at this point in time and others I just am scoffing at the humanness and vanity of it all. I know it, everything is changing. Everything is changing yet again.

After almost 2 years, I felt settled in…created my network in the city, got familiar with the roads, found out the sundries in the marketplace…and now it’s time to leave it and find a new place. I went through a phase of searching, and being, and finding my own space, my people….losing them….for nothing, for everything….distances just happened and shortened at the same time. I am in a vast milky way, and everything around me is changing, including me! And I think I can figure it out? Bah! Naivety.

In the last 2 years, I’ ve experienced much more than I could ever imagine. When I look back, I get this familiar feeling of being tizzy. The wondrous daze as I call it: it fills you up…all the friends who have helped me to get by; in class, in hostel, in tough times, in fun times, all those who tolerated my jokes and jibes, my unsolicited advice, my interventions in classroom…….BOW!

I first thought I will individually write for all my friends, but I thought, who all are they? Yes, I have been closer to some than others, but it would be unfair to those that I haven’t had the chance to interact with and those I will be interacting closely in the years to come…how will I ensure fairness of tribute? How will I tell each one of them that somewhere in me they have made a difference, and I wish I have somewhere in them too. How will I tell them that given the circumstances, I have felt more than passion to work towards for the institution that has shaped my life? How will I tell these people I wish to be associated with them in whatever capacity I can? How will I express that their feedback and support helped me to get by these years and will do so in the coming years? I don’t care about the cliques and the stereotypes, but I’d like all of us to be proud of being where we are and who we are with. I’d like to know how your years have been…….because after coming here I realized the fluidity of life…that you have to move on……..from next trimester to another, one year to another, one hostel room to another, one day to another, one railway line to another……….and they don’t call it nostalgia for nothing.

I’ve learnt a lot: how to be “cultural chameleon”, how to “strategize”, market a “b-plan”, treat employees as “resources” …one thing I am yet to learn is how to say goodbye without being a little teary- eyed. 

Pet Pooja

I think she came to us at a time when nothing much changed in our lives as a family. The changes were becoming mundane, they merged into day to day life. And here she was, a wish harbored by my brother for long. So we got her, a golden retriever as pet. What is special about these dogs you'd say? They are as lovable as any other dog, yet the difference is that they love to be around with humans and families. They are service dogs, they possess the intelligence to help around. Since a long time, golden retrievers have been used as guide dogs, hunting companions and rescue operation participants. If you see them, they look so friendly with a perpetual smile on their faces. They have a soft mouth (that is they can retrieve things without harming them , hence they were used in hunting games). 

I personally would have liked a guard dog, but golden retrievers are poor guard dogs, as they are really friendly. But after getting a dog here, I would much prefer a family dog.

Coming to Lui, the thing that strikes me about her is that she loves food. No, I haven't yet seen a hungrier puppy...it seems that every meal is an appetizer for her. She is really found of being around humans, and feels comfortable inside the house. 

Its been really long since my family had kept a dog, and living in  house with a dog is different: you can't leave things about, you have to think about the pet's food before yours. So Lui is the harbinger of change into our family. 

What I am learning at B-school

I thought many times of writing the conventional "How I got here" post that could go on about facts about how and why landed up at this prestigious b-school, I gave- up writing it because I find giving staid facts to strangers too boring. I almost came one step closer to putting it down after I finished reading Peter Robinson's "Snapshots from Hell" (and clearly not because its title resonated with my life here). It was because he very aptly describes the charms and travails of the young men and women spoiled with choices ahead: MBA students. The book also describes the issues faced by "poets". I came in this place as quite a half-poet: with management grounding, some one ho has been through the corporate rigmarole and as someone who always believes that there are more real problems to solve than those involving calculus. 

I am a half baked MBA student at this precise moment, but I realise that I am quite in the centerpiece of the usual problem. The problem I have always faced is of abundance and that can be quite a dilemma. I am nevertheless grateful to God for giving me such dilemmas, because I honestly wouldn't like to be in a situation where there is scarcity of choices. Anyhow, learnings have been a plenty. Let me try.........

To say, I entered B-school in quite unfavorable "external environment". The worldwide recession was at its worst in 2009. I cancelled my thought of pursuing international masters dream as India was where the action is atleast for the next decade. I didn't want a "credit squeezed -immigrant" life abroad. It wasn't the best of years to gain corporate exposure in India  too.. work shrinked all around (but I felt overburdened by my own ambitions) and chaos gripped all growing organisations. It was really chaotic as India Inc. bore the uncertainty of the recession hype. It could sense just hype and paranoia. I like my peers here came here to shield the paranoia, to turn into something multiplicatively productive at the end of these 2 years. I came here to be my own woman. 

So this happened. B-school. I found a new family, a new 'home'. Somethings I never imagined would turned up, emerged. Somethings died down. I was looking to restart my life and I can say now that I did the best I could to rise from the embers. Here I met very bright people, extremely competitive, hardworking, emotional people..........stars in their eyes, spring in their step, unimaginable talent......I made great and good friends... all with their set of backgrounds, ideas and culture. I have not been able to appreciate all of them, but I have grown more aware about my own identity, about how I am perceived and what parts of myself  I'd like to polish in midst of this milieu. [A small example: After years of explaining that I am not a Punjabi ( I realised that this side of my personal identity really is weak, I'd rather be called a Delhiite rather than a Punjabi but a thrid person may differ in his views!), I have accepted my true roots and learnt to embrace the positive stereotypes that come along with it. ]

I have become a bit proud after being here for more than a year. Upper class Hindu, DU educated, metro sensibilities at play?? How divisive, you'd say! In marketing lingo, they'd call it 'profiling'!

Any how, back to the point about regaining pride. I was used to reporting to one or two bosses, now I had to work in tandem with many experts (self-professed and real) and peers. I had to acknowledge that sometimes I have to accept team outcomes that are below my personal capacities, because not all teams are equally efficient and I am not the only one in the team. It is just a matter of the team's unique capacities not just individuals. I pride myself that I can give my best in any team circumstance.  

At the same time in many ways, I have humbled down, I have become more self-critical...I can watch myself from a distance, in my head. I have sharpened my instincts, about people, places and decision- making.

I have come to know that I am an independent woman but sometimes I need my set of people. They respect me for who I am and cannot bear my sadness. I learnt how important a family nest is.  I know now how fickle relations can be and I know that may relations follow in between this wide spectrum and that's ok. I am reinforcing these learnings. 

I learnt you cannot lead life too seriously. It is meant to crumble and won't it be nice if you can't just smile at the end of it all. 

I learnt that it's not always about me. I learnt each day that even in a competitive environment there are many kind acts that just compel me to shout "HUMANITY!" 

I learnt that studying in an Indian B-school, you can never lose sight of immediate realities of life and be a really pragmaic person and manager. Too hard headed maybe, but worth it in a turbulent time.

I am learning some day you are at a feast and some days, you have to be the feast.

I learnt that learning and unlearning are essential and that I'd always stay a big fan of both of these phenomena. 

Image: Swaptree

A gripping plot, a potboiler romance set in compelling times of turbulence. All of the above makes this book an irresistible proposition for any bibliophile.

The story trespasses geographies but its roots are set in Alexandria and traces about five decades of turmoil in Egypt. The book is not a mere description of cheesy love affairs and fierce battlegrounds.   The book also gives the reader an insightful account of life in the Middle Eastern countries. The story is set around the incorrigible bond of love between mother and daughter and the romantic liaison between a servant girl Karima and an heir of an English cotton-plantation owner in Egypt. The passionate love has an offspring- Nadia. The twist in tale is a surprise for readers. All I wish to disclose is that Nadia is misplaced and is brought by a Parisian couple, as “Gabrielle”. Karima meanwhile becomes a star singer and all this while mourns for her daughter. As fate would have it, the mother and daughter reunite and form the backbone of the saga.

Soheir Khashoggi is the sister of high profile Arab author and has used her influence to bring to the notice the plight of women in her region to the world. Her novel Mirage was a best seller and highly acclaimed literary work.

I would say the book is racy read for any weekend. It cannot be classified as pulp fiction or a serious novella. It lies somewhere in between, but to the delight of the readers. If you are looking for easy read, then you should definitely give this book a try. 

The One Year Post

                                                    Pic from: seze.net

Its not mandatory to write this annual thing, but I think I should at this point. I had an unexpected year June 2009-June 2010. I never hoped much, partly because I didn't know what to expect. Never thought I'd spend a year as action-packed as this one. Its not a lunar year or a solar year but an academic year that I have spent at MY own pace.......FAST, HECTIC and JAM-PACKED 250/365 days, other hundred days have been leisurely travel and of homecoming. Traveled most of the India now, most of the hot-spots in Goa and Maharashtra, and looking forward to ever more travel and living.  I've tasted so many cuisines, walked so many miles in a crowd/alone, met with so many different people that I look back at this year and fall down DIZZY.  My god. Truly my god. I've (re)discovered so much about myself, about people close to me and there is still so much to learn. I have been slow to open up but have been fortunate that always had a BUNCH of people to share sorrows or joy (and jokes). Got more than expected, the love and respect. It may run out, so I am making th most of it. I want to change somethings, and have traveled a mile, need to carry on further in others.........but strides have been rapid and I know I am a special woman. I know it deep inside, the faith has got reaffirmed. I don't know if I have changed much,  but my inner voice gained some strength, I had given it to something far away and felt choked a year ago, I think I have it back now. I think its something called soul.

Another crossroads, keep moving sign. Any road, just move!

Picture source: NZTA

The question is: Should you move if you are down and out?

So many times I feel I 've taken a decision and I am on my way. It doesn't happen that ways. Though I plan incessantly, think of myself as fairly organised still life has its own way of throwing me off- road. Then, I experience a downhill phase, where as I planned an upward climb. I land back to earth, go through a cycle of denial, and try and rise- up again. I tire myself but in the end look back and forgive myself, for things took a turn that were neither expected and sometimes not even imagined- for better or worse.

* * *

Whatever little I know of horses ( I do like these elegant animals), they hate to stop. It is not easy for horses to wait at one stop before they reach their destination. They are restless animals. They might take a wrong turn but they like to gallop to their destination. I think I have an equine element in my heart.

* * *

Some people say and I'd like to believe that I am strong woman. They are kind to think so, and I pray to god that make me stronger.  But I totally need my family and friends to stand by me firmly. I cannot see them unhappy with the phases I go through.

But I think I am growing wiser...

I understand now why children are still told fairy tales in a tough world. I wondered, "Why do we mislead the young ones with tales of glamour and high hopes?". Its better for children to go through life believing in the power of possible. This is what fairytales do to them: help them have faith in the world around them. So yes, they might wait for magic to happen, but once they start growing up they get the point! I think that's a better way to bring- up kids than show them the big bad world. They stop believing, they are nipped in the bud. I get the point now, how good parenting has helped me believe and cope up with setbacks. I owe to you all,my small and dear family. You help me get out of crossroads, you help me believe. I hope I (can) help you do the same, forever.

Kettle Cooking

Advancements in electronic appliances and food processing industry have come to be a blessing for hostel dwellers like me. I really cannot eat same kind of food 365 days a year and 7 days a week (especially mess food), so there are very few eateries that I patronise regularly. Even when I go out I sometimes do not appreciate too much oil, too much sugar, or too much salt. 

I like to experiment with food and here are some of my little experiments I do with cooking with limited means. Readers would find it amusing that it is not allowed for us to use any appliances in the hostel so shhhhh! I do not have the complete paraphernalia for cooking. What I have is a wonderful Morphy Richards  1.5 L electric jug kettle, a serving dish, a bowl and a table spoon. With just these and some basic grocery items,  I can have a full tea- party in my hostel room!

So with some experimentation, I can now make boiled vegetables, soups, pasta, instant noodles, porridge besides tea and coffee.

Here is a preview:

Maggi Atta Noodles. 
Tip: Half a lemon squeezed over the Maggi can really do wonders, Butter does too, but I'd rather avoid that nowadays :)

Boiled Corn with lemon, pepper and Oregano!
Makes for a very healthy lunch
Tip: You can add tomato ketchup to make it tangier.

Penne Pasta

Rotini Pasta (Soupy Style)

Kettle Cooking Tips:

• One has to be really avoid messing up because each goof-up means more time and energy spent in cleaning the kettle. One way to avoid mess while kettle cooking is to boil atleast 200ml extra water than required.  This can be drained it as a soup or stew once it is boiled but the buffer really helps in hassle- -free cooking. This is especially important in cases like milk based cooking. For example,  I prefer to add extra milk in porridge for example, to avoid the porridge from sticking to the sides of the kettle. 
•  I prefer keeping kettle cooking oil or butter- free, but if you are not that health freakish, adding some butter avoids sticking out too. 
•  I like to brew the tea/ coffee after sugar is added. There is a brew mode in the kettle that  use for this. It helps retain the favor. 
• Clean the kettle as soon it cools down, usually after 5 minutes. If you let it stay, crusting happens its tougher to clean thereafter. 
• Besides the cleaning up, kettle cooking is real good fun: saves time and you can have piping hot food anytime of the day.
• The downside: Increased consumption of processed food, but then one can boil vegetables or corn like I do to make it healthier. 

Coming up next:

• I haven't tried boiling an egg but I am sure that can be done too, and I can make an improvisation of Singapore noodles or egg salad too: that's next on my list!

A Match Made in Heaven?

"See we gotta get it right but we always get it wrong 

And it be the same old thing and it be the same old song 

Here we go one more time here we go one more time

Now we Spinnin' yeah we spinnin' 

Yeah we spinnin' now we spun "

- Lyrics from Flipsyde's Spun, the song I am listening to right now

Words out of Sania Mirza's life? Who knows, except the divine matchmaker!?

Today's latest celebrity scoop that the tennis damsel is going to marry Shoaib Malik comes as a bolt out of the blue for many readers. In 2007, she said she is struck by Shoaib Akhtar , later she ends up getting engaged to her childhood sweetheart,  Sohrab Mirza ..and now, she is all set to be married to cricketer Shoaib Malik  . 

Ain't she an ace at being in the news  for everything but tennis!?

But lets, assess for the sake of putting some sense out of this game, will this cross-border marriage work? A marriage where 2 celebrity sports-people from enemy-nations are involved, one serving a sports ban and one recuperating. Both of them have had "hyderabadi heartbreaks" (apparently Malik was engaged to a certain Ayesha Siddiqui from Hyderabad).  Moreover, they are likely to be in the media glare, even on a neutral turf like Dubai (where they plan to settle for now). Former Pak opener Mohsin married actress Reena Roy  in the 1980s but it did not last. 
Or maybe the "external environment" does not matter, what matters is that the families agree and as sports persons they support each other in their careers..a very happy ending to this rocky start. It is a million dollar question but always an interesting when one Sania is involved. Marry she will to anyone in sight, but she is firstly betrothed to controversy!

Quizzing and Competing!

It was a wonderful experience, being one of the teams at the Tata Crucible Quiz's stage! Out of 120 teams that participated in the Mumbai regional rounds , and we girls managed to crack the finals. The questions were all based on lateral thinking and business awareness (a lot of them were about Tatas though!). We got more than 50% of the questions right in the prelims and were confident of qualifying. In the next rounds, we did try our best but lost out with just a question in the buzzer round. Learning: Not only the correct answers get counted but the speediest ones.Only one team moved to the National finals, and indeed they deserved the win. We came back with a renewed vigour for contesting next year and a couple of great prizes!

Quiz master Pickbrain's quizzing is fast paced and witty and I enjoyed the questions thoroughly. Another satisfying thing was that I found an excellent quizzing partner in my class, Chika, she is very bright and is as interested in quizzing as I am. I 've been part of Delhi University quizzing circuit and Brand equity quiz and have continued being part of quizzes since school (used to be the only girl competing in sports quiz then!), but I think 2010-11 is my only good chance of taking on some serious wins. Quest begins, and this is something I would surely enjoy!

Music and Memories

Photo: Long back, Garry and I won 2nd prize at a collage making competition, the nerds that we were (are), finding (some strange?) infinite joy in Trigonometry .. we called it "Dreams Unlimited"

On an afternoon just like the one today..oh no, I don't think I 'd be feeling the same like the one I am talking about. Today I 've got the time and space to think about the many that went by. Then, I was different. Everything around me was well, different. I was in a different space, but somewhere it feels deja vu. I get it, its the track that's playing in the background. Music evokes feelings and I love the emotional experience, the power it has to change your mood, thinking and actions! 

And I think about the days I used to dance to MTV playing in the TV room whenever my favourite track came, and those when I had a walkman, and that felt like the greatest gift from God. I just downloaded some songs of the "era", and I feel I am back there: a teenager, singing about feelings I didn't know then but know now. Maybe I 'll understand some songs better a few years down the line. 

I don't think I' ve spent a single day without listening or singing something. I 've lived in a musically inspired family and that helped alot. I love muzzzzzzaaaaaaaaaaaaaak ! 

Bailout Season

It's everywhere, this word. A concept that was in our psyche since time immemorial but has really caught on in the public space recently. The rationale of having someone look after you  in bad times or in case you default has been extended to companies (US auto industry, Indian banking industry), country governments (Greece), and individuals (doles). It is a policy challenge/dilemma for all. Should you bailout someone? Should you be bailed out? On what conditions should the bailout take place? I think the real question is : is their a REAL bailout? Or is it a mindset that drags you to make mistakes confidently, let someone be responsible for your failings by giving away your freedom temporarily?

Another viewpoint would say that we live in a symbiotic space where even the flapping of a butterfly's wings causes effects, so in view of this bailouts could be seen as a natural process. Sometimes I save you, sometimes you save me.  

Ideally, one should strive to create a system (family, organisation, institution) where accountability is encouraged, where risk taking should be promoted. In such a system, people should be encouraged to reveal problems before they snowball. If they are reluctant to open up, the likelihood that they will hide systemic faults will be detrimental. At the same time, bailouts should not be ad-hoc but rule based. 

Women's Day Musings

I am proud to be a woman, fortunate to have been raised- up to believe in myself, find a meaning in my life and assist others to make meaning. As a woman and foremost, a human being, I  am blessed by god to partake the responsibilities of a higher order. God has designed women to be attractive, more expressive , more tolerant and well they come with certain 'conditions': she has to be protected and cared for.

Best Thing about Being A Woman, and the Worst.......

I love that as women we have many more avenues of self- expression: color, clothes, cosmetics, crying...........

What I dislike about women in general is that they have a tendecy to be openly jealous. I hate sterotyping but these are my generalisations in this short life journey.

Best Woman in my Life

Mother. The first one I have seen. I see her face in Mother Mary, Goddess Durga, Kali and Saraswati. The best thing about my mom is her ability to adapt so well...how she can be strict at one moment and completely cutesy at another one.

When the Mind Is In Sufficient Chaos

I think I've figured out, what life is.
A journey, a test of mettle
Where everything pivots
Around Winning and Losing
Essentially Trying.
We win some and lose some
and the rest of the time
We seek something,
which will make us feel
the same rush of adrenaline,
That we feel when we are winning.

The wise men said we are actors
who play ourselves and someone else
real and illusionary
fair and contradictory
So we play the game
Roll the dice
and feel we are in charge.

I think we are in a giant ocean
Trying to stay afloat
While we take plunges in deep sea oft
Gulp saline, and recover
Only to find that shores are tough to find
But we like the search
We like the ride on the waves
We like the unbridled freedom
and we like it when
We have someone to hold us out in the midst of a storm.
In the end, we are all
               Floating weeds
                         Aimless algae
                                    Weak Anemones.

(Deadfish Photo by gogo, Baga beach)

Guest lecture by Upendra Namburi, GE Money

Bridging the gap between theory and practice, we had Upendra Namburi, and alumnus of our B- school and presently the Vice President - Partnership Cards to address us students. He is an eloquent expert on product development by using consumer and market insights. I feel its best to learn from someone who's been in the helm of affairs. His presentation was not ostentatious with fancy Power point slides (After all, he seemed to be an ardent supporter of cutting the fluff and focusing on good ideas). He made 5 pertinent points about his career's learnings: 

1) Buck stops with me: The attitude while performing any job should be "What all would I have to make this yield the final outcomes". A job done with a sense of ownership yields positive results. 

2 )Keep on eye the ball : It is important to keep a tab on the action and your key result areas ("numbers"). 

3) Walk the Talk: Leaders ought to do what they preach. Those who do, can motivate people to follow them.Set an example before your preach. 

4) Face your Ghosts: It is important and often a painful process to recognize your weaknesses. Once you do, identify work that seems difficult to you and try to do it yourself or seek assistance from those who possess the skills that you lack.   

5) Murphy Rules: It is about the Execution: No, its not about ideas. Its all about who executes, and who executes it well. 

All in all, I think he spoke about what is really a reality in the corporate life and the unwritten rules that guide it. I sought a clarification about the first point: often people in the organisation do not like it when you overstep their authority or so as to say "organisational role" if you are the kinds who takes initiative and "want to do it all'. I liked Namburi's answer, he explained the thin line between THINKING that you own it, and DOING a job as if you own it. The attitude should be such that "I am responsible for the results" though the action may be manifested through a team. That is called being a team player I guess.

Upendra Namburi's blog : Loyalty Redefined

Wisdom from Weimar

“Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute;
What you can do, or dream, you begin it;
Boldness hath genius, power, and magic in it,
Only engage, and then the mind grows heated.
Begin; and then the work will be completed. “

- Johann Wolfgang Goethe

Read at http://robinsamuel.blogspot.com/

"Everyone's doing it"

Summary of an article by Robert M Green published in Business Ethics Quarterly 

("Everyone's doing it" abbreviated as EDI hereon)  

EDI: A Moral Justification 

- EDI is often an excuse to seek a bail out from an repercussions of an action which is widespread but less than ideal (e.g mitigate a punishment of a crime by offering EDI as a justification)

- In business, one often justifies a moral compromise under the garb of "competition is doing it too" 

But, 

1) Moral Conducts are Situational

- There might be situations where if you do not participate in the widespread (though immoral) behavior, you may be penalised for non-conformance (a common example I can think of is ragging) or suffer a personal harm or loss (casting couch)

- In business, these might be situations like offering or accepting a bribe, which may be classified as EDI by the party who commits it 

2) Moral Conducts  are Perceived Differently by Different People

- Some communities may have differing view of what is moral and what is not. 

- When the belief or moral value of majority is offered as a rationale to establish superiority,  EDI !

So, when can you morally justify EDI? (This is quite complex now)

When atleast first 4 out of these 5 conditions stand valid  : 

1) If refraining from the behavior do not cause you or your loved ones harm

2) If indulging in this activity will not harm others 

3) If this act becomes public knowledge, others will not engage in a substantially harmful act 

4) If this becomes public knowledge, your refraining from this behavior will not lead others to refrain from

it

5) Your refraining from this behavior will not unavoidably lead others to engage in it in ways that are substantially more harmful than would have been the case had you chosen to engage in it yourself

(Note: Phew, so my things  we do then will be immoral!) 

So I simplify it for you: 

1) Assess the cost of refraining on yourself (your loved ones a part of your-self)

2) Are you by refraining or doing this act harming others? 

3) Are you setting an example for others? Is it positive? Or detrimental? 

4) Is the act publically permissible? 

An act therefore is morally permissible if it does not harm self or others and the "actor" does not merit punishment or blame for doing so. 

Conclusion : 

Essentially the author is saying that being an ape is not the way to survival in the human civilisation. One has to have a logic in conducting business and self. We must consider the context, repercussions and compassion to analyse the situation to act. 

How do you decide whom to trust?

Photo: By me, at Kalaghoda Arts Festival

Well, what a silly question you may ask. But takes a lot to start trusting people. Trust is a prerequisite to any relationship: momentary or life long, loose ties or strong.  So for example, how do you tell whom to ask the direction while driving? How do you then decide to trust this 'chosen' person. Although it might be random to spot a person to ask the way, there is a lot of activity to finally decide whether to take his word or not. If that person was right and he/she helped you thank your "judgement" or "luck".  

How to you learn to trust your mother? No one remembers, okay but still let me guess. Based on our  experiences with our mother (caring and protecting attributes) we have slowly developed a keen sense to lean on our judgment more than the random factor or luck. Now the trust comes up intuitively. Take any other example, and you will find that after a while, a certain randomness in judging people gives way to a more organised and conceptual (though sub-conscious)  algorithmic process (logic). We have a mental check box, which probably starts from physical manifestation (way they appear, way they behave and way they express) to a meta-physical one (way they think, react and judge). Its intriguing to me, all this. I know that I keenly rely on both my intuition and logic to trust people in my day to day life, though I ll leave it to the psychologists to find out how the intermingling happens. I do go wrong, though like everyone in trusting some people: sometimes because they are good at putting up a facade and at other times, because I missed the fine print. 

What a Waste of A Day Today

I hate whiling away time. Just hate it when I lunge around the house contributing little to what I am supposed to do. But I know that I can go to whatever extent to avoid what I truly hate to do. Of course there are times when things move slowly, and I am okay with it...but I get this feeling there are ladders to climb, and I am just palsying around.

What's the Best Blessing?

How do you wish someone well, truly from the heart? What do you say to them that you wish that no harm come to them, especially if they are really close to you? How to you express them that you truly wish the best, knowing quite well that often in life there are times when they might not quite get what they want. There are blessings that I have heard elders give to the young, traditional Indian ones, which if roughly translated mean "Be blessed and fructify, may you be bathed in milk!". Then there are exclamations like "May you live long!", "Wish you all the luck" or "God bless you". 

Question Question! Then, what is the best blessing? What would I want to really wish if I want to wish them the best? I have come to understand that wishing that nothing should go wrong is idealistic. While blessing, one cannot anticipate that things would go wrong too. How do I wish so that I remain true to it?
So a realistic blessing would be "I wish that God gives you the strength to overcome any setback." To learn to be a phoenix is a blessing. The best blessing that would work in dark times, provide strength when there is none. I have come to know in times when you really need some external motivation, counting such blessings helps you tide over.

Ethics class musings

Somehow, our business ethics classes are very interesting. I swear , only a few other things interest me besides well- presented opinions and a crafty discussion.  The facilitator of our course has a point of view, sometimes rather controversial (she gets ultra- defensive sometimes). A generation gap is evident (she tries hard to connect to our generation, often in vain), and so her context: she is a yoga practitioner, a fan of scriptures, a mother of 3 and half year old daughter. She is rather patriotic and has a soft corner for all things noble and charitable. The delivery of the classes apart,  the content she brings to the course is worth reflecting. These classes are not heavy and sapping, and a refreshing respite for me. I just hope they took place in a garden or a nice picnic spot, where a huge group gathered for a battle of the minds, beliefs and wits. 

Each day is a test, that is what I have realised. Its a test of our ethics and integrity, and our decision making capacity. it is about ethics, and we hardly need classes for that. Yet, its a good idea to thing about "What Ifs" and present your opinion. My mom now thinks such discussions and pondering are a waste of energy, but  I miss times when my mom used to oblige me for long discussions on ethics over long walks and trips. I think now I am too busy for it too, and she is recuperating. Ethics are work in progress, nothing wrong or right, just real. 

Golden Baritones: My Favorite Male Vocalists

Scott Stapp: 


Lead singer of Creed, now gone solo. Love his deep voice, meaningful lyrics and the ability of his songs to powerfully believe in them. He can inspire a calm rebellion in the head.  


Image from: Jordan White's blog 






Eddie Vedder: 


Lead singer of Pearl Jam. The altern-god. Can you imagine "Jeremy", "Green Disease" without him? Recently got introduced to his song "Hard Sun". Love his song's lyrics and the rough yet velvety quality of the voice.

Image from babble.com

            

Bruce Springsteen 

He ain't the Boss for nothing. There is something reassuring and comforting about his voice. Powerfully nostalgic, evoking deep-seated memories. He could be a vocal shaman.

Image from: Friends of Music, wordpress

Chris Martin:

Lead singer of Coldplay. Messiah of anemic rock. He has a mysteriously smooth vocal quality, not a baritone exactly but a versatile and pleasant voice.

Image from zimbio.

                                                     Hariharan
Ever since he sang "Krishna" as part of Colonial Cousins, I have been his fan.       "Ay Hairathe" is made for him. Bless him and AR Rehman!

Chad Kroeger

Lead singer and co-guitarist of Nickelback. True rock-star, Perfect baritone. To die for! Just sing my name once !

Image from: mysticgames.com 

CK Prahalad's lecture on "Sampoorna Azadi for India"

Sixty years of being a republic, sixty three years of being a free nation, but is India really free? Prof.  CK Prahalad, one of the most influential thinkers and strategists of our times, spoke at the Nani Palkhiwala Memorial Lecture in Mumbai on Jan 14, 2010. He spoke about the need for socio-political innovations that would change the landscape of India for good, and help it achieve its potential. The title of his lecture was : 'From Sampurna Swaraj to Sampurna Azadi: The Unfinished Agenda',

I agree with the professor that we miss Gandhiji's leadership in the current times.  His was a unifying leadership but today we lack leaders who can  "reinforce Indianness to the masses with clarity and force". What could be so Indian about us? The vibrancy of our existence, if I may say. 

Prof. Prahlad calculates that corruption costs India 2.5 crore. How he arrived at this number is noteworthy. He also cites key data regarding how wasteful our elections are. The 2009 Lok Sabha elections are reported to have cost the country Rs 10,000 crore. Of this, Rs 1,300 crore was spent by the Election Commission and Rs 700 crore by the Centre and state governments. The remaining Rs 8,000 crore were spent by political parties and individual candidates. So are we a poor nation? We are an unequal nation, we are driven by dirty politics and the we the people have to be responsible for cleaning the system. 

He talked about what we all know: need for education and electoral reforms, but what I found most impressive is that he advocated a shift of focus of policy and decision-making from minorities and special rights to on individual rights and meritocracy. Hence he gave a thumbs up to projects like UID, local governance and e-governance. I met professor after the lecture to congratulate him and he obliged for an autograph as well.

A Landmark Birthday

So, I am 25 today. I enter a new quarter. A phase where I need to take responsibility of people and things, a move from being dependent on others. A move to consolidate and advance achievement, accomplish dreams, be productive and live life with zest. To make a difference, to strive, to love and contribute. So my first birthday  away from home, different in many ways and similar in some. Missed my folks but getting used  to new friends and environs. Glad and contented neverthless with the jouney of life. I 've always got more than I wanted. I planned less, god has given me more, so I am very happy, overwhelmed and hopeful. God, just want peace on earth, grant me my wish.

Coldplay - The Hardest Part / Postcards From Far Away

Current obession

And Mom said "Don't Play with your Food"

Campus Snapshots

Early morning, the lane that leads to my current residence

The residence

And you can tell the girls live here, notice the teddy bear hanging out to dry on the 2nd floor!