Think please !

A snippet from the news channel telecast last evening is the inspiration, if you wish, for this blog entry – “Thousands of people across the country are showing their support to Anna Hazare. People in Gujarat are showing their support by getting together and clinking dishes and spoons in unison”… (it may sound ridiculous, but true!)”

Of late, I have developed this habit of getting into “healthy” debates about issues – social ones. For instance, my husband and I got into discussing the issue of reservations in our education system. No, it’s not all complaining and cribbing; but as educated and informed individuals, we formed (or reinforced) strong opinions quite contrary to the entire hoopla surrounding it.

“Anna’s campaign”, “Team Anna”, “People march, Government crawls”, “Down with corruption”… these phrases are used by one and all. Witty one-liners on Facebook and Twitter were never liked more or re-tweeted this often. Thanks to the media journalists… (P.S. ever thought you guys could have had made a decent career in marketing as well?). I wonder if the people who are supporting Anna in herds by innovative means, have really thought through of what they are supporting. Are you saying that -
1. Anna “be allowed” to fast?
2. the Lokpal bill be formed by the civil society alone?
3. the PM be brought under the purview of the Lokpal?
4. the bill, once drafted, be passed immediately in the Parliament?
5. the bill is our answer, our bhrahmastra, to eradicate corruption?

There are a number of things that I could have listed. And you will agree despite assuring one or all of those (if that is possible) is not going to be an all encompassing solution. The agenda is not only long, it is disconnected.

In my personal opinion, anyone who wants to fast can do so, without having to take permission, by his right to freedom. Women in Indian households have been holding God to ransom for centuries with their weekly and monthly fasts. However, prior to this thought, one should also think whether it is reasonable to threaten (and I say threaten because it is just that) someone by fasting-unto-death! Yes, Gandhi may have pioneered this thought and many have subscribed to it; as they have subscribed to his other ideas and philosophies. But is that going to help you achieve your objective? Will fasting unto death ensure that your version of the Lokpal is placed in the Parliament? Will that ensure that the same version is approved? Will public support from all strata of the society ensure (so called) “Anna’s victory”. Over and above all these issues, what logical thought process leads you to believe that it, the very Lokpal, will reduce or eradicate corruption from our society?

With due respect to Anna Hazare and his colleagues; I want to believe that they know what their destination is and the means to reach it. However, my main concern lies with the “aam junta” who is following blindly and is quite opinion-less. Yes, your support in large numbers is shaking the government; they are concerned because you are their vote bank. They are worried about certain social elements running amok, wrecking havoc and causing damage to public life and property; and this episode haunting them during their next election campaigns. Manish Tiwari’s foot-in-the-mouth episode where he retorts that Anna is deep in corruption – is that your victory against the government? People like Anna Hazare, Kiran Bedi et al, given their attitude and aptitude, will strive for this cause regardless of hundreds supporting them or millions supporting them.

My earnest request to people is to THINK! Anna can make a difference using his Gandhian ways. The question really is, given your position and profession, what can you do? I refuse to believe that protesting on streets in front of TV cameras can be your only claim to fame. If corruption is what you are fighting against, does it exist only at the center of big scams? Does it not lie in the depths of your mind? Are not envy and green buried in the pits of corruption? Are these attributes not human, or are they diseases that inflict only the affluent and powerful? Can it entirely and truly be eradicated then? However, I want you to rationalize at this point that corruption can be kept in check. There can be governance structures that can contain it, if not completely eradicate it. Although I am not aware of the fine print of the Lokpal bill; it could be one such governance structure. At your level and mine, the grassroots, we can make a difference by dealing with these diseases at the core of the society, thy self.

We have known certain things to be a boon as well as a bane. Recognize that the media also has an unpledged alliance; it is not unbiased as it is supposed to be or thought to be. Let us be sure of what we are working towards and what our actions shall bring on. Yes, let’s get every penny, which we pay as a tax, accounted for. Let us also account for our actions. Let them not be acts of a puppet dancing to a tune – sometimes sung by sadhus and sadhvis , by activists or by some joker running a news channel or newspaper.

The Office Corner

It is at the farthest end of the office space; and it is not a separate demarcated area. Invisible boundaries, if you will, define that space of somewhat 6’ x 6’. Special qualities this spot has, for people, their thoughts, their words undergo a dramatic change within it. It is often said that the computer is a window to the world, where one can go miles away and do things at a click. But this spot, a few feet away from the “window to the outside world”, is a window to the world within.
We frequent this spot with cups of steaming coffee or tea. While cribbing about the current state of affairs is a daily ritual; it is also a platform that oftentimes veers the discussion towards each one’s aspirations; sometimes towards trivia drawn from the richness of experience. In speech they sound similar to the great deeds of men of history. We live those moments of past and also conjure a life beyond the present moment. Even if it is for the briefest moment, we give the larger landscape of our lives a genuine thought – we dream! The spot may be just a few tens of meters above the ground, but it has the potency to deliver us into a world of our own; albeit for a flash of the moment.
I have seen people become less guarded and diplomatic, more open, liberal and ever more expressive. I have seen them in a different light here – ordinary techies transforming into unordinary people who have sold big ideas to CIOs, been the one man army during difficult times only to be sidelined in good times, I have seen dreamers who shall own a restaurant and tapas bar someday, dreamers with immense confidence in their solutions to national issues too! I have heard words spilling out that would otherwise have been safely guarded.
Why, you would wonder, does this topic even deserve to be in my blog, or devour character space at all? It is humbug, hogwash... emotional atyaachaar “literally”!!
Well, I just had a few intriguing thoughts about this office corner. Is it solely the complexity of nature-made human mind that pans out such transformations? Or does the man-made office corner have an unfathomable effect of its own? Most of you will say, “Clearly, it’s the former”. Hold on a minute - stop and think of those spaces which have brought tranquility or agitation each time you visited it. Some of you would have witnessed that a particular place brings back the same or similar thoughts (not memories mind you, but thoughts which are barely associated with that place). Recollect those times when you felt the surroundings come alive; when you thought – “This place, there’s something about it!”
While you look for your “office corner”, I am headed to mine… Tell me if you have already found yours :)

Peaking at the right time

This is Dhoni’s motto for the world cup. Is team India really struggling against minnows or is it simply underplaying their prowess? Instinct tells me that it is the latter. While I believe logic can explain both possibilities, here is my take on Dhoni’s captaincy and team India’s performance so far.

Against Bangladesh, it was pure revenge and besides what could be a more spectacular opening to the 2011 World Cup; even the best fireworks display would have paled against the fine display of shots. Moreover, Sehwag had a lot of work to do for the words he spoke and the strokes he played (or did not play) pending from 2007.

Against England, it was a true clash of equals and the results are testimony to it.

Against Ireland, I would certainly not say India struggled. It was more of a strategic gamble that Dhoni orchestrated. When he played Chawla, he was testing his form for future games. When he chose to field, he was testing his side to chase in case luck would not favor him in an important toss. The top order did not seem to crumble, rather it looked like it was on the agenda to have all the 7 batsmen come out and play. Amongst the seven, four made decent contribution (relative to the target) at the SR of 65. Yusuf Pathan, the last batsman in, was told to play his part, i.e. wind up the match, and he shone with a SR of over 100. Our bowling is not an asset and therefore attributing any strategy to it would be overkill.

Yesterday, against Netherlands – again Dhoni’s men may have found it to their advantage to underplay to some extent and ease a bit of the hype and expectation built around them. After all, expectations have been known to build pressure and bring down the mightiest. I must note here that I hold both Ireland and Netherlands in great respect for showing absolute resilience until the match result. Their spirit for the game is commendable.

And now a bit for team India on a whole - the batting line up, the bowling attack and fielding.

While I do not believe that India is the best side in this World Cup as it lacks the bowling attack, what I do believe that if India ever had a good chance to lift the World Cup, it is now. More than it has ever had since the year I was born (1983). Point to note, even then, it was not considered as a side that could lift the coveted Prudential. However, in hindsight our “gifted” commentators and analysts can do all – derive strengths (that were not), admonish weaknesses, create opportunities (and Gods) and tell off threats in a manner most convincing!

Our bowling attack is relatively no better or worse; while comparing with our past let’s save for aberrations like Kumble we have been lucky to have in the recent times. To put it more aptly, it is in a confused state. Spinners don’t deliver, part-time bowlers contribute brilliantly (read Yuvraj) and what did you say.. pace.. eh what? In my opinion the only one in decent and consistent form is Zak. He may not have peaked (in his captain’s words) but he hasn’t failed so far either. Chawla got plain lucky when Dhoni decided to give him one more chance and play against the Dutch. I hope Dhoni puts Ashwin to test in our next games instead of Chawla. That would be an indication of his gameplan as I see it.

Fielding is something what our players do when they ain’t batting, bowling or warming the benches. I wonder if it means anything beyond this to most of our players. As Dhoni candidly put it after the clash with Ireland, “Our fielding will be the same. Our exceptional fielders can get better but the slow ones will remain slow”.

And finally for Mr. Captain … I believe he is amongst the best and coolest captains India has had, not only by his win ratio but more importantly by the way he uses his head. He has in him what a captain should – he exuberates confidence when he conducts himself (unlike Azhar who learnt by rote what to say in an after match presentation). He understands that each player has a different motivating factor, some need to be provoked to perform; with some others he offloads pressure if required. And if he thinks criticizing the team on national TV for fielding will push them to perform, he has the audacity to do it. He maintains a good balance - shields and exposes his team as he deems fit. In sum, he takes calculated risks and is open to experiments. Sometimes they fail, but he ensures each one takes away a lesson from it.

With this I shall end my long blog and hope that the Men in Blue do indeed peak at the right time. While some of you may call this line of analysis wishful thinking, to each one his own.

Please bring home the coveted cup… !!!

Kit-Kat Break Banta Hai …

Despite being humans, we begin our day like machines would. Everything is timed, subconsciously if not knowingly. Today was no different for me. Knowing that the alarm had snoozed twice, I could allow myself 30 minutes to dash out of the house and make it for the bus in time. The bus arrived, I found a seat, out came my earphones; and almost automatically switched to FM and ….
“Mana ki life bahut busy hai, par kabhi kabhi …..
….Kit-Kat break banta hai!”

And it had begun. No, I did not see squirrels singing a duet! But I noticed things that I would not have otherwise. This blog is about those visuals and their coherence with the songs playing in my head.

Along the highway was a teenager clad in her school uniform, sitting by her mother and helping her in the farms. Another girl, a friend perhaps, frantically waved out to her and she scrambled out of the fields with her books and onto to the local bus. And the song playing in my head was “Badal pe pao hain…”

Further ahead was a patch of dry with a lonely but verdant tree at its midst. A tire swing hung from one of its many massive boughs, a simple yet entertaining sport for a bunch of kids that took shelter from the sweltering sun. And the song playing in my head was “Dil chahta hai…”

And this one takes the cake – a young boy, not more than 4 years may be; on the first floor balcony was holding the toothbrush to his mouth with the most bored and lethargic looks on his face. It suddenly lit up when he saw something below. It was a young girl being dropped to school by her father. The change of expression on his face was most amusing. And the song playing in my head was “Dar lagta hai ishq karne mein ji… Dil toh bachha hai ji”

Here the medley ended on a high note as I reached office. The lady guard at the gate said “Kaise hain madam, Good morning”. As if her greeting me was not unusual enough, when I offered her my laptop bag for checking, she smiled and replied “Rehne do madam, roz ka kaam hai. Pass to hota hi hai aapke paas.” I don’t know what change had overcome this lady! This lady would not allow me to pass through the gates if I were holding the ID card in my hand instead of wearing it around my neck.

Perhaps, she too was taking a Kit-Kat break ;)

Shakespear's sonnet in "modern" English

If we had it our way, one of the most famous of William Shakespear's sonnet would read somewhat like this -

Whn my luv swears dat she s made of truth
I do blieve her, tho I knw she lies,
Dat she mite think me sme untutored uth,
Unlearned in da world's false subtleties.
Dus vainly thinkin dat she thinks me young.
Altho she knws my days r past da bst,
Simply I credit her false speaking tongue:
On both side thus s simple truth suppressed:
But whr4 sez she nt she s unjust?
And whr4 say nt I that I am old?
Oh! luv's bst habit s in seeming trust,
N age in luv luvs nt 2 hav yrs told:
Dare4 I lie wid her n she wid me,
N in our faults by lies we flattered b.

In our endeavor for speedy communication, one of the channels man explored was quicker methods of writing – he invented shorthand and then came what we now call the “txt lingo” or “sms lingo”. This language was solely introduced (and is continually being developed) as a means for short, written communication. As with everything, we yearn to widen the scope of utility; while our attempt at this has only proved quite unfortunate in this case; because on our way forward, we lost the importance of it being meant for short and written communication.

I have often come across social updates and emails that are as long as letters and are written in this awfully irritating language which when read aloud sound like words emanating from someone suffering from serious speech impediment. Yes, these new so-called languages reduce the writer’s effort as it brings down the character count. But somewhere at the reader’s end, it counters this advantage. His normal flow of reading is disrupted by the incessant hold-ups in identifying what “cld” really means - “could” or “cold”? And whether the closing line “LOL” really meant “lot’s of love” or “laughing out loud”? You could argue that one can figure out the meaning with the context in place; but hey! Can you really expect someone to build a context when he’s still trying to tie some meaningless words together?

What is worse is that we have now started talking in this language. We combined “tell me” to “temme” not just in written form but also in spoken English; while of course “let me check” became “lemme chk” when written and “lemme check” when spoken. God knows if we had the supreme power to pronounce words without vowels, we would do so! What’s unnerving however is when we use “ma” for “my”, “da” for “the” and “fa” for “for” as we speak. Imagine this… “I am going for the movie with my friends” actually sounds like “m goin fa da movie wid ma frenz”. I came across a smart butt who “by mistake” wrote on a chat window “I’ll send that 2 u” and then immediately followed it with a correction “dat*”. I say, that may have sounded “kewl” but supremely lame as well.

While we understand the need for quicker messaging, let’s just stick to messages and not speeches where we use this language. Leave some respect for what is really called modern English as against the old Shakespearean English.

Just another day?

Stuck in traffic and late for an appointment, waiting at the airport endlessly for your flight, calls that upset your schedule...well, most of us detest such disruptions in schedule and everything else that affects a change in your plans. I do too. The perfect day would be when nothing went wrong or when everything happened the way you planned it; be it a weekend getaway, day at work or simply getting the daily chores done. At the end of such a day you are left feeling satisfied. “Lovely life” - you would say... or would you?

Sunday mornings always begin with a lazy and elaborate breakfast. Monday morning blues begin to set in from Sunday night. You do not even care to notice the Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays that pass by... they are all the same. And then, thank-god-it’s-Friday!!; Because Saturday nights are definitely wild and fun. And then ... there is this one day, like today, when you find the time to ponder and look at your life from high above, as an outsider. We all like to settle down and lead a good life but that challenge of walking a tight rope allures you. You want to break the monotony, however peaceful it may be. Satisfied you are, but there is no excitement. There are memories, but not a memorable event that you want to relive.

If you were told to think of the most memorable day of your life, I would bet it wasn’t a regular one. Yes, you could come up with milestone events like your graduation day or your wedding day. Excepting them, the one that would be etched in your memory would be a gross aberration from routine. So vivid it would be that you could probably recount every detail with unimaginable precision. When you see your life go by in the flash of a moment, you see these days.

Deviations from routine are an opportunity for us to convert the mundane stuff into a memory. one day, smile at that face you see almost every day at the crossing, take time to share a joke from your days as a scout with a bunch of kids, buy a drink for that solemn-looking solitary face at the bar; for your presence in their lives, albeit brief, is a novelty. Take off for the weekend without a destination or agenda in mind; you may end up having the most relaxed trip. Try not to follow a recipe; you may end up with a unique blend. Don’t just let these deviations happen; welcome them ... embrace them, for they add a touch of colour and vigour to our otherwise gray lives.

The Verdict

The streets of Mumbai rang with the sound of crackers. An expression only resorted to on occasions of happiness and sometimes success like weddings and festivals. But in stark contrast, the occasion yesterday was a man being sentenced to death.

“Yeh hamara tareeka hai” (This is our way); Judge M.L. Tahaliyani was quoted in the Times of India dated May 7. As expected, the media is galore with speculations on the verdict; is it appropriate? Capital punishment? Human rights? To all this there is one response from the judge that could put all these arguments to rest - “The common man will lose faith in courts if they give inadequate punishment.”

Truly, capital punishment for Ajmal Kasab does not mean the end of terror. Neither does it mean that justice has been done; for the masterminds and the accomplices are still unknown and at large. The danger is no less. Some minds are crafted to sacrifice their life for certain personal causes. Does the verdict deter them? No, the verdict also does not guarantee that no such attack shall occur again. In short, the event will be celebrated and forgotten soon, only to be unearthed by the media when another terror attack happens.

But despite the status quo, we find relief in this end. Personally, I am not in strong favour of or vehemently against capital punishment. But in cases like this one, where there is no guilt or regret and the audacity to defend oneself of such cold-blooded murder and conspiracy, I feel no remorse in celebrating the verdict. Not even on humanitarian grounds, for what happened then was nothing but demonic.

Call it the dark side of me, but to me the verdict and that too so quickly, has come across as a reinstating faith in the Indian judicial system. Thank you Judge Tahiliyani, your verdict, as difficult as it may have been, has brought cheer to many.

The Biker

They were the sole reason for my being less respectful towards the bike-riders. Before you take offence, I am only talking about those bike-riders who cut lanes and zoom past traffic lights without paying much heed to their colour. They generally ride alone, making their way through the busy streets, twisting and turning their bikes through the narrowest of gaps. Most of us with a sane eye can tell when the traffic was bad or worse and when it was a delight to drive. For them, it’s a “freeway” all the time; literally.

I saw him frequently. I never saw his face; but his brown jacket, black shoes and helmet (with a peculiar image of an orange cross), was enough to indicate that he was indeed the same man. Like an outlaw, he cruised his way ahead and vanished out of sight before the curses mouthed by his fellow commuters reach his ears. He zoomed past the traffic lights as if he never noticed them. I remarked in half jest and half disdain, “he must have told his folks he’ll be away for a long time or that he may not return at all”. Little did I know that someday I would find some truth in these words.

It was not just another day with peak hour traffic. It was special; a VVIP was in town and a part of the VVIP treatment he received was to cordon off “harmful” people like us. We patiently waited for him and his entourage to pass. Suddenly, all hell broke loose. We heard a gunshot and sirens! Someone tried to take a shot at the VVIP (must be a good soul, the bad ones never make it to the hit-list). I saw cops rush into this tall building beyond the junction. With this chaos we weren’t moving anywhere closer to our destinations any time soon.

It had been a long day. The fatigue was taking its toll on me as I switched to the news channel to see how the media portrayed this incident. The VVIP was safe and recovering. The cops got lucky this time to have the sniper in their custody. But they still had to make him sing to their tune. The news correspondent jostled to get a good view of the cop making a statement to the media. In the next frame, the cop was saying how they chased and caught hold of the sniper. It was a tough chase. But the sniper got obstructed by this bike which made things a tad easier for the cops. When the news correspondent asked him about the biker, he said they did not know much because they couldn’t catch the vehicle number. Just that he wore a brown jacket and a black helmet with some sort of an orange cross...

When I woke up next morning, I could not figure out whether I heard his mention for real or in half sleep. I scavenged through the morning newspaper to ascertain it. It was for real. It seemed to me like he was some sort of a masked hero who wished to do good. And definitely deserved more respect despite being the outlaw that he was. I still see him oftentimes... and the rude remark of mine, I cannot get myself to utter it anymore.

Sales guy, are you?

Most orators are, well... just plain, lack-lustre monotones, few are inspiring, and then there are those who take you through moments of truth. This post revolves around Prof. V. K. Murti who teaches us a subject, which till date I thought was amongst the dry, dull and dreary topics – Distribution and Sales Management (DSM).

Few of us would want to remember a Friday the 13th. I would, for reasons completely different from what this day is attributed to. Having lazed the previous day and all of that morning, it was difficult to shake off the lethargy and gear up for the first session on DSM post-lunch. The first 2-3 rows were empty. Most of our professors are used to this sight. But he insisted we occupy each of those.

Marketing and Sales functions have always been uttered in the same breath but they never shared the same pedestal. Marketing conjures an image of devising strategies, venting your creativity and being the “brand-maker”. On the other hand, what meets the eye when you think of Sales is laborious work, remote areas and snappy customers. Marketing is envied while Sales is despised.

Most of them who have taken Marketing majors knew in their hearts that it wouldn’t be all that rosy. Then he mentioned Kotler; who is “gawd insaan” for most of us – and from that point on we were glued. Like a barbarian he would slay one myth after the other – that Kotler was written only from an FMCG perspective; that it never changed much since its first edition in 1964 (while the whole concept of marketing had undergone a radical change). He had nothing personal against Kotler I guess, but he was a man on mission, who wanted to put Sales where it belonged – as the only revenue generating department! Marketing, he says, is splurging money; but where will the “bloody” money come from?

A notable point about this professor is that he says what is; doesn’t try to be diplomatic. And this is exactly why all of us feel at home in his class; because he is not bothered about being politically correct. Some of his “bond” statements will always be remembered –

“Saala idhar kutta wafadaar nahi hai, insaan kaise wafadaar rahega?”

“Saara MBA ka gyaan, saari akad nikal jayegi..”

“MBA is the only course where you are allowed to use jargons without understanding anything about it”

“Consulting? Tum usko advice doge jisne industry mein pachhis saal kaam kiya hai? Arre you are barely twenty five..”

“What is the value proposition to your recruiters? Green campus..? Arre woh kya karega green campus ka?”

What he said pierced like an arrow at times, nevertheless it was the truth. He is a Brahmin, but thinks and does business like a Gujarati-Marwadi-Sindhi-Jew, all in one! And, indisputably, he is proud of it, as must any sales guy be!

Meet Omi....

I have tried 6 different things – cleaning my room, having soup, arranging the shelves, reading a book, doing some literature review (read: empirical study), analysing a case on transhipment for a competition – all in the past 15 minutes! Clearly, I am confused (what an oxymoron!). Eventually, I decided on the 7th activity, put an entry in my blog....

Let me introduce you to Omi. Omi is like you, well sort of. Omi tries to be everything to everybody; he battles with what he is and what he wants others to perceive him to be. Quite like yours, his problem is that he doesn’t know either of them. At times, he thinks why people try to bundle ten different people into themselves, all the while publicizing that they are unique. And more so, why does he do so. He knows for a fact that beneath the armour that he has built year after year around him, there is a man, who is much like anyone else; who wants money, who wants to come back to a beautiful family, who wants to enjoy every moment he is alive and at times cares a dime about anyone beyond his circle of love; someone who wants to live by own, simple rules which also include no rules at all.

Yet at several different times of the day, Omi is defending himself against all that he is. His sense of right and wrong slowly develops into There-Isn’t-Anything-Right-Or-Wrong. Things are gray. Suddenly, deeds do not define morality, intent does. Then, after a point, he begins to ponder over the true meaning of morality. And he shoves the thought aside like you would to a newspaper that has only bad news on the front page and looks away. He knows his defences are lowering when he says, “that’s what I truly believe in”; yet he saves it for the closing line of his debate. He chooses to ignore taking a stance on dubious events. These are signs of his armour melting, signs of him showing the real and simple him.

What is Omi doing right now, where is he? Is he writing a blog, is he reading this blog? Is he trying to shirk some reality bits from this too? Come out of the dissonance Omi and show up!! Show the world the REAL you, for you don’t really have to be the hero, the unique one or the chosen one; you just gotta be genuine and that works!

The specimens at Great Lakes

Yet another boring class.. I am convinced now that they are my only chance to update my blog (given the time crunch outside class). So, what do I write about today while trying to make sense out of this utter B.S. class on HR management? Umm... Why not describe each of the specimens (read friends) here?

Anirudh Kashyap (aka Ani/Kashy): "Cash to the right of me.." - this shall be his mantra five years from now. Amongst us he shall be the first one to become a millionaire. Unlike all other cases, this is one where he will not be slow or late. Will cry even if he gets a CGPA of 3.93!

Anil: No less than Ani, he is the other millionaire amongst us. He looks like Morpheus with his shades on and thinks I am an illiterate when it comes to music! Watch out for this guy when he is teaching for he is capable of flinging anything that comes handy - book, calci, ...!

Bennett (aka Ben/Benny): He is the "lambu" of our gang at 6 feet something. Funny, goofy and rated the cutest guy on campus (apparently) :P An unconventionally sweet fellow :)

Gaurav Gupta (aka GG): Meet GG; the guy with the best "timing". Knows exactly when to take a pot shot and exactly where to stop. A very lucky guy (the reason for which is the next person.. err.. specimen I shall introduce)

(Agri)-Maa or (Mag)-gie: She is the epitome of patience to put up with GG! Raat-keeda as I would like to call her, she can sleep all day but not at night. Extremely talented, this belle can dance so well, you cannot see anyone else but her when she is on stage. She forbids me from having more than 2 cups of coffee a day :(

Angad: He does not have a nickname. Why? Coz "Angad" defines Angad best. No adjectives can do him fair justice. TPZ, football fanatic are some words that go as his synonyms. "now it's like that eh?", "Copyright (make a 'C' with your thumb and fingers curled)", "talk to the hand"... all are his.. well... copyrights! Always glad when you introduce him to a new girl (but he needs no help with introduction). That's Angad.

Murugan (aka Muruga/Quickgun/Shotgun): The success of Quickgun (Murugan) on our campus should be clearly attributed to this guy. Oh Stu-kesh (coz he's the Stu Co/Student Coordinator)! Beckoned by all for everything; from getting their rooms cleaned to taking attendance in guest lectures. Anything and everything that does not fall within the scope of any other committee (or we simply can't find the right person) we holler for this guy.

Manika & Dhrity: I thought of writing about Manika, but I couldn't imagine her minus Dhrity :P. Both these girls are virtually bound! To the extent that they have also caught flu together!

But I'd might as well write about them separately :P.
So back to Manika (aka Mani): My partner in crime and our crime being SWIM. And boy! what a rocking time we had while SWIMming :) Just got to know her better during those days - that she should be left alone when she's flaring, but she's absolutely fine the next moment. half the people on campus are "max cute" and for the other half she wonders "yeh apne class mein hai??!!??"

Dhrity (aka DB/Dhut): Mandarin is her pet subject :D. This babe from Guwahati has broken (and shall break) several hearts on campus. Her standard response to this would be "Arre... thappad ekdum.. throw you on the road ekdum". BTW, it's an honour for me to share my birthday (literally) with this B-E-A-U-tiful girl. And I recently found out that I was to be named Dhruti! I am glad i wasn't.. it would have been some story on campus!

Aditi: "jaldi se garam roti le aao warna Aditi aa jayegi".. that's the canteen gossip :P. This girl has a mind of her own... don't even think of influencing her! The darling or "charming lady", may I say, of our faculty here; this girl will suddenly scream in class, laugh (out loud) and walk around at free will (the only other person who can dare to walk freely in class is Rajveer, the 'Straight F' teaching assistant. I can dedicate an entire blog to him!). But all said and done, she has the sweetest smile and if you ever want a frank opinion, she is the one to go to.

That's about some of the rare specimens I met here. You bet there are more. But as the lecture comes to an end, so does my post. Before anyone accuses me, I too am a part of this rare species; so people feel free to write about this specimen :)

A tale of two lectures

Earlier I had to find motivation to write a blog entry. Now it has become my motivation to stay awake in a class as boring as Market Research (after lunch!). On a bitchy note, this guy being unmarried is either the reason or consequence of him being boring.

This brings back memories from last evening. Before you jump to conclusions, I was in enviable company - A Harvard grad, witty, charismatic (no two ways on this one). The only flip side was his receding hairline and greying temples. Mr. Ashok Vasudevan, with his impeccable knowledge language skills and wit could connect with 260 odd people who are less than half his age! So enchanting was his lecture that it were full 75 minutes before I noticed the color of his trousers and that he wore a faded green colored T-shirt. The only other noticeable accessory on this highly uncommon commoner was his watch.

He spoke about entrepreneurship to young minds like ours. In gross contrast, he sounded like the youngest enthusiast amongst us when he spoke on his pet topic. That was one session, almost 150 minutes long (without a break), during which I did not even think of catching forty winks.

Such was his demeanour, that one amongst us when asked about Albert Einstein replied "Science GUY"! Yet another was baffled when simply asked his name. He talked straight, extremely in your face. Whether you like it or not... what is, is; and there are no two ways about it. If you think otherwise, you choose to conveniently frame that belief and hence frame yourself. That is the way he spoke about myths surrounding entrepreneurs and enterprises. He believes that one need not manipulate the bureaucracy while in business; those who believe so and do so choose to make peace with oneself the easier way. "The biggest enemy of truth is not the lie, but the myth."

At 20 and a bit more, I realize we have too much cynicism in our minds. Not something I chose but something I picked up on my way. With his powerful words uttered with conviction seen only in staunch believers, he shattered that barrier. He said, "Neither do you have that experience nor the reason to have developed such cynicism within you at this age." Amongst the many proponents of practice, this man comes and slaps on your face the importance of theory. Very simply put, he says, "Good theory is always practicable. That which is not is not good".

According to him, an entrepreneur must be the jack of all trades and the master of one. He must be able to talk to the vendor this minute negotiating prices and talk to the IT guy next; share a drink with his partner over lunch and rush to the shop floor for a quick chat with the operations guy. In sum, he is every one's guy - sometimes critiqued, sometimes stood by, at times appreciated, at times let down, often the weird fellow and more often the most creative! Just like our speaker who visited yesterday, Mr. Ashok Vasudevan, who vehemently defends the importance of this "pain-killer" within our society - the Entrepreneur.

Opportunity Cost

"Opportunity knocks just once"... and if you miss it, you incur an opportunity cost. Economics says, even if you do not, you will incur an opportunity cost.

Opportunity cost is the cost of making one choice out of the multitude available to you. The productive time that you miss while you sleep is also an opportunity cost! But indeed, this point is debatable. One could argue upon the essentiality of sleep. But since the 'gain' from both activities is different, we can categorically call it an opportunity cost.

To further complicate things, opportunity costs are incurred explicitly and implicitly. It is not unusual to incur explicit and implicit costs simultaneously. In my case, forgoing the salary I used to earn is an implicit opportunity cost (no cash flows). Whereas, choosing to pursue an MBA after quitting my job is an explicit opportunity cost (fees constitute the cash flow).

Let's say, you bought a ticket at $100 to watch the Roddick-Federer battle and I offerred to buy it from you at $150. But the diehard fan that you are, you decline my offer. So, net-net, how much has the ticket cost you - $100 or $150? In terms of cash flow, you have transacted a cash outflow of $100; but you also missed an opportunity of transacting a cash inflow of $150.

An accountant would say, it cost you $100. An economist would say, it cost you $150; $100 that you paid and $50 that you apparently lost.

Another dilemma that meets the eye (more than you would want it to) is comparing the tangible gain/loss to the intangible gain/loss. Taking an unpaid leave to enjoy a vacation at your dream location, with your better half .... Not all of us may be able to see sanity in this choice (depending upon how rational you are). Now... rational people think at a margin. And marginal gain/loss depends upon how much you 'value' the outcome of a decision; and the value per se might well be different for each one of us.

So, take-away from here is... let the opportunity costs RIP, because you may hardly ever end up getting positive returns - after all, the cost is all about missing something.. ain't it?

Kodai is b-e-a-u-tiful....

We got a couple of days off and my friends from college and I packed away from the sultry heat of Chennai to Kodaikanal - one of most picturesque hill stations I have seen! Needless to say, it was a welcome change from Chennai and Mahabs (Mahabalipuram) where we spend most of our weekends.

We started from Chennai with loads of enthusiasm only to find the “holiday special” inching its way ahead. It even stopped to let the vehicles at the railway crossing pass (let alone other trains)!! We reached Madurai next morning... err ... noon.
Here began our Day 1 with delicious, home-cooked idlis, wadas and the best pongal ever! Followed by the ever refreshing filter coffee - perfect! Next highlight of the day was the drive from Madurai to Kodai – with John Denver and sometimes Presley crooning to us. We accompanied Farhan Akhtar with his “laundry ka bill” and “aadhi padhi novel” with our unmelodious “nana-na-na-na”. Gradually the landscape changed to a lush green valley on one side and mist-laden mountains on the other. It was a mirage of paradise. Then, I knew how it must feel to walk in the clouds...

The Greenland’s Youth hostel, where we stayed, gave a scenic view of the valley; the same as that from Coaker’s walk. For the rest of the day, we revelled in some cheese dim sums and masala chai.

Day 2 – We started off (sleepily) in the morning for a trek. Our guide happily took charge of clicking pictures of us and the beautiful valley. He showed us a peculiar type of flower and it’s four variants.. None of which we caught (no points for guessing why). But, when one of my friends (DB) exclaimed “potty flowers”; we were all ears. Apparently, those flowers grow in abundance in areas where cows or dogs potty! Rather interesting! Then followed a series of the usual - suicide points and echo points and waterfalls et al. All the while, the cloud cover played hide-n-seek with us... only sometimes giving us the opportunity to see the 2000 feet drop into nowhere! At the end of the day, we gladly soaked our somewhat sore feet in warm water and eucalyptus oil while we watched the Roddick and Federer battle.

Day 3 – Our wish list included buying loads of home-made chocolates, shopping, visiting the “Daily Bread”, shopping, cycling and boating and shopping some more :) ... and all this before 5 PM. And all this we did! We had booked tickets on a sleeper Volvo to Chennai for that evening. On boarding the bus we were disheartened to know that all our seats were on the left. This meant that the chance of sitting together and enjoying a game of cards was zilch! Eventually we resigned to our fate and to our bed to reach Chennai early next morning.

All in all, a perfect holiday!! :)

Moving on to better things... perhaps

Mumbai – my birth place and abode until now... There, I was used to watching the fiery sphere set into the golden waters, while I unwound with family or friends. In Chennai, I see the sun rising out of the waters. Life has come around a full circle in more than one ways.

A lot of parameters change when you go back to being a student from being an “earner”. Friday evenings are no longer reverberating with sounds of TGIFT; for there are assignments and pre-reads to complete and good chances of an assessment coming your way in the next five days. This is the transition phase from being an asset to becoming a liability. Cash inflow is NIL but an outflow sure exists! A month ago, spending 500 over a coffee or snack or 1000 over a dinner went almost unnoticed. Now, all expenditures are recorded and accounted for. Sigh... Hangovers from my Financial Accounting class yesterday.

Eight hour sleep (albeit, not in one stretch) used to be a luxury I enjoyed over the weekends then. Now, it seems like an alluring dream... priceless and coveted. I had almost fallen out of the habit of having coffee breaks at unruly hours at night; now it seems to be haunting me again. The only difference will be - then my mother made it for me (mostly); and now it will be me; making one for myself or many cuppas for all of us here... :)

Well, it ain’t all that bad... these are greener pastures with great opportunities leading to newer avenues. Some make the best of it, some sail through it and for some others it may be just a haze. I am determined to make the most, if not the best, of it. God speed to me...!

My first blog...

In my first blog, it would be appropriate to introduce myself. So here it is - name's Bhoomi, in my other life I am a software engineer. This nut loves to read and travel, goes bonkers over great food, writes occasionally (not done that since my other life took over!). Shoot-the-moon-wish is to be a restaurateur someday.. ha! Currently, I'm between a job and study. So, it's break time :)

That's enough "about me" for now. Why do I wish to blog.. well, I told someone I'd be posting updates on my life wherever I go on from here. And, of course, this takes me back to writing - albeit this blogging thing looks like a completely different ballgame.

So... while I make myself comfortable as a blogger, your comments/suggestions are welcome. Wait and watch this space for updates. Until then ... ADIOS!