I want to be .....

Just some weeks before the 10th exams, far away in one Indian small town, a teacher was asking her students about what they aspire to be in the future…. The students started mentioning the names of the various professions that they had heard about either through parents or teachers or some other source… Now it was the turn of one young chap, whose cousin happened to be a Chartered Accountant… Though he didn’t know anything about the profession (understandable since nothing related to that field is taught in school) .. But he had various discussions with the CA-cousin and had made up his mind that this was indeed a good profession to be pursued !!!.... And more importantly, today, he thought he had an opportunity to be different from the numerous ‘would-be’ engineers and doctors that were in the classroom…. So, he eagerly awaited his turn and as soon as it came, he got up and expressed his ambition… But he was in for a rude shock as the teacher started laughing and told, “You should be out of your mind… CA is done by those who don’t study and who don’t have any ambition”…. The classroom starts laughing and the kid hangs his head in shame….

The single remark triggers a whole sequence of events, the ramification of which may yet not be completely assessable :
(1) The boy goes home ashamed about the rebuke and filled with guilt that he chose a profession for the ‘lesser-mortals’… He now changes his plans to be either an Engineer or a Doctor…

(2) His father had planned for the Finances involved keeping Commerce line in view, which is undoubtly more cheaper alternative to Science..

…. but now the priorities have changed….

(3) His 10th grades are not among the best suited for a good Science college.. so his dad has to put in extra efforts to set the finances for doling out donations for the ‘management quota’ in colleges….

(4) While entry into the college could be ‘bought’, the study part needs the capability of people

This incident occurred some two years ago and now, with his 12th exams over, the guy is awaiting his exam results and preparing for Engineering Entrance …. I hope he fares well and becomes a great Engineer….

This may not have featured in my blog had I not overheard a conversation where he mentioned about that ‘eventful’ day when his course of life changed!!! And I wondered, how a small seemingly casual remark can create such an ever-lasting impression… Maybe I am thinking too much into this, but the very fact that he remembers that teacher’s remark means that somewhere deep down within him, he feels his life should/ could have been different !!

I am not feeling bad just because I happen to be from the CA fraternity.. I have tremendous respect for engineers and doctors who have been rendering valuable services in India and abroad...

But this story had to be told as it reiterates the common mentality seen across parents, teachers and elders who feel that there are these three-four professions where the kids should go to .. I won't say that the kid is at fault for the simple reason that he just took the road as directed by his seniors...

Ye Dilli hain mere yaar... !!!

Scene 1 :
New Delhi…or Nayi Dilli … the Administrative Capital of India… A place where various important decisions are taken which decides the course of our country.. a place with lots of administrative offices - the Parliament, the Supreme Court, the Defence Headquarters etc etc …. Clean and wide roads… lots of Greenery…

Scene 2 :
Low-rise buildings which appear to be unfinished … narrow lanes that may allow only one car/ vehicle at a time ... cows roaming on the streets.. cars stopping in the middle of the road to offer the previous-day leftover food to the ‘sacred’ cows….

Scene 3 :
Modern Hi-tech Intra-city Metro-rail network …. plush shopping malls and multiplexs… High-end vehicles on roads be it Merc, Porche etc .. presumably, the country's largest market for computers (Thats what Delhi-ites tell me !!)


Delhi is a city where I have seen the three different worlds co-exist as well as complement each others perfectly… The administration, the industries and the common man … Here, we can see modern-day infrastructure facilities functioning alongwith the grandeur of ancient heritage sites such as the Qutub Minar, India Gate, Red Fort, Humayun Tomb etc etc … During our stay in Delhi, we commuted by way of hi-speed Metro-trains as well as by Man-driven cycle-rickshaws..

With what little I have seen of Delhi, I just continue to be awe-struck by the development that this city has made in the past few years…it would any day put Mumbai administrative think-tank to shame…. You can actually see development with Metro work going on in full swing at all major places…

Security concerns loom large over Delhi and hence one has to pass through multiple layers of security at various strategic points such as the Park in the centre of Connaught Place, Akshardham Temple etc. Still, the city is prone to security threats as has been seen in the recent past with bomb-hits in the said park, the crowded markets etc

After a trip to the city, one genuinely hopes that in Mumbai, the “tomorrow” mentioned in the MSRDC slogan “Please bear with us for a better tomorrow” comes very soon…

Bon Voyage !!

I had some wonderful time last week at uncle-aunt’s place in Delhi…not in Delhi-6.. but in Janakpuri - once referred to as the largest planned residential colony in Asia. Roshni and me decided to take the Train-route for Delhi rather than flying there… (Now I am sure that this would raise a few questions about the recession-impact etc etc, but I would not want to deviate from the topic!!)…. We had been thinking of taking the Rajdhani Train as had been hearing about their services… The train service didn’t disappoint much though food could have been much much better..

The train dropped us at Nizamuddin Station the following morning, from where my cousin took charge of taking us home safe… After exchanging the customary pleasantaries, the lunch and some rest, we took off for the main agenda for the day . SHOPPING !!! My better half took charge as the day ended with my hands heavier (with bags) and pockets lighter…

Sunday, we went for a local sight-seeing and were found at various tourist destinations posing for the perfect-poses !!! My cousin got some self photo-shoots done for orkut!!

Then, the working week started (Basically, I missed on the main part – I was in town for some official work rather than holidaying) .. I was busy at work throughout the day for the next four days and came home sitting in Delhi-ricks amidst traffic for almost more than an hour daily (This traffic thing never leaves me, be it Mumbai or Delhi!!)

Then came the weekend…. We decided to venture out of Delhi.. on to some hill-stations to cool-off… after considering and debating various alternatives, we zeroed in on Shimla… more so, because of its proximity to Delhi... We stayed in Shimla for Friday and Saturday and came back to Delhi by Saturday late night..

Finally, after enjoying the vibrant Delhi and slow-n-cool Shimla, we came back to our own aamchi Mumbai .. Home-coming always seems special.. even though you are out only for just about a week!!

The post already gone too long and I would hate to read long-boring travelogues.. So I stop here just summarising the entire trip…. Would post more details separately….

Management Insight from Ramayana

An interesting piece of forward received :

Management Insight from Ramayana -

Hanuman plays an important role in the Ramayan, yet in the epic itself he does not hold any great position. He is just one of the many monkeys Ram encounters in the forest. He is not Sugriva, leader of the monkey troop. He is not Angad, who is told to lead the band of monkeys searching for Sita. He is not Jambavan, the bear or Nila, the monkey, who are given the responsibility of building the bridge.

He is projected as an obedient follower who, through his intelligence, strength and courage, wins the admiration of Ram and emerges as one of the most revered characters of the tale and a god in his own right. At no point does Hanuman make any attempt to steal anyone's glory; while in his own temple he stands powerful with mountain in hand and feet on a demon, in Ram's temple he is most content sitting at the feet of his master, hands in supplication.

Who would not want a Hanuman in his team? One who is very good at his work, one who will do whatever he is told to do, one who will never seek either reward or recognition and one who finds validation in obeying his master.

If we go to Raju's auto repair shop, we will find that all the work is done by his Hanuman: Amol, a young boy, who has been working with Raju for three years. Amol is a natural, able to fix the most complex of problems. Raju knows he can totally rely on Amol. No job is too big or too small for Amol. He is as happy changing a tyre, as he is fixing the brakes. He does not boss over the juniors and does not feel slighted if the seniors ask him to fetch tea. If there is a problem that eludes a standard solution, everyone knows that leave it to Amol - he will, like Hanuman crossing the sea, find a way.


Yes, it matters greatly to have a Hanuman in our team. One who will not question you. One who will do exactly what you tell him to do. One who delivers no matter what the odds. One who is loyal and devoted. But is that really good?

The following is a folk story of Hanuman:-

Hanuman once narrated the entire Ramayan to his mother, Anjani. After the narration , an impressed Anjani sought a clarification. "You are so strong that with a flick of a tale you could have destroyed the whole of Lanka , killed Ravan and rescued Sita. Why did you not do so? So much effort and time would have been saved - you would not have had to build a bridge to Lanka, you could have avoided the war. Why did you not do that?"

Hanuman replied, "Because Ram never asked me to."

And suddenly we wonder if this was opportunity lost. Hanuman was asked to discover Sita's location; he did that. Hanuman was asked to fetch the mountain of herbs that would save Lakshmana's life; he did that. No one asked him to destroy the Rakshasas and rescue Sita. So he did not do that. What if they had? One common explanation given for why Ram never asked Hanuman to kill Ravan and rescue Sita is that it was Ram's duty to rescue Sita, not Hanuman's. Ramayan is about Ram, not Hanuman. This is not so in the corporate world; Ramayan of the corporate world is about the entire organisation, not just about the leaders.

In the entire epic, Hanuman proves his capability time and time again.

On his way to find Sita, he displays his extraordinary power (crosses the ocean), brain (outwits the snake-demon Surasa), brawn (kills Simhika) and integrity (not resting on Mandara mountain). And yet, while everyone admires this, no one seems eager to take full advantage of it.

Was this refusal to take advantage of Hanuman's abilities a divine decision or merely a oversight ? Is the same being done in the corporate world?

Yes, Raju loves Amol's work. Yes, Raju admires Amol's work. But is Raju harnessing the full potential of Amol? Is his contentment with Amol's obedience preventing him from seeing all that Amol can do, proactively, creatively, independently, if he is given the freedom to do so? Ask Raju and he will say, "But I don't stop Amol from doing anything." He does not stop Amol from doing anything, but he does not encourage Amol from doing something either.

The greatest danger of having Hanumans in our team is that his actions are limited by our directions.

Maybe we fear that if Hanuman thinks for himself, there will be chaos - he is a monkey after all. Maybe we fear that he will overshadow us.

Hence, ultimately, only we decide the goals, we define the vision, we declare the mission and state the objective. Our Hanuman will help you realize all this. But, maybe, the goals could have been greater and grander, if we had let Hanuman do more than merely obey.

Amol once had given Raju a suggestion. "Sir, if we park our cars perpendicular to the wall rather than parallel we can keep more cars in the garage?" Raju ignored this suggestion. "Do you work," he snapped at Amol without giving his words much thought. But the message he implicitly gave Amol was that - 'I only want your obedience, not your intelligence.' Amol immediately complied. And that marked the end of Amol's creativity that would have perhaps made Raju's auto repair shop a much greater success.

This is the danger of over compliance and extreme obedience. We prevent followers from thinking and contributing. It makes business sense therefore to take a closer look at the Hanumans in our team; we just might find in their hearts a Ram waiting to be coaxed out.

At the signal !!

Today was labeled to be a historic day with the launch of the 1 lakh car Nano.. I saw and read all media lauding the achievement of Tatas.. I also felt proud that an Indian company had created a path for future car technologies.. But then, now at this very moment or rather for the past 15 minutes, I am cursing the Company for conceptualising this low-cost car...

What else would one do when he is waiting for the hundreds of cars in front and around him .. which just refuse to move ... Now with Nano coming in, maybe this would be in thousands!! now thats definetely scary!! Maybe it would then make sense to go back to the local trains which would be far less crowded than roads!!

Perhaps, Tatas should also plan special roads for Nanos !! ........

Wait!! .........

Did i see some movements?? ....

Yes, i guess, the time's come.. to move again!!.

.... To a new signal,
... to a new junction,
... to a new jam
..till one reaches the destination..


Cheers
SP

p.s -
Thank God for my senses to come by a bus so atleast I donot have to worry about clutch, brakes and accelarators!! ..and can scribble my thoughts

First blog of 2009!!

Two months are about to end in 2009 and I was suddenly made to take a walk back and reminisce on the memories of 2008… and as I remembered each moment, each achievement, each happiness, each sorrow of 2008, I thought of putting that onto my blog. After all, that’s where my ‘Reflections’ over Life was supposed to be placed …

Now most of readers would be wondering and eager to know the heartening event that took me back to the past !!!

The trigger was a mail from my HR Department that I need to submit my Appraisal form to my Supervisor by end of the month !!! That means, I had to jot down every single little achievement that I did during the entire FY 2008-09 without mentioning the mistakes that I made.. (I think my mistakes would be in my Appraiser’s Appraisal form as to what all mistakes he found out !!)

Anyways, lets leave the work-part aside as I don’t want to discuss work at blog !! Overall, the year 2008 treated me quite well… or should I say, pampered me quite well !!

2008 was a year when I got two Promotions !! One at Office work-place and another more importantly, moving onto to new phase of life… Moving on from bachelordom to marriage !! Most part of the year was spent thinking about the pre-marriage plans, wedding arrangements, travel plans etc etc .. and had fun planning it !!!

2008 was a year when I had my frequent visits overseas.. Madrid seemed to be second home… It was boring at times and felt lonely and home-sick .. but then, looking back now, it appears to have some wonderful moments of exploring a new place on the Mother Earth..

2008 was a year when I started blogging… I am not sure whether I can say that I did justice to the blogger’s world by being here.. Not been active as much … but then, better be something than nothing..

2008 was a year with failed resolutions !! Except starting a blog, I was not able to complete any of the other resolutions !! As a result, my 2009 resolutions list starts with an Opening Balance of unfinished (or rather, un-started resolutions of 2008)… Hope to do work out seriously in that respect..

Now, 2009 started off well and the last two months have been really great ….

Achievements of 2009 :

1) Bought a car - Had been thinking of getting one for quite some time.. but never was really persuasive.. so now after lots of thinking and analysing, I can now say that on Opening Balance of 2008 resolutions is done with !! These days, I could be spotted with Roshni in side-seat, driving across Thane honing my driving skills... Also happened to take a long drive till Pimpri ...

2) Participating and completing the Half-Marathon (21.097 km) – Wanted to make a statement to prove my fitness .. not to anyone but to Myself .. (Another one from 2008 done with!!)

3) Enrolled for a Gym !! (This one, I have been doing from last many years and like all those years, I have had just 7 training sessions till time of the post!!)

There are many many more moments for 2009 ..but I guess, I will stop now and get back to writing my Appraisal form which has better chances of me getting some salary raise or justifying my current levels!!

Leaf, Tree and the Wind

I received this mail and found it pretty thought-provoking.... Also tried to find out the real source of this write-up which seems to be in circulation since quite some time....

*********************

Tree
People call me “Tree”.
I had dated 5 girls when I was in Pre-U. There is one girl who I love a lot but never dared to go after. She didn’t have a pretty face, good figure or an outstanding charm. She was just a very ordinary girl. I liked her. I really liked her. I liked her innocence, her frankness, her intelligence and her fragility. Reason for not going after her was that I felt somebody so ordinary like her was not a good match for me. I was also afraid that after we were together all the feelings would vanish. I was also afraid other’s gossip would hurt her.
I felt that if she were my girl, she’d be mine ultimately & I didn’t have to give up everything just for her. The last reason, made her accompanying me for 3 years. She watched me chase other girls, and I have made her heart cry for 3 years.
She was a good actor, and me a demanding director. When I kissed my second girlfriend, she bumped into us. She was embarrassed but smiled & said, “Go on!” before running off. The next day, her eyes were swollen like a walnut. I did not want to know what caused her to cry. Later that day, I returned from soccer training to get something & watched her cry in the classroom for an hour or so. My fourth girlfriend did not like her. There was once when both of them quarreled. I know that based on her character she is not the type that will start the quarrel. However, I still sided my girlfriend. I shouted at her & ignored her feelings and walked off with my girlfriend. The next day, she was laughing & joking with me like nothing happened. I know she was hurt but she did not know deep down inside I was hurt too.
When I broke up with my fifth girlfriend, I asked her out. Later that day, I told her I had something to tell her. I told her about my break up. Coincidentally, she has something to tell me too, about her getting together. I knew who the person was. His pursuit for her had been the talk of the School. I did not show her my heartache, just smiles & best wishes. Once I reached home, I could not breathe. Tears rolled & I broke down. How many times have I seen her cry for the man who did not acknowledge her presence?
During graduation, I read a SMS in my hp. It said, “Leaf’s departure is because of Wind’s pursuit. Or because Tree didn’t ask her to stay”

Leaf
People call me Leaf.
During the 3 years of Pre-U, I was on very close terms with a guy as buddy kind. However, when he had his first girlfriend, I learnt a feeling I never should have learnt - Jealousy. Sourness to the extreme limit. They were only together for 2 months. When they broke up, I hid my happiness. But after a month, he got together with another girl.
I liked him & I know he liked me. But why won’t he pursue me? Since he loves me why he didn’t he make the first move? Whenever he had a new girlfriend, my heart would hurt. After some time, I began to suspect that this was one-sided love. If he didn’t like me, why did he treat me so well? It’s beyond what you will normally do for a friend. I know his likes, his habits. But his feelings towards me I can never figure out. You can’t expect me a girl, to ask him. Despite that, I still wanted to be by his side. Care for him, accompany him, and love him. Hoping that one day, he will come to love me. Because of this, I waited for him. Sometimes, I wondered if I should continue waiting. The pain, the dilemma accompanied me for 3 years.
At the end of my 3rd year, a junior pursues me. Everyday he pursues me. He’s like the cool & gentle wind, trying to blow off a leaf from a tree. In the end, I realized that I wanted to give this wind a small footing in my heart. I know the wind will bring the leaf to a better land. Finally, leaf left the tree, but the tree only smiled & didn’t ask me to stay.
Leaf’s departure is because of Wind’s pursuit. Or cause Tree didn’t ask her to stay.

Wind
Because I like a girl called leaf. Because she’s so dependent on tree, so I have to be a gust wind. A wind that will blow her away. When I first met her, it was 1 month after I was transferred to this new school. I saw a petite person look ing at my seniors & me playing soccer. During ECA time, she will always be sitting there. Be it alone or with her friends, looking at him. When he talks with girls, there’s jealousy in her eyes. When he looked at her, there’s a smile in her eyes. Looking at her became my habit. Just like, she likes to look at him.
One day, she didn’t appear. I felt something missing. I can’t explain the feeling except it’s a kind of uneasiness. The senior was also not there as well. I went to their classroom, hid outside and saw my senior scolding her. Tears were in her eyes while he left. The next day, I saw her at her usual place, looking at him. I walked over and smiled to her. Took out a note & gave to her. She was surprised. She looked at me, smiled & accepts the note. The next day, she appeared & passes me a note and left.
It read, “Leaf’s heart is too heavy and wind couldn’t blow her away.”

“It’s not that leaf heart is too heavy. It because leaf never want to leave tree.” I replied her note with this statement and slowly she started to talk to me & accept my presents & phone calls. I know that the person she loves is not me. But I have this perseverance that one day I will make her like me. Within 4 months, I have declared my love for her no less than 20 times. Every time, she will divert away from the topic. But I never give up. If I decide I want her to be mine, I will definitely use all means to win her over. I can’t remember how many times I have declared my love to her. Although I know, she will try to divert but I still bear a small ray of hope.
Hoping that she will agree to be my girlfriend. I didn’t hear any reply from her over the phone. I asked, “What are you doing? How come you didn’t want to reply?” She said, “I’m nodding my head”. “Ah?” I could n’t believe my ears. “I’m nodding my head” She replied loudly. I hang up the phone, quickly changed and took a taxi and rush to her place & press her doorbell. During the moment when she opens the door, I hugged her tightly.

Leaf departure is because of Wind pursuit. Or because Tree didn’t ask her to stay…