Winter in Michigan

You know it's cold when -
...you step outside and your breath comes out in snowflakes.
...your mocha becomes a frappe before you get the window rolled up."
...you can see your snowman's breath."
...you're comparing your local temperature to International Falls."
... you drive 30 minutes to work and you and your car are still cold!"
... you can't feel your hands while wearing two pairs of gloves."
... you go out in freezing temperatures and say: 'I'll just grab a sweater.'"
... lol it's cooler in Miami than it is in Maine!"
... the cows are giving ice cream at milking time.
... the steam from your breath freezes your hair to your eyelashes.'"
... you have to ask if the temp is in Celsius or really Fahrenheit."
... your dog takes care of its 'business' in under 60 seconds."
... your tongue sticks to your own teeth."
... you step outside and it feels like your contacts will freeze and fall out of your eyes."
... you break the handle off your car door trying to open it because it's frozen shut."
... your electric bill is almost as much as your mortgage."
... the wood stove still isn't enough to keep your house above 62 degrees."

Bulleh! to me, I am not known

Not a believer inside the mosque, am I
Nor a pagan disciple of false rites
Not the pure amongst the impure
Neither Moses, nor the Pharoh

Bulleh! to me, I am not known

Not in the holy Vedas, am I
Nor in opium, neither in wine
Not in the drunkard`s craze
Niether awake, nor in a sleeping daze

Bulleh! to me, I am not known

In happiness nor in sorrow, am I
Neither clean, nor a filthy mire
Not from water, nor from earth
Neither fire, nor from air, is my birth

Bulleh! to me, I am not known

Not an Arab, nor Lahori
Neither Hindi, nor Nagauri
Hindu, Turk (Muslim), nor Peshawari
Nor do I live in Nadaun

Bulleh! to me, I am not known

Secrets of religion, I have not known
From Adam and Eve, I am not born
I am not the name I assume
Not in stillness, nor on the move

Bulleh! to me, I am not known

I am the first, I am the last
None other, have I ever known
I am the wisest of them all
Bulleh! do I stand alone?

Bulleh! to me, I am not known

Translation to Rabbi Shergill’s Bulla Ki Jaana Maen Kaun. A very emotional and touching song. The day we understand true religion we will stop hating each other. We need education to understand what is religion all about. Religion is personal belief and we have to understand what that means. Great thoughts.

Namma Bengaluru

JAI KARNATAKA JAI KANNADA MATHE JAI BENGALURU

A city that has a literacy rate of 85.74% .Temperature varies between a maximum of 33 º C and a minimum of 14 º C. The city has a moderate weather condition all through the year
Engineering and IT are the main industries of Bangalore. The highest number of software companies have been established in this city. Local modes of transport include taxis, buses and auto rickshaws. Air, rail and road network connects the city with all other parts of India and world Some of the prime tourist attractions of Bangalore include Lal Bagh, Government Museum, Cubbon Park, The Bull Temple, ISKCON, Ravindra Kalakshetra, The Dharmaraja Temple, Jumma Masjid, Ulsoor Lake, Vidhana Soudha.

Some of the interesting facts that we can boast of.....

Bangalore has the impeccable record of highest growth in 20 years.(as of 2005)
Bangalore has highest number of Pubs in Asia.
Bangalore has highest number of cigarette smokers in India.
Bangalore has the highest number of software companies in India 242, followed by Hyderabad -178, Pune - 127. Hence called the Silicon Valley of India.
Bangalore has 121 engineering colleges, which is highest in the world in any given city.
Bangalore University has 57 Engineering Colleges affiliated to it, which is highest in the world.
Bangalore is(as of today, was) the only city in the world to have commercial and defence airport operating from the same strip.
Bangalore was the first city in Asia to receive electricity.
Bangalore has highest number of Public sectors and Government organizations in India.
Bangalore University has highest number of students going Abroad for higher studies taking the first place from IIT-Kanpur.
Bangalore has only 41% of local population(i.e.Kannadigas). Hence a true cosmopolitan with around 21% Tamilians, 15% Telugites, 11% Keralites, 6% Europeans, 6% a mixture of all races.
Bangalore Police has the reputation of being the second best in India after New Delhi Police ( For locals, this is a topic of debate)
Bangalore has the highest density of traffic in India.
Bangalore has the highest number of 2-wheelers for a single city in the world and also the dubious reputation for the highest 2-wheeler thefts.
Bangalore is considered the Fashion Capital of East comparable to Paris.
Bangalore is rated one of the Cleanest cities in India.
Bangalore has produced the maximum International Sports persons in India for all sports ahead of even Mumbai & Delhi.
Bangalore has the highest number of Anglo-Indians in India.
Bangalore has the richest people in India. The line of poverty is the least of all cities of the world.
Bangalore has produced the maximum number of scientists considered for Nobel Prize nominations (from India).
Bangalore's Lalbagh botanical gardens is credited to have one of the most diverse man made collection of flora.
Bangalore has produced the highest number of professionals in USA almost 60% of the Indian population abroad is from Bangalore (except Gulf).

Thought Control

Thought control refers to the control of our thoughts while traveling through the seas of life. As a kid we live in the moment enjoying everything that we come across with true spontaneity.As we grow older we spend an inordinate amount of time either regretting something in the past or worrying about the future and spoil a perfectly lovely present.
We do not realize that what is past is over and we should move on. This type of activity is a waste and does not serve any purpose. The key here is to control our thoughts so that we do not waste our mental breath on either things that have happened and cannot be changed or by worrying about events that may happen in the future.
Rather we should spend the time in learning from the past or in planning for a brighter future. Our minds come to each one of us with a fatigue limit.
Our minds can handle only so much of worrying, regretting, hoping, anxiety etc. After that we are just exhausted and do not have energy to focus on issues or opportunities in the present. Sometimes certain words or actions of others hurt us and tends to rankle in our minds. What happens after that is we spend our time reliving the situation and keep getting angrier by the moment. It is very essential that we break out of this cyclical thought process and move on in life. As difficult as it is, it definitely makes more sense to step back and look at the whole incident objectively and learn from it.
We then have to learn to consciously just “let go”. The ideal way to progress in life is to conserve our mental energies and focus fully on the task at hand. Our performance and the results will be far greater when we do not fritter away our energies on regrets, worries, and hatred and mind games. This is the true secret of success. We need to be aware of the workings of our mind and manage it intelligently so that our energies are always channelized to opportunities that require our whole hearted attention. We have to conserve our energy and follow the dictum, ‘When eating eat and when sleeping sleep’. We should neither be too overjoyed at good news nor feel down in the dumps when something bad happens. All these sap our mental forces and there is no energy when it is most needed. This active thought control requires us to put our heart and soul into what we do by conserving our mental energies in order for us to succeed. Finally as physicist Sean Carroll of California Institute of Technology puts it “The past has happened and the future is up for grabs".

10 for a Better Bangalore

(On a more personal note, I am nostalgic writing about the place I love the most – All the memories to cherish, family, friends, Food, weather, people and most importantly the feeling of home)

From being a somnolent hamlet to an active metro. From being referred to as a pensioners' paradise to a fashionable city, Bangalore has grown by leaps and bounds in the last two and a half decades. The city has projected itself onto the world map, thanks mainly to its admirable weather, sociable locals, multiethnic culture, scientific and defense installations, top scholastic institutions, high-end hospitals, and above all, software companies. Metro Rail is all set to get on to the tracks. Eco friendly Volvo buses for commuters are traversing the city. The job market is on a high, attracting bright youth from all over the country. There's simply no looking back.

But the other side of this success story is rather gloomy. The city's administrators have failed to provide matching infrastructure. They laze around in the glory that the software industry brought. They gained dividends from huge investments and netted big revenue. But they failed to give ample power and water supply, good roads, better connectivity, fast transport and a corruption-free system. Result: Haphazard growth. Frequent power breakdowns, incomplete fly overs, traffic jams, inadequate drinking water supply.

This doesn't mean that nothing good is happening. Expansion is on. But it’s all at snail pace. Lokayukta has fixed corruption. But the government has been slow in taking action against the guilty. A single window has been created to meet the needs of the industry, but it's anything but single. Infrastructure projects are being given a push. But vested interests, particularly corrupt politicians, are erecting either caste based or personal hurdles. Big promises remain on paper. For every step taken forward, the city moves two steps back.

It's still not late. The city needs efficient policy makers and law abiding officials who are given a free hand. It has some brilliant minds armed with strategies. After all, we ask for a peaceful city to live in.



1. Uninterrupted Power Supply: There is no reprieve from Power cuts anytime during the year- summer power cuts to account for no rains- monsoon power cuts due to rain and winter power cuts to save for summer. Maintenance of trees will be done without shutting down. No fluctuations. No unscheduled breaks. Streets will be brightly lit. Like any global city.



2. 24x7 Drinking Water Supply: The Chennai City officials made it mandatory for every house to have a rain water harvesting system to replenish the ground water table. Irony, Chennai never gets rain. When the existing alternate day supply, that too for a few hours, will become part of history. No water leakage or broken pipes. No theft. Rainwater harvesting system will be strictly enforced.



3. Garbage-free City: Follow the 3 Rs – Recyle, Reuse and Rethink. Effective garbage disposal. No overflowing garbage lorries. Solid waste management process will be strictly implemented. Busy roads will be cleaned at night. Heavy fines will be imposed to deter people from littering and dumping debris on road side bins and letting animals lose on public roads.



4. Smooth Traffic Flow: Better roads, lane system and orderly traffic. Elevated roads, underpasses, subways, skywalks and good footpaths will be in plenty. Toll roads and expressways will help traffic move out of the city. Multi-storied parking slots at crucial points. No overtaking, no honking, no road rage. More effective traffic lights and avoid blocking roads during politician visits in the city.



5. Better Transport: Something that makes us wonder- When Metro Rail will become the main mode of transport- how will people commute to and from the stations? How can the city accommodate parking near the stations? Monorail will serve as an effective feeder service. State-of-the-art buses will ply across the city. Dependence on autorickshaws will come down drastically. Use of two-wheelers and priavte cars will be cut down too.



6. Safe from Terror and Crime: An alert police force equipped with modern gadgets, weaponry, and vehicles police to keep vigil. An intelligence wing to keep a constant watch on suspicious elements and their activities. Policemen can someday be citizen-friendly.

7. Coordination between Civic Bodies: Civic workers and Officials from various departments must put their heads together and chalk out a work plan before a project is to be taken up. Avoid politicizing the issue and keep the corruption out of reach for anyone involved at any given time.



8. Road Safety: Keep drains covered to avert accidental deaths and to prevent dumping of garbage and debris. Regular desilting of lakes and sewage can prevent inundation of roads and low-lying areas during rains and have a mosquito-free environment.



9. Corruption-free Govt Offices: Lokayukta must have full powers to punish the corrupt and attach their property. Surprise raids be conducted. Whistle-blowers be awarded. Educated leaders and politicians must have candidacy in elections and not interfere in government work. There should be a minimum level of qualification for any of the people chosen leaders in all constituencies in the city.



10. Planned Growth: Good infrastructure support from private and commercial establishments. Proper approach roads, basement parking facilities, lung space, good drainage and fire safety. Encroachers will be punished. Officials who clear violations for a price will be put behind bars and their property attached. Tier-2 cities will be encouraged.



Its easy for us to read and wonder if a person is right in just blogging unrealistic ideas but these are some of the most common mistakes we can set right to make our home get a better tomorrow. This is the Bangalore of tomorrow.



Parting shot
Cash-for-vote politicians beware. Voters have learnt to se through your game. You can't take them for granted anymore. In a locality in Chikmagalur district, Karnataka, voters have laid down a condition for local politicians contesting a by-election. The local association had the following request - "If you want our votes, deposit a non-refundable sum of Rs. 30 lakh with the residents' association for a road that the area badly needs." And, for people who vote for the politician, ignoring this condition, the diktat says - "If you vote, you'll be fined Rs. 1001." Times are, indeed, changing.

What Life Means today

An Oxymoron

What is an Oxymoron?
An Oxymoron is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words, such as 'Cruel Kindness' or 'Jumbo Shrimp' (Jumbo means 'large' while Shrimp means 'small').

An oxymoron term is a literary figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory words, phrases, terms or ideas are combined to create a rhetorical effect by paradoxical means.

Ever wondered how many Oxymorons we use in our daily vocabulary??? Check some of them


Religious Education
Logical Guess
Good pun
Great Depression

American Cheese
Express Mail
Restless Sleep
Clear as Mud
Friendly Fire
Hamburger Steak
Assisted Suicide
Woman Driver (Personal Best)
Fair Fight
Women's Rights (Really ?)
Literal Interpretation
Awful Grate
Conservative Movement
Meteoric Rise
Dropping Like Flies
Out Like a Light
Reality Television
Government Worker ( In India ? )
Long Shorts

Authentic Reproduction
Partial Cease-fire
Limited Lifetime Guarantee
Self-help Group
Civil war
Mandatory options
Common sense
Hot water heater
Adult male
Uninvited guest
Airline schedule
Open Secret
Mideast peace
Dry lake
Silent Alarm
Reasonable Attorney's Fees
Live recording
Non-Stop Flight
Non-Dairy Creamer
Marital bliss
Clearly confused
Wireless Cable
Holy war
Mutual Differences
Legislative restraint
Congressional ethics
Original copy
Act naturally
Found missing
True replica
Resident alien
Advanced BASIC
Country Music (thanks to Cute Kate)
Genuine imitation
Airline Food
Good grief
Same difference
Almost exactly
Government organization
Sanitary landfill
Alone together
Legally drunk
Silent scream
British fashion
Living dead
Small crowd
Business ethics
American culture
Athletic scholarship
Black Light
Chili
Corporate planning
Media scrutiny
Forward lateral
Definite maybe
Liberal values
Good television
Honest politician
Jumbo shrimp
Logical Thought
Moral Majority
Never generalize
Plastic glasses
Postal service
Practical logic
President Bush
Standard options
Rapid transit
Social Security
Sweet sorrow
Union craftsman
Highly depressed
Soft rock
Butt Head
Military Intelligence
Software documentation
New York culture
New classic
Childproof
"Now, then..."
Synthetic natural gas
Christian Scientists
Passive aggressive
Taped live
Clearly misunderstood
Peace force
Extinct life
Temporary tax increase
Computer jock
Computer security
Political science
Tight slacks
Pretty ugly
Twelve-ounce pound cake
Diet ice cream
Rap music (thanks to Gregory Seel)
Working vacation
Exact estimate
Religious tolerance
Campaign reform
Microsoft Works
Bitter sweet
Sensitive man
Freezer burn
Compassionate conservative
Legal principles

English - The Funny Language

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins were not invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies, while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce, and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So, one moose, 2 meese? One index, two indices? Is cheese the plural of choose?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

In what language do people recite at a play, and play at a recital?

Ship by truck, and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? Park on driveways and drive on parkways? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another?

When a house burns up, it burns down. You fill in a form by filling it out, and an alarm clock goes off by going on.

When the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this blog, I end it

Aint this funny

Siddhuisms

Navjot Singh Sidhu is more famous for his exceptional "Jonty Rhodes" like fielding and batting with a big heart against any opponent. But he later had a greater fan following with his own Idioms named "Siddhuisms"... For all those who don't know much about this great Sardar, a few of Siddhuism for all u cricketing and non-cricketing fans


1. Statistics are like bikinis… what they reveal is suggestive, what they hide are essential!
2. Spit on your hands! Take the black flag! And start slitting throats!
3. Wickets are like wives… you never know which way they will turn!
4. He looks like a brooding hen over a China egg!
5. It is very difficult to kill a man who is hell bent on committing suicide!
6. He is as innocent as a freshly laid egg!
7. When you are dining with the demons, you’ve got to have a long spoon!
8. If ‘ifs and buts’ were ‘pots and pants’ there would be no tinkers!
9. The ball went so high it could have got an airhostess on its way down!
10. This team is like bicycles in a cycle stand… one falls and the entire row falls!
11. The scoreboard is running faster than an Indian Taximeter!
12. The batsman is like a three-wheeler. Sucks a lot of fuel, but cannot go beyond 30!
13. The wily fox is back… it is an ill omen when a fox licks the lambs!
14. A big outcry but no outcome!
15. All that comes from a cow is not milk!
16. Just because a rose smells sweet, you do not use it in the soup!
17. There is light at the end of the tunnel for India, but it's that of an incoming train which will run them over
19. Experience is like a comb that life gives you when you are bald.
20. This quote was made after Ganguly called Dravid for a run and midway sent him back and Dravid was run out in the third test against the West Indies at Barbados."Ganguly has thrown a drowning man both ends of the rope."
25. The Indians are going to beat the Kiwis! Let me tell you, my friend that the Kiwi is the only bird in the whole world, which does not have wings!
26. As uncomfortable as a bum on a porcupine.
27. The ball whizzes past like a bumble -bee and the Indians are in the sea.
28. The Indians are finding the gaps like a pin a haystack.
29. The pitch is as dead as a dodo.
30. Deep Dasgupta is as confused as a child is in a topless bar!
31. The way Indian wickets are falling reminds of the cycle stand at Rajendra Talkies in Patiala one falls and everything else falls!
32. Indian team without Sachin is like giving Kiss without a Squeeze.
33. You cannot make Omelets without breaking the eggs.
34. Deep Dasgupta is not a Wicket Keeper, he is a goalkeeper. He must be given a free transfer to Manchester United.
35. He will fight a rattlesnake and give it the first two bites too.
36. One, who doesn't throw the dice, can never expect to score a six.
37. This quote was made after Eddie Nichols, the third umpire; ruled Shivnarine Chanderpaul 'NOT OUT' in the second test at Port of Spain T&T "Eddie Nichols is a man who cannot find his own buttocks with his two hands."
38. Anybody can pilot a ship when the sea is calm.
39. Nobody travels on the road to success without a puncture or two.
40. You got to choose between tightening your belt or losing your pants.
41. The cat with gloves catches no mice.
42. Age has been perfect fire extinguisher for flaming youth.
43. You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg.
44. He is like a one-legged man in a bum kicking competition.
45. The third umpires should be changed as often as nappies and for the same reason.
46. Kumble's bowling at the moment is flat as a Dosa.

Know Thy Name

whats your last name?Name is a fence and within it you are nameless. ~Samuli Paronen

What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.~William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Sitting in office on a very lazy Friday morning, I got to realize how unfortunately racist some of us Indians are. At times, Office is like the family scene from an Indian movie. Vast Space, local language, coffee table with men talking loud - about Kids, work, family, news from Indian newspapers and websites, and the sweet smell of the Indian Curry and sambar. I decided to listen to some of them talk about stocks,employers,business et all. Sitting with my team in the cafeteria, listening to them talk,I couldn't help thinking,how racist all of us are (Sadly,so am i).

Indian 1: "That Gowda's son from Bangalore got an MS seat in this US university,I tell you its all about the money"

Indian 2: "But didn't he get an average score in that GRE entrance? My sister's daughter got a 1340"I

ndian 1: "Yeppa, that's good no..see that gowda's son got only 900 out of 1600"

Indian 2: "You know, It's all the money from his land i tell you ,His grandfather owns a quarter of the Kushalnagar near their Native place".

I was trying to make a mental calculation of all the property that my family would own....

Indian 1: "My boss - John asks for a lot of commitment to work but I am trying hard to get things done in my present assignment. But Murugan is lucky. His supervisor too is Indian and he is having a gala time "

Indian 2: "Shanmugam right? These south Indian people are so clever.They work less and ask for more holidays, they always say "Chennai ponam - En anna payankhe kaliyanum" (I have to go to Chennai - My brother's son is getting married)

Everyone laughs in unison. I wonder what are the reasons they give when they have to go to India and if anyone would believe them when their nephews and nieces get married in reality.

Indian 3: "Yes, yes, true ,it always better to take these biharis and north Indian people..They diligently work,and are satisfied with whatever they get".

Indian 1 responds : "Reddy is looking for an alliance for their son, MS in finance i think, stays in Houston,TX...expecting a Volkswagen and Apartment in dowry,you know him na.. they own a lot of land in Andhra and his Reddy's father is a MLA in the ruling party "

Well,its not surprising that some of us continue to call names reddys, gowds, iyers,iyengars and rationalize ourselves which is very unfortunate. This blog was neither meant to degrade or insult my countrymen or my country or hurt any feelings.Just an honest observation.:)

Ramdom Quotes from Strangers

Below are some facts I wish people hadn't told me about themselves or spoken. Wrote them down and finally put them together after 5 years of collecting these priceless quotes. Few come from friends, friends-of-friends, friends-of-friends-of-friends, collegues and others from overhearing what others talk in my office cafeteria. They are all real, though I wish some of them were not. My comments go in the bracket next to the sentence

1. I have learnt to eat noodles with a fork. (wonder how they ate before learning)
2. I was fat in middle school. The wake of that horror has yet to subside.
3. I keep forgetting that Barack Obama is our President. Bush is a living legend.
4. I have been pooped on by a monkey. (What if they had wings and could fly??)
5. I am addicted to sleeping at work. Sometimes I don't even notice I'm doing it. (Not surprised why the economy had slumped)
7. One of my collegues once said, "Just because I realize that Asian people are smarter and generally superior level of class does not mean I am inferior. Just that I'm racist."
8. I eat gummy bears by tearing them limb from limb and eating their heads last.
9. A friend in India said, "I can't grow hair on my arms"
10. Two of my best friends are under five feet tall and I have an intense fear of midgets.
11. I think yoga is incredibly spiritual. I know the Lord is with me in my downward dog.

12. I was born pigeon-toed.
13. A kid in a supermarket talking to his buddy says, "I was born with an extra kidney. I wish I could have sold it on the black market and made some money, but it was underdeveloped and did nothing but cause me to wet the bed until the third grade."
14. I like to tape my thumbs to my hands to see what it would be like to be a dinosaur.
15. A horse once fell over while I was riding it.
16. I don't believe in democracy.
17. Some in the Cafeteria said, 'My friends say that when they shave my back, I purr like a walrus"
18. I don't understand what people see in the Godfather trilogy but I love the Matrix Trilogy

Pursuit of Happiness starts in ME

ONE of the most precious gifts we can give ourselves and to each other is a sense of empowerment. A sense of power over yourself and immediate surroundings. We can give ourselves a beautiful world around us, to wake up rejuvenated each morning and feel on top of the world because you are in control of your day and whatever happens to you. There is a unique joy and celebration in that!
Real happiness can come only from within. No money can get us close to it. When you wake up each morning, consider if you really want to be doing what you are scheduled to do that day. If the answer is ‘no' more often than ‘yes', there is something obviously very wrong somewhere. You are not celebrating yourself or the gift of life enough.
And as the day starts, try asking yourself "are you at peace within?". Have you resolved the inherent conflict in all of us, the constant struggle between the baser and higher consciousness? Once you strike a balance within, it is easier to transfer that feeling of peace to your life as well.
When the joy of doing what you want to do suffuses your life, you will feel an extra bounce in your step and a keener power of observation, a deeper understanding of what's within and what surrounds you. It is then that you will question all that you have accepted blindly so far. You will question prevailing wisdom, bust old paradigms,challenge social conventions and assumptions. You will learn to believe in yourself and develop your own perspective on life. You will assert your own sovereignty.
Your life will be filled with love, bliss, light, inspiration and positivity. You will learn to do the unexpected, to think big, think lateral, think mosaic!
Let us together move towards higher levels of fearlessness and creativity. Let us look at life more for opportunities than constraints. Let us keep shedding limitations and keep raising the bar. Each one of us can be the CEO of his or her own life!

Random Thoughts

What makes a man a man? A friend of mine once wondered. Is it his origins? The way he comes to life? I don't think so. It's the choices he makes. Not how he starts things, but how he decides to end them.

Gone are the Days

Gone are the days........but not the memories. Gone are the days ,When the school reopened in June, And we settled in our new desks and benches with new friends. Gone are the days, When we queued up in book depot, And got our new text books, uniforms and notes. Gone are the days, When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet Managed to line up daily for the Monday morning prayers. Gone are the days, When we chased one another in the corridors in Intervals, And returned to the classrooms drenched in sweat after a game of football during the lunch break. Gone are the days, When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors, Playgrounds, under the trees and even in cycle sheds. Gone are the days, When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons. Gone are the days, Of fights but no conspiracies, Of Competitions but seldom..
Will we ever get these bygone days back in our busy lives

The Recreational Body

“This is dedicated to a modern man”

To the woman in rural India who walks tens of kilometers every day to fetch water, the sight of the paunchy middle aged going for determined walks must seem a little absurd. What is a defining life condition for one is a self-conscious attempt to import health for another. For most of us, the walk is one of the few ways in which we exercise our bodies, used as we have become to a life which makes little demands on them.

In the absence of work, we find ways to simulate it, just to keep our bodies in running condition. Make that walking condition. We use motorized transport to travel, eschewing even the bicycle as a mode of transport. We use elevators and escalators to climb stairs, appliances to help us with our daily chores. We use hired help to take over all tasks that involve physical labor, if we can afford it. Products vie with each other to offer labor-saving conveniences and we surround ourselves with these.

Technology works hard to eliminate work- even the smallest effort that we make is hunted down and reduced. Progress means eliminating the effort we made to kick start our motorcycles and dial a telephone. The idea of the ‘automatic’ is that of the self-fulfilling; a condition which allows us to not only eliminate all effort itself, but even the very thought of it. The automatic watch rids us of the need to wind it, the automatic washing machine of the need to transfer clothes from the tub to the dryer & the automatic transmission allows us the great facility of not having to change gears manually.

It is easy for us to forget that our bodies are machines that transform energy into work. In the earlier days, our bodies were our primary instruments in our quest for staying alive. We hunted, walked, ran, grew food, cooked and cleaned. In general, we kept the wheels of life moving through the motive force of our bodies. With time, technology and with surplus, it was possible for us to increasingly delegate work to others, be it animals, machines or other people.

Today, for a section of the world, our bodies serve little useful purpose; these are increasingly instruments of recreation. We use our bodies when we want to & not when we need to. Societies with surpluses become increasingly drawn to sport; the body gets utilized in a manner that gives millions of spectators’ pleasure. Sport is an ‘empty’ way of using our bodies- by definition no sport is meant to serve any utilitarian purpose. Sport allows us to expend our energies in a symbolic quest for perfection & swell bank accounts. The most exercise a child in a large city is likely to get is in sport (carrying their bags to school) & has no other avenues for physical exertion.

In keeping with the recreational role of the body, the role assigned to food too has changed. Food is much more than the fuel that keeps us going; we look to be lavished with new & more exotic toasts to our taste buds. The notion of cuisines; the idea that food is something to experiment with, is a relatively new one. Every meal now is a culinary adventure & nothing is more annoying for the modern family than predictable, routine food. Today’s housewife needs to be able to constantly surprise & delight her demanding family with newer dishes & recipes.

With so much emphasis on personal attractiveness, and such little real use that we put our bodies to, the body has become an end in itself. As pointed out by a social scientist, the body today is seen as a project that is in the process of becoming. It needs to be fashioned by diets, exercises and products. We ‘work out’- having exhausted the need to do real work, we ‘burn’ calories, we ‘build’ muscles in desired parts of the body and voluntarily go on the ‘tread-mill’ to make our bodies a work of art. In everything we do, we simulate real work, only this time to construct a version of ourselves that we are happy to see in the mirror.

As we move from the mechanical era of physical machines to the digital era of computers, we are freeing up yet another part of our bodies for recreation. The mind, which hitherto was completely occupied so far in our quest to build a good life for ourselves, is increasingly being freed up to pursue its own interests.

Computers process information at a rate human mind can barely comprehend. In the land of the whites, a new generation is reaching adulthood not knowing how to make arithmetical calculations mentally. As computers start doing more of the ‘real’ work, our minds will seek more avenues for pleasure. Already, the most exciting developments in the digital world are linked to communication and entertainment. Whether it is I-pad or gaming or blogging, we are finding more and more recreational uses for what was to begin with a computing machine for businesses and technology transfer. From a time when we lived through our bodies “unselfconsciously”, today we are increasingly living for our bodies. The body is what we pay obeisance to; all its needs have become paramount. The body is the passive recipient of new forms of stimulation. Our body today is a hobby, to be pursued for pleasure or to be perfected to gain admiration from others. To be affluent in today’s world is to pander to the body; to be poor to have to depend on it. When we don’t have too much work, no wonder we need to work out!

Intellectual Interactions

Delving into the depths of another mind can be both interesting and adventurous. Similar minds attract while unlike ones captivate...
Quite often, we find a person eye-catching or gorgeous. But how many times do we find another person mentally stimulating? Like a good book or a movie, how many times does another leave us with thoughts to mull over, questions to answer and yet more questions to ask?
Do you wait eagerly for the next meeting of minds with someone? How often does someone excite the mind rather than just the body or emotions?
You may grow used to the sheer physical beauty of your loved one; grow out of a visual attraction or even get used to their kindness, warmth or niceties and start taking these for granted. But there is one thing that can neither be taken for granted, nor is a trait you could get used to or grow out of. This is the stimulating power of another mind, the uncanny intricacies of the mind that attract and enrapture you.
This is the one quality that doesn't come with an expiry date.
As a young boy, along with other friends, I enjoyed reading Hardy Boys, the Three Investigators and Tintin, not for the adventure but for the sheer joy of reading and trying to picture myself to be part of them with the main characters.
The almost-always petite, fiery haired Tintin and the tall, arrogant, Hardy Boys always would hold me enthralled and for me, these became the definition of boyhood heroes.
We are always interested in the working of an unusual mind. Those who are predictable get boring after a while. It's the minds that are able to think differently, think out of the box, come up with new, creative ideas and keep destroying to rebuild again, that are really worth interacting with.
Whenever a problem is brought up, almost everybody tries to offer quick, easy and commonplace solutions. And then there may be that one person who will think different. And come up with a solution that's unusual and path breaking. That's the mind that operates a notch or two deeper than others.
You may talk to many people during the course of a day. And yet there may be the one whose conversation had the ability to make you sit up and take notice; the one who’s thinking process and mind not just interested, but challenged you. That is the mind and the conversation that stays with you, the one that you will seek out again and again. The one you will have a mind affair with.
A mind affair that is quite different from a physical affair. Delving into the depths of another mind can be more interesting and adventurous than anything else in the world. While a similar thinking process and similar thoughts can be attractive and reassuring, what can be mesmerizing is a different mind that challenges your understanding and the working of your own mind. It is not necessary that the mind you relate to would be attractive to another as well.
Criminal minds all share a common mind-set that is disturbingly different from the average mind-set. Such proclivity towards a criminal mind is evident from childhood. The very strangeness and dangerous quality of this mind holds a different type of fascination for us and we find studies, books and movies made around the study of such a mind extremely engaging.
And then there is the realm of mind games, games that highly intelligent minds play to control the minds of those lesser than themselves or those emotionally dependent on them. Such intelligent, but complicated minds can be highly dangerous and are usually associated with people who have a high IQ level. You wouldn't even realize and somebody close to you could be controlling your every thought, every action and emotion. And deriving a great contentment from it!
It's almost like playing a game, like posing a challenge to one. Such a mind often veers towards obsessive and it can be very difficult to disengage from such a person who almost takes you over mentally.
Also consider the twists and turns of the corporate mind, the ability to survive highly politicized situations and stay afloat with sheer power of mind. This can be a unique aphrodisiac when you win the games and the worst depressant when you lose some! It's a game of one upmanship. Such games can be dangerous for the uninitiated, though they are a deadly battle of survival that takes place every day, all the time, just beneath the sophisticated, smooth-seeming veneers of most organizations, at the higher levels.
The beauty of finding a person whose mind appeals to you is that he/she keeps you fully engaged and in a state of perpetual stimulation. The effect can be a highly positive one if you do not allow yourself to be completely overshadowed but rather focus on enjoying the magnificence and intricacies of such a lively interaction and taking inspiration from it to build your own mind and grow to a higher level together...

Bitten by Tifosi Bug

For all the beginners pondering on what Tifosi is, searching it on the internet would be the best bet. I have been a dedicated Tifosi and bitten by the Scuderia bug at an early age and it just stays on from that day.
The motor sport greats like Sir Jackie Stewart, Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda, Juan Manuel Fangio, have moved on sans Michael Schumacher. From Black, Blue, Red to now back to his Black Days, his heart still is Red. Gone are the days of one team domination. The real test of character came back in the days when Damon Hill and Michael fought for the championship in 1997 or the days of the “Flying Finn” Mika Hakkinen and Schumi in the 1998/99 season before he broke his leg and was out for the rest of the season. Thanks to new rules and technology, the sport now sees a more competitive fight to the title race. For the third year in a row, the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix saw the world title being decided at the Sao Paolo circuit. Just as Kimi Raikkonen (in 2007) and Lewis Hamilton (in 2008) sealed their first F1 World Driver’s crowns at Interlagos, the 2009 Drivers’ title went to Brit Jenson Button who finally decided to put some tiger in his tank and motor hard to seal the championship he had dominated in the first half of the season and then nursed it well by cruising in the second half. Of course, knowing how capricious the sport it, credit has to be given to Jenson at the way he saw the superior portrait and wanted to win the confrontation rather than all the 17-18 battles that marked up this year’s F1 World Championship. And Jenson should know. Prior to his invigorating start to the 2009 season, he had won but one Grand Prix, the 2007 Hungarian GP, a fortuitous win at that when rain helped him luck out to the chequered flag first for his maiden GP victory. While Grand Prix wins are hard to come by (its another matter when you are Renault and have a willing driver wanting to check out the crash worthiness of retaining walls all in the hope of being generous to team-mates), a solitary World Championship is even more difficult and maybe at times Jenson was playing it far too conservatively. Heck it was almost a repeat of the last GP of 2008 when Lewis Hamilton played so cautiously that he almost got blown off for the crown for the second year running. But this time Jenson and his think tank (the know-all Mr. Brawn) re-evaluated all what he had done right at the beginning of the year and decided to get back to the intuitive driver that everyone knew him to be. No longer wanting to be ultra conservative, Jenson’s Brazilian drive was pure tempered samba, precise and never a wheel askew even when he made those kamikaze moves while diving into the first corner to carve past rivals who had qualified ahead of him. This steely drive with that true grit approach of a champion was a purists’ delight even if it meant the masses were deprived of a fight going right to the wire as it happened for the past two seasons. So a resurrected-from-the-dead team with a new name, a new engine but the same human power got the job done on its first attempt is pure music to enthusiasts who like nothing better than for someone just like Brawn to come up and shake the status quo. Maybe it would be Force India’s turn this season, who knows! If ever one wanted to see F1 in the best way possible, we had that for a measly ten minutes on the Saturday before the Brazilian GP. It was in Q3, the last flat out qualifying session for the top ten slots and you had not two or three of the title contenders slogging it out for pole, but nine of the ten who had got into Q3 putting on a dazzling display of driving as each of them went head to head against the rest and the clock and the track to try and get the best grid positions for the big race a day later. Barring Fernando Alonso, the sight and aggression, not to mention the pluck and the finesse of the likes of Rubens Barrichello, Mark Webber, Kimi Raikkonen, Adrian Sutil, Jarno Trulli, Sebastian Buemi, Nico Rosberg, Roberto Kubica and Kazuki Nakajima as they decimated the lap times even before one could gather it all in.
That was truly F1 at its best for 2009 and I sincerely hope that with the newer no-refueling rules for this year, new teams, new point system, new drivers, return of the most successful F1 driver and changes in point system, maybe we will have a return back to the classic art of speed with controlled aggression in 2010. Maybe it is then that the smooth fluid styles of a certain Jenson Button would come into even more sharper focus, especially with the other British Champion with him! Or could be the year we see the resurgence of the “God” again or just the Brazilian Samba with a Spanish retreat with the Prancing Horse flying high. For sure Brawn and brains did seem to Button up quite well as champions!

Secular Religiosity

A very curious debate, by some of the trendiest like-minded individuals, is cropping up occasionally in the world media. Religion quite unambiguously is the theme of debate. Chronological scars are put on show. That despite, such deliberations beyond a threshold never end with appeasement. Sometimes it is eradication & sometimes it is acceptance. The arguments' merit is one matter. The treacherous side is that you may infuriate more than you lessen. It's an old therapeutic argument. Check it.
How many religions do we have in the world today? And how many are official religions? There must be an 'International Religion's Directory' at least with the UN, since the two World Wars, & most major historical wars had some sort of a religious coloration. Certainly one would be breaking an eternal law by specifying an order to the listing. For the sake of 'secularism', an over-squeezed lemon that now only oozes the pungent sweat of its peel, the order should not matter. Born in a lnad of many religions, where I belong to a Hindu family, went to a Jesuit school, later to a Hindu College & now in a foreign land, having some of the best buddies who can call themselves Islamic, Parsees, Christians, Jains, having been trained by some of the best scientific minds in the world & found that they follow Judaism, having objectively realized that no one actually forced 'religion' on me, but imparted the best they had to share professionally from their own encouragement, without naming a 'brand name', some of what we can read in the media today is so decidedly 'Old Fashioned'. One does not discuss & argue what should not be discussed & argued & yet cannot be set aside. Our parents for instance!
No God, His Son, or Prophet, descended to fight for a religion. The 'religions' came after They left. For the believers, the chronicles that have been passed on in the Holy Books, rituals, holy times, social laws, were interpreted & followed with sufficient concurrence & uniformity for generations. That became the mass, in fact the critical mass of humanity, by numbers or application & began to enforce on others such practices as they sincerely believed would lead to their salvation! Pursuing
The beginning & end of life, as one sees day in & day out in a hospital are equally joyous or pathetic, depending on the way one looks at it. The ritual of burial, cremation or any other, may keep the pundits & designated priests preoccupied. The sense of loss, or liberation, is a matter of human emotions. These may be called 'subjective', but are more human & consistent than the most objective of ceremonies as dictated by various philosophies, practices, call what you may, or call what you call as 'religion' whatever extra meaning it may give, in a particular situation, once a commonly agreed part of 'life' is over. Does it matter? Forgive me if I am wrong for I ask in full modesty, not questioning it. I have always found the coolest corner to be the one at the base of the staircase of wisdom. For there the path doesn’t rattle, & no one really is out of breath.

In school, I often liked reading John Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale”. He analyzed & won over the merits of an intellectual existence. To be able to relish measured reason, poetry, literature & decent company, were the 'tastes' of the evolved. He says in his "Two Sonnets on Fame"

“ HOW fever’d is the man, who cannot look Upon his mortal days with temperate blood, Who vexes all the leaves of his life’s book, And robs his fair name of its maidenhood"

But over the course of a century, human choices & understanding are different now. It's better to cheer & chase your T20 or football club. There is this Lebanese colleague who always speaks to me to make sure we have a distraction from work. After his job, we always talk of football, golf, basketball and cricket. I asked once, "Which is your club?" Gives me a disapproving look, saying "Can't you see?” I then notice his Man U wallpaper and the Old Trafford poster in his cubicle. "Rooney is my man, & Alex Ferguson is only next to God. Thirty years as a coach, is no joke". So said a close friend from school some years back, “At the moment, Messi is God” The Man United fan will not be talking to me for a month, till the EPL finals are over, & I am praying that United does well, or I'll miss the few happy, non-manipulative faces that are left around. We might get tired of all the off-the-cuff diagnoses that we can rant, but seldom do we see religion as a factor which determines how a human befriends another.
For a change, it helps to become a believer of the spontaneous & the purposeless act. Happiness is the essence of all existence. If someone asks me my religion, I would rather say, "Let's talk of something that would make both of us happy. If you have realized that, for God's sake never let that be the important thing in judging His creation".
Religion however will stay put in the centre of existence for the majority. No doubts here. Some of the wisest will be seen on screens or tweets and others dividing countries and states on the basis of skin color and religion. Some might argue on how we contemplate humanity if we had left behind these religions centuries ago. Fundamentalism is genetic to a fraction of every community. Those who understand should dissuade its use for worldly alliances or disputes. Let humanity & merit be the universal yardstick. Squaring up the past never helps the present or future.
God is smart. He has no religion. But He keeps you guessing, even agreeing to hints of coming over to 'your' side. He also is accepted by His believers as the final 'Disposer'. For the atheists, perhaps they are smarter. Still no reasons to argue!
If whatever be the purpose has been conveyed & matters reasonably understood, we may not let these discussions drag too long in a country that boasts of being the largest secular country in the world with the richest historical legacy. Plans & strategies evolve for their own reasons. But conciliatory words as 'forgiveness' & 'sorry' are always helpful. Let go of the wrath. You are still on your path!
I would be surprised if Sarfaraz Ali Khan or Ashwin P Rao ever read this, but they always advised me that “You must be like a plant that can blossom anywhere planted” and believed in simplicity in the way you think of leading life. Two men I admire a lot in life for letting me get to the US with no worries in life. Sarfi Saab’s Last email had these aspects…..

The Nine Aspects of Life
Adventure of life is to learn,

Purpose of life is to grow,

Nature of life is to change,

Challenge of life is to overcome,

Essence of life is to care,

Opportunity of life is to serve,

Secrets of life is to dare,

Spice of life is to be friend,

Beauty of life is to give up...........

Ride Your Ego

“if someone who knows you mildly, can play you like a musical instrument, eliciting the responses they want, that is your biggest Achilles' heel”

If ego can erode brotherly ties between the world's richest siblings, ruin careers and relationships, wipe away fortunes and futures, it surely is a greater force than most of us give it credit for!

Come to think of it, ego is one of the two deadliest traps you could fall into — at work, or even in your relationships. The second is purely emotion. The two forces within that could conspire to ruin you with very little help from external enemies. The enemy is within.

Ego is that blinds you to all else but a perceived slight. And emotion that blinds you to the outcome of your resultant outburst. Ego that makes an entire clan believe their honor has been hurt by a young couple's romantic liaison. And emotion that makes them kill their own child and the lover.

From the Gita to Osho to Buddhist teachings to modern Western analysis of the constructed nature of self, all religions and philosophies have attempted to define ego. Yet, ego remains almost as abused a word as "moron"! "He has a huge ego;" "Don't let ego ruin your relationship," "Ego comes in the way of success" are oft-heard phrases. And yet, how many understand what the word means?

Here are a few definitions. Ego is "a pseudo reflection of the soul" (Lord Krishna in The Gita); "a false sense of the self," (Master Sheng yen, one of the world's most respected Buddhist masters); "an emotionally charged image of self" (Otto Kernberg, pioneering psychologist); "A false centre. The reflection of what others think" (Osho).

So then should one rid oneself of all ego and emotion as religious texts prescribe? Well, so long as you wish to live in the world and not take off to the mountains in a loin skin carrying a kavandal, the better deal surely is to learn to handle ego and emotion rather than give them up!

You can either make ego and emotions your strength or your greatest weakness by allowing someone else to handle them to their advantage. If someone who knows you mildly can play you like a musical instrument, eliciting the emotions and responses they want from you, that is your biggest Achilles' heel. If your enemy knows what most angers you and so makes you lose control, undoubtedly he will be tempted to use his power over you.

In our everyday lives, we are bound to be faced with situations that hurt our ego or incite emotions. A hurt ego almost always responds emotionally. The emotion may be one of sadness, anger, revenge or aggression. Give in to it and you have walked into a trap; to walk away is to transcend on to another plane and feel thrilled with your will power and control over yourself.

People take a catlike delight in playing with those trapped by their emotions. As Deepak Chopra says, managing others begins with managing yourself first. "Business leaders who don't know themselves too well and cannot get a grip on their emotions and ego, fail miserably."

The top performing companies are usually those whose CEOs' names you wouldn't know. They have an ego and arrogance associated with a CEO that has taken them there. That's because "these people were not into themselves; their goal was not adulation or power, but to create a great company." Their companies would do well even after they leave, which is more than what can be said for Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric.

The aim should be to develop a high level of emotional intelligence and self-respect, which enables you to think through your emotions intelligently, to use your emotions to help you think more intelligently. Respect people the way they respect you and don’t waste time on people who know not how to respect others. An individual always represents the way he/she is brought up. It is important to stay in touch with who you are as a human being, because that is who you will be in every sphere of life, be it work or relationships.

To that end, ego or an awareness of self is important. Who you think you are is an integral part of who you become.

Darwin was a Genius

First blog of this year- 2010 has started off on a good note. Lots of opportunities, promises, hits-and-misses.

The following is purely non-fictional. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely intentional and not coincidental.

Charles Darwin once coined the phrase "Survival of the fittest". Little did he know the magnitude of what he was referring to? To start things off, I'm not talking about natural selection or evolution of species... I'm talking about evolution of a different kind. Human survival!!

This is not about air, water, food or shelter. The basic nature of adaptability is something always been pondering about. How people change over a period of time and how they resist change.
All of us go through major life changes every once a while. To name a few, New school, new job, new places and new friends. Not everything is perfect in these new things that come into our lives. What do people do when they don’t seem to find company or detest the surroundings for some reason?

One of 2 things, either leave their prejudices behind or go talk to the people around. If they aren't exactly their "type" they just change their idea of "type" entirely and go with the flow. Sure they feel rather uncomfortable for a few days but then they get used to it and start having fun. If it’s the surroundings that bother them they try changing it or at least find some positive aspect about it.

Then others on the other hand don't mingle at all for a long time... Or mingle very minimally and constantly crib about the surroundings and rant about how much better things used to be or could have been.

Over a lifetime, we meet both sets of people. The 2nd sort are happy to begin with preferring to be alone than to be in "wrong" company. Or derive some weird satisfaction by telling every soul in hearing distance how perfectly horrid everything is. But as the days go by they get depressed and a vicious cycle starts there. The end result is a dull boring life and poor performance at work or school.

The other set find it a little exhausting at first trying to understand these new people around and manage with whatever they can get. But in some time they are happy and positive and lead comparatively active lives.

But people are not strictly black or white.. Everyone eventually moves on and gets accustomed but not without leaving that bitter taste behind. It all just depends on the individual's ego and the time which they take to 'crossover'.

The human ego is probably the biggest hurdle to happiness. So if you can’t beat them, what are you waiting for..?? Go join them!! :)

Disclaimer :

Discontinue reading my blog if any of the following occurs. Some of my readers might be affected by the following symptoms:
Itching
Vertigo
Dizziness
Tingling in extremities
Loss of balance or coordination
Slurred speech
Temporary blindness
Profuse sweating
Heart palpitations