Sales is a Process

Fine, but I follow my own processes not some well acclaimd lessons on how to get attention. Last couple of weeks, I am also getting a decent response to my requests. I see no reason to get aggressive, pushy or "sell" to achieve my objectives.

I dont know if I will make a difference. I sure as hell will try.

The Arctic

Is just economics and black gold worth the trouble?

I had an interesting discussion about a charitable organization set up to support the requirements of the North West Frontier of Pakistan taking an information subscription that costs the earth with its money. I could not see the need although i was glad for the revenue in my territory.

Our discussion revolved around a novel which spoke about all the negatives of the western world's interests in the oil rich regions and how they used all kinds of ways to move dollars back to themselves. How even my salary is in some way going back to them because since I joined an MNC, i have visited Hard Rock Cafe and spent money there more times than I ever did before.

Today I am unsure of my expectations on Barack Obama. There was a time when I believed he might be good for us all. Today i worry about his intentions to send in US troops to Afghanistan, to hit inside Pakistani territory. I guess it is too long since the UN was set up and people have forgotten that they could instead take care of this cracking edifice and use it as a third party to safeguard failed states. The need of the hour is to set a clear vision to set up a good local government. Allow basic democratic tools like a constitution to work and give them a chance to rise above what could in 2011 be a take over by the Taliban if the US troops do go in.

I know there is no easy solution but why not the UN? WHY SHOULD THE GLOBAL COP think they can do it better?

I feel pride in the fact that India is a far better Nation today for all its ills only because of our democracy. Out of over 60 countries that got freedom 60 years ago, we alone stand out as a successful democracy except for the brief madness of 1977 and Indira Gandhi. If it can be done, why can we not expect our Muslim neigbours to renonce the Taliban who anyways treat even there own, especially the women very badly.
Instead of spending on troops and ammo, maybe spending on education, new technology and green technology would be a better way to ensure development. Who needs oil when we have the sun? Why not go solar?

So many questions and no answers. I wish all the smart people would save the world...

Where is the Music on Television?

There was a time a decade ago (a little more perhaps) when we got MTV in India and I had no qualms setting my TV on MTV all the time. And then V turned up and it was better. After a while, both of them moved to become more regional and so just regular Hindi music channels and it was tough to watch the channels during regular TV time. I figured I am no longer the audience and moved out...

Some time later, VH1 came along and that felt like the old MTV at least over the week ends. Today, most music channels show some kind of sick serials/reality shows. I am not sure if it is my fault for just letting it be and moving to other choices. Was it the feedback these guys got from viewers that were allowing them to change so called "music" channels to what they are today? I wonder who did the market research? What kind of people were they interviewing and whose choice is now being fed to us. I refuse to believe this is what actual viewers want since I am a pretty regular music lover and I cannot believe serials and reality shows are better. I guess there is enough of that shit all around without seeing that on our "music" channels.
My blog will never be read and i doubt this is a cause for anyone to take up but I needed to say what a hopeless mess we have made of what used to be great music on tv. Today, I have the clarity of Denon speakers connected to my TV and nothing to hear. What a mess!

Amazing Wolfram

Wolfram tells me that I am 12799 days old. Maybe I could celebrate 12800 tomorrow :) given tomorrow is Friday anyways.

It has been a month since i blogged

A month has gone by. My new job paid me my first salary, my ex-boss resigned from the Company he founded with another (!) and bothered himself enough to meet me and talk. I felt blessed by my good fortune for not being a part of the company at this time. I am also continuously amazed at how easily the leaders are now going on with the work. The resilience of the team and the no nonsense attitude of the management both amaze me. I am happy they believe enough in themselves to survive such a big blow.

At least right now, I do not feel bad for my ex-boss. He seems to have taken it in his stride. He sounds okay. I do hope he remains strong and happy. This month is his birthday too. I wish him the very best of luck in anything he chooses to do.

My current boss will be returning to start out on some serious work from next monday. He is returning with his wife to set up home in Bandra for the next couple of years as he aims to make the Indian market a large contributor to the global revenues.

What else? I saw the Lalbagh ka raja from close quarters, saw some movies last week and went to Hard Rock Cafe twice in the last two weeks.

DSYS!

My Brit boss introduced me once again to his fiancée this time as the first DJ employee he met who was handling client communications on the first day of joining. J The Global Trainer he introduced me to earlier was suitably impressed as well. When I mentioned that it was just some small procedural issues, he said even that is tough given the global level of the Company.

I agree on that point whole heartedly. For one product, I interact with Australia and for another with folks in London. It is all mind-boggling and the best part of course is that it is managed effortlessly across regions.

 

How to waste time in office

I have a web based seminar for US time today. This means I have to sit in office for two hours waiting for the call to start. I seriously tried to be with everybody and to be part of the group. Really. Just does'nt work with me.

How can I sit in office and watch a stand up comedy when I would never do so at home? We had nice plans for an English movie but somebody changed there mind. :

So here I am, at my desk, blogging. I could have got my notes on Ladakh and transcribed those but I do not feel like Leh right now. Given that my home PC has gone for a toss, I am not sure when I can upload those snaps.
I think it is time to get that Mac ;)

Tickled

It is fun to directly post to my blog from the Word 2007 link. Amazing what all Microsoft bothers about. Next thing you know, you could post on Twitter from Outlook. A good idea?

 

Unbelong

I am missing "something" from my earlier job. I am not sure if I am missing my site, my boss, my colleagues, or just the feeling of "knowing things" that are new now. The first two weeks here were good actually. I felt like I on a new adventure but since this morning, it has been a day of nostalgia. It has no meaning and no sense. I know that the move was the right thing to do and I was really just going around in circles there but what do I do about it now?

I no longer belonged there and I still don't belong here. What a way to be!!!

The answer is simple: Unbelong J

I just need to understand that and move on…When will I do it? I have no clue.

An empty pod

Today, I cleared my desk and cupboards of all personal items. There was a big load of stuff that shall find its way home now. It is remarkable how easily we make ourselves at home anywhere. I had original bill copies submitted in February lying around here and so many artefacts that I cannot count all beautifying my desk. Books gifted by ex-colleagues, books returned by colleagues, all finding a place in my shelf. Today, I emptied them and they shall go back home with me.
I now live in a sterile empty pod till I am altogether out of this place. A forgotten face, an unknown number...

Good Weekend

I had a great week end. I met a couple of friends on Friday night. Saturday morning was a nice drive to Siddhivinayak temple, darshan and then on to Marine drive for a walk. Stopped over for tasty sandwich ice-creams at K Rustom and back home on a lovely drive once again. Nostalgia and emotions all over the place.

Ended the morning with a little bit of shopping. That night went to see Angels & Demons. An interesting movie albeit with too much violence. I was wondering what parents were doing getting 10 year olds to such a movie. The movie theater did not stop them either. Am not sure how responsible we are as a people when we behave like this.

Anyways, i certainly enjoyed the movie.

Sunday evening we went on another long trip to Tituwala. Our temple visit started with a rare view of the God without any of the decoration "nirmalya darshan" followed by the entire sequence of dressed and then aarti.

Ofcourse the drive to the temple itself was fabulous. Followed this with a stop over at Choki dani. A Rajasthani mela and food place. Fun filled evening enjoying the rustic village setting.

Lovely dancers and extra heavy food :(

But the week end was wonderful.

tergiversation

I learnt about a new word today. Tergiversation has two meanings. One is the act of abandoning a party or cause. What I feel that I am doing to my site by leaving. :|


I am really scared for my site and can only hope that my tergiversation shall not impact it adversely.

The other meaning is "The act of practicing evasion or of being deliberately ambiguous." What I feel some people here are masters at ;) I do suppose that moving ahead I am going to find that the world is full of such people and there it is no big deal if someone is ambiguous so as to avoid being an outright liar.

Leaving

Once again some one burst into tears at the thought of my leaving. And today even I felt guilty. I felt like I was leaving a child with no protection to weather the storms.
I got a single plastic red rose from a bouquet on her table as a gift to take away. I shall always treasure it for the memory of a young girl who trusted that I will be there for her and still wished me when I said I had to go...

I don't know how to take away the guilt. I wish the rains come and take away these feelings of loss.
:(

Brand New Altis!

My brother's performance incentive for last year is a car! His company gave him a Toyota Altis after discussions and debate for over 45 days on which car it shall be. We checked out the entire range and finally decided to move away from diesel to petrol so we could get a good car. I was set on the VW Jetta but that is a very expensive car for no reason but the fact that it is European. Some day...
I have been driving a Indigo Diesel for the last 5 years and changing over to the Altis this morning was fun. Man! The car is smooth or what?
I had a lovely drive on Sunday morning to a temple about 10 kms away with my parents while my brother who got the car was in Bangalore with friends and relatives. Hee! Hee! Someone once told me, "when the cat is out, the mice shall play! :)
I enjoyed being the mouse this time.

Lay-offs

This is a sad start to the week. I came in to read about friends affected badly by the Microsoft lay-offs at Seattle and a home page article on rediff about the India office lay-off. The article talks about Microsoft's on going plans to recruit around 3000 new employees in different sectors while the planned lay-offs continue. I wonder how they decide who should be let go?

Somehow, I wonder if all these lay-offs are a sign that companies are getting rid of dead wood or maybe good wood that is more expensive to ensure cost cutting while recruiting new talent at lower "recession" prices.

As my HR points out to me, no individual gives a damn about the Company when they want to quit so why should the company bother? Are we out to get revenge then?

Water Part II

The level to which all of us are able to adjust to our situation is amazing. Last week irregular water supply was a curse, my neighbors and I we were wondering if we were going to shift out of the locality finally to escape from this unlivable situation. Today, we are discussing a household syntex on the loft and getting a daily bisleri bottle delivered home.

What is this? Accepting change or the perennial problem of the "spirit of Mumbai" at work?

Water

There has been a huge water cut in my building in the last 2 days. We only have flowing water from 11:00 PM to 8:00 AM.

There is water flowing on the roads all around my house thanks to the various road construction activities and obvious wastage when they break pipes. Times of India keeps reporting on the number of water pipe bursts in the Andheri Marol area but there is never any care taken to ensure it does not happen before the fact.
I think the continuous efforts for "a better tomorrow" have made today miserable for many of us. We cut trees all around, there is some or the other road development project each year that ensures eternal traffic snarls. We first expand a road, then we concretise it, then we break up the concrete for some telecom/water or any other pipe laying, we re-concretise after that, then we start off a new metro project and break concrete roads again. Planning here is for every 6 months and things change mid way or as soon as one project is completed. And this means that in the last 10 years that I have stayed in Marol, there is always traffic, crowds and congestion. It is tedious, it is irritating and I have no idea how to deal with it.

Boo hoo!