Mukta

I do think Mukta's posts make me feel more alive than just about anything else in my world today. Thank God for both, Mukta and my life. :)
The girl is poetic beyond belief and words just flow... Perfect.

The Engineer Brahmins

Another friend of my family donated large sums of money to ensure that the "Brahmin" way of life continues. I wonder why these engineers who make big money by forsaking all that the original Tamil Brahmin lived on in the ages past wants poor or orphaned young boys to continue that way of life. These guys themselves moved across the seven seas, built a fortune or worked some place else and then they come back home or better still just sit there and send money to keep the Vedas alive. Why should a child follow the old rituals just so you can claim that you have paid back to your roots? I wonder...Will any of them even teach some basic stuff to their own children?

They expect them to learn the Sanskrit scripture by rote with no thought given to explaining anything just so that the future continues to have a gurukkal in all the new temples that we build and a Brahmin to conduct his grand children's wedding in the true Tambram style...even if said grandson is marrying a Australian or maybe, God willing another Indian at best..certainly not much chance he would marry another Tam bram...

God, how will you quell this hypocrisy? I rather prefer all those uncles of the past who retire from a life well lived and well traveled, and make a conscious choice at 60 to learn what they did not learn earlier..that is a choice you make for yourself. Not just foisting it on some poor soul who expects that you give him food not for some selfish purpose but because it is your duty and his right to life.

It is raining :)

It is funny how we feel happy when it starts raining and the skies are grey. I painted my fingernails for the very first time and I think I like it. I am sure I would never have done it in summer. It is just something that happened because the city looks lovely despite the clogged drains. The view of the sea at any time of the day is awesome!

I think I just love Mumbai in the rains. J

One Year since MJ and LexSite…

It was really odd but my last day at LexSite was made even more memorable since I heard of MJ's death while in the office building my resolve for my first "date" lunch with my soon to be ex-boss. J

I watched "This is it" yesterday and kept thinking about any significance I could attach to these 2 occurrences, in retrospect. There really is no comparison between my life and that of Michel Jackson. However, given how my next 2 jobs have turned out, maybe I should have waited for a better opportunity before taking the plunge. I don't know. I could never have survived in what is today a completely different set up and I am glad I got out when I did. I have no regrets on leaving LexSite or joining DJ. The international exposure was indeed fun and if that had been a product I could sell, maybe I could have stayed on.

That my professional life has become too fluid and has lost all shape and form is true but I think I can say that I do not regret any of the changes. I may have made bad decisions but it was most certainly time to move on.

2009-2010

Around this time last year, I was looking forward to a new job with an MNC and some serious shift in my general role and profile at work. Today, I realize I was never really cut out for that or for the kind of low end technology profile I have since changed into. I shifted 3 jobs in one financial year after staying in the same place for 10 years… 10 years is a long time, but to find a role that gives me the adrenalin rush of a commercial deal closing, the success of a well run seminar and the fun of interacting with different personalities and explaining a software solution to meet the needs is just so tough.

I hope in this June, I once again find a good role and am able to shift to a new job where I can spend the next 10 years. Or I could leave the city I love and find my fortunes elsewhere…

MNC’s in Rural India – Jekyll & Hyde?

There is the story of MNCs spending on the rural economy to do well in the long term and gain advantages in terms of CSR. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB127296168752486467.html?mod=WSJ_hp_us_mostpop_read#

I also know of stories where HLL has made specific efforts to destroy the production of "arita" a fruit that was used predominantly across rural India as an effective hair care solution. Arita was sold cheap and was easily available till HLL realized it was unable to sell its chemical formulations simply because of the availability of cheaper indigenous solutions. They created a strategy that would eliminate competition.

This story is not much different from the way food production has changed in India from the many varied regional varieties like ragi, bajra production and consumption giving way to wheat that can then be refined and sold.

Where is the CSR?

What do we do?

Can IT enable better work life balance for employees by saving time and doing mundane stuff quickly if it cannot be considered to have a positive correlation between a company's effective use of IT and their share price? 

If IT is truly an "enabler" then it should certainly make life simpler. If I can say that I could save x amount of time because I worked through a system, then that is a win, else what is the point?

Hetal’s author list

List of Authors

1. Jeffery Archer
   
2. Sidney Sheldon
   
3. Colin Forbes
   
4. Ken Follet
   
5. Barbara Taylor Bradford
   
6. C J Lewis
   
7. Rick Riordan
   
8. J K Rowling
   
9. Stephanie Meyer
   
10. Philip Pullman
    
11. Dan Brown
    
12. Anne Bishop
    
13. Arthur Keri
    
14. James Patterson (Maximum Ride Series)
    
15. Nora Roberts
    
16. Mary Higgins Clark
    
17. Danielle Steel
    
18. Chetan Bhagat
    
19. Holly Lisle
    
20. John Grisham
    
21. Barbara Cartland
    
22. Robin Cook
    
23. Jackie Collins
    
24. Paulo Coelho
    
25. Johanna Lindsay
    
26. Angie Sage
    
27. Sidin Vadukut
    

    
     

    
     

 

Amazing Mukta

I am not sure if I would be able to read such wonderful writers like reve if not for blogger. Blogger exists so she can write so beautifully with little effort. Following her makes working saturdays bearable for folks like me.
Thanks Chiffonesque.

It’s Official

Read this morning in the ET that Deutsche has offered over 1.44Cr plus at the IIMA placement. The IBankers and Consultancies have gone back to the pre 2008 pay scales and are making big offers once again. As we speak, he Greek debt crisis is spreading from Greece to Portugal, Spain and Italy where Government debt and budget deficits are high while the Eurozone controls do not let them print new money. Getting out of the Euro union might lead them the Argentinean way with massive outflows.

These Companies might argue that the way back into growth is to go back to old ways and recruit new people but I wonder if they ever think of the "real" wealth creation or do they only want to see the world as a place for complex financial structures.

    

I think i know what i want to do with my life.

I want to be involved in health care in India. I wonder if any one will give me a job in this sector that I know nothing about but at least I do feel some thing for its absolute need. Maybe it is time i gave up on salary and started looking for jobs in some mofussil town where they might grant me an interview simply because i want to re-locate from the great city. That sounds like an idea. I would then probably take all my vacations just to Mumbai and never want to go anywhere else.

: That does sound sad. But what the hell!

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?