Uncle Brand White Hair Dye!

One fine afternoon, Nandu and me met on Brigade road to have our lunch at Pizza Hut. It was a scorcher of a day and we were only too happy to trot our way to PH. Just then, I heard a female, almost yelling, "Excuse me" behind me. I don't usually excuse people on road, pushing things in my face, but some thing in her shrill voice forced me to. What a preposterous mistake it proved out to be later! She handed me a pamphlet of some sort and literally bolted her way to cross the road as if she saw some ghost (I couldn't even have eyeful of her!). I was all enthu to try my slam jam skills while throwing the note in the dustbin but where are those things when you need them most?! Nandu snatched it from my hands and was laughing hysterically after reading it. Curiosity got the better of me and I set my eyes on that damned thing. It read:

Uncle Brand White Hair Dye
If you insist on dressing like an old man this will help complete the look.

If the girl who gave you this thinks you look like an old man, maybe you do. Which is strange because you're what?About 20 something?Right?
So why dress like guys twice your age?

ya-da-ya-da-ya-da (To find cloth stores, go to www.notanuncle.com) ya-da-ya-da

Ha-ha-ha, very funny! Before diving into any laughing sessions read about what I was wearing, I was in my regular comfort fit blue jeans with a collared white shirt and brown suede shoes. What's wrong with that? What's so uncle-ish?!

Of course my bruised ego will tend to bias my views, but I'll try to stick to rationale. What kind of marketing is that?! It looked like some kind of prank to me (may be I'm on air on some kind of bakra show; smoke raising from my ears, eyes bulging out from sockets. Interesting thought!). Due to this prank-ish quality of this pamphlet, I never took it seriously. Nandu visited the site first and told me about it. It's pretty lame, some chillar flash-giri website. I can't see how can anyone get excited about buying clothes from them, after receiving this note?

May be she had some kind of quota to finish before lunch and was literally throwing the pamphlets away at people. Or may be it was meant for Nandu, my sharp reflexes while responding to female voices let me into this.

Car-obaar

Ratan Tata's Rs 1-Lakh Car:
Excerpts from Ratan Tata's interview with Business World India (Full text available here; login is required, available for free.)

Q. The Rs 1-lakh car - how far has it progressed?
RATAN TATA: We are just finalizing the concept of structure, material and powertrain - which are the building blocks. Each of those has an assigned price to meet that objective. We are just coming to closing choices on all of those.
Now we'll go after developing the car. This is the broad framework in place. But if these building blocks are not decided upfront, then there is no car. So we have taken a long time to get at that. We have a couple of new drawings showing us the size of the car, but these building blocks have to be in place.
Should we go monocoque? Do we do plastics or do we go sheet metal? Those decisions had to be taken. We're almost at the point where we have evaluated this. It will be a five-seat, rear-engine vehicle.

Q. Will it be bigger than the Maruti 800?
RATAN TATA: It will be slightly bigger than the 800.

Q. Even in terms of the engine?
RATAN TATA: Maybe not, because it will be a lighter car than the 800. The intention is that the car will be positioned between the 800 and the two-wheeler on price.
I would imagine it would attract a two-wheeler customer to a primary car, which is all-weather-proof, is safe, has four wheels and, in fact, has the capabilities of a car that will come in two or three trim levels. There will be a rudimentary level and there will be a higher model which he can buy when he wants to upgrade. It will take some market away from lower-end cars and a bigger market away from two-wheelers.

Q. The rudimentary model - what will it not have?
RATAN TATA: There are a couple of views on what it may not have. For example, it may have a door, but the door may be a frame with a vacuum-coated plastic sheet on the front, with fixed windows that are sliding. And the higher version will have regular wind-down windows and regular doors. There is also a concept where there are no doors but just a safety bar, somewhat like the old jeeps.When I said that the building blocks have to be in place, we needed to look at how each of those things can be done elegantly. And what we hope is that the customer can define the car he wants when he buys it. And the car can be built in that particular form. He can also upgrade the same car after he buys it.

Q. Will it meet the safety standards?
RATAN TATA: It will meet all the safety standards that we require here. And until we really get involved in that, it will be difficult to say that it will meet the full safety requirements abroad, but our aim would be to try and meet most of those. It will meet the emission requirements that are there, which is a must. And we want it to be a safe car. We want to move people from a two-wheeler, with a wife holding a kid, to a safer form of transportation.

I can't agree more with Mr.Tata's vision that India has huge market for cheap cars; cheaper even than Maruti Alto and Maruti 800. Since 1991, when Ratan Tata became the chairman of the Tata group, Tata group has seen tremendous growth, especially in the automotive market. Today Sumo, Safari, Indica & Indigo enjoy big share in Indian car market. Tata motors has been focusing towards the cheap car segment from the start, which makes more sense keeping in mind that many foreign firms are now introducing their models from their stable abroad, specifically for higher end customers.

Still, I'm skeptic about his move to introduce Rs.1-Lakh car in Indian market. Maruti has declared vehemently that with such low budget it will be very difficult. I'm concerned about the compromises Tata Motors may have to do. Safety could be one. Although he has maintained that safety will be given all due importance, at least the rudimentary model doesn't sound very safe. Robustness will matter in smaller towns. Small city-cars can be successful in urban centers, but in smaller towns and rural areas the vehicles suffer a lot due to bad roads & usage conditions. If it's going to be a fragile thing like Reva, I can't see it cutting deep into smaller towns. If robustness counts in rural areas, style matter in urban areas. One prime example would be Maruti WagonR. It was supposed to be technically the most superior car from Maruti, still it didn't pick up well. The reasons are speculated to be related to it's looks. Same is the case with Indigo or Omni. With sliding windows & safety bars for doors, Rs.1-Lakh car looks more like an auto to me. Of course we've another important issues like maintenance,performance, mileage, comfort, etc.

Can this bring another revolution in Indian car market after Maruti in 1981? Only time will tell, but I've some doubts. The markets have opened up a lot since the introduction of Maruti (through an act of parliament in February '81). Today a lot many more choices are available to the customers. Loans are readily available. Consumerism is on the rise & prices are seen in the context of EMIs. Maruti Alto & Maruti 800 are respected well among buyers for their comfort & performance. Maruti must be planning to phase out 800 and replace it by Alto. Unless Tata's car impresses the potential buyers immensely, it will be damn tough for it to steal Maruti's share. Now let's consider the two wheelers' segment. It can be roughly divided between lower end models (Victor, CT 100, etc; Rs.25-35000) and higher end models (Pulsar, Eliminator, Thunderbird, etc. Rs.45-90000). The higher end motorcycles are bought mainly for their style and they're more popular among young people. Their buyers belong mainly to the category who feel that it's too early for them to buy a car and/or car is not necessary and/or maintaining a car is a liability. Mind you, these fellows can afford a car but they choose not to. They generally switch to cars after 2-3 years of bike usage. It won't be easy to woo them into buying cheap low-end car instead of high end mobikes. Some buyers from this section, who have enough money for bikes but not enough for a car, might be interested in Tata's proposition. Tata must be expecting to lure the low-end bike buyers. This class buys a vehicle mainly on need basis. Style matter less to them than comfort and usability. If their budget for motorcycle is around 25-40,000 today, it can be stretched upto 1-1.2 Lakhs for the comforts of a car. Car loans can encourage this class further into buying Tata's car. But, a major portion of this population belongs to smaller towns & I'm doubtful about performance of Tata's car in smaller stations.

I'll be very glad if Tata can manufacture a cheap yet well designed car suitable for Indian conditions. It's high time India increases it's car penetration. Good Luck Mr. Tata.

Future of One Day Cricket.

Recently, the ICC Cricket Committee made a series of recommendations to spice up ODIs. The CC, which was chaired by Sunil Gavaskar, made the following points (ICC report can be found here):

• The fielding restrictions should apply for the first 10 overs of every innings with two additional blocks of 5 overs to be applied through the course of an innings at the discretion of the fielding captain.
• The introduction of soccer-style substitutes for international cricket wherein a player could be replaced at any stage of a match but would then be ruled out for the remainder of the match. Both the substitute and the substituted player would receive a cap and the replacement could happen at any stage of the match, including during a batting innings.
• A technology trial should be undertaken at the Johnnie Walker Super Series to allow on-field umpires to consult with the TV umpire on any aspect of any decision. The final decision after these discussions would remain with the on-field umpire.

Apparently, the focus is on encouraging tactical approach to the game & on increasing the quality. Not to underrate the other two recommendations, I feel the second suggestion will have maximum impact on the game. Harsha Bhogale also has something to say about it.

The first recommendation can increase the worries of the fielding captain. Most logical step would be to use these 10 overs of field restriction during the middle stage of the inning (20-35 overs). If the batting team is struggling to recuperate after some early wickets, this can be useful for the bowling team to cut off singles and tighten the screws further. This strategy can backfire if the batting side introduces some aggressive pinch hitter during those overs of field restrictions. I don't think any captain will even dream of keeping these overs towards the end of the inning. It'll further encourage the massacre of bowling in last 10 overs. This rule will definitely help batting side more than the bowling side.

The second rule is the most interesting one. With twelve caps to be distributed every match, a captain can afford the luxury of keeping another specialist batsman or a good bowler in the wings and employ them according to the situation. Today, ODIs have the allrounders taking the centerstage. This rule will increase the importance of specialists definitely. I don't see it making allrounders less important though. Another thing, it will bring excellent bowling-batting battles back to the game. With the liberty to play with specialists & using this rule wisely, the think-tank of the team can do wonders! Take Indian team for example, it's main strength lies in it's deep batting line up. It plays with 6 batsmen+1 wicket keeper+ 4 bowlers mainly. Most of the times, while batting first, we don't need all the 6 specialist batsmen. In such case, we can replace an unused specialist batsman with a specialist bowler for the bowling inning. So eventually, teams will start to play with 6-7 batsman in the batting innings & 5-6 bowlers in the bowling innings. This will reduce the necessity for mediocre batsman-bowlers like Yuvraj, Ganguly, Mongia etc. This rule is also biased a bit towards the batting side.

Third group is mainly to reduce the number of controversies over field umpire's decisions. Oflate we've had a little too many of such controversies. It's a step in the right direction, but my only concern is that it'll further increase the inning's length. With other changes encouraging run scoring, the length is already going to be stretched.

All in all, the future is exciting! Given ICC implements these changes, the batting side could score easily in order of 350-400. Interestingly, even these scores won't be safe anymore. It might affect the bowlers adversely, but then one day cricket is all about batsmen giving the stick to bowlers :).

Brand Baadshah

In today's TOI, Lalita Panicker writes for Brief Case (link):

..Amitabh has always been known for being credible and infinitely charming. Do we really want to see him prancing about peddling an unknown oil brand or do a cover-up job for chocolates which came under a cloud for possible contamination? Or a detergent a la Surf's famous Lalitaji? No, Amitabh is all about exclusivity, class and comportment. That is what he was best known for and admired all these years...

Exactly my point, expressed here. Amitabh is over-exposing himself majorly. While some of roles he played recently have been path-breaking, still most of them were cliche. He has the capability to carry on most of the difficult roles and I guess he should constrain himself to challenging roles only. Quality over quantity.

Throwing weight around.

From CricInfo:

"Everybody says John Wright did a good job, but what exactly did he do? He could not rectify Sourav Ganguly's short-pitched delivery problem for five years."
Ashok Malhotra, the former Indian Test batsman, disappointed after not being considered for the coaching position.

My reaction -- muaahahahahahahahahahaha! Reminds me of one famous hindi proverb - खिसियानी बिल्ली खम्बा नोचे (An embarrassed pussy can only scrape a pillar). Now isn't this the same Ashok Malhotra who couldn't rectify his over-weight problem for his entire career? His, rather mediocre, statistics can be found here. Now seriously, it's very easy to point at someone's shortcomings and crib. Saurav Ganguly is playing for last 10 years now. He has carved a niche position for himself, despite his, rather overblown, shortcomings. He is not a youngster anymore, expecting batting lessons from coach. John Wright & Ganguly's combination took India to a position where they reached last some twenty years back -- World Cup finals. Moreover, if Malhotra was really so disgusted by the repeated failure of Ganguly with short pitched delivery, why didn't he just go to him and correct him (as if it was that easy!). You don't need to be a coach to put in your advices, especially if you're a former test player. In the end, even if Malhotra thinks he has enough credentials (He is one among only 4 other level 3 coaches in India & has many certificates from England; has coached Scotland; recently opened a coaching academy.), it doesn't give him any right to look down at Wright! Wright has proved his worth beyond any doubts.

From the same page of CricInfo:

"I've shifted to milkshakes, but I ensure that I get my daily quota."
Mahendra Dhoni makes sure that he drinks one litre of buffalo milk a day.

Some more muahahahahahaha. What is this freaky obsession with celebs lifestyle?! Why should I care if he has milk or Old Monk!

My Baby.

This moment comes in the lives of most of us. Different people react to it differently. Some go head on into partying big time, some like to cherish the moment alone, some are just too dumbstruck by the realization. It's not easy to digest so much so easily afterall. Especially after such a long period of anticipation & uncertainty.

It starts abruptly. One day, just out of the blue, you are handed a date; a date which would be just another boring day for others but can turn your life around. Then comes the fear, gripping you all over. Fear of the uncertain, fear of the unexpected, fear of misfortune. A period of hopelessness comes, everything seems to be so unreal. You expect to wake out of a dream. The time given to you seems to be so little for all this. Confusion surrounds you and you feel entangled in a huge web, half expecting a big spider to gobble you up suddenly. Your moods swing between exhilarating excitment and deep depression. Anxiety often breaks the coolest of men.

As the date comes near, no one can be sure about what lies on the other side of it. Everyone knows that in the end it's always peaceful, but it's the journey that we all fear. Your expectations from yourself keep on increasing upto an inhumane level. Biological clocks get all screwed up, sleeping hours are messed, eating habits get ruined, temparament is lost, irritation becomes the way of life! Everything seems to be unfair, entire universe looks to be lined up against you and the pity is that you are now at a point of no return.

Then, it happens! You gwak at it, it's picking up slowly but surely. It could be the most beautiful thing only! Look, it's doing things! All the anxious days and all the sweaty nights get justified, only for this one moment of pure joy. You feel like on top of the world. You feel like singing & dancing; drinking all the night & sleeping till the evening; you feel alive! Carefully, you hand it over to others. They come back to you with a huge pile of ugliest possible bugs. Then it starts all over again.

This, my friends, is the story of software development. Presently I'm facing a stiff deadline and can't see how can anyone expect me to deliver my baby on that date! God help me.

Business Plans!

No, I don't have any management degree.
No, I don't have any experience.
I do have some plans, some plans I think will work great!
No, I don't have the money to make them work :)

Plan 1: More flights to the North
Right now in all the North-India only Delhi is connect to Bangalore. Yes, Delhi is the capital, big center and yada-yada-yada, still the point remains that for all the junta from J&K to M.P. and working down here in Bangalore, Delhi is the only point to go to. That is ridiculous! Jet Airways has recently increase the number of flights to Delhi per week to some gazillions. It would've made more sense to keep one weekly flight (on weekends) to other small centers, stratigically chosen of course. Some names pop up immediately, centers like Jaipur, Lucknow, etc.

Plan 2: Company Parking Stickers
Finding a parking place in Bangalore is a serious pain in neck. But with various software firms located in almost every part of the city have ample parking space with them. All you need to have is a sticker of that company on your vehicle. Voila! I want to manufacture a simple mechanism which will change the sticker on your vehicle on your instructions. For example, if you are eying a parking spot in Wipro office, just tell my system so and lo! It will put that sticker on your vehicle!

Plan 3: Time/IMS material's library
Every year loads of young people from Bangalore appear for CAT. Naturally, they need reference material to prepare for the exam. Every year many students buy course material from various students or last year's material from others. There is definite scope for a centralized library with cheaply available photocopied material!

Plan 4: Mobile/Sunglasses/Bikes Rental
No one can deny, first impression lasts. In the materialistic environment of today's times, people are more impressed by gizmos and other stylish stuff. Youth of Bangalore is no different. So if you want to impress your next date, but don't have the shraddha to shell big bucks over it - come to us! I plan to provide latest stylish cell phones or sunglasses, even mobikes for all those wannabes. It could be extended to clothing also!

Plan 5: Get-your-stuff buddy
Every month infinite software junta visits HQ for various reasons & durations. As every fifth-grader knows, electronics and stuff can be found much cheaper in online store in US. Presently, they search hard for someone who is going to US in their immediate friend circle, or in their friends' friend circle, so on and so forth! Isn't it a pain? We've just the thing for you, buddy! I plan to develop a registration society, where every person going to US can register (they'll get their commission, of course) along with their contact details and duration of stay in US (or whereever). And all the buyers can come to me, with deals already selected via net. My system will find the most suitable and available courier and complete the transanction!

As mentioned before, I've the ideas not the moolah :-(.
Any takers?

Terrified Traveller in Threatening Traffic

Traffic harasses us all. More so in a young city like Bangalore. The city doesn't have enough infrastructure to contain as many people as it does currently (the population is well over 1,00,00,000!) & city is full of yuppies with loads of cars! Traffic is bad all day but its worst in the evenings, 5-8 PM. With patience drying up and tempers soaring high, traffic is the easiest place to pick up fights. I have had my shares of altercations on roads. Two incidents:

I
Jha and me on my bike, going to Nandu's place. Time: around 9 PM. We were at a modest speed, following a Honda City. The signal turns red and trying to be the first at the stop line, Honda sways to its right, without any indication. I had to break hard to avoid any physical contact. Both of us were understandably furious. I got the bike next to the driver's side & knocked on the window, expecting to see some doped out yuppie or ultra-chic female with a who-gives-a-damn attitude. The shades were rolled down and I was little surprised to see an middle-aged uncle behind the wheel, with his wife (I assume) on the front seat and kids on the back seat. I was in full mood to use my vast arsenal of abuses, but held myself back. "What did you just do?! You just made a horrible cut back there". "The car in front of me made a cut, so did I". "Arre, there could've been an accident! Aren't you familiar with that thing called break in your car?". "Accident ho jata to ho jata, main kya karoon?".

II
I was heading towards my office one morning, late as usual. On an intersection, I was behind a Maruti Zen, to its right. The driver, not more than 25-26, was yapping on his mobile. We weren't really hard on accelerator (thankfully). All of a sudden, that fellow made a right turn, almost brushing off my front wheel. I was really p!ssed off and didn't stop myself from hurling abuses this time. He hit the break and I said, "What were you doing? Should've used the indicator!!". "Why were you trying to overtake on a chauraha? You should've honked!". "I wasn't overtaking, I'm anyway going straight". It went like this for a while, after which I gave up.

It shouldn't be taken as a holier-than-thou bragging, I'm really really deranged by drivers' attitude in India. No one seems to be really concerned about the rules. Whatever pitiful percentage of law-breakers are held up by the thullas, don't think twice before trying to bribe their way out, thus breaking another law. How indifferent are we about fellow drivers was best illustrated to me when I was on MG Road one night. It must be really late, the traffic lights were off by then. The chauraha had gone to dogs really! The chaos spread there were probably worse than disorder during the daytime. We aren't really worried about breaking the rules, we are worried only about saving the fine. The traffic police at Bangalore would certainly take the first place if they could shed off the lethargy to take part in some Most Lazy Cops Contest! Most of the time they are seen hidden in some cozy corner on a busy traffic signal. They don't care if rules are being broken right under their nose. I've seen them active only when some VIP caravan passes their spot.

Law enforcement is not the key to the solution. Prevention is always better than cure. Good driving habits are to be infused from early years. Not many learn driving from schools in India. The driving license can be bought easily, even without the basic knowledge about how to drive in traffic. And even parents don't present right image (like the uncle mentioned above). The rules while driving are quite obvious, most of us know them by intuition. Then why the hell we don't follow them?! Why should the auto-wallahs push their way until they block exactly 5.67 vehicles on every signal (on average)? Why should the bikers start even before the light's turned green? Why do we not give indicators?

Now that I've raised the questions, I would be cowardice on my part if I sneak away without attempting a reply. Yes, I also break traffic laws time to time. I've been apprehended by cops four times (three times I was able to get away using usual "student saaar" plea. One time I had to pay .. the bribe). My convenience was my main reason behind these acts. Mostly its like, "Hey, who'll go all the way. Let's go through one-way." or "No one's watching, take the u-turn!" or "it's still orange, still orange, still orange .. crossed!!". But I always give proper indicators and never talk on my mobile while driving. Other than convenience, carelessness is another major factor. Another important factor is dare-devilish instincts in some people. They'll install some noisy engines in their rickety vehicles and rattle all over the city on a break-neck speed; so it does. Impatience among drivers is one thing that I'll never comprehend. Especially among the bus drivers and auto drivers. The buses never reach anywhere on time and autos are not even on a schedule! What the hell is their problem? In many cases the reasons can only be imagined by some guru of human psychology. I've spent enough time over trying to figure out any rationality behind the chaos of traffic in India.

P.S.: I'm nothing less than proud of my attempt at making a good stitched photograph. Take a look at the fantabulous photograph here.

Amitabh Bachchan: A Beggar?!

This week's Takkar featured Amitabh Bachchan. Though I missed the show, but the promos on the channel showed Mr.Bachchan saying (verbatim, replying to,"If you are selective of your roles nowadays") -- "See, beggars can not be choosers. I'm now 62 and I can only act in films. I can not do anything else but acting.". This statement should be seen in the light of the knowledge about his failed ventures outside film industry. First, he had a very bad run as a parliamentarian. Next, he floated ABCL and ended as almost a bankrupt. The financial crunch forced him to come back to films after 5 years' hiatus. So, its quite understandable that he doesn't feel quite comfortable outside the industry, but is the situation so bad that he considers himself a beggar! I can't imagine him begging producers/directors for roles in films.

In an earlier interview, I saw him saying that he fears that if he refuses any roles, eventually the roles will stop coming! How lame is that?! Lately we've seen a lot of Mr.Bachchan. He has endorsed almost everything except perhaps undergarments. He has done numerous films lately. While some of the directors have made good use of this opportunity to cast him, some have tried plainly to use him in cliched roles. Most recent disappointment was Waqt. I don't think if he gets selective about his roles and limit himself to roles like Black, Khakee, Baghban, etc, his demand will go down. The fact remains that he is still a powerful actor, perhaps the most powerful actor currently in Bollywood. Sadly, Bollywood can't think beyond casting him as father, uncle, colonel kind of cliched roles. Why can't they discover Bachchan in roles like ones played by Morgan Freeman or Sean Connery?

I don't have enough knowledge to comment on his financial situation, but how bad can it be? He has been working tirelessly for around 8-10 years after his company drowned. Abhishek Bachchan is quite established by himself in Bollywood and is finally picking up among the critics & masses. I think Amitabh owes it to his fans that he selects better roles, it's really sad to see his wasting his talent like that.

Latest things!

I've been absolutely loaded with work nowadays. For almost a month now my weekends are assumed to be spent at office; I'm expected to burn midnight oil in office (to work in sync with US junta); even my gymming hasn't been regular. But now, the worst seems to be over and I hope it won't take long to reach normal again.

As any regular visitor (I've atleast one -- himanshu. Please to post comments if you think you're left out) would've noticed, I haven't been posting regularly. Apart from ugly working hours, I also feel quite drained at times to pick up any subject & write about it. Anyway, hope I'll continue to write, I love it! And those JAM & Sulekha people, who turned down my articles - they can .. perhaps wait until I pen down (ugh.. key down) a masterpiece of my own!

Recently (today, to be precise) I came across a very very interesting website which can translate phonetic English into Hindi! It works amazingly (works for all the गालीs too!). Now without any further delay .. देवियों और सज्जनों, प्रस्तुत है -- http://jitu.info/test/hugbeta.html. Its still in beta testing state, but its one hell of a convertor!

आज मेरा मन असीम उल्लास से नृत्य कर रहा है मानस पटल पर असन्ख्य पुष्प पुलकित हो रहे हैं मन मन्दिर में मानो सुमधुर बान्सुरियां बज रही हैं ह्रिद्य में अनगिनत हन्स किल्लोलें कर रहे हैं -- आज मैं समय पर घर आया हूं (इस लिपि मैं चन्द्रबिन्दु कैसे बनाते हैं तथा Hridya कैसे लिखते हैं?)

My Idea of pun

(Anurag, on his blog, has posted one interesting pun-ny joke. It only motivated me to post some of mine too :). My two punnies :-)

Q. How does a cockroach address his father's brother?
A. Kaka-roach!

Q. What's a school with only 8 students called?
A. Aath-shaala.

Q. Where does Lord Shiva live?
A. Himalaya.
Q. Where does Parvati live?
A. Her-alaya.

Passion, that's the word.

(This post is in reply to the thoughts expressed by Himanshu on his blog.)

Search then the ruling passion
there alone, The wild are constant, and the cunning known
The fool consistent, and the false sincere
Priests, princes, women, no dissemblers here.
- Alexander Pope

Passion is the word. I still remember distinctly, when I first met my B.Tech project guide, Dr. Sharat Chandran, he asked me,"What is your passion in life?". I was actually shocked on this question, caught totally off-guard. I mumbled few of my hobbies, but wasn't looking for them. From that moment, I've been searching for the passion of my life. Passion is the ultimate driving force. We all need some inspiration, some people call it fire in the belly. I feel it comes from passion only. One does his/her best when he is passionate about what s/he does. Most of us do things under various influences; fear of not producing results or eagerness for approval or incentives. Passion is what, I believe, brings out the best in one.

Its quite simple to confuse between passion and success. Quite often people achieve success following their passion. We've tons of examples here; geeks making gazillions in software firms, rags to riches stories of various film stars, writers, etc. These people are counted as successful in the eyes of society; the parameters are somewhat hazily defined -- make lots of money, win so-and-so prize, earn fame, etc. But a passion is still a passion if it doesn't get you the applauds. A passion can be as simple as running marathons! Yearning for fame is a double edged sword. It is ofcourse a huge motivator but at times it might lead one away from his/her passion. Especially in a country like India, where the career options available to 20 somethings are still very limited. To make a career, following one's passion, is a herculean task. More so for ever-so-insecure middle class. Even in sports, talents in other sports are encouraged to pick up cricket, because that's where the big bucks are. I read recently that Mahendra Singh Dhoni was keen on picking up football, but then his coach told him to try his hands on cricket. Quite often, various constraints put leash on to one's ambitions to pursue his/her passions. Reality is just too cruel.

On the other hand, passion or no passion, we all have some duties assigned. We all are working as small cog-wheels in the big machine. Even if it doesn't really gives you kicks, it can't be accepted as an excuse to underperform there. Lack of sincere efforts can never be justified. In recent times, the idea about IQ being over-rated has found increasing number of subscribers. The spotlight has shifted from IQ to EQ(emotional quotient). It doesn't matter how smart you're if you can't bear the odds to complete the task. EQ is defined on the basis of one's ability to contribute, even in adverse situations. It has to do with the stress-coping abilities & performing when pressed against the wall.

The most tricky thing about passion, is to identify one. Some say, if by 35 you know what you want from life, it'll be an early start. What do you really want to be doing? Reflect.

Hills Beckon.

It's not always when I have to spend the whole night, a whole Saturday night, in office, working,
It's not always when I have to drive between the trucks on National Highway 7, in dark,
It's not always when I see the Sun rise,
It's not always when I travel in excess of 120 KM on my bike, within 5 hours,
It's not always when Vyas & Jha stick to their promises (okay, now it's getting lame.)

This Sunday wasn't just another Sunday. This Sunday stands for the sweet victory of the underdogs, for the jubilant triumph of the underestimated, for the swift execution of the unplanned, for the pride of being a motorcycle owner. (*drumroll*) This Sunday we visited Nandi Hill on our bikes! It was nothing short of a miracle, more so after planning it on the Friday night (for the next morning) & ditching it on the Saturday morning. I was in office on the Saturday evening (please don't ask about it) & I realized that I might have to stay there all the night. Though in my opinion, Nandi Hill's a little bit too far for a bike ride (about 60 kms), the temptation of capturing the rising Sun from the hills in the camera, got the better of me and I called Vyas & Jha and confirmed the plan. The plan was to leave Bangalore at 4:00, so that we reach Nandi Hills around 5-5:30, which is about the time of sunrise.

I was in office all the night. Jha also didn't sleep at home (was perhaps watching some late night television). I called & woke up Vyas on 4:00 AM sharp & then started for home to pick Jha up. It wasn't before 5:00 that we met Vyas on the IT office circle (It's not Mekhri circle!). It was still dark & bit chilly for a May morning. And thus the journey begun -- Jha & me on my Pulsar, Vyas on his Splendor. Vyas wasn't given enough notice to fill the tank up, so we had to make a quick stop at a droopy petrol pump, where one grumpy looking fellow filled it up for him. We started again only to be harassed by the pathetic state of the highway, pertaining to the construction work. It was still pitch black but for the bright head lights and we had to drive very cautiously as at times we had traffic from both sides confined to one half of the road. I was feeling very sleepy & it was my advice following which we made a stop at a small road side shop to refill our systems with some caffeine. Two cups each & some biscuits later we started again. Our destination was still some 25 kms far, this was the time when the idea Vyas had about the distance got bettered. The horizon was lit up by now and it was obvious that we will not reach the hills before sunrise. The lighting certainly helped us to speed up & very soon both the bikes were on the faster side of 80 kmph. The road was not much of help, of course. When finally the Sun broke out of the horizon, we stopped to click some snaps & release some of the caffeine from our systems.

When we finally reached the top, the Sun was busy warming things up. I have been there twice before, but both the times in the night. I didn't know that there is some temple surrounded by dense woods. It was excellent! Part due to early morning time, part due to spring in full bloom. Clueless about the way & mazed by the numbers of paths, we picked up one at random and stuck to it. We had to hike our way up a small mound to hit the road again. There was one very beautiful & well maintain bungalow there, which I imagine is used as a guest house now. It was a photographer's paradise there! They had excellent flowers all over the bungalow & in the garden. I had a very good time clicking some snaps there. As a matter of fact, I lost Jha & Vyas in the process. When I realized this and found out that cell phones don't work there, I yelled for Jha & Vyas. Failed, I followed the road I thought they took. It lead to a small place with few shops & a restaurant (It's height of euphemism). I couldn't locate them there so I took a stroll little further, where I found a solitary bench just on the cliff. Right ahead was a drop so deep that I couldn't muster enough courage to look down there. It was a beautiful spot overlooking the vast, I suppose, not-very-fertile land. I sat there for a while before coming back to the eating place, where I found them this time. Right after eating, we decided to leave for Bangalore as the lack of sleep was taking it's toll by now.

Our ride back was supported by the bright Sun light, encouraging us to go all cylinders blazing. The highlight of the return journey was the free ride we took from the top to the bottom of the hill; we rolled our bikes down the slope of road without starting the engines. We covered 6 kms like that! As we entered Bangalore at around 10:15-10:30, we were quite tired and sleepy as hell. With nothing else in mind, I went straight to my bed and crashed in it. It wasn't before 3:30 that I woke up. I left for office around 5 for another long night :-(.

I know Jha & Vyas will not recommend this trip to anyone, but I liked it a lot. Firstly, it had an adventurous touch to it. I always fancied myself making really long trips on bike (Though I fancied a Harley-Davidson or perhaps a Bullet). This one was sort of reality check for my dreams. Now I know how it is to cover long distances on bike. But I'm not discouraged a bit and I want to travel more on my bike, but definitely with helmet & glasses next time :). Next, I was dying to get out of Bangalore, perhaps to click some nature snaps or just to break free for a while. I was trying to get plans work, but it just wasn't happening. It motivated me more to go. It was a better Sunday than many of mine. Lastly, it was totally superb up there. We reached late for the sunrise, but in time for the opening of the forest. I enjoyed our little trek in there immensely! I'm game for this Sunday too, looking for people to join. Interested?

P.S.: I shall post pictures from Nandi Hill on my photoblog regularly. Make sure to visit.

SMSs more damaging than cannabis!

Researchers at the University of London Institute of Psychiatry have found that the constant distractions of email and texting are more harmful to performance than cannabis. Those distracted by incoming email, phone calls and text messages saw a 10-point fall in their IQ, more than twice that found in studies of the impact of smoking cannabis, according to the researchers...(source)

How very ingenious of those pommies! Ever since I received an email forward claiming that an Indian prodigy's grey matter actually broke the IQ meter kept at the U.S. embassy in New Delhi, I was curious about the objectivity of the intelligence quotient. Now these Brits have actually calculated the temporary fall in the IQ, pertaining to the distraction caused by so called modern age communication tools.

This must have enraged the cell phone companies & providers, of course only if they are still sharp enough (after staying between cells all the time!). Poor fellows, earlier it was the scare about brain tumor, now this new rumor about eating up brain. This must have stopped the brain tumor thing tho' (What tumor saar, you won't have any brains left!). Is it their fault that people are literally going mad over the facilities they provide? Soon we'll hear that with cell phone, they are offering a free pack of Sona-Chandi chavyanprash.

On the other hand, the scientists must have enjoyed this immensely. I can imagine one Dr.Frankenstein-ish setup -- Daily they arrange new pygmies and hand them a set of questions (Seven goats and eight hens -- how many pair of leg, kinds). Just when those poor souls will be running all the motors in the top floor, they'll throw the rod in the wheel as inconspicuously as a phone call. And what will they say? How is it going, pal? Oooh, your IQ fell by 15! Too bad for you.

But the most interesting aspect of this entire episode is its effect on the masses. Being low on intelligence can directly be linked to abundance of cell phones and emails, hence to affluence (My sister-in-law's brother-in-law's uncle is so rich that he doesn't know what's 2+2! Its nothing, my uncle doesn't know what's 2 in the first place!). Things can happen like -- "Maa, I've an interview tomorrow. Beta, don't use cell phones & emails for at least 24 hours before interview." or "My lord, he can't take care of his daughter. He has two cell phones & 5 email accounts!! (gasps in the court room) That's a decline in IQ by 70 points. Give the girl to the chimp in the zoo!".

Its a great discovery, which will certainly change the course of human evolution. Its saddening too in a way; if the damage is the same for cannabis & SMS, why don't SMSs taste that good ;-). In the end, I'm very jealous of those English scientists who are paid for such researches!

Eminem meets Uddham Singh

Eminem

Uddham Singh

What is life? Life is like a big obstacle put in front of your optical to slow you down And everytime you think you gotten past it it's gonna come back around and tackle you to the damn ground What are friends? Friends are people that you think are your friends But they really your enemies, with secret indentities and disguises, to hide they true colors So just when you think you close enough to be brothers they wanna come back and cut your throat when you ain't lookin What is money? Money is what makes a man act funny Money is the root of all evil Money'll make them same friends come back around swearing that they was always down

Zindagi kaayein hai? Jeevan hai ek badi bhains Jo tanne aage na jaavan degi Aur jyu-jyu tanne lagega ki aage badh liyo Ya sasuri peeche syu aa ke, tanne tangadi maar ke geera degi Dost kunn howe hain? Dost woh jinawar howe hain, jin-ne tu shaathi samjhe hai, Pann woh sasure bhi saale tere dusman howe hain, lukh-chhip ke Luka-chhipi mein asli rang chupa lewe hain So tanne lage to hain wo bhai jisye Pann shaale, teri hi mundi uda denge jab tu na dekh riya howega Paisya kaayein howe hai? Paisya hi tanne jokker bana mel rakhya hai Paisya paap ki jadd hai Paisye ke hi pichhe tere woh dost wapis aa jawe hain Kasam khake dosti ki fir se