Happy Womens' day

To all the women out there, young or not so young, my message on this special day – ‘Change your paradigm. Create your definition of yourself and what you want to be. If there is a box created by the society or by yourself, time to climb out of it. If following the prescribed guidelines is your way of life, then please do. If you don’t want to, you are welcome to change them. There are absolutely no rules except the ones that you want to make. Give yourself this freedom of self defining and applaud its different versions in your fellow travelers. Just be yourself !!!’

The First Show

It was 9:30 PM and RJ Archana of Bangalore had to rush to the Mumbai station to fill up for some RJ in Bangalore. And yes, I got a chance to witness the live recording.. 'Shuba Dina.. nimma hudgi archana....' blah blah she went on and on.. It was a wonderful feeling inside the Recording room with temperature around 15 degrees and scores of mikes around. One has to think twice before clearing the throat or even blinking your eyes (what if it makes some sound and its captured on the show.. ufff). Watching the crowd in the infinity mall from inside those glass doors from atop the building, in those freezing temperatures, listening to the live music the Mumbai RJ was playing in the next recording cabin was simply an awsome feeling. It was like 'Welcome to Media'.

I am yet to start my work. Tomorrow is my reporting in Mumbai station and I am so much looking forward to it. And Yes, I am loving Mumbaaai... More updates laterz..

Rang Barse….

‘Holi Aayi re’ was the mood on the campus not just on the d-day. The preparations started much in advance. The business ready managers who would take charge of large business units and take decisions worth millions were perplexed when they have to chose how much of which color, Should it be pink gulal or green gulal……

On the D-day there’s not a single soul spared. You want to return a book to the library or you have to go meet your friend – there’s only one reason to it –‘It’s holi’. It’s one of the wildest holies I have ever witnessed. Reasons galore – Buckets of Bhangs on the pavement and people bathing in it, making sure that none of the guys have their T-Shirts on, though not a pleasant sight (Have to mention poor Vijay who changed his shirt thrice and the gang mercilessly tears it apart and throws it on a tree), the sweet revenges by dumping packetfuls of color on folks who laugh at anyone, pouring bucket full of water on someone who’s sitting peacefully, attacking someone with colors after conniving on color combinations, the memorial tree which has all the tee shirts hung on it…. Absolutely crazy holy I’d say !! One needs to be here to know what I am saying. Yet there were a few poor souls who were so concerned bout the effect of colors on their skin or getting tanned etc – what a pity. People are in a mode of making the best of the last few days at college and what else can I say than ‘I am loving it’

Picture speak now










I love the festive of colors for its true sense and meaning. This is one day when everyone comes together, irrespective of age, color, sex, caste, creed… Thanks to my friend Animesh who captured people celebrating Holi in Hyderabad. His pictures below drive my point home…

Follow me

Isn’t it difficult to lead? Well atleast I always thought so.

It was salsa time today. And first things first – I am a beginner and a pathetic beginner. I confuse my partner so much that he would forget that he is dancing salsa and would probably end up in jive or cha cha cha !! Now that I am so good at it, needless to say I need a strong partner so that I could simply follow him. Spin if he spins me, turn if he truns me etc.. After dancing for sometime my partner said – ‘You are just not letting me lead you’. Well, I brushed it off and started dancing with someone else. Well in the end, they all had one thing in common to say. It’s as if they were all echoing in sync and shouting at me –‘You just can’t follow. Can you? It’s so simple. You just have to trust me and take my lead’ Well, I have been so foolish all these days and thought it’s difficult to lead !!!!

dy/dx

Long Long ago (yeah its almost 7 years back) there was a gal who was scared of numbers. The excuse – am a commerce student! The very thought of mathematics and she would see a horror movie instantaneously. And the worst is yet to come. Behold!! She was preparing for one of the toughest competitive exams and yes you guessed it right; Quant was one of the sections. (For some of you who still couldn’t figure out – the lead role in this story is I, Me and Myself).
One fine evening, I was in the classroom. The most dreaded topic of all. Yeah it was this dy/dx topic. Is that called differentiation by any chance? As if it weren’t enough it was differential calculus. Double Jeopardy!! And there stands my trainer, (Ranga - the toughest one I eva came across – Initially, I thought he was a villain) with the threat of calling out some name and asking that fella to solve the problem on the blackboard. I was 200% sure it would be me.

Ranga : Sirisha. Solve this problem
Me : Errr… but you know.. I mean I don’t know calculus

Ranga : But you could give it a try
Me : No ! You see, I don’t even know what it means (not budging from where I sat)

Ranga : There’s no other go. You gotta try this one.
Me : gggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (no thought of trying it too)


And what followed is something nobody would guess. He stood there explaining us that “Fear is a useless thing in life. It is just a state of mind. Most of the times you fail not because you don’t know how to do something, but because you haven’t tried it. The best way to conquer is to put your best foot forward and do it even if it means failing the task………………………………………….... I guess this is same for anything in life not just mathematics. Nothing is too difficult that you cannot try.”

I vividly remember that day of my life and how I started looking at things a little different – I meant fearlessly. That small pep talk made a lot of difference in my life. Then on Ranga has become my mentor for everything in life and I have idolized him. Be it calculus or some problem dealing people !! Some one who absolutely leads by example.
Thanks to all those great souls I met in my life without whom I wouldn’t have been what I am.

Ranga, I know you would be reading my blog and slyly smiling to yourself. Or may be you would ask your wife to read it aloud for you! And you thoroughly deserve it.

Communication !!!

It is this time of the month when there is a financial crunch. Hence, I have decided to take a bus to Egmore instead of my usual lavish way of traveling by auto-rickshaws. I met an interesting gal in the bus and we could strike a conversation without any effort and in a jiff. A very talkative gal who could talk about everything under the sun she is. After a few minutes, the discussion transitioned on to her ex-boy friend. It feels weird when I think about it now - Two strangers on a bus and discussing one of their ex-boy friends..eh!!

She fondly talked about him for sometime and gave me all the unnecessary details which I have never asked for. After her sweet innocent talks I felt like consoling her and in the attempt I spoke little of such guys who do not care for others feelings. Her response to this one amazed me and kept me thinking for a long time. She curtly stopped me n said ‘If only he knew that I love him so much, may be he wouldn’t have done this !!’

We have conquered this planet, mastered in communication technologies, took life to its heights with the aid of science and technology yet we fail to communicate or probably understand the person sitting next to us. What an irony !! It takes just a moment to communicate to anyone on the other side of the planet yet it takes ages to connect to our loved ones. I wish there was some technology which addresses this as well.

I wish each of us who struggle to communicate day in and day out with every entity we come across in our day to day lives – Happy communicating !!

titbits

landmark

Stressed out?

After an extremely frustrating and unfruitful day, I have decided to go to the gym at 8:00 PM to vent it all out. Dare you ask me the reason for my frustration. As I opened the doors I was shocked, there was almost everyone. The first line that came from me was ‘Saala idhar bhi line lagi hai. Job keliye tho waise bhi lambi line hai’ !! It was a feast watching my peers working out. They weren’t working out; instead they were all fighting with the equipment. Amidst that chaos (not music for sure), Mr V finishes his workout and drenched in sweat says (with an expression of dissatisfaction oh his face) “I am thinking I should run on the tread mill again” and off he goes onto it.

I have discovered another way of reducing stress. For all the Junta out there who is struggling for placements and is stressed out, here goes it




FLASH FLASH : I am watching Deli6 first day first show tomorrow. Remember that I am stressed out?

Now Playing ‘Ek Choti si Naukri….

This is the song that is currently playing on our campus. Be it in the class, on the laptop, canteen, tapri it is – ‘Ek choti si Naukri’ by Kishore Kumar from the movie Naukri. It’s a super duper block buster now on the campus as the 2/3rds of us who are not yet placed strongly feel the song was written for us and only us.I am in all praise of Kishore Kumar’s power of Prophecy !! Here goes the song for all my readers. Follow the lyrics closely.





It has been a wild goose chase for me for the last couple of months. It’s consulting sometimes, Marketing sometimes, then it is Sales, sometimes it’s retail and now it is – ‘Just a Job’ Please !!! All I need now is

Just another day

“Bharadarajan Bharadarajan” a shrill voice woke me up from my sweet dreams so early in the morning. With a grin on my face, I babbled something about my professor and tried concentrating on the class. First Day of B2B marketing class and we all hoped that we might have a bearable prof, for a change. And hope as always betrayed us !! In the wee hours there stands a man who lectures on how managers should act, how decisions ought (not) to be taken and everything under the sun for ‘B2B Marketing’. The horror part was we had to answer a quiz on the very first day of the course. And the horrorer (if ther’s eva such word) part is that we would have one every day based on our pre-reads. Huh !! Would the Profs ever cease to be merciless?

After a heavy lunch in the afternoon
I was late by 2 minutes to the class and when I opened the door to enter the class room I was astonished by the fact that the entire class was standing there as if to welcome me. To my relief it weren’t the truth. It sounded like a fish market and I asked them why were people behaving as in a fish market. And my friend pats on my back and says ‘my dear, we are simulating a market and trying to learn experimental economics’. Huh again. I need to congratulate my fella folks on successfully re-creating a market which the Prof. himself couldn’t control. End of it, I have no clue what I have learnt about markets; so don’t u dare ask me about it.

Keats was a Tuber
“wow.. see those dears” said someone and lo behold there was a heard so close by. This is the IIT Madras campus. A never ending campus it is. The greenery inside, the libraries, the auditoriums.. you neva know how many are in there. I went there to watch a play ‘Keats was a tuber’ and it was worth a spend.

The play is a tirade against the present system of teaching English in most of the schools and colleges in India. The locale is the staff room of the English Department of a small college somewhere in Tamil Nadu.

Some quotes here and there from the play

Charles Lamb's essay, A Dissertation Upon Roast Pig ... That's what I have to teach today. I have to take apart Lamb's delicate whimsy to boys and girls who are first generation literates. And worse, much worse, I have to talk about the mouth-watering and irresistible taste of crackling of roast pork to a group of students, a great many of whom don't eat meat and over half of whom are Muslims".

Mrs. Nathan asks him not to waste students' time lecturing on Karl Marx and communism, when Raghu says, "Why shouldn't I do that? I am expanding their minds, helping them grow, that is what teaching is about. Real teaching. Not this cramming and vomiting out that you and your colleagues expect them to do. Memorize, by heart, mug up!"

While chanting, he goes on to say "Keats was a tuber... Keats was a tuber... Keats was a tuber... culosis patient... culosis patient... Is that all you can tell them about Keats? That he had tuberculosis? And so it goes on.

"Literature goes beyond the question of language, it has to do more with experience... "

"Why would any Indian woman want to be compared to a summers day"

After a sumptuous (free) dinner in the IIT canteen, I have realized that we need to walk back 5-6 KMS to reach the main gate. Phew!! We waited for a free shutter bus along with the scores of IIT kids. I just loved their enthusiasm and spirit, the hope and aspirations, the sparkle in their eye and the playful mood in the air. Everything around was so different. The bus driver played a song from ‘Arpil Madathil’. I have no clue wat the song means but it was full of pep. So here goes it for my readers..

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The Know it alls

Amongst the numerous encounters with people, this is one clan which amuses me to a great extent. I would never miss on an opportunity to interact with these people coz I learn from them how not to live life.

Scene 1

Prologue: Before the start of the Business Ethics class – one of the best courses that we went thru during our stint at Great Lakes.

G : What the hell does this man teach?
Me : Ethics

G : Sure, but he is supposed to teach business ethics. Where is the business part of it?
Me : Well, that depends on your definition of ethics and business ethics. In my opinion being ethical in personal life or business doesn’t vary much. It’s gotta do with your integrity basically.

G : Yaar, still I don’t agree. Take for example ‘International Entrepreneurship’ course. I know what I know before going into the class and what I learned after the class. There is nothing I am learning here that I can count or recollect.
Me : Why dontya listen with an open mind. Be it ethics or Business ethics, may be you would learn something at the end of it. How does it matter what the title is?
G: Nah. Doesn’t make any sense. If he is here to teach he ought to teach Business Ethics and nothing else. How can I learn anything which is not supposed to be taught???



Scene 2

Prologue: In the canteen, during the lunch one of the gals strikes a conversation with a chap who would never ever say any prof is good or that he learnt anything in the course. He bullshits every famed professor and all that they teach. I would like to believe this fella is gyani who knows everything under the sun but unfortunately……

Miss R : Hey how is ‘….’ course going on? I heard that it is too good and the professor is doing a wonderful job.
Mr. H : What the heck. He is so dumb. He doesn’t know what he is talking. I cant stand him. And anyways don’t we know all that he teaches?

Miss R : Hey. I always wanted to ask you something.
Mr. H : Shoot

Miss R : What is your expectation out of this course or for that matter even MBA?
(I am searching for words to explain the expression of Mr H’s and everyone else around)

A tour

Apart from the oh-so very obvious stuff in my mouth,thanks to my doc, these are the latest additions

1. Two rings
2. Two tubes
3. Silver colored balls
4. Modules
5. Wires
6. Brackets

This is not all. If you thought only additions were painful, what about my four teeth that were knocked off? It was so much painful when I had a last look at em.

Sunday morning

Sunday morning or a Monday morning really doesn’t make much difference in an MBA coz you wouldn’t even remember which day of the week you are floating on !! It’s like some one has to tap on my shoulder and say the most obvious ‘D-AH’ and then I grin back and say ‘Oh! I see’. Well, today has been different though, I knew it was a Sunday morning coz I don’t have classes scheduled for the entire day. It felt like ages that Sunday happened on my week. This Sunday was so special coz I got a chance to spend the day in some august company. The company that I love. The company which has no substitute. It was a nice Sunday morning date which I would never want to end and which I would never forget. The fresh smell of pages, the newness look on each of the books, thousands of them to make sure I don’t get bored even for a moment. There I was, lost in Landmark in the citi centre mall and how I loved that place and the company of books. I wanted to buy every second book on the rack. I earnestly wished for once I had a filthy rich boy friend or an emperor dad who could afford me all those books that I want. After it flashed to me that I had neither, I had to settle down with a meager 8 books and yet manage to spend 4k. What a lovely day !!

On the poly bag of landmark this is what I found

1. No matter how high or low it flies, an aeroplane’s shadow will be exactly the same size.
2. A cucumber is 96% water
3. Earth is the only planet not named after a god.
4. The average ratio of yellow kernels to white in a bag of popcorn is 9:1
5. The size of your foot is approximately the same size as your fore arm.
6. There are more insects in one square mile of rural land than there are humans on earth.
7. The word Sunday is not in the bible.
8. If you slowly pour a handful of salt into a totally full of glass of water it will not overflow. In fact, the water level will go down (someone explain me why please)
9. Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
10. There’s cyanide in apple pips.

Do you know me?

I have recently taken up the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test. For those of you who are still wondering, please google. This is what Myers and Briggs have to say about me...

ENFP (Extroversion, Intuition, Feeling and Perceiving)

At Their Best

For people with ENFP preferences, life is creative adventure full of exciting possibilities. ENFPs are keenly perceptive about people and insightful about the present and future. They experience a wide range of feelings and intense emotions. They need affirmation from others and readily give appreciation and support.

ENFPs are good at understanding how people and groups work and are persuasive and compelling in pursuing what is important to them. They are adaptable, blooming where they are planted. Their energy and enthusiasm encourage others to bloom as well.

Characteristics of ENFPs

ENFPs are innovators, initiating projects and directing great energy into getting them under way. Using Intuition primarily externally, they are simulated by new people, ideas, and experiences. They find meaning and significance readily and see connections that others don’t. They are likely to be

• Curious, Creative and imaginative
• Energetic, enthusiastic and spontaneous

ENFPs value harmony and goodwill. They like to please others and will adapt to others’ needs and wishes when possible. ENFPs primarily use Feeling internally, making decisions by applying personal values through identification and empathy with others. ENFPs are likely to be

• Warm, friendly and caring
• Cooperative and Supportive

ENFPs have exceptional insight into possibilities in others and the energy and motivation to help actualize them. They feel confident moving ahead based on their insights, and their enthusiasm tends to bring others along with them.

How Others May See Them

ENFps are usually lively, gregarious, and sociable, with a large circle of friends. They are interested in almost everything and bring a zest to life that draws others to them. At the same time, they value depth and authenticity in their close relationships and direct great energy to creating and supporting open and honest communication.

ENFPs hate routine, schedules, and structure and usually manage to avoid them. They are normally verbally fluent, even in extemporaneous situations; however, when their deepest values need expression, they may suddenly be awkward and express their judgments with uncharacteristic intensity. Others usually see ENFPs as

• Personable, perceptive, and persuasive
• Enthusiastic, spontaneous, and versatile
• Giving and seeking affirmation.

Potential Areas for Growth

Sometimes life circumstances have not supported ENFPs in the development and expression of Feeling and Intuitive preferences.
• If they have not developed their Feeling, they may go from enthusiasm to enthusiasm, never committing the energy necessary to actualize their insights, or they may make overly personal decisions.
• If they have not developed their Intuition, they may fail to take in enough information, lack trust in their own insights, be uncertain, and accept others perceptions too quickly.

If ENFPs do not find a place where they can use their gifts and be appreciated for their contribution, they usually feel frustrated and may

• Become scattered, have trouble focusing, be easily distracted
• Fail to follow through on decisions
• Become rebellious, excessively nonconforming
• Ignore deadlines and procedures

It is natural for ENFPs to give less attention to their non-preferred Sensing and Thinking parts. If they neglect these too much, however they

• Not take care of the details and routine required for implementing their inspirations
• Overextend themselves – have trouble saying no to interesting possibilities and people
• Fail to apply reason and logic to asses their inspirations and decisions

Under great stress, ENFPs may become overwhelmed by detail and lose their normal perspective and sense of options. Then they tend to focus on an unimportant or distorted detail, letting it become the central fact of their universe.