IPL Gossip

As IPL3 enters the decisive phase, I am starting this new series...deliberately chirstined 'gossip' for the informal content and to get some extra-readership.

• KKR playing the defending champs. The defending champs are in the second half of the table, as of now, so not 'defending' very well.
• All three batsmen of KKR started off with a boundary each. Though Chris Gayle offered a simple catch to his team-mate ( Nothing 'kamaal' about it though!)
• Hyderabad team is playing. Sania Mirza, the Hyd girl, is in news for her marriage plans to a cricketer from 'not so friendly neighbourhood'! An unsolicited advise to Deccan Chronicle, owners of Deccan Chargers... 'Re-charge' Hyd team by including Sania's would-be in DC team. The franchisee can get the necessary go ahead, afterall they are part of the Fourth Estate !
• Though, Hyderabad is very close to heart, I want Dada's team to win (I am no fan of SRK. )
• Bollywood is having a bad time, as of now @ IPL. PunjabXI and RajRoyals are just not playing to their potential. 
• Gossip is things are not very good @ PunjabXI. Quite evident going by the body-language of the players. 

"Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude." Ralph Marston 

Earth Hour 2010 to Earth Year 2010

After the lip-service to Earth Hour 2010, I am going to try and live the year in the 'Earth Hour Mode'.

Part of the resolution to live life frugal, Green and thus, Spiritual. 

A long term push is required to make a genuine impact

Mumbai Indians .... emphatic win

I always feared, what if Sachin does not come good in a match. Will the others stand up and make a difference ? Afterall Gilly getting out early seem to be making a big difference to the end-result.

Today, Harbhajan made a fantastic difference! Sachin held the innings together, pretty well. All the main bowlers, Zaheer, Bhajji and Malinga made a great attack. Sachin's catch was cool !

Bhajji is back in form, at his aggressive self. He made a pre-match announcement he wanted MI to win and become the first team to move into Semis!! That is some aggression...

Some big names such as Packard, Bravo, etc are yet to fire big-time.

The team is going great as a unit. The seniors seem to be ensuring the team is held together very well.

My worry still remains... what if Sachin gets out quickly. Will someone else hold the innings together...

Earth Hour 2010 I did lip service too....

Last year, I did observe Earth Hour, with limited enthu. But I had decided 2010 will be different and surely, better.

Couple of weeks back, saw 'Earth Hour pop-up' on my gmail. I clicked, enrolled... then I realized I was on their Canada-sector :) Neverthless, I continued to receive email from them. That enabled me to make pleas on my Twitter, Facebook and blog... I tried word of mouth too... This morning, I sent a quick reminder to most of my email contacts... None responded...yet ! Makes me wonder, is it all worth it ?? Perhaps on a Sat evening, people are busy with their week-end plans !!! How many of us really care for our environment ?!!!

As I stepped out of office, I remembered to switch off the light. I made it a point to remind the cleaning team, to switch off the lights after they finish. 

When I walked back home (yes, 'walk'!) I saw the lights were already on. Again, made me wonder... living almost in the middle of desert, urbanised surely, we have too much of 'light pollution'. Same is the case with most urbanised landscape...The lights in corridors of our buildings are always on. I never miss an opportunity to switch off the lights during day time, only to find them 'on' almost immediately ! The awareness is low or may be we don't care...

Dada and KKR made a come back, finally at IPL3. I wonder, why the sole match was not scheduled at 4 PM IST, instead of 8 PM. There was no way to switch off lights at 830 PM, during the match. And IPL3 has been prominently paying lip-service to GO GREEN too... ! 

A friend here has opted out of the whole things saying 'earth has a natural mechanism to correct, by natural disasters, etc. Why bother?'... Interesting !


Another friend laments... 'we have switched off most of it, except A/c and TV. Family wants to watch a bollywood flick'! He was helpless...


As the clock hit 830 PM, I was out on an 'important' work - to take my son to get his xbox repaired, a long pending promise. I found the shops were no way near the 'earth hour'. ON way back, asked the laundry guy, 'why not switch off couple of lights'. He says there was a common switch for all the three lights! And why bother, the malls and other big buildings are switching off and saving a lot of power...he feels his participation was insignificant. Tragedy, a lot others think same too... !


All I could do was to get back, switch off as much possible and get into the evening prayer-mode. Escapist ? May be... The world does not seem to care and when you are helpless, prayer & meditation are the best options. 


Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavanthu...

Tiger Woods to Return

Another TV news item that caught my attention while 'on tour' was Tiger Woods' return to Golf...

Like many other die-hard fans of Tiger, I have allowed him to drift away from list of Greats. It must be 'freedom' for many of us, also for him. Like many others, I now feel sorry for him. And now it is more of sympathty. Let us hope he is able to come out of it and focus on Golf, with Arjun (mahabharatha fame)-like focus, dedication and character. Of course, he needs a friend, philospher, guide and GOD, just as Arjun had Sri Krishna. As such, it is good to note he is 'going back' to his Buddhism, meditation.
  

Woods has long been connected to Buddhism through his Thai mother and he said his detachment from the religion had been behind his fall from grace.

"Going against your core values, losing sight of it," he said when asked how he lost control of his life. "I quit meditating, I quit being a Buddhist, and my life changed upside down.

"I felt entitled, which I had never felt before. Consequently, I hurt so many people by my own reckless attitude and behavior."  ( Courtesy : http://gulfnews.com/sport/golf/tiger-woods-returns-to-buddhism-1.601495  

Tendulkar on Wisden Cover

It is a fitting tribute to the great champion...

True to his style, he is making waves in the latest version of cricket, @ IPL3. Leading from the front, he made some scintillating, match-winning knocks. Cricket is fortunate to get a champion of his class, achievement, temperament and character.

Business Trip towards Eastern Province

Just back from a business trip to Eastern city. The weather was fantastic... Sea-side city reminded so much of Mumbai. The city was getting a 'new look' to receive a dignitary. So, the city looked clean, green and beautiful ( with plants and flowers)

The traffic had slowed down, but was quite smooth & bearable !

The nice weather prompted me to step out, before my colleague arrived to pick me up and walk up to the road, rather than waiting at the lobby ( thus saved some fuel too !) . The cool breeze was so nice. The tight schedule prevented me to take a walk around in evenings...

Could not visit the nearby bookstore. It was here the salesman suggested the book,  How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else. I have got so many of my friends to read same, both Indians and expats. Got good feedback too.

Talking of books, I am currently reading Business Stripped Bare: Adventures of a Global Entrepreneur ! Just started. But intro and first chapter has got me hooked ( else I would not have mentioned here:) !) He also talks about the importance of PEOPLE in business. In line with the powerful reco by so many other contemperory business greats ! The challenge is to get the right person on the right job ! very true... we all are living the challenge every moment, after all. I liked the section on SELF DISCIPLINE. Simple, but very powerful thought... ! I am a more conservative guy, unlike a more flamboyant RBranson.  But his practical thoughts on business are very inspiring...

The travel was enhanced by an excellent experience @ Sheraton. On earlier occasions I had posted my displeasure over the average service at the same property, without naming them. But, this time it was different. I wonder was it my SPG membership or earlier feedback ?

One of the first things I enquired at check-in counter was about availability of IPL3 telecast. The fellow-Indian at counter politely refused, full of empathy ( himself a cricket fan, I am sure !) That was a dampener. But was glad to see Obama get the medical bill through, a landmark 'CHANGE', he had promised... and now he has delivered. Caught few moments of the movie, INSTINCT. Looked interesting, with jungle, jail and powerful performance by Anthony Hopkins. Indeed, He learns that mankind's control of everything is a mere illusion and that the true values of existence can't be found so easily  ( Courtesy : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0128278/plotsummary ) 

But for a veggie, food is always a problem in ME. I missed home-food... dosa, et al. Glad to be back...home !

Incredible India

A minister invites a guest for the inauguration of second leg of the worli sea link... guest attends, and there is a controversy !! Reason, the guest-invited, Amitabh Bachchan and the ruling party(!!!) of Maharashtra, Congress+NCP. AB is considered closer to Samajwadi party, brand ambassador of neighboring state ruled by BJP !!

The minister should have the sensibility not to invite, though AB was a good choice and kudos to minister.

Having invited, is it not the collective responsibility of the cabinet, including chief minister, to stand by it? CM was seen struggling to come up with appropriate response to questions from NDTV reporter ! it looked so silly

Thankfully, this time it is not Shiv Sena.

How can they forget there are thousands/lacs of AB fans also. These fans are predominantly from age group 30-40's, whose kids may be fans of Kapoors/Hrithik/etc. How can Congress ignore AB fans beyond amchi mumbai ?

And what about 'athithi devo bhava' ?

IPL auction

The concept of IPL hit a new low/high ( I leave the choice to you, as I am confused!), with two additions. Firstly, the amount of money...then, the number of matches would go into 90s... Can it sustain viewership for that long ? TRP will be minus mortals such as myself... The brains behind IPL forget for sure the wisdom of 'essence of brevity'...

I hope Sachin remains with amchi-Mumbai's team. Sreesanth will be welcome @ Kochi, and he may harbour captaining the side.

Indeed, Sahara chief has attributed to 'a combination of materialism and emotion' for entering the fray now ! Indeed, all the franchise owners are into it for all reasons, other than cricket... ! Good for them, but bad for cricket !

Sachin's Day

Amchi Mumbai's team hit the ground @ now infamous FKotla, against one of the tournament favourites Delhi Daredevils. No doubt, Delhi looks a lot better balanced. To be playing with the home-advantage, an interesting tussle was in the guard. I had thought Delhi would walk away with a comfortable win. But, my heart was with Sachin & co.
And what a match it turned out to be... a comprehensive win against Viru and co. Kudos to Sachin for leading from the front. Good contribution by Tiwari and Rayudu.
Though IPL3 is at the initial phase, this win would have given a lot of self-belief for all the youngsters in the team. They just need to carry on...
Looking forward to a big innings from Sanath, which I feel is ovedue from the dashing opener...

Watching the repeat telecast now on ART channel, courtesy CricOne- could not catch up live action ! No complaints, because highlight spares the painful ads ... painful for the intrusion during the overs, after the overs and some ads of pathetic quality ( Rak bank should withdraw their silly ad!). While marketers may see this golden opportunity to tap Indian expat, going by the quality of ad, it could be the other way :)

IPL - An Unnecessary Evil ?

Too Much Too Soon
Check out this article... captures the essence of what is wrong with the concept of IPL

Though I am a die-hard fan of Indian Cricket, I am following IPL with reduced interest. I would watch expert comments/analysis, highlights, etc than the live telecast. I see more negatives in the concept than positives.

Change is something no one can stop. If Lalit Modi would not have thought of the concept, someone else would have. So, no point in blaming him.

Yesterday, NDTV carried comments from more bollywood biggies, who are unhappy they were not (yet) franchisee-owners: Saif/Kareena, Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, to name a few. What makes them brag about their automatic eligibility to be franchisee owners ? SRK/Shilpa Shetty, ??? We would be rather better off getting couple of professional cricketers & their companies/cricket clubs such as MCC to own. It will add value to 'cricket', not 'glamour'.

You can not expect politicians and other administrators @ BCCI to take note and make mid-course correction. Money and Power are involved here! The average cricket lover needs to think and take a stand...

Inspiring India

A trip home is very nice. If destination is ‘spiritual’, great ! Even if the duration is as short as a week.  A week is enough to get spiritually-re-charged..

To start the flight at 4 AM means, no sleep! When the flight is a bit delayed, still worse. We have chosen not to fly our own Air India and opt for the local airlines, on their better record on punctuality ! On a spiritual journey, such small tests are part of the experience!

Thanks to all those leaders and officials, India’s roads are definitely getting better. The national highways are a lot better. While working for several years in truck/bus industry, ‘better roads’ was always a mirage for all the stake-holders. But now, it is a reality, almost…

I still spotted couple of traffic cops taking bribes on the highway! The roads may have improved for the transporters, but not the harassment!

The transport industry has to take equal blame, having sustained the practice. They should go by the Tata Tea TVC – khilana band karo… ( of course, pilao bhi nahin and not even ‘chay/paani’!)

The temperature was high for a Feb/Mar, across most parts of India. Surely, effect of Climate Change. We need more Greenathons, more frequently !

Relatives are being advised to cancel their annual vacation to Kerala this year, as the temperatures are at all time high. Add to this, the power-cuts! God’s own country…. ! (Back in Gulf, it is getting hot here too. Thankfully, no power cuts here!)

I returned re-charged, Spiritually, with a stronger conviction on ‘human-values’, purpose of my life and a resolve to move towards the goal of my life.

Thanks to my Master, the journey was beautiful, as always…

Women Reservation Bill

I am totally for Women-Lib. I have been fortunate to have a great mother, loving sis, wonderful wife and few good friends in opposite sex. But, this bill is just not the right solution. Nor a move in the right direction. I think it is yet another proof of political myopia. Mrs Gandhi may be personally motivated to fulfill a dream of her late husband ( one of the genuine leaders in dynastic families in India, post Independence). The reaction of few political parties and valuable loss of Parliament time....

Sachin, The Master

Sachin Tendulkar's name has appeared more than once in my humble blog.

I feel it is our fortune we are contemperories of greats such as Sachin. With his recent knocks, culminating in yesterday's 200, he has gone up a few notches as one of the greatest of the sport. ( It does not matter, 'one of ' or 'the' greatest !) It is all matter of perceptions. But, he is a genius who has given more to cricket, than what he has got, though he got 'a lot'! That is one of the signs of true greatness.

His very presence at the crease and how he goes about is truly inspiring. At crease, ' he is at work'. The dedication, commitment, attitude, etc he exhibits is worth-emulating in our professional life.

He has caught the imagination of the nation for his value-system and character. He, perhaps, personifies Indian ethos and values. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are proud of him for that too. This has become more relevant after the 'fall' of Tiger Woods from the pedestal.

Once, standing in lunch-queue with my senior colleague...he asked why I was limping. 'I had suffered a knee injury while playing table-tennis !! :) ' He said, at least you got it playing, look at Sachin. He has got a ( shoulder) injury ' while not playing'. That was the disappointment of a big fan of Sachin, who could not think of Indian cricket without the genius. Even at home, my family thinks it is unlike me for my idolizing the genius.

He dedicated the knock to all his fans in India ( next time he should add, Indians abroad too, like yours truly...).

Safari @ Kenya

Started uploading Kenya Photographs... animals in their natural habitat, healthy and happy, was a wonderful sight. But we started the trip at animal 'orphanage' (!) at Nairobi. Hence, starting off with some of the snaps taken there... More to follow, original :)

Animal Orphanage, Nairobi

3 Idiots

Amir Khan is an actor who has given us some great movies..

• Taare Zameen par, would have helped many a parent to be more sensitive 
• Dil Chahta hai, prompted me to re-connect with some of my good, old friends
• Rang De Basanti, made many urban youth to be more aware of  common issues around us
• Lagaan... etc.

So, I waited for the initial response of his (now, not so) new film, 3 Idiots. I was confident he would ensure quality, as he has done in the recent past ( did not like his Gajini, personally though). The feedback from friends was 'must watch'! Got to watch last week...

Though the movie was 'inspired by' one of Chetan Bhagat's books( my favourite among all by him), I felt the controversy could have been avoided.
It does take a comic look at the hostel life, our parental pressure to become an engineer/doc and of course, on learning by rote in our educational system. ( CBSE's recent decision to do away with board exam is in the right direction, finally....)Most of us have different memories about all these three aspects.

I was fortunate to be in hostels, in 9th & 10th and then for the management degree. I rate both these stages of  my life as two most important milestones in my personal life... For what I am today, I owe a lot to these two stages of life. (More about it, later for 'autobiography'!) So, only very pleasant memories of hostel life.( No ragging experince either, thank God)

Career: All of us, who belong to the middle class category, would have felt similar experiences. My mom wanted me to become a teacher - as respectable, decent income and lots of vacations. Dad wanted me to follow his footsteps to fauji ( army) initially. I was not in favour of army, as I wanted 'freedom' and  better 'earning potential' ( wanted to reach financial stability, unlike many faujis). Then, he wanted me to become ....yes.... an engineer ! I did not get very high grade in engineering entrance and I would do only computer science or electronics, nothing else. So, I dumped that stream and hit Commerce and became a banker.... I never had the engineering bend-of-mind, though I was good at Maths & Physics. Fortunately, parents supported my crazy career ideas ( for 1980's). Not many parents were/are in that league, for sure... Kudos to Amir for bringing out this important aspect of our lives...

And, Freedom & financial stability, is very relative... 'everything is in mind'! I feel we should encourage our children to pursue a career of their interest and passion and be best in that field.Then they will not 'work', it becomes fun...

Learning by rote is perhaps one of the fundamental flaws of our educational system. Lot of my friends feel otherwise, and are in favour of all the thrust on memorising and pressurizing children in their school days. Though I don't blindly support the western model, we need to modify our educational system to enable our children realise their potential. I was at the receiving end as I was very bad in memorising, hence such strong views.

What I admire about Amir Khan is his passion for work. His passion can be seen & felt even by even a movie-goer. His ad campaigns ( titan, tata sky, paanch ke barabar coke ad, etc) were different. His 'athithi devo bhava'/Incredible India! campaigns are very timely and relevant. Was glad to hear he is a voracious reader and almost a fitness freak. Of course he is a fellow blogger, and all comparisons end there :)

Personal Thoughts

As I looked at my ( this) humble blog... on the left side appeared a nice quote... Peace is its own reward...Mohandas Gandhi ( wonder, why can't they use simple Gandhiji!)
Indeed, Peace is what everyone wants, at all times. But, we would not be part of creating peace, but 'pieces'! We don't step back and look at... if we are adding to peace or reducing... Either way, we affect the people around ourselves and also ourselves.
A hectic day @ work ! Most parts of the world, including the sole superpower, is reeling under the burden of mounting unemployment. So, to be gracefully employed, is by itself Grace ! To be able to think 'valuable' ( though would like to think indispensable!) is still better.
Intuition works... as I hit the sack late last night, I knew today will be tough. To prepare, opted to read few lines from a spiritual book on Master...to get a peaceful sleep :)
The day got off to a tough start, and held momentum till late eve. By the time I few big hurdles, it was 4 pm. Too late for a quick lunch. When busy, you don't feel hungry either.
Another ton by Sachin does not raise the spirits...as it was not a match-winning knock... and too busy to track!
But, at end of day, when hunger catches up, I wonder... how millions see through days, without a full meal in a day... how will children go through a hungry day?... If only God had ensured NO Hunger as part of his wonderful creation....

Incredible India

India perhaps hit a less incredible, low today...thanks to our political leadership, our elected representatives and some of our icons :

• Rahul Gandhi has claimed his trip to Mumbai a huge success. Surely he has won some brownie points. But travelling by train was not 'so cool'... even to the youth of Mumbai, whom he was trying to win over. ( He might have been inspired by a similar gesture of the Queen of England recently. But she was grace personified). The silent majority was unhappy with Shiv Sena's direct/indirect threat. But Rahul has not handled the issue well either. By downplaying the martyrdom of some local, popular cops, he has distanced not only the quintessential marathi manus, but also the average mumbaikar. Both resident & non-resident, son-of-the soil & migrants. While they will not accept Shiv Sena's stand, they will not be fooled by Rahul's immature response, more than words, his action. While Rahul or Shiv Sena may claim they won the battle, the hard-working, average mumbaikar is losing his battle, day after day.... with no hope of the political leadership making a difference to his quality of life. 
• Another youth icon, SRK, has not done any better. When he got the 'canvas' ( all the news-hungry channels), he used it well, by saying his daughter asked him if they may have to move out of India! Yet again, he disappointed his fans, many of who are educated and will not be swayed by his handling of the situation. It was a disgrace we did not pick up any of the T20 champs. But, as the owner of a franchise, even KKR did not pick up any. Then why the crocodile tears and all this tamasha... The average cricket lover and movie-goer feels cheated. 
• Jairam Ramesh is one of the most respected politicians. But the way he lost his cool to a passionate member of the audience, was poor leadership. 
• The way Pranabda handled an instigating Modi ( CM of 5 cr Gujarathis, as NDTV's puppet show would add !), showed our political leadership in poor light. 
• To top it all, No.1 cricket team ( among just 10 test playing nations, Bangladesh included), got off to a good start and failed to sustain momentum, in Nagpur, Maharashtra!

All this happening when common man is suffering the price rise. The threat from across the border took a new twist... the world is suffering, not only from economic slowdown, but also from the impact of climate change....people from all over the world are extending a helping hand to the Haitians to get back on their feet... But, our politicians are busy politicking...with some good help from others. INCREDIBLE !!! 

world around

We are living in interesting times.... as Chinese proverb says...

First it was the greatest golfer ever, falling from the pedestal. Now there are others in a hurry to do same, footballer, cricketer, etc.

Another Numero Uno to disappoint ( and also add risk to human life) is Toyota. Yesterday, as I got into my friend's Toyota FJ Cruiser, he mentioned, 'don't mind, break is not great !' I thought, he was only making a current joke ! But then when I saw him struggling to stop his car, I realised it was afterall not a joke ! We associated Toyota with quality and performance. But the mass recall exercise will make a big dent on their impeccable reputation.

CNN reported yesterday Apple;s comps have a minor color problem too!

To top it all, last evening, the no. 1 pizza brand delivered after almost 100 minutes ! The red hot indicator was 'pure white'. Cold pizza, delayed delivery meant a spoilt apetite. They may not have lost one of their customers, my son. But defenitely lost me... my resolution to eat healthy just got a big boost !

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Publish your own book

We dreamt of becoming a sportman/singer/actor/etc as a child....till much later into adolescence...

here is an opportunity to write your own book... one of the options, that is

start blogging... then through Blog2Print by Google, you can publish ... start blogging !

Turn your blog into a book!
Blog2Print from SharedBook turns your blog into a soft cover or hard cover book. You pick the cover, add an optional dedication, then preview and you're done. Prices start at $14.95.

WEALTHY traffic violators... Beware!

Traffic fines have never been fair... when someone receives a ticket for violation, he complaints about others who are left scot-free for making similar violations, if not more serious. Also, the quantum of fine was always linked to the category of error. But that is now set to change...You may be fined depending on 'your wallet'

At least Europen countries are taking the lead by pegging speeding fines to 'capability' ( not willingness) to pay. That is income-level !Switzerland, Finland, etc are current examples. Many other european countries set to join.

IPL3

If we wanted to keep Pak players out of IPL3, we should have done it with lot more finesse and professionalism. If IPL is getting less sporty and more commercial every year, this was a new low. We can not ill-treat sportmen, whether they are our own ( a la hockey players/Bindra recently) or others. Let us BE FAIR !

Character in Leadership

The story of Tiger's personal life has come as a big shock to all his fans, world over.

I always felt celebrities, just like us common people, have the right to privacy. But, once you are on public domain, you are subject to scrutiny, rightly or not. I wonder how such great achievers miss out on this important aspect of life, 'character' ! We have heard of so many people and their deviations from the 'prescribed path'. Is it due to the upbringing, society, situations, education, value-system... ? Master says, THE END OF EDUCATION IS CHARACTER

Personally, Tiger 'has' been closest to human greatness in sport. As a child, we always wanted to excel in our favourite sport (not golf though). But the change he has brought to the game, apart from his personal achievements, is what makes him truly great. In my office, I have a small model of what I would like to be ( from one of the training programs): a  Teacher ( profession), a restaurant owner, a singer, or a Tiger Woods! To achieve greatness in one's own chosen field ( usually we are in a particular profession by accident, not by choice) and to give more to the profession than take !


We need not be guided by these so-called great people, not bench-mark against them. But aspire simple greatness, in a holistic sense... That is Spiritual & closer to Divine, man being crown of God's creations

Winning generates momentum, but character sustains it. Tiger's story is a cautionary tale about character. http://www.giantimpact.com/articles/read/character_the_key_to_sustaining_momentum/

Indian Scene... when not incredible!

India lost yet another big match. While the Sri Lankan's took a gamble to field in the last match, to be better prepared for the final, we were glad about a good victory. But when it mattered, our so-called 'strong' batting line-up failed, yet again. We need couple of senior, matured players in the team. Dravids/Sachins/etc. Quite a few hearts would have been broken, due to this. Sadly, people would have skipped their work and stayed indoors to watch the match !!!

While the cash-rich, pampered cricketers made a mockery, there was some good news on the hockey-front. Thanks to Kalmadi and Pillay, and all those who came forward with cash offers, hockey team will get back to what they love the most. Hockey India definitely failed to handle this crisis, if not prevent. The players looked so much unlike our cricketers. They come from humble background, and have lived on a big dream and hope. The establishment has no business to be unfair to the players, in the name of playing for country vs playing for money. Their dreams involve both...

As children, most of us dreamt of becoming a Kapil/Gavaskar/Vijay Amritraj/Prakash Padukone/Pargat Singh/etc... Looking at this, we don't regret... can not complain... ( no sour grapes here) though corporate politics is no better usually...

Safari @ Kenya .... contd

Our guide in Kenya spoke eloquently about the impact of global warming on Kenya.

Countries like USA, China and India can not shy away from their responsibility. USA should lead from the front as the sole superpower. China aspires to be next super power, they need to think and act like a leader. India is a spiritual country. We need to take the plunge, instead of waiting for US or China, to take the lead. The political leadership has to take the important step to save the earth...

Glad to read about Wang Shi, businessman from China, who went in search of snow at Kilimanjaro and found no snow. (He was inspired by Earnest Eeminway's ' The Snows of Kilimanjaro'. We need more such influential people to take the lead. They can inspire people around them. Celeberities need to take a stand too. Priyanka Chopra, India's popular film actress, is actively supporting Green Initiatives in India. We need more such popular & successful people to take a stand and make a difference

Meditation

One more inspiring thought on MEDITATION...I hope many people will have 'I WILL MEDITATE DAILY' as one of the NY resolutions. Resolution or not, pl don't miss the opportunity to experience true joy... bliss...!



"The only thing on which you can be prodigal with your time is meditation, is sadhana, because that is what takes you up on your evolutionary path. But unfortunately, most of us, most of the abhyasis, have little or no time for meditation."

Shri. P. Rajagopalachari, President, Shri Ram Chandra Mission

India, these days...

• Indian cricket team struggles against Bangladesh, and a captain's knock by MSD ensures a win. Why are we not able to play consistently well and thrash such teams as Bangladesh?!!
• Clinical wins... Australian cricket team does it quite well. But, 'Australia' reminds their recent attack on Indians living there.  
• Hockey team has to protest...stage a walk out... ! What a shame ! They play for our country . . .
  
• A cop is denied emergency treatment by two senior TN ministers ! We are so insensitive... and our political leaders are embodiments of such insensitivity. 
• Shashi Taroor has got himself in trouble yet again. Now he is becoming more predictable to get himself into trouble regularly :)
• Sanjay Dutt has quit too. Stick close to.... ( He should check In Search of Excellence, for inspiration!)
• Perhaps Taroor and Dutt are not cut out for politics ! But Taroor is popular among the youth ( TED was brilliant). He has the guts to voice his opinion, even on Gandhiji & Nehru !!! We need such politicians also. He should go and tackle australian problem... may be he may adopt Gandhigiri !
  

Parenting

Came across a report on Dubai Airshow...sharing thoughts not on the actual air-show, but a related report on GOOD PARENTING !

Massimo Tammaro is a happy man.. as a child he dreamt of flying. At 41 he is just doing that, and enjoying every bit of it. He thinks he was 'lucky'... He attributes the secret behind being a successful fighter pilot to : a combination of a God given gift and his mothers good parenting.


Source - Gulfnews

Happy New Year...

The celebrations are over... time to get back to 'business' !
One more year behind us. Time to look back and introspect. Pick up the lessons and move ahead.
Live in the Present, Here & Now...

It has become fashionable for people either to-make-resolutions-to-break or, no resolution at all. To resolve or not to... is a personal choice :) But what is life if we don't move , that too in the right direction, preferably with a gear shift!



Some personal thoughts, resolutions that will guide me throughout 2010:

• Be fit and healthy- self, family (and others )
  
• Go green... go organic, go local
• Smile... Reach out
• Grab an opportunity to make a difference 
• Be frugal - spend less/right, save more 
• Manage time still better
  
• Still lesser TV, more books ( switch to Kindle ?), learn a new form of art
• Work harder, more passionate, but try for joy @work - work-life balance, family focus
• Proactive leadership
• BE SPIRITUAL

Wish you and folks a great year ahead. May 2010 be the best year for you....Let me have your thoughts too, thanks. 

Safari @ Kenya

Nairobi - Giraffe Feeding !

Safari@ Kenya - Nairobi Local

Nairobi is very much like a third-world city-capital, with its slow traffic, pollution, predominantly lower middle class/poor people rushing around trying to make both ends meet... The average person on street lives a life insulated from the inflow of trourists, for over four decades now. Sadly, whether the colonial rulers or the invaders from other parts of world or even their descendents, have not helped country to go up the 'real' development-curve.

The animal orphanage was our first stop. Any 'orphanage' is a sad story, this no different. The animals were in zoo-like conditions. It had cheeta, lepord, (not so) wild buffallos, ostritch, birds and few monkeys....

The tired looking big-cat was not an encouraging sight. A lepord was hyper-active. The birds were beautiful!

But the big, pleasant surprise was the twin-lepords which sprinter Usain Bolt had 'adopted'... they look as majestic the great athelete himself !

Safari @ Kenya

Waiting for boarding announcement, after clearing the formalities of international/ late-night travel, sat down to clear personal mails. The timing was perfect-as a mail read 'Tourists robbed in Kenya'. Just few days ago, there was a newspaper report on tourists killed in Nairobi. Also, the surprising reaction from all who came to know of my destination (Kenya!!). Of course, when I checked the mail, full of expectation of 'some gory details', it turned out to be a troop of monkeys helping themselves with the luggage atop a car ! Of course, the monkeys found some of the clothes most intriguing !

The flight from Dubai, on time thankfully though at 130 AM, reminded me of Jetairways back home. Smaller aircrafts, but very friendly and professional staff on-board. Night travel is quite unbearable... nothing to beat the comfort of a bed !

Reached Nairobi 'very' early morning. The airport is quite old, the new wave of airport-improvement-projects have not hit Kenya yet (despite a prominent presence of Chinese construction entities) ! The staff at immigration were very friendly, surprisingly. They greeted, completed the process slowly, but always engaging us talking about cities/states of India, including 'God's own country' ( my native state), 'Bhopal' (my passport issued from there), etc. I wonder, why immigration staff at almost all airports are serious and give all incoming passengers a suspicious look! Professional difficulty !! :)

Checked into a hotel. Nothing worth mentioning about the hotel, hence identity of property withheld!

After getting ready, we set out to discover Nairobi.... :)

Sachin's 96 at ODI

We have got one more point to 'discuss' !!

Karthik should have tried to give strike to Sachin and facilitated Little Master to reach the milestone.
But it was more important to win the match and Sachin should be happy with the 'winning knock'
If he was keen on 100, he would have accelerated the scoring rate when in 80's, as commented by Sunil Gavaskar

Perhaps, Sachin (his critics may not beleive) actually does not play for records!

Good for him, for the game and the spirit of any team Sport

Back from vacation !

William Osler - "We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from life." (Source-Gmail)


Back from vacation. Just got busy @work and catching up on couple of pending things on the personal front. Lots of thoughts and experiences to share from Kenya@Safari. 


But more importantly, our leaders and elected/non-elected representatives at Copenhagen are showing no signs of visionary, responsible, representative and matured leadership. While the future of Earth is in their hands, they are clouded by their egoistic and narrow minded ( at times, related to the country they represent). It is time to rise above and do what we need to save the earth for future generations. Our children will not forgive us if we miss this golden opportunity to get back-on-track. The silent majority need to voice their opinion. The few protesters at Copenhagen are being treated like street-criminals. Most shocking.... 


We need decisive action from the world leaders...on climate change at Copenhagen.

Vacation @ Kenya

Holy days... holidays !

Off to Kenya, for holidays. A new continent, a new type of holiday... after all vacations @ home, spiritual and a glimpse of a glorious past at Egypt !!! Now, it would be animals in their natural habitat.
(For my son, who has not been to a zoo at all, this will be a memorable experience!)

Virtually everyone, who checked out my holiday plan, reacted' Kenya?.......Why Kenya?....   What?....' etc. My response was consistently, 'why not?' :)

At Dubai airport, await boarding announcement...in spite of the slump in market outside,the airport is buzzing with activity.. so much of life and speed. Dubai's energy is inspiring... Just as amchi mumbai!

...at  0100 hrs,  quite unholy... full night travel is not a great beginning... Hope rest of it turns about to be one great experience...

Stand by for more updates....

Cyclone Phyan

Cyclone Phyan ( =cherry fallen off a tree, in Burmese language!) skipped Amchi Mumbai...thank God !

Yet another 'Malthusian' way to remind us about our responsibility to our environment!

Food for thought....

PS: Tum Mile, set in Mumbai floods, due for release this week!!

Vacation... contd

India gate at Southern tip of Mumbai is beautiful, at sunrise...

Wah Taj

late evening, checked into a hotel, near Taj... The sight of the imposing structure of Hotel Taj brought back the sad memories of 26/11. All those precious lives, guests, cops, employees et al. Terrorism is the curse of our generation. The world needs a lot more positive vibrations through prayers, service and sheer spiritual love, to make it better...

South Mumbai Bound

17 Sept 09:
My new leg of the journey started on 17th evening. We were flowing against the traffic, still the flow was not very smooth. But it was a different experience to get onto the Worli Sea Link, for the first time. It looks majestic and was a great experience. I wounder why it took so long for Mumbaikars to come up with such a world class infrastructure ! Mumbai, like other major urban centers in India, desperately needs more such structures, quickly too.

On the Peddar road, with its usual traffic speed ( or lack of it), I saw a big poster of Jagjit singh! Needless to add, it usurped my attention! It was about a concert by the ghazal maestro at Nehru Center. Earlier I had the opportunity to listen to Dr Balamurali Krishna at the same venue. It was out of world experience! The venue, with its ambience and accoustics, complement these great talents. I made some checks and grabbed two tickets (self & wife) and rushed to the venue. On the way, while the yellow-blue taxi made noicy progress on the beautiful marine drive, we observed the date of concert was next day and I was moving to the venue exactly 24 hours in advance !!!  We were not very far from a small restaurant where I had many business lunches, with Jagjit ghazals in the backdrop !! 
There was no way we could make it next evening, as we were to be busy with a Self-development session!!! I missed the concert...During the next 24 hrs, tried few friends, but no one could make it due to their prior commitments. Essentially, the tickets went waste, I regret to add... But it was for a good cause, Human Rights, thankfully!

'Yeh daulat bhi lelo... ' !!! my mind played the song, as the taxi took a u-turn and moved towards our hotel near Gateway of India!

JOY of Vegetarianism

World over the month October is celebrated as the Vegetarian Awareness Month. It kickstarts with Oct 1 being World Vegetarian Day.
Started by a group of North Americans, this movement is picking up slowly and surely. The meat industry produces more greenhouse gases that all automobile, planes and ships put together ( acc to a UN Study in 2006). That is a strong reason for us to GO Green.... All the indirect cost and trauma of all the health problems/diseases are not even quantified. Let us save the Earth, save the animals ( for meat)... Let us spread the JOY of Vegetarianism
And... that is part of Living, Spiritually
Check out :http://www.worldvegetarianday.org/

This falls in the same month when world celeberates Oct 2 as International Non Violence day. Gandhiji deserves more than a mere token gesture. The world deserves more of that definitely !

Diwali Greetings

Happy Diwali.... Belatedly :)

Last year I had posted a belated greetings too (http://subublog.blogspot.com/2008/10/diwali-greetings.html). But things are quite same... the impact of global slow down continue to affect the common man. The impact of climate change, fear of epidemic swine flu, natural calamities, terrorist attacks, etc have only made the world 'darker'... Hence, the Festival of Lights more relevant now.

Personally, this Diwali was different for me... esp from a spiritual angle. So, the personal resolution is to retain the spirit of diwali for another year. Both spiritually and otherwise ( But then, 'everything is spiritual'). Tamasoma... Jyotirgamaya

Cars our cricketers drive- News- Zigwheels

Check out the cars our popular cricketers drive... Courtesy, Zigwheels-ToI

While we knew Sachin's preferred machine was his red Ferrari, MSD's passion is beyond his Hummer ( now bought over by a Chinese company!!!)... Gambhir is yet to buy his dream machine ( waiting for a 'gift' for a big performance...a la Yuvi's Porche ?!)

Cars our cricketers drive- News- Zigwheels

Shared via AddThis

Spiritual Re-charge

12 Sept:
India is truly a Spiritual Center ( want to actually write, Spiritual Capital – do not want to take sides!). There are some spectacular places in Incredible India !
I am at Prashanthi Nilayam ( abode of peace) for my re-charging my spiritual batteries.

16 Sept:
Five days … great experience. Feel light and Free... Though the soul is reluctant to leave, just as mind, body and spirit gets aligned to the spiritual vibrations. Leave reluctantly, with a hope and prayer to come back soon and for a longer stay too.
If Mumbai airport was ‘better’, Bangalore airport is very good. From a common man’s perspective, it looks well-designed and spacious, though the connectivity from city is very poor. Food court in the departure launch is good, though it seems to add to the crowd and clutter. Of course the surprising element of the air travel was the professional service of Go Air Business. They were courteous and professional to the point, I did not miss my favourite brand, Jet Airways ! I am sure, jet will have to work a bit harder to get more customers back, after their strike.

Though I was forced to cancel to avoid the uncertainty of the flight status ( on 12 Sept), when I called them they said they would not make full refund. That is unfair. Strike was not called off as of 12th morning, though things were limping back to normal by the time I returned ( 16th). Back at Mumbai and its traffic jams and also sultry weather !

Homebound...

10th Sept 09

Homebound… few hours away from amchi Mumbai, as I wait for boarding…
A local friend/colleague mentioned he just finished a book, Gandhiji’s autobiography. He comes across as one of the few who has read a lot on Bapu and appreciates/respects and is inspired by the teachings and life of Gandhiji. I was wondering how many of our own young Indians, both resident and non-resident, share that kind of respect and awe for him. I am reminded… ‘For generations to come…’ that seem to be already happening already !

Against this backdrop, it was great to hear President Obama’s response to a grade-9 student – given a choice, among all the greats who are alive/dead, the President would opt for a dinner with Gandhiji. The influence of the non-violent movement on their own civil rights movement was highlighted. If the most powerful man on earth is inspired by Gandhiji, world has hope…surely…

Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well - Mahatma Gandhi
Very recently, there was another report how youngsters would go to any extend to get a dinner meeting with a top-notch CEO. But the Chinese are going a step further. The young Chinese students, yet to enter the corporate world, are already going for plastic-surgery to improve their marketability ! They don’t want to lose out in a close race… We were complaining about excess focus on grooming, metro-sexual , et al. While the world is already going crazy to ‘look younger’, these developments are quite surprising !

In the final analysis, all aspire for success and peace. Bapu’s advise on the spiritual peace is: Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well

Too lazy to continue…. Signing off for now ( will ‘post’ later though!) Next post will be from Amchi Mumbai!!!

TO BE CONTIUED

Vacation, at last...

Sept 11
It was great to land at Mumbai, though on Sept 11...( a day, few years ago, the world made a paradigm shift, for the worse!)
The trip was comfortable, no sign of any extra-security at Mumbai airport. Thanks to the projects to upgrade airports in India, finally things are moving in the rifht direction.

But only for the air-travelers, and not for the common man on the street, not yet!

Sad to observe the state of our road infrastructure. On a personal level, the western express highway, for last 9 years has failed to clear the bottlenecks. While few overhead bridges for pedestrians were a welcome sign, the traffic moves at snail's pace. The bridge at ToI, Malad may enter guiness books, for the sheer delay. And at what cost !!! Central and state govts have been unfair to Mumbai by failing to provide the transport infrastructure. In spite of the spirit of mumbaikar, these gaps add to loss in productivity.

It is election time... Once again time for politicians to make empty promises. Mumbaikar's life will go on as usual, with all its inherent struggles !

At 8 AM, the city was bustling with energy. Even after 9 years since making Mumbai my home, the spirit of mumbaikar continues to inspire me. Mumbai rocks...

Nobel Peace Prize for President Obama

The Committee definitely surprised all by conferring this prestigious prize on Prez Obama. The doubt people have 'was it too early? '

Going by his track record as President, perhaps it is too early. ``His extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and
cooperation between peoples,'' the Norwegian Nobel Committee said, citing his outreach to the Muslim world and attempts to curb nuclear proliferation. That is very fair.
He is one of the few real hopes among the contemperory world leaders...He could make a difference to our generation, and thus may be for our children.
He has inspired many people to dream big. You can not forget that big contribution...He will continue to inspire many underprivileged to work hard to join mainstream.
For us Indians, he may not be the most India-friendly president. But, his belief in Gandhian values shows his character and value-system.
Lastly, this will inspire him to look beyond mere American interests and work for the larger interests of humanity.

PS: He may have to talk to fellow Nobel peace winners, such as Dalai Lama. :) Also, just read a report,A Failure to spread wealth by Tony Allen-Mills on another laureate's efforts to 'improve' lives of the poorest through micro-finance

Jet Airways Strike

We were always proud of the brand Jet and the way they transformed flying in India. I have had the opportunity to interact with few seniors at their corporate office, while working in Mumbai ( Jet was one of my key accounts and one of my favourite). As I grew in the organisation, I reached the Platinum level of their frequent flier program. Even here, in gulf, while trainers would talk about the service quality at Ritz Carlton as an example, I always gave the example of Jet, even if the local listener(s) were not familiar with the brand.

I personally do not look for any travel option other than Jet, for my family & self. At times I have ended up paying a premium, but I could count on the professional service of Jet.

Sometime back, I was delighted to spot Mr Goyal at Mumbai intl airport to flag-off his inaugural flight to Gulf!

This episode is taking away all the goodwill and reputation they have built over the years...Going by the press reports, both sides are sticking to their unreasonable stand, at the cost of the passengers.

Thankfully, as I travel to India today, I am not booked on Jet. But after two days, I am...keeping fingers crossed ! This annual vacation could hinge on Jet flights sticking to their schedule, a factor I had always taken Jet for granted ( to be punctual!)

A reminder to all at Jet, from their website: Jet Airways launched its Yellow Rose campaign. People are like roses, and like the flower they require friendship, warmth and caring.

Life is a Game...

My son sent a sms checking if he could buy a computer-game... I was in the middle of something serious at office... and he was seeking permission after his shopping for clothes, a MJ CD, etc. I replied, 'LIFE IS A GAME, PLAY IT.... BIG!

He would have expected a prompt & simple, Yes or No...Usually I say 'Yes', unless it is a real unreasonable demand. It was more due to my frame of mind, that I responded so...I was not in favour of a 'Yes' and as always, reluctant to say 'No'

Part of my value system as a parent, minimise the number of 'NO' to the child. I am conscious to ensure he does not take advantage of it...

He did not give up, asked for the meaning of the phrase. How can anyone explain through SMS

how life is a game, that we have no choice but to play ( can't be mere spectator)
how critical it is to play it well,to the potential and the right/fair way... and
how to play BIG! A Sachin/Tiger/Federer in this game too...that is minimum benchmark.

Keep Playing!

Being Vegetarian

Saw a blog on Times of India, about the dilemma a bong-guy to find a vegetarian bride!! ( http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/justso/entry/of-brides-and-vegetarians#comment-form)

The blog was a dissappointment. But some of the comments were interesting and more to the point. I am a converted veg, my wife & son are non-veg. Life, family/marital, is more than mere food-habits. When a die hard non veggie ( I used to eat four times a day, same as our pet dog!) opts for veggie for spiritual reasons, the whole perspective changes, which has to be experienced. Also, we overcome one of our weaknesses in life, food...at least to a great extend. Living in Gulf, it is difficult. More disgusting is when people at big brands (When asking for veg meal, employees at McDonalds/Pizza hut, etc0 looks at me as though I am from outer-space. couple of times I have reacted for their insensitivity, with little impact on them.

We are what we eat.
Our teeth, unlike that of animals, are not originally designed for eating meat.
We kill ( check out how Sushi appears on the dining table).
The impact on environment is tremendous....

Still, let me add, it is a personal choice and we should respect.

Thursday Thoughts, Spiritually

Someone asked, why spiritually is specifically added to my weekly (Thursday) posts, esp when I maintain everything is spiritual.


Everything is 'spiritual', but the fact is I (we!)am not always spiritual, at every moment. And that is the goal, for sure. We forget our true nature, which is of happiness/bliss or Sat-Chit-Anand. To be in that constant awareness is being truly spiritual...

One more Onam is behind us... Last year, I was in India, enjoying my vacation. Looking back, had posted this ( Happy Onam @ http://subublog.blogspot.com/2008/09/happy-onam.html). My feelings/greetings are no different this time either. The spirit of Onam just got more relevant today, compared to last year...
But this year, we lost two dear people ( one in family & other closer than family). Hence, as per custom 'no celebration'... So, I chose it to be more spiritual! Not only on the day of Thiru-Onam, but the 10 days before that. It was beautiful...

Festivals, as a child, was more of fun, food, new clothes and family get together to play with cousins and friends ( with no pressure from parents to 'study'!). Later on, it became religious. But it was Onam celebration at PSN I re-discovered the true spirit of Onam. Of course, my perspective of all festivals, of all religions and faiths, changed for ever, for better.

The reign of Mahabali was one when all were equal, there was no crime of any kind .... and all were happy. Today, when Mahabali visits his favourite kingdom, once a year on Onam-day, he would find it shocking! He would be tempted to call off his annual visits!!!

The Golden age, which each of wish, is within our reach. It starts with us, with ME....

Ethics & World of Finance at SSSU

Financial system, world-wide, is put to severe test.
When we look back, it dawns on us how we messed up the banking system and created this near-GD type situation.
We can attribute to several factors: failure regulatory agencies, over-trading, non-compliance to credit/risk norms... etc. But if we further analyse it, it boils down to individuals, Leaders and the members of the teams. It is leadership failure, no collective/individual responsibility.

Across all levels, we just failed to stick to the basics of banking and prudent norms. Short-term goals for organisations and individual-level (eg hefty bonus) were the drivers. Sadly, what goes up has to come down.. in such cases it comes down with a thud, not a smooth landing.

Not surprisingly, Islamic banking has been relatively insulated from the vagaries of this crisis. .The strong fundamentals of the concept and the general passion to implement same in letter & spirit, being the contributors to the success



In this backdrop, it is most appropriate the senior bankers in the country assemble at SSSU to deliberate on Ethics & World of Finance. The five human values (Satya, Dharma, Shanthi, Prema, Ahimsa) are the integral part of Sai Philosophy, including the educational institutions. 'Satyam Vada, Dharmam Chara' is the motto of the university.

Throughout the educational-journey, students are inculcated values such as
Money comes & goes, Morality comes & grows...
Education is for Life, not for Living...
Love all, Serve all/Help Ever, Hurt Never

SSSU is the right platform to deliberate on this.

This must have been an eye opener for the senior bankers too, having got the opportunity to 'reflect'.

Mumbaikar takes home the lowest, UBS Study

Acc to a study by UBS, Price & Earnings 2009, employees in Zurich & Geneva take home the highest net wages in the world, amchi Mumbai at the lowest ! This is based on the study which compares the income and purchasing power of employees in over 70 cities across the globe.

This may come as a surprise for the Mumbaikar. But, that is the reality!

But the study does not evaluate or measure the spirit of the citizens... on that front, Mumbai must be right on top...

Jaswant Singh's Book on Jinnah

Indian politics always throws up its own twists and turns, like a soap opera. The latest episode is sarrounding Jaswant Singh, his book on Jinnah, his expulsion from BJP and in the process a lot of proverbial washing of dirty linen in public

The book will sell a few thousand extra copies thanks to all the hue and cry. The author plans to travel to Pak to promote the book. The Indian/Pak diaspora itself can help the publishers generate a decent sales numbers.

We can not and should not deprive Jaswant Singh of his freedom of speech and expression. Let us be matured enough to look at the book purely from the final product. What is important is the quality of the work. How much of research has gone into it and does the book give references to the research-sources ?

(ICHR) Chairman S Sabyaschi Bhattacharya has said, " There is nothing novel in the book. Many authors and historians have already stated that Jinnah was not in favour of partition or creation of Pakistan,"

Unfortunately there is lot of bad-mouthing of our national leaders, Gandhiji, Nehru and Patel, apart from Jinnah. Again, let us not forget what they have done. They also may have committed mistakes. Also, we need take cognisance of the volatile situation at that point of time. Let us analyse so as to learn and move on. These events should generate the right debate so that the two nations mature as democracies, true to the dreams of their founding fathers.

Best sportsman

In his article, "IN THE ERA OF WOODS, FEDERER, THE LITTLE CHAMP STANDS TALL", Sunil Gavaskar says Sachin is the best of the lot. While all the three and many others have reached the pinnacle in their respective sport, Sachin stands out for his character on field.

I agree with Sunny, with the pressure that is on an Indian cricketer, Sachin's composure is truly saint-like. Cricket is supposed (used ?) to be a gentleman's game. But in contemperory cricket, Sachin is a true gentleman. A gentleman, with that kind of record, makes him one of the all-time greats.

Thanks to the credit crunch and other stress on our lives, there is a change in our behaviour and response-patterns. We can look around to see the change, while the experts do an extensive research. In such situations, sportsmen like Sachin inspire us to remain cool and be the best.

Ten years of Blogging

The art of blogging is ten years young... ! 10 yrs is definitely a milestone, for anything that is on such a popular, free-to-use and evolving medium.

The medium has evolved from pure text-based to picture/video etc.

While most of bloggers took it up as a hobby, there may be few who are doing for other personal reasons. For me it remains a hobby, a medium to express my thoughts/feelings/views, take a stand, and not be part of a silent majority...

Thursday Thoughts

A relative celebrated her 84th birthday. She is loved and respected in the family, and beyond. Society, because she was a teacher by profession and a devoted one. As for the family, she was loving and kind to all. Relatives are happy, but with a tinge of sadness... While she remains physically fit(thanks to God), she has lost her memory totally. She is second in the extended family, both from same generation/branch of family-tree. After seeing the snaps on Picassa, I mulled over it. Yesterday, at the lunch, discussed briefly with cousins, all from the same 'tree'...

Any spiritual question lingering in our thoughts gets addressed to, sooner than later. But, I was surprised to hear a talk on the radio on the brain, this morning, in line my earlier thoughts on relative.

A neuro-surgeon from Australia spoke eloquently regarding the rapid strides being made by science through research in the area of human brain.
When asked on how to take care of the brain, he stressed the importance of physical and mental fitness in our lives.

Mental fitness is as important.
1. For that, physical fitness is the basis.
2. Mental activity, without stress.
3. Mental exercises( eg Sudoku)
4. M E D I T A T E

We live in a far-more complicated world and are more stressful. The impact on our system can be bad, with likely future complications.

I would summarise, Spiritual Living is the key. The doc gave a good example, how he would go beyond his normal call of duty.

He quoted Einstein, 'Spirituality begins, where science ends'. Master corrects, both are one & Divine...

Life of a Forced Bachelor...An Autobiography

I have been getting some queries on mail/sms/phone, 'how is life, being a forced-bachelor?'. Family is away and I have to manage:take care of myself, my peculiar food habits, poor time management and few pets... all alone!( Spiritually, I am NEVER alone!)

Last week-end was lost, courtesy flu/fever. Thankfully it was a simple flu and fever and I am back on track. With Swine flu et al, the world population has moved into high risk zone. I am no exception. Hence the big responsibility to take care of myself (mom keeps reminding, almost on daily basis). I am no social animal. This situation has given me the option to withdraw further into the cocoon of home and do things I prefer. Poor pets are at risk though!

Pets include five hamsters ( plus couple of new born!), two fish tanks ( one belong to a friend's family, enjoying vacation in Eastern coast of India)and my dog (needs no intro though). Also, the birds I feed every morning, outside. The sheer responsibility to feed them, bathe the dog every week, keep things out of reach of dog which picks up virtually anything to chew... pretty tough on my puny shoulders ( I am reminded of Wooster of PGWodehouse. He had the luxury of Jeeves, how lucky!)

Years ago I chose to become a veggie. I am almost knocking at the door of being a vegan and a strong supporter of anything that resembles PETA/environmental impact/satwik, etc. Now that makes it impossible to eat out! So while the stock in refrigerator (courtesy a caring wife) lasts, I may not lose weight dramatically!

Trying to catch up on some of the things on hold - music practise ( poor pets have to put up with my cacophony!), writing, reading, etc. Reading two books now, one on management and one spiritual ( more of it for later posts). Struggling to find time for meditation, my no.1 priority ( need better proof of my time management skills?). Got delivery of three books from amazon this morning... ( cost of book is less than shipment cost!) But now more pressure on time, to read these books asap!

To top it all, last night I discovered cooking gas was over#$%@$*!! Back to hot plate...:( Slow food and every thing slow is fine, but not slow tea-making & slow cooking! Thankfully, gas cylinder delivered today and I am back to tea-making and some cooking, with a revenge !

Stand by for more updates...So, boring you with a bit of autobiography ! Just for a change... Feel free to comment :)

PS: Studying in Hyderabad, it was common to tell when someone gets into a self-dabba mode, 'why don't you write an autobiography, so that I can read at my leisure'!

Khan detained at US Airport

Our media has got yet another topic to sensationalize. After Swine flu all these days, the media can highlight how SRK was detained at a US airport.Someone was doing his job and we should appreciate. I liked the comment of a UP Police official who appreciated the work-ethics of the cops in US.
Thankfully over 70 % on ToI polls felt we were over-reacting. Media can pursue more pressing topics even at the cost of few TRP, in service of the nation. ( We just celebrated our ind day!)

We do not want anyone to be treated badly, including our popular stars. But let us not over-react either. esp Govt of India, pls.

It is unfair to complain cops in US are picking up on our khan only. Bob Dylan went through a similar experience on Saturday !

Talking about responsible reporting by media, the concluding episode of Witness on Al Jazeera International, on Super 30 at Patna, was very inspiring... How couple of people are making a difference by enabling the aspiring students from poor background to reach I I T... hats off to the channel and people behind a noble ventures such as Super30

More interestingly a 12 year old US kid is in the process of building an on line tv empire which will specialise in reporting only that is good. Food for thought for the entire media fraternity, world over ! Google ' US kid embarks on good news dream' for more info.

Independence Day

India celebrates Ind Day... Indians world over celebrate being Indian ! Wow... you become more patriotic when you are out of India. Three cheers to my motherland... maa tujhe salaam....

years ago, my dad suggested how about me following his footsteps and joining defense services. Somehow I was not very keen. Thankfully, he did not persuade me and gave me 'the freedom' to choose my career path. One of the reasons was I wanted to be independent. Having seen army-life very closely, I thought there was limited freedom once you opt to become a soldier. But today, after years in corporate life, I confess, 'being independent is very relative'!

I am aware 'being independent is a state of mind'. It has nothing to do with my job, my environment or anything external. True independence is when I am not a slave of my mind, body, senses...

PS : In that context, army life would not have been a bad idea, I would have been physically fit and strong too...

Time Management

After some posts on spiritual/current affairs, etc I am in a mood to reflect on a different aspect, Corporate Life. We spend most of our time @ work, so what we achieve/under-achieve there is of great relevance to our Journey of Life, Spiritually, as always!

A forward of Robins Blog, No Idling-$2,000 Fine, caught my attention. How true....! We have no luxury to waste time. As suggested, we should fine ourselves for every moment wasted and I would add, when we did not give our very best. Afterall, every moment is Divine.

Master gifted one of His devotees a wrist watch. This devotee, a senior army official, told Master, 'I don't waste time'. Master said, 'I know, I know'... Perhaps the underlying message was the army officer still had opportunity to save time. If so, all observers/devotees had a long way to go...

Robin Sharma's concluding message is You can't idle and get to great. Make a choice.
Procrastination is very natural to us. The choice is ours: good or great. And how we manage time is of great relevance.

Thursday Thoughts, Spiritually

It is Swine Flu all over... India joining the bandwagon, Pune sadly gaining the slot of 'epicenter of swine flu' and all cities virtually hit in varying degrees...! This just when the world finally seem to be shrugging off depression-like blues. Germany and France are officially out of it, China & India are leading from the front!

There are whole lot of natural disasters, now happening a lot frequent. The world is definitely getting 'less cool'. I am troubled by the thought, most of it is just because of me and my fellow world-citizens :( We can not blame nature or any one else.

With the swine-flu vaccine still a few months away, other options are being talked of. Apart from the hygiene and improving fitness level, other suggestions include homeo medication, vitamin c, to take gifts of nature such as tulasi leaves/garlic and also camphor!.... As always, fitness of body and spirit is what matters. Our immune system can handle any flue if we just get our basics right. While body can be taken care by exercise & food habits, spirit can be taken care by genuine spirituality. Rather, look at every thing holistic and spiritual ! The world badly needs more spiritual vibrations...

Journalists freed:Release of Laura Ling & Euna Lee

My previous posts were on Friendship Day (an international celebration) and Raksha Bandhan ( more Indian-specific). Thank God, I am in a position, physically/mentally/Spiritually, to appreciate NOW & HERE. It is against this background I look at the release of these two journalists from North Korea.

International relations are beyond the comprehension of mortals such as us. But the outcome... kudos to all the parties involved, including on the Korean side. A brilliant job by President Clinton.

What is important is we learn the lesson from this episode and move on, and not to try to win brownie points/blame-game. That is the way we should handle all problems. Then this world will be a lot better place...

Sister's Day Raksha Bandhan

My previous posting was on the friendship day, when I tried to connect with many of my friends...I am a mail-guy, not a talk/phone guy. So, the option to 'pen' thoughts on my blog and try to reach out to as many friends possible was a natural thing to do. Thanks to all those who responded. Also, for the encouraging words on my new obsession, blogging :)

Rakhi is very special... very different. So beautiful !

Friendship Day

World over, first Sunday of August is celebrated as Friendship Day. Like many other similar ‘days’/celeberations, the origin of Friendship Day is traced to US too! Way back in 1935, people felt a need for a friendship day !

Few days back, while driving my son to the pet shop ( one of his favorite destinations), he asked me about friendship. His best friend had gone to to stay with his grand parents and continue his high school. (Then, we had brought home a pet dog to help junior ride over the grief!) Earlier to that, some other friends had gone off to Canada, Kolkotta. Now, at the beginning of a new academic year, his current best-friend seem to be on his way out… . Naturally, he was feeling let down by God!

I spoke generally about my friends, my concept of friendship, etc in a language that he would understand. But, on the eve of Friendship Day, when I got couple of advance-greetings, I remembered the thoughts… hence sharing!

There are several things in life for which I am very grateful to God. One of them, wherever I went, I always had some very good, dependable, true friends. For a introvert, moody, ordinary guy like me, it is nothing but sheer Grace… Also, as a teetotaler, inability to share a drink has its own disadvantages.
I have always tried to remain connected with my friends, Very early in life, I would write letters to friends. Much later, it was SMS and e-mail. (Except on some rare occasions, when I shot off physical-letters to some friends, after watching Dil Chahta Hai, etc ) There have been so many who were out of touch and got re-connected!

Over the years, I have got spiritual with my idea of friendship too. Satsang is an integral part of spiritual journey. I have become very selective about new friends… Master said, ‘ Tell me your friend, I shall tell you what you are…’. Also, ‘friends are passing clouds…’ Of course, the main reason is the strong feeling & aspiration, God is my only, true friend. That helps me to be dispassionate about things generally, and detached about literally everything.

But a true friend endures. A true friend understands, inspires, helps to be the true self/without pretentions …. A BIG T H A N K YOU, FRIEND! The world needs more friends like you, for a lot more people like me... God Bless You.