Variety - Spice of Life

Hit the ground running

2006-08-27T18:06:00.000+02:00

Hmmm.. so Im back after a loong time... much has happened in these few months...plans have been made and remade....options thought and re- thought....so many things have happened......thats the fun of the roller coaster called life. Last three years have been no less than a roller coaster for sure.....but have added to life in their own simplistic way. A new beginning......a new start...the point probably is the same... the vantage probably different.

Anything which goes up comes down

2006-02-05T07:10:00.000+01:00

A simple law of Physics. Equally applicable in most matters of life. The force of gravity will always attract any object which has been thrown up. Extending the same principle to life, tantamounts to saying that life is a great leveller. The ups and downs put together almost always average out.

Nature, possibly is the most economical of all teachers. We only have to keep our eyes and ears open to learn from it.....but as everyone knows.......Common sense is most uncommon. Tall trees are the first ones to fall in a storm, the shrub remains as it is.....the more fruit laden a tree, the more it bows down. We prefer to ignore such things and not learn from them, instead, prefer to spend lakhs under the tutelage of so called intellectuals ......Ignorance is bliss....but there is a price to be paid for the ignorance and it does not always result in a bliss. Without being verbose or talking in riddles, it is best to look around for live examples in our daily lives. People who think they are running the world most often than not are kicked away from public life by the very same people who once adored them. Industrialists, Politicians, Warriors......all came and went.......and with that went their illusion of feeling that I am in control......I am running the show. Fame is more slippery than mercury and ego is heavier than plutonium. And their combination is lethal.....a perfect recipe for disaster.

Being in control of things, circumstances, people.. is just an illusion and it is indeed a great pity that most of us spend our entire lives chasing this mirage, this illusion. A rare few are fortunate enough do open their eyes and start questioning the underpinnings... but those are indeed few and far between. We talk of "Cruise Control" of paramaters attached to life..but not of life itself. It is like chopping off a dead branch from a tree and anticipating it to regenerate itself, where as the fault lies with the roots.

Rat Race

2005-12-19T18:05:00.000+01:00

Running blindly one after the other.......from one thing to another...... is perhaps what Rat race is all about.......we pride ourselves in conquering moon .....inventing new gadgets with each passing day......has all this made us more happy.....we think we are more happy.. but just a casual glance at the number of diseases and the kinds of ailments that are coming up is mind boggling. A slew of disorders are being attributed to faulty lifestyles....Obesity..weak eye sight... high blood pressure...weak jaws..are all life style related diseases. Without going deeper into it...and without the risk of sounding a cynic.....I just want to think about the direction in which we all are moving. In trying to keep up with the Jonses...we have lost track of ourselves and our families...Couple of decades back...people had a lot of time but little money.... today the wheel has come a full circle... people have lot of money and hardly any time.

It is said that - "The best thing to spend on your children is your time. "....and that is the last thing that we spend on kids...we are trying to substitute the time with money leading to disastrous consequences. Money is everything...humanity nothing.....I wish to ask the people who have immense wealth...-Are they truely happy.....and if they are not.. then what use is the money that can not give you happiness and bliss.

Biggers cars.. bigger houses.. bigger bank balance.....this is an endless vortex in which all of us are being sucked into day and night. Peace of mind is what man has always wanted.. in the past an even today. New age ailments have also given rise to new age therapies....as the desire to find peace of mind is ceaseless.......

Rip n Roar

2005-09-11T18:47:00.000+02:00

Rip n Roar

Emotions

2005-08-16T22:12:00.000+02:00

What makes us tick....or not tick ??????.... never been able to fathom that. The strong underpinning of every relationship is "emotion," be it friends, relatives, family members......or even pets. Thinking of pets... another question that pops up.... is why do people keep pets ???? ( and im referring to the saner version of the pets... more commonly the four legged ones...not the creepy-crawly ones). Common sense tells us 2 things-

1. Pets dont ditch you.
2. Pets are always there to share things.

Man is an evolved animal, but why does he have to resort to the support from lower species, when his own bretheren are fully capable of doing more than justice to his needs. Had it been simply justice, it would have been ok, but more than justice is what scares some people. The fear of being hurt, the fear of being used and the fear of being dumped. It some times becomes a self fulfilling prophesy. The worry of the impending doom more often than not results in the doom itself. Emotionl breakdowns, nervous disorders, stress, lonliness are all a result of the emotions gone wrong. Sometimes a lifetime is not enough to know a person well and on other times a within a brief interaction one gets a feeling of knowing the other for a very long time. Agreed men are from Mars and women from Venus.....but if they both maintain a Saturnian outook towardslife then things can surely get messy.

I doubt if anyone likes pets who do not respond......nor would they like disloyal pets. Comparing humans to pets might sound blasphemous, but from the macro view point......animal is what man really is. And a real selfish animal at that.

Paris

2005-08-14T01:01:00.000+02:00

What makes Paris such a favoured destnation with tourists. Is it being the culture capital of the world, is it the snob value, or is it just being associated with a part of the history. After my recent visit to Paris, some revelations were definitely there. The most important being the traffic sense of the Parisians. ( Not to mention the tourists as well). Utter chaos prevails on the intersections. The colours of the light do not matter, if the road is empty...then its a race between the automobiles and the pedestrians to cross over first......people who are used to it ( like us)...its a feeling of Deja Vu....but Im sure who come from less crowded parts of the world and where civility still reigns, this must be a shock.

Brugge

2005-08-03T19:06:00.000+02:00

Brugge- Also called the Venice of Belgium. Almost 10 kms of canals in the city. Along with Ghent was one of the main towns in ancient Belgium so far as trade was concerned. Most European cities follow a similar kind of town planning. In the centre is the Cathedral, the modern day bus station or the train station is usually near/ walking distance from the cathedral. Around the city there is a ring- a circular road enveloping the whole city. In case of bigger cities like Cologne etc. the ring is no where to be seen but the train/ bus station is still next to the Cathedral.

The Twilight Years

2005-07-29T01:28:00.000+02:00

This part of the world is blessed with lush green parks and if the day is sunny, there is nothing more blissful than sitting in the park under the bright sun and the azure sky. Watching the old couple slowly getting out of the car, walking towards the park and sitting on a bench sitting on the bench holding hands brought about memories of another incident that had happened couple of years back.

The same kind of park, the same sunshine, but in India. And instead of an elderly couple, a solitary old man, sititng cross legged on the lush grass, bent over what seemed like a piece of paper. His old and tired eyes trying to make out the fine print. I was sitting couple of metres from him..happily munching Time Pass ( thats what ground nuts are referred to as in the northern parts of India). Oblivious of what he was thinking or reading.... I was happily looking for eye tonic (slang for the fairer sex) through my heavily tinted sun glasses in and around the park. With no eyetonic in the vicinity and my Time Pass almost finishing, I looked at this man from the corner of my eyes. He must have been over 6 feet, possibly quite well built in his youth, but now a shrivelled appearance. His walking stick lying by his side. Probably he was trying to get up. I saw him a couple of times trying to push his frame on his weak legs, unsuccessfully. In any case I had something better to do and my eyes started darting here n there. It was not until a feeble voice reached my ears that I again looked at him. He was looking at me saying Kaka Chukkin ( Young man, pls lift me) . Taking the last mouthful of the nuts, I went near him, held his feeble hands in mine and lifted him.

Never gave it a second thought, till I saw the couple in the park. Is this what old age does......The old man I had seen in the park must have been a strapping young man, full of vigour and vitality in his heydays. That day.....did he have anyone to care for him.....anyone to go back to. Even a simple activity like getting up had become a painfully long ordeal for him.

Here there are specialized Old age homes where one can see people in their eighties....some single.. some more fortunate of having their partners .......one thing is unmistakable with all of them.....the loneliness in their eyes...a feeling of betrayal.....the same which I had noticed in the old mans eyes.

Most of us dont even think of them. There are better things in life to think about. Some who do think......pity them. How many of us actually come forward to care for them. Hats off to those who do. Teenage...Youth...Middleage..Retirement..Old age....not very far.....just a few decades and it could be one of us in that park trying unsuccessfully to get up.....lonely,weak and defeated.

Very Funny Indeed- if it happens to others

2005-07-18T20:30:00.000+02:00

One of the people known to me had the good fortune of breaking his journey in Frankfurt. Nice city, nothing wrong with breaking a journey there. For those who do not have an idea abt the FFT airport... its really huuuge. One has to take a monorail to go from one terminal to the other and in between catching flights, this can become a bit nerve wracking, more so if all the signs and updates are in German !!!!!!

This gentleman in question was strolling in one of the lounges when suddenly his ears caught the words- "This is a final announcement for Mr. A Poor Boy Battery Charger.......to board his flight no......Sounds like a funny announcement he thought...and the Indian curiosity got the better of him. Putting his best face and mannerisms forward, he asked the cute looking lady at the counter... "Who was this wheird guy for whom the announcement was being made." When the lady started ratting off the details, his stomach turned and churned for he realised the details being mentioned uncannily resembled his. He politely asked if he could see the screen to cross check who this person was......surprise surprise....that was him all right!!!!!!!!! Agreed Indian names are rather a mouthful for Europeans, but never in his life time had anyone mis pronouced his name to this extent.!!!!!!

Can you guess the original Indian name of this guy- any guesses..????? ......
"Apoorva Bhattacharjee"

Logistics In China

2005-07-13T20:20:00.000+02:00

China - here we come..!!!!!! thats the corporate mantra in the corridors of power these days.What makes China sooooo attractive. The market, the people, the costs, or the work culture or a combination of these factors. Cost definitely yes...along with a huge consuming population. What companies forget is, for how long will China be able to sustain this cost advantage. Already in areas around Shanghai and Beijing, the salary levels have soared dramatically, there by reducing the cost competitiveness. China is now following a GO West policy. Companies are being pressurized to set up plants and facilities in western China. That is the next big bang going to happen in China as per the govt there. But what abt the transportation costs for these companies once they set their facilities in western China. So far China has been able to keep costs low as Honk Kong, Shanghai and Beijing the 3 main areas are near the ports and there is not appreciable transportations cost. Once all this moves to mainland china, the costs surely are going to go up. Which brings us to another interesting question???? How good is the road freight in china. As per the latest data available China has abt 27,000kms of road network. And is fast building 6 lane highways which are world class. But the trucking industry itself is very fragmented and the use of 3PLs and 4 PLs is very much restricted to MNC's. Unless there is a better penetration of 3PLs and 4PLs along with some consolidation at the top.. in road freight industry, the success of the Go West Policy will leave a lot to be desired.

Glass is Half Full/ Half Empty

2005-07-03T19:30:00.000+02:00

Recently, I came back from the college in a rather noxious mood. Since morning, things had been going a bit awry. Some days are like that when you start wondering if you got up from the wrong side of the bed.

Anyhow, came back to my room late in the evening... tired and hungry. Although the sun had set, the cycle of the things going wonky had not stopped. The light bulb of the passage leading from the kitchen to my room had apprantly blown off. So I tried to make my way in pitch darkness, groping for my keys and the keyhole of the door. After a couple of unsuccessful tries I did manage to get both the key and the keyhole. Opened the door and promptly switched on the lights. What a relief- I thought.

Usually I part the curtains after coming in the room, that day, maybe due to my sour mood, I forgot to do that. And after some time , I saw the guy in the room next to me groping his way in the dark. Probably he wanted to go to the kitchen. And then reality struck!!!!!!.

I was cursing my landlady as hell for not replacing the bulb and causing us inconvenience. I checked my train of thoughs for a moment and started wondering- We are devoid of light and sight for 2 minutes and we start cribbing and cursing people. What of those who cant see the light at all. The guy next to my room is visually challanged.It does not matter for him if it is day or night, because, for him, every moment is dark. What would be his anguish like!!!!!!!!!

How selfish are we most of the times, looking solely at out discomforts and inconveniences. There are many...hundreds..thousands..millions who are in a much poorer condition than we are....how many times have we thanked God for what we have . Not once... and I talk about myself here. These are the moments in life which shake you to the core and force you to think about life in a deeper and philosophical way.

All our time and energy is being spent in keeping up with the Jonses or better still climbing a rung above them. Not for a moment do we pause to reflect what are we doing.....where are we going...what do we want from life. If money could make people happy- the kings and queens would have been perfect examples of bliss.....were they....?????? As Kahlil Gibran rightly puts it-

"How can I lose faith in the justice of life, when the dreams of those who sleep upon feathers are not more beautiful than the dreams of those who sleep upon the earth? Strange, the desire for certain pleasures is a part of my pain".

China Vs India

2005-06-10T14:49:00.000+02:00

One of the favourite topics of the economists these days. They also have to justify their astronomical salaries by latching on to something which is flavour of the day. if nothing else works, they cook up some new flavours by throwing up some wheird data. I was recently going through an article in which the author was crying hoarse about the ecological disasters waiting to happen in China due to rapid industrialisation. Point taken. But why single out China. These economists very conveniently forget that the so called developed nations were once belching out smoke and were responsible for all sorts of pollution. Acid rain was first observed in London. Ozone depletion is a direct result of using CFC's in large quantities in US and Europe. And now with their holier than thou attitude, they are trying to put on a facade which is repelling.

As per the Kyoto protocol- Well over one-third of all primary energy consumed by the United States today goes into producing and delivering electricity. At the point of use, electricity can be highly efficient; and there are certain end uses where fuel substitution is not feasible. More than one-half of all U.S. electricity generated in 1997 was produced from coal--a fuel that emits more carbon dioxide during combustion than any other fossil fuel. Thus, electricity production and consumption is likely to be a major focus in meeting Kyoto targets, accounting for between two-thirds and three-fourths of the domestic carbon reductions in 2010 in the various cases examined. Historically, this industry has responded when relative fuel prices have changed. ( To be contd.....)

Consultants - A Rare Breed

2005-06-04T17:35:00.000+02:00

Today everyone calls himself/ herself( have to include herself to be politically correct else can be booked for exploitation of the fairer sex under the ever so watchful eyes of Uncle Sam)a consultant. It is a TAG that can open doors for you. Consultants- an interesting breed, come in all shape and sizes, a true mirror of the diversity present in the society. Some companies have In house entertainment Consultants and Managers just to keep the energy level of the employees high. ( How in the world do they manage that... any answers????)Nice Designation...try going in for a job switch with this fancy designation. All said and done ...consultants are consultants. They have this enviable knack of complicating things for you (mess up is a better word) .... and then like a true Knight in a shining armour... they come with a 400 page project report and a 120 slide power point presentation- to offer the solution. The fat fee which they charge is just incidental.

Have nothing against the Consultants. Dont mind joining their breed.

The French Connection

2005-05-31T21:40:00.000+02:00

I was taken out for a lunch today by a person with whom I had exchanged Hi's and Hello's. So far so good. The not so good part comes in when this gentleman, with a view to impress me with his limited knowledge of India started talking of Alexander the Great and how he came to the border of Punjab, the splitting of India in 1947 and so on. For most part of his unilateral dialogue, I was concentrating on how to finish my French fries fast enough before they got cold. Finally, when I could not take it any longer , I interjected by saying that most people in India feel that Europe is a homogeneous place. That was all he needed, I guess. I had just aboutmanaged to put the first rocket off its trajectory, that I triggered off a second mighty launch. I kicked myself for this. Anyway,in about 20 minutes I was breezed through the 300 years of European history. How France and England are the oldest empires in europe and how they have started teaching the archaic language again in the south of France. It was during the first world war that people universally spoke one language ( French that is).......with so much mention about France, you guessed it... hes a French himself.

Dont know why the French consider themselves so superior. By the yardstick of antiquity of civilization, we Indians should be a proud lot as our civilization dates back to 5000 BC. French are credited with the best toileteries ( perfumes, sprays etc etc. ) but what people do not know is the reason for the use of such artificial things. It is a well known (but never admitted) fact that the French were one of the filthiest people in Europe ( it will not be an exaggeration, If I say the whole world). Not taking a bath for weeks was a phenomena which came naturally to the French, in much the same way as taking bath twice a day came naturally to Indians as late as 50 yrs back.( some discounting can be done for the temp differences across the regions) So something had to be done to curb, curtail, kill,camouflage...whatever...the foul odour emanating from their very beings. There are some other very gory details about the filth and smell which the Germans love to talk about their so called sophisticated neighbours, but for the timebeing I will refrain from mentioning any of it.Looking at the propensity of the French towards anything odour repelling, the Germans patented the name Water of Cologne( eau de cologne as it is known world wide today. Had it not been for that we have have been hearing Eau de Lille or Eau de Chardonnay.... or whatever but not cologne definitely. Historically, both these nations have agreed to disagree. German mechanistic excellence Vs French sophistication.

The French apparently told the Germans that French is one of the most sweetest sounding languages. Very soon there was a competition in Germany to locate sweet sounding German words in the dictionary( well nigh impossible.....Germans being Germans will never admit that)for they also felt that their language is as sweet sounding as French. ( God save you if you ever came across a drunk or a pissed off German.....very flowery language indeed)

Chained Cat

2005-05-30T16:04:00.000+02:00

Ever seen a cat on leash. Sounds funny if you try to visualize it. Well recently I saw one that way. To be more precise saw a kitten on leash. Thats even more bizarre!!!!!!!! Imagine a 2 month old kitten with a collar and a leash fit to be used on a Saint Bernard. The tiny thing was being pulled mercilessly by a moron and that too in a part of the world which we consider developed. Insane!!!!!!

Probably he will now have mice, cockroaches and houseflies on leash.

Business Deal

2005-05-28T17:55:00.000+02:00

Came across this funny thing-

A typically indian businessman got his daughter married offr to another typical Indian businessman. After the marriage, the father in law sends the son in law a small box with a note in it- The note read, Goods once sold will not be returned.

The son in law replied- Contract void if seal broken.

Historical Ieper ( pronounced eeeeeper)

2005-05-23T16:59:00.000+02:00

Ahhhh....refreshingly different...was my reaction when I came to this small town on the Franco- Belgian border. The approach to the town is full of lush green fields on both sides of the road ( even more enjoyable if the sun is out and shining) . What is distinct is the entry to the town through a door, a 9 metre wide rampart encirclingthe town...or most parts of it with a moat running alongside. It does not matter if the moat today has turbid stagnant water. You can still do some small time fishing in those waters as I found to my amazement. Nope...I did not fish myself...( always stay away from anything which is close to fishy!!!!!), but witnessed two middle aged men with all their hook, line and sinker in the waters. Whether or not they were rewarded for their patience is not for me to comment as I did not stay there long enough so see any prized catch.

So back to the town. To most of us Indians, it might seem very normal to see huge ramparts and a water filled moat going round the city or towns as this what we have seen in most of our forts. However, it is not for the ramparts or the moats that the town is famous. It has the distinction of witnessing one of the most gruesome of the battle during the first world war. It can be gauged from the fact that of the total 8 million casualties suffered by the British troops in the war, almost 4 million were suffered at this place.

Obviously, with so many casualties, it is hardly a surprise to see so many cemeteries spread across this quaint town. This town has the biggest British Commonwealth cemetery. It goes without saying that the commonwealth included Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada. A whole lot of Indian soldiers, mainly from the Sikh regiment, laid down their lives for a war in which they not no direct connection. The same goes for the other 3 countries.

It is indeed a piognant moment standing in front of the memorial, reading the names, nationalities and most importantly the ages of these young soldiers, barely out of their teens. The bodies of a greater number of them was never/could not be recovered.

Yes, in the end, my mood was different....quite different. The mania and the ego of a handful of people in the world can have such wide ranging ramifications. For people like us, these moods are a passing phase, but for the millions directly affected by such a bloodshed, they change the landscape of life........ for ever.