I am generally not big on sharing but today seems like I am in the mood. Good video to watch. Here it goes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID0kgP9IVhs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID0kgP9IVhs
Sunday, December 09, 2012
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Dumb & Dumber!
It was a boring day at office made even worse by the fact that I had to attend conference calls for a total of 6.5 hrs making an occasional observation or a comment. And it is on such days that i digress from work- perhaps read about the book I ordered on wiki,read some of the blogs that I follow and if nothing else sit on cricinfo till the page has nothing left to read. Today was a blog day.
One particular blog interested me so much that I would have read close to twenty posts and began to wonder who the author might be. The author took great effort to conceal his/her identity. Well after a few posts and reading through all the comments (someone was really bored today..yup it was me!!) I figured out that it was a girl. I would have accidentally landed on this blog sometime in the past and couldn't recollect from where. When you read about someone for that long you start to wonder who that person might be in real life especially if its a chronicle of their day to day thoughts - Who is this person?What do they do in their real life? How come they write so beautifully while I am so pathetic?
So when I reached home cutting short my day, I had an option to hit the gym or do a bit of sherlock on the blogger. I decided to do the easier one. I have never been the inquisitive type. I am the kind of person who would wait for the details to come to him rather than lose sleep over something that I don't know. But when I do become curious, I take up the painstaking analysis. So it took me an hour and half to figure out who the person was !! Its was exhilarating how I used a combination of google, blogger, linked in and facebook to figure out who the person was!! Some might read creepy but I will let it slide in the name of being curious. All this led to an important conclusion. While establishing the fact that I had no alternate career as a detective it made me realize one more thing - If I am not doing some dumb work at office I will end up doing something dumber at home. So I might as well stick to the dumb work!!
One particular blog interested me so much that I would have read close to twenty posts and began to wonder who the author might be. The author took great effort to conceal his/her identity. Well after a few posts and reading through all the comments (someone was really bored today..yup it was me!!) I figured out that it was a girl. I would have accidentally landed on this blog sometime in the past and couldn't recollect from where. When you read about someone for that long you start to wonder who that person might be in real life especially if its a chronicle of their day to day thoughts - Who is this person?What do they do in their real life? How come they write so beautifully while I am so pathetic?
So when I reached home cutting short my day, I had an option to hit the gym or do a bit of sherlock on the blogger. I decided to do the easier one. I have never been the inquisitive type. I am the kind of person who would wait for the details to come to him rather than lose sleep over something that I don't know. But when I do become curious, I take up the painstaking analysis. So it took me an hour and half to figure out who the person was !! Its was exhilarating how I used a combination of google, blogger, linked in and facebook to figure out who the person was!! Some might read creepy but I will let it slide in the name of being curious. All this led to an important conclusion. While establishing the fact that I had no alternate career as a detective it made me realize one more thing - If I am not doing some dumb work at office I will end up doing something dumber at home. So I might as well stick to the dumb work!!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Foot steps on the floor above...
The Botone family had lived in the Whitmore Estate at Pinedale for over a hundred years. Aaron Botone had in fact bought it from a friend one hundred and twelve years back. It was said that the Estate was surrounded by lush green forests and the nearest town was twenty five miles to the south and no other living soul in any other direction. The trees grew so tall that in the undergrowth it was difficult to say if it was twilight or mid day. Wild animals roamed freely in the estate for there was no boundary separating the estate from the forest. The house itself was small in comparison to the size of the estate. But the teak and mahogany were strong enough to keep any wild animals at bay.
Aaron Botone was a self made man who made his wealth running a trade ship importing silks and spices from far off nations. He had traveled around the world in his youth and when the time came to settle down he chose a place far off from the sea. He took a young wife who was nineteen when he was already pushing forty. Other men would have been afraid of the woods and the animals that frequented the forest but Aaron Botone was no ordinary man. It was rumored that he could kill a bear with his bare hands. It was said that he wasn't afraid of anything except the Lord who reigned over life and death. After buying the estate, Aaron set up a wood mill and sold wood to far off villages. He had bought slaves who worked for him and he treated them fairly providing them with food and shelter.
In the next hundred years villages mushroomed in all directions of the estate except the North. The North still remained pristine teeming with wild life. It made for good game. The current day Botone family was headed by Christopher Botone who was a big fan of hunting. It was said that there was no better hunter than him in the whole province. He was running fifty and had hunted more than hundred animals which included prized possessions like the Four Jaguars that adorned the Estate Entrance, the six bears he shot and many more other smaller animals. The family business was run by his elder son Stephen who himself was a good hunter having killed more than a dozen wild animals. The same couldn't be said of Stephen's younger brother Derik though.
Derik had taken up the physician's profession. He was a man of words and books. The townsfolk joked that Derik was the "Sheep among the Wolves" for he was a vegetarian something as rare as two headed snake.
His father almost stopped speaking to him when he declared that he no longer wanted to eat meat. Christopher felt that his son was queer. It took a lot of persuasion from his elder brother stephen before normalcy could be restored in their relations. But he was still an outcast in the family. While growing up his cousins used to taunt him by making up jokes - "Do you know they have discovered a new species of man? Yeah and what's that.. It's called Derik and it doesn't eat meat apparently!!".
It wasn't always like that. Derik used to enjoy the little hunting trips with his father. He used to shoot down a few quails himself. But it all changed when his father shot down a deer and the fawn didn't leave its side until they shot it too. Something in him told him that this wasn't right. His father tried reasoning with him saying - "It was for the best since the fawn would anyway not survive without its mother. What if it was a tiger that killed him?". But Derik felt that humans were made better - To think and reason out. Ever since that day he had given up eating meat,became a vegan and gave up hunting.
Derik sat by the fireplace reading about a new discovery in the field of medicine. He was alone in the house. His father and brother had traveled to the nearby city to close off a deal. The servants had gone to the Pilgrim festival where people from around the state gathered once a year to sell their wares. It made for good purchases because the servants received a one time bonus payment from their owners around that time as tradition dictated. The fair was a half days journey from the Whitmore Estate and the servants had set out in the afternoon after making arrangements for him for the next day. Only the night guard Ramon remained.
Ramon was a youth of twenty who worked as the night guard for the Botones. Ramon had fled Mexico when the bandits raided his village and killed his parents. He took up work with the Botones when he was nine years old. He didn't know how to read or write but if someone ever wanted a partner for a hunting expeditions Ramon was the best. He was good at spotting game and had patience to wait for the prey to walk in to the trap. Christopher Botone had personally taught him how to wield a gun and he hadn't looked back since. He never left duty except when he went to the whore houses in the nearby town. Ramon was coming of age and discovering passions that he didn't know existed before.
Derik looked out the window and saw that the sentry post was vacant. He decided to have a quick chat with Ramon when he returned. Ramon's night sojourns had become far too frequent. He fell asleep in his chair while reading the book when something disturbed his sleep. He heard a loud sound and thought that the cat dropped something on the floor above. But then he heard some more. They sounded like muffled foot steps on the floor above. He was surprised at first and focussed harder to listen again. The sounds were no doubt made by someone who was tip toeing on the wooden planks. He told himself that the thief should be really stupid. Hasn't he heard of Joseph Steadfast? How dare he rob in Steadfast's town?
Joseph Steadfast was the Town Sheriff of Pinedale which housed the Whitmore Estate. He was the most jovial man that town had ever seen. But things took a turn for the worse when his son got killed when he accidentally discovered someone robbing his uncle's place. The thieves in their panic stabbed his son while trying to make haste. Joseph has never been the same. He decreed that any thief who dare lay an eye on another man's wealth was to have his hands chopped off without substitution. And he followed the decree religiously.
Derik was in two minds whether to go up and confront the robber or wait till he leaves and call for help. But then it stuck him that his mother's heirloom was in the safe above. The jewels were the only memory of his mother apart from her the picture his father had commissioned an artist to draw when she was young. He couldn't let the last memory of his mother fall into some stranger's hands. He made up his mind.
He went to his brother's room and looked for the revolver in the shelf but he couldn't find it. There was shot gun and a rifle hanging on the wall. He decided that the shot gun would best serve the purpose. He wasn't entirely convinced that he was up to the task but did not see any other option. Sweat was dripping from his brow as he loaded the shot gun. His father's words kept ringing in his head as he gathered courage to walk up the stairs - "Fear kills a man way before he is dead". He told himself that this was not the time to be afraid.
He picked up a torch while walking up the stairs. He reasoned that the fire would warn off the robber and he wouldn't have to face him or at least that was what he hoped for. As he slowly crouched beside the door thinking of the next course of action, he could still hear the muffled sounds from inside the room. He decided that he wanted to catch the thief unawares . He immediately sprang through the door with a gun in his right hand, the torch in the left and shouted out - " Surrender yourself!!You have no way of escaping"
What he saw next was not what he had imagined is his mind as he walked up the stairs. He saw a growling wolf with dark blue eyes staring right at him baring his teeth. The wolf was bigger than any other he had seen. For an instant he froze. He didn't know what happened next. In an instant the wolf leapt at him and pinned him to the ground. He could feel the wolf's foul breath from its muzzle. His right hand was under the wolf's paw and he could feel a sharp stinging pain as blood trickled down from his veins. But then a strange thing happened. Instead of going for his jugular, the wolf studied its prey for a second. It was all the time Derik needed to compose himself. He quickly moved his left hand and swung the torch in a wild arc. The torch hit something in its path. The wolf shrieked in pain and jumped away from him. But before he could get up on his feet the wolf had disappeared. He quickly shut door and fired a few rounds in the air to scare it off. Then he peered through the door to make sure that it wasn't around. He didn't dare to go down and chase it away.
He bolted the door hard and leaned his back against the door. He looked at his hand and realized that he had to bandage it before there was further blood loss. He quickly tore off the window curtains and dressed the wound. He didn't know when he fell asleep. He was too tired to think of anything else.
Ramon came up in the morning after he realized that Derik hadn't come down for breakfast. He told Ramon about what had happened last night and gave him a piece of his mind. Derik had thought about that night for a long time after. He woke up with nightmares dreaming of the grey wolf with blue eyes. He often wondered why the wolf hesitated. Was it providence that intervened? Was it his good deed when he gave up hunting that saved him or was it plain luck? He had no way of knowing....
Aaron Botone was a self made man who made his wealth running a trade ship importing silks and spices from far off nations. He had traveled around the world in his youth and when the time came to settle down he chose a place far off from the sea. He took a young wife who was nineteen when he was already pushing forty. Other men would have been afraid of the woods and the animals that frequented the forest but Aaron Botone was no ordinary man. It was rumored that he could kill a bear with his bare hands. It was said that he wasn't afraid of anything except the Lord who reigned over life and death. After buying the estate, Aaron set up a wood mill and sold wood to far off villages. He had bought slaves who worked for him and he treated them fairly providing them with food and shelter.
In the next hundred years villages mushroomed in all directions of the estate except the North. The North still remained pristine teeming with wild life. It made for good game. The current day Botone family was headed by Christopher Botone who was a big fan of hunting. It was said that there was no better hunter than him in the whole province. He was running fifty and had hunted more than hundred animals which included prized possessions like the Four Jaguars that adorned the Estate Entrance, the six bears he shot and many more other smaller animals. The family business was run by his elder son Stephen who himself was a good hunter having killed more than a dozen wild animals. The same couldn't be said of Stephen's younger brother Derik though.
Derik had taken up the physician's profession. He was a man of words and books. The townsfolk joked that Derik was the "Sheep among the Wolves" for he was a vegetarian something as rare as two headed snake.
His father almost stopped speaking to him when he declared that he no longer wanted to eat meat. Christopher felt that his son was queer. It took a lot of persuasion from his elder brother stephen before normalcy could be restored in their relations. But he was still an outcast in the family. While growing up his cousins used to taunt him by making up jokes - "Do you know they have discovered a new species of man? Yeah and what's that.. It's called Derik and it doesn't eat meat apparently!!".
It wasn't always like that. Derik used to enjoy the little hunting trips with his father. He used to shoot down a few quails himself. But it all changed when his father shot down a deer and the fawn didn't leave its side until they shot it too. Something in him told him that this wasn't right. His father tried reasoning with him saying - "It was for the best since the fawn would anyway not survive without its mother. What if it was a tiger that killed him?". But Derik felt that humans were made better - To think and reason out. Ever since that day he had given up eating meat,became a vegan and gave up hunting.
Derik sat by the fireplace reading about a new discovery in the field of medicine. He was alone in the house. His father and brother had traveled to the nearby city to close off a deal. The servants had gone to the Pilgrim festival where people from around the state gathered once a year to sell their wares. It made for good purchases because the servants received a one time bonus payment from their owners around that time as tradition dictated. The fair was a half days journey from the Whitmore Estate and the servants had set out in the afternoon after making arrangements for him for the next day. Only the night guard Ramon remained.
Ramon was a youth of twenty who worked as the night guard for the Botones. Ramon had fled Mexico when the bandits raided his village and killed his parents. He took up work with the Botones when he was nine years old. He didn't know how to read or write but if someone ever wanted a partner for a hunting expeditions Ramon was the best. He was good at spotting game and had patience to wait for the prey to walk in to the trap. Christopher Botone had personally taught him how to wield a gun and he hadn't looked back since. He never left duty except when he went to the whore houses in the nearby town. Ramon was coming of age and discovering passions that he didn't know existed before.
Derik looked out the window and saw that the sentry post was vacant. He decided to have a quick chat with Ramon when he returned. Ramon's night sojourns had become far too frequent. He fell asleep in his chair while reading the book when something disturbed his sleep. He heard a loud sound and thought that the cat dropped something on the floor above. But then he heard some more. They sounded like muffled foot steps on the floor above. He was surprised at first and focussed harder to listen again. The sounds were no doubt made by someone who was tip toeing on the wooden planks. He told himself that the thief should be really stupid. Hasn't he heard of Joseph Steadfast? How dare he rob in Steadfast's town?
Joseph Steadfast was the Town Sheriff of Pinedale which housed the Whitmore Estate. He was the most jovial man that town had ever seen. But things took a turn for the worse when his son got killed when he accidentally discovered someone robbing his uncle's place. The thieves in their panic stabbed his son while trying to make haste. Joseph has never been the same. He decreed that any thief who dare lay an eye on another man's wealth was to have his hands chopped off without substitution. And he followed the decree religiously.
Derik was in two minds whether to go up and confront the robber or wait till he leaves and call for help. But then it stuck him that his mother's heirloom was in the safe above. The jewels were the only memory of his mother apart from her the picture his father had commissioned an artist to draw when she was young. He couldn't let the last memory of his mother fall into some stranger's hands. He made up his mind.
He went to his brother's room and looked for the revolver in the shelf but he couldn't find it. There was shot gun and a rifle hanging on the wall. He decided that the shot gun would best serve the purpose. He wasn't entirely convinced that he was up to the task but did not see any other option. Sweat was dripping from his brow as he loaded the shot gun. His father's words kept ringing in his head as he gathered courage to walk up the stairs - "Fear kills a man way before he is dead". He told himself that this was not the time to be afraid.
He picked up a torch while walking up the stairs. He reasoned that the fire would warn off the robber and he wouldn't have to face him or at least that was what he hoped for. As he slowly crouched beside the door thinking of the next course of action, he could still hear the muffled sounds from inside the room. He decided that he wanted to catch the thief unawares . He immediately sprang through the door with a gun in his right hand, the torch in the left and shouted out - " Surrender yourself!!You have no way of escaping"
What he saw next was not what he had imagined is his mind as he walked up the stairs. He saw a growling wolf with dark blue eyes staring right at him baring his teeth. The wolf was bigger than any other he had seen. For an instant he froze. He didn't know what happened next. In an instant the wolf leapt at him and pinned him to the ground. He could feel the wolf's foul breath from its muzzle. His right hand was under the wolf's paw and he could feel a sharp stinging pain as blood trickled down from his veins. But then a strange thing happened. Instead of going for his jugular, the wolf studied its prey for a second. It was all the time Derik needed to compose himself. He quickly moved his left hand and swung the torch in a wild arc. The torch hit something in its path. The wolf shrieked in pain and jumped away from him. But before he could get up on his feet the wolf had disappeared. He quickly shut door and fired a few rounds in the air to scare it off. Then he peered through the door to make sure that it wasn't around. He didn't dare to go down and chase it away.
He bolted the door hard and leaned his back against the door. He looked at his hand and realized that he had to bandage it before there was further blood loss. He quickly tore off the window curtains and dressed the wound. He didn't know when he fell asleep. He was too tired to think of anything else.
Ramon came up in the morning after he realized that Derik hadn't come down for breakfast. He told Ramon about what had happened last night and gave him a piece of his mind. Derik had thought about that night for a long time after. He woke up with nightmares dreaming of the grey wolf with blue eyes. He often wondered why the wolf hesitated. Was it providence that intervened? Was it his good deed when he gave up hunting that saved him or was it plain luck? He had no way of knowing....
Sunday, August 19, 2012
The MUSH Strikes back !!
Mush 2 : Me 0
For those of you wondering how it became 1-0 in the first place here's a link to the part one.
http://mespeakethrandom.blogspot.in/2007/07/uncle.html
And I thought I had gotten over the phase where people think I am much older than I am really am now that I am pushing close to 30. But then people being people always have higher expectations of me.
This time the venue was the airport where I had gone to receive my friend's (lets just call my friend X for the sake of anonymity) friends to guide them to his wedding. One of them was late and idle time led to chatting about where you are from? what do you and all the harmless details? It would have been nice if the conversation stopped at that. But it was not to be.
One of his friends asked out of the blue - " X says that he has a friend in hyderabad whose son used to ask : Uncle X when are you getting married? Is he your kid?"
Well that felt like being hit by Brett Lee bouncer.In the back of my mind a quick calculation told me that to have an English speaking son, he should be at least in first standard making me the proud father who has been married for at least 7 years and yet I stand there single. I should have stood there dazed for a few seconds because she gave me that what's taking you so long look.
I just recovered in time to say - " Not my kid" still leaving the possibility of me having a kid open..
And I thought I had gotten over the phase where people think I am much older than I am really am now that I am pushing close to 30. But then people being people always have higher expectations of me.
This time the venue was the airport where I had gone to receive my friend's (lets just call my friend X for the sake of anonymity) friends to guide them to his wedding. One of them was late and idle time led to chatting about where you are from? what do you and all the harmless details? It would have been nice if the conversation stopped at that. But it was not to be.
One of his friends asked out of the blue - " X says that he has a friend in hyderabad whose son used to ask : Uncle X when are you getting married? Is he your kid?"
Well that felt like being hit by Brett Lee bouncer.In the back of my mind a quick calculation told me that to have an English speaking son, he should be at least in first standard making me the proud father who has been married for at least 7 years and yet I stand there single. I should have stood there dazed for a few seconds because she gave me that what's taking you so long look.
I just recovered in time to say - " Not my kid" still leaving the possibility of me having a kid open..
Monday, June 18, 2012
India's HENRYies
No I am not talking about Henry Ford or Henry Kissinger or Henry David Thoreau for that matter. I read a very interesting article at the below source which referred to HENRY as "High Earner Not Rich Yet" and it made me wonder if the Indian middle class especially the ones reaping the benefits of IT boom is stuck in this particular category.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-18/the-problem-with-henry-may-derail-u-s-recovery.html
The Indian IT industry has contributed a great deal in increasing the disposable income in the hands of middle class Indians but in the process did it create a new middle class who probably do not realize it themselves. They are definitely high earners but yearning to be rich or in essence to be wealthy. Being wealthy is still an aspiration for most of working IT force. The growth in income has brought more material comforts. To detail an instance, while growing up as a kid, we lived in a middle class colony where in the entire colony of about 200-300 residents there was one Maruti 800 and whenever the car was in the street children used to gather around to get a glimpse of what's inside and run along until it has accelerated its way past the street. Those were the days when owning a scooter made for a comfortable existence. You were not dependent on the Lord Rickshawallah who was the master of his own existence and could care less about what you thought of him.
Things have changed today. Perhaps you would not find any such middle class colony without a dozen i10's or swifts ( May be there will still be a Maruti 800 somewhere in the colony). Cars are no longer a fancy but something that you expect to own over time. The independent rented houses have given way to apartments though not the skyscraper kind. But in all of this transformation what possessions would classify someone as a middle class has come to change.Today owning a car is something that would not classify you as rich. May be an independent house does make you upper middle class. The increase in Income only seems to have elevated the standards of middle class but has not been able to create the illusion of wealth. The struggle still remains the same. If it was about owning a scooter back then, its about owning a car now. If it was about meeting expenses back then, it is about meeting the auxillary expenses - paying for that year end recreational trip etc. But the sense of wealth has still eluded the middle class. But the hope still floats that the High Earners would become rich one day and in that hope the middle class struggle continues as before....
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-18/the-problem-with-henry-may-derail-u-s-recovery.html
The Indian IT industry has contributed a great deal in increasing the disposable income in the hands of middle class Indians but in the process did it create a new middle class who probably do not realize it themselves. They are definitely high earners but yearning to be rich or in essence to be wealthy. Being wealthy is still an aspiration for most of working IT force. The growth in income has brought more material comforts. To detail an instance, while growing up as a kid, we lived in a middle class colony where in the entire colony of about 200-300 residents there was one Maruti 800 and whenever the car was in the street children used to gather around to get a glimpse of what's inside and run along until it has accelerated its way past the street. Those were the days when owning a scooter made for a comfortable existence. You were not dependent on the Lord Rickshawallah who was the master of his own existence and could care less about what you thought of him.
Things have changed today. Perhaps you would not find any such middle class colony without a dozen i10's or swifts ( May be there will still be a Maruti 800 somewhere in the colony). Cars are no longer a fancy but something that you expect to own over time. The independent rented houses have given way to apartments though not the skyscraper kind. But in all of this transformation what possessions would classify someone as a middle class has come to change.Today owning a car is something that would not classify you as rich. May be an independent house does make you upper middle class. The increase in Income only seems to have elevated the standards of middle class but has not been able to create the illusion of wealth. The struggle still remains the same. If it was about owning a scooter back then, its about owning a car now. If it was about meeting expenses back then, it is about meeting the auxillary expenses - paying for that year end recreational trip etc. But the sense of wealth has still eluded the middle class. But the hope still floats that the High Earners would become rich one day and in that hope the middle class struggle continues as before....
Sunday, June 17, 2012
LiveWire 2012
LiveWire is the cultural festival of Ascendas, the software park that I work at. Last friday, I had attended one of those evenings at the insistence of friends. Never really been a fan of live events - the loud blaring performances generally turn me off. This was a different experience. Something that I liked. May be it was the company of friends that made it more enjoyable. I had stayed back watching the solo singing and dancing competitions. The performances were really something beyond my expectations. The singers I realized were more of performers than singers. They focused not just on singing but also engaging the audience.
There were dances covering the entire gamut from Kathak, Bharatnayam to plain old Allu Arjun dances. Men and women were equally good and it felt like watching some reality show minus the drama. Perhaps that made it more fun.
What is it about Live Events that make them so exhilarating? Is it the crowds that surround you or your ability to lose yourself in the crowd and feel one with them? Or is it the believability of the performances happening live before your eyes that make it more exciting? I have listened to people vouch about Metallica shows, AR Rahman's performances and how they have thoroughly enjoyed them. While I was at college I had witnessed a live show by Lucky Ali. I really liked it but what made this more enjoyable was perhaps company of like minded friends. We appreciated a few performances, made fun of a few, laughed whole-heartedly and in-all had a fun filled friday evening. May be I should start seeing more live performances and see if it is something that I might learn to like.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Shanghai - Movie Review
There was a lot of hype surrounding "Kahani" - the Vidya Balan starrer as a thriller. I was a tad disappointed. The movie was a plain drama with an interesting twist in the end. To call it a thriller would be an overkill. But Shanghai delivers what you can expect out of a thriller perhaps not in a sixth sense way but definitely somewhere up above kahani. The setting for the plot is contemporary which you would be reading in everyday newspapers if you were in India. The struggle between the land seeking corporates and the native resident holding on to what is his. Be it Posco in Orissa, Tatas in West Bengal or any of the national infrastructure projects the process on securing land remains one of biggest challenges given the vote bank politics and rampant corruption.
In the case of shanghai, its about a seemingly progressive party trying to throw its weight between setting up of an International business park and a seemingly socialist leader fighting for the rights of the residents. The attempted murder of the socialist leader which leaves him on the death bed is where the real movie begins. It brings to light the different stakeholders and how they react to the situation. The loyal followers trying to secure justice, the investigative team whose verdict seems to be a foregone conclusion, the police trying to find someone to pin it on and the political parties doing everything to keep their heads high. The suspense lies in figuring out who's behind all of this.
The characters in the movie are realistic and flawed as you would expect them to be in real life. These are characters driven by basic human tendencies and emotions and people you could relate to in your everyday life as against the larger than life characters we're accustomed to watching in movies - The investigative officer brilliantly portrayed by Abhay Deol struggling between his own personal ambition and conscience; The loyal followers led by Kalki kochein trying to ensure justice is meted out and would stop at nothing; The small town pornographer/videographer Emraan Hashmi going through a transformation during the course of the movie to ensure that those who laid ways to his friends death meet their rightful end.
The movie also has other characters who have been given sufficient footage to ensure that the plot progresses smoothly be it the epitome of Indian administrative bureaucracy played by Farooq sheikh trying to close out the case with minimal damage, the actual assailants who tried to murder. It also brings to light the current state of coalition politics where each partnership is need based and you move on as soon as you find a much formidable partner.
The end in itself does not come as a total surprise but has enough surprise element to keep the audience interested. The other likable fact of the movie is that it leaves of lot of things unsaid and leaves it to common sense. The raw nature of the visuals and the loud celebrations are something that you can relate to in your everyday life. A special word on the performances - I think Abhay Deol steals the show with his understated performance playing the role of of a Tamil investigative officer. He portrays conflicting emotions naturally wishing it wasn't him who has to deal with these in fact hoping that postponing them would make them go away. Emraan Hashmi plays a Rajput who comes over to the city running away from the troubles he has in his home town and trying to make ends meet. It is a role you would never expect Emraan to see in. Every time he flashes a smile you can see his stained teeth and laugh at his butler english. The movie is serious except for the light moments created by Emraan Hashmi but then you don't go to watch a political thriller expecting comedy. Do you?
In the case of shanghai, its about a seemingly progressive party trying to throw its weight between setting up of an International business park and a seemingly socialist leader fighting for the rights of the residents. The attempted murder of the socialist leader which leaves him on the death bed is where the real movie begins. It brings to light the different stakeholders and how they react to the situation. The loyal followers trying to secure justice, the investigative team whose verdict seems to be a foregone conclusion, the police trying to find someone to pin it on and the political parties doing everything to keep their heads high. The suspense lies in figuring out who's behind all of this.
The characters in the movie are realistic and flawed as you would expect them to be in real life. These are characters driven by basic human tendencies and emotions and people you could relate to in your everyday life as against the larger than life characters we're accustomed to watching in movies - The investigative officer brilliantly portrayed by Abhay Deol struggling between his own personal ambition and conscience; The loyal followers led by Kalki kochein trying to ensure justice is meted out and would stop at nothing; The small town pornographer/videographer Emraan Hashmi going through a transformation during the course of the movie to ensure that those who laid ways to his friends death meet their rightful end.
The movie also has other characters who have been given sufficient footage to ensure that the plot progresses smoothly be it the epitome of Indian administrative bureaucracy played by Farooq sheikh trying to close out the case with minimal damage, the actual assailants who tried to murder. It also brings to light the current state of coalition politics where each partnership is need based and you move on as soon as you find a much formidable partner.
The end in itself does not come as a total surprise but has enough surprise element to keep the audience interested. The other likable fact of the movie is that it leaves of lot of things unsaid and leaves it to common sense. The raw nature of the visuals and the loud celebrations are something that you can relate to in your everyday life. A special word on the performances - I think Abhay Deol steals the show with his understated performance playing the role of of a Tamil investigative officer. He portrays conflicting emotions naturally wishing it wasn't him who has to deal with these in fact hoping that postponing them would make them go away. Emraan Hashmi plays a Rajput who comes over to the city running away from the troubles he has in his home town and trying to make ends meet. It is a role you would never expect Emraan to see in. Every time he flashes a smile you can see his stained teeth and laugh at his butler english. The movie is serious except for the light moments created by Emraan Hashmi but then you don't go to watch a political thriller expecting comedy. Do you?
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Who are you?
"Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you" - from Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Poppins...
Some have called it Vignettes. A few have referred to them as Nuggets. I took the liberty of calling them Poppins - An assorted collection of candy (from the Parle Brand). Life has short changed me on interesting happenings and creativity has left me for greener pastures. So with no great story at hand I decided put together a collection of few interesting nothings.
Cell Phone Spoofing
You might have heard of IP spoofing but what the heck is cell phone spoofing? Don't bother googling it. I am gonna tell an interesting story though. Few days back I received a call from an unknown number wanting to know who I was. I was surprised if this was some new form of cheating. Identifying himself as Harsha the guy told me that someone has apparently been calling a girl giving out his name from my number. Hard to follow Isn't it? I was surprised at first but decided to humor him and offered to call him back after checking my bill not that I had any intention to. Towards the end he warned that if this were to repeat he is going to lodge a police compliant. I said - " Sure.. Go ahead !!"
Either way a lot of things could have happened the girl communicated the number wrongly or perhaps didn't have a caller id on landline and the guy threw up a random number. But those looking to have fun at someone's expense you can try this out :)
The Namesake
I received an email from someone sharing my first and last names. The mail was blank but had listed the subject as resume. The only difference in the email id was that it missed a special character mine had. Either way I didn't know what to do and simply pushed it to trash. This reminded me of prank I played on someone long time back. Its not uncommon in the first few years of your job to forget locking your computer while going on a tea break. People wreak havoc on such open accounts. When I landed such an opportunity, I decided to make the most of it.
I drafted a mail to X from his own login:
"This is an email from X to X but not by X. Hope you get the message :) "
I enjoyed writing that mail drawing inspiration from a particularly spooky scene from the Lost Highway :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZowK0NAvig&feature=related
Stray Dogs
One of the disadvantages of returning late from office is that you have to face the wrath of the unpaid protectors of the cross roads. Yes I am talking about stray dogs of Hyderabad and in particular the overwhelming community that has made Kukatpally its permanent home. While the unforgiving bunch help to keep burglars away they don't seem to make a distinction between the residents and the unwanted guests. After three such chases, I have figured out a route where the probability of attack is least but if you ask me my learning from this experience - " Barking dogs seldom bite but staring dogs always chase". So the next time a dog fixates up on you for too long, its time to make a move and please make it fast.
The Avengers
Watching the Avengers might have been one of the better cinematic experiences for most people but sadly it wasn't for me. Not that I have anything negative to say about the movie. It was just that in trying to watch the movie on the first day I landed up in a pretty ordinary movie theater which was lets say a little low on volume. Initially I thought it was just a glitch but by the time I left the theater I was sure it was no glitch and vowed not to go back there. One of the best part of avengers is the smart wit on display. Be it the Iron man, Hulk or the particularly British accented Thor. But then when you miss out on the volume and whatever you can hear is drowned by catcalls to increase volume it cannot be a pleasant experience. The experience turned into one you would have while watching a " Super star's" movie where the audience shout more often than the hero speaks.
Cell Phone Spoofing
You might have heard of IP spoofing but what the heck is cell phone spoofing? Don't bother googling it. I am gonna tell an interesting story though. Few days back I received a call from an unknown number wanting to know who I was. I was surprised if this was some new form of cheating. Identifying himself as Harsha the guy told me that someone has apparently been calling a girl giving out his name from my number. Hard to follow Isn't it? I was surprised at first but decided to humor him and offered to call him back after checking my bill not that I had any intention to. Towards the end he warned that if this were to repeat he is going to lodge a police compliant. I said - " Sure.. Go ahead !!"
Either way a lot of things could have happened the girl communicated the number wrongly or perhaps didn't have a caller id on landline and the guy threw up a random number. But those looking to have fun at someone's expense you can try this out :)
The Namesake
I received an email from someone sharing my first and last names. The mail was blank but had listed the subject as resume. The only difference in the email id was that it missed a special character mine had. Either way I didn't know what to do and simply pushed it to trash. This reminded me of prank I played on someone long time back. Its not uncommon in the first few years of your job to forget locking your computer while going on a tea break. People wreak havoc on such open accounts. When I landed such an opportunity, I decided to make the most of it.
I drafted a mail to X from his own login:
"This is an email from X to X but not by X. Hope you get the message :) "
I enjoyed writing that mail drawing inspiration from a particularly spooky scene from the Lost Highway :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZowK0NAvig&feature=related
Stray Dogs
One of the disadvantages of returning late from office is that you have to face the wrath of the unpaid protectors of the cross roads. Yes I am talking about stray dogs of Hyderabad and in particular the overwhelming community that has made Kukatpally its permanent home. While the unforgiving bunch help to keep burglars away they don't seem to make a distinction between the residents and the unwanted guests. After three such chases, I have figured out a route where the probability of attack is least but if you ask me my learning from this experience - " Barking dogs seldom bite but staring dogs always chase". So the next time a dog fixates up on you for too long, its time to make a move and please make it fast.
The Avengers
Watching the Avengers might have been one of the better cinematic experiences for most people but sadly it wasn't for me. Not that I have anything negative to say about the movie. It was just that in trying to watch the movie on the first day I landed up in a pretty ordinary movie theater which was lets say a little low on volume. Initially I thought it was just a glitch but by the time I left the theater I was sure it was no glitch and vowed not to go back there. One of the best part of avengers is the smart wit on display. Be it the Iron man, Hulk or the particularly British accented Thor. But then when you miss out on the volume and whatever you can hear is drowned by catcalls to increase volume it cannot be a pleasant experience. The experience turned into one you would have while watching a " Super star's" movie where the audience shout more often than the hero speaks.
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
In Time...
This post is written on impulse as against as the usual planned ones that I do but given sufficient time to think I don't think I will be writing this. Not that it has something that would embarrass me but the triviality of the post would dawn upon me. Going through facebook, I just realized how many of my friends/acquaintances have evolved over time.
As for me, a question posed by a friend after my 29th birthday did enlighten me about myself. I realized that I have been a survivor and have been a pretty decent one at that. I haven't had big dreams nor great passion that drives me. I am a bit of a lot of things but nothing in particular. But I did realize what I would want to do the rest of my life. I am in the "Pursuit of Happiness" and I hope to find it in every moment that I live.
- Some have broadened their horizons, traveled across the world met people and have become global citizens
- Some are trying to solve life's toughest problems in the hope that we have a better future tomorrow
- Some have done a deep dive into their own worlds and have disappeared without a trace
- Some found happiness in the work they do while a few others found it outside
- Some still continue to be restless in their pursuits of the unknown while others are content with what they are doing
- Some found matrimonial bliss while some are still on the lookout for the right person
- Some retraced their steps back to college while others have gone onto conquer the corporate world
- Some took the road less traveled and have tried realizing their dreams by starting something on their own. A few have succeeded, a few still trying and the rest are back in the realm of day to day grind
- Some are still struggling to get a foothold and a few others still crave for days of yore
- Some have found hobbies serious enough to think about alternate careers or have started making their post retirement plans
As for me, a question posed by a friend after my 29th birthday did enlighten me about myself. I realized that I have been a survivor and have been a pretty decent one at that. I haven't had big dreams nor great passion that drives me. I am a bit of a lot of things but nothing in particular. But I did realize what I would want to do the rest of my life. I am in the "Pursuit of Happiness" and I hope to find it in every moment that I live.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
The Road Less Traveled..
Driving home from the airport, Rahul was angry with himself for having given into his friend's emotional blackmail to attend his wedding. More so when the friend hadn't spoken to him in the last four years. But he always had difficultly saying "No". He made a mental note to himself that the first word I am going to teach my kid is "NO".
It was a long drive home with the airport about 40 kilometers from his residence. The road was empty with no signs of trafffic. People preferred the newly laid outer ring road but this was the shortest path to his house. In the distance he could see mirages of swirling water. It was incredibly hot for an April afternoon. He wondered how much worse was it going to be in May. His eyes suddenly rested on someone with a parked bike waving for a lift. Being a skeptic, Rahul didn't want to be the good samaritan who gets robbed in No Man's land. But for some strange reason he decided to stop and offer the person a lift. He stopped the car next to the person and drew down the windows. He was surprised to see that the person asking for a lift was a girl wearing a cap. It made him all the more suspicious but having stopped his car he had no choice but to let her in.
She profusely thanked him for it was not normal to offer a lift to stranger these days. Rahul would nod and say a few words but never paid any attention to what she was saying for he was lost in his own world imagining the worst possible things that could happen to him. He decided to play it cool and not show his emotions. The girl introduced herself as Meghana and that she worked as a HR professional in a consulting firm. He wasn't entirely convinced but kept his doubts to himself.
She explained to him how she had ended being on this road at this time of the day all alone on a bike. He would nod in silent agreement not that he cared about the story. Suddenly the girl put her hand into the purse she was carrying and drew something out. Rahul was scared for his life. Is she going to draw out a pistol? Am I going to be robbed point blank? But thankfully she just took her cellphone out. This relieved him greatly. May be it was not such a bad idea to help someone in trouble. They had just reached the outskirts of the city when she asked Rahul to stop the car for her home was close by. He could see some apartments in the distance.
Getting down from the car, she handed him her visiting card and invited him for a cup of coffee. Was she giving him her phone number ? He could read something beyond friendliness in her tone. He felt happy and proud at the same time that some girl other than his wife could be interested in him. All through his life he had dreamed that he would fall in love and would have a great story to tell his kids but since that didn't happen he took the traditional route and let his parents find a bride for him. Otherwise he was pretty sure he would never have found the courage to ask a girl out.All these thoughts made him blush but he came back to reality and realized that this was an offer he would have to let go. He replied "Some other time.." and left the place lest he should be tempted to take up the offer.
He looked back one last time as she waved to him. Once he had moved out of sight, Meghna dialled a number and said - " He's clean". The woman on the other end replied "Thank you" and replaced the hand set. She picked up her mobile and dialed Rahul.....
It was a long drive home with the airport about 40 kilometers from his residence. The road was empty with no signs of trafffic. People preferred the newly laid outer ring road but this was the shortest path to his house. In the distance he could see mirages of swirling water. It was incredibly hot for an April afternoon. He wondered how much worse was it going to be in May. His eyes suddenly rested on someone with a parked bike waving for a lift. Being a skeptic, Rahul didn't want to be the good samaritan who gets robbed in No Man's land. But for some strange reason he decided to stop and offer the person a lift. He stopped the car next to the person and drew down the windows. He was surprised to see that the person asking for a lift was a girl wearing a cap. It made him all the more suspicious but having stopped his car he had no choice but to let her in.
She profusely thanked him for it was not normal to offer a lift to stranger these days. Rahul would nod and say a few words but never paid any attention to what she was saying for he was lost in his own world imagining the worst possible things that could happen to him. He decided to play it cool and not show his emotions. The girl introduced herself as Meghana and that she worked as a HR professional in a consulting firm. He wasn't entirely convinced but kept his doubts to himself.
She explained to him how she had ended being on this road at this time of the day all alone on a bike. He would nod in silent agreement not that he cared about the story. Suddenly the girl put her hand into the purse she was carrying and drew something out. Rahul was scared for his life. Is she going to draw out a pistol? Am I going to be robbed point blank? But thankfully she just took her cellphone out. This relieved him greatly. May be it was not such a bad idea to help someone in trouble. They had just reached the outskirts of the city when she asked Rahul to stop the car for her home was close by. He could see some apartments in the distance.
Getting down from the car, she handed him her visiting card and invited him for a cup of coffee. Was she giving him her phone number ? He could read something beyond friendliness in her tone. He felt happy and proud at the same time that some girl other than his wife could be interested in him. All through his life he had dreamed that he would fall in love and would have a great story to tell his kids but since that didn't happen he took the traditional route and let his parents find a bride for him. Otherwise he was pretty sure he would never have found the courage to ask a girl out.All these thoughts made him blush but he came back to reality and realized that this was an offer he would have to let go. He replied "Some other time.." and left the place lest he should be tempted to take up the offer.
He looked back one last time as she waved to him. Once he had moved out of sight, Meghna dialled a number and said - " He's clean". The woman on the other end replied "Thank you" and replaced the hand set. She picked up her mobile and dialed Rahul.....
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Tale of a Paper Plane
It was a day of the week that Rohan wasn't reluctant to get out of bed. Unlike other days no one was after him to go to school. That was all the more reason he felt like getting up early and more over he could play cricket with his friends till 9 AM. Rohan's mom was also relaxed on sundays and gave him that extra bit of freedom to do things he liked and the way he liked them be it playing with friends, watching an evening movie or refusing to drink milk. He got away with almost everything. Perhaps being a working mom took its toll on her and she needed a break for herself.
This sunday was no different. After a decent knock of 14 runs which was just 2 runs short of his highest score he was pleased with his performance. He came back home, brushed his teeth and gobbled nine vadas - the same number as his age. He checked time. It was 9:45 AM - only 15 mins for the start of "Captain Vyom" on TV. Captain Vyom was a inter-galactic hero fighting crime across alien planets and enforcing justice. Rohan especially liked the Laser guns which sounded almost like the gun his uncle had gifted him for his last birthday. In excitement, he would start shooting alongside Vyom on TV. They spared nothing that came in their way. But first things first. He rushed into the bathroom, took a bath for namesake and came out drenched in water and put on the TV. But sadly the TV didn't switch on. He looked around and realized that it was a power cut. He immediately ran to his dad to check when power would be restored. Sadly, there was some maintenance work in progress and power was off for the next two hours.
His sunday was being ruined by electricity. After running back and forth around the house, he decided to make the new paper plane that he learnt at school. This plane almost looked realistic and glided really smooth. The trick was in the tail. You had to get the length of the tail right for it to fly smoothly. After successfully making the plane and testing it to see if it was up to his expectations he headed out into the veranda to fly the plane. They stayed on the top floor of a 5 storey building. He was playing with the paper plane until a gentle breeze blew the plane just beyond the wall. He rushed to see where it had fallen. But then it had clung to the telephone wire coming out of the house. Too lazy to make another one, he decided to see if he can't reach the plane by stretching across the wall. The fact that this wall was 5 floors above the ground didn't make a difference to him. His finger tips were able to reach the plane but still it eluded him. He tried to bend over the wall a little and see if he can reach it. This time he could almost get two fingers to it but still couldn't grip it. All this while, his mom was cooking chicken in the kitchen and dad was busy glancing through the newspaper for the nth time
He grew confident about retrieving it back and stretched a little further down until more than half his body was on the other side of the wall. In a momentary shock he lost balance and slipped over the wall. All he could feel was the slight breeze blowing across and a sudden feeling of weightlessness. He realized in that second that he was falling through the air and was about the crash hard on the ground. His mind went blank for a moment.
He was about to shriek when he realized that the fall had been arrested by him crashing into his own bed. It took him a minute to realize what had happened. He had been dreaming all this while. It all looked so realistic to him. In fact he could still recollect the feeling of falling through air. He was drenched in sweat in his own bed. He slowly rubbed his eyes got up and felt happy that it was just a bad dream and still had his sunday to look forward to. He cheerfully got out of bed and started padding up for his cricket match.
It was a day of the week that Rohan wasn't reluctant to get out of bed. Unlike other days no one was after him to go to school. That was all the more reason he felt like getting up early and more over he could play cricket with his friends till 9 AM. Rohan's mom was also relaxed on sundays and gave him that extra bit of freedom to do things he liked and the way he liked them be it playing with friends, watching an evening movie or refusing to drink milk. He got away with almost everything. Perhaps being a working mom took its toll on her and she needed a break for herself.
This sunday was no different. After a decent knock of 14 runs which was just 2 runs short of his highest score he was pleased with his performance. He came back home, brushed his teeth and gobbled nine vadas - the same number as his age. He checked time. It was 9:45 AM - only 15 mins for the start of "Captain Vyom" on TV. Captain Vyom was a inter-galactic hero fighting crime across alien planets and enforcing justice. Rohan especially liked the Laser guns which sounded almost like the gun his uncle had gifted him for his last birthday. In excitement, he would start shooting alongside Vyom on TV. They spared nothing that came in their way. But first things first. He rushed into the bathroom, took a bath for namesake and came out drenched in water and put on the TV. But sadly the TV didn't switch on. He looked around and realized that it was a power cut. He immediately ran to his dad to check when power would be restored. Sadly, there was some maintenance work in progress and power was off for the next two hours.
His sunday was being ruined by electricity. After running back and forth around the house, he decided to make the new paper plane that he learnt at school. This plane almost looked realistic and glided really smooth. The trick was in the tail. You had to get the length of the tail right for it to fly smoothly. After successfully making the plane and testing it to see if it was up to his expectations he headed out into the veranda to fly the plane. They stayed on the top floor of a 5 storey building. He was playing with the paper plane until a gentle breeze blew the plane just beyond the wall. He rushed to see where it had fallen. But then it had clung to the telephone wire coming out of the house. Too lazy to make another one, he decided to see if he can't reach the plane by stretching across the wall. The fact that this wall was 5 floors above the ground didn't make a difference to him. His finger tips were able to reach the plane but still it eluded him. He tried to bend over the wall a little and see if he can reach it. This time he could almost get two fingers to it but still couldn't grip it. All this while, his mom was cooking chicken in the kitchen and dad was busy glancing through the newspaper for the nth time
He grew confident about retrieving it back and stretched a little further down until more than half his body was on the other side of the wall. In a momentary shock he lost balance and slipped over the wall. All he could feel was the slight breeze blowing across and a sudden feeling of weightlessness. He realized in that second that he was falling through the air and was about the crash hard on the ground. His mind went blank for a moment.
He was about to shriek when he realized that the fall had been arrested by him crashing into his own bed. It took him a minute to realize what had happened. He had been dreaming all this while. It all looked so realistic to him. In fact he could still recollect the feeling of falling through air. He was drenched in sweat in his own bed. He slowly rubbed his eyes got up and felt happy that it was just a bad dream and still had his sunday to look forward to. He cheerfully got out of bed and started padding up for his cricket match.
Friday, April 06, 2012
A Rose..
Stranded at a traffic signal near Andheri, I checked my watch and the signal alternately. I was in a taxi on my way to the Andheri sports complex. Traffic is at its peak this time of the day. There seemed to be vehicles lined up for about twenty meters. I told myself if not this time, I will get my turn during the next signal. Traffic signals act as market place for quite a few hawkers in Mumbai. People sell all kinds of things at traffic signals ranging from dust clothes to idols of gods. It is also a good hunting ground for all the beggars in the city. A frustrated man is bound to throw a coin in your direction just to get rid of you rather than out of sympathy for your plight. And Yes the beggars know it too.
Peering through the glass was a kid carrying roses in his hand. He kept knocking on the window persistently until I drew the glasses down. He kept saying to me - " Gulab hai bhai..lelo... kisi ko bhi dedo bhai..Fresh maal hai.. ". I tried to shrug him off saying - " Nahi bahi..mujhe nahi lena"
He persisted - " Kam se kam Ek lelo bhai. Bus 2 rupaiyaa hai"
In exasperation, I blurted out - "Lelete..lekin Dene keliye koyi nahi hai"
For a second, the taxi driver looked back at me and a smile spread across his lips. The kid grinned sheepishly. We all smiled at each other and the kid left. He realized that this was a sale he was not going to make but didn't seem to mind it. It is not often that someone offers him such a convincing reason not to buy.
Stranded at a traffic signal near Andheri, I checked my watch and the signal alternately. I was in a taxi on my way to the Andheri sports complex. Traffic is at its peak this time of the day. There seemed to be vehicles lined up for about twenty meters. I told myself if not this time, I will get my turn during the next signal. Traffic signals act as market place for quite a few hawkers in Mumbai. People sell all kinds of things at traffic signals ranging from dust clothes to idols of gods. It is also a good hunting ground for all the beggars in the city. A frustrated man is bound to throw a coin in your direction just to get rid of you rather than out of sympathy for your plight. And Yes the beggars know it too.
Peering through the glass was a kid carrying roses in his hand. He kept knocking on the window persistently until I drew the glasses down. He kept saying to me - " Gulab hai bhai..lelo... kisi ko bhi dedo bhai..Fresh maal hai.. ". I tried to shrug him off saying - " Nahi bahi..mujhe nahi lena"
He persisted - " Kam se kam Ek lelo bhai. Bus 2 rupaiyaa hai"
In exasperation, I blurted out - "Lelete..lekin Dene keliye koyi nahi hai"
For a second, the taxi driver looked back at me and a smile spread across his lips. The kid grinned sheepishly. We all smiled at each other and the kid left. He realized that this was a sale he was not going to make but didn't seem to mind it. It is not often that someone offers him such a convincing reason not to buy.
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
The Banker Chronicles
It was Monday morning. Steve sat on the bean bag with eyes closed. He was lost in his own thoughts. How did it all come to be this? Where did it all go wrong? Faced with one of the toughest decisions of his five year career, Steve couldn't see light at the end of the Tunnel. He felt a splitting headache. He was exhausted more than anything else. All he wanted to do was curl up in his bed and sleep. But sleep had eluded him for the past 48 hours. He struggled to keep his thoughts focused on how to wriggle his way out of the mess he found himself in.
Three Weeks Back...
He had just closed a tough deal worth USD 50 million which was going to earn handsome profits for the company in the next 3 years. Things had been pretty tough. He not only had to convince the client about the transaction structure but also work with the Bank's legal and compliance departments to get their sign-off on the deal. His manager had long given up hope. His peers joked about the mirage he was chasing . But steve wasn't one who would give up easily. He had convincingly demonstrated to the internal stakeholders how he was managing all the risks to the bank while at the same time keeping the client happy in spite of the delay. For a change, the client was patient - the last thing you could hope for in a Bank. Finally at the end of a month's efforts he was able to crack the deal.
A huge party followed the night money was disbursed to the client. They were pioneers in the country so far as this transaction was concerned. For a Bank which was a mid sized player, this was a huge achievement. Steve stayed on till about 2 PM with friends and left for home in a taxi.
He was up early the next morning and reached office by about 9 AM. While he walked towards his desk on the third floor of the building, he received congratulations from all around -some familiar faces and some not so familiar. This was not his first success at the Bank. Ever since he joined the firm he stood out for his ability to get things done. He also enjoyed good visibility at the top rungs of leadership. He opened his mail box and was happy to see an invitation from Rafael - Director of the Debt desk to meet him in his corner office for lunch. This was the meeting he had been waiting for. He had been expecting a promotion and felt that the director would convey the good news today. His heart was filled with joy as he entered the director's office for lunch.
He had met the director only a few times before during company parties. But steve felt this was the beginning of a new chapter in his career. He shook hands with the boss man and sat opposite to him on the table. Rafael was a man of few words but was well-known for his shrewd mind and business acumen. He was believed to be the driving engine of the bank's growth.
Rafael spoke first - "Steve, I am a man who shoots straight from the heart. We have been watching you for the past few years and you haven't disappointed us. In more ways than one you have always performed beyond our expectations.But there comes a time when we have to decide if an employee is ready for the next big step and I am not being metaphorical here.."
Steve's heart started beating faster. The director's calm voice seems to create a soothing feeling on his mind. At that moment, if he said he could be happier in life, he would probably be lying. Finally the end was in sight.
Rafael continued - " Now before we shoulder you with the big responsibility, we want you to handle one more important responsibility. The knack with which you were able to close the Bernstein transaction leaves me with no doubt that this should be a cake walk for you. Get in touch with Robert and be assured you are on your way to be a future leader of this bank"
Coming from someone like Rafael, this was a huge compliment. Steve knew that Rafael wouldn't hand him something if he did not believe in his capabilities. He immediately spoke to Robert and asked him to forward all emails pertaining to the transaction.
The first week was spent following up with different stakeholders trying to understand the transaction. All the while steve could almost feel an undercurrent from whoever he interacted with. There was a sense of anxiety which people went great lengths not to show. Key people who had worked on this transaction had already moved onto different banks. Most of the knowledge he could gather was from different email dumps he received from Robert who himself did not know much about the transaction.
Two weeks into the Task...
Finding it difficult to make progress on the transaction, he got in touch with Arnold who was the VP who was instrumental in executing this transaction. Arnold had recently joined an investment bank in CBD (Central Business District). He was initially reluctant to meet but steve's powers of persuasion prevailed over him. They met in the chinese restaurant along the bay. When steve questioned him about the transaction, Arnold was mostly evasive in his replies. It seemed that he was not comfortable discussing anything related to the deal. But inadvertently, Arnold let out that the deal was mired in some legal tangle. This heightened steve's fears.
Steve went back and looked through all the documentation to see if the legal team had indeed approved of the transaction.His follow ups did not yield any positive new. Meanwhile he received a email from the internal audit team informing him that the central bank would like to audit the deal. Steve started putting the pieces together. One leg of the transaction which was a Letter of credit was funded by the client but never executed. The fee collected simply could not be traced. He did a quick check on similar transactions and all of them eerily followed the same pattern. The money was siphoned off. It was just not about the money. Any leak of this to the press and He could almost see the next day's headlines - "Bank dupes customer - Financial scandal of the decade". The regulator would immediately get into action and could lead to severe penalties or even cancelling of the Bank's licence.
The Final Nail in the Coffin..
Steve knew he had to act and act fast. He tried explaining things to his manager but he didn't seem to pay much attention. He was deliberately ignoring him. All his efforts to reach Rafael failed. He had gone on a vacation to Tahiti Islands and couldn't be reached for the next one month. He reached out to the company's Legal Head - Bob. Bob had been a bank's veteran. Aged closed to 55 he always joked about setting up a restaurant once he retired. But it was difficult to get an appointment from him. His previous interactions with Bob had helped him gain his trust. He rang Bob - " Bob there is a transaction that I need to urgently discuss with you and I need at least an hour..".
Bob was surprised. He wouldn't even grant the company's CEO an interview for one hour and this young kid was asking him for a hour. After a moment's pause he said - " Look kid..I would really like to help you but don't think i can meet you this week..". Steve knew he had to make an impact on Bob. He said - " Bob my only job for today is to talk to you. I want to discuss in particular about a transaction where some legal sign offs are missing!!"
There was silence at the other end. He knew he had made the right noise. Bob said - " 3 PM kid and you have half an hour". Steve met Bob at the appointed hour and took him through the transaction details. Bob listened patiently and finally said - " In sharing these details you have brought up a very serious issue but you also need to understand that there is a larger responsibility that you owe to the bank. You need to become a whistleblower.."
Ah.. how steve wished that Bob hadn't said that. He was hoping Bob would take the lead and ensure that everything was set right. But it wasn't to be. Being a whistle-blower was something that wasn't an easy thing to do in the world of finance. Word always leaked out on the employee who went against the system. The inquiry that follows is a long drawn process and usually the bank covers up its mistakes and victimizes the whistleblower. Only occasionally does the real culprit get punished. But for the whistleblower it was a slow death to his career.
Time to bite the bullet...
The conversation with Bob had shook him off completely. He decided to take the rest of the day off feigning illness. It was a friday and that offered him two days to make up his mind. Did he wish to be a hero and put his career on line? How he wished if he could turn it all back and wish he was never a part of this. His best instincts told him not to go ahead with this. He could always go on an unplanned vacation and come back after things were sorted out. But his morality didn't agree to that. He was caught between the rock and a hard place. For the next 48 hours, he kept thinking if there was a middle way where he need not be the martyr and yet save the bank.
Answers eluded him. Finally his conscience won over his ambition. He met Bob Monday morning and told him he was ready to do the right thing.
Epilogue:
Today marks Ten years to the incident. Steve is 42 years old. He no longer works in finance. The long drawn inquiry did not punish the guilty but it took corrective measures to protect the bank's interests. Steve moved out of the bank in disgust but he had already been branded a traitor. Word spreads quickly in banking circles and he became notorious as a trouble maker. Finding it tough to find a footing in the banking industry, he slowly moved onto smaller jobs in other sectors.
Now he works as a Purchasing manager for a mid sized conglomerate. His career hadn't exactly rocketed as he had hoped for but his clear conscience ensures that he stays happy. In the end isn't that what really matters!!
It was Monday morning. Steve sat on the bean bag with eyes closed. He was lost in his own thoughts. How did it all come to be this? Where did it all go wrong? Faced with one of the toughest decisions of his five year career, Steve couldn't see light at the end of the Tunnel. He felt a splitting headache. He was exhausted more than anything else. All he wanted to do was curl up in his bed and sleep. But sleep had eluded him for the past 48 hours. He struggled to keep his thoughts focused on how to wriggle his way out of the mess he found himself in.
Three Weeks Back...
He had just closed a tough deal worth USD 50 million which was going to earn handsome profits for the company in the next 3 years. Things had been pretty tough. He not only had to convince the client about the transaction structure but also work with the Bank's legal and compliance departments to get their sign-off on the deal. His manager had long given up hope. His peers joked about the mirage he was chasing . But steve wasn't one who would give up easily. He had convincingly demonstrated to the internal stakeholders how he was managing all the risks to the bank while at the same time keeping the client happy in spite of the delay. For a change, the client was patient - the last thing you could hope for in a Bank. Finally at the end of a month's efforts he was able to crack the deal.
A huge party followed the night money was disbursed to the client. They were pioneers in the country so far as this transaction was concerned. For a Bank which was a mid sized player, this was a huge achievement. Steve stayed on till about 2 PM with friends and left for home in a taxi.
He was up early the next morning and reached office by about 9 AM. While he walked towards his desk on the third floor of the building, he received congratulations from all around -some familiar faces and some not so familiar. This was not his first success at the Bank. Ever since he joined the firm he stood out for his ability to get things done. He also enjoyed good visibility at the top rungs of leadership. He opened his mail box and was happy to see an invitation from Rafael - Director of the Debt desk to meet him in his corner office for lunch. This was the meeting he had been waiting for. He had been expecting a promotion and felt that the director would convey the good news today. His heart was filled with joy as he entered the director's office for lunch.
He had met the director only a few times before during company parties. But steve felt this was the beginning of a new chapter in his career. He shook hands with the boss man and sat opposite to him on the table. Rafael was a man of few words but was well-known for his shrewd mind and business acumen. He was believed to be the driving engine of the bank's growth.
Rafael spoke first - "Steve, I am a man who shoots straight from the heart. We have been watching you for the past few years and you haven't disappointed us. In more ways than one you have always performed beyond our expectations.But there comes a time when we have to decide if an employee is ready for the next big step and I am not being metaphorical here.."
Steve's heart started beating faster. The director's calm voice seems to create a soothing feeling on his mind. At that moment, if he said he could be happier in life, he would probably be lying. Finally the end was in sight.
Rafael continued - " Now before we shoulder you with the big responsibility, we want you to handle one more important responsibility. The knack with which you were able to close the Bernstein transaction leaves me with no doubt that this should be a cake walk for you. Get in touch with Robert and be assured you are on your way to be a future leader of this bank"
Coming from someone like Rafael, this was a huge compliment. Steve knew that Rafael wouldn't hand him something if he did not believe in his capabilities. He immediately spoke to Robert and asked him to forward all emails pertaining to the transaction.
The first week was spent following up with different stakeholders trying to understand the transaction. All the while steve could almost feel an undercurrent from whoever he interacted with. There was a sense of anxiety which people went great lengths not to show. Key people who had worked on this transaction had already moved onto different banks. Most of the knowledge he could gather was from different email dumps he received from Robert who himself did not know much about the transaction.
Two weeks into the Task...
Finding it difficult to make progress on the transaction, he got in touch with Arnold who was the VP who was instrumental in executing this transaction. Arnold had recently joined an investment bank in CBD (Central Business District). He was initially reluctant to meet but steve's powers of persuasion prevailed over him. They met in the chinese restaurant along the bay. When steve questioned him about the transaction, Arnold was mostly evasive in his replies. It seemed that he was not comfortable discussing anything related to the deal. But inadvertently, Arnold let out that the deal was mired in some legal tangle. This heightened steve's fears.
Steve went back and looked through all the documentation to see if the legal team had indeed approved of the transaction.His follow ups did not yield any positive new. Meanwhile he received a email from the internal audit team informing him that the central bank would like to audit the deal. Steve started putting the pieces together. One leg of the transaction which was a Letter of credit was funded by the client but never executed. The fee collected simply could not be traced. He did a quick check on similar transactions and all of them eerily followed the same pattern. The money was siphoned off. It was just not about the money. Any leak of this to the press and He could almost see the next day's headlines - "Bank dupes customer - Financial scandal of the decade". The regulator would immediately get into action and could lead to severe penalties or even cancelling of the Bank's licence.
The Final Nail in the Coffin..
Steve knew he had to act and act fast. He tried explaining things to his manager but he didn't seem to pay much attention. He was deliberately ignoring him. All his efforts to reach Rafael failed. He had gone on a vacation to Tahiti Islands and couldn't be reached for the next one month. He reached out to the company's Legal Head - Bob. Bob had been a bank's veteran. Aged closed to 55 he always joked about setting up a restaurant once he retired. But it was difficult to get an appointment from him. His previous interactions with Bob had helped him gain his trust. He rang Bob - " Bob there is a transaction that I need to urgently discuss with you and I need at least an hour..".
Bob was surprised. He wouldn't even grant the company's CEO an interview for one hour and this young kid was asking him for a hour. After a moment's pause he said - " Look kid..I would really like to help you but don't think i can meet you this week..". Steve knew he had to make an impact on Bob. He said - " Bob my only job for today is to talk to you. I want to discuss in particular about a transaction where some legal sign offs are missing!!"
There was silence at the other end. He knew he had made the right noise. Bob said - " 3 PM kid and you have half an hour". Steve met Bob at the appointed hour and took him through the transaction details. Bob listened patiently and finally said - " In sharing these details you have brought up a very serious issue but you also need to understand that there is a larger responsibility that you owe to the bank. You need to become a whistleblower.."
Ah.. how steve wished that Bob hadn't said that. He was hoping Bob would take the lead and ensure that everything was set right. But it wasn't to be. Being a whistle-blower was something that wasn't an easy thing to do in the world of finance. Word always leaked out on the employee who went against the system. The inquiry that follows is a long drawn process and usually the bank covers up its mistakes and victimizes the whistleblower. Only occasionally does the real culprit get punished. But for the whistleblower it was a slow death to his career.
Time to bite the bullet...
The conversation with Bob had shook him off completely. He decided to take the rest of the day off feigning illness. It was a friday and that offered him two days to make up his mind. Did he wish to be a hero and put his career on line? How he wished if he could turn it all back and wish he was never a part of this. His best instincts told him not to go ahead with this. He could always go on an unplanned vacation and come back after things were sorted out. But his morality didn't agree to that. He was caught between the rock and a hard place. For the next 48 hours, he kept thinking if there was a middle way where he need not be the martyr and yet save the bank.
Answers eluded him. Finally his conscience won over his ambition. He met Bob Monday morning and told him he was ready to do the right thing.
Epilogue:
Today marks Ten years to the incident. Steve is 42 years old. He no longer works in finance. The long drawn inquiry did not punish the guilty but it took corrective measures to protect the bank's interests. Steve moved out of the bank in disgust but he had already been branded a traitor. Word spreads quickly in banking circles and he became notorious as a trouble maker. Finding it tough to find a footing in the banking industry, he slowly moved onto smaller jobs in other sectors.
Now he works as a Purchasing manager for a mid sized conglomerate. His career hadn't exactly rocketed as he had hoped for but his clear conscience ensures that he stays happy. In the end isn't that what really matters!!
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Blood in the Time of Holi...
Today was just another day in my life. The fact that is was Holi hardly registered on my mind except when listening to music on TV. I had an early morning meeting at 8:30 AM and was as usual late in getting ready. It was 8:15 AM by the time I stepped out of bath. I quickly put on clothes, cursed myself for being so lazy, picked my keys and made a quick time check. It was already 8:20 AM. My daily commute to the office is 8 KM but given that it was early morning with nothing to slow me down I was confident of making office by 8:35 AM and earlier in case other residents of Hyderabad co-operate. I told myself that people wouldn't waiting those extra 5 minutes instead of wrapping the call early.
As I started my bike and headed towards office, there were no signs on the road that today was Holi. Hyderabad was becoming lazy like me and was losing zest for life. May be the city youth had better things to do. The fact that it was not a holiday for a lot of corporates might have subdued the effects of Holi.
Meanwhile, I had come about a km from home. The road was split by a divider. I was tailing a car few meters behind it and thinking of overtaking it. Something struck me.... on the other side of the road, I noticed a guy running towards the divider from the other half of the road being chased by his friends with color sprays. This wasn't an unusual scene except that he was running in a direct collision path with the car. I could almost sense an impending disaster. My heart skipped a beat. In the next sixty seconds, I saw the guy leap on to the divider while being chased by his friends with colors. He seemed totally oblivious to the fact that he was crossing the road. He was focused on avoiding his friends and nothing else seemed to matter. What happened next was inevitable.
The car driver honked with all earnestness to avoid what was about to happen. The guy leapt from the divider and was hit by the car. I don't remember if he was hit while in mid air or just as he set foot on the road. My mind totally went blank. I was hardly two meters behind the car. The car driver braked with all intent and the car came to a screeching halt. The next few seconds seemed like eternity to me. I slowed down my bike in fear of what lay ahead of me.
My first glimpse of the guy was something dripping down his hand as he lay down on the road. I stopped my bike to see if I could get down and help. His friends following him immediately reached out to him and were checking on him. For a moment there I thought I saw blood dripping from his hand..My mind started racing - where was the nearest hospital? Should I flag an auto? But slowly I was coming back to my senses. What I saw on his hand was not blood but a slight shade of pink. Thank God!! It was just a plain holi color.This relieved my greatly. I realized that my mind was playing tricks on me. By the time I reached him he sort of was able to sit on the road. People had started gathering around him. He was able to speak and was crying. His friends were chiding him that he should watch before crossing. May be he was one of those lucky guys to escape unhurt in a road accident but when the car hit him It seemed certain that this was a day he was going to remember for the rest of his life. The fact that the car driver was just ambling and not speeding might have saved the day.
Whatever happened I was thankful that nothing serious had happened to the only guy I saw celebrating holi...
Today was just another day in my life. The fact that is was Holi hardly registered on my mind except when listening to music on TV. I had an early morning meeting at 8:30 AM and was as usual late in getting ready. It was 8:15 AM by the time I stepped out of bath. I quickly put on clothes, cursed myself for being so lazy, picked my keys and made a quick time check. It was already 8:20 AM. My daily commute to the office is 8 KM but given that it was early morning with nothing to slow me down I was confident of making office by 8:35 AM and earlier in case other residents of Hyderabad co-operate. I told myself that people wouldn't waiting those extra 5 minutes instead of wrapping the call early.
As I started my bike and headed towards office, there were no signs on the road that today was Holi. Hyderabad was becoming lazy like me and was losing zest for life. May be the city youth had better things to do. The fact that it was not a holiday for a lot of corporates might have subdued the effects of Holi.
Meanwhile, I had come about a km from home. The road was split by a divider. I was tailing a car few meters behind it and thinking of overtaking it. Something struck me.... on the other side of the road, I noticed a guy running towards the divider from the other half of the road being chased by his friends with color sprays. This wasn't an unusual scene except that he was running in a direct collision path with the car. I could almost sense an impending disaster. My heart skipped a beat. In the next sixty seconds, I saw the guy leap on to the divider while being chased by his friends with colors. He seemed totally oblivious to the fact that he was crossing the road. He was focused on avoiding his friends and nothing else seemed to matter. What happened next was inevitable.
The car driver honked with all earnestness to avoid what was about to happen. The guy leapt from the divider and was hit by the car. I don't remember if he was hit while in mid air or just as he set foot on the road. My mind totally went blank. I was hardly two meters behind the car. The car driver braked with all intent and the car came to a screeching halt. The next few seconds seemed like eternity to me. I slowed down my bike in fear of what lay ahead of me.
My first glimpse of the guy was something dripping down his hand as he lay down on the road. I stopped my bike to see if I could get down and help. His friends following him immediately reached out to him and were checking on him. For a moment there I thought I saw blood dripping from his hand..My mind started racing - where was the nearest hospital? Should I flag an auto? But slowly I was coming back to my senses. What I saw on his hand was not blood but a slight shade of pink. Thank God!! It was just a plain holi color.This relieved my greatly. I realized that my mind was playing tricks on me. By the time I reached him he sort of was able to sit on the road. People had started gathering around him. He was able to speak and was crying. His friends were chiding him that he should watch before crossing. May be he was one of those lucky guys to escape unhurt in a road accident but when the car hit him It seemed certain that this was a day he was going to remember for the rest of his life. The fact that the car driver was just ambling and not speeding might have saved the day.
Whatever happened I was thankful that nothing serious had happened to the only guy I saw celebrating holi...
Monday, March 05, 2012
Pan Singh Tomar (PST)
It is very difficult to create an interesting plot and keep the audience hooked without a central character assuming a larger than life image. Pan Singh Tomar goes about doing that and does it with such finesse that your mind never wavers to think wait - where was the all the heroic stuff?? In a long time I can say that I haven't watched a movie where the plot was central to the movie. Coming from movie goer who would stop watching the cricket once SRT gets out, it says a lot about the movie. It is a true biopic. Never was an effort made to project the central protagonist as a superhuman. Not when his superior officer does not allow him to go to war because he is a sportsperson - Not when he is mocked at for staying back while his friends go to war - Not when his cousin taunts him for being a coward running all his life - Not when he falls asleep while his gang members get slaughtered by the police . This I would say is what a normal man would do and not the Hindi film Hero.
It is a simple story of a well meaning man who has been wronged by the system and goes about seeking revenge after knocking on all the doors that he can think of. But the thing that separates this story from the rest is the way he goes about doing it. The movie does not try to justify the hero turning into the villain but narrates it beautifully enough so that the audience can empathise with his suffering.
More than the story, I should say it was Irfan Khan's acting abilities that brought PST to life. Never do you get a feeling that he is emoting - he just seemed so natural in the character. It is the earnestness of his expression when he says he wants to get into sports so that he can eat more food, you realize how good an actor Irfan Khan is. He is ably supported by the support cast who deliver a decent job be it his army superior or his coach. The director also wanted to highlight an underlying message which you realize only towards the end - the way we have treated out athletes : the apathy that has left many die penniless. But then again, if that was the message of the movie, it was alluded to only when PST echoes his sadness saying that people recognized him only for his acts as a bandit and chose to ignore all his efforts a national steeplechase champion.
If the story drags towards the end, it is because there is really no end to a story until the story dies on it own. This was the story of PST and it had to be shown until PST is no more. Perhaps the director could have ended the movie once he succeeds in his revenge. But if he wanted to get his mesage through at the end, it was imperative to show that the path PST had taken had death written all over it.The climax was a little disappointing when he tries to jump across a canal to run away from police but perhaps that is what people in real life do. When you can't fight, you take flight. All said and done PST was a total Paisa vasool!!
It is very difficult to create an interesting plot and keep the audience hooked without a central character assuming a larger than life image. Pan Singh Tomar goes about doing that and does it with such finesse that your mind never wavers to think wait - where was the all the heroic stuff?? In a long time I can say that I haven't watched a movie where the plot was central to the movie. Coming from movie goer who would stop watching the cricket once SRT gets out, it says a lot about the movie. It is a true biopic. Never was an effort made to project the central protagonist as a superhuman. Not when his superior officer does not allow him to go to war because he is a sportsperson - Not when he is mocked at for staying back while his friends go to war - Not when his cousin taunts him for being a coward running all his life - Not when he falls asleep while his gang members get slaughtered by the police . This I would say is what a normal man would do and not the Hindi film Hero.
It is a simple story of a well meaning man who has been wronged by the system and goes about seeking revenge after knocking on all the doors that he can think of. But the thing that separates this story from the rest is the way he goes about doing it. The movie does not try to justify the hero turning into the villain but narrates it beautifully enough so that the audience can empathise with his suffering.
More than the story, I should say it was Irfan Khan's acting abilities that brought PST to life. Never do you get a feeling that he is emoting - he just seemed so natural in the character. It is the earnestness of his expression when he says he wants to get into sports so that he can eat more food, you realize how good an actor Irfan Khan is. He is ably supported by the support cast who deliver a decent job be it his army superior or his coach. The director also wanted to highlight an underlying message which you realize only towards the end - the way we have treated out athletes : the apathy that has left many die penniless. But then again, if that was the message of the movie, it was alluded to only when PST echoes his sadness saying that people recognized him only for his acts as a bandit and chose to ignore all his efforts a national steeplechase champion.
If the story drags towards the end, it is because there is really no end to a story until the story dies on it own. This was the story of PST and it had to be shown until PST is no more. Perhaps the director could have ended the movie once he succeeds in his revenge. But if he wanted to get his mesage through at the end, it was imperative to show that the path PST had taken had death written all over it.The climax was a little disappointing when he tries to jump across a canal to run away from police but perhaps that is what people in real life do. When you can't fight, you take flight. All said and done PST was a total Paisa vasool!!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sydney.. First Impressions
It has been sometime since I have been to Sydney - more than 2 months So it wouldn't be fair to call them first impressions but neverthless these are the impressions that have stayed with me for this long.
I am not what people would call an avid traveller but whenever an opportunity had presented itself I haven't exactly been shy. So this time it was some office work that took me to Sydney. It was a 40 day trip - just long enough to look around the city and not get bored.
The First Day
One thing that the world recognizes India is by its diversity, cultural and from an economic standpoint the population. Its not an easily ignored fact that more than 20% of the world's population lives in India - not by the world and not by Indians either. So irrespective of the place you are in, the time of the day you are never short of people around. You should be happy if its not crowded. Australia in contrast is huge land body with pockets of population thrown here and there. In fact if someone were to travel on foot from coast to coast chances are for a majority of your trip you will be talking to yourself.
Compared to other Australian cities, Sydney is much lively place with friendly people. My office located near Darling Harbor is more or less the heart of the city's Friday evenings. But I guess I can't say the same about suburbs. The first thing that struck while I was walking back to my uncle's place from the train station was how empty the roads were. If I were to walk that long a stretch without seeing any one people in India, I would think - Hey may be its a curfew in town or well the croatoan virus has turned the city zombie and the survivors have fled. But then again I guess that is how people like it there. Once you get home you stay indoors rather than loitering around on the roads. Nevertheless, this was something that took me sometime getting used to. One question that would always pop-up in my mind was if someone wanted to check directions whom would he ask but then i guess that is what we have GPS for. Surely I can't live in such silence and serenity. I am much better off in India.
The Asian Invasion
Before I traveled to Sydney I wasn't aware of the number of Asians there. In fact it was a big surprise for me. Chinese, Japanese, Indians, South East Asians I mean its common sense that you find them there but the numbers were simply surprising. There simply seemed to be more Asians than Australians ( and I am not talking about aborigines here). Well China and India, people are your true contribution and your legacy for posterity.
The Sun and Vitamin D
All it takes is a peek from the sun for people to throng to beaches. I used to find it surprising when I would read about people craving for a sunny day. I mean in India you would rather wish that the sun would go hide behind the clouds. But then the weather has got to do a lot with it. The temperate climate is moderate in nature and the sun wasn't exactly out in the supposed summer I was staying there.
The Desi bonding and an undercurrent Identity Crisis
Staying at my uncle's house also allowed me explore the desi circle. One thing I find rather heartening is that people who probably wouldn't see eye to eye in India would end up being great friends there. That is probably because in foreign land there are no barriers of caste, culture, creed, social stature standing in way.
The mix of people i met with were either middle aged uncle aunties or the younger generation (mostly in teens). There was such a contrast in their approaches to life. During my brief encounters with the middle aged, I realized an yearning for a better India but I can't say they have started feeling like a true Australian. They are caught up in a no man's land. An Indian in Australia is not really concerned about what happens to Australia unlike in India where even in the tea stall guy has an opinion about what the PM should do with the year's budget. Everyone is busy in getting through the day and staying happy. I am be over simplifying it but then again its just an impression. There seemed to what looked like an undercurrent Identity Crisis. Human beings being social animals have always craved to be part of groups sometimes as big as a Nation. This identity based on commonality gives them a larger comfort.
The youngsters looked at a lot more ease with their Australian identity. There were no nagging doubts about their affinity. Perhaps, some of them might even support Australia in an India-Australia match. The desi bonding does exist but it does not preclude them from feeling Australian to put it succinctly.
My Japanese friends
Even though I was staying in Sydney I was working for a Japanese client. They say understanding local culture is quite important to be successful in a business geography. It could n't have been more true about the Japanese. Japanese are very respectful people who places a lot of emphasis on what they speak and how they conduct themselves. But their respect sometimes gets translated into the English words they choose while speaking which sometimes might sound funny to an outsider. Let me give some examples:
Japanese : Team members, Please summarize the achievement and share it to me before close of business today.
Me : Good Lord!! what am I supposed to do today that would be counted as an achievement???
What he really meant : Guys Please send me the status by EOD
Japanese: I will wait for all data and make a judgement tomorrow
Me : Oh My God!! is it going to be a Go/No Go call tomorrow? Will the project be scrapped
What he really meant : Guys once i get all information we will decide on the next steps!!
And the Japanese believe in a simple motto : "A Bug is a bug is a bug!!". Irrespective of impact and priorities all bugs are equally important and need to be addressed. I had such a tough time convincing them that we should do things on priority basis but at the end of the conversation while they agree to everything you say they simply reiterate : "A Bug is a bug is a bug!!" and needs to be fixed.
Fitness Enthusiasts
If you put aside the Ian Thorpe's of Australia, I was really surprised to see the number of people doing afternoon jogs or bike rides. I mean putting aside the fact that in India people might either get roasted or frozen depending on the place, it still speaks a lot about the Australians. They truly are "fitness freaks" and I mean it in a humbling respectful way.
They lay a great emphasis of staying fit. In fact one of my cousin's boss was travelling to NZ so that he could participate in the 60 KM run there. It might have sounded crazy in India but in Australia I would say "Atta Boy".
War Memorials
One thing Australians really take pride in their heroic efforts in war and people do really respect great sacrifices made by the Australian soldiers in WW-I and WW-II. The War memorial in Melbourne is truly a stunning museum with a lot of artifacts from the war. They sure know how to treasure memories and respect them. The trip of the memorial took me more than half a day and in fact if time had permitted I would have loved to spend the entire day. Aircrafts, tanks, guns, Submarines,warship models etc all in one place.
I could go on and write about the other places I have been to, the Lint Ice cream that I ate at only the world's second Lint outlet outside Switzerland, the Bridge that rotates to let ships go by, the trek to the Three Sisters, the beaches in Australia, The ferry rides, Torango zoo, The ANZAC bridge, The Opera House, The Road Trip to Melbourne, The Mint Factory, The Parliament House, The Fish Market, My tryst with Yamcha etc. But may be in a different post. This post has already crossed all limits of "reasonable length". So I am going to wrap it up now.
It has been sometime since I have been to Sydney - more than 2 months So it wouldn't be fair to call them first impressions but neverthless these are the impressions that have stayed with me for this long.
I am not what people would call an avid traveller but whenever an opportunity had presented itself I haven't exactly been shy. So this time it was some office work that took me to Sydney. It was a 40 day trip - just long enough to look around the city and not get bored.
The First Day
One thing that the world recognizes India is by its diversity, cultural and from an economic standpoint the population. Its not an easily ignored fact that more than 20% of the world's population lives in India - not by the world and not by Indians either. So irrespective of the place you are in, the time of the day you are never short of people around. You should be happy if its not crowded. Australia in contrast is huge land body with pockets of population thrown here and there. In fact if someone were to travel on foot from coast to coast chances are for a majority of your trip you will be talking to yourself.
Compared to other Australian cities, Sydney is much lively place with friendly people. My office located near Darling Harbor is more or less the heart of the city's Friday evenings. But I guess I can't say the same about suburbs. The first thing that struck while I was walking back to my uncle's place from the train station was how empty the roads were. If I were to walk that long a stretch without seeing any one people in India, I would think - Hey may be its a curfew in town or well the croatoan virus has turned the city zombie and the survivors have fled. But then again I guess that is how people like it there. Once you get home you stay indoors rather than loitering around on the roads. Nevertheless, this was something that took me sometime getting used to. One question that would always pop-up in my mind was if someone wanted to check directions whom would he ask but then i guess that is what we have GPS for. Surely I can't live in such silence and serenity. I am much better off in India.
The Asian Invasion
Before I traveled to Sydney I wasn't aware of the number of Asians there. In fact it was a big surprise for me. Chinese, Japanese, Indians, South East Asians I mean its common sense that you find them there but the numbers were simply surprising. There simply seemed to be more Asians than Australians ( and I am not talking about aborigines here). Well China and India, people are your true contribution and your legacy for posterity.
The Sun and Vitamin D
All it takes is a peek from the sun for people to throng to beaches. I used to find it surprising when I would read about people craving for a sunny day. I mean in India you would rather wish that the sun would go hide behind the clouds. But then the weather has got to do a lot with it. The temperate climate is moderate in nature and the sun wasn't exactly out in the supposed summer I was staying there.
The Desi bonding and an undercurrent Identity Crisis
Staying at my uncle's house also allowed me explore the desi circle. One thing I find rather heartening is that people who probably wouldn't see eye to eye in India would end up being great friends there. That is probably because in foreign land there are no barriers of caste, culture, creed, social stature standing in way.
The mix of people i met with were either middle aged uncle aunties or the younger generation (mostly in teens). There was such a contrast in their approaches to life. During my brief encounters with the middle aged, I realized an yearning for a better India but I can't say they have started feeling like a true Australian. They are caught up in a no man's land. An Indian in Australia is not really concerned about what happens to Australia unlike in India where even in the tea stall guy has an opinion about what the PM should do with the year's budget. Everyone is busy in getting through the day and staying happy. I am be over simplifying it but then again its just an impression. There seemed to what looked like an undercurrent Identity Crisis. Human beings being social animals have always craved to be part of groups sometimes as big as a Nation. This identity based on commonality gives them a larger comfort.
The youngsters looked at a lot more ease with their Australian identity. There were no nagging doubts about their affinity. Perhaps, some of them might even support Australia in an India-Australia match. The desi bonding does exist but it does not preclude them from feeling Australian to put it succinctly.
My Japanese friends
Even though I was staying in Sydney I was working for a Japanese client. They say understanding local culture is quite important to be successful in a business geography. It could n't have been more true about the Japanese. Japanese are very respectful people who places a lot of emphasis on what they speak and how they conduct themselves. But their respect sometimes gets translated into the English words they choose while speaking which sometimes might sound funny to an outsider. Let me give some examples:
Japanese : Team members, Please summarize the achievement and share it to me before close of business today.
Me : Good Lord!! what am I supposed to do today that would be counted as an achievement???
What he really meant : Guys Please send me the status by EOD
Japanese: I will wait for all data and make a judgement tomorrow
Me : Oh My God!! is it going to be a Go/No Go call tomorrow? Will the project be scrapped
What he really meant : Guys once i get all information we will decide on the next steps!!
And the Japanese believe in a simple motto : "A Bug is a bug is a bug!!". Irrespective of impact and priorities all bugs are equally important and need to be addressed. I had such a tough time convincing them that we should do things on priority basis but at the end of the conversation while they agree to everything you say they simply reiterate : "A Bug is a bug is a bug!!" and needs to be fixed.
Fitness Enthusiasts
If you put aside the Ian Thorpe's of Australia, I was really surprised to see the number of people doing afternoon jogs or bike rides. I mean putting aside the fact that in India people might either get roasted or frozen depending on the place, it still speaks a lot about the Australians. They truly are "fitness freaks" and I mean it in a humbling respectful way.
They lay a great emphasis of staying fit. In fact one of my cousin's boss was travelling to NZ so that he could participate in the 60 KM run there. It might have sounded crazy in India but in Australia I would say "Atta Boy".
War Memorials
One thing Australians really take pride in their heroic efforts in war and people do really respect great sacrifices made by the Australian soldiers in WW-I and WW-II. The War memorial in Melbourne is truly a stunning museum with a lot of artifacts from the war. They sure know how to treasure memories and respect them. The trip of the memorial took me more than half a day and in fact if time had permitted I would have loved to spend the entire day. Aircrafts, tanks, guns, Submarines,warship models etc all in one place.
I could go on and write about the other places I have been to, the Lint Ice cream that I ate at only the world's second Lint outlet outside Switzerland, the Bridge that rotates to let ships go by, the trek to the Three Sisters, the beaches in Australia, The ferry rides, Torango zoo, The ANZAC bridge, The Opera House, The Road Trip to Melbourne, The Mint Factory, The Parliament House, The Fish Market, My tryst with Yamcha etc. But may be in a different post. This post has already crossed all limits of "reasonable length". So I am going to wrap it up now.
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