Pursuit of Happyness!!!

Its only Monday and I am already feeling exhausted. Had a CRAZY day. Meetings, calls, proposals, deliverables, issues, administrative work, everything.

Left office at around 8 PM and walked home feeling exhausted.

Reached home. Played with Ananya for a while. Checked and responded to unread mails.

Was feeling drained. Just then Ananya came to me and gave me a hug and said, "Papa ka wait karte hain" (I wait for you)!!!

Still feeling tired but now I can sleep with a smile on my face. :)

Unlucky Mr. Manish Pandey

These are the recent stats of Manish Pandey. He has been performing well since last few years. Based on his gopod performances in IPL and recent domestic T20 matches, he finally was selected for the National squad for a one-off T20 International against West Indies.

However, before he could make his debut, the West Indies cricket team decided to abandon the tour mid-way during the One-Day series.

The young cricketer would have been elated by the maiden call only to see his dreams getting shattered later on. This is not the first time that he would have considered himself unlucky. After becoming the first Indian centurion in IPL, he was banned for a few matches when he tried to negotiate a better contract. He was making a paltry 30 Lakhs a year in IPL. That time, since he had not played for India, his name was not eligible for the players' auction. That year, he made 30 lakhs and Saurabh Tiwary, after having played 1-2 matches for India, walked away with 9 crores and 30 lakhs!!! It was not fair.

He was given a chance to play for India A against the touring Srilankan side and made an unbeaten 135 in the match. Afterwards, he has been consistently coming up with good performances.

I hope the opportunity knocks at his door again...and soon.

Dhoondhne se to bhagwaan mil jaate hain.....

Search for Veg

एक अकेला इस शहर में....
रात में और दोपहर में....
शाकाहारी खाना...
ढूंढता है....
शुद्ध शाकाहारी खाना....
ढूंढता है.....

Strange Incident

Strange incident happened today. While walking to the office, a girl approached me and asked for a favor. She was Malaysian and must have been in her 20s. She told me that the petrol light of her car (a metallic silver Myvi) is blinking and she needs some help. I noticed that an older woman was sitting in the back seat and seemed to be holding a baby. I could not really understand what the girl really wanted. Honestly, I expected that she would ask where the nearest fuel station was. Instead she asked me for money!!!

She told me that she has 6 ringgits only (!!!) with her, which is not sufficient for buying petrol. She also told me that she is going to Johor, which did not register in my mind immediately. Johor is FAR away.

So, to sum up their situation, 2 women left their house with a baby for Johor (which is around 4 hours away). They did not care to check the petrol level before leaving. And all they carried was 6 Ringgits between the two of them for the journey (there are several toll booths on the way)!!!

This sounded stupid and fishy at the same time. I was thinking if she is making all this up. But she looked pretty decent and did not come across as a person who would try and dupe an Indian (we are 'generally' cheap and miserly) near a police station. And she did look anxious and flustered. However, as I said, the story was indeed stupid and fishy.

I asked her how much does she need and she said 40 Ringgits. That is not a lot of money but 'practical' people generally do not give that much money to strangers with a stupid/fishy story.

Fortunately for her, I am not the practical types. I gave her the 40 Ringgits that she was asking for. She barely thanked me before jumping in her car. She did not ask me for my number or tell me that she would try and return the money!!! This made all this look even more strange. But, I walked away giving her a benefit of doubt.

I hope I have not been duped. I would feel disappointed (not embarrassed or cheated) if I come to know that people have been doing such things to make quick money. I do believe that world needs people who do not always think practically and try to help out complete strangers.

Shocking Declaration

I have been reading Sachin Tendulkar's autobiography. Most of the details in the book are already known, which is not surprising as Sachin has been one of the most 'written and talked about' celebrity. It is the smaller incidents and anecdotes that are quite interesting.

The section that I have loved the most so far is about what he felt when Rahul Dravid declared the innings in Multan in 2004, leaving Sachin stranded at 194 not out. That was undoubtedly a surprising decision. I had not watched the press conference afterwards and I did not know that Sachin had indeed communicated his surprise and disappointment. What is interesting is the point that Sachin has made in the book about Dravid delaying a declaration in Australia when Dravid was close to a century. On top of it, Sachin was pacing his innings in Multan as he knew the team plans and when exactly the team would declare. However, Dravid decided to declare an over in advance. The coach, Sourav Ganguly, Prof. Ratnakar Shetty (Manager) later told Sachin that it was not their decision and they felt sorry for Sachin. So, it was completely Dravid's decision. 

It is interesting to note that with that double hundred, Sachin would have equalled Dravid's tally of double-hundreds in Test cricket. Did that play a role? (Note: This is not in the book. It is my speculation)

I am surprised and happy that Sachin has communicated his thoughts about the incident so openly through the book.

My little assistant

Masterpiece by Leonardo Da Vini

Deda in my Glass!!!

Even Gods Make Mistakes

Managed to find an error in Sachin Tendulkar's autobiography. He has written that in the Boxing Day test match against Australia at MCG in 2003, Virender Sehwag got out on the bowling of Stuart Macgill.

This is incorrect as Sehwag was caught by Nathan Bracken at long-on off the bowling of Simon Katich.

I can never forget the innings and the dismissal. Sehwag played an innings that only he can. He got out trying to hit a six off a part-time bowler in order to reach what would have been his maiden double-hundred!!! I was amazed by the shot selection when he was knocking on the door of a milestone. Only he could have tried that. He failed to reach double century as Nathan Bracken caught the ball that was dying on him. I was heartbroken (and that is why I remember it) but Sehwag seemed unfazed. Later, at Multan against Pakistan, he tried to hit a six in order to reach a triple-century and thankfully he succeeded!!! That was the first triple century by an Indian and yet he thought of going for a six!!!

Coming back, Sachin has been factually incorrect. I am thinking of suing him for a dinner with him.

Saada Jeevan...Uchch Vichaar

No non-veg food, no alcohol, no aerated soft drinks....still going strong.

However, it is becoming a pain to try and find good vegetarian options in restaurants!!!

On this occasion, a Thai restaurant customized a dish for me. God Bless Them!!!!

All the loved ones!!!

This Day, Last Year

On this day last year, I had cried my heart out. That was Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar's last day in all forms of Cricket.

Thank You Sachin for all the great memories.

We are sorry Ananya

Dear Ananya,

I decided to write this to you as you are too young to understand this. And it is something that has been haunting me since yesterday. We felt bad when this happened and we feel bad whenever we are reminded (by each other) of the incident.

You are scared of movie theaters. You have indeed watched half a movie with us (you dozed off in the second half) but you were probably too young to get scared back then. Afterwards, we took you to watch an Amitabh Bachchan movie as you seem to be fond of him. However, you were scared by the dim lights and extremely loud sound (a monster screamed in a trailer before the movie started) and refused to sit in the hall. We tried whatever we could to pacify you and make you feel comfortable but you were just too scared. We came back before the movie could even start. We must have felt a little disappointed for missing out on an opportunity to watch a movie together but we understood your feelings.

Days and months went by. We never went to a movie hall again. Then one day we decided to try again. Your mom started to try and get you excited about watching an animated movie (your first movie was also an animated one) much before we left for the multiplex. You seemed excited.

However, when we reached the multiplex and were about to enter the hall, you started getting a little agitated. Probably the crowd, music and large posters reminded you of the last experience. You refused to go in the hall.

This time as well we understood your feelings but we tried to convince you to help you go past your fear. Your mom tried to remind you that you were so excited about watching the movie and it would be fun. But you did not change your mind.

We felt a little disappointed and said to each other (due to the disappointment) that we should not try again till you get much older. We were doing window shopping but we were definitely disappointed. I do not know whether you sensed our disappointment or just decided to give it a shot but you suddenly said "picture dekhenge" (will watch the movie)!!!

We were surprised and asked you again. You seemed absolutely unsure and confused but you again said, in a low voice, that you would watch the movie.

We were in the same complex and we returned to the multiplex. Just then I realized that you had gone absolutely quiet and were blankly staring at everything. You looked horrified. 

I pointed that to your mom and we asked you whether you want to watch the movie. You just looked at us and did not say anything. You had this uncertainty on your face and a hope that someone would understand. That is when I asked you with a smile "movie nahi dekhna hai na, ghar chalna hai na?" (You do not want to watch the movie and you want to go home, right?). You gave a faint but relieved smile and nodded.

I can never forget that expression of relief on your face. And I can never forget that you, sensing our disappointment, had decided to give it a shot. I am sorry Aanu, we should not have pushed you like that. We did not say anything to you but probably, with our expression and body language, we made you feel that you are doing something wrong. You were not. We were doing something wrong. And we are extremely sorry for that.

We will watch a movie together only when you are absolutely comfortable with it. I can understand that you have developed a mental block but that is okay. We are happy to wait.

I love you...always.

Papa

What a mess!!!

Fact # 1: Wife is not around since a fortnight

Fact # 2: Regular maid has been fired

Fact # 3: New maid comes once a week

Fact # 4: I have not got any better at keeping the house clean. I think I have this talent. Leave your clean house with me for a couple of days and I can turn it into a garbage bin!!!

Result: I can not stand this place. Disgusting!!!

Testing the Will Power

• Last alcoholic beverage was on Wednesday, 29th October 2014
• Last non-vegetarian meal was on 2nd November 2014
• Last aerated non-alcoholic beverage was on Tuesday, 4th November 2014

Now lets see how long can I abstain from such obsessions. I will be honest with you Animesh, I promise.

Strange Feeling

Today I returned to Kuala Lumpur after a 2 week trip to India. When I landed back in KL, I had this strange feeling. I felt that I have reached home!!! That is insane. I have been living in KL since last three years but I do not have any intentions of permanently relocating to Malaysia or any other country. India is home. Ranchi is home. Hyderabad is home away from home. KL is a temporary base. However, I felt comfortable and 'relieved' after reaching KL. It could be as I have my (our) own set-up over here. It could be as I can get that 'alone time' that I look for. Whatever it is, it was a strange feeling!!!

Mutton Haleem

One of the main reasons behind the trip to Hyderabad

Learnt a lesson today.

Never tell a client that you are ready to meet ANYTIME.

I need to have a discussion with a client today. Yesterday, I reached out to the client asking for the time and venue. He indicated that he is not available today and indicated that he can meet tomorrow. Now, I am flying out tomorrow and my day is jam-packed. However, the meeting is important as well. So, I wrote to the client that it would be great if we can meet today and ANYTIME is fine with me!!!

He has asked me to come to a resort at 9 PM!!! The meeting would last for few hours!!!

So, I will be getting ready in the evening and will go to meet a client in a resort. I am feeling like a HOOKER!!! But at least the resort is a premium one. So at least I am a A-League hooker. 

:(

Debate or Shouting Match?

Watched a Newhour Debate this morning. It was a 2-3 days old episode and the discussion was about India's retaliation against Pakistani aggression or ceasefire violations on the border. I made the following observations;

1. Having a different set of representatives from Pakistan was a welcome change. Most people have got bored of listening to the same set of representatives (usually Syed Tariq Pirzada, Gen. Rashid Qureshi and Zafar Hilali), who seldom make any sense and indulge in rhetoric only. This time Abida Hussain, Air Marshal Masood Akhtar, Brigadier Javed Husain were invited to present Pakistan's views
2. I could not watch the entire debate as it became increasingly irritating after a few minutes. Two out of three Pakistani guests were not making much sense. Brig. Javed Husain had probably come to the show after watching a couple of Pakistani versions of Sunny Deol movies as he was overexcited and was not making much sense. Abida Hussain, on the other hand, tried to divert the topic and starting talking about the human tragedies. These did contribute to the irritation but the main cause was something (or rather, someone) else
3. Arnab Goswami was highly irritating during this debate. Several people find him loud and irritating on most debates but not me. I have started to find him irritating only recently. On this occasion, he was not letting Air Marshal Masood Akhtar to speak much. I do not think that anyone can justify what Pakistan is up to. Yet, the Air Marshal was speaking sanely. He was not only talking from Pakistan's point of view and was being quite reasonable. But, Arnab Goswami did not allow him to put forward his opinion. Arnab kept interrupting. What is the point of watching a debate if one gets to hear only one side. Of course the other side would have blabbered and given shitty responses. But then, Arnab and others could have countered the Pakistani guests and cornered them. He was extremely unfair to Air Marhal Masood Akhtar and that made me switch to some other video. Off late, Newhour Debates have become quite boring. 

Movie Review: Chef

I get paid in SORRYs

I wish I could encash all the 'Sorry' that I have collected here. I would have probably become a millionaire!!!

Straight from the heart....

Have not picked up the camera in a long time. Everything is so disorganized. A lens is lying in the living room. Another one is in a drawer!!! One more is in a safe place but I cannot recall the location of that safe place. I am usually not like this. At least not with the camera equipment. If the camera and lenses are lying diaorganized, it bothers me a great deal. However, I am not finding time to get bothered!!!

In the past few weeks, I have not spent much time with the family either. I leave in the morning and come back late. And then work from home till the wee hours.

Things have been super-crazy. Deliverables, proposals, meetings and lots of worries. Official and personal worries.

What do I get out of this? Am screwing my health, not getting enough sleep and not getting anything in return!!! Body clock has gone for a toss. Even if work finishes at (comparatively) sane hours, I am unable to sleep till 2-3 AM. Sometimes it is difficult to lose the momentum and on other times, there are too many things bothering me.

Will I try and change this? Well.....May be.

Not that I am confused. Just that I have made such resolutions so many times that now I am embarrassed to even make such resolutions. 

One thing is for sure though. I have firmly realized that 'it is not worth it'. I do need to manage my time slightly better but more importantly, I need to stop the charity by 'donating' additional hours and weekends. Those are not investments as they do not fetch me any returns. That is plain and simple charity which must be stopped. Had they been fetching any awards/rewards, I would have still been motivated. No more.

I just hope that a matter that has been long pending gets resolved and soon. It wont help the resolution but it will help in getting back the motivation. It will surely do.

Minutes of Various Meetings

BANJO, YEH WEEK SAALA KHATAM KAB HOGA!!!

Papa - Aanu Time!!!

Another Whole Nighter

Aur isi ke saath aaj ka Maata Ka Jagraata sampann hua!!!

5 baj gaye!!!

Movie Review: Million Dollar Arm

Movie Review: Draft Day

Movie Review: Transcendence

Bad and Sad Day

The day started with tiredness and frustration. That was work related. However, things were moving as per the plan/schedule.

And then came the news and all hell broke loose. It has been a sad day ever since. Have not been able to think straight since then.

Just want to end the day with prayers that everything will be okay. 

Hmmmph!!!

A deliverable of a project that I am working on is staring at me and; 

• I do not have a single slide to show so far
• I am helping someone to prepare a deck for someone else's speaking engagement
• I am helping someone in creating a market sizing and forecasting model for a project that I am not supposed to work on. Only my guidance is required but it is going way beyond that
• I will not be able to start work on the deliverable till Sunday morning. Afterwards, Sunday and Monday (a public holiday) would be spent on preparing the deliverable
• I was up till 3 am staring into decks and spreadsheets for other projects
• I am feeling really really REALLY tired
• I am writing this blog in hope that it will freshen me up

I hate this.

I need a wheelchair...please!!!

There was a time when I used to play squash continuously for couple of hours. And there have been several days during MBA times when I have played Table Tennis for 3-4 hours at a stretch.

Now the story is very different. Bad ankle, bad knee, bad wrist and tonnes of weight.

Last evening, I played 7 games of Table Tennis and afterwards I concluded that I will not be able to represent India in the next Olympics. 

As I say it, "My legs are giving answers"!!! Hmmph

We have been ROBBED!!!

Breaking News: India's boxer Sarita Devi gets a Bronze in the Asian Games.

That was the news that flashed on my phone yesterday. It made me curious because of the use of 'gets' instead of 'wins' or any other suitable word. I wondered if there is more to the story or is just a bad choice of word by ToI or NDTV (I do not really remember which among the two applications gave that Breaking News alert).

Soon, another notification followed which indicated that Sarita Devi's semifinal bout was marred by controversy. Her coach, the management as well as Indian spectators had protested the result, which had gone in favor of the Korean opponent (Note: Asian Games is currently going on in South Korea). India later made a formal appeal against the final decision but it was promptly turned down.

Honestly, the story did not evoke too many emotions except the minor disappointment over India missing out on a Silver or Gold medal. Minor because India did win a medal. In sports, such controversies are not uncommon. After all, no one likes to lose. I did not or rather failed to look at the human side of the story.

Today, the news alert flashed an interesting news. In the prize distribution ceremony, unlike the usual practice, Sarita Devi refused to wear the Bronze medal around her neck!!! Now, that demanded a google search.

I figured that she asked the official to just hand over the Bronze medal to her and she later handed it over to the Korean boxer, who had 'managed to' win Silver medal!!! Later, overtaken by emotions, Sarita Devi broke down on the podium.

That is when I started to see the human side of the story. Sportsmen put so much effort in order to get adequate chances and win glory for themselves and their country. Boxing is not a popular or lets say, financially attractive sport in India. And it is quite demanding as one has to put a lot of effort to improve the technique,  speed and strength. One has to follow a strict regimen and proper diet in order to perform well in this physically demanding sport. Boxers are definitely not among the rich or well-to-do sportsmen in India and they have to make a lot of sacrifices for the sport that they love. Only if they do well, they get a chance of bagging a sponsorship deal or of winning a sports award (e.g Arjuna award, Khel Ratna award etc.), which come with certain financial benefits. I am not suggesting that a boxer or any other sportsman wants to do well only to get the financial support and benefits but these are aspects that cannot be ignored. However, sportsman are primarily driven by their competitive spirit and a hunger to do well for the country. Sarita Devi, to a certain extent, was denied that. Of course she 'got' a bronze medal, which is no ordinary accomplishment, but you know what is better than winning a Bronze medal?....Winning a Silver or Gold medal!!!

She was denied a chance to fight for a Gold, which would have ensured that the National Anthem plays in the background during the prize distribution!!! She was denied that chance and hence, she took that bold step of not wearing the medal (which may attract a disciplinary action against her) and gave away the medal to her semifinals opponent. She took a stand and I completely agree with her. The entire nation should support her.

So, the story finally managed to evoke more emotions. I have been pissed for most part of the day. And, just a short while back, I watched the highlights of her semifinals bout. Saying that she has been denied anything would be a huge understatement. She dominated the fight all through. From the beginning, she was like Maggie Fitzgerald in Million Dollar Baby!!! She has been ROBBED....all of us have been robbed. This is disgraceful and sheer favoritism on the part of the judges. Moreover, it should not be good for the pride (hopefully) of the Korean boxer (Ji Na Park) as well.

I sincerely hope that the Indian government acknowledges the good performance of Sarita Devi. At 32, there may not be too much boxing left in her. She completely deserves award and recognition from the government and public. She has done us proud by putting up a good show and by taking a stand against the unfair result. Kudos to her!!!

VWCA Appreciation Dinner

Something that I really want to attend but won't be able to. Flying out on the same day.

Suspect Actions

Sunil Narine has been reported for suspect bowling action.

It is good that ICC is checking all suspect actions. Though I must say that Sunil's action looks much cleaner than the action of some of the others, who have recently been reported. India's Ravinchandran Ashwin bowls some deliveries with Sunil's action and those do not look clean at all. Ashwin's action should be scrutinized as well. 

And this 15 degree rule is absurd and should be removed. It is only encouraging bowlers to try something naughty.

Dinner at Chili's Bangsar

Any Veg Option in CMs?

Vegetarians would be really happy with the choice for the next Tamil Nadu Chief Minister....Panneer-selvam!!!

Movie Review: Satya 2

I recently wrote a blog about Ram Gopal Verma and while writing the blog, I had referred to his filmography. I was particularly interested in the movies that he has directed as I firmly believe (at least so far) that he is a good director and can tell a story like no one else can.

While looking at his work as a director, I came across a movie called 'Satya 2'. Somehow I did not know much about the movie and had no clue how good/bad/ugly is the movie and how it fared at the box office. Since I had loved the original 'Satya', I decided to give it a shot.

Key Limitations

• The story has cerrtain flaws. Why was a person given huge resposibilities to start with? Why did an 'insider' reveal the identity of a big player but not the captain has been left unanswered.
• The movie has relatively unknown cast. There are some 'remotely known' faces in support role but the key actors are all new. That is not a limitation as the original 'Satya' also had a relatively unknown cast. Manoj Bajpai was known but was yet to become big....which he, to a certain extent, still is. Urmila was the only well-known actor. In this movie, the main protagonist, his partners and his opponent are all either new or are not popular actors. The role of the main police official handling the case  should have been essayed by a popular actor. For example, Mohanlal played the role of the Police Commissioner in 'Company'. Such a personality was needed in this movie.  More importantly, the choice of the actor for the role of the main protagonist is questionable. The actor has done a decent job but lacks personality that was required for the role. Someone with a stronger personality or image would have helped the movie in performing better at box office.

Key Strengths

• The story, despite its flaws, is gripping. It does not get boring at any point of time, except the meaningless songs that lacked melody. I wish the movie did not have any songs. Having said that, the movie would make you sit till the end to find out what happens.
• The treatment of the movie and narration has RGV singature all over it. The camera angles, the dialogues, the background score compliment the story really well

Overall, it is a decent movie. If you like RGV brand of cinema (real RGV style of movies and not what his lesser-intelligent clone made) then you would like the movie. However, it cannot be denied that the movie could have been much better.

Bubble Caught & Shot

Bubble Caught By: Ananya Ajay
Bubble Shot By: Animesh Kumar 

Love Jihad: My Take

'Love Jihad' is an interesting term. I must say that when I first came across this term (and came to know that the term has been coined by a prominent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Leader), I thought that they mean that we should spread love and not hatred. Only later, after a post-mortem by the media, I understood the real meaning. I was surprised and must say….somewhat embarrassed.

I support BJP but I do not like all BJP leaders. I believe in Narendra Modi as a leader/visionary and that is the only reason why I support BJP. There are some more leaders like Subramanian Swamy and Arun Jaitley, whom I like but I still ‘suspect’ the ‘others’. When I understood the meaning of ‘Love Jihad’, I felt that it is an unnecessary attempt by a section of BJP, which tries to please the voters who have a ‘communal bend of mind’. I hate that section of BJP. Then Subramanian Swamy started talking against ‘Love Jihad’ and that made me take it seriously!!! (I agree with him on most points)

I came across some more facts about what is actually going on. There are indeed a lot of reports about Muslim boys marrying Hindu girls and then trying to force their religion on the girl. There have been confessions from Muslim boys that they were asked to lure Hindu girls to marry them and then try to convert the girls. Following is an interesting bit that I read somewhere about the ‘AGENDA’ (as per the confession of a Muslim boy);

• If 1 Muslim boy marries 1 Hindu girl and has 6 children, India would become a country with Muslim majority in 40 year
• If 1 Muslim boy marries 2 Hindu girls and has 6 children with each of them, India would become a country with Muslim majority in 24 years

I am not sure about the assumptions in the calculations above or the accuracy of the calculations. However, as per the Muslim boy, this is what they are being preached and are being asked to follow!!! They are being asked to have more children and if possible with Hindu girls. That way the Muslim population would grow faster and a check can be put on the growth of Hindu population. Again, I am not sure if this is an actual confession or a made-up story but if someone wants to convert India into a Muslim dominated country, then the approach makes absolute sense!!!

As per the relevant (who spoke against ‘Love Jihad’) BJP Leaders, they are concerned about the above-mentioned agenda and that is what they want to stop/control. The whole ‘Love Jihad’ controversy picked up steam when some cases supporting the arguments of these BJP Leaders were reported in the media.

I must say that I am not sure about how they of want to solve this ‘menace’. Or rather, how they define this problem? Following are some of the definitions of ‘Love Jihad’ that I have come across so far (it is a list of scenarios which have been termed as ‘Love Jihad’ by various (not collectively) BJP leaders;

1. Muslim boy marries a Hindu girl
2. Muslim boy marries a  Hindu girl and then the Hindu girl willingly converts to Islam
3. Muslim boy marries a Hindu girl and then the Hindu girl is forced to convert to Islam
4. Muslim boy portrays himself as Hindu and then marries a Hindu girl. Hindu girl accepts the marriage but does not convert to Islam
5. Muslim boy portrays himself as Hindu and then marries a Hindu girl. Hindu girl accepts the marriage and willingly converts to Islam
6. Muslim boy portrays himself as Hindu and then marries a Hindu girl. Hindu girl is later forced to convert to Islam

My opinion is that 3 and 6 are clearly wrong and should be considered as criminal offence. At the same time, 4 and 5 should be condemned as the relationship started with a lie. However, if the girl and her family do not have an issue with 4 and 5, then everyone else should mind their own business.

So if the solution that they are contemplating is to not allow Muslim boys from marrying Hindu girls, then it is truly insane. It is against the freedom of choice. We should not become a Hindu version of ISIS (now IS) or Taliban. At the same time, we should not completely ignore this issue.

My take is that I do believe that there is an ‘agenda’. As I mentioned earlier, I am not sure about the calculations but the approach mentioned in the agenda makes complete sense (from the point of view of Love-Jihadists). The government and the society must be aware of such threats as it is indeed happening. Several parts of India have already become Muslim-dominated in the past few decades. That is not a problem per se. However, if someone is planning that demographic change in order to later leverage that, it can turn into a massive issue. We have already seen issues in Saharanpur. Everyone should be aware of such threats and such agendas. At the same time, I really do not want to see people stopping Muslim boys from marrying Hindu girls - when there is no hidden agenda. We must be little open-minded and accommodating.

There is a difference between Jihadists/IS/Taliban/Pakistan and us. It is important that the difference is maintained.

Pic Source: http://about.me/jimmyspencerjr

Good Morning!!!

South Indian Restaurants: My Funda

I have a simple theory about South Indian restaurants. I am not talking about restaurants, which serve all types of cuisines including South Indian dishes. This theory is true for restaurants serving South Indian dishes ONLY as well as restaurants serving Indian cuisine in general but specializing in South Indian cuisine.

I will share a little background, basically to indicate my 'credentials' and 'expertise' over the subject;

• I stayed in South India between June 2001 to July 2011. This period was spent in Bangalore (~1.5 years) and Hyderabad (remaining period)
• I have also traveled to many places in South India like Chennai, Pondicherry, Mysore, Warangal, Khammam, Vizag, Bidar, Suryalanka, Ooty, Coimbatore, Vijaywada, Mangalore and Udupi. And, I like South Indian dishes so I have had South Indian food at most of these places
• We also had this 'tradition' of having Sunday brunch comprising of South Indian dishes. So, in all the years that I have spent in South India, we can easily say that on an average, I had at least one South Indian meal each week. Trust me, it was way more
• I am a foodie and I know about food. If you do not believe that, I would be happy to send a picture of mine

I think we have established that I know a thing or two about South Indian food. 

So, here is what I do when I go to a South Indian restaurant. I first order a plate of 'Sambhar Vada' (also known as 'Sambhar Vadai'. Some restaurants have other fancier names like 'Sambhar Bucket Vada!!!') before ordering anything else. Please note that Sambhar-Vada is different from 'Vada Sambhar', which is just Vada and a bowl of Sambhar. 

Pic Source: www.madrasrestaurant.ca

The reason I order Sambhar Vada first is because I believe that one can tell how good or bad is the food in a South Indian restaurant by the taste of their Sambhar!!! 

Sambhar is an integral part of most South Indian dishes/meals. There are indeed dishes that are not Sambhar-based or are not accompanied by Sambhar. Moreover, there are people who prefer Rasam or dishes that go with Rasam and not Sambhar. I am not talking about those dishes and preferences, though the theory covers restaurants serving those all those dishes as well.

My simple theory is that 'If you cannot get your Sambhar right, you are a useless South Indian restaurant'. Period!!! And, thus far, this theory has NEVER failed me. I am yet to find a restaurant that serves below-par Sambhar and an awesome Uttapam.

Good Morning

Consultant Blogger

All of us....with Madam Aanu!!!

 

Pic & Graphics Courtesy: Animesh Kumar; Collage Courtesy: Roshni Swarup

Grrrrr!!!

I am working alone in a room and I just noticed what my wife has left on the screen!!! Today, I am going to kill this woman!!!

Meetings :(

Monday, 22 Sept 14: 8 PM till 12:30 AM

Tuesday, 23 Sept 14: 8:30 PM till 1 AM

Wednesday,  24 Sept 14: 2:30 PM till 7 PM

That has been the meeting schedule in last three day....and with the same client. Each meeting has lasted 4:30 hours!!!

I do not want to see his face again in next couple of weeks at least. I am sure, he is feeling the same.

Baccha Party.....

Customary Weekend South Indian Brunch

Papa ko Pappi

Wanna hear a joke...poor one?

What if someday Times of India takes over Lashkar-e-Taiba?

It will become 'ToILeT'!!!!

"1.....2.....3....Mile"

Bilawal....Pakistan's Rahul Baba!!!

Made by: Animesh Kumar

It could have been handled better

The following is a real incident;

A unit of the Gurkha Regiment was posted in Kashmir. One day a group of soldiers were standing on the side of a road. Not sure but they were probably sent to manage a protest rally. A large mob had assembled. The mob was marching on the road when one idiot decided to act funny. Confident that the soldiers would not say anything to him as he was part of a large mob that clearly outnumbered the soldiers, he walked to a soldier and tried to touch the rifle. 

As per the witnesses, the soldier moved in lightning speed and in one swift motion, chopped off the hand of that idiot. It was so sudden that the idiot could not even react and the severed hand was left dangling on the rifle. Of course a Court of Inquiry followed. However, the soldier was not punished or reprimanded as his logic was clear, "Usne hatthyaar pakadne ki koshish ki" ("he tried to grab the weapon")!!!

It is that simple. No one (unless authorized) should be allowed to even touch a military equipment, forget about grabbing it or taking it away.

I wish that soldier was there when Yasin Malik snatched away an Indian Army boat, meant for rescue operations in Kashmir.

An Enigma called Ram Gopal Varma

Let me start by making an honest confession, which will probably erode my social circle even further. I like the movie 'Sarkar', which is an adaptation of 'The Godfather' more than the original!!! I know it is hard to believe but it is what it is!!!

I would not say that I am a fan of Ram Gopal Varma but I do believe that he has the potential to make truly world-class movies. He is best when it comes to dark movies about crime and underworld. He can be pretty okay with horror genre as well. Yet, he churns out one shitty movie after another!!! That truly baffles me.

How can a director who has made movies like 'Satya', 'Company', 'Sarkar' 'The Attacks of 26/11' and 'Kaun?' also make movies like 'Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag', 'Naach', 'Shiva' (new one) and 'Department'? Even some of his horror movies like 'Raat', 'Darling' and 'Bhoot' have been quite good/okay.

There is no denying the fact that he lacks consistency. That coupled with his attitude makes him quite a unpopular person on social media. He has become a joke in the league of KRK!!! 

I find it extremely strange. The question that I ask is 'does he really care'? I do not know how good/bad/ugly is he in terms of financials but I hope he understands that movie making is not only about creativity, art and joy. The movies need to make sufficient money so that you can make another one. He makes so many movies so I guess he does not have financial issues but the rate at which his movies are tanking at box office, he may soon lose market confidence or simply run out of gas. 

To his credit, RGV is one of the few directors who keep experimenting. There are few others who are similar. Anurag Kashyap is a great example but he IS from 'Ram Gopal Varma School of Film Making'. Anurag agrees that he has learnt a lot from RGV!!

There are 'lesser-Directors' who do not experiment much and make nonsensical movies but they make truck loads of money. Rohit Shetty can make interesting and entertaining movies but can also make absolute crap. Sajid Khan is class apart when it comes to making stinky-shitty-crappy-bullshit. Karan Johar makes 'goodie-goodie' movies. They are not 'story-tellers'. They are just 'story-sellers'. 

RGV is certainly better than these directors but he is trying hard to prove this wrong. I wonder how does he select a story. If he is good enough to understand that a story like 'Satya' would work (especially in the time when it was made) and is good enough to make a masterclass out of that story, why cannot he understand that a movie like 'Naach' or 'Department' would not work. Or does he do all that because it makes HIM happy? Does he get engulfed by his desire to try out new things so much that he forgets that people would come to watch the movie in hope of seeing the kind of magic that only he or only few can create in Indian cinema? Does he treat movies like 'Department' or 'Agyaat' as laboratories for testing out new things?

Hindi movies enjoy decent popularity here in Kuala Lumpur. Whenever people (Malaysians, Chinese and people of Indian-origin) ask me which movies should they watch, I do suggest 'Satya', 'Company' and 'Sarkar' along with others. I am sure most of them curse me after watching these movies as they are mostly 'Sharook Kan' fans!! Yet, I suggest these movies as these are movies that I feel proud of!!! I do not know the reason but I guess I am happy that Indian directors can make such movies. I call these movies as 'RGV Signature Movies'. 

Amidst all the 'tests' that he conducts, I hope he delivers his signature movies every now and then.  However, I feel if something gives him happiness, he does not care about what others think or want. I think he is in a different world where he does things that truly please him. 

He is the Howard Hughes of our times!!!

Old Quote -2

Old Quote

http://healthcare.financialexpress.com/200906/market01.shtml

Done...Dona...Done Done!!!

Hectic....HECTIC Day!!!

Had 3 calls yesterday morning. Then ran for a client meeting. Came back from the meeting and had 2 more calls. Then briefed a colleague regarding changes required in the proposal. Then started working on a proposal and worked well past midnight. Then decided to take some rest and today was expected to be even more hectic. However, could not get sleep as I could not lose the momentum. Mind was full of thoughts, ideas, concerns. Got up at 7. Got ready and came to the office. Had a call. Had a meeting to review the work done by the colleague. Suggested more changes. Made additions in the proposal. Had more calls. Finalized the proposal. At 1 PM, realized that I have not had breakfast. Sent the proposal for final review. 

Have come for lunch. 

Eyes are burning after constantly staring the laptop for hours. Need some rest. After this, another proposal needs to be made and there are at least 2 more calls to take care of...........before I can get some rest. Hmmmmph!!!

A Management Consultant Wonders

"You focus too much on execution and quality".

He wondered if this is a bad attribute. After all, it has not been impacting the profitability, productivity and utilization. Any management consultant should be proud of such a comment. His company, which is perceived as a reports and market research provider but wants to grow in consulting, should in fact give value to such attributes and employees, who possess such attributes. However, that is not the case in his company!!! Here, such employees are required to change!!!

The individual who has been quoted at the beginning had added further, "Focus on getting more business. You should not say NO to anything that the client wants in scope. Do not worry about execution - that we will manage somehow".

'Manage somehow' is not the best approach in an industry where clients pay you for your expertise and project management skills. It is an industry where clients have 'almost zero tolerance' towards low quality and non-adherence to timelines.

The approach of 'get more business and do not say no to anything that the client wants in scope' is extremely risky. He thought that the fact that his management is still a fan of this approach, even after losing some high-profile clients in recent past, is nothing short of BIZARRE. His company lost a client, who had awarded more than 5 projects in that year, as the VP and Director/PM could not say NO to an impossible scope. The client has not worked with his company since then!!! Our management consultant had suggested that they should not touch the project. Still, people refuse to learn from the mistakes!!!

In fact, his 'questionable' attribute had helped in getting repeat business from multiple clients. There was a company which did not award a project to his company as they wanted to work with a more established consulting firm. They went with one of the best consulting firms that is around. However, it turned out that the consulting firm promised too many things (had not said NO to anything) and could not deliver. The next time, the client awarded the project to our management consultant's company and he led the project. And like always, he executed the project perfectly (clearly he is not being modest!!!). Later, the client awarded his company another project and requested him to lead the project. So, his work made a client happy - the same client who was pissed with the quality of work produced by a top consulting firm. Commendable, is it not? It is indeed but such qualities are not valued in his company. He wonders WHY!!!

He points that he does not believe in playing safe. He does not promise only those things which can be 'easily' delivered. Firstly, in consulting, no one pays for things that can be easily delivered. Moreover, in consulting, you are selling an idea and service, which needs to take shape over the duration of the project. Things have to go as per plan and have to fall in place. So everything is a risk. One has to take a risk and plan/aim for whatever can be delivered in the best quality. However, one should not 'gamble' while pitching for a project. One needs to be realistic and practical, which he is (again, no sign of modesty!!!).

Our management consultant wonders....if he needs to change himself and if he needs a change.

Craze over new phones/technology

Another iPhone has been launched amidst worldwide excitement and euphoria. Several friends have been having multiple orgasms and have expressed their excitement on various social media platforms. Though I am not and have never been an iPhone user (or Apple user), such excitement always manages to engulf me and makes me curious.

I asked my friends and family members that why is iPhone 6, the newest member of iPhone family, better than its predecessors and other smartphones in the market. I have realized over the years that it is a wrong question to be asked by a Samsung user to any ardent iPhone fan. However, my curiosity prevailed my apprehension and I went ahead with the question.

What I got was a feeling of Deja Vu. I got the same response that I had got last year and the year before and the year before. I am not saying that nothing has changed in iPhones over the past few years. What I realize is that several (not saying 'most' to avoid getting pounced) iPhone users are not technology savvy enough to understand the changes. 

I have concluded that it is the brand or brand loyalty that fascinates them or makes them purchase every new product. Moreover, it is the 'status-symbol' aspect that fascinates them. Nothing wrong with either. However 'loyalty' and 'showing-off', after the 'safe level', become craze and start making the affected individual look crazy!!!

I am not trying to ridicule their purchase though. I am sure iPhones in general and iPhone 6 in particular must be offering several exciting features and benefits to the users.

However, I do not believe in purchasing the new version of a phone/brand as soon as it is launched. The rate at which phones are getting launched these days, it is impossible to keep up with the latest technology. And it is impossible to fight an argument that your phone is better than the latest phone in the market. Every new phone offers something new and/or is cheaper. So, everyone can defend their purchase. So, loyalty is fine but purchasing a phone as it has the best technology in the market is crazy. Especially when most people do not even understand these technologies.

My phone, Samsung Note 2, is 2 years old. Since then Note 3 has been launched. Note 4 has already been introduced and will be available with one month. So, am I tempted to purchase a new phone? Not at all. The reason being that I am happy with the overall package. 

• I can make calls (I hope all phones can do that!!!)
• I can download hundreds of applications (all smartphones can do that)
• I can download most of those applications for free (hmmm...not all smartphones offer that)
• I can comfortably watch movies and work on my phone as it has a big screen (not all phones have such a big screen and can boast of such comfortable viewing experience)
• I can plug a USB and can download movies and music (not all phones can offer that)

Another big reason for not even thinking about any change is the 'exit barrier'. I have a multimedia dock and extra-battery kit for the specific model, which ensure that my phone never runs out of juice and help me in easily connecting my phone to mouse, keyboard, television etc. I can work comfortably on my phone. Of course I cannot prepare decks on my phone but I can 'comfortably' (that is the key word) browse internet, respond to my work mails, view attachments - without opening the laptop. So, why should I change my phone?

That brings us to the question that do I feel iPhones are completely useless? Not at all. I firmly believe that iPhones have the best interface and technology. Absolutely no denying that fact. However, I do not want to pay for most applications and download music and movies through iTunes. I prefer Samsung over iPhone as I am prepared to compromise on interface in order to get user-friendliness.

I do not ridicule iPhones as I know they are better in various aspects. However, I am happy with my phone and I am not compelled to change it....till it conks off!!!