Running with cars - Small victories

Today morning, as I was driving to office, a small kid, around 5-7 years old, turned around as I was approaching and then sped off as fast his little legs could go. We raced alongside each other for a minute and then I overtook him. When I looked into the rear view mirror, I saw his trembling tiny frame bent over, hands on knees, gasping for breath. He had a smile on his face, it was lit up like a 100w bulb. He was happy that he had given it his all and held off a mighty car for a meter.

I was happy to oblige.

Engaging duels, small victories, the spice of life...

Jihadi Terror Strikes - Handle them holistically, they are more than just a security problem

I reiterate my stand that Jihadi terror strikes are more than a security issue. The challenge of policing our country of a billion and making it terror-proof will take forever. A more effective way of tackling terror is to deal with the root of the problem - fanatical, religious indoctrination. Now, that we have a new breed of Hindu terrorists, the case for enlisting the services of religious leaders for active reverse indoctrination is stronger than ever. The PM's address to the nation should have been followed by addresses from top religious leaders from all major faiths - Muslim, Hindu and Christian - emphatically condemning the dastardly acts and disowning perpetrators of terror from all sects and faiths, and humanity itself.

The Mumbai Terrorist Attack - spineless response from the Central Govt.

The Indian government's response to the situation so far has been shameful. It reinforces the charge that we are a "soft state". Anything less than joint operations to flush out terrorists from PoK would be an insult to the martyrs who laid down their lives during the anti-terrorist operation. From the signs so far, Manmohan Singh and his cabinet, seem to be heading down the usual path of wishy-washy diplomatic posturing. The US had the courage and conviction to go to war against two countries in response to 9/11. We might not be a super-power like the US, but the world's sympathy is with us today, and no one would fault us for carrying operations to flush out terrorists in areas adjoining the Indo-Pak border. I hope the government re-instates some self-respect and faith in to a wounded and humiliated nation by launching strikes into PoK to eliminate terrorists. At this moment, though many chose to denounce the act as arrogant, I cannot but help admiring the guts and conviction that George Bush Jr. showed while making the much quoted - "You are with or against us" - remark. It's time our leaders showed some pride and announced that we are done with talks and summits. Let's hear the world's third largest army rumble...

Life, its twists and turns

Here's something I wrote a year ago....

I am 25 years old and like many other people of my age, I’m struggling to emerge from a quarter-life crisis. This crisis that I refer to has been precipitated by the multitude of decisions that have been thrust upon me at this juncture. Which job to take? What to do with my money? Should I stay with my parents or move out? When to get married? Whom to get married to? Should I marry at all?

Why do so many people of my age group end up like this? A large portion of those 25 years of mine was spent in schooling, yet I feel illiterate in the face of life’s challenges. I realize that the only things that my academic career has produced are two degree- certificates that can fetch me a job and little else.

Career-wise, I’m at a crucial juncture. It’s no longer like under-grad where I was looking at my job with a one-to-two year time frame; as a stopgap before signing up for a Masters. Now, I’ve completed my second degree and have to focus on building career skills, and this takes time, four to five years at the least. I’ll have to choose wisely. If things go right, it can be a rewarding life-changing experience. If things go wrong, it will lead to a lot of angst and pain. But how do I make this choice? How do I choose one career option over the other? Don’t chase money; chase the right job you might say? But which is the right one for me? How do I know?

In my personal-life things are'nt as grave. The only niggling worry is that I’ve built a cocoon around myself that I’m very comfortable with. I like the selfish and carefree life that I lead within it and shudder at the thought of letting someone in. More so, someone I don’t know well enough. Things haven’t spun out of control yet, but when the day comes when I’ll have to make a decision to let someone in, I’m not sure I’ll have the right answers.

Why do I find myself groping in the dark in this quarter-life crisis? Does the fault lie in my bringing up or my formal education? I guess it’s neither. I suppose this is what they call growing up. There’s only so much you can learn from a book, eventually, you’ll have to start listening to your heart, start trusting your gut. Some do it early, some do it late. Some do it with good consequences, some aren’t as lucky. Nevertheless, the day of reckoning shall come, when I'll have to stop kidding myself and look within to ask questions and seek answers. I think, the quarter life crisis is an indication that that day is around the corner.

My nicknames

I have had quite a few nicknames so far. At school I was always "AJ", which are my initials and stand for Alangar Jayagovind. That was understandable, because I was the third Karthik in the attendance register and hence, the letters "AJ" not only symbolized my parentage but were also my identifiers. Through college and my first job, the same moniker held me in good stead. When I went back to college for a second time, as expected, I found that there was another Karthik in the class and so, the necessity for a nickname cropped up again. Having grown tired of my childhood nickname, I chose a new sobriquet - "YAK". This is an acronym whose original antecedents are a bit hazy. I don't quite remember if I heard it for the first time from a colleague or read it on a blog. But either way it suited me fine in the given situation and so, during the introduction session on the freshers ragging night, I stepped up to the stage, right after my namesake had finished, and announced to the world that for the sake of differentiation I would henceforth respond to the acronym YAK, which stood for "Yet Another Karthik".

YAK was a roaring success as a nickname. To this day people from my MBA days know me as YAK and I bet many don't know why; I'm sure quite a few even don't know what my actual name is! Once I started working after my second degree, I chose to call myself Karthik Jayagovind. This was partly to establish my sense of lineage and partly in gratitude and respect to my father who, as always, stood by me and helped me through a very trying phase before I settled down in my current job.

This whole business of nicknames had faded into obscurity until recently, when a spirited colleague left a whole bunch of us gaping when he introduced me to a seminar audience with gusto as, "the ever-dependable Mr. Karthik Jayagovind, whom we also call KJo!". It's been many months since then, but my work-mates still double up with laughter everytime that incident is recalled. Well, after my official rechristening, there was a heated debate on what KJo stood for. My cubicle mate Mr. Mangalore insisted that it stood for Karan Johar, but thankfully the colleague who started it all clarified over a round of drinks that KJo came from FloJo who was a runner of repute from the United States until she was charged with doping offences - and so, there ended that debate.

As I sat to write another entry in this blog, I noticed the title "YAK YAK" and felt that I owed you folks an explanation and that's why the sermon on nicknames. Before I finish, try taking a guess about the antecedents of my latest nickname at work - "Yayagovind!" This one cropped up after my good friend's Dutch boss chose to read aloud, rather shout aloud my email id that goes karthik.jayagovind* for the entire office floor to hear. I'm sure he would laugh it off and nod ja, ja....Prost!

*The Dutch pronounce ja as ya

Simon and Garfunkel, I am a Rock

Heard a pretty queer Simon and Garfunkel song, "I am a Rock". Have a listen yourself http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7D5-WjC2M8&feature=related . The tune plays out like a cheerful Christmas carol but the lyrics are sad and brooding, they talk of jilted love. The lyrics go..

I am a Rock
A winters day
In a deep and dark december;
I am alone,
Gazing from my window to the streets below
On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

I've built walls,
A fortress deep and mighty,
That none may penetrate.
I have no need of friendship;
friendship causes pain.
Its laughter and its loving I disdain.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

Dont talk of love,
But Ive heard the words before;
Its sleeping in my memory.
I wont disturb the slumber of feelings that have died.
If I never loved I never would have cried.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
I have my books
And my poetry to protect me;
I am shielded in my armor,
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb.
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

And a rock feels no pain;
And an island never cries.

This is a band that I love for their consistency of sound. You know that you'll hear the strums of an acoustic guitar and clear lyrics when you play a Simon and Garfunkel song. Nice.

Catcher in the Rye

Catcher in the Rye, is just the sort of book one should not read while going through a depression. Well I did just that during the last weekend and as expected, it left me more depressed than when I had begun. But then like its protagonist Holden Caulfield, I sort of started enjoying my depression. It's fun to view events through a pessimistic lens, coz then its tough to get dissappointed. If things go bad you say, "hey, I told you." If they go really, really bad you say, "hey, I told you twice over." You've got it all covered if you are a pessimist!

Well, the book was fun. The thing about good movies and books is that you start empathizing with their protagonists. A friend of mine (Rahul Mulukutla to be specific) pointed it out to me the first time. He asked me to notice how people behaved in the loo during the interval of a blockbuster movie. I observed and he was true. If it was a Spiderman or an action-hero movie, you'd have the menfolk behaving all macho and chivalrous through their mannerisms and speech. If it were a cop or a spy movie with the CIA-FBI type characters then you'd have folks acting all fidgety and secretive. If it were a James Bond movie, no questions asked - everyone goes all smooth and stylish as hell.

Now, coming back to my point about the book. Since the book is so well written (it's a classic for God's sake) I was compelled to identify with the character of the protagonist, Holden Claufield. In fact, it is not difficult to identify with him, he's your archetypical confused adolescent loser. He represents a phase everyone goes through while growing up. It's hard for the loser in you not to empathize with Holden. That probably explains the universal popularity of this book. If all those block buster positive-thinking-self-leadership books are one side of the coin, this is the other side. The loser in you is as ubiquitous as the gung-ho chest-thumping wannabe winner and this book for a change, presents the perspective of the loser. It is tough not to get drawn to it.

Hmm....such scrawling does throw out interesting insights. I guess I now have a slighlty better understanding of why kids of my brother's age are so cynical and irritable. He is better now, but a year back when he was 16-17 years old, boy, our man was a keg of dynamite with a short fuse. I guess that is the age when you are at the peak of the Holden syndrome. It's when you start developing a strong sense of your own world-view and everything and everyone that doesn't subscribe to your outlook gets classified as the enemy. The loud and violent types air their opinions openly, whilst the silent and brooding types tend to be more creative and self-destructive in venting their frustrations.

I guess I'll stop here...will complete this blog some other time...cheers!

Why do we remember the mistakes we've committed?

I just finished reading Chetan Bhagat's "The 3 mistakes of my life". It got me wondering as to why we remember the mistakes we've commited in life in such vivid detail? At least for me, they form the core of my stand-out life-defining memories. I don't remember anything else from my life in as much detail as the mistakes I've committed. I have happy memories too, but they have to be dug out of the closet, they need dusting before their colors shine. Is this the way it is for others as well? Please do write in with your thoughts.

Movies - the novellas of our times..

I truly feel that movies have replaced novels in our times. Many movies, go beyond being lame entertainment. They cast the same spells of intrigue and involvement that books entrap you in. Often, they provide startling insights that can light up your day. As examples, I'd like to quote two movies that made an impression on me in recent times.

1. Kungfu Panda - This is a light, funny movie about how a hopeless, hapless, overweight Panda gets a chance to follow his dreams and becomes a Kungfu master. It has layers of satire built into the script to keep the adult audience happy. But what clinched the deal for me was the beautiful message at the end. It's been two months since I watched the movie, but the message still rings lound and clear in my head. Towards the end of the movie, after overcoming many trials and tribulations, Mr. Panda gets to read the Dragon Scroll which contains the secret to limitless power and Kungfu glory. When he unscrolls the parchment paper, he stares in disbelief, the page is absolutely clean, there is nothing written in it. Neither he, nor his master can make head or tail of this. How can the Dragon Scroll be empty? Where is the secret to limitless power? How can one become the best fighter without divine instructions?

In the mean time, the Panda's nemesis, the evil Kungfu Tiger lays seige on the city and people start fleeing in panic. Devoid of the divine secret, the Panda feels there is simply no way he can defeat the Tiger and so, puzzled and disappointed, he returns to his father's noodle shop. Resigned to the fact that he's going to make noodles all his life, the Panda asks his father about the family heirloom, the secret of the secret recipe in his dad's famous "Special Secret Noodle Soup." His dad smiles and says, the secret ingredient in the soup is well...."nothing". He explains, "it is ordinary noodle soup, it's just that I put a special effort to make it good and then call it the Special Secret Noodle Soup with the secret ingredient". Kungfu Panda's eyes light up, his dad's secret ingredient had just decoded the message of the Dragon Scroll! The secret to becoming the best fighter was "nothing". There was no shortcut, there was no magic code, the only way to become the best was to believe that you are the best and put in the extra effort. Needless to say, equipped with this divine knowledge, Kungfu Panda kicks the butt of the Evil Tiger and becomes the hero that he always dreamt of becoming. Cheers! What an entertaining way to dish out a simple yet deep thought.

2. Goodwill Hunting: This movie is about coming to terms with your complexes, your realities, dealing with your shortcomings and facing your fears. However, the part that left a deep impression on me was the one where the movie ponders on what is truly important in life. What should one prioritize over the other - professional achievement or personal happiness? The math prof. in one sequence derides the psychologist Robin Williams for being a loser because he didn't achieve as much professional success as he promised during his early years. Robin Williams's character, Sean Maguire, was supposedly brighter than the math prof's during their MIT student days, but later Sean chose a life of quiet teaching and hospital work. He loved his wife and was content in his small world and didn't chase after professional glory, unlike our math prof. who was a Field's Medal winner - the Nobel Prize's equivalent, for mathematicians. In that scene Sean flares up and says, that his life was not a waste. He did not consider himself to be a loser. On the contrary, he felt he had done quite well for himself. He had found a wife whom he loved dearly, he practised his profession with dignity and he shared his knowledge with his students and gained immense satisfaction out of it. He points out that he never sought to win any Medals or honours. He chose his path to happiness and was content with his life. Our Field Medalist math prof. is at a loss for words, now looking back at his own life, he realizes that he's become a ruin living in the reflected glory of the Fields Medal. He has nothing else to lean on - no family, no friends, just a pompous reputation and a bloated ego. I kind of loved this idea about figuring out what is truly important in life...it helps you to define your anchoring points and remain grounded...

Terror Attacks, why are they viewed only as a security problem?

Every time there is a terror attack one is attuned to hearing the same set of concerns around security, policing, intelligence agencies and the Home Ministry's inaction. Even during the recent blasts the proposals that came forth from the two major political parties were related to security - while the Congress talked of setting up a central inter-governmental Anti-Terrorist Cell, the BJP called for a strong Anti-Terrorist Law like the POTA. Now, why don't we take a more holistic view of the problem? Ignoring the socio-religious angle of Jihadi terrorism and treating it as a mere security problem makes the issue intractable because honestly, how do you effectively police a country of a billion people? Is it practically plausible? How can you prevent a person from dropping a bag full of bombs into a dustbin in a crowded place like Gaffaar market? I get the feeling that involving the Islamic community in seeking a solution to the terrorism problem will yield faster results. Merely beefing up security agencies and improving policing will take you only so far, engaging with the Muslim community will strike the problem at its roots and weaken the terrorists' support system. Every time a Jihadi attack against innocents happens, we should have Maulana's and Maulvi's coming on TV and condemning these acts in harshest terms. Islam is one religion that yields its influence beyond the realms of spirituality and rituals, it actually permeates and dictates the social and political behavior of its followers (the conservative kind). When terrorists claim legitimacy for their acts by pointing to religion, why don't we have religious leaders coming forward and denouncing these claims? This way at least the average Muslim on the streets would get a clear message about where to place his sympathies. The other day, when there was a shootout in Delhi's Jammia Islamia area, the locals came out and protested against police harrassment. The average Mulsim doesn't know whose side he is on? In such times of insecurity the community tends to get closer and rally around its symbols of identity, namely the mosque and the Maulvi. Now if the Maulvi is able to replace this feeling of victimization and hatred with that of nationhood and cooperation, it would be a huge help towards eliminating the scourge of Jihadi terrorism.

You know, how different people respond differently to the same thing...

This is something that many people, including me, fail to notice. What you feel is deep within you. You are so encompassed in it that you believe that everyone else must be intepreting the experience in the same way. Our responses to movies are an example...my mom gets deeply emotionally engaged with whatever she's watching, I wear a critic's cap and analyze technique, dad enjoys melodrama.....if we are so different in responding to movies, one can only imagine how diverse our reactions would be to people and situations....this insight can change the way you perceive other people....the way you code and decode their actions and words...

Work junkie scrawl...

I've been working insane hours coz I've nothing else to do....sort of a work junkie...am struggling to get my bearings right...nothing grips me passionately enough (apart from work) to dedicate myself fully to....I'm that sort of a person, not too good at multi-tasking, do the few things I do with all seriousness and blah....so am wary to make a commitment to a cause/activity/itty-bitty hobby, lest I don't feel strongly enough for it (it's happened before, and it wasn't good...it doesn't feel great to slog ur butt off for smtg jus coz u've made a commitment and can't escape)...lol...commitment phobia strikes again....am losing the plot a bit....got to cling on to something soon...

Rock On...go watch it!

Rock On is definitely worth a watch. The message of the film is about following your dreams (just the sort of stuff I like writing about, plead guilty as charged). It traces the life of a promising college band that breaks up just before it hits the big league and then reunites many years later for one final jig.

Like all Farhan Akthar movies, this one too is executed flawlessly. Good production values, well etched characters, inspired casting, tight story telling, and top that all with a subject that everyone who’s ever been in college can connect with, what more do you need! A special note on the casting, every band member fits the bill very well. Agreed, it’s a bit difficult imagining Farhan and gang looking like college kids, but still they enact their parts remarkably well. Purab is my favourite as Killer Drama, the mad drummer. Farhan fits in effortlessly as the obnoxiously driven and gifted Aditya Shroff, the lead vocalist of the band. Luke Kenny as Rob, the likeable and trusty keyboard player, is a treat. Arjun Rampal as the lead guitarist looks too grown up in the college scenes, plus his acting is a bit stiff and wooden as always. But he more than redeems himself in the movie's final act, a 20 min stage performance by the now reunited and matured band members where our man with his towering frame, flowing mane, handlebar moustache and eternal cool transforms into a lead guitarist straight out of the rock n roll bands of the 70s - it's as if he was born to play the role.

The revelation of the movie is one Mr. Farhan Akthar. The guy directs, produces and now acts and sings as well…man….he defines coolness. Besides all that he’s got one of the leanest, meanest frames in Bollywood. This guy is unbelievable. The rest of the cast act just as well and deserve applause for their performances.

Finally, what makes Rock On tick is its music. Shankar Mahadevan and Co. have done a superb job of composing a rock track tailored to Farhan’s vocal range. With Farhan singing, the concert scenes become so much more believable. Music is the central vehicle of the movie and it does its job well. My favorite song of the pack is Sinbad the Sailor. The lyrics go….

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=W9GSwW90OjM&watch_response

If all the convincing was not enough…one final reason to watch the movie…haven’t you ever slipped into day dreams about being a rock star? of crooning with the guitar in front of a frenzied crowd, waving and cheering for you?.…here’s a chance to do so for a full two and half hours in a wide screen theater with music blaring from dolby speakers….mass delirium rocks!

Murugan Idly, Vayu Vajra, Trip to Chennai...

I’m back from a pretty hectic week of work in Chennai. In spite of my killing schedule, the stay in Chennai was stress free because I stayed over at my uncle’s place – they are an affectionate bunch – it was like staying at your granny’s with people fussing all over you. Nice fun. Got a chance to spend lots of time with my cousin’s family who are visiting from the US. Exchanged notes with my bro-in-law, taught my six year old niece how to make paper boats, monkeyed around with her adorable two year old sister.

Had breakfast at Chennai’s famous “Murugan Idly” today morning. We bundled ourselves in uncle’s car and drove quite a distance to sample Chennai’s best idlys. It was fun. All of us chattering away to glory, cracking pjs, poking fun at cousin sis’s driving. Ideal lazy Saturday morning. Murugan Idly was a riot. We had loads of idlys with dollops of sambar and varities of chutneys. Murugan Idly lives up to its billing as a special place. It is non-fussy, efficient and reasonably priced. They have a limited spread of staple south Indian food that is dished out hot and fresh. The two delectable scoops of sweet pongal were my high points followed by the ever-dependable crunchy vadas. All this topped up with a dose of filter coffee....heavenly.

I’m back in Bangalore now. Am sampling BMTC’s Vayu Vajra Volvo bus service. As I type, sitting in the front seat, it’s been quite a pleasant experience so far. The AC works, the luggage racks are convenient, the staff is courteous and the DTH public radio service is entertaining. There are 5 passengers on the bus. Each of us paid Rs. 150 each for the ticket. I wonder whether the bus service can run profitably on revenue of Rs. 750 per trip.

I met up with another cousin in Chennai. He works for CTS. We were catching up after quite a long time, over a year. We met in a mall, after work, on Friday evening. We talked about a lot of things – work, friends, careers and last of all, the impending bride-hunting-marriage labyrinth that we’ll have to deal with sooner or later. He asked me if I had a girlfriend and I responded with my favorite borrowed line – “Agar uthna talent hotha, tho hum kahi hothe” ;)

Cheers. Time to get off my bus. It’s been an hour’s ride. Good fun. At Rs. 150 it’s totally worth it, I recommend it.

The Batman movie...

You know what! I really liked the new Batman movie, I truly did. I liked it so much that I actually hunted down the first part, "Batman Begins", and watched it over the weekend. There are interesting ethical questions that are raised repeatedly in both movies - "do criminals deserve sympathy?", "why doesn't Batman pull the trigger on deranged felons?", "are compassion and regard for the justice system his biggest weaknesses, as Ducat repeatedly says in the first film?". I honestly feel that in the second movie, Batman takes this compassion and regard for justice thingy too far. Why the heck didn't he knock off the Joker the first time itself? Does it make sense to put this raving lunatic in jail and then see him escape and blow up half of Gotham city with a smile? Even in the end, he leaves the Joker alive for the police to arrest him, leaving scope for a lot of mayhem and another Joker movie, minus the immensely talented Heath Ledger.

Anyways, except for this moral moot point, I had no other grouse with the film. Brilliantly composed and acted. The ending was pure delight - Batman fleeing into the wilderness with the title flashing for the first time, heralding the presence of the tortured and disturbed, yet noble and brave - "dark knight".

What is the difference between IIT-IIM graduates and the rest?

This must rank amongst the top 10 water-cooler conversations in offices around the country. I have my own theory about what sets apart an IIT-IIM graduate (or for that matter a person from any reputed institute) from the rest.

• Popular belief: Managers say that they observe a noticable difference in the performance of IIT-IIMers when compared to others. They say that these folks tend to be more organized and structured in their approach to work.



• Response: Given the widespread prevalance of this theory, one has to grudgingly admit that there is indeed a noticable difference in the performance of this brat pack, especially when work has to be done under pressure. If one were to admit that these guys are really more focussed and organized, what is it that ordains them with these gifts? Are they born that way? Are they truly smarter than the rest of us? Not quite so, my interactions with loads of IIT-IIMers have shown that most of these guys are not born geniuses (discount the few exceptions). It is the grind of the IIT-IIM system that makes them super efficient survivors who thrive under pressure. IITs, IIMs, etc. breed a highly competitive atmosphere within. When the exams and assignments pile up, every strata of collegiate existance, be it the top rankers, the averagers or the bottom of the class, get embroiled in a battle for survival. The sheer number of project submissions, tests and exams provide innumerable chances for students to practice and perfect their survival skills to the hilt. Handling stress, time management, prioritizing work to meet deadlines, these skills become second nature by the time you pass the course. You might question what makes exams in these institutes any different from those in other places, well the answer is that these institutes take their exams really, really seriously because in the face of infrastructural constraints and lack of teaching staff their very survival depends on building a high performance culture in their students through artificially hyped exams. This is the only way to maintain their reputation amidst plunging standards.

So, that's my submission of the day, IIT-IIMers are no smarter than ordinary mortals. What makes them tick at the work place is their ability to stretch when the situation demands it. So, the next time you encounter a haughty IIT-IIM colleague at work, don't despair, he's no genetic freak programmed for ineluctable success. His secret recipe is most likely to be pure and simple hard work, you put in your quota of the same and you should be able to give him a run for the money when it matters. Amen.

IT in middle class neighbhourhoods in Bangalore

After a 3 year stay away from Bangalore, first for an MBA and then work, I returned to the city I call home a few months back. The transformation in my middle class neighbourhood was quite striking. There were signs of prosperity everywhere, many houses had been redone and there were more cars parked in every street, all this thanks to the resident acronym that defines Bangalore - "IT". Every family seemed to have been touched by the IT sweep. All my childhood friends had become software engineers in different companies. Those few who chose not to become engineers were still a part of the IT troupe as lawyers, marketers, accountants and HR personnel. Now, even my next door aunty knew how to tell the difference between an Infosys, TCS, Oracle and IBM.

Daily interactions in the neighbourhood threw interesting gems about the prevalent mindset about IT. One elderly uncle asked me, "So, you are in this company, you must be travelling quite frequently to the US." I made a feeble attempt to educate him about IT consumption in India and mumbled about my frequent travels within the country, the uncle was not impressed. A schoolmate of mine asked me, "So, what is your job profile?", for once I thought I'd got a discerning listener and rattled out my JD around sales and presales. The friend gave me a dissapointed look and said, "But you were pretty good at studies in school, why did you take up sales?". Later I learned that in Bangalore, sales is associated with either door-to-door selling or call-centers. No wonder, my schoolmate scowled that way.

Things are not this way in Mumbai and Delhi. You get to meet a lot of young people who are pursuing degrees in pure sciences and liberal arts. People there seek a larger pool of career options beyond engineering and medicine. There are many who want to be lawyers, bureaucrats, journalists and admen. I find Bangalore suffocating in this respect. Very often I come across friends who've been sucked into the engineering-IT rigmarole and are gasping to come out. Yesterday I met one such. He'd been through the IT coding phase for 4-5 years. Last year he compeleted a correspondence diploma course from an IIM and switched to market research. He sounded relieved. I met another extreme example of this phenomenon last weekend. Here was a guy who did his civil engineering and then worked for an IT firm for a couple of months and then quit on the verge of breakdown. He joined a sports portal as a content editor and is now at least happy with his job, but is trying to move because the pay is extremely low. Without a relavant educational background he is finding it tough to break into the big league in media. He's languishing in an itsy-bitsy firm that's squeezing him dry for a pittance. He's now thinking of doing an MBA from a tier-3 B-school, in a hope that it will give him the legitimate pedigree that he's looking for. Sigh...what a mess.

Today, fortunately, as a fall out of India's economic growth there are a whole lot of viable professions that have opened up beyond engineering and medicine. CROs and pharma need biologists and their tribe. Law firms, LPOs, IT companies need lawyers. Media has an unsatiable thirst for journalists and language graduates. Everybody needs salesmen and marketers of every conceivable background. I hope things change as we go forward and kids are encouraged to take up what their comfortable with and not simply what is in vogue. My brother is studying to be a lawyer, I wish I had done so.

Willful Suspension of Disbelief! - the secret to enjoying movies or for that matter anything at all

Willful Suspension of Disbelief is such a useful concept. This is how wiki defines it,

"Suspension of disbelief is an aesthetic theory intended to characterize people's relationships to art. It was coined by the poet and aesthetic philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1817. It refers to the willingness of a person to accept as true the premises of a work of fiction, even if they are fantastic or impossible. It also refers to the willingness of the audience to overlook the limitations of a medium, so that these do not interfere with the acceptance of those premises. According to the theory, suspension of disbelief is a quid pro quo: the audience tacitly agrees to provisionally suspend their judgment in exchange for the promise of entertainment."

Now as far as movies go, the second part of the last sentence is the key - "in exchange for the promise of entertainment". I am willing to suspend disbelief to any extent required provided the movie maker promises to entertain. Many Bollywood movies fail on this count. On the other hand with a little help from the movie maker and a teaspoon of disbelief, a mundane movie can be elevated to the level of a thorough entertainer. Jhoom barabar Jhoom falls in to this category, I simply loved the movie. Watching Lara Dutta gyrate on the big screen in a fanciful setting was well worth the ticket money. The true essence of disbelief comes in to play while watching animation movies. "Ratatouille" is a case in point. It is my all time favorite. The director makes good on his part by dishing out entertainment garnered with a heart warming message, on your part, if you were to slide back in your seat and choose to overlook the minor impracticalities of a rat becoming a chef, you'll be treated to an inspiring fable of Paulo Coelho proportions. The same holds true in the case of Ashutosh Gowatrikar's "Jhodaa Akbar"....was Akbar tall or short, was Jhodaa his wife or daughter-in-law, who cares. As the lights dim, stretch your feet and let the Mughal era unfold. Smiles as the narrative dwells on the practical difficulties of a Hindu-Muslim marriage even in those days. Cheer when Azeem-0-Shah-Shehanshah plays out like the Olympic opening ceremony, make your side of the disbelief pact and the movie director will deliver on the rest.

Now, this technique works well with other aspects of life too. Try it out the next time you sit in an autorikshaw in Chennai and you don't know Tamil. Try it when you have to eat at a roadside dhaba in alarmingly unhygienic conditions. Try it when you are sitting next to a pesky relative, who loves to deliver long-winding lectures....application of this concept will turn such routine episodes in to thoroughly entertaining experiences. Try it and tell me if willful suspension of disbelief works for you..

Disillusionment and growing up..

You know, when you are a kid, say a five year old, you begin to think that you are all powerful within your realm of activity. You start fancying that you are a super-hero from a cartoon show or a cowboy from a western or like in my case, a mythological Indian prince from Doordarshan or Amar Chitra Katha. In your imaginary world, while jumping on the bed, tumbling on the sofa, fighting treacherous villains who exist only in your head, you are all powerful, anything is possible and then...you grow up. You start playing with kids of your age. You have your first brushes with organized competitive sport like cricket and football. You begin to realize that there are others who better than you, that older boys seem to be stronger, but then your spirit is still not fully broken. The imaginary world refuses to let go. You still believe that you are as good as Sachin Tendulkar, it's just that today was not your day, luck wasn't on your side, the day when you shall play that match winning innings is just around the corner. You keep chasing that dream all the way through middle school and the early years of high school and then.....you grow up. By now, you probably have been rejected from every school team sports selection after making it past the first round, the realization that you are no good at sport slowly begins to sink in, but you keep trying. At the same time, suddenly, studies seem to be a big thing, not that they were not earlier (Indian middle-class kids have no escape), but now they seem to be really, really serious. Tutions, board exams, world-cup-cricket matches on TV, the odd crush - life passes through in a blur. Your board results come, you join a college, you don't have a clue about what's happening around you, yet you fall in line and follow and life continues to pass on like a blur. Your new super heroes are entrepreneurial geniuses like Bill Gates, rock-stars like Metallica, English premiership footballers, movie actors, nobel laureautes and all other icons of pop culture prevalent at your time. You try to emulate them in your mind till you well....grow up. You get a job, or sign up for higher studies and then get a job, all in all once you start working your reference points change once again. Now your super stars start becoming more real. After the initial months you realize that reaching CEO will take some time, the only option now is to put your head down and work (those who don't realize this soon enough, go through a lot of emotional anguish before they settle down to the worker ant mode). And so here I am, trying to come to terms with my limitations and ordinariness (now don't worry, I'm not heading for the window ledge to jump off, instead I'm writing this blog), trying to redefine my super heroes and idols, down-sizing them - should I aim to be like my boss, a country GM, nah, I should aim higher, try to become his boss, a regional GM and then....I grow up and get real...sigh...I'm only a consultant and even becoming a senior consultant is years away...reality sucks.

I should probably switch jobs and start writing tear-jerkers for Ekta Kapoor.

Parkour - Remember the Akshay Kumar Thums Up ad?

Parkour is a physical discipline that evolved in France in the 1980s. It started out with a bunch of city kids trying innovative ways to hop, skip and jump across obstacles that come in the way while moving around the city. The guiding principle is to figure out the most effecient way to get from point A to point B by employing well - hop, skips and jumps. Have a look for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHyoKC3C0bg
Looks pretty similar to what I went through the last time I had to cross Bannerghatta Road :)

IPL vs ICL

You know what? ICL was better. It at least served as a platform for many local lads to step up to the limelight. The young Indian team in the ICL outplayed every other fancied team in the fray and won the cup. Players like Stuart Binny and Ambatti Rayudu emerged from obscurity. On this front at least, ICL did good on its so called intention to promote the interests of the game. On the other hand, IPL has been very disappointing in terms of promoting local talent. The IPL teams are packed with international cricketers, the ones you've got tired of seeing throughout the year. You get to see over-worked war horses dragging their feet on dusty, crumbling pitches with no sense of purpose or direction. You feel a sense of pity when you the likes of Bret Lee running in to get hit out of the park in an itsy-bitsy encounter.....if ever there was something called over-exposure killing the golden goose, this is it.

Life..

Another death in the family. A young boy of 18 years. My first cousin’s son. The family had gone to a resort for a holiday after his second PU exams got over. While swimming he cramped up and drowned. There were no lifeguards to help him. It took a while for a motley crew of waiters and visitors to pull him out of the water. They couldn’t save him. A tragedy beyond description.

Incidents like these make you realize the triviality of life. If you are destined to go, you go. It maybe now, it could be tomorrow, it might be a week later. All other worries and foibles seem so trivial. I often worry about work, pressures at office, my yearning to live abroad, all these seem so small.

Live your life happily. Be nice to your loved ones. Be happy. Smile. Living every day like it were your last day might be a tall order, but certainly don’t live like you had forever. You never know…

Cricket, sport, spirit

One solid learning for me from India's famous win against Australia was that,
" in sport, and likewise in life, attitude and spirit matter more than ability and reputation."

A motely-bunch of 20-25 year olds....pulled the rug from beneath the feet of the vaulted world champions.....the only thing that folks like Praveen Kumar had going for them was the comfort of anonimity and arrogance of youth...dropping the highly reputed Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly, not only reduced the average age of the team but also increased its fearlessness quotient.....Dhoni's blokes had nothing to lose and it showed in the way they played on the field..

It is interesting to note that Dhoni's team seems to mimic the way Dhoni plays his cricket. Dhoni is not supremely talented in terms of wicket-keeping and batting. He is at best, effecient at both, but not magical. What makes him tick is his street-smartness, grit and no-frills approach to the game. His team is similar. Barring the gifted Ishant Sharma and the masterful Sachin, all its stars including Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Robin Uthappa and Praveen Kumar are effecient cricketers, but by no means prodigies.

In the same manner, don't you know people with average abilities who make it big in life. I for one am a firm believer that the general populace is blessed with the same talent and intelligence, there might be exceptions here and there, but overall it's an even playing field. The ones who eventually succeed, seem to be the ones with that extra grit, determination and conquering spirit.

Marriage views – the regional divide

It is interesting to note how the views of North Indian and South Indian men (the young and eligible kind) differ on marriage. Their views appear to be a reflection of their approach to life. Young North Indian men have a more natural approach to marriage. They tend to see it as a part of life’s progression, an event that has to pass, something that shouldn’t be worried too much about - the sooner dealt with the better. Their take is that when there are more important things like career that need one’s attention going forward, you don’t want to saddle the most productive years of your life with the distraction of searching for a bride. To lend credence to this theory, a friend from UP pointed out that several successful businessmen like the Ambanis got married quite early in life and were subsequently able to draw on this familial stability to build their business empires.

In contrast, South Indian men seem to fret a lot over the issue of marriage. They approach family and career in the reverse order of their North Indian coutnerparts. They prefer to pursue professional and financial stability before venturing into marriage. It is a mindset that flows naturally from their approach to life. Right from childhood, a South Indian middle class child’s life revolves around academic achievement. It is drilled into one’s head that academic success always gets top priority; everything else can wait. In bargain while the South Indian male builds enviable career skills, his life skills remain under-developed (the vice versa is true for the average North Indian male – while his English may be weak, his worldly instincts are razor sharp). For a Madrasi, selecting which IIT to apply to is easier than choosing whom to get married to and hence, this is a decision that is avoided till it becomes ineluctable.

As a 25-year-old quintessential South Indian male, I’m facing these very challenges in my life. Whenever my mother talks to me about marriage proposals over the phone, I escape by citing that I need more time to build professional and financial stability before taking on adventures on the personal front. When I discuss this with my Haryanvi friends they are bemused – “financial stability?”- they ask – “that comes through marriage!”….ahem…now, that’s a different discussion, ain’t it? ;)

ps: Many of you might disagree with my generalization in terms of North and South Indians. I admit that such classification might be too simplistic. Nevertheless, this topic amuses me to no end...and I thought you folks deserve to have a good laugh on the same... :D

Why is a beamer called a beamer?

When I was bowling at the nets last Saturday, one of my attempted express deliveries slipped out of the palm and hit the upper "beam" that forms the frame from which the nets are hung. We all gave each other the all-knowing look and nodded - now we knew why a "beamer" is called a "beamer"...

Combating Cynisicm

I am becoming more and more cynical by the day. I'm worried. I'm worried because cynicism is like a self-fulfilling doomsday prophecy. It feeds on itself till it has devoured every sliver of hope that resides in you. It is a dark brooding feeling that sheds a pall of gloom on everything that is bright. It gnaws on you till you feel comfortable in its cold embrace. You begin to detest the sunlight. The lonely recesses of the soul become your refuge.

I have been through this once too often, and I don't want to tread here again. But circumstances are such...

Every time I've been through this darkness, it's been a steep ride to the bottom before a single stroke of light changed everything. I'm waiting for that glimmer to save me.