Why few people wish to stay Single :)

Until now I have come across atleast half a dozen ppl who wish to stay single throughout their life.. and this blog is as a result of the conversations(Oops! Sorry. Read it as confrontations) I had with them..

Disclaimer: Utmost care has been taken to avoid male chauvinistic remarks, however any comments that may seem to be biased towards a gender or section of society are not intentional.

While there may be various reasons for one to take this extreme step(Staying Single), my focus is on few reasons that seem to be very absurd to me..

Broken Relationship: While it’s normal for people to get into a relationship, many times this relationship fails to meet the long term commitment i.e. Marriage. I have come across ppl who fall in love deeply, madly that he/she goes to any extreme to make their loved ones happy. Sadly this happiness is short-lived and many times these relationships are treated only as passing clouds by few who do not value the love that’s showered upon him/her.

When they hit reality it looks as though the world has come to a standstill and he/she starts detesting people/world simply because they aren’t able to accept the fact about their failed relationship. While this is normal to many, only few accept the reality while the rest feel that it’s no longer normal life for them and thinkfeel it’s not possible for them to love or accept any other man/woman in their life.

My Comment:

1. If you are the reason for the broken relationship, it’s good that you understand the mistake. That’s the first step toward building bridges in a relationship. Better late than never, speak to your partner and apologize if required without any ego.. Afterall its your life.. Especially for guys, you don’t have to feel ashamed for falling at her feet, since that’s going to be the way of life after marriage ;)

2. Now what if the fault is on your partner and he/she doesn’t want you in their life anymore? I feel there is no point in shedding tears for someone who doesn’t deserve it. Though easier said than done, move on with life.. Take a break, Go for an holiday, Meet your friends, Speak out with your akin, Rejoin those dance classes which you always wanted to attend, colour your wall like an Michael Angelo’s art.. Main idea is to keep yourself busy in something or the other so as to divert your attention. Who knows? You might find your better half in the dance class, music festival or in your holiday.. I can vouch for this..:)

Personal Experience: Many times we come across bad marriages within our family and friends circle. Barring love, inspite of matching horoscopes, background checks and hefty sum as dowry, many arranged marriages fail. Over a period of time we hear 2,3,4 marriages that fail due to various reasons. These external experiences also have a profound impact on our decision to stay single…

My Comment:

Never let other’s experience decide your future. You may not exactly know what happened in their lives. You might have a great opinion on your friend and you thought he is the best husband material and the girl should be lucky enough to get him… But you may not exactly know how your friend handles his personal life. Friendship & Marriage are two different entity that cannot be compared.. Never form an halo effect seeing the few characteristics of your friend.. and last thing you could do is, draw his personal life as an inspiration and decide to stay single. You should be insane. Please friends do not do this..

All said and done what’s important to keep a happy, blissful marriage life going? To answer in one word “COMPROMISE”. I believe nobody is perfect and we have to understand & accept those imperfections to lead a healthy marriage life.

Finally, no amount of reading romance books is equal to the act of falling in love. Similarly you need to get married and enjoy life. It’s always special to live life for that one special person who will not only share your joy, sorrows, happiness but also your credit card.. Lolz.. Kidding ;)

Best Kiss I ever received..

After playing cricket in the scorching heat, I returned home sweating profusely. I felt disgusted by the heat and told myself “Oh God! I’m stinking”. But at my doorstep my mother embraces me, wipes the sweat in my face with her pallu and kisses on my cheek.

Wow! Those Childhood days were amazing..

While this scene is common to everyone in the childhood days seldom (Not common) it happens now. And that’s exactly I am baffled about.

Why don’t they see us as child even after we grow up….I think the reason in my case is that my parents thought I was too old to get such a reception today. Rather they were conditioned to think so by "ME"…

Yes! Once I entered my adolescent age, kiss from my Girl friend was for more interesting than from my parents. Whenever they tried to hug me, I tell them “Ma.. I’m 17 years, don’t treat me like a child..”, “No Appa, I’m going out with my friends, cannot come with you”..

By those words I slowly kept moving away from them thinking I should behave like an adult and shouldn’t entertain those acts…

All went well until I went to work.. 6 days work, even before you get ready to relax on Sunday your holiday is over…. No longer meeting friends, no night outs, no birthday parties, No time to meet your relatives.. Life became mechanical.. I was entangled with daily routine work and felt a vaccum in my life.. I wanted to go back to those lovely days where my parents showered the unconditional love on me..

Today all I had to do was to ask my mom.. and there it comes.. Kiss on my cheek after almost 10 years… Wow!! This will remain as the best kiss I have ever received in my life :)

Special Person in your life

Rajesh, who is the most special person in your life?

I was flummoxed with this question. So many people’s name ran through my mind. My Parents who even today stand as a rock of our family, My teachers who moulded a rough charcoal into a polished diamond (Tht’s me ;) ), My Professors who helped me to sharpen my management skills, my mentor who coaches me on life skills, my friends who are an integral part of my life, My love who made me realize that it is still possible to forgive a person who hurt you..
So many names cris -crossed my mind…

{Mobile Ringing}….

As soon as I saw the name on the mobile phone I realized who that special person in my life was.

Yes. Many people walk into our lives, serve their purpose and walk away but only very few remain with us through out our life. They are the one’s on whom we drench our happiness, Joy, Love, affection, Sorrow, Anger and all other emotions.. They will stand by us during our bright sunny day’s while offering their shoulder for us to lean during our downhill.. Whatever we say, they won’t react but respond. They might be far away from us yet they will have an eagle’s eye on us & monitor the progress we make in our life…both professionally and personally.

I am sure you all will also have a special person in your life but the biggest question is how to identify them.

Well, Very Simple… If their name flashing on your mobile phone brings a smile on your face then they are the special person in your life. :)

Cherish the lovely moments with them.. Its Priceless!!!

The Gas Tragedy

I never wanted to voice my opinions on this issue but recent developments made me to rethink my decision. I’m writing this not as a Politician or Indian or American but only on the humanitarian grounds and on compassion I have towards my fellow human beings.

Everything takes time in India and 25 years of waiting for justice is no exception to it.

Leak of Methyl Iso-cynate gas from the Union Carbide plant has not just succumbed 25,000 people to death but has caused generations of ill effects on the health of people living in Bhopal. Off Springs are born with birth ailment, Permanent damage has been caused to the flora & fauna, people around the factory inhale air that’s poisonous even today.

I would like to voice over my opinions on different sections of this society.

Politicians

We are hearing a no. of stories on the way the issue has been handled. People who never opened their mouth all these days are letting out sensational news that causes a great concern. Pilot, Taxi driver, Home secretary and District Collector are coming out and saying on record that they were ordered to pave way for Anderson’s escape.

Infact I was dumbstuck to see a footage showing policemen opening the gate and saluting Warren Anderson, 3 days after he was released on bail. For sure many Government departments have tirelessly worked & lobbied to ensure Warren Anderson’s exit from India.

All I would like to ask these politicians is how on earth you can protect the interest of a billion people if you cannot account responsibility for the death of masses? You guys have pledged 25,000 lives who died and 50,000 people who still live with permanent ailments and many generations to come to protect your own interests. These Sufferers are the Aam Aadmi’s who feature in your election manifestation. How is the pain caused to them justified?

Media

All news channels carry some message on this tragedy ever since the verdict came. While it is good for media to bring out issues to catch audience attention, the same media are also responsible for infinite pain. “GROUND ZERO – BHOPAL”, “24 HOURS in BHOPAL” and other stories which cover the victims of the gas tragedy will only make things worse. Questions like How did you feel after the gas leak? How much compensation you received? How many people in your family died in the gas leak?, will only rekindle the trouble, tragedy & trauma they have gone through and cause endless pain to them. Asking such questions is like asking a father who lost his son “How do you feel now?” Oh Please for all the Bakra’s, Rajdeep’s, have some mercy on the people of Bhopal.

When will you guys stop making sensation out of other’s sufferings?

People of Bhopal

While I salute your perseverance and patience for justice, I believe it’s high time we give new dimension to our way of fighting for justice. I may be a fool who is influenced by some radical thinking but I think extreme measures like boycotting the elections and letting the governance know that our fundamental rights/needs are not taken care off will send strong signals to people who govern us. Time has come where these Pandits of Politics cannot take us for granted. Mahatma Gandhi said “Be the change you want to see” and I believe if things have to change we need to take drastic steps.

Justice Department

25,000 Lives = 2 Years of Jail (or) Rs 1 Lakh Fine.

How is this justified?

All said and done, it’s just a matter of time before the attention shifts from this tragedy to some other news. It may be FIFA World Cup, Elections, Oil Price, Food Inflation or Aishwarya Rai. Who Knows?. We people have to blame ourselves for this short term memory loss that we suffer from.

Parenting

I have always wondered if the Art of Parenting can be preached, practice or performed by any parents. After due diligence I have come to the conclusion that Yes! It is possible. But most of our parents are so much engaged in meeting the daily needs of the family that they forget the importance of parenting. This subject is close to my heart and so did I decide to pen down my thoughts.

Viktor Lozhkin and Yana Mikhailova were detained by the local police authorities for investigation purposes. Reason being not for charges of Murder, not for assaulting a women, not for peddling drugs, not for burglary, no no not even for theft. Then Why?
Viktor and Yana were detained on suspicion of neglecting their 5 year old child Natasha who was locked in a room with dogs and cats for several years causing her to behave like an animal. She laps her food, drinks with the tongue and walks on all four. So what big deal? It’s just one off incident which cannot be generalized Rajesh. If you think so, then we need to go back and check if it is really a one off incident.

• In December 2008, Lyokha was found in the forests of central Russia. He had been living with a dozen of wolves and has inculcated wolf-like behaviors and reactions.
• In 2007-08, Danielle Crockett was rescued from Florida. She was found locked in a room and deprived of human interaction for the first seven years of her life. She is currently undergoing human conditioning.
• In 2007, Amy was found in the mountains of Bulgaria where she had been raised by dogs. She doesn’t understand the native language and is not able to exhibit human emotions.
• And way back in 1920, eight year old kamala and 18 month old Amala were reportedly rescued from a wolf’s den in West Bengal.

Officially documented feral children’s numbers is almost 130 around the world out of which 27 cases have been reported in India since 1900’s. But the most alarming news is that the act of neglected parenting is unofficially at record high in urban India. It’s happening in our city, our street, our neighbourhood and our home. This is not an exaggeration.

Thanks to the rising standards of cost of living, double income families are at record high today, result being parents have little time to spend with their children. Children are sent to school at the age of 3. What do they teach the children in Pre.K.G? Nothing but children spend time playing with one another. Do you really have to go to school to play? Didn’t you and I play with our friends in our childhood days? Isn’t that possible at home sweet home? It is possible but parent’s feel that they cannot afford the time due to financial pressures at home.

Look at the Ideal child’s schedule. It goes like 9 AM to 4 PM at school, 4-6 Tuition classes, 6-8 will probably be a dance class or music class or some other classes. Parents encourage their children to take up extracurricular activities like never before. Wonderful, kudos to all the parents. But there is selfishness in this generosity shown towards children. Main objective is to engage their children with some task or the other until they get back home. This is a bitter truth.

Even before the school bus arrives parent’s company bus is at their doorstep. What an irony? Everyone in the family holds a duplicate key which facilitates them to come and go whenever they feel. To me greatest invention is Refrigerator & Microwave oven because it serves me left over dinner for breakfast and left over breakfast for lunch. I’m tired of eating re-heated food over and over again. I can’t imagine a life without Refrigerator and microwave oven.

I’m not accusing parents for what they do. I understand they do it to help their children live a better life than what you and I have today. But the ripple effect of discarded love will not serve the intended purpose. We all slog everyday as though we are not going to live tomorrow. We believe that money would bring in happiness at home. I think it is a greatest myth. Money would create an environment conducive for Happiness. But real happiness comes from spending quality time with your loved ones.

If these situations continue there will be a time in future when father, mother and children will be on a conference call to discuss the time to meet over for dinner. There will be a time when your children would respond with a bizarre look as you introduce your blood relations to them. Because the concept of nuclear family has broken the bridge of family interaction & closeness. This is not a hypothetical statement. This has already happened in western world and the day is not far away before it happens here.

I hope my thoughts would trigger your minds. I would be happy if even one among you realizes spending time with family is very important. Remember friends, you are a reason for your child’s existence in this world. Give them life by spending time with them because those few hours you spend playing with them, appreciating them for what they are, listening to whatever they have to say, can have a great impact in both you and your children’s life.

Points to note before you Quit your Job

Signs of economic revival are being welcomed by the Government & Corporate Community around the world. Employees who settled for ZERO HIKES, No Promotions and in certain cases taking voluntary pay cuts to avoid layoff are updating their resumes and getting ready to move ahead. For all you guys floating around your resumes in Job Portals & with Ex-Bosses, Previous Employers and Friends consider the following factors before you quit your present Job.

1. Learning Opportunities – Adding experience to years is better than adding years to your experience. Read the previous line carefully. Does the organization provide enough learning opportunities to you? Do you have access to Journals / Internet to keep you updated on the latest developments in your Domain space? Does your organization giving importance to training? It is very important to learn, unlearn & relearn and keep ourselves abreast on the knowledge front.

2. Empowerment – As we move up the Ladder we are driven by the Power of Authority. You would want to take decisions of varied nature even though they are not related to the Organizations financial performance. For example bring out a change in the way of working, Developing/Modifying the Policies and Procedures, Granting leave to your sub-ordinates etc. Are you empowered to take such decisions? Magnitude of decision making doesn’t matter until Empowerment exists in some form or the other.

3. Voice out your Opinion – You may be working in a company which boasts of best of policies & procedures. You understand that the Policies and Procedures should have flexibility. You feel that you have not been treated fairly in the organization. Are you able to voice out your opinion to your Boss? Are you free to highlight your concerns to your Boss? You may not see any outcome but at least you would feel better that you let out your emotions freely. Believe me withholding your views creates a frustration which will do no good to you.

4. Flexibility – Most of your personal work would take a maximum of 1 - 2 hours. However you would not want to talk a full day leave from office. Are you allowed those two hours permission to complete your bank work, attend a family function, reach your loved ones who suddenly fall ill or to complete your household work.

5. Work Life Balance – Extended work hours for completing a Project, Preparing a Proposal, Meeting the deadline is unavoidable. See to that it doesn’t become a way of life. After all there is a life beyond your cubicle and the conference room. Maintaining a work life balance is imperative to taste success in both Personal & Professional life.

The above list is not exhaustive but it includes few factors which I feel are important. Before you quit an organization list down the Pro’s and Con’s of your Present Employer and Future Employer, see if it makes sense to move to a new employer and then take a decision. Do not see compensation has the only driver to quit. Remember it’s always wise to forego short term benefits for long term gains.

Wishing you a great year ahead! :)

Life's Mantra

60 year old man resting his arm on his wife (Hopefully:) ) and sharing light moments, Newlywed couple enjoying their private moments in public place, lovers playing in the sea water and two guys expressing their affection for each other.

I noticed Shravan noticing all those acts with a lost look. I sat beside him and could sense that something was wrong. He wasn’t the same person he used to be. Those rib tickling jokes, his sense of humour, pulling friends leg was all missing. He thought how good it would be to have a company like those lucky one’s he was looking at. Be it in any form-friend, lover or wife. He said “Machi, I experience lot of emotions like Happiness, Joy, Love, Sadness and Anger in my life yet I don’t know to whom I can express it. It feels really bad when you don’t have anyone to lean and cry out your emotions machan…..”. Soon I came to know his problem. He was feeling aloof.

Often while chasing our own paths in life, we forget to catch up with our old friends or likeminded persons-no more birthday parties, no more night stays, no more discussions on so called forbidden acts and no more chatting over the phone till midnight for nothing. In doing so, we detach ourselves from those selfless creatures who brought smile to our face, who stood by us during all the odds we faced and now complain of not having a company to spend time with.

I told Shravan “Before you desire, spare your shoulder for others to lean, who knows your purpose of life may be complete with them. There are certain things in life that happens for a reason. Don’t question its logic. Just move on with life and be like water that embraces everything that comes by. Good, Bad, Cheat, Hate, Disasters, Tragedy or Betrayal. These all are a sojourn. Tell yourself “This too shall passby… Eventually you will experience serenity in life. This is a time tested technique that works perfectly well. That’s the secret of my life too.”

Love deeply & passionately, you might get hurt but that’s how you live life completely!

AO – Next Frontier of Growth in Tamil Cinema

I don’t remember the last time I woke up before the sunrise. But today I got up at around 5 in the morning, took bath and got ready. Reason, not being Pongal. I was leaving home to watch the first day first show of the most awaited movie “Aayirathil Oruvan”.

Being an ardent fan of Selvaraghavan, there is always something in his movie that attracts me to the theatre. Be it unfolding a love, describing the delicate relationship between a boy and a girl or scanning through a life of a gangster, Selva is exemplary in showcasing it to the audience.

A lot of hype has been created by the film fraternity & media about this movie especially because it is a Selvaragavan’s movie and the numerous delay's in releasing the movie. Now I have all the more reason to get excited about watching this film.

I would like to move away from the storyline and talk about the few aspects of the movie. First and foremost is CINEMATOGRAPHY. The camera angles and the lightings are brilliant. The mountains, Thick Forests, Streams and Deserts of Jaisalmer are all a visual treat.

Second is the ART DIRECTION. Most of the film depicting the lives of the Chola Dynasty has been shot using the sets. These sets look so real that it takes us to their world.

Third is the SHADES used. Early mornings, late evenings, Mountains, Desert, Chola Hideouts have all been shown with great colour.

Stunts have been pictured wonderfully. I guess few sequences have been emulated from Hollywood flicks yet they are appealing.

If you shoot out a question like who is the hero of AO? In split seconds I will come up with two names. Selvaragavan & Reema Sen.

Even though the film seems to test one’s patience for 3 ¼ hours, I think selva had little control over it.

As I was dumbstuck with Selva’s daring efforts to present such film, I overheard few people leaving with disappointment. I understand perceptions are different yet I feel we need to encourage these films which takes us beyond the mundane tamil films and keeps us flummoxed every minute.. After all we all love a Titanic, 2012, Avatar for its extravaganza but simply do not appreciate Tamil Films of same magnitude(Not literally) and sensation.

Needless to say AO is one movie that belongs to the elite group of films that takes Tamil Cinema to the Next frontier of Growth.

Kudos to the entire team of AO.

The Best ever Drive

My Dad is very special to me. Today I reminisce all the selfless sacrifices he has done for me. He doesn’t drive a car, Motorcycle or even a bicycle. To put it this way, he never attempted to learn driving.

All he knew was work and me. He considered me to be his world. I recall the days when he used to carry me on his shoulders to my school which was 5 kilometers away from my house. I have always asked him to get a vehicle for himself but he refused. Not that he couldn’t afford it but for reasons unknown he never owned one.

After lot of persuasion, in the summer of 96, he got me a bicycle. No longer, I required the services of my Herculean father because Hercules MTB was there to serve me. I considered it to be the ferrari’s of the world and used to zoom across streets giving tough time to the street walkers.

One fine day, I fell down from the cycle and went home weeping. I explained whatever happened to my mother. She applied Pain balm and put me to sleep. At 1 A.M., I felt an enormous pain when someone touched my hand. It was my Father. He enquired about what happened and knowing the seriousness of the injury he didn’t wait for the dawn. He put me on his arms and marched towards the hospital which was 8 kms away for treating my fractured arm. During my stay in the hospital too, dad used to shuttle between house and hospital getting me good food. He never let my mother do those stuffs. My mom at times used to shout at my dad for being over sensitive towards me.

Even today he makes sure I’m not put into any botheration for getting his work done. I don’t know if I can refer his behaviour to be egoistic but I simply love him for what he is.

For past 25 years those legs have been working round-the-clock for me.

Today I intend to make his travel easier with this car which I have bought for him.

As I drove the car I could see smile on my dad’s face. I can make out what it means. He felt happy that I lived up to his expectations.

I will continue to do so in future too.. Love you Dad:)

Beautiful things in Life:)

If I say I wish to play hide & seek, sleep in my mother’s lap, you would feel that I am being kiddish. But for a second, give it a thought. Those were the beautiful moments we enjoyed in our life when we were ourselves. Today, our life has become very monotonous & mundane, that we don’t have time to spend with our family, friends & loved ones. So I thought to pen down few things which I consider to be beautiful in life that I am missing so much.

To me,

1. Joint Family was beautiful,
2. Playing with my dad was beautiful,
3. Dad’s food is beautiful,
4. Mom feeding me was beautiful,
5. Midnight tea was beautiful,
6. Beaches were beautiful,
7. Bird Sighting was beautiful,
8. Long chat over the phone was beautiful,
9. Speaking to the loved one was beautiful,
10. Long walk with her was beautiful,
11. College tour was beautiful,
12. College bunking was beautiful,
13. Commuting through train was beautiful,
14. Night stay was beautiful,
15. Getting drenched in rain was beautiful,
16. Snooker was beautiful and
17. Birthday dinners were beautiful,

I reminisce all these moments which had been an integral part of my life and take this opportunity to thank everyone who were part of these wonderful moments. I know those days will never come back but those memories will always be etched to my heart.

56 Tonnes in 7 days!!!

Newsprints are never tired to fill the columns with articles on Financial Crisis, recovery signals, Inflation etc.. Amidst all these reports one distinct report caught my eyes. It’s about the yellow metal. Yes! You guessed it right.

According to reports, India has consumed 52 tonnes of Gold in 7 days i.e. from October 11th to October 18th 2009. The total worth of this is somewhere around Rs.8706/- crores.

Now tell me. Where is Recession or Slowdown? :)

Not a "Nobel" Act

As millions of Americans look up to their President for saving the Country from the biggest financial crisis, Barack Obama will boast upon his outstanding contribution to International Diplomacy & Peace Keeping that has helped him to secure the 2009 Nobel Prize for Peace, another Feather in his Cap. Oops! Did I say that? What’s startling is that he has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in less than 2 weeks of taking charge of office & before the February 1st nomination deadline. Conversely it looks like the Nostradamus syndrome has been worked out foreseeing him to excel in bi-lateral talks, peace keeping measures & reaching out to the world to curb Nuclear Proliferation. All this comes at a time when US spends nearly $ 1 Billion every year on its soldiers fighting in the borders of Afghanistan. As US cries on nuclear proliferation it is to be noted that it spends more than $2,600,000,000 for ballistic missile defense system and total spending of $35,100,000,000 on all US nuclear weapons and weapon related programs. Amount quoted was spent until 1998. I leave it to you to judge the total money spent on nuclear program as on date. His propaganda for peace hasn’t taken shape and lot of concrete work is still left. Considering all this it is really funny to know that he has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He surely deserves an award but it is too premature to award the President with a Nobel Prize.

Purpose of Life

I came across an article “Purpose of Life” in a news column and decided to explore it on my perspective.

What is Life? This is one question which would baffle everyone. It may mean different things to different people.
Every time someone’s born, there is a meaning to their existence on this earth but seldom do they realize it. To me there are three types of people,

1. People who take life as it comes. These people are so called fun loving person who enjoy life to the fullest. They are around us and in large numbers too.

2. There are few others who challenge life and stream their destiny towards what they want. They fight the odds in their life and add meaning to others life by setting an example, being a source of inspiration to this world. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Lance Armstrong are few names I could think off.

3. Finally the most important category of people are those who try to understand the basic reason for their existence. They manage this by trying to understand themselves and speaking to their consciences. These people are very special and are hard to find. Acts of Discovering themselves, Meditation, forgoing worldly pleasures are some of the characteristics I could associate with them.

To my limited knowledge I could associate only one living person to this stage. He is none other than Resident hero of Tamil Nadu RAJNIKANTH. God has showered upon him abundant Wealth, Fame, Love, Respect & Power yet he is searching for his trueself. I don’t think it’s a Sanyasa stage but it is characterized by the search for inner peace.

It is difficult to practice this stage but surely achievable. Individuals of type 1 & 2 are controlled by their life whereas type 3 people have the ability to control their life. This is a special characteristic that sets them apart.

I Feel if anyone reaches that stage then the purpose of their existence is Justified. What do you say?

He Deserved a Better Life!

As I was rambling across Hyderabad bazaar, I bumped into this child named Dharsan. He was busy selling flags and other accessories related to Independence Day. As India gets ready to celebrate 63rd Independence day, Dharsan is one among millions of children who are deprived on their right to education. He was hard selling the flags to me but I was just thinking about the extreme conditions we live in. As the debate on brain drain is never ending, India is wasting many intellectual brains like Dharsan. Finally I offered Rs 10/- to Dharsan and told him I didn’t require the flag. He bowled me over with his response, “In that case I don’t want your money sir” told Darshan. With my jaws down I picked up couple of flags from him and started to move on thinking “HE DERSERVED A BETTER LIFE”.

Think before the ink

With 15th lok sabha elections round the corner in Tamil Nadu I would like to share my thoughts with you all.

Tamil Nadu created history in the last election by voting to DMK led UPA and made them victorious by sweeping all 39 constituencies. Golden projects like free television sets, 1 kg rice for 1 Rupee, free gas stove came into existence for the past 3 years. Unfortunately these schemes have made people of Tamil Nadu lazy as never before. According to Maslow’s theory of hierarchy, man strives; sweat it out for his basic needs of food, clothes and shelter. My point is if a government satisfies his needs for free is there a need for him to work hard? I certainly believe No. A saying which fits perfect to this situation is termed in tamil as “Moolai illathavanai Muttal aakara kathai ithu”. Do you guys have any idea of what’s the next freebie from the Government. Check out the picture below.

As you laugh think about it. Everyone talks about free television, gas stove, land etc.. but seldom they talk about creating jobs. I adore ADMK supremo for her courage, conviction she has to stand by her words. Veeraanam is an example of it. If not for her, we would be longing everyday for the metro water lorry to drop by our home. Law & order was far better in her times. I’m not trying to be pro-jayalaitha too. It’s just the comparison of two sides of the weighing machine.

Every one of us are partly responsible for what Tamil Nadu is today. So when you cast your vote on May 13th be sensible and vote for the person who would do good and misuse his power to the least degree. Afterall everyone are part of the dirtywater called Politics.

For people who wants a change, vote for Mr.E.Sarath Babu, an example of rag to riches story, IIM-A lad contesting in South Chennai constituency. For more info about him visit http://sarathbabu.co.in/in/

For cynics I would like to clarify that he may not win but a few thousand votes will make good for two reasons. One, existing politicians will get to learn that no longer you can fool around with people (atleast I believe they will). Second, it will send a strong signal across youth population who desperately want a change but doesn’t know how to go about it. It would encourage them to play a larger role in politics which will inturn foster the growth of India.

Do not waste your vote. Remember one thing, if there is a 90% voting in a particular constituency then there will be a phenomenol change in the result.

Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be a change you want to see”. Im trying to be a part of it by triggering your thought process.

Bengaluru Trip

Its been a long time since I had been out of town. I desperately needed this break and Rajiv's marriage was a blessing in disguise. As I was reaching my destination the cold winds passed shivers in my body just to say "Welcome to Bengaluru! :)". Hotel Brindavan was a great place to stay. Their hospitality gave me a home- away home feeling. I enquired the route for few destinations and proceeded to meet my friends. As I said Rajmahal Vilas to the Auto Driver, he immediately acknowledged and turned the meter ON (unlike chennai autowalas who have it for ritual purposes:) ). Well laid wide roads, Green wherever you turn, disciplined driving and a smooth traffic is what I experienced in the Silicon Valley of India otherwise known for its so called bad infrastructure. Probably business day stress was not on the roads I guess. I had a sense that the auto driver was not seasoned with the area but somehow took me to the right place. I had an altercation with him on the meter charge since I doubted that he would have taken the longest route. Guess what would have been his reply? He politely said, "Sir, I shall stop near the sergeant. You can enquire him if you have doubts on me." I was dumbstuck with his innocent reply. He returned me the change not withholding even 50 paise. I was impressed with him. Truly for him "Customer is king". Brigade road was happening as ever and hasn't lost its charm. CCD, Barista & Pizza corner have filled their presence throughout MG Road & Brigade Road. Perfect place to do window shopping and spend time without spending money;). Meeting Priya's mom was special and her "CARROT HALWA" was amazing. This trip would not be complete if I hadn't met this revered person Rashmi, My Close Friend. Overall if you ask me if I would love to live in Bengaluru, my answer would be a big No..No.. because of some nagging incidents that happened as I passed the streets of bengaluru which made me feel that bengaluru was not a safe or rather great place to live in. Thanks to the migrated population and the blend of various cultures thats has agitated the Youth's mind.

Happiness

Is it winning a lottery? (or) Closing a Multi - Crore business deal? (or) Accomplishing the dream house, Expensive Car and servant maids who would act upon our wish?

What is happiness?.. I questioned myself.

I am sure most of us like kids. There may be various reasons why we all like kids of which most common would be its cuteness. It is not only because it is cute but the smile which a child adorns symbolizes the happiness within the child which has a great power to melt anyone’s heart. This happiness within the child attracts every one of us. But as the child transcends through various stages of life like Child, Adolescent, Adult this smile for some reason or the other is not the same. What I mean is that the definition of happiness becomes more materialistic as we grow. We feel we are not the controller of Happiness but it is derived or defined by possession of Money, Materials, Muscle Power etc.. Of course Money, Material & Muscle Power may give us happiness but it is never sustainable because once you achieve something we are no longer happy with the same. We tend to look for something else and then else and then else.. Finally we are left with everything we desired but for happiness. This may look exaggerated but this is a fact of life.

Let me explain the same with an anecdote.

Once there was a king who was jealous of his servant maid, for simple reason being he was always happy. Every time the servant maid passed by the king was nonplussed thinking to himself “I have abundant wealth and I control this entire kingdom but I am not happy compared to what the servant maid is” The king called the servant maid and asked him how he manages to be so happy when he himself with all his wealth was not feeling contended in life. The humble servant maid replied to the king “Your Excellency! I come from a poor family and my requirements to run the life are minimum. I am able to meet this with the salary you give. My wife is responsible enough to run our family with my salary and my sons do not spend unnecessarily. Hence I am happy.”

The King not convinced with his answer called for a meeting with his ministers. He asked the same question. After hearing to the King, one of the Minister said “Your Excellency! I am not sure how he is happy. But if you desire I can make him feel disappointed in life”. The king gave a thought and said “Go Ahead”. In a week’s time a bag dropped from the roof of servant maid’s hut. He opened the bag and was surprised to see the bag full of gold coins. He started counting one by one. Soon he found out the bag contained 99 Gold coins. He was searching for one more coin to make it One hundred. He went around the hut, on top of the roof, scanned the floor but couldn’t find one. He wanted to make the total count 100 Gold Coins. So he decided to save money to buy one more gold coin. In doing so he became very stingy, he didn’t like his wife spending even to meet the daily requirements, he was angry with his children too for spending money. He felt everyone in his family were irresponsible. And consequently happiness never turned back in his life.

The essence of this story is that for a moment if the servant had thought of living with those 99 Gold coins he and his family would have been happier. But like many of us, he went on to search for something without appreciating what he had for the present and in turn lost his happiness.

Happiness is not having what we want. It is wanting what we have. Happiness is within us. We are the controller of happiness. We are the co-creator of happiness.

You don’t have to do anything extraordinary to be happy. We need to follow simple rules of life like,

- Free your heart from hate.
- Free your mind from worry.
- Live Simple.
- Give More.
- Expect Less and see happiness engrossed throughout your life.

To conclude, People are to be loved and things are to be used but my dear friends there is so much confusion in this world that things are being loved and people are being used. It is a small curve that straightens many things in life. It is within us. We seldom use it. Smile:). Smile from your heart and be happy. Make everyone happy.:)

Jai Ho Rahman!

When Rahman composed for “Roja” in 1992 no one would have thought this lad would create so much waves among Music Fraternity. After the success of “Roja” there was no looking back. Truly Rahman’s music has not only transcended regionally or nationally but also internationally. Slumdog Millionaire is one such example of it. From a humble start from his backyard to setting up One of India’s best recording studio & Music teaching School his contribution to music has been phenomenal. I often wonder what makes his music very special?. I guess it should be the sheer diversity in sound tracks he comes up with in every film. Seeing him winning two Oscars, I feel as though I have won it for myself. So much connection he makes with his fans.:)

Slumdog Millionaire is not the best of his work. If he wins 2 Oscars for this itself, I think the Academy jury should take a look at his best works like Roja, Uyire, Bombay etc. I guess everyone would agree with me on this point.

What bowls me over about Rahman is that even after reaching the pinnacle of success his humility is simply amazing.

Hope to see the Mozart of Madras in Madame Tussauds:)

Whatever it may be born in a country where this lad was born or to be more precise being in a city where he lives I feel really proud…

Aella Pugazhum Iraivannukae!!!

Get-Together

As my watch tickled 7 P.M. I left my home to attend the marriage reception of my School Friend. Initially I thought of saying him a Hi! and depart from the place immediately. But thinks turned out to be otherwise.

I reached the reception hall only to feel alien. But soon couple of our friends came in and we engaged in casual talk. Slowly numbers increased and suddenly I felt as though I was in my class. Sooner the marriage hall turned out to be a Get-together party. Most of our conversations were hovering about how different people were from what they were in School. They have transformed unimaginably. Few were grown in size, couple of fatso looked as though they underwent liposuction. ;) The group had people from all walks of life like Entrepreneurs, Veterinarian, Software professionals, Bank Employees, Celebrities, Housewives etc..

It was great pleasure to meet friends who left school midway, people with whom I confide with, people with whom I had silly fights, who helped me in exams & puppy loved ones. It was all nostalgic. We revived our contact information’s and parted with a smile:)

After all a Smile costs nothing but enriches both the Giver & Receiver.

(Mobile Reminder Beeps)

Ouch! Have an alumni meet tomorrow. Have to start early. Good Night!

The Bengal Baadshaa

November 10th 2008, It’s a memorable day in world cricket as the curtains come down over Ganguly’s Cricketing career. Over 18,000 runs in both forms of cricket,38 Centuries,111 50's accolades for his batting skills. The Prince of Kolkata is one of the best captain India has ever had. He never believed in board room meetings rather was aggressive on field. As a person who never felt shy of talking anything under the sun, his audacity against BCCI about team selection is something that speaks for himself. He needs to be credited for shaping the future of Indian cricket in the form of Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virendar Shewag, Vijay, Yuvaraj Singh etc.. Everyone where identified by him.

It is often said that one’s strength is not in his failure but how well he learns & rebounds from his failure. This suits on the dot to Dada’s career. The way he impressed everyone with his comeback is commendable. Retiring on high note has worked well with him and is a lesson for other Indian cricketers to learn.

We Hail you Dada!!!