Bunky jumping pundit!!!

2008-07-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Happiness - I am all ears!!!

With a shaky voice and her eyes filled with tears... She said... “I lost everything…I don’t care and It doesn’t matter anymore…I am old now” and she continued to clean the dishes and later made my bed. I was sitting at my work desk in Manchester, United States listening to this old lady from Albania who was once a carpet designer in her country. She classified herself among the upper middle class who lived in a small city called Fier along the coast of Albania.
She migrated to the US as a refugee in late 1996 after the outbreak of the civil war. She claimed that she lost all her wealth during that period and she along with her husband decided to migrate to the US as living in the her hometown had become too risky. I did not delve further because that would have only made her feel worse. Instead, I decided to show her some pictures of Albania that I had pulled out from Wikipedia and various other websites as we were speaking.
When I showed her the pictures, she exclaimed with joy! She quickly started talking about many historical sites and their importance. Some of the things she referred to were Ali pasha’s castle, the traditional folk music called the “Skrapar” and the Butrint [A UNESCO world heritage site]. She proudly acclaimed that she had been to many places in Albania as a kid and later travelled across the country with her husband.
While we were talking about various places, she also introduced me to the upcoming albanian pop star called “Anila mimani”. She started dancing when I played some songs from the youtube. Later, she quietly thanked me and left the place.

it was such an amazing feeling and a sense of completion that I derived out of this small incident. It was just an attempt from my side to make her happy and I knew I could not solve all her problems….but I am glad that I was all ears!!!!

2008-01-20T01:14:00.000-08:00

* What makes you special?

IBM chose this powerful line to reinforce their brand equity. When I first saw this advertisement I was totally captured by the profound depth of this verse. This simple question opens many doors when you extend it to individuals and “individuality”. I am trying to nail down the single unique factor that makes me special in this world….

2007-04-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

Just a random thought....

A recent article in the newspaper about a schoolgirl, who was subjected to brutal rape by a group of men, drove me towards writing this piece. When I read the article, several thoughts passed my mind and one of them were “why do people behave differently?” Why do a small proportion of us indulge in such barbaric acts? What drives them towards such instinctive provocation, which causes more damage than just physical abuse?
At the risk of digression, lets think about the statements we make to describe people’s behavior. Some of them I can think of are: He’s heartless! He’s a nice guy! He’s a liar! He’s a nerd! He’s an animal! He’s a sadist! He’s so cool! He understands! He is weird! The bottom-line here is that our expression of human behavior differs from one person to another. Why? The simple answer to this question may be attributed to the DNA of the person or the external environment, which determines his actions at that point in time.
However, I have tried answering this question differently; I believe Humans are driven by three factors:

1. Animal instinct – Animal instinct forms the core of a human’s behavior. The three characteristics that govern animal instinct are Fear, Sex and hunger.

2. Human Instinct – The next layer comprises of human instinct that is governed by logical reasoning, intuition, love (not sex)

3. Spiritual instinct - The spiritual instinct is very abstract, this layer is highly subjective and is governed by three factors again Belief, Persistence & patience

Every human being will have all the three instincts as part of his behavior.

Human behavior = function (AI, HI, SI)

Let me try building a simple mathematical model now assuming a linear function

Human Behavior = X * (AI) + Y * (HI) + Z * (SI)

Where X, Y, Z are integers and signifies external environment variables that takes different values at different times for different people.
AI – Animal Instinct
HI – Human Instinct
SI – Spiritual instinct

This model* according to me explains why people behave differently at different situations. A different value gets applied against AI, HI & SI and hence gets multiplied in the respective proportion that determines human behavior at that point.

* I have no data to back this model; it’s just a random thought expressed in mathematical form.

PS: I have used “He” throughout this article for my convenience. Please replace with “she” as appropriate

2006-05-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

People do lots of things to impress others but, what matters is how they behave when they don't have to.

2006-05-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

Walking on the path of life…

Walking on the path of life, I experienced an unusual scene
“Mr. success” and “Mr. failure” greeted me with a smile so pristine
“Mr. Success” shook my hand and gave a gentle bow
“Mr. Failure” shrugged and said, “Goodbye, it’s time for me to go”

I exclaimed and asked Mr. Success if, he could walk by me forever
He said it was difficult, as he had to move from one person to another
I bent over him and whispered in his ears, “ How do I escape failure”
He laughed and said: “ we are twins”; and I was surprised to hear

I was taken aback suddenly to see two identical men standing in front
They looked similar in every aspect and were looking no different
I wondered and asked myself “ how is success different from failure?”
One of them stepped forward to explain; I was eager to hear

He explained, “Success and failure lies in the eyes of the beholder”
Failure gives you agony and pain; but it also makes you bolder
It’s your attitude that decides whether you walk with me or my brother
We are just your state of mind; we can be replaced by one another

2006-04-30T20:44:00.000-07:00

Discover the donkey within u….

Have you ever felt lazy parting with your bed on a Monday morning? Or on a Tuesday morning and on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning? Have you ever stood in the balcony and thought about your life or any situation and wondered about, how things have changed around you and at the same time expressed your inability to control it? Have you ever sat late night for an exam preparation with an intention of burning midnight oil? But on the contrary, ended up happily sleeping beside the lamp and wasting the midnight oil. If the answer is yes, then you are entangled in the vicious circle called the “donkey factor”. There is a donkey within each one of us that raises its ugly head at the moments when we are expected to Achieve, Think, Perform, Motivate, Slog, change and Execute.
I have always wondered if I would have been in a better position if I had regularly studied everyday and had prioritized things in a better fashion. I even feel that sometimes I had shamelessly surrendered myself to the donkey factor and yielded to its ugly tricks that masked my thought process at the moments when I had to act.
There are a few symptoms that I have recorded to diagnose the donkey factor.

Tendency to run away from a difficult situation hoping that somebody would solve it
Procrastinating things and reassuring yourselves that you would act tomorrow and you can just relax today.
Blaming it on others and not taking any ownership of the problems
Starting off a project in full excitement but later losing the heat in between and taking things for granted
Wrong assumptions; unnecessary arguments even after knowing that you are wrong.
Resistance to change

So, how do we overcome the donkey factor? Can we kill the donkey once for all and become a perfect human being? According to me, it is very difficult to kill the donkey as it is inbuilt in our system and all we can do is to MANAGE IT by diverting its attention to something inconsequential and also by developing the habit of positive thinking and self-motivation. Doing too many things at a time also motivates the donkey. It starts jumping and kicking and doesn’t allow you to concentrate. It also builds laziness and a huge resistance to change.
Few things you could do to manage the donkey factor:

Maintain good health by doing exercise regularly
Feel confident and be frank in expressing opinions
Believe in yourselves
Develop the habit of positive thinking
Constantly motivate yourself and others
Make short term achievable goals than a big long term goal
Smile as much as you can and be happy
Prioritize and stand up during difficult situations
TALK to people- that’s the mantra of success
Seek advice- within limits
Keep yourselves busy with extracurricular activities
Listen to Music- a refresher
Be open to change
Make good friends

2006-04-01T23:49:00.000-08:00

So much for the idiot box…

I still remember the days when we had to buy our first color Television way back in the late 1980’s. I had done enough research as a kid with the brochures of many companies and had diligently worked on the specs (though I could not understand much, I still managed to choose the largest number among the choices…like a 29-inch compared to 25-inch, a 200 watt compared to a 100 watt). I was mentally prepared to buy a “videocon bazooka” with 200 watts PMPO. Whereas, my father was looking at a cost effective television that probably had just a picture tube and with no extra features at all (not even a remote). I put all my convincing abilities to test, explaining my father about why we require a television with a remote and a good sound backup but, on the contrary, he used to counter my arguments with a simple statement that “ what more do we want for two channels DD 1 and DD 2”. At last we settled for a “Philips 21 inch” after many arguments and brainwashing. Finally I was a proud son of the owner of a color television (with a remote control). I fancied myself sitting in front of the TV and watching programs all day and I also remember inviting my friends (most of them did not have TV at home) to watch “Chitrahaar” on Friday evenings. I would sit with the remote all the time and test peoples reaction as I switched channels at the very moment when everybody were engrossed in a melodious song or at the moment when a comedian is expected to crack a joke in the next nanosecond… and… as I switched they would boo with frustration…. it was fun… my father had refused to subscribe for a cable connection because he feared that I would not study and waste time switching between channels…. not that I was a class topper otherwise… but u know what? I still managed to see a few cable channels. If u are wondering how, then as most of us know fixing a cable connection is easy for a teenager…all you need is a blade and a safety pin…yes. I pulled the nearest cable wire that ran across my terrace and then a “little prick did the trick”. My brother, who was my accomplice would position himself in the house and tune different bands to check the clarity of the cable channels. He would run out of the house every 2 minutes and look at the terrace and shout at the top of his voice “ I am not able to see anything” (most of the time he wouldn’t even care whether I listened to what he said) and then I would readjust the pin and shout back…the idiot box as we call now was not all that idiotic then. It was probably the only source of entertainment and it was also a status symbol to own one. A few programs that I remember which were my favourites on DD are Neem ka ped, Kaliganj ki bahu, Malgudi days, Bhyomkesh bakshi, Tar rum too (NCERT), Chitrahaar, Ramayan, Mahabharath, Gul Gulshan Gulfam, Dekh bhai dekh and many more….

2006-03-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

The rise of machines...

I was on my knees inspecting the tyre and was worried about a perpetual wobbling problem that was intrinsic with this type. The other six players had much sturdier ones and I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to reach the finish line, which was about 500 meters away. Winning this race was very important to me and I had rigorously practiced 2 hours a day for 2 weeks and had improved on every critical aspect like steering, braking, steep turning and other minor details which could lead to major failures during the race. I had adjusted the length of the stick to the optimum levels and checked the grips; I also had inspected the roads earlier that day and knew that I had to pass two speed breakers and a stretch that sloped at thirty degrees to reach the destination point. I was ready at the start line eager to hit the road. I was trained for this high-tension environment but yet drops of sweat trickled down my forehead. The sun was right above my head and there were people on either side of the road walking and screaming. When the signal was given I immediately pulled my stick and gave it a hard push. I made a good start but 50 meters down the track I saw two of them overtaking me and I was doing my best. I already could feel the wobbling in the tyre and I had to handle it carefully. I crossed the first speed breaker successfully and was heading towards another in the next 100 meters. I also gave a quick look at the back and was happy that two people had already gone off track because one could not manage the speed and another had failed over the speed breaker. I just had few more seconds and down went another on the slopes. He lost control too, I was concentrating and my legs were aching due to the high levels of stress. My palms were sweating and I couldn’t hold my stick and it had become slippery. I kept my fingers crossed and controlled it using various techniques that I had learnt. It was a tough competition now between the second player with a TVS 50 tyre and me with a cycle tyre. I had to prove that even cycle tyres are strong enough. The problem with the cycle tyre was that no matter how much u drive it with the stick it wouldn’t move and TVS 50 tyre also had some intrinsic disadvantages that after it starts moving it is very difficult to stop. I was very close to the finish line and he was just 3 meters behind. I had to rely on my physical strengths than my tyre. I said to myself that I would win this race. Just as I thought I tripped and fell down just 2 meters from the finish line but I managed to push the tyre hard just before I fell. The tyre understood my feelings and rolled on till the finish line and I WON!!! Hurray!!!!

This happened in my fourth standard during my schooling at bangalore. I really enjoyed playing with the tyre and also enjoyed other games like goli, lagoree, gilli thandu and kabaddi. I wonder why kids don’t play these games today and are so engrossed in television and computers....

2006-03-08T23:19:00.000-08:00

Song of life….

On the busy street of London, by every hour and every season
A beggar sang all day and made a living for a petty reason
He weaved his songs carefully about nature, people and strife
Dressed in ragged clothes, he sung the “song of life”

The song was about people who had struggled hard to succeed
It was about embracing failures and learning from noble deeds
He sung the subtle melancholy and captured peoples mind
He slyly sensed people’s reaction in spite of being blind

The song brought out tears that trickled down people’s cheeks
He answered every question, which every human seeks
The song taught people to overcome ego, distress and fears
He backed the song with his violin and it mellowed down the ears

He sat alone under the lamppost, with a cloth spread on the street
He had no one to support him neither did any passerby greet
People were either deeply moved, by his wisdom so sublime or
They just silently walked away at an expense of one-dime

2006-01-25T23:27:00.000-08:00

The lonely samurai…

Across the mountains, deep in the wood’s
There lived a samurai, proud as he stood
Independent he was, he feared no soul
Fighting for his master, was his ultimate goal

Sitting beside the river, he wondered about his life
A thought passed his mind; he got reminded of his wife
He left her a decade ago with a promise of his return but,
The dictum of his master had turned him taciturn

The gush of the river reminded him of her smile
It was as pure as a diamond and difficult to facsimile
Her thoughts engulfed his mind and his heart sank low
He bowed before the river and let his tears flow

Loneliness struck him hard and tore his spirit away
He made his mind to quit but his heart put the thought’s away
He mounted his horse and rode towards the city
Hoping to see his wife with his heart filled with alacrity

He entered the city gates and felt an unusual serenity but,
He continued to gallop overlooking the gravity
He hurried to the door and knocked it real hard
Hoping to see the face, that had kept him alive so far

The door did not open and he wondered why
He approached his neighbors after his futile try
The neighbor was silent but pointed his finger hard
He turned in that direction and realized it led to the grave yard

2005-12-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

Perfunctory decisions….

At every crossroad a thought passes my mind
Sometimes I am clear but sometimes I am blind
A dilemma so powerful engulfs my thought
Sometimes I yielded but sometimes It fought

A resurrection of confidence reinforces the spirit of joy
Sometimes it’s timorous and sometimes it’s strong
Prioritizing is the panacea for perfunctory decisions
Sometimes it’s the choice, which makes a difference

2005-10-04T01:58:00.000-07:00

The silence within...

In the dark jungle and within the deep blue
There is a silence that you can’t construe
A silence that unifies the heart and soul
A silence that reminds you of the ultimate goal

The silence within reverberates sadness and joy
Sometimes it’s perfect, sometimes it cloys
The world is full of chaos and trance but,
The silence within balances the consequence

2005-09-29T05:16:00.000-07:00

Interpretation of life...

Life is a conglomerate of perspectives that we build, as we grow old. The perspective differs from person to person and so does the interpretation of life. In the end it all boils down to a simple statement that " it all depends on the way you look at it". The perspective that a person has towards life is greatly guided by his culture and values. A retrospective of thyself reveals certain insights so powerful that helps you empower your vision. We look at life in smaller chunks and miss the larger picture and as a result even a small failure in life puts us down and slowly erodes away the larger vision. A clear vision and a constant review of thyself would enable a person to control his perception about life and hence would enable him to interpret it in a better way.

2005-09-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

"ARISE, TRANSCEND THYSELF.THOU ART MAN AND THE WHOLE NATURE OF MAN IS TO BECOME MORE THAN HIMSELF."- Aurobindo( শ্রী অরবিন্দ)
The Français connexion
Pondichéry is a well planned city dominé by indo french nationals(40%) and accomodates a minority indigène francophonie(less than 2%). Not many people know that Pondichéry is called the IT hardware capital of India. The culture and the heritage is well preserved from getting diluted by révolution industrielle. The french colonial structures appeals to the aesthetic senses and makes you feel as if the past, present and future has converged in to étrangeté. The Aurobindo ashram is a serene place that vibrates positive energy and projects multiple dimensions of life. The place in and outside the ashram is well maintained with sign boards at every junction that says pondichéry ville immaculéé.

2005-09-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

An imagination…a deep thought

An imagination so sweet, which enriches my life as oxygen but,
A thought so deep that pushes me in to a state of seclusion.
I sometimes get lost in the dark jungle of strong emotions but,
I wake up and realize that it’s only a ripple of sensual trepidation.
A deep thought that rekindles my inner self, a reflection of thyself

2005-08-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

"Creation is only the projection into form of that which already exists"

A popular quote from bhagvath gita was a source of inspiration for this blog. The purpose of this blog is to create , share knowledge and simultaneously learn continously from others. i am confident that i would be able to share quality information and learnings that might be useful...