Rum and Raisin chocolate and me!!

Its all about the belgian chocolate shop.. Its here, its near Banjara hills, its exotic, it smells yummy.. I love the shop, but i cant eat chocolates and i think i dont like chocolates.. At one point of time in life, i used to eat chocolate as i felt that it makes me happy, even now the look of it makes me happy, but i dont have to eat it..
So, as my frenz were getting this box packed, i thought i will admire the beauty of chocolates. So, i told the rum and raisin chocolate, "You seem to be the drunk one?"
She said arrogantly," Oh yes, the world loves me, they finish me off as soon as i am displayed on the racks."
"Great, so is it all about people's admiration or there is more to you?"
"Ah well, if you ask me, all that matters is how people percieve me."
"Hmmm.. so its like someone mixed you with rum and raisin and you got an identity, you never had a say in it. Then some people come and buy you because of the rum and raisins that are put in you. What about the real "chocolate" you? "
"No Mam, by adding good things, your identity does not change. See, if the rum and raisin stood out of me, i would have tasted bad, but since we guys decided to add to each others value, we are proud and stand tall. We dont fight, so people love us. But you are right, i am the drunk one, so i dont know what really sells."
"BTW, even if you are drunk and you know nothing, i like you, because you are different and a survivor."
:) Hmm, but i like the part of adding good. Chocolate alone is extremely bitter, even if it enhances mood, people will not consume it unless its mixed with milk and sugar. So, never judge people by single characteristic, the combination might be thrilling.. :)

Consumer Behaviour

A day marked by end of mid term CB exam. All excited we ventured out. My role was to help my friends shopping and i had thought that i will not indulge myself into all that spending. But then even if you have no time to wear good clothes, you want them. So, my already full almirah has few more clothes. Its all consumer behaviour. We like colors, we associate ourselves with brands, we go for reference pricing, we form attitudes and we wear clothes which showcase our moods. We like smelling good and we just feel happy with all the glitters around. We know all the strategies and tactics which marketing guys use to lure us into buying those over price, good for senses products, but still we make royal fool of ourselves and come back.
Human mind, it just loves to be happy and being fool every alternate day is what makes it happen. Sorry prof, i know people are making me fool, but then i love to be a fool when it comes to all the material things i love..:)

Nimbz Effect!!

Its been a very very lazy day.. I slept at 1 AM only to wake up at 12 PM, when Nimbz called me. He was like wake up woman, the world is wide awake and i need your help as i cant figure out what to do. As irritated as one could get, i was like and what made you think that if you wake me up from deep slumber, i will help you? Knowing you, i knew you will not react and ok, this did not bloat my ego but still i was smiling, bol yaar, kya chahiye? Array yaar, ek baat bata, i am working on this assignment, this company trrrrrrrrrr trrrrrrrrrrrr... I was like here he goes, he wakes me up for an organization's problem. I said Bloody Consultant, you spoiled your life and what made you think you can spoil mine? [OK, this is my childhood friend, so we talk like that.] He was like and what made you think if i spoil my life, i will spare yours? I thought you will be kind to me.. No, you were wrong, if i start being kind to you, then i cant live. OK!! So repeat the issue. Trrrrrrrrrrr Trrrrrrrrrr.. Hmm.. I think ( and then i give gyaan to a consultant).. Gyaan is taken and consultant is happy, yaar tu shayad right hai, i did not think from this perspective.

I am happy and Nimbz is happy and then he goes, your repeatedly calling me bloody consultant makes me feel that i should leave my job and do something better in life. [I had listened to this 200 times before]. I was like hmmmmmm... AND.. And what is this life, i was in US last week and i am in London this week and i dont know where will i be next week. The only thing predictable in my life is you because i know i can call you and you will be in ISB awake till weee hours doing some stupid assignment and then cracking those cases which made my life hell.. I was like, Boss, hang on, i am NOT doing any cases.. OK, whatever, you were awake till wee hours watching movies.. Hang on, YOUUUUUUUUU, Gary.. You cant watch movie, you have to be a BLOODY consultant and you know we are like these best buddies who have always followed each other...Now that i am a bloody consultant, you better be one too or else who will do my half work.. See, when i get an assignment, i smile, i know that i will make you do half my job and i will do half and live happily ever after till the next assignment comes..

Sadist!! I am ashamed that you are my best pal!!

Really?

NO, i still adore you Nimbz totally.. Hmm..Because whenever i decided to watch a good movie, you entered into my house to watch the cricket match, you ate away all the food i cooked while sitting infront of my TV, you taught me the entire GMAT stuff which keeps me awake during the wee hours at ISB and which also made me jobless by the way, you wake me to solve your consulting issues, like i am your personal property and you can ask me to make your presentation any time as if i was born to make your presentations, and then i dont mind nething, i just laugh, because its you and i know that you are non sense since the day you were born.. :)



Hmm.. You know what, i think you are right.. I do feel that you were born to help me out with every roadblock i come across.. our friendship is like an addiction, be it food, be it cricket, be it work, i just know that you will be "end to end" solution for all my problems.. So, when i went to Harvard, my phone bill was sky rocketing because i had to make sure that you were alive and addicted to my non sense and then when i was in Banglore i realized that you forget to have your food, so i would come to watch the match and ensure that you have your food, i knew you were too content a person to spend sleepless nights for GMAT, so i knew that i had transfer my gyaan to encourage you to clear the exam, now that you are in ISB, i feel sad when i see your gtalk online till 3 AM, knowing that you always slept by 10 PM.. Now, that i have made my image like that of some sadhu and all doing all the goods in life to you, can you make the final ppt and send to me plzzzzzzzzzzzzz?

Awwwwwwwwwww... Killer!! Mujhe kya milega?

:D, Ice Cream or treat at water front when i m in Hyd next week, see if i have to come and meet my frend i need to finish this project and i need your help!

OK!! :)

Knowing me!!

Isnt it amazing to be able to know yourself.. I took on this hard task of analyzing me.. This is the me as of dec 2, 2008..

Tougher the task, better i am..
I dont get impressed easily..I like original, strong and innovative brains, rest everything is just crowd..
Not easy to change me on big decisions unless i am convinced..
I will never explain why to people who dont matter..
I am a good judge of people, my first impression usually turns out to be right..
My will power is my best friend..
I like honest and straightforward people, my closest pals are with me since last 18 years..
I follow F&F blindly [ Friends and Family]..
I dont like looking back, once done can not be undone..
I dont give up easily, once i am convinced, i fight till last breathe for what i want..
Success and failures dont deter me, i take both of them with equal grace..
Usually calm, unless i am brought out of my shell to take on an issue heads on..

I just have one philosophy in life, " Whatever happens, happens for the best because everything else never happened."

Happiness is my state of mind and not many people can mess up with it..

The Art of Living Classes

This is day 2 of art of living classes at ISB. Some 36 of us have joined the classes. I struggle everday to get up at 5 AM and go for the classes. However much one tries, one can not sleep before 2 AM, not because you have lots of assignments or lots of work, but its been 6 months of too much work and sleepless night, so you are awake like a donkey even if you dont have work.
So, the first day i spent 20 minutes contemplating if i wanted to go for the first class or not, bad me said i must sleep and good me said just a matter of one week, you must attend the classes and you have paid for it. So, good me won and i went for the classes, i was 15 minutes late, but the class had not started. First day was wuite average with various stretches and breathing techniques.
What moved me was today. They made us do a cyclic breathing technique called sudarshan kriya. It involved breathing in rhythm for almost half an hour. After the exercise was over and i opened my eyes, i felt as if my head was heavy. I never thought something as mechanical as breathing can move you inside out.
Art of living is indeed something to be tested. And i admire it not just for the calmness that it brings in but mainly due to the professional manner in which they have sold an Indian art. Unlike being foolish, the organzaition had packaged the entire system and branded them well. Since they have money, they have been able to hire eduacted people to impart yoga knowledge and expand their business across the world. The exercises taught in art of living do not come free of cost in an audio or book, but it requires a one to one class with the trainers. This not only leads to buiding of community, but also binds people together which can leveraged for greater good in time to come.
I appreciate the business sense of Sri Sri and his team and i think its worth every penny that they seek out of their consumers. Indians should learn to brand their unique patronage and earn royalty out of it.

My dream is to fly, like a rainbow so high!!

These are my last few months in ISB and i want to use all facilities and enjoy to the fullest. I have no clue what life has in store for me and i care a damn. Had visited almost all possible airbase stations near places where papa was posted. I was soooo excited to see the flying objects that dad never missed an opportunity to take me to flying stations.
Yesterday was a continuation of those days. I visited Rajiv Gandhi aviation academy in Hyd with some of my batchmates- Hardeep, Vaithy, Mrinal, Gaurav, Sabin, Vivek etc..
Gaurav, who has been a flight instructor earlier showed us the cockpit of cessna. He explained the instruments which show altitude, alignment and direction setting for the aircraft. Cessna is a light weight aircraft which has basic flying functionalities. It has capacity for keeping 2-4 people seated.
All in all it was my first technical understanding of an aircraft. Prior to this i has always marvelled at the flying object without knowing how people drive it. :)

The memorable day!!

A dream day in my life... Cheers to RealIN and India Inclusive!! Both have seen the light of the day!! We have strategic partners and right guidance.. Now the ball is in our court to make it BIG!!

The KGVK trip!!

http://www.kgvkindia.com/
This holiday it was a mini consulting project in Ranchi with Ajay and Pratik. Studying about one of the effective CSR's, meeting people who have transformed organizational culture and above all meeting the "Bharat".
The journey started on 9th oct 2008. We had to visit CSR office of Usha Martin group. Ranchi is a small town and glory of Durga Pooja was visible in every corner of the city. Sleep deprived as usual, we landed in Ranchi to fall asleep in afternoon, only to wake up at night for dinner.
The place was pleasant and we had no clue about what was in store for us. Second day started with a trip to TVM gurukul, which is training center started by KGVK in a village called, "Rukka". The place conducts training for nursing, cattle rearing and farming. There were small demonstration farms all around which experiment with growing different kinds of crops, if the farming is successful, the seeds are procured and villagers in command areas of KGVK are helped in raising the crops which give high returns and better yields. And i want to mention Mr Manoj Singh, Farm Manager who took us around the field to explain about a science which most of us never thought of.
The next step was meeting the management of the CSR. It was a long discussion on birth of KGVK, its learnings, success and some failures. We moved on to visit two small hospitals which were established around the city. They had all the facilities of a govt hospital made available at a nominal price. Th organization sends out vans in different villages around the region to take patients to the hospital on various week days. The services are offered at nominal price so that people value the same and hospital can sustain its operations over a period of time.
The day ended with visit to Usha Martin plant in Ranchi. I had read about total productivity management in books, but what i saw left me speechless. The amount of ownership employees had was phenomenal. A corner of the plant was dedicated to showcase the functioning of plant, the measures of revenue, losses carved out of card boards and written on a simple piece of paper. It was not the accounts, nor the strategy, it was organizational culture which made UM stand out. And i think, this does not come easy. Investing in people at personal and professional level is very important.
Next day started with visit to Patratu village in Ranchi district. There are close to 20 villages surrounded by mountains in this region. The land around is prone to soil erosion and there was no way to hold the water in this region despite heavy rainfall. The saga of transformation on land, in people can not be told in words. People have done plantation, they have learned to work in community, they have got a govt official behind the bars for asking for bribe and most importantly i could see the ownership and confidence. One of the villagers told that no one can cheat them. They know their rights, they run their own life and they are united. They are promoting education, cutting down on liquor and proactively working to take their village forward. This was the biggest implementation of concept of "empowerment" i had ever seen.
The experience was humbling. Over years i had heard that no one can change rural India, illiteracy is a curse, but here were people who had worked with all the odds to change people. Can "Change Management" be taught? This was the biggest i had ever seen, transformation of entire community and still growing.
Then came the chance to meet the visionaries sitting in offices. They want to promote their indianized version of Total Village Management across India. They are building their capacity to train, creating market for the rural capacity that they are building up and most importantly transforming the NGO mindset by trying to instill the importance of impact measures rather than relying on feel good factor.
Back in evening, sitting in my hotel room, i wondered, if it was all about strategy and org behaviour. I saw no third concept helping the situation transform. They are unique and they can not be taught in class rooms. Atleast in this scenario i saw more of soft skills, trust building and leading by example.
Some of the management lessons that i learned from the 70 year old CEO who created a 2500 cr company without any support and degree:
a) Don't waste time on negative people, pick the positive ones, create a success story and negatives will transform. Do remember that negative people are usually great leaders.
b) Respect all and you will command respect.
c) Trust and integrity are most important.
d) Create ownership at each level. Each one earns for himself.
e) When you lose temper, don't take immediate decision.
f) Avoid politics, invite healthy criticism.

Now that i am back, and when i read these points time and again, i can see what my Dad told me one night while discussing on some issue in school, coming back to me. He had told me that negatives are best left to watch the glory of success, they have no spine of their own. Life is best lived forward and learnt backward, so never regret, its a waste of time. And there is nothing like possible or impossible, if you want something, its possible, else you never wanted it enough. Sit back and count 10 when in anger, know there isn't a concept like ego and insult, the person infront has taken the weakest tool to attack you, you are too evolved to use a weaker tool yourself. Never let your mind wander from focus, that's the only way to kill hurdles and he said that when i grow up, i will see that all behavioral sciences evolve from these simple philosophies. :) Its not community, its improving the quality of individuals. Community is just a collection.
I think i saw his words echoing all around. Get the basics right, and rest will follow. It was indeed a connection of books to world and one of my best learning experience in ISB till date.
What i experienced in this trip has helped me learn a lot of concepts better. I will visit more shops and industries. I love to read novels and books, visit new places and meet people who learn from life and that's what i will do. :)

Thanks for the wonderful experience to :
Mr BK Jhawar
Mr LK Jhawar
Mr Mitra
Mr Mishra
Mr Shibaji Mandal
Mrs Mahua
Mr Manoj Singh
Mr Hemant Kumar
Mr Shashidhar
The Hospital Marketing Guys
The Driver who took us around
The Villagers who were the best in class
The soil scientist
And everyone i forgot to mention about...

Emotions!!

It was a blank face among all colors. The face was pretty, mind was innocent, but there were no hopes. Life had moved on, but hopes were left behind. Expectations and hope have been the most painful parts of human life, intangible, yet most damaging. Still, everyone hopes, till there is last breathe left. I stand in one corner to see hopes behind faces in all forms and colors, i smile and move on. I know life plays big games, it sells big dreams, and then mere mortal humans, they feel happy because they feel hope is reality. One fine day, everything will break away, the colors will fade, all hopes will go, left will be a bundle of painful emotions for something which never existed.

The MADS!!

Term 3 break will be one of the unforgettable ones in life. A gang of 25 ISBians headed to Dandeli and spent all 5 days away from the campus and books. I opened a book on brand equity and was immediately succumbed to water in the wash room.

There are these happy moments that flash infront of me as i want to so badly doze off. The star gazing by river side, river rafting, the 8 kilometer trek in jungle, jacuzzi, the 3 rum punch down sight of people especially when you aren't drunk, the evenings with music, Vij's PJs, the jhinga lala dance and tree house discussions. We got some very very interesting names and i want to put them on my blog so that i can laugh whenever i read them in years to come.

- Cozee Nath

- Gan- Pat -Rai

- Profound Baba

:D Oh, i totally loved the last 5 days. Thank You pals for all the fun and laughter!! Profound Talks and the cosy cosa songs!!

The Chosen Ones!!

Bundle Of Joys!!

This is one of the most wonderful days of my stay at ISB and i am sure nothing can beat it. The day was full of fun, laughter, beauty and ofcourse i was surrounded by the species of humans i am most comfortable with, the kids.:). I think i love kids of all sizes, shapes and colors the most in this world. They are happy, innocent and full of life.

The day reminded me of an incident when i used to visit an NGO in Bangalore. I was sitting and helping a girl do her homework, when she suddenly looked at my hands and said you are wearing a pretty bangle. I said thanks, i will get one of your size when i come next. She was silent for a moment and said, how many people love you? I said its surely less than the number of people who love you. Do they love you as much as you love me? This question left me speechless. Here i was, a stranger, spending two hours of my day, yes, i loved her, but then was my love the benchmark for her? That moment taught me the cruelty of life. Being brought up among strangers, being shouted for every little mistake, being cared for being a rare event, was all she knew about life. Life is not same for all of us. At the age of 12, someone knew this fact of life. She changed the topic and said i am lucky that you come, i know one day you will go away, only mothers stay and my mother did not stay. This killed me further, how smoothly has she accepted the fact of life? She is just 12, no one to get angry with, demand from, every happiness is for a moment and they know it wont last for long, still they live life.

Probably i saw hundreds of her today. And i know that when God takes away something, he gives something too. I was sad to see a little kid looking sad and not playing, after 30 mins i saw another kid, 2 inch longer than him :), carrying him in his lap. I knew, the baby was not alone, there is one of his size who cares for him and for him he is the family.

One of those days when i feel, i wish God had changed the rules of the game and he could keep all the kids in this world happy till they grow old and decide to ruin their life or keep it good. Each one of them deserves to be unreasonable, demanding and looked after. When i first held my little nephew in my arms i knew he was a bundle of joy and that i need to network with many more bundle of joys to grow in life. :)

Words of Wisdom!!

From Sir, to Students: Something i want to cherish for the rest of my life...

Dear Students,

Thanks for your kindness during the last session (and indeed all the sessions)! It has been a pleasure interacting with you and it was your intellectual curiosity that added spark to the course.I am sure I will read about you soon in the papers as great examples of people who harnessed the market for social good as much as for profits. Meanwhile, question everything. Defy conventional wisdom. Buck the trend. Read the less known novelist. Watch the movie without stars. Listen to the less famous person. What you encounter might enlighten you, entertain you, and even change your life!

Cheers,
KK

The Classroom of life!!

Be it Manish Sabharwal, Sanjeev of naukri.com or Vaani Kola a venture capitalist. A dinner with my dream star Jaqueline from Acumen Funds. A talk with Nitin Rao, who gave up MIT Sloan admit to do something for society, or an unknown man who came in simple attire and said i want to bring about a social sustainable change and i look forward to the brain in this b school.
I met colorful people. Have learned more from them than any text book could have ever taught me.
I specially loved the clarity of mind in Vaani Kola. Ruthless, straightforward, crystal clear mind. I think today's talk helped me appreciate the mindsets of venture capitalists, they exist to make money, they risk their money on you, till they see that you have emptied all pots in your home, your own conviction is at stake. Entrepreneurship is about persistence, smartness, ability to let go for a bigger cause. Its not the money to start with, its the sacrifice which counts.
Manish turned out to be an excellent speaker. Harvard grad who can turn the crowd to his side with the bestest possible words. His was a play of get going, dont stop.
Sanjeev on the other hand was an independent mind who would just not leave his idea, the conviction got better with every failure and turned into millions. It really takes lots of courage to keep following a path for years when all your colleagues fly in jet. It was definitely not money, it was just the DNA to succeed.
Jaqueline is one of the most compassionate person i have ever met. Her empathy showcases the good soul that she is. She really carries a head on her soulders. Smart, intelligent, dedicated. Someone who started acumen funds to make lives of millions better. She has a team of smart, dedicated professionals. Everyone is progressive and think of social improvement with a view. I met quite a few intelligent, interesting people. Its nice to know that people think of bringing up India the way i do. I am not alone in the battle of social change.
Nitin Rao is a young guy with amazing brain and clarity. In no time he has carved a space for himself in social sector. He thinks capitalist too. I liked the confidence and focus with which he carried his conversation with us. I am sure that i am going to help such people in every possible form, they are the face of this nation.
Last but not least, the simple man, he might not be the known one, but definitely the one to work for better. He said he wanted to chart a startegy for his charity. He does not want it to be plain cheque charity, he wants us to show him the way, so that money keeps on multiplying for good. Sir, meeting you made my conviction stronger. There are more and more people who think strongly about sustainability and there is a lot that we as future business leaders have, which can be used for the progress of nation.

Thank you to all of you!! I know my biggest learning from ISB is listening to you and gaining from your experience. Hopefully, i will make use to some of this in time to come.

Its a lovely rainy day. I missed on gol gappas and kulfi because as usual i was late for the treat.:( Never mind, some other time. Also, the dinner at barbe que last night says that its ok to miss on chaat today. :D
I miss the crazy moments i spent in Bangalore at times. Back to home, peep outside window to watch the world go by, walk in evenings, Gol gappe, my dvd shop, Sahil's dog (well, it was MY dog, it loved me more. He is the best dog in this world and i totally adore him.) , travel adventure talks, weekend trips to nearby places, Nimbz's gyaan and my habit of falling asleep while the gyaan was on and all others around me listened so carefully.. S
I think i was the most free spirit.. No hastles in life, satisfied with life and usually called Happy Singh for my reluctance to enter into anything that had remotests traces of tension.. And then Nimish told me that i should write GMAT because i am Harvard matter (coz he is one, Sahil is from LBS, Vikri, i dont even want to talk about his credentials and Reena whose credentials were worth mentioning till she fell in love with Vikri and i lost trust on her wits.. :P).. Anyway, i did write GMAT and books again..
Then there is this life, man!! assignments, books, placements, and then to add to my misery, fever last week.. What did i do to Happy Singh in me? I even missed gol gappe and papdi chaat today.. Its raining and i am struggling with Mr. Littlefield's personal problem of a company which does not even exist in reality.. Huh.. Whats this life like? I know i am not going to work so much in my life ever, also i could never use my salary that i got before coming here, so there is very rare chance of money making a difference in my life ever later.. I think i am converting from Happy Singh to Gyaani Singh.. Huh!! Koi ni, life is like that!! I will be Happy Singh next year again.. Hu ha ha ha.. nothing can change me!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Bday, Some Losses, some Wins!!

Its my bday today, as usual i am happy and happy and i have no reason to be sooo happy, but i am happy. Things have changed and life has shown many colors. When i look back, i feel wierd. There is a lot that i have left behind and moved on, i cant compare and put figures to what was right or wrong, but then all i know is that i have survived these years and made some wonderful friends.
I want to talk about people who are closest to my heart, the gang of 5. Life was all about movies, pop corns, food, jokes and so much attachment. Everyone is around you when times are good, but here, i am talking about people who stayed awake for 24 hours with me because i dint know if i could ever close my eyes. They have been with me when i looked blank towards ceiling, without knowing what to talk for hours. People who have made me smile when i lost it somewhere. These are friends who read out GMAT notes to me over dinner, so that i could clear the exam because i could not read. People who called me 20 times a day to ensure that i was as good as life would want me to be.
I dont know how much was Nam's phone bill last year and i have no clue about flight charges, I dont know how many consulting assignments Nimish left for me, i had no clue what 3 hours in ISB meant when i bothered Mrins, i had absolutely no clue why did Sahil get all friends DVD every day and use "my" microwave for cooking when he did not even know how to cook, while cracking the stupidest jokes and yes vikrant and reena for the soups and movies.
Then there is a story of trek on which i slipped, one hand held me and said, we did not come here to die, just know that, and you will be out of danger. Indifferent to life and death, i asked, how different is death from life, its an illusion. Tak came the reply, its a difference of not having you around, and trust me, its a big difference. It means no pop corns, no movies, no jokes and all in all cant think of life with anyone missing, so just shut up and keep your boring philosophy to yourself. :D

You know what pals, on this bday i want to tell you all that i love you a lot and when i look back at my life last year, i see the picture incomplete without you all. I always thought i was too practical and independent to feel strongly about situations and people, but i lost the battle to the love and care that you all showered upon me. This one year of my life goes out to you all. Cheers- Namita, Mrinal, Nimish, Sahil, Vikrant & Reena.

To all those wonderful moments when we laughed like crazy, to all those fights which made us discover that its ok to say sorry but very difficult to stay quite, and to all those dishes which were inedible, but still fought for and finally to a special moment when Nimish bandaged my whole hand just because i had a small cut on my finger, not because he cared, but because he was too lazy to get the pair of scissors. *^*$^%#########. I know it all, still i will manage my life with you all. :P

Phew!!

Tring Tring!! Hellow.. hey.. howdy? yes, i am fine, but you dont sound the same?
Hmmm... and i think i dont. Life is too complicated. Get up in morning, ( after 5 hours of sleep for someone who has always slept for 8 hours), study( someone who has always read novels and watched tv and travelled), assignments( someone who hated word docs and excels). You know life is really not the same and sound had changed to compensate.
So, am i not enjoying it? Oh yes, i am. I like all kind of challenges. Anything that stretches me beyond my comfort zone. Just that sometime you just want to be lazy and then dont want to use brain and blah blah blah.
But then isnt it a fact of life, as you move up in life, you leave a lot behind, incidentally this time, it turned out to be my sleep and leisure readings and hours of talks with my frenz and those travel trips to nowhere..
Never mind, one more year and i get back to my lazy self. Phew!! ONE WHOLE YEAR OF SLEEPLESS DAYS AND NIGHTS!! Huh.. What the heck, its 2 AM already and i am not waking up before 10AM tomorrow. Some decisions you take in life. :D

The Dynamics of a profession!!

As if the marvel of competitive strategy was not enough, i had an amazing lecture on macro economics. The prof said, when you will be CEO flying in your own jets, you will not open books, you will not have time to find figures and make excels, you will read newpapers and try to predict which market works for your busines and which does not. This was a simple man, standing infront addressing a class of 70 to be MBAs. He had videos on commanding heights and he had pateince to take each concept step by step.
I have never had such a deep respect for teaching profession before coming to ISB. With every passing day, this is getting faded. There are people who command respect. Professors are smart, they are better than consultants and some of them have immense knowledge of world.
Here, i have been linking all my knowledge to reading economic times and here was a prof who said, " I will share some newspaper clippings, if you get time, get them in class too, we will see how macro economics works. I dont care if you know quant or not, we will apply common sense and simple concepts. The paper will be based on these discussions." (Kick off those books and excels, get your brain sharpened) :)
Teaching is redefined. Profs are innovators, independent, marketers. They consult companies world over and unlike most of us, they are free. :)

Common Sense!!

Two months down in one of the premeir b school. I like everything that i study here. The concepsts in economics, accounts, marketing, strategy. Every time i listen to a term and try to assimilate, i just know that its all common sense. It has always existed around me. Is MBA all about making you more aware about your surroundings?
Yes, i believe it is. The conviction is getting stronger with every passing day. Just the way i always challenged science as an enginner for all kind of ideal scenarios it projected, i feel the same way for B school subjects. They teach you, GIVEN all is fit and fine, you can think straight, just that nothing will be fit and fine in real world.
Then what is success and business all about? This for sure is not the theory i read in books. Its all common sense, guts to play the game and handle it with full vigour if things goes wrong, or may be just a very very strong belief where you do not know what can not happen? After having read many autobiographies, i tried to draw some conclusion, successful people were passionate about what they wanted to do. They were not greedy about a royal life, but an original life and they all knew less about what would not work. Had they read all the books, they would have never dared to start any business...
Hmm.. MBAs are needed to run the business, a methodical MBA can be harful to start the business.. :)

The Economy of marketing!

Call it a 4P, 3C (alright, i have learned ABC new way:)). And then its about MR= MC. Interesting is the fact that marketing exploits all the constraints that economics puts in books. If economics says that price should be constant if many players stay in market, marketing says that you differentiate and create a new market. If economics says that you can at max value your product based on consumer surplus available, marketing says call it value based pricing and forget that there was ever a slanting line which said consumer surplus existed. So, i am loving it. The point is, i never believed in constraints. So, i go with marketing. I agree that nature will find its balance and finally economics principles will even out the playing field, only to make a firm move into new market and create a new imbalance. After all, business is all about generating values out of gaps, the moment equillibrium is achieved, business stops making sense. Business in every form is dynamic, fast moving, and opportunistic. The knowledge of constraints just lets you know, till when can you survive in same game. Given globalization and competition, economies achieve equllibrium faster, and hence the survival of business is becoming more and more challenging.

Sleepless in ISB

3 weeks down and it seems like eternity. It seems like ages ago, when i was asking my friend, how can a day be 20 hours long? I think everyone gets to sleep for 6 hours, but no thats not the case. Its a 20 hour day at ISB. Red eyes, dull faces, lectures, sometimes smiles, sometimes frown, thats what a b school is all about.
Term 1 comes with lots of surprises. CP, quizzes, case studies. Perfect was the mode to sell blades in indonesia. People all around were all bent to make it a successful marketing plan. The ideas dont stop, deadlines seem to haunt. Finally indonesia has had it. The urban male population better shave, it took us 3 sleepless nights to entice them into it.
Its fun. I dont know about the scores and books, but this place definitely teaches you to work hard, manage timings, being with people and i guess with so many tests coming up every day, i will learn to face all tests in life without stress. :)

The Puzzle

I will talk of a puzzle in my blog. Its a very complex puzzle. All parts are perfect and shining, but there is an element of apprenhension in each part. Each part wants to fit in its favourite place. Everyone wants to be a part of completed puzzle. Each part is equally good, but rather than looking at its own value, it is bothered about the other part. The puzzle is smiling at the pieces. It always knew that it was one puzzle. Blocks were cut out from it. Each piece has its place, still each part thought that it will find its place first. The parts forget that the puzzle is not complete till all parts find their place. After all the pieces are cut from it for a reason. :)

School dayz r back..

Reminds me of movie, "Sleepless in seattle." An avid sleeper, happy go lucky to hard working human. Thats the kind of transformation life is seeking from me. I am loving every moment of it. Have never stayed awake beyond 10 willingly, but time flies by here. Thats a b school. :)
Have never felt asleep while talking to anyone, but yesterday i fell asleep while talking to someone on phone, so here is the beginning. I always thought i can not sleep when a session is on, but my bheja was completely on to slide under the table while prof teaches. So, the naughty side is up. I am back to college.. :D

First Day in School.. :)

It was Noni’s first day in school. My brother, knowing that I am excited to see his reaction in school, took me alongwith. Looking at 3 people, accompanying the child, teacher said, he will never stay in school, but what the heck, when he has a whole trail of people to love him, prince will have his followers follow him. :) Amazing was the experience. He had never seen so many kids of his size and then there were fishes in aquarium. He was excited. Like all kids, he loves animals, he was happy in jim Corbett last week and was really amazed to see tiger in nainital zoo. ( I m not telling my kids that there is a zoo in Nainital, it requires a lot of climbing the hill and kids ride on your back and refuse to walk. All of us were almost dead by the time we got to see snow leopard in zoo. :( ). It was all fun until we left him with kids and teachers. When we went in after 10 minutes, he came running and hugged us. It was one moment, when I lost all brain that I had ever had. He was scared that we had left him alone. He was crying and the tears were of fear. Something which had never happened earlier, I did not know why did the teacher let so much fear settle into him. I was furious.
We got him back home. Talking about the same to my mum, she smiled. She said it’s the same thing everytime I let you or your bro go. I have brought you up. However much life demands out of you, you remain to be someone who had been extremely dependent on me when you were infant. When I left you for 2 hours in first school, I cried because I was not sure if world will love you the way I do. Then things settled in my brain and now it’s a change every year. Still, when I let you go to a new world, my fear is that world out there does not hurt you, not to see tears in your eyes. It’s the way emotions are.
I did not know what to infer. But thinking on the same, I am heading for a b school in two days. I am too old to cry, but I am sure that I feel what Noni feels. It’s a feeling of excitement and fear. I also feel what my family feels, that they are letting me go into a world which is not so protective of me. They are excited because it’s a step forward in life, but they also feel sad that I will have to stay awake for 20 hours and will have to take the pressure of competition. Like my bro said, why did you not opt for studio apartment? Have your meals properly. You have never stayed awake for 20 hours, do your best, but not at the cost of your health. I am still Noni for all. Finally, why Noni will go to school is, because he knows he can play with kids and his mum will come to take him back home. So, I will go ahead in life because I know I have a wonderful family which loves me. :)

Nothing has changed since age 2 till now.. :)

The Loss of Inheritance!!

This moment of time says that i have lost all my beautiful clothes, accessories, shoes and some books. My belongings which i couriered from Bangalore to Delhi have been misplaced. I dont know if i will get back my stuff or not, but it was everything that i ever bought and felt happy about in 4 years of my work life. It had my those little memories which might never come back to me.
I had bought a white lacy suit, a black dazzling saree, an extra expensive sandal, some beautiful earrings, my denim frock, my pink skirt ,my favourite night dress, and the teddy with whom i talked almost everyday. Its all over. These were the things i gifted to myself on special occasions. I was not an impulsive buyer but i do like to pamper myself. On every big achievement of mine, i had something which attracted me added to my wardrobe or bookshelf. I was never keen on big things in life, but these small things mattered a lot to me.
Everyone says they were just clothes, but why do i feel as if i have been devoid of all happiness in life and made to stand on ground 0. It was everything that earning gave to me as a person after 12 hours of hard work everyday. I dont know about my bank balance, i never touched the salary cash with my hands, it was all a number, only thing that i could touch and feel were these little things. Is it all over? Why do i feel i am being brought to ground zero? Not that those clothes defined me, but i possessed them, they were mine. I will come out of it, but i feel bankrupt.

The Painting!!

Its a blank canvas. The color is white. There are various shapes which have been drawn by time and life. The color is still white. Then comes the painter, the color is not white. The painting has got a whole life painted, the shapes have meaning and there are shades all around. Shades of emotions and life. The background is still white. The painting is admired by one and all. It has reached to an art gallery. The admirers are growing, so is its value. Painter is proud, so is painting, but the background is white. Then one day, someone comes and splashes the water all over. The colors have spilled, shapes have got distorted, painting is crying and then painter says, " Hang on, the background is still white. As long as background is white, life can be painted time and again. Its only when the background is lost, that one loses all hopes. " :)

The painting smiles. The painting is painted again. Its background is white. [ White stands for humility. ]

Its about Moti Pilla!!!

Its about those two little eyes i love. With every passing day i like Noni more and more and more. He has learned to speak. He loves to blabber, he does not want to sleep and he wants to talk. I like the innocence in his eyes, fun in his soul. I think kids are the best thing in this world and i do feel that JK Rowling is the most successful woman in this world. Its not easy to get into child's world. Like every time noni sleeps with me, i try to make a story full of animals who look cute and adorable. Something tells me his world is so amazing, its full of toys, games, 4 of us. :) The other day he woke up from his sleep crying for a balloon, it must have been a sweet dream. Noni, your bua loves you, you dont even know how much happiness you spread around. Its these little walks with you in search of moti pilla, shyama chiriya that i will miss when i am not around. And i also know that no one in this world can love me the way you do. Its always bua, kaana kaa lo, bua kelo, bua paani peena hai, bua doggie hai, bua cat hai, bua superman hai, bua butu hai. :D You will always remain to be my favourite baby, always, always, always.

A world beyond!!

Its about my journey over this weekend. We happened to visit some remote places in rajastan. Its not the first time that i went there, but i think i observed quite a few things. I liked the journey coz it was my whole family with me. Sitting next to my driving brother, i wondered how long will it take to reach, and thanks to the amazing highways, we were there in straight 4hours. Its our ancestral temple place called, Fatehpur, which was our destination. We have our kuldevi there and we try to visit the place atleast once in an year. I dont know i believe in God or not, but i do have an element of faith that there is something good about having faith. :) I like everything about that place. The inherent simplicity, the lifetsyle, inherent little happiness. I love it all. I so badly want to peep through those windows and see what life with no complexity would look like.
The earlier stays used to be at our own temple house, but this time we stayed in a hotel called, "Haveli". The hotel was constructed in a haveli. Houses there are huge mansions. They have big squares surrounded by huge rooms. When i was a little child, papa took me to our Haveli, it is supposed to be the largest mansion in the surrounding, it had 7 squares, huge doors, a well in back yard, beautifully painted walls. I was like, papa was a king may be. :) Papa took me through half of the haveli as its too big to cover. He showed me room which belonged to my dadi ma. The yard, where cows and camels used to ke kept. It was in bad state then. No one lives there anymore. The haveli was left when my dad was 4-5 years old may be. But i remember, as a kid it was all like a fairy tale to me.
Today, after years may be, it still is a fairy tale to me. There are cemented small roads, no big cars, some 8 seater autos, huge huge mansions, small, little shops and those windows i want to look into. As i stood in the temple, i remembered of a girl whom i have seen everytime i have visited this temple. And i said God, will she still be here? God is powerful, i was sitting in one corner pondering, when i heard the temple bell and i looked at the girl's face, yes, she is there. I did not say anything to her, i am sure she would not recognize me, its just one of those little memories in my head. Its all so familiar. Some facts of life never change.
We headed for some market tour. There were small shops of laquere bangles, shining laces, suits, shoes. I decided to buy a pair of pearl bangles for me. Two women slightly shy looked at me and said wear both, you have bought them.(there is no system of carrying bangles in packet, you buy and you wear.) I smiled and kind of felt proud to possess the white delicacy. This is called simple pleasure. I never felt so when i shop worth thousands in bangalore or delhi.
I love the way youngsters dressed like salman khan, ride on their bike to no where. There are shy young girls, who will sit on small shops and spend hours bargaining for local lipsticks worth 15. The old women sitting infront of houses and keeping an eye on neighbours. Ever wondered, life is just so simple for these people. Its about two little sweet shops, a visit to temple for prasad, about the latests in town gossip and a peaceful sleep. There are no BIG cars, no furniture shops, no big dreams which keep you awake whole night. Its about two meals and your image in the small town.
As we headed back to delhi, the roads started widening, the expenses started increasing, the complexity started building up. My mind was full of pre terms, accounts, finance, big dreams, confusions. I want to live a life as simple as the one i left behind, for a day. I know its difficult, but i want to experience it for a day may be. Its just the inherent innocence of being untouched by moribund city life, which makes those people so lovable. I wish i could erase all my learnings and experience the happiness of possessing those white pearl bangles for a day and sleep with a certainity of a similar day coming up. Things have started changing so often in my life that the word "routine" has lost its meaning. I am sure that while things will become better in worldly sense, i feel i will lose myself and my free spirit with every step up. Its all a fairy tale for sure. In real life, my mind has been corrupted, i know luxuries, i know comforts. Happiness is not so simple for me, may be its a world beyond.

Dark Inside!!

The hazy world- shine, shimmer, liquor, big talks, royal ignores, show off. Dishonesty, grapevine, betrayal, street smartness to reach the top. I have been hearing these words for ages now. Started back in 1999 when i joined DU for grad. I still dont relate to it. I have done great in my job by being myself. No non sense, no buttering, no drinking and smoking,no flirting, no being a part of grape vine, being ruthlessly straight forward, having fun by being a part of all fun movies, tours and parties. People have not hated me for being me, i think my relations are there to stay because there were no pretensions and no false justifications. And dirt filters out for itself, i dont have to put an effort. I know hollow people cant stand me and i dont make an effort either. :)

Why do i find the other part of the world hollow? I do, with logics. I am a part of other part of world too. I watch them closely. There is always an insecurity hidden behind faces covered with anxiety, fear, and a smirky smile. There is a restlessness to prove, to stand out. Yet they tend to diminish, because the "me" and "what i want" part is non existent. Most of the time , its a life lived for others perception. No one knows if it makes them happy or not. No one knows if its worth their money and time or not, but it exists. Is it search of finding lost identity in dark?

Anyway, i know i am talking vague, but it makes a lot of sense to me. Originality is so rare, even at the top. But there is a place for everyone. Lets see who wins and who loses in the end. Alright here's another part of world, its my cutie baby nephew Noni who wins, he dsnt care, lives his life, does what he wants to do, talks in his language and dsnt give up till he gets what he wants. I think day on day i know that i love him the most in this world, because he is original, always drunk in passion to achieve his sweet, little goals, and lets the failures go away by shifting his focus by finding alternative ways. Every human is so meant to be succesful when he/she is born and then he grows up to look like world wants him/her to, learns to be an averager. Sad, huh!!

NO wonder all parties are dark, dull and artificially lit with loud music to hide the meaningless murmers. Its really hollow. :)

Yeyyyyyyyyyyyyy

This is amazing.. My team gave me surprise gifts.. Financial Analyst called up said, there is an urgent work, i want to see you. Come out of building near fountain.My heart skipped a beat. Man!! financial problem on 2nd last day? I pinged Jay in Pune, is it the revenue report? He said yes may be some issues, dont worry will sort it. Just go and check with her, i will try and call her too.
I was like, fine, delay the 5 o clk call please, i dread these financial and revenue related problems. :(
I walked out with 200 things on mind. Suddenly the lady walks down, all smiles. I was like why is she smiling when issue us so urgent? And she hands over two packets to me. One full of books and other is supposed to be something special. This is from your team and Jay organized it for you. I was soooooooooo thrilled. It had all the books i would have loved to read. We often discussed on books. He actually took the pain of selecting the titles for me.
The little box has a magic cup. It says," If dreams are big enough, facts dont matter. " :P I am sure this evolved out of my arguments with him that facts are just stats, they evolve out of risks finally. And it says, "All The Best from ES solutions Team. " and it has a nice nice pic of mine. God knows from where did they get it. :D

Alright, i am loving it. My table is full of gifts. I have 4 books and a mug.
THANK YOU TEAM!! I love to recieve gifts specially when they come with so much of surprise. And special thanks to Jay for putting in so much effort.

Richie Rich!!

Bidding adieu. Lots of miss you, difficult to let you go, hugs, love yous, keep in touch, all the bests.. :(
Life is all about moving on. But somehow i know that all those love yous and miss yous are genuine, because i feel the same way for all. Its been a small world. I met some people on road, and then in a restaurant and then in organization and then again and again. Our paths crossed and we became friends for lifetime. Each one i came across is smart, intelligent, fun loving and unique in his/her own sense. We had intelligent discussions, funny anecdotes, learnings and aspirations. I came across many many people. In the end what remains is a pool of people i relate to and they are there to stay.
I have a very big learning from last two years. Its not the work, its the people you interact with, who define your growth. The kind of people i have met in last two years have simply brought out a lot of skills hidden in me.
I just know that good people and challenges have to be constant in life. You will grow only when you face challenges and when you will have people to say that you can get better.
In the end, its not a bye bye. Its a keep in touch message. I was fortunate to meet each one and i have received some learnings from all. If there is anything that i have earned in last 4 years, its not my bank balance, its the people and learnings from them. I am taking my old friends as treasure and will keep increasing my wealth with every passing year.

Its a small world and i know that our paths will cross for sure. I have a strong belief that we meet people for a reason called "destiny". There are millions of people whom you see every day, its just few who you interact with. Who filters that for you? Its destiny, isnt it? :)

And then you say it all..

Discussion on what is right, what is not. They form a part of many lives. Philosophy has been very close to me. But yesterday, a frend of mine gave me a very good thought in a wonderful discussion.

I was sitting and talking about why people do what they do, when he said he will explain. He said there is only one fact in life, "survival". Everything else derives from that and i challenge everyone who claims to be above that. Plato, Socrates, blah blah blah. He mentioned about an interesting aspect. He told me that i deal with machines and people's career, but a doctor deals with life. Even there, he has to make a trade off. When there is one oxygen cylinder and two patients who are dying, he tries to save one with better expectation to live. Which philosophy works here? The men in death bed are world to many more lives, but for him its about taking a sensible decision and not emotional. Philosophy says, treat all men equal, but logics say probability of hitting it right is best on the other side. He has not committed a sin, he has given life to the one with best chance of "survival."
He said take example of your work life. People will be good, they will back stab, they will do all kinds of things to get best grades. You might have been the rightest, still they will take away your share if you dont know how to "survive". All philosophies given and taken, how good you have to be will depend on person you are dealing with. If you are being good to bad person, you are letting him be worse and hence your survival as a good becomes questionable or "foolish". So, its all conditional. You have to be balanced, not do bad to anyone, but you have to protect yourself also. If someone tries to act smart, be smarter. If someone is genuine, be genuine. Its called "art of survival." Its the ultimate reality of life. If xyz says i love you, then it does not mean that you have to. First, you have to check whats the intent behind his feelings and then measure them. Philosophers will say that people love you because they think they do, but the fact of life is that even love has a set definition for everyone. It could be thought process, looks, ability to talk.. blah blah blah. There will be millions of moments in life when people will ditch you, blame you, not because you are wrong, but because their own conscience can not stand infront of you. You dont have to give up your good dreams for them, instead you have to stand by and let them fight their own survival fight.

About a man who closes his company on ethical issues. He has taken away food from 400people overnight for no valid fault of theirs. For me he is not right, while the ethical issue was big, the responsibility of 400 people was bigger. There is nothing good about philosophy here, unfortunately it does not curb hunger. I dont know about good, i cant see it, but i know that there is hunger and too much bad because people are unable to survive.

And what he said in the end was beautiful. Everyone is selfish, Gandhi gave up everything because his self ego got hurt by britishers, Mother Teresa did what she did because her mental satisfaction derived from that, i will sit with you and talk because i feel that this is what i want to do and like to do, the dog will bark because he thinks that his area is his area. Now, tell me who among all of us is not living to survive and who do you think is bad or good? The biggest philosophy is Geeta. It says irrespective of what happens in life, do your karma. There is no bigger philosophy in life, its called action and survival. You will do some good and some bad, in the end if you come out well without hurting people who did not hurt you, you have done good.

I was speechless.You are every bit right my friend, no wonder you are succesful and at peace with world. :)

Its not all about MONEY HONEY!!

Budget and its implications!! The short sighted view has had an impact. The share market saw its lowest trend and i am not so sure if farmers really know what is being offered to them, but banks for sure have an astrologically bad time. While the government is very pro in hitting the right chords when it comes to making emotional people happy, it fails to sustain the happiness for long.
Sometimes i wonder, with the best of brains in country serving as civil servants, is forming a right kind of financial policy so difficult? Don’t they know that charity is old fashioned now, enablement is the key. I am not saying that good things do not happen, i have seen employment cards scheme started by government, i have seen good interest shown by big corporates in procuring rural products, i have also been told that a big retailer is looking at a huge tie up with airline fleet for transferring products across for its stores, so yes, the need for the day has activated many brains. I also know that millions of dollars flow in India in the name of upliftment, but unfortunately, with so much of resource at hand, the outcome is negligible. So, it is really not a lack of resource for us anymore, it is the lack of connection between demand and supply.
What needs to get going is- Infrastructure, education, technical know how, corporations in each village to disseminate knowledge and connect with demand side in cities and places abroad. They are forbidden world. They have power to work and act, but they don’t know which direction is the world outside moving into. With such intelligent civil servants at our nation's disposal, we fail to form a smart governance policy. (They don’t have to slog in fields, they just have to show direction and hand hold. I believe sitting in one village is a waste of time for a civil servant, his job is to plan a strategy and delegate, there are teams which can be hired to implement. )
Since childhood, i have come across many civil servants and year on year my conviction is strengthened, that no one can challenge their intelligence. They go through rigorous selection process, they are all well read and they can create smart business models, but they don’t; because politicians don’t use them. I am just left wondering today, politicians in every country are supposed to be politicians, infact even in normal job, there are politicians. Civil servants can not be thrown out of job by anyone other than a president, and that has not happened in the history of this nation. They have power and brain to tweak around the system, keep everyone happy and still do good for nation. Lalu has got a railway system running with the help of these brains, then why do others fail? You can remain as bad as you are, still do good for nation, every progress will mean an addition in your capacity to receive bribe.
And then, it’s not about money, it is just a resource. A resource without proper utilization is garbage. Give away crores if that keeps people happy, but create a system underneath to ensure that it solves the problem at hand. Why don’t we incorporate analytical techniques when coming up with budgets? Have the problem statements, goals, solutions. Once we have the roadmap, incorporate the emotional factor (say 25% weightage) for vote banks and roll out the governance plan. I am not saying hit your pockets, you are politicians for a reason, but make use of resources you have (civil servants, corporate influence) and do something which makes you feel proud of your own power and improves your earning capacity in future.

India always had more brain than money. Use what you have more, leniently and be a bit stingy with what is not your strength. All nations have politicians with similar characteristics, because that is the kind of skill set needed for being one. Beaurocrats were meant to compliment the politicians, but the education system is faulty, they are just books with zero convincing and “marketing” capabilities, may be. Politicians have done a great job (hit the emotions), civil servants have failed(Right governance and progress goals) . System has been failing for investing so heavily on dormant brains for years in this nation. In the end, it’s not all about money honey, there is something called brain which ensures that money is given its right place.

The Budget is not BAD, but this is not the kind of budget a nation seeing transformational economic progress expects.

Letter from Brain to Heart!!

Dear Heart,

It has always been nice to see you pondering, flowing, and giving extreme emotions to the owner you belong to. Its fun that while you are supposed to pump blood and have skinny red color and wierd shape, still people have made you rose red and given you nice sweet shape. You are supposed to take everything that i keep on track, off track. You are supposed to make people cry and happy. You are the dreamer, creator and destroyer. I know you pump blood and i am supposed to think, but still you rule and for once in life i want to tell you that i love you and i envy the amount of emotions that you carry.
I work day in and day out, do not let the body sleep, scan through million newspapers, filter knowledge. I am taking my owner to a world where knowledge and intelligence further widens my span. I think, i filter, i analyse, i give a good amount of rationale and logic to my owner. The owner who uses me is always balanced and thanks me. The usage keeps on increasing and i take pride in being right.
Then one fine day, you step in. You are indeed someone who can destroy my hard work part by part. By the time i realize, you have already done enough harm to me. I feel bad and sad, but i know that i will wait for your game to get over. I can not fight it, till the impact is large enough to hand over control to me.
No, i am not complaining. I like you, infact i love you for all the feelings that you carry and the kind of intense moments of emotions you lend. I also want to confess that when you take over the control, i am happy to see the amount of happiness that flows because i never let anything get off balance and you just loose that balance to make life worthwhile. I like it all.
Only regret i have is, even when i know that what you are bringing together is wrong, i let you do so because i like your freedom and bent. I sit quitely and watch the games you play. I stop working for the object in question. And then when your game is over, all my inaction and laziness converts into pain. No, i am not saying that i dont like you, but i am not so sure that you mean a lot to me anymore and i dont think i am letting you impact me blindly. I will not be lazy and i will not regret. You are supposed to pump blood and i am supposed to think. When i think and decide, you can decide the amount of emotions you want to flow around.
My job is to think. I will think as long as i am alive. Love is not about hearts, its also about brains who match. Hearts faulter, brains dont and even if they do, the reasoning exists.

I know you are powerful, but then i am rational. You have a role to play only when i let you play.

With due respect to everything that you are, i am not letting you take over me, you will compliment me when i let you do so.

Yours truly,
Brain

Eeeuuuuuuuuuu

Well, this is something which i remembered early morning while talking to a gal in bus and i started laughing like mad. I thought i will share it with the love of my life "MY Blog". ( Yes, i want to call it mine) :)
The girl was mentioning on how she came across an uncle who told her what is the right place for gals and how they should behave and all that. I remembered a train journey. There was an old couple sitting next to me. It was Rajdhani and i had descended from the upper berth after reading my novel and was waiting for my dinner. Suddenly, both of them ( who seemed to be thoroughly bored of looking out of window) started a conversation.
"Beta, kaha se aae ho aur kahaa ja rahe ho?" I told them about the journey. They started asking about my education, my work. Suddenly, uncle saw an english novel in my hand. He started, this english culture, these novels are not good. I said uncle its on Indian history, it is nice, i can tell you in short what it is all about. BUT, NO! He was all set to tell me that being a girl reading is not what i need to do. I was like, alright, go on, i have a hollow pipe between my two ears and i am in no mood to argue. Thankfully my dad did not think the way you did, else i have no clue what would have happened to my life.
Man! he was getting too much. So, do you know how to cook? AND i told myself, did i tell him that i am looking for a maid's job. Anyway, chill, just answer. I said i know whatever is needed to live, i am not dependent. Uncle ji, dont you know how to cook, wash etc etc? I said, this is the problem with hindi culture, people are so dependent, they will look at books and clothes when they dont even know how to cook their own food and wash their own clothes. (Now, i was ready to take it heads on, enough is enough ok ;)) BTW, do you know?
He said nahi beta aunty hai na tumhari. I looked at the poor lady who looked thoroughly disgusted with her husband. Suddenly all my anger was gone. Yeah, dinner was over and i was having the sweet dish which was an "ice cream". I started laughing like mads. Uncle said kya hua bete? I said uncle, after all the seva that aunty does, you gave aunty to a stranger? He said kaise? I said you never said she is my wife, you said tumhari(stranger's) aunty. I wonder whats wrong in atleast accepting that she is your wife and you love her because you only know how to eat and not how to cook what you eat. I just hope we learn to acknowledge the love and care if nothing else. I am not so sure that this is culture and if it is, it is biased and i for sure think that i am more than a cook for rest of my life, at the cost of being uncultured or whatever bull shit. And then maid servants are available for 5k, so why bring someone home(detach from ething that she is born with) and crib over a bottle of liquor for rest of your life, calling it a "mistake". Please dont ruin people's life for your self interest. If you are "cultured", be good and sensible.
But anyways, goodnight!! I got to read that dirty novel, its damn good. It opens up my mind and hence i sit and comtemplate on culture, so i understand it disturbs your comfort factor. Bbye! It was nice talking to you both. They start staring back to nowhere out of the window and i get back to reading my "dirty" book on Indian history.

Cruelty at its Best!

I happened to pick a dvd with three Afghani movies. I like to watch movies from different countries and languages. ( OK!! i dont understand language but they give good insight into culture.) The movie is about some barbaric rules in Afghanistan where in a woman is not allowed to walk out on street without a man.
The movie moves around a family of a lady, a little girl and an old grand mother. All men in their home have died in wars. They have no one to accompany them outside. If they dont go out then how do they earn for living? They decide to dress up their girl like a boy and follow her for work. There is one street urchin who knows that she is a girl, but he decides to keep quite.
One day, all young boys are caught to teach islamic learnings and she is also made to join the troop.
The movie revolves around her escapade and fears that she will be killed if its discovered that she is a girl disguised as a boy.
The barbarians find out that she is breaking "law". They decide to kill her. No one comes to save her. She is married off to a 60 year old man in the name of mercy.

Oops!! Do people have any sense left? Where do their rationality go? When they make laws, dont they know that women are also human, they need to eat and live too or does the religion consider them to be worse than animals? I was shocked. If they think woman are that bad, its better to kill them and survive in this world alone with their supremacy. In the end, its not men's world. Its a world where every entity has a unique place. Anything that has life and emotions has to be treated with human sense. But the issue is not just the men, its also the women who accept it.

Back Pack from Bangalore!! :)

This is about Bangalore. Its last 15 days in this city. I remember first time when i landed in Bangalore. I had never been to southern part of India, so it was my first tryst to a different state. Things were normal. Bangalore is a truly cosmopolitan city. Not even once in last 4 years did i feel that i was in a part of country which was not known to me.
Its been almost 4 years now. Now that i am wrapping up my things, i realize that i love this city. I have seen many colors of life here. A good set of friends, lots of work, nice weather, extreme emotions and one of the worst phases of my life. Its all over. I have evolved and survived everything to move on into a new phase of life. As i pack my stuff, i look at everything that is mine. Its about the curtains, the dvd, the microwave, the walls, the TV,books,clothes. Each one has a story to tell but then i know i have to give them away and move on. Thats what life is all about.
I dont know what am i heading towards, but what i leaving behind is equally good. This life was good, but then i am never satisfied and i wanted to do better in life. This had to come to an end, i was getting comfortable in this life.
As i sit down to settle my papers, i see some greetings, some visiting cards and some home delivery food palmphlets, and there is a curve on my lips. Yes, i love my friends. The way they would come to my home and demand food, watch TV as if it was their property, crack jokes, download music on net, go out for dinners, talk about ages and years( some of them are my childhood friends), stealing away my books and who is good fight between boys and gals, and yes, i have been irrational when things went wrong, but nothing changed in them. They were always the same, they never left me, not even for a moment, not even when i gave them all reasons to. And i know how lucky i am to have them. Its about the fights we had on chocolates, about the color black, about why they called me all india radio coz i talked a lot and about ice creams with a walk in night. We all are doing very well in life but i dont remember us discussing work often. If someone has an issue at work, we will go all the way to make things light and normal, but otherwise, we had millions of things to talk of.
I remember when i had a severe throat infection. I could not speak and even sleep. My friend used to stay over and make fun of my voice. We laughed, but then i also know that she woke up at midnight to tell me that she wanted to read a book, that was more to make me feel normal because i could not sleep. :)
Its all over? I dont know where will we all go. Suddenly i want to sit and cry, but then i will not. I am ruthlessly practical, i am not emotional anymore. I value everything, but nothing enough to hurt me. I will let it all go with a smile. But just to say friends, you all have been the best part of my life and you are as important to me as anything could ever get. I will be there for you, whenever and whereever you need me.
Here is a teddy that i got. I like it because i love it. Its soft and white and big with a cute smile. It wears a frock and has a bow. When i scored a 580 in my GMAT mock, i looked at my teddy and said read it as 700+ and nothing less and there are no second attempts in my life. It was smiling and i hugged it. And when i wrote my essays for ISB, i told my teddy, how much self boasting does it need, it smiled. And when i went for ISB interview, a day before i blurted out all my answers infront of teddy and asked was i good? It smiled. I got ISB sms, i said you think i should check out the sms? It could be a reject in which case we will cry and accept, in which case we will watch a dvd of FRIENDS. It smiled. So, i learned one big thing from teddy, keep a constant expression, things will come and go. BTW, its still smiling and i am not leaving this in Bangalore. This is going to go to my nephew because both of them smile irrespective of the seriousness of the issue at hand.

Yep, its all packed. Its just two weeks. I have learned to move on. I have learned to give everything my best shot and keep a constant expression irrespective of which direction things move. I dont have a balance sheet of life and i dont keep accounts of happy and sad moments, but i am sure they balance out, i come out happy. I am a survivor. Thanks to everyone who came and went in my life. Thanks to people for coming across my way and teaching me a thing or two, but we are crossing the same path too often. I need to go to a new path, i need to meet new strangers and learn. It was good here and it will be good out there. The point is, i have one life, i have to keep moving till i discover my goal. I am exploring life and each phase is full of surprises. I have packed my good memories and stored them safely. I am leaving bad memories as they are too much of weight and courier charges are sky rocketing. I am sorry, i dont have money for non sense as i am jobless for next one year, only good things can move on in my journey called "life".
Remember, i attach to all good things in life. Good people, good thoughts, good food, good clothes, good work, good movies, good books, good ice creams, good babies, good education, good good good. There is nothing bad in my life, i leave them all behind. :D

And to the place i loved most.. Kanya Kumari!!

This is day 3. We start for Kanyakumari late night and reach the place at 3 AM in morning. God, i need to sleep. We land in a hotel room, the tour guide says, mam, i will be here at 5:45 AM, we have to see the sun rise from Bay of Bengal. Haan bhai! OK!! And i am telling to myself, i dont care whether sun rises or not, i dont think i am getting up. I NEED TO SLEEP!!
I enter into my room and open the window, i can see sea. I saw a huge rocky structure in dark, thats Vivekananda memorial. OK mum! sun rise will look good. I will get up. I set the alarm for 5 o clock and go for a quick sleep. It dsnt take long for that alarm to ring, but then i dont have a choice, sun will not wait for me. We get up and walk down to the sun rise point. I had never seen day shining on sea shore. It was beautiful experience. The sea waves were hitting the rocks. The day was brightening with every passing moment. I captured the stages. Suddenly the orange round rose up from behind the sea. It became bigger and bigger. There were boats of fisherman going out in sea. Expereince was amazing. The waves of water were running to hit the shores as sun made them brighter.
We headed to a point where Indian ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian sea meet. the color of water of these three seas is different and you can see the black, dark blue and greenish color stand out. I like the feeling of sea waves wiping off the land beneath my feet. I settled in knee deep water and waited for sea waves. Its amazing. There is water all around and soft land under your feet. The color was marvellous. We moved on to check out some temple of brahma, vishnu and mahesh 20 kms off kanya kumari. We took out some time for wax museum in kanya kumari. I liked the way guide described it, "One london, 5000 Rs, other wax museum India only 50 rs." :).
We came back to sea shores for Kanya Kumari temple, vivekananda rock and gandhi memorial. Now was time to explore Vivekananda rock which was off the land. We were seated in a huge boat, it took us to place where swami vivekananda prayed for knowledge. Nice site. Sea touching the rocks all around. There was water till my eyes could see on one side. Time to come back.
We reached back to hotel and started back for Bangalore. I wanted to stay in Kanyakumari for a day more because we had not seen the sun set. I told to myself, never mind, some other time. Mum seemed to be enjoying sea a lot. She did not crib of tiredness, no sleep or food or for that matter anything. Strong mum! when i asked her thrice, she said she wanted to sleep and i saw that our feet were swollen because of extensive travel in short time. Time to get back to home sweet home.

All in all, its tiring, tanning, sleep depriving, but travelling is always worth. Its fun to discover new places, meet new people, learn about new cultures. One life is not enough and i need to sleep before i go miles...... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.........

Location- Kanya Kumari
Travel- 250 kms from Kanyakumari
Food- Good
Cleanliness- Good
Places to visit- Sun rise, Vivekananda memorial, Kanya Kumari temple, i liked was museum, Sangam point, Gandhi memorial, brahma vishnu mahesh temple.
Caution- have fun@ beaches ( remember three oceans meet at this point, its a rare sight.)

Journey Journey Part 2 with droopy eyes...

This is day 2. The day is supposed to be a trip to Rameshwaram, this is an island situated in gulf of mannar. I asked mum not to wake up very early as i knew that next three days were going to be extensive on journey. But, the day starts at 6:00 AM. I have difficulty opening my eyes, but then something tells me that you are going to check out the south eastern tip of India, c'mon. And i jump out of the bed. Ready to run at 7:00 AM. With bag on my shoulders, i enter into the bus to find some of the known faces. We all smile at each other. I take out my camera and share some of the pics with the gal, who is amazing photographer. She shows hers to me. We all settle for a 3 hours bus ride. I keep showing the farms to mum in the way. We finally smell something BAD, alright, this is fish and we are near sea. Mum was happy, she told that she loves the horizon and i realize that so do i. There seems to be a point where sea meets sky and there is no visible piece of land. And trust me, for a moment, everything looks like a beautiful painting to me.
We pass pamban bridge on the sea. Its a beautiful site. The bridge is constructed on sea and there is a parallel railway line which runs along. There is water all around.
We stopped to see a floating stone's temple. There are some stones which when thorwn in water, do not drown. It is said that the ones' touched by Nal and Neel from hanuman's army do not drown. This indeed is interesting. One temple was ruined by tsunami, but then they show the ruins.
We reached the main rameshwaram temple. There is a queue of people who are willing to sell you moksha for Rs 50/-. The package includes taking a plunge in sea, then they will throw water from 22 wells on you( which will make u holy), then if you pay 150, you will be given special prefernce over people who are standing in queue. Ok, i get that.
The whole temple is muddy and watery because people have to go through the 22 well bathing. Its supposed to purify ones soul, but you should take bath after being through 22 wells, your body is separate from soul. This was an interesting experience. Millions of people is all i remember. The temple is huge. Again an architectural marvel and yes indeed the water from 22 wells does not dry up even after millions of people take bath in it. It is said that water from each well tastes different and Lord Rama had to go through this before he sat down to pray to Lord Shiva.
We came out of temple soon. This was time to explore surroundings. I loved the sea though it was dirty at the shores. I sat down at a cleaner side and observed a ship pass by. It was a small, wooden boat. The person rowing it was a fisherman. He was heading in a huge sea with his fishing nets. He does not know about moksha, he knows that he has come on earth and he needs to earn to survive. He waves his hand and so do i. I know everyday he heads closer to moksha. I look at the temple in back ground, God is smiling again. He says, you all come to me and there are millions who earn from your coming, look at it positively. I set my eyes at the small fading boat again. I got my answer God, OK!! :)

Location- Rameshwaram
Distance- 200 kms from Madurai (3-4 hours journeys)
Food- Average ( You get all kind of Indian food)
Cleanliness- Its a holy place, so dont expect anything
Places to visit- See the south eastern most tip of India from pamban bridge, check out the sea, do go through 22 wells(they never dry), check out the temple architecture. Yes, you can see Abdul Kalam's house in Machalipatnam. Floating stone temple.
Caution- Be rational.

A 3 day trip to holy south indian cities..Part-1

The journey started at 10:30 PM on 22nd feb. I wanted to sleep then and i want to sleep now as i am jotting down my experience. In morning the bus hit Madurai. I woke up my mum and told her that we were in temple city. Madurai looked like an old, dirty town. ( I have no clue why is tamil nadu dirty, but consistently i have observed that while its earning from tourism in immense, they don't learn that hygiene factor is important.) Here, a man walking on dirty streets without slippers, welcome to Madurai.
We got down and were taken to a nice hotel by our tour operator( Thankfully, had it been dirty too, he was in to get a good piece of mind for me.). We were told that we were near Meenakshi temple and we could visit the same and be ready for a trip around city by afternoon. We got ready and walked towards Meenakshi temple. The temple was huge. It has four huge doors and has magnificent stone carvings all around. There is a temple of Lord Shiva and Meenakshi. To me the temple looks mysterious because its too huge and dark. We boast of technology, but the funny part is we cant even maintain what people could make 1000 years back. The temple needs better maintenance. The temple was dark inside with some small openings through which sun descended its rays into the temple. And, lets not talk of pandits and their constant cry for money. I feel like asking God that why did he become so biased about his bhakts. What if i did not have 50 rupees, was i not supposed to see him then?
Afternoon was welcomed by a tour guide. We were taken to some palace which has been converted into a museum. The carvings were wonderful, BUT it cried out loud for maintenance as well. It was dirty, unkempt and full of people. It will not survive the century if not taken care of. From there, we headed for some big lake. There is a temple right in mid of that lake. The temple is empty year round. Once in year, god and goddess are brought to visit the same. So, we are shown the same from distance and i so badly want to go to the temple and see it. BUT, its something to be seen from distance, OK.
Next, we travel some 20 kms off Madurai to visit another mysterious temple between hills. There is an animal cut infront of a closed door every day in name of "bali".The door opens once in an year because that's how God likes it. We enter inside to see a whole new mysterious world. Its all a huge huge mansion carved out of greyish huge rocks. Its been told to me that it was constructed when cement did not exist. The cement was replaced with a mixture of jaggery, eggs and sand. Amazing if that is true. The building is huge. I have never seen such huge temples ever in life. They are huge stone pillars carved with millions of statues which i find difficult to interpret. Its huge and beautiful, but as i say, there is an element of mystery, it says you cant explore me, i am beyond you. The paths look difficult to interpret, its usually dark inside and the pillar trails ends nowhere. And then i realize that i am probably in 25% part of that mysterious place and will be too scared to go to other 75% alone, but i would want to.
We head back to reach to a relatively modern temple, huge beautiful idols, but then its not mysterious as Meenakshi and the other temple. There are stories around the coming up of each temple. How God prayed to make Goddess happy, who was kind of cross(atleast that's what i got out of the story). The one who prayed even got gold lotus from a pond which now has only pink natural lotus. But yes, Meenakshi temple is beautiful and huge. You must check out the four main doors which are 9 stories and have more than 1000 idols carved in it. The idols inside are huge and carved out of black stones. There is a 1000 pillar hall in Meenakshi temple which looks more like dancing hall to me. Its now converted into a museum with anything and everything that broke down in temple due to lack of maintenance.
So, after a long day, we came back to hotel. Tonight, we were supposed to sleep for next 3 days it was going to be BAD. I have no clue when did i fall asleep but i know that i was discovering the mysterious temples in my dreams and they were not dark. They were beautifully lit and i wondered how kings in olden times visited such huge temples. I was dreaming.
However, i would say that commercialization of temple looks bad to me. They are supposed to be places where people could go and sit in peace. There is nothing like that which remains in temples anymore. Poor stand in long queues, they are pushed out. Its the financial capacity based on which God's view is sold. I feel bad about this aspect. There were huge hoardings suggesting that only Hindus could enter in temple shrine. I have no clue. Does God or the temple management know whats my caste? When you are charging money to see God then why restrict it on other factors? God, do you see all this?

Anyway, i am dreaming and i realize that when king enters the temple, its only him and his family. Poor people get to see once in a while. God did not construct it, mind you, King constructed it. God did not set the rules, people set them. God seems to be tired himself working 20 hours a day and accepting offerings from millions when he is supposed to be the giver. Then i look at his idol, he is smiling. He says, i smile at all of you. I love you all, even after paying you cant see me. I am your faith, you search me in all easy places while i reside in you. Do good and be good. This is a historical heritage building, i happen to be sitting here because i thought king did a great job. Yes, he did. I got my answer, thank you God! :)

Location- Madurai
Food- Average
Cleanliness- Bad
Travel- 8-9 hours journey from bangalore
Place to Visit- Meenakshi temple (Such temples are not a common site. Architectural marvel)

"Value Vs Money"--The STOCK puzzle

Its about an interesting perspective i am kind of trying to discover. About the stock market and money. What is money? A measurement for value, its worth. What is Stock market? Market where value is traded ( Money is not traded in stock market, its the valuation and perception price.).
Then why do people incur losses? Because perception are wrong. Why is Warren Buffet so successful? Because his investments evolve out of valuation. What can impact valuation? Sudden change of management, market trends or a new innovation. Is stock market a gamble? NO, its a very very intelligent game in which 80% of people gamble and hence they loose.
Investment is a bigger and longer trade. One has to step into business man's shoes, know exactly what lies under the setup of an organization, discount for risk and move on to do a similar exercise for more and more organization whose business holder he wants to be. One has to patient for statistical fluctuations, observant of realistic risk factors and then trade. So, if one has mastered the art of analyzing business, identified the real risk factors for business, there is a fair possibility that his investments will not be doomed. BUT, one has to understand the industry, incase one has portfolio, he has to ensure that risks are mutually exclusive for set of stocks to be able to recover losses if one looses. Infact an inverse relationship in risk can pay higher value. ( Its difficult to find a stock portfolio with risk balancing done because risk factors have high dependency.)

Amazing, i always thought stock was gambling. But i think its an intelligent game. It needs a very analytical and balanced player. And its not as unpredictable as it seems. Market emotions settle down, finally what remains is "Value". WB is successful because he invests in value and he invests in industries whose business and risks, he can interpret. So, yes, there is more to this "value" market. Money is a measurement of value, if you caliberate the scale of measurement, the value does not change. Finally you win and loose against value.

People Management !!

People, people all around. One day i felt lost, the other day i felt at home. Life is such an amazing puzzle. I was born in a home and those were the first human faces i saw. I grew up imitating my parents and brother. I trusted them because as a blank minded kid whenever i opened by eyes, one of them was there to hold me and make funny faces to make me smile. I was taught how to walk, talk and they were the only ones who could understand my language to start with.
Oops!! There is a shift. Now my world is bigger. I am spending more time with people i dont know, who dont love me, who can kill me if i come in between their selfish goals. Its people, people all around. I am exploring. Some of those people are my "Friends" because they dont hurt me, they love me. Some are "acquaintances" because i am not so sure if they matter. Some are "colleagues", we share a working relation, who is better than whom is a constant question. Then there is someone you love called "Boy Friend" because you think that you can trust him enough to spend rest of your life with.
Phew! The point is, its the PEOPLE who are most critical in life. They say you can learn finance and economics in books, but if you fail to handle people, you are doomed. I agree completely. May be because i work in people intensive industry or may be because i believe in people. I think its the "Human" by the end of the day which operates machines. "Value" can not be generated without his will, its his brain.
My journey with people has not been long, but some things i learned are very very dear to me. First training, there is a project group, 4 people do not work, not because they cant, but more than their success, its the failure of the person who has been topping for last 2 months. Hmm, the job has to be the best, with or without you. I dont hate you, you are an average human, you will rise in an average curve. OK, nothing stops, we are with you. Fine, team is formed, there is a synergy. I made mistakes, but when i look back, i know i have learned something.
#1 Learning- Never start a battle when others want to. Start it when you want to.

New team. You learn things fast, you like to show some attitude, you also bypass almost 80% of the crowd who has been slogging like hell. You are immatured, you show off. Nope, your work is your work. No one can take it away from you. Keep your attitude in your pocket and showcase on right people. For people whose peace you have disturbed, be understanding.
#2 Learning- If you are better, open up and share with people. They should respect you for what you are and not hate you for what they are not.

You enter into a team where everyone is 7 years exp. You were liked by organization with one year experience. You are hired at same level as they are. No, not because you are good, but because they accepted a lower profile for money or brand. People dont like you. Suddenly their choice is wrong for them because you made a better one. BUT, you perform. People know you above the 7 yrs. Cool, a hundred thousand issues. You know that everyone is unique, his frustration is ok. Smile, let some things go off, give some credit, take some.
#3 Learning- You can not keep people happy at your cost. You cant bring your level down because everyone around wants to walk, when you are keen to run. So, let them settle themselves. Either perform and prove or keep wasting your energies, i am not here to make you feel better, should be the mantra.

Phew!! This is consulting scene, mind you guys, it could be very very tricky if you work with four people who are experts in four different fields, are extremely independent thinkers and you are the only connecting dot. There are more issues at ego level, everyone is right, you own the piece of work and indirectly each one knows whose perspective it is. Sometimes fight could be over color of ppt. :D
#4 Learning- Pick your own color and declare that it has evolved out of best colors that you had ever dreamt of. Take a stand and just hold on to it. Let them fight, you dont have to be a prey to personal competitions. Your job was to understand, evolve and move.

Working with a control freak conservative boss while you report to a highly dynamic and freedom lover one who reports to conservative. Nothing can get worse than this. One asks you to jump, other wants you to sit in a corner. One is level one appraiser, other is level two appraiser. In the end, work for yourself. Let the two fight like dogs. Pick your strategy, modulate the two stands, if it suffocates, diverge your portfolio to do more of what you want and more and more.
#5 Learning- Being stubborn helps. Know what you want. Make it clear. Show how you will balance risk and non risks while goals are being set. Shift the focus more and more towards what you want to do. If they say a word in appraisal, show them the previous goals and throw it on their face. They have given you the right to be your way in written, damn it! BUT no, never react. Calm and peaceful. NEGOTIATE!

Very very nice peers. How is day? How are you? I have my work, but i like your work more. Its not my work, its your better work which bothers me. I will be very very nice to boss, will call day , night if it is required and will be very very nice to you too. My words- Stay away. Be very very nice to such people. But never tell what you are upto. Poisonous people. Irritate subtly, so that their true color comes out.
#6 Learning- People who kill you from behind. Be very rational. Remain neutral but never fall prey to their tactics. Never engage in long discussions. Talk about all the movies and leave it at where work starts. Give a clear message-" THIS IS MY DOMAIN. Stay away, or you will perish. Do not mess up with me. " Such people dont have guts to face you.

When among 50 fools.
#6 Learning- Be irrational, illogical and adamant, when you know that you have done enough of your homework and you want somethings to happen. Organizational dynamics give in to strong stand when you have very very strong points. Most of the time people blabber, so know who is talking sense and who is not.

Team is critical for any kind of work. Know yourself, know what kind of work you do. Know what kind of people will fit in and form a team. A team of 80 sincere idiots for an innovative work is useless. A team of 20 over smart people for a routine work is useless as well.
#7 Learning- People are born with some basic talents. Never try to suppress them. Help them evolve. When you deal with juniors, see their aspirations an their dreams. For them growth and dreams are more important.

#8 Learning- If you want to grow, associate with better, positive and honest people. One will get honest feedback and suggestions. Respect all. Learn from all. Balance egos.

#9 Learning- When angry. Step back. Evaluate the options. Speak out in such a way that person infront does not understand when he/she is angry, but unerstands when its over.

#10 Learning- Like people for what they are. Try to handle issues on moment. Try to clean memory. By the end of the day, its human reacting. Have patience and give another chance.

When i look back, i see thousands of mistakes i must have done and i also feel that major part of life and work is people. If i have to succeed, i have to detach emotions, handle objectively and efficiently. I had a set of learnings. Most important being, i learned from almost everyone i met.

Thank You People!! I will keep this journey on for rest of my life. They call it Organizational Behaviour and they say it cant be taught in class, so i have to keep meeting. :)