I walk through the darkness, confused and confounded
my mind is full of anxiety and distress.
I seek the light that shall bring with it promises,
I wait for the moment, that shall change it all,
but then as I get the answer,
it sounds stranger than fiction,
for what I seek is not always what I get.
I know not, what comes next,
sometimes some questions are better without answers
and some answers are better left not asked for
And amidst the vast confusion that prevails,
there seems no beginning and not an end,
and yet I go on through the only way I know.
Stop, I dare not, since an outcast, I do not want to be,
for this is one journey, where the journey matters more
much less the destiny!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
A tounge called Diplomacy
Easily one of the most stickiest subjects that I have written on, diplomacy is certainly an art that one needs to practise despite all odds. For this is a language which has not certain set script, dialect or standard and yet elicits some of the most favourable responses from any person.
The world as we know it is a place which talks largely about the fact that one needs to be concise, candid and very direct in one's communication. However, this largely talked about fact only remains as one that is usually at best talked about and not acted upon or practised rather.
Which brings me to perhaps one of the most simple of facts which yet remains to be understood in its fullest context. No person ever would like a straight faced answer. There is no directness in any person whosoever. No matter what, you get socked despite having done a good job, for the matter of having spoken your heart out in trying to rectify an issue.
Then, here, the issue itself stands disregarded and least important in stark comparison to the manner in which one chose to express oneself even if it were packaged in a very professional manner which most people would appreciate it as!
But then, why would someone still reflect negatively despite the fact that, it is the issue that is being pointed out upon and being requested to be corrected in the most convenient manner which is to add to the common good. The reason, Cheap Ego combined with a sense of superiority coupled with the attitute of being 'God's gift to mankind.'
However, do we still rule out the possibility of perception? No in the most emphatic form is the answer. I as a person, do not at any time follow the thumb rule of diplomacy which is a sure receipe to land me into a lot of trouble despite my intentions of not ever courting controversy!
So what do I do then? The answer is fairly simple.
With the exception of personal life (read: excepting those folks whom I have know for eons) I must at all times maintain the veil of diplomacy despite the fact that I might not always subscribe to the idea that is being put forward.
Diplomacy is perhaps the greatest of all people skills and it does not come with ease, not atleast to most of us who are used to the idea of being outspoken (read: perceptional - brash, In Truth: Real & True)
But let me warn you ( the same bunch of us) that if we do not adopt to this superbly multifaceted talent, then we run the risk of being sidelined, cast away, ganged against, brushed, branded and what not. In truth, the only (few) people who know you the best are those who have been with you through the best and worst of times alike. It is very foolish to think one can cultivate a hoard of good 'contacts' (translate: friends). The very objective of people converging on a professional front is due to the necessity of fulfilling a purely self-focussed (do not read selfish) objective which does not permit the luxury (read: maturity) of actually knowing what the other person is. Added to the unlimited list of constraints is also the limitation of time and factor of openness and understanding, which make things worse.
Therefore, the golden rule of maintaining a professional front always and all ways professional without ever bringing the factor of 'personal aspects' is something that we need to uphold at all times. We do not at anytime have the right to display even in accident our personal fold on a professional front for such an act could only constitute to a huge disaster or worse still a domino effect of unimaginable proportions.
Moral of the story;
Diplomacy - personally adopted professional trait (read: innate/acquired/copied - whatever)
U n I better get started!
PS: But then, hasn't a man got to be a man?
The world as we know it is a place which talks largely about the fact that one needs to be concise, candid and very direct in one's communication. However, this largely talked about fact only remains as one that is usually at best talked about and not acted upon or practised rather.
Which brings me to perhaps one of the most simple of facts which yet remains to be understood in its fullest context. No person ever would like a straight faced answer. There is no directness in any person whosoever. No matter what, you get socked despite having done a good job, for the matter of having spoken your heart out in trying to rectify an issue.
Then, here, the issue itself stands disregarded and least important in stark comparison to the manner in which one chose to express oneself even if it were packaged in a very professional manner which most people would appreciate it as!
But then, why would someone still reflect negatively despite the fact that, it is the issue that is being pointed out upon and being requested to be corrected in the most convenient manner which is to add to the common good. The reason, Cheap Ego combined with a sense of superiority coupled with the attitute of being 'God's gift to mankind.'
However, do we still rule out the possibility of perception? No in the most emphatic form is the answer. I as a person, do not at any time follow the thumb rule of diplomacy which is a sure receipe to land me into a lot of trouble despite my intentions of not ever courting controversy!
So what do I do then? The answer is fairly simple.
With the exception of personal life (read: excepting those folks whom I have know for eons) I must at all times maintain the veil of diplomacy despite the fact that I might not always subscribe to the idea that is being put forward.
Diplomacy is perhaps the greatest of all people skills and it does not come with ease, not atleast to most of us who are used to the idea of being outspoken (read: perceptional - brash, In Truth: Real & True)
But let me warn you ( the same bunch of us) that if we do not adopt to this superbly multifaceted talent, then we run the risk of being sidelined, cast away, ganged against, brushed, branded and what not. In truth, the only (few) people who know you the best are those who have been with you through the best and worst of times alike. It is very foolish to think one can cultivate a hoard of good 'contacts' (translate: friends). The very objective of people converging on a professional front is due to the necessity of fulfilling a purely self-focussed (do not read selfish) objective which does not permit the luxury (read: maturity) of actually knowing what the other person is. Added to the unlimited list of constraints is also the limitation of time and factor of openness and understanding, which make things worse.
Therefore, the golden rule of maintaining a professional front always and all ways professional without ever bringing the factor of 'personal aspects' is something that we need to uphold at all times. We do not at anytime have the right to display even in accident our personal fold on a professional front for such an act could only constitute to a huge disaster or worse still a domino effect of unimaginable proportions.
Moral of the story;
Diplomacy - personally adopted professional trait (read: innate/acquired/copied - whatever)
U n I better get started!
PS: But then, hasn't a man got to be a man?
Monday, July 24, 2006
Vox Populi, Vox Dei
An old Latin proverb quoted by William of Malmesbury in the Twelfth Century which translates in English to mean "The voice of the people is the voice of God."
Perhaps some of the oldest adages of wisdom that were remarked centuries ago, have suddenly and ominously become more relevant and true.
Nearly a fortnight ago, the Economic Capital of India - Mumbai was enveloped in a state of disaster that cost a few hundred thousand dollars and over hundreds of precious Indian lives.
As a matter of emergency response, the Indian leadership screamed to the world that this was a case of one of the most blatant actions of terrorism organizedly conducted with surgical precision to destablilize the foundation of democracy and civilized behaviour.
Quite shamefully and dicreetly parallel to events unfolding, the Indian Government directed the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting along with the Ministry of Telecommunications to pull the plug on several blogsites off the internet without much substantial evidence, rhythm or rhyme. Although, the next day's news papers loudly echoed a clear and blatant violation of the freedom of information and press, details were pointed out to alleged support of a number of radical fundamental terror outfits due to which reason a number of blogsites went offline.
It's 24rth of July 2006 and the day's paper carried the expose of a hidesously constructed mission by the Government of India.
The so called fundamental right of speech and expression stood shaken and thereby it seems that the nation stood at the brink of misinformation at a time that called for more unity in action and thought.
This mysteriously unexplained action can at best be construed as an act of desperation. And then the flip-flop continued in all its stupidity glorified amidst the top echlons of the political and press elite.
Just as agitiations and messages conveying grave disappointment and anger poured in, classic ploys of "Hunt the scapegoat" and "Who-is-to-blame?" started full-fledged across the corridoors of politics and media all alike.
At this juncture, when the nation's executive brass remained tightlipped along with a bunch of stupid babus from across Minitries and ISPs alike, we need to consolidate among ourselves and directfully focus our resources in a manner that would ensure that our supposedly wise leadership does not stumble on another faux pass. Therefore as a start, I have managed to obatin some useful information on how best to deal with this situation without much wrangling around.
Everything you wanted to know about the recent ban on popular websites in India - an FAQ:
Q. Which sites are blocked in India ?
Access to all blogs and websites hosted on the following servers is currently blocked in India;
• xxx.blogspot.com/
• xxx.typepad.com/
• xxx.blogs.com/
• www.geocities.com/xxx
For strange reasons, blogs hosted on Wordpress, Livejournal, MSN Spaces, Rediffblogs, IndiaTimes and Yahoo 360° are spared by the Indian censors and they are still accessible in India.
Q. Why is the Indian Government banning blog sites ?
While there is no official comment, most people are speculating that the ban is connected to the recent Mumbai Train Blasts. Probably the groups behind the bomb blasts used blogs to exchange information and co-ordinate the plan so the Government decided to ban these sites.
Q. Are all blogspot.com sites banned in India ?
Yes, all blogs hosted on blogspot.com are banned. According to some reports, the India Government issued a directive to block only certain blogs on *.blogspot.com but the ISPs decided to block the entire blogspot.com domain.
Q. When will the Blogspot ban be lifted ?
The issue is picking momentum in India and the entire Indian blogosphere is speaking in one voice against the ban. Popular international sites like Rediff Abroad, Mercury News, BoingBoing, MichelleMalkin, Google Blogoscoped, Digg and Techmeme have also picked the story. Again, no official word on when the ban would be lifted but it could happen very soon depending on the media cry.
Q. Did India restrict access to other sites before ?
Yes, earlier a ban was imposed on Yahoogroups.com but it was lifted in a week's time.
Q. I am a Blogger. Can I still blog ?
Yes, the good news is that access is blogger.com has not been blocked. So you can still publish new articles though readers in India may not be able to access them directly. Remember to publish full text feeds.
Q. I am blog subscriber. Can I still read blogspot or typepad blogs ?
Yes, but you can read them only in a web based rss reader which downloads the Blog XML feeds on server located outside India. Or use a proxy server.»
How to Access a Blocked Website or Blog»
What Bloggers Can Do To Bypass Blogspot Ban
Q. As a Blogger, what can I do to prevent such a situation in future ?
Buy your own domain name and switch from Blogger immediately. Don't consider shifting to another free platform like xxx.wordpress.com or indiatimes.com or rediffblogs.com as risk of banning virtually remains the same.
Q. I am in India, how do I read Digital Inspiration ?
http://www.pkblogs.com/labnol
http://feeds.feedburner.com/labnol
Q. Where do I get more information about the ban ?
Head straight to Bloggers Collective - it has reactions and updates from Indian Bloggers located in and outsite India. Some nice conversations happening there.
While I type this message out, I also chance upon a site that reports the much awaited lift of the ban imposed on blogsites by the Indian Government owing to pressure from the blogging community. I must however warn you that this piece of information is a totally unconfirmed report.
iDope writes
"The Department of Telecommunications of the Government of India has lifted the ban on blogs (reported previously on Slashdot) following pressure from the Indian blogger community and the media. Even with the lifting of the ban several bloggers from BloggersCollective are getting ready to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) (similar to a Class Action Lawsuit in US) in the Supreme Court of India against the Government censorship of the Internet."
However, this is an act of gross violation when freedom and goodwill need to be upheld with maximum adherence to collective wisdom.
Are we turning into a nation of slaves being watched upon and denied the right to express our ideas and opinions.
Mr. Prime Minister,
Once again, this is a very dangerous prospect that can elicit some of the worst forms of peaceful opposition in order to quell the oppression against a section of the society which endorses, recognizes, promotes, upholds and respects the right to information and its necessity to be shared in any form or context so long as it does not come under the banner of those elements that pose a threat to National Security and the fundamental essentials of a good living.
Please prevail over these issues and ensure that the Indian people are not any further subject to such shameful acts of cowardice when actually the enemy is who needs to be accounted for and killed at the earliest possible opportunity.
Vox Populi, Vox Dei - as you very well know, your voice and stand remains true so long as it is endorsed by a billion plus population that this country is a home of.
Let us not make a choice of expressing our displeasure in your person
Perhaps some of the oldest adages of wisdom that were remarked centuries ago, have suddenly and ominously become more relevant and true.
Nearly a fortnight ago, the Economic Capital of India - Mumbai was enveloped in a state of disaster that cost a few hundred thousand dollars and over hundreds of precious Indian lives.
As a matter of emergency response, the Indian leadership screamed to the world that this was a case of one of the most blatant actions of terrorism organizedly conducted with surgical precision to destablilize the foundation of democracy and civilized behaviour.
Quite shamefully and dicreetly parallel to events unfolding, the Indian Government directed the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting along with the Ministry of Telecommunications to pull the plug on several blogsites off the internet without much substantial evidence, rhythm or rhyme. Although, the next day's news papers loudly echoed a clear and blatant violation of the freedom of information and press, details were pointed out to alleged support of a number of radical fundamental terror outfits due to which reason a number of blogsites went offline.
It's 24rth of July 2006 and the day's paper carried the expose of a hidesously constructed mission by the Government of India.
The so called fundamental right of speech and expression stood shaken and thereby it seems that the nation stood at the brink of misinformation at a time that called for more unity in action and thought.
This mysteriously unexplained action can at best be construed as an act of desperation. And then the flip-flop continued in all its stupidity glorified amidst the top echlons of the political and press elite.
Just as agitiations and messages conveying grave disappointment and anger poured in, classic ploys of "Hunt the scapegoat" and "Who-is-to-blame?" started full-fledged across the corridoors of politics and media all alike.
At this juncture, when the nation's executive brass remained tightlipped along with a bunch of stupid babus from across Minitries and ISPs alike, we need to consolidate among ourselves and directfully focus our resources in a manner that would ensure that our supposedly wise leadership does not stumble on another faux pass. Therefore as a start, I have managed to obatin some useful information on how best to deal with this situation without much wrangling around.
Everything you wanted to know about the recent ban on popular websites in India - an FAQ:
Q. Which sites are blocked in India ?
Access to all blogs and websites hosted on the following servers is currently blocked in India;
• xxx.blogspot.com/
• xxx.typepad.com/
• xxx.blogs.com/
• www.geocities.com/xxx
For strange reasons, blogs hosted on Wordpress, Livejournal, MSN Spaces, Rediffblogs, IndiaTimes and Yahoo 360° are spared by the Indian censors and they are still accessible in India.
Q. Why is the Indian Government banning blog sites ?
While there is no official comment, most people are speculating that the ban is connected to the recent Mumbai Train Blasts. Probably the groups behind the bomb blasts used blogs to exchange information and co-ordinate the plan so the Government decided to ban these sites.
Q. Are all blogspot.com sites banned in India ?
Yes, all blogs hosted on blogspot.com are banned. According to some reports, the India Government issued a directive to block only certain blogs on *.blogspot.com but the ISPs decided to block the entire blogspot.com domain.
Q. When will the Blogspot ban be lifted ?
The issue is picking momentum in India and the entire Indian blogosphere is speaking in one voice against the ban. Popular international sites like Rediff Abroad, Mercury News, BoingBoing, MichelleMalkin, Google Blogoscoped, Digg and Techmeme have also picked the story. Again, no official word on when the ban would be lifted but it could happen very soon depending on the media cry.
Q. Did India restrict access to other sites before ?
Yes, earlier a ban was imposed on Yahoogroups.com but it was lifted in a week's time.
Q. I am a Blogger. Can I still blog ?
Yes, the good news is that access is blogger.com has not been blocked. So you can still publish new articles though readers in India may not be able to access them directly. Remember to publish full text feeds.
Q. I am blog subscriber. Can I still read blogspot or typepad blogs ?
Yes, but you can read them only in a web based rss reader which downloads the Blog XML feeds on server located outside India. Or use a proxy server.»
How to Access a Blocked Website or Blog»
What Bloggers Can Do To Bypass Blogspot Ban
Q. As a Blogger, what can I do to prevent such a situation in future ?
Buy your own domain name and switch from Blogger immediately. Don't consider shifting to another free platform like xxx.wordpress.com or indiatimes.com or rediffblogs.com as risk of banning virtually remains the same.
Q. I am in India, how do I read Digital Inspiration ?
http://www.pkblogs.com/labnol
http://feeds.feedburner.com/labnol
Q. Where do I get more information about the ban ?
Head straight to Bloggers Collective - it has reactions and updates from Indian Bloggers located in and outsite India. Some nice conversations happening there.
While I type this message out, I also chance upon a site that reports the much awaited lift of the ban imposed on blogsites by the Indian Government owing to pressure from the blogging community. I must however warn you that this piece of information is a totally unconfirmed report.
iDope writes
"The Department of Telecommunications of the Government of India has lifted the ban on blogs (reported previously on Slashdot) following pressure from the Indian blogger community and the media. Even with the lifting of the ban several bloggers from BloggersCollective are getting ready to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) (similar to a Class Action Lawsuit in US) in the Supreme Court of India against the Government censorship of the Internet."
However, this is an act of gross violation when freedom and goodwill need to be upheld with maximum adherence to collective wisdom.
Are we turning into a nation of slaves being watched upon and denied the right to express our ideas and opinions.
Mr. Prime Minister,
Once again, this is a very dangerous prospect that can elicit some of the worst forms of peaceful opposition in order to quell the oppression against a section of the society which endorses, recognizes, promotes, upholds and respects the right to information and its necessity to be shared in any form or context so long as it does not come under the banner of those elements that pose a threat to National Security and the fundamental essentials of a good living.
Please prevail over these issues and ensure that the Indian people are not any further subject to such shameful acts of cowardice when actually the enemy is who needs to be accounted for and killed at the earliest possible opportunity.
Vox Populi, Vox Dei - as you very well know, your voice and stand remains true so long as it is endorsed by a billion plus population that this country is a home of.
Let us not make a choice of expressing our displeasure in your person
Thursday, July 20, 2006
The subsistence of a numbed soul!
Dear Prime Minister
We cannot be drowned out one day, blasted out the other.
It's been too little for too long.
We want to get as good as we give.
And we want it now...........
We cannot be drowned out one day, blasted out the other.
It's been too little for too long.
We want to get as good as we give.
And we want it now...........
It was a little past Eight on the morning of Thursday, 20th July 2006. Sitting in the 7th floor apartment of a friend, a small group of colleagues-turned-friends, we had barely finished watching Ali-G keeping it real in the land of Her Majesty and Mr. Prime Minister.
A small column of the 1st page of the Times of India read the headline "Ignite the Change - Enough is Enough - Mumbai Petitions the Prime Minister. And just as the mind ignited the smallest of thoughts that the largest democracy in the world was finally preparing to head towards civilization that it missed out on, boldly splashed from end to end a 1.5" X 9" headline screamed "Centre Warns Mumbai of fresh attacks"
All this and a lot more happening at a time when the worst of enemies are united in their stand and determination to root out the 'axis of evil' and halt the menace of terrorism despite whatever noble cause that it may endorse. And then there is another theater heralding Israel's ssuperb retaliatory action against Lebanon and Syria.
Why then is Pakistan being considered or treated as a de facto exception? The answer lies in India's willinglessness more so in tandem with the spineless and unabashed superstructure of perhaps the worlds worst ever congregation of pathetically shameless community - The Indian political brass.
Although it was past Classic time on VH1 now leading to the breakfast slot of VH1 Cardio Video, I recollected the sober yet imposing voice of Louis Armstrong singing out "What a wonderful world" in commemoration (read condemnation) of America's catastrophic venture in Vietnam.
Probably, my rushed yet momentary optimism aided with the luxury of a cooler day could have been avoided had I read the more ominous 'headline' than the prospective 'idea' of culture change supported by the once again momentary anger blitz of people reflected in the business seeking jazz & drums of the print media which is becoming fast understanding of its role in shaping the future of the nation.
We, the billion plus strong diverse yet so called united Indian dispora, have once again found another plank of expressing our very best emotion in collective form - ENDURANCE
The average Indian is a hyperbuzzy for the most wrong reason. And, when we are expected to exhibit the traditionally age-old good etiquette of endurance, we fail to come any closer to being a tolerant lot. Regardless of a bunch of seriously infested predicaments that makes the average Indian lifestyle undoubtedly one of the worst possible disasters to happen to Humankind, we still devote all our fast-exhausting, subsidized resources in the dumbfounded misadventure of infighting in the name of politically motivated factors such as caste and class.
Coming back to Ali-G, a grab of the movie 'Restecp', shows how Ali drugs world leaders at a peace summit and brings about lasting peace and a show of extraordinary camaraderie, I wonder if that needs to be done to our bunch of so called front-benchers too!
The solution lies buried deep inside the motherland in the minds of all of us. Can you imagine how succesfully evolved the Indian mindset has come to be? We have very effectively established a truly global presence over the time and when we actually need to consolidate the same to reflect a strong sense of identity and strength across the planet, we are being riddled by forces one tenth our size highly potent to our democratic values and morals of existence. Must we not embark on a mission of Hot Pursuit? Yes Indeed, but as I told you before, endurance it seems is an unncessary virtue we have cultivated with extraordinary passion. It is for the very same reason that we have subjected ourselves to yet another millenia of ruling and oppression that continues to extract the very basic essentials of a million plus people who have yet to come to terms with life and are forced to declare contention with one square meal a day. While we shout endlesslessly making a vain effort to highlight every nothing that hardly ever matters to anyone's life, we are mute about the fact that we are deliberately and organizedly treated like sacrificial animals and mere commodities and the more it happens, the more louder we assure our compliance and cooperation. Our roads remain perpetually dilapidated and our water supply systems continue to gift a droplet a day to more than tens of thousands of households. Our electricity supply system hardly remains active and our infrastructure would have shamed any stone age australopithecus! Our social security apparatus is remarkably shamless and resorts to molest the very same people who it is entrusted to protect and our legal system is at loggerheads with gazillions of case instances that could take a 1000 years to address.
Nevertheless, the national capital and its showy political edifices boast departments and ministries with many fantastic names and titles. The result; A state of total and absolute unaccountability and irresponsibility with not the slightest possibility of punishment! This foolhardy state of ours will cease to change unless we ourselves (read every single one of us) unites in the mind to root out the evil within, and that means cleansing our very souls too. Will such a state of consensus ad idem ever present itself? No! Why? Simply because such a situation has to be arrived upon with time and effort........great effort. Remember Plato who once quipped "As the people, so the ruler." Sadly, the reverse cannot happen at all and those of us who are in anticipation of such a juncture will be rewarded with a never ending wait, at best!
Stop, Think & Proceed! Three words that make up for oft-displayed road signs which are abundantly scattered across the nation in all possible Indian languages. Unfortunately, these three words mean nothing to us despite its looming presence in our everyday lives. If only we stopped, thought and proceeded we would have succeeded as a nation of the best brains ever! The answer lies exactly in our will as much as it lies in our ability to change the world to be a better place. It is not a monolith task considering our diverse and strong population and commendable talent pool.
And then, there is also the need to realize who the biggest enemy is. Often, after a deep act of introspection, we come to know that the enemy lies within us. Thereafter, it is important to kill the menace within before dealing with an external threat. The need to obtain a collective and united political will is a very important precursor to any kind of action. In simple words "Don't let the uneducated, uncharacteristic, unashamed 'Babu' ruin your prospect of living a decent life.
The nation has been blessed with some of the finest overt and covert military personnel who should be commission to erase rouge states that promote cross-border terrorism with a religious ideologue. Any or all measures to eradicate all forms of living elements across the border should be conducted. The only manner of effectively tackling terrorism and radical religious fundamentalism is by exporting twice the amount of terror to the enemy itself and overwhelm it. To start with, the declaration of the Pakistan High Commissioner persona non grata and moving to the representation's expulsion could be seen as a sign of mild hope and resolve. Why would there be any necessity to engage in diplomatic relations with an entity that has declared a war on our soverignity? Remember the 1st Gulf war? When former Iraqi Vice President Taha Yaseen Ramadan refused to call off the probability of firing Scud missiles into Israel in the event of an American invasion, then Secretary of State James Baker simply replied "We'll nuke you out." Why cannot India echo such a voice? Why cannot our nation contemplate an extensive operation to eradicate the tens of terrorist training camps that systematically consign Indian lives to non-existence? The answer - The Will to do it does not exist.
I wish we could unite single-handedly to fight against this threat and depose a farce regime that rules us and replace it with one whose sense and sensibility is maturely established and well in place and ready to consider action at the least possible threat. But, I'm assured of the fact that I will not remain to see the dawn of that day.
However much, with anguish or disappointment or both, I have the following message for perhaps one of India's most educated Prime Ministers.
Your Excellency,
While I credit your remarkable ability to understand the intricacies of Indian finance and foreign trade, I take very strong exception to the fact that you have in a matter of days from the happening of a tragic act of terror and desperation, chosen to tone down your rhetoric against a rouge state whose sole mission it is to disintegrate the world's largest democracy.
I suggest that you relieve yourself from this prestigious yet unmistakenly tough assignment for something of this magnitude requires true courage and will.
I must quote to your eminence a line that I carry from school days which reads thus;
"Never do something unless you are very sure of yourself, however, never relinquish doing something because somebody else is not sure of you."
Failing me and the rest of India is equivalent to failing yourself a billion times over and over again.
How many times would we need to be hit on the head to merely realize that we are being hit?
Mr. Prime Minister, the job of protecting the nation along with many such others has been assigned to you in good faith and trust. All you require is the will and focus along with the wisdom to do it at best. And this you shall not find in any manifesto, and hardly in 10 Janpath
very sincerely................................
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Crystallized in time!
The winding roads to Rohtang amidst the superb terrain that fills splendor across the whole expanse is one of the most spectacular creations of the Border Roads Organization (BRO). The picture itself signifies a huge meaning and brings out the most appreciative of aesthetic senses in any human being. It is thus one of my favourite pics that have become part of my archives during the year 2006.
This is perhaps India's answer to the Grand Canyon. A huge mountain appearing to have been chipped away by a chisel, this is one of the most spectacular sights one can chance the eyes upon. Good reason why I chose to include this among my top 10 for the year.
For those of you who have seen the movie "A walk in the Clouds" (the 1995 flick starring Aitana Sanchez-Gijon & Keanu Reeves) which was promoted with the famed one liner - A man in search. A woman in need. A story of fate. The understanding can be easier than fathomed. This is perhaps one of the best things that can happen to an intelligent life form.
Go on, take a walk.........a walk in the clouds.
The concept of gaining clarity in vision after a state of confusion or chaos is a remarkable sense of satisfaction. It is also in many ways an eye opener that brings to light the many dimensions of reality in ones life. Life is always divided into different phases and not matter what we do, we always live life in compartments of convenience, reality, hope, despair and many more.
I have not yet conjured words to describe this heavenly sight. I perhaps never will........most certainly!
The slopes enroute to Rohtang studded with some of the finest greenery and forever washed with mild droplets of rain brushed with clouds and mist are perhaps a trekker's haven, heaven rather!
There are a lot of paradoxes in Nature too. But then those contradictions are simply natural.
Note the impending cloudbursts and also a light sunshine lining the clouds. The combination of lush greenery with the dull colours of rains makes the picture even more intense.
Life, in many ways, is also a set of contradictions, some of which we need to live in harmony with.
And then the Sun shines above all else, symbolizing a force greater than any. Dark days and times become etched into a part of history better best forgotten and new doors open up with new and enriched prospects. For life to change, all it takes is a moment, and, in evolutionary terms a moment is possibly the smallest fraction of time.
Blue skies and lush mountains make for one of the most admirable combinations of nature.
So, when I woke up to a bright sunny day and found looming mountains in the backdrop, I hardly could resist the temptation to save the image!
This is perhaps India's answer to the Grand Canyon. A huge mountain appearing to have been chipped away by a chisel, this is one of the most spectacular sights one can chance the eyes upon. Good reason why I chose to include this among my top 10 for the year.
For those of you who have seen the movie "A walk in the Clouds" (the 1995 flick starring Aitana Sanchez-Gijon & Keanu Reeves) which was promoted with the famed one liner - A man in search. A woman in need. A story of fate. The understanding can be easier than fathomed. This is perhaps one of the best things that can happen to an intelligent life form.
Go on, take a walk.........a walk in the clouds.
The concept of gaining clarity in vision after a state of confusion or chaos is a remarkable sense of satisfaction. It is also in many ways an eye opener that brings to light the many dimensions of reality in ones life. Life is always divided into different phases and not matter what we do, we always live life in compartments of convenience, reality, hope, despair and many more.
I have not yet conjured words to describe this heavenly sight. I perhaps never will........most certainly!
The slopes enroute to Rohtang studded with some of the finest greenery and forever washed with mild droplets of rain brushed with clouds and mist are perhaps a trekker's haven, heaven rather!
There are a lot of paradoxes in Nature too. But then those contradictions are simply natural.
Note the impending cloudbursts and also a light sunshine lining the clouds. The combination of lush greenery with the dull colours of rains makes the picture even more intense.
Life, in many ways, is also a set of contradictions, some of which we need to live in harmony with.
And then the Sun shines above all else, symbolizing a force greater than any. Dark days and times become etched into a part of history better best forgotten and new doors open up with new and enriched prospects. For life to change, all it takes is a moment, and, in evolutionary terms a moment is possibly the smallest fraction of time.
Blue skies and lush mountains make for one of the most admirable combinations of nature.
So, when I woke up to a bright sunny day and found looming mountains in the backdrop, I hardly could resist the temptation to save the image!
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
High at 13050 Feet!
Argentina had created history by being unceremoniously thrown out of the Soccer World Cup 2006 by Germany. It was another humid late night in office soon giving way to a four day weekend on account of the 4rth of July when the Stars and Stripes shine brighter than ever celebrating the spirit of Freedom & Independence since 1776 AD, 230 long years ago.
On the evening of 29th June, Brij & Raj intercepted me like Sidewinder missles would home in on a F-16 fighter that had made the mistake of giving its cover away. All they asked was if I owned a Rugsack and immediately as I nodded a yes, I was asked to pack them for a long trip without asking any further questions. I had consented to go to Manali, Rohtang and Shimla with the fraternity on the morning of 1st July, 2006.
And then came the date and the appointed time when we had decided to hit the road to this oft heard paradise which I so much wanted to visit over the years that had gone by.
Having left Gurgaon at 04:41 am that morning, we criss-cross parts of the National Capital, into Haryana, Punjab, back to Haryana and then once again Punjab before finally entering the state of Himachal Pradesh. The drive in itself was an exemplary display of India's vast, unique yet diversified culture and their connections with each other in making our land the largest democracy in the world.
My brush with the mountains during this trip came with the arrival of a small stopover called Aount. A narrow but well made road cut across the mountains into the valley with the River Beas hugging along.
The huger than huge mountains with pristine vegetation was not like anything I had ever seen before. Perhaps, on screen in J. R. R. Tolkein's middle age saga series of the Lord of the Rings, was the only time I had seen something so huge and imposing. Can you imagine Earth the size of Jupiter, and then, the huge mountains that would grow into the skies? Phew!
Absolutely overwhelming and breathtaking is a gross understatement to qualify the attribute of beauty that is so closely a part of the place and its surrounding terrain and topography.
Finally, day 1 had another wonderful easter egg surprise rolled for us to bask in. And that came as a place called Span Resorts which is a few miles from Manali. Situated in the outskirts of the town far away from the mechanical humdrum of a place such as Delhi, Span offered a soothing comfort combined with a sense of timeless relaxation which every human being would in some manner or the other appreciate with a rich sense of aesthetics and penultimate bliss.
Walking barefoot on the well manicured lawns and into the unassuming chill of the ever flowing Beas was a treat second or parallel to none. Finally, when we did reach Manali a few miles uphill, the day had accounted for a journey well begun, one that will in all prospects be remembered for a very long time to come. For a person like me, who has had a very shameful record of travelling, this was paradise.
Manali literally means the 'Home of Manu'. Manu is the mythological character who is supposed to have survived when the world was drowned in Flood. He then came to Manali and recreated human life. Thus, the area of Manali is sacred and Hindus treat the temples over here as pilgrimage. Leading up to Manali from New Delhi are the towns of Panipat and Ambala in Haryana, Chandigarh (the Union Territory), Ropar in Punjab, and Bilaspur, Sunder Nagar, and Mandi in Himachal.
The towns of Kullu and Manali are dotted on the scenic Beas river valley. In a stretch of 100 km, Beas is joined by scores of tributatiries or "nallahs" which are known to cause flooding during the monsoon season. It is precisely because of its everflowing snow fed waters, that Manali is so fertile. This has meant that over a period of time there has been a constant flow of inhabitants into the valley. However the culture and diaspora has remained symbolic to the region.
The earliest history can be tracked down in the folk-lore of Mahabharatha, but more importantly in the local folk-lore which is not very well documented.
The valley was sparesely populated in ancient times and its inhabitants were known as literally "rakshas", the non agricultural hunting and wandering communities. The next arrivals were the shephards which came in through the Kangra valley and settled to take up agriculture. Some of the earliest and the most indigenous inhabitants of the regios are the 'naur' or 'nar' which is a caste unique to Kullu. Only a few naur families are known to exist now. A naur family in the village Soyal near Haripur on the left bank of Manali was famous for the vast land they owned and their practice of having 'rakshas' as their labourers.
Britisher officers were the first documented visitors to the valley. Some books written by travellers have the earliest pictures of Manali dating as far back as 1920. The British were also responsible for bringing in cash crops like apple and fish like trout which was not native to Manali. It is said that when apple trees were first planted the fruits were so plentiful that often branches, unable to bear the weight would collapse. To this day apple along with plum and pear remains the best source of income for the majority of its inhabitants.
However, tourism in Manali received a real fillip after the rise of militancy in the Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir in late 1980s. This once quiet village has now been transformed into a bustling town with hundreds of hotels and restaurants that have mushroomed all over Manali to serve the ever increasing influx of tourists.
That night, at 6662.50 feet, I slept a peaceful and very relaxed soul knowing that this indeed was a journey of a lifetime, one that is so valuably gifted to a human being with the sole intent of discovering a connect between the creation and the creator.
Waking up from a night long slumber, especially after a long journey with the added comfort of natural airconditioning, is never an easy task but then the piece de resistance of the journey lay ahead in the day. The ride to Rohtang pass was something not a lot of folks get to do and since I was on for it, I jumped out of the snooze and into a new day. At about midday when the air was slightly warm we had gathered our bikes and readied to hit the track upto Rohtang and when we finally did, the clock announced 01:46pm. We were late a few hours and any change of weather up there would mean a stall in the journey which eventually would delay our return or most certainly bring a pitch dark night long before we could return. Nevertheless, none of these dampened our high spirits and we set off to make the historical journey, historical for a person like me who has over time learned to value even the smallest of happenings time has so considerately thrown for me to be a part of.
Riding past the Snow & Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) and the Indian Army's transit camp Himank one can enjoy some of the most picturesque mountain ranges known to man.
Situated at a height of 13050 ft, Rohtang Pass is a mere 51 kilometers from Manali.
The Pass itself once served as a crucial trade route, and still is the gateway to the Lahaul and Spiti valleys and the second entry (or exit) point to the tribal region (the other being Shimla). With its snows Rohtang is a major tourist attraction. A two-hour drive from Manali to Rohtang offers sledging, skiing, and tobogganing and a chance to frolic in the snow. The road up to the pass opens only when the snow has melted.
The road to the pass is only open from June to October, and has a well-deserved reputation for being very dangerous because of unpredictable snowstorms.
Just beyond the Pass are the Sonapani Glacier and the twin peaks of Gaypan. The Beas Kund, the source of the River Beas, a holy site for Hindus, as the sage Vyas is said to have meditated at this spot, is also accessible from the Rohtang Pass. There is a beautiful Dashohar Lake left to the pass, where pilgrims go every year on the auspicious day of 20th Bhandon. This is the only access to Lahaul valley.
Up the winding roads we went with Rohtang as the destination for the day and enroute we also chanced upon a bicyclist who rode all way long from France, via Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh onto Ladakh and above. A superhuman effort equalling that from the Earth to the Moon!
The road to Rohtang along with many others is one of the many gifts the Border Roads Organization (BRO) bestowed upon this great nation. With the motto of Creating, Connecting and Caring, this premier one of a kind organization works alongside the Indian Army in c0nstructing some of the highest motorable passes in the world, much of which lies in the Northern tip of India. The BRO is probably one of the few unarmed uniformed civilian organizations modeled and trained on a military pattern. The following is an excerpt published in the Mirror Magazine in July 1975 exemplifying the BRO and its objectives;
"Let us not forget that roads in this difficult terrain have been built not only with mere cement and concrete, but also with the blood of men of the Border Roads Organisation of India. Many lost their lives for the cause of duty on the project. To these men, who always play with danger and laugh at death, duty comes first. These fallen heroes came from all parts of Mother India, to contribute their might to the defence of their mother land and prosperity of their neighbours”.
And as of date, this wonderful establishment has recorded 44 years of excellence in contructing fully laid access roads in some of the most treacherous conditions on Earth. Once again, thankfully, Earth isn't the size of Jupiter.
The biting cold enveloped me soon after crossing Marhi (Mad-hi in Hindi) and I resorted to a warm jacket and a pair of gloves even though the winters had a long journey to make. Nevertheless, I wasn't one bit ashamed! And finally when we reached Rohtang at 05:07 pm I saw one of the most beautiful sights my eyes had ever seen.
It was then I realized that the Human Being is perhaps one of the least important element in a system that has been created naturally. However still, we have continually established our superiority over other beings for a long long time perhaps out of the fear of our own insecurities that have emerged as a result of many thousand years of evolution.
We reached Manali later that evening exhausted yet relaxed and were set to leave for Shimla the next day.
Shimla is the capital of the Indian State of Himachal Pradesh and was the Summer Capital of the Nation under the erstwhile British Raj. The Brits orginally named it Simla and with the passage of time it came to be known as Shimla. It is also a significant part of the Indo-Pakistan relations as it was witness to the historic Shimla Agreement signed by the two nations following the surrender of Pakistan in the Indo-Pak war of 1971.
A Scottish Civil servant by the name of Charles Kennedy built Shimla's first summer home in the year 1882 and by the later half of the 19th century the town had become the summer capital of the Crown's establishment in India. Many British soldiers, merchants, and civil servants moved there for roughly half of each year due to heat and disease at India's lower altitudes.
Shimla is dotted with monuments; imposing buildings with a Victorian aura and often referred to as the hallmark of British rule in India. The Kalka-Shimla rail link, one of the few narrow gauge tracks still operational in India, bears testimony to the engineering excellence of the British.
Shimla is named after Shyamla Devi, an incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Kali.
The last leg of our journey began on the afternoon of 3rd July 2006 and after navigating winding roads, a minor landslip and a nasty traffic jam we reached the cold expanses of Shimla well past nightfall. Arindham Joshi a.k.a Joey runs the Spars Lodge which is a Guest House situated in the heart of a rich green belt which is designated 'protected'. The ambience and the look and feel was incredible. I must thank Joey for the absolutely wonderful hospitality that he extended to us and more so for the wonderful person that he is. A man of extraordinary intelligence and a remarkable ability to comprehend life in the simplest possible manner, I do not for even a brief moment doubt the man's ability to be a superstar in today's Ultra Corporate world of business. But then setting priorities right is the most demanding and challenging tasks and Joey it seems has gotten that very right.
On the evening of the 4rth of July we coasted back to Delhi leaving behind the wonderful places we had set foot on. I will forever carry very fond memories of this fantastic outing and hope to God for many many more for nothing makes a man better than being well travelled and well read. Many thanks to Brij, Bodhi, Uttama & Raj for making this happen.
I can't help, but remember and quote from one of literature's most famous work of art;
Paradise Lost - John Milton (Book 6)
"With joy and acclamations loud, that one
That of so many Myriads fall'n, yet one
Return'd not lost: On to the sacred hill
They led him high applauded, and present
Before the seat supreme; from whence a voice
From midst a Golden Cloud thus milde was heard."
Following is the link to the set of pictures that I shot during the whole trip.
I must state that my old 2.0MP digicam devoid of zoom capabilities whatsoever would in no way do justice in portraying the exquisite beauty of the wonderland we travelled across, nevertheless, I did enjoy each and every one of them
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2104492043&code=22984751&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite
On the evening of 29th June, Brij & Raj intercepted me like Sidewinder missles would home in on a F-16 fighter that had made the mistake of giving its cover away. All they asked was if I owned a Rugsack and immediately as I nodded a yes, I was asked to pack them for a long trip without asking any further questions. I had consented to go to Manali, Rohtang and Shimla with the fraternity on the morning of 1st July, 2006.
And then came the date and the appointed time when we had decided to hit the road to this oft heard paradise which I so much wanted to visit over the years that had gone by.
Having left Gurgaon at 04:41 am that morning, we criss-cross parts of the National Capital, into Haryana, Punjab, back to Haryana and then once again Punjab before finally entering the state of Himachal Pradesh. The drive in itself was an exemplary display of India's vast, unique yet diversified culture and their connections with each other in making our land the largest democracy in the world.
My brush with the mountains during this trip came with the arrival of a small stopover called Aount. A narrow but well made road cut across the mountains into the valley with the River Beas hugging along.
The huger than huge mountains with pristine vegetation was not like anything I had ever seen before. Perhaps, on screen in J. R. R. Tolkein's middle age saga series of the Lord of the Rings, was the only time I had seen something so huge and imposing. Can you imagine Earth the size of Jupiter, and then, the huge mountains that would grow into the skies? Phew!
Absolutely overwhelming and breathtaking is a gross understatement to qualify the attribute of beauty that is so closely a part of the place and its surrounding terrain and topography.
Finally, day 1 had another wonderful easter egg surprise rolled for us to bask in. And that came as a place called Span Resorts which is a few miles from Manali. Situated in the outskirts of the town far away from the mechanical humdrum of a place such as Delhi, Span offered a soothing comfort combined with a sense of timeless relaxation which every human being would in some manner or the other appreciate with a rich sense of aesthetics and penultimate bliss.
Walking barefoot on the well manicured lawns and into the unassuming chill of the ever flowing Beas was a treat second or parallel to none. Finally, when we did reach Manali a few miles uphill, the day had accounted for a journey well begun, one that will in all prospects be remembered for a very long time to come. For a person like me, who has had a very shameful record of travelling, this was paradise.
Manali literally means the 'Home of Manu'. Manu is the mythological character who is supposed to have survived when the world was drowned in Flood. He then came to Manali and recreated human life. Thus, the area of Manali is sacred and Hindus treat the temples over here as pilgrimage. Leading up to Manali from New Delhi are the towns of Panipat and Ambala in Haryana, Chandigarh (the Union Territory), Ropar in Punjab, and Bilaspur, Sunder Nagar, and Mandi in Himachal.
The towns of Kullu and Manali are dotted on the scenic Beas river valley. In a stretch of 100 km, Beas is joined by scores of tributatiries or "nallahs" which are known to cause flooding during the monsoon season. It is precisely because of its everflowing snow fed waters, that Manali is so fertile. This has meant that over a period of time there has been a constant flow of inhabitants into the valley. However the culture and diaspora has remained symbolic to the region.
The earliest history can be tracked down in the folk-lore of Mahabharatha, but more importantly in the local folk-lore which is not very well documented.
The valley was sparesely populated in ancient times and its inhabitants were known as literally "rakshas", the non agricultural hunting and wandering communities. The next arrivals were the shephards which came in through the Kangra valley and settled to take up agriculture. Some of the earliest and the most indigenous inhabitants of the regios are the 'naur' or 'nar' which is a caste unique to Kullu. Only a few naur families are known to exist now. A naur family in the village Soyal near Haripur on the left bank of Manali was famous for the vast land they owned and their practice of having 'rakshas' as their labourers.
Britisher officers were the first documented visitors to the valley. Some books written by travellers have the earliest pictures of Manali dating as far back as 1920. The British were also responsible for bringing in cash crops like apple and fish like trout which was not native to Manali. It is said that when apple trees were first planted the fruits were so plentiful that often branches, unable to bear the weight would collapse. To this day apple along with plum and pear remains the best source of income for the majority of its inhabitants.
However, tourism in Manali received a real fillip after the rise of militancy in the Indian State of Jammu & Kashmir in late 1980s. This once quiet village has now been transformed into a bustling town with hundreds of hotels and restaurants that have mushroomed all over Manali to serve the ever increasing influx of tourists.
That night, at 6662.50 feet, I slept a peaceful and very relaxed soul knowing that this indeed was a journey of a lifetime, one that is so valuably gifted to a human being with the sole intent of discovering a connect between the creation and the creator.
Waking up from a night long slumber, especially after a long journey with the added comfort of natural airconditioning, is never an easy task but then the piece de resistance of the journey lay ahead in the day. The ride to Rohtang pass was something not a lot of folks get to do and since I was on for it, I jumped out of the snooze and into a new day. At about midday when the air was slightly warm we had gathered our bikes and readied to hit the track upto Rohtang and when we finally did, the clock announced 01:46pm. We were late a few hours and any change of weather up there would mean a stall in the journey which eventually would delay our return or most certainly bring a pitch dark night long before we could return. Nevertheless, none of these dampened our high spirits and we set off to make the historical journey, historical for a person like me who has over time learned to value even the smallest of happenings time has so considerately thrown for me to be a part of.
Riding past the Snow & Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) and the Indian Army's transit camp Himank one can enjoy some of the most picturesque mountain ranges known to man.
Situated at a height of 13050 ft, Rohtang Pass is a mere 51 kilometers from Manali.
The Pass itself once served as a crucial trade route, and still is the gateway to the Lahaul and Spiti valleys and the second entry (or exit) point to the tribal region (the other being Shimla). With its snows Rohtang is a major tourist attraction. A two-hour drive from Manali to Rohtang offers sledging, skiing, and tobogganing and a chance to frolic in the snow. The road up to the pass opens only when the snow has melted.
The road to the pass is only open from June to October, and has a well-deserved reputation for being very dangerous because of unpredictable snowstorms.
Just beyond the Pass are the Sonapani Glacier and the twin peaks of Gaypan. The Beas Kund, the source of the River Beas, a holy site for Hindus, as the sage Vyas is said to have meditated at this spot, is also accessible from the Rohtang Pass. There is a beautiful Dashohar Lake left to the pass, where pilgrims go every year on the auspicious day of 20th Bhandon. This is the only access to Lahaul valley.
Up the winding roads we went with Rohtang as the destination for the day and enroute we also chanced upon a bicyclist who rode all way long from France, via Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh onto Ladakh and above. A superhuman effort equalling that from the Earth to the Moon!
The road to Rohtang along with many others is one of the many gifts the Border Roads Organization (BRO) bestowed upon this great nation. With the motto of Creating, Connecting and Caring, this premier one of a kind organization works alongside the Indian Army in c0nstructing some of the highest motorable passes in the world, much of which lies in the Northern tip of India. The BRO is probably one of the few unarmed uniformed civilian organizations modeled and trained on a military pattern. The following is an excerpt published in the Mirror Magazine in July 1975 exemplifying the BRO and its objectives;
"Let us not forget that roads in this difficult terrain have been built not only with mere cement and concrete, but also with the blood of men of the Border Roads Organisation of India. Many lost their lives for the cause of duty on the project. To these men, who always play with danger and laugh at death, duty comes first. These fallen heroes came from all parts of Mother India, to contribute their might to the defence of their mother land and prosperity of their neighbours”.
And as of date, this wonderful establishment has recorded 44 years of excellence in contructing fully laid access roads in some of the most treacherous conditions on Earth. Once again, thankfully, Earth isn't the size of Jupiter.
The biting cold enveloped me soon after crossing Marhi (Mad-hi in Hindi) and I resorted to a warm jacket and a pair of gloves even though the winters had a long journey to make. Nevertheless, I wasn't one bit ashamed! And finally when we reached Rohtang at 05:07 pm I saw one of the most beautiful sights my eyes had ever seen.
It was then I realized that the Human Being is perhaps one of the least important element in a system that has been created naturally. However still, we have continually established our superiority over other beings for a long long time perhaps out of the fear of our own insecurities that have emerged as a result of many thousand years of evolution.
We reached Manali later that evening exhausted yet relaxed and were set to leave for Shimla the next day.
Shimla is the capital of the Indian State of Himachal Pradesh and was the Summer Capital of the Nation under the erstwhile British Raj. The Brits orginally named it Simla and with the passage of time it came to be known as Shimla. It is also a significant part of the Indo-Pakistan relations as it was witness to the historic Shimla Agreement signed by the two nations following the surrender of Pakistan in the Indo-Pak war of 1971.
A Scottish Civil servant by the name of Charles Kennedy built Shimla's first summer home in the year 1882 and by the later half of the 19th century the town had become the summer capital of the Crown's establishment in India. Many British soldiers, merchants, and civil servants moved there for roughly half of each year due to heat and disease at India's lower altitudes.
Shimla is dotted with monuments; imposing buildings with a Victorian aura and often referred to as the hallmark of British rule in India. The Kalka-Shimla rail link, one of the few narrow gauge tracks still operational in India, bears testimony to the engineering excellence of the British.
Shimla is named after Shyamla Devi, an incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Kali.
The last leg of our journey began on the afternoon of 3rd July 2006 and after navigating winding roads, a minor landslip and a nasty traffic jam we reached the cold expanses of Shimla well past nightfall. Arindham Joshi a.k.a Joey runs the Spars Lodge which is a Guest House situated in the heart of a rich green belt which is designated 'protected'. The ambience and the look and feel was incredible. I must thank Joey for the absolutely wonderful hospitality that he extended to us and more so for the wonderful person that he is. A man of extraordinary intelligence and a remarkable ability to comprehend life in the simplest possible manner, I do not for even a brief moment doubt the man's ability to be a superstar in today's Ultra Corporate world of business. But then setting priorities right is the most demanding and challenging tasks and Joey it seems has gotten that very right.
On the evening of the 4rth of July we coasted back to Delhi leaving behind the wonderful places we had set foot on. I will forever carry very fond memories of this fantastic outing and hope to God for many many more for nothing makes a man better than being well travelled and well read. Many thanks to Brij, Bodhi, Uttama & Raj for making this happen.
I can't help, but remember and quote from one of literature's most famous work of art;
Paradise Lost - John Milton (Book 6)
"With joy and acclamations loud, that one
That of so many Myriads fall'n, yet one
Return'd not lost: On to the sacred hill
They led him high applauded, and present
Before the seat supreme; from whence a voice
From midst a Golden Cloud thus milde was heard."
Following is the link to the set of pictures that I shot during the whole trip.
I must state that my old 2.0MP digicam devoid of zoom capabilities whatsoever would in no way do justice in portraying the exquisite beauty of the wonderland we travelled across, nevertheless, I did enjoy each and every one of them
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2104492043&code=22984751&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Ambitions unlimited!
Ambition does not allow a man to sleep!
An oft repeated set of words that are spoken with renewed commitment and passion everytime the mind decides to make a statement and partners with the mouth to let out a stream of words that convey a meaning so powerful that it has built empires, made people emporers of the modern day corporate kingdoms and dynasties.
What does ambition really translate to mean to a person? Or perhaps what does it not mean?
I hadn't heard of Lee Iacocca before the year 1999 and when I did, I wanted to be someone like him. Now, that was ambition. In this blog, I'm going to sum his life for you and also state a few excerpts from his autobiography which have inspired a long list of people (me included)
Read on;
Lee Iacocca was born on October 15, 1924 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. His actual name was Lido Anthony Iacocca.
In his autobiography, Iacocca points out:
"Over the years a number of journalists have reported (or repeated) that my parents went to Lido Beach in Venice for their honeymoon and that I was named Lido to commemorate that happy week. It's a wonderful story, except for one thing: it's not true."
Lee Iacocca's father owned a hot-dog restaurant called the Orpheum Wiener House. He also expanded into other businesses, but the Great Depression was tough on the Iacocca family and Lee has said that the experience had a lasting influence on him.
In August 1946 Iacocca started at Ford as a student engineer. In 1956 he made a major breakthrough. Sales of Fords were poor, and Iacocca's district, Philadelphia had the worst performance of all, but he introduced a lower downpayment and an easier payment schedule for the customer. Within three months Philadelphia's figures moved from worst to best. Iacocca was promoted to district manager of Washington, D.C.
On September 29, 1956 Iacocca married Mary McCleary and for many years things went well. Lee Iacocca quickly rose up the ranks at Ford and, in 1976, Iacocca was earning $970,000 per annum as number two in the number two company (more than the chairman of Genral Motors). He cites his "greed" and the huge salary as one of the reasons why he put up with an increasingly antagonistic, Henry Ford II. Eventually in 1978 Ford and Iacocca parted company.
Iacocca became president (1978) and then chairman (1979) of the Chrysler Corporation. He transformed the ailing company. To do so he needed to take out a staggering $1.2billion loan.
There is an irony in this. His father was always warning Lee as a boy not to get into hock, and if he ever borrowed anything, even 20 cents, to write it down and not forget to pay it back. As Iacocca wrote in his autobiography:
"I often wondered how he would have reacted if he'd lived long enough to see me go into hock in 1981 to keep the Chrysler Corporation in business. This was for a lot more than 20 cents: the total came to $1.2 billion. Although I recalled my father's advice, I had a funny feeling this was one loan I'd remember even without writing it down."
In 1984, Lee Iacocca established the Iacocca Foundation in 1984 in honour of his wife, Mary, who died from complications of type 1 diabetes. The Foundation receives all royalties from both of Iacocca's best-selling books, Iacocca (1984), and Talking Straight (1988).
The Iaccocca Foundation has given more than $20 million to diabetes research.
Ever heard people quip about official stuff and then singing attributes such as 'nothing personal about it? '
Well, clear track II diplomacy tactic I would say, for everything that man builds as a result of realizing his dreams. needs, wants, comforts and so on..................................every single thing is a result of the strongest of personal desires, the very same that makes one lose sleep over idea of making one's life better than the best and better than the ordinary.
It is a tiny yet formidable force, one that is conceptualized in the heavy tubular intricacy of the human mind, the same force that English calls Ambition!
An oft repeated set of words that are spoken with renewed commitment and passion everytime the mind decides to make a statement and partners with the mouth to let out a stream of words that convey a meaning so powerful that it has built empires, made people emporers of the modern day corporate kingdoms and dynasties.
What does ambition really translate to mean to a person? Or perhaps what does it not mean?
I hadn't heard of Lee Iacocca before the year 1999 and when I did, I wanted to be someone like him. Now, that was ambition. In this blog, I'm going to sum his life for you and also state a few excerpts from his autobiography which have inspired a long list of people (me included)
Read on;
Lee Iacocca was born on October 15, 1924 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. His actual name was Lido Anthony Iacocca.
In his autobiography, Iacocca points out:
"Over the years a number of journalists have reported (or repeated) that my parents went to Lido Beach in Venice for their honeymoon and that I was named Lido to commemorate that happy week. It's a wonderful story, except for one thing: it's not true."
Lee Iacocca's father owned a hot-dog restaurant called the Orpheum Wiener House. He also expanded into other businesses, but the Great Depression was tough on the Iacocca family and Lee has said that the experience had a lasting influence on him.
In August 1946 Iacocca started at Ford as a student engineer. In 1956 he made a major breakthrough. Sales of Fords were poor, and Iacocca's district, Philadelphia had the worst performance of all, but he introduced a lower downpayment and an easier payment schedule for the customer. Within three months Philadelphia's figures moved from worst to best. Iacocca was promoted to district manager of Washington, D.C.
On September 29, 1956 Iacocca married Mary McCleary and for many years things went well. Lee Iacocca quickly rose up the ranks at Ford and, in 1976, Iacocca was earning $970,000 per annum as number two in the number two company (more than the chairman of Genral Motors). He cites his "greed" and the huge salary as one of the reasons why he put up with an increasingly antagonistic, Henry Ford II. Eventually in 1978 Ford and Iacocca parted company.
Iacocca became president (1978) and then chairman (1979) of the Chrysler Corporation. He transformed the ailing company. To do so he needed to take out a staggering $1.2billion loan.
There is an irony in this. His father was always warning Lee as a boy not to get into hock, and if he ever borrowed anything, even 20 cents, to write it down and not forget to pay it back. As Iacocca wrote in his autobiography:
"I often wondered how he would have reacted if he'd lived long enough to see me go into hock in 1981 to keep the Chrysler Corporation in business. This was for a lot more than 20 cents: the total came to $1.2 billion. Although I recalled my father's advice, I had a funny feeling this was one loan I'd remember even without writing it down."
In 1984, Lee Iacocca established the Iacocca Foundation in 1984 in honour of his wife, Mary, who died from complications of type 1 diabetes. The Foundation receives all royalties from both of Iacocca's best-selling books, Iacocca (1984), and Talking Straight (1988).
The Iaccocca Foundation has given more than $20 million to diabetes research.
Ever heard people quip about official stuff and then singing attributes such as 'nothing personal about it? '
Well, clear track II diplomacy tactic I would say, for everything that man builds as a result of realizing his dreams. needs, wants, comforts and so on..................................every single thing is a result of the strongest of personal desires, the very same that makes one lose sleep over idea of making one's life better than the best and better than the ordinary.
It is a tiny yet formidable force, one that is conceptualized in the heavy tubular intricacy of the human mind, the same force that English calls Ambition!
Thursday, June 15, 2006
A dream comes true!
2005 was in many ways a year that ushered in a number of welcome changes. Among the many things that happened, one of the memorable of them was my trip to the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve. Located in the newly created Indian state of Uttaranchal (formerly northern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh), this vast expanse of 1300 sq. kms. was established a park in August 1936. It is a part of the Corbett tiger reserve which lies in the foothills of the mightly Himalayas within the districts of Nainital, Pauri Garhwal, Almora and Binjore. The park itself is divided into different zones out of which the Buffer and the Core form an integral part. While the Core area forms the Park itself, the buffer area contains the Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary and reserve forests.
It was originally called the Hailey National Park after the then Governor of the United Province (Uttar Pradesh), Sir Malcolm Hailey. Post independence in the year 1947, the park was renamed the Ramganga National Park and then in 1957, the park was once again renamed. It now became known as the Jim Corbett National Park in memory of the legendary hunter turned conservationist, who was largely responsible for marking out the park boundaries and helped in setting up the park.
My first brush with the name Jim Corbett was in the year 1992 while in Class Eight, when I chanced upon the book, The Maneating Leapord of Rudraprayag. I was fascinated by the book as a kid especially since I had a very keen sense of interest in nature and big cats. Having completed the book in a matter of days, I had then wished for the day that would see me come face to face with one of the most beautiful landscapes one could set foot on. Apart from having been an astute hunter of man-eaters, Jim Corbett was a man who knew more about the Indian jungles than many Indian 'experts' themselves. What made him more interesting was his lucid and picturesque description in words of his days in India as a hunter and later a dedicated conservationist.
I knew not that my chance to visit this magnificient place would come 13 long years later and when it did, I jumped at the prospect. Having formed a group of ten, we set out to visit the park immediately after the monsoons had expired, giving way to the winter which was slowly finding into many parts of the Indian subcontinent. The weather was very pleasant and proved conducive for such a visit. Weeks of planning had gone into making this dream a reality and although I must confess that a stay of two days was terribly short, I did enjoy the whole trip with enthusiasm and fervor like never before. Bodhi, my flatmate was kind enough to lend me a very powerful pair of field lenses that once belonged to his father who during his times was an eminent sportsman in many senses. Like the many times I would attribute many a good thing to luck and adherence to sound advise, I believe that having carried the Carl Ziess binoculars rewarded me abundantly the description of events which I shall present to you at a later stage on this very post.
We grouped together to begin an overnight train journey which would transport us from New Delhi to Ranikhet on the evening of 24rth November 2005. As planned we reached Ranikhet early next morning and began a short drive straight into the heart of Tiger country.
My dream was coming true and I was enthralled. We reached our resort at daybreak and the winter air was inviting and brought about a huge sense of liberation. I pray to Almighty night and day that I find a place as such to spend the rest of my life. Folklore was the pivot of this place and immediately upon reaching, we were 'informed' of the most recent happenings that were witnessed in the immediate surroundings. Tales of a Tiger falling victim to rabies and wrecking havoc among the village-folks was among the first that I was told along with incidents of a Tiger carrying away a cow, a dog, goats and also a young boy. While the description of these incidents were exaggerated beyond proportion, we came to realize that they had indeed happened!
During the months preceding our vist, wide-spread protests echoed across the nation protesting the merciless poaching of Tigers in the Indian National Parks. Siriska and Ranthambore were at high risk. To make matters worse, the government took no steps to prevent this callous slaughter of our national animal and was engaged mostly in refuting the call of many environmentalists and conservationists who warned of imminent danger. Finally after much wrangling, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) stepped in to mitigate the damage and recommended a commission be setup to determine the extent of damage. With all the histrionics unfolding in one nasty form or the other, what it meant to us tourists was a grim and unsettling reality - we could traverse the entire expanse of the park and yet return without having seen a tiger!
A daunting yet real possiblity, I still felt thrilled being present in Tiger country. Seeing one was indeed a very luxurious perquiste that I honestly thought would not happen and which even if did not, would not in any manner dent my state of penultimate bliss.
The first day passed with a short trek with an enthusiatistic few while the 'others' fell into a restful slumber as a result of the night long train journey. Fortune favors the brave and the adventurous! Presently, brave and adventurous was a very potent, desirable and an equally tiring combination.
Having climbed a dusty beaten path to see the magnificence of the mighty river Kosi, we the enthusiastic few were now devoid of the last sap of energy left and soon decided to return to the comforts of our resort where a sumptous lunch awaited us. Anyone who is part of a BPO operation knows very well that time and food had no relationship what so ever and thus what would have ordinarily been a heavy dinner for a casual onlooker turned out to be a well-laid lunch to the brady bunch who after having braved the adventure under the sharp winter sun with an atmospheric combination that consisted air atleast 20% thinner when compared to normal conditions decided the best course of action to be a filled stomach!
The day's adventure had not come to a close. Not yet. How could one wrap the day without soaking oneself in the bloodchilling waters of the Kosi?
With darkness came a very eerie series of calls and cries which would still any human being and make the already timid imagination run wild with scary thoughts of a leopard or a Tiger lurking in the bushes! Thankfully, that night, thoughts remained disconcerted from reality and nature showed abundant kindness by safely tucking each one of us into bed without much incident.
A thumping knock on your door at 03:00 am on a winter morning is no welcome news no matter what the purpose, especially after having grown comfortable in the sinking and relaxing bedding with heating only due to the warmth of of your own body.
But, up we had to be since we were scheduled to be part of an early morning safari right into the heart of Tiger country - the inner zone of the park. Without wasting much of the early morning and well before the Sun could rise over the horizon we were already being driven into the divine journey, rather pilgrimage, the very reason of our being there!
Driving into the park, we were welcomed by a flock of Siberian cranes, birds that had travelled +2000 kms across Mongolia, Kazakstan, Pakistan and the NWFP to find momentary comfort and residence in this Indian abode where they would spend all but a few weeks in comfort far away from the agonizing winters of Siberia. A lone miniature Indian Kingfisher sat at the edge of a muddy pool in wait for a morning meal while a family of Indian Rhesus Macaques were readying themselves for the day. A herd of spotted Deer lifted its heads in unison and gazed at the presently usual but unnecessary human intervention and while a pair of peacocks appeared and disappeared in moments, our guide pointed to some fresh laid pug marks of the big cat. It was the closest that we could manage to come to contact with this truly remarkable yet macabre beast. (I humbly beg pardon for a rather sardonic description of this royal creation, but I have done nothing more than attempt to descriptively bring about a mix of nature's perfection in beauty yet, the same beauty blended with raw brute force quite unimaginable in many respects)
The excitement and fervor had begun and the morning was one of the coldest I had ever braced since coming to Delhi. The rush of air blasting onto us due to speeding four wheel carrier was much like that of Ooty.
A few more minutes into the drive we stopped at a fallen tree overlooking a vast plain that looked more like a dried river bed with a heavy growth of tall jungle grass. A herd of Sambhar grazed nervously often breaking routine to gain a clear lookout for any lurking danger that would spring at them. And danger there certainly was! To the inexperienced and rather inferior human perception however, everything seemed in order until a Kakar barked in the distance and then bolted away from the scene of supposed action and all heads turned to the direction. However, an eventful series of happenings was unfolding quite a small distance away. And minutes later, I spotted a large reddish brown object hurl itself from one patch of grass into another! I know not what the object was but it was certainly something I had never seen before and was one that was full of life and determined force! I can only thank my flatmate Bodhi and his superb pair of Carl Ziess field lenses without which I would have never spotted that spur of the moment that the rest of the bunch had so unknowingly missed out on.
A mahout driven elephant had shooed the Tiger from its well concealed hold and this morning another hungry stomach walked on fours seeking a means of sustainence and survival.
Shortly afterwards we returned to our resort and settled in for lunch after which each one was lost in thought.
It is very difficult not to feel humbled when in the mighty expanse of nature. A moment comes when you realize that the human kind is a mere atom in the multitude of elements called creation. Having reached home in Gurgaon the next day, I was a content and happy man, a happy pilgrim rather. A sense of satisfaction of a dream having come true enveloped my inner core. To this day, I yearn to go back and I know I certainly will embark on many more pilgrimages to this Heaven on Earth. I pray to God that Blake's ominous lines do not come true for then our posterity would be robbed of this once in a lifetime privilege of capturing with the eye and film perhaps India's Royal pride and matter of venerable tribute.
When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?
It was originally called the Hailey National Park after the then Governor of the United Province (Uttar Pradesh), Sir Malcolm Hailey. Post independence in the year 1947, the park was renamed the Ramganga National Park and then in 1957, the park was once again renamed. It now became known as the Jim Corbett National Park in memory of the legendary hunter turned conservationist, who was largely responsible for marking out the park boundaries and helped in setting up the park.
My first brush with the name Jim Corbett was in the year 1992 while in Class Eight, when I chanced upon the book, The Maneating Leapord of Rudraprayag. I was fascinated by the book as a kid especially since I had a very keen sense of interest in nature and big cats. Having completed the book in a matter of days, I had then wished for the day that would see me come face to face with one of the most beautiful landscapes one could set foot on. Apart from having been an astute hunter of man-eaters, Jim Corbett was a man who knew more about the Indian jungles than many Indian 'experts' themselves. What made him more interesting was his lucid and picturesque description in words of his days in India as a hunter and later a dedicated conservationist.
I knew not that my chance to visit this magnificient place would come 13 long years later and when it did, I jumped at the prospect. Having formed a group of ten, we set out to visit the park immediately after the monsoons had expired, giving way to the winter which was slowly finding into many parts of the Indian subcontinent. The weather was very pleasant and proved conducive for such a visit. Weeks of planning had gone into making this dream a reality and although I must confess that a stay of two days was terribly short, I did enjoy the whole trip with enthusiasm and fervor like never before. Bodhi, my flatmate was kind enough to lend me a very powerful pair of field lenses that once belonged to his father who during his times was an eminent sportsman in many senses. Like the many times I would attribute many a good thing to luck and adherence to sound advise, I believe that having carried the Carl Ziess binoculars rewarded me abundantly the description of events which I shall present to you at a later stage on this very post.
We grouped together to begin an overnight train journey which would transport us from New Delhi to Ranikhet on the evening of 24rth November 2005. As planned we reached Ranikhet early next morning and began a short drive straight into the heart of Tiger country.
My dream was coming true and I was enthralled. We reached our resort at daybreak and the winter air was inviting and brought about a huge sense of liberation. I pray to Almighty night and day that I find a place as such to spend the rest of my life. Folklore was the pivot of this place and immediately upon reaching, we were 'informed' of the most recent happenings that were witnessed in the immediate surroundings. Tales of a Tiger falling victim to rabies and wrecking havoc among the village-folks was among the first that I was told along with incidents of a Tiger carrying away a cow, a dog, goats and also a young boy. While the description of these incidents were exaggerated beyond proportion, we came to realize that they had indeed happened!
During the months preceding our vist, wide-spread protests echoed across the nation protesting the merciless poaching of Tigers in the Indian National Parks. Siriska and Ranthambore were at high risk. To make matters worse, the government took no steps to prevent this callous slaughter of our national animal and was engaged mostly in refuting the call of many environmentalists and conservationists who warned of imminent danger. Finally after much wrangling, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) stepped in to mitigate the damage and recommended a commission be setup to determine the extent of damage. With all the histrionics unfolding in one nasty form or the other, what it meant to us tourists was a grim and unsettling reality - we could traverse the entire expanse of the park and yet return without having seen a tiger!
A daunting yet real possiblity, I still felt thrilled being present in Tiger country. Seeing one was indeed a very luxurious perquiste that I honestly thought would not happen and which even if did not, would not in any manner dent my state of penultimate bliss.
The first day passed with a short trek with an enthusiatistic few while the 'others' fell into a restful slumber as a result of the night long train journey. Fortune favors the brave and the adventurous! Presently, brave and adventurous was a very potent, desirable and an equally tiring combination.
Having climbed a dusty beaten path to see the magnificence of the mighty river Kosi, we the enthusiastic few were now devoid of the last sap of energy left and soon decided to return to the comforts of our resort where a sumptous lunch awaited us. Anyone who is part of a BPO operation knows very well that time and food had no relationship what so ever and thus what would have ordinarily been a heavy dinner for a casual onlooker turned out to be a well-laid lunch to the brady bunch who after having braved the adventure under the sharp winter sun with an atmospheric combination that consisted air atleast 20% thinner when compared to normal conditions decided the best course of action to be a filled stomach!
The day's adventure had not come to a close. Not yet. How could one wrap the day without soaking oneself in the bloodchilling waters of the Kosi?
With darkness came a very eerie series of calls and cries which would still any human being and make the already timid imagination run wild with scary thoughts of a leopard or a Tiger lurking in the bushes! Thankfully, that night, thoughts remained disconcerted from reality and nature showed abundant kindness by safely tucking each one of us into bed without much incident.
A thumping knock on your door at 03:00 am on a winter morning is no welcome news no matter what the purpose, especially after having grown comfortable in the sinking and relaxing bedding with heating only due to the warmth of of your own body.
But, up we had to be since we were scheduled to be part of an early morning safari right into the heart of Tiger country - the inner zone of the park. Without wasting much of the early morning and well before the Sun could rise over the horizon we were already being driven into the divine journey, rather pilgrimage, the very reason of our being there!
Driving into the park, we were welcomed by a flock of Siberian cranes, birds that had travelled +2000 kms across Mongolia, Kazakstan, Pakistan and the NWFP to find momentary comfort and residence in this Indian abode where they would spend all but a few weeks in comfort far away from the agonizing winters of Siberia. A lone miniature Indian Kingfisher sat at the edge of a muddy pool in wait for a morning meal while a family of Indian Rhesus Macaques were readying themselves for the day. A herd of spotted Deer lifted its heads in unison and gazed at the presently usual but unnecessary human intervention and while a pair of peacocks appeared and disappeared in moments, our guide pointed to some fresh laid pug marks of the big cat. It was the closest that we could manage to come to contact with this truly remarkable yet macabre beast. (I humbly beg pardon for a rather sardonic description of this royal creation, but I have done nothing more than attempt to descriptively bring about a mix of nature's perfection in beauty yet, the same beauty blended with raw brute force quite unimaginable in many respects)
The excitement and fervor had begun and the morning was one of the coldest I had ever braced since coming to Delhi. The rush of air blasting onto us due to speeding four wheel carrier was much like that of Ooty.
A few more minutes into the drive we stopped at a fallen tree overlooking a vast plain that looked more like a dried river bed with a heavy growth of tall jungle grass. A herd of Sambhar grazed nervously often breaking routine to gain a clear lookout for any lurking danger that would spring at them. And danger there certainly was! To the inexperienced and rather inferior human perception however, everything seemed in order until a Kakar barked in the distance and then bolted away from the scene of supposed action and all heads turned to the direction. However, an eventful series of happenings was unfolding quite a small distance away. And minutes later, I spotted a large reddish brown object hurl itself from one patch of grass into another! I know not what the object was but it was certainly something I had never seen before and was one that was full of life and determined force! I can only thank my flatmate Bodhi and his superb pair of Carl Ziess field lenses without which I would have never spotted that spur of the moment that the rest of the bunch had so unknowingly missed out on.
A mahout driven elephant had shooed the Tiger from its well concealed hold and this morning another hungry stomach walked on fours seeking a means of sustainence and survival.
Shortly afterwards we returned to our resort and settled in for lunch after which each one was lost in thought.
It is very difficult not to feel humbled when in the mighty expanse of nature. A moment comes when you realize that the human kind is a mere atom in the multitude of elements called creation. Having reached home in Gurgaon the next day, I was a content and happy man, a happy pilgrim rather. A sense of satisfaction of a dream having come true enveloped my inner core. To this day, I yearn to go back and I know I certainly will embark on many more pilgrimages to this Heaven on Earth. I pray to God that Blake's ominous lines do not come true for then our posterity would be robbed of this once in a lifetime privilege of capturing with the eye and film perhaps India's Royal pride and matter of venerable tribute.
When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
2005, A window into memories.
This photograph taken in front of the famed Hawa Mahal during my visit to Jaipur during March - April 2005 is a personal favourite.The edifice was constructed in the year 1799 by HRH Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh.
Known to the rest of the world as the Palace of Wind this is an example of Rajput artistry made of red and pink sand stone, beautifully outlined with white borders and motif's painted with quick lime.This five-story, pyramid-shaped structure has tier after tier of 953 small casements, each with tiny lattice worked (Jali) pink windows.
This was snapped when LT decided to fixate himself one evening on the floor which he regarded as a much better option as compared to the chairs that made one feel the painful cramps one developes over a period of time due to long and tiring hours of sitting.
My dream of riding on a camel came true in the pristine greens of the Best Western Country Resort in Manesar on the 21st of August 2005.This is thus another of my personal favorites among those shot in 2005.
This image was crystallized in front of the River Kosi which runs across the Corbett National Park and into a number of adjoining towns.The scenic beauty of the place combined with the presence of many colleagues whom I worked with make it a memorable snap.
(L-R) Tarun, Mayank, Tammana, Randy, LT, Kunal & Me
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
The Ides of March.
Historically, the month of March has been an unwelcome harbinger of disaster in one form or the other. I have for some reason always hated March although I cannot to this day identify a reason associated to my vague yet daunting apprehension. In New Delhi much like many parts of the Indian peninsula, the commencement of March signalled the arrival of Summer which was by far the most intolerable time of the year bringing with it heat which makes human and animals lives a statistical figure consigned to the unkind annals of history.
Having rested well for a long drawn period of time, I itched to get back to work cautious not to be left out in the non-stop rat race. So when on the night 24rth February 2006, I decided to leave for Gurgaon, I was confident that I was ready to move ahead. I had enough of comfort and rest that I had quickly grown tired of it. Life itself becomes very painfully dreary when overdosed with a post-retirement type schedule especially at an age when career, wealth, growth and success occupy a staggering three-fourths of any thinking mind.
I reached my apartment in Gurgaon the next day, on the 25th after a long journey via Bangalore where I had caught up with Pree, Bajji and a couple of other friends after which I had come to a frightening few minutes to missing my flight.
Welcoming me back to Gurgaon was Vishal Samuel who had turned to become a very good friend of mine over a very short period of time. Not a day passes when I, on a friendly note, scoff him for his disposition that he exhibited during my initial days at Gecis. We had grown unusually close and discussed a lot of personal aspects that each faced in the other's life.
I lost no time realizing the fact that my days at home had sped past at an unusually manifested
rate of knots. Time it seems, is one commodity we can never exercise control upon atleast for a couple of years to come (if technology can at best be relied upon).
Reporting to work on the 1st day of March 2006 was a 'feeling' that requires elements beyond words to express and perhaps inexpressible even if I were to be in possession of those elements.
Friends and colleages did best to bring me into the 'flow'. I gather the best comment I had received upon arrival was from Namrata Bhardwaj, Kappu's wife who I fondly call Didi (sister in Hindi). She cheerfully remarked that I appeared to have undergone a brain surgery. True to her words, I had a very different perspective with crystal clear focus and a very different attitude altogether. If the after effect of 'being under the knife and on the table' did this to me, then I'd rather have a couple of more surgeries done! Twisted logic at its best I suppose.
In the vast expanse of Genpact, a huge lot had changed. Tony had left the organization late last year on having secured what was a lifetime opportunity and position at an organization based at the economic capital of India - Mumbai.
Lhakpa 'LT' Tsering a former colleague and now dear friend had also moved out of Genpact to lead the Tibetan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and now represented the Tibetan people and His Holiness The Dalai Lama in his cause for the long subdued nation which we all hope would soon be let loose from the clutches of its evil captor, the People's Republic of China. LT as we fondly addressed him made a huge mark in the lives of many people whom he came in contact with. So much was his personal charisma and ability that in my new role which I assumed on 01 May 2006, I came to realize that a few GE Healthcare Leadership personnel still recalled him fondly and with great respect. Our Director of Service (DoS) John Leidel once mentioned to me that he was perhaps one of the few people from across the Atlantic, who knew LT, who could actually pronounce his name 'Lhakpa' flawlessly.
There were numerous unfamiliar and new faces across our once closely knit Healthcare division of the Industrial and Equipment Center of Excellence (CoE). Hiring I was told was rampant aimed at confronting the ever rising attrition figures as a result of the constant churn in the work force. My priority at best was to return into the scence of action as early as possible and secure a strong foothold as I had long desired.
However, when I did return to being operationally functional, I realized that there was something amiss. I was perturbed and assumed that I had been rendered stagnant and incapacitated. I was constantly punishing myself for no reason or rhyme. Soon, I slipped into a depression that made me exhibit rudeness and rendered me restless and very irritable.
Fortunately, this sudden and unusual behaviour of mine was being noticed and those close to me became increasingly concerned and tried hard to determine a cause while I maintained a stony silence and with great difficultly attempted to do a volte-face.
I had completed a year in the organization on 22nd February 2006 in absentia and now that I was back, my yearly review (EMS) was due to be completed.
Perhaps, no other EMS in this entire organization had happened for such an extended period of time and with such deep analysis as was mine on a Saturday morning when Randy confronted me citing my newly adopted frame of mind. I must credit him a great deal for having personally taken so much time and focussed enormous amount of effort to take me back to track!
I needed to move on and many aspects and possibilities were being worked upon. Finally after much action I was on the 1st of May 2006 given the charge of handling the profile of the Field Service Administrator, GE Healthcare Technologies with a location of the North East Zone of the United States of America. Incidentally, Randy who had been a vital part of GEHC dispatches was also moving ahead into a new role. There was talk of a huge change in the Organizational pattern along with the possibility of many faces no longer being part of this illustrous venture.
Along with many friends and well wishers I rejoiced at my reward and began looking at life with a fresh perspective. A huge sense of achievement and relief made me overjoyed and almost instantly I saw unimaginably endless possibilties. Life had changed and for the good. Most of us fail to realize the element of life's control on every single one of us. We are truly at the mercy of time and its unravelling mixture of events. What we sometimes need to stop and accept is a fact that life is a genuine mix of rewards and rebukes both of which form a very essential part of any living being during the course of its existence.
At this juncture, I cannot help but publish one of the most motivation writings I have ever come across. Originally written by my friend Mr. VJ, I had made a copy of it since it inspired me more than anything else. I suggest you read through the following with a very open mind and then make the simplest of efforts to realize how easy it is to feel motivated and stay focussed.
VJ, I must thank you for this wonderful piece of work which I so much credit to your superior intellect and enriched experience.
VJ had originally titled it as "A question of Perspective." I see no reason whatsoever to make any alteration.
At times in life, one stops to re- examine if the steps one took were right or wrong.
What seemed right then, may now seem wrong in hindsight. Listening to the advice of family members or people known to you may have turned out to be hideously wrong. Advice is free, but the consequences are not. The consequences are your's to pay.
Every person is responsible for his actions. At the end of the day, it’s your life.
From my own life all I can say is this, learn to think for yourself. Have the courage to fight against people who oppose you. No matter how close or how dear they may be to you.
You should know your interests and how to stand for them. Being a martyr to someone else’s dreams or desires is no act of greatness, merely horrendous imbecility. With the courage of conviction, and an invincible faith in yourself and God set out on your path. The trials will be daunting, opposition trenchant and incessant. At times, you will want to give up. Energy may desert you, the mind may grow feeble. Despondency, depression and loneliness will be your constant companions. Yet, you will move on. Keep your mind open to changes, in people in circumstances. Learn to utilize both to your advantage. Learn to understand people, their strengths, weaknesses and ways of thinking. Do not look for acceptance, if you succeed it will come on its own.
Doors may close, opportunities turn into a mirage, faith may be betrayed but persevere. Slender may be the thread of hope, but remember it’s all you have when you are facing a crevasse.
Don’t let the thought of the rope snapping drive you to loosen your grip and plunge to destruction. Victory and defeat aren’t in your hands but if you consider yourself beaten, you are. No one, I repeat, No one can save a person from himself. Through the hours of struggle, the longer nights of loneliness, when you have none but your miseries to warm the cockles of your soul, do not let go. Convince yourself to face your sufferings, not by avoiding them, not by seeking to flee from dream to dream, not by seeking to escape from reality, but by looking them straight in the eye. Train all your energy to work as weapons in your struggle. Do not let the maelstrom of dedicated opposition weaken your resolve. Use your creative and other energies to fashion a new persona. The crucible of pain is unforgiving, but it produces the best steel. Then one day, the clouds will part, the sun will shine through. It will never seem possible, yet it is your belief in its coming which will make it possible. Its power is awe inspiring; your faith will give you the strength to reach it.
When the ordeal ends, your face bathed in the sunlight of success, of recognition, of acceptance, you will scarce believe that the struggle is over. Applause will follow, your life will change, and success will make all that happened seem a dream. The world will accept you as one of its own.The world loves the heroic story of the underdog who made it. His heroism is applauded, yet the same world excels at kicking the underdog while he was making the very same great story happen. When you look back at your path, you will wonder if all those lonely nights, those hopeless days were worth it. Others will have attained more than you would have and faced none of the problems you had to endure. Look at the faces which now smile at you in acceptance. Each one of these faces has experienced the beautiful afterglow of success. These faces have not faced the misery which you have faced and are the poorer for it. In order to appreciate the taste of sugar it is important to know the taste of salt. You have seen the different faces of human behavior and are the richer for it. Now ask yourself the question again …………The answer is self apparent.
Need I say more about life after these marvelous lines?
Having rested well for a long drawn period of time, I itched to get back to work cautious not to be left out in the non-stop rat race. So when on the night 24rth February 2006, I decided to leave for Gurgaon, I was confident that I was ready to move ahead. I had enough of comfort and rest that I had quickly grown tired of it. Life itself becomes very painfully dreary when overdosed with a post-retirement type schedule especially at an age when career, wealth, growth and success occupy a staggering three-fourths of any thinking mind.
I reached my apartment in Gurgaon the next day, on the 25th after a long journey via Bangalore where I had caught up with Pree, Bajji and a couple of other friends after which I had come to a frightening few minutes to missing my flight.
Welcoming me back to Gurgaon was Vishal Samuel who had turned to become a very good friend of mine over a very short period of time. Not a day passes when I, on a friendly note, scoff him for his disposition that he exhibited during my initial days at Gecis. We had grown unusually close and discussed a lot of personal aspects that each faced in the other's life.
I lost no time realizing the fact that my days at home had sped past at an unusually manifested
rate of knots. Time it seems, is one commodity we can never exercise control upon atleast for a couple of years to come (if technology can at best be relied upon).
Reporting to work on the 1st day of March 2006 was a 'feeling' that requires elements beyond words to express and perhaps inexpressible even if I were to be in possession of those elements.
Friends and colleages did best to bring me into the 'flow'. I gather the best comment I had received upon arrival was from Namrata Bhardwaj, Kappu's wife who I fondly call Didi (sister in Hindi). She cheerfully remarked that I appeared to have undergone a brain surgery. True to her words, I had a very different perspective with crystal clear focus and a very different attitude altogether. If the after effect of 'being under the knife and on the table' did this to me, then I'd rather have a couple of more surgeries done! Twisted logic at its best I suppose.
In the vast expanse of Genpact, a huge lot had changed. Tony had left the organization late last year on having secured what was a lifetime opportunity and position at an organization based at the economic capital of India - Mumbai.
Lhakpa 'LT' Tsering a former colleague and now dear friend had also moved out of Genpact to lead the Tibetan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and now represented the Tibetan people and His Holiness The Dalai Lama in his cause for the long subdued nation which we all hope would soon be let loose from the clutches of its evil captor, the People's Republic of China. LT as we fondly addressed him made a huge mark in the lives of many people whom he came in contact with. So much was his personal charisma and ability that in my new role which I assumed on 01 May 2006, I came to realize that a few GE Healthcare Leadership personnel still recalled him fondly and with great respect. Our Director of Service (DoS) John Leidel once mentioned to me that he was perhaps one of the few people from across the Atlantic, who knew LT, who could actually pronounce his name 'Lhakpa' flawlessly.
There were numerous unfamiliar and new faces across our once closely knit Healthcare division of the Industrial and Equipment Center of Excellence (CoE). Hiring I was told was rampant aimed at confronting the ever rising attrition figures as a result of the constant churn in the work force. My priority at best was to return into the scence of action as early as possible and secure a strong foothold as I had long desired.
However, when I did return to being operationally functional, I realized that there was something amiss. I was perturbed and assumed that I had been rendered stagnant and incapacitated. I was constantly punishing myself for no reason or rhyme. Soon, I slipped into a depression that made me exhibit rudeness and rendered me restless and very irritable.
Fortunately, this sudden and unusual behaviour of mine was being noticed and those close to me became increasingly concerned and tried hard to determine a cause while I maintained a stony silence and with great difficultly attempted to do a volte-face.
I had completed a year in the organization on 22nd February 2006 in absentia and now that I was back, my yearly review (EMS) was due to be completed.
Perhaps, no other EMS in this entire organization had happened for such an extended period of time and with such deep analysis as was mine on a Saturday morning when Randy confronted me citing my newly adopted frame of mind. I must credit him a great deal for having personally taken so much time and focussed enormous amount of effort to take me back to track!
I needed to move on and many aspects and possibilities were being worked upon. Finally after much action I was on the 1st of May 2006 given the charge of handling the profile of the Field Service Administrator, GE Healthcare Technologies with a location of the North East Zone of the United States of America. Incidentally, Randy who had been a vital part of GEHC dispatches was also moving ahead into a new role. There was talk of a huge change in the Organizational pattern along with the possibility of many faces no longer being part of this illustrous venture.
Along with many friends and well wishers I rejoiced at my reward and began looking at life with a fresh perspective. A huge sense of achievement and relief made me overjoyed and almost instantly I saw unimaginably endless possibilties. Life had changed and for the good. Most of us fail to realize the element of life's control on every single one of us. We are truly at the mercy of time and its unravelling mixture of events. What we sometimes need to stop and accept is a fact that life is a genuine mix of rewards and rebukes both of which form a very essential part of any living being during the course of its existence.
At this juncture, I cannot help but publish one of the most motivation writings I have ever come across. Originally written by my friend Mr. VJ, I had made a copy of it since it inspired me more than anything else. I suggest you read through the following with a very open mind and then make the simplest of efforts to realize how easy it is to feel motivated and stay focussed.
VJ, I must thank you for this wonderful piece of work which I so much credit to your superior intellect and enriched experience.
VJ had originally titled it as "A question of Perspective." I see no reason whatsoever to make any alteration.
At times in life, one stops to re- examine if the steps one took were right or wrong.
What seemed right then, may now seem wrong in hindsight. Listening to the advice of family members or people known to you may have turned out to be hideously wrong. Advice is free, but the consequences are not. The consequences are your's to pay.
Every person is responsible for his actions. At the end of the day, it’s your life.
From my own life all I can say is this, learn to think for yourself. Have the courage to fight against people who oppose you. No matter how close or how dear they may be to you.
You should know your interests and how to stand for them. Being a martyr to someone else’s dreams or desires is no act of greatness, merely horrendous imbecility. With the courage of conviction, and an invincible faith in yourself and God set out on your path. The trials will be daunting, opposition trenchant and incessant. At times, you will want to give up. Energy may desert you, the mind may grow feeble. Despondency, depression and loneliness will be your constant companions. Yet, you will move on. Keep your mind open to changes, in people in circumstances. Learn to utilize both to your advantage. Learn to understand people, their strengths, weaknesses and ways of thinking. Do not look for acceptance, if you succeed it will come on its own.
Doors may close, opportunities turn into a mirage, faith may be betrayed but persevere. Slender may be the thread of hope, but remember it’s all you have when you are facing a crevasse.
Don’t let the thought of the rope snapping drive you to loosen your grip and plunge to destruction. Victory and defeat aren’t in your hands but if you consider yourself beaten, you are. No one, I repeat, No one can save a person from himself. Through the hours of struggle, the longer nights of loneliness, when you have none but your miseries to warm the cockles of your soul, do not let go. Convince yourself to face your sufferings, not by avoiding them, not by seeking to flee from dream to dream, not by seeking to escape from reality, but by looking them straight in the eye. Train all your energy to work as weapons in your struggle. Do not let the maelstrom of dedicated opposition weaken your resolve. Use your creative and other energies to fashion a new persona. The crucible of pain is unforgiving, but it produces the best steel. Then one day, the clouds will part, the sun will shine through. It will never seem possible, yet it is your belief in its coming which will make it possible. Its power is awe inspiring; your faith will give you the strength to reach it.
When the ordeal ends, your face bathed in the sunlight of success, of recognition, of acceptance, you will scarce believe that the struggle is over. Applause will follow, your life will change, and success will make all that happened seem a dream. The world will accept you as one of its own.The world loves the heroic story of the underdog who made it. His heroism is applauded, yet the same world excels at kicking the underdog while he was making the very same great story happen. When you look back at your path, you will wonder if all those lonely nights, those hopeless days were worth it. Others will have attained more than you would have and faced none of the problems you had to endure. Look at the faces which now smile at you in acceptance. Each one of these faces has experienced the beautiful afterglow of success. These faces have not faced the misery which you have faced and are the poorer for it. In order to appreciate the taste of sugar it is important to know the taste of salt. You have seen the different faces of human behavior and are the richer for it. Now ask yourself the question again …………The answer is self apparent.
Need I say more about life after these marvelous lines?
Monday, June 12, 2006
A beaten path to contentment.
On 8th December 2005, Dad turned 58. 38 of which he spent in Ooty and continues to remain there with unwavered passion and dedication to realize his lifetime objective of handling the family business which was established in the year 1966.
I called to wish him on the ocassion and hastened to end the call despite wanting to speak for a longer time. So when I disconnected I knew I had succeeded remarkably in something I do best - the remarkably infamous ability to mask my feelings with equally remarkable ease.
For on that day, also unravelling into the open was one of the most darkest secrets I have been carrying in me for a long long time.
Having realized a strange abnormality, I first began tracking its happening on 4th February 1994, which incidentally was my Mother's birthday. The abnormaility it seemed emanated from a severe pain in my lower abdomen which I could not attribute to any particular cause or reason. Having borne this relentless hurting, I was now thrown into a state of complete standstill and could not muster the effort or courage to summon myself to even think of taking a step forward - literally!
So, that morning, after my conversation with Dad, I decided to call 'Dr. Aditya Adi - Bubbles Kapoor', who is a very dear friend of mine and who had quite recently relocated back to his hometown - New Delhi. Adi suggested that I present myself at his clinic without any further delay and then with the help of Vishal Samuel, I managed to get admitted to a nearby hospital without any hope of this condition being cured. I had by then told myself that the end was imminent. Years of paranoia, coupled with self-excercised misinformed research on the internet had convinced me to believe without doubt that my condition was a result of cancerous growth in the lower abdomen. I hated the sight of a hospital let alone the prospect of being a guest in one. And this time I had no choice for I had to somehow find a means of curbing this killing pain despite whether my condition was curable or otherwise. I hadn't propped my self on the bed when an army of nursing assistants shepherded by a surgeon and a general physician trooped their way into my room and began what would be one of the worst moments of my life ever. I was constantly being referred to as a patient and subject, and my patience was wearing thin. Worse, canular needles found their way into my arms feeding me with so called 'vital' fluids all day long. The doctors had already decided to use most of the available antibiotic supply on me and thus began a process of turning me into a living storehouse of a dozen chemicals. I have never felt so sick ever in life, as I was during the 17 days of my forced-detention. After much humdrum I was told that a tissue had gone 'bad' due to an internal injury that happened a decade or so before. Promptly, a biopsy was scheduled to determine if the 'bad tissue' had turned malignant or if there actually was a possibility of it becoming cancerous. It was my first ever introduction to anesthesia. I demanded (rather foolishly) that I be administered local anesthesia which was stiffly rebutted. On the morning the biopsy was scheduled to happen, I was wheeled into the Operation Theater and 'connected' to a few appearingly menacing devices that glowed, beeped and displayed a number of gibberish which made little sense to me. Finally, after having determined that my vital signs permitted surgeons to cconduct a surgical intervention on my person, a vial of clear liquid was injected into me. A few minutes later, I began feeling weak and started breathing heavily. Among the last things I remember was the blood-pressure monitor loudly beeping an increase in my blood-pressure level, the systolic variable of which had zoomed to a whopping 230 mmHG (millimeters of mercury).
It was the first time ever that I was forced into a chemically induced slumber and the feeling of submission and cede gave way to absolute darkness. I felt as if I had been transported into a different world. Hues of green and red suddenly began to float in an endless void all of which would have normally made no sense. However, here was a situation that was far from normal atleast to me!
After the procedure had been successfully performed, I was roused back into reality and wheeled into the comforts of my room, where for once I slept peacefully beaten by the tiring effect of some powerful substance which had so successfully kept me from the terrible pain that accompanied the entire exercise. It would be a few hours before I would gain complete consciousness. During the time, I felt numb and even doing the most basic activity required triathlon effort. I realized that my speech was slow, slurchy and obscure and feared the prospect of losing it and the surgeon's repeated assurances did nothing to calm my extremely troubled self. However, when I was offered a dose of muscle relaxant which was nothing short of a sleeping drug, I vehemently refused. I decided to be strong and watch myself come 'around'.
The biopsy report indicated no presence of malignancy but it was decided to conduct a full scale procedure to remove the dead tissue as a measure of precaution.
Tired of the medical blitz that had rendered me a living stockroom of powerful and obnoxious compounds, I demanded to be released without any further medical intervention. These stupid quack doctors had not homed in onto the proximate cause and appeared to be treating the symptoms rather than address the main cause.
I must thank Adi, Col. Jetley (Anuj's father), Vishal, Randy, Bodhi, Kappu, my immediate colleagues, my friends from far and wide and family members in Delhi for having supported me in person and remotely every single moment and help me overcome the trauma of having been a guinea pig if nothing else. Also to specially mention Adi who insisted time and again that I wasn't being administered the right kind of treatment and Dr. Jaideep Sharma for having assertively confirmed this without the least possible doubt.
I made a decision to abruptly halt the medical exercise and made copies of all my reports which I then sent to a number of friends in the medical profession, all of whom confirmed that I needed to leave this hospital and seek a superior dignostic assistance.
I was driven back home on Christmas eve and immediately began feeling better. The next few days passed by without any activity at all. I had been grounded for not taking into confidence my friends and family members during the turn of events and many near and dear ones suspected much more than was told, with good reason that is.
I had lost quite a lot of weight and the toll of having spent a great deal of painfully ardous time in the harrowed hospital was showing on me. People displayed a sense of pity on seeing me and I felt meager and helpless all the while, when in the backdrop my friends did all they could to cheer me up. I had informed Mom about the entire incident on the second last day of my stay in the hospital and I assured her that all was well, she in turn was given the task of informing Dad in a very subtle manner. The coming of the new year signalled hope and relief from this long standing menace and I knew I would surpass the assault. For the 1st time in many years I was at home on New Year's eve. I needed the rest and having had a sound sleep I woke up to daylight on 01 January 2006 and wished my folks and friends a very happy new year. I was happy and finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I had decided to goto Ooty and consult with family physicans who I believed could handle te situation effortlessly a lot better than the morons who disguised themselves as doctors in this part of the nation.
On the morning of 04rth January 2006, I reached our home in Ooty. This was my first visit home after I had left for Delhi on 09th Febrauary 2005, a year earlier. I would be off work upto the end of February and was required to focus on rest and recuperation without any exertion at all. On meeting a family friend Dr. Brinda Indersen, I was promptly referred to Dr. Zaheer Ahmed, an old family friend who lost no time in scheduling a surgical procedure. In a single breath he dismissed all my medical records and shamed the so called corrective procedures that were administered on me during my hospitalization in Delhi. The last question Dr. Zaheer asked me that evening was if I was comfortable if I was administered Ketamine as an anesthetic. I pronounced my assent despite knowing hardly anothing about the drug. I was soon to realize that upon ingestion / administration in any form this drug would induce a sense of disassociation from the body resulting in one believing that the one is free from the hold of the body.
In a matter of days I had passed all medical procedures and was at the comforts of home. A long holiday lay ahead of me which I cherished although I had earned it for wrong reasons.
I felt relaxed and at ease for the first time in months and I decided not to tax my already wrecked mind with any turbulent thought.
On complete recovery, Mom requested that I travel with her to Kannur, Kerala which is from where I truly belong. Her elder brother, an uncle of mine, had been rendered paralysed due to a stroke and thankfully was recovering although very slowly. I had until meeting him believed that I had been in and out of one of the most savage episodes any living being could possibly undergo. I was wrong, gravely wrong. The sight of a full grown man lying helpless on a bed having to rely on others to do even the most basic chores of his day-to-day life was excruciatingly hideous. The sight humbled me like never before and I will never forget that no matter what one goes through, there are others that continue to, on a very routine basis, be subject to untold miseries.
"Some of the worst things in life are not intended to make you bitter, they happen so that you become better." Better with experience, better with good reasoning, better with having known what it has been to live in despair, better with knowing that you have lived the worst and have still survived for the better. Life is an unending series of examples and lessons.
Every single one of us is destined to undergo an abundant share of good and bad times alike and that is what seasons us and makes us better people. On a larger picture, perhaps life isnt as unfair as we accuse it to be, much of what happens to us is a result of our individual doing or undoing and we are the only masters of our own actions and their results.
Having gone through a relatively rather comparatively minor phase of turbulence in life, I've emerged self-effacing and definitely more sensible than ever before.
I now see a new zeal, a new purpose and a new beginning, one that truly would usher in a wholly fresh vista with a whole new dimension of promises with very vivid imagination.
Life is at its best when one surpasses a problem, not matter what the magnitude is. In the aftermath, one is left with limitless energy and zeal to better on the best.
Truly, on many an ocassion, times of tribulation can at best also be a blessing in disguise.
I called to wish him on the ocassion and hastened to end the call despite wanting to speak for a longer time. So when I disconnected I knew I had succeeded remarkably in something I do best - the remarkably infamous ability to mask my feelings with equally remarkable ease.
For on that day, also unravelling into the open was one of the most darkest secrets I have been carrying in me for a long long time.
Having realized a strange abnormality, I first began tracking its happening on 4th February 1994, which incidentally was my Mother's birthday. The abnormaility it seemed emanated from a severe pain in my lower abdomen which I could not attribute to any particular cause or reason. Having borne this relentless hurting, I was now thrown into a state of complete standstill and could not muster the effort or courage to summon myself to even think of taking a step forward - literally!
So, that morning, after my conversation with Dad, I decided to call 'Dr. Aditya Adi - Bubbles Kapoor', who is a very dear friend of mine and who had quite recently relocated back to his hometown - New Delhi. Adi suggested that I present myself at his clinic without any further delay and then with the help of Vishal Samuel, I managed to get admitted to a nearby hospital without any hope of this condition being cured. I had by then told myself that the end was imminent. Years of paranoia, coupled with self-excercised misinformed research on the internet had convinced me to believe without doubt that my condition was a result of cancerous growth in the lower abdomen. I hated the sight of a hospital let alone the prospect of being a guest in one. And this time I had no choice for I had to somehow find a means of curbing this killing pain despite whether my condition was curable or otherwise. I hadn't propped my self on the bed when an army of nursing assistants shepherded by a surgeon and a general physician trooped their way into my room and began what would be one of the worst moments of my life ever. I was constantly being referred to as a patient and subject, and my patience was wearing thin. Worse, canular needles found their way into my arms feeding me with so called 'vital' fluids all day long. The doctors had already decided to use most of the available antibiotic supply on me and thus began a process of turning me into a living storehouse of a dozen chemicals. I have never felt so sick ever in life, as I was during the 17 days of my forced-detention. After much humdrum I was told that a tissue had gone 'bad' due to an internal injury that happened a decade or so before. Promptly, a biopsy was scheduled to determine if the 'bad tissue' had turned malignant or if there actually was a possibility of it becoming cancerous. It was my first ever introduction to anesthesia. I demanded (rather foolishly) that I be administered local anesthesia which was stiffly rebutted. On the morning the biopsy was scheduled to happen, I was wheeled into the Operation Theater and 'connected' to a few appearingly menacing devices that glowed, beeped and displayed a number of gibberish which made little sense to me. Finally, after having determined that my vital signs permitted surgeons to cconduct a surgical intervention on my person, a vial of clear liquid was injected into me. A few minutes later, I began feeling weak and started breathing heavily. Among the last things I remember was the blood-pressure monitor loudly beeping an increase in my blood-pressure level, the systolic variable of which had zoomed to a whopping 230 mmHG (millimeters of mercury).
It was the first time ever that I was forced into a chemically induced slumber and the feeling of submission and cede gave way to absolute darkness. I felt as if I had been transported into a different world. Hues of green and red suddenly began to float in an endless void all of which would have normally made no sense. However, here was a situation that was far from normal atleast to me!
After the procedure had been successfully performed, I was roused back into reality and wheeled into the comforts of my room, where for once I slept peacefully beaten by the tiring effect of some powerful substance which had so successfully kept me from the terrible pain that accompanied the entire exercise. It would be a few hours before I would gain complete consciousness. During the time, I felt numb and even doing the most basic activity required triathlon effort. I realized that my speech was slow, slurchy and obscure and feared the prospect of losing it and the surgeon's repeated assurances did nothing to calm my extremely troubled self. However, when I was offered a dose of muscle relaxant which was nothing short of a sleeping drug, I vehemently refused. I decided to be strong and watch myself come 'around'.
The biopsy report indicated no presence of malignancy but it was decided to conduct a full scale procedure to remove the dead tissue as a measure of precaution.
Tired of the medical blitz that had rendered me a living stockroom of powerful and obnoxious compounds, I demanded to be released without any further medical intervention. These stupid quack doctors had not homed in onto the proximate cause and appeared to be treating the symptoms rather than address the main cause.
I must thank Adi, Col. Jetley (Anuj's father), Vishal, Randy, Bodhi, Kappu, my immediate colleagues, my friends from far and wide and family members in Delhi for having supported me in person and remotely every single moment and help me overcome the trauma of having been a guinea pig if nothing else. Also to specially mention Adi who insisted time and again that I wasn't being administered the right kind of treatment and Dr. Jaideep Sharma for having assertively confirmed this without the least possible doubt.
I made a decision to abruptly halt the medical exercise and made copies of all my reports which I then sent to a number of friends in the medical profession, all of whom confirmed that I needed to leave this hospital and seek a superior dignostic assistance.
I was driven back home on Christmas eve and immediately began feeling better. The next few days passed by without any activity at all. I had been grounded for not taking into confidence my friends and family members during the turn of events and many near and dear ones suspected much more than was told, with good reason that is.
I had lost quite a lot of weight and the toll of having spent a great deal of painfully ardous time in the harrowed hospital was showing on me. People displayed a sense of pity on seeing me and I felt meager and helpless all the while, when in the backdrop my friends did all they could to cheer me up. I had informed Mom about the entire incident on the second last day of my stay in the hospital and I assured her that all was well, she in turn was given the task of informing Dad in a very subtle manner. The coming of the new year signalled hope and relief from this long standing menace and I knew I would surpass the assault. For the 1st time in many years I was at home on New Year's eve. I needed the rest and having had a sound sleep I woke up to daylight on 01 January 2006 and wished my folks and friends a very happy new year. I was happy and finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I had decided to goto Ooty and consult with family physicans who I believed could handle te situation effortlessly a lot better than the morons who disguised themselves as doctors in this part of the nation.
On the morning of 04rth January 2006, I reached our home in Ooty. This was my first visit home after I had left for Delhi on 09th Febrauary 2005, a year earlier. I would be off work upto the end of February and was required to focus on rest and recuperation without any exertion at all. On meeting a family friend Dr. Brinda Indersen, I was promptly referred to Dr. Zaheer Ahmed, an old family friend who lost no time in scheduling a surgical procedure. In a single breath he dismissed all my medical records and shamed the so called corrective procedures that were administered on me during my hospitalization in Delhi. The last question Dr. Zaheer asked me that evening was if I was comfortable if I was administered Ketamine as an anesthetic. I pronounced my assent despite knowing hardly anothing about the drug. I was soon to realize that upon ingestion / administration in any form this drug would induce a sense of disassociation from the body resulting in one believing that the one is free from the hold of the body.
In a matter of days I had passed all medical procedures and was at the comforts of home. A long holiday lay ahead of me which I cherished although I had earned it for wrong reasons.
I felt relaxed and at ease for the first time in months and I decided not to tax my already wrecked mind with any turbulent thought.
On complete recovery, Mom requested that I travel with her to Kannur, Kerala which is from where I truly belong. Her elder brother, an uncle of mine, had been rendered paralysed due to a stroke and thankfully was recovering although very slowly. I had until meeting him believed that I had been in and out of one of the most savage episodes any living being could possibly undergo. I was wrong, gravely wrong. The sight of a full grown man lying helpless on a bed having to rely on others to do even the most basic chores of his day-to-day life was excruciatingly hideous. The sight humbled me like never before and I will never forget that no matter what one goes through, there are others that continue to, on a very routine basis, be subject to untold miseries.
"Some of the worst things in life are not intended to make you bitter, they happen so that you become better." Better with experience, better with good reasoning, better with having known what it has been to live in despair, better with knowing that you have lived the worst and have still survived for the better. Life is an unending series of examples and lessons.
Every single one of us is destined to undergo an abundant share of good and bad times alike and that is what seasons us and makes us better people. On a larger picture, perhaps life isnt as unfair as we accuse it to be, much of what happens to us is a result of our individual doing or undoing and we are the only masters of our own actions and their results.
Having gone through a relatively rather comparatively minor phase of turbulence in life, I've emerged self-effacing and definitely more sensible than ever before.
I now see a new zeal, a new purpose and a new beginning, one that truly would usher in a wholly fresh vista with a whole new dimension of promises with very vivid imagination.
Life is at its best when one surpasses a problem, not matter what the magnitude is. In the aftermath, one is left with limitless energy and zeal to better on the best.
Truly, on many an ocassion, times of tribulation can at best also be a blessing in disguise.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Moments of Oblivion!
It's the 24rth of August 2005. Six months and two days have passed by since I joined Gecis. A lot has changed and very fast. The day started off much like many others except today, I knew atleast one thing that was supposed to happen. Having completed six months in the organization I now stood to be a confirmed employee of this 20000+ strong venture which was making huge strides globally.
Sadly, amidst all these monumental moments of happiness, the sad demise of Pree's father was a tragic turn of incidents. I first met the man months after he assumed position of the Deputy Collector of Ooty. Having spent a great deal of time in Ooty and its suburbs and keeping in mind Aunty's health which continued to be disturbed by the sometimes irritable claimatic condition of Ooty, he subsequently left for Coimbatore to lead the State Government's mission in the district before his retirement in the year 2004 after which he decided to call Kerala home.
I fondly recall the morning of January 21st, 2005 when Uncle rang, asking me to visit Trichur, Kerala for a few days. While I was overwhelming busy and stuck with my impending 'tour-of-duty' in Delhi, I curtly declined and offered to make a visit sometime in the recent future. To which Uncle replied that he might never get a chance to see me again. Alarmed and deeply disturbed at the sudden remark, I made a split second decision to visit Trichur. I must say that this visit was one I would remember forever as one of my most enoyable moments in life ever. I thank Uncle for making this happen and would forever remain indebted to him and the immediate family for having considered me as their own son, many a times much more dearer than many in the family!
All that came to a gripping end on the morning of August 16, 2005. That rainy morning, while I slept fitfully, Pree's call mentioning the 'end' rendered me motionless and in tears.
We lost him to an acute renal failure which was as a result of Cirrhosis of the Liver. Coming to terms with this happening to someone who had not once contemplated on tasting even a drop of alcohol was in itself a huge effort. Life is known to be most unfair to people who have valued it the most and have concetrated all their efforts and means in living in the line of values and integrity.
It's hard not to break apart at the loss of a man many regarded as one the finest they had ever met. Uncle devoted his life for others. In his position of Deputy Collector Ooty & Coimbatore he initiated many a welfare scheme that guranteed the uplifitment of many thousands of people that this nation sheltered, those people who had nothing to call their own, those people who formed a large part of the masses that despite huge in numbers, were yet to be blessed with a decent livelihood. A man who stood tall in achievements and stature and toiled selflessly to make the lives of others more meaningful and pronounced in comfort and dared a Chief Minister in doing so, he was loved by people he knew and did not all alike. His loss will forever be mourned and the void his absence has created will never ever be filled. I thank God for having bestowed on me the rarest of rare privileges of having known him and been a significant part of his life.
May his legacy continue for eons to come.
In office, Randy called to tell me that my confirmation letter was being readied and would be handed to me anytime now.
I cannot describe in words the Presidential feeling which swept me when Randy handed me my confirmation letter. Small as it may seem, this was another milestone, one of many that now stood behind me. I had shifted to Gurgaon and now stayed a few drivable minutes away from my place of work with a colleague - Bodhiswatto 'Bodhi' Roy.
Almost immediately after becoming operational I along with my immediate colleagues travelled to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, popularly known as the pink city. It was a very memorable trip and I jumped at the sight of the architectural beauty of the place which rendered it world-famous. Overjoyed at the sight of such awe-inspiring magnificence, I lost no time in capturing images that would last a lifetime.
Kapil 'Kappu Gameboy' Bhardwaj and Anuj Jetley were two bosom buddies of my flatmate I came to know and respect. While Kappu works for Gecis as an Asst. Manager, Anuj had completed a stint of 2 years with Gecis and was long gone even before I became part of the organization. I would later put to practise many an idea which I learnt from Kappu and Anuj and not surprisingly, these most-certainly yielded what I most wanted - instant results. While I respect Anuj for his remarkable sense of maturity and extensively broad outlook, Kappu has a very rare aptitude of being ultra-focussed on the way in which he directs his thoughts to result in positive actions. Someone who thinks very meticulously and acts accordingly. I sometimes wonder with awe the time and the effort that was put into one simple strategy game, to master it and then start the process all over again. These people had clearly crossed a realm and now lived in an altogether different paradigm.
Theres talk of a name change in Gecis, unconfirmed reports suggested that the new name would be Genpact. My immediate reaction was to glare at my microchip enabled yellow swipe Identification card with the logo of General Electric on it. Would we be able to retain the logo with the new name on the new cards that would imminently issued to us? Possibly not. And that was a disappointing prospect especially considering the fact that the name and the emblem mattered a whole lot to a good number of people at Gecis. Anuj decided to quit Gecis only four days after a similar name change that rendered GE into becoming Gecis or GE Capital International Services. He simply did not want to be part of a diluted organization and decided to explore better and promising prospects.
Vishal 'Capt. Val Ross' Bhargav was another Gecis veteran I met. He had moved to a different organization only months before I began my stint in Gecis. Someone with an acutely mature taste for music and perfection, Val hails from the pristine hills of Solan, a perfect blend of nature's exquisite work of fine art combined with one of the most inviting and hospitable weather man could enjoy.
Contrarily, the onslaught of a very spiteful weather continued all day long in Delhi and its suburbs and the prospect of a monsoon remained a long journey away. I squirmed and cursed and remembered Ooty every passing minute while the hot winds swirled places with loads of dust flying around everywhere.
Vineet 'Designer Dude' Sharma moved to stay with us sometime in September. Originally from Chandigarh, this superlost soul had decided to venture into Gecis to draft a career. His levels of creativity and dexterity with hands and mind alike in designing smart automobiles is perhaps very unseen and in many cases unparalleled. He looked at life with a different view altogether and I must confess, I felt his 'perspectives' a little nerve-racking myself. You have to meet him to believe me. And should you ever decide to visit his website ( www.geocities.vineetdesigns.com ), don't miss a seemingly well construed warning that reads "Don't copy my stuff, else you will be beaten to death". What contradicts this wildly savage statement is the dude's personality itself. It's hard to imagine that this 'kid' in his early 20s who appeared calmer than many other people, could have a very different line of thought, let alone a line of sight.
Remember, how I told you a few posts earlier, how looks could be very deceptive? This is just another instance, one of the many I must say.
Shortly afterwards, Anuj decided to move to London to pursue further studies and all of us who knew him, me being the one who knew him the least perhaps, immediately felt a void!
Before he left for the United Kingdom, he gave me a book I had long wanted to make my own. One that I had heard about since eternity. Atlas Shrugged written by the renowned yesteryear's philosopher and author Ayn Rand was without doubt one of the best birthday gift's I have received as yet.
9125 days of having walked this planet, I now entered into a new year, a year with unending prospects and anticipation like never before.
I turned 26 without much realization!
Sadly, amidst all these monumental moments of happiness, the sad demise of Pree's father was a tragic turn of incidents. I first met the man months after he assumed position of the Deputy Collector of Ooty. Having spent a great deal of time in Ooty and its suburbs and keeping in mind Aunty's health which continued to be disturbed by the sometimes irritable claimatic condition of Ooty, he subsequently left for Coimbatore to lead the State Government's mission in the district before his retirement in the year 2004 after which he decided to call Kerala home.
I fondly recall the morning of January 21st, 2005 when Uncle rang, asking me to visit Trichur, Kerala for a few days. While I was overwhelming busy and stuck with my impending 'tour-of-duty' in Delhi, I curtly declined and offered to make a visit sometime in the recent future. To which Uncle replied that he might never get a chance to see me again. Alarmed and deeply disturbed at the sudden remark, I made a split second decision to visit Trichur. I must say that this visit was one I would remember forever as one of my most enoyable moments in life ever. I thank Uncle for making this happen and would forever remain indebted to him and the immediate family for having considered me as their own son, many a times much more dearer than many in the family!
All that came to a gripping end on the morning of August 16, 2005. That rainy morning, while I slept fitfully, Pree's call mentioning the 'end' rendered me motionless and in tears.
We lost him to an acute renal failure which was as a result of Cirrhosis of the Liver. Coming to terms with this happening to someone who had not once contemplated on tasting even a drop of alcohol was in itself a huge effort. Life is known to be most unfair to people who have valued it the most and have concetrated all their efforts and means in living in the line of values and integrity.
It's hard not to break apart at the loss of a man many regarded as one the finest they had ever met. Uncle devoted his life for others. In his position of Deputy Collector Ooty & Coimbatore he initiated many a welfare scheme that guranteed the uplifitment of many thousands of people that this nation sheltered, those people who had nothing to call their own, those people who formed a large part of the masses that despite huge in numbers, were yet to be blessed with a decent livelihood. A man who stood tall in achievements and stature and toiled selflessly to make the lives of others more meaningful and pronounced in comfort and dared a Chief Minister in doing so, he was loved by people he knew and did not all alike. His loss will forever be mourned and the void his absence has created will never ever be filled. I thank God for having bestowed on me the rarest of rare privileges of having known him and been a significant part of his life.
May his legacy continue for eons to come.
In office, Randy called to tell me that my confirmation letter was being readied and would be handed to me anytime now.
I cannot describe in words the Presidential feeling which swept me when Randy handed me my confirmation letter. Small as it may seem, this was another milestone, one of many that now stood behind me. I had shifted to Gurgaon and now stayed a few drivable minutes away from my place of work with a colleague - Bodhiswatto 'Bodhi' Roy.
Almost immediately after becoming operational I along with my immediate colleagues travelled to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, popularly known as the pink city. It was a very memorable trip and I jumped at the sight of the architectural beauty of the place which rendered it world-famous. Overjoyed at the sight of such awe-inspiring magnificence, I lost no time in capturing images that would last a lifetime.
Kapil 'Kappu Gameboy' Bhardwaj and Anuj Jetley were two bosom buddies of my flatmate I came to know and respect. While Kappu works for Gecis as an Asst. Manager, Anuj had completed a stint of 2 years with Gecis and was long gone even before I became part of the organization. I would later put to practise many an idea which I learnt from Kappu and Anuj and not surprisingly, these most-certainly yielded what I most wanted - instant results. While I respect Anuj for his remarkable sense of maturity and extensively broad outlook, Kappu has a very rare aptitude of being ultra-focussed on the way in which he directs his thoughts to result in positive actions. Someone who thinks very meticulously and acts accordingly. I sometimes wonder with awe the time and the effort that was put into one simple strategy game, to master it and then start the process all over again. These people had clearly crossed a realm and now lived in an altogether different paradigm.
Theres talk of a name change in Gecis, unconfirmed reports suggested that the new name would be Genpact. My immediate reaction was to glare at my microchip enabled yellow swipe Identification card with the logo of General Electric on it. Would we be able to retain the logo with the new name on the new cards that would imminently issued to us? Possibly not. And that was a disappointing prospect especially considering the fact that the name and the emblem mattered a whole lot to a good number of people at Gecis. Anuj decided to quit Gecis only four days after a similar name change that rendered GE into becoming Gecis or GE Capital International Services. He simply did not want to be part of a diluted organization and decided to explore better and promising prospects.
Vishal 'Capt. Val Ross' Bhargav was another Gecis veteran I met. He had moved to a different organization only months before I began my stint in Gecis. Someone with an acutely mature taste for music and perfection, Val hails from the pristine hills of Solan, a perfect blend of nature's exquisite work of fine art combined with one of the most inviting and hospitable weather man could enjoy.
Contrarily, the onslaught of a very spiteful weather continued all day long in Delhi and its suburbs and the prospect of a monsoon remained a long journey away. I squirmed and cursed and remembered Ooty every passing minute while the hot winds swirled places with loads of dust flying around everywhere.
Vineet 'Designer Dude' Sharma moved to stay with us sometime in September. Originally from Chandigarh, this superlost soul had decided to venture into Gecis to draft a career. His levels of creativity and dexterity with hands and mind alike in designing smart automobiles is perhaps very unseen and in many cases unparalleled. He looked at life with a different view altogether and I must confess, I felt his 'perspectives' a little nerve-racking myself. You have to meet him to believe me. And should you ever decide to visit his website ( www.geocities.vineetdesigns.com ), don't miss a seemingly well construed warning that reads "Don't copy my stuff, else you will be beaten to death". What contradicts this wildly savage statement is the dude's personality itself. It's hard to imagine that this 'kid' in his early 20s who appeared calmer than many other people, could have a very different line of thought, let alone a line of sight.
Remember, how I told you a few posts earlier, how looks could be very deceptive? This is just another instance, one of the many I must say.
Shortly afterwards, Anuj decided to move to London to pursue further studies and all of us who knew him, me being the one who knew him the least perhaps, immediately felt a void!
Before he left for the United Kingdom, he gave me a book I had long wanted to make my own. One that I had heard about since eternity. Atlas Shrugged written by the renowned yesteryear's philosopher and author Ayn Rand was without doubt one of the best birthday gift's I have received as yet.
9125 days of having walked this planet, I now entered into a new year, a year with unending prospects and anticipation like never before.
I turned 26 without much realization!
Friday, June 09, 2006
The Road to GE
17th February 2005, like many dates, remain one that is very significant in my life for it was on this day that I decided to pay a visit to the famed Gecis, the BPO arm of General Electric popularly known by perhaps two of the most recognizably famous letters of the English alphabet; GE
The letters etched in scripted font encircled in trademark black / blue signified raw power, overwhelming presence and true business accomplishment across the globe all alike. All the more intriguing is the fact that despite the size of this mammoth conglomerate, it seems to have made an impact in the lives of people from all spheres and strata alike. After all, the names of Jack Welch and Jeff Immelt light the minds of any prospective innovator. And although I would not dare call myself an innovator, I was one in many ways!
Therefore, I set out to locate 22B that morning in the hope to catch a glimpse of this outsourcing monolith which had made waves across the nation.
The drive from any part of Delhi to the buzzing ITES capital of the North, is in itself a ride to take. An estimated 150,000 vehicles of many shapes and sizes make their way in an out of this city every single day. While the very thought itself remains very amazing, the roads remain perpetually packed with a long line of vehicles snaking and honking their way carrying their contents to the intended destination. An hour into the drive I set foot into Gurgaon. The surrounding background is many contradictions imprinted into reality. While the dusty roads give way to the serene acres of mustard plantations, one is thrust into the life-size architecture of elegantly designed high-rise edifices that boast the names of some of the most outstanding names in the corporate sector.
When at last I did reach Sector 18 which accommodates 22B along with many similar establishment, I must confess my slight disappointment. I expected to see the conspicuous insignia plastered on the face of this enterprise, but there was none on display. Worse still, there was no billboard that implied that I had reached my destination. It was thus no surprise when I queried the guard manning the entrance thrice if I had reached my intended destination, much to his displeasure!
The clock in the security room announced a few minutes past 10:00 am and I spoke to a person gazing intently into the screen of his terminal without looking at me. And when he finally did turn to me a few moments later, all he did was wave me to a row of chairs a few paces away. The cubbyhole security center became my place of wait for the next half hour after which I was escorted into the building and given another place to ease myself into. Words such as leadership, integrity, values, ecoimagination, customer centricity and focus were boldly emblazoned on every available wall.
Waiting was something I had no personal taste for and thus resulted a few cups of strongly brewed black coffee.
About an hour later I was approached by a lady who like many others pronounced my second name with much difficulty. The exercise of determining my 'suitability' to be a part of this organization had begun and concluded about an hour later on a very positive note.
It was well past midday before I actually met anyone who would tell me anything related to the kind of 'profile' I would be attached to. And that was Sameer Khetrapal, a very unassuming man who appeared to be someone with a number of things on his mind. After a few minutes of straight-talking, he picked up a stick-on and scrawled his name and number, handed it to me and led me to an adjoining building where from he 'operated'. It was an untold sign that I had made it to the next level but unknown to me a protracted wait had begun and I was beginning to feel impatient especially when a digital display flashed that it was a staggering 5.5hrs past noon.
Sameer, I was later told, had been a part of the American Space agency, NASA and was at the time Asst. Vice President - Operations with Gecis. It was not the first time I realized that looks could be very deceptive.
My series of interviews and meetings with atleast six other people lasted for a couple of hours and before I left for home, I still had no concrete answer if I had 'made it'.
All I was told was that I was being more time to consider my decision of wanting to be a part of this organization. Now, that seemed strange. Why would someone offer me time to consider a decision which I had so definitely decided upon. Stranger it seemed when I was asked to present myself on the 21st, which was four long days away. Suddenly, I felt weak. Anxiety and confusion gripped my core. I lost all track of time while the immediate surrounding was bustling with fanatical activity. Pacing around, I was stunned when I realized that it was well past the evening and into the night. I decided to leave for home and finally when I did reach home it was past midnight and a new day had begun, but my uneasiness refused to die down.
Thankfully, I had neither the effort nor the determination to introspect and besides a breather of 4 days perhaps assured me that I had enough time to restructurize if need be.
Waking up at daybreak, I realized that I was feeling no better instead my anxiety began to peak to disproportionate levels. I had to 'look within'.
Without wasting much time I spoke to an elder cousin; Vikas, who with good reason was regarded as a shining example of success in the family. After a patient hearing of my word-by- word account all he remarked was "We will talk about this when I return". This made me feel numb. What had I done? Thoughts raced in my mind at the speed of light and now I was left with nothing more than the days newspaper, the television and a very friendly Scooby, the well mannered Labrador who dutifully assured to be my companion for the day.
Phew, I was paranoid and prepared myself for a full-scale nervous breakdown.
The weekend came all too soon and I was devoid of answers. Vikas seemed engrossed in work and hardly spent time away from his laptop. I thought it best not to be persistent and made a compelling effort to read Margaret Mitchell's celebrated work of art; Gone with the Wind.
It was a marathon effort to read even a few lines. My mind was overwhelmed and I discovered my disability to concentrate. I shamefully realized my inability to attain the sublime level of relaxation which I so necessarily needed.
When Vikas finally decided to talk, he made me repeat my tale. After a very patient hearing he declared that I had no reason to worry and that I go back with the same levels of confidence and present my case with no modification what so ever. Surprisingly, I had subconsciously decided that this was the best course of action. If only ones assumptions justified facts, this whole world would never have existed in the first place. Seemingly easy to settle in, I still fail to understand why I had not accepted this mental response as a convincing answer. Why did I need someone to tell me what I already knew?
So when 21st of February finally dawned bringing the appointed time, I walked head held high with an air of confidence and assertiveness like never before. I was never so sure of myself before, as I was this day. Anyone who would have delved into me that day possibly mistook my poise and disposition for arrogance. Tejinder 'Tony' Hara and Rohit 'Randy Gold' Goel both prospective managers of mine entered into a final session of tripartite talks with me. Interestingly, Tony shared with me his stint with the Indian Army from where he moved on to the training school of the National Security Guard, India's elitest Commando Force and how later embarked upon training the Anti-Hijack Squad of the NSG. Randy, I was told was a veteran with Gecis for a long time.
I was asked if I had reviewed my decision and if I had any new found reservations to which I replied with an emphatic 'NO'. I handled every query with supreme confidence and renewed conviction.
A quick 20 odd minutes later, Tony demanded to know how soon I could join and in one breath I shot "How about tomorrow?". "Tomorrow it is then" came the answer with a firm handshake and a warm smile. I had accomplished my mission! After I secured the necessary documentation that assured me of my being part of this venture, I left for home.
Unknown to me, I was about to embark on a long journey filled with experiences of ultimate proportions. A journey that would change me in a number of ways and shape me as I move forward in life. A journey so overwhelming that I had no idea of its resultant impact.
As I watched the passing traffic on my way back home, I knew I had crossed a milestone of significant importance.
A music player in the cab blared a Hindi number beamed from one of the many radio stations active in the frequency, over the clamor of constant chatter being emitted from an adjoining wireless transceiver.
I needed a good-night's sleep. It was a long time since I enjoyed one.
The letters etched in scripted font encircled in trademark black / blue signified raw power, overwhelming presence and true business accomplishment across the globe all alike. All the more intriguing is the fact that despite the size of this mammoth conglomerate, it seems to have made an impact in the lives of people from all spheres and strata alike. After all, the names of Jack Welch and Jeff Immelt light the minds of any prospective innovator. And although I would not dare call myself an innovator, I was one in many ways!
Therefore, I set out to locate 22B that morning in the hope to catch a glimpse of this outsourcing monolith which had made waves across the nation.
The drive from any part of Delhi to the buzzing ITES capital of the North, is in itself a ride to take. An estimated 150,000 vehicles of many shapes and sizes make their way in an out of this city every single day. While the very thought itself remains very amazing, the roads remain perpetually packed with a long line of vehicles snaking and honking their way carrying their contents to the intended destination. An hour into the drive I set foot into Gurgaon. The surrounding background is many contradictions imprinted into reality. While the dusty roads give way to the serene acres of mustard plantations, one is thrust into the life-size architecture of elegantly designed high-rise edifices that boast the names of some of the most outstanding names in the corporate sector.
When at last I did reach Sector 18 which accommodates 22B along with many similar establishment, I must confess my slight disappointment. I expected to see the conspicuous insignia plastered on the face of this enterprise, but there was none on display. Worse still, there was no billboard that implied that I had reached my destination. It was thus no surprise when I queried the guard manning the entrance thrice if I had reached my intended destination, much to his displeasure!
The clock in the security room announced a few minutes past 10:00 am and I spoke to a person gazing intently into the screen of his terminal without looking at me. And when he finally did turn to me a few moments later, all he did was wave me to a row of chairs a few paces away. The cubbyhole security center became my place of wait for the next half hour after which I was escorted into the building and given another place to ease myself into. Words such as leadership, integrity, values, ecoimagination, customer centricity and focus were boldly emblazoned on every available wall.
Waiting was something I had no personal taste for and thus resulted a few cups of strongly brewed black coffee.
About an hour later I was approached by a lady who like many others pronounced my second name with much difficulty. The exercise of determining my 'suitability' to be a part of this organization had begun and concluded about an hour later on a very positive note.
It was well past midday before I actually met anyone who would tell me anything related to the kind of 'profile' I would be attached to. And that was Sameer Khetrapal, a very unassuming man who appeared to be someone with a number of things on his mind. After a few minutes of straight-talking, he picked up a stick-on and scrawled his name and number, handed it to me and led me to an adjoining building where from he 'operated'. It was an untold sign that I had made it to the next level but unknown to me a protracted wait had begun and I was beginning to feel impatient especially when a digital display flashed that it was a staggering 5.5hrs past noon.
Sameer, I was later told, had been a part of the American Space agency, NASA and was at the time Asst. Vice President - Operations with Gecis. It was not the first time I realized that looks could be very deceptive.
My series of interviews and meetings with atleast six other people lasted for a couple of hours and before I left for home, I still had no concrete answer if I had 'made it'.
All I was told was that I was being more time to consider my decision of wanting to be a part of this organization. Now, that seemed strange. Why would someone offer me time to consider a decision which I had so definitely decided upon. Stranger it seemed when I was asked to present myself on the 21st, which was four long days away. Suddenly, I felt weak. Anxiety and confusion gripped my core. I lost all track of time while the immediate surrounding was bustling with fanatical activity. Pacing around, I was stunned when I realized that it was well past the evening and into the night. I decided to leave for home and finally when I did reach home it was past midnight and a new day had begun, but my uneasiness refused to die down.
Thankfully, I had neither the effort nor the determination to introspect and besides a breather of 4 days perhaps assured me that I had enough time to restructurize if need be.
Waking up at daybreak, I realized that I was feeling no better instead my anxiety began to peak to disproportionate levels. I had to 'look within'.
Without wasting much time I spoke to an elder cousin; Vikas, who with good reason was regarded as a shining example of success in the family. After a patient hearing of my word-by- word account all he remarked was "We will talk about this when I return". This made me feel numb. What had I done? Thoughts raced in my mind at the speed of light and now I was left with nothing more than the days newspaper, the television and a very friendly Scooby, the well mannered Labrador who dutifully assured to be my companion for the day.
Phew, I was paranoid and prepared myself for a full-scale nervous breakdown.
The weekend came all too soon and I was devoid of answers. Vikas seemed engrossed in work and hardly spent time away from his laptop. I thought it best not to be persistent and made a compelling effort to read Margaret Mitchell's celebrated work of art; Gone with the Wind.
It was a marathon effort to read even a few lines. My mind was overwhelmed and I discovered my disability to concentrate. I shamefully realized my inability to attain the sublime level of relaxation which I so necessarily needed.
When Vikas finally decided to talk, he made me repeat my tale. After a very patient hearing he declared that I had no reason to worry and that I go back with the same levels of confidence and present my case with no modification what so ever. Surprisingly, I had subconsciously decided that this was the best course of action. If only ones assumptions justified facts, this whole world would never have existed in the first place. Seemingly easy to settle in, I still fail to understand why I had not accepted this mental response as a convincing answer. Why did I need someone to tell me what I already knew?
So when 21st of February finally dawned bringing the appointed time, I walked head held high with an air of confidence and assertiveness like never before. I was never so sure of myself before, as I was this day. Anyone who would have delved into me that day possibly mistook my poise and disposition for arrogance. Tejinder 'Tony' Hara and Rohit 'Randy Gold' Goel both prospective managers of mine entered into a final session of tripartite talks with me. Interestingly, Tony shared with me his stint with the Indian Army from where he moved on to the training school of the National Security Guard, India's elitest Commando Force and how later embarked upon training the Anti-Hijack Squad of the NSG. Randy, I was told was a veteran with Gecis for a long time.
I was asked if I had reviewed my decision and if I had any new found reservations to which I replied with an emphatic 'NO'. I handled every query with supreme confidence and renewed conviction.
A quick 20 odd minutes later, Tony demanded to know how soon I could join and in one breath I shot "How about tomorrow?". "Tomorrow it is then" came the answer with a firm handshake and a warm smile. I had accomplished my mission! After I secured the necessary documentation that assured me of my being part of this venture, I left for home.
Unknown to me, I was about to embark on a long journey filled with experiences of ultimate proportions. A journey that would change me in a number of ways and shape me as I move forward in life. A journey so overwhelming that I had no idea of its resultant impact.
As I watched the passing traffic on my way back home, I knew I had crossed a milestone of significant importance.
A music player in the cab blared a Hindi number beamed from one of the many radio stations active in the frequency, over the clamor of constant chatter being emitted from an adjoining wireless transceiver.
I needed a good-night's sleep. It was a long time since I enjoyed one.
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