tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-110516622024-03-23T11:12:55.544-07:00My Way!<b> My take on life, after life and beyond...</b>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1887371523372648062008-08-14T08:35:00.000-07:002008-08-14T08:44:27.906-07:00A new beginningFolks,<br /><br />The sweat, the blood, the glory, the heart-break - the year of this blogs existence on Blogspot are over.<br /><br />It's moved to www.sudhirsyal.com which is now on a Wordpress platform.<br /><br />Wow! Uber-cool eh?Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-83229664781781207862008-02-20T18:56:00.001-08:002008-04-11T10:39:50.548-07:00Freakonomics - Desi 'Ish-style'<p> How come you have never seen a venture capitalist on a motorbike? How come most doctors in South India are named Vijay Lakhsmi or Ramamurthy? Just like the immensely successful <a href="http://freakonomicsbook.com/">book</a> did, this post endeavours to answer these and a few strange, ironic or freaky occurrences which tend to find their way into our day to day lives. </p><p>None of these questions or occurrences might have any bearing on your life. </p><p>Come to think of it, when was the last time you read something that actually had a bearing on your life? </p><p>So, let's get started </p><p><b>Why do people prefer borrowing a DVD from a library, even though buying one is in most cases cheaper?</b> </p><p>Yes, buying one is cheaper. And more so, you get to own it, build a library and do all those sorts of things. Yet, statistics say that the libraries are the most successful. They have the maximum foot-falls and make more revenue. </p><p>Why so then? I asked around and these are some of the answers I got: </p><ul> <li>Borne out of Habit </li> <li>Libraries are more civil places than back-alleys which sell pirated DVD's </li> <li>Wider selection</li></ul> <p>And so on, but then each of these can be easily refuted, it’s like saying the ICL won't be a success because of the IPL, there must be something more to it, or so I thought. </p><p>Most DVD's are only watched once, therefore there intrinsic value plummets after you watch them the first time. More so, they are not so easy to store and those who do manage to store them successfully will tell you that they are so inundated with requests to borrow DVD's from friends, that very soon they don't have much of a collection. </p><p>While this is true, it didn't quite convince me enough. So, about 3 months ago, I went ahead and bought 10 DVD's from the black market and also parallely began renting movies one week at a time, such that I borrowed approximately 10 over a 3 month period. All other conditions remained the same – standard of print, popularity of movies and so on.These were my findings at the end of the 3 month period: </p><ul> <li>The 10 DVD's I borrowed from the library - I've watched 9 of them, had to return one without watching it, which I am till today repenting.</li> <li>I look at my 'collection' which I tried to build. Out of the 10 movies I bought, only 6 remain, 4 have been ‘borrowed’ and I have no idea when I’m getting them back. Out of the remaining 6, I have watched only 3. </li></ul> <p>Every movie evening, I look at my ‘collection’ and tell myself “Haan these DVD’s are mine right, I will watch them when there is nothing else.” If it were a Library DVD, my thought process is a little different, it’s more on the lines of “Damn it, put it on, I have to return the damn thing tomorrow or that guy will hound me.” </p><p>Why do your friends not return your DVD’s? They have every good intention of doing so, but hey there is a part of them which wants to replenish their own own depleted ‘collections’ right? It’s a vicious cycle. </p><p><b>Why do frequent flyers have a tendency to put on weight?</b> </p><p>Ideally, you'd think that a frequent flyer has more of a tendency to lose weight. What with choc-a block queues, flights which never seems to take off on time and traffic jams which seem to pop up only when you are running late for that connecting flight. You'd think the stress would get to you and cause for you to lose your mind and some weight along with it. </p><p>Surprisingly, freakonimian research indicates otherwise. Contrary to popular belief, frequent flyers actually have a tendency to gain weight or there would be enough evidence to suggest so anyway. Why so then? </p><p>What was the last domestic flight you took? 11 AM Delhi - Mumbai, a 4 PM Chennai - Bangalore or perhaps a 9 PM Bangalore - Delhi, for the 11 AM flight your wife/mother probably made sure that you had a good breakfast before leaving. you had a coffee and a puff while you were waiting for the flight, you got on board and was served a healthy 'brunch' by a beautiful air-hostess, who you quite palpably couldn't refuse. The same probably happened to you on your return journey home. </p><p>A quick look back will tell you that at 11 AM and at 4:30 PM, instead of smoking / blogging / faffing or whatever it is you generally do at those times, you were eating. And why so, cause really you had very little else to do. </p><p>So boredom + pretty air hostess leads you to eat a meal regardless of the time of the day it is, and in many ways a flight itself creates environments in which you are forced to eat. The more you fly, the more you eat, so there you go. </p><p><b></b> </p><p><b>In a social gathering, why is there a good chance that you will be told that you've both lost and put on weight? </b> </p><p>I'm sure this is happened to you. You walk into a party where you are meeting a bunch of old acquaintances, and one of them pops up and says, " Hey Dev, looking slim and trim, working out kya?". You feel extremely happy with yourself, you walk a little further and then this heart throb from the good ole days stops you, " Hey Dev", she pats your stomach and says, "Looking quite prosperous, I must say." </p><p>How did then that happen? Could that Gulab Jamun you had between meeting Rajiv and Shruti cause you to have put on weight? Do women acknowledge men to be fatter than they really are? Are men more polite? </p><p>Not quite. </p><p>The real reason is far simpler. It's for the same reason that the most common conversation you hear at a party is "Where is your drink?" or "How is your drink?" or an equivalent. In many ways, it's for the same reason that Indians crowd around an accident site and make conversation. </p><p>Because by nature, man is social. He wants to be social, to meet people, he is looking out for something to talk about, looking to break the ice. So he talks about the weather, talks about your weight, talks about anything that he believes will get a response. Really, he doesn't care about your drink, nor does he remember really how fat or thin you looked the last time. In many ways, it's just something to get the show going and if you are intelligent enough to recognize that, you are well on your way to becoming a ‘socialite’. If you want to become one, that is. </p><p>Why Indians have a tendency to crowd around an accident site and do nothing to help? That my friend, is a different question altogether and we can probably look at answering that in a separate forum. </p><p><b>Why is a free hit not capitalized upon as much as it should be in modern cricket? </b> </p><p> You've seen it before, smashing opening batsman on strike, bowler bowls a no-ball, the next ball is a free hit, the bowler is under pressure, the crowd is expecting one to fly into their section of the stands, the bowler comes into bowl and wonder oh wonder, the batsman misses it completely. How did that happen? Why did he miss the ball? </p><p>Do bowlers bowl free hit balls better? Do 'free-hit' deliveries swing more? Or do batsmen put more pressure on themselves. Well, the latter sounds sane, and is probably an answer. But we aren't going to end this discussion so easily, are we? </p><p>I would like to draw upon a parallel here. Have you been to one of those all-you-can eat buffets, where it seems like you need to hire a cab to actually see all the dishes being served. You go there with this massive appetite all ready to devour the food. Half an hour later, you are all done and full without even finishing half as much food as you would have wanted to. </p><p>Freakonomian research states that like with the free hit, your approach to an all you can eat buffet is very different to how you would approach a normal meal. As any cricketer would tell you, technique and the necessity to guard your stumps is as important for a regular delivery as it is for a free hit. However, when a free hit is announced, all that seemingly goes out of the window. It's like all his Diwali’s have come on the same day and he swings his bat with gay abandon, not realizing that his chances of hitting the ball out of the park in effect reduce. </p><p>My syllogism here is that free hit or not, at the end of the day, they are certain balls you can hit out of the park and certain balls you can't. Just like when you go for a meal, there is only so much you can eat regardless of whether it’s free or if they are paying you for it. </p><p>It’s a pity that we can’t do a real-time comparison for this, but in my estimate, if 6 balls are bowled in the 50<sup>th</sup> over of an ODI match, 6 free hits Vs 6 regular deliveries, there is a good chance that the batsman will score more of the 6 regular deliveries. </p><p><b>Why do cigarette companies in India celebrate every time the budget is announced?</b> </p><p>It happens every year, the budget is announced and the first thing you read under the column 'Things that will be dearer' is Cigarettes, followed most times by Paan Paraag. The government's reason, simple - it's injurious to health. Somehow taxing something that's 'injurious' to health, reduces their feeling of guilt. </p><p>So, the prices get higher. The markings on cigarette packs, first started to create 'awareness' on the ill effects of smoking have now progressed to show life threatening images which would evoke as much fear as the scariest Hitchcock movie. </p><p><b>Beware - Smoking ruins your teeth, heart, lungs and whatever is left</b> </p><p><a href="http://lh6.google.com/sudhir.syal/R7zoVZdozOI/AAAAAAAAAp4/1x9KJedBjk4/clip_image001%5B3%5D"><img style="border: 0px none ;" alt="clip_image001" src="http://lh5.google.com/sudhir.syal/R7zoWJdozPI/AAAAAAAAAqA/3hJ5J4cP5Yk/clip_image001_thumb" border="0" height="178" width="244" /></a> </p><p><b> Do you think he cares?</b> </p><p><a href="http://lh5.google.com/sudhir.syal/R7zoYJdozQI/AAAAAAAAAqI/qY4C0sjX-Ps/clip_image002%5B3%5D"><img style="border: 0px none ;" alt="clip_image002" src="http://lh5.google.com/sudhir.syal/R7zoZJdozRI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/RARc8PwJDM8/clip_image002_thumb" border="0" height="244" width="134" /></a> </p><p>Your right - he doesn't. It's an addiction for him and honestly he couldn't care if it were his own corpse on the cover. So, the fact of the matter is that in spite of the annual price rise, the scary images on the covers and all the commotion of how an individual is not allowed to smoke anywhere else except underneath his bed, sales of cigarettes have increased every year. Bottom line figures state that annual sales of cigarette prices have gone up by 8% every year. More so, the industry is worth a whopping 100,000 crore today and maybe, just maybe, this is the main reason why everyone likes taxing them so much. How come the alcohol industry is not taxed every year because of it being injurious to health? </p><p>So with every tax rise, the price of the cigarette goes up by a certain percentage. What happens is that a cigarette pack which was worth about Rs.30, is now priced at about Rs. 33. The cigarette companies see this as an opportunity to conceal a price rise and take the price up to Rs. 35. After all in the smokers mind, the price has increased because of the budget. Damn government! The cigarette company in his mind is not responsible for this price rise at all. </p><p>A smoker really doesn't mind paying an extra two rupees for every cigarette pack he smokes, for him there is little difference between Rs.33 and 35. Sales increase every year, so do profits. </p><p>End analysis - cigarettes remain one of the most 'profitable' commodities to tax for the government, Cigarette companies use it as a vehicle to conceal a price rise and hence increase their profit margins, the smoker well he forgets about it after a couple of days, and really he couldn't care. And I thought – “ Win – Win situations didn’t exist”. </p><p>I'm quite looking forward to the budget now to see what the increase will be... </p><p> This post tries to provide some answers to questions which might have baffled people. More so, this post tries to underline the fact that most times life is more about the questions than the answers. With Google.com, everybody can find out the answer, if they know the right question. Right? </p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-75418754586627451082007-12-09T12:31:00.001-08:002007-12-12T00:33:46.949-08:00Of Coorg, Cameras and Camaraderie<p>It was another Monday at work, you know one of those days you wish you were elsewhere, clubbing in Rio, Skiing in the Alps, Skinny dipping in....ah yes, you get the picture. Anyway it was one such day, and regrettably both those corporate tools - the Email Inbox and the mobile phone were witnessing unpreceedented activity. It was the latter, which was more frenetic, calls poured in, Muthukumar who insisted on offering me more credit to a credit card I never knew I owned, Palani Swamy who couldn't believe his ears, when I told him I didn't need a personal loan and Murugappan who was adamant that I explain to him, why I conferred only a '7' upon him in his customer service appraisal. Yes it was another regular day in the office, until the phone rang again with it this time reading 'Kiruba', 'Kiruba'. <a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://kiruba.com/" target="_blank">Kiruba Shankar</a>, blogger, entrepreneur, journalist, consultant, I sometimes wonder if there is not one but two Kiruba Shankars, anyway one of them was calling me, must be something important, I thought. </p> <p>So, I said, " Hi Kiruba, What's happening?", he replied " Not much Sudhir, would you like to come on a trip to Coorg?". And I was like, " Hmmm, Hmmm... Errr, I have to check my...", he interrupted, " It's an all paid trip sponsored by <a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://www.clubmahindra.com/" target="_blank">Club Mahindra</a>."</p> <p>The next time I met Kiruba was in the airport, boarding pass in my pocket. Smiling palpably as you can see... </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xQehzVjrI/AAAAAAAAAl4/cEjh2coezu8/Copy%20%282%29%20of%20IMG_0032%5B2%5D"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="Copy (2) of IMG_0032" src="http://lh5.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xQfxzVjsI/AAAAAAAAAmA/zcoyGOQ4KIw/Copy%20%282%29%20of%20IMG_0032_thumb" border="0" height="184" width="244" /></a> </p> <p>I mean, you would too right, a fully paid holiday to the land of beautiful women, flying Kingfisher and staying in one of the best resorts in the land. You probably would've smiled wider. </p> <p>It was around this time that I learnt that I was to join a group of some of the best travel bloggers in the country. Imagine that, it was only later in the piece that a part of me inferred, that I was only enlisted to maintain the required balance. To maintain the right formula, the group apparently required both the traveller and the 'tourist', the subdued and the 'loud', the punctual and the 'not so', needless to say, I fitted in perfectly at the extreme end of the latter side of those descriptions. The group was hence now a balanced one.</p> <p>So, there we were then, a motley crew, as you would expect, each figuring out 'who' or 'what' to expect as company for this momentous journey. Soon enough the group began to take shape, with there being a clear demarcation between the intellectual 'traveller' and the 'gawar tourist'. The 'intellectual traveller' easily identified with his manner of speaking. " Have you been to Leh, , 25 Kms south-east of 'Namcha Barwa Himalayas , 890 Kms north of the tropic of capricorn filled with Azure skies and that rarified aroma !". The gawar traveller would look on, looking forward to his next meal, to him the word 'Leh' took on a slightly different meaning. </p> <p>Another one at the forefront of the pack of 'gawar' tourists was Marketing Head Honcho <a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://aditiprincess.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dev Amritesh</a>. Dev like me thought he had seen all that life had to offer, but when he came across cameras styled like <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95708295@N00/2087315019/in/set-72157603376459190/" target="_blank">'<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Bazookas</span>'</a> and patience greater than that of the Buddha in awaiting that perfect snap, he too scratched his head, shaking his belly in amazement asking, " Arrey! Kahan ponch gey yaar hum!!?" </p> <p> Soon enough we arrived, and what awaited us was a true Coorgi reception.</p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:53357c8b-5919-4e32-8c25-305d27c17a37:cd0aa56f-c078-4dee-8d6b-32196e0f1cb2" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; float: none;"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/a_AZjZi_suc&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></div> <p> </p> <p>The dance symbolizes the onset of the harvest season. </p> <p>It was then the turn of our official tour guide, Mr. Joy E. Patel to make his entry.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xQiRzVjtI/AAAAAAAAAmI/jjvPMI9X6xc/IMG_0050%5B2%5D"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="IMG_0050" src="http://lh3.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xQjRzVjuI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/QQs5I53DvgA/IMG_0050_thumb" border="0" height="244" width="184" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>Ever smiling, fun-loving, effervescent and with immense knowledge of Coorg, Coffee and the 'Kodagu' culture, Joy always had a story to tell. Not least of which, was how he acquired his surname. " Actually, you know, in our community, we only have initial and no surname. But, when I was in the registrar's office, he insisted that I give him a surname, so dada thought for a while and said, "Patel! Let's just go with Patel". As simple as that, and here in the 'city' we hear of couples spending months and years on end in trying to find that perfect name for their pet poodle.</p> <p>By now, I had become well acquainted with the whole group. It was an interesting bunch indeed, we had <a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://www.gonomad.com/traveltalesfromindia/" target="_blank">Mridula</a>, one of India's top travel bloggers. It was quite clear that she had primarily 2 great interests, Travel and T.T. The latter of which she was so menacing in, that soon enough but for the wall, she had none to play with. Another exceptionally creative person from the group was <a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://windyskies.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Anil</a>, for Anil a camera was not something you just went click, click and discard with. For Anil, it was the entire reason for his existence, so much so that we often saw more of his camera than we did of him. The photos on his blog stand testimony to this.</p> <p>Our first stop on our trip the next day was <a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talakaveri" target="_blank">TalaCauvery</a>, the birth place of the river Cauvery. Set amidst, the mountains, the Tala Cauvery is the spring from which the Rivery Cauvery originates. Truly picturesque, as Dev pointed out it was in many ways ironic to see that the river Cauvery, and all the controversy and heartburn that come along with it, all originated from a spring which is no more than than 3 by 3 feet in dimension. </p> <p>Didn't someone once say, "Big things come in small packages"</p><br /><div><embed src="http://widget-cc.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=un&il=1&channel=360287970204022220&site=widget-cc.slide.com" style="width: 426px; height: 320px;" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width: 426px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=un&ad=0&id=360287970204022220&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-cc.slide.com/p1/360287970204022220/un_t024_v000_a000_f00/images/xslide1.gif" ismap="ismap" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=un&ad=0&id=360287970204022220&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-cc.slide.com/p2/360287970204022220/un_t024_v000_a000_f00/images/xslide2.gif" ismap="ismap" border="0" /></a></div></div><br /><p>Inspired by Anil, and his long talk with me on Apertures, Shutter speeds and hues, I took the one photograph, I am actually more than just a tad proud of. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xQlhzVjvI/AAAAAAAAAmY/OVQyTPOHoUc/IMG_0065%5B4%5D"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="IMG_0065" src="http://lh5.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xQmxzVjwI/AAAAAAAAAmg/eRABZc35S1w/IMG_0065_thumb%5B2%5D" border="0" height="276" width="293" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>To the most of you, this is just a random photo of a few people in front of a bell. But, the discerning few of you would notice how, the sadhu in white looks towards the water, while a man stands next to him on his mobile phone. Is this the oxymoron i.e the new India? A bell is positioned in the center such that it balances and aportions the hues and contrasts, shutter speed - high, aperture - wide, camera focus at an angle of 67 and a 3/4 degrees. </p> <p>Anil, has quite clearly rub off on me.</p> <p>An evening of much revelry awaited us. Guitaring, our voices and Simon and Garfunkel, thankfully there was enough liquor to make us all believe that we sounding incredible. The next day, saw us making a trip to the Elephant sanctuary, where the Elephant bath is the chief attractions.</p> <p>A photographic journey:</p> <p> </p> <p>Here comes Mr. Elephant</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xQphzVjxI/AAAAAAAAAmo/vwTEw2edUBI/IMG_0083%5B2%5D"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="IMG_0083" src="http://lh4.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xQqhzVjyI/AAAAAAAAAmw/TudDMR8AQQs/IMG_0083_thumb" border="0" height="184" width="244" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>Down goes Mr. Elephant</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xl-RzVjzI/AAAAAAAAAm4/vM-E8qwGhf4/IMG_0084%5B2%5D"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="IMG_0084" src="http://lh4.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xl_hzVj0I/AAAAAAAAAnA/6UYSV4GhSTc/IMG_0084_thumb" border="0" height="184" width="244" /></a> </p> <p>Scrub, scrub, scrub</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xmBhzVj1I/AAAAAAAAAnI/fQsn47cMZvI/IMG_0086%5B2%5D"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="IMG_0086" src="http://lh5.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xmCxzVj2I/AAAAAAAAAnQ/Efe6fyvpkOk/IMG_0086_thumb" border="0" height="184" width="244" /></a> </p> <p>Time to eat some chow</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xmEhzVj3I/AAAAAAAAAnY/WgnWQNwgVeI/IMG_0089%5B2%5D"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="IMG_0089" src="http://lh5.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xmFxzVj4I/AAAAAAAAAng/bmOKfIps7c8/IMG_0089_thumb" border="0" height="184" width="244" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>All aboard...!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xmHxzVj5I/AAAAAAAAAno/4nQVD7-PE5A/IMG_0090%5B2%5D"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="IMG_0090" src="http://lh6.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xmJBzVj6I/AAAAAAAAAnw/8cqWVSFBCNE/IMG_0090_thumb" border="0" height="184" width="244" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>Our trip came to an end that evening, with a sit-down dinner around a bon-fire. From a group of absolute strangers, thrown together from various parts of the country, we had become one group, and the cameradrie built was overwhelming. There is something about a traveling group which brings it together, maybe it's the feeling of togetherness, maybe it's the feeling of going through the same journey, or maybe a holiday is the one time, a person can truly be oneself with little or no pretensions. The group itself, may never meet one another again, but those few days spent together will always remain special.</p> <p>A big Thank you to Arun of Club Mahindra for making it all happen.</p> <p>And then en route back to Bangalore.<br /></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xmLRzVj7I/AAAAAAAAAn4/_5_rlKRdeiU/03122007031%281%29%5B2%5D"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="03122007031(1)" src="http://lh4.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xmMhzVj8I/AAAAAAAAAoA/FEpg0aWsonE/03122007031%281%29_thumb" border="0" height="244" width="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh5.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xmOxzVj9I/AAAAAAAAAoI/a3gFsWuGaf0/03122007034%5B2%5D"><img style="border-width: 0px;" alt="03122007034" src="http://lh3.google.com/sudhir.syal/R1xmQRzVj-I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/ynqMkAURJvw/03122007034_thumb" border="0" height="184" width="244" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>The Tibetan Monastery. I guess we could all do with some enlightenment from time to time... </p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-68747723877135291042007-09-24T09:07:00.000-07:002007-09-24T12:30:02.325-07:00India : Twenty 20 World ChampionsIn the 2 years of me writing on this blog, I have completely refrained from writing about cricket.Firstly, writing about cricket is probably the easiest thing one can do, for really when it comes to cricket, everyone turns expert and everyone turns expert writer. The other thing is that when it comes to cricket; Indian cricket in particular, everything about the game is so inconsistent that something you might write about could be completely the opposite tomorrow.<br /><br />And through it all, we the undying legion of loyal Indian fans have stood by the team. Yes, they have been those who broke down the team's houses at every given opportunity and those who sent mass sms's asking everyone to contribute Phenol to burn the team down; they exist and will continue to.<br /><br />But then they have also been others who have continued to had undying hope, those who have watched and lived Indian cricket through the good and the utterly atrocious, those who have watched in disbelief as India got out chasing 120 on a minefield in Barbados, those who watched with pain in their eyes as India managed to lose 5 wickets for a paltry 16 runs against Pakistan in Chennai, and those who thought the end was near when the unheralded Bangaladesh beat Indian in the inaugural match of the World cup.<br /><br />This one is for them.<br /><br />As Sreesanth, caught the last catch and as India made the victory lap of the ground waving the tricolour. All I can say is Chak De!<br /><br />This one is for me.<br /><br />Those long hours in front of the television, uncountable days listening to the scorn of friends, missed homework, procrastinated assignments, agony, despair often ending in disappointment leading to tears.<br /><br />For that one moment, when Dhoni held the trophy, it was all worth it.<br /><br />I can tell my children, I got back early from work, and watched as India beat Pakistan and became World champions.<br /><br />Chak De India!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/80000/80084.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.cricinfo.com/db/PICTURES/CMS/80000/80084.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />P.S Cricket my dear scornful friend, is alive and well.Be it ICL, PCL or even the gulli version. Only 1 week after our exit from the Worldcup, on an assignment in far flung Koddikerri this is what I<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;" href="http://http//farm2.static.flickr.com/1123/1433345023_0773b318aa_o.jpg"> </a><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1123/1433345023_0773b318aa_o.jpg">saw</a>, and for me that in itself was evidence enough.Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-58863633091113190962007-08-18T01:31:00.000-07:002007-08-18T02:52:52.518-07:00The I-PhoneIt's here finally, as promised the much awaited demo of the I-Phone on <a href="http://indiainteracts.com/video/episodes.php?showid=16">my show</a> on <a href="http://indiainteracts.com">India Interacts</a>.<br /><br />My guest on the show is <a href="http://www.techtribe.com/triber/rohit">Rohit Agarwal</a>, the CEO and founder of <a href="http://techtribe.com/">techTribe</a>. Rohit was one of the guest speakers at <a href="http://proto.in">proto.in,</a> and gave a talk on 'Effective PR' for the young entrepreneur.<br />His firm <a href="http://www.techtribe.com/index.html">Techtribe</a> is a career networking site based out of San Francisco and New Delhi, and has been making rapid strides since it was launched 9 months ago.<br /><br /><embed src="http://indiainteracts.com/video/singleplayer.swf?vID=808&vPartner=embed" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" height="325" width="405"></embed><br /><br /><br />The highlight of the video however, is his demo of the I-phone. <a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1093/867625419_4e293e2d23_m.jpg">Having held it</a>, and seen it up close, I must tell you its a work of art, and if only for its look and feel, is worth all the hype that's been associated with it. <br /><br />The demo of the I-phone starts in the second half of the video, watch out for the last bit when he..... actually why don't you find out for yourself.Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-68508696232938729592007-08-14T21:51:00.000-07:002008-11-12T17:23:13.363-08:00I-fixed. Did you?<object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JLPDisHlmb8&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JLPDisHlmb8&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />It was with this speech on this day, 60 years ago that India was awarded its independence as a democratic, sovereign,secular, and republic country.<br /><br />It's on this day, every year that most Indians feel the sudden urge to be patriotic and jingoistic. Some do it with hoisting flags outside their homes, others do it by making their children dress up as Pandit Nehru, while still others do it by going for Independence day parties, getting intoxicated and taking the concept of independence to an entirely new level.<br /><br />I felt this urge as well. So come the 13th of August, like every year that has gone by,I too made plans of singing the anthem and hoisting a flag on my balcony. Even more so, as this would be our 60th anniversary. The momentous celebration like every year however, would no doubt be short lived, with the flag making its way back to the attic on the morning of the 16th without fail.<br /><br />I then got a sms from <a href="http://vijaysblog.wordpress.com/">Vijay</a>(Of Proto.in fame), which went something on the lines of <span style="font-style: italic;">"Hey, a bunch of us are planning to fix all the potholes in the city as part of independence day, Would you like to join us?" </span> Knowing the bloke,I knew only he could be crazy enough to send that message and actually mean it.<br /><br />At 10pm, he and Mahesh, an architect mate of his along with a team of 10 individuals got together on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velachery">Velachery</a> bridge in South West Chennai and using cement, concrete and a truck started attacking one pot-hole after another. I joined them at 1 AM, and these are some of the sights I saw.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjak9tiusM92shWVFjKbSthshqgr6SqAXktzpuwbJXaJ-atLbX4RjN_k8sXN1HeFs3nOuCLMSqwLKM8erv1A4UvnpTPr3NC0SSewTXj2zlZtepyvGyXLPsZrMX3sQ1yhwUa2TvB/s1600-h/15082007041.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjak9tiusM92shWVFjKbSthshqgr6SqAXktzpuwbJXaJ-atLbX4RjN_k8sXN1HeFs3nOuCLMSqwLKM8erv1A4UvnpTPr3NC0SSewTXj2zlZtepyvGyXLPsZrMX3sQ1yhwUa2TvB/s320/15082007041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098898337797030162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Everyone seemingly chipped in, the industrious ones got their hands dirty with filling the concrete and cement.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetHT2bEtGg4SbO-qrjgnWjRu5fSW1CQWd2AfCr4LPjUNnwKz2AG1DgblKry_3xZRxmdvEXZCe-qUjMvG9ziVZd4P_sGdruvK7s_51w2D0QjiCMh2wxYDAuVYTxh_8tYgL8u5V/s1600-h/15082007042.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetHT2bEtGg4SbO-qrjgnWjRu5fSW1CQWd2AfCr4LPjUNnwKz2AG1DgblKry_3xZRxmdvEXZCe-qUjMvG9ziVZd4P_sGdruvK7s_51w2D0QjiCMh2wxYDAuVYTxh_8tYgL8u5V/s320/15082007042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098893158066471138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />While the not so industrious ones like me, helped out with diverting the traffic, identifying new pot-holes to attend to and providing refreshments.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/25/89868733_cfaf3d322b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/25/89868733_cfaf3d322b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Very soon, as we progressed, open pot-holes which looked like this,<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIzkeX5FaI9LFY7Ab_wa77_7V7A-xkxtUvb4viNUzSZ9KhWS4AisGOVqcLdcIreGsIZ8D0rzJX_LAzZH7r1IVieZqFdlOKdm9DvFlNhNYrJQUNc5d7RA82ofZDWmFUoCiQQC_/s1600-h/15082007046.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIzkeX5FaI9LFY7Ab_wa77_7V7A-xkxtUvb4viNUzSZ9KhWS4AisGOVqcLdcIreGsIZ8D0rzJX_LAzZH7r1IVieZqFdlOKdm9DvFlNhNYrJQUNc5d7RA82ofZDWmFUoCiQQC_/s320/15082007046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098899269804933426" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />were very soon beginning to look like this.<br /><br />By 7AM, a total of 40 pot-holes were 'Fixed'.There was another group of individuals headed by set out on the same mission in another part of the city.The two groups tackled drunken drivers, killer mosquitoes and over inquisitive policeman while successfully tending to over 80 pot-holes across the city. Quite an achievement for one night, I'd say.<br /><br />The group which orchestrated this is titled '<a href="http://pothole.pbwiki.com/">I-Fixed'</a> and believes in the maxim that the best way to fix a problem is to actually go ahead and fix it yourself. In the next few months, the group plans to do their bit to address other local issues which they find consensus on.<br /><br />As much as this might sound like another Lok Paritrana initiative, another NGO or another social service community, it really isn't. It's just a bunch of individuals, who complain a little more than everyone else, and have finally decided to do something about it. The initiative might succeed, it might fail, it might spawn a revolution across the country, it might be the last such effort, who knows. What's important is that we tried , atleast now we will have some sort of an answer to that voice in the back of our heads which asks, " So, what have you done to address the problem?".<br /><a href="http://pothole.pbwiki.com/"></a><br />The sight of seeing the logo shining in the night sky, next to every pot-hole we covered simply made the whole experience worth it.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2F6YitksrgSlumGG6kvAkL48ysoQ2W1EsdJYy0oNFmGTI6o_GFqHS2BQ4tfuMPyuydCL-PgxH4sXukBVGySMBwPzZfQLkF_svzRsWf_qZhJZH575YcwUUfM_oZfd0rX7Aig3s/s1600-h/15082007047.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2F6YitksrgSlumGG6kvAkL48ysoQ2W1EsdJYy0oNFmGTI6o_GFqHS2BQ4tfuMPyuydCL-PgxH4sXukBVGySMBwPzZfQLkF_svzRsWf_qZhJZH575YcwUUfM_oZfd0rX7Aig3s/s400/15082007047.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098907795315016034" border="0" /></a><br />Oh! And before I forget, here's wishing you all a very happy independence day!<br /><br />P.S Do log onto the wiki <a href="http://pothole.pbwiki.com/">here</a>, if you are interested in joining the group.<br /></div>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-64755693124534277572007-07-24T10:31:00.000-07:002007-07-31T02:30:05.255-07:00My Way goes the Video way!Yes it does, thanks to some benevolent folks at <a href="http://indiainteracts.com/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Indiainteracts</span></a> who have very kindly agreed to allow me to host a show. (Wow! There is hope for the world)<br /><br />My show titled <a href="http://indiainteracts.com/video/episodes.php?showid=16"><span style="font-weight:bold;">'Business Bytes'</span></a> will feature individuals from the business World, big time CEO's, small-time entrepreneurs, IAS officers and basically anybody worthwhile who will take time out on a Saturday morning to have a chat. Yes the word 'Worthwhile' has a very relevant connotation here, and no 'Worthwhile' doesn't necessarily mean that he has to be from the web2.0 industry.<br /><br />The show has been on for the last 2 months, and I think it has finally reached a level where I can allow for it to gain from a link on My Way!<br /><br />One of the interviews, I particularly enjoyed doing was this one with Abhishek Dingra of Mr.Pronto. Abhishek's is an interesting story, I met him at a bar one drunken night and out of curiosity asked him what he does. "I repair shoes and bags", he said. I called him the next morning, and he surprised me by saying exactly the same thing. "Damn!", I said if anybody can repair bags and shoes and still afford to buy his own drunks at a bar, he must be worth interviewing. One week later, I found myself in his store at Spencer's plaza with my crew interviewing him.<br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hKBtV1N2a-Q"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hKBtV1N2a-Q" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Mr.Pronto is certainly a journey, especially when you consider that it started only a few years ago as a final year project idea during his MBA in the Philippines. The store now has 3 branches and anyone who has gotten their shoes or bags repaired there, will vouch for the quality of work. You can check out the rest of the show <a href="http://indiainteracts.com/videos/2007/06/15/Business-Bytes--Abhishek-Part--2/">here</a>.<br /><br />I was so excited after I finished the interview that I forgot I wasn't carrying any money in my wallet to pay for the parking. And the sar 'Press' trick didn't work, which meant I had to <a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1153/887034413_b99b2457c1_o.jpg"><span style="font-weight:bold;">park my car near the ticket booth</span></a> and actually go back in to find an ATM. Well, as luck would have it all ATM booths then decided to close, which meant that in an embarrassing turn of events, Abhishek the subject of my interview had to come back and bail me out.<br /><br />Another interview, which I thought was blog-worthy was one with Mr. Madhav Das, CEO - Southside Magazine. Madhav is the former CEO of Magnasound Music; is one of the funniest guys I have ever come across and is one of the best people you could ever want to interview! (I really didn't have to do too much talking) Former CEO of Magnasound, I write cause as he tells me in this interview, Magnasound had to shut down thanks to the internet industry. How many of you guys knew that? I for one thought the company was alive and well.<br /><br />Madhav's claim to fame is having brought out Rahman's first every music album. One of the highlights of the interview, is the part when he tells me how he capitalized on Rahman's fame after he became famous. I wouldn't want to spoil it for you.<br /><br /><embed src="http://indiainteracts.com/video/singleplayer.swf?vID=673&vPartner=embed" width="405" height="325" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" ></embed><br /><br />This is part 3 where he talks about the Rahman incident.<br /><br />Lots to look out for on the show, the next set episodes will be those from Proto.in where I even managed to get someone to demo for me ..... hold your breath. The I-Phone.<br /><br />Now my page views should finally increase!<blockquote></blockquote>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-33495246376099339252007-06-04T11:45:00.000-07:002007-06-22T04:51:59.452-07:00Everybody is free to write their own sunscreen song..<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 12pt"><span lang="EN-IN">Yes Everybody is. Not that they need this blog to tell them.<br /><br />Here it goes my version of the sunscreen song. A bunch of un-connected lines about life, strife , irony with the intention of creating that all empowering reaction - " Heyy!!! That is sooo true... "<br /><br />For those of you who haven't heard this song. Firstly you should have, and if you have'nt this you tube video should certainly assist you in doing so, just ignore the subtitles - whatever language it's in.<br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xfq_A8nXMsQ"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xfq_A8nXMsQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><b><span lang="EN-IN">The Sunscreen song - My way</span></b><span lang="EN-IN"><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><span lang="EN-IN"><p class="MsoNormal"><i><br />”Choose the girl you see yourself growing old with”</i><br />Like most other advice you hear, you even need advice on how you should apply it.<br />You often hear, " It's not winning or losing but playing the game well"<br />Life is all about happiness. And if happiness is derived from personal success.<br />How then, can it not be about winning?<i><span lang="EN-IN"><br />You soon find out that 8 out of 10 quotable inspirational quotes contradict each other</span></i>.<br /></p></span><span lang="EN-IN"><i><p><br />Its amazing the extent of the role economics plays in our day to day life.<br />No matter which part of the world you live in, the girls always seem prettier in the other town.<br />No matter how cool your adopted land, and how crappy your home-town you will almost always begin to miss it after a few weeks.<br />Conversations which create a lasting impact upon you are often had with the most random people.<br />Its the song you sing every day to work, the tune in your head. the one which stays with you for months that you never hear otherwise. You probably don't even know who sang it.<br />If you did. It wouldn't stay with you that long</i>.<br /><br /><i>The scarcest commodity in the world today is not time, not water or money but undivided human attention.<br />People don't even have the time to criticize.<br />Two innovations have changed the world forever - the internet and the mobile phone.<br />Believe it or not, we didn't have either 10 years ago and I don't remember any of us being any less productive.<br />The human brain will forever remain the most incredible creation conceived. The female brain the most complex.<br />Invariably what you enjoy doing the maximum is financially the least viable.<br />We all have a habit we wanted to change this morning. </i></p><p><i>Its amazing how long it takes for us to learn from our mistakes. </p></i></span><i><span lang="EN-IN"></span></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-IN">As much as we deny it, jealousy and ego play a vital role in our lives. It's how we handle it that makes the difference.</span></i><span lang="EN-IN"><br /><i>Friends who are acquired to meet a specific purpose will do so. And perhaps do just that.<br />Friendships made on the fly are often those which fly.</i><br /><i>Its amazing how we never remember anything negative about a person we lose.</i><br /><i>Of all those who you are close to, you know deep down who you will turn to first when in an emergency. That doesn't mean the others don't matter. They all do.<br />Its amazing how many problems can be solved, if you simply keep yourself busy.<br />Sometimes the only way out is for the shit to hit the fan.<br />When it does - it often works to our advantage. Just ask Shilpa shetty.<br /><br />The long run can be as short, and the short run as long as the speaker wants it to be.<br />The forbidden fruit often tastes best while being so.<br />The world is changing as quickly as we are allowing it to.<br />Ambiguity plays a larger role today than it used to. Not receiving a birthday gift from a friend could mean 3 things - Too close - too cool - too cold.<br />Though we often deny it - a phone call not returned affects us.<br />It should.<br /><br />A good-looking man is perceived to be 20% more intelligent than an average looking one.<br />A good-looking lady 20% more dumb.<br />If you truly completely understand a woman, you probably are one.<br />We all feel safer liking something someone else already does. This explains the power of word of mouth.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-IN">We often experience strange coincidences in the middle of a mundane day, if we analyze them more deeply they often have a hidden message.<br />If everything in life went our way, astrologers would be out of business.<br />Making someone else feel good about himself almost always works.<br />Overdoing it however is certainly not advisable.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-IN"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-IN">If there is one term which best describes the world we live in - it would be user-friendly,<br />Designers exist who get paid more as their designs get smaller,<br />Artists exist who are more appreciated as their paintings get more unfathomable,<br />Poets get away with verses with non-existent rhyme schemes. </span></i><i><span lang="EN-IN"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-IN"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">Atleast they hope they do. My first attempt at poetry – modern poetry atleast.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN">My first attempt at regular poetry was way back in the 8<sup>th</sup> std, when I wrote if I remember right about a mosquito. Maybe I will dedicate a separate post to that one. :)<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-IN"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-IN"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-62114173654466660572007-04-16T11:07:00.000-07:002008-11-12T17:23:14.955-08:00-Madarasis en Madrid-<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >It was the end of 2006 - and quite a few thoughts starting flowing through my head :<br /><br />1. Man - I need a break<br />2. Man - I need a holiday<br />3. Damn - The CAT exam is tomorrow<br />4. How much is Lufthansa - Che - Mad - Che ??<br /><br />A quick sms to dad - <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">" I've decided to go to Spain. Be good and sponsor my airfare"</span>, met with the affirmative and that was it. Some quick online ticketing and I was packing my bags. I was quite obviously going for the art, culture and architecture of Spain. Two days of reading up on the internet and I had my dad convinced. Picasso, Raul and Morientes; I said to him, so what if the last 2 sounded suspiciously like soccer players. My dad doesn't seem to know the difference. :)<br /><br />The office excuse was simple - <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"Off to Spain to get drunk; spend new years and party"</span>. Hang on that wouldn't work -<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> "</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Off to Spain to meet my old school mate "</span> . I tried that with a colleague - and from the reaction I got; I knew it had to be changed immediately. Finally, I settled for <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">" Off to Spain for my school mates wedding"</span>. This fitted in quite alright; I was instantly perceived to be this great devoted friend who was willing to travel miles for a friends wedding. Perfect !<br /><br />The visa remained the only minor detail - and the usual desi trick of applying for a French visa regardless of where you are going in Europe worked perfectly. I was now well on my way. Madrid - Barcelona and Tenerife - 13 days and nights (mainly nights) of venting all that built up frustration through the year. Finally :)<br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">On the way... ( Frankfurt Airport)</span><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eCpjaNNcQLdNKLZjs4gjLiksWa9cJJoohpo_aRZoBk1nml5Xx7nYDmPg3iBp0Gy6EQfnRofHVrnu0CefA-4rH5sRFVvU9T321kFmglEodxfEavaAEYScCOkT2QYf-w6C_T1D/s1600-h/IMG_1207.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eCpjaNNcQLdNKLZjs4gjLiksWa9cJJoohpo_aRZoBk1nml5Xx7nYDmPg3iBp0Gy6EQfnRofHVrnu0CefA-4rH5sRFVvU9T321kFmglEodxfEavaAEYScCOkT2QYf-w6C_T1D/s320/IMG_1207.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056318596231147730" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />Our first destination - <span style="font-weight: bold;">Madrid. </span><span>We had quite a tough time convincing a few of our mates that the name of the city was just 'Madrid' and not ' Real Madrid' as they vehemently believed. But then that's a different story altogether.<br /></span></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAT2OFYzw4AFx2rEDU1SazjNB3kjzyMxXGILyi-4c8HUnG0LK3a9cmw1-0txq1saHCMngvKl1BpSP0zHnSYoYPlWZL22KUmlLXRNvLCXwfH4_QaJH-Q5OwTKlBkowMgiPVn9UY/s1600-h/IMG_1210.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 322px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAT2OFYzw4AFx2rEDU1SazjNB3kjzyMxXGILyi-4c8HUnG0LK3a9cmw1-0txq1saHCMngvKl1BpSP0zHnSYoYPlWZL22KUmlLXRNvLCXwfH4_QaJH-Q5OwTKlBkowMgiPVn9UY/s320/IMG_1210.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5054101901284511602" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOL1IfB4yuFEC0_cEAHdtErfA3lbnGAAMJvfx4fEwxfHeeJ0uQ5wbRZuaUPs5FP_6TVi7TBSIe6ZFoWTQooJWadoOm-F0mFrZrNm6I_ZCs97MuOnuFjH2v6J4a309XT1AG33n/s1600-h/IMG_1209.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOL1IfB4yuFEC0_cEAHdtErfA3lbnGAAMJvfx4fEwxfHeeJ0uQ5wbRZuaUPs5FP_6TVi7TBSIe6ZFoWTQooJWadoOm-F0mFrZrNm6I_ZCs97MuOnuFjH2v6J4a309XT1AG33n/s320/IMG_1209.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056321027182637282" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />Madrid - Spain's most beautiful city and its capital has architecture which could so easily take your breath away. And the first sight of it; as we found after an arduous tube journey is simply mind blowing.<br /><br />Well planned layout, beautiful architecture, great character and the finest looking women. The city has a number of cultural and historic attractions - museums, gardens , sculptures and so on or at least that's what I heard when I returned.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Its probably about the right time now to introduce my travelling companion - the blighter standing to my right. Yup, veteran traveller, frequent flier and online air ticketer extrordinaire - A. Keerti Prasad. ( 680? Gaurav? Lets just settle with KP). KP belongs to that category of the new age metro-sexual. Well bred, well groomed, well organized and well in time . In short everything that I am not.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_K2Q_k3jUC7Jm8Pwl8FvBBmOpdJkYg5vwD97pbz__4MrsZ3ds5HKhXPWKWG7M6XzeBaHAhaTmlIPOW4hJJQRGvf1Ry0MIxp3wyeGE0s8CAo_MfhmwDtyrzbuCG2GRz6tXhEd/s1600-h/IMG_1220.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 103px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO_K2Q_k3jUC7Jm8Pwl8FvBBmOpdJkYg5vwD97pbz__4MrsZ3ds5HKhXPWKWG7M6XzeBaHAhaTmlIPOW4hJJQRGvf1Ry0MIxp3wyeGE0s8CAo_MfhmwDtyrzbuCG2GRz6tXhEd/s320/IMG_1220.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5054117565030240146" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />That was us - just before we embarked to one of the best night clubs one could ever ever go to. 'Pacca' - no connection with Chennai's 'Pasha' - not even by a long shot.<br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />Here is testimony to that :<br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><object height="350" width="425"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/539OlDxk44Q" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />To say that the women in Spain are just beautiful would be a lie ; almost as much as a lie as saying they are easy to communicate with. The women in Spain are extremely patriotic about their land and its culture, so much so that seem to know only 2 words in English. Had those words been the 2 English equivalents of the 2 spanish words I had learnt - ' Si' and 'Bonito' the synergy would have been perfect. Instead the 2 English words, they decided to learn were "<span style="font-weight: bold;">NO ENGLISH". </span>To add to that a mean looking face and you knew that you had committed a grave error by not investing in a " Learn Spanish in 12 days" course before you embarked.<br /><br />The next day was the josh day ; and we managed to do quite a bit. Amongst them was visiting the <a href="http://www.ie.edu/">Institute De Empressa</a> - one of the World's leading business schools . Next on the list was the Santiago Burnabeau - the home of the hallowed Real Madrid. The guided tour costed us a mere 10 Euros and as you can see; was worth every single penny.<br /><br /><div><embed src="http://widget-cb.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="site=widget-cb.slide.com&channel=360287970196380619&cy=be&il=1" name="flashticker" align="middle" height="300" width="400"></embed><div style="width: 400px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?ad=0&tt=17&sk=0&cy=be&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;th=0&id=360287970196380619&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-cb.slide.com/p1/360287970196380619/be_t017_v000_a000_f00/images/xslide1.gif" ismap="ismap" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?ad=0&tt=17&sk=0&cy=be&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;th=0&id=360287970196380619&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-cb.slide.com/p2/360287970196380619/be_t017_v000_a000_f00/images/xslide2.gif" ismap="ismap" border="0" /></a></div></div></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />The rest of our touring group had now arrived; making us 8 in all - 'Madrasis in Madrid'. And in true - Madarasi style the first thing we did was search for some food. Very soon we located an authentic Spanish restaraunt and made ourselves comfortable with some Spanish Paella and Sangrilla. Paella is a most delightful dish made up of sea food, chicken, vegetables all mixed with a delicious saffron flavored rice. My love affair with Paella had begun and from then on; every tour member in the group was forced to have a bite with me at every Paella opportunity.<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScWVQ5YG9MPpr4f4_r9R_jQ0RiZBlSbL9LszMnjlxM4Lo11r0vDEzH27Hk1BfrIupCfJ_whSbWbRMF4vIa_AxZvkM0yg-cwJgw4qNbOxHmqzch6I3VN5xpdwRTj7TP6NyRQfd/s1600-h/P1010865.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 289px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgScWVQ5YG9MPpr4f4_r9R_jQ0RiZBlSbL9LszMnjlxM4Lo11r0vDEzH27Hk1BfrIupCfJ_whSbWbRMF4vIa_AxZvkM0yg-cwJgw4qNbOxHmqzch6I3VN5xpdwRTj7TP6NyRQfd/s320/P1010865.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056344993100149026" border="0" /></a><br /></span></div><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br />The night that presented itself was another crazy one ending in day - leaving us very little time the next day to do any sight seeing. In that time, we visited amongst other areas of interest, the Royal Palace - the Plaza Espana , <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerta_del_Sol">Puerta Del sol</a> - and the Anna flyover. Of which everything ( except the last one) was distinctly Spanish - each having its own characteristic charm.<br /><br />The magic fountains at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_de_Espa%C3%B1a_%28Madrid%29">Plaza de Espana</a>.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13a_Zey35M7f42-hB-6Deae1lM9O7SxCKkWJMU7JO3X5ghjAJuCcDu1pnp39ydqe-4dejoYfJoP4WtkfQxJOMOehJubMSjbU2NTAYLZLorQl1SMK5rfG_zGPYWAVC000pbnjj/s1600-h/IMG_1231.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13a_Zey35M7f42-hB-6Deae1lM9O7SxCKkWJMU7JO3X5ghjAJuCcDu1pnp39ydqe-4dejoYfJoP4WtkfQxJOMOehJubMSjbU2NTAYLZLorQl1SMK5rfG_zGPYWAVC000pbnjj/s320/IMG_1231.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056348678182089010" border="0" /></a><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Legend has it that, this fountain like many others in cities across the world has little or no historical significance and is present only to add aesthetic value.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Right in front is the statue of Miguel De Cervantes. Miguel De Cervantes is the author of 'Don Quixante '- the popular book about 8 travelling Indians who tried to impress the Spanish women using just the 2 words 'Si' and ' Benito'. It truly is a great read.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFniNZEvNOQ8eMAwDowS2m3tATOK6erH0xqiGxEQEpHsSlFEC4Mj40VyMuSnHhqqCDBqdWZrUSO44y1Hw3VpJO7Eoi3v15xM5h8mJ3IyfNrZw4A3v7nmSCo7H1lt-DS06zs9uJ/s1600-h/Upright.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFniNZEvNOQ8eMAwDowS2m3tATOK6erH0xqiGxEQEpHsSlFEC4Mj40VyMuSnHhqqCDBqdWZrUSO44y1Hw3VpJO7Eoi3v15xM5h8mJ3IyfNrZw4A3v7nmSCo7H1lt-DS06zs9uJ/s320/Upright.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056350086931362130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:georgia;">And then it was time to leave. We had to get to Barcelona - and 3 options were available to us. Train, renting a car or hopping onto a bus. We had dragged ourselves to the station, a really beautiful one ( Just compare it with our Chennai central)</span> </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vFJmAn-pFiFOLYUMY1MIsaHAGgg9RqD67rNcLPI-F_2D5by_jyzrtOgQUXSC5cYck3NZ4F4SkvjKMvdmFXVD8ONVQCSf-zQ14NVe62pB16c3WPjMQAFdiagZwgcUMVEOysZ4/s1600-h/IMG_1230.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 322px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9vFJmAn-pFiFOLYUMY1MIsaHAGgg9RqD67rNcLPI-F_2D5by_jyzrtOgQUXSC5cYck3NZ4F4SkvjKMvdmFXVD8ONVQCSf-zQ14NVe62pB16c3WPjMQAFdiagZwgcUMVEOysZ4/s320/IMG_1230.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056343902178455826" border="0" /></a><br /></span></div><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />And were informed , that there were no options by train. We then surveyed the option of renting a car but for some reason were shooed out of the rental store with the store owner mumbling and closing the door behind us. What on earth was happening ? Must have been time for the famous Spanish siesta , I thought. My phone then rang ; and my buddy on the line was screaming 'patas', 'patas' . I hung up. This siesta fever had struck him as well, I thought.<br /><br />We then saw it on the news - there apparently had been a bomb blast in the Madrid Airport. This meant our chances of getting out of there further diminished..<br /><br />Helter, skelter and we somehow managed to book a bus to Barcelona. Maybe the bomb blast , the wild-goose chase and the strange behavior of Miguel De Cervantes had all been subtle signs of things to come.<br /><br />Madrid had been magnificient, but as you would probably find out soon - not even half as eventful as Barcelona.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtdZOazOhIBXYGVx0G6IR1B2_Pi8Z0C5oBjZtM_ZuLS6PpolfTt0bC6Wtm8zvszb7I3c1etUyVM0CPn3HbNi-F_u1CVOFX0XBF2q6m-poUi3kk9qi2REzoVJAbNkWi81g2me9/s1600-h/IMG_1229.jpg"><br /></a></span>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-39568983893886726552007-02-06T09:42:00.001-08:002008-11-12T17:23:16.817-08:00~Chennai's favorite son's~Welcome to Chennai. The city in which summer, winter, autumn and spring all invariably mean the same thing. Rains ofcourse being the only relief, invariably accompanied by floods; and most often a cricket match. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>It’s in this city, that on one Tuesday afternoon, you find yourself running late for your scheduled luncheon meeting. Its 1:30 in the afternoon, and you need all the signals to be green for you to reach your destination on time. Deep down, you have a feeling that isn’t going to happen, but we very seldom actually agree with what we believe deep down. Don’t we ? Anyway, it doesn’t happen, two red signals and some cursory abusing of passerby’s later, you reach your destination.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">A quick search for a parking spot outside the restaurant; it’s quite evident, “another restaurant which expects most of its patrons to use public transport”; 15 tables inside the restaraunt parking space for about 3 cars. (And that’s including the restaurant owner’s car) You turn around the bend; it’s your lucky day! <span style=""> </span>A quiet spot, it even has some shade, and what’s more the watchman there seems to be dozing. A quick maneuver and your ready for your meeting; I guess by IST standards you’re pretty much early.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />Just when you are about to get out of your car, out of the darkness (sorry out of daylight) he appears </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“ Its him”,</span> you think. Yes, I know, you thought he was dozing. So did I. Pointing his fingers at you, and then at various altitudes, he begins viciously</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/383963841_930e862805_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/144/383963841_930e862805_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XORq9EWw3Jk/RcjYRGMnb4I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/g7KuohWmNq4/s1600-h/Watchman+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XORq9EWw3Jk/RcjYRGMnb4I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/g7KuohWmNq4/s320/Watchman+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028506772192063362" border="0" /></a><span style=""> </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">“ No parking, etha no parking”</span>. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“ Where do I park my car then?”</span>, you ask. He replies, <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">“ </span><st1:place style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Enkeyo</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"> panno park paana saar, Inkey park panna, puddu Hyundai accent ley, Police kaar vaaro. Tyre ley Yovlo peraso lock podovo<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">( with hands wide apart)</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">,</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/383963843_7b21d1c748.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/176/383963843_7b21d1c748.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XORq9EWw3Jk/RcjY_WMnb5I/AAAAAAAAAXY/91R5TQ736A8/s1600-h/Lock.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XORq9EWw3Jk/RcjY_WMnb5I/AAAAAAAAAXY/91R5TQ736A8/s320/Lock.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028507566761013138" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"> aprovo unda window ley</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XORq9EWw3Jk/RcjYQmMnb1I/AAAAAAAAAW4/9pffJpJAWZ4/s1600-h/Danger.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XORq9EWw3Jk/RcjYQmMnb1I/AAAAAAAAAW4/9pffJpJAWZ4/s320/Danger.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028506763602128722" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/383963836_84f329c38b.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/383963836_84f329c38b.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">BEWARE ! BEWARE! </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"> sticker podho, aadha vokay na park pananga.”</span> Ok, translating that isn’t really easy, anyway in short; according to the watchman, if you were to park your vehicle there, the big men would descend from their white Hyundai Accents, put a lock on your tyre and if that’s not bad enough also put a ridiculous ‘BEWARE’ sticker on your windscreen. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For whatever reason, you believe him. You reverse your car, it’s a painful process, and you are back to where you started. You are back to scanning again, hallaleujah! a car in the allocated parking seems to be shifting out, you seize the opportunity, a quick maneuver and your car has found a parking spot, a sigh of relief, a good lunch, a better meeting and a great day await you.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Not quite.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You get out of your car, lock your door. And then you hear a whistle, it’s him again; he decided to make the walk. He objects, apparently the car has not been parked to his satisfaction. He wants you to re-park it. And then the Da vinci in him comes out ,<span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"> konju left saar, Konju right saar, slighta reverse saar, konju pinnadi</span>, you begin to wonder if so many directions went into the crafting of Shah Jahan’s Taj Mahal. After another good 5 minutes of aligning, adjusting and re-aligning, he is finally happy; you have managed to impress him. <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Right saar!</span>, he gesticulates with one hand up and a content smile. You get out of the car, there is only one thing in your mind, to get to your luncheon meeting as quickly as possible, and come up with a plausible excuse to your client for making him wait.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Bang in front of you however, he’s back. Standing as forcibly erect as our very own Marina Light house building, with a crisp water tight salute, and a contained smile, well ok, you can see how he’s smiling.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/156/383963834_e1899ea8a9.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/156/383963834_e1899ea8a9.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XORq9EWw3Jk/RcjYQ2Mnb3I/AAAAAAAAAXI/Hi6BRKmqWLo/s1600-h/Watchman+1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XORq9EWw3Jk/RcjYQ2Mnb3I/AAAAAAAAAXI/Hi6BRKmqWLo/s320/Watchman+1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5028506767897096050" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> He tells you, <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">“ </span><st1:place style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" st="on">Saar</st1:place><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">, parking ticket – five rupees”</span>. Why on earth, should you pay parking to eat in a privately run restaurant, you wonder. You ask him, he then says something to the extent of <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">“ </span><st1:place style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);" st="on">Saar</st1:place><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">, tea, coffee”</span>.</span> He has you confused now, is it for his coffee or is it for parking, you give up. You rummage for change, manage to get 5 bucks put it in his hand, and flee towards the restaurant. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You enter the restaurant in haste, scan it , you can’t seem to spot him. The door swings open, the two of you make eye contact, almost in unison the two of you say, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“Sorry, got delayed; was stuck in a meeting”</span>. Meeting with whom ?, it isn’t even important..</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">‘IST - Indian Stretchable time’, it is part of the Indian mindset, I hear someone say. But let’s assume, we did have wider roads, designated parking spots and dare I say it, less eager security guards, would IST still be as stretched? Maybe, I’m just getting a little too hypothetical. </p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-84174400658806116492006-12-04T13:05:00.000-08:002008-11-12T17:23:17.406-08:00~Suresh - The Florist~<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was one of those days in the middle of the no holds barred monsoon, and I had two primary tasks to carry out<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Repair my World Space Radio ( And I have no qualms about mentioning the name of the Radio co. on my blog)</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Send flowers to... ( And I do have qualms about mentioning the name of the person who I was to send flowers to on my blog)</li></ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </o:p><br />Obviously, I thought repairing my World Space Radio would be the easier of the two. All, I would have to do is call the ’24 Hr call center’ place a request and voila someone would be there at my doorstep with a raincoat, an umbrella or both.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>The flowers bit, I was dreading as visions of me confused on what to give, all while holding a leaky umbrella, with the overriding fear of my car being towed away for being parked in a no-parking zone, suddenly started running through my head.</p> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">STEP 1 - CONFIRM YOUR IDENTITY</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p style="font-weight: bold;"> </o:p> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">So, I called World Space, and was greeted by the A.R Rehman tune. After a more than generous listening in to his latest composition, someone addressed me…</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />“Thank you for calling Worldspace, this is Joy, how may I assist you ?” </p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />So I heard myself say, “Hey Joy,I have a slight problem with my ...”</p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>And Joy went, “Before, I take down the receiver details. I need to verify your identity” And he subsequently started an inquisition, which Spanish Kings would have been proud of. Name? Date of Birth? Mother’s maiden name? Neighbor’s dog’s name…the works.</p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />Then he went, you are Sudhir Syal staying in so and so, father of so and so, working in so and so, like he was the Indian avatar of Sherlock Holmes or something, and then finally, how may I help you?</p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"></o:p><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"> Why someone would impersonate me to repair my Worldspace is a difficult question to answer anyway, I had passed the identity check.</span><br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">On a parallel line, I managed to unearth a flowery visiting card of the flowery florist in question, and decided to give him a call .I was then greeted, with a thoroughly entertaining song, followed by a spontaneous, " Saar … Sudhir Saar Yepidi Saar, sollengu Saar – ow can I elp you ?" Identity confirmed.</span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><o:p><span style="font-weight: bold;">STEP 2 </span>- </o:p><b style="">PROCESS CLIENT REQUEST<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><o:p><br /></o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal">After the painful identity check, I proceeded to tell Joy, that because of the rains, my system was down and I would hence need one his boys to get it up and running again. A painful address confirmation followed, which didn’t match, leading to another round of identity confirmation and finally after all that, “Someone, will be coming over to your residence 2 days from now.”,was the confirmation I managed to squeeze out.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">Par contraire, It wasnt rocket science for Suresh Saar, to figure out that I was calling him to get flowers delivered somewhere. On the choice, I told him my budget, told him to give me a good deal, and choose the flowers with as much care, as if he were sending it to Khushboo herself. A rough address, a landmark, the name of the recipient to be and there he went..</p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllQJjgSv8F1wno6NlhgejTJOA4vIUtbe-vKAHjQ5e-4RzWvNP5w2B7e__NobOeKtv7ZzmJNDJOZG0GR2kUeIJarAan_5Q_nP9KQLeICujf_0PbZvKKL-fn9N8CWtJ59DyTpwF/s1600-h/flowerman301104.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllQJjgSv8F1wno6NlhgejTJOA4vIUtbe-vKAHjQ5e-4RzWvNP5w2B7e__NobOeKtv7ZzmJNDJOZG0GR2kUeIJarAan_5Q_nP9KQLeICujf_0PbZvKKL-fn9N8CWtJ59DyTpwF/s320/flowerman301104.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5004785443379292418" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">You dont believe me?<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Ok. There he went...</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumb0G2NQ1ahmj2RO295WxpYbtyywU4_pNif99MczQ3bj3aKicDS3q5l-s7tNAcoS_JmVq8bwOIQRNTmhBK0E25CbSag3FsvpcuwBOCae82WcS6-6nqsxxGGNwrZUga8O5ptDg/s1600-h/man+holding+flowers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhumb0G2NQ1ahmj2RO295WxpYbtyywU4_pNif99MczQ3bj3aKicDS3q5l-s7tNAcoS_JmVq8bwOIQRNTmhBK0E25CbSag3FsvpcuwBOCae82WcS6-6nqsxxGGNwrZUga8O5ptDg/s320/man+holding+flowers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5004787358934706530" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style="">EXECUTION<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal">One of his dudes, did land up a few days later, right in the middle of the afternoon, “ <st1:place>Saar</st1:place>, World Space damaged, Vonamay panna mudiyadey ( Click)”. (World Space damaged- Cannot do anything). Hang on, isn’t that why I called him? My efforts to get back in touch with him were in vain, which means I was back to square one. So, I decided to call Joy again – Joy was on leave, he gets Saturdays and Sundays off and works 7 hours a day, I like that job. I asked to speak to the manager, updated him of what was going on, and was re-assured, that someone would call me in 2 days.</p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal">No one did, so I spoke to him again and again till I lost hope in the Pune based call center and decided to call the Chennai office directly. At about 10 AM in the morning, an enthusiastic security guard picked up the phone informing me that no one had made it to the office, full of conviction he then told me, “ No worries, Saar- for all service related issues, kindly call-- Call Center “</p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal">I had given up.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">On the flowery end, the exact execution of how the flowers reached the specified destination without the door no., exact street name,etc, I will never completely know. However, I did receive a call from the florist, confirming that the flowers were in fact, collected by a lady. He also conveyed, how much he approved of the how the lady looked, and how the flowers exactly matched what she was wearing.More importantly, the next morning, I got a call thanking me for the beautiful flowers. ‘Customer delight’, isn’t that what they are calling it these days..</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style="">VALUE ADDED SERVICE<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">Unlike Worldspace, which didn’t provide any service to speak of. Suresh – the florist offered at least 2 very user friendly Value Added services. </p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Flowers on Credit – Order - send flowers - Credit- payable when able<br /></li></ul> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">Obviously this is available only to 'Frequent Flower' customers, and not to all junta. And then the complete clincher ,<br /></p><ul><li><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> Romantic note - Instant replication</span><br /></li></ul><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">While speaking to Suresh, I expressed the desire of attaching a small note with the flowers. Instantaneously, he said, “ <st1:place>Saar</st1:place>, no problem saar….Yenaka Ippo SMS panenga saar.” ( Not a problem at all, SMS it to me) And there I was, sms’ing to the florist, the message I wanted to write on the note to be sent along with the flowers.So thereI went," Dear xxxx, …..” <span style=""> </span>, which I might admit, made me feel quite strange. Beware, I dont recommend this to all and sundry. They are other florists, who could do all sorts of things with the sms you send them. But then Suresh,no Suresh..... is not your regular florist.<br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">So there, we go, within exactly 2 hours, I had flowers with a ‘note’ delivered, without me moving an inch from my office desk – minimum fuss-minimum supply chain fundas- minimum technology - Flowers - Delivered, and really thats all I wanted.<br /></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sometimes, I wonder outsourcing simple servi</span>ce requests to call centers really serve the purpose. Whether BPO’s are good for the economy, the long term interests of the country, have been issues which have been debated endlessly. But moving away from the schizophrenic lives of most of the employees, the lack of employee enrichment, the core issue is does a BPO finally helps to make a customer’s life easier ? Or are we being guilty of over-complicating operations, and getting carried away with technology.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Tell you what, I’d prefer the florist every time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">P.S Someone did finally call me from <span style=""> </span>an agency which services Worldspace, argued that my Worldspace got damaged before the rains hit, and now wants to strike a deal with me to split the repair costs as Worldspace doesn’t apparently cover him for it. I told him to send me flowers instead.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1158690209942625632006-09-19T11:12:00.000-07:002008-11-12T17:23:17.695-08:00Corporate Bliss...Tomorrow, it will be19 months since I began my career in the corporate world. As a kid growing up, I would always look at my dad and wonder, what’s he got to worry about? No homework, no tests, no formulae to mug up, I can't wait till I start working.<br /><p class="MsoNormal">Now, after 19 months of experiencing the working world, I want to go back to that little kid , ring his neck and tell him, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">“Son, stay as long as you can studying!!!”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3MmhiPSVtTSaIahscxZyQplLNa__EqwWJi4b74AwEPX7XrXaMv1eNym-LTrriw_0CT9FTKQtNaRkszF5ywWd7-TXmvEQKOyrxWH2DGrJ1vYfXkuBlk7kUIMpTd-IgJKw5iGb/s1600-h/handshake2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3MmhiPSVtTSaIahscxZyQplLNa__EqwWJi4b74AwEPX7XrXaMv1eNym-LTrriw_0CT9FTKQtNaRkszF5ywWd7-TXmvEQKOyrxWH2DGrJ1vYfXkuBlk7kUIMpTd-IgJKw5iGb/s320/handshake2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076993724270283042" border="0" /></a></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.pacific.net.au/images/partner/partner_handshake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://www.pacific.net.au/images/partner/partner_handshake.jpg" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Welcome to the Corporate World.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span>That glorified existence which manages to squeeze everything out of you. And if that’s, not bad enough they make you take “Employee engagement” surveys resulting in initiatives such as “ Activity clubs” where in short you end up spending more time in that same place, you want to get away from. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But, in my time here, it has more than anything thought me one important lesson. The 80-20 rule does apply, with a slight deviation though :-<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal">80% of the work is done by 20% of the people<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal">The remaining 20% ask 80% of the questions<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><br />Its quite simple really – the questions are answered and the answers are questioned. Corporate bliss.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Blissful, as it may be the corporate world has spawned a new lingo without which most upper management corporate pretenders wouldn’t be able to breathe. In the following few paras, I will take you through some of the more illuminating contributions, which would be aptly followed by how you should in your best interest actually interpret them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I must admit, I’ve been guilty of using quite a bit of it myself.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">“ You should try to think out of the box”</span><o:p></o:p></p><o:p></o:p><i style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Listen mate, your ideas so far haven’t been working. In short, they suck. Try something new, actually try something that would work. I don’t really care if it’s new. Come to think of it, any idea that works becomes by default “ out of the box”. Oh, and that includes any idea, I might come up with as well. :)<br /></span></i><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><i>“You should put it on mail”</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p></o:p><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Listen buddy, you might have a point. But I’m a lazy dog. To add to that, I’m over-worked already. But you know what, if I ask you to put it on mail, there is a good chance that you will forget . Even if you are jobless enough, to actually send out the mail , there is a good chance that I just won’t check it. If I do check it, I just wont reply and you guess what, no one will really care. Yup, that suits me just fine.. :-)</span></i></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">"I'm a numbers guy”</p><i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">I’m a son of a bi@#$. My boss is a numbers guy as well, and I feel the same way about him. However, there is a good chance that in the event you deliver the numbers, I’m looking for this month, you will have to deliver twice that next month. Best of luck.</span></span></i><br /><br /><i><br /></i><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“ Sorry, I'm not allowed to do this"</span><br /><i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Hey Sonny, Im a tight assed <a href="mailto:ba@#@#$">ba@#@#$</a>. Why should I help you? What’s in it for me ? Besides, the last time I checked you get paid far more than I do.</span></span></i><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">“ Tell me – off the record”</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Scene : You bump into Mr. All Important, at the cafeteria, the water fountain , or you know one of those places you least want to meet him.<br /><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><i><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">I've been looking for you, I've got you cornered now ha. Now go on, explain yourself, tell me what you must. Oh and ofcourse , if any of this was off the record, I really would'nt have any use for it now, Would I ?</span></i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">“ Let me get back to you on this”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><i style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">I actually know the answer, but I cant really get tell you about it cause I don’t think you or the others here will like it. So let me make up something, and get back to you. </i><i style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">In all likelihood, however, I wont. </i><span style="font-style: italic;">:-)</span><br /><i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"></span></span></i><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“There seems to be some disconnect somewhere”</p><p class="MsoNormal">Rumour has it that, Enron's last Board meeting started on much the same lines.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><i><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Is it just me, or does there seem to be some massive fu@# up somewhere? You better get this sorted out or both me , you and everyone else here might soon be “disconnected” from the organization.</span></i><br /><i style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="font-size:0;"></span></span></i><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"></span><o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p></o:p></i></p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">" Let us touch base, first thing tomorrow morning"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span><i><o:p></o:p></i><br />(When Mr. Phaneesh Murthy used these lines , it took on a little more literal meaning but then, let's not get dragged into that )<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-style: italic;">Honestly, if it or you were that important, we would be "touching base" right now, now would'nt we? Oh and btw, I'm off tomorrow.</span><br /><o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">“ Fair enough”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This would have to be my personal favourite, It can actually be used as a reply for practically anything that might be said.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Usage #1</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“ Congratulations ! You have done a fabulous job, we are giving you a raise !”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Yeah! Thank you. Fair enough, Yes! Fair enough, Yes! I guess, I deserve it.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Usage #2</span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“ Your performance, has well, been just about mediocre.."</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Eh, well. Fair enough. Room for improvement. Fair enough.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Usage #3</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“ You Suck. Your fired !”</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Huh? What ? Fair enough, well I guess I have to start looking for a new job now.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Corporate communication abridged for you, use it to your advantage, and hopefully you won't be having too much use for fair enough - <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><strong>Usage #3</strong></span>. Just remember however, that it's always best to make someone else do something, then to do it yourself. Else, who will you blame if something goes wrong ???<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1153331034941136082006-07-19T08:31:00.000-07:002006-09-11T12:13:57.200-07:00~Sex and this City~<i style="">From time immemorial, man has always sought out the best way to impress what he considered the “fairer sex”, in most cases ‘fairer’ implying female. Very often he would go out of his way, in his time trying everything from flowers to chocolates to poodles to </i><st1:place><i style="">Islands</i></st1:place><i style=""> to dancing around trees to climbing them. </i>( Just ask Mr. Krrish)<br /><p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""></i><br />But of course in his time like in most pursuits, man has degenerated. The pre-historic man was by far the most charming and committed. <span style=""> </span>From Adam and his apple to <st1:city><st1:place>Paris</st1:place></st1:city> of Troy ( the one who while being a guest in <st1:city><st1:place>Sparta</st1:place></st1:city> assumed that his hosts wife was all part of the hospitality package being offered). who to impress and show his love for his new love, fought or atleast got people to fight one of the largest wars in the history of the world.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Circa 2006 then, how would today’s present day ‘metrosexual’ man compare with the Adam's, the Paris's and the Shah Jahan's of old.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Well, I’m afraid, quite miserably.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Firsty and most importantly, a prime constituent of effective courtship would have to be the ability of today’s youth to be refined, charismatic and articulate. Clark Gable in “Gone with the wind” for instance. That breed today however, is well and truly extinct.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Infact coursthip today, to begin with is not even referred to as courtship, for a person who succeeds in it is hailed as a <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“Player”</span> or a <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“Playa”</span> or however you want to pronounce it. So, quite obviously courtship in today’s era is akin to<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> “</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Playing”</span> a game.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Which game then are today's 'metro' men playing then? </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is when, it gets really interesting. Cause, another often heard term to quantify the degree of voyeuristic “conquest” the metro sexual man might have succeeded in is the <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">“ Base system”</span>. Their apparently are according to most base systems essentially 4 bases, while in some cases a 5<sup>th</sup> one exists, that being of a <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“Home Run”</span>. All this ofcourse, after the metro man has succeeded in courting his lady- the process of <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">"Hitting"</span>.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Analysis of this new age vocabulary, obvious means that the frame or game of reference here is “Baseball”. Considering, we live in a land where the common man might know as many Baseball “players” as he knows members of the Rajya Sabha, the choice of the frame of reference is a little perplexing.<span style=""> </span>Anyway, for whatever reason our “Metrosexual” man is playing Baseball and not any other sport.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Another commonly used phrase which follows, “Which base did you reach?” is the frequently used “ Did you score?”. Hang on a minute, what exactly is Mr. Metro sexual scoring. Anyway, this is often followed by, “ Oh you mean, duuuude! You got lucky!”. Hang on again, assuming that he is playing Baseball , he doesnt have to necessarily get “lucky” to score now does he?<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ok, anyway the man scored because he got lucky or the other way around, basically enabling him to move into the next stage.<span style=""> </span>That being the potentially dizzying stage of <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“Going around”</span>. Wait, before that we have the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“ Proposal”</span> stage.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“I propose you”</span>. or better still <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">"1 -4-3"</span>. Ok, he is done. We now move onto the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“Going around”</span> stage. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“The Going around” stage is particularly confusing, mainly because neither party here knows what they are going around. Yes, it has often bewildered me. the Pond, the tree, the zoo, each other? “The Going around” stage in yesteryear, would involve a dashing charismatic youth taking away the love of his life on horseback to a distant island, followed by him, his love and the horse all swimming in the clear blue sea. Compare that, with today’s techno savvy metro-sexual man, whose idea of romance would be sure to involve one of the following:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul> <li>Burn CD with all romantic songs and gift to girl he is “hitting” on. </li> <li>Engage in “Long Distance relationship” using new age innovations such as “Skype”.<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family:Symbol;"><span style=""><span style=""></span></span></span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Seriously, where did this term “Long Distance relationship” come from?<span style=""> </span>Now, the metrosexual man can’t be put to blame for everything. The ultra chic, overtly pretentious new age , “hep” and most definitely “in” teen girl must also take some of the blame.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I recently heard a 18 and a few days college girl say with all seriousness, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Man, I really </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">can’t handle a long distance relationship.” </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> </span>Hang on a minute here, what “relationship” is she talking about? <span style=""> </span>And has this term, "Long distance relationship" evolved from the term " Long distance phone call" ?<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Most so- called “relationships”, I have witnessed taking shape in front of me generally end with:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="">A bitching spree within a month</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">The chivalrous male ditching his current date for either :</li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style=""> </span></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">His Rakhi sister</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">His girl friend’s best friend</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Both</li></ol> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And then, the worst is when they finally stop “seeing each” other, cause <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“ No, we were too much like friends, we couldn’t be boy friend – girl friend”</span>. Hang on a minute, aren’t “boyfriend-girlfriend” friends first, than anything else.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I really think its high time the teenage male and female realized, that the so called, or atleast most of the so called “relationships” they get into are nothing but immature outpourings of their own built up hormone levels. Its amazing, how the depth of their relationship is directly quantified by the proportion to which their hormones have been expended.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes however, the hormones, the male one in particular does come up against obstacles like, “ lets call all our friends”, “ Not tonight” and<span style=""> </span>of course the Kollywood favourite, “ Lets just be friends”. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">How should it gain refuge then? quite simple really, buy a PS2 and put on the game “The Playboy Mansion”. Your choice of playmates, a luxorious mansion, and most importantly, ever increasing charm all enabling you to make the transition from simple conversation to an intimate caress to completing depleting all your reserves of testosterone in the shower , in the swimming pool or on the pinball machine. Some famous geek once famously said, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“The virtual world does have the potential to simplify every day life beyond belief.”</span> . I completely agree. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/Me%20and%20my%20playing%20field.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/200/Me%20and%20my%20playing%20field.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">The Playing field</span><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/The%20Victim.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/200/The%20Victim.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">The Final Draft</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/The%20Charm%20is%20working.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/200/The%20Charm%20is%20working.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Half way home</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/Woo-%20Hoooo.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/200/Woo-%20Hoooo.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Home- Run</span><br /></div><br /><br />Life couldnt be simpler. Could it.Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1149021024678517842006-05-30T10:55:00.000-07:002006-05-31T12:59:20.243-07:00Vote for! Vote for!<b style=""><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">They are 2 events, in the calendar year I have always looked forward to with great anticipation. The first would be release of the Kingfisher Calendar with the photos of all the top Indian models in unbelievably unbelievable swimsuits, the second would have to be the country’s second favourite pastime, the Elections.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />They are certain concepts, I however have found rather intriguing about the elections and I have hence decided to throw light upon them here in numerical order : <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Concept 1 : The Election Yaatra</span></p> <ol style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"> </ol> We often hear of Mr. L.K Advani's U.P yaatra, during which he visited each and every village on route. We have also heard of Mr. Laloo Prasad's yatra's where, it is common belief that he stole fodder from each and ever Cow shed in his path. There was also the story, most recently of certain members of the BJP running up a large (never paid for) bill at a Dhaba during one of their yaatra's. ( A bill which they eventually paid for thanks to the ever helpful NDTV).<br /><br />The activities during the yaatra are most often even more baffling. All that seems to happen, is the politician masquerading through the street waiving his hand, with some blokes by the side of him screaming <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">"Vote for! Vote for!"</span>. Honestly, is that all that is required to convince our intellectual villagers who they should be voting for? And how on earth does vote for! Vote for! give the villager any idea how effective that masquerader will be when elected.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Concept 2 : Announcement of Freebies</span><br /></div> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>It is during the elections, that the generosity and magnamanity of our politicians truly comes to light.<br /><br />With nothing short of Color TV sets , Gold, Computers all being put up for grabs. The most stomach rumbling announcement has been the pricing of Rice at Rs. 2 per Kg by Dr. Kalaignar, not to be outdone Periamma has agreed to add Pressure Cooker's to her list of freebies. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">" It is to Cook the rice , given by Kalaignar"</span>, she says.<br /><br />Most families hence have one member voting for Kalaignar with the other voting for Periamma, hence assuring that they get to in effect, " Cook the rice and eat it".<br /><br />I have a fundamental problem with this, once the voter goes into the polling booth, isnt who he votes for supposed to be a secret? How on earth can the pressure cooker donators or the Color TV Donators, then be sure that they voted for them. It is a touch bewildering...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Concept 3 : Declaration of Assets </span><br /></div> <p class="MsoNormal">This is generally quite a simple short procedure, unless ofcourse your name is Dr. J.J. (I'm not going to risk mentioning her whole name, come to think of it, how on earth did she become a Dr.??). You declare your assets which evolves to how much the politician believes he is ( legally) worth.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This exercise however can never be taken lightly, as it could lead to "life or death" consequences. For instance, our recently shot former Defence Minister Mr. Pramod Mahajan. His loving brother, apparently shot him dead cause Pramod apparently was a "2000 Crore" man. My only question here, is how on earth did Pramod Mahajan become a "2000 crore"man?? On a Cabinet minister's salary? Did he own an island off the baltic or something...<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So, this exercise is done and the claimants generally fill up their assets in terms of how much they believe they are worth monetarily. Only monetary figures, which in turn means Dr. JJ's photographs of herself or Dr. Kalaignar's antique spectacles are not quite included in the calculation.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> Concept 4 : Naming of Thalaivars</span> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p> <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span> <p class="MsoNormal">Actually this happens well before the elections, but then who really cares. Here, the party president figures out who he wants standing from which constituency. This allows the party to make use of party ministers, who might be popular in certain constituencies, akin to how Napoleon always stood from Corsica or how Stalin always did so from Moscow.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes parties get a little carried away and re-name their party members after victorious electoral leaders from their history books. How else, would you explain the existence of a Stalin and a Napoleon contesting in the constituencies of Chrompet and Pupudet respectively.<br /></p> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> Concept 5 : </span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Exit Polls</span><br /><br /></span> <div style="text-align: left;">Further to the polling is the ingenious concept of the Exit poll. Here during the polling from the various polling booths, certain designated news channel journalists kidnap unsuspecting voters, and make them reveal their vote, all at gunpoint.<br /><br />To be honest, I never quite understood the logistics of an exit poll. How do they do it ? Moreso, have you ever, I mean ever , heard of anybody ( Your father, mother, friend, friend's friend..you get the drift) who has ever, I mean ever, been approached during an exit poll exercise.<br /><br />Quite often, exit polls do come up with some ingenious verdicts. This election for instance, it claimed that an overwhelming <span style="font-weight: bold;">10% </span>wanted<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div> <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/vijaykanth1004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/200/vijaykanth1004.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>as their next CM.<br /><br />What has the world come to ?<br /><br />Luckily, the only seat Captain won was one; that for himself.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Concept 6 : Meeting the father's of our Nation</span><br /><br /></span><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/scan0003.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/320/scan0003.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Here we have it folks, the Winners! Bringing up the left we have the man from the Kremlin,our former Mayor, the aformentioned Russian , only followed by Mr. Alphonso who I definitely remember watching in a villainous role in one of those late night cable movies. Next we have a gentleman, who many believe is our forest brigand Veerapan's Uncle. He definitely shares his moustache.<br /><br />Finally we have Mr. Nanmaran from Madurai East, who I must say has the most profound set of teeth I have seen in a long time.<br /><br />Yes, these are our leaders. How many of them would you want to go out to Dinner with ? How many of them would you want to lend money to ? How many of them would you want to look like ? ( Exit poll - Most popular option - Mr.Nanmaran) Most importantly, How many of them would you want in control of a nation, and hence influencing the futures of all the citizens residing in it?<br /><br />Let's just say that, some questions are best left unanswered.....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FOOT NOTE : CAAPTAIN IN "ACTION" !</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/Captain.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/200/Captain.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/image2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/200/image2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/images%201.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/200/images%201.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Goooooooo Caaaptain!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Forgive me. I could'nt help myself . :-)<br /></div> </div> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1144184507361050222006-04-04T13:06:00.005-07:002006-04-09T01:14:47.660-07:00-- A Tribute to Laloo ---<i style="">For those 200 ardent fans ( I had 500 hits in March, but I factor in that about 300 of them were from my computer </i><i style="">:0) , who logged onto my blog during the Month of March, all I can do for the lack of activity is apologize. I guess like Caesar before me, the “Ides of March” might just have set in.</i><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Most of us do read the Newspaper, or atleast sneak a peak into it. I certainly do, for exactly about 145 seconds every day. What I do consume in those 145 seconds (Apart from the scantily clad buxom ladies on the Chronicle Party page) are the headlines. </p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style=""><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:180%;" > </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" ><span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:180%;" >” </span></span><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:180%;" >Zaheera Sheik turns hostile in Best Bakery Case”</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span><i style=""><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span></i><i style=""><span style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">All Cakes with Pineapple topping go missing</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style=""><o:p><br /></o:p></span></i></p> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style=""><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:180%;" > </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" ><span style="font-size:180%;">”</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" > </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" ><span style="font-size:180%;">Sonia Gandhi steps down from the Lok Sabha, as she holds an office of profit.”</span></span><br /></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /></p> <div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><i style=""><span style="">So what, if it struck her only after about 2 yrs of holding it!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </o:p><br /></span></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;"><span style=""><span style="font-size:180%;">” </span></span><span style="font-size:180%;"><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="">India</span></st1:place></st1:country-region></span><span style=""><span style="font-size:180%;"> Shining : Sensex Crosses another peak, and zooms to 11,600”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" ><o:p> </o:p></span><br /></p> <div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style="">That doesn’t mean you will get water, roads or a reduction in taxes. That beggar on your way to work, will still harass you<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style=""><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="font-size:180%;">“Sania Mirza, slips down WTA rankings to 37”</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" ><o:p> </o:p></span><br /><span style=""><span style=""> </span></span></p> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:100%;" >Her latest T- shirt now wears the slogan, “Now, it’s not only my skirt which is slipping”</span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:180%;" >“ Ganguly keen on making a comeback”</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:100%;" >One wonders, if it’s a comeback to the Indian cricket team, or a comeback to all of Uncle Greg’s comments</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There are the occasional well thought out imaginitive headlines like,</p> <p style="text-align: center; font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> <br /></span> </p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >“Verghese hangs up his Pail”</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-size:16;"></span> </span><span style="font-size:16;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" ><o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">When Mr. Verghese Kurien, founder director of Amul retired, or as we believe was forced to.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yes most of these headlines on a mundane day, remind me of that Times of India ad not so long ago,<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">“ Arrey, par yeh to kal ka news hain !“</span></span> ( We seem to hear about Zaheera Sheikh and her favourite bakery every day don't we , someone please tell me , how the hell is a bakery getting so much mileage ?!?!?!)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">However through all that, one headline which made my day,<span style=""> </span>for more reasons than one was<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">“</span><span style="font-style: italic;">Fodder for thought – Don’t pull the Chain –Laloo nails it with the Rail Budget“</span></span><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/laloo-3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/320/laloo-3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Laloo Prasad Yadav, for me ,<span style=""> </span>arguably the most loved politician ever in <st1:country-region><st1:place>India</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s recent political history and unarguablyIndia's most good looking politician recently brought out one of the best rail budgets ever. For those of you who care, during his time , the revenue from the Rail has grown from 250 crore to Rs,11,000 crore, which even equating in say 200-500 crore which he might have pocketed, is a hell of a lot of money. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> </p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Laloo – The Visionary</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/Laloo%205.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/320/Laloo%205.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="">Cutting down the fares of the 1<sup>st</sup> class AC owing to competition from low cost Aeroplanes</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Full – A/c Garibh Rath service for the common man</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Stations to be equipped with ATM’s / Cyber Cafés</li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Laloo- The Charismatic</span><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/Laloo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/320/Laloo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It would be difficult, even with our cabinet for any politician to match Laloo in terms of charisma or persona. Tales to justify this are endless, for instance it is said that when a minister from Japan, came to Bihar and mentioned to Laloo that he could change Bihar to Japan in 1 year (Optimistic, even for the japs!), pat came Laloo’s reply, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;">“ Arrey, kya baat kar rahein </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;">year aap, I can change Jaapaan to Bihaar in one week!”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But, Laloo really does come in to his zone during the election period. The lines of his famous speech, explaining the electronic voting machines to the aam Bihari went on the lines of this, “ <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Whan you prass the bathaan (button)</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">for RJD, see it will go</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> t-e-e</span>. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Thaat time, whan you press, Vajpayeeji will go</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> t-u-i , t-u-i</span>”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A little later, when he was caught giving out money on camera to the public in the aptly titled, “Notes for votes” scandal, he replied<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">“ Aaarey, phasst you say, I am stealing money and arrest me, now when I am giving out money, agaaain you want to arrest me?”</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Or, when a reporter from one of the TV channels asked him “ Laloo, Will you ever become the Prime minister”. He thought for exactly about 2 seconds and replied,<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/lal3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/320/lal3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> “ Naat thooday, Bhat one dayyyy!”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">India still waits for that day, A day when naming your children after sweets is not considered insane, a day when if a citizen’s car disappears from the road, he would know exactly where to find it.<span style=""> </span>There are many who believe Laloo is an insult and a disgrace to politics in the country, I disagree completely. Yes he is corrupt, so is everyone else, atleast he makes you laugh. You can't help but think that there is something about the style of the man, a disposition by which he always manages to get away and come out triumphant.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">“Long Live, Sir Laloo Prasad – For me, You<span style=""> </span>will always be a legend!”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1140725778203779702006-02-23T11:58:00.000-08:002006-02-25T13:08:45.336-08:00~ The Notice Period ~<p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal">(More illuminating insights continued...)<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Now, assuming the offer letter you have in your hand is not the one from Onyx, you make the obvious decision of accepting the offer and very quickly, you find yourself with a new job a bigger pay and a bigger smile.<br /><o:p></o:p><br />Well, not so quickly.<br /><o:p></o:p><br />You still have to serve out something, called the notice period.<br /><o:p></o:p><br />The beginning of your notice period starts off with something known as an exit interview.*</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is how, one usually answers his online exit interview.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Did you like your reporting manager ?<o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">No</span><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p>Is there anything, you would like to share with us about him ?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Yes, He’s a cross dresser</span><br /><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Did you find your experience at our company a rewarding and challenging one ?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Far from it</span><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><b style="">What is your opinion on the work ethic and working environment at our company ?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Please try and recruit prettier members of the opposite sex, and less cross dressers</span><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p><br />Would you recommend, any of your friends to work with us ?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Never</span><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:78%;"> * - All answers given above will be forwarded to your reporting manager and H.R Dept</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Like most of those Reliance Ads, most people end up missing the *.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />What follows is the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Notice Period</span>. The Notice period, is a Roman concept which evolved from the brothels of <st1:city><st1:place>Venice</st1:place></st1:city>. In the brothels, when one of the employees would want to quit, (for whatever reason) they would first have to wait for the brothel owner, to find a replacement. This was obviously done, to make sure that all the customers went home with a smile on their faces and most importantly so that the brother owner found a new employee who would satisfy him for a long time to come. ( Satisfy from a commercial point of view obviously).<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>It’s more or less, the same concept here as well. The only thing is from an employee’s point of view, why would he want to put in any effort at the current company, when he knows that he is going to quit in a week or 2 anyway. For instance, wouldn’t the employee at the brothel, want to save her resources for her next employer. (no pun intended).<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Alright, maybe it calls for a more relevant example, if a person X was selling lets say wigs at company Y. And suddenly, a bevy of bald men came to the store. If he was in his right mind, wouldn’t he convince his customers (in this case the bald men) and make sure that they bought the wigs from him at his new store.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>So in effect, the notice period is the most confusing time for an employee. Firstly, he has to cope with his colleagues numerous murmurs whenever he enters their line of sight. The murmurs are invariably followed by them, staring at him quizzically.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>The really brave ones, come up to him and say, “<b style="">Congratulations”.<o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The worst are those, who come up to you and say,<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">“I just heard the news. Come, Please sit down; I want to have a chat with you.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>I fail to understand, why those people try to convince a person to stick on to his present company when he has chosen to move on. God forbid, a person gets convinced not to shift, and the following month slips up on his performance. The next review meeting would certainly include such pleasantaries like, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">" You should have quit!"</span>.<b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Finally, through the cold stares, the innumerable intellectual persuasions , not to mention the guile and deceit of the exit interview, you decided to move.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>The espionage recruiter though, your old friend, she is still in touch, now only worried about when you would be joining your new disposition. This would in effect imply, when her recruiting company would receive the payment from your future employer.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You are hence invited to meet her boss, who full of conviction and effulgence tells you,<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> “ </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Heartious Congratulations! You have got a fantastic job, tremendous exposure, exponential growth. A year down the line, you can leverage the brand name with ease.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>You are overjoyed. You made the right decision; there is nobody else out there, with a job as plum as yours. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A week or so later, you are still gloating over your new job, when your phone rings. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Its an unknown number. A soft whispering voice asks for you. surprise surprise, it’s your friendly espionage recruiter again ,<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“ Are you in the Bank, is there anybody next to you?</span></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You reply, “ No, Why?”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">She continues, espionage like overtones of course, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“ The other company called, they asked for you. They want to pay you double...”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Its a vicious cycle, isnt it...<br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1138901683648542922006-02-02T09:13:00.000-08:002006-02-05T11:53:10.566-08:00~Changing Lanes~<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know, how many of you have experienced the process of shifting jobs. I use the word process here, cause for those who haven’t it is a process, quite an exhausting one I might add.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Well firstly, you have to realize whether you really want to shift. What could the reasons be :<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" start="1" type="1"> <li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Better Pay<o:p></o:p></b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Better Pay<o:p></o:p></b></li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="">Better work atmosphere ( Better Chicks)<o:p></o:p></b></li> </ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><o:p> </o:p></b><br />But, that’s not what you can say at your interview now, can you ?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />So, you come up with illuminating reasons. Some of them being:<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="1" type="1"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="">Looking for higher exponential learning across various verticals.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Looking to increase exposure, for personal enrichment.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">Both together, with a straight face, making eye contact.<o:p><br /> </o:p></li> </ol> <p class="MsoNormal">This could be difficult, if the interviewer is really ugly.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>In most cases, the interviewer buys your reasoning. Or even, if he doesn’t forces himself to. (Come on, now if everyone stayed in their same jobs, for their lifetimes, the H.R guys wouldn’t have much of a job, now would they)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />The actual process for job switching actually though, starts with you meeting up with a placement consultant. Now, a placement consultant is one, who is supposed to give you career advice, and is to help you with your next career move. So what, if all the career moves, they advice you to make are intrinsically related to the clients they are recruiting for.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">To understand the psyche, of a placement consultant, is akin to understanding the psyche of the Gestapo , the German secret service.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Their normal, modus operandi of operation would be on the lines of this :<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Recruiter : </b>(In a deep whispering voice) <b style=""><span style=""> </span></b>Hello, May I speak to Mr.Suresh<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Dedicated Employee :</span> </b>Mr.Suresh, stopped working here almost 3 months ago<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Recruiter :</span> </b>May, I know who I’m speaking to ?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Dedicated Employee :</span> </b>This is Senior Manager, Ganesh.<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">(Two minutes later...Ring Ring)</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Recruiter </b><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">: </span>Hello, May I speak to Senior Manager, Ganesh.<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Confused Employee :</span><span style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span> </span></b>Yeah, I just spoke to you.<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Recruiter : </b>Yes, Do you know that your former colleague Suresh is earning twice as much as you are , with perks including free Thai massages?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Astonished Employee :</span> </b>What, That<span style=""> </span>son of a b^*$</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Succesful Recruiter :</span><span style=""> </span></b>Yes, this is my number. I will get you placed there, what’s more will make sure you get more intimate perks. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And that’s it, Ganesh no longer works with the same firm. The recruiter has just caused disarray at the firm, and in one smooth step has gotten further towards that promised Mauritian holiday for achieving her targets.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And the corporate world, still wonders why the rate of attrition is so high.<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Though of course, between the sleuth like recruiter phone call and the final shift into your next firm, they are a number of other steps to be completed..<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Firstly, and most importantly, there is the interview. How exactly, are you supposed to attend an interview for your future employer on your current employer’s time? The most obvious solution is to come up with some believable excuse, and escape from your office.<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You enter your interview, and the first question you get.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);" class="MsoNormal"><b style="">How come you managed to get here, you don’t work on Tuesday afternoons?<o:p><br /></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Corny isn’t it. <span style=""> </span>Then follows, the usual interview crap, where the interviewer tries his best to stretch the interview for atleast half an hour. To get a rough picture, you could click<a href="http://sudhirsyal.blogspot.com/2005/04/comfortably-numb.html"> here</a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>This is finally ended, by them asking you for your current Boss’s reference.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And images of you sitting next to your current boss, and him getting a call, with a voice saying.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);">“Hello, this is to inform you that your team member plans to quit and leave you high and dry within a week. We would like to know, if he has abused you or anyone else in his stint at your company?”</span><br /><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You deftly dodge the Boss’s reference question, and a few days later, yippee! You have got an offer. Now, you would think that an offer letter, in one paper would tell you how much money will be put into your bank account at the end of the month, which would equate to what brand of whisky you would be drinking that evening.<o:p><br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;">But, its not that simple now is it. The term used here, is CTC or Cost to company, which basically equates to how much it is costing the company, for you to warm your fat ass in their corridors. The simple formula to calculate your End of month pay, or “Take home”as they call it, would be to divide the CTC by 2, knock of all 0’s at the end and then further divide by 12. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;">This rule, works well, unless lets say you’re working at Onyx, collecting and depositing garbage from <st1:state><st1:place><st1:state><st1:place>Alaska</st1:place></st1:state></st1:place></st1:state> to Nicargua. In that case factoring in your travel expenses, your CTC could be Rs.374237466436429374874937482, while your “Take home” will in all like likelihood be about Rs.20.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">More illuminating insights to continue...)</span><br /><o:p></o:p></p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1136109400247626562006-01-01T01:15:00.000-08:002006-01-01T05:49:18.940-08:00 D.I.S.T.I.L.L.E.D Completely<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p><i style="">Before, I set you off on my Distilled adventure, I </i><i style="">would like to wish all of you a very Happy New year, and here’s to it bringing you amongst other things, a better looking partner and a better looking bank account. <o:p></o:p></i> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Something, I did leave out in the first edition, was that at exactly 12’ <st1:time hour="0" minute="0">midnight</st1:time> on that same night, I was to attend my good buddy’s surprise birthday party. Due to obvious contingencies, I couldn’t attend, however I did succeed in surprising him.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This was how it went...</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Birthday buddy:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>The Surprise is over man, where are you?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Me:</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51); font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">SURPPPPRISSEEE </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">!!</span> </span></span>I’m in the cop station. Oh and by the way, Happy Birthday!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So, it was about <st1:time minute="0" hour="1">1 AM</st1:time> and me, Dr.Saab, the Aussie wanker and a couple of other droogs were banished again into the jeep, as we headed back to our tavern.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In hindsight, I must compliment the brilliant conceptualization (default or design) of the police jeeps in our city. Once you are a passenger in one of these police jeeps, you have absolutely no idea where you are heading. So, in actual effect when you expect to see a welcoming sight like<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/BP%20Hanging%20Bar%20Sign.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/200/BP%20Hanging%20Bar%20Sign.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You actually end up seeing something like this,<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/250px-Generalhospital1984.jpg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/200/250px-Generalhospital1984.jpg.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Or to be more precise,</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">“THE </b><st1:place style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><st1:placename><b style="">ROYAPETTAH</b></st1:placename><b style=""> </b><st1:placename><b style="">GENERAL</b></st1:placename><b style=""> </b><st1:placetype><b style="">HOSPITAL</b></st1:placetype></st1:place><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">”</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">To be quite honest, I was more than a wee bit surprised, when I saw the ghastly sight. Vivid images of ugly looking nurses poking long needles into various parts of my body started flashing quickly through my mind. Next to me, was Dr.Saab. Re-assuring as ever, calmed me down,</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>“I’m the night patrol doctor, three nights a week at college. They can quite easily tell a drunk person, from a sober person so just answer the questions honestly and everything should go smoothly”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Five of us, “The Forlorn five” were made to assemble and sit on a bench. Very soon, “The Forlorn five” were down to “The Forlorn four” as the Australian was whisked away to another room, which was the last we saw or heard from him. Or actually, we can’t really confirm that cause; distant screams that we heard sometime later might well actually have been him.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">While waiting for what seemed like an eternity...<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">While doing so, we got a first person’s insight into the way a <st1:place><st1:placename>Govt.</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Hospital</st1:placetype></st1:place> really operates.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For starters, there is exactly only one doctor.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Secondly, she is far more interested in her paper work than any of those unfortunate souls who happen to walk in.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So, as it happened ,Dr.Saab who was in his capacity as a drunken driving suspect, doubled up as a supporting doctor and started having a look at the various patients who were dropping by. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was then finally our turn, and we were going to be interviewed for soberness. I have attended many interviews since, but looking back this was probably the most nerve wrenching as the consequences were quite obviously dire. If I did fail the interview, all those vivid images of those ugly nurses, I had had a few moments ago would well and truly take a physical form.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But by now, I was well prepared, as I calmed myself and gave them my vital stats, not to mention showed them my birth mark.<span style=""> </span>Dr.Saab, did so, as well and we were now beckoned back towards that jeep.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The ordeal was over. We had cleared the interview. “The Forlorn four”, were back in their favourite mode of transportation, and were now making their way back towards the station. It was now <st1:time minute="30" hour="2">2:30 AM</st1:time>, and it had been a long night. While alighting back at the station, I noticed my fellow “villains of the night” standing alongside my familiar automobile, which I had been evicted out of almost 3 hours ago.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For some reason, I and my fellow villains exchanged extended smiles. Even taking into account our propensity for eventful nights, we had outdone ourselves this time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On meeting the head cop, we went through the whole painful questionnaire procedure again, I was given the explanation that I would be let free (Yippeee!) provided I could provide the original insurance papers of my car. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Amazing! I thought, I could give them the papers, get back home and escape the clutches of my dad, who I suspected had been looking for an excuse to ground me for a while.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But then, most of these stories do have an untimely twist for the protagonist, don’t they? Well, this time it was those papers, that we unearthed were unfortunately not the originals but the photocopy. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What followed was the unpleasant awakening of half my family followed by their further arrival with the original papers. . </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>From the corner of my eye, which was now half closed, I could see Dr.Saab frantically explaining to the cops something on the lines off, “ My original papers are locked in my office in <st1:city><st1:place>Bangalore</st1:place></st1:city>, and the security guard there is fast asleep”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Needless to say, the journey back home was not the most conversation filled. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Donnie, went back home with another story to put on his now infamous website.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Not surprisingly, LL Cool J didn’t exactly perform spectacularly in his examination the following morning. He now finds himself, in the same college I went to.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dr.Saab, apparently got his car back the following morning. The security guard in his office in <st1:city><st1:place>Bangalore</st1:place></st1:city> did finally wake up. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My Car or atleast its insurance papers, were retrieved a few days later, when I was taken to the cop station with our family cop. The stout chap seemingly gets stouter and happier every time I meet him, though he insists the various boxes of sweets and bottles of alcohol he has received from members of my family has little to do with it. <b style=""><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My Dad, awoke me with an ingenious document tiled <span style="font-weight: bold;">“Document of Grounding”</span>, which I have managed to preserve. I will let you guys have a look and pass your own judgment.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95708295@N00/80133318/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/36/80133318_f74340fd32_s.jpg" alt="Disti" height="75" width="75" /></a>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1134245903047517542005-12-10T11:55:00.000-08:002005-12-12T09:54:20.026-08:00 THE CAT AND I <b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:18;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b>Two weeks before the big day, I received a brown envelope. The brown envelope in it contained my ticket to unimaginable riches and beyond – My Cat 2005 Hall ticket. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It looked something like this...<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/iimzoom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/320/iimzoom.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For those of you who only noticed, my unshaven passport size photo on the hall ticket, it would be imperative to take you through the address of the venue allotted to me again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">“Raja Rajeswari Engineering college, Near Maduravoyal, Via Vanagaram, Adayalampattu, Chennai – 600095 “</span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, usual addresses would go something like this.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">“ Hi-Look Bread Omelette, Near I.I.T, Via Sardar Patel Road, Adyar Chennai – 20”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now chances are, if you haven’t heard of Adyar, or further still you don’t know it’s via Sardar Patel road, chances are that you probably have heard of I.I.T. (Actually they are many for whom Hi-Look Bread Omelette is enough of a landmark) But you get the drift.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>In comparison, we have the Raja Rajeswari Engineering college,near munificent Maduravoyal via vibrant Vanagaram in Amazing Adayalampattu. Come to think of it, the only recognizable word in the address is “Chennai”, even the pin code following it is unrecognizable.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Me and my dad immediately got to work.<span style=""> </span>About a week in advance, I logged onto Google Earth to see that juranmo! Adayalampattu did infact exist; the only challenge now lay in infact locating it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My dad very charitably took it upon himself to help in finding out where exactly Amazing Adayalampattu was located. After which, he had the tougher role to play of helping me get there, all this taking into account that his 55<sup>th</sup> birthday bash would be only the night before, I knew I was in for an eventful journey.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The exam was slated to be at 10’o clock and after the evening histrionics concluded, it appeared that we would have very little sleep, before the scheduled <st1:time hour="8" minute="0">8 AM</st1:time> departure. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">At departure, we were expectedly about half an hour late but my dad said that the lack of traffic on the roads would make up for it. Very soon while traveling and traveling into the beyond, it became very evident that I was entering parts of the city which I had never ever encountered before.<span style=""> </span>Come to think of it, I wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised if I suddenly saw a mile stone on the road saying.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/1600/calais.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7060/880/320/calais.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Actually no, that’s pushing it.<span style=""> </span>You wouldn’t readily associate the French <st1:place><st1:placetype>port</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>Calais</st1:placename></st1:place> with the sight of Fowl, Buffaloes, Onyx bins and not much else.<span style=""> </span>There were about 45 mins left to the start of the dreaded examination, and here we were still trying to locate the college in the middle of water logged roads, potholes and ditches. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We were asked to look for a board announcing the CAT venue, next to which there would be a right turn going towards the college.<span style=""> </span>Thanks to a friendly cop, and enough commotion around the board, we spotted it but alas! there didn’t seem to be any right turn next to it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Or actually, there was a right turn. When my dad called up the college officials for directions, they had said <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“Take a right turn at the CAT board”</span>, now they didn’t necessarily say “right turn” into what?<span style=""> </span>We found out, it was a right turn into farmland. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Farmland which was uphill in nature.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">To say that there was complete pandemonium in the farmland approaching the college would be an understatement. There were dogs, students, cows, anxious parents, buffaloes and a few cars all trudging up the dangerous embankment together. Of the few cars, notably present was my dad’s “josh machine”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On advice from a benevolent stranger, without whom this post wouldn’t have been half as interesting, we were advised to take a path onto another embankment. The embankment was heading downwards this time.<span style=""> </span>Yes, the oft quoted saying, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">“What goes up, must come down”</span> and we were heading downwards now.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The path opened, and low and behold lay before us an open field. An open field with a pond next to it, actually come to think of it we really didn’t know whether it was a pond, cause it seemed as if half the pond was on the field.<span style=""> </span>The college lay in the backdrop, with only another pond separating the field and the college. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">How on earth, was I to reach the college and where on earth was my dad to park his car? Taking a diversion, we crossed a small bridge made of a part of a broken tree, and I swear I could see fishes swimming next to the tyre of the car. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There were now 15 minutes left to the examination, my dad looking at me with a defeated expression on his face said something which I doubt I will forget for a long time to come.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal">“ I’m sorry Son, that’s as much as I can help you with. You are on your own now.“</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">He parked his car under a tree and retired. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With the help of 2 strangers, a log of wood, stones and rolling my pants up, I somehow made it to the college. A college constructed with such ingenious architecture that the massive placard announcing its name could only be seen by a valley of huts which lay below the college.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I made it to the 3<sup>rd</sup> floor, and found my spot. In a few minutes, a prayer bludgeoned out from 2 gigantic speakers in the front of the room. I immediately felt at ease.<span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">I had made it to CAT 2005</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">P.S</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </span> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">For all those of you, who are eagerly awaiting my travails with the burly cops in the copstation.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">I’m afraid it might have to wait till the next post.</span> <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1132505082173566922005-11-20T07:48:00.000-08:002005-11-25T07:07:58.793-08:00 DISTILLED :: A Police Story<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.flickr.com/31/65116799_435c04729c.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://static.flickr.com/31/65116799_435c04729c.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">No, Elvis is not in Jail.</p><br />Nor was I actually, but then I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />It was another one of those Saturdays, One of those Saturdays where fortunately or unfortunately there was no unknown chappie throwing a party, we could all crash.<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So, we decided to have a night camp. The only condition, being that we got back early, as<span style=""> </span>one of the <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">“Villains of the night”</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>as it were; Cool J had the dreaded TNPCEE exam the following morning. So, <span style=""> </span>Me, Donnie (Also known as Mark Joshua) and Cool J (Else unknown) planned out a sedentary evening at the local tavern <i style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Distil </i>expecting the usual diet of a drink, some chips and a few pretty faces.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />Like most evenings in our beloved city, of the 3 ingredients, only the first 2 delivered. To help us confirm that, we were greeted by the sight of 3 khaki clad men, with oversized moustaches and matching pot bellies.<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Cops were in town, and surprisingly none of their children were in the same tavern that evening.</p> <br />We then took the most natural course of action, which was to leave and call it a night.<span style=""> </span><br /><o:p> </o:p><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The valet pulled up my car, I got in, and I drove out of the gate.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></p> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">BREAKING NEWS......</span><b style=""><marquee><br /></marquee></b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I was like a turkey caught in the headlights, like a toddler caught in a topless bar, or whatever similar expression you might have heard Jonty Singh use.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was a guerilla warfare operation, something Chattrapati Shivaji would have been proud of.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The bellied khaki gate crashers had positioned their cousins outside. The first man flagged me down, and asked me to blow. (No pun intended)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Relief! I was passed, only to be flagged down again by a stouter man. I did so again, and he smelt a rat or to be more precise a swig.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I blew again, and that only made him more sure.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Before, I knew it, in the dead of the night, I was whisked away by 2 other stouter khaki clad men, and no, mentions of other cops names like Pandiappan and Kuppasamy didn’t work this time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I was huddled into one of those jeeps, you would only see in the front page of newspapers, when one those <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">“Most wanted”</span> criminals were bought to trial. I was whisked in, and they were 3 other people already in the jeep.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">For some reason, I couldn’t help but feel that this was probably how Edmund Dantes felt in the Count of Monte Cristo. Was I being taken to the locker, and would I need 17 years to get out?!?!<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It probably wasn’t the most opportune moment to be social, but hell, I figured we were all in this together. It appeared of the 3 other men, 2 seemed alright while the other confused aussie, was atleast 7 drinks down. For one he smelt like a fully stocked Tasmac kiosk apart from which he couldn’t seem to remember which part of <st1:country-region><st1:place>Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region> he had spent the last 4 years of his life in.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We were then joined by Dr. Saab (Mostly unknown), who assured us (or me atleast) that we had little to worry about and everything in due course would be getting back to normalcy. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We stepped out, only to notice that we were at a cop station, with only what appeared like hardened criminals giving us company. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We were made to sit around a table, like criminals awaiting death row, come to think of it; it actually reminded me of Da Vinci’s <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">“The Last Supper”</span>, well without the supper of course.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">One by one, we were summoned into the meeting room. <span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And then the inquisition started.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Q1. Name Phleeez?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Q2. Address Phleeez?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Q3. Birth Mark Phleeez? </b>(By far their favourite question)<b style=""> <o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">After about half an hour of close examining, they were convinced that the spot on my left cheek was a mole after all, and we the prisoners were free to leave.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was about <st1:time minute="0" hour="1">1 AM</st1:time> and our interrogation was over.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In no time at all, the same jeep that brought us to the cop station, would take me back to my fellow “Villains of the night”, one of whom had a big exam the next day.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Or atleast that’s what I thought….<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">To be continued.....</span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1129883955609660532005-10-21T01:38:00.000-07:002005-10-26T01:22:23.616-07:00 A day in the life....<p class="MsoNormal">The day starts early, you always seemingly get half an hour of sleep less than you would have liked. The morning is frenzied. I don’t know what it is about mornings, but it seems like however early you seem to get up you always take atleast 5 minutes more than you would have liked to have, and always head out a little later than you initially planned.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Maybe, we should all start taking the advice our teachers used to give us around about the 5</span><sup style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">th</sup><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> grade. “Pack your bags, Young men and always try and do tomorrow’s work today”</span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Well, I don’t think we can apply that to most things we do every morning. Nevertheless, I get ready to go to work, and it looks like I’m going to be a little more late than my usual 15 minutes.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">I don’t know how this works, but it seems like, the one day when you are a little later than usual, the whole office by some divine intervention seemingly arrives on time. Or probably, this part is only reserved for me, your humble blogger, because of my propensity for eh well, being ever so punctual.</span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Work gets by, and you plan on going out, to get yourself a small bite for lunch. You reverse into the parking lot of a restaurant, and you have parked your car and are all set to go into the restaurant for lunch. When..</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Its funny, how these security people come up to you, only when you have completely concluded parking your car in what according to them, is an imperfect position. Since when did these security people become such perfectionists in the first place, and if they were perfectionists, why on earth are they still security guards?</span><i style=""><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I re-park my car. Apparently I had committed the grave sin of parking my car about quarter an inch out of place. I enter the restaurant (xxxx Bhavan)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Its uncanny how all these Bhavans have such similar names, similar menus and a similar hierarchy. </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">No matter how small the restaurant, there is always atleast 4 levels of hierarchy clearly demarcated by the color of clothing. For some reason, Khaki is always the color reserved for the blighters who according to the managers do the most menial work</span>.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I scan the menu card. I order a Plain dosa and a Lime Juice.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><i style="">Much to the displeasure of the waiter, who seemingly keeps repeating “Waarey, Waarey”. When he finds out, that all I want is a Plain Dosa (not even a Maasala Dosa), He begins to look down upon me like, I am the lowest form of subterranean life he has ever come across.<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">What is it with these waiters and their penchant for using the word “Waarey”. I’m quite sure, that if tomorrow I were to order 4 Arabian elephants, their calves and everything they had eaten in the last one week. The waiter would still turn around and scream “Waarey”. Somehow every waiter, in these restaurants either thinks that their customers are Multimillionaires, have appetites of Walruses or are both.</span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I scan the menu card, which is still lying by my side, I can’t help but notice that not for the first time, my juice is probably going to cost much more than my meal. My dosa arrives; the waiter rather disgruntedly dumps it onto my table. It was a plain dosa, so he very magnanimously decided that he would make the chutney double up as the masaala for the dosa.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Why is it that, whenever you order a Plain dosa, in these restaraunts, the chutney is invariably dumped on the Dosa.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Isn’t one of the few joys of eating a dosa , the fact that it is crisp. And aren’t they people like me who maybe just don’t like chutney? There is an alternative view point which says, “The more the merrier”. As long as they are giving you something free, why don’t you just pile it up in your plate? I turn around and say, I don’t want the chutney. They are quite aghast.</span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I start eating the Dosa, (atleast the crisp part) sipping my juice and reading the paper. I turn back and swooshhhh….</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">My food has disappeared, along with it my juice. The ever observant waiter obviously thought that since I was reading the paper, I was done with eating my food. Or maybe, He was teaching me a lesson for not paying attention to my food. The fact that the dosa and the juice were only half eaten, was obviously too inconsequential a detail to have been noticed by the magnanimous waiter. My dosa now lies buried in his bucket, along with it my juice. It’s the not first time it’s happened. Do the waiters now decide, how much food we deserve, and since when did they get the right to snatch our food?</span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am done with my lunch (atleast half of it). I leave, and head back to work. One of the occupational hazards of my job is to meet weird clients in weird parts of town, who often give me weird directions in getting there. One certain client, asks me to meet him in his office which is parallel to the Vadapalani Water Tank, Opposite the Reserve Bank Quarters and right before the Bus Stop. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I get there, call him again, he then says its bang opposite Food World.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">I don’t know what it is with the people of our city and directions. Why is that they always relate places to post offices, police stations, Bus Stops and Water Tanks. I mean how many times, have you honestly looked out for a post office or a Water Tank in a locality and how much of a land mark is it. As for Bus Stops, all of them look alike so how are you to be sure if you are in the right Bus Stop in the first place? Why couldn’t he say Food World in the first place? Is it uncool to name a Non Govt. Institution as a landmark? Think about it.</span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The day’s over and done with, I head to the DVD store to return a few DVD’s, I had borrowed before my recently concluded holiday. He informs me, my DVD’s are 2 weeks late and my penalty charge is Rs1000 per DVD.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><i style="">Did I really take up this membership in this library to pay something called “penalty” to a DVD library? What moral high ground do they have to charge their own customers a penalty? Is it a School or college, that they discipline their DVD customers? On this model, it would make great business sense to open a DVD library, then close down for a year, re-open and charge all those hapless people who borrowed DVD’s a “penalty” for 1 yr late return of DVD’s. You could even name the store, “The Penalty Millionaires” DVD store, </i>with the tagline “<i style="">We penalty a plenty” <o:p></o:p></i></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">I have sleepless nights of me envisioning going to the DVD store, trembling and saying,</span><br /></i></p><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"Sir, I'm sorry, the DVD is 2 weeks late"</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">And the DVD library owner turning back and saying calmy, "Not a problem at all, You could give me your house for compensation."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>Its just been another regular day in the life, one of many more to come, I envision.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1127498840434084822005-09-23T10:35:00.000-07:002005-10-01T08:08:55.403-07:00$$ Software Blues $$<p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal">Continued…..</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />On that very weekend, at one of those “clichéd beach house dos” far away from the city, I was introduced to a short looking fellow. During the course of the conversation, he told me he was a programmer working with a software company. I told him of my current plight, and he said that there were forums which went out of their way to help people with their programming difficulties.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You mean they actually were sites, who would do all the programming for you…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal">JURANMOOOO!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>I went back home, quickly did a search and found a gamut of web sites, which actually helped dejected souls like me, with their programming blues. What’s more, most of these websites were either American or British, which meant you would have programmers from the Western world helping you with you’re coding…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And they said, Outsourcing happened only to <st1:country-region><st1:place>India</st1:place></st1:country-region>, Welcome to<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;"> Reverse Outsourcing!!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />So, I emailed them explaining to them, what I understood of my project and Mr. Jon Williamson of <st1:state><st1:place>Texas</st1:place></st1:state> very kindly replied back with a detailed description of what needed to be done. I tried figuring out and implementing what he spoke about, which I couldn’t , so I then tried asking him an intelligent question to keep the interaction going. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />To which he replied,<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“The answers I have already provided were not intended to be used in the PowerPoint VBA editor, they were instructions on how to get your macros to work in Visual Basic, which is what you just asked.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">If you go back and follow the instructions in the previous posts in this thread then you will find that you can create a VB executable that does everything without the user having to open Powerpoint or any other interaction”</span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i>Amazingly helpful, wasn’t it. To which consumer forum do I complain about the poor quality of outsourcing in this scenario?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />The entire interaction can be followed on </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br /><a href="http://www.developerfusion.co.uk/forums/topic-25702">http://www.developerfusion.co.uk/forums/topic-25702</a><br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There was now only about a month left to go, the only day to look forward to was Friday which was the apparent casual dress code day in the company .On this day, even the senior 50+ people would try their best to fit into jeans and tight pants.At most times, I must confess this wasn’t a very pretty sight. However, the one sure pretty sight in my wing was this pretty lass named Shaayanass, and boy did she have a fine…well, you get the drift.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />All it would take was a sms to my fellow droog who would be chilling in his house.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>(Remember the same droog who had had his project finished by the oily person)<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />And before I knew it, he would appear before me…<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-style: italic;">“</span><b style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-style: italic;">It was worth the journey dude, I love Fridays, Its Friday night Live!!”</span><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b><br />The lady in question Shayanazz or Shayanass, was the only bright spark in our software world. Every day during the breakfast break, post breakfast break, pre lunch break, lunch break, post lunch break, pre tea break, tea break and post tea break, there would be a hoard of wannabe geeks surrounding her offering her Tea, Biscuits, Tea and Biscuits. Not surprisingly, me and my fellow droog would be amongst those wannabe geeks. One fine day, in our conversations with her, she mentioned.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br /><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“ I love Kerala, I love the coconuts , the boat races, the food.”</span>,</i> We agreed (Nodding our heads vehemently <span style=""> </span>in unison) <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“ Last year, I went there on a holiday with my husband, and we had a great time”</span><i style=""><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="">WHATTTTTTTTTTTT??? HUSSSBBANNNNDDDDD?<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i><br />This brought to an end, amongst other things my fellow droog’s visits to the software company. The pre-breakfast to post-tea breaks were now decidedly more lonely for Shayanzz, I’m sure she is still trying to figure out why.<br /><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I now had, exactly 1 week to go for my submission date, and had to do the documentation for the same. How does one do documentation for a project which hasn’t even been half created..?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />Somehow, using the same bull shitting method, which I had become quite adept at I managed to fill up around 80 pages of the Project document.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />In the mean time, my fellow droog acquired his “Project completion certificate”, and close in behind, I managed to acquire mine as well. <span style=""></span>My project, I explained was 95% completed, and all it needed was some fine tuning. In about a week, I convinced them, I would have a software which amongst other things would change the world.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />All I needed now was a working project…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And then it happened….</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I noticed at the bottom of one of the documents…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">“</span><i style=""><span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">All subject matter and content in this document, is strictly confidential and none of it can be shown or used for unofficial purposes without the prior permission of the company”</span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></i><br />Now, if the documents were confidential, it wouldn’t quite be an incorrect assumption, to assume that the software I was going to create would be well, confidential as well…<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p>I came up with a cunning plan…..</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />During my project presentation, if the examiner were to ask me for my working model..</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Pat would come my reply, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">“Well sorry sir, It’s highly confidential; the company will not allow me to show it unofficially.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If he asked me, some complicated questions about my project.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">My reply again, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">“Sorry sir, Its confidential as well. I am legally bound. I cannot reveal too many details about its working.”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />It went to plan.<br /></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br />He smiled. I smiled back. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />My marks in the project, well they are confidential. But, I can tell you I did reasonably well.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">As for my project, well 6 months have passed. I haven’t heard from them, nor have they from me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal">Long live the Software Industry! Long live confidentiality clauses!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><o:p> </o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1125869971397181122005-09-04T14:28:00.000-07:002005-09-04T15:01:09.170-07:00$ Software Blues $<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;">One of the greatest nuances of the exalted course of Engineering is the necessity to do a project. Something which they say of course, is going to have a unimaginable effect on which company you join, where you work and in the long run what sort of an example you will set for your children and their future generations.<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:14;">You as always have 3 choices:<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p>1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"></span><span style="font-size:7;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:14;"> Actually do a project, learn code, write code and slowly lose all your hair. <u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size:14;"> 2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"></span><span style="font-size:7;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:14;">Work with a company (nothing look good corporate experience!),wear a tie, acquire an ID card and in short try and act like your doing something important.<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size:14;"> 3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"></span><span style="font-size:7;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:14;">Buy a project, make someone else teach it to you and then sign your name in the end.<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p>Now option 3, seems like the most sensible choice. But for some, weird reason I found myself choosing option no.2. <u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p>So me and my fellow droog, would wake up early in the morning, put on our best face and try our hardest to catch that early morning bus. Why after all, we were now part of the exalted Indian I.T Industry!<br /><u1:p> </u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;">This exalted company had with it, a great history and an even greater tradition of producing true leaders. We obviously would be a great mismatch, or atleast that’s what we thought.<u1:p> </u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;">In no time at all, me and my fellow droog found out (rather surprisingly) that actually maybe the skill set and the credentials we had , infact made us over qualified.<u1:p><br /><!--[endif]--></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" align="center"><b><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Our Daily Schedule</span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><br /><b><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p></u1:p><u1:p></u1:p><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Without fail, Wake up late and miss the bus.</span><u1:p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"></u1:p></span><o:p style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"></o:p></p> <div style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14;">(ok maybe, I should rephrase this as “My daily Schedule")</span><o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">||<br />||<o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-size:14;">Arrival, 9’0 Clock time for Breakfast</span><o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">||<br />||<br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <u1:p></u1:p> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14;"> Good Breakfast! Quite stuffed, let’s shake it off. Time to play some T.T</span><o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </div> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><u1:p></u1:p>||<br />||<br /><!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br /><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> <u1:p></u1:p> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> Alright time,</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">for the first coding act, Walk to the office mumbling “Implicit, explicit”, and in short try to look intelligent</span></span><o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">||<br />||<o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:14;" >Right! Time to read the paper</span><o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">||<br />||<o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:14;" >Lunch!</span><o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">||<br />||<o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:14;" >Woohoo, Its </span><st1:time style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" minute="0" hour="15"><st1:time minute="0" hour="15"><span style="font-size:14;">3PM</span></st1:time></st1:time><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:14;" >, Pool table opens</span><o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal">||<br />||<o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" class="MsoNormal"><st1:time style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" hour="16" minute="0"><st1:time minute="0" hour="16"><span style="font-size:14;">4PM</span></st1:time></st1:time><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:14;" >, Its time to put on that intelligent act again</span><o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">||</span><br />||<o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><st1:time hour="16" minute="30"><st1:time minute="30" hour="16"><span style="font-size:14;">4:30</span></st1:time></st1:time><span style="font-size:14;"> Tea Break</span><o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">||</span><br />||<o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </div> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">5 ‘O Clock , phew! Its been a hard day...</span><u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;">Alright, I must admit , I am exaggerating a little bit here. They were days, where I decided to take a snooze in between as well. <u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p><br />But most of all, Some of the most memorable moments, for me and my fellow droog were in a place affectionately referred to as “HQ”, as in “HeadQuarters”<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p><br />This quaint lounge like place, where everyone in the company would decide to lounge had a T.T room, Indoor golf, a T.V and a Hi-Speed internet connection. (Now what else could you possibly require).<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"></span><span style="font-size:14;">Not surprisingly, me and my fellow droog monopolized the T.T table, and it was here that we played with some of the most stimulating T.T players, you could ever want to play with.</span><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p></u1:p><br /><u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </u1:p><b><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">Me: </span> Think his forehand is weak, Serve to his forehand.</b><u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span></b><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Mr. Stimulating:</span> </span></b><span style="font-size:14;">(Looks quizzically at me) <u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">Me :</span> Yeah, Serve to his forehand..its an important point.<u1:p></u1:p></span></b><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span></b><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Mr. Stimulating:</span> </span></b><span style="font-size:14;">( Looks quizzically at me)<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">Me: </span>Cmon! Serve to his forehand, this is my 5<sup>th</sup> game in a row and I might have to get back to work.<u1:p></u1:p></span></b><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span></b><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Mr. Stimulating :</span> </span></b><span style="font-size:14;">( Looks quizzically at me), <b>Saarry </b></span><st1:place><st1:place><b><span style="font-size:14;">Saar</span></b></st1:place></st1:place><b><span style="font-size:14;">, I dan’t know wat is forehand, backhand..</span></b><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;">Yes that really happened, the same chap was btw spotted the very next day making the Snooker cue double up as a ceiling broom.<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span></b><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p></u1:p>Damn, I just realized, I haven’t told you anything about my project, which is why I was at the company (or was supposed to be at the company) after all…<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p><br />The project was about something, which I still obviously don’t understand. Very soon in the piece, I realized that I would need a minor miracle, so that I would be able to complete it. My fellow droog, was in the same position, so I took the most obvious course of action, A Holiday to </span><st1:city><st1:place><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-size:14;">Bangalore</span></st1:place></st1:city></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-size:14;">!<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p>I still remember my conversation, with my droog the last Friday morning, before I left. <u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span><br /><b style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:14;">Me: </span></b><span style="font-size:14;">Dude, Where are you, I’m in office and yr not?<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:14;">Fellow Droog :</span></b><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"> </span>No dude, Anyway no hope! (In his characteristic style). I’m staying home and watching the match.<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;">My holiday, got a little extended, I thought as long as me and my droog were both in the same sinking ship, atleast I had company and I went to work the following Wednesday, half expecting my fellow droog to well, still be watching the match.<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><b><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Me :</span> </span></b><span style="font-size:14;">What’s happening man.<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;">Smiling Droog : </span>Whats up baby! Give me a 5 baby! My project is over!<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Me : </span>What the fu&*???<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><u1:p> </u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;">Smiling Droog : </span>(Pointing out), You see that guy over there, that oily bugger! He finished it on the weekend! Its party time babyyy!</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><br />Party time indeed, It was now me and only me left there, and it was well and truly only the beginning of my experience of “Software blues”.<u1:p></u1:p></span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">To be continued....<br /></span></span></span></o:p></p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1123613910110711372005-08-09T11:46:00.000-07:002005-08-09T12:53:11.800-07:00CATastrophy<p class="MsoNormal">It’s that time of the year again, where every ad on every newspaper has the words CAT, TIME or IMS inscribed on them. Yes, Join TIME, study for CAT, Get into IIM, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Instant Nirvana !</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Life</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">supar set machi!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Or if not you can write XAT, MAT, HAT VAT and then life will not be supar set, but set just the same. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So what do people do?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">CAT ASPIRANT NO.1</span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dude, I’ve taken a complete year off man! I’m only working on mock cats, trying to improve my conversion ratio, trying to learn vedic maths. I want to be in my zone during those 2 hours, so yoga is essential as well. No disturbance, see even my cell phone is off!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">CAT ASPIRANT NO.2</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yes Dude, I really think that all the exams, I’ve ever written in my life mean nothing compared to the CAT, Im going to write in Nov. Those two hours are going to make or break my life. Which is why, I have joined the TIME extra long batch. The course also gives you a sneak peak in the making of an IIM, What he eats every morning, what music he listens to and even which actress he fantasizes about. Any information is essential you see, you can never be over prepared for CAT.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yes, By now the CAT faithful, who is reading this blog is already seething. Sarcy cynical syal has to make fun of everything,partly true, yes. But rationally speaking isn’t there a part of you which feels that CAT is maybe over sensationalized. That, yes, there actually may be more to life or atleast success in it than CAT?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">How important is CAT anyway? And is it worth all those mid night classes and yoga classes?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Well to start off, CAT itself is positioned as an Aptitude Test, where the word aptitude itself means that it is you’re in built ability to assimilate information. Now the basic reasoning, behind why these MBA schools came up with the CAT or any of these aptitude tests was to eliminate the mug pots and come up with the people whom they thought would have the maximum probability of succeeding in the real world or in other words people whom they thought had the maximum natural intelligence. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now what good is all of this, if you have an Extra Long term batch (with vedic maths thrown in), with students mugging up formulae for close to a year and a half. What then is the difference between an aptitude test and any other exam we unfortunate souls have written ? And if<span style=""> </span>IIM’s can be creating by making them go to class and slog for 1 and a half years, and if obviously IIM is the be all and end all of life, why don’t all parents<span style=""> </span>send their kids to the classes from the age of 4. In fact, very soon there will come a time when pregnant mothers, will be advised to eat foods only rich in aluminium and minerals, why it increases their child’s <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">“Data interpretation”</span> levels. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Another aspect, which is often over looked is the over willingness of various companies to offer incredulous salaries to IIM grads. Now when a F.M.C.G company offers a fat salaried job to an IIM grad to essentially sell more of a F.M.C.G article, say soap, honestly does he have a better chance of selling more soap just because he has done an IIM degree? Also, how would you compare his chances of selling soap over the regular joe (road warrior) who has been selling soap for the last 10 yrs , knows the ins and outs of the trade and is very succesful at it. Is the IIM grad really worth that much more, and is he really going to sell that much more soap?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yes, IIM is the best M.B.A in the country, with great international acclaim which will probably get you a job with a fat pay cheque when you complete your degree. But that does that mean once you get that dream job you are set for life? Is that really going to keep you happy for the rest of your days? Or is life a continuous learning process?<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Is the CAT worth all the hype ? Is the CAT a make or break exam? Is it IIM or suicide? <span style=""> </span>Or is it true that if you are good, you will make your mark in whichever field you pursue… Too many tough questions, for now a simpler one....<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> When is the next mock cat?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style=""> </span>p.s <span style=""> </span>So in order to tame the CAT, You have 2 options<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 39pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i style=""><span style="">a)<span style=""> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i style="">You could slog for a year and a half mastering vedic maths,pranic healing and give CAT your best shot. (for what its worth)<br /></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 39pt; text-indent: -0.25in; text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">or</span><br /><i style=""><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt;"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 21pt;"><i style="">b)<span style=""> </span>You could write a blog anticipating that you’re not going to do very well in it , justify why and feel <span style="">happy about yourself. </span><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="">Now you don’t need to be Albert Einstein to figure out which path I’ve taken<o:p></o:p></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><o:p> </o:p></i></p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11051662.post-1121652224553023972005-07-17T18:39:00.000-07:002005-07-18T20:15:51.526-07:00The Full time Entertainer <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp2/features/wallpaper/images/1024/robbie_williams.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp2/features/wallpaper/images/1024/robbie_williams.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;">I’d love to write about Robbie Williams, but then <b style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><i style="">‘Robbie Williams, the entertainer’</i></b> in no way compares to the person, I am going to acquaint you with now. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;">Welcome to Kodaikanal, the hill station where they are so few things to do that poking holes in numbers on a piece of paper, is as awaited as the nabbing of Osama by Uncle Bush.. And all the Holidayers, with little to do, gather around a happy bonfire, all tiffin carriers and all waiting for their version of <b style=""><i style="">‘Robbie’</i></b> to show them the path to enlightenment..<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><span style=""> </span><b style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><i style="">‘Selvam’</i></b>, otherwise referred to as <b style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><i style="">‘Super Selvam’ </i></b>(but then how important is a name) shows up all smiles, hustling and bustling his way through the crowd. If you haven’t guessed by now, the game in question is a game called housie, or lotto or bingo or whatever depending on which part of the world you are from The game is actually quite simple, there is a simple 3 step procedure. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14;">Step 1 : Understanding what Super selvam says.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14;">Step 2 : Punching toothpick in number<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Step 3: Shouting “boogey”, “boogey” till Super Selvam informs you otherwise.</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;">Out of all these, Step 1 is by far and away the toughest.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;">Now, Housie callers or announcers or whatever it is they call themselves, really are a queer breed of people. You either get these old retired army officer’s, who seemingly get a great sardonic pleasure, when they announce <b style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);"><i style="">“Two fat ladies, 8 and 8, 88” </i></b>, or you get these old bandicoot housewives who say <b style=""><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">“Men get naughty at the age of 40”</span> </i></b>so scathingly that you begin to wonder what’s happened to their husbands since.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p></o:p>But then, Our Selvam is not one to follow anyone else’s footsteps, Is he? He charts his own course. Selvam is a profound sophisticated fella which reflects almost instantaneously in his number calling.<br /><o:p> </o:p></span><br /><b style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);"><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;">“The dirty and one, Three and one, No. 31"<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 0, 51);"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">“Luck for some, oneluckyy far most, No.13”</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">“Top of the digits, Something wrong No.9”</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;">Hang on a moment, What on earth is <b style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);"><i style="">“Something wrong”</i></b>, being the curiosity driven cat, that I am , I had to find out. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;">So, there I went. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">Me:</span> Sir, Sir, What is this “Something wrong”?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Super Selvam : </span>What men, Summa joking ha ? No.9 men...Don't you know?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Me: </span>No No, Sir I really want to know<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Super Selvam : </span>(beckoned me to his ear) No.9, men…. AMBOOD!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:14;"> I was a satisfied man...<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;">One year passed, and rather regrettably we ventured back to that happy bonfire only to see <b style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><i style="">“Super Selvam”</i></b>, at the helm of affairs again. With renewed confidence and a swagger in his walk, something told me that he had some new tricks up his sleeve.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 0, 51);"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;">“Kiss and run, if you have the lucky number vone, Vonly no.1”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 0, 51);"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">“What the little babies do, Vonly no. 2”</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;">Hang on what about the rest of the working world.I thought.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;">Every performer has one <b style=""><i style="">“Magnum opus”</i></b>, like they call it. For Sinatra , it was <b style=""><i style="">“My Way”, </i></b>for Belafonte <b style=""><i style="">“Havanageela”.</i></b> Well what about our Selvam then?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 0, 51);"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;">“Feel free , after number 3, Vonly number 3”<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(51, 0, 51);"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;">Alright, let me be honest, I knew very well what <b style=""><i style="">“Something wrong” </i></b><span style=""> </span>meant when I went up asked him the last time, But honestly what the hell is <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">“</span><b style=""><i style=""><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Feel free after number 3”</span><o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;">I mustered courage and ventured out towards Super Selvam again, This time, I knew I would have to do a little more cajoling, or as we say in these parts, apply a little more “<b style=""><i style="">Amul”.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Me : </span>Hello Sir,<span style=""> </span>You really do a fantastic job! I am a big fan!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">S.S : </span>Yes yes ( trying to recollect where he had met me last)<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Me:</span> Sir, Are you a professional housie caller?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">S.S:</span> What Man?<span style=""> </span>I am a DJ, I am an dancer, I am a compere ,I come up with slogans,<span style=""> </span>Actually I am a full time entertainer!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;">The Amul was obviously working….So I went for the kill.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Me:</span> Sir, I have understood everything. But what is this “feel free after number three” all about?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">S.S:</span> Summa making fun eh? Seriously seriously, u don’t know?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Me:</span> Seriously, I don’t know sir.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">S.S: </span>You don’t know?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Me:</span> No sir, Please tell me.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">S.S:</span> I think yr making fun men, See when you are in a hurry, when you are in a rush, you go and then you feel relasked!!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Me:</span> Go where sir ? <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">S.S:</span> U go men, and u feel relaasked (Puts hands up)<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Me: </span>Sir, I seriously don’t understand.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">S.S:</span> See men , you are in a hurry you go to the toilet.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Me: </span>Yes yes (Awaiting anxiously the clincher)<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">S.S: </span>See men, Very Simple You go to the toilet. Then, it’s “ One front,(puts hands in front of him), Two Back! <span style="">(puts hands behind) </span> One plus two equals three!"<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:14;">And we thought life was complicated…<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;">On a parting note he then said to me, <b style=""><i style="">“What men,I think you are summa jokin..Do nat tell this to anyone ha, Pleezz,”<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><span style=""> </span>And then I reassured him, <b style=""><i style="">“Sir, seriously,Who can I possibly tell all this too?”.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:14;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Sudhir syalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08660659195047639343noreply@blogger.com11