Before you start to wonder what the heck does the title of this post signify; let me spare you the trouble of googling.”Six degrees of separation” is a concept that I came across in the internet a few months back and I was quite fascinated by it. Well what it states is “Anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries.” To put it in more simpler terms, you name anybody in the whole wide world; we would connect to that person within a chain of 5 more people .The theory was actually formulated by some Hungarian and to prove this there was an experiment which was done in which, few individuals were selected randomly and they were asked to send a package to a complete stranger somewhere in the world . The senders were given the recipients name , occupation and general location. The senders were instructed to pass on the package to a person they knew on a first name basis who they thought was most likely, out of all their friends, to know the target personally. That person would do the same, and so on, until the package was personally delivered to its target recipient. Long story short ;The experiment was successful it only took (on average) between five and seven intermediaries to get each package delivered.
Well , its often said that nothing is fool proof for a sufficiently talented fool .I convinced(begged would be a more apt word) a few friends of mine to try this out. I selected the “target recipient” who is a native of Trivandrum (another friend of mine ) and also selected a few “random individuals “(also friends of mine, 3 in number ).Both the parties do not know each other and are complete strangers (perfect isint ?).Now the worst thing , to get a package which should be delivered to the target ; we bought 3 packs of “Cadbury Temptations “and gave all them the following info:-
1. Name of the target
2. Occupation
3. District
Now the senders were supposed to give this package to a person they knew pretty well who they thought was most likely, out of all their friends, to know the target personally.Well, the process started and and all I can say after 2 months is “the process has ended” and we don’t know where the packages are(somebody somewhere must have eaten it I guess!).
Moral of the sory :-An idle mind is a devil’s workshop.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
WHITE TIGER
I was in two minds on writing a review on this book written by Aravind Adiga .This was mainly because I wasn’t too sure about whether I liked the book or not and more importantly It took me some time to have an opinion on this book.The author won the booker prize for the book in the year 2008 and had received mixed responses from readers. One section saying that it was anti-india and the other saying that the book was brilliantly written. To be honest, I brought this book to hate it(well , you cannot like or hate a book without reading it ,can you?)mainly because I hate these anti India , image bashing books/movies or anything remotely conveying the same.
The author, Aravind adiga, completed his school education in India and then emigrated to Australia for further studies and then going on to become a journalist of very good reputation. This is his first book and I have to say that the Adiga’s style of writing is intense, sarcastic and is hard hitting(infact cude)and I really liked his narrative .Having mentioned that, I did not like the content and feel that its just another attempt by an Indian writer to play to the gallery of the western audience.
The story is set in one of the Indian villages where the protagonist, Balram halwai takes us through his life . Infact the story is set as a series of letters being sent to the Chinese premier by Balram where he is telling us his entire story ;how he started off in a tea shop and then his rise as an entrepreneur in Bangalore.He even expresses his thoughts on the Indian caste system and the corruption in the political levels.
The book touches a lot of detail about the Indian society and I am not sure how Adiga manages to do that. For someone who has spent a major chunk of his life outside India, I am doubting the authenticity of the details/situations he has mentioned( admitted that all characters are fictious and blah blah ..but then still).Though I really like his style of writing, I have to say that whatever Adiga has written only reinforces the West’s idea of India. Maybe he was just trying to sell his book ! (And unfortunately I see another Slumdog millionare in the making.) For example, Adiga talks about Indian Gods and religions which many may find degrading.Sample this extract from the novel :- “I guess, Your Excellency, that I too should start off by kissing some god's arse. Which god's arse, though? There are so many choices. See, the Muslims have one god. The Christians have three gods. And we Hindus have 36,000,000 gods. Making a grand total of 36,000,0004 divine arses for me to choose from". The novel is filled with such takes on different aspects of Indian society.
Cultural and religious differences is what makes India .Somebody ought tell Mr.Adiga that even if he dosen’t think too much about those Gods, there are some many others who do! Women is this novel are limited only to mere objects of desire and left to be used for the obvious.
In one of his interviews I believe, Adiga has stated “At a time when India is going through great changes and, with China, is likely to inherit the world from the West, it is important that writers like me try to highlight the brutal injustices of society (Indian). That's what I'm trying to do -- it is not an attack on the country, it's about the greater process of self-examination.”
I classify the above mentioned as a marketing gimmick and nothing more than that.What self examination is he talking about? Infact in the book , the protagonist is a murderer and at the end becomes a successful entrepreneur. Is Adiga implying that to become a successful entrepreneur in India, one has to be crooked,sly,with no values and last but not the least, a murderer? I do not know what Azima premji, or Ratan Tata would have to say to that.Taking a moral high ground is easy but if he really means what he writes, then he should get down and start working for the same.
My honest review of the book is :- Read it because it won the booker prize and for the style of Adiga’s writing which is refreshingly new. But do not read it for the literary content.
The author, Aravind adiga, completed his school education in India and then emigrated to Australia for further studies and then going on to become a journalist of very good reputation. This is his first book and I have to say that the Adiga’s style of writing is intense, sarcastic and is hard hitting(infact cude)and I really liked his narrative .Having mentioned that, I did not like the content and feel that its just another attempt by an Indian writer to play to the gallery of the western audience.
The story is set in one of the Indian villages where the protagonist, Balram halwai takes us through his life . Infact the story is set as a series of letters being sent to the Chinese premier by Balram where he is telling us his entire story ;how he started off in a tea shop and then his rise as an entrepreneur in Bangalore.He even expresses his thoughts on the Indian caste system and the corruption in the political levels.
The book touches a lot of detail about the Indian society and I am not sure how Adiga manages to do that. For someone who has spent a major chunk of his life outside India, I am doubting the authenticity of the details/situations he has mentioned( admitted that all characters are fictious and blah blah ..but then still).Though I really like his style of writing, I have to say that whatever Adiga has written only reinforces the West’s idea of India. Maybe he was just trying to sell his book ! (And unfortunately I see another Slumdog millionare in the making.) For example, Adiga talks about Indian Gods and religions which many may find degrading.Sample this extract from the novel :- “I guess, Your Excellency, that I too should start off by kissing some god's arse. Which god's arse, though? There are so many choices. See, the Muslims have one god. The Christians have three gods. And we Hindus have 36,000,000 gods. Making a grand total of 36,000,0004 divine arses for me to choose from". The novel is filled with such takes on different aspects of Indian society.
Cultural and religious differences is what makes India .Somebody ought tell Mr.Adiga that even if he dosen’t think too much about those Gods, there are some many others who do! Women is this novel are limited only to mere objects of desire and left to be used for the obvious.
In one of his interviews I believe, Adiga has stated “At a time when India is going through great changes and, with China, is likely to inherit the world from the West, it is important that writers like me try to highlight the brutal injustices of society (Indian). That's what I'm trying to do -- it is not an attack on the country, it's about the greater process of self-examination.”
I classify the above mentioned as a marketing gimmick and nothing more than that.What self examination is he talking about? Infact in the book , the protagonist is a murderer and at the end becomes a successful entrepreneur. Is Adiga implying that to become a successful entrepreneur in India, one has to be crooked,sly,with no values and last but not the least, a murderer? I do not know what Azima premji, or Ratan Tata would have to say to that.Taking a moral high ground is easy but if he really means what he writes, then he should get down and start working for the same.
My honest review of the book is :- Read it because it won the booker prize and for the style of Adiga’s writing which is refreshingly new. But do not read it for the literary content.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
NOT SUCH A GOOD IDEA SIRJEE?
For all those people who think that they are lonely and feel that nobody in this planet cares whether they are alive, well I would say, think twice. Just try missing a bill payment for the month and you will realize that a lot of people do care about your existence! Infact they would care so much that you might get a bit overwhelmed by their love and affection over the phone.
I was a bit overwhelmed by the love and affection shown by “idea cellular” because my bills were overdue and had to be paid.So I decided that I cannot handle any more love and so went to the idea office in Vellayambalam ,Trivandrum to pay my bills.On reaching there, I also decided that since nobody was using that connection anymore, I might as well cancel it. So I asked the executive as to what is the procedure to cancel and this executive, well lets call her Vidya, told me that I cannot cancel here and that I had to go to one of their other outlets (In Sreekaryam) to get it done. I dint argue, and just went back .On the way back, I call up this idea manager (who has been calling me to pay the bill) telling him that I wanted to pay and then cancel and I was told by this executive that I cannot cancel in the Vellayambalam branch and that I had to go to the other branch .The manager was surprised and he immediately told me that You can cancel it in the Vellayambalam branch itself and that I needed to go back .
Ok, the fun starts when I get back to their office.Vidya is all heated up and and then has the audacity to create a scene there telling me that she never ever mentioned that I cannot cancel their connection in this outlet!! She even tried to gather crowd support there by telling the other executives and a few customers there that she never mentioned anything like that and that you cancel any idea post paid connections at their outlet. For a minute, I dint realize what hit me , I was at a loss of words to respond. I couldn’t believe that in a matter of 10 minutes, how can someone back track on what they said with so much of confidence?After some reciprocation from my end, I felt ridiculous at the way I was being treated and even more ridiculous at the conversation I was having with Vidya.I mean she was saying “No I never mentioned that at all” and I was saying “:Yes,you said that because if you dint, how would I know that Idea had an office at Sreekaryam?”After all this hassle. I finally managed to get my hands on the cancellation form, which I happily filled and settled the pending amount.
Well, I decided that I will send a feedback to the “Idea” team regarding my experience and sent in an email. They responded back in 24 hours . here’s their response:-
“Dear Mr. Rohit Krishnan,
Warm greetings from Idea cellular Kerala and thank you for writin g to us.
With reference to your mail, it indeed saddens us to part with this relationship. Mr. Rohit, since you are one of our valued subscribers, we would like to suggest you a few options to retain the number and continue our association
• You may transfer your connection to your friend or relative.
• You may convert the postpaid connection to Prepaid and retain the mobile number.
We have taken a note of your feedback regarding the intricacy you faced with our executive when you visited Trivandrum showroom . We are constantly updating the feedback received from our subscribers and using it for improving our service.We urge you not to form a lasting impression of our services based on your unfortunate experience”
Well, For all the hassle that I had to go through to cancel a connection, I may not be looking at any idea connections in the future. God made relatives, but Thank God that we can choose our Mobile connection providers!
I was a bit overwhelmed by the love and affection shown by “idea cellular” because my bills were overdue and had to be paid.So I decided that I cannot handle any more love and so went to the idea office in Vellayambalam ,Trivandrum to pay my bills.On reaching there, I also decided that since nobody was using that connection anymore, I might as well cancel it. So I asked the executive as to what is the procedure to cancel and this executive, well lets call her Vidya, told me that I cannot cancel here and that I had to go to one of their other outlets (In Sreekaryam) to get it done. I dint argue, and just went back .On the way back, I call up this idea manager (who has been calling me to pay the bill) telling him that I wanted to pay and then cancel and I was told by this executive that I cannot cancel in the Vellayambalam branch and that I had to go to the other branch .The manager was surprised and he immediately told me that You can cancel it in the Vellayambalam branch itself and that I needed to go back .
Ok, the fun starts when I get back to their office.Vidya is all heated up and and then has the audacity to create a scene there telling me that she never ever mentioned that I cannot cancel their connection in this outlet!! She even tried to gather crowd support there by telling the other executives and a few customers there that she never mentioned anything like that and that you cancel any idea post paid connections at their outlet. For a minute, I dint realize what hit me , I was at a loss of words to respond. I couldn’t believe that in a matter of 10 minutes, how can someone back track on what they said with so much of confidence?After some reciprocation from my end, I felt ridiculous at the way I was being treated and even more ridiculous at the conversation I was having with Vidya.I mean she was saying “No I never mentioned that at all” and I was saying “:Yes,you said that because if you dint, how would I know that Idea had an office at Sreekaryam?”After all this hassle. I finally managed to get my hands on the cancellation form, which I happily filled and settled the pending amount.
Well, I decided that I will send a feedback to the “Idea” team regarding my experience and sent in an email. They responded back in 24 hours . here’s their response:-
“Dear Mr. Rohit Krishnan,
Warm greetings from Idea cellular Kerala and thank you for writin g to us.
With reference to your mail, it indeed saddens us to part with this relationship. Mr. Rohit, since you are one of our valued subscribers, we would like to suggest you a few options to retain the number and continue our association
• You may transfer your connection to your friend or relative.
• You may convert the postpaid connection to Prepaid and retain the mobile number.
We have taken a note of your feedback regarding the intricacy you faced with our executive when you visited Trivandrum showroom . We are constantly updating the feedback received from our subscribers and using it for improving our service.We urge you not to form a lasting impression of our services based on your unfortunate experience”
Well, For all the hassle that I had to go through to cancel a connection, I may not be looking at any idea connections in the future. God made relatives, but Thank God that we can choose our Mobile connection providers!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
ELECTIONS AND MANIFESTOS
Election time , that time of the year when your valuable vote makes a difference! Well Election days are on and are reminding us once again that we are living in a democratic country (Not that we needed any reminders anyways !). Good old democracy!
Media,and television,in particular has made dictatorship almost impossible but it has also made democracy unbearable at times . With all the campaigning going on and election manifesto’s released by different political parties, the one that caught my attention was Samajwadi party’s manifesto(albeit for the wrong reasons )
SP chief ,Mulayam Singh Yadav released his party’s manifesto last week which according to me (and hopefully many) shouldn’t have been allowed ;but then again,its democracy . http://elections.ndtv.com/news_story.aspx?ID=NEWEN20090090458&
Below mentioned are three main points of the party;s manifesto among others
1. The use of computers in offices is creating unemployment problems. Our party feels that if work can be done by a person using hands there is no need to deploy machines," Mulayam Singh said at a press conference after unveiling the manifesto.
2. The party is also against the use of agricultural machines and high corporate salaries.
"A harvesting season brings employment for the labour class for at least six months but these harvesters will snatch their earnings.”
3. The party's manifesto also mentions that it will work to abolish schools providing expensive education in English medium and provide free education for girls till graduation.
It would also be interesting to know the kind of education the sons/daughters of the SP leaders are undergoing /have already undergone .Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions,it only guarantees equality of opportunity. But I strongly feel , there should be conditions or parameters based on which atleast an election manifesto should be handled. If manifesto’s do not pass some kind of a quality check,those shouldn’t be allowed nor published.
Media,and television,in particular has made dictatorship almost impossible but it has also made democracy unbearable at times . With all the campaigning going on and election manifesto’s released by different political parties, the one that caught my attention was Samajwadi party’s manifesto(albeit for the wrong reasons )
SP chief ,Mulayam Singh Yadav released his party’s manifesto last week which according to me (and hopefully many) shouldn’t have been allowed ;but then again,its democracy . http://elections.ndtv.com/news_story.aspx?ID=NEWEN20090090458&
Below mentioned are three main points of the party;s manifesto among others
1. The use of computers in offices is creating unemployment problems. Our party feels that if work can be done by a person using hands there is no need to deploy machines," Mulayam Singh said at a press conference after unveiling the manifesto.
2. The party is also against the use of agricultural machines and high corporate salaries.
"A harvesting season brings employment for the labour class for at least six months but these harvesters will snatch their earnings.”
3. The party's manifesto also mentions that it will work to abolish schools providing expensive education in English medium and provide free education for girls till graduation.
It would also be interesting to know the kind of education the sons/daughters of the SP leaders are undergoing /have already undergone .Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions,it only guarantees equality of opportunity. But I strongly feel , there should be conditions or parameters based on which atleast an election manifesto should be handled. If manifesto’s do not pass some kind of a quality check,those shouldn’t be allowed nor published.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
VADA WITH VINODH
Vinodh and me met up today and we decided to stop by at a hotel to have a cup of tea and some vadas which happens to be his favorite snack .He never misses a chance or opportunity to eat vadas Infact he even considers eating vadas to be his birth right.So while we were waiting for the vada to be served,Vinodh as usual was giving me some gyan sessions ;he was telling me “Rohit ,as you say in engineering ,distance gives perspective “(For the life of me ,I couldn’t recollect anything of that sort being told in my 4 years of engineering ,but then I was seldom in classrooms when such valuable pieces of wisdom might have been shared ;anyways that’s another story altogether)Vinodh continued , “da , look at what you want to calculate from a distance and from different perspectives ,you will see that efficiency is directly proportional to optimal work load “He was basically answering my question on calculating workload and I was just wondering as to why wasn’t the vada arriving ;it was high time you know ..
The conversation some how got diverted to the economic crisis and the recession and both of us were off the opinion that nothing has changed much .I mean where is the recession?I still see theatres running to packed houses , jewellery shops still crowded , new cars being launched and cars being booked,Still see all shopping malls in Cochin buzzing with people and shopping happening (The newly launched Oberon mall is a prime example ).I still find it difficult to find parking space for my car during weekends .Levi’s registered a record number of sales for its brand of Jeans last month .Go to any Archie’s showroom , you will still see teenagers spending ,Exhibitions still finding takers .My friends in Bangalore say that the pubs are still crowded .So was anybody talking about the global credit crunch ?How long will it take to hit us (Not that I am desperate!)
Infact, it dint take long to hit both us though! Our wait ended and the guy served us vada and almost immediately, things started to fall in perspective (well, as you say in engineering, distance gives perspective!).Holes in the Vadas were larger, the chutney was thinner and sambhar looked and tasted more or less like colored water .When we asked the guy for a second serving of the chutney, the guy just stared at us .Infact the look on his face gave us his explanation; allow me to read out his mind “Respected sirs, please find a coconut tree, climb it, take the coconut and make the chutney yourself”
Anyways, the vada triggered our thought process at Godspeed and we concluded that recession is everywhere around us. Look at the number of layoffs at work , number of pink slips being given to employees , land prices coming down ,incentives and appraisals in most work places being stalled, interest rates being cut down ,the sales numbers of all the major car houses have taken a dip ,the “opportunities “section of “The Hindu” being limited to a page or two and even in those two pages they end up giving advises as to how to hold on to your job during the recession.
Anyways , we finished our tea and vadas and decided next time we come, we’ll have Masala dosas because at least you don’t have a hole in it.
The conversation some how got diverted to the economic crisis and the recession and both of us were off the opinion that nothing has changed much .I mean where is the recession?I still see theatres running to packed houses , jewellery shops still crowded , new cars being launched and cars being booked,Still see all shopping malls in Cochin buzzing with people and shopping happening (The newly launched Oberon mall is a prime example ).I still find it difficult to find parking space for my car during weekends .Levi’s registered a record number of sales for its brand of Jeans last month .Go to any Archie’s showroom , you will still see teenagers spending ,Exhibitions still finding takers .My friends in Bangalore say that the pubs are still crowded .So was anybody talking about the global credit crunch ?How long will it take to hit us (Not that I am desperate!)
Infact, it dint take long to hit both us though! Our wait ended and the guy served us vada and almost immediately, things started to fall in perspective (well, as you say in engineering, distance gives perspective!).Holes in the Vadas were larger, the chutney was thinner and sambhar looked and tasted more or less like colored water .When we asked the guy for a second serving of the chutney, the guy just stared at us .Infact the look on his face gave us his explanation; allow me to read out his mind “Respected sirs, please find a coconut tree, climb it, take the coconut and make the chutney yourself”
Anyways, the vada triggered our thought process at Godspeed and we concluded that recession is everywhere around us. Look at the number of layoffs at work , number of pink slips being given to employees , land prices coming down ,incentives and appraisals in most work places being stalled, interest rates being cut down ,the sales numbers of all the major car houses have taken a dip ,the “opportunities “section of “The Hindu” being limited to a page or two and even in those two pages they end up giving advises as to how to hold on to your job during the recession.
Anyways , we finished our tea and vadas and decided next time we come, we’ll have Masala dosas because at least you don’t have a hole in it.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
FLASHBACK
An HR over the phone asked me today“How many years of employment have you completed?" Well a harmless question to say the least . I said “five and half “ and immediately after I said that , reality just sank in . Its been 5 and half years since I am working !!?(OK ,not that people stop working after 5 and half years ..but then still ..You know ..) Well , it just seems like yesterday when I passed out from college after attending quite a few supplementary exams (that will be another post ,”My experiences in writing supplementaries”). My employment years have been a true roller coaster ride and has been been nothing short of exciting (well I guess, you might need to define “exciting” a bit differently though). The companies that I worked for , the people that I have met , The various aspects of work, First day at office , processes that I studied from my colleagues ,last day at office , periods of uncertainty(which I absolutely hate , when you don’t know where you are heading ) , The different places that I have been .well when I began to type this post I dint think I would have much to write ..But now I think I would have to exercise restraint in order to not make this an epic.
My first job in Reliance InfoTech in Trivandrum which lasted for barely 10 days .I remember Pradeep Sir (Senior Manager) who used to take the time out to train me on the process.. Well For someone just out of college that was freedom unlimited.
I got a good break on my next job which was in Accenture, Bangalore .I still remember Keshav and his witty one liners. I remember Vandana for her guts to speak her mind and for her completely twisted philosophies (ehh..sorry Vandana ). I remember Venky for his sense of humor and for using the "F" word in almost every sentence that he spoke.I remember Arnab(still in touch) my roommate for the brother he was ,he is and hopefully will always be and also for having a crush on a girl every second day . I remember our Mysore road and vijayanagar days. I remember the frequency with which we used to visit brigade road just to make sure that none of the babes missed us! I remember Anna for his tongue in cheek humour,mostly making fun of himself and yet digging out a lesson to be learnt. I remember Avinash,who fell in love with Renu,and then decided it was actually Rekha who he loved and not Renu . He broke up with Renu and united with Rekha only to realize that she was not the woman in his life and that he had this huge crush on kavitha .I remember Lovely for her mischief and for her straight forwardness.I remember Suzanne for her bluntness when she asked me “Rohit , tell me , have you had sex ?” I remember Hari when he blasted the manager in a heated team meeting . I can never forget when he shouted at the manager saying “you know what , you are a F*****G mistake of the F*****G condom factory “That was hilarious and the look on the manager’s face was priceless.That was one of the most innovative abuses that I have heard for a long time .I remember dada for his always tensed look . I remember Chaitra for her looks , she was very cute .I remember Chaitali for her honesty and for her “don’t give a damn attitude”.I remember Manoj for his eagerness to check if he has received any emails from shaadi.com .I remember Vinodh for his daily dose of moral lessons(I used to love that )
I remember Anuj(Still in touch) for his imperious talent in connecting real life characters to the story lines of popular Malayalam movies and for his unmistakable sense of humor .I remember Deggi for his innocence and his anxiety to reach Ireland .I remember Anand(still in touch ) for his famous dialogues (infact there are a lot) like “valaree “ and “aaja meri bulbulll”I remember Harish for his spontaneous dialogues .I remember Jacob(still in touch) for his comic timing and his witty chalus .I remember Rajiv for his “koi cigarette pilado yaar” line and Anil for the days we spent in cochin together .I remember our cricket days and the loser treats the winner with lime soda (and it was religiously followed) I remember our north tea shop days and our days at infotips .I remember Asha for her simplicity and Cathy for scaring the daylights out of me when she used to tell me "Rohit , I can see your future in my vision". I remember Sharath for his cheerfullness and Mayesh for the way he hused to talk .I remember Biji (Still very much in touch) for his sheer willingness to learn and for his episodes with Asokan (name changed for security purposes) later on . I remember Antony(still very muc in touch) for his talent with females and for his sheer audacity in handling 5 or 6 at a time .I remember Mathew for his courage and for his drinking .I remember Thambi(still very much in touch ) for his innocence and for his talent in slipping and tripping .
Its turning out to be an epic I guess .I wanted to write so much more ..I think have to come back with a Flashback -part 2 ..
My first job in Reliance InfoTech in Trivandrum which lasted for barely 10 days .I remember Pradeep Sir (Senior Manager) who used to take the time out to train me on the process.. Well For someone just out of college that was freedom unlimited.
I got a good break on my next job which was in Accenture, Bangalore .I still remember Keshav and his witty one liners. I remember Vandana for her guts to speak her mind and for her completely twisted philosophies (ehh..sorry Vandana ). I remember Venky for his sense of humor and for using the "F" word in almost every sentence that he spoke.I remember Arnab(still in touch) my roommate for the brother he was ,he is and hopefully will always be and also for having a crush on a girl every second day . I remember our Mysore road and vijayanagar days. I remember the frequency with which we used to visit brigade road just to make sure that none of the babes missed us! I remember Anna for his tongue in cheek humour,mostly making fun of himself and yet digging out a lesson to be learnt. I remember Avinash,who fell in love with Renu,and then decided it was actually Rekha who he loved and not Renu . He broke up with Renu and united with Rekha only to realize that she was not the woman in his life and that he had this huge crush on kavitha .I remember Lovely for her mischief and for her straight forwardness.I remember Suzanne for her bluntness when she asked me “Rohit , tell me , have you had sex ?” I remember Hari when he blasted the manager in a heated team meeting . I can never forget when he shouted at the manager saying “you know what , you are a F*****G mistake of the F*****G condom factory “That was hilarious and the look on the manager’s face was priceless.That was one of the most innovative abuses that I have heard for a long time .I remember dada for his always tensed look . I remember Chaitra for her looks , she was very cute .I remember Chaitali for her honesty and for her “don’t give a damn attitude”.I remember Manoj for his eagerness to check if he has received any emails from shaadi.com .I remember Vinodh for his daily dose of moral lessons(I used to love that )
I remember Anuj(Still in touch) for his imperious talent in connecting real life characters to the story lines of popular Malayalam movies and for his unmistakable sense of humor .I remember Deggi for his innocence and his anxiety to reach Ireland .I remember Anand(still in touch ) for his famous dialogues (infact there are a lot) like “valaree “ and “aaja meri bulbulll”I remember Harish for his spontaneous dialogues .I remember Jacob(still in touch) for his comic timing and his witty chalus .I remember Rajiv for his “koi cigarette pilado yaar” line and Anil for the days we spent in cochin together .I remember our cricket days and the loser treats the winner with lime soda (and it was religiously followed) I remember our north tea shop days and our days at infotips .I remember Asha for her simplicity and Cathy for scaring the daylights out of me when she used to tell me "Rohit , I can see your future in my vision". I remember Sharath for his cheerfullness and Mayesh for the way he hused to talk .I remember Biji (Still very much in touch) for his sheer willingness to learn and for his episodes with Asokan (name changed for security purposes) later on . I remember Antony(still very muc in touch) for his talent with females and for his sheer audacity in handling 5 or 6 at a time .I remember Mathew for his courage and for his drinking .I remember Thambi(still very much in touch ) for his innocence and for his talent in slipping and tripping .
Its turning out to be an epic I guess .I wanted to write so much more ..I think have to come back with a Flashback -part 2 ..
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Slumdog Millionaire
Last time when I posted, I thought that I would be more regular with my blog but then again if everything goes according to thoughts, I would have been a millionaire by now. Well, I am writing this out of utter disgust, shock, frustration and pure unadulterated hatred which is directed at the entire cast and crew of the movie “slumdog millionaire” which I happened to watch the other day. I would rate this is the second worst movie that I have watched where India has been degraded (the first one being Indiana Jones and the Temple of the doom)
Well, the Movie starts off with Jamal (the male protagonist) being tortured in police custody because they feel he has cheated in the famous game show, “who wants to be a millionaire”. Jamal had answered all the questions right and has won 10 million .The story then moves in a flashback cum present mode where in Jamal takes us through his life from his childhood (which was spent in a Mumbai slum) and then as a chaiwalah in an Indian call centre .
I am just sick and tired of the west stereotyping India and Indians in particular. I am not really sad because the movie depicted Indian poverty and more importantly the slums because I am not averse to the fact that 40 % of india’s population is below the poverty line (10 years back , it was 60%). Though we have improved ,40% is still unacceptable But there is more to India than poverty The movie potrays Mumbai slums , portrays hindu muslim riots , portrays prostitution , portrays absolute cruel and inhuman torture towards kids and more importantly portrays western superiority and strengthens the” third world concept.”
The movie is an adaptation of a novel “Q &A”(unfortunately written by an Indian ;Vikas swarup ,forgive me If got the name wrong , I just searched once as I dint feel the author deserves any more time and dedication from my end ).We have Anil Kapor , Irfan Khan , Devpatel , Freida or some Pinto(dunno ) and as the main cast for the movie And A R Rahman for the music (Oscar nominations for him , right ! if AR Picks up a lottery now , he might just win it !)
Am I being an Image conscious Indian who conveniently wants to hide the reality under the carpet ? Because many say that that is what reality in India is , poverty and slums .Yes I am being Image conscious because there is more to India than poverty and slums . How can you generalize people living in slums are eye plucking , girl selling , killing machines ?Slums In India are improving . Even the Mumbai slums (Dharavi) where the movie is picturized ,people are being linked to factories nearby and they are earning their livelihood . Even the Director has admitted in one of his interviews regarding the same .The movie portrays, the only job women do in slums is prostitution !! come on if this is not stereotyping , then what else is ??
In one scene , there’s this kid who is acting as a tourist guide for an American couple . This kid gets beaten up by some goons and with all blood in his face , he tells the American couple “Do you want to see the real India ? Here it is “ and then The American replies “ Son , let me show you the Real America and hands out a $100 note in the kid’s hands “. I found this scene to be absolutely offensive , abusive , Sarcastic , stereotypical ,pathetic and completely uncalled for .
The fact that the movie has been nominated for the Oscars is beyond depressing. I strongly believe that these kinds of movies will have an adverse impact on NRI’s and their children . It would be difficult especially for Indian children abroad as they will be an object of ridicule .Children can be cruel at times and I can imagine indian children in the west being being nick named and even teased as “Slumdogs “ . Some say that there is nothing bad /insulting about the title .All I would say is if you are teased and if you are called as a “slumdog”you will not like it .You can say that it’s a work of fiction and “just a movie ,“ but “just a movie” can change perceptions .
Having said all this , The fact that saddens me is how can Indians be part of this movie ?How can they be proud of being associated with this movie ?Leave the director , I mean, he will not have any emotional attachments (and he need not necessarily have it ) I can also understand his point in taking a subject like this which would be walloped by the western audience .But how can Anil kappor , Irfan Khan , A R Rahman be part of this movie ?All of them being such eminent personalities and ambassadors of Indian cinema ! Isint there something called as moral responsibility ? or is it only money ? or is it that being part of a Hollywood movie so tempting that they can compromise on their morals ?Anil Kappor and A R in one of their interviews stated that it is just a “rags to riches “ story of an 18 year old boy and that they have no regrets in being part of that movie .I can understand if any small time Indian actor or musician being part of this garbage , but for someone as big and famous as the people mentioned above , you have to question their priorities .As insignificant as my post may be , as little traffic that my blog gets ;I have lost all respect for the Indians involved in this movie and I will never ever watch movies of Anil Kappor and Irfan Khan and will never ever buy CD’s or listen to songs composed by AR .
Last time when I posted, I thought that I would be more regular with my blog but then again if everything goes according to thoughts, I would have been a millionaire by now. Well, I am writing this out of utter disgust, shock, frustration and pure unadulterated hatred which is directed at the entire cast and crew of the movie “slumdog millionaire” which I happened to watch the other day. I would rate this is the second worst movie that I have watched where India has been degraded (the first one being Indiana Jones and the Temple of the doom)
Well, the Movie starts off with Jamal (the male protagonist) being tortured in police custody because they feel he has cheated in the famous game show, “who wants to be a millionaire”. Jamal had answered all the questions right and has won 10 million .The story then moves in a flashback cum present mode where in Jamal takes us through his life from his childhood (which was spent in a Mumbai slum) and then as a chaiwalah in an Indian call centre .
I am just sick and tired of the west stereotyping India and Indians in particular. I am not really sad because the movie depicted Indian poverty and more importantly the slums because I am not averse to the fact that 40 % of india’s population is below the poverty line (10 years back , it was 60%). Though we have improved ,40% is still unacceptable But there is more to India than poverty The movie potrays Mumbai slums , portrays hindu muslim riots , portrays prostitution , portrays absolute cruel and inhuman torture towards kids and more importantly portrays western superiority and strengthens the” third world concept.”
The movie is an adaptation of a novel “Q &A”(unfortunately written by an Indian ;Vikas swarup ,forgive me If got the name wrong , I just searched once as I dint feel the author deserves any more time and dedication from my end ).We have Anil Kapor , Irfan Khan , Devpatel , Freida or some Pinto(dunno ) and as the main cast for the movie And A R Rahman for the music (Oscar nominations for him , right ! if AR Picks up a lottery now , he might just win it !)
Am I being an Image conscious Indian who conveniently wants to hide the reality under the carpet ? Because many say that that is what reality in India is , poverty and slums .Yes I am being Image conscious because there is more to India than poverty and slums . How can you generalize people living in slums are eye plucking , girl selling , killing machines ?Slums In India are improving . Even the Mumbai slums (Dharavi) where the movie is picturized ,people are being linked to factories nearby and they are earning their livelihood . Even the Director has admitted in one of his interviews regarding the same .The movie portrays, the only job women do in slums is prostitution !! come on if this is not stereotyping , then what else is ??
In one scene , there’s this kid who is acting as a tourist guide for an American couple . This kid gets beaten up by some goons and with all blood in his face , he tells the American couple “Do you want to see the real India ? Here it is “ and then The American replies “ Son , let me show you the Real America and hands out a $100 note in the kid’s hands “. I found this scene to be absolutely offensive , abusive , Sarcastic , stereotypical ,pathetic and completely uncalled for .
The fact that the movie has been nominated for the Oscars is beyond depressing. I strongly believe that these kinds of movies will have an adverse impact on NRI’s and their children . It would be difficult especially for Indian children abroad as they will be an object of ridicule .Children can be cruel at times and I can imagine indian children in the west being being nick named and even teased as “Slumdogs “ . Some say that there is nothing bad /insulting about the title .All I would say is if you are teased and if you are called as a “slumdog”you will not like it .You can say that it’s a work of fiction and “just a movie ,“ but “just a movie” can change perceptions .
Having said all this , The fact that saddens me is how can Indians be part of this movie ?How can they be proud of being associated with this movie ?Leave the director , I mean, he will not have any emotional attachments (and he need not necessarily have it ) I can also understand his point in taking a subject like this which would be walloped by the western audience .But how can Anil kappor , Irfan Khan , A R Rahman be part of this movie ?All of them being such eminent personalities and ambassadors of Indian cinema ! Isint there something called as moral responsibility ? or is it only money ? or is it that being part of a Hollywood movie so tempting that they can compromise on their morals ?Anil Kappor and A R in one of their interviews stated that it is just a “rags to riches “ story of an 18 year old boy and that they have no regrets in being part of that movie .I can understand if any small time Indian actor or musician being part of this garbage , but for someone as big and famous as the people mentioned above , you have to question their priorities .As insignificant as my post may be , as little traffic that my blog gets ;I have lost all respect for the Indians involved in this movie and I will never ever watch movies of Anil Kappor and Irfan Khan and will never ever buy CD’s or listen to songs composed by AR .
Monday, January 5, 2009
HAPPY NEW YEAR????
As much as I hate to start off the New Year by posting something negative, but it seems that my new year has started off with a bang to say the least. I lost my credit cards , my purse , my pan card , my debit card , my drivers license , some money and my ID card .I had always wished that my new year starts to get a bit more exciting and happening and not as dull and boring as it often turns out to be . Well, did somebody say to be careful on what you wish for as your wish might just come true! Traveling via bus from Cochin to Trivandrum is expensive and requires a lot of courage.
I am trying my best to take out any positives from this episode and my best just aint good enough. I initially tried the “whatever happens happens for the good “philosophy and it failed. I just couldn’t find anything good in loosing my driver’s license! For that matter, even my debit card. Well, maybe time will tell (that’s a better one).A very close friend of mine in a desperate attempt to console me pointed out 5 positives out of this episode:-
1. Loosing the drivers license:-Maybe an Accident is avoided since I will not drive the car for a few days .He also went on to say that it has spared cochin of a few traffic jams !!
2. Loosing the credit card: - My savings are increased and a much needed break for the swiping machines in and around Cochin and Trivandrum.
3. Pan card:-It would give the person who stole (my purse) an insight in to Pan Cards and he would change his mode of living and transform himself in to an ideal citizen.
4. Purse:-It has given somebody else an option to put their money (I don’t know what good is that to me ...but what the heck!! My friend told this with so much of conviction that I dint want to break his heart by asking the logic behind it)
5. Money: - Ok; now this one takes the prize! According to Newton’s law, every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so if I lost some money, I would also get it back!!
Coming to think of it , finding positives wasn’t that difficult but I guess you need to be at your creative best while searching for it .Lets back to ground reality and the truth is , its gonna be a pretty hectic schedule in trying to apply for a duplicate license . Well as far as the credit cards and the debit card are concerned it’s comparatively easier. The Hardest thing to come to terms with is to realize that this is my second drivers license that I have lost in a matter of 3 months !Ok , again the positive out of this is , by now , I am well versed with the procedure of applying for a duplicate license ;if that is any consolation(So much so that if you wake me up in the middle of the night and ask me the procedure to apply for a duplicate licence ,you can bet your bottom dollar that I would get it right !) .
Hey I almost forgot to write about my experience with the Police (Thampanoor station) when I tried lodging an FIR /complaint (as you need a copy of the FIR to apply for a duplicate license) .Well , somebody had to tell me thrice that the physical structure opposite to where I was standing was the Thampanoor police station ! Lets not get in to the nitty grittys of it; in a nut shell, it dint look like a police station. As soon as I entered it (had to wait for about 5 minutes before entering it, as the passage way leading inside allows only 1 person to walk at a time due to space constraints!) I was greeted by a female officer and in perfect Trivandrum slang asked me “entheranu parati?”.Now as soon as I gathered my strength to tell her what happened, she just dint bother .instead just directed her hand to the SI’s cabin asking me to meet the SI . Ok...now after a bit a wait , I entered the SI’s cabin to realize that he was busy watching the Australia –Southafrica test match .I must admit that for a brief while, even I was watching the match as I almost forgot what had happened. Anyways, he asked me the same thing;”etheranu parati”? After I narrated the entire incident, The SI just coolly asked me to lodge an FIR else where as they do not have the time to come to my house for inquiries .hmmm..Some people are alive only because it is illegal to shoot them.
I guess there are lessons to learnt and adds on to the experience .Its often said that Good judgment comes from bad experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. Well I don’t quite know how the above mentioned one liner fits the context , but since I heard it yesterday from some one, I liked it so much that I was just waiting for an opportunity to use it somewhere ..So that’s about it.
Having mentioned all this crap...let me also wish anyone who happens to read this post a very happy and a prosperous new year! And be careful with your wallet and belongings when you travel.
I am trying my best to take out any positives from this episode and my best just aint good enough. I initially tried the “whatever happens happens for the good “philosophy and it failed. I just couldn’t find anything good in loosing my driver’s license! For that matter, even my debit card. Well, maybe time will tell (that’s a better one).A very close friend of mine in a desperate attempt to console me pointed out 5 positives out of this episode:-
1. Loosing the drivers license:-Maybe an Accident is avoided since I will not drive the car for a few days .He also went on to say that it has spared cochin of a few traffic jams !!
2. Loosing the credit card: - My savings are increased and a much needed break for the swiping machines in and around Cochin and Trivandrum.
3. Pan card:-It would give the person who stole (my purse) an insight in to Pan Cards and he would change his mode of living and transform himself in to an ideal citizen.
4. Purse:-It has given somebody else an option to put their money (I don’t know what good is that to me ...but what the heck!! My friend told this with so much of conviction that I dint want to break his heart by asking the logic behind it)
5. Money: - Ok; now this one takes the prize! According to Newton’s law, every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so if I lost some money, I would also get it back!!
Coming to think of it , finding positives wasn’t that difficult but I guess you need to be at your creative best while searching for it .Lets back to ground reality and the truth is , its gonna be a pretty hectic schedule in trying to apply for a duplicate license . Well as far as the credit cards and the debit card are concerned it’s comparatively easier. The Hardest thing to come to terms with is to realize that this is my second drivers license that I have lost in a matter of 3 months !Ok , again the positive out of this is , by now , I am well versed with the procedure of applying for a duplicate license ;if that is any consolation(So much so that if you wake me up in the middle of the night and ask me the procedure to apply for a duplicate licence ,you can bet your bottom dollar that I would get it right !) .
Hey I almost forgot to write about my experience with the Police (Thampanoor station) when I tried lodging an FIR /complaint (as you need a copy of the FIR to apply for a duplicate license) .Well , somebody had to tell me thrice that the physical structure opposite to where I was standing was the Thampanoor police station ! Lets not get in to the nitty grittys of it; in a nut shell, it dint look like a police station. As soon as I entered it (had to wait for about 5 minutes before entering it, as the passage way leading inside allows only 1 person to walk at a time due to space constraints!) I was greeted by a female officer and in perfect Trivandrum slang asked me “entheranu parati?”.Now as soon as I gathered my strength to tell her what happened, she just dint bother .instead just directed her hand to the SI’s cabin asking me to meet the SI . Ok...now after a bit a wait , I entered the SI’s cabin to realize that he was busy watching the Australia –Southafrica test match .I must admit that for a brief while, even I was watching the match as I almost forgot what had happened. Anyways, he asked me the same thing;”etheranu parati”? After I narrated the entire incident, The SI just coolly asked me to lodge an FIR else where as they do not have the time to come to my house for inquiries .hmmm..Some people are alive only because it is illegal to shoot them.
I guess there are lessons to learnt and adds on to the experience .Its often said that Good judgment comes from bad experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. Well I don’t quite know how the above mentioned one liner fits the context , but since I heard it yesterday from some one, I liked it so much that I was just waiting for an opportunity to use it somewhere ..So that’s about it.
Having mentioned all this crap...let me also wish anyone who happens to read this post a very happy and a prosperous new year! And be careful with your wallet and belongings when you travel.
Monday, December 8, 2008
EMAIL INSANITY
After a lot of thought , Ive realized that updating and maintaining a blog isn’t exactly what you term as “easy “ by any stretches of imagination .Honestly speaking , Ive been a bit busy over the last few weeks and just did not get the time to update my blog . In other words I was just lazy.
Well, coming to the topic, if you are a corporate creature,you would quite easily relate with emails going back and forth and you would have wished that your boss would pay you for reading those emails .There would have been times when you must have felt you’re your cozy little work station is some kind of battle ground and you have to keep ducking , defending and punching from and to emails .This,in no way am I suggesting that Emails are a bad medium of communication . Since its arrival , emails have successfully eliminated time and geography as barriers and has changed the way we do business and more importantly its easy to use and is very simple .Like for all good things in life , the strength of an email is also its weakness. Since it is so easy to use , it becomes very easy to misuse as well .
It is very easy to misinterpret the term” communication” and send emails based on what you think is communication . Sometimes you should know when “not” to send an email as opposed to how to and when to send an email .Since emails are ubiquitous and immediate, its easy to get caught in the heat of the moment and draft in something which you would not necessarily feel proud of when you think of it later .I can think of a few scenarios where I have lost my cool and sent in replies to emails which I can never be proud about and I am sure there would be many who can relate to this . There have been instances where the content of emails falls way below standards and you wonder if this is communication .
I am a big fan of “sarcastic humor” but when sarcasm takes over emails ,it creates a lot of stress, both to the sender and the recipient. The sender expects a reply to his email and keeps checking his emails every 5 minutes while the recipient goes through the pain of reading the email an is under pressure to reply aptly.In both the cases there is stress and a lot of unproductive time being spent.
The risk involved in sarcastic emails stems from the fact that you leave the level of sarcasm to be implied by the recipient.So based on the situation and emotions involved the recipient may well read way too much in to the sender’s email and misunderstand its content. Most times misunderstandings could have been easily avoided if one side or the other did not:
1. Assume what the other meant.
2. Read into an e-mail what wasn’t there.
3. Take the time to be clear about their intent and tone.
There have been more than a few times when I wish that I had thought twice before hitting that dreaded “reply” button.Well somebody said “experience makes you a better person” but the trouble with experience is you don’t get it when you want it .So let me give whoever’s stumbled upon this post an honest suggestion. Before you hit the reply button , sit back and reread the entire email for its intent and tone .If you are very upset , don’t even dare to reply to that email at that moment ;give it some time .
Some use emails to show how busy they are at work . Believe it or not having 300, 500 or 1000 messages in your inbox can be a source of pride that defines how busy and important you are. Well its almost like saying “I pretend to work for my Boss and my Boss pretends to pay me “.
Well , The trick is to manage our time on emails rather than the emails managing us .What I have learned from experience(and some pretty painful ones at that ) is to know which emails needs to be preserved as a document . I just delete the rest and it gives me immense pleasure while doing the same .
Rohit Oonnikrishnan
Well, coming to the topic, if you are a corporate creature,you would quite easily relate with emails going back and forth and you would have wished that your boss would pay you for reading those emails .There would have been times when you must have felt you’re your cozy little work station is some kind of battle ground and you have to keep ducking , defending and punching from and to emails .This,in no way am I suggesting that Emails are a bad medium of communication . Since its arrival , emails have successfully eliminated time and geography as barriers and has changed the way we do business and more importantly its easy to use and is very simple .Like for all good things in life , the strength of an email is also its weakness. Since it is so easy to use , it becomes very easy to misuse as well .
It is very easy to misinterpret the term” communication” and send emails based on what you think is communication . Sometimes you should know when “not” to send an email as opposed to how to and when to send an email .Since emails are ubiquitous and immediate, its easy to get caught in the heat of the moment and draft in something which you would not necessarily feel proud of when you think of it later .I can think of a few scenarios where I have lost my cool and sent in replies to emails which I can never be proud about and I am sure there would be many who can relate to this . There have been instances where the content of emails falls way below standards and you wonder if this is communication .
I am a big fan of “sarcastic humor” but when sarcasm takes over emails ,it creates a lot of stress, both to the sender and the recipient. The sender expects a reply to his email and keeps checking his emails every 5 minutes while the recipient goes through the pain of reading the email an is under pressure to reply aptly.In both the cases there is stress and a lot of unproductive time being spent.
The risk involved in sarcastic emails stems from the fact that you leave the level of sarcasm to be implied by the recipient.So based on the situation and emotions involved the recipient may well read way too much in to the sender’s email and misunderstand its content. Most times misunderstandings could have been easily avoided if one side or the other did not:
1. Assume what the other meant.
2. Read into an e-mail what wasn’t there.
3. Take the time to be clear about their intent and tone.
There have been more than a few times when I wish that I had thought twice before hitting that dreaded “reply” button.Well somebody said “experience makes you a better person” but the trouble with experience is you don’t get it when you want it .So let me give whoever’s stumbled upon this post an honest suggestion. Before you hit the reply button , sit back and reread the entire email for its intent and tone .If you are very upset , don’t even dare to reply to that email at that moment ;give it some time .
Some use emails to show how busy they are at work . Believe it or not having 300, 500 or 1000 messages in your inbox can be a source of pride that defines how busy and important you are. Well its almost like saying “I pretend to work for my Boss and my Boss pretends to pay me “.
Well , The trick is to manage our time on emails rather than the emails managing us .What I have learned from experience(and some pretty painful ones at that ) is to know which emails needs to be preserved as a document . I just delete the rest and it gives me immense pleasure while doing the same .
Rohit Oonnikrishnan
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