Reading The Green

Hoping for Courage and trying for Honor

2012-01-20T23:33:00.002-08:00

Getting away from the daily-grind-of-11-months to a quiet place on an annual vacation does a world of good to your spirit and, amazingly, inspires you in many ways. On my recent annual vacation to my native village where I grew up, I was flooded with inspirational thoughts and I witnessed the “real purpose of life” in simple people, living (in my native village), so happily which is rare. It turned out to be an amazing trip especially in terms of mind and ~~body~~ food. (The “body” took a back seat as the overload of fresh-organic-festive-food had completely thrown the body out of balance. But,it was worth the pain.)

In a crazily busy environment, we would not have the time or the calm-frame-of-mind to examine our spirit to ask ourselves, “Am I am doing what I like to do?” Man, it is a fast life and there is no time to think!! People are easily sucked into the daily grind of mortgages, EMIs, fast food, pills, suitcase-life (travelling) and no-social-life. It is sad to watch people struggle in the fast paced life (A friend of mine travels 25 days a month!!). Oh, they make good money and their career is enviably rocking. It is not that they are desperate for money. It is just that they get sucked into it. One needs a lot of mettle to take the big step of “I quit. I don’t care if the whole world is running after something that is not making any sense.” It is easier said than done. Don’t get me wrong. Money is important, but am I jumping out of my bed in joy every morning to face the world in all aspects of life: God, Health, Family, Passion, Work etc? Whenever I end up having such a conversation with my friends, most of them tell me with a furious face, “What’s wrong with you, man? Are you not happy to see me go on with my life trying so hard not to open my “Pandora’s box”?” Well, I am not an exception, as I am still not out of the woods yet.

Over the past several years, I have been asking myself, “How would I define success in my life?” I had come up with answers many times but, in retrospect, those answers were biased (subconsciously) with worldly priorities and the answers did not survive the throbbing conscience. After having matured through the ups and downs of life (and still much, much more to learn in life), now, I think I seemed to have found the Holy Grail: The ability to be independent from the worldly forces (work, finance) and the capacity to take critical decisions to follow your passions. Well, this idea of independence is not something new to me either. It is a Holy Grail for many too, but thanks to the forces of nature, many of us deviate from the Holy Grail and get sucked into the daily grind. So, what is different and new this time? The conviction has strengthened and the vacation has made a profound impact on how to pursue the Holy Grail.

St. Thomas Church in my native village

And, the other question is “Why do we strive to achieve?” I got a reasonable answer from an unusual source. In the movie, The Blind Side, Michael Oher writes in his article (one of my favorites):

“Courage is a hard thing to figure. You can have courage based on a dumb idea or a mistake, but you are not supposed to question adults or your coach or your teacher. Because they make the rules. Maybe they know the best or maybe they don't. It all depends on who you are and where they come from. Didn’t at least one of the six hundred guys think of giving up and joining with the other side? I mean The Valley of Death! That's pretty salty stuff. That's why courage is tricky; should you always do what others tell you to do? Sometimes you might not even know why you do something. I mean any fool can have courage. But honor, that's the real reason you do something or you don't. It’s who you are and maybe who you want to be. If you die trying for something important then you have both honor and courage and that's pretty good. I think that's what the writer was saying, that you should hope for courage and try for honor and maybe even pray that the people telling you what to do have some too. “

Yes, don’t we all strive for honor? Well, so far, it has been just text book knowledge to me, as I am not out of the woods yet and I am still trying. Here I go…………..hoping for courage and trying for honor.

No more "Hail Mary"

2011-09-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

A "Hail Mary pass" or "Hail Mary play" in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half.

Some people get an easy ride in life and fail to realize the worthiness of what they have. Such peole with a cushy job and a flashy life style may not appreciate what they have that others strive and slog for. I am not being judgemental here. I am talking from personal experience. Talking about people with "no gratitude in life" and "no pain, a lot of gain", I am happy for them, but I do not envy them. For starters, why talk about others, try me 10 years back in Boston. I clearly qualified in this category 10 years back. Been there....done that....nothing much to be proud of. I remember throwing "Hail Mary" all the time and it worked all the time!! It is just that I did not know that I was throwing "Hail Mary" as I had been a Happy-Go-Lucky guy. My critics never had the last word, unfortunately. I wish Tom Brady had a success rate like that......Go Patriots!!

But, this good fortune has to stop someday, right? And, when it stops, the world comes crashing down. And the pain?? It is a terrible jolt that will leave a permanent imprint in your mind that will haunt you for ever.

What's next? What do you do now? I guess that is what defines our character and, ultimately, our lives. Yes, you fell down hard. You just get back on your feet and run again. Your body is not fit enough to match the burning sensation of resilience in your mind. You had not upgraded your skills in your Happy-Go-Lucky life for a long time. You took the foot off the gas pedal. But, now, it is time to endure the pain and get used to fear. The transformation process is so amazing and painful.

Perhaps, it is easy to lie to your friends or lie to your family, as you believe that they will forgive you. But, if you lie to yourself, you will never forgive yourself. I guess, this is the most difficult part of the transformation that will haunt you for the rest of your life. And, the transformation costs dearly in both tangible and intangible ways!!

Ultimately, you ignite the transformation process and, hopefully, the evolution of this newly-hard-earned attitude will cease to gyrate only on the day when we depart for the better world. If not, then we still have not learnt our lesson. As the saying goes....perhaps, it is okay to lose, but when you lose don't lose the lesson.

Having worked in different cultures/continents, the other side of the grass is no longer green to me. I know what I want (to a greater extent). Now, having worked in the Middle East for sometime, I am a bit shocked to see the expats living a very lethargic life, oblivious to the rulthless capitalistic world out there. These folks (blessed, in a way) seldom had to throw "Hail Mary" for over 20 or 30 years. Yes, they have had their share of problems, especially in the health front, but they have had such a peaceful, pleasant and enjoyable family life that is still a dream-come-true for many expats living in the Western world. Trust me, I know it is true!! But, frankly, having learnt my lesson, I will not dare to venture into another Happy-Go-Lucky phase.

Perhaps, my transformation is put to test in an environment where there is hardly any motivation or inspiration. (Please bear with my boasting. It is truly a sense of joy.) Talking about test results, I have made tremendous progress: My weekly 10km runs, my recent 17km run, my 1km swimming, blogging, my target of doing a half marathon this year, I am VP-Public Relations at my Toastmasters Club, my weekly write-up for the Toastmasters Club (http://morisonmuscat.freetoasthost.biz/), progress in the certification/professional front, great progress in the family/personal/relationship front (perhaps, the best of all).

One of the most important lessons that I have learnt in my transformation process is "Humility is the only true wisdom by which we prepare our minds for all the possible changes of life.”

In today's world, most of us will need to throw a "Hail Mary" soon, as the world is bracing for the impact of the world-economic-tsunami that the world has never seen before and, even worse, there are no solutions even from the gurus yet. As Thomas Friedman blogs: the European Union is cracking up. The Arab world is cracking up. China’s growth model is under pressure and America’s credit-driven capitalist model has suffered a warning heart attack and needs a total rethink. Recasting any one of these alone would be huge. Doing all four at once — when the world has never been more interconnected — is mind-boggling. We are again “present at the creation” — but of what?

Let us not stop working and remember to enjoy the journey. Meanwhile, let us prepare ourselves for the "Hail Mary", if required, but at the same time be grateful and enjoy every precious moment of our lives with passion.

Live with passion

2011-08-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

The traditional custom of ‘Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’ was broken when the 2011 World Championship of Public Speaking was webcast live (for the first time ever) from Las Vegas, across the earth. One of the contestants, Kwong Yue Yang of China (Second Place Winner), struck a chord in me with his speech, “Fortune Cookie”, in which he talked about discovering our passions by ourselves rather than aping successful people. Kwong, having received millions of free advice from many, got the best advice ever from a fortune cookie: a piece of paper with nothing written on it. The theme being: one has to discover oneself and not ape someone. The movie, Kungfu Panda revolves around the same theme. And, last but not the least, my favorite movie, “3 idiots” conveys just that.

Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. – Oprah Winfrey

Well said. It is something that gives you a high and keeps you ticking. Even until a few years back, I remember moments in my life when I had felt empty with no excitement although it was weekend or I had nothing to worry about. The moment deserved excitement, but it was empty. Then, I never understood that emptiness and I had always wondered why. Thanks to one of my best friends who turned my life around by helping me discover my passions (blogging, marathon) and my life has never been the same again since then. No matter how bad the circumstance is, I know exactly which string to be pulled to get my spirits high. I travel to my world of passions to experience the “high” that fills the emptiness and the excitement emits so much energy that you become restless which lands me in another dilemma: from emptiness to excitement, you want to do so many things but wonder where to start.

On my recent trip to my native village in India, I came across a few enchanting people who have escaped the corporate rat race, have been blessed with flexible work times, don’t have to commute in a bumper-to-bumper traffic every day and lead an organic lifestyle (pretty much). The best part of it all is that they do not work rather they do what excites them the most: their passions. These fascinating people who have chosen their passions as their professions - Sea farers, teachers, businessmen, businesswomen, musicians, social workers, and teachers – lead an envious life and the excitement is written all over their faces anytime you meet them. One thing that they all have in common is their unshakeable conviction and positive attitude towards life.

It’s incredible!!

In the movie, “Serendipity”, John Cussack’s buddy says to him, "The Greeks didn’t write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: Did he have passion?" True or not, it is a powerful statement that intrigues anyone.

Turning 40!!

2011-07-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

Turning 40!! Getting naughty!! Well, many of my friends and relatives teased me on my 40th birthday. And, I wondered why?! A lot has changed since I looked (young) the way I felt (young). It all seems like yesterday, but 2 decades of adult life has gone past in just a flash. All of a sudden in life, you feel a pause as if it was destined to happen to awaken you from the dream. Man, it is a rude awakening!! Friends of my age, who used to goof around all the time get philosophical over a drink. You start receiving wedding invitations from babies that you used to carry around several years back. Your own kids start talking about their plans for their teen life!! And, that does it. The last big bang of the bell reverberates through your ears so much that you start looking exactly (old) the way you feel (old). Welcome to the 40s!!

A sense of wisdom seeps in your life and you feel a bit serene. At times you start questioning your own convictions on "life" based on which you had taken many critical decisions in your life. You feel that you have not achieved anything although you have not done all that bad. You muster courage to face all the mistakes in life and let go most of the timid false-beliefs or empty-pride. When your kids are old enough to reason over an argument with you, they help you confront your own deepest secrets or weaknesses. Unlocking those gates of darkness gives a sense of comfort and freedom that makes you feel enlightened. Ultimately, you loosen up a lot!!

A very close friend of mine who is a quintessential person of the Catholic Faith (even during the school days), used to intrigue me with his unquestioned, unconditional faith. I never understood his convictions of faith very much many years back, but now I could relate to what he was talking about and it has made an amazing impact in my life. I feel completely free and no fear (almost). The altitude and the horizon of your comprehensive capabilities on the bigger aspects of life gets higher and wider that you start drawing parallels between this blind faith and the ideas that you come across everyday. One of my favorite attitudes (parallel drawn) from the movie, 3 idiots, is the "Aal iz well". Incredibly simple, yet amazing!! It guarantees to get rid of fear in your mind, like the blind faith. And, I wish I had had this faith 20 years back when my close friend used to shower me with plethora of faith related information with an earnest intention of saving another soul (mine).

Although I wanted to be an Engineer even as a kid, I wonder why I wanted to become an Engineer. I wish I had explored other areas of interest rather than to have just followed the crowd (in a way). The movie, 3 idiots, has been an eye opener for many youngsters and "Aamir Khan" is more of a cult these days. Glad to see a cult-trend for something good. It has definitely been an eye openner for me!! The movie does not portray something that is new or revolutionary, but it is just that we have never dared to digress from our conventions. I just loved the last phrase of the entire movie that sums up all: If you chase excellence, success will chase you with its pants down.

Especially, on the "woman" front, you wonder: Oh man, only if I had known so much about women 20 years back!! I am sure a lot of guys my age can relate to it.

For many years until I hit 40, I looked (young) the way I felt (young) and, at 40, after the wisdom has suddently dawned on me during the fateful pause-in-life, I definitely look (old) the way I feel (old). But, hey, it does not matter. In a nutshell, as long the spirit is young we never age. And, to feel young one needs to set challenges every single day to feel alive every moment and raise the bar for the next day. I pat myself on my back to cheer myself for having attained the right attitude at 40 for attitude and not aptitude will determine our altitude.

Basic steps to survive the cyber menace

2011-05-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

One day my friend posted obscene and hurtful messages on the facebook-walls of his close friends. Well, that is according to Facebook. But, in fact, he did not!! Welcome to the untamed world of internet. My friend’s facebook credentials were compromised by a hacker and the rest is history. Thanks to the automated security controls of Facebook, my friend was alerted to reset his password. However, the damage was already done. It is not uncommon to hear thousands of similar incidents everyday around us and yet the awareness among the public is shockingly dismal to the extent of people sticking a post-it, with userid/password written on it, on the computer monitor.

Information Security is more like Global Warming which is a disaster waiting to happen and the world citizens are not prepared to face the inconvenient truth. In today’s world, although there is an overload of information over the web, especially pertaining to real-life security incidents, it is natural for readers to be attracted towards more entertaining Hollywood websites. Who cares until it hits me? Right?

Furthermore, thanks to the advancement of the bad guys, the dangers of Information Security is convoluted with terms like Malware, Spyware, Trojan Horse, Virus, Worm, Spam, Firewalls, IDS, IPS etc. It is simply mindboggling even for most of the IT geeks to get a perspective of this ocean of threats that we humans have created for ourselves in the name of advancement.

Gone are the years when cybercrime used to be a school kid’s amusement park for pranks. Today, cybercrime is a lucrative business that has got the attention of even the underworld dons and the organized crime sector. According to SC Magazine, cybercrime costs organizations $3.8 million per year on average. The overall cost to the UK economy from cybercrime is £27bn per year, according to the first joint Government and industry report. It is estimated that Data theft and breaches from cybercrime may have cost businesses as much as $1 trillion globally (per year) in lost intellectual property and expenditures for repairing the damage.

This is the plight of the big guns around the globe. Now, think of the commoner who uses an old PC at home to browse the internet. Well, the answer is obvious.

A commoner who is oblivious to the technology will be inclined to blame it all on technology. On the contrary, it is the human weakness/aspect that creates all these vulnerabilities. Most of the cybercrimes committed are because of the victims who do not take precautionary steps to protect their information.

Forget the convoluted jargons and technology. As a commoner, there are simple precautionary steps that can be taken to secure the adventure in to the World Wide Web. Here it goes….

1. Install a good anti-virus software in your PC and keep it updated on a daily basis.
2. Create smart and strong passwords. Avoid the passwords relating to your personal life: family names, date of birth, pet name etc.
3. Be smart while chatting. The person who is chatting with you may not be as sweet as he or she seems to be. Do not reveal any personal information even to known people over chat forums.
4. Beware of Phishing Scams: While chatting with you friends, someone, posing as a Bank or Tax Authority, might ask for your IDs or passwords or any identification. Remember, Banks never approach their customers to get such information through chat forums.
5. Never give your passwords or pins even to Bank authorities. If the Bank authority is asking for such passwords, report them to higher authorities.
6. Pay attention to your children’s online activities. Predators do not have to break into your homes anymore. They can break in through the internet cables to reach out to your kids.
7. Online Shopping: Before you decide to use a website for shopping, ensure that the website has a “HackerSafe” logo with current date under it and a locked padlock at the bottom right of the checkout screen.
8. Never open an email from an unknown sender. Even if the sender is known to you, beware of clicking any links or downloading any attachments as the sender’s PC might be infected with virus.
9. Backup your files regularly.
10. While using online banking, always use the virtual keyboard for entering password. With Trojans, your keystrokes on the physical keyboard can be monitored to derive your userid and password. In this case, using virtual keyboards can protect you from Trojans.
11. If you have a wireless router, change the default password. If not, a terrorist can use your internet sitting in a car parked in front of your house and, rest assured, you will be jailed by the authorities.

For some, most of these precautions might sound trivial, but brunt force of cybercrime will not be felt until it really hits you. So, venture into the web responsibly.

My Second Speech......Have a blessed, garbage-free life!

2011-04-09T02:40:00.000-07:00

I thought of sharing my second speech at Toasmasters. Hope you like it....Here it goes....

OPENING
Wife: Darling today is our anniversary, what should we do?
Husband: Sure darling, let us stand in silence for 2 minutes.

Toastmaster of the day, fellow toastmasters, distinguished guests…..Good evening….

BODY
That may perhaps sound like a joke but in sad reality it reflects the state of the institution of marriage today. Divorce statistics from around the world reveal that divorce is on the rise. And, India is no exception. A few years back, a divorce court in India looked like a haunted building. Now, it is one of the busiest buildings in any Indian city. Thanks to our modern India for having become the Outsourcing Hub of the world. There has been tremendous pressure on marriages in past few decades due to globalization that has induced foreign ideas across conservative cultures. Exposure to western culture triggers the human desire to explore the materialistic world. This leads to deterioration of value systems and cultures that were followed for thousands of years. And, then, the problem starts. In a nutshell, the environment that we live in creates those pressures and we gladly carry those bad energies with us home.

So, what do we do in such situations? Have we taken a moment to think about corrective steps when we lose our temper at home? Fellow Toastmasters, I would like to share a story with you today that made a radical impact on my perception of this troubled world. The name of the story is “The Law of the Garbage Truck”.

One day a man hopped in a taxi to get to the airport. The driver was driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of the taxi. The taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the black car whipped his head around and started yelling at the taxi driver. The man was infuriated. But the taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And, I mean, he was really friendly. The man was perplexed and asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when the taxi driver taught him a valuable lesson, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

CONCLUSION
Fellow Toastmasters, today, people start the day by pointing a majestic finger….using the French vocabulary ….honking as an act of road rage…..ignoring you as you wave at them bombarding you with venomous email or morphed mms ….

If that sounds like a morning routine around the world, how much of a culprit are we in this? Actually, most of us are no less competitive. Even if it is our own fault, we have our own set of defensive-vocabulary-kits and tactics to pay such punks back. We would find an excuse for the day to be grumpy and generously share the irritation to anyone who dares to come in our way. And, nothing makes us happier than seeing those punks getting annoyed. And when we get married, we allow this to percolate into our married lives.

MESSAGE
Fellow Toastmasters, let us change……let us be like the TAXI DRIVER….let us be wise and say, “No”, to garbage. Let us not be like the Garbage truck and make sure that we don’t carry garbage and spread it to other people because successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets,
So ... Love the people who treat you right.
Pray for the ones who don't.
Life is ten percent “what you make it” and ninety percent “how you take it! “

Japanese, the quintessential symbol of compassion and resilience

2011-03-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Katrina that ravaged eastern North America in 2005 was the deadliest hurricane since 1928 and the costliest natural disaster in US history. The impact: 1,836 died, USD 81.2 billion in damage, five years later thousands of displaced residents of Mississippi and Louisiana are still living in temporary accommodation. Shortly after the hurricane moved away, there were reports of carjacking, murders, thefts and rapes. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco said, “They have M16s and are locked and loaded. These troops know how to shoot and kill and I expect they will“. To be fair, the US government did it's best in helping the affected people, considering the economic situation of the country at that time.

Hurricane Katrina seems like child-play compared to twin natural disasters and the resulting nuclear crisis that brought the entire Japan to a standstill. Two million Japanese were without electricity, and another 1.5 million were without running water. Up to 140,000 people living within 30 kilometres of the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi plant were under instruction to remain indoors, while 70,000 had already been forced to abandon their homes closer to the plant. Officials estimated the death toll will ultimately exceed 10,000.

But in spite of the overwhelming catastrophe, the Japanese reacted with a calm and positive attitude that is unusual to most of the cultures around the world. One of my friend’s friend who is living in Japan, gave a firsthand account of the grace, compassion, preparedness, planning and resilience that the Japanese demonstrated even during one of the darkest moments in Japanese history. Here it goes:

THE CALM
Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow has been elevated.

THE DIGNITY
Disciplined queues for water and groceries.Not a rough word or a crude gesture.

THE ABILITY
The incredible architects, for instance, Buildings swayed but did not fall.

THE GRACE
People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.

THE ORDER
No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.

THE SACRIFICE
Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid.

THE TENDERNESS
Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.

THE TRAINING
The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.

THE MEDIA
They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.

THE CONSCIENCE
When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly.

That’s incredible!!

Studies show that there is a logical reason behind the concerted resilience demonstrated by the Japanese. The sense of community is very powerful in Japan. The sense of individuality is never in the forefront of the Japanese culture. The Japanese culture is identified with a "cruise ship" more than a "ferry ride". A cruise ship is where the co-passengers are interacting and caring for each other where as it is more of business-as-usual in a ferry ride.

Most of the developed countries are founded on the basis of compassion for humanity. In comparison to an underdeveloped or a developing country, the developed countries definitely demonstrate more compassion for humanity with in and across its borders. However, the compassion and resilience that the Japanese have demonstrated over the past centuries stands out of any other culture in this world.

In 1923, earthquake in Tokyo killed 142,800 and then in 1995, earthquake in Kobe killed 6,400. The Japanese moved on with more energy.

Following their crushing defeat during the Second World War, sealed by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the same dominating spirit was redirected to rebuilding the shattered country. Addressing the nation in 1945, Emperor Hirohito famously said that, "we have resolved to endure the unendurable and suffer what is insufferable". And indeed, that is exactly what happened as the Japanese sprung back to become a world-leading industrial powerhouse.

One might argue that most of the cultures are becoming melting-pots that dilutes the togetherness of a culture. We could give thousands of excuses, but there is something mysterious (apart from the logical reasoning) about the Japanese that helps them hold their heads high with dignity even duirng the darkest moments.

"Compassion" is just a word in many constitutions around the world, but the Japanese have proved that they eat, drink and breath "Compassion" as part of their daily lives and how powerful of a force that can be when the latest and the greatest bleeding-edged technologies are shattered by the mighty force of mother nature.

What on earth is going on?!

2011-03-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

Science fiction has always captured our imagination through Hollywood in screening the wildest phenomenons from Star Wars to 2012. Thanks to the animation technology, it seems more real than "virtual reality".

What has been going on around the world lately is incredible, incomprehensible and, at times, seems like a science fiction movie. The series of social waves that have swept through Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Bahrain seems to continue without much hope for future. Just when the world witnessed the social waves with awe and reeled back into the normal life, earth quake of magnitude 9.0 strikes Japan, followed by tsunami and nuclear radiation. The Japanese Prime Minister Kan Naoto acknowledged that Japan is facing the worst crisis since World War II.

Only a few months back North Korea and Iran were hot topics across the world press. And, all of a sudden, there are no where in the vicinity of the Hot-Spots radar.

The world recession created the mad Gold rush and within a couple of days, the Gold prices nosedived to a three week low. Markets tumble as nuke crisis in Japan sparks risk aversion. Crude prices decline sharply. Companies like BMW are making statements like, "No one knows how the situation will further develop. It is extraordinarily difficult to shift to everday business after the shocking events in Japan." Japan is pumping billions of dollars into market to stabilize their economoy.

But the world chugs along. Indian fans are worried about India's World Cup aspirations. Manchester United is struggling with its losing spree. Irish fans are overjoyed by defeating the English in cricket.

The NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) have their own tactical plans already laid out to face the uncertainity. NRIs are busy discussing the stability of their foreign land and the possibilities of hedging against the potential of currency-depreciation, by converting the loaned amount from foreign currency to Indian Rupees. Hold on, wow!!, Indian Rupees is something that we do count on!! For now, at least.

During these uncertain times, blessed are those people who live in countries - both underdeveloped and developed - that were nurtured to be totally ignorant of the outside world. While most of the world is worried about their future, some of these people don't even know where Japan or Middle East is located on the map. Isolation does happen to be a virtue, sometimes!! But, disconnect with the outside world has cost the world - in terms of war and invasions - beyond human comprehension.

As the world witnesses incredible scenes of disasters and uncertainity, there are intriguing facts that come to light. How did all these disasters occur on the 26th?!

1 Gujarat India earthquake 26 Jan 2001
2 The Rhodes earthquake 26 June 1926
3 Taiwan earthquake 26 April 2010
4 Japan earthquake 26 Feb 2010
5 NE Japan earthquake 26 May 2003
6 NE Japan earthquake 26 July 2003
7 North America earthquake 26 Jan 1700
8 Yugoslav earthquake 26 July 1963
9 Aceh Tsunami 26 Dec 2004
10 Jogjakarta earthquake 26 May 2006
11 Tasik earthquake 26 June 2010
12 Mentawai Tsunami 26 Oct 2010
13 Merapi volcanic eruption 26 Oct 2010
14 Krakatau volcanic eruption 26 Aug 1883 ( 36,000 dead )
15 China earthquake 26 July 1976 ( 255,000 dead )
16 Portugal earthquake 26 Jan 1951 ( 30,000 dead )
17 Kansu, China earthquake 26 Dec 1932 ( 70,000 dead )
18 Turkey earthquake 26 Dec 1939 ( 41,000 dead )
19 Sabah Tidal waves 26 Dec 1996 ( 1,000 dead )
20 Bam, Iran earthquake 26 Dec 2003 ( 60,000 dead )

What on earth is going on?! Only God knows!

But, as long as you are alive, be thankful and stay the course.

Gandhiji's Facebook

2011-03-01T01:23:00.000-08:00

War cost a fortune, millions of lives, social disruption etc. For some of us, this must have been an once-in-a-lifetime experience to witness and for most of us, fortunately, it is all hearsay.

Invading Iraq was a collosal waste of innocent lives and resources. Iraq and Afganistan wars have cost the American taxpayers over USD 1 Trillion (estimated). The total GDP of all the 52 countries in Africa is over USD 1 Trillion !! How about that?! Incredible!! The US Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, made a lot of sense in delivering this punchline:

“In my opinion, any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should ‘have his head examined,’ as General MacArthur so delicately put it,”

All you can say is "What on earth were you thinking?!"

This kind of a military invasion is an entirely different ballgame played by the mightiest and resourceful superpowers and, as a result, we are witnessing the pain and suffering of humanity. And, the best part is that it is not over.

In 2011, we have started witnessing another kind of invasion which is, one way or the other, more aligned with Gandhiji's "ahimsa" and "satyagraha". This is a virtual invasion of not just one country, but an entire region. One need to get a visa and cross the border of a country. Thanks to the internet, especially the Facebook. All one needs is a computer-linked-to-net.

Just imagine, one fine morning a bunch of enthusiasts pick a country, creates a forum and starts stiring the human emotions. There you go. A revolution begins.

It sounds that simple. Well, it is, indeed, not that simple. However, think "Invasion of Iraq" and you might concur that it is simple. Thanks to advancement of human race in Communication Systems.

Just to get a fundamentally contrasting perspective, let us shift gears to the British Raj in India over 64 years back. It is incredible to imagine that world which was so disconnected and disconcerted with out Internet or Facebook.

And now, imagine spreading the nationalist fervor to the masses, mostly poor and illetrate, with no internet or facebook. Well, one needs a solemn power to accomplish that. That is how best we could describe Gandhiji's power, grit, determination, desire, ability, patience, perseverance.

Gandhiji spread his message partly through the press, writing and editing both ‘Indian Opinion’ and ‘Young India’. Gandhiji was a prolific writer. For decades he edited several newspapers including Harijan in Gujarati, in Hindi and in the English language.

Internet might not have made much sense considering the economic status of Indians then. And no wonder, it took Gandhiji over 30 years to ignite a collective spirit in India (1915-1945). But, in today's world, Gandhiji's ideals are being semi-automated, so to speak, through facebook and it takes just a few months - not decades - to kindle the human spirit.

It took 30 years then. Now, perhaps, a few months!! Now, that is an improvement that humans can be proud of. Thanks to Gandhiji's Facebook.

Relevant blog: The Untamed Web ==> http://readingthegreen.blogspot.com/2011/01/untamed-web.html

My First 10k Run

2011-02-18T01:49:00.000-08:00

It was absolutely intriguing to hear people talk about Running as if it is some kind of a solemn phenomenon.

"It is exhilarating"
"It is the epicenter of discipline, motivation, health, focus etc."
"Whatever you want to achieve, is very much within your control and Running can make you believe in that."

I wondered how on earth could this be possible?! If the secret of success could be that simple, then why do we not see that many people running?! Hmm, I wondered and got into running last month. I had to discover and experience the high myself.

I just couldn't resist. So, I started running. It is so true that the mind pushes the body and the body pushes the mind. Run...Run...Run. The "HIGH" feeling is very special and running in Oman makes it even more special. While you are about to throw the hat, the scenic Oman eases the pain and inspires anyone to run.

I set myself a target of 10km for 2011. On hearing my target, a marathon enthusiast smirked, "10km is nothing. You will do it in no time." Well, I did not believe it until today. I did my first 10K today. And, the feeling is incredible. Well, now I know that 10K is not much, but it is a significant step forward.

Now that the first target is done within one month, my subconscious mind has set a target of 21km - half marathon. Well, I guess, that's how addictive running can be.

Fearless

2011-02-08T00:27:00.000-08:00

111 million people tuned in to watch the Super Bowl XLV and saw the Green Bay Packers lift the Super Bowl. Thanks to the Packer's defense and Andy Rodgers, of course. Most of the teams build their strong foundation with the defense.

"A strong defense and an aggressive offense is the key."

As a child I have seen my dad trying to get this phrase into the soccer players' heads when I used to tag along with him during soccer training sessions.

I have come to really comprehend and appreciate the phrase, as I started facing the world as a man. In essence, the defense is to have your fundamentals clearly understood and have an aggressive attitude in pursuing unexplored areas.

In the movie, 3 Idiots, Amir Khan has artistically and beautifully infiltrated the minds of the young with one of the secrets of SUCCESS: "All iz well." Amazing!! When a person is paranoid, the mind becomes too defensive and it is a disaster waiting to happen. Even worse is that people get used to a reactive lifestyle of "Procrastination".

From Super Bowl to My dad's soccer tips to Amir Khan, the concept is simple: No fear. How to achieve that? That too, in the Corporate world?!! At times, we hang to roles at Organizations hoping for that promotion and, as a result, end up as a frustrated whiner.

One of my close friends encapsulated the concept of "No Fear" in one word: RELEVANCE

Are you relating yourself to your Organization?

Or

Are you relating yourself to the Industry?

In a nutshell, are you a "Frog in a well"? This limits our horizon, perception and, as a result, opportunities. When we relate ourselves to a greater and bigger world, it motivates us to get better and this strengthens our desire to rediscover ourselves, redefine priorities and, most importantly, take control of our lives. In the end, you are not at the mercy of your boss. It is the other way round.

People might get carried away and confuse fearlessness with recklessness. For sure, I have done this mistake once. I think it is not just about telling your mind to be fearless. Rather, you prepare yourself fundamentally and relate yourself with a greater and wider horizon. Rest assured, you will be in the FEARLESS zone.

Having entered the FEARLESS zone, sky is the limit.

The good old lifestyle for better health.

2011-02-01T02:37:00.000-08:00

Cough!

You will be served milk with turmeric and pepper!!

Body heat!!

You will be given the option of selecting the least torturous option: oil massage or fenugreek!!

To fight cancer, you will be stuffed with one-tomato-a-day as a precautionary measure!!

We wondered! Where the heavens did this grandma come from?! We dreaded those times of misery and would do anything to get away. We were subdued by sheer physical power to dump that organic medicine into our body. Most of the time, physical force is not required. I am sure we all remember the infamous look by our parents or grandma that would have wilted a starched collar or a stare that would have humbled Clint East Wood.

In retrospect, we all have our fond memories of someone who took care of us in an organic lifestyle. Now, having become parents we long for those days and feel sad that those organic lifestyles are almost extinct.

Invariably, in every household, there is a cupboard dedicated for organizing the pills-of-the-family. Thanks to the fast paced lifestyle of one-pill-solution for everything. What about after effects?! Who cares?! If I can get through today, I am fine.

Having grown up in a village for 18 years, we had Organic food and we were not aware of inorganic food. On the contrary, fancy tinned food was a luxury and we used to look at it with such admiration.

Like many others, I have spent a significant part of my weekend life in buying groceries - during my 10 years in the US and Canada - at supermarkets. Every single time I walk into a supermarket there is one very small - but expensive - aisle that makes me smirk to myself. It is the Organic section. This is the pinnacle of hypocrisy: We humans have evolved and advanced so much especially in Health and Medicine and, yet, there is hardly any food item that is without preservatives and artificial flavors.

India was immune to this human weakness. Not anymore. On my recent visit to India, I was shocked to see the pride of people in demonstrating their Coke and Pepsi, trying so hard to get accepted in a certain social class. Thanks to the power of advertising!!

About a decade back, I too was blinded by the euphoria of fanciful preserved food. But, I have turned the corner and have realized the values of good old healthy habits. Since then I have hardly gone to the doctor or had a pill. But, it took me so many years to cultivate certain habits. Over the years, I have practiced certain good habits which have made me a better person. I thought of sharing some of them...

• Drink 1 litre of water first thing in the morning to cleanse your bowel.
• Milk with oat bran for breakfast. Add some honey for sweetness. Do not add honey when the oats is hot.
• Have a sandwich around 11 am.
• Have salads for lunch or dinner. Salad can have Iceberg Lettuce, Baby Carrots, One Tomato, Sunflower seeds. You can be creative in selecting the vegetable as per your taste. For salad dressings, I like Thousand Island.
• Have a snack around 3pm: Almonds or Digestive biscuits
• For dinner, I love to have healthy Chinese stir-fry preferably using Olive oil. Typically, I have my dinner at 6pm and then a cup of milk at 9pm.
• After every meal, I have a cup of green tea (after one hour from the meal time).

Yes, it might sound crazy, but you will get used to it, especially if you are physically active in terms of running or swimming or walking. Exercise is an important part of the lifestyle and it can prove to be a great motivator to restrict you to healthy food.

Hey, I heard that.

I am not a sick minded nut to follow such a routine. In fact, I surprise most of my friends with my junk-food habits. I do take breaks from this routine. I pat myself on my back by treating myself with a juicy, deep-fried, high cholestrol burger from KFC, occasionally. I have never missed a week without a double toasted Sesame Bagel with two layers of herb & garlic cream cheese. I used to have a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts at a time. I don’t miss a chance to have that roadside pani puri. I try not to notice where the vendor is scratching with his fingers before dipping his hands into the the pani-pot. (Yikes, at times, I am disgusting!) But, the point is that I do enjoy life.

I think we are constantly looking for solutions - in the shelves of the supermarkets – to fix our health problems. A bit of reflection into our own once-upon-a-time forgotten simple and healthy lifestyle will pave the way for a healthy future.

So you want to enjoy life? Stock up your immune system with plenty of greens and anti-oxidants. You can have guilt-free Krispy Kreme donuts and plenty of quarter-pounders at McDonalds.

Good luck. Have A HEALTHY AND A HAPPY 2011.

Have a blessed, garbage-free day!

2011-01-28T01:15:00.000-08:00

Honking. The majestic middle finger. The French vocabulary. Road Rage. A driver (talking on a mobile) in front of your car doing 60 miles per hour on the fast lane. A rich poser racing the engine of a huge SUV while waiting at a traffic light. A discourteous punk trying to get ahead of the queue of people, anxiously waiting for their dose of morning caffeine at a Coffee Shop. People pretending to not notice you as you wave at them to hold the elevator. The colleague who always blesses your day with a venomous email.

That pretty much sounds like a morning routine around the world, ehh. So, how do most of us react to this uncaring and discourteous environment? We smile and start another great day by saying, "What a wonderful world?!!

Right? No, wrong.

Most of us are no less competitive. Even if it is our own fault, we have our set of defensive-vocabulary-kits and tactics to pay such punks back. We would find a great excuse for the day to be grumpy and generously share the irritation to anyone who dares to come in the way. And, nothing makes us more happy than seeing the punk getting annoyed.

Humans, ehh!!

Our parents used to say, "Just ignore." It is easier said that done. Isn't it!!

Recently, a friend of mine had sent a simple story which made a strong impact in my life. And, amazingly, it has helped me shrug off any such punks at any time of the day or night, with a smile. Here it is.

The Law of the Garbage Truck
One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!

The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!'

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets,
So ... Love the people who treat you right.
Pray for the ones who don't.
Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!
Have a blessed, garbage-free day!

Decoding one of the world’s greatest mysteries: your woman

2011-01-26T01:11:00.000-08:00

Intriguing topics develop during water-cooler conversations at work.

“I did not know that a snake has been living in my car for weeks…..and I was not aware of that except for the hissing sound which I thought was a fault in the car.”

“My car spun over 6 times on 401 and I escaped unscathed….”
Interesting?!

Thanks to many such real life stories that helps us drive our blues away.

One common story that jumps out is about the better halves. Yeah. “She did this, she did that…..I cannot live with it and I cannot live without it…..”

My American friends and I used to debate a lot about cultures and marriages of USA vs India. They used to tease me in a friendly way saying, “How on earth can you marry someone whom your parents think is suitable for you?!! I can never do that!!” I shoot back with a wry smile, “Because I do not want to have 4 kids from 4 different marriages.” Typically, my friends let me have the last word in this topic.

I listened to a sermon in a Church during a wedding. I learnt something priceless. The priest said that over 50% of the marriages fail in North America and when he counseled couples with marital problems, the common answer that heard was, “He or She is not the right person for me.” It was a very powerful and intense sermon and the priest had already captured the attention of everyone in the church. As the priest was about to conclude with the secret of a successful married life, I am sure it woke a lot of people who were day dreaming. (I sure did.) The priest concluded with an impressive punch line: “It is not about finding the right person. It is about being the right person.”

I am no philosopher, especially in this topic. However, since then, I have made consistent efforts to decode the secret of making a wife happy. It has been over 13 years and I am not even done scratching the surface. But, I did not feel bad about my efforts and it made me feel better when I discussed this topic with my 60 year old friend who snickered at me saying, “Yeah, right! I have been doing that for 40 years and I have reached nowhere.”

But, hey, it is not all that bad and there are definitely perks in learning certain exceptional diplomatic finesse. Stop laughing. You will need this. Good luck. Here we go....

Always be yourself
Women are much more attracted to men who display a lot of self-confidence.' You must have seen guys that are none too attractive with a beautiful woman. This is because she is attracted to his self-esteem and personality, which actually make an ugly guy look attractive.

Little things count
If you know she needs help with something, just do it without asking because she will feel like you really do notice what is going on and she will love you for it. Woman do notice and appreciate these things.

Don't take her for granted
Let her know every day, or at least whenever you are with her, that she is special to you and you want to be with her and no one else. A woman wants to feel like she is the most beautiful in the room in your eyes, so if you want to keep your woman happy, make sure she feels that way.

Make her laugh
Women love men with a good sense of humour even though men seem to think that it's good looks that attract a woman. If you can make a woman laugh, she will be much more likely to feel connected to you.

Be sensitive
Try to be aware of how she is feeling. If you are sensitive to whatever she may be going through, she will be aware of it and will definitely appreciate that you care enough to pay attention.

In case, I have rekindled your misery, I apologize. But, if it is any consolation, please read the following:

Disclaimer:
You are strongly advised not to get carried away and try the following at home. These were tried by highly frustrated men with no brains. But, in case you try to be Mr. Smarty Pants, I am not responsible for any reaction from the folks of Venus (Men are from Mars. Right?!).
---------------------
Why doesn't law permit a man to marry a second woman?
Because as per law you cannot be punished twice for the same offense!
---------------------
Man: Is there any way for longlife?
Dr: Get married.
Man: Will it help?
Dr: No, but the thought of longlife will never come.
---------------------
Why do couples hold hands during their wedding?
It's a formality just like two boxers shaking hands before the fight begins!
---------------------
Wife:Darling today is our anniversary, what should we do?
Husband: Let us stand in silence for 2 minutes.
---------------------
It's funny when people discuss Love Marriage vs Arranged.
It's like asking someone, if suicide is better or being murdered.
---------------------
It is difficult to understand GOD. He makes such beautiful things as women and then he turns them into Wives.
---------------------
Before marriage, a man will lie awake all night thinking about something you say. After marriage, he'll fall asleep before you finish.
---------------------
There's a way of transferring funds that is even faster than electronic banking. It's called marriage.
---------------------
Girlfriends are like chocolates, taste good anytime.
Lovers are like PIZZAS, Hot n spicy, eaten frequently.
Husbands are like Dal RICE, eaten when there's no choice.
---------------------
Man receives telegram: Wife dead-should be buried or cremated?
Man: Don't take any chances. Burn the body and bury the ash.
---------------------
Prospective husband:
Do you have a book called 'Man, The Master of Women'?
Salesgirl: The fiction department is on the other side, sir.
---------------------
There was this guy who told his woman that he loved her so much that he would go through hell for her. They got married and now he is going thru hell.
---------------------
Fact of life: One woman brings you into this world crying & the other ensures you continue to do so for the rest of your life!
---------------------

The Untamed Web

2011-01-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

For over a century, propaganda war has been one of the greatest weapons among the countries and blocks. From Hitler to the WMD gaffe, the mighty and the powerful have used the media to convince the masses across the world about stories that never happened. In retrospect, it appears as if the past and future events were premeditated, orchestrated and implemented with impeccable precision. Thank God, the premeditated and orchestrated outcomes of such events are not predictable.

But, since the dawn of the internet era, the clout on the propaganda game is shifting towards a small group of people from different countries and ethnic groups. They might be small, but their collective power has helped topple governments and shutdown biggest corporations. They might look different and speak different languages. But, they all have a common goal: Fight against the unjust. And, the superpowers or the rich or the powerful can do nothing about it. Thanks to the Web and Social Networking. It is called the Cyber War.

This is how it works to wage a Cyber War.

All you need is to mobilize an intensely fast-paced Internet forum with hundreds of determined activists and a simple piece of software called a Low Orbit Ion Cannon. Activists choose targets by consensus, download the LOIC – initially developed to help Internet security experts test website vulnerability to DDoS attacks – and start firing packets of data at the targeted website.

• Role in Tunisia’s “Jasmine Revolution”.
• Wikileaks-inspired attacks on Mastercard and Visa.
• Attack on Zimbabwe government (seen as enemies of free speech).
• Attack on Estonian government (due to a row between Estonia and Russia)

There have been reports about Tunisian inspired demonstrations in Yemen and Algeria. I can imagine a group of activist working day and night to facilitate demonstrations and add fuel to fire. Most of these activists claim that they do not have bad intentions and they consider themselves as good Samaritans fighting for the weak against the unjust powers.

Pen is mightier than the sword. Cliché, but it is apt for any generation, as it reflects the power of the human mind and spirit. Books and Newspapers are used to rekindle the human spirit, but the power of it has lost its thrust and reliance, as most of the World events are perceived by the public as orchestrated. Thanks to the Corporations that have tamed the offline media.

The Internet has evolved as an effective online platform for Social Networking. The intuitiveness and accessibility of the Internet for the masses has made it so powerful and intensive to stir the human spirit across boundaries.

Thanks to the untamed Web. At least, it is untamed for now.......

99 Years Young!! And, still pursuing excellence!!

2011-01-22T20:05:00.000-08:00

My friend inspired me to start running, during my recent trip to Mumbai. It was electrifying to just hear the dedication of common people to run marathons irrespective of their long work hours, long commute, financial limitations etc. I felt so small. So with so much enthusiasm, I started running and magically, I seemed to have inspired a couple of friends who readily joined me for the run. Setting a target of 21 km by the end of 2011, I ran 5 km last weekend and 6 km this weekend. It was a beautiful feeling!! But, the day after, the feeling was not all that great. My knees hurt like hell. Although I had done enough study on pronation, I was not wearing the arch-foot-pad inside my shoe. Although I knew that this pain will fade away, my apprehensions about knee injury grew. And, that is when I read this inspiring story of a 99 year old Sikh man who is a World Record holder in marathon!!

Fauja Singh (born April 1, 1911) started running at the age of 81 and holds a world record in his age bracket. Fauja has participated in innumerable competitions worldwide, his fame prompting then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to invite him to run in the inaugural Lahore Marathon in January 2005. He holds 12 Commonwealth, European and British records for his age-group, ran as one of the torch-bearers for the Athens Olympics in 2004 and was chosen, in 2005, as the Official Starter of the second biggest marathon in the UK, held in Edinburgh.

Fauja has broken bread at the Buckingham Palace with the Queen, who awarded him the runner-up award of Living Legend at Windsor Castle in 2006. More recently, Fauja was part of the Queen's Baton Relay, when it was flagged off in London as the run-up to the Commonwealth Games 2010 to be held in Delhi later this year.

His indefatigable spirit has won him a legion of fans. Impressed, sportswear giant Adidas chose Fauja to feature alongside David Beckham on its ‘Impossible is Nothing' campaign. Not only was his face splashed on huge billboards globally in 2004, Adidas named a shoe-range in his honor. And to think Fauja hadn't heard of Beckham until he was contacted for the ad campaign!

About the campaign, Fauja recalls, "My grandsons told me he was a very famous boy who played football. I was taken to a big stadium where they took my photos. Later, they gave me these shoes." He excitedly rolls up his trousers to reveal trainers named after him.

From living in a small town, Beas Pind in Punjab, for most part of his life - where his only skill was growing sugarcane and wheat - to becoming the poster boy for a whole generation of marathon athletes, the story of Fauja's life reads like fiction. But the marathon man ascribes his tremendous feats to God.

He came to live in the United Kingdom after he lost his wife and a son in quick succession over two decades ago, and moved in with another son in East London. Unable to cope with the bereavement and loneliness of living in a foreign country, a desperate Fauja realized he needed something that could alleviate his pain and infuse a sense of purpose in his otherwise vapid life. Before long, he rediscovered the passion of his youth. Fauja started running.

• Rediscovered at age of 81
• Marathons run: London (5), Toronto (1), New York (1)
• Marathon debut: London, 2000, aged 89
• London Flora Marathon 2000: 6:54
• London Flora Marathon 2001: 6:54
• London Flora Marathon 2002: 6:45
• Bupa Great North Run (Half Marathon) 2002: 2:39
• London Flora Marathon 2003: 6:02
• Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2003: 5:40
• New York City Marathon 2003: 7:35
• London Flora Marathon 2004: 6:07
• Glasgow City Half Marathon 2004: 2:33
• Capital Radio Help a London Child 10,000 m 2004: 1:08
• Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon 2004: 2:29:59

Incredible!! Inspiring!!

I am hitting 40 and I wonder if I have not achieved anything. My restless mind constantly explores passions and avenues to excel, hoping for excellence and achievements. I feel that I am running out of time. Not anymore. Fauja Singh inspires me to continue the exploration and strengthens my spirit to excel.

A humble salute to Fauja Singh.

Oman, a safe haven.....

2011-01-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

It was just another day for me to make a living. It was snowing heavily. The chilling cold had slowed my pace of everything to get ready to work. As I enter the company campus, there are a series of parallel things-to-do running in my mind. Well, things are not of saving-the-world in nature. It is mostly checking the Application, Database etc. I sigh and let go of my body to freefall on a cushioned chair. To my surprise, I am denied access to the Computer Network. Come on, now!! I control everything in the computer systems. I might have typed the password wrong. As I carefully retype my user credentials, I could sense somebody approaching from behind. In a haste, as I turned, the first thing that I saw was a huge belly and a holster with a gun. A deep voice said, “Sir, can I escort you to the Director’s office”. Guess what? I was being laid off. I said to myself, ”Welcome to America”. (Well, there is good side of America as well.) This was my Boston days in 2002. It was post-911 and finding a job was difficult than conquering Mount Everest. Anyways, I shrugged off the problems and got through somehow. But, this incident made a strong impact in my simple, humble history.

Now, having moved to Oman, in an effort to escape the rat race, explore other cultures and not lose control of my life, I can appreciate the Omani Beauty. Orderly life, no social unrest, no mass layoffs, stable economy, almost perfectly balanced family life, assured annual vacations, not much of traffic jams, a country that truly admires her leader etc. The list is very, very long. Oman has developed to be a very peaceful and progressive country because of a well planned and architected vision by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said.

Most of all, I am truly impressed with the Omani people. The kind of respect that the Omani people show to the expatriates is incredible. I am very grateful to Omani people for such show respect and hospitality. I am sure most of the expatriates feel that way.

Having worked in other extreme conditions, I am perhaps one of the very few that appreciate Oman life than most people living in Oman, including Omanis. I guess, Oman life is the other extreme of a chaotic, machine life. I call it my safe haven.

During 2008, when the after effects of the bubble-burst in the American economy was still shaking the World economy, most of the countries were panicking to clean up their backyard filled with the garbage of financial mismanagement. Even during these turbulent times, while many other countries were trying to hold themselves together to survive, Oman was rated as one of the top ten countries in the world that was immune to the disastrous financial shockwaves that rocked the World economy (It still is). Now, that is something to be proud of. Kudos to Oman, especially to its leader, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said!!

The Chief of United Nations, Ban ki-Moon, said “The progress the Omani people have achieved in 40 years is commendable and it is a shining light among the rest of the Arab countries. It is an enviable example to follow.”

Hillary Rodham Clinton, The United States Secretary of State, on her recent visit to Oman said “If I could take the magic formula of Oman’s growth in a bottle, I will take it to other countries in the region.”

Well, Oman’s success could not have been certified better!!

I came to Oman to explore and also take control of my life even if it meant compromising my professional growth and money potential. I am really glad that I found exactly what I wanted in this beautiful Safe Haven. Like many other expatriates who have ended up living in Oman for over 2 to 3 decades, I wish to live in this Safe Haven for a long time, if not for decades.

Vacationing in a Coastal Wonderland…..

2011-01-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

I feel like I need a long vacation because I came back from my vacation just last week. This is such a cliché. Isn’t it? The vacation was great!! Very gratifying!!
Wonderland? Yes. A small coastal village located at the southern tip of the Indian Peninsula that has history of over 450 years. Christianity blossomed in the village as early as 1534. The village is called as Virpandianpatnam. In short, Patnam. Patnam has mostly Catholic population with over 6000 people and is sandwiched between a Hindu town in the south and a Muslim town in the North. The beauty of it is that all have lived together harmoniously for centuries.
Patnam is an intriguing place from all perspectives. The entire population is Catholic except for the floating population. There are over 10 churches. One of the churches is 125 years old. Almost all are related to one another, as most of the marriages are arranged among the villagers. For any wedding, almost half of the village is invited. For any funeral, the entire village is there to support. Every morning the villagers attend the mass at 5.15 am. For every Christmas, all the villagers living in different cities and countries make it a point to spend their Christmas vacation in Patnam. So it is not uncommon to see Patnam born Americans, Canadians, Australians, Singaporeans, Malaysians etc. roaming around Patnam during Christmas.
Yes, I grew up in this beautiful Patnam for over 18 years. When I visited Disney Land, Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, The Alps, it was a great feeling. But, honestly, to be in Patnam, the feeling is priceless. I intend to retire in Patnam someday. I hope my dream comes true.

Credit Card Scams at Hotels

2011-01-16T10:05:00.000-08:00

Human weakness is a hacker's paradise. Human weakness?! Pride, Overconfidence, Ignorance etc. And, I am not even talking about high-tech hacking. Common sense is good enough to qualify as a hacker. Here is a real-time example of how anyone with a fairly decent common sense can avail human weakness.

You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. When checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for all the charges for your room). You get to your room and settle in. Someone calls the front desk and asked for (example) Room 620 (which happens to be your room).

Your phone rings in your room. You answer and the person on the other end says the following, 'This is the front desk. When checking in, we came across a problem with your charge card information. Please re-read me your credit card number and verify the last 3 digits numbers at the reverse side of your charge card.

Without much thought, you might give this person your information, since the call seems to come from the front desk. But actually, it is a scam of someone calling from outside the hotel/front desk. They ask for a random room number. Then, ask you for credit card information and address information. Sounding so professional that you do think you are talking to the front desk.

If you ever encounter this problem on your vacation, tell the caller that you will be down at the front desk to clear up any problems. Then, go to the front desk and ask if there was a problem. If there was none, inform the manager of the hotel that someone called to scam you of your credit card information acting like a front desk employee.

Never underestimate such fraudsters. They specialize in Human Weakness and they will get to you before you know it.

Wadis in Oman

2010-03-04T00:58:00.001-08:00

A wadi is a dried up riverbed found in the mountain valleys. Wadis come into their own after heavy rains, when the rivers start running again and the vegetation is restored. However, some wadis have year-round running water, with deep, cool pools in which it is quite safe to swim if the currents are slow. On the whole, wadis are only accessible with a four-wheel drive vehicle, as the terrain can be extremely bumpy.

Wadis are green, lush oases of palm trees, grasses, and flowering shrubs. It is always safest to visit wadis in a group or with a tour guide. Although they are beautiful places, they are often remote and car breakdowns can happen to anyone. Visitors must also be on the alert for rain clouds, as sudden downpours can lead to flash floods, which are highly dangerous when in the gorges.

A wadi is very dangerous if it is taken lightly, especially during rain. Imagine an empty pathway that gets filled with water in no time, during rainy days. In a region of deserts, one ought to wonder about the might of Mother Nature that pumps millions of gallons of water from nowhere.

People who do not realize the dangers of wadi, especially foreigners, are the most vulnerable victims. One does not have to dumb enough to go for the swim on a rainy day. One could get washed away along with their vehicles (no matter how huge and powerful the four-wheel drive is) if they are not patient enough to wait for the wadi to slow down.

Wadis are not necessary in the forest. Out of nowhere, you might come across a wadi on a drive in a highway. Even some of the local people, sometimes, have been consumed by these wadi just because they ignored the warning and crossed the wadis in their four-wheel drives. The crazy part is that the victim's bodies and their vehicles might be found, if lucky, perhaps, several miles away, after a few days.

But, if you plan your trip carefully, it could be one of the most memorable experiences of your lifetime. I have seen such locations only in movies. I was lucky to go for a picnic to a wadi which is in the picture on the right. Imagine swimming all morning....chicken curry and rice by the banks of the wadi.....a nap......then swimming.....It was wonderful and memorable......

You run out of superlatives…….

2009-12-18T22:12:00.000-08:00

The follow-spot focused on the other dignitaries that walked to the stage. The boisterous crowd was getting restless trying to spot the guest of the evening, but for a few seconds there was speculation all over as to where the guest was. Adding fuel to fire, the follow-spot was flashed all over the stage to further scramble and confuse the audience’s attempt to spot this guest on or near the stage. To everyone’s surprise the stage backdrop split open and this person walked on to the stage waving to the screaming crowd. The crowd went berserk as if they had just seen a superstar. If you are an assuming person and if you did not know who was going to appear, you would be in for a big surprise.

“You run out of superlatives”, said one of the Sri Lankan cricketers to portray Tendulkar’s achievements. This phrase crossed my mind when I was one of the thousands of Indians that thronged to watch a great human speak, just a few meters away. This person is not richer than Tendulkar, but an Indian who has achieved great successes beyond fame and wealth. The person had a sheepish smile. If you are not an unassuming person, you might consider this person’s outward appearance as very sub-standard. His unusual hairstyle was intriguing. But, he entered the stage like a rock star amidst boisterously cheerful crowd. Is the suspense killing you? Good. It is no other than our great, humble, simple “Missile Man of India”. The person is also called as the People’s President. You still have not got it. Eh?! No worries. At first, I didn’t either. It was no other than our eleventh President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. A true superstar indeed….

Thousands of school students had the honor of having Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as the Chief Guest of an event in Muscat, Oman. The man is an epitome of simplicity and humility. The man has no mask playing the role of a superstar. He was just him. He spoke very simple English, yet so powerful that the crowd erupted for every word uttered. His word was strikingly clear and connecting with the audience. He made the students and parents say some oaths which were very untypical and powerful.
I am not sure if the students realize the fantastic opportunity given to them to meet the “People’s President”. The credit goes to the committee members that had worked so hard for over six months to make this grand function happen. Kudos to the committee members and many that worked behind the scenes.

It is a shame that such heroes are being sidelined in India’s political world. As humans, it is fair to assume that, most of us have wondered whether honesty, fairness, simplicity and humility will ever make us successful in our materialistic life. But, this man, with all these rare qualities, has made it all the way to the President’s office. That is great way to lead by example.

He spoke of some incidents in his life that were strikingly powerful.
The first incident was when his school teacher took the students to the beach in Rameswaram where he was born and bred. The teacher pointed towards a bird and explained how the birds fly. That incident lit a spark in his innocent mind and triggered a sequence of thoughts determined to become somebody in the field of aeronautics. He ended up making missiles. The rest is history.

The second incident was about his encounter with a group of tribal students during his tour across India, as part of his stupendous “India Vision 2020”. While many students expressed their ambitions to become a doctor or an engineer, there was one student whose response was particularly incredible. This student was visually challenged. The visually challenged student said to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, “I want to be the first visually challenged President of India”.

Well, I could not imagine what would have gone through Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s mind when he heard this. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam encouraged this boy to study well so that he could achieve his goals. The visually challenged boy scored high marks. His hard work, determination and ambition were so intense that he was selected by the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Boston. Inspired by this visually challenged boy’s spirit, MIT has waived his fees 100%.

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam paused for a few seconds, collected his thoughts, level-headed his emotions and said something very impressive about this boy. One could sense the joy and pride that Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had when he said, “This boy was offered a job by GE once he completed his studies. His response to GE: I will definitely take the job if I will not become the first visually challenged President of India”.

Impressive indeed!!

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has dedicated his life to ignite young minds across India. Imagine the capacity of igniting young minds like the mind of the visually challenged boy. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is doing a marvelous job of igniting millions of young minds. He is a true superstar and to describe a superhuman like Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, you run out of superlatives.

http://www.indiavision2020.org/

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s theme of the speech:
AIMING LOW IS A CRIME.

A trip down the memory lane....

2009-09-22T23:43:00.000-07:00

Living in a hostel nestled in a chain of mountains is a dream come true. During the fog-filled mornings, the next building is hardly visible and jumping-out-of-your-bed every morning is unpopular in this scenic region. I am referring to the beautiful campus of Bharathiar University, Coimbatore where I completed two years of my studies in 1994. It was a great life. The biggest worry was to prepare for multiple seminars and execute multiple projects. Every weekend, it would be a crime not to pay our respects to a popular chaat-joint downtown. I am yet to taste a better chaat. No kidding. This is the best. And then, we would religiously visit Sampoorna (Fish curry) and Annapoorna (coffee). This was life and we were supremely confident that life would be far more better in the corporate world. I guess, everyone knows the answer for that.

I had to visit Coimbatore last month and I was mysteriously excited as it had been fourteen years since I visited Coimbatore, the last time. To cut to the chase, the trip was wonderful. I wanted to experience the same simple way of life (during those days), which was very gratifying. No AC-trains, no cabs, no fancy hotels etc.,. With a spoilt-lifestyle that I (we all) have embraced so easily and conveniently, this one day trip would have costed me Rs. 5k all included. However, it costed me just Rs. 2k all included. It was a great feeling taking the bus. The bus experience was just the same except for the blunt stare that the co-passengers give you (not rude though). I visited the University, the professors etc., and I was amazed at the beautiful campus where I lived for two years. I was requested to bore the students with my lecture for one hour which I did. Poor guys...

Now that my work at the University was done, I was excited to check out the chaat-joint that I was not sure if it existed after fourteen years. My memory and passion for such things are fairly accurate. I walked the streets and tracked the chaat-joint. I could not believe that the taste was immaculately same. Amazingly, I could remember the taste. hmm....I am not sure if that is even good english, but that is how best I could portray my experience.

For the benefit of folks-like-me (who would take the time to smell the roses), I have given the location of the chaat-joint and some recommendations....

RK Chaat
10th street (off cross cut road - lane opposite to Patmos Prayer house)
Take the first left and it is the second shop on your left

Try Cutlet chaat, bhel puri.....trust me....it is worth the trek.

Got right shoes?

2009-03-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

As part of the resolution for 2009, I started jogging and I have been quite successful in shedding some fat. As the resolution became a habit, I impressed myself (I know, it is okay to boast sometimes) with my consistent achievements in scaling up the distance and time.

Meanwhile, I ran into quite a number of kith and kin (in the past few months) that have had knee problems. Some have consistent knee-jerks, agonizing knee-joint pains and some conditions as bad as knee replacement surgery.

This made me think over a few precautionary steps as I pictured myself engaging in an active lifestyle even during my old days (Being hopeful is a good thing ).
I took some simple steps which I thought are very effective in the long run. Knee-guards and right-shoes.

First, I started using knee-guards which made a huge difference in terms of knee pain. Then, as I was looking for a good shoe, I found some information which was very useful and a must for everyone, even if you are planning to walk or run as part of an physical-exercise routine.

I have been planning to do this for quite some time and finally did it!! I am sure there are so many who have thought about it but never did it. Hope you find this information useful.

Excerpt from www.time-to-run.com:
When buying your first pair of running shoes, you will have to select the shoe which is best suited to you. Without us complicating the matter there will be a few factors you will need to look at before plunging further into the world of the runner/jogger.

The factors you need to look at regarding yourself are:
• your foot shape
• the extent of your foot's movement
• your weight
• your budget

And in the future your weekly mileage will certainly determine the type of shoe you purchase.

Your foot shape
Some stores, have a facility to test the shape of your foot as well as to determine your biomechanics and gait. If you have a store such as that available to you, this should be your first port of call. However, if you do not have that luxury available to you, then it is possible to determine your foot shape the following way.
You have all probably seen your foot imprint when you step out of the bath, well that is one way of determining your foot shape. As a very basic tester you are able to determine the following, whether you have a normal, flat, or high-arched foot. Place your feet in a basin of water and the step onto a flat and dry surface. The following should appear :

A normal foot leaves an imprint with a flare, but shows the forefoot and heel connected by a wide band.

The Flat Foot has a low arch and will leave a nearly complete imprint, it looks like the whole sole of the foot.

The High-Arched Foot will leave an imprint with a very narrow showing between the forefoot and heel.

If your foot does all three, leave home now or re-do the test until you get a clear indicator.

Now that you have determined your foot shape you will need to address the extent of your foot's movement. This would be related to your foot shape as well as other biomechanics which may effect your running/jogging style.

Your footshape and its movement
The normal foot: The foot lands on the heel, then rolls inward (pronates) slightly to absorb shock. Runners with a normal foot and normal weight are usually considered biochemically efficient and don’t require motion-control shoes; stability shoes with moderate control features such as a two-density midsole are suitable.

The Flat Foot has a probability towards overpronation of the foot that strikes on the outside of the heel and rolls inward excessively; over a period of time this may lead to different types of overuse injuries. It is normally recommended to use motion-control or stability shoes with firm midsoles and control features that reduce the degree of pronation. Stay away from highly cushioned, curved-lasted shoes that lack stability and control.

The High-Arched Foot will leave an imprint with a very narrow showing between the forefoot and heel. A curved, high-arched foot is generally termed a supinated or underpronated foot; this means it normally isn’t an effective shock absorber. Cushioned shoes with plenty of flexibility to encourage foot motion are recommended. Stay away from motion-control or stability shoes that reduce foot mobility.

Spiderman cried….....

2009-02-14T21:15:00.000-08:00

I had always encouraged my four year old son to be tough. As he is maturing from his fussy-missy baby world, I have tried to train him not to cry if he wanted something or if he fell down.

The other day he started crying while we were waiting in the hospital. He started wailing in high pitch. As he saw my grim face, the high pitch dropped at least a couple of octaves and his tight-lipped mouth was quivering trying to insulate the noise coming out of his mouth.

Although it was a bit heartbreaking to watch his eyes filled with tears, I managed to keep a tough face and talked to him with a calm tone.

Do you want to be strong?

He nods his head assertively and says, “Yes”.

If you want to be strong, you can not cry like a baby. You are a big boy.

Have you ever seen superman cry?

“No”

Have you every seen spiderman cry?

“No.”

As I was about to present the concluding punchline, he interrupted me. As if a truth had suddenly dawned on him, he raised his voice and said (emotionally), “Yes. Yes. Yes.”

I was perplexed.

What do you mean, “yes”?

Then he said something that cracked me up and completely blew me away.

“Yes dad, I have seen spiderman cry”. He continued to cry.

I had such a tough time controlling my laughter and put up a brave face. Tobey Maguire cries in the movie, Spiderman, when his uncle passes away.

I told him that it is okay to cry, but he should try not to cry for every incident.

These are constant reminders of the profound influence of TV on our lives, especially the lives of our children who do not have the ability to distinguish good from evil.

Well, this is an incident that I have treasured to share it with my son as he grows to be a man.

Everything happens for a reason?!

2009-02-12T06:43:00.000-08:00

I decided to drive to Bangalore along with two of my good friends. The (married-bachelors) trip was conceived and planned over a couple of phone calls in a span of ten minutes. Although I felt that I was a bit rash in deciding on the trip, something told me that this was the way it was supposed to be. The excitement of the "bachelor" part lasted for a few days, by listing the pubs we would visit in Bangalore, before my two buddies dropped the “sorry” word with the usual excuses. I went on with the trip alone.

I am not the type who would go the extra mile to reach out to folks from my past. But, in some cosmic way, I met a very good friend (a senior from UG) of mine after over fourteen years. It was a very gratifying experience. We talked about how life has changed over the past decade and laughed about the crazy things we had done during our rebellious college days.

This pleasant experience had motivated me to reach out to more folks. I ended up contacting two more friends (including one roommate) after sixteen years. We exchanged information about our circle-of-friends with whom we had contacts. We laughed about the way the nicknames (often vulgar) flowed freely in our conversations, especially since we had grown to be refined men (ya, right).

As I was driving back to Chennai, I kept wondering how all this could happen. Is somebody pulling the strings? I mean, this is not the typical me.

I had contacted three friends of my student days. As I was coming to terms with the trip as if the story was coming to a closure, I get a call from another friend (from PG) after many years. Through this friend, I had also spoken to one other friend whom I have been trying to contact for many years.

Five friends!! After over a decade!! Not a bad score in two days.

Perhaps, this is some kind of a (friends-meeting) season, alright. It was saddening to hear some friends who had left us for the better world. But, for the most part, it was a pleasant and a worthy trip.

I don’t believe in destiny entirely. But, I think there are forces of nature that take us to places for a reason.

I don't know the reason yet, but it sure was exhilarting.

Simple Pleasures......

2008-10-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

It was a laidback weekend. I dropped my car for service and I needed a ride back. Usually, I would take an auto to get home. As I was waiting for an auto, I saw four public buses in a line heading towards Besant Nagar. Like a spell cast on me, I spontaneously boarded one of those buses. As I came back to my normal senses, I was a bit tensed to think that I might not have any change other than 100 notes.

Fortunately I had some short change. I realized that I have boarded a public bus after over a decade!! I saw people boarding the bus with oversized baggage jostling with anyone on their way, ladies laughing about a harmless bump into a man as the driver slammed on the brake and yelled at a pedestrian.

It brought all the wonderful memories of my younger days when the very same public bus was the way of life for me once. I was very relaxed, perhaps, because it was not crowded. I felt a lively happy atmosphere. Having got into the habit of travelling in an AC car and feeling sorry for the people travelling in a bus, somehow, now, I felt that I am the one who should be pitied. That moment, I decided to take my son (three and half years old) on the bus to get the car back from the service station.

I yelled, as if we were going for a picnic, “Who is coming in a bus?!” My son said, “me, me, me….” Then he asks, “What bus?” I realized how insulated he was from the real world. That was his first time on a bus. So we board the bus. He never blinked once. It seemed like a ride of a lifetime for him. I got him a window seat and he was very excited. Just like any other three year old, he kept on asking questions. At times, he clutched my hands on seeing some strange looking big people. As it was a short ride, I had a hard time convincing him to get off the bus.
I spent Rs. 6 two-way rather than spending Rs. 100 two-way. This made me wonder about our lifestyle. How we spoil ourselves and then blame the system. Overall, I felt good about myself and there was something healthy about it.

Economic orthodoxy was built on superstition

2008-10-12T00:19:00.000-07:00

I was intrigued by Madeleine Bunting’s article that featured on The Hindu/Guardian Newspapers last week. It revolves around the idea that neoliberalism is a corrupt mythology that is in tatters and the crisis of conviction is profound.

In the 90’s, during the technology boom, the entire financial world could not have afforded to ignore even the simplest comments made by one man. Alan Greenspan. The article claims that Alan Greenspan has wrote “the past decade has seen mounting global forces quietly displacing government control of economic affairs.” He blithely continued that the greatest danger facing the economy was that “some governments, bedeviled by emerging inflationary forces, will endeavor to reassert their grip on economic affairs.” As the financial crisis started unfolding, Alan Greenspan did a gigantic volte-face as he pleaded for government to do just that – reassert its grip in the form of the bail-out.

Friedrich Hayek, an influential Austrian economist, in his book (The Road to Serfdom), brought out the essence of neoliberalism. Friedrich Hayek is considered to be the father of a model of economic management which has made the mighty financial institutions collapse like a pack of cards.

Scary!! These are the people to whom the financial world looked up to for direction. Even more terrifying is the fact that this turmoil did not originate from a third world country. The common public is occupied with the daily grind of their simple lives, believing that the macro aspects of the world are being taken care of by the political and economic leadership. Well, this crisis has proved them wrong.

The senators are staging a spectacular drama by grilling the fat-cat CEOs to demonstrate that they are the protectors and saviors of the people. I wonder what these protectors and saviors were doing when complex financial instruments were developed in the name of innovation.

Karl Polanyi, with extraordinary prescience, warned that the crisis would come; he rejected the idea that the market is a “self-regulating” mechanism which can correct itself. There is no “invisible hand” such as the neoliberals maintain, so there is nothing inevitable or “natural” about the way markets work: they are always shaped by political decisions.

In the name of "Weapons and of mass destruction”, a meaningless war was waged against the so called “Islamic Terrorism” that was seen as a threat to the western civilization. A doomsday scenario that poses a far greater threat to the western civilization had been gaining momentum right next to Ground Zero, in Wall Street.
The author compares this corrupt mythology (neoliberalism) to that of the Aztecs. The scary ending is that, like that of the Aztecs, this collapse of the corrupt mythology may require a lot of human sacrifice.

The incident of the 45 year old Indian (in the US) killing all his family members (wife, three sons and mother-in-law) and himself is a poignant reminder of the beginning of just that.

Related Books
-------------
1) The Great Transformation (Karl Polyani), published in 1944, an economic history which sets out to explain 1929, the Great Depression and rise of fascism.

2) One Market Under God (Thomas Frank) published in 2001, explains how neoliberalism entrenched its triumphalism into the political system of the U.S.

Running the Red Light

2008-10-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

It was 2 am on a Saturday morning when the alarms went off. Although the alarm’s pleasant tone was no music to my ears, I jumped out of my bed to be on time to receive my parents at the airport. As I was mulling over a backup plan for the cab that I had arranged for 2.30 am (to avoid an IST – Indian Stretchable Time – disaster), I got a call from the cab driver. “Sir, I am waiting for you at the front of your apartment complex.” Not a bad start.

As we started moving into the dark streets, I was enjoying the tranquility in the streets. No traffic. No noise. However, as usual, I have always dreaded driving in the night as the reckless drivers run the red light as if they were absolutely sure of the future. My cab driver was no angel. He was running the red light all the time.

Then this amazing incident happened. As we were approaching a set-of-lights at the TIDEL (start of IT Highway in Chennai) the light turned red. I could barely see any movement of life anywhere in the vicinity. On seeing the ‘red’, I noticed the driver shifting to a lower gear. I thought he was just going to increase the speed. The driver slowed down and stopped at the set-of-lights. My dazed eyes widened and focused on the driver.

The driver was very calm and looked as if he had never run a red light. Now, he can’t fool me. The driver read my intrigued face and pointed me to a bunch of people standing at the set-of-lights. Cops!! No guns!! Instead, Cops with a note-pad and a pen!! I looked back at the driver with a “So??” face. The driver said, “If you run the red lights, you will receive a bill for Rs. 1,500.” I was in for a shock. I pinched myself. Sure, I was not dreaming. I was not driving on “Armstrong Boulevard” in Canada.

I could not control my excitement. I was very happy to see the enforcement working. My excitement intrigued the driver. I don’t think he ever understood why I was so happy.

I used to tell my friends that it would be a miracle to see some disciplined public system in my life time. Now, this incident is not only a proof that enforcement of law can work anywhere in the world, it also gave me a glimmer of hope that things will change for the good in India sooner than later.

Conservatism: A fundamental aspect of Capitalism

2008-09-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

The last giants standing, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, that have become deposit-taking banks is a significant milestone in the history of American Banking Reforms. This is exactly the opposite of what happened after the Great Crash of 1929.

One lesson that is to be remembered by the entire human race across any industry is that there are certain areas that cannot be left to the market forces to decide. For instance, the monitoring of Investment Banks by SEC. SEC is headed by executives that are influenced by the Investment Banks. Having preached the rest of world about regulation and compliance, it is a harsh reality to face in their own backyard. Thanks to ‘ruthless capitalism’, lobbying at the highest levels have undermined the interests of the common public across the globe.

The US government stepping in to control the major banking bodies, rather than outsourcing the control to SEC, is a good sign, assuming that the vicious cycle will not continue. Hank Paulson’s new state-owned organization that will have to convince a lot of key people on both sides of the aisle to print USD 700 billion (to buy all the toxic mortgages) is untypical of capitalism. Irrespective of the chaos and remedial proposals, the damage is already done to all geographies of the globe. The worst affected is the US public that are caught between unpaid mortgage bills and the mounting public debt (USD 11.3 trillion) that will be left for their future generations to pay. And we have not even begun to understand the current status of this monstrous turmoil that is complicated by complex derivatives.

Institutions with a conservative approach, simpler business models and meticulous management are the new heroes of today’s market.

Does this word ‘conservative’ sound familiar?

The sub-prime crisis

2008-09-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

What is a sub-prime loan?

In the US, borrowers are rated either as ‘prime’ - indicating that they have a good credit rating based on their track record - or as ‘sub-prime’, meaning their track record in repaying loans has been below par. Loans given to sub-prime borrowers, something banks would normally be reluctant to do, are categorised as sub-prime loans. Typically, it is the poor and the young who form the bulk of sub-prime borrowers.

Why loans were given?

In roughly five years leading up to 2007, many banks started giving loans to sub-prime borrowers, typically through subsidiaries. They did so because they believed that the real estate boom, which had more than doubled home prices in the US since 1997, would allow even people with dodgy credit backgrounds to repay on the loans they were taking to buy or build homes. Government also encouraged lenders to lend to sub-prime borrowers, arguing that this would help even the poor and young to buy houses.
With stock markets booming and the system flush with liquidity, many big fund investors like hedge funds and mutual funds saw sub-prime loan portfolios as attractive investment opportunities. Hence, they bought such portfolios from the original lenders. This in turn meant the lenders had fresh funds to lend. The subprime loan market thus became a fast growing segment.

What was the interest rate on sub-prime loans?

Since the risk of default on such loans was higher, the interest rate charged on sub-prime loans was typically about two percentage points higher than the interest on prime loans. This, of course, only added to the risk of sub-prime borrowers defaulting. The repayment capacity of sub-prime borrowers was in any case doubtful. The higher interest rate additionally meant substantially higher EMIs than for prime borrowers, further raising the risk of default.
Further, lenders devised new instruments to reach out to more sub-prime borrowers. Being flush with funds they were willing to compromise on prudential norms. In one of the instruments they devised , they asked the borrowers to pay only the interest portion to begin with. The repayment of the principal portion was to start after two years.

How did this turn into a crisis?

The housing boom in the US started petering out in 2007. One major reason was that the boom had led to a massive increase in the supply of housing. Thus house prices started falling. This increased the default rate among subprime borrowers, many of whom were no longer able or willing to pay through their nose to buy a house that was declining in value.
Since in home loans in the US, the collateral is typically the home being bought, this increased the supply of houses for sale while lowering the demand, thereby lowering prices even further and setting off a vicious cycle. That this coincided with a slowdown in the US economy only made matters worse. Estimates are that US housing prices have dropped by almost 50% from their peak in 2006 in some cases. The declining value of the collateral means that lenders are left with less than the value of their loans and hence have to book losses.

How did this become a systematic crisis?

One major reason is that the original lenders had further sold their portfolios to other players in the market. There were also complex derivatives developed based on the loan portfolios, which were also sold to other players, some of whom then sold it on further and so on.
As a result, nobody is absolutely sure what the size of the losses will be when the dust ultimately settles down. Nobody is also very sure exactly who will take how much of a hit. It is also important to realise that the crisis has not affected only reckless lenders. For instance, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which owned or guaranteed more than half of the roughly $12 trillion outstanding in home mortgages in the US, were widely perceived as being more prudent than most in their lending practices. However, the housing bust meant that they too had to suffer losses — $14 billion combined in the last four quarters - because of declining prices for their collateral and increased default rates.
The forced retreat of these two mortgage giants from the market, of course, only adds to every other player’s woes.

What has been the impact of the crisis?

Global banks and brokerages have had to write off an estimated $512 billion in sub-prime losses so far, with the largest hits taken by Citigroup ($55.1 bn) and Merrill Lynch ($52.2 bn). A little more than half of these losses, or $260 bn, have been suffered by US-based firms, $227 billion by European firms and a relatively modest $24 bn by Asian ones. Despite efforts by the US Federal Reserve to offer some financial assistance to the beleaguered financial sector, it has led to the collapse of Bear Sterns, one of the world’s largest investment banks and securities trading firm. Bear Sterns was bought out by JP Morgan Chase with some help from the Fed.
The crisis has also seen Lehman Brothers - the fourth largest investment bank in the US - file for bankruptcy. Merrill Lynch has been bought out by Bank of America. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have effectively been nationalised to prevent them from going under.
Reports suggest that insurance major AIG (American Insurance Group) is also under severe pressure and has asked for a $40 bn bridge loan to tide over the crisis. If AIG also collapses, that would really test the entire financial sector.

How is the rest of the world affected?

Apart from the fact that banks based in other parts of the world also suffered losses from the subprime market, there are two major ways in which the effect is felt across the globe. First, the US is the biggest borrower in the world since most countries hold their foreign exchange reserves in dollars and invest them in US securities.
Thus, any crisis in the US has a direct bearing on other countries, particularly those with large reserves like Japan, China and - to a lesser extent - India. Also, since global equity markets are closely interlinked through institutional investors, any crisis affecting these investors sees a contagion effect throughout the world.

A matter of principle....

2008-09-22T08:30:00.001-07:00

Having lived in Chennai for almost two years, I am very wary of people trying to make a killing for even the simplest service that they offer.

One of my relatives had offered to send three laborers to help me move to another apartment. Although I completely trusted my relative, I was very wary of these laborers. They were quite professional and quick in moving. I deliberately dealt with them seriously to avoid any exploitation.

As they had finished their work, I acknowledged the completion of work and went inside to fetch my purse. Having gone through some nasty haggling experiences, I was prepared with exact change in my hand and another set of money in my back pocket for the final part of negotiation. When I came back to the front door, to my surprise, I saw them walking away. I hurriedly called for them and offered them money. With a grim face they refused to take the money. I knew that they were about to create a ruckus. As I read their faces, I realized that their faces did not exactly reflect their gesture of refusing the money that was offered.

“Sorry sir, we will not take any money.” For a minute, I felt very ashamed for being prejudiced. I insisted that I will talk to their owner. They refused again. I called my relative and told him that whatever I am giving is in addition to the actual fee that will be invoiced to me. The best was yet to come. What my relative told me truly blew me away. He said, “Praveen, even if I ask them to take money, they will not take money.” I was stunned at the principle that those laborers demonstrated. Perhaps, the highly paid executives at Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and AIG have something important to learn from these poor laborers who survive on daily wages.
Now, I was very determined to pay them double. My persistent nagging and pleading made them accept the money with much reluctance.

I called my relative again and told him how impressed I was with his management skills for without his superior people management skills, he would not have a great team that has, perhaps, never stepped inside any kind of school in their lives. For those poor laborers, after a long day of hard work, more than any material rewards, what mattered most was the principle that they live by every day.

My Hero Across The Street

2008-09-16T08:32:00.001-07:00

I was seven years old and it was a sunny day in Tuticorin where I was going in a cycle-rickshaw with an uncle. He asked me what I wanted to be. I told him that I wanted to be an Engineer. He asked me why I wanted to be an Engineer. I told him that I wanted to be an Engineer so that I can become like my uncle. After several years, this event made me realize that I am nobody if I had not lived across the street of this great man. Several years later, amazingly, with out preparation, I quoted my uncle, during my M.B.A interview, when they asked me why I wanted to pursue M.B.A. That moment I knew who was behind my success all the time. The intriguing thought is that he has never once motivated me verbally. It is probably his imperious look that did all the talking to me.

I have watched him every single morning, afternoon and evening, kick-starting his scooter and zooming to work like a young boy. He would not bother opening the gate for him because he knew I would come running on hearing the soaring sound of his scooter.

Fear was not part of his vocabulary. Once a policeman came to his doorstep and demanded for some money. I was really scared and amazed to watch him threaten this poor policeman. Another time, it was in Madras where I was ferrying him around the city for his errands in a scooter. He asked me to slow down by a coconut vendor for directions. As a faithful servant, I stopped as instructed. There was a muscular coconut vendor with a knife in his hands and, obviously, he did not appreciate the greatness of this man. Having known my uncle for years, I was not the happiest kid on earth at that moment. Even today I remember the way uncle spoke with this vendor and the startled look on this vendor’s face. Within a few seconds, the tough-speaking vendor became very obliging and I still remember the look on his face that said, “Wow, this must be a big person”.

As I continued to chauffer him in the scooter, we went past a College. And, that is when he told me this amazing story. This is about a small boy whom uncle took under his wings. He cared for this little boy and cared for him just like his own son. This little boy became a man. This man struggled with his studies at that time for various reasons. But, uncle never gave up on him and would never agree for this man to fail. Today that boy is a very successful man. He even has uncle’s name as his initial. He is no other than my dad. If my uncle had not done that for my dad, I am nothing today. Not many people know the good side of this great man. Later on, I learnt that uncle’s mum died on periyappa’s lap asking uncle to promise that he will take care of his brothers. So he did.

As my uncle has passed away, I thought of writing a few words because of two reasons. One, I am sad. Second, I want to make sure that my kids know that we once knew a legend in our family.

There is no end to talk about his greatness. There are some incidents that cannot be told. I will treasure those thoughts and hold it dear to my heart.

Curious Minds

2008-09-16T08:25:00.001-07:00

It is fascinating to watch our little ones with curious minds. Anyone who would glance at my son’s face would say, “Boy! This guy must be naughty!!” Well, that’s a truth that we dreadfully endure every single day. He is three and half years old. He has, so far, broken his collar bone, sprained his neck, hands and legs and, last week, he got his feet stuck in the rear wheel of a bicycle. After an X-ray, we were relieved to know that there was no fracture. His hands and legs are spotted with scars. He is a full time job. During our first parents’ meeting at my son’s school, as we were watching the teacher expressing her concerns, quite generously, to other parents, I told my wife, “Well, your son is no angel. Don’t’ expect any accolades. It is going to be a long day.” Understandably, the teacher did not wear a smile for most of the time. When it was our turn, my wife and I were exceptionally focused and were prepared for the long list of complaints. The teacher smiled at us and said, “No problem. He is a good kid. You can go.” Stunned!! I had every reason to believe that the teacher had mistaken us for some other kid’s parents. As the teacher read our perplexed faces, she said, “why? Is Abrie naughty at home?” I was very proud of my son until he started his rampant stunts inside the car on our way back home.

This guy is full of surprises. Last week, the teacher had asked my wife to wait so that she could have a word with my wife. Since my wife is the PTA (Parents Teachers Association) rep, my wife also had a few matters to discuss with the teacher. To her surprise it was not for the PTA. It was a complaint against my son.

That early morning, he had raised his hand to say something. He stood up and showed an object that completely perplexed the teacher. It happened to be a “weight” of a pressure cooker. My wife’s meticulous preparation, especially in terms of child safety, for my son is exceptional. What made him carry that? When did he get that? Why? How? All these questions are still a mystery to us.

His curiosity intrigued me and cracked me up. Thanks to his curiousness, he now goes through a security clearance procedure, including strip-searching, before leaving for school. And I am sure he is breaking all the security codes all the time.

Forces of Nature

2008-09-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

I have had the privilege of acquainting with many true friends in my life. I have lost some good friends too. Not due to a strained relationship though.

Subconsciously, I had shied away from few friends and have regretted immensely. However, not surprisingly, when I have had ran into a lost friend after many years, we have had connected instantly and exchanged pleasantries about how it seemed as if we had been in touch every single day.

Boston, MA - August 15, 2001: My friends and I stepped out of the office to a mall in Beverly. As we were driving in my friends Explorer, we casually discussed about starting a non-profit organization to help the downtrodden in India. As we were seated in one of the tables in a food court at a Mall in Beverly, (Boston, MA), we jotted the plan on a paper-tissue and little did we realize that our dreams would transform into a non-profit organization called Next Generation Foundation. Frankly, I was basking in the steadfast dedication of my friends, who considered helping the under-privileged kids as something that was larger than life. Over the years, although, initially, I was actively involved in the organization, I had shied away from the mainstream activities and gradually disappeared into obscurity.

Chennai - July 2008: I was enjoying my morning walk, by the coast in Chennai, snaking through the regulars (walkers), with my face down trying to concentrate and visualize a positive future. A loud, gruff voice called out my name with such firmness so much so that the person cannot be a stranger. As I was jolted out of my deep-thoughts, it took me a few seconds to collect my thoughts and respond. It was no other than the friend in Boston who was vacationing in Chennai. I had moved to India in 2006. Imagine this!! My friend is living in Boston and I am living in Chennai. We lost touch and here we are standing in front of each other, absolutely stunned by the sheer “Forces of nature”. It was a mind-blowing experience and the best was yet to come.

Since the moment I had disappeared into obscurity, my friend had pursued me many a times to get active with our organization that we founded so passionately. Although there was not a day that went by when I had not felt guilty about my silence, I had conveniently shied away unabashedly. Unsurprisingly, we connected instantly and I was hooked again. Perhaps, it was the bottled energy and emotions that made me embrace the opportunity with all my heart.

I felt liberated and I made peace with myself about a passion that I once pursued so vividly, but failed to follow through.

As we exchanged pleasantries on that beautiful morning in the beach, my friend casually talked about the “Dharma Yuga” project and how that can be coupled with an exchange program across schools in India and the US. I was impressed and wanted to be part of the action again. A residential school has shown interest in participating in the exchange program. As part of the program, the school would help educate over 1000 poor children.

Next Generation Foundation (NGF) is a socio-charitable organization striving to create a revolutionary drive within people to make the social changes that humanity needs. One of our missions is supporting education of underprivileged children. NGF is built on the foundations of peace and prosperity to all of the humanity. We believe that every child across the world should have the equal and fair opportunity to choose their own destiny and build a better future for mankind. We have taken our first step towards this belief. We have started with our home, India, by extending help to the underprivileged children living in this world's largest democracy. In the long-term we should be able to extend charitable help to other parts of the world. Come and join us in this revolution. (www.nextgenfoundation.org)

It is amazing to think of a natural or spiritual force that would pull some strings to orchestrate the daily events of human life. Well, this time, I am glad it was for a happy eventful morning.

Indian Banking: modular approach vs. customer service

2008-08-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

A few Indian Banks have embarked on a modular approach to tap the extraordinary market of both banked and largely unbanked population in India. At the same time, these banks are slipping on “trustworthiness”, “brand image” and are well aware of the growing “customer dissatisfaction” towards their services. I have had my own share of experiences that, in comparison to my experiences in banks in other geographies, is a grim reminder of the milestones far ahead.

Digital Credit Union (DCU), USA
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DCU, an internet only bank, is the only bank with which I have some very pleasant memories of banking. It has a modular approach and perhaps the best bank for small-time customers that are ignored by big banks.
• Modular approach that encourages modularity and commonality
• Optimized System: Very consistent service across phone and internet.
• Human interaction is professional, empathetic and customer-friendly.

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Canada
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Most of the interaction was over the phone except for a couple of meetings in person. Overall, it was a very painless experience as appointments were on time, tasks executed as scheduled by the bank. The entire lifecycle was very well streamlined and, perhaps, it is an excellent example of a system orchestrated by straight-through processes.
• Modular approach that encourages modularity and commonality
• Optimized system: Experience of a consistent service across different channels.
• Human interaction is professional, empathetic and customer-friendly.

ICICI Bank, Canada
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This was a very intriguing experience on both positive and negative notes. On a positive note, the loan process was complete without even a single meeting with a human. That was fantastic!! On a negative note, the communication bottlenecks, in terms of improper acknowledgements and inaccurate information, almost nullified the positive experience.
• Modular approach that encourages modularity and commonality
• Not-so-optimized system: Experience is inconsistent across different channels. Inadequate training of staff is a major factor.
• Human interaction is fairly professional, hardly empathetic and relatively better in customer service.

ICICI Bank, India
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ICICI Bank is one of the very few banks that demonstrate that they do attempt to improve their service. However, whenever I enter any ICICI bank I am wary of people that aggressively sell various products like personal loans, credit cards, insurance etc.,. Too many customers, enticed by misleading offers, have ensured a fairly large customer base and, consequently, the IT platform and the environment is unable to support the customer base. “Customer churn” is obvious and is definitely a threat that needs to be addressed pro-actively.
• Modular approach that encourages modularity and commonality
• Not-so-optimized system: Experience is inconsistent across different channels. Inadequate training of staff is a major factor.
• Human interaction is relatively better. A lot more improvement is required to sustain the growth going forward.

State Bank of India, India
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Describing the experience as “Stone Age” is perhaps an overstatement. However, the customer service was dismal right from the beginning. One would hardly have an opportunity to feel like a customer because one is not treated like a customer.
• “Silos” is the name of the game.
• The idea of “Optimization” is farfetched.
• Human interaction is pathetic. An employee definitely feels like a customer.

To be fair, ICICI Bank is leading the banking industry, in India, in terms of modularization, customer service and globalization. While we pat ourselves on our back for our achievements in the banking industry, we need to set global benchmarks. ICICI bank, India’s largest commercial bank with a market capitalization of $25 billion, is only one tenth the size of Citibank. China has five banks in the top 50 global list while India has none.

Indian banks have a great opportunity to grow where ninety percent of the population uses no bank to open a bank account. The advancement in mobile banking promises a revolutionary way of banking with the 270 million odd mobile subscribers and an innovative channel to reach the unbanked population.

The bank with a SOA based platform that can help sustain the balance between modular banking and customer service has a great potential to be a market leader.

We bring it on ourselves....

2008-08-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

I was window-shopping with my wife in T-Nagar (most crowded place in Chennai). Surprisingly, it was a very pleasant experience and I wanted to stay in T-nagar for a long time. It was very crowded, but it was very organized. The vehicles yielded to pedestrians that were waiting at a cross-path junction. The pedestrians crossed the road on the designated cross-path. The best part was that there was not even in a single vehicle honking!! No dust!! Less pollution!! Very hot though. I see people taking the time to walk to a garbage dump to dispose a small piece of chocolate paper. No spitting!! I watch people smiling and exchanging pleasantries. It was a beautiful day. My wife and I spotted our favorite food-joint and seated ourselves in a corner table. As I was excitedly thinking of my favorite “chilli porata” that I could order, my son performed a “kung fu” stunt and slammed on my face. I woke up from my nap. The physical impact of “slamming” was so much so that I could barely recall most of the incidents in my fabulous dream.

I know. Wouldn’t that be great? The everyday challenges that we go through just to co-exist in the world’s second most populous country makes us tired, unpleasant and unhealthy. The common reasons that we give: the government, the beggars, the cyclists, the auto, the illiterate, the laborers etc. I hear all the time that it is due to lack of education. I think it is more than education. I see educated people (that I know) throwing garbage from their Skodas and Accords. It is the attitude that matters.

There are a plethora of problems in India that are very complex and will take several decades or perhaps centuries to overcome. However, there are some simple behavioral changes, at least among the so called “educated” circles, can bring a world of difference. For starters, it is to consciously litter at designated places. It is not uncommon to see people throw garbage from the tenth floor of their posh apartments. What a disgrace?!

I am really proud of my neighbor who had invited the garbage disposal company to our apartment to discuss recycling options. Thanks to this good Samaritan, our entire apartment complex, uses the recycling bin.

If we could only reflect on the disregard for anything that we demonstrate in our daily grind, a major part of our discomfort and annoyance can be avoided. It is not the system that is to be blamed for all problems. A good system is not a panacea. There are many avenues to avoid problems that we bring it on ourselves.

We regret that your Card has been rejected.

2008-08-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Unsolicited calls from credit card companies have become more of an annoyance that sometimes even infuriates customers, especially in India, as telecom regulations barely protect the consumers. It is exacerbated by unsolicited calls to customers for whom the same bank had rejected, a week back, the application for a credit card. As the customer furiously confronts the call-rep, the call-rep unabashedly says, “Sir, I am not calling from HDFC. I am from a different company. I am only selling HDFC cards.”

Am I missing something?!!!

Banks, in order to market their products, have adapted their business models to collaborate with third-party vendors/companies. The bank’s IT infrastructure does not support a platform that is easy to integrate among internal systems, let alone the external systems.

There are two levels of bottlenecks: internal and external.

Internally, the systems operate in silos which are a perfect recipe for a 0` customer view. Let alone the third-party vendor, even the bank’s internal systems will not be able to provide a 360` degree view of the customer.

Externally, if the IT infrastructure does not support a system to provide a 360` view of the customer, the business model fails. Easy and effective integration with third-party systems should be a precedent to collaboration with third-party vendors.

Banks like ICICI and HDFC have come a long way in evolving their IT infrastructure that is inclined towards a modular approach. However, it is not uncommon for customers to experience inconsistent service across different channels. The reason is that these systems are not optimized enough to provide a consistent service to the customers.

Banks, with a 360` view of the customer, not only have a great potential to grow but also have an opportunity to reduce cost by avoiding unnecessary processing of loans, cards etc.

Business Intelligence that is based on SOA and a well-integrated system is the only hope for banks to improve customer service with higher cross-sell rates.