Time to expand the basic needs???

It was the house warming ceremony of one of my dear friends, yesterday...
He was bold enough to construct a house having a contemporary design dipped in striking colours. I had great respect for his boldness, considering the fact that these days , the aesthetic requirements of a majority in Kerala is the same.... beat the neighbours' house in looks and aesthetic appeal, even if it means tearing own pockets...
This guy had the guts to create an abode that suited his likes and he did not worry about the average appreciation levels of the society. I was happy for him. Happy coz I could feel the sense of pride and euphoria extra-ordinarily radiating from his face. It sure must be a great feeling to own a house, for I have seen this feeling in many faces during housewarming ceremonies. (Unfortunately in spite of designing 250+ houses, I still couldn’t enjoy the luxury of that pride till now. Hope that day comes along soon). I am reminded of the sentences in most of the vastu scriptures, where it is said that owning a shelter is one of the best blessings , a man can have in his lifetime. How true, it is..
All we work and toil is after all to meet the three basic needs(viz food, clothing and shelter ..if u missed the lesson in your primary classes). Though, these days most of us work not just to own these, but to increase the QUALITY of these needs.
This tempts me to think louder whether our basic needs are increasing? Perhaps, the so called ‘fast pace’ in modern life, can be attributed to man’s thirst to increase and improve the quality of his needs outside the basic need bracket.
I may not be totally wrong, if I identify a new set of needs which have emerged as ‘basic’ in the contemporary world.

1. gadgets(the i-pods, the i-phones, the laptops , etc). You are brutally counted as a primitive amongst the generation, if your celphone doesn’t claim 2MP camera, Bluetooth and MP3player and a host of other features. Lucky and wiser are you, if you are able to ignore such benchmarks and able to take judicious decisions based solely on your requirements.
2. Travel- Travelling in buses/autos can take you to your destination, but you have better gains if it is on your own sedan. Not just travel, but the class and type of travel mode that you select , i believe, has become a need(just like the difference between being clothed and being clad in a Tommy Hilfiger outfit)
3. Entertainments - taking a vacation at an exotic location, enjoying a movie at a multiplex, enjoying a glass of wine with frndz at the happening place in town, dining at a premier restaurant with family/relatives , having membership in the town’s social clubs.... the quality and frequency of all these entertainment options is decided chiefly by one thing.... money[ another major factor is time.. I know a handful who have money to enjoy these but sadly don’t have time(or they r disastrously failing to find time)]

May be, the list is incomplete. But isn’t it the right time to think of expanding the repertoire of basic needs.. You have the say.

Another historic blunder, Mr Prakash Karat???

It had been boiling in the pot for quite some time.
Yes, I am referring to the 123 agreement, the nuke deal, the IAEA, the UPA , the left front, the external support, the G8 summit and all related keywords that took the lion’s share of print space in the front pages of all the leading dailies in the country. Perhaps, more prominent was the coverage in the television channels in which over-energetic reporters were vehemently vying with one another to get the tele -bites of national political leaders about the current political developments and their possible repercussions.
The enthusiasts and observers of political India were keenly and deeply analysing the happenings and speculating on the various permutations and combinations likely to arise. But i guess, most of them were cunningly bowled out by the Samajwadi Party(SP) when SP (from nowhere in the scene) ,came to support the UPA. It must definitely have insulted the political intelligence of these observers and the common public. After all, SP was the forerunner in visibly displaying their bitter animosity towards the Congress and the UPA. The altercations between Mr Amar Singh (national spokesperson and front end of SP) and the Congress leaders are still ringing fresh in my ears . Now, I am better convinced of the cliché that ‘there are no permanent friends or foes in politics’ ( I was first reminded about this when Ms Jayalalithaa joined hands with Mr Subramanian Swamy after ending their decade-long war with words).
Being a person who is emotionally and politically concerned (motivated as well as crestfallen although the latter mood is often repeated these days) with the happenings in the political domain, I was all eyes and ears to the dramas and the role plays of the left and right leaders. It came as no surprise to me when I learnt today afternoon that the Left front has decided to withdraw its support to the UPA govt. The decision was declared by Sri Prakash Karat at a packed media conference, marking an end to political forecasts and 50 months- long UPA-left friendship. The whole episode was celebrated in a sensational manner by the media. (Of late, the media has become obsessive about sensationalism... be it a teenager’s murder, a godman’s mischief or a bollywood star’s jailterm, the electronic media seems to enjoy every bit of the action)
Although I am unqualified to comment on the merits and demerits of the nuke deal, I understand from the statements of our beloved leader, Dr Kalam and his fraternity of scientific experts, that this deal is very essential for the development of our country in the nuclear front.
So it pains me when a section of India’s political leadership refrains from acting positive, at a critical juncture of India’s progress towards attaining developed nation status. I hope I will not be mistaken when I attempt to unearth (any) possible ‘hidden motives’ of the communists in breaking relations with the govt., citing nuclear deal as the crux. Is it that the communists are forced and compelled to part ways with their coalition partners? Especially, with the Parliament general elections looming in the atmosphere, the communists cannot be seen smiling with the leaders of Congress and their allies, before their followers and voters. The fact that the main opponent of the communists in their strongholds ( viz Kerala, W. Bengal and Tripura) happens to be Congress should definitely be a compelling reason for Mr Prakash Karat and his colleagues to end the matrimony of political alliance with the Congress. I am of the firm belief that the communist leadership has strategically come out with a seemingly idiotic, but well rehearsed explanation, for snapping their ties with the UPA. Having ‘exhibited’ their ‘differences’ with the UPA, the left parties can now vigorously fight with the Congress and their allies in the states of Kerala, W. Bengal and Tripura and try to repeat their stupendous performance as in 2004 elections. But I believe the people of these states are not stupid enough to overlook the well crafted pre-poll strategies of Mr Karat and party.
What pacifies my intellect is the tradition followed by the Communists. Throughout history, they have consistently acted in a weird fashion during events/incidents, only to repent about their political stupidity and seek public apology at a later date. This was evident right from their non-participation in Quit India Movement in 1942, citing it as anti-national movement. They continued to exhibit their traits by supporting China in the India- china war of the sixties, opposing the LPG(Liberilsation, Privatisation and Globalistaion) initiated by Dr.Manmohan Singh in early nineties and by opposing the use of tractors in farmlands & computers in offices. It is a paradox that the CPI national secretary travels in a foreign car(Honda City) and more than half the youth of the country is directly or indirectly utilising the computers presently for breadwinning.
I wonder if the nonagenarian mentor of CPI(M), Mr Jyothi Basu,[incidentally he celebrates his 95th birthday today] will again have the ill-fate to speak out at a later date that the decision to withdraw the external support to UPA govt in July 2008 was a historic blunder(like he confessed earlier)...

PS: if at all, the reader identifies this blog as a political inclination against communism, it is only imaginary. these are the outbursts of a nuetral patriot.

Mentors r a blessing

What was Krishna 's role in Kurushetra war??? A mere chauffer? A companion?? A brother???

According to me, the role of Krishna in Mahabarath war was much greater than all these put together, and that is the role of a mentor for Arjuna. It was Krishna who motivated Arjuna to perform to the latter's best. (you see, lack of motivation was a problem even in the olden days. no wonder that the neo-generation management gurus look upon the scriptures for better HR tips n practices).

U might wonder why am i quoting the history(some say mahabarath is only a story and not history. well i don't intend to argue by agreeing or disagreeing upon that) out of blue, when the present itself has ample ingredients to trouble us. Quite valid a question indeed.

I was tempted to think about this scene in the epic, after i had some great moments with an accomplished leader today afternoon(incidentally, today happens to be a harthal in kerala ....for some trivial international issue ,of course. we keralites are always the forerunners when it comes to 'celebrating' harthals. we had harthals when saddam was executed, when israel bombed palestine n when karnataka didn giv water to TN. you see, how concerned we mallus are always. Even if we loose the ace level in literacy percentage, we will show all vigour to celebrate our state festival with great enthusiasm). Anyways, Since i didn want to spend my afternoon like an average mallu watching a movie(although, all channels were vying for TRP ratings by telecasting the best film in their kit) or taking a nap, i thought it wise to meet a guru of mine.

it turned out to be a very positive decision indeed...

very much a refreshing experience it was... i had a feeling of re-inventing my own self.

Well, in the wake of my experiences, i would seriously vouch for this phenomenon called mentoring. Its a brilliant(and time tested) recipe to receive priceless lessons in a capsule form. You have the advantage of receiving the best principles coupled with gameplans and how-to's from a person who has either experienced it first hand or observed it closely. Mentoring will always save you time and effort by nullifying the troubles required to re-invent the wheel once again. You just have to finetune the principles acquired from your mentor, into your context and there you are... you emerge as a wiser guy.

But please don't confuse being mentored and being advised. I believe, advice is something you recieve from every corner without asking for it...(something like mosquito bites in cochin) . Very often, the person adorning the advisor's role seldom introspects his merits to do the sacred act of advicing. Contrary to this, mentorship is usually received from people qualified to speak words about the topic in question. ( by qualification i am not referring to the ABCD degree.. I have not heard of Krishna being conferred a DLit or for that matter even attending school. So mentors are, basically, people who are very wise on a particular subject due to their experience or talents in scholastic, academic or practical domains)

I believe you have to be choosy when picking up a mentor. Don't run into a person who is famous(or infamous) for speaking about anything under sun. Be aware of what you want to be informed or briefed upon. This can range from anything under the sun to beyond the sun. (some examples include how to crack GRE/CAT, how to apply for a immigration visa, how to start a company, how to get entry into Renji cup or any such sundries). Once you have the topic, identify and locate the right guy. Get his appointment and open up to him. Get his feedback or the million dollar tips and start implementing them. Get your doubts cleared from him. And before you leave never forget to acknowledge him/her for his time and effort. It is your primary duty to inform him about the result obtained after the metor-mentee meeting. The visit can prove to be

much more rewarding if you constantly get updates from him on the related topic.

i fear that i have crossed the boundaries from the bloggers arena to that of a spoon feeding elder... but if u are reading this line , i am content for the fact that this blog could grab your attention throughout its length.

well , before you find your mentor let me say it aloud.. Thank you mentors ,, for being kind to me!!!

Marriages are made in heaven...

Yesterday(Sunday) was well spent, as I had the chance to meet a few good friends( batch mates) from my almamater on the occasion of the wedding reception of Sameer azeez, one of our friends. The travel to and fro Ponnanni( Kerala), where the function was held , witnessed some of the most hilarious moments in recent times in my life. It seemed like Rajeesh, PK, java, shibu , shanavas and others were synergised with one another’s presence, and everyone competed impulsively in creating lighter moments, though there were no prizes to be won other than creating magical moments to cherish for long.
Ever since I posted the wedding snaps of my friends, who had the ‘honour’ of having me attend their weddings, I have been getting lots of scraps in my orkut account. The crux of these scraps boiled down basically to two matters:
1. ‘When am i going to add my wedding photo in orkut album?’
Now , this one question has been volleyed to me from all corners ever since I celebrated my 25th year of presence in this planet.(not that it was not asked prior to 14-02-06, but i feel it was asked in a serious note and repetitive fashion, post this date).Whenever I visit my relatives, meet old schoolmates, have informal pleasantries with my clients after the official business , or attend social functions, it has become a routine for me to reply to this boring and dry question. I believe, the feeling a person gets when he is asked the same question time and again, is nothing different from dryness and irritation. So, is the case with me. This q has lost all its charm in my life, to the extent that I have become allergic to this q. I wonder what the big pleasure is derived by the questioner when he asks this hollow question?
2. ‘I am lucky to have attended these many weddings’
This question, though repeated many a times, is something which I would love to address and answer today. Coz it was never, sheer luck that enabled me to grace these many weddings. It was the result of a conscious attempt. An attempt to stay in my homecountry, so that i can be an integral part of such social and family occasions. It is the fruit of the strict practice of my desire to attend all(to the best of my capacity) functions to which i have been invited wholeheartedly. I always believe that when a person invites us to an event in his/her life, he sincerely wants us to grace the function with our presence and add glitter to his D-day by participating fullhearteldy. In my experience, seldom does a man behave hypocritically by making the invitation on one side and praying for the invitee’s absence on the other. At least, i believe it has not happened to me.
I remember being told that Indian marriages are the forefathers to the modern day orientation n induction programs held for the freshers in the corporate world. Just like a fresher is oriented about the companies’ policies/priniciples and his roles and responsibilities in the organisation, the Indian bride too is inducted into the groom’s house through an orientation held part of the marriage function. It is said, this is why we have week long celebrations in connection with weddings contrary to the present trend of displaying opulence in the nuptial extravaganzas, as in the weddings of Arun Nayar-Liz Hurley or LN Mitals’ daughter. The week long celebrations facilitate in augmenting the bonding between the two families of the bride and groom.
In the present day life of fast pace, there is no wonder that the week long celebrations of yesterdecades have been cut short to crisp twoday(as in Brahmin weddings in the south) or one day functions. But, marriages still serve the primary purpose of bridging the gaps between two families and uniting them to form a single cohesive mega family.
I have a feeling that our generation has less regard to these theories as we are so deeply engrossed in our own nitty-gritties in life that we forget the other person’s life. I think I shouldn’ blame people who even neglect to show courtesy of sending RSVPs or wishes , if he is not able to attend the function, for i believe they have their own rationales(although such rationale are hard nuts for me to crack).
But since I am a positive thinker , i believe things will change and every one of us will have more time to attend social get-togethers and marriage functions.
They say marriages are made in heaven!!!
I wish Sameer-Maleeha the best of heaven on earth!!!

Thank you friends...

I have always been humbled by the support extended to me by my friends at all times..
Many times, i had wondered.. if i am worth their love and affection.. If i deserve their support and favours... if they are overdoing their responsibilities...
I find it very crazy and strange that people born at different corners/culture/creed or class, happen to meet each other by chance or choice and are ready to go the extra mile for his/her 'friend' once they develop the so called relationship called 'friendship'. Perhaps, frienship is one of the wonderful feelings existing amongst living beings( am sure, the flora and fauna folks will frown at me, if i brutally assign friendship as a trait characteristic, only of the homosapiens ).
When god made man, perhaps, He was very sure that the latter will not be able to sustain or attain heights on his own.
Whatever be the reasons for the origin and existence of 'friendship'(i am reminded of the many funny and thought provoking sms(s) i rcvd in the early years of this decade, which emphasized the value of friendship, always had rhyming lines that ended in 'ship'), I am happy that friends exist in this world.. perhaps i would go a step further in declaring that I am what I am today coz of my friends.. I always had a tough time to digest the statement of some stalwarts, when they claim themselves to be 'self made men'. How can men succeed without any other individual's assistance.. Either I am too unintelligent to comprehend the logic or they may be some incarnations of the superbody. Or it might be that, these 'succesful' people are referring to the fact that they were not supported by their immediate near and dear ones on their path to success.
Anyways, I consider myself lucky and fortunate to have a good network of nice individuals all through out my life.. I am always indebted to the good lord for making me earn the trust of my friends. My friends were my biggest assets and support, when i was literally brought to ground zero and whenever fate chose to play wrestling with me. I am content that i had some good people to reckon during my testing times.. Now don' get the wrong notion that i had only bad days in my life.. There were cheerful and funfilled moments in abundance, in my life also . Needless to say, such moments were distinctly marvelous, in most of the cases, coz of the good deeds of my friends.
Upon introspection(one of my favorite passtimes), i believe the only way i can repay ( i am sorry if that word sounds too formal,,, i know i shouldn' be using it as frienship is not something that you gain/give to repay later) for the support extended to me is to extend my inconditional backing to my fellowmen at all times.. I have started prcaticing this for some time.. and I find it enjoying too. The happiness you get when you help someone find a house, arrange a tour, get a discount from shops/establishments/service providers known to you etc etc is simply out of boundaries...
I pray to almighty to continue to give me this sort of happiness in abundance.

Play to win

I was attending a two day workshop on Team leading by a leading corporate trainer in India. Three days prior to attending the training , i was fortunate to have read a book titlled "Business the Bill Gates way". The book was a collection of ten principles that helped the IT whizman to make it big time(really big!!!!) from moderate beginings. Among the principles listed, was one thing which appealed to me the most.. That Bill Gates always played to win. This one philosophy took him to greater heights, helped him circumvent every challenges and gave him a better edge in all competitions and is the one and only criteria which erges him to push his limits.. He always plays to win and he says that if a person does not play to win in business, the guy has already lost.
For some unknown reason, this tip(million dollar tip , i wud say) kept pricking my grey cells coz when i started counting the number of times i had played to win, I could hardly reach a two digit figure. So I thought its time for me to test the trick. I employed this strategy in this workshop right from the beginning. I made every efforts to win every moment in the workshop.
Upon hindsight, i find that the results were astounding:
1. My energy levels were far higher than my usual...
2. All my senses were in full concentration throught the two days.
3. I was very enthusiastic, positive and receptive to new information and knowledge.
4. End of the day, I emerged as the "Outstanding partcipant" of the workshop amongst a team of 35 comprising of navy commannders, army col.s, doctors, engineers and marketing professionals.

If you believe this is a chapter to boast on my recent achievement , well then its ur problem and botheration.. God help you..
But , i sincerely had two intentons.
1. Appeal to everyone reading this blog to start "Playing to win" . It surely will make great positive results in your life. You can extend this theory in a lot of arenas : Be it at your family, workplace, friendship circle or any situation in daily life. You can win your spouse's heart , get the trust of your customers, incresase productity at job, increase your business or start doing the so called impossibe( i recently read that impossible has got a new meaning.. no, am not reffering to the "i'm possible" stuff. But that any thing is impossible in this universe only as long as it is not done first time. e.g. going to moon was impossible in the 18th century. Getting transported from one place to another by air was impossible in 15th century.. so on.. So next time a person says to you , 'owning an acre of land in Mars is impossible', I hope you have the answer). So start playing to win.
2. Once you find that the results obtained by practicing this theory is amazing, spread it like wildfire. Let everyone start playing to win(in the ethical way, of course) , so that we have a better group of individuals in our society and country such that our productivity goes up phenomenally. I believe this will remarkably change the attitude of the people in this country and this is a must for India to achieve the develped nation status by 2020 as envisioned by our former president Dr Kalam.
Guys and gals,, wish u the very best...
Lets all be winners in life...
Keep winning..!!!!
stapati

Restarting blogging...

Well , i used to blog .. Its not a 'once upon a time' thing.. But till one year back..
Unlike Big B, who religiously posts some interesting note everyday, i was never a regular bloggie.. But whenever, i was overjoyed or over-sorrow , i used to scribble something.. So thats it , i had to be in my extremes of emotion to blog.. Blogging helped me vent out my feelings.. In a way it was good.. Since i had a lonely life ( inspite of having these many friends and relatives, i still feel lonely at times. Jayan is the only solace in such times, taking me to lighter moments whenever he is with me.. I have always wondered, how he had developed his unparralled skill of cracking thought provoking statements/jokes over mundane matters.. Anyways, god must have definitely had something in his mind, when he opted not to bless me with that gene which makes Jayan a man with humour sense.)
Writing of loneliness, i am in a state of loneliness now.. Why do i slip to this feeling??? One obvious reason is the absence of Jayan in town. He has gone to celebrate mom's birthday.. I too could have enjoyed the luxury of tasting the 'paalpaayasam' (poridge), but deep down my mind, my proffesional commitments , pestered me to stay away from the celebration.. I hope that i will be able to share some good moments with my family soon.
Its raining outside, though monsoon is still shying away from showing its full vigour. On a working day , amidst pending jobs and minutes before lunch time , I still feel lonely..
I can't single out the reason for being lonely..
But i am thankful to it.. for it has tempted me to scribble a few lines and i hope i will stick to blogging regularly once again..
happy birthday to you amma...!!!