Over and over, we make ourselves the fool
Fighting over material possessions, was that Gandhiji’s rule ?
Stupid Government, where were you all this while !
Pseudo-Patriotism and the voters you beguile
If it is cultural heritage you want to protect
Then start with Sabarmati, she screams of neglect.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Goodbye Mood
I wrote my last exam at IIMB today.
The MBA, as I know it, is OVER. No, I am not emoting yet - it hasn't sunk in. I will reserve a separate post for the time when I get sentimental! (possibly after the last L^2)
I made a lot of friends at IIM. I wonder how many I will "keep in touch" with. I'll probably say that to everybody I meet over the next few days - but I know that is such an abused phrase. When I left Oracle, I thought I would never lose touch with my colleagues - today, I hardly talk to 2 or 3 of them regularly.
Makes me wonder : there are 3 circles of acquaintances we all have:
The "Like" circle
The "Dislike" circle
The "Indifferent" circle
The first circle comprise those people whom you really LIKE being with. The ones with whom you feel the urge to share ideas, opinions, cribs, and more importantly - the ones with whom you can be yourself - AND be comfortable, being yourself.
The "dislike" circle is the opposite - would be quite small for most people.
The largest of the 3 circles is the Indifferent circle. These are people who don't dislike you. It is just that they don't care. You have your life, I have mine :). We don't realize this, but almost 75% of all your acquaintances will belong to this category.
Managing your social relationships is about understanding the asymmetries between the 3 circles : You might place a friend in YOUR "like" circle, but he might place you in HIS "indifferent" circle - and vice versa!
It is interesting to see how these relationships will play out in the coming years.
For now, here's what I say to my "like" circle at IIMB:
I'll Keep in touch !!
The MBA, as I know it, is OVER. No, I am not emoting yet - it hasn't sunk in. I will reserve a separate post for the time when I get sentimental! (possibly after the last L^2)
I made a lot of friends at IIM. I wonder how many I will "keep in touch" with. I'll probably say that to everybody I meet over the next few days - but I know that is such an abused phrase. When I left Oracle, I thought I would never lose touch with my colleagues - today, I hardly talk to 2 or 3 of them regularly.
Makes me wonder : there are 3 circles of acquaintances we all have:
The "Like" circle
The "Dislike" circle
The "Indifferent" circle
The first circle comprise those people whom you really LIKE being with. The ones with whom you feel the urge to share ideas, opinions, cribs, and more importantly - the ones with whom you can be yourself - AND be comfortable, being yourself.
The "dislike" circle is the opposite - would be quite small for most people.
The largest of the 3 circles is the Indifferent circle. These are people who don't dislike you. It is just that they don't care. You have your life, I have mine :). We don't realize this, but almost 75% of all your acquaintances will belong to this category.
Managing your social relationships is about understanding the asymmetries between the 3 circles : You might place a friend in YOUR "like" circle, but he might place you in HIS "indifferent" circle - and vice versa!
It is interesting to see how these relationships will play out in the coming years.
For now, here's what I say to my "like" circle at IIMB:
I'll Keep in touch !!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Half-a-story of a Stony,Grey Building
In the land of LORE’B, there was a Grey, Stone Building and the Grey, Stone Building was important. It was important because the Elders had established it with a specific purpose : The high and lofty goal of Learning, that of dispeling the darkness of Ignorance. Someone remarked that the grey was symbolic of the darkness-to-white light transition. He owned a zebra.
Over the years, the grey stone building developed a reputation for selecting the brightest kids in the land. And all this was mainly due to an animal. A cat.
To be precise, it was a cat with a whim. And this capricious cat roamed at the entrance and would never let kids enter unless they strung a bell around it. So kids of the land began to obsess over felines and bells. And that’s when things began to get ..….very, very arbitrary.
Somewhat arbitrary were the kids themselves : for whom, it became more important to ‘get into’ the Grey, Stone Building – rather than think of what they would do once they were inside. A million kids were trying to squeeze in, and by some inexplicable reason - it turned into a stupid competition of who-can-squeeze-in-first. One kid was asked, “ If everyone jumps into a well, would you jump too? “ For which, he nonchalantly replied “ Of course, there must be something in the well ! “
Somewhat very arbitrary were the kids’ parents: for whom it became a matter of 'social prestige'. Their starry-eyed neighbours would exclaim : “Wow , did you say your daughter entered the Grey, Stone Building ?”. It felt good. It felt so good that nobody wondered why.
Probably the most arbitrary were the things that happened to the kids once they entered the Grey, Stone Building………
The lives of the kids inside were governed by the great decree of Gaussian Curvature. By this decree, the kids had to wear electronic headgear with lots of tiny, white bulbs. The bulbs were digital display, so each kid had a number glowing over his head – 3.25, 2.41, 3.67 etc.
The numbers came about through an extremely elaborate, entirely random process.
The process was this :-
Every few months, the kids were given books to read. Every few weeks, the kids were asked questions on what they read. Early in the morning, the Elders would take the kids on top of a hill. The shape of the hill was specially designed to suit the great decree of Gaussian Curvature.
One Elder would shout the question, the fastest kid would answer it, so he got to stay. The rest were pushed off the top by the Elders and they came tumbling down the hill. It was that simple: Question, Answer, Push. Question, Answer, Push. The system was as perverted as it was curved.
It ran like a well-oiled machine - the only thing that mattered to the kids was to absorb every book thrown at them. It didn't matter whether the books were relevant to their lives outside the grey walls. 'Absorption' was the only way to avoid the ignominy of tumbling down the hill. Everyone hated being pushed around. It was the grand decree of Gaussian Curvature.
The system was so evaluative that it began to change the kids’ personalities. Having been constantly pushed and bruised, most kids became aggresive. They also became very judgemental. They would measure each others' self-worth by the numbers that the Curvature assigned for their digital displays. The higher the number(glow), the greater the respect a kid got.
The junior kids would outstretch their hands in salute of their senior: "Hail the great one!" It was an obsession.In every definition of the term.
Even the elders rewarded the kids on-top-o-the-hill. If they desired feedback, they would call only such kids for the discussion. Apparently, they didn't seem to know that talents can actually differ amongst individuals.
And such was life at the grey, stone building.
Now, was that the whole story ? No.
After all, it was not as if everything was wrong about the grey, stone building. Certain things were , in fact, truly amazing - they made all the 'squeezing in' worthwhile. To speak of these great things, a moment has been chosen - A month from now, an event of great significance is about to take place at the building. The pen shall write again. Peace out.
**END OF PART I**
Over the years, the grey stone building developed a reputation for selecting the brightest kids in the land. And all this was mainly due to an animal. A cat.
To be precise, it was a cat with a whim. And this capricious cat roamed at the entrance and would never let kids enter unless they strung a bell around it. So kids of the land began to obsess over felines and bells. And that’s when things began to get ..….very, very arbitrary.
Somewhat arbitrary were the kids themselves : for whom, it became more important to ‘get into’ the Grey, Stone Building – rather than think of what they would do once they were inside. A million kids were trying to squeeze in, and by some inexplicable reason - it turned into a stupid competition of who-can-squeeze-in-first. One kid was asked, “ If everyone jumps into a well, would you jump too? “ For which, he nonchalantly replied “ Of course, there must be something in the well ! “
Somewhat very arbitrary were the kids’ parents: for whom it became a matter of 'social prestige'. Their starry-eyed neighbours would exclaim : “Wow , did you say your daughter entered the Grey, Stone Building ?”. It felt good. It felt so good that nobody wondered why.
Probably the most arbitrary were the things that happened to the kids once they entered the Grey, Stone Building………
The lives of the kids inside were governed by the great decree of Gaussian Curvature. By this decree, the kids had to wear electronic headgear with lots of tiny, white bulbs. The bulbs were digital display, so each kid had a number glowing over his head – 3.25, 2.41, 3.67 etc.
The numbers came about through an extremely elaborate, entirely random process.
The process was this :-
Every few months, the kids were given books to read. Every few weeks, the kids were asked questions on what they read. Early in the morning, the Elders would take the kids on top of a hill. The shape of the hill was specially designed to suit the great decree of Gaussian Curvature.
One Elder would shout the question, the fastest kid would answer it, so he got to stay. The rest were pushed off the top by the Elders and they came tumbling down the hill. It was that simple: Question, Answer, Push. Question, Answer, Push. The system was as perverted as it was curved.
It ran like a well-oiled machine - the only thing that mattered to the kids was to absorb every book thrown at them. It didn't matter whether the books were relevant to their lives outside the grey walls. 'Absorption' was the only way to avoid the ignominy of tumbling down the hill. Everyone hated being pushed around. It was the grand decree of Gaussian Curvature.
The system was so evaluative that it began to change the kids’ personalities. Having been constantly pushed and bruised, most kids became aggresive. They also became very judgemental. They would measure each others' self-worth by the numbers that the Curvature assigned for their digital displays. The higher the number(glow), the greater the respect a kid got.
The junior kids would outstretch their hands in salute of their senior: "Hail the great one!" It was an obsession.In every definition of the term.
Even the elders rewarded the kids on-top-o-the-hill. If they desired feedback, they would call only such kids for the discussion. Apparently, they didn't seem to know that talents can actually differ amongst individuals.
And such was life at the grey, stone building.
Now, was that the whole story ? No.
After all, it was not as if everything was wrong about the grey, stone building. Certain things were , in fact, truly amazing - they made all the 'squeezing in' worthwhile. To speak of these great things, a moment has been chosen - A month from now, an event of great significance is about to take place at the building. The pen shall write again. Peace out.
**END OF PART I**
Sunday, February 1, 2009
A Simple Thought
Certain things are just not meant to be
And realizing this is really the key.
Obsess with them and you are your own foe
You can't have it all, so LEARN to let go.
And realizing this is really the key.
Obsess with them and you are your own foe
You can't have it all, so LEARN to let go.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Appalled by the Abusive Language
I am not sure how to convey my point without sounding "racist". Nevertheless, I shall make my comment, remembering to keep an open mind for criticisms and clarifications. Frankly, I WANT to be proved wrong!
Here goes...
In one of my earlier posts, I made an observation that Hindi-speaking youth are way too liberal in their use of Abuses - something that is not tolerated by their South India counterparts(I can speak only for Kannadigas, but I suspect it applies to other languages as well).
I want to stress this point again.
In a recently concluded sports meet, I heard all kinds of tasteless abuses being hurled by members of both contingents against each other. Of course, the Abuse Cacophony was mostly in Hindi.
Now, the common understanding is that the abuses are not to be taken 'literally' - they are only a means to distract the opponent ( It is more 'sledging' than anything else). But, the act of screaming disgusting abuses over and over again in the name of 'sledging' is beneath my understanding. These abuses are cheap and very disrespectful of the fairer sex.
I have a simple standard for comparison. Such abuses might exist in Kannada as well, I don't deny that. But one would NEVER associate such words with the vocabulary of a person who has been through formal education. It is the language of the street-rowdies , goondas or thugs. Certainly not me or my peers. (Trust me, I have a very big sample size to check and compare).
But guess what ? The people who enjoy using them are from the best undergraduate institutions in India - colleges that have constantly produced some of world's best minds.
Isn't it shocking ? How could people who have been through great educational experiences have absolutely NO REFINEMENT of tongue ? A spiritual leader once used the term "Intellectual Savages" - I find that appropriate in this context.
Given my cultural background, I can NEVER imagine myself stoop to these levels. And yet, the Hindi-speaking people seem to condone the use of abuses that are extremely disrespectful, especially of womenfolk . Is there a deeper issue of women being traditionally objectified more frequently in the Northern states than in the South ?
If you are a native Hindi-speaker, you might offer this explanation : "Look, they might sound bad to a non-Hindi speaker like you, but they are just words! you shouldn't read much into them - we don't 'mean' it when we actually 'say' it "
Give me a break!
If so, do you use it in the presence of elders - why not ? Why do you make such a big deal if you find women using them (remember the 'pagalguy episode')? And why are all the abuses biased towards one gender ?
I am looking for answers.
You see, I love the language but I am very wary of the culture it begets.
Here goes...
In one of my earlier posts, I made an observation that Hindi-speaking youth are way too liberal in their use of Abuses - something that is not tolerated by their South India counterparts(I can speak only for Kannadigas, but I suspect it applies to other languages as well).
I want to stress this point again.
In a recently concluded sports meet, I heard all kinds of tasteless abuses being hurled by members of both contingents against each other. Of course, the Abuse Cacophony was mostly in Hindi.
Now, the common understanding is that the abuses are not to be taken 'literally' - they are only a means to distract the opponent ( It is more 'sledging' than anything else). But, the act of screaming disgusting abuses over and over again in the name of 'sledging' is beneath my understanding. These abuses are cheap and very disrespectful of the fairer sex.
I have a simple standard for comparison. Such abuses might exist in Kannada as well, I don't deny that. But one would NEVER associate such words with the vocabulary of a person who has been through formal education. It is the language of the street-rowdies , goondas or thugs. Certainly not me or my peers. (Trust me, I have a very big sample size to check and compare).
But guess what ? The people who enjoy using them are from the best undergraduate institutions in India - colleges that have constantly produced some of world's best minds.
Isn't it shocking ? How could people who have been through great educational experiences have absolutely NO REFINEMENT of tongue ? A spiritual leader once used the term "Intellectual Savages" - I find that appropriate in this context.
Given my cultural background, I can NEVER imagine myself stoop to these levels. And yet, the Hindi-speaking people seem to condone the use of abuses that are extremely disrespectful, especially of womenfolk . Is there a deeper issue of women being traditionally objectified more frequently in the Northern states than in the South ?
If you are a native Hindi-speaker, you might offer this explanation : "Look, they might sound bad to a non-Hindi speaker like you, but they are just words! you shouldn't read much into them - we don't 'mean' it when we actually 'say' it "
Give me a break!
If so, do you use it in the presence of elders - why not ? Why do you make such a big deal if you find women using them (remember the 'pagalguy episode')? And why are all the abuses biased towards one gender ?
I am looking for answers.
You see, I love the language but I am very wary of the culture it begets.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Despair
Another 'leader', another 'promise'
Pathetic excuses, till terror returns.
Senseless killings, the world going mad ?
Wrong turns right, The Book is bad ?
Pleasure from torment, on lives innocent
Greater EVIL, there exists none.
Pathetic excuses, till terror returns.
Senseless killings, the world going mad ?
Wrong turns right, The Book is bad ?
Pleasure from torment, on lives innocent
Greater EVIL, there exists none.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
You Yes Yam Bee Yay
There are probably a zillion resources at the I.I.M's disposal for information on the U.S Business School Application Process. But I wonder how many of them discuss survival issues, once you get through.
After spending nearly 3 weeks at a U.S Business school, I'll attempt to highlight two Critical Success Factors (CSV's) for the I.I.M.
Before I begin, let me clarify that I.I.M refers to an 'Indian,IT,Male' : yeah, the largest 'race' ( = competing pool ) of applicants. [ It is an unintended sarcasm against my institute in India which positively overflows with members of this species.] And just to be politically correct, everything I say applies to women as well(ya, whatever).
So CSV1 is that you need to completely RE-ORIENT yourself before you reach Bengaluru airport [ All of you are in Bangalore right ? - sorry couldn't resist the cheap shot :) ].For starters, vaccinate yourself against the MUG ITCH. This is a chronic illness peculiar to the Indian sub-continent. It manifests by sending the following brain signal many times during the day : " MUG OR PERISH" , "MUG OR PERISH". [ Mug is slang for 'cram' in Indian English..] anyway, you get the idea.
If you retain the MUG ITCH in a b-school, it can get really lethal. Don't worry to death about your grades. They DON'T MATTER. Back in India, the rule of the game is a Nike slogan : 'JUST MUG' :D Sorry, doesn't work here!
The harder part is developing your social skills. Lets face it, we Indians are kind of sucky at this. I am not referring to English not being our native language. We are great in the 3 R's man : but there should have been a 4th R for conveRsation skills !
That brings me to CSV2. If you want to find a job here, know that you are totally on your own. No hand-holding "placecom"s. Network with people to find out what interests them and you. That's how you get an interview call. Its quite simple - if you don't network, you don't have a hope. This is the culture shock that Indians go through, not tissue paper!
All the best folks !!
[ It is our education system, you know. We are way too focussed on fostering individual brilliance, with little or NO emphasis on group activities. I can't think of any group science project I ever did back in school. And to top that, extrovert kids are dubbed 'talkative' by teachers while the quiet ones are praised for their 'discipline'. Crap ! ]
After spending nearly 3 weeks at a U.S Business school, I'll attempt to highlight two Critical Success Factors (CSV's) for the I.I.M.
Before I begin, let me clarify that I.I.M refers to an 'Indian,IT,Male' : yeah, the largest 'race' ( = competing pool ) of applicants. [ It is an unintended sarcasm against my institute in India which positively overflows with members of this species.] And just to be politically correct, everything I say applies to women as well(ya, whatever).
So CSV1 is that you need to completely RE-ORIENT yourself before you reach Bengaluru airport [ All of you are in Bangalore right ? - sorry couldn't resist the cheap shot :) ].For starters, vaccinate yourself against the MUG ITCH. This is a chronic illness peculiar to the Indian sub-continent. It manifests by sending the following brain signal many times during the day : " MUG OR PERISH" , "MUG OR PERISH". [ Mug is slang for 'cram' in Indian English..] anyway, you get the idea.
If you retain the MUG ITCH in a b-school, it can get really lethal. Don't worry to death about your grades. They DON'T MATTER. Back in India, the rule of the game is a Nike slogan : 'JUST MUG' :D Sorry, doesn't work here!
The harder part is developing your social skills. Lets face it, we Indians are kind of sucky at this. I am not referring to English not being our native language. We are great in the 3 R's man : but there should have been a 4th R for conveRsation skills !
That brings me to CSV2. If you want to find a job here, know that you are totally on your own. No hand-holding "placecom"s. Network with people to find out what interests them and you. That's how you get an interview call. Its quite simple - if you don't network, you don't have a hope. This is the culture shock that Indians go through, not tissue paper!
All the best folks !!
[ It is our education system, you know. We are way too focussed on fostering individual brilliance, with little or NO emphasis on group activities. I can't think of any group science project I ever did back in school. And to top that, extrovert kids are dubbed 'talkative' by teachers while the quiet ones are praised for their 'discipline'. Crap ! ]