All in a Winter Vacation's Work

1. 100 push-ups a day comprising of 50 in the morning and 50 in the evening. 50 was again broken into 27+15+8 where + means a gap of 2 mins. The Ghajini trailers had their effect.
   
2. It seems strangely satisfying to dedicate every vacation to at least one thing and this time it was spirituality. After a study of the Bhagwad Gita through the looking glass of Paramahansa Yogananda, I can humbly say that till date, I haven't encountered any piece of literature which can even dream of matching the quality and style of the author's writing. Besides, almost all of my philosophical doubts have been removed in the first volume itself, which is spread across 570 pages. The second volume is scheduled for the next vacation.
3. Every ear I could get my mouth close to, I shouted loudly about a trip to Goa from Bangalore via road. Essentially, it meant a long drive amidst the best of nature to the most sought after place in the country with a halt at a beautiful farm house. Thanks to the ban on beach parties in the state, the trip was cancelled and I came to know about it a day after booking a flight to Bangalore. So the Dil Chahta Hai song ended up in aamdani athanni kharcha rupaiya when Kingfisher charged 750 bugs for rescheduling.
4. As I reached Patna, the whole city was under construction, with dust and elephantine concrete blocks covering the whole city and flyovers in the making where only dust is flying over. The pristine air of IIT campus has made my lungs so delicate that the place where I was born and have been sucking air for so many years was appearing a bit high on the number of suspended particulate matter. With a hope of getting some fresh air at home, my nostrils got protection from handkerchief on the way. Lo! The whole house is being renovated, with walls being painted, a few rooms being recreated & marbleized and the top floor reconstructed. Given the fact that the shreeganesh of the house had started when I was born and it is exactly as old as me, I asked pa no questions to avoid any surgery on me as well (pa is a doctor!).
5. I cooked two chapatis which were almost round and 80% puffed. They were so delicious that my mouth still gets wet on thinking about them.
6. The amount of street-charity got increased from all the coins in my wallet to a 10-rupee note. It all began with the stipend from internship from which 3K went to Bihar Flood Relief Funds and I plan to continue spending around 10% of the cash I earn in charity. The best part in doing this is that people around me find the initial barrier broken and lend their helping hands too.
7. The answer to a question was found. On one hand, the Bihari khoon was boiling to become an IAS and on the other was the corporate lure. As far as interest is concerned, both of them ignite huge passion to make a difference. Based on the impact I can create in the society through both the paths, the decision has been taken. There were interesting observations on the way, though. The amount of respect an IAS has is way more than one can get through the corporate sector. Though a Narayana Murthy can say otherwise. The cash pool of B-world is ready to provide a recession salary to a conFUSED bijli mistry like me which is more than that of the seniormost civil servants. Though the babus having a life under the table would have a different story in their black briefcase. One of the people I consulted showed me statistics that people of Bihar form the majority of IAS officers and went on to show published statistics that Kayasthas (I can't believe people still belive in caste system) form the majority of Bihari babus. Hence, he says, I have a really good chance. During any conversation, there are arguments which give you an instant impulse to counter them. And then there are those you don't even feel like farting on them. Anyway, perhaps the most inspiring babu is T N Sheshan and anyone who has seen or heard him is not going to meet a more powerful personality in her/his life. It is because of people like him who have completely changed the organization they laid their hands on that the system of civil services has its dignity and charm. No wonder it's so difficult to choose between Narayana Murthy and (Al)Sheshan to help determine the course the river of one's life takes. Those who helped me take this decision, I owe you. All those who predicted that the Bihari khoon will definitely go for IAS, sorry to disappoint you. But none of you knew that I was from Bihar until I told you and even now the claims of knowing the great Bihari dream don't seem to be too reliable.
   

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Very rarely do i get so restless. Perhaps after years. Don't know where to go, what to do. One plain question and it has just stirred me.

Background: All through my childhood, i fancy of becoming an army man one day. Firing bullets from behind the dressing table with my brand new machine gun manufactured by none other than Leo Toys, i have a feeling that i can single-handedly tackle all those soldiers, tanks, and aircrafts, much similar to the ones displayed in Shaastra.
Then comes adolescence and comes along the lure of paisa. I start dreaming of opening some firms and having a pool of gold coins to swim (DD Metro 6 pm: DuckTales). Then everyone, damn everyone around me starts singing IIT hymns and a myth that an IIT hallmark is the entry ticket for joining the circus of the most intelligent of the most intelligent species on the planet catches me. The confident guy that i am, i think i am built for IIT (or the other way). JEE happens. With all those saas-bahu operas of Ekta Kapoor, no blessings of any Bansal and no determination to complete H C Verma, i miss the cut-off. As they say, uparwala jo bhi karta hai achhe ke liye hi karta hai and i join FIITJEE with a lesson in mind that you gotta put some ass in the mill to get the meat out. JEE happens again.

Elec @ IITM: It is one of those feelings which come when you have a feeling that you are laughing for the wrong reasons. With no clue of or care for what lies ahead, for the first few months, i have fun in life. And the amount of fun it is, all i can say is i can't handle any more.
But something gets completely changed all this while. Somewhere, i don't know where, a sense of satisfaction comes into existence. Now satisfaction is one big word. I become generally happy in life and all of a sudden, my needs of becoming a billionaire lose air. It just becomes too small a motivation to own palatial houses and drive all kinds of Mercs and even a small contribution to making a few people's life better seems worth much more. I think i have some clue that not all are enjoying a raise in their living standards with India shining and this is what bugs me.

The question: After a few years, what do i want to say when someone asks me what do you do? There are some clues to the riddle which come when i ask myself what makes me happy. But it becomes really dark after reaching the last stage of the game where there are two ways out. There is this corporate world full of glamour and money with opportunities to grow and satisfy those management and leadership urges in the global b-arena. And then there is this administration job of an IAS which gives you authority and capability to bring about a change in the lives of people who need it the most. Only industrialization can transform an impoverished society like ours and govt. administration has an important part to play(or better yet, not to play). Putting bluntly, corporate world is the key to a Ramraj and administration is the bottleneck. What i haven't figured out yet is - where do i fit in?

Cute Quote

But I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, his greatest fulfillment of all he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.

- VINCE LOMBARDI

Shah Rukh Khan on Lead India

So simple, yet so moving. No living Indian can remain untouched by what Shah Rukh has to say here. All ye leadership perverts! Get yourself prepared for gyan.


What makes a leader? I’d say, really good acting skills. The most effective way to lead is not to show that you are doing it. People hate being told what to do, and what not to do. No one likes to be led by the nose. You must not make them feel you are the boss, guide, whatever. You just have to carry people along with compassion, love, and not least of all, a sense of humour. In fact, not only should others not feel the burden of your leadership, the leader himself should lead without realising it, without donning the grand mantle of setting some maha example. Achievement is the destination, leadership is showing the way to it.


Secondly, I’ve seen that every true leader treats people well. That’s crucial. You can get away by treating some people badly some of the time, but you cannot make a practice of it. I’d say the best leadership is like parenting. You don’t have to instil awe; you should create loving respect.


Thirdly, you have to have focus. But it is important that the leader’s focus does not become heavy, aggressive, pressuring, troubling, aggravating for others. You should do the planning and what you have to do, and then leave everyone to get on with his or her part of it. It’s most important to believe in everyone else as much as you do in yourself. It’s your team. You’ve chosen it. The people on it should be good, right?


Even if I know the outcome will not be what it should, I have to physically work it out myself. It’s fantastic if you get it right. But it’s equally all right if you get it wrong. Just do it. That’s what I tell my son and my daughter. There’s always a second time to get it right. I simply don’t believe in not doing anything because you are afraid it won’t work out as planned. For leaders as for followers, there should be no don’ts; just do it.

courtesy-> http://www.lead.timesofindia.com/srk_face_of_india.asp#null

gyanMax

We are all part of the same compost heap. Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else. Reject the basic assumptions of civilization, especially the importance of material possessions. You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.

Its not until you lose everything that you are free to do anything.

- TYLER DURDEN, Fight Club

This may be assumed as a sequel of an earlier post containing

Bheega hua aadmi baarish se nahi darta (A drenched person is not scared of the rains).

-ANUPAM KHER

Steve Jobs Speech

Generally I don't endorse posting youTube videos in blogs.
But I was forced to post this one...

Cute Quote

A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life.

-CHARLES DARWIN

Kher & Kakkar

Last 36 hours brought me into contact with two eminent personalities – Anupam Kher and Prahlad Kakkar. The former is an actor and the latter an adman. Both are genius. You never realize that until their charisma and enigma catches you live. Before both of the respective lectures, I was lethargic enough to rot in my room amidst the usual malodorous fumes. Providentially, I somehow happened to be in the sanctified auditorium and the juice was worth the squeeze. Some of the chronological commandments of life leaked out are as follows: (->the apology smiley is for the pathetic clichés of my notorious mind which have plagued the paragraph towards the end)

Failures are as worthy of celebration as success, perhaps more sometimes. When you are not afraid of failures, the latent potential within you liberates itself. Success brings with itself arrogance as dowry.

Life is about choosing between journey and destination and it turns out that journey can be of more worth than the destination itself. In fact, the key to happiness lies in enjoying the journey and taking life as it is.

Bheega hua aadmi baarish se nahi darta (A drenched person is not scared of the rains). Let yourself go through the vicissitudes of life but rise out of any abyss like a mountain.

Counting upon your past-achievements is losing your present ones.

Rising to the zenith is commendable but staying there is genius.

Success is like money. Once you realize that you have it, you have already taken your first step towards losing it. Failures elevate you to success; success brings with itself the fear of failure.

The best way to avert mistakes is not to repeat them. Silly mistakes are like common cold; you never know when they creep inside and spit phlegm on your answer sheet.