New lesson

I have recently discovered the (apparent) answer to the question of eternal health, wisdom and sanity. An answer that takes 15 minutes per day to implement, and promises a lifetime of peace.

Its quite simple, actually. All one needs to do is to breathe in and breathe out in particular ways. A set of 7 exercises, to be done for 3-5 minutes each, which can sharpen your mind, restore your health and optimize bodily functions. Also called 'pranayaam', a subset of yoga.

Pranayaam is a combination of the words 'prana' or energy and 'yaam' or control. The human body apparently has 7 'chakras' or energy centers, which usually atrophy with disuse. What pranayaam does is to shake up these chakras and make them hum with activity. Having tried it for a couple of days now, I can vouch for the fact that definitely I feel more energetic (maybe its just the placebo effect!!)

One key component of these breathing exercises is to chant 'ooooooooooooom' through the nose. Doing this makes one reverbate with vibrations, accompanied with an echoing of similar vibrations in your environment. Sounds a bit like mumbo-jumbo, but I personally find it quite energising!

In any case, I'm sure it cant hurt to try out these exercises once in a while. Use it if it works, lose it if it doesn't!!

Driving again

Posting after a long time. Another long drive, another epiphany.

I was thinking about the current (latest!!) tumult in life, when I thought of two very different people, both going through very tough times. And yet smiling their way through it. And determined to come out on top.

Also, I happen at this time to be reading a strange book called 'The Greatness Guide', written by the latest self help guru in the USofA. This book is full of cliches and I would never have read it had it not been a birthday gift! The surprise is that this person - who is thought to be so successful at helping others improve their personal and professional lives - has had a turbulent and tough time in his own personal life. The insight is that everyone - but everyone - has problems.

Therefore, the epiphany (for me) is to stop taking myself so seriously. Considering that I am one of six billion, in a planet which is like 7 others (poor Pluto has been 'plutoed' last year), going around a sun which is a mid sized average kind of sun, like a billion others, in a galaxy which is like a million billion others, in a universe (I'm not really sure there are more than one - whatever Richard Bach may say!!) ... I think I've belaboured the point enough.

Whatever it is that disturbs me, is really so trivial that its not worth thinking about.
Here's to more driving!!

Flawed inference

Still on the topic of happiness, here is a news article that I saw today:


Wed, sleep to live happily ever after
1/10/2007 4:01:00 PM

New Delhi: So, finally someone seems to have figured out the key to happiness. And believe it or not, it’s something so ridiculously simple that it wouldn’t have occurred to most.
Well, the secret to happiness seems to be marriage and a good night’s sleep – whether or not in the same order is well, debatable.
A study conducted by the UK government shows that sufficient sleep and a healthy matrimony gave the maximum people a reason to feel a ‘state of well-being’.
The study – conducted by researches of the Whitehall Wellbeing Working Group - also found people who spend more time socialising, chatting with a neighbour over the fence, having plenty of sex in a steady relationship and caring about endangered species also tend to be happier than others.
“It's shown that married people are happier - so what does that mean for politics? Does it follow that we should be encouraging people to marry? Is that the realm of politics...or something that should be left to individual choice?” the Daily Mail quoted professor of economics at Imperial College in London, Paul Dolan, as saying.
So much for happiness. What makes people unhappy? The reasons again are aplenty. Researchers found that extreme weather, being dumped, getting sacked or having to live in a heavily polluted area makes people gloomy.

Source: CNN-IBN

Now I think this inference is completely flawed. What if cause and effect are inverted? It is quite possible that a happy person would enjoy a good night's sleep and therefore do more of it, would want to get married in the optimistic hope that this would increase happiness, would socialize more, would speak to neighbours over the fence, would want to have plenty of sex and would care about endangered species (since the person wont have to spend time worrying about his / her lack of happiness)!! This is quite conceiveable.
So maybe happiness is just something you have (or lack) inherently - and all these are just effects of the inherent cause. Or maybe happiness is just caused by the feeling of being better off than your fellow men, as this earlier post suggests. Or maybe its something else altogehter. Who knows? But this kind of research is certainly not of too much help!!!

Something we knew all along...

Money does not buy happiness. What does make you happy, though, is the thought that you are doing better than your neighbours!!
And what better sanction for this philosophy than this

And another....

Walt Whitman this time. Rather deep, but oftentimes I have felt like this:

To a Stranger
by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892)

Passing stranger! you do not know
How longingly I look upon you,
You must be he I was seeking,
Or she I was seeking(It comes to me as a dream)

I have somewhere surely
Lived a life of joy with you,
All is recall'd as we flit by each other,
Fluid, affectionate, chaste, matured,

You grew up with me,
Were a boy with me or a girl with me,
I ate with you and slept with you, your body has become
not yours only nor left my body mine only,

You give me the pleasure of your eyes,face, flesh as we pass,
You take of my beard, breast, hands,in return,

I am not to speak to you,
I am to think of you when I sit alone or wake at night, alone
I am to wait,
I do not doubt I am to meet you again
I am to see to it that I do not lose you.

A song of love

Thanks to Andre De Souza (for his choosing impeccable verse to grace his orkut profile), I googled for classical verse. Here is a good sample from Robert Burns:

O my luve's like a red, red rose.
That's newly sprung in June;
O my luve's like a melodie
That's sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will love thee still, my Dear,
Till a'the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun:
I will luve thee still, my Dear,
While the sands o'life shall run.

And fare thee weel my only Luve!
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' it were ten thousand mile!

- Robert Burns

Value creation

I met a couple of old buddies of mine over the long weekend, and we got talking about what we thought of life while we were at IIT and how it has turned out. That conversation set me thinking quite a bit - what is the right way to lead life? What leads to long term satisfaction and happiness?

After some deliberation, I have come to the point of view that the most important thing one can do towards one's life is to invest in assets that can create value over the long term. For example, I went to IIT and did a course in CS just because it was the 'in' thing to do and because my rank could buy me the entry ticket. Thankfully I enjoyed the course and (hopefully) learnt something!! But I fear most of us just go and do something because we are allowed to.

Often we start getting into routines and stop questioning whether what we are doing is really creating an asset for us. For example, a lot of my b-school colleagues got into jobs on campus because they could, not because they wanted to. The monotony and routine of our regular jobs often makes us oblivious to the fact that what we really want to do is something else altogether. Only a few can break out of this trap and create long term value for themselves. Investing in learning at the early stages of a career, even if not immediately rewarding, is always beneficial in the long run.

There really is no short cut to long term value. The sequence is quite simple: figure out what you want, picture yourself in the end state, and constantly ask yourself if your single steps are leading towards that milepost. If yes, keep the faith and soldier on, if no then cut your losses and start afresh.

Asset creation is the key. Investing time and effort in value creating assets (whether jobs, learning or relationships) is what can make life meaningful and satisfying in the long run.

Major insight: What women want

Today I was part of a very interesting conversation with a bunch of friends over a leisurely cup of coffee - a young colleague was despondent with his inability to make any positive (amorous) impression on multiple girls he had been hitting on. Somehow the topic of conversation veered around to his dilemma, and eveyone else jumped in with advice on what he should be doing. However, being a smart dude, he turned to the women in the group and asked point blank: What do women want???

Now, each woman in the group had some idea on what model works best with women, but here is a synthesis of the insights that could be gleaned:

1. Women (and even men) apparently want things they cannot have - so the critical aspect of attraction is unattainability. And yet one must be attainable at times. This game needs to be played really masterfully - any error on either side can make the other party either give up, or worse - lose interest. Unfortunately I was unable to pick up tips on what exactly makes you either - but I got the general concept and agree with it wholeheartedly.
2. The other aspect of attraction is desirability - here the insight was that it helps if you are a good conversationalist, are genuinely passionate about something, can make the girl laugh, and most importantly - are ambitious. The implication for us males is: Guys!! WAKE UP! And do something with your lives!!!
3. Another insight was that women are usually looking for guys they can mother i.e. the girl needs to believe that she can either a) improve the guy or b) without her, the guy will just waste away.
4. The last insight was that girls dont care too much for looks, build, height etc etc. Now the women were very very insistent on this (even though I dont really believe it :-). I do think its much easier for strikingly handsome guys to strike up friendships with girls.

I realized also that this list is extremely long and demanding - there does not seem to be too much hope for my poor brethren, unless they are just PERFECT :-). Therefore my two bits of wisdom to my worried colleague: Dont worry, just be yourself. Along will come the right girl for you, and you will be tied to her for the rest of your life!! Amen.

A tale of two cities

As they say - there is a thin line between plagiarism and inspiration :-). My buddy Saini's post brought to surface one not-so-cooked thought that has been bubbling in my mind.

Recently, I paid an almost-flying visit to that city of dreams - Mumbai. Being a hardcore 'Dilliwala' (I have been told by some girls that I'm the quintessential Delhi guy, even though I dispute the assertion stoutly), the city just does not cut it for me. Now before the Mumbai folk crucify me, let me present my credentials - I have lived in Mumbai for close to a decade, the most recent instance being a two year stint at work. Therefore I speak of the city as I would of an old friend, with frankness and familiarity.

In my opinion, the most objectionable thing about Mumbai is 'lack' - lack of space, lack of time, lack of comfort and lack of civility. Somehow, I can never be comfortable with the bustling hum of activity in the city 24x7. Everywhere one goes, one is accosted by 5000 other people trying to get in...contrast this to the vast spaces of Delhi, the wide roads, the gardens which let one reflect and the thrill of trying to prevent everyone else from taking you for a ride :-). I have never (in Mumbai) gone to one place and actually had the inclination to think, or even just observe - all I ever seem to be able to do is negotiate room to walk in, protect myself from bulldozing crowds, watch out for potholes or just plain long for the silence of my room. Even the Crossword book store this time seemed too full and noisy.

This is not to say that Mumbai does not have its points - it has the ONE thing that I love most - the sea. Walking along the Marine Drive hearing the roar of the sea is something I am willing to do anytime. But even there one has to be careful that the ever-continuous pavement repair work, the milling crowds of lovers, joggers and families do not trip you up.

No one in Mumbai seems to have time for anything - people actually time their lives according to the local train timings. And the poverty is so open and in-your-face. There is also so much of it. Delhi scores much better on both parameters.

The weather is also a negative factor - the humidity and heat of Mumbai make me twitchy (not to say Delhi has great weather - but at least its not dusty and humid like good ol' Mumbai).

As I wrap up this litany of complaints against Mumbai, I must say - winter in Delhi makes me want to spend sunny days in Mumbai!!

Inspiration

For a couple of days now I've been bereft of ideas on what to write. However, in blogging, as in life, inspiration can come from strange quarters - in this case it was a chance visit to the orkut homepage of my buddy Nitin Saini. I chanced upon his irregular blog and found some good pieces - for example this one:

http://if-only-then-what.blogspot.com/2006/10/metros-of-modern-india.html

My advice to you my friend (if you are reading this...) - dont stop!!!

Two victories

Today is a day for good news - with India winning their first ever test in South Africa, and much more importantly, the murderer of Jessica Lal getting convicted by the High Court in Delhi.

A couple of things that stand out about both:

1. The test victory really proves that re-invention is necessary for achievement. For example, the test success came on the back of solid batting performances from Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, both of who had been axed from the team not so long ago. Their exclusion probably reignited their hunger for success and more runs. Therefore, Saurav Ganguly, with a well known weakness for the short ball, is fighting and succeeding where other Indian batsmen are failing. Perhaps there is a lesson here for the Indian selectors, who have been letting a few superstars fail too often?
2. The other, and much more significant victory is of course the conviction of Manu Sharma and his acolytes for Jessica Lal's murder. I think it proves the old adage that the windmills of the Gods grind slow, but they grind exceedingly small. In other words: "yahan der hai, andher nahi". Good precedent for public involvement in a travesty of justice. Now only if Arjun Singh was convicted similarly for his short sighted short circuiting of our education....(Sigh! Am I being too idealistic??)

Jinxed

My current project at work seems to be jinxed. Nothing is as it should be - extremely long hours, working weekends, early morning (make that really late night) flights, tons of negative feedback, lots of angst and general unhappiness have been starring features of this project. But what takes the cake is events of this morning.

I write this as I sit inside a grounded Jet Airways airplane, approximately 3.5 hours after I boarded. After a late night (slept at 1am), I got up again and left home at 4:30am, to be in time to catch the 6:15 am flight to Kolkata. Just as we boarded, dense fog enveloped the airfield and that was the end of flying hopes. Even now, the cabin crew confidently expect a delay of 'only' 30 mins before we can be airborne.

In this happy situation, I can think of two lessons for myself:

1. When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade - I have tried to live by this and catch up on some sleep. But the cramped seats on Jet are not exactly conducive to this activity. The next best activity in this situation is blogging, which I am doing now.
2. Its time to think of other things - this thought actually came to me last night after a particularly frustrating day. Maybe this is not how I was intended to lead my (apology of a) life. I'm sure there are many better things out there, waiting to be tried. Maybe it is time to jump into the deep end.

At the end of the day, I think all that matters is the ability to look detachedly at situations and figure out how they can be used to make the future better. In that context, maybe this project is not jinxed after all!!

A new invention: QQ

As I was driving home from work on a late Saturday night, I thought of a totally random idea - a scale for rating people on the interesting / non-interesting dimension. I call this the 'quirkyness quotient', on the principle that the more quirky people are, the more interesting I find them.

First, a definition of the word 'quirky'. I think quirky is another word for eccentric, unique or plain mad. A quirky person is obsessed with trivia, is interested about inane stuff, and gives a damn about what other people may think of his / her preferences.

I have been fortunate to associate with people I consider quirky - Gullu (of Bland Spice fame), Gaurav Saxena (who was interested only in quantum physics and little else), good buddy Mahender Bisht (who backpacks through the Sahara desert and Peru in his spare time), Pratik Biswas (a guy I interned with in Munich, and who was mad as a hatter), Farhad Mehta (who lived in his own world of fractals in IITD) and others too numerous to mention here.

As I struggle to find uses of the QQ, I can think of some - like it should be a necessary input in a job resume, in a matrimonial column, in a social networking website like orkut etc.
Even blogs could have QQs - thus attracting the right kind of readership. Research institutes could insist on high QQs.

In fact, once QQ becomes all pervasive, we could even get quotas in jobs, schools etc for high QQ cohorts.

So from now on, there will only be 2 kinds of people in the world for me - high QQ or low QQ. May the former thrive and multiply!!

Yella OK Cooldrink Yakke

This is one of the funnier stories I have heard, and it is apparently true :-)
There is an advertisement in the fair state of Bengalooru and Mangalooru that features God Upendra (he is apparently the #3 God in the heirarchy of movie stars in Kannada cinema). The ad goes like this:

Upendra walks into a swaky restaurant. He takes of his 'cooling glasses' (Kannadiga for sunglasses) and surveys the place like to the manor born. On the far corner, who does he see but his sweetheart (!!!) coyly enjoying her coke with another man (heresy!!).
Our buddy walks over to their table, and stares at them with bloodshot eyes. He looks menacing. The poor couple cower...
Then he says - Yella OK, Cooldrink yakke? (Everything else is fine, why are you drinking a cold drink?)

Cut to a chilled bottle of Fosters beer!!!

I need a glass of Fosters now, to truly appreciate this masterpiece!!

Bong words I've learnt so far

They say that the words you first pick up in a new city most characterise the city. Although I have not heard anyone speak in Bengali in Calcutta(!!!) so far other than the tea guy, here are a few words I've picked up:

1. fatafati: I think this is the local equivalent of Delhi's 'chak de phatte' (check an earlier blog for the meaning of that phrase)
2. naika: This is an interesting word meaning a mix of 'chaloo', fussy, grating (used to describe women, and used only by other women incidentally :-). I heard this on a local radio channel where a girl said Ash-Abhishek should not marry cos Abhishek was sweet, whereas Aishwarya was very naika-naika
3. hobe na: this is of course the catch phrase of communism. Literal translation is 'can't happen'. Everything has a stock reply - hobe na
4. khobe: This is a Bengali word for ingest, as far as I have been able to figure out. So you can say bhat (rice) khobe, jol (water) khobe or even cigarette khobe
5. ekta: This means one. So I have to tell the tea guy - ekta cha

Pumped up and on adrenalin

Staying up late for many nights does strange things to you. I noticed this only this morning, and the cause for this was that I've been having late nights (2-3 am) and early mornings (7am) for three nights in a row now. Although such periods have been a frequent occurance for a couple of years now, it was only today morning that I thought about this phenomena.

The effects of sleep deprivation are quite interesting. A major one is that of mood swings - I feel quite exhilerated right now (though not fully coherent), perhaps because of the adrenalin being pumped into my nervous system. However, I am also cognizant that by afternoon I will be completely deflated and snappy.

Another effect is on my appetite - I usually dont want to eat anything when I am sleep deprived. However, stimulants like tea and coffee are always welcome.

Usually such periods are followed by a bout of slight illness, like the flu or a cold. Though now since I am aware of this, I take enough precaution, like wearing warm clothes, and not ingesting any alcohol, and drinking plenty of water.

There is also an interesting effect on productivity. Because of the mood swings, the only way to maintain a decent work output is to work when peppy and chill when down. However, the problem is that when I'm peppy I never feel like working (for eg now - when I'm listening to Nirvana and blogging). So productivity takes a hit.

However, I also think that sleep deprivation addles your mind a bit and therefore makes you a bit more creative and lateral (for a short period of time).

What do you think?

Calcutta calling

I have been spending weekdays for the last two weeks in Calcutta. While I was quite apprehensive about going to this bastion of communism initially, overall it has been an interesting experience. A few impressions about the city:

1. The food is amazing: roadside kathi rolls (available in such wondrous choices as double egg single chicken, single egg single chicken, single egg double chicken and various other permutations), greasy (yet cheap) Indian food at Mogambo, fish in mustard curry, aloo in mustard curry, everything in mustard curry, rosogolla at K C Das (and I am told by my maadu friends that I need to go to Tiwari to know what a samosa should be like, also need to try out phuchkas)
2. The traffic drives one crazy: driving (even sitting in front of the car) is a heart-attack inducing experience. Once you navigate large cars on one fourth of the road (the other 3/4ths taken up by parked cars), you would do well to keep the horn pressed continuously to subtly let the meandering junta ahead of you know that they will be crushed unless they move. Of course the horn does not convey anything to them because its sound is drowned in the 500 other horns blaring.
3. The people are fond of talking: period.
4. The city moves on its own rhythm, which is difficult to understand for a commercially oriented person: e.g. at the airport, the snacks bar counter does you a favor by giving you the sandwich you want to eat. When he is present at the counter, that is. He is not interested in earning money, you see :-)
5. The city loves to let its hair down: according to reliable sources, the discotheques and night clubs remain open till 6 am, at which time they serve breakfast!! Also you see a lot of women out partying and having a good time, much more than other cities. Even middle aged gents and ladies enjoy themselves listening to live rock bands.
6. It still has trams plying in the middle of roads. Very British.
   

So far I have not been able to sample all of the city’s charms. Hope I have time to do so in the next few weeks.

A different take on work

Was sent this interesting post yesterday:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/07/10-reasons-you-should-never-get-a-job

My take on this:
What if working for oneself if just an excitement that I am seeking? Will I be really as passionate about it as I will need to be? I first need to find my passion - then I wont care if I do that in a job or for myself.
Take no 2:
I think I know what my passion is - only I have not encountered much success following it for 7-8 years now. Therefore the need for security is making me hang on to my (admittedly superior, if not perfect) job.

A better Bond

I saw Casino Royale, the new Bond movie yesterday. The after effects of the movie are actually quite good. Daniel Craig, the new Bond, is quite the right person for the role. Here are a few reasons why the movie is good:

1. It is realistic and gritty: this movie shows Bond as he should be – a fighter, gritty, reckless, lightning fast. Not some guy with attitude and loads of futuristic gadgets. Here it is about human effort, and Bond is how Ian Fleming intended him to be – a cold blooded killer, rough around the edges.
2. Bond is vulnerable: James Bond falls in love!! And wants to quit life as a double zero. Till the object of his affection is killed in a gory scene. This also explains his attitude towards women in later movies.
3. Bond makes mistakes: He loses all his money in a poker game against Le Chiffre and almost gets killed. He trusts the wrong people. The newly minted double 0 is learning through his mistakes.
4. Daniel Craig: This Bond looks like he is just come out of a fight. He looks haggard and willing to break out in a scrap anytime. Doesn’t care how is martini is – shaken or stirred. A very guy’s guy. It works!!

What does it mean series 1: Chak de phatte

If there is one statement that characterizes Delhi (and I mean polite statement here :-), it would have to be ‘Chak de phatte’. I have heard this phrase in Delhi at multiple fora, by various people, carrying out various activities (usually on the dance floor, or on a cricket field, or generally in random conversations) Though I have heard (and used) this phrase many times, I did not know its meaning. So I decided to get to the bottom of the exhortation / exclamation.

I first checked with a couple of Punjabi buddies, but drew more or less a blank there. So I turned to big brother Google, and found a wealth of information. A couple of interpretations of this phrase struck me as relevant, which I thought worthwhile to reproduce here:

1) In olden times, whenever Sikh infantrymen attacked enemy Mughal camps, they would pull out the pegs of their tents, thus burying the enemy under the heavy fabric. These pegs were called ‘phatte’. Also, when these same dudes were running back to base camp, they would destroy any bridges (made of wooden planks) to prevent hot pursuit by the justifiably bemused enemy. The wooden planks are also called ‘phatte’. So to ‘chak de’ or take out the ‘phatte’ means to sock it to the enemy. Therefore whenever anyone needs to be encouraged, (s)he is wisely and enthusiastically advised to ‘chak de phatte’.

2) ‘Phatte’ is also synonymous with wooden floor boards. So when desi bands in the UK needed a cool phrase to hook their music (bhangra) on, they used a literal translation of ‘beat up the floor boards’ or chak de phatte

3) The best explanation is this one: the slit between the two pieces of cloth stitched together to make a kurta is called a chak. When this slit tears (phat jaana in Hindi) due to excessive dancing, it signifies ‘chak de phatte’ :-)

You could believe in any of these, but it is not important. What is important is that you continue to chak de phatte!!!