A study of the Thirds...

These are some of the pictures from our visit to Dunbar. Dunbar is in the outskirts of Edinburgh. It is famous for its "National Airplane Museum" which houses one of the two remaining Concords in the world the other being displayed at Heathrow airport. Unfortunately, we could not visit the museum.

Lot of pictures were taken, In fact out of the 7 people in our group, 4 people had digital cameras. Me, Nishta and Chilam were not carrying any. I took some odd shots from Abhi's & Srini's cameras. However none of the 2 I used were Nikons, with which I am really comfortable. So I never bothered about the results much. However some of the odd pictures were pretty good. I will load them some time.

The following pictures, were shot from Srini's camera. All of them (except for the first one) are good example for 'Rule of thirds'. I had to crop most of the pictures to look like this, but I loved the results.

                                             Watch out, there's a thief about

I love this picture for no other reason other than its simple composition. I know there are lots of things wrong with this picture, but I still love the composition. In case you still haven't noticed there is a car(red & blue) on either side of the board in the background.

                                                              All alone

I love this picture for its dull back-ground element but colorful contrast. The yellow surfboard catches the eye in the picture. Also see, that most of the body of the surfer is not visible, this also helps the surfboard to retain the attention of the viewer.

                                                           Back to the shore

This picture again has striking contrast. The colorful surfboards again catch the eye. Also notice the way the two subjects are placed in the picture, both of them occupying points of intersection in the thirds layout.

                                   All the King's men and all the King's horses

This picture though not exactly correct as per the 'Thirds rule' ,follows it to quite an extent. The sharp focus on the horse and the rider makes the picture stand out. The receding wave in front of the horse makes this picture a Fav of mine.

                                                Standing on the edge

I like this picture only for one thing, for its effect. The picture gives a sense of height and hollowness. Even though, it looks like I am standing on the edge of some cliff, I am not. This picture is just near the rocky shore, and just below my feet small waves are keeping the rocks wet.

                                              Blending in the background

In this picture, I am siting on the edge of a 200 feet drop. However the elements of the picture have blended in so well together that it seems that I am sitting on flat ground. Again, including only the backside of the subject in the picture helps in reducing the depth of field.

                                                            The elements

I like this picture because it shows all the elements in one frame. The rocks, the green moss and grass, the clear sea and the endless horizion compliment each other.

                                                   The ancient mariner

This photograph is special because it follows the rule of thirds perfectly. The only flaw with this picture is the small island is visible partially in the picture, otherwise I find it absolutely perfect in every sense. The boat attracts the viewers eye without any fail.

My School memoirs I

I guess the most wonderful memories of every person is of his childhood school days. The days when the sole reason to be waked up early in the morning is rush through, to be ready for school in time. The days when the top agenda in parents plan is to get the innocent child ready for the new world. These are the days when the little ones are pushed to school, which they go to with reluctant hearts; when the little ones march in their smart uniforms, and the young ones are thinking diligently of excuses for not completing their homework.

Of course not all of those sweet looking children are innocent, some of them are Calvin models. No wonder Parents are Calvin phobic. I for one, was not like Calvin, at least in this aspect. As long as I can remember, I always loved school. School, for me meant a place where I could escape the strict disciplinarian environment of my home.

I was always a good student, mostly in the top 10% of the class. I did my homework regularly, learnt my lessons, did well in tests, respected both my elders & teachers. Academically my teachers never got a chance to complain.

However that didn’t mean I was a docile kid. I was a born prankster ad mischievousness epitomized. Bursting crackers, picking up fights, bunking classes, breaking glass windows, deflating cycle tyre; you name it I was in it.

Today after almost 8 years, when I look back, I am amazed to see the fella I was. The sweet & sour memories of the school days are one of my most treasured ones. In the following posts I am going to describe some of the incidents of my school life. These incidents are not in chronic-al order. I am just going to write them as I do remember them.

My best friend in those days and my certain accomplice in crimes those days was Jai. We came to know each other in 6th standard. He & me used to be poles apart, personality wise. He was more of a vocal person, a care free and sporty person. I on the other hand used to be more of a silent kind and the least interested in sports. He was the master planer and I used to be the rough, not so intelligent field man for the execution of his schemes.

Teachers used to love us both. To be frank, they used to love him more than me. But every teacher, till 10th standard was worried about our famous friendship. We had been a part of so many wise missions that our combination used to make everybody wary.

We used to do everything together. Picking up fights, Bunking classes, running across play grounds. Jai was especially good in mathematics. In fact that was the only subject where he could beat me without trying. In other subjects, of course, he never tried. Never a diligent student, he would always be formulating new ways of cheating in exams.

Both of us were afraid of Sanskrit. I still remember the way around he invented for not putting effort in the subject. We didn't knew many ways of cheating in those days. What he did was ingenious & brilliant. In fact, I can still say with utmost faith, that if he had put the same efforts in studying the “Kriyas” of “Pathe-Patha-Pathanti”; he would have easily scored more.

In those days we had to give quarterly exams. The answer sheet was a thin copy - book which every student would make for each subject. Now what Jai told me to do was to write answers of all the questions with pencil in the notebook, but not on the last pages. The answers were to be written on the pages which had been already used in the last test. This way you could just flip the pages back, see the answers, and then write the answers on the current page, all the while pretending that you are just checking your answers. The key to the scheme, as he told me was to always have a thoughtful expression on your face. We never studied for Sanskrit tests after that. And we never failed them.

As time passed, our friend ship grew deeper (Its good that we have not been together since the last 2 years, else they would have to formulate some new laws about black holes. Black holes are the deepest ones, you know.) By the time we came to 10th standard, we had grown mature and bold enough not to bunk classes. We just used to bunk the whole school day. Our fav hangout used to be a old bus stand, some 2 and a half Kms away from the school. We just used to sneak out of the main gate, hike to the bus stand and spend the whole day there, in scorching heat, but in peace.

After some time, teachers came to know of this. And finally a Guard was posted at each of the gates. Sneaking from the gates was out of question now. We were confined to the perimeter of the school boundaries now. But as Red says “Some birds are not meant to be caged, they have just too bright feathers for that”.

We were playing cricket in the hockey field that day. Real bats used to be a luxury those days, few could afford. We used to play with small stumps, made from the broken legs of the desks. No wonder, the school had to get lot of new furniture those days. The stumps were made of heavy “pharsis” (Pharsi is a thick slab of red stone used for paving the pathways.)

Anyway some body got angry, and threw the stump at the boundary wall. Nobody except me and Jai noticed that a brick had fallen loose from the wall. From that day onwards, all our free time used to be spent in the backside of football ground. Slowly, day after day, we made a hole in the wall there, taking out brick by brick. And after hard but determined work of 2 weeks, a hole big enough to allow a person to get out was there. I still wonder how we did that. Its good that neither of us two tried to make career in civil engineering.

My grand-mom was always doubt-full, if he was a bad influence on me. I am sure his Mom used to think the same of me. His Dad just adored me, the same way my Grand-dad adored him. I wonder who was a bad influence on whom.

We have come a long way since those school days, and we still are in touch. School days wouldn’t have been the same without Jai.

Running away!!!

The day before, some of my team members got confirmed; not going deeper into Company policies, it just means that they got a hike of 2-3K and a permanent employee status.

But most of them were not happy. Strangely enough they were referring to a hike of 3K as peanuts. What's even stranger is that the senior members of the team were encouraging the idiotic sentiments with comments like "Welcome to the club" & "Enjoy the peanuts".

I wonder how many months would it take for a person to eat peanuts worth 3K? I doubt if I can even eat so much of them! My dad actually told me one day that the salary which I draw, puts me automatically in the upper 20% of the Indian population on a financial scale. He also told me that a Colonel in Indian Army after working for 10 long years draws almost the same salary as I earn currently. I wonder what would my Dad say if he hears me analogize my current salary to peanuts.

Anyway my affection for peanuts is not a matter grave enough to draw out so much of concern. What bothers me is that I see the generation of India going too fast. Of course, Nobody loves to live in a slow lane. But I feel somewhere along the way, we really forgot what are we earning for? What is the actual value of money? And what are the things that really matter in Life?

Oh, I am not trying to undermine the importance of money. Rather I am trying to highlight it. The actual value of money lies in the knowledge how to spend it. To spend it for a purpose or a goal which is dear to you, and causes happiness in your heart. Without this knowledge the green crisp notes are no different than the toilet paper. (I humbly beg pardon of the RBI here, The quality of paper used in the currency is way different than that of the toilet tissues. Also just for the interest of trivia minded people, the paper used in currencies is such that it doesn't rot in water for quite a prolonged duration.)

Is having a cool look, designer clothes, expensive gadgets (half of whose functions you would never use in life, and the other half you would never have any use for), boozing like hell, being happy? I mean where else does a bachelor living alone, not supporting his family spend a amount of 25K? Or lets suppose that these guys are planning for future, and they are saving 10K a month, i.e, 1.2 lakhs per year which goes beyond a whooping steep figure of 5.9 crores on a 10% compound interest after a period of 35 years. What will you do with a sum of 6 crores at the age of 60? Beats me....I will never be able to figure out. I mean, yeah it's one of my dreams to own a red Ferrari Enzo which costs exactly 5.9 crores, but why the heck would I buy a Ferrari at the age of 60? I for one, will never understand the obsession for money, especially amongst the people who don't know what do they want to do with it.

Leaving aside the calculations, I feel trying to enjoy the current moment, the tiny seconds, the small minutes, the big minutes, the bigger hours and the gigantic years is more important than counting the greens. Come on guys, its a mile stone for you, you have got a raise. Try to figure out what the occasion is all about, besides the dumb money. You are a permanent employee of the company, you have completed a year in this firm, and also that your work is being appreciated by somebody....Does all this mean nothing?

"Money is only the means to happiness, not a promise to it."
When will we figure it out? Where are we running away to?

P.S - I don't like peanuts BTW.

A season of Faith's Perfection

Many a times you would have faced the question “Who do you admire?”

It is one of the questions which I answer with amazing clarity; unfortunately my audience doesn’t share the same opinion. Most of the people are amazed at my answer. Not because the Names which I give are bizarre; not because it is difficult to believe.

It's simply because people don't believe I am telling the truth. And well I can’t deny that they have got some reasons to do so.

The first name I take is Sachin Tendulkar. I admire Sachin Tendulkar. But so do lot of other people.

Well, if you do know me, you would have already caught up the point. For the people who haven’t, it’s because I don’t know the A B C of cricket. I can’t differentiate between a Yorker and a Googly. I always get confused between the Leg side and the Off. But I unflinchingly give Sachin’s name when people ask me the concerned Question.

So, what’s the catch? Let me explain

They say that it was one of the most memorable sights in the history of cricket was when Abdul Quadir; a refined Pakistani bowler sledged a young 16 year old kid. That young novice batsman hit Abdul Quadir for 4 sixes and 1 four in the next 6 balls. A new star was born in cricket that day who would keep us amazed with his game; and whose fame would put legends to shame. By the way, just to keep the records straight, this kid was the youngest of test players who have played for Indian cricket team.

Sachin started Opening for India in 1994. It was against New Zealand when Navjot Singh Sidhu got injured. The young Sachin, boldly stepped forward and took the responsibility of opening. He blasted 82 off 43 balls. They say that the opening position in the batting order of Indian cricket was reserved for next decade on the same day. This was the same year when he scored his first international century against Australia, after playing for 5 years.

As a batsman; he has exploited the cricket dry. The number of records he has would fill pages and pages. His strengths as a batsman would again form a good sized volume for the young aspirants. The way he used to hit sixes and fours all over the field would glue even a non cricketer to the screen. What do you say of a batsman when bowlers benchmark themselves by their capacity and the number of times they can get him out?

I can keep on telling stories about his exploits in Cricket; as anyone who has the slightest knowledge about cricket can. But that is not my aim here. I am here to tell why I admire him; not to remind you of his cricket records.

He is one of the most consistent Batsman India ever had. Also, he is one of the most humble ones. It indeed is a rare sight to see Sachin getting agitated on Pitch; and hence the saying “He lets his willow do the talking”. If cricket is the game of Gentlemen, you can see Sachin doing it the perfect justice. He is the first Indian cricketer who told us that the fire is not in your anger; it’s in your heart. His quiet manner speaks of an affluent age and the way he is comfortable on the pitch with the opposition speaks volumes about his confidence.

He is the one sportsman who has told the world that Indians can be cosmopolitan, slick and debonair. Clearly, he is one of the most calm, confident and easy going sportsman. From a bowlers point of view he is also one of the most to-be-feared batsman. And what can be a better testimony of this fact than the quote by the Legendary Sharne Warne who said that he gets nightmares of Sachin hitting him for 4’s and 6’s.

Sachin is the one person who has bought the biggest change in Indian cricket, knowingly or unknowingly. He has given a lot more to Indian cricket than mere figures, records and victories. One of these gifts is the capability to win in foreign grounds. Indian cricket team was considered to be a poor traveler before Sachin came into picture. This has changed significantly, and we have even beaten the Kiwi’s at their home.

Sachin has seen Indian cricket growing and flourishing; and he must be really happy since he is one of the few nurturing it. He has been the back bone of Indian batting order, he has been considered to be the savior. He has bowled for the team in the need of hour and taken significant number of wickets. He has played the role of technical and strategical expert, and the captain of the team. It’s been a long journey. And in this long journey he has given so much to Cricket that he has been crowned the undisputable god of Cricket.

It’s not only that Sachin is a good cricketer. He is admired because he defines Great Cricket. Because he tells you that stature and size don’t matter if your faith in self is strong enough. Because he is one of those few people, who makes you believe that nothing is impossible. Because he tells you that a single man can carry the entire nation on his shoulders and rule the hearts of same. Sachin makes you believe that dreams are the seeds of goals; all you need is the strength to pursue them and turn them into reality.

However, time loses to no one. The 18 years which he has given to cricket have finally got him, and he has started showing signs of age and injuries. Finally the illusion has shattered; the Illusion he had created.

People have started realizing that Sachin is getting old; that he is not the same young spirit whom bowlers used to loose their night’s sleep. Some can’t take up this fact. They want Sachin back; in all his full glory. And when he can’t deliver, he is criticized. Only a few realize that there is glory even in those criticisms. That the illusion he had created actually worked. What more glory and praise can a sportsman ask and get. No matter what happens in cricket tomorrow, his name which will always stand distinct in the books.

It has been a Season of faith’s perfection. Perfection, few would dream to achieve; leave alone dare.

P.S – The title of this Post is actually from a movie named “Finding Forrester”. William Forrester writes an article with the same title in the movie. An awesome movie; another of the few things which I admire in life.

Trip to Arthur's Seat

I have been in Scotland for almost a month. And finally I got a chance to move my lazy self and give my self acclaimed athletic body some exercise. This weekend I went for a hike on Abbey hill and Arthur’s seat. Abbey hill lies on a ridge that runs east from Calton hill to Meadowbank. It’s a small Plateau outside the heart of city.

The main points of attraction of this part of the city is a huge Football ground, the Scottish parliament (Considered to be on of the few modern buildings in Scotland) and a castle, where the Queen stays in Winters.

A view of Abbey hill and Arthur’s seat from the base.

The 3 people are standing on Abbey hill and the Cliff at the centre of the rift is Arthur’s Seat. The top of the hill is 256 metres, i.e, some 800 feet, not a very difficult hike, but a beautiful one.

This is a football ground at the base of the 2 hills. One of the guys was flying a kite when I shot this picture from Abbey Hill. You can even see the twine in the picture.

Abbey hill actually offers one of the most beautiful views of Edinburgh.

Me and Srini at Abbey hill, and moving towards Arthur’s Seat. You can see people and trails in the background.

View of Abbey hill from Arthur’s seat.

View at the top of Arthur’s Seat.

The winds blow quite strong at this height. Your hands get pretty numb even on a sunny day. Arthur's Seat is one of the seven hills of Edinburgh and looming over the city which offer many different walks for everyone. Without question the best views are to the west over looking Edinburgh Castle, Old Town and the New Town. If you turn your neck by 180 degrees, you can see the horizon and the sea blending together.

Me and Srini Standing near the Disc.

The Disc shows the height of Arthur’s Seat and the same for other hills in Edinburgh. An interesting piece of information if somebody loves hiking.

This is me and Srini at the top of Arthur’s Seat. The winds are pretty fierce over here, something around 30 mph even on a normal day.

There is also a small lake at the base of Arthur’s hill on the other side. The perimeter of this lake is used by a lot of Joggers.

Me and Srini sitting at a bench on the lakeside, oogling at girls.

Thillai, standing near the lake.

I like this picture. Even though there was no AF lock on Thillai’s camera and I wanted to keep the trees in the back ground as the centre of focus, Thillai is quite sharp. However he wasn’t very happy with the picture.

Me & Thillai, near the lake, but on the opposite side.

Lake is a main attraction point for Swans, and they do sometimes venture a bit far....

Me & Srini, sitting near the lake, on the road

Overall it was a nice pleasant trip. Not too demanding physically, but quite refreshing. I have some more pictures, and will upload that soon.

I wonder!!!

The tender whispers from your Lips,
The soft wisps of your brown hair,
The black night in your eyes,
The rude smile of yours,
And the mad laughter,

The way you see me and ignore,
The way you brush away my approaching hand,
The way you try to make me see sense,
The way you keep your distance,
And the way I am crazy about you,

All force me to stop,
to wonder why am I not asleep,
at 1 O'Clock in the night,
thinking where will this take me!!!

Sea Virus

"I knew I should never have gone below but I did,
and the fug of bilges and wood caught me aback.
The sheets of my heart snapped taut to breaking,
as a gale stronger than longing filled the sail inside me.
To be shot of land and its wood smoke!
To feel the keel cold in a current!
To see the mast inscribing water like a restless pen writing a fading wake!
Its true, I'm ruined.
Not even peace will do to keep me ashore now.
Not even you."

- Gwyneth Lewis (The first national poet of Wales)

Love in a Time lane

I am standing here in the drizzle, waiting for her. I zipped my jacket and clutched it close, the wet red roses even closer. I dipped my hand to the inner pocket of my jacket, fumbled with the cigarette pack, and extracted one. While still struggling to find the lighter, I glanced at my watch. 15 minutes more. Though I consider punctuality as a virtue, I was never successful in adopting it as an idiosyncrasy. And here was I today, full 15 minutes earlier.

I was finally able to light the cigarette. I inhaled the lungful of smoke. It wasn't the first; but it was surely one of those very few times in my life, when I have been nervous. I could feel the time slowing down, eventually stopping. I could see each rain drop slowly sailing through the air, falling to the eternity, before hitting the ground. I was happy.

The exhaled cigarette smoke hung in the wet air, blurring my vision. This helped me in boarding the train of my thoughts to the past.

She worked with me. I haven't known her for ages, but unless I make a conscious effort to realize this fact, my wretched memory makes me feel the opposite. What I mean to say is, I feel that I have known her since ages. She is very pretty. I am not very good at describing beauty in words, considering the fact that unlike her I never prepared for GMAT or GRE. Of course, I am planning to do so in the near future, but till then, I can only say, she is very pretty. Ok, to be a little more poetic, let me say she is as pretty as an angel.

I was never a sucker for beauty. To me, the sense of humor, the presence of wit, the courage to withstand your decisions and some grey matter in the top floor always mattered more. And slowly as I came to know her, I found she has ample of all these. This made my feelings for her even more dense and viscous.

Finally one day after praying to all my idol superheroes, including Batman & Superman, (P.S - I have been a die hard fan of Superman, since childhood, however the Hollywood movies they make, do no justice to my favorite superhero) I gathered enough courage to ask her out for a coffee. And the mistake which I committed in dutch courage brings us to my present situation. Needless to say I was very nervous, and had cold feet; of course the weather was also playing some part in this.

A bright 'Hi' from the familiar voice, snapped me back from the heavens of my thoughts and dumped me in the chilly reality of today. She was looking Beautiful (Please notice the capital B). She gave me her all time, to die for smile, and ordered a cappuccino. I glanced through the menu, and then asked for the same. I didn’t wanted to take any chances today, even if it meant sacrificing my regular Espresso.

I gave her the Roses.

"Oh they are Lovely" She said.
'Not as lovely as you look'; my heart was screaming, but fortunately my mouth has a habit of malfunctioning on such occasions.

We got talking, regular things ...Some of them quite boring. I consciously stopped my self from bringing up any topic which had the slightest technical angle, knowing that she hated all computer talks. In midst of Coffee, I blurted out what I felt for her. I was waiting for her reply, expectantly. That was the last thing I remember.

I glanced at my watch again, and realized that it was close to half an hour since she had left. I fumbled in my inner jacket pocket once again, and lighted up the cigarette. I crammed my hands deeper in the pockets, and asked for an Espresso, from the passing waiter. A drop of rain grazed my eye, rolled down my cheek and hit the pavement below.

She had refused in a polite but very firm manner. She was seeing some one. What could I say to that? She had offered me her friendship as a token of 'no hard feelings'. I had smiled and said nothing. She was sympathetic. "You will forget me with time. Time heals everything. Just remember Time is a great healer".

The waiter bought the espresso. I placed the change on the table, and got up. I gulped my espresso, and threw the cup in a bin. I may have been a familiar customer to the waiter. The coffee was extra strong, which made it all the more bitter. 'Appropriate', I thought. Suddenly a thought occurred to me; this was the second occasion when time was stopping for me in a single day.

I got up and started walking. The rain drops making a beautiful noise as they plattered on the cobblestones. I was still cursing the time. Only if it had stopped before, so that I could be the guy she was seeing. But then again, would it have changed anything?

P.S - The writing style of this story is inspired by a book called "Einstein dreams" by Alan Lightman. Its a nice book, worth reading.

P.P.S - The motive of writing this story, is to be decided by the subjects of the story :))

My Adventures in Scotland

It’s my first day in Scotland. I de-board the plane and slowly move toward the exit, trying to absorb my surroundings. My body is a little cramped after the 10 hours journey. Oh, I forgot the one hour spent in travelling from Heathrow to Edinburgh. But the journey was uneventful, except perhaps my encounter with the nurse at immigration counter.

I had dutifully got a chest X-ray, but my ignorance led me to place the report in the check-in baggage, instead of my hand baggage. The nurse was pretty furious, when I told her the reason, for my not having the x-ray. Her reply was “ Oh I hate you college kids. You guys forget something everytime”. Amused at her comment at my being a Kid, I tried to remember when in the past had I been called one. When I told her that I wasn’t a College student, and had come here on a project, she gave me an even nastier look. “ I have 9 people who are ill, and they can be rightfully called as patients, so you have increased my work, which I could do very well without”. I didn’t reply anything and waited for her to stamp the papers.

The chilled air snapped me from my retrospective memories, I had reached the Airport exit. Reality dawned on me and the first thing I did was to reach for my Cigarette pack stowed away in my jacket. I was quite happy, seeing the slightly chilly weather. However, my happiness was short lived when I couldn’t find the book of matches in my jacket. My jacket had 5 pockets and I searched every pocket at least 4 times.…that makes it 20 pockets.

At this point of time, my highly intellectual but completely disoriented brain was analysing a highly complex problem. What if there would have been 10 Pocket in the jacket? Would the probability of finding the book of matches increases by any factor? Well, I know I might be boring you by this complex stuff, naturally its not meant for you, Its significance can be truly realized only by highly mathematically oriented, logically streamlined intellectuals researching for a book of matches. Oh did I say research, I meant search! Ahem…I hope you will pardon me. My brain was again calculating the probability of... Well, Never mind.

Hmm...coming to the grave problem in hand, I Searched frantically for some saviour who would be killing himself while smoking. All scholars, can actually ponder on the irony in the previous sentence, the rest of my dumb friends can read on. Somehow found such a person, of course, as the fate would have...She was a girl. My naturally shy self was a little hesitant asking a girl for a light. However, steeling my nerves, I overcame all my fears and for that fraction of moment, I became the deadliest warrior that ever walked on the face of mother earth. “Hello, err..err...Miss...I am sorry to ...But can I ask you for a Light?” And as they say, the brave conquer all... And I finally got a Light.

So after the back-breaking fight, I was standing there in full glory, enjoying my cigarette. Of course the adventures of the bright Indian Techie, in Scotland didn’t end here. But then, as they say, was another day.

If you can't be the pine at the top of the hill

The most inspiring piece of Poetry I have ever read. Hope you enjoy reading it, as much as I did:-

"If you can't be the pine at the top of the hill,
Be a shrub in the valley below.
The best little scrub in the valley below,
Be a bush if you can't be a tree.
If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,
And some highway happier make
If you can't be a muskie, then just be a bass,
But be the liveiest bass in the Lake!
We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,
There's something for all of us here.
There's big work to do and lesser to do,
And the task we must do is the near.
If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,
If you can't be the sun, be a star.
It isn't by size that you win or you fail,
Be the best of whatever you are."

- Douglas Malloch (Be the Best)

Calvin and Hobbes

I first read a "Calvin and Hobbes" strip when I was in my third year of Engineering. My uncle had bought 2 volumes for my cousin. My cousin, who incidentally is least interested in books, just threw the volumes away. I picked up the torn one, and kept it, to read on my journey back. That was my introduction to this amazing Comic strip which ran continuously for 10 years. I still have that volume, and along with a copy of "Tintin in Explorers of the Moon", is one of my prized possessions.

The "Tintin in Explorers of Moon", was gifted by my uncle when I was in 8th standard, and he was doing his Engineering. It costed him something around 250 bucks, which happened to be big money at that time.

I got my collection of Calvin and Hobbes for a whooping 6000 bucks. People often do ask me, why do I love Calvin so much?

I generally do answer them incoherently, at least, according to them. So I thought I will put up my thoughts in words, and may be it would be a better answer for those people.

First of all, I love Comics, I am an ardent fan of those, but you wouldn’t find me spending 6K for every comic book. I love Calvin, because it's truthful. The kid does act like a 6 year old in many ways. He thinks like a kid. His ideas are quite weird, at least similar to those of mine, when I was of his age. He does depict all the emotions, which a child, or a grown up for that matter, does experience. Bill hasn’t depicted Calvin as a loving kid. I would say there lies more truth in his selfish, impulsive, day-dreaming, lazy but adventurous and intelligent self than any other Comic character.

The relation between Calvin and his Dad is also awesome. The way Calvin mocks his Dad's boredom filled office routine, and the way his parents see his problems, can make you see the difference in the thoughts of the generations. I bet a Father who is a true fan of "Calvin and Hobbes" would experience less of Generation Gap, than his non-Calvin fan counterpart.

I also like the way, in which "Bill Watterson" sometimes tells his grown up audience that being a child is fun. The subtle indications by the author, in which he tells his mature audience, that they are indeed loosing some things by being a total Grown up, that most of the problems, we face are not as important as they seem. But best of all, I like Calvin, because it tells you the way one should live. "Making the most fun in the limited time" as Calvin, himself says.

These are some of the things which I adore about Calvin. There are some other things also, which I am not able to put into words. Because I am not good enough with words, to put those ideas into some. And for understanding these you will have to try the strip for yourself.

P.S - "Bill Watterson" never sold the rights of "Calvin and Hobbes" to anyone. He considered it to be an art, and that is why you don’t see "Calvin and Hobbes" on Coffee mugs, T-shirts, etc.
P.P.S - Besides "Calvin and Hobbes" I also happen to have the complete series of Tintin.

The Seasons...

The Fury of the Gods,
made the blue skies crimson and Red,
The sand became parched,
And all the water up there dried,
The death was naked and dancing,
And wolves being merry and Howling,

The Weeping eyes of the God,
And the torrent of rains,
And down came the Lord,
With the sword of lightning,
And the shield of rippling droplets,
Followed by the numerous courtiers of Tornadoes,

And as anger gave way to wisdom,
Reason seeped in the form of Cool Winds,
Filled with regret,
The heat turned into breeze,
The worst was over,
And still there was lots to see,

He washed away all his anger,
And blessed all his children,
Shooed away the illness and Wolves,
And trapped the death,
Saplings rose new and fresh,
And the old bark became again but green,

The old man in the heaven,
Filled with remorse,
Cried and cried on his deeds,
till the tears in his eye froze,
the whole world became quiet,
and only the howling chilly wind spoke,

And the Humans on earth,
Thinking of the fortunes ahead,
Were happy,
Hoping he was pleased,
Started praying for the coming year.

Laws of Attraction

"I am not here to save my Carrer....I am sorry to disappoint you...But I dont care about my Carrer. I do care about you.

And so I will gladly give you a Divorce....Call me old fashioned...But I believe that if you love someone, you should be unselfish enough to give them everything they want. And I love you Audrey... I will come around to collect my things later."

Tequila Sunrise

I recently went out for a dinner with my friends.
Going through the Menu....my eye slipped through items...and came to a sudden halt on "Tequila Sunrise".

And instantly, that day, I remembered a girl from my college, who is nicknamed "Tequila Sunrise".

Though I love the song, I never had tried the drink...Well as everybody might have guessed I had that along with my dinner.

My last opinion on the Drink...It's Ok...Not made for me...but some people are surely going to love it...the same way I am crazy about the song:-

"It’s another tequila sunrise
Starin’ slowly ’cross the sky, said goodbye
He was just a hired hand
Workin’ on the dreams he planned to try
The days go by

Ev’ry night when the sun goes down
Just another lonely boy in town
And she’s out runnin’ ’round

She wasn’t just another woman
And I couldn’t keep from comin’ on
It’s been so long
Oh, and it’s a hollow feelin’ when
It comes down to dealin’ friends
It never ends

Take another shot of courage
Wonder why the right words never come
You just get numb
It’s another tequila sunrise,this old world
Still looks the same,
Another frame, mm..."

Disclaimer:- The song is Sung by Eagles for the movie "Tequila Sunrise".
Disclaimer:- This entry is dedicated to Nivedita Singh.

Gates Vs Jobs

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs interviewed by Kara Swisher and Walt Mosberg

To create a new standard, it takes something that’s not just a little bit different, it takes something that’s really new and really captures people’s imagination and the Macintosh, of all the machines I’ve ever seen, is the only one that meets that standard.”
–Microsoft founder Bill Gates, 1984

If I were running Apple, I would milk the Macintosh for all it’s worth–and get busy on the next great thing. The PC wars are over. Done. Microsoft won a long time ago.”
–Steve Jobs, 1996.

Creaking of Gates

Following is an excrept from a Speech by Bill Gates at Harvard. The speech is quite a long one, but I love the opening Part.

(Text as prepared for delivery)

"President Bok, former President Rudenstine, incoming President Faust, members of the Harvard Corporation and the Board of Overseers, members of the faculty, parents, and especially, the graduates:

I've been waiting more than 30 years to say this: "Dad, I always told you I'd come back and get my degree."

I want to thank Harvard for this timely honor. I'll be changing my job next year … and it will be nice to finally have a college degree on my resume.

I applaud the graduates today for taking a much more direct route to your degrees. For my part, I'm just happy that the Crimson has called me "Harvard's most successful dropout." I guess that makes me valedictorian of my own special class … I did the best of everyone who failed.

But I also want to be recognized as the guy who got Steve Ballmer to drop out of business school. I'm a bad influence. That's why I was invited to speak at your graduation. If I had spoken at your orientation, fewer of you might be here today. "

Weekend in Chennai

If any of my friends are thinking that this is one of those blogs where I do brag about the dates I had with my girl friends, Please do not read further. This is going to disappoint you hugely.

I had the chance to be in Chennai this weekend, not that I was going there for the first time. I have been to Chennai twice before, but the trips were very short one and were goal oriented. Hence this was, in a way my first Pleasure trip to Chennai.
Well, this time the city stuck a chord in my heart. It's really beautiful. Wide roads, managed traffic, the beach near by. And, moreover it is developing in quite a planned way. The residential and commercial areas are quite separated and have been planned accordingly.

The new bus stand is huge. A auto driver was telling me that it is the biggest bus terminal in India. I am not sure whether this is correct or not, but yeah it is huge. They could do better with the railway station though. It hasn't got the attention it deserves. It is too congested and it looked to be in poor shape. Can't comment on the Airport, didn't get to see it.

One of the sights that amazed me was the 'General Hospital'. I didn't get the chance to see it from inside, but from outside it's quite a feast to the eyes. On the first sight, it looks more of a 3 star Hotel, rather than a Hospital.

Food is quite cheap. Transport is almost equivalent to that of Bangalore, though if you don't know Tamil, the auto-wallahs are surely going to take you for a ride. The bus service is also quite organized, though a little bit too congested.
Another incident which I really loved, happened at Marina beach. I reached the beach as early as 9:30. It was almost deserted, except for the local shopkeepers. And behold, there was a scene which I couldn't believe. All the people present were cleaning the beach. Picking up spent up mineral water bottles, empty cigarette packs, poly bags....and what's more is, people who started coming in, also helped in this chore for 10-15 mins each.

Well, in a nut shell I fell in love with the city. The only problem I faced there was that I couldn't speak Tamil. But Luckily, I always found somebody who could speak English or understand Hindi.
I asked a Guard for the directions of a Theater, and the conversation was quite interesting:-

Me:     Excuse me, Shanti Theatre Ka rasta kahan se hai?
Guard: Huh!!!
Me:    (getting the point that he doesn't know Hindi)
         The Way to Shanti Theater...
Guard: Only English or Tamil....
Me:    (Dazed a little bit now...) Shanti Cinema Hall?
Guard: Don't know Hindi...
Me:    (Trying desperately Last time)
          Shanti multiplex..??
Guard: (With his toothless Grin) Go straight...

I know Chennai's weather is too hot and humid, but yesterday it was too good. Drizzle falling by, negligible humidity and very less of the Apollo. It was a fantastic trip. BTW I watched 'Fantastic 4' in chennai for a cool 50 bucks.

"Some can give you laughter & smiles, Many others can give you cries& tears, Only few can give you laughing tears & crying smiles,
Treasure them more than anything!"

P.S - Even though this isn't mine, I do take the risk of dedicating this entry of my Blog to a person who really means all this and the world to me.

The Journey of Beer

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.- Benjamin Franklin"

I hope the old man was not drunk when he said this; I am what I am today because I believe in Benjamin Franklin.
Beer is the world's oldest and most popular alcoholic beverage.

Beer is produced by the fermentation of sugars derived from starch-based material. The most common being malted barley. However wheat, corn and rice are also widely used, usually in conjunction with the barley. Less widely used starch sources include cassava root in Africa, potato in Brazil, and agave in Mexico.

Water is the most prominent constituent of Beer. Water used to make beer nearly always comes from a local source. The mineral components of water are important to beer because minerals in the water influence the character of beer made from it. Different regions have water with different mineral components. As a result, different regions are better suited to making certain types of beer. For example, Dublin has hard water well-suited to making stout, such as Guinness. As a result, it is argued that the mineral components of water have an influence on the character of regional beers. So arguably, if you are drinking an Indian Brand of beer, you may be purifying yourself by the holy Ganges water. I just hope though, that you don't use the above argument to get a upper hand on your Mom or Wife.

Most of us, Beer Fanatics would have no idea of the long journey, the beer has made before flowing into your Mug. Producing beer is a tedious process and generally constitutes the following steps:-

Mashing manipulates the temperature of a mixture of water and a starch source (known as mash) in order to convert starches to fermentable sugars

Sparging (a.k.a. lautering) extracts the fermentable liquid, known as wort, from the mash. During sparging the mash is in a vessel known as a lauter-tun, which has a porous barrier through which wort can pass, but not grain. Wort flows past the porous barrier and is collected. Water is also passed to the lauter-tun to rinse fermentable liquid from the grain in the mash and also extracts the maximum fermentable liquid from the mash as possible. The leftover grain is not further used in making the beer.

Boiling sterilizes the wort and increases the concentration of sugar in the wort. The wort collected from sparging is put in a kettle and boiled, usually for about one hour. During boiling, water in the wort evaporates, but the sugars and other components of the wort remain; this allows more efficient use of the starch sources in the beer. Hops are added during boiling in order to extract bitterness, flavor and aroma from them.

Fermentation uses yeast to turn the sugars in wort to alcohol and carbon dioxide. During fermentation, the wort becomes beer. Once the boiled wort is cooled and in a fermenter, yeast is propagated in the wort and it is left to ferment, which requires, week to months, depending on the type of yeast and strength of the beer. In addition to producing alcohol, fine particulate matter suspended in the wort settles during fermentation. Once fermentation is complete, the yeast also settles, leaving the beer clear.

After fermentation the beer is transferred to a new vessel and allowed a period of secondary fermentation. Secondary fermentation is used when the beer requires long storage before packaging or greater clarity.

I hope this post helps you know your Beer in a better way, and realize the fact that it has covered a long way before settling in your mug. Next time, when you raise your mug to your lips, dont forget to give the long "Journey of the Beer", a thought. But, most of all, I hope you enjoy your Beer!!!

The World from the eyes of Forrest Gump...

Hi All,

My name is Gump, Forrest Gump. No, I am not trying to imitate the famous British agent “James bond, 007”. It's just that I feel proud of my name, because my Mama gave it to me, and I like the sound of it.

People say that I am mentally Weaker compared to them. They tell me that I am different from them. I really don't know whether there is any truth in the former part, but yeah, the latter part is true.

I am different from the rest of people. I hardly understand what drives people around me. I know its wrong to think like this, but I really hate, the way I have seen people being happy about other's miseries, the way people step back on their own words, the way people tell lies, in order to evade helping the needful ones is something which I couldn't understand. I don't understand my fellow beings articulately. No matter, how much I try to put myself in their shoes. I fail to think like them, after a certain point. I don't know whether I was born with an extra sense, or I do lack a particular one, which makes me like the way I am. May be it's because I was born with weak legs.

I really hate myself sometimes, thinking wrong about my fellow beings. I mean, all of them can't be so bad, as they seem. There is something which I just can't grasp. May be it's because of my Weak IQ, as my Principal used to tell my Mama.

Take the case of Mr. Brown and Mr. Spencer. They were childhood buddies. And when his friend was dying, Mr. Brown promised that he will look after Mrs. Spencer and his 10 year old daughter. But somehow, Mrs. Spencer looks like she still needs more help, and the 10 year old Rosy looks like she isn't getting enough to eat. May be, she is missing Mr. Spencer too much. Mr. Brown is doing good though. God must be paying him back for keeping his promise to his childhood buddy. But people speak so many bad things about him, I really can't understand why.

There are some things, which confuse me more than the rest of them. Like why was I was given a medal to save my buddies in Vietnam? I didn't save them, God saved them. I only carried them, ran a little and put them in shade, away from the flames of napalm bombs. Like why did Lieutenant Dan, feel bad when he didn't die? I know he lost his Legs, and I know he must be feeling pretty sad for loosing them, but at least he still has got the head and 2 arms properly in their place. Poor Bubba, lost his life, and I didn't get the bitterness in his voice, which I used to feel in Lt. Dan's voice.

But one thing, I must give credit to my fellow beings, they are very smart. The reason I say so...is because I believe in "Life is a box of Chocolates, and you never know what you are going to get". But this must be too simple for them. They talk about such important and abstract concepts like Honor, Goals, and self satisfaction.

I could never even grasp the meanings of all these terms. All my Mama taught me is to live honestly, never to break a Promise, and always to help my friends and fellow brothers. May be she forgot these terms, or may be she thought, I wasn't intelligent to understand these. But what confuses me all the more is Mama, never thought that I couldn't understand something.

The only person who could understand me was Jenny. And I miss her. I told Jenny once, "I may not be a Smart Man, but I know what Love is". I know it's silly to say so, But I still love her, I love her all the more, and I miss her. I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floating around accidental-like on a breeze, but I, I think maybe it's both. Maybe both is happening at the same time. I miss you, Jenny. If there's anything you need, I won't be far away.

I hope, I will be born smart next time, so that I can understand my friends better. I am not greedy, I just want to know my friends better.

P.S - I have taken the liberty to copy some Dialogues from the Movie and have used them without changing. I hereby Declare that they are from the movie "Forrest Gump", Screen play by "Eric Roth", and Based on a novel by "Winston Groom".

What would you die for?

Every person stands up for something or other. The meekest of scholars, and the most arrogant of the warriors, the godly saint and the most selfish stinger, all of us are willing to give everything, for some particular cause. And to find that cause, is where the meaning of the life lies.

So what do I stand by?
What are the things for which I would throw away everything, wrapped in a brown paper bag, without having any second thought. Principles, Freedom, Money, Honor...or is it something more basic?

Well there is only one thing for which I will fight till death, without care of tomorrow, and that is my belief. The belief that Man is the best thing that could have happened on earth, that Man has an infinite potential, and once he puts his soul and mind into something, there is nothing impossible for him. For the pride I feel in being a Man!!!

And may there be Rain tonight...

"And may there be Rain tonight..."
The phrase is not as it is sounding right now to most of you, annoyed by the heat. Properly spoken In Irish, it means that whatever happened during the day, may it become a treasurable memory for the speaker.

It's like, you are reflecting on some moments of the day...and you realize that these moments are some of the most beautiful slices of your life, however short they may be...and the prayer escapes from your lips... "May it rain tonight!!!". They say its the final stamp of the rain, that preserves the memory for lifetime.

Well...Elaborating the meaning of the phrase or describing the beauty of Irish language is not my concern here. The moments which I lived yesterday is.

The first drizzle of the season, 6'O clock in the evening, Well I missed it. Shortly after-wards, I was out and feeling the light breeze, I cursed myself for missing it. When I reached home, I was certain that the great Lord wouldn't disappoint me and it will rain tonight. I am not putting any emphasis on my meteorological skills or on my absolute trust in God. It was just a feeling, that it will be raining tonight.

I went to a restaurant, Packed up dinner for 4 people, and collected 4 Beers on the way back. Don't get me wrong, There were 3 friends besides me. When I reached home, it had started to rain heavily, and there was no electricity.

I towelled myself dry, and then I was blinded by a flash. No it was not the power supply coming back. It was the brilliance and originality of my new born Idea. Well, for all the people who are dying to know it, the idea was to feel the rain tonight.We have a Huge terrace outside our place.

To have the beer and the dinner outside on terrace, with all the light coming from a sole candle, getting wet slowly, all the while hearing the droplets plattering by. It keeps you guessing, is it the beer or the humid breeze dashing through the tiny droplets, that's taking hold of the senses. The music of those small droplets when they hit the hard ground at terminal velocity is a soft sound "Putt", barely noticable, but if you concentrate on it, the sound has a music of its own. No wonder, they call rain as the season of romance.

We tried it, and it was truly amazing. I can't describe the feeling in words, I don't have that strong of a vocabulary. All I can say is "May there be rain tonight", so that I can do it again once more and the memory lasts forever.

P.S - For all the people who are going to try this, have some spare candles and empty mineral water bottles. Cut the bottom of the bottle, and light the candle inside it, upside down of course. It leads, air of romance, to the ambience.

Von Neumann Architecture

Von Neumann architecture is a computer architecture model that uses a single structure to hold both the data and the instructions. In other words for a computer to be totally based on a Von Neumann architecture, the CPU shouldn’t make any difference between the Instructions and the data. Von Neumann architecture implements a universal turing machine.

Von Neumann architecture defines an instruction set and details computation as a series of instructions. The machine hence becomes much more flexible. By treating those instructions in the same way as data, a stored-program machine can easily change the program, and can do so under program control. The separation of storage from the processing unit is implicit in the von Neumann architecture.

A stored-program design, as Von Neumann architecture is also called sometimes, lets programs modify themselves while running. One early motivation for such a facility was the need for a program to increment or otherwise modify the address portion of instructions, which had to be done manually in early designs. Of course, this became less important when index registers and indirect addressing became customary features of machine architecture.
Self-modifying code is deprecated today since it is hard to understand and debug, and modern processor pipelining and caching schemes make it inefficient.


In some simple stored-program computer designs, a malfunctioning program can damage itself, other programs, or the operating system, possibly leading to a crash. A buffer overflow is one very common example of such a malfunction. Memory protection and other forms of access control can help protect against both accidental and malicious program modification. These features are generally part of the operating system.

On a large scale, the ability to treat instructions as data is what makes assemblers, compilers and other automated programming tools possible. One can "write programs which write programs".

The separation between the CPU and memory (where the instructions and the data is stored) leads to the von Neumann bottleneck, the limited throughput (data transfer rate) between the CPU and memory in comparison with the amount of memory.

In modern machines, throughput is much smaller than the rate at which the CPU can work. Under some circumstances (when the CPU is required to perform minimal processing on large amounts of data), this gives rise to a serious limitation in overall effective processing speed. The CPU is continuously forced to wait for vital data to be transferred to or from memory. As CPU speed and memory size have increased much faster than the throughput between them, the bottleneck has become more of a problem.

The performance problem is reduced by a cache between CPU and main memory, and by the development of branch prediction algorithms

Harvard architecture is a computer architecture with physically separate storage and signal pathways for instructions and data. The term originated from the Harvard Mark I relay-based computer, which stored instructions on punched tape (24 bits wide) and data in electro-mechanical counters (23 digits wide). These early machines had limited data storage, entirely contained within the data processing unit, and provided no access to the instruction storage as data, making loading and modifying programs an entirely offline process. eg - A calculator.

In a computer with the contrasting von Neumann architecture, the CPU can be either reading an instruction or reading/writing data from/to the memory. Both cannot occur at the same time since the instructions and data use the same signal pathways and memory. In a computer with Harvard architecture, the CPU can read both an instruction and data from memory at the same time. A computer with Harvard architecture can be faster because it is able to fetch the next instruction at the same time it completes the current instruction. Speed is gained at the expense of more complex electrical circuitry.

Computers today use a hybrid of both :))

Date...and Lunch

I got up in the morning, and was awe-stuck at myself. Instead of the regular thoughts, My thoughts were of Her. It wasn't strange, it was unbelievable. Remembering somebody suddenly, whom I have been trying to forget, after a tenure of one year is something that generally doesn't happen to me.

I reached Office at 10. During my entire trip through Hosur Road, I just remembered her. No particular Scenes from FlashBack. Cos there were not enough to make even one single scene. Just a few glimpses from here and there. We didn't used to speak much to each other during College days. One of the reasons being, that both of us are not good conversationalist. She is a little shy and I need serious Ice-Breaking practice.

The rest of the day started passing by uneventful. An unusual start, but "All that ends well is well", I thought to myself. I went for the Lunch...and Voila there she was, in front of my eyes. She passed a flashing smile back at me. I felt my whole body going Cold and my Heart Warm. I smiled back.

She sat down. Haven't changed much, from the past, I mused. We started our Lunch. She on one end of the table and me on another. Staring at each other, smiling, and spooning the food down our throats. Of course its a little difficult when you are new at this. But she seemed to be managing nicely. I finished my lunch, being a fast eater. I just didn't know what I was eating, Of course.

Suddenly she started talking. I couldn't make out what she was saying. I was busy staring in her eyes, already bewitched by that Smile. Of course it wouldn't have helped even if I would have been more attentive. I couldn't hear the words. And making out what somebody is saying to another person just by reading Lips is difficult. Oh, by the way, both of us were sitting on different tables. But what the Heck...I could still see her the same way as if she was sitting with me as my Companion.

She finally finished her Lunch. We both got up. Me alone, and she with her friend (a Guy...unfortunately). We met at the Water Cooler and I finally had some light conversation with her. How is she doing? What are the plans for her MBA? She returned the favor by asking the same questions to me again.

I clocked it. We talked exactly 2 mins and 20 secs. I should be given a Gold Medal and an international Prize for holding a Female's attention to such a long duration of Time.

God Damn me. When am I going to learn to Handle Females?

Note - This is a back dated entry and was written on Sep 7th 2006

The Monk who turned his job for a Dog!!!

One of my child hood dreams was to own a Dog... My own Dog.
Now let me go into retrospection and tell you about my childhood memories. One of my Uncles had 2 Dobermans. He used to take them for a daily run. And sometimes I used to accompany him. He asked me one day, if I would run them for him. I was too eager. Said yes. He gave me the leash for both of them, and asked if I was ready. I nodded with my head for a 'yes'. And then he said "RUN".

I always loved to see those 2 Dobermans, Johnny and Tom, running. But, never knew that they had so much force in them. They literally dragged me behind them. Being in the prime of my teens, and not taken up smoking, I was in proper health and ran for almost 2 Kms with the dogs. It was fun, to feel the power and force on the leash, to see those powerful muscles flexing behind the well groomed fur.

That day I made the decision, "I will buy a Dog for myself when I start earning".
After a long time, I finally became employed. Now I have all the means to fulfill my long awaited dream. And, guess what? I got an offer yesterday from a fellow Infoscian for a Lab at an affordable rate. I was too happy. I was on Cloud number Nine!!!
I told my room mates that we are going to buy a Lab soon. My room mate's reply was "We can invest that money to buy a TV instead". Not letting the comment dampen my spirit, I turned to the second of my roommate. He was serious. By seeing his look, I knew that he was weighing the Pros and Cons of the offer. Finally he said "I would advise you against it". Flabbergasted, I waited for his explanation.

He said "We are in the office from 9 to 9 on a normal day. Who would feed the Dog? We don't get up till 8 in the morning. Who would take the dog for a run and the daily walks? We roam out throughout the weekends. Who will keep company for the Dog? Bro, that would be an act of cruelty towards the animal. What will it do throughout the day? It would go mad locked in the confines of our house."

When I revised his words, I found a lot of wisdom in them. I consulted another friend of mine telling him about my childhood dream and the dilemma facing me. He also had the same opinion as of my roomie.

So, I concluded that I can't buy a Dog right now. "No Worries" I said to myself. I will wait for some more time. But when I looked deeper into the situation, it wasn't so simple. For having a Dog, either I have to get married so that my wife can keep the company of the animal, or keep a house keeper for the animal, in which case the animal would be more familiar towards the keeper. In a way it would be the keeper's Dog and not mine. And I don't want to get married. More over in Today's world it would be too difficult to find a girl who wouldn't mind staying home and taking care of my Dog.

What's the use of my earning when I can't fulfill my dreams with the money I earn? The only solution to this problem that comes into my mind is to Quit my Job and then buy a Dog. So I am planning to Quit my Job soon, and buy a Lab.
P.S - I haven't figured out till now, what will I do throughout the day, besides keeping the company of my Canine friend, once I quit the Job. Any suggestions will be welcome.

Flexibility in Work… A Virtue or Vice ?

Has your immediate Manager or Colleague ever accused you to be inflexible in work? If yes, then let's say that we are in the same boat. I can't understand why Flexibility is considered to be a virtue in work. I mean it's a personal issue, nothing to do with professional characteristics. Why should my Manager or Colleague bother about that part of my personality?

I know that this sounds like cribbing. But before you take any stand on the issue, let me explain my point to you. Consider that a particular task is estimated to take 8 hours. Whereas the reality is that the task actually requires 12 hours. This may be due to error in estimation or some other issue, which is beyond the scope of topic. So when you really slog 4 hours extra to complete the job, you are doing multiple wrongs.

First you are actually giving the impression that the task was actually feasible in 8 hours. Down the line, these small deviations in each task produce an avalanche in the schedule. Also, what we generally forget is that the current estimations serve as a foundation for the estimates of further projects and contracts.

Secondly, you are actually harming your own Company by robbing it of its justified revenue. The four hours you slogged extra don't get billed and the Company doesn't get paid for that. Thirdly and last you are spoiling the work culture of the Industry. If you are slogging today for 4 hours extra, when you become a Manager, you will expect your subordinates to do the same or more, which IMHO is wrong.

Also when you slog, you are diminishing the value of your own work. Consider the scenario from the client's perspective. He knows that you are delivering good quality service, in his budget (in which he is already saving some money). So when you deliver 12 hours of work in 8 hours he, in a way has successfully cheated you. By delivering the code you are not only diminishing the value of the work you have done, you are also encouraging him to cheat you again. You are also strengthening the impression that Labor is cheap in India.

Of Course, I understand the need to slog extra hours because of your or a team members error, or when you are still catching up with things and know that you are not doing the work with as much speed as it can be done. But is this the only reason people slog?

I just can't understand the concept of Slogging. Can somebody explain it to me please?

P.S – This is one of the things I wanted to see getting changed in my company's working environment.

My Experiences while Working...

Working for an English Client has it's difficulties, especially if the client you are working for has Scotlandish accent. I remember such 2 incidents particularly, because during both of them I cant figure out whether I should have been laughing my guts out or kicking myself to Death.

The first incident happened when i was on a call to the Support client team. I had locked my client account, and needed the account password to be reset. Following is an account of the conversation:-

Client:            Hi, Paul Balker here. What can i do for you?

Me     :            Hi, Good morning Mr. Balker. Rajesh here.

Mr Balker:   Hi <*Rajeewsh*>. A very good morning  to you too.

                        My name is <* Walker*>

(Feeling like kicking myself)

Me:                  I have got my account locked. Can you please reset the 

                         Password?

Mr Walker:  But of course <*Rajesswsh*>. Kindly hold the line.

(Feeling mad, the way he is pronouncing my name)

Me:                 But of Course

(After keeping me on hold for 5 mins)

Mr Walker:  Sorry <*Rajeewsh*> for keeping you waiting. Your account 

                         password has been reset to Waler1

(Feeling Happy that the interview has come to an End)

Me:                 Thank you Mr. Walker.

After 15 mins, I am back on the call, since my account doesn’t open with password Waler1.

(Feeling Sheepish)

Me:                 Hello, Mr. walker My account password was reset by you 10 

                         minutes ago, but there seems to be some mistake. My account 

                         doesn’t open with this Password.

Mr Walker:  Hello <*Rajeewsh*> Can you please hold on and let me 

                         check.

(Cursing myself Why didn’t I check it the first time when I was on line)

Me:                 Sure Mr. Walker.

Mr Walker:  Hello <*Rajeewsh*>, Everything seems to be right here. I 

                        have reset your Password again to Waler1.

Me:                 Mr. Walker, Can you please hold on, while I confirm whether 

                        my account gets unlocked with this password.

Mr Walker:  Sure <*Rajeewsh*>

I tried it again, it didn’t open, and I was real mad now.

Me:                 Mr Walker, it doesn’t seem to be working.

Mr Walker:  <*Rajeewsh*>, I will spell the password for you, Can you 

                        please enter it  as I say it?

(Mad that this guy thinks me to be ninocompoop)

Me:                Sure, Mr. Walker

Mr Walker:  Your password is Waler1, W for Woods.

                        A for alpha,

                        M for Mango….

(Interrupting him)

Me:                I thought you said L last time.

Mr Walker: No <*Rajeewsh*> It’s B for Bango…

(Totally confused but still trusting my knowledge of English)

Me:                B for Bat?

Mr Walker: No It’s K for Kango….

(Wondering whether I am hard of hearing or is this guy Nuts!!!)

Me:                 K for Kite…???

Mr Walker:  No <*Rajeewsh*> I think you are not getting me. Hold on for

                        a sec, and let me think of a suitable example.

(Cursing myself, and the time when I started working for a Scottish Client)

Me:               Sure.

(Giving a cry of joy)

Mr Walker: <*Rajeewsh*> It’s T for Tendulkar.

(Not believing my ears) 

Me:               T for Tendulkar, Sachin Tendulkar???

(Happiness reflecting in his voice) 

Mr Walker:  Yes <*Rajeewsh*> T for Tango, T for Tendulkar. I am a big 

                        time fan of Tendulkar. I would like to meet him, when I 

                        come to India. Do you think I can get hold of such an 

                        opportunity?

(Still trying to overcome the shock)

Me:                 I don’t know Mr Walker. You see, I am not much into cricket. 

                        But you may!!!

Mr Walker: You don’t follow cricket <*Rajeewsh*> !!!

(Believing that I have commited a sin or broken a law by not following cricket)

Me:                No Mr Walker, not very much.

Mr Walker: But you should <*Rajeewsh>, especially when you are from 

                        the country of Tendulkar.

(Buried half in ground, embarrassed)

Me:              Yes Mr Walker, Will do so. Thanks for the Help.