between logic and emotions...

Vulcans : as Sarek tells Spock about them, “Emotions run deep within our race, in many ways more deeply than in humans. Logic offers a serenity humans seldom experience, a control of feelings so that they do not control you”. Even Kirk needed Spock when it came to warp the Enterprise out of a crisis caused because of his own emotions.

Where do the two originate from - logic and emotions...? Aren't they both from our own thought-processes?

Then why, I wonder, is it so difficult to be rational for humans! Whether it is about asking why tears roll down when the hero of the movie is dying in his mother's arms, or when it is to convince someone to see the rationale behind certain decisions, humans prove Sarek right, time and again. Feelings have taken control of the mind to an extent where they are merely uncontrolled expressions. Seldom does one manage to check these expressions. It simply doesn't seem to work in humankind that the mind can rule over matter... where the mind is the master, and not the slave. Keep the doors open for this to happen, but still, the choice for humans, is to pick the mind being the slave of 'feelings'., and of the surroundings. And for those who choose to control rather than be controlled, are Branded. They are stereotypes who don't understand, are stubborn and determined to be against others.

However one chooses to control feelings, On Vulcan, would have had it taught from childhood. Here on Earth, it's well nigh impossible. One has to find one's teachers... or find other green-blooded hobgoblins. I'll consider myself fortunate for having found not one, but two of them. They help me find rationale when I fail to. While one's way of conveying is by making me realize the 'flow' of things, the other conveys by apt words when I fail at them. One's practical, while the other's words of lesson. One lends experience, while the other lends ideas. It's them that, when I'm unable to check on my emotions, reason me out and make me see logic.

For this, shall this be a "thank you note" to the two... to Music, and to Poetry.

To the God of iThings

"A for apple" was the first proper English that I learnt. Since then, the apple has in its many manifestations, taught me so much. But none has been as inspiring as the "White Apple" that first caught my eye in the early days of my "Job". A freebie at first, my first (and so far, only slice of the Apple) iPod packing that had the little "White apple bitten on one side" looked classy... and when I opened the box almost 2 years later, that's when the Apple really inspired me to know more about itself... and so began a journey of knowing these products, and the iBrain (iBrain as in an "Intelligent Brain") behind them... and you, all of a sudden you're iconic...

Dear Steve,

I've always admired you for your adamance and perfection... qualities I associate myself with. That's one reason you've become the blessed one. Every time I saw you come out with that turtle-neck Tee-Shirt for a new product release, (and I saw most of your PRs only in the last couple of couple of years...) I'd be transfixed at the spark in those eyes that have inspired me and a million alike. The way you sought perfection in all that was a "The Apple", the way you got the best out of people's ideas, the way you've imagined the future, the way you change perception of everything... there are a million reasons why you're so inspirational. 

There was a time when the iPhone was first released, and there were a lot of people and emails that called the iPhone iStone... every time I saw one such, my heart would ache, not because I deemed the iPhone perfect, but I could realize what it takes to come up with something like that... because by then, I'd already tasted the flavors of the iMac and the iPod, and knew how perfect it was with whatever it was... (and of course, you and your people have only made it better by the day...). I owe you for the wonderful team that you built for some of the finest animation movies I've seen in Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Wall-E and Up. They've often lightened up my days and gotten me out of my blues. Walt Disney Studios alone wouldn't have done it, or maybe they would have. But it's your brainchild, Pixar that has really made it happen for now. For they bring back my childhood; or rather bring out the child in me., that's one more reason why I admire Steve Jobs...

While you ensured anyone who owns an iMac makes a style statement, and puts himself into a different calibre, you also managed to capture the cheaper market with the iPods... why, you even managed to have an iPhone at the intermediate budget class. I will never be able to understand the Management Guru that was running in your brains, or your office... but all I know is that you had your own niche in every class of the economy... and my hats off to that. I may not buy all or even a few of Apple's products, but then, I don't need to. 'cos I don't love the Apple brand, I respect it. Now that you're off to the iHeaven Steve, I don't know if the iBrands will continue their wonderful run like they've been doing so far, or better or worse. But for all that I know, ever since I got to understand gadgets and technology, the Apple has inspired me in so many ways, and the God of iThings will continue to live in my heart.

May your soul not simply rest in peace, but continue to inspire a million more to make this world a better place to live in.

And do write back and let us earthlings know how your iHeaven looks like :)

Over... But Out!?!?

A long time since i've really felt like doing some activity here. But this stuff...! i should be mentioning it here... for it has been something so very dear to me...

It all began formally in 2005, when the big-guns gave a go ahead. By Nov 2008, it had reached it's culmination... Ever since, it's been something so fascinating... something that's redefinened, in short, ourselves. and then, sometime by April this year, a small snag developed somewhere and brought in problems. Things were still alive until last week. Everything was still somehow under control. Some minor activities had already been stopped, but the important talk still continued. Last week, just past the mid of night, for some unknown reason, everything stopped. There was no response. It was game over for a long standing relationship. so to say., mission control could no more communicate with the spacecraft. It was all Over!!! But so goes a saying: "well begun is half done."., and here... it went to more than just the beginning... It was far more than the beginning, a journey, that was not intended to end so soon... (Read a journey that should have not ended!)

But again, all good things come to an end... And this was such a beautiful thing... Built on the faith of so many! As it all terminates, it opens up newer avenues... leaving for us, its share of lessons... to be incorporated into the future...

No Regrets! the job is done... and this will stay in memories for ever...

Too much to speak!

But i'll keep 'em as short as possible...
starting early today morning... after a reallllllly long time, I saw her. No... it was just her photo thoh... :( actually, I was digging my cupboard for some documents, and found this photo where there was this charming face among a bunch of people...
okay... no more details!
NEXT!!
Rode my way to office absolutely crazy. I'd never ride my bike beyond 50. Today... I dunno why!
I've seen someone so feared, and named Death, at such close quarters, for just going past this limit by another 5kph, and twice at that. Hmmph! Since then, I've been feeling like Life's calling for another Life. and I've enjoyed it all...
Office: as normal as it always was, but a bit boring, with none to bug while I began drowzing as usual. :(
After office, went on to buy out a dozen/2 books. also, made some new friends at the book shop :D, asking me the same question to start off with... "So many books! Do you really read them?" Lips moved otherwise, but my (crazy) mind answered these crazy people something else every time. कभी दूकान शुरू करना था तो कभी चूल्हा जलाना था ;)
Done! after the shopping (like girls do... never knowing what to buy...) was returning home.
Now, it was time again for a pillion rider. Unlike my earlier experiences i've already spoken of, this time, it was no old man struggling for a family.
This time, it was Imran, a 13 year old boy. Father in Dubai, mom a housewife, and as he said, she would get about 30-35k every month from Dubai.
And what was he doing in front of a garrage where I picked him up???
Well! another shock! he worked there. "So ein Mist!" is what i could exclaim when i heard that.
asking him why he had to work, and why not go to school., it was an amazing answer to get...
"नही साब! मन नही लगती पड़ने को। बाप भी पढ़ा नही फिर भी पैसा मिलती ना। फिर मेरेको भीच १५० रूपये मिलते रोज़। तो कायको पढता मैं?"
i had absolutely no answer. Anybody???
And then, i reached home... the first thing to see on TV... the Zoozoos of Vodafone. their new brand ambassadors. though i have never given any oppurtunity to Vodafone/Hutch to serve me as my operators, i felt that the little pup gave it a more humanly and personal touch. It would be so much so nice... though, i admire the people who came up with these Zoozoos... a superb creation, for a full time animation with no animators, but live actors. Great job Vf... but see if you can get the dog into action too...
So, wishing me a gr8 weekend, lemme sign off... it's time to proceed with the new found books...:)

is this a bloody joke!?!

yes, it seems to be one.
Before i excercised my authority today, i thought i should do a little bit of research on those who want to boss over us. i mean the candidates, who wish to represent us. (Thanks to the internet for having helped me so much.) Now, here, i come across all the High School Passouts, and highly qualified people fighting for power. In the midst of all these, stands one lady. She's the only lady from my constituency in the rat race.

There were new and experienced, young and old, tough and humble, all kinds of candidates. But one profile stood out of all the rest. wanna know who??
Yes, it was this lady. The moment i saw her profile, and her response to the top concerns of citizens, i thought i found what i wanted in this profile.

The foremost concern... It tops our country in global tables... yes, it was "Corruption".
Here's her response to it:
"Corruption should be prevented either by raising awareness among people and also by enforcing anti corruption act in the parliamentary level. This is the very big social problem could not be completely stopped unless and until the ideal society is created. "

Another concern: "Electoral Reforms". and here's what she had to say of it:
"The real criminals who have involved in severe cases should not be elected by the people. Even the political parties before giving the tickets should study the background of the candidates. "


N.B:The above citations are direct quotes, and no modifications have been done.

Now, ain't that something every leader would say??
she was honest with it too...

But what appealed the most to me, was the next big bang. It was a literal 11kV jolt down my spine. after saying so much about corruption, and corrupt politians, here's her (criminal) profile:
Charged twice, under sections 420, 465, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code. (click to know what they stand for.)
Did she remember even a single word of what she spoke in interviews about the citizens' concerns, when she submitted her contestant forms?

the reason for our country to be shattered and torn,
is the fact that it's ruled by such people baseborn.
(thanks anon, for the above 2 lines:))

Recession... no better explanation

Yet again, but after one experience I had with a security guard, this time it was a traffic cop. Now, this time, it is not for me to think if we are worth... rather, this guy made me admire how even such "Jargons" of the "Civilized world" are so simply understood by these"People from the Small Towns" (छोटे शेहेर के लोग as they are commonly known across the बड़े शेहेर के लोग। ).

The beauty of their life makes me admire the छोटे शेहेर way of life. As always, like it's more out of habit (the habit of chattering too much;) ) than something else, I started talking to this guy too. The moment he realized my Engg. background, and that I work for a sw firma, the first thought that hit him was about recession. I was sure it was his first thought, because he took no time in asking how SW engineers made a living with this recession. Now, as I started explaining how less the impact of Recession in India was, and the hype that the media has created, he interrupted me. He said, ಬಿಡಿ ಸಾರ್ ಗೊತ್ತು ಈ Recessionಉ. (Meaning, leave it sir, We know what this recession means, and its menace too...). I thought it's time to close my mouth, and open my ears. so, continued hearing what he was saying...

This is how he explained "Recession" to me...

"There is a situation, where tomatoes cost 40rupees a kilo. wondering about the profit they would make if they grew tomatoes, everyone kicked off with tomato cropping at the same time. Now, a while later, when it was time to harvest, everyone was waiting for a shock. With all the crop harvested at the same time, the market was so full of tomatoes, that it became hard for the farmers to sell it at even 50paise a kilo, and the harvest was going down the gutter. Now, you people are the tomatoes, and all the SW firms, the farmers, who thought you tomatoes would be the best bet in a market so full of vegetables, to make the best profits."

Yes, he was so very simple. The way this छोटे शेहेर का आदमी spoke.. actually, had I been given an explanation like this at the first instance, I would not have taken so long as I actually did, to understand recession. How simple, and practical the lives of these people are. If only... I were from a place like where he was from... Life would have been so simple to understand... and so, would be the meaning of life...

Hats off to the simplicity of these people. Civilized earthlings, learn something from them. Recession would ceretainly not have hit us as hard as it has, had we understood life their way.

The secret of a movie...

Never had I thought that such an incident can happen on such a beautiful Sunday eve. But it had to, and happened this Sunday. 2 of us, A friend of mine, and myself, were sitting on a bench and discussing about something (irrelevant here) when one guy, seemingly aged around 20 came to us, and enquired if we spoke Kannada. Getting a response in the affirmative, he started chatting with us for a few minutes, and so unsuspectfully...
A while later, his true persona was revealed. He had come to us with a purpose.
From what he told us of himself, he was a dropout after being unable to pass his 10th, and had to go to one of his relatives' house in Chamarajpet. He asked us if we could help him. When we enquired about his whereabouts, he said he lived with his parents in the Quarters adjacent. His parents never stopped him from going to the relative('s') house, neither were they ready to give him any money. So, he wanted us to give him something, so that he could.
We looked at each other for a while, and thought (the first mistake!) that he was truthful, and decided we give him some money, at the most 20bucks.(the second mistake!!) However, as it was to be, neither of us had any bill that could be spared for him. I said I had nothing lesser than a Rs.100 bill, and pat came his answer. "Irli sir, adanne koDi, naanu 60 rupai change koDtini" (Ok. give me the 100 rupees, and I will give you a change of 60 rupees.). The most horrible shock of my lifetime. A person who hadn't even 20 rupees to go to his relative('s') house, in no time, possesses atleast Rs.60.
Us:Why do you need money when you already have sufficient?
He:actually, wanted to buy a CD.
Us:what's important? CD or Relatives?
He:both... I also want to go to their home. (Which, I interpreted as CD being more important)
Us:and what's more important?
He: CD.
Us:which CD is it, that's more important than your relatives?
He:actually, I want to buy a CD of "Raaz". (For those who might wonder, it's a Hindi Movie. I've not yet seen it though.)
Us:But you could actually rent one and watch it for less than Rs.10.
He:No. I want to own a CD of the movie! (Ain't it a wonderful answer?)

This shook us up literally. What's so special about this movie?
What is the "Raaz" behind someone being so desperate to own a CD and watch the movie?
can someone let me know, before I waste bandwidth to download movies like Raaz to find out the "Raaz"???

I'm worth just....

Happened to pick up a middle aged person on the way today. He wanted to go somewhere along my way. For the fact that we were to be riding together for a while, I stroke a conversation wid him. After a while, as we spoke, got to know he's a Security Guard... his work places - far n wide... every day, a different location to guard. As we spoke, he told me some facts about his profession...

each shift lasted 12 hours on paper, but it could go longer if the reliever was not in time.

consequtive shifts do not continue at the same place.

if he's late to his next assignment by more than 30min, he'd be marked absent.

Most of the night shifts are nightmares. Owners, drunk, shout at them late in the mid of darkness, without any knowledge. These chaps, without any right to protest, bear it all for just a square meal a day.

said they needed to sometimes, work for 96hours, without break.

24hours of break if he's guarded for 96hours!!! I can't even think of staying awake for half the time!

A family in some far off village. whom he's to money order a part of his earnings.

for every shift from 7PM to 7AM, the earnings are a meagre 100 bucks, and a 120 if it were working 7AM to 7PM!!! (does this really matter to us??? he's paid for his work... ain't he?)

A meal on the roads costs him atleast 40 rupees a day. His life goes on with a savings of 60rupees/day.

Today, when I earn nothing short of atleast 7 times what he earns a day, and that for mostly whiling away time in an Air conditioned cubicle, and that for working just for 7-8 hours a day... (SW Engineers, don't tell me you work for 13 hours every day. I'm one among you... and know the facts.) it makes me ponder over and again over the same question...

"Is his hard work of days together, justified by what he earns?"

Aren't we engineers grossly overpaid for whatever we're doing?

Give it a thought... never know, you'll never even think of looking into the eyes of a security guard now on!! shamed by life...

A man of words...

A man of words and not of deeds

Is like a garden full of weeds

And when the weeds begin to grow

It's like a garden full of snow

And when the snow begins to fall

It's like a bird upon the wall

And when the bird away does fly

It's like an eagle in the sky

And when the sky begins to roar

It's like a lion at the door

And when the door begins to crack

It's like a stick across your back

And when your back begins to smart

It's like a penknife in your heart

And when your heart begins to bleed

You're dead, and dead, and dead indeed.

-Anon

Winning is...

What is winning? Is it always to be the Gold Medal Winner?

Or is it the determination to reach the finish line, come whatever?

"Cool Runnings" made me realize this fact of life, though I actually watched just the climax of the movie... The Jamaican team contesting in the winter Olympics, have been at the lowest of the points table of the Snowsled. Their coach Irv is determined to make them better, and a day after, their performance has been so astonishing, that they jump to the top 10, and better many a previous times clocked by other teams. In their final run, which would pretty much decide them as winners, their old and rusty Snowsled has given way. One of the slides breaks loose, and the team crash before they could reach the finish line. But their determination to touch the finish line has made them Heroes, inspite of all mishaps.

Not all movies are Karan Johar types... Well, that might have some message to convey too, but for now, it's been incomprehensible for me.

This movie, rather the climax, in such a short time, made me realize so much about life...

Patience-A Quote

Being from the Auto domain now, this is how He made me understand it-
"Patience is the ability to idle your engine...
When you feel like ripping through the gears".

Where lies the problem???

I only wanted my city to be as beautiful as it was when the British made it their "Pensioners' Paradise". And I'm bound to do it. However, last weekend was nightmarish for me. I was in the M.G.Road of Malleshwaram for some purchasing. (not the usual shopping. I knew what I needed ;).) The shopkeeper in one of those shops I entered was hell-bent upon distributing plastic bags with an ad like most others, for his shop printed upon it. It was an annoying sight to me. Observing that he was a "Not too old" guy, and would understand the concerns of plastix, I approached him. Just suggested, "Why don't you charge a rupee or two for each plastic bag? It helps reduce plastic garbage". His response shocked me for a while. He said "I don't care how people use/reuse the plastic bags I'm distributing, as long as my business is done". Well, he's thought for his business, and rightly enough. But has he ever thought of his children and the future generations that would live on, in and with plastics?? I tried my best to make him realize this, but he was worried more of his business.
Is it as difficult to touch people's thoughts? It wasn't, atleast for me. Until then.!!!

Destiny. That's next.

I spoke of 2 words in an earlier blog of mine. Last week, I was talking to one of my peers at work of something, and she mentioned it as "Destiny". I feel this word too has a close association with the earlier ones. (I would not say Fate, iff it means something, and Destiny mean the same!!)
When I asked what it was, the answer I got was that some questions can not be answered. Why not? Every question needs to have an answer, and one that can sustain the question too. Well, for me, if there is no answer, then it only means 2 things: (a)Either that the other person does not know the answer, or (b)(S)He is ignorant of the question or the answer.
So now, What does Destiny mean? and are there really questions that can't be answered at all???

Luck n fate...

Off late, quite a few people I know have been using these two words very frequently. I've still not been able to understand what these two are? And how they attribute to what happen(s/ed) solely because of our behaviours and attitude towards someone/something in life, or be it towards life itself... Somebody to explain???

juggle of life

Life is a juggle, with family, work, friends, health and spirit., the juggling balls. You miss any one and the game is nearly spoilt. Expect that, if you miss the ball of work, it bounces back, but drop the others, and the game ends there. So, be very careful with the delicate balls of the juggle of life.