To go or to not go

"To go or to not go" is a frequently occurring question in our lives. Could be in the context of going to office on a beautiful, bright sunny day or trying to push for the next camp, on an already long day of hiking or waking up early for that early morning run or for that matter, contemplating having a kid. 

On a hot summer day in May, I was sitting (and sweating) in our home in Pune (India) wondering if I was to start a company of my own. It was not an easy question to answer. The probability of finding a business in my family hierarchy is almost equal to finding a polar bear on the streets of Mumbai. There was no precedent in the family and nobody to guide. My earlier half-hearted, part-time attempt a few years ago did not end well. 

I was anxious to trace the origin of this question. 

The Origin

My exile in the Himalayas made me learn a few things. One key learning was persistence, the drive to keep going beyond what would have normally been a time to stop. There have been excruciatingly long days high up on the mountain (15,000 ft+) when I have been tempted to stop but kept going because it was the right thing to do. Everything in real life seems a breeze when I compare these situations to "those" days. 

Post my return, after giving away my life savings to a family emergency, I was on the lookout for a job. This was my first time in the open job market - my earlier jobs have been fairly easy to get on college campuses. I was soon going to figure out how privileged my life was. The jog hunting approach was wrong, the types of jobs I applied to were wrong (hiking guide being one of them) and the entire process backfired. I must have applied for a couple of hundred jobs and was not able to land a single interview. Indian companies, at that time, were not ready for the transparent disclosure of a voluntary, 4 month break in career.  

There are times when, unbeknownst to you, life is planning its own vicious plot. One of my close friends reached out to me with an assignment and gave me an option to help him fix his business. Of course, he wanted me to do this in my free time which, at that time, included every degree of the clock that the hour and minute hand can cover. 

    

This project set in motion a detailed review of off-the-shelf products for enterprise resource planning for small businesses. When I couldn't find anything that met the requirements, I turned to customization of open source alternatives. I found one of them to be very promising - OpenErp (Now called Odoo). customizing this Open Source product meant that I had to learn Python. I spent the next 3 months learning its syntax and the code structure of OpenErp. In the next few months, step by step, I customized this open source to meet the requirements of my friend. 

I felt a tremendous uplift from this creation (I was tempted to call it "customization", but that didn't fit the feeling I am trying to describe here). I was able to solve a problem and that made me happy. It was natural to think of extending this effort to make it a commercial venture. That, right there, gave birth to my company called Monakus. 

 
"Monachus" is the Latin name for a monk. This company's sole purpose was to provide direction to companies just like a monk. I was tempted to use the name "Monachus" but dropped the idea after a few friends apprised me of the negative connotations in Hindi when you break it into two. It would have translated to "Mona suck" and that would have been a tremendous distraction throughout the life of the company!

The Struggle and the end

With no prior experience in sales, I resorted to tried and tested approaches like cold calling, attending exhibitions, etc. to score customers. There were days when I made 100+ calls in a day and then, there were other days, when I would spend the entire day in industrial complexes knocking the doors of small businesses. I was given the same treatment that other cold callers receive, ranging from polite declines to extremely uncivil responses. I did not take any of this personally but the whole process was taking a toll on me. With each passing day, I was running the risk of running out of money and nearing my breaking point. 

I kept going. 

Six months passed by with not much progress. I did not have a sustainable sales pipeline and was beginning to question the viability of the venture. Just then, on one of those blind pitches, I met my partner. He had a very strong network due to his real estate background, and I was good at managing everything else. We clicked instantly and, after a few conversations, converted the company into a Private limited entity.   

We did well for about a year. And by "well", I mean visibility into the next 2-3 months and a consistent cash flow to manage our expenses. We had one or more 6+ month assignments with recurring monthly billing. We grew from just us to a team of 6. Things were looking up despite the fact that we running on thin margins. Basic technology based projects like websites were proving to be bread and butter. High value consulting work, though, was proving to be elusive.  

And, in a desperate attempt to raise money, we digressed. Side projects started to consume more time. Fondofood.com (home cooked food delivered from centralized kitchens), Ghartak.com (Grocery delivery), Monakus realty (real estate) folded up after pilots and did not even take off to a real commercial launch. We spent time pitching these ideas to investors in the hope that we would land seed capital to launch one of these. Our travel schedule was becoming hectic with these frequent trips to Mumbai to meet potential investors. 

The grand idea was to make Monakus an incubator where these new ideas and businesses would be born. The dream was big, time was running out and cash was running out faster. 

After a few desperate attempts, we had to acknowledge the fact that we were on a downward spiral. We started trimming down our expenses and tried to get back to our bread and butter website projects. Unfortunately, it was too late. We had lost time, opportunities, employees and leads. By May 2015, I took the call to end the venture. My partner wanted to continue using the name and trademarks. He pivoted back to his real estate business and I turned back to corporate life. 

Both of us are doing well and often wonder where we would have been, had one of those ideas grown into a real company. 

And for me, the monthly (or bi-weekly) paycheck has a new meaning now - I now know how difficult it is to earn that by yourself!

The new age of Indian online retail - The case of Naaptol.com

It has been a while since I have blogged. It has also been a while since I have felt strongly about something.

Welcome to the new age of online retail in India. You find everything right from clothing to kitchen ware to bedroom furniture in a few clicks. Electronics and books have always been available online - Atleast as far as my memory goes back. (I do need to get myself checked for 'Amnesia' - Wiki says it is curable though !!)

My abode in Pune was frequently seeing guests and there was a need to transform the bachelor's accommodation into something that is more livable (for lack of a better word). So comes the decision to jazz up a bit - Now, being who I am, the word 'Jazz up' doesn't go too well with me. I get a couple of beds that are good enough for a few nights. I have been using my good old sleeping bag for those cold nights - however, it is not a commonly used solution for cold. Most people are better off with blankets - I get a couple of them too.

Now comes the tricky part - Kitchen. I have been using my mountain stove for cooking (Please excuse my usage of words - what I 'cook' cannot be placed in the category of cooking). Nevertheless, with a liter of petrol (Kerosone is tough to get!), I can go for a fortnight without a refill. It may not be the most efficient and eco-friendly way of cooking but seems a good bet under the current circumstances. I re-fuel and use it on demand. This sounds pretty much like SaaS (Stove as a Service and not Software as a Service!) - I was excited and life went on smoothly.

But the thought of my guests going through a hardship convinced me to get an 'induction stove'.

I browse through Naaptol.com and others like Flipkart, ebay and Amazon. I found my perfect fit at Naaptol.com. I had never heard of this name before. I am usually quite cautious when it comes to online purchases - I have been purchasing a lot of stuff online but mostly from trusted companies. It was the 30th of October and Saturn was busy plotting a wicked plot against me. I had no clue that this was a plot that was more twisted than the human DNA.

I fall into the trap.

I ordered an 'induction stove' from Naaptol.com. I called them immediately to check if there is way to shorten delivery times from the current  '7-8' business days. I have received shipments in 2-3 business days on most of my purchases before. I am assured that delivery would be done in 3-4 business days but it cannot be guaranteed. Now, the difference between an 'assurance' and a  'guarantee' is the same as the difference between 'water resistant' and 'water proof'. As for the latter, I realized that on a dark rainy night on a ~13000ft peak in Colorado. And, as it turns out, I realize the true meaning of 'assurance' after this episode with Naaptol.com.

I call them every 3 business days from the time I ordered till today. I was given an 'Airway bill number' that supposedly belonged to Blue Dart. I tried to track delivery on Blue Dart website - Apparently, that number neither belonged to Blue Dart nor did it belong to 'Muggles'. I called Blue Dart and I get an audio confirmation of the same. I was told to seek help from Hogwarts to track the shipment. Looked like my stove was 'Evanesco'ed by somebody !!

There was a positive twist too. There was always a new excuse every time to keep me entertained. First it was Deepavali, then it was 'fault with dispatcher' and then it was 'damaged parcel from retailer' and then today, 'being processed'. I have gone a full circle in 23 days.

I haven't received the shipment and I have no clue whatsoever as to what happened to it. Maybe Albus knows !!!

Naaptol.com, Good Bye and God Bless.


POST SCRIPT:
The author, after being subjected to immense psychological strain over the last 3 weeks, has cancelled the order half an hour back. He intends to take this to consumer court if he doesn't receive a full refund.

Terms and their meaning:
Goodbye - The author does not intend to visit Naaptol.com again and neither does he intend to recommend this site to anyone.
God Bless - Naaptol.com, if you would like to survive in the harsh world of online retail, you need to pull up your socks quite high !

Afterthought:
I guess, with the advent of third party resell, these delays are bound to occur more frequently. The online resellers are no more in full control. Well, Amazon does have a solution !.

Disclaimer:
All thoughts are personal and are based on true events. Of course, we can agree to disagree if you don't trust my short term memory !

The curious case of security checks !!

Ever since i have started traveling, there has always been this unique underlying theme to all my trips - Security checks. Irrespective of what country i am in, i have been questioned more than the average traveler (The comparison is with fellow travelers from the Indian subcontinent - The comparison with whites does not make sense at all !!)

All this while I have been trying to figure out the reasons for this.. I knew that my color was certainly a contributing factor. So was my passport. But then, there were many travelers with the same color (both of skin as well as of the passport !) and yet, I have been sidelined more often.. Maybe, it is just an issue of perception. But, whatever the reason may be, I am now very comfortable with any of the security checks across the globe..

I am used to the immigration/security related questions whenever i enter a country. I understand the reason for it and always co-operate with the authorities.

But, what pushed me to write this piece is that I am now being stopped at local train stations too !!!

This made me think... Then i realized that each time i enter a country with this famous beard of mine, the probability of questioning increases many-fold.. I looked back at the cases when i have been questioned more than usual and i realized that there is a strong co-relation between between the length of the beard and the length of questioning at security checkpoints. I have had smooth entries with a clean shave...

I know there are pre-conceived notions about bearded men. And, that seems to be the very reason why all this is happening to me.

Now, that leads us to an important question. Are we living with a fake sense of security?

I would leave it here for you to think !!

The five day migration !!!

It is 7AM on one of those Mondays..

Ravi wakes up and realizes that it is just the beginning of another week... It depresses him but he still has to reach office on time. He gets ready in a matter of 30 mins without thinking about any of the activities done during this time. It is as if a permanent software code in his brain runs at 7AM every weekday. Those who are aware of unix (software) would link it to processing a batch file!

He reaches the train station and sees that he is not the only one running for office.
The scene at the train station resembles the migration of wildebeest in the Serengeti plains of Africa. Every year, millions of wildebeest migrate from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. On the way, they have to cross the Mara river where they are preyed by Crocodiles. There is an entire ecosystem that survives on this migration.

Ravi realizes that his run to the office daily is pretty much like the migration of Wildebeest, just that this one happens five days a week!

Just like he precisely knows which platform to board his train, the wildebeest know their annual route to the minutest detail. If he knows which bogie is closest to the staircase, the wildebeest know exactly where to get fresh water. And, the manner in which the wildebeest trample each other to cross the Mara river is exactly the way people compete in this never ending race of corporate life.

There is an ecosystem that survives on this 5 day migration of office going public. There are coffee shops (or the chai waalas), bakeries, restaurants that thrive just because of this migration. He thinks nature has so many similarities irrespective of the type of event...

By the time he finishes thinking about this underlying common essence of nature, he has already missed 2 trains. He is now late to office - he feels exactly the way a Wildebeest calf feels when it is left behind while crossing the Maara river in Kenya.  

Nevertheless, he pushes on, reaches office and opens his laptop. And, somewhere in the plains of Africa, a wildebeest calf struggles to free itself from the hold of a crocodile. It knows it cannot win, but there is this element of hope which makes it fight.

Ravi is at his desk now - it is time for the 9AM batch file run. Here is the code:

Int Main (VOID)
 /* There is a return value to every function in 'C' language. This 9AM batch run always returns void in life. */
{

Daily routine()
{
       Printf("Another day in office");
   
            For (i=0;until all mails are read;i=i+1)
               {
                Printf("Respond to emails");
                Scanf("%S",Mails)
                Printf("Flag the ones that are to be replied later");
                Scanf("%S",Flagged)
               }

     Printf("Time for a coffee");
     Meetings (ZERO)  /* Function called meetings cannot return anything other than ZERO */
 }

For(i=9AM;i<530pm i="i+1)</p">{
     Daily Routine ()  /* Runs automatically until 530 PM */

}

Return 0; -- This batch can never return anything meaningful !!

} /* End of Function Main - Another day lost... */

Some where between 9AM and 530PM, in the Serengeti plains of Africa, the wildebeest have entered the Maasai Mara game reserve where they will be hunted by carnivores. Those who manage to survive make their return journey back to Tanzania to complete this cycle.

Ravi realizes that everyday in his life is like the annual migration of wildebeest in Africa. Those who manage to return make this epic journey again the very next day !!

And the cycle of life continues, the wildebeest are back again the next year !!!




Author's comments:


1. If you are not comfortable with 'C' (the programming language), the points below might be helpful to understand the blog better:
   a.  /*   */ is for comments, they are not part of the code. These are supplementary comments for reader of the code to understand the author's thought process
   b. 'For' loop is a loop for running something over and over again until a specific condition is met. There is no better comparison to Ravi's daily life than this 'For' loop
   c. 'Printf' is a statement to print something on screen. In Ravi's context, it is a reminder in his brain to do certain activities
   d. 'Scanf' is used for inputs.


2. If you know 'C' and have found syntax errors in the code:
    Printf("Very Well Done !!");
    Printf("But it really does not matter!");
    Printf("It is time for you to think about your life NOW! ");

3. If you are interested in knowing about the wildebeest migration (the one that happens in Africa not the one in cities), then this link has a lot of information. I don't get paid for anything on this blog - so please feel free to click on any of the links i provide.

The curse of 256 Kbps !

Some things are never meant to be ! And, apparently that is precisely the case with my internet speed - wherever I go... Here is a brief chronological summary:

Phase I (1990s): No Computer, No Internet (0 Kbps)

Since I hail from a middle class Indian family, we could never afford a computer in my early childhood days. In those days (90s), owning a computer used to be a luxury that most of the Indians could not afford. But, Moore's law helped and the market saw better processors every 18 months or so.

Wikipedia defines Moore's law as follows:

Moore's law is the observation that over the history of computing hardware, the number of transistors on integrated circuits doubles approximately every two years.

This meant that if you are not looking for the best in the market, you could easily find a model that is affordable.

Phase II (late 90s, early 2000): Dial-up internet (56 Kbps)

We did find a P4 that fit in our budget in the late 90s. Now, the next need was to connect to the world. Broadband (India's telecom department defined Broadband as 256 Kbps download) was expensive and we certainly could not justify the need for one. No one in our family had an obsession for computers - but, we all did learn to use it well though.

The only other option of connecting to the 'Cloud' was a dial-up connection. We got one and were finally able to connect. Checking emails at home was a luxury we did not have before. Forget streaming of videos - it used take forever to buffer. We never attempted after a while.

Phase III (Mid 2000s): Broadband finally (256 Kbps)

We kept moving across different parts of India as my dad had a transferable job. Everything changed with each move - People, practices, local languages, food. The only thing that never changed was the speed of Internet ! India never invested in setting up good infrastructure and it is beginning to show now. But, we will discuss India some other time - let us get back to my curse !

We finally got our first broadband connection. Everybody was thrilled that now we would have 'high speed' internet at home. Of course, what we didn't know was that 256 Kbps was the 'maximum' download speed !!! And, the curse continued in my life. We were just slightly better off than dial up - we used to get somewhere around 50 Kbps on an average and if the days were good, a speed of 100 Kbps !!

Phase IV (Late 2000s) : The era of Mobile internet (20 kbps)

I started working and moving places and there was no real need to own a personal laptop. We did have the USB stick for internet so as to be reachable wherever we are. 'Mobility' and 'availability' were the buzz words... And, of course, the curse continued...

Phase V (2009-2011): Montreal, Kanaada (also called 'Canada')

Despite majority of apartments having fiber connectivity, somehow, I landed up in one which had copper connectivity only. Apparently, they had plans to land optic fiber in that apartment but i guess they were waiting for my departure from that apartment !! People are usually surprised when you tell them that your internet connection in North America sucks - For me, it was just 'status quo' so i never bothered to think that much.
Obviously, almost all apartments had superb connectivity - my apartment was just an aberration.
But, the curse continued !

Phase VI (Late 2011 - Early 2012): Singapore Part I - The copper story continues

I moved to Singapore and found a beautiful place to live in. It was right in the center of the city - Life could not be better. Almost 75% of Singapore is Housing development board apartments, another 20% are condominiums and maybe about 5% are private landed apartments. Out of all the choices, somehow, I landed in a private landed apartment !

Singapore being the city it is, I never even thought i would go through the same trauma of internet connectivity. However, some things are never meant to be! My apartment had copper connectivity and internet speeds never went beyond 100Kbps. And, the story continued...


Phase VII (Early 2012 - Present): Singapore Part II - 16 Mbps at last !


After six months of staying in the heart of Singapore, I decided to move things around in my life. Of course, that was with the hope that I would find a peaceful place without the hustle bustle of tourists and shopping malls. I did manage to find a beautiful apartment.

With all my past experience and struggle, I was extremely cautious when choosing the type of internet connectivity. One of the operators offered me a 16 Mbps connection for a reasonable price. It was working well and I was so relieved that my struggle has finally come to an end. But, some things are never meant to be.

My wireless router, which was working as smooth as a whistle in my previous apartment, refused to co-operate. It had become moody and connected only when it desired.. And, the story continued.

As of today, the author has a new wireless router in place. However, now the high speed connection has become jittery !

The author is now at peace with himself and doesn't even attempt to do anything about it. I guess some things are never meant to be !!!!


Disclaimers:
1. Internet connectivity at Montreal and Singapore is super fast. My case is certainly an aberration.
2. I have not seen the progress of connectivity in India for almost three years now - So, my views maybe a little outdated. But, there is no doubt that Infrastructure is in a sad state in India. A detailed blog some other time.
3. Definition of broadband in India will be changed to 2 Mbps (download) from 2015 as per government guidelines

Into the Arctic - Auyuittuq National Park - Tips for the first time hiker

All throughout my research for this hike, I have not been able to find in depth advice/tips for the first time hiker to Auyuittuq. So, here is a compilation of our mistakes (& learnings) and things that we did right ! You may want to have a look at my gear list (Auyuittuq List) before going through this article.

Though this is meant for the first time hiker to Auyuittuq, even those who have been to Auyuittuq might be able to pick up a point or two.

Travel

What we did right:

Flight cancellations are common due to unpredictable weather. Allow for one day between transits - we saw a group stranded because one of their flights was cancelled and they were at risk of missing their connecting flight. You can avoid this mess by planning better...

What we didn't:

Our planning was just about perfect - we just had to spend one extra day at Pangnirtung because we wound up earlier than expected due to bad weather.

Tent

Tent is the most crucial element of your trip. Your trip can easily be a misadventure if you don't have the right tent. It should be able to face extreme elements !

What we did right:

• Wind : Make sure your tent is able to withstand heavy gusts of wind (30-35kmph at least). Add extra anchors even if it isn't windy when you setup the tent.
• Water : You cannot afford to let water in at any cost - the risk of hypothermia is quite high in these environments. Make sure you always use a tarp below the tent. Check out the waterproofness rating. I own the 2 person MSR Hubba Hubba and did not face any issues even in extreme rain conditions we had. No condensation issues despite almost six nights of continuous rain (because of the mesh screen inside which provides very good ventilation)!
• Tent Location : There are no designated campsites - although you may certainly be able to find some traces of previous campers. Avoid exposed areas. Don't be too close to bed of mountains (rock falls are common) and don't be too close to the river either. We saw some tent sites (traces of previous campers) go under water due to heavy rains. Avoid water streams (even those without water - you never know !)
• Tent Positioning: While setting up tent, determine wind direction and expose least area to wind. Try to expose corners to wind - this will deflect wind and your tent will not take a hit. This precaution may be extremely helpful if wind direction doesn't change. If the wind direction does keep changing, you anyways have no other better option !!

What we didn't:

Nothing !! - We were bang on. Not even a single drop of water inside tent despite 6 nights of rain and one night of storm. 

Stove, Food and Fuel

What we did right: 

Carry 2 days of extra food - you might be stranded at river crossings and may have to extend your trip.

Carry a backup stove - the first emergency shelter is 20+Kms

Carry enough fuel - Again, don't depend on emergency caches ! About ~100 ml per person per day. This is just an average - go by this if you don't have any prior experience. We managed with ~1L for 2 people for a trip of 8 days. We cooked twice a day - but only boiled water as we had ready-to-eat stuff. We carried 2 litres...

Self sufficiency is the best option for this trip - Don't depend on emergency shelters but know what is available there.

What we didn't

Read instructions thorougly on packs before you leave. Some food items (e.g. scrambled eggs) might need additional utensils. We carried 3-4 extra packs which we could not use. Easily avoidable !

This applies only if you intend to carry ready to eat items which require only boiling water. If you are an experienced hiking cook, you can ignore this...

River crossings

What we did right:

We carried waterblocker sealskinz socks. It worked decently well - although we would have liked to perform better. We did have water inside our socks... This is possibly the best option around.

What we didn't:

Get water shoes.

We used sandals (Merell Waterpro) to cross rivers. This was not a bright option. Your feet is exposed to cold water and you feel that chillness for quite some time. Small pieces of rock get stuck frequently- it was irritating to remove them each time we crossed a river stream.

Be prepared to walk long distances on your water shoes. We had heavy rain and there were numerous new streams created on our return. I almost walked 10-15 kms on my sandals - it takes a toll on your ankles...

Good strong hiking poles

Lighter isn't always better ! 

We opted for ultra light poles from Black Diamond - very expensive and they do not serve the purpose. My poles broke off (yes, thats right !) during a river crossing (luckily, on our return trip). I did the remaining crossings with one pole !!

Get something which is sturdy.

Satellite Phone

What we did right:

Though this is optional, we did carry one. Was very useful - we got the weather forecast and our decision to cut short the trip was based on this forecast. The forecast was indeed very accurate. We were not stranded and did not need rescue (unlike all others who were rescued by helicopters. We were the last ones to come out of the park by themselves) just because we carried a satellite phone.

And of course, you can keep your loved ones informed - saves some unnecesary tense moments for them.

Iridium satellite phones work well in the arctic. We carried 9555 - Latest, lightest and sturdy. Worked as sweet as melted chocolate !!

Don't be ashamed to ask

What we did right:

We always asked about conditions ahead from hikers who were crossing us in the opposite direction (There were not many and there will never be many !! ). It helps tremendously to determine water levels in rivers beforehand. Else, you might have to camp right next to the river to figure out the right time to cross it - you might end up putting up tent in a risky spot.

Others

These apply to any hike in general.

Backpack: Get a comfortable backpack - avoid first use in the arctic. Prefer tried and tested ones.

Map: Get a chrismar map. This is the only map available - very helpful. You can order it online (www.chrismar.com).

Sleeping bag rating: Normally your sleeping bag should be rated 10 degrees lower than the lowest temperature you can expect in a trip. We had a comfortable trip in July with a -7 Deg C rated sleeping bag.

Sleeping pad: Provides insulation and comfort

Hiking boots: Try to get boots that go over the ankle - you don't have to change shoes often for river crossings. The hike is not technically risky. Any type is OK but waterproofing (goretex) is must.

Compass: We carried one but never used it. You may need it in the northern segment of the pass where there is no fixed trail.

Gaiters: Optional but may be helpful. You can skip it...

Energy bars/gels, hydration pack, water purifier tablets (we carried but never used it! You cannot get purer water on this planet - Make sure you collect water from side streams and not the river. You may need purifiers if you use river water) and layered clothing.

Hope this helps - All the best !

Feel free to contact me (by leaving a comment) if you need additional information - I would be glad to assist...

North American Immigration Diaries - Where 'S/P' is 'XL' !!!

If you are expecting a series like Vampire Diaries etc, then you might as well stop reading here.

However, if you are even remotely interested in immigration related aspects - then you are in the right place !

I have been wanting to write this piece for a long time since i relocated to Canada (although just for a couple of years !). This is about the challenges that immigration poses and the adjustments you make - to fit yourself into a culture that is drastically different from yours.

This is the first of a series, which talks about immigration to North America, its challenges and the possible adjustments or solutions. It certainly may not be suitable to all locations within North America considering the diverse nature of this continent. However, I have tried to be as generic as possible. Enjoy the read !

Where 'S/P' is 'XL'

Welcome to North America - A land where everything is grandiose right from the Christmas turkey to a glass of Coke to the rocky mountains of Colorado. And all these seem even more bigger when you consider the fact that I come from a geography where even a cup of tea has transformed into a 'Cutting Chai' ! That reminds me that an 'S' cup of coffee is easily equivalent to 2 cutting chais.

The first thing you notice when you land in this continent is the size of cars. It seems as if we are living in an era where family planning methods have not yet been discovered and people have to plan well in advance !! There certainly has been quite a bit of debate over this but this love for Gas guzzlers seems to be catching up again.

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12147304)
Courtesy BBC News

The next thing that would take you by surprise is the size of meals. North Americans, without any exceptions, have a great built and you need to understand that this has not happened overnight.. And by the time you understand this fact, you are already having the same diet ! I must, however, admit that diet in North America* is certainly more balanced than what you would have normally had in India.
(*French fries and Mayonnaise excluded !)


And the grandiosity extends to almost everything of daily use - Shoes, size of packs of tissue papers, size of eggs, milk cartons, average length of cigarettes, gloves and sizing of garments.

Garments, the main crux of this blog, are crucial to your appearance. And, if you don't choose them correctly, you may end up wearing baggy pants and baggy shirts all the time. It certainly is a different story if you think it is still fashionable !

'S/P' (stands for Small/Petit(french)) is the smallest size available in North America. You might have significant trouble finding a right sized garment if you tend to fall around the average height a typical Indian male (not sure about females though! - sorry for that).

For a long period now, I have been involved in this epic struggle to get the right size of garments. I have constantly been 'kid'ding about venturing into kids section. One fine day, I decided to give it a try and to my amazement/embarrassment/dilemma, I did find a blazer fitting perfectly !!! It was my day of realisation in North America... (Of course, I don't recommend this to everybody - else I might be sued for dragging somebody into depression !)

And the story goes on - Just that this one is indeed a GRAND story !!


And, as a concluding note, please do note that I have purposely not ventured out into size of condoms and other sensitive topics just to retain the 'G' rating of this blog !!!

  

The 19th of Sep, 2005

It was the same day, 5 years ago, 1000 odd fresh graduates began their careers with Infosys technologies limited (www.infosys.com) at Mysore. I was one of them...

We have all come a long way since then. Some of us have ventured out on their own, some did their MBA, some others got into better opportunities and the rest have stayed back with Infosys. Irrespective of where we are today, we can never forget the day when all this began...

It was a bright and sunny day at Mysore, India - the location which hosts Infosys' state of the art campus. We were being told that we were the first batch which has crossed 1000 mark - a feat which seemed a great deal then. These many graduates joining the same day would put tremendous pressure on logistics within the campus, we thought !! But to the surprise of almost all of us, the stay was as smooth as an ice cream from Baskin Robbins.

The facilities were extraordinary - right from the Global education center to the multiplex (we were amongst the lucky ones to witness its inauguration too) to the cafeterias to the hostels. Every aspect of our stay was way beyond our imagination. Of course, i should not make the mistake of not mentioning the lush green cricket ground (which hosted a ranji trophy match) or the swimming pool or the badminton courts (which complied with global standards). The bowling alleys, too, were amongst the best in the world.The hostels had a formation of 'INFOSYS' when seen from the top.

We were too overwhelmed by the campus and the facilities provided. The training, too, was amongst the best in the industry. Possibly, no other organization had such a rigorous training which made sure that we are unto our jobs when we left the campus...

When i look back today - i realize that those were actually golden days and we were amongst the lucky ones to have witnessed this experience right at the beginning of our careers..

As I look back i also realize that i may possibly not be able to work for an organization as ethical, as professional, as competitive, as flexible as Infosys...

Feels bad that i am no more part of this great organization - but the foundation it has built would remain as is throughout my career..

!! Dedicated to fellow batch mates of 19th September, 2005 @ Infosys, Mysore !!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Boulevard de Maisonneuve Ouest,Montreal,Canada

Sri Tathata

Just back from a session of Sri Tathata ('He who is that' in Sanskrit). He is a saint born in Kerala, India - spent some years in solitude until he found the purpose of his life. Presently, he is on a world tour spreading awareness on 'Dharma' - which is the core to all his teachings. More info at www.sritathata.org

I must say i am pretty impressed with his group. It was a short and brief no-nonsense session. He was an epitome of simplicity and humility.

However, the highlight of the session was the bhajans - customized to western audience. These are the same bhajans which i would not even bother to listen in those rare trips to temples in India. The ones here had the same wordings but the rhythm was so exceptional that it almost succeeds in taking you to trance. I am really amazed by how the same 'Hari Om' can bring about such an impact.

One more factor which i noticed was that i was the only Indian in the 200 odd audience. Is it because all this is embedded in our blood cells or is it sheer ignorance - I do not know !

Anyways, new ideas - new thoughts - helps you lubricate your mind !!

Let's see whats next...


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Montreal

Open to ALL !!!

You are at the airport about to board a flight to another country. You are informed that there are no security/baggage checks and no VISAs are required for any destination. You land at your destination and receive the same hospitality as your home country. The regulations are in favour of trade and result in better relationships between countries involved. Companies are flourishing, people not only seem happy but are indeed happy. All this seems so ideal to you. You are so used to negativity at every level in your life that this situation seems way off the norm. So, you pinch yourself to make sure you are where 'you think you are' - Only to realise that it is 4AM on a weekday night and you have your bedroom closet to your right !!!

Welcome back to the world we live in today - a world which has divided us on every possible opportunity - Be it citizenship, color, religion, caste, health, wealth etc.

A truly 'Open' world would be exactly what was just described as a dream - the boundaries cease to exist and there is equal opportunity for ALL.
But, before we fantasize such a world, it would be a good idea to perform a reality check of where we might land up with if just extrapolate the present...

There is a lot of talk about Globalization 'opening' up the world economy and providing better opportunities to countries that are in need.

Wiki states globalisation as "An ongoing process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a globe-spanning network of communication and trade"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization).

Essentially, globalisation dilutes barriers for trade and creates an ecosystem which enables seamless interaction between countries. And, one of the most commonly used form of interaction these days is 'Outsourcing'.

China, India and the like are great outsourcing hubs today primarily due to the cost advantages they offer. Chances are bright that in 25 (or maybe 50 if the world doesn't get destroyed in 2012!!) years from now, these countries would lose their advantage to some Latin American country or possibly, an African country. Chances are even brighter that these countries might lose 'it' to some others and this may continue until we reach a point where there is no relative advantage in outsourcing. Because, outsourcing is nothing but arbitrage and by nature, arbitrage is temporary and would be washed off in a limited period of time.
Even if we don't limit ourselves to Outsourcing, every other trade opportunity is some way or the other related a specific advantage of a country - and in a vague sense, a modified form of the concept of outsourcing.

But, the point that is worth thinking on is:

"How would this globalized world be without any arbitrage opportunities???"

"How would trade conduct itself when opportunities in foreign markets don't offer any (or very marginal) advantage over home markets?? "
There certainly would be some exchange of commodities which are a direct output of geographical advantage of some countries. But apart from that, there would not be any incentive for countries to trade. The flip side of this situation is that countries would make an attempt to create a niche for themselves to differentiate.

And this attempt would be a revival for us and hopefully would lead us to a world of equal opportunities and we might just get another chance to rectify our mistakes.

However if we do get this opportunity to rebuild, in our race for health and wealth - we should not forget that we have all evolved from the same bacteria which was the origin of life on this planet !!! After all, Source is as important as the Destination !!!


And if we succeed - Only then will it truly be 'OPEN TO ALL'...

The Brownie Sizzles ???

If you are expecting an ice cream recipe, you would be terribly disappointed !!
But you would not be very unhappy if you appreciate what is called the "Sizzling Brownie"...

It all starts with an era when there were only two colours - Black and White. Time passed by and some more time passed by. A new colour emerged - Brown. This could not relate to any of the categories and hence created a niche of its own. As a result of this, a new culture came to the surface - 'The Brown Culture'.

Passengers are being screened at the Munich Airport and suddenly one of them is taken to a corner for further questioning. Some more passengers pass by and one more is sidelined. Some more passengers pass by and again somebody is sidelined. There is one common factor among all these sidelined characters - their skin colour- 'Brown'

A "Brownie" goes to an Indian restaurant in one of the coolest(Cool, either ways!!) cities in Canada. There are some empty seats upstairs, so he wants to be seated upstairs. He is politely refused as it is booked for a private party. Having no other option, he sits on the ground floor in one of the seats where he is not so comfortable but somehow adjusts. A "Ice cream" colored guy enters the scene, is granted a seat upstairs. "Brownie" thinks he might be part of the private party. One more goes upstairs.. and some more pass by. There is no private party...

Well, these are some isolated events and may not imply anything serious in a larger context. However, when an individual goes through even one of these, he/she feels terribly upset for being discriminated for no reason. Color does matter in some cases...

We live in a world where each culture has severe dependency on other cultures for its trade,economy and so on.. We talk a lot about globalisation and about a flat world. There are loads and loads of articles on interdependency between economies and globalisation etc - Are they meant only for theory??? We need to answer some questions...

Each one of us, at some or the other time in our lives, is faced with a situation where we have an interface with cultures which are drastically different than ours..

These are actually very enriching experiences which make you learn some really important things in life. Some of these experiences are really pleasant like the one where
- You keep nodding for a "Yes" at the coffee shop and the other guy takes it as "No".. And you keep nodding and the guy in front keeps waiting for you to leave. And both keep wondering what went wrong !!!

And...

There are some unpleasant ones like the ones mentioned above.

All they do to you is expand your level of thinking to an altogether different sphere. A sphere where everything is determined by merit and talent an individual possesses... And then all of a sudden, you feel proud of being part of this mix of cultures.

Even now, as i type this article, and i look at the keyboard, i am using a keyboard with black coloured keys with white imprints. It cannot be complete without either.

Now back to our "Sizzling brownie"...

A sizzling brownie contains 'white' ice cream, 'almost black' chocolate, a hot pan and is called a Brownie.. And it can never sizzle without even one of the components..

Today's world is very much like the sizzling brownie and none of the cultures can exist without the other.

Is the Brownie sizzling????

It is for each one of us to answer !!!

Food for thought:
“No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive.” - Mahatma Gandhi

NOTE: "Brownie" has been used interchangeably between the 'Brown Culture' and the 'Globalised world' - "Brown culture" cannot exist without its diversity and neither can this 'globalised world' exist without its mix of cultures...

Time is ripe when YOU feel IT IS...

A.

It is one of those rare friday nights when i am watching a movie. I could not resist myself from writing this piece after watching the Tamil Movie 'Naayakan'. For those who are not aware of it, it is a masterpiece by Mani Rathnam (was made way back in 1987 and featured in the list of 'All time Top 100 movies' in Time Magazine. ) and stars Kamal Haasan.

A ten year old boy loses his father to a police encounter in front of his eyes, attempts to kill the policeman and flees to Mumbai. Not knowing where to go, he lands in Dharavi just like the thousands who end up @ Dharavi everyday even today. What follows this is a host of intense events like 'Baba' (almost like a father to Kamal in the film) being killed in the poilice station or the one where he meets a 10 Std girl in a brothel who asks him to leave her early so that she could study. These extreme circumstances redefine 'Velu Nayakan' aka Kamal in the film.

B.
I was returning from one of my regular weekend trips to Pune. It was about 15 mins since I had left Swargate (bus terminal in Pune) and we were going past a road which is one of the most busiest roads in Pune. Calamity strikes in the form of a puncture. With great difficulty, driver gets the bus to left side of the road, which was already shortened due to the ever-continuing, eternal road repairs.

I was just casually observing the conductor when i rediscovered something that has always been there in front of us. There was a problem (that was not my discovery..).

Problem : The only replacement tyre is on top of the bus and has to be taken down without disrupting traffic.

Solution 1: Get it down with the help of a rope or some other instrument.

Solution 2: Just allow it to fall freely under gravitational force (to test Newton's Laws) and then replace the punctured tyre.

Solution 1 was not feasible in the absence of a rope or anything that closely resembles the features of a rope. Realising this, the conductor comes to the center of the road and manouvers the traffic with such ease as if he has been doing that all throughout his life. Would have given a complex to almost every traffic policeman. The tyre is changed and now, it is business as usual..


Now comes the real message -

Be it Velu Nayakan in 'Nayakan' or the conductor of Asiad bus, what brings them on the same platform is the exposure to circumstances which pull out tremendous power from within them. This, in normal course of life, would have been very difficult to happen.

The point that i have been pondering over is "why do we have to wait for these events to change the course of our life???".

Why don't we chase our dreams with the same energy and power that we would have experienced in circumstances like the ones mentioned above or in other numerous other similar events.

Time is ripe when you feel it is...

So, start 'feeling' and just experience the change in perspectives..

The New Age 'Shop Floor'...

One of the most dreaded places on earth is a place called 'Shop Floor'. Mechanical engineers would agree in totality. During my transition from an engineering setup to an IT company and then to telecom has made me think "Are we witnessing the emergence of a new shop floor???"

Well, typically a shop floor would be defined as:

Workers + Machines + Supervisors = Production

Over the years, the young Indian graduating out of any school has seen a drastic change in this equation. It has now become:

(Workers=Machines) + Bosses/Supervisors = Deliverables

At the core level, there has not been any significant change. It is still the same old story. Reach office at nine (Or whatever flexible time you feel like coming). Do the same work you did yesterday (or day before or the day before day before..) and leave office once you are done. There have certainly been some minor changes here and there:

• Shifts have been replaced by 'Flexi timings'.. Though you still work nine hours a day.
• 'Machines' are more jazzed up. They are sleek and dont occupy as much space. No oiling required but frequent restarts required (thanks to 'Windows').. But, there is one thing that has not changed - They are still black and don't listen to what you say...
• The worker is replaced by a smart (i am not sure if that is the right word) B-School grad who earns much better than the worker by doing nothing.
• No more overtime. Thats because you dont even contribute for what you are paid for... is contribution inversely proportional to salary drawn or is it vice versa?? or is it a straight line passing through the origin where contribution is on the X-Axis and compensation is on Y-Axis. (Now, this is called an engineer's language..)

The discussion would go on and on and on... But, the point is :

If you are one of those who look forward to Mondays (Provided that Monday is not a weekly off) then you are certainly NOT working on the 'Shop Floor'.. This is the question each one of us needs to ask ourselves - "Are we working on the 'Shop Floor'???"

Is this new emerging 'Shop floor' going to be as dreaded as the older one?? Only time can answer...

NOTE: There is no intention to spoil the beauty of a manufacturing setup, it is just being used as a metaphor...

From Masakalli to Corporate Strategy

The teaser of Delhi 6 is lovely. Saw it on one of the television channels. Probably rehman is the only music director in India who dares to experiment. This one, i must say, is starkingly different.

The song Masakalli, which features in the teaser, is a treasure to listen. Also, the visualisation of the song by Rakeyyysh Omprakashhh Mehra (Still dont know if i got the name right) is too good. I am not sure how the movie (and other songs) are going to turn out to be. But, this one certainly has struck the chords with the audience.

All these are a result of Bollywood directors/music composers starting to innovate in all aspects of film making.

Well, that reminds me of the article by CK Prahlad in Economic times today. He talks about how innovation would drive growth in emerging economies and that dominant logic (Implicit logic followed by conventional thinkers) is on its way out. He talks about how innovation would flow from emerging economies to developed nations.

There are some more good articles from so called Strategy Gurus. There is a lot of Strategic gyaan (or Gas as you may call) in the edition. Dedicated to those who dwell on strategy..

Have a read...

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articlelist/121385957.cms

It happens only with females !!!

Before your mind starts wondering if this one is a blog on human anatomy, let me clear the air. This certainly is not one of those, but you may certainly classify it under human psychology.

One question has haunted me for a long time. And it surfaced again today during one of the discussions with a female colleague at work...
Have you ever wondered why females have so many quarrels/ego clashes while their better halves (Read 'Men') have hardly any.. (Probably, women may not agree to the fact of men being 'Better halves').

Dictionary.com defines EGO as follows:
–noun, plural e⋅gos.

1.	the “I” or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.

It also states an example to prove the case under discussion:
"Her ego becomes more unbearable each day. "Looks like the dictionary guys have enough empirical evidence to have 'Her' rather than 'His' in this example.

But then, what differentiates the misunderstandings amongst men and those amongst women are the following facts (I would like to call them facts rather than myths..)

1. Women never forget. Men never remember. That makes the problem much more simpler. Women don't forget even the tiniest of fights and carry them all throughout their lives.
2. Women are insecure; they are always on the lookout for security. Though women may not agree to this fact but i certainly feel that there is always an underlying sense of insecurity in every woman.
3. When a woman passes by, men look at her top to bottom to analyse her whereas females scan through every inch of her.. All this just to find out if the lady in front is better looking than her or has better accessories. Remember "Hiii... Lovely earrings... Where did u get them from" or "hey.. your sandals are a good match to your dress" and others alike...

But when i try to convince myself with a psychological and a scientific explanation to the question, i am not too comfortable with these arguments stated above...

Just as we say, most of the things in life are not Black n white but rather in gray, this one too may be one of them..

To put it in other words -> You can't answer something -> Blame it on gray.

All the views/facts mentioned above are my interpretations based on whatever little interaction i have had with the 'Other' sex. Feel free to comment if you don't agree with any of those so called 'facts'. By the way, you can even comment otherwise.

The Afghan girl

Came across this masterpiece about life in afghanistan. It talks about how afghanistan has faced invasions over the past 25 years which have caused millions to become refugees in their own homeland..

"It is the ongoing tragedy of Afghanistan. Invasion. Resistance. Invasion. Will it ever end? "

The article tries to answer this question...

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2002/04/afghan-girl/index-text/1

'Babus' Zindabad - A Live Story (Part II)

I am back after being foot-balled from one 'Babu' to another. All these visits seem so normal these days. Probably, i am getting used to all this. But getting used to this is like accepting defeat at the hands of these corrupt 'Babus'.

But then, i start thinking about a solution and i go blank. There must be something that can be done to improve the situation and provide relief to the class of people called 'entrepreneurs'. There is an urgent need for a change in attitude amongst these 'Babus'. A renewed sense of accountability and responsibility is what is required. That doesnt seem to be coming.

Looks like these 'Babus' draw heavy inspiration from the sensational song 'Babuji zara dheere chalo' featuring Yana gupta.

I would love to see that day when a budding entrepreneur doesn't even think of regulatory hassles while thinking of any business plan. I am hopeful it would come. The earlier the better..

BABUJI ZARA JALDI CHALO !!!

'Babus' Zindabad - A live story (Part I)

Before you start thinking whether i am referring to Telegu surname 'Babu' or anything else which sounds similar, let me clear the air..

I am sitting at one of the government offices as i am writing this piece (Luckily had the laptop with me)... One of those endless waits at government offices for getting a licence for a commercial establishment. These long 'lunch breaks' (or chai breaks) and so called 'field visits' make me wonder when is it that we are going to come out of this illusion.

These 'Babus' (As they are fondly called.. Though not often fond of ordinary citizens) live in their own world of isolation. Just like there are exceptions everywhere, here too there are a few (actually quite a few). They are people called 'Agents' who have exclusive access to the lives of these almost alien individuals working for the people.

Looks like the lunch break is over.. Ill complete this one in the Chai break. (I am dead sure i am going to wait till then)

‘P’ for Professionalism; ‘P’ for Politics

Just like there are 4Ps for marketing (Product, place, price and promotion), these are 2Ps which prescribe the success formula for any organization.

I often think why do some organizations succeed while others don’t and what is it that differentiates these types of organizations.
And then I realize that there is a stark similarity amongst the successful ones. These organizations follow a culture of ‘Professionalism’ to the core. They don’t do it for the sake of doing it…

Then comes the next question.

Why doesn’t every organization aspire to be a truly professional organization??

It is not all that easy for that idea to percolate within each and every employee. The vision of the top management should drive the employees into ethical and professional practices at work which would take them longer in the long run. There is always dilution of information as it passes up and down the hierarchy and horizontally across departments. The extent of this dilution decides the amount of effort to be put in to align everything to a common goal.

Now, you might be wondering what I mean by ‘politics’ in this case. Politics here refers to everything from regionalism to bias based on religion to favoring a specific employee irrespective of his/her performance. These are small things, but make a huge difference when you look at it from an organization’s perspective.

This makes me remember a quote by Hillary Clinton “The challenge is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible.”

It is upto each individual to decide which ‘P’ he/she wants to take. And if the vision of the top management is strong enough, it ensures that every one who is a part of the organization is aligned with the common vision. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen in 99% of the cases.

All said, a work environment that is driven by professionalism is the best motivator for employees and makes them give their best performance every time.

It certainly is a challenge, but not all that difficult to achieve; if all employees share the same vision for the organization and have a sense of responsibility and accountability.

Hillary Clinton Quote Reference: http://www.woopidoo.com/business_quotes/company-quotes.htm; All other thoughts are original.

Right To Information Act

Right to information act commonly known as RTI was passed two years ago. How many of us know of this??? And even if we know, do we know how powerful this act is? I got to know about this some days ago, when i did some data collection on this topic. This was not accidental. It was for a documentary(Short film) on RTI, which i made along with a friend of mine called Suraj. This documentary was to be presented at IIT Bombay SJMSOM's B-School event Avenues '07.
It was a novel concept of having a short film for the promotion of RTI. Kudos to the organisers, Creative Commons, for organising the same.

You may find the newspaper article on the same at:
http://www.mid-day.com/news/city/2007/october/166168.htm

Also, you can view our documentary at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5rBRsECGZc
After working on this documentary, i have realised the power this act has. It can transform the system if we make judicial use of it. We just need to be more aware of the rights we have so that we can atleast start thinking of exercising them. Let me tell you, if each one of us decides to use this act atleast once in our lifetime, we can make a huge difference!!!

More Information on RTI can be found out at :
http://rti.gov.in/