Its a new day...

I havnt penned my thoughts in a long tim... mostly was empty headed.. so nothing really to pen... my job was getting mundane... challenges over and was personally at the top of my game at BIG FM. i had to do something when the going was good.. instead of picking up from the rubbles...

but then a sudden wave hit me... start my own company... what an inspiring thought.. so i thought and i thought and then i thought some more.. finally running out of ideas... went off to wrk.

I knew that for me to move my fat ass and do something wud take a monumental task. and so i did just that. Come jan 2010, i put in my papers and quit BIG FM.

Now i had a mission... do something worthwhile and not wrk for some company. decided to launch my own chain of preschools (hey! everyones doin it!)

So there u have it folks... Me George Mathew... launching my own preschool chain....

My friend put it aptly when she said "Oh! so now u can start ur education!!"

:-D

First for 2010

Almost a month after the start of 2010, here is my first post for the year. Rather slow dont you think? Me too! So what's been happening? Well, lots actually...

1) 2010 came with a bang. Yes, new year was lots of fun. I was with my sweetums, my lil colour tele and we had the most romantic new year together... she serving me the mind numbing visuals and me lapping it up. Anyone's guess who the bigger idiot is!

2) Well, the debate about the bigger Idiot will be made clear with this next happening. I quit as Station Head of BIG 92.7 FM! And that too without another job in hand. So come Feb 22, ill be out on the streets without a job. None of my attempts so far at another job is bearing fruit.

3) Im thinking of alternate career options:

a) Entrepreneurship - Dotcom company. workin on a few ideas.

b) Agriculture and associated industries

c) Rural Tourism - what say? I am from a very scenic village in south india with mountains, waterfalls, temples and beaches. If i have a good product, will you buy?

So there you have it. An exciting start to 2010. Well, lets see where it leads me.

What do you think?

Theft... is the need of the hour!

So, after 2 long years i finally landed up at my home for this year's Onam yesterday. Ahhh... let me clarify... even though it sounds like i have led a nomadic life in the wilderness of the Himalayas or something, and ended up in me stumbling up in front of my parents one fine monsoon morning, this is not so much the case. I have been very much among civil society... well apparently!

Why 2 years? Well, last year i was whooping my a** at Great Lakes doing my MBA and the previous year my parents had deserted me for my sister! (there were visiting them during the time)

Anyway... I was so happy to be back home... especially since i have not had the chance to come here ever since i took up my current job... and to think, my parents stay jst 60Kms away! I was happy for 2 reasons 1) coz its just good to be home 2) I get to enjoy my Amma's fabulous dishes... so many of them... the curries, the Payasams etc...

I had told Amma to prepare all my favourite dishes and be ready for something like a raging bull thru a china shop... but i really dint expect to see what i saw.

If there is a competition for miniaturizing an Onam Sadhya, my Amma would have won it hands down... when i sat down to eat the sumptuous sadhya, all i got were 3 curries and that too rationed! Well probably she was tired and could not make many curries since we have very little help at home. I bit down on this bitter fact while biting down of some bitter gourd.

The high point of any sadhya is the very sweet and tasty Payasam. And as soon as i had finished my meager rationed Sadhya, i waited anticipatedly for the Payasam. I think i really had the look of a puppy waiting for its timely meals. I understood that coz the moment Amma gave me my share of Payasam, i let out a loud whimper...

Even the Payasam was rationed out!! I got probably 2 ml of the stuff... just enough to get a taste of it...

I protested... vehemently... and just as vehemently Amma shot down my protest with one little word "Price Rise"... Ok 2 little words... but you get the point...

Anyway... I plan to do the unthinkable today... I need my fair share of Payasam,... inflation be damned! Im gonna raid the fridge tonight...

In the good old days a hungry, starving guy had to only steal from the local khiranan shop... but what a world we are in when a guy has to steal from his own house just to eat!!!

:-S

Sight and Vision are so very different...

It is not often that we come across a personality who, after a brief interaction, impresses and affects your life in a profound manner. I had one such encounter yesterday (07th June, 2009) when I met Sabriye Tenberken (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_braille) . I met her at the Radio Play hosted by the International Institute of Social Entrepreneurship (IISE) for which I got an invitation since I am part of the radio business .

When Mr. Rajesh, the manager of the institute, sent me an invitation, I did not know anything about this. I thought it was a function at a blind school discussing the importance of radio for the visually impaired. Also, I like volunteering and hence thought it would be a chance for me to get involved. So with these thoughts in mind I traveled to the location of the institute. The road to the institute was a winding one, full of twists and turns and roads leading left and right. The more I traveled the more I was convinced that it was a blind school for children with visual impairment.

I could not have been more wrong. The gates opened onto a sprawling 2.5 acre campus which had a total of 5 buildings overlooking a the serene waters of the Vellayani Lake. All the buildings are state-of-the-art and completely eco friendly. The campus can house a total of 45 students who are given training for an entire year during which they learn the nuances of running a business and becoming independent for life.

And all this was possible due to the hard work and determination of one woman. She is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, a recipient of the Mother Theresa Award, and TV host Oprah Winfrey’s choice of “Eight Women Oprah wants you to know”. Her vision is to remove the taboos that are associated with any sort of handicap. She believes, and rightly so, that each of us are capable of changing the world and making it a better place to be in one small step at a time. The institute shouts its mission statement in everything it does “Do you have to have vision to be a visionary?” and it proves with equal fervor that vision need not be a hindrance to human development in any way!

Not only the IISE, but she has also built schools in Tibet, where she also helped to develop Braille script in the Tibetan language. This was in 1992 made the official Braille script for the nation. Apart from this she also swims, opens schools, learns new languages, uses a laptop, rides horses and also climbed upto the base camp of Mount Everest. So, what’s so great in doing all this? Nothing, except that she has been completely blind since the age of 12 due to a retinal disease!!

The passion with which she spoke to the audience… the passion with which she interacted with each and every one of the guests present yesterday… the passion with which she carries the light of her vision aloft… it is something that needs to be seen and experienced.

So, how were the Radio Plays that I had gone to listen to in the first place? They were OUTSTANDING!!! I listened in awe as the 5 plays filled the room with emotions and zeal. They were very proffesionalyy done by teams of 4 visually impaired participants. Over a 7 week period, they mastered the techniques of story, scripting, casting, recording, editing etc. And came out with works of art that truly deserve a larger audience. The topics selected were relevant and heatfelt. The execution was proffesional and the final outcome were 5 plays that the institute can be truely proud of. I felt humbled by the creativity shown by the participants. Each of the plays was better than the other in one aspect or the other. And it was so wonderful seeing the smiles on the faces of each of the participants... the happiness in what they were able to achieve in the short span of time alloted.

The world really needs more visionaries like Sabriye. And I wish her all the very best and heartfelt prayers in all the endeavors that she takes up.

(Please go thru the link, you will be as impressed as I was)

OOH is not just a media problem!!

I work for a media company now (BIG 92.7 FM part of the Reliance ADA group; 45 stations across India) as Station Head for Trivandrum. I head the Kerala Market... essentially because there are no other BIG FM stations in the state which means I take care of the entire state, as far as BIG FM is concerned that is (Dont blame me for the sorry state of affairs there otherwise)!
I joined the company on the 4th of May, 2009 and ever since have been on a whirlwind tour of the length and breadth of India... Readers dont mistake me, its not that I'm an important Jet Setter in the company... its just that I have been booted from place to place on the excuse of training me. This ass-kicking took me to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and finally to Trivandrum.

Anyway, part of the groups business is OOH media... expanded, it is Out Of Home. Meaning, all those hoeardings that you see at junctions, Malls, Buses, Metros etc. the BIG company (on many levels!) has many of these assests that we rent out. (For advistising please contact me at 9020680385 :) ) Well its not easy business. With so many players in the business, its cut throat competition.

So, anyway when I reached Bangalore after 2 weeks on the road (literally!) I went on a shopping spree! I went to all those stores in Bangalore which screamed 60% OFF!! Even at those prices, most of the clothes were out my reach and having just spent a year doing my MBA and not earning did not help matters at all either! All the same, I managed to grab hold of my bag full of 1 Rupee coins and heaved it to the shop.

My friend who was with me all the time was obviously impressed with my high speed purchasing rampage. I was like a Rhino in a China shop! Or rather like a star crazy girl when her hearthrob hero enters the room... I bought everything from shirts to trousers to socks to undergarments! After doing this over quite a few shops and maxing out his credit card, he took me aside and councelled me, "Dude... slow down. These shopd will be here later too. You can buy all these clothes after you get your first months salary too! And since when did you start getting so finiky about the clothes you wear? From what I know of you, you wear just about any old rag that covers you!!"

"Dude..." I whispered, "Dont tell anyone, but this is what happens if you are OOH for 2 weeks at a stretch... laundry not done!!"

:-S

The LIP video...

This is a compilation I created from some of the pics I took during the Leadership, Influence and Power outbound we had recently :)

P.S: If you are not able to see this, please double click on the video to be taken to my Picassa site.

The Placement song...

Adapted from Jim Reeves Merry Christmas Polka

This is Placement season 

So there isn't any reason 

We can't prance the Placement polka...
Hear phone-bells ringing

Everybody's shouting, 

doing the GD polka...

Placement freeze and chaos 

Makes everyone so potty 

And gloom just fills the air...
It's a bloody screwed up time 

For a boy and a girl to get placed

While crying the Placement holler...

The scary Placement polka

Let's howl, let's scream, let's shriek...
Everyone's so snappy

The air is filled with dread...

Watch the sweet friends bluffing 

As they pace beneath the company logo
It's a sight to behold 

For the placed and the not-so-placed 

The meeeerrrrrry Placeeeement pooooolkaaaaaa...

:D

With age comes wisdom...

New year resolutions are a dime a dozen, I know. But not mine. Seriously. For one I don't make a dozen resolutions... not even thru the entire year. And secondly I'm very sincere about the resolutions I make. I make only those resolutions I can keep! 

You see, the problem with resolutions is that that they are generally something to do with making life better. And as we all know anything thats good for you turns out to be bad, which essentially means that they will be difficult to keep up. So the key is to make resolutions that do not fall under the categoy of goodness, life changing, health, etc.

Case in point. Last year I resolved to eat KFC every week of the year and let me tell you I've managed to not only keep up the resolution but have surpassed it by eating KFC atleast 2 times a week! Talk about determination and grit! See, anything is possible, IF you put your mind to it... trust me!

This new year I played a game on Facebook  - Know your Actual age. It had about 30 questions. So I bought out my stock of KFC and started filling the questionnaire. 

It had questions like:

"Do you take regular exercise?" Of course I do! I walk 200 meters to the college everyday... and back!!

"Do you eat out often?" Well, not really. I buy KFC stock for 2-3 days, which means I eat out only 2 times a week... when i go to buy KFC

"Do you have a healthy relation with your partner?" Damn right! She is rather healthy! And I take great pains to be away from her when she blows her steam.

"Do you believe in GOD?" Yes I do. But I dont know if the feelings are mutual.

At the end of 10 minutes I hit the submit button and prepared myself to be pleased to see some figure between 23-25 years. And after a short wait of 10-15 seconds when it did its jantar-mantar, it returned the magic number - 35 years!!

WHAT!!?? thats a good 6 years more than my real age! There must have been some mistake. And to be honest, I was not entirely honest. I did fudge some data when I came to "How often do you eat pre-cooked food?" I had said 7-8 times. But Maggie noodles is not really pre-cooked food is it?

I ran the test again, corrected some of these anomalies and again hit the submit button. It returned the question "Do you really want to go thru this torture again?" Ofcourse! It wont be torture this time! This time the real results would come. All data I entered was true to the best of my knowledge and all that. 

After the customary wait of 10-15 secs the results came. Where I expected a conservative number of 27-29, it returned 43 years!!

Dumb application! It was obviously flawed! How can anyone eating burgers filled with lettuce and tomatoes be called unhealthy. Ofcourse the burger does contain a few other substances like cheese and precooked meat and cheese.. but it also contains 1 lettuce leaf and one slice of tomato too!! Not to mention the bread... fried in oil. Doesn't that count for anything?? Isn't McDonalds a world famous food chain known for its highly efficient supply chain and processing capabilities?

But I'm not a guy who takes these things lightly you know. If there was a problem with my lifestyle that needed correction, thats what I'll do. I resolved then and there - "I shall visit the Gym everyday from today onwards"

True to my word I set out for the college gym later that evening. There was not a soul there. Sheesh... what is this world coming to? Here is a perfectly good gym funded by the college and no one seems to want to even make use of it to improve their health! People should learn from me! I entered the gym and looked around to familiarise myself of the surroundings. Pretty Impressive. They had many dumb bells of different sizes and some mats to lie on and an automatic treadmill etc. 

After 8 months of spending time here at Great Lakes, I had embarked on a new mission - understand how to use a treadmill! I gingerly got on to it and hit the start button. I expected it to start and go all the way upto my maximum speed which I calculated would be around 60 Km/hr. It dint move. I hit the start button again. Still nothing. The power switch was ON and so was the power itself, and yet the treadmill refused to budge. I reasoned it was an intelligent system which sensed a newbie. 

I got off the treadmill and moved on to conquer other bodybuilding tools. I started with one of them big dumbbells. The face of it was bigger than my the outstretched palm! Must have been some 10 Kg each! I picked it up and man it was heavy. I gave it a couple pumps and was exhasted. Man! What's the weight of these things? I searched and saw 1/2 Kg written on it. Must have been a typo. 

Anyway I went on for sometime and finally stopped after what seemed to be hours. I had done a good job, considering it was my first time in a gym. My muscles were already flexing and I was sure in a couple of days I would look as good and be as fit as Aamir Khan in Gajini! I turned to the clock to check how many hours I had been working out. It showed 17 mins since I started. The clock obviously was broken!

As I was basking in self glory, one of my classmates trotted in. He was in full exercise kit - shorts, T-shirt and even an arm band! Poor guy, what does he know! Hey, maybe I can give him a few pointers... after all, dint someone say "You enrich your own life by helping others"? 

Me: "Hey Dude..."

Mr C: "Georgie boy"

Me: "Come for some exercise eh?"

Mr C: "Yeah.. but what happened to you?"

Me: "What? Nothing! What made you say that?"

Mr C: "Well, you look like a wreck!!"

Me: "I was exercising!"

Mr C: "Oh... I see.."

Maybe he was too embarrassed to be around a pro, for he turned and I distinctly heard him cry and sniff... only, the cry part sounded more like a laugh... Well, to each his own, I say!

Me: "Dude, dont worry about this exercise thing... ask me if you need pointers"

Mr C: "Oh.. really? You'll help me kya?"

Me: "Sure! Why Not!"

Mr C: "Ok.. So what do I do?"

Me: "Now you want to start with these dumbbells here... but mind you, there is some typo in them. The one that says 1/2 kg is actually about 10 kg I reckon... maybe they meant to write 12 Kg and had a typo or something!"

Mr C: "No, thats actually a 1/2 Kg"

Me: "Dude! who is the Pro here?? Listen to more experienced ppl ok?"

Mr C: "Sure sir! anything you say"

Me: "Good. It would have been good to go on the treadmill, but it seems broken. Stupid college ppl wont fix it even. Ive told them a million times you know!"

Mr C: "Where is the key?"

Me: "What key?"

Mr C: "For the treadmill"

Me: "Dude.. there is no ignition or anything! It runs on electricity... You know, current and all that... There is a motor under it"

Mr C: "Ok..." 

I dunno why, but he went thru the crying bit again! Poor chap! He must be really embarrassed! And he had every right to be, if you ask me! After all, one doesn't get to ask these questions to a Pro like me every day right?

Me: "Dude dont cry... its fine... Look, though i have a distinct advantage over you, Ill let you in on a secret. Even with my fantastic physic, a facebook application pegged my age at 43! Ofcourse, its wrong about the age, but the point is, its never too late to start..."

I had been discoursing to him and he had been behind me all the time. I turned to see a horrific sight. Mr C had picked up one of those weight lifts, one much bigger than that 12 Kg one with the typo and started pumping in earnest. I tried to stop him, for he was a good friend... and I dint want him to hurt himself just because he compared himself to me!

Me: "Dude... stop it! You'll only hurt yourself if you try to emulate me so soon into the fitness regime!!"

Mr C: "Its OK Uncle... I've assimilated all that you told me... after all, I do respect my elders!!"

And then he went on to pump iron for some 2-3 hours (that too according to that broken clock!) and also went on to run on the treadmill after inserting a metal key into one of the slots that activated the machine... Somehow I get this weird feeling that he had been to the gym before... but I cannot say for sure!

As for my New Year resolution, I still follow it to the alphabet. 

I visit the gym everyday without fail!!!

:)

Misguided anger management...

She had a fierce look in her eyes and seemed very agitated. There were a just couple of people around her and as I approached, I could see them take cover. Small as she was (well, tiny is more like it), it did look as if she had grown about 4 feet now that she was ranting and raving, which bought her height at par with the rest of humanity. And with ppl all around her cowering in fear, I knew something had snapped. 

I could hear her loud and clear a good 100 feet away and the more I approached the epicenter, the louder and shriller it became. I now understood why there was so much commotion in front of the tea-shop. Basically, no one there could bear to go thru the pain of listening to her. People were rushing for cover, dogs were running hither and thither and I swear I saw the tree in front of the tea-shop droop in a matter of 2 minutes!

Her ravings went thus - 

"... such a lazy bum he is you know. I mean just look at him... wont even move his ass out of peoples way... Whatever happens in the world, does not seem to affect him... "

Man! She was mad.. as mad as a bull in a china shop. I figured was talking about her boy friend or something. Infact, I had seen this coming when a few days back I enquired her new year plans and she sadly told me that she is spending it in Chennai as her someone special is not in town. She is one person normally seen rushing off to Bangalore at the drop of a hat.

And here she was having had to spend her new year with Miss R and Miss D not to mention Mr G and Mr S... Yes, I can understand... anyone would be mad. But I wanted to caution her... the pain of going thru a new year like this wasn't going to go away by going hypersonic... 

I decided it was time to put an end to all the sufferings... after all, the lives of people around her were important. I gathered all the courage I could summon and went over to hr to try and reason with her... 

Me: "Dude, calm down"

Miss N: "Calm down? what's there to calm do...screeeeech"... and my glasses cracked!

She had gone hyper again... I decided to use another tactic

Me: "Listen, Its OK that you are feeling like this. I can see that you have gone thru a lot in the last 24 hrs"

Miss N: "You bet I have!"

Me: "So don't let it bother you and increase you BP"

Miss N: "Oh I'm not bothered about that!"

Me: "Eh? No? I thought you were upset about not being able to spend New year at Bangalore!"

Miss N: "Hell No! Infact I had lotsa fun right here!"

Me: "Oh! Really? Then why on earth are you making such a scene about your boyfriend in front of the entire tea shop?"

Miss N: "My boy friend? What's he got to do with this?"

Me: "Oh! I thought you were discussing about him... lazy bum and all that jazz..."

Miss N: "How dare you talk about him like that!" And immediately I knew it was my turn to take cover...

Me: "OK OK, calm down... So what were you talking about then?"

Miss N: "You see that dog lying on the street? Such a lazy bum he is you know. I mean just look at him... wont even move his ass out of peoples way... Whatever happens in the world, does not seem to affect him..."

Dogs! The greatest wars have been fought over them!!!

:-S

Dwarfed amongst Giants!

In the village there is an ominous whisper to be heard.. among the trees, among the gathered folk. “They” have landed…

Everything is still for a moment… then screams, confusion and mayhem rule the roost. The fort is sealed and doubled up with sentries. Every able bodied soldier is bought out into the fray to fight. The children are sent to the safe confines of the dungeons. If you listen carefully you can hear their muffled cries. And the frightened fort awaits… their DOOM…

Every ear is tuned to the familiar clickety-click of hoofs. Once they hear that, they know their end is but hours away… Eventually the worst is confirmed… “They” have reached the gates.

The fight ensues… The fort puts up a brave fight. Slowly but surely the defences fail, one after another. Then in one final blow the fort falls… The prince is bought to his knees. But “They” are merciful… ruthless, but merciful… “They” grant the prince his freedom in exchange for treasures and submission. Having ensured victory and collected their trophies, “They” ride out into the sunset… In their Black Stallions, their mind set on their next target… But none know who or where.. And this keeps the princes in the neighbouring counties guessing and confused… Awaiting their turn, unable to defend, unable to win…

Who are “They” you ask? Well, not the Norman conquerers. But close… “They” are conquerors alright! And “They” have been relentlessly at their task for some time now… Leaving behind death and destruction wherever “They” set foot.

“They” arrive in small groups… To fight for glory and fame. “They” are trained to feel no pain, to fight till their last drop of blood, to their last breath. To do or die… The strength that makes them such a formidable foe, a force to be reckoned with.

“They” bulldoze enemy lines, leave behind carnage. “They” Bring back gold, glory and trophies, encrusted in gold, silver and precious gems to their Alma Mater.

So, what does it feel to have the best of the breed in your midst? What does it feel to look up and see glory? What does it feel to stand along side Giants?

Ask me, and I shall tell you!  Ask me, and I shall tell you stories of their victories! Ask me, and I shall deliver the victory song, with the war cry and the dances.

Ask me, and I shall tell you what it feels to be DWARFED among GIANTS.

And I’m proud of being part of the clan…

To see full (and growing) list of their conquests click –>http://greatlakes.edu.in/studentAchievements.php 

Venucians!

Women have always had a special effect on me, generally good... and I in turn have had a special effect on them too and I can vouch that atleast sometimes its good... 

Such a special effect happened today evening right after I met up with Miss D.I and Mr H while on my quest for that elusive electrical shop.

I had parked my bike opposite Adayar Odyssey before i went to Spencers. After my shopping binge, I walked across to my bike. Just as I reached it, She came in her pink Scooty and parked in right next to mine. She had had her helmet on and had a shawl cover most of her face so as to protect it from the dust i reckon... 

I stood there next to my bike, fiddling with my set of keys... just waiting for her to take off her helmet... 

She took it off, and remover the shawl from her face... Her hair previously tied in a bun unravelled... It was like a beautiful cascading waterfall... and I stood there watching her... my mouth open... The most beautiful thing on planet earth had just descended from the heavens

Guys in the audience will agree with me when I say that you will have been away from your girl a bit too long when you find that ever other girl you meet is goddess Venus... and I guess I have been away a bit too too long.. so much so that I find that some of the girls in my class are remotely Venuses! Eyww!

Anyway, getting back to my Venus... I mean story... She had parked her bike a bit too close and when she saw my admiring her beauty (read staring at her) she mistook it (luckily for me) that I was waiting for her to move... 

The lady that she was, she immediately moved her Scooty a bit for me to go... I guess she dint find me as attractive... I took the hint and backed out my bike but not before thanking her for her kind gesture...

I was just about to leave, dejected, broken hearted, when it happened... My world shook... and it wasn't such a great thing either... I felt a hot burning pain shoot up my leg... I turned around and found my Lady in the pink Scooty fallen at my feet... literally... 

My first instinct was to pick her up and tell her she dosen't have to beg me to be her boyfriend (I was more than willing ;) ) but then I got back from cloud 9 to planet earth to realise that she had just fallen over... 

I showed true chivalry... even though I was about to fall over, I took it on myself to pick her up and her scooter all the while doing a balancing act lest I should fall over and meet my death at the oncoming traffic... but such mundane things dint matter... I was after-all helping a goddess... what more can a guy ask for... 

She got up, brushed herself and said sorry a thousand times... "I forgot that I din't put the side stand, I'm so sorry"

Being the gentleman that I am, I on my part brush away all that and said its fine and all that... after-all, I reasoned, it was my charm that had made her forget to put the stand... I am to be blamed I told myself... I half hoped she would tend to me as caringly as I had done with her... 

Well, that was not to be... all she did was pick up her stuff and walk across the road to the guy waiting for her (who I might add was laughing seeing all this, while it was I who helped her al all)... Women dont know whats good for them even if it hits them in the face!

Now, as I write this, Im nursing the wounds that I sustained in this entire debacle... I literally lost a hand and foot to that lady... 

:-S

Rain Rain go away...

There are rains... and then there are RAINS!!!

RAINS is what we witness at channai for almost a week due to a cycloning depression in the Bay of Bengal. And to say that we were all in a state of great depression by the end of this ordeal will be putting it a bit too lightly!

Chennai had been inundated by incessant rains. By friday all the surrounding dams were so full of water that the govt. had no option but to open them and let the water out which meant that almost all the roads in chennai and especially the low lying areas witnessed floods. Infact the floods were so severe that the road ways were turned into waterways and the govt pressed inflatable motor boats in service along on the roads... Yes! thats right on the roads... to ferry stranded people to drier ground!

The scene in front of our college was so spectacular that it gave a different meaning to the name "Great Lakes"!

A few Pics...













 :-!

Hell is where the DEVIL is!!

Frugality...

Woke up at 6 AM
Class at 7:30 AM
Too sleepy to get out of bed

Slept for another 15 mins

Have to get my ass out of bed

Can't miss class

Got up and brushed

That really din't help wake me up

Decided a bath could do the trick

Dragged myself to the bathroom

Switched on the heater

In the mean time, took a quick 5 Mins standing snooze

Boiling hot water burnt thru my feet

Danced around a bit

Something out of a tribal ritual

Poured the warm water on me

Ohh! That felt good

Felt even more sleepy!

Reached out for my soap

A sever pain shot up my arms

My fingers were bleeding

What the @#$%&&*@& 

Who keeps a razor blade in the soap box??

But it woke me up all the same

I peered in to the soap box for the weapon

but dint find any there

All I saw was Mr V's Cintol soap

Then I realised

The weapon in question was indeed Mr V's soap

It had worn down so thin that it had the thickness and sharpness of a razor blade

Is this what happens to one when you give up our job to come and do an MBA???

Frugality, thy name is Mr V!

The Weapon in Question!

She's got the look...

"Hey Georgie!" It was Miss Sw. 

Miss Ni and Miss Sw were standing at the juice point as I approached them.

Me: "Hi Sw, Ni... Whats up?"

Miss Sw: "Oh nothing much! Say, do you realise that you have become very thin recently?"

Miss Ni: "Yeah! How come?"

I could read it from her voice that she wanted the secret to my eternal youth!

Me: "Just thin?"

Miss Sw: "Then? What else?"

Me: "Well, dont you mean thin and handsome?

Miss Sw: "Why!? FAT people are not good looking or what?"

Me: "Well, I would never said that! Infact, I think you are extremely Beautiful! So are you Ni!"

Someone has said "Hell has no fury like a woman scorned". And considering the look she gives me nowadays when I see her and call out "Hi Beautiful!!", I think that is an understatement!

People around us on hearing me call her beautiful smirk thinking "Like he has a chance with her.. the married A******"... Well Well, if only they knew! 

Atleast now they will...

 

:)

MBA... taking its toll on me!

Man Oh Man Oh Man... MBA is TUFF! and that is stating it a bit lightly...

Its been days since i got a decent amount of sleep in one continuous stretch... its been 3AM to 12PM days for so many days that i cant remember... I dont even know what day of the week or what date it is anymore... Ive lost track of the concept of time... its like im in some hyper space continuum where time and space has lost relevance... even material things like food have become a myth where living life on the edge literally translates to living life on coffee!

I only know what all classes and assignments and submissions and case studies and presentations and exams are there for the next day! And all of these things are there every day now... either in Marketing Management or Strategic Management or Optimisation Techniques or Entrepreneurship or Human Resource Management or Government, Business and Society or or or or ... and so the grind continues...

MBA is certainly taking its toll on me... on all fronts... personal, professional and student life...

My Psychic powers...

Way back in 1998 when I joined engineering everything was wonderful in the world. It was the internet boom era... Multi-Billion dollar companies were getting created left, right and center. The entire world seemed to have taken a leap, way into the future... Traditional business models were getting re-written and the world seemed to be at peace... 

All of us were happy to be at the right place at the right time. Fresh engineers from reputed institutions were being fought over by companies... Infy, TCS, Wipro... even the likes of Microsoft, IBM, HP etc... 

Then Y2K happened. Everyone predicted the end of the world... But Indian engineers were getting recuited to solve the Y2K bug... The world's problem had become a massive opportunity for us... Good news. What was predicted to be a Big Bang came and went with a whimper! 

Then in 2001, two independent events rocked the very core of this existence... The World Trade Center was bought down by terrorists and the Internet bust happened... there was mayham everywhere... jobs were lost in the tens of thousands... multi-billion dollar businesses became worthless overnight... 

All this happened during my 3rd year at college resulting in just a handful of companies coming for recruitment and taking just a few of us. The problems in the markets lasted till early 2003. Luckily for me I had to wait only a few months before I got my first job.

I know, you are wondering... what this got to do with my psychic powers... 

Well, I predicted at the beginning of the year that since I'm going for studies this year, something major will happen to the world and that by the end of the year the world would be in a straight mess!

Well, looks like my prediction has come true... Sub-Prime crisis, US banks tanking all around, world financial markets all gone for a toss, US trying to salvage it by offering 1 Trillion dollar bail out (and congress rejecting it), terrorists attacking locations around the world, India seeing atleast one terrorist attack on a daily basis, Wars all around the world, world food crisis at an all time high... 

Looks like its gonna be job hunting on the streets for me again...

:(

Singapore Incidents 3 - wet-wipes

She was visibly shaking... I knew it would be bad for her... I had told her so... and yet i guess she went ahead and did it anyway! Girls! They just don't listen to wisdom!

I took her aside and sat her down on a ledge... I could see her shiver... took off my jacket and offered it and she gladly accepted... 

Me: "I told you not to do it, dint I?"

Her: "But they forced me to.."

Me: "I'm sure you could have stood you ground... even though you are as light as a feather!"

Her: "But they dared me to..."

She was imploring for understanding... I could hear it in her voice... and as a friend, I had to deliver... but why did she have to get on that damned thing!

The reverse bungee thing was scary! More so because of the price (40 Sing $)! That apart, the thing shot you up in the air at 200 Kms/Hr, keep bouncing for God knows how long, twist and turns you 4-5 times... Your entire life flashes in front of our eyes...

Me: "Ok, calm down... its over now..."

Her: "Ya... thank god!"

Me: "But I'm really proud of you... you went thru all that ordeal and came out in one piece!" :)

Her: "Yeah Right! I wet my pants!"

Eewwww! Gross! And to think I was sitting near her, had my arms around her shoulder and even gave her my jacket! 

My first instinct was to withdraw my hand... But then I remembered Joey in F.R.I.E.N.D.S (Episode 4.01) when he said "That's right, I stepped up! She's my friend and she needed help! If I had too, I'd pee on any one of you!"

Likewise, She needed my help and support... even if she wet herself... 

Me: "Hmm... So do you wanna go back to the hotel and freshen up?"

Her: "No, its fine... it'll dry up soon enough!"

What! Sheesh... and I thought girls were a bit more concerned about their appearance etc etc... evidently not this girl... its almost like she is a guy... I always had my doubts... Hmmm...

Me: "Dude! thats really gross alright! I mean its understandable that you wet yourself cos you had to get on that bungee thingy, but not cleaning up after that is just BAD!"

Her: "WHAT! YUCK! what do you mean I wet myself??"

Me: "Well, you said it yourself! That you wet yourself!"

Her: "I did not! you are just making it up!"

Readers please Note: I have proof of that statement at the beginning of this blog... So im covered!

Me: "You did too! And come to think of it, I can now see that your pants are really wet! Chee..."

Her: "Dumbo! Mr A and the gang were playing near the open fountain and they pushed me into it and thats how my pants became wet! Sheesh... you are sick! And FYI I dint get on that bungee thing! Humph!!"

Me: "Oh! I thought... I mean... Dude... I'm Sorry... My mistake... I was only looking out for you..."

Her: "Hmmm... Its Ok..."

Me: "So, why dint you go on that bungee thingy?"

Her: "Oh! Thats not for me! Id be so scared that I would probably wet my pants!!"

P.S: FYI readers... I call her Miss Wetty Pants now... 

:D

The Buddha was right!

All of us reach a certain point in our lives where we feel that life has taken a very wrong turn on us. Try as we might, we don't seem to be able to solve the problems or be able to come out of the suffering. 

In our desperation, we turn to family... all of us do... and yet even they seem to be not able o do anything. We turn to God... all of us do... and yet mostly we find that God still continues testing us. And we ask him "Why me?". 

But what we don't realise is that the most of the time the solutions will be right in front of our eyes. God would have already shown it to us. Only, we choose NOT TO SEE! 

Here is where I bring in The Buddha. Almost 3000 years ago the Buddha taught us:

The Cause of suffering: People live in a sea of suffering because of ignorance and greed. They are ignorant of the Law of Karma and are greedy for the wrong kind of pleasures. They do things that are harmful to their bodies and peace of mind, so they can not be satisfied or enjoy life. 

For example, once children have had a taste of candy, they want more. When they can't have it, they get upset. Even if children get all the candy they want, they soon get tired of it and want something else. Although, they get a stomach-ache from eating too much candy, they still want more. The things people want most cause them the most suffering. 

Of course, there are basic things that all people should have, like adequate food, shelter, and clothing. Everyone deserve a good home, loving parents, and good friends. They should enjoy life and cherish their possessions without becoming greedy.

The End of suffering: To end suffering, one must cut off greed and ignorance. This means changing one's views and living in a more natural and peaceful way. Achieve Nirvana. The Buddha said, "The extinction of desire is Nirvana." It can be experienced in this very life.

Reference:

http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/footsteps.htm

So what does this teaching mean to us? 

Simple. Most of our sufferings and sadness emanates from craving for and wanting something that will not do us any good except give short term happiness or pleasure. If only we could just let go of our unwanted desires and cravings, we will be much better off and happy. How do we know if the desire is unwanted? I believe deep inside we (I mean people with a certain level of mental maturity, mostly adults) all know that the desire is unwanted, we simply choose not to accept it and keep clinging on to it because the child in us wants his/her candy.

Believe me... It works! Im now experiencing the Power of Letting Go... And I'm Happy

:)

Singapore incidents 2 - What a night!

2 weeks back 43 energetic Great Lakers risked it all and travelled to Singapore and Malaysia for a week of "Study Tour". Why risked? Well, if you are a Great Laker, you will instinctively know. If not, join Great Lakes to know! :)

We were put up at a beach resort at Singapore and were allocated individual condos on a twin sharing basis. I shared mine with Ranjith. The one next to ours was occupied by Miss R and Miss Po (To differentiate from my usual scapegoat, Miss P). 

As was expected, we worked hard in the mornings visiting companies and universities and partied harder in the evenings, freaking out in the singapore night life. My typical day was from 6 Am to 2 Am (the next day obviously)

On our second day there, most of us split up into smaller groups and headed for different parts of the city. My groups went to Clark Quay, Little India etc. (there was a little incident at Little India, but thats for a later time). 

I was dead tired by the time I came back. I got into bed by around 12:30 Am only to be woken up by Ranjith who returned by 1:30 Am. Soon after I fell into deep sleep. 

But somehow, at the back of my head I could hear some excited shouts and screams from the vicinity of my condo, but I was too tired to bother. 

At around 5 in the morning I woke up to the following conversation (shouts rather)

"R! That was wonderful! Ive never had such a night! Thanks so much for the wonderful night..." 

The sleep that I was in, all this did not really register into my head and I didn't think of it. I got up and opened my door to find Mr P standing at the door of the Condo next door, (in quite an intoxicated state I must say!) hugging it and serenading almost down on his knees. I dint find Miss R anywhere though!

"Dude! Shut up! Others are sleeping... and this is no way to say somethng personal to a girl!"

"Oh! I'm sorry George..." and he strutted away, Mr BigFoot that he is. 

Later at the breakfast hall I happened to run into into Miss R. We both said the morning pleasantries and smiled at each other. Perhaps I had more than a smile on my face for she kinda gave me a look as if I was some kinda weirdo.

"I heard it all..." {Wink, Wink} I said in reply to her searching look.

"Heard what? And whats with the winking?" she asked.

Man, she knows how to act!! Well, Im not gonna leave it at that!

"Babe, you live next door... and the condos are barely sound proof y'know!" said I.

"Ya, so?" 

"Well, when I heard the noise and all yesterday, I really did not think anything... But when I heard Mr P today morning, I kinda got the idea..." {Wink, Wink}

"What idea? What are you talking about? And quit winking!!"

Ya! Right! Like you don't know! Ill get the truth outta you somehow, just you wait!

"But where was Miss Po yesterday night then?" I wondered out loud

"Po was with me!" 

"Po was also there with you!!?? Man, you people are really progressive aren't you!?" 

"What the hell are you talking about man?" She was almost on a boil...

"I heard Mr P shouting out about the 'wonderful night' and stuff! hee hee" {Wink}

"Dumbo, Its my B'Day today and all those guys came to our condo at 2 Am and took me off to an early morning B'Day party by the beach... and they got drunk but we had a real fun time! Thats what he was talking about!!!"

"Oh is that all?? Oooppsie..." 

And for the rest of the day I walked around with a permanent wink on my face!

:-D