On listening to people talk about how 2010 was, one common reaction was 'It was not a great year, wish 2011 brings with it more success and happiness.' I understand the hope behind it. However, I fail to understand why 2010 was not a great year?
Every one of those who contributed to the above opinion is a stronger, more dynamic person at the end of the year than they were at the beginning. Then, why feel bad about the year that made you strong? Everyone who attempts new things is bound to make mistakes, everyone who competes faces challenges, everyone with functional hormones goes through relationship problems. Neither mistakes nor challenges are big enough make a whole year bad.
2010 was a fantastic year from me. It was neither because I accomplished a number of things nor because my balance sheet looked better on the 31st Dec, 2010 than it did one year before. It was only because of the challenges 2010 posed and what happened in the process than what resulted.
There were dramatic turns in life. I quit my job and relocated to Chennai after 3 years in the city of Biryani (ya.. that's the first thing that comes across my mind when I think of Hyderabad.)
Challenges :
I talk a lot, at least at work. I had got used to wishing a dozen people 'Good morning,' working through the day with people with several dozens of "Hey," "How are doing" in between, winding off the day working out with more people and retiring back home to chat with room - mates before dozing off and doing this over and over again for a little over three years. To sit at home was equivalent to being a maroon in an island off the Australian coast.
I tried my hand at few exams that end with AT. I found it extremely difficult to sit with a maths textbook for more than 10 minutes a few months back ( solving problems was a challenge of a higher level that I decided to face after overcoming the initial one of sitting with a text book for a long enough time.)
Admissions and Aptitude were the first couple of words in my dictionary. I had many sleepless nights because the latter showed no improvement for a considerable period of time.
Inter-city talks over phone are not exactly a substitute to a coffee in CCD on Banjara Hills.
Why they weren't bad?
I understand myself better than ever before. Only happiness can ensue. Need I say more?
I now teach maths ( and a couple of other subjects too) for college students who prepare for various competitive exams and campus recruitment.
The provision in facebook that reads - 'Relationship status : it's complicated' isn't without a reason.
Thank you 2010. You taught me a lot, brought me closer to my family & friends and left me happier than 2009 did.
Here's wishing everyone a brilliant 2011... And a warm welcome 2011, with all the mysteries and challenges that you bring along. Match on!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Women..
This being the exam season, I was solving a mock aptitude test. One of the questions was, 'Choose the word from the following options, that is closest in meaning to the word 'undecipherable.' I knew the answer even before going through the various options. Hence, this write up.
Disclaimer : All points below are based on first, second or third hand experiences of this writer throughout the course of the last 20 odd years. Any resemblance to those who are reading this is purely incidental.
Undecipherable it is:
* To have more than one 'best' friends.. ( How on earth is that possible?)
* To answer 'Shopping!!!' nine out of ten times when countered with the question 'What plans for the week end' ( I understand there are exceptions or exceptional women who do not fall under this category.)
* To be able to talk on the phone, type over chat, read something, while listening to music at the background. ( How do you people do this..? I would end up blowing up brains off..)
* To feel happy and even contended at times after spending few thousands in a shopping mall. ( Isn't this what we call 'The irony of life?')
* To think it is necessary to have at least a dozen pairs of footwear ( I am not counting those that are bought to be worn on special occasions.)
* To have funny animals (also called as dolls) on the bed and in the wardrobe.
* To have an exaggerated expression ( more than one at times) for everything and not ready to accept any lesser levels of human reaction from others.
* To think dogs, cats ( at times rats too) to be cute.
* To sob on looking at a scene in the movie theatre. ( It is after all a motion picture!)
Disclaimer : All points below are based on first, second or third hand experiences of this writer throughout the course of the last 20 odd years. Any resemblance to those who are reading this is purely incidental.
Undecipherable it is:
* To have more than one 'best' friends.. ( How on earth is that possible?)
* To answer 'Shopping!!!' nine out of ten times when countered with the question 'What plans for the week end' ( I understand there are exceptions or exceptional women who do not fall under this category.)
* To be able to talk on the phone, type over chat, read something, while listening to music at the background. ( How do you people do this..? I would end up blowing up brains off..)
* To feel happy and even contended at times after spending few thousands in a shopping mall. ( Isn't this what we call 'The irony of life?')
* To think it is necessary to have at least a dozen pairs of footwear ( I am not counting those that are bought to be worn on special occasions.)
* To have funny animals (also called as dolls) on the bed and in the wardrobe.
* To have an exaggerated expression ( more than one at times) for everything and not ready to accept any lesser levels of human reaction from others.
* To think dogs, cats ( at times rats too) to be cute.
* To sob on looking at a scene in the movie theatre. ( It is after all a motion picture!)
Saturday, September 25, 2010
In a country obsessed with MBA education, it helps to read between the lines.
In the history of Indian education, MBA is by far is the most hyped course. Partly because of the number of zeroes that follow the non zero digit in the pay cheques of students who pass out of premier institutes and mostly because, Indians as a part of their rich heritage do not 'read between the lines.'
I still vividly remember a headline that made every one crane their heads and in the process get a catch! And that was 'IIM - A post graduate gets Rs. one crore a year compensation and the average salary stands at Rs. 12 lakhs this year' I understand this one line is too appealing to miss. What is more important is to read the paragraph that follows and not stop with the headline. For, that will reveal many things that headline didn't in the first place. Here is my attempt at reading between the lines.
1. This does not mean that everyone who gets into IIM - A and successfully completes the degree gets a one crore a year compensation. This is where B-schools use the power of statistical measures to hide what lurks behind the scenes. Suppose there were 10 students who got employed through the campus recruitment process and one student gets a Rs. 1 crore + offer. Even if all the other 9 students get placed for only Rs. Two lakh a year ( which any sane kid who can speak English from a city college can get,) the average becomes a whopping Rs. 11.8 lakhs per year ( and it is only convenient to round this figure to the nearest decimal point.)
2. The candidate in discussion was not offered one crore Indian rupees to live in Indian conditions ( the Indian cost of living.) He was offered a $250,000 for a job in the US and obviously the cost of living in the US is higher than that in India. This means, the money he can save at the end of the month is so much more lesser than it looks.
3. The word compensation is often the same as the CTC and not the salary you draw. A company can may contribute huge sums of money to insurance on your behalf which you stand to benefit only if the need arises ( trust me no one wants to meet with an accident or get hospitalized just to reap the benefits of company paid insurance.) When you take away 'costs' like this from the 'Compensation' the actual salary you draw will be much lesser.
4. The person in question had completed CA, and had worked for seven years even before getting into IIM - A. It is only logical that is offered a good pay commensurate with his experience and qualification.
More importantly, the difficulty level of CAT or other competitive exams followed by the other elimination rounds ensure only the best in the country get through. These
students have already done a lot of good for themselves throughout their lives by sharpening their intellect with or without external motivation and of course preparing hard for the selection rounds. How difficult is it impart education to these people? Not very..
Now, getting to the other side of the coin. Considering the fact that there are 2000 colleges in the country that offer a full time MBA and less than 5% of the colleges can boast of a 100% placement record, is an MBA really worth it's hype is a question worth pondering over.
I still vividly remember a headline that made every one crane their heads and in the process get a catch! And that was 'IIM - A post graduate gets Rs. one crore a year compensation and the average salary stands at Rs. 12 lakhs this year' I understand this one line is too appealing to miss. What is more important is to read the paragraph that follows and not stop with the headline. For, that will reveal many things that headline didn't in the first place. Here is my attempt at reading between the lines.
1. This does not mean that everyone who gets into IIM - A and successfully completes the degree gets a one crore a year compensation. This is where B-schools use the power of statistical measures to hide what lurks behind the scenes. Suppose there were 10 students who got employed through the campus recruitment process and one student gets a Rs. 1 crore + offer. Even if all the other 9 students get placed for only Rs. Two lakh a year ( which any sane kid who can speak English from a city college can get,) the average becomes a whopping Rs. 11.8 lakhs per year ( and it is only convenient to round this figure to the nearest decimal point.)
2. The candidate in discussion was not offered one crore Indian rupees to live in Indian conditions ( the Indian cost of living.) He was offered a $250,000 for a job in the US and obviously the cost of living in the US is higher than that in India. This means, the money he can save at the end of the month is so much more lesser than it looks.
3. The word compensation is often the same as the CTC and not the salary you draw. A company can may contribute huge sums of money to insurance on your behalf which you stand to benefit only if the need arises ( trust me no one wants to meet with an accident or get hospitalized just to reap the benefits of company paid insurance.) When you take away 'costs' like this from the 'Compensation' the actual salary you draw will be much lesser.
4. The person in question had completed CA, and had worked for seven years even before getting into IIM - A. It is only logical that is offered a good pay commensurate with his experience and qualification.
More importantly, the difficulty level of CAT or other competitive exams followed by the other elimination rounds ensure only the best in the country get through. These
students have already done a lot of good for themselves throughout their lives by sharpening their intellect with or without external motivation and of course preparing hard for the selection rounds. How difficult is it impart education to these people? Not very..
Now, getting to the other side of the coin. Considering the fact that there are 2000 colleges in the country that offer a full time MBA and less than 5% of the colleges can boast of a 100% placement record, is an MBA really worth it's hype is a question worth pondering over.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
When you get back to your native.....
If you are a male, born in a considerably big south Indian family, in a village or town in the 80's, been a city dweller for sometime now and still unmarried, the following are bound to happen when you get back to your native after a considerable gap :
( Disclaimer : These are mere observations arising out of changes in cultural & personal attributes. Not intended to mock at anyone - just in case anyone who is referenced below gets to read this :-))
1. Your grand parents & relatives think you are not healthy any more just because you've lost your tummy fat. A toned body according to them is a sign of weakness and not health.
2. All of them think you do not take good care of your health & try making amends by taking turns to serve you heaps of rice.
3. There is always a distant cousin marrying whom the whole family except you will be happy.
4. You are expected to call every man of the previous generation uncle & every lady aunt ( in the regional language of course..)
5. People think you are crazy to keep studying well into your 20's.
6. You find it extremely difficult to have a conversation with few of your cousins who stayed back (in the village or town) for more than a couple of minutes. You wonder how on earth you spent entire summer vacations playing 'hide & seek,' 'police & thief' or 'street cricket' with them a decade back.
7. Your cousins think you are a playboy because you have many friends who are girls.
8. You are growing by leaps & bounds in life if you have managed to own a car and vice versa.
9. A government job is the best job more so because it is recession proof. You are not doing good in your career if you happen to pursue anything other than a 9-5 job.
And, last but not the least,
10. Flaunting gold is the order of the day. The more gold on your body the richer you are perceived.
Despite these difficulties and differences in perception, it is always fun to be in your native town or village*
* conditions apply!
( Disclaimer : These are mere observations arising out of changes in cultural & personal attributes. Not intended to mock at anyone - just in case anyone who is referenced below gets to read this :-))
1. Your grand parents & relatives think you are not healthy any more just because you've lost your tummy fat. A toned body according to them is a sign of weakness and not health.
2. All of them think you do not take good care of your health & try making amends by taking turns to serve you heaps of rice.
3. There is always a distant cousin marrying whom the whole family except you will be happy.
4. You are expected to call every man of the previous generation uncle & every lady aunt ( in the regional language of course..)
5. People think you are crazy to keep studying well into your 20's.
6. You find it extremely difficult to have a conversation with few of your cousins who stayed back (in the village or town) for more than a couple of minutes. You wonder how on earth you spent entire summer vacations playing 'hide & seek,' 'police & thief' or 'street cricket' with them a decade back.
7. Your cousins think you are a playboy because you have many friends who are girls.
8. You are growing by leaps & bounds in life if you have managed to own a car and vice versa.
9. A government job is the best job more so because it is recession proof. You are not doing good in your career if you happen to pursue anything other than a 9-5 job.
And, last but not the least,
10. Flaunting gold is the order of the day. The more gold on your body the richer you are perceived.
Despite these difficulties and differences in perception, it is always fun to be in your native town or village*
* conditions apply!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Is Today's media responsible enough?
There is a never a dull moment in any sport and in the world of sports. Such is the magnitude of activity spread across multiple disciplines. However, not all sports are given equal attention by the media.
It is frustrating to notice that an incident as trivial as the deliberate over-stepping by Suraj Randiv to bowl a no-ball and thereby denying Virender Sehwag of a century ( in the ongoing tri-series in Srilanka) hogged the limelight in all forms of media when many more important events took place at the same time around the world. Andy Murray contributed to Federer's losing streak in the Roger's cup finals, Indian teenagers continue their dry spell in the youth Olympics in Singapore etc., More importantly, there hasn't been even one report on how the Indian contingent is preparing for the Commonwealth games which is scheduled to start in 45 days from now.
I understand media is a business by itself, (and follows the golden rule that the customer is at the centre of the business) and any piece of news is churned or reported ( however you like to call it) keeping in mind the interest of the people it is directed at. But, this is an issue that has clearly been blown out of proportion.
Randiv broke no law, did not violate any code of conduct laid down by the ICC. By publicly announcing that Randiv's act was a let down for Srilankan cricket, ( on the back drop of the fact that Srilanka has been winning the award for the 'spirit of the game' by ICC for the past two years,) the Srilankan board has let itself down. Worse is to have handed him an one ODI ban. It is concerning to note that the whole drama is because of the hype created by the media and the looming pressure on the Srilankan board by virtue of the fact the it is bankrupt and is at the mercy of BCCI!
Randiv's act was at best a mischief and nothing more. 'Spirit of the game' is such a vague concept. It is modified and accepted time and again by different sects of people. If cricketers were to follow the spirit of the game,
* Batsmen should start walking as soon as they know they are out and not wait for the umpire's decision.
* The fielding team should keep conversations with the batting team at the level of a friendly banter and not take it up to riling.
* Fielders shouldn't do their best( or rather worst) to cheat a favourable decision out of the umpires.
None of the above ever gets so much importance in the media, but this one did. Randiv walked upto Sehwag's room after the match to apologize and the story ended have ended there if it were responsible media that was covering it!
It is frustrating to notice that an incident as trivial as the deliberate over-stepping by Suraj Randiv to bowl a no-ball and thereby denying Virender Sehwag of a century ( in the ongoing tri-series in Srilanka) hogged the limelight in all forms of media when many more important events took place at the same time around the world. Andy Murray contributed to Federer's losing streak in the Roger's cup finals, Indian teenagers continue their dry spell in the youth Olympics in Singapore etc., More importantly, there hasn't been even one report on how the Indian contingent is preparing for the Commonwealth games which is scheduled to start in 45 days from now.
I understand media is a business by itself, (and follows the golden rule that the customer is at the centre of the business) and any piece of news is churned or reported ( however you like to call it) keeping in mind the interest of the people it is directed at. But, this is an issue that has clearly been blown out of proportion.
Randiv broke no law, did not violate any code of conduct laid down by the ICC. By publicly announcing that Randiv's act was a let down for Srilankan cricket, ( on the back drop of the fact that Srilanka has been winning the award for the 'spirit of the game' by ICC for the past two years,) the Srilankan board has let itself down. Worse is to have handed him an one ODI ban. It is concerning to note that the whole drama is because of the hype created by the media and the looming pressure on the Srilankan board by virtue of the fact the it is bankrupt and is at the mercy of BCCI!
Randiv's act was at best a mischief and nothing more. 'Spirit of the game' is such a vague concept. It is modified and accepted time and again by different sects of people. If cricketers were to follow the spirit of the game,
* Batsmen should start walking as soon as they know they are out and not wait for the umpire's decision.
* The fielding team should keep conversations with the batting team at the level of a friendly banter and not take it up to riling.
* Fielders shouldn't do their best( or rather worst) to cheat a favourable decision out of the umpires.
None of the above ever gets so much importance in the media, but this one did. Randiv walked upto Sehwag's room after the match to apologize and the story ended have ended there if it were responsible media that was covering it!
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