Now then, this is something that has completely bowled me over. When I saw Riverdance for the first time, I was amazed to say the least. The beauty is that no matter how many times I see it, I am still just as enamored and overawed by the sheer art, chemistry and co-ordination among all dancers.
For the uninitiated, here's a backgrounder: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverdance
And just to etch this in your memory forever, here's a clip of a Riverdance performance - A Must See:
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Peter Roebuck's Endorsement
A great article by one of the most respected cricket writers of all time.
Check this out: http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/377870.html
Check this out: http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/377870.html
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Keep the Spark!
In one of my earlier posts, I had written about my admiration for Chetan 's style of writing.
Well, he did his image no harm by making a speech at Symbiosis, Pune recently.
It is indeed amazing how he finds meaning and metaphors in small things and co-relates them with some of the greater teachings of life.
I strongly recommend a dekko at the following link:
http://www.chetanbhagat.com/blog/general/sparks
The most appealing part of this speech is his clarity of thought, and the way he has shown how much the ostensibly inane, regular activities that go unnoticed in our day-to-day lives can teach us.
That's the enviable part...after all, all of us who have been fortunate enough to get education, know how it feels at the first day of school/college (or work, for that matter). Yet, how many of us can relate it to keeping the spark alive, and remembering to have that same, tingling excitement, that zest for life, that striving, all through in all walks of life?
All of us know the importance of goals and priorities in life (but the magic is in the way he describes and puts it!), as well as how to deal with disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness. The metaphors that he has used to describe and co-relate seemingly mundane things with what they teach us for life, and the way he has organized these ideas to make them so very understandable to one and all - that, is where his abilities come in.
All of us possess the knowledge (he hasn't told anything that was hitherto not known), but how many of us can describe it so lucidly and so succinctly? That, is where talent plays its part - that, is where the writer scores !!
Well, he did his image no harm by making a speech at Symbiosis, Pune recently.
It is indeed amazing how he finds meaning and metaphors in small things and co-relates them with some of the greater teachings of life.
I strongly recommend a dekko at the following link:
http://www.chetanbhagat.com/blog/general/sparks
The most appealing part of this speech is his clarity of thought, and the way he has shown how much the ostensibly inane, regular activities that go unnoticed in our day-to-day lives can teach us.
That's the enviable part...after all, all of us who have been fortunate enough to get education, know how it feels at the first day of school/college (or work, for that matter). Yet, how many of us can relate it to keeping the spark alive, and remembering to have that same, tingling excitement, that zest for life, that striving, all through in all walks of life?
All of us know the importance of goals and priorities in life (but the magic is in the way he describes and puts it!), as well as how to deal with disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness. The metaphors that he has used to describe and co-relate seemingly mundane things with what they teach us for life, and the way he has organized these ideas to make them so very understandable to one and all - that, is where his abilities come in.
All of us possess the knowledge (he hasn't told anything that was hitherto not known), but how many of us can describe it so lucidly and so succinctly? That, is where talent plays its part - that, is where the writer scores !!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
My new novel: MSD and the Great Indian Sporting Spectacle
It's no divine fountain of wisdom, that succeeding after taking risks and responsibilities that are greater than normal, also allows/calls for commensurate rewards and benefits - greater than normal.
How unfair is that?
However, as it happens all the time, a new debate has begun in the sporting world these days. Oh, by the way, please note that the term "sporting" refers to only the noun, and not the adjective!
For, had some of the people who comprise the sporting world, also been sporting enough, they would never have held grudges against a worthy candidate, and would not have raised a hue and cry over the merits of giving the country's highest honour for a sportsman - the Khel Ratna - to a fully-deserving and quality sportsman by the name of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Somehow, I think we are yet to learn how to stay happy with success and happiness - both ours, and even more importantly, that of others. We always stay enamoured with and envious (actually jealous, more than envious) of the perks and pleasures of others without looking at the hardships and efforts that are equally and pre-requisitically (is that a word?!) part of the deal.
I know and myself agree that cricket rules the roost in our country, and that all other sports - and at the very least, those where we have the potential of excelling, must be encouraged, patronised and given due attention - by the sports authorities, as well as the media.
Yes, cricket enjoys inordinate attention and glamour. But why should we criticise the cricketers for it? Why can't some people digest the fact that the superstar treatment accorded to them comes because they deserve it.
Why don't we appreciate the fact that even a cricketer who plays at the highest national level of a Ranji or a Deodhar Trophy, but does not fare well, is not really known. Why, even some international level cricketers fade into oblivion sooner than the time they were in the limelight.
The point is, that the cricketeres who are successful at the international level consistently, for a decent span of time, deserve to be treated as no less than stars because they have competed and excelled at the national as well as international stage.
How many competitors would a footballer or a hockey player find in a selection trial, as compared to a cricketer? Yes, other sports should also get adequate attention but we cannot deny the fact that cricket will and shall keep Indians fixated, more than all other sports combined.
Keeping these factors in mind, shouldn't the returns for a person succeeding at cricket therefore, be more than for those at other sports?
And if you talk specifically about Dhoni, I am amazed at just how people can object to this recognition being bestowed on him! What I like more about this man is that he is always leading by example. Yes, there's a lot of talk about his cool, calm and unruffled demeanour. But even if he were to get angry, if I were the subject of his anger, I wouldn't mind it because I would know he mustn't be getting mad over nothing and he himself leads by example.
That is how you command respect, and can convincingly exhort your resources to perform at their best, consistently.
Imran Khan is often (and I think, in many ways, rightly) acknowledged as among an all-time best captain and leader for his team. That's because he always used to lead by example, give more than a hundred percent on the field, and not only his opposition, even his teammates used to be scared of antagonising him. His teammates would never have wanted him to lose his cool on them but even if he did, rest assured, they must have been mulling over the lessons to be learnt than mulling over the scolding itself.
MSD, to me, is a cool version of Imran. He rarely displays emotion, but is empathetic, encouraging and exhortive enough to make his players give their best. Most of all, he is a leader who leads by his deeds, by example.
He plays every match, does his wicketkeeping duties well enough (at the time if writing, he is still the best wicketkeeper in the country, worthy of getting selected in the team on his wocketkeeping abilities alone), his batting exudes the sign of maturity and classs (he runs hard - for not only his runs but also those of his partners - and this is when he has kept wickets in the previous innings or will kept wickets in the next innings (for those who cannot appreciate the effort of a wicketkeepers, just do 300 sit-ups), he changes his batting order and also the batting syle - as per the match situation - in the best interests of the team - and he has been doing all this consistently well in his career.
Sure, it's been only two years or so since he arrived, but we got to understand that this also means that he has achieved so much in such a short span.
So cheers to MSD and hope all the hype, success, failure, praise and criticism doesn't get to his head! Rest assured, he shall be the same - for good measure!
How unfair is that?
However, as it happens all the time, a new debate has begun in the sporting world these days. Oh, by the way, please note that the term "sporting" refers to only the noun, and not the adjective!
For, had some of the people who comprise the sporting world, also been sporting enough, they would never have held grudges against a worthy candidate, and would not have raised a hue and cry over the merits of giving the country's highest honour for a sportsman - the Khel Ratna - to a fully-deserving and quality sportsman by the name of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Somehow, I think we are yet to learn how to stay happy with success and happiness - both ours, and even more importantly, that of others. We always stay enamoured with and envious (actually jealous, more than envious) of the perks and pleasures of others without looking at the hardships and efforts that are equally and pre-requisitically (is that a word?!) part of the deal.
I know and myself agree that cricket rules the roost in our country, and that all other sports - and at the very least, those where we have the potential of excelling, must be encouraged, patronised and given due attention - by the sports authorities, as well as the media.
Yes, cricket enjoys inordinate attention and glamour. But why should we criticise the cricketers for it? Why can't some people digest the fact that the superstar treatment accorded to them comes because they deserve it.
Why don't we appreciate the fact that even a cricketer who plays at the highest national level of a Ranji or a Deodhar Trophy, but does not fare well, is not really known. Why, even some international level cricketers fade into oblivion sooner than the time they were in the limelight.
The point is, that the cricketeres who are successful at the international level consistently, for a decent span of time, deserve to be treated as no less than stars because they have competed and excelled at the national as well as international stage.
How many competitors would a footballer or a hockey player find in a selection trial, as compared to a cricketer? Yes, other sports should also get adequate attention but we cannot deny the fact that cricket will and shall keep Indians fixated, more than all other sports combined.
Keeping these factors in mind, shouldn't the returns for a person succeeding at cricket therefore, be more than for those at other sports?
And if you talk specifically about Dhoni, I am amazed at just how people can object to this recognition being bestowed on him! What I like more about this man is that he is always leading by example. Yes, there's a lot of talk about his cool, calm and unruffled demeanour. But even if he were to get angry, if I were the subject of his anger, I wouldn't mind it because I would know he mustn't be getting mad over nothing and he himself leads by example.
That is how you command respect, and can convincingly exhort your resources to perform at their best, consistently.
Imran Khan is often (and I think, in many ways, rightly) acknowledged as among an all-time best captain and leader for his team. That's because he always used to lead by example, give more than a hundred percent on the field, and not only his opposition, even his teammates used to be scared of antagonising him. His teammates would never have wanted him to lose his cool on them but even if he did, rest assured, they must have been mulling over the lessons to be learnt than mulling over the scolding itself.
MSD, to me, is a cool version of Imran. He rarely displays emotion, but is empathetic, encouraging and exhortive enough to make his players give their best. Most of all, he is a leader who leads by his deeds, by example.
He plays every match, does his wicketkeeping duties well enough (at the time if writing, he is still the best wicketkeeper in the country, worthy of getting selected in the team on his wocketkeeping abilities alone), his batting exudes the sign of maturity and classs (he runs hard - for not only his runs but also those of his partners - and this is when he has kept wickets in the previous innings or will kept wickets in the next innings (for those who cannot appreciate the effort of a wicketkeepers, just do 300 sit-ups), he changes his batting order and also the batting syle - as per the match situation - in the best interests of the team - and he has been doing all this consistently well in his career.
Sure, it's been only two years or so since he arrived, but we got to understand that this also means that he has achieved so much in such a short span.
So cheers to MSD and hope all the hype, success, failure, praise and criticism doesn't get to his head! Rest assured, he shall be the same - for good measure!
Monday, July 28, 2008
आज.....खुश तो बहुत होगे तुम......हाएं?!! :-)
Yes, I know, it's been a while since I blogged, so this was long overdue. I was too pre-occupied with work - first at office then some household chores, and then more work and more household chores. Not that anyone and everyone inundated me with calls/mails from anywhere and everywhere! But just wanted to clear any misgivings.
Well, it wasn't as if I never got any time off, but it's just that in the time I did get for myself, I didn't feel like writing on anything that wasn't appealing enough.
During the last week, I was so overdosed with the No-Confidence motion debates and analysis, that I had had too much of it by the time I went to the web, and the First Test Match performance of the Indian cricketers in Sri Lanka was too abysmal to write about (no point killing dead meat, right?!).
So I decided to write on something different and light.
Well, I just found how to write on the Net in our lovely mother-tongue..Hindi!!
So now I'm fixated with writing this post in Hindi!
Next up, I think I should find what to write in Hindi - I want to write something that cannot do without Hindi usage, where English translations of the Hindi original would either be meaningless or spineless, if not comical.
How about revisiting the most immortal and impactful movie dialogues in Hindi cinema?!
Now then, that requires Hindi for sure - and just for good measure, may I also put in English translations of the original, Devnagri script - not to be taken seriously - just for fun.
So let me find which are the Top 10 immortal dialogues, in Hindi cinema - no, only those of the doyen of Indian cinema - the Big B, to start with. Guess Hindi cinema is such a huge ocean, spanning a great timeline too, that it would be very unfair of me to list just 10 top ten quotes. As a matter of fact, I think it's a a great injustice to Big B too, that I am putting down only 10 of his best and more memorable dialogues, because there definitely are innumerable more from just him alone.
And, the following list is a compilation of just those dialogues, that strike me on first thoughts.... ofcourse there are many, many more - and it doesn't require me to certify this!
[Disclaimer: This is, by no means, an exhaustive list. Certainly, there are many more one-liners that have captivated the audience imagination and withstood the test of time. The following is just an appetizer!]
These dialogues are not in any particular order as such, but just the ones I can remember off-the-cuff.
Ok, so here goes - my two cents..
Enjoy..
My Top 10 (in no particular order):
1. Yes, I will sign, but first get me the sign of that guy, who called my father a thief; first get me the sign of that guy, who abused my mother and fired her from her job; first get me the sign of that guy, who wrote this on my hand. After that, after that, my brother, I will sign on whichever paper you bring to me.
हाँ, मैं sign करूंगा , लेकिन पहले उस आदमी का sign ले के आओ, जिसने मेरे बाप को चोर कहा था; पहले उस आदमी का sign ले के आओ, जिसने मेरी माँ को गाली देके नौकरी से निकाल दिया था; पहले उस आदमी का sign ले के आओ, जिसने मेरे हाथ पे ये लिख दिया था उसके बाद, उसके बाद मेरे भाई, तुम जिस कागज़ पे कहोगे, उस पर sign कर दूंगा
Well, it wasn't as if I never got any time off, but it's just that in the time I did get for myself, I didn't feel like writing on anything that wasn't appealing enough.
During the last week, I was so overdosed with the No-Confidence motion debates and analysis, that I had had too much of it by the time I went to the web, and the First Test Match performance of the Indian cricketers in Sri Lanka was too abysmal to write about (no point killing dead meat, right?!).
So I decided to write on something different and light.
Well, I just found how to write on the Net in our lovely mother-tongue..Hindi!!
So now I'm fixated with writing this post in Hindi!
Next up, I think I should find what to write in Hindi - I want to write something that cannot do without Hindi usage, where English translations of the Hindi original would either be meaningless or spineless, if not comical.
How about revisiting the most immortal and impactful movie dialogues in Hindi cinema?!
Now then, that requires Hindi for sure - and just for good measure, may I also put in English translations of the original, Devnagri script - not to be taken seriously - just for fun.
So let me find which are the Top 10 immortal dialogues, in Hindi cinema - no, only those of the doyen of Indian cinema - the Big B, to start with. Guess Hindi cinema is such a huge ocean, spanning a great timeline too, that it would be very unfair of me to list just 10 top ten quotes. As a matter of fact, I think it's a a great injustice to Big B too, that I am putting down only 10 of his best and more memorable dialogues, because there definitely are innumerable more from just him alone.
And, the following list is a compilation of just those dialogues, that strike me on first thoughts.... ofcourse there are many, many more - and it doesn't require me to certify this!
[Disclaimer: This is, by no means, an exhaustive list. Certainly, there are many more one-liners that have captivated the audience imagination and withstood the test of time. The following is just an appetizer!]
These dialogues are not in any particular order as such, but just the ones I can remember off-the-cuff.
Ok, so here goes - my two cents..
Enjoy..
My Top 10 (in no particular order):
1. Yes, I will sign, but first get me the sign of that guy, who called my father a thief; first get me the sign of that guy, who abused my mother and fired her from her job; first get me the sign of that guy, who wrote this on my hand. After that, after that, my brother, I will sign on whichever paper you bring to me.
हाँ, मैं sign करूंगा , लेकिन पहले उस आदमी का sign ले के आओ, जिसने मेरे बाप को चोर कहा था; पहले उस आदमी का sign ले के आओ, जिसने मेरी माँ को गाली देके नौकरी से निकाल दिया था; पहले उस आदमी का sign ले के आओ, जिसने मेरे हाथ पे ये लिख दिया था उसके बाद, उसके बाद मेरे भाई, तुम जिस कागज़ पे कहोगे, उस पर sign कर दूंगा
2. What is your name, Basanti?
तुम्हारा नाम क्या है, बसंती?!3. I am your father, by relation...(!!)
रिश्ते में तो हम तुम्हारे बाप लगते हैं..
4. The line begins from the place where I stand.
हम जहाँ पर खड़े होते हैं, Line वहां से शुरू हो जाती है
5. Twelve countries' police is waiting for Don...but it is not only tough to catch Don, it is impossible!
Don का इंतज़ार तो बारह मुल्कों की पुलिस कर रही है... पर Don को पकड़ना मुश्किल ही नहीं, नामुमकिन है
6. Sir, I know English so well that I can leave the English behind.
सर, अंग्रेजी तो ऐसी आवे है, कि आई कैन लीव अंग्रेज बिहाइन्द
7. Peter.....you guys are looking for me outside, and I am waiting for you out here.
पीटर.....तुम लोग मुझे बाहर ढूंढ रहे हो, और मैं यहाँ तुम्हारा इंतज़ार कर रहा हूँ
8. Oh no Aunty, when did I say this? You are misunderstanding my Viru, Aunty!
अरे नहीं मौसी, मैंने ऐसा कब कहा? आप तो मेरे वीरू को ग़लत समझ रही हैं, मौसी!
9. I do only what, I believe, is correct.
मुझे जो सही लगता है, मैं वही करता हूँ
And last, but not the least (my favourite!) :-
10. Today - You must be very happy, huh?! The guy who never climbed up the stairs to Your temple, the guy who never bowed his head in front of You, the guy who never folded his hands in front of You - he! he is standing in front of you, with open hands..(!!)
Today - You must be very happy...
That lady, that lady whose forehead abrased (English for ghis!) the chaukhat (I don't know how to translate this!) of Your temple, that lady, on whom, when hardships increased, her devotion towards You increased, who herself kept burning from inside, but always lit the lamp in Your temple, that lady! that lady - is stranded between life and death today.
Yes, You must be very happy today, that I lost....but it is Your loss!
What cruelty, what sin had she committed?
Is this her fault, that she has given birth to me??
Is this her fault, that she is my mother, and I love her??
For what crime is she being punished?
आज - खुश तो बहुत होगे तुम! जो आज तक तुम्हारे मन्दिर की सीढियां नहीं चढ़ा, जिसने आज तक तुम्हारे आगे सर नहीं झुकाया, जिसने आज तक तुम्हारे सामने हाथ नहीं जोड़े - वो! वो आज तुम्हारे सामने हाथ फैलाए खड़ा है
आज - खुश तो बहुत होगे तुम ...
वो औरत - वो औरत, जिसके माथे से तुम्हारी चौखट का पत्थर घिस गया, वो औरत, जिसपर ज़ुल्म बढे, तो उसकी पूजा बढ़ी, जो जिंदगी भर ख़ुद तो जलती रही, मगर तुम्हारे मन्दिर में दीप जलाती रही, वो औरत! वो औरत – आज जिंदगी और मौत के बीच खड़ी है।
हाँ, आज खुश तो बहुत होगे तुम, कि मैं हार गया.. पर ये, तुम्हारी हार है !
कौन सा ज़ुल्म, कौन सा पाप किया था उसने?
क्या उसका कसूर ये है, कि उसने मुझे जनम दिया??
क्या उसका कसूर ये है, कि वो मेरी माँ है, और मैं उससे प्यार करता हूँ ??
ये किस गुनाह की सज़ा दी जा रही है उसे?
More such, later.
Adios!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
MBA: My Biggest Ambition?
"Every night, in my dreams
I see you, I feel you.. (..the maddening craze and herd-mentality of becoming an MBA)
That is how I know you.. (..the MBA-stricken world)
Go on..(..rambling about the great, plenipotentiary [check the GMAT/CAT vocab docs for the meaning] MBA tag) "
Seriously guys, isn't there any salvation without becoming an MBA?
By the way, may I clarify first up that I have a lot of respect for the qualification itself.
I also understand very well that this degree enables one to rise vertically (to become part of the management) as well as horizontally (across different industries and sectors too).
If you believe I am an MBA-cynic, you couldn't be farther from the truth.
I truly admire the people who successfully (and correctly) identified this (being an MBA) as their field (and qualification), since they knew this was what they were best at, and that this is what they want to do.
What I do not admire, though, is the unending prattle and the mindless following, that exhorts anyone and everyone to go for this degree. This is the sad part. But wait, it ain't over! What I find even more depressing, is that people are falling for it too, ignoring their inner voice. Isn't there something we all want to do?
Allow me to be Yash Chopra here: "He, the Almighty has made something (the field of work, the kind of work that is best suited for us - I'm sure it CANNOT be only MBA for most of us!) for all of us, there's someone (read some field of work) that's made for you...(where you are best at), which you love. Ofcourse, most people compromise and go for something else (read MBA).
Anyone who is anyone, is keen to lap up this tag-wagon!
Has the MBA today, become an acronym for My Biggest Ambition?
If someone does a survey on how many people wanted to do MBA all along, be MBA all along, how many actually are, and even more importantly, how many MBAs are happy with what they have done and achieved - given a choice to turn the clock back, would they like to go for the same course and profile again?, the results would greatly help in gaining an insight about the "success and satisfaction" levels of each of these categories of people.
After all, it is also extremely important to know whether those people who are qualified, 'successful' MBAs, feel empty or insatiated inside, because they might still be yearning to do something they could have done but could not, due to the pressure (be it due to peer pressure or the individual simply not knowing oneself about what he/she wants and can do).
Practically speaking, is MBA among the best-possible qualification one can have in today's times? Ofcourse.
But what about the same, sane word - aptitude?
What about going in for something that you actually don't have an aptitude for (MBA), AT THE COST OF something for which you always had the requisite basic fundamentals and skill sets in place - the talent, the aptitude, and most of all, the interest, the liking, the love - but never understood/appreciated it enough?
All forsaken for the sake of practical, market forces or peer/family pressue.
One of the reasons why I almost worship a guy like Harsha Bhogle is because this guy, after completing his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, always remained steadfast in his focus and dared to chuck all in pursuit oh his inner calling, his true love (in his case, cricket and cricket commentary to be precise). Mind you, he had a cushy job as an IIM-A graduate and most importantly, the time when he gave up that job in preference for cricket commentary, there was no trace of the money, the glamour, and the razmatazz that is now associated with being a cricket commentator.
He had two (enviable??) options being in India - All India Radio and Doordarshan - for, these were the only mediums that used to broadcast cricket matches in India. That he started with AIR, worked with Channel 9 and reaped the benefits of the satellite revolution is another story and I don't want to digress. He was lucky too, in that had the satellite revolution not happened, he might have at best remained a voice or face talking cricket on DD...and who knows, there could be many who tried like him to pursue their love - before or after him - but could not have succeeded. But I hope you would agree, the quality, worth and merit of a person must not be judged by how much success he achieves, but by how much effort he puts in, to achieve it.
After all, if success were the only barometer, it should therefore translate to the 'fact' only the wealithiest and the most powerful (in terms of clout - political or any) are entitled to being quality souls out of more than a billion people in India!
I just hope that we do not continue to chase this fad of becoming an MBA - just to ensconse ourselves with a cosy life, and compromise our inherent abilities and aptitude.
Do go for an MBA by all means, if you think you are meant for it, and it is what you are best at...but please re-assess if you are going for it due to someone else's wishes, or if you think it is a known way of "success" and "achievement" in life.
As my school principal used to say, "It is better to be a first-class cobbler than to be a third-class administrator."
Here's to guys like Harsha, who despite possessing a lucrative degree that guaranteed them a great life ahead, follow their calling, listen to their hearts and despite knowing they are preferring valour over common (material) sense, take pride in doing so and stand by it, results notwithstanding!
Atleast I, for one, hope that I too continue to possess such courage of conviction and wish that all of us prefer our inner calling to public sentiment or market forces.
I see you, I feel you.. (..the maddening craze and herd-mentality of becoming an MBA)
That is how I know you.. (..the MBA-stricken world)
Go on..(..rambling about the great, plenipotentiary [check the GMAT/CAT vocab docs for the meaning] MBA tag) "
Seriously guys, isn't there any salvation without becoming an MBA?
By the way, may I clarify first up that I have a lot of respect for the qualification itself.
I also understand very well that this degree enables one to rise vertically (to become part of the management) as well as horizontally (across different industries and sectors too).
If you believe I am an MBA-cynic, you couldn't be farther from the truth.
I truly admire the people who successfully (and correctly) identified this (being an MBA) as their field (and qualification), since they knew this was what they were best at, and that this is what they want to do.
What I do not admire, though, is the unending prattle and the mindless following, that exhorts anyone and everyone to go for this degree. This is the sad part. But wait, it ain't over! What I find even more depressing, is that people are falling for it too, ignoring their inner voice. Isn't there something we all want to do?
Allow me to be Yash Chopra here: "He, the Almighty has made something (the field of work, the kind of work that is best suited for us - I'm sure it CANNOT be only MBA for most of us!) for all of us, there's someone (read some field of work) that's made for you...(where you are best at), which you love. Ofcourse, most people compromise and go for something else (read MBA).
Anyone who is anyone, is keen to lap up this tag-wagon!
Has the MBA today, become an acronym for My Biggest Ambition?
If someone does a survey on how many people wanted to do MBA all along, be MBA all along, how many actually are, and even more importantly, how many MBAs are happy with what they have done and achieved - given a choice to turn the clock back, would they like to go for the same course and profile again?, the results would greatly help in gaining an insight about the "success and satisfaction" levels of each of these categories of people.
After all, it is also extremely important to know whether those people who are qualified, 'successful' MBAs, feel empty or insatiated inside, because they might still be yearning to do something they could have done but could not, due to the pressure (be it due to peer pressure or the individual simply not knowing oneself about what he/she wants and can do).
Practically speaking, is MBA among the best-possible qualification one can have in today's times? Ofcourse.
But what about the same, sane word - aptitude?
What about going in for something that you actually don't have an aptitude for (MBA), AT THE COST OF something for which you always had the requisite basic fundamentals and skill sets in place - the talent, the aptitude, and most of all, the interest, the liking, the love - but never understood/appreciated it enough?
All forsaken for the sake of practical, market forces or peer/family pressue.
One of the reasons why I almost worship a guy like Harsha Bhogle is because this guy, after completing his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, always remained steadfast in his focus and dared to chuck all in pursuit oh his inner calling, his true love (in his case, cricket and cricket commentary to be precise). Mind you, he had a cushy job as an IIM-A graduate and most importantly, the time when he gave up that job in preference for cricket commentary, there was no trace of the money, the glamour, and the razmatazz that is now associated with being a cricket commentator.
He had two (enviable??) options being in India - All India Radio and Doordarshan - for, these were the only mediums that used to broadcast cricket matches in India. That he started with AIR, worked with Channel 9 and reaped the benefits of the satellite revolution is another story and I don't want to digress. He was lucky too, in that had the satellite revolution not happened, he might have at best remained a voice or face talking cricket on DD...and who knows, there could be many who tried like him to pursue their love - before or after him - but could not have succeeded. But I hope you would agree, the quality, worth and merit of a person must not be judged by how much success he achieves, but by how much effort he puts in, to achieve it.
After all, if success were the only barometer, it should therefore translate to the 'fact' only the wealithiest and the most powerful (in terms of clout - political or any) are entitled to being quality souls out of more than a billion people in India!
I just hope that we do not continue to chase this fad of becoming an MBA - just to ensconse ourselves with a cosy life, and compromise our inherent abilities and aptitude.
Do go for an MBA by all means, if you think you are meant for it, and it is what you are best at...but please re-assess if you are going for it due to someone else's wishes, or if you think it is a known way of "success" and "achievement" in life.
As my school principal used to say, "It is better to be a first-class cobbler than to be a third-class administrator."
Here's to guys like Harsha, who despite possessing a lucrative degree that guaranteed them a great life ahead, follow their calling, listen to their hearts and despite knowing they are preferring valour over common (material) sense, take pride in doing so and stand by it, results notwithstanding!
Atleast I, for one, hope that I too continue to possess such courage of conviction and wish that all of us prefer our inner calling to public sentiment or market forces.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
On Turning A Bhagat-bhakt
I have just completed reading the 3rd book of Chetan Bhagat - "The 3 Mistakes of My Life" (When I had first come to know of this title for his 3rd book, I was wondering whether the title referred to his 3 books!) but going by the record-breaking popularity of each of his books, the joke doesn't hold water! And it shouldn't either.
I must say, 3 Mistakes made for compelling reading, especially towards the end. More than the story itself, I have been extremely impressed with the way he has described the narrative and unravelled the plot, by using each real-life as well as prominent incident of recent times that no Indian can forget. This helped in not only making his story come to life, but also made each incident depicted in the story very identifiable for the reader.
By the way, his handling of each character and placing them (and their stories) seamlessly in the main plot itself has always been something to watch out for in all his books. I have, in fact, grown so fond of his books now, that I cannot wait for his next book to hit the stores.
It all began with his second book, "One Night at the Call Centre", which I read before this. I found it quite captivating and couldn't wait to lay my hands on his next - The 3 Mistakes. Interestingly, I will only now read his first (and perhaps the most popular and trend-setting) book, Five Point Someone!
Having liked his second and third books, I am sure my admiration for Mr. Bhagat's writing would not be imperiled when I read FPS, which has been his flagship release, so to say!
Happy reading to me then...more on this after I complete the book.
But one thing's for sure - I'm a dedicated Bhagat-bhakt now, and look forward to many more gems from him in future too!
Watch this space for more.
New...Clear?: What's the Big Deal?
Ok, after the news hour debate last night, I pick up the papers first thing in the morning and here they go again....media reports (print and electronic alike) have been flooded with the fallouts of the government's signing or not signing up to this deal. It'd be interesting to know just how many people are actually aware about the merits and demerits of the deal, and how many are just being rats to this Pied Piper.
Atleast I, for one, cannot claim expertise on this subject. However, what I do know, is that one must be able to reconcile the differences of opinion by debating the pros and cons of the deal, instead of threatening to pull the plug from a government that has lived its life on Left(-over) support systems.
Is the Left right, or is it right to be left out? Unfortunately, we have been discussing the wrong problems.
Surely, if national interest is common to both sides, whoever be right, atleast the differences can be sorted out by understanding each other's point of view. When the intent is the same and only the methods/ideology different, you don't issue deadlines and ultimatums. It's like the (in)famous "Either you are with us, or with the terrorists" Bushism. Why can't you be right even if you don't agree with me? And if the intent that forms the basis of taking the respective stances - national interest - is common to both parties, is a disagreement over the means to reach that end, good (rather, bad!) enough to sever ties with each other?
Something is seriously amiss.
My point is that if the goal of India being best served is common - whether it is with or without the deal - then why focus on the fights and not the issue? The developments that have been unfolding have been more about whether SP will support, whether the government will survive, when will the Left finally withdraw support, how will this impact each party in the polls, etc.
Some might argue that we have come too far from the point of discussing about the deal now.
Oh right! But how much ground have we gained by constantly bickering about the now-inevitable divorce between the Congress and the Left, and how worse could it have been if we had stuck to the stand of understanding each other's points and concerns, even if it meant doing it over and over again?? Again, assuming, we had a common national interest - ofcourse, I brought this assumption to your notice for the first time!
Just hope all the brouhaha over the deal is sorted amicably and India's best interests are taken care of, through constructive brainstorming instead of being busy recriminating and creating obituaries for each other.
Amen!
Atleast I, for one, cannot claim expertise on this subject. However, what I do know, is that one must be able to reconcile the differences of opinion by debating the pros and cons of the deal, instead of threatening to pull the plug from a government that has lived its life on Left(-over) support systems.
Is the Left right, or is it right to be left out? Unfortunately, we have been discussing the wrong problems.
Surely, if national interest is common to both sides, whoever be right, atleast the differences can be sorted out by understanding each other's point of view. When the intent is the same and only the methods/ideology different, you don't issue deadlines and ultimatums. It's like the (in)famous "Either you are with us, or with the terrorists" Bushism. Why can't you be right even if you don't agree with me? And if the intent that forms the basis of taking the respective stances - national interest - is common to both parties, is a disagreement over the means to reach that end, good (rather, bad!) enough to sever ties with each other?
Something is seriously amiss.
My point is that if the goal of India being best served is common - whether it is with or without the deal - then why focus on the fights and not the issue? The developments that have been unfolding have been more about whether SP will support, whether the government will survive, when will the Left finally withdraw support, how will this impact each party in the polls, etc.
Some might argue that we have come too far from the point of discussing about the deal now.
Oh right! But how much ground have we gained by constantly bickering about the now-inevitable divorce between the Congress and the Left, and how worse could it have been if we had stuck to the stand of understanding each other's points and concerns, even if it meant doing it over and over again?? Again, assuming, we had a common national interest - ofcourse, I brought this assumption to your notice for the first time!
Just hope all the brouhaha over the deal is sorted amicably and India's best interests are taken care of, through constructive brainstorming instead of being busy recriminating and creating obituaries for each other.
Amen!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Hallo, tasssting, 1-2-3!!!
Hello World!!!
Alright then, gentle ladies and men!
Here I go..my first baby-steps towards blogdom!!
Well, the primary (actually, the only!) purpose of this post is to check how my first blog entry looks like...how it appears (er, in fact, even does it?) once I view it as a user, so that I can try newer things with the template, design/structure etc. if required.
Just want to thank my parents, my wife, my brother, grandparents, everybody in my immediate and extended family - for this historic and momentous moment in my life - my first blog!!!
After all, I am only the zillionth person to have created a blog!
Thankyou, thankyou, thanks a lot!!!!! :-) !!!!
Alright then, gentle ladies and men!
Here I go..my first baby-steps towards blogdom!!
Well, the primary (actually, the only!) purpose of this post is to check how my first blog entry looks like...how it appears (er, in fact, even does it?) once I view it as a user, so that I can try newer things with the template, design/structure etc. if required.
Just want to thank my parents, my wife, my brother, grandparents, everybody in my immediate and extended family - for this historic and momentous moment in my life - my first blog!!!
After all, I am only the zillionth person to have created a blog!
Thankyou, thankyou, thanks a lot!!!!! :-) !!!!
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