Chapter 21
One of the things I wanted to do this year was to add to the book I'd been working on. So, after a gap of 18 months, I wrote a Chapter in the last week of this year. For those of you who know the secret location :) let me know what you think of Ch 21.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
one of the songs i played and sang live. this one is pretty bad towards the end .... not sure if its me or the mike reverb. anyway, the others i sang sound much much worse (if thats even possible)...
abhishek on lead, arun on drums and prashant on bass are great as usual.
ouch ouch ouch... this ones for posterity ....
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
"The Kite Runner"
Read the book in pretty much a single sitting last night. I have to say that the book was sensitive, deeply moving and touchingly expressive, but .... but.... but ... the book is a very very sad tale with little else but tragedy and pain that binds the characters and their fates together. Central to the book is betrayal, and the guilt that follows, lingers, and eventually dissolves into the narrator.
Saddeningly, the book probably does have a lot of truth insofar as it points to the general level of suffering and atrocities that cloud Afghanistan. I guess one can only wonder how terrible things must be in reality on those barren climes and plains.
Was the book unputdownable? ... yes!
Could I have done without reading it? ... yes! The world can be a terrible place, and to be reminded of that in 300+ pages, on every page is needless, at least for me.
Read this book if you have the stomach for it. If not, you are better off being ignorant about the evil that exists in the world.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Strapped up, Plugged!
Played a concert on the evening of 21 Dec. Was a lot of fun.
Played and sang "Yellow", "Wonderwall" and "Summer of 69" ... and also played on "Hotel California".
Its the most fun thing I've ever done at the workplace or at any workplace organized event.
Watch this space for videos.
Played a concert on the evening of 21 Dec. Was a lot of fun.
Played and sang "Yellow", "Wonderwall" and "Summer of 69" ... and also played on "Hotel California".
Its the most fun thing I've ever done at the workplace or at any workplace organized event.
Watch this space for videos.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Black-Scholes Revisited
Came across this rather interesting paragraph from an essay in the TechnologyReview. You can read the full article here (requires registration)
Although I had learnt the Black-Scholes formula for option pricing somewhere in finance, I had no idea that the experssion for volatility had demonstrated properties of Brownian movement!!
I guess research must already exist that pares off Chaos Theory against the behaviour of financial markets.
...............................................
Came across this rather interesting paragraph from an essay in the TechnologyReview. You can read the full article here (requires registration)
Although I had learnt the Black-Scholes formula for option pricing somewhere in finance, I had no idea that the experssion for volatility had demonstrated properties of Brownian movement!!
I guess research must already exist that pares off Chaos Theory against the behaviour of financial markets.
...............................................
Though derivatives were simpler once, they were never very simple. The breakthrough in the valuation of derivatives in general, and options in particular, was the model and formula know as Black-Scholes, first proposed by Fischer Black and Myron Scholes in the 1970s and formalized by Robert Merton in 1973. (Merton, like so many of the best quants, came not out of Wall Street but out of academia, earning a PhD in economics from MIT in 1970.)
In quantitative finance, the formal expression of Black-Scholes by Robert Merton is so important that everything that followed has been called a "footnote." The Black-Scholes model assumes that a stock's price changes partly for predictable reasons and partly because of random events; the random element is called the stock's "volatility." The idea can be represented mathematically by a simple equation:
St is the value of the stock, and dSt is the change in stock price. The symbol µStdt represents the stock's predictable change and 
its volatility. (View the results of Black-Scholes model using this interactive calculator.) That final, kabbalistic combination of letters, dWt, is the mathematical expression for randomness, known as either Brownian motion or the Wiener process. (Chemically, Brownian motion is the random movement of particles in solution, identified by the botanist Robert Brown in 1828 and mathematically described by the great MIT mathematician Norbert Wiener. Black-Scholes shares some qualities with heat and diffusion equations, which describe everyday events like the flow of heat and the dispersion of populations. That some physical processes seem relevant to finance has inspired all kinds of far-out work, such as efforts to bend general relativity to a theory of finance.) Black-Scholes prices an option according to the amount of randomness in a stock's price; the greater the randomness, the higher the stock could climb, and thus the more expensive the option.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
IT Refunds, People, Salaries & Humility
A few months ago, I visited the Income Tax office at Bellary Road, more than halfway across town, to respond to an erroneous notification that I'd received. It was an afternoon, and I was surprised by the sparse population of visitors such as myself. Very unlike India, I thought.
I was directed to a lady, who acknowledged the problem and reviewed my rectification request. I submitted the same, and forgot all about it, especially since I didn't hear from the office ... I assumed that they'd botched things up as usual.
In the meantime, on a completely separate issue, I received a refund that was long pending. This time, the refund order named a bank account number from 2003 which I closed earlier this year. Naturally the refund cheque was now useless. I finally made up my mind to go down to the office again and take a chance at having this rectified. It'd also give me a chance to ask about the first problem.
I drove down there, and went up to the 4th floor. I usually seem to have a decent pictorial memory, but thankfully, this time I also remembered the name of the lady I'd met. I scanned the office, and recalled her approximate location. Looking for a somewhat familiar face, I walked up to her and said "Ms.Radhika?" She smiled in acknowledgement. I said that I'd come by a few months ago regarding something .... before I could finish, and without batting an eyelid, she remembered who I was, and said that the first problem had already been rectified, and that she had verified it the day after I had visited the office. I was just amazed.... I kept asking "Do you remember me, do you remember what I came for". She kept answering, "Yes" with a smile. I even repeated my PAN# a few times ... hoping that she'd feel the need to check, but she simply assured me that it was taken care of. Sensing my distrust, she simply restated the problem and said that it had already been rectified. I was just flummoxed.
With regard to the second problem, she directed me to the concerned Assessing Officer. I went in, armed with the refund order, and a letter, expecting to go through another rectification request and oblivion. The Officer was a kind old man, who asked most politely for a photo ID, and was very hospitable ... so distant from the kinds you usually meet in the other State offices. One polite conversation and a few minutes later, the rectification was complete and I was good to go.
I guess theres a lot that can be said against the system and its flagrant inadequacies, but it does seem to have a smattering of good people. I was just so fortunate to meet two of them on the same day. Say what you will, educated Indians tend to be really sharp, and thats that!
Trust me on this one or observe for yourself. Young Indians in the non-IT segments of society, at least in Bangalore, and *on*average* still seem to have a sense of humility which is completely missing from those sitting in front computers on their fat wallets and staring the livelong day at Orkut or whatever crap social networking site there is out there. All you need to do is talk to someone in healthcare, banking or services for a minute and you will see what I'm saying. Unfortunately the lot keying in code or hitting refresh on their Outlook windows simply doesn't understand that their pride is based on little more than chance and currency conversion, and that in due course as oil climbs, the rupee weakens they will be hit hard by realities.
Humililty is a great bedrock from where one can develop the perspicacity to think, evolve and act. Unfortnately, it is fast becoming a scarce commodity among the overpaid twenty something engineering grads in the IT industry. A problem further compounded by a lack of understanding and appreciation of the lives of those who don't have the benefit of Alt-Tab keys. You only have to observe the way these idiots speak to local waiters in restaurants to know what I'm saying.
This disparity, where a double PhD holding rocket scientist at the Indian Space Research Organization gets paid less than a fresh grad who joins an IT MNC will be addressed at some point by global forces and market economies. It simply will ... this bubble is going to go away, and there's nothing anyone can do about that. If you don't believe me, read any basic economics and watch what the Central Bank has done in the last 18 months. Already, companies like Trilogy which wanted to pay a US salary in India are having to shut entire groups faster than you can say Lord of the Rings.
When we go back to paying what people deserve the wheat for sure will be separated from the chaff.
Something for all of us in IT to think about ... humbly.
On a lighter note, I am reminded of a friend of mine who is was being patient with the demands of a fresh grad he'd hired. This rookie went on about his salary, what someone else was making, that he wanted a better set of headphones, a faster computer, how he didn't want my friend to follow up on him, etc etc. When challenged he retorted that he was a "knowledge worker", and that he needed this environment to deliver. My friend simply asked him a few questions about the knowledge area that this rookie was supposed to be working in. Expectedly, there was no response. My friend simply said "Don't call yourself a Knowledge Worker anymore. I know that you have no knowledge".
A few months ago, I visited the Income Tax office at Bellary Road, more than halfway across town, to respond to an erroneous notification that I'd received. It was an afternoon, and I was surprised by the sparse population of visitors such as myself. Very unlike India, I thought.
I was directed to a lady, who acknowledged the problem and reviewed my rectification request. I submitted the same, and forgot all about it, especially since I didn't hear from the office ... I assumed that they'd botched things up as usual.
In the meantime, on a completely separate issue, I received a refund that was long pending. This time, the refund order named a bank account number from 2003 which I closed earlier this year. Naturally the refund cheque was now useless. I finally made up my mind to go down to the office again and take a chance at having this rectified. It'd also give me a chance to ask about the first problem.
I drove down there, and went up to the 4th floor. I usually seem to have a decent pictorial memory, but thankfully, this time I also remembered the name of the lady I'd met. I scanned the office, and recalled her approximate location. Looking for a somewhat familiar face, I walked up to her and said "Ms.Radhika?" She smiled in acknowledgement. I said that I'd come by a few months ago regarding something .... before I could finish, and without batting an eyelid, she remembered who I was, and said that the first problem had already been rectified, and that she had verified it the day after I had visited the office. I was just amazed.... I kept asking "Do you remember me, do you remember what I came for". She kept answering, "Yes" with a smile. I even repeated my PAN# a few times ... hoping that she'd feel the need to check, but she simply assured me that it was taken care of. Sensing my distrust, she simply restated the problem and said that it had already been rectified. I was just flummoxed.
With regard to the second problem, she directed me to the concerned Assessing Officer. I went in, armed with the refund order, and a letter, expecting to go through another rectification request and oblivion. The Officer was a kind old man, who asked most politely for a photo ID, and was very hospitable ... so distant from the kinds you usually meet in the other State offices. One polite conversation and a few minutes later, the rectification was complete and I was good to go.
I guess theres a lot that can be said against the system and its flagrant inadequacies, but it does seem to have a smattering of good people. I was just so fortunate to meet two of them on the same day. Say what you will, educated Indians tend to be really sharp, and thats that!
Trust me on this one or observe for yourself. Young Indians in the non-IT segments of society, at least in Bangalore, and *on*average* still seem to have a sense of humility which is completely missing from those sitting in front computers on their fat wallets and staring the livelong day at Orkut or whatever crap social networking site there is out there. All you need to do is talk to someone in healthcare, banking or services for a minute and you will see what I'm saying. Unfortunately the lot keying in code or hitting refresh on their Outlook windows simply doesn't understand that their pride is based on little more than chance and currency conversion, and that in due course as oil climbs, the rupee weakens they will be hit hard by realities.
Humililty is a great bedrock from where one can develop the perspicacity to think, evolve and act. Unfortnately, it is fast becoming a scarce commodity among the overpaid twenty something engineering grads in the IT industry. A problem further compounded by a lack of understanding and appreciation of the lives of those who don't have the benefit of Alt-Tab keys. You only have to observe the way these idiots speak to local waiters in restaurants to know what I'm saying.
This disparity, where a double PhD holding rocket scientist at the Indian Space Research Organization gets paid less than a fresh grad who joins an IT MNC will be addressed at some point by global forces and market economies. It simply will ... this bubble is going to go away, and there's nothing anyone can do about that. If you don't believe me, read any basic economics and watch what the Central Bank has done in the last 18 months. Already, companies like Trilogy which wanted to pay a US salary in India are having to shut entire groups faster than you can say Lord of the Rings.
When we go back to paying what people deserve the wheat for sure will be separated from the chaff.
Something for all of us in IT to think about ... humbly.
On a lighter note, I am reminded of a friend of mine who is was being patient with the demands of a fresh grad he'd hired. This rookie went on about his salary, what someone else was making, that he wanted a better set of headphones, a faster computer, how he didn't want my friend to follow up on him, etc etc. When challenged he retorted that he was a "knowledge worker", and that he needed this environment to deliver. My friend simply asked him a few questions about the knowledge area that this rookie was supposed to be working in. Expectedly, there was no response. My friend simply said "Don't call yourself a Knowledge Worker anymore. I know that you have no knowledge".
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Wonderwall
One of my favourite songs... and probably long overdue. First heard it while walking through a subway station in London's underground. Was walking out of a train, through a tunnel, and approaching a T-junction, when someone began playing the song at the junction. It was a street performer. The song continued for most of my walk out of the tunnel, and I was mesmerized. It was the first time I'd heard it. When I asked around and listened to the original, I was disappointed. The street performer's rendition had far eclipsed the original.
Here's my effort. Hope you like it.
One of my favourite songs... and probably long overdue. First heard it while walking through a subway station in London's underground. Was walking out of a train, through a tunnel, and approaching a T-junction, when someone began playing the song at the junction. It was a street performer. The song continued for most of my walk out of the tunnel, and I was mesmerized. It was the first time I'd heard it. When I asked around and listened to the original, I was disappointed. The street performer's rendition had far eclipsed the original.
Here's my effort. Hope you like it.
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Tuesday, December 04, 2007
A time for old friends
Went to Rangashankara after a while with an old friend. The play was in kannada and called "Heegaadare Hege". The title (translated to "what if it were like this") was promising, but the play itself turned out to be disappointing. We were left wondering if the person who played the wife in the play was a woman or not!!
Anyway, this lady friend of mine (who now lives in the US) was apalled by the sights outside Rangashankara. Things don't seem to change ever. As we left after the play, like Siddhartha, we saw some terrible sights. An old man aligning with the breeze as he eradicated the liquid refuse from his corporal self by the convenience offered the side of the road (after he'd finished watching the play, of course)... someone honking while i waited at a red signal ... etc etc. All very funny indeed ... "this is simply not on" was her refrain, and I chuckled to myself. What can one do, indeed? I still don't understand how someone would spend money to watch a play, and then use their bladder to create art on the street just outside.
Anyway, everything else aside the great thing about meeting 0ld friends is that you can live off the memory of what you were when they knew you. You can tip a bottle of water onto their noses and be called "juvenile" (I don't think I've been called that in a very long time) and you can also count the milestones or bemoan the lack of them over a meal.
Anyway, this seems like a good time for meeting old friends. Meeting G and N for lunch tomorrow... should be a lot of fun.
Also, congrats to another old friend, S (hip_prudster) for defending her thesis and getting over the line with her PhD. I don't know how I'm going to make fun of you anymore if I have to call you "doctor".
Went to Rangashankara after a while with an old friend. The play was in kannada and called "Heegaadare Hege". The title (translated to "what if it were like this") was promising, but the play itself turned out to be disappointing. We were left wondering if the person who played the wife in the play was a woman or not!!
Anyway, this lady friend of mine (who now lives in the US) was apalled by the sights outside Rangashankara. Things don't seem to change ever. As we left after the play, like Siddhartha, we saw some terrible sights. An old man aligning with the breeze as he eradicated the liquid refuse from his corporal self by the convenience offered the side of the road (after he'd finished watching the play, of course)... someone honking while i waited at a red signal ... etc etc. All very funny indeed ... "this is simply not on" was her refrain, and I chuckled to myself. What can one do, indeed? I still don't understand how someone would spend money to watch a play, and then use their bladder to create art on the street just outside.
Anyway, everything else aside the great thing about meeting 0ld friends is that you can live off the memory of what you were when they knew you. You can tip a bottle of water onto their noses and be called "juvenile" (I don't think I've been called that in a very long time) and you can also count the milestones or bemoan the lack of them over a meal.
Anyway, this seems like a good time for meeting old friends. Meeting G and N for lunch tomorrow... should be a lot of fun.
Also, congrats to another old friend, S (hip_prudster) for defending her thesis and getting over the line with her PhD. I don't know how I'm going to make fun of you anymore if I have to call you "doctor".
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Paulo Coelho Blog - Warrior of the light
I once sent Paulo Coelho a poem I wrote. The poem may have reflected his beliefs somewhat, especially since I am, to some extent a fatalist.... well, at least most of the time. Naturally, I did not expect to hear from him and I was pretty sure it would end up in his junk folder.
It therefore came as a great surprise when I received a reply a month or so later. The reply came from Paulo himself, and it wasn't a generic response. He had a few nice things to say about it and he thanked me. From his lines it was apparent that he had read what I sent him, and that it wasn't a computer generated response. I was elated. For several years before and since, I have read his journal, which is quite a collection of nuggets.
I may not like all his books, but his journal is quite wonderful. I receive an email digest, but it is also available online. This particular entry was really quite nice to read.
I once sent Paulo Coelho a poem I wrote. The poem may have reflected his beliefs somewhat, especially since I am, to some extent a fatalist.... well, at least most of the time. Naturally, I did not expect to hear from him and I was pretty sure it would end up in his junk folder.
It therefore came as a great surprise when I received a reply a month or so later. The reply came from Paulo himself, and it wasn't a generic response. He had a few nice things to say about it and he thanked me. From his lines it was apparent that he had read what I sent him, and that it wasn't a computer generated response. I was elated. For several years before and since, I have read his journal, which is quite a collection of nuggets.
I may not like all his books, but his journal is quite wonderful. I receive an email digest, but it is also available online. This particular entry was really quite nice to read.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
This is a pretty readable book. What Dan Brown lacks in elegance, he more than makes up in creating curiosity with his formulaic placement of chapters that carry independent story threads forward. Also, the fact that he writes about interesting things like symbology and secret societies sure gets you turning those pages.
I sometimes wonder why no Indian has written a book that laced together the cornucopia of symbology and secret subcultures that have existed in conjunction with magic and spirituality through the ages in this country. Even a book like "A Search in Secret India" which was journalistic at best, was brilliant without trying to be a thriller or a page turner. Huge potential.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
As time passes ...
In the past few days .....
I met an old friend and well wisher, and probably the most accomplished person I know who now runs a research program in the UK with 19 PhDs and Post-Doc students. She asked me what I was doing these days and among other things, why I wasn't trying to leave India as I once was keen to.
Among other things, encountered the following question among a set of password-security questions on a trading site that really made me smile ... "Where did you go on your first date?"
I found that Bangalore is getting so cold I can actually feel my lungs feel the chilly air as I go running in the evenings.
I discovered that another friend had an revelation of sorts, when he told me that marriage is all about making it work above all else.
I learnt about Illuminati ambigrams from reading a Dan Brown book, 'Angels and Demons'. Figured Vatican City would be nice to visit someday.
Was sick to my stomach from watching Bollywood folks promote their films relentlessly, and especially so since they now use News and Business channels on TV for the same.
Watched as an innocent, oblivious, unsuspecting, unarmed guy walking on a village street in Nandigram get shot in the chest by a police sniper. The victim falls to the floor and dies instantly. The footage was released on a TV channel .... what was the cameraman doing? Trying to hold the camera still? "Making news" at all cost... life will always come second in a country of over 1 billion people.
India found its latest and probably its most deserving Test Captain in Anil Kumble
Watched as George Bush attempted to make up his mind about the lesser evil in Pakistan.
Learnt to play the guitar riff for "Come As you Are" by Nirvana. Kurt was pure genius.
Was told to count my blessings.
In the past few days .....
I met an old friend and well wisher, and probably the most accomplished person I know who now runs a research program in the UK with 19 PhDs and Post-Doc students. She asked me what I was doing these days and among other things, why I wasn't trying to leave India as I once was keen to.
Among other things, encountered the following question among a set of password-security questions on a trading site that really made me smile ... "Where did you go on your first date?"
I found that Bangalore is getting so cold I can actually feel my lungs feel the chilly air as I go running in the evenings.
I discovered that another friend had an revelation of sorts, when he told me that marriage is all about making it work above all else.
I learnt about Illuminati ambigrams from reading a Dan Brown book, 'Angels and Demons'. Figured Vatican City would be nice to visit someday.
Was sick to my stomach from watching Bollywood folks promote their films relentlessly, and especially so since they now use News and Business channels on TV for the same.
Watched as an innocent, oblivious, unsuspecting, unarmed guy walking on a village street in Nandigram get shot in the chest by a police sniper. The victim falls to the floor and dies instantly. The footage was released on a TV channel .... what was the cameraman doing? Trying to hold the camera still? "Making news" at all cost... life will always come second in a country of over 1 billion people.
India found its latest and probably its most deserving Test Captain in Anil Kumble
Watched as George Bush attempted to make up his mind about the lesser evil in Pakistan.
Learnt to play the guitar riff for "Come As you Are" by Nirvana. Kurt was pure genius.
Was told to count my blessings.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Paths unwind, and I recollect these lines from one of my favourite songs ...
"You've gone a million miles
How far'd your get?
That place that you can't remember,
And you can't forget"
~ "Secret Garden", Bruce Springsteen (Jerry Maguire)
Somewhat poignantly, this marks my 100th post on this blog. It has approximately been a year since I created it. What started as a simple means to keep in touch with old friends slowly turned into a space that kept in touch with me.
Thank you all for keeping me going with your encouragement ... I used tracking on this blog for professional reasons (I had to evaluate and learn about tracking software) .... but now, a glance at the report tells me that there were approximately 2,400 visits and 5,300 page views in the last year. Wow!
Thank you again for your delightful comments.... New Anonymous, Old Anonymous, and all those other anonymous and non-anonymous entities who left your footprints in the sand. Ephemeral they might seem, but footprints nevertheless.
Take care & God Bless.
"You've gone a million miles
How far'd your get?
That place that you can't remember,
And you can't forget"
~ "Secret Garden", Bruce Springsteen (Jerry Maguire)
Somewhat poignantly, this marks my 100th post on this blog. It has approximately been a year since I created it. What started as a simple means to keep in touch with old friends slowly turned into a space that kept in touch with me.
Thank you all for keeping me going with your encouragement ... I used tracking on this blog for professional reasons (I had to evaluate and learn about tracking software) .... but now, a glance at the report tells me that there were approximately 2,400 visits and 5,300 page views in the last year. Wow!
Thank you again for your delightful comments.... New Anonymous, Old Anonymous, and all those other anonymous and non-anonymous entities who left your footprints in the sand. Ephemeral they might seem, but footprints nevertheless.
Take care & God Bless.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Ngorongoro
I've always been something of a nature buff. As nature 'life cradles' go, few places are a better example than a crater in Tanzania. Ngorongoro. I first came across it in a NatGeo documentary, and I was amazed at what I saw. This crater, carved by a large volcano that exploded upon itself, creates something of a cradle of life. Many species never leave the crater and have evolved over generations. The pictures of Ngorongoro are amongst the most spectacular, as Ngorongoro is witness to dry spells interspersed with rainfall. Eons of life progressing on auto pilot in a contained area.
Have a look ...
I've always been something of a nature buff. As nature 'life cradles' go, few places are a better example than a crater in Tanzania. Ngorongoro. I first came across it in a NatGeo documentary, and I was amazed at what I saw. This crater, carved by a large volcano that exploded upon itself, creates something of a cradle of life. Many species never leave the crater and have evolved over generations. The pictures of Ngorongoro are amongst the most spectacular, as Ngorongoro is witness to dry spells interspersed with rainfall. Eons of life progressing on auto pilot in a contained area.
Have a look ...
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Khamaj
Love this song by Fuzon..... I think its in urdu, and it calls for some training and 'riyaz' before one can attempt it ... I lack all of that, but what the hell, I love the song so here it is.
Love this song by Fuzon..... I think its in urdu, and it calls for some training and 'riyaz' before one can attempt it ... I lack all of that, but what the hell, I love the song so here it is.
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Raincoat
No, this is not about the movie.....let's just say this is inspired by a memory that came running out of the labyrinth, to answer the call of a sight or smell, or indeed of another memory ....that is hardly the point. So let's move on.
I was in high school, maybe 14 or thereabouts. It was one of those rainy days back in the 90s when the city, or at least my pristine suburb felt so great. I'd wake up to the sound of raindrops tapping away at the earth, the trees and on the roof of our house. I used to love this particular change in the weather, for a few reasons. For one, everything looked different, and I could play longer without everyone getting tired. Also, in many ways, the entire place seemed cleaned up, somehow after the water ran all over the streets.
Anyway on days like these, I'd wake up, enjoy the chill outside, the warmth of my blanket and having done all of my morning chores, I'd head to the front door, wheeling my bicycle out. My bicycle was this really cool silver "BSA Mach -1" which was the lightest, fastest racing cycle available back then, purchased for the princely sum of Rs. 875.
A boy's first bicycle is probably his first serious prized possession and it was no different for me. And then I'd put on my raincoat. It was pretty incredible as an innovation I thought, silly as it may seem. Not that it was clever, but because it allowed you to do all the things you liked to do in an environment you liked to do them in. I could ride my bike as fast as anything, and I could do it despite the fact that it rained so hard I could hardly hear myself think.
When I reached school and took my raincoat off, I'd look at it with satisfaction. Not because I was especially fond of the plastic green thing with huge buttons, but because it always reminded me of the rain. Everyone had a smile plastered to their faces, thinking, "Wow, its raining and we all made it"!
On rainy days like these, everyone would be different. The teacher spoke more softly, everyone in class was a little quieter, listening intently to the clouds, somewhat amazed by the loud rain, the spray, the wind ... it seemed we were in the middle of an enchanting spell.
Faced with somewhat complex emotions these days, I somehow revived the memory of my green raincoat, and the security it inspired.
When I put it on, I was alright, and I willed the rain to come down even harder.
No, this is not about the movie.....let's just say this is inspired by a memory that came running out of the labyrinth, to answer the call of a sight or smell, or indeed of another memory ....that is hardly the point. So let's move on.
I was in high school, maybe 14 or thereabouts. It was one of those rainy days back in the 90s when the city, or at least my pristine suburb felt so great. I'd wake up to the sound of raindrops tapping away at the earth, the trees and on the roof of our house. I used to love this particular change in the weather, for a few reasons. For one, everything looked different, and I could play longer without everyone getting tired. Also, in many ways, the entire place seemed cleaned up, somehow after the water ran all over the streets.
Anyway on days like these, I'd wake up, enjoy the chill outside, the warmth of my blanket and having done all of my morning chores, I'd head to the front door, wheeling my bicycle out. My bicycle was this really cool silver "BSA Mach -1" which was the lightest, fastest racing cycle available back then, purchased for the princely sum of Rs. 875.
A boy's first bicycle is probably his first serious prized possession and it was no different for me. And then I'd put on my raincoat. It was pretty incredible as an innovation I thought, silly as it may seem. Not that it was clever, but because it allowed you to do all the things you liked to do in an environment you liked to do them in. I could ride my bike as fast as anything, and I could do it despite the fact that it rained so hard I could hardly hear myself think.
When I reached school and took my raincoat off, I'd look at it with satisfaction. Not because I was especially fond of the plastic green thing with huge buttons, but because it always reminded me of the rain. Everyone had a smile plastered to their faces, thinking, "Wow, its raining and we all made it"!
On rainy days like these, everyone would be different. The teacher spoke more softly, everyone in class was a little quieter, listening intently to the clouds, somewhat amazed by the loud rain, the spray, the wind ... it seemed we were in the middle of an enchanting spell.
Faced with somewhat complex emotions these days, I somehow revived the memory of my green raincoat, and the security it inspired.
When I put it on, I was alright, and I willed the rain to come down even harder.
Friday, October 26, 2007
I admit I don't watch too many reality shows or contests on TV. Browsing channels sometime last week, I happened to watch Amanat Ali sing "Tujhse Naraaz Nahin Zindagi". It was a brilliant performance to say the least.
I discovered that this was quite a nice story .... Amanat Ali is a Pakistani who entered an Indian singing show and finished third. Since the show was based on sms voting, most people say that the size of the population worked against him somewhat, since he was pretty much the best singer by a mile.
But it's a nice story nevertheless. He may not have won, but the fact that he got as far as he did says something.
This performance is his rendition of "Khamaj" a super-hit from the Pakistani band Fuzon. It's from their first album. I bought the album a long time ago and this was my favourite song.
Amanat sings this slightly differently from Fuzon, and brings a great story-telling quality to the song with his poignant, deliberate rendition. A must watch!
It doesn't hurt that this clip also has Diya Mirza watching, looking as beautiful as ever ... overwhelmed and everything at the power of the song :-)
I discovered that this was quite a nice story .... Amanat Ali is a Pakistani who entered an Indian singing show and finished third. Since the show was based on sms voting, most people say that the size of the population worked against him somewhat, since he was pretty much the best singer by a mile.
But it's a nice story nevertheless. He may not have won, but the fact that he got as far as he did says something.
This performance is his rendition of "Khamaj" a super-hit from the Pakistani band Fuzon. It's from their first album. I bought the album a long time ago and this was my favourite song.
Amanat sings this slightly differently from Fuzon, and brings a great story-telling quality to the song with his poignant, deliberate rendition. A must watch!
It doesn't hurt that this clip also has Diya Mirza watching, looking as beautiful as ever ... overwhelmed and everything at the power of the song :-)
Friday, October 19, 2007
Of P-Notes, Bulls, Bears and Clueless Experts on TV
I began investing actively in the monsoons of 2003. Not just to make extra money, but also because I was fascinated by the entire science of investing. Investing called for recognising patterns, maximising equations, understanding how "value" changed under the hood, and finally ... for the ability to see the big picture. I have a preference for seeing the "big picture" as you might have gleaned.
Armed with some theoretical financial knowledge based on my newly acquired shiny MBA and after consuming all available public research on the performance of mutual funds and equities, I set out to do my share of informed and intelligent investing.
Since 2003, I have witnessed two market meltdowns, and a fairly consistent bull run. Given that we seem to be now witnessing a fairly decent sized crash, its time to put some thoughts together to help anyone who may be rolling up their sleeves to roll the dice. I'll keep this post short and come back to it from time to time. As you can imagine, investing is an ocean by itself, but I really want to take the time to state my most compelling learnings. The stuff that you can learn when you go beyond the books that you can buy.
1. Prices and "Market Efficiency"
Generally speaking, the basic methods to calculate the value of equities are fairly well defined and agreed upon. What does this mean? This means that given the same amount of information about a company, everyone with access to that information must agree upon the value of a share. They should use the same set of tools and therefore arrive at the same number. This phenomenon of agreement is rather elegantly called "Market Efficiency".
What does this mean?
News about the world, a country and a company is usually public information. If there is good or bad news , everyone goes back to the computer, crunches the set of available numbers and then discovers that the last calculated "real value" has changed, creating an arbitrage opportunity exists. Simply put, this means that there is a difference between "current value" and "real" value. Market participants now quickly buy or sell as the case may be, hoping to make money till such time that "current value" == "real value".
All that I have stated so far is the stuff that books will teach you. This is also basically what "experts" and "analysts" on TV base their comments on. More often than not, and not surprisingly, it is usually foreign analysts and fund managers who apply these methods based on PE values and state that the stock index is at "fair" value at a certain level.
For the first few months of my investing life, I tracked these crunched reports and listened carefully to well articulated arguments about what should be fair value. Over time, I learnt never take the guy on TV too seriously.
Why?
Because they are squarely wrong when it comes to the times when you really lose money or gain money.
Secondly the quality of finance journalists in India is far from professional. Admittedly, the electronic media in the finance space is relatively new. Anchors were hired initially to field calls from common people to relay the question to experts, but over time, they have graduated to believing that they are skilled analysts. Gosh, the grander the illusion, the faster they believe.
CNBC anchors are actually happy or sad depending on the current value of the sensex. This is astonishing to say the least!!! How can a finance news anchor be attached to prices going up??? This is nothing but irrational. If something kept going up unnaturally, any person would question it, rather than jump for joy and wear "15K" or "18K" T shirts and then dance behind a similarly labeled placard. Seriously, a much awarded journalist on CNBC has done just that on numerous occasions. Not just unprofessional, but also stupid.
If you discount the news anchor as a necessary and silly reality, you now begin to wonder why the erudite analyst is getting it wrong so often? Is there no Market Efficiency? Why is he missing the mark so routinely?
Why?
Great rhetorical question :-)
Cos markets are like weather systems in some ways. Acting on cause and effect, but the cause and effect of a very very large number of factors which are beyond the comprehension of a group of people. In time, factors become recognized .... like the Govt agents making well timed announcements, or long existing loopholes suddenly coming into focus, or large amounts of money changing course and entering an emerging economy, etc. Not really the butterfly flapping its wings causing a storm at the other end of the planet, but definitely something similar.
Take the P-Note situation which caused the latest fall? Apparently as of today, 51% of FII money comes in through P-Notes.
Whats a P-Note? A SEBI registered FII, turns around in his country and asks someone if they want to invest in India without registering with the Govt agency. The foreigner says "YES" and begins to pump money into the FII. Liquidity increases, stock prices go up, and people make money. The Govt waits till we are at dizzying heights before realising that most money coming in is dirty and decides to clamp down.
Note that the P-Note mechanism was always prone to this risk. Why is the Govt reacting so late? Is this just a case of solving the problem now, when it is bigger? Should they have waited till the elections were over? Could they have waited no longer? How dirty was the money?
Anyway, the point is, as an individual investor, relying on public information, you can never be sure of making money in the next 6-18 months. Trust me, I know this from experience. A very successful man once said to me "Invest in the stock market the amount of money you are prepared to lose". This came from a very successful man who built and sold a few companies in his lifetime, and maintained most of his winnings in the stock market. Of course he didn't mean stay out. He meant invest only what you are prepared to lose in the short term.
There is something to be said for analysis, all said and done. Everyone agrees that India is the place to invest in for all the right reasons. So you should. Invest what you are prepared to lose, but invest.
Before I sign off, I have to recollect what two celebrated agencies Citibank and Credit Suisse said an year ago. They said the fair value of the Indian equity market is with the sensex at 8K. This was less than an year ago. The sensex has at 19K last week. So much for market efficiency.
So what is my prescription. Become better at reading the weather. Understand the seasons, but always account for the odd tsunami. Also, know that the longer you study the weather, the better you will get at it. And finally, buy insurance if you live near the ocean.
I began investing actively in the monsoons of 2003. Not just to make extra money, but also because I was fascinated by the entire science of investing. Investing called for recognising patterns, maximising equations, understanding how "value" changed under the hood, and finally ... for the ability to see the big picture. I have a preference for seeing the "big picture" as you might have gleaned.
Armed with some theoretical financial knowledge based on my newly acquired shiny MBA and after consuming all available public research on the performance of mutual funds and equities, I set out to do my share of informed and intelligent investing.
Since 2003, I have witnessed two market meltdowns, and a fairly consistent bull run. Given that we seem to be now witnessing a fairly decent sized crash, its time to put some thoughts together to help anyone who may be rolling up their sleeves to roll the dice. I'll keep this post short and come back to it from time to time. As you can imagine, investing is an ocean by itself, but I really want to take the time to state my most compelling learnings. The stuff that you can learn when you go beyond the books that you can buy.
1. Prices and "Market Efficiency"
Generally speaking, the basic methods to calculate the value of equities are fairly well defined and agreed upon. What does this mean? This means that given the same amount of information about a company, everyone with access to that information must agree upon the value of a share. They should use the same set of tools and therefore arrive at the same number. This phenomenon of agreement is rather elegantly called "Market Efficiency".
What does this mean?
News about the world, a country and a company is usually public information. If there is good or bad news , everyone goes back to the computer, crunches the set of available numbers and then discovers that the last calculated "real value" has changed, creating an arbitrage opportunity exists. Simply put, this means that there is a difference between "current value" and "real" value. Market participants now quickly buy or sell as the case may be, hoping to make money till such time that "current value" == "real value".
All that I have stated so far is the stuff that books will teach you. This is also basically what "experts" and "analysts" on TV base their comments on. More often than not, and not surprisingly, it is usually foreign analysts and fund managers who apply these methods based on PE values and state that the stock index is at "fair" value at a certain level.
For the first few months of my investing life, I tracked these crunched reports and listened carefully to well articulated arguments about what should be fair value. Over time, I learnt never take the guy on TV too seriously.
Why?
Because they are squarely wrong when it comes to the times when you really lose money or gain money.
Secondly the quality of finance journalists in India is far from professional. Admittedly, the electronic media in the finance space is relatively new. Anchors were hired initially to field calls from common people to relay the question to experts, but over time, they have graduated to believing that they are skilled analysts. Gosh, the grander the illusion, the faster they believe.
CNBC anchors are actually happy or sad depending on the current value of the sensex. This is astonishing to say the least!!! How can a finance news anchor be attached to prices going up??? This is nothing but irrational. If something kept going up unnaturally, any person would question it, rather than jump for joy and wear "15K" or "18K" T shirts and then dance behind a similarly labeled placard. Seriously, a much awarded journalist on CNBC has done just that on numerous occasions. Not just unprofessional, but also stupid.
If you discount the news anchor as a necessary and silly reality, you now begin to wonder why the erudite analyst is getting it wrong so often? Is there no Market Efficiency? Why is he missing the mark so routinely?
Why?
Great rhetorical question :-)
Cos markets are like weather systems in some ways. Acting on cause and effect, but the cause and effect of a very very large number of factors which are beyond the comprehension of a group of people. In time, factors become recognized .... like the Govt agents making well timed announcements, or long existing loopholes suddenly coming into focus, or large amounts of money changing course and entering an emerging economy, etc. Not really the butterfly flapping its wings causing a storm at the other end of the planet, but definitely something similar.
Take the P-Note situation which caused the latest fall? Apparently as of today, 51% of FII money comes in through P-Notes.
Whats a P-Note? A SEBI registered FII, turns around in his country and asks someone if they want to invest in India without registering with the Govt agency. The foreigner says "YES" and begins to pump money into the FII. Liquidity increases, stock prices go up, and people make money. The Govt waits till we are at dizzying heights before realising that most money coming in is dirty and decides to clamp down.
Note that the P-Note mechanism was always prone to this risk. Why is the Govt reacting so late? Is this just a case of solving the problem now, when it is bigger? Should they have waited till the elections were over? Could they have waited no longer? How dirty was the money?
Anyway, the point is, as an individual investor, relying on public information, you can never be sure of making money in the next 6-18 months. Trust me, I know this from experience. A very successful man once said to me "Invest in the stock market the amount of money you are prepared to lose". This came from a very successful man who built and sold a few companies in his lifetime, and maintained most of his winnings in the stock market. Of course he didn't mean stay out. He meant invest only what you are prepared to lose in the short term.
There is something to be said for analysis, all said and done. Everyone agrees that India is the place to invest in for all the right reasons. So you should. Invest what you are prepared to lose, but invest.
Before I sign off, I have to recollect what two celebrated agencies Citibank and Credit Suisse said an year ago. They said the fair value of the Indian equity market is with the sensex at 8K. This was less than an year ago. The sensex has at 19K last week. So much for market efficiency.
So what is my prescription. Become better at reading the weather. Understand the seasons, but always account for the odd tsunami. Also, know that the longer you study the weather, the better you will get at it. And finally, buy insurance if you live near the ocean.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Thursday, October 04, 2007
The Bourne Syndrome
Watched "The Bourne Ultimatum" last week. I'm a huge fan of the book trilogy, so I guess its hard to comment on the movie in isolation.
"The Bourne Identity" was probably the first big novel I remember reading. Even back then, it had a great impact on me. When I watched the movie (Identity) a couple of years ago, I relived the book and remembered how brilliant the idea for the character was.
A fishing boat at night finds a man floating at sea. He is bullet ridden, miraculously alive. The saline waters have been a disinfectant to his wounds. He is operated upon by a drunk brilliant village surgeon who manages to save him ... finding a microfilm in the process that catalyzes the story. The setting is simply eerie to begin with, and grabs you the moment you learn that the character does not remember who he is.
The character is left with one and only one resource to begin with - his instincts. He relies solely on them to survive, and notices that he is being hunted assiduously all over Europe. As the pages turn, he discovers he can speak several languages without an accent, finds himself memorizing his surroundings, looking for exits in crowded places, identifying armed people in crowds with absolutely accuracy, finds he is a master of several combat forms, can decompose weapons without thinking or knowing how, and can do so much more without knowing his own name. The inherent tension makes for a stage of immense possibilities.
I guess from a purely objective perspective, Robert Ludlum's genius lies firstly in his ability to not go south after conjuring such a great stage (you simply have to read Identity, Supremacy and Ultimatum to know why), and in his ability to uncover the character for what he is ..... a seriously frightened human trying to stay alive. As a fan of the books, I guess I have to say that the movies do not do complete justice to this aspect of Jason Bourne, notwithstanding Matt Damon's fine effort.
The dichotomy of the character, oscillating from being completely secure in his ability to get through a visible situation, yet completely vulnerable on account of his disability is touching to say the least .... and registers subconsciously given that most human existence touches the ends of the security-fear pendulum at varying intervals. In Jason Bourne's case, it happens on every other page. A must read.
I don't think Ludlum recreated the brilliance in his other books. I remember reading The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Icarus Agenda, The Materese Circle, etc, but Ludlum's situation seems similar to that of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. After you write something like "100 Years of Solitude", the possibility of being so re-inspired has to be an act of God, or a similar improbability :)
Watched "The Bourne Ultimatum" last week. I'm a huge fan of the book trilogy, so I guess its hard to comment on the movie in isolation.
"The Bourne Identity" was probably the first big novel I remember reading. Even back then, it had a great impact on me. When I watched the movie (Identity) a couple of years ago, I relived the book and remembered how brilliant the idea for the character was.
A fishing boat at night finds a man floating at sea. He is bullet ridden, miraculously alive. The saline waters have been a disinfectant to his wounds. He is operated upon by a drunk brilliant village surgeon who manages to save him ... finding a microfilm in the process that catalyzes the story. The setting is simply eerie to begin with, and grabs you the moment you learn that the character does not remember who he is.
The character is left with one and only one resource to begin with - his instincts. He relies solely on them to survive, and notices that he is being hunted assiduously all over Europe. As the pages turn, he discovers he can speak several languages without an accent, finds himself memorizing his surroundings, looking for exits in crowded places, identifying armed people in crowds with absolutely accuracy, finds he is a master of several combat forms, can decompose weapons without thinking or knowing how, and can do so much more without knowing his own name. The inherent tension makes for a stage of immense possibilities.
I guess from a purely objective perspective, Robert Ludlum's genius lies firstly in his ability to not go south after conjuring such a great stage (you simply have to read Identity, Supremacy and Ultimatum to know why), and in his ability to uncover the character for what he is ..... a seriously frightened human trying to stay alive. As a fan of the books, I guess I have to say that the movies do not do complete justice to this aspect of Jason Bourne, notwithstanding Matt Damon's fine effort.
The dichotomy of the character, oscillating from being completely secure in his ability to get through a visible situation, yet completely vulnerable on account of his disability is touching to say the least .... and registers subconsciously given that most human existence touches the ends of the security-fear pendulum at varying intervals. In Jason Bourne's case, it happens on every other page. A must read.
I don't think Ludlum recreated the brilliance in his other books. I remember reading The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Icarus Agenda, The Materese Circle, etc, but Ludlum's situation seems similar to that of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. After you write something like "100 Years of Solitude", the possibility of being so re-inspired has to be an act of God, or a similar improbability :)
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Sting Cover
One of the first Sting albums I listened to was "Soul Cages". Aside from "Mad About You", one of the other songs that grabbed me was "Why Should I Cry For You". Like all Sting songs, this one too is accompanied by a paraphernalia of instruments.
As always the original is spectacular, but for what its worth the lyrics remain the same in my rendition :-) ... I hope you like it.
One of the first Sting albums I listened to was "Soul Cages". Aside from "Mad About You", one of the other songs that grabbed me was "Why Should I Cry For You". Like all Sting songs, this one too is accompanied by a paraphernalia of instruments.
As always the original is spectacular, but for what its worth the lyrics remain the same in my rendition :-) ... I hope you like it.
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Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
HOW ABOUT THAT!!!!
Spare a thought for what the Pakis should be thinking. India have never been as rampaging as this. While Yuvraj, Dhoni and Uthappa treated the Aussie attack with scant respect, the inimitable Sreesanth, the born-again Pathan and the now-reliable Harbhajan simply played out of their skins!
Spare a thought for what the Pakis should be thinking. India have never been as rampaging as this. While Yuvraj, Dhoni and Uthappa treated the Aussie attack with scant respect, the inimitable Sreesanth, the born-again Pathan and the now-reliable Harbhajan simply played out of their skins!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Losing, winning and L'appuntamento
I have to wonder what the South African team must feel like. The 'choker' tag must be a burden to bear, and over time will become a malapropism that is going to stick. What must they do to convert these losses into victories, I wonder. For the longest time, I have believed that aside from Jonty Rhodes, Allan Donald and Herschelle Gibbs, they have never had any players who were gifted with flair. Look at their stars historically, Kepler Wessles, Clive Rice, Andrew Hudson, Pat Symcox, Cronje, Kallis, Smith, etc. All doughty men who would succeed 80% of the time, but simply not having that something extra to do something truly remarkable that critical 20% of the time. The 80-20 Pareto principle simply does not seem to apply to matches which SA lose, and thats really striking.
Maybe its the way they are taught to play. With a presumably smaller cricket playing population and lesser competition than say, India, Pakistan or even England, traditional, correct methods of playing the game seem to carry more weight than a focus on an ability to do something special 20% of the time.
You cannot escape this fact, especially if you have a look at their captains - Clive Rice, Kepler Wessels, Hansie Cronje. Shaun Pollock and then Graeme Smith. The latter is probably the least culpable, and for the most part because of his age. Good luck if you are a 'flair' player trying to get into a team led by these metronomes. If anything, the most flair among this lot was shown by Hansie Cronje, and for non-cricketing reasons.
In a cruch situation, it helps if the batsman is able to play a 'flair' filled wristy smear across the line for six rather than crash a purists straight drive to a waiting long-off for a single.
Lastly, success in life is definitely subject to more factors than those under the control of those seeking it, and thats undeniable. So, its safe to treat the semi-finals for what they are, a sport. If today should be a case of L'Appuntamento, I hope India turn up. Till then, have a blast and good luck!!
For now, have a look at Bocelli's rendition of Ornella's masterpiece. I have to say Ornella wins this one fair and square.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Against all odds
No, not the Phil Collins song, but this is about a young Indian teams journey into the semi finals of the 20-20 world cup. I sat up all night watching South Africa self destruct, and player after player from the Indian side lift his fielding and intensity.
And the Rohit Sharma story for a bit. Imagine being a passenger on a 7 ODI series in England, never getting a game. All he probably did was bat after everyone else in the nets, against tired net bowlers. Then h he goes to South Africa and warms the bench again, looking forward to his flight home after the game on 21 Sept. The suddenly, from nowhere, he finds out he is playing, and is batting at #5. Three hours later, he is the man of the match!
The highlight of the fielding has to be Karthik's catch to dismiss Smith. If anything the brilliance of the effort dazed Karthik himself as if evident from the image.
The bowl out against Pakistan was sweet, the batting carnage against England was great, but last nights game was something else. Finally, these images below sum up the night for South Africa.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Of Investing and then some ...
Looking for news on what the Fed finally did with interest rates, I found this little gem of an article on CNN.
Some aspects of the investing problem apply closely to real life as well .... have a look.
"... One thing, however, hasn't changed over the past 35 years: human nature. In 1972, Benjamin Graham was finishing the revise of his seminal work, "The Intelligent Investor," in which he reminded readers that "the investor's chief obstacle - indeed, his worst enemy - is likely to be himself."
Looking for news on what the Fed finally did with interest rates, I found this little gem of an article on CNN.
Some aspects of the investing problem apply closely to real life as well .... have a look.
"... One thing, however, hasn't changed over the past 35 years: human nature. In 1972, Benjamin Graham was finishing the revise of his seminal work, "The Intelligent Investor," in which he reminded readers that "the investor's chief obstacle - indeed, his worst enemy - is likely to be himself."
Then, as now, investors got in trouble by acting on impulse: either getting carried away by greed or being paralyzed by fear. And solutions like indexing have always seemed a little unsatisfying. You want investing to be more complex so you can feel special when you figure it out. And Wall Street wants it to be more complex so it can make more money off your attempts to figure it out.
Thus in the first seven months of 2007, more than 130 ETFs were created to invest in commodities, foreign currencies and single-industry sectors. You can bet on the Swedish krona, buy a basket of carbon-emissions trading credits or attempt to gain twice as much as mid-size stocks lose when they go down. There's now a fund for every conceivable need - and for plenty of inconceivable needs too....
Three rules to invest by
So how do you put all the innovations of the past 35 years to the best use for you, not Wall Street? Follow these rules:
- If there's a cheap way and an expensive way to solve an investing problem, stick with the cheap one. ...
- High returns and low risks don't come in the same package. ...
- If you are presented with too many choices, you'll end up afraid to choose at all. Psychologists have shown that having to pick among dozens of options not only makes it much harder for us to make up our minds, but it also fills us with regret. No matter what we choose, we worry that another choice must have been better. ...."
Monday, September 17, 2007
I wish it would rain down on me
This cover is probably irrelevant given the amount of rain we are encountering, but this song remains one of my favourite Phil Collins songs. I first heard it years ago when I bought the "But Seriously" album, and I would listen to it after every stressful exam or test at school. I still have the tape and the song is still as wonderful as ever. This is a shortened rendition ... I hope you like it.
This cover is probably irrelevant given the amount of rain we are encountering, but this song remains one of my favourite Phil Collins songs. I first heard it years ago when I bought the "But Seriously" album, and I would listen to it after every stressful exam or test at school. I still have the tape and the song is still as wonderful as ever. This is a shortened rendition ... I hope you like it.
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Saturday, September 15, 2007
Free Will Vs Destiny
One of those everlasting questions ... oft repeated oft discussed concepts with little evidence of convergence. It is reasonable to presume that free will and destiny are mutually exclusive as concepts, if you apply their most common definitions.
How then do you resolve and approach a convergence. Of course by moving the goal posts somewhat, i.e. qualifying definitions.
As far removed as you may think you are from these arcane constructs, you are not. Most decisions you make are driven by what you believe. If you think that you are making most decisions on the basis of free will and available circumstances, you may think you are a rationalist. Most people would like to believe this.
If you are subscribing to the notion of destiny, then you are recognizing that the circumstances are playing out along the lines of chaos theory (look up wiki for details) .. i.e. your circumstances are being created intelligently, providing you the opportunity to undergo certain experiences.
In the middle of all this, lets revisit convergence .... and why it is so elusive.
...... If you were lost at sea in the middle of a storm, what would you be doing? You will be trying to save yourself, in accordance with the rules of self preservation and instinct. There is no free will ... you simply act. Nature does not provide options here.
..... if you are sitting in your living room wondering if you should think about changing your job, then you are contemplating your circumstances in less extreme conditions presumably in the context of free will .... sipping your coffee/tea you carefully weigh pros and cons. But know this... your final decision will be based on a sum of your life-experiences, mostly driven by circumstances you have stumbled upon throughout your life. These circumstances have forged the neuron sequences that are currently hurtling towards a decision, catapulting you into your next set of circumstances. You may choose ... but did you choose by free will? .... or are you still lost at sea and trying to swim?
In the long run, we are all washed ashore :-) ... some believe they swam, others found logs of wood that they hung on to.
One of those everlasting questions ... oft repeated oft discussed concepts with little evidence of convergence. It is reasonable to presume that free will and destiny are mutually exclusive as concepts, if you apply their most common definitions.
How then do you resolve and approach a convergence. Of course by moving the goal posts somewhat, i.e. qualifying definitions.
As far removed as you may think you are from these arcane constructs, you are not. Most decisions you make are driven by what you believe. If you think that you are making most decisions on the basis of free will and available circumstances, you may think you are a rationalist. Most people would like to believe this.
If you are subscribing to the notion of destiny, then you are recognizing that the circumstances are playing out along the lines of chaos theory (look up wiki for details) .. i.e. your circumstances are being created intelligently, providing you the opportunity to undergo certain experiences.
In the middle of all this, lets revisit convergence .... and why it is so elusive.
...... If you were lost at sea in the middle of a storm, what would you be doing? You will be trying to save yourself, in accordance with the rules of self preservation and instinct. There is no free will ... you simply act. Nature does not provide options here.
..... if you are sitting in your living room wondering if you should think about changing your job, then you are contemplating your circumstances in less extreme conditions presumably in the context of free will .... sipping your coffee/tea you carefully weigh pros and cons. But know this... your final decision will be based on a sum of your life-experiences, mostly driven by circumstances you have stumbled upon throughout your life. These circumstances have forged the neuron sequences that are currently hurtling towards a decision, catapulting you into your next set of circumstances. You may choose ... but did you choose by free will? .... or are you still lost at sea and trying to swim?
In the long run, we are all washed ashore :-) ... some believe they swam, others found logs of wood that they hung on to.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Perspective
I like traveling for several reasons. For one, I find it truly energizing. In my case, the plethora of neurons that are activated in the context of adapting to a new environment have the effect of really firing up my senses. I know the response is not the same for everyone ... several people have told me they find it enervating.
The positive effects last for a few days after I return home. I notice things I haven't seen before, like the intensity of sunlight in India, which is so much more tender (thankfully) than the harsh rays of the northern latitudes ... the fact that the cab driver who picks me up to drive me back to my home is so well informed about whats happening in his environment, in comparison to cabbies abroad .... I am thankful that I am able to jog on clay, so much better than asphalt in on trails in the US.
And then theres perspective. Everything seems so much more cramped after you return from the US ... in the US you can see longer distances without obstacles, be it on the road or even in the suburbs. The perspective gained from those visualizations creates sharper contrasts when you return. The ground I jog on simply seems smaller ... creating the illusion of power and stamina until I begin to tire pretty much at the same point that I used to ... not all perspective is useful... I guess the folks who return from the US to work in India encounter similar illusions in the workplace here ... if only they'd learn faster.
There is also the perspective of time ... I'm pretty sure I had my share of reptiliophobia, or more specifically, a fear of snakes. While jogging along the bay trail, I came across small colourful snakes on more than one occasion sitting right in the middle of the trail. For the first time, I stopped to take a closer look. A part of me wanted to pick it up, simply to conquer a forgotten fear. I decided against it ... but in this case, the perspective is real. The fear has diminished for several reasons.
Lastly, its great to have more live cricket on TV. The 20-2o world cup got off to a simply terrific start with a glittering ceremony... I had no idea that there were so many different types of drums in the world.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Touchdown
Landed a few hours ago and I'm not sure if its the jet lag thats keeping me awake or my general Bangalore insomnia. Nevertheless I had a long and quite interesting journey which lasted 37 hours from the time I left my dwellings in Belmont till the time I was under a familiar roof.
An 8 hour layover in Singapore was put to good use.... had a shower and massage at the Rainforest spa and was advised by the masseuse to get massages more often since my muscles were extremely tense. Stress I tell you .... not to mention that I had got off a 13 hour flight to Hongkong and added 4 hours into Singapore.
Changi is as impressive as ever and so are the people of Singapore. The fairer gender is absolutely cracking in appearance (I've always found Mongoloid/Asian/East/South-East Asian women extremely attractive). After a couple of hours in Singapore and from having returned from their City tour, I was inclined to believe that there was a law that required the women to wear shorts or miniskirts. Excellent rules, I say.
On the first leg from SFO to Hongkong, I sat next to a big elderly Chinese gentleman, who could not do much to make my life any easier. I'm fairly broad too and this guy was big for a Chinese man. 13 hours were spent in a lot of discomfort to say the least. I figured out effective ways to use the pillow to avoid as much shoulder or arm contact as possible.
On the last leg, I sat next to this woman who works for Citi in Singapore and said she was visiting Bangalore for a school reunion. Bear in mind that I had already been travelling for over 30 hours at that time . ..
"School school reunion?" I asked, suggeting that she didn't really look 18.
"Yeah, school school", she replied, somewhat embarassed.
"You should make some new friends" I quipped, unable to pass up the opportunity ... my politically-correct spider senses had shut down somewhere between SFO and Hongkong anyway.
I hastily added that I was only kidding when she emphatically began telling me that she made it a point to go to all reunions - school, college, b-school, etc.
The flight was pretty empty and we both moved out to occupy 3-seat banks. After a terrible meal, I curled up my somewhat long frame as best I could to lie down on the 3 seats and passed out for an hour at least.
I'm glad to say I got out of the airport here with all my luggage. I dont know what one can do... the conveyor belt has a length of about 50 feet and 300 or so passengers converged upon its every inch... you do the math.
The Ibanez guitar tested beautifully back home.. its black and beautiful.
Landed a few hours ago and I'm not sure if its the jet lag thats keeping me awake or my general Bangalore insomnia. Nevertheless I had a long and quite interesting journey which lasted 37 hours from the time I left my dwellings in Belmont till the time I was under a familiar roof.
An 8 hour layover in Singapore was put to good use.... had a shower and massage at the Rainforest spa and was advised by the masseuse to get massages more often since my muscles were extremely tense. Stress I tell you .... not to mention that I had got off a 13 hour flight to Hongkong and added 4 hours into Singapore.
Changi is as impressive as ever and so are the people of Singapore. The fairer gender is absolutely cracking in appearance (I've always found Mongoloid/Asian/East/South-East Asian women extremely attractive). After a couple of hours in Singapore and from having returned from their City tour, I was inclined to believe that there was a law that required the women to wear shorts or miniskirts. Excellent rules, I say.
On the first leg from SFO to Hongkong, I sat next to a big elderly Chinese gentleman, who could not do much to make my life any easier. I'm fairly broad too and this guy was big for a Chinese man. 13 hours were spent in a lot of discomfort to say the least. I figured out effective ways to use the pillow to avoid as much shoulder or arm contact as possible.
On the last leg, I sat next to this woman who works for Citi in Singapore and said she was visiting Bangalore for a school reunion. Bear in mind that I had already been travelling for over 30 hours at that time . ..
"School school reunion?" I asked, suggeting that she didn't really look 18.
"Yeah, school school", she replied, somewhat embarassed.
"You should make some new friends" I quipped, unable to pass up the opportunity ... my politically-correct spider senses had shut down somewhere between SFO and Hongkong anyway.
I hastily added that I was only kidding when she emphatically began telling me that she made it a point to go to all reunions - school, college, b-school, etc.
The flight was pretty empty and we both moved out to occupy 3-seat banks. After a terrible meal, I curled up my somewhat long frame as best I could to lie down on the 3 seats and passed out for an hour at least.
I'm glad to say I got out of the airport here with all my luggage. I dont know what one can do... the conveyor belt has a length of about 50 feet and 300 or so passengers converged upon its every inch... you do the math.
The Ibanez guitar tested beautifully back home.. its black and beautiful.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Of Retail and Current Account Deficits
I spent the day at a few places looking for things that I wanted to buy for others, and was faced with the full retail muscle of the US. Everything is about positioning, about eye-line shelf space, about getting you to spend much more than you intended to. And it works. Pretty much everything is cheaper here - from guitars to clothes and shoes to perfumes. Profit by volumes is the mantra, well supported by the appetite of the American consumer to spend whatever his credit card can carry ... the consumer owes the bank, the bank indirectly owes other financial institutions, and everyone eventually contributes to the current account deficit that is serviced by investors all over the world.
Not many people appreciate the enormity of what this means. Some may be unaware. People outside of the US, all over save their hard earned money and shovel it into banks ... at some point this rolls up to the country's reserve bank which dutifully uses it to buy US $.
Why?
1. Returns on currency and denominated assets.
2.Oil.
Why is oil traded inUSD? We'll save that for another time.
But this is kinda amazing. As long as people in other countries postpone consumption (save), and people in the US consume as fast as than they can, this system works. Expensive credit in other countries ( high interest rates) and real cheap credit in the US ensures the snowball keeps rolling.
Why does this happen? Because the expected return on the $ or the $ denominated assets is expected to be strong and reliable. Why? Because everyone here will buy and companies will turn strong profits.
So where does this leave you? In your own circumstances, in your culture that strongly influences your economic strategy, which keeps the world rolling?
What can throw this out of gear, you ask? Hmm..... oil for one... the specifics of that mechanism another time. ... what else? The climate perhaps . ..... and not to mention declining corporate profits and uncertainty in the financial markets. We've been on a pretty long bull run worldwide with equity, gold and oil all moving in lockstep. Remember gold is supposed to be negatively correlated to equity movement.
Till then, turn on the lights, stick on the labor day sales and let the cash registers ring.
I spent the day at a few places looking for things that I wanted to buy for others, and was faced with the full retail muscle of the US. Everything is about positioning, about eye-line shelf space, about getting you to spend much more than you intended to. And it works. Pretty much everything is cheaper here - from guitars to clothes and shoes to perfumes. Profit by volumes is the mantra, well supported by the appetite of the American consumer to spend whatever his credit card can carry ... the consumer owes the bank, the bank indirectly owes other financial institutions, and everyone eventually contributes to the current account deficit that is serviced by investors all over the world.
Not many people appreciate the enormity of what this means. Some may be unaware. People outside of the US, all over save their hard earned money and shovel it into banks ... at some point this rolls up to the country's reserve bank which dutifully uses it to buy US $.
Why?
1. Returns on currency and denominated assets.
2.Oil.
Why is oil traded inUSD? We'll save that for another time.
But this is kinda amazing. As long as people in other countries postpone consumption (save), and people in the US consume as fast as than they can, this system works. Expensive credit in other countries ( high interest rates) and real cheap credit in the US ensures the snowball keeps rolling.
Why does this happen? Because the expected return on the $ or the $ denominated assets is expected to be strong and reliable. Why? Because everyone here will buy and companies will turn strong profits.
So where does this leave you? In your own circumstances, in your culture that strongly influences your economic strategy, which keeps the world rolling?
What can throw this out of gear, you ask? Hmm..... oil for one... the specifics of that mechanism another time. ... what else? The climate perhaps . ..... and not to mention declining corporate profits and uncertainty in the financial markets. We've been on a pretty long bull run worldwide with equity, gold and oil all moving in lockstep. Remember gold is supposed to be negatively correlated to equity movement.
Till then, turn on the lights, stick on the labor day sales and let the cash registers ring.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
27-8-2007
It may not be a coincidence .... that this day, the numbers on the date line up in symmetry ..... that this day I listen to a song called "the appointment" for the first time, over and over .... and finally encounter a bizzare premonition as it surfaces from nowhere.
Life sure has a sense of humor, and maybe I should listen more often :-)
Ornella Vanoni - "L'Appuntamento"
Lodged in my brain ever since I heard the first few bars of this song in the movie Ocean's 12, today was the day I finally heard it for the first time. This video is set to pictures of Italy, but chances are, you will be looking at the lyrics the whole song through.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
BIG SUR
Literally, the "Big South" is often rated as one of the 50 most beautiful places on the planet. It is one of those places which never fails to amaze, no matter how many times you go back there. This was my third visit to the Big Sur and I never fail to be amazed by it.
On this trip, I was hosted by the Kamaths, who were as blown away as I was. Sacheen pointed us to a new beach - Pfieffer State Beach, which really is something out of a movie, and then to a waterfall that flows into the ocean.
Here's the slideshow.
Big Sur with the Kamaths- Aug 26, 2007
Literally, the "Big South" is often rated as one of the 50 most beautiful places on the planet. It is one of those places which never fails to amaze, no matter how many times you go back there. This was my third visit to the Big Sur and I never fail to be amazed by it.
On this trip, I was hosted by the Kamaths, who were as blown away as I was. Sacheen pointed us to a new beach - Pfieffer State Beach, which really is something out of a movie, and then to a waterfall that flows into the ocean.
Here's the slideshow.
Big Sur with the Kamaths- Aug 26, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Day 4, Another trip to the beach, 21-Aug-2004
Started the day by ordering an electric guitar online. They are supposedly so much cheaper here, and I may need one someday, so I bought it. Haven't had it delivered yet.
After work, I decided to drive out the ocean again and had a nice hour or so. Walked for an hour on the beach, took photos and even shot a video.
For the first time, saw a whale in the ocean. Looks like nature put on a nice show. I'd heard that they are spotted in Monterey, but saw one for the first time in Half Moon Bay. The photos in the slideshow and I've circled the sighting with a white ellipse. See if you can spot it. The whale popped in and out a couple of times, lumbering along and finally disappeared.
On my walk back, saw a jellyfish lying on the beach. Amazing creature. Didn't dare touch it after all I'd heard about how painful their stings can be. I didn't know if it was dead and I didn't want to find out.
For the first time, the clouds over the hills and the diffused light over the entire place rivaled the awe-inspiring sight of the sea.
Aug 21 - Alone at Half Moon Bay .. again :-)
Started the day by ordering an electric guitar online. They are supposedly so much cheaper here, and I may need one someday, so I bought it. Haven't had it delivered yet.
After work, I decided to drive out the ocean again and had a nice hour or so. Walked for an hour on the beach, took photos and even shot a video.
For the first time, saw a whale in the ocean. Looks like nature put on a nice show. I'd heard that they are spotted in Monterey, but saw one for the first time in Half Moon Bay. The photos in the slideshow and I've circled the sighting with a white ellipse. See if you can spot it. The whale popped in and out a couple of times, lumbering along and finally disappeared.
On my walk back, saw a jellyfish lying on the beach. Amazing creature. Didn't dare touch it after all I'd heard about how painful their stings can be. I didn't know if it was dead and I didn't want to find out.
For the first time, the clouds over the hills and the diffused light over the entire place rivaled the awe-inspiring sight of the sea.
Aug 21 - Alone at Half Moon Bay .. again :-)
Nondescript: Monday, 20-Aug-2007
Came back from work and and was toying with the idea of going on a drive on Highway1 or going for a run. Sat around doing this and that and finally decided it was too late for the drive. Went running on the Bay Trail. Didn't run any more than 25 minutes and then walked through some beautifully landscaped gardens and playgrounds. The capacity is awesome, and the utilization is zero.
Came back from work and and was toying with the idea of going on a drive on Highway1 or going for a run. Sat around doing this and that and finally decided it was too late for the drive. Went running on the Bay Trail. Didn't run any more than 25 minutes and then walked through some beautifully landscaped gardens and playgrounds. The capacity is awesome, and the utilization is zero.
Day 2, Sunday, Aug 19, 2007
Went along with Venkat and Archana to the Big Basin State Park. The place is similar to Muir Woods, which I had visited in 2004, but the hikes seem a lot less cosmetic. Muir Woods actually has timber-paved steps in some places where you have to walk uphill. Big Basin is a lot more natural. Really missed having someone to share it with. The more beautiful the place, the more poignant and double-edged is your solitude.
Pictures follow.
Aug 19 - Drive to Big Basin State Park
Went along with Venkat and Archana to the Big Basin State Park. The place is similar to Muir Woods, which I had visited in 2004, but the hikes seem a lot less cosmetic. Muir Woods actually has timber-paved steps in some places where you have to walk uphill. Big Basin is a lot more natural. Really missed having someone to share it with. The more beautiful the place, the more poignant and double-edged is your solitude.
Pictures follow.
Aug 19 - Drive to Big Basin State Park
Remainder of Day 1, 18-Aug-2007
I always seem to have a lot more energy on the first day. After returning from the beach, I went running on something called the 'Bay Trail' a great trail just behind Oracle that is about 3 miles long. The trail begins at Belmont and also skirts Foster City as it weaves its way. The trail is located along a creek/moat/waterway thatThe The amazing thing about the trail is the way it finally opens onto the bay as the giant San Mateo Bridge comes into view. An awesome trail. At a decent pace, about 8Kmph, I was able to reach the opening to the Bay in about 40 minutes.
Totally worth it.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Back to the Bay
Had a long fight from Bangalore-Singapore-Seoul-San Francisco. Met some really really interesting people.
There are three seats, just three for some strange reason before the only TV at the departure terminal in Bangalore which telecasts India's cricket match against Scotland. I am happy that the next two hours shall be less opressive than otherwise. Two seats are occupied. One by an elderly person who looks so much like a Tibetan and the other by a small girl, no older than 6 or 8. I ask if the seat is taken and he invites me to sit down. I make a few calls and hear him try and explain the rules of cricket with great energy to the little girl.
I finally look at the girl and ask. "So are you going to play cricket when you get to Singapore?" He responds smilingly and we get talking. He has an interesting story, the kind that is enriched by deep change. I ask where he is from, and my suspicion is confirmed. He comes from the Tibetan settlement in Mercera (Coorg district). He studied medicine in Bellary, then went to work in the UK and then to pursue his studies in the US. He now lectures in Michigan. He asks if I have children. I tell him I am unmarried and despite the opportunity and excellent timing, steer clear of stupid follow up jokes about my children. He advises me not to delay my marriage too much, since he married late and wishes he could have spent his earlier years with his little Tara (a great kid).
I mention that he is unmistakably Tibetan in appearance and that I suspected as much when I saw him. I mention my trip to Ladakh, and talk about the Tibetan books I'd read. He comments that he is seriously considering learning Tibetan philosophy and culture .... he is pleasantly surprised to see the 'Bardo Thodol' or the 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead' in my bag. We talk more about my trip and the book, and little Tara shifts her attention between the conversation and the tv on which India is dismantling the Scotland bowling attack in Glasgow. Tara, was born in Michigan and is on her first trip to India talks of this and that, and finally asks - "Do these Indian toilets, have a name?". I remark that they may be called 'squat' toilets. She says ..."I just call them go-in-the woods toilets", with the elan of a child who is unmistakably encouraged to speak her mind. She is amazed to see her father and this stranger laugh loudly.
I spend time on the flight reading the other book, "Strange Pilgrims". This is a collection of short stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The first story is excellent, and I'm glad I brought this book along. After I'm done, I watch some of "Paris, Je T'aime", a collage of short french films directed by Gus Van Sant, and other famous European directors. Excellent stuff.
I sat all alone on the bank of three seats between Bangalore and Singapore. On the next segments, I have an aisle seat and the two next to me are still empty. I'm hoping they will remain so. It seems highly unlikely that they would, given that the flight is otherwise full. A couple on the elderly side walk to my row. In a way, I'm happy to be sitting next to smaller folks. I've sat next to people as broad as I am and it is not a comfortable journey when you are flying 15 hours or more. The couple is exceedingly nice, and are going to San Francisco.
After an hour or so, the couple wants me to stand so they can walk out to the toilets. When they return, the gentleman wishes to break the silence. I'm happy to talk as always, just as I'm happy these days to watch the in-flight entertainment.
To my surprise the gentleman converses with great energy. He begins by telling me he visited India when he was 21, over 4o years ago, to answer a spiritual calling. He asks questions about Hindu spirituality and is extremely keen to talk after he perceives that I have some knowledge in the matter. We talk about Yogananda Paramahansa, Ramana Maharishi, Advaita, Transcendental Meditation, karma and reincarnation for quite a while. I am wondering where all this is going.
I am keen to stress that I am not a yogi or someone who can help him with anything further that he may require, so I stress that my knowledge is mostly intellectual and not experiential. He says that it does not matter and that he is simply curious that someone like me, should know what I do given my age. He asks why I am interested in this subject. I say that I am just curious, etc etc without labouring upon the details of my motivation. He tries to over and over again to understand my motivation, but finally understands that I'm not too keen to talk about it.
He then reveals that among other things, he practiced Kundalini Yoga for 21 years, gave it up, had a vision, and is now ordained as a priest but that (thankfully) he does not ascribe to the strictures of the Catholic Church. Also he mentions the small matter of the fact that he once turned down a significant career in Singapore politics, is a Chairman of a Biotech company that is researching a natural herb based remedy for cancer. Given my interests, and his own, he asks me if I should like to be his biographer someday!
Checked in a Summerfield Suites as always and the pleasant man behind the desk said that I had room 1231.
"That's remarkable. It's the same room I stayed in last year in September", I said.
"Sir, its remarkable that you should remember" came the reply.
I didn't mention to him that I remembered the handyman and that I knew exactly which employees in the front office were around an year ago. In general, I think that this ability to remember visuals and details does not really work in my favour. At some level, memories hold us back and bad memories are the strongest sort, just as sad paintings tend to be more expensive.
Checked into my room, and had dinner with a colleague who was to leave the following day. Had a good nights sleep.
Woke up the next day and went to Half Moon Bay (surprise). Took some pictures ... below. The strong light and the crowd at the beach, affected my ability to enjoy my view and to take in the water, but the beach was as spectacular as always. Returned to my room and hit the mattress as the jet lag kicked in. I'm wondering what to do with the rest of my evening. Venkat, Archana and I have plans for tomorrow. We will hike Muir Woods in all likelihood.
Till then, enjoy the pictures.
Day 1 and another daytime drive to Half Moon Bay
Had a long fight from Bangalore-Singapore-Seoul-San Francisco. Met some really really interesting people.
The Professor From Tibet and Little Tara
There are three seats, just three for some strange reason before the only TV at the departure terminal in Bangalore which telecasts India's cricket match against Scotland. I am happy that the next two hours shall be less opressive than otherwise. Two seats are occupied. One by an elderly person who looks so much like a Tibetan and the other by a small girl, no older than 6 or 8. I ask if the seat is taken and he invites me to sit down. I make a few calls and hear him try and explain the rules of cricket with great energy to the little girl.
I finally look at the girl and ask. "So are you going to play cricket when you get to Singapore?" He responds smilingly and we get talking. He has an interesting story, the kind that is enriched by deep change. I ask where he is from, and my suspicion is confirmed. He comes from the Tibetan settlement in Mercera (Coorg district). He studied medicine in Bellary, then went to work in the UK and then to pursue his studies in the US. He now lectures in Michigan. He asks if I have children. I tell him I am unmarried and despite the opportunity and excellent timing, steer clear of stupid follow up jokes about my children. He advises me not to delay my marriage too much, since he married late and wishes he could have spent his earlier years with his little Tara (a great kid).
I mention that he is unmistakably Tibetan in appearance and that I suspected as much when I saw him. I mention my trip to Ladakh, and talk about the Tibetan books I'd read. He comments that he is seriously considering learning Tibetan philosophy and culture .... he is pleasantly surprised to see the 'Bardo Thodol' or the 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead' in my bag. We talk more about my trip and the book, and little Tara shifts her attention between the conversation and the tv on which India is dismantling the Scotland bowling attack in Glasgow. Tara, was born in Michigan and is on her first trip to India talks of this and that, and finally asks - "Do these Indian toilets, have a name?". I remark that they may be called 'squat' toilets. She says ..."I just call them go-in-the woods toilets", with the elan of a child who is unmistakably encouraged to speak her mind. She is amazed to see her father and this stranger laugh loudly.
I spend time on the flight reading the other book, "Strange Pilgrims". This is a collection of short stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The first story is excellent, and I'm glad I brought this book along. After I'm done, I watch some of "Paris, Je T'aime", a collage of short french films directed by Gus Van Sant, and other famous European directors. Excellent stuff.
The Couple From Singapore
I sat all alone on the bank of three seats between Bangalore and Singapore. On the next segments, I have an aisle seat and the two next to me are still empty. I'm hoping they will remain so. It seems highly unlikely that they would, given that the flight is otherwise full. A couple on the elderly side walk to my row. In a way, I'm happy to be sitting next to smaller folks. I've sat next to people as broad as I am and it is not a comfortable journey when you are flying 15 hours or more. The couple is exceedingly nice, and are going to San Francisco.
After an hour or so, the couple wants me to stand so they can walk out to the toilets. When they return, the gentleman wishes to break the silence. I'm happy to talk as always, just as I'm happy these days to watch the in-flight entertainment.
To my surprise the gentleman converses with great energy. He begins by telling me he visited India when he was 21, over 4o years ago, to answer a spiritual calling. He asks questions about Hindu spirituality and is extremely keen to talk after he perceives that I have some knowledge in the matter. We talk about Yogananda Paramahansa, Ramana Maharishi, Advaita, Transcendental Meditation, karma and reincarnation for quite a while. I am wondering where all this is going.
I am keen to stress that I am not a yogi or someone who can help him with anything further that he may require, so I stress that my knowledge is mostly intellectual and not experiential. He says that it does not matter and that he is simply curious that someone like me, should know what I do given my age. He asks why I am interested in this subject. I say that I am just curious, etc etc without labouring upon the details of my motivation. He tries to over and over again to understand my motivation, but finally understands that I'm not too keen to talk about it.
He then reveals that among other things, he practiced Kundalini Yoga for 21 years, gave it up, had a vision, and is now ordained as a priest but that (thankfully) he does not ascribe to the strictures of the Catholic Church. Also he mentions the small matter of the fact that he once turned down a significant career in Singapore politics, is a Chairman of a Biotech company that is researching a natural herb based remedy for cancer. Given my interests, and his own, he asks me if I should like to be his biographer someday!
Arrival Pains and Surprises
Upon arrival in the US. I had to wait for a full hour in line at a Hertz rental, and despite my booking and special instructions, found a car which smelled like the smoking room at a cheap San Francisco restaurant. I was able to exchange it the next day. Apparently, some things in the super-efficient country don't work as they should.Checked in a Summerfield Suites as always and the pleasant man behind the desk said that I had room 1231.
"That's remarkable. It's the same room I stayed in last year in September", I said.
"Sir, its remarkable that you should remember" came the reply.
I didn't mention to him that I remembered the handyman and that I knew exactly which employees in the front office were around an year ago. In general, I think that this ability to remember visuals and details does not really work in my favour. At some level, memories hold us back and bad memories are the strongest sort, just as sad paintings tend to be more expensive.
Checked into my room, and had dinner with a colleague who was to leave the following day. Had a good nights sleep.
My First Day (so far)
Woke up the next day and went to Half Moon Bay (surprise). Took some pictures ... below. The strong light and the crowd at the beach, affected my ability to enjoy my view and to take in the water, but the beach was as spectacular as always. Returned to my room and hit the mattress as the jet lag kicked in. I'm wondering what to do with the rest of my evening. Venkat, Archana and I have plans for tomorrow. We will hike Muir Woods in all likelihood.
Till then, enjoy the pictures.
Day 1 and another daytime drive to Half Moon Bay
Monday, August 13, 2007
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
ALONE AT HALF MOON BAY
Half Moon Bay has to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. I can't wait to go back there this time around. Here's what I have seen on a previous visit there. Add some freezing Pacific ocean breeze to the setting and you get a sense of what its like to be there.
The Ocean is both beautiful and dangerous here. Warning signs highlighting the risk of hypothermia abound on the beach warning the intrepid swimmer. The Pacific is a vast space of an overwhelmingly stark nature, beautiful, alive and very very awesome. An entity just impossible to fathom. Everytime I am faced with the sight of a sea or an ocean, I simply find myself asking "HOW"???
These are some pictures taken by me in 2004 ... I was pretty much all by myself for as far as I could see in either direction on the beach, so that explains the self-photography in some pictures
Alone at Half moon Bay 2 Dec 04
Half Moon Bay has to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. I can't wait to go back there this time around. Here's what I have seen on a previous visit there. Add some freezing Pacific ocean breeze to the setting and you get a sense of what its like to be there.
The Ocean is both beautiful and dangerous here. Warning signs highlighting the risk of hypothermia abound on the beach warning the intrepid swimmer. The Pacific is a vast space of an overwhelmingly stark nature, beautiful, alive and very very awesome. An entity just impossible to fathom. Everytime I am faced with the sight of a sea or an ocean, I simply find myself asking "HOW"???
These are some pictures taken by me in 2004 ... I was pretty much all by myself for as far as I could see in either direction on the beach, so that explains the self-photography in some pictures
Alone at Half moon Bay 2 Dec 04
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Thursday, August 02, 2007
"Fix-You"
Now that you are here, you might as well play this song. Given that you came here, I'd wager you can afford the time :-)
The song is a classic from Coldplay's X&Y album. This is an abridged rendition for want of voice and time. You can tell I have a touch of the sore throat.
Thanks for listening anyway. Leave me a note if you feel like it.
Now that you are here, you might as well play this song. Given that you came here, I'd wager you can afford the time :-)
The song is a classic from Coldplay's X&Y album. This is an abridged rendition for want of voice and time. You can tell I have a touch of the sore throat.
Thanks for listening anyway. Leave me a note if you feel like it.
|
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
A walk under the clouds
My heart now hums quite comfortably on the sixth lap .... strange how malleable the human body is. Train it, and it will learn. The raindrops have been floating down for a lap now and I have been able to ignore them so far. I decide against the seventh lap. The skies have become darker and the even over the sound of my beating heart and rushing blood, my instinct has made its decision.
My evening jogging sessions have become my sanctuary, offering a space where the soul and the mind meet under cloudy skies and above soft red earth. The rain hastens as I begin the kilometer walk back. On the road, vehicles shriek their horns in vain. The communication protocol that was once established on Indian roads, when very few vehicles had horns, has now completely wasted away. Yet, no one seems to be thinking.
Strange, I wonder. For a country famed for its spiritual beacons and towering swamis who gave the world the notion of internal inquiry, we have so little regard for silence.
The rain has now intensified to a downpour. In the refracted rays of the yellow sodium vapour lamp, the rain falls in sheets, much like the contrived rain showers you see in the movies. I wonder if I should make a run for it. I decide against it, trying to recreate the experience of indulging in the elements again. I loved to walk in the rain as a child, and I haven't done it for the longest time, thanks to the layers of protection that we are obliged to create against nature.
My skin is now drenched through my shirt as it gleams like a waterfall. I walk on, trying to remember where all the dog poop was so I can avoid it on the road. On the road vehicles plough on, delivering their occupants to destinations where they shall carry on planned and unplanned activities for the evening.
Day laborers cover their heads with sheets of plastic, thinking about getting to their homes, and to their dear ones where they can share a meal of cooked rice and 'rasam'. They ignore the fact that vehicles do not wait for them to cross the road as they should... they are, like me at some level, I'm sure, unaware of their own rights and place in the world.
A fruit vendor rushes to cover his merchandise with more plastic, taking great care to tuck in the sheet without much regard for his own uncovered back. The merchandise represents his tomorrow, which he will invest in at the cost of his today, again, much like so many others at varying points in the economic ladder.
I think of my commitments for the evening... I have an international conference call that will help in the creation of a product that will seek to justify its own value. As I think about preparing for it in the rain, I step over a small obstacle and plonk my foot straight into a puddle of water. My shoes and feet are completely wet. I hate that feeling.
As I walk on, young couples talk over the pouring rain standing beside their parked motorbikes under a small tree. They are oblivious to everything but each other, and even more oblivious to their own topics of conversation. They are enjoying the rain as much as I am.
I reach home amidst these, and many more sights, all coloured by the rain. Life in its interaction with a changing facet of nature. The noise, the intent, the clarity, all take on a different meaning in the pouring rain.
My heart now hums quite comfortably on the sixth lap .... strange how malleable the human body is. Train it, and it will learn. The raindrops have been floating down for a lap now and I have been able to ignore them so far. I decide against the seventh lap. The skies have become darker and the even over the sound of my beating heart and rushing blood, my instinct has made its decision.
My evening jogging sessions have become my sanctuary, offering a space where the soul and the mind meet under cloudy skies and above soft red earth. The rain hastens as I begin the kilometer walk back. On the road, vehicles shriek their horns in vain. The communication protocol that was once established on Indian roads, when very few vehicles had horns, has now completely wasted away. Yet, no one seems to be thinking.
Strange, I wonder. For a country famed for its spiritual beacons and towering swamis who gave the world the notion of internal inquiry, we have so little regard for silence.
The rain has now intensified to a downpour. In the refracted rays of the yellow sodium vapour lamp, the rain falls in sheets, much like the contrived rain showers you see in the movies. I wonder if I should make a run for it. I decide against it, trying to recreate the experience of indulging in the elements again. I loved to walk in the rain as a child, and I haven't done it for the longest time, thanks to the layers of protection that we are obliged to create against nature.
My skin is now drenched through my shirt as it gleams like a waterfall. I walk on, trying to remember where all the dog poop was so I can avoid it on the road. On the road vehicles plough on, delivering their occupants to destinations where they shall carry on planned and unplanned activities for the evening.
Day laborers cover their heads with sheets of plastic, thinking about getting to their homes, and to their dear ones where they can share a meal of cooked rice and 'rasam'. They ignore the fact that vehicles do not wait for them to cross the road as they should... they are, like me at some level, I'm sure, unaware of their own rights and place in the world.
A fruit vendor rushes to cover his merchandise with more plastic, taking great care to tuck in the sheet without much regard for his own uncovered back. The merchandise represents his tomorrow, which he will invest in at the cost of his today, again, much like so many others at varying points in the economic ladder.
I think of my commitments for the evening... I have an international conference call that will help in the creation of a product that will seek to justify its own value. As I think about preparing for it in the rain, I step over a small obstacle and plonk my foot straight into a puddle of water. My shoes and feet are completely wet. I hate that feeling.
As I walk on, young couples talk over the pouring rain standing beside their parked motorbikes under a small tree. They are oblivious to everything but each other, and even more oblivious to their own topics of conversation. They are enjoying the rain as much as I am.
I reach home amidst these, and many more sights, all coloured by the rain. Life in its interaction with a changing facet of nature. The noise, the intent, the clarity, all take on a different meaning in the pouring rain.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Of this and that ....
These days, life is whizzing by and I have more to do than I have time for. Here are some snapshots of the world that I see and experience ....
India seems to be doing well at Trentbridge (Thank God for small mercies).
I need to find a new song to play on my guitar ... there's only so many times I can pound out the odd Pink Floyd/Coldplay.
I finished reading "Face to Face with Ramana Maharishi" ..... great book. My plan to visit Arunachala at Thiruvannamalai has not yet materialized though.
I am currently reading "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". Nice little book. The chapter on the inception of taxes is quite revealing and amusing, especially when you see that taxing the proletariat/middle classes these days is simply the Capitalists applying a Commie stunt squarely back at the Commies who wanted the rich taxed to begin with. Karma never seems to fail us.
I should be traveling again .... sometime this month to the west-side of the USA .... the tranquil Pacific beckons and I look forward to my rendezvous with it. I never get tired of saying that I was a fish in my last life. Probably a whale... or a dolphin ... a shark perhaps.
I have been surprisingly regular at running, and have dropped some weight ... I can comfortably
pound the earth for 35 minutes non-stop at a reasonable speed. On the downside, I have picked up the odd knee niggle which I hope will go away soon.
Work is piling up and my brain to-do list has hit the alert button following its last overflow.
I ate far too many hot wonderful jalebis yesterday (my favourite sweet) after a very long time .... I really shouldn't have.
And finally, in between watching the test match I channel surfed to find a bronzed Aishwarya Rai, in Dhoom2. I'm glad I wasn't dragged into D2 like I was into D1. Another one of those stooopid movies that we just cannot seem to get enough of. For her part, Aishwarya looked quite fabulous, but everything else about what little I saw of the movie ... the script, the dialogues, the acting, was so terrible that I wondered (once more) how any self respecting individual can be party to this crap !!! And Aishwarya would have been so much better off keeping her mouth shut.
These days, life is whizzing by and I have more to do than I have time for. Here are some snapshots of the world that I see and experience ....
India seems to be doing well at Trentbridge (Thank God for small mercies).
I need to find a new song to play on my guitar ... there's only so many times I can pound out the odd Pink Floyd/Coldplay.
I finished reading "Face to Face with Ramana Maharishi" ..... great book. My plan to visit Arunachala at Thiruvannamalai has not yet materialized though.
I am currently reading "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". Nice little book. The chapter on the inception of taxes is quite revealing and amusing, especially when you see that taxing the proletariat/middle classes these days is simply the Capitalists applying a Commie stunt squarely back at the Commies who wanted the rich taxed to begin with. Karma never seems to fail us.
I should be traveling again .... sometime this month to the west-side of the USA .... the tranquil Pacific beckons and I look forward to my rendezvous with it. I never get tired of saying that I was a fish in my last life. Probably a whale... or a dolphin ... a shark perhaps.
I have been surprisingly regular at running, and have dropped some weight ... I can comfortably
pound the earth for 35 minutes non-stop at a reasonable speed. On the downside, I have picked up the odd knee niggle which I hope will go away soon.
Work is piling up and my brain to-do list has hit the alert button following its last overflow.
I ate far too many hot wonderful jalebis yesterday (my favourite sweet) after a very long time .... I really shouldn't have.
And finally, in between watching the test match I channel surfed to find a bronzed Aishwarya Rai, in Dhoom2. I'm glad I wasn't dragged into D2 like I was into D1. Another one of those stooopid movies that we just cannot seem to get enough of. For her part, Aishwarya looked quite fabulous, but everything else about what little I saw of the movie ... the script, the dialogues, the acting, was so terrible that I wondered (once more) how any self respecting individual can be party to this crap !!! And Aishwarya would have been so much better off keeping her mouth shut.
Friday, July 06, 2007
... AND I BECAME A RAJNI FAN
All, I have to confess that I went to 'Sivaji' more out of curiosity. I had never before watched a Rajni movie ..... had seen bits and pieces on TV but never seen a complete movie. Man, have I missed so much or what!!! I was pleasantly surprised.
I was blown away by how funny the movie was ... if you scrape at the surface, this movie is so spot on with its innumerable observations of irony that pertain to Tam culture, India, and of course the world. The fact that I had just returned from a visit to Chennai definitely helped me appreciate the movie all the more.
Rajni fights everyone ... stereotypical Tams, goondas, cops, politicians, prospective father-in-laws, some 200 Mahindra Scorpios .... he then stops bullets with his mind, kicks baddies downstairs and tosses coins vertically and horizontally.
Finally I have to mention that the heroine is a work of art herself ... if you watch the movie, you'll see what I mean.
I am a fan!!!!!
All, I have to confess that I went to 'Sivaji' more out of curiosity. I had never before watched a Rajni movie ..... had seen bits and pieces on TV but never seen a complete movie. Man, have I missed so much or what!!! I was pleasantly surprised.
I was blown away by how funny the movie was ... if you scrape at the surface, this movie is so spot on with its innumerable observations of irony that pertain to Tam culture, India, and of course the world. The fact that I had just returned from a visit to Chennai definitely helped me appreciate the movie all the more.
Rajni fights everyone ... stereotypical Tams, goondas, cops, politicians, prospective father-in-laws, some 200 Mahindra Scorpios .... he then stops bullets with his mind, kicks baddies downstairs and tosses coins vertically and horizontally.
Finally I have to mention that the heroine is a work of art herself ... if you watch the movie, you'll see what I mean.
I am a fan!!!!!
Friday, May 25, 2007
David Gray Cover
David Gray is fantastic ... the cover may not be in the same league, but I do hope it will encourage you to listen to the original ;-)
"... as the tracer glides
in its graceful arc
send a little prayer out to ya
'cross the fallin' dark ..."
"... perfect summers night,
not a wind that breathes
just the bullets whisperin' gentle
through the new green leaves ..."
David Gray is fantastic ... the cover may not be in the same league, but I do hope it will encourage you to listen to the original ;-)
"... as the tracer glides
in its graceful arc
send a little prayer out to ya
'cross the fallin' dark ..."
"... perfect summers night,
not a wind that breathes
just the bullets whisperin' gentle
through the new green leaves ..."
|
Monday, May 07, 2007
The Seat of the Soul
One of those books that's difficult to finish ... not because you don't understand what the author is saying, but because you wonder why he complicates something that's been said before. There's something really strange about this style of writing. Very very difficult to relate two consecutive sentences. Its like reading a bunch of bullet points from a journal of applied physics.
A very very bad way to write a book on this subject.
Make no mistake, I loved "The Dancing Wu Li Masters" and I do think highly of Gary Zukav, but this book is a slow and painful read.
It might just be that Gary Zukav is simply not up to scratch when you compare him to Yogananda Paramahansa or even Paul Brunton, for that matter.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli has to be one of my favourite singers. On a day when there's not much else thats happening for you, you can always listen to him to restore some inspiration.
In any walk of life, there are people born without any special gift but they develop a skill, then there are others who are born with a little talent and do what they can with it. There are those who do their talent justice and are commended for it.
Then there are people like Andrea who are simply on a different level, one that can only be described as transcendental.
Andrea Bocelli has to be one of my favourite singers. On a day when there's not much else thats happening for you, you can always listen to him to restore some inspiration.
In any walk of life, there are people born without any special gift but they develop a skill, then there are others who are born with a little talent and do what they can with it. There are those who do their talent justice and are commended for it.
Then there are people like Andrea who are simply on a different level, one that can only be described as transcendental.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Inspirational
the biography
Watched 'The Pursuit of Happyness' yesterday. A great movie. What I liked especially is the manner in which most of the key scenes have been handled ... the sad emotions are muted and so is the climax.... no excessive dramatization at either end. Everything else in between is realistic.
Will Smith is brilliant, but Denzel Washington probably would have suited the character so much better.
Brilliant story, well told. The facts from wikipedia make for compelling reading ... It's hard to imagine that someone in circumstances so extreme could have the imagination and inspiration to develop a vision, leave alone realize it well beyond his dreams.
the biographyWatched 'The Pursuit of Happyness' yesterday. A great movie. What I liked especially is the manner in which most of the key scenes have been handled ... the sad emotions are muted and so is the climax.... no excessive dramatization at either end. Everything else in between is realistic.
Will Smith is brilliant, but Denzel Washington probably would have suited the character so much better.
Brilliant story, well told. The facts from wikipedia make for compelling reading ... It's hard to imagine that someone in circumstances so extreme could have the imagination and inspiration to develop a vision, leave alone realize it well beyond his dreams.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Another cover
I don't wanna talk about it - Rod Stewart
I've liked this song for a long time, and I gave it a shot.
I don't wanna talk about it - Rod Stewart
I've liked this song for a long time, and I gave it a shot.
| i dont wanna(talk ... |
Monday, March 19, 2007
Media, Cricket and Bollywood
Flipping through TV channels, I stumble upon a cricket show on a news channel called "Headlines Today". India are taking lunch after having scored 413 against a hapless Bermudian attack in an exhibition a friend of mine would call killing a dead snake.
On the sets are Sir Richard Hadlee(RH), Akshay Kumar(AK) and Katrina Kaif (KK) along with the host and some other guy who I cannot recognize (I'm guessing he is one of those Bollywood wannabees, has-beens, or would-bees, or a relative of a wannabe, hasbeen or wouldbe .... the latter is almost always true, isn't it?)
Now I'm not quite sure what Richard Hadlee is doing in India ... is he broke? Or is he being offered just so much money that he has to sit around and listen to Katrina Kaif complain when Akshay Kumar doesn't accept that she made so many runs while being the "batsperson" on the sets of 'Namaste London' (I don't know if I have the name right ... I don't care too much for the crap anyway, given my dereliction for Bollywood .... I know I know several people think that its the greatest, most wonderful, most intelligent film industry in the world but don't even get me started on what I think of it)
KK: "I'm so devastated that AK doesn't remember I was such a great batsperson while we were in London shooting for (some movie i don't know). I hit it really far"
RH: "How many runs did you make"
KK: "I couldn't run . ... i was wearing a costume .... my sister was running for me" (I guess I should watch out for her sisters' movie debut with bated breath... or does she need to date one of the Khan's for that too?)
Anyway I watch in mild surprise as Richard Hadlee (RH) tries to look interested ... while simultaneously being painfully aware of the ludicrousness that envelops him.....In the meanwhile, someone tells RH that AK is a black-belt.
RH: (trying to get in on the inanity) "maybe you should be my bodyguard"
AK: "If you can pay me as much as I make in Bollywood, I will be your bodyguard" (RH tries not to look insulted)
AK: "BTW I want to ask you a question .... Do you watch Bollywood movies"
RH: "I dont"
AK: "WHY?" (looking disgruntled ... maybe he doesn't know what plenty of Indians don't like Bollywood movies . ... and dont like most of the crap from Hollywood either)
By now, I'm sick to my stomach of the whole thing and I flip to something that more palatable.
Like I said, theres plenty wrong with the world to ensure that a person of Hadlee's accomplishments and stature is actually sharing a stage with someone who wears ketchup for a living and spends his time selling the same inane crap over and over again to an inane audience that can't seem to get enough of sheer stupidity and song and dance routines .... but every once in a while when you juxtapose quality with crap ... the effect is exquisitely terrible.
And finally, when will Pepsi ever learn that they are an American company and that trying to associate their brand with a notion of Indian patriotism that is based on the opportunism of overpaid, underachieving cricketers not to mention nonsensical advertising simply is like trying to climb Everest with noodles for rope!
Dont their execs watch Bangladesh tear our "tigers" apart? "Ladega to jeetega" ... yeah, right!
Pepsi embodies all that is synonymous with the average collective intelligence of Bollywood - their ads say .... India is playing world cup - if we are patriotic, we should cheer our team win - else u are not patriotic..... and if u are patriotic and are cheering India, you must love Sachin and his friends and you must love Pepsi, right? ...................Nice try!
Pepsi, when will you ever learn ...just shut up and tell the country u are selling sweet fizz and thats it. I may even buy a can if you did.
AK, you are better of keeping ur mouth shut until you have to make some inane comments in the recording studio ... if it helps tie that blackbelt around your mouth to secure it.
KK, please try dating someone who knows a few more producers directors and has a slightly cleaner image
And finally, Richard Hadlee...... you've been a real life hero, a world record holder and a credit to your profession .... dont throw all that away for some money and insurance benefits.
To cap all of this ... let us spare a thought for Bob Woolmer ... a hardworking, honest man who met a sad end in circumstances (cricketing and non-cricketing) that he had very little control over .... maybe we are all climbing Everest (or Kilimanjaro, if you prefer) with noodles for ropes .... we may just not know it.
Adios .... see you soon. And look on the bright side... its the best you can do :-)
Flipping through TV channels, I stumble upon a cricket show on a news channel called "Headlines Today". India are taking lunch after having scored 413 against a hapless Bermudian attack in an exhibition a friend of mine would call killing a dead snake.
On the sets are Sir Richard Hadlee(RH), Akshay Kumar(AK) and Katrina Kaif (KK) along with the host and some other guy who I cannot recognize (I'm guessing he is one of those Bollywood wannabees, has-beens, or would-bees, or a relative of a wannabe, hasbeen or wouldbe .... the latter is almost always true, isn't it?)
Now I'm not quite sure what Richard Hadlee is doing in India ... is he broke? Or is he being offered just so much money that he has to sit around and listen to Katrina Kaif complain when Akshay Kumar doesn't accept that she made so many runs while being the "batsperson" on the sets of 'Namaste London' (I don't know if I have the name right ... I don't care too much for the crap anyway, given my dereliction for Bollywood .... I know I know several people think that its the greatest, most wonderful, most intelligent film industry in the world but don't even get me started on what I think of it)
KK: "I'm so devastated that AK doesn't remember I was such a great batsperson while we were in London shooting for (some movie i don't know). I hit it really far"
RH: "How many runs did you make"
KK: "I couldn't run . ... i was wearing a costume .... my sister was running for me" (I guess I should watch out for her sisters' movie debut with bated breath... or does she need to date one of the Khan's for that too?)
Anyway I watch in mild surprise as Richard Hadlee (RH) tries to look interested ... while simultaneously being painfully aware of the ludicrousness that envelops him.....In the meanwhile, someone tells RH that AK is a black-belt.
RH: (trying to get in on the inanity) "maybe you should be my bodyguard"
AK: "If you can pay me as much as I make in Bollywood, I will be your bodyguard" (RH tries not to look insulted)
AK: "BTW I want to ask you a question .... Do you watch Bollywood movies"
RH: "I dont"
AK: "WHY?" (looking disgruntled ... maybe he doesn't know what plenty of Indians don't like Bollywood movies . ... and dont like most of the crap from Hollywood either)
By now, I'm sick to my stomach of the whole thing and I flip to something that more palatable.
Like I said, theres plenty wrong with the world to ensure that a person of Hadlee's accomplishments and stature is actually sharing a stage with someone who wears ketchup for a living and spends his time selling the same inane crap over and over again to an inane audience that can't seem to get enough of sheer stupidity and song and dance routines .... but every once in a while when you juxtapose quality with crap ... the effect is exquisitely terrible.
And finally, when will Pepsi ever learn that they are an American company and that trying to associate their brand with a notion of Indian patriotism that is based on the opportunism of overpaid, underachieving cricketers not to mention nonsensical advertising simply is like trying to climb Everest with noodles for rope!
Dont their execs watch Bangladesh tear our "tigers" apart? "Ladega to jeetega" ... yeah, right!
Pepsi embodies all that is synonymous with the average collective intelligence of Bollywood - their ads say .... India is playing world cup - if we are patriotic, we should cheer our team win - else u are not patriotic..... and if u are patriotic and are cheering India, you must love Sachin and his friends and you must love Pepsi, right? ...................Nice try!
Pepsi, when will you ever learn ...just shut up and tell the country u are selling sweet fizz and thats it. I may even buy a can if you did.
AK, you are better of keeping ur mouth shut until you have to make some inane comments in the recording studio ... if it helps tie that blackbelt around your mouth to secure it.
KK, please try dating someone who knows a few more producers directors and has a slightly cleaner image
And finally, Richard Hadlee...... you've been a real life hero, a world record holder and a credit to your profession .... dont throw all that away for some money and insurance benefits.
To cap all of this ... let us spare a thought for Bob Woolmer ... a hardworking, honest man who met a sad end in circumstances (cricketing and non-cricketing) that he had very little control over .... maybe we are all climbing Everest (or Kilimanjaro, if you prefer) with noodles for ropes .... we may just not know it.
Adios .... see you soon. And look on the bright side... its the best you can do :-)
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