Mundane Musings

Royal Bank of Scotland offered us free tickets to a movie on Fridays. While the last two were good. The one we saw yesterday was hopeless. Its called Funny People. IS THIS COMEDY??? I wanted to hang myself for seeing this movie. Not one joke worth laughing at. Seemed all of them were competing for "who speaks the most abusive language"award, ladies included. We walked out halfway through the film. Seriously now my respective for Malayalam film directors and comedians have doubled. They are simply the best in comedy and maybe Hollywood could take a cue from them rather than making such silly films.

A very interesting and thought provoking article sent by one of my friends: hhttp://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article12545.htmlttp:// Definitely worth reading.

Why is it that new relationships freak me out? I dont know. I have had 3 jobs and each time I went into the new one I was so scared of meeting unfamiliar faces. Now I am scared of the new member coming into the family. Maybe I was never comfortable with any one person for long enough. I always have thought if I had made a different set of friends like the ones I have now when I was back at my hometown. On the brighter side , my second slogan this year has won me a prize. A much coveted Friends DVD for a friendship day competition. Maybe I should concentrate more on slogans.

Recently we went on the Chennai Hop On Hop Off tour. It was the first of its kind that I was undertaking in India. There are basically 2 routes. One into the city of Chennai and one on the ECR. The ECR route was the one we chose. The stops included the Thiruvithanthai temple , Dakshina Chitra, MGM , Mayajaal, Crocodile Bank , Muttukadu boating house and Mahabalipuram. Ok I have messed up the order, but the idea is that it covers all these places which are major hotspots along the ECR. And there are certain discounts at these places also. Like for instance the Muttukadu boat ride is available free with these tickets. The bus tour has been organized by TTDC and costs around Rs 190 for the ECR route(after introductory discounts, dunno if its still there). I am told the city route comes to around Rs 250. The buses are new and air-conditioned. So the ride is enjoyable. There is a guide on board every bus.The only deterrent that day was the weather as it was the end of June and a good 40 deg...

Resignation and a long vacation has not done much good for me on the financial side but am reading lots of books these days a bit too much for my own liking , but its a variegated list. Girls of Riyadh by Raja Alsanea Mediocre but arrogant by Abhijit Bhaduri Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella The associate by John Grisham Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer Hope to review some of them in my next post.

The job's gone. Money's gone. Life is at a complete standstill. What can I do now? I am completely helpless.I dont have anyone to turn to now. I am all alone in this world. Life hasnt even started properly, but I want it to end quickly. Probably my state of mind is not uncommon in the cases of quite a few people given the times we live. Atleast that's what I read in a recent article in the week magazine. The confusion prevailing in the lives of many people in their 20's and 30's. In the 90's we were in a hurry to grow up. But now we want to turn back time . Return to childhood. Hoping life wasnt so complicated. Hoping that our parents were young again and taking care of us rather than we taking care of them. There is no such thing as unrequited love. Earlier people stayed on in marriages because of bad names in society, children's upbringing etc. But now that is not the case anymore. Divorce is rampant nowadays. Who cares about morality anymore. Spend as mu...

Recession, recession everywhere…….while it has always been bad enough that I was working on temporary contract positions all throughout my stint in Dubai; I was hoping that at least this one will click but even that was not meant to be. Thanks to this recession. What is going to happen now?They have put a freeze on permanent positions , and I being the risk taker that I am went ahead went ahead , applied for a lesser known company and got through. Am I doing the right thing by leaving my current employer which obviously in everybody else’s eyes is the best you can get in UAE?The problem is the boredom that sets into me inevitably after one year on any job. I am not suited for these desk jobs and I don’t know how many times I will repeat the same story before finally getting completely tired of doing the same thing over and over again.What is my dream job……..I really don’t know now. I wish I could go meet a career counsellor but Dubai doesn’t really have too many options without paying ...

Another good forward: Gone are the days!!! When The school reopened in June, And we settled in our new desks and benches! When we queued up in book depot, And got our new books and notes! When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, Yet managed to line up daily for the morning prayers. We learnt writing with slates and pencils, and Progressed To fountain pens and ball pens and then Micro tips! When we began drawing with crayons and evolved to Color pencils and finally sketch pens! When we started calculating first with tables and then with Clarke's tables and advanced to Calculators and computers! When we chased one another in the corridors in Intervals, and returned to the classrooms Drenched in sweat! When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors, Playgrounds, under the trees and even in cycle sheds! When all the colors in the world, Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays! When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table, Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons! When cr...

These were my entries for the sitagita blog contest: http://womensblogs.sitagita.com/BlogView.Asp?BId=906 Blogging is Therapeutic While on this topic, I would like to give a brief introduction about blogs in general. A blog or "web log" is like a personal diary. An online journal where you can write whatever you feel like. It doesn't have an intended audience in most cases. It can include even photos, videos, links to other articles etc. You can set preferences as to whether your blog can be read by the public or only select friends. Blogs are normally listed in the reverse chronological order with the latest entry on top. You can categorize them according to different subjects as well. There are blogs on how to write, how to cook, techie blogs, health subjects. Anything, you name it you got it. Now, back to the topic: Is a blog therapeutic? Yes, I agree with that. Why? I can say from my own experience , that on the days when I used to feel bad, or tired from a hectic wor...

The following tips were given by Robin Sharma at the recently concluded Emirates Airlines International Festival of Literature: Read inspirational books, great autobiographies, go on the Internet and get good information in your mind. Eat good food, because you become what you eat. Listen to great music Protect your environment and your thinking Savor the simple, but don't give up your nice things Take care of your health Think about your legacy, the influence in the world around you.

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/02/25/stories/2009022550380100.htm - Old timers on Madras , there seems to be regular interviews of them these days in Metro plus. How I miss reading that paper now. Top Indian bloggers address list: http://www.labnol.org/india-blogs/indian-bloggers.html

These are some pics I received as an email forward. I dont know who took these pics but they are really fantastic.

The amount of traffic today between Sharjah and Dubai was unbelievable. It took me 2 and a half hours to reach my office which is about 10km away. I shudder to think of the nightmare for people who would have traveled further than that. Who cares about the people working here anyway? There is a global recession here but all the people here drive expensive 4-wheel drives. And most of them have only 1 person seated in the vehicle. Why cant office colleagues car pool and go to the office.The traffic has worsened since the recession started thanks to construction work/metro projects on all the major roads. All the people were in some sort of a frenzy here. I think most of them have gone mad. Question is when is this going to end? Rents have all started coming down. But there doesnt seem to be any sure signs of a mass exodus from Dubai.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=40797

These are 2 very interesting articles I read on the internet recently http://www.rediff.com/money/2009/feb/06satyam-employee-writes-from-the-heart.htm http://specials.rediff.com/money/2009/feb/09slide5-the-end-of-the-gulf-dream.htm

After reading the White Tiger and watching Slumdog Millionaire, I really felt as if I was born and brought up in a 3rd world country. As is the case with the 2 previous booker prize winning books that I have read namely the The God of Small Things and The Inheritance of Loss this too was a disappointment. And I have decided not to pick up any more books just because they won the booker prize. What is the criteria based on which books are shortlisted for the booker I wonder? Adiga's White Tiger has no great storyline none whatsoever, it is just the story of another villager making it big in the city. And the usual city-slickers being bad stuff. I have seen "N" number of bollywood, kollywood and tollywood films on the same theme. Frankly why read one more book like this.Are everyone staying in cities bad?? Admitted that there is a caste system which is an unnecessary evil for India. But there are many using this caste system to their own advantage for education , jobs etc e...

Sun in Gemini Like the inconstant moon, your mind is constantly on the move--inquisitive, precocious, restless and changing. Versatility is your mainstay, and you can do many things at once. You have a need to communicate on all levels, whether it be through speaking, writing, broadcasting or sign language. Your logical, rational mind works quickly, and has great potential--especially when it works through some media. You most likely enjoy talking on the telephone, whether initiating a conversation or responding. Your youthful, lively personality is like a magnet, and people of all walks of life are drawn to you. Your worst fault is that your many interests could make you lean towards superficiality. This could also lead to never finishing projects once started. You can curb these traits by focusing in on your skills, and choosing only a few areas in which to become an expert. Your winsome ways make you the natural salespeople of the zodiac; you could sell anything to anyone, anytime. ...

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2009/01/28/stories/2009012850050100.htm

7DAYS.ae Claiming ‘Slumdog’ Wednesday 28 Jan, 2009 I totally agree with the reader Jayakrishna about his views on ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. While Danny Boyle’s depiction of poverty is not totally incorrect, there are several scenes in the film which was toofar-fetched. The scene where the boy Jamal jumps from the makeshift“toilet” was un! called for. And both the real life hosts of the TV show‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ namely Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan were very courteous towards the contestants and treated each of them with the same amount of respect no matter which part of society they were from. Unlike the protagonist played by Anil Kapoor in the film. Even if this film were to bag all the Oscars it has been nominated for. We as Indians should not rejoice about them. On the occasion of our Republic Day, we should take a vow to improve our country and remove poverty so that no more movies romanticising our poverty should be made.

How Do You Measure Success?By Shawn Driscoll One of the places I often start with a new client is to have them answer this question: "At this stage of my life/career/business success is?" By starting with a clear definition of what success looks like for them, we have a compass by which to measure their success. But recently, I've started to notice an interesting pattern. Many of my clients, colleagues, and friends (and yes, even yours truly!) go after certain goals for one set of reasons, but then later measure their success against a completely different set of reasons or standards. Here's an example of what I mean: One of my clients had set a goal of increasing the visibility of her business by getting lots of PR. So, she set about doing the things that would get her media interviews and lots of visibility. And it worked like gangbusters! In less than 90 days she had been featured in several prominent national newspapers, radio shows and even television. And yet, s...

WHY I AM A HINDU-A MUST READ for Hindus Four years ago, I was flying from JFK NY Airport to SFO to attend a meeting at Monterey , CA An American girl was sitting on the right side, near window seat. It indeed was a long journey - it would take nearly seven hours. I was surprised to see the young girl reading a Bible unusual of young Americans. After some time she smiled and we had few acquaintances talk.I told her that I am from India Then suddenly the girl asked: 'What's your faith?' 'What?' I didn't understand the question. 'I mean, what's your religion? Are you a Christian? Or a Muslim?' 'No!' I replied, 'I am neither Christian nor Muslim'. Apparently she appeared shocked to listen to that. 'Then who are you?' 'I am a Hindu', I said. She looked at me as if she was seeing a caged animal. She could not understand what I was talking about. A common man in Europe or US knows about Christianity and Islam, as they are t...

It's been a while since I posted anything meaningful on blogger. Well reason being that I was on holiday in December. And January has been really hectic with new projects , parties et al. Apart from that for the first time in many years I have read 3 books in 2 months time. This is really an achievement for a time constrained person like me. The books are : The Immigrant by Manju Kapur, Married but Available by Abhijit Bhaduri and Grandmother's Tale by R.K.Narayan. Admitted that the last one was rather a small book but I consider all this an achievement nevertheless. Of the lot the book I liked the most was Married but Available by Abhijit Bhaduri. Of course with due respect to R.K.Narayan who still remains my most favorite author till date. Its just that MBA(Married but Available) dealt with so many real life issues and yet had a good feel about it. And unlike most NRI authors it was not degrading India for a change.I liked the way he brought in simple management principles in...

When discussing about the ongoing war, I realised the lesson I learnt from playing the game of Risk. I quit the game early on primarily because I didn’t want to be attacked nor did I want to attack. While with the others it was only a question of winning. Even in real life people are only bothered about winning and they will trample whatever is on the way to achieving it. The final result of the game ? Nobody won! As is the case in real life nobody wins! But some people lost the lives of their loved ones.