Friday, April 08, 2011
New Phase, new Blog..
Am restarting my love affair with blogging on a different platform. Do visit http://arvindshastry.wordpress.com/ for regular updates on a host of stories!! Saying goodbye to blogspot for now!!
Monday, July 05, 2010
HOME (English with subtitles)
It's time to understand and appreciate the bounties of nature, the resources that we thrive on. It's time to develop a vision not for tomorrow or day after but for the next century. What we do today will leave a lasting impact for generations to come. This movie is all about that message..
Sunday, June 06, 2010
A special moment in life..
Feels good to be back at doing what I enjoy a lot - writing. Much has happened in the last year and a blog was inevitable to describe it all!!
May 11th, 2009 was my last day at my previous company. I was happy and thrilled to fly back to Mumbai 2 days later, carrying very special memories of my 3 years in Abu Dhabi. Till date, those special memories continue to provide meaning to my life and convince me why it is worth living..
Fast track to June 1st, 2010, I find myself with a final offer - just a little over an year since I left my last job and exactly 8 years since I cracked IIT-JEE. This is a truly incredible feeling - perhaps a little less relieving that when I got my first job in IITB but nevertheless truly amazing!! Having been the last of 10 people to get through TAS in the summer placement season at IIMC (after having 9 shortlists on day 0 and being rejected in the 4 I could attend), the pre-placement offer is truly a cherry on top of the cake. I was 2nd last to be interviewed by TAS during summers (after a 2 hr wait) with 9 offers already made before me. I was the last guy to be interviewed again during the final round. Quite a coincidence but surely not a favourable one. When you need to wait for a whole day and then display all your self-confidence and passion with a smile at 11:30 in the night, it can get a little taxing. Over time, however, I have become more patient, resilient and self-confident. Taking a cue from sports, I always knew that the longer you stay in any game, the better will be your chances. Now, I can look forward to an year of festivals, photography, travel, sports and ofcourse, free-riding.
The reason I was less relieved than I was at IITB probably reflects the change in my mindset. The last few years have taught me to become more balanced in life without unduly craving for anything. I remember telling a few of my friends before my summers that I did not think too much about the PPO. I just wanted to give my best in the project and perform well at every stage of the process. This approach indeed helped me to be focussed on getting results and delivering my best. Gokul (IIMA) worked alongwith me on our project at TATA Capital. His ability to quickly analyze data and get results was incredible. I also shared my knowledge and experience with him. I helped him work in an organized manner to achieve results. Not even once I ever thought, "Why should I help him when he is my potential competitor?". And I say this irrespective of which side of the line I would have found myself. For a change, I threw away the crass IIT-IIM attitude of RG in favour of a more human, natural approach. Somewhere, I discovered my true self, which at times got lost after looking at how people around you behave, esp to win rewards. Together, we had a really good two months, delivering one quality project and discussing a wide variety of stuff under the sun (Gokul's favourite being my crush on IIMA girls). I am sure this guy will go ahead and crack bigger things in life.
Even as the final results were announced, I surprisingly found myself extremely relaxed in the room. I remember telling Romil (IIMC) in the morning that I felt confident and he can expect a call from me later in the night. I must also thank Kathikeyan (IIMA), who was my room-mate at TMTC. His ultra-cool attitude really did rub on me and made C-9 the lucky room at TMTC as both of us got the final offers. My heart really goes out to two of the final 11 who didn't make the cut. I have found myself in their position many times before, when I failed 15 interviews in IITB before cracking one!! Perhaps, it's the failure in the past which teaches one to become more balanced emotionally in life. Today, there are fewer things which elate me or deflate me than probably 4 years before. I am less affected by negative comments directed at me. At IIT, I was more desperate for a job. Today, I am quietly confident without undue worries.
My project taught me more than just aspects related to private equity. It reinforced the broad vision which I have always had for India. Today, I really feel proud that India built the Nano through it's own engineering excellence and at a cost lower than the cost of China's cheapest car. India is among the fastest growing economies in the world and might even end up ahead of China in a few years with improvement in our macreconomic conditions. At the same time, the Naxalite attacks, over-burdened infrastructure, a rat race called education, rampant corruption in the administration all seem to be pulling India down - the Medical Council of India (with its corrupt head), the BCCI (headed by a person with one leg in the coffin and still heading for ICC presidency), a judiciary (which allows Ajmal Kasab to appeal to a higher court or even the president for mercy), a democracy (which allows the Ambani brothers to broker another peace pact after nullifying the previous one), a tax authority (which collects taxes to finance the losses of Air India and the oil marketing companies), a telecom authority (which auctioned off 2G for a pittance) and many more.
As a TAS manager, I share the philosophy which the TATAs had for India. When Mr. J N Tata decided to set up a steel plant in India, he could visualize manufacturing driving India's growth. It's indeed seen to be true today. Having gone through numerous reports and news articles on India's growth for my project, I would like to end by enlisting the three most important things for India -
1) Develop infrastructure. With India adding nearly 20 million to its population every year, the need for good quality housing, water supply, power supply, transport, good schools & universities will ensure that an Indian will have living standards comparable to those in the developed nations. Infrastructure development needs to go alongwith increased focus on manufacturing sector which will cater to consumption needs of India's teeming millions besides creating jobs for people.
2) Create jobs. In India, job creation has failed to keep pace with the number of entrants to the labour pool. India is all set to add the highest number of people to the workforce over the next decade, greater than China, US and the whole of G7. If this workforce is not employed productively and used effectively to drive not only the nation's growth but also individual growth, it will only create more social and economic unrest. To this end, it's important to make education relevant and useful rather than just an academic exercise. The number of applicants to medical colleges has dropped to a tenth of the number in 2002 despite healthcare being a critical sector for India's growth. It is important to encourage diversity in professions and make careers easier for people to pursue rather than monopolizing professions, a classic example being the Gandhi family domination (I watched Rajneeti a couple of days back, one helluva movie). It's important to ensure that jobs at different levels are dignified and people get their due rather than money finding its way into a small portion of the population. I really feel for our teachers who do not get their salaries in time while performing the most important function of educating India.
3) Control our population. This is important especially from the socio-economic perspective as I feel extremely distressed to see poverty breeding poverty. In the absence of quality education among the poor classes of the society, they tend to believe that greater number of children will help provide a better future for them. However, this ends up being a vicious cycle. I believe that healthy competition in any field can sustain itself only if there is a check on the number of individuals serious about participating in it. The more dissatisfying part is politicians attempt to cash in on their votes without any serious attempt to tackle poverty at ground level. Be it in politics or media or Class X board exams, the concept of “small is beautiful” has its relevance as it is easier to focus on a smaller populace, resulting in efficient governance or administration and lesser strain on our resources.
May 11th, 2009 was my last day at my previous company. I was happy and thrilled to fly back to Mumbai 2 days later, carrying very special memories of my 3 years in Abu Dhabi. Till date, those special memories continue to provide meaning to my life and convince me why it is worth living..
Fast track to June 1st, 2010, I find myself with a final offer - just a little over an year since I left my last job and exactly 8 years since I cracked IIT-JEE. This is a truly incredible feeling - perhaps a little less relieving that when I got my first job in IITB but nevertheless truly amazing!! Having been the last of 10 people to get through TAS in the summer placement season at IIMC (after having 9 shortlists on day 0 and being rejected in the 4 I could attend), the pre-placement offer is truly a cherry on top of the cake. I was 2nd last to be interviewed by TAS during summers (after a 2 hr wait) with 9 offers already made before me. I was the last guy to be interviewed again during the final round. Quite a coincidence but surely not a favourable one. When you need to wait for a whole day and then display all your self-confidence and passion with a smile at 11:30 in the night, it can get a little taxing. Over time, however, I have become more patient, resilient and self-confident. Taking a cue from sports, I always knew that the longer you stay in any game, the better will be your chances. Now, I can look forward to an year of festivals, photography, travel, sports and ofcourse, free-riding.
The reason I was less relieved than I was at IITB probably reflects the change in my mindset. The last few years have taught me to become more balanced in life without unduly craving for anything. I remember telling a few of my friends before my summers that I did not think too much about the PPO. I just wanted to give my best in the project and perform well at every stage of the process. This approach indeed helped me to be focussed on getting results and delivering my best. Gokul (IIMA) worked alongwith me on our project at TATA Capital. His ability to quickly analyze data and get results was incredible. I also shared my knowledge and experience with him. I helped him work in an organized manner to achieve results. Not even once I ever thought, "Why should I help him when he is my potential competitor?". And I say this irrespective of which side of the line I would have found myself. For a change, I threw away the crass IIT-IIM attitude of RG in favour of a more human, natural approach. Somewhere, I discovered my true self, which at times got lost after looking at how people around you behave, esp to win rewards. Together, we had a really good two months, delivering one quality project and discussing a wide variety of stuff under the sun (Gokul's favourite being my crush on IIMA girls). I am sure this guy will go ahead and crack bigger things in life.
Even as the final results were announced, I surprisingly found myself extremely relaxed in the room. I remember telling Romil (IIMC) in the morning that I felt confident and he can expect a call from me later in the night. I must also thank Kathikeyan (IIMA), who was my room-mate at TMTC. His ultra-cool attitude really did rub on me and made C-9 the lucky room at TMTC as both of us got the final offers. My heart really goes out to two of the final 11 who didn't make the cut. I have found myself in their position many times before, when I failed 15 interviews in IITB before cracking one!! Perhaps, it's the failure in the past which teaches one to become more balanced emotionally in life. Today, there are fewer things which elate me or deflate me than probably 4 years before. I am less affected by negative comments directed at me. At IIT, I was more desperate for a job. Today, I am quietly confident without undue worries.
My project taught me more than just aspects related to private equity. It reinforced the broad vision which I have always had for India. Today, I really feel proud that India built the Nano through it's own engineering excellence and at a cost lower than the cost of China's cheapest car. India is among the fastest growing economies in the world and might even end up ahead of China in a few years with improvement in our macreconomic conditions. At the same time, the Naxalite attacks, over-burdened infrastructure, a rat race called education, rampant corruption in the administration all seem to be pulling India down - the Medical Council of India (with its corrupt head), the BCCI (headed by a person with one leg in the coffin and still heading for ICC presidency), a judiciary (which allows Ajmal Kasab to appeal to a higher court or even the president for mercy), a democracy (which allows the Ambani brothers to broker another peace pact after nullifying the previous one), a tax authority (which collects taxes to finance the losses of Air India and the oil marketing companies), a telecom authority (which auctioned off 2G for a pittance) and many more.
As a TAS manager, I share the philosophy which the TATAs had for India. When Mr. J N Tata decided to set up a steel plant in India, he could visualize manufacturing driving India's growth. It's indeed seen to be true today. Having gone through numerous reports and news articles on India's growth for my project, I would like to end by enlisting the three most important things for India -
1) Develop infrastructure. With India adding nearly 20 million to its population every year, the need for good quality housing, water supply, power supply, transport, good schools & universities will ensure that an Indian will have living standards comparable to those in the developed nations. Infrastructure development needs to go alongwith increased focus on manufacturing sector which will cater to consumption needs of India's teeming millions besides creating jobs for people.
2) Create jobs. In India, job creation has failed to keep pace with the number of entrants to the labour pool. India is all set to add the highest number of people to the workforce over the next decade, greater than China, US and the whole of G7. If this workforce is not employed productively and used effectively to drive not only the nation's growth but also individual growth, it will only create more social and economic unrest. To this end, it's important to make education relevant and useful rather than just an academic exercise. The number of applicants to medical colleges has dropped to a tenth of the number in 2002 despite healthcare being a critical sector for India's growth. It is important to encourage diversity in professions and make careers easier for people to pursue rather than monopolizing professions, a classic example being the Gandhi family domination (I watched Rajneeti a couple of days back, one helluva movie). It's important to ensure that jobs at different levels are dignified and people get their due rather than money finding its way into a small portion of the population. I really feel for our teachers who do not get their salaries in time while performing the most important function of educating India.
3) Control our population. This is important especially from the socio-economic perspective as I feel extremely distressed to see poverty breeding poverty. In the absence of quality education among the poor classes of the society, they tend to believe that greater number of children will help provide a better future for them. However, this ends up being a vicious cycle. I believe that healthy competition in any field can sustain itself only if there is a check on the number of individuals serious about participating in it. The more dissatisfying part is politicians attempt to cash in on their votes without any serious attempt to tackle poverty at ground level. Be it in politics or media or Class X board exams, the concept of “small is beautiful” has its relevance as it is easier to focus on a smaller populace, resulting in efficient governance or administration and lesser strain on our resources.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
That elite league
I have been thinking about writing a blog for some time but never quite managed to get down to writing one. When I did find the time & inclination to write one, I found myself 35000 ft above sea level on the way to Kolkata. The last 7 years have been somewhat like this – Scaling new heights & finding myself at the threshold of even bigger things. What seemed nearly impossible at one stage seems within the radar now. Sach is life – you build it brick by brick.
I was on top of the world 7 years ago when I cracked the most difficult examination in the world to enter the hallowed portals of IIT Bombay. Life has come a full circle since then. Well, never quite reached the same level of achievement but experienced some truly amazing moments along the way. Looking back, one always wonders,” How did I ever manage to do that?”. I am sure almost everyone must have felt this at some point of time. At IIT, I had a different set of problems to deal with – My own low self-esteem at times coupled with the dream to crack a well-paying job (WPJ) haunted me for a long time. I was unhappy about something, perhaps about the lack of ability to control my life & that of my family. Somewhere, there was this deep desire in me to improve the state of affairs in my family. Nevertheless, I enjoyed IIT, although differently. I was very clear at the outset about what I intended to do at the end of 4 years. I am happy I stuck with that & didn’t allow anything else to distract me. No GRE, No CAT for me. Quite frankly, I knew I needed a WPJ even if it meant I would not be satisfied in the short run. Now, I believe that stage is over & I have newer challenges to look forward to. WPJs no longer make me lose sleep over them. I have developed the firm self-belief that if you are good enough, you will succeed in whatever profession or career you choose. What actually determines your character is the goal you choose & your pursuit of that goal. Yes, I kicked a WPJ in pursuit of my dreams & I can now smile at my choice.
I believe one needs to feel vindicated of one’s efforts or choices in the form of milestones along the path towards one’s dreams. Those milestones are good indicators of how committed you are in your efforts & how much potential you possess. When I joined TECHNIP as a process engineer, I was excited about working in core engineering in the oil & gas sector. However, I always knew that my heart lay in the field of education & sooner or later, I would be returning to it. Anything else would merely be an experience along the way. However, these experiences also tested my mettle in different ways. I was expected to be proficient as an engineer. At the same time, I learnt to interact with friendly & not-so-friendly people. Yeah, even that is a challenge of sorts!! However, the most memorable memories of my job in Abu Dhabi have predominantly been out of office. After what happened to mom during my 3rd year at IIT, I was very conscious about erasing all bad memories of the past & infuse a fresh breath of life into my family. Which is why it is easier for me to forget all the technical reports I prepared for my client but what really stuck is my parents watching me play my favourite sport in an international arena!!! The cricket field remains one of the few places where I have displayed my passion & emotions to the fullest. You don’t expect an engineer to jump up & down in office in front of his boss. I was missing all of that. Travelling in the Gulf remains one of my most fond memories but clearly, the lack of challenge, being away from the people whom I love & my pursuit of my dreams all encouraged me to prepare me for MBA.
If IIT was a peak conquered with great commitment & self-belief, IIM has to be my reward for tremendous focus & desire to move ahead in pursuit of my dreams. The entrance exam doesn’t matter when you live in a desolate place with average thinkers who cannot seem to think much beyond what they earn at the end of each month. To pull yourself out of such a stupor & false satisfaction is really tough. It’s easier to accept a WPJ however drab it may be rather than fight it out for something more meaningful in life. I really never looked at MBA as an end. It was always only a standpoint on my incredible journey. The IIMs just happened to make it a very memorable one!!
IIT taught me the importance of self-discipline & focus. It’s easy to get swayed by what your peers do or don’t do. At times, it’s hard to listen to your own mind but that’s the challenge. Nevertheless, I learnt a lot from all my friends at IIT. All of them have gone on in different directions – some are pursuing their PhDs, some have completed their MBAs & others are climbing up the career ladder in their jobs. My stint at Abu Dhabi was my first lesson in finance management. For a person who didn’t get much pocket money in his school or college days, drawing a 7-figure salary was a huge responsibility in every sense of the term. At the same time, all the money never made me egoistic. They never made think low about my own dreams, no matter how difficult they seemed to be. I always hated people who linked dreams to your bank balance. There are materialistic desires & then, there are DREAMS, which this narrow-minded group of people could never differentiate between.
At IIT, I had the opportunity to study & interact with arguably some of the best students in the country. Not just their technical skills, but their literary skills, sports skills, music skills, acting skills & DREAMS at times amazed me. I felt elevated to a different level. Which is why I always felt that one’s company does matter. IIMs are capable of providing me with the same environment & that’s the reason I look forward to the next two years with great enthusiasm. I knew this opportunity comes to a very small group of people. It’s really huge – to be called an IIT-IIM grad!!
I was on top of the world 7 years ago when I cracked the most difficult examination in the world to enter the hallowed portals of IIT Bombay. Life has come a full circle since then. Well, never quite reached the same level of achievement but experienced some truly amazing moments along the way. Looking back, one always wonders,” How did I ever manage to do that?”. I am sure almost everyone must have felt this at some point of time. At IIT, I had a different set of problems to deal with – My own low self-esteem at times coupled with the dream to crack a well-paying job (WPJ) haunted me for a long time. I was unhappy about something, perhaps about the lack of ability to control my life & that of my family. Somewhere, there was this deep desire in me to improve the state of affairs in my family. Nevertheless, I enjoyed IIT, although differently. I was very clear at the outset about what I intended to do at the end of 4 years. I am happy I stuck with that & didn’t allow anything else to distract me. No GRE, No CAT for me. Quite frankly, I knew I needed a WPJ even if it meant I would not be satisfied in the short run. Now, I believe that stage is over & I have newer challenges to look forward to. WPJs no longer make me lose sleep over them. I have developed the firm self-belief that if you are good enough, you will succeed in whatever profession or career you choose. What actually determines your character is the goal you choose & your pursuit of that goal. Yes, I kicked a WPJ in pursuit of my dreams & I can now smile at my choice.
I believe one needs to feel vindicated of one’s efforts or choices in the form of milestones along the path towards one’s dreams. Those milestones are good indicators of how committed you are in your efforts & how much potential you possess. When I joined TECHNIP as a process engineer, I was excited about working in core engineering in the oil & gas sector. However, I always knew that my heart lay in the field of education & sooner or later, I would be returning to it. Anything else would merely be an experience along the way. However, these experiences also tested my mettle in different ways. I was expected to be proficient as an engineer. At the same time, I learnt to interact with friendly & not-so-friendly people. Yeah, even that is a challenge of sorts!! However, the most memorable memories of my job in Abu Dhabi have predominantly been out of office. After what happened to mom during my 3rd year at IIT, I was very conscious about erasing all bad memories of the past & infuse a fresh breath of life into my family. Which is why it is easier for me to forget all the technical reports I prepared for my client but what really stuck is my parents watching me play my favourite sport in an international arena!!! The cricket field remains one of the few places where I have displayed my passion & emotions to the fullest. You don’t expect an engineer to jump up & down in office in front of his boss. I was missing all of that. Travelling in the Gulf remains one of my most fond memories but clearly, the lack of challenge, being away from the people whom I love & my pursuit of my dreams all encouraged me to prepare me for MBA.
If IIT was a peak conquered with great commitment & self-belief, IIM has to be my reward for tremendous focus & desire to move ahead in pursuit of my dreams. The entrance exam doesn’t matter when you live in a desolate place with average thinkers who cannot seem to think much beyond what they earn at the end of each month. To pull yourself out of such a stupor & false satisfaction is really tough. It’s easier to accept a WPJ however drab it may be rather than fight it out for something more meaningful in life. I really never looked at MBA as an end. It was always only a standpoint on my incredible journey. The IIMs just happened to make it a very memorable one!!
IIT taught me the importance of self-discipline & focus. It’s easy to get swayed by what your peers do or don’t do. At times, it’s hard to listen to your own mind but that’s the challenge. Nevertheless, I learnt a lot from all my friends at IIT. All of them have gone on in different directions – some are pursuing their PhDs, some have completed their MBAs & others are climbing up the career ladder in their jobs. My stint at Abu Dhabi was my first lesson in finance management. For a person who didn’t get much pocket money in his school or college days, drawing a 7-figure salary was a huge responsibility in every sense of the term. At the same time, all the money never made me egoistic. They never made think low about my own dreams, no matter how difficult they seemed to be. I always hated people who linked dreams to your bank balance. There are materialistic desires & then, there are DREAMS, which this narrow-minded group of people could never differentiate between.
At IIT, I had the opportunity to study & interact with arguably some of the best students in the country. Not just their technical skills, but their literary skills, sports skills, music skills, acting skills & DREAMS at times amazed me. I felt elevated to a different level. Which is why I always felt that one’s company does matter. IIMs are capable of providing me with the same environment & that’s the reason I look forward to the next two years with great enthusiasm. I knew this opportunity comes to a very small group of people. It’s really huge – to be called an IIT-IIM grad!!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
About self-belief, my mom and dreams
I do believe I have turned the tide back in the last two months, thanks to mom's support. I still remember that day in August when my flat-owner literally dropped a bombshell on me when he told me that he had resigned and was leaving the place. This was precisely 5 days before mom was to come over here. I had just returned from India and had fallen sick. Still I was feeling positive thinking about the mom's arrival over here.
Through the sickness, I had to run around looking for a room to live in. Flats are unaffordable in Abu Dhabi unless you have nothing better to do with your money. I was given the option of renting out my owner's flat for 130000 AED per annum. At today's rate, that would translate to 17 lakh rupees per annum!!! On top of this, there is the issue of bachelor's not being allowed so easily to rent out flats. You need a company letter or a marriage certificate or some such stupid document to be eligible to live in a flat peacefully. Even going to agents won't make your pocket feel any better!! Besides, I perfectly know why I am here. Still I had a problem at hand!!
I listed out all accommodations available from my company intranet forum. I was helplessly making calls trying to get a decent accommodation where I can keep my mom as well. I tried one place and it did not work out. My fever was getting to me and I had to go to office as well the next day. Things were only getting more tough. I had planned to bring my mom to help me with my preparation for GMAT. I always considered mom a pretty good hand at such stuff as she has so often done for me in the past. It's better to keep her over here than to waste such a crucial resource cleaning utensils and washing clothes at home!!
I made another call and went, unwillingly, to the place as it was far away from office. However, I found the family pretty good and the room was very spacious. In such turbulent times, I did not bother giving it a second thought and just paid the initial advance. Two days later, mom came to Abu Dhabi and the very next day, I shifted all my stuff to the new place, courtesy two pick-up van trips and a friend's car. I still knew I had an exam to give and my preparation was going nowhere at that point of time. Soon, we adjusted to the new place. Mom was allowed to use the kitchen and the uncle and aunty were extremely good to us.
The next bombshell came when I realised that GMAT dates were not available in Abu Dhabi post Sept 18th. That left me with 3.5 weeks to prepare well and get a good score. I booked my date and requested for a 5-day leave at office. I really didn't believe that I could make things happen but yes, with mom's constant backing and reduced working hours during Ramzan, I put in long hours at "work". Yes, work it was and the results are there now. A good GMAT score has opened up some new options for me. I can even consider an industry and function switch, something which can offer me more challenges that what I am facing now.
We visited Ajman and some new places in Abu Dhabi, watched a few movies and wrote b-school applications in the remaining time. The best part was that mom was there here with me on my birthday and that has happened for two years in a row now. Today, mom left for India. She is on her flight as I write this. However, I am pretty sure she must be thinking about me just as I am sitting and writing about her.
I have realised over the last few years that to make things happen, you need to take the initiative. Those who are afraid of failure shall probably never succeed in the true sense. Also, what differentiates the great from the good is the ability to successfully carry everyone ahead. I know in these tough times, I have not been able to keep in touch with my special friends. However, I still believe these experiences will keep me in good stead for the future. My special friends may leave, thinking of me as some selfish guy who is only interested in his own future. I may not be able to control their emotions and thoughts. However, as mom left today, I felt that I am doing my responsibility as a son. My mom considers me a special son, who is able to love her so much. I feel really proud about it. So what if it means I am having to ignore even some of the closest people for now. A duty is a duty. A dream is a dream.
For long, I have seen too many people compromise with their most prized possessions. Infact, these people don't even know that they possess those things. Humanity is thrown out of the window. The definition of love is only limited to the one that can exist between two strangers who get married. However, I still belong to old school of thought. I am pretty much an innocent guy today as I was 24 years ago. And I still love the person who brought me into this world as much as I loved her before.
Some things can never change. It doesn't mean that I do not value others and disregard their feelings for me. It only means that I am doing what an ideal son can do. Sure, a time will come when other things will begin to hold sway over me. I am prepared to wait for such a time. But if others are not, it's their wish. I do not own anyone nor have I purchased them. My doors shall always remain open for anyone and everyone who wishes to talk to me.
I do not know whether I am happy with life or not. Some people claim that I must be pretty happy - with a handsome job and handsome salary and some pretty sky-high ambitions. I believe happiness is relative. Sometimes, what others think makes you happy isn't quite the thing you are searching for. Yes, that particular thing may lie on your road to happiness but isn't the destination itself. However, it's better not to convince others about their notions. Let them keep those ideas unless they wish to change them.
I only wish God makes me more fearless with every passing day. It doesn't matter how the financial markets are performing or whether I will get another job tom if I leave my job today. It's about believing in the person in you - Self-belief can help you overcome any obstacle in your path. The threads of your life are in your hands no matter how helpless the situation may seem. Coz when you have this self-belief, even God will start believing in you. Remember one thing, God only offers challenges as per the capacity of an individual. He throws the toughest of challenges or choices or decisions to the people whom he thinks have nerves of steel. Indeed, those nerves may quiver for some time but as long as you are able to hold your composure, in the long run, you will find that the doors of life will start opening for you!!
So long....
Through the sickness, I had to run around looking for a room to live in. Flats are unaffordable in Abu Dhabi unless you have nothing better to do with your money. I was given the option of renting out my owner's flat for 130000 AED per annum. At today's rate, that would translate to 17 lakh rupees per annum!!! On top of this, there is the issue of bachelor's not being allowed so easily to rent out flats. You need a company letter or a marriage certificate or some such stupid document to be eligible to live in a flat peacefully. Even going to agents won't make your pocket feel any better!! Besides, I perfectly know why I am here. Still I had a problem at hand!!
I listed out all accommodations available from my company intranet forum. I was helplessly making calls trying to get a decent accommodation where I can keep my mom as well. I tried one place and it did not work out. My fever was getting to me and I had to go to office as well the next day. Things were only getting more tough. I had planned to bring my mom to help me with my preparation for GMAT. I always considered mom a pretty good hand at such stuff as she has so often done for me in the past. It's better to keep her over here than to waste such a crucial resource cleaning utensils and washing clothes at home!!
I made another call and went, unwillingly, to the place as it was far away from office. However, I found the family pretty good and the room was very spacious. In such turbulent times, I did not bother giving it a second thought and just paid the initial advance. Two days later, mom came to Abu Dhabi and the very next day, I shifted all my stuff to the new place, courtesy two pick-up van trips and a friend's car. I still knew I had an exam to give and my preparation was going nowhere at that point of time. Soon, we adjusted to the new place. Mom was allowed to use the kitchen and the uncle and aunty were extremely good to us.
The next bombshell came when I realised that GMAT dates were not available in Abu Dhabi post Sept 18th. That left me with 3.5 weeks to prepare well and get a good score. I booked my date and requested for a 5-day leave at office. I really didn't believe that I could make things happen but yes, with mom's constant backing and reduced working hours during Ramzan, I put in long hours at "work". Yes, work it was and the results are there now. A good GMAT score has opened up some new options for me. I can even consider an industry and function switch, something which can offer me more challenges that what I am facing now.
We visited Ajman and some new places in Abu Dhabi, watched a few movies and wrote b-school applications in the remaining time. The best part was that mom was there here with me on my birthday and that has happened for two years in a row now. Today, mom left for India. She is on her flight as I write this. However, I am pretty sure she must be thinking about me just as I am sitting and writing about her.
I have realised over the last few years that to make things happen, you need to take the initiative. Those who are afraid of failure shall probably never succeed in the true sense. Also, what differentiates the great from the good is the ability to successfully carry everyone ahead. I know in these tough times, I have not been able to keep in touch with my special friends. However, I still believe these experiences will keep me in good stead for the future. My special friends may leave, thinking of me as some selfish guy who is only interested in his own future. I may not be able to control their emotions and thoughts. However, as mom left today, I felt that I am doing my responsibility as a son. My mom considers me a special son, who is able to love her so much. I feel really proud about it. So what if it means I am having to ignore even some of the closest people for now. A duty is a duty. A dream is a dream.
For long, I have seen too many people compromise with their most prized possessions. Infact, these people don't even know that they possess those things. Humanity is thrown out of the window. The definition of love is only limited to the one that can exist between two strangers who get married. However, I still belong to old school of thought. I am pretty much an innocent guy today as I was 24 years ago. And I still love the person who brought me into this world as much as I loved her before.
Some things can never change. It doesn't mean that I do not value others and disregard their feelings for me. It only means that I am doing what an ideal son can do. Sure, a time will come when other things will begin to hold sway over me. I am prepared to wait for such a time. But if others are not, it's their wish. I do not own anyone nor have I purchased them. My doors shall always remain open for anyone and everyone who wishes to talk to me.
I do not know whether I am happy with life or not. Some people claim that I must be pretty happy - with a handsome job and handsome salary and some pretty sky-high ambitions. I believe happiness is relative. Sometimes, what others think makes you happy isn't quite the thing you are searching for. Yes, that particular thing may lie on your road to happiness but isn't the destination itself. However, it's better not to convince others about their notions. Let them keep those ideas unless they wish to change them.
I only wish God makes me more fearless with every passing day. It doesn't matter how the financial markets are performing or whether I will get another job tom if I leave my job today. It's about believing in the person in you - Self-belief can help you overcome any obstacle in your path. The threads of your life are in your hands no matter how helpless the situation may seem. Coz when you have this self-belief, even God will start believing in you. Remember one thing, God only offers challenges as per the capacity of an individual. He throws the toughest of challenges or choices or decisions to the people whom he thinks have nerves of steel. Indeed, those nerves may quiver for some time but as long as you are able to hold your composure, in the long run, you will find that the doors of life will start opening for you!!
So long....
Saturday, April 19, 2008
A R Rahman Live in Concert
The juggernaut rolls on...
Friends, I had the privilege of attending a LIVE musical concert by arguably the best music director in the world on 18th April at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Accompanying the maestro were a number of artists including Hariharan, Chitra, Sadhana Sargam, Blaaze, Javed Ali. It was an absolutely amazing night!!!
I came to know about the concert quite luckily through a friend during the weekend party in office on Thursday (17th April). I spent about one hour in office trying to search for sources for getting the ticket and finally, I did get one. Lunch break was spent having pizza and driving away to Spinneys to buy the ticket. I wanted to watch the show from the gallery as it provided the best view. The event also gave me a good reason to fulfill a long-standing wish of mine to get a pair of binoculars - a NIKON Action Extreme series!!!
The excitement ran through the local cricket game on friday morning until later by afternoon, my friend got his car and we were all set to rock the party!! Driving along, my friend remembered that Sivamani was known to one of his friends and he made a few calls to get Siva's cell no. Siva duly asked him to come after the concert to meet him. In the meanwhile, through one of my friends, Amith Chandran,I got hold of a few ARR fan club members who were attending the show. We all were hopeful that we could get to meet the great man himself though the odds in our favour were 1 in a billion!!!
The entry to the stadium was tough with thousands of people standing outside the gates well in advance of the concert. Somehow, I managed to squeeze my way in and secured a pretty nice seat for myself - 4th row from the top, right in front of the stage and around 50 yards from the spot where Sachin smashed Kasper for a huge six in that memorable cricket match at the Sharjah stadium!!!
The atmosphere at the concert was equally electrifying with giant screens put up - one at the centre and one by the side. There were designated areas for standees on the ground followed by seats for the VIP & VVIP sections. However, the best view was undoubtedly from the stands from where I scourged the stadium with my pair of binocs. In the meanwhile, my friend came along with his sister just in time for the show to begin and for an experience which will truly be cherished by me for years to come.
The anxious wait for Rahman continued a little longer till he came out singing Jaage Hain from Guru, a truly remarkable song for its music and sheer impact!!! He followed it up with Khalbali from RDB which had the crowds tapping their feet, just waiting to burst into a maddening dance. It was only a matter of time before the entire stadium got to its feet and sang at the top of their voices. Rahman & co gave a splendid performance with songs from Guru, RDB, Jodhaa Akbar, Roja, Dil Se, Bombay, Mangal Pandey, Lagaan and some Tamil songs. One of the highlights of the evening was watching Rahman sing Khwaja Mere Khwaja from JA and Pray for me Brother from his album Pray for me Brother.
The show ended with a scintillating rendition of Ma Tujhe Salaam, which can make your hair stand on end especially when Rahman sings it. I feel this song creates the same kind of impact on today's youth which Vande Mataram or Jana Gana Mana created on the youth during India's freedom struggle!!!
After the concert ended at 12 in the night, we tried hard to meet the artists but they all left before we could reach them. I sent an SMS to Sivamani thanking him and conveyed from regards to Rahman through him. I returned back to Abu Dhabi with the ARR fan club members and on the way, we spoke about Rahman, Rahman and only Rahman!!!
A truly memorable day had come to an end - one that I will cherish throughout my life. Hope you enjoy the pics!!
http://picasaweb.google.com/arvindshastry
Videos will be uploaded soon. So keep watching this space for more :-)
Here goes one -
This is simply awesome -
Friends, I had the privilege of attending a LIVE musical concert by arguably the best music director in the world on 18th April at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Accompanying the maestro were a number of artists including Hariharan, Chitra, Sadhana Sargam, Blaaze, Javed Ali. It was an absolutely amazing night!!!
I came to know about the concert quite luckily through a friend during the weekend party in office on Thursday (17th April). I spent about one hour in office trying to search for sources for getting the ticket and finally, I did get one. Lunch break was spent having pizza and driving away to Spinneys to buy the ticket. I wanted to watch the show from the gallery as it provided the best view. The event also gave me a good reason to fulfill a long-standing wish of mine to get a pair of binoculars - a NIKON Action Extreme series!!!
The excitement ran through the local cricket game on friday morning until later by afternoon, my friend got his car and we were all set to rock the party!! Driving along, my friend remembered that Sivamani was known to one of his friends and he made a few calls to get Siva's cell no. Siva duly asked him to come after the concert to meet him. In the meanwhile, through one of my friends, Amith Chandran,I got hold of a few ARR fan club members who were attending the show. We all were hopeful that we could get to meet the great man himself though the odds in our favour were 1 in a billion!!!
The entry to the stadium was tough with thousands of people standing outside the gates well in advance of the concert. Somehow, I managed to squeeze my way in and secured a pretty nice seat for myself - 4th row from the top, right in front of the stage and around 50 yards from the spot where Sachin smashed Kasper for a huge six in that memorable cricket match at the Sharjah stadium!!!
The atmosphere at the concert was equally electrifying with giant screens put up - one at the centre and one by the side. There were designated areas for standees on the ground followed by seats for the VIP & VVIP sections. However, the best view was undoubtedly from the stands from where I scourged the stadium with my pair of binocs. In the meanwhile, my friend came along with his sister just in time for the show to begin and for an experience which will truly be cherished by me for years to come.
The anxious wait for Rahman continued a little longer till he came out singing Jaage Hain from Guru, a truly remarkable song for its music and sheer impact!!! He followed it up with Khalbali from RDB which had the crowds tapping their feet, just waiting to burst into a maddening dance. It was only a matter of time before the entire stadium got to its feet and sang at the top of their voices. Rahman & co gave a splendid performance with songs from Guru, RDB, Jodhaa Akbar, Roja, Dil Se, Bombay, Mangal Pandey, Lagaan and some Tamil songs. One of the highlights of the evening was watching Rahman sing Khwaja Mere Khwaja from JA and Pray for me Brother from his album Pray for me Brother.
The show ended with a scintillating rendition of Ma Tujhe Salaam, which can make your hair stand on end especially when Rahman sings it. I feel this song creates the same kind of impact on today's youth which Vande Mataram or Jana Gana Mana created on the youth during India's freedom struggle!!!
After the concert ended at 12 in the night, we tried hard to meet the artists but they all left before we could reach them. I sent an SMS to Sivamani thanking him and conveyed from regards to Rahman through him. I returned back to Abu Dhabi with the ARR fan club members and on the way, we spoke about Rahman, Rahman and only Rahman!!!
A truly memorable day had come to an end - one that I will cherish throughout my life. Hope you enjoy the pics!!
http://picasaweb.google.com/arvindshastry
Videos will be uploaded soon. So keep watching this space for more :-)
Here goes one -
This is simply awesome -
Sunday, January 06, 2008
A sad day for India..
Normally, such statements might be reserved for large-scale violence or a terrorist attack involving numerous deaths but the act of 'massacre' carried out at Sydney has dented the optimism and hopes of many Indians and has indeed hurt the pride of the nation.
Cricket has evoked many emotions in me but probably this is the first time it has truly brought me out not just to back the Indian team through and through but to even support the clarion call for abandonment of the tour to uphold the spirit of the gentleman's game. India went into the Sydney test after having suffered utter humiliation at Melbourne and they showed their ability to fight back in the first two sessions at Sydney. Having Australia on the mat at 134/6, the dream cherished by Dravid, Kumble, Sachin, Laxman and Saurav, in what would be their last series down under, of winning a test series in Australia seemed real. This was definitely India's best chance to come back into the series, their best chance to create history by beating the best cricket team in their own backyard. What followed next was not just an umpiring error but also the complete dashing of hopes of a 19 year old youngster!! I remember Bucknor doing the same poor old Murali Kartik at the same venue 4 yrs ago when I bunked all classes to watch India win on the final day - a win which was not to be thanks to Bucknor!! Just imagine what confidence Ishant would have carried forward had he got the prized wicket of Symonds at that crucial juncture!! Australia went on to post a mammoth 463 runs in their first innings in which the umpires had decided not to give any stumping or LBW!! All hopes of an Indian resurgence evaporated then. Still, there was some hope in the Indian batting with the old hands of Laxman, Dravid, Sachin and Ganguly playing stellar roles to take India to a competitive total of 532.
From what I saw on TV, there is no way Harbhajan could have gone on his own will to speak something to Symonds as Harbhajan and Sachin were batting brilliantly with Harbhajan completing his first fifty against Australia in test cricket. Surely, something provocative was said to Harbhajan to make him react in that manner. The end result - Ponting and co have combined to give Harbhajan a 3-test ban. For me, this surely is the greatest testimonial of racism in cricket - where white skinned people get together to hand over punishment to a brown-skinned person!! If that controversy was not sufficient, what followed in the Australian 2nd innings was appalling. Mr. Cricket is given not out when he is on 45. He goes on to score 145 runs and Australia score 401/7 setting India a target of 333 runs in the last innings. Ofcourse, I happen to miss a few plumb LBW appeals where were very conveniently turned down!!
If there was one man on whom I would bet my life to bail India out of trouble, it would be Rahul Sharad Dravid and indeed, he lived up true to the nickname of 'The WALL' which he has earned over the years!! A certain Mr. Benson conveniently forgot to signal no-ball for over-stepping but thanks to Symonds' drop catch, Dravid's innings was not unfortunately truncated. 38 runs, 103 balls and over two and a half hours - Rahul battled on to save the test match - He is the most selfless cricketer I have ever known to have played the game!! And what we got was an absolute shocker from Bucknor to end the most hard-working innings by Rahul. Saurav's glamorous innings was cut short with Ponting giving him out. Some say that even RP Singh was not out but that is very very insignificant for me in the larger context of the game.
The series should have been 1-1 at the end of the Sydney test but it reads in official records as 2-0 in favour of Australia. The series is long gone and there is not even cricketing pride to play for since even that has been snatched away by the umpires. There is only one thing left for Kumble and co - to return back to India. Forget Australia, forget the final frontier!! I know it's hard to forget a dream which one has cherished since a long time!! But surely the dream cannot be pursued in the midst of such a 'massacre'. If Kumble and co play at Perth, they have no shame, no pride in their nation.
Cricket has evoked many emotions in me but probably this is the first time it has truly brought me out not just to back the Indian team through and through but to even support the clarion call for abandonment of the tour to uphold the spirit of the gentleman's game. India went into the Sydney test after having suffered utter humiliation at Melbourne and they showed their ability to fight back in the first two sessions at Sydney. Having Australia on the mat at 134/6, the dream cherished by Dravid, Kumble, Sachin, Laxman and Saurav, in what would be their last series down under, of winning a test series in Australia seemed real. This was definitely India's best chance to come back into the series, their best chance to create history by beating the best cricket team in their own backyard. What followed next was not just an umpiring error but also the complete dashing of hopes of a 19 year old youngster!! I remember Bucknor doing the same poor old Murali Kartik at the same venue 4 yrs ago when I bunked all classes to watch India win on the final day - a win which was not to be thanks to Bucknor!! Just imagine what confidence Ishant would have carried forward had he got the prized wicket of Symonds at that crucial juncture!! Australia went on to post a mammoth 463 runs in their first innings in which the umpires had decided not to give any stumping or LBW!! All hopes of an Indian resurgence evaporated then. Still, there was some hope in the Indian batting with the old hands of Laxman, Dravid, Sachin and Ganguly playing stellar roles to take India to a competitive total of 532.
From what I saw on TV, there is no way Harbhajan could have gone on his own will to speak something to Symonds as Harbhajan and Sachin were batting brilliantly with Harbhajan completing his first fifty against Australia in test cricket. Surely, something provocative was said to Harbhajan to make him react in that manner. The end result - Ponting and co have combined to give Harbhajan a 3-test ban. For me, this surely is the greatest testimonial of racism in cricket - where white skinned people get together to hand over punishment to a brown-skinned person!! If that controversy was not sufficient, what followed in the Australian 2nd innings was appalling. Mr. Cricket is given not out when he is on 45. He goes on to score 145 runs and Australia score 401/7 setting India a target of 333 runs in the last innings. Ofcourse, I happen to miss a few plumb LBW appeals where were very conveniently turned down!!
If there was one man on whom I would bet my life to bail India out of trouble, it would be Rahul Sharad Dravid and indeed, he lived up true to the nickname of 'The WALL' which he has earned over the years!! A certain Mr. Benson conveniently forgot to signal no-ball for over-stepping but thanks to Symonds' drop catch, Dravid's innings was not unfortunately truncated. 38 runs, 103 balls and over two and a half hours - Rahul battled on to save the test match - He is the most selfless cricketer I have ever known to have played the game!! And what we got was an absolute shocker from Bucknor to end the most hard-working innings by Rahul. Saurav's glamorous innings was cut short with Ponting giving him out. Some say that even RP Singh was not out but that is very very insignificant for me in the larger context of the game.
The series should have been 1-1 at the end of the Sydney test but it reads in official records as 2-0 in favour of Australia. The series is long gone and there is not even cricketing pride to play for since even that has been snatched away by the umpires. There is only one thing left for Kumble and co - to return back to India. Forget Australia, forget the final frontier!! I know it's hard to forget a dream which one has cherished since a long time!! But surely the dream cannot be pursued in the midst of such a 'massacre'. If Kumble and co play at Perth, they have no shame, no pride in their nation.
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