HE Knows What’s The Best!

When I Asked God for Strength
He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face!

When I Asked God for Brain & Brown
He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve!

When I Asked God for Happiness
He Showed Me Some Unhappy People!

When I Asked God for Wealth
He Showed Me How to Work Hard!

When I Asked God for Favours
He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard!

When I Asked God for Peace
He Showed Me How to Help Others!

God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted
He Gave Me Everything I Needed.

-- Swami Vivekanand

Have I Lost It?

Its a question which has been hitting me on and off these days. There are so many things going around these days regarding work that this question pops up every time…

On 4th July, I completed 4 years in the IT industry. It has been a great journey. But somehow I don’t feel its going as good as it was or as it should be. And there are reasons to it…

With each passing year, I was aiming at certain areas that I wanted to cover as part of my learning. But the things didn’t work out as I wanted. In fact, its not working out as I want. I was expecting to learn few management aspects during this last one year, but its been a failure. Thus, seeing even a single thing being mismanaged irritates me to the core! Only positive is that I learned few things which should not be done!

Indian IT is still there where it was! Mostly its extracting from either the ignorance of its user or by providing services (read manpower) at lower costs outside India. So, lower cost services (which is quite lucrative for Indian services companies) mean that you do the crap you are asked to do! And when its being earned by using the ignorance of your client, which aren’t technical enough to understand the pieces involved, that means you have the upper hand. Sometimes, I feel shocked to hear the cost itself and makes me think that what it so special we do with it that it costs so much? Honestly, what we normally do in one day at office, I can finish it up in a much shorter time. By no means I want to say that I work so well, but people I know, most of them can do it. So, why is that it does not works out at office? We all have different answers, but for me I hate if the work I am doing is donkey work! And that’s why, learning isn’t good enough and I end up wasting lot of time…

Thus, I am asking myself this one simple question these days…Have I lost the zeal to work? Am I not comfortable enough to work the way I was doing earlier? Have I lost the energy and the enthusiasm?

The answer is a YES and a NO!

Yes, I don’t feel like working on anything crap! I don’t want to work on anything that isn’t planned well. I don’t feel like wasting my energy on things that aren’t worth. I ignore discussions, meetings that starts going in wrong directions. After being 4 years in this line, I expect more maturity. And I detach myself from things if that level of maturity isn’t there! Yes, I have lost the zeal to work that way!

No, I still feel the same for my work. I just love it! I love to experiment on new things, integrate systems and bring it on a common platform. I practice all such stuff. I love learning new technologies, to see what’s going on around the world and what the world is looking at! I like to find out issues that require a technological touch to get resolved, which is what always keeps me on my toes. No, I have not not lost that energy and zeal to work!

Only solution I see to it is, move on and do independently what I like!

Hope…

Saagar ke vishal hriday mein, jab kashti hi ghabray!
Saahil door nazar na aaye, tab maajhi paar lagaaye!!

Jungle ke har zarre mein, jab maut ho taak lagaye!
Hirno ki ek toli ko, ek hiran hi raah dikhaye!!

Finally...A Day Off !!!

Finally, I took a day off! Its 26th Jan 2009, India's 60th republic day celebrations and I watched it with a smile. I actually had plans to go for flag hoisting ceremony at office. But with my habit of getting up late, I woke up at 7:45, though my alarm was ringing from 6:45. And it was impossible to reach there in 45 mins. So, I decided to take a chill pill and sleep again :)

I got up later and cherished the Republic Day Parade. Though I know there is lot of money that goes into it, but it displays our country's military might, cultural unity in diversity and a clear message that nobody can put us down. We are Indians and we are proud of it!

India knew this time the Ashok Chakra awardees very well. We all thank them for their bravery and making us live life with peace. We salute you again and again!

Another interesting thing was the salute given by a lady (Air Force parade lead) to a lady (President). Though I don't carry that kind of regards for Smt. Pratibha Patil as I had for Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, but still it was a wonderful moment :)

After parade got over, I did something I love. I slept :) From 2 to 9, I was in my dreams. I did not call anyone, neither responded to anyone. You know what, this is the best thing to do in life. Just keep on sleeping :D

Right now as well, I want to sleep but damn, I am not feeling sleepy at all. So, I have switched to 2nd best thing...Blogging! Few hours back, I also looked into various campaigns that are going across. One that I really liked was Jaggo Re campaign (www.jaagore.com) and I am also registering for it. Interesting aspect is that Election Commission of India is also recognizing and supporting it. If only, they could have done this kind of thing earlier, it would have saved my sis going door to door for election work. Teach India, Akanksha, iVolunteer were few other campaigns I went through. I believe there is lot of stuff that is happening. What I really want to check out is how it is reaching the bottom of pyramid, to the people who are far from this world of technology and all!

And I did not think of work at all today! Damn, I am going to be in trouble waters shortly! There is lot of pending work and I can see myself being axed by the load that is coming on this week. But for now, lets enjoy! Will see to work tomorrow ;)

So, a great day ends here! Probably, I will write some more! Some technical stuff as well...Google's services are really irritating me and I am gonna write a full fledged entry on that! Anyway, happy to have a day off :) :)

Year End Diary !!!

Year gone by, another in the offering! 2008 was eventful in lot of ways. Here are they:

One of the most important events was that I laid the foundation stone for my firm. Things are in progress. Planning is on a higher side. I am able to touch multiple domains now and that's making me excited. Lot of collaborations are happening and I am learning new business stuff with each passing day. Thanks to the Team! 2009 is going to be extremely important where I expect more opportunities to be converted into business, more ideas to be converted to products, domain expansion and reaching out to more and more people. I also expect meeting more people, bring more people into the team and learn new business processes.

I have rejoined Persistent Systems, after getting quite bored from R Systems. Its my team at Persistent that matters most to me than any other thing in the company. Learning is good so far and I expect more technology grasping in this new year. I may leave the company during this year itself.

I had to leave home and come to Pune which, honestly speaking, wasn't a good feeling. I miss my home and may take a U-turn shortly. But I came back to get myself more established in professional setup. So, currently I am going to focus only on that.

I have got lot more friends now and that's truly a good thing. I don't believe in having resolutions to make more friends because friendships happen Just Like That :)

I have let my ego dominate again and is a beautiful thing that has happened :). Say Go To Hell to people who don't care for you. Frankly speaking, they don't deserve to have me as their friend. There are people who care for me and I only care about them :)

As usual, I didn't follow and schedule and not going to follow anything this year as well. Gym is on cards from past some time and I, hopefully, will be continuing that. I have become more organized as far as information is concerned. I am keeping my stuff arranged pretty well, only on my machine :)

And the mantra for this year... "DO WHAT THE HEART SAYS AND DO THINGS THAT LEADS ME TO MY GOAL" :) Hell with any schedule and plans! And more India specific things will be on cards this year!

Only bad thing, I still don't have a Fanti :(

That summarizes my year! Probably I have missed few things but this looks OK for now. Have a great year ahead guys and thanks for being there! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009 :)

So, Who's Responsible???

Even I wanted to write. Throw my anger out - At politicians, at media, at terrorists, at Pakistan, at non-cooperative intelligence agencies, at anything and at everything. Frankly speaking, you just can't get away, you simply can't. But because there was so much happening, I could not find words - there was, and still is, simply frustration and anger. And I did not want to make this only copy-paste news, because we all know what happened. Because we all wrote about it and did not want to read it again and again!

I read a lot, a lot...blogs, articles, newspapers, magazines! And I thought about only one thing - Who's Responsible?? After all who is?? And for a long time, I could not find an answer...

We, in India - the Indians, call our nation...The Sleeping Tiger! The Future Superpower! Frankly speaking, we are not! No one knows about the future. And if you are a tiger who is sleeping in present or a superpower in future, what are you currently? I am a proud Indian and there are no ifs and buts to it. But there are things that we don't accept - and that we have to accept it.

Communities in India decide to break laws, disturb normal routine of life and destroy public property - all for quota. One religion fights with other because of no reason. We vote based on which party supports our community or religion, and not nation. One region hits on people from another region and there are regional clashes. Government decides to disobey Supreme Court orders to appease a community. Some regions prefer to support neighbouring countries that their own nation. Groups clash for a piece of land. For vote bank, industrialization is kicked out of state. Media starts showing live telecast of army locations for TRPs. Some people blame unbiased interrogators, commandos and their families who lay their lives to help us live peacefully. Anyone can call a bandh to get attention. Isn't it?

Then...we call ourselves Biggest Democracy in the World!! Freedom is given at a condition, that you know your duties and will perform it well. Probably, looks like that is not applicable.

And then when terrorists attack, we have something to say. Honestly, nothing is going to happen this time as well. Only because the people we choose to lead us are one of us. And, are we responsible enough to make that change? Till the time we are not, don't expect...

Is Baar Nahin !!!

Is baar jab woh choti si bachchi mere paas apni kharonch le kar aayegi
Main usey phoo phoo kar nahin behlaoonga
Panapney doonga uski tees ko
Is baar Nahin

Is baar jab main chehron par dard likha dekhoonga
Nahin gaoonga geet peeda bhula dene wale
Dard ko risney doonga,utarney doonga andar gehrey
Is baar nahin

 

Is baar main na marham lagaoonga
Na hi uthaoonga rui ke phahey
Aur na hi kahoonga ki tum aankein band karlo,gardan udhar kar lo main dawa lagata hoon
Dekhney doonga sabko hum sabko khuley nangey ghaav
Is baar nahin

Is baar jab uljhaney dekhoonga, chatpatahat dekhoonga
Nahin daudoonga uljhee door lapetney
Uljhaney doonga jab tak ulajh sake
Is baar nahin

Is baar karm ka hawala de kar nahin uthaoonga auzaar
Nahin karoonga phir se ek nayee shuruaat
Nahin banoonga misaal ek karmyogi ki
Nahin aaney doonga zindagi ko aasani se patri par
Utarney doonga usey keechad main,tedhey medhey raston pe
Nahin sookhney doonga deewaron par laga khoon
Halka nahin padney doonga uska rang
Is baar nahin banney doonga usey itna laachaar-
ki paan ki peek aur khoon ka fark hi khatm ho jaye
Is baar nahin

Is baar ghawon ko dekhna hai gaur se
Thoda lambe wakt tak
Kuch faisley
Aur uskey baad hausley
Kahin toh shuruat karni hi hogi
Is baar yahi tay kiya hai

- by Prasoon Joshi

INDIA vs. INDIA

There are two Indias in this country.

One India is straining at the leash, eager to spring forth and live up to all the adjectives that the world has been showering recently upon us.

The other India is the leash.

 

One India says, give me a chance and I’ll prove myself.

The other India says, prove yourself first and may be then you’ll have a chance.

 

One India lives in the optimism of our hearts.

The other India lurks in the skepticism of our minds.

 

One India Wants. The other India Hopes.

One India Leads. The other India Follows.

 

But conversions are on rise. With each passing day more and more people from the other India have been coming over to this side.

And quietly, while the world is not looking, a pulsating, dynamic new India is emerging.

An India whose faith in success is far greater than its fear of failure.

An India that no longer boycotts foreign made goods but buys out the companies that makes them instead.

 

History, they say, is a bad motorist. It rarely ever signals its intentions when it is taking a turn.

This is that rarely ever moment. History is turning a page.

 

For more than half a century, our nation has sprung, stumbled, run, fallen, rolled over, got up, dusted herself and cantered, sometimes lurched on.

But today, as we get into our 62^th year as a free nation, the ride has brought us to the edge of time’s greatest precipice.

 

And one India – a tiny little voice at the back of the head – is looking down at the bottom of the ravine and hesitating.

The other India is looking up at the sky and saying – It’s Time To Fly !!!

Source: India Poised