Just Like That

Jaipur Travelogue

2010-01-05T20:51:00.019+05:30

(Genre: Travel)

Jaipur in a nut shell

Hawa Mahal

Nahargarh

World's largest cannon at Jaigarh

Masti ki paathshala

Rajbhog

Puppet Show

Chokhi Daani

Some Interesting Signboards

2009-10-15T10:52:00.008+05:30

(Genre: Travelogue)

Some Interesting Signboards in my recent trip to Sikkim-Darjeeling

A place to meet "Busty" Farmers

Have you ever been to a place called Bulbulay? I have...

I can walk English, talk English but not write English...

Interesting....

The lost Railway Station Harry Potter style...

Not a signpost, but interesting none the less....

Give life your best shot

2008-11-25T13:24:00.006+05:30

Living your life on auto pilot
Following a routine like a robot

You got to wake up and pursue your dream
Let art, sports, adventure be your theme

Remove the shades, let in, the morning fog
Put on your shoes and go out for a jog

Pick up a pen and jot down your thought
Dust down the guitar, as a kid you had bought

Out of your cupboard get your dancing shoes
Observe a painting and count shades of blue

Hangout with your friends in your old seats
Together sing in chorus giving all the beats

Pay attention to your near and dear
Still find time for a bottle of beer

Give life all you have got
Give your life your best shot

Destination Goa

2008-10-30T19:49:00.003+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

Online fraud @ Indiatimes Shopping

2008-06-09T14:10:00.009+05:30

(Genre: Rang de Basanti)

We have all heard of cyber crimes like phishing and are advised to be careful of using our Credit Cards on the internet. But that is not all in how you are susceptible to be cheated on the internet. And this is an instance of a renowned corporate doing it: Indiatimes Shopping.

I bought a book (Games Indians Play) from Indiatimes website by order no. 111111376. The website states that the MRP as Rs. 325 (screen shot below) but the actual MRP printed on the book is Rs. 250 only (second screen shot below). They claim that buying this book at Indiatimes will result in a saving of Rs. 33 (Rs. 81 if you are a Book Club Member), but actually you end up paying Rs. 63 (Rs. 15 if you are a Book Club Member) more than MRP (including the courier charges).

I brought this to the attention of Indiatimes thinking that this might be a mistake. But the response I get is
"We thank you for contacting Indiatimes Shopping.
We apologize for the delay in responding you.
With reference to your mail dated 17.05.08 for order number-111111376, we would like to inform you that on website MRP (Maximum Retail Price) is mentioned as Rs. 325 which means the maximum amount which can be charged against this book is Rs. 325. But we are offering you this book at Rs. 250 which is equivalent to the price mentioned on the book.
Thank you for being a valuable customer of Indiatimes Shopping.

Thanks & Regards,
Desendar Kaur
Customer Care Services."

And the website displays the same pricing.

Now either I do not know the meaning of MRP or Indiatimes doesn't. Even if their definition of MRP is "technically" correct, I think it is illegal to qoute a price greater than MRP. To add to it if they claim that they are giving discounts (Rs. 81 in this case), that is again deceptive and intention is to fool the customer.

The problem not only stops at Customer Care executive level. I have mailed my grievance to different high level officials, including Mr. Dinesh Wadhawan (who heads Indiatimes), but I have received no response. I guess this is a systemic problem at Indiatimes and "Marketing Policy" to quote a higher than regular price and then reducing it by discounting.

Please do your due diligence before shopping online, specially at Indiatimes!!!

Hotel Karnalofonia

2008-05-08T15:07:00.016+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

Went on a road trip to Chandigarh recently. Some peculiar sights on the way:

Owner is God: Written behind a truck. Intended Translation "Bhagwan hi maalik hai" but actual translation "Maalik Bhagwan Hai"

Accidental Help: I hope no one accidentally dials 1033.

Thanda matlab Coca Coca: Something to make Coke brand ambassador proud!

Na Baba Na : Another great one liner in the league of "Buri Nazar waale tera muh kaala" and "13 mera 7"

Truck Art: One of many master pieces you can see on road.

Kaali Mandir: Ever seen a tower design black coloured temple with a dome?!!

Rebel Without A Cause

2008-04-15T17:46:00.005+05:30

Your Education System is too loose,
Whatever you've learnt, you hardly use
I wonder why they teach you calculus,
Use it or not, but learn you must
Follow the system, don't question the flaws,
You are a rebel without a cause

The corporate world is no better,
Bad practices called policy are trendsetter
Over educated mediocres make tall claim,
Failure always has someone else to blame
Out of this rat race, you want to take a pause,
You are a rebel without a cause

Cars behind you honk, if you stop at Red Light
Your friends call you a fool, if this happens late at night
For you to litter, entire city is a dustbin,
You don't need a spittoon on road to spit in
I wonder should you follow the laws,
You are a rebel without a cause

In government you dont believe,
Bunch of crooks trying to deceive
Luckily for you, just one scandal this year,
Although caught, your MP has no fear
Corruption is not new, here it always was,
You are a rebel without a cause

God begins where knowledge ends,
Its just a name given to ignorance
Blind belief,all logic defied,
In His name so many have died
In God your faith is lost,
You are a rebel without a cause

Everywhere I see, so much to despise,
I can find sorrow in different guise
Whatever they tell me, I have reservations,
I am a part of enlightened generation
And I go on as I always was,
Am I a rebel without a cause?

A Wonderland called Andaman

2008-01-31T12:17:00.000+05:30

Genre: Just like that)

Andaman: White Sand, Blue Water, Underwater Corals....the place to be...

First rule of a good vacation - Get a room with a view

Rule 2: Dont stay in the room for too long...

A dark time in Indian History....Kalapani

The time stands still at Ross Island

Snorkelling time...

I don't know the name but i like to call it Broccoli Island...

Wandering at the Wandoor Beach...

Good Morning @ Havelock Island....

Believe it or not...This is the view from the Shit Pot...Comes with the room with a view :)

Saving the best for last...Radhanagar Beach @ Havelock Island...the best beach I have ever been to...

To Cut a long story short...

2007-11-30T19:22:00.000+05:30

( Genre: Just Like That)

...or in other words - A Nano-tale. For the uninitiated, a nanotale is a story in 6 words or less.

Here's Mine:

Drive to Gurgaon. Late again today.

For those who don't think its a story, let me explain some salient points in my defence. You might be convinced that not only is it a story, but also a script for a movie.

1. It has a beginning, a middle and an end.

2. It has Drama with a lot of twists and turns and speed breakers (pun intended)!

3. It has Action. Look at any Call Center Cab drive

4. It has Emotion. "Hey Bhagwan. Yeh kaise drive kar raha hai!"

5. It has Suspense which gets cleared in the end. Whether I'll reach office on time??

6. It has Music. Horns blaring all around

So thats the story of 1/8th of my life (3 hours a day on road).

Whats yours??

Acknowledgements:

Jeffrey Archer: For the title of this post

95 FM: For introducing me to the concept of Nanotale

Happy Diwali

2007-11-12T15:50:00.000+05:30

Let there be Light.....

HAPPY DIWALI!!

Lose-Lose situation

2007-10-09T18:47:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

I have a situation.....

We have a Table Tennis tournament being organized in the company. By a random stroke of (bad) luck I have been paired with the Managing Principal (Boss of all other bosses that I have!!!) of the company as my partner.Thats not all....

By another random stroke of (worse) luck, I have been paired against the Vice President as the first round opponent.

I don't know what is worse for me...Losing with the "Boss of all Bosses" as partner or defeating the Boss.

Congratulations India - T20 World Champions

2007-09-25T11:30:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

I've paid my dues -

Time after time -

I've done my sentence

But committed no crime -

And bad mistakes

I've made a few

I've had my share of

sand kicked in my face -

But I've come through

We are the champions - my friends

And we'll keep on fighting -

till the end -

We are the champions -

We are the champions

No time for losers

'Cause we are the champions - of the world

- Queen

Camping @ Barog

2007-06-28T14:28:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

Vacationing in Barog. Some Pics...

The Camping Ground

The Tents...

The trek...

Room with a View

View from Camp

Barog Tunnel

Left side is the Right Side

2007-03-07T16:48:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

Sometime ago, I was a bachelor. I had a small room with a big double bed all to myself....and I used to sleep on the left side of the bed. I loved the left side of my bed, because the left side was the right side for so many reasons...nearer to the toilet, nearer to the exit (in case I have to evacuate), least no. of obstructions when I leave room, a nice bed side table with all the required stuff within arms reach when I was half asleep.

Then I got married. And the priest said the wife always sits on the left...That day on, my wife doesn't let me sleep on the left side - which by the way is the right side.

Yesterday she goes to her mom's home for the night. I am there alone again in my small room with the large double bed. The left side is empty. I move towards my bed......

....and I sleep on the right side - which by the way is the wrong side.

Tomb Raiders

2007-02-13T15:40:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

Back from a week long holiday from Egypt - land of Tombs, Temples and ofcourse Nile. Some pics ....

Long Long Time Ago...

2006-12-28T14:34:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

This morning on FM, I listened to the song Chhukar Mere Mann Ko.... and remembered that:

Long long time ago this was my favourite song and until this morning it was totally forgotton
Long long time ago we took friendship oaths and now we hardly keep in touch
Long long time ago we were happy with a measly pocket money but now money is never enough
Long long time ago we were bigger than the system and not we are just a redundant part
Long long time ago we enjoyed small things in life and now there is hardly any time to live it

Bubbly

2006-11-27T15:08:00.000+05:30

(Genre: I suck at poetry)

A message in a bottle....

The bottle is green
Corked on top
Elegantly placed
in a bucket of rocks.

A ribbon round the neck
golden foil adding gloss
Waiting on the table edge
to pick up and unlock

Two glasses long and slender
Called flutes by bartender
Shining pure as chroma
Narrow mouth preserves aroma

Pop goes the cork
when I shake the bottle
And out fizzes the drink
Its celebration full throttle

Pour it in a flute,
a burst of effervescence
The glasses rise for a toast
to acknowledge your presence

Some call it Champagne,
others say its Sparkling wine
I like to call it Bubbly,
and cherish it when i dine.

A Stretch in Time

2006-11-15T13:27:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

"Hold on the line for 2 minutes.", "I'll call you back in 10 minutes", "I'll see you downstairs in 5 minutes" says Dhamini.

Had I not been any smarter, I would be:

a. Still holding on to the phone
b. Still waiting for her to call
c. Still waiting in her office Parking Lot
d. All of the above

Obviously the correct answer is (d). But smartness doesn't help and I am still stuck at (d).

In I(W)ST (Indian Women's Standard Time), "5 minutes" can sometimes last for hours and days altogether. Sometimes you try to budget for it by saying that you are waiting at the door even when you are actually 10 minutes away, but still the "5 minutes" stretch to gulp down your 10 minutes grace period and takes 10 more minutes (if you are lucky). If you give 15 minutes grace, then "5 minutes" will stretch to 25. You just cannot win.

What do you do when at the end of it all, you see her rushing towards you with hands holding her ears, smiling and saying sorry at the same time ?

God of All Ages

2006-10-24T11:15:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just like That)

I think Happy Diwali is the first thing in order. Not just because the festival of lights just passed by, but also because it was at Diwali Puja that this thought originated.

Why are different Gods depicted in different ages (As in "How Old ?") ?

Lord Krishna always shown as a kid or a teenager. Surely he was old enough to be a grand dad at the time of the epic battle.
Lord Rama is always depicted as a handsome young prince. He must be middle aged when he came back from exile.
Lord Shiva is generally Middle-aged. Probably he did not do any great deeds as a kid.
Lord Brahma is the grand daddy of all Gods. Always shown as an old man sitting on a lotus in the limited temples we get to see him in.

Why is it that we don't see a young Brahma or an old Krishna anywhere? The pictures of Gods are just an artist's impression of how the Gods might be. How come all the artists see Rama as a suave young dude and Shiva as a middle aged married one ?

Whatever be the age of the God, the Godesses are always young. (Perhaps, that is why when we see a gorgeous woman, we exclaim "She's a Goddess!!")

Googl'd

2006-10-11T14:08:00.000+05:30

(Genre:Just Like That)

Sometimes one is Googled...and the search words that lead to one's site can be the most unexpected. I tried to figure out, what 'search words' leads people to this site (I checked Google references in last 100 hits). So the results are in the order - Search Words:No. of Times:The order on the Google Search.

Rakhi friendship bands:1:3
that which watched improves confucius:1:1
why lalu railways:1:3
Lalu Railways:9:3
grocessary items:1:3 (Bewildered!!!)
link:www.indiahabitat.org/main.htm:1:1
vivek oberoi space power:1:35 (Amused!!!)
karan thapar's wife1:1:6 (Baffled!!!)
Crohnn's disease:3:3 (Not once but thrice ???)
"PARADOX PROCESS" DERM BARRETT:1:3
Just Like That!:2:16
freedom of India-what it should mean to us in the present day:1:7
world cup sistine chapel:1:1
indian grocessary:1:10 (Pulling my hair!)
about lalu:1:27
Lalu + Railways + iim:1:38
"kk lui":1:3
http://www.manish/ market from india:1:1
Poem On Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani:1:18
phir bhi dil hai hindustani poem:1:18
rakhi concept:1:9
history of 93.5 red fm:1:6
religiously confused:2:1
poor jokes, pjs, sardarjis:1:1

Key Conclusions:

1. Had it not been for Lalu, people will not visit my blog
2. Search Words that bring people to the site are very different from the search words I expected will bring people to the site
3. People rarely go to the links on 3rd or later pages in Google for relevent results
4. There is a disease called the Crohnn's Disease
5. People search for odd things
6. Google leads the odd searches to my blog
7. The blog is the No. 1 search result for 6 topics listed above (yippeee!!!)

Rebel Without A Cause

2006-08-16T22:52:00.000+05:30

(Genre: I suck at poetry)

Its August 13, 2 a.m. and no electricity. Imagine the frustration build up. Slowly it reaches a threshold where it has to explode and take some form on paper. I started out writing a bad poem and ended with a bad rock song. Here goes:

REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE

Your Education System is much too loose,
Whatever you learnt, you hardly use
I wonder why they teach you calculus,
Use it or not, but learn you must
Follow the system, don't question the flaws,
You are a rebel without a cause

The corporate world is no better,
Bad practices called policy are trendsetter
Over educated mediocres make tall claim,
Failiure always has someone else to blame
Out of this rat race, you want to take a pause,
You are a rebel without a cause

Cars behind you honk, if you stop at Red Light
Your friends call you a fool, if this happens late at night
For you to litter, entire city is a dustbin,
You don't need a spittoon on road to spit in
I wonder should you follow the laws,
You are a rebel without a cause

In government you dont believe,
Bunch of crooks trying to deceive
Luckily for you, just one scandal this year,
Although caught, your MP has no fear
Corruption is not new, here it always was,
You are a rebel without a cause

God begins where knowledge ends,
Its just a name given to ignorance
Blind belief,all logic defied,
In His name so many have died
In God your faith is lost,
You are a rebel without a cause

Everywhere I see, so much to despise,
I can find sorrow in different guise
Whatever they tell me, I have reservations,
I am a part of enlightened generation
And I go on as I always was,
Am I a rebel without a cause?

Rakhi - A marketer's perspective

2006-08-09T22:06:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

Someone great once said marketing is the anti-thesis of religion. Religion asks you to leave all material pleasures to achieve the ultimate truth and moksha, whereas marketeers say that fulfil all your material needs, otherwise you will die with unfulfilled wishes and you will never be at peace.

Lets have a marketer's perspective of rakhi through the following transcript of a chat.(Festival and not that Sawant babe)...
(Disclaimer: I love the concept of rakhi in general. Its a great institution in itself, but that doesnot mean we should not question it.)

M: hi
I: howdy
I: happy rakhi
M: same to yu i guess
M: is happy rakhi a good wish btw 2 guys ??
I: i thght rakhi was symbol of love and friendship ...
M: btw brothers and sisters
I: well i say it because it keeps me in touch my culture
M: well it doesnt hurt anyway
M: so y not
M: happy rakhi
I: thank you
M: so wht else?
I: celebrating rakhi today
M: almosr yesterday now
I: ditributed some sweets in office.. spread some indian culture in amrika
M: good
I: its morning here ... dude
M: doesnt matter...wht time it is there
M: rakhi is 12 to 12 IST
M: u have 2 hours to wrap up
I: haha... festivals are not bound by such times... specially the ones that are cultural and not religious like rakhi
M: then y wait for rakhi day to happen
M: u can have it anytime of the yr
I: i think we should look at this from a global perspective ... and so rakhi shld be celebrated for 36 hrs... that will cover everyone
M: i am sure it was a marketing gimmick by a thread making compnay few hundred yrs ago
M: on the same lines as friendship day
I: doesnt matter.. it makes ppl happy and brings them closer...
M: yeha
M: i actully sometimes have these arguments with dad
M: Like yesterday he said ki we people eat a lot of junk food
M: and he was eating chhole bhature
M: i told him that junk has always been eatan
M: type has changd
I: very true
M: and this rakhi argument also happend bcos friendship day couple of days back
M: i told him in a hundred yrs friendship day will be a festival as rakhi is today
I: maybe... it has to adopted/developed/spread
M: wil happen automatically
M: all you need is greed to sell more friendship bands, cards etc.
I: yup.. but some become more famous than others
M: Lets us see in a hundred years
I: well if rakhi is too close to friendship day then it will be tough for friendship day to pick up... it might happen that rakhi and friendship converge and celebrated together...
M: but then the market will reduce
I: maybe... sometimes ppl can get overwhelmed if festivals are too close to each other...
M: we will be selling less bands
M: festivals drive economics
I: for example.. bhaiya dooj is not getting the same treatment as rakhi.. which i think is because it is overshadowed by diwali the day before
I: true but they have to be ideally spaced apart to flurish
M: then we will either move rakhi or we will move friendship day
I: it is like to get the best results you have to have the items on a a grocessary store in the correct order and space
M: ok then we shall move friendship day to june..there are no festivals then
I: good idea...

Monsoon Road Rage

2006-08-04T15:53:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

A couple of weeks back, I was praying for rains but now when it rains, the first thing that comes to mind is the 2nd most popular 2 word phrase in English, after F$%* You - OH SHIT.

I am sure my sentiments are shared by thousands of people who are a part rush hour traffic on Delhi - Gurgaon road. Because all of us know that it will take us atleast half an hour more than the usual 1 hour that we spend on the road because of water logging @ n number of places. Couple this with blaring horns - and you can't have a better start to the beautiful day.

Part of the problem is lack of driving sense. Concepts like lane driving are not the norm, but an exception. We try to encroach every inch of space available in front of us, because if we dont, SOMEONE ELSE WILL. And the most efficient in doing this I feel are rickshaw-wallahs. First they put in the front wheel in the smallest of openings between 2 vehicles, and then by some miracle the wide-behind of the rickshaw also squeezes through.

One does not get what one is entitled to, unless one claims it by hook or by crook. Phir bhi dil hai hindustani....phir bhi dil hai hindustani....

P.S. People from flood affected areas please ignore. Watching the live feed on news, I know my woes are nothing as compared to yours.

Stray Dogs and Indians allowed

2006-07-25T22:38:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

A couple of weeks ago, a FM station (I think it was 93.5 Red FM, but not sure) in Delhi invited a veterinarian to discuss about pets, and specifically dogs.

So the RJ asks "Which type of dogs should one adopt -pedigree dogs or stray dogs?"

The esteemed guest replies as follows:

" You must have observed westerners coming to India, drinking Bisleri and yet they get sick. On the other hand, we people can go anywhere, eat and drink anything. So the pedigree dogs are like foreigners, very fragile whereas stray dogs are like us, low maintenance "

(The question and the answer might not be same verbatim but the essence has been captured)

Although the doctor seemed to be complimenting the Indian digestive system, are we expected to take this remark as a compliment? Do we Indians hold ourselves in such low esteem (like this vetrinarian)? Or am I reading too much between the lines?

(Picture Courtesy: wsdindia.org)

World Cup in Sistine Chapel

2006-07-22T23:15:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

This Adidas ad on a roof of cologne train station will make Michelangelo proud.
(Picture Courtesy: http://www.thecoolhunter.net/ads)

Religiously Confused ?

2006-07-13T16:51:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

This post is in continuation to a post on Imaginary Diva blog. I took the religion (Belief-O-Matic) test at the following URL:

http://beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

And found out that I follow:

1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Neo-Pagan (97%)
3. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (90%)
4. Liberal Quakers (85%)
5. Secular Humanism (83%)
6. Mahayana Buddhism (73%)
7. New Age (60%)
8. Theravada Buddhism (59%)
9. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (56%)
10. Hinduism (55%)
11. Bahá'í Faith (52%)
12. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (52%)
13. New Thought (52%)
14. Nontheist (51%)
15. Jainism (50%)
16. Reform Judaism (50%)
17. Taoism (50%)
18. Sikhism (47%)
19. Scientology (46%)
20. Jehovah's Witness (45%)
21. Orthodox Quaker (39%)
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (35%)
23. Orthodox Judaism (20%)
24. Seventh Day Adventist (17%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (12%)
26. Islam (12%)
27. Roman Catholic (12%)

I dont even know what Unitarian Universalism means.

East is East, East is the new West

2006-07-11T22:31:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

The following are the 2 real conversations that we (me and my friend seperately) had with 2 Europeans (a Swiss and a French, again seperately):

EAST IS EAST

One of my customers from Switzerland Mr B, and I were discussing India and Europe (Switzerland in particular) .

Mr B: Mr M(thats me), in Switzerland, everything is so organized and here it is so strange. I mean, I was so afraid on the road. My cab driver closed the rearview mirror so that he could squeeze the car into a very small space. Everyone overtakes from everywhere. In Switzerland we drive in one straight line. The trains and flights are on time always (he had missed his flight on the previous day) and here everything is so unorganized.

Mr M (thats me again): Mr B, I agree everything is organized in Swiss, but where is the fun. I mean, if I have to catch a train and i get a bit late, I know I will definitely miss the train and thats depressing. I will keep cursing my self on the way to the station and be more depressed when I reach the station for something which I already knew - That I have missed the train!!! Now the same scenario might play out differently in India. I know I am late and I curse myself all the way to the station. But imagine my delight when I reach the station and find that - Haha...the train is half an hour late!!! Now I have to wait half an hour less than the idiots (people who reached the station half an hour before schedule) who are still waiting for the train.

EAST IS THE NEW WEST

One of my friends Mr G met one of his customers Mr X (I dont know the name) in France.

Mr X: Mr G, you are living in very exciting times. You have so many young and productive people. You are seeing your country being built in front of you and you are contributing to the development. The taxes you pay are used in development of the country. Whereas in France, we have so many old people and all our taxes go to take care of pensioners. There is no growth.

I agree with Mr X's outlook on India. Do you?

Dicey Learnings

2006-07-01T22:26:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Main Bhi Philosopher)

What can we learn from a pair of Dice in the game of Monopoly?

Some analogy can be derived to a Corporate Boardroom, Parliament or even a Marriage if we compare the dice to 2 people.

Lesson 1 - The chance of the two dice showing the same number is much lesser than different numbers. The chance of 2 people thinking the same is also very less. And there can be 2 right answers to the same problem.

Lesson 2 - The two dice showing the same number isn’t necessarily better. It might be better to get a “6 and 5” rather than “1 and 1”. Similarly it is not always good for the people to agree on the lowest common denominator.

Lesson 3 - “6 and 6” is not necessarily the best roll of the dice. There might be a "Jail" waiting at the end of it. Even if 2 people agree on what they think is the best solution. They might be wrong!!!

Lesson 4 - The pair showing “1 and 2” is not that bad. Although you move slowly, atleast you move ahead.

Lesson 5 - The lowest roll for a pair of dice is 3 (1+2. If you roll 1 and 1 you get a bonus roll which will take you above 3). Lowest roll for 2 dice separately is 2 (1+1). Sticking together is beneficial when the going is not that good.

Lesson 6 - The highest roll for a pair of dice is 35 (6 and 6 + 6 and 6 + 6 and 5) whereas for 2 Dice seperately its 34 ( 6+6+5 and 6+6+5). Sticking together is beneficial even when the going is great.

Lalu Railways...

2006-06-20T10:57:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

...is so much better than Indian Railways. Someone has definitely read books on Service Marketing and learnt the phrase 'Customer Satisfaction'

My last visit to a reservation counter 2-3 years back was something like this...

Lady on the Counter: NEXT
Me: (Silently handed over the form)
Lady on the Counter: ONLY WAITLIST IS AVAILABLE
Me: Can you please check for 2 AC?
Lady on the Counter: WHY DONT YOU PEOPLE ASK THESE QUESTIONS AT ENQUIRY? SUCH A BIG QUEUE. THEN YOU SAY RAILWAY PEOPLE ARE INEFFICIENT....BLAH BLAH BLAH (But to be fair to her she did check and impolitely told me that 2AC was also waitlist)

But the following is the scene in Lalu Railways (happened to me 2 days back)

Gentleman on the Counter: Good Morning..
Me: (Pleasantly surprised...handed over the form) Good Morning!!!
Gentleman on the Counter: Tomorrow's ticket...its waitlist 10. I dont think it will get confirmed. Should I check 2 AC?
Me: Yes please.
Gentleman on the Counter: Even this is WL. If it is important to travel tomorrow, I can check tatkal for you.
Me: Tatkal would be fine
Gentleman on the Counter: But be aware that the ticket cannot be cancelled and is even dearer than 2AC
Me: No Problem
Gentleman on the Counter: Its available. That will be Rs 717 please. Please write tatkal on top of the form... Thank You... You will get an automatic upgrade to a higher class if the berth is available.

So half an hour in the queue did not go waste. I had a confirmed ticket in hand and smile on my face.

There is something about Lalu Railways that was missing before. No doubt someone from IIM A wants to make a case study out of it.

But wait a minute!!! Isn't Lalu the same rustic bihari leader we all love to hate? The guy who rears cattle in his bunglow in the heart of New Delhi. Supposedly the corrupt leader who made poor Bihar poorer. The guy who stayed in power for so long by using below the belt antics.

Following are the finer points of Lalu Rilways:

1. Courteous staff. Even the TC says please
2. Effective use of technology - Connectivity by net, phone. eTicketing etc.
3. Clean compartments
4. Train on schedule (maybe this was just luck. But it happened.)

Who says elephants can't dance ? They can if Lalu is the ring master.

Horse Divorce

2006-06-12T13:07:00.000+05:30

(Genre: I suck at poetry)

Thought will try my hand at poetry...but by the time I was finished with it, I was sure that I will never again try poetry again....

Once upon a time a mare and a horse,
went to the court for divorce

Presiding the case was Honorable Judge Rhino,
the respected lawyers were Monkey and Dino

Monkey rose first to present his case,
Mare felt shy and covered her face

Dino stood up, tripped and fall
A loud thud preceded the laughter in the hall

He got up tied his shoe lace
The bloody thing that caused his fall from grace

He said mutual agreement on seperation
Paperwork is ready and so are the preparations

The judge inquired how long b4 marriage the 2 met,
Mare replied "Not married, but the date is set"

Puzzled he asked " No marriage!! why divorce??"
In dictionary divorce comes first said the horse

Reserving for the Undeserving

2006-05-25T11:07:00.000+05:30

[Genre: Rang de Basanti]

Reservation for OBCs - Everyone seems to have an opinion about it and so do I. And I think the title describes my sentiments. The government is planning to take away from the deserving and give it to the undeserving. India shining takes one step forward and two steps back.

Reservation - The Rationale

To bring up those who have languished by assuring them seats in higher education and soon even in Private Sector. Pro-reservationists argue that :

The backward classes do not get the facilities as the so called upper classes.
The backward classes come from government schools where the facilities are lacking and the student though bright are not exposed to "Englis".
Backward classes do not have enough finances to educate the young.
And many more similar statements...

Reservation - The Irrationale

But who is responsible for this? The government has failed to bring out the backward class from its backwardness for the last 60 years. What is the point of reserving the seats for those who have not been educated well at the school level and might not be able to pass even though they get admissions. oh but they can pass!!! The government which can reduce the barrier for these people to get into the colleges can even reduce the barriers for them to get out. 50 % pass marks for general category and 30 % for OBCs and so on...very simple really!!

The government is also washing its hands off the inefficiencies which are present in government school system. According to a study conducted by Harvard University and World Bank, published in 2004 in Journal of the European Economic Association.

"25 percent of teachers were absent from school, and only about half were teaching, during
unannounced visits to a nationally representative sample of government primary schools in India. Absence rates varied from 15 percent in Maharashtra to 42 percent in Jharkhand, with
higher rates concentrated in the poorer states."

Where does the 2% education cess we pay every year go?

Another important thing is to know who actually constitutes an OBC in the comtemporary sense. For example why should there be reservation for Post Graduation in Medicine? A person who is going for a PG is definitely one who has completed his MBBS. He is at par with all upper classes who have completed the same degree.

Why should a rich OBC get preference for a seat over a poor brahmin? Is this the qovernment's definition of social justice ?

Is reservation the answer for upliftment of the underpriveleged?

Following is the extract from HRD sinister Arjun Singh's interview with Karan Thapar in Devil's Advocate. The unhonourable sinister does not seem to know the rationale behind reservations. I think just reading Karan Thapar's questions is sufficient because the answer to all of these is "Decision of parliament is supreme".

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/decision-on-quota-is-final-arjun/11063-4-single.html

According to a study by IIT (refer the link on Karan Thapar's interview)

"50 per cent of the IIT seats for the SCs and STs remain vacant, and for the remaining 50 per cent, 25 per cent are the candidates who even after six years fail to get their degrees. So, clearly, in their case, reservations are not working."

The report of the Parliamentary Committee on the welfare for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has similar findings
.
"It says, that looking at the Delhi University, between 1995 and 2000, just half the seats for
under-graduates at the Scheduled Castes level and just one-third of the seats for under-graduates at the Scheduled Tribes level were filled. All the others went empty, unfilled. So, again, even in Delhi University, reservations are not working."

How far will we go down the reservation lane ?

I wonder do we have reservation for OBCs in the Armed Forces Officer Cadre. Are(Will) the decision makers for the defence of our country as competent as the people whose places they have taken (might take).

A reality not so far away:

Manmohan Singh to Bush - We are sending Indians to the moon next year.
Bush - Wow! How Many?
Manmohan Singh - 100
25 - OBC
25 - SC
20 - ST
5 - Handicapped
5 - Sports Persons
5 - Terrorist Affected
5 - Kashmiri Migrants
9 - Politicians
and if possible1 - Astronaut .

Horoscopically Incompetent

2006-05-16T12:25:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

Yup, thats me! I am horoscopically incompetent to get married. I wonder if this would make a good pickup line....Probably not... Had I known good pickup lines, I wouldnt be writing this piece today.

But after 2 years of pestering me to get married, my parents have told me that my horrorscope is dominated by Mr Mangal. Mr Mangal has setup strict constraints for me to get married, one of which is that I cannot get married this year. Another is that I can marry only one of Mr Mangal's female prodigies.

How good is astrology in predicting futures ? Do all the people born at the same day and time as me have the same fate? I think it is too much of generalization.

I ask my parents, inspite of being educated, how can they believe in such gibberish, and I get a reply saying that they are "liberal orthodox". They are liberal but have some orthodox beliefs. I wonder which type of paradox, this statement lies in.(explained in detail in my previous blog ) But if one starts listing the liberal orthodoxes in the world, that would include the likes of Osama (Liberal capitalist, but wants to kill kafirs).

Our country follows a lot of these (dis)beliefs. Some are as follows:

1. Following Godmen
2. Ganesha statues drinking milk
3. Cat crossing your path being an ill omen
4. Don't buy iron on Saturday

Rabindranath Tagore said " We who often glorify our tendency to ignore reason, installing in its place blind faith, valuing it as spiritual, are forever paying for its cost with obscruation of our mind and destiny."

So wake up!!

The Paradox Process - By Derm Barrett

2006-05-10T14:37:00.000+05:30

(Genre:Book Extract)

Type of Opposites:

We can divide opposites into 2 broad categories. If X and Y are opposites then:

1. X is right then Y is wrong - Most basic type of opposite, If a person is bad then he/she is not good.

2. X is right and Y is also right - Consider the following statements "A penny saved is penny earned" and "Spend money to earn money". These statements are in principal opposite to each in the methodology lead to the same end "More Money".

This type of opposite is what we call a PARADOX.
Types of Paradoxical Thinking:We can classify paradoxes into 3 major types:

1. Contrary Thinking - We are mentally programmed by our upbringing and social environment to believe that whatever is common and traditional is right and whatever differs is wrong. Contrarian thinking involves questioning a popular belief, then looking what its reverse is. An example would be showbiz where the marketeers try to create a controversy/scandal/bad publicity to promote the film.
2. Janusian Thinking - Inspired by the Greek God Janus who had 2 faces looking in opposite direction (Also the root for the word January which looks towards the year that went by and the year that lies ahead.). This involves juxtaposing to opposites together and creating something new and useful. Example would be a knife, which has a sharp blade that will cut your hand, and a handle which will not.
3. Hegelian thinking - this involves fusing 2 opposites to produce a third entity. Example would be a newspaper photograph which is an amalgamation of black and white dots.

Practical Uses of Paradoxical Thinking

1. The Case of the Bus Operator with an old fleet
An old Bus operator was facing tough competition from a new player in the market who had a new fleet of buses and was able to reduce the travel time from 3 to 2 days.The conventional wisdom would suggest that the "old" bus operator should buy new buses to compete. But on the contrary, the Bus owner increased the travel time from 3 to 4 days and added activities on the way like stay at resorts, games etc.and was eventually able to takeover the new competitor.

2. The Case of my friend's wedding gift: It is one thing of suggesting thinking in opposites and other thing in practicing it. So here is a case where I used Paradoxical Thinking.
My friend came to India from US to get married and was supposed to go back. We thought of buying him something that would be small so that he take it to US and be useful. We mulled over antiques, precious stones etc. and in the end came up with a gift which was contrary to our initial thing. We bought him something which was very big and yet he could take it along. Something in which he could carry all the "small" gifts that he got - A Large Suitcase.

So go ahead and think out of ordinary to solve daily problems paradoxically.

Useful Manager???

2006-04-21T19:12:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Just Like That)

The world will not be the same without Sardars (Disclaimer: I apologize to all Sardarjis), Blondes (Disclaimer: I apologize to all blondes) and Project Managers (Disclaimer: I do no accept apologies of any Manager). There will be no jokes. The beauty of existance of these 3 types of species in society is that jokes (atleast poor ones) can be created on the spot. I created 2 just today and am sure can churn out new Manager PJs at the same rate daily.

PJ 1:
Me : What were you guys doing in the conference room ?
My colleague : Interviewing a candidate.
Me : For what position ?
My Colleague : ohhh multitasking - this, this this etc.
Me : Oh, So you were definitely not looking for a manager

PJ 2 :
We found a bug today...If I leave X blank then system throws error : "PLEASE enter X". If I enter X then i get an error "Please do not enter X". So I can proudly claim the discovery of the MANAGER BUG. (And the manager doesnt even say PLEASE!!!!)

But other than being a constant inspiration for jokes and bitching about , how is a manager useful ? Is there any such term as a "Useful Manager" ?

Well Google seems to give 270 results for this term (this blog might make it 271) - but most of it is for some software or the other. Wherever it is used for people, it is mostly preceded by a word like "lesser", "not a", "non" etc. It can't be just a coincidence, can it?

The term "Useful Manager" is a paradox in itself. If you are a manager than you cannot be useful, and vice versa. Consider the following traits of a good manager:

1. A good manager needs to do good resource management and get maximum efficiency from his/her resources. In other words "A good manager is able to suck the last drop of blood from his subordinates, load each subordinate with the amount of work which is not humanly or even assily not possible. And then later question as to why the work is not complete, while he finishes his game of Solitaire in his cabin.

2. A good manager delegates responsibility to his subordinates. In other words, he does not do any work himself; if the work is "a success" he claims credit for it with his bosses; and if it is "a failiure" then he can always claim that the management has not provided him with the right resources.

3. A good manager questions his subordinates. He claims to follow the Confucius diktat "That which is watched, improves". But he doesnt understand its meaning and this leads to PJ 2 above.

So how can a manager be useful ?

By not coming to office once in a while. This has the following advantages:

1. Subordinate morale increases as there is no constant bickering

2. Subordinate productivity increases as no one suddenly pops-up a useless question when he is on a roll while working

3. Subordinate health improves as he/she can recover some blood sucked out by the Manager (Refer point 1 in Traits of a good manager above)

4. Subordinate can get his problems solved easily as one level of red-tape in organization reduces

If someone reads this blog, it might seem to be tongue-in-cheek, smart-ass kind of a article. But from my point of view it is a tragic realization of what will happen to me in 2-3 years time when I try to be a "Useful Manager" and fall prey to the Peter's Principle - "People rise to their level of incompetence"

Sleepless

2006-04-20T15:38:00.000+05:30

(Genre: Friends)

LUDHIANA, May 2, 2005 (Scene at the first morning after Manu’s wedding) .

Manu has just come home with his wife Ruchi, now the first wife of our club. All of us are talking. Now Manu goes to the bedroom (with his wife of course) and Pilla goes to potty.

20 minutes later – Me, KK, Lui and Baddy are having breakfast. Manu is in his bedroom and Pilla is still in potty. This is how the conversation goes :

Lui : Manu kya kar raha hoga ?
KK : So gaya hoga
Lui : Abe Yaar nahin, soya to nahin hoga.
KK : Abe so gaya hoga, bahut thakaa hoga.

And then comes the final comment from Baddy who does not know we are talking about Manu.

Baddy : Abe soya kaise hoga, Indian Style mein hai.