Put a limit..

Not every day is same in ones life. There are high's and then there are lows and between these we need to manage ourselves. This applies for the mood , energy level among other things and then the most important, money.
We keep growing with time and with it, our social levels. They keep changing, mostly for the better, We get used to better life and better things, so much so, that, sometimes, we simply refuse to adjust to the same level, we had once comfortably lived. Not that I want anyone to do that, or should do that. Its always good to grow with time and never have a chance to see the lows again. But then the main question in my mind, is whether the rate at which the living standards are changing, are we able to match that rate.

We have in a short time, graduated from going walking to bike and then to car. Can we manage going back to using buses ? What if the rules and the laws of the land make sure that you do. Will you be comfortable ? The excessive use of personal vehicles, has become such an issue, that, we may soon find rules that prohibit us from using them further. Not to mention the environment impact.

We are used to eating out regularly. The days of eating at home , own cooked food, are diminishing with every passing day. Cooks come home to cook food. Still the frequency of eating out has not come down. Again, whats the cost of eating outside each time ? Has it been limited to a level its acceptable, or has it crossed your limit. There are limits for everyone. But then, if you spend say 1000/- per person in India for lunch or dinner, its still on the higher side. But then most of us can easily afford it. But then, does it justify it. Not for me. I would be at peace for a 400/- or a 500/- dinner bill, which would give me a value for money and decent ambiance. Definitely not a extravagant food bill, in the name of exclusivity. Off course there are occasions where you need to spend this and should be done, but justify the occasion.

The latest fad in town are nothing but Mobile phones and tablets. I somehow just cannot believe that we need to spend such an amount for a phone. Till the time, we were talking within 5000-6000/- it was acceptable for me. But 40k to 50k for a phone. Just not something that I can think of within my normal frame of mind. Yes, I can afford it, but does it need to be ? I really dont think so. As long as a phone costing 10k or less than that, makes sure that all my necessities are taken care of, I am fine. I dont need to show the world that I have the latest gadgets. I know, what I need and I need to be content with what I want and what I have. Thats the limit one should throw on one self. Not for others.

Live a good life. You never know, what happens tomorrow. Good or bad , but live happily and be at peace. And peace is not found in material possessions. Dont grow too fast in your standard of living. Live in a good atmosphere. But know your limits... Thats the key to happiness. Live for your self and for your people, not competing with others.

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Identity...

I would often snatch the Identity cards of my colleagues in office and pretend to throw them away and laugh out "There goes your identity" without really understanding what it really meant. I always took it as a joke and so did the others. After going through this TED talk by Mittal Patel, I realized the very value of an Identity Card.
My first Identity card was during my school days. It was not mandatory to have one. But then it was a necessity for those students who would take the bus, to avail the 50% discount, which was applicable for students. Looking back, I wonder, couldnt they see the uniforms which we were wearing. But then no, even for a simple bus ticket concession, a document called an Identity card was required. Mandatory.

This TED talk, essentially highlights the basic needs of a human being, to live with a authority, that one is indeed a citizen of the country and not just a person who lives here. And that something, somewhere draws the line between a Citizen and a tourist. This simple card gives you the authority and the privilege today to use even the basic of the services, all thanks to the terrorists for the stricter laws. In the bargain, who loses? The same simple people, who didnt need all these to prove to others that they do exist and have an identity.

As simple as it may sound, but the depth of the impact, is still not something, that I am able to fathom.

With the advent of Aadhar card, which has promised to give an Identity to the countless folks who dont have a mechanism to get a Voters ID or anything comparable, this should give them a new leash of life.

Its after listening to such talks and such selfless sacrifice of personal life, only to instill a sense of living for the otherwise under privileged, raises the question mark, as to what am I doing ? Is there something which I can do? Yes, definitely. Just need to get out of your comfort zone and do you little bit. And I promise, I will do my little bit sooner than I had planned.

Dont forget to listen to the talk at the following location
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=w8cZ2iJARPM

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Monsoon Magic..

Inspired by the title in the newspaper today, I thought that it was a good to have a small post on the weather I love the most. Monsoons.
Looking out of my window, the sounds of winds and the flutter that they cause, just bring out the adrenaline in me. The thought that, just take the bike with the camera on the long drive. The feel of the gushing rains, hitting you directly in your eyes, such that, you are unable to see whats ahead, is only experienced by a few.

Initial part of my life being spend in the coastal regions of Goa and Manipal, and where the luxuries which prevent us from enjoying the raw nature, had eluded us, only helping to reach a realm, which can only be experienced and cant be told. The sheer speed with which we would ride on the end-point road in Manipal, especially when it would rain incessantly, can only be remembered and not really experience them again.

The numerous pictures that I took in the monsoon, using my Nikon FM10 film camera, to risk the film as well as the camera, was very small, compared to the pictures that were captured and makes me relive those days. Do we get those days again... Sitting in the hostel blocks with the bakwas mandali ever present in the room, making plans to do something, which we haven't done.. and then zeroing down to one and going for it. That had made our lives in Manipal so eventful and the days... which we had felt like, sand slipping from your hands, the more we held it together..

A few pictures in the picturesque coorg.

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Masoom - One of my favourite song..

One of my all time favourite song from the Movie Masoom -

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Patterns...

Just a thought came in - We all have patterns in which we think and the way we do and implement things. Not sure I can and am capable to get into the details.. but just thought to have my random thoughts documented. Its more linked with my experiences especially with my writing and photography.

When we were kids, I still remember that we were given books to practice the alphabets, with dotted cursive handwriting, if I can say so. So the entire class or for that matter whoever used those set of books always would draw the alphabets in the same cursive manner, and consequently we all should theoretically  have the same handwriting. But then studies show that, no two handwriting's are same. The inference here is that, we are all taught to 'copy' when we are all young, still, each of us, has his/her own individuality.

There was a time when I used to copy the pictures from the famous photographers and try and click the same whenever I see a similar composition. But then , when my friend, Deepak Dwivedi, (who is currently working in the film industry), saw my pics, he could see a pattern in them and also the fact that, there is something in those pictures, which says that, those are clicked by me.
Recently when he read my blog and read what I do write, he again could find a similarity , rather a relation of pattern in my photography and my writing. But to be frank, I havent been able to find the similarity between these two fields for my work. But studying the underlying facts of handwriting analysis, there should always be something unique of a person in whatever he does. The patterns should match.... and that reflects one's self..

When one listens to music composed by RD Burman, one can easily make out that the composition is done by him and also that of many musicians. Today as I was writing this blog, was listening to a concert which was organised after the demise of the great Jagjit singh, and many renowned singers tried to sing his ghazals. But no, no one could even come close to what the master has sung.....

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Maruti Launches Ritz Automatic Version

Just when I thought that Maruti has a automatic version in the hatch back segment ie the A-star with the ex-showroon price lesser than 5 lakh, I see that they have launched Ritz AT version and is priced around 6.15 lakhs. There is only the petrol version in this and a mileage of 17 is quoted which is not too less compared to the manual shift gearbox.

It only appears that India is slowly moving towards the automatic cars which is a norm in the western countries.

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Ratan Tata - End of an Era.

The Tata family has always kept me awed by their nature of building people. They just dont stop at building a  company or a city/town or an educational institute, they make sure that they build people. I had the chance of being the part of TCS in my initial years of my career, and it always made me proud to be a part of the Tata Group.
The sheer motivation to build companies like Air India and then giving it up to the government , all in the good will to help the country is something commendable. Also setting up institutes like Tata Institute , now IISc and TIFR, are something, which they have build to bring up the people of India from the roots and not just superficially. They never believed in giving wealth to people, but they did believe in giving good way of life and education. Thats the difference between a Tata Company and any other.

After JRD Tata, its been Ratan Tata who has been handling the Tata Sons division for all these years, and tomorrow he will be giving up his role as the chairman of Tata Sons to hand it over to Cypress Mistry, righly so, as he is capable and also being the group, holding the highest share in Tata Sons.

I havent written a blog for many months and its this thought of this person retiring made me write a few words. Its just the respect that this person unknowingly commands.

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Urban Stampede 2012 - My first 5K Run

 It was only a 5k run, which was actually a relay accumulating to 20k by 4 participants. It being my first, and for most of us in office, we all did practice a lot. Some by running in a near by park and some on the threadmill. Nevertheless, it was all an experience not to be forgotten by me.

The day ie 5th Aug, started by leaving from home at 5am with my friend Dharma. Having not met him for last 5 years or so and since he is a very familiar name in the Bangalore marathon's he too wanted to come and see the the Urban Stampede for the first time.
The activity at the Clarks Exotica Resort was in full action when the sun just seemed to come up.

The first pic of the day with our colleagues. CSGI had 28 members which formed the 7 teams.

Runners for Life (RFL) had organised this event and as per their impeccable standards, every detail is taken into account for the runners. There were enough water holes along with bananas and biscuits to charge one self with energy. The changing rooms, the rest rooms and the baggage counters were well organised. 

To accommodate 1500 enthusiastic runners is definitely not a small task and I must say that the event was very well organised. With every passing year, the number of runners for each of the 5k runs or the 10k runs is only increasing by the day.

The Run started at 7:00 AM and with the first 18 minutes, the first runner from the Toyota Kirloskar company came back. It was amazing to see such record pace and as is the history, they have been winning the competition from the past few years.

Here are the few of the race pictures and pictures after the completion of the Race.

Rakesh, Aditya, Nitesh and me enjoying a lite moment.

The atmosphere, in the early part of the morning before the race.

The Starting line

The early finishers at the finish line.. Guess from Toyota group.

The part of the CSGI group on the stage after completion of Race

With the Medal

Another group photo..

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The lessors...

It was about 14 years back(in my college days), when I had been to Panjim from Margao and was in the queue to pick up a bus ticket. Its a shuttle service which doesnt have an on board conductor and the tickets need to be taken at the counter. Yes, that does save a lot of money and resources. In that long line waiting to buy the tickets, there was one gentlemen who has a disability in his foot. Considering its a long line, some gentlemen ahead of him in the queue, requested him to skip the line and directly go to the counter. (Apparently there was also another counter for the disabled, but no one was behind the counter). But this gentlemen refused the offer politely and said that he was okay and he was fit enough to be in the line. The other person, did seem a bit embarrassed, though there was not need for him to be, and he was only offering help.   And there I was near the end of the line, only hoping that I could skip the line and get to the front :)

I am sure, we all feel the same when we are in a long queue. But for the person, who has been named as a disabled, not by him but by the society in general due to a lack of something in him, does feel offended by it time and again. He really doesn't want that tag. He wants to be considered as normal like every one else, and though there are facilities like these provided, they want to avoid it.

Then again, its not just the physical or mental disability people who have been treated like this. This kind of behaviour is seen across all the areas. For those who are financially challenged, there is a certain kind of sympathy which is given by the better off people. They try and pay their bills in a dinner meeting or so. Not really trying to put them down, but more so, because they feel they can do something for them. And this too does hurt that league of people, who are at the receiving end.

Then there are other segment of people, who, though dont come in the above mentioned categories, but there is something less in them, which makes them not in line with the 'generic' society terms and conditions.

I am not sure, whether this discrimination is really to put them down, but more so, in a line of sympathy.
Just try and avoid that. There is nothing more hurting than enhancing one's limitations in whichever manner it may be. Just be normal to everyone and if there is something that needs to done for them, do it in anonymity.

My 2 cents ..

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Man for every moment...An end of an Era

The Superstar of the yesteryears passed away today, leaving a void in our hearts. His every movie and every songs enacted have left an indelible mark in our hearts..
From the super famous Anand, where every dialog will relate to him on the day when he actually left his body, the dialog which he delivers in the movie will be there forever with us.. Somethings are larger than life..

Definitely a sad day for the Hindi film industry. 

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