Flight of a lifetime

This article was written on request by my cousin Deepa (who just finished her 10th grade) about her observations on her first flight experience. I was just amazed by the maturity in her thinking. Wanted to share it with all of you. Here it goes :

FLIGHT OF A LIFETIME

A journey by air is an enriching experience. There are numerous instances of parallelism between a plane journey and the journey of life in general and of a career in particular. Every physical aspect of the plane journey brings to light a deeper, symbolic aspect of life.

First the plane moves slowly over the ground until it reaches the clear runway. At this point, it neither sees nor is seen by the world. Similarly, the beginning of a venture does not show us the destination in its true colours. We must not lose heart and move forward patiently.

At the right time, the plane gathers speed and takes off. In the same way, anyone who perseveres eventually takes off in life. While taking off, the noise made by the engine increases and the plane is inclined at an angle,causing discomfort to the passengers. A drop in atmospheric pressure may also cause ear-ache. All these stand for the trials and tribulations everyone must face, in one way or the other, on the way to the top. Moreover, the horizon disappears into a haze. Likewise, There is no clear demarcation between low and high, Between failure and success. A lot depends on people's perception.

Once the plane reaches its optimum height, the going becomes smoother. Similarly, on reaching the optimum height in life, the hurdles appear to lessen and a sort of uniformity sets in. However, along with the pleasures of success, the risks of failure are also proportionately magnified, just as the impact of a fall becomes more profound as we scale greater heights in a plane. One of the perks of being a celebrity! Also, the skies pose their share of obstacles in the form of clouds, gales or other weather-associated hazards. Likewise, there will be minor hitches in every success story. The heights of fame and success breed negative emotions like envy and even hatred. Controversies are a part and parcel of the lives of celebrities. It is imperative to remember that like the clouds, all rough patches in life shall come to pass.

Another binding factor between a flight and life is our perception of it's speed. While looking down from above, the world seems to crawl at a snail's pace, whereas in reality, the plane is whizzing by at a phenomenal speed. In the same way, while the successful phase of life is on, it appears as though the phase stretches on infinitely before us, but in fact, it is short -lived.

Finally comes the destination. Before the plane takes off, all that is known about the destination is what is heard or seen virtually. In the same way, we cannot have a real picture of our destination at the start of the journey. Once at the top the wide world is spread before our eyes. But the higher we go, the less detail is visible. It is important to have gathered sufficient knowledge beforehand to be able to recognise the destination with the minimal features visible from above in order to guide the plane or ourselves safaly to it.

Further, a plane journey reminds us that we eventually have to land. Just like taking off, landing will be a rough patch too. It will be especially difficult to come back to the ground for good after experiencing the splendour and exhilaration of heights, which would have taken us to new heights as a person. The summit within lies in accepting this basic principle of human nature - transcience. With this maturity, we can keep the landing too gradual and smooth and return to our roots with grace.

Perhaps the most relevant point of parallelism between a journey by plane and life is the risk involved. It cannot be otherwise. Like alternative landing sites for planes, we too need to keep alternative options in life so that if things come crashing down, we still have straws to clutch on to. Just as a plane journey is controlled by a control panel, so too is our life by the divine power, whom we call God. As passengers need to have faith on the control panel, we too need to have faith on God to successfully go through the journey of life. Where there is faith there is no fear.

In addition, passengers need to be aware of safety measures to respond effectively in case of any untoward situation. The more the passengers are in touch with the control panel, the more safe and secure they will feel. Likewise, we need to keep in touch with God for a sense of security and well-being.

The following quotation would be an appropriate conclusion:

"Success is a journey, not a destination."

Ramblings of an idle mind

Came home early today; feels like I have a lifetime ahead to make a place in the history of this world. Wondering what that would take. What would basically shape the future of mankind in the next century?

Two streams of thought/action seem to be vitally important:

1. Artificial Intelligence vs. Genetics &
2. Social Entrepreneurship

You might wonder why on earth did I pick these two from all that I could chose from. Where did - Media, Information, Global warming, the Web x.x, the threat of nuclear wars, human rights violations, health hazards all go?

Confused me as well in the first place. But then, I realized that the above two might pretty much capture the future of the world for many centuries to come.

Let's take Artificial Intelligence(A.I.) vs. Genetics first. Today, the advancement of the human race in terms of technology is actually fast forwarding the evolution of a new consciousness. A consciousness that might outlast mankind itself.

Set's us thinking - by the unified theory - was the human race eventually designed to be replaced by a consciousness that did not suffer the same deficiencies as us? Our weaknesses against diseases, against hunger, against age might eventually prove very costly. I guess you might have an inkling of understanding on where Genetics comes into the picture. Genetics is the solution that the 'civilized' world is looking at for all the problems that are listed above. Putting a 'stopper on death' is probably the catch-word here.

The coming years will define which of the two fields survives.

Ah .. time for the second one, Social Entrepreneurship (let's call it S.E.E from now on).. here we go ..

Today's the world's focus seems to be on comfort at one's finger tips - the explosion of ideas and companies centered around taking advantage of the pandora's box opened by the Web.

But what we are missing here is that - all this seems to be centered at less than 1/6th of the world's population - the same part that is already well to do in terms of basic necessities - in fact, the same part already has enough beyond the basic necessities. And yet, the focus is on keeping them busy "consuming". 'Consumer' is the name of the game here.

The need of the hour is the birth of Social Entrepreneurs (let's call them S.E.E.R.S ;) ) who enlighten the world as to the grave situation and re-align their thinking on what's important. These are the people, the messiahs that the world needs today. People who really care.

Huh! .. Just woke up, was really surprised to see what I had written above ;) .. Anyways, am really hungry now and want to watch a movie ..

What's the website for Pizza hut? ;)

A stroll in the park

A busy day at office,
Umpteen thoughts in my mind,
Struggling to make meaning;
Walk did I off my apartment,
Leaving them all behind.
Realize did I not until encircled,
By a bed of daisies shivering in the breeze.

Generous had been, the evening shower,
To sprinkle a thousand diamonds around,
Busy bees on their final stop,
Chipmunks tussling over the fallen fruit;
Life's slow in these wonderful moments,
Blessed are they who pause to take a breath.

Gazing at that wondrous spectacle,
Realization peeked into my senses,
Life's a puzzle,
Put together by a multitude of tiny moments,
Race do we through them,
Savoring not them, which matter so much.

The walk back to my apartment,
The transformation from barks to bricks,
Opening my door, landing in my couch,
Pausing for a few moments to meditate,
It all happened then.

A soft touch on my face,
A wet lick on my toe,
Opened my eyes to those beautiful round eyes,
Of an expectant three year old,
His buddy, a lab pup, mirrored the same feeling from
down below.
Leaning back to see the lady of my heart smiling,
By the kitchen door,
The decision was made.
Your heart's desire is right here in front of you;
Just heed its calling.

The Beach

She stood alone on the beach,
Listening to the hush of the breeze over the waves,
Feeling the gentle flow of the waves over her ankles,
Savoring the ozone filled atmosphere,
Her mind in resonance with the Universe,
Listening intently to her heart's beat,
The rhythm that hath never ceased to sing,
The promise that it held within.

He looked at her,
An angelic silhouette against the golden sky,
A tribute to a promise never broken,
Memories rushing back to the years,
To the moments, so joyously spent,
Never to be forgotten,
A relationship forever carved in stone.

A gush of breeze,
Blows the flowing curls of her hair over her face,
Was it instinct that made her turn or was it the connect,
Eyes meet, history relived in moments,
Then, barriers break, she falls into his arms,
Support so badly longed for,
Rivers of joy abound,
Locked in arms,
Into the mist they walk away,
Their shadows merging into one.

Bangalore and me, scripted ;)

Hi all,

Here is my first attempt at a script. Infact, my friend Sai co-authored it as well.

This was written quite long ago. Wanted to share this one with all of you. (Note: this is written in the traditional script format)

OFFICE, MORNING 11 A.M.

Start off with the sound of coffee coming from the coffee machine.
Sai walks from the pantry to his desk. Receives a phone call
then.

SAI
Hello ma!

SAI'S MOTHER
Hello Sai, where are you?

SAI
At office only ma. Tell me ..
what is it?

SAI'S MOTHER
Are you free for a few minutes? I
have something important to ask
you.

SAI
Umm .. important? .. go on ..

SAI'S MOTHER
What time are you planning to come
home today?

SAI
As usual .. around 9 .. why?

SAI'S MOTHER
Well .. one of your father's close
friends and his family are coming
home this evening ... it would be
great if you are here ...

SAI
Oh ... ma ... you know that I don't
like these get-togethers .. why
can't you and Appa handle this? why
should I be there?

SAI'S MOTHER
Sai .. actually .. they are coming
to see you ..

SAI
See me? What for? ... Ma! don't
tell me that they are coming for ..

SAI'S MOTHER
Well, they are .. And why should
they not? You are 27 now and your
father and I are getting old ...

SAI
What?!!$$ I need to get married
because you are getting old ...[Sai
almost shouts]

Everybody turns and looks around. A bit embarrassed, Sai continues
in hushed tones, moves into a conference room and closes the
door.

SAI
Ma, please ... You know I told you
that I dont like this arranged
marriage stuff ..

SAI'S MOTHER
Sai! I know that ... but you can't
keep us waiting indefinitely ... I
won't say anything if you can find
a girl fast ...

SAI
Ma! Girls can't be found like
fruits on trees ... I need more time ..
Just a sec, ma

From outside, some of Sai's colleagues are making faces at
him. Sai's gestures to them that he will kick them when he
is out of the room.

SAI
Right ma, continue ..

SAI'S MOTHER
Ok .. but atleast just come home
today .. if you dont like the girl
or you say no, it is fine .. but
just come home na, please ..

SAI
Umm ... okie .. but I warn you if
you start more stuff like this ...

SAI'S MOTHER
Okie okie .. sure .. we won't ..
okie kanna, see you in the evening
.. bye

SAI
Bye!! (reluctantly)

Sai cancels the call and walks upto his desk (quite irked up)
and sits down. His colleague Karthik comes up to him.

KARTHIK
Hi Sai, enna da? .. Girl hunting at
home?

SAI
Enna nakkala? Naanae kaduppulae
irrukkuraen .. nee vaerae ..

KARTHIK
Hey, what's the problem? .. You
don't want to see her? .. Just say no afterwards,
na?

SAI
Yeah, I can ... but the problem is
.. why to unnecessarily see someone
when you know the answer is a 'no'
.. it is a bit hard on the girl na?

KARTHIK
Oh .. umm .. yeah .. I hadn't
thought of that .. ummm .. no problem, da
... tell the girl the real reason
.. I guess she'll understand ...

SAI
tell her? [Sai swallows a bit] let's see 
.. let's see ..

REST OF THE DAY

Sai is shown to be restless at his desk the whole day.
Seeing the clock. Staring at his desk with hands on his
head. Trying to meditate in the conference room.

SAI'S MANAGER
(Talking something official ..
Sai in a dreamland) .. What do
you say Sai?


SAI
(Jolted out of his
pre-occupation) eh ... err ..
yeah?


SAI'S MANAGER
Enna Sai, thinking of your girl now
itself (with a twinkle in his eye)

Sai throws a frown at Karthik who smiles. Sai gestures to give
him a beating later.

SAI'S MANAGER
(Continuing to smile) guys,
let's not bother Sai today ..
let him dance around with his
dream girl

Everybody laughs ..

EVENING 6 P.M.

Sai comes out of office looking 10 years older. Tense, his eyes
searching for any auto rickshaw he could hire.

It seemed that everyone on earth had decided to take an auto today,
and none passed without a passenger in them.

Then, finally an auto comes by. Sai blurts out the locality
of his destination. The words seemed to put a shock in the
auto driver, and he nodded and then sped away without a word.

A few more auto wallahs like that.

Then, Sai, in a tantrum, now. Does some antics in the middle of
the road to stop some auto rickshaws which speed by empty!!

Another one seemed to approach, but stopped just short of Sai.
A middle aged man boarded it, and with an air of triumph,
commanded his destination. But for the man, this ride could
have been Sai's. A rush of anger sprang over Sai's spine.

Another auto came by. A good looking (rather head turning ;)) maiden in front of him had
also signalled it to a halt. The driver naturally :) stopped
before her, and she told him her destination. Even before
the driver could react, Sai jumped into the picture and
spoke.

SAI
East End Circle ... One and a half
.... ok?

AUTO WALLAH
[looking at Sai and smiling] ok sir
.. get in .. sorry madam (he told
the girl)

Sai threw a gesture of triumph at the girl. The girl stood stunned.
The auto moves by.

AT SAI'S HOME 6.30 P.M.

Sai's parents and two more people are talking in the house. The
bell rings. Sai's mother goes to open the door. It is Sai.

SAI'S MOTHER
Sai! .. appada .. I thought you had
forgotten about the get-together
... come in

Sai walks in. Meets the girl's parents.

SAI
Hello uncle .. Hello aunty ..

GIRL'S FATHER
Hello Sai .. good to see you .. you
must have had a busy day at office.
Go and freshen up and then you can
join us.

SAI'S MOTHER
Yes .. sure ... by the by, it seems
Kruthika is also late. ..

Sai seems a bit muddled at the name. He looks at his mother.

SAI'S MOTHER
Oh .. You have never meet Vijay
Uncle's daughter na? .. Kruthika is
a software engineer like you too ..
she is also coming here directly
from her office .. she will be here
anytime

Sai goes in to freshen up. Joins the discussion and after some time, the bell rings.
Sai goes to open the door.

FIRST(RATHER SECOND) MEETING

Sai is lost in confusion to see the girl he left behind in the
auto rickshaw standing before him. Had she tracked him down?
He swallowed.

The girl seemed to be extremely stunned as well.

Sai looked at the girl in confusion.

SAI
Eh?

KRUTHIKA
I'm ... Kruthika

SAI
Oh .. yeah .. come in

Sai turns his back to her and walks towards his parents. His face gives a
distraught expression that kinda indicated the flow he expected the discussion to take.

SAI
Mom, Dad .. Kruthika vandhurukkaa

SAI'S DAD
Hi Kruthika, come sit down.

Uneasy silence for a while as nobody is ready to talk.


KRUTHIKA'S FATHER
Enna Sai, ivalo naeramma ottawai
irundha nee ... ippo endha paechu
kaanom? Kruthika'va paarthu
bayapadathey

SAI
Adhellaam edhuvum illae uncle ..
[looking uneasily at Kruthika]

SAI'S MOTHER
Why don't you guys talk and get to
know each other a little?

SAI
Hi [Sitting in the same place
.. a little shy but not very
impressive...]


KRUTHIKA
Hi[very unwilling one... almost a
very uncomfortable one]


SAI'S MOTHER
Eh .. Sai, Why don't you take
Kruthika to your room, you guys could
be more free there instead of in
front of us all

SAI
seri ma [rising and looking at the
girl as if asking why don't we go]

[Sai and Kruthika walk away, Sai muttering pochuda to
himself]

SAI'S ROOM

As Sai is shutting the door of his room, Kruthika's irked up face
remains unchanged.

KRUTHIKA
Are you sure you want to do this?

SAI
Yes... No (like a confused dolt)

KRUTHIKA
(with a troubled expression on her
face) Huh?

SAI
As in, I am sure - Yes (moving face
in vertical moves), that I don't
want to do this - No... (nodding
sideways)

KRUTHIKA
(ready to head out) Then let's just
tell them...

SAI
Hey no! I mean, it would be better
if we remain here for some time,
say 10 minutes and then go out...

KRUTHIKA
10 mins!??

SAI
Oh, 5 minutes, then? please ..
eh.. it would better that way
because our folks would think we
did talk and you could go home and
tell them that you didn't like me
and I'll tell my parents that I didn't
like you too. Much more smoother
than the trouble if we head out now..

KRUTHIKA
(Looking at his eyes, twisting her
lips as if considering unwillingly)...
Ok, but what the hell do we do for
10 mins? Stand like this and stare
at each other's faces?

SAI
(trying to give a smile)... no we
could just sit somewhere.. you can
read some magazines over there.
(pointing). I'll probably sit
somewhere here (pointing at other
end) and do something else.

Kruthika, looking not very impressed, gives a troubled stare at
him.

SAI
Hey look here, I am sorry for what
happened. I am sure you have not
become a fan of mine after that
incident, but I didn't know about
this entire thing till this morning
when my mom called .. and believe
me.. I am not in for arranged
marriages anyway... but she was
insistent that I be home by 6 and I ... I
had a meeting till 5:30 and no bloody .. (Sai's checks himself)
... no auto was stopping by .. I
was just getting frantic ... and am
sorry to say, but sometimes these
autowallahs favour girls more... as
in, you know... or may be they
don't.. but I hope you get it. It
wasn't anything personal.. so I am
sorry, ok? So can you please be just normal...
we don't really have to get
anywhere after we are done with
this meeting... probably would
never come across each other... so
just try and don't be so mad at me
the way you seem to be... it just
happens sometimes that I get pretty
irritated...

KRUTHIKA
[Signalling a halt with her  hands]
Any idea of stopping?

SAI
Huh?

KRUTHIKA
Ok, got what you said. Are you just
going to continue talking for the
next 1 hour.. or can we just settle
down? (folding her arms) Its ok..

SAI
(weak smile again) Sure... please.

Both go to opposite ends and Kruthika simply starts flipping through
some of the magazines on the bed and Sai sits, looks around
for a minute before grabbing a diary.

After a few minutes...

KRUTHIKA
You weren't brought up in New York,
were you?

SAI
(slightly thrown off track) Eh..
No...

KRUTHIKA
How come no Indian comics here...
TIME, SPAN, Archie's

SAI
(understanding dawning
on the question) No not really
..... now c'mon these mags are
deftly sold here... so they don't
really make me from New York you
see...(QED expression) what do you
want.. Tinkle and Champak?
(Slightly naughtly smile)

KRUTHIKA
No please! Just remembered how you
talked Tamil in the hall too... you
speak as if you don't know Tamil...
was wondering if you thought it was
style or something.

SAI
(flustered at this girl). No
actually I was born and brought up
in Dehradun, never really got to
speak Tamil with others other than my
parents... so it is not a conscious
effort (as a matter of fact
expression)..

KRUTHIKA
Aww.. ok.. anyway.. (and again
looking at the magazines)

After a few more minutes... by this time, Sai has started writing
something in the diary.

SAI
(stopping from writing, looking in
the girl's direction for a few
seconds as if thinking something)
You aren't a very polite girl, are
you?

KRUTHIKA
(Registering a question) What?
(because she didn't hear it right)

SAI
I said, you aren't a very polite
girl, are you?

KRUTHIKA
(finding the question funny) Hello!
Why? What do I sound like?

SAI
No I was just wondering if you were
always biting like geese with fire
on her tongue...

KRUTHIKA
(looks at him with slitted eyes
giving a threatening look at first,
then relaxed face and sighs)
actually I know what you mean... no
I am not this way, only when
required, with only the required
people (smile).

SAI
he he... ok.. agree... (and gets
back to his diary nodding while she
continues looking at him)

3-4 seconds of she looking at him...

KRUTHIKA
Hey you know what? I am sorry
too... ok?

SAI
(pleasantly startled).. for what?

KRUTHIKA
I was irked up tooo.. as in I
wasn't prepared for this kind of a
thing and mom suddenly insisted
that I had to be home.. she had
decided something important and you
know.. all that crap that moms can
sometimes give you. I just had to
heed because of what dad might
say.. and I was also irked up. So
sorry about that. (Now both smile).

SAI
Hey that's ok. I understand. (and
once again starts scribbling
something at his diary.)

KRUTHIKA
So what is it that you find so
important to write while someone is
talking to you?

SAI
Hey no... just my daily journal.. I
thought we didn't have much to talk
anyways...

KRUTHIKA
(kinda ignoring his answer) So what
do you write for your daily journal
today, that you met a not so polite
girl who bites like geese with fire
- on - her - tongue??

SAI
Ha ha (for the first time, a not so
weak or fake laugh).. no simply...
just recording today's events..

Kruthika rises from her position to come towards him... and he
stops writing

KRUTHIKA
Can I see what you are writing...

SAI
(closing the diary with the pen in
it...) No.. not really .. journals
are supposed to be personal!
(Smile) and don't worry I didn't
write you are not polite.

KRUTHIKA
(Looking at another shelf near Sai)
You better not mister!...So do you
write only journals or something
else as well? Don't tell me.. code!

SAI
He he... no I sometimes write short
stories too. but then that's it..

KRUTHIKA
Really? (genuinely interested and
much of the initial uncomfort gone
by this time).. I write poems
too..but only I read them (giggles to
herself)...

SAI
Same with me.. only I read my
stories I guess!

KRUTHIKA
I could probably help you out.. wat
say?

SAI
He he..sure they are all on my
blog...all entries with zero comments!
I'll give you the URL if you are
interested.

KRUTHIKA
Sure, I'll take it when I leave.

Few seconds of silence.

SAI
Hmm.... I guess its around 10
minutes... you want me to write it
for you on a piece of paper, its
not so straightforward to
remember... we can probably leave
now then...

KRUTHIKA
No its ok... unless you want to
drive me away immediately!

SAI
No nothing like that.. its been
sometime, thought you'd want to
leave..

KRUTHIKA
I guess its ok... lets make it 15
minutes... 1 and half times you see
(in an imitating voice)..

SAI
You are really sarcastic, aren't
you?

KRUTHIKA
He he.. maybe and I would want to
add funny too!

SAI
Yeah, very!

KRUTHIKA
Thank you and you can write that in
your journal (winking! wow!)

SAI
he he.. I will...

KRUTHIKA
Hey actually, forget the time, its
not a contract now, ok? They'll
probably call when they want to
call us. Let's just get to know
each other..

SAI
(Smile, large breath) You are sure
you want to do this?

KRUTHIKA
Yes... Yes (like a robot)

SAI
You!! Really cheeky that was!

Ha ha... both laugh...

KRUTHIKA
You see if not anything else, we
can make good friends, a chauvinistic
guy and a sarcastic girl! wat say?

SAI
sure sure.. (again laugh...)

darken the screen... pull away.... credits

This is THE stuff

Here's an example of how just a beautiful presentation of the truth can change one's perspectives forever. Thanks, Annie!

THE STORY OF STUFF
People with enough bandwidth could directly watch the video at
http://www.storyofstuff.com/

For those who have Quick Time, you can download/watch the movie at http://web.1.c3.audiovideoweb.com/1c3web3536/StoryOfStuff.mov

For those bizzy guys who want a short summary of the video before watching it. Here goes. This poem was written by my cousin Deepa who has just finished her 10th board exams.

THE STORY OF STUFF
(a poem based on Annie Leonard's story by N.Deepa, 16 years)

It all begins with extraction
of materials from the earth.
This trashing of the planet
has caused of resources a dearth.

The second stage of production
uses energy to create stuff.
The toxins in and toxins out
make life on our planet tough.

The third stage of consumption
involves use of manufactured goods.
The large numbers soon to be trashed
put ecosystems into bad moods.

The story ends with disposal
of garbage in different ways.
For the dioxins produced by incineration,
every living creature pays.

People are involved in every stage,
braving a health hazard.
The growing power of corporations
has brought in democracy a blizzard.

As the golden way for consumer stuff,
recycling has been shown.
But for the junk produced upstream,
the solution is yet unknown.

On a finite planet like ours,
a linear system can't forever function.
So making the system circular
would be the perfect solution.

Freedom at Hyderabad

The fresh air of Hyderabad greeted me as I landed in the Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad on one Saturday morning. It was the start of a weekend that I knew marked a significant change in my life. It was the last operational day of the Begumpet Airport. All flights from the very next day onwards would operate from the new International Airport. I felt that this mirrored the changes in my life very aptly - out with the old, in with the new. Hyderabad to me signified the start of a resolution that, from now on, this free soul would search for what it likes and would pursue it.

Shyam, my best friend right from the college days, met me here. He is a tall lanky guy with broad shoulders. We setup our base here in Hyderabad in a small private colony; a beautiful place, at peace with nature. An entire plethora of wildlife rallied along its course right at our doorstep; squirrels, sparrows, frogs; not to leave out several other birds that I could not put a name to and probably, a snake or two at nights.

Although I did really want to put the practice of doing what I like into place; remembrance of my earlier experience at resolutions always kind of gave me the jitters. They had never worked. Not even one of them! So, there was always a nagging doubt at the back of my mind as to how long I would hold on to this one. But there were quite a few surprises in store for me.

First thing that stood out in stark difference to whatever I had experienced earlier is the fact that two confused individuals with similar resolutions kind of made up for each other's weaknesses. Basically, it meant that when either of us strayed from the line of focus, the other came in handy to pull you back on track.

Second was the revelation that meditation as a practice to seek peace with oneself just does not mean sitting in a secluded corner, closing one's eyes and concentrating so as to control one's thought streams. It just could just be as simple as realizing our oneness with nature.

This is what we experienced when we just took a bike ride on an empty road in the night. It was fresh pure air; and with the cool breeze gushing against our faces, both Shyam and I just melted into silence in nearly a twenty minute ride. I guess both of us thanked the other for not breaking the peace in that interval.

I experienced the same in walking back home one evening listening to some beautiful songs from the movie "Music & Lyrics" on my iPod. Again, a feeling of oneness with all things around me just flowed through my veins. I somehow felt free - free to enjoy and savor every particle of matter, every wave of sound that surrounded me.

Salaam Namaste to Hyderabad for the experience. All this in just one week too! Let's see what else is in store. For one, it has started me writing again as well ;)

A good instant messenger status message

Hi all,
Here's a good instant messenger status message I came across that I felt like sharing with people around. (Thanks to my cousin Roshan for this, for it was from him that I picked it up)

Message:
Here's the test to find whether you mission on Earth is finished: if you're alive, it isn't.
- Richard David Bach (author of 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull')

Two movies .. and probably destiny ..

This weekend was one in which I chose to spend some time quietly with myself - A mood that I get into sometimes when you feel something's not just right with the way things are going on. People around you are happy, things at work are going great, you've got some good compliments from your boss, from friends .. still .. something feels wrong.

I guess resigning to myself in these times has generally brought out the best .. interesting part is that .. I am a firm non-believer in destiny .. so much so that I believe that God is my friend and guide in life rather than someone above .. that is probably one of the reasons I really do not pray. That does not mean I am a non-believer, I believe in the power of God to guide me .. but .. BUT .. only as a guide .. If I want something, it is ME who will have to do it ..

As usual, I got the guidance ;) and again, as usual, in an unexpected way (This is where I begin to wonder whether there is something in this "destiny" thingy ;) ). This time it was in the form of 2 beautiful films.

The first one, "The Hurricane" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0174856/) .. wow .. this one really blew me away. It was a beautiful portrayal of a mind which refused to give in to what was being forced on it. Another movie of the same cadre is the "The Shawshank Redemption".

The next one is something I've seen before .. found on rummaging through my disc collection in the hope of bringing some order .. (after all, discs were invented for random access .. geeks/nerds .. pardon the irony ;) ) .. this one is a marvellous piece no matter how many times I see it "Spanglish" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371246/) . This one's about believing in your identity .. in what defines you ..

The beauty of films is the way they let you relive the emotions that the characters play. Am thankful for having found these two films this weekend to get back on track and thank God for making some film-makers follow their heart to produce such films.

Lessons for Online Business

Got the following in a forward from a friend. Could not trace the origin of this article but really good stuff. If somebody finds the source, could you please let me know so that I can duly acknowledge it here.

- Hemanth

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's 3:00 am and I just finished watching 300 for the second time (this time in IMAX). I sit here struck by a moment of clarity. Frank Miller must be an online entrepreneur in his spare time because 300 is the perfect metaphor for online business. Now I know what you're thinking, this guy has completely lost it, and to be honest, that might be not far from the truth
Nevertheless, here are 10 Lessons Frank Miller's 300 can teach you about successful online business…

Know your surroundings, and choose the battleground that most suits your strengths

Just as King Leonidas chose the Hot Gates as the perfect location for Sparta's stand against the Persians, the same methodology applies to deciding on the niche and hook for your new online enterprise. Do your research and pick an avenue where your skills will thrive and your competition will fall. Choose a plan of action that highlights your skills while taking away advantages of your predecessors. Just make sure you cover your back at the goat path! You never know who's sneaking up behind you!

A handful of well trained soldiers can out-perform thousands of weak ones.

The Spartan 300 stood against the million Persians for days because they were strong, well trained, and powerful. The same holds true for sites in the online marketplace. A well done site, where the owner takes the time to build a community and support it with continuous, quality content, has the best chance for success, even against hundreds of sub par competitors. At the end of the day, any successful formula requires repeat business, and you can't get repeat business if your soldiers died in battle!

A few good friends is better than an army of acquaintances.

The Spartan 300 drew their strength from their family of fellow soldiers on the battlefield. When it comes to online business, the temptation to work your way from one end of the web to the other begging for links is very high. Take the time to actually contribute to community sites like Digg, DigitalPoint, or even blogs you read every day. In the end, it will take you much farther by becoming a respected community member then a single comment that is never revisited ever could.

The gods aren't always right, do what's best for yourself, above all else.

King Leonidas knew that the Ephor were wrong when they advised him to stand down on the eve of battle. In online business, it is far too easy to read advice from people with sites that are more popular than yours and take it to heart. A lot of this advice is good but a lot of it is bad as well. Taking the wrong advice can cut you off from avenues that may be right for you, even if it wasn't for the person who gave it. Always do what is best for yourself, and never be afraid to experiment. After all, the Gods were all in the same position as you at one point in time. Remember that!

Keep your skill set sharp, cause you never know when you might have to defend yourself.

At a moments notice, the Spartans were ready to march into battle, with no hesitation. The same applies to EVERY area of business. Never stop learning, experimenting, and improving yourself. The moment you drop your guard, is the same moment your opponents take away your land.

Never retreat, never surrender.

Even to the bitter end, King Leonidas and his 300 fought for Greece, never retreating and never surrendering. While it's not so cut and dry in online business, in most cases this is great advice. A lot of people quit because it gets too tough to maintain their blog or too hard to keep the products up to date on their website. If you retreat, if you surrender, you'll never know if a month or two more of hard work might have paid off. You'll also never be a Spartan!

Constantly adapt to your changing situation, it's the only way to survive.

When the Persians dispatched Rhinos, the Spartans adapted and prevailed. When they charged in with elephants, they adapted and once again came out the victor. The web marketplace is no different. Technology is CONSTANTLY changing. If you want to stand atop a mountain of defeated competitors, you have to stay on the bleeding edge of technological advances to ensure your ready to ride the new wave the second it arrives. A spear is fine and dandy, until your opponent charges in with Lasers!

Never be satisfied with your past accomplishments, it might just get you kicked down a bottomless pit.

When the Persian messenger delivered his ultimatum to King Leonidas, he was cocky and backed himself up by the past accomplishments of the Persian Empire. What did he get for that? A trip to the bottom of a bottomless pit! (is that even possible???). While success is great, always look to improve on what you've done and never underestimate your competitors. The Web 2.0 world moves so fast that one days champion can be another days failure in the blink of an eye. Don't let your site get kicked into the pit. THIS IS SPARTA!!

Even a man-god can bleed.

King Leonidas proved that even the seemingly untouchable Xerxes was capable of bleeding after all. It is easy to look at the true juggernauts in a specific field and think it's impossible to compete against someone of that size. No one is untouchable, and great ideas rule the world. Be innovative, be cutting edge, and most of all be fearless even in the face of god-like competition. The history of the Web is littered with stories of the little guy rising up to conquer the great Internet beasts, with nothing but a better idea to drive them. As King Leonidas showed his Spartans, not everyone who seems like a God really is one!

Even if you're a hideous, misshapen troll, the right networking can get you riches and women.

Even in his hideously grotesque form, Ephialtes knew the value of networking. He made friends with Xerxes who ended up helping him to both riches and companionship. While you most certainly can use the web to find companionship through networking, from a business side networking can help you improve your income by leaps and bounds. If you make friends with other people in your niche, work on link exchanges and mutually beneficial collaborations, and actively contribute to sites with quality feedback and comments, there is no limit to the opportunities ahead of you. Know your strengths and know your weaknesses, and use networking to take advantage of both. If you can't be successful in one route, look at others. Constantly keep your best interests at the forefront of your decision making process.

The Art of Interviewing

Had always wanted to know what it is like to sit on the other side of the table. But, ironically, one year and about a hundred interviews later, I realized that it is all about being on the same side of the table. Interviewing, I realized, is about sketching the character of a person; and the simplest way to do it is to make the person feel at home in the interview. Otherwise, you unfortunately have the task of figuring out the "true" from the "superficial".

So that's rule number 1: Make the candidate feel at home.

Call him boss or bhai (as we call any friend in India), just make the candidate feel comfortable; anyway you want it. Sometimes, if possible, sit on the same side of the table as the interviewee to stress the fact that you are just there to support their thinking and not to criticize it. Setting the stage can also depend on the candidate. Some candidates are nervous at the start. In such cases, I have found that a small chat about their hobby or favorite game helps a lot. For a geeky guy, a talk about the algorithm in his project or some interesting recent tool he worked on etc. sets the tempo. We also don't have any dress code for the interviews at our company. We just ask the candidates to dress in any way they are comfortable.

...

Another important fact about interviewing is that you are there to make a decision.
So never have an analagous answer scale - he was good but ..., he was average but good on some factors etc ...

The answer has to be a definite "Yes" or "No". The simple logic behind this is that you "might" just lose a good candidate by saying a "No" but the fact is that you will always mostly be able to find another good candidate. On the other hand, a misjudged "Yes" can cost the company dearly over a long term.

So rule number 2: Make a clear decision.

...

Interviewer: What do you do if you want to reverse a linked list?
Candidate: I would just iterate over the linked list editing pointers and go on ....
Interviewer: Hmm ... how do you do it recursively?

Find anything odd in the situation above? Well, the point to make here is that people think differently. So do not try to force your idea or solution onto the candidate. The best interviewers build the interview around the thought process of the candidate. So every interview might be unique inspite of the same questions being asked.

That makes rule number 3: Listen and adapt.

...

Another thing to have in mind while preparing questions for an interview is to decide carefully around what each question tells you about the candidate. Jot down the various areas you want to evaluate the candidate on. Plan the questions and discussion accordingly. You can wrap up the interview at any time you have collected all the data points you were looking for. This will greatly improve the efficiency of the interviewing process.

Thereby, rule number 4: Have an evaluation plan.

...

There is generally a false notion that you need to ask really tough questions to pick out the best candidates. In this sense, there is also a dread in many interviewer's minds is that - if the candidate already knew the answer to that question, then they might not have got a clear idea of the candidate's capabilities.

The best way to counter this is to focus on the discussion around the problem rather than on the actual solution. So design your questions in a way that they involve some discussion. Even if candidates know the question, you can easily judge their prowess from the way they describe and validate the solution. Maybe, ask a few variations on the original question to see how they improvize.

So here goes rule number 5: Focus on the discussion; not on the solution.

...

For industry hires, the best way to recognize a good software engineer is from his code. So, the questions asked are pretty simple. What we need to concentrate on is on the elegance of the solution. This is closely related to my previous article http://ynaut.blogspot.com/2007/01/code-is-beautiful.html . It is about finding how deep a foundation have the coding practices laid into their daily work.

Rule number 6: Ask the candidate to code!

Guess I did learn some of these stuff personally over experience and also from this link

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/GuerrillaInterviewing3.html. So this post is probably my summarization of Joel's article with a few of my own hints.

Overall, I hope you found this article informative.

Signing off.

Code is Beautiful

If you ask me what is the difference in me as a programmer from the time I left college, I would say it is my view of coding. At college, I loved algorithmic problems. It used to be a favorite post-lunch past time at college; a bunch of us huddling around the Bodhi tree right outside our department building and have a go at some wacky problems. We also used to have rapid-fire coding sessions where we used to code in-order to verify the ‘correctness’ of the algorithms.

Nowadays, as well, it is the same intensity with which myself and few of my colleagues solve problems, but when it comes down to coding them, well, there’s a big difference now….

A simple example, to give you an idea,

int x, y, z; // in college days

is nowadays,

int noOfVertices;
…
int noOfEdges;
…
int edgeConnectivity;

and that too, in different portions of the program, i.e. closer to the context where they are used. Guess you are getting the point.

This love for coding started with the exposure to real-neat enterprise scalable code in the organization. It was not love at first sight though. The very first time I saw how many lines of code change you needed to do something which took about one line of code at college, I was a bit aghast. At first, it gives you the feeling that this is probably some rule of conduct in the industry that classifies it as ‘enterprise’ code.

But very soon the dynamic nature of the software requirements and functionality hits you in the face and you realize the beauty of those lines of code that looked so abstract early on.

Welcome, to the world of design patterns. These nifty set of tips and tricks take the pain of software maintainability away from software developers. But it is important as well that they do not overwhelm you. Two points in this sense are to be noted:
- Inappropriate use of design patterns.
- Overdoing of design patterns.

A few books that are worth mentioning in this context that help you avoid the above pitfalls are
Effective Java (http://java.sun.com/docs/books/effective/)

Agile Software Development, Principles, Patterns, and Practices (http://www.amazon.com/Software-Development-Principles-Patterns-Practices/dp/0135974445)

So one of my favorite questions at industry interviews is to ask the person to write some really simple recursive code. Recursive code in-spite of not being the optimal solution in many cases still catches my imagination because of the magic in the way it works. It’s really amazing how a few lines of code can neatly portray the solution to a really complex problem. Potential hires come up with neat and concise code. It also pays to observe the gleam in their eyes as they explain the solution to you. You know that you have a good candidate.

Will cover the “Art of Interviewing” separately in a later post. It’s a cool and very responsible art of sketching the character of a person in half-an-hour.

Signing off.

Management - What it should really be

If you are looking at some really good discourse on management and software practices, then please move on to http://www.joelonsoftware.com/Archive.html.

This post is from a yankee who landed in the industry in 2004 right out of college looking for some really challenging techie work. Must say that my career here so far has provided me with lots of those, but interestingly, it has also taken me through a roller coaster ride on how exactly do you lead a bunch of people.

Even though at college, we had learnt the principles that make a single guy at the top to manage an extremely large organisation with thousands of employees under him - Hierarchy and Delegation. All that sounded very nice when we learnt it, but once in the industry, the reality bites you hard. How I just wish delegation just meant transfer some of your responsibilities to a person below and get the work done. Probably, it might work fine in software design where-in high-level modules delegate their work to low-level modules. But it is just not the case when individuals are involved.

To get to the point, Management, in short, is about,
- Respecting the individuals under you.
- Trusting the individuals under you.
- Caring for the individuals under you.

[probably I reiterate the term "individuals" often as against "people" but that more goes to say the stress am laying on it]

Management is in reality all about relationships with individuals. Management is personal. In another sense, management is about listening. The more you listen, the more you understand the individuals under you and the better you can care for them.

That is why, people, ahem, sorry, 'individuals', more often don't leave their jobs; they leave their managers. So the key to building a great place to work is not about having great paychecks or great perks for employees. It is just about having a mechanism in place that ensures that managers care for those under them. Any organization that achieves this, whether it be a mammoth organization with thousands of employees or any run-of-the-mill organization with half a dozen employess, is sure to be a great place to work.

Another common misconception in many employees mind's is that once you rise to management levels, all you need to work around with are schedules and deadlines. So when it so happens that such employees do permeate to higher levels, the life becomes tough for those down under.

I would like to sign off for now with the role of management as defined on this site (http://www.fogcreek.com/About.html), [the CEO of this company is the guy who writes the JoelOnSoftware blog (link in the first line of this post), it is one of my favorite sites, so please bear with me if I keep getting back to this site in my future ramblings.]

" ... management, not coding, is the support function. Management is not here to make decisions, but to get all the furniture out of the way so that software developers can do great stuff. ... "

Rebound

Roses in bloom,
Daffodils swaying in the breeze,
Little birds chirping,
The wind skimming over the fields,
The gurgling stream over the pebbly underneath,
The sunshine winding its way through the green canopy,
Lighting up the mossy terrain,
There's so much in the little things around you,
The past's gone and done,
Leaving behind the golden prize of realization,
So wake up to a brand new year,
To carve a niche in the cliffs of life.

The Glass Door

Stand do we on either side of it;
Shouting our hearts out;
Think do we, that none of us is at fault,
Expecting either of us to wake up;
The transparency deceives us;
That seeing is believing;
What it needs is getting a bit closer;
Realization comes then;
That all it takes, is to break,
The glass door.

My idol - Steven Spielberg  

At the Tower Bridge 

Symmetry unfolded 

"The long walk" with the Windsor Castle in the backdrop 

Cool blue jelly fish