1. Two situations. Completely unrelated but somehow connected.
2. First, I attended a friend's engagement ceremony. Feels odd as friends have started getting married. Are we this old already? I understand we are from Rajasthan- the land of child marriages but 21 is still not the time to put your foot down and take seven long circles around the fire. Is it? Dumbstruck, I am. Why would anyone commit himself/herself for life at such a young age? Thats a little ahead of schedule, ain't it?
3. Second, I faced a fact I always knew. Most of us in India have the assistance of domestic help at our disposal. A lot of us sleep in the night praying that our beloved 'bai' comes on time the next day. We actually alter our plans to their needs and demands. I am a great fan of the benefits this therapy provides. But then, I dont really know if this belief is flawless. What if we are faced with a situation where we have to manage without the precious help? Will we be okay with it? Will we shell out a few extra bucks to hire a new maid? If yes, then how much? What if our new employee is inexperienced i.e. young recruit destitute of any experience? Deep. Really Deep.
4. Unrelated situations, you will agree. How is shaadi and hiring a new maid to clean our Water Closet connected? I had to google WC for it's full form. Somehow I always thought WC only stood for World Cup. But I was wrong, it meant something else also. Anyway, may god bless Larry Page and Sergey Brin with more information and knowledge.
5. Marriages are made in heaven. So goes the saying. Unfortunately, they are celebrated like the ones in heaven. So much of effort, time, and obviously money is spent on the wedding. Even if you try to arrange a simple wedding, society doesn't accept it and abuses are hurled at you for this crime. What is it with a wedding that it generates so much hype? I am not against this concept but not in favor of the way is celebrated. People will remain stingy all their lives, cut down on their expenses just so that they can send off their daughters with a grand and lavish wedding. Are marriages really over hyped in the indian society? We say its our culture. Man and Woman - souls meet - they become one. So one whole year goes in discussions about venues,menus,clothing,making lists on MS WORD, and deciding the color of tents et cetera et cetera. I cant see the logic.
6. On the other hand, our domestic help struggles. Struggles to barely make $100 every month. Struggles to make ends meet. Struggles to educate her children in hope for a better future. Just imagine what if they dont save enough? Their children will remain unschooled. Had she earned a bit more, she would have saved as much, and could have sent her children to a school. Lives would have changed.
7. Depressing, it is. Such inequalities exist. Agreed, they will always remain in a society. Nothing will ever be equal. But the whole system works for the rich. Makes them richer for the poor shit they make. And the poor suffers. Because no one cares. Its the pompous and pretentious who matter. The more money you have, the more preferred you are. The more wealth you show to the world, the more respected you are. Wealth and income have unfortunately become the parameters of success. And when this happens, you have a feeling that there is something terribly wrong the way this society is functioning.
8. May be I was wrong. These two situations are not only connected, but also totally related. What a world we live in. One spends millions on soul mating, and the other toils hard just to save its soul.
9. Larry Page and Sergey Brin are the founders of Google. Had to use Google for this too.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Gyaan
1. I have been wrestling with the idea of college and education from quite sometime now. Even if I was busy with something else, the thoughts would rush back to the same idea/ideas. There were more questions than answers even after deliberating on it for a couple of days.
2. Whats the point of it all? Why is it necessary to get educated? Why do we enroll ourselves in college? Why not enter into a trade or start a job straight after school? Is it really necessary? Do we really get 'educated' in college? What if we did not go to college? What is education? There were no easy answers.
3. Obviously, education is an essential part of any individual's development. It helps you differentiate between the good and the bad. the right and the wrong. the true lies and the false truths. At a macro level, its significant for a society as well. Society would not function if the majority are uneducated. All of this works when you look at education from a larger perspective. But my questions are really based on practical value than on fundamental importance.
4. I look for a clear definition of education. Is it about just reading some fat textbooks in a college which sounds familiar to the junta? Is it about waiting impatiently to graduate? What is the motivation? Do we just do it because everyone else does it?
5. It is true that education itself is bigger than a college/institution. This implies that no matter where you read your subject, you may still remain uneducated. This in turn means that its more than the books, lectures and obviously the professors. This does not however mean that we should not vouch for good colleges. But then how do you decipher whether a certain institution is worthy enough? This is where the problem comes in.
6. Problem because the criteria for evaluating the goodness of a educational institution is rather absurd. This can be seen from the various paid advertisements in newspapers and magazines. The only thing they boast about is the placements/jobs they generated over the past year. There will be a range given for the amount of salaries and the number of students who cracked it.
7. Problem because this reflects a bigger issue. If this is true, then it means that all that the aspiring students care is about the jobs. They may not desire to do it or no passion to read the subject. I may understand the difficult backgrounds some may come from, but then it is not a good explanation. There are enough loans to help you with financial headaches. It somehow amazes me the way the thought process is built through these advertisements. The whole idea seems repulsive to me. You study for 3/4/5 years, or whatever the number of years your course takes to finish, just to get placed. This is not education for me.
8. This whole criteria is flawed. A good college doesnt necessarily transform your brilliance into a job. A good college is where the intersection of different ideas take place. It is where the kid matures into an adult. It is a place where you develop deep passions, an understanding of the self, one's weaknesses and strengths. It is a place where you study or read what you want to. Not what most people want u to. These are the formative years where you build your personality and something which stays with you forever.
9. It is hardly surprising that there is not a single educational institution from India which ranks among the top 100 in the world. In other countries, the focus is on innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity. They make u think big, thats all. This is education. Education makes u think big. Bigger than yourself, your family,your society and puts you in place of others. People have been given freedom, independence to do what they want. People are encouraged to take risks. Short term advantages are given up for long term gains.
10. I admire those who have done something innovative and brought change. I admire those who have shown their backs to the rat race. I admire them for believing in themselves and thinking big.
11. Although I still have questions in my head which are unanswered. But then, there always will be.
Later.
2. Whats the point of it all? Why is it necessary to get educated? Why do we enroll ourselves in college? Why not enter into a trade or start a job straight after school? Is it really necessary? Do we really get 'educated' in college? What if we did not go to college? What is education? There were no easy answers.
3. Obviously, education is an essential part of any individual's development. It helps you differentiate between the good and the bad. the right and the wrong. the true lies and the false truths. At a macro level, its significant for a society as well. Society would not function if the majority are uneducated. All of this works when you look at education from a larger perspective. But my questions are really based on practical value than on fundamental importance.
4. I look for a clear definition of education. Is it about just reading some fat textbooks in a college which sounds familiar to the junta? Is it about waiting impatiently to graduate? What is the motivation? Do we just do it because everyone else does it?
5. It is true that education itself is bigger than a college/institution. This implies that no matter where you read your subject, you may still remain uneducated. This in turn means that its more than the books, lectures and obviously the professors. This does not however mean that we should not vouch for good colleges. But then how do you decipher whether a certain institution is worthy enough? This is where the problem comes in.
6. Problem because the criteria for evaluating the goodness of a educational institution is rather absurd. This can be seen from the various paid advertisements in newspapers and magazines. The only thing they boast about is the placements/jobs they generated over the past year. There will be a range given for the amount of salaries and the number of students who cracked it.
7. Problem because this reflects a bigger issue. If this is true, then it means that all that the aspiring students care is about the jobs. They may not desire to do it or no passion to read the subject. I may understand the difficult backgrounds some may come from, but then it is not a good explanation. There are enough loans to help you with financial headaches. It somehow amazes me the way the thought process is built through these advertisements. The whole idea seems repulsive to me. You study for 3/4/5 years, or whatever the number of years your course takes to finish, just to get placed. This is not education for me.
8. This whole criteria is flawed. A good college doesnt necessarily transform your brilliance into a job. A good college is where the intersection of different ideas take place. It is where the kid matures into an adult. It is a place where you develop deep passions, an understanding of the self, one's weaknesses and strengths. It is a place where you study or read what you want to. Not what most people want u to. These are the formative years where you build your personality and something which stays with you forever.
9. It is hardly surprising that there is not a single educational institution from India which ranks among the top 100 in the world. In other countries, the focus is on innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity. They make u think big, thats all. This is education. Education makes u think big. Bigger than yourself, your family,your society and puts you in place of others. People have been given freedom, independence to do what they want. People are encouraged to take risks. Short term advantages are given up for long term gains.
10. I admire those who have done something innovative and brought change. I admire those who have shown their backs to the rat race. I admire them for believing in themselves and thinking big.
11. Although I still have questions in my head which are unanswered. But then, there always will be.
Later.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Predicament
1. I am in the final year of Law School. This event deserved a blog post.
2. This event makes me both happy and sad.
3. Happy because it took me four long years to reach here. Sad because it will all be over next year.
4. Happy because I made some great friends, met some wonderful people. Sad because I dont know where we all will be after graduation.
5. Happy because I will be leaving Bombay soon. Sad because no matter what I say about it, I love that city.
6. Happy because I will be a qualified lawyer next year. Sad because I have no clear direction or plan post the convocation.
7. Predicament? Yes.
2. This event makes me both happy and sad.
3. Happy because it took me four long years to reach here. Sad because it will all be over next year.
4. Happy because I made some great friends, met some wonderful people. Sad because I dont know where we all will be after graduation.
5. Happy because I will be leaving Bombay soon. Sad because no matter what I say about it, I love that city.
6. Happy because I will be a qualified lawyer next year. Sad because I have no clear direction or plan post the convocation.
7. Predicament? Yes.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Ethics
1. I am beginning to realize how difficult it is to work ethically. Specially in a profession like law, its almost impossible. Lawyers are not here to secure justice, I had read somewhere some days back. I wondered what they are here for then. Are these men in black coats really worth their value in the society?
2. I distinctly remember what a friend of mine once told me. He had just got back from the US after getting a business degree. I was struggling hard to finish off the course in the limited time (exams were two weeks away)and he had invited me for a party. I politely declined, upon which he said 'Dude you are going to be a lawyer, u just need to lie and save your clients.'
3. I was taken aback. I was stumped in pure cricketing terms. I wanted to tell him that was really not my intention. I had not enrolled myself in a law college for this. There are lawyers who value ethics. The good part is that I did tell him this. I fumbled a bit. But the ugly part is that he said something which was even more scary than the former- 'Every one starts off thinking like that, thinking they will be faithful to ethics but once u are on your own, you will realize how wrong you were.'
4. I still think about this one liner from my firangi friend who put this in the most casual terms. But then, there are lines and times in your life which although are casual to others, but crucial to you in certain ways. A situation where you want to badly pee. It may not be of significance to others, but to you it can be devastating.
5. I havent worked a great deal in my life. I have never been really on my own. I have worked for a year in a corporate law firm. But a year is hardly enough to test your faithfulness to ethics. But there is hardly any doubt that this profession has got commercialized. I dont know if in the process, it got sold as well.
6. There is definitely a misconception though. People generally feel that getting into a corporate side of things will save them from taking a dip in the Ganges. All is not so well. There are huge stakes involved. There is big money. Its just that now its managed professionally with corporate lawyers involved. Then why are lawyers with bows and black coats (and not with suits and swanky computers) blamed for infidelity towards ethics?
7. In fact, its difficult to be ethical when cocky players are involved with their vast and enormous wealth. Its hard not be sold out or at least get tempted. This applies to every profession. This applies to every part of the world. A feeling of puzzlement and doubt surrounds me. How is it possible to lead a financially profitable life and be ethical. Like every young kid, I want to be rich. But unlike most of us, I dont want to compromise on the ethics part.
8. When I started off, I never thought it would be hard to do or accomplish. I thought one can possess great material wealth without reducing the value, quality, and degree of ethics. The entire definition of ethics is subjective. To me, its about being true to your self, true to your profession, not damaging the values of the society, living with dignity and being morally responsible to others. Its a small definition but covers everything what I believe in.
9. For those of you interested, I did go for the party my friend organized.
2. I distinctly remember what a friend of mine once told me. He had just got back from the US after getting a business degree. I was struggling hard to finish off the course in the limited time (exams were two weeks away)and he had invited me for a party. I politely declined, upon which he said 'Dude you are going to be a lawyer, u just need to lie and save your clients.'
3. I was taken aback. I was stumped in pure cricketing terms. I wanted to tell him that was really not my intention. I had not enrolled myself in a law college for this. There are lawyers who value ethics. The good part is that I did tell him this. I fumbled a bit. But the ugly part is that he said something which was even more scary than the former- 'Every one starts off thinking like that, thinking they will be faithful to ethics but once u are on your own, you will realize how wrong you were.'
4. I still think about this one liner from my firangi friend who put this in the most casual terms. But then, there are lines and times in your life which although are casual to others, but crucial to you in certain ways. A situation where you want to badly pee. It may not be of significance to others, but to you it can be devastating.
5. I havent worked a great deal in my life. I have never been really on my own. I have worked for a year in a corporate law firm. But a year is hardly enough to test your faithfulness to ethics. But there is hardly any doubt that this profession has got commercialized. I dont know if in the process, it got sold as well.
6. There is definitely a misconception though. People generally feel that getting into a corporate side of things will save them from taking a dip in the Ganges. All is not so well. There are huge stakes involved. There is big money. Its just that now its managed professionally with corporate lawyers involved. Then why are lawyers with bows and black coats (and not with suits and swanky computers) blamed for infidelity towards ethics?
7. In fact, its difficult to be ethical when cocky players are involved with their vast and enormous wealth. Its hard not be sold out or at least get tempted. This applies to every profession. This applies to every part of the world. A feeling of puzzlement and doubt surrounds me. How is it possible to lead a financially profitable life and be ethical. Like every young kid, I want to be rich. But unlike most of us, I dont want to compromise on the ethics part.
8. When I started off, I never thought it would be hard to do or accomplish. I thought one can possess great material wealth without reducing the value, quality, and degree of ethics. The entire definition of ethics is subjective. To me, its about being true to your self, true to your profession, not damaging the values of the society, living with dignity and being morally responsible to others. Its a small definition but covers everything what I believe in.
9. For those of you interested, I did go for the party my friend organized.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Birds
I want to be like the free bird. The emphasis is on 'free' and not on the bird. A caged bird is as good as a human. Or as evil as human. Totally based on your experience with the animal. the human brand.
I am not an expert on life. But I dont understand how people can not be free and still be happy. I can sympathize with some of them. There might be real constraints. But I will still trouble them with this thought. Thoreau gave us some really good free advice. To live free and uncommitted for as long as possible. I dont know a lot of people who follow it. Thats because they might have not heard this. They were busy reading Chetan Bhagat.
We are usually interrogated about our lives. What is it that we want to be. The question, i know, is not fresh. But then, the question is not the real objection or the compliant. The fault lies with the rotten answer. The answer is as predictable as the question. Good education, Good Job, Good House, Good Car, and obviously Rich In-Laws. Basically a Good life.
But this 'good life' usually doesnt come easy. It means you are bound to work 9 to 5, come back home, have dinner, tweet, and sleep for the next 7 hours. What life. Thats the life most of us will lead in a couple of years. Correction. Most of YOU. I am certainly not a part of this ambition of living the good life.
Hence, the emphasis on the free aspect. I would certainly not want to compromise on my reading habits and some introspection. How many of us really introspect? Not a lot again. We are too busy planning. I can confidently say that corporate jobs can easily be termed as one of the worst jobs. There is so much they take away than they give. And the worst part is that the realization is late. The corporate bug once bitten is difficult to avoid. But once avoided, it will give you unlimited satisfaction and good health.
Why cant we be like birds? Travelling all the time. Getting out of our comfort zone. I know for a fact the birds dont need visas and they get really cheap accommodation.
Its a stunning sight. to see them in the sky. Flying, turning, doing what they want to. They travel miles across the nations. across the seas. across continents. They discover new places, hear unfamiliar languages, forge relationships with the unknown, up-to-date with the latest, all singing and all dancing. And, also they dont have to find a washroom.
Why are we averse to risks? What are we afraid to lose out on? What makes us so insecure? Is money really so important? I can understand the logical point - Wont we need money to travel? Yes. It is. But I am sure if you really want to live like a bird, you can figure out your own way. Thats what birds do. But its pertinent to have such a thought process from the start. Its critical to take risks and think big.
Most importantly, its important not to be slave.
P.S. I put up a picture of three birds by choice. Being free doesnt mean u have to be lonely.
Later.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
TV
1. Aamir Khan has to be one of the best ever. Saw his movie 'Mann' on TV. Decent movie. Good music with beautiful lyrics.
2. Also watched a documentary on the Bhopal Tragedy. Moving. It was quite upsetting to see all those bodies with white clothing over them. Skeletons. People losing their loved ones. Official death count stands around 20,000. Whats worse is that the judgment came out after a long 26 years and all those who were convicted are already out on bail. Makes me sad. Is that the value of human life? Tragic, to say the least.
3. The above posts make me wonder what if TV was not invented. Life would have been different?
a) Life would have been boring at dinner time.
b) Fingers wouldnt hurt. (We wont have flipped channels)
c) Arnab Goswami wouldnt be half as popular.
d) No live cricket matches.
Mom tells me there was no TV 30 years back. The first one was bought in early 1980's. Thats recent. Hard to believe. A'int it? Sometimes, we take all these things for granted. TV, Air conditioner, fridge, Washing machine, Mobile Phones, Google, 24 Hours electricity, Broadband Connection, Cheap STD Calling, Tata Sky Plus, MNCs, Youtube. We cannot do without these perks.
4. Technology has made life easier. less complicated. But arent we getting too dependent? Dont we crib about these things all the time? We want better phones, bigger TV sets. Dont we get irritated at small things? No electricity for an hour or no network on our phones for even a minute. All this makes us upset. We forget there are bigger things in life.
5. I had gone to my ancestral village sometime back. I was happy to see it had made big strides from the last time I visited. There were better roads, children were sent to school, good doctors and hospitals, electricity was available almost round the clock and much safer in the nights. People were strikingly happier and more welcoming than most in the urban areas. The trip enlightened me. Sometimes nature does to you what books and people dont.
6. Why were people happier in the villages or not so urban areas? It was disturbing. Disturbing not because they were happy. Disturbing because it made me think. It made me contemplate. Surely, they were not making as much money as people do in urban areas. Money then doesnt translate into happiness. People were not running aimlessly. They were not after a train. Missing a train only makes one sad when running to catch it.
7. Fingers can hurt even when u type for too long. Later.
2. Also watched a documentary on the Bhopal Tragedy. Moving. It was quite upsetting to see all those bodies with white clothing over them. Skeletons. People losing their loved ones. Official death count stands around 20,000. Whats worse is that the judgment came out after a long 26 years and all those who were convicted are already out on bail. Makes me sad. Is that the value of human life? Tragic, to say the least.
3. The above posts make me wonder what if TV was not invented. Life would have been different?
a) Life would have been boring at dinner time.
b) Fingers wouldnt hurt. (We wont have flipped channels)
c) Arnab Goswami wouldnt be half as popular.
d) No live cricket matches.
Mom tells me there was no TV 30 years back. The first one was bought in early 1980's. Thats recent. Hard to believe. A'int it? Sometimes, we take all these things for granted. TV, Air conditioner, fridge, Washing machine, Mobile Phones, Google, 24 Hours electricity, Broadband Connection, Cheap STD Calling, Tata Sky Plus, MNCs, Youtube. We cannot do without these perks.
4. Technology has made life easier. less complicated. But arent we getting too dependent? Dont we crib about these things all the time? We want better phones, bigger TV sets. Dont we get irritated at small things? No electricity for an hour or no network on our phones for even a minute. All this makes us upset. We forget there are bigger things in life.
5. I had gone to my ancestral village sometime back. I was happy to see it had made big strides from the last time I visited. There were better roads, children were sent to school, good doctors and hospitals, electricity was available almost round the clock and much safer in the nights. People were strikingly happier and more welcoming than most in the urban areas. The trip enlightened me. Sometimes nature does to you what books and people dont.
6. Why were people happier in the villages or not so urban areas? It was disturbing. Disturbing not because they were happy. Disturbing because it made me think. It made me contemplate. Surely, they were not making as much money as people do in urban areas. Money then doesnt translate into happiness. People were not running aimlessly. They were not after a train. Missing a train only makes one sad when running to catch it.
7. Fingers can hurt even when u type for too long. Later.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
June
1. Delhi, I think, is one of the most beautiful cities in India. Its green. Roads are decent. Metro covers almost all of Delhi. Property is reasonable. Although, i wish there were fewer 'golchakkars' and the city was vertical like Bombay!
The area around Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament and India Gate- has some aura, some charm. It looks beautiful. The diplomats, the politicians, the ministers, the big shots, the game changers have their homes here.
2. Move over the game theory. The car theory is here. Sometimes sitting in different cars can change your perception, as well as others. Isn't life like the road? You can drive well, really well. You might be a safe bet. But the other cars? They might hit you, topple you, force you to put the brakes and rethink your driving strategy. Life is just like that, ain't it. People might have an influence on your perfect plans. They will tickle you, move forward, and push you down from the cliff. Lesson? Do what you are passionate about. Be stupid.
3. Jyotish- Ek Samadhan? I have been really into astrology these days. I dont know if its a solution but its definitely worth the hype. Most of the things do turn out as predicted. As they say, kismat se zyada aur samay se pehle kisi ko kuch nahi milta. A powerful line.
4. I have officially started following Sonam Kapoor. She looks pretty.
5. June is here.
Later.
The area around Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament and India Gate- has some aura, some charm. It looks beautiful. The diplomats, the politicians, the ministers, the big shots, the game changers have their homes here.
2. Move over the game theory. The car theory is here. Sometimes sitting in different cars can change your perception, as well as others. Isn't life like the road? You can drive well, really well. You might be a safe bet. But the other cars? They might hit you, topple you, force you to put the brakes and rethink your driving strategy. Life is just like that, ain't it. People might have an influence on your perfect plans. They will tickle you, move forward, and push you down from the cliff. Lesson? Do what you are passionate about. Be stupid.
3. Jyotish- Ek Samadhan? I have been really into astrology these days. I dont know if its a solution but its definitely worth the hype. Most of the things do turn out as predicted. As they say, kismat se zyada aur samay se pehle kisi ko kuch nahi milta. A powerful line.
4. I have officially started following Sonam Kapoor. She looks pretty.
5. June is here.
Later.
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