misty_sunshine

Back to blogging world

2010-02-07T01:42:00.000-08:00

I had been away from the blogging world for quite a while (more than 6 months), but now I am back! In these 6 months, apart from the usual activities, I got myself married to a wonderful gal - Gayatri - and life's never been better :-)

Looking forward to blog more !

Week 29 - Healthy mind in a healthy body

2009-07-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been kinda busy/lazy. However, one positive thing to have happened is.. I started playing table tennis again after a long hiatus. Though I spent precious few hours playing TT, somehow I did find it rejuvenating. I am sure I am going to continue playing going ahead.

I also bought a couple of new books.. and I am reading them in stages. No point in finishing them in one go, and forgetting all about them later on. I only wish I had a couple of hours everyday exclusively for reading activities!

Ciao,

Ketan

The Legend of Federer - and the chinks in his armor

2009-07-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

Today I witnessed one of the greatest Wimbledon finals of all time. Roger Federer beat Andy Roddick in an epic 5 setter, which perhaps was more intriguing than last year's Nadal slug-fest. However, for the first time, I saw that Federer was beaten mentally by Roddick. Roddick showed the same character and attitude that has become a hallmark of Federer. He stood toe-to-toe with the great champ; it was just that he was on the wrong side of the line.

Roddick came up with such an aggressive and courageous display of tennis, that Federer was taken aback. Federer had beaten Roddick 18 times and lost just twice before this match. Federer has also openly mentioned that he would rather face Roddick in the final. But the Roddick we saw today, was a man on a mission; and he threw everything at the great Federer.

The only thing that saw Federer through today, was the fact that he had done it before. This was the 4th 5-setter in a grandslam for Roger, and only the first for Roddick. In the deciding game of the final set, Roddick committed a blunder, which clearly was a sign of having butter-fingers. After the win, there were no tears of joy from Federer, and neither was he kneeling on the ground. He just jumped in triumph and was already at the net to congratulate Roddick.

Federer did not win the match, Roddick lost it.

Dice

2009-06-13T23:33:00.000-07:00

Einstein said - God does not play dice. Then how does God 'play'? The sequence of events that is happening around us - for us it is random; but for God, is it all known, programmed or wired in some way? I have resigned myself to an understanding that my teeny-tiny brain is incapable of comprehending such things.

Contemplatingly,

Ketan

Mundane week

2009-05-24T00:52:00.000-07:00

Nothing worth mentioning really happened last week.. but yes, I managed to sleep for more than 9 hours; that is the longest ever on a working day!

I also came across one nice quote - "You cannot think while you are running, and you cannot run while you are thinking". Very apt for a person like me, I am always on the run!

Well, take care for the rest of the summer.. and be good!

Ciao,

Ketan

The weeks that were

2009-05-17T04:56:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

The past 2 weeks were fun. The current work at my hand in office is coming to an end, and it was a time to ensure that all the things that were done in the past 3 months were put together correctly and delivered as per plan. So far so good, the next week will tell if the efforts bear fruit.

On the literary front, I had spend few days reading about the book about Einstein Thinking, and then found an urge to read a good old book named Moonstone. Its a short detective story, about a valuable stone - The Moonstone - that has a curse - whoever owns it, will die a terrible death. The stone passes from one person to another in London, until it finds peace in its original Indian temple. It was fun to read it after a long time!

I also got my CD Drive rectified, and now, FINALLY, I have a chance to listen and see the Celine Dion songs I had bought in London. God knows, I was in heaven for quite a few hours over the past couple of weekends :)

I just bought The 7 habits of Highly Effective people 'again' today. You see, I seem to have lost the old copy, and well, it was rough and tethered anyway. Nothing like having a fresh start in a fresh book, eh?!

On the health front, things have been OK. I mean, I haven't done a lot of progress with my exercise regimen, but nonetheless, I do make the most of it over weekends. I wish I had half an hour every day to spend on working out!

Until next time,
Ciao!

- K10

Attempting to understand Einstein

2009-05-02T03:54:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

I am now cruising through a book called 'How to think like Einstein'. It has been a jolly good ride so far, there have been interesting instances mentioned from famous people's lives. There are quite a few insights into handling any problem and arriving at its solution. Below are a collection of 11 steps mentioned for solving a problem -

1) Initial Problem Definition -

Define a problem in less than 25 words. This helps in knowing our own focus of the problem well. Now analyze if it is an 'enabling' problem, ie., do you really need to apply special techniques to solve the problem, or if it is solvable by just following simple rules.For example, you dont need to apply Einstein thinking to pass your exams. Just read regularly and you will achieve it. This technique is for solving the seemingly unsolvable problems.

2) Problem Hierarchy -

Now that you have a solid problem defined for yourself, identify answers to these question - a) What is the higher level need? What will a solution achieve? What are the self-problems and what are the real problems? As they say, if you are a hammer, everything appears to be a nail. Basically, check what exactly needs fixing.

3) Ignore limitations -

Identify all areas that you may need to touch upon to solve the problem. Now identify which of all these resources/areas pose a limitation. For example, there can be limitations due to red tape, attitude of people, etc.

4) Ignore old answers

Ignore straightforward and apparent answers. If they are so easy, the problem could already have been solved. This is not a road-not-trodden. Instead, derive alternatives which can work.

5) Simplify

Define a simpler version of the problem. Remove all the preconditions, half solutions and excess words. Free it from the baggage that makes a solution difficult. Einstein once said that the laws of physics are simple. When someone asked him what would he do if they weren't, he replied - 'Then I wouldn't be interested in them.'

6) Identify rewards.

What will you get after arriving at a solution? Create a mental image of the same. There is no bigger incentive than seeing your goal within your sight. As Neo is taught in The Matrix - Believe, don't think.

7) Identify failure.

What will happen if there is no solution? You will feel guilty you never gave your best? Possibly hundreds others will have to bear the brunt of the issue. Apart from the rewards, only the fear failure can be more motivating.

8) Resize the problem.

Too large problems are usually unattempted because they seem unattainable. Too small problems are ignored because they seem too trivial. Resize the problem to encourage your action.

9) Evaluate your motivation.

Ask yourself these 3 question -

A) Do I believe this problem can be solved?

B) Can I solve it?

C) Will I enjoy solving it?

If any one answer is No, then you need to go back and correct the problem or your attitude towards it. If you think about the problem before you have your breakfast, then you are going to solving it. If you think about it as soon as your alarm goes off, then you are going to solve it pretty soon.

10) Focus on the problem.

Now that you have put a check on all the 'human' things that could go wrong, focus on the core problem and solve it.

There are several anecdotes, quotes and short stories mentioned along the way. Mentioning few of the quotes (most of them by Einstein) here -

1) There is nothing that is more certain sign of insanity than to do the same thing over and over and expect the results to be different.

2) The whole of science is nothing more than the refinement of everyday thinking.

3) To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself.

4) When the solution is simple, God is answering.

5) In the fields of observation, chance only favors the prepared mind.

6) The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.

7) Perfection of means and confusion of ends seem to characterize our age.

8) A man always has two reasons for what he does - a good one, and the real one.

9) When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.

10) Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be.

I hope to uncover more wisdom as I progress through the book!

More later.

Regards,

Ketan

Week 17

2009-04-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

The maintenance of housework was completed a couple of days back. It took almost 3 weeks; and the end result is quite good! Kudos to my mother to have had the patience and persistence to get through the past few hectic days.

I spent some time reading about a new singer (for me) - Dolores O'Riordan. I like powerful voice and unconventional way of singing.

There is nothing much worthwhile that happened past week. So.. until next time, adios!

Ketan

Focus on health

2009-04-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

As of today, I have completed 1 month of regular exercises... woo hoo! There is a marked difference in my health. I am less tired at the end of each day, I can easily do 6 push-ups now (earlier, I used to struggle for 2) and more importantly, exercise has now become a part of my routine. I just hope to find enough time to jog daily.. that is one thing missing.

I have also included fruits and dry-fruits in my daily menu. Its a better alternative for 'dosa' any day!

I had taken a good 10 days off of my reading activity. I had scouted the books at home to hunt for my next target.. and I am going to settle for a combination of two uncoventional books. The first is about 'handwriting analysis' and the other is titled 'How to think like Einstein'. After reading quite a theoretical book by Mr. Hawking, I am going to enjoy reading these two books which provide scope for some practical experimentation as well.

Have a great week ahead guys!

Cheers,

Ketan

A Brief History of Time

2009-04-10T23:51:00.000-07:00

I recently finished reading one of the best scientific books written in the 20th century - A Brief History of Time - by Stephen Hawking. Simply put, the book is a peek into the magical mind of a genius. It allows us to see how a complex mathematical and mystical model of universe can be interpreted in an analytical way by humans. The book leaves behind a feeling of overwhelming enormity of the universe. You almost feel trivial yourself!

I am not going to delve much into what the book has to say in itself, you gotta read the book to find that out. But I am going to comment on what I realized after reading the book -

1) Theories -

Earlier, I had scant respect for 'theories'. I never liked the way people 'theorized' about stuff and called themselves scientists. I always thought real scientists are the ones who complete all the observations/experiments, and formulate a mathematical/analytical derivation, which would not only satisfy the historic data but also predict the future events to a satisfiable degree. However, Mr. Hawking discusses so many theories right from the Galilean days to the 21st century, that you are left wondering on the fantastical journey a person might have had to take to come up with a theory. I now feel a person who has written a theory with only mathematical support, and whose theory has later been validated, IS indeed a real scientist.

2) Thinking -

To find a solution, go wherever you want to. Explore whichever direction, cross whichever horizon and tap whichever source. Newton had said that he had 'stood on the shoulders of giants' to achieve whatever he did. Einstein had the audacity to suggest a intellectually incomprehensible 'fourth' dimension to befell Newton's theories. Hawking focussed on the boundary condition of a 'singularity' (that of infinite density and zero size during Big Bang) to derive on quantum mechanics, that exposed the limiations in Einstein's relativity. String Theory suggeted multiple dimensions, instead of 'just' 4, and is now gives the best approximation to the evolution and structure of universe. None of these final outcomes are a result of any deductible or analytical line of thinking. All are theories that best fit the requirements (in this case, the historical data) and math was later used to support the arguments. Oh, the beauty of human mind!

3) Character -

Hawking was given a couple of years to live when he was first diagnosed with a progressively degenerating neuro-disorder. He didnt quit, instead he worked harder on this thesis to complete his Ph.D.

For every young person with a scientific bent of mind, this book is a must read.

Thanks to Raghav for lending me the book.

The month that was... upto March 28

2009-03-28T02:10:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

I was out of internet action for more than a month, thanks to a faulty modem. Now it is set
right, and here I am! I had good amount of work at office, and since the new work back at home is different from what I was doing for a year in London, it did take some time to adjust. However, things are looking good and the next couple of months at work will be interesting!

The heat here is getting worse.. today it was well above 100 F. Yesterday was a Ugadi, the new year as per the Indian calendar. That meant we had a holiday yesterday.. woo-hoo for that! I have begun light exercises every morning and evening.. and with a little of persistence and determination, it will fit into my daily schedule. On the literary side, I have completed more than half of the book - 'A brief history of time', written by Stephen Hawking. It is pretty absorbing, and it is always good to juggle few things in the brain! I am almost thankful that I was born in the 20th century, without having to worry about electricity and internet connectivity!

Well, that's all for now.. Take care and have fun!

Ketan

Week 9 and 10

2009-03-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys,

The past 2 weeks were pretty routine. Nothing much happened apart from work at office and some sleeping at home. Nothing new, nothing interesting.

This weekend we had Satyanarayana Pooja at home, and I had some quiet time to mull over few things and t some decisions. I had my good friends come over at home, and that did add up to this. One 'tooth fairy' didn't come over but well, she was busy doing her job!

Its now 10 weeks completed since the dawn of this year. Almost 20% of the year gone.. Poof! I havent done even 2% of what I had started off to do, but well, as they say, you have to dig deep before you reach out. So I am not too worried. I hope to venture out on a few 'new things' in the coming weeks. More about them as they start taking shape...

I have started reading Stephen Hawking's 'A Brief History of Time' a couple of days ago. Its good intellectual food-for-thought. Its always good to go on a star-lit cruise anyway!

More later,
Ketan

Week 8

2009-02-22T02:36:00.000-08:00

Hi guys,

This week marked my first week at work back at Hyderabad. It was a pleasure getting back
with colleagues and friends. There was good food available throughout the day, so the relatively long hours didnt seem that bad! The timings have changed since to 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, which meant my journey started at 7:30 AM in the mornings!

Keeping in line with my decisions, I managed to take out 10 minutes every morning to do some stretching and exercises. I hope to continue doing this for around a couple of weeks more, before I feel confident enough to take up little 'heavier' exercises like jogging and skipping! I have also upped the ante on my decision to take up healthy foods, so every day there are dry fruits and cereals for my evening snacks. I hope to add fruits to this menu pretty soon.

Well, apart from work and the above health-related stuff, nothing much happened really in the past week. Oh yes, I did manage to go to my college along with few buddies... it was a nostalgic trip down the memory lane. The college has developed substantially, new buildings have come up and the lawns are lush-green. Luckily though, the staff and management are still the same, meaning we could interact with most of our lecturers.

Well, until next week!

Ciao, Ketan

Weeks 4, 5, 6, 7

2009-02-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

Well, I have to club the past 1 month into one blog post. I had a very significant change of moving from London to Hyderabad on Jan 30th. I am currently in the middle of a well-deserved vacation period.

I packed up all my belongings, memories, learnings and thoughts from London back to Hyderabad. Those were very eventful 11 months, in which I learnt more than I had imagined earlier. I hope the time spent there helps me in future. I have lost more than 10 pounds during the past 1 year, its time to make up for that! Now that I have all the luxuries of being 'home', I definitely see my plans take shape.. its a very pretty picture, time and effort will tell if its a mirage or a reachable reality!

On the literary side, I have begun reading two good books - One is the Diary of Anne Frank and the other is about the current credit crunch afflicting all of us. Both are equally absorbing books.
More in coming weeks.

Chao!
Ketan

Week 3 - Back to the history

2009-01-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

The past week was full of activity. The work at office goes on, so I am not going to talk about it.

About Mother Teresa -
I did find a couple of hours to read about Mother Teresa. I was looking forward to some speeches, stories and incidents about her. But I stumbled upon some unbelievable piece of information - she herself had lost 'sight' of God; she didnt know why she was doing what she was doing.. and she didnt find the source of encouragement and fulfillment from it. We all know that Mother got a 'message' from God while on a train journey - we have read that during school days. This revelation, which she left in a letter to close aides, was very disconcerning. Well, just a case in point that we are all human after all, and our conscious decisions matter the most when it comes to matters of faith and beliefs.

About Anne Frank -
I have always been quite fascinated by the World War stories, especially those about Nazi affairs. I got to see a short series on the diaries by Anne Frank. A couple of months back, I had visited our local area public library and read the diary by Hilke. The book was completet with original manuscripts by the 12 year old trapped girl; and their family photographs and her sketches. It was quite touching to see an innocent girl grow old in such circumstances. At one point of time, she decides to travel hundreds of miles, across Nazi-infested areas, to get to be with her family. She doesn't have any food supplies, any money and any companion. She is just 14. She describes how she groups up with other 'travelers' and stays at local peasants houses, a couple of weeks (sometimes months) at a time, doing their chores and moving on after gathering 'sufficient' money. The chores includes back-breaking work of picking cotton, sewing, washing clothes and dishes. (Sometimes she prefered not to work because of blisters and being sick. She didnt get money to buy food. But going hungry was 'better' than the pain of working). There was such a helplessness shouting out from the book, but never once did I see any hopelessness or self-pity. Yes, there were a lot of questions asked, but they were very objective and were directed to vent out anger, not as desperate and needy. The above instances have convinced me of the good fortune that I enjoy; I dont have to think about where my next meal is coming from, I dont have to wash others socks and work the whole day with blistered hands. I am fortunate enough to sit in an AC room, use my 10 fingers and earn more than enough for a living.

About British Musuem -
Speaking of my good fortune, I had the chance to visit the British Musuem. It was so huge that I could only cover aboout 20% of it in the 4 hours that I had. I covered the Greek, Egyptian, Persian, Indian and Chinese sections. It was great to see original sculptures of the Sphinx, mummies, Greek Gods, Persian art, tombs, Indian dieties (sculptures of Vishnu, Buddha, Durga were the most common ones). Did you know that in Persia, women were not considered a part of the normal population? They were treated as 'foreigners' and their jobs included house-keeping and completing chores. They couldnt have any money or property on their names either. What a disgrace on humanity that somebody is typecast based on their gender!

Well, that was my foray into the 'history' of the world. May God bless us all with the basic amenities and may all people find peace and happiness.

Week 2

2009-01-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

The past week had a very stunning news - Satyam was not so truthful after all! The multi-million dollar scam has left 50,000+ employees in shock and the entire nation in disbelief. Is it really worth it to spawn and spread such a monstrous beast, a cancer; rather than having a smaller company that functions and grows with dignity? The Satyam guys clearly missed their goal.. sometimes in order to meet the end destination, you try to take the shorter, easier, and often wrong path; and you end up nowhere. This fiasco is a grim reminder of the truth that one needs to maintain his moral compass and honesty in this crazy world. Better to take singles rather than trying to hit a sixer and getting bowled!

Another significant milestone, personally, was completing the book I am reading about Harvard Business School. It was an enlightening and to a great extent, stunning experience; to know the teaching methodologies, mentalities and 'ways' of the brightest business minds on the planet. Throughout the book, there are few things that always shout out aloud -
1) Dont lose your moral compass. 2) Help your own self; dont bank on anybody to stake you out. 3) There is no alternative to discipline and vision. 4) Strategize, plan and measure - the 3 steps to solving any problem. 5) Take calculated risks and stick to your guns. 6) Always listen to others. 7) Always thing long-term. 8) Always take up a job that you love. 9) If you are not doing the right thing, you are doing the wrong thing. 10) Time and relationships are invaluable; money and fame are not.

If you look at it, most of the above is common sense; but when you try doing big things, often the simple things go unheeded. Gandhi, Schweitzer, Newton, Einstein.. all had their philosophies built on very simplistic views. May we all realise the beauty in doing the small things right and 'harvest' the rewards.. It's Sankranthi season after all..

Happy Sankranthi guys!

Week 1

2009-01-04T14:44:00.000-08:00

The past week was very topsy-turvy. My colleagues left for the US and we did some last minute shopping and packaging stuff. They have reached NJ safely and from tomorrow, its going to be a new style of work!

Over the weekend, I found some quality time for myself. I decided to get more health-conscious because the stress and strain of past 10 months are really wearing down on me. Good intake of food and regular exercise should help me not fall prey to ill-health.

I also found this song about how to make the world a better place, by John Lennon. Its called Imagine. The lyrics can be found here. The song is about a fantastical notion of having a religion-less, greed-less, abundant, happy world; without any concept of heaven and hell; of have's and have-not's; about countries and politics... I dont know if man will be intelligent and capable enough to get back some sanity in this world. I dont know if it can ever be done; but if one day it is achieved, then it would sure be like heaven.

2008 turns to 2009

2008-12-31T15:57:00.000-08:00

As I write the blog, the year 2008 turns to 2009, a scintillating display of fireworks is showcased on the riverside of Thames, above the London Eye. Here I am, smack down in the middle of the earth (on GMT line), looking ahead to another new year in life.

2008 was a very eventful year. I traveled to London and spent 10 complete months here. In the process, I learnt a lot of things from experience. I had lots of ups and downs; lots of rationalization, objective deduction and minimal emotional involvement - all the traits that my job demanded. It was an year when I was away from friends and family for majority of time and in the process made new friends. It was an year when I found sufficient time for myself (though it was busy like crazy); when I was almost forced to take decisions and venture out of my comfort zone.

I look forward to 2009 with optimism and hope. There were a lot of unfortunate events in 2008 at political, national, regional and community level. You and I probably cannot make immediate difference, but we can certainly help. As they say, every drop of the ocean counts.. Personally, I take the year 2009 as the year of yielding the harvest. 2008 was a very tough period professionally with lot of job-role change, 2009 is the year to consolidate and gain from it.

Resolutions for 2009?
1) Keep my spiritual sojourn alive and kicking - I realise and appreciate its significance to me.
2) Do atleast one worthwhile and result-oriented thing of my own interest.
3) Spend quality time with family and friends.
4) Learn one musical instrument
5) Keep learning and to be myself.

Come on 2009, bring it on!

Rentrak Theatrical Announces Box Office Estimates for Weekend of June 15, 2008

2008-06-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

Rentrak Theatrical Announces Box Office Estimates for Weekend of June 15, 2008

Another Exclusive Fund for deVere and Partners from GAM Fund Management Ltd

2008-06-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

Another Exclusive Fund for deVere and Partners from GAM Fund Management Ltd

Have a good one!

2007-10-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

I am not doing too well this weekend, and dont want to write a half-baked blog.. so, see you guys next weekend.. have a good one..

2007-10-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

Gandhism vs Gandhigiri

Hi folks, I couldnt write my usual weekend blog yesterday coz i was very caught up with... being lazy :D haha.. well, i am making it up today, aren't I?! so i forgive myself :P Well, my past week was pretty ok-ok. Had some training at workplace, so that broke the usual monotony associated with office. This week we might have another, so that should be fun as well. One of my office colleagues isnt doing very well. She had appendicitis and they had to have an emergency operation to prevent any complications. Good news is that she is all well now, and about to get discharged tomorrow!

Well about the blog, I wanted to write a bit about the very 'in-thing' these days in our everyday language, thanks to Munnabhai series of films.

According to the movie, 'Gandhigiri' is:

1) Talking truth.

2) Not indulging in violence.

3) Accepting all faults, without blaming others.

4) Praying for others, though they are 'enemies'.

But from whatever i know, what Gandhism in its totality is:

1) Leading life truly, correctly, being completely honest to oneself and to God. This is subtly different from just 'talking truth'. The movie doesnt tell about how to live life correctly. It is more of a damage-control thing in the movie.. People commit mistakes, tell truth, suffer coz of it, but finally they do good. Well, life aint that fair and square, and definitely not as forgiving.

2) I have no complaints about the second part of non-violence. there are no two ways about this subject.

3) Humility is again shown well in the movie. Though the next point in a way contradicts this very point.

4) In the movie, the concept of 'good natured, kind hearted praying' for others, irrespective of who they are, is completely replaced by a very selfish, sarcastic and nagging concept of 'get well soon' cards. That is not praying at all! You are just making the person look bad, feel bad, about himself, and in the process make him do things that you would want him to do. (person shouldnt feel bad because you are making him feel bad. He should feel bad because he should understand the wrongness in his actions, though you could be the catalyst for him to 'see' his mistakes)
There could be an argument that Gandhi also employed this method when he drove the British out of India. But there was a difference. Gandhi made Britisher's mistakes apparent to them, and telling them that he will forgive them for those. He never spent his time in superficial things like gifts and cards. And the British changed their attitude because they could sense the wrong in their own doing, and they could sense thousands of other Gandhis in common people. Gandhi attempted to change hearts, he didnt play mindgames.

I would have loved if another of Gandhi's ideals - simple living - was highlighted in the movie. But well, it is a commercial movie.. and i dont expect it to tell Gandhi's ideology!

I just hope that the result-crazed youth of today dont get the message wrong and start spreading sarcasm and superficiality and dilute, nay degrade, Gandhi's noble thoughts and ideology. (Gandhi studied both Christianity and Hinduism when he was a juvenile. His thoughts are a result of these studies.)

May the real Gandhi, and the real Gandhism, survive!

2007-06-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been away for quite a while from blogging world... Not many things have happened since.. but well, I managed to fall very sick a week back.. For all of you out there who think that reading in bus is a good thing, YOU ARE WRONG! Just an hour of reading bus, and my neck was a gone case.... I had to take more than 50 tablets, and I am still recovering.. Very bad!

On the brighter side of things, I managed to pass the Sun Java certification for Java in May... woooo hoooooo!!!!!! Should have completed it long back, but well, better late than never! There were lots of minor repairments going on at home too... lots of painting and fixing stuff... mom had her hands full...

Havent really had time to pursue my philosophical leanings, but well, got hold of the diary written by Virginia Woolf... English writer... and one of the few people who have influenced my thinking... It was a good experience reading how they lived in the early 20th century in suburban London... they had lots of fun, and their lives weren't spoiled by computer games and the tv!

The next couple of weeks promise to be more hectic than usual, and I hope I dont end up staying for extra hours...

well, that's a little update from my side... take care ya'll! buh bye!

2007-06-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I last blogged... I had some work-related commitments, and so couldnt find any free time.. More about 'What's up with you?!' in next blog, but right now, let me finish off what I started long back... The Blog series on - Happiness!

Now I do not encourage any discussions on 'if' God exists or not. I have had my own search on this subject for years, and for my own personal reasons, I am convinced that He exists. (And for your info, I dont get convinced easily)

We have been associating Happiness to God, consciously or sub-consciously, haven't we? I mean, before I read, discussed and understood much about God, I always had this only notion about God- "God is good. He only does good".. And so on... Of course, any difficult circumstances in life raised a hell lot of questions (pun intended) and you know, the questions of faith and veracity of knowledge came to fore... I am sure all of us have been there...

The search for Truth, for the Infinity, for the God... is indeed a very noble and essential part of human life, isn't it? Every man on this planet, whether he eventually ends up as a believer or not, has thought about God in the same way as I and you have... but.. much to my disappointment, the quest of the Truth doesnt lead us to the same destination.. There are so many religions, so many faiths... that the Only Truth, seems to get entangled in this web... Moreover, all the major religions in world preach about 'Uniqueness of God' i.e., Only THAT religion and faith is valid, others are not... that indeed is a disappointing turn in the journey of a truth-seeker.. And there is the humanitarian side to things - "Service to humanity, is service to God." And to complicate things further, the definition of 'Service' has its own connotations. A case in point is the life of Mother Teresa and her detractors.

We could go on and on about all these, but where are we talking about happiness?! Those who have heard/read about the gist of the best-selling novel 'The monk who sold his ferrari' would notice that the first impression that we get of the sages who have realised the Truth is that - They are ageless, they are unconditionally happy (Why they choose to live in complete isolation, though, beats me.. but that is another topic altogether.. more on book reviews sometime later in future!)

Well, I have had the privilege of knowing and interacting with people who have been rock-solid in their faith and actions... and though things arent really going as they would like them to, they are always 'content' at the end of the day! They dont derive it from materialistic gains, from ego or from mere pretense. They derive the pleasure from leading an honest, truthful, orderly life. They are ready to face God any moment, and go over their life-story, page-by-page, and be proud of what they had done. (I am just speaking figuratively here, for the perfectionists, the correct statement would be - .. and be proud of what they had let God do through them.)

I love comparisons, and here is one. If I write a software program, and one fine morning, boss asks me for an impromptu presentation. If I had a sense of purpose and meaning while putting in every line of the program code, I would be just too elated to display my work to him! Else, I would have reservations as to what he might ask upon seeing the code... " There is stuff in there that I put in without much of a thought, what if he questions me on that, what will i answer??!! Gosh, doesnt he have nothing better to do than conduct surprise checks, doesnt he have confidence in me? He... (the criticism goes on...) " (Yeah, you guessed it, been there, done that... lol )

For me, the end result doesn't matter. Heaven, hell.. these things dont impress me much... I believe in living life right.. and that gives me enough happiness and contentment to continue doing that. There is a feeling of satisfaction, of fulfillment, of self-realisation, if you may, in doing so. (Of course, what IS 'right' is again debatable from different perspectives, but as I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, the basic tenets of life remain the same, and we all respect and understand them... If you are one doing the scratching part, then re-read the last paragraph in this blog entry -http://mistysunshine.blogspot.com/2007/04/3-happiness-and-aesthetics-we-all-have.html)

Swami Vivekananda said - 'Religion is a way of life'.

Mother Teresa said - 'Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.' (Each one = every being, the life itself)

John 4:16 says - "I am the way, the truth and the life...."

Indeed, isn't this all there is to it? Isn't leading the life in the correct way to realise the Truth something we all should look for? And to top it all, the way, the truth and the life... all are merged into the infinite consciousness, into the Truth, into.. the God...

Man, I am so happy!

Next Week: The last part of this Blog Series - 'Happiness realised'!

On goings...

2007-04-30T23:40:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

My system suffered Multiple-organ failure... luckily it was rescued... anyhow.. just got all things back into place and am ready to use my system! Shall start blogging again after 10 days or so... till then, be good :)

No net access till April 22

2007-04-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,
There is a hardware breakdown at my home and I cant get it fixed before the next weekend. It takes me anywhere between 90-120 minutes to write a blog entry, edit it and finalise it; but I have only 5 minutes...
Well, yesterday a terrible thing happened. A fire broke out in a bank, right next to our house!There was enough drama for a couple of hours to keep the entire community interested. There were firemen, the police and detectives... Luckily, no lives were lost.. and only a few computers were damaged. They still havent ascertained the actual reason for the mishap, but hope they do soon...
Till next time, drive safely, love your family and get enough sleep everyday!
Cheers!

2007-04-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

3) Happiness and Aesthetics

We all have our own tastes and interests. The wonderful reward of nature is our understanding and appreciation of the abstract yet measurable, invisible yet apparent, individual yet universal and complex yet simple - aesthetic appeal. Aesthetics is very close to art, it encompasses all those phenomena that appeal to our senses, based on various criteria, including moral, ethical and intellectual.

I love music, can't live without it. I love violin, enjoy piano, bob my head to the guitar, tap my feet to the beat of the drums, hum to the tune of the flute... Oh I love music! And i dont think there would be anyone who wouldn't appreciate music... it makes the chaotic world come alive! Those who have access to the latest edition of Reader's Digest, should check out the March 2007 copy... it has a story titled 'The night I met Einstein'. It shows how crazy Einstein was about music... (Einstein had said if he weren't a scientist, he would be a violonist.) Gandhi loved 'Vaishnava Jan To...". Music touches the strings of the heart, maybe that is why we sing in the spiritual places...

Apart from music, there is literature. Oh, without the wonderful books, novels, newspapers and magazines, how empty our lives would have been! Can you imagine your childhood days without Alice in Wonderland, without Lord of the Rings, without Huckleberry Finn & Tom Sawyer, without Sherlock Holmes?! From the holy scriptures to the seemingly absurd fiction, literature has captured the interest of every literate person. Even today, I would love to sit down, turn some music on, and read away a good book to glory... So the next time you plan to get me a gift, I would prefer a good book :-) (God bless Harry Potter... )

I dont know much about it, but I suppose the art of painting, dancing, etc. would have a charm of their own. But one thing I can talk lots is about sports! I have played ping pong for a long time, and I certainly know, once you play the game you love, you forget everything in the world, including hunger! Sports are not just about having a good time. I am sure those hooked on to the computer games would bet their money's worth when I say that sports can be addictive! (When I was 14, I braved the biting December chill at 6 AM in the morning, to have a few shots at my ping pong table.) I hope they make play-time a compulsory thing in school. What is achieved by making a young child sit in a room whole day long? He will most probably do that in his not-so-young days anyway..

Coming to the moral and ethical side of it, every person on this earth, except those with crazy brain conditions, have their own personal sense of 'right' and 'wrong'. These are driven by the holy scriptures, by our own belief systems... we all create our own boundaries and rules, and stick to them. This gives us the sense of 'correctness', that relief of living life without a sense of guilt. Can you imagine living a life you don't approve of? The people addicted to wrong stuff would know how horrible the life would be. A quote from the movie Million Dollar Baby sums it up - "Frankie, I've seen you at Mass almost every day for 23 years. The only person who comes to church that much is the kind who can't forgive himself for something. " Maybe the validity and genuineness of what is 'right' and 'wrong' could be the subject of another discussion. There are just so many sides to it, and it so relative.

Finally, intellectual side of aesthetics, and my favorite part of this blog. We know that the brain is the most complex thing in the world, and I love the brain for it. We all talk about our 'hearts' and 'feelings', but the real culprit is the brain! To quote an example, there was a time few months back, when I was asked to analyse some code written by a colleague. It was very complex and it took me almost two days to understand the way in which it was written, and was supposed to be looked at. When I finally 'got it', I just couldnt help but go and congratulate the colleague who had originally written it, and my words were 'Hey, great job in writing the code. It is beautiful!' And the good part about intellectual debates is the fact that there ARE few basic ground rules, which all us understand, and they are based on logic. For a code, the simple rules are the code should be clean and simple, it should be delivered on time, it should satisfy all the requirements, it should be user friendly and should cover all dangerous areas, and of course, few code-specific rules.

There would be similar rules for politics, business, technological institutes, etc. (The first thing that might come to mind is that these rules probably stay in books, or in blogs, what happens is just an aberration to all these.. But well, this blog is meant for the readers to arrive on common grounds of this subject, this is just a reinforcement of the basic tenets of truth that lay the foundation of the human civilization. Maybe if we talk and think about this more, it will drill down deeper into our day-to-day lives...

Well, have a 'beautiful' week ahead everyone!

Next week, the penultimate part of this blog-series... Happiness and Truth.

2) Success

2007-04-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

2) Success

There has been quite a outcry over population-explosion and how jobs are hard to get. Those fortunate enough to be in a good job still arent really relaxed because there are always expectations. Everyone wants to be successful in whatever they do. All hardwork and no results - there is hardly anything worse than that in any profession, apart from getting fired, i can guarantee you that.

Is success relative?
I dont think so. Every person has his own capacity and style of working. So also, every evaluator has his own way of evaluating. So, from the eyes of the evaluator, one person might be more successful based on some criteria, but that would be just the opposite for another evaluator. From that perspective, success does seem to be relative. But I think in the true view of things, it is highly absolute. Because numbers dont lie, and neither does logic. You get the cold truth irrespective of the point of view of the interpreter. Example: One of my project managers once told me that if you are giving me 80% efficiency for some time, then i wouldnt be happy with the same efficiency for the next period of time, even though others may be at 60%. So success might be relative when you compare yourself with others, but when self-evaluating, it is absolute, and that is what matters...

Is success the destination of our journey?
Are you thinking? Hope you are not, coz i think we agree that the destination is being happy, and that is why we are looking at few of the things that affect it. Relationships, success and a couple of other factors which i am going to discuss in upcoming blogs are the different pit-stops which just cant be bypassed before reaching the destination. It is very easy to be convince oneself though, in the mad struggle for existence and creating one's identity, that we associate everything to our success. Those of you who have heard/read about Martha Stewart might concur more with the above statement.

Are you successful?
For one guy, getting a first class in engineering and a decent job is success, for another, topping the college is success. For someone, establishing good relationships with people is success, for others excelling at something alone behind close doors is success. You name the objective of your purpose, and being pretty good at it is success, well, atleast in that contracted view of things.

So, if you are successful, are you happy?
Certainly not. Gandhi said, after he got independence for India, that he thought he was not successful. Why did Marlyn Monroe drug herself and why do famous people check themselves in corrective rehabs? Success is necessary condition for happiness, but not sufficient.
Be successful in life and you pass the second pit-stop towards the destination of happiness.

Next week - Happiness and aesthetics.

Time out...

2007-03-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

I wont be able to post atleast till April 6th because of some engagements... hope to get back to writing ways soon...

Have fun!!!

2007-03-18T02:55:00.000-07:00

PART I: RELATIONSHIPS

A baby smiling at his mother is one of the most beautiful sights you will ever see. When the whole world is nothing but a puzzle, a baby finds solace in the comforting arms of his parents. We start understanding happiness through relationships...

Each one of us has faced both good and bad relationships. Relationship with the family is, I feel, the single most important factor of how an individual turns out. If my parents and siblings are perennially grumpy and dissatisfied, it is very likely that I will not find it easy to be happy and content. If my parents have always said - 'You will never amount to anything' - 'Dont act so stupid!' - 'Shut up and do as I say' - 'You are good, but why can't you be like that other kid?'..
Guess what gets embedded in the young kid's heart? Low self-esteem and all other things associated with it...

Here are a few frightening facts -

1) Teenagers at risk for developing serious alcohol and drug problems include those:
a) with a family history of substance abuse

b) who are depressed

c) who have low self-esteem, and

d) who feel like they don't fit in or are out of the mainstream.

2) The average age of first marijuana use is 14.

3) Each year more that 10,000 young people in the United States are killed and 40,000 injured in alcohol-related automobile accidents.

(The above facts were borrowed from here. If you are a parent with teenagers at home, you don't wanna miss this article...)

When we grow up, we learn to manage relationships - with neighborhood kids, with school buddies, with college mates and then with professional peers... You have had those unforgettable moments when you went trekking and treasure hunting with your friends, when you played cricket or soccer all day long after the exams, when you spent hours talking to your best friends, haven't you?! These are really the moments you cherish for life... and without these moments, my life would be very less fulfilling... Thanks to all those guys who brought these moments into my life.. :-)

I am neither committed nor married yet, so I will play safe and refrain from commenting on that relationship. Maybe someone 'more qualified' can talk about it. Anyone game for this?! ;-)

Well, I remember listening to a seminar by Joyce Meyer a couple of years ago. She talked about people-pleasers. (It remains one of the best talks I have ever listened to.) She talked about how majority of us live FOR the people around us, you know, as if they own all the stocks for our personal stock market called happiness. If the people around you praise you, admire you, think you are the best, then you have achieved all that you wanted in life. Without them, you don't exist. Things are right only if they approve of them, doesn't matter if your sensibilities suggest something else. If you feel the same way, then you are a people-pleaser. You have just put your happiness into the hands of those around you. (Remember? One of the main reasons for drug abuse amongs teens is 'being left out of the mainstream'...)

I admit to being a people pleaser in the past, not all the way, but to some extent at least. I am glad I am not one anymore... and I am happier than I used to be :-) Are you a people pleaser? If you suspect you are, then please take control of the situation and change things around before the stakes get too high...

May there be more sensible and considerate people around, and may we contribute to that group...

Next week - They say good relationships amount to success in life. Is success the deciding factor of your happiness?

Snippet - I and mom are watching cricket(the game, not the insect!) together after a long time. Bangladeshi bowler bowls 2 wides in 3 balls.

Mom - He is bowling very well.. Me - What?
Mom - It is better than letting the batsman hit fours and sixers!

Me - Well yeah... (thinks - Well, she knows about cricket as perfectly as I know about cooking.. We all have our areas..)

We continue watching cricket happily... :-)

I AM HAPPY!!!!!!!

2007-03-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Does that ring a bell?? Well yeah, we have heard that, and said that, many times... I intend to write a 5-part series on this very topic - Happiness! I have been thinking about writing on this topic for a while and I imagine I have my stuff ready. Considering the fact that most of us work on weekdays, including myself, i would prefer to write on the saturdays.. so prepare yourself for a journey on happiness... and all that is concerned with it..

Meanwhile, here is a simple question for you to think about...

what does happiness mean to you?

I am sure for each person, the answer would be different! Well, my only take on it right now is... If you and me are gonna live only one life, then we better live it happily!

Lets talk about happiness!

Education

2006-12-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

As I sit back and think about my 16 year old educational career, so to say, I really wonder how much of it actually helps me in my job, in my day-to-day life. Rather what, among all the crap that was thrust down my throat, is really useful today?(my apologies for generalising it, but it indeed is that way, atleast for me) Does it really matter to me today who Humayun's father was or what the lifecycle of a larva is?? Then why did i spend hours learning about the history of an ancient king and painstaking learnt the detailed diagram of a larva? Maybe because I was 'supposed to know' that as my primary education. True, that a kid learns about the world through the eyes of the kind of education he receives, but are we not killing who the kid really is? Is that kid ever asked what he wants to learn and know more about? Instead of learning the diagram of a larva or a butterfly, shouldn't a kid should be left alone in a garden to marvel at the beauty of nature, and be a part of it, coz he indeed is, a fresh, new part of nature after all?

I remember the day when a butterfly fluttered and sat on my right shoulder. It was beautiful. But I closed my eyes. I had to, you see, coz i was standing in the morning prayer at school, and was supposed to fold my hands and close my eyes, lest get punishment for not being obedient and disciplined. Is he ever told the meaning of the prayer he is saying?

Yeah sure, the child is told a million times to be honest and true, but does he see his elders being honest and true all the time? Education for a child is not confined to the four walls in school, it happens every single minute he is awake. Who's responsibility is it, to confirm the faith of the child in himself, in his own actions, to stand up for what he knows is right, but not sure if it would work.. ?

We need better people. And, it is not in our hands. At least we need a better system, before it is too late. We cannot expect a Gandhi or a Mother Teresa to be born out of nowhere and change the entire world on its head. No, Gandhi and Mother had a much distressed and eager-to-be-helped people as their subjects, it is not going to be that case anymore. The new generation doesnt know it is facing a genuine problem, and their elders have no choice, but do the best they can give of the 'education' they can to their wards. (Read - tuitions, entrance exams, mock tests.. - By the way, how many times have you seen the word 'tuition' being misspelled at an actual 'tuition'???)

There are 'assignment tests' every month.. before you get the results for the previous test, you get the portions for the next one. Then there are Quarterly and Half yearly exams. WHY??? Are so many exams really needed? Why are we getting so mechanical? I dont know if i am over-reacting, but i feel many of my peers would be a lot different, and a lot better, persons than what they are today, if they were allowed to pursue what they really liked.

Now turning to things that actually help me today. my teachers at school had the biggest impact on me, and would be a huge influence for the rest of my life. I learnt a lot from them. I was the only kid at home, so the friends at school formed a huge part of my world too. I loved playing chess, reading space-related and treasure-hunt books in the library and have fun. I miss it all today...

There was a time when I had reached the state level in ping pong, but i couldnt continue, because i was supposed to learn how sulphur reacts with Group III elements. The rest, as they say, is history, oops sorry, chemistry. And you know what, Sulphur still reacts the same way with those elements, thousands of students are still struggling right this minute to learn those chemical equations, and I sit now working, unrelated to both sulphur and ping pong...

Ketan's corner!

2006-11-25T00:50:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody!

Welcome, welcome to my corner... here you will find my blabberings, wonderings, chatterings and what not, in unmeasured, unbound fashion! I have written blogs earlier, but thought i might as well start writing something afresh..

As Susan Coolidge put it - “Every day is a fresh beginning, Every morn is the world made new”
It is now time for a fragnant morn, a morn with sun-beams bursting through the flowing mist and reaching you in the form of these words, and hope they bring the tender freshness along.

Watch out for this space in future... you are in for a cool read!