Every Month...

Henceforth every month there would be a new post coming up....⌛⏳

Peace: Happy GuruPurab!

As a young man on my maiden visit to Amristar in Oct 1997, I had no expectations when I walked into the Golden temple . I did not know anything about Sikhism. I was tourist , exploring a new place. Just curious to know what it is to be inside the Golden Temple!

I Deposited my footwear in an unusually orderly locker , the people seemed to be working in cohesion & with a pure sense of service. I washed my feet in the surprisingly clean and cold water and entered into the temple .

Lo&Behold!  I was in for one of the best spiritual experiences of my life ! As soon as I entered I was immersed in a surrealistic experience of serenity, strength and profound sense of peace ! It was crowded ,yet I had all the space I needed ! I could not understand the language of the prayer , but I understood the meaning of the prayer ! I could not understand the rituals but I was worshiping my God earnestly! The feeling of being one with the Universe was mind blowing ! 

The grandeur of the place did not make me feel small but made me swell with pride ! I could feel the awe inspiring strength of character that is characteristic of  the Sikh culture . The cleanliness and orderliness of the place is a study for many other religious places . Above all , the calmness was all consuming ! I am happy that I visited the Golden temple. And I am proud to be born in a country which has given birth to Sikh religion. 

I strongly recommend everyone to visit the  Golden temple at Amritsar atleast once . You will never forget that experience ! I did not & even now after almost 20years, I have goosebumps recollecting the divine experience that was!!

Happy Gurpurab !

Associations...

Beautiful explanation by the famous Indian Scholar & thinker of yesteryears -Sri Vinoba Bhave, explaining the MEANING of "Association".

He said QUOTE...
 " The rain drop from the sky,if it is caught in hands is pure enough for drinking.
If it falls in the gutter,its value drops so much that it cant be used for washing the feet.
if it falls on hot surface,it perishes.
if it falls on lotus leaf,it shines like a pearl
& finally,
if it falls on oyster,it becomes a pearl.
The drop is the same,but its existence & worth depends on with whom it associates"
UNQUOTE.

Drawing parallels to life, our lineage & birth cant be decided by us...But we can decide on our associates.

At times,we stumble upon angels/devils with no reason & for seasons...but d rain drops in us should realise the lessons of associates & form linkages accordingly as we trudge through life's journey....

Lesson for life!! Till again when life teaches yet another lesson...... 

Life & Death!

My 2 pence...in solitude:

Life is a Question -Nobody can answer it!
Death is an Answer-nobody can Question it!!

So enjoy the Question till you get the Answer...!!!

p.s: Too heavy,but this is my latest finding as I wake up 2 d dawn of weekend here in Bahrain...in solitude!

Nepal-Memories.Lesson for life..

In loving memory of Nepal ..


It is a difficult proposition to tear yourself away from tragedy and begin to lead matters that conduct our lives normally. We are often placed in such, in the course of our existence, at times once or at most twice, but for some, several times ; perhaps each occasion graver than the other. Would there be a sense of guilt within if we were to begin living normal, or would there be a sense of ‘time to get out of it and lead normal’ ! A question or a situation that has often troubled many and me in particular. We seek to be given the isolation and respite, when we grieve. Yet we also seek the strength from within and without, to bring continuity for the morrow. Which one is correct is unknown. Perhaps it is better that it is.
The grave tragedy in Nepal, continues to haunt our minds, hearts and thoughts.
Nepal, was a dream, a geographical location in the early years of growing up. A foreign land, but one that displayed several universal qualities with India. It was next door, much like the next door neighbour in our living residential conditions, and there was an emotional connect with the region.The Himalayas added their lure to my young mind going through the various photographs in different magazines .
I visited Nepal in  2002. It was for my honeymoon. We flew Royal Nepal Airlines direct from Bangalore to Kathmandu, the Capital of Nepaon March 6'2002 on a sparsley occupied flight. 

It was my wife Kavitha's  first experience on a plane, and of course our very first visit to a foreign country-together,that too on our honeymoon. The excitement generated was beyond compare. I was in some very superior space during those times, my worth and value among my friends reaching its peak.


 It was drizzling as we landed & lo,the sight at arrival in the Tribhuvan airport was bliss..

The hotel pick-up car was waiting for us & as we drove to our hotel Ambassador, could marvel at the neat clean roads a major observation considering the jampacked roads of India.

The Royal family had been  devottes of Sri Sathya Sai Baba & hence was pleasantly excited watching the huge cut-outs of SriSatya Sai Baba along the mainroads of Kathmandu leading up to the Hotel Ambassador.

Kathmandu, in  2002  was in the process of development. It was bare and scarce and basic. The air was fresh & climate pristine.The wind was cool & sun not very warm. The Himalayas all around made the hilly terrain a welcome change with abundance of greenery everywhere.

The landing strip at the airport was still a mud and earth track. And I still remember being told that the only metalled road in Kathmandu then, was the road from the Indian Embassy to the Royal Palace,  then of King Mahendra his heir, and after, to that tragic incident in the Palace when the heir to King Mahendra, who was the ruler, and his entire family being shot and killed by his own son.

For a change we felt rich outside of India. 1 INR=1.6 Nepali Ruapiyya. Indian currency could be easily traded at any roadside shops/malls.

Three aspects of that Nepal visit remain still in memory - the wow cakes/pasteries that me & wife gorged ourselves with, the wow scenery  & the ever smiling/humble people all around. Courtesy & a sense of service was visible. The winding roads & the various Hindu temples were a sight to behold..


  I remember that great big open space, a large maidan in the centre of the city, Tundi Khel. And the only Nepalese that I learnt then which has remained with me since : Kankdo kayo ! Kausto lago ? Ramro lago ramro lago !!
( Did you eat the cucumber ! how was it ? it was good, it was good )

The other delicacy was MOW MOW..a podak kinda dish filled with either chicken or beef.

Understand that  old time memories remain fresher as we age, than what transpired a few days ago !!

Coincidentally and quite ironically, it was during this trip that I took a strong aversion to cow slaughter  !!  I remember being told by our guide that 108 cows are annually slaughtered in front of the kanya/princess as a ritual during Dasara. Hair stood on end as we were led into corridor where the Kanya would sit & witness the mass slaughter. The place still had stains of blood all around & caused a majour thought within me....is it right to kill poor animals in the name of religion? If so Hindus were supposed to consider cows as sacred?! Was Nepal really a Hindu kingdom?

The Durbar Square was an experience of a life time.So many wonderful temples of unique Gods & Goddesses.Remember praying at the temple of Brahma for a wonderful child as what most couples do at that temple. Had so many pictures clicked at this world heritage site having spent almost our entire day there.Vivid are memories of having had a coffee on a terrace top restaurant over looking the reddish Durbar Square.....Now only memories & thoughts left of those wonderful buildings ... 

We returned back to Bangalore on 10th March'2002 with such wonderful memories of days well spent amidst nature. Nepal in contrast also looked developed and gushing with its modernity, yet still preserving its history, tradition and culture. The love of the people, their hospitality, the frenzy with which they gave audience to us, and of course their love for our Hindi films !

It has been heart breaking to witness now, those very exquisite archeological wonders, in the surrounding of which we clicked so many photographs , reduced to rubble by the recent tragedy. Painful and filled with sadness !

I wish and pray that as life moves on, Nepal and its brave people shall recover from this unfortunate event and bring their lives back to normalcy as soon as possible. My prayers are of course with them, but so is my concern for support. I have made contribution. No single contribution can ever be enough. It has to be a collective effort. Each drop counts.

The sacred Pashupati Nath temple, in Kathmandu, has been saved through some divine force. It is a unique phenomena. The temple itself has a great history and we  had visited it on the river banks . Vivildy remember having to remove belts or any leather articles /accessories to visit the holy temple.Witnessing these wonders of divinity, one cannot put aside some of natures grace towards them.

All now left behind are happy memories from a land amidst the hills where we started our life together as husband & wife..with only photographs now as memoirs to show our child Jyeshta .

One wish remains unfullfilled,as one day wanted to show my child where we had been on our honeymoon  & take her to all the lovely places we had visited.....Now only can be shown in photographs.

Divinity ... Nature ... Fate .... Belief ...
What ??
Lesson for life..enjoy what you are blessed with...for you never know...if you can replay time/place/people...so make the most at that moment .....because only HE knows best...when things might change...

Pray God blesses the people of Nepal cope with the devastation of earthquake & recover soon,back to normalcy.

Prayers with offering of support.....

Realization.....!

It is not easy to let go! We all believe that we are the reason & the cause of all that we do & experience! Partially true! It does seem that way!

All creatures existing then should experience only good because all are born the same! Does it happen so? All infants born to humanity are physically the same,but their lives & path are variant.

When we experience anything good ,we feel we deserve it! When we experience anything negative-we ask why me? Amidst these all is an underlying truth!

We love, we loose, we achieve -amidst all these is also an holy truth! Truth that we do not accept! Truth that reveals that we are just an puppet.

Some super power rules our lives. We do not accept it! We fight it! We ignore it! But there is no denying the fact that each of us are DESTINED! Destiny is the what brings us into contact with the people , place ,thing that we do come across through every phase of our journey called life.

Everything ,every person comes into our lives for a reason-a lesson or a blessing! Each amidst our own journey of self discovery & materialistic quench.

Even writing this blog has been predestined as I had no thought or idea to do so.It is an impulse that has made me do this. Someday some one might read it,at their predestined time or it could well be the destiny of this blog that no one reads it....

There is a hard self realization today that has dawned on me today ,though the same has been   reflected in thought & words periodically through the different phases of life. Realization that DESTINY is what we should understand &respect. No Ego in accepting that what we are & where we are is all part of a bigger drama & we are mere puppets.We are made to think,talk,enact what we assume to be done by us-but in reality is a miniscule role we are enacting as per the directions of some unseen, unrecognized super power.....though we do feel it fleetingly through our experiences..

Let us all realize this & pray that our roles etch out good for others associated with us ,so that like in any movie/drama-we could all feel good about the good samaritan , if not the hero/heroine of the play we are all part of....

This realisation is also flux..would continue to evolve...through times,places,people & experiences...Till then...dwelling more to seek deeper truths & quench the QUEST-Quest for..who we are? why are we here? What are we  here for?? & Where do we go..what for ......

But  an iota of realization gets etched deeper.Everything is HIS blessing!!

Life is like a mirror.Smile at it & it will smile back at you."

A smile...dedicated to 2013.

As the Chinese proverb goes-"The shortest distance between two people is a smile.".How true?! In our daily lives-private or professsional, a friendly expression often says more than a thousand words.It opens doors & overcomes obstacles.But what is important is that it is understood throughout the whole world.

A smile shows openness, understanding & empathy. Even total strangers look approachable & familiar when then smile,which makes it easy for us to smile back. Afterall , everybody knows that cheerfulness works both ways.Or, as another saying goes:'Life is like a mirror.Smile at it & it will smile back at you."

When we observe a child,all he/she does is follow  his/her heart without worries or concerns & with a beautiful smile direct from the heart.


As we enter the new year 2013, let us pause & remember to dedicate this year to a SMILE!


Pray & wish your smile reflects into your everyday life . Let us lift people who are down & enchant the lives around .

Smilingly yours
Sudhir;)

Complacency A Killing Attitude

Complacency A Killing Attitude


When things seem to be in place-either professionally or personally,there is often a tendency to take things easy & relax. This is so typical of the hare & tortoise story we all grew up reading.

Complacency creeps into everybody's life at least once or sometimes more than once. A secured job, adequate salary and a comfortable work place often puts people into such a situation where the learning curve stops. They start enjoying the other facets of life. While it’s very important to have a good personal life we need to ensure that our careers do not take a back seat in this process.



Often we find average people sticking to the job. This doesn't mean that company is happy with their performance or they couldn't find an alternative. It’s often because recruitment is a painful, time consuming and expensive process. In Gulf countries to get a visa, driving license and ready-to-market time itself is 6 months for every employee. Companies often ignore the lack of performance and give additional time for their employees to avoid another recruitment process. This may often send wrong signals to employees. They may assume that company is happy with their performance or they couldn't find an alternative. This assumption is wrong.



People working in HR department need to update themselves on organization behavior and various HR trends. People in sales need to learn about global economics and economic conditions of the countries where they do selling. Marketing people have to be updated about global trends and innovative ways they can reach the market effectively. Support engineers and consultants have to constantly update themselves with the latest technologies, products and vendors and earn latest certifications. Project management people should learn from the successful projects implemented globally; how much time and resources they were able to save, how efficiently the project was executed, etc.



Finance and accounting should learn from the corporate success stories and methodologies by which big companies maintain cash flow, execute projects with adequate funds, improve collections and do efficient budget forecasting.



Management also has to learn from the success of companies in the same industry. Proper planning and execution has been a key factor for growing companies.



So it’s constant learning for each and everybody in the organization. Complacency in any part will affect the individual concerned as well as the organization.



Can we leave the stove on with the food in it? It will spoil the food. Can we let a child to grow on his or her own without nurturing it with the knowledge and good habits?



You should deliver your top class performance as if your job is always under threat. We should learn as if there is a project tomorrow. We should prepare as if there is always a challenging assignment round the corner. We should sell as if every day is a year end. We should plan well in advance so that we don't suffer with surprises during the execution.







Many big organizations spend more time on planning and execution happens at the speed of a blink of an eye lid. So if you get time, plan for your individual career, for your role in the company and assist your department in planning.



Never let complacency creep in your life. This attitude will kill your growth and affect your future.

Beware & be aware when teh silent killer attacks-Complacency!Just get proactive & do what is to be done to move on....towards success..

IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING!

Fight against Cancer: Impossible is Nothing...

Respect for life & good health grows immensly when we come across people who have gone through pain to overcome obstacles -even life  threatening  diseases like cancer or accidents.

Yuvraj Singh the Man of the World cup tournament,a few months back was diaognised with a rare germ cell cancer of the lungs!Ordinary mortals would have been unable to take that punch of life.

It is under these trying circumstances that HOPE factor & prayers stand together as pillars of strength to recovery.

The pain,the stigma, the fears & trauma a cancer patient undergoes would always be best understood only by the person who goes through it & their immediate family.As outsiders we can only sense the despair,worry & vaccum a cancer can inflict on those infected.

Cancer-could be a state of health, mental & physical fight of journey though life.

Being a strong believer in the strengths of  sincere prayers-did my personal bit to daily pray for the betterment of a fellow cricketer & also ,with a few group prayers before & after matches!But these were trivial excercises compared to what soulful impact the affected person & his family would have been praying.

Its only under these circumstances that one appreciates what one has & send out gratitude to the almighty for having blessed with good health above everything else.

  

2011- Cricket World Cup Belongs to me & my father,uncles & family,all teammate still date(including RKCT) too..

This Cricket World Cup Belongs to me & my father,uncles,cousins , various teammates & family too :

On April 2’11-India has once again won the Cricket World Cup for the second time after a long gap of 28 years. India celebrates in unison, making this victory their own. In the days to come, much will be written and said about the euphoria that surrounds the celebrations. The team in all their generosity dedicate the cup to THE ONE who epitomizes perseverance, strength, resilience, kindness and love for the game – Sachin Tendulkar, the God of cricket!

But then, the worldcup is as much of every Indian & I take the liberty to dedicate this cup to my father-who was my 1st cricketing coach , my uncles who helped me grow on cricket ,my cousins, our family & myself. Like the million Indians all over the world who think of this victory as theirs and theirs alone, for doing their bit for India to win. Some praying, others maintaining a fast, and even some wearing the same lucky shirt every time India played, and the rest making the wish to the universe for the men in blue. All superstitions have been followed, sitting in the same position & place for hours when India seemed to lose and surprisingly recovering a win to show that God had listened to these little requests. Myself did it too & am sure my father did his bit too. He would have sat patiently in his rocking chair, diligently watching on television every ball bowled, every stoke of the bat that kissed the ball, every run made, every wicket that fell , all despite sometimes troubled by his hearing , at full volume .Whilst I sat on a beanbag with left foot on the centre table & not budging one vee bit right through the Quarter finals versus Aussies ,Semis against Pakis & the finals versus the Lankans. This World Cup Belongs To Me & my Father, Too. My father played cricket when he was in school & his ITI training.He was a decent top order batsmen & a medium pacer. He used to recollect from memory some of his earliest experiences in the  1950s &60s. Some of his cousins & elder brother were active cricketrs in their own styles & hence heard him state a few rivalries both on & off the cricket grounds of erstwhile Mangalore in the good old days of the newly independent India.

His memory is a little blur & merges with memories of their cricketing tales told by my uncle Mr.Kamalaksh (Lovingly addressed as YELIYA DODDA,Yeliya meaning younger in Thulu-my native language))who was a opening bowler.Their common memories were the innumerable victories they had playing for heir respective teams against their own cousins during their growing up years. One memory that has lived through is ofcourse the hardships they had faced & the levels to which they resorted to carry on playing their game of  love-cricket.

Their growing up on cricket : The little boys love for cricket shone very early in their lives. They were selected for the Sub Junior levels, High school senior levels even whist as 8-10yeras olds.My uncle Kamalskh went on to represent Alosiyus college through his BA in the university games as a opening bowler whilst my father went on to represent the ITI Kadri team with distinction as a top order batsmen.

My coaches:
As life took its own paths for the brothers &they got busy with their lives at different places pursuing their careers , their growing families, their association with active cricket dwindled down. Cricket though was deep rooted in their hearts & they never missed a opportunity to play or conduct matches for their employers or social teams through times.

Amidst all these came glorious passing over of the bton to the young me in my early teens. Ironically it was my father who taught me how to bowl with a straight arm whilst my uncle taught me footwork & batting skills though he was a opening bowler.

There were numerous instances of me bowling 100s of balls to my dad who willingly acted as the wicket keeper whilst I always looked forwad to learning more on my batting whenever my uncle used to visit us in Bangalore.

The moment of reckoning! My dad & uncle were so proud when I was selected for my school cricket team as a 7th std boy whilst the big boys of the Xstd were the heros of the team.Both started sharing much more insights into me & helped dwell into the mental side of cricket early on. I was surprised that both my dad & uncle had turned up at the cricket ground-the Indian Institute of Science grounds, Yeswantur,Banglore without informing me or eachother to watch me debut for my school team.

As fate would have it,I got to bat in the middle order & the 1st ball I faced was a offspinner whom I drove on the full to the cover boundary.Lo! I heard  familiar voices cheering me from the boundary & to my surprise when I looked up –I saw my dad & uncle each clapping & cheering me on! Suddenly tears rolled down my cheeks & emotion took over. I couldn’t focus on the next ball & as I prodded front almost blinded by the tears,snicked into the keeper’s gloves. There was no appeal by the keeper or the bowler.But something in me ,made me walk back to the pavilion. The umpire asked me the reason & I indicated the edge as I wiped my tears all the way back. As I crossed the boundary line,both my dad & uncle came running over to me & putting their hands over my shoulder paid me the best complimen I have ever heard on a cricket field.-“Today you have done us proud by being true to yourself and to the game”!! To see two brothers who were then their mid 40s ,wiping a tear & yet feeling proud of their prodigy –is what has instilled in me the spirit of the game which I carry on in my heart till date!

In the Worldcup league match versus West indies,when Sachin Tendulkar quietly walked away into the pavilion having snicked Rampal, unwilling to look at the umpire, knowing he is out, it merely affirms the tale of truth that cricket taught me through my dad & uncle.

The Historical Day of 2nd April 2011 : It has been long since I had spoken to my father & on April 1st when did speak to wish him on his 71st Birthday, we spoke cricket after many years.

When India were through with Dhoni having lofted Kulasekara over the long on into the stands,I stood up from my bean bag & called home! Just as I had expected both my paretnts were glued to the television right thourgh the day from the pre-match analysis to the experts counsel at lunch break whilst all along knowing that the game of cricket is unpredictable, until the last ball is bowled.

My understanding of the game, the analysis of the complex and yet ‘simply-turned-simple’ imperial game is all thanks to the inputs my dad & his borther passed on.Times have changed &so has cricket. People have changed. Yet basic truths about people,game,stands timeless.

It is a treat to hear my dad’s match predictions and insights which can sometimes be exact opposite to what the experts on TV comment.


When Dad was growing up,there was no TV.It was only AIR radio.Yet he knew each & every player,their strengths & their mental aspects to the game. He wanted his son to see cricket & hence had got a TV-black & white Onida home for the 1983 Worldcup.That was my 1st sight of cricket & the fascination goes on till date.

My only connect with my father now is Cricket! Growing up with my two uncles –Prakash & Pramod exposed me to how cricket was played in Mumbai.Cricket was the anthem of all discussions at home when my uncles came visiting. Whenever I was in Mumbai for school vacations-got to play the rough cricket with all the eldesr of my uncles’ team as a young prodigy,opening the batting against some good quality fast bowlers!

Cricket treated my mother well too as my grandfather was a cricket buff .Hence my grandmom & mom too became extended expert commentetaors during any discussion on cricket or a match.

Today, whenever I step onto the cricket field –a silent thanks goes out to my father & uncle Kamalaksh who taught me cricket & my uncles Prakash/Pramod who instilled the inert cricketing sense of Mumbai cricket into me.

Those days, my dad & uncle used to play sharing the cricket kit with their teams .My uncle who represented State Bank of Hyderabad teams had their bit of sharing too. But what we have today is luxury compared to the hardships they underwent playing their cricket-sometimes without proper cricketing shoes on dusty,rugged grounds.

Dad is 71. Uncle Kamalaksh is no more. Uncle Prakash follows cricket in general &Sachin in particularly closely on TV from PuttaParthy. Yet they pass on their skills & techniques that life taught them through cricket to me in subtle notes.It is only cricket that bonds us all even more .We follow the match and the highlights over and over again. We speak right through nights about cricket.

Amidst all these is Ramanath uncle with whom I share a unique bond including his passion for cricket.He used to share his experiences of meeting EAS Prasanna & others whilst we both used to watch the predawn matches between India & Australia at his flat in Bahrain-wking up ealry morning 3am .He has been my energy booster with all his positivity around him & wishes me well in whatever I do,including cricket.

Then there were my cousins-Ganesh & Dinesh with whom I shared many insights wtahcing cricket matches as we grew up.Both had their own views about players,match situations & their comments/observations always helped bring out a laugh amidst all the tense moments of the matches. Dinesh did play with me in our B''lore league matches as a offpsiner & middle order batsmen for a few matches that I took him along .Ganesh played along with our tennis ball teams which we met sociallay at parks behind our house. Cricket helped bond as we grew up.

There was my neighbour,Madhusudan who actually introduced me to the relam of league crikcet & took me often to the KSC stadium whenever ther was a international match on in Bangalore. Without him, I might not have played cricket at the league levels in B'lore rubbing shoulders with the likes of Anil Kumble, Vijay & Rahud Dravid, Sujit Somasunder,Vinayakumar,etc.. He used to make notes of all my performances ,every weekend & inculcate in me a discipline to out do my previous performance. He used to take me on his bike to far flung grounds in & around B'lore & Mysore to expose me to all kind of people, cricketers in particular & ifein general.

This is perhaps true in most of the households that we Indians who have grown through the game of cricket. Generations connected in one family by the bond of a game that runs a narrative through historical times-Times that are both emotional & timesless! This worldcup trophy belongs to my cricket coaches-my father: for all that he accomplished and for all the dreams he nurtured to play ,with limited resources & opportunities through life’s challenges. But above all, for passing on the true spirit of cricket & life to me. Today he plays the game of cricket from his drawing room, watching Sachin open the innings like he did, appreciating the techniques of Dravid,Kallis and himself .Madhusudan sometimes whenever we meet at Bangalore quietly passes on that praise of Sachin saying he his reminded not of his playing times..but sees me whenever he sees Sachin on the field! Now what more does a cricket fanatic like me want?!

Amidst all these is my bunch of teammates who have all come to Bahrain from varied backgrounds & connect together on weekends to play some competitive cricket-My own Royal Knight Cricket Team( RKCT).There have been teams aplenty whom I have played & captained,but this bunch of cricketers are unique & special!  It is the passion ,involvement & spirit that these guys display on/off the field which makes me reach out to them-not only for their cricketing skills & special talents-but their humility,love & affection! Hence went out a step further to mentor,nurture & build this wonderful team as it has been a blesisng being a part of this wonderful unit whom I proudly consider my personal family in Bahrain!

This RKCT has provided me the weekly dose of cricketing action & practise to prepare myself to excel in the corporate cricketing league team that I have been representing since 2003-the  SVMC -Saudi Valve Manufacturing Company! All my cricketing strategies ,thoughts & on-field actions for RKCT always helped me perform betetr for SVMC & most of it were what I had learnt on/off the field representing Karnataka State Financial Corporation (KSFC) in the 2nd division KSCA league.

All the teammates since school,all the coaches,captains who were as passionate & involved in cricket ,like myself -am sure feel proud of their cricketing association..when they saw Team India lift the coveted cup.

Captaincy:Amidst all the buzz around the World cup victory,a moment of thought to our own M S Dhoni who marvelled at man management whilst not sacrificing the winning edge! He took huge risks without flinching his own conviction on means/players to back to obtain the ultimate goal.Most captains woudl have played Ashwin & not Sreeshant in the finals.Ordinary people would have preferred to allow the man in form-Yuvraj to play up the order whilst India were 121/3   when one's own form was not great right through the tournament. Having been blessed to be the captain of almost all the teams I have played for,could connect with what MSD would have been going through with all pressures & media blitz .Hats off to the man who kept his cool & smiled through to victory....
Hence this world cup belongs to me, my dad too, just as it belongs to every Indian who follows the game. It is each ones trophy –mine, my uncles ,my cousins,our family,all my various teammates since school ,special mention of RKCT  & all Indians....

Cricket..my passion..continues..unhindered by the professional demands ,as the quest for the next bigh high of the weekend league match,next series on TV ,etc goes on..............

Weakness more powerful than one's strengths....!

No matter what our many strengths, just one weakness can prove more powerful than all of them! Many filmstars managed to make fools of themselves on Karan Johar’s popular chat show, Koffee with Karan. Not only have they put their foot straight into their mouth, but have left audiences wondering at their frivolity and hollowness. Amidst all this, Karan sat, at times almost as if struck dumb, opening and shutting his mouth like a goldfish, covering his face in mock horror, or a show of embarrassment... But always smiling, like the cat who got away with the cream. Perfect host. Imperfect friend. As an industry insider and successful movie maker, he manages to invite star friends onto the show and makes them very comfortable and at home. And it is always from within a ring of security that we loosen up, let down our guard and say things we wouldn’t in our more alert moments. It is when we open our hearts that we are at our most vulnerable. A quietly encouraging presence can lead you smoothly into dangerous territory. And that is the mark of a perfect host for a celebrity chat show! So, Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor bitched to their heart’s content about past and present loves and professional contemporaries, forgetting themselves in the thrill of the moment as Karan egged them on. It was only when they stepped out of the studios and faced the ire of the industry that they realised the damage they had wrought with their irresponsible, runaway, catty tongues! Not many episodes later came the wildly giggling duo Rani Mukherji and Vidya Balan out to promote their release, No one Killed Jessica. Both actresses with fairly mature, dignified images, giggled like teenagers, touched each other incessantly and were almost incoherent with an overdose of adrenaline. At one stage, to the horror of many, Rani stuck her thumb in Vidya’s mouth and the latter started sucking it with gusto! Turning to Karan, Rani asked, “May we touch you Karan?” before dissolving into crazed laughter once again! Very different from these two episodes, and yet not any less shocking, was the one with Shah Rukh Khan. In an uncharacteristically low mood, SRK appeared vulnerable, uncaring, caustic and disillusioned. With none of the witticisms he is known for, he sounded more like a loser than the King Khan image would have you believe! That’s what a few unguarded moments can do to you! Recently, I noted a film dialogue, “Insaan ki ek dukhti rag uski har taakat se badi hoti hai” (A person’s single weakness is stronger than all his strengths!) A powerful dialogue and so true! Think about it. Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, our strength is defined by our vulnerabilities, not our strong points. Not all the preparation in the world or intelligence can help you with any exam if you have an indecipherable handwriting that the examiner cannot figure out! Here your handwriting rather than your intelligence and hard work decide your future. Similarly, you may have worked out a superb project with deep research and smart inputs, but if your timelines are not worked out and you cross the deadline, it is those couple of hours of delay that become the decisive factor! Similarly, you may be a great worker and a superb professional, but your loose tongue at an inappropriate moment may put paid to the rest of your capabilities! And just like an intelligent chat show host, you will always find plenty of people around you not just willing, but eager to exploit your negative potential as displayed through that one weak link, that one vulnerability! There is a category of people who wheedle info after putting you at ease and assuring you they are totally with you. Most of us have had a brush, or several, with the office pseudo sympathiser who always emerges soon as he smells your moment of insecurity or misery. He always knows, for he is on the lookout. And sure enough, there he appears with oodles of sympathy and a smile, pumping you subtly for information. He gives subtle hints and encourages you to speak up. In a moment of weakness, you are most prone to let go and spill it all out. Satisfied, he runs back where he came from and uses the information to his own advantage before you realise! It is only later you realise he got you to bare all but never ever shared any of his or her own troubles! Your one weak moment could have done you a lifetime of harm! Consider the power of weakness! Even the power of a relationship it is rightly said, lies with the one who cares less…never with the one who cares more and so has more at stake! So the weaker your love, the more powerful you are to mould or manoeuvre the relationship and your partner as and how you wish to! And yet, what a miserable power when the partner’s weakest link, his/her strong love for you, would be the biggest weapon you would use against them! It is indeed our moments of weakness and weak points that we need to guard… it’s when you are most comfortable that you should be most guarded too. We are born with strengths that we can at best hone and understand, but an equally important task is to understand our weaknesses and work hard upon those. For these, our greatest weaknesses, if guarded and worked upon, have the potential of becoming our greatest strengths! Remember, the great Achilles was only as strong as his weak heel! Had that not been known, who could have killed him? Had it not been known that Bheeshma would lay down his weapons if faced by a woman and Shikandi not been used for the purpose, who could have defeated the mighty warrior? Had it not been known that Abhimanyu could pierce the chakravyuha but not find his way back, how could that innocent son of Arjuna been killed by the Kaurvas?

Sa'hai - Support n help! My dream & mission!

Its been a dream.Its been a mission ! From the time , I can remember there has been something deep within me that has continiously echoed that the path of life is to provide food, shelter, clothing, education, medicine , care, employment for the needy & deserving . My prayers to the Almighty were /are always on those grounds & to be blessed with such a situation in life that self can always provide these to the less fortunate fellow beings.

My early induction into Mohandas K. Gandhi embedded deep within me a famous quote of this gentleman " The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others".

My spiritual orientation early in life to the philosophical preachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba inculcated in me a lesson that " Ammi Tuti ,Servi Tut-I love all ,Serve All" .

As I grew along, I understood the fact of life that there is no higher religion than human service. I began to experience that to work for the common good is the greatest creed.

Service to others is tough act when you force yourself to do so.But the joy you reap when you know that you served someone in need is more gladdening than any reward/appreciation can.

A little "thought -for the day " whilst in school-"Service to mankind is service to God" made me want to realize this and act upon it .

Along the way of life, I realised how true was the great Rabindranath Tagore's word " I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy". Small deeds gave me immense satisfaction.Even 1/2 a slice of bread that I could share with a pet/animal would make me feel better & that is when it got etched in my heart/soul what our Mahatma Gandhi had said-"~ The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."

Sahai-How it all Started:?
Sahai is a childhood dream of mine being able to make a difference in the life of someone within this world. A dream cultivated by a childhood friend whose desire to be a great physician was crushed by family circumstances. It is a dream, which was nurtured and kept alive with encouragement from my grandparents , parents & uncle without them knowing about it.Their sweet,caring ways/acts/talks inculcated in me a strong desire to be able one day to wipe away a tear of a needy person.After becoming a professional with the struggles in life and traveling different roads, I have now reached Bahrain and took the first step of Sahai ,when on Jan 1'2006 our daughter Jyeshta was born , which changed our life. Parenthood brings out latent emotions & hence this good deed I owe it to our daughter to have given us a chance to be part of a dream to help someone. Our daughter have given us so much love and affection that there are not enough words to describe how we feel.

I have been carrying the mission of helping the needy and disabled children without even my own family knowing about it and since then I have never looked back. It has been my intention to go back to India and open a charitable clinic. The tsunami disaster in December 2004 changed my life and I could not watch the horrible waves of death and destruction and the cries of the innocent people, especially the children with grief stricken faces looking for someone to hold their hands. It moved me beyond description.

My desire to do something noble and be a role model for my children is a constant request for my innerself to do something, and that something is SAHAI . The encouragement of my family and friends was good enough for me to go out and envisage this dream .It is now in the lane for becoming a reality soon .Hope the Almighty blesses all endeavors -physical, mental,financial to make this dream a reality, a reality that can wipe away a few tears & bring some joy/hope to the needy.

This impetus and ongoing desire to be able to help and the dream of my lifetime helped me in starting this non-profit organization called “Sahai.” Initially , its main supporters will be family and very close friends with common interest of helping the poor children and elderly. We hope our message of hope and help will spread and more individuals will join Sahai’s journey to bring a smile on an innocent child or elderly face.

"Sahai" is conceptualised to be officially founded in 2012-when I turn 40 years old. But it cannot be done without the "Sahiata"- the help and support of my wife and close family/ friends.

According to my senses & feelings , this is what "Sahai" should stand for:
Sahai's Appeal : The word 'Sahai' is taken from the Sankstirt word "Sahaita" used extensively in both Hindi ,Kannada & even Punjabi languages of India. The literal meaning of "Sahaita" is "to help" or "to support". Every now and then somewhere in this world, human beings suffer due to man made, or natural disasters. In the third world countries, everyday, poor children and elderly struggle for basic survival, food, health, and education. The number of destitute children and elderly people is on the rise as economic stresses increase day by day. We the members of "Sahai" appeal to the fortunate among us to wholeheartedly help the unfortunate among us.

Sahai's Vision:"The children in our society are happy, healthy and well educated That the elderly in our society can live with dignity and self-respect”.

Sahai's Mission:"Hold and support a frail hand; Bring smile on an innocent sad face; Afford dignity to the less fortunate”.

Sahai's Motto:A good deed is the most rewarding and satisfying act."A small token of love, affection, and wealth can go a long way to help the unfortunate in our society. "Sahai" will help to provide resources that are readily available to the needy children and elderly regardless of their status, background, religion or caste.

Sahai's Services:
During the initial few years,the main services will be to hold health awareness health care/hygeine & medical camps in India . Along the way,Sahai will help create awareness of donating blood ,eyes, etc through the program called "Gift of LIFE".

Along with doing medical camps in rural India , Sahai also maintains regular medical camps in the place wherever self & family shall reside & hence medical/hygeine camps are typically thought to performed at worker camps/temples/ Gurdwaras/mosques etc. Hundreds of patients can be examined at these camps and health education classes can be arranged at some of the camps.

Long term plans for "Sahai"is to own a building complex called the "SAHAITA" which houses and helps children who are either orphans, disabled, belonging to disabled parents, abandoned or have no financial resources for education or care.

Sahai's Goals:
At present Sahai is trying to provide its services by keeping these goals in mind:
Mobilizing community members, with a common interest in our society's welfare and to help generate resources. These resources include: •Providing equal opportunity and resources to needy children and elderly regardless of their status, background, religion, or caste•Organizing charitable clinics that provide preventive health education and immunizations in rural India & abraod•Providing help to shelters for orphans, disabled children and adults•Providing education tools for less fortunate children of rural India & abroad•Helping other charitable organizations working for the welfare of children and poverty stricken communities around the world.

Sahai's Operations and Funding:
Sahai's staff shall be purely volunteer based which is composed of doctors, professionals, college students,families & friends and many volunteers from the local communities whereever Sahai shall have a outlet/franchise. Their funding comes strictly from independent donations as they raise awareness of the organization by having annual fund raisers in India & abroad.

• This is just the beginning....Sahai has a long journey to make-a journey of hearts beating for one another, a tear of fear/worry being replaced by the tear of joy & on this journey many like minded/hearted souls are going to connect hands. Hope God blesses this wish to come true & empower HIS reflection through acts of his creations-we the people!

Kindly...add in your thoughts/suggestions/comments to help make this "SAHAI" a reality in the times ahead......

Together, we can..& we shall..make a difference..to some deserving/needy lives around us.....

yrs, Sahai...

Sudhir

Plastic Bags-Let us do our bit for the environment!

A WAKE UP CALL TO THE MEGA RETAILERS OF INDIA & AROUND THE WORLD!








Everyday millions of plastic bags are being dispensed at the cash counters of supermarkets, retail chain stores and mega stores across cities and towns.,worldwide This include the stores that we especially urbanites are familiar with and patronize (like Reliance Fresh stores, Big Bazaars, More Stores, Foodworld supermarkets, Nilgiris supermarkets, Fresh @ Retail Stores (Heritage Group’s), Vishal Mega Marts, LULU, GEANT, CARREFOUR etc. to name a few. )
Plastic bags are harmful to our environment as they are not bio-degradable in nature. So they cause soil pollution. Secondly they cause serious harm to animals and birds as these plastic bags get into their body while the birds feed on felt over food from the garbage dumps from our cities & towns. Many birds & animals even die because of such instances. These needs to be address immediately else the situation is only getting from bad to worse.
As citizens we need to adopt one simple practice, i.e., we need to CARRY OWN CLOTH BAGS whenever we go out for shopping. The MEGA RETAILERS ALSO NEED TO PLAY A CATALISING ROLE TO REVERSE THIS TREND. During my recent vacation in India, it was heartening to see one of the retail chains in Bangalore has done something commendable for this environmental cause.


The photos show the quiet campaign run by "Smart" chain of retail outlets in Bangalore. There is an urgent need for all the bigger retail chains also to display responsibility for the plastic bag menace they are indirectly responsible for spreading across the nation today. "Green-Step" is an organization in Bangalore which is working for this cause. Green – Step looks forward to hear from all the retail chains in India on this need for immediate action. The need of the hour is for us to run determined campaigns against plastic bags and support people in switching people to cloth bags. It might be in the form of charging people if they don’t bring their cloth bags, selling cloth bags on no-profit basis in all the retail stores, urging people to bring cloth bags from their homes. By educating and sensitize the masses on this subject and providing them a means to "Switch to Cloth Bags and avoiding plastic Shopping Bags" we can bring about this most needed change in the way the Indian Urbanite shops tomorrow. The question is which retail chain would take the lead and provide the kind of inspirational leadership that every other retail chain would like to follows suit? Are the leading brand chains of supermarkets listening?

A Small Step towards a GREENER tomorrow! .

Deep thoughts: "This too will pass.........".

Once a King called upon all of his wise men and asked them, "Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstance, in every place and in every time. Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me. Tell me is there any mantra?" All wise men got puzzled by King"s question. One answer for all questions? Something that works everywhere, in every situation? In every joy, every sorrow, every defeat and every victory?

They thought and thought. After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appealed to all of them. They went to the king and gave him something written on paper. But the condition was that king was not to see it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he’ll have to see it. The King put the papers under his Diamond ring.

After a few days, the neighbors attacked the Kingdom. It was a collective surprise attack of the King’s enemies. King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. King had to fled on his horse. The enemies were following him. His horse took him far away in the Jungle. He could hear many troops of horses following him and the noise was coming closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing at the end of the road - that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep. If he jumped into it, he would be finished. And he could not return because it was a small road. The sound of enemy’s horses was approaching fast. King became restless. There seemed to be no way..

Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was very small but very great. The message was – “This too will pass." The King read it. Again read it. Suddenly something struck him- Yes! It too will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. However when those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. Calm come on his face. He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a part of his Kingdom. The revelation of the message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forgot about those following him.

After a few minutes he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy coming was receding. They moved into some other part of the mountains and were not on that path. The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and fought again. He defeated the enemy and regained his lost empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fan fare at the door. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory. Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being thrown on the King from every house, from every corner. People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself," I am one of the bravest and greatest Kings. It is not easy to defeat me..:

With all the reception and celebration he saw an ego emerging in him. Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He opened it and read it again: "This too will pass" He became silent. His face went through a total change -from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness. If this too is going to pass, it is not yours. The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours. You are just a watcher. Everything passes by We are witness of all this. We are the perceiver. Life comes and goes. Happiness comes and goes. Sorrow comes and goes.

Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own life... Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the moment of Sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent? They all come and pass away. Life just passes away. There were friends in the past. They have gone. There are friends today. They too will go. There will be new friends tomorrow. They too will go. There were enemies in the past. They have gone. There may be enemies in the present. They too will go. There will be new enemies tomorrow and.. they too will go.

There is nothing permanent in this world. Every thing changes except the law of change. Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen all the changes. You have survived all setbacks, all defeats and all sorrows. All have passed away. If there are problems in the present, they too will pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They both will pass away. Who are you in reality? Know your real face. Your face is not your true face. It will change with the time. However, there is something in you, which will not change.. It will remain unchanged. What is that unchangeable? It is nothing but your true self. You are just a witness of change.

This too will pass.....& it dawns that the only permanent thing in life is...CHANGE....TIME....PASS!!

A GOOD SAMARITAN - PRAKASH J JOGI, my unlce

A dedication...straight from the heart to my dearest Prakash maama:
I not only call you uncle, I call you friend!
Uncle, you're forever in my heart.
Uncles like you are precious and few!
An uncle grows more treasured as time goes by!
Uncle:People who are nice as you,are great to be related to!
An uncle is someone special to remember with warmth,think of with pride,and cherish with love.
An uncle is a gift whose worth cannot be measured except by the heart.
An uncle is a joy to remember your whole life through.
Everything is nicer when shared with an uncle!
A garden of love grows in my uncle's heart.
An uncle adds beauty, joy, and love to life.
An uncle makes life a little sweeter.

Yes, these are emotions that tug my heart when I think of my dear maama-Prakash !He has been that God sent angel with whom a special relation has been bonded with my soul.

They say a uncle's relation with his nephew is always unique & special! How true!! From the times, I can recollect, my maama(as i lovingly call him) has been that one person with whom my heart has synchronised perfectly in tune. Distances or time never made any difference.Whenever we met,the frequence just matched perfectly. We somehow have a peculiar bonding that our perceptions of things/people somehow gelled. Without a hitch, I could share anything/everything with my maama who listens to understand the feelings. It goes without saying that he was the one to hear all my issues, acts, wants, needs & be that soothing hand on my shoulder when I needed that the most.

Maama has a unique sense of houmour that can have a uplifting efffect on most people in the most tiring of situations.He has this God blessed ability to laugh at slef & situation that eases the pressures around. That is one ability & a caring heart has people drawn to him like a magnet in their times of duress or happiness. His witty one-liners & a perfect sense of timing make him being the centre of all attention & fun at gatherings . All along I have been a silent admirer of these acts of my maama,who by himself is sucha simple soul that I'am sure is not even aware of the fact that these are rare traits in people, especially in these times & not many people are luky to be blessed so.

Infact if & when he might read this post on my blog, me might in all probability laugh & ridicule my writting this post (alongwith my sister , his sisters & few others) ,making fun of my writting, words or intent. But Maama, these are heartfelt words that I genuinely mean from the bottom of my soul to say you've loved me like a parent And you've acted like a true friend to me & you would not even be aware of these impacts you have left on me.

Deep within me I know that you have been that special soulmate who I shall always chreish,wherever I'm.

People who are nice as you are great to be related to!It is indeed my fortune that we are blood relatives.But the fact is my respects for you as a person has grown immensely through the times as I began realising what a special soul you have been!

It is not easy to have a heavy heart,yet make others happy & have people smiling around.You have that special ability & I guess, it's God's ways of choosing you to spread cheer,fun & smiles to people around who need these the most. You were invariably the 1st to nkow of all my heart's wants & feelings with my memory recalling that I would wait for my summer vacations to share with you my inner most feelings that I did not probably want to share with my friends or family .And only afre sharing with you those trivial things,would my heart feel lighter. It has not changed even till date & I doubt it would never be otherwise!

Today, I would like to say loud & clear that you're the best uncle I've got.Thanks for being that special parent to me at times & also a great friend most of the times .Eeven today, I feel lighter only when I share things with you & look forward like a little boy for our chat sessions.It is rather funny that we end up talking the most irrelevant of things & share wierdest of funny liners,without really discussing the real issues.But somehow it helps see things differently & solve the issues at hands.

There is nothing that is hidden from you & you are the select few who have known me inside out-the way I'm...so long & shall be that way all along .You have been a strength & not only for me but many people in our circles.

I salute your special ways in which you connect with all your near/dear ones to soothe concerns, worries,fears & form the pillar of their strength.Pray God always gives you these prowess to act as HIS chosen guardian angel to all the needy & weak. This,I say with conviction through the spiritual I have gained,thanks primarily to your connection.

I may sound sarcastic at times when I hear that you are for ever travelling to Mumbai, Pune,Hyderbad,Bangalore or Mangalore but I have the deepest of respects for that special trait of yours to be able to go & add that strength that they need at their moment of crisises.My admiration for you has grown immensely over the times as you do that so selflessly & without worrying about yourself,you plunge to help others.

Today, we may not be able to communicate as often as we would like to, but then,to say I not only call you my favourite Uncle ,I also call you my bestest friend is a fact that I say with pride today & forever!!

A good samaritan you indeed are, Maama,

Love u maama for what you are ! With repsects & admiration!!
SAIRAM
(I wanted to write something very light, funny & hilarious about you & my association with you, but the fact is that amidst all those fun,laughter,cheer the REAL SIDE of you might have got shadowed & hence just left my heart do the writting.....But yes,this article is just the draft & would continue evolving through times.....)

Why do we have to losoe someone before we understand them?

Jayanthi Kadri,Late : My aunt-Jayanthi Maami (Paama, as me & all in d' fmaily called her) who filled my life with hues and lot of questions to add colours that every child needs while growing up .It was she who never once made me realize that I was a normal kid. She being highly educated & a strict disciplinarian always threw challenges at me ,even at a tender age & helped me mature faster than a normal kid would! She was a icon of everything righteous in the family which ofcourse was resented by most of the kids around. She was very popular at the school where she taught Kannada-SOPHIA'S HIGH SCHOOL,a very well known educational institution & was a very good musician-playing the VEENA with a melodious singing vocals too. I grew up seeing her practise her singing & playing the Veena .Being a teacher,she wanted to inclulcate some of the best habits into the kinds even at home. We never relaised that but rather grew to resent her strictness around. But looking back , my heart now heart bleeds & wishes that I had told her just how big a role she has played in moulding me into what I'm today. Cleanliness matterd a lot to her. She had her own unique ways of shwocasing her love towards us kids & ignorant,as we were never understood the depth of her feelings/views. We saw her asa samaritan to everybody else in society & a strict stewardess at home. I still recollect a few incidents of my growing up with such strict measures when my parents were away at work,that I even now go speechless.But for a fact that I would not have been exposed ot literature, arts, music & cleanliness the way you were.

Why is it that sometimes the most important things are always said during a goodbye? Why did I have to wait till an obituary to express my love & respects for her?

Maami,today I have relaised what it was for you to face the world alone & strive for the betterment of all the kids & some of the families in M'lore for whom you were the bread provider!

I realised how very respectful & loved you were in society,the day the entire shcool,studesnt,staff,parents ,etc truned up to shower their respects on your last journey!

Today, with due humbleness I slaute you for who you were & it is quiet understandable that the LORD wanted you by HIS side so early .Maami,rest assured all your hardwork has paid dividends & the kids /family you cared so much for are now doing absolutely well.All thanks to your sacrifice, love & care! But for you,so many lives would have not seen the better sides of life that they are enjoying now!

Pray, your soul rest in peace! Seeking your blessings & care,always...my dear Maami!

Ganesh :My own BIG Brother!!

GANESH PRASAD KADRI:(Ganesha for me)
It is said "A brother is a friend provided by nature" .How true?! I'm lucky indeed that one of my best & closest friend is also provided by destiny as my own cousin brother-Ganesh! Infact I feel he is not my cousin ,but my own relfection of a soulmate-'brother'!

If I were to look at any one person who instills a sense of inspiration in me -is definitely my cousin -Ganesh.If I have noticed one person metamorphsis his situations,it has to be Ganesh!

"A brother shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams" said a Author Unknown!
He is just two years elder to me & I vividly recollect how easily we got along from my 1st recollection of him way back when I was 5yrs old & he a hyperactive 7yrs old. We had gone out playing with our familes at a park -Maryapanapalya park in Bangalore as they were down for a famliy trip. He was kind of a hero with ability to execute all kind of boyish antics with a zeal & boundless energy. Due to our upbringing in two different places along our growing years ,we did not get to meet each other except for stray social events like marraiges in family or our ocassional visit to Mangalore for some ceremonies. Yet can rewind to the times that we always had some fun and games and gelled well. He always seemed the same through all those years. However far & inbetween were our interactions,whenever we met-we hit it off well like the closest of pals.

Our real association,though started in 1990. I have pictorical memory of a curly haired ,thin, fast talking ,gawky youngster with flashy dressing & almost bollywoodish attitude coming home to talk to my granny when I was in my 12th. There was something unique about him.He was all heart, easy to get along with, simple yet the one thing that stood out was his AMBITION-a steely resolve to achieve a niche for himself! I have been closely associated through his slow progress professionally & have noticed the marked improvement in his outlook to life as he went riding the crests & troughs life offered him enroute. I have always shared his sense of pride when he got his 1st HERO PUCH, his sense of achievement whenhe graduated to own a HeroHonda & eventually a sense of chidlish delight on owning a Maruti Car before growing to own a HYUNDAI ACCENT with a sense of purpose! As he moved from a non-discrete room shared with a friend to different rented houses in Bangalore, I knew & could sense that one day he would make Bangalore his home! My forecast has indeed come true! I'm mighty elevated today -27April'09 that my big brother has made his dream come true-to build & own a house of his own in Bangalore!

"Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk" said Susan Scarf Merrell.I can write a whole book on your life from whatever I have seen & known of you!Hence this idea of writting a blog as a dedication to my brother on his proud day-the Gruhapravesham of his dream house!

Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero. ~Marc Brown ,I completely agree with this statement ,Ganesha,I'm realy proud of you dear for having gone through all the trials & tribulations that life threw at you & yet emerge stronger every single time! You sure are desitny's child! If life played a drama,you were always the pivotal character. I personally do not know of any individual whose life has seen so many turns & twists,threatening to gnaw at your inner strengths!But I'm so glad that you have slowly yet steadily grown victorious over all your adversities with your simple ,methodical yet in his own logical ways.There sure have been times when he did have tears in your eyes & mouth drying up with a nonchalant query against nature for being so rough on him,at times.

I recollect & rewind on how often Ganesh sprang back from every single drawback he faced. I have shared hisworries, tensions,fears,insecurities, but am glad that he has everytime converted those testing moments into hisstrengths & grown as a person.

Ganesh, I have not forgotten a single event/incident of your life that was shared with our family ,inclusing trivial fun growing up times when we used to discuss your heartline wink!

"It takes two men to make one brother" said Israel Zangwill.I could not agree more! In you I have seen two distinct men -my friend & inspiration drawn into one!

Astrid Alauda had said "There's no other love like the love for a brother. There's no other love like the love from a brother". How true?! Well my dear,even when 1000s of miles away from you,some how my heart yearns for all the good times we share. Today, I would like to reveal a fact that my eyes & heart still look out for you every single time I reach B'lore & I feel restless untill & unless I see you my dear! Know not if everyone feels this way for a brother, but I do!That proves to me how dear you are to me!

Ganesha, It was nice growing up with someone like you - someone to lean on, someone to count on... someone to tell on! I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see. I sought my God, but my God eluded me. I sought my brother and I found all three & THAT WAS YOU!!That high a esteem I hold you in & feel mighty blessed to have you in my life as my brother!

I strongly belive that "To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time". Hence hope & pray that our association remains the same through times ahead.

I'm convinced that our relation will grow further & feel blessed to have you in my life as my borther & firmly endorse what St Francis of Assisi had said "And blessed is he who loves his brother as well when he is afar off as when he is by his side, and who would say nothing behind his back he might not, in love, say before his face"

I can not wait to meet you again & relive those magical moments of togetherness,fun.laughs & male talks "And when we do come together, there's a special blend of humor that we share. To others we might look silly, but such laughter is like conversation between me and my brother".

It doesn't seem to matter how much time has elapsed or how far we've travelled. But this brother of yours prays diligently every singel morning to the ALMIGHTY to make my brother's dreams come true . Today I stand vindicated that God does listen to sincere prayers & always blesses hardwork.You have worked hard & it has paid dividends.

Just know for a fact today Ganesh that, wherever I'm, I would always be there for you-anytime/everytime!! You have to just remember me!!

Proud of you BRO! Luv & care....Rock on!!!

Transition Thy name is life!

Life !LIfe is but a challenging cross-raod requiring decisive choices & actions... ! The exclamation is to wonder the only thing that is permanent in life-CHANGE !With Change brings another associated parameter-TRANSITION!The most challenging part of life is not the change by itself but the TRANSITION!It is the most vital & decisive phase -both pre & post change & how well we deal & glide through the ransitory phase is what eventually make the change-good or bad!

Many people dread & fall by d 'side during this seemigly frustrating or irritating phase.Transition is all the more challenging when a decision has the interlinked impact on one's family & finances.

Personally,for me life has been one big Transition ,as a part of me thru times till date & kudos to my family for bearing up all the challenges that this tumultous phase offers. Last few years have been prominent when it comes to realising what Transition means.

Transition could be numbing, exhilirating, challenging but the one most important aspect that leaves a mark on you during this phase is your INNER STRENGTH & ability to connect to a higher BEING-GOD!

The most anxious & curious phases of a change is the TRANSITION & during this period,the complete spectrum of emotions from fear ,indecisiveness,pain,confusion,anxiety,anticipation , euphoria & even a sense of finally its over dawns on self!At these moments,the only pillar of strength that anyone can lean on is Spirituality,One's connection with HIM, one's family & self belief!

For me,TRANSITION has always helped me get closer and experience GOD & all His splendid graces and blessings! Only when one is weak,down & defeated does he recognise the importance & value of what he had & the people around .

Transition has reimposed by beliefs on the strengths of family life & the powers of prayers.From my personal standpoint ,life I belive is nothing but a transition from womb to tomb bringing along with it the moments,places & people to help realise the true meaning of life & GOD!

At the end of it all,it seems like destiny has a predecided fate & result to all its own acts & we are just puppets enacting what TIME makes us do!

I can go on & on,but then..........Transition also helps you realise humility & that each one has his/her own perspectives of life & are infact going through their own pre-destined travel of ups/downs which on hindsight is nothing more than a marveloous journey called LIFE!

Ramanna! Person who has made a huge impact on my life

Ramnath Narayan:Nature & Destiny brought us together!It was nearly 20 odd years since we had seen each other as far off relatives.Time & life had left its trail of distance between us.Out of the blue,came a connection in a remote part of the world-SAUDIARABIA & BAHRAIN when least expected!Eversince the relation has only grown in magnitudes.The value of the association can not be measured but only tresured through times.He has been a pillar of strength ,support , guide, motivator & a role model worth emulation!I realised goodness prevails in this world at this age only when I got to know him closely.He is Ramanna,Uncle Ram,Daddy all in one & the bonding is so deep that I wonder if I share the same kind of intense & deep relation even with my own biological father!sigh! At this moment,I have no words to describe what Ramanna means to me & my family as no words can do justice to the high esteem & respects that we so lovingly confer on him as our well wisher.More I get to know him,more do I wonder how God stopped making men like him any more. At the same time,I have to thank God for bringing Ramanna into our lives as he has been our guardian angel ever since.I would feel proud,if I can even make myself 1% as selfless & caring as he is to all comers.He just cannot think bad about others!He oozes positivity & is a greta pillar of strength for all his near/dear ones.God bless the great man who is humility personified yet a warrior for peace,righteousness & good!Blessed indeed are the parents & relatives who have had the good fortune of experiencing Ramanna's motherly luv,care & affection!Lucky indeed am I & Kavi/Jia to have had Ramanna as our relative, neighbour & above all a ANGEL at all times!No words more,can express what you mean to us Ramanna...............God bless u .............Luv, care, respects & heartfelt thanks for all that you have done so unselflessly to us!!

LOST WORLD- A reflection of Mangalore....through eyes of one of its residents!

Generation Gap: Young ravers in Mangalore, a sleepy Indian city that is morphing into a modern boomtown.

The man had been watching me from his balcony for several minutes. He was curious, perhaps even a little worried. Finally, he came to his door and shouted, "What do you want?" I smiled apologetically. "I'm looking for my home," I said. "I think you're living in it." With a frown, he listened. My family, I explained, had built a home here in the neighborhood of Kodialguttu just before I left Mangalore in 1991. This was the first time I had come back, and I wanted to see that house again. I had been searching Kodialguttu for half an hour, but I hadn't found it. In fact, I didn't recognize the neighborhood at all. Our house had been built on a paddy field, and you could see it from a couple of miles around. Instead of that paddy field, I now saw shopping malls, colleges, apartment blocks and a giant convention center sheathed in glass. The man's house was the only thing that looked anything like my old home. Had he bought it from my father? "I'm sorry," he said. "I built it myself eight years ago."

He put on a shirt, and together we went looking--in vain--for my house. I told him how bewildered I was by the way Mangalore had changed. It happened so fast, he said. In the beginning he had been proud that Mangalore was becoming a city, but now he gets confused. "Even we wonder sometimes what city this is that we're now living in," he said.
The pulse of India beats fastest in megacities like Bombay. But to understand how quickly the economic boom is creating a new country, you have to visit places that few foreigners have heard of--places like Mangalore. Back in 1991, when I left, about 300,000 people lived there. Since then its population has doubled. But that doesn't begin to describe its transformation. A decade of rapid growth has produced shopping centers and high-rise apartments--and most of the construction has taken place in the past five years. Old houses have been uprooted, replaced by bars and restaurants. The city's first multiplex cinema is about to open. A giant Smirnoff poster in the center of town announces, LIFE IS CALLING. In Indian cities like Mangalore, answering that call has brought consequences no one could have foreseen.
Located on India's southwest coast, Mangalore is hot, hilly and carpeted in coconut palms. When I was growing up, young men of all religions were united by shared values of hard work, enterprise and a desire to get out of Mangalore as quickly as possible. My brother left when he was 18. I left when I was 16. Many of those who got out never returned. There was no need to go back because the place never seemed to change.
But the past decade has seen extraordinary change--and extraordinary excess--in Mangalore. The fastest-growing industry is education. During the 1980s, higher education became the only way out of a broken system for many frustrated young Indians. The best doctors and computer engineers had a fighting chance of nabbing a lucrative job offer from Silicon Valley or Manhattan. So boys and girls throughout India streamed into colleges and institutes, where they studied calculus and organic chemistry with a passion that was probably unrivaled anywhere in the world. In recent years, the trend has accelerated. Mangalore had one medical college when I left; it now has five as well as at least four dental schools and 14 physiotherapy colleges. Some 350 schools, colleges and polytechnics are listed in its yellow pages.

A lot of the new colleges, predictably, focus on computer education. They tempt young recruits with the prospect of rewards that would have been inconceivable before the outsourcing boom. A few outsourcing companies, including tech giant Infosys, have opened shop in town. A flood of new money has arrived, thanks to outsourcing jobs, surging real estate prices and expatriate remittances. As a result, many locals have become middle-class, upper-middle-class or even rich. One ad for "premium luxury apartments" promises, IF YOU'RE IN LIMELIGHT, THIS SUITS YOU THE BEST. AND IF YOU'RE NOT, THIS PUTS YOU IN LIMELIGHT.
The city's new affluence manifests itself in subtle ways as well. Leo Fernandes, one of my old teachers, told me, "All the other teachers have bikes. Some even have cars. Only I still walk." Others spoke in a similar manner of a simpler life that was disappearing. I met neighbors, relatives and classmates, and each had done well in some way--one had his own house, another a car. But each also had some sorrow we could hardly have imagined. A Catholic friend's daughter had married a Hindu, and her family no longer spoke to her. A Hindu friend's daughter had been divorced by her husband. Divorce, extramarital affairs, interreligious marriages, homosexual flings--the doors of experience had swung open in Mangalore. The small city had grown up.
At the Nehru Maidan, an open space in the center of town, I watched kids playing cricket. Among the spectators was a group of drifters and homeless men, some carrying rolled-up mattresses. Most Mangaloreans I spoke with shrugged off the arrival of so many poor people and said they were itinerant immigrant workers, drawn by the construction boom. Nobody, it seemed, was ready to acknowledge that the city might have a permanent underclass that the boom had left behind.

For better or worse, Mangalore's fate is in the hands of outsiders. "Tier 2 cities" like Mangalore are believed to hold the key to the future of the Indian outsourcing industry. With wages rising in big cities like Bangalore and Bombay, tech companies must expand fast in lower-cost cities. But Mangalore shares the problem of other small cities with big aspirations: it's not an exciting place to live. "Lifestyle is a challenge when you're trying to get people from outside to stay here," Sudhir Albuquerque told me. Albuquerque, an Infosys executive, was taking me around the company's Mangalore campus, the most significant tech presence in the city. "There are things you can do here that you can't dream of doing in a big city like Bangalore. For instance, you can still go home for lunch, which I do on most days." But even that may become a thing of the past. Infosys is planning to move to a new, larger campus soon. From there, Albuquerque said sadly, he wouldn't be able to pop home at lunchtime

Before leaving Mangalore, I decided to visit Court Road once more. For me, that small, steep, winding road--which connects my journey through the gud old primary school, St. Aloysius, to the high school up the hill--is the physical embodiment of a rite of passage. I had gone up this road as a 13-year-old on my first visit to that school (which my father had walked many decades earlier) at the same high school. From the top of the hill, I had a fine view of the city. Two decades ago, when you stood at a high point like that and looked down on Mangalore, the city's puny buildings all vanished, submerged beneath a canopy of coconut palms. That was when you felt a sense of contempt for Mangalore and dreamed of going somewhere big. But now you see concrete towers with dozens of metal rods sticking out of their sides, as if they were ripping a path for themselves through the trees. You cannot feel contempt for Mangalore now. You feel a sense of awe at how profoundly it has changed. But if you look a bit longer at the scene, you cannot avoid a faint inkling of something like fear.