Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Sachin Tendulkar wins his French Open..!!
Sachin Tendulkar i guess beat Roger Federer (& a retired Pete Sampras) to win his French Open...!
This is what he had to say after the match.. the poise and the choice of words underline his class.
"I dedicate this century to the people of Mumbai," the batting maestro said, adding "cricket cannot lessen whatever happened... I hope this 100 will give some amount of happiness to the people.""What happened in Mumbai was extremely extremely unfortunate and it will be hard to recover," Tendulkar said, adding, "we are right with the people who lost their near and dear ones.
So, here is Congratulations to Sachin, on his French Open win..!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Me, my breakfast and Parthasarathy of Triplicane...
This morning, thought I will finally get around to the Triplicane Parthasarathy Temple. I had Madras born, Chennai bred Banglorean, as my guide (while on that, friend, philosopher, as well… ;-)).
One step inside the temple, it feels like you have been transported to some 13th Century Chola period and it seemed possible that the Pandian King could be somewhere lurking around as part of his evangelization drive to convert Vaishnavites onto becoming a Shaivite.
If this is difficult to picture here is an easier explanation. It was like walking into the sets of the film Dasavatharam and expecting Napolean to tap your shoulders. Actually Asin would have been nicer option but that will be veering out of the topic. Let me leave this at this. (Sigh!) (That sigh was for the fact that I actually had several taps on the shoulder, alas by my FPG)
Any case, it happened that Lord Parthasarathy had decided to hide behind the curtain, when we went. I was very much hurt that the Lord could spurn me. I mean what gall, having given the rights to someone else.
But then I could have had my revenge then and there. The Prasadam stall had Puliyodhara and other assorted stuff like the sweet Appam, etc. Since I haven’t had my breakfast then, it was a wonderful opportunity in the offing for me to treat the Lordship’s aboard as a meal counter and get even by gorging on the fare available. But anger overrode the opportunity and I rushed out. Only to realize that I was still hungry and angry while the Lord in his abode smug and smiling. Cannot stop thinking that only God knows what the Lord was up to behind the curtain!
So here is what I have decided. That I will once go to the temple only for the Puliyodhara and nothing else. Then will decide on a meeting Parthasarathy on a later occasion when my FPG is around.
In my case, revenge is a dish, best served hot and spicy from a temple madapalli!
One step inside the temple, it feels like you have been transported to some 13th Century Chola period and it seemed possible that the Pandian King could be somewhere lurking around as part of his evangelization drive to convert Vaishnavites onto becoming a Shaivite.
If this is difficult to picture here is an easier explanation. It was like walking into the sets of the film Dasavatharam and expecting Napolean to tap your shoulders. Actually Asin would have been nicer option but that will be veering out of the topic. Let me leave this at this. (Sigh!) (That sigh was for the fact that I actually had several taps on the shoulder, alas by my FPG)
Any case, it happened that Lord Parthasarathy had decided to hide behind the curtain, when we went. I was very much hurt that the Lord could spurn me. I mean what gall, having given the rights to someone else.
But then I could have had my revenge then and there. The Prasadam stall had Puliyodhara and other assorted stuff like the sweet Appam, etc. Since I haven’t had my breakfast then, it was a wonderful opportunity in the offing for me to treat the Lordship’s aboard as a meal counter and get even by gorging on the fare available. But anger overrode the opportunity and I rushed out. Only to realize that I was still hungry and angry while the Lord in his abode smug and smiling. Cannot stop thinking that only God knows what the Lord was up to behind the curtain!
So here is what I have decided. That I will once go to the temple only for the Puliyodhara and nothing else. Then will decide on a meeting Parthasarathy on a later occasion when my FPG is around.
In my case, revenge is a dish, best served hot and spicy from a temple madapalli!
Appetite, literally..!
To eat to live or to live to eat, that’s never an ambiguity for me.
In the past week or so, I have picked couple of books on food, to read. One a small compendium, titled, ‘A Cook’s Companion’ and the other ‘It must’ve been something I ate’ by Jeffrey Steingarten.
‘A Cook’s Companion’ is a typically neat British publication (Robson Books) on gastronomical trivia. It contains some wonderful little tidbits on food history, science, and facts/fiction.
Sample this trivia,
During wartimes, inside the rationed environs of a warship, the once a day complete meal used to be served in square plates, hence ‘Square Meals’.
And this quote,
There are two things in life I like firm, and one of them is jelly. – Mae West
Or this anonymous limerick,
There was a young gourmet of Crediton
Who took pate de foie gras and spread it on
A chocolate biscuit
He murmured ‘I’ll risk it’
His tomb bears the date that he said it on.
Nice, isn’t it?
The book has hundreds of such entries. And can be a delightful companion on a lazy Sunday afternoon or a lonely train journey (as I found out).
I have just started reading ‘ It must have ..’ and from what I have read, Steingarten writes with a very understated dry self deprecating humor which is hard to not grin at while reading. I will post a bit more once I am through with the reading.
A typical food related book would be a collection of recipes, more often than not. However, if you lay your hands on books which go beyond just recipes, they offer a reading with a new taste. Food is such an integral part of our daily life in times of mirth or misery. It is no surprise that there is so much to write about than just recipes.
S has been reading books by MFK Fisher and found them as relishing as a plate of home made festive savories. I got to find a way to dig into her fare. I have in my shelf an autobiographical book that I haven’t read yet, ‘The Devil in the kitchen’ by Marco Pierre White – a celebrity chef and on top of it, a Brit. (A British cook, makes you wonder, what a nice time pass profession that it would be, given the fact that there is nothing so much called British cuisine!). The point I am trying to make is that while there is so much to read generally, there is much more to read on food, specifically. I guess it will be a genre which can offer a lip smacking fare page after page.
Getting back to where I started: To eat to live or to live to eat, that’s never an ambiguity for me.
;-)!
Friday, November 28, 2008
Cannot digest…
The events of last two days in Bombay are the ones that evoke disbelief, disgust, shock, anger, irritation, shame and irony. It has prompted questions on who is responsible and accountable. Revenge plays on mind. Yet restraint is the need of the hour.
There will be stories concocted on the planning and brains behind this attack. The motives will be analyzed. The response will be questioned. The retaliation and fight back will be criticized. Political mileage will be sought. Diplomacy will be tested and stretched. Heroes will be hailed. A lot more would be mourned and forgotten.
I was shut inside house due to incessant rains in Chennai. Was hooked on to work from home and I had the TV on all day. It was like watching a full scale action movie albeit in real time. The vicarious entertainment it provided was sickening in when you think about the terror that it has afflicted.
Some things are certain. No more inaction by hiding behind the hyped Mumbaiyya Spirit of returning back to work after a day of horror. There is a need for a clear home land security organization, like the Army. The PM has for the first time come out with a stronger response, which is welcome.
If there are no specific, tangible and visible measures taken, then, one more such attack and people will riot, which again might be one of the objectives of such terror acts.
The efforts of the NSG, even though they are only doing what they are trained for, and the armed forces should be lauded. The challenges of mounting a counter terrorist operation in these conditions are beyond the normal realms. The Taj staff has been reported to be calm, collected and still helpful to the guests amidst chaos, which is poignantly heartening.
Beyond all this analysis of what had happened, why, how, when and where, the whole situation, it is the fact that a bunch of young minds can be trained to believe in these acts of terror as means of proving a point or instruments of getting to an objective that is nauseating. It makes acts of suicide bombing, or flying into an high rise etc, which are point in time acts, elementary in their conception and execution. Here the intent and the long drawn execution are an elaborate exhibition of demented minds.
But for the first time, the weapons and the suicidal conditioning have failed to cloak the cowardice on display.
All said, what had happened is difficult to digest.
There will be stories concocted on the planning and brains behind this attack. The motives will be analyzed. The response will be questioned. The retaliation and fight back will be criticized. Political mileage will be sought. Diplomacy will be tested and stretched. Heroes will be hailed. A lot more would be mourned and forgotten.
I was shut inside house due to incessant rains in Chennai. Was hooked on to work from home and I had the TV on all day. It was like watching a full scale action movie albeit in real time. The vicarious entertainment it provided was sickening in when you think about the terror that it has afflicted.
Some things are certain. No more inaction by hiding behind the hyped Mumbaiyya Spirit of returning back to work after a day of horror. There is a need for a clear home land security organization, like the Army. The PM has for the first time come out with a stronger response, which is welcome.
If there are no specific, tangible and visible measures taken, then, one more such attack and people will riot, which again might be one of the objectives of such terror acts.
The efforts of the NSG, even though they are only doing what they are trained for, and the armed forces should be lauded. The challenges of mounting a counter terrorist operation in these conditions are beyond the normal realms. The Taj staff has been reported to be calm, collected and still helpful to the guests amidst chaos, which is poignantly heartening.
Beyond all this analysis of what had happened, why, how, when and where, the whole situation, it is the fact that a bunch of young minds can be trained to believe in these acts of terror as means of proving a point or instruments of getting to an objective that is nauseating. It makes acts of suicide bombing, or flying into an high rise etc, which are point in time acts, elementary in their conception and execution. Here the intent and the long drawn execution are an elaborate exhibition of demented minds.
But for the first time, the weapons and the suicidal conditioning have failed to cloak the cowardice on display.
All said, what had happened is difficult to digest.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The (changing) times... (?!)
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Actually i had a different post earlier out here. Something to do with the difficult times that we are in globally, ironic situation that i find at work locally and confusing times otherwise. Some folks read it. One said i am being too tight and other said 'no comments'! Both are right. The global conditions have been talked, analysed and written about using the last byte available. Local condition at work is actually nothing much to really merit a comment. The confusion otherwise is essentially taking myself a bit more seriously than i ought to. So decided to put in a reform post! ;-)
However, my thoughts on the festivals and festive season remains. These festivals do give people a reason to look forward to that given day without their usual worries and fears. Here is sincerely wishing that every day is a festival..!
(the picture above taken with my mobile at Madurai Meenakshi Temple at the Navagraha sannidhi where people offer ghee filled dhiyas in an effort to appease Shani, Rahu, Kedhu and the likes)
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Quarter-ending dramas
The work place was overflowing till yesterday with the quarter ending madness.
People were stretched and stressed to the maximum. Tempers frayed and tantrums thrown around. There was a manic sense of urgency to do things which you do not wish to attempt in normal times. Orders had to be brought in and unreachable targets needed to be surpassed. What has been committed had to be met. Bosses had to be pleased. And so on.
But organizations pick people to do precisely this job. The sales guys in an organization are supposed to handle this stretching and stressing. They are there to put in extra ordinary efforts as opposed to normal way to doing things. They know that commitments have to be met and the boss is not going to be pleased if the same were not met. And they know how to handle this as well.
Why all this fuss, then?
Where there is more drama, less is the level of competence of the work place in general. All the shouting and yelling during such periods is a reflection of lack of a certain level of sophistication in terms of business assessment, sales closure and order execution spread over the period in question. It finally boils down to the individual’s level of confidence and self-esteem.
A quality work place should just address this aspect and the rest should pretty much settle in place.
Getting back to my work place, the quarter just ended for us and it is a holiday due to Ramzan out here. The shift from a maddening pressure situation at work to nil work is completely disconcerting, strangely.
I think, the pressure at work place due to the immediate work on hand, conveniently shields the other issues surrounding one’s work/life. To an extent that we actually tend to like that and allow it to be that way, controlling our lives. We get a credible alibi for not working on other things.
When suddenly there is nothing to do, all the remaining things come to fore! Well, one such thing is my slightly flourishing tummy and I have to do something about it! ;-)!
People were stretched and stressed to the maximum. Tempers frayed and tantrums thrown around. There was a manic sense of urgency to do things which you do not wish to attempt in normal times. Orders had to be brought in and unreachable targets needed to be surpassed. What has been committed had to be met. Bosses had to be pleased. And so on.
But organizations pick people to do precisely this job. The sales guys in an organization are supposed to handle this stretching and stressing. They are there to put in extra ordinary efforts as opposed to normal way to doing things. They know that commitments have to be met and the boss is not going to be pleased if the same were not met. And they know how to handle this as well.
Why all this fuss, then?
Where there is more drama, less is the level of competence of the work place in general. All the shouting and yelling during such periods is a reflection of lack of a certain level of sophistication in terms of business assessment, sales closure and order execution spread over the period in question. It finally boils down to the individual’s level of confidence and self-esteem.
A quality work place should just address this aspect and the rest should pretty much settle in place.
Getting back to my work place, the quarter just ended for us and it is a holiday due to Ramzan out here. The shift from a maddening pressure situation at work to nil work is completely disconcerting, strangely.
I think, the pressure at work place due to the immediate work on hand, conveniently shields the other issues surrounding one’s work/life. To an extent that we actually tend to like that and allow it to be that way, controlling our lives. We get a credible alibi for not working on other things.
When suddenly there is nothing to do, all the remaining things come to fore! Well, one such thing is my slightly flourishing tummy and I have to do something about it! ;-)!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Traditions, rituals and superstitions…
Societies keep changing in time. They pick up new found knowledge about things as days go by and become wiser. (Not always for the good!). ‘Tradition’ I guess is an easy way of passing on this wisdom to the coming generations. To remove the need for explaining the accumulated wisdom, time and again, ‘rituals’ were concocted. After some generations, no one knows, why some things are done in a certain way, but we just do it as it is a tradition, in form of a ritual.
Still, there will be many who will question the tradition. So another tight layer was added on top, in the name of ‘religion’, so that the rituals are followed, with a fear of God. I feel, wherever there is a gap between a tradition and the ritual enforcing the tradition, the filler is usually some form of ‘superstition’.
Traditions make a lot of sense especially when you put the fundamental reasons in perspective. It is an extremely cost effective and least time consuming way of passing on information/facts across the society (I remember reading this some where and it made a lot of sense.)
In time, some traditions might and will lose their relevance. New traditions will emerge in tune with the changes. However, the superstitions of the past and the rituals tend to remain. Coupled with religion, these are powerful influences in our daily life.
Non-conformists or someone who is more logical than normal would start questioning these influences. A conflict arises in the mind of individuals and also some times among the collective societal psyche as well. These conflicts will always exist and are necessary to bring forth positive changes.
I was reading this post by S and that triggered this thought process. Yes, the issues that S has put in her post are very much prevalent in our society. While I think some of the ritualistic behaviors are getting altered for the better but a lot are pretty much the de facto situation still.
This is turning out to be a kind of heavy post. It is the result of idling in office on a saturday during a quarter end, as that is a 'tradition', you know.
;-)!
Still, there will be many who will question the tradition. So another tight layer was added on top, in the name of ‘religion’, so that the rituals are followed, with a fear of God. I feel, wherever there is a gap between a tradition and the ritual enforcing the tradition, the filler is usually some form of ‘superstition’.
Traditions make a lot of sense especially when you put the fundamental reasons in perspective. It is an extremely cost effective and least time consuming way of passing on information/facts across the society (I remember reading this some where and it made a lot of sense.)
In time, some traditions might and will lose their relevance. New traditions will emerge in tune with the changes. However, the superstitions of the past and the rituals tend to remain. Coupled with religion, these are powerful influences in our daily life.
Non-conformists or someone who is more logical than normal would start questioning these influences. A conflict arises in the mind of individuals and also some times among the collective societal psyche as well. These conflicts will always exist and are necessary to bring forth positive changes.
I was reading this post by S and that triggered this thought process. Yes, the issues that S has put in her post are very much prevalent in our society. While I think some of the ritualistic behaviors are getting altered for the better but a lot are pretty much the de facto situation still.
This is turning out to be a kind of heavy post. It is the result of idling in office on a saturday during a quarter end, as that is a 'tradition', you know.
;-)!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
To continue the Oct 2006 post… (!!!)
It is well past midnight but sleep seems elusive. The good part is that I have a blog entry after couple of years. And I want to beat my own blogging records by keying in two in the same day as a measure of having broken a kind of jinx.
In the two-years-back-post, I had mentioned about the reorganizing that’s happening in my work place. That happened and a lot happened after that. But the most amazing thing is that, in the long run (that the two year period is) nothing has actually changed! The wise Roman General was right with his wisdom. The thing is, there is yet another financial year-end round the corner and so would be the changes.
It will be fun to watch the whole circus act repeating itself. Clowns and ringmasters can be identified. So would be the contortionists and tight rope walkers. There will be the odd strong man and the juggler. There will be trapeze artists who would fly around, hoping that they will catch on to some thing at the end of their flight to hang on to the dear life! In short, it will be the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ in every one of my offices!
Hmm…now I am sleepy, so, good night.
In the two-years-back-post, I had mentioned about the reorganizing that’s happening in my work place. That happened and a lot happened after that. But the most amazing thing is that, in the long run (that the two year period is) nothing has actually changed! The wise Roman General was right with his wisdom. The thing is, there is yet another financial year-end round the corner and so would be the changes.
It will be fun to watch the whole circus act repeating itself. Clowns and ringmasters can be identified. So would be the contortionists and tight rope walkers. There will be the odd strong man and the juggler. There will be trapeze artists who would fly around, hoping that they will catch on to some thing at the end of their flight to hang on to the dear life! In short, it will be the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ in every one of my offices!
Hmm…now I am sleepy, so, good night.
Just another day…?!!
I have not posted a blog for some time now and that ‘some time’ is a period of just under two years. That’s at once a pointer to my own inactivity and the relentlessly furious march of time. Cutting that English down, it does not feel good at all, actually it sucks..! Am back, egged on by a friend to blog again, rather challenged that I would be hard pressed to key in any length of coherent words!
I am one of those, who, very fashionably (heheh) exhibit that sense of cool detachment when it comes to remembering incidental things like, anniversaries and birthdays. Especially ones own birthday is typically ‘Just another day’. Sometimes you remember it during the day, or reminded by some colleague at work, someone from the family calls up or when a friend remembers. Personally, I do not remember any of my birthdays from past. Nor do I have any funny birthday stories to recollect. However, it is really something to get a message from a client from work at exactly at mid-night wishing me a happy birthday! There was also this other message from a friend (which was also equally surprising!). Thanks to those two.
Actually it is a strangely empty feeling. However, now that I am reminded, it feels nice to be wished! But by a client..??! I am not sure how to react and am sure some of my pals will have fabulous reactions..!! ;-)
That’s that ‘Just another day’ when I have decided to blog back..!
I am one of those, who, very fashionably (heheh) exhibit that sense of cool detachment when it comes to remembering incidental things like, anniversaries and birthdays. Especially ones own birthday is typically ‘Just another day’. Sometimes you remember it during the day, or reminded by some colleague at work, someone from the family calls up or when a friend remembers. Personally, I do not remember any of my birthdays from past. Nor do I have any funny birthday stories to recollect. However, it is really something to get a message from a client from work at exactly at mid-night wishing me a happy birthday! There was also this other message from a friend (which was also equally surprising!). Thanks to those two.
Actually it is a strangely empty feeling. However, now that I am reminded, it feels nice to be wished! But by a client..??! I am not sure how to react and am sure some of my pals will have fabulous reactions..!! ;-)
That’s that ‘Just another day’ when I have decided to blog back..!
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