Written on the oil tank of a truck here in Bombay -
Thoda kam pee meri rani,
bada mehenga hai,
ye irag ka paani!
Translation -
Drink a little less my darling,
It's very expensive,
This water from Iraq!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Monday, February 04, 2008
Taare Zameen Par
Just saw this movie. This is not a review.
I am just happy about 3 things.
1) People would have become aware of not just Dyslexia but also the problems a child might face
2) Aamir Khan made Taare Zameen Par
3) India has an actor and now director, called Aamir Khan
I am just happy about 3 things.
1) People would have become aware of not just Dyslexia but also the problems a child might face
2) Aamir Khan made Taare Zameen Par
3) India has an actor and now director, called Aamir Khan
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wall Street and Cricket
There was a very good article by Lord Meghnad Desai about market ups and downs and capitalism in Times Of India's editorial today. It talked about how humans have a tendency to blow things which can be explained through simple explanations, totally out of proportion. An example being the death of Lady Diana. Conspiracy theories involving the royal family, MI5, MI6 have been floated. Its just hard for people to understand that a young and beautiful princess could have died in a clear case of drunk driving by her driver.
Don't know how far it's true but it does make a lot of sense. In our bid to make sure we know the truth, we over-complicate matters. In the current context, the current market recession or the impending recession (atleast in the US) is also part and parcel of a similar cycle of recession and boom of capitalist markets. Unfortunately, I haven't spent a lot of time reading up the exact reasons due to why, whatever is happening is happening, but the current events which I think can be safely traced back to last year's sub-prime crisis teach us one thing for sure.
The markets and for that matter, the world is not run by a single very strong force or a few very strong forces such as governments or rich institutions. We all ultimately perform actions and the sum of such infinite actions lead to whatever happens, outside the realm of control of a single or a finite number of strong forces. As often suspected, it is not the American government or a few American multinational banks which 'run' the world, instead it is a self-organising system bigger than a single or a group of such institutions. Biggest proof of this is the sub-prime crisis which caught Wall Street unawares and created the problems it did for the American government.
Today, we see the biggest and the best American multinational banks going to the Asian (Middle-eastern actually) funded Sovereign Funds to get them out of the hole they have dug themselves into. In simple language, middle eastern governments will now have stakes and control in some of the biggest symbols of American power and wealth. And an irony it is. The very same people who the Americans drive out of their country, after 9/11, are now the ones bailing them out of this crisis that they now face. An end to white hegemony? Too early to say, another conspiracy theory maybe, but to some extent, I am sure the poles of power have shifted. The coming few years though should be interesting in the sense that where the US economy now go to.
Maybe I should have a read up a little more on the various articles about the current crisis, to be able to answer this question. Would request some of the more knowledgeable readers in this regard to educate me.
Call it a coincidence but the recent controversy in Sydney, regarding Harbhajan Singh has led to the Indian press agog with reports of how this is the end of white hegemony and how the shift of power is taking place, to where it rightfully belongs. After almost half a century of playing 'soft' cricket, of being 'gentlemen', our players have now learnt to respond back when sledged at, our Board has now learnt to raise its voice when needed. In the current case though, that of Bhajji, arm twisting Cricket Australia into the decision the Indians wanted was wrong according to me.
The debate is not however, whether BCCI was wrong or right. In two entirely different worlds, the world economy and Cricket, we see a shift of power; the focus is on whether the dynamics of the world as a whole are actually changing. Or is it just another conspiracy theory?
Don't know how far it's true but it does make a lot of sense. In our bid to make sure we know the truth, we over-complicate matters. In the current context, the current market recession or the impending recession (atleast in the US) is also part and parcel of a similar cycle of recession and boom of capitalist markets. Unfortunately, I haven't spent a lot of time reading up the exact reasons due to why, whatever is happening is happening, but the current events which I think can be safely traced back to last year's sub-prime crisis teach us one thing for sure.
The markets and for that matter, the world is not run by a single very strong force or a few very strong forces such as governments or rich institutions. We all ultimately perform actions and the sum of such infinite actions lead to whatever happens, outside the realm of control of a single or a finite number of strong forces. As often suspected, it is not the American government or a few American multinational banks which 'run' the world, instead it is a self-organising system bigger than a single or a group of such institutions. Biggest proof of this is the sub-prime crisis which caught Wall Street unawares and created the problems it did for the American government.
Today, we see the biggest and the best American multinational banks going to the Asian (Middle-eastern actually) funded Sovereign Funds to get them out of the hole they have dug themselves into. In simple language, middle eastern governments will now have stakes and control in some of the biggest symbols of American power and wealth. And an irony it is. The very same people who the Americans drive out of their country, after 9/11, are now the ones bailing them out of this crisis that they now face. An end to white hegemony? Too early to say, another conspiracy theory maybe, but to some extent, I am sure the poles of power have shifted. The coming few years though should be interesting in the sense that where the US economy now go to.
Maybe I should have a read up a little more on the various articles about the current crisis, to be able to answer this question. Would request some of the more knowledgeable readers in this regard to educate me.
Call it a coincidence but the recent controversy in Sydney, regarding Harbhajan Singh has led to the Indian press agog with reports of how this is the end of white hegemony and how the shift of power is taking place, to where it rightfully belongs. After almost half a century of playing 'soft' cricket, of being 'gentlemen', our players have now learnt to respond back when sledged at, our Board has now learnt to raise its voice when needed. In the current case though, that of Bhajji, arm twisting Cricket Australia into the decision the Indians wanted was wrong according to me.
The debate is not however, whether BCCI was wrong or right. In two entirely different worlds, the world economy and Cricket, we see a shift of power; the focus is on whether the dynamics of the world as a whole are actually changing. Or is it just another conspiracy theory?
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Ricky Ponting Kicked in His Balls!
Bliss!!
And while India was doing that at WACA, I was getting WACked!
Whats that you ask?
Thats WAC - Written Analysis and Communication.
The perfect way too ruin a Friday evening and a sleepy Saturday.
And while India was doing that at WACA, I was getting WACked!
Whats that you ask?
Thats WAC - Written Analysis and Communication.
The perfect way too ruin a Friday evening and a sleepy Saturday.
Another Lecture I Slept Through
At WIMWI, my classes are held in CR-7, Section A that is. The misery of having a name that starts with 'A' is one that never seems to end. Over here, my seat is in the 'well', dead center, right in the line of sight of the professor, and right in the front of the class. Although, the biggest advantage has been that I am forced to listen to the lectures, there are still some of them which would make the most energetic man go to sleep.
Today however, I slept through another lecture.
This man's -
H.H. The Dalai Lama.
He had come down to the campus to deliver a talk on Business and Ethics.
There were a few things about him which struck me. His personality - Confident and simple, which was reflected in the way he started his talk - he asked his aide to tell him the topic; on being told that it was Business and ethics, the first thing he said was - 'I don't know anything about business! If I start one, it'll probably fail in a week!'
The talk he gave subsequently was related to ethics with a touch of philosophy and spirituality. To some extent it was on expected lines, which for me made the talk uninteresting. Having said that, on attending the event, I did come to realize the immense amount of strength and courage that soft spoken human had. To have been the symbol of hope and a bright future for a people who have lost their country, in the face of hostilities from the Chinese government is no kid's play.
What was more interesting was the Q&A round at the end of the talk. Some people asked interesting questions such as Sino-Indian relations and the Indian policies with regard to Tibet. Dalai Lama's response to some of the such awkward questions asked just reflected the deep intelligence that this outwardly simple looking person had. Some people asked him downright philosophical and spiritual questions. For some reason I haven't been able to figure if such questions are actually genuine or whether those people were just putting their CP*. Some questions were downright funny, one mathematics professor asked him whether the concept of karma and destiny could be integrated with the concept of probability to come up with a mathematical model to scientifically analyse the whole thing. Personally speaking, the idea was interesting, but the time and setting it was asked in was, as i said, funny. I mean here was a Buddhist Monk and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, on a mission of peace, giving a lecture on ethics, thanks to the unknown mathematics prof., trying to understand the concepts of Probability!
I went to the auditorium to see him for two reasons -
1) To see an actual Nobel laureate
2) To see what was so great about this personality that people right from Heads of States to common people all over the world flock to see and hear him wherever he goes.
I guess one of the perks of being at IIMA is that one gets access to such personalities, which is why I went to the talk, even though the topic of ethics is not the most interesting in the world for me.
All said and done, atleast there's one more person whose lecture I can claim to have slept through. And this time its a Nobel Laureate!
*CP - Adapted from the concept of Class Participation - An event where students speak in a class discussion just for the sake of it, because the measure of your CP has a bearing on your final grade.
Today however, I slept through another lecture.
This man's -
H.H. The Dalai Lama.
He had come down to the campus to deliver a talk on Business and Ethics.
There were a few things about him which struck me. His personality - Confident and simple, which was reflected in the way he started his talk - he asked his aide to tell him the topic; on being told that it was Business and ethics, the first thing he said was - 'I don't know anything about business! If I start one, it'll probably fail in a week!'
The talk he gave subsequently was related to ethics with a touch of philosophy and spirituality. To some extent it was on expected lines, which for me made the talk uninteresting. Having said that, on attending the event, I did come to realize the immense amount of strength and courage that soft spoken human had. To have been the symbol of hope and a bright future for a people who have lost their country, in the face of hostilities from the Chinese government is no kid's play.
What was more interesting was the Q&A round at the end of the talk. Some people asked interesting questions such as Sino-Indian relations and the Indian policies with regard to Tibet. Dalai Lama's response to some of the such awkward questions asked just reflected the deep intelligence that this outwardly simple looking person had. Some people asked him downright philosophical and spiritual questions. For some reason I haven't been able to figure if such questions are actually genuine or whether those people were just putting their CP*. Some questions were downright funny, one mathematics professor asked him whether the concept of karma and destiny could be integrated with the concept of probability to come up with a mathematical model to scientifically analyse the whole thing. Personally speaking, the idea was interesting, but the time and setting it was asked in was, as i said, funny. I mean here was a Buddhist Monk and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, on a mission of peace, giving a lecture on ethics, thanks to the unknown mathematics prof., trying to understand the concepts of Probability!
I went to the auditorium to see him for two reasons -
1) To see an actual Nobel laureate
2) To see what was so great about this personality that people right from Heads of States to common people all over the world flock to see and hear him wherever he goes.
I guess one of the perks of being at IIMA is that one gets access to such personalities, which is why I went to the talk, even though the topic of ethics is not the most interesting in the world for me.
All said and done, atleast there's one more person whose lecture I can claim to have slept through. And this time its a Nobel Laureate!
*CP - Adapted from the concept of Class Participation - An event where students speak in a class discussion just for the sake of it, because the measure of your CP has a bearing on your final grade.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Goodbye 2007!
Its gonna be LEGEN.....
.....wait for it.....
....DARY!!
There are times in a person's life when there he is abound with just too many questions, that is when a man realises what he must now do.
Suit up and spread some awesomeness! (Thank you Mr. Stinson!)
Looking forward to the much talked about 3rd term at IIMA and life in general, with a mix of anticipation and apprehension. I heard this somewhere - 98% excitement and 2% nervousness or 2% excitement and 98% nervousness....I don't know
A very very Happy New Year to all of you and I really hope this year and the years ahead bring you all that you want!...;)
.....wait for it.....
....DARY!!
There are times in a person's life when there he is abound with just too many questions, that is when a man realises what he must now do.
Suit up and spread some awesomeness! (Thank you Mr. Stinson!)
Looking forward to the much talked about 3rd term at IIMA and life in general, with a mix of anticipation and apprehension. I heard this somewhere - 98% excitement and 2% nervousness or 2% excitement and 98% nervousness....I don't know
A very very Happy New Year to all of you and I really hope this year and the years ahead bring you all that you want!...;)
Friday, November 23, 2007
Updates
Well, haven't got an opportunity to write something here in a long long time. Life has been really hectic. One of the major developments though, has been the summer placement process getting over last week.
Before going for the term break after 1st term, most people were just aware of the fact that summers (as in summer placements) were approaching. A few had already begun preparations in real earnest but some like me are habituated to leave things for the last moment. Well, not exactly the last moment, but having started way too late, I definitely would have been a lot more satisfied with my preparations had I started early. Just to give you an idea of what I am talking about, I did spend around 25-30 hours preparing my CV, which is the average around here.
But as they say, all's well that ends well. I got the job I wanted. The crib I now have from life is whether or not I'll get the much vaunted PPO (Pre-Placement Offer). I'll be interning at General Atlantic Partners in Mumbai. It's a private equity firm and for someone interested in finance, I think I can safely say its one of the happening sectors today. More so since it was a day 0 offer I got the rest of the placement days to relax. A mini vacation if you will. At IIMA, trust me that is a luxury!
I wanted to put up photos of the day 0 placement process. Thanks to the lack of a camera phone, I wouldn't be. I still might though, if the placement committee here would be kind enough to share a few photos with the batch. I did see a photographer hanging around the place on all placement days. Why I am talking about the photos is because they are interesting!
One thing that really strikes one and makes one proud to be associated with IIMA is the extreme degree of professionalism reflected in any and everything. Be it in the placement of pens on the table, while setting up the interview rooms at night for the recruiters for the next day or be it something like interacting with the top firms worldwide, the way it has been conducted by the placement committee and the student body in general here has been exemplary. It is things like these I guess, which creates the bond between oneself and WIMWI.
On the same note, it is really amusing to read articles on the placement process in other reputed B-schools in the country. I wouldn't name any school but having read an article or two, its great fun to realize that such behaviour is ultimately driven from the insecurity created by brand IIMA. I probably sound like I am boasting, but whatever I say has a substantiative backing. Ultimately, the biggest parameter to measure our brand value is just a simple observation - IIMA never compares itself with anyone, whether directly or indirectly. And the others do it, again and again. Please read press reports on placement processes in other well known B-schools in the country and you'll realize what I am talking about. Those schools are good, no two ways about it, but when you come down to showing yourself to be better by simply showing others down and talking about what makes you happy, I believe there couldn't be a bigger sign of your inferiority complex.
Anyhow, I was a little amused as I said, and just wanted to use this medium to talk about this phenomena. It's 1-30 AM and I'll hit the sack now.
Before going for the term break after 1st term, most people were just aware of the fact that summers (as in summer placements) were approaching. A few had already begun preparations in real earnest but some like me are habituated to leave things for the last moment. Well, not exactly the last moment, but having started way too late, I definitely would have been a lot more satisfied with my preparations had I started early. Just to give you an idea of what I am talking about, I did spend around 25-30 hours preparing my CV, which is the average around here.
But as they say, all's well that ends well. I got the job I wanted. The crib I now have from life is whether or not I'll get the much vaunted PPO (Pre-Placement Offer). I'll be interning at General Atlantic Partners in Mumbai. It's a private equity firm and for someone interested in finance, I think I can safely say its one of the happening sectors today. More so since it was a day 0 offer I got the rest of the placement days to relax. A mini vacation if you will. At IIMA, trust me that is a luxury!
I wanted to put up photos of the day 0 placement process. Thanks to the lack of a camera phone, I wouldn't be. I still might though, if the placement committee here would be kind enough to share a few photos with the batch. I did see a photographer hanging around the place on all placement days. Why I am talking about the photos is because they are interesting!
One thing that really strikes one and makes one proud to be associated with IIMA is the extreme degree of professionalism reflected in any and everything. Be it in the placement of pens on the table, while setting up the interview rooms at night for the recruiters for the next day or be it something like interacting with the top firms worldwide, the way it has been conducted by the placement committee and the student body in general here has been exemplary. It is things like these I guess, which creates the bond between oneself and WIMWI.
On the same note, it is really amusing to read articles on the placement process in other reputed B-schools in the country. I wouldn't name any school but having read an article or two, its great fun to realize that such behaviour is ultimately driven from the insecurity created by brand IIMA. I probably sound like I am boasting, but whatever I say has a substantiative backing. Ultimately, the biggest parameter to measure our brand value is just a simple observation - IIMA never compares itself with anyone, whether directly or indirectly. And the others do it, again and again. Please read press reports on placement processes in other well known B-schools in the country and you'll realize what I am talking about. Those schools are good, no two ways about it, but when you come down to showing yourself to be better by simply showing others down and talking about what makes you happy, I believe there couldn't be a bigger sign of your inferiority complex.
Anyhow, I was a little amused as I said, and just wanted to use this medium to talk about this phenomena. It's 1-30 AM and I'll hit the sack now.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Greed
The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is
good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures
the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for
life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind
~ Wall Street
And I agree.
good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures
the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for
life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind
~ Wall Street
And I agree.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
What Was the CEO of Merrill Lynch Doing While ML Was Writing off $8.4 Billion?
On a golf course. Golfing. By himself.
His golf scores revealed something more interesting about him. Read further on here.
His golf scores revealed something more interesting about him. Read further on here.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Thursday, November 01, 2007
I-Banking; Money
Words of wisdom from a 'rockstar' trader, whose talk I attended today.
"With higher salaries, we might get a bigger TV, a bigger house......but not everything gets bigger in life"
One of the most amazing company PPTs I attended so far. I sure am glad, I belong to this place!
Rightly said - Branded for Life
"With higher salaries, we might get a bigger TV, a bigger house......but not everything gets bigger in life"
One of the most amazing company PPTs I attended so far. I sure am glad, I belong to this place!
Rightly said - Branded for Life
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Gujarat - Holocaust
Hard to believe these people live a few kilometers from where I live. Words do not come to my mind. See this video.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
If There Was A God...
...Here's his chance to prove his existence
I am really hungry and have nothing to eat. Please o God, give me something to eat! and a little more time to blog in higher detail...!
I am really hungry and have nothing to eat. Please o God, give me something to eat! and a little more time to blog in higher detail...!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
What I thought was a relatively better day...
...in terms of time, has left me more squeezed for it than ever!
Man I hate it!!!
Man I hate it!!!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Real Pleasure
At a Dorm 20 meet -
The chimp: I always thought the pleasure you have when you finally pee after holding on to it for a long time is equal to orgasm. I was wrong, peeing is better, since you have to work harder to hold it...!
And I....have no words...
The chimp: I always thought the pleasure you have when you finally pee after holding on to it for a long time is equal to orgasm. I was wrong, peeing is better, since you have to work harder to hold it...!
And I....have no words...
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Monday, September 03, 2007
One Thing You Didn't Know About IIMA
Something for that matter which even I didn't know.
IIMA is one HELL of a dating joint! I mean at the parking or the LKP or some other secluded corner of the campus, you see the local Amdavadi couples together. I am pretty sure they tell their folks that they're going for CAT coaching classes and come here instead. For 'inspiration' I guess!
Infact I see this one couple at the parking stand, near the ever-present Rambhai (more on him later, he deserves a full post), every evening. And I mean, every evening. The guy is sitting on his motorbike and the girl is sitting on a chair nearby or the reverse arrangement. Boring but definitely cost-effective and also hats off to the guy's patience for being able to chat with the girl everyday for atleast 2-3 hours. I always wonder where that couple finds the topics to talk on everyday.
From the IIMA perspective, I guess its a contribution to the society, saving those young lovelorn couples their pocket money...;)
That's LKP (Louis Kahn Plaza) by the way
Beautiful, isn't it? Don't blame those couples for coming here! Sometimes when things aren't going good, which is most of the times for me, sitting here at night makes it all worth it. Makes you feel like a WIMWIan, an ossum and a godly feeling indeed!
IIMA is one HELL of a dating joint! I mean at the parking or the LKP or some other secluded corner of the campus, you see the local Amdavadi couples together. I am pretty sure they tell their folks that they're going for CAT coaching classes and come here instead. For 'inspiration' I guess!
Infact I see this one couple at the parking stand, near the ever-present Rambhai (more on him later, he deserves a full post), every evening. And I mean, every evening. The guy is sitting on his motorbike and the girl is sitting on a chair nearby or the reverse arrangement. Boring but definitely cost-effective and also hats off to the guy's patience for being able to chat with the girl everyday for atleast 2-3 hours. I always wonder where that couple finds the topics to talk on everyday.
From the IIMA perspective, I guess its a contribution to the society, saving those young lovelorn couples their pocket money...;)
That's LKP (Louis Kahn Plaza) by the way
Beautiful, isn't it? Don't blame those couples for coming here! Sometimes when things aren't going good, which is most of the times for me, sitting here at night makes it all worth it. Makes you feel like a WIMWIan, an ossum and a godly feeling indeed!
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