After a much predicted disappointment in Athens Olympics, India, sure can look forward to the Culinary Olympics to be held in Italy.. I don't think it is tough for us to grab a few Golds there, considering our culinary backgrounds.. We have the famous Mrs. Thankam Philip, Nimmi and Pritam Oberoys, Tarla Dalal etc.. So, why wait? Let our contingent comprise of these gourmet cooks!! I am sure a few medals are on our way!!! Food, if not Sports... A couple of Golds for India, in in an Olympics, would no more be a dream...
Padmashree Thankam Philip is gonna be Olympian Thankam Philip.. Feels good, eh?
PS: Me a gourmet myself....
cheers
roy
Musings from everyday life.. Family, kids, food, movies, books, travel, friends, inspirations, aspirations, dreams!
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Christopher Reeves passes away!
What does this news mean to me? Me wondering too..
In 1995 the world watched in shock as Christopher Reeves was injured in a horse race. He was once superman, flying across our television screens and in an instant his life changed forever, he could no longer walk on his own or breathe on his own. Superman had fallen and the world watched in horror. You gotta read 'Still Me, his candid and lucidly written autobiography... This book tells in detail of his struggle after the fall. I just loved the book, motivatioinal, rejuvenating and sometimes sweet!
In 1995 the world watched in shock as Christopher Reeves was injured in a horse race. He was once superman, flying across our television screens and in an instant his life changed forever, he could no longer walk on his own or breathe on his own. Superman had fallen and the world watched in horror. You gotta read 'Still Me, his candid and lucidly written autobiography... This book tells in detail of his struggle after the fall. I just loved the book, motivatioinal, rejuvenating and sometimes sweet!
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Outsourcing the Indian Way?
Ludicrous was the decision of the Chairman of Planning Commission Mr. Montegue Singh to include representatives from the consulting giant McKinsey and the World Bank to its consultative committee.. Is it not the kind of privilege and decision making power we enjoyed thats in peril? And I don't think we lack visionaries in any area, be it economics, finance, statistics or agriculture. Again, it is never possible to ensure a disiniterested stand or proposal from these third party 'consultants'. We dont have a clue about their corporate allegiance either.... do we? The left parties did demonstrate their antagonistic ideals against the decision.. But again, the same ideology let MNC Consultancies chart out vision documents for West Bengal, the strong hold of leftist ideology.. hehe LOL... The hindu made a strong mockery of this stand in its editorial dated 05 October. Outsourcing the Indian Way.. eh?
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Religious fanatics sabotaging Kerala's secular culture!
Looks like Kerala is no more the pieceful, secular, God's own country... Recent incidents prompt me to think that way..Early this week, northern Kerala witnessed one of the most criticised religious outrage and narrow mindedness when religious fanatics attacked the sisters of Missionaries of Charity!! They are the ones respected across the world for their outstanding contributions to the upliftment of the downtrodden.. The miscreants alleged that the sisters were trying for religious conversions in their areas of operations, mainly among the poor, for whom even one meal a day is a luxury.. The sister superior refuted the allegation by revealing some statistics.. To say the least, their driver is a Hindu, who has been with them for the last 20 years or so.. Is he a christian now? Did they ever propose a conversion? I would love to believe No.
And a couple days after this gruesome incident, a church in this city was set on fire. The altar was destroyed completely!! All this happening in a 100% literate and secular state.....
It is time to take stock.. What do education (which translates to literacy?) mean to us? Do the educated youth of today grow up to be mature and responsible citizens? Or are they just becoming pawns under those demagogues, the wicked and narrow minded politicians, who play dirty games to win over the opponents!
So, it is time to isolate these religious fanatics.. It is time to think and behave more pragmatically to prevent any further sabotaging of our religious tolerance, harmony and peace! And be it the God's Own Country in the true sense...
so long
roy
And a couple days after this gruesome incident, a church in this city was set on fire. The altar was destroyed completely!! All this happening in a 100% literate and secular state.....
It is time to take stock.. What do education (which translates to literacy?) mean to us? Do the educated youth of today grow up to be mature and responsible citizens? Or are they just becoming pawns under those demagogues, the wicked and narrow minded politicians, who play dirty games to win over the opponents!
So, it is time to isolate these religious fanatics.. It is time to think and behave more pragmatically to prevent any further sabotaging of our religious tolerance, harmony and peace! And be it the God's Own Country in the true sense...
so long
roy
Monday, September 27, 2004
Introducing career options to school kids!
Today I wrote a small piece for an NGO involved in educating bonded child workers. They need to introduce different career options to children in the age group 6-13..
Well, here goes my piece!
Kindergarten Teacher
Dealing with kids in the age group of 3-4yrs, those little bundles of joy, is fun indeed! Playing hide and seek with them is seemingly easy. It’s plain simple and straight forward. The kids understand what you are up to, what you are trying to teach them. But teaching a child to sing a song, paint a picture as specified and to write numbers and alphabets is altogether a different game! It requires immense patience, love and a hundred percent dedication to what you do. At times, you need to recite a rhyme a thousand times. The same goes true for action songs etc. And teaching them numbers and alphabets is no child’s play either! While there are prescribed syllabi and textbooks for teaching in higher classes, teaching in KG classes requires creativity and boundless imagination. You need to device new strategies each time a new aspect, which involves some learning, is introduced.
If you love being with kids, this profession is for you. All you need is a Montessori Certificate or a Nursery Teacher’s Diploma, after your Plus-Two! Being with a bunch of kids, all 3-4 year olds is an experience; it is like you are in a beautiful garden with flowers all around! And remember, you are the gardener grooming those lovely flowers!
so long
roy
Well, here goes my piece!
Kindergarten Teacher
Dealing with kids in the age group of 3-4yrs, those little bundles of joy, is fun indeed! Playing hide and seek with them is seemingly easy. It’s plain simple and straight forward. The kids understand what you are up to, what you are trying to teach them. But teaching a child to sing a song, paint a picture as specified and to write numbers and alphabets is altogether a different game! It requires immense patience, love and a hundred percent dedication to what you do. At times, you need to recite a rhyme a thousand times. The same goes true for action songs etc. And teaching them numbers and alphabets is no child’s play either! While there are prescribed syllabi and textbooks for teaching in higher classes, teaching in KG classes requires creativity and boundless imagination. You need to device new strategies each time a new aspect, which involves some learning, is introduced.
If you love being with kids, this profession is for you. All you need is a Montessori Certificate or a Nursery Teacher’s Diploma, after your Plus-Two! Being with a bunch of kids, all 3-4 year olds is an experience; it is like you are in a beautiful garden with flowers all around! And remember, you are the gardener grooming those lovely flowers!
so long
roy
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Careful when you leave a job...
yeah, today i was reading through Janet Murray's article on this topic. this is my second job in life and i had to say quits just once:-, well i didn't make any farewell speach either.. the guys there were pretty cool and professional.. made lots of friends, was active in the clubs, dramatics, literary etc..
as the author puts in, leaving a job in a ceremonious way has its own blessings... you never know when you would end up right back to square one.. hehe.. can't help recollecting a similar incident from my previous organization.. the guy was a senior, in his early forties, kinda famous for his genteel and chivalric manners.. he quit mid-way to join an MNC in the city... the farewell speech he made was inflammatory.. plain insults and bashings galore... well, people were upset by this callous attitude of a guy of his stature! three yrs down the line, recession hit the SW industry.. job cuts rudely threw off thousands across the country.. this gentleman lost his job.. well, much to his chagrin, he was found requesting for a contract position with his earlier firm, which he had bashed in full throats.. humiliating, to say the least!!
so, here goes my two cents, beware, be gentle and nice when you make a farewell speech!
so long..
roy
as the author puts in, leaving a job in a ceremonious way has its own blessings... you never know when you would end up right back to square one.. hehe.. can't help recollecting a similar incident from my previous organization.. the guy was a senior, in his early forties, kinda famous for his genteel and chivalric manners.. he quit mid-way to join an MNC in the city... the farewell speech he made was inflammatory.. plain insults and bashings galore... well, people were upset by this callous attitude of a guy of his stature! three yrs down the line, recession hit the SW industry.. job cuts rudely threw off thousands across the country.. this gentleman lost his job.. well, much to his chagrin, he was found requesting for a contract position with his earlier firm, which he had bashed in full throats.. humiliating, to say the least!!
so, here goes my two cents, beware, be gentle and nice when you make a farewell speech!
so long..
roy
Friday, September 17, 2004
Random thoughts..
yeah.. been away from blogging for a while.. life has not been that easy going as i wanted to be.. office work, parenting, studies (oh.. yeah, i prepare for CAT this year!!)..
the year ahead is more important for me for reasons more than one.. trying my hands at CAT again, dreaming an IIM education.. i am sensible enough to apply only for the doctoral programme (fellow programme, as it is christened by IIMs) in information systems area, which would give me an opportunity to learn the underlying principles of management and to continue further in an area where i have put in almost 10 yrs. of experience... so, here is a dream.. get into an IIM (A, B or C, doesn't matter where I end up), graduate as a Fellow and opt for a career in teaching and some consultancy.. nothing like it.. u wont really realize the beauty of my dream, however articulate i am, in explaining my career plans..
yeah.. struggling with basic school math for CAT is tough.. even if i manage to tame math, there comes DI... it is just life and death, fight it out with people half my age and win!! i am excited!! God bless me this time...
and the times are yet again crucial for my wife as well. she had to forgo her job as a Research Associate with her alma mater (college of agriculture, trivandrum) a few months ago to take care of our son... nowthat my sis has come down to look after him till december, she has started dreaming again.. applying for bank po posts and preparing hard to get through.. so.. the year ahead is important for the family.. God bless us!
the year ahead is more important for me for reasons more than one.. trying my hands at CAT again, dreaming an IIM education.. i am sensible enough to apply only for the doctoral programme (fellow programme, as it is christened by IIMs) in information systems area, which would give me an opportunity to learn the underlying principles of management and to continue further in an area where i have put in almost 10 yrs. of experience... so, here is a dream.. get into an IIM (A, B or C, doesn't matter where I end up), graduate as a Fellow and opt for a career in teaching and some consultancy.. nothing like it.. u wont really realize the beauty of my dream, however articulate i am, in explaining my career plans..
yeah.. struggling with basic school math for CAT is tough.. even if i manage to tame math, there comes DI... it is just life and death, fight it out with people half my age and win!! i am excited!! God bless me this time...
and the times are yet again crucial for my wife as well. she had to forgo her job as a Research Associate with her alma mater (college of agriculture, trivandrum) a few months ago to take care of our son... nowthat my sis has come down to look after him till december, she has started dreaming again.. applying for bank po posts and preparing hard to get through.. so.. the year ahead is important for the family.. God bless us!
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Blame it on ???
he.. true... cant help thinking about the higher education sector in Kerala.. it is in absolute peril... ran outta all adjectives to qualify the state..
u just turn around and ask the auto guy for the nearest engineering college.. throw off rs. 10 (thats the minimum fare), and u are there, in front of a newly built (assembled) engineering collage (yes, i mean it.. collage)... courses galore, specializations galore.. starting with MCA to BTech to MBA.. hehe... believe me, it sucks... u dont really need to crack the state entrance.. a rank of 38000 will get u a BTech in IT (the buzz word today!)... i would say, all idiots clearing +2 in kerala would end up with a seat in an engineering college... but the future doesnt seem to be rosy for most of them.. getting an admit and getting placed are different matters altogether..
the bottom line... the cream of the batch go to the venerable instis in the state.... College of engineering, Trivandrum, TKM Kollam, MACE Kothamangalam, GEC Trichur, NSS Palakkad, GEC Kannur and REC Calicut (present NIT)... others end up in the typical run of the mill types...
PS: i would envisage a plethora of job openings for commerce grads (who are in short supply) compared to the techies... but then who would dare to choose BCom over engineering? blame it on the snobbish parents...
u just turn around and ask the auto guy for the nearest engineering college.. throw off rs. 10 (thats the minimum fare), and u are there, in front of a newly built (assembled) engineering collage (yes, i mean it.. collage)... courses galore, specializations galore.. starting with MCA to BTech to MBA.. hehe... believe me, it sucks... u dont really need to crack the state entrance.. a rank of 38000 will get u a BTech in IT (the buzz word today!)... i would say, all idiots clearing +2 in kerala would end up with a seat in an engineering college... but the future doesnt seem to be rosy for most of them.. getting an admit and getting placed are different matters altogether..
the bottom line... the cream of the batch go to the venerable instis in the state.... College of engineering, Trivandrum, TKM Kollam, MACE Kothamangalam, GEC Trichur, NSS Palakkad, GEC Kannur and REC Calicut (present NIT)... others end up in the typical run of the mill types...
PS: i would envisage a plethora of job openings for commerce grads (who are in short supply) compared to the techies... but then who would dare to choose BCom over engineering? blame it on the snobbish parents...
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
India did shine in Athens....
kudos to the brilliant perofmance by Mr. Rathore, India's only saving grace in Athens.. barring that single silver medal, india returned void.... and our sports authorities would continue to say, this is only a beginning.. we have created history.. etc... hey, some one please tell me, when will we pass through this fledgling phase? in another 30 yrs??
on the flip side, am quite happy about china's (rightly called the asian lion) performance.... second only to USA in medal tally.. ma waiting for the olympic edition where china tops the winners...
ma back at work after a week's off.. been to my native place for Onam... i was in need of a break..
only 80 days for CAT 04... gotta run:-)
so long
roy
on the flip side, am quite happy about china's (rightly called the asian lion) performance.... second only to USA in medal tally.. ma waiting for the olympic edition where china tops the winners...
ma back at work after a week's off.. been to my native place for Onam... i was in need of a break..
only 80 days for CAT 04... gotta run:-)
so long
roy
Saturday, August 21, 2004
The charm of Haiku..
haiku, for the uninitiated, is one of the most important form of traditional japanese poetry; terse, pithy and cute... it was through a friend's blog that i came to know about haiku... spent a couple hrs trying to understand what haiku is all about... boy, i was captivated by the beauty of these pieces of poetry... though, haiku by birth is japanese, you can write a haiku in any language.. english, spanish, finnish etc.... it is all about sticking to the set of guidelines, which define a typical haiku...
take a shot at these samples from the web.... amazing indeed!!!
An old pond!
A frog jumps in-
The sound of water.
The first soft snow!
Enough to bend the leaves
Of the jonquil low.
In the cicada's cry
No sign can foretell
How soon it must die.
and needless to say, ma became a hardcore haiku aficionado now.. and my piece will come here in a couple days....
me outta town for a vacation...
adieu to blogging for a while..
so long
roy
take a shot at these samples from the web.... amazing indeed!!!
An old pond!
A frog jumps in-
The sound of water.
The first soft snow!
Enough to bend the leaves
Of the jonquil low.
In the cicada's cry
No sign can foretell
How soon it must die.
and needless to say, ma became a hardcore haiku aficionado now.. and my piece will come here in a couple days....
me outta town for a vacation...
adieu to blogging for a while..
so long
roy
Friday, August 20, 2004
Dramtic moments from Athens!!
i missed the drama unfolded in the Olympic aquatic stadium yesterday.. 21 yr old american aron peirsol cruised to victory in the men's 200 m backstroke.. he was well ahead of the silver medallist marcus rogan from austria... it was heart breaking to see the score board showing DSQ against peirol's name.. he was disqualified!! well, you are on cloud nine when you come to know that you have won a gold for your country in an Olympics.. nothing beats the feeling.. and it is deadly when u hear that the medal is going to be stripped off from u... anyways, it was a life for peirol.. moments before the award ceremony, he was cleared of the 'foul'... a technical error from the lane referee... kudos... he is there on top of the world again...
the austrian was disappointed too, albeit for a moment.. but he was quick in shoving off that euphoria... let me quote from rogan straight away...
"For a moment, I thought about gold and the idea was just beautiful, but after all, it's fair like this. No medal is as beautiful as a friendship."
coolio.... i love that....
on a side tragic note... doping rocks the indian contigent again, with the latest entrant being sana macha chanu... three cheers there lady.. keep the spirit up:-)
and india's only hope for a Gold, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi surrendered to the german duo Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler... quite an unceremonious exit.....
so long
roy
the austrian was disappointed too, albeit for a moment.. but he was quick in shoving off that euphoria... let me quote from rogan straight away...
"For a moment, I thought about gold and the idea was just beautiful, but after all, it's fair like this. No medal is as beautiful as a friendship."
coolio.... i love that....
on a side tragic note... doping rocks the indian contigent again, with the latest entrant being sana macha chanu... three cheers there lady.. keep the spirit up:-)
and india's only hope for a Gold, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi surrendered to the german duo Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler... quite an unceremonious exit.....
so long
roy
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Kudos to the Dreamers!
Dreams... as brazen as they come
Red as roses and soft as a feather
Taking you to the most intriguing fantasies!
The vicarious fulfillment of cherished wishes!
For a moment, you think
Am living that long longed life
Ephemeral... yet gratifying
On a real note, the physical world, where you face the harsh realities
Is no fantasy!
Learn to dream, if that does come easy..
And kudos to the dreamers!!
You are a bunch of awesome acheivers...
And thats the end of my reverie...
Am back at work...
so long
roy
Red as roses and soft as a feather
Taking you to the most intriguing fantasies!
The vicarious fulfillment of cherished wishes!
For a moment, you think
Am living that long longed life
Ephemeral... yet gratifying
On a real note, the physical world, where you face the harsh realities
Is no fantasy!
Learn to dream, if that does come easy..
And kudos to the dreamers!!
You are a bunch of awesome acheivers...
And thats the end of my reverie...
Am back at work...
so long
roy
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Corporate Whitepapers??
ma writing all types of tech docs these days... starting from feasibility reports to random evaluation notes.... guess what, i end up churning out at least couple of docs every week.. the CEO goes for a prospective customers' meet, the sales manager making a presentation on extra features in an imminent product release, the content for new promotionals.. i need to come up with docs for all such trivia..
ma doing a bull **itting write up on prop-up blockers... hehe.. we need to convince a few of our tech savvy customers as to why our latest application falls victim to those little monsters called pop-up blockers... so it's docs all the way... corporate bull **itting:-)
so long
roy
ma doing a bull **itting write up on prop-up blockers... hehe.. we need to convince a few of our tech savvy customers as to why our latest application falls victim to those little monsters called pop-up blockers... so it's docs all the way... corporate bull **itting:-)
so long
roy
Monday, August 16, 2004
The cute hurricanes???
a monster hurricane thrashed through the neighbourhoods of florida, demolishing hundreds of buildings, putting 13 people to death... the culprit is charlie.. all those hurricanes do invariably have sweet names.. the ones which rhyme with love, sophistication and politness....
see the list for a start.... the smiling, unscrupulous assassins??
Arlene, Bret, Cindy,Dennis,Emily,Franklin,Gert,Harvey,Irene,Jose,Katrina,Lee,Maria
Nate,Ophelia,Philippe,Rita,Stan,Tammy,Vince,Wilma...
the list is endless... and the best of my picks, irene...:-)
so long...
roy
see the list for a start.... the smiling, unscrupulous assassins??
Arlene, Bret, Cindy,Dennis,Emily,Franklin,Gert,Harvey,Irene,Jose,Katrina,Lee,Maria
Nate,Ophelia,Philippe,Rita,Stan,Tammy,Vince,Wilma...
the list is endless... and the best of my picks, irene...:-)
so long...
roy
Friday, August 13, 2004
Wither capital punishment.....
14 august 2004, the day when dhananjoy chatterjee gets hanged to death for raping and murdering a teenage girl.. well, this was a controversial case, started in the early nineties.. his mercy plea was rejected by the president and is waiting for death sentence... am not sure about the timing for the execution...mebe, in the wee hrs.. all i can say is that capital punishment is so barbaric and has to be abolished by legislation...
well, the antagonists to capital punishment include well known film maker aparna sen and magsaysay awardee mahasweta devi.... anyways, the president had a tough decision to make and he did indeed make a choice...
the man did commit a heinous crime and it has been proved. but it is not fair to kill a man just because he killed somebody... we really do not have the right to take away the lives of fellow beings.. that extra wisdom.... thats where man raise above the rest of the animal
kingdom... a life sentence would have been more justifiable.... am hoping the legislation would change for better:-)
so long
roy
well, the antagonists to capital punishment include well known film maker aparna sen and magsaysay awardee mahasweta devi.... anyways, the president had a tough decision to make and he did indeed make a choice...
the man did commit a heinous crime and it has been proved. but it is not fair to kill a man just because he killed somebody... we really do not have the right to take away the lives of fellow beings.. that extra wisdom.... thats where man raise above the rest of the animal
kingdom... a life sentence would have been more justifiable.... am hoping the legislation would change for better:-)
so long
roy
Thursday, August 12, 2004
The sole winner in Athens Olympics!!
came across this truly inspiring news while reading through the morning newspaper today.. 16 year old Dana Nasarella will represent Kuwaiti Women in Athens Olympics.. she is the first woman athlete representing her country.. kuwait is slowy yielding to the liberals, thrashing the fundamentalists' intransigence on various issues.. women enjoy more freedom in the society these days, barring the right to vote of couse... coming to Dana... she will compete in 100 M sprint.. the fact that she is nowhere near world standards', clocking a mediocre 13+ sec, is not going to be a deterrent.. and am sure she will finish last in the very first heats itself.. but thats a different story... it is the spirit of participation and the taste of freedom!! nothing else matters... way to go dana...
so long
roy
so long
roy
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
India in Olympics...
hey.. time to watch out for those breath taking moments when indian members compete in a handful of items (as ever..) in the Athens Olympics... well, here is my take on India's would be achievements..
athletics, the 4x400m relay squad with beenamol in the lead has a slim chance to barge into the semi finals.. the US team looks formidable in this exciting event..
anju boby george, if she can keep up the tempo and raise her performance level under severe pressure, she would end up with a bronze... and there is no doubt about her entry into the finals..
binu is not game enough for 400 mtrs race.. not world class to say the least.. india's shooting team led by Sunny Thomas is a cool squad!! we might end up with a couple medals from the shooting events...
leander and mahesh would bring a coveted Gold from the venerable olympic venue... reasons enough to celebrate for the indian contingency??
so long...
roy
athletics, the 4x400m relay squad with beenamol in the lead has a slim chance to barge into the semi finals.. the US team looks formidable in this exciting event..
anju boby george, if she can keep up the tempo and raise her performance level under severe pressure, she would end up with a bronze... and there is no doubt about her entry into the finals..
binu is not game enough for 400 mtrs race.. not world class to say the least.. india's shooting team led by Sunny Thomas is a cool squad!! we might end up with a couple medals from the shooting events...
leander and mahesh would bring a coveted Gold from the venerable olympic venue... reasons enough to celebrate for the indian contingency??
so long...
roy
Monday, August 09, 2004
Snapshots from Hell!!
I knew that this book is famous.. And got a chance to grab a copy during last weekend.. I was not disappointed either. A wonderful creation by Peter Robinson. A must read for all BSchool aspirants I would say... I was captivated... Didn't even close the book once I started reading... Lay your hands on this book... A must read indeed.....
so long
roy
so long
roy
Monday, August 02, 2004
The CAT Game...
Belling a CAT doesn't come easy, especially when it refers to the entrance exam to the venerable Indian Institutes of Management... And this is going to be my second shot at that monster of all exams.. Have joined TIME's test series... And the first of the series started yesterday, 01 August.. The test was easy by all means.. Did pretty well in English, as I always do.. But messed up maths and Di.. miles to go before i sleep... DI needs lots of practice... have decided to try atleast one set a day..
Today we had a buffet lunch at hotel Mascot, KTDC's flag hotel in the city.. the menu was fabulous... our relatives, who are NRIs based in UK, pretty much enjoyed the food.. sudesh has even decided to stay there for a couple days... and am back to office at 4:00 PM...
Today we had a buffet lunch at hotel Mascot, KTDC's flag hotel in the city.. the menu was fabulous... our relatives, who are NRIs based in UK, pretty much enjoyed the food.. sudesh has even decided to stay there for a couple days... and am back to office at 4:00 PM...
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