Clebrations of life!!

Dears,

I was just thinking what brought me up on this beautiful Sunday afternoon to pen down the 'celebrations of life'.. Well, please allow me to unfold the stroy on a slow note:-). Been busy as usual with work, and the holidays were just appearing on calendars.. Namesake, thats is..But then, the brighter sides of life bring folks up to speed; thanks to this beautiful summer in Basel, where the day ends just a couple hours before mid-night:-)

I have never seen such a vibrant life and society than this unruffled town in summer. Just step out to the banks of river Rhein on a Friday evening, and you would see the real celebrations of life.. Families come packed up with light evening snacks to giant sandwiches for dinner.. Cans of beers (and hot for those who would prefer to be a little pepped up), and an endless array of mineral water bottles.. The adults settle on the beautifully carved pavements on the banks, while the kids play around.. Filmy like romantic scenes unfold everywhere, couples, lovers:-)

The adventure seekers prefer to wind surf, or hire a cannoe and explore the much deeper waters far off the banks.. Fishing rods are on rent and you could lay your hands on them anytime.. A number of small time eateries on either side of the banks sell baby hot dogs to giant grilled sandwiches.. Fitness freaks jog, and the runners preparing for the upcoming Basel half marathon keep their nerves up for yet another rigour.. The straight tracks on the banks take you to the much visited Three Countries Corner, where Germany, Switzerland and France borders meet..


And this completes the celebrations of life; eat, drink, and have fun, as if the day is never gonna come back, and even if it does, it is not going to be the same..What a wonderul philosophy! Take each day as it comes, and enjoy life! Sorrows and miseries are bound to be there, but then this is life and we gotta face them!

On a sign off note, the beautfiul summers would not wait for anyone, they just pass by, parting way for the monster winter:-)

Love
Roy

Life in BASEL Part? Sorry I forgot to count:-)

Life is on a fast pace, I didnt myself realize that my very first
month in BASEL is coming to an end.. Landed here on Sept 05 and on
this Sunday am going to celebrate that moment:-)

On a side note, I would believe that the best way to understand the
society and culture in a new country would be to explore as much as
you can, with a little one's open mindset and that never ending
curiosity.. Having set this ground rule, I am now free to explore, and
of course to write about those experiences..

The weather has drastically changed; the mornings and evenings are
chilly and the day brings in that cool, soothing sunlight and
brightness everywhere.. It rains too, but they are so mild and gentle,
just to reassure the fact they do exist in this part of the world as
well.. You can easily survive without an umbrella here, with a heel
touching rain coat and a hat.. Believe me, umbrellas here are pretty
expensive.. I had to buy one, and it came with a price tag of close to
20CHF:-) Yeah, but that didnt kill the beauty that I enjoy in any
way..

My apartment's french window is full open now, and I could see this
Sunday morning lean traffic..

I had a whole set of experiences last evening, running through the
Swiss country side.. Badisher Bahnoff (The German Railway Station) is
just about five minutes walk from my apartment, and the track 2 there
takes you straight off to Germany.. Running along this side of the
tracks, I could cross the road and enter the relatively narrow stretch
that leads to the runners' paradise..Long, straight stretch of running
tack on the bank of a river, with thick country woods on the other
side.. It is just breath taking beauty... The serene waters of the
river, the hitherto unseen water brids floating along, the
meticulously pruned lawns on either sides, and of course couple of
small time Swiss Cafes off the banks.. A world of its own, and you
just pause for a moment and wonder.. Why am I here for work? Why not
just wander around these wilderness to relish this unblemished beauty
of nature? Well, life is weird, and it provides you with enough wisdom
to choose the priorities in life..And wandering penniless doesnt seem
to be fun either:-)

Well, the philosophy apart; hats off to Swiss Local government, who
maintains these country sides with utmost care and commitment.. They
love their country, and would also want to make sure that anyone who
drops in would share the same feeling.. I stopped mid-way and had a
large Swiss beer from a small cafe run by a swiss couple.. We talked a
lot, they in German, and I in a mix of English, Sign Language, a
little bit of writing, sketches etc.. The old lady kissed me on my
forehead when I called the day off and stepped out.. Come next week
end, and here I come..

BASEL is a small city, pretty laid out, and calm.. The night life here
is not so boisterous, people prefer to be in a resaturant and have a
traditional dinner, with lots of small talks.. For the young (and old
too:-) and adventurous, there is a dance bar nearby, just
couple of crosses from my apartment.. Retaining my audience is a tricky
business, and I need to play all my cards:-)

Looking forward to one of those lazy week-ends to explore yet another
whole bunch of new experiences.. Will be right back!

So long!
Roy

Life in BASEL Part 3

Going back to life in BASEL... The third week is eventless, by any score.. One of the best entertaining ones was the party we had at Pickwicks. This is a traditional British pub in BASEL, and the majority of the crowd is British. Wines, plethora of drinks in array, endless servings of snacks jolted our spirits up right through the wee hours the next day.. It was a fabulous experience!

Staying alone is tough, and I bear the pains everyday.. I do whatever it takes to kill that bordom, and monotony. Read books, browse the Net, talk to family and friends, listen to music whatever.. I miss everything about home:-)

The best change in life is that I started running, running along the banks of river Rhein that is, with cool breeze kissing your forehead.. I would like to believe that the winds convey the immense love of my family and friends back home, with their gentle kisses, and warmer touches!

So long and you take care.

Cheers
Roy

Life in BASEL Part 2

Life has changed so much since day1 here, mostly because am getting used to this place, the folks around, my work, the weather, the shopping malls, travel by
trams, buses, and the cosy week ends. I was terribly homesick in the
first few days, and the feeling has come down a little:-) Life is a
great teacher, it teaches you to adjust, compromise, bear pains and
sorrows, express happiness, and communicate love more clearly when you
are away. So, I talk with my family with a a sense of passion,
commitment and lots of love:-) And of course, they reciprocate the
same.

I found a new house here, and moved in this morning. A small one
bedroom apartment in a tranquil streat. It is furnished, so I didnt
have to run around setting it up from the ground up. Still, had to do
a little bit of shopping to get stuff that were lacking. There is a
wonderful shop called AIKEA in the countryside; a one stop
place for all your home needs. It sells napkins to refrigerators, from
diapers to televisions, from toilet soaps to 16 seater dining
tables:-) Their range is awesome... And the train and tram ride to
that place was like a trip to the wilderness, on a quite sunny day.
There are streams, forests, small hills, bridges, traditional swiss
wooden houses dotting the hilltops etc... A pleasure to watch, and a
feast for the eyes!!

So long... and will write more in the sequel, would be titled Part 3.

Cheers
Roy

Life in BASEL Part 1

Finally, I am kind of settled down, and am ready to write to you
folks.. Here you go..

Into the second week, and I am in love with this beautiful place. Now I
really understand why people say this is the heaven on earth.. The
city and the outskirts are stunningly marvellous.. The only bother is
the exorbitant prices everywhere:-) Sans this, life looks pretty cool.

I am put up in a small cosy apartment, on the main street.. Right now,
I am sitting on the window, facing the tram station.. TRAMS pass by
every few minutes, and you could see aimless, casual travellers,
flocking around. The best part is that you dont need a car to live
here.. TRAMS are pretty efficient and they ply almost all central
points in the city. The place I live is called Haltingerstrasse, a
small street with a bunh of apartment complexes and shopping malls...

Beer is comparatively cheaper here, and I do have a good stock in the
kitchen now.. Beers, and a bath immersed in the tub rejuvenates the
whole body:-)

And last week, I went for an ONAM Sadya arranged by the malayalee
association here.. It was in the outskirts of the city, and the train
ride itself was a life time enjoyment... The filmy like scenes and the
small, tiled, houses dotting the hilly areas on both sides of the tram
rails were just captivating:-)

On the other, not so rosy side, work is real hectic..The only solace
is that the office is around the corner, and I dont have to struggle
to reach office every day..

More later... in Part 2.

Cheers
Roy

The Xstal that taught us a lesson!

This is something that I wanted to write about, but occupational hazards have been taking their due toll to do anything that I would love to..

Forum Mall in Koramangala was bustling with a holiday crowd on that Saturday evening.. Easter was just around the corner.. Huge Easter eggs were on display, and the same in varied colors and sizes were on sale at the cookie shops.. The multiplexes were showing super hits from Hollywood to Kollywood, including Sagar Alias re-loaded:-)

We were in a popular outlet to pick up a gift for my cousin who was getting married. When it comes to selecting gifts for loved ones, I must admit, I am pretty bad. The first thing that comes to me are items for display in show cases, or new titles that have hit the the stands. This time, my daughter suggested to pick a Xstal piece, looking at the gamut of pieces on display.

From multi hued small paper weights to huge (regal, that is!) dinner spreads.. Finally, we decided to pick something that was simple, yet elegant. She started searching the stands to pick one.. The kids usually were given multiple sermons before entering any expensive shop displaying fragile/breakable stuff, not to play around and end up owning the broken pieces:-) Well, the elder one usually sticks to this piece, bu the younger one is really not. I was looking at an original Italian piece, enjoying the immaculate carvings, and the flawless design.. Something fell on the ground, and the loud noise of breaking glass roared on the floor..Pin drop silence followed for a while. Getting back to my senses, I turned around. The elder one was holding her shopping bag, her face grimaced.. The younger one was standing in a corner, dreaded, almost shivering.. Little pieces of xstal were scattered all over the floor. My pay cheque for the whole month would go for a toss; I thought!

The sales girl came rushing in, picked up the price tag and handed it over to me. A few ten thousands! I nodded yes, and handed my card to her.. I just looked at the younger one; with tears streaming down the cheeks, he uttered a week sorry.. I knew he was really meaning it.. I held him closer, and said it was okay, adding that he could have been a little more careful..

The girl came back with my card, followed by the floor manager. A tall, handsome gentleman, with a warm, engaging smile. He shook hands with me and thanked me for my understanding. Then he reached out to the racks and picked up a small Xstal and handed it over to my scary cat! A gift in return for a broken piece:-) Turning back to me, he returned my card, without taxing me for the incident!

My son keeps that little piece in his study, and every time he looks at it, he says with pride.. This is the gift that I got from Landmark for doing a big mistake. And you know what, I am not going to do that again.. Never!

Thanks a ton to the gentleman who taught us a lesson, in the most kindest manner!

Regards
Roy

Stay Hungry.. Stay Foolish!

Just been through with this wonderful book by Rashmi Bansal, Stay Hungry.. Stay Foolish!

Incredible, to say the least.. The book showcases 25 personalities who made it big, by starting on their own, throwing away fat pay cheques, setting their own agenda and destiny. All of them were graduates from the hallowed portals of the venerable IIM Ahmedabad. Rashmi herself is an IIM A alumnus; no doubt why she easily connects with each of these brilliant role models for those who cherish a dream of this kind..

The book features Sanjeev Bikchhandani at number 1 slot, the founder CEO of Naukri, India’s largest job portal that has become close to the hearts of millions of job seekers and movers.. Refusing to work for MNCs and big time deshi companies, he chose to start on his own. The servant’s room in his father’s house made way to a makeshift office. The initial years were tough, business was not coming in as easily as he thought, Internet era was just about to unfold, people had so much of skepticism on small time entrepreneurs, and there was a family to support! Cash flow was so meager that month ends became regular nightmares for him.

Surabhi, his IIM A classmate, and now wife, stayed along all through the tough times. Her high paying job at Nestle somehow kept his business going and the family scraped through the hardships. I was touched by the understanding the lovers had as a pre-condition for marriage.. Sanjeev would not work for anybody, and Surabhi should be ready to support him at least for 5years till he make it big in life.. Both stuck to their commitments to each other. She supported the family for five years without cribbing, and he made it big, chasing his passion. Today, Naukri stands at 600crore revenue! The man behind is a big time success, and a role model for those who want to chase their dreams..

My favorite from Sanjeev… Start on your own only if you are looking for something beyond money.. If money is your whole focus, you would not stay through the tough times.. On the other hand, if you are driven by an insatiable passion to start on your own and set your own agenda, go all out, and am sure you will survive the monster waves.

BTW, the title is adapted from Steve Jobs’ speech to the graduating class of 2005 at Stanford Business school
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/grad-061505.html

And.. the book comes at an incredibly wallet friendly price tag.. But as always, I am more than glad to lend you a copy:-)

So long
Roy

Madagaskar II - Escape to Africa

Watching children's movies has always been one of my favorite past times.. After the Bee Movie, we were back again to PVR Cinema to watch Madagaskar II. The kids were really excited, enjoying their Xmas vacation.. And me too, chilling out after months of hectic schedules in the mundane world of deliverables, deadlines etc..

The crowd included a grand old lady (close to 60...), among the cheerful little ones.. My younger one was sure that she would have come with her grand children, and was looking around to prove his prediction right.. Half way through the movie, I was really happy to see yet another 'elder' enjoying a kids' stuff:-)

Well, I am not going to narrate the entire story line here, like I did for the Bee Movie.. But would really like to recollect one of the most sensitive dialogues I have ever watched of late.. Norman, a giraffe and one of the key characters in the movie, was secretly in love with Gloria (a Hippo:-).. The love got un-noticed by the fairer sex, until that heartbreaking moment of Norman losing Gloria for ever.. The twist in the story unfolded, and Gloria would eventually recognize Norman's love for her.. My favourite from Gloria: Why did I ever look for love half way across the world when it was right here, untold and unseen? Hats off Gloria:-)... Quite often, we tend to ignore (fail to notice..) the love, untold and unseen, around us.. But would prefer to look around half way across the world in search of a mirage..

Go ahead and watch Madagaskar 2.. Worth the time invested:-)

Regards
Roy

It's Admission Time again for the little ones!!

I always wanted to write a post on this topic.. somehow it took a while for me to gather my thoughts/experiences and lessons learned (yes, am an IT Proj. Manager).. My daughter just turned 7yrs and we were trying to put her throuh yet another school for the next academic year and henceforth:-).. And changing school for a fourth time in such a short span, especially for the little one, is gonna be tough.. She needs to part with her close-knit group of friends, adorable teachers, the favourite play grounds, and everything so dear about the present school. On a postive note, she is always excited about moving out to a new place, where there are hitherto unknown extra curriculars! Her all time favorites are Swimming Pools & Tennis... Well, a few hits and a few misses, these are life's mandates, and we really gotta live with it... And the route cause for the move this time? We are going to setup our new home in an apartment near JP Nagar.. Dream comes true!

I didn't even care to talk about the younger one's feelings on this change.. The main reason why he is so indifferent is mostly attributed to his age.. too young to build a rapport with people, and sorts.. His comfort zone seems open ended..!! The common thread that binds their excitement would be the swimming pool in the new school:-)

Love this life!!

Regards
Roy

Bee Movie!!

I always enjoy watching children's movies, of course in the company of my little ones. And the latest one in the lot is the Bee Movie.. Thought provoking, to say the least!

Young, energetic, just-outa-college, Barry wages a war against the entire human community for exploiting the Bees.. It all started accidentally.. the way he met his human girl friend, the way he discovered honey processing plants, the vast honey farms, and the hectres of garden ensuring adequate nectar for the Bees to go ahead with their routine etc..

Did I say that Barry could speak like humans do? When his girl friend asks how he could do that, Barry's answers are worth watching a thousand times; the cool innocent mannerisms were remarkable on screen.. Barry wins the litigation, and the court orders all honey farms, and related industries to shut down... Well, the aftermath?? Plants, Trees and Flowers perished.. Florists went out of business.. Millions of other multi-billion dollar Bunits got closed out.... Millions were jobless...The reality struck Barry harder and he realises the role that their community plays in keeping this balance in nature.. And how the small tasks handled by each bee in a hive contributes to the balance of this echo-system..

To cut it short, Barry succeeds in pollinating from the last surviving bunch of flowers, and slowly life takes off. The accompanying scenes on screen were marvellous.. I got a real high watching those:-)

Kids really enjoyed the movie; empty cans of pop corns under their chairs validated this fact:-)

Barry's youthful misconception - failed to see the thin line that divides exploitation and collaboration!!

The movie is worth watching.. Check it out @PVR Europa.. Happy viewing:-)

Regards
Roy

Sayanora.. and yet another journey!!

I know it doesnt make sense to switch your job in a relatively low span of less than a couple years, especially when you have been in the industry for close to 12!! well.. I dont really want to do an introspection, and bring it to light as to what prompted me to switch my job...

What matters most to me at the moment, is the beginnig of this new race against time.. The agenda ahead, is pretty crisp and clear.. Set goals, explore opportunities, and unleash the unutilized potential:-) Being a little empathetic to my friends out there contemplating a move/already moved, these are in essence what we all seem to look out for... Being a little more philosophical, all IT pros, at one point would indeed look out and search for the true meaning of life!! If you are one, and opt to differ, seriously you gotta revisit your career aspirations, dreams and passions..

Well, enough of gyan for today... And just to recap, I started my new life in this new company, just couple days back... Looking forward to the days ahead:-)

My new year resolution seems to be: more frequent, creative blogging... I dont want my readers to get disappointed due to lack of/cliched content!

Regards
Roy

We are well past that childhood.. But cherish those memories!!

 

Long time indeed.. and hope everything go well with all of you there..

 

Being a story teller I am, let me narrate yet another, real one indeed, as usual!

 

My daughter comes back from School every day at about 1:30PM in the afternoon.. She makes it a point to buzz me soon after lunch at around 3PM (she takes more than an hr to finish that ordeal, watching CN non-stop!)..

 

Well, it was a mundane Thursday evening.. Worried that I didn’t get a call from her till 4 in the evening, I decided to call home.. To my surprise, she herself picked up the phone.. I asked her why she didn’t make it up as usual and how worried I had been till that moment.. My sermons didn’t make sense to her in any way.. and she sounded damn serious.. and made a shhhhhh sound to shut myself up… Well, I was out (a bit tensed too!!) and asked her the reason why..

 

She said.. shhhh.. they are there.. don’t make noise, please.. daaad, speak in a low volume…Unable to contain my anxiety (I was nervous by this time..), I couldn’t help asking.. Tell me dear, who is there? Is there a stranger in? Where is Grandma?

 

Silence at the other end…I could feel my heartbeat going up by a notch… Daaad.. I told you to keep your voice low.. Grandma is talking to them.. I can hear their concerned voices there.. Well.. I was about to run down to the ground floor, still talking to her on my mobile.. Hey… what are you talking about? Who are they? Have you ever seen them before? Male or female? How many of them? Are they inside the house? Do they look neat and clean? And can you figure out what Grandma is telling them?..

 

Long silence again… Boy, I lost out.. Thought of calling my wife and rushing home.. Daaad… now the search team has come.. They are right here.. I can see the leader shouting out at Grandma.. They are a bit upset.. And they all seem to be worried… and Nandu has started crying…

 

My God… I was at the parking bay this time… Ready to jump in and drive home… Daaad.. you still there?? Yeah.. telll me girl..? What’s up now… Daaad… the search team finally managed to find me hiding under the desk… Aunt and Nandu have found me and they are all excited.. Grandma is relieved now….. I am going to get out.. There is no point hiding anymore.. By the way, what time you are expected home tonight…?

 

I just hung my mobile… Sigh… Long Sigh… But I scored that sweet incident in my memory for ever… When she grows into a lady, I am going to narrate this to her again… I can imagine her face blush…J

 

So long

Roy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Survival of the fittest!

Bangalore… Part II

 

Into the third month.. and let me talk a little bit about my professional experiences.. At the outset, It’s a tough world, and surviving in the team, especially in a leadership role, takes all your grits, wits and nerves!

 

It’s a tad easier when you have a bunch of pals who think alike, and are from similar personal and professional backgrounds.. But the story changes when you have people who, invariably, think different and are from diverse personal, professional and cultural backgrounds, with stress on the last attributeJ

 

To add a fourth dimension to this diversity, you have the client, again, a diverse team, with stress on ethnicity this time, adding an international flavor!

 

I find it extremely challenging to communicate with the stakeholders, both oral and written! Imagine, a situation, wherein every word you choose is going to be important, and would reveal your personality and every word you speak would talk volumes about the inner youJ

 

You should negotiate, you should cajole

You should convince, you should get the buy-in

You should clarify, you should not confuse

You should lead, you should not sound arrogant

You should be simple, you should be assertive!!

 

Boy, are we not talking about contradictory, sensitive, attributes and personal traits here? I am sure Yes, but then that’s the tough part of corporate world. And there is not much of a choiceJ

 

Did I say I enjoy the profile? I may not, explicitly, but I love the responsibilities. It gives you opportunities to prove yourself.. And to stretch to your limits and explore the inner you! And finally say, hey.. what the heck.. I can do it.. and here I am!

 

So long..

Roy

Now..... and then!!!

 

Home again:

 

Feel good on setting up home again.. you know it's tough when your wife and kids are away and you just gotta live a dry life.. And now we just enjoy the warmth of togetherness!

 

Our home away from home is a little abode, on the first floor, in a silent Koramangala residential area!! Pretty neat and serene, with trees dotting all over the place.. Believe me, I could spot a few monkeys nestling on a peer tree just beside my house:-) There are couple of parks around, a shopping mall, though small in size, and a few grocery stores.. And yes, the milk man is there for sure!

 

I have not started working out yet, but would do rounds of brisk walking around the inner ring of our premises.. it's just fun and you get to meet lots of pepople around!! Come 9'o clock, it's time to drive kids school.. I continue my way to office.. It's just a couple mins drive from the school..

 

Back to work:

 

My office is right on the main road, painted blue and yellow! Since I come in early, I usually end up getting a comfortable parking lot!! Not started working full time in my project yet, there are a million formalities to be completed, both project related and misc before you really go full swing! Anyways, I just enjoy this passing phase, contemplating the tough days ahead!!

 

Tea breaks do coincide with our times.. as I said before, people keep talking about tech stuff always.. billable times, appraisals etc.. Mostly, I finish off my tea, savouring the happenings around.. Lunch is awesome, being a lover of food I just enjoy the Buffet system.. it's fabulous,  and tasty.. At times, they dont come on par with the packed meal I used to have at eSoft with a garrulous crowd, discussing anything under the sky!! Thats something I miss, and things wont come back again:-)

 

Back from work:

 

Six'o clock is a good time for me to pack off my bags, because of less work during this initial days.. The four of us head to the nearest park, kids play around a lot while we just enjoy talking to each other!! Post seven, it's time to savour the paaani puri from the road side vendor.. Now, have you ever tasted this rustic, north indian favourite? Anyone? Me was a starter too.. didnt like it a bit on the first day.. Somehow, I am addicted to it now.. rounds and rounds of small puris dipped in sweet or sour paani, served in a small round leaf bowl.. you know, it's just plain rustic.. miles away from the urban pop-corns and burgers.. I am just captivated by the charm and the enthusiasm with which the boy serves them one by one, until he says you are done.. It's after round 7, I guess!!

 

So, people who have never tasted paani puri, dare to take a small risk taking cues from my note??

 

And the rest is just routine.. and it's just life, day in and day out!! And, slowly I started liking the place and the life here..

 

My wishes are always with you...

 

So long

Roy

 

Follow your passion!

I know, it's a tough decision, especially when you make a career decision, to let your passion rule.. There is a big difference between deciding to do something you are passionate about and run with the masses, ending up in a lucrative corporate offer! There are exceptions, and they come with a bang, bagging all media attention, suddenly becoming youth icons.. morale boosting stuff indeed for ordinary mortals like us!

Following the footsteps of Sarath, the IIM Ahmedabad graduate, who tossed a dream offer from a premier retailer to follow his passion, that of venturing his own business of setting up a chain of hotels.. Growing up in a very humble background, selling idlies in the streets, never made him think otherwise and grab the corporate offer with a smile. Rather, he chose an unconventional track! This is what passion is all about. Anyone who came up with this word deserves a pat at the back.. You never look for a better word here..

The moment I believed that this could be an exception, and after all, setting up a chain of hotels would see him prosper, because of the high return industry profile.. But this lad, Satyajith Sadanand, really caught me off-balance.. throwing up yet another I-Banking career to setup up a football club in this cricket crazy land!! I would have easily let it pass, had it been in Europe or US for that matter, where club socker is a huge industry!! But then, as I said before, 'passion' is altogether a different game.. And there is no money-value attached!

So long
Roy

Boom in the Job Market..

IT boom and massive hirings??

Yet another boom in the economy fuelling massive intakes in the IT sector.. look around; you would see Job fairs everywhere, put up by stalwarts in the field to smalltime headhunters.. 'We are hiring' signs are ubiquitous scenes everywhere in Bangalore, Chennai and the IT stubs...

What's happening here in Kerala?

I am wondering how much of this happenings have a significant impact in Kerala.. Considering the Engineering graduates and the % of actual hits (those who were/are able to make it in an IT co..)You see the alarming gap.. Now, look at their counter parts in the humanities stream. Despite the BPO boom and the massive hirings there, what % of this is being bagged by graduates from God's own country? I would say it's almost nil..

Campus placements are happening only in a handful of Engineering Colleges, out of a smart figure of 100+.. And the same in arts colleges would be around 4. The only relief came from Progeon, the InfoSys BPO recently recruited from Women's College, Trivandrum.

And the reasons?

How would you explain this happening in India's most literate state? The no. 1 reason would be the inability of our graduates to 'handle' English Language... how many of them can write an essay, without those silch grammar? How many of them can handle a gurelling interview? How many of them can perform in a group interview/group task? You get the answers I guess..

The need of the hour?

A total revamp of our curriculum could solve the problem to a certain extent. There should be language labs in every course. Group excercises, presentations etc. would complement the learning in class rooms.. Soft skills training sessions should be held frequently..

On the placement front, colleges should have proactive placement officers.. They should be well read and industry aware.. They should have good PR and Networking skills.. If you happens to be in a college where the placement officer doesn't have a clue about what BPO is all about, it's time to ask him/her to go brush up their industry fundae:-)

so long
roy

Way to Topical Blogging

I have been thinking for so long to give a clear direction to my blogging... a definite portfolio to ramble on.. Am at a loss If asked to size the gamut of subject matter I have handled so far, but would definitely be more than a handful.. Of late, the feeling to make my blog topical has gotten more intense..

The reasons I have for this 'hard' decision would be...

It's time to show the world that you have grown up.. and say serious, concentrated stuff.. And bloggers like Rashmi Bansal, Sidin Vadukut, Gaurav Sabnis etc. have been inspirational, in the true sense of the word:-)

Then there are the BSchool aspirants.. the first name that comes to my mind is Dave.. his writing is awesome and is so passionate about his dream.. his blog is a treasure house to anyone serious about going to a US BSchool. On a side note, BSchooling still remains my dream, but I need more time to pursue that:-)..

Now, the real challenge is to give direction to my blogging... in the coming days I would be thinking more on these lines.. and don't get surprised if I come up with some crazy stuff...

more when I have something serious..

so long
roy

The surprise visitor...

A tragic end!!

been anxiously following the bottle-nosed whale that happened to be a surprise visitor to all Londoners.. in the river thames, the intruder from deep-atlantic remained a charming sight for onlookers.. for most, it was a dream come true; seeing a whale for the first time in their lives:-) wish I were there:-)

A surprise visitor to Thames!

the cute monster succumbed to fate, albeit the rescuers' hard fought efforts to save the mammal..

Efforts in vain..

so long
roy

Ideas that matter!!!

Alex Tew...The boy who did real Biz on the Web!

Only the story of Alex Tew could bring me back to blogging. The 21 year old undergrad from UK made millions by cashing in on the Net... The idea that made him win was selling pixels on his home page, at the rate of 1 dollar a pixel!! The lad who struggled to complete his studies looks back and grins.. he now has numerous offers from companies across the globe:-)

Some people are born with a biz-mind for sure!

BBC's take on the story..

so long
roy

Jack Welch and The GE Way!

Amazing book, to say the least..especially if you are from a business domain, any kinda business for that matter... people from the production and services sector would appreciate the ideas much better i guess.. i was captivated by his 'futuristic' thoughts and innovative ideas, that saw GE through the tougher times before becoming one of the biz super powers in the world.. the way in which he restructured GE business by downsizing is truly remarkable.. few other CEOs in the history has endured such hues and cries from his own people, before emerging victorious:-).. imagine a thunderous applause even after a 'fiery' speech.. it was just that...

personally, i loved the way he introduced the work-out sessions in the work place... it did not take a while for GE employees to embrace it..straight to their hearts:-) me trying out this in our office.. 'nough inspiration eh?

bibliophiles.. go check it out...

so long
roy