Thursday, December 30, 2010

Happy New Year

Goodbye to a roller coaster decade,
a new game waiting in a new arcade,
taking along the joys, left behind the tears,
wish all my dear friends a very happy new year

Sunday, June 27, 2010

The Journey of a Lifetime: A few problems we Indians need to fix

Another post I again wanna highlight...

The Journey of a Lifetime: A few problems we Indians need to fix

A very old writing...

OO
maOM AaOr maora hmasafr

lahraoM kI maMijala saaihla hO
Par yah ek AjaIba baat hO ik
vahI lahroM saaihlao Aavaama ka [Mtjaar
krnao ko ilae iknaaro Par nahIM $ktIM

tuma jaanato hao ik tuma @yaa caahto hao
pr maanato nahIM ik tuma vahI caahto hao
]saI caaht kao panao ko [Mtjaar maoM rhto hao
magar [Mtjaar nahIM krto

@yaaoMik na jaanao iksa Kumaar maoM rhto hao

“ saaihla kao pakr BaI DUbaI kStI tao @yaa panaa “

rot ka [Mtjaar na kr patI hao lahro
ifr BaI CaoD tao jaatI hOMM ]sapr Apnao inaSaaÐ gahro

lahrao ko ilae Aasaana nahI hO saaihla tk Aa jaanaa

ifr BaI jaao caaht hO ]nakI
jaao maunaaisaba kr dotI hO ]naka ]nakI maMijala tk phuÐca panaa

Aba yah AjaIba baat hO ik kao[- lahraoM kao hI Ktavaar maanata hO

caaÐd doK rha hao yaa doKoM isataroM
gar , lahroM hI BaMvar maoM fMsaI hao ,
tao kaOna phuÐcaae iknaaro
@yaaoMik lahroM tao vaao haotI hOM ,
jaao DUbaI kStI kao rah idKatI hOM
BaMvar maoM fMsanao vaalaaoM kao
Saaihla ka pta batatI hOM
lahraoM kao kao[- @yaaoM par lao jaae
lahroM , Aap hI BaMvar sao inakla AaeMgaI

ifr vahI caah]nhoM saaihla tk phuÐcaaeMgaI

The Journey of a Lifetime: My strongest beliefs in life

Just thought I should bring it up...:)

The Journey of a Lifetime: My strongest beliefs in life

Thursday, June 24, 2010

The Future of Programming

Something I always wanted to write, but here's it:

http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=284730

I'll find time to elaborate on this in my words...watch out for it...

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The MBA Exchange

Well...I know I'm gonna hear back a lot on this one...But it's something I'm really looking forward to write...Even if it means to offend some of my friends :P

Simple question - What is an MBA needed for? More specifically, why is everyone running after an MBA degree?

You'd say the obvious answer is money, what's there to write a blog about? Well, yes, but why would businesses pay so well to an MBA?

Any MBA? No. I'm talking about MBAs who are in highest demand. People who're at the top of the organizations. People who 'seemingly lead' the businesses. Real Masters of Business Administration.

So what's needed to be a Business Administrator? An MBA degree. I disagree. Yup, you can say who am I to say that, but I have a logical reasoning here. To administer a business, you need just one thing - Do not ever get too 'close' to your business. Do not let your emotions control your business sense. Because when that happens, your visibility of 'Business' tends to diminish. You get drifted away from what's most correct thing to do, and rather do what you think is the most correct thing to do.

Confusing? Well, I'm specifically talking about what's known as 'Strategic Inflection Points'. You'd better read about them on Internet or in the excellent book by Andrew Grove, the Intel Chief. When a strategic inflection point comes, one of the most important things that's done is to replace the CEO. Not because he's done badly or he's not capable, but because a new CEO is 'emotionally' in the best situation to deal with the situation at hand. And mind you, the situation is really a very complex one, which doesn't leave room for emotions...

Ok, so I'm done with the background. Coming back to my question. Considering above, the CEO and senior leadership, which are almost always 'the MBAs', will move to a new company in the event of a 'Strategic Inflection Point'. Did I say this above? Actually yes. Suppose company A has to replace it's CEO. Then the new CEO has to come from some other company. Well, in that case, it's very likely that the incoming CEO is coming from another company also going through a strategic inflection point. Overall, there'll be CEO exchange, and so would happen to other senior leadership teams.

Do you see the win win situation for 'the MBAs'. No matter what happens to the business, whether the new CEO can steer it through it or the organization damages under his leadership, there'll always be demand for 'new CEOs' as long as there're Strategic Inflection Points. And there'll be Strategic Inflection Points as long as there's innovation. And there'll be innovation as long as there's a desire to earn money. New businesses will emerge, they'll bring new technology, and pose danger to the existing businesses, causing Strategic Inflection Points. And this will eventually lead to 'CEO', or let me now say, 'the MBA exchange' :)

So, to me, that's the underlying reason for the mad rush towards being an MBA. No matter what good or bad you do as a senior leader, no matter how good an 'MBA' you're, no matter if you're a master or not, common business sense says - Exchange MBAs when the business is hit by a storm...and the life goes on :)

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Happy to Help :)

Traditional India is known for it's courtesy to guests. Today, I got a chance to add a little to it, and here's a little description...

I had to go to Sadar Bazaar from New Delhi railway station, and I was looking for a Rikshaw. I noticed that a foreign tourist was trying to negotiate with Rikshaw pullers and she was unable to explain them where she wanted to go, as they didn't understand English. She asked me for help, and I did it normally, took my Rikshaw and started off.

Just about 10 metres, I had a thought, and I asked the rikshaw puller to stop in the middle. I went back to that girl, and offered her to help her visit the couple of places (Jama Masjid etc) so that she doesn't have the language problem once again. At first she was reluctant, since I was a stranger, and also out of her humbleness, but then she agreed. I told her I need to buy a couple of things from Sadar and then we can go to places she wants to visit, and we then got back in Rikshaw.

As the rikshaw moved in the "extremely hot sun", we hit a conversation and got to know each other. She was from Japan, and was here for last one week to visit some friends & see a couple of places. I was surprised that a decent looking girl was walking all alone in such heat, without caring for getting tanned, but she said it's all right to her.

Anyways, we went and bought my stuff, and then we set towards Jama Masjid in another rikshaw through narrow and traffic packed streets of chawri bazaar. It was a prettly long "rikshaw drive", and we talked about our jobs, families, further plans to study and other things. Within minutes we were talking comfortably, and she mentioned that some people are really kind of foreigners, which was really satisfying. She was travelling in rikshaw for the first time, and she was a little nervous, and this made her jump here n there on the bumpy road.


We reached Jama Masjid and went through "no security checks", on which she laughed sarcastically. We reached the entrance and she was amazed by the expanse of the monument. She clicked a few pictures and we moved forward. And then came the funniest part. We were asked to take off our shoes before going further, and the momemt we took the shoes off, we both screamed. The floor was burning! It was 46 degrees out today at 1 in the noon, and we had to walk bare-footed!!! As we somehow managed to take a breether by coming in shade, a person from admin came as asked her to purchase tourist ticket for 200 bucks. Both of us were surprised, and she wasn't asked for this earlier in India. I was allowed free, but she had to pay.

Anyways, we moved forward and ran across the carpeted track, which was also very hot, though better than bare floor. We managed to reach the prayer area which was comfortable. It was amazing to stand in front of the huge verandah and enjoy the breeze. Yes, even though it was mercilessly hot, the breeze in the mosque was comfortable if not cool. Despite the fact that I've stayed in NCR for over 10 years now, I was visiting for the first time in my proper senses. I told her a little about Mughal Emperors and whatever little history I knew, and then we started moving out. We relaxed for 10 odd minutes and put our shoes back.

She looked tired now. I asked her if we shall go for lunch, but it she said she doesn't take lunch, and just keeps a meal a day at night. I was shocked. She said it's just her that way and normal Japanese people have regular 3 meals. Good for her, anyways.

Somehow, she was silent now. I asked her if she wants to see some more places, but she said she just want to walk around on her own. I got her point. She once again thanked me for helping her. We exchanged our contact details and she said she'd like to see more of Delhi when she comes next time. Finally, we said goodbye and I got an auto back to station parking, picked my car and came back home.

It was really amazing that we mixed up well and spend a nice time. I'm glad she was happy that I helped her. I hope this experience would have assuaged the negative impressions she'd have had during her rest of the stay in India, and would speak positive about our nation when she returns to Japan. Moreover, I hope to make friends with her and maybe get to know more about their culture and society.

Thanks to our ancestors for infusing such nice teachings into our society. It's very important to respect and help people visiting our country, as this not only brings wealth, but it also helps us get to know where we can improve. That's probably how we have such a rick culture...

I'm not able to end this post in any special ways, except that I'd say in the end, a modern version of 'Atithi Devo Bhava' as 'Happy to Help' :)