Saturday, February 24, 2007

Disconnected

Things have changed. Forever I think. Never to go back to the way they used to be.

Efforts appear cursory and go wasted. Emotions have been stoic for quite a while now. The past fails to put a smile on my face. In fact, it fails to affect me in any way any longer. It’s as though the past never existed. All that exists in every sense is this moment and those that lie beyond – waiting to be lived and experienced. This isolation from the past is an alien feeling. At first, I did not know how to react to it – it felt as though an unwelcome stranger had suddenly entered my life – unwanted – uninvited - but now, I have become friends with this very stranger – it’s a comfortable zone, this one.

At times, a shadow looms somewhere beyond the darkness – a ripple travels across the still waters – a whiff of air fills the milieu – a memory comes back to remind me of it’s existence – and then – it disappears – just like that – giving me no time to react. It does not even leave an impact now, as I fail to recognize it. A sense of isolation has enveloped me and it’s becoming my comfort zone – slowly – surely.

Things have changed. Forever I think. And I am surprised that I like this disconnect from times gone by.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

The truth of the matter is...

Circa 2001: Yes, they did!!!

Circa 2005:
No, they did not!!!

Which version would you believe (or rather like to believe)?

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Gurugiri v/s Gandhigiri

Gurubhai gurubhai aavye che
Dhoom dhadaaka karenge che


A villager. A visionary. A winner. Impressive tagline for a much more impressive movie. Watching movies, especially in a theatre, is an ordeal for me – but Guru was different – I enjoyed it – all of it – the exquisite architecture of Turkey – the fantastic music by Rehman – the coyness of Aishwarya – the dare of Abhishek – the dignity of Mithun – the Gujarati slang – the intricacies of Licence Raj – the tactics of Guru Bhai.

I found only one aberration in this otherwise sensible piece of moving art – towards the end, Guru Bhai, through a vehement, heart-wrenching, emotional speech, smartly manages to make the government seem like the real culprit, which literally dragged an otherwise innocent Gurukant Desai into the sleazy world of corruption – and what more – he manages to evoke a huge applause from the people in the court room (and the audience in the theatres). His speech made it seem as if the movie was trying to justify all the shady deals of Guru Bhai – albeit subtly. I feel that if the traders were unhappy with the over-regulation of trade during those times, FBT and high corporate taxes give them sleepless nights these days. The government was the villain then – it continues to remain the spoilsport now. If things were to proceed according to the whims of the traders and corporates, laissez faire would be prevalent in India within a blink of the eye. Fortunately for people and unfortunately for the traders, that can never be the case out here – but that makes a case for a totally different post.

Anyway, Guru reminded me of another movie released in 2006, which also managed to create a similar buzz – Lage Raho Munnabhai. Gandhigiri became the buzzword in 2006. Truth and non-violence were supposed to be in. Gurugiri seems to be the buzzword in 2007 till date. Gurukant stands for everything that Gandhi was against. For Gurubhai, profit is the only motive. The means to achieve the motive do not really matter. As Guru himself explicitly states in the film – ‘main koi bapu nahin’. But, Guru has managed to create his own fan club, amongst the youth, which could not stop raving about Gandhi, last year. So, the question that intrigues me after watching Guru – which line of thought do you choose?

The fundamentalists would jump right away and say that Gandhigiri rules and that Gurugiri can be safely forgotten. The pragmatists would think a while and then candidly confess that while Gandhigiri mostly made sense in ideology, only applying a little bit of Gurugiri could make you successful in the real world out there. The diplomats would prefer to stay away from the debate.

This brings me to the real question behind the question – do you have to categorize yourself into one of these three slots? Is there only a black and a white to this debate? Are there no shades of grey to this question? Can Gandhigiri and Gurugiri cross paths? If yes, what would be the fundamental doctrine of the hybrid line of thought? If no, would you label the line of thought of the current society as conservationist? Is it a simple choice? Which one would you pick?

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Off the map

Don't listen to what they say. Go see.

I shed my inhibitions. My fears. I travelled light.

The world is a book, those who do not travel read only one page.

I traded my stock options for a Lonely Planet.
My cell phone for a compass.
My briefcase for a backpack.
I took off.

Who lives sees much. Who travels sees more.

I wandered in the company of tourists, travellers and a guitar as old as me.
I learned that people are good. Strangers are fascinating.
And that every journey reveals another.

Look at the stars lighting up the sky: no one of them stays in the same place.

I have lost track of time. And perhaps, my job - my apartment - my fiance.
But I have my compass and I know it's pointing me in the right direction.

Go forth on your path, as it exists only through your walking.

*A beautifully written passage by some one for whom travel is a metaphysical project - a dream - a meditation - a sermon*

Friday, February 09, 2007

At random

Well, it only makes sense to loose a little bit of your emotional factor as you go higher up the ladder, because you need to be viewing the picture on a larger scale. The concerns of your sub-ordinates should matter, but only as long as it doesn’t affect the work or the turnovers. If it’s a matter of a day or two, you shouldn't unnecessarily loose your cool about it, but then a prolonged absence or diversion from work is not exactly welcome at the top levels.

Let’s face it, if you are in the top management, your immediate sub-ordinates are people who can't afford to stay away from business for too long – too many things depend on them. Neither will those sub-ordinates be the kind of people who will let their private life affect their work. Huge pay packets come attached with an equally huge responsibility. As Nooyi also mentioned in her recent interview, being a CEO (or for that matter, occupying any top management position) is not a job, it’s a calling - you have to love wot you do - you have to put ur head, heart & hands into it, else its not worth it. At the end of the day, I guess it’s a choice between being sensitive and being practical. To cite an example, on the new years eve, when the entire world was busy partying the night away, the lights at the PMO were on, all night. There is a reason why Manmohan has a 18*7 work schedule. It is very truly said that to be doing nothing, you need to sitting at the very top - and that saying also just reflects an illusion - reality bites.

To keep it simple – you are in a business – you should be aware that you are there to make profits - you are not there for PR. Its not personal - it's just business – and a business needs a head - having a heart is just an unwanted bonus.

Is that really me speaking my mind there??? When did I start thinking that way? Being way too practical - boon or bane - yet to figure that out.

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Lost in transition

My thoughts – they are in a state of flux. I can’t seem to catch hold of them of late. Either I am thinking too fast or am not thinking at all. Life has gotten busy lately. That’s good – no time to think about anything unless required. That’s bad – it means I don’t connect with myself as often as I used to, in the past.

Things that used to make me smile before evoke no reaction these days. I have started finding F.R.I.E.N.D.S boring (and I though that would never happen in my lifetime), reading for pleasure has become a thing of the past and I don’t miss it all that much (!!!),. I have been suffering from the writer’s block lately, I check out wikipedia and moneycontrol more often than orkut, people – their presence – their absence – doesn’t matter any more. I am at peace sometimes. I get fidgety sometimes. The desire to learn something new about everything is at an all time high. 24 hours seem less. I wish more often that there were two me’s – maybe I could be more efficient at things – try and stuff a little more into my days. I am more bothered than ever before about the grammar and phrasing of my sentences and jump with excitement any time I come across a new idion (what is that abt???). Things going wrong – people trying to hurt me – motivation to transform reality – nothing more – nothing less. There are times I don't recognise myself. My reactions to certain things and events surprise me these days.

Things – thoughts – words stand still. Or maybe they are all moving at such a high speed that they all seem still to me – all an illusion – all a reality. Whatever be the case – I think I like the status quo. Selective awareness of the past – contentment with the present – working towards the future. I don’t know when and where this transition will end. The only thing I am apprehensive about is that when the stability sets in, I am not very sure I will be the same person any more. Well, I will let time be the judge for that one.