Some Thoughts

2011-07-20T00:49:00.000-07:00

"Manthara" lives on

In the Indian mythology, the epic Ramayana had a character called Manthara. She was an old woman, hunched on a staff and somehow had access to the Royal queens in the palace. What she did in the palace, where she came from, is not mentioned.

On the day, when there was much rejoicing in the kingdom, and the king was planning to crown Ram the heir, Manthra triggered a chain of events that lasted beyond Ramayana.

All four queens were happy. Bharat's mother was no exception either. Ram was just like a son to her. Manthara, came and whispered to her, that Ram was like a son, while Bharat was the son. How could she be happy when her own son was being denied the kingdom? Should she not raise her voice, use her authority to seek the gift that was promised to her by the king? Should she not get the kingdom for Bharat, when all that was needed, was her asking for it?

The rest as they say, is history. Rather, mythology in this case. The queen asked, the king granted, Ram accepted, Bharat refused. However, Manthara became immortal. She was a nobody, a commoner, who's advice triggered a chain of events impacting so many lives, so many years and so many events...No one knows what happened to Manthara after that.

The reason I write about Manthara is because, however insignifant the person is, their words of advice could have momentous impact. Especially advice based on the premise of benefit to the listener. Manthara lives on till today, however old or fragile she may be - in us, around us. Waiting for the time to make the small point, that went unnoticed. Waiting to show why rejoicing for another's success is so strange, when that success could be our own, that joy could be doubled.

Have you met Manthara recently?

In the decision making for positions of importance in office, when someone mildly questions your acceptance of a prized position gone to a friend? After all, didn't you work harder, did his tasks too when he wasn't around? Don't you think the boss should know? And if you acted on Manthara's advice, you well know how your and your friend's life changed after that.

In the rebuke of your mother, who asks how you could be so sanguine that your mother-in-law would give the best saree to you, just because she said so? Was her own daughter less important than you?

With the best intentions in her mind, Mathara, is the voice of dissidence in concurrence. Her questions transform her from nothing to noteworthy. Her insignificant helplessness becomes a powerful tool to change relationships, trigger events, affect lives and several lifetimes.

Manthara will never die. We need to be careful when to listen and when to ignore her. Her appearance, her voice, her persistence can never be ignored. Manthara would always find the right moment to say what she will. Her character teaches us that in the quest for what we feel we deserve, we can lose all that we have earned. Be it a son's love for her mother (Bharat lost respect for her mom, the queen), be it a friend's unquestioning faith or a mother-in-law's affections. So, beware of Manthara!

Take care!

2010-11-16T22:19:00.000-08:00

How to make a website popular?

Unlike my other posts which are usually long and much thought out before being posted, this one is pretty short. Actually, the shortest so far :)

I've thinking on this question since sometime...The internet today is very cluttered, and few names stand truly out as a website receiving millions of clicks globally. How does one become one of them? I am faced with this question because of a website I wish to popularize - www.thefilmstreetjournal.com. And, it is a daunting task.

So here, to my few blog readers, I wish to ask, when you visit the site,

What is it that you think, if present, will make you come back?

I'll be really happy to receive some comments to this question!

2010-08-06T02:32:00.000-07:00

Very random

I love to think. I love to wonder and be alone with my thoughts. The best moments for me are when I’ve found the time to be lost in myself. Through my thoughts I answer my own questions. My questions concern life, the whys of everything, and the bigger picture. I ponder in order to search for the motive that guides external forces. What was the lesson they wanted to teach? Did I learn the lesson?

I have been greatly influenced in the past few days by Brian Weiss’s books. He wrote about rebirths and deeds. I believe him. I have never ever had any experience with anyone remotely connected to the rebirth story, but I believe Brian Weiss just by reading his book. It makes sense to me and strikes a chord.

You see, he talks about getting what you have done. In a single lifetime, we believe that you get paid back for good and bad deeds. The point is, certain paybacks take time…enough to last a few lifetimes. And it all makes sense. It’s said that God is omniscient, omnipresent and every other ‘omni’ attribute you can think of. To be omniscient, to know it all, you must experience it all first hand. Not through empathy, but first hand. If God made us in imitation of what he looked like, then he also must have decided on a succession plan for himself. While it may sound stupid, as God is immortal, it makes sense that God would want more like him…Brian Weiss mentioned that the soul was constantly evolving, and I think that the destination or the final frontier for the soul is to become God. What happens after the human soul becomes God, I don’t know. I need further meditation to answer that question.

Can you imagine how it feels to experience everything first-hand? Everything could be every feeling, every life situation, almost any combination that can happen to anyone on earth. The possibilities are vast and limitless, almost like the universe. It is somewhat like this – today I say an unkind word to my friend. He feels very hurt – a feeling he experiences first hand, and I don’t. For my soul to evolve, I need to experience that hurt myself. Only then, can I claim to have known. This was a rather mild example. There are examples where a murderer in a lifetime was murdered in a similar fashion in a later lifetime for the soul to grow. The learning is, there is indeed divine retribution and no one goes scot-free even if our laws fail to punish the criminal. When reading Brian Weiss, I found this experience to be very true for all his patients who had wronged others – they had to experience the exact pain they had caused in several lifetimes afterwards. For good deeds done by people, their next lifetimes got better, easier, more fulfilling.

I just felt that everything that happened in a person’s life has some connection or the other to previous lifetimes. However, it is not humanly possible to map the causes or the innumerable rebirths and millions of deeds. Every life is meant to teach certain crucial lesson. No life is a waste, none at all. Even those the premature deaths of infants, are also a lesson for that soul. Brian Weiss had such an example in his own life. You learn something. By you, it means the soul. It is overwhelming to know that I have the solution to all my problems, the answers to all my worries within myself – more specifically, if hypnotized and regressed to the past, I am capable of solving any of my current problems. This knowledge is empowering. As per Brian Weiss, the future has limitless possibilities. My actions today, change the course of my future tomorrow. In effect, he is disagreeing with the concept, that events are pre-destined.

Everyone cannot be treated by Brian Wiess or helped out by him. What I took away from reading his book is that, if I knew what ails me today, understood that it possibly was linked to my past, and controlled my vices, acted more humanely towards others, I guess I will be better off in my current and future lifetimes.

All of us are a part of the same universal soul. Eventually we are all one. Can you accept that? The rich business tycoon and the abject beggar on the street are a part of the same soul where you belong. Can you imagine that all people are connected to you, they are your reflections? Can you hate yourself? Or not cringe trying to hurt yourself? Will you hit as hard if you were hitting yourself instead of the thief that stole your purse? Would you refuse the beggar the penny, if you knew that he was a part of you? Once this acceptance sinks in, this fact that we are no different, it is hard to harm, be revengeful or hurt others. The sinking in is what takes time. Apparently Jesus Christ only had compassion and love in his eyes, even when he was beaten, bruised and crucified.

What do I take with me when I go to my next birth? It’s not nothing, and that is comforting. I take back lessons learnt from this lifetime - one or several of them. The soul, it seems has unlimited disk space to store all your previous lifetimes and deeds. Not only that, it takes in everything, more than you can see, or know. It seems to have a 10k vision on your life and people connected to you.

I am still thinking even as I sign out of this post, and I realize that just like the universe, our brain too is limitless in its capacity to contain our thoughts.

Take care!

2010-03-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

My Dida is no more

Dida is my grandma, my mom's mother. My earliest memories of her consist of yummy bengali recipes out of ordinary vegetables, annual lakshmi puja with traditional homemade prasad, annual get-togethers at her place and inordinate amount of love.

Dida literally brought us up during the first few years of our life. Us is me and my twin sister. A kid is as much a bundle of joy, as a management challenge. For twins, you double that with the additional confounding error. My dida beat that and always managed to differentiate one from the other. Mamabari, where my dida, uncle, aunts stayed had very little space in the room, but ample in the heart. We loved our mamabari, and everything about it. Everytime, we left, dida would stand at the top of the stairway, waving us goodbye, and chanting 'dugga dugga'. Dugga is the name of goddess Durga. A few months before she left us, when we visited her, she stood in the same manner and waved us off, despite her failing health. Today, I realize that, life doesn't trumpet itself, when it is about to leave.

Dida didn't talk much about herself. She would keep asking how everyone else was. She understood less, felt more. Expected little, did lots. Everytime we were away she would keep saying to my mom, 'mayyagulare kotodin dekhi nai' (haven't seen the kids for so long). We remained kids for her as long as she lived.
She was married when she was a teenager. My mom says, dida and dadu(granddad) were known as 'haro gauri' as a couple. Haro gauri stands for shiva and parvati. People felt they were made for each other. Dida was as beautiful, as my grandfather was handsome. Dida's name was Gauri. As a housewife, she managed her 5 kids in the small means that my dadu provided.She was not very qualified, but knew more about managing people than I do with my MBA. She stopped having non-veg food, onion and garlic for more than three decades after dadu passed away. Yet, she cooked all these with great care for everyone else.

Lakshmi puja was a grand affair. Grand in the eyes of a small kid who watches prasads being made, purohit chanting hymns, lots of people, chaos, smoke of diyas - it was an enchanting experience. Dida ensured that the midnight lamp burnt the entire night, welcoming goddess lakshmi no matter how late she came. Having seen tough days in her life, lakshmi puja was a must for her. The pujas stopped when her health refused to cooperate with her heart.

I've loved my dida a lot. Her words, her advice, her hug, her prayers, her wishes, her admonitions, her fears, her joys...I've loved everything. When we went outside kolkata, everytime we returned, we made it a point to visit her. Everytime, no matter how weak she was, she would go to the head of the staircase and wish us goodbye. Wave us from the window, till we saw her no more. Perhaps, she knew the importance of farewell, more than we did.

She passed away after a stroke.I wish I could say 'dugga dugga' as she moved on in her last journey. I wish her well. I hope that someday, I can be as good a grandmom as my dida was.

2009-06-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

Simplicity breeds stupidity
Simplicity is always desired. It throws things in your face, makes it clear and succinct and leaves no room for ambiguity. It makes it easy, clear to the layman. As each layman understands, simplicity becomes famous. Einstein’s e=mc^2 was known to all, but not Poisson’s equation.
Simplicity is preceded by ingenuity and breeds stupidity.
Let me explain before you get me wrong. Think of that man, Einstein. He thought and pondered over the impossible till he made it possible. By his own admission, Einstein said, “I just stay with the problem longer.” And the longer he dwelt, the more visible the solution became. But it is only the man who thinks is enlightened, all others who follow, have in a way, stopped thinking for themselves.
Can I, a layman, travel the mind maze, the routes, the obstacles, the failures, the darkness, the spark that finally led to the discovery of e=mc^2? The answer is no. For me, I get the finished product, only the smooth path to the end result. It robs me of my power to think deeper, to ponder on the alleys leading nowhere and learning from them. I am rendered stupid by every discovery, by every invention that is not mine own. No matter how hard I may force myself to think, there is only so much depth I can plumb, only so much knowledge I can deduce, I am robbed of the entire gamut of learning of the inventor. The simple result in front of me renders my mind incapable of thinking.
I am stupid because I did not receive the same insight to explore a possibility that that Newton did, staring at a falling apple. I am stupid because I do not know the 10,000 ways of not making a light bulb that Thomas Edison does, I only know that the bulb glows. I am stupid, because even as I work on a computer, I don’t know what prompted Pascal to think of making the earliest computer. I am stupid, because every invention around me is gifted from men before my time. I only know so much that the inventor shared, I know not his mind. Even while I feel grateful for the blessings of science and technology, I cannot help but curse them for the stupidity that these inventions breed.
Think for a second of the most developed countries in the world. Think of the US of A. Life is so much easier, they say. Often on the press of a button, you almost get what you want, so much mechanization, and so many processed products – that they allow you to stop thinking. The lesser the struggle involved to achieve, the duller the mind becomes. I don’t have to think of the “how”. In India, there is a word called “jugaad” which implies improvising, managing somehow despite lack of resources. This forces us, the people in the developing nation to think. The day life becomes simple, so will our minds become stupid.

2008-03-28T05:29:00.000-07:00

Life is an impulse
Life is an impulse. Remember the impulse function taught in college/school (nowadays)? It peaks in a single instant and has no existence before or after it. It is defined not by how long the instant is, but how high it reaches in that moment. Much like life.
If you close your eyes now and relive your life, what come back are images, few in number. Images you can go over in the fraction of a second. That is the essence. Every hour you have lived becomes a nanosecond in memory. Days merge because they are similar....what remains is the most important event, most important action, the most moving feeling of your past. That would take more than a nanosecond of time. It is not that a younger person lives through his life in just a second. Even the tottering old would take just that fraction of second to recollect life.
The instant, the moment is all that the impulse has. In that single moment, it must surge, it must reach the stars, it must peak. It is but a moment we all have to live, to enjoy, to act, to be happy…to peak. And every moment holds so much promise. Much like the Vodafone ad – “Make the most of now”.

Another inextricable concept linked with life is death. Inevitable, inexorable and any which way you put it, death has been hailed as the only truth. To my mind, death is the only event that gives life its meaning. The impending end provides the impetus for action, for that impulse. Death makes each moment precious. Death makes life worth living. Now and no more. A concept which breaks monotony. Things are beautiful because they are not forever. My friend whom I meet everyday is not going to be there forever and it makes my every conversation precious. Friends will become just a face in my mind. Our myriad conversations will translate into a smile when I think back. Think of those friends from school (all 12/13 years of our lives), from college (3/4 years of togetherness) – all that remain are faces, smiles, some strong emotions and nothing else. Did we think while standing surrounded by “best friends” in school that it would all disappear in a jiffy? Had we known, would we have quarreled? My life now will change in the blink of an eye, making this time priceless. My mirror will show me a different face in a jiffy as I grow older. A moment is all I have to cherish everything in my life now.

When I think of the swirling thoughts in my mind, I often cannot put to words everything that passes through. Some flitter away before I can grasp them.

All that is black and white, I know what to write
That which is black and grey, I don't know what to say.

Take care!
Live now!
:D

2007-12-11T02:32:00.000-08:00

In our knowledge, lies our ignorance

The other day, I came across this phrase. Took me quite a few minutes to completely understand what it meant. Oxymoron and quite laconic, the phrase forced me to think again on what I had learnt, that Knowledge removes ignorance.

Anything that we know and believe, also acts as an impediment to expanding our horizon of gullibility. How often have I heard the phrase, "not to my knowledge" - final and decisive in tone, questioning everything beyond it. Very few can actually realize, that while they know, that what they know itself is subject to change. That frameworks, definitions, basic tenets are as much basic as shifting sand dunes.

There is no truth. (Oxymoron...even while I say it). Only a window of time, whose dimensions keep changing, the viewing angles keep rotating and moving, viewers keep taking turns to peep and opine....much like kaleidoscope. Those opinions become truths for that moment.

For every individual, at some point of time in our lives, we need to ask ourselves what our strengths and weaknesses are. And while we answer from what we know, we prove that in our knowledge lies our ignorance. What we have never achieved, does not mean it is not our strength. Much like Hanuman. He needed Jambuban to tell him what he never knew he could do. That he could fly. Something that his knowledge told him he couldn't.

The same goes for other aspects of our life too. What we believe, is subject to what we can imagine. What we can imagine is limited by our knowledge. You see, as human beings we are limited by our five senses. God just gave us 5 senses...and left the rest of the world beyond that realm of knowledge. To help us make do with what we had naturally, he gave us the ability to think. So human beings thought. What we couldn't see, we made the telescope and microscope. What we couldn't hear, we made sonar, telephone. That was it.

We are yet to overcome the challenge, where we can touch what we cannot see or hear. For example, can I touch someone sitting miles away? Can he feel my touch? Imagine, how powerful that would be! All those video conferences miles away, could actually have people shaking hands. All those lovebirds separated by distance, could talk on the phone while holding hands. Reminds me of a tag line..."imagine the possibilities".

Right now, my knowledge says its not possible. And makes me ignorant of other possibilities. The same goes for smelling. What I cannot smell, can some device do that? Smelling is something so intrinsic, that we feel unless we do it, it is not done. Again, our knowledge makes us ignorant.

The sense of taste. Can that be substituted by an artificial tongue? Can you know the taste of the food before trying it? So many of us, would have helped save all those dishes, whose tastes we disliked. Something that knew what I liked...personalized, recommended or disapproved food. Also encouraged me to try something new based on my mood...People died trying to taste cyanide and write down what it was like. Died before their pen touched paper. Those lives could have been saved through this device.

In our knowledge lies our ignorance. In its realization, we go a step further to fulfillment.

"Beyond", "Limitless"...the concept is baffling. When I was a kid, and even now, when I think that the universe is unlimited, I lose myself. I fail to imagine. I am stuck, fighting, grasping, accepting the concept. You see, my knowledge makes me ignorant. Earth is round, with x square miles, states and nations have boundaries,you do this and not that...limitation is inbuilt in me from birth. And to think, that something beyond could go on till the end of nowhere stumps me.

Remember watching those Extra terrestrial movies? All aliens were humanoid in nature. They had eyes, fingers...looked similar to humans. Our knowledge made us ignorant of other possibilities. In all possibility, ETs or intelligent life-forms could just be a Dot. If you could do everything in the smallest possible dimension, why wouldn't you? Aren't we saying we are advancing when we make things smaller and more powerful. The smallest screen now is the mobile screen. Simple and powerful. That's what lasts.

Perhaps human beings have unlimited abilities, everyday we invent/discover something new ...what limits us is our knowledge. Making us ignorant.

There was a gamut of thoughts swirling in my mind when I read the phrase. I have not been able to post all of them. Some things need a little more thinking through. The writer delivered an insight, quite hidden in the article he had posted. An insight, which forced me to blog.

In the meantime, life is good.
Got my book review published in http://www.kolkatamirror.com/
Winter has limped in, in Kolkata. It is not too cold to freeze, neither hot to leave the cardigan home. Miss the Delhi, Pilani chill, sleepless freezing nights, foggy days. Kolkata weather is mild...much like its people.

Take care!
:D

2007-11-22T20:46:00.000-08:00

Those days

It seems just like a breeze,
That touched your face and left,
Days at ISB are like perfume;
The ether goes leaving the effect
Just the other day,
I subscribed to “isb-pgp” yahoo group to find,
Alumni answer questions swirling in my mind
The application and interviews followed,
Some reached salvation, others returned to ground zero.

With bubbling curiosity,
I entered the “Indian School of Business”
Passed the peacock crossing,
Found people of different types looking eager and fresh
The larger-than-life alums, their gyaan, and scares of huge work load
The scare by professor Ramachandran on “Honour Code”
Life started for 420 of us on a roller coaster ride
Our only solace - the counselors stayed nearby.

The strangers on the first day,
Assumed names as days went by…
Sections stuck together, six-member groups huddled
To solve cases - hours started to fly
Submission boxes were
“Suspicious and unwanted objects” lying around,
But authorities wouldn’t register
Any complaints on compassionate ground.
Late night parties were our saviors,
Where we danced/drunk the night away
Endless hours online, networking,
Speaker bhashans with a promise that it will pay

Soon we were throwing our caps in the air
Graduating Class of 2007 and families – ISB became a fair
Jobs sought, dreams made or the promise to fulfill
We were MBAs - What a feeling of thrill!
Now, we are alumni,
With a halo behind our head
Life @ ISB – what a journey we’ve made!

2007-11-08T00:30:00.000-08:00

Rural Bengal

My work with Airtel took me to rural bengal. Though I've spent my formative years in Bengal, my life was limited to Kolkata, with yearly visits to my grandpa's place in Dushghara (a town in WB, basically a village). My knowledge of village life and conditions were all that I assimilated during those visits...

My project needed me to travel. From Kolkata to Murshidabad's interior and almost inaccessible villages. More than a week on the road on a Tata Indica. I was lucky, the driver didn't declare a bandh against me even as some political groups brought bengal to a standstill. Clocking almost 10-12 hours a day, with a hurried breakfast and no lunch. I think it was a little better than MTV Roadies 5.0....at least, I was not a bike on the bumpy roads.

It was a learning experience. Life in the village is much tougher...made me thank God for being born and brought up in a city. People have more time on their hands...the idea of telecommunication is yet to catch up. Coz, most often it is "word-of-mouth" and face to face.

These guys stay together, and know each other...so a shopkeeper knows his customer much better than a city guy would ever know. People talk and discuss more, with more time on their hands. The need to communicate on the phone arises when one wants to travel, or show the fact that he's better off than the rest of his kind. Certain answers, which I would have never been able to get from a city shopkeeper seemed like obvious knowledge to a small retailer in a village.
Events that would not draw a glance in the city attract crowds in villages :D
The travel helped me know a little more about bengal...a mixture of good and not-so-good memories.

Back in time for Diwali, or Kali Puja as we call it here. My car was stopped "n" number of times on the roads in the villages, as young men blocked the road till they were paid the customary "chanda" for the puja. Being back, I love my life here more than I did when I went there.

Happy Diwali!
:D

2007-09-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

"Click"

Yesterday night,I saw this movie. Adam Sandler starrer. One word, awesome!
I was late by 1/2 an hour, nonetheless, the story did not lose its beauty.

Adam Sandler has a great life. A beautiful wife, a bonny son and a cute daughter, a good job(he's an architect) and everything is beautiful. Only, he wishes to rise higher in his job, but the boss (who flirts/harasses female colleagues) always dangles the carrot a little further away. Adam also hates the mild quarrels with his wife, the monthly get together with his parents and all the neighborhood children making a ruckus. Mild causes of concern in a blissful life.

One day, he goes to a store and meets the scientist who had designed most of the products. He reveals his heart's desire to him. "I want a remote to control my universe". And the scientist says, "So be it" and gets to work. One day, Adam gets the gift. A simple remote control, which the scientist claims would give a nice guy (like him), a much needed break. All he needs to do is "click". Initially, Adam sees nothing untoward. Not until, his dog starts barking and he wants him to shut up. He presses the volume down-down-down. And the bark becomes a mutter. When his wife starts to fight, he presses the pause, and time stands still. Adam, the nice guy, finally gets his break!
The world is completely different. At will, he rewinds, at will he skips parties he does not enjoy and jumps to times, which he really loves.

Then, the scientist visits him one day to show him "chapters"...His entire life is saved and can be viewed on a button press. From the time he was conceived to now. He shows him the "skip" feature...Adam prefers to skip his sickness, his wife's quarrels, hours he slogged to complete his design...
The boss is impressed with Adam's new zest for life and ability to work. So, when Adam asks for his promotion, boss says sure, after 3 months. That is when Adam decides to "skip". 3 months is not that long in his life...he doesn't mind missing that part. Whenever, he skips, Adam, the person though physically present, is mentally absent. As if, on autopilot. So, whenever he skips, he doesn't have a memory of events that took place during that time.

When Adam skips to the time, he is the partner; he has actually jumped a year. He had missed a year of his life, and looks in amazement at the changes in his office and home. He finds out that his marriage is on the rocks and they are seeing a counselor.
Bewildered, amazed and lost, he seeks the scientist. Then he learns, that the remote has a mind of its own. It not only lets him control his universe, but also remembers how he controls it. So, when he prefers to skip quarrels, sickness, hard work, in all his future life, he shall skip those events of his life.

At his office, his boss is happy, and says, you have become a partner now...that day is not far when you can become the CEO. The minute it is uttered, he finds himself on his bed. Fat, ugly, 10 years older as the CEO of the company he served. He is shocked to see his teenage son and daughter, his wife's new husband Billy, and his own life. Angry, frustrated, jealous, he fights with Billy. A hit on the head is all it takes for him to loose consciousness.

Waking up in the hospital, he realizes he has recovered from an illness of the brain that took away 6 years of his life, a lot of his fat, and his youth. An old and graying man stares back at him. His son is the new partner of the company and is handsome and able. His father is no more. When he tries to see his father at his deathbed, he can't. The remote shows him the part of the universe that he is a part of. Frantic, he clicks to be with his dad, the last time as he had seen him. An old and graying man, his dad seeks his alter self's attention, as he is busy on the laptop. The old man, pats him on the head, and says, "I love you". Adam stares in awe at his alter self which looks more like a zombie to him, dead to the world, emotionless, without response. He then finds himself at his son's wedding. He sees his beautiful daughter, sees his wife happy in the arms of another man, and feels torn in his heart. As the pain sears through his heart, he realizes that he has had an attack.
In the hospital, he is on respiratory controls. He looks at his son, his daughter and doesn't want them to go. Tearing away the straps that supply him oxygen, he rushes out as his son leaves him. Surrounded by a family he wishes he had been more a part of, he breathes his last as the scientist waits to take him out of the universe, beyond the control of any remote.

Adam wakes up on a white bed…and stares into a mirror and exclaims, “I am young again!” The store boy amazed at a customer who had slept off on a bed, corrects him. “I am young sir, you’re not quite so young”. Adam really doesn’t care. Having had a glimpse of life he’s just dreamt, he rushes home to hug his wife, kiss and play with his son and hold his daughter tight. As his wife starts to argue, he takes her in his arms and doesn’t turn away. He rushes home to his parents in the dead of the night, to tell them, that he loves them. Life never seemed more beautiful to him. Smiling he walks into his room to find a gift. “The remote to control your universe”, from the scientist who wanted to give him a break. A smiling Adam, throws it down the trash can. He refuses to “click” and control his world ever again.

:D I may not have been able to bring out the beauty of this movie…but I think it is a must watch. There are parts that tug at your heart, and re-establish the value of simple phrases in life and the importance of people.

2007-09-24T23:35:00.000-07:00

The last post of mine was on my shoulder ache...Thanks to all who wished me well. I am fine now :D

Just like a daily jog or exercise is mandatory for some people, just like a cup of tea a day is a must, so is wondering a part of my daily existence. So, I wonder. About life, people's actions, reactions, the rules of nature, the reasons that He might have had to make the world the way it is.

I started the blog, 30 posts and 1 year back as an "in" thing to do, like the rest of the batch. Then, I talked of my professors, my courses, and my takeaways. Now, it is more about me. The reason for starting this blog was to share what I learnt in MBA. I had felt before joining ISB, that a prospective student wants a glimpse of the life inside a B-school. At least, that's what I felt...striving to answer "How's it like inside?" Now, its different.

So, I wondered. How personal can your blog be? Can anyone, who has never met me, draw a mental character sketch of mine? Does my writing move someone I've never really known? Does my writing give away myself more than I want to reveal? I usually read blogs of people I know, or have met, or have a link through an institution (BITS/ISB). And, I think, in some phrases, in some words, in some thoughts, you almost get to know the writer. Reading him frequently, you get to know his dominant mood, his sense of humour...and perhaps, one-tenth of the writer himself.

I was feeling grateful the other day, because I am literate. No, I did not realize it late, that I am literate, I only felt thankful more acutely for it. Certain feelings and thoughts can never be expressed. There is no way, if I start talking I shall do justice to my feelings. It is then, that the pen comes to my rescue. Words, that, when uttered loose their meaning, yet when written captures the essence. So, I wrote it down. A blog helps. A part of me resides in the virtual world...just like a shadow gives an idea of the person, so does a blog give a glimpse of the mind guiding the hand.

2007-08-30T03:09:00.000-07:00

The Bed of the Future

For the past few days, I am suffering from a shoulder ache. It makes me act like a zombie. Turning my head was never so painful as it is now. My doc tells me to use the right pillow as that affects the shoulders.....And, that got me thinking.

The bed as a platform to rest on, has not really evolved. It is still a platform, but now, they have space in it to store stuff. It is like trying to tell the user, "you don't need to stuff the mattress, use us instead". But, frankly, somehow technologyical advancement bypassed this essential item of our daily use. No change has happened for decades.

My pain made me see the bed of the future. A platform which needed no mattress or pillow. Both these items had become extinct. What remained was a simple platform.
As I lay down to rest, the platform changed its shape. It suited my figure. Supported my spine, and rested my head at the level I found comfort in. As I turned in my dreams, the shape changed under my head. Subtle enough to not wake me up, sure enough to support my head in the new position.
Voila! No backaches/shoulder pains!
For me, the bed of the future had arrived, but only in the mind's eye.
For now, I have to keep adjusting my pillows.

This is what I see. What do you see?
:D

2007-08-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

I recenty finished the last of the Harry Potter series. A wonderful world where being a witch or a wizard is "in" and being a muggle/normal is "out". JK Rowling has done a wonderful job....perhaps outshone Enid Blyton, my favourite childhood author. I noticed something different in the way she brought about magic in her story.
Unlike other authors who have dealt with magic (Lewis etc) and shown that magic resides outside the human, in Harry Potter, magic is with the characters. You don't have to open a secret door, or enter an enchanted forest to find magic...the place does not matter. Magic is where you are, coz you are the magician. Witches and wizards are normal in every way, except for the special gift of magic.

If what Rowling depicted in her stories was actually true, it would mean that we could no longer attribute what we cannot explain to "God"/"The Force" etc. MECE (Mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive) would imply that wizards and witches had a role to play in creating mystery in a muggle's everyday life.

Nonetheless, it is a wonderful read for children and adults of all ages.

The other day I read about a research in the newspaper. Some profs in the US (though I think, it must have been their poor RAs) have found out that human beings remember events/happenings in their lives which have a strong emotional attachment. It means, I shall remember the day I got my first paycheck, coz I bought a gift for my mom which made her happy and in turn made me happy. Enough emotion to match a hindi movie plot.
But then, this has other implications. It means, my life so far is a blur. Everyday is the same. Except when I felt emotionally active. Not mentally, but emotionally.
Does this imply, that the brain is now the subject of the heart? Does this mean, that for me to remember anything, I must Feel? Very interesting... Does it mean that people who are more emotional, feel more often, are less cold, calculative and thinking...actually have the most wonderful memories?

I guess, for all those times I create a new password or get a new PIN, I must feel happy/jubilant/ecstatic - depending on the importance of the information.

Take care...and keep feeling!
:D

2007-08-09T00:41:00.000-07:00

I saw an Ad on TV the other day. The company has changed its name. And the best way they thought of letting people know was through two girls who are identical twins.

The Ad goes on to say - "Everything is the same, except the name".

I have an identical twin. To me that line is like a personl insult. An insult of their individuality. Genetically they say, we are 99% same. But the 1% difference in genes makes us react, respond, behave, attract, repel, love and loathe completely different kind of individuals.

While on the surface, at a distance we appear same. People are confused, just like an Indian would find all Japanese looking the same. It is funny, how all through my life, I've seen people think that seeing two people looking alike was "weird". I have felt that people cannot completely grasp it. Somehow they fumble. Somehow they don't see individuals...One of the responses I had received was, "Oh...so there are two of you!"

In all those moments of my life, when I had to stand while being peered at, I wished we were not twins. At least, they would think us less "weird". At least, they would behave normally around us, call us by our names instead of "whatever", not start playing the game spot-the-difference....Twins all over the world have to live with this through their life.

FOr all other times, I have loved it. It is like being sent to this planet, with a friend, philosopher and guide. God's insurance and back-up for my loneliness. I have often wondered, whether He had wanted people looking alike to be always together....
I think yes. The severity of the pain of separation is what distinguishes twins from normal siblings.

Twins is not equal to clones. In clones, it 100% match. Yes, then, there are two of the same. I guess, till clones come into this world, people will think Twins to be non-individuals.

The 1% difference is manisfested in several ways. The way we would interpret what someone says, the way we would respond to people (there are those friends of ours who have always felt more closer to one of us than the other).
Now when we are separated by thousands of miles, it feels like an unique experience to be considered as an individual. No staring, no nudging and pointing - Yes, it feels great!
For the first time, there are groups of people in my life who have no clue that I have a twin. Both of us now have different worlds. Much like a Venn Diagram - two circles of friends, where the intersection area is fast diminishing.

What has always interested me more are those people who know us so well, to say with certainty that we re completely different individuals. Besides me, I think they would agree -

Everything is not the same. It starts with the name.

:D

2007-08-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

"What you don't know cannot hurt you."

This proverb was learnt by me when I was in school. Among the several idioms, figures of speech and other proverbs, I learnt this too. As a kid, you took the word of elders to be writings carved in stone. You do not question. Merely accept. Similarly for me...I never bothered to question. Not my teacher, but myself.
Did I agree with this? Did I have any experience to support the truth or rididule the proverb?

One of the wonders of growing up is that you start to be more sceptical. Things which would have sounded normal to a kid are met with "really?" from an adult. That is how it is with me right now. So I started thinking on the validity and relevance of this proverb in my life.

The proverb is partially true...If I don't know what I don't know, it is true it does not hurt. But my actions without this knowledge will hurt. Statistically put - there is nothing called truth, only an approximation of what is real and true at a particular moment in time. So when I learn something, depending on the severity and importance of that information, it hurts. But, my actions post that don't hurt - neither me / others.

For me the question is - what I don't know cannot hurt me, for how long? If truth will out...this proverb just delays the inevitable.
Reminds me something that Sanjay Dutt said post the 6 years RI verdict - at least, now I know....

Take care....and find out!
:D

2007-08-08T04:02:00.000-07:00

I told you that I stay in Kolkata...that I had been born here and spent my schooling years in this city.
Now that I work here, the way I look at this city has changed...the reason that gave me immense joy as a child does not hold when I am an adult.
Today is a strike. The ubiquitous "bandh" that Kolkata observes in protest of anything that anyone feels is wrong. So, the autos/taxis don't ply...and the office-goers are left in the lurch to fend for themselves. I am one of them.
When in school, I would be sure of the blue bus coming to pick me up at the appointed hour.
Or, school being closed. The story now is completely different.

I am reading Harry Potter, the last of the series. Wonderfully written, it ignites the imagination through each chapter - as Harry races to find the horcruxes, so does my imagination. I have always enjoyed the book much more than the movie.
A movie is a standard product - made by an invidual and meant to serve the masses equally.
A book is a customized product - in the sense, that each reader is free to imagine Harry as s/he wants to... I make my own movie in my mind.

Getting home early leaves me time to reflect...and several thoughts cross my mind. One of them is the weirdness of the concept of love. In love, an individual expects to be liked by someone completely alien for reasons that s/he doesn't believe can be true. The world is weird and I have a long way to go before I find the answers to most questions bubbling in my head.

Take care,
:D

2007-08-06T00:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Friendship Day!!!

The day dawned bright and clear. No rain, thankfully.
My company seems to hold this day in high regard. They booked an Audi in a nearby multiplex for the morning screening of "Cash" for all employees.

The movie lacked story, was too flashy and definitely lacked coherence. The only bright part was the fact that I was with my friend (uncle's daughter) and we could share our anguish on being subjected to dances of "mindblowing mahiya", puzzling relationship between the crook and the policewoman and several other wonders.

My biggest achievement on this day was to have made a new friend [:D]

Reading the benefits of having friends in the newspaper, I couldn't agree more to how much they fill our lives, cheer our moods and make us smile when the world seems rude.

They fill a space, that you never knew was there,
They are sometimes sweet, sometimes blunt...but always fair.
They cheer our mood when the world seems rude...
Old ones make us see how far we've gone,
The new ones spur us to move further along.

:D

2007-07-25T21:32:00.000-07:00

Kolkata is a different city... I have lived here most of my life, but the brief hiatus during which I was elsewhere made me more observant of the idiosyncracies of this place, now that I am working here again.

Bengalies are more emotional than any other tribe I've ever met. Issues can snowball on the slighest pretext...strangers can become friends if they feel there is a need....The operative word is "feel".

For most of my friends, Kolkata is a place where your parents are, while you are located elsewhere. It is a place to visit during the pujas, holidays...a place to relax and then return to the grind. For me, it is is just the opposite, unfortunately.

As I go through daily life, I remember the parting words of one of my professors from ISB, Hyderabad. He had ended the last class and on a parting note mentioned eight steps to becoming a leader and more happier human being. One of those steps was -

Feed your mind at the end of the day with thoughts that challenge you to be better, to think deeper, thoughts that have substance, thoughts that propel you to reach your goal.

:D I am trying...

2007-07-25T05:23:00.001-07:00

As a daily exercise, I love to read the New Yorker archives, where Malcolm Gladwell writes articles.
The link is: http://www.gladwell.com/archive.html

Thoughts on simple things in life are expressed. Why do we behave in a certain way? Why do some one tells a story while another gives a technical/ dispassionate account of an event? What does a person's gesture, hand movements swaying really convey? How can a person read another's mind?
Topics which are at once challenging as well as refreshingly new...

Having been out of Kolkata for nearly 6 years, it is really odd for me to hear everyone talking in bengali, to let the thought sink in that I am actually working in my hometown...Usually happens when when I am conversing with someone. I start talking in English or Hindi, only to realize that the person is a bengali. I have been asked by several people, Are you a bengali? People feel I am not.
It's so ironic - when I am outside Kolkata, I am branded as a bong. When I am in Kolkata, I am asked where I belong.

Work's good. The excitement to make a difference, however small it may be, is great. Hopefully, I'll be able to do that.

Met an ex-colleague of mine. He has some 10 years of work-ex....far senior to me. Completely tech guy...and when conversing I realized how different the tech world can be.

:D

2007-07-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

Long time...no write.
ISB's done. 1 amazing year shot past as fast as the blink of the eye.
In between I got dunked on my birthday. First time people threw me into the pool. It was fun! :D
A group of my good friends sang for me and smothered cake on my beautiful face. ;D
Then, as a climax to all the fun, I sprained my leg. My poor friends had to wheel me home. Bandage my leg. Wash the face they had carefully caked. Ensure that I was fine....and only then could they leave. Frankly, spraining the leg was painful, but it was fun to see my friends having to undo what they had done. A great birthday!

The rest of ISB was spent mostly outside ISB. Went out to lunch and dine too often. Cooked food for friends...they not only had to eat it, but also sing my praises.

Then the convocation. The commencement or graduation ceremony was nice. MOntek Singh Ahluwalia, graced the occasion as the chief guest.

I shocked myself by coming into the Dean's List! Top 10% of the class according to CGPA. Got mentioned by the dean for winning a IIMC competition....a nice day. Both my parents turned up and had fun.

Went to Puttapurthi, Sai Baba's place for two days after ISB. It was a spiritual place and the serenity was nice. Was lucky to have a darshan of the baba. Spent about a week in Hyd. Probably, a long time before I visit the place again.

Nearly two months at home in Kol. Laziness ruled. Read tons of storybooks, watched movies...chatted with friends.

Went to Manesar for Corporate induction. A week of fun, presentations, great food and getting to know all new hires into Bharti Airtel.
My current posting is Kolkata...my hometown.

Met up with a friend of mine....7 years of knowing him. He hasn't changed. I often wonder, is it because I have changed and so has he...and in relative terms, there has been no change?

Keeping in touch with old friends is actually voluntary. If one wishes, one can...which makes me think...how long would it be, before I am lost to all my old friends...and they are lost to me. I have lost touch with some of my old friends....

Rain is here in Kol...the weather is beautiful..

Have a good day!
:D

2006-12-27T00:51:00.000-08:00

I have been following up with the IT department since a month back, trying to start a pod cast for the EVC Club events...mainly the speeches given by the visiting CEOs.
Pod-cast is mainly hosting the audio of the talk on the website, so that an user can play directly from the site...

Finally, they made it happen. This is the link:

http://www.isb.edu/campussbuzz1/EVCHosts_ShilajeetBanerjeeIDEO.html

Earlier, you only had the article on the talk written by yours truly...but now one would be able to listen to the audio also.
Unfortunately, because of bandwidth issues, they have allowed only the first 2 minutes of the talk. I am trying my level best to have the entire talk on the link.

I have benefitted from other sites which host such talks...as they go a long way to inspire listeners. One of the ISB alumni had given me the idea...and I am thankful to him.
Hopefully, before I leave ISB, I shall be able to have the entire speech for everyone who follows ISB news.

Merry Xmas!

2006-11-12T06:28:00.001-08:00

The other day, I got invited to Dinner by WCED as a core member of EVC.
This was hosted for delegates from different parts of the world, involved in business incubation - in short, helping entrepreneurs in their country suceed.

I stopped a guy and we started to chat. He was a delegate from Ankara, Turkey who was associated with the Turkish Ministry and helped in the development of small scale industries in his country. He seemed quite excited about India, and we had a good 1 hour chat on education, life in school and his life at Ankara.
He was a heading a Basketball coaching centre in Ankara apart from Ministerial responsibilities, studied for 8 years, married his school mate who was a psychologist by profession, and had a 9 1/2 year old son. Turkey, he said had a similar problem lke India, disequilibrium of income distribution, with 10-12% unemployment rate.
That is why he was helping entrepreneurs set up their business and increase employment. He had been in around Hyderabad and was fascinated by Indian food.
I was in turn lucky to know more about Turkey, the beautiful natural bridge of Bosphorus, the city of Istanbul and a little about his beliefs.
We were joined by a guy from Iran, who hoped to increase the business interaction between Iran and Turkey.
We parted with the hope to meet again...and mutual good wishes.

A great way to spend an evening.
:)

2006-11-12T06:28:00.000-08:00

The other day, I got invited to Dinner by WCED as a core member of EVC.
This was hosted for delegates from different parts of the world, involved in business incubation - in short, helping entrepreneurs in their country succeed.

I stopped a guy and we started to chat. He was a delegate from Ankara, Turkey who was associated with the Turkish Ministry and helped in the development of small scale industries in his country. He seemed quite excited about India, and we had a good 1 hour chat on education, life in school and his life at Ankara.
He was a heading a Basketball coaching centre in Ankara apart from Ministerial responsibilities, studied for 8 years, married his school mate who was a psychologist by profession, and had a 9 1/2 year old son. Turkey, he said had a similar problem lke India, disequilibrium of income distribution, with 10-12% unemployment rate.
That is why he was helping entrepreneurs set up their business and increase employment. He had been in around Hyderabad and was fascinated by Indian food.
I was in turn lucky to know more about Turkey, the beautiful natural bridge of Bosphorus, the city of Istanbul and a little about his beliefs.
We were joined by a guy from Iran, who hoped to increase the business interaction between Iran and Turkey.
We parted with the hope to meet again...and mutual good wishes.

A great way to spend an evening.
:)

2006-11-12T06:25:00.000-08:00

All in a day!

I attended a talk by Sivakumar Sundaram, the Director of Times Private Treaties Group.
Liked the amazing business model they had in place.
So much like a call option.
Wrote an article on that:-

EVC hosts Mr. Sivakumar Sundaram, Director , Times Private Treaties Group

Mr Sivakumar held a very interactive sessoion with the students and discussed important aspects of Brand building for a company, leveraging the brand to charge a premium from customers and the business model of Times Private Treaty.

He mentioned the “Orbits of Life” concept revolving around Needs, Wants and Gives. As an example he mentioned the shift from Survival (need) to Greed (want) to Guilt (gives). While at the level of need, companies wage a price war, fulfilling a functional desire, at the level of Want, the war is to satisfy the aspirational objectives of the target segment. Brands become important in those cases. The greatest brand, according to Mr Sundaram, was religion because of its high switching costs.

Currently, a mere 2% of the Indian population consumes brands. However this is all set to change and grow to 16% in the coming years. The shifting of the orbits of life was illustrated through change in nomenclature – from barber to hairstylist, from tuition teacher to career advisor and other such examples.

In all this, Communication plays a very important role in enabling this shift and enhancing the value appropriated by a company selling its products. With the help of brands, commodities can be differentiated. The value of the brand is increasingly being recognized in the corporate sphere. In the March last year, P&G bought Gillette for $57 billion of which $ 3 billion were for intangible assets like Brand.

Private Treaty is committed to help enterprises reach the customer through advertisement in the Times Media group and reap the benefits of increased brand awareness and knowledge. While they bear the initial risk of backing a horse, they are able to monetize their investment through a share of equity. When the company performs, the market capitalization soars, and both the company and Private treaty are able to reap the benefits of the brand building exercise.

Private Treaty offers a 3 pronged solution – Advertising support, Branding input and corporate image. Advertising support offers an entrepreneur the flexibility to use all BCCL media properties, Branding provides him with strategic advice while corporate image enables the enterprise to build a profiting business success.
He ended the discussion with the hope to help more entrepreneurs reap the profits of building a brand and help more customers achieve their aspirational desires.

2006-10-26T22:04:00.000-07:00

50% MBA. The thought is scary.
The fact is one needs to incorporate the learnings in one's thinking. And it is really not so easy.
When I hear CEOs speaking to us on campus, I understand the difference between an MBA and a non-MBA.
No, don't get me wrong.
It is in the way they explain any topic.
The way they would use their learning to bring a perspective different from someone else.

I am not yet there...and one needs to start thinking and fast.
The international Banks are coming to campus...and the level of competition is huge.
These banks are a different breed altogether, and only the very best can hope to make it there.
Again, as they say here, "Hope is not a good strategy".

2006-09-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

It was around this time last year that I was busy preparing my application for ISB. The amount of time spent over analyzing each essay, reading and re-reading same essays till you felt no one could like it, running after the recommenders and begging them to complete the recommendation without being pushy (it could affect what they wrote about you). One of the difficulties in writing essays is trying to defend what you have written if you have not thought through it enough. Wondering the number of different questions that the AdComm could ask...it was an arduous task.

The BITSIAN community was a real help to all the BITSians who applied last year, there are 11 of us here at ISB. Preparing together often acts as a motivation to get the job done. The concept is even more prevalent in a B-school in the context of interviews.

The interview took place in The Taj Hotel in Delhi, and it was a really chilly day. I remember meeting other candidates there, but it was difficult to strike up a conversation given the fact that some of them were nervous, others writing an essay and yet others pacing the room. We had an essay to write, something in 50 words, and the topic was such that you definitely couldn't do justice to it in the time and space provided.

My interview had gone well, but my interviewer left ISB this year, and I would have really liked to know about the answers to the questions he had asked. I remember feeling relaxed, as they chatted with me and the whole process went smoothly, it got over in 25 - 30 minutes.

I am recounting this, as it is time for the cycle 1 deadline and all ISB aspirants gear up to face the challenge of the Admission process.

Good luck to all!
One of the things to remember is, "failures are the pillars of success".

:)

2006-09-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

There is a similarity in lives led, and when you talk to a person, it is sometimes uncanny to find that situations leading to a decision were very similar in both lives, repeated in different geographies.
I was talking to my friend here, and when she described her reasons to pursue higher studies, her job and experiences...there was a common thread that I was surprised to find. Which is heartening to note, that our experiences are really not so unique.

Joe Liemandt, the Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Trilogy, Inc. came visiting the students the other day and talked of his journey from being in the garage and developing configurators with his five friends to being a billion dollar company.
His 1 point agenda was to convince us to become entrepreneurs, "to get up, and start". He had dropped out of Stanford to do that, and asked us all to do the same.
In entrepreneurship, "the highest of highs and the lowest of lows are within 30 secs of each other". To prove his point he told us his story, and he is an amazing orator, in fact bordering on theatrical. His actions, voice, everything makes for a great story telling. From being doomed when asked to show the Demo of his product as he was sure it wouldn't work, to getting the contract, coz it worked (! - a probability of 1 in a billion at that time), Joe has come a long way.
His story on credit cards, the quirks of law was as interesting to hear as was his dad's opinion on him when he had dropped out ( " You are a complete moron").

All in all, a great way to pass an hour. A fundamental requisite of entrepreneurship is the blinding belief that that the idea would work, as the support base wanes with time.
Another interesting observation that I made from the several talks that I have been to - is the importance of a garage. You need it, not for your cars, but to make an empire. Apple, Trilogy, and several others was born in someone' sgarage.

2006-09-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

It is September...and I cannot believe it!
Time just zips past in this place.

Term 3 is over, term break went by (was at ISB), and now jumped into Term 4. The last of the core terms...

Management of Organization course made us fly paper planes and it was such fun. To understand the working of organizations, big and small, you gotto work to gether to get the idea.

Was reading the book "Blink", and it was informative to know about the idea of "thin-slicing".

Lots of work to do...mostly thinking. And there never seems to be any time. Sometimes, it is hard to find answers to all the questions that trouble the mind. Makes you so desparate to settle those confusions... Makes me appreciate those who know the answer.

2006-08-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

I have already written about the several speaker series that takes place at ISB. As the person responsible for the Communications of EVC (they call it Director - Communications, EVC...in fact everyone who is anyone is called a Director), I report all those news for the ISB website. I am posting this item here.

Hope you enjoy it!

EVC hosts Mahesh Murthy, CEO of PinStorm

Mahesh came visiting ISB last week and talked about Entrepreneurship to the students. One of the sustaining values of any business, according to him, is the ability to provide the customer with something that insanely delights him. The rest is taken care of by viral marketing or word of mouth.
Mahesh has run Passion Fund, he has been on the board of the recently concluded first season of “Business Baazigar”. He has also taught Entrepreneurship at INSEAD.
He discussed the 4 Ws and 1 H of Entrepreneurship.
Who becomes an entrepreneur?
Only those “who resist the urge to merge”. They are individuals who find the job that fits them, instead of fitting themselves to the job. They are unwilling to adjust and are discontented.
Where to start?
One can start a world-class company from anywhere. Skype started from Estonia, Procter and Gamble started from Cincinnati, Ohio…any place is suitable for an entrepreneur.
What to start?
According to him, every single trend that exists is dead for an entrepreneur as, as the top three companies in an industry (the first movers) control 80 – 85% of the profits. It is also a human urge to play it safe, but it is important to understand that “Trend means the end”, more precisely, from Mahesh’s own experience in journalism and media, he mentioned, “If a journalist knows about it, it is too late for an entrepreneur”.
How to go about it?
In India, startup funding is hard to come by, but interestingly, the most successful companies are not VC funded. The way Mahesh selects is team, is “by rejecting the toppers”. He would prefer a “jugaru” to a university medalist, as these people feel comfortable in ambiguity. His advice to budding entrepreneurs is to have friends around for moral support.
Why should one become an entrepreneur?
Mahesh impressed upon the students that the only asset that individuals have is their life, and entrepreneurship enables one to stretch that to the fullest.

PinStorm: is a company which explores the long tail of the search mail. Their business model is to spend on the marketing for the company and then seek a percentage of the returns that result from their efforts. PinStorm is two years old, and 65 people strong. It is the 4th or 5th largest company in Asia.
Mahesh also talked of some of the questions that cross the minds of VCs while looking at business plans, like, the exit options, whether the business can be helped by them, whether it is fundable by them and most importantly the commitment of the entrepreneur and the chemistry he shares with the VCs.

Mahesh was very enthusiastic in his interactions with the students, and offered to keep in touch with ISB students.
He advised students to enjoy their time, “rock-n-roll”, while learning about the world of business.

2006-08-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

Lots of rain...almost two days non-stop. The best thing was that it was on a weekend, so you could sleep without the worry of rushing to classes. At ISB, in weekends you don't have classes, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. One may thank the stars for the break, but it is compensated by due dates for assignments and cases.

The other day, Manish Sabherwal, CEO Teamlease, and founder of India-Life, came on campus to address students of PAEV (Planning an Entrepreneurial Venture). He spoke for two hours, what he called "public bullshitting", and the time just breezed by! Amazing orator, his insights were profound. Having started two successful ventures himself, he gave valuable tips to a lot of us who hope to tread the path someday. "I wish I had", is one of the greatest regret of middle age and that life is not a sprint but a marathon (referring to his friends who made great jobs post MBA).

"Leadership lessons from Shakespeare", another wonderful talk to highlight the different kinds of leaders, the reasons for downfall and stories from India to draw parallels.

2006-07-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

It was my first.
Although I had heard about it, I had never quite experienced what it felt to see the sun rise by staying awake the entire night.
The COMPSTRAT assignment did that for me... While dawn is quite beautiful to watch, you really don't look too good yourself after staying up the night. And, I was not alone...three of my group members saw the dawn too.

Term 2 got over two days back, but the assignment due after that was really exhausting. There were quite a few others whose faces bore the marks of a demanding night.
At ISB, deadlines drive everything...and I guess that teaches one to respect them, plan ahead, and prepare for contingencies when some team members are unavailable.

The Term had DMOP exam, which took most of our breadth away...when the invigilator said that "5 minutes remaining", the entire class started laughing...It really didn't matter.
CSTR - race against time, and all those open book notes to refer to and not spend too much time reading them.
MKTG - a challenging exam...
GLEC - Four articles on world macroeconomics....this field is open to interpretations of all kinds...how does one really know which macroeconomic variable changes faster than another, thus ensuring one certain outcome?

Caught up with a few movies in the meantime, "In Good Company" - a 26 year old MBA becomes the boss of a 52 year old chap...Certain marketing fundamentals in action, and a lot of tension between the old and the new ways of thinking. Nice watch, interesting comedy especially when the chap falls in love with the daughter of the ex-CEO.

"Bourne Supremacy" - Too much action and violence....

I organized a violin concert for my Section...And it was really a soothing experience to listen to the melodious tunes of the violin while sitting under the stars with friends. From 11 in the night to almost 1:30 the time passed quite swiftly...It was given by one of our section mates..and he played really well..from classical to Hindi music ditties...

Now, I need to catch up with my sleep...
:)

2006-07-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

This Tagging business...Someone somewhere thought of finding out a lot more about another person, and made the poor fellow answer some questions. Now, this chap, getting wiser, and following the rule of "Pay It Forward", tags his unsuspecting friends into answering the same questions. It is a circle, if you ask me, and it seems to grow by the day. I wonder who started it.

Now, I have been tagged...by Swapnil.

I am thinking
What is the value of life? It seems so vulnerable, and the Serial Bombay blasts just emphasize it.

I said
Nothing really. Actions speak louder than voice.

I want
To jump to Term break without exams.

I wish
I was a student, always.

I miss
My sis, mailing RM, chatting with BSS, walks to the temple

I hear
That they have given 15 Fs for Marketing 1…Hope it is a prank.

I wonder
Always, and on everything and anything.

I regret
Nothing.

I am
Enakshi.

I dance
When I am in the mood, when there are others to dance with.

I sing
To hear my voice.

I cry
Easily.

I am not
Meenakshi…whenever I say my name to someone, they usually presume me to be that.

I write
A diary, poems and stories.

I confuse
Sometimes when looking at the LDP video records, I see my sister.

I needNothing…chocolates are always welcome!

I should
Study for the exams…and time just seems to fly by.

I finish
The letters that I begin (I still write those in this age of email)

So now I have passed the tag...to Meenakshi, Rahul, Samir

:)

2006-07-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

ISB has speaker series, and throughout the year. Some are a part of club activities, others are a part of ISB management. I have been to quite a few and while some managed to awe me, others were not so great. Overall, it was a good learning experience to know about their experience, about the life of managers and the difficult decisions they live through and make, and it was inspiring to hear them.

Prof Raju had his last class with us today...He has been a good prof and inspired thinking in his students. He mentioned, that one must be prepared to think small...it was a part of our learning from a case.

I have taken up the job of observing one of my friends, and his interactions with people around him. This is in order to tell him whether he is missing the fact that there is actually someone who likes him so much, that he can actively pursue the avenue. Which means, if there is no one, his purpose is defeated, though I will get to hone my observation skills and learn to read more in expressions.

Saw the movie " Good Will Hunting". Geniuses need some pushing to know they are capable of loving and receiving the same.

:)

2006-07-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

Done with the Mid Terms - Macroeconomics and DMOP.
DMOP has a long name, and since I really don't want to spell out the name here (laziness), let me tell you, it is about making decisions after a given solution has been optimised to address the problem.

The macroeconomics paper was really innovative and a great way to think about world affairs. The prof put in articles from magazines to ask us questions, and apply our classroom knowledge to real world issue analysis. He had made the paper really well, a challenge, so to say. Though tough, I must admit, it made sense in studying the subject, to find the relevance of the thories studied in our lives, and in the world around us.

He had also screened the movie Commanding Heights, and it chronicles the change in the world order from WWI to the new millenium. It gives a very good idea of the way certain countries have embraced market-driven policies, while some of them chose to remain closed. The fight between the classical and Keynesian theory, the followers of Hayek's beliefs - Maggie Thatcher and Reagen, India's doing away with the Permit Raj and embracing the free market, Hernando de Soto's ideas on capitalism...and much more. It is worthwhile to watch this movie, in case you are interested in knowing more about global economics.

I was busy this weekend with the LDP schedule and learning Business Presentation skills. The facilitator, Mr Rajehwar Upadhyay, is himself a great speaker and very inflential with a style of his own. The two day programme, has changed a few of my beliefs about good presentation skills and given me a fair idea of what I need to do to move from being good to great. In fact, even in the span of two days, I have witnessed change in the presentation style of a few of my classmates...and also in myself. For one's own personal style to evolve, one needs practice and regularly so...which has to be worked on, given the rigorous schedule that ISB has.
A great learning session...and highly productive.

2006-06-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

I was enjoying myself, as my family came down to meet me...Good time passes by so fast.
The week just flew away.

Watched "fanaa" with the family. The tunes of one of the songs was really nice. Story is fine, but Aamir Khan's earlier "Rang De Basanti" lingers on. Couldn't appreciate this one to that extent. Kajol never seemed blind, unlike Rani in "Black" who had done it so well. Obviously, Rani was retarded, whereas Kajol was not. Saw "Darna Zaroori Hain". I don't remember when it was released, but it really failed to scare me. It became quite predictable, if you have watched, "Darna Mana Hai".

Clubs have been formed, presidents and office bearers elected, and the work has started. Got involved with two clubs so far...Hopefully, demands should not be too much. Given the load of assignments, I am wondering whether two isn't enough.
And, yes, I lost that editor post to a competent colleague.

Term 1 results are more or less out...I need to work harder...or maybe smarter. Dunno which one. It depressed me for a little while, until I realised that there were far more important things in life....Family, friends, Memories and so much more...

Remembered a bengali song...
"Jokhon roiba be na mor choron chinno eiy bate"
(When my foot steps will not be found at this doorstep)

:)

2006-06-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

Term 2. Courses are Competitive Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Optimization and Global Economics.

Markstrat seems to be interesting...given the fact that we will be playing a simulation game and acting as a firm in a particular industry and competing with our peers over 7 periods. Phew! Using all that we have learnt in Marketing...try and survive as a company in the marketplace and not fizzle out. And, there is no compassion...You are penalized for fizzling out.

Global Econimcs: All firms are essentially similar, and the effects of taxation and government policies affect the well being of the nations. We talk in terms of GDP and GNP...and move away from microeconimcs which concentrated on individual firm's health. The prof will be be showing us a movie to better illustrate what we are learning.

Competitive Strategy: It mainly discusses the various strategies that companies deploy to survive, wipe out competition, gain market share through examples. We saw the Cola Wars...and what Pepsi did as an entrant to the cola industry is truly commendable. Let's see how this course turns out...the assignments hopefully, will give a better flavour to the course.

Optimization: Hopefully, this is something we all try to do, whether we have been exposed to the course or not...Hence, it's nothing really new...Everybody needs it, as does any MBA student.

Caught up with movies, this hectic schedule is not doing enough to deter me..."Bourne Identity", "Laws of Attraction", "Finding Nemo", "Pay it Forward".
The last two are worth mentioning...The lesson that Nemo's dad learnt was very heart-warming, from being over-protective of his son, to learning to let go...
Pay it forward was a wonderful concept of a little boy, in contrast to paying a kind deed back. It made sense, and it also seemed credible.

We had the second round of elections on campus...Presidents of Clubs, Sports activities and Newsletter. I had submitted my nomination for the last one...as it was something I had done previously.

Section C had their Ethnic Day celebrations - the girls wore sari, and the guys wore kurta. It was good fun to go to class in a sari, surprised the profs...and the rest of the sections who were dressed normally. It was good fun, taking snaps...which would become a part of my "good ol days"

:D

2006-06-07T23:50:00.000-07:00

Well, the Term 1 exams ended a day back, and we've got a break till the coming Mondays. Some people have left for home, but a few have chosen to stick to this place. I am one of them.
The exams were challenging, as they were meant to be. The profs had promised that it would be an exam of what we know, but then, if one does not know, the purpose of the test is defeated.

We are all 12.5 % MBAs, as a someone put it. ISB has 8 Terms, Term 1 done, 7 more to go.
The few of us who had stayed back, gathered yesterday to eat, dance and play with our section mates. And it was really enjoyable. I guess this is one of the few parties at ISB, where everyone danced in tandem with the group.

Term 2 coursepacks have already been distributed..and the size is really intimidating. They say, it is supplementary material...I wonder what the main thing looks like.
In the meantime, I caught up with a few movies - "Dirty Dancing", "The Specialist". I had seen the Hindi version, "Holiday" for the first one, and could almost anticipate what was going to happen. Nonetheless, the original is good to watch.

Each of the courses in Term 1 is related to the other. You need to appreciate the market and competition in order to better estimate your moves - Economics, and set a price, so as to either gain market share or penetrate the market...understanding your product and its value - Marketing, in case you have started off, you better maintain the books - Accounting, and if you want to know what factors are influencing your business revenues, profits and losses - Statistics.

This is how I related the topics...and I enjoyed all of them, but Economics the most. Game Theory is an amazing concept and has the potential to change your outlook of the world and your surroundings.

2006-05-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

It's really been sometime since I wrote here...was too busy with the assignments. No, they are not done with as yet, it's just that I understood that there will never be a period of "no-assignmets". So, let's carry on with life.
Economics. I really like the subject, and I truly dread the Final exams. It has tremendous potential to attract a first-learners and the ability to confuse you. We learnt Game-theory. I had studied it during BE, but not to this depth.
To imagine it all came from the mind of a schizophrenic.
The whole idea of game involves players(at least two), their strategies and the end-objectives. So far, it's been mostly sellers/firms trying to get customers. The study of this theory helps one better understand the various promotions that sellers do to woo buyers.
Why don't firms sell coupons to customers of the competitor?
The answer depends on the strength of their customer base...and the revenue that it generates by giving a discount to the others. If my base is strong, I will not try to attract others, coz' then my competitor will give away coupons to my customers, which then, will force me to reduce the price for my strong base as well. Overall, its a downward spiral.
It sounds convoluted, but makes a lot of sense if one thinks over it.

The other subjects are going on fine. We had elections, a new president and directors of the GSB.
I've watched some movies.."Romeo and Juliet", "Shawshank Redemption"... The second one is really nice. Patience, planning and wonderful execution helped the protagonist achieve his aim. Would not like to tell the story. Shawshank is a prison...

Take care
:)

2006-05-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

Done with the Mid-Terms. That's what kept me away from blogging.
Stats was better, Eco was a disaster. I really liked Economics, whatever was taught so far. Obviously, my best-fit regression line, linking the liking of the subject to doing well in it, was wrong. The relationship does not seem linear to me, and definitely, it's not a positive slope either.
Eco: The objective of this course was to help the student think differently. I wondered at that time, that it was really a tall order. However, two and a half weeks from the start, I think there has been some difference to my way of thinking about things. Supply and demand, profit maximization are some of the more important terms learnt during this course.
Let's say, why do you think airlines food is bad?
Before Eco course happened, I would think, that all these guys were denying us our value for money. Downright disgusting!
Post Eco, I feel that there are certain other considerations to be borne in mind. Considering an ideal situation, Airlines Industry approximates a perfectly competitive market, which means there are "n" other airlines providing the same service - transportation. In such a situation, the price is decided by the market, and both consumers and producers respond to this God. If prices are similar across the board, there is no incentive for the producer to increase price - consumers will go elsewhere, neither to reduce, as they can get as many customers as they want at the current price. No extra person is going to come by price reduction. In such a scenario, the only way to win, is to reduce the underlying fixed and variable costs associated with flights. So, economise whatever you possibly can.
The difference in my thinking is that, I now understand, why airlines serve what they do.

Our stats prof left last week after completing his portion. We've got a new guy for the second half. The first prof was really awesome. Teaching like he was holding a stage and urging us to think like managers. Statistics is all numbers, estimates and so on. But this is not what you do. You decide what statistics to estimate and you interpret the results. While technical taught me the details, Management is all about moving away from them. And, it is interesting.

The students here are photographed four days a week, throughout the year. No, no we are not celebrities, this is the way the institute keeps track of attendance. It's a huge archive...all students, everyday, entire year. Maybe, if one studied those, one could see the changes of maturity over the year. Faces change, and I am sure, the archive could provide proof of that.

I've written quite a lot, by far my longest post.
Take care,
:D

2006-05-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

I went to my first ISB party. I was planning to go for all the previous ones, but unfortunately, sleep won over the enthusiasm to go out and party.
Well, I turned up at 12:30 am when most of my batch mates were mid-way through their merriment. It was held at the mirror pool, and they had filled it with water. It being the warm summer night, people were really enjoying splashing around. The dress code was shorts and skirts. Since, I had worn none, I didn't venture towards the pool.
Midway through my conversation on Mendelism and Genetic Heredity with a fellow batch-mate, I was dragged by some too-enthusiastic-section-mates to the pool and while they lashed water at me.
Now, when I said it was a summer night, I exaggerated. Completely drenched, I realized that it was not that hot. Thankfully, my dear friend who had gotten nutty while talking about some of the Genetic structure and dominance theories, volunteered to drop me to my SV.
Moral of the story:
Never over-estimate the temperature, and
a confused chap is more likely to take pity on you...
:D

2006-05-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

I was sitting in class today when I suddenly remembered that I was no longer working. No longer was I a part of the organisation where I had gone to every morning at 9, for the past two and a half years.
The place, the people, my work station, my documents and pictures, would now be completely unaccessible to me. I was no longer there. The routine which had been my life had all changed, by choice. It's not that I didn't think of what was coming, but you never fully comprehend without living through it. Now, while sitting in my allocated place in the class, I remembered my cubicle so far away.
The memories just refused to leave...
That is perhaps, the case with most things in life, you never know when they become a part of you, as you go through your daily routine. For some, change can be a very difficult concept to accept, and some move on as if there was no pull from the past. People react in so different ways when confronted with change...the very concept can be disturbing to many. Without qualifying whether a change is for the better or the worse, our acceptance of the truth can often influence the outcome of the change.
Would you like an employee who sulked when he was asked to do something which was new to him, or prefer the chap who went with a smile to try new things out? And, would not this positivism reflect in his performance?
I guess I could talk at length on this, but I'll stop here... a new day is about to begin.

2006-05-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

I've caught up seeing quite a few movies recently...one of the benefits of having a laptop and a good collection of DVDs at the school's library.
"A Walk in th Clouds"...this one I believe was the inspiration for all movies which had the heroine take a guy home as his supposed-husband. Dhai Akshar Prem ke, and what not. The original is simple and Keanu Reeves does a truly good job.
"The Incredibles"...good concept and great execution. The transformation of the animation industry is quite stupendous...from 2D to 3D cartoons, the quality of special effects, fluid movements of characters and obviously great storyline, makes this Pixar Presentation a joy to watch.
"Pirates of the Caribbean - Curse of the Black Pearl". I've actually seen it before, but the behind-the-scenes narrative was quite informative. The fact that computer graphics and animation has been used to depict the pirate-skeletons was informative, more so as the distinction cannot be made out. Technology truly has enhanced the viewing experience and made a lot more things possible.
Thinking about movies, 4D theater, one of its kind has been opened at Noida Spice Mall. The sensory experience of water splashing on you while you watch a waterfall sounds quite intriguing. It's apparently running "full house" for all its shows.
Now its time I got back to those dreaded assignments.
:D

2006-05-03T05:44:00.000-07:00

We left it at Statisics.
I have learnt statistics in my college, BITS, and it was done in a very different way than what I experienced in class yesterday. The word is awesome.
He captured our attention from the very beginning, sheerly by virtue of being an experienced speaker.
Imagine, that your company makes GPS devices, the ones that tell you where you are located, hi-fi maps. Say, a hiker has taken your device and gone on a trekking expedition and did not take any maps with him. He goes on and on and on...suddenly, the device drops from his hands. He picks it up, and oooops, the screen is blank!
The next day, the news reports a frozen hiker in the middle of nowhere with icicles formed on his body, with Your blanked out GPS device on his hand. Bad publicity.
So what do you do??
You test, and test again to find the chance that the chip will malfunction. And, when you run tests, you need to set limits to acceptable performance, and those limits will be given by the wonderful subject called Statistics.
It was the most wonderful introduction to a subject I had previously thought as routine.

Hopefully it will continue to be as interesting as when it began.

The weekends come, and with it the promise of assignments. Frankly, management is all about managing your scarcities...the primary one being time.

2006-05-01T23:53:00.000-07:00

Classes have started.
Accounting - Marketing - Economics and Statistics.
What is the relevance of these subjects to a manager?

I am not interested to be an Accountant, so why know the balance sheet? The answer, as my prof said it well, is because the senior you become in your organisation, the stronger the relationship there is between the balance sheet and You. Defenses by Enron Chief such as "I never knew" does not work anymore. So, Accounting. The other misconception that he cleared was, it's a boring subject. His take on it, "only if done correctly" ;D

Marketing...this is easier to explain to people, as the concept of business stems from the idea that you have a product/sevice/idea/experience to sell and you have to know how to segment the customer, "catch me if you can (target them), and position them. As I go along the way, these broad ideas will be broken down to decide how to go about doing it for a particular case.

Economics...it is not "all about money, honey" if I can change the saying. It is about deciding on an alternative given a scarcity. Scarcity of anything, but primarily of Time and money. What goes behind/back of your maind when you decide on an option? Think and analyse why you chose what you did, what was the alternatives available, what was the scarcity etc. It will get more clearer as the weeks progress.

Statistics..sorry, I haven't had a class yet. But obviously, if after what you've read so far, you haven't figured the need for this subject, you are statistically disadvantaged to become a good manager... ;D

The profs are doing a good job, while we have to keep up with all the pre, present and post reads for the subjects...
Till then,
Goodbye..

2006-04-29T21:52:00.000-07:00

Peacock Crossing.
That is the first thing you notice when you cross the gates of ISB, past the security. I have not seen any peacocks around, probably because I crossed past instead of lying in wait for the national bird to appear.
And, I have a hunch that most people would do that too. Which gave me an idea. What if I put a sign saying "procupine crossing" and let it be?
Would people stop to check or would the thought of a spiny procupine scare them away faster and add to the awe of ISB? ;D. Food for thought.
Accounting is over and done for the pre-terms but my balance sheet is imbalanced. And I was the one enjoying the classes...
Perhaps today is the last of the calm Sundays...because from the next weekend onwards, there would be assignments galore.
The temperature's been soaring. Thank god for the ACs that they provide in the rooms.
Classes for Term 1 starts from tomorrow, four courses. The beginning of the road for a Management career.
One of the differences between technical subjects and managerial topics lies in the non conclusive nature of solutions in the latter. Technical means, there has to be a way. Managerial is more ambiguous in nature. I don't wish to say too much right now..as I've just started out.
:D

2006-04-27T05:02:00.000-07:00

For the Pre-Terms, I have taken only a single course, Introductory Accounting, inspite of being "highly recommended" to take the other two.
And, that was one good decision. The prof is amazing. She happens to be taking continuous two-hour classes everyday, answering similar questions across six sections and yet manages to be so patient with all of us. I guess that is one of the wonderful attributes of being in the teaching profession, one learns the virtue of patience. It is so easy to tire and so difficult to listen to the student's doubt... I am enjoying my introduction to balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements.
I keep meeting several people everyday and I am trying my very best to connect the face with the name. 427...it will take time, but given the fact that most of them will land up as CXO of some company down the line, it is a wise investment of my time to find out more about them.
Term 1 begins next week, and it does not seem too far either.
Time, on campus, passes very fast, and faster still, if you have an assignment to submit :D

2006-04-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

So many clubs...formed almost every hour. In a way it's good. All the students of the batch have some area of focus where they would like to be, and a club provides a forum to discuss and debate topics, prepare together for a recruiting company and help each other find jobs of their dreams.
It makes sense.
There's the other aspect of putting forward the aspirations of the group to the authorities. A group helps to address the collective aspirations of it's members, contact necessary people, draw from the diverse pool of students admitted and then proceed on a roadmap in order to achieve people's goals.
Though it is just the start, the amount of work that awaits is unbelievable. Here the students have to be the fore runner in achieving their dreams, the school takes a supportive role. The sense of action, of assuming responsibility for your own career can be immensely exhilarating.
The clubs have just started out.."a long way to go before we sleep".

2006-04-23T23:20:00.000-07:00

More than a week has passed. It was the Orientation Week.
The concept of a one year program robs students of an opportunity to have the comfort of going to seniors for advice and help. In a way, it is like re-inventing the wheel, instead of moving onto the tyre.
However, during the week, a few of my ideas were reformed. The Class of 2006 came over to interact with all of us, give us invaluable gyaan and did not complain of the repetitive and endless stream of questions that "freshers" had to ask. The amount of patience, the number of late nights they must have put in order to calm an anxious students' fears of the gruelling experience about to begin, and the last minute topics of gyaan that could be covered was simply put, amazing.
Thank You is probably too early to say and too premature. It signals an end, when the chapter has only been opened.Our relationship with the alumni has just begun.
As a student of this wonderful instituition, I can only hope to repay in kind the blessing that I have received.

2006-04-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

I wanted to get started. Generally.
Getting back to acads has not been as bad as imagined. I had actually wanted it...come to think of it, for almost two years. I wonder whether it applies to other things as well, that is, if you want something really badly, do you actually end up getting the same?
I believe you do. The dream turns into reality only when you consistently refuse to accept anything else. Know, not just think, that you can achieve the goal.
Imagination is an amazing power that humans have been blessed with. It empowers one to visualise circumstances that one wants to actualise, relieve moments that have passed, in short you are as big as your imagination makes you.

Some might disagree and I would love to hear the other side.
Till then, goodbye
:D