Ricky's thoughts

Walking down memory lane....

2006-04-11T11:53:00.000-06:00

Its been more than two years since i came to the US... Last evening I was checking some of the snaps from my yahoo photos and thought i would post them here! The snaps posted below are moments before a storm. Nature at its best!

Date: 03/27/2004

I'm back....

2006-03-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

I’m catching up after being out of the blog world for awhile. Last two weeks have been so hectic. I have been just busy working and too cold to do much other than survive from day to day! I have tried to catch a glimpse of everyone's blog and I really enjoy it.. it somehow makes me feel better... i would say a little more normal realizing everybody is living full and busy lives as well. I'm blogging from my work right now. I wanted to take a break from my work and write something here.. but I have nothing to write other than my work schedule! I wouldn't wanna write about my work.. naah!
It's dreary out and I guess it might rain today.. the coldness of yesterday is gone.. more to come this weekend as it is goin' to snow! Its that kind of a day where you want to go take a nap and awake to a cup of coffee. One more day and its a weekend.. Can't wait to shout out loud "TGIF"!

Have a great weekend!

Question time...

2006-03-01T15:59:00.000-07:00

Try to answer them as honestly as you can!

a. You see three teenagers making fun of a mentally handicapped man in the street. What would you do?

b. A dear friend is in agony and wants you to help him/her to die. Would you?

c. Has your life ever been changed by an apparently random occurrence?

American way of living...

2006-02-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

It was a nice evening with a clear sky with the sun setting behind the mountains. I was on my couch and remembering those bygone days when i had a hard time learning grammar. I studied in an Anglo Indian school and one could imagine the standard of english education!

I still remember my english teacher. She was tall, lean, fair & brown-eyed. She was so sweet that she would give chocolates to the kid who answers her questions correctly. She was smart enough to make the kids learn grammar in an easy manner. I, for one, always had a hard time learning the Adverbs, Adjectives, Conjun(k)ctions, Punctuations and what not..!

How has it helped me to evolve in this modern era of communication? Certainly to a great extent... Communication skills have never been as important as they are now in the globalized world where we live today. This is true in the business era; global companies look for employees who can establish effective communication with multinational companies.

Talking about communication, the first thing that comes to my mind is the variety of languages and the cutural behaviours. While gearing for a foreign work assignment, the employee should be given some basic training/information about the cultural differences. Those who don't undergo such acclimatization are never safe in the new environment and feel like a fish out of water. The hardest part of working abroad isn't finding a place to stay or learning the language, it's learning to cope with the cultural shock.

American cities have people from all over the globe. It is necessary to be ready to deal with this kind of situation. The person who is coming from another country must understand that the American way of living can be very different from their native country. Some of the american mannerisms will be better than what the person has used while others will be worse. Better or worse, the foreigner must accept the rules of the new country instead of trying to change them. In a very respectful way the foreigner can even give suggestions for the local culture but never impose it on them.

To me, the cultural shock is alarming, it makes me more alert and inquisitive to learn more about the place where I live. I've been able to prehensile and in the process made myself a very flexible person.

Having said that, haven't we seen reverse cultural shock when people return to their native country. Perhaps without realizing that they have changed while being abroad, they would definitely need to readjust to get back into the grove of their native culture and society!

Just a random thought.. I kinda started writing something, but ended up writing this. It happens.. :)

Snowfall....

2006-02-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

It was snowing all day yesterday, and every once in a while I would glance out the window at it and was quite content being in where it was nice and warm. It even hailed ice pellets a few times. The snow was a little heavy in the night and windy too.

(Office Parking Lot)

I woke up early this morning, as i had to attend an 8am meeting. I just glanced through the window and oh boy... I just cannot explain the beautiful sight. I could hardly see any ground, it was all covered with snow. Though my car was protected by a covered parking, it had a lot of snow in the hood and i couldn't see the faceplate. This is one of the heavy snowfall we have had this year in SLC!

(Snow in front of my office)

Just an FYI.. The 2002 Winter Olympics was held in SLC.

Rang de Basanti....

2006-02-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

After a long wait, I got a chance to watch this movie "Rang de Basanti". The desi crowd in Utah is not as good as it is in East or West coast. The CD had to travel all the 49 states and finally to Utah.

I was reading all these reviews about the movie and decided to watch it when it is screened in the theatres of Utah. The much awaited movie finally hit the theatres of Utah and it was scheduled to play at 11.30am on Sunday.

Rather unusual, I woke up early in the morning on Sunday. Now don't ask me how early! :) I brushed my teeth & took a shower. By then, my room-mate had prepared some delicious uppuma for breakfast. I eat the uppuma and had some hot coffee, burnt my lips.

The theatre is just a mile away from where i live. We wanted to be there early as we might not get a back-row seat. We were half hour early for the show. It was crowded and colorful. It was really a pleasant sight to see desi crowd. Rang everywhere... do you know what i mean?

We were let in by 11.25am. People started to crowd near the counter and everyone wanted to occupy the center row. We got a side row seat and was happy with what we had got when compared to the people who sat in the first row, where the screen is just 30 ft away. I couldn't imagine watching a movie sitting in the first row!

The theatre had a maximum occupancy of 250 people and it was house-full. The movie did not start even after 10 minutes past the scheduled start. In the mean time, my friend bought us some Coke to drink. It was 11.55am and there were no signs of the movie being played. We went out to ask the manager. He told us that the movie was initially planned to preview in theatre 1, but at the last minute they had to change theatres, so the delay. Was asking how long would it take and he said that it would start in about 5 minutes.

12 noon, I was really restless and got off from my seat. Started walking around, waiting for the movie to start. Finally there was some light in the screen but no audio. It was just the commercials, so no one really bothered about the audio. Then the movie started without audio. Oh Boy, this is too much. After such a long wait, why would one want to watch a movie without any audio. People started to whistle and someone cried out loud "Sound de basanti", laughter filled the air.

The audio was fixed and there comes our hero Aamir Khan. The theatre goes electric. Finally the stage was all set to watch the much hyped movie "Rang de Basanti". Rang De Basanti is not a rip-off of some exotic film, but the story is told at a leisurely pace. Aamir Khan, Siddharth, Madhavan, A.R.Rehman, etc.. the stage cannot get any bigger than this! I suggest giving the movie a try, its not a big special effects film, but it still has a lot of rang for its buck.

Scrap Supersubs and Powerplays says Ponting

2006-02-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

"The Supersub rule allows teams to substitute any player with a 12th man, who can bat and bowl, rather than just taking a place in the field as under traditional regulations. Ponting aside, other international captains too have urged the ICC to amend the rule based on the situation of the toss."

I would second Ponting here in this new rule that ICC has injected to ruin the spirit of the game. It really doesn't make any sense when you have a bowler as a supersub and you have lost the toss. The opponent takes advantage of the toss and we are playing 12 versus 11 players on the field.

It is more advantageous and makes justice, if both the teams had an all-rounder as the supersub. It really helps both the team even if you had lost the toss.

"Under the Powerplay rule, the side bowling must have nine fielders inside a 30-yard circle for two five-over periods after the first 10 overs."

This is again something that ICC needs to revisit and make it more interesting. Most of the matches played have used the powerplays within the first 30 overs. None of the captains would want to use the powerplay after 30 overs have been bowled. It would add more afflication to the bowlers!

It has been ages since the bowlers have dominated the game. It has become more of a bastman's game and no joy for the bowlers. I would like to see this trend move towards the bowlers and they start tasting the pleasure of success.

Relationships...

2006-01-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

I just read an interesting article in rediff. It was all about "What Women want in men?"

It is easy to think that all men are attracted to some sort of universal ideal woman. Good looks clearly rated high on the list. Most of them would not agree, but when it comes to reality, its much different from what we think. However what the guys define as good-looking might differ from each other.

Before I started reading the article, I wanted to list the two important things that a 'Man wouldn't want in a Women' or rather I wouldn't want in a Women.

I believe that clarity in communication is much more important. 99% of all problems within a relationship such as infidelity, depression, abuse, boredom, and naggerism originate from poor communication. Most women are always going to nag and most men are always going to cheat. It is quite simple, human nature at its best! :)

Most women nag because it is in their nature to do so. They grew up watching most of the women around them doing it and were taught that it was the best way to handle men. No men would wan't a nagging women.

Egoism... The word is self-descriptive. I needn't explain how it would affect the relationship, if either of them are egoistic. Egoism is the most dangerous disease a human can be afflicted with.

FYI... Just a random thought!

Huh.... Its Monday...!

2006-01-30T14:11:00.000-07:00

Monday.... The longest day of the week..! :(

Embrace all equally!

2006-01-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to end the weekend with a spiritual thought.. A small story to lighten up your day!

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer and he started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you look so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected." Too often we underestimate the power of a touch,! ! a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. Remember, we don't know what God will look like.

People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!

DREAMS - Do they have a meaning?

2006-01-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

A follow-up from my earlier post DREAMS

Everyone dreams although many people do not remember our dreams or do not pay them any attention. Yet dreams often contain significant information for us, putting light on what has happened in our lives, or what is happening and providing insights about our future.

How often have you woken in the night, looked at a digital clock, but it has appeared blurred or doesn't make sense? Have you got vague memories of getting up in the middle of the night, trying to open the door, finding that it won't open and going back to bed?

A false awakening is a convincing illusion of having woken when, in fact, you are still in dreaming sleep, so the imagery.. although seemingly real is artificial.

Several times I have known that I was dreaming when it was time to get up for work. I have tried to wake myself up, but only succeeded in dreaming that I have woken. This could happen four or five times in a row before I actually woke up properly. I'll know it's still a dream usually because the carpet or bed-sheets are a different colour, or that something else in the room (say furniture) is not correct.

I have always asked this question to myself... Do DREAMS have any meaning in our lives? Science can't give an answer to the question of whether or not dreams are meaningful... but in real, for me it does have a meaning.. a meaning unknown!

Guys must be CRAZY...

2006-01-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

“These Guyz must be crazy yaar”, Asha suddenly remarked while adoring herself in the mirror!

Her room-mate Priya who was busily playing Minesweeper in her laptop, turned to Asha and asked, “c’mon, mam what happened.. you talking about Guys… watz the matter?”

Asha : True yaar, these guys must be crazy... I think they do all sort of stupid things if they fall in love...

Priya : aaha, Asha…what happened pa, suddenly you talking about love…whoz that idiot?

Asha : Hey keep quiet ok! Me already in anger... You don’t try to tease me further.

Priya : hahaha, you angry… see yourself in the mirror... your drooling is quite apparent… Tell me whoz that guy who made you talk about love all of the sudden?

Asha : Our next cubicle northie yaar, Vikram I mean... He has been following me wherever I go.

Priya (surprised) : What? You mean Vikram? Hey come on, so many girls in our office are drooling about him... don’t just blush ok? You shouldn’t lie too much especially when you are seeing yourself in the mirror.

Asha : Hey come on yaar, you know, that day in FC, I went to wash my hands. All other taps were free, but this guy purposely waited and came to the tap where I washed my hands after I left…

Priya : hmm.. Big deal... This is more feebler than BSNL signal… (shakes her head) I can't accept this as a Love signal

Asha : Wait... Even I didn’t think it as a big issue, but yesterday, after I finished my dinner, I missed my mobile in the desk while leaving. When I came back to pick it up, I noticed Vikram picking up my paper towel and putting it in his pocket. What would you say for this?

Priya : Really!!! Do u mean it?

Asha : Hey true yaar... thatz why I said... these guys are all crazy... they tend to do all sorts of stupid things for love and romance!

Priya : aah.. don't tell me you didn’t like that

Asha : hehe thatz a different story…Do you want to see some live action? Come with me to Food court today..

That afternoon, Priya and Asha dine together in the Food court. Vikram who enters the Food court at the same time, takes the seat just behind them.

Asha : Look where he is sitting

Priya : O.K! O.K! Relax...

Both finish their lunch and go to wash their hands. As they return they see Vikram standing near the table where they had lunch

Asha : Now see what he does

Priya : Wait, Wait...

Vikram looks around and picks up the tumbler that was used by Asha.

Asha : (triumphant smile) What do yaa say now?

Priya : Yep yep, Guys must be crazy only... I will go and catch that Vikram red-handedly

Asha : Hey relax Priya, me feeling shy

Priya : Hello this is not a murali movie to keep postponing love proposal until you hit the railway station climax. You just wait here.. I will handle it...

Priya goes to Vikram, who is quiet surprised to see her..

Vikram : Hi Priya.. How you doin?

Priya : Whats wrong with you?

Vikram : Err.. whatz the matter?

Priya : Whats the tumbler you are holding in your hand?

Vikram : Oh this one? This is your friend Asha’s work. Arrey, she is so careless yaar… Whenever she goes to wash her hands, she leaves the tap open and let the water go waste. She never disposes the paper towel... Once she is done with her lunch, she leaves them on the table. See even now, she doesn’t care to keep the tumbler back in place. How many times you expect me to keep reminding in mails as part of the HALE cleanliness initiative of the week. Nobody cares.. see, for being a volunteer what sort of job I have to do. Regardless of the number of posts in the bulletin about etiquette nobody cares to listen… Saying this, a disgusted Vikram goes to pick up the tumbler from the next desk. An apparently shocked Asha could not mutter any other words except mumbling “GUYS MUST BE REALLY CRAZY……………”

Vikram murmurs.... "GIRLS MUST BE REALLY CRAZY...!"

Question to make you think...

2006-01-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

You're having dinner with the people, whom you respect and admire the most. They all criticise a close friend of yours (not knowing he/she is a friend). The criticism is unjustified. What would you do?

Tagged...!!

2006-01-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

I’ve been tagged by Naveen. Here are the rules of the game that I have taken from his post:

1. The tagged victim has to come up with 8 different points of their perfect lover.
2. Need to mention the sex of the target.
3. Tag 8 victims to join this game & leave a comment on their comments saying they’ve been tagged.
4. If tagged the 2nd time, there’s no need to post again.

Target: Female

My love should be
1. Romantic
2. Good looking
3. Fun loving
4. Good sense of humour
5. Open-minded
6. Outgoing
7. Respect family values, and
8. A Good cook

Glad that i was asked to write only 8 points, or else i could have listed a 100 points here... I want my girl to be Tall, Slim, Brown eyed.....

Now for the victims: Sindhu, Pallavi, Ram, Paurna

Its a friday...

2006-01-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

Friday... for people who enjoy their weekends! In a few hours time, the work week will finally end. Cross my fingers and hope really hard that no one comes to me to dump last minute stuff on me.

I love friday nights. Now, don't ask me why! You all know, its the last working day of the week and i needn't explain anything more... Well.. before I sign off for the weekend, I wish the weekends would never end... but how ironic that the word itself talks about ending. Week ENDS! Yes, the week ends, work ends, but still why is it called Monday, when it is actually weekStart if the same logic follows. I think startweek makes more sense than Monday. It is the start of the week, and not a Mon-Day. Whatever 'Mon' means... According to dictionary, Monday actually means Day of the Moon, then why is it that its not dark on Mondays? :)

Ok, let me stop here.. Wish you all a happy weekend!

How true is it for you?

2006-01-10T13:58:00.000-07:00

The birth date describes who we are, what we are good at and what our inborn abilities are. It also points to what we have to learn and the challenges we are facing. To figure out your Birth Number, add all the numbers in the birth date together like in the example until there is only one digit. The Birth Number does not prevent you from being anything you want it will just color your choice differently.

Example: March 20, 1950

3 + 20 + 1950 = 1973 = 1 + 9 + 7 + 3 = 20 = 2 + 0 = 2

2 is the Birth number to read for the birth date in the example. You are the _____,

#1 THE ORIGINATOR
#2 THE PEACEMAKER
#3 THE LIFE OF THE PARTY
#4 THE CONSERVATIVE
#5 THE NONCONFORMIST
#6 THE ROMANTIC
#7 THE INTELLECTUAL
#8 THE BIG SHOT
#9 THE PERFORMER

# 1 - THE ORIGINATOR 1's are originals. Coming up with new ideas and executing them is natural.
Famous 1's: Tom Hanks, Robert Redford, Hulk Hogan, Carol Burnett, Wynona Judd, Nancy Reagan, Raquel Welch.

# 2 - THE PEACEMAKER 2's are the born diplomats. They are aware of others' needs and moods and often think of others before themselves.
Famous 2's: President Bill Clinton, Madonna, Whoppie Goldberg, Thomas Edison, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

# 3 - THE LIFE OF THE PARTY 3's are idealists. They are very creative, social, charming, romantic, and easygoing.
Famous 3's: Alan Alda, Ann Landers, Bill Cosby, Melanie Griffith, Salvador Dali,Jody Foster.

# 4 - THE CONSERVATIVE 4's are sensible and traditional. They like order and routine. They only act when they fully understand what they are expected to do.
Famous 4's: Neil Diamond, Margaret Thatcher, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tina Turner, Paul Hogan, Oprah Winfrey

# 5 - THE NONCONFORMIST 5's are the explorers. Their natural curiosity, risk taking, and enthusiasm often land them in hot water.
Famous 5's: Abraham Lincoln, Charlotte Bronte, Jessica Walter, Vincent Van Gogh, Bette Midler, Helen Keller and Mark Hamil.

# 6 - THE ROMANTIC 6's are idealistic and need to feel useful to be happy. A strong family connection is important to them.
Famous 6's: Albert Einstein, Jane Seymour, John Denver, Meryl Streep, Christopher Columbus, Goldie Hawn.

# 7 - THE INTELLECTUAL 7's are the searchers. Always probing for hidden information, they find it difficult to accept things at face value.
Famous 7's: William Shakespeare, Lucille Ball, Michael Jackson, Joan Baez, Princess Diana.

# 8 - THE BIG SHOT 8's are the problem solvers. They are professional, blunt and to the point, have good judgment and are decisive.
Famous 8's: Edgar Cayce, Barbra Streisand, George Harrison, Jane Fonda, Pablo Picasso, Aretha Franklin, Nostrodamus

# 9 - THE PERFORMER 9's are natural entertainers. They are very caring and generous, giving away their last dollar to help.
Famous 9's: Albert Schweitzer, Shirley MacLaine, Harrison Ford, Steinem, Jimmy Carter, Elvis Presley

I'm a PEACEMAKER! Guess it works really kewl... but I'm still wondering how "Bill Clinton" got into this elite group! :)

Photographic memory...

2006-01-09T21:46:00.000-07:00

I wish i had a photographic memory, so I could remember all the precious moments that have passed. Wouldn't that make life so much easier?

I guess I don't have a photographic memory... I could remember a few little things that did stick in my mind, but not all. I have heard of people who can remember exactly what they have read in a page and reproduce the same! I just envy them...

Five lessons to make you think about the way we treat people.

2006-01-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:
"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall,dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?
I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student a sked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers,you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you dois smile and say "hello."
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned hername was Dorothy.

2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car hadbroken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s.. The mantook her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and aknock came on the man's door. To his surprise, agiant console color TV was delivered to his home. Aspecial note was attached..

It read:"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only myclothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... Godbless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.
"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.
The little b oy again counted his coins.
"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill onthe table and walked away. The boy finished the icecream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitresscame back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,were two nickels and five pennies..
You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he hadto have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on aroadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came byand simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder hadbeen. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at ahospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who hadmiraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking adeep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.
He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

Received this as a forward.. Just thought of sharing it with the bloggers!

Call Centers in India...

2006-01-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

In India, call centers are part of a flourishing industry known as "Business Process Outsourcing", a new world created by a rush of foreign investment as Western companies outsource functions such as customer care and billing services.

Though Call centers yields a lot of job opportunities to the English speaking unemployed youths, I don't think call center outsourcing is in India's long-term interest. It just threatens to take away the advantage we now have in the field of science & technology. What about the manpower? Does it not lure away young college students to call centers?

They just take advantage of legal loopholes, essentially forcing people to work more than 12 hrs at a stretch and most of the hours at night because of the time difference! Its a stressful job that makes many workers fall sick after a few months. By the time they realize what they have done to their careers, they lose interest in studies.

Mind you, this call-center cycle affects only a portion of the middle class, in that middle-class young people are hired by the call centers because of their fluency in English. Young people from smaller cities or rural areas (where unemployment is acute) rarely get a chance to work at call centers.

Although it's premature to make any conclusions, a recent survey by the Council of Graduate Schools revealed that the number of Indian students applying for US visas for graduate studies declined by 9 percent in two years.

Under these circumstances, there is an urgent need to regulate outsourcing. Outsourcing needs to be a "win-win" situation, as it is in software and not a "lose-lose" situation as it is in call centers.

Superstitions!

2006-01-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

My first post of the year 2006 and I wanted to write something about myself!

I still wonder if I'm superstitious. I'm not sure how i got into the habit of believing things that will happen in the same way it had happened! Confusing, isn't it? :)

Ok, here is what i do.. When I wake up in the morning I do certain things and if it is the same way that i wanted, then my day would be good! If it doesn't.. hmm.. I donno, it is just an ordinary day! I do not wanna disclose the things that i do when i wake up.. its something funny or silly that people might laugh at me!

I also had this belief that people should not move from their places while watching a cricket match, and not when Sachin is playing! When I was a kid, I would cry if my dad moves from his chair while watching a cricket match. I wonder, if I had been a troublesome kid to my parents. :)

Sport personalities are some of the most superstitious people you will ever see! In their minds the superstitions that they believe in, give them the edge in a competition which helps them play their sport in a positive frame of mind. I remember once when the little master (Sachin) said that he is superstitious and would always wear his left shoes first and then the right. I believe it is more a mental booster than any superstitious effect on you!

I'm not superstitious about the false beliefs like

* If a black cat crosses your path, its bad luck.
* If you spill salt, it will bring you bad luck.

or any other religious beliefs.

Well i should say, I'm more stupidstitious than superstitious! :)

New Year Resolutions....

2005-12-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

New Year's Resolutions are all about setting goals and making plans to achieve them, but how many of us are really following them? Its a million dollar question!

I bet, a very few would put their hand up and say that I have been following my new year resolutions. Some say New Year's resolutions are meant to be broken, but that doesn't stop people from making them!

"This is the year" so the resolution goes, "that I vow to lose ten pounds and keep it off." Other common variations include goals to get up early in the morning and go to gym! Sadly, New Year's resolutions are notoriously short-lived, if not completely forgotten by February.

Is this not something that people make fool of themselves?

Wish all the bloggers a Happy & Prosperous New Year! May the New Year bring you & your family peace, happiness and good health.

This might be my last post of the year! See you all next year! Have fun!

License to Drive

2005-12-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

A license to drive is truly an accomplishment for anyone and It brings with it a feeling of achievement and freedom. I was giving driving lessons to one of my friend who had just finished his 6 hrs of driving classes through driving school.

On an auspicious Sunday morning, we reached the deserted parking lot of a mall. My friend got behind the wheels for the first time, tightened the seat belt around him. "The seat is not comfortable. The ones that I had driven before were not like this!" he told me, to emphasize the point that he was a veteran of several driving episodes. He then adjusted the mirror and yes, tuned the player to listen to his favorite music.

A few foul starts later, he zoomed to a start and we went into an orbit around the earth. It took only a few minutes to realize that his driving school experience amounted to nothing.

I said "Watch out the speed limit, its 45 mph and you are driving 25 mph", he replied "No problem, I'm driving well below the speed limit". "Hey.. why are you cutting through the solid lanes", "I know, but there is no one around". "Why are you going on the left side of the road?", "I know, but I wanted to make sure that I'm far away from the parked cars". He was unteachable. I was just praying that we should reach home safely without any damage to the car, as it was a rented car .with NO insurance! :)

And now after a couple of driving lessons (not sure how many hours we were on the roads), we went to a private school to take the road test. He did his best, but was not good enough to clear the test. He parked way away from the curb on a parallel parking and a couple of mistakes here and there...!

Back to the parking lots to practice parallel parking. He did well and was determined to take the road test the very next day. I had my fingers crossed! For a moment he had his heart in his mouth when the examiner summed the marks. He cleared the test and looked relieved.

Oh boy! He was a terror on the road. I would just not forget these fearful moments for years to come!

Saying goodbyes...

2005-12-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

Saying 'Goodbyes' are never easy...! I went to the Airport this morning to see off my roomie, who has become an intensely close friend over the last year! It is a moment that is nearly impossible to describe to those who have not experienced it...! I will never forget all the laughs we've shared and all the fun moments we spent together.

I just hate to say ya good bye... it makes me so blue...! My dear PAL, you will be missed!

Last year, This time...

2005-12-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning, thinking of what I was doing last year, this time.. I was in San Francisco with a group of friends visiting places and I just couldn't forget the thrilling experience we had when we were driving to the airport to catch our flight back Salt Lake City. Our flight to SLC was at 8.45pm PST and we were already late to start from the hotel. After driving a couple of miles, we realized that we were driving in the wrong direction! As we forgot to take the driving directions, we had to call our friend to guide us through to the airport. It was of no use, as she was not able to give us proper directions to the airport, so we were aimlessly driving in the highway, not fun!!!

It was 7.30pm and to make things worse, we were running out of gas, with only a few gallons left. We couldn't find a gas station nearby. Atlast we found a gas station after driving 12 miles. The tank was almost dry when we reached the gas station and if we had not found this gas station, it would have been the end our hopes to reach the airport.

It wasn't easy for us, even here at the gas station... the gas didn't pump and we were wondering why.. in the haste everyone failed to notice that the machine was 'out of order'. We had to rush to the next slot to fill gas. In the meantime one of my friend went inside the gas station to ask for directions.

Atlast we had the directions to the airport, but we had to travel another 16 miles to reach the airport. By then, it was already 8.10pm.. we were driving nuts in the highway as we had very little time to reach the airport! Due to the holiday weekend, the traffic was heavy and we also had to make sure that we don't end up in an accident.

Here comes the climax.. we reached the airport at 8.35pm and there were like 300 ppl in line to clear the security check-in. We knew that we had to bypass this queue to board our flight. So we approached one of the security personals and told him that we had to catch the Delta flight to SLC which was about to take-off momentarily. He was so kind and helped us to bypass the queue and reach the security point. We were the last people to board the flight and a few moments after we fastened our seat belts, the flight took off and we had a breather..!

One of those thrilling moments that i cannot forget in my lifetime! :)

Sourav Ganguly's selection in the Indian squad for Pakistan

2005-12-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

"Whichever way you look at it, Sourav Ganguly's selection in the Indian squad for Pakistan, shows that not a lot has changed in the way Indian cricket is run." - Sambit Bal @ Cricinfo

So true that, over the last fifteen years India’s extraordinary economic progress has been accompanied by some pretty staggering political upheaval. The inclusion of Saurav Ganguly in the Indian Cricket team for the tour of Pakistan makes no sense. Ganguly's record in recent months have been mediocre. If it is a decision influenced by public sentiments or political compulsions, then we are not making any justice to ourself.

Public opinion really doesn't matter to the BCCI members, nor are their interests always aligned with the interests of the public.They want to run their organisation like a business and not in the welfare of Indian cricket.

The BCCI are backward and hindering the development of the game due to the short-sighted, political corrupts in control of Cricket in India. In the long run, Indian cricket needs a well functioning BCCI to prosper.

A good friday...

2005-12-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

I woke up late this morning and was feeling so lazy to go to work! I logged in to scottrade to check how the stocks are doing this morning.. I was taken by surprise that one of the stocks that i sold last week was down $5.. the company had announced forecasted earning for the next quarter and they were not good! It was good enough to bring the stocks down.. but i was feeling glad that i had covered my stocks and have not lost any money! Even though i sold my stocks for a loss last week, i was covered by other stocks that were doing better than expected!

After i got to work, i was inquisitive to see what had happened to the stock after an early morning shock. It was worse and the people who invested in this stock would have burnt their fingers if they had not put a stop-price sell.

I was wondering what would have happened if i had hold my stocks until today and had not sold them last week. I just couldn't even imagine what would be my future with stock trading. I would have lost 50% of my money and its going to take more than a year to get back what i lost!

Men in Blue...

2005-12-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

India have produced good quality attacking (Sehwag, Sachin, Dhoni, Yuvraj) and stroke players (Dravid, Lakshman, Kaif) who can demolish any attack and good spinners from time to time. The fielding has improved a lot over the past year with the advent of more youngsters.

Chappell came into the team and changed Indian cricket style. I would say he has done an outstanding job and have made the Indian team look different. They are now a rejuvenated team and there has been a sudden change in the attitude of the players.

If India can continue playing positive cricket then we are well placed to lift the World Cup in 2007. Good Luck to the Indian team!

When Friendship Hurts

2005-12-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

Think of the word ‘betrayal’ and what comes to your mind? A traitor who sells his country’s nuclear secrets? Someone who leaks sensitive military information? A trusted party member who defects to another group leaving you with one short of majority?

Well, the answer is “all the above”. But haven’t we left someone out? Someone who was once a ‘great’ friend of yours – and who is now on the top of your Most Hated list? Yes, we’re talking of the Big Betrayal – by a ‘close’ friend who has hurt you in a way that you find hard to forgive and forget.

So, how does one recognise a potential betrayer – and given that you have already suffered a betrayal - how does one deal with the trauma?

In his book When Friendship Hurts: How to Deal With Friends Who Betray, Abandon, or Wound You , Dr. Jan Yager picks out six kinds of people whose friendship could cost you dear.

The Promise Breaker: How often has your best friend promised to meet you for a cup of coffee or post a letter for you – and conveniently forgotten about it? That’s the promise-breaker – someone who constantly disappoints you or breaks promises.

How to tackle it: You could either abandon the friendship, or you could find a way to detach yourself from the hurt. How? By lowering your expectations from this friendship. If he/she promises to do something for you, smile your thanks but don’t expect them to fulfil their promise.

There is another way. Perhaps you have been keeping your disappointments to yourself. Perhaps he/she is unaware of his/her own behaviour. So try telling them how it makes you feel, and there’s a good chance that things will change for the better.

The Self-Absorbed: All of us are familiar with this type – the class heroine who can’t stop talking about herself. The self-absorbed is a tamer type of negative friend. A friend who goes on about himself, his achievements, his friends, his rich cousins... and has no time to listen to you is simply not worth it. The self-absorbed does not care, he/she listens to you only because he/she is waiting to speak.

How to tackle it: Perhaps you could gently ask the self-absorbed friend if he/she seems to notice that the give-and-take is unequal, that they take more of the spotlight than you ever get to do. If you really value this friend, you might want to plan an activity such as playing tennis or going to the movies, where you get an equal chance to participate. This would be a good way to convey the message.

If you suspect your friend is incapable of changing his/her behaviour and you want to maintain the friendship, protect yourself by being more careful about the information you share.

Dreams

2005-12-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

I think it has become a habit for me to dream everyday... I'm able to see/meet new characters, whom i have never met in my lifetime... I was taking an internal survey with my friends of how many ppl dream everyday... surprisingly its only 2 out of 8 ppl dream everyday... it started to become more interesting and i asked a few questions myself...

a. Why do we (ppl) dream?

b. What is the reason & what does it mean?

c. Is it a mental stress?

I was just driving nuts having no answer with me, then i wanted to search the net to find out if there are any answers to my questions!

People have been trying to discover the truth about dreams for centuries, and the simplest answer is this: dreams are basically stories and pictures our brains create when we're asleep... most dreams happen during the times of night when we are most deeply asleep, and our eyes begin to move around quickly under our eyelids. This may sound creepy, but it's totally normal, and it's called Rapid Eye Movement, or REM. Dream researchers used to think that REM was the only time people dream, but now most experts agree that we can dream at just about any time of the night. Maybe REM dreams are just our most memorable and realistic dreams.

The experts disagree on just why we dream. Here are some of their theories:

Some say dreams don't really have a purpose; they're just one of those things that seem to happen for no reason.

Some say dreams are our brains "twitching." Because our brains are basically huge collections of information, pictures, and feelings, when they "twitch" in the night, all kinds of strange things come out and get thrown into dreams.

Some say dreams are a way to process all the events and emotions of the day, and are important to our mental and physical health.

Many dream experts agree that recurring dreams, dreams that you keep having over and over, probably have some sort of special meaning. Even if you consider most of your dreams to be strange stories that don't relate to your normal life, it could be that a dream that keeps reappearing is trying to tell you something. You might want to try remembering the details of a recurring dream and making sense of what it might be telling you.

Here's a list of some universal dreams. Count how many of these you've had in your dreamz: I am marking a Yes/No to the one's that i remember to have experienced! :-)

Chase or Attack: A criminal, monster or hungry animal is chasing you. No

Losing Something: You drop or misplace a valuable or important object and can't get it back. No

Finding Something: You find something unexpected, like a room in your house you never knew was there before. Yes

Celebrities: You meet someone famous. Yes

Failing: You can't remember any answers to an important test, or you suddenly can't play your instrument during a big recital. Oh yes.. i just couldn't forget this dream, once i had a dream of writing my final year exams and failing to remember the answers... :-(

Flying: You soar happily through the clouds looking down on the world. Yes (This is a quite common dream)

Falling: You fall off a cliff or into a huge hole. Yes (Common again)

Naked: You show up at school or in another public place without clothes. Yes (This is one of my nightmares.. I still remember going to school without my shirt.. ofcourse in my dreams though.... :-)

Lost: You're somewhere you've never been before and can't find your way back home. Yes

Late: You miss the bus or the school bell or you're late to some other important event. Yes

Stuck: You're in danger, but you can't move your legs to run, or you can't find the voice to yell. Yes