With the general election just around the corner, you have celebrities, political parties, prominent personalities, urging citizen to exercise their right to vote. But the million dollar question is who exactly do you vote for. You look at which candidates each party is fielding for the post of the Prime Minister, it does makes you shudder.
The Congress probably gave us our most educated and un-tainted Prime Minister of our country interest. But at the same time gave us one of the most meek and humble Prime Minister, someone who was manipulated once too often from the opposition as well as the people from within the coalition itself. The other thing that worries is that the current government really didn't meet any expectation that it set.
Then you have the BJP who is fielding a candidate who has time and again fanned the communal hatred and is responsible one of the worst communal riots and its aftermath that the country has suffered. An the other person who is campaigning for the party is another person responsible for the worst riots in the country's history, although one may argue that he's one good entrepreneur. Should you be voting for a party and it's allies into power who single handly have been responsible for the worst communal carnage that the country has faced, since the partition?
And then on the other hand you have the third front with a leader of the backward classes at its head who also has aspiration for the hot seat. What worries me is the lady and her party probably pretty corrupt as the rest of field and her follower keep behaving like a class who never wants to be uplifted because they like where they are. And then you have the Left party who do not want to see what is right or even right.
so this leads to dilemma who do I vote, that if my mom has managed to change our vote registration to our current address. I must admit that the last two time voted for someone (the only time I've ever voted) was because they were providing funds to repair my beleaguered building. One of them was former convict and a self proclaimed Don of the area. Fortunately both of them lost that election (but the Don won the Assembly election). so that brings me back to my big question...who do I vote for???
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Change
Sometime you wonder why in the hell did the government made currency of greater denominations like 500 and 1000 and even 100s, when shopkeeper don't keep change and treat you like a leper, an unwanted, an untouchable. Ok I admit that's bit overreacting to situation, but hey it felt irritating and in a way even pretty pissing. What do you do when someone asks you to give change and you don't have a single currency note with you. Wanted to ask them whether they thought I was the Reserve Bank of India to have change on me. Sometimes I wonder what's the use of having 100s , 500s and 1000s rupees notes, when trying to use it can be such a pain.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Respect at Sacred Places
As a person who regularly visits St. Anthony's shrine, in Pune, every Tuesday, I've noticed there are many people from other faiths who visit the Shrine. What I've seen is that these people pay much more respect to the holy place much more than anyone present there has ever showed to the place. It not like we do not respect the sanctity of the place. It's actually wonderful to see their action. Like facing their back to the alter, bowing in reverence to the altar, kissing the bible or the statues, even placing their forehead on it. Hope we can follow their examples and in some way show a greater respect to our sacred places.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Holi at Aptara
When you think Holi you think of bright colors, colored faces, people intoxicated in colors and yes bhang, sometimes even bordering into hooliganism. You think about unknown entities pelting water balloons (not something that's good). You think twice before you step out of your house afraid of being colored, especially if your wearing white.
But on Tuesday the 10th of March the people at Aptara, Pune, found a different way to bring in Holi. It did involve colors, but in a good way. You did have people with colored faces, but it was all in the fun of the event. Each bay in the company was assigned a color. The bay had to come up a way to decorate their bay using the color assigned to them. So you had the blues, reds, greens, oranges, yellows, and the purples.
What started initially with just a couple of groups enthusiastically decorating their bays, slowly caught on through the entire office. Everywhere you had people working with chart paper and kite paper, cellophane paper and paints and brushes, glues and newspapers, sticks and strings, lights and laces, heart shaped balloons and green ferns, and of course colors. You had themes that ranged from social messages to religion to some just decorating their bay to make it look nice.
Greens were used to obviously depict messages to save the Earth and yes money, but then you also had them depict envy (using a cool looking mosaic devil) and shamrocks. Blue was used to create an out of the world theme, space and robots. Those who got yellow used it to depict road signs and yellow pages and help desks. Purple was used to create a gigantic, cool looking spider web, and a decoration using the poetry 'Madhushala' as its central theme. The reds were used to depict love and blood donations. Yes the orange was used as usual to create a religious, phalki.
Everywhere you looked you could just see colors (this could also be due to the fact all the lights were colored paper). You had people visiting areas they hadn't been to before, admiring the decorations and clicking photographs. When the judges came around they were not spared with the colors. The judges were even bribed with fake notes.
At the end of the day you had the orange Phalki group and the red Blood Donation group, taking the 1st and 2nd place respectively. You had various other prices like best wall hanging, best message, best wallpaper, etc. All in all it was fun and colorful way of celebrating the festival. But I am afraid to say there was very little work done. But then all work and no play makes Aptara a dull place. So eagerly waiting for the next Holi to come around.
But on Tuesday the 10th of March the people at Aptara, Pune, found a different way to bring in Holi. It did involve colors, but in a good way. You did have people with colored faces, but it was all in the fun of the event. Each bay in the company was assigned a color. The bay had to come up a way to decorate their bay using the color assigned to them. So you had the blues, reds, greens, oranges, yellows, and the purples.
What started initially with just a couple of groups enthusiastically decorating their bays, slowly caught on through the entire office. Everywhere you had people working with chart paper and kite paper, cellophane paper and paints and brushes, glues and newspapers, sticks and strings, lights and laces, heart shaped balloons and green ferns, and of course colors. You had themes that ranged from social messages to religion to some just decorating their bay to make it look nice.
Greens were used to obviously depict messages to save the Earth and yes money, but then you also had them depict envy (using a cool looking mosaic devil) and shamrocks. Blue was used to create an out of the world theme, space and robots. Those who got yellow used it to depict road signs and yellow pages and help desks. Purple was used to create a gigantic, cool looking spider web, and a decoration using the poetry 'Madhushala' as its central theme. The reds were used to depict love and blood donations. Yes the orange was used as usual to create a religious, phalki.
Everywhere you looked you could just see colors (this could also be due to the fact all the lights were colored paper). You had people visiting areas they hadn't been to before, admiring the decorations and clicking photographs. When the judges came around they were not spared with the colors. The judges were even bribed with fake notes.
At the end of the day you had the orange Phalki group and the red Blood Donation group, taking the 1st and 2nd place respectively. You had various other prices like best wall hanging, best message, best wallpaper, etc. All in all it was fun and colorful way of celebrating the festival. But I am afraid to say there was very little work done. But then all work and no play makes Aptara a dull place. So eagerly waiting for the next Holi to come around.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
The Futility an Indian TV Soap
Firstly let me clear this point. I hate Hindi soaps from the very core my being. I seriously can't stand them and feel that they are mind numbing. Even though I am never in way forced to see them, somehow my curiosity gets the better of me. So the bottom line is, in the end I hate these shows.
Well very recently these shows have begun the trend of using social message to entertain. At the sight of it it seems good that they are trying to pick up some socially relevant messages like child marriages, plight of widows, abortions, compared to saas- bahus and the villonous vamps and relatives. But then this joy is short lived because in the end they do nothing to highlight the pont they should be getting across. It's not enough that you bring the point up or even mention it, but then what are you doing for the issue. Just mentioning it in the show just won't do, where is the solution? How do you make sure that your viewers are not interpretation it in the wrong way, the case in example the attacks and murders being planned using ideas from movies.
Shows that starts off with child marriage, only to put it in the backseat. Then takes up the right to abort a pregnancy because of the danger it would cause to the mother, only to find the character to give in to her in-laws and all the time acting like a dead duck and not like a lady that is about to revolt. The same goes to widowhood.
Although these shows started off as something different, they have slowly steeped into the same tactics to gain audience, for example killing off the main characters. I complain about the relevance these shows have for todays time. But aunt curtly tell me that this happens in villages. Even if it happens in villages do I need to watch it on prime time television and be tortured by it for hours together on the only days I have access to the television.
I seriously hate these shows.
Well very recently these shows have begun the trend of using social message to entertain. At the sight of it it seems good that they are trying to pick up some socially relevant messages like child marriages, plight of widows, abortions, compared to saas- bahus and the villonous vamps and relatives. But then this joy is short lived because in the end they do nothing to highlight the pont they should be getting across. It's not enough that you bring the point up or even mention it, but then what are you doing for the issue. Just mentioning it in the show just won't do, where is the solution? How do you make sure that your viewers are not interpretation it in the wrong way, the case in example the attacks and murders being planned using ideas from movies.
Shows that starts off with child marriage, only to put it in the backseat. Then takes up the right to abort a pregnancy because of the danger it would cause to the mother, only to find the character to give in to her in-laws and all the time acting like a dead duck and not like a lady that is about to revolt. The same goes to widowhood.
Although these shows started off as something different, they have slowly steeped into the same tactics to gain audience, for example killing off the main characters. I complain about the relevance these shows have for todays time. But aunt curtly tell me that this happens in villages. Even if it happens in villages do I need to watch it on prime time television and be tortured by it for hours together on the only days I have access to the television.
I seriously hate these shows.
How much does a Dufus Lead Matter?
Your work life can get pretty complex, monotonous and boring, and yes above all irritating, especially if you were filling my shoes. What would you have someone who is junior to you (at least designation wise) leading the project?
First thing first, as a senior on the team you are used to leading the team. These include even if you come on the project later. I really hate when the other person says he should be lead because he was put first on the project. Sometime you get this overwhelming feeling that you want to kick and abuse this person, or even bash this person up for the misconceived notion they have about themselves.
What makes matters worse the client feel like that they are doing a really great job, a perfect ten, while you are just eight. Call this envy or jealousy, or that my luck is really bad, or you could just say that they are getting away with murder. Well not exactly murder, but then client doesn't see it.
What you hate the most is the growing arrogance that this person and the they don't check it. The funny thing is this behavior of their reflects in their dealing with the client. I feel they deserved it for thinking this dude was the best thing for them. The funny thing is the chap realizes it but doesn't do anything much to correct it. Guess they don't have enough of experience to deal with client and how to lead a team. Wonder what they would do if they were leading another team? Anyway only time will tell.
Till then I need to keep holding on and staying strong. Ok I am not that tortured. But hey I got to make my dissatisfaction know to my senior, at least from Seniors. Till then I need to be good and make sure that I avoid the minor pitfalls/ blunders that I make.
First thing first, as a senior on the team you are used to leading the team. These include even if you come on the project later. I really hate when the other person says he should be lead because he was put first on the project. Sometime you get this overwhelming feeling that you want to kick and abuse this person, or even bash this person up for the misconceived notion they have about themselves.
What makes matters worse the client feel like that they are doing a really great job, a perfect ten, while you are just eight. Call this envy or jealousy, or that my luck is really bad, or you could just say that they are getting away with murder. Well not exactly murder, but then client doesn't see it.
What you hate the most is the growing arrogance that this person and the they don't check it. The funny thing is this behavior of their reflects in their dealing with the client. I feel they deserved it for thinking this dude was the best thing for them. The funny thing is the chap realizes it but doesn't do anything much to correct it. Guess they don't have enough of experience to deal with client and how to lead a team. Wonder what they would do if they were leading another team? Anyway only time will tell.
Till then I need to keep holding on and staying strong. Ok I am not that tortured. But hey I got to make my dissatisfaction know to my senior, at least from Seniors. Till then I need to be good and make sure that I avoid the minor pitfalls/ blunders that I make.
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