दे दूँ पंख अपने विचारों को,...

आज कुछ ख़ास है नही लिखने को. किंतु कुछ पंक्तियाँ मन में प्रस्फुटित हुई हैं-

दे दूँ पंख अपने विचारों को,
उड़ने दूँ इन्हें अपने मन के आकाश में,
मन मंथन करके कुछ चमकते मोती चुन लाऊं
फैलाए जो ज्ञान की रोशनी,
एक ऐसा दीपक जलाऊं...

The World in a Park!

When I am at home, I usually do not like to discuss about office and its chores. But today got an interesting thing to share and hence would “deviate” from the rule. Software Engineers, I guess, are very good at it-“deviating”. They will always code which “deviates” from requirements and consequently the actual test results “deviates” from the expected results.However, honestly and frankly, I am a full supporter of this “deviation”. The reason is that it is the only thing that is keeping this Industry moving. Just think, if developers start writing bug free codes, who would give bread to the Maintenance people?

Anyway, I think we are “deviating” from the point that matter. This post is not about the Software Gyaan, so coming back to the matter of fact!

My office is situated in the International Tech Park, Bangalore. In short it is called ITPB or more famously and commonly ITPL. It is developed and managed by a renowned Singapore based company Ascendas. Ascendas is said to be Asia's leading provider of business space solutions.

The Park as the name suggests, is truly International by standards, and is perhaps one of the biggest IT parks in India. In Bangalore it represents the IT hub.

Today in the evening, as I alighted at my stop from ITPL shuttle bus, I accidentally happened to read a very catchy line written at the back of the bus-

“The World in a Park”

The very small sentence has conveyed a really big meaning and I was really impressed by the creativity of the person who had devised that punch line. On my way back to my home, I kept on thinking on that line and believed that how true it is.

The ITPL is really a world altogether. If we go by Wiki, ITPL has a built-up area of over 2,000,000 sq ft (190,000 m²) with more than 145 companies and over 20,000 people comprised by the community working out of ITPL. Wow! Aren’t the statistics awe-inspiring! Statistics, be in whatever sense, speak up for themselves!

Moreover, ITPL has many companies who have their India operations. Many people from different countries work in those various companies. For them “India” is the “Onsite!”

You will often see beautiful foreign damsels having Sandwich at the Sub or Corporate gentlemen, having a puff at the smoking zone. And sometimes you would also see some carefree “firang” professionals dressed in a t-shirt and a three-fourth short. You would wonder, whether they have come to office or on a beach!

When I enter the park in the morning, I see hundreds of thousands of people entering. On seeing the crowd, one would be confused whether he has come to a “Kumbh Mela”! I feel for myself as if yet another small fish is entering the “Software Ocean”.

It is interesting to note that the Park has a Mall inside it with all the famous eateries, banks, and other service outlets. There is another commercial Mall coming up in next few months! The lush green environment across the campus makes one feel so good.

The ITPL is really an engineering gem and when you enter it you would feel the ancient Indian philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” getting true! The world here is really one family!

Hats off to the person who thought of that line!

God Bless!

Cheers!

Adi

Salt,Pepper and Chilli!-Foodie Tales

Yesterday was a lazy Sunday, and to just test that my culinary skills are not getting rust, I delved myself in to cooking after a long time. And after relishing the meal, I was satisfied that my armor has not developed any chink! I used to cook for myself until four months back, when I was in Mumbai. But after moving to Bangalore, by God’s grace I have got a cook who makes the food that I like. When it comes to food, I am very particular. If I do not get the taste that I want, I get myself indulged! Infact the craving for this taste led me to cooking!

In my opinion, when it comes to food, there are two categories of people- one who eat just because they have to survive, never be bothered about the taste and quality. The other is the people who savor food, right from the quality to taste.

I belong to second category and am a vegetarian foodie. Foodie, in literal sense means, “A person keenly interested in food, esp. in eating or cooking”. To be true in literal sense, I relish both eating as well as cooking! Infact one of my hobbies or areas of interest is cooking. I think we are living in the twenty first century, where the cooking is not confined to as “ladies only” department. And to put an emphasis on that, most of the famous chefs are male! I specifically mentioned “vegetarian” because many of the non-veg fraternity have the opinion that the real taste of food lies in meat and all. With offences towards none, I completely disagree with that and believe that the taste of the food lies in the hands of the person who has prepared that and not in the food itself, be it veg or non-veg. If two persons make a dish, with the same and equal amount of ingredients then also it would not taste the same!

In the primitive ages, when the civilization evolved, man used to eat raw uncooked food because he did not have any option and had to survive. Necessity is the mother of invention, and I feel, perhaps the craving for a more palatable taste, paved the way for the cooked food!

Though I rarely like to eat outside, yet I always make it a point to visit famous eateries, where ever I am. Be it Cannon for Pav Bhaji or Ram aashray for South Indian dishes in Mumbai; or Nandhini for Andhra style thali in Bangalore. Needless to say, South Indian dishes are awesome at any Darshini stall in Bangalore.

As far as I remember, the liking for good food started in early childhood itself, because my mother has “magic” in her hands. Whatever she makes, I would lick fingers till the end!

As with most of the people, the food problem for me started when I moved out of school and eventually from home for my engineering. Everything was new for me- the city, the living alone and the food! When I ate first outside in a Tiffin centre, I was almost dumb stuck because of the quality of the food and the taste. What feared me most was the feeling that I have to eat this regularly! And with the passage of time, I unwillingly moved to the first category of people, and would just eat whatever it would be. I do not know how many Tiffin centres; I had changed during that time just in search of good food. Semester breaks that time used to be a heavenly feeling as I would visit my home for fifteen days. I used to prepare a dish list in advance as to what to demand from my mother!

The problem partially solved when we got an old lady, “Ammaji” as cook for ourselves. The food was better than Tiffin centres because we used to provide standard quality of grains and lentils. The taste was also better. However with the passage of time, Ammaji’s food was losing taste and I did not have enough courage to go back to the Tiffin centres.

Here destiny and necessity played their roles and I jumped in to cooking. Ammaji was there just to prepare chapattis and I used to cook rest everything else for myself along with my roomies. Initially I felt it difficult but gradually I started enjoying because I was getting the gratification that was very much needed. I was now eating to savor and not just for the sake of eating!

I learnt the nitty-gritty of cooking while doing- how much to put, when to put and more importantly what not to put! Like for example, onion always does not enhance taste! I experimented often and got few new things for snacks or substitute for meals. Not always experiments have gone successful, some went awry also. But then it was good because I learnt the things that would not work and create havoc with taste buds!

Cooking is fun and if you believe me, a pinch of salt, pepper or chilli, plus or minus can make a huge difference!

God Bless!

Cheers!

Adi

How a Leader should manage Failure?

I am posting a very inspirational speech by former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam at Wharton India Economic forum, Philadelphia, March 22, 2008. It is the real essence of a true leader!

Question: Could you give an example, from your own experience, of how leaders should manage failure?

Kalam: Let me tell you about my experience. In 1973 I became the project director of India’s satellite launch vehicle program, commonly called the SLV-3. Our goal was to put India’s 'Rohini' satellite into orbit by 1980. I was given funds and human resources but was told clearly that by 1980 we had to launch the satellite into space. Thousands of people worked together in scientific and technical teams towards that goal.

By 1979, I think the month was August, we thought we were ready. As the project director, I went to the control center for the launch. At four minutes before the satellite launch, the computer began to go through the checklist of items that needed to be checked. One minute later, the computer program put the launch on hold; the display showed that some control components were not in order. My experts -- I had four or five of them with me -- told me not to worry; they had done their calculations and there was enough reserve fuel. So I bypassed the computer, switched to manual mode, and launched the rocket. In the first stage, everything worked fine. In the second stage, a problem developed. Instead of the satellite going into orbit, the whole rocket system plunged into the Bay of Bengal. It was a big failure.

That day, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, Prof. Satish Dhawan, had called a press conference. The launch was at 7:00 am, and the press conference where journalists from around the world were present was at 7:45 am at ISRO's satellite launch range in Sriharikota [in Andhra Pradesh in southern India]. Prof. Dhawan, the leader of the organization, conducted the press conference himself. He took responsibility for the failure. He said that the team had worked very hard, but that it needed more technological support. He assured the media that in another year, the team would definitely succeed. Now, I was the project director, and it was my failure, but instead, he took responsibility for the failure as chairman of the organization.

The next year, in July 1980, we tried again to launch the satellite and this time we succeeded. The whole nation was jubilant. Again, there was a press conference. Prof. Dhawan called me aside and told me, 'You conduct the press conference today.'

I learned a very important lesson that day. When failure occurred, the leader of the organization owned that failure. When success came, he gave it to his team. The best management lesson I have learned did not come to me from reading a book; it came from that experience.

I missed it!

I have just entered my home a half an hour ago after a memorable and rocking visit to Mysore and Coorg. Coorg is also called as the Scotland of India!

I am feeling dead tired but the energy is not yet finished. I was out for two days and really missed blogging! Yeah, I missed it! And since I missed it, I am tapping on the keys just for that!

The two days were full of fun and masti and I will recollect those moments in a later post. Have to put a little effort and make my grey cells work harder!

I am dozing off now, for a relaxed day tomorrow. Sunday calling! :-)

God Bless!

Cheers!

Adi

Good Going! A week into Blogging!

It’s been a week since I started blogging. I am happy for myself that I have been able to continuously update it over these seven days as I never thought I would be able to carry on the momentum. As uncle Newton said, “A body in motion keeps on moving unless acted upon by any external force” So here I promise that I would move on until any external force acts on me to stop!

It is always “WE” and never “I”.I would like to thank all of you for making it happen and encouraging me! Really wish that this caravan moves on!

Do keep reviewing and posting your comments and let me know the frank opinion on how I can do better.

God Bless!

Cheers!

Adi

Asking the right question!

I caught the 5.30 bus today from office, unlike my usual 6.30 or the 6.50 bus. After a long time I saw the setting sun of the evening! Leaving the office when it is quite bright is simply a feeling that can’t be described in words! The reason for leaving early is that long weekend is on the threshold and who would like to sit in the office in this case? I have to draft few mails, which I would do happily from home, watching the IPL. KKR is taking on Deccan Chargers today.

Coming to the matter of fact, my telepathic sense told that the beautiful girl sitting next to me in the aisle seat is from my company! The telepathy however betrayed me a little as I got to know of the fact, when she was just about to alight at her stop! Anyway, better luck next time. I was just about to strike a conversation by asking the product area she is working in, when the question actually reminded me of a funny incident that happened few days back, which I would mention here.

The companies in IT industry can be broadly classified as Service oriented companies and the Product oriented companies. Service based companies as the name suggests provide the IT solutions to their Clients. Product based companies, however, make and sell their own products to the customers. The service companies have Verticals, Horizontals, BUs, and DUs etc. etc. Product companies, on the other hands have products or product area.

I had my first job in a typical Indian service based MNC. Now I work for a Product based company. As our habit is, when we talk to strangers, the probable first question to be asked is about his/her project. One fine day at a coffee machine, I saw a very old person, who was looking quite experienced and seemed to be at a good post in the company. Our eyes met, smiles passed and just to get acquaintance, I asked him, “Which Project are you working in?” The expressions on his face showed that he was quite surprised to hear that question. After a pause of two seconds or so, he explained to me his profile and his team and what they work on. I thought for a moment that I am talking to quite an influential personality!

Just before saying good bye, he smilingly told me, "Son, we do not work on Projects. It is the Product area!” Then I understood, why he was surprised! I had asked a wrong question.

I came back from my reverie and finally asked her, “Which Product area are you working in?” Her answer was blended with a seventy mm smile and few moments later she got down at her stop!

God Bless!

Cheers!

Adi