New beginning... A happy ending!

Well all good things come to an end...and so has this! I have just returned from the farewell function for my batch and this officially brings the MBA program to an end! And as I sit and think about the last one and a half years that have just whizzed past...there is really barely anything to regret and to be sad about.

Made some great great friends. In fact, I can almost pre-empt their thoughts! Have really grown over the past year and a half (literally as well...my Mom still can’t understand what all I have been eating).

Today, when we were called on stage to say a few words about our time here at NUS MBA, for the first I was out of words! Honest! (I was shocked too)! Coz otherwise I can go on and on about how much I love this place.

I have friends from all over the world. People I would never have met if I had not decided to come here. Super smart, super nice. And the best part...they are genuine! No fakeness. I loved that about them. Just being together almost everyday during the program, having gone through the rigour together and having faced the same kind anxieties and insecurities definitely made us good friends and I will always cherish that! I know it’s easy to say now and difficult to do, but I really hope that we all stay in touch.

I was known as the eternal-optimist and I wish it continues to be so. So I don’t want to even focus on the negative aspects of my journey the last few years. My biggest takeaway from the program...my increased confidence levels. I have actually started thinking before talking and for people who know me...that’s huge!

The MBA tag will stay with me for life and so will NUS. So for my own selfish purpose, I want to see the NUS MBA flourish, grow, scale new heights and more importantly, be known. Our students are truly phenomenal. Don’t know if it’s because of the rigour, opportunities and mix of people here, but whatever it is, it’s worth taking note of. In almost every major competition in the world, our students have bagged one of the top positions. And this has been happening for years.

Cerebration is very very close to my heart (and for obvious reasons). And for us to be able to organize an event of this scale and nature really speaks volumes of our capabilities, drive, passion, commitment and determination. I mean only we know what we had to go through to get 3 case sponsors. We tapped every channel we could and we achieved our target. I got to lead a team of people more experienced than me…a chance I would have never got this opportunity anywhere else.

And then Singapore. Love this city and am happy to be here. So all in all…I have no regrets. Just great memories. :)

Go Away Politicians...we dont need you!

Now this is just too much. Time and again our patience has been tested and time and again we did spring right back into action because we are Mumbaikars and we are in the rare possession of the so-called "spirit of Mumbai"! But this time, its gone a bit TOO FAR!

Mumbai is freaking the highest income tax payer in the country and WE are the most affected! F***! I want to know where the f*** is that money going. Cause it definitely did not go to the 1000s and 1000s of policemen who don't have decent bullet proof jackets, caps to protect them from the heat BUT YET, STOOD FOR NO LESS THAN 48 HRS TO BE VIGILANT AND PROTECT THE CITIZENS! We pay them peanuts for it while the politicians hold GRAND BIRTHDAY PARTIES AND WEDDING FOR THEIR NIECES AND NEPHEWS AND SONS AND DAUGHTERS AND GOD KNOWS WHO ELSE! And this is not just Mumbai...but to the entire country. Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Surat...cmon!

And if that wasn't enough, political parties have been using it as a propaganda to garner votes! OMG! How insensitive! You have some Vice-President of BJP, Naqvi saying "what do women wearing lipsticks and powder carrying candles understand about politics.". Now this is what he thinks of women...BULLSHIT! You know what Mr.Naqvi...these women have sensitivity... feelings...emotions... maybe you can learn a lesson or two from them. And if you have such a problem with women wearing lipsticks and powder...why do your colleagues and you run after them and pay them atrocious amounts to entertain you every night and favor your raging hormones!

Exercise your right, do vote...vote for nobody...exercise option "49-o". We don't want the sick politicians who don't understand the sentiments of the public. Except maybe Kapil Sibals interview with CNN-IBN, every other politician looked so detached. Major Unnikrishnan's father did not allow the state CM to enter his home!!! GOOD! Awesome. The freaking politicians are using this occasion to point fingers at one another and to do their own PR.

We need to know that we are being managed. We need to know that we are safe. We need to know that we can leave the house in the morning and know we and our loved ones will come back home safely and happily. I don't want to sit in a cab and be scared of what/who all are around me. I don't want my friends so say "I am scared...I don't want to die"!

The people of Mumbai and the media are now determined to fight this war on terrorism. Please done let it die. We need a solution to this...and the solution is US! You and me! Be a vigil citizen. We need a Lee Kuan Yew in India. Politicians are misusing the democracy in our country. Its time we stand up and let our voices be heard.

Salute to the Army and the police force! We are proud of you...thank you.

NUS MBA - on its way up!

It’s no secret that I just absolutely love NUS MBA. It’s been one of the best phases of my life and it is one that I will cherish forever. Like every organization, there are areas we still need to work on but I know we are on our way up there! Yes, I am an eternal optimist. This school and its people throw in one surprise after another and I absolutely love it.

If you are wondering what triggered this emotion, well it’s the launch of Net Impact chapter of NUS MBA. This is a great initiative that the program has undertaken and very fittingly, it has been taken under the wings of the Social Impact Club of NUS MBA. But what makes it even more special is the fact that this is something that has been entirely conceptualised, initiated, driven and guided by the students here. It really goes on to speak highly of the capabilities of the students joining us. It’s a great platform for the students to work with globally recognized organizations on live projects, something that will not only widen their perspective and give practical knowledge about business but also help them take up social causes and burning global issues. Additionally, it will give them an opportunity to meet students and companies from around the world who are part of this chapter, thereby increasing our reach and brand across the globe. I could go on and on about this, but maybe the team spearheading this activity is the best to do so. Kudos to Suraj, Adarsh and team!

We had students representing our school for a project organized by MILK to Thailand and Philippines. Suda and Colleen made a meaningful contribution there, and I am so proud of that. And mind you, the contribution of the students doesn’t end with the trip. Having realized the need for English books in schools in Thailand, Suda sourced books from various libraries and schools in Singapore and is sending the same to Thailand. She made a promise to them and she is sure going to keep it.

We regularly organize study trips around the world where we get an opportunity to meet the top management of leading global organizations along with legendary personalities. We are the first school in Asia who had the opportunity to meet the legendary Mr.Warren Buffett. Now where else could I have got the chance to listen to the legend in a room of only a 100 people!!??!! Again, these trips are completely driven by the students with of course, a lot of support from the MBA Office.

We have students representing us in global business competitions and have won us countless accolades. And then of course, there is Cerebration of which I am so proud. We partner with Singaporean companies to write business cases on them, and then invite participation from all over the world for it. It’s one of the biggest business case competitions in the world and we plan to keep it that way! :) It’s literally a SGD 200,000 project, not only entailing enormous planning and organization, but also has the task of being the much publicised flagship event of the school. We finalized our case sponsors yesterday and I don’t mean to boast, but it’s the best selection of companies we have had this far. And in the times of global economic turmoil, it is nothing less than a feat. Of course, there is more pressure now for us to keep the flag flying high and handsome, but going by what all we have achieved this far, I don’t see why not!

NUS MBA program churns out leaders. It churns out self motivated people who drive their endeavours to successful completion. It speaks highly of them and it’s only a matter of time that more companies will sit up and take notice. Of course, one cannot discount the endeavours of previous years. It has been the cumulative effort of the past years that has brought us to this position and inspires us to continue doing so. We are the makers of our own destiny here at NUS MBA and no one can take that away from us. Keep is rolling guys, the world is your stage. So play on!

The power of an Apple!

First of all, I would like to thank Amruta and our boring and long trips to the hospital for treatment (its a ligament tear...so stop thinking of me as insensitive :-P). Had it not been for our hour long wait today where I got this idea, I would not be writing a post on this subject. :-))

So let’s get to business.

Background: I jumped out of bed at 9 a.m. I didn’t want to get late again and be on the receiving end of Amruta's nagging. So while I did manage to get ready by 10 (somehow!!), I had no time to eat. So OF COURSE I was hungry at 11:37 p.m. while we were still waiting for the orthopaedic doctor to attend to us.

Stage: Alexandra Hospital has this sinfully large basket of red juicy apples kept on the registration counter of the emergency ward. It’s for the traumatized patients. But no such luck in the specialist (by appointment only) ward. (C’mon, jumping out of bed at 9 can be traumatizing!!).

The wisecrack: So when we realized that we weren’t as privileged as the traumatized patients, I passed one of my smart wisecracks, "Oh, the power of an Apple".

Now before you think that this statement was passed without any thought, well you are so mistaken. My "sharp" mind came up with this for the following reasons (yup I know its hard for you to believe, but it does process really fast sometimes):

1. Adam wooed Eve with an apple: Thanks to “an apple”, we are an entire population of over 6 billion today globally!!!
2. Apple and its health benefits have long been popularized with the saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away".
3. Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravity, thanks to "the apple" that fell of the tree.
4. And the best...."Apple" (aka Steve Job's Apple) products. If I was given a choice to make one advertisement in my life, I would happily make one for an iPod with a tagline "An iPod can change your life". I took to jogging, and snapped out of my blues a million times because the iPod is just so damn good! It is my motivator, my therapist and my all-season friend. And today, Apple products still rank as the most gifted products during Christmas. Again, "Apple" has been an expression of love.

So there you go, "an apple" has changed the face of the planet. Now really, do we want to contend with that???!!! ;)

I wonder

By Dreamcatcher

Life and its growing cycles can be so strange.
The more one introspects, the more mysterious it gets.
Sadness is part of everyones life. And so is happiness.
Until we have experienced the prior, the latter is not appreciated.

As I smell the rising sun, I can choose to "wake up" or I can choose to "dream on".
Dreaming can make you happy, but snapping out of it is sometimes the best way.
How we all wish for a crystal ball reader, someone who would tell us
"The future is bright. It will all turn out exactly the way you wished and hoped it would be".

But reality and He have other plans for us, oh they can be such party poopers.
If only the party had all our guests, all our friends and all our loved ones.
If ever there was something that we could change,
We would all like to go back to the point where it was all going well.

I have been searching for that one key, that one little passage to my future.
Some place where all my imaginations are a reality.
Where music fills the air and the glow from happy faces lights up the room
A place where the pied piper is the happy soldier guiding sadness out through the city walls.

Sometimes anger can fill your heart, but you have to realize
That only leaves no room for love from our loved ones.
It's the grey cloud that stops rationality from waking up
Thundering words can cause more harm than good.

I believe in the future, I believe in luck.
Serendipity, I know will someday find its way.
But then again, the clouds overshadow me and I can't help
but wonder....

"Music"ensors!

Ok lets see...I have to finish couple of assignments, I have to complete a couple of applications, I should really be reading at least one textbook right now and most importantly, its 1:53a.m. I should be sleeping...but look what I am doing exactly???!!! I love breaking rules ;)

My all-time favourite quote on music is "If music be the food of life...play on"! And lately "it’s all coming back to me now"! :) My God I am getting so corny these days! What’s happening??? I think I need to "soak up the sun"!! Hahahaha....sorry guys! :D

Well the only Hindi film that all Indians are talking bout these days is "Rock On" and I lovedddd the film. The music...amazing....so of course it’s no rocket science to guess the songs I have been singing lately. But what is amazing is that EVERYONE I KNOW who has watched the film is also singing the same songs. It’s almost like our home anthem is changing. All my home buddies are listening to "Rock On" songs. All my school buddies are singing its songs. All my friends back in India are singing its songs. All my sisters have been singing its songs. And what more...so is Dad! (There are of course people who have differing views on the movie but since that’s not the subject of my post, I will not dwell on that.)

The healing power of music has long been a subject of research. This subject personally has been of interest to me. While it’s interesting to read articles and research reports on this subject, I love it when I make my own little observations and discoveries. So (yet again!!!!) I made an interesting observation which I know was sitting happily at the back of my mind.

Many a times you will come across people (including me) whose typical answer to your question "what is your favourite kind of music" is "it depends on my mood!". Well while it’s true, I was wondering why?? If moods play such an important role in defining our music preferences, then why do we listen to music to change our mood. Vicious circle there.

Well we all have our low days and I had one a couple of days ago too. Since I was still fresh from my "Rock On" craze, I decided to listen to its music. Now "Phir Dekhiye" is supposed to be a song that makes you see the hope side of life. But for some strange reason, I wanted to cry after listening to it. That’s when it struck me (and thank God it did, it diverted my mind) that music is also a multiple dimensional entity.

Listen keenly to any song and you will notice at least 2 rhythms. The same song can have a fast/happy beat and another slow beat! At any moment we can catch only one rhythm. And what is this dependent on...our mood! Our mood is like a biosensor which detects the song rhythm which matches the mood frequency. Therefore, the song only reinforces your emotions at that moment. Since the frequencies lock in together, the song synchronizes with your emotions and become “easy listening”. And if you notice, listening to a happy song at a sad time can be more irritating than happy. They only cause more agitation.

Now one really has to get out of ones comfort zone to listen to the so-called “happy song”! And before you get me wrong, such songs can have a happy and can have a positive effect on you. Reason…cause you have made up your mind and garnered strength to make a change. The act of moving away from your comfort zone itself makes you stronger and it starts changing your mood frequency. You are determined to be happy and so you shall be. This starts changing your mood sensors and so…in time…you are happy again! And that’s called getting your groove back :)!

Now I am sure many of you may not agree with my theory, well…to each his own! So if you ask me, moving around in circles is not always a bad thing! ;)

Relationship Curve - The Dreamcatcher Theory

I know I run a serious risk of being termed a nerd or an even worse…an MBA! Just a case of “you can run but you cannot hide” ;)! Funnily, yesterday I was reading an article on “finding your inner voice” and today I had an “enlightened” thought…inspiration ;)??!!

Benjamin Peirce defined mathematics as "the science that draws necessary conclusions”. If you google the term “mathematics”, Wikipedia will tell you that “Other practitioners of mathematics maintain that mathematics is the science of pattern, and that mathematicians seek out patterns whether found in numbers, space, science, computers, imaginary abstractions, or elsewhere”. And today, I found a pattern in all relationships. A graphical representation of all “non-blood relationships”! Let’s call it the “relationship curve”… (God, I know so clichéd…but I promise this is not at all a preview of what is to come! I promise!)

In my opinion, all non-blood relationships in this world go through a curve like the one shown above.

X-axis: Represents the ability to “give” in a relationship
Y-axis: Represents what you “receive” in a relationship

When we meet someone new in our lives, we all start at THE ORIGIN. It’s all neutral at that point.

Quadrant 2 (shown as Dislike to Hate Quadrant): This is a phase that I don’t want to spend too much time explaining. This phase is very self explanatory. You can dislike someone and with time, it’s possible, you may end up hating the person. And remember, “Hate” is a strong word. You may have done something (as viewed by the other person) nasty to be on the receiving end of this emotion. The time to reach infinity in this phase is way shorter than in Quandrant 1.

Quadrant 1 (shown as Like to Love Quadrant): This is my favourite phase and I hope that most of you have lots of people on this side of the axis.

Zone 1(shown as Phase 1 in the diagram):
y=x relationship
As time progresses and our x co-efficient increases, the curve is somewhat like a straight line.
What does it mean: It is a give and take relationship. A point at which you cannot take the other person for granted. In order to receive, you have to make an almost equal contribution. You enter the “more than just acquaintances” zone!

Zone 2 (shown as Phase 2 in the diagram on the left of the dashed vertical line):
y=f1(x) relationship
As our x co-efficient increases, what we receive increases at a faster rate than what we give in the relationship.
Where does this get you: We enter a comfort zone. A zone where friendships are born. A place, hopefully, devoid of judgements. A wonderfully fun zone where “leg pulling” is the name of the game and in return, sporting spirit is an omnipresent phenomena. This point, in my opinion, charts the entire course of what is to come. But it is also the most sensitive spot in the curve. It’s a point where one can easily end up moving backwards, towards the negative axis, if not handled with care. Again, one cannot take this zone for granted. It requires constant input. Else the way out of here is only backwards.

Zone 3 (shown as Phase 2 to the right of the dashed vertical line):
Plateau Point: y = e^x relationship
And this is one where most of our friends tend to reside. Its an overcrowded spot. The people who will be there for every birthday of yours. Who know which country you are living in. People who not only know where you work, but also know your designation. But DON’T REMEMBER WHAT YOU DO. We all need people in this plateau. Cause when there are promotions, they are first in line :)!

Zone 4: y = infinity (shown as last phase of quadrant 1)
This is the point where you reach a wonderfully beautiful threshold value of “love” that renders the relationship permanent. A point where, no matter how busy we get, we know the other person will be there! Our 3 a.m. calls, our alarms for a 5 a.m. flight, our “come to the airport to pick me up” person, a “I am out of milk…can you pick it up when u are coming over” person, a “I am insecure” soundboard, our “I am tired but I will still come along for your office party person”…the ever dependable, always listening, having-more-faith-in-your-strengths-than-you-have-in-yourself person.

This is also one of the most difficult and time consuming phases to reach. It requires a lot of nurturing and a lot of input. You risk seeing mirages if you speed up too fast. This relationship stands the test of time, of misunderstandings, of jealously, of love. What we give is insignificant in the face of what we receive. It’s the point of “infinity” (infinite love). This is the best place to be in. (And I wish this one for all of you! :)).

This model should typically be a 3 dimensional model, where the third dimension should be time i.e. the time taken at each phase. But honestly, my intelligence constrains here! Plus, really it would be pushing it a lot. Wow, just realized this would make a great research thesis (wow that’s giving myself a lot of credit). One day maybe! :D

P.S. This is dedicated to all my girls! :D Here is to the last 10 years! :D

Colors of India

I have three incomplete blogs lying in my posts sections...oh well! Now some of it was just due to pure lack of words...so no excuses there...and for the rest...well again...no excuses! Haha!

I realized my last few blogs were a lot about the sorry state of India and Indian healthcare and Indian education system...sigh! So I decided to balance the act here and tell you why I love India.

This may seem strange and funny...but really...Indian advertising is one of the reasons why I love it...I know funny! :) Now the big Times of India loyalist that I am...I am absolutely excited about their "Teach India" campaign! (Anjali and Neha...good luck with that!). I think its a great thing that they are doing...and while cynicists may call it a "gimmick"...even if it helps a few 100 kids...really I dont see any problem there. And its a great way for people to give back to society...I know a lots of people who want to. And of course their ads are all over the city...but this one really touched me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V75u1ehgfnc

I have had an experience in the past way back in school interacting with students from the Spastic Society of India. It was a very humbling experience to teach these guys for a year and believe me it was FUN! So I would definitely recommend it to everyone.

And of course...Bombay (Mumbai!). This city rocks. Literally. But its the spirit of the people living here that you cannot ignore. And you know one reason why we are the business hub of the country...at least the original business hub. Well we sure can multi-task. You just need one ride in the second-class local train of Mumbai to absorb everything there is to know about the city. It cuts across all sections of society and age! Where else will can you see women cutting their vegetables on their way home to prepare a good home-cooked meal for their family. Hats off to them! And no conversation about Bombay can be complete without a mention of my (sorry OURS...Neha is watching) favourite places in the city. Hard Rock Cafe! I agree Neha..thats one of the most saddest thing about leaving Bombay. I am sure none of the other ones arnd the world can match upto this.

I love India for Kerala. In a strange way I know there is some past life connection there! I love India for the hospitality and camaradie of the general public. Recently, I happened to go to the vegetable vendor we were a regular at in my old locality. While the decision was purely out of convenience (I was driving through the area and Mom needed me to buy some veggies), I was surprised at the unexpected “welcome” of sorts that I received. He was most happy at my decision to shop from him even though we moved houses 20 mins away and my new locality has better vegetable vendors (in terms of variety). So he happily offered me a discount and his “best rates”. Within seconds, the fruits vendor came to say hello and I was super surprised. They all wanted me to send my regards to “Bhabhiji” (my mother)!

Of course there are a million more reasons I love India but time and lack of words constrain me from going on and on. So I will stop here while India moves forward! Now really...do I need to explain why the "Happiness Quotient" of India is rising! :)

And it continues...sigh!

Looks like this issue is getting enough media attention as well...

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Mumbai/90_med_grads_skip_rural_stint/articleshow/3204471.cms

As many as 90% medical students give ther rural stint a miss...how are we ever going to improve the public health system of India if this continues.

The article explains it all...I dont need to say no more!

The power of BIG!

I am a person full of contradictions and today I discovered another such contradiction about me! When I have a story to tell, I can go on and on about it (of course digressing through the way) and ensure that the others present in the conversation do not get a chance to talk and are listening to every single detail and responding. Of course, I do not want to discuss how entertaining some of my stories can be(…modesty ;))! So literally, I make a mountain of a molehill.

But when it comes to articulating any professional communication, I have the power to make even a big thing sound miniscule and irrelevant. And this goes back to my engineering days, where after putting in 5 months of relentless efforts on my final year project, both Anjali and I were incapable of justifying our efforts in the report. And that’s when we realized how we both lacked the capability to use “flowery language”. Basically, modesty becomes operational at all the wrong times in life.

The reason I choose to blog about this is because, during the internship, I felt challenged by this incapability yet again. This, to the extent of my mentor telling me “why do u underplay everything…use big words…the impact is always better that way”. This is something that I am sure will remain at the back of my mind at least for sometime. Another incident occurred today that brought this issue to the fore. In the past couple of communications between the Cerebration team and potential case sponsors, I have realized that Amruta does a brilliant job of glorifying the event. While the thoughts have been resonated by all of us at different occasions through different mediums, this particular mail by Amruta blew me away. And knowing her…I know that its not one of those “creative high” days. It’s just that she has the talent.

As I decide to embark on this journey to enter the big Consulting Arena, I realize that this is a weakness I have to overcome. Consultants are paid to tell you things that at most times is already known. It’s the job of a Consultant to send the message across in the most effective way. Sometimes, it’s about making you come to terms with reality. At other times, it requires them to tell you “we are there for you”. Whatever be the case…it was never achieved through “being modest”. As Shyam puts it…”Its all about Marketing and PR”! And I agree! It’s the power of making things sound BIG! So my next KPI is to be told by someone…“you sound like such a consultant”!!!! :)

Education for All

Well another social issue which is quite the double edged sword. As most Indians must be aware, the government has a program called “Sarva Shikshya Abhiyan (SSA)” or “Education for All”. The government has made primary education compulsory in the country and provides the same either free or at nominal cost (with special focus on girl’s education :)). The aim is obviously to increase the literary rate in the country. And as we have seen in the past few years, Indian “minds” are becoming quite the hot property world over. Like I have said in many of my previous posts, in a country as diverse as India with wide socio economic disparity, cultural disparity (and sometimes even baseless theories), this move deserves kudos and it is bearing fruit. The literacy level in the rural area has been increasing at a greater rate than the urban literacy rate.

But there was an issue that gained a lot of media attention a couple of years ago. In a Delhi school comprising of children belonging to the higher middle class and the “Page 3” of society, the parents raised a hue and cry over the government of India’s rule that each of these schools should include a minimum number of students belonging to the poor sections of society. Parents cited the reason as the negative effect such kids would have on the students of this “crème de la crème” of society.

From the point of view of parents and students studying in the school, this is a perfectly valid point. One pays a premium fees at private schools to provide excellent education for their children. Of course the environment and fellow students have a big role to play in providing the “excellent” education. So parents are bound to get anxious when their children are put in the same environs as students from poor families. Since bad habits are easy to pick-up, these environs are bound to affect the language, the behaviour and sometimes even the thought process of these students. At the same time, the poor kids are bound to experience an inferiority complex giving rise to “the evils of complexity”.

However, from the point of view of the government, this issue should be seen in a different light. The government of India is answerable to every section of society and every individual of the country. Through this move, they are trying to improve the standard of living of the future generation. Now this is a way of the government to ensure that every child receives an education. But for the poor families, it’s about giving their child a better education with the hope that one day they will be able to change their future for the better. It’s about making an opportunity equally and fairly available to every child.

Which parent would not like to see their son or daughter to grow up to be a young confident person who does not see any limits in life and who thinks big! While I am not saying that a public school education is incapable of helping achieve this dream, the chances are generally perceived to be higher in a private school.

This is where I feel the school plays a very key role in integrating both these sections of society together and ensuring equal opportunities to all. It is actually the task of the teachers, staff and faculty to bridge this divide and at the same time ensure that the students are taken care of especially emotionally. I am proud today that I went to a convent school which provided subsidized and free education to a few students every year. I did have some classmates who belonged to not very financially stable families. But once in school in our uniforms, there was no divide and no discrimination. While I am not anyone to comment on the positive effect we had on them, I am happy to say that to a great extent, my school has been responsible to a great extent in shaping the person I am. One not only learns to be sensitive to the differences in society, but more importantly becomes a more balanced and reasonable person. The family obviously has an equal role to play in this.

While this is not exactly relevant to the previous case, two other interesting articles in the paper in the last two days got my attention to this topic. That of children born with autism and ‘Down syndrome’. Both articles had a similar theme. These children can grow up to lead a good and independent life if they receive an education at regular school along with other “normal” kids. Studying with children in a regular school (as opposed to receiving an education from a special school), these children learn faster, learn how to deal with everyday situations, learn what to say and when to say it, learn to appreciate their own success and that of others. This is because they learn a lot through imitation. There are regular schools in USA that have special integration programmes for students with ‘Down syndrome’ and autism.

This is good not only for students with special needs but even for people like you and me. These children don’t need our sympathy (and I hate it when somebody calls them “bechara”). They need our support and they need to know that they are equally capable. If there is anyone who needs special attention, its “normal” people who get uncomfortable in their presence and don’t know how to behave. Its principals, faculty and parents of schools who refuse to admit such students. It’s people who look at this world in monotones. So really, it is us who need special attention and education!

Democratic evils and the silver lining…

Well this one is a sequel to the previous post. I didn’t expect to write on this subject so soon again. But there have been some developments and stories in the news yesterday that are worth the mention here!

The National AIDS Control Board (NACB) has recently announced that it will provide free second line ART treatment for AIDS in four cities of India – Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedaba and Hyderabad. In addition, it will launch this program in four more states from December. Several doctors from these states will be sent to Thailand for training on how to properly administer this treatment. Btw, Brazil provides the second line ART treatment for free in a national move to help contain the spread of AIDS and AIDS related deaths in Brazil.

For more, you can read the same on:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/HealthSci/Second-line_drug_free_to_combat_AIDS/articleshow/3170106.cms

But that was the good part. There was also an article in the paper that reaffirmed the ironic state of medical education. Private medical institutions are sprouting up all over the country. Rural stint is not mandatory if graduating from a private institute. Since one ends up coughing a sizeable amount for medical education from these private institutes, graduates are in hurry to receive their return on investment as soon as possible. Therefore, such students end up seeking jobs with private hospitals and do not prefer the public hospitals which typically pay less than most private hospitals. Fair enough.

Additionally, another news article stated that resident doctors in hospitals are highly susceptible to tuberculosis due to lack of hygiene and sufficient protective gear and sanitation. Given these conditions, how can we expect these doctors to consider public hospitals? And for those who are currently working there, it is absolutely dangerous to put them through these unhygienic working conditions. Not only are we putting them through danger, it is also dangerous for the other patients.

So the question arises, that while there are some silver linings in our public healthcare system, are we equipped for this? Have we reached a point where so much damage has been done that it will be very difficult for us to address this issue? Well the optimist that I am, I don’t want to believe that there is no way out. But sometimes, Reality Bites!

Democratic Evils

A new post has been so long overdue that it’s beyond the point where I can make excuses about it. I have thought of a million topics I wanted to write a post but somehow, it never happened. And then just now I watched an ad on television which said “Stop Talking. Start Doing”. So I am going to do just that :)

I am currently working on a project with a global consulting firm in India on the healthcare sector of our country. Of course I cannot divulge details of the project (confidentiality issues of a consulting firm ;)). Now, I have been doing a lot of research on this subject and believe me it is an eye opener!! Here is my take on the sorry state of our healthcare sector. (Something you won’t find in our project ;))

Background:
Healthcare sector can be divided into pharmaceutical and medical sector. The medical sector in turn comprises of public healthcare sector and private healthcare sector. Your public sector typically consists of facilities and treatments provided by your central and state government. Private providers include NGOs, not-for-profit organizations and the for-profit organizations.

The cost of treatment in a public centre is highly subsidized and free in cases of some treatments. However, for the same treatment, you could end up playing 2 to 3 times more at a private hospital and almost 20 times at a private dispensary for common non-hospitalized ailments. Therefore, it is the duty of the government to provide affordable and accessible treatment to all sections of society. Their motto, of course, being “Health for All”.

Reality Bites:
Unfortunately, the true picture is not only alarming but also depressing to a great extent. 40% of the population in our country go under heavy debt due to a single hospitalized treatment. Most of them finance the same through borrowings from friends and family. But what is more surprising is that the most affected population is not the ones who are ‘Below Poverty Line’ (BPL) but the middle class segment that is the most affected. The reasons for this being (in short without divulging into too many details):

· Preference for better medical care and service which is unavailable at a public hospital. The perils of awareness and literacy!! (There is a brilliant statement in the report for this…but damn I cant use it).
· Lack of accessibility to public providers in our country.
· Perception (which is partially true too) that private providers have better doctors.

Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?
While analysing the reasons for the same and reading up on the healthcare sector of the other countries of the world, what was ironic was that countries like China and Cuba (with all their economic problems like India) have excellent public healthcare system. The issues of accessibility, quality and affordability have been addressed there and they have truly provided health for all. The reason I think they have been successful at this…Socialist/Communist political system in these countries. And then I wonder, is democracy a deterrent for our country?

Funds are not an issue in our country. Both the central and the state government have enough funds required to provide quality healthcare. In fact, at many a times, funds are under-utilized in India. However, what is lacking in our country are the following:

· Lack of stable political system: In our country a lot of time is wasted in waiting for approvals and bills to pass through. Then if we are lucky to get these processed fast, the actual implementation gets delayed and sometimes even halted. While the Gujarat government has been successful in reducing this bottleneck, the question arises…why cant the rest of the country?

· Lack of qualified resources: Qualified resources are a scarcity in our country (please note, the government is not even adding the clause “good”. Just “qualified”). That’s the extent to which we lack qualified doctors and nurses. Cuba provides free medical education to all medical students and over and above that binds every student to a contract where they have to necessarily serve the public sector for three years or else pay a very heavy fine. While I am not advocating free medical education (in a country where you are expected to be a doctor or an engineer, this cannot exactly be implemented ;)), the mandatory public service should be implemented honestly. In fact, the migration of doctors outside Cuba not only reduced, but today there is a surplus of doctors in Cuba.

· Bribery and “working around the system”: Neha said something today to me that at the point seemed very funny but it’s so true. In India, if you need to get anything done, just be prepared to “shell out money and give it below the table…that’s it. Your work will be done!”. So this very easily gets you out of the compulsory public service.

China, Cuba and other developing and emerging countries are faced with situations very similar to India. Wide socio-income divides, poverty, illiteracy etc. But because of their communist and socialist outlook, they have implemented policies and no questions asked. No opposition parties, no unions. They “Stopped Talking and Started doing”.

There have been successful initiatives in India in Tamil Nadu, Delhi and North east India. However, they have all been isolated initiatives and have failed in other parts of the country. There seems to be a lack of will on part of the state government and sometimes, a certain degree of helplessness. China has been the fastest growing developing nation in the world and as far as healthcare is concerned, it’s definitely not “Third World”. Cuba is a very high Human Development Index (comparable to developed nations) as far as healthcare is concerned.

While I am not advocating socialism or communism, I wonder that in a country as diverse as us with diverse economic and cultural disparity, would such a system have worked better. Would such a system address issues of disparity and inequitable distribution of resources? Would it truly provide “health for all”?

Look who is regressive now!

Along with the objective of being a way to finish saying what I want to (since all my friends shut me up half way through my conversation), today I am going to use this page to talk about something that has shown its ugly face a million times the last few days...Misconstrued ideas about Indians!

Yes we have arranged marriages...and it’s NOT STRANGE! As I see it, it’s prevalent all over the world including the "very progressive" USA. C’mon, how is it ok to go on a blind date set up by your friends but the moment your parents set it up...it’s an "arranged marriage"! India is changing and the boy and girl involved in the meeting have the right to speak their mind and decide if they want to marry the other person. And contrary to popular belief, there is generally more than one meeting involved!

Of course, here I am also going to be quick at pointing out that India is a country of extremities and has all classes of people living within this huge mass of land. And this is where cultural differences set in. And not to forget, there are also generational differences. So in bigger cities, the approach towards arranged marriages is different from how it is in smaller towns and villages. Literacy levels in the family matters to a great extent and so we have to take that into account. In some cases caste and religion comes into the picture. But that’s another story. Now I am not going to get into the dynamics of how they differ. The main point is: Families care about their children and want them to lead a happy life (and not a lonely life). Therefore, if one has not found a partner, they intervene to help find one.

Now the reason I bring this up is cause the other day I met someone who said that Indians were not open minded and based his entire opinion on three things: Arranged Marriages, Sikhism and its practices and the depiction of our Gods. (He definitely crossed the line on the last one).

Now when we talk about being open minded and when we start comparing our country to other countries in the world, we have to take culture into account (Like we do in any business organization as well). So we respect all the cultures and religions prevalent in the country. We respect the class divide and understand that there is a difference. We respect that Indians are going global and therefore, there are bound to be some changes in the lives of our loved ones. We are coming to terms with it. And by “we”, I am including people from all walks to life. Now that is being OPEN-MINDED!

We have a number of ways we depict God. Each has its own significance. We may not pray to a particular deity but we definitely don’t disrespect it. And we DONT make fun of any God. Cause it’s about people and their faith. Who are we to question it? Now that is being OPEN-MINDED!

Like every other religion prevalent in the country, Sikhism is one of them. They have certain beliefs and practices. Sikhism believes in leading a disciplined life. The long hair, the kadha and everything else in their culture is inline with their beliefs. So before, you make fun of any culture, read about it!

So now I come to the main point, interpretation of the word "Open Minded". Open Mindedness is not about live in relationships or even free love. Open mindedness is not demeaning cultural differences just because you cant handle it. Open mindedness is not passing judgement like Indians are loud be nature. Open Mindedness is not blaming inflating food prices on Indians “improved dietary needs” (Let’s get back to economics Mr. President!).

Open mindedness is about people and opinions. Open Mindedness is about accepting we all have our own understanding of right and wrong. Open Mindedness is accepting the person with his or her flaws. Open Mindedness is about moving away from the superficial things and accepting people for who they are. Open Mindedness is about questioning age-old beliefs and changing them if required. And India is very successfully doing that (Remember that Third Sex is official in Tamil Nadu in India).

So if the message hasn’t reached you, it’s because u have been so happily sitting in your ignorant cocoon not caring about the world. So let’s talk…who is regressive now?

My 80/20 Girl!

So here is my first blog for the month of April. And while I had thought that April 1st would have been a perfect day to start one…it never happened! OK as always I find the need to explain everything I say and so I am sorry to say but you have to bear with me while I explain what I mean by that (sorry that was a confusing statement). Though I can almost hear this voice inside of me (read “Everyone I know”) saying “Rohini, Please stop”. But like I always say it’s a condition and I can’t help it. :P

I had thought I would dedicate my 1st April blog to a fictional story revolving around real characters and people and resemblance to anybody or anything living or dead would be purely intentional. I had thought of an interesting plot and an even more interesting selection of characters. But sadly, the day has passed and so has the moment. So there you go, I have given my explanation and will put an end to this discussion.

Hey but I wont let you off so easy. It’s not one of your lucky days ;-). Recently, I had come across an interesting book at a bookstore that caught my attention, “The 80/20 individual: How to achieve more by doing less”. And it was one of those eye-catching titles that I could not miss. I immediately decided I wanted to read the book. So I went and borrowed the book today. Of course, the book talks about Oprah Winfrey (something I discovered only after borrowing it) and that makes it win some brownie points. And mentioning her early on in the book is always good luck :).

What I find more interesting is how the author throws light on the fact that Pareto Principle of 80/20 fits into almost every aspect of our lives. So let’s evaluate:
1. In examinations, maximum questions are from the last few tough topics of the course. The ones previous to that were merely laying the foundation. (And if you doubt that, I am more than willing to show you my Macroeconomics test I took yesterday).
2. Most defects in programming are found in 20% of the code.
3. Any newspaper article can give the whole story in just 20% of the article. The other portions are like stitches, holding the story together. Don’t get me wrong, the stitches are the most important part but it’s the design and fit that most people look at.
4. This is something chocoholics may be aware of but fail to admit - two to three bites of chocolate is enough, it’s the remaining 80% of the bar that leads to the “chocholism”.

And I am sure I can find at least a 100 more examples in the next one hour. Basically, the book shows how we are all 80/20 individuals and its up to us to use our creativity and our strength to find what we are really good at and how we can use it in almost every aspect of our professional and personal lives. Now this is not a book review, I promise I will give one when I finish reading it. I am more amazed at the subject of the book. Richard Koch first wrote the book, 80/20 Principle, that revolves around how corporations and organizations use 20% of their employees strategically that contributes to 80% of the corporations success.

Same old topic. Whole new approach. It’s about keeping an open mind! Its creativity.

The other day a friend of mine mentioned about some book he wanted to read (I forgot the name) cause he thought “It sounds interesting”. This is where I passed a stupid comment “You a judging a book by its title?!!?”. But then think about it, why not?

Title of the book it our first contact with the book. It’s the first thing we read and so if the title can engage us, we can hope the book would to. If the title cannot, the book is pretty much DOA (Dead on Arrival). Creativity needs to flow through all the aspects of the book and the title is definitely a major component of it. So next time you like the title of the book, please go ahead and read it! ;)

And since we are on the topic of creativity, I want to take this chance to talk about my friend Tonje. Tonje is one of the most beautiful people I have met in my life and I admire her so much. My interaction with her started in a course at school and I am so happy to have met her. She is one super mother of four. She has this infectious “never-say-die” attitude that you can’t ignore. She is full of ideas all the time. But what is more amazing, that she believes in even most eccentric ideas of hers and if you doubt it she will question…”Why not?”. If you can’t answer that, well then don’t question it. She comes up with these canny drawings and theories and makes you believe that it has potential to be something BIG. She makes me believe that “WE are the masters of our own destiny”. She knows her capabilities and knows how to leverage it to its maximum potential and more. She is my 80/20 girl! :) Way to go lady!!

Addicted...

Lately I have been so addicted to this page that I can’t help myself from coming here…over and over again!! I will try and keep this short (Though I know that’s not my style) but none-the-less, when was the last time you tried something for the first time, right??!! ;)

So I had a couple of revelations the last few days (of course my friends contributed to these as well :) ) and I wanted to share it here with you (maybe open it up for discussion…MBA style…LOL!).

Murphy’s Law v/s Luck:

Murphy’s Law: It’s raining cats and dogs and you are standing in your business suit desperately seeking a cab. But you will not find one since YOU NEED IT. Two days later, its raining elephants and monkeys (more than cats and dogs) and you look outside the window from the closed (dry) comfort of your room and there are at least 10 cabs with their green light on in the last 5 mins, waiting to “service” people to their destination.

Luck:
It’s raining cats and dogs and you are standing in your business suit desperately seeking a cab. And you will find one since YOU NEED IT. Two days later, its raining elephants and monkeys (more than cats and dogs) and you look outside the window from the closed (dry) comfort of your room and there are NO CABS AVAILABLE waiting to “service” people to their destination.

Revelation:
Luck and Murphy’s Law: two sides of the same coin!!!

Walk on the clouds:
Honestly, I know I keep saying this but it never fails...EVER! I am happiest when I wear my sports shoes and tonight it was put to test ALL OVER AGAIN! We had a participant’s dinner for the teams who have flown down for Cerebration Finals at this awesome place called Villa Bali. And I was exceptionally happy. This was even without a drop of alcohol.

And then it came up, the sports shoes. I was wearing my “walk-on-the-clouds” Reeboks after ages and boy did I get my groove back. I was talking incessantly (as usual). Confidence level stretched further than Pluto and I was just plain HAPPY! Cause I can’t help it but it has this effect on me. It makes me feel in control and makes me feel like I can “just do it”. (Sorry that’s the lag line of Nike..Rival brand :O).

Amruta as usual was a great source of entertainment after she had downed a few drinks.

Ashpi was being her usual loud mouthed self (you are my favourite you know ;)).
Isha finally tried a few sips of beer (or so I believe).
Raghu was finally being Raghu (I missed the fun Raghu. So happy he is back).
Ankur was being you know..Ankur.
Chinmay as usual I have no idea what he was up to.
Anubhav was giving his usual pose in EVERY PICTURE (how do you manage it man).
Kunal was eyeing every chicken piece in the house.
Neha as usual had everything under control.
Srikanth was as usual on the receiving end of all my “fundas” and theories (Soon he is going to judge me and doubt my sanity…or maybe I already run that risk!)
Rohit kept referring to me as one of the guys (Ya soon you are so dead for this).
Abhay drank more than 1 glass of alcohol (This was shocking).
Omer…As soon as his team left, so did he. Poor thing…he was so home-sick after being buddy to a team from Canada.

So c’mon…Can we really blame me…Friends, Reeboks and me…Priceless! :)

Beware…Vending Machines Ahead!!

This has been a mystery I have been trying to solve since the last semester and finally after much statistical analysis, I have found the reason for my tendency towards higher BMI (ya I have to use euphemism here! :P).

December 5th, 2007 – 10:47 p.m.:
This was a day I had been looking forward to for months and finally as I landed at Bombay (ok Mumbai!) airport, I could feel my heart racing. For the first time in my life I had been away from home and family for such a long time. But now before you think that my heart beat was racing due to excitement then I am sorry to say that was not the only reason. It was due to fear…fear of my family’s reaction to my ever increasing BMI. I had stressed for days over which top would be appropriate that would help avert their shocking reaction. Should I wear the red one…or maybe a kurta…or hey wait maybe the brown one!! Finally after much deliberation and consultation I settled for the Black UCB top. Of course, I teamed it up with the denim jacket. Ya that would fool them!

December 5th, 2007 – 11:13 p.m.:
I could see my Dad waving out to me. I was so excited. I was gleaming from ear to ear and my face just lit up. Oh how I love Daddy (Daddy’s little girl! :-)). As I made my way out of the airport, I could see Mom and Didi standing there. And in all the excitement I forgot all my fears.

Didi: Hey honey!!
Mom: Hi Rohini (giving me a kiss on my cheek)
Dad: Welcome back dear! (One tight hug :-))
Me: Hiiii (I am pretty sure I sucked my stomach in…!!)
Didi: You haven’t put on weight! Why did you scare us so much (Yes, I thought in the interest of everyone at home, I should warn them before reaching. The last thing I wanted was to see shocked faces around me).
Me (in my head): Wow Oprah is right. We should wear jackets to hide our flaws. ;)

So I managed to fool them. In all the excitement and stories and more stories and some more, no one noticed! Thank God for the “constant chattering syndrome”.

December 6th. 2007 – 8:23 a.m.:
I was happily sleeping in my sweet slumber on the bed I missed so much. As the sun made its way through the beige curtained windows, I was smiling in my head. Home. Everything was so perfect. The familiar pillow, the security blanket…oh how I love home. Until, I heard footsteps. My heart started beating fast again. S**t, I could hear Mom’s bangles. God no..I cant hide it anymore. And then almost as if I could sense it coming, Mom entered. Her first words to Dad who was with her at that point “She has put on lots of weight. Let her sleep today. From tomorrow she better go for a run”.

So from Day 2, it was “Operation BMI”. And I am proud to say, it was successful. I mean c’mon. I went home for 5 weeks ON VACATION IN THE SEASON OF GAJJAR HALWA and lost 2 kgs. Achievement! (I don’t want to boast but a lot of people mentioned that there was definitely some reduction in my BMI).

Present:
It was exactly at this time last semester when Chinmay mentioned that I was definitely thinner in Bombay when we met first. And exactly 6 months later while we were ALL enjoying our little treat for the evening, a Cornetto Brownie and Cream Cone, he mentions “So you have started putting on weight again” :O.
@Chinmay: Dude, it was your idea that we eat an ice cream!

Now it’s a different thing that I haven’t done anything about it. But here is where I start wondering. I led a sedentary life style even during my work days. Then why is it that the effects are showing now. OUR SCHOOL IS A PILE OF STAIRCASES. ALL YOU DO IS CLIMB UP AND DOWN THE WHOLE DAY. And climbing stairs is exercise, right? Then how?

And today, it struck me. There is a pattern. I start the semester thinking healthy. Eating healthy. We cook at home and I always feel in my 3rd-4th week at NUS that I have started losing weight. Then all of a sudden, like an avalanche, the assignments and projects start rolling down and I have no option but to keep up. This means sitting in school till late hours in the evening (though we stay closer now). And that’s when it starts…the VISITS TO THE VENDING MACHINE.

Vending machines are a rogue. They are present everywhere. They not only entice you into going closer to them by dressing up in colourful attire of red Doritos or Brown M&M with polka dots or orange “Premiun” peanuts or just some cute little bears with chocolate filling, but also keep blinking in a very sorry manner saying “Make Selection”…Pick Me…Eat Me…Give me freedom from this locker. And the soft-hearted person that I am, I can’t ignore their call for freedom, and before I know I “bail” them out.

As if all this wasn’t enough, they even keep a drinks vending machine next to it…you know in case you get thirty (after all the starchy food), help yourself to some (high caloric) Coke or Nescafe Coffee or even better Diet Coke. C’mon they deserve freedom too, don’t they?

Dear Mom,

You have always taught me to be socially conscious and help out those in need. You always said “Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and think how you would have felt if they didn’t help you”. And that’s exactly what I am doing. I am helping the little helpless souls in the vending machine break free from the bondages of the tall black lock-ups and I hide them in places where they can never ever be found again. I hope you understand and appreciate my selflessness and the sacrifices I make in life for others. I hope I make you proud.

Yours Sincerely,
Rohini 0:-)

Unfulfilled Dreams…Realities I never dreamt of!!

Well this one is truly special to me. With a million submissions and assignments due this week and Cerebration next week (more on that later), I was convinced that I would not have time to leave my pawprints on the patio ;)! (Sorry I know that was very cheesy!! Cant help it sometimes). But something happened exactly 21 minutes ago and it just pulled me to this page. I received an email from my Tauji (Dad’s elder brother). Just two simple lines that mean the world to me right now.

Background:
As all of you know by now, I was part of a study trip to USA where we had a chance to meet the legend..Mr Warren Buffett (No words can do justice to how I feel about the trip…it was ABSOLUTELY M-I-N-D-B-L-O-W-I-N-G). And today after much persuasion from Mom, Dad and my wonderful (read nagging sisters ;)), I emailed the pictures home(Just the one with Mr. Warren Buffett. I am just too lazy!)

Reason for this blog:
So why am I happy? I had mailed my cousin the photos as well and she happened to pass it on to Tauji. And 21 mins ago (well now 23!!), he mailed me saying that he saw the pictures and that he is “PROUD of me”!!! Just 3 simple words. I don’t need to say anything more.

The meeting with Warren Buffett could not have come at a better time. I needed to get over my disappointment of not being elected the MBA Club President. I don’t even want to talk about it any more. Yes people, I am over it! And the US Trip definitely helped me get over it. I wanted to be the President real bad and I truly believed that I could do it. It was a lot like high school all over again and losing out on the Head Girl position by a small margin (what’s the deal with me and my losing by small margins again and again). Guess some things are never meant to me. So the dream of being a Student President (or head girl) will just be an unfulfilled dream.

But it doesn’t matter anymore. My parents did not fail to tell me how proud and happy they were when I decided to run for President, when they read my mandate, when they heard that I didn’t get elected, when I was selected for the US trip, when I met Warren Buffett, when I returned and even when I sent the pictures home. Tauji’s mail just reiterates my support system.

These are my life’s biggest realities that I could not even have dreamt of. Everything else takes a backseat. Just the fact that they think this way makes me so happy. I owe it to them for making me the person I am today. I owe my confidence, my determination, and my optimism to my family. For always being there. For guiding me all through. And most importantly, being my best friends in the whole world.

This blog is dedicated to all of them. Love them all forever and forever and always and always. I feel lucky! Touch wood! :) They make me want to be my dreamcatcher...

It's got to be perfect!

Two pieces of information caught my attention in today's edition of TOI:

1. "Third Sex is official in TN"
(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Third_sex_gets_official_status_in_TN/articleshow/2869909.cms)
Finally on the path of "Live and Let live". In a country that specifies "Freedom of expression" in its constitution, its a good feeling that we are accepting the choices (natural or adopted) of people in the country. We are finally maturing to the fact that the world is changing and that people must express themselves without fear and not lead a life of quiet isolation and solitude. We are finally waking up to the fact that for any country to growth and succeed, we need to address issues of transsexuality and homosexualism. We cannot turn a deaf ear to the long SOS calls of transsexuals asking for a respectable social standing and equal social status and rights.

Tamil Nadu has taken this bold step (and hats off to them!) and now its time that the country follows suit. Of course I know and I am sure that the extremists of in our country are going to object to this and there are definitely going to be regressive and conservative people making a big hue and cry if it were to be adopted on a national level. Its happened in the past and it will continue to do so.

But tell me something...The constitution mentions that we have the freedom of expression as long as we don’t not interfere and take away this right from other citizens of the country. How the hell does an individual with certain preferences that does not fall in the category of "Male" or "Female" affect someone elses freedom of expression. In fact if nothing else, the growing HIV/AIDS numbers in our country can reduce. Transsexuals can lead a normal life and not lead a life in the hiding. The country can educate them and advocate precautionary steps and help stop the spread of this deadly disease that is spreading like wild fire. We can stop STDs. We need to put an end to the stigma attached with this. And I am proud that the country has taken a step in this direction. But one earnest request, DO NOT STOP JUST YET. The step has been taken and we need to take it forward from here. India is the largest HIV/AIDS population in the world. We should not sit and gloat on out laurels just yet.

2. "The New Haat for Mumbai"
This one is more personal :). Everyone who knows me well knows of my liking for handicrafts and home decor and accessories. And all my friends with me on the Delhi trip were witness to this mania when we visited Delhi Haat on a comfortable winter afternoon. The setting of Delhi Haat is perfect. The architect and the interior designer of Delhi Haat definitely deserve an applause. The have designed a perfect ambience where you cannot help but shop. So all you men out there...don’t catch us...catch the retail and design consultants of such places. We are merely going with the flow :)

And now Bombay is set to have its own version of the "Haat" and boy am I happy. And what more...its going to be close to my house!!! :D :D So that’s extra brownie points for it. So Mom, Dad..Please be prepared. Let’s just keep an extra cupboard in the house...you know...just in case ;)

First day in USA!

So this one has been long overdue and after today's Debrief of the trip, I think its a perfect way to bring it to a close... (Though I don't think I want closure just yet...it was just too good :) )

23rd February 2008:

Of course it started of as a usual travel day starts off...I run around picking up and packing last minute items, I get ready in a rush and make it with just a second to spare before the cab driver shows up at the doorstep. We made it to the airport with loads and loads of time to spare (Thanks Amruta :)). After checking-in in a relaxed mood (my first time at that), we made our way to the café to grab a heavenly and much needed breakfast with conversations revolving around our past vacations and places we have stayed in. I spent the remaining time making an unsuccessful attempt at finding a gift for my cousin and browsing around the bookstore – Times Network at Changi Airport. What an awesome way to start a trip.

Our flight to San Francisco with a stopover at Tokyo Narita was food fun. Though I slept through it (thanks to the childhood conditioning by Mom Dad to stop me from throwing up on flights). We landed into SFO on 23rd itself at 9:30 a.m. (Thanks to the time difference...For the first time it was on my side). San Francisco is exactly how I had pictured it...Wide streets...little houses and 2 storey buildings...the Inns on the way...Taco Bell and Sears at regular intervals...Motels with neon lightly...it was just perfect.

Our next stop...Motel 6. Our haven for the next 3 days. It was like any regular clean cozy motel so I wont bore you with these details. After a quick check-in, we headed to La Salsa - A cozy Mexican Restaurant. Of course I don't need to start about the burritos I had there (read A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!) and then we walked around for a bit. Of course Amruta brought her "compulsive shopping disorder" with her all the way from Singapore and she just had to buy the pair of Boots...had to!! Lol.

The rest of the afternoon we spent relaxing and watching Seinfeld (these are episodes I haven't watched...Life is Beautiful) and warming our hands in front of the heater. The evening was again filled with some more walking around, a visit to Rasputin Music and Books stores (I like that about USA...they have book stores at regular intervals) and then of course dinner at an Italian Pizza place...Oregano. But please note that they serve Oregano only on request!! :)

In the night Vamsi, Manu, Gagan, Amruta and I went to downtown Palo Alto and had an amazing amazing time. The highlight of the evening of course was when spotted the office of "facebook"...lol...I still maintain that facebook is a big waste of time. But none-the-less I was excited. It felt like our little adventure out in the city. We encountered a big scary looking guy who was very helpful, we ran through the underground subway cause Amruta was convinced that there was a man there waiting to MUG us (:-)) All these movies really screw her head), we entered the Apple Store and yes my eyes lit up, we clicked pictures in front of the Cheesecake factory but didn't enter it, browsed through books and music at Borders Store, had a heavenly scoop of brownie gelato at Michael's Gelato and Cafe and took pictures with an odd looking EGG sculpture that had images from all over the world!! And then called a cab to get us home...and our luck he was a Sardarji who was kind enough to let 5 people travel in a cab. So all in all...an AMAZING and FUN first day in USA!

Changing face of the Internet!

Finally after months of speculations and appeals, Google bid to merge with Doubleclick came through on Tuesday sending Google prices soaring with a rise of $13.68 to close at $427.30.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/technology/11cnd-google.html?em&ex=1205467200&en=03e8d1f1d0134c93&ei=5087%0A (Free sign-up required)

Not only does this reinforce Googles dominance in Internet advertising, it definitely comes as a big setback to Microsoft and Yahoo that have been opposing this deal from the start. Microsoft was opposing the deal and putting pressure on the Federal Trade Commission regulators to not approve the deal. The fear being that this would give Google too much of a pricing power for online advertising.

However, what will be interesting now is Microsoft's reaction to this. Will they push for Yahoo even more in order to strengthen their position on the net (Yahoo has stronger online advertising position)? Or will this put an end to the Microsoft-Yahoo bid since even the combined effect will not surpass Google-Doubleclick dominance on the Internet? And even more so, will Google-Doubleclick merger succeed?

Watch this space for more details :)

Has it really changed?

Came across this really interesting article (Though you may need a login for this. Sign up is free):
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/world/asia/10surrogate.html?pagewanted=1&th&emc=th

This article talks about how the cheap labour and the relatively easy labour laws in India makes it a lucrative option for another kind of outsourcing model...that of "reproductive outsourcing". There are companies in India who have successfully created a business out of surrogate motherhood. The clients are typically foreigners and couples who want to have children of their own.

We are all aware by now that most global business houses around the world are capitalizing on cheap labour in India and have outsourced their back end operations to India. Great advancements in communication and technology have been the drivers of this. Till even two years ago India was known as the land of outsourcing. But lately that has been changing. With the booming Asian economy and specially that of China and India, this has been changing. Large companies have been growing in India and adding processes in place to cater to the Indian clients. (And the fact that 4 of the top 10 richest people in the world are Indian is definitely a testimony for that). Therefore, India is no more just about outsourcing. (Though outsourcing has definitely been a contributing factor towards this). India is now looked upon as an IT hub and the Silicon Valley of the East. It is increasingly being known for its consultancy services and as a knowledge centre.

And here I am thinking that the mindset is changing and that people dont actually think that an average Indian leads a life like that of the 6-7 protaganists of "One Night at a Call Centre", while outsourcing is taking a whole new meaning in the country. These clinics pay for your travel et all. While I agree that its a good to connect two people who need each other (the couple wanting a baby and the surrogate mother needing the money), what I am only worried about is that with lack of strict labour law, the outsourcing model may actually end up ignoring the interests of the surrogate mothers. And will in turn lead to worse health issues.

While this is a good "business", its not one of the best businesses to be in. Its a painstaking long process and uses cheap labour to leverage on it, However, "reproductive outsourcing" can definitely make an interesting canvas for future fiction. Maybe we should get Oprah to talk about it ;)

Entrepreneurial DNA!

Ok this is the first of its kind. Usually I always write my blogs on a Word Doc first and then after being completely satisfied with it I paste it here on my blog. But today i have taken the brave step (or rather the sensible) step of starting the blog right here on the compose section of the blog. Wow...big step. Well the reason you are on the receiving end of all these (unnecessary) details is because I was curiously going through the "Personal Documents" folder in my notebook and came across a number of unfinished blogs. And there are more than 6-7 such incomplete docs. While some were intentionally abandoned, some of them just didn’t see the light of the day because of "lack of time"...ahem!!! There I go again...

Yesterday was a rather interesting day for me. After 3 days of absolute homesickness, the evening turned out to be quite a welcome change. We were part of the Corporate Dinner hosted by us for the Sponsors and Strategic Partners of Cerebration 2008. We had the top management from DBS Bank, Brewerkz, Expressions International and SPRING Singapore all under one roof. It was attended by our Vice Dean, Professors and MBA office.

I had the privilege of sharing the table with the Founder of Brewerkz micro-brewery and am glad I did. Devin Kimble opened doors of Brewerkz in Singapore and has met with a lot of success. And now they are looking to expand outside Singapore and hence the reason that they are case sponsors for Cerebration.

We had an interesting conversation on our table with Prof. Bob Fleming also present with us. Devin spoke about how he was a trader and a lawyer before completing a master's degree and becoming an entrepreneur thereafter. For him, the CSF (Critical Success Factor) to be an entreprener is to have a lot of ideas. And gosh is he right. And then suddenly there seems to be a common theme in the discussions I have been part of for the last 2 weeks.

For the uninitiated, I was part of a study trip to USA last week where I had a chance to meet personalities like Scott McNealy, Sumir Chadha and (hold your breadth) Mr. Warren Buffett!!!!!!! While the experience on the trip is going to be another blog(s??) in itself, what is striking is the similarities in the personality types of these entrepreneurs. It’s almost as if there is a DNA type!

1. All these people: Great Great Communicators
They all have a flair for words and humour as well. They can really engage an audience for a long span and have very interesting take and insights on things and subject matters in life. (I am in awe of Mr. Buffett!!)

2. All these people are very very personable. Very approachable and very friendly and so humble. They treat all of us (people at least half their age) with respect and at par with them. (I mean c’mon me on par with Mr. Buffett!!!! What a dream!) :)
Of course, if they weren’t humble they wouldn’t have even reached half way where they are today.

And while they all agree that an MBA education is definitely a value add, in Scott McNealy's words "You don’t need an MBA to understand that you need a positive bottom-line...and to know how to get the positive bottom line all you need is a great CFO. If you want to be an entrepreneur what you need to be is 'Be Controversial and Be Correct'. If you don’t differentiate yourself you will not have pricing power. If you have a brilliant idea, make sure you have enough people who think you are crazy. That’s differentiation". According to Scott, the best take away from an MBA are networking opportunities on beer nights, on social gatherings. "You never know who can be your potential partner".

Interestingly, Devin had somewhat of a different take. An MBA gives you an opportunity to work in groups and in projects and that’s how real life is. You brainstorm and you share ideas and once you have lots of ideas, you can be an entrepreneur.

Devin's conversations also revolved around how they lived in simpler times without seat belts and computers and how they had to hang outside in crowded buses to get to school (though small towns in most developing nations still face this). They all know where they are coming from and that’s definitely one of the reasons for their humility.

So all in all it was an interesting evening. And its conversations like these that reaffirm my faith in my abilities and my yearning to take up my ideas (at most times ideas that don’t seem to have a sustainable revenue model) and make them see the light of the day :). And I know that there a number of people who think that the ideas are crazy and that I am not capable of doing them. Makes it all the more challenging and makes me believe more and more that "I can make it!" :)