Iam allowed to say " Value Added " , Now Iam an MBA

Ha . in the final , my tryst with MBA proved to have borne fruit , ( Aatha Naan Pass Aiten ! ) Managed to get my MBA ( hair line wary across, been little apprehensive after 3rd sem debacle ) , after religiously attending those classes every sunday , the only hygiene's being F&H coffee vending machine & the early morning pongal enroute .. though both are out of my diet at present

For sure i wouldn't have gone through the grind not even to the extent of 1 % of that in my Mechanical Engineering degree as never been the seriousness and always had less priority.
But then , made some good friends / contacts , got to meet people from diverse back ground , sharing their dose of experience , a house wife , publisher , fitness expert , electrical contractor / Tooling entreprenaur, A Copy writer , ad sales exec , furniture shop manager , Textile Engineer , Banker , & like blood people -> One an Assembly Line engineer @ leyland & another a Service Engineer from MM .. list goes on

Also unlike stereotype prof / teachers , some who handled us were those from industry background rather than academia. This was disticnt and handy when it came in relating to practices/ applications . Was indeed a nice experience to interact with hands on Men/women ,rather than school kids directly coming after institutionalized preparation / rituals . Though the limited time of meeting once a week proved to be the down pourer , this would be something close to me

The PU_LC twinning 2007 ~09 MBA batch , here we come.......

If not for an Engineer I would have been a ….. ?

As of now, I am on course to collect my MBA degree while still at job if things move right or may be in another 6 months if any backlog unexpectedly happens ( glorified way of terming cup / arrears ) ,prepare for admission , get in to school and collect my full time MBA , become a Fund Manager or a supply chain coordinator which have been my dream jobs

But sometimes I think, what if I had not been inclined towards engineering and had to adopt an alternate profession , what where they be ? Further the present slowdown at the back ground , the canvas before me provided me to pen down the wildest options

1 Coffee Taster
This might be a very casual title on the first look , but on the contrary these are one of the highly paid individuals , whose gastronomic skills fills them enough to fend them superfluously.

2 Cook

Udhyogam purushalakshanam , Nalabagam Mahalakshanam

Hindu mythology says Men are more seasoned at handling the magic potion to produce the wildest of the tastes . Nala is supposed to be one of the finest of cooks ,whom noneth where to able to match in the celestial world
Palakkad cooks ( remember Kameshwaran in Michael Madana Kama Rajan ) are one of the globe trotting lot ,who are known for the awesome recipes and are always on demand ,which as allowed other cooks from neighboring states to call them as palakkad cooks and move around

If at all I were to take the karandi in hand , these would be the first things to dole out
Chena upperi , Aviyal , vathakozhambu , poondu rasam , Rava dosa

3 F1 Mechanic

My father still tells me that I removed the spark plug from my old Bajaj CUB scooter when I was in class I .Perhaps this would explain ,my love for Mechanical engineering ,nuts and bolts have been through out ,guess ..

Standing on those sacred tarmac area called pit stop , holding a pneumatic tool bit waiting for those sexy speedsters to come to u , holding them on hand … OMG , I would just love to be there

4 News correspondent

Getting to know what’s happening around was always with me right from my formative years , which many of you would acknowledge and endorse .
Knowing people , networking and trying to update on all around . it also provides an opportunity to know varied people / area and helps u to have a larger perspective of life around

5 Real Estate broker

Land and buildings have always fascinated me. This one really doesn't require any formal education , but instead demands toiling up on the field and learning the knacks the hard way.


Whatever said and done, touch wood, I had never been devoid of things i had aspired for ( modest aspirations )..A decent upbringing / schooling / a bunch of good child hood friends & in pretty decent job at hand to fend for myself .I strongly feel that preparing for an alternate career , would infact develop that mental state of figuring out a larger perspective of any situation even in your mainstream career.

Kirukalgal turns 3

Ha its been 3 years now , What started as a casual avocation during those long airport transits/ hotel stays during my business tours have been a medium to vent out whatever I felt at that point as well stay networked to my GUMBAL ,which I treasure than anything .

Though no specific traits in these posts have been followed , it always ends up putting something close to heart .I still remember when I first sat to write this on 12th April 2007 ( incidentally happens to be the day when a great soul stepped in to this world :- ) ) during my return flight from Delhi . Adi would later pick me up from the Airport and drop me at home on the day ,enabling me to meter out airport – residence :-)

What else I could have thought about than our game of cricket at mottai madi when i toyed for the first time. . Then followed others close to my heart..., Coffee , Mechanical Engineering , Formula 1 , The great summer of 2003 .

Then there were a few , I wrote after reading something or having created a perception about the same . One such thing was on " Its not about the bike.. " (http://natrajvenkatraman.blogspot.com/2007/07/its-not-about-bike-my-journey-back-to.html) . This was in July 2007 . I had quit Hyundai & was in the interim break before joining Tata . The book and the very idea of single parenthood in the book really shook me. Its not something new to us as we would have fore sure encountered persons with similar background . I too had the opportunity to move with such people and adore their solid self made personalities. This is one of the entries I really relished writing and do the same whenever I read it

More recently I was able to connect again with all in the GUMBAL ,with the 6A Natesa Nagar entry (http://natrajvenkatraman.blogspot.com/2009/05/6a-5th-main-road.html). Iam sure this would have bought back those nostalgic moments in many of us. It was indeed a pleasure to receive a comment from Major Bala who took time from his arduous treacherous schedule to read this after hearing from me .Many of my colleagues at work were baffled to see that somebody who is in touch with their childhood friends , which I feel is rarely seen out there.

In short , this has seen the sinusoidal of my personal & professional life and would continue to do so, I would be happy writing as long as the purpose of this as in the opening lines is served

Kutta !! .. Next should be your Kalyana Chapaadu ..

Heard this line after every meal of my cousin's day wedding ceremony at palakkad recently , and from whom....from old Mamis ,Patis ,chitthis , chittapapa ...whom i have to actually halt and think for two minutes as to how i am even related to them....and from whom we hear from only on such weddings or family occassions ......

Who are these ppl and what the hell else will my wedding be to them, but just another function to wear pattu podavai and come ,eat and go,....and of course get an update on who got married who hasnt ... , exchange rate of US dollar and UAE dirham , who lives where and who is next in line to the Knot , I was taken aback when 2 paati’s ( 70 + ) were talking about H1N1 and obama.
and my poor parents worried expression after every such comment...

As much as family functions are a delight, being able to be at palakkad ,with cousins catching up and having truckloads of fun with other family members & friends , the dressing up, the singing away, the food ( I just love it , paal paysam , parupu paysam , sambar , olan ,kaalan, kootu,upperi ), the people watching...seeing your fun cousin have fun at his own wedding ...:)
I guess when it comes to you being a topic of discussion it can get a little irritating....

Our's is a Palakkad iyer - Tam Brahm family with ppl living all over.....Chennai ,Coimbatore , Bangalore ,across Kerala ,lots of settlement in the west - Mumbai & of course the US , Gulf , Canada , Australia & even Nigeria for that matter. Thankfully...my cousins werent irritating like the un-known Mamis and Patis were ,who ask.....Kutta enne aachu ? ?
when are you getting married?....so how old will you be next year ? arent your parents looking?..

.hey...settle down now!...i am not dying of some dreaded disease..so please dont look so worried for me....!i am having lot of fun(even be it in solitude) ... unlike you who is already regretting having got hitched...i have a great job and earn a good deal to take care of myself... what are you worried abt..? i cant seem to understand....Never thought i'll be writing one of these...read them ....but really ppl there are old Mamis, thathas and patis for all the questioning.....

6A ,5th Main Road

Was at 6A after a 5 months hiatus . Have never been ever since I changed my coordinates . This surely would be one of the places I frequented the most

This house has seen the Childs fight to the street fight , the fall & rise , the ups & downs ,the ego & the sacred self of each one of us in the GUMBAL .

During the school & college days , when we were not that privileged to flaunt the mobiles we do now, one number which my parents knew by heart apart from my residence was 24790725.

This place was also a temple of all leisure activities , people would be playing tennis , cricket on the narrow pathway as well as the terrace ensuring the ball only to be hit in to the next locked apartment in the 2nd floor or to the adjoining house guarded by 3-4 dogs . people would fight to decide who would jump and pick up the ball.

I had also spent many afternoons ,sleeping at this house ,when others would be preparing for the 10th Board ,12th Board & TNPCEE exams . Infact I had many night out at this place , the only motivational hygiene being the biscuit packet & hot tea that PP’s father would get us for staying awake.

This Is also the place ,people would make it a point to drop in religiously whenever they are in India from whichever place on the world map.This place for the last 20years had played a pivotal role in forming many relationships . Though I wont say , that the 3 are the best friends (which isn't ) , but then this place finds a mention on the Trio's ( Vidhya - PP - Natti) life.
Now 6A is all set to add one more new member to the family . Though many of our fellow chininmates have moved on to the next phase of family life , Iam still pinching hard to believe our Pradeep Parthasarathy is all set to shun the elite single tag .
Just as the famous lines goes :-

We are all a little weird And life's a little weird,
And when, like you, you find Someone whose weirdness is compatible with yours,
You join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness & call it love.

Pink , Dont Panic ! ! !

Crisis and adversities are an integral part of life and so is recession. The toughest situations and problems also give learning, to look back and correct ourselves and also giving strength mentally and emotionally.
A few precautions and suggestions for difficult times during recession and lay off for everybody,
a) Don’t panic; have confidence that you can face any situation. The trend of people getting mentally disturbed is peaking up because of the worst fears of recession.
Let’s see some examples,
Think of our soldiers based at the border… who knows when somebody would attack. Imagine the plight of the people in POK, or any other war stricken area…
What would happen if there was a severe earthquake with highest impact levels? You would have to face the outcome of it right? And earth quake ; It just strikes…it does not happen over a prior intimation like a planned power cut
Then why panic to a situation which you are aware of. Why die a slow death by panicking
Apply "What worse can happen?” theory and build up your confidence, get prepared MENTALLY. "What worse can happen?”, theory is one serious thought which can mentally make you very strong and give all the courage to face any situation that comes. Think what could be the worst possible options, will I loose my job? will the financiers acquire my property? THINK; what is the worst possible event that can happen, and START FINDING ALTERNATES for the same.
Media repeatedly highlights the bad part of the scenario, and so our peer group discussions…Don’t heed much attention to that. Think for yourself around you. Has life stopped? No, rite? Move on.
b) Your family and friends would be of a great support to face any scenario, discuss with them. Involve them in your scenario. Lot of Ideas pop up, And remember “An idea can change the world”.
c) Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. Open your mouth, who knows somewhere, something better might be waiting for you.
d) Networking; Not just in recession, networking is a greatest tool available for mankind. Man is a social animal , so start socialising. Dig up your old friends list whom you would have forgotten over a period of time... and never shy to say "I need help ". ( I strongly believe in this , Natti works on Network , its not just adding up ur friends list on the orkut or facebook , try to be in touch)
e) Slowdown the life style habits... i mean 'daru, hookah, Suttah, and the eat outs. This can save you significant amounts.
f) Financials: discuss this with your family, instead of making it out alone. Build up your cash reserves (liquidity) enough to take care of your fixed commitments and the family requirements for at least 6 months. Build on this. Let the cash reserves be in an arms reach in the banks – better to have it spread between 2~3 bank accounts.
g) A rupee saved is a rupee earned. Think of all the possibilities where you can save.
h) Investments in lifestyle luxuries can wait.
i) You can and have to bring down certain fixed commitments, viz, If staying in a rented house, check out if you can move on to your NEEDS ( from a 3bhk to 2 bhk ). Move to a little far off area. Never shy away from re-negotiating. Dont get easlity convinced that you are paying the right price, negotiate negotiate hard . The little u save , that little u spare
j) Move out of mortgage. This can give a good amount of liquidity in hand for sometime.
k) If things are not working out well… what for is that fancy car of yours, is it really required.

Some thumb rules, even if it’s not recession;
1) Save for the rainy day (you should have at least a saving of 6 months salary in Cash, be it Convertible Fixed Deposit or cash in your account)
2) Always ensure that your fixed financial commitments are always under your capacity . As a thumb rule never have loan / borrowing repayment commitments more than 40% of your take home.
3) HAVE A PLAN B ready. An alternate plan must be ready all the times. Now that’s the difference you find in the small eyed people who have made a great difference in the world, the Japanese & Koreans. Their philosophies review the PLAN B even before the normal plan is seen.

( I remember my old boss who alwasy used to block tickets on the same sector ,same day on 2 different flights)
4) Some innate talents in you can also provide for alternate options, think…

( These are reflections of thought @ my workplace ,with friends , with pickups from real life practices . Write up courtesy : Avinash )

My Tryst with those 3 Letters

After those initial rounds of appearing all those entrance tests ( including CAT ) and debacles of not taking up anything , having heard enuf from buddies on " natti got in to this , Natti didn't take this... " ,Natti got admitted in this school , natti didn't take up this program " . " Mein abhi bol raha hoon ki Nattu kuch nahin karega , sirf bhat aur sabko goli doonga " , First it was NUS ,then NTU , then SMU , Great Lakes , REC Trichy , Take it from me Natti's list will go on , " I finally sat & decided that atleast I shudn't be wasting up all the time on what next & I decided to enroll myself at the 2 year Twinning MBA of pondy uni. at Loyola chennaiNow it has almost come to the fag end , and eventually natti would end up adding those 3 letter degree to his folder if everything goes well.

Its been a nice experience going back to the classroom after 6 years hiatus ever since i laid rest my engineering books & my drafter /drawing board .People from diverse background (social / cultural / educational/ demographic) with varied employment get to meet in a cubicle once in a week ,with very little room to have a batch buddy connection. Profs come and talk , run thru ppts and circulate handouts .

Many of those participants come up, wile away the time ( but end up clearing the papers). Sometimes I had felt very awkward in opening up and answering , as the whole class would look at me and the prof would later keep repeating my co' name ( Tata ,Tata... n times) .I had decided not to answer / interact many a times , as i never felt of a conducive environment where in others hadn't participated .This was in contrast to my engineering days sessions , when the whole lot used to just crack numbers and gobble complex kinetics or be it Heat .

Though its not a top notch prog & thereby nothing much to be pondered or talked about , this course has created an impact on me , which off late i have realizedBy gods grace , I had never been devoid of things i had aspired for ( modest aspirations )..A decent upbringing / schooling / a bunch of good child hood friends ( the network is still intact even after these 27 years ) & in pretty decent job at hand to fend for myself .

But this is not the case everywhere , ppl running away from home , having to discontinue regular stream and take up a job to support the family , ppl completing theri basic degree at their prime 30's , having in at a not so attractive job , so on a so forth .So these may be a series of abstract events , the bottom line is the same .This post is not intended on anything ,all I request is that , We the privileged lot have to time and again think , things are not the same with ppl around. The world is only gonna be even more worse . Always have a intro / retrospect on things around you. Now that many of our buddies in the GUMBAL have entered in to the parent hood , it would only a prudent task to take ur kids planning .

Inflation . Rava Dosa & Kaapi

Indian inflation at its all time high and is heading towards 13 % . Prices of food, oil ,steel and cement , the prime movers of any industry & the key indicators of any robust economy have hit their all time high.

Oil first crossed the magic number of $100 a barrel and now hovering at a little over $145 a barrel . It was exactly at 1/3 a little 5 years back.

I had been recently to a jewel shop along with my friend & was surprised only to find it packed to its full. I also happen to visit a revenue sub registrars office and the place was swarming with its usual crowd , touts & brokers. The day I visited around 9 properties in the range of 50 – 90 lacs got registered.

Recently one of the leading realty promoter came with big ticket investments costing up ward of 1 crore for a 3 BHK apartment and another in the range of 15 crores for an high end condo. I also got to know that majority of these got booked in the first 10 days.

RBIhad increases its Prime lending rate upwards, PC in his Endeavour too increased the excise duty on the automobiles , in an attempt to put a brake ont he inflation. This coupled with high interest rate coupled with excise increase and the spiraling fuel could have only painted a grey picture fro the auto industry , but then the auto industry too fared pretty well last month

In actual terms , we see only the demand – supply equation perfectly well & its gonna be n exclusive growth , with the below poverty line crowd bearing the major brunt.

The fact is the crisis could have been still worse.,with the US economic slowdown & possible spillover to the developing economies. India has manged to remain greatly unaffected,owing to its nascent credit/ derivative markets and a good regulated securities trading.

Well whatever the case may be I could say , I too had been victimized in the present schem of things. , For what I got for 20 bucks ( 1 Onion Rava Dosa & a Coffee ) once upon a time ( 2 weeks back.....) , I have started paying up 22.50 ! !

Whats in a Name

On 12th April,1982 , a great soul stepped in to this world and was then named
Natarajan Venkatraman Sarmanaha :

Then dues course of time it took various etymological twists

Nat
Natti
Natty
Nut
Nut Bolt
Nutz & Boltz
Natti kutti
Natti patty
Natti Shitty Patty
Nadarasa
Natu rotti papu rotti
Mech Nut

And after entering the corporate world and being for 5 years ,Be it Indian or a korean this is what reverberates everywhere

“Nattu “

The Summer of 2003

It was way back in 2003,When we were all out of the college & were either placed or being in the process of hunting for a job . A typical day would start at around 5 30 in the morning , when all would assemble at either of Natesa Nagar mottai madi and would play a great game of cricket ,this would go on till 9 .

After an interval of say 2 hours all would again confluence at place for the never ending brain biting literature sessions laced with ultimate comedies . This would be wound up say at 4 ,when people shift to out doors ,and the hands that held the cards would start wielding the ball and bat.

This would continue till 7 , people would disperse soon after ,only to reassemble at the park at 9 .Long chat sessions on job,Interviews,movies ,out bound visits would soon churn out , and this 2 kms walk would have taken us to the “ Happy Cool Inn “ by then .
All would treat themselves with the great Fresh Lime ( Rs.5 a glass was the only affordable on at that point of time ) .Walk back and to crash at respective homes only to start the routine ,the very next day .

The Summer of ’03 (I would cherish this the same way as summer of ’69) was indeed a memorable on in all our lives. This was the longest summer hols we had enjoyed.The game of mottai madi was devised in this summer ( Also check http://natrajvenkatraman.blogspot.com/2006/04/tryst-with-mottai-madi-cricket.html) . This summer also bought out all the old chininmates once again back , who otherwise were forced to part or found little time for their buddies ion the 4 long grueling UG .”Kaakha Kaakha” got released . Many started to earn their own first penny in this summer.

Those were the best days of my life ................ oh yeah .............
Will it come back ???

Our promises ,What are we fooling around ...?

The presidential run campaign in a country was there running in front of me .The candidates were talking on promises ,promises to deliver the best to tomorrow’s children , the best that they can deliver ,so that they don’t know what it is to be deprived of ….

Though these might be a standard text format ,being tailor made with some context drawn to the local socio & political climate ,the bottom line remains the same elsewhere in this world too .

I’m sure our children as well as ourselves are going to be neither spared form huge taxes , the rising prices ,inflation , rising interests , huge realty speculations. You have a retro perspective ,I’m sure it is going to be a more Herculean task to provide basic infrastructures including sanitation ,drinking water , motor able roads.

Banks / Institutions lend money to people to make investments like stocks ,shares , futures, commodity etc, with auto , home being exempted . people borrow money and lend to others in anticipation of a big speculation which in the end turns out to be a big far* . Such complex financial innovations can lead to catastrophe phenomenon casting the whole world, Sub prime being the best example in this context . Lending loan to a person at a higher rate who doesn’t qualify for a loan might be stupid idea ,a common man would say , but these were the things that some bright ivy league whiz kids were loitering with in their blue shirts before the bull

So what are we talking about , a whole new promising world to our kids , whom are we fooling around …… ?

Missing the Boy...

Something amiss
someone is missed
sadness engulfs
a sudden vacuum
the race is over
an era comes to an end
but time stands still
memories linger
some race, some corner we recall
some talk, some smile stays on
the racer, the driver hangs his boot
but the spirit,the man, his talent stands tall
To Schumi,
who made a difference,
who made me his fan,
who gave me something to cheer,
To you schumi - I bow to thee.

Michael Forever! - Sathya

Lessons from F1 - Professional Growth

Team work is the key for any organisation towards success.There exists a symbiotic relationship between team work & the outcome .In this present world ,the workplace are demanding with high pressure , many a succumb to it resulting in heavy turn around.Many in the race to outperform co -workers end up in a soup ,and are torn apart by peer pressure .
If this is one side, will somebody accept that team work too can be injurious and mite go to that extend of stopping ones growth . Mebbe the video link can give you an insight in to this & off coures this is gonna be debatable, put on your views

http://youtube.com/watch?v=a7bi-eiAY64

I dont Know my name .....

I dont know my name
I dont know my fame

Even though 180 minutes is my life
I get the attention of the sport as if I'am its wife

Millions of dollors & hearts are at stake &
A slight misbehaviour of me can become a costly mistake

Like every human I breath in & breathe out air ,
I burn out the food in my stomach and spend out the enerygy
Valves close & open , lines carry fuel like arteries,
Strands of conduits transfer the signal like the neurons

Thousands around the globe are working on my improvement caring like doctors ,
To unravel the fourmula for success ,to be number one ,to beat the 3 pointers( Mclaren) ,

In the spirit of Formula 1 ,Hail Red.......

Dedicated to all my fella tifosi's sround the globe

Formula 1...... Is it a game ????????

Many have told that they have no idea why people are crazy on F1 & that they totally feel its a big waste of time & money . I have been listening to many caustic remarks and criticism for some time (years now ). Very recently BBC had started a documentary on F1 .This is a 8 week documentary of 30 min duration each spread across the various facets of F1 or any process /Sport for that matter 1) Overview and money involved 2) Strategy & Leadership 3)Sponsorship 4) Talent recruiting & retention 5) Technology 6) Team work 7)Globalization & the impact 8) The Future . I sat in a self introspection of the game for myself . If a channel known for its credibility & keeping the spirit of "Being Informed" is running in to something , it should be something to be really looked upon seriously.

Before I go on a defensive mode on F1,Here are a few info bits on it.F1 by itself is one of the strongest brand creating a pull by itself . F1 attracts one of the finest technical & management graduates in to it from the best of the best schools every year. The game itself will run to a billion $ industry & every team spend a minimum of $ 500 million every year as operational cost apart form the remuneration,R&D,new car .

Every company works over new techniques,technology,skill set to create the Winning formula to be number 1 (hence Formula 1)

With due regards to my fellow F1 enthusiast Michael Sathya I reproduce the extracts form his blog on the same subject

Micheal writes …

“
I know I have already made some comments on this in my previous posts but want to elaborate on it. Every sport has its own share of enthusiasts. There are so many fanatics so many critics... A sports person's job is no joke. Well coming to the point, take a sport like cricket.Looking on television might be easy but then practically doing those things on the field are no joke. Fielding in the hot sun for more than 3 hours and also batting for long hours exhausts a human Football, baseball, basketball too depends on the players ONLY. Now coming to the topic... For a person who sees a race suddenly on the TV, the first thought that would come to his mind is that “ people driving a car around the same track so many times.”.. A cruel waste of time…

Let us start from the role of a driver. He solely has the skill to drive & take the maximum out of the car. All cars are approximately the same except for time difference in tenths of a seconds. When a good driver is having a good car you can naturally see their performance. Look at Lewis Hamilton now... Michael when he started with Jordan qualified only 7th on his 1st race but then that itself was a great achievement coming 7th with a Jordan. A driver has to know when to push the car and when not to. He has to take split second decisions while he is driving at 300k and it is no joke. All the controls jam packed in a steering wheel. Also imagine in driving in conditions with heavy rains. You don't even know where the track is with the water spraying. In the 1 1/2 hours that they drive they lose nearly 1-2kg body weight with a lot of fluid loss. It is no simple task facing the g forces. Well it doesn't end with the drivers part. The preparation starts long before the season even more than a year. It is a continuous process. The technicians at the lab work very hard so as to gain mere hundredths of a second. Each and every single component has a significance behind it. They work tirelessly doing simulations and wind tunnel testing and so much depends on the aerodynamic efficiency of the car. They design parts which they implement in the car and then there is the testing of the car evaluating it for its performance and also trying for newer developments. Then on the track before the race the preparations done. Getting ready 2 cars within a week especially when there are consecutive races is no joke. You pack everything go to the other place and again start assembling according to the track configurations. Transit is no joke as nearly 7 fully loaded large sized container trucks are required to transport. They have even special planes. For every race they need all race technicians mechanics and support staff. Even a small error with the mechanic may cause a problem. When once a fueler was injured in the pit lane they had to call in for a substitute. The Substitutes couldn’t match him and the team had to lose their lead . Each individual has a unique skill honed over time. Split second timing everything is done with pinpoint precession. Even the tyre engineers have a large role to play as it is the source of contact between the entire car and the surface. They gather data giving information to the teams on the performance etc. Every single factor has a significant role. We can go on saying all those intricacies.. it is never ending. Each person giving their 100% and working tirelessly all for gaining a few hundredths of a second... That alone is a fact gining a thought upon... “

In the Spirit of F 1 & the Tifosi’s (Ferrari Fans ) !!!! Hail Red ... Hail Red….

Its not about the bike : My journey back to life

Reached Bangalore and checked in to my rooms for a holiday stay ( or shud I say a hard earned vacation after my chaebol stint at Hyundai). Earlier Saw this book '' Its not about the bike : My journey back to life ,the auto bio of Lance Armstrong '' at the airport. Lance had become synonymous with cycling and tour de France. Being myself a speed freak be it F1 GP or Biking or cycling or be it the aircrafts. Lance shares with my other hero Schumi,Senna as well as the Ferrari V engine whom, I had idolized . Read thru the cover note and found to be neatly laid and inspirational one too. The 16$ price tag was something my eyes soured over.The book was still in my mind and as usual took a BMTC bus to the residency road ,scouted thru the Church Street , and there found the book seller Murugan , after speaking to him in some broken Kannada & Tamil got the book at Rs.50 / ( slightly > $1 ,as this being a pirated one).He respects me a lot as I had been one of his patron customer since 2004 (god, he easily makes 300 – 400 a month from me) .

Then went back to my room after my routine visit to the India coffee house on MG road gulping in 2 hot southi coffees ( not the filter ones) . Started reading this book and lo had finished half the book and didn't notice that 5 hrs have gone on this. Am still reading on , but the reason for me to sit on this blog is thou it had served my appetite of speed, adventure, comeback spirit ,team building and as usual a beautiful description of the virgin countryside and the forests , what has really affected me is the parental care and the upbringing of children pointed there.Mention of single mother,single father, divorcé ,partner etc… was as common as an adjective or a conjunction.

Upbringing of Lance had been a peculiar one by his single mother , who wud have changed 3 partners at least ,but noneth she mad sure Lance got all he wants. The mother son relationship had been portrayed with excellent hue's .

From my own instance , I had opportunities to grow / interact with buddies from a similar backgrounds. They really crave for the conventional home setup. Many a times I had thought & felt sorry for them. One set of these individuals are highly introvert and they banish themselves in to oblivion in a course of time ,in a bid to erase the past for reasons unknown. They either change their topographical co-ordinates or snap all the contacts .Then there are the ones who live up with the society like our hero Lance. I feel these individuals are self made / independent to the core & and can handle any crisis with élan than other individuals from conventional households.

It is also on our part ( I wont say onus ,as these are purely individualistic) to share and foster whatever u can with these individuals, as you will find people who treasure your relationship than anybody else ,as they know what it is to have a person who cares for them….

180 Degree View...

I recall speaking to one of my childhood friends ,who is working as a research associate in a govt.agency .She had volunteered to tutor underprivileged children thru an aid agency . Similarly, one of my college buddies who is always globe trotting being in merchant navy ,devotes a significant time of his 3 month annual vacation with a social working group for the rural children in and around the outskirts of Chennai.

There have also been instances ,where an acquaintance of mine working as an invest banking consultant with an energy major preferred to invest in a village self working group involved in making toys in the Guangzhou province in china ,as it would generate more job opportunities for the local residents I was going thru an inflight mag in my Delhi – Chennai flight recently , hit up on this glossy 40 cc article about a recent cleanliness drive by the employees of a corporate,a bunch of guys & gals in their casual trousers ,and branded tees specific for this event posing to the lens .

Are these so called one day social corporate responsibility affairs being used as an alternative marketing vista's on the fourth estate ,where in people have been doing these on a much sustained & a holistic way

Think…….

A Ray of Hope.....

Hope is a good thing ,may be the best of the things to happen
and no good thing ever dies

Have high hopes ,Aim for the sky in order to hit the roof at least
Dream ,Dream ,Dream.....this will steer your career trajectory

Downplay it on your other side of life , dear .. you wont have the heart to
bear in case you are getting screwed.

Being a Mechie .....

The other day, I was enjoying my weekend with one of the perfect ambience I love.
Dark room, hot rava maida dosa, coffee & of course watching the movie ''The MARKSMAN''. This was a movie set out in the Chechen Warfield, when a US army officer all alone goes on a deadly mission of deactivating a Nuke reactor .Absolutely a masterpiece plot.

All of a sudden I heard a thud knock on my door, found 2 of my cousins visiting my home. Both had come on holiday to India from (where else US). One on her way to a PhD at U Mich & the other with the big daddy of Indian IT Co’s TCS.

After the initial (customary) exchanges they stared at the bunch of books on my cot. The Avenger, Fist of God, Icon, Afghan. All written by Fredrick Forsyth. Are u a hardcore undercover enthusiast, I said with a beaming YES. There came a big advice try reading some soft novels. I asked her way do u mean by soft. Soft means light romantic novels. These have strong repercussions on your character. I replied to her people read books to enjoy way they cherish, not for others sake and these are the one I love. Also it’s a known fact that I had been reading tin tin ,tinkle till the fourth year of y graduation and these were the one’s which inculcated me the habit .

Ok me doing this now. Back in US we get these books at these prices. Can get these all from Wal-Mart (My guess was rite ...) .Back in US ……. Back in US …. Continued on and on she was back again.

What r u doing now, where do you work? Hyundai, I replied. Wat … U not a SW engineer. I said NO (Is it a taboo????). U R missing something big kutta. Next what did u major . Mech ??? Didn’t u have any other options? This really offended me. I remembered the first time I got offended, way back in ’99 during the counseling. I opted for mech. Sir Can I confirm asked the counselor, I said YES. Sir…. Still seats are there in ECE, EEE, one minute... even in CSE …… my choice is MECH.
I had always toyed / loved the nuts & bolts and would continue so…


And those 4 years When we were looked up as a different species altogether by the student community .Wat a life man … University rank holders, overall sports championship or be the cultural events .Mech was rite there at the top .I still remember when the fourth year seniors of ECE used to make way for us on the corridors when we were entering the second year (No jokes.. true). This turns u in to an all thru bred individual.

I decided I need to take this head on. Dei nee oru Mech Maa Manidhan Yezhindudu, Vizhithidu ,Vendridu .After some initial rounds of shots I hit at point blank

Shreya tell me, wat is it you are researching .I’m working on a mapping the pressure at sub sea level for deep sea oil drilling. This will be useful for oil exploration. I said does at have any application other than exploration. No this is what I’am working very specific. Watts the use of finding oil?? . Are u Nutsssss .

Wats going to be this oil of use, if it’s going to be a hypothetical situation of no cars, no bikes, no bus, no airplanes. A blank face ……. Mechanical engineers move the world.


Now Ram tell me, I bet your whole IT only supports or facilitates wat our mech guys have been doing … Hey common kutta ….

Ok if it’s hard to come this side I will come there. said I . Now if I’m rite u have different BU‘s at TCS tell me one by one.

Retail - wats the use of writing a coding for automatic billing using RFID for retail concept if there is no manufacturing & distribution of goods which a re our forte.

Travel- No point in creating a customer loyalty program or Air ticket billing If the turbine on the wing is not able to thrust upwards.

Now see this BFSI - hey whats the use of Motor insurance if motor itself is not there.
And more that 70 % of Investments banks must be investing in a manufacturing base in shanghai ,Guangzhou or sriperambedur

Bye the way who is your onsite client. Arvin Meritor, They are in to …… Stop there.
Dei you could keep your foot in the US because the largest auto component company had called u. Just think at it.


I had my day ……
Mandalum Maraindhalum Maru piraviyulum mech maamanidhanai piraka vendum

Coffee Jottings .....

You appeared on my table all of a sudden steaming ,
God only knows from where perhaps from the vending machine at the terrace.
This reminds me one of the hidden pleasures of my job those club breaks,
Stirring you thru those froths reminds of the rough is life ahead.
I find the depths of the cup , chunks of white sugar with brown streaks ,
One side tastes white & sweet ,another taste bitter & black ,
Mebbe this is what life is…..


Call it obsession Call it habitual
Call it fanatical But I am not tryingTo make this a skeptical
I have this craving,Justifies behaving,I really need some of that
It all ground up, In my favourite cup,
Black or whiteDark or light Strong or Double
Right to start the dayRight at work ,
Right at endA perfect thing for those breaks

A lot can happen over a coffee