The year that was..

Another year goes by and we all begin to quantify the gains and losses to give out the verdict -
How has the passing year been ? Good, Bad, Better or just Great!
We tend to "conclude" when things come to an end.. and we are all 'at-it' in Dec each year:- )

Strike off the To-Do list and begin with  a new one, not to mention carry forward the wish list that couldnt be..
Mine is no different than this common human psyche.. as I delve into the past year..
A life changing relation begins with hubby and his extended family.
I have enjoyed insightful conversations on walks with Him, some amazing locations we've been to and simple moments spent with my family and well-wishers.

Professionally a decent year, I had projects all year round which kept on challenging my limits, though I still seek broader horizons on this frontier..But then greed is human nature and hunger for more keeps us going.
In midst of all this, I conclude that more than anything else, this year brings a lot of peace to me..I feel anchored more than ever and that gives me strength for a new start next year..

We gain by what adds to our experiences and memories and what gives strength to our relations..So this year, I will count my blessings and wish all my people all the warmth and happiness they can get.

Of course I have places to go, dreams to live, but more importantly , this year on I have an elixir of life which I can derive strength from, each time I fall..
We fall, we pick ourselves and we move on.. Cheers to a new start! 

Walk Along..

Stepping into the light, It is a day like none before

I walk along the same old road

Life is good but not just that great

I look forward to an endless wait

Wondering what is it that keeps me hollow

No fears, no struggles, none to sorrow

I watch my steps trudge along the ground

What is it that I could have found ?

Voices in my head , tell me its here to come

Not sure what they mean to have become

And then I see two steps walk beside me

My hands feel a grip that is for eternity 

I have my fears, am I captive? 

But I begin to love, its an assuring addictive

You walk beside me holding my hand

As a friend who would always know and understand

I realize what this walk of life means with you

Never let go of the grip on this wondering journey..as life would never be the same without you..

Departed...

Over the years, growing terrorism in Mumbai has become one with our lives.
So much so ,that it can be called a routine.
I realize, getting numb to inhuman nature is inhuman in itself.
The circumstances that we live in, have surged the emotions of anger, despair and helplessness in such continuity over the past years, that now our minds tend to ignore them . It is like constant infliction of pain, like hitting someone at the same spot till it goes numb.
This has been felt many times recently by Mumbaikars and I feel the same today.. I am not proud that the next day after an attack is just a regular day..
Many of us who have not yet succumbed to the blasts, attacks, racism or the other plagues in today's world ,have however succumbed to being departed in our sensitivities to quite an extent.

Morphed Reality..What's next..diamond handcuffs for criminals?

I openly admit that I do not enjoy reading a newspaper or watching primetime news on Indian news channels..As most of us would agree the quality of news that reaches us is so distorted that its better left unheard..
Social Media being the strongest tool to reach common people is overplaying its part of diverging from reality or truth.
The biggest hoax are the reality shows which reflect abusive language and participants with criminal records are given a facelift and portrayed as the victims. The fact that the makers of these shows doubt the intellect of the average educated Indian is not half as annoying as these shows getting a loyal audience.

First Kasab is in the papers, we average Indians pay taxes to feed such ruthless humans and provide them the shelter in our central jails..Autocratic or Socialist governance would be better than this democracy! Maybe I overstated that but that's how furious I am.. The recent trigger being the Maria Susairaj case..
I think I have my answers to the way we govern our country.. What do we do with a criminal? Do we hang them ?? No ! We glamourize them on medial channels, we pay them lumpsums to star in reality shows, better still we make a movie on them...Maria Susairaj finally got her big break after she was involved in a murder..As rumours have it , she will star in Big Boss and probably in a Madhur Bhandarkar movie..

So this generation has its lessons well learnt..what does one do to get what they want? Killing may be an option..Cause in our country, the reality will be eclipsed or morphed by media or by people governing it..

Google Doodle

Les Paul doodle...really loved it and was pleasantly surprised with the quick popularity it got.
Amazing blend of creativity and technology..

It came close to doodle hosted on Charlie Chaplin's birthday.. Google brand just got a little more top-notch.  Now play and record it at the google logos

Bank in the pocket....

Banking industry is taking convenience to a whole new level.

Technology fads are fast shaping and replacing the traditional banking model. The foot-falls in branches have decreased tremendously and still heading for a downfall.
It's about time RBI would remodel it's norms on branch licensing and divert it's regulatory focus more towards other channels like mobile and Internet technologies.
Mobile technologies are providing their customers efficient Options like e-wallets(google to release in July) with near field technology. All you need to do is wave your phone on a swipe terminal and your transaction is processed. Alternatively,Square Inc has also introduced card readers through which customers with blackberry or iPhone can authorise credit card transactions.
With the advent of cloud computing, we save up on actual server space and virtualisation helps conserve resources. One of the interesting applications of Cloud which targets audiences at the base of the consumption pyramid is MX Share by MoVirtu technology.
With so much technology revolution, we are safely doing away with the concept of RMs, tellers, queuing at the branches, etc. Now you have your Bank in your pocket..

Coupling - The Chemical Equation

Coupling

Human behavior is one of the most interesting subjects for scrutiny.

With the new “addition” to my life, I am exploring finer aspects of couple psyche by drawing parallels to stuff familiar to me.

How often have you heard “ Nice couple, great chemistry”? ..Here’s an correlation of chemistry with relations :-)
Draw parallels between Human Reactions and Chemical Reactions and you’ll be amused at the familiarity they both have.

Organic chemistry describes Coupling as a reaction :-) Well it sure is ! The effects of which drill down slow on humans but on hydrocarbons it is quicker with metal catalysts.

As for us humans, coupling has many triggers – attraction, peer pressure, parents(yeah, they can drive us into coupling as well – does arrange marriage ring a bell?? ), boredom( for some..why not eh? ) , etc

Some of the chemical equations are queerly and if you may perceive it in a way, then humorously similar to the equations between couples…


Just a disclaimer, the events described are purely coincidental and bear no resemblance to any couple living or dead.. (trust me!)


Spontaneous reaction can proceed without being driven by an outside source of energy

What it means for us : Remember those days where you and better half are so freakin bored with monotony that you pick up a fight just to spice things up ? (Denial ? Well ..ask yourself you may have done it sub-consciously once in while ..Umm, are you smiling?? )

Acid based reactions: Acids are donors and base acceptors resulting in alkaline /neutral elements

What it means for us : Only 1 among the couple is on fire. The other one realizes the sensitivity of the situation and keeps mum..Some things are better left unsaid, aint it.. ? :-)

Catalysis : Reaction does not proceed directly but through a third substance - catalyst.

What it means for us : Entry in-laws, ex-girl, handsomer-couple..whoof..so many external factors can trigger as catalysts…Beware these lead to quick and irreversible reactions, even in chemistry.

Nuclear reactions : Reactions where a nucleus splits into smaller parts and results in radioactive decay , gives nuclear power enough to make a nuclear explosion!!

What it means for us : These are weapons of mass destruction, brain-splitting conversations which results in worthless conclusions and brain-drain..And ample waste of energy..

Nuclear chain reaction : Nuclear fission, neutron splits and triggers an event of reactions

What it means for us : Husband talks ..Wife snaps back, Husbands snaps back too.. …yeah ..Chain reaction..

Most chemical reactions are reversible.. ..Ahem such is not the case with human reactions. So be careful of which reaction you trigger, have fun, keep laughing and dont bother much...

Made in China

A lot has been said about the Chinese economy. China's economic policies and reforms are shaping the growth of their nation.

Being a part of the outsourced IT / ITES service operations in India, I am obviously concerned about our industry's future from a global perspective. India is currently Asia's front-runner in IT outsourced projects. Earnings from IT/BPO sector have helped leverage India's growth story over the past few years. This can be attributed to the reasonable pricing of skilled and educated labor force in India.

However, China continues to strengthen its hold on IT/ITES outsourced markets. If we were to relate the politics of a nation to its economy, I can safely say that the Communist Chinese culture ensures strong implementation of it’s strategies and policies. If the growth of an industry in the nation is to be analyzed, it would only be justified with a sector-wise analysis done on the Nation’s economy as a whole. As we know , a broader perspective defines a good analysis ..


So let's consider , a comparative study of the economies, China leads India in terms of Infrastructure, Import/Exports,FDIs and Private investments. They have opened their markets to globalization in the 1980s, much before India.
World Bank reports 6.4% growth in GDP for India as compared to China with a growth of 8.7% which is not too sustainable.
China has announced economic policies and reforms on infrastructure growth and tax breaks, Beijing has reported a huge credit growth in 2009-2010. The credit growth contributed 30% more to GDP with a reported drop in contribution of exports to 16%.
China's exports contribute 35% to the GDP compared to India's contribution of about 24%.The contribution to India's GDP is more from domestic consumption compared to only 35% in China.This gives India a more consistent and reliable future in growth.

On the flipside for China, the policies have induced a price property bubble. India is not experiencing the same degree of fallout on combating recession.
India also leads in terms of capital markets with Asia’s largest stock exchange.
Where India, currently leads in company management, the so called “Cheapest provider of grey matter”, China is soon building its educated workforce for the GenEx professionals.
China is empowering their youth with education. Some of their planned initiatives include hiring English speaking teachers, admitting more students to foreign universities.

If India needs to keep up the pace with China, it needs to reinforce Planning Commission’s education policies like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan , District Primary Education,and more such schemes churned out by MHRD. Councils like AICTE,NAAC have improved the quality of education offered across the country.
Though we lack in technology, agricultural tools and infrastructure, the grey matter in India is far superior than other emerging nations. Though we may congratulate ourselves on that, we still need to play more on our strengths than honing the weaker sectors of the Nation.


So would the emerging IT /skilled professionals be “Made in China? “ ..awaits an answer.