I wonder why people block websites at work to improve productivity.
I think wot it manages to achieve is the exact opposite!
Consider this - When they blocked a few "sites" here, the first thing I did was to find a way to by-pass the block....and it was more out of vengeance than necessity. So, say, an hour spent on finding ways around.
And once thats done, you don wanna log off for fear of having to work ur way around again. So this amounts to paying attention to lotsa unwanted pop-ups (for mails/chats).
And there's also a sadistic pleasure that u've outbeaten sadists (read IT guys who block sites) that makes you wanna gossip about it with all and sundry.
Finding newer ways becomes another engaging TO-DO.
So my question, do productivity levels reach required heights? I'd dare say NO.
PS - Note to IT guys - Dai Poda!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Voice over!
Its truly an enigma - the human mind. And what is more enigmatic is the kind of conclusions it jumps to on the occurrence of an event.
The event I'm gonna deliberate about is a talk over the telephone with an unknown somebody.
Now how quickly does the mind manage to carve out a picture/sketch from the tone of a stranger? Well! my mind does it in about 25-30 seconds of talk....
Some observations:
1. The sketch generally reminds you of a known somebody
2. The accent generally defines Mr./M(r)s. X's ethnicity. Now this vaguely determines the colour of his/her skin
3. The sharpness of the tone is considered by the mind as an indicator of age
4. The type of tone contributes certain facial expressions to the sketch. For eg: A humourous conversation would create a sketch with "happy" facial expressions (smile, chuckle, twinkle in the eye, etc)
5. The type of conversation would also add/subtract certain "accessories" onto the face - an academic conversation would add say, spectacles onto the mind's picture.
Now for the moot question - How perfectly does the mind's picture concur with the real person. Ahem! well, for me in 90/100 cases, the picture is almost a perfect contrast.
Its amazing how you create an "impression" of somebody and in real time he/she turns out to be completely different. This happens not only when you converse with an unknown person but also when you read somebody's writing. Somehow, you're left disappointed most of the times. A great writer may have a very weird (I know its a subjective term) face. A blunt, straight forward conversationist may look like the most affable of people.
Somebody said - Looks can be deceptive. But why would they ever be so? Coz the enigmatic grey cells like a computer database list down assumptions as if they were a rule.
Maybe the look/tone/literature wasnt deceptive in the first place....maybe it was the mind's single-track thinking....maybe!
The event I'm gonna deliberate about is a talk over the telephone with an unknown somebody.
Now how quickly does the mind manage to carve out a picture/sketch from the tone of a stranger? Well! my mind does it in about 25-30 seconds of talk....
Some observations:
1. The sketch generally reminds you of a known somebody
2. The accent generally defines Mr./M(r)s. X's ethnicity. Now this vaguely determines the colour of his/her skin
3. The sharpness of the tone is considered by the mind as an indicator of age
4. The type of tone contributes certain facial expressions to the sketch. For eg: A humourous conversation would create a sketch with "happy" facial expressions (smile, chuckle, twinkle in the eye, etc)
5. The type of conversation would also add/subtract certain "accessories" onto the face - an academic conversation would add say, spectacles onto the mind's picture.
Now for the moot question - How perfectly does the mind's picture concur with the real person. Ahem! well, for me in 90/100 cases, the picture is almost a perfect contrast.
Its amazing how you create an "impression" of somebody and in real time he/she turns out to be completely different. This happens not only when you converse with an unknown person but also when you read somebody's writing. Somehow, you're left disappointed most of the times. A great writer may have a very weird (I know its a subjective term) face. A blunt, straight forward conversationist may look like the most affable of people.
Somebody said - Looks can be deceptive. But why would they ever be so? Coz the enigmatic grey cells like a computer database list down assumptions as if they were a rule.
Maybe the look/tone/literature wasnt deceptive in the first place....maybe it was the mind's single-track thinking....maybe!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Conversations....
I sit intently
trying to connect to you
in the midst of all commotion.
I decipher and discourse
within myself -
how to say
what I say
in a manner that would be most receptive.
Then I realise and withdraw.
For it doesnt really make a difference,
conversing with you is like conversing with myself....
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Bath by the Riverside!
Sway
in the rhythm of the air
above you
as the
River
washes you
clean.
Drift
in the momentary
music
of silence.
Only ensure -
that you're not
corrosive.
in the rhythm of the air
above you
as the
River
washes you
clean.
Drift
in the momentary
music
of silence.
Only ensure -
that you're not
corrosive.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Blood Diamond - A review!
I watched the 2006 movie "Blood Diamond" last night and it left me unsettled and moved, to say the least.
Set in Africa, the movie per say, portrays the use of "conflict" diamonds to fund civil wars and how innocent communities are devastated in brutal killings and kidnappings. The film presents Leonardo Di Caprio (Danny Archer) as a trader of diamonds for arms and Djimon Hounsou (Solomon Vandy) as a fisherman whose son is captured by the RUF (Revolutionary United Front ) to be trained as a rebel. The latter's quest to get his family back and how Danny Archer helps him forms the crux of the film's plot.
The movie is brilliantly shot. The cinematography is very real and beautifully done. The background score is engaging and blends well with the storyline. The direction (by Edward Zwick ) is taut and more or less manages to give the film a decent pace.
But the highlight of the film has got to be its performances. Leonardo Di Caprio delivers a stellar performance; the measure of grief, helplessness, practicality, aggression, use of language and in some places a certain flamboyance is perfect, to say the least. The twitching of his brows is something that I have to mention coz, from where I see, it does most of the talking for him. Djimon Hounsou is superlative; his expressions are earnest and dialogue delivery savaging; the show of frustration, agony in the scene where he meets his wife and children at a refugee camp is brilliant. Jennifer Connelly, who I thought was great in A Beautiful Mind, stars as an American journalist and delivers a decent performance.
For me, the movie is a sincere attempt at getting a point across. A must watch!
My fav dialogue: Danny Archer - "I wondered if God would ever forgive us for what we've done to each other. But then I realised that God has left this place long time back"!
Set in Africa, the movie per say, portrays the use of "conflict" diamonds to fund civil wars and how innocent communities are devastated in brutal killings and kidnappings. The film presents Leonardo Di Caprio (Danny Archer) as a trader of diamonds for arms and Djimon Hounsou (Solomon Vandy) as a fisherman whose son is captured by the RUF (Revolutionary United Front ) to be trained as a rebel. The latter's quest to get his family back and how Danny Archer helps him forms the crux of the film's plot.
The movie is brilliantly shot. The cinematography is very real and beautifully done. The background score is engaging and blends well with the storyline. The direction (by Edward Zwick ) is taut and more or less manages to give the film a decent pace.
But the highlight of the film has got to be its performances. Leonardo Di Caprio delivers a stellar performance; the measure of grief, helplessness, practicality, aggression, use of language and in some places a certain flamboyance is perfect, to say the least. The twitching of his brows is something that I have to mention coz, from where I see, it does most of the talking for him. Djimon Hounsou is superlative; his expressions are earnest and dialogue delivery savaging; the show of frustration, agony in the scene where he meets his wife and children at a refugee camp is brilliant. Jennifer Connelly, who I thought was great in A Beautiful Mind, stars as an American journalist and delivers a decent performance.
For me, the movie is a sincere attempt at getting a point across. A must watch!
My fav dialogue: Danny Archer - "I wondered if God would ever forgive us for what we've done to each other. But then I realised that God has left this place long time back"!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Obscurity!
The colour of thick black,
Nature with an uncanny knack,
Work at an unsteady pace,
Man with many a face,
Clouds without a silver lining,
Staff with their constant whining,
The lazy and their lies,
The canny and their vice,
Babies that are nice,
Life's unbearable highs,
A far-fetched cry,
Summer in areas dry,
Unclear sky,
Bheja fry......
Reality check for you Mr. Nash,
Purity is
NOT
the only obscurity!
Nature with an uncanny knack,
Work at an unsteady pace,
Man with many a face,
Clouds without a silver lining,
Staff with their constant whining,
The lazy and their lies,
The canny and their vice,
Babies that are nice,
Life's unbearable highs,
A far-fetched cry,
Summer in areas dry,
Unclear sky,
Bheja fry......
Reality check for you Mr. Nash,
Purity is
NOT
the only obscurity!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
My YeLneeru!
So everyday after work once I get off the bus, I've made it a point to have yeLneeru (tender coconut water). Now its almost 4-5 months and I've been a key account for this yeLneeru-wala despite not being very regular offlate. And its also been like a ritual of sorts for me! I'm wondering if I'll get this in Mumbai....even if I do it wont be a regular affair leave alone a daily one...so it'll be yet another 1/1000000000000000000 thing I wil miss....(sigh)
Monday, May 4, 2009
Confessions of a Shared Auto-an !
First things first, shared autos are not a Bangalore peculiarity. They're evident only in certain places within Bangalore and Sanjaynagar happens to be one of them.The stretch joining Ganganagar and Nagashetty Halli is where shared autos are rampant, esp. during the peak hours.
Having been a shared auto-an for nearly a year now, lemme take you through what these exactly are.
Visualise:
a. A small auto (the ancient ones that are relatively higher from the ground when compared to the newer ones) without a meter
b. Rugged seats with an unparalleled immunity from the multitudes of behinds they've seen and endured
c. A driver/rider (dono which would be applicable) with a shrill voice shouting out the name of the final destination
- these pretty much constitute a shared auto when it arrives!
But hang on, the fun is yet to begin. Add to this auto 4-5 women at the back and 2 men sharing the seat with the driver. This is really stiff competition to any other 7 seater. Each of the 6 passengers pays the driver/rider 5 bucks for their journey which ensures that the latter makes 30 bucks each way.
Over the last year I've adorned many a role being a shared auto-an. A few of them are elucidated below:
1. Foster child- Yes, my friend, u got me right. In certain shared auto journeys, I've sat on elderly women' laps! And one of them even said "Please be comfortable, you're like my daughter!" and I, with a sheepish smile, had succumbed to the generous offer!
2. Hi-decibel Ranting Telephoner - I know there's no such word but I'm sure nobody knows that the situation I'm gonna describe exists either. The shared auto doesnt run on the fuel we lesser mortals use. Instead, it digests something known as kerosene. So the sound of the vehicle is so blaring and cacophonous that to get my point across to a conversationee over telephone I need to do a Monica Seles smash (For the uninitiated thats an unforgettable aaaththeyyyyyyyy ).
3. The Eternal Stare-ee - This role flows from the point above. So wot else can you expect when you're shouting your lungs out over the telephone - a funny stare, an annoyed stare, a what-the-heck stare and many more.
4. The Greedy Seat Holder - Err, I have rushed to get the seat on the extreme right so as to avoide having to "adjust" with the WWF wrestler types. Something I'm not to happy to write here - The fact that I've sometimes occupied more seat than I required (Note - the use of "seat" as an uncount noun! Wow!) and acted as if I was very uncomfortable....ya I know its being mean but my friend, ye sab karna padta hai, trust me..
5. The Hump Ducker - Now for some truly valuable gyan. If you ever happen to sit (????) in a shared auto, beware of all humps coz your left and right brains are at serious risk. Duck (the timing comes only with experience!) to save your err skin or hair or wotever!
6. The Half-behind Suspended Adjuster - Ahem! No comments on this!
Now this shared auto experience will last only another month and I'm teary-eyed again! (Ayyoooo!!)
Having been a shared auto-an for nearly a year now, lemme take you through what these exactly are.
Visualise:
a. A small auto (the ancient ones that are relatively higher from the ground when compared to the newer ones) without a meter
b. Rugged seats with an unparalleled immunity from the multitudes of behinds they've seen and endured
c. A driver/rider (dono which would be applicable) with a shrill voice shouting out the name of the final destination
- these pretty much constitute a shared auto when it arrives!
But hang on, the fun is yet to begin. Add to this auto 4-5 women at the back and 2 men sharing the seat with the driver. This is really stiff competition to any other 7 seater. Each of the 6 passengers pays the driver/rider 5 bucks for their journey which ensures that the latter makes 30 bucks each way.
Over the last year I've adorned many a role being a shared auto-an. A few of them are elucidated below:
1. Foster child- Yes, my friend, u got me right. In certain shared auto journeys, I've sat on elderly women' laps! And one of them even said "Please be comfortable, you're like my daughter!" and I, with a sheepish smile, had succumbed to the generous offer!
2. Hi-decibel Ranting Telephoner - I know there's no such word but I'm sure nobody knows that the situation I'm gonna describe exists either. The shared auto doesnt run on the fuel we lesser mortals use. Instead, it digests something known as kerosene. So the sound of the vehicle is so blaring and cacophonous that to get my point across to a conversationee over telephone I need to do a Monica Seles smash (For the uninitiated thats an unforgettable aaaththeyyyyyyyy ).
3. The Eternal Stare-ee - This role flows from the point above. So wot else can you expect when you're shouting your lungs out over the telephone - a funny stare, an annoyed stare, a what-the-heck stare and many more.
4. The Greedy Seat Holder - Err, I have rushed to get the seat on the extreme right so as to avoide having to "adjust" with the WWF wrestler types. Something I'm not to happy to write here - The fact that I've sometimes occupied more seat than I required (Note - the use of "seat" as an uncount noun! Wow!) and acted as if I was very uncomfortable....ya I know its being mean but my friend, ye sab karna padta hai, trust me..
5. The Hump Ducker - Now for some truly valuable gyan. If you ever happen to sit (????) in a shared auto, beware of all humps coz your left and right brains are at serious risk. Duck (the timing comes only with experience!) to save your err skin or hair or wotever!
6. The Half-behind Suspended Adjuster - Ahem! No comments on this!
Now this shared auto experience will last only another month and I'm teary-eyed again! (Ayyoooo!!)
The Secret!
I dono why ppl say women cant keep secrets...I've always kept secrets and sometimes to the point of disappointment to hear of those secrets from somebody else.
Now this takes me to somebody (Ms. X) who studied with me during my coll days. She was a peculiar character to say the least. If my classroom was a square (ABCD) and I sat near vertex A, she sat near B. One bright, sunny morning I told her about some ABC thing that only priviledged few knew about and I was told the exact same ABC thing by my co-benchers in the afternoon....so basically the news had travelled the area of the square in just 3 hours!
Thats when I stopped saying "What the heck! of course not" to ppl who ask "did u tel him/her about that (secret)".
Like now, when my bro asked me in panic if I'd told R about TBT, I just said "No I dint and yes, I wont"....:-P
Now this takes me to somebody (Ms. X) who studied with me during my coll days. She was a peculiar character to say the least. If my classroom was a square (ABCD) and I sat near vertex A, she sat near B. One bright, sunny morning I told her about some ABC thing that only priviledged few knew about and I was told the exact same ABC thing by my co-benchers in the afternoon....so basically the news had travelled the area of the square in just 3 hours!
Thats when I stopped saying "What the heck! of course not" to ppl who ask "did u tel him/her about that (secret)".
Like now, when my bro asked me in panic if I'd told R about TBT, I just said "No I dint and yes, I wont"....:-P
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Run....
Escape,
The earth that runs below you.
How -
When the stillness of life underneath,
Runs on your mind like bare thought,
A vertigo, hits you there
So low so unnerved so unrestricted so boundless with precision.
The horse there runs
To win the race
With fury and
An incense unparalleled.
Does it half-beat the free passion of a free horse in a free stable?
Around me I see the mirth of success,
The mirage of yearning,
The unkempt masses of unclear logic.
Rushing, running, beating thinking and its unmatchable speed,
Annoying,
Appeasing,
Exchanging,
Enjoying,
Reinventing
through escapology.
The earth that runs below you.
How -
When the stillness of life underneath,
Runs on your mind like bare thought,
A vertigo, hits you there
So low so unnerved so unrestricted so boundless with precision.
The horse there runs
To win the race
With fury and
An incense unparalleled.
Does it half-beat the free passion of a free horse in a free stable?
Around me I see the mirth of success,
The mirage of yearning,
The unkempt masses of unclear logic.
Rushing, running, beating thinking and its unmatchable speed,
Annoying,
Appeasing,
Exchanging,
Enjoying,
Reinventing
through escapology.
Whatever!
Even if I kept aside my dislike for 4/4 persons in this pic, I still thought this "gesture" was pretty cheap.....n yeah, its definitely not funny....
Friday, May 1, 2009
Sanky - The Great Tanky!
Now since I'll be gone from Bangalore in a month, I think its imperative that I make posts about all those "Great Hangouts" of my life (so far). And so I will begin with this place called Sanky tank!
2. Scenery - Its quite picturesque. Consider the pics below:
4. Bhel Puri / Churmuri - My post would be incomplete without the food element. The churmuri in the blue gaadi outside sanky is quite yummy, esp. after the tiring walk around the tank :)....And yes if you are near the Malleswaram entrance, you'll find a juice shop and "Hot Chips" on the way to the 18th Cross bus Stand!
Sanky Tank has been one of my fav places in bangalore. Needless to say, I'm gonna miss going there.
Situated on Sanky Road and flanked by Sadashivnagar, Vyalikaval and Malleswaram, Sanky Tank is an artificial lake with a walking track. This place is regularly visited by hundreds of people in Bangalore as part of their daily health regimen. The place has 2 entrances - one from Sadashivnagar (after the Swimming Pool) and the other from Malleswaram (Opp. CET Cell).
Now what exactly makes this place so special?
1. Serenity - Its probably serendipity that the serenity of the place washes off all feelings of senility! (Ok I will not show off my vocab)...So the greenery in Sanky is actually amazing and you get a feeling of being at peace with yourself and with the world around.
2. Scenery - Its quite picturesque. Consider the pics below:
And more:
3. Birds and ducks - Its quite likely that you'll spot Kingfishers and some other birds on trees and there are ducks in the tank! Scintillating personalities of nature!
Sanky Tank has been one of my fav places in bangalore. Needless to say, I'm gonna miss going there.
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