A very small and interesting article on how to build and maintain
professional relationships which I thought would be worth sharing.

How to “Huff-and-Puff-Proof” Your Career

I was recently at a temple in Mumbai. Its called the Siddhi Vinayaka temple and its located somewhere in the middle of Prabhadevi. Its a very famous temple across the globe, and at times, people queue up 2-3 km just to get the darshan. This is the official website of the temple where you can do live darshan online, without having to stand in queues. Now isnt that technology to the forefront?

But it wasnt technology I was after when I went there. No. It was the night time aarti. And believe me it was one of the most amazing aarti’s I ever attended. I have been to many temples across the country (not so many as some of my friends have, but still quite a few), but this one was different in a unique way.

Most temples in India would have an aarti with lots of drums, bells, loud singing, commotion and chaos reigning supreme et al. Infact, whats an aarti without the commotion? This was the first time I saw an aarti without instruments of any kind. No bells, no trinkets, no drums. Just people humming. Not singing…humming. Everyone in chorus. Just one diya in panditji’s hands, and that was it. And this in the heart of Mumbai, the commercial capital of the world.

Some of you might say that what kind of an aarti is that? In fact at the start of the aarti, I felt quite strange. I was wondering when the aarti is going to start? But as I realized what was going on, I felt a calmness inside me which I never felt before. Call it a spiritual experience, but I felt happier and lighter.

Maybe this is the way night time aartis are conducted in other temples as well. I wouldnt know since this was probably my first night time aarti. But the point that I am trying to make is that devotion and bhakti and shradhda are all things inside you, not outside. So the lesser you show them, or bring them out, the more you retain inside.

To tell you more about Siddhi Vinayaka, this is from what I read at the temple. Across the world, Ganeshji’s soond(trunk) is tilted to HIS left. Only when he becomes a part of the Siddhi Vinayaka (yes, he is only a part of it, there are 2 more deities in there as well) his soond is bent to HIS right. Those are the major differences between Ganesh ji and Siddhi Vinayaka ji. Of course there are more stories you get to hear and read at the temple once you go there. So next time you are in Mumbai, make sure you visit this temple at 9:30PM. Its a sight and sound which compares to no other. And remember to take a coconut, some pedas and flowers with you.

Reading has been a habit of mine. But if there is something I dont read regularly, its the stuff that scares people. I am not talking about horror books or movies. No, that stuff is passe’ (sometimes comic too). I am talking about (un)expected events of the future. Like the recurrence of Ice Age. Or extinction of the Lion. Or paying for air to breathe. Or the decay of the institution called marriage.

It was a lovely sunny morning here in Bangalore when my eyes fell on this. And they just didnt know where to look thereafter. They kept staring, not able to fully comprehend what the author had just said.

Its not like its not been said before. Its not like I didnt expect it to happen sometime. Its just that I didnt expect it to happen in my lifetime. Born and brought up in a family which still emphasizes very strongly on family values, even the thought of marriages becoming superficial and being based on only economic “needs” is quite scary. Yes, scarier than even death. Because marriages are what shape children and marriages are what made each and every one of us what we are today. And the end of marriage as an institution would mean the end of society as we know it.

The author says, and I quote:

Marriage encourages sloth, allows one person to live off the other and gives a parasite the legal right to live off the host.

He may be right in some sense. After all, traditionally women (and in some cases men too) have been entirely economically dependent on their spouse. And each have had their own responsibilities to take care of. So does that mean economic independence would automatically create situations which would no longer “require” a spouse? There’s got to be more to a marriage than just a “requirement”, right? There must be something additional on which billons of marriages have survived over thousands of years in the history of mankind.

The article made me think and do a bit of research. How is a marriage defined? What are its basic ingredients? And what constitutes a “minimum requirement” for a couple to be called “married”?

Wikipedia told me it has been defined and implemented differently by different societies at different times. But the singular feature which has stayed common over ages and tribes is the creation of affinal ties. And that my dear friends, was the answer I was looking for.

I am happy that the author is an economist and not a psychologist. I am happy that his idea was earlier rejected, and I hope it continues to be rejected. I rejoice because I found something to contradict him with. I am glad that I still believe in marriage just as much as I did earlier. I am glad, because Wikipedia exists.

I read this somewhere today. And was totally taken aback. Its not my favorite quote yet. But its somewhere up there.

“Who says you have to know everything? Who told you that you have to be perfect or no one will love you? It’s time to identify those old judgmental voices and break the power they have over you. Don’t blame. Move on.”

Personal experience(s) tell me the more “perfect” you try to be…the less love you get. As I said somewhere before in a totally different context, humans were meant to be imperfect. And they should be proud of their fallacies. After all, thats what makes us human.

What do you think?

Someone I know recently bought a brand new IBM ThinkPad. Barely 4 days down the line, he (and me) experienced one of the most horrific experiences of our lives. It takes a lot of guts on my part to tell you that the Thinkpad was infested by fire ants. Yes, you got that right…fire ants…red ants…call them what you like. They are there inside the laptop, and they are surely feasting on something. You start typing and they just appear from under the keyboard. Its like a horror movie!!!

Found this Google Groups post that confirmed that this was atleast possible. But to actually happen, and that too to us is too much to handle.

The permanent solution??? I doubt if anyone knows. And I just wish someone does. Will post a real “lifelike” picture of this ASAP. In the meanwhile, this should be enough to give you the creeps.

PROTECT YOUR LAPTOPS EVERYONE!!!

Controlling robots through brain waves sounds futuristic? Well its already here. Honda thinks they can make the keyboard and mouse totally obsolete. Do you? I think they have a pretty good chance at it. Take a peek into the future.

Parliamentarians or not…I am sure they DONT realize how big a damage such a high proportion of reservations can do to this country’s future. Read this interview of Arjun Singh.

I just hope this doesnt really come true…

Manmohan Singh to Bush – We are sending Indians to the moon next year.
Bush – Wow! How Many?
Manmohan Singh - 100
25 - OBC
25 - SC
20 - ST
5 - Handicapped
5 - Sports Persons
5 - Terrorist Affected
5 - Kashmiri Migrants
9 - Politicians
and if possible
1 – Astronnaut

Go ahead guys…dont let this be the end of equality in this country!!! Express your views and concerns here.