All alone

As I scribble this blog, today is day6, all alone at my home. For the first time in my life and my mom's life, shez gone on long trip. Never ever before there was an instance that she took leave, packed and went of on a trip, that too a 10 day trip. My mom is on touring South India with her collegues, she fears that this being her retirement year, she wouldn't be entitled to such travels later.

The tour package will take her on bus tour of all moajor tourist and pilligrimage spots in South India, names of which I haven't heard till date. Will take the list of places once she is back.

For me this is a new experience too, taking care of the house entirely on my own. Firstly mom has discontinued the milk supply for the period and I need milk for my curd, difficult for me to inform the milk-walaa as I would not wake at the time the milk packets are dropped, so sad, I had to fetch it from my cousins or buy it separately as I did yesterday and had to set it up for making curd. All the more cleaning of the floor, washing of clothes (alternate days), utensils, cooking for my self, watering the plants all on the part of the agenda. One day I forgot to water the plants, fortunately I happen to notice them dropping due to lack of water and fortunately had enough of water stored to water the plants before I left for office, Mom & Dad would have definelty batted me out if they were to have sapped dry. For these plants are very dear to both of them, and fancy of taking care of the same.

Am kindaa getting up at 8.30am, freshen-up, bath and along with my rituals sit to have breakfast, two days I made dosa's, 2 days I had Ooats, a day with bread-butter-omlette. Let me see what will I manage in next few days. For lunch managed a bit from my guys in the apartment.

Scariest thing is when come home at 1 - 1.30 am there is no one and I had to freshen-up and head to my bed all alone. That's scary for a while when you realise that in your 2 bed-room apartment you are the only person alive. Have a had a strangest of dreams that I've had a call to visit Tirupati. Very strange as I see there myself with the entire family running accross but unable to make it to the darshan, at the Vyikuntam complex and queues are held up at afternoon and am hungry for food and thirsty too. Strange dream I can't decipher the dream as yet.

Another one I discovered in my shelf beside the window was a turmite mound. The turmite mound made through mud and water engulfed all the books and plastic material stored in the shelf. I happened to accidently discover this when I was trying to trace a MP3 CD which I replaced it somewhere. I used all kinds of pesticides I had but to no use, the turmites refuse to give-up, the next day morning I had to clean up the entire junk to get rid of the colony of white turmites. Yucky work !! Had goosebumps all through this cleaning process. I don't even know what all books and material went out in the 8kgs of stuff I dumped. Hopefuly Mom on her return is not annoyed at the clean-up. See the mess of the turmite mound in the pic below.

Days at home this year been spending a lot with myself, except on a few occasion where I got to venture out with the family on Sankrathi.

The list of the movies for this Month is long

Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy, Bourne Ultimatum - Good movies but not meant for Indian Audience for it lacks the action though it has good plot and conspiracy and covert operations of CIA in this

Rush hour 1, 2, 3 - all three back to back

Aliens Vs Predator 1 , 2 (Requiem) - Didn't like the second part at all was mostly on lines of Resident Evil 2, where the entire city is nuked with little or no-coperation between humans and predator species.

Telugu - Na Upiri (schizophrenia based movie), Operation Dhuryodhana, Tulasi, Aadavari Matalaku ardhale verulee (both Venky starrer)

Goal, Golmaal, Jab We Met from the hindi movie front. Liked "Jab we met" a lot from which I have taken a few cues for my personal life.

Might want to watch Ek Chaalis ki last local and Shootout at Lokhanwala shortly.

Indian Vedic Astrology - Stars(Nakshatras)

There are 27 stars under the Hindu Astrology. The star that prevails on the day a person is born is called their birth Rashi. The life of a person depends a lot on the Star under which they are born.
Persons born under the influence of a particular star have certain characteristics specific to that star. Though they are general in nature, they offer certain clues about one's personality.

1. Aswani: This is number one personality vast learning, well developed brain power, faith in religion, sacrificing tendency, ambitious, philosophical and social.
2. Bharani: Magnetic personality, changing mood, business minded, influential, high position.
3. Krittika: Vast learning, logical, doubting mind, creative ability, unsteady fortune, hot body, enthusiastic, engineering brain, brave.
4. Rohini: Well learned influential, travel minded, artistic, business-like, spiritual, changing affections.
5. Mrigasira: Vast learning, likes research, high position, noble views of life, attraction, mystical.
6. Aridra: Religiousness, responsible positions, artistic, brave, litigations, laziness, leader, passionate.
7. Punarvasu: Good-natured, trials in life, cultured, helping nature, vanity-minded, failure and success often.
8. Pushyami: Devotional, wealthy, doubting, soft nature, jack of all, well placed.
9. Aslesha: Moody, short temper, harsh speech, wealthy, religious, slow.
10. Makha: Capacity to command, wealthy, devoted, social worker, weak moral standard.
11. Pubba(Poorva Phalguni): Learned, business-minded selfish, saving tendency, philosophical, learned in sastras, impure mind.
12. Uttara: Faithful, greedy, proud, administrative, wavering, needy.
13. Hastha: Talented, wealthy, materialistic, fluent speaker, quarrelsome, sacrificing tendency.
14. Chitta: learned, sickly magician, superstitious, tactful, hard mind.
15. Swathi: Cultured learned, famous submissive to ladies, passionate, wealthy.
16. Visakha: Dreamer, fond of astrology, administrator, brave, strong, charitable.
17. Anuradha: Learned, religious minded, soft, musical talents, royal position, quickness.
18. Jyesta: Artistic, lover of ornaments, costly dress, dreamer, brave, agriculturalist, philosophically- minded.
19. Moola: Ambitious, learned, wavering, writer, proud, talkative, is fond of traveling, helpful.
20. Purvashada: Clever, helpful, brave, conspirer, selfish, evil-minded, wealthy.
21. Uttarashada: Preacher, respected, noble, boasting, wavering mind, short-tempered.
22. Sravana: Brave, administrator, adaptable, tactful, wealthy, evil company, slow.
23. Dhanista: Patient, suffering, royal life, enduring, revengeful, brave, social.
24. Satabisha: Cultured, artistic, writer, sacrificing, submissive to the fair sex, soft-hearted, religious.
25. Purvabhadra: Spiritual, unattached, helpful. Unknown, patient, boasting, quarrelsome, famous.
26. Uttarabhadra: Soft, helpful, suspicious, learned, devotional, religious planning.
27. Revathi: Artistic, divine qualities, noble, successful, respected

A bit about my Star ..

11. Poorva Phalguni(pubba) nakshatra (Leonis) (133:20’ to 146:40’ )
Those born in this nakshatra are experts in love making, strong and handsome but extremely fearful. They help others, and carry out works, which cannot be done by others. They are angry, frauds, cruel and candid. They are bright, wealthy, givers, and experts in music and dance. They are wise and are in the service of kings. They are long lived and beget few children. They are learned, reserved, love women, enjoyers, prominent amongst the learned, handsome, love their brothers, endowed with soft hands and feet, born of Rajamsha, endowed with attractive eyes, idle and possess kingly signs.

http://www.mysticboard.com/planets_and_houses/2088-your_moon_-_your_secrets-6.html
Compatibility Chart -

http://www.westgodavari.org/matrimonial/SeaByStar.asp

http://www.planetarypositions.com/chartmatch.html

http://www.ganeshaspeaks.com/freehoroscopes/gunamatch.jsp

For Pubba

Best : Uttare, Magha, Arudra, Pubba, Punarvasu, U.Ashada
Worst : Dhanista, Chitta, Pusyami, Aslesha, UttaraBadra

Hyderabadii to the core....

Well I wanted to do a comparitive study between Hyd and a city which I am aspiring to build my career, but thought its too early for me to comment on the same. So decided to post in what being a Hyderabadi would entitle a person to be.... Well if you had read my previous 2 articles there is much funnier side to it, guess this is more serious narration of life, well with a Hyderabadi lingo into it..

A Hyderabadii like me who works in a mast company which is one of the largest 3rd party pure play BPO company gets up at Subah Subah not before 9am and 11am still Subah aram se fresh-up hooke nikalthahoo, gumne ke waasthe, hatth mein zabardasth time hain naa. If lost on road I don't bother to ask how to go xxxpet or xxxguda,xxxnagar,xxxpalli because you always get seedha chale jao or seedha cutlo xxx aajayega. Go to a numaish are wohi re All India Industrial exhibition during this month i.e Jan and call up at least one name Srinivas, Prasad, Raju, Rao or Venkatesh you would be surprised if not more than 70% of the people turn to identify you within six square feet. At the same numaish I find it extremely funny
If you are hungry don't worry one can always drop in at any of the dozens of Your street has at least one roadside mobile hotel that serves Chinese delicacies such as " Vegetable soft needles", "Navrotten Kurma", "Chicken Manchewurea" or "American Chompsee". If thats not it you a dozen more selling Chat items, a dozen more selling hot mirchi bhaji's. You never fail to pass a road without smelling fresh Irani chai, something unique to the older parts of the town. One can hang out in a Irani cafe the whole day after ordering one cup tea and a empty saucer for oneself and dear friend of yours and chat like thats the last day with each other. But as any South Indian Rice is a very stable food If you do not eat rice at least once a day you will die.(Nothing other than Rice is considered as a meal), very true for me I get migraine and headache if I miss my afternoon rice item. Hyderabadii's have an additional angle to the Rice saga, for which they will swear to die for and thats the famed "Hyderabadii Biryani", and very true its closest to dil of Hyderabadii. Very true that my favourite dish at any wedding is biryani(Veggie), and feel at ease at the smell of it. Bawarchi, Paradise, Golconda, Madina to name a few offer the best in this. Haleem is also a very special dish which is made during the holy month of Ramazan. Then also you have a very special natural flavours hand-made icecream stalls at Mojamzahi market, very delicious, original and cheap. I loved gulping down tons whenever I went there. And quite opposite to this is the great Karachi Bakery where the fruit biscuits are made, grab it as a souviner for your dear ones.
Hyderabadii's to that extent people in Andhra Pradesh have a craze for going abroad and its not surprising that one would have atleast one cousin, friend, colleague or acquaintance in the US in software. As a matter of fact my mom starts counting how many families in the apartment floor don't have their children in US, the answer is nil.
Work culture of a Hyderbadi is quite unique, people working at PSU's can be see spending a lot of time chit chatting with lots of Pan and Pan-masala, zarda in their mouths with Chai in their hand. Woman spend a lot of time talking about what went on in the serial last night on ETV, Gemini or more recently a Maa TV or a Visaa. Lots of topics around their children, studies, tutions, IITs and medicine EAMCET.
For a person in Ameerpet you could listen someone commenting on the latest upgrade or technology which is creating ripples and talks on how to put on some experience in the same. Quite amazing on the number of training centres you can come accross in this area. It would be probably be more than the total such centres in a city like Delhi. Next in the count comes the number of silver screens that the city offers and that too at a rate which is quite affordable, not surprising why the largest number of regional movies get produced here which also create good moolah. Good thing about the city is that piracy is not tolerated and people get their pirated versions either from a neighbourhood parlour or outside of Hyderabad. Favourite mode of travel for students seems like hanging over the footboard of the city bus flauntng their student bus pass, well for 5 years I did the same and trust me it was fun then but also a pain if travelling for more than an hour. People feel free and take it as their Nizami right to put up their hand and stop vehicles zooming so as to cross the road, if not one is a verbal witness to all the Hyderabadi gaaliyaa's of Hyderabad. Leaving a passer-by even the vehicular mannerism are to the extreme in Hyderabadi, rules are meant to be broken thats what a Hyderabadi says is," nahi to life mein kya mazaa hain". One wont be surprised to see a 6 wheeled bus, a state run-one going on a wrong side of the road to avoid a long route, gosh heights but what can I say, thats Hyderabadii.
After stepping in the corporate world my typical Hyderabadii laid bac attitude still survives, though my language (Hinglish so to say) is much refined, but other habits die hard. Nizaami, sounds syncronous to laid back lazy attitude. At office I feel its my right to come late typical behaviour. If you are hungry you might not find it odd to drive back home to eat, to go for loo or to have a nap and come back, its all part and parcel of work culture. Who complaints its easy travelling on roads if you don't mind bending a few norms. Hyderabadii are not good at marketing though they are very good at talking, for they like to break barriers and tend to be free birds rather than stick by the book. Mostly laid back they prefer working at their own pace rather than the other way.
Women in Hyderabad are very conservative, and doubt the looks at every onlooker. For every female on the road from a 13 year-old to a 60 year-old is gazed by every onlooker on the road, that they are s concious that they don't feel like lifting their heads-up. Talking with the male species is somekind of a sin, thats the feeler one sets in Hyderabad. But the girls are still charming and good-looking. Conservatism still continues in terms of behaviour, looks and dressing in Hyderabadii culture and I love it that way.
Accha mai chaltoon ... Syed bai ka pilane ka tame hora ... usko chodne 'pilane stop' jaana re bai , wo pilane ka dilaver hai nai ... wo apna dost ich hai maloom ... wo apana Anwar hai na ... Jaafar ka bhai re ... uneech chalara Syed bhai ka pilane aaj ... accha aatoo main !! kal phir miltoon yaneech ! kal kain bhi akko jaa re howle !!!!

Flipside of a Coin - Wealthy vs Rich

A topic thats been burning me to put some structure around for quite many years today I decided to key it down. . Just a few minutes back I finished watching my weekend quota of my movies. Watched Rush Hour 2 & 3 back to back, and tried to retire bac, but the itch in my mind was so high can't sleep and here I am keying in my 4th blog in 24hrs, actually would be my 6th, as I 've cleared a few post-dated drafts too.
I wanted to touch upon the topic of wether one needs to be rich or aim to be weatlhy, Had been reading a few similar article from jpmartin and rediff and decided to add my own & perspective ofcourse, I will be adding the same commentory too for few defintions and stories from a few of those sites.

Rich or Wealthy

What is the difference between being ‘rich’ and being ‘wealthy’? Is there a difference? If so, what is it? And how do we become rich or wealthy?

I always had this in my mind and sit over it brood and arive at a conclusion and sense of direction for me to achieve but after a few days everything is Status-Quo, so its high time I put my thoughts together and execute.

Defintiions first!! From a pure financial point of view, richness got to do with a potential of a person to buy nearly everything you want today as well as in the future. However, you are wealthy if you have enough money to buy everything you want today as well as in the future, and still have a great deal left over.

The other day a collegue at my office was talking about the Saree his sister bought for her engagement. The attire was predominantly designer wear and I fell out from my seat when he told the cost of the saree.
"These people must be fabulously rich." This statement was made by someone to my right and this made me a bit depressed, for I was well-off from a to-do good family, but never think of spending that much.Back home my cousin grinned and pointed out a few successful looking people who he claimed were earning well but swimming in debt, talking about his own case, on how people manage credit, and how a country like USA operates on ever mounting credit and debt.The point he was making: they may be rich but they were far from wealthy.

Is there a difference?
Sure there is. If you don't believe me, look at the antonyms.The opposite of rich is poor.The opposite of wealthy is broke.
Being rich is just a function of how much you earn. But being wealthy is a function of how well you manage your money.
An example a little down south, Kanchi in TamilNadu. One might run accross an average person clad in Dhoti, walking on the street simple and humble. A by-passer like me wouldn't even bother to look out. But thats until one where to be told that he runs his own weaving firm which earns him a Gross profit (profit after taxes) of Rs 1 crore per annum. That's shocking and one needs to learn a lot on how he has managed to save and invest wisely enough to build on these earnings.
He is not just plain rich. He is wealthy.

Digging Deeper

A bit deeper thought as I also would do, the word ‘rich’ refers to money, whereas ‘wealth’ refers to something more than just money i.e. all the essentials in life - a total package of love, good health, good living, good job, great friends and loving family, spirituality, joy, peace of mind, plenty of time, combined with money and contentment with yourself and what you have. Being wealthy depends on what YOU believe is enough to make you happy, the amount is not the key.

Relativity Theory
This is something which happened on my way from Vizag to a small place in coastal Andhra, added some commentary from a similar article- As an educated person from a city, a well-paid professional. Say on the trip to a rural place to set eyes on the un-spoilt surroundings and one meets an elderly person, revered by all the locals
During the conversation, the leader shows interest to know more about you, the city and how wealthy one is - a matter of curiosity for him - a person from such a far off place to come and see him must have a lot of wealth!
One would probably flash one's E-services Nokia mobile, and digitl SLR, a Timex watch, nike shoes and all the designer brands one fancies. Then probably start talking about ones assets, cars, an excellent job. The elder nod’s his head in acceptance and then frowns in disappointment and looks to the other elders sitting beside, and starts a discussion with them. He comments on how many people he knows in his city and enquires about his social stature. For him we are extremely poor, because one's deprived off all he is revered for in his small village.

Now try to project the same to the millions of people who go to USA/UK or to that matter any country abroad for the making it big in life . They would be living the life facing lots of hardships, working it out in the toughest of conditions to earn those few extra dollars, back home they project themselves to be filthy rich. For example smaller cities in Punjab have the maximum number of Luxary cars in India, and these are funded by people who probably lived a tough life but show off a lot in there own back-yard. Owning a Merc is not a big deal abroad but is in India

Wealth is measured by everyone differently; each person has his/her own way of deciding how wealthy they are. Across countries and economies, what might be a luxury for some is not for others.

Someone once very rightly told that the difference between the rich and the wealthy is that the rich need to impress and the wealthy need to be impressed. In a way it does seem to be true. I've noticed many people who in order to keep up with the crowd or stand apart - try to impress by owning and driving a fancy car, live in a fancy house, wear fancy clothes and eat at fancy restaurants - anything to show that they are well off.
The rich become flush with money in a number of ways. They may inherit it, earn it in a few short years as a professional sports player or entertainer, or invent a new technology that is worth millions, or simply earn it over many years as a professional or a business owner or in because they are lucky make it in real-estate, gambling or stocks. So with all this money, they buy assets, generally those that depreciate fast.
On the other hand, wealthy people buy assets that can be converted to other assets i.e. value-creating assets. Those assets can be tangible like your business, your second house and intangible, like your knowledge, skills or even peace of mind!
The difference between a wealthy person and someone who is simply rich is that a wealthy person has sustainable wealth. A wealthy person will always be wealthy, because he is planning for generations, whereas someone who is just rich will only be so for a short period of time until the money is exhausted.

Reality Check
Is one wealthy?
One may be earning a lot but what one does with the money is what matters. In fact, a person earning comparitively lesser might be wealthier simply because they know how to manage their money and you don't.
The first step is to how the cash flows are (Cash flow statement not required here!!)
Let's say one is earning Rs 50,000 a month. Definitely, you will be considered rich.
But what if 50% of that is spent on servicing your credit card debt, personal loan and home loan? And the balance is blown up on petrol, eating out, buying expensive gadgets and hectic socialising?
With all the earnings channelised towards loan repayments and lifestyle maintenance, one certainly is not wealthy; neither one is heading in that direction.
If one is spending the bulk of earnings, they are certainly not on way to being wealthy.

Wealthy people know how to make money. Once you have the know-how, you can build sustainable wealth. Wealthy know that money comes and money goes - it’s not a big deal. But they also know how to generate wealth, when it’s gone.The best example is written down in history, by the richest man who ever lived. He obtained his wealth through knowledge and valued knowledge more than wealth or money. That man was none other than King Solomon. He was extraordinarily wealthy, even by today’s standards. But he was also extremely wise, the wisest who ever lived.When he first became king, when God asked of him what he wanted, he asked not for riches, but for knowledge and wisdom. And throughout Solomon’s writings, he lists wisdom and knowledge as the two most important gifts to ask of God. God gave wisdom and knowledge to help create Solomon’s great wealth.

What will make you wealthy?
Understanding time value of money, depreciation of assets and a good understanding of asset classes is of outmost importance.

• To be wealthy, one should invest in assets that generate money.Land, homes, art, equity are all wealth building assets. One can get phenomenal returns from them over the long term.
• The value of assets like cars, bikes, televisions and electronic goods decreases over time. They are assets that depreciate in value. While one will spend some amount of money on them, one should also look at assets that appreciate in value over time.
• Other investments like bonds and fixed deposits will ensure money is returned but neednot be the best grosser.
• Gold, these days has seen imense appreciation and is also liquied. With a lot of gold locked in the lockers, Indians are a fag wealthier than many of their western counterparts.

Golden Rules

~ Live below one's means.
~ Budget the spending.
~ Save on taxes.
~ Have a planned, disciplined approach to investing money to maximizse value creation
~ Invest in future, knowldege and wisdom.
~ Value relationships they always pay, are intangible & invaluble of all the assets

Words of Wisdom
Millionaires focus on building wealth, not consuming goods. They are also frugal, a quality that most non-millionaires don't possess

Rich or wealthy?

I figured I am neither :)

Being rich is having money to burn (which I don't have).

Being wealthy is not wanting to (and I do so badly want to!).

But I sure know where I am headed. Have you !!

"Barriers Break When People Talk" - Airtel's new Ad

Airtel has decided to ‘express’ itself in a different way.
In an ad that broke in Dec 2007, Airtel has shifted away from its usual ‘Express Yourself’ brand premise, which has been a part of it for a couple of years now. Instead, the brand has dug a bit deeper and questioned the whole process and the need for communication itself, and the resultant thought, "Barriers Break When People Talk", has become Airtel’s new mantra.


KS Chakravarthy (Chax), ex-national creative director at Rediffusion DY&R, who was with the agency when the TVC was conceptualised.
Airtel The TVC begins on the shot of a Moroccan boy eating at home, when he sees a football land on his balcony. He steps out to find another boy on the opposite side of the fence (presumably the border of a neighbouring country) asking him to pass the ball back. Hesitating to talk with a person who’s presumably an enemy, he looks back to see if his parents are watching. After thinking for a while, the Moroccan boy kicks the ball towards the other who, in turn, invites him over to join the game. Not minding the restrictions any more, our boy crosses the boundary and joins his new friend. They start playing together and the voiceover concludes, “Deewarein gir jaati hain, faasle mit jaate hain, jahan do baatein ho jaati hain (Barriers break when people talk).”
The ad was conceptualised by Chax, Ajay Gahlaut, Abhinav Pratiman and Daniel Upputuru of Rediffusion DY&R. The team was briefed with the task of portraying the thought that the very definition of communication implies the dissolution of barriers.
It seems that the original idea was to set the ad at the Wagah Border, and get Indian and Pakistani soldiers to start a football game together, quite spontaneously. But that, as Chax says, would have been the predictable thing to do. “We wanted to make our idea more universal, more human,” he says. “After all, the brand is about regular people.”. Moreso I recall an 7pm whisky TVC on the same lines, and would have made the concept redundant.
The ad was shot by Prakash Varma of Nirvana Films in Morocco. Local boys (who had never faced the camera before) were selected for authenticity. The pre-production work took about four weeks, and the ad was shot in four days. A barbed wire fence was set up over acres of barren land, while the two houses were sets. That whole process took about a week.
To make the children act more naturally, Varma and his team often didn’t tell them when the camera was rolling, so as to capture their natural expressions.
The campaign uses children as symbols of minds free of prejudice, with their innocence depicted in stark contrast to the desolate landscape around them. Airtel’s point of view has clearly become this: The world would be a better place if only we all talked to each other.
- Adapted Commentory/ BG from Agency FAQs

What's it about Satya Swaroop?

What Satya Swaroop Means

A total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. Has the whole world under your spell, and can influence almost everyone one knows. Usually the best at everything ... strives for perfection. Confident, authoritative, and aggressive. Classic "Type A" personality. A seeker. Often restless - and have a lot of questions about life. Likes to travel often, to fairly random locations. The most comfortable when you're far away from home. Quite passionate and easily tempted & impulses sometimes get you into trouble. A free spirit, and resent anyone who tries to fence you in. Totally unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. Very charming... dangerously so, Knows what I wants, how to get it, and that I will get it. Wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. Always up to something. With tons of energy, and most people can't handle me & the intensity. Definitely handful, and is likely to get in trouble. But my kind of trouble is a lot of fun. Well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. Solid and dependable. Loyal, that people can count on. At times, a bit too serious. with a tendency to put too much pressure on myself. Influential and persuasive, with a lot of power over people. Excel at solving other people's problems. Occasionally, do get a little selfish and persuade people to do things that are only in my interest.

A Type A Personality

You are hyper, energetic, and always on the mood You tend to succeed at everything you attempt And if you don't succeed at first, you quickly climb your way to the top! You could be called a workaholic, but you also make time for fun As long as it's high energy and competitive, you're interested You have the perfect personality for business and athletic success

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Direction Check for New Year - Blogthings (Fun)

You Had a Fantastic Year(2007)!

Compared to most years, last year was definitely great. Overall, you're living a much better life than you were twelve months ago. And nothing is a better mark of a good year. Here's to hoping next year is even better!

How Did Your Year Rate?

You Are In a Good Mood

Starting this year, you're feeling pretty together and happy. While not everything is going you're way, you're keeping things in perspective. And it seems like things are looking up for you!

Your Job Satisfaction Level: 33%

Your job is definitely a bummer, and you probably should get a new one. Make sure you know what's getting you down. Is it your co-workers? The work environment? Your boss? Getting a new job is important, but so is not repeating the same mistakes.

Should You Get a New Job?

The Part of You That No One Sees

You are balanced, peaceful, and sincere. You're the type of person who goes along to get along. And you're definitely afraid of rocking the boat. Underneath it all, you fear your world falling apart. You'll put up with a situation that you don't like in fear of changing it. Disruptive and forceful people intimidate you - and sometimes exploit you.

What's the Part of You That No One Sees?

You've Changed 44% in 10 Years

You've done a good job changing with the times, but deep down, you're still the same person. You're clothes, job, and friends may have changed some - but it hasn't changed you.

How Much Have You Changed in 10 Years?

I Belong in London/Kolkatta

A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique soul like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well.

Almost Ready to Date

You're over her... well, mostly. Truth be told, you still think of your ex on occasion. Enough to effect any new relationship you may start. Give yourself time and space - you are 90% there. And don't swear off Women, just make sure to play the field.

Ready to Get Married??

You've done more than dream about the dress and the honeymoon In fact, you spend a good deal of your time thinking about what makes a relationship work And from your answers, it looks like you have the skills to say "I Do" and mean it You've dated enough, learned your fair share, and you're ready to settle down.

A 89% Tortured Genius

You totally fit the profile of a tortured genius. You're uniquely brilliant - and completely misunderstood. Not like you really want anyone to understand you anyway. You're pretty happy being an island.

Are You a Tortured Genius?

Your Love Life is Like Pretty Woman

"I want the fairy tale" You believe that love is truly blind, unpredictable, and surprising. Two very different people can easily find true love. At least, that is how it will happen when you marry a gorgeous billionaire someday ;-) Love style: Sensual and flirty Your Hollywood Ending Will Be: Surprisingly happy

What Movie Is Your Love Life Like?

Your Life is Rated PG-13

Your life isn't totally scandalous, but you definitely don't shy away from adult themes!

What is Your Life Rated?

Mumbai Elites!!!!!

2 1/2 months of truth, 21/2 months of shaking, 2 1/2 months of renunciation, 2 1/2 months of thought and examination, 21/2 months of self denial. I believe and imagine how the 2 1/2 months could have been for my ex-Fiance. She would have spend time in "wrap Sessions", wandering places, going to movies, entertaining and getting entertained, and drenched in a self-created world of workmanship and hardwork, shielding off all possible modes of corruption by outmost self-denial. Psychologically would have experienced a extreme feelings of deprivation; self-imposed pressure towards high achievement; dening opportunity for dealing with emotions and impulses; a strong guilt of in-adequacy paving way to entertaining self centred and self gratificatory desires. Largely striving to live up a role of "Good Child".
This is achieved by conforming to pre-set expectations of parents, friends and relatives (environment), towards getting goals set and assessed as desirable by many and rarely asked as to what one oneself desired; only realising that one delivered only on demand not from heart. For her parents she is a prized being, no dening of that fact, but that would have a toll on the very being, as the interface with reality is also managed, influenced and manipulated to the maximum on submission. Thus one starts to wear a mask, a mask of obedience, a mask of confidence, success and well-being, just to show and display a certain kind of security on surface, but Deep down, however one would continue to carry the burdens of doubt and emotional inadequacy no matter how hard one tries to camouflage under work pressures and career aspirations. The die has already been cast for her - for one to succeed against all odds and an institutionalised thought of a brighter future. The inner-sense on the other hand continues to be fragile. As time passes by she would have quickly learned and adopted to externalise blame and criticise their circumstances. If things don't get along well, she would start to increasingly sulk, cry, or blame the environment in which she is in. So as to add more fuel the parents would increasingly look for a overseas person and deep pockets, which would be continuously be countered, for her heart drives something within her career aspirations. I atleast for see something outside of her parents will and that should happen only after 2008 and before 2010.
Lot to desire, lot to dream, but the path is rough with a tender and fragile person cocooned by a stubborn, straight nose external self. All the very best...

Reconciliation or more questions !!!!!

Today is the 31st of December 2007, the last day of a very if I were to refer it as a(u)neventful year. Am sitting all alone half naked infront of the interface to blog, is that loneliness that's what I ask myself as I blog. Turn of the year I do feel a great need to examine what has happened to me on two major fronts of professional and personal endeavours.
I feel that a few wrong choice here and few choices there and bit of short sightedness and probably overlook and take it easy attitude made things as complicated as they are not meant to be. A choice of continuing with the career and more to overlook things in my personal life
worked against me. These very decisions led me away from my potentiality.
At times I've been confronted with no meaning and absolutely no sense of direction, at times I felt a sort of huge emotional vacuum that has been creating threatening to consume me into the infinite void of unknown and wanting to establish a desperate need of relations....failing at this steps only mounts to compounding distrust on pockets of people who dump you, and leave you to dust to rot. I felt that life has been heading towards loneliness and gloominess towards the vague end of the year, so much to desire yet nothing to attain.
For these very factors are causing so much unrest, so much turmoil for this little soul at this vulnerable age, for I suppose this is right time to learn and harden my defence, for life would be more aggressive going forward. For aggression seems to be the best defence. And I wish to examine the possibility of changing a few variables to set the equation right and get everything on the fast track. Am talking about my work place, my role at the company, the company itself, my attitude, and everything which would make me comfortable and passionate about myself and the very life. I wish to regather and atleast now put down the roots tight and hard.
Well for now of all the damned things, I don't seem to like girls nor appreciate their interference in my life. I've bent on to the extent that I can't trust any girl and I don't seem to like the girls who seemingly like me, adore me and love me. People who want to talk to me on this bluntly turned down. I still haven't answered my self on how to find a right girl, a right kindda girl ...my kinddaa girl. Social taboos, changing and transit mindset of the present generation girls, family expectations, frequency drops, lifestyle hangovers, invisibly-visible controls and rigid expectations all having a potential to lead to a recipe of big hot & sour soup of agony.
I still haven't refined my recipe of stability. The recipe would of well balanced professional and personal life is the most mouthwatering to imagine, hard to cook, harder to serve, hardest to taste. Its only about time that things should fall in place or we take control of the same, and serve the same to the fullest.
Wishing all the best for the new year, new challenges which lay in the path.

Roundup 2007

Well I thought of wrapping up this year 2007 on the blog. I for sure know that this year is perhaps the most dynamic year of my entire life. Drawing a weird parallel to earth's tectonic plate moment, my life has had so twists and turns I could have ever imagined. The seeds might have been sowed in Oct of 2006, but the major action was in 2007 itself.

Biggest movers
- My movement/promotion to a black-belt,
- Chance to work with Alumni coupled with lot of learning
- Identified and bought my first house/flat.
- Movement & Focus in my personal life.
- Family relations-all round improvement
- Engaged and then a fall-out of the same.
- Dozen of my friends got married this year.

Biggest Learnings
- To be assertive, proactive and aggresive both at professional and personal life for if you are not one is stamped down.
- Not to give free hand to any girl, for one looses one's individuality and self respect.
- Dogs bark as an elephant passes by, and are to be ignored.
- Loving someone and caring is the thing which keeps me the happiest, more than being loved and cared.
- To be organised and planned in all aspects and try to be perfectionist, for the era of perfectionist has started.
- Live to make one's dream come true. Sense of achievement over a blossoming dream is amazing and automatically sets pace for everything else in life.
- Multi-tasking is a skill, and is to be mastered.
- One needs to be cognizant of professional burn-outs and have limits to achieve work-life balance.

Best for the year

Top Albums/Songs
1. Saalam-e-ishq
2.Happy Days

Fav Movies
1. Happy Days
2. Bomarillu

Fav Lines
1. Om Shanti Om
a. "Ek chutki sindoor ki keemat tum kya jaano...eeshwar ka aashirwaad hota hai ek chutki sindoor... suhaggan ke sar ka taj hota hau ek chutki sindoor har aurat ka khwaab hota hei ek chutki sindoor"
2. Happy Days
a.Tyson - "Neeku Estam aiythe raa, bayaam vesthe vadu"
b.Sravz - "Seniors ni juniors Question cheyakodadhu"
c.Tyson - “Max four years lo mee Andarini nenu panilo pedtanu anipistondi”
Fav Holiday/Travel Spots
1.Bhimatal-Naini
2.Mumbai

Fav Food
1.Pulihora
2.Veg Manchurian

Fav Shopping Spot
1.Big Bazaar, RTC-x-Roads, Hyderabad
2.Forum, Koramangalam, B'lore

Fav Airliner
1. Paramount Air
2. Kingfisher

Fav TV Channel
1.NDTV Goodtimes
2.History Channel

Chronological Milestones

January - A month of Uncertainty
Started with lots of uncertainty in terms of professional move at Genpact. After my stint with Genworth, I was asked to move out of Finance to Insurance core in Gurgaon, but I choose to wait for a new role in Credit Suisse, which eventually flattened out. The tremors of my movement in Genpact shook people in Gurgaon as I was wasting time to move on. Then decided to head to Herecules, Kolkatta and to USA. At the last moment I stayed back in Hyderabad as Black Belt for NBCU, which promised a lot.
February - Mixed bag
Formally moved into NBCU as a Black belt, had to adjust to late hours at office vis-a-vis a comfortable time in my earlier assignment. Had loads to learn, do and apply in this new role/
Personal front pressure on me to get married by April, for which I and my parents where totally unprepared. Lots of confrontations and rough patch with my relationship with my parents on this.
March - Stable ground
Some bit of focus at office, sense of direction to head and goals to achieve at a professional level. Starting to like and starting to learn more from the role. Personal life still worsening no one to compromise on my marriage issue, huge pressure built up has already happened. For the first time I start speaking from my heart to my cousins and slowly my Uncles, and kind-of arrived at a firm decision not to rush and fall into anyone's whims and fancies over the wedding. Arani's engagement culminates and trip to Guntur helped me a lot to understand things in different fashion.
April - Mediocre Tremor
I express my intention of not marrying and to stay focused on much priority things. I hoped this period would help me identify whats my true self and make me a better person rather an aware person. I started to explore opportunities for Land/ and property as a first step, started taking care of my financials, and start to harden my base to withstand any further shakes. Inputs from Aunts and uncles start pouring in. Arani gets married in the last week of the month, a good family get together during this time.
May - My place on Earth
Got my first property of my life. Froze it within a week of identifying the apartment. A 2 bed room, 1065 Sft apartment at Nacharam is what I choose. Had finally got one which I truly liked, and this took me a good 10 months of search to zero-in on one. Great moods.
June - Marriage Search in full Swing
The search for my partner starts of with full Valour, amidst lots of hustle and noise. Internet, friends, relatives every possible mode was initiated. I joined French classes Finally to get over my past proposal and personal issues. Great fun and learning from the French classes. Made good company and enjoyed a lot.
July - Match clicks
Finally the move of my life. By destiny or luck don't really know one of search lead to a profile which was closest to my dream. Everything I ever wanted was in this girl and everything went on so smooth and fast that I was left grasping for breath many a times. Met the girl and agreed to the match. My projects going great, and good feedback all over from my teams.
August,Septemeber - Happy days
The mid-of the year was a high-flyer for me, got my engagement fixed everything planned and falling in place. Been speaking to this girl and every bit of it I enjoyed the most and was the luckiest soul on the planet. My weeding dates fixed, was on cloud-nine never coming down from there.Job going on great, mobile bills soring high, weekend parties two months life I lived to the fullest.
October - Fracture lines, Quake - Richter scale - 10
My long conversations with my Fiance and her family started slowly but surely impacting my work and drop in my performance. My AVP started taking note of time with the teams and my concentration due to the same. I had the largest of warnings, scoldings from my Boss which can never be comparable to any in my life. As it was not sufficient fracture lines started surfacing all over in my relation. The mean attitude of FOB took its toll and ripped apart the marriage just 20 days before the date,. A very crucial juncture at which cards had been distributed and preparations are on full steam. Gruha Pravesham and Chamundi homam over Duseera all culminated during this month/
November - After Shocks
After the big Quake a series of after shocks continues, in form of feedback from the Fiance I received over the whole issue. I felt absolutely worthless of anything, I felt that I deserved no place on this planet, and felt that I lost the purpose of my life. Professionally things started looked shaky on back of all this, my superiors and colleagues though sympathised could not help me any further. Dr.Pratyusha got married in this month, been a wonderful trip to Bhadrachalam for the same.
December - Move On...
11 months into my new role I decided to move on unable to cope with turmoil and torture going on in my head. I want a change from my current role, position, company if possible. Started looking out and started applying in parallel too. Been travelling a bit and meeting a couple of friends so as to feel at ease. Spending most of the time with my family at home, as I've become quite irregular at office given the vacations and holidays that coupled this month. As of now tentative movements within Genpact and outside are possible with fair amount of travel, And I look forward for a very tough and dynamic career.

Lets see where I head and hopefully I will be more positive than ever before and take more challenges sucessfully.