Story of the Fisherman !!

We all traverse the ocean of life like that solitary fisherman. Each one of us is that fisherman, the waves, the winds, the currents are the circumstances of our life, the fish we catch,, is the material well being we need to live, boat is our family,our friends, soulmates, our refuge, the oars, the net to catch fish, our tools, And the coastal shore is where we all want to reach - The Shore is called Happiness. Some of us get drowned by the circumstances , some of us forget the purpose of life is to reach the coast and instead just focus on catching more fish. Some of us dont care enough for the baot. And for some inspite of doing it all, never make it to the shore

As the dawn broke out on the Coromandel Coast !!

Endless Churning of the Ocean continued

Just as Sun was about to rise on the horizon it was enveloped by dense dark clouds

It is said that standing by the sea side makes people reflect on life .. it does that to people ..it certainly did that to me !!

Just than I spotted a solitary fisherman ,, far off at Sea .. .. fisherman is close to the horizon ..

Waves get more aggresive by every passing minute.. indicating a incoming storm

Vastness of the ocean ,, makes every men think ... Sun is yet to appear ,, infact the winds pick up even further , and water gets markedly more turbulent. This picture after zooming in from the lens of my camera. makes it seems as if that fisherman is reaching to me thru this picture, trying to tell me something

Clouds look more & more menancing,, and instead of dawn it starts feeling like dusk ..

But the Fisherman keeps going about his business ...undeterred .. with faith

the storm like situation intensified and makes me conerned for the safety of that fisherman after all he is a lone fisherman there is no other boat in sight .. in the vastness of the ocean .. he is all alone

But thankfully the fisherman makes it to the shore safely

to me 'Story of the Fisherman' is like the 'Story of our lives'..... But not everyone makes it to the shore !!

My Life thru Pictures !!

In an unprecedented cost cutting drive - NASA has just announced that its scientist will now travel to India instead of going to the Moon - to study about the impact craters scarred on surface of the moon created because of the meteor showers. According to the press release the monsoon showers seem to have the same impact on the Indian roads. How Indian motorist deal with such Impact craters (pot holes) on the road will help NASA design its next generation Moon buggy. And studying pedestrains will help them train its astranaut to walk on the moon without ever falling in one of those craters.

Instead of being embarassed by the NASA announcement, the Indian Government has welcomed this decision stating tht the revenue earned from this NASA project would be used to fill those very pot holes after the project. Each State government is vying for this indirect FDI by showcasing how their state have the poorest road and thus ideal for NASA research program.

ARE U THE ONE --- who does not see which way the "WINDS ARE BLOWING" in your office ... who is unable to notice what is the speed at which those winds are blowing .. .....Not being able to adjust your sails in the direction in which the CORPORATE WINDS are blowing could be fatal for your career .. here is a perfect solution just for you ... put up a WINDSOCK above your cubicle,, and instantly know not just which way the corporate winds are blowing but even its speed and strength ...

20 years ago ....a 16 year old boy with so many dreams :-) somewhere he lost his way .. got grounded in reality ... :-) hope someday he gets back to dreaming .. ( with my Dad who recently celebrated his 75th birthday)

The Last Leaf -- somehow today my literature is getting all mixed up with the weather :-) Saw the last few yellow leafs of otherwise a barren tree outside my window and the O Henry classic short story "The Last Leaf" .. immedialy came to my mind.. the heart touching story about painters Johnsy & Sue who live in their studio. Johnsy is seriously ill and resigns to her fate .. her only hope pinned on the last leaf on the tree outside her window. And about Berhman a struggling painter . !!

Incase someone would like to read http://www.online-literature.com/donne/1303/ here is the link .

But the last paragraph is the most touching

"Mr. Behrman died of pneumonia to-day in the hospital. He was ill only two days. The janitor found him the morning of the first day in his room downstairs helpless with pain. His shoes and clothing were wet through and icy cold. They couldn't imagine where he had been on such a dreadful night. And then they found a lantern, still lighted, and a ladder that had been dragged from its place, and some scattered brushes, and a palette with green and yellow colors mixed on it, and - look out the window, dear, at the last ivy leaf on the wall. Didn't you wonder why it never fluttered or moved when the wind blew? Ah, darling, it's Behrman's masterpiece - he painted it there the night that the last leaf fell."

Typical Fall sunset at 51° North. This is the furthest I have been from equator and just 15 ° degrees shy of the Arctic circle ( 66 ° North). Geographically speaking London is north of most Canadian cities - Winnipeg (49 °), Ottawa (45 °), Montreal (45 °), Vancouver (49 °). And it is sort of Gerographical manifest destiny of Britain that inspite of being at such northern latitude, it does not snow here as high as those Canadian cities .. because unlike Canada, where the warmer winds from the equator and tropics have to cross the North American continent before they reach it, Britain is an island exposed to the warmer currents and winds off the Atlantic ocean .. while it saves Britain from getting into a deep freeze but it also ensures that Britain has one of the most unpredictable weathers in the world !! NATURE KNOWS HOW TO BALANCE ITS BOOKS, unlike most humans !!

Twilight falls over the royal victory tower at the Laxmi Vilas Palace in Baroda. Soaring 300 feet into the evening skies ..reminiscent of the glorious history of its creator- Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III ( on a unplanned trip to Baroda this week) - And for all Barodians the picture was taken from the edge of polo ground ..

Twilight falls over the royal victory tower at the Laxmi Vilas Palace in Baroda. Soaring 300 feet into the evening skies ..reminiscent of the glorious history of its creator- Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III ( on a unplanned trip to Baroda this week) - And for all Barodians the picture was taken from the edge of polo ground ..

My Life thru Pictures !!

Nature makes the best advertisement !!! No amount of electronic gadgetry can ever beat nature. And so influenced by this shot of sail boats in the Bury Lake I have signed up for a beginner course in Wind Sailing.

My beloved Nokia 2629 passed away recently after a prolonged fight with poor battery & worn-out screen, he beeped his last on Sunday evening, slept off never to wake up. He was 5 years of age. During the course of his 5 year long career he travelled extensively and had clocked over 25,000 ruppees worth of talk time. He would be remebered forever as a loyal friend thru thick & thin, receiving messages that sometimes brought laughter, sometimes smile, and sometimes tears. And sometimes it waited with a deep longing for messages that never came.But such is life - be it humans or a gadget.

My Nokia 2629 ( April 2006 - Feb 2011)

(Disclaimer - This is not meant to offend anyone. It is a satire on humans who get too much in love with gadgets in place of humans. If you find this in poor taste please forgive me, unfortunately this satire is true reflection of our soceity)

I Love my Gini !!! :-) Gini Coefficient that is..

Found this interesting concept to measure the income or wealth inequality. Gini coefficient can range between 0 and 100, low Gini coefficient indicates a more equal distribution, with 0 corresponding to complete equality and 100 corresponding to complete inequality.

and no surprises here .. as per CIO Factbook 2009, India's Gini is between 35 to 39 thanks to a burgeoning middle class. http://en.wikipedia.org/​wiki/Gini_coefficient

All other BRICS countries fare poorly in comparision. (Refer the image) - June 2010

At the University of Chicago,Graham School of General studies, world renowned researchers & intellectuals from diverse disciplines - Psychology, Social Sciences & Philosophy have gathered to discuss about the most extraordinary development in the history of human psychology. For the first time since its publication in 1943, the Theory of Hierarchy of Needs has been proved wrong. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory explains the stages of growth of humans (Refer diagram -left triangle). Reseachers are trying to analyze how INDIAN POLITICIANS have completely debunked this theory by showing no higher motivation. At the end of the 3 day seminar after intense delibrations the group issued a seperate MOTIVATION THEORY FOR THE INDIAN POLITICIANS - (Refer the diagram -right triangle)

Several years ago while at Cleveland, had bought my first hiking-trail walking shoes .. at $ 70 I was not entirely sure if such an investment was justified.

4 years later after having hiked for hundred of miles thru --- Sonora desert of Arizona, Chihuahuanan desert of Mexico, Grand Canyon at Nevada, Mohave desert in California, Franklin Mountains and Huevo tanks at Texas, Stone Mountain at Georgia, explored the cities of LA, Vegas, El Paso, Atlanta, Pittsburg, Las Cruces, Phoenix, Houston, Baltimore and on return to India -- Srirangpatnam, Aurovile, numerous forts at Bhongir, Senji, Pavagadh -Champaner, Baroda and now thru the three lakes nature reserve and off the beaten path in London .. all I can say .. though not everything worked out the way I intended in my life, atleast this investment has paid off handsomely !!!

But with all this wear & tear , my shoes are exhausted, tired and drained out ... HOPE I NEVER DO !!!

पूरब से सूर्य उगा फेल्ला उजियारा
जागी हर दिशा दिशा जागा जग सारा

(after a long time felt the strings of my heart playing this tune in the morning) listen to this tune while watching this picture.. it just fills me with the energy of that sun !!! Below is the link to that beautiful melody

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlI3oRZ3J28&NR=1

My Life thru Pictures !!

Sleepy start to a long voyage !!! With my very own bagwati !!!

While waiting for the boarding annoucement at Chennai airport on 27th July, 2011, on my way to relocate to United Kingdom .

Promise of a brand new day ...

..."the journey for each of us begins here. we are going to explore the cosmos in a ship of the imagination, unfettered by ordinary limits on speed and size, drawn by the music of cosmic harmonies. it can take us anywhere in space and time. perfect as a snowflake, organic as a DANDELION SEED, it will carry us to worlds of dreams, and worlds of facts. come with me "--- this is how Carl Sagan opens up his epic book on the universe - COSMOS.

From childhood I was intrigued by the DANDELION SEED .... as they would seem to appear from nowhere, aimlessly floating in the air with complete disregard for gravity. However though I never ever saw any Dandelion seed plant anywhere ..UNTILL NOW. , .. Was totally delighted to see it on a evening walk over the weekend !!DANDELION SEED Plant !!! Finally !!!

FIRST , BREAK ALL THE RULES .. in recent times this has become a management cliche,a management fad based on the best selling book.But I already attempted this 20 years ago.. by driving my Dad's scooter without a license, not wearing a helmet, on the wrong side of the road, right in front of the traffic cop. Unfortunately for me the cop had not read this book.

Nonetheless that cop (Bhagabhai Chaganbhai) ws kind enough to give me an artifact (challan dated 13-11-1992) that I have preserved till date -my first reward for BREAKING ALL THE RULES.
(Friends from Baroda might get nostalgic reading the challan)

While standing in the queue for 4-5 hours on several occasion at the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Hyderabad to follow up on a passport renewal application, I came up with this idea. While everyone is fighting Corruption, I thought of studying it. Just like any other economic activity. Presenting -- analysis of the Bribe market at RPO Hyderabd. First chart shows how the market is split between different officials of varying rank and second chart on right side is by opportunity. It would be interesting to study revenue leakage next -- Revenue leakage for the officials would be in case any work was done in the passport office without a bribe being paid

Ohh Books !!! And how I bemoan your decline ..
Internet hit the first blow on your pride ,
And ebook readers hit the final death knell for your demise
Our Children will never experience the joy of reading a book like we did
Ohh Books !! How I bemoan your decline !! - June -2011

((My books, my companions , earlier were proudly on diplay on a book rack. Unfortunately now lying packed in a storage box at my home in Baroda, not sure when I will be able to see them again)

PS - For someone whose philosophy in life is Keep Walking ,, shoes invariably are an integral part .. !!!

How difficult is it for all of you to LET GO ... .. let go of things, people, places, let go of the past.... well for someone who would make it to the list of TOP 10 people who find it difficult to let go.. this was another sad farewell .. now to my formal shoes or rather boots that I wore to work in US, Hyderabad, Mexico and Chennai ..(inspite of several raised eyebrows ) over last 4 years :-) ...tough boots gave me a kind of firm footing in uncertain times !! But as I embark on yet another voyage, I will have to say them one last goodbye .. I will have to let go !! - July 2011

(Incidentanly gave them to someone who can use it further for several more years to come)