Yep, so the "keeping fingers crossed" worked and here I am blogging before dec'08...I am damm kicked, no doubt about it...to be honest, i wanted to blog earlier but just didnt get the time. So, unlike last year, this year I've decided that if I want time, I need to make time. If "making time" involves cutting short my sleep by 1-2 hrs, then so be it. The first few weeks of this year have been very good for me -> didn't slack off on the relationship/spiritual aspect (an area that I really wanted to improve on this year), work has been good (read as -> really busy, but exciting nonetheless), and I've taken my extrovert nature to new heights :) (and i feel really proud, happy and most importantly, self-satisfied)...
I somehow feel that after numerous trial and errors, I've inched a step towards figuring out the "secret sauce" to "contentment". My definition of contentment -> continuing with our "mundane" daily chores and at the same time, working towards achieving the "I am answerable to people who are stakeholders in improving me"...I know, i know it is a very vague definition. okie, let me take another shot at defining contentment -> "finding that perfect balance between living for myself and living for those around me"...this is a much better one, dont u agree??? I will give the latter definition a score of 7/10, the former one would probably get a 3/10 (resembles my sanskrit score ...
[Digression:
background on my sanskrit proficiency ->after moving back to Calcutta to finish my school, I had to take a third language. My school had two options - bengali or sanskrit.. and i chose sanskrit (thinking it wud be a piece of cake since the script is similar to hindi..)..whattay blunder :( ]
it is strange that change occurs when it is due -> i mean till about 6 months ago, I "flaunted" this idealistic "i dont care a damm about what others think of me , come what may - I will speak my mind"..I carried this attitude with me all the time, i used this on everyone, people i knew really well and people I knew for hardly 10 mins. Objectively speaking, there is nothing wrong with it.
I mean the least I can do is be honest right? But then, as it is said, the outcome is as important as the processes adopted/methods used to achieve that outcome...In my context, it meant delivering the same message but in a more prudent/less incisive way...As for instance, if ur friend (male) wears pink colored havaii chappal, and u dont approve of it, then there are two ways to deliver that message :-
1) The "Anil six months ago" way -> dude, ur taste sucks...i'd rather be dead than be caught in pink colored havaii chappal...
2) the "Anil now" way -> dude, I am sure that either this was the only color havaii chappal available in ur size or maybe it was being sold for 90% off!!!
same message, but delivered in a less incisive way...
i dont know when this change occurred in me, but I am proud that this change occurred...
Sensitization to your surroundings is very crucial in achieving "contentment"... Oh, sensitization reminds me of one more issue -> if we don't know a person/are in the process of knowing a person, then the least we can do is be judgmental about him/her. everyone of us is unique, no two persons are alike ( and this is what makes life so blessed, and one of the key reasons why I love making friends/meeting new and interesting people)...
If we don't know someone, then we should just shut up and not pass any comments when we hear about his/her actions...Somehow, some people just dont get this!!! If we know someone and that person doesn't figure in your close circle, then i think it is better to not be judgmental. Yes, this stance is arguable...But my line of defense -> If he/she doesnt figure in your close circle, then u don't KNOW the person...
Now, the third case -> when we are trying to know someone. If you are trying to know someone (friendship/potential life partner/colleague/boss/new "inorganic" relative in your family), then it is absolutely essential to hear him/her out. I know we are all constrained for time and it is only natural that we try to derive our impression based on as much information that we can collect in as little time as possible. And this works well when are trying to use that "impression" on inanimate objects (i apologize for a lack of better phrase)...But for god's sake, we are dealing with fellow humans. Humans can and do make mistakes.. In the early phases of knowing someone, it is absolutely very very crucial to give the person the benefit of the doubt if u think that he/she "screwed" up. Who knows -> maybe it was an unintentional "screw up". I am not advocating that we should forget this "screw up", we should definitely keep it at the back of our mind. If the "screw up" is repeated, then yes, we have absolutely every right to go ahead and make our judgment. Patience and time is key...coz only time and patience will reveal if there are other positive traits in him/her that, in the larger scheme of things, will whitewash the "screw up"... I know I sound kind of frustrated. But this "make ur judgment as soon as possible" is a sure shot recipe for disaster. I will be honest -> I've been at the receiving end of this, people I know have been at the receiving end of this...Sometimes, it makes me wonder if i should adopt the same tactic, my very "weak" line of defense -> if the connection was not immediately evident, then it is not worth pursuing. But then, luckily enough, I've not given in to societal pressure. This "if everyone does it, then it makes sense that I should follow suit" will dilute my individualism. I have 27 yrs of life behind me, and life has taught me so much -> i am not going to give up on my learnings...sounds way too idealistic right -> kya karoon yaar...kabhi kabhi zindagi apne terms pe jeena koi galat baat hai kya???
Moving on -> Compared with last year, I've been in touch with my family on a more frequent basis this year. .One of my new year rsolutions -> give ur family a call atleast once a week, max. at least once in two weeks...even a 5min "hi, how r u, everything ok?" conversation is enough....I am sure all of us owe that to our families. Yes, here we are in a foreign country, pursuing "material" goals, but lets not forget who made us what we r today...! aaha one more thought - giving back to society...
I am absolutely sold to this -> only when u give back to society, the society will give u more...
[ Digression again :
i've had the good luck of meeting Mr. Jon M. Huntsman (chairman of Huntsmman corporation) when I was in school in Utah. My boss (for whom i was interning during school) took me to a book-signing charity event . Mr. Huntsman had just released his book "Winners never cheat" and he was there for nearly 4 hrs on a weekday signing his books just for charity. Here is a chairman of a world leading manufacturer of specialized chemicals spending 4 hrs on a weekday, signing books for people and briefly talking to them too. I was just way too excited. When my turn came, he asked me my name and what i was doing. My then boss, Devin Thorpe, is well respected in the utah business circle, and i told Mr. Huntsman "I am in school full-time for my MBA and I work for Devin Thorpe part-time as I really want to pursue ibanking as my career"
He told me "You know you are the second Anil I've met, the other Anil I know is a good friend of mine and he runs a large family business in India" and he smiled at me. Obviously I knew whom he was referring to, but at the same time I was sooo flattered by his humility, he didnt throw names around... To be sooo successful and yet so humble..
I think I have misplaced the book that he signed (i know so careless of me!!) but then I still remember what he wrote in it "Anil , congrats for pursuing your mba and working through school, best of luck in everything you do.. Jon M. Huntsman"...
Let me tell u - the book is well worth a read...some of u might think that the book is way too idealistic. But then, Huntsman made money by following the same ideals that he preached in this book...so, if he can make money, why cant we???...He also talks about doing business ethically and most importantly (the reason why I bought this topic up) -> Give back to ur society!!! ]
giving back to society doesn't necessarily mean donating cash/kind to other not-for-profits out there.. we need to "add value" to our giving.. this could be sponsoring your college technical symposium (money), volunteering for nearby social activity, as in Tata's case - making a Rs 1 lakh car, etc. etc. You get the message. I will be honest, I have not been very consistent in this effort. But then, I realize that i need to do this and this realization is enough to make a difference. It does not have to be a very conscious effort. If the realization is there, then the action will be spontaneous. As for instance, one fine day you might just go out of your way to help someone achieve something.. It is not that u started the day with the intention to do so, it just happened...and it just happened coz the realization to give back to society is deeply ingrained within u. I hope (and I pray) that I am more consistent and I will try my best. Aah one more thing to improve upon...So many things to work on, so much to achieve, wish we had more than 24 hrs in a day, 7 days in a week and 52 weeks in a year!!!...If i achieve/improve upon even 5% of my "list", i will have moved a step closer towards "contentment"...
Anyways, more later. I can go on and on...but then, i have to return to my "mundane" life tomorrow morning and I need some sleep to be energized enough to at least execute the "mundane" life to perfection :)....
Best,
me!!!
p.s. : will reduce the p.s. stuff...I've been told that it is very annoying to have p.s. so often in my written communication...:)
Monday, January 28, 2008
Thursday, December 20, 2007
357 days in 2007---my memoir
Dear all,
I know I know...It has been a really really long time since I've posted here and now that I have sometime to ruminate over the past 357 days in this year, I felt that it is prudent to blog down my learnings, my experiences, my highs and lows....
Yes yes, my last few posts have been kidn of heavy, but then thats okay...In as much as this post is about telling u , it is also about having a 2007 memoir for myself ....A great year on many counts and I will get into more details as I start getting my thoughts together...
2006 : Yes, I know that i got a job in an industry that I always wanted to try out; yes, I've gotten back in touch with few of my very close pals; yes, I've lost touch with few of my friends that have made my life special since graduating from rectrichy...this is life, i guess - u win some and u lose some...:)
2007: Continued keeping in touch with few of my close pals, got a promotion, my sister got married, life's good and I've never been more at peace with myself...
[but then, last night i was up really really late (coz I knew there was no work to be done at office, yes, I am officially off the hook till Jan 1st) and chatting/orkutting with few of my friends in India and thinking about what DID I do in 2007? Did I achieve what I wanted? Where am I lacking? It is good to have these introspecting moments right? ]
So, on a first glance, it is fairly easy to conclude that 2007 was a much better year than 2006...
But then, do we always have to compare present year v/s. previous year and hope that next year will be better...naah -> I dont think so....by doing this, I believe i will always end up in this never ending quest for improving myself....Yes, comparison is good but comparison is not the end all, be all. It is just one of the many drivers that make each day special...
So, 2007 was definitely a very "constructive" year for me....naah, not about the material aspects of life.,..about the equally important (which for some reason, I am too shy to admit) spiritual and relationship aspect of life...
and i call it a very "constructive" year for me coz I definitely performed below par on this (i use singular coz i believe that both these aspects are so intertwined that it is hard to draw a hard line between them) aspect and most importantly, I very well knew all the time that I was screwing up...(will be honest, didnt just get the "time" to fix it...the cynical u might think that it was not on my priority list and guess what, maybe you r right)
The spiritual/relationship perspective: it is very hard to define this aspect...for me, it is about Anil Kuruganti as a "package"...
What is this "package" -> a combination of Anil Kuruganti -
1) as an individual - my thought processes, my actions and my mannerisms
2) as an only son to my parents who have 4 absolutely wonderful children and have supported us at the every juncture/decision,
3) as a brother for three absolutely loving sisters who I must admit have pampered me beyond belief, given in to my whims, and respected my independence/thought process at every point ,
4) as a friend,
5) as a contributor to society
what has this "package" done so far this year...how has he positively influenced someone/been influenced by someone else...I don't have answers to these questions but I do know that I could have done much better....maybe, my reluctance to change status quo clashes with the "forward looking" me ..i mean why would one go out of his/her way to fix something that, on the face of it, seems to be working absolutely fine...(remember, "don't try to fix anythign that is working")...On the other hand, the "forward looking" me says that it is only when I explore the so far unknown paths will I realize what is good for me and what could be better...
So, in brief, i will summarize the 357 days of my life this year:
The highs: my sister got married, family get together after a really really long time, my promotion, my extreme success in keeping in touch with my close friends, my ability to not get addicted to the high flying happening night life in the city without seeing a reason to be drawn to it, yes i've gone clubbing many weekends this year but there are 52 weekends in a year and i have probably spent 10% of those weekends in a club...(i am not against it, just that there hasn't been a strong enough motive to do so. I mean - it is good to go clubbing once a while but not everyweekend right? Is life all about clubbing?) clubbing is just a means to achieve an end - Happiness...and there are other means to achieve that end too...I would've done it if someone i love liked it and I need a reason to hang out with them...
The lows: that i could spend only 3 weeks with my parents this year (and that means I've spent 3 weeks with them in past three and half years!!!!) and for the first time in my life when i was leaving hydee for U.S. after my sister's marriage - i acutally felt like getting out of the airport and moving back and staying with my parents...thank god, I didn't...it was just one of those moments...a strong and a proud moment...a strong moment - coz my parents always have always wanted the four of us to be independent, to live life on our own terms and be happy...a proud moment coz I realized that in as much as i value independence (till i settle down of course), and i like taking decisions on my own, I realized that I have strong pillars of support around myself that I can always fall back upon (and this has definitely given me the extra cushion to take on more risks/enjoy much more than I should have)...
Another low point of my life was one of my fundamental beliefs that came crashing to ground over the course of the past one year...I've always believed that it is important to be surrounded by people who love me, who like me ....What could be more satisfying than the fact that no matter how big of an ass***e you are to them, they will always love u...but this fundamental belief has come crashing to the ground...As we mature and realize that we are responsible for our deeds/what goes around comes around, our conscience CANNOT digest the fact that we r taking someone for granted...We have absolutely no right to control someone else's life if we do NOT fundamentally like that person...
At the same time, if i like a person, I have decided that I will go out of my way to tell the person that I like her/him...I will absolutely respect their independence and will do so going forward.... Of late, and i will be absolutely honest here, I've not been very assertive and quick in expressing my opinions on this front..Going forward, I will...
The learnings: Once we achieve a near term goal at work, then we need to take our foot off the gas pedal. else, we will continue to over burn ourselves in our quest to achieve success in our careers. Is career the only thing we were supposed to pursue from day one? Yes, a very important aspect of life, but not the ONLY aspect of life....This said, till I got my promottion, I was grinding my a** of at work, trying ti impress everyone and was really really kicked when i was promoted...But gradually the feeling sinks in and you realize that this is just another milestone at work...Was it really worth slogging sooo much ? Yes and no...yes -> coz it reaffirms my belief that if I want something, I have the desire and the passion to achieve it...No -> coz it makes me wonder that is that "title" and the extra paycheck worth the effort...Who knows -> time may or may not tell.. The whole word does it and at times, I play by the book....However, at times, I am a maverick too....
I have done stuff over the past one month that if some crystal ball had told me in september that "Anil, ur nov/dec looks like this....." and then i wud've laughed it away...If I ever confide in someone who knows me really really well about what I've done in the past 2-3 weeks, then they wudn't believe it and if they did, they wud've asked me to take an appointment with a psychiatrist.. and this is only cuz they wudn't believe that "Anil Kuruganti" wud'v edone something like this....i will never tell them of course and i will never reveal this is my blog, but guess what - I look back upon my past 2-3 weeks and I feel absolutely proud coz i believe i have now changed (for the good ofcourse)...its not hat i did something absolutely perfect -> As a matter of fact, I THINK i screwed up and for the first time in my life, I tried to make ammends for something that I think i scrwed up...U all might be thinking - what the hell is Anil talking about?
Sometimes, we know we screwed up; sometimes, we think we screwed up -> I used the word "think" coz we might have not screwed up from our perspective but we might have screwed up from someone else's perspective...THis I think is the my most important takeaway from 2007..."Anil, just coz u dont believe u screwed up doesnt mean that u have not screwed up...If u've screwed up from a different person's perspective (from a perspective of someone u like/trust/admire/respect), then it is equivalent to u screwing up and u need to apologize!!!!" ... This learning looks pretty simple on paper, but my friend, to put into practise takes a lot of courage, humility and needless to say, patience !!!!
I love life -> its nuances, the curveballs it throws at us -> i wish i live till 125 coz if I've learnt so much ovet the past 27 yrs, i wonder how much more i will learn by the time i cut my cake on sept 16, 2105!!!
anyways, more later... Wish you all a very very happy xmas and new year...
take care,
love
me!!!
p.s. : somehow i have this feeling that i will post in 2008 december...i will keep my fingers crossed and pray that this feeling turns out to be false and i post before 2008 december...
I know I know...It has been a really really long time since I've posted here and now that I have sometime to ruminate over the past 357 days in this year, I felt that it is prudent to blog down my learnings, my experiences, my highs and lows....
Yes yes, my last few posts have been kidn of heavy, but then thats okay...In as much as this post is about telling u , it is also about having a 2007 memoir for myself ....A great year on many counts and I will get into more details as I start getting my thoughts together...
2006 : Yes, I know that i got a job in an industry that I always wanted to try out; yes, I've gotten back in touch with few of my very close pals; yes, I've lost touch with few of my friends that have made my life special since graduating from rectrichy...this is life, i guess - u win some and u lose some...:)
2007: Continued keeping in touch with few of my close pals, got a promotion, my sister got married, life's good and I've never been more at peace with myself...
[but then, last night i was up really really late (coz I knew there was no work to be done at office, yes, I am officially off the hook till Jan 1st) and chatting/orkutting with few of my friends in India and thinking about what DID I do in 2007? Did I achieve what I wanted? Where am I lacking? It is good to have these introspecting moments right? ]
So, on a first glance, it is fairly easy to conclude that 2007 was a much better year than 2006...
But then, do we always have to compare present year v/s. previous year and hope that next year will be better...naah -> I dont think so....by doing this, I believe i will always end up in this never ending quest for improving myself....Yes, comparison is good but comparison is not the end all, be all. It is just one of the many drivers that make each day special...
So, 2007 was definitely a very "constructive" year for me....naah, not about the material aspects of life.,..about the equally important (which for some reason, I am too shy to admit) spiritual and relationship aspect of life...
and i call it a very "constructive" year for me coz I definitely performed below par on this (i use singular coz i believe that both these aspects are so intertwined that it is hard to draw a hard line between them) aspect and most importantly, I very well knew all the time that I was screwing up...(will be honest, didnt just get the "time" to fix it...the cynical u might think that it was not on my priority list and guess what, maybe you r right)
The spiritual/relationship perspective: it is very hard to define this aspect...for me, it is about Anil Kuruganti as a "package"...
What is this "package" -> a combination of Anil Kuruganti -
1) as an individual - my thought processes, my actions and my mannerisms
2) as an only son to my parents who have 4 absolutely wonderful children and have supported us at the every juncture/decision,
3) as a brother for three absolutely loving sisters who I must admit have pampered me beyond belief, given in to my whims, and respected my independence/thought process at every point ,
4) as a friend,
5) as a contributor to society
what has this "package" done so far this year...how has he positively influenced someone/been influenced by someone else...I don't have answers to these questions but I do know that I could have done much better....maybe, my reluctance to change status quo clashes with the "forward looking" me ..i mean why would one go out of his/her way to fix something that, on the face of it, seems to be working absolutely fine...(remember, "don't try to fix anythign that is working")...On the other hand, the "forward looking" me says that it is only when I explore the so far unknown paths will I realize what is good for me and what could be better...
So, in brief, i will summarize the 357 days of my life this year:
The highs: my sister got married, family get together after a really really long time, my promotion, my extreme success in keeping in touch with my close friends, my ability to not get addicted to the high flying happening night life in the city without seeing a reason to be drawn to it, yes i've gone clubbing many weekends this year but there are 52 weekends in a year and i have probably spent 10% of those weekends in a club...(i am not against it, just that there hasn't been a strong enough motive to do so. I mean - it is good to go clubbing once a while but not everyweekend right? Is life all about clubbing?) clubbing is just a means to achieve an end - Happiness...and there are other means to achieve that end too...I would've done it if someone i love liked it and I need a reason to hang out with them...
The lows: that i could spend only 3 weeks with my parents this year (and that means I've spent 3 weeks with them in past three and half years!!!!) and for the first time in my life when i was leaving hydee for U.S. after my sister's marriage - i acutally felt like getting out of the airport and moving back and staying with my parents...thank god, I didn't...it was just one of those moments...a strong and a proud moment...a strong moment - coz my parents always have always wanted the four of us to be independent, to live life on our own terms and be happy...a proud moment coz I realized that in as much as i value independence (till i settle down of course), and i like taking decisions on my own, I realized that I have strong pillars of support around myself that I can always fall back upon (and this has definitely given me the extra cushion to take on more risks/enjoy much more than I should have)...
Another low point of my life was one of my fundamental beliefs that came crashing to ground over the course of the past one year...I've always believed that it is important to be surrounded by people who love me, who like me ....What could be more satisfying than the fact that no matter how big of an ass***e you are to them, they will always love u...but this fundamental belief has come crashing to the ground...As we mature and realize that we are responsible for our deeds/what goes around comes around, our conscience CANNOT digest the fact that we r taking someone for granted...We have absolutely no right to control someone else's life if we do NOT fundamentally like that person...
At the same time, if i like a person, I have decided that I will go out of my way to tell the person that I like her/him...I will absolutely respect their independence and will do so going forward.... Of late, and i will be absolutely honest here, I've not been very assertive and quick in expressing my opinions on this front..Going forward, I will...
The learnings: Once we achieve a near term goal at work, then we need to take our foot off the gas pedal. else, we will continue to over burn ourselves in our quest to achieve success in our careers. Is career the only thing we were supposed to pursue from day one? Yes, a very important aspect of life, but not the ONLY aspect of life....This said, till I got my promottion, I was grinding my a** of at work, trying ti impress everyone and was really really kicked when i was promoted...But gradually the feeling sinks in and you realize that this is just another milestone at work...Was it really worth slogging sooo much ? Yes and no...yes -> coz it reaffirms my belief that if I want something, I have the desire and the passion to achieve it...No -> coz it makes me wonder that is that "title" and the extra paycheck worth the effort...Who knows -> time may or may not tell.. The whole word does it and at times, I play by the book....However, at times, I am a maverick too....
I have done stuff over the past one month that if some crystal ball had told me in september that "Anil, ur nov/dec looks like this....." and then i wud've laughed it away...If I ever confide in someone who knows me really really well about what I've done in the past 2-3 weeks, then they wudn't believe it and if they did, they wud've asked me to take an appointment with a psychiatrist.. and this is only cuz they wudn't believe that "Anil Kuruganti" wud'v edone something like this....i will never tell them of course and i will never reveal this is my blog, but guess what - I look back upon my past 2-3 weeks and I feel absolutely proud coz i believe i have now changed (for the good ofcourse)...its not hat i did something absolutely perfect -> As a matter of fact, I THINK i screwed up and for the first time in my life, I tried to make ammends for something that I think i scrwed up...U all might be thinking - what the hell is Anil talking about?
Sometimes, we know we screwed up; sometimes, we think we screwed up -> I used the word "think" coz we might have not screwed up from our perspective but we might have screwed up from someone else's perspective...THis I think is the my most important takeaway from 2007..."Anil, just coz u dont believe u screwed up doesnt mean that u have not screwed up...If u've screwed up from a different person's perspective (from a perspective of someone u like/trust/admire/respect), then it is equivalent to u screwing up and u need to apologize!!!!" ... This learning looks pretty simple on paper, but my friend, to put into practise takes a lot of courage, humility and needless to say, patience !!!!
I love life -> its nuances, the curveballs it throws at us -> i wish i live till 125 coz if I've learnt so much ovet the past 27 yrs, i wonder how much more i will learn by the time i cut my cake on sept 16, 2105!!!
anyways, more later... Wish you all a very very happy xmas and new year...
take care,
love
me!!!
p.s. : somehow i have this feeling that i will post in 2008 december...i will keep my fingers crossed and pray that this feeling turns out to be false and i post before 2008 december...
Friday, January 05, 2007
Happy New year
Dear all,
I hope you had a wonderful 2006 (I certainly did!!!). I wish you all a very very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2007. May you achieve all the goals that you have set for yourself in 2007.
Lov
me
p.s.: This is one more random post from me.
I hope you had a wonderful 2006 (I certainly did!!!). I wish you all a very very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2007. May you achieve all the goals that you have set for yourself in 2007.
Lov
me
p.s.: This is one more random post from me.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Of white wine and fantasy football
Dear all,
Just got up early today and felt like blogging. Earlier this week, we had a farewell party for one of our colleagues who is moving to our Houston office. We went to this awesome steakhouse called Wolfgang's (http://wolfgangssteakhouse.com/) on Park Avenue. I would call it awesome coz the ambience was great and serving was exemplary. Now, its a total different thingy altogether that I do not eat Steak :) and I did leave the steakhouse really hungry. That said, the high point of the evening for me was Pinot Grigio (white wine). I never tried it before and I must admit that it is awesome. I'd probably rank it second in my preferred list of wines (Riesling is no.1 for me and I hate Chardonnay). The outing was a welcome break for my mind that has been pre-occupied with lots of stuff (personal and professional). Its about time that I sit down and sort them out . And guess what, here I am blogging instead of sorting the issues out. Well, few of the issues are beyond my control and I cant help but worry about..
Anyway, lets leave all that bull crap aside. Its festive season now and the mood in the air is just awesome. Tourists from all around the world flock to NYC during this season and the resulting chaos-cum-gala is too good.
So, I was chit chatting with this colleague of mine about NFL football. Apparently, he is in a fantasy football league where he has to choose 1 team every week. If the team he picks wins its game that particular week, he moves onto the next round. Now that NFl season is more than half-way through, the competition is getting tougher and my friend is still in!!!(isn't it awesome that each of his picks for the past 14 weeks or so has been bang on target???). There are only about 12 teams left in the play. The entry fee for the fantasy football league was about 200$. Approx. 700 teams participated in the league, making the total cash pool approx. $140,000!!! The organizer takes a 1% cut, so the net prize money is approx. 125,000. 2 weeks ago, my friend was offered $10,000 from one of the other teams to leave the field. Thats how intense this competition is!!! My friend politely declined the offer. My initial reaction was - wtf is wrong with my friend?? Y would heleave 10,000 in the hope of making $125,000. However, now that I think about the offer, I totally understand my friend’s decision (well, I think I do) and if i were in his shoes, I would've declined the offer too. It is not just about the money, it is about the fun and excitement; it is about aiming for the best, about killing the competition (in a healthy way obviously!!!), and most importantly, its about doing what you like to do…I can go on and on about the import of his decision but I will keep it short. Its about life!!!
I do not know why I blogged on this. My line of defense : Blogging is all about, as one of my friends puts it, self-expression!!!
Just got up early today and felt like blogging. Earlier this week, we had a farewell party for one of our colleagues who is moving to our Houston office. We went to this awesome steakhouse called Wolfgang's (http://wolfgangssteakhouse.com/) on Park Avenue. I would call it awesome coz the ambience was great and serving was exemplary. Now, its a total different thingy altogether that I do not eat Steak :) and I did leave the steakhouse really hungry. That said, the high point of the evening for me was Pinot Grigio (white wine). I never tried it before and I must admit that it is awesome. I'd probably rank it second in my preferred list of wines (Riesling is no.1 for me and I hate Chardonnay). The outing was a welcome break for my mind that has been pre-occupied with lots of stuff (personal and professional). Its about time that I sit down and sort them out . And guess what, here I am blogging instead of sorting the issues out. Well, few of the issues are beyond my control and I cant help but worry about..
Anyway, lets leave all that bull crap aside. Its festive season now and the mood in the air is just awesome. Tourists from all around the world flock to NYC during this season and the resulting chaos-cum-gala is too good.
So, I was chit chatting with this colleague of mine about NFL football. Apparently, he is in a fantasy football league where he has to choose 1 team every week. If the team he picks wins its game that particular week, he moves onto the next round. Now that NFl season is more than half-way through, the competition is getting tougher and my friend is still in!!!(isn't it awesome that each of his picks for the past 14 weeks or so has been bang on target???). There are only about 12 teams left in the play. The entry fee for the fantasy football league was about 200$. Approx. 700 teams participated in the league, making the total cash pool approx. $140,000!!! The organizer takes a 1% cut, so the net prize money is approx. 125,000. 2 weeks ago, my friend was offered $10,000 from one of the other teams to leave the field. Thats how intense this competition is!!! My friend politely declined the offer. My initial reaction was - wtf is wrong with my friend?? Y would heleave 10,000 in the hope of making $125,000. However, now that I think about the offer, I totally understand my friend’s decision (well, I think I do) and if i were in his shoes, I would've declined the offer too. It is not just about the money, it is about the fun and excitement; it is about aiming for the best, about killing the competition (in a healthy way obviously!!!), and most importantly, its about doing what you like to do…I can go on and on about the import of his decision but I will keep it short. Its about life!!!
I do not know why I blogged on this. My line of defense : Blogging is all about, as one of my friends puts it, self-expression!!!
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
I am back and so is the essence of my life
Well, its been a really really long time since i've blogged!!! I dont know why but today I somehow felt like reviving my blog...Maybe, the innumerable thoughts that have been supressed for such a long time need a vent...Anyways, my life has changed much since I last posted. I graduated this May and started working for a middle market investment bank this June in NYC..(middle market broadly refers to the group of companies with market cap < $1000 mm and > 100 mm, the upper and lower limits are user-defined!!!) ...Yep, NYC it is...the capital of the world's financial markets and arguably, the capital of the world...There are many things about this city that keeps me going on and on and on...From the never ending stream of tourists on time sq. to the well-lit Met Life building overlooking park avenue. Hold on...U might think that its these trivial things that keep me going!!! No my friend...These trivial things do matter but the number 1 reason why I love the city is the never say die spirt....All you have to do is walk on the streets and you can see people hurrying to achieve their goals...It is not the chaos on the streets but the underlying spirit that encourages me...
At any particular moment, all of us have one thing or the other going on in our mind...Some of these thoughts are about our long term plans or our daily mundane tasks... Striving to achieve our long term goals while living in the present is probably the "essence of life" ...
Today, while walking to work, I realized that my quest to achieve significant success in my career has only increased with time (As a matter of fact, my quest for success has reached dangerously obsessive proportions!!!)...Obviously, you would be thinking that its only natural for the hunger for success to increase with time...and this is where my reference to "essence of life" comes into the picture.
Ever since I started working for my investment bank, my life has taken a u-turn...Barring a few light weeks here and there, its been work and work and work (averaging atleast 85 hrs/week)...I have not lost sight of my long term goal but I have totally neglected the second half of the "essence of life" -> living in the present and enjoying it to the fullest...My life has basically revolved around work, friends and relatives...I have not "lived in the present" for a long time...by "living in the present", I am referring to a daily (or atleast weekly) activity that I look forward to...It is in this self-introspecting mode that I have decided to join a salsa class....Not that I am passionate about dancing nor am I innately good at it(as a matter of fact, I will make the Deols proud of their dancing skills). Its a 1hr class for 3 days in a week...I chose a location close to work. I have no idea how good/bad the instructor is! All I know is that I can take an hour's break from work (thrice in a week) in the evenings to attend this...It will keep my mind off work and give me an opportunity to do what I LOVE doing-> meeting new people...In the process, if I end up learning a few salsa steps, its a big bonus!!! The classes start next Wednesday...So, hang on in there till I blog on my salsa experience!!!
At any particular moment, all of us have one thing or the other going on in our mind...Some of these thoughts are about our long term plans or our daily mundane tasks... Striving to achieve our long term goals while living in the present is probably the "essence of life" ...
Today, while walking to work, I realized that my quest to achieve significant success in my career has only increased with time (As a matter of fact, my quest for success has reached dangerously obsessive proportions!!!)...Obviously, you would be thinking that its only natural for the hunger for success to increase with time...and this is where my reference to "essence of life" comes into the picture.
Ever since I started working for my investment bank, my life has taken a u-turn...Barring a few light weeks here and there, its been work and work and work (averaging atleast 85 hrs/week)...I have not lost sight of my long term goal but I have totally neglected the second half of the "essence of life" -> living in the present and enjoying it to the fullest...My life has basically revolved around work, friends and relatives...I have not "lived in the present" for a long time...by "living in the present", I am referring to a daily (or atleast weekly) activity that I look forward to...It is in this self-introspecting mode that I have decided to join a salsa class....Not that I am passionate about dancing nor am I innately good at it(as a matter of fact, I will make the Deols proud of their dancing skills). Its a 1hr class for 3 days in a week...I chose a location close to work. I have no idea how good/bad the instructor is! All I know is that I can take an hour's break from work (thrice in a week) in the evenings to attend this...It will keep my mind off work and give me an opportunity to do what I LOVE doing-> meeting new people...In the process, if I end up learning a few salsa steps, its a big bonus!!! The classes start next Wednesday...So, hang on in there till I blog on my salsa experience!!!
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
night blues
Dear all ( the lucky few who manage to read this post),
Well, life has been kind of hectic over the spring semster ..but now thta spring is over and summer is here, life should have been better (read warmer !!) but no!! i am IN salt lake city..home to one of the best snowboarding resorts in the world..true to the tradition of SLC (Abbrev for salt lake city), it snowed and rained today morning...Well today is june 8th 2005!!!!!!!. I am sure i can count on fingers the number of places in northern hemisphere where it snows in June.
Maybe I am overreacting but I cannot help it. While moving to this new apt in May, i left all my winter clothing and raincoats in storage in my old apt (i plan to move back to the old apt. in fall)...To add to my frustration, it only rains when i am abolut to leave for work. Once i am totally drenched and have settled in my office, it is bright and sunny outside. Its happened for 3 working days in a row !!! Someone, justs wants to see me wet; ))
Okie enough of the stupid pj's, news on my side is that i am interning as an investment banking analyst. This is somethign i really wanted to try out. As in, its not like i dont enjoy s/w or consultancy, but sometime we need to experiment to try out interesting options...and what better way to do it than during an internship between your mba..
so far so good, i am thoroughly enjoying it. its a boutique IB in SLC and I learn a lot.
Its around 1.30 am local time nd if ur wondering y i am still wake instead of crashing, the answer is simple. I crashed on my bed at 8pm and got up at 1am..gee gosh, i am sure most of u realize this. Once ur sleeping schedule is screwed, it takes atleast anotehr 2 days to get it back on track...
One of my dear friends from college, anshu is in US. For those who dont know him, he is a big fat round pig whose waist size is only 42" and weighs only 120 kilos..but u know, he is hooked and i am still single. Not that I am tom-cruise lookalike but still...it took me eons to digest this fact and now last night when i called him up to wish him happy birthday, he cooly tells me that he is getting married..
gee gosh,... wish like calling up my mom and dad and telling them to start looking. i am a firm believer in the institution called arranged marriage. Not that i appreciate it but for the simple reason thta if arranged marriage do not exist, then i shall remain single for the rest of my freaking life..
but neways, anshu is a genuinely sweet guy and i am happy for him.. well, thingy is that maybe i desperately need a girl friend...i mean i am sitting up at 1.30 am penning this blog instead of coochycooing over the phone with my girlfriend...but all said and done, i think my heart cannot take it anymore...it has had its due of crushes and it just refuses to add any more to its list....for the uninitiated, my list is loooong....
well, for a change i havent seen jain's face in the past 24 hrs. Jain is a really good friend of mine. I keep on iritating the shit out of him but he enjoys it...
the series 7 book is sitting right next to me on my bed. I want to start studyign but somehow the enthusiasm is missing. maybe i should just crash again and start studying
from tomorrow.
to continue with my last post, i think my connection with my old friends has turned from bad to worse. something like eating indian food at home to having a cheap buffet at some indian restaurant in downtown...which reminds me that i have to buy grocery tomorrow. the indian restaurants in downtown are cheap but in case you are blind and the different curries have no vegetables (or meat), there is absolutely no way that u can differentiate a "paneer tikka masala" from "palak paneer"...
which makes me believe that i can do a better job at cooking than those "cooks" in indina restaurants. Now its a totally different thingy altogether that inspite of my best efforts, i have never justified my beliefs...
Well, i didnt intend to stop here but i am feeling tired.. i need to sleep...
more tomorrow or whenever i am in the mood...
Anil
Well, life has been kind of hectic over the spring semster ..but now thta spring is over and summer is here, life should have been better (read warmer !!) but no!! i am IN salt lake city..home to one of the best snowboarding resorts in the world..true to the tradition of SLC (Abbrev for salt lake city), it snowed and rained today morning...Well today is june 8th 2005!!!!!!!. I am sure i can count on fingers the number of places in northern hemisphere where it snows in June.
Maybe I am overreacting but I cannot help it. While moving to this new apt in May, i left all my winter clothing and raincoats in storage in my old apt (i plan to move back to the old apt. in fall)...To add to my frustration, it only rains when i am abolut to leave for work. Once i am totally drenched and have settled in my office, it is bright and sunny outside. Its happened for 3 working days in a row !!! Someone, justs wants to see me wet; ))
Okie enough of the stupid pj's, news on my side is that i am interning as an investment banking analyst. This is somethign i really wanted to try out. As in, its not like i dont enjoy s/w or consultancy, but sometime we need to experiment to try out interesting options...and what better way to do it than during an internship between your mba..
so far so good, i am thoroughly enjoying it. its a boutique IB in SLC and I learn a lot.
Its around 1.30 am local time nd if ur wondering y i am still wake instead of crashing, the answer is simple. I crashed on my bed at 8pm and got up at 1am..gee gosh, i am sure most of u realize this. Once ur sleeping schedule is screwed, it takes atleast anotehr 2 days to get it back on track...
One of my dear friends from college, anshu is in US. For those who dont know him, he is a big fat round pig whose waist size is only 42" and weighs only 120 kilos..but u know, he is hooked and i am still single. Not that I am tom-cruise lookalike but still...it took me eons to digest this fact and now last night when i called him up to wish him happy birthday, he cooly tells me that he is getting married..
gee gosh,... wish like calling up my mom and dad and telling them to start looking. i am a firm believer in the institution called arranged marriage. Not that i appreciate it but for the simple reason thta if arranged marriage do not exist, then i shall remain single for the rest of my freaking life..
but neways, anshu is a genuinely sweet guy and i am happy for him.. well, thingy is that maybe i desperately need a girl friend...i mean i am sitting up at 1.30 am penning this blog instead of coochycooing over the phone with my girlfriend...but all said and done, i think my heart cannot take it anymore...it has had its due of crushes and it just refuses to add any more to its list....for the uninitiated, my list is loooong....
well, for a change i havent seen jain's face in the past 24 hrs. Jain is a really good friend of mine. I keep on iritating the shit out of him but he enjoys it...
the series 7 book is sitting right next to me on my bed. I want to start studyign but somehow the enthusiasm is missing. maybe i should just crash again and start studying
from tomorrow.
to continue with my last post, i think my connection with my old friends has turned from bad to worse. something like eating indian food at home to having a cheap buffet at some indian restaurant in downtown...which reminds me that i have to buy grocery tomorrow. the indian restaurants in downtown are cheap but in case you are blind and the different curries have no vegetables (or meat), there is absolutely no way that u can differentiate a "paneer tikka masala" from "palak paneer"...
which makes me believe that i can do a better job at cooking than those "cooks" in indina restaurants. Now its a totally different thingy altogether that inspite of my best efforts, i have never justified my beliefs...
Well, i didnt intend to stop here but i am feeling tired.. i need to sleep...
more tomorrow or whenever i am in the mood...
Anil
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
golden years : 1998-2002
Hmm...now that i look back upon my life in the little "free" time that I have got, i realise that the 4 yrs that I spent in rec trichy were perhaps the best years of my life (till date)...
No tension about funding (mom and dad always have teh funds)...JOB: no tension..no matter how bad ur gpa, if ur in rec trichy (or any of the top engg. colleges for that matte),,u will surely land a job...
the friends i have made at college have shaped teh way i look at life (and perhaps i have shaped teh way they look at life)...its bound to happen..for 4 full years, u dine, study , party and chat with the same set of friends...
I am convinced that hostel life is a must to turn a boy into a man...Contrary to what mummy and daddy say that std. 11th and 12th are the most important in your life, I believe that the 3/4 yrs one spends in hostel for an undergrad degree r the formative years. Life begins at 18..period...there is no second doubt about it..learnign to wash ur own clothes (or giving it to cheapest dhobi), managing ur expenses (somethign I havent yet been able to perfect !!), falling in love every sem and then realisign the next sem. that its just a temporary infatuation.....
gettign ragged and ragging the juniors,
Most importantly, college life has taught me (and I am hoping its likewise for all of u) to hope for the best. To beat the adversity simply by hoping that there is something positive in store for u..Also, college life has taught me the true meaning of friendship..I am sure that no matter where we are, where we will be heading, we still care about our friends. In the process of rushing to meet our material gains, we rarely stay in touch with our friends..the very friends without whom we wouldnt go and have dinner, and then tea at gate..the very friends without whome we wud have difficulty passing the subjects...
Now that i have had free time , i look back on what i have done for the past 2 yrs... maybe i did achieve significant things in my career but on the personal side , i havent made a very conscious effort to keep in tuch with my friends..yes i do mail them once in a while...read their mails on the group ...but thats all....
I am not saying that things will change in the near future.i am pretty sure that the level of communication at best will remain same if not worsten..
But to all my friends (every1 ,highschool, college, tcs,utah) this is my message..
I mite not mail u people regularly, mite not be so expressive about my care for u guys,.,.but over a period of time (say a month or so) i do think of every1 of u coz all of u, in one way or the other, have influenced my thought process, my actions, my mannerisms...
gee gosh,,,i am getting senDi again...i will stop here for the moment..and return to my ongoing efforts to achieve material gains ...
No tension about funding (mom and dad always have teh funds)...JOB: no tension..no matter how bad ur gpa, if ur in rec trichy (or any of the top engg. colleges for that matte),,u will surely land a job...
the friends i have made at college have shaped teh way i look at life (and perhaps i have shaped teh way they look at life)...its bound to happen..for 4 full years, u dine, study , party and chat with the same set of friends...
I am convinced that hostel life is a must to turn a boy into a man...Contrary to what mummy and daddy say that std. 11th and 12th are the most important in your life, I believe that the 3/4 yrs one spends in hostel for an undergrad degree r the formative years. Life begins at 18..period...there is no second doubt about it..learnign to wash ur own clothes (or giving it to cheapest dhobi), managing ur expenses (somethign I havent yet been able to perfect !!), falling in love every sem and then realisign the next sem. that its just a temporary infatuation.....
gettign ragged and ragging the juniors,
Most importantly, college life has taught me (and I am hoping its likewise for all of u) to hope for the best. To beat the adversity simply by hoping that there is something positive in store for u..Also, college life has taught me the true meaning of friendship..I am sure that no matter where we are, where we will be heading, we still care about our friends. In the process of rushing to meet our material gains, we rarely stay in touch with our friends..the very friends without whom we wouldnt go and have dinner, and then tea at gate..the very friends without whome we wud have difficulty passing the subjects...
Now that i have had free time , i look back on what i have done for the past 2 yrs... maybe i did achieve significant things in my career but on the personal side , i havent made a very conscious effort to keep in tuch with my friends..yes i do mail them once in a while...read their mails on the group ...but thats all....
I am not saying that things will change in the near future.i am pretty sure that the level of communication at best will remain same if not worsten..
But to all my friends (every1 ,highschool, college, tcs,utah) this is my message..
I mite not mail u people regularly, mite not be so expressive about my care for u guys,.,.but over a period of time (say a month or so) i do think of every1 of u coz all of u, in one way or the other, have influenced my thought process, my actions, my mannerisms...
gee gosh,,,i am getting senDi again...i will stop here for the moment..and return to my ongoing efforts to achieve material gains ...
First Post
Dear all,
I welcome myelf to the world of blogs...I was always fascinated by blogs but somehow cud never get the time to write my own blog... oh by the way, i am doing my MBA right now..so i guess few of u wud understand the time pressure especially towards the end of the sem..
Well right now, I am enjoying my sem. break with my sisters in NJ..I am out of Salt Lake city for the next 2 weeks...
NJ...well, mini-india to be precise. the other day, we went to this venkateswara swamy temple nearby..i am sure there were more indians in the temple and cafeteria than in the whole salt lake city....
I was born and brought up in calcutta and then did my undergrad from rec trichy..worked at TCS for the past 2 yrs and here I am wasting away 2 yrs of my precious life doing an MBA !!! (is it really worth doign an MBA?)....
Well, too tired to write any more...maybe sometime late in the nite..
take care
mua
I welcome myelf to the world of blogs...I was always fascinated by blogs but somehow cud never get the time to write my own blog... oh by the way, i am doing my MBA right now..so i guess few of u wud understand the time pressure especially towards the end of the sem..
Well right now, I am enjoying my sem. break with my sisters in NJ..I am out of Salt Lake city for the next 2 weeks...
NJ...well, mini-india to be precise. the other day, we went to this venkateswara swamy temple nearby..i am sure there were more indians in the temple and cafeteria than in the whole salt lake city....
I was born and brought up in calcutta and then did my undergrad from rec trichy..worked at TCS for the past 2 yrs and here I am wasting away 2 yrs of my precious life doing an MBA !!! (is it really worth doign an MBA?)....
Well, too tired to write any more...maybe sometime late in the nite..
take care
mua
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