I successfully returned to US last week from one more annual trip to India.
As usual, I amassed tons of invaluable experiences during this visit.....not only because I took a 'american gori' with me to 'amar kolkata' but also due the airlines I chose to travel with.
To start with, Air India delayed us by 30 hours and made us poorer by 500 dollars even before we could see the sunrays glimmering on wasteland-grass blades around the Kolkata airport. Air India and Indian Airlines made sure that the dollars saved by buying relatively cheap Air India tickets (during prime holiday season) ultimately got spend in purchasing alternate tickets..some kind of poetic justice...ehh.
On our way back Air India and United Airlines goofed up a checked in luggage at the Chicago airport and still there is no trace of it (heard from the mouth of a coughing call center agent based in New Delhi that the black luggage made it to other distant airports in the US during this time).
No more Air India I think in the days to come.
The american gori coupled me garnered more stares from passersby in Kolkata, Delhi and Agra than the number of girls I have stared at during my entire college life. Just think of it. When will our colonial hangover ultimately disappear??? And to top it all, most tourist sites in India make unprecedented discrimination based on skin colors....white people pay $15 and get to wear their shoes with a shoe-cover inside the Taj while brown skinned masses like I have to walk barefoot!! Who says color doesn't matter?
Monday, January 08, 2007
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Bite the Apple
I'm now in Big Apple.
The move from Houston, TX to NY happened very fast over the last few weeks. Obviously the reasons of the move can be summed up in one single quintessential word: professional-->I joined a new company hence a new assignment and hence a new location (the fact of the matter is presently I have 2 offices, the office of my employer and the office of my client)----the true portrait of a H1b holding consultant.
Life here at NY/NJ is much more hectic, chaotic, demanding than what I have experienced in my last few years in USA; the initial weeks went by just to absorb the turnaround and fit into the mould of this randomness.
Hope I will be able to keep this blog more updated now that I'm a bit more settled.
The move from Houston, TX to NY happened very fast over the last few weeks. Obviously the reasons of the move can be summed up in one single quintessential word: professional-->I joined a new company hence a new assignment and hence a new location (the fact of the matter is presently I have 2 offices, the office of my employer and the office of my client)----the true portrait of a H1b holding consultant.
Life here at NY/NJ is much more hectic, chaotic, demanding than what I have experienced in my last few years in USA; the initial weeks went by just to absorb the turnaround and fit into the mould of this randomness.
Hope I will be able to keep this blog more updated now that I'm a bit more settled.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Group 'Smart'
Groupsmart--I believe sooner or later this new phrase is going to be included in the dictionaries available. And believe me its way different from being streetsmart or booksmart. As per research, the average IQ of any professional group doesnt matter much as long there is a smart person in the group with a high IQ. The effectiveness of a group can be foretold if you know the IQ of the smartest person in the room.
Wow. Thats mind boggling. Does that mean having a smart kid amongst a bunch of not-so-smarts will make the entire group perform well??? May be Yes. Apparently, the answer depends on the difference in the degree of 'sharpness' between the smart one and the 'others' in a group or team. Too much of difference in smartness between the team members may actually result in ruining of the team spirit and hence the expected results due to internal rivalries, lack of appreciation and motivation (e.g. smartness not getting recognized).
So smartness in a group is antithesis to social skills in a group. As per the research again, it helps if every one in a group has some degree of social skills rather than one person being the eager-beaver as he/she might not be the smartest person in the group to take over the activities of the team. Makes sense!
Then why do we need a group?? Why cannot a genuis get it done all?? Well because the nature and volume of the work involved to complete any decent project (creating a picket fence or making a military anti-missile system) requires a variety of skillsets and not just a smart brain. However those teams will definitely have more chances to success that has atleast one very smart person. It is the person with the highest IQ who helps the group succeed.
Can we safely conclude thus that though individual brilliance (the substance of writers like Ayn Rand) is not dead, yet it pays to blend in smartness with social skills so that balanced teams can complete projects in less time with less defects??!!
Wow. Thats mind boggling. Does that mean having a smart kid amongst a bunch of not-so-smarts will make the entire group perform well??? May be Yes. Apparently, the answer depends on the difference in the degree of 'sharpness' between the smart one and the 'others' in a group or team. Too much of difference in smartness between the team members may actually result in ruining of the team spirit and hence the expected results due to internal rivalries, lack of appreciation and motivation (e.g. smartness not getting recognized).
So smartness in a group is antithesis to social skills in a group. As per the research again, it helps if every one in a group has some degree of social skills rather than one person being the eager-beaver as he/she might not be the smartest person in the group to take over the activities of the team. Makes sense!
Then why do we need a group?? Why cannot a genuis get it done all?? Well because the nature and volume of the work involved to complete any decent project (creating a picket fence or making a military anti-missile system) requires a variety of skillsets and not just a smart brain. However those teams will definitely have more chances to success that has atleast one very smart person. It is the person with the highest IQ who helps the group succeed.
Can we safely conclude thus that though individual brilliance (the substance of writers like Ayn Rand) is not dead, yet it pays to blend in smartness with social skills so that balanced teams can complete projects in less time with less defects??!!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Questions To Ask Before You Decide
Ask yourself all these before you are ready to pack up and go....
- Are you unhappy with your current job, or are you seriously concerned for your (company's) future?? This is keeping in mind that you have successfully aligned your future with that of the present company.
- Have you hit the 'plateau' in the company and the next 'hill' is faraway? (You have evolved so fast that you need new gene pool for getting mutated or you will be a fossil gene soon)
- Are you looking forward to Monday? Or it makes you sick to be underutilized or go un-noticed??
- Is your current resume attracting more attention from recruiters for more meaningful role and position? ?
- Is the work culture at your company making you feel 'happy' or 'crappy'? ?
- Are you getting what you deserve or you are overpaid?? (In either case, change may be necessary for justifying your poor soul)
- Are you ready to give the old job a chance ? (Give 1 more try)
inspired by an email from my friend Kripal
Monday, September 11, 2006
AMEX sucks
AMEX SUCKS big time.
After 3 years of continuous use of AMEX, I was really amazed at the way they handled a 'change of address and phonenumber' issue; by putting all my credit cards to hold on financial review. Apparently they got ticked of as I was purchasing too many airline tickets including one to go to India....I didn't understand the issue as all the cards was paid up-to-date and the travel was mainly professional.I did what I could do. I paid off the debts and cancelled both the cards....thats my way of saying NO to the nuisance that's AMEX.
After 3 years of continuous use of AMEX, I was really amazed at the way they handled a 'change of address and phonenumber' issue; by putting all my credit cards to hold on financial review. Apparently they got ticked of as I was purchasing too many airline tickets including one to go to India....I didn't understand the issue as all the cards was paid up-to-date and the travel was mainly professional.I did what I could do. I paid off the debts and cancelled both the cards....thats my way of saying NO to the nuisance that's AMEX.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Lets Vote!!
What's better or What's bitter??
Working in a good company under a bad boss or Working in a bad company with a good boss.
This has been a question which I think have plagued all professionals at one point or the other during their tenure at any particular gig.
GE's Jack Welch think its always prudent to work for a good company with a bad boss as the company by virtue of being good will weed out the bad boss....well is it always true in the corporate world??
Waiting for the replies.....
Working in a good company under a bad boss or Working in a bad company with a good boss.
This has been a question which I think have plagued all professionals at one point or the other during their tenure at any particular gig.
GE's Jack Welch think its always prudent to work for a good company with a bad boss as the company by virtue of being good will weed out the bad boss....well is it always true in the corporate world??
Waiting for the replies.....
Sunday, August 20, 2006
The Ethanol Myth
Ethanol is a clean-burning (reduces CO2 emissions), renewable, fuel mix made from fermented agricultural products such as corn.It does not even require alteration of your car engine. And since it is not derived from fossil fuel it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and eventually reduce America's dependence on Middle Eastern gas reserves (hence no warfares) . So ethanol is the choice for tomorrow. However it seems that few important facts are being purposefully missed here in the craze for eaze fuel.
Fact #1 It takes fuel to convert corn to ethanol. An acre of U.S. corn can be processed into about 328 gallons of ethanol. However planting, growing and harvesting so much of corn requires about 140 gallons of fossil fuels and costs $347 per acre (as per Stanford University research) and then there is the energy expense for distallation cycles to make it ready to be mixed with fossil fuel (http://pangea.stanford.edu/ESYS/Energy%20seminars/patzek_ethanol.pdf#search=%22corn%20and%20ethanol%22).
Fact#2 The drive to produce food-based biofuels is anachronistic; even if all US corn and soybeans were used, it would meet only 11 percent of gasoline demand and about 9 percent of diesel demand. So in order to satisfy few million motorists, the grocery bill will go up for all of America. .
Fact#3 Believing that corn is the answer to the great American craving for food and speedier cars and bikes unsurprisingly can spell economic disaster when the food export volumes would go down too. And more and more land would be devoted to corn rather than other crops which eventually might need to be imported resulting in a agricultural trade deficit.
Hope the scientists/industrialists will soon find something so that the choice never boils down to food vs fuel.
Fact #1 It takes fuel to convert corn to ethanol. An acre of U.S. corn can be processed into about 328 gallons of ethanol. However planting, growing and harvesting so much of corn requires about 140 gallons of fossil fuels and costs $347 per acre (as per Stanford University research) and then there is the energy expense for distallation cycles to make it ready to be mixed with fossil fuel (http://pangea.stanford.edu/ESYS/Energy%20seminars/patzek_ethanol.pdf#search=%22corn%20and%20ethanol%22).
Fact#2 The drive to produce food-based biofuels is anachronistic; even if all US corn and soybeans were used, it would meet only 11 percent of gasoline demand and about 9 percent of diesel demand. So in order to satisfy few million motorists, the grocery bill will go up for all of America. .
Fact#3 Believing that corn is the answer to the great American craving for food and speedier cars and bikes unsurprisingly can spell economic disaster when the food export volumes would go down too. And more and more land would be devoted to corn rather than other crops which eventually might need to be imported resulting in a agricultural trade deficit.
Hope the scientists/industrialists will soon find something so that the choice never boils down to food vs fuel.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
New planets beyond the horizon
Q: How many planets are there in our solar system?
Ans: 9
Q: Which is the smallest planet in our solar system?
Ans: Pluto
Both the above answers can get you negative marking in your IQ tests soon; 2500 active member of the IAU (International Astronomical Union) from 75 different countries are meeting at Prague to plausibly update both these time tested answers. They are also supposed to redefine the word 'Planet'.
According to most members, cold ice wrapped Pluto is not a planet because of it miniscule size. However they want Pluto to be a planet just because its known as a planet for so long. And they want to increase the number of planets in the solar system to 12 (including an asteroid called 'Ceres', pluto's moon called 'Charon' and a newly discovered object 2003 UB313, nicknamed Xena). As soon as these amedments will be voted by IAU members, textbooks and charts in thousands of classrooms will go out of date.
Beside this 12, there are at least 12 more solar system objects waiting in the wings to be invited in the planethood; according to new definition a planet is that an object massive enough to create gravity which has transformed it into a sphere and that it circles a star and not some other planet.
The new order listed in order of their proximity to the sun would be Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Charon and the provisionally named 2003 UB313.
Ans: 9
Q: Which is the smallest planet in our solar system?
Ans: Pluto
Both the above answers can get you negative marking in your IQ tests soon; 2500 active member of the IAU (International Astronomical Union) from 75 different countries are meeting at Prague to plausibly update both these time tested answers. They are also supposed to redefine the word 'Planet'.
According to most members, cold ice wrapped Pluto is not a planet because of it miniscule size. However they want Pluto to be a planet just because its known as a planet for so long. And they want to increase the number of planets in the solar system to 12 (including an asteroid called 'Ceres', pluto's moon called 'Charon' and a newly discovered object 2003 UB313, nicknamed Xena). As soon as these amedments will be voted by IAU members, textbooks and charts in thousands of classrooms will go out of date.
Beside this 12, there are at least 12 more solar system objects waiting in the wings to be invited in the planethood; according to new definition a planet is that an object massive enough to create gravity which has transformed it into a sphere and that it circles a star and not some other planet.
The new order listed in order of their proximity to the sun would be Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Charon and the provisionally named 2003 UB313.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Fair or Tanned??
Indian womens' obsession with fair and lovely still continues and so does the attachment of Western (white) women to tanning beds and lotions.
Increasing public criticism over years has definitely fostered change in cultural attitudes towards whitening of skin in India, a country where the fairness industry accounts for 60% of skincare sales, about $140 million a year (2003 estimates). However the Indian matrimonial ads still reflect the 'inner desire' ; the "grooms" and "brides wanted" sections for arranged marriages highlight the country's obsession with appropriate religion, caste, professional qualifications, and more frequently, skin color.On the contrary, if you ask the Indian urban men, more often than all they would still like to go for a Kajol or Halle Berry who definitely are not fair.
This obsession of the Indian women tribe can be very well compared with the desire of the Western women to get tanned. Their quest for the golden brown hue has given rise to uncountable number of indoor tanning solutions. Check out what these tanning beds can do to your skin.
Weather and climate conditions the skin color than anything else but it seems no one is satisified with what has been provided by nature.The attempt to use fairness lotion or a tanning bed, both of which can be harmful to the skin in the long term continues unabated.
Increasing public criticism over years has definitely fostered change in cultural attitudes towards whitening of skin in India, a country where the fairness industry accounts for 60% of skincare sales, about $140 million a year (2003 estimates). However the Indian matrimonial ads still reflect the 'inner desire' ; the "grooms" and "brides wanted" sections for arranged marriages highlight the country's obsession with appropriate religion, caste, professional qualifications, and more frequently, skin color.On the contrary, if you ask the Indian urban men, more often than all they would still like to go for a Kajol or Halle Berry who definitely are not fair.
This obsession of the Indian women tribe can be very well compared with the desire of the Western women to get tanned. Their quest for the golden brown hue has given rise to uncountable number of indoor tanning solutions. Check out what these tanning beds can do to your skin.
Weather and climate conditions the skin color than anything else but it seems no one is satisified with what has been provided by nature.The attempt to use fairness lotion or a tanning bed, both of which can be harmful to the skin in the long term continues unabated.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
ATM,SIM and TV
Its been more than a month now...hence there is a lot to catch up.....office work sucked most of the usable time during this interval with UAT being underway. Also proposals are being worked around new prospective clients in the pipeline (spending toomuch time with sales guys??) and I am actively working on them too.
Other glaring news were the disappearance of my ATM card in to the hungry belly of the Teller machine located in-situ at the office; sudden blanking out of the Cingular SIM card in my cell phone leaving me in utter desperation as I could not make or receive any calls; and watching the World Cup Soccer on my new Toshiba 34" LCD flat screen, wall hanging Television receiver.
The ATM card just disappeared into the teller machines card slot without any warning messages and First National Bank of Fort Smith returned it over normal USPS mail (boos to the security) only after 4 days without any explanation and 2 follow up calls from me. I am seriously considering terminating the account there asap.
The Cingular SIM card suddenly ran out of juice on a Sunday evening. And I had to get the card replaced from the dealer next day early morning (free of cost, thats good service though the blanking out was unexplained)
And the TV just takes up so much of my time now in the evening, that I am planning to put it off hook so that I can concentrate on reading/writing more. Back to basics.
Other glaring news were the disappearance of my ATM card in to the hungry belly of the Teller machine located in-situ at the office; sudden blanking out of the Cingular SIM card in my cell phone leaving me in utter desperation as I could not make or receive any calls; and watching the World Cup Soccer on my new Toshiba 34" LCD flat screen, wall hanging Television receiver.
The ATM card just disappeared into the teller machines card slot without any warning messages and First National Bank of Fort Smith returned it over normal USPS mail (boos to the security) only after 4 days without any explanation and 2 follow up calls from me. I am seriously considering terminating the account there asap.
The Cingular SIM card suddenly ran out of juice on a Sunday evening. And I had to get the card replaced from the dealer next day early morning (free of cost, thats good service though the blanking out was unexplained)
And the TV just takes up so much of my time now in the evening, that I am planning to put it off hook so that I can concentrate on reading/writing more. Back to basics.
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