Rationality, Religion and India

This is actually a comment written on E=mc^2 as response to the author's "Rejection of Rationality" Series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5). Since I took such a long time writting the stuff, I thought I might as well include it on my blog.

It is really sad that majority of our population has been blind to rationality from many centuries. But yes, we do have our Vedas that are said to be based on scientific observations (I haven’t read them myself, but many intellectuals have who say they are indeed scientific - and I have taken their word; including Carl Sagan, who in his Cosmos has beautifully summed up the astronomical history of mankind and includes ancient Indian scriptures as evidences along with many other civilization's texts – I mention Carl Sagan’s opinion as worthy not because he is from the "west" but because he was a noted scientist famous for his science books).

I think the issue is, where and how in history was this kind of thinking or the Vedic legacy lost?

One reason could be its inapproachability to common man due to the complicated language (Sanskrit was spoken and read by only some elite few) and complexity of thought. Some of the elite few would have tried to preach and spread the message but knowingly or unknowingly misinterpreted/skewed facts vs. opinions during the process. Some could have deliberately attached religious tags with practices to make masses understand and follow the point. The rulers could have observed that people are generally God-fearing and would do what is told whole heartedly if everything is associated with religion and God – and it got filtered down generations in a completely twisted form – in the form of rites and rituals. Starting of Sati/Johar could have been the act of one fanatic maniac female absolutely in blind love with her man and found suicide a better idea than widowhood; and then was martyrized so much that it became a ritual. This was an unfavorable hypothetical analysis – a favorable one could be about vegetarianism, where some intellectuals found its advantages and coupled it with religion to make it a generally acceptable practice. Just a thought – and I am not at all suggesting that this is what actually happened or the “west” is spiritually imitating or following us. But there is no denying that our ancient culture did have traces of science and rationality.

Today the agenda/manifesto of our political parties also includes religion and related stuff. Our leaders want us to remain blind about facts and glamorize religion. This could have begun centuries ago and since we did not embrace the "Age of Enlightenment", we have remained ignorant on the whole.

My point is - it is not about "west" or "east" or their religion or our religion or their science or our science. Yes, there are cultural differences which are bound to come and have evolved as huge rifts because of different geographies, climates and historical circumstances.

Masses everywhere are the same. Its not that people of the "west" are not superstitious - the number 13 is a prime example – there is no 13th floor in some hotels in the "west" – where is their rationality now? Isn’t the floor numbered 14th actually 13th then? Or is this their shedding of "excess rationality"? Its not that they don’t use phrases like "Fingers crossed" or "Touch wood" or "Thank God" or words like jinx, voodoo, taboo – they do, sometimes more than we do. Superstition in itself is irrational, not that ‘we’ or ‘they’ are ‘more’ or ‘less’ irrational. It has to be got rid of. Everywhere. In our country specially because it’s our country and we want it to improve.

Rulers and the way of they rule is different. It’s a shame that ours are still using religion and "ritualistic Hinduism" is being promoted. I think the "west" learnt this the hard way during holocaust and American civil war (racism should also not be the basis of any rule). And have moved on to other ways of uniting people and making them pay taxes, like promoting and advertising science (NASA and its missions); their role as international policemen, etc. It’s high time we learnt it too.

A Software Engineer’s Worst Nightmare

Forgetting passwords.

One fine sunny day I wake up in the morning at 8 as usual, hurry and scurry to reach office by 10, switch on my computer and it dutifully prompts to enter the bios password. I realize I can't remember it. Thanks to the infinite wisdom of the network department in keeping the bios passwords same for everyone, I ask my neighbor and move on till being stuck at my machine password. Under normal circumstances I keep it pasted on my desk, but today the chit is not there. Looks like the company’s clear desk policy has been extended to cover unnecessary (!) post-it stamps as well. Sigh. All in the game. So I contact the network guy and unlock my pc and try to get settled just like every other day – but today is just not another every other day – I open my lotus notes, and can't remember that password as well. Then I try and remember the name of the text file where I usually store my passwords, but I can’t recall it either. Logic tells me it has to be passwords.txt – so I search for the file and any other possible password file names that my follow-the-sheep-kind-of-mind can make up and think of, but all to no avail. Left with no other option, I again contact the network guy and reset my LN password. Next I can’t login to sametime connect also and again NG comes to my rescue (btw, he is highly frustrated with me by now).

And now I kind of get the picture, my worst fear has come true and I am not going to recall a single password today. Today all passwords have resolved to demonstrate their importance and conspired to vanish off my virtual/physical/temporary/permanent memory. I can even listen to them hissing this is just the beginning baby. Ha. Ha. Ha.

So.....that’s that. My gmail password is gone. I can’t login to gtalk. I can’t write blogs. I can’t view my pay slip. I can’t get my bills reimbursed. I can’t transfer funds. I can’t buy anything online. I can’t trade in shares. I can’t book tickets. I can’t read music reviews from my favorite site. I can't access my company website – means I can't do another universe of things like checking my work hours, leave balances, trainings, filling timesheets, etc etc. No orkut. No facebook. No shelfari. No twitter. No life. My day is as screwed as screwed can get. Lord save me and give me the strength and perseverance to reset all passwords.

This goes to all my passwords, I am sorry if I didn’t give you your much deserved attention and care, but now I have realized how important you all are. I will even count you in the basic necessities of life – air, water, food, shelter, clothes, ipod, laptop, books, television, internet, cellphone, PASSWORDS. I humbly request you not to repeat this tomorrow or day after or next year or ever again. Or least have mercy and go one at a time. Puh-leeeeeee-sss. Deal???

Poem : पर्वत से बातचीत

This is my only attempt in life for poem writing. (Read it to discover why I did not try any further :) ). I wrote it in my 8th standard as part of an assignment for a poem called नदी से बातचीत (yeah....you got it right, nothing original about the idea)

कल सांझ को जब मैंने अटल अचल पर्वत को देखा,
तब यूँ ही मैंने उससे पुछा,
"मित्र, तुम तो बड़े भाग्यवान हो,
यूँ अटल हो रह में खड़े हो,
इस धरा का गौरव हो,
हम मानवों को भी सफलता की कून्ज्जी बता दो,
हमारे जीवन को फूलों से भर दो"
यह सुनकर अपनी दृढ़ वाणी में,वह सरोष कहने लगा,
"हे बंधू! क्यूँ तुम इस तरह के प्रश्न पूछते हो?
यूँ ही मुझसे होड़ बांधते हो
यदि तुम्हे तुम्हारा उत्तर चाहिए,
तो एक कड़वी सच्चाई को तुम्हे निगलना होगा
फ़िर भी सुनो,ज़रा अपने अंतर्मन से पूछो,
क्या तुमने स्वयं को कृत्रिम दीवारों में कैद कर नही रखा?
तुम प्रकृति के आशीष को लेने से कतराते हो,
आंधी तूफानों को झेलने से घबराते हो
यदि आज मुझे देखकर तुम्हारा मन लालायित हुआ है,
तो कृत्रिम दीवारे तोड़ो,
धरती को अपना घर समझो, अम्बर को छत मानो
दृढ़ निश्चय करके मैदान में डटे रहो
जीना है तो स्वयं के लिए नही,दूसरो के लिए जीयो
मित्र! सफलता की रह तो है कांटो की, इसमे फूल तुम न ढूंढो
कांटो को सहो, पत्थरो को झेलो,
कभी न रुको, कभी न झुको, बस चलते चले जाओ
यदि सचमुच तुम्हे महान बनना है,तो दूसरो को क्षुद्र न समझो
यह सब करने पर ही तुम्हे सफलता मिलेगी,
और इस तरह के प्रश्न पूछने की ज़रूरत न पड़ेगी|"

Don Quixote - Book Review

It works! My latest resolution is now fulfilled! Thanks to this blog of mine and my quixotic belief that I have got readers to whom I am answerable. Needless to say, it means I have finally finished reading Don Quixote. The quest had begun somewhere in the beginning of the year, and ends in futility now. Okay, now enough about me; this post is supposed to be a book review.

Very frankly, I am yet to figure out what is so great about this book. Right, it’s been written in the 16th century and is one of its kinds and all. It’s about a dreamer called Don Quixote who reads volumes of books about knighthood and fairy-tale endings and foolishly begins to believe in them. He adorns himself with armor, takes his skinny horse, and an assistant (or squire) and sets out in search of adventures. His first one happens to be a combat with windmills – which he supposes to be cruel giants – he even convinces his squire that those are indeed monsters masquerading as windmills, and ends up getting badly bruised. Obviously. Many such misadventures follow culminating in the breaking of many bones and teeth and subsequently his squire christens him as Knight of the Ill Favored Face.

Like all the heroes he has read about, Quixote feels he should also acquire a lady for whom he would pine (unnecessarily) and (attempt to) write sonnets. He idolizes a village girl as his damsel, names her the Lady Dulcinea and seeks greater adventures – like assuming an inn to be a castle (an ‘enchanted’ castle to top that), lamenting like a madman in the forest for his lost love (which is never acquired at the first place), fighting with bottles of wine in a slumber dreaming of enemies, assuming a herd of sheep to be opposing armies approaching in a battlefield (and is in dilemma on whose side he should be), and so on. His aim is to accomplish as many adventures as he has read of or even more, so that he would then be able to win his lady. Interesting thought.

But we have heard so much about Don Quixote at the windmills and it is so extensively referred to in various art and literary forms that actually reading the book (or rather, its translation – the actual book is written in Spanish by Cervantes) does not enrich you much. It also does not really entertain (unless 16th century Spain interests you) with its lords and ladies and inns and castles. There are many tales within tales about all the people who are gathered in the inn (the enchanted castle) – and many dramas unfold about the supporting characters. If you have read Shakespearean dramas, these again would not interest you. One character actually reads out a totally unrelated story from a book of knighthood in his curiosity to discover what has veered Don Quixote from the reality so very much. Imagine. Another issue is that I read an old translation which was very difficult to read with its wherewithals and thereofs and thous and other artistic (aka artificial) words.

No more old times classics for me please. That is, till I can resist the temptation (to add another feather in my cap) or till sify delivers my order for Treasure Island.

Hard Working or Smart Working

This posting is the result of my presently ongoing utter lack of ideas and phlegmatic lethargy of what to write. Please dont read, its an article for my company magazine and is really boring.

The combination. What’s the point in always toiling hard day and night to rediscover things when you could have spent a little time to look for better available solutions and reused them? And what’s the point in always trying to work smart and evade the real implementation of the fertile resource you have been gifted with - called brains - and getting no self satisfaction at all? What the point actually is - like all things in life, there is a trade off here as well, and one needs to strike the right balance between hard and smart working – because ultimately we are working to live a certain standard of life we have chosen for ourselves, and to derive a sense of achievement and contentment from our work.

Let us consider Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to comprehend this further. According to this theory, human needs can be arranged in a pyramid as shown in the picture below.

The first four layers of the pyramid represent basic human needs and are called "deficiency needs" - an individual does not feel anything if they are met, but feels anxious if they are not. Needs beyond these four are "growth needs" - when fulfilled, they do not go away; rather, they motivate further. As and when a person keeps fulfilling the deficiency needs, starting with the physiological needs like food and shelter, (s)he keeps progressing to the upper tiers, ultimate goal being transcendence, at which people become aware of not only their own fullest potential, but the fullest potential of human beings at large.

The theory when applied to work indicates that smart working can help us achieve the deficiency needs speedily (to satisfy our anxiety). However, if one keeps working smart without putting much sweat and toil, his/her personal-professional growth would remain limited to the lower tiers. As far as the upper tiers of the growth needs are concerned, hard working is the only option (to understand and appreciate our true potential and caliber).

Hence, it is clearly evident that the optimal mix of these two working techniques can surely lead us to achieve success, and also help understand the meaning and significance of life. In media mogul Ted Tuner’s words, "Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise."

My Latest Resolution

Before I write what my latest resolution is, I think there is a need to shed some light on why to make resolutions (and publicize them).

Its just that some things are so so undoable that no matter what amount of motivation you dig up from within, you cannot do them (that must be the case with everybody – or you are just not human). But the point is, you desperately want to improve and do that very thing and you come to loath yourself for avoiding it and for continuously finding excuses to keep away from it – things like not wasting food or oiling your hair or controlling your anger and so on. That’s when resolutions come to your rescue – of course you can forget about them – that’s when your blog can help you out. And again you can conveniently shut your eyes to the blog entry as well and sleep soundly, but this is one thing I am yet to discover. Hope this explains the purpose of this absurd piece of crap I am writing now.

Given my love of books, it seldom happens that I have to force myself into reading something – but when it does happen I normally buy the book – that’s reason enough to make me read it. Not that I am an overly stingy scroogy person – but I do have a value for money – if you are spending your hard-earned-meticulously-saved (!!! – that’s an average software engineer’s expression on the statement) funds somewhere – you gotta make good use of it. But this time nothing’s working. So this is my last refuge. Now one might ask what’s so important in a book that you want to force yourself to read it. Well, it’s a classic, and it’s a must read, and when you have decided it’s a must read, it’s a must read – ANY WHICH WAY – if you can’t, you are a coward, and an escapist.

Enough digress. Here goes the resolution –

I hereby solemnly swear to God and all that is holy, by my life and the love of it, that I shall read DON QUIXOTE and will not touch any other book before it is finished. (er…wait a minute God….before you jot it down in your goodness book, a little clarification here – just in case you consider it a sin – by touch I mean touch literally, online books are exempt from this self imposed conjecture).

And I promise the next book review I am gonna write would be of Don Quixote.

The Pianist - Book Review

Now thats survival. Jako rakhe saayian mar sake na koi. Read it to believe it.

The Pianist is a memoir by Wladyslaw Szpilman - a Jew musician belonging to Poland - spanning three years, 1942-45. Its a true survival story of a man who lost his everything to German anti-Semitism and World War II, very modestly written intriguing tale of what the people really went through in all those years. i would have discarded it as an exaggerated tell-tale had it been fiction - or even if the events werent confirmed by a German officer's (Wilm Hosenfeld - whose compassion saved Szpilman's life) contemporaneous diary entries.

In these three years of his extraordinary life, Szpilman contemplated suicide, changed hiding places, escaped German soldiers narrowly, starved and froze - all this and more, countless number of times - in other words, scraped death every now and then. He lost all his loved ones - his only worldly possessions that remained were a fountain pen and a watch. How he lived through this ordeal and kept himself sound and sane is a typical example of the amazing human survival instinct.

Mark Twain has rightly said, "Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities, truth isnt". No wonder the 2002 Hollywood film based on this book grabbed three Oscars - actor Adrien Brody, director Roman Polanski and screenplay writer Ronald Harwood. The film has recieved many other international awards as well.

City buses in Indore

Got a chance to ride in the city bus last week (at long last - they had started operating in 2005 or 6). What an experience! i never knew an international standard service was being run right here in my own city. From outside the buses looked pretty cool, but it never crossed my mind that the service could be any cooler. The condition of the bus was impeccable - good comfortable seats, enough space to stand (and breathe), even the windows were intact (now thats a real luxury). It halted for just a few seconds on each bus stop (which was fixed and not random!) and didnt wait for more passengers to come. Wow.

i was standing in the bus marvelling the seating arrangement inside and the efficiency of the driver when the conductor came to hand me my ticket...i nearly had a stroke..he had a fully computerized hi-tech ticket system with him and gave me a printed ticket!! i vow to check out the bus system in US the next time i visit...i am sure it wouldnt be better than this. They even have their website detailing the buses' route, fares, schedules and other information. What more, they have stamped their presence on wikipedia as well.

If only our traffic and road conditions complemented these buses....<sigh>....God knows how they manage to drive the monsters through the small, jam-packed, zig-zag, rule-free (in absence of a traffoc cop) connections of cemented-uncemented paths called roads in this city - its beyond me. Advice-advice: If you are driving a vehicle and see a city bus coming along, its best to get out of their way...not only to keep safe, but also to show respect - they really deserve it!

The Mahalakshmi festival

Its a three day Maharashtrian festival (or ritual would be a better description maybe) - actually its a kind of legacy, as in only a few set of families practice it and it gets inherited down generations.

The first day, statue type structures of deities (representing two married women - sister-in-laws to be precise - and a child) are put up, are adorned with jewellery and the place is decorated. On the second day, special food (fixed menu - consisting of majorly pooran poli and laddus) is prepared. Third and final day, the statues are dismantled.

The best thing about this ritual is that very little pooja-related-stuff is involved, and most of that too is fun. Then we also get to exercise (and sharpen) our creative talents - there is no restriction on the amount or kind of decoration to be done. Also its a time when the entire family gets the chance to get together and enjoy - and not to forget - the food - its awesome.

A Beautiful Mind - Book review and afterthoughts

A beautiful mind is the biography of a genius mathematician and Nobelist John Nash - who was at his mathematical best till thirties, then became paranoid with schizophrenia, was hospitalized, suffered shock treatments, pseudo-recovered (forced rationality on himself), was hospitalized again and again, recovered fully with passage of time, and was awarded the Nobel at the age of 58 for his work on game theory that he had done in his late-twenties - and now continues to work in the field of mathematics. Meanwhile, he also had a child, married (at 29), had another child, divorced, and re-married (with the same woman at the age of 60).

What a life. And what a mind. Really beautiful. All geniuses are somewhat insane, but this one beat insanity with a concious effort - and - without medication. (he gave up all psychotic treatment at 42). He himself, with the power of his will alone, very carefully avoided delirius thoughts from coming to his mind. To exert such a control over one's own brain must have required tremendous strength and will power. Hats off. Hats off for his wife as well. Alicia had such great belief in this man's genius, that even after getting divorced, she remained with him.

So the question that obviously comes to our un-genius-not-so-beautiful-minds is that is it really possible to control mental illness with the mind itself while it itself is sick? i think we are in an infinite loop here - control your own mind with your own mind by programming your own mind to function properly using your own mind - when it is going out of control. Guess i'll now stop writing in case my own mind goes out of its premises...

India and Olympics - why cant we?

Kudos Mr. Abhinav Bindra. You showed the world what can be done when a capable individual sets off determinedly to achieve something. But why cant our country of a billion people excel in sports overall? Here's my analysis -

1) Ours is a poor developing nation, so expecting the government to spend loads of money in sports will be thought of as extravagancy (not that corruption or heavy military expenses are justified) - we dont put much funds even in science, technology, r & d, etc - a trend which is slowly changing though - sports would be the last thing they can allocate national funds to. Imagine what would happen if we had our film industry run by public sector.

2) In our country, from early childhood we are fed science and maths textbooks. We have a saying - "padhoge likhoge banoge nawab, kheloge koodoge banoge kharab". This mentality needs to be changed - actually rooted out. Lets hope our generation achieves it.

3) Like they did to cricket this year, privatization can be done in all kind of sports. India can definitely produce champions in all games. Maybe reality TV shows can help here..anyways music/dance/acting talent hunt shows have reached saturation. Maybe we need a Gajendra Singh for sports as well.

4) India can do it. High time it starts...n then i hear they are including chess from 2016 Olympics..we'll be definitely much better off then :-)

Getting bored on a wednesday afternoon...

Getting bored is the worst kind of humiliation one can offer oneself - of course its not me who has said this..but some other greater personality (ha!).

Coming to think of it, its really the worst mortification that one doesnt have the ability to entertain oneself..but still everyone keeps getting bored everytime. So some write blogs - and when they have nothing to write, then too they just keep writing. Like i have got loads of work to do, but since i dont feel like doing it, so i m writing.....crap!

Some people say work is fun (i'd really like to meet such people). In this respect, one has to agree with Mark Twain - Work consists of whatever a body is OBLIGED to do, and...Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do. That makes me wonder whether players, actors, singers, etc also get bored of their work. Guess they must be more frustrated than bored..thats y so many of them r also blogging :-) and actually using their blogs to gain publicity and fight their frustration off with so-called rivals - its really ironic that they want to avoid media and connect directly to their fans via their blogs, but ultimately its the media that is gaining the most...what AB writes in his blog is the latest page 3 headline, that AK named his dog shahrukh is all over gossip magazines and news channels.

So the point is, blogging is surely a near perfect away to pass time, express or explain yourself and in some cases, gain publicity. That ways, i m dying to read Rakhi Sawant / Mallika Sherawat / Sidhhu / Sajid Khan's blogs. May God give them the wisdom to start blogging soon - what better way to pass time than reading them :-)

The Promise (Short Story)

Its the last day of school. Sanya is sitting in her classroom sharing memories with her friends when suddenly her maths teacher Ms. Beck approaches her with a puzzled look.
"Ms. Thomas left for Delhi a few days back. She gave me this packet before leaving and asked to give it to you on your last day of school. Said she had promised this to you years back.....if you dont mind...whats the story? I mean I know Ms. Thomas is pretty attached to her students, but never before have I seen her do something like this.."

<Sanya's flashback>

Its the last day of primary school. Sanya goes to her headmistress' office to collect her report card. She's got third rank in her class this time - improvement from last year's fifth. Ms. Thomas is pleased with her progress but worried about her future.

<Ms. Thomas' flashback>

Annual day celebration preparations are going on. Sanya is standing in a corner of her classroom watching people silently. The dance teacher is very worried. The lead singer of her dance's playback is sick...who will she substitute with only 5 days to go? Enter Ms. Thomas.

"Ms. Rose, looks like you have'nt got a substitute singer yet...Sanya, come here..what are you doing just standing there? Cant you tell Ms. Rose you can sing? How will she get to know without you telling her for heaven's sake? Here...Ms. Rose, your problem's solved."

2 days later. Ms. Rose is worried again, its one of her dancers this time. This one's a real trouble - she could have managed without a singer...but what would she do without a dancer? She decides to ask Ms. Thomas, if she could help with a singer, she might as well know about a dancer.

"Ms. Thomas, problem again, one of our dancers has backed off. Do you know if anyone can replace her?"

"Well...lets try with your group of singers, they've been watching the practice sessions closely, maybe one of them can pick up the dance steps."

"You are right Ms. Thomas, I think its the best we can do with only 3 days in hand. Lets ask all of them to show whatever steps they've picked up so far."

Each singer from the band tries one by one. As always, Sanya is last one to come forward. And when she does, Ms. Rose is dumbfound. How could Sanya copy all steps without ever actually doing them before?

</Ms. Thomas' flashback>

"Sanya, my child. Here's your report card. So, now you'll be moving to high school...all set?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Sanya, before you go, there is something I need to tell you. Promise me you will try to live up to it."

"Yes ma'am. Promise."

"So, listen carefully. If you know something, you've got to tell it to the world yourself. Nobody is going to discover it by themselves. If you dont speak up for yourself, nobody else would. First you have to show the world what you have got, earn people's respect, their praise and then they will start recognising you. I know you are good, but thats not enough - you yourself should know it first, then show the world what you're worth. Thats called confidence, and thats what you need to build up. Got my point?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. So if you keep up your promise Sanya, there will be gift waiting for you when you leave school to achieve greater heights. And, mind you, you are third this time, you've got to be at the top that day."

</Sanya's flashback>

Sanya is all tears. Ms. Beck gives her the packet. Sanya opens the gift wrap with trembling fingers. And inside is a set of Parker pens.

All Sanya can manage to say is "Ms. Beck, I kept my promise, and Ms. Thomas kept hers."

Is life a flashback?

Sometimes i get this weird thought...one day when i'll be very very old....i'll be sitting in a rocking chair on my terrace garden, thinking nothing (for a change) and then suddenly i'll realize....life has come full circle...today past meets present!! so this was the past....the flashback of my life (or the flashback of the life i dreamt??) - and i wont be myself then - > that is, i wasnt myself all along my life - > that is, i am not myself now - > that is, this is all a dream - > that is, i am actually living my dream (!) - > that is, that day, i'll meet reality - > that is, this is all unreal (maufactured maybe - by the real me) - > so which is really the real me????

(i've already mentioned this blog is gonna be full of crap..if u're still interested....read on)

Like they show in Indian mythological television shows - we've got some god telling his wife.."you are not aware...in such and such incarnation, i was so and so and you had this role to play then, currently i am going down to earth to play another role and you too will come after sometime"....and the wife still doesnt know what exactly is her role going to be this time. She goes to the earth, plays her part, comes back and then this fellow will tell her....."you know what were you in the previous incarnation?"...and again..the poor thing's clueless.

In the same fashion, could it be that we ourselves have made up our roles? But..oh..please...dont let it be that someone else has written my script...i want to be myself yaar...or least what i want myself to be...or is it what i am dreaming...or is it just happening, without any plan/purpose/role/script whatsoever...there i go again...just plain confused....to be or not to be....are you too?

Nothing is absolute

When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity. (an explanation of relativity which Albert Einstein gave to his secretary Helen Dukas to convey to non-scientists and reporters)

Theory of relativity applies everywhere. Not only in the laws of physics, but every damn thing is the world is relative..the grass is greener at the other side; success does not count unless one is more successful than one's neighbor; happiness and sorrow are also measured by comparison...its always about being fastER, highER, strongER - better - better than the best - bester than the bestest - its limitless.

Even morals can be relative. Dr Isaac Asimov once said (and i agree to it) - "Never let your sense of morals stop you from doing what is right" - so if one wants to do what (s)he thinks is right, then relative to the situation ethics change. Honesty is the best policy - but is it? is it always correct to be honest whatever the circumstances be? doesnt dishonesty become the best policy at times? We say the Sun rises from the east - but does it? Isnt it the earth that rotates from west to east? A mother gives birth to a child - but wait - isnt it a child that gives birth to a mother? Theft is immoral - but is it really? even when Robin Hood is the thief?

Perspectives matter. Opinions matter. Situations matter. Justifications matter. Contradictions do not exist - but are there some exceptions here as well??? ;)

Does cross-cultural communication training make better expatriate workforce?

Cross cultural communication training has become a must in today's business environment. The world is fast becoming a global village and to survive in such scenarios requires us to acquire as much knowledge about others as possible. Cross-cultural mistakes can lead to unnecessary hard feelings and may involve huge costs. Moreover, we cannot live in a secluded environment away from other peoples and their practices.

The contact between business people from other countries is becoming more frequent day by day. The more national boundaries a company crosses, the greater the scope for misunderstanding and conflict. To succeed internationally, it is essential to be able to break the barriers of culture and language. The importance of cross cultural communication training becomes more pronounced in the onsite-offshore business model, which is a very common practice not only in our company, but in the entire IT industry today. We have to interact with people from completely different, or rather, diametrically opposite realm of society, almost on daily basis. Their way of expressing themselves formally or in small talks, their gestures, etc may leave us in many an embarrassing situation if we remain ignorant of their background and behavior. People from different countries or even different states have their own idea of sense of humor, of societal norms, of work habits; and being a part of a global team, we need to know, understand and respect them.

Cultural impacts include difference in self, personal and social responsibility, regional politics, religion, manners and etiquette, gift giving protocols and the list goes on. Cross cultural training helps us realize all these diversities which in turn are useful in building our credibility with the clients, and avoiding misunderstandings. One thing that is very much acceptable in one culture may be considered extremely avoidable in the other. Lack of proper training may lead to total chaos if such situations arise. Not only verbal, but physical communication, i.e. body language can be totally different in different cultures. Understanding the exact meanings of such behavior definitely aids in effectively understanding client needs and also in conveying our thoughts to the other party.

So, all in all, in order to understand the norms of designated cultures, build good friendly relationships, communicate effectively with foreign colleagues and to successfully apply cultural protocols in business situations; cross cultural training is a must and indeed helps in making a better expatriate workforce.

Gone with the wind by Margaret Mitchell

This is the story of Scarlett O'Hara - a nihilist lady (lady?) made tough by circumstances. This is the first anti-heroine novel that I have read (that is, the protagonist herself has majorly negative shades in her character). So at the end of this verrry looong but interesting story, when Scarlett does not get her true love, one doesnt feel sorry for her(in fact I felt she deserved it).

The plot is extremely interesting with its setting in the southern part of America during the American Civil War. One gets to know what all the people went through during this time through Mitchell's eyes. However, at some places the author seems to be biased towards white people. The story revolves around Scarlett and the people in her life and how she fights all odds in order to keep her family going during the war. But her motive is completely different. She is doing all this for the sake of a person she thinks she loves...but till the time she discovers true love..its too late!

All the major characters in the book have been sketched out very finely, and the reader is filled with respect for Melanie and love for Rhett. Scarlett's thought process has been described in minute details and many a times one feels ones own mind speaking through her views. All in all Gone with the wind is a complete entertainer which also educates; and compels us to have an insight into ourselves...must read for book lovers!