Thursday, October 19, 2006
For Old Times' Sake
How often do you feel like returning to the places with which you have some fond memories associated? To relive those moments! To sit in the same corner of a restaurant where you used to sit six years back with a cup of coffee and some dreams. To shop from the same place where you shopped years ago! To visit the neighbourhood where you lived, the spot where you alighted from your bus every evening and the eatery you frequented for your dinner and drinks, the salon where you got your hair done, the street where you raced bikes with your mates, the corner where you had that nasty fight with one of your mates only to make up a couple of days later. And the spot where you had a not so nasty fight but never made up !
I did just that this weekend. I am off again tomorrow to the town I grew up in as a child. Nostalgia is a funny feeling.
I did just that this weekend. I am off again tomorrow to the town I grew up in as a child. Nostalgia is a funny feeling.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Where Hearts Can Heal And Souls Can Mend
Came across a very well written blog that I thought deserves mention. Travails of a lady in Iraq.
Time for a quick prayer. Almighty, please spare the innocent from the wars that are brought about by despotic regimes and whimsical leaders. Amen.
http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/
Time for a quick prayer. Almighty, please spare the innocent from the wars that are brought about by despotic regimes and whimsical leaders. Amen.
http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/
Monday, October 09, 2006
Heaven
Today's fortune on Orkut reads:
When winter comes heaven will rain success on you.
Why does heaven have to wait till winter? Seems it is raining success some other place and not my turn yet ! Heaven, my woollens are out of the closet.
When winter comes heaven will rain success on you.
Why does heaven have to wait till winter? Seems it is raining success some other place and not my turn yet ! Heaven, my woollens are out of the closet.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Loss Of Innocence
Today is a day to remember. Not many years ago, on this very day I walked into my first job.
I walked in that job unaware of my own naivete in assuming that I will trade my best efforts for the honest appreciation and equally good efforts of others. Clearly the sign of a workplace virgin. Over the years I gained what they call experience and lost what I feel was innocence.
Worked from five different cities and two continents. I got to work with colleagues of different nationalities speaking many languages and wearing different hats. Colleagues from the Americas, from the Scottish Highlands, from the Jatland around Delhi, from the place in Germany where they brew the best lager arguably, from the banks of the Hoogli, from farms of Hubli and most recently from the city where they say "I swear" in the same tone as "Aiee Shapath !". Had all weird sort of managers for bosses, from Narcissus to Sun Tzu.
Compared to what I gained, I seem to have lost a lot. But am not giving up yet.
I walked in that job unaware of my own naivete in assuming that I will trade my best efforts for the honest appreciation and equally good efforts of others. Clearly the sign of a workplace virgin. Over the years I gained what they call experience and lost what I feel was innocence.
Worked from five different cities and two continents. I got to work with colleagues of different nationalities speaking many languages and wearing different hats. Colleagues from the Americas, from the Scottish Highlands, from the Jatland around Delhi, from the place in Germany where they brew the best lager arguably, from the banks of the Hoogli, from farms of Hubli and most recently from the city where they say "I swear" in the same tone as "Aiee Shapath !". Had all weird sort of managers for bosses, from Narcissus to Sun Tzu.
Compared to what I gained, I seem to have lost a lot. But am not giving up yet.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
The Ts and the Cs.
This week was crazy. I was trying to push through contracts with a couple of software services companies so that my firm can use their services. Had to deal with a lot of lawyers from India and from the US, and believe me they are funny people.
Most of them live under the impression that we do business so that they can argue and negotiate the Terms and the Conditions. And if they had their way they would go on arguing indefinitely. Had to tell them in a subtle way that they argue and negotiate so that we can do business and not the other way round.
The other type of lawyers are the slippery kind. You never get straight answers from them and you can never hold them to anything ever. This kind often feel the need to cover themselves when actually they are expected to cover the firm against risks. When I sent a mail to one such dude at 9:00 PM mentioning to him that I had walked to his desk but he was not around and that I expected him to get me the contract ready next day AM, he actually responded the next day that he had left office "on time" (6:30 PM) the previous day and so he was not seen at his desk at 9:00 PM.
Other type of lawyers are the ones who can negotiate and at times negotiate well. They make more money than the two types discussed above. They yield on things that do not really matter but score points on things that do. That way they have given the other party a chance to score points as well. Win all.
One more kind is those lawyers who take the moral high ground. A lawyer in the US we were talking to, was not inclined to providing us with some documents on an ongoing basis. He told us that he was trying to help us as he did not want us buried in unnecessary paper and that if we agreed to him we might just as well save a tree.
Most of them live under the impression that we do business so that they can argue and negotiate the Terms and the Conditions. And if they had their way they would go on arguing indefinitely. Had to tell them in a subtle way that they argue and negotiate so that we can do business and not the other way round.
The other type of lawyers are the slippery kind. You never get straight answers from them and you can never hold them to anything ever. This kind often feel the need to cover themselves when actually they are expected to cover the firm against risks. When I sent a mail to one such dude at 9:00 PM mentioning to him that I had walked to his desk but he was not around and that I expected him to get me the contract ready next day AM, he actually responded the next day that he had left office "on time" (6:30 PM) the previous day and so he was not seen at his desk at 9:00 PM.
Other type of lawyers are the ones who can negotiate and at times negotiate well. They make more money than the two types discussed above. They yield on things that do not really matter but score points on things that do. That way they have given the other party a chance to score points as well. Win all.
One more kind is those lawyers who take the moral high ground. A lawyer in the US we were talking to, was not inclined to providing us with some documents on an ongoing basis. He told us that he was trying to help us as he did not want us buried in unnecessary paper and that if we agreed to him we might just as well save a tree.
