Dew

Remembered this rhyme when I was walking on the road one rainy evening in Bangalore..... வானத்திலே திருவிழா வழக்கமான ஒரு விழா இடி இடிக்கும் மேகங்கள் இறங்கி வரும் தாளங்கள் மின்னல் ஒரு நாட்டியம் மேடை வான மண்டபம் தூறல் ஒரு தோரணம் தூய மழை காரணம் எட்டு திசை காற்றிலே ஏக வெள்ளம் ஆற்றிலே தவளை மட்டும் பாடுமே தண்ணீரிலே ஆடுமே அகன்ற வெளி வேடிக்கை ஆண்டு தோறும் வாடிக்கை This was the tamil rhyme I learnt when I was six years old... It is about a rainy day - Thunder takes the role of music, lightning takes the role of a dancer, sky becomes the stage and frog enjoys singing in the rain... The rhyme ends saying : This fun-to-watch event happens every year. I do not remember the poet's name, but I surely remember the verse-speaking sessions with this rhyme, every monsoon.

That was the sign at the help desk of one of the popular, plush, high-end, prestigious, and seemingly over-friendly banks in the city. I stepped into the bank on a bright Saturday around 11:00 A.M. After I got my bag checked at the gate, I waited like most other educated, civilized professionals in the long queue to collect the service token number at the desk that said : May I help you? Finally, when I got to the head of the queue, I gave my reasons to be there and got the Service Request Token number plus a few forms to be filled and taken to the counter. A lady with the sweetest of smiles ( I would prefer to call it stapled smile) came over and asked if she could help me. I repeated my reason for being there and she said, " Please take your seat in this bay or the other side, watch out for your token number on the monitor over there. " The bank was packed with people and I had no choice but to stand/walk around waiting for my number to be displayed on the monitor... I am ...

Big Bazaar is one of the fast-growing supermarket chain in India. I have visited Big Bazaars in Mumbai and Bangalore. At least three storeys, about 15+ assistants on every floor, good service, dedicated shopping sections and networked computerized billing counters, just about everything you need for your household, too many varieties to choose from, and a ten thousand ideas to spend your money are some of the credits that this super market chain holds in cities. I chanced to see a sharp contrast to this in my semi-urban town last week. The name of the shop was 'The New Novelty Big Bazaar". Now, about this Bazaar - Housed on Ground Floor, Mud flooring, Three aisles to serve as walk ways, a section each for clothes, linens, plastics, stainless steel kitchenware, bags, and rexene purses, manual billing, about five assistants, no fan, one water can and good service. Makes me think.. I am not sure if the owner of this place is even aware of the Big Bazar chain in the cities, but h...

Onam , a festival popular in Kerala, South India, is known for the beauty of the floral carpet, the delicious food, warm regards and prayers, and an aura of prosperity. With whatever little idea we had, we managed to bring some color to the regular work day at office, on Onam day with our Pookalam ( Poo - Flowers, Kalam - Carpet ). The floral carpet in a typical Kerala home is very different from what you are seeing here. The floral carpet as you see seems to bring a feel of cheer, color, beauty, prosperity, satisfaction, peace and happiness. I firmly believe that festivals need to be celebrated in work places to bring in a change from the usual routine, bring out the long lost talents, get people together, instill the thought that team work pays, and bring lot of smiles that last till the next team event... Management hint here I guess is : Keep the team happy.. Work cannot be made lively with just another code segment, another marketing assignment, another document, another meet...

That's the question I heard from Ms. A to Mr. B. Here is the conversation that followed: Ms.A : Hey, How are you? Long time... Mr.B : Fine, thanks :) Am on my way out!!! Ms.A : That was fast... Where are you off to?? Mr.B : Am off to XYZ software company. Ms.A : Good.. When is your last working day here? Mr.B : Day after tomorrow.. :) Will send a mail. Ms.A : Thanks, stay in touch :) All the best!!! :) So, if you have not met someone for long in a software company, don't be surprised if you hear such kind of response to your 'How are you?'... Life in software industry is like this of late :) At work, spend time with your friends and remember to call if you do not see someone in his cube for long.. For all you know the person would have left the place permanently.. :-)

This is a 1:45 hour movie in Hindi, that certainly qualifies as the one-of-the-few, out-of-the-herd Bollywood movies. If you are looking for unnecessary stunts, noise, music, songs, planned comedy and are against using your already over-working brain while in a movie theatre, then may be you should postpone watching this movie. As with all advantages/positives, there are some disadvantages/negatives that is of course dependant on individual perceptions. I choose to talk only the positive aspects and not taking the role of a psychologist/teenage counsellor who might have a different opinion of the story line. :-) The movie is about what happens in Mumbai between 2.:00 P.M and 6:30 P.M on a bright Wednesday afternoon. A very clam-faced old man calls up the Chief Police Officer in the Mumbai Police Head Quarters and informs about the explosives that he has planted in five locations in the city. He asks to speak to one person who can make a decision without having to go through a thousand ...

Not a new word for people in crowded cities. On my way back from office, I got caught in heavy, peak hour, evening traffic. Of course I chose these words very carefully. Heavy because, you cannot move an inch in whatever vehicle you are in; peak hour because all software companies are off at the same time; Evening traffic is worth mention because everyone wants to reach the same place, on the same road, and at the same pace as you!!! A quick chat with a very interesting friend last week made me understand that there is no point in cribbing about things you can't change... traffic being one of the lot. She told me how she enjoyed the music from some Festive procession while it was causing a very heavy traffic jam on the route. I was beginning to get irritated with the long wait, but remembered the recent lesson and tried looking for something to enjoy.... Here's what I noticed: From what is written on the sides of auto-rickshaws you will learn at least one proverb, a philosophi...

''Keep your voices low. Remember, you are seated close to a Work Area' . This is the standard saying that we would have come across... 'Silence' in a doctor's office... 'Please switch off your mobile phones in the temple premises' in a temple or a place of worship. 'School zone, No-horn please' on the walls of schools whose class room windows overlook the busy road. When all over the place, such messages need to be posted to let people know about the basic niceties that they ought to keep up, the nicety of my office cab's driver, is worth a mention here. Driver M loves to play the local FM radio channel during the long drive from and to our office. Whenever anyone in the cab gets a phone call, he always remembers to lower the volume of the Radio. No one needs to tell him or put a sign-board. He knows it too well. He is a calm composed person who has never lost patience in Bangalore traffic, never yelled at the fellow bikers or drivers.. if y...