February 27, 2008

My niece

I'm crazy about my niece. Here's one incident about her.

She loves observing people. So, under her keen observing eyes, which is difficult to escape from, I get into this store-room where my mom keeps her home-made wine. (I like the wine my mom prepares) I take the wine jar out and starts pouring the liquid into the glass.

My niece comes to me and asks: "What are you doing mamman? What are you pouring?"

Of course I can't give wine to my niece. And if I tell her that it is "wine" - something she has never tasted - she will create a scene forcing us to let her taste the drink.

So I tell her that it is black tea. She doesn't like black tea. The color of the wine supported my lie.

She observes me for a while, then runs to the kitchen and comes back with a tea filter to help me "filter" the "tea". With a chuckle I try to convince her that "this tea" doesn't require a filter.

She listens, thinks for a while, and runs to the kitchen again; only to bring another glass. I thought she is going to ask me her share of the "tea". She holds the glass to me and says "The tea will be hot mamman. Use this glass to bring down its heat"

My chuckle soon became a roaring laughter

******
Last week she left for Canada. I miss her...


February 18, 2008

Shantaram

I read Gregory David Roberts’ 900+ page Shantaram. I completed it much faster than I had anticipated. I liked the way Roberts wove the story. Two main threads of his fabric is philosophy and love. I am not impressed with the philosophy part. I have read better books that put across philosophy in a better way. But the love part intrigued me. It remains as a puzzle, especially Lin's love for Khaderbai. Khader had used Lin for his selfish motive. Lin knew it. But still he loved Khader as a father. But why? Does it happen to all people? Perhaps love is all about giving without expecting anything back. Worse... it could be giving even when one knows that he will get bad things in return. I guess it is that kind of love that makes a person forgive from the bottom of his heart. I guess it is this pure love that drags your loved ones even more closer to you. Equally interesting is the love between Lin and Karla. Their love went numb because mistrust and misunderstanding never let it blossom to the fullest. Without trust love can't grow.

Given below are a few interesting quotes from the book
Never let anyone know what you are thinking.

Karla: The truth is a bully we all pretend to like

Scorpion & Frog Story: The frog agrees to carry the scorpion across the river, because the scorpion promises not to sting him. But half-way across the river the scorpion stings the frog. The drowning frog asks him why he did it, when he knew that they'll both drown. The scorpion says that he's a scorpion, and its his nature to sting

Karla: Most loves are like your heart feeling like a over-crowded lifeboat. You throw your pride out to keep it afloat, and your self-respect and your independence. After a while you start throwing people out - your friends, everyone you used to know. And its' still not enough. The lifeboat is still sinking, and you know it's going to take you down with it.

Didier: The worst thing about the corruption as a system of governance is that it works so well

Qasim Ali Khan: Justice is not only the way we punish those who do wrong. It is also the way we try to save them

Lin: A girlfriend of mine once told me, a long time ago, that she was attracted to me because I was interested in everything, and committed to nothing.

Lin: Real suffering is measured by what is taken away from us.

Karla: The surest way to hurt someone you like, is to put all your trust in him

Dider: News tells you what people did. Gossip tells you how much they enjoyed it.

Karla: Men reveal what they think when they look away, and what they feel when they hesitate. With women it's the other way around.

The Enfield of India 350cc Bullet was a single-cylinder, four stroke motorcycle, constructed to the plan of the original 1950's model of the British Royal Enfield. Renowned for its idiosyncratic handling as much as for its reliability and durability, the Bullet was a bike that demanded a relationship involved tolerance, patience, and understanding on the part of the rider. Un exchange, the Bullet provided the kind of soaring, celestial, wind-weaving pleasure that birds must know, punctuated by not infrequent near-death experiences.

Lin: There is a difference between a choice and an ultimatum: A choice means that you know what’s going on, and why before you decide. You can't order me to do something, without an explanation. I'm not that kind of man.

Vikram: A man is truly a man when he wind the love of a good woman, earns her respect, and keeps her trust.

Winston Churchill: A fanatic is someone who won't change his mind and can't change the subject

Lin: Honor and virtue are not same. Virtue is concerned with what we do, and honor is concerned with how we do it. Criminals, killer and mafiosis can be honorable men.



February 08, 2008

Blessed (Cursed) ATM?

An ATM near Forum Mall, Koramangala, Bangalore....

The user - ME

I swiped my card, entered the PIN, and then the amount - Rs 5000
Some machine movement happened before the ATM started humming that sweet little music of Rupee-Notes getting machine-counted.
After a while it presented me the money. I took it and counted...

Did I count an extra 100?! Not sure... I count again. YES! There is one 100 Rs note extra. The ATM indeed gave me an extra 100 Rs! Wait a minute... What did the receipt say? I carefully check the receipt the machine had produced. It said Rs 5000. But I got Rs 5100!

With grin all over my face, I said "God bless this ATM!"

PS: If I got lucky, someone else might have got unlucky. So folks, count the money before you leave the ATM. Machines are not perfect!


A different perspective

While reading Shantaram I came across this ordinary, but interesting paragraph. It talks about a 19 year old slum dweller who resorts to theft.
The 19 year old states: I know someday I might get caught, but I hope not. I hope the Enlightened One is on my side. It's for my sister. I pray that no harm will come to me, you see, because I'm not stealing for myself, but for my sister. She will be married soon, and there is not enough to pay the promised dowry. It is my responsibility. I'm the oldest son.
So... Why am I sharing this?

A few days back, past midnight, I was awaken to a huge pandemonium in my neighborhood. The dogs were barking and people were shouting. When I opened my window, I saw a group of men pounding two teenagers and yelling "chori kartha hai!!??"... meaning "You dare stealing!!??". The teenagers were all in tears, hand-folded, squealing and involuntarily chattering "sorry sorry..." The drama continued for almost half an hour. While the drama was unfolding I was least sympathetic to those teenagers. In fact, I was glad that someone was thrashing them on my behalf. Call it mob psychology or whatever...

The next day, I forgot that incident and got busy with my daily chores.

A paragraph like the one from Shantaram can remind you about your limitation to put things in the right perspective before acting...


February 04, 2008

Investment nuggets

Came across some John Templeton quotes. Golden nuggets from the investment guru...
The time of maximum pessimism is the best time to buy and the time of maximum optimism is the best time to sell.

I never made money for clients by buying anything expensive.

The only investor who should not diversify is the one who is right 100 per cent of the time.

For those properly prepared in advance, a bear market in stocks is not a calamity but an opportunity.

If you buy the same securities as other people, you will have the same results as other people... To buy when others are despondently selling and to sell when others are greedily buying requires the greatest fortitude and pays the greatest reward.

Bear markets have always been temporary. And so have bull markets...

...Too many investors can spoil any share selection method or any market timing formula.

History shows that time, not timing, is the key to investment success. Therefore, the best time to buy stocks is when you have money.

Article @ click here



February 03, 2008

Interpret this...

There is this book in my hand... I'm trying to read it. But the contents are not clear at all. Everything in the book appears to be blurred out. I don’t know why. All I know is that I'm trying hard to solve a problem. And I know that the book holds the key to the problem and solution.

Suddenly some of the contents become clearer. It says "PSALMS 14"!! And I'm somewhere in the second paragraph of PSALMS 14!!

That is when I woke up from my dream!

I’m obviously puzzled by the dream. Bible is not my cup of tea. I have read only a few chapters of it. I have never gone close to PSALMS. I'm no great believer either. The pendulum of my belief often swings between theism and atheism; often passing through agnosticism. So why this dream??!!

I opened PSALM 14 and read the first two paragraphs. It said: Fools say to themselves, "There is no God!" They are all corrupt and they have done terrible things; there is no one who does what is right. The LORD looks down from heaven at us humans to see if there are any who are wise, any who worship him.

Now... the interpretation of the dream:
  1. Theist: The dream is a divine intervention.
  2. Atheist: Something has been troubling you off-late. The subconscious mind, which was brought up in the Christian faith, is responding to it by echoing your old beliefs.
  3. Agnostic: I’m contemplating on the above two arguments.


February 02, 2008

Miracle!

I was chatting with my friend, who 'claimed' to have a recent breakup with his girlfriend

"Are you through with her?" I asked
"I guess so..."
"Do you miss her?"
He lifted his head, gave it a slight nod and said: "She is a poor sweet person". His tone said that he did miss her... perhaps badly
After a brief silence I asked: "So what's your decision? Are you gonna continue with her?"
He sighed and said: "I don't know. If some miracle happens, then yes... !"
I smiled and said: "You seem to hoping for a miracle. May be you should act. That will bring miracle to your doorsteps."

We all wait for miracles to happen. At times it is our own actions that create miracles in our own life.