So, its time to recollect…!

The year has been longer I feel. Two reasons why.

One, on the last night of last December I didn’t experience the joy similar to what I used to, on the New Year’s night. As I’m in a mood to celebrate it this year I certainly recollect the joyous celebrations from far past. I feel its too long time in between!

And two, this has been an eventful year for me in all terms. I had to marvel my guns to estate the mixed outcomes. I love the learnings I earned. I thank myself for the tsunami posts I did as ‘take homes’ at my blog which would surely release me from writing them down all at one go!

Apart from what I want to keep to myself I’d like to pen down my memories month by month. Let me clarify to myself how my memory is!

January: I lost my very good but visiting habit of writing diary. In fact I wanted to turn it to my permanent hobby. I flopped with no efforts spent not to. It was an effortful month at work.

February: I made maiden efforts in accompanying my close friend’s wedding-shopping. With the cricket world cup, I put all my efforts in improving my writing skill once again on the name of cricket, my favorite pass time.

March: I experienced a never before joy and along with it the newness as my birthday this time was celebrated thrice, covering all friends I have in Pune. I missed it out on attending my best pal’s wedding and this is one of those very times I felt disappointed about my working life. Cricket world cup robbed half of my thoughts.

April: I was first on Facebook. I felt immensely blessed with the idea after getting in touch with my long lost friends. After being almost a devotee and a big supporter of the Indian cricket team, I watched the World Cup winning moments with eyes full of tears. I’d been on a joyful and memorable trip to Ellora caves with team.

May: Mom and dad were here in Pune with me. We’d been on a family trip to Ellora and Ajanta caves. I think the first of it’s kind in the recent past. Mom was with me throughout the month and needless to say how tasty my food had been and happy my heart had been.

June: For the first time in my professional life I had to farewell one of my very few good friends. Later I took no time to realize that life till then was different. I got promoted and uplifted in spirits along with.

July: I still feel one of my happiest days at work belongs to this month. With the one hundred and twenty fifth Wimbledon championships I registered myself as a full time Grand Slam follower. I started one of my best hobbies all over again, book reading.

August: Home trip kept me away from the internet but narrowed down the distance between me and many houses of relatives and friends. Throughout the last six months I had been on full learning process at work, in terms of both technical and professional. Once again I archived myself as a big supporter following the debacle of Team India in England.

September: As a blogger I must say it was a successful month. I challenged myself with a minimum of one post every day and I conquered it. Off the record, I had to do couple of posts on wrong calendar date though. Plane crash of the Ice Hockey team did sensitize me for days. US open and the Men’s singles finals made me love the game more. I was back on track with book reading.

October: For the first time ever in my life I had been a full time marriage attendee. I enjoyed the wedding work as well my blogging on every day’s events. One more time I proved my bad habit of eating unsafely as the day of my cousin’s marriage turned out to be the most uncomfortable day of the year with the stomach upset. Though I’m now not completely up to the mark with safe intake I definitely changed my eating attitude.

November: One of the toughest months I ever had in my professional life. I had to withstand the feeling of departing another good friend at work. I sustained until the farewell party, finally I broke down. Reading the biography of Steve Jobs helped me in understanding the importance of pursuing the passion as profession.

December: Another successful month of blogging as my interest in writing took new turn. I had a satisfying week at work with an unexpected hit of work I did which in turn brought the rarest chance of meeting some of the successful professionals. Not to miss, my mind these days has been covered with hell lot of thoughts that I suppose I never had to face earlier. Hope the things settle down over next couple of months.

So, this is it with the recollection for this year.

I’ll post my thoughts on what I look forward in 2012 later, maybe tomorrow.

Guys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, I wish you all a very joyful New Year’s night tonight.

Take less, get more… Take Home # 102

Take less time to apologize; get more time to mend the gap.

Said can be but written can’t be…

Be doubly careful when you write. Said can be forgiven with time but not easily the written. Every time the note pops up before the naked eye it recaps and rebuilds the gap, at least in a small proposition!

Take on the hurdles… Take Home #102

Never let the hurdles take you; give your best to take on instead.

Speed of the wind and your own… Take Home #101

You can not change the speed of the wind but you can change the speed with which you have to run, to reach the destination in time, while racing against the wind.

PS: Find here the continuation of the yesterday's book review post on the sequel "Every Second Counts".

Which category suits you?

Some people just don’t give one last chance after they have decided; some do give. There is a point. Those who give last chance may be are kind or might not be confident of their own decisions. Those who usually don’t give the last chance may be are stubborn or might have pondered enough upon the decision already. And never to forget, circumstances do take charge every time!

I belong to the first category, who usually doesn’t give the last chance! What about you? No need to say, just think about it and know yourself more! By the way, don’t imagine situations; try to get the answer from your behavior in the past where you lived your own shoes.

Book: Every Second Counts

Author: Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins

# Sequel to “It’s Not About the Bike”

Good that Armstrong has decided to do this sequel. It does give us the idea on the aftermath battle of him with the sport, the doping allegations, his body, and for that matter the shadowing fear of getting the disease back, all again. Dream comeback do exhilarate the heart of the concerned, be it the sport or any other field. Often they do induce the doubts on the person’s ethical attitude by misinterpreting the power of the burning desire of the concerned as catching victory through unethical means. Interesting, as the sports persons, though healthy, use the drugs to enhance their performances, the people who are refreshed with their admirable comebacks after the gap turn out to be the real sufferers. After reading about the way random drug checks are done usually, one would not resist himself from protesting it though he could. Social media takes the front seat in naming or defaming anybody. When it comes to the celebrities, media always enjoys hundreds of eyes and ears. Not by luck but by his actions, Armstrong could successfully come out negative to the hell lot of blood samples that had been taken from his veins. How it actually feels to be the face helplessly going through such dangerous allegations, if proven kills the career, and could have been proven in any possible wrong way, has been narrated so realistically.

I was never aware of the cycle racing and what the sport was all about, how the teams where chosen, how the winner would happen! Thanks to the authors for showing courtesy on illiterates like me of the sport by explaining it enough. I used to imagine the series of cycles and the cyclists racing ahead, but the team work and the dependency of the winner on his own team is far away different from my imagination or understanding. In most of the team games, as I know it, team members help as one or two outperform in a game but the story here with this sport is entirely different. Team members sacrifice to make one person, the lead, successful and that’s the spirit! Or, there is no need to get excited so much, it’s the way the sport is and so as the players would have moulded themselves. Nevertheless, I can’t resist myself from accepting it as the greatness of the sportive spirit. But at the same time I’m not very sure of the other side of the story what and how the supporters in a team get or feel of what they are supposed to do. I’ll like to know if any note on this topic appears in future.

Well, its neither a small thing nor an event which we get to see happening every now and then that someone fights back from the death bed to win five consecutive titles of the prominent Tour the France and an Olympic medal as well. Armstrong has done it as if its not a big deal at all. Hats off to his strong will power and his team’s, mom’s and family’s sacrifices!

Every sacrifice counts!

Book: It’s Not About the Bike – My Journey Back to Life

Author: Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins

Lance Armstrong, the man who has survived the cancer with the help of doctors and the killer chemo cycles at his age of just 25, has wonderfully explained the tale of his journey back to life in his autobiography. For all his adventurous and miraculous come back, Armstrong prefers the science and technology, will power, to the spirituality. Not that it matches with my point of view, but the way he has justified it convinced me enough.

Having been a teenage-mother, Armstrong’s mom has been through it enough to have her baby. Ever since his birth they both have grown up together, one as a friendly mom and the other as her lover-boy son. He says, he never had to lie his mom. That’s how she nurtured him right since the beginning and that’s how they both have grown up for each other.

Once the cancer was diagnosed it was the friends of him who did it all first of all. However, no matter how the world takes care of you, a mom is a mom and her love is the strongest. His decision to get operated at one of the two preferred hospitals was explained interestingly. Hardly having had any chances to live back he and his team handled the situation incredibly. Now I know, its important to be educated about the disease with which one is supposed to battle his heart out.

My goodness, I did never care to know what chemotherapy was about! So did I for the cycle racing and the famous Tour De France. I read somewhere, to get familiar with anything, read a minimum of three books but I guess Lance Armstrong’s this book has made me enough contented of these topics with just one read. And on the sponsorships, I’m now sure better than before of how sponsors pay for the legs and hands of the players.

Going through the pages one would feel the never deniable dependency of human life on friends, parents and most importantly the life partner. Either to go for it or to hit a comeback!

Mr and Mrs Armstrong’s married life, their decision to go with the IV treatments, the way his best half had lectured him ensuring he was not being hurt, which ultimately brought him back to racing track with full determination, have been written so amazingly that you would not mind giving the whole story a single sitting to be done with.

All in all an interesting, inspiring and intellectual read it was. Even since i’m back in with touch with books I’ve been going through the awesomeness. I’m happy for the same.

At any phase of your life, either you yourself or your relatives/friends have to face a life threatening disease, and feel completely low on coming back to life, I recommend you to get or gift this book. I know, book reading, especially amidst such horrifying circumstances, is not practically possible always. So, better read it now and be prepared to face it, be it any worst! Not a bad idea either!

PS: Next would be the post on Lance Armstrong’s next book, the sequel to the one explained in this post. I read them back to back.

Big bash, only if the Indian young guns fire!

So, it seems all set for the Boxing Day test to begin in the cricket grounds of Melbourne, Australia, so as the Indian and Australian cricket fans too. The cricketing world is looking at this series too. Some want the Indians to outplay the Aussies. Few others want to continue watching the downfall of the Australian cricket. However, everyone knows about the gutsy Australians comebacks does not matter from which depth of misery they have to head from.

On the other hand, its well known how easily the Team India can spoil it’s own fate on the day of not it’s. Comebacks are not much practiced and so as the aggressive attacks by the way. Well, with the so called good mix of experienced and the young Indian players, it is expected from this particular Indian team this time that this series must be productive not just in terms of entertainment but also the success and of course some pictures of the team with the glittering trophy at the end.

Big contest is on the cards no doubt and why not when the anticipation is such a huge. But is the Indian team really set to satisfy the mere performance requirements to win the series? I don’t think so. Injuries are obviously the show stoppers this time too as if the injuries are being practiced more than the game itself. One bowler walks out and the speculation starts on the Indian bowling attack! Is this the team that is expected to do much? I seriously doubt, especially when it comes to the bowling department.

Batting is one of the strengths of the Indian side but many agree if I have to say that it’s the only strength India shall march on this time. Big names often leave big miseries. It happened in the past enough times adding strength to this argument. Nevertheless, with the swashbuckling batting order, India is hottest favorite. But if the Indian batting performance has to appear sexy, young Indian players shall fire like never before. If the same old trio will have to keep on saving it for India like before, frankly, it’d be no big bash.

As the Indian team is ready to fire it’s young guns, it seems Team Australia is all set to launch it’s aged missiles. Not just twice or thrice the average age of the Australian dressing room is so high. As the man in Indian young player moulds in the tours with the team, a mere Australian debutant would have already gone ahead and experienced the manliness in the domestic cricket tournaments. Whatever, when its time to say get set go, age does not matter so as the manliness, only the player inside shall pop out. Be it a young or old player, once the ball and bat have to kiss each other, it’s the game that experiences the orgasm.

All in all, this time round, there is a very fair and good chance for Team India to clinch the trophy. As always, I hope to have fun watching this tournament. No more monkey-gates are envisioned but you never know it enough when the emotions take over on the field. Let’s hope for the best bash.

Wrong tone of voice…

Wrong tone of voice is often the reason why people end up with conflicts as the difference in opinion enjoys the less contribution.

Living in memories… Take Home #100

Living in memories is painful as we miss the pals but productive as we learn to live!

Life is not a movie…

Life is not a movie that somebody can direct it out to make you realize of someone’s good/bad nature followed by a happy ending. To understand people, chances come in the way shall be grabbed, whatever and how tougher they might are.

Some are never understood and with the rest we always fell just short of understanding.

He who defines… Take Home #99

He who defines is often aware of the loop holes associated with too, and the dangerous act is to mess it up with him straightaway.

Consolation is the way…

People when can not reach you with what you want, consolation is the way they try. At times, with smart people trying to reach you, you misunderstand the consolation as what you want!

Now, it goes without saying, beware!

Something & Someone…

Many things just stay as things

Some things remain something.

Many people are known as someone

Some people remain someone.

Warmth enough;

Close to heart;

Always cherished;

Effortlessly remembered.

Before being the big supporter… Take Home #98

Before being the big supporter of someone, be sure if he deserves it enough. Because your support can not do much unless the person supports himself the most; Supporting someone is a divine deed; never waste it for the undeserved which in turn makes someone else, who truly deserve it, miss the chance.

After the honeymoon years… Take Home #97

After the honeymoon years, there comes time to move out of the safe lap, to aim the new heights, to experience the new horizon. The fear of moving out itself half kills the start. But still, the one who steps ahead and start it off knows the magical richness the try brings on.

Forever in memory… Take Home #96

At times,

We have to wait long

To experience a short

Yet sweet moment

That lasts forever

In our memory.

Survive the best worst… Take Home #95

Survive the best worst

And suddenly you will know

Why you should have enjoyed

Your past more and more.

Movie: “26/11” – Terrorist is made not born

Out of the box is what often discouraged at the start, but once it gets clicked it pioneers the trend. Ram Gopal Varma is one of those directors who think out of the box and gets good marks for his direction and of course all the bad marks possible with his so called unnecessary frankness with the media.

I’m not very sure in which way a movie on the 26/11 spoils the show for the Indian Military or the Anti-terrorist squad. But if its clean from this particular point of view, its worth making a movie. A lot suffered. Emotions of the suffered have been just imagined and felt but never seen and felt by any one of us who just watched the live telecast. Who of us could possibly understand what the major, Late Mr. Sandeep Unnikrishnan, a newly married man a week back by then, would have been through at the back of his mind while pushing himself to take the bullets of the terrorists? I hope the movie could be the best way to remember him once again and more importantly to understand his greatest sacrifice!

Some people have their point on money making of the RGV with the controversies, as if they wouldn’t mind making money given the chance. Even if they mind, money making is not the problem at all. Some make history, some make love and some make money!

Besides showing the Indian sufferers I hope RGV also puts the causalities/helplessness that spurred the terrorists including Kasab to choose the path they had chosen.

Human brain knows what it is taught. Its just another myth that the children of the good cultured family possess the same good culture. If anybody wants to prove its not just a myth, surrender a child from the so called cultured family on his birth to the terrorist training center and after 25 years show to the world he is not a terrorist! It’s an open challenge.

Terrorist is made not born.

Disclaimer: This line is not the sub title of the movie. Please don’t get RGV wrong. He is having it enough already!

PS: My previous post was on the controversial “The Dirty Picture”. I will like to express my views on the Nude Photo Shoot of the Pakistani lady, Veena Malik. I will do it soon.

The Silk… Ooo La La…!!!

It is the heights of misunderstanding the adjective. Some have understood that the word ‘Dirty’ refers to the picture itself whereas some have felt it refers to the dirtiness of the professional skin-show. I strongly believe both are unfortunately wrong. Unfortunate, because their understanding has masked their eyes and heart in turn, from appreciating the guts of the director and of course the artist as Silk, Vidya Balan.

When something is shown out there, at least some portion of it must have been true! Or otherwise, most of it is true to the point and the rich Masala is not yet shown! Anything is possible with the commercialization the movie industry has been through. Real life stories have been the hot cakes of these years not just to bring the audience but also to bring the commercial success along with. The shit is, they do post the disclaimer at the start that the characters are fictitious! Safe side taken and you are free to show off, anything.

I guess sensor cuts have become the way the lab exams happen in corporate colleges. Beer and beef to the examiner, full marks to the institution and of course a big zero to the students in concepts.

I liked the movie over all. Vidya has undoubtedly given one of her best performances so far. Award deserving acting provided no other competition comes in rest of the season. The way she has surrendered herself to the character amused me. Screen play has touched deep within awakening the need to understand the voice of the women who do the skin-show for the advantage of themselves obviously, but never to forget, for the advantage of the movies and the producers/commercialization. Who suffer at the end of the day, those who have encouraged them for the skin-show or the actresses themselves? It is crystal clear after seeing the Silk on her death bed!

Now, is there any way to stop the skin-show in the Indian film industry? Simple, put the sensor cuts accordingly. But will that stop people from watching the white skinned Babes? A big question and the answer is a big NO.

The Luckiest Ever Known…

When hundred surround you,

Still you deeply miss someone,

Your eyes still await the one,

It is the moment you realize

You are the unluckiest and

The one who is being missed

Is the luckiest ever known.

The Art of Demoralizing… Take Home #94

Not everyone possesses the art of demoralizing others. Not to worry if you feel you are short of this art, its blessing in disguise.

By the way, not all can survive the art of demoralizing. If you feel you can, again, it’s a blessing in disguise too.

Greatness of the Madness!

It’s the same story as that of the one who sleeps and the one who acts sleeping.

When one acts mad you can probably give your best to bring him to normal. But when one decides to act mad anyway, not even the best of the best can turn him around. That’s the greatness of the madness.

What Not Love Is!

Only he who knows what love is knows what not love is.

Every Feedback Is Good… Take Home #93

The valuable feedback is of him who knows the in and out of what you have done. Agreed! The important feedback is of him who had already seen the stuff similar to what you have done. Agreed too! Nevertheless, every feedback you receive is given for some reason. Good minds search for good reason. Good reasoning accomplishes great tasks.

I’ve heard people often saying, every feedback is good. Yes, it is for sure.

The way you see is the way it is.

Work and wait... Take Home #92

Work and wait. Work will be identified and wait will be answered. Nevertheless, how to work and till when to wait, are the important parameters one shall understand without fail. Everything has got a limit so as these two.

Stubbornness and the irony!

Stubbornness is tricky and positive meant.

The irony is here. Anyone is named stubborn, only after his decisions are turned successful. Otherwise, doesn’t matter how confident or correct he is, when he fails, he is never named the same.

Not just the stubbornness, it happens the same with many other traits by which people are typically categorized.

External factors just don’t affect the results; they affect the way you are seen and understood too. The less one thinks of being seen or understood, the more he becomes successful. But again, ironically, the more one thinks of being seen or understood, often, the more he appears successful.

Remembered are those who are seen successful but not those who knew they were successful. A wish to be remembered plays the whole game. It influences the choice we make of becoming or appearing successful.

PS: Another post of the day… Work and wait.

Book Reading… Got my touch back! #2

After college, as we just enter the professional life, all of a sudden, friends become colleagues. How many of the colleagues become friends, depends on many factors! A complete new environment welcomes you which you are neither taught in college nor have experienced any where else.

Experience is the best teacher. But you can not wait till you get experienced. One has to start learning from others’ experiences, especially not to get played by the dirty games. Now, experiences are not the bread and butter that all can afford sharing. In fact, all can afford but some just don’t. They have their own rules and they certainly don’t mind at whom cost.

That’s when I started searching for the life histories of the successful professionals. Books on managerial skills written by the ex-CEOs, psychiatrists etc interested me more. As I’ve started reading them I’m encouraged. I’m warned too of the back stage drama that continuously goes on without your notice.

Reading biographies or auto biographies may not give you exact idea on how you have to handle your own situations; it does inculcate the thought strong enough that you can face it too, its not happening for the first time and you are definitely not the first or only victim. My dad use to day, when someone else can face it we can face it too, it shall not be seen as a big deal. If you are in the same boat I suggest you to know the life histories of the successful people. Most of what you feel you are facing would already have been faced and fought out for success.

Woman factor destroys the party for ladies in the professional life. Never mind how talented, women are hurdled the same by you know who! Its damn important for women to be strong and ready to face the worst. How worse it could be is what I wanted to know. This is the reason why I bought some life histories of women who were successful in their careers. It is different from career to career, situations will be different, but you know what, they are hurdled the same way, by the same species.

Its also important to keep yourselves updated with the new entries to the marker and the business/economy news. I’m still yet to improve my reading interest in this area.

Personal life shall be given equal importance as that of professional life. Or, at times, it shall be given more importance too. As you deal the people in professional life with brain you deal the people in personal life with heart, with emotions. When heart is involved nothing else can win the race. I’ve started reading the books on social life, human relationships, attitudes etc.

Psychology interests me since starting. Its pleasure reading such books as they depict the real life examples and once again we get to know we are not the first or only victims. Now, this moralizes the whole story and generates/upgrades the perspective towards life.

So, this is how it is till now. All in all I’m very happy that I got my ever favorite touch back. I hope and determine to continue. I’ll keep you guys updating with the book reviews and thoughts. See you around.

Book-reading…Got my touch back!

I’ve grown up watching my dad reading some or the other book during his free time. Observing what we’ve grown up is what we tend to be, is once again proved right as far as I’m concerned.

Dad used to suggest me to read books. During my childhood I used to follow him very seriously, only on Sundays though. Being only child to my parents I didn’t have anyone to play with at home, especially in the afternoons. This was the time I used to spend for reading. I used to choose books which had many colorful pictures. I remember reading a book on the universe and satellites, which was a hard-bound one with exciting images of the astronauts, solar system, galaxies etc. In spite of reading it hundreds of times I never imagined myself traveling in space! I’m still unaware why so!

During B.Tech…

My interest towards reading books has grown up along with me. Due to the academic workouts I couldn’t continue it quite well. I was infected with chicken-pox in my B.Tech first year. I had to miss some sports competitions at college hostel which I knew I would win. I was upset. Then my mom gifted me an inspirational (in Telugu). It was almost after four years I read a nonacademic book. And then started my journey back to reading books!

I used to read self-help books a lot; probably, they are the reason behind the philosophical/inspirational touch in my posts here. My dad used to gift me books. I loved the way he chose books for me as per my necessity. He gave me a book “Dictionary of Technical Terms” during my engineering.

Mom, dad and I used to visit the International Book Fair at Vijayawada (a city in Andhra Pradesh, India). We used to carry home bags of books, some for the school libraries and some for our library at home. In the final year of my B.Tech I started reading books on group discussions, body language for interviews etc. Those tips have really helped me in clearing most of the interviews I’ve attended so far.

I love reading Sydney Sheldon novels. After seeing the way the female characters were shown enforced in the novels I thought the author was a lady! Oops, but he was a man.

During M.Tech…

M.Tech at IIT gives you no time for extra-curricular activities other than downloading and watching movies!

I lost my reading-touch for almost a year. Finally, on one fine day, I had been to the famous Pragathi Maidan, to visit an international book fair. I got confused what to buy and what not to after seeing the whole brand new books in the market. Stipend was no good in inspiring to buy many books. Somehow I managed and selected few. TV room at IIT was my favorite place to read. With my craziness towards cricket I used to wake up early in the morning to watch the matches (series with Australia etc), and used to have book in one hand and the remote in other. You don’t have much competition for remote other than for the serials in the night.

“Emotional Intelligence” was the first ever book I remember stopping in the middle as I could not continue it further. It was far beyond my understanding of human brain! I will some day catch it up again. “Chetan Bhagat” was the first India novelist I read. My poor interest in reading Indian authors was the culprit. “Five point someone” was the novel that incepted a thought in me “Why don’t I write a book myself?”!! This though was the reason why this “Being Pramoda…” blog started. No, that was the inspiration. Since then I love writing too.

By the way, “Three Mistakes of My Life” was the second and the last one so far which I could not continue reading, definitely not for the same good reason I mentioned above! Hope you understand!

After college…

As I’ve started my professional life, I’ve got a whole new perspective towards book-reading. I will let you know about it in the next and the final part of this post. I will let you know on how I’ve become versatile in choosing books and how I started taking help of books in planning my career and personality. I think this post is already enough long! And the main reason is I’m rushing to watch a movie (The Dirty Picture).