Tennis & its scoring - ParenthoodDiaries #70

For the first time, along with kids I've watched a Tennis grand slam final today. And they loved watching their "Spain Uncle", Carlos Alcaraz, winning the Wimbledon 2024.

By far, the scoring system of the Tennis match is the most difficult thing for me to explain to kids. It's not a straight-point sport. No body gets 'out' in it. Kids kept counting the points, but sometimes the points section changes, sometimes the game count and finally the set number changes, in the score board. Absolutely confused them but they enjoyed the match.

In conversation with Meta AI!

An interesting conversation with Meta AI, this morning, when I asked it to create an image of the Indian cricket team..

The PUNCH at history!

Wished for many years, to see a Tata Motors' passenger vehicle bagging the top spot in monthly sales! Amazing to witness "the PUNCH at history" by this beautiful product.

Congratulations to the team behind this! Many more to go.

It's cricket - ParenthoodDiaries #69

Kids saw the picture below, of Indian team in my mobile, and said "it's cricket".

There was no bat or ball or even a cricket word in the image. They never watched cricket much, so they didn't know the cricketers either.

Out of curiosity I asked them how they knew that it was cricket!

They said "Blue colour ka shirt hai na, Blue India ka cricket hota hai". (It's blue coloured shirt, and blue is India's cricket colour).

This is their "colour memory" from the 2023 cricket World Cup time during which they had seen few glimpses of different teams and their jersey colours. 

Learn to treat defeat with kindness!

The victory feels complete now! May we all learn to treat defeats with as much kindness too!

Absolutely stunning scenes from the Marine Drive and Wankhede Stadium have filled the hearts of Indians with ever lasting memories.

And, may we all soon celebrate more victories and wonderful performances, in more sports, after the upcoming Paris Olympics.

A bitter-sweet experience!

After 22 years, today I visited Sri Chaitanya college in Vijayawada. Visited our classroom, which was it in intermediate second year; the EAMCET-year, to be precise.

Back then, it wasn't a pleasant experience entering the campus, hostel or even this classroom for that matter. I fought tears and tension a lot of times in that one year. At the same time, I had made beautiful friendships, some are still continuing.

Today was a different experience. For the first time on that campus, I wanted to stay back for some more time! If not rejoicing those times, I deeply reflected on those moments. I remembered my friends and lecturers. May be, this is what a bitter-sweet experience is!

Nights like this make us young!

Nights like this make us young!

#CongratulationsTeamIndia

Lies and us - ParenthoodDiaries #68

The following words were the most said by kids to us at home in the recent past - "Jhoot kyun bolta hai?" (Why are you lying?)

That made us realise that they had grown up to understand what we would say to just pacify them in the given moment and what we would say genuinely. Hence, we reduced saying things to just pacify them, rather started telling them the practical facts.

Not that the facts are accepted by them immediately; many times we have observed that they appreciate that we have said the truth, even though they take time to come to terms with it. They take offence when we say something just to calm them down or temporarily satisfy.

Kids are always more grown up than what we think they are. It's us, who need to embrace that fact and approach them as genuinely as possible once they start understanding things.

Being thorough, learning from kids!

Most part of my learning, about the beauty of "being thorough", is coming from my kids; from their keenness & focus on what they do, from the way they question everything, with a genuine intention of knowing things rather than pointing at anyone!

Kids' blank-slate mindset makes them the best observers. In turn, they become the best learners. Hence the best teachers too!

I wonder a lot of times, what makes grown-ups, including myself, so less absorbing or observing. Why cannot we be as thorough as the little beings are? With experience, with age, with the knowledge that we gain, we must be better than them logically, but we are not. Why?

Is it because we do not stick to the basics, because we know beyond the basics?

Is it because we are distracted by the loads of information or knowledge we are bombarded with?

Sticking to the basics is the ESSENCE of life.

Learning to deal with the distractions, not avoiding them, is the NEW-NORMAL.

I have realized that, the more we practice consciously to nurture the fundamentals within ourselves and the more we learn to deal with distractions, the better rational beings we will become and hence 'thorough individuals', leading to a thorough team, a thorough society and what not!

Victim of cricket - ParenthoodDiaries #67

First victim of our leftie-bowler and rightie-batsman combination!!

"Amma, we were playing cricket. We hit a SIX and the ball hit the wall-clock, and it stopped working" ...

I particularly like the way both of them enjoy together on a wicket.

Sport teaches a lot!

"Be resolute in defeat" - Despite the unprecedented successes these two players have had in their careers, my learning goes around the way they have handled defeats!

As they are having their pre-retirement time in their own way and on their own terms, I'm following their last juncture unconditionally and dearly.

I thank Rafa and Dhoni, for the way they have been.

Titanic and seatbelts - ParenthoodDiaries #66

The other day I was showing the "Titanic" movie clip to kids in which the ship was drowning into the sea during the film's last moments.

They saw many people falling down into the water.

They said - "Amma, they should have worn a seat belt, look how they are falling".

Toys is their love - ParenthoodDiaries #65

When kids asked me for more toys, I used to say I didn't have money. Then they would keep quiet.

But they have been probably thinking about it thoroughly and have now learnt different ways of earning money.

They are saying that they want to clean some uncle's car or bike...they want to clean utensils or help some aunty with household chores to earn money and buy a few more toys.

Every problem has a solution. But the problem is, sometimes the solution itself is the problem

.

Boy and girl - ParenthoodDiaries #64

One of the kids asked - "Amma, will I become a boy after growing up?".

I said "yes".

"But I want to become a girl"

I asked why.

"I'm getting to like girls. They apply Mehendi on their hands, they keep ear rings and they wear saree".

I said - "Boys can also do all these!".

He then became thoughtful about it and moments later, I became even more thoughtful..

My little rational beings - ParenthoodDiaries #63

This is a bit of experience around home work!

Due to their schooling ecosystem, Bharat & Bhuvan understand the importance of completing the home work. So, when I had to do my office work, I would tell them that I needed to complete my homework. They would let me do my work without disturbing.

I thought this was going well.

Today they said - "We want to check your homework, like how you check ours".

I showed them my office diary and they were happy that I completed my homework! But they now want to know, how I wrote my homework and that I should do it in front of them since they do it in front of me!

My little rational beings!

When you know your team!

It's relatively an easier ride, when you know what your team knows and when your team knows what you do not know!!

Knowing each other makes the team better, tougher and see through the challenges.

Living through the egos!

One important aspect of living life is living through the egos, of our own and others.

Derivatively, leading people is about leading the way through the egos.

Ego is neither good nor bad, it gets developed over a period of time in life, with everyone's own experiences. One must acknowledge and comprehend, within oneself, the fact that ego needs to be dealt with. We cannot expect it to not exist.

How do we deal with multiple egos of multiple people? Are there multiple tricks to it?

No.

There is only one trick to it.

And that is, to learn dealing with one's own ego for the sake of achieving the end objective.

That's possible when we start identifying ourselves with what we want to achieve, rather than what we think we are. De-prioritising what we think we are doesn't mean killing oneself, it's just about evolving into a better being, who enables meeting larger purposes ultimately.

Orienting ourselves towards the purpose, changes quite a lot of thinking processes in a productive way. Letting a few things be their way, and not getting concerned about those insignificant aspects allows us extra time and energy to derive significant outcomes.

I have realized most of this while handling my little kids and their larger egos. Parenthood teaches volumes. It's up to us how and where we apply.

No GOATS, only the great warriors!

One of the key sporting things that I am looking forward to in 2024 is the comeback of Rafael Nadal to Tennis. Every time he made a comeback in the past, he had also made a statement with his unbelievable play. This looks to be the last possible comeback though! Hoping to see him enjoying what he does out there and recreate some of his magical shots again. Seeing him holding a grand slam trophy would just be a bonus, nevermind really. 

With that I also want to express views about the whole GOAT topic. I completely believe there is no meaning to compare players, be it with their contemporaries or with the players from a different timeline altogether. Numbers speak, of course, but they don't speak enough to name anyone the GOAT. Ridiculous is what I feel that this entire GOAT debate is. 

There have been great warriors in the sports; take anyone, name anyone. Let's see them so. Let's not put them together and draw any kind of conclusions, which none of them deserve. 

Simple. 

No GOATs. Only the great warriors. 

Nadal is undoubtedly one of the greatest warriors Tennis has seen! Not 'the greatest' as written in the picture above! 

One of the best advises!

One of the best advises I picked up in my career is the following: 

"Don't question like a master. Ask like a student"

I noticed this advise being given to a colleague. We were fresh from college back then without knowing much about what to do in the corporate world. More than what to do, we were unsure of how to do or how not to, rather. 

That was the time I picked up this advise. Believe me, it stayed with me till date. Even after fifteen years of career, I haven't developed that way of questioning like a master. Be it with seniors or peers or juniors, asking like a student is something I do, consciously and subconsciously as well. It has become a part of life by now. A good part to be specific, that I feel good about myself. 

Shopping and weight reduction!

After "bank balance", the most significant thing that shopping reduces is 'weight'. 

Live electric vehicle apps showing the amount of CO2 saved, retail brands can showcase the amount of calories burned out by a person in their outlet, and probably can incentivize it at the time of billing! 

Shopping malls aka small-scale gyms!

And food courts do the balancing act though! 

Such a provocative yet useful ecosystem. 

Can anti-suicidal devices prevent suicides?

Back in 2000, when I was in the first year of intermediate course after schooling, was when I first encountered a situation that made me ask myself if anti-suicidal devices prevent suicides! There was a student who committed suicide by hanging herself to the fan. After few weeks, another student jumped off from top floor, to death. In the next few days, the management had installed iron mesh to the balconies of the our hostel. In those days, no one managed to invent the anti-suicidal fans, otherwise they would have installed them as well. Just like how the anti suicidal fans have been installed in some of the hostels in Kota, Rajasthan, after a few students took their lives succumbing to the JEE-stress. Here I ask again, can anti-suicidal devices prevent suicides? May be they will reduce the number of cases happen due to that particular device, but in totality they won't. Everyone is aware of this simple fact, but not many seem bothered. They just don't want it to happen in their hostel or apartment. It can very well continue in the neighborhood

So much of stress the JEE aspirants especially go through that it's nearly impossible with the current way of affairs to prevent the suicides. Competition is huge, seats are less. Again, increasing the seats is not the solution that I think is ideal. Making the students believe that if not JEE, there are many means of proving oneself, many ways of living a dream life. This doesn't mean one must not aspire to be cracking the JEE, but if one cannot do that, the world doesn't end. Students to get this incepted thoroughly in their minds and hearts. Who can do that? Parents, teachers, professors, mentors, friends and many more can actually take ahead this thinking through the minds and hearts of the aspirants. 

Whoever says whatever, at the end of the day one needs to have their own thinking in a certain way to stand up and face the results. 

Commercialized education has succeeded in making students fragile year after year, decade after decade, so much so that they won't have any other thought than taking their own lives upon failure. 

Fantasized wishes of parents have succeeded in pushing their children to the corner, from where they see no one to share what they are going through or thinking about. 

Innovative products are now being looked at to prevent the suicides. After all , people who are thinking so are also the products of the same education system!

Nothing is in stars, it's all in our minds. 

Parents must take first steps to not let their children feel cornered if they don't crack competitive exams. 

Teachers must stand by the students irrespective of their merit. After all, every student is unique. 

Government must take steps towards eradicating the commercialization in education. Must improve the quality of colleges, teaching staff, teaching aids and many more necessities to make sure students get opportunities to explore their interests and strengths. 

Friends must cheer up each other beyond the ranks, grades and all those materialistic things that are relative in nature, but don't demonstrate the capabilities of any of their friends. 

One must be strong from within to give it all to something that's desired but stay strong in the situation takes it away. 

Not anti-suicidal devices, but improving the thinking methodology can definitely prevent suicides. This needs collective efforts of all the stakeholders. 

Celebrating together - ParenthoodDiaries #62

I overserved my five year old boys playing cricket at home, one day. One of them was blowing and the other one was swinging the bat. They played few balls & shots. One ball touched the stumps and he got out. Surprising to me, they both started enjoying that moment together, saying "Yaay... out". 

I realized that going by basics, theirs is a valid reaction. Considering that the ball hit stump, they were enjoying that crucial moment of the game irrespective of what's going to happen the next minutes. After that, the one bowing continues to bowl and the one batting continued to do so. They basically were just continuing to do their job. 

When we know what we need to be doing, nothing else matters. Doesn't matter if you get out or something else happens. The moment we start relating the out situation to the fact that you need to leave the crease, there starts the thought process and so as the unnecessary stress that comes with! 

Celebrate things out, irrespective of their outcome. Differentiate what needs a response and what needs just acceptance, in life. 

Efficiency - Take Home #682

 Make people around you more efficient, to be more efficient together. 

Kids and their enjoyment - ParenthoodDiaries #61

I have observed that kids enjoy the things in their hand. Toys, books, pens, flowers, water, papers and what not. They enjoy them thoroughly, so much that we can learn a lot about how to be happy with what we have. 

And when they have nothing in their hand, they start enjoying the moon, the sun, the air, the clouds and so on. They find their happiness. How blissful that thinking is!

Movie: Animal

There is nobody like anybody. Everyone is unique, so is the story of each. 

While some movies portray the protagonist as a super human, some portray as somebody else. Some portray in a unique way, so is the case I feel with Animal. Many termed it as misogynic, but I couldn't get that flavor of misogynic in a character that stands for sisters, loves the father beyond practical possibilities, submits to the woman of his life to silently take the tight-slaps when on wrong foot. 

The entire movie has been an emotional roller coaster ride. The antagonist' portray is although questionable in some sequences, it's been beautifully played by Bobby Deol. Fit or misfit, not sure what to call Rashmika! She could have done it better for sure. I read that Parineeti Chopra was the first choice for that role, she would have done a splendid job. This script lost her. 

Ranbir Kapoor gave in everything to the character. Wonderful job done by him. Liked many sequences of the movie. Script work could have been more deeper, but I believe some sequences are left for the Animal Park! 

Those who could not take the 'misogyny' for over three hours, I wonder what they would have ever done to save someone from misogyny in real life. There seems to be no problem with misogyny in real life, unless it happens to us. In films it shall not be portrayed! I no means support this kind of thinking. 

Freedom of expression and cinematic liberty are needed to bring up good stories to audience. There can be no restrictions as to what type of people are shown in movies. Watch a movie like a movie, especially when it's a fictional story. 

Looking forward to Animal Park.