Gotta Be Max

We've Moved

2011-05-04T09:49:00.000+05:30

Blogspot was a good home. It kept me warm and patiently heard all my thoughts. However, things change, people change. Thankfully, we have not. However, our address has.

I have moved to wordpress and this is my new address. Not much has changed, just the zip code.

It is a Gentleman's Sport

2011-03-30T10:38:00.004+05:30

My dear brethren of a divided sub-continent,

The day that we have been waiting for with bated breath is finally inching closer. While some have planned to figuratively gorge on seafood on Tuesday and conveniently send in a quiet note of regret the next morning, others have called in IOUs to ensure that they are party to the hype that is one of the biggest challenges in the limited sporting histories of our respective countries.

The problem with hype is that there is often a mob mentality associated with it. When bar one, all others are screaming of it will be an epic final before the impending regulation final, the contrarian view is often drowned in the din. And few can make a din and create a ruckus than those from the sub continent. Given that I am not one of the select few who hold such a view, we shall not walk down that road.

What the game offers is more than a place in the final to compete with Sri Lanka. The game, a semi-final match-up between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the Cricket World cup, represents the first time in nearly three years that the two teams will battle it out on a non-neutral venue. The history is long and fraught with acrimony. There is the historical and political past of a painful partition following the British Raj. There are the multiple wars the two countries have fought. There are the allegations and counter-allegations of terrorism from either side. There is the support for an Azad Kashmir in Pakistan on one hand and the role that India played in the creation of Bangladesh on the other. There is the bus diplomacy, the train diplomacy, the hockey diplomacy and now the cricket diplomacy. And not much to show in tangible terms for all that diplomacy.

In sports, the countries have competed against each other primarily in two sports: Field Hockey and Cricket. The rivalry has been legendary and those amongst the diaspora would know how difficult it is to find a parallel to explain it to those dimwits who believe that cricket is all about those annoying insects who rear their ugly head at twilight.

The two teams do offer a lot of commonality. Both teams may be considered mercurial, with talent and flair exhibited in copious abundance. Both have a strong fan following of fanatics; who amidst all the hate do have a grudging respect for the opposition. Both teams also have devout fans that are as volatile as they are fanatic. They exhibit a rare sense of schizophrenia, equally worshipping and despising one God and several demi-gods. Scenes of both joyous celebrations and irate annoyance are not uncommon with the language on the plaques and the state of the effigies dependent on what the dices may have rolled.

With an attempt by the Indian regime to reluctantly return to the discussion table, much has been made of the political and strategic importance of the game. With a rivalry arguably comparable to none in the sport, the game may not betray the fact that it is in fact a semi-final to an ignoramus bystander. In all of the ensuing brouhaha, the game of cricket may have been shouted out. Yes, it is a game. And no, it is not just another game.

I decided to pen my thoughts when I read the following words "It’s only a game." While I understood where the person was coming from, and I agreed with the need to tone down some of the jingoism and the discussions, which have been replete with hate, try telling that it is merely a game to Tendulkar, who despite a multitude of attempts, has not been able to replicate the glory of the Prudential Cup for his country. The whole country may hold him on a high pedestal, skipping a beat when there is an LBW or caught out appeal against him. It may bestow upon him the sobriquet of "God." Given that he is playing his last World Cup, the lack of glory would be a scar that would forever remain a blot on his otherwise illustrious career. Try telling it to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Captain of Team India, who carries the hopes and aspirations of millions of people on his broad shoulders. Check with Shahid Afridi on the reception he fears if his team were to surrender to the Indians like Governor General Manuel Vassalo Silva did in Goa. Or speak of a dropped catch to Kamran Akmal and see a shiver visibly run down his spine.

Agreed, this is not just another game. However, it is a game. A game of cricket, which will have a winner. Sadly, as with most things in life, there will be a competitor who will follow the leader across the finishing line. It would not mean that he is any less a champion than the winner or that he devoted anything less than his very best effort into the battle. It would mean that on that day, his rival was the better player. So spare a thought for the player. He who loses will feel he has let down the hopes and aspirations of his family. Recall, the scenes in Eden Gardens on that fateful day when Vinod Kambli’s tears were forever etched into the minds of the cricketing aficionados. While I do not know whether it was the defeat, the crowd trouble or his clairvoyance of the end of his career that induced Kambli’s reaction, I do believe that our cricketers deserve better than how we treat them in the face of defeat. Yes, they may peddle a motorbike one too many, but stop a moment and think whether you wouldn’t mind raking in that extra bit of moolah given the opportunity.

And so, my dear brethren of a divided sub-continent, I respectfully request you that irrespective of the outcome of the game, please do not burn effigies of the players. Please do not protest outside their houses. Please do not hound their families. They have proudly represented their country and performed to the best of their abilities. We do live in a cynical world. A dropped catch, a silly run-out, a lost game and the world cries hoarse from the top of the roof of some funny business. Yes, there has been funny business in the past and there may be some in the future. Some may be in works today. But, if you believe that there is funny business in the game, you should do yourselves a service and not watch the game. There are better things to be entertained by.

If your team loses, man up and take one on the chin. Don’t cry foul, don’t let your disappointment get the better of you. Be honorable and classy in both the joys of victory and the jaws of defeat. It is a sport, there will be a winner and consequently a loser. Finally, it is a gentleman’s game, let’s be respectful. To the winner, to the game, to the players and to the country. Be it Pakistan or India.

May the best team win.

Subah Jo Naa Ho

2010-09-21T09:57:00.001+05:30

Log toh hai chaaro aour
Phir tanhayee see kyun hai laage
Jo maanga woh toh mila
Phir udasi see kyun hai laage

Kya chahe ye dil
Woh usse bhi naa hai pataa
Aise mein dimaag kaise chale
Aie rabb tu hee bataa

Roshni ki chakaa-choun mein
Jaise khade ho Surdas
Patri se utri hai gaadi
Aisa bhalaa kyun aabhaas

Bachhpann ki woh yaadein
Jawaani ka woh josh
Bade hokar kya hai mila
Neend ka nahin aaghosh

Boj toh hai bohout
Ek kandheka nahin aasraa
Palat gayee hai baazi poori
Jaise zindagi ne pheka doosra

Kapdon ki iss nagri mein
Hum nange hee hai chale
Aahista se saamne humaare
Suraj ki roshni hai dhale

Na chandrama na laaltein ki roshni
Raat ke andhera ka nahin darr
Vidhi ka vidhaan jo jaye toot
Subah jo naa ho agar...

-max

Woh The Tum

2010-09-09T08:57:00.003+05:30

dekh rahee hai aankhein nazar
hai jo dur dur tak andhera
suraj toh abhi dhalaa thaa
lage kyun hone ko hai savera

tha toh woh ek jhonka hawaa ka
par lagaa kyun jaise baarish ka ho mausam
thi toh woh bijli ki ek kiran
par kiya suraj ko usne madhamm

kar salaam hai woh ab laa-pataa
do shabdon ki hai nahin fursatt
gulaab ke liye jo ho kaanta
neta ke liye jo ho jamuriayat

woh the tum... woh the tum... woh the tum...

Speaking Songs III

2010-06-11T14:32:00.001+05:30

Some songs just speak to you... more than others do

Some right, some wrong...

2010-05-31T20:13:00.005+05:30

Picture Source:Random email Fwd
With time on hand and a blackberry for company

Life is like a stream
ever so often, it meanders along
we do what we have to do
some right and some wrong

Judged we are by our actions
the context never to be seen
care one should not of the world
as long as hearts are clean

Some of it black some of it white
most of it is full of grey
we remain true to ourselves
that's for all we pray

Listen to your heart
do what the head has to say
and you will live long and happy
not at war with self all day

The heart yet has its way
plays it havoc every other time
lest you let it get its way
You will pay for that dime

Self redemption is easy
second chances come few and far
the head slept in peace
the heart walked to the bar

So choose your steps carefully
think of what you do
not that village bumpkin in town
the one that has no clue...
-max

Somethings never get old...

2010-05-31T18:58:00.006+05:30

Picture Source: Travellers Point
With time on hand and a blackberry for company

the child in her mothers eyes
the story of timeless laughs
the curry that nani made
a story that she always told

the pictures of us together
laughing loud, smiling wide
etched on rock, not in sand
unaffected by the tide

reflect and recollect
of times of the yore
watching the setting sun
sitting on the shore

Somethings are like good wine
they age, and age they well
and while they do age
they never do get old...

-max

Speaking Songs II

2010-05-17T03:02:00.002+05:30

Some songs just speak to you... more than others do

Why we work

2010-05-16T04:25:00.001+05:30

We work... to pay for our sins!

Speaking Songs

2010-05-16T04:22:00.003+05:30

Some songs just speak to you... more than others do

The Tingling Charm

2010-05-16T04:06:00.001+05:30

With time on hand and a blackberry for company

You just do not do it
When you don't feel like it
You just will look away
When you don't feel like it

Do that what you want
And not what you can
Do something different
And not what's the plan

Think of your self
Remember your dream
For no one else will
As selfish as this may seem

Always have a plan
Just don't stick to it
Do something different
Just go right for it

Life is not that long
Go chart some unknown path
In just toeing that straight line
Where is the tingling charm

Communicate

2010-05-09T10:59:00.011+05:30

Picture Source: First Friday Book Synopsis
To misquote the late legendary Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke,

What we had was a failure to communicate.
Some women you just can't reach,
so we ended with what we had then.
Which is the way it would finish in the end.
Well, you get it.
And I don't like it any more than you...

Dear Google...

2010-03-26T06:25:00.000+05:30

Dear Google,

I truly and completely appreciate your stand on censorship and am in awe that you are okay with losing all that business that you will in the biggest market in the world. Not to forget all those relationships with channel partners that is now on shaky ground.

In the argument between corporate finance and professional responsibility, you have put your own ethics before any business decision. Kudos to Sergey Brin for standing by the principles on which Google was started. Power to you Sir for wanting to “do no evil”. Furthermore, for prevailing on Schmidt et al; it must not have been an easy feat to achieve.

BUT, forgive my naiveté as I question your methods. Is it not wrong for you to break the law of the land? You entered into an agreement with the Government of the PRC. You agreed to abide by their laws, however archaic may they be. You have rightly taken a step back and evaluated your stance given the current environment and decided that you cannot operate in this manner. It is truly commendable that you did that. In my humble opinion, I believe that if you do disagree, you should withdraw from the country and bring down the google.cn website. By your actions, you are imposing your ideas (however wonderful they may be; and I do believe that they are) onto others. Look at Go Daddy, they have stopped registering “.cn” websites because they are not comfortable with the documentation that is required of them (i.e. from their customers) from the government.

Having spoken to a lot of Chinese friends of mine on the topic, I realize that they value the freedom of speech and yearn to have this essential right back in their home country. They miss YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the other simple pleasures of life. As for my beliefs, I too value this imperative fundamental right and its importance to humankind. I thank the Almighty for having given me the opportunity to have been brought up in a free liberal country and for having given me the opportunity to experience another. I wish everyone has this right someday.

Mahatma Gandhi famously said and I quote “Be the change you want to see in the world”. I completely agree with these thoughts. It would seem like Google does too. It believes in the freedom of speech and would like to champion the cause, vociferously and possibly at great personal difficulty. All is well and noble with that. There is just one minor problem that I have: One cannot take up arms against injustice. Google should leave the country if it disagrees; it should walk away. It should fight for its cause and fight it should hard. It should merely do what needs to be done within the ambit of the law.

Just saying. These are my two cents.

Peace be to all. Google: 8th wonder of the world. China: Respect, awe and envy.

Snakes & Ladders

2010-01-30T08:04:00.006+05:30

Picture Source: AgileFAQs

Snakes and Ladders must have been invented by a philosopher
It truly is the best metaphor for life there is...

Will

2010-01-10T12:34:00.001+05:30

If you can't do the time,
don't commit the crime

If you will the end,
you should will the means

Sick Leave

2010-01-06T18:10:00.002+05:30

Person A: When is a good time to write to the boss and tell him i'm sick?
Moi: Never and always!
Person A: Huh? How so?
Moi: Never for the boss, always for you!

Face your own wrath

2010-01-03T12:58:00.008+05:30

Picture source: Tweetymom

thy words so profound
thy words so deep
some maketh you smile
others see you weep

at the junction ye stand
unsure where to turn
take the road ye heart tells you
leaving else to burn

always been this far
yet never been closer
the right mind maketh the winner
all else sets you the loser

pick up the showel
choose the right path
and if ye so don't
face your own wrath

-max

When the big tree falls

2009-11-01T12:30:00.002+05:30

Around this time, 25 years back, when I was a mere toddler, a big tree fell in this country. The then Prime Minister, Ms. Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her own security personnel. This brought about mass unrest in the capital city of New Delhi. Thousands of Sikhs were massacred in what was the largest genocide in modern day India.

Rajiv Gandhi, the 'heir' to the throne [figuratively] and the next Prime Minister had the following words to say at a Boat Club rally, "Some riots took place in the country following the murder of Indiraji. We know the people were very angry and for a few days it seemed that India had been shaken. But, when a mighty tree falls, it is only natural that the earth around it does shake a little."

A mighty tree did fall. Unfortunately, the subsequent tremors was far more devastating than a little shake, scarring Indian minds forever!

Socialism and its perils

2009-10-12T19:01:00.006+05:30

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had once failed an entire class. That class insisted that socialism [eschewed for long by India and made famous recently by Barack Obama] worked. It said that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on the Socialist plan". All grades were to be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade. Ergo, no one would fail and no one would receive an A. At the end of the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone received a B. The students who had studied hard were upset. The students who had hardly studied were happy.

As the second test rolled around, the students who had studied little studied even lesser. The ones who had studied hard decided that they too wanted a free ride and ergo, they too studied little. The second test average was a D. No one was happy.
When the third test rolled around, the average was an F. The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one wanted to study for the benefit of others. To their great surprise, all of them failed.

The professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great. However, when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

-via random email fwd

A nobel joke

2009-10-10T13:01:00.003+05:30

WSJ Article
Time Article

Fritz Henderson a more deserving candidate? This very mockery probably hits the nail on the head in trying to explain how the politically savvy, marketing guru with good sense of the pulse of the people got it horribly wrong by accepting the Nobel peace prize award for 2009.

In office for a grand total of twelve days when nominated, eight months into the presidency today, he is still working on his promises and his vision for the US and the world at large. Kudos to him for a job well done thus far, for attempting to create a new world order and for taking the US away from the cowboy diplomacy that it had come to be identified with off late.

Nevertheless, a lot needs to be done before being declared Nobel enough, or maybe not. Well at least more that rhetoric and propaganda. It would have been astute and humble to not have accepted the award, saying in effect, I will be back in three years to accept this award. Only, it may not have been there because the people who are on the committee have proved that they too are human and could have taken his 'no' as a snub and a question of their judgment.

Obama, on his part, showed he is human. He agrees that he is humbled and undeserving, that he is human [read: greedy] enough and is fallible. As for the Nobel, it lost a bit of its charm today. Just like when Sadat, Begin, Kissinger got it. Just like when Mahatma Gandhi didn't. Great guy that Obama, will probably be deserving in 3 years. Flatpacked on twitter put it aptly when he said that it would appear there is a Nobel "looks like you might do something for peace in the rest of your term in office" peace prize.

What's in a name?

2009-10-03T12:19:00.000+05:30

Bombay or Mumbai, the bard once said "what's in a name?". The 'cool peeps' will call it only Bombay and refuse to call it anything else. The 'nationalists' will call it only Mumbai and will break the heads of those who think otherwise. Grow up folks, call it what you want. It is officially Mumbai; if you don't like that, you should have stood in line and cast in your opinion in the ballot box.

Be Yourself

2009-08-24T07:55:00.001+05:30

'Be true, Be yourself if that doesn't work, be someone else'

Sight

2009-08-23T11:42:00.003+05:30

"I like what I see for I see what I like"
-max

Two years

2009-08-12T12:58:00.001+05:30

Two years, this very day... shizer, it has been one hell of a roller coaster of a ride

Ek aawaaz

2009-08-07T21:43:00.002+05:30

Kya woh samaa tha
chandni raat woh thi
baal unke khule khule
chehre pe rounak unke thi

usne poochha apne aapse
kya ye sapna toh nahin
jannat ke dwaar khol
aayi ye pari toh nahin

uski saasein phool gayi
uske khone lage hosh
kadam aage usne badaaya
kaabu mein tha naa josh

issi sab ke beech mein
ek aawaaz kaanon mein padi
kaminey, dooor reh meri beti se
warna padegi pichhwaade pe chhadi

-max

Scenario Analysis

2009-08-07T21:06:00.006+05:30

Best case
Dance like people are not watching
Love like it does not hurt
Work like you do not need money

Base case
Dance like people are watching
Love like it hurts
Work like you need money

Bear case
Dance like it hurts
Love like you need money
Work like people are watching

Worst case
Dance like you need the money
love like people are watching
work like it hurts

Think

2009-07-27T22:45:00.000+05:30

Be not the Ostrich that buries her head in the sand and thinks its cant be seen
Be rather the Giraffe, who stretches her neck out to see things beyond the blinding green

-max

Link Politics

2009-06-29T14:01:00.010+05:30

So, its time to unveil an ambitious project... one that connects Bandra in the Western suburbs to Worli in the city. It is the Bandra Worli Sea Link. Great job with the conceptualization, engineering and execution [it was late, will ignore that for now].
Source:Bandra Worli Sealink Blog
So while it has been ready, we have been waiting for a while to inaugrate it. Do you wonder why? It is simple. The need for a VVIP to inaugrate it so that the common people can start using it. So, where do the authorities go looking?

First Choice [Obviously]: Ms. Sonia Gandhi, Congress Working Committee President
Second Choice [Reluctantly]: Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hon. Prime Minister of India
Third Choice [Well, we need 'someone' important]: Ms. Pratibha Patil, Hon. President of India

Such is the mockery of the Executive positions of the Republic of India. Its a pity indeed. Yes, it is upto the government to decide. Nevertheless, no person is greater than the Constitutional heads of the Country.

No escaping the Walk

2009-06-18T10:01:00.001+05:30

"I don’t much care where... so long as I get SOMEWHERE," Alice said.
"Oh, you’re SURE to do that," said the Cat. It added "but only if you walk long enough."

Bandra Boy II

2009-06-12T13:25:00.006+05:30

~Time of Day: just past midnight~
Friend 2: Okay, that was a long discussion. I think I need to go to sleep now.

Friend 1: What's with sleeping off at midnight? This sounds like the cindrella-esque story of Bandra Boy [BB].

~Both ponder for a while on how BB is off to bed at midnight. Friend 1, the worldly one, offers a possible solution.~

Friend 1: Do you think like you, BB too needs his beauty sleep?

Friend 2: Why would BB need beauty sleep? Do you think it will matter?

~Sounding all smart, Friend 1 replies~

Friend 1: Maybe its for his inner beauty?

~Friend 2 is now rolling on the floor laughing and holding onto the stomach~

Friend 2: Inner beauty? Are we talking about the same person?

~Both slip into deep thought again on the absurdity of the statement. Friend 1, as usual, offers a solution~

Friend 1: Yes, for his Inner beauty! Maybe he needs it to even have a nice thing to say once a day.

~Friend 2 is again rolling on the floor laughing...~

Bandra Boy I

2009-06-11T17:59:00.006+05:30

Friend 1: I have not seen Bandra Boy [BB] online or connected with him since the day he was to leave for Canada.

Friend 2: I have not seen BB either. He seems to be incommunicado. Wonder whether he's hooked up with some chick out there.

~Both ponder for a while to realize the incredulous thought they just had. They decide to ignore the thought and act as if it never happened. Friend 1, the worldly one, offers a possible solution.~

Friend 1: Do you think that it is possible that some dudes beat him up out there?

Friend 2: Why would anyone want to hit BB?

~Sounding all smart, Friend 1 replies~

Friend 1: Maybe some Indian dudes thought he was Canadian and beat him up for the racial abuse in Australia?

~Friend 2 now excited by the plot~

Friend 2: Yea, he probably kept pleading that he was Indian. But, when they asked him to speak in Hindi, all he could muster was namaste!

Distorting history

2009-06-09T11:46:00.004+05:30

Disclaimer: I have moderate political views. Right of centre rather than left of centre. I support the BJP for their policies. I do not agree with some of their divisive political stunts. The reason I do not support the other party: the Congress, is because they merely hide behind the garb of a 'holier than thou' mask.

The BJP and its HRD minister, Murli Manohar Joshi was chided by one and all [rightly so] for attempting to distort history. A point often raised by BJP baiters. Now, the 'can do no wrong' Congress is doing just that. As a kid, we learnt about Dadoji Konddeo, the mentor and guru of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the greatest Maratha ruler. The Congress [and NCP] government has now 'changed history' bowing to the demands of casteist organizations, long considered 'vote banks' of these political organizations. An article on this can be read here.

For all those espousing the credentials of the Indian National Congress, I am sorry, but this is a bad slap on your face.

Polyester Connections

2009-06-09T02:14:00.002+05:30

Dearest Polly,

I do not know what to feel. A part of me is happy. The other is sad. As she walks on the other side of airport security, I know I will have to fight to hold back my emotions.

You always appeared from nowhere. When someone asks how we know each other, I am still not sure. I remember 'Cousin R' probing that line of thought deeply and persistently. Or Saffron Aunt giving me the third degree. It did ‘suit’ the occasion.

So, we met through some random connection. Then there was that coffee at Moxa. The bubbly you, I was impressed with your joie de vivre. Then we bumped into each other in Newport. The bubbles still there while I was grappling with life in the trenches. I wish I knew you only as that person. But alas, life is one roller coaster of a ride. And so, one fine day past summer, I received the weirdest of messages. I have no idea why I received that call for help. But, I was shocked to see the ugly joke that life had played on you. As we sat in the park, I saw you there… a little kid grappling with a coffee. Wanting to talk and yet, not knowing where life was to lead. The C story, while funny, did not take away the fact that there was a huge perceptible change.

Your journey back home and then back to the city saw you crawl towards a semblance of normalcy. It has been close to a year since then. It’s interesting to see how I have made such a great friend within just under a year. I do not believe in numbers and rankings. But, I will go out on a limb and say that you are the best friend I made in NYC. NAF came a close second. The rice-cooker: the clincher. What we have is different. [Saffron Aunty and Anna, if you are reading this, we were just good friends. :D]

We have shared some great moments: random chats, nautanki, home drops, inane fights, walks in the park, bug bites, movies and the like. Some regrettable moments: inane fights, bug bites, name-calling and the like. Some disappointing moments: Ibuprofen, First Ave visits, late night D train travels and the like. Some awkward moments: Sea, 5am noises and clatter, life decisions, hard-facts and the like.

We are quite different in more ways than one. We stand on different sides of the line. And yet, there is some common ground. There is so much to write. And yet, there is nothing that I can write. As are the ways of life: It was a good ride while it lasted. The flight is now boarding. You return to a faraway land. I may be soon to follow. Out of sight we will be; out of mind, I believe not. I can be an annoying bug.

So long Polly, it has truly been a pleasure. Keep that smile. Be the kid you truly are. Don’t let that rebel die. Be your crazy jhola kurta self. Breathe in, breathe out.

It started with that walk in the park… It’s a new journey you embark upon. Tum toh thehre pardesi…

Jai Maharashtra!

Love and Hugs,
Max

Crazy enuf for Courage

2009-05-31T13:19:00.003+05:30

Time and again, people have encouraged me to jump off the fast track to take the road less traveled. Not to live their own dreams. Not to live their hopes for me. But for me to live up to what they believe is my potential. When I say 'what they believe', I use that reference as I believe in the testimonial of others around oneself as a barometer rather than your own.

While people may admire the limited talents that I may possess, I for one believe that its not talent that gets a person to his goals. If there is a single thing that makes a difference between a prodigy [without calling myself one] and a success: its COURAGE. The courage to jump across that crevice to traverse a seemingly deep abyss to land on the side of self fulfillment and ecstatic joy. The real question is: Do I have the courage to leap? Aah well... not right now. Tomorrow? Only time can tell. As for me, I sure hope so. Then again, the Tower Bridge was not built in a day. All I can hope for is that I am crazy enough to jump.

And just like that...

2009-05-09T22:51:00.001+05:30

It all started much like most things do; a seemingly distant dream. The dream, while rosy, did not consider the distance that one would have to travel even to get to the starting line. A long laborious road ensued. Then, as the flowers blossomed radiantly one final time before grudgingly yielding to autumn, we made our way to the City.

The City was vibrant, as at any time of the year. Skeptical faces surveyed through the conundrum, looking for familiarity in an expansive sea of the unknown. Enthusiasm ran high, as did the tabs at every conceivable bar in the neighborhood. Ever as slowly through the mist appeared, half a pint at a time, the new kids of the block.

The unknown beat a hasty retreat to accommodate the evolving bonds. Time flew by in the blink of an eye. The first act was on and the appearances changed to suit the occasion. While the circles remained, content was conspicuous by its absence. The mission: not to kill, but rather to not be killed. The alcohol had quickly sunk, allowing the water to float above. While conversations were aplenty, interest was left at the door. The song and dance was quite elaborate, just as the wine and cheese were cheap.

As time passed by, the race was getting clear. While the thoroughbreds pulled through to gain a lead, the also-rans watched with a sense of awe and bewilderment. Nevertheless, in true Hollywood-esque manner, the odd dark horse nudged through the crowd to make it a true photo finish. While the winners painted the town red, the mere mortals were left to clean the mess. Lessons were learnt and backs were broken. It was the inevitable truth and yet none of it was spoken. While many chose to blend into the background, a chosen few rose through the ashes, a phoenix at a time.

Elsewhere, the Trojan horses snuck through the gate, the guard opening his eyes too late. The enemy emerged from within the Trojan, attacking all in sight with toxic waste. And as they attacked the heel of Achilles, the mighty fell one at a time. The king saw the writing on the wall, change was plotting a mighty fall. The world as we knew it saw change; we doubled as unpaid targets at the shooting range.

When we thought we weathered the storm, another one rocked the boat. Life has taught us many a lesson, none as many as the time here. There was suspense; there was drama, a pinch of romance and some action. Why, there even was an elaborate Bollywood song and dance. Preached we were by the god and the soothsayer. We even learnt that greed is good. Some made us laugh, some made us weep. Some made us listen, others put us to sleep.

We look at the mirror, where we are today. We reflect on how things were two years back. And we notice the change. Change beyond just the debt and the long list of Facebook friends. Change in the attitude and the knowledge. Change in the attitude towards life. A few friends made for life. The number of bars visited in NYC. Change was the flavor of the season and that is what we saw.

Along the last mile, few moments away from walking down the river quay, we wonder whether it was a good dream, a nightmare or just another two years of life. The answer would be different for each of us. In many ways, it may be all of the above. All we know is that we spent a good time of our life here and had a great time whilst doing so. We leave with a mixed emotion of exhilaration and disappointment. Like all great journeys, this too has come to an end. It started one windy morning in August… and just like that, it will all be over.

Locus Standi

2009-04-26T22:24:00.003+05:30

As the Sri Lankan Army closes in on the LTTE in the Jaffna Peninsula, there is a huge call for a ceasefire. This obviously makes sense on humanitarian grounds as innocent civilians may be [and probably are] killed in the melee. There has been a call for Indian intervention of some sort, especially from the Tamilians in the country.

Without trying to make ANY sort of political statement and in all my naivete, I ask the following: If Kashmir is an integral part of the Republic of India and Pakistan, UNSC and the US have no locus standi on Kashmir, an internal and sovereign issue, what locus standi does India have on the happenings in the internal matters of the Republic of Sri Lanka?

I have heard certain people say that LTTE are not terrorists. If so, the Mujaheedeen are not considered terrorists by many, nor are the Lashkar or the Jaish. We cannot apply two different yardsticks. A terrorist is a terrorist.

Kya Tha Woh Seherr

2009-04-23T06:04:00.004+05:30

manzil pohounch humne jaana
kya haseen tha woh safarr
tha kya woh jalwa
tha kya woh seherr

mile jab hum pehlee baar
naach aata naa thaa
chhaa jo hum gaye manchh par
aangann ab tedaa naa thaa

dheere dheere haule haule
unki ungli pakad hum naache
mitti se shuru toh kiya
antt mein bane pakke dhaanche

manzil toh hai aa gayee
naa rahee koi kasar
shuruwaat thi toh tal se
jaa kar pohounche hum gadar

chehre the woh naye
dost humne jo banaaye
naacha khoob saath saath
sukhbir ke dohe gungunaaye

iss hasee gaane ke baad
ek mayusee hai ab chhayee
dil baith sa hai gaya
vidhaiee ki ghadee jo aayee

raah apni apni pakad
jo hum hai chale
aao milke ek saath
bolein balle balle

-max

Down to Business - I

2009-04-19T12:43:00.006+05:30

“Promise me that you won’t become a Yankee fan” he said. As Ted Sullivan laughed at his own joke, Rohan was not sure if he was serious or whether he was joking. Ted was from Boston as he told him later. A manifestation of a deep-rooted rivalry, Ted did not want to be the recruitment officer for the rival camp. Rohan did quip guardedly, “I am a soccer fan and I am not much into baseball. So, I guess I will not be a Yankee fan.” As Ted proceeded to stamp the visa and told Rohan about the amazing times he had had in New York City, Rohan realized that he was two more stamps away from the big apple.

Rohan had never doubted the fact that he would get the visa. He had been to the US before, travelling to New York and Los Angeles for work. That was a fun trip. He work hard and partied hard. While most of his brethren thought of spending frugally in the US, Rohan had gone all out. This time it was going to different. He was in pursuit of his dreams; something he had dreamt of every night for the past two years.

Picture Source: NYU Webpages

The tie came off, as did the jacket. As awesome that he felt, it was a hot June afternoon in Mumbai and the sweat was slowly trickling down his forehead. Realizing that he would soon miss the small things in life back home, he stopped for a cold glass of sugarcane juice. One glass quickly turned to three as sudden pang of hunger made him realize that he had not eaten since morning. As he sauntered down the street in search of a taxi, his mind wandered again. Rohan could see a bagel with cream cheese in front of his eyes. He wondered whether it was the heat, the hunger or the call of the City.

He still had two months to go, but Rohan was already thinking as though he had to leave the following night. He decided to make the most of the next few days. The first stop was a roadside vendor where he picked a couple of wada pavs to fill himself up. The juice had left him pretty full, but he coaxed himself into gobbling them down. It was almost as if this was his last chance to appreciate the staple fast food of the city. The city that he had come to call home for three eventful years.

Picture Source: George Koshy
A few blocks further down the road, Rohan found that elusive taxi. Torn between taking the taxi all the way and hopping onto the train, he knew he had lost it when he mumbled to the driver, “Bhaiya, Mahalaxmi chalenge?” Mahalaxmi was the closest train station to the American Consulate. While the trains would not be crowded at this hour, it was not exactly wise to travel suited up. The crowds, the heat, the humidity and the ensuing sweltering feeling were not entirely conducive for the formally dressed traveler. Rohan stood at the door, half to beat the heat and half to feel the wind in his face. And as he felt the cold breeze rustle his previously well-kempt hair, he could not help but wonder whether these were the winds of change…

This is a pilot for the book: Down to Business

Unke Jaane Ki Chubhhan

2009-04-19T04:24:00.001+05:30

saal bhar ho aaya hai
dil mein abhi bhi hai aggan
janaaza toh kab ka hai nikla
hai abhi unke jaane ki chubhhan

nazron se gire hai woh sabke
unke jaane ka phir bhi hai gamm
saal bhar ho aaya hai ab
ye dard na hua hai kuchh kamm

nakhre unhone humaare jo uthaaye
dekha unhone jo humaara bachchpana
kabhi woh unka hona gussa
kabhi humaare baalon ko sehlaana

woh toh thhe do sunehre saal
dil mein kitni yaadein hai bharee
unka woh lamba sa kadd
unki woh kameez haree

har raat dil ye hai mujhse poonchche
hai kahaan woh samaa apna
kya hai ye iss din ki haqueqatt
hai kya ye ek buraa sa sapna

saal bhar ho aaya hai
dil mein abhi hai aggan
janaaza toh kab ka hai nikla
hai abhi bhi jaane ki chubhan

-max

Fear

2009-04-07T14:23:00.004+05:30

In this journey called life
feeling the fear of crash and burn
Winding down an unknown road
Feeling the fear of a wrong turn

Astray seen the charm of life
Being led into a well gone dry
Unless we choose otherwise
Giving ourselves a try

Deep down lingers the feeling
Lest it does not work out
Horrid is the walk away
before the start of the bout

Trust in thy instincts
giving self the chance
shall sand slip through fingers
shall the horse prance

when things do matter
choose not to hate
charting the course ahead
not leaving it to fate

precious water you lose
untamed deserts as you chart
elusive will be the oasis
unless you choose to start

-max

The Stern Dog Millionaire

2009-04-06T23:55:00.013+05:30

So what happens when you take a bunch of creative students in a premier business school? You get the SternDog Millionaire, a parody on the highly successful movie Slumdog Millionaire by Danny Boyle.

The entire video has been worked on by NYU Stern students [and Dean Frasier]; right from the concept, the story, the screenplay, the lyrics, the vocals, the actors and the entire production.

More than 50 students worked on this project. Let us see whether any of the schools have a decent enough response. The only one that comes to mind is Rammy Babaji from Fuqua who created the 'Damn it feels good to be a Banker'.

Enjoy the III part video

Part I

Part II

Part III

A fitting memory to the two years in school.

Forgive or Forget

2009-04-02T22:56:00.001+05:30

The Stupid neither forgive nor forget
The Naive forgive and forget
The Wise forgive but do not forget

Inquilaab Zindabad

2009-03-23T13:48:00.005+05:30

Picture Source: Wikipedia
Homage to three of the greatest martyrs for the country.

- Shaheed Bhagat Singh

- Sukhdev Thapar

- Shivram Rajguru

Inquilaab Zindabad!

Shame on you Sonia Aunty

2009-03-23T12:33:00.004+05:30

They dressed up our two most famous Slumdog children in their Oscar clothes to go to Delhi last week to see the Queen. Little Azharuddin Mohammed wore his American tuxedo and Rubina Ali a black gown for their meeting with the Rajmata of India. While they waited in the sun outside 10 Janpath they entertained the media circus that trailed them by singing ‘Jai Ho’ and telling them what they would talk to ‘Sonia Aunty’ and ‘Rahul Uncle’ about. It was a sickening celebration of something that must never be celebrated—India’s grinding, hopeless, shameful poverty.

Its ugliest face has been on display in The New York Times this past week in the form of a slide show of starving Indian babies who look as if they have been through famine, war and pestilence. In fact they are just products of normal peacetime ‘shining’ India. The story that accompanies the pictures reminds us that two-thirds of India’s children are malnourished by the age of two, that 8 million are visibly starving and 60 million more manifest malnourishment in their inability to grow normally. My only objection to Slumdog Millionaire is that it depicts poverty as something that can be joyously overcome. It cannot and living with it is about the most horrible thing in the world. The children who acted in the film have returned to their hovels in Mumbai and admit that they can no longer deal with the horror of being real life slumdogs.

India’s real life billionaires love to boast in the forums of the world about India being a ‘young country’. Half of India’s population is younger than 25, they like to say, so there is no question that the 21st century will be India’s century because in an ageing world we can provide the human capital to keep the wheels turning. Really? With half of India’s children suffering from various degrees of malnourishment is this possible? Malnourishment does not just stunt the body, it stunts the brain. How many mentally stunted children do we know who grow up to become employable adults?

What makes India’s poverty such a disgraceful, dark thing is that it would not exist if the poor had not been the Congress Party’s most reliable vote bank. Indira Gandhi used this vote bank to its fullest in the ‘Gharibi Hatao’ election with that most famous of her campaign slogans. ‘Woh kehtey hain Indira hatao, main kehti hoon gharibi hatao’. The poor remained poor after she won and the vote bank remained intact until copycat Congress leaders like Mulayam Singh and Laloo Yadav lured the Muslims away and Mayawati took away the Dalits. More than 90 percent of the poor in India are either low of caste or Muslim.

They would not be poor if the crores and crores of rupees spent on poverty alleviation programmes had not been wasted on unwieldy, leaky efforts like Sonia Aunty’s favourite NREGA scheme. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme serves mostly to keep poor people in poverty for the rest of their lives but because it has the blessings of Sonia Gandhi it has now been spread across the country. If the money spent on it had been invested instead in an Akshaya Patra type midday meal scheme there would be no starving children in India today and our slumdogs would go willingly to school to eat that one hot meal a day. In Karnataka where Akshay Patra began studies show that school attendance went up to nearly a hundred percent and school performance improved dramatically. So if it is so easy why does nobody do it? Well, in the opinion of your humble columnist it is because when the Bharatiya Janata Party had its brief moment of ruling India it chose not to redefine governance but only to enjoy the thrills of power. If the Government of Atal Behari Vajpayee had changed only the functioning of the ministries that deal with the social sector India may really have ended up ‘shining’.

India can never shine or become an economic superpower as long as the majority of Indian children remain malnourished, illiterate and living in urban slums or villages that are worse than slums. Hollywood can be forgiven for celebrating our slumdog children and fawning over them as they enjoyed their fifteen minutes of fame on the red carpet. It is much harder to forgive our own political leaders for seeking to exploit the desperate, sickening poverty that these children have returned to. Shame on you Sonia Aunty. For this lack of basic compassion if for no other reason you deserve to lose the elections. Our problem is that on our bleak political landscape it is hard to detect one person or political party that deserves to win.

- Tavleen Singh
Source: This article appeared in the Indian Express and can be found here

Us Indians will all cry

2009-03-22T02:30:00.001+05:30

The UPA is in disarray
The allies are parting away
The Congress has lost the plot
All set to give the treasury spot

Manmohan Singh, have you no spine
Your command is Madam's whine
Rahul Gandhi, what is the big deal
A nobody, without the Gandhi seal

The NDA has problems of its own
Jaitley and Rajnath fight for the bone
Discipline gives way to whining
A bleak future for India Shining

In the name of secularism
The NDA becomes the untouchable
With no other alternative
The future becomes unwatchable

The future seems in a quandary
As Third Front, the goons get together
Nothing in common between them
Brothers from a different mother

Deve Gowda, could it possibly be?
Or Mayawati as the Queen Bee
I foresee a botched up marriage
The country with a sad miscarriage

It is this scary thought
That makes me want to say
BJP and Congress, do something
Keep Mayawati at bay

She will shoot the bird down
From up high in the clear blue sky
The world will laugh
While us Indians will, all cry

-Max

For the bookworms

2009-03-19T20:44:00.002+05:30

The BBC list of books to read

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 1984 - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno - Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Upto you

2009-03-18T01:20:00.000+05:30

There are no magical fixes. It is ALL upto you. Get up off your ass, get out and start doing your work. And if you are scared of it being hard, realize that nothing in this world that is worth having comes easy.

New Beginnings

2009-02-24T16:39:00.002+05:30

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending

Here is to yet another new beginning with hope for a great ending!

Fooled by Randomness

2009-02-05T12:28:00.004+05:30

25 random things about me...

1. My name means ‘without boundaries’ in Sanskrit. It means ‘friend’ in Hebrew.

2. My name is often misspelled, something that irritates the hell out of me.

3. My brother gifted me a box of pencils at the hospital when I was born.

4. I wanted to be a pilot, eyesight killed that dream. I wanted to be a doctor, my aunt [a doc] knocked sense into me. I want to be a banker, is that dream killed already?

5. I once sported a haircut like the Brazilian soccer player Dida

6. My friends call me MAX

7. I hate jewelry. Unlikely to wear an ‘engaged’ ring

8. As a kid, I was an avid philatelist and had over 7000 stamps from 60 odd countries

9. I often street raced on my Kawasaki in India. Top speeds, weaving through traffic and straight-lining curves were not uncommon. I have had 5 accidents.

10. I write poems and short stories. I tend to dramatize a mountain out of a molehill when I write

11. My friends and I once watched ‘Friends’ for 18 straight hours.

12. I have never puked due to alcohol consumption. I feel nauseated in the back seat of a car though.

13. To celebrate India’s famous victory over Australia in cricket, I lit firecrackers on the college campus, causing a huge commotion.

14. I am allergic to tea. I have had tea four times in my life.

15. I almost drowned in a white water rafting expedition in the Ganges when our raft overturned in a grade 4 and I was stuck underneath the raft

16. I have gone through three days without any sleep. I sleep 4 hours on average

17. The love of my life is Rex, my German Shepherd in India

18. I have two blogs, but never had the discipline to update them regularly

19. I have never read a Harry Potter or watched any of the movies. Something about it just does not appeal to me.

20. my poison is Jameson’s 12 aged Irish Whiskey when had neat. For a cocktail, I love a vodka with lime cordial, tonic water, pepper, tinge of Tabasco sauce and lots of ice.

21. The head trader at work once asked me if I was British because of my accent.

22. As a dare, I once had 12 raw green chilies.

23. I was to swim across a river in India, but my dad never gave me the permission

24. I broke my leg as a kid jumping off the 2nd floor of my house, attempting to be superman

25. I am attempting to live my dream of writing a book

- max

Flip Over

2009-01-29T12:11:00.002+05:30

What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title:--Romeo, doff thy name;
And for that name, which is no part of thee,
Take all myself.
Juliet in Romeo & Juliet - William Shakespeare

What's in a name is something people ask me when I correct them on the pronounciation of my name. Maybe not much. But then again, maybe a lot. The point is, what do you have to lose? Nothing I would reckon. My given name has a very similar sounding and more common twin. More often that not, it leads to people choosing the mundane over the exotic. One then has to correct people in the hope that they would get it right. Sometimes it is right. Sometimes it is not. Only time will ever tell.

The year has changed. What's in a number dare you ask? You may most certainly NOT. The world flipped when the century was about to turn into a new leaf. As did the fortunes of any and probably every Indian in the space of Information Technology. The time you missed your train because someone read out the time to you wrong. And most importantly because I like those numbers when I see them.

The flip is important. The year has changed. A year will soon add in my life. A challenge will soon appear. The one that I currently have, will refuse to go away. That bend in the road will look ever too closer. That shining star in the sky will look just as far away out of reach.

And yet, nothing will have changed. Resolutions will have come. Some would have briefly lasted. Some not at all. Some a lot longer. New people will have come and others will have left. And yet, the world will mostly be the same. What will have changed is merely the version. It would now show 2009. Lets see what it has in store.

To Those who died

2008-12-08T21:20:00.002+05:30

Picture Source: NDTV.com
TO THOSE WHO DIED & THOSE WHO SAVED & THOSE WHO ONLY STARED……

If not for you,
I would have never known
How Courage transforms men
In times of greatest fear

If not for you
I would have never known
My country’s real Heroes
Who care not for their own
But save the lives of men unknown

If not for you,
I would have never known
The shamelessness of men
who watch the burning show
as if it were a thing
that happens now and then

If not for you,
I would have never known
A servant’s true loyalty,
To save a two-year old
From horror, none would ever know,
Had she to run alone

If not for you,
I would have never known
How 21 year olds -
The worst of Frankensteins -
Could pulverize a modern world!

If not for you,
I would have never known
That the managers of Hell
Have spread their tentacles
Into our daily world –
“No place is safe no more”

If not for you,
I would have never known
That killing one another
In the garb of religion
Could seem so meaningless
When terror strikes –
which has NO religion

If not for you,
I would have never known
Unity can still prevail
Amidst the people of my land
If only one would have
Leaders like once upon a time

It is to YOU -
O’ soldier in the uniform,
and even ‘sans’ a uniform -
that I pay obeisance, and cry
with humility and also pride
and say :
“MERA BHARAT MAHAAN”!!

--Ms. Monica Aurora [A dear friend's mom]

The City that I call home

2008-12-07T05:03:00.008+05:30

Photo Courtesy: National Geographic Archives
“Terrorists attack the Taj Hotel in Mumbai”. As I saw this text message on my phone, I had a lump in my throat. I quickly called my cousins in Mumbai to check on them. While my family was safe and sound, the city that I once called home was not. Some of the most prominent landmarks of the city, such as the Victoria Terminus, the Taj Mahal Hotel and the Oberoi Trident were attacked. Over the next 60 hours, while the security personnel were able to eliminate the danger, the city lost 188 people, Indians and foreigners. Many others were injured. As terrorism raised its ugly head yet again, public anger was imminent and the terror attacks drew world-wide criticism.

Mumbai is, and has always been, the crucible of India. Since the Portuguese took possession of seven tiny islands off the west coast of India and called it Good Bay, it has brimmed with entrepreneurs eternally in search of their dreams. A channel for millions of ambitions, it is the land of possibility. The financial capital of India, home to the country’s thriving media and film industry and the second most populous city after Tokyo. Bangalore gets a lot of attention with its dotcom boom and its software prowess. Nevertheless, one simply cannot compare a Silicon Valley with a New York. Mumbai is what the Indians call Mayanagari, the city of dreams.

It was this dream that terrorists have often tried to wreck. Mumbai has seen more that its share of terrorist attacks. Be it the terrorist attacks at landmarks in 1993 or the 2006 bomb blasts that targeted its lifeline, the suburban metro rail transit also called the local. I remember being circumspect for a while every time I boarded the metro after the train blasts. And yet, the city took this in its stride and marched along unperturbed.

These recent attacks were different. We see a lot more emotions across Mumbai, India and the rest of the world; emotions of anger, anguish, pain and resolve. The public opinion this time around is vastly different and sustained. Not to say that there was no public outcry the previous times. This time, it is different. It may be because people are tired of the mindless killings that the city has seen before. However, I think it is because the terrorists struck at the very heart of the Indian dream. They targeted places that epitomize modern day India. The Taj Mahal hotel overlooking the Arabian Sea symbolizes the vast riches and opulence in the city; eschewed by many as they walk along the waterfront, gazing dreamily.

I am not from Mumbai. Nevertheless, like many, I too made it my home. It embraced me with open arms. I would often travel to the very stations that were attacked. I would enjoy a cold pitcher of beer in the very café that saw a mindless spray of bullets. I would visit the Taj hotel, always wanting to come back. Soon, this attack will become just a tragic date in history. It will be business as usual. However, for most of us, the blood of innocent victims will have left behind indelible stains.

I tell the story of Mumbai. But, this is not just the story of Mumbai alone. The same is the story in New Delhi, Islamabad, Colombo and Tel Aviv. Let us not forget New York, London or Madrid. India and Pakistan have been at loggerheads for over 50 years. Israel and Palestine haven’t seen eye to eye. Sierra Leone, Angola, Congo and other countries in Africa continue to fight bitter civil wars. There is no end in sight for America’s war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is not a problem of a city or a region alone. It is a virus that plagues the whole world; a disease that has spread its tentacles wide and hides under a garb of a ‘cause’.

Every terrorist has a cause, a reason that he uses to camouflage murder. Cold blooded thoughtless murder of innocent victims. The reason put forth could be religion, freedom, money, power or revenge. However, there is no reason that justifies senseless killing. The true spokesperson of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi, once said “An eye for an eye will make the world blind”. The world is already blind with greed, hatred and jealousy. Let us all resolve to not let this blindness obliterate humankind.

The response

2008-11-30T11:46:00.004+05:30

I read a brilliant article in the New York Times by Suketu Mehta, a professor of journalism at New York University and the author of 'Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found.'.

The right attitude to the situation at hand.
So I’m booking flights to Mumbai. I’m going to go get a beer at the Leopold, stroll over to the Taj for samosas at the Sea Lounge, and watch a Bollywood movie at the Metro. Stimulus doesn’t have to be just economic.

I too hope to grab a beer and fish & chips at Leopold, Chicken Bhuna and rumali roti at Bade Miaan, and watch a Rahul Da'Cunha play at NCPA.

You may read the entire article here.

I want to fly

2008-11-24T16:47:00.005+05:30

Picture Source: vancouverisland.travel

Every day I want to fly
Stay by my side
Every day I want to dream
Stay by my side

Every morning I wish
I could just play
Wish the mornings
would just stay

Every day I want to cry
Stay by my side
Every day I want to try
Stay by my side

Every morning I wish
I could just sing
Wish the bells
would just never ring

Every day I want to smile
Stay by my side
Every day I want to laugh
Stay by my side

Every morning I wish
I could just write
Wish the end
would be in sight

Every day I want to fly
Stay by my side
Every day I want to dream
Stay by my side

- Adapted by Max from a jingle by Vodafone

Video Source: Vodafone through youtube.com
- One of the most beautiful and pleasing commercials that I have seen.

Lucky huh?

2008-11-21T13:51:00.004+05:30

This has got to be the funniest fortune that I have read/heard ever. I hope that they were merely kidding and this was not for true. No big loss for me if it happened though. The fortune that was thrown up everytime I logged in [yes, I do not go looking for it like you would guess] was hardly correct. Funny yes, accurate no.
This is what it was today...

"The guy who reads your fortune lost his psychic powers (and his job). We hope you are feeling lucky."

Some people do have a good sense of humor. Always appreciated.

On a similar note, I saw this commercial that was very sweet, sensible and one hell of an idea to have come up with. I kept wondering what it was until the very end... A wonderfully thought out one.
Video Courtesy: Vodafone and Youtube.com

Breakups

2008-11-19T15:26:00.002+05:30

Someone I know posted this on Facebook. It was so hilarious that I had to post it here.
This seems like the quintessential 'formula' that people always seem to talk about when discussing relationships. I do not subscribe to this particular view or the school of thought that it comes from. Then again, I don't really know which school I belong to. Maybe there are a few stories in the past. Treat it as it is meant to be: Mindless Humour. Video Courtesy: www.youtube.com

The Grass is Green

2008-11-14T15:59:00.007+05:30

Picture Courtesy: Random find on Xanga.com

- Grass is greener on the other side.

- If you like what you do, time just flies.

- There is nothing like school life.

Was in the corporate world. Now, back to school. Well, been here for a year and a half. Almost done and I do not want to leave. The corporate life beckons. Hopefully. Jobs are not to be seen. I have one for now. Or do I not?

Sometimes I think I am tired of thinking about how expensive life is in NYC. As always, I could do with the money. Just this time, the value of that marginal dollar is a lot higher. Yet, as frugal as they are, school times are simply brilliant. As little sleep as I may manage [it is five in the morning], school times could not be more perfect.

I know that things cannot be the way they are forever. How I wish. But, take the debt away, place some more money in the wallet and life could not be better and hope could then be forever.

Three Cheers to school.
Three Cheers to NYU.

Halloween Humor

2008-11-14T15:16:00.005+05:30

Interesting take on the policies of the Democrats, espoused by the President-Elect Barack Obama.
Picture Courtesy: Greg Mankiw. The cartoonist is unknown

An unfortunate soothsayer's world today presented by this cartoon where the person who predicts ill in the market , Prof. Nouriel Roubini is called Dr. Doom for his prophecies.
Picture Courtesy: Greg Mankiw. The cartoonist is unknown

The child in you

2008-11-14T11:04:00.004+05:30

Today is Children's day in India, a legacy of Chacha Nehru. And on this day, I ponder about the lost child in all of us. The one that gets lost in the rat race of life. We grow from being a child to an adult only to be a child again. That is the circle of life.
Why do we let the child in us go away for a bit? Why do we not let him stay? Why do we race to achieve this transition? Let him stay, be a part of who we truly are. Why are we not phuduking [translation: jumping] around as kids with happiness, joy and gay abandon?
Yes, we need to be serious when we need to be. But, that is not the whole day. There is always time for him.
All work and no play will make Max [and everyone else] a dull boy.

Fresh off the boat

2008-11-14T03:59:00.005+05:30

Elections are done, dreams have come true. The unlikeliest candidate is now the President of the United States. A rather nobody, a wonderful orator and a leader who inspires. Nevertheless, little to no experience under the belt.

As I watched the below video, only one thing came to mind. What if this is Barack Obama? What would happen to the world?

Video Courtesy: Yes Prime-minister and BBC through www.youtube.com

This reminds me of the word that defines newbies to the US: Fresh off the boat. Not really sure what has to be done and not entirely comfortable and fitting into the situation at hand.

For the love of god and the future of the United States and that of the world, I hope that this is what it is: British humor.

Marriage and Melodrama

2008-11-12T16:41:00.011+05:30

Photo Copyright - Gotta be Max - www.nfyniti.com

And yet another douche bag bites the dust.
This is exactly how I felt when I heard of a friend getting ready to tie the proverbial knot. Don't get me wrong. I don't think of marriage as the end of the road. It is merely a road that I do not understand. And if you were to hear a few people I know [cannot call them out for their own sake] speak their mind, they tell me about what a great mistake marriage was.

Statistic: There is enough empirical evidence to prove that men are likely to say how marriage was a mistake and that they had a lot more fun in a life prior to that. Women on the other hand are likely to say that marriage was the best thing that happened to them and they would not trade it for the world.

Truth be told, I cannot think of myself married. I am 'old enough' to get married. I have friends who are married. I have colleagues who are married. I have colleagues who have kids. That is not a problem. Am I a kid? Maybe. A disputed factor, depending on whom you choose to speak to. Am I mature enough? Again, opinions vary on this topic. If you ask my dad, I think it is safe to assume that he will say that I am good for nothing. I try to think of someone who will counter that view, but I think that is a self-fulfilling prophecy more than anything else. Let us not go down that road.

Under the assumption that I can indeed get married [old enough, dumb enough and mature enough], the next question is to obviously the right girl. Let us face it. This blog is black in color, no flowers or smileys. Dont tell me you thought I was a girl. Or gay for that matter. Sorry to those amongst two and a third of my followers who had intentions of setting me up with their guy cousin who is a 'Systems Architect' working for Infosys and currently working at client-side in Columbus, OH. That is just not happening.

Do I have commitment fears? I would think not. Some people I know would think so. But, it is not the case. Why, commitment is the second strength that I always quote in all interviews. Commitment to my goals, commitment to my dreams and commitment to my success. It is not difficult to extend this commitment, enthusiasm and interest beyond the realms of an interview. I ask myself this question and I know that I do not have the fear.

So, what is it? Is it the pressure of the decision, the importance of the decision? I would think not. I think I will have thought things out before I take the plunge. So that is not a fear. Yes, you can never predict the equity market and the mind of a woman. But, it is a fair risk-adjusted project I would believe.

Can I not compromise or adjust with the newer or maybe different ways of life? Not really. Have been there before and that is not an issue. People who know me know that I can generally get along with most people, can adjust in almost all settings and am very accomodating in most respects. Think otherwise? Feel free to leave a comment. Not smart-ass ones though.

Is it the closing of doors on 'opportunities'? Well, no comments. The less on this topic, the better. Else, I know that this is come back to bite me. Not that I plan to run for the President of the United States. But, enough people can link this back to me for me to keep quiet. Let me just say that I am a single-girl-at-a-time-guy.

Is it the horse-with-eyes-covered-limited-vision syndrome? Maybe. I really hate to see when guys go 'sorry Mate, plans with wife'. Or 'Wife is alone at home'. Come on dude, she is not going to run away. She is not going to have an affair with the milk-man [are there any of those existing? Maybe in Columbus, OH.]. You want to spend time with her, that I understand. You do not want to antagonize her, that too I understand. It is her birthday, I would personally kill you if you were not with her. Unless you are an Investment Banker at WhatEverRemains Capital that is. It is the 200th day since your paths crossed each others in a dim-lit party in the meat-packing? Give me a break. I am sure that you can spare a couple of hours for friends of the yore. Or carry on your tradition of poker on a Wednesday night with cigars and beer.

Can I not speak on the phone for hours? Hell Yea! Enough experience on that front, not a problem. Though I have to say that I do not think too highly of losers on the train/bus/public transport who can go on and on. Get a room!

Have I not met the right person? Well, everytime I me[e]t her, she seemed like the right person. But, then again, maybe not. Tough to say. A matter of perspective. I will think that this was never the cause.

What is it? After Porter's five forces, three C's, four P's, BCG Matrix, and various other methodologies of solving the case, I really do not have an answer to this. Well, let me rephrase that. I do have an answer. I just do not know the reasons and the thought process behind the answer.

Maybe, someday she [whoever ever that turns out to be] will show me the light at the end of this tunnel of darkness. And hopefully it will not be the train.

Until then, I hold my ground. Thankfully, my parents are not yet on my case. They seem a while away on that front.

Make hay while the sun shines
Light the town, when it is down

I believe that I speak for most people my age. There is really no reason for shirking away from marriage. For most, the right girl is there. And the opportunity to as well. And yet, there is a weird non-Newtonian centripetal force that pushes you away from the depths of marriage. I do not have to deal with it just right now. But, I know I will have to deal with it someday. I need to find an answer to this.

Good News

2008-11-08T17:39:00.002+05:30

Apparently, I have been going to the fortune teller way too frequently. Well, not really. In this day and age, the internet brings it to your home, for free and often unsolicited.

Today's fortune was interesting: Good news will be brought to you by mail

Let me assure you that the news that I await and that I would classify as 'Good News' will arrive by mail.

Fingers crossed, prayers said, agarbattis lit and blessings sought. Let that Good News arrive... first by e-mail, then via telephone and finally via Fed-Ex.

Nanu tu akela hai

2008-11-07T07:00:00.003+05:30

nanu, iss duniye mein tu akela hai
pal bhar ke liye saathi milenge
hasenge khelenge
aur phir chale jayenge

umeed pe duniya kaayam hai sahee
par umeed doosronki tujhpe hai
tu kissi se umeed na rakhna

jo tune umeed rakhi
mooh ke bal girega
jab tu ladkhadaate uthegaa
tere haath mein sirf tera daant hoga

nanu, iss duniye mein tu akela hai
koi tere saath naa hai

- Max ke Bhaiyaa

Max Comment
#1 - Understand the Bhavana :)
#2 - Nanu = Max

Reality Check

2008-11-05T15:19:00.006+05:30

This is the commentary from an Obama supporter. I dont know if she chooses to publish any thing on this topic or not, but I think this is a valid pointer that needs mention. Entire text in verbatim by Blah.

UPDATE: She has posted it on her blog here.

---
Here is the thing about this whole Obama victory... the enthusiasm has already died for me! I fear that people believe that electing him will produce a magical cure for all their problems... I hope they believe him when he reminds them that the ardous journey has just begun. As a non-american, I applaud that they finally got the courage to pick an African-American man (still, not a woman) to lead them. But as a non-American, I also hope he will not overlook the other smaller countries, where he has to play the role of the 'Big Brother'. I hope he puts peace and trust before war and suspicion. I hope he urges the people to not forget yesterday's big story of the violence in Congo DR. I hope he reminds tomorrow morning that the news channels needn't profile his kids' new dog, his wife's dress tonight, his aunt's immigration status... but look at those bigger problems that will not disappear overnight.

Mr. Obama ...a whole world looks on to you for change, not just USA.
---

Max comments: For the sake of the world and the USA, I hope that he delivers.

Crystal Ball

2008-11-05T14:18:00.003+05:30

This is what I found today as my fortune for the coming month.
You will never need to worry about a steady income

True. Infact, I am amazed by the logical correctness of this fortune while being eons away from reality. :D
Given that I do not have an income, I do not need to worry about the steadiness.

Brilliant!

Crying in the rain

2008-11-05T13:47:00.004+05:30

I just cannot cry yet
for the end is still a while away
the milk was spilled bad
that is how it will stay

the spill is drying up
leaving behind an ugly stain
things have gone so numb
that I dont even cry in the rain

Laugh I cannot manage
Tears I cannot manage
feebly you see me smile
joy missing for a while

As another night comes to an end
and the sun gets ready to shine
I hopelessly pray to Thy
may things turn out fine

If Thy wish it not so be
Thy lock me up in sheer pain
may else it not be sunny
for, i'd cry in the rain

-max

If you appreciate the song...
Video Courtesy: Everly Brothers through www.youtube.com

I have a dream

2008-11-05T11:43:00.006+05:30

Picture Courtesy: www.wikipedia.org

Martin Luther King Jr. once said very famously:
'I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.'. He worked for the rights of the Black people of the United States of America and probably the world.

Even he would probably not have dreamt that one day, a black person would rise to become the President of the United States. Today, with the election of Barack Obama as the next President, the obvious and yet unlikely has been achieved.

Picture Courtesy: TIME magazine archives

Kudos to Obama for having dreamt this day and working towards it. Kudos to the American public for having helped him realize this dream.

I will probably never forget the incident that occurred this evening as the news of Barack Obama winning trickled in. After having watched most of the results at Murphy and Gonsalez near NYU, we were walking towards the PATH station to get back home. Apparently, in between our exit and this moment, Barack Obama had won enough seats to be declared as the winner. People were rejoicing in their homes, balconies and in the streets.

An African American person approached us as we were waiting at the corner of 9th and 5th. He exclaimed "Do you know what color is Barack Obama?". We didn't know what to say and how to react, having been caught off-guard. Before we would react, he provided the obvious answer "BLACK!". He continued "A Black person is now the President of the United States".

As he walked into the night, happy with the outcome, I realized how much this victory meant for the African American community of this country. I realized how much this country had progressed since the times of MLK Jr.

While time alone will tell whether Obama is a good president or not, one thing is for certain: Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream has finally come true.

Parting Notes
#1 - I am a Republican.
#2 - I cannot vote.
#3 - I do not matter.
#4 - I hope that things do turn out well.
#5 - God Bless America
#6 - Jai Maharashtra!

Of Greed and Jealousy

2008-11-03T13:32:00.027+05:30

The inspirations for this post are the original post by Amitabh Iyer where he points out this article in the Live Mint by Vir Sanghvi. Other unlikely inspirations are the question that I had in an Investment Banking interview [Yes they are still being held, contrary to popular perception], the Corporate Finance class by Aswath Damodaran and the general bad press that Investment Banking has received in this past year.

Disclaimer 1: I am a business school student, worked with a 'bulge-bracket' firm and will hopefully enter the industry again.
Disclaimer 2: None of my colleagues or recruiters are likely to ever read this or trace it back to me. So it is not for their interest and therefore for mine. :D

Picture Courtesy: www.LeveragedSellOut.com
"Greed is good" - Gordan Gekko

I remember a statement from one of the senior Investment Bankers at Goldman Sachs: "People hate us for what we are and what we earn... But, boy would they want to be one of us."

Now, while the statement was from a pompous righteous ass who probably thought no end of himself and his own brethren, he may not have been too far from the truth. For years now, there has been a carefully cultivated aura about an Investment Banker and his [unfortunately, it remains a majority type-A male driven industry] trade. When and how it started is difficult to point out. Nevertheless, it is difficult to dismiss this as a non-existent phenomenon.

For a career that is extremely hard to get into [that may not have to do with mere merit and other academic skills] and stay, it is a fairly popular one. For a career that is extremely brutal in terms of its hours and its reputation as a strain on personal self-respect, it is a fairly popular one. For a career that is known to be filled with many righteous ass-holes who think they are gods greatest gift to mankind [and womankind if you know what I am talking about], it is a fairly popular one. For a career that is known to not be rocket-science and to not be stimulating at most times, it is a fairly popular one.

First, let me try and address the hatred aspect of the story. People do not like other successful people. Period. In a capitalistic economy like the United States, where success is often measured either by the number of ex-wives or by the cut of the suit, it is not difficult to understand why there is an universal hatred for those who have these material things in life. And with money comes the trio of power, extravagence and arrogance.

Picture Courtesy: www.wikipedia.org

Most of the developing world and parts of the developed world love to hate the United States of America. There are multiple reasons for this, all funneling themselves to the basic tenets: power and arrogance. The United States has the power, thanks to its military hegemony status, that allows it to dictate terms to the world. And it has the arrogance that it is the best [arguably true] that the world has to offer.

Ask any [well, the vast majority] American whether they subscribe to this view and they will resonate with a thumping yes [understandably so]. Try and ask this very question to someone in China, Russia or Turkey and they may not share the same view. They might go to the extent of saying that the Americans are good for nothing, extravagant and arrogant. For them, the Americans happen to be their favorite punching-bag and the cause of all evil in the world. And yet, given a choice, most would kill to work in the US and live there.

As a second example, let us consider the software giant Microsoft. Love it or hate it, Windows has the largest OS market share in the world. Apple and Linux fans, check the figures and then take a hike. Bill Gates is depending on the day, the richest person in the world. They are not the best innovators, yet they know how to mass produce and market products. Let us face it, they did not develop the Windows idea, Apple did that. The Internet Explorer I believe was based on the Netscape Navigator and it was Lotus 1-2-3 that came up with the first integrated spreadsheet and word processor suite and not the Microsoft Office suite.

Picture Courtesy: Time Magazine archives

Microsoft is like McDonalds. They may not make the best burger in town, but they darn well know how to market one in order to make the sale. People love to hate Microsoft. And this is not just the Apple folk. Those who believe that Microsoft is a piece of crap. Those who very happy when the Yahoo! deal did not go through for Microsoft. Just take a look at the number of worms and viruses that aim to attack Microsoft. While Google has overtaken as the best techie firm to work for, techie geeks will still kill to work in Redmond, WA.

Finally, let us consider the case of two sporting giants. One is the Australian Cricket team under Steve Waugh. The other is the Scuderia Ferrari team with world champion Michael Schumacher, Jean Todt and Ross Brown at the helm. For those who do not know what either of these were, consider the ultimate dream team in a sport that you love. These guys dominated their arenas in such a manner that there was no competition for miles. People loved to hate them. Why? Because they were that darned good. And the rest were jealous of what they had managed to achieve. They were the team to beat, they were the team to hate. And they were arrogant as hell. It was my way or the highway. When the champion spoke, they expected people to sit up and listen. And the rest of the world did not like that.

Before you scorn in disgust, let me tell you that these are mere examples. I have no intention of suggesting that Investment Bankers are high and mighty like the US of A, brilliant in market strategy and penetration like Microsoft or rock-stars like Michael Schumacher. Rather, the point is to demonstrate the hatred and spite that people may have for others, most of which is not grounded on sound ideas. This is not limited to Investment Banking. Hardly so. This is applicable to the Real Estate developers, Diamond merchants and others as well.

I also do not wish to point out that Investment Bankers are rocket scientists. Rocket scientists are found where they are likely to be found: NASA and ISRO. The guys at Google, the guys at Intel, the gals at Pfizer and Genentech, these are the people who are the brilliant minds in this world. Yet to claim that Investment Bankers are pathetic and of no real value-add is to make an unfair suggestion. Some of the bright minds start with IB as a career right out of undergrad college, MBA or PhD programs. Finance and Accounting is an art, rather than a science. The very fact that it deals with money reflects the need to have smart minds in the industry.

The industry has had its share of genius. Unfortunately, I am not the best person to comment on them, given my own limited knowledge. I will try and highlight a few.
- Warren Buffett - Widely regarded as the single biggest genius when it comes to identifying investment opportunities.
- Michael Milken - The father of high-yield debt, before he got mired in insider trading and manipulation.
- John Meriwether - The man behind LTCM
- George Soros - The man who broke the Bank of England.

Picture Courtesy: Business Week archives

Barring the first, you would question my choice of identifying stalwarts in the industry. The integrity of Michael Milken, John Meriwether and George Soros has been questioned at some point in history. In fact, Milken was sentenced to imprisonment for his role in some real shady deals at Drexel Burnham Lambert. The fact remains that they were indeed great financial innovators. Well, the problem that beset them was a simple one: GREED.

If we circle back to the current crisis, it is unfair to blame merely the Investment Bankers. Of course, they have a pivotal role to play and this cannot be ignored. Take a step back. Let us say that tax is a totally voluntary thing. You pay if you want to and can evade it if you so wish. Hypothetical case, chimeric case. Consider it. How many would really end up paying the tax. My guess would be none. Show me a good deal and I will take it.

The Investment Bankers did a similar thing. They saw an easy way to make easy money. I believe at some level, everyone realized that this bull run in real estate prices was not sustainable. Sub-prime lending was not sustainable. It would fall on its face. But, here is what they also thought.
- Let us make hay while the sun shines. Bad idea, the sun sets faster than you realize.
- We are the smart ones. We can do better than the others. Wrong idea. On average, you perform average.
- Things have been good. Why worry? They looked at the statistics and convinced themselves that all was right. They did not realize that their glasses were colored.

While we blame the Investment Bankers, take a moment to think about the following
- Sub-prime home owner: You don't have the money. You buy on credit. You know you cannot afford it. What were you thinking?
- Mortgage Salesman / Mortgage Lender: You don't check the client. You pick people on the street to buy them houses in a weird sense of socialism. You give this to Investment Bankers. You take your cut. You could not care about the rest. Dude, what were you thinking?
- Investment Bankers: You buy all the mortgages you can. Try to sell all you can. Keep the risky ones for self. Can you be more GREEDY? What were you thinking?
- Government: What on earth were you doing? Do not blame poor Dubyaman, he didn't even know what was happening.
- Economists and Finance geeks: What were you doing? Why was this so difficult to predict. Barring the great Dr. Doom - Roubini himself that is.

Moving back to the topic, a common argument against Investment Bankers and Consultants questions their value addition to the system, the industry and the world in general. At face value, this may seem to have some credence. The Investment Banker does not create anything of true tangible value. He does not innovate cutting-edge technology like the i-phone, hybrid cars or sources of alternate energy. Nor does he work towards creating a life-saving drug for the eradication of the hepatitis virus, the human immuno virus or for that matter even a common cold.

Yet, he raises money for those who perform just these tasks. All the Google, Wikipedia and Genentech of the world are all dependent on raising capital. Well, without the Investment Banks, this would still be possible. Not easy, but possible. Besides this, the Investment Banks help create liquidity, a ready market for trading securities and help structure complex products to reduce risk.

Reduce risk you would ask with your eyes and mouth wide open. Is that for real? You would think that I am kidding you. Well, it is true. These are difficult times. The intention was to diversify risk. GREED got in the way. Unusual and unlikely probabilities got in the way. Two firms down and a complete mess later, we still do not know how it happened and who is to blame.

Spare a thought for the Investment Bankers. See what their absence is doing to the markets. Firms cannot raise capital. Capital spending is down. Recession in progress. Houses have lost their equity. All those who were screaming that Lehman Brothers be forced to go down [like it did] did not realize the sort of systemic spiralling effect it would have on the entire eco-system. With their 401[k] now suddenly in dire straits, people suddenly wished LEH had not gone down after all.

Alas... if only we could turn back time.
LEH, rest in peace.

Change

2008-10-31T02:48:00.005+05:30

Change is the only Constant
- Anon

Given that the entire world is in a state of flux and is constantly changing. I too have decided and promised to change myself to what I wish to achieve. I got this idea from the most unlikliest of sources. It was one of those websites whose entire value proposition is to ask individuals to list things that they want to achieve in their lifetimes. Things like Backpacking at the foots of Mt. Tibedaabo, BASE Jumping among others.

I asked myself, what are the two most important things that I want to happen. I realized that both of them and many of the following ones were not entirely within my own hands. I decided to change myself in a way that was for my own good and in a way, in my own hand.
One is a personal trait while the other is a habit. I am hopeful. I am confident. I am going to try my best[est]. Wish me luck.

-max

Mera Mustaqbil

2008-10-30T13:52:00.006+05:30

This is a dab at a few verses in Urdu. This is in a state of flux and is likely to expand at a later stage.

Photo Courtesy: www.gannonandbenjamin.com

andhere ke sannaate ko choor karte
savere ek nayaa sooraj nikala
iss naye daur ki roshni mein
andekha sa hua pichli raat ka masla

tujhse hai yahee meri iltejaa
aye moula aye mere khudaa
manzil hai saamne mere
mustaqbil se ab naa kar judaa

manzil hai saamne mere
mustaqbil se ab naa kar judaa

- Miyan Max

Going gets tough

2008-10-30T10:43:00.002+05:30

The old adage is When the going gets tough, the tough get going. I am not entirely sure if that applies to the current market scenario. For, even the toughest tend to slide down the slope that the falling Dow Jones [and other stock indices] have created.

I am not sure if I am tough and would hardly want comment on it. Nevertheless, I will say that the conditions are indeed very tough. Every once in a while, me and my friends look at the malaise and its never ending downward spiral and wish to hang our boots in hopelessness.

In times such as this, I make it a point to watch this video. It is ludicrous and almost insanely hysterical. And yet, it makes a good point and sends across a strong message. Here is finding meaning in a medium where I believe none was really intended.

Video Courtesy: Joel Pena Arias through www.youtube.com

The Life After

2008-10-29T09:08:00.005+05:30

A video on what it means to be out of a job in a market such as this...

I walked up to the casino table, nothing really in my pocket
And I am leaving, nothing really in my pocket
But between that time, man was I on a roll!

Video Courtesy: UntuckedFilms through youtube.com

Sutli Bomb and more

2008-10-28T11:54:00.011+05:30

It is the festival of lights. It is Diwali time. There is just one problem. It hardly feels like it is Diwali. There is no buzz in the air or a sense of purpose that you see on most minds. Well, there is a reason... this is the US of A and not India. And while I live in arguably the 31st state of India, New Jersey, it is still not the same.

For one, there are no firecrackers, diyas - earthen oil lamps that dote the landscape. There are no adhoc sweet-shops or elaborately dressed individuals heading to their friends house or better still, to the temple. You will find the odd dot-head draped in a saree covered by the warmth of black Ralph Lauren over-coats. But that is all. For a community that boasts of the number of South Asians that it has, it is entirely strange and quizzical.

Well, we wouldn't let our brethren dampen our spirits would we? With all the enthusiasm befit of the festival, we decided to take the trek to the local temple. Well, local is two hours away. We got up bright and early. Ummm... errr... not entirely. With no mom or grand-mom to wake us up, we managed to get up at a leisurely quarter past six. That is, after seven snoozes on the alarms. I showered in the traditional manner with coconut oil and the works. Why? For the kicks. I don't think I appeciated it back in India. Apparently, I now do. Wearing the new janevu - sacred thread, I offered whatever prayers that I knew. It is a shame, given that my grand-dad can read and recite all the hindu religious books in chaste Sanskrit and often performs religious ceremonies.

Finally, dressed in new clothes and super charged up, we set out for the temple. The temple is in Flushing, NY. I live in Jersey City, NJ. That is the meaning of a local temple. The average time for travel is typically 90-120 mins. To get a sense of the travel, click here. Anyway, this was my first time and I was super excited. After four train journeys [yes, four], we finally arrived in Flushing. Well, not at the temple. This was now a bus ride away. I asked myself, why on earth would anyone build a temple so far. Again, I reminded myself, we are not in India. We are in NY and its sky-rocketed real-estate prices. I should hardly be complaining. I wasn't.

We had to take the MTA bus. The problem was that we got confused and took the wrong bus. Next, we got off at the wrong stop. Actually, we realized that we were lost and decided to get off. Thank god for friends, google maps and hopstop.com. After fifteen minutes of help from friends, who directed us in the right direction, we got to the temple site.

The temple was under construction. There was a shiver down our spine as we wondered if the temple was in fact shut for construction. Luckily for us, it was not. As we entered, we saw tam families enter with exquisite sarees and other Indian fare. We on the other hand were dressed normally. My friend gave me a don't blame me look: don't look at me, I have to goto work after this. We convinced ourselves that god would appreciate our sacrifices in coming all the way out there and ignore any irrelevant details.

The temple - a Ganesh temple, was a nice temple. There was some good artwork and despite the constuction activity and NY location had the aura of a temple. We were in time for aarti. After praying to Lord Ganpati for a good job and other things, we prayed to the other deities there as well.

We then went to the famed cafeteria [Hindu temples generally have great food] for some food. True to its reputation, we had some wonderful South Indian food. As was expected, my South Indian tam-bram friend didn't think too highly of the food. Yet, it was appreciated given the circumstances.

Tangent: South Indian tam-brams will hardly appreciate anything other than their own mother's cooking. Understandably so.

We also picked up some chakli - spicy Indian snacks and some barfi and halwa - Indian sweets.

Happy with our journey, we decided to get back to the city and back to our lives in school. And while I had an exam on the day of Diwali and another the day after Laxmi Puja - festival of the goddess of wealth, we did try and enjoy our diwali. It is interesting to note that both these exams were conducted by Indian professors. B-ah! Bloody Indians!

Diwali night was capped with a wonderful and stuffing-oneself dinner at the Tiffin Wallah, a fine Indian vegeterian-kosher restaurant.

All in all, it was a wonderful Diwali experience. I still do miss the Sutli-bomb, the lights and the sweets. But, it was a good experience, given the circumstances.

For the record, Sutli-bomb is not the same as a Sultry Bomb. I am sure everyone likes those. A Sutli-bomb is a fire-cracker with a fuse called the sutli. It generates a loud explosion and is standard fare for Diwali. Just for the record, these crackers are handled by children and peace-loving individuals, not kalashnikov-totting terrorists.

The next plan is to have a taash [poker] session on the weekend. Plan is to start in the evening and go through the night. Diwali, I would say was well enjoyed.

Parting notes
Mr. Landlord: Do not worry a bit. As instructed, we did not light any diyas at home. I understand your fear of fire. Especially given that you have chosen not to repair the fire-alarm.

Mr. Obama: Thank you for your wishes. They cut no ice. Not that I can vote, but that does not mean I cannot have an opinion. Go McCain!

ABCDs and Socialists: Don't be so shocked. Obama is no good. And get that Bloody Indians! look off your face.

Finance Guys: May Laxmi Puja mark the start of an economic revival. May things look up again.

Wish you a Happy Diwali and a prosperous New Year. Peace and Joy to all!

Keep Walking!

2008-10-26T20:56:00.010+05:30

Life often leaves us all stranded at weird crossroads. Eeriness in sight with life as we have known it as a distant reality. A challenge, a sitation, a problem to which we do not have an answer and are afraid to ask for one as well. Afraid not because we wish to not look stupid. Afraid rather because we do not wish to know what the answer would be. We live in denial like an Ostrich with its head in the sand, hoping it will all go away and things will be just as they were or rather just as we want them to be. However, life has its own timeline and pace to operate, does it not? You would think.

This is the story of a 20-something girl named Neha. At one instance, she is driving down a pristine and scenic road in a coupé with her friends by the side, music blaring and smiles a mile wide. It is one of those angelic smiles that can melt just about any heart. And yet, there is nothing angelic about her. In a couple of meetings, you realize that what you think is angelic is actually naughty and playful. Living her life to the hilt, she is a girl who pursues her dreams and is not wary to challenge the world or to speak her mind. Just when you think that nothing could go wrong, you realize that you may infact have jinxed it. All of a sudden, she finds herself on a bench, all alone. She seems to be away from her friends, her loved and dear ones. There is a quiet breeze blowing and all she can hear is her heart pounding.

Photo Copyright - Gotta be Max - www.nfyniti.com
Life throws us many a curve-ball. Some we hit out of the park for a home-run, dancing our way to victory. Some do not meet that fate and leave us stranded. That mon ami is the way of life. You win some, you lose some. The trick is to celebrate those that you score and to take the rest in stride. Life is cyclical, ups and downs an integral part. Ignore not the falls for they teach you a valuable lesson. They teach you how to fall. More importantly, they teach you how to get up. Falling is not a sin, choosing not to get up is.

Neha is hardly one of those who would not get up. Pits in her life have been deep. Pits in her life have been many. Yet, she has clambered out, albeit with a few bruises. Taking them in her stride, she marched on, her head held high. She learnt what history had to teach, not rueful of the falls she had. In one such trench, she promised herself that there were to be no more of these. New ones, maybe. But, none of the ones she has already seen. She had learned the trick and the smile was back. We were happy that she was happy. She was happy that we were too. And then, that curve-ball came again.

If you ask me how to describe life, I would say it is about hope. The hope of getting out of the pits, however deep they may seem to be. Hiding in there for a while is okay. Hiding there, not wanting to get out is probably not as good. However deep it may seem to be, one needs to have hope. Hope to clamber out eventually. Hope to get a response to the clamor for help. Hope to be back on one's feet going about one's business. Hope that one would not be buried in by the sand that the wind were to bring over time. Hope is a beautiful creation of the Holy One. It is the single weapon that the most despondent bedouin has in his search for an oasis in the expanses of a scorching hot desert. The easiest thing to do is to give up, hang your boots and be the autumn leaf that lets the meandering river choose the path.

Neha had become that autumn leaf. She seemed to have given up, resigned to her fate. She felt that she could never swim upstream. She felt she could not swim at all. Not a soul would have said that it was to be a piece of chocolate cheese cake. And yet, most would have said that it was possible. Easy? Darned no. Possible? Most definitely yes! But her eyes could see only that which she wanted herself to. Her ears listening to only that which she wanted to as well.

Let me step back a couple of paces and admit that I do not know the entire story. Not because I do not care to find out or ask. Rather, because I choose not to ask. She chooses not to speak. If she wanted to speak about it, it would have been spoken about. If she could speak about it, it would not have changed the course of her life. It is surely not a trivial matter and I would hardly wish to suggest that. I understand the gravity of it all. Or do I not?

Neha felt the gravity of it all pulling her down. She fought, bravely and valiantly. Yet, deep down she was not convinced herself. She was not sure if things would go back to being as picturesque as they were. She tried hard to be positive and happy. But, life persisted with small blows with eerie precision at regular intervals. Just when she had steadied herself, she would fall again. Walking on thin ice, status quo was hard to maintain.

Status quo can sometimes be the easiest thing to maintain. Do nothing at all and say nothing as well. To be where you are and to not move an inch. However, change is the only constant. And yet, it is hard to change. To change yourself, to change your thoughts, to see change and to move with it.

Neha moved on. She decided to change. Or did she not? It is difficult to say given that she is a person of her mind. But there was a semblance of sense. A sense of chaotic orderliness that seemed to prevail. It was to be the calm waters at the surface and yet turbulence deep beneath. We did not see it coming. We did not see that she was at a dead end.

In our journey called life, we sometimes come across a dead end. No path in sight, no path in place, we are mystified. Should we turn back and find another path? Should we take it as a sign? Is it time to call it a day? It is time to go to the cleaners? A short answer: NO. It is never the time to go to the cleaners.

Let me at this time bring perspectives of my own life as an example. Like every person on the street, I too have challenges in life. Maybe more than the rest. Who am I to pass verdict on this? Some may think that its not too bad for me. In business school at a time when everything could go wrong is going wrong. And even more. The only way seems to be down. As I run pillar to post to secure for ourselves a sound future, I see myself running myself of options. No end in sight, it is tough to not lose hope. To resign to fate and to brood over the times we see. Have I thought about it? I would be lying if I said no. We all have moments of weakness. We cry, drink down our sorrows, shut ourselves from the world, cry some more and drink a lot more. I curse all and sundry and keep asking god... why me? Why now? But, the sun rises the next day, as do I, keeping what happened in the past there and start a brand new day. Bringing purpose, direction and motivation, I try to reason with myself that it will all end one day.

Neha, the pain will all end one day. That day may not be today, may not be tomorrow or the day after. The day will come. Do not lose hope. Life is such a beautiful journey. Don't let a single incident take away from you the best gift that god has given you. I do not know what it is that makes you cry. I do not know what it is that makes you weep. But, I can assure you that it will go away. There will be a way and you will see it. Maybe it is already there.

Drastic measures are not the solution. REPEAT: Drastic measures are not the solution. There is nothing that you will have achieved through this. You don't have to fight the problems today. However, don't run away from them as well. Your family is by your side. As are your friends. Nevertheless, there are some battles that you have to fight by yourselves. This is one such battle. For, this time you have to fight with your own self.

Whatever happens, pick up your baggage and move on. If the baggage is heavy, leave it behind. Keep Walking!

PS: For a change, I do know this girl.
PS-2: For a change, this is not an 'it is a friend, which is actually me' story
PS-3: As usual, if its not a Wii, its not worth mentioning it. [Only a few people will understand this joke]

British Humour

2008-10-12T23:55:00.003+05:30

In classic British humour style, the Long Johns - John Bird and John Fortune explain the subprime crisis and the reasons behind the same and the role that Investment bankers play.

Video Courtesy: youtube.com

Where the Life is?

2008-10-12T17:38:00.005+05:30

Photo Copyright: Gotta Be Max - www.nfyniti.com
These are tumultuous times that we see. As I stand at the crossroads of life, I find it an unseeming quagmire. Where are we heading today? What do I seek and why? Is it just an item in a long list of to-dos? Or is it not? Will it be relief, joy, exhilaration, rejection, grief or sheer despondency? As the true thriller that life is, one can never tell.

Where has all the fun gone? Bring back the smile
There is fun, joy, lots of laughs and kodak moments with friends. It is for real and nothing is fake. The smile is back, strong as ever. And yet, as a dear friend will claim, there is something amiss. It is a mystery that has not been solved. For, there is no answer in sight. Will the goal be the end of the quagmire? Or will it not? Is there something more than that meets the eye. There are many questions, most of them unanswered.

Picking and prodding never works, let alone in this case. Drastic measures have been tried. Their outcome, not encouraging. Their side-effects, aplenty. Quite a few sleepless nights away, insomnia is a way of life. Sleep by day and awake by night, life seems like a trans-atlantic flight. Drinks go missed and parties abegging. And while life is not far from normal, one does ponder: where the life is?

Burning Down The House

2008-10-12T13:50:00.001+05:30

A video on what caused the US economic crisis. It seems like a John McCain propaganda machine, but one cannot run away from the hard economic facts. It is a long video, but it is well researched and documented. Poor music choice and a bit of political rhetoric in the end as well.

Video courtesy: youtube.com

Obama's Tax Policies

2008-10-12T04:41:00.004+05:30

This is just one of the reasons that people should NOT vote for Barack Obama...

Picture Courtesy: BradFitzpatrick.com

Changes to the marketplace

2008-10-08T23:46:00.004+05:30

A satirical piece on the current state of affairs. I am pulled between laughing and appreciating the joke and cynicism on what all is happening.

The Job, was created by Screaming Frog Productions and has played at over 100 international film festivals and has been honored with 27 awards.

Musings on markets

2008-10-08T12:02:00.006+05:30

I was inspired by the blog 'Musings on Markets' that has Prof. Aswath Damodaran writing on his views on the state of the world markets, corporate finance and valuation. I do not need a lot to get inspired, but this one person is arguably the father of modern corporate finance.

If you don't believe me, check this out...

Inspired, I wrote my own hideous and childish lines...

teree raah dekte reh gaye
dil ke armaan dil mein hee reh gaye

vaada toh kiya aapne
vaade vaade hee reh gaye

socha abhi abhi aayega
socha kabhi bhi aayega

par woh nazar mein naa aayaa
dooor jaata hee chalaa gayaa

rouu mein yaa gamm mein hassoon
iss utaar chhadhao may kitni deir mein phassoon

aye market tu kab waapas aayega
ujde chaman kab bhagaayegaa

ek baari aaaja aaajaa aaaa jaaa...
uuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuu

The wind that took the sand away

2008-05-13T00:23:00.002+05:30

Blood relations are there to stay! We often take them for granted. And in a lot of ways, don’t realize their true worth until distances do us apart. We fall back upon them in times of need and find them just as they always were; strong as ever.

Friends are who we choose. The lines not drawn, we make up our own. There isn't any rhyme or reason and there shouldn’t be one too. Sometimes, we draw the lines only to sadly erase them away. Life is an experiment at times and the line ends up being just another one of them.

At other times, there are those that we draw them over and over again. The lines are as dark as we could draw them with hope and prayers that time and tide not wither them away. These are the ones that are close to our heart in more ways than one. They resiliently weather the storms of time only to come out stronger and better. These are the chums for life. Seas apart and yet in close proximity. Always busy and running head down in the rat race called life. Nevertheless, comfortingly and reassuringly close at all times.

Then there are those we met a few times. These are people who have left an indelible mark on our lives in a few moments of sheer magnificence. The story is surprisingly blurred. Their transitive journey from the unknown to importance is often mysterious and cannot be recollected. It may be the sheer brilliance that clouds our memory.

The wind may go as fast as it came. Yet, it leaves the tingle of its effect and the relief of the experience. An effect unlike the sand that it took away.

The future

2008-05-03T14:39:00.003+05:30

Its been a hectic week...and it has ended with two sleepless nights [1.5 hrs in the last 48]. It has been a lot of my favorite topic of the semester. It has been a lot of what I want to do going ahead... Corporate Finance, Excel modeling and estimating the value of a company [in my case, LVMH - Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy]

It's been an interesting journey through all of this. Nevertheless, the most gratifying piece is the knowledge, realization and ratification that I am pursuing a dream that is exactly in line with my goals.

Looks like I am indeed fit for banking! Be it the two straight nights of no sleep or the decisive handling of the model, I believe I got it right!

The spam mail

2008-03-08T06:08:00.003+05:30

I get a lot of spam... And most of it is caught by the nifty Gmail filter... But, the guys at Google do have a sense of humor and they let the funny ones slip in so that we can all look at them and have a good laugh!
This has got to be the funniest spam ever... The things that people do...

-Max

Dear Friend

How are you, hope you are well and your family too?
Do not worry about how I got your email address. I have your full details including your daily activities.
I have been paid to assassinate you and I do not intend to kill you because from my own private investigation about you which I always do before carrying out my mission I found out that you are a good person. So how do we do it now?

Don’t try to report to any body otherwise I will not hesitate to smack you down.

Get back to me immediately.

Urgent

I walk it alone

2007-12-29T02:29:00.001+05:30

The end in sight
I walk along
There is none else
I walk it alone

I meet the smiles with dreamy eyes
Do not yearn to be one of those
There is none else
I walk it alone

They take different paths
They walk within themselves
There is none else
I walk it alone

Ideas do not match
Thoughts and dreams not too
There is none else
I walk it alone

The climb not too tough
The journey not too long
There is none else
I walk it alone

To each her own
To each her self
There is none else
I walk it alone

The end in sight
I walk along
There is none else
I walk it alone

I saw this lady walk in the park today...

-Max

If you were easy

2007-12-27T01:49:00.000+05:30

Life, if you were easy
You would not be a challenge
If you were not a challenge
It would not be worth the effort

Life, if you were easy
You would not be a dream
If you were not a dream
I would not be awake

Life, if you were easy
You would not be a game
If you were not a game
I would not be running hard

Life, if you were easy
You would not be a song
If you were not a song
I would not be singing along

Life, if you were easy
You would not be beautiful
If you were not a beautiful
I would not want to be alive

Life, if you were easy
You would not be a mystery
If you were not a mystery
It would not be worth the effort

Life, if you were easy
It would not be worth the effort

-Max

Snow white and the dwarf

2007-12-03T00:32:00.000+05:30

It is my first snow fall in New York! Well, it's my first snow fall ever! Coming from sunny state of Goa, India, snow is something that I have never seen, of course other than the time it is on the television. The lowest that it goes is 19 degrees C or 64 degrees F. Fair enough to say its a stark contrast huh?

So, it is beautiful to wake up and see a sea of white outside the window.

It feels like you are in heaven past the gates and into the clouds. It is so beautiful and serene that it looks as though god came by the previous night and cleaned the place up with milk. I choose the second option. I dont think I would be in heaven just yet!

It is the first snow fall of the year and one finds children and adults, all playing in the snow, having fun and making snowballs out of the snow. We checked the place out and it is prettier than it looked from the window. Tiny flakes of snow suspended in the air, its difficult to keep the warm overcoat and gloves on. You want to get them off and feel the snow. But, it is too much of an adventure for the first time, so I decide to let it pass. Once I am used to the snow, I could probably weather the storm...

I am no photographer... but these are pretty!

The view from my window

The view of the Newport Marina - I

The view of the Newport Marina - II

Hope in the heart kindled

2007-11-21T07:09:00.000+05:30

On the threshold of insanity,
I see the light afar
hoping for it to be the sun,
dreading lest it be a train

Hope in the heart kindled
fear in the mind abound
clutching the crutches i walk
seemingly small the steps seem

Covering oceans if you do believe
and hope is all there is to be
for the end i need to see
and thus i nudge along

Hope in the heart kindled...
and thus I nudge along

Penned this while chatting with a friend.
-Max

Chats from the past

2007-11-19T23:14:00.000+05:30

It was a while... a really long time. Some part of me wants to argue that it was unjustified. I was busy... which I don’t think is anything new. Nevertheless, I have not been in touch with a friend who means a lot to me. A small gift is no means to believe that I have been in touch. He is an unlikely friend: grumpy as he (it is a he) can be, does not speak a lot easily, extremely secretive and in many ways different from me.

In the same breath, there is SO much in common. I do not know if I am any important in his life. Only that I know that I am. Over a period of two and a half years, he was almost like another elder brother to me. Yet, he was the friend. Always there when I needed him. Helping me out... fending for me and taking care of me. Cursing me when he needed to and protecting me when he needed to.

I almost thought of him as a protective hand over me at times. A friend that I wish I could be. A friend I hope and try to be.

Did I wish he were more jovial? Maybe.
Did I wish he were less stiff at times? Maybe.
Did I wish he would listen to me? Sometimes.
Did I wish I had listened to him? Sometimes.
Did I thank god that he was around? All the time.
Did I wish to be like him someday? All the time.

There are so many great instances that I would devalue them by listing. Time and tide wait for none. And as times change… people change. People move to places apart. But, the memories remain…

Dreams and hope has compelled me to move on… to places far away. I hope that some day we are in the same place again… some day!

He's Scared

2007-11-19T11:37:00.000+05:30

He can't wait to see her
To meet, to be with her
To watch her as she smiles at him
He's scared

He wants to look into her eyes
To hear her whisper "I love you"
He's scared

He wants to hold her, to stroke her
He wants to feel her wrap her arms around him
To give him all her love
He needs that
He's scared

He wants to fall asleep holding her tight
And wake up that way too
He's scared

He wants to care for her and show her passion
He wants to show her that
And he needs it in return
He's scared

He wants to be in love
He wants her to feel the same
He's scared

He wants her to give him all her trust
And he wants to trust her too
He needs that
He's scared

He was hurt once, he really wants to try
He wants to wipe away the old memories
And the things that made him cry
He's scared

He needed her love but he wouldn't let it be
It was unconditional love but he just couldn't see
And so he backed away from her
He's scared

But she wants him to know that it was true and real
All he had to do is let himself feel
She cared...

This wonderful poem was posted anonymously as a comment to one of my poems. I want to recognize its meaning by bringing it to the fore!
-Max

Friends back home

2007-09-15T09:24:00.000+05:30

As I left for future unknown, leaving life as I knew it behind... I left home... I left family and I left my workplace...

I also left an important part of my life... I left my friends behind...

This is dedicated to those special friends at work that went beyond just being colleagues at work and meant a lot to me!

look not thy what you see
for all you see are words and pictures
understand rather the thoughts
something that you rather see
for the thoughts if you see
have a beautiful story

one of four people vastly different
yet similar in ways more than one
one of four people who walked their life
sharing moments and having fun<'p>

one of four walking away
all by himself on the river quay
time and tide wait for none
try you may, they still run

the rest at junctions in their own life
matter of time that they walk their paths
finding themselves far away
each walking their own way

life takes us down these paths
for we have to do what we have to do
and we take memories in our heart
for that is all there is to take

so smile it out and accept the fact
its time to sign the friendship pact

one with NY
one with PA
one with NJ
one with DJ

but path whatever shall we choose
what we have, we shall not lose
for we are what we are
let time not take us too far

-Max

You will be missed

2007-09-14T11:58:00.000+05:30

It may be quite a while since I have quit the job in pursuit of a dream. It may be quite a while since I have received this list... but today, as I open the farewell message and looked at the list... I felt a clot in my stomach as I remembered the good old days back at work. Not that I am not having a great time... its just that you grow fond of people when you like them.

I am one of those few people in the world who was happy with the people he worked with. I had a great time and hence miss the times once in a while... today is one of those times... so I thought that I should write the list down! This will not sense to most people. This is dedicated to the RENG team that I had a great time working with! This is what was said...

You will be missed in
1) Holdings Inquiry JIRAs
2) Lagaan - Part 'N'
3) APF Opsware and BuildForge
4) Report Usage
5) CAPGAINS
6) tWiki
7) MyContent
8) Town Hall Bars
9) Bird Watching
10) LBI Challenge
11) One-on-One scheduled for 30 mins and that finished >= 1 hour
12) Late Sitting Support
13) Guttur Guttur
14) Raksha Bandhan with your 'Behana'
15) Your e-mails
16) Lezhim dance with Merao for KK's blackberry
17) Get Account debugging
18) Mentoring
19) Family Fights with Anup
20) Unreachable phones
21) Goa Cashews
22) Cry for 'Surmai'
23) Comments passed on KK along with Merao
24) Bachhon jaise fights with Merao
25) Show-off with Dual monitors
26) Nonsense jokes
27) Lost calories and ghaas-phoos lunch
28) 'Mambo'
29) 'I was not there' & 'Not me' statements
30) Smilies on jabber
31) Invite to jabber meeting rooms
32) Future presentations by KK
33) 'Death Machine' bike
34) French beard and 'subject' look with shaved head
35) Dahi and sweet fights
36) Ringing of RENG ghanta
37) ReportFeed schema discussions
38) and finally Business Knowledge

- RENG team!

Waqt Nahin...

2007-07-21T15:56:00.000+05:30

har khushi hai daman mein,
par ek hansi ke liye waqt nahin...
din raat daudtee duniya mein,
zindagi ke liye waqt nahin.

maa ki loree ka toh ehsaas hai,
par maa ko maa kehne ka waqt nahin...
rishton ko to hum maar hai chuke,
unhe dafnane ka bhi waqt nahin.

saare naam toh hai phone mein,
par doston ke liye waqt nahin...
gairon ki kya karein baat,
jab apno ke liye hee waqt nahin.

aankhon mein neend hai badee,
par sone ka waqt nahin...
dil ghamon se hai bhara hua,
par rone ka bhi waqt nahin.

jeevan ki daud mein aise hai daude,
ki thakne ka bhi waqt nahin...
paraye ehsason ki kya kadr karein,
jab apne sapnon ke liye hee waqt nahin.

ab tu hi bataade aie khudaa,
iss zindagi ka kya hoga...
har pal hai marne walon ko,
humein jeene ke liye bhi waqt nahin...

har pal hai marne walon ko,
humein jeene ke liye bhi waqt nahin...

- Adapted from the works of Anon

Mock not thy

2007-06-22T19:07:00.001+05:30

Mock not thy those who dream...

For while they dream...
They have a foot on the ground
For while they dream...
They do so at night

For while they aim for the sky...
They have an eye on the ground
They choose not to fall
The mouth open and face down

They don’t want to lose on days
Their Lady Luck chose to frown

Mock not thy those who dream...

-Max

Trust

2007-06-14T01:09:00.000+05:30

My mum says this all the time... Trust no one and you will never be deceived, fooled or compromised. I guess that mom knows what is best!
Contrary to what my mum has to say and what is essentially me, I have trusted people and shared some of my deepest thoughts! However, time and again, I have found myself fallen flat on my face...
It is best to talk about the journey after it has completed and not while its in progress or is yet to begin.

Two rules suddenly present a whole new meaning:
Golden Rule: Silence is golden
Silver Rule: If you believe otherwise, please refer to the Golden Rule.

Lessons in Management

2007-05-28T01:43:00.000+05:30

Today I learnt a few lessons in management... Some that I already knew!
Some that I did not.

1) One should never date at work.
2) One should never make the best of friends at work.
3) One should never tell the truth. At the same time, one should never lie!
4) One should never talk more than is required. Information should not be shared unless asked for.

May make sense... may not! Nevertheless, these are some important lessons...
After all... its all about the right mask!

max

We are what we are

2007-02-22T00:34:00.000+05:30

Us lesser mortals
Mock us not!
We are but nothing poor souls...

None too great
None too smart
None too bright
None with too head a start

Yet we are winners
for we are what we are
Yet we are winners
for what we choose to be

None too lost
None too slow
None needs a chance
None needs the flow

we value our two pence
we value our belief of the right
may not have favor on our side
yet will put up a fight

brave not we be
strong not we be
yet choose to stand strong
we are what we are

it may be dim
may not be seen
the absence of it
a result of the screen

open the eyes
look around you
more than meets the eye
more over the horizon

it may be dark
blame not the light
blame your mind
blame not your sight

we are what we are
we are no poor souls...

-Max

Hope

2007-02-15T01:35:00.000+05:30

I wait for the sun to rise...
I wait for the dawn to come...

Hoping things change for the better...
Hoping the change happens at all...

Hope...hope...hoping away...
Dear god...hope there are good things to say
Don't leave me dejected...
Have good things to say!

The sky is dark
But the dawn is not far
I look with bated breath
for the sun to arrive

I wait with bated breath
for the sun to arrive
to rise up high
to fill up the sky

I pray to god
let it not be an eclipse
I pray to god
let it all be good

Oh Almighty! Make me happy
Let there be a smile
I will be indebted
for as long i am alive

I live with hope
for what else do I have
With nothing in my hands
hope is all I have

I may be scared
I may be petrified
But I hold to all that I have
hope is all I have...
hope is all I have...

-Max

Challenges

2007-01-28T23:03:00.000+05:30

A life without challenges...
it is like going to office with no work to do
it is like going to school with no lessons to learn

Challenges come not to depress or get you down,
they come to grow us as a person
they come to teach us the ways of life
they come to make us feel good of ourselves
they come to uncover our abilities
they come with a reason... let us not question that reason
Let us rather relish the challenge and work towards winning it!

Trek to Matheran

2007-01-19T02:08:00.000+05:30

After a long time, I am going on a trek on Friday 19th Jan 2007.

The following is the itinerary:
* Leave from the Powai office @ 17:00 IST
* Catch the fast train for Khopoli @ 17:58 IST from Ghatkopar.

* Reach Neral by 19:15 IST.
* Start trekking around 19:45 IST and reach Matheran latest by 23:00 IST. The plan is to take the road while climbing.

* Sleep over at Matheran.
* Sight seeing the following day
* Start back by around 1530 IST.

We are coming back early on Saturday as we have to be up and running (literally) early on Sunday for the Mumbai Marathon.

It is going to be a PACKED schedule this weekend with the trek, marathon and other things planned on saturday and sunday nights.

Charity

2007-01-17T03:05:00.000+05:30

Like last year too, I have enrolled myself as a part of the corporate team for the Mumbai Marathon. Besides the fact that I have a chance to participate in the marathon itself, it gives me an opportunity to contribute to the funds that would be donated for charity by the firm.

The new thing this year is that the participants are also required to take a few pledges from the general public and collect donations for a charity of their choice (In my case the employer decides, and I dont disagree!).

I had a few apprehensions. This was like my experience as a Boy Scout. I would take part in collecting money for charity. Or the time in Sanvedna where we collected money for the disadvantaged children!

The corporate environment has its own challenges when it comes to requesting for donations. First of all, the fact that I have to request those people to donate whom I work with is a tricky situation. Asking is not the problem. The problem lies with their discomfort. Since it is for a noble cause, most people cannot be seen to be not donating. Hence, many of them feel compelled to pay. While the money is important, my thoughts are that any money that is not given from the heart should not be collected.

I try to ensure that people do not feel compelled to pay up. I throw the idea across and then gauge the enthusiasm. If there is no enthusiasm, I do not pursue the matter any further. In fact, I make it a point to request only once. Only if the person has shown a strong desire to donate would I get back to them.

Another thought is that people judge others based on their donations. I have had instances of people commenting on the amounts donated by others. Personally, I believe that it is the thought that counts. Another point to take cognizance of is that we are unaware of their participation in money and/or kind in other charitable causes. They may make it a point to have a token gesture to participate.

I made it a point to explain whatever that I could with regards to the Non-Government-Organization (NGO) that the proceeds would go to. The NGO in question is one named Magic Bus. I explain all the work that it does for the children and how we as a firm have been associated with this NGO for the past 2 years. It is important for people to realize that the money that they are donating is going into the right hands. I do not blame them for that as I would probably have done the same.

Anyway, there has been a notable collection of INR 5000/- (and counting) as of now! I have a total of 20 or so pledges. And I am yet to add my money to this! :)
It feels nice that a lot of people have donated!
I used a different strategy from the others. Instead of mailing and requesting others, I gathered the attention of a group of individuals and addressed them. This gave me a better attention span. Having explained the basic process, I would wait until the individual showed some enthusiasm!

On a personal note, I realize that I am 1500/- INR away from matching the person with the highest contributions that was cited in the booklet that we were given!
That sure is great going!