One day in Stockholm

9 Sep

The land of the Vikings Stockholm is a compact & beautiful city.  At 59 Degree N latitude its the N most city I have visited ( Only Reykjavik at 64 & Helsinki at 60 are established large cities at higher latitudes). Like any European city it has a wonderful personality  and old world charm. A population of about 900,000 and 30% of the city is waterways and another 30% are parks. Its a wonderful place to walk and experience and it takes just a few hrs to cover the length & breadth of the city.

Stockholm

I finally got an opportunity to visit the city famous for greats like The Abba , Bjorn Borg, Greta Garbo , Ingrid Bergman & Alfred Nobel.

Stockholm

Thanks to our quarterly team meeting being held here I was able to spend a Sunday here. Its a short flight from Frankfurt ( 90 Min) and the Arlanda Airport is a well designed spick & span airport. The Arlanda Express connects the airport to the City in less than 20 min and the Sheraton where I stayed is right opposite the Central Station. While one can walk around the city it has excellent public transport – Buses , Taxis , Metro, boats  and even Tramways.

Few Things that must be seen

The Djurgardsvagen area – which is like a large central park and covers a vast area. Its green , enchanting , peaceful and tranquil. I was up at 5.30 AM and walked to this park ( 25 min from my hotel). AS I was walking I passed a beautiful passage of tree lines roads that created a boulevard for walkers and cyclists right in the middle of a arterial road.

Djurgardsvagen area

I spent a good 2 hrs getting lost in the peace and quiet of this wilderness. I loved this green patch which was glistening with dewdrops and spent 30 min meditating in the fresh morning air and praying that in my next birth I should be born in Europe.

Stockholm

Right opposite to the park is the Nordic Museum a structure that has a Russian influence. The city and its people have a mix of Russian , German , Lapland influence which is visible in their features and the architecture of the buildings. In the 9th & 10th Century the the Vikings from sweden spread all across E Europe and reached as far as Constantinople. They even invaded Russia and all but the last Tsar are of Viking descent.

Nordic Museum

Next to the Nordic Museum is the Vasa Museum. This is the most visited Museum in Stockholm ( and they have 87 Museums in the city) . The Vasa was a ship like the Titanic built in 1628. It was a War Ship built to enable the Swedes to control the Baltic – but the design was faulty and the ship sunk within an hr of setting sail. 333 years later in 1961 the wreck was salvaged. The reconstructed vessel (98% original) is now the largest Tourist Attraction in Scandinavia.

Vasa Museum

The city also has a Hop on Hop Off bus service , but this can be avoided as all the places are walking distance and the commentary and service is no comparison to what one sees in London. One good place to drop by and explore is the old city

bus service

In addition to this all along the waterways there are boat companies offering city tours , bridge tours , hop on hop off tours . One option is to link the Bus & Boat tour in one package.

What else to do – Visit the Opera House and Palaces if you have the time. The hall where the Nobel Prize is announced. Food is not a problem  and there are enough Italian / Sandwich / Pizza Huts  / McDonalds all over the place. One large TGIF and Hard Rock Cafe are landmarks. I did not spot an Ikea or the Ericsson HQ  – and was told that its in the suburbs and not in the Central City. City shops are mainly Mom & Pop stores. Not much of SE Asians ( fortunately) and did not spot any Indian restaurants in the 8 hrs that I walked around. Lots of Chinese & Japanese Tourists.

The local currency is SEK ( Swedish Kroner) and not the Euro though Sweden is covered under the Schengen Visa. (1 SEK = 10 Rs). The place is not cheap – food for one in a simple restaurant is about 300 SEK ( 3000 INR) , the Hop on Hop Off is 260 SEK and the Arlanda Express one way is also 260 SEK ( Compare this to the 14 Pounds for the Heathrow Express – and London looks a lot cheaper). The room rate at the Sheraton is about 2000 SEK ( 20 K INR) and this was booked 60 days in advance ( The ITC Sheraton in India for 10 K / night is a lot more luxurious with superlative service) . So a one day cost for 1 person is about 10 K ( Luckily I had the room on my Rewards Points). Getting a family of 4 with 2 rooms can be a very expensive proposition.

Did I see the Aurora Borealis – No I did not . Although the hotel staff did say that it was visible on certain times of the year. I was lucky that it was a nice sunny day ( 25 Degrees) and it was bright till 8 PM. Summer days are 18 – 20 Hrs and winter nights are 18 – 20 hrs.

Thanks to my company and my manager in London one more beautiful city ticked off the – To visit list.

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Oh for a silver lining in this sea of negativity

2 Sep
We have been a lucky generation. We started our career in 1992 when the engine of growth just started revving up. But for a small blip post the Lehman crisis its been great sailing with strong tailwinds for most people of our generation.
However the sea of negativity that has been all pervading and accelerating over the last few years is  now getting us deeply worried. And I am sharing some of my concerns.
Match winners lose in the last over 
I would rate Narasimha Rao as one of the finest PM’s India has produced. The man pulled the economy from deep crisis and set the road for a 20 year bull cycle in India – credit may have gone to Manmohan but PVN was the anchor  – he was indeed the shrewd Chanakya of indian politics – he lost his next election.
Atal Behari Vajpaye was the darling of the educated urban – the India Shining Campaign , Golden Quadrilateral project , fast decision making,  clean governance, brilliant foreign policy – he  gave hope to millions – markets were booming , economy was on fire , the feel good factor was all pervading and thousands came back from the US in the early 2000’s – sadly Atalji and BJP lost the next election. I always felt that if Atalji & Advaniji had got 3 back to back terms they would have changed the face of this country – but that was not to be.
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Closer home Chandrababu Naidu was the man who put Hyderabad on the global IT map. His vision and passion was evident as he worked 16 hrs days to realise his dream. Building the roads , fly overs getting Bill Gates to invest in Hyderabad – he was more of an effecient CEO than a politician. He also lost his next election.
What scares me is that UPA may win the next election by putting together a majority with multiple partners. NDTV , Times Now , CNN IBN , Facebook , TOI & HT touches a few Million people- we can cry ourselves hoarse – but things like the food security bill deliver votes. Nobody questions why a Food Minister who has been around for 10 years has done nothing about rotting food and a broken distribution system
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Drive 30 min from Bangalore and nobody knows Anna Hazare & Arvind Kejriwal – thats were 80 % of India lives. The whole formulae of freebies & largesse to the poor , caste politics , minority politics is indeed a great concoction that delivers votes. Who cares about the 15 M educated Tax Paying salaried class who are great at intellectual masturbation but sadly 80 % of them dont vote.
If you messed it up so badly its a strategy – not a mistake 
A booming economy cant get messed up so badly in 5 years. The growth momentum sustained UPA 1 , but all that they have done in the last 5 years seems to be calculated moves. 18 Months back Anna & Arvind Kejriwal were threatening the Parliament from Jantar Mantar. The whole country felt that finally we were at the anvil of a revolution. When was the last time you saw either of them in a TV Interview or read their interview in a paper ? They seem to be totally blocked out – How I wonder ?
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Is there fear amongst the powerful ruling class – many of who are descendants of erstwhile Maharajas that the educated middle class like Arvind Kejriwal can upset their party. Some time back a very famous CM of Bihar had said – as long as people are poor and hungry its easy to brainwash them and get their votes. Educated people with the power of RTI can be threatening. So its better to keep the people poor and hungry. And for that you need to get the economy on the slow track. Stop investments , block FDI with retrospective Tax , complicate transactions , build infrastructure at snail pace, outsource everything for a price  – what happens the factories get built in Thailand , Vietnam , Cambodia and even Bangladesh. We just become a country of Traders. But then that serves the purpose of the 10000 rich families that probably control 80 % of the wealth in India. Remember the biggest protest against liberalisation came from the Bombay Club !
Reverse Exodus  
As we live in a bubble economy ( Tanker Water , Generator , Private Security , totally devoid of any Government institution help) I see a lot of worried friends . Many US citiziens who came around 2000 are heading back. Not just because of the economy but because of the state of Education and the safety of women. You are really scared if your daughter cannot walk 200 m from your building to buy a packet of milk or cycle with her friends outside the complex or take a bus / train on her own. The news paper every day reports at least one ghastly rape. Quality of education has collapsed – we still have good schools but the college’s are a disaster. Even the IIT , NIT , IIM’s are nowhere close to the standard that they had in the 80’s. A leading Medical College like Manipal has a batch size of 250 + , St Johns , AIIMS, AFMC & JIPMER  probably have a batch size of 25. And people are ready to pay Crores to become a doctor from Manipal. There is no work for the 15 M Engineers & Graduates who come out of College every year. There are no good teachers. Yopu pay donation join a college and then join tuition classe. So what happens most people who can afford send their children abroad to study even for UG course. And with the $ close to 70 that makes it even more challenging. The cops dont exist for the common man and the ROI for the last 5 years has not even beaten inflation. What do you do ?
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I just hope I am not getting too pessimistic and I would love someone to show me the silver lining. A friend who came home for dinner yesterday did say that we have indeed been a generation that has never seen challenges. The potholes of the last five years do look like black holes but over a 20 year period they may seem miniscule. I just hope he is right – I just hope UPA 2 does not come back to power.

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In a world of our own !

13 Aug

8th , 9th , 14th , 19th – thats what I hear every morning as I enter the lift to my office. Its 8.30 AM  as hordes of hassled people jam into a lift juggling their bags , tiffin boxes still managing to talk on the phone. One lone voice and a smiling face greets the old lift operator in Tamil “ Appu Sir – Did you have your breakfast” . You can see the joy in Appu Sir’s  face as he finally feels acknowledged. He feels he exists.  To everyone else he is just a robot who for years has been pressing the lift buttons to your floor.

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The 32 lane Toll booth on NH 8 between Delhi & Gurgaon is the second largest in Asia. Over 2.5 Lac’s pass thru them daily. Its a sight to see the speed with which the toll boy collects and dishes out changes in the evening rush. He is just a nameless face.  One morning when the crowd was not a mad rush my friend Rajesh Marwaha a good rare samaritan  greeted the  Toll Boy with a pleasant smile ” Good Morning Ji – Kaise Ho” . The guy literally fell off his chair. For so many years nobody had even noticed him – and here someone was greeting him. A simple act – but the millions who cross him daily had never thought about it.

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While Govt may claim that Wholesale price inflation is 7 – 8% the truth on the street is very different. Food inflation is at an all time high – galloping past 20 % YoY. Onion prices in many parts of the country are touching Rs 100/Kg and most vegetables are priced above Rs 50/kg. Govt employees DA is increasing by 20% , most companies are doling out pay hikes in the range of 12 – 15% – but have you even given a thought to your maid & drivers salary. People who live from hand to mouth. While the Planning Commission & Montek may say that Rs 32 / day is all takes to be a middle class citizen of the country the truth in the street is very different. Maids earning 3000/ HH / Month and Drivers earning 10 – 12 K / Month need a big fat hike now.

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I have tried convincing many in my building to give maids a weekday off. But thats a touchy topic and 125 angry women pounce upon me as the discussion starts. These  people  are indispensable to the Housewife ( there are over 15 M of them in the country and they form the largest group of unorganized labour) they are supremely skilled and can manage a wide variety of work ambidextrously. They are efficient , fast , tech savy with HH gadgets , they are not maids they are Super Maids. If they knew english they could be the next big export from India –  and yet when it comes to feeding them – the first thought is to treat them with leftovers and cold food. Dammit they are human too – treat them to a nice warm lunch after they have slogged in your house for 4 hrs with backbreaking work. When you give them Diwali sweets get a nice new box for them. Its not the cost that you save – its all in the thought.

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The MP’s gang up together to give them pay hikes and block thru legislation any rule that puts them at a disadvantage ( RTI for political parties , no participating in elections if you are in Jail etc) – and we shame the politicians for this. But the smiling housewife your friends & relatives & maybe at your very house needs some introspection. Like they say change begins at home.

We see the contractors at Maruti & Bajaj protest against low wages and long hours. The era of “salam saab” is fast ending. We are lucky that the poor in India are not violent ( Aka S Africa / Brazil) – but lets not push them into a corner so far that they have no choice but to revolt – and that can indeed be a violent volcano.

Food – Eat to Live or Live to Eat

2 Aug

Have you ever weighed the amount of food you eat in a  day ? Across Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner , a few snacks , some Coffee , Tea – add it all up – it will be about 3 – 4 kgs/ day. Thats about 1000 Kgs a year. Assuming you live for 75 years thats 75,000 Kgs of food you have consumed in your lifetime.  

A large adult male African elephant weighs about 6000 Kgs – so in effect an average adult in his lifetime consumes  12 Elephants. That sounds scary given the fact that the average weight of an adult is about 75 Kgs . So 74,925 Kgs of shit is generated by a human being in his lifetime. Sounds Gross – but think of this the next time you gobble down an extra serving.

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If every indian reduces his food intake by 20 % then food prices will come crashing down and so will inflation. So rather than a food security bill maybe the UPA should enroll Baba Ramdev and preach the benefits of eating less and doing Yoga.  Added benefit is no more additional sewage maintenance plants will be needed for a few years.

So how much food do you actually need ? Very less given that 70 % of your energy comes from Sun & Air. The more you eat the more you consume energy to breakdown the food in your body. Some say that in 24 hrs all you need is 24 times the quantity of food you can fill in your palms.

People living in Ashrams , monasteries , the ancient Rishis seem to have figured this out . And that was the core doctrine of their good health and source of energy. A good lifestyle , coupled with Yoga , Meditation &  minimal food can generate enough energy and more for you.

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The discussion on Veg & Non Veg food is also interesting. 80 % of Indians and more than 90 % of the 7 Billion inhabitants in the world are meat eaters. Think of the meat that is being processed every day ! Unlike animals Humans have no canines to tear the flesh. Our digestive system is also designed in a manner that 70 % of the digestion happens in the mouth and throat , we also have a very long intestine when compared to carnivore animals.

In humans Non Veg food takes about 35 Hrs to digest. The temperature inside the human bods is about 40 Degrees – its dark & humid. Ever tried keeping a piece of cooked meat on a hot summer day in a dark corner of your house for 35 hrs – see what happens to it. Thats exactly what happens to the piece of meat that you eat.

Eating meat has no correlation to strength & energy – the Horse & the Elephant two of the strongest animals are pure vegetarians. So a simple Veg diet rich in fruits & vegetables , coupled with regular exercise and some meditation is all you need to feel light and energetic.

Dont let the tastebuds dictate your life. A few 10,000 cells spread across less than 1 Sq Cm should not be dictating your health & wellbeing

( Information based on discourse delivered by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudey in his Inner Engineering program)

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ॐ = mc²

11 Jul

Quantum Physics and Einstein explain the relation between Matter & Energy. The ancient seers & rishis claimed that the universe is nothing but energy in different forms. WE have ourselves experienced how the energy in our body transforms at different times. The topic is attracting  a lot of attention. There is an interesting forum called SAND – that holds a conference on Science & Non Duality. It attracts the best of scientists and thinkers from across the globe to discuss on this topic. For those interested here is the URL – http://www.scienceandnonduality.com).

Since ages all the enlightened beings – Buddha, Shankara, Osho, Vivekananda, Ramana Maharishi – have all demonstrated that there is infinite energy inside in the human body. And True Knowledge & Bliss can only be obtained when this energy is activated and it merges with the cosmos. Call it nirvana, awakening of the Kunadlini, Enlightenment – its all one & the same.

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Reading multiple books on the topic I have managed to pick up information in bits & pieces but have struggled to connect the dots – it all started coming together  last weekend at an excellent program called Inner Engineering conducted by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev (Isha Foundation)

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The first thought that comes to my mind is the sheer mastery of Sadhguru’s facilitation skills and witty oratory that holds the attention of nearly 300 people for 30 hrs across 2 ½ days on varied topics of spirituality. His topics are diverse , communication is flawless and he holds the audience rapt in attention. Good content , well packaged , delivered perfectly – its an excellent product. A good mix of discourse, interactions, activities and fun makes the program indeed a memorable one.

The execution of the event is perfection epitomized. Managed by volunteers who have experienced the benefit of the program – it runs in a meticulous manner with a supreme eye for detail for the smallest of things. A live instrumental team with guitars , drums , flute veena and some lovely singing keeps the energy level in the hall very high. Overall a wonderful event – clearly  the best training in self development that I would have attended.

Its been just a few days and I already see the benefits of the program . You feel lighter, clearer , energized and more at peace with yourself. If this can happen in 3 days I wonder how far we can go after a year of regular sadhna. I want to capture the essence of the program in this blog and I would strongly encourage all of you to attend this program. (There are multiple versions happening across the country including an online version – http://www.ishafoundation.org)

The core of the program is to initiate participants into a ancient and powerful Kriya called the  “Shambhavi Maha Mudra” that helps ignite the hidden energy inside an individual. Its simple, takes 30 min to practice every day and you can see a visible difference in a few days. ( http://blog.ishafoundation.org/yoga-meditation/demystifying-yoga/why-shambhavi/)

Let me now try and summarize the core philosophy explained by Sadguru in the program. This is just a tip of the iceberg and the true depth & breadth of the session can only be experienced once you attend it.

  1. We are all different forms of energy that is the universe. So when we say God is inside everything or Lord Krishna opened his mouth to show the entire universe inside it – it just means that we are all part and parcel of the same energy that is all pervasive.
  2. Our body is nothing but food, our features are inherited from our DNA. Our mind is nothing but impressions – we keep on adding impressions but have no delete button to remove them
  3. Every emotion is a chemical reaction. Imbalance creates disease. A pill is nothing but a chemical that solves this disease temporarily. You need to be at ease and create the right balance inside you. Our misbalance causes 70% of our illness.
  4. Anger is nothing but a surge of chemicals. It hardly lasts for more than 30 seconds. The angry man is unhappier than the man who he has been angry at.
  5. Our intellect is nothing but a knife that dissects. We need to experience and feel life from within.
  6. The biggest miracle in life is life itself – rather than look at the miracle that is us we look for miracles and joy outside.
  7. As kids we were always happy – as adults we are unhappy most of the time. This is because we have created boundaries for ourselves. A boundary of our family, our building, our community, our religion, our country. Anything outside the boundary seems a threat.
  8. Since we are all part of the same cosmos we need to take responsibility for everything. Our resources may limit our actions for solving everything but this will help us identify the infinite potential in us.
  9. All problems and all solutions exist within you. You need to accept what you know and what you don’t know.
  10. We are technologically the most advanced generation but physically the weakest. Our food & lifestyle habits is threatening our very existence and acting as an impediment to natural evolution. We have destroyed in the last 50 years what has flourished for millions of years. We are threatening the existence of the planet.

He also touches upon a variety of other interesting topic that includes Right Food to eat ( Pranic Vs Non Pranic) , how many was designed to be a vegetarian , how you can enjoy old age by nurturing your body early , Stories on Adi Yogi and how spirituality in India thrived as early as 15,000 years back. How astrology , numerology and the concept of Hell & Heaven are all misconceptions.

Like I mentioned in one my earlier blogs – we have been brainwashed since our childhood days. God does not exist in a temple but inside you. This program helps validate that. It’s encouraging to see that the vast majority of people who attended the program were in the late 20’s and 30’s. It augurs well for humanity if the wave of spirituality can once again revive the country and the world from its woes. It gives me hope.

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Educational Apps for Kids

27 Jun

I see a lot of Tablets & iPads being sold. If we believe the predictions of one of the large market research firms 2014 will see approximately the same no of tablets being sold as computers in the country ( ~ 10M). At home , in a airport , on a train – almost everywhere I see iPads being used by kids as a device to play games.

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There are two common themes that cut across most Indian families.

1. We are ready to pay an arm and a leg for our children’s education. Tuition , special classes , all the books they need  – right from age 6 we start preparing them for their competitive exams.

2. We are not DIY ( Do it Yourself ) people. Our banks even offer to deliver money at home for lazy customers who cant travel to an ATM 100 m away from their home ( and that is a popular service) , our cars are cleaned by our drivers , most of us have drivers , and no house can operate without a few maids, a small balcony garden needs to be tended by a gardener – so overall the point is we are not DIY people . When it comes to studies we are more than happy to pack away our kids to Tuition classes rather than spend that extra time ourselves. After all money can buy everything.

Keeping these points in mind the iPad is a great tool for Kids at home. In addition to playing games they can learn a lot of useful stuff in a DIY manner. That helps in better knowledge retention and understanding of the concepts.

Listing below sections on the App Store where you can download education Apps for all levels – Pre School & Kindergarden , Elementary School , Middle School & High School . These are very useful & simple to use educational Apps for all ages. If you have an iPad download them for your kids and get started with getting more  value for the lovely iPad you have at home.

Apps for Pre-school & Kindergarten:  https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=630741467&mt=8

Preschool copy

Apps for Elementary school: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?cc=us&fcId=634073737&mt=8&ls=1

Elementary copy

Apps for Middle School: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?cc=us&fcId=634638382&mt=8&ls=1

Middle copy
Apps for High School: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?cc=us&fcId=634638644&mt=8&ls=1

High copy

PS – Thanks to my colleague Kiran for compiling all the details

Simplify – Layman’s guide to peace & happiness

20 Jun

Its Tax Time and after three weeks I finally managed to compile all the information that is needed to get the job done in a thick 2 inch file. I got wiser after an IT Enquiry a few years back &  play it safe by  compiling every bit of information of the last FY. An IT enquiry can be really stressful – if you are asked in 2011 to provide in-depth detail of all your finances  in 2006 & 2007 – it isn’t easy  to dig out old records & transactions.

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As you start compiling bank account (s) statements , TDS Certificates , Capital Gains & Losses , Property Details , Home Loan statements , Insurance Receipts , PPF scans , Nett Worth calculations, Credit card statements , Form 16………..- you start wondering – What can I do to simplify my life ?  How can I minimize transactions ? A time comes when you say its Ok to earn 1 % less interest but I want to sternly reduce  all the challenges and paperwork. And thats the goal behind this blog – The road to happiness and how to simplify your life.

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Step – 1 : The goal of every human being is to be HAPPY 

I start with a simple Question – What is it that is common to all the 7 B people who inhabit planet Earth ? Other than the fact that they all breathe , need food & water , have desires and  live in communities ? Suppose I get all the inhabitants of the world into a large Stadium and ask  – All those who want to be Happy raise your hands ! My guess is that every person in that Stadium would raise his hand.

Step – 2 : What makes you Happy 

This is a tougher question.  A Big House , a hefty bank balance , a promotion , becoming a CEO , getting elected as a MP or the Prime Minister , a Rich Husband , A pretty wife , fancy holidays in exotic jets……. In short to a vast majority on earth Happiness is defined by two broad parameters – 1. Wealth

and 2. Status & Power. 

What is common to the Bellary Brothers , Satyam Founder Raju  , Rajat Gupta & Sanjay Dutt ? They are just some of the Rich & Famous people who are now behind bars. I doubt if they are Happy. Is a rich & powerful CEO happy – constantly under pressure to perform and facing the axe  from the shareholders if he slips a tiny bit. Partying in a pub with wild friends maybe happiness to many on a Fri evening after a long hard week – but its  similar to the pain killer shot that the doctor gives you , it just numbs your pain for some time. Most people run after wealth , power & status – that is clearly not the road to happiness. So what is the REAL  road to Happiness ? Thats a tough one to answer. But lets keep trying.

Step – 3 : Six Sigma & What makes you Unhappy

Lets apply a bit of Six Sigma Concept here. (Six Sigma became very popular in the mid 90’s when every large India IT company touted  Six Sigma and SEI CMM as their road to growth and the flag to enter the global world of IT outsourcing). Six Sigma preaches that the way to improve is to indetify defects – its easier to identify defects than to figure out a way to improve. If Six Sigma can help GE  & Motorola I am sure we can apply this principle to our life and try figuring out what are the defects that make us Unhappy. If we can reduce our unhappiness then automatically our happiness will go up.   Thats is simple and makes sense.

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Step – 4 : 4 Key elements of Unhappiness 

1. Physical Pain – Headache , stomach pain , hurting knees , indigestion , arthritis , BP , 80 % blocked valves in your Heart and similar physical ailments cause unhappiness.

How can you eliminate or minimize physical pain  ?  A good lifestyle , sleeping at the right hours , healthy food & regular exercise – thats all it takes to ensure a health pain free body ( at least in 99 % of the case where you do not have a genetic disorder).

2. Stress  – Unhappiness can also be caused by Stress & Tension. Meeting deadlines , driving sales growth Year of Year , juggling with multiple balls at the same time , trying to squeeze too much out of too less – all this can add to Stress. A lot of this Stress is driven by trying to do too much in too less a time. You are constantly trying to race against the clock. And why are you trying to do this – because you have too many TRANSACTIONS. One transaction leads to another – and another and all of them start adding complexity to your life.

The trick here is to start Minimizing Transactions. Unsubscribe from all unwanted groups and mailing lists , simplify your investment portfolio from 20 different investments to 2 – 3 , avoid multiple Credit Cards , Multiple Bank accounts , reduce your FB friends, if you have 3 houses sell 2, avoid a role in the apartment management committee, stop trying to solve all the problems of the world   – If you consciously start working on it you can make good progress. Each Transaction reduction starts a chain of events and the chain of Transactions continue to reduce.  Set a goal and work towards achieving it. Each reduction reduces pain and gives you joy.

3. Insult – The 3rd thing that makes you unhappy is Insult. You feel your voice was not heard , your opinion & view was not respected , you were ignored. Your EGO is hurt. You created your own EGO – a small kid does not feel insulted its only adults who create their own Ego’s who feel insulted. With insult comes revenge & vendetta. And a river of negative energy starts flowing.  Its easier said than done – but if you can curb your EGO you will never feel insulted.

4. Unfulfilled Desire – The last and most common element that causes unhappiness is unfulfilled desire. The kid wants an expensive Nike shoe and Dad says NO . You want a promotion and a 20 % hike – Boss says NO. Wife wants a holiday to Switzerland and Europe –  Husband says NO. We all get upset when we don’t get what we want.  But getting what you want never makes you happy – else the people I spoke about earlier would not be in Jail. Again a little difficult to get started – but a conscious effort to reduce desire and can help eliminate unhappiness.

Step – 5 : Starting the journey – Meditation 

It sounds simple but getting started and maintaining it is not easy. A simple tool that can help you and be an enabler is to start  meditating for 10 minutes every day. Human beings consist of a Physical Body + Something Extra (Soul , Life , Prana , Consciousness)  . We are constantly in touch with the Physical Body but rarely do we connect with that “Something Extra” . Meditation is the only way to connect with that Something Extra and just 10 min a day can change your life and start helping you to control the above mentioned 4 elements that cause so much unhappiness. its not mumbo jumbo – but a science that can be practiced by one and all.

 

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God – Fearing, Heaven & Hell : Brainwashed – 2

5 Jun

Adj : god-fearing – deeply religious; “a god-fearing and law-abiding people”

Its interesting to see the meaning of the word  “God – fearing” . A simple word – we have used so many times. But lets spend time analyzing this word.

I start with the premise – Why not “God – Loving” ? After all God is infinite compassion , always forgives you &  your mistakes – so why should we be afraid of God. This brings me to an interesting comment made in the movie “Oh  My God ” by the nakli baba ( Mithun Chakraborty) who says that people come to a temple out of fear. You are afraid of losing money , wealth , happiness – hence you come and take an insurance in the temple in front of God. 99% of the people who go to a Temple go to ASK for something – The student asks for Pass Marks or admission to a college , the young girl asks for a nice groom , the 30 year old for a fast track promotion, the 40 yr old for a VP / CEO posting. Rich industrialists cover temples with gold & platinum to ensure that IT raids do not happen , and Politicians offer money & grants to ensure that they do not lose their position & status.Come Diwali & Lakshmi Puja the stock Broker and Baniyas pray for more wealth & success.  The sad reality is that Few, very few go to a Temple with folded hands for peace & quiet – just to say Thank You. The priests & baba’s like Mithun know this and play on the fear – hence the word God Fearing. God did not create it , the institutions that control religion  under the name of great spiritual beings created them.

Linked to this is the concept of Heaven & Hell. We have all grown up fearing Hell and wishing we could at all times be in Heaven. the sole purpose of life is to be in Heaven !

What is HELL ? A place of  endless torture & pain. Where they throw you in boiling oil & fry you alive. Think of the worst set of cruelties that come to your mind – and they practice all of that and more in HELL. Its so easy to brainwash you from childhood with the concept of HELL.

Detail of Hell from Fresco Cycle by Frederico Zuccaro and Giorgio Vasari

I would like to know who conceptualized HELL ? Only a crazy sadist can think of such a ghoulish place that even with its mere mention can terrify mankind. If God created everything – would God create a place like HELL ? If GOD is infinite compassion would he have the heart to punish someone so heartlessly. Jesus when crucified – in extreme pain & agony said ” Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” – that sounds like God.

And what is Heaven ? A place of infinite joy , apsaras & nymphs dancing , unlimited liquor – some religions even promise their practitioners that on accomplishing their mission ( Jihad) on earth  virgins will be waiting for them in heaven.  I wonder how all that is banned on earth is your reward in Heaven – in  unlimited quantities ?

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In Conclusion – Whats the Point I am trying to make.  I am just trying to make you think . Its time for each person to introspect. To reflect on what we have learnt , how we have been brainwashed. Read what the greatest spiritual thinkers of the last 2500 years have preached  – they don’t talk about Heaven & Hell and being God Fearing. They talk about reflecting inside yourself by asking – Who am I ? What is my purpose in Life ? What is the Material & Spiritual World ? Interesting Questions leading to an interesting journey.  Questions for which you need to find  answers by yourself.

Few other related reading sections 

http://atomic-temporary-14030268.wpcomstaging.com/2013/05/20/am-i-a-hindu-religion-spirituality/

http://atomic-temporary-14030268.wpcomstaging.com/2013/04/27/brainwashed/

Simplifying Home Entertainment – Wireless Streaming

28 May

Indians have limited entertainment opportunities –  eating out , visiting  a Mall , watching a movie are probably 3 of the top entertainment activities for an average Indian metro family.

Movie tickets in India are expensive in most of the new Cineplex – a show at PVR can cost anywhere from Rs 250 to Rs 1000 per person depending on the type of auditorium. So going out with a family of 4 can be a tad expensive.

There is an interesting alternative that is emerging. Most Indian families in Metros have graduated to having large format LED / LCD TV’s and every household has a few smartphones and definitely a Tablet. The broadband and Wi Fi is also a default in over a few million households. These are the existing ingredients that you need to tap into to augment your experience of watching movies at home.

Lets look at an interesting device that Apple launched in India recently.  As you see this is a cute device that fits in your palm. Its small but powerful and can really energize your home entertainment . Lets take a look at a few interesting things that you can do with it.

Apple-TV-in-Hand

Most of you would have a Windows or Mac PC at home. With iTunes you now have easy access to download songs, movies, Videos, games  to your PC / iOS devices. These  can be streamed to your TV . Even if the PC is in the bedroom and the TV is in the front room it works beautifully.

We can make this simpler – if the movie is downloaded on your iPad or iPhone then you can stream it directly to the TV.

The device goes well beyond watching Video. There are other advantage too e.g.  you had a large family function and you want to view all the photographs together as a family on your TV. You can download the photos to iPhoto on your Mac / iPad and then choose a background theme / music and run all the photos like an AV.

Its also a lot of fun for kids as Angry Birds, Temple Run and all the other games downloaded from the App Store can now be played directly on your TV through an  iPad or iPhone.

If your TV is not web enabled and you want to watch movies from Youtube – its easy to do that with an Apple TV.

The device is also of interest to music enthusiasts. All the songs downloaded on your Mac / Windows PC can now be played on the TV , if you have external speakers / Home Theater system attached to the TV the experience can be stunning.

So what does it take to make this happen ?

Existing Systems – LCD / LED TV with HDMI Port , Wifi @ Home , Existing device ( Windows / Mac PC with iTunes or any iOS Device)

New Items Needed – HDMI Cable , Apple TV. Indicative cost for both these is less than Rs 10,000/-

Apple TV

 

Few Additional Points to note 

1. If you need to download from youtube & watch – Wi Fi bandwidth needed to stream is a minimum of 2.5 Mbps.

2. If you want to stream content from your home PC , iPad , iPhone – then all you need is a Wi Fi Network.

3. If you do not have a Broadband at home – you can still crate a Wi Fi Zone by using a product like the D – Link companion DIR – 505 ( Indicative Cost Rs 1700)

4. The movie / video being streamed will be at a HD resolution

Its an interesting project to get your kids excited in the summer vacation , you can get started right away and enhance your experience at home. For more details here are some useful links

For more details on this Innovative product here are some useful links

http://www.apple.com/appletv/

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/AppleTV_SetupGuide.pdf

Airplay mirroring in OS X Mountain lion: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5404
Guide to ports & connectors: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1586

 

 

 

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Perception = Reality, True or False

21 May

Many years back I was fortunate to spend a year at a leading FMCG company on a Brand Project. Coming from an IT world selling PC’s & Servers it was a rare insight into the world of Brands . I carried back two key messages on Marketing from the GM Marketing (who is now the CEO of that company)

1. Perception  is Reality &  2. Familiarity breeds favourability .

This essay will touch mainly upon the first topic – as I strongly disagree with the fact that Perception is Reality.

perception_eq_reality2

Let’s assume  you have a Restaurant that positions itself as a haven for great food , and spends a lot of marketing dollars in communicating that message. If you land up at the Restaurant and find that the food and service is bad – will you ever visit that place again ?  Can marketing based on perception and familiarity deliver results or do you need a solid working product to succeed.  Companies like PCL & Shiva Computers created great awareness with full page Ads and tried to sell very mediocre products – sadly these companies do not exist today.

Linked to this topic is also the topic of making tall promises that may be factually incorrect. What does a consumer do then – given the state of our legal system. Is it morally and ethically right for large MNC’s and Corporates to base their products on such communications. Lets look at some examples from leading companies.

Santoor Soap is one of the largest selling brands in the Country. Its positioned as a soap that has the goodness of Sandal & Turmeric. It sells very well in S India where Sandal is considered a +ve factor to create glowing skin.  I would love to ask a  few questions to the makers of  Santoor (Wipro) – How many grams of Chandan (Sandal) are there in every bar of Santoor ? I thought cutting of Sandal Wood trees are banned – how does somebody run a production line making millions of soap bars every year if there is no regular supply of Sandal ? Wipro being a Green Company would definitely not want to promote cutting of trees. Is there Sandal in the soap or is it just a dot of Sandal essence and color that makes the claim ? I don’t know the answer – but I don’t see anything in the pack that says how much Sandal is actually used / soap ? I have friends in Wipro so maybe I should pose this question when I meet them next.

 

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Complan is a drink made by another large multinational. The drink claims to make children taller. All the ads build on that perception and many fall for it. I never drank Complan and am 6 feet 3 inches – my good friend who drank 3 glasses a day all through his childhood is 5 feet 6 inches. Height is determined mainly by genes – and maybe playing badminton and cycling – yes nutrition also helps , but how can a health drink promise to make you taller and get away with it when the results are not delivered ?

Complan

 

Colgate – A brand used by almost every household. It promises  that if you use Coalgate every day you want get cavities. The ads make you feel that if you brush twice a day with Colgate you never need to go to a dentist. Thats the perception that is built. I have used colgate all my life – teeth , gums , cavities I have problems everywhere. Colgate cant fix it – if I had used a saline mouthwash every night and brushed my teeth with a neem stick maybe I would have saved myself the agony of frequent trips to a dentist – but colgate just made me feel fresh in the mouth for a few hours. It did not even remotely deliver the promise it made . In the era of Coalgate this is another case that the CAG may take up for audit.

 

Colgate-Toothpaste

 

Lets look at one more example – Britannia is a great brand – they make great biscuits. The Britannia Good Day with RICH CASHEW is a bestseller. A 150 Gram Pack costs about Rs 23. If you remove the retailer profit , cost of distribution , Margin for manufacturer etc the cost of production will  probably be half of it say Rs 12/- . One Kg of Cashews costs Rs 600 – so if we assume that 10% of the weight biscuit is cashew ( rest being flour , sugar , milk etc) – that would be 15 Grams of Cashews – how much does 15 Grams of Cashew cost – Rs 9/- . You cant make the rest of the biscuit at Rs 3 – so clearly you don’t even have 10% of the biscuit comprising of Cashews – its probably more like 1 % – that would cost about 1 Rs worth of Cashews in every pack of 150 Grams. How many Cashews do you get for Rs 1/ ? Maybe 1/2 a cashew . My math may be wrong and instead of 1% the weight of Cashew may be higher – the pack does not mention how much Cashews are there , but at best we are still talking 1 , 2 or 3 Cashews / pack of 150 Grams of biscuit . Can a brand make a claim that the biscuit is packed with the energy of  RICH CASHEWS by having a sprinkling of the ingredient in every pack ? Yes in this case the perception works – but its now a matter of ethics and the FDA or an equivalent in India needs to step in and stop this.

britannia-good-day-cashew-12x50gm

Lets take one last look – a wonderful product called Honey.One of the rare food items that never gets spoilt. Its the gift of nature. Great for health – best cough syrup , build immunity , great substitute for Sugar. But I wonder are there enough bees & Honey Combs for so much Honey to be produced in India. Forests are nearly gone , you hardly see birds and butterflies & bees – so where is all this honey coming from . Is it natural or an interesting formulae made in a lab. I found this report on food safety where they tested Honey in some US stores – and found that most of them did not have any trace of pollen. Most of the honey in the US stores were from China & India .

Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn't Honey

This report gives one a feeling that most of the honey being sold in stores in US may actually not qualify to being natural honey. Given this – it may be worthwhile to dig a little more deeper into Indian Honey brands and see how Pure & genuine they are.

 


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In Conclusion – yes many FMCG companies seem to be getting away with the Perception = Reality messaging , but its time consumers & regulators were more aware and demand that they get what is advertised & communicated by the brands.

 

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