No Seasonal Blooms, yet Falling Apart

Standing at the doorstep of any New Year, it is my habit to look back at the old one. This year also not an exception, I was not looking at my personal achievement or failures but to some very confusing statistics. Last year we had only three and half seasons instead of four. After eight months of scorching summer, there were a quick fire monsoon then a moderate autumn and finally winter is here. This year we hardly experienced any rainfall and not hoping any better for the future. Greeneries are vanishing thick and fast from Kolkata skyline, obviously the rain pattern going to remain same. Every city’s development preparation comes with a package that includes some plan for plantation, but in Kolkata everything works in reverse order. When I am talking about package for development, most of those come as a loan from different development banks, a little extra plan will cost extra buck, subsequently it will reduce the cut-money that is going to the pocket of various bureaucrats and ministers. Autumn reminds me of USA and its Fall, an unimaginable view with treetops completely changing its colour. Autumn is also very significant among other seasons in India; it is the season of festivals, even this season pinches your pocket very hard still it is outstanding. Winter is here, not big way as it is hurting everywhere in Europe, USA and even Himalayan states of our country. Temperature is still staying as per comfort level and simply winter meant for lazing around. Looking at my garden can see the scattered dry leaves all around. The process starts from end of autumn and continue until beginning of the spring. This routine is very strange, I wonder what the tree itself goes through when old one kept falling, just move on with the process or it too feels the pain as human does.

Looking back to the lanes and by lanes of my journey there were many who crossed my path, some left huge impact, some left quietly and there were some those who were just deserted by me. Today it is so easy, all in ones finger tips, just press a few button and you can give a new lifeline to the broken link, of-course if you are intended to. Our time it was not like that, some cute faces lost during my primary school and then the best time one had their lifetime was the high school, then college and so on. I was very adamant in my younger days, always wanted others to approach me than myself. This attitude often cost me dear concerning a few relations, but that was me and everyone has their own way.

During my initial years in Mumbai, I used give some tuition; enjoyed that stint because I always enjoyed the company of younger one. Today back again to teaching, still old students keep visiting me and we spend hours chatting on different topics, it is a signal that my simple sense of humour is not yet in coma.

There were four sister studying in a very reputed convent school, elder one was in class eight and younger one in class four. They were Christian but protestant, the mother was very fond of me more than my comfort and wanted that every year I should go back and teach her wards. Once found her standing in my bus stand for hours to meet me. Three years on the trot, I taught them then I left that place. After six or seven years, while I was waiting for a bus near Victoria Terminus I saw them back nearby bus stop, all them were grownup and looked like a bunch of young ladies. They were looking at me and obviously talking about me but hesitant to approach. It was all that required was a bit smile from me but I never allowed that and after sometime my bus came along. Today while writing, I just call myself a big fool.

She was my classmate while we were studying computer near Haji Ali, she was my group mate in my project works too. Almost after five years I saw her back, waiting for a train in Mulund station, she was for down train and I was for up train, she looked at me and I did the same thing but none of us tried something more than that. We were standing few meters apart and face to face and never acknowledge each other, funny, my train came along and I boarded.

While visiting my old place in Jamshedpur, if I want I can renew my old relation with my old pals, but my way of life diverted a very different way and I do not know how to communicate with them, so I never tried it.

To revive an old relation no matter what is the gravity of it; all one need is a little smile, one small acknowledgment and a little gesture. All this little things are free yet we never give away free items for free, and on the way we lost some priceless things.

!!!Spring is round the corner, every tree will experience a new bloom; it never happens to us, we do not have any periodical bloom, for us old and new equally matters!!! Hi! Happy New Year!!!

Challenge and Emulate!

Giving away unconditionally, considered to be a of great human quality, hard earned money given for a good cause, Kudos to the donor. I cannot do it, baring a small one that I do not want to disclose, I believe in this great one-liner ‘While right hand is giving, left hand should be unaware of it’. Frankly, I do not have much, worked hard and earned a bit, had a petty simple life and kept a bit for the rainy days. Tomorrow comes with a big question mark and zero answers, great uncertainty makes it beautiful. Therefore, I do not know if there will be at all any rainy days written in my account or not, if not then I will consider myself a most lucky one. It is dream, final call just striking me for the final time when I am sitting in this chair and in front of my computer, sounds delicious!

There are many noble citizens in this world those willing to give away for good cause, they too earned it in a hard way and happy to give away. I cannot hide my appreciation for these peoples. The list of big giver is growing, with Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and others. We got two new names and surprisingly very young, Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz the Facebook co-founders have pledged to give away at least half of their fortunes in a philanthropic campaign led by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.

I already mentioned that Indian rich and famous does not know way of giving, damn selfish. A very ridiculous and horrible explanation came from a very colourful personality and a famed corporate honcho, rather call him liquor baron. Let me describe it by his way, he thinks that he is providing huge enjoyment to the peoples of this nation mainly those are drinking his fine liquors, therefore, the tax that generated is filling the government coffer, where is the need for him to donate for any philanthropist cause. Ha! Ha! Good joke Mr. Colourful, Ouch! It hearts, in winter it is very difficult to enjoy a good joke.

What a shame, India is a leaping giant with growing economy and hardly any giver but then from out of blue someone came with a very generous contribution for rural education that too almost nine thousand crores (2 billions dollar). A huge face saving contribution for India and all common citizens like me. He is Azim Premji, the WIPRO boss. While my field is IT, my encounter with WIPRO way back to eighties, during that time they tried there hand on computer hardware. Slowly Mr. Azim Premji diverted to software and now it is one of the topmost IT companies.

Azim Premji

WIPRO is India's third largest software development companies. According to Forbes, Mr. Premji is currently the second richest Indian with a personal wealth of US$17 billion in 2010. His father M. H. Premji owned the Western India PROducts which later became Wipro Ltd. which made hydrogenated vegetable oils and fats. He completed his initial education at St. Mary's School, Mumbai, Premji was forced to leave his studies in electrical engineering from Stanford University, California, USA at the age of 21 to take over the family business when his father, M.H. Premji, suddenly died in 1966. He has since after a gap of over thirty years completed his degree in Electrical Engineering.

He is nowhere in a race to build a luxurious house that going to compete with a Taj Mahal or any other wonder monument and certainly detest to pose with a dozen of bikini clad girls those are posing for a year calendar. Therefore, my man of the season is Azim Premji. To write my conclusion I always come up with my own quotation but today I just wanted to say a big thanks to Mr. Premji for his generous contribution.

!!!This blog to and for Prem with lots of love and regards!!!

Inspired by the inspiration!!

In numerous occasions, it happens that when we failed to achieve a goal and subsequently decide against a further attempt. I am too no stranger to this situation and often did the same but most of the time I commanded myself loudly ‘well, get up and start all over again’. When failure is in your back, same finishing line will be a distant dream but it is not impossible. Getting motivated while the result is unknown is a thorny task. Why not take an example from King Robert Bruce and his motivation that he got from a spider. Time to look beyond the window for some extraordinary courage and comebacks and that certainly can help us to give a kick to our dying aspirations. From every fields and all walks of life there are a lots who can give you a lesson without charging a dime, just have to get the signal. Always looking for inspiration and getting it from different dimensions. Today I will write about some exceptional comebacks in sports arena, in sports to achieve a goal in highest order is more difficult because both physical or mental fitness are equally needed for the said achievement that once eluded. Do not look for a miracle, the miracle cannot pull you out, it is you and only you can do it. I always believe that no one in this world have enough power that can influence the course of my fate, it all lies with me and with my God.

Sir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby

On February the 6th 1958, Manchester United side; lost their 8 players in a plane crash. The manager Matt Busby was in coma and believe it or not after coming back from coma he returned back in 1959, started managing the Manchester United team all over. Within a few years Matt Busby built a best team with Charlton, Best and others, was know as “Busby Babes”. They won the FA Cup and league title and exactly ten years after the accident they were European Champion. Awed by awesome Sir Busby.

Gail Devers

She was a member of USA Olympic team. While training for the 1988 Olympics, she suffered a multiple health problem, among is migraine and vision loss. Devers came back strongly in 1991 and own silver medal at World Championships and since than she won 3 Olympic gold and five gold, three silver in World Championships and there were many others .

Lance Armstrong

When one think about cycle and cycling cannot miss a name that is Lance Armstrong. Career effected due to cancer, after a few surgeries Armstrong back on the top of his cycle and conquered every dream. The seven Tour de France wins, considered to be one of the toughest tours.

Kelly Holmes

Kelly Holmes suffered injuries after injuries, and depression, her performance was effected by the herbal medication. She came back in the year 2004, this time without any injury and at the age of 34, the stage was Athens Olympics. She got it what she wanted, not one two, 1500m and 800m gold.

Kerri Strug

Kerri Strug was a member U.S. women gymnast team. In the 1996 Olympics, USA was competing with the Russian, Romanian, and Ukrainian teams. Finally it was between Russian and USA. Strug while landing of her first attempt, fall and damage her ankle but she got a score over nine. She has to come back for her second vault and everything was depended on her for yellow metal. USA team coach Karolyi, told her before the final vault "Kerri, we need you to go one more time. We need you one more time for the gold”. Limping Strug, unbelievable, she achieved it!

Earvin "Magic" Johnson

Famous Basketball player Johnson retired in 1991 after announcing that he had HIV, returned in 1996 to played 32 games for the Lakers before retiring.

Marla Runyon

Marla Runyon, first ever blind sports person from USA earned a spot in the women 1500 meters, any one know the process and the qualifying standard of USA will definitely understand the achievement. Marla’s performance in the Olympics stands as a testimony to what can be achieved through determination and hard work.

Moral Boosting Quotes

Lance Armstrong (Cycling) : Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.

Michael Jordan (Basket Ball) : I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.

Michael Phelps (Swimmer) : You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.

Paavo Nurmi (Track & Field) : Mind is everything. Muscle - pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind.

Nadia Comaneci (Gymnastic) : Hard work has made it easy. That is my secret. That is why I win.

Dean Karnazes (Marathon Runner) :Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.

!!!What is a success that never gone past a few hurdles, a success that tested by a few failures worth a million!!!

Sex, Lies and Cable Tapes!

In this era of Internet, it is impossible to follow Mohandas K. Gandhi’s “Hear no evil, speak no evil or see no evil”. You cannot ignore the evil, it is in you and with you. It is no secret that malicious stuff invites more attention. Therefore, obviously while logged to the virtual world, heavily spiced news is more magnetic than normal one. I am having a few dozen of virtual friends through social networking site and certainly do not hesitate a bit while accepting their invitation, whereas in real life I am not like that.

Since Monday I was trying hard but failed, I was trying to enter a website, no, it is not a pornographic site and honestly, I never tried for such stuff, the website I was looking for is Wikileaks.org, but failed to access it. Most probably the founder unable to keep it afloat due to the cash crunch with his frozen bank accounts.

The founder, Julian Assange was staying underground in UK but on Tuesday, he finally surrendered. By leaking those thousand of cables and to expose the world leaders, diplomats mainly from USA and the US Government’s policies that were under wrap but then he himself is no saint.

His life is also very controversial one. He launched this website way back 2006, until beginning of this year he was petty unknown. He is an Australian by birth and born in 1971. At the age of 16, he started hacking computers under the name “Mendax". Subsequently, he charged and arrested for same offence by the Australian Police in 1991. The websites he was stalking includes the website belongs to Australian University.

He fathered a son at the age of 19 with his then girlfriend. Afterward also involved in a custody battle. His sex life is now under scanner, including couple of cases for which he is now wanted by the Swedish Police. 

Now the question is how he got those cables, by stealing or by hacking the servers, the secret is rest with him and his accomplices, both are not justified. Hacking is not a moral thing, stalking someone’s privacy without ones permission or knowledge believed to be a sinful act. So, how we describe the man Julian Assange, multiple award wining journalist, an intellectual or a Hacker. A hacker no mater how big or how small will be always a hacker and it is a crime under any cyber law. Petty confused regarding his contribution, helping himself or helping the world, a case of intelligence per excellence or sensationalizing to get famous. Peoples who inclined to take lesson from Julian Assange expertise in the field of Information Technology and using it as their inspiration then hopefully world will never have another Bill Gates.

Move apart from his personal life to the leakage that now beyond repairable. It show that how the World leaders, meeting with an ear-to-ear smile and how their honeymoon ends behind the zooming lens. If believed, US referred ‘Putin as alpha dog’ and ‘Sarkozy emperor with no clothes’. Hillary Clinton, India’s best bait in Uncle Sam, called India a “self-appointed frontrunner” for permanent United Nations Security Council membership. In addition, various US government policies are now in public, that includes the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

It is no secret and not new that United States always had their own observation and words for other world leaders. Former USA president Richard Nixon, an Irish and English descent, a product from a Public School and had many other distinguish degrees that includes a Law Degree. No, Mr. Nixon’s resume does not interest me, but giving some details of his good words. According to a transcript released from state department, he mentioned then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by ‘an old w****’ and ‘a b****’. Hold your breath, there is another distinguish person, a Harvard alumni and former state secretary Henri Kissinger gone further mentioning that all Indians are ‘B*******’.

The year 2010 is considered to be a year of leakage.Barkha Dutt, until yesterday most respected TV journalist with NDTV, tossing difficult questions to the politicians and other dignitaries, found herself in all mess. Whatever we got from the leaked Nira Radia tape, Barkha Dutt was acting as a middle person for the same lobbyists and a minister. Of-course she denied all those allegation in her blog but her image going to take the beating.  Wonder, how powerful are these journalists. Are they capable enough to change the portfolio of a central minister? Then there is Vir Sanghvi with his scripted interviews.

Let us go back to Julian Assange, think about his morality to expose other via hacking or stealing route. Should go with him and his Wikileaks? Gandhiji, please save me from this dilemma.

!!!The Virtue of this Virtual World,   good, bad and ugly, choice lies with you!!!

Goodness not Just Goodies, It is too Good.

Whenever an item slipped through my hand, instantly I tried my best to keep my precious pair of foot out of the firing line. While doing so, value of the article never bothered me. This is how my psychology works, not aftermaths but the self-defense will be my first priority. Under given circumstances definitely I will try to save myself without concerning about others trapped in the same situation, a candid assessment about my nature. More than once, sensed a final call that passed whispering by my ear but I survived and yet I never stopped doing things that may danger to my life, I often called a daredevil by friends (oops! too much). A daredevil indeed, if tested I will value my life before others, because I am not a saint. Talking about saints, have no idea, because I never encountered any, but there are some peoples exists, who place others before his or her own.

It is strange; piece of recent news brings back old memories and started disturbing me. It is not a personal but regarding the peoples whom I may know or may not, left a mark that unforgettable. Their dedication, gesture and do or die attitude is what all about.

This piece of news appeared in last Sunday, Mr. D. N. Moitra, the Motorman on duty to Pashkura bound local train and how he guided the train to the destination before he died. Due to the similarity, my memory took me back to an incident that occurred more than two decades ago.

I knew two beautiful sisters, soft-spoken and well mannered and both having an initial ‘A’. They are Roman Catholic either from Goa or from Managalore. Both were teaching to the senior students in a Convent school in Mumbai suburb. I was friendly with many other teachers from that school through my close friend and then my Christian neighbour who was also a teacher at same place. The school situated very close to one of the Mumbai’s very famous suburban station and beside the railway tracks. Some time in late-eighties both the sisters got married. Elder one married and left the school, younger sister married to a nice boy who was a Motorman with Mumbai suburban train services. There was a nice little gossip circulated among the teachers and as well as between the students too, while passing by the school, he used to blow the horn a few times to make a passing signal for his wife. During that time, I left for aboard and returned after two years. I was meeting one of my old friend, who informed me that the husband of younger sister died. I was shocked and it was more shocking that he died due to heart attack. He was young and well below thirty. More than that, my friend told me that he suffered while in duty; before he collapsed, he guided the train to the nearby station. After that incident, she left the school but I do not intend to invade her privacy any further. It was a painful piece of news and took many days to overcome it.

Almost forgotten incident came back to my mind last Sunday while reading the newspaper. It is rerun of above incident but this time it was in West Bengal. Time span between two incidents is more than two decades and if younger fellow survived until now, he would have been still younger than Mr. Moitra and most probably still running those packed Mumbai suburban trains and whistling past his wife’s working place to acknowledge his presence. I am not saying that the age is a factor to evaluate a person’s need in the society.

The current situation, technology is far more advance, therefore, if Mr. Moitra decided to stop the train midway, train would never met with an accident but he decided to carry on. In other situation, with overcrowded train equally crammed tracks, no, completely unaware about the old technology so do not want to comment further.

Over the years, earth lost its all charm, blame it on inhabitant. Drastic changes taken place for worst regarding everything, environment, climate, peoples and people’s attitude. We look around to find scams and scamsters, devils and devilish acts, everyone working for personal gain. Irritated and forced to forget the nice aspects but there are a few peoples who often come out from the blue to remind us about the beautiful quality of human that still breathing.

I always enjoy the goodness, there are nice things still happening then why to explore the dark. Celebrating the rare integrity and feeling good, even without achieving anything only by my sheer luck I am in the same package.

!!!A drop of light in darkness look brighter, a few good fellas among score of evils still make the earth a good place to live on. Positive? Of-course!!!