The Race against Time

As a student, time and deadlines had paramount importance only when exams and presentations used to be around the corner. I remember the times when I used to struggle to complete the never-ending theory papers within the stipulated time. While writing those papers, the attention used to be divided into time and quality of content. I used to heave a sigh of relief whenever I managed to complete the paper by ‘fighting against all odds’. Preparation for the presentations too used to start at the eleventh hour and the graph of panic levels used to rise.

As I mentioned in one of my previous articles, situations do not change, only the face of the situations change. I have been experiencing the challenges against time since turning into a working professional. This holds especially true when you are working in finance department and month end (which always seems to be approaching sooner than usual) alarm bell starts ringing. Being a novice with the financial tools used at work, the time required for understanding them and then implementing them in work is a Herculean task at the initial stages of learning.

After spending a few months in the organization, absorbing its culture and acclimatizing with the job tasks, I was assigned with a new set of responsibilities. That was, I would say, my breakthrough in understanding to complete the tasks on time. When the deadlines are nearby, even the emails in the inbox have exclamatory marks in the subject line, denoting the urgency in finishing the work on time. That is when the wheels have to get churning faster than normal. When I am in such a situation, I feel like the hare in the ‘Hare and Tortoise’ story, whereby I try to finish tasks as quickly as possible and then expect to relax for a while. Alas, Time (month end tasks) is such a tortoise that comes steadily but not slowly! And then I try to change the course of the story and try to win despite playing a hare.

Ideally in our 45 hours of work in a week, it can be said that tasks can be completed on time provided we plan them, to avoid panic. Or as Fredrick Taylor had suggested ‘time and motion study’ can really be implemented to increase business efficiency. If that would have been always possible, maybe the words ‘ad hoc’ or ‘impromptu’ would not have existed. In such a case it’s difficult to answer the question ‘How much time will it take?’ when you yourself are not sure of it and are about to do it for the very first time! It is like asking the ‘exact estimate’!  But giving assurances and promises is something we Indians are really good at and we don’t like displeasing anyone by raising their eyebrows. Therefore, to avoid looking like a fool or to avoid wrath of any sort, some people blurt any number that comes to their mind.

The story does not end here. After all the planning is done, you are set to finish the tasks on time and work towards it like a dedicated professional. On your way to accomplishment there lie various challenges in form of time consuming processes on your system and background files to be prepared which take most of the time. That I would say, is a test of patience. It is as though a dish taking not much time to cook, but its preparation involving painstaking efforts. In both the cases, be it cooking or the job task in which you pour your heart and soul in, the outcome is decisive. You are either praised or are suggested areas of improvement. Trainings too should form a part of routine activities to improve efficiency and also because they contribute significantly towards improving a person’s learning and experience curve.

Whenever we talk about completing things on time, the stories of people waiting back after the working hours are generally applauded. No one usually questions if that task really needed a person to wait back. No one really gives it a thought as to what that person does in the actual office hours. In German work culture working hours mean working hours without gossips or other frivolous activities. In such a work culture it is immaterial if your colleagues give you a perplexed look when you leave sharp on time.

Battling all the deadlines and having a sense of satisfaction that you did well in your work, there wait a loving bunch of people at your home who support you in all your trysts: Family. To ensure their happiness should therefore be on the top of your priority lists. And to spend quality time with our families out of the busy five-day week, we long for weekends. We must thank Henry Ford for inventing weekends in the early 1900s. Though he saw weekends as an opportunity to sell cars to his employees viewing them also as customers, he would not have known then, that these weekends only would provide solace to many indefatigable working individuals. Of course, there are many human machines as well who don’t mind working even on weekends. They are either passionate or megalomaniacs.

As I said that time sprints and waits for no one, weekends too sprint at a lightning or should I say frightening speed, and there comes Monday again. The cycle begins anew once again. Task lists are planned and prepared, accountability of time has to be proved and life simply goes on, forever waiting for weekends or planning for vacations or other passions to be pursued!

An Excursion with Esprit de Corps

A

s a Management student, I learnt the importance of team spirit and team dynamics in any organization. Then, it seemed pretty theoretical to me. I wondered if team spirit really existed or was it just limited to Henri Fayol’s ‘14 Principles of Management’ which he wrote in 1916. To me, the meaning of team was only constricted to our group projects where one person working for the entire team was a common picture. In other words, there was ‘One-for-All’ and not ‘All-for-One’ concept. In a business law parlance, it used to be a nightmare when I used to have a bunch of dormant or sleeping partners in my group, who hardly contributed anything towards the project. I used to be skeptical when our faculties used to randomly divide us in groups. Sometimes, to my misfortune I used to have a majority of dormant partners. Our teachers always said, “At work you cannot choose your boss or colleagues, you have to work with them the way they are!” They were right after all.

As an amateur in corporate world and in my organization, I soon got a wonderful opportunity to bond with my team, disguised in the form of a vacation in Hyderabad. Our textbooks would explain the qualities of a leader or a manager, mentioning that ‘developing team spirit’ is one of the qualities that a leader must possess. My team leader gave us the opportunity to understand that. Amicable that she is, she invited our team for her son’s first birthday in Hyderabad, followed by sightseeing in the city of Nizams. It was a trip worth looking forward to, as I could explore yet another city of our diverse nation.

The day of our journey finally dawned. Wading through the daily phenomena of traffic in Mumbai, my colleague and I finally reached the airport. As expected, Mumbai airport was bustling with people everywhere, some in hurry and some at leisure. Life moves at a lightning speed in Mumbai. Our flight was delayed by 40 minutes, but my excitement to go to Hyderabad prevailed. After our plane landed in Hyderabad, one of my colleagues booked a cab to reach our desired destination. In the entire trip I realized that how smartphones and cab service companies have joined hands to serve people better. Such business models not only generate profits, provide livelihood but also provide comfort to the travelers when it is most needed. Such businesses hold customers at high regard, ensuring efficient and timely service.

We reached our hotel and got dressed for the birthday party in the evening. The party had a jungle theme; therefore the party hall was decorated in green, brown and blue with famous cartoon characters like Mowgli and Lion King, just how children would love it. The birthday baby was smartly dressed and he smiled at the guests as if to welcome them to his first birthday. The evening was frolic with some games and lots of laughter. We clicked a number of pictures to treasure our moments. The sumptuous dinner at party had specialties of Hyderabad – Biryani being the most famous one. We relished every dish over a nice chat. It was one of my first encounters with colleagues in an informal occasion. I realized that they were jovial and full of wonderful thoughts and ideas.

Next morning we decided to the visit the most celebrated tourist attraction of Hyderabad – Ramoji Film City. It was half an hour drive away from our hotel. It was literally another gargantuan, glamorous city within Hyderabad. We were provided a map at the entrance so that we could watch the scheduled shows. The first show was a pantomime stunt show. It was truly a show proving that ‘Actions speak louder and effectively than words’. The next show called ‘Spirit of Ramoji’ displayed the amazing dance and juggling skills that the performers possessed. The show ‘Filmi Duniya’ was a train ride to visit the beautifully stationed puppets representing different parts of the world. ‘Lights, Camera, Action’ was another show demonstrating various genres of Hollywood in a hall clad in darkness. The bright props used by the performers exhibited their talent and dispelled the darkness around. The performance was a treat to eyes. As if to reminisce the days of our innocent childhood we went for a show which was meant for children, yet we could enjoy and laugh there till heart’s content. The last show that we attended was ‘Space Yatra’ which could give us a life-like experience that we were in a spacecraft, closer to the earth. Technology does marvels, doesn’t it? To feel chills down the spine, we visited a devil’s house which was made with such lights and objects that it was capable of shaking people with fear. We clicked a lot of pictures in that haunted, brightly illuminated house. We had lots of moments of laughter there as well. Since the rides in amusement parks fascinate me, I was eager to sit in one of the rides to see the world go ‘upside down’. One of my colleagues joined me in that ride. I felt a childlike excitement once again. The ride lasted for 2 to 3 minutes, yet it was exhilarating. Ramoji is known for its sets resembling reality and many Hindi movies have been shot there. Through a bus ride we saw the sets which were used in various movies like Jab We Met, Bahubali etc. I left from Ramoji awestruck, wondering the depths of creativity existing within people.

After resting for a while in our hotel, we headed for dinner at Chutneys, a famous restaurant in Hyderabad. I was astonished to see a wide variety of Dosas and Idlis. Each bite of them tasted like heaven. Food becomes more enjoyable if you have a good company to dine with, and I just had the kind of people with me with whom I could relish the food. After having a wholesome dinner, we went on a long walk to Hussain Sagar Lake, in the centre of which Lord Buddha’s refulgent statue stands. The cool breeze around the lake was soothing. As we walked, my colleagues and I had interesting discussions, be it about the society or Bollywood. I always find it interesting to ponder over people’s opinions, to understand how human minds work. It was late at night by the time we reached our hotel. The city was fast asleep by then, but for us Mumbaikars it was quite usual to be awake and fresh even at that hour.

Next day was our last one in Hyderabad. That morning after having a delicious breakfast of Paneer Dosa, Idlis and chutney, we drove to Salarjung Museum. To get an experience of local transport of Hyderabad, we decided to reach Salarjung in an auto rickshaw. To travel in an auto without a meter fare was a unique experience for me. Haggling for cheaper fare is justified as tourists are often swindled by auto drivers.

Salarjung Museum is a repository of art objects around the world, stretching from Europe, the Middle East to ancient India. The museum is named after Mir Turab Ali Khan and Mir Laiq Ali Khan, the Salar Jungs who belonged to an illustrious family which served as prime ministers to the Nizams. We hired a guide who explained us the significance and origins of the artifacts around. Some of the paintings and statues were mesmerizing, showing us yet another glimpse of imagination and creativity. All the art objects belonged to the ancient times, yet their colours looked fresh and nascent. What intricate art meant, I understood after watching these manmade epitomes of beauty. I stood in admiration for the cognoscente Nawab Mir Yousuf Ali Khan, Salar Jung III who was mainly responsible for the collection. He made it possible to bring the entire art world under one roof, where people could get acquainted to the multifarious forms of art and culture.

As Hyderabad is famous for pearls, we went shopping for pearls. We reached the market area near Charminar, which seemed like a hub of pearl jewellery shops. Charminar was horded by people, making it a busy market street. The shops we visited shone milky white. The varieties in pearl jewellery could put any woman in dilemma! The prices ranged from reasonable to exorbitant and we spent a long time choosing the ones that were worth the value. My two male colleagues too thought of buying some pearls for their loved ones and we three ladies were happy to help them in selecting the right ones.After all, women not only love to shop for themselves but for others as well!

Having bought the special gems of Hyderabad, our shopping spree would not have been complete without visiting Karachi Bakery, whose confectionaries are mouth watering. Tempting aromas of biscuits and pastries wafted in the shop. I had heard from one of my friends that Karachi Bakery served finest confections. Gauging from the huge crowd that was present in the shop, I agreed with my friend. A plethora of biscuit flavours were available, making the place a heaven for persons having sweet tooth. We left the shop carrying a number of boxes in our hands.

My team leader, extending her hospitality further, invited us at her home for dinner. Her home is a beautiful abode of two floors. Her baby boy playing a good host with his mother greeted all of us with his endearing smile. He had recently started walking and he exhibited his walking skills, astounding us all. The dinner was a gourmet’s paradise with homemade Hyderabadi dishes. My team leader and her husband, truly living by the adage ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ served us the splendid meal. That day she was only a warm host and friend for us irrespective of the echelon she held in our organization. I savored every dish. It is true that no food other than home cooked food can truly satisfy our hunger. Our hearts were filled with gratitude and contentment.

The next morning we headed back to Mumbai to return to our busy lives. Similar to the sentiments at the end of every vacation, I felt morose that this exciting vacation had come to an end. The moments spent, the jokes cracked by my colleagues and their amazing company was worth cherishing. After this trip, I realized that I now know them a little better than what I did earlier. They are not only good professionals but also good persons. This excursion taught me what the word ‘kennenlernen’ in German i.e. ‘to get to know someone’ truly means. This experiment in team spirit and team bonding was a successful one! 

Arbeitssuche: Job Hunt to Alter Life and Lifestyle

When I entered the most coveted programme called MBA, like everyone else, one of the things on my ‘to-do’ list apart from strengthening my technical skills was to get a good placement at the end of two years. Now that these two years are over, I believe that this placement preparation was similar to the preparations of Board Exams, only with an exception that the ultimate reward of a job hunt is getting a good work profile with lucrative pay. When I recollect the days when I had taken efforts to score well in the board exams, I find those days strikingly similar to my second year in MBA. During the crucial SSC, HSC and graduation years, constantly the same line is reiterated by parents, relatives, coaching classes and schools - Score well so that you get a good job in future.

In a country like India, where there is  rat race everywhere, marks play an important role. Marks are therefore a ‘filter’ used by companies to choose only those candidates with a sound academic background. Hence having decent scores on one’s mark sheets becomes necessary. It is a harsh but true fact. All of us have been through that stage where even the difference of one or two marks have led or hampered us from pursuing what we had desired. Whenever I used to apply for any company, one of the requirements would be ‘the candidate should have a good academic record scoring 60% throughout SSC, HSC and Graduation’. This statement is like the gate pass to apply for a company. Anything below 60% and your dreams of applying to that company end! The experience is similar when we wanted to apply for a college of our choice. Satisfied that I fulfilled that criterion, I thanked my family every time they nudged me to do better in my exams. At the same time, I felt bad for some of my colleagues who never used to get shortlisted because of the marks criterion, though they had the caliber for the job. Indeed, the high importance of numbers in one’s life, only Indians can understand well!

The process of filtering goes even more complex. After your past life of good scores has helped you in crossing one mountain, there stands the second mountain called aptitude tests which further eliminates a few people. In my second year of MBA, our Institute had organized practice sessions to do better in ‘Apti’. Again, while brushing up my aptitude test skills, I was taken back to the days when I prepared as an MBA aspirant for various competitive exams. Relieved two years back, that quantitative ability would never haunt me again, that haunting was back in the form of aptitude test! Back then, getting admission to a good institute was the goal and now getting entry into a renowned company is the goal. Only the face of the situation changes, but the actual situation does not change. Humans excel in life after crossing one milestone to another.

I had appeared for a company’s recruitment process for the first time and obviously I had an adrenaline rush. When I looked around at the other aspirants, all impeccably dressed in blazers, I sensed that everyone had the same feeling of anxiety to get placed in that company. Their eyes seemed full of dreams. The nervousness felt similar to the nervousness in an exam hall. Larger the number of candidates applying for a company, equally high is the anxiety and maybe less probability of getting selected. To be the best one is the only alternative that remains! Another interesting filtration process is called group discussion. In this round, I often find people speaking monotonous, rehearsed lines, just like the lines we rehearse to write as answers in an exam. In one of my friends’ case, the entire group was disqualified because the candidates were aggressive. In extreme cases, there are groups where people look at each other to start the discussion. In every group, there is always one passive person who does not speak at all or has to be compelled by the moderator to add something to the inputs or to summarize the discussion at the end. Sometimes it is not a surprise when these passive persons get qualified for the next round!

The ultimate battle which decides your fate to enter a company is called a personal interview. Technical questions could be a drop from the well of knowledge that you have gained so far. Questions like ‘Tell me about yourself’ seem like a recap of the life what one has lived so far. However it is important to state only those events of your life which will ensure that the interviewer considers you for the job. ‘Where do you see yourself in 5 years?’ is another head-scratching question. When the capacity to think of an answer to that question reaches its limit, one has to turn to Google to find the answer- it is always easy to adapt to other people’s dreams where they see themselves in 5 years! The pompous manner in which MBA students describe their summer internship simply shows the amazing presentation skills which they acquire in two years.

After the interview is over, one can always hope for the best. Wait for the verdict begins, keeping fingers crossed. And once you get that most awaited email saying that you have been selected for the job, the joy is boundless. Congratulatory wishes start pouring in.  WhatsApp group name of your class is changed to congratulate you. Perseverance finally pays off. In my Institute I remember how people had started dressing informally after getting placed. That became a way of distinguishing unplaced students from the placed ones. Later it was delighting to see more and more students dressed informally.

Hunting for a job and finally getting one is truly a life changing process, an important phase of life. You start understanding what the industry demands, where you should work upon. Learning and unlearning becomes part and parcel of your life. Failures teach you. And when you finally get that job that you have always dreamed about, being a forward looking human being, you start planning where you to invest your earnings, when to buy a home of your own and what all you can buy you have ever dreamt of. Life changes and so does lifestyle. When you climb up from basic needs to self actualization stage as said by Maslow, you realize the lessons that you learn from the previous four stages of life. Somewhere those efforts to score good marks, aptitude tests, group discussions, successful and non-successful interviews teach you to be competitive, hard working and confident to fight against all odds. It is rightly said that nothing in life comes for free. Efforts are inevitable in any phase of life. Seeking a job and excelling in it to enhance lifestyle is one of these significant experiences in the journey called life. Even an economy would not function if there is 100% complacency among people!

The Modern Narcissists

Being a stickler for keeping things in order, my laptop is filled with many folders, which help my documents to be handy all the time. That is why I relate myself a lot to Monica Geller Bing of Friends who is obsessed with keeping everything in an organized way! I have one such folder in my laptop named Wordoful which is a collection of documents containing the evolution of certain English words, with their historical provenance. The combination of history and English is something which I always find interesting, therefore I often browse through those documents. Of all, the story behind the word ‘narcissism’ astounds me every time I read it. Narcissus, a haughty handsome hunter as per the Greek Mythology, fell in love with his own reflection as a result of the imprecation by Nemesis, the Goddess of revenge. Today, we refer to those people as Narcissists, who are obsessed with their appearance.  Back then, little did Narcissus know that in 21^st century, he was going to have millions of successors!

Today, ‘Selfies’ have become the euphemism for ‘Narcissism’, or should I say tautological to Narcissism? Whenever I log into my Facebook account, I see a plethora of selfies, with catchy captions written next to them. If the selfie is with a pout, then it is considered ‘cuter’. I don’t understand how a pout can be prettier than a natural smile or a candid laugh. Today, almost in every part of the world people have gone frenzy over selfies; the rich and the bourgeoisie alike. I first got acquainted with the word selfie after seeing a photo of Ellen DeGeneres with the actors at Oscars 2014. That selfie went viral on social media and soon the trend of selfies spread like a wild fire. Obviously, the ‘selfie air’ could not miss India. In our country, where so many things are trending, selfie also became the new trend, especially among the youth.  I would cut some slack for selfies though, considering it as a breakthrough innovation in cameras. Other positive thing at the most I can say about selfies is that you save the trouble for someone to click your pictures. Rather than expressing dismay to that person who may, as humans are prone to errors, click a bad picture of yours, you take matters of your ‘image’ in your own hands. People go on clicking their images until they find the perfect picture, most often to set as WhatsApp or Facebook profile pictures. ‘Likes’ from the people is all that matters, isn’t it?  

I am not being satirical about selfies; in fact I like to be a part of selfies with my beloved people. Surely, selfies like any other photos help us in cherishing our moments of laughter and happiness, but humans tend to go overboard to achieve semblance among their social circles. How lethal can it get when selfies become an addiction, a mental disorder? I read an article once which said that a British teenager attempted suicide when he could not get a perfect selfie despite taking up 200 selfies! The recent case of Bandstand in Mumbai, wherein three college girls fell into the sea while clicking selfies or a 16 year old boy from Chennai who was run over by train while trying to click a picture of himself beside it, only shows that the tech-savvy youth of today has become so reckless that they are willing to risk their precious lives. When such ‘lunatics’ as I call them, resort to such brainless adventures, I commiserate more with the people around them. Take the example of the braveheart, Ramesh Walunj who lost his life while saving the lives of the three drowned girls at Bandstand, leaving his family bereaved. The only lesson I learn when I read such cases is that, technology plays the extreme roles of comforting as well as destroying human lives.

A year back when I wanted to purchase a new mobile phone, I went through umpteen product specifications of different brands. When I finalized a phone that would match my nature of usage, someone pointed out that there was no front camera in the phone that I had chosen. I shrugged it off by saying nonchalantly, “Who cares anyway?” Yes, I really do not find my cell phone to be devoid of something called as ‘front camera’. My fascination for camera is till now restricted to clicking pictures on my 10 megapixel digital camera. I feel proud of my choice every time I see a bunch of college girls in my train compartment clicking selfies, either seated or standing at the door of the compartment. But then I explain myself that in today’s era packaging is more important than the product. No matter what evil lies in the heart, outward appearance should be warm and welcoming, like masquerades. Appreciation for facial looks therefore matters to gain popularity among people. Sometimes, I wonder if camera rolls had been still extant, the craze for selfies would not have arisen, considering a number of penny pinching people. Who knows, the youth of today would have been more disciplined, or at least there would not have been any ‘breakthroughs’ in psychological disorders. The regulatory authorities should intervene in the selfie mishaps and strictly prohibit selfies at places where there are possible threats. Imposing a heavy fine would be especially helpful against the college goers, who may cringe to shell out their pocket monies on heavy fines.

When I open my folder of pictures, either on my computer or an old album of childhood, I am reminded of the ‘selfie’less and probably more selfless world. Unless and until people have an epiphany to limit their fixation on any new innovation in technology, the danger of any kind of catastrophe hovers over us. The path towards safety can even begin by clicking selfies only in safe places, where there is no threat to any life. Wouldn’t that be the most beautiful selfie ever taken? So, chal beta selfie le le re, par bina kisi ki jaan le le re!

In the Celestial Arms of Nature

It was that time of the year when I needed solace from the usual monotony of deadlines and exams.  November is a month when the atmosphere is quite pleasant in India. Therefore, my family and I chose this month as suitable for our next exciting vacation. Last year we paid a visit to the exhilarating sea coast of Ganpatipule, this year we decided to explore the hills to enjoy the cold weather and experience yet another facet of India’s diverse geography. We decided to go on a vacation to Coorg, a beautiful hill station in Karnataka. We boarded a flight from Mumbai to Mangaluru, from where Coorg is around 180 kilometers away. We reached Mumbai airport in the wee hours of morning, yet it was crowded like any other hour of the day. Indeed Mumbai is a city that never sleeps! As our flight took off from Mumbai, with a childlike excitement I saw the tall buildings and slums of Mumbai appear like ants from above. My busy city still looked beautiful despite the high density of population she bears. As the flight was nearing Mangaluru, all that I saw from above was greenery, contrary to Mumbai’s commercial view that I had seen. After reaching Mangaluru, we commenced our road trip to Coorg which was 4.5 hours long. The long roads surrounded by tall trees on both the sides were respite to the eyes. I enjoyed the cool breeze which brushed my face. As we drove higher in the mountains, the air became cooler thanks to the impenetrable greenery nestled in the mountains. We were to stay in Cottabetta bungalow of Tata Coffee Estate in Pollibetta. Thus, our wait was finally over and we reached our regal sojourn of 4 days. The heritage bungalow was 130 years old with its antiquity beautifully preserved. Throughout the stay, we experienced the amicability and perfect hospitality delivered by the people of Tata, which made us feel at home. 

Next day onwards we began with sightseeing. Our first destination was Dubare Elephant Camp. When we reached the camp, some elephants were relaxing in the Cauvery River, enjoying the bath. They let themselves get pampered as they lay lazily in the water as their caretakers bathed them vigorously. I grew fond of one elephant calf which was constantly around its mother, never letting her go out of its sight. After its mother was done with her bath, this little one followed her out of the river like an obedient child. Later we visited the elephant feeding area, where they were fed dried grass and wheat. With amusement we saw how the caretakers stuffed wheat inside the grass like a sandwich. The elephants using their trunks skilfully, lifted their ‘sandwiches’ and enjoyed their breakfast after a cool bath. But the little calf held my attention for long. It was tiny, its ears were still not grown fully and tusks were yet to grow. It had its separate baby food and after finishing the meal, it went to stand under its mother’s trunk. It was a beautiful example of mother and child bonding. As I watched these gargantuan animals walk, I looked at their sword-like white tusks. I wondered how God has his own way of making his creations look adorable in a unique way. At the same time I remembered that these intelligent animals are killed in large numbers for ivory. I silently prayed for long life of these wise beings whom we revere as Lord Ganesha. Elephant rides too were available. Rather than riding on an elephant, we chose to simply watch and appreciate this patient-looking animal’s easy behaviour. 

Our next spot was Cauvery Nisargdham, where we enjoyed the plush greenery around River Cauvery. We strode in the park amidst the pleasant coolness provided by the trees around. There was a deer park too and we saw two deer who were busy grazing. We walked further to reach the great River Cauvery. The river looked pure and pristine. It was surrounded by trees on all sides. The sound of the flowing river was melodious. In a city like Mumbai where water is becoming a scarce resource, I looked at this generous source of water which provided glut of purity. It is up to humans to maintain and protect these sources which provide man’s indispensable need for water.

In the afternoon we visited Namdroling Monastery also called as Golden Temple, located in Bylakuppa of Mysore district. It was built by Guru Rinpoche in 1963 to spread the message of peace in the world. The monastery covered a huge area where there were Buddhist viharas and places of residence for the monks. There were well maintained gardens around the temple which added to the monastery’s beauty. We visited Padmasambhava Buddhist Vihara temple which had golden statues of Guru Padmasambhav, Gautam Buddha and Guru Amitayus. We sat there in silence and looked at the statues as though they were staring at us. The temple had walls with resplendent paintings of 25 disciples of Guru Padmasambhava. The temple was an epitome of peace and serenity. One could attain complete rejuvenation of mind. There were three more viharas in the monastery premises. It was the time of prayer when we visited, and therefore all the monks sat in front of the Buddha and paid their obeisance to the Lord by playing some kind of a musical instrument. It was a ‘never-seen-before’ sight for me as it was the first time I visited a monastery. I observed that the monks did not speak and only gesticulated to communicate with each other. In our daily lives where we find a constant need to talk and express ourselves, I was amazed how these monks had vowed to simplicity in their lives. The monastery also housed a high school for the young monks. I left the monastery carrying new found respect for Buddhism and its teachings.

In the evening, we went on a Plantation Safari of Tata Coffee Estate for which a typical safari jeep was arranged for us. A naturalist accompanied us on this visit and showed us the Arabica and Robusta coffee plantations. Initially we mistook them to wild berries. It came as a surprise to us when the naturalist told us that they were coffee plants. Our urban minds knew coffee beans which were brown in colour. The naturalist explained that these seeds become brown once they are plucked and roasted for further processing. At Tata coffee estate, pepper is also cultivated whose fruits bear its strong smell. As we drove deeper into the plantations, we realized the huge quantum of coffee that the estate produced and exported. In its vast estate we saw a medical clinic provided by Tata for its workers, houses for them as well as shelters for the physically handicapped. Thus, Tata proves to be an exemplar of doing business with dignity while providing utmost care for its employees. All these years I had read about Tata’s fair business practices and I believe that its concern for employees has led Tata today to reach the pinnacle of success. I truly understood why people who join Tata retire from Tata only at the end of their careers. Working for such an organization must be bliss for its employees. Besides, by employing locals Tata was serving the society and our nation, by providing them livelihood. I found this to be a perfect way of Corporate Social Responsibility which Tata was successfully carrying out. 

Next morning we walked in the deep jungle surrounding the coffee estate. It seemed adventurous to walk in knee deep grasses and making way through the rocky path. It was indeed a strenuous morning exercise! After relishing delicious breakfast of Paputtu and coconut chutney, we headed to visit Tata tea estate. We were awestruck to see the huge green mountains of tea plantations as we walked along. We proceeded further to reach Irupu Waterfalls. A forest trail leads to this breathtaking waterfall. The gushing sound of the snow-white water was a treat to eyes as well as ears. This was again the myriad aspect of nature’s boundless beauty. As I am a keen lover of wildlife, we decided to visit Nagarhole National Park which is home to tigers, leopards, deer, monkeys and wild pigs. We rode in a crowded safari bus with an anticipation to spot a leopard or a tiger. Alas, our hopes were belied when we could not spot a single leopard or a tiger. We could see only large numbers of spotted deer who had abundant vegetation in the forest. The dense forests provided a perfect home for these endangered species. For a Mumbaikar who sees only concrete buildings around, I was captivated by these pure natural surroundings.

Next day was our last one for sightseeing. Our first spot for the day was Abbey Waterfalls in Madikeri. This waterfall was easy to reach unlike Irupu waterfalls. The cascading waterfalls looked exactly how I had seen waterfalls in pictures or paintings. The falls looked pleasant, pure and calm. The sun shone brightly over the Abbey waterfalls making it appear picturesque. After bidding goodbye to this magnificent being, we went shopping. We bought what Coorg is well known for: Spices. We could see a plethora of spices and chocolates in the shop. The tantalizing aromas represented India’s ‘absolute advantage’ in spices in the entire world. After buying these specialties of Coorg, we drove to visit our last spot in Coorg, Raja’s Seat. Raja’s seat is a spot where kings came to get the view of sunrise or sunset. One can see the entire greenery of Coorg in various shades of green. This sunrise and sunset point is adorned by beautiful gardens.

We returned to our bungalow carrying nature’s virgin beauty in our minds. As we had our last sumptuous meal, my heart became heavy with the thought of leaving the next day. The excitement and longing for this vacation was coming to an end. I expressed my ‘melancholy’ to my sister and my parents. My father lifting up my spirits said, “It shows that you enjoyed here to your heart’s content and therefore are morose to leave this place. But won’t you forever cherish these memories and nature’s wealth when we get back to Mumbai? The sight of these wonderful creations of God will forever be treasured in our minds.” The next day on our flight to Mumbai, I bade goodbye to the greenery of Mangaluru to again welcome the tall buildings and busy lifestyle of Mumbai. We had got our much needed relaxation and rejuvenation in the lap of Mother Nature.

Teaching: Still Noble or Technology Driven?

ज्ञानशक्तिसमारूढः तत्त्वमालाविभूषितः ।
भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदाता च तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥

“Salutation to that noble Guru, who is established in the power of knowledge, adorned with the garland of various principles and is the bestower of prosperity and liberation.”

Many a times I reminisce my childhood days with my sister and laugh over the funny and innocent moments that we shared together. The other day as we talked about the games that we played as children, my sister recollected my most favourite activity, or rather my ritual as a child-  my daily ritual of playing ‘Teacher Teacher’ every morning before leaving for school in the afternoon. Some of my soft toys used to be my ‘students’ who regularly attended my classes and dared not ask me any doubts! A blackboard and boxes of chalks used to be my treasured possessions to help me ‘facilitate’ this childhood passion. This constructive hobby of teaching helped me revise my lessons and helped me hone my communication skills. My parents are particularly proud of my teaching habit, even today. They think it was one of the useful ways to learn and remember things. Though a number of years have passed since I bade Ciao to my favourite hobby and I chose a different career other than teaching, deep down in my heart it still remains one of my most admired and honourable professions.

A couple of days back, one of the guest speakers whom I listened to said, “I learnt most of the financial concepts on Google and never relied only on my faculty.” Though most of us today turn to Google to solve our gravest of the grave queries and get instant answers, I reflected if really internet is capable of replacing a human teacher. When I asked this question to myself, I got both Yes and No as answers, given the transition in education that I have witnessed so far. During my previous semester, I studied the Education Sector of India. While reading through various statistics, I came across the fact that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Multimedia are going to be the growth drivers in the Education Sector, though presently their contribution to the Education sector is merely 0.6%. If such technology is adopted in schools, it would, to some extent reduce the efforts required to teach the students. Blackboards and chalks would soon be replaced with white boards, projectors and computers. I wonder how learning can be fun by just looking at the technology aided slides and pictures. Learning would become monotonous and dull. I still remember my school days when my teachers took great pains to make us understand concepts using globes, scientific models and the extensive writing on blackboards! We were far from technology and thus enjoyed the personal touch and attention of our beloved teachers. 

I am of the opinion that though internet can make valuable additions to our bags of knowledge and wisdom, it can never be a substitute to a teacher’s valuable experience which he or she imparts during the course of education. I believe education is not simply gathering and processing information but it also a way of thinking and implementing ideas in a proper direction. And only teachers in form of guiding lights can help us achieve that, with their prowess of teaching.

As I am fond of languages, I believe that a teacher plays an important role in developing to speak and write a language. It is similar to mothers teaching their children to speak their respective mother tongues well. I recently had a difference of opinion over this with my beloved sister. As she is learning French, she often uses various translation websites to frame sentences and learn new words. Having proudly formed a number of sentences using the translation websites, she said, “Nowadays internet has made learning foreign languages so easy. One can easily master any language without a teacher!” I shared with her my experience of writing letters in German in my initial learning years, using translation websites. The outcome of such drudgery used to be horrendous and grammatically nightmarish. Only when I used to get a number of red correction marks from my teacher on those letters of mine, did I realize how indispensable my teachers were! All the languages that I learnt so far, learning them was fun only because of the way my teachers taught them. That is why I believe that languages can be learnt better only if they have a human touch to correct them when erred and thus helps us to learn the language in a fun way. And for persons like me who finds subjects like Mathematics scary, learning it on computers or through internet, can make numbers appear scarier than ever!

As Teachers’ Day soon approaches I feel indebted to all my teachers, right from Kindergarten till my MBA, who gave a soothing touch to difficult subjects as well as made interesting subjects even more interesting with their passion and experience of years of teaching. These sagacious minds are like sculptors who contributed greatly in molding my mindset.

No doubt, that online lectures and videos play a crucial role in educating a mass number of people and contributes towards enrichment given the paucity of time people face, to attend a class; I believe that a classroom experience is like no other. That is because, online learning makes the process of learning one way or rather myopic, while a teacher in a classroom can make you think and help you to brainstorm the ideas, thus bringing out creativity in each student. Ideas evolve and revolution of thoughts happen only when discussed with wise minds like teachers. I fear we might soon miss out on all this if teaching becomes a passé as the technology improves and more and more students turn to the internet for gaining information and thus overlooking knowledge in the process.

 In India, though teaching is perceived as a low paying job and hence there is not much rush by youngsters towards the profession, I believe that teaching is the noblest of all professions as it empowers a person to enlighten millions of minds in the career span. What can be a better service to society than this? If a teacher can kindle even one mind with his or her candle of knowledge, the light is then spread to thousands and millions of other minds!

As the fear of technology taking over teachers and books concerns me, I remember the story ‘The Fun They Had’ by Isaac Asimov wherein the children in the year 2157 are in an era of mechanical teachers to submit their homework and learn lessons and are completely oblivious to the concept of human teachers and books. The children in the story envied the fun which their forefathers had in schools. I think we are slowly and steadily moving towards that era which Isaac Asimov contemplated in his story. A time may soon come when the upcoming generations would too long for actually going to schools and may miss out the fun with their friends while learning! Therefore by preserving the culture of teaching which we inherited from our mythologies centuries ago, we will not only be preventing unemployment for many but also we will be attempting to keep human touch alive and not transforming the process of learning and teaching from human to robotic.

Human body: A temple

When I was in school, my Alma Mater celebrated various occasions like Independence Day, Diwali, Christmas etc. Every occasion that we celebrated had a specific theme on which the entire programme used to revolve around. On one of these occasions, the theme was ‘Our body: a temple’. It emphasized as to how each one of us should treat and worship our body like a temple. The only way of respecting our body is by maintaining good health.

Do we really respect our bodies and treat them like places of worship? Are we maintaining good health? When I see people smoking or hear cases of drug addiction, I believe that such people torment and put their precious health in danger. The reasons cited for such addictions are commonly believed to be as ‘stress busters’ and way of ‘enjoying life’. I wonder how nicotine and alcohol, which are slow killers, enemies in disguise can be a way to enjoy life! Though we watch a number of advertisements (with shivery visuals) appealing people to give up smoking, it is still uncertain as to how many people have really given up this harmful habit. One of the meaningful advertisements requesting smokers to quit smoking was by Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA). As an innovative move, this Association fitted ‘chanting’ lighters at every shop which played the death chant ‘'Raam Naam Satya Hai', every time someone tried to light a cigarette. As a result, most smokers were totally shocked by the bluntness of the message that they decided not to light their cigarettes there. Some of them, out of a sense of realization and horror, even threw the cigarettes away. In India, one has to go any extent to inculcate sense among the masses. Indeed it is a sad sight to see when educated working classes and youth too are ‘victims’ of these sinister addictions.

When I visit villages, I am amazed to see the people there with such fit physical health, inspite of meager income that they earn. It’s quite ironical that the ‘urban folks’ spend so much on gyms and fitness centres and despite that still do not enjoy good health! The only difference is the lifestyles led by urban and rural people. Rural masses put physical efforts to work in fields or small scale industries contradictory to the sedentary lifestyle of the urban people. Hence the life span of rural people is found to be better than their urban counterparts. Not just the lifestyle, but also the environmental conditions and food habits of the people also differ which makes a huge difference in the longevity of people’s lives.

It is not only essential to ensure that we are fit physically, but also mentally. We hear students and working class suffering from stress and in extreme incidents, we read cases of suicides by troubled students and working people unable to cope with burgeoning stress. Or we hear about people in their 30s suffering from heart ailments and blood pressure due to the challenging jobs that they handle. It differs from person to person how one deals with stressful conditions at work. We hear cases of a number of ‘frustrated’ people who bemoan the work environment and about the people that they work with. What one should bear in mind is that, though we cannot choose the people we want to work with nor the environment, it is a test as to how we handle such ‘stressful’ situations and keep our mind healthy. It is need of the hour to maintain mental health to ensure that stay we stay fit physically too, for the state of mind and body are complementary to each other. Nowadays we read about a number of organizations who strive to ensure that their employees are fit physically and mentally so as to improve the productivity of their employees. The secret to remain fit physically is by eating healthy, sleeping well and exercising daily. If one maintains this balance, no one will ever suffer from any ailments. Unfortunately most of us do not follow this ideal life as most of us eat untimely, ‘fast’ and unhealthy meals. Due to stressful and demanding schedules, there’s always lack of sleep and exercise in our lives. Is that why we Indians are called most flexible and ‘quick on their feet’ people because we sacrifice these vital things and still strive to give our best?

On 21^st June we celebrated International Yoga Day as a tribute to the ancient Indian wisdom emphasizing the well being of body and mind. Yoga has gone international today and people all over the world and pay obeisance to it as an effective means to remain healthy. Yoga is a way of life, a confluence which connects body and mind. As descendants of this revered invention by our forefathers, if each one of us practices the yogic way of life, it will act as a panacea to all the physical and mental disorders we suffer from. It will truly be a way to remain happy, peaceful and satisfied in all stages and all situations, rather it will help us to tackle the testing moments in our lives. Good health is possible only if we have are optimistic, honest, confident, hard working and intrepid attitude towards life. All of us should consider good health as our utmost important religion, our body as a temple to worship and should always take efforts to maintain the sanctity of this temple.