Desolation

One man's passion is another's pain,
Everyone is here for profit and gain.
Honesty & Sincerity cuts no ice,
Am a fool to have thought otherwise.
Broken & battered, unsteady I stand,
Looking for that one outstretched hand.
Wondering when the pain shall subside?
Wondering if it would be better if my conscience died.

Unlearning the corporate code of conduct

I am sure you have heard this a million times before: - Advertising guru ditches the corporate life to become a farmer, IIM-A graduate leaves a million dollar job in favour of starting a rural start up, Ivy League Scholar takes up a low income teaching job... and so on.

Have you stopped to wonder why increasingly people are moving back to the basics? Why 'successful' people are ditching their $$$$ jobs in favour of the simple life? Why after having climbed the corporate ladder, people suddenly feel they have no-one to share their accomplishments with? Why?

I recently re-read George Orwell's classic "The Animal Farm", and find that a reflection of a microcosm of the farm is present in every office. There is always a Napoleon who assumes total power and commands respect through lies, deceit and treachery. Then there is always a Snowball who might have the greatest vision, but succumbs to the great tide of corruption... then there is Boxer, or rather a series of Boxers who work their hardest till the very end... believing in Utopia and the greater good, until one day, they are nothing more than a statistic, being ticked off a chart. And then there are always the minor characters of the cat, the sheep, Benjamin the Donkey & Moses the Raven...

What is interesting thus is to realise what one's place in the story really is? Are we the hard workers, the yes-men, the work shirkers, the evangelists, the bull dogs, the blind supporters, or the eternal pessimists??- For all of us do find a reflection in the animals of the Manor Farm.

Quite frankly, I am tired of the gibblygook being fed in the name of visions and missions... what pays is to be a mindless pawn who does exactly what the perfect employee in the employee handbook does (and they never even show you the fine print which states that 'having an opinion = insubordination, apolitical = professional suicide, climbing the corporate ladder= kissing tusshy big time, and my personal favourite "The boss is always right!")

Once you have superimposed this simple story on your life, you will realise that 'the greater good' is nothing but the biggest lie that was told to you, over and over again, to make you tow the line.

And it is this realisation that made these people choose a different path, a path in which LIFE is no longer a footnote...

Life is a fairy tale.

Life is a fairy tale. Magic surrounds us. Permeates are very being. Shows slivers of itself in our every day lives. Stolen glances of the one you love. Glimpses of a life you can imagine. The longing in your eyes of what you believe cannot be. The absolute disbelief when something you thought was impossible happens. The soul stirring conversations that last well into the night. The peace and comfort that you find in the arms of a special someone. The laughter and momentary madness. The childishness and giggles. The walks on the beach in the twilight. The dips in the salty sea. Leaving foot prints in the sand. Watching someone sound asleep. The twitching smiles in the corners of your mouth. Magic is all around us. In all of these little actions. It gives us the fuel to believe that everything is good. It is for a reason. But only if you believe- Life is a fairy tale.

A Nation of Extremes

India- A nation which is proud of its culture, its people, its spirituality and its values. A nation where multiple religions co-exist peacefully (for the most part), and whose democracy as a system of governance is used as a case study, all over the world. However, India is also a nation which is painted in a canvas of extremes. The divide between the rich and the poor, the haves and the have-nots, the optimism of increasing growth rates and the pessimism of consumerism, all add to the starkness of this divide.

2009 has been a year of global economic turbulence, with recession triggering a domino effect, the results of which, were felt the world over. India too felt these tremors, and after a period of gloom, the clockwork started to whir towards growth, signifying cheer on Dalal Street. The dawn of 2010 and the Union Budget have further strengthened this resolve, with the markets nodding their approval on Pranab Da’s ‘aam aadmi’s Budget’. Thus, on paper and the Sensex, India looks firmly set on a path of unprecedented growth, with comparisons of the Indian Tiger vs. the China Dragon being rampant amongst economic circles.

However, this optimism is surely misplaced, as we are thinking of reaching level 10 without the first nine levels having been constructed. The problems that we as a nation face, our extremely basic in nature, and yet we continue to live with it, applauding our resilience, tenacity, and the ‘spirit’ of the undying patriotism of being Indian. Worse still, we choose to blind ourselves and ignore what is blatantly in our faces- basic need fulfillment, which is woefully inadequate.

Look around you, and look hard. Stop and think. Is this what a developing nation or an emerging economy looks like? Look at the garbage, the squalor, the pollution, the lack of infrastructure, the indifference, the lack of work ethics, discipline, education and respect for a fellow human being. Why are we as a nation ok with all of this? Why do we take the sheer amount of bull-shit meted out to us on an average day? Is it that we are ok with things the way they are, or is it that we just don’t care? Why can’t we say that we have had enough and things need to change?

I drive to work everyday, and apart from dodging the now normal amount of pedestrians, cows, auto rickshaws, hand carts & crazy taxi drivers, I am now contending with every route to office being dug up for one project or the other. At one point, Dr. E Moses Road (where my office is), was dug up for 3 different projects (the Mahalaxmi Sky Walk, BMC drain work, and Worli road concretization), making it all most impossible to traverse this 500 meter stretch in less than 20 minutes. Roads to Chembur (where I live), are part of another nightmare with the Mumbai Metro, Mono Rail, Flyovers, and more BMC digging partly blocking each of the 5 different routes that you could think of taking from Worli to Chembur. A journey that should not take more than 40 minutes (accounting for traffic signals which do not follow any TMS), this journey now takes 1.5 hours, one way. That is 3 hours of each day spent in traveling.
Walking on Mumbai roads should be added to the list of most dangerous activities in the world. With no pavements to walk on (since hawkers, beggars, squatters, more digging by BMC/ MMRDA), people have to walk on the roads and dodge an obstacle course with the bet being human life. Add to this the sheer piles of rubbish, excrement and spit that we throw on our roads, and the thought of walking on them will quail even the best of walking enthusiasts.

The levels of pollution in the city are another cause for concern. Air pollution and suspended particulate matter lead to bronchitis and chest congestion, water pollution leads to high levels of water borne diseases, Noise pollution in the form of emphatic honking, all make this one of the worst places to live in. No wonder then that the average rate of life in Mumbai is amongst the lowest in the country at 52.
Corruption and bureaucracy are eating away at our foundations with government projects not seeing the light of day. Delayed projects mean escalation in costs, with kickbacks going into the politicians’ coffers. We need to set a system of governance in place, where responsible parties are held accountable for the projects they undertake.

The apathy that is now synonymous with our people is most prevalent in the white collared corridors of corporate organizations. Long working hours without pay, indifferent, biased and incompetent bosses, hours spent in politics, back stabbing and taking credit for other people’s work, coupled with grossly underpaid and worse still de-motivated employees, is the true emerging picture of professional India. The stress levels in most Indian organizations would never be tolerated elsewhere in the world, and yet we are all ok with being treated like the scum of the earth.

Frankly, I am fed up. Fed up of having to fight for everything everyday. Fed up of wanting to have a decent work and life balance, clean & green transport, hygienic food which is not genetically modified, and fed up for not getting any appreciation for the work & hours I put in. The thought of going back to the basics and living like a farmer seems more and more attractive. I wonder whether life is coming full circle for all of humanity, and whether we shall revert to becoming cave men, having destroyed the planet with our greed and corruption, so that what will be left, will be to fulfill basic needs of food, water & shelter…

Marketing, Mumbai, Mayhem

Part 1
Travelling around Mumbai is a large part of my job, and it is fascinating to notice intrinsic Marketing Strategies that are as brilliant as they are devious; in the most unlikely places. Marketing is at play, where you least expect it.

- Out of Home Advertising: Long before the marketing gurus discovered the power of outdoor media, Mumbaikars did. Travel in a local train, bus, taxi, or Auto and your nose is most likely to be inches away from an advertisement for crotch diseases, impotency, scrawled numbers promising pleasure and more, miraculous weight reduction centres and what have you! And if you devote as much time to travel as an average Mumbaikar does, then there is no way that you can miss these and even be tempted to call the number (just for kicks). Therefore, Out of Home Advertising at no cost and with manifold returns guaranteed.
Similarly, long before Graffitti became known in India, Spray paint Ads for Bean Bags were the most visible Advertising at no cost, in and around the city.

- Political Warfare: Advertisements for the different political parties are extremely common in the city. They are also extremely illegal and employ the most aggressive strategies to death. Marketing warfare is something that should be learnt from these campaigners whose blitz techniques would leave Hitler ashamed! Rival party posters dissapear overnight, market flooding strategies are in place and one-to-one marketing is broken down into a network that is as precise as it is organised.

- Six Senses Advertising: Long before westerners developed strategies for marketing that would appeal to the six senses of the human being, India had already mastered the same. Almost all religions in India use the six sense perfectly so as to give their devotees an experience that is everlasting. Unique sounds, smells, visuals and other simulants have been used in Mumbai streets to peddle a variety of goods. The Chana Chor Garam wala's unique call, the Bangar wala's calling tune, the bell of the andewala, the churiwala's call, the kulfiwala's stand- All musical and original in their own way, all symbolising a trigger of memories for the recipients, an association that goes beyond the vague ideas and concepts that today's advertising propounds..Advertising that tells you what you have already experienced..

SUNSCREEN- Bazz Lurhman

One of the most meaningful songs iv ever heard....I hope it inspires you like it did for me...

Ladies & Gentlemen of the class of ’97

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind;

you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.

But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….

You’re not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blind side you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up withpeople who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..

Dance…

Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

(Brother and sister together we'll make it through...Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there. I know you've been hurting, and I know I've been waiting to be there for you. And I'll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can.Everybody's free.)

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain in-alienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

(Brother and sister together we'll make it through...Someday your spirit will take you and guide you there. I know you've been hurting, and I know I've been waiting to be therefor you. And I'll be there, just tell me now, whenever I can. Everybody's free.)

A bird in hand and two in the bush....

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the inner workings of the mind of an average guy- your average Joe if u may...here are some of the things that iv learned about them:

1. Men like the chase better: Your average Joe would like to aim for a woman who is out of his league. He will do everything in his power to woo her, flatter her, give her gifts, drop hints of his interest in her- go to the extent of telling her he likes her. However, once the girl says yes and starts to show her emotions...boom...thats where it ends for most guys. They start to get bored. They want a change. They want the rush of working towards the next hot chick, the unattainable. It is reminiscent of wild game hunting. Once you hunt the game the rush of the hunt makes it imperitive to hunt again.

2. The friendship route: Once a woman Joe is interested in says she is not interested, Joe will inardvently try the friendship route. He will try and be her 12 am buddy, someone she turns to when she is in trouble. So that she becomes dependant on him. And then, when she is feeling particularly vulnerable is when he will suggest hooking up, playing on her confusion.

3. Of Gifts and dates: The average Joe knows nothing about gifts and significant dates. If he remembers his GF's bday (if), he will rush out and get her the most meaningless memorabilia. This usually translates into chocolates, flowers, soft toys and the u -cannot -go -wrong -with a little drawing...awwwww...its almost as if men have been given 'a list of things to pick at the last minute guide!' Dates never mean anything to most guys. Most men forget Valentines or anniversaries and cover up by saying i dont need a date to tell u that i care. ya right!

4. Flirting: Men- whether married, committed, engaged, to be engaged, or single, love to flirt. And dont feel guilty about it too. They love to engage in the play of eyes, a subtle message or two...and they never mind any extra attention. Never mind who is giving it to them.

5. The 'C' word: Most men run away from the 'C' word- Committment. If possible they would run a marathon in the other direction if the word crops up. The 'C' word immediately sets alarm bells ringing in Joe's head. It means an end to the tom foolery, it means being trapped! And we havent event spoken about the 'M' word yet.

6. Its ok for me but not u: Most men cannot see their girl getting any attention from other guys, except maybe to flaunt that she is his! So, its ok to show off ur GF as a prized possession, but if another guy tries to become friendly with his girl, Joe usually regresses into cave man antics. This is why most men hate any male best friends of their women. A man must guard his territory while being free to enjoy the attention of every other woman u see...

7. No more conversations: Once ur in a relationship with Joe, suddenly it seems like every conversation becomes an effort, any talk about "where we are" is usually met with a "lets not talk about it" or "do we have to!"....or even worse "There is nothing to talk about" reply...

8. Of flatulation/ breaking the wind: Somehow Joe has it in his head that the act of flatulation and burping in front of people is hilarious. And, he will never cease to display the same. And then guffaw about it too!

9. The average Joe always feels that he doesnt fall into any of the eight above mentioned categories!!! :P

Of new beginnings...

What have I signed up for? I thought as I looked at the scene around me. Standing on a teeming platform at Vapi station while a million eyes watched my every move was pretty disconcerting. The lack of women amongst the crowd added to the feeling of being put under the microscope. The station in itself was as non-descript as they came. Hawkers, Coolies, Gujarati traders, the odd beggar or ten, and animals (stray dogs, rats, cows, did I mention rats?) all jostling for space, the 1 sq feet of place that they called their own. The railway announcements added another hue to the canvas of the great Indian rural in which I found myself in. The latest proclaimed that the Shatabdi Express was going to be delayed by an hour. I groaned and thanked my ‘lucky’ stars for placing me in this place at this time. I walked to the vendor selling coffee and bought myself a cup. The short distance to the vendor felt like an eternity when people followed your every move. I might as well have been dressed in a clown costume for all this was worth. The coffee was passable, but it brought me to another place, another time.
Coffee under the moonlight, surrounded by a cluster of trees and a comfortable chair, with music in the background and a raging debate on the superiority of Kieslowski’s films took away from the fact that it was 4 am. Chotta had always been the place where people could do just that and more. MICA does that to you. It makes you feel as if you are stuck in a time warp- a different world in which the outside world- with its politics, chaos, and the regular 9 to 5 clockwork routine is a distant reality. MICA exists like a mirage in the desert, real for the time you are in it and an illusion for when you are not. It is amazing how much we packed into the 24 hour day at MICA. Assignments, projects, classes, walks around campus, sport, music, hobbies, committee work, festivals, movies, dining out…the list was endless. Sleep was the only casualty to the time spent in living our life just the way we wanted to, getting the maximum possible from each day. Once you step outside of this haven however, stepping back into the real world is not an easy transition. What hits you the most is the routine. A fixed time to do everything. From sleeping, eating, waking up, work and back, the same cycle continues for the entire week, with weekends being the only relief. Suddenly, the real world and its problems swirl around you, voices silently screaming at you to listen. It is moments like these that make you want to escape, escape back to MICA and its idiosyncrasies.
The blast of a horn jolted me out of my reverie. As the train glided into the platform, I slung my backpack and walked to my compartment. Visiting factories to follow up on vendors who supplied apparel to my company was a job I wished I did not have to do. But cross-functional training meant that I had to do a stint in every department of the fashion house I worked for. And that meant visiting factories in places such as Silvassa, Tirupur (Tamil Nadu) and even Ludhiana as part of the merchandising stint. The life of a management trainee was not one that afforded a choice of where you wanted to be. You were given orders and you followed those to a tee. You went where you were told to go- big cities, small towns, far flung villages. Your individuality was something that did not exist anymore. And then it hit me. I had turned into one of the million rats who went about zombie-like, doing their job, always crawling toward bigger positions and better salaries, achieving goals and quarterly targets…Was this a new beginning or the end of a chapter in my life that I wish had never ended...

In the morrow...

I wish i was someone else...in another world, another dimension, another reality, I wish i did not have to wake up everyday to face a sea of unknown people, I wish i had someone to come home to, I wish i could feel a sense of belonging, a sense of contentment and a sense of completeness. I wish tomorrow would bring me all of this...and if it cant, then i wish id remain suspended in the world of my dreams..where everything is how i want it to be.

Idle-ville

So here I am, sitting at the comp, looking at things that i could do to pass my time...Its been 2 months since MICA got over, and after the initial sadness, weariness and nostalgia, boredom set in....and how! My life nowadays revolves around sleeping, sleeping and some more sleeping...You can never get enough of it really! In between sleeping bouts, I surf the net, watch sitcom re-runs and read books that Iv probably read a million times before...If im really feeling adventurous, I do some sketching or photoshopping...then its back to ol snoreville...My partner in crime so-to-speak, is my 2 year old pet Lab Tiramisu- She and I are like minded souls with not a care in the world...All around me, people have a sense of purpose...they know exactly what they are doing...working to support families, realising their passions, protecting the Tigers, saving the world etc. while I lounge around looking for somebody to watch the new Pirates with...I tell myself that this is the only time in life when I wont be responsible for the welfare of another human being...not that I need justifications to be a slob...Would I be happier if I was knee deep in muck, giving my two bits to conservation I wonder...?