A listening ear...

While working in my previous company, I was posted in Chennai for three months. The office was located sixty kilometers south of Chennai city. I was staying in the company’s guest house nearby office forcing my schedule to guest house-office-guest house and nothing else. The day of diwali was approaching and I had got reservation only in a sitting coach in a train departing late afternoon, after all diwali is one such occasion when members of the family get-together.

My journey to the railway station would take little less than two hours and as planned, I left the office at 1pm. I had to postpone my lunch and board a bus to Tambaram. It was hot afternoon and I managed to get a seat in a few minutes next to a man in his late forties. He started talking…the way he grew-up in a family of sculptors, the reasons that forced him to come to Chennai, his two year life in Bangalore, the way he entered the welding practice, the way his college going son was sucking money to pay his mobile-phone expenses, the way everyone in their family rejoices during diwali, the importance of real work and so on. Slowly the conversation was heading towards rail-wagon and steel industry perspectives and opportunities/risks for the SMEs in this industry.

After fifteen-twenty minutes of this talk he became silent. He was looking into my eyes, smiling. A minute of pause and then he sadly expressed the way his pay-hike was hurt by crooked middle management politics and the way the word ‘recession’ has ate their bonus money paid before diwali. I smiled and I said him that this was the case everywhere, be it a big IT company or be it a small foundry and also said some few words that seemed to spread warmth inside his soul. Ten minutes later, his place came and before parting he thanked me for hearing to him and also a special thanks for my smile!

Meeting this man with no name and the conversation left me questioning myself. What people need from relations is a listening ear and a soul, and most of them think different. In the past paced lifestyle people have been drawn into a maze of unknown and fear that causes them to shrug off whatever is not them. Many hide their faces from their personal responsibilities as a friend or brother-sister or spouse or a parent as all these do not pay off in pecuniary terms or does not satisfy their dirty-ego. They consider this act of theirs as correct and thrust them unknowingly into their next generation as well.

Provide oppurtunity for fishing, We do not want fish!

Any one born on this earth would want to move forward and at least want others to exclaim that they are forward in their thought or action. India is the only country where the reverse happens. The masses here want to move backward...backward in their thought and actions. The riots happening in the state of Rajasthan are a perfect example. People from a community have indulged in violence want themselves to be included in the backward classes of the society. The reason behind this can be attributed to the people, the politicians and the political system. Being recognized as backward in the society gives them a lot of reservation in schools, then in colleges, then in government jobs, then also in their successive promotions. People here want to move forward (moving forward in earning money, designation and fame) not by hard work, but by reservations. The government is giving them fish, rather than providing them the opportunities to fish, and that is what majority of the people want!

Did you have a big cake in your mouth...Mr.TechLead?

People always want to save their own skin. I experienced this last Friday. Important issue, on which a decision was made along with the technical lead of the project last week, was not communicated to the project manager…and this lead to all problems. The mutual trust I had with my peers is shattered :o(We were closing the design phase on Friday. When my project manager darted with the issue, I came to know that the gap in communication. The technical lead was also present at the scene in the next PC terminal. Well Mr.Tech Lead, Did you have a big cake in your mouth then? From now on, I think even an issue of the size of mustard needs mail communication.

Brilliance...Burning Bright

After my usual visit to the temple last Saturday evening, I went to Jayanagar 4th block shopping complex. Of late I spend my Saturday evenings at this place because I like to see the bustling city life here, I love seeing huge crowds of people enjoying their weekend. I relished on ragi roti (pancakes made of certain variety of cereal), a local delicacy. In the fast food corner, I met my colleague Poornima who had come there accompanied by her husband Shyam Sundar. I proceeded to my favourite coffee shop nearby that served traditional South-Indian coffee. Sipping my coffee, I enjoyed the sight of wide variety of people bustling. Meanwhile I happened to notice two bright young boys enjoying their ice-cream. Later we got introduced…The two boys were amazingly brilliant; their brilliance shone in their eyes. I really like to see such people. Good luck boys Pratap and Santhosh. The return walk was a tiresome one perhaps.

Amusing human psychology - 1

There are people who would be friend only if you praise them…I am bewildered by such people. Since because a person has wealth, you can’t bend yourselves to their wishes or agree to what they say… this is another category of people which I am seeing right now in front of my eyes. Really amusing human psychology right! These people would do anything to show off their importance. You need to be careful with such people.