It is very important not to lose one's sense of humour amidst this global financial crisis. Some might have gone belly up. Sevaral others might have been sold out and still many others might be facing the heat. Keeping your cool is utmost important especially during such unprecedented crisis.
Here are some funny quotes on the financial meltdown. enjoy...
What worries me most about the credit crunch is that if one of my cheques is returned stamped "insufficient funds", I won't know whether that refers to mine or the bank's. :))
A trader on Dalal Street: "This is worse than a divorce. I've lost half my net worth and I still have a wife."
The market may be bad, but I slept like a baby last night. I woke up every hour and cried. :)
The stock market has forecast nine of the last five recessions ;)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tag me if you can...
Inspite of all my efforts to escape, I am tagged again. For once I thought to give it a pass but when two fellow bloggers (Chinmai and Kanan) tag you for the same set of questions and one even expects you to respond first of all the new recipients of the tag, you are left with little choice. (So now you know what you have to do if you want me to respond to your tags!!)
1) Last movie you saw in a theatre?
Taare Zameen Par. And it hasnt been that long for me. May be a month.
2) What book are you reading?
World is flat is still not complete.
3) Favorite board game?
How about Shun Chokadi? ;) You know those crosses and circles that we make !!
4) Favorite magazine?
ORACLE
5) Favorite smells?
Smell of fresh bank notes issued by the Reserve Bank of India. :)
6) Favorite thing to do in weekend?
Play table Tennis all day long.
7) Worst feeling in the world?
To find zero comments on my blog post!!
8)What is the first thing you think of when u wakeup?
SMS/Missed calls on cell :)
9) Favorite fast food place?
Mr. Puff
10) Future child’s name?
A meaningful fusion of the names of father and mother of the child !!
11) Finish this statement --- 'If I had a lot of money'
I would give it away. Because I believe in Infosys chairman Mr. Murthy's philosophy that the real power of money lies in giving it away.
12) Do you drive fast?
Yes, if you are talking about driving people crazy :)
13) Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
History has proved that humans are social animals. and science has proved that they are stuffed too.. if you see what I mean ;)
14) Storms -- Cool or Scary?
No idea what-so-ever.
15) What was your first car?
Yet to buy one but probably TATA Nano ...second is Honda City and third Toyota Corolla. And BTW unlike the USA, you do not start with Corolla's in India. We are a poor country you know :)
16) Favorite drink?
Water
17) Finish this statement --- If i had the time i would...
Read A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawkings. :)
18) Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
No idea.
19) If you could dye your hair any other color, what would be your choice?
Not into hair colouring.
20) Name all the different cities/towns you have lived in?
Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Baroda. In chronological order.
21) Favorite sports to watch?
Women's Tennis...hmmmm make it Women's tennis - doubles :)
22) One information about the person who sent this to you?
Kanan reminds me of sunny california and Chinmai creativiy.
23) What’s under your bed?
Nothing. Believe me nothing!!
24) Would you like to be born as yourself again?
No need. Attaining nirvana in this incarnation itself. :)) quite confident about it.
25) Morning person or night owl?
Does one have to be either of these two?
26) Over easy or sunny side up?
Can you repeat the question please? :)
27) Favorite place to relax?
Rest room? I thought thats why they are called so. :)
28) Favorite pie?
American Pie, all three parts. ;)
29) Favorite ice cream flavor?
Abstaining.
30) Of all the people you have tagged, who is the most likely to respond first?
I don't do tagging.
1) Last movie you saw in a theatre?
Taare Zameen Par. And it hasnt been that long for me. May be a month.
2) What book are you reading?
World is flat is still not complete.
3) Favorite board game?
How about Shun Chokadi? ;) You know those crosses and circles that we make !!
4) Favorite magazine?
ORACLE
5) Favorite smells?
Smell of fresh bank notes issued by the Reserve Bank of India. :)
6) Favorite thing to do in weekend?
Play table Tennis all day long.
7) Worst feeling in the world?
To find zero comments on my blog post!!
8)What is the first thing you think of when u wakeup?
SMS/Missed calls on cell :)
9) Favorite fast food place?
Mr. Puff
10) Future child’s name?
A meaningful fusion of the names of father and mother of the child !!
11) Finish this statement --- 'If I had a lot of money'
I would give it away. Because I believe in Infosys chairman Mr. Murthy's philosophy that the real power of money lies in giving it away.
12) Do you drive fast?
Yes, if you are talking about driving people crazy :)
13) Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
History has proved that humans are social animals. and science has proved that they are stuffed too.. if you see what I mean ;)
14) Storms -- Cool or Scary?
No idea what-so-ever.
15) What was your first car?
Yet to buy one but probably TATA Nano ...second is Honda City and third Toyota Corolla. And BTW unlike the USA, you do not start with Corolla's in India. We are a poor country you know :)
16) Favorite drink?
Water
17) Finish this statement --- If i had the time i would...
Read A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawkings. :)
18) Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
No idea.
19) If you could dye your hair any other color, what would be your choice?
Not into hair colouring.
20) Name all the different cities/towns you have lived in?
Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Baroda. In chronological order.
21) Favorite sports to watch?
Women's Tennis...hmmmm make it Women's tennis - doubles :)
22) One information about the person who sent this to you?
Kanan reminds me of sunny california and Chinmai creativiy.
23) What’s under your bed?
Nothing. Believe me nothing!!
24) Would you like to be born as yourself again?
No need. Attaining nirvana in this incarnation itself. :)) quite confident about it.
25) Morning person or night owl?
Does one have to be either of these two?
26) Over easy or sunny side up?
Can you repeat the question please? :)
27) Favorite place to relax?
Rest room? I thought thats why they are called so. :)
28) Favorite pie?
American Pie, all three parts. ;)
29) Favorite ice cream flavor?
Abstaining.
30) Of all the people you have tagged, who is the most likely to respond first?
I don't do tagging.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
World is Flat
There was a joke making rounds some time back about corporate meeting culture. Let me quickly tell that joke first and then back to a more serious topic, which this post is going to be!
A senior colleague, whilst preparing for a yet another meeting, gives one idea to enjoy these boring corporate meetings to his newly recruited colleague. Write down these words on a piece of paper he tells. The words are: globalisation, innovation, leverage, customer satisfaction, high performance, intuition, out-sourcing and competence. Now the idea is to strike out each word as and when it is heard during the meeting. At the end of the meeting if there is a single word left on the paper he wins otherwise he loses. And as you would have guessed, there were very few meetings which gave the new entrant a chance to win!! The morale of the story: most corporate meetings are stereotype and mere lip-service.
Why did I remember this story now? Because I am currently reading a book - The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. A highly acclaimed book about present times and how globalisation is shaping our new world and some of the challenges in this “flat world” that we are and will increasingly be facing. And to my utter surprise each of the above words is mentioned so many times in this book, repeatedly, that I could not but pose and ponder over them. It is a lengthy book rather a thesis from a well travelled gentleman and journalist who moved around the world trying to find answers to why India and China are stealing American jobs and ended up with this amazing book, which I will recommend to every global citizen who wants to succeed in this new world. The title of the book was conceived when the author heard Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani say "the playing field has been levelled". (This explains why Infosys' annual financial statements reach its shareholders with THINK FLAT embossed on its cover page!!)
One idea that I liked the most is a simple mathematical equation. CQ + PQ > IQ. Curiosity Quotient + Passion Quotient > Intelligence Quotient. Suggesting that in the new flat world it is an individual’s curiosity and passion for his work, which will drive him to success and to a better paying jobs and ultimately to better standard of living and not as much as his intelligence. Quite an equation there!
So if you are up for some dose of global economic environment and some ideas about how to compete in the new flat world, this is a book for you. Go grab it.
A senior colleague, whilst preparing for a yet another meeting, gives one idea to enjoy these boring corporate meetings to his newly recruited colleague. Write down these words on a piece of paper he tells. The words are: globalisation, innovation, leverage, customer satisfaction, high performance, intuition, out-sourcing and competence. Now the idea is to strike out each word as and when it is heard during the meeting. At the end of the meeting if there is a single word left on the paper he wins otherwise he loses. And as you would have guessed, there were very few meetings which gave the new entrant a chance to win!! The morale of the story: most corporate meetings are stereotype and mere lip-service.
Why did I remember this story now? Because I am currently reading a book - The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. A highly acclaimed book about present times and how globalisation is shaping our new world and some of the challenges in this “flat world” that we are and will increasingly be facing. And to my utter surprise each of the above words is mentioned so many times in this book, repeatedly, that I could not but pose and ponder over them. It is a lengthy book rather a thesis from a well travelled gentleman and journalist who moved around the world trying to find answers to why India and China are stealing American jobs and ended up with this amazing book, which I will recommend to every global citizen who wants to succeed in this new world. The title of the book was conceived when the author heard Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani say "the playing field has been levelled". (This explains why Infosys' annual financial statements reach its shareholders with THINK FLAT embossed on its cover page!!)
One idea that I liked the most is a simple mathematical equation. CQ + PQ > IQ. Curiosity Quotient + Passion Quotient > Intelligence Quotient. Suggesting that in the new flat world it is an individual’s curiosity and passion for his work, which will drive him to success and to a better paying jobs and ultimately to better standard of living and not as much as his intelligence. Quite an equation there!
So if you are up for some dose of global economic environment and some ideas about how to compete in the new flat world, this is a book for you. Go grab it.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Tagged...again!!
Chinmai tagged me. 20 questions .uhh thats too much to ask from a "busy" guy like me ...:) Still I will try and entertain you. here I go...
Instructions:Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question. Make it a total of 20 questions, and then tag 8 people in your list. List them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged.
1) Who are the most & most important persons you like to meet in your life?
My better half . For as they say without her I am incomplete? ;)
2) Name Three Most Valuable Assets?
a. Rupee b. Dollar c. Pound
3) If you have the chance, what would you probably say to your beloved one?
That I am a good listener!!
4) What has been the happiest moment ?
This.
5) Where is the place that you want to go the most?
Pyramid, Egypt
6) If you can have 1 dream to come true, what would it be?
To be able to dream dreams, that can come true...at will ;) (now thats what I call a perfect use of recursion)
7) (My own question). Thank god they give some room for respite in between :)) I pass.
8) Two things which you always wanted to learn but never did till date?
Cooking and Swimming
9) What would you do if you found a briefcase full of money?
Put my visiting card in it and leave it as it is in a hope that some person with high moral value opens it ;)
10) If you meet someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?
Love is blind.............. and deaf ......................and dumb too..... ;)
11) List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you.
a)creative b)sincere c)philosopher
12) What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
She should understand SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) There are four phases in it.
a)Requirement gathering b)Development c) Support d)Phase out :-)
13) Which type of person do you like the most?
Logical with lots of sense of humour
14) What is your ambition?
Ok. if you are still reading (what??). Ambition is for losers. I like Hero Honda Passion :)
15) What is the thing that will make you think someone is a bad person?
Lack of integrity.
16) If you could do one thing different in life, what would it be?
Exercise daily.
17) Something that made u laugh today?
Idea of tagging people :) (ok I confess not that. But then the truth is censored!!)
18) How do you deal with a friend who has wronged you?
Gandhigiri :)
19) Name one favorite song of yours.
Yeah jo desh hai tera (Swadesh). Very inspiring.
20) If you are about to lose all your memory and you have an option to remember just one person, who will it be?
A person that I was before the mishap. :)
No tagging further. (Ok I know what you are thinking. I don't have enough readers to tag. Right? And they needed 8 tags??) But as they say don't let truth come in way of a good story. And the story is I don't do tagging. ;)
Have a good one. Cheers.
Instructions:Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question. Make it a total of 20 questions, and then tag 8 people in your list. List them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged.
1) Who are the most & most important persons you like to meet in your life?
My better half . For as they say without her I am incomplete? ;)
2) Name Three Most Valuable Assets?
a. Rupee b. Dollar c. Pound
3) If you have the chance, what would you probably say to your beloved one?
That I am a good listener!!
4) What has been the happiest moment ?
This.
5) Where is the place that you want to go the most?
Pyramid, Egypt
6) If you can have 1 dream to come true, what would it be?
To be able to dream dreams, that can come true...at will ;) (now thats what I call a perfect use of recursion)
7) (My own question). Thank god they give some room for respite in between :)) I pass.
8) Two things which you always wanted to learn but never did till date?
Cooking and Swimming
9) What would you do if you found a briefcase full of money?
Put my visiting card in it and leave it as it is in a hope that some person with high moral value opens it ;)
10) If you meet someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?
Love is blind.............. and deaf ......................and dumb too..... ;)
11) List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you.
a)creative b)sincere c)philosopher
12) What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
She should understand SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) There are four phases in it.
a)Requirement gathering b)Development c) Support d)Phase out :-)
13) Which type of person do you like the most?
Logical with lots of sense of humour
14) What is your ambition?
Ok. if you are still reading (what??). Ambition is for losers. I like Hero Honda Passion :)
15) What is the thing that will make you think someone is a bad person?
Lack of integrity.
16) If you could do one thing different in life, what would it be?
Exercise daily.
17) Something that made u laugh today?
Idea of tagging people :) (ok I confess not that. But then the truth is censored!!)
18) How do you deal with a friend who has wronged you?
Gandhigiri :)
19) Name one favorite song of yours.
Yeah jo desh hai tera (Swadesh). Very inspiring.
20) If you are about to lose all your memory and you have an option to remember just one person, who will it be?
A person that I was before the mishap. :)
No tagging further. (Ok I know what you are thinking. I don't have enough readers to tag. Right? And they needed 8 tags??) But as they say don't let truth come in way of a good story. And the story is I don't do tagging. ;)
Have a good one. Cheers.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
No More a Gentleman’s Game.
“Only one team was playing in right spirit of the game.” These were the words of Indian test skipper Anil Kumble on Sunday after losing a nail biting game of test cricket match with Australia. Those who know Kumble would know that it is very unlike him to have come up with such strong words for the opposite team. So what prompted Mr. skipper? Well, a series of wrong decisions by umpires - all going in favour of Aussie - was just a tip of the iceberg. What really was behind Kumble’s anger was the total lack of sportsman spirit shown by Ricky Ponting and his team.
As the rule goes you cannot and must not question umpire’s judgment on a cricket pitch. Fair enough. I personally also don’t think there is too much to read in the way both the umpires behaved on field (except Sourav’s decision when Benson ruled him out on Ponting’s version.) Umpires are humans and they are bound to make mistakes. It is very easy to find excuses when we lose. The fact of the matter is India could not bat even 2 full sessions to pull out a draw.
On the other side the champion Aussie wanted to prove a point. They were on the verge of equalling a world record of 16 consecutive test victories. The earlier record was with them only but it was regarded as Steve Waugh’s team!! This was the Ricky Ponting’s team. And if they had an opportunity to show their might they will - even at the cost of cricket. So their batsmen (Ponting, Symonds) stood their ground even after knowing they were out. They appealed incessantly for LBW’s and caught behind’s even after knowing the batsmen (Sourav, Dravid, Dhoni) were clear cut non outs. They used all the dark tricks in their book to see that they win a match which seemed a clear candidate of draw and at the end secure their name in record books. Umpires helped their cause by playing their part. (by giving Jafer out on a no-ball, not involving third umpire on numerous occasions when needed)
And the result? At the end ,Australia might have won the match and secured a world record but for me the proverbial game of test cricket has lost a tag. Tag of being a “Gentleman’s Game” that is.
As the rule goes you cannot and must not question umpire’s judgment on a cricket pitch. Fair enough. I personally also don’t think there is too much to read in the way both the umpires behaved on field (except Sourav’s decision when Benson ruled him out on Ponting’s version.) Umpires are humans and they are bound to make mistakes. It is very easy to find excuses when we lose. The fact of the matter is India could not bat even 2 full sessions to pull out a draw.
On the other side the champion Aussie wanted to prove a point. They were on the verge of equalling a world record of 16 consecutive test victories. The earlier record was with them only but it was regarded as Steve Waugh’s team!! This was the Ricky Ponting’s team. And if they had an opportunity to show their might they will - even at the cost of cricket. So their batsmen (Ponting, Symonds) stood their ground even after knowing they were out. They appealed incessantly for LBW’s and caught behind’s even after knowing the batsmen (Sourav, Dravid, Dhoni) were clear cut non outs. They used all the dark tricks in their book to see that they win a match which seemed a clear candidate of draw and at the end secure their name in record books. Umpires helped their cause by playing their part. (by giving Jafer out on a no-ball, not involving third umpire on numerous occasions when needed)
And the result? At the end ,Australia might have won the match and secured a world record but for me the proverbial game of test cricket has lost a tag. Tag of being a “Gentleman’s Game” that is.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Moditva...
નિખાલસ
પ્રારબ્ધ ને અહીયા ગાઠે કોણ્?
હુ પડ્કાર ઝીલ્નારો માણસ છુ
હુ તેજ ઉછી નુ લઊ નહિ
હુ જાતે બળતુ ફાનસ છુ.
ઝળાહળા નો મોહ્તાજ નથી
મને મારુ અજ્વાળુ પુરતુ છે
અન્ધારા ના વમળ ને કાપે
કમળ તેજ તો સ્ફુરતુ છે
ધુમ્મસ મા મને રસ નથી
હુ ખુલ્લો અને નિખાલસ છુ
પ્રારબ્ધ ને અહીયા ગાઠે કોણ્?
હુ પડ્કાર ઝીલ્નારો માણસ છુ
કુન્ડળીને વળગવુ ગમે નહી
ને ગ્રહો કને શિર નમે નહી
કાયરોની શતરન્જ પર જીવ
સોગઠાબાજી રમે નહી
હુ પોતે જ મારો વન્શજ છુ
હુ પોતે મારો વારસ્ છુ
પ્રારબ્ધ ને અહીયા ગાઠે કોણ્?
હુ પડ્કાર ઝીલ્નારો માણસ છુ
-નરેન્દ્ર મોદી
As I write this, Narendrabhai has won the much hyped Gujarat election in style. So just thought that this poem goes well with the ocassion. For me this is the real "Moditva" which shows up in every line that he writes. Those who are really interested in knowing more about his style of writing, please go through his book of poems called "Aankh Aa Dhanya Chhe" (These eyes are blessed). Some time back the book was released in Mumbai. Here is a link to the video recording of entire book release function. It is quite an experience to be able to listen to some of the poems being sung by greats like Bhupinderji, Rup Kumar Rathore and Parthiv Gohil.
પ્રારબ્ધ ને અહીયા ગાઠે કોણ્?
હુ પડ્કાર ઝીલ્નારો માણસ છુ
હુ તેજ ઉછી નુ લઊ નહિ
હુ જાતે બળતુ ફાનસ છુ.
ઝળાહળા નો મોહ્તાજ નથી
મને મારુ અજ્વાળુ પુરતુ છે
અન્ધારા ના વમળ ને કાપે
કમળ તેજ તો સ્ફુરતુ છે
ધુમ્મસ મા મને રસ નથી
હુ ખુલ્લો અને નિખાલસ છુ
પ્રારબ્ધ ને અહીયા ગાઠે કોણ્?
હુ પડ્કાર ઝીલ્નારો માણસ છુ
કુન્ડળીને વળગવુ ગમે નહી
ને ગ્રહો કને શિર નમે નહી
કાયરોની શતરન્જ પર જીવ
સોગઠાબાજી રમે નહી
હુ પોતે જ મારો વન્શજ છુ
હુ પોતે મારો વારસ્ છુ
પ્રારબ્ધ ને અહીયા ગાઠે કોણ્?
હુ પડ્કાર ઝીલ્નારો માણસ છુ
-નરેન્દ્ર મોદી
As I write this, Narendrabhai has won the much hyped Gujarat election in style. So just thought that this poem goes well with the ocassion. For me this is the real "Moditva" which shows up in every line that he writes. Those who are really interested in knowing more about his style of writing, please go through his book of poems called "Aankh Aa Dhanya Chhe" (These eyes are blessed). Some time back the book was released in Mumbai. Here is a link to the video recording of entire book release function. It is quite an experience to be able to listen to some of the poems being sung by greats like Bhupinderji, Rup Kumar Rathore and Parthiv Gohil.
Finally, on his overwhelming victory today (and he fought like a one-man-army against every possible adversary) my heartiest congratulations to the Chief-Minister-To-Be Shri Narendrabhai Modi!!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Tagged!
This is the first time I have been tagged... Kanan you will repent I tell you :-)
1. Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it.
Infosys ;) stock is trading at 300 rs lower than the price I bought ... big scar ;)
2. What does your phone look like? List your reasons to buy it?
got as a gift... didnt have to buy... ;)
3. What is on the walls of your bedroom?
Asian Paint ;)
4. What is your current desktop picture?
hehe... Windows XP Professional standard wallpaper ...BLISS ...too lazy to change it :)
5. Do you believe in gay marriage?
Law of my land doesnt and I believe in law of my land :)
6. What do you want more than anything right now?
Work... ;)
7 . What time were you born?
02:27 AM (GMT +5:30)
8. Are your parents still together?
haha what a question.
9. Last person who made you cry?
no .... havent cried in long time now... cant remember!
10. What is your favorite perfume / cologne?
Park Avenue
11. What kind of hair/eye color do you like in the opposite sex?
Black
12. What are you listening to? Why?
Yeh Jo desh hai tera from Swades.. excellent music ...meaningful lyrics
13. Do you get scared of the dark?
hmmm let me switch off the lights..... ah... i guess no !!
14. Do you like painkillers?
Yes, laughter is the best painkiller ;)
15. Are you too shy to ask someone out?
Was. Not now... if you happen to be a girl.... what are you planning to do this weekend BTW? ;)
16. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?
Dal Dhokli ;) (Does anyone know how to prepare??)
17. Who was the last person who made you mad?
Haha.. no need of a person ...;)
18. List one habit you have that has the potential to annoy people?
Silence.
19. Who was the last person who made you smile?
A minute ago - a colleague of mine... 2 minutes ago - a friend of mine, 3 minutes ago- another friend of mine ..;) And Shahbudding Rathod since the time I learnt to laugh!!
And I am going to tag Kanan back. But this time you will have to reply in one line only.. That is your punishment for tagging me ;)
1. Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it.
Infosys ;) stock is trading at 300 rs lower than the price I bought ... big scar ;)
2. What does your phone look like? List your reasons to buy it?
got as a gift... didnt have to buy... ;)
3. What is on the walls of your bedroom?
Asian Paint ;)
4. What is your current desktop picture?
hehe... Windows XP Professional standard wallpaper ...BLISS ...too lazy to change it :)
5. Do you believe in gay marriage?
Law of my land doesnt and I believe in law of my land :)
6. What do you want more than anything right now?
Work... ;)
7 . What time were you born?
02:27 AM (GMT +5:30)
8. Are your parents still together?
haha what a question.
9. Last person who made you cry?
no .... havent cried in long time now... cant remember!
10. What is your favorite perfume / cologne?
Park Avenue
11. What kind of hair/eye color do you like in the opposite sex?
Black
12. What are you listening to? Why?
Yeh Jo desh hai tera from Swades.. excellent music ...meaningful lyrics
13. Do you get scared of the dark?
hmmm let me switch off the lights..... ah... i guess no !!
14. Do you like painkillers?
Yes, laughter is the best painkiller ;)
15. Are you too shy to ask someone out?
Was. Not now... if you happen to be a girl.... what are you planning to do this weekend BTW? ;)
16. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?
Dal Dhokli ;) (Does anyone know how to prepare??)
17. Who was the last person who made you mad?
Haha.. no need of a person ...;)
18. List one habit you have that has the potential to annoy people?
Silence.
19. Who was the last person who made you smile?
A minute ago - a colleague of mine... 2 minutes ago - a friend of mine, 3 minutes ago- another friend of mine ..;) And Shahbudding Rathod since the time I learnt to laugh!!
And I am going to tag Kanan back. But this time you will have to reply in one line only.. That is your punishment for tagging me ;)
Sunday, September 16, 2007
I-Don't-Know-Gujarati syndrome
Veteran Gujarati humorist and columnist Shahbudding Rathod states in one of his cassettes that amongst all the ethnic groups in India, Gujaratis have the least respect towards their mother tongue. I have come across numerous such incidents where I have seen this being true time and again. I decided to go into the problem and find out the causes. Here is how I see this problem and my suggestion to improve the situation. Please leave your comments if you happen to agree/disagree :)
Agreed that we live in a free society where everyone has a right to choose - choose what we learn as well. And if someone chose not to learn Gujarati even after it being his mother tongue that decision should be respected. But you just cannot allow people to take pride in saying that they don't know their mother-tongue (read Gujarati); that they are not good in it; that their children cannot speak in it. There must be a sense of missing something precious if you happen to not know your mother tongue. Which sense is totally missing in utterances of such statements. Which is a real pity.
So why we Gujaratis are such careless bunch of people? There is no denying that English is must in today's "Flat World". But can it take the place of mother tongue? Will it help save our priceless heritage? Many Indian languages (including southern languages, Marathi, Bengali) are doing good even in today's heavy English influence. But the abysmal situation that Gujarati is in right now only spells doom's day for our mother tongue.
I want to end this by quoting one of my favourite dialogues from the movie Troy. When Romans attack Troy, The prince of Troy addresses his army in a decisive tone.
"All my life I have lived by a code. And the code is simple. Respect the Gods. Love your woman and protect your motherland. Troy is mother to our soul. Protect her..."
Lets pray that god give us wisdom to protect our mother tongue. In our endevour to serve this beautiful language, we have started an all Gujarati blog. I invite you to visit it here. And if you think you can contribute, leave us a comment there.
Agreed that we live in a free society where everyone has a right to choose - choose what we learn as well. And if someone chose not to learn Gujarati even after it being his mother tongue that decision should be respected. But you just cannot allow people to take pride in saying that they don't know their mother-tongue (read Gujarati); that they are not good in it; that their children cannot speak in it. There must be a sense of missing something precious if you happen to not know your mother tongue. Which sense is totally missing in utterances of such statements. Which is a real pity.
So why we Gujaratis are such careless bunch of people? There is no denying that English is must in today's "Flat World". But can it take the place of mother tongue? Will it help save our priceless heritage? Many Indian languages (including southern languages, Marathi, Bengali) are doing good even in today's heavy English influence. But the abysmal situation that Gujarati is in right now only spells doom's day for our mother tongue.
I want to end this by quoting one of my favourite dialogues from the movie Troy. When Romans attack Troy, The prince of Troy addresses his army in a decisive tone.
"All my life I have lived by a code. And the code is simple. Respect the Gods. Love your woman and protect your motherland. Troy is mother to our soul. Protect her..."
Lets pray that god give us wisdom to protect our mother tongue. In our endevour to serve this beautiful language, we have started an all Gujarati blog. I invite you to visit it here. And if you think you can contribute, leave us a comment there.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
The ABC of alphabets!!
This thought had first come in my mind long back when I was in high school. Stayed there with me at the back of my mind and suddenly popped up whilst discussing about different languages in a family get-to-gether. Thought of sharing with you all.
Right. Is there any similarity between English and Gujarati? Apparently not right? But have a look at the following.
ક ખ ગ ઘ ઙ
k kh g gh
ચ છ જ ઝ ઞ
ch chh j jh
ટ ઠ ડ ઢ ણ
T Th D Dh
ત થ દ ધ ન
t th d dh
પ ફ બ ભ મ
p ph b bh
ય ર લ ળ વ
શ ષ સ હ ક્ષ
sh SH s h
થયા પ્રેમ ભક્ત દયારામ ધીરા
સદા સૌમ્ય શી વૈભવે ઉભરાતી
મળી માત્રુભાષા મને ગુજરાતી
મળી માત્રુભાષા મને ગુજરાતી.
(The language which has been blessed by jain saint shri Hemchandracharyaji. Which has been served by great poets like Narsinh Mehta, Meerabai , Premanand, Dayaram. Which always radiates with courteous elegance. I am proud that that Gujarati language is my mother tongue.)
Cheers.
Right. Is there any similarity between English and Gujarati? Apparently not right? But have a look at the following.
ક ખ ગ ઘ ઙ
k kh g gh
ચ છ જ ઝ ઞ
ch chh j jh
ટ ઠ ડ ઢ ણ
T Th D Dh
ત થ દ ધ ન
t th d dh
પ ફ બ ભ મ
p ph b bh
ય ર લ ળ વ
શ ષ સ હ ક્ષ
sh SH s h
Rings the bell? OK. I wouldn't be surprised if my gujarati friends here would have forgotten their mother tongue and its alphabets. ;) So let me tell you what I have written here is the Gujarati alphabets in their correct sequence. Below each alphabet there is a direct transalation in english as per its pronunciation. Look how each second letter is connected with its predecessor with an extra 'h' !! Clearly this arrangment of alphabets is too perfect to be a coincidence. What say? Eureka?? :-)
Alright, and since we are talking about mother tongues, I thought it would be nice to end this post with the following poem. Enjoy!!
થયા પ્રેમ ભક્ત દયારામ ધીરા
સદા સૌમ્ય શી વૈભવે ઉભરાતી
મળી માત્રુભાષા મને ગુજરાતી
મળી માત્રુભાષા મને ગુજરાતી.
(The language which has been blessed by jain saint shri Hemchandracharyaji. Which has been served by great poets like Narsinh Mehta, Meerabai , Premanand, Dayaram. Which always radiates with courteous elegance. I am proud that that Gujarati language is my mother tongue.)
Cheers.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Sorry telling day.
So we have all heard about thanks giving day. But sorry telling day? Now that is something new, isn't it? Okay, I have to admit that there isn't particulary any day dedicated to apologies but come monsoon in India and Jains spread all over the country start preparing for this 8 day long festival- called Paryushan, which culminates in a very meaningful apology session attended collectively by entire jain community at the final day - called Samvtsari!! This year this festival falls between 8-15 september.
For starters, Jainism is said to be the oldest living religion and has its roots in India. It has around 5-6 million followers around the world. (ah, thats quite less comparing with 1+ billion population of india- not even 1%). But this religion has weathered all storms and its core fundamentals still today exist more or less in purest of the form. One of the fundamentals is ofcourse that of forgiving and that is the reason why this day is celebrated with much vigour across all the sects of jainism.
So what is so special about the day? Well its obvious that jains ask for pardon for any of their actions that would have caused agony in other's heart. But that is not it. They ask pardon from all the living beings.. humans, animals, plants and birds alike !! Even the smallest of the creatures like ant are not excluded and if you actually look at the ceremony (called Pratikraman) , you will be immensely surprised by the sheer importance that this religion gives to even the smallest form of life.
I remember from my childhood days, my friends commenting rather provocatively that jains were a clever lot. For the entire year they would do all sorts of wrong deeds and on samvtsari day they would come to you and would ask for pardon :). Hehe.. I wish it were so simple. But try once. Saying sorry from the bottom of your heart is never easy. Not even to those who are so close to you, forget about plants and animals!!
OK. So it is about time I signed off. But before that did I forget saying sorry? Hmmm let me do it in a rather traditional way. The actual lines go something like this...
Khamemi savve jive, (I forgive all the living beings)
Savve jiva khammatu me, ( May all living beings please forgive me)
Metti me savve bhuyeshu, (My friendship is with everyone)
Veram majaham na kenai. (My enmity is totally nonexistent)
Micha-Mi-Dukdam - May my ill deeds turn fruitless.
For starters, Jainism is said to be the oldest living religion and has its roots in India. It has around 5-6 million followers around the world. (ah, thats quite less comparing with 1+ billion population of india- not even 1%). But this religion has weathered all storms and its core fundamentals still today exist more or less in purest of the form. One of the fundamentals is ofcourse that of forgiving and that is the reason why this day is celebrated with much vigour across all the sects of jainism.
So what is so special about the day? Well its obvious that jains ask for pardon for any of their actions that would have caused agony in other's heart. But that is not it. They ask pardon from all the living beings.. humans, animals, plants and birds alike !! Even the smallest of the creatures like ant are not excluded and if you actually look at the ceremony (called Pratikraman) , you will be immensely surprised by the sheer importance that this religion gives to even the smallest form of life.
I remember from my childhood days, my friends commenting rather provocatively that jains were a clever lot. For the entire year they would do all sorts of wrong deeds and on samvtsari day they would come to you and would ask for pardon :). Hehe.. I wish it were so simple. But try once. Saying sorry from the bottom of your heart is never easy. Not even to those who are so close to you, forget about plants and animals!!
OK. So it is about time I signed off. But before that did I forget saying sorry? Hmmm let me do it in a rather traditional way. The actual lines go something like this...
Khamemi savve jive, (I forgive all the living beings)
Savve jiva khammatu me, ( May all living beings please forgive me)
Metti me savve bhuyeshu, (My friendship is with everyone)
Veram majaham na kenai. (My enmity is totally nonexistent)
Micha-Mi-Dukdam - May my ill deeds turn fruitless.
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