Birds of a feather - 2 !

"Far from the madding crowd..."

I could repeatedly hear myself say these words as I drove down the quiet stretch just a few miles away from the city.  It is quite unbelievable how the most quiet get-away's can be found in the most crowded of places, if we know where to look!

It was a good change to catch up on birds again after a long time; though I must admit I have been constantly looking them up in my books and wherever I have traveled. But this time, there were a lot of "land" birds to check out, having seen quite a few "water" ones already.

The first exciting one was the bee-eater. It is a small bird which is quite colorful. There are twenty six varieties of these birds! Most of them have some amount of green in their plumage. They are called bee-eaters because they, well, like eating bees! They also eat other flying insects but honey bees make up their primary diet. Interestingly, before eating its meal, a bee-eater removes the stinger by repeatedly hitting and rubbing the insect on a hard surface. During this process, pressure is applied to the insect thereby extracting most of the venom. And the birds only catch prey that are "on the wing" and ignore flying insects once they land. Now that's principled living! 

They stay in colonies and live in a community of sorts; some species are known to have some of the most complex social structures. Another interesting aspect of these birds is that they do "dust-bathing" and "water-bathing" to keep down parasites!

The next bird was the green-pigeon, a very elegant bird which has a green plumage with a yellow collar! It was the first time I saw one, (and looked it up in my book now), so that was cool.

There were also a lot many red-whiskered bulbul's. Their cries very much resemble the words "pleased-to-meet-you", said very quickly and in a shrill tone!  It is more often heard than seen, but will often perch conspicuously especially in the mornings when they call from the tops of trees. Bulbul's feed on fruits and insects predominantly. An entire family was spotted in a brush nearby and I could see them from quite close. Their life span is about 11 years. [Courtesy Wiki!]

Many sun-birds were seen flitting about and now I finally know that not all small birds are sun-birds :P One interesting point to note, told by a veteran ornithologist (!) is that sun-birds are not only small and colorful but also have a curved beak. So finally I have one way to classify them!

Also spotted quite a few Munia's. They were flitting between bushes and were quite difficult to spot. They prefer open habitats and feed on seeds. The one I saw was a scaly-breasted Munia.

I saw an entire tree with lots of weaver bird nests ! And lots of weaver birds as well. They make some of the most complex of nests and it is done by the males of the species. They make home together in a colony apparently for protection. The males are brightly colored (for attractive reasons!). I think we saw a Baya Weaver, though I am not too sure since I was far away and could not really spot them clearly. They feed on seeds and are know to damage crops. Baddies in that sense!

Then there were the Indian Robins, brilliant black with a red rump; Tailor-birds were found in bushes and make a warbling noise. They are short little birds. Tailor-birds get their name from the way their nest is constructed. The edges of a large leaf are pierced and sewn together with plant fibre or spider's web to make a cradle in which the actual grass nest is built. Never saw a nest though.

Also spotted a Copper-smith barbet. They are called so since they make a noise like a copper smith striking metal. These live mostly on wild figs. It was one of the spectacular catches since they are quite difficult to spot. We saw two of them sitting close-by! One was constantly making a hole in a bark of a tree. Like other barbet's they chisel out a hole inside a tree and build their nest. I should know...some years ago, a normal pair of barbet's had made home in a tree outside, right opposite to my room! Right now that home is taken by parakeets :)

These were some of the new birds that were seen. 

The sights constantly reminded me that we were only a few miles away from the city, and so much of beauty awaited us. I guess it comes down to having a discerning eye and a bit of patience as well.

Now I am humming the famous song; Ahista...ahista..!

Birds of a feather..!

In my last blog I mentioned that once I recover my senses, I will write about the experience I had. Guess it has taken a year for that to happen, and I think I might just go senseless again, after this one!

But the raison d'etre for the predicament that beeches me this time, is intricately related to the one faced the last. That of putting in words an experience and appreciation for beauty. Shakespeare had said, "If music be the food of love, play on...", and I will rest my case for the last blog with that.

Looking at nature though, one realizes that all of the wonders that man creates, is just a speck of dust compared to what nature itself has to offer. After all, so many of the designs and art that we create or incorporate, are inspirations drawn from nature and nature's laws. Music too, for example, draws inspiration from the beauty of nature. Our feelings of looking at a sunset on the ocean, or a majestic waterfall or the flutter of wings (or eyelashes!) or just of the silence in a forest, is more accurately described through music, more closely than what words can, the experience that our senses witness.

In that context, how many times I would have seen birds and been to a zoo or other such places and just taken a look at them. But I think this time it was a whole different experience altogether. And it helps when you have a bird expert to explain all the different qualities about them! You tend to notice what was always there..

So it was really nice to look at a wide variety of birds and take "stock!" of what was on offer.

The first was the Egrets, part of the heron family, and a white bird that comes in various sizes (the great, intermediate, cattle, little and many others!) and I realized they are hard working fellows. Wiki says: The word "egret" comes from the French word "aigrette" that means both "silver heron" and "brush", referring to the long filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season.

I saw Cormorant's as well, but I did not appreciate it very much. It looked way too clever and I got negative vibes from it! Interestingly, the cormorant was the disguise used by Satan in John Milton's "Paradise Lost", a classic epic poem which I fondly remember for various reasons. The cormorant was known to be a traditional symbol of greed and greedy men. Perched atop the "Tree of Life" (apples anyone?!), Satan took the form of a cormorant as he spied on Adam and Eve during his first intrusion into Eden..!! No wonder I got negative vibes looking at it :)

Of course, that is only on a lighter note. It appears that some of this species were present even at the time of the dinosaurs and its structure has not changed very much. They come in various shapes and sizes as well. So they are really a pretty old and solid species which is awesome.

Then there were Heron's, birds characterized by their long legs. There was a Grey heron,  a Pond heron, a Purple heron and a Night heron. The last one is a red-eyed, yellow legged birdie which gives a feeling that it has either not slept at all or is high on something! The others were a variety of whites yellows and browns. And they have an interesting method of catching fish - by deception! Apparently, they put bits of grass or leaves in the water so that the fish come out enquiringly...and of-course, the heron is waiting in anticipation..you know what happens next!

Pelican's are majestic looking birds, with large pouch carrying throats. I saw a spot-billed pelican but I think there are lots of other ones in the world. They look really massive up close. I saw one which was feeding its young one. Wiki says that pelicans were considered as very compassionate birds in literature. In Europe, the pelican was thought to be particularly attentive to her young, to the point of providing her own blood by wounding her own breast when no other food was available. The legends of self-wounding and the provision of blood may have arisen because of the impression a pelican sometimes gives that it is stabbing itself with its bill. In reality, it often presses this onto its chest in order to fully empty the pouch.

This apart, I also saw a Stone Plower, a bird which looks just like the color of the rocks that it dwells on. Also saw a Painted Stork (not "stroke", "smock" or "sock"!!), which had a orange beak and pink-white-black colored feathers. The Stork and the Ibis apparently belong to the same family of birds. I am not sure how true it is, but it seems that when the juveniles in this species are threatened by bigger birds, they feign their death!

There was also a River Tern - yellow beaked and yellow tongued - which is a little nut of a bird which lays its eggs outside on the rocks. They are tough little fellows, as it seems they will peck away at any birds or even the eyes of the croc's which might want to eat their eggs. Even though I was at touching distance to it, it just sat there sternly..hmm Tern-is-Stern :)

There were others too, Open bill and a Spoon bill, both characterized by the peculiar shape of their bills, with the latter also having a little color on its bill tip! I also saw the Wagtail, characterized by their long tail feathers, and the common Mayna, which can be seen everywhere actually. There was also Darters, also called as snakebirds, which was sun-bathing! Similar to cormorats, they too get into water to get fish, so actually, they need to dry their wings..

I also saw a small blue Kingfisher too. It was beautiful. It was so near, and yet so far... :) There are many varieties of them it seems, but did not get to see any others. Then there were the sunbirds, coucal (which makes a screechly sound) and fruit bats, called so because they live off on fruits and berries. Also saw a Brahminy Kite, they have deep brown color wings and a white head.

All in all, I think the experience of seeing and knowing about these few birds tell me, just how un-aware we are of our surroundings. When we keep our eyes open and our ears attentive, we can see and listen to nature in all its magnificent splendor. It also seems that nature, literature, music and everything of art, does a fusion of sorts to play out a grand enigma, which while not to be deciphered thread-bare, can still be savored eternally..

Shakespeare had this to say: "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin..", which I think rings true. There appears no walls of differences in our awe and splendor for nature.

So when you see the wide-expanses of the sky and birds flying high above your head, realize how much is possible. We have much to learn..!

Yanni by your side...

Its been a very long time. More than 6 months have gone by and without a post...tch-tch.

Its better late than never though! And what can be a better time than now..Here I am listening to "True Nature" from one of the composers I admire the most. Yanni. I have listened to his compositions for more than 15 years now. And yet, I never tire of listening to his music as each time it is so refreshing and so peaceful. Oh..."Reflections of Passion" just started :)

The first time I saw him was on TV. I was in school then. It was some 17 years ago, when Yanni performed in front of the Taj Mahal. A symbol of love. And I fell in love with his music instantly! His uplifting, inspiring and ever so beautiful music. Since then I have been following and listening to all his albums and performances in so many wonderful places (at one time I thought he was going to cover all the 7 wonders of the world..he has mostly though).

I remember 17 years ago there were cassettes, and I was a proud owner of a "Walkman"! Heard of those things lately?!? Well, I listened to his albums on it for years ! I used to sleep with those headphones on and let the music come to an end..by then I would have fallen into a peaceful slumber..! So many days and so many nights, Yanni was by my side. That was also one of the names of his album! And I remember thinking once that I should put up a huge poster of his in my room..but out of sheer embarrassment, I never did!!

But it did inspire me some to try music and got me into learning about music. I took up Guitar lessons (Reynold's anyone?!) and performed a few times at school concerts. Also had a little band in Wipro and we performed, but just once in front of our Finnish clients :)

Time and tide took over and well, that was that.

Ah, "Dance with a Stranger" is on now..

And now guess what?!! Yanni is going to be performing. In India. In Bangalore. In Manyata Tech Park. Opposite to my office building. TOMORROW!!! It is as if he is coming just for me!!

And yea, I have my tickets booked and I am going!!!! Oh boy...I just can't wait!! It is going to be like..gee...I don't know. Something like meeting your childhood hero..!!

Once I recover my senses from his music I will surely write about the experience!!

But let me take a little time out now to write a little about music itself and especially the kind Yanni creates. Oh...what perfect time. "Tribute" just started...! The most soul-stirring of all music that I have ever heard till date. It just doesn't let you be you. It draws you out and puts you under this beautiful beautiful spotlight that is so enchanting..its like a drug! Everything just flashes by you in an instant. All your fears are put to rest. Everything just falls away and you remain in the midst of your feelings which are filtered out to its purest form. Its lovely. Shakespeare rightly said, " If music be the food of love, play on..." Sigh, I have no more words to describe it. I have lots of words to describe it and yet...all those fail me. And it always brings a little tear in my eyes.

I will write more about music later. Its time to listen to "Tribute" one last time before I sleep...tomorrow I shall hear it from its maker!

The curious case of company identity...

When I joined Motorola some years ago, it was one company. After a few years, Motorola got split up into two companies, Motorola Mobility, which became the handsets business and Motorola Solutions, which was primarily the networks and push-to-talk business. I became part of Motorola Solutions after that split.

A few years later, Motorola Mobility got bought over by Google. And a part of the Motorola Solutions business by Nokia-Siemens Networks (NSN). That brought an end to an 80 year old company called Motorola; though Motorola Solutions is still around carrying the legacy of Motorola, albeit only a small piece of the giant it once was. For many of the old-timers, it was a defining moment.

Well, I became part of the NSN group after that (A joint partnership between Nokia and Siemens). Later this year, Siemens pulled out of this partnership and we became Nokia Solutions and Networks (still retaining the name NSN!).

And now, just a few weeks ago, Microsoft has bought over Nokia itself. With it, another company, with almost a 150 year old history has come to an end. And I am sure that very many emotions were at play on the minds and hearts of those who had been associated with it.

So I was wondering for a while if we will soon be called MSN (though I had a sneaky feeling I had heard that name somewhere before!). But that was not the case and our company continues to function as NSN, a Nokia company.

But imagine I am introducing myself and I am asked where I worked. Earlier it was simple. I would simply say, “I work for Motorola”. After a few years, “I work for Motorola Solutions”. Now here comes the confusion. People unfamiliar with the Motorola brand would automatically associate it with mobile phones, and I would have to patiently explain the difference between the network world and the handset world. And then after a few years I said, “I work for NSN..it stands for Nokia-Siemens Networks, which recently acquired the networks divisions of Motorola Solutions”. So they would say, “Ah, so Motorola exists no more?”, and I would say, “It does, Motorola Solutions is still around..”. Confusion!

Thankfully, the name NSN qualified what world I worked in, but many would still continue saying I work in “Nokia” (the devices company), which wasn’t true!

From this year I have been saying, “I work for Nokia-Solutions and Networks”. And now when I say this, they would say, “But didn’t Nokia get bought over by Microsoft” (someone’s reading up the papers!)”. I would go on to explain that Nokia (the handsets company) is bought over. The Nokia legacy still lives on, albeit in a smaller form, as NSN.

By the way, all this was only what I have seen happening. I have not gone into the legacies of these companies, or the numerous companies that were an offshoot from them, in previous years! But, having seen some of the action, I have now developed this ability to roll-off words like mergers and acquisitions and consolidation in the telecom world etc, quite adroitly!

In any case, what is quite apparent is that many of the earlier so called “software-only” companies are getting into the mobile eco-system and mobile computing/devices business.

I am sure many others might have witnessed something similar elsewhere! Do share your thoughts.

Of painted caves and evolution...!

Thinking back upon civilization, man and evolution, the entire gamut of human and other life, leaves a sense of awe and at some level, even a suspension of belief in the grandeur of creation. For it all begets the question of time and its beginning. It begets questions on how we came to be, what we came to be and at some level, why we came to be! If we give that a skip, it still stares at you and forces you to step back, pause and wonder. For the questions are all around, in every little thing out there in nature, and possibly in every act of ours.

So, what is making me write about this? Well, I have been reading this book called "Secrets of the Past". Its a seriously old publication (somewhere from the 50's) from the Reader's Digest editors. It takes you through a tour from the beginning of time, at the creation of the earth and the stars, the awesome forces that makes up the universe including white-dwarfs and black holes and many such others. The sheer numbers, when it describes distances, temperatures and forces, is fathomless.

It then starts the journey of creation on earth, the tectonic plate’s shifts, the different eras, the first signs of life, the first great wild animals and life. It goes on to the beginning of the appearance of many, many millennia ago, of prehistoric man (prehistoric, because that’s the time when history was not written/recorded, but we are beginning to understand it from facts gathered through research and study of fossils and archaeology and whatever remains of our own earliest forms, from what they left in their wake) It takes you through this roller-coaster ride, where man, the hunter-gatherer, the fellow who lived in trees, finally, with the passing of aeons and aeons of years, begins to climb down those trees, begins to scan the vastness of the lands, learns, understands and survives, ever so slowly, through many more millennia's. It seizes your imagination, thinking of the enormity of our evolution!

It also talks of our far off ancestors, leaving a trail of their occupations, embedded in the ages long gone by, and in many different places too, scattered all over the world. The way they lived, what they ate, how they survived, what kept them going are the very many things, that makes the book extremely interesting to read. Oh, and so far, it’s just a quarter of the book!

Or of course, if you choose not to let your mind do the imagining, you can tune into National Geographic on tv :) but hey, it doesn’t even come close!

In any case, it probably isn’t just this book, but others too which might be equally interesting, if you like that kind of stuff...now let’s see, where was I, ah..the painted caves of the Tassili in the Sahara.. :)

Chao!

Como estas?!

Esta es un blog en español. Yo amor español. Yo estoy el aprendizaje español en la clase en el fin de semana. Yo voy de clase en y aprender muchos la palabra. Y yo soy intentando a usar estas aqui! Yo poder preguntar tu nombre, de donde viva, y tu numero de mobil! Asi, preguntar mi!!

Hola..!

Its been a while since I posted. Interestingly, my inactivity has coincided with my changing teams at the workplace! Hmm, that's a coincidence..but I am glad I am getting to post something to get me started this year..

My to-do list has been ever increasing, now going up every day! I need to get into the groove and get those tick marks on them :) Maybe its the weather that is making me dull..it has never been this hot! And apparently its going to touch the 40's in a few weeks. Sigh..

Anyway, talking about to-do lists, I think the ultimate to-do list is the one created by John Goddard. You might have heard of him many times, as he is a well known speaker, motivator and coach. Apart from the fact that he has achieved the most daring, the most adventurous and the most sought-after goals that any of us can think of. I had read about him while in school, in one of the chicken-soup series of books, and since then he is like the macho-man when it comes to to-do's :)

Here is his much talked about "life-list" of 127 things to-do. And he has achieved most of them..oh and one more thing, he wrote down this list when he was 15 years old!

Explore:
1. Nile River
2. Amazon River
3. Congo River
4. Colorado
5. Yangtze River, China
6. Niger River
7. Orinoco River, Venezuela
8. Rio Coco, Nicaragua
9. The Congo
10. New Guinea
11. Brazil
12. Borneo
13. The Sudan (Nearly buried alive in a sandstorm)

Study Tribal Cultures in:
14. Australia
15. Kenya
16. The Philippines
17. Tanganyika (Now Tanzania)
18. Ethiopia
19. Nigeria
20. Alaska

Climb:
21. Mount Everest
22. Mount Aroncagua, Argentina
23. Mount McKinley
24. Mount Huascaran, Peru
25. Mount Kilimanjaro
26. Mount Aratat, Turkey
27. Mount Kenya
28. Mount Cook, New Zealand
29. Mount Popocatepetl, Mexico
30. The Matterhorn
31. Mount Rainier
32. Mount Fugi
33. Mount Vesuvius
34. Mount Bromo, Java
35. Grand Tetons
36. Mount Baldy, California
37. Carry out careers in medicine and exploration
38. Visited every country in the world (visited 122 already).
39. Study Navaho and Hopi cultures
40. Learn to fly a plane
41. Ride horse in Rose Parade

Photograph:
42. Iguacu Falls, Brazil-Argentine border
43. Victoria Falls
44. Sutherland Falls, New Zealand
45. Yosemite Falls
46. Niagara Falls
47. Retrace the travels of Marco Polo and Alexander the Great

Explore underwater:
48. Coral reefs of Florida
49. Great Barrier Reef, Australia
50. Red Sea
51. Figi Islands
52. The Bahamas
53. Explore Okefenokee Swamp and The Everglades

Visit:
54. North and South Poles
55. Great Wall of China
56. Panama and Suez Canals
57. Easter Island
58. The Galapagos Islands
59. Vatican City (saw the Pope)
60. The Taj Mahal
61. The Eiffel Tower
62. The Blue Grotto
63. The Tower of London
64. The Leaning Tower of Pisa
65. The Sacred Well of Chichen-Itza, Mexico
66. Climb Ayers Rock in Australia
67. Follow River Jordan from Sea of Galilee to Dead Sea

Swim in:
68. Lake Victoria
69. Lake Superior
70. Lake Tanganyika
71. Lake Titicaca
72. Lake Nicaragua

Accomplish:
73. Become an Eagle Scout
74. Dive in a submarine
75. Land and take off from an aircraft carrier
76. Fly in a blimp, hot air balloon and glider
77. Ride an elephant, camel, ostrich and bronco
78. Skin dive to 40 feet and hold breath two and a half minutes underwater
79. Catch a ten pound lobster and a ten inch abalone
80. Play flute and violin
81. Type 50 words a minute
82. Make a parachute jump
83. Learn water and snow skiing
84. Go on a church mission
85. Follow the John Muir Trail
86. Study native medicines and bring back useful ones
87. Bag camera trophies of elephant, lion, rhino, cheetah, cape buffalo and whale
88. Learn to fence
89. Learn jujitsu
90. Teach a college course
91. Watch a cremation ceremony in Bali
92. Explore depths of the sea
93. Appear in a Tarzan movie
94. Own a horse, chimpanzee, cheetah, ocelot and coyote
95. Become a ham radio operator
96. Build own telescope
97. Write a book on the Nile expedition
98. Publish and article in National Geographic magazine
99. High jump five feet
100. Broad jump fifteen feet
101. Run a mile in five minutes
102. Weigh 175 pounds stripped (still does)
103. Perform 200 sit-ups and 20 pull-ups
104. Learn French, Spanish and Arabic
105. Study dragon lizards on Komodo Island
106. Visit birthplace of Grandfather Sorenson in Denmark
107. Visit birthplace of Grandfather Goddard in England
108. Ship aboard a freighter as a seaman
109. Read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica (Has read extensive parts in each of the 24
volumes)
110. Read the Bible from cover to cover
111. Read the works of Shakespeare, Plato, Aristotle, Dickens, Thoreau, Poe, Rousseau,
Bacon, Hemmingway, Twain, Burroughs, Conrad, Talmage, Tolstoy, Longfellow,
Keats, Whittier and Emerson (not every work of each)
112. Become familiar with the compositions of Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, Ibert,
Mendelssohn, Lalo, Rimsky-Korsakov, Respighi, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky,
Toch, Tchaikovsky, Verdi
113. Become proficient in the use of a plane, motorcycle, tractor, surfboard, rifle, pistol,
canoe, microscope, football, basketball, bow and arrow, lariat and boomerang
114. Compose music
115. Play Clair de Lune on the piano
116. Watch fire-walking ceremony (in Bali and Surinam)
117. Milk a poisonous snake
118. Light a match with a .22 rifle
119. Visit a movie studio
120. Climb Great Pyramid of Cheops (Egypt)
121. Become a member of the Explorers’ Club and the Adventures’ Club
122. Learn to play polo
123. Travel through the Grand Canyon on foot and by boat
124. Circumnavigate the globe (four times)
125. Visit the moon
126. Marry and have children (2 sons, 4 daughters)*
127. Live to see the 21st century


Woah...right?! Well it is indeed an amazing list and every-time I look at it, it seems even more incredible, and yet he has achieved almost all of them.

Which brings me to share the rule that seems to work. That "anything-written-gets-done". Of-course you need to work on it, but it gives you a strong base to work from. I mean how else can we explain the passion that is needed to achieve something like the above list. Any ideas?

There is a thought-provoking poem and something we can all probably relate to at some point in time. This was by Napoleon Hill in "Think and Grow Rich":

"I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store.
For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menial's hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have willingly paid."


Henry Ford once said, "One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his greatest surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t".

What are your thoughts?

An Ode to Tyson...

Where do I begin..I don't know. But I can't let this moment pass and I want to express all that I can.

Tyson was our family dog, our pet since the last 12 years. And today, he is no more.

12 years...It was just a few years after Mike Tyson had bitten off the ear of Evander Holyfield. And we could'nt help naming our new dog...Tyson!

It also reminds me of the time when I had just entered college. And when I would come home from college and step into our compound, this little ball of fur would come rolling towards me! He was always around playing, chewing and keeping watch. Playful yet alert. Lovable but also aggressive. A perfect pet.

He was so cool, that we could actually feed it with a spoon and even if I took away its bowl playfully while it was eating, it would just howl, make a face and snuggle because it wanted more! I mean...there aren't too many dogs out there you can do that with!

As it grew older, he became so much more fun to be with. The golden years of his life were I guess between the ages of 3 and 8. He was especially frisky when there were a lot of people around him. It was as though he enjoyed all the commotion and attention. He would find some empty space between us all and roll on the ground, all happy and gay!! Damn, we are going to miss him...

Diwali days were his worst though. The noise would practically make him all uneasy and tried to find peace within the house. He would scratch up the door to let him in and then when we did, dash to his corner and lie low, like he was going to be attacked anytime! It was a very funny scene, though at his expense! I remember one particular Diwali night when he was in the house. We thought of keeping him there all night as he was whining away because of all the noise. A few minutes after I had gone to bed, I felt a cold snout poking into my arm. I was at wit's end and so freaking startled! And there he was, cowering and wagging his tail! That was it for me though, he was shoved out of the room the next instant..!

There were so many other incidents too. Like how anyone who had been away from home for a few days, would be greeted most warmly by Tyson jumping all over him/her with gleaming eyes and a dripping tongue..! Or how he would be scratching his chin by sitting next to the gate, so as to make the gate-stopper go cling and clang, at the dead of night!

In his last couple of years, the aging had become more prominent and we could see him becoming tired easily and not as playful as he used to be. But you could say he maintained a quiet demeanor, almost zen like.. Sometimes I wondered, when I came back from office. He was almost like in peace..quiet. Remember, 1 year of its life is equivalent to 7 years of our's. Which makes him the eldest in the family at the age of 84!

There are so many things that I can write about Tyson, so many..12 years is indeed a long time, come to think of it. And its only in some such times you think about it...

So here is to Tyson, wherever you are,
Keep those lick's coming, and don't be too far,
Diwali night's won't trouble you anymore,
But we will miss you, that's for sure...


R.I.P

Mobile App Conference...

Silicon India had organized a Mobile App Conference today. I went for it, thanks to a colleague who wanted me to tag along. And it turned out to be pretty nice! Lots of panel discussions and sales ("Elevator") speeches by quite a few start-ups who are in the mobile app space. There were talks related to the entire app eco-system and economy, monetization of apps, segmentation and all the jazz, that is marketing! Quite some time was devoted to understanding the business proposition and revenue models of companies who are trying to carve a business in this whole space. Interesting and refreshing.

There were many exhibitors and start-ups with their products. Almost all catered more to the services sectors rather than the product sector. More opportunities? Sure, but also because product sectors would mean more customized and "enterprise" apps. And before I went I used to always wonder what are the things that can be done at the enterprise level. There are lots of things, as I learnt! Right from automation of processes, to task-based jobs, material, inventory and checklists. Useful in many different industries. There was one company which I felt were very clear in their entire thinking and approach to it. Rossi-tek was their name I think..

My personal best was one with cloud services and seamless UX across any operator connectivity/availability! All your apps and data synchronized across any platform and any network operator. Phew! The guy there explained it really well. I think they were called United Mobile Apps.

I hope the app story does not turn out to be something like what happened in the dot com bubble though. Lots of fabulous ideas and "fantasies" which never took off because of lack of proper knowledge of monetization, marketing and business models. A sustainable model at that, which is another way of saying you need to bet for it for the long term. I wont be surprised if it turns out to be a bubble, just like that of the dot com era. People can dismiss it, saying we have really learnt our lessons and fund houses are more smarter than to believe in jacked up and fantastic growth projections...But I think we might be overestimating their abilities! That's not to dismiss their abilities but just because there is so much happening out there! I don't see how someone can really pick something which will work and skip others by believing something wont. Its a gamble at best, and no one "really" knows where the next big wave is going to come from. And just because, again, there is so much happening out there (in that space) and so many interesting creative ways of doing businesses!!

Ofcourse, the few good ones would always remain, finding their niche and discovering themselves successfully. The world is a stage, and hopefully, they will have "happy" parts to play! The others..well, something else maybe.

As for my part...for now, its the audience :)

A Thousand Splendid Suns...

There are some books that really move you emotionally...

Sometimes I wonder what is it that I really gain by reading books on fiction, art or just plain biographies. Or works of literature and poetry. What is it that really brings feelings deep inside ourselves actually felt? Then we read some works that brings an answer to our never ending quests.

I have been reading this book called A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseni. Its a poignant story about the hardships of two women who I believe are the protagonists of the novel, but in a way are representatives of all those people in Afghanistan that need a voice to make the world hear of their plight and hardships. And about the humaneness that is expressed in them that we all tend to need reminding..It touches me greatly to be expressing so much for it because it brings to me a very sad reminder of the places which are not too far from us, which are altogether god-forsaken and need the expression of utterance to be able to comprehend the immensity of their tragedies.

There are not too many novels that are able to realize that end of the spectrum of human endurance and experience. And not that many able to move us in a way that captures the images of their world and bring it closer to our heart's. And this book manages to do just that. I have read many others of the same order, and they really wreak you emotionally. Its only the very strong who wont be moved by reading them. Its real, its in flesh and blood, its in every waking moment that you are reminded of their stories, forever embedded in our collective human conscience. Maybe that in itself is a tribute to their lives and those that are unheard of..

Which again beings me back asking the same questions at the beginning. What is it about them really? Maybe its just recognizing another human being as human enough to merit our attention. And that in itself is worthy enough. Sigh, I would be doing a great dis-service if I expressed further. I would suffice to say, try and read it. And others too which might seem tedious. Its worth every tear drop, for those to which it is dedicated..