A question on macroeconomics
If a country has high per-capita GDP compared to other contries, but does not a comparatively high per-capita income, what can we infer from it?
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Economics
Stopping at signals
Does one become less restless and impatient if one switches off the engine at the signal?
Materialism
The number of people leading a materialistic life is so large that oftentimes we tend to believe that that is the correct way to live.
Studying
I took the first two papers of CPIM on Saturday. When I started preparing for the exam more than a month ago, I was extremely excited. I was studying for an exam after a long time and it was going to be fun. The course content itself was interesting. However as my study progressed, I began to get bored of it. It was the laziness of using my brain that was the cause of boredom. I was just reading the text like a novel. And soon it became a boring ordeal. I endured it till the day of the exam. The biggest surprise came on the day of the exam. If studying had been difficult, writing the exam was even tougher (and not knowing the answers was only a part of the reason). Just sitting there for three hours and thinking was difficult! I wanted to stop writing, give my answer paper and go out. Of course, I pushed myself to do a fair job of it. (A few times I rested my head on the desk and took short breaks). All in all, the whole episode left a bad taste in my mouth. I had heard people say that it is difficult to study with concentration once one is out of formal educational. And I always belived that that would never ever happen to me. So I am surprised at this. I need to take corrective action. I can't let this happen to me!
Calmness
The less passion there is, the better we work. The calmer we are, the better for us, and the more the amount of work we can do. When we let loose our feelings, we waste so much energy, shatter our nerves, disturb our minds, and accomplish very little work. It is only when the mind is very calm and collected that the whole of its energy is spent in doing good work. And if you read the lives of the great workers, which the world has produced, you will find that they were wonderfully calm men.
- Swami Vivekanand
- Swami Vivekanand
Trusting one's intuition
Rule #15 of Twenty-five things to prove you are a Mumbaikar:
"You are suspicious of strangers who are actually nice to you."
This incident took place a couple of months ago. I was eating bhel in Udipi Park darshini when the guy standing (yes, standing. Well, it's a darshini, if you know what it means) next to me started a conversation with me. We talked for sometime before introducing ourselves to each other. It turned out that his name was also Jayprakash (although spelt slightly differently). It was probably the second time in my life that I had met another Jayprakash. This surprising coincidence let to furthar talk. I think we talked for about ten minutes or so. I observed that he was a very nice guy. Being a hard-core Mumbaikar, my natural reaction was, "He is such a nice guy. What does he want from me?!!" Well, soon we exchanged visiting cards and bid good-byes and said that we should be in touch. Once he was gone, I thought about my reaction and thought that I was just paranoid. There is no reason to distrust someone simply because he is nice to a stranger.
Anyway, that was the end of the matter. Until a few days later, when I got a mail from him saying that there was going to be a business discussion at some place that week and he had invited me to join in. Well, now I smiled to myself! This was not the first time I have received such an invitation. About three years back, I met a couple, who were from Mumbai, at Sri Ganesh Juice Center, Domlur. In our shared joy of meeting someone from Mumbai in Bangalore, we had exchanged telephone numbers and said that we should remain in touch. A few days later, I got a call from the guy. "We are holding a meeting with our friends to discuss some key business ideas. Would you be interested to join in." I was naive at that time and did go to the decided place. I came back a bit enlightened. So this time, I knew what to reply. "Thanks for the invitation. I would surely like to come. However, if it has anything to do with Network Marketing, please let me know. I have attended an Amway presentation once, and I know I am not cut out for it."
I beleive that people are nice. I often meet strangers who are nice people. It's not that that Jaiprakash was a bad person. It's just that his courteousness was for a purpose. And my intuition figured it out correctly. Though I cannot say how. That's why they say, trust your intuition.
"You are suspicious of strangers who are actually nice to you."
This incident took place a couple of months ago. I was eating bhel in Udipi Park darshini when the guy standing (yes, standing. Well, it's a darshini, if you know what it means) next to me started a conversation with me. We talked for sometime before introducing ourselves to each other. It turned out that his name was also Jayprakash (although spelt slightly differently). It was probably the second time in my life that I had met another Jayprakash. This surprising coincidence let to furthar talk. I think we talked for about ten minutes or so. I observed that he was a very nice guy. Being a hard-core Mumbaikar, my natural reaction was, "He is such a nice guy. What does he want from me?!!" Well, soon we exchanged visiting cards and bid good-byes and said that we should be in touch. Once he was gone, I thought about my reaction and thought that I was just paranoid. There is no reason to distrust someone simply because he is nice to a stranger.
Anyway, that was the end of the matter. Until a few days later, when I got a mail from him saying that there was going to be a business discussion at some place that week and he had invited me to join in. Well, now I smiled to myself! This was not the first time I have received such an invitation. About three years back, I met a couple, who were from Mumbai, at Sri Ganesh Juice Center, Domlur. In our shared joy of meeting someone from Mumbai in Bangalore, we had exchanged telephone numbers and said that we should remain in touch. A few days later, I got a call from the guy. "We are holding a meeting with our friends to discuss some key business ideas. Would you be interested to join in." I was naive at that time and did go to the decided place. I came back a bit enlightened. So this time, I knew what to reply. "Thanks for the invitation. I would surely like to come. However, if it has anything to do with Network Marketing, please let me know. I have attended an Amway presentation once, and I know I am not cut out for it."
I beleive that people are nice. I often meet strangers who are nice people. It's not that that Jaiprakash was a bad person. It's just that his courteousness was for a purpose. And my intuition figured it out correctly. Though I cannot say how. That's why they say, trust your intuition.
Surviving Bangalore
To survive in any place, you need to learn something unique about that place. I have seen people quit Mumbai simply because they never learnt how to board crowded trains. There being no trains in Bangalore, you need something different to survive in Bangalore. People from north who have never been in Bangalore are mistaken to believe that one needs to learn Kannada to survive here. If you are one of them, you would be surprised to know that there are people who have lived in Bangalore for forty years and can't speak a single sentence in Kannada. What you need to know to survive in Bangalore is how to deal with auto drivers.
Coming back to Bangalore after a gap of two-and-half years, I was extremely frustrated at the daily altercations with auto drivers. Arguing with an auto driver was a very bad way to begin each workday. So I gave some thought to the matter, did some experimentation and came with guiding principles for dealing with these thugs. Here's how to go about dealing with an auto driver in Bangalore:
Stand at the edge of the road and wave your hand gently when you see an empty auto coming by. I say gently. Do not wave frantically. You have to cast an impression that it is too much of a pain and it is really not worth lifting your hand to stop an auto. You have to be poker-faced. Do not be overjoyed at the sight of the auto. Well, if you keep in mind what is in store you surely won't be overjoyed at the sight of an auto anyway.
If he is a typical Bangalore auto driver, he would not care to park at the edge of the road. He would stop the auto in the middle of the road, a couple meters in front of you. Do not walk towards him. From the distance, shout where you want to go. If you force yourself to stand at a distance, there is a natural tendency of the body to lean in the direction. Be aware of it. Do not lean in the direction of the auto. Stand erect. Tell him where you want to go. Important, do not eagerly wait for his reply. In fact, the moment you tell him where you want to go, you should start looking eagerly towards the auto that's coming from behind. When the auto driver demands double the meter amount, say a very curt "no". Don't even care to look at him. Take a few steps towards the auto that's coming from behind. When you have done all this, be assured that now you are entering negotiations from a position of equal footing. Now, for the first time, look at him directly, but do not say anything. Let him make an offer. Your body language should tell him that this is his last chance. Either he makes a reasonable offer or you are going to say, "get lost".
If he makes some reasonable offer, just nod your head and enter the auto. If it is just more what you are willing to give, firmly tell him what he can expect. Most likely, he would accept. If he doesn't, do not argue any further. Instead, start walking towards the auto that's just stopped behind. He will frantically make some counter-offers. Do not accept anything other than what you offered him. Be firm. Again, walking eagerly towards the auto that's coming from behind helps. If it doesn't help, don't care to cast another look at the auto you have rejected. Resolutely walk away and let him drive away. Rest assured that there is an auto coming from behind.
Try this out. If you do it correctly, 90% of the time, one out of first three auto drivers would take you to your desired destination at a fare you set. It is tested and proven technique. Money back guarantee!!
Coming back to Bangalore after a gap of two-and-half years, I was extremely frustrated at the daily altercations with auto drivers. Arguing with an auto driver was a very bad way to begin each workday. So I gave some thought to the matter, did some experimentation and came with guiding principles for dealing with these thugs. Here's how to go about dealing with an auto driver in Bangalore:
Stand at the edge of the road and wave your hand gently when you see an empty auto coming by. I say gently. Do not wave frantically. You have to cast an impression that it is too much of a pain and it is really not worth lifting your hand to stop an auto. You have to be poker-faced. Do not be overjoyed at the sight of the auto. Well, if you keep in mind what is in store you surely won't be overjoyed at the sight of an auto anyway.
If he is a typical Bangalore auto driver, he would not care to park at the edge of the road. He would stop the auto in the middle of the road, a couple meters in front of you. Do not walk towards him. From the distance, shout where you want to go. If you force yourself to stand at a distance, there is a natural tendency of the body to lean in the direction. Be aware of it. Do not lean in the direction of the auto. Stand erect. Tell him where you want to go. Important, do not eagerly wait for his reply. In fact, the moment you tell him where you want to go, you should start looking eagerly towards the auto that's coming from behind. When the auto driver demands double the meter amount, say a very curt "no". Don't even care to look at him. Take a few steps towards the auto that's coming from behind. When you have done all this, be assured that now you are entering negotiations from a position of equal footing. Now, for the first time, look at him directly, but do not say anything. Let him make an offer. Your body language should tell him that this is his last chance. Either he makes a reasonable offer or you are going to say, "get lost".
If he makes some reasonable offer, just nod your head and enter the auto. If it is just more what you are willing to give, firmly tell him what he can expect. Most likely, he would accept. If he doesn't, do not argue any further. Instead, start walking towards the auto that's just stopped behind. He will frantically make some counter-offers. Do not accept anything other than what you offered him. Be firm. Again, walking eagerly towards the auto that's coming from behind helps. If it doesn't help, don't care to cast another look at the auto you have rejected. Resolutely walk away and let him drive away. Rest assured that there is an auto coming from behind.
Try this out. If you do it correctly, 90% of the time, one out of first three auto drivers would take you to your desired destination at a fare you set. It is tested and proven technique. Money back guarantee!!
I opened blogger to write a blog but didn't have anything to write. That's when I stumbled upon this excllent article Communal truth, secular lies by Kanchan Gupta. So often it has been repeated that communal violence in Gujarat was 'the worst in modern Indian history' that everyone (in India and abroad) has come to believe it. So it's imperative for everyone to know the facts; facts that are conviniently left unmentioned. Let me put a few sentences for the article as bullet points:
* 254 Hindus and 790 Muslims were killed in the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat
* These figures are not reflected in the propagandist pronouncements of those who claim to champion the cause of India's Muslims.
* More often than not we come across claims of 'thousands of Muslims butchered by Hindu fanatics in Narendra Modi's Gujarat.' This is a lie that has been repeated ad nauseam.
* It has been repeated the most by India's Marxists who subscribe to the Goebbelsian tactic of repeating a lie till in the popular perception it comes to be identified as the truth.
* The anti-Sikh pogrom that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination is not even talked about any more: More than 4,000 Sikhs were murdered
All will agree that no man should ever be killed, neither a Muslim, nor a Hindu, nor belonging to any other religion. Unfortunately in India, lives of Hindus (or Sikhs) have no value. Attacks on Hindus are not reported by the media, while attacks on Muslims are exaggerated a thousand times. If you say that the latter is okay, it's not!
* 254 Hindus and 790 Muslims were killed in the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat
* These figures are not reflected in the propagandist pronouncements of those who claim to champion the cause of India's Muslims.
* More often than not we come across claims of 'thousands of Muslims butchered by Hindu fanatics in Narendra Modi's Gujarat.' This is a lie that has been repeated ad nauseam.
* It has been repeated the most by India's Marxists who subscribe to the Goebbelsian tactic of repeating a lie till in the popular perception it comes to be identified as the truth.
* The anti-Sikh pogrom that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination is not even talked about any more: More than 4,000 Sikhs were murdered
All will agree that no man should ever be killed, neither a Muslim, nor a Hindu, nor belonging to any other religion. Unfortunately in India, lives of Hindus (or Sikhs) have no value. Attacks on Hindus are not reported by the media, while attacks on Muslims are exaggerated a thousand times. If you say that the latter is okay, it's not!
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