A birthday to remember!

A birthday comes once every year and who wouldn't want it to be memorable! I just wrote the most cliched sentence...

My 23rd birthday certainly turned out to be - cliche or not...I wasn't able to believe my luck when I got a mail saying I had been invited along with 49 other lucky participants of the Sunfeast Marathon, to dine with Deepika Padukone. The mail was drafted with precision and had all holes covered. Like a man shouting from the roof top, I announced it to all my friends and relatives. When the day dawned, I even did the unthinkable and went to a nearby salon and surrendered my face to the lone soul there. I have no clue what he did. There was facial, ayurvedic massage, bleach etc etc and I let him do as he pleased for half an hour and came back feeling something akin to surprise and elation. After all, I had survived the experience :)

When I reached the hotel, I was almost literally sailing in the clouds hoping to get at least an autograph from the star. Starstruck - I was the quintessential definition! I met Ashish and before I could gather myself and adjust to some weird behavior on the part of the hotel staff, the whole team was everywhere wishing me. There was no Deepika Padukone but here was a team that had taken every effort possible to cover their tracks and planned the whole affair to such perfection. Team work is often bandied about carelessly but if I am asked to give an example now, I would remember June 8...

There were balloons, a delicious cake and my team wearing big smiles. The affection and warmth I felt then, can hardly be put into words. Having fallen for a neat little prank, I hated myself briefly, though I guess I am using the wrong word here.

This post might sound confusing. Indeed some occasions bring out the child in us however otherwise the advancing time might lead us to believe. It was one such day and I am glad that, I am part of a team like this. Bangalore is all the more beautiful when people make it so!!

Run Bangalore Run – When the city was vibrant with joy!

“My race is just about to begin. Where are you?” a middle-aged lady on the phone presumably talking to a friend who had promised to come and encourage her. Nothing else can better sum up the energy that was on show at the Kanteerva Indoor Stadium, Bangalore on May 31, 2009. It was a day that the city had been waiting for. In an exhibition of uninhibited enthusiasm, a huge crowd of people, young and old, from all walks of life gathered on a Sunday morning to run. Several categories were there to participate in – the open 10K and the Majja Run being prominently successful!

A motley group of Non-Governmental organizations espoused the messages they wanted to get across. They ranged from being very specific to the very generic as a sample few of them that I can remember follow -

“Save sparrow, save Bangalore”

“If I can’t learn the way you teach me, will you teach the way I can learn?”

“Challenge autism”

“Let us knock out poverty”.

“I run for a cause bigger than the finish line”

I think this is the biggest achievement of the marathon and the organizers. Apart from emphasizing the importance of fitness, this goes on to show that volunteering is not as alien to the urbane and the young as is widely perceived. While most city folk on a Sunday morning would want to get up late and unwind, an event like this doesn’t happen often.

It was exciting to see many kids running along with their parents and wearing big smiles on their faces. I was initially at the entrance observing the crowd as it poured in. The glimpses of conversations – at times eloquent and at times subdued and private, the acknowledgment of a wave of the hand and the spirit of bonhomie that prevailed in general in a cosmopolitan city, I was like a silent spectator to all these, always listening and never retreating into myself.

As the wheel chair event kicked off, the holding area cheered in unison. Strangers’ cheering one another for the sheer joy of it is a rare sight and hence warrants mention all the more. I had, in a moment of spontaneity, prepared a chart with some messages that I felt, would be relevant to all fellow Bangaloreans. Pinning it on my back, I ran too, one in the sea of humanity that swept me with its rhythm, a tide that knew no class, caste, age and gender.

At the end of it, I felt immensely happy. When I heard a guy frantically asking what time it was, to measure himself against his standard, what more can I say? I salute the spirit of the city and wait for the next such event!

Conversations - Founder, MyLib lending library

I am starting a section in my blog inspired by Coffee with Sundar. I intend to post in this section, snippets of interesting conversations with people I am inspired by. First in this series is a conversation I had today with the founder of Mylib, Bhavna Desai. Mylib is a lending library that has come up in Jayanagar 9th block opposite Ragiguda. To know more about the library and what it has to offer, read this post below. The below conversation is of course not reproduced verbatim.

Siva: Hello! I want to blog about MyLib. I have begun to like this place a lot. Before blogging, I just thought, I should talk to you for a while...

Bhavna: Sure.

Siva: How did this idea of setting up a library at this place come about?

Bhavna: I don't come from a background that would have made this a natural choice. I have a masters degree in Statistics. I worked for banks and then realized that it was not where I wanted to be. I saw that there was a need for a good library in this area.

Siva: So it was passion that made you take this up?

Bhavna: Not exactly. I am not as passionate about books as you might think I am. I do read once in a while. It is a matter of demand and supply that I was able to see here.

Siva: What drives your collection here? I see that you have a very good variety.

Bhavna: When I started, it was the internet and sites like Amazon and ratings there. I didn't want to stock too much. Now if you ask me, it is my customers' feedback. I talk to them and try to know what they look for. I try my best to make them available here.

Siva: So, it is more of networking...

Bhavna: Yes and the distributors also help you.

Siva: How has it been since you started?

Bhavna: It is just two months, so it is hard to say anything. I don't buy the argument that the Internet has killed reading. I see a lot of young people in cities like Bangalore in book shops like Landmark and Crossword. Reading is still developing. I think that people in India still find reading a serious activity; they don't view it as pleasurable and one that can be pursued in one's leisure. I would like to go online and into home delivery though when I ask my customers, most of them say that they don't have internet at home while a few prefer online. My intention is also to provide a good atmosphere; to give my customers a good atmosphere to browse books and read.

Recession has also helped me. It has brought down rents and book prices. Parents who have second thoughts about buying books for their children find a place like this very convenient.

Siva: I think you are right. I had a target of one book every month, but down the line, even that became a little prohibitive.

Bhavna: Yes. One of my challenges is in marketing. I have not done a great deal of marketing for this. It is just my customers telling their relatives and friends and they in turn doing the same.

Siva: It is pretty word-of-mouth then...

Bhavna: Yes, the best part is a customer recommending to another potential customer.

Siva: Would you consider yourself an entrepreneur?

Bhavna: Yes, I would, though the idea is not original as you can see a lot of young people in this area.

Siva: Would you deem any qualification necessary now that you are a librarian?

Bhavna: I won't call myself that. If you see, the books are categorized from a layman perspective. When you visit any popular book store and see this categorization at MyLib, it is similar to what they have. A librarian might do a better job at this.

Siva: So, are you planning at recruiting more people and expanding?

Bhavna: Yes.

Siva: Thanks for your time!

Bhavna: Thanks!

I feel that to be earnest, sincere and to demonstrate the resolve of an entrepreneur in a field like this demands conviction and courage. This initiative is impressive and looks all set to reap good dividends and feedback for the founder. I wish her the very best!

MyLib - The Lending library for book lovers and enthusiasts' alike

Once in a while, you just happen to pass by places you like...when you begin to like them, it is as if a relationship is set in motion...

It was one such day, when a friend of mine remarked that we should go inside Mylib and have a look. We had just alighted at the Ragiguda BMTC stop, where the office shuttle drops me every day. Seeing that it was a library surprised me, for I had passed by that place many a time and had never noticed it until then.

We found that the place had a sincere look about it...some thing that was waiting to be discovered; some thing that welcomes a visitor with open arms and makes him comfortable. The library had a good collection, meticulously arranged. We decided to join and chose the annual membership.

As I write this, it is just more than a month since I joined. Though I don't read as voraciously as I used to, back in college, this place serves my purpose very well. I can easily tell if a library fits my taste quick enough, for it is a matter of finding some authors and books as I browse the collection.

Ernest Hemingway, Rohinton Mistry and Fyodor Dostoevsky - authors to name a few. 'Roots', 'A clockwork Orange' and 'The curious incident of the dog in the night time' - books to name a few. These are authors and books normally not stocked by libraries who would like to cater to only a minuscule section of people. I find them here and it pleases me no end.

Spacious, clean and situated in a residential locality where there is no clamor and noise, the ambiance is perfect. At leisure, I cam able to browse through the collection in a quiet atmosphere. Non- fiction, biographies, history, spirituality, Indian writing, business and management, romance and children s' section - everybody has something to look forward to and appreciate. It is a neighborhood library in its true sense. A lacunae in this locality has been filled and quite remarkably too! People of Jayanagar and its adjoining places have a library to cater to their needs in their midst!

I was extremely happy when Bhavna Desai, founder of the library, noted down a book I suggested. It is indicative of a person who is intent upon improving and welcome to feedback and suggestions. A conversation with her in my next post...

PVR Cinemas, Bangalore - Is Customer Service just a pretense?

On Friday, May 17th, We reached Forum mall hoping to watch 'What just happened' - a movie that had released on that very day. But as it turned out, destiny had different plans for us.
When we were about to brandish our tickets in style, we were told to wait and out of nowhere came an employee of PVR Cinemas telling us that the show in question is canceled. The reason given, much to our incomprehension and disbelief, was that the print of the movie was not good and it had arrived very late the previous night.

From a very popular chain, the least one expects, is a responsible and adequately apologetic reply. Instead we were asked to either watch any movie running then or take a refund. When pressed, all we got was that they did not get adequate time to check the print. I don't think this would enhance their reputation in the least. We wasted money on petrol and parking only to be turned away ultimately with the money.

If only customer service is just about refund, PVR would have passed the test, but as customers we know it is not. The moral of the story is not hard to figure out. Draw your own conclusions!

Elections 2009 - As the dust settles down...

It is a well known fact that when the losing party accepts defeat gracefully and with humility, respect from all quarters pours in. For 5 years, the BJP was unable to do it and finally it seems that the party is left with little option.

As opposed to the 2004 verdict which was a little muddled thanks to the looming presence of the charismatic AB Vajpayee, this time, the mandate is squarely in favor of the congress party. If one looks at the reasons, they are not difficult to find. They would help the losers introspect and the victor to be responsible and thankful to the electorate.

• The BJP leadership was not appealing to the masses with LK Advani's image far from being clean. The vacuum was hard to fill. Internal squabbles due to strong personalities in Jaswant Singh, Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley resulted in a less than cohesive unit. Darjeeling and Telengana proved that the party was power hungry.
  
• A motley group of regional parties - DMDK in TN, Praja Rajyam in AP and MNS in Maharashtra - helped split the anti congress vote. In some cases, people were suspicious as was the case with SP and BSP in UP. Mayawati was ready to join any combine while Kalyan Singh was welcomed to the folds of SP. As a result, the congress gamble paid off handsomely.
• The Left overestimated its prowess and is left badly bruised and shattered. It failed to read the voter; the increasing awareness among the electorate led to its downfall. It might be a while before there can be a resurgence for Karat and Co if at all there is one.
  
• The image of Manmohan Singh as a sincere and honest person won the congress, the votes of the middle class and the youth. The BJP lost a considerable chunk of middle class vote due to its negative campaign and its failure to offer a credible alternative policy framework in the absence of any single over arching issue.
• The saturation of BJP in Karnataka, Gujarat and MP and its ally in Bihar meant it was always going to reap handsome rewards in these states and little elsewhere.
• The singular failure of BJP to give its party a youthful look and the fortunate irony of Rahul Gandhi garnering the media support again led to first time voters rejecting the NDA in favor of the UPA.
• Good monsoons and reasonable success of NREGA and populist policies ensured that though the coffers were getting drained, sizeable chunk of rural votes were a given.
  

This election also offered some insights. While the kind of identity politics presented by the MNS and celebrity power in the south were rejected, some incidents that were given obsessive attention by the media like the pub attack in Mangalore fell on the back burner for the electorate.

Looking forward to the next 5 years, the average Indian is happy that there is no commotion and mad scrambles. At the same time, several issues cry out for attention from security to Economy to Climate Change. We wait in anticipation and have high expectations from a team, that I am sure, has some able Men and Women ready to shoulder huge responsibilities.

I salute our democratic system and end this post!

The Audacity of Hope - A Review

Obama in this book written in 2006 when he was senator, has managed to weave together the personal with the political experiences beautifully and engagingly. Though the references are largely to the American politics, some of the issues that he speaks of and the concerns he says, unite Americans across “race, region, religion and class” transcend geographies and seem to be the same in our country too. Therein lies the beauty of this book; one doesn’t have to be an American to be able to gauge Mr. Obama’s sincerity. It shines throughout palpably and is one of the biggest reasons why the book has become very popular. Since it offers glimpses of what Roosevelt, Kennedy, Lincoln, Reagan, Johnson, Clinton and Bush stood for during their reign at the helm of America in a broad fashion, it is highly educating and informative to read each and every page.

Values:

What struck me quite clearly, as very different, was a whole chapter devoted to Values; a politician talking about values in such a fashion as Obama has did is quite astonishing. As in all the other chapters, he uses the book to express his stand on various issues. In the chapter devoted to values, for example, he talks about executive pay among others.

The language of the book is rich with intricately woven sentences; in their every curve and bend are nuggets of wisdom to be cherished, and revelations abound about the functioning of a sharp, intensely observant, shrewd and empathetic mind. At various points in the narrative, he stresses on the need to find common ground; to find in people the common value that everyone shares. How aptly it applies to the Indian context where we see politicians competing against one another in finding grounds to divide the electorate in pursuit of votes.

Constitution:

In the chapter on “Our constitution”, Mr. Obama throws light on the judiciary’s interpretation of the constitution as lifestyle changes sometimes make the Government’s role in a large democracy debatable. Ultimately, the conclusion drawn merits appreciation for who can rightly discern what the intent of the founders was!

Politics:

Obama candidly observes that the more time one spends in the limelight of politics, the farther it takes the person from the problems of ordinary people. Talking about the amounts of money required for funding, suffering defeat, living by stereotypes, he convincingly gives an insider view of the traps and pitfalls that a Politician has to traverse. He is at his very best when he describes how complicated it is to decide either on an aye or a nay vote when both sides have some merit. He is also critical of the media who always want a “yes” or a “no” for an answer to complicated questions thereby always putting politicians in a spot in an attempt to trap them. In this particular aspect, the Indian media excel and our politicians either sadly don’t recognize their traps or are naive enough to fall into them and pay the price.

Opportunity:

Obama talks about his meeting with the founders of Google – Larry Page and Sergey Brin – when he doesn’t meet any black or Latino in the group of new recruits. He realizes the potential trouble for the US economy as more companies hire non US employees to get their work done. As juxtaposition, he describes the meeting with a group of union leaders of a plant on the verge of laying off American workers. Now as we know that he has announced large stimulus packages to kick start economic activity, it comes as no surprise to read “…in each and every period of great economic upheaval and transition we’ve depended on Government action to open up opportunity, encourage competition, and make the market work better”. Some of these give broad outlines on how the president may act on grave issues that need American action.

He proceeds to suggest three investments to make America “more competitive in the global economy” – investments in education with reforms of high impact on student achievement, in science and technology with focus on R&D, in energy infrastructure to reduce America’s dependence on fossil fuels. One of my favorite chapters, Obama ends with an explanation of his vote against Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), as a “means of registering protest against White House’s inattention to the losers from free trade”.

Faith:

Tackling the issues of abortion and gay marriage which we know dominated the discourse of debates in the run up to the Presidential elections, Mr. Obama feels his pro-choice stance and stand on homosexuality makes him “human and limited in the understandings of God’s purpose”.

Race:

Obama clearly acknowledges on the issue of race that, there is a need to “acknowledge the sins of the past and the challenges of the present without becoming trapped in cynicism and despair”. There is optimism and subtlety employed judiciously to defend affirmative action and placing some responsibilities on the minorities. In his earnestness to address the nexus of unemployment and crime, there is the urge to tackle the root causes impeding progress. Will any Indian Politician boldly address the pathetic infrastructure of the public school system and wean the focus away from just quantity to a combination of quality and quantity?

The Outer World:

Titled “The World beyond our borders”, Obama traces the rise and fall of the land he grew up in – Indonesia. After reading this, what stays with the reader is the trajectory of US foreign policy from isolationist sentiment in the world war era to the interference of today. How successive US Presidents felt the pressure to sound “hard” on communism, how certain resultant policies led to a loss of credibility – there is a touch of candid and critical self introspection.

Family:

Obama ends the book by ravishing praise on his wife and commenting on the increasing role of women as breadwinners. It is a fitting end by a man who loves his family as much as his nation.

In its sweeping look at history, broad and honest examination of grave issues, it is an engrossing read and one that is strongly recommended.