Monday, January 30, 2006
I am a lonely person. I am a busy person. To explain what I do is actually pretty simple. Now that I have some time on my hands, let me do just that. But this short note on myself will not be as simple as what I do, because I am very complex.
I am the head of an international enterprise. I hold the absolute monopoly in the field and that explains why I am so busy. I have been doing the same thing for as long as I remember. I am too old now to even contemplate those heady early days when I first sensed the opportunity. Now, of course, everyone knows what I do. Infact, no one on this planet can say that they haven't known me. I am in the transportation and courier services industry - to put it very broadly. But let me assure you, this is unlike any of those overnight or overseas delivery companies you see advertised on TV and hoardings and where-not these days. My service is the fastest and the most wide-spread one by far. I provide my services to everyone, and I don't charge a penny! There are, however, many related industries which thrive because of work that I do. I don't have any problem whatsoever with that. To each his own. All I ever wanted was power, absolute power, which I wield already.
I run a very tight ship, taking care of almost all the transactions my enterprise is involved in. Not for me the laissez-faire management and delegation that every one seems to engage in nowadays. This has led many to believe that I am at many places at the same time. They are not too wrong actually. Of course, I do give a lot of leeway to my dedicated development staff. They're still learning. In the early years of my career, I used to be very innovative, if I say so myself. I was the first one to realize the benefits of economy in bulk. I was the pioneer in mass-targeted outreach campaigns. At the same time I am also a strong advocate of personalized individual attention for all my clients. Little surprise then that my clientele includes the best among men, and the worst among men. Not that they have any alternate choice in the matter. Call me boastful if you will, but this is the truth. It's been too long since those days though. Everything those kids in development tell me nowadays, I have done before. But there are some exciting new ideas, which seem very promising in the field trials. Of course, they're all variations of previous experiences of mine. I am getting bored - maybe it is because of the monopoly I have! You wouldn't have seen me indulging in such retrospective musings just sometime back.
There are, however, some interesting wrinkles to iron over every now and then. Some people don't quite understand that they don't have a choice in whether they deal with me or not. It's just a matter of time. I am patient; I can wait. You'd come to me yourself someday. If you don't, I'll come myself, personally, to make sure you don't miss your appointment with me. Considerate of me, isn't it? There are again those who think that they'd deal with me on their own terms - fat chance of that actually being true. I think I deserve to use those words immortalized by Don Corleone more than he ever did - I make people the offers they can't refuse, really can't refuse. To all those pretentious many who think they can say that they've dealt with me on their own terms, I have this to say - I win all the time; and the terms are my own. Do not deceive yourselves.
There goes my buzzer - I am already late for an appointment, and inspite of the monopoly I have, I don't believe in keeping people waiting. I have been too cryptic so far. So let me introduce myself and get this over with.
I am the Grim Reaper. Yes, I am Death... And I will come see you sometime. You can count on that, if on nothing else!
Sai's Note - I have been wanting to write something for quite a while now. These last two sentences "I am the Grim Reaper. Yes, I am Death!" popped up in my head, from nowhere. So this is a very poor attempt at expanding on those two sentences without giving out anything in all that precedes these sentences. Hopefully this isn't too bad an attempt - I solely blame my long layoff period from writing for anything bad about this piece. Feedback welcome, obviously.
I am the head of an international enterprise. I hold the absolute monopoly in the field and that explains why I am so busy. I have been doing the same thing for as long as I remember. I am too old now to even contemplate those heady early days when I first sensed the opportunity. Now, of course, everyone knows what I do. Infact, no one on this planet can say that they haven't known me. I am in the transportation and courier services industry - to put it very broadly. But let me assure you, this is unlike any of those overnight or overseas delivery companies you see advertised on TV and hoardings and where-not these days. My service is the fastest and the most wide-spread one by far. I provide my services to everyone, and I don't charge a penny! There are, however, many related industries which thrive because of work that I do. I don't have any problem whatsoever with that. To each his own. All I ever wanted was power, absolute power, which I wield already.
I run a very tight ship, taking care of almost all the transactions my enterprise is involved in. Not for me the laissez-faire management and delegation that every one seems to engage in nowadays. This has led many to believe that I am at many places at the same time. They are not too wrong actually. Of course, I do give a lot of leeway to my dedicated development staff. They're still learning. In the early years of my career, I used to be very innovative, if I say so myself. I was the first one to realize the benefits of economy in bulk. I was the pioneer in mass-targeted outreach campaigns. At the same time I am also a strong advocate of personalized individual attention for all my clients. Little surprise then that my clientele includes the best among men, and the worst among men. Not that they have any alternate choice in the matter. Call me boastful if you will, but this is the truth. It's been too long since those days though. Everything those kids in development tell me nowadays, I have done before. But there are some exciting new ideas, which seem very promising in the field trials. Of course, they're all variations of previous experiences of mine. I am getting bored - maybe it is because of the monopoly I have! You wouldn't have seen me indulging in such retrospective musings just sometime back.
There are, however, some interesting wrinkles to iron over every now and then. Some people don't quite understand that they don't have a choice in whether they deal with me or not. It's just a matter of time. I am patient; I can wait. You'd come to me yourself someday. If you don't, I'll come myself, personally, to make sure you don't miss your appointment with me. Considerate of me, isn't it? There are again those who think that they'd deal with me on their own terms - fat chance of that actually being true. I think I deserve to use those words immortalized by Don Corleone more than he ever did - I make people the offers they can't refuse, really can't refuse. To all those pretentious many who think they can say that they've dealt with me on their own terms, I have this to say - I win all the time; and the terms are my own. Do not deceive yourselves.
There goes my buzzer - I am already late for an appointment, and inspite of the monopoly I have, I don't believe in keeping people waiting. I have been too cryptic so far. So let me introduce myself and get this over with.
I am the Grim Reaper. Yes, I am Death... And I will come see you sometime. You can count on that, if on nothing else!
Sai's Note - I have been wanting to write something for quite a while now. These last two sentences "I am the Grim Reaper. Yes, I am Death!" popped up in my head, from nowhere. So this is a very poor attempt at expanding on those two sentences without giving out anything in all that precedes these sentences. Hopefully this isn't too bad an attempt - I solely blame my long layoff period from writing for anything bad about this piece. Feedback welcome, obviously.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
:(
Bad news! ... "Sai, take it like you do everything else.... move on..."
will feel alright in no time... hopefully. Afterall, that's me...
Anyway, not much here for sometime... have other things to do as well... stay safe y'all!
Update: Quite alright now... well, atleast as alright as I usually am... maybe I should have said, "as screwed up as always"... anyways, gotta run, work to do!
Bad news! ... "Sai, take it like you do everything else.... move on..."
will feel alright in no time... hopefully. Afterall, that's me...
Anyway, not much here for sometime... have other things to do as well... stay safe y'all!
Update: Quite alright now... well, atleast as alright as I usually am... maybe I should have said, "as screwed up as always"... anyways, gotta run, work to do!
Monday, January 09, 2006
Starting Over
Or is it picking up where I left? Anyway...
Let me start by wishing you all a very Happy New Year. As milestones go, changing years are as good as any to take stock of what has happened and to prepare for what is to come. So here's wishing that you all had a nice time in 2005 and got out of it some valuable lessons to make life less ordinary in the coming year. Here's wishing that all your hopes and dreams come true and that everyone finds more meaning in your lives in the year that will be. And here this wish stops.
In my case, I don't know how well that wish would come true. Looking back at 2005, I really can't remember any specific event much. Strange, isn't it? There are a few thoughts left over in my mind from the year that was. Some are those that need to be mulled over in private, some that need to be worked on with friends (which I am doing in my own laidback way, I hope), and some that can be voiced in public, for what they are worth. Continuing with revisiting 2005, I have only one thing to say work-wise. I've never been so busy doing work in all my life. And the funny thing, to the surprise of many people, is that I think I like Mechanical Engineering well enough now. A few of my friends and acquaintances from IIT were really shocked with responses like "WTF? You, and PhD?!". But well, I guess the part that I learnt about - on my own and from people interested enough to teach it to others - is great, and I don't really mind doing a PhD in this area. Yes, despite all the show of being lazy and indifferent to what I am doing, I admit it. There are some really cool things about engineering that I never paid attention to while at the best damn engineering college in India. One of life's little ironies perhaps...
What else? Bear with me here, for this is going to be a long-ish post. I think I am more than justified now in writing a long post, what with many people asking me to update my blog more often than I was doing it. So relax, pull out that comfortable chair of your's (everyone has one), make a little coffee (or whatever drink you like) if you want, and go on, read this part-rambling, part-musing of mine.
Been to India, after an year and about four months of being in these United States of America. My life here has been OK. Not much to boast about, nothing much to crib about either. Or maybe I am just one of those people who can find something worse that can happen and so don't mind their present station (Yes, this post may involve some unnecessary soul-searching comments from me; bear with me once again). Aswathi wrote that one does not realize what something is unless one misses it. I agree with her in part. But I think you realize how important something is more so when you get back to it after a period of absence. So it was with my India trip. Nostalgia was the least of the feelings I had. Family, friends, and everything that was familiar, all hit me at once. Showing me at once how much I changed, and how much the same person I was. Some of you can understand exactly what I mean, and some may still be wondering what I am going on about. Don't worry, you'll be there someday too.
A lot can be said of my trip home. But I won't say it. A lot can be said of the few days that I have been back here, catching up with friends that were here. Again, not much out of me. A few things though, in no particular order -
Need to get back to India for good. I dont think I can live here for too long. That place is too much a part of me for me to live very happily here.
It is entirely different keeping in touch with someone, and actually meeting them from time to time. And I don't just mean this about really good friends and family, but with some "casual" friends as well.
Well, so, maybe not a "few" things. Just a couple, and there they are - above.
But before I sign off, a few thanks, and just hi's. For those not on the list here, sorry. But these names are here now because I have recent reasons to name them. Love you all, but sorry can't name you all everytime I make such lists. No offence. :)
A - thanks for being there and being you. All the best dude, with all that you have going on your life - from the startup to your own more important personal venture. Oh yeah, and have fun now. No point spending life in hindsight.
P - love you. It's been great knowing you too. Am still sorry that we couldn't meet up at all.
A - didn't really expect us to bond as well as we did when we finally met. You've been great to talk with. All the best with your Conn. experience.
Well, I didn't name anyone, did I? Anyway, you know who you are. :)
Once again, HNY y'all.
Let me start by wishing you all a very Happy New Year. As milestones go, changing years are as good as any to take stock of what has happened and to prepare for what is to come. So here's wishing that you all had a nice time in 2005 and got out of it some valuable lessons to make life less ordinary in the coming year. Here's wishing that all your hopes and dreams come true and that everyone finds more meaning in your lives in the year that will be. And here this wish stops.
In my case, I don't know how well that wish would come true. Looking back at 2005, I really can't remember any specific event much. Strange, isn't it? There are a few thoughts left over in my mind from the year that was. Some are those that need to be mulled over in private, some that need to be worked on with friends (which I am doing in my own laidback way, I hope), and some that can be voiced in public, for what they are worth. Continuing with revisiting 2005, I have only one thing to say work-wise. I've never been so busy doing work in all my life. And the funny thing, to the surprise of many people, is that I think I like Mechanical Engineering well enough now. A few of my friends and acquaintances from IIT were really shocked with responses like "WTF? You, and PhD?!". But well, I guess the part that I learnt about - on my own and from people interested enough to teach it to others - is great, and I don't really mind doing a PhD in this area. Yes, despite all the show of being lazy and indifferent to what I am doing, I admit it. There are some really cool things about engineering that I never paid attention to while at the best damn engineering college in India. One of life's little ironies perhaps...
What else? Bear with me here, for this is going to be a long-ish post. I think I am more than justified now in writing a long post, what with many people asking me to update my blog more often than I was doing it. So relax, pull out that comfortable chair of your's (everyone has one), make a little coffee (or whatever drink you like) if you want, and go on, read this part-rambling, part-musing of mine.
Been to India, after an year and about four months of being in these United States of America. My life here has been OK. Not much to boast about, nothing much to crib about either. Or maybe I am just one of those people who can find something worse that can happen and so don't mind their present station (Yes, this post may involve some unnecessary soul-searching comments from me; bear with me once again). Aswathi wrote that one does not realize what something is unless one misses it. I agree with her in part. But I think you realize how important something is more so when you get back to it after a period of absence. So it was with my India trip. Nostalgia was the least of the feelings I had. Family, friends, and everything that was familiar, all hit me at once. Showing me at once how much I changed, and how much the same person I was. Some of you can understand exactly what I mean, and some may still be wondering what I am going on about. Don't worry, you'll be there someday too.
A lot can be said of my trip home. But I won't say it. A lot can be said of the few days that I have been back here, catching up with friends that were here. Again, not much out of me. A few things though, in no particular order -
Need to get back to India for good. I dont think I can live here for too long. That place is too much a part of me for me to live very happily here.
It is entirely different keeping in touch with someone, and actually meeting them from time to time. And I don't just mean this about really good friends and family, but with some "casual" friends as well.
Well, so, maybe not a "few" things. Just a couple, and there they are - above.
But before I sign off, a few thanks, and just hi's. For those not on the list here, sorry. But these names are here now because I have recent reasons to name them. Love you all, but sorry can't name you all everytime I make such lists. No offence. :)
A - thanks for being there and being you. All the best dude, with all that you have going on your life - from the startup to your own more important personal venture. Oh yeah, and have fun now. No point spending life in hindsight.
A - another one, obviously. Thanks dude for being there, here in the USA. Life would have been much more painful without you here. And hey, thanks for pointing out to me that I am looked upon favorably by more people than I expected, though I'd have preferred it had you used a different way. Anyways...
P - love you. It's been great knowing you too. Am still sorry that we couldn't meet up at all.
A - didn't really expect us to bond as well as we did when we finally met. You've been great to talk with. All the best with your Conn. experience.
Well, I didn't name anyone, did I? Anyway, you know who you are. :)
Once again, HNY y'all.
