Yeh Mujhe Kya Ho Gaya

Its not that some love has hit me. Its not that memories of some old crush are tickling me again. Its not that I met/saw someone pleasant, hell, I haven't been out of my room for days now. Its just that I thought about this song. Its just that I thought of posting on this blog.

Baadalon Se Kaat Kaatke,
Kaagazon Pe Naam Jodna
Yeh Mujhe Kya Ho Gaya?

Doriyon Se Baandh Baandh Ke
Raat Bhar Chand Todna
Yeh Mujhe Kya Ho Gaya?

Ek Baar Tumko Jab Baraste Paaniyon Ke Paar Dekha Thha
Yoon Laga Thha Jaise
Gungunaata Ek Abshaar Dekha Thha
Tabse Meri Neend Mein Barasti Rehti Hai
Bolti Bahut Ho Aur Hasti Rehti Ho
Jo Tujhe Jaanta Na Ho Us-Se Tera Naam Poochna
Yeh Mujhe Kya Ho Gaya?

Dekho Yoon Khule Badan
Gulabi Sahilon Pe Aaya Na Karo
Tum Namak Bhare Samundaron Mein Yoon
Is Tarah Nahaya Na Karo
Sara Din Chandni Si Chhaayi Rehti Hai
Aur Gulabi Dhoop Baukhlai Rehti Hai
Jaamno Ki Naram Daal Pe Naakhoon Se Naam Khodna
Yeh Mujhe Kya Ho Gaya?

This song is from the movie Satya, can listen to it here at Raaga.com. This isn't the best love/longing song ever. On the contrary, its a fairly "lower middle class" composition, but I love it. Of course, its fairly "lower middle class" to write X loves Y, with an unevenly drawn heart shape, having an arrow piercing across it, on the bark of a jamun tree!

But inspite of it all, this song makes me feel happy. So does looking at Parizad Kolah!

Yeh mujhe kya ho gaya!

Wow, Infy!

I normally refrain from using the phrases akin to "Hats Off!" looking at the deeds of men, women and organizations they run. But this one deserves something to that tune. Indian Express reports the following with the headline, "Infosys airlifts its employees out of Houston jam":

With Hurricane Rita hurtling towards the Texas coast, Indian IT major Infosys has evacuated over 86 people including employees and their families from Houston on a chartered flight.

The evacuation on Thursday night (IST) was ordered after a specially set up Infosys Rita watch panel, Task Force Rita, indicated danger for employees in Houston, Texas.

There are nearly 100 Infosys employees working in the region. Infosys officials at the company’s headquarters in Bangalore said that the decision to charter a plane for the evacuation of employees and their families was made after reports that roads from Houston were blocked as scores of people attempted to flee.

This is really worth a praise, probably more than just a praise. I have worked for Infosys; these guys are masters at hospitality. I mean they really know how to take care of their employees, clients, and shareholders. May be that is why they are a loved company. Even though the nature of work they do, as I've blurted at other occasions, is not the best one could do after engineering, but that is more of an industry characteristic than Infy's.

I was in the first trainee batch which was supposed to undergo a fast track training (Mysore, August 2002), and rather than expect us to find a place to live in the town, Infosys opened the executive resorts for us (which were normally reserved for the C-level execs coming to train at the Infosys Leadership Institute within the Mysore Campus). I'm not sure how many companies would exhibit this level of "Corporate Care". And, yes, we're talking about the company behind Infosys Foundation, which is doing many-a-noble things all the time.

So, here's to Infy's commitment to employee care , "Hats Off!".

PS: Cynical as this may sound, this move of Infy may have a secondary motive of garnering good press, but then, that's just fine, as long as stranded employees were helped.

Katrina, Rita and Parizad

Well, if you too have been wondering where these creative names for these cyclones, that have been hitting the hit-by-outsourcing land, came from, here's the link.

For one, it does add some fun in the lives of people. In my case, I'm just waiting for some colleague in Mumbai to ask me, "Where's Rita?" to which I can reply with a smartass "Duh!" (Rita is our colleague in the US.)

Or may be like Shekhar Suman used on The Great Indian Laughter Champions, "Suna hai Katrina ne Bharat ke ilawava USA mein bhi tabahi macha rakhi hai!".

Ah, the show! Good laughter, great marketing, AWESOME host! I mean I just love Parizad! And to my utter frustration, there just aren't enough photos of hers on the web, though she is such a wallpaper material. Anyway, about the show, I like the idea about retaining people ("champions") whose humor for one has a (flimsy at times) national appeal, while having a strong regional appeal.

Btw, here's my current wallpaper














Paichan Kaun? Duh!

New Blog

I've started a new blog, Legally Yours, about Legal Process Outsourcing.

Hope to keep it updated regularly. Watch that space!

The Blind Men and the Elephant

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! But the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk
Cried, "Ho! What have we here,
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up he spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee:
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he;
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said:"E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope.
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

John Godfrey Saxe (1816 - 1887)

Buddhist version
Islamic version

Legal Process Outsourcing

A great post on the area I work in - Legal Process Outsourcing - at http://shyster.blogspot.com/2005/09/busting-legal-monopoly-outsourcing.html

The post liberally mentions the company I work for.

Wonder if LPO will be as much of a mover and shaker as IT was.

Finally, LPO is not mere BPO. Those who think it is, die!

Sick of Life

Paralyzed.
Nothing's getting through to me.
Hypnotized from all my surroundings.
I wanna be something
I could never be.
I wanna say things that I could never say.

Yeah, I'm gonna do it again!
Sick of my life.
I'm tired of everything in my life.

Dragged down.
Rubbing my face in the ground.
No time for the undecided.
I wanna know why I've always felt alone,
And I wanna love.
Why am I untouchable?

Yeah, I'm gonna do it again!
Sick of my life.
I'm tired of everything in my life.

I never wanted to be sick of my life.
I'm tired of everything in my life.
--Godsmack

Being Spiritual

I met one of my uncles yesterday after like 3 years. I've been close to him for the past 21 years, earliest memories include going to the Golden Temple during peak of militancy with him (with an onion on my head for tying a patka, that was like mandatory during that troubled time), aunty taught me to tie shoe laces (alright, I haven't been a good student when it comes to shoe laces!), and so on. Among other things, he wanted me to learn to be spiritual "from early on in life" (as if 24 is like early!). Anyway, so he told me about the "mool mantra", from the Guru Granth Sahib (the 11th Guru of the Sikhs, the Holy text).

Ek Omkar Satnaam Kartapurakh Nirbhav Nirvair Akalmurat Ajuni Saybhung

The above, he told me, is like the definition of God.

[Ek = one
Om = one that is unique
Kar = continous, immutable
Sat = undestroyable
Kartapurakh = The creator is within the creation
Nirbhav = fearless
Nirvair = enemyless
Akalmurat = eternel being
Ajuni = unclassified species, there's no other. The species are classified as being out of eggs (andaj), born out of a womb (jeraj), born out of sweat/moisture (setaj), born out of earth (utphuj). There was also a mention of existence of 84,000,000 species, half of them being underwater.
Saybhung = born out of itself]

To be in the sight of the above-defined God, one has to remember him, starting with at certain times - like morning and evening, and moving on to a state where in a continuous alaap of the God's name comes from within.

Gurprasar, Jap Aadsach Juugaadsach Haipisach, Nanak, Hosipisach

[Gurprasar = By the blessings of the Guru
Jap = Always remember
Aadsach = The first truth
Juugaadsach = The truth that spanned all the juugs, Satyug, Treta, Dwapar, and Kalyug
Haipisach = The current truth
Hosipisach = The truth forever]

After telling me about the mool mantra, he went on to describe a snippet, from the holy text, that advocates doing good Karma and remembering God, because that is what matters in the end (yes, some may yawn now!). Quoting him:

Je Juug Chaare Aarja, Hor Dasooni Hoye
[Even if you live ten times the span of the four juugs]

Nauwan Khandaan Wich jaaniye, Naal Chaalai Sab Koye
[You're known all over the nine khands, and all are with you]

Changa Naun Rakhaayekey, Jas Kirat Jug Le
[Attain fame/respect/wealth the world over]

Je Tis Nadar Na Aavaye, Taan Vaat Na Pooche Koye
[But if you're not able to see the God, then you have nowhere to go, none to turn to upon death]

Keetan Andar Keet Kar, Doshi Dosh Tarey
[Even the lowly insects - metaphorical for the miniscule - point fingers on you]

Nanak, Nirgun Gun Kare, Gunvateyan Gun Daye
[But Nanak says, by remembering Him (God), even the talentless (metaphorically) can attain the skill similar to those who are talented]

My uncle also advocated meditating (He says it leads to the tenth opening - somewhere within the forehead, the place where God appears, when you meditate - the other nine being: 2 earholes, 2 eye sockets, 2 nostrils, mouth, anus, rectum).

Well, I've always believed in a superior spiritual power, but may be a part of growing up, is to know more about Him, and know about more things that make sense. I am still to see myself immersed into meditation, but hopefully that should be a real task for me someday. Till then as Naaz Khialvi put it:

Ho Bhi Nahin Aur Harjaa ho,
Tum Ik Gorakh Dhandha Ho

Har Zarre Mein Kis Shaan Se Tu Jalwanuma Hai
Hairaan Magar Akl Ke Kaisa Hai Tu Kya Hai

Tujhe Dair-o-Haram Mein Maine Dhoondha Tu Nahin Milta
Magar Tashreef Farma Tujhko Apne Dil Mein Dekha Hai

Dhoondhe Nahin Mile Ho Na Dhoondhe Se Kahin Tum
Aur Phir Yeh Tamasha Hai Jahan Hum Hain Wohi Tum

(Beautifully rendered by NFAK sahib)

Funny as it sounds, everyone seeks to find The Omnipresent, duh!