Yes, I know this is the title of a song by Garbage :) It’s a song I’ve always loved and like anyone who’s ever loved a song, I feel that this one could have been written about me.
It’s raining chaos in Bombay…quite literally! The monsoons are here and like every one of the past 30+ years, we are again not prepared. So, while the rain has brought a much-welcome respite from the unrelenting heat, it’s also dredged up a whole other list of things we can complain of instead. Like the drains being shut so the roads can flood or road repairs which have inconveniently just started or the trains standing still after half an hour’s rain or the roads being congested after an hour’s pouring….not to mention the mud, dirt, sniffles and sneezing coming around!
Yet, there’s also something quite uplifting about a good rainy day, ok – especially if we have the good fortune to be indoors. It changes the complexion of the city, making the grey look dreamy instead of grimy, the breeze refreshing instead of humid and the mad rain dances of street urchins and tourists never fail to make you smile.
Or maybe it’s just the nostalgia that makes me feel like a truant school child wishing for an unexpected holiday!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
THE PRICE OF PASSION
We’ve all heard of the struggling artist, the struggling writer…how many have heard of the struggling investment banker? (Well, apart from those who may have been laid off by the recession!)
When a person pursues money blatantly through his/her work, it’s understood, celebrated and yes, rewarded. However, if the same person were to pursue work for any other reason, his passion is commended yet it’s quickly pointed out that he/she may not expect any kind of financial reward.
Why is this?
Is the pursuit of a passion considered reward enough?
Or is it necessary that money and passion may not be found together?
Consider Bollywood as an example. Commercial viability and critical acclaim are almost mutually exclusive. Shahrukh Khan may sell many films but even with a few acclaimed performances, he is considered a ‘star’ rather than an ‘actor’. To qualify as an artist, he would need to regularly feature in those obscure ‘art films’ which almost never do well commercially.
In other industries too, candidates in job interviews are put on trial to demonstrate their passion – this is a requisite to making an impression and performing well in the interview, of course, but it is also a guarantee that the salary will never meet expectations! As someone once told me, ‘I want to hire someone who is motivated by passion, not by money.”
Well, I agree that you cannot put a price on passion. But does that mean that passion shouldn’t ever be rewarded?
When a person pursues money blatantly through his/her work, it’s understood, celebrated and yes, rewarded. However, if the same person were to pursue work for any other reason, his passion is commended yet it’s quickly pointed out that he/she may not expect any kind of financial reward.
Why is this?
Is the pursuit of a passion considered reward enough?
Or is it necessary that money and passion may not be found together?
Consider Bollywood as an example. Commercial viability and critical acclaim are almost mutually exclusive. Shahrukh Khan may sell many films but even with a few acclaimed performances, he is considered a ‘star’ rather than an ‘actor’. To qualify as an artist, he would need to regularly feature in those obscure ‘art films’ which almost never do well commercially.
In other industries too, candidates in job interviews are put on trial to demonstrate their passion – this is a requisite to making an impression and performing well in the interview, of course, but it is also a guarantee that the salary will never meet expectations! As someone once told me, ‘I want to hire someone who is motivated by passion, not by money.”
Well, I agree that you cannot put a price on passion. But does that mean that passion shouldn’t ever be rewarded?
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
THE WRITER WHO DOES NOT WRITE
I always wanted to be a writer – as a child it seemed like such a fun thing to do and as I grew up the attraction grew….even as I realized that this profession has its own custom-built excuse for goofing off. After all, whether we admit it or not, the attraction of work is not just in and of itself but also when there’s a chance of some respite from it. This is the added value perk of any profession (and I’m sure every profession does have at least one!)
For writing (and also for pretty much any creative pursuit), one needs to be inspired. There is no formula/framework for inspiration – the creative philosophy is to explore/do whatever works. This leaves room for expressing individual idiosyncrasies and exercising creativity in the very pursuit of creativity. Sometimes, sadly, despite efforts to the contrary, inspiration does not strike.
For a writer, this is the dreaded curse of writer’s block. Or is it? Hmmm……
I’m not saying writer’s block is not real! It’s just that there’s no way to tell the difference…even for the writer him/herself. Take me for example…I haven’t updated this blog for a while. I didn’t have a justifiable reason for this. Yes, my regular work does keep me busy, but I was busy too when I started this blog. I didn’t use work as an excuse then, did I?
So, what’s my excuse now? When all else fails, I fall back to blaming writer’s block! Is there anything worse than a writer who does not write?
For writing (and also for pretty much any creative pursuit), one needs to be inspired. There is no formula/framework for inspiration – the creative philosophy is to explore/do whatever works. This leaves room for expressing individual idiosyncrasies and exercising creativity in the very pursuit of creativity. Sometimes, sadly, despite efforts to the contrary, inspiration does not strike.
For a writer, this is the dreaded curse of writer’s block. Or is it? Hmmm……
I’m not saying writer’s block is not real! It’s just that there’s no way to tell the difference…even for the writer him/herself. Take me for example…I haven’t updated this blog for a while. I didn’t have a justifiable reason for this. Yes, my regular work does keep me busy, but I was busy too when I started this blog. I didn’t use work as an excuse then, did I?
So, what’s my excuse now? When all else fails, I fall back to blaming writer’s block! Is there anything worse than a writer who does not write?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
AIR TRAVEL – BLESSING OR STRESSING?
Air travel has changed the way that we live, work and holiday. Think about it the next time you travel – if your journey took about five times longer, what would you differently?
For one, you might plan better. You would make sure that everything /everybody you wanted to visit was available well in advance and that you had time to cover everything. And for another, you would clear everything else from your schedule – no multitasking or planning to be available for anything else. And since you would be essentially ‘captive’ for the hours/days of traveling, you might actually reach your destination well-rested!
Air travel was supposed to be a blessing. But what happened? Since it’s quick, we can do it last-minute without foresight or detailed planning – sometimes, even cutting the time so close that we’re racked by anxiety! Also, we see no need to clear our schedules because we feel we can always attend to a few calls or e-mails (for the Blackberry addicts). And given all of the above plus the extensive security screenings and inevitable delays, I find few things more stressful than air travel.
Every time I do a one day trip by air to another city, I’m exhausted. I usually have to take an early morning flight and return by the red eye. Add to that the one to two hours I spend at the airport, standing in queues, going through security minus my shoes, belt & laptop, and simply waiting because of delays that are announced in only fifteen minute intervals. If that’s not exhausting enough – what about the hour or so it takes to drive to & from the airport? And the probability is that that during all of this, I’m usually attending to other things on the phone.
Having speeded up our lives, we are all reluctant to slow down. So, we probably won’t revert to slower modes of travel. But could we at least TRY to separate some of the stress from the blessing?
For one, you might plan better. You would make sure that everything /everybody you wanted to visit was available well in advance and that you had time to cover everything. And for another, you would clear everything else from your schedule – no multitasking or planning to be available for anything else. And since you would be essentially ‘captive’ for the hours/days of traveling, you might actually reach your destination well-rested!
Air travel was supposed to be a blessing. But what happened? Since it’s quick, we can do it last-minute without foresight or detailed planning – sometimes, even cutting the time so close that we’re racked by anxiety! Also, we see no need to clear our schedules because we feel we can always attend to a few calls or e-mails (for the Blackberry addicts). And given all of the above plus the extensive security screenings and inevitable delays, I find few things more stressful than air travel.
Every time I do a one day trip by air to another city, I’m exhausted. I usually have to take an early morning flight and return by the red eye. Add to that the one to two hours I spend at the airport, standing in queues, going through security minus my shoes, belt & laptop, and simply waiting because of delays that are announced in only fifteen minute intervals. If that’s not exhausting enough – what about the hour or so it takes to drive to & from the airport? And the probability is that that during all of this, I’m usually attending to other things on the phone.
Having speeded up our lives, we are all reluctant to slow down. So, we probably won’t revert to slower modes of travel. But could we at least TRY to separate some of the stress from the blessing?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
FOODIE ON A DIET
How’s this for a contradiction!
People often say, “I love food! I could never go on a diet.” I used to one of these people. When well-meaning and not so well-meaning acquaintances suggested I should try a diet, I bristled. And shut them up with my favourite Garfield quote – “diet is ‘die’ with a ‘t’.” Any one will beat a hasty retreat when you accuse them of trying to kill you!
Yet, the stubborn food lover was forced to re-evaluate when health concerns made my weight the culprit. Terrified, I stood on the scale and agreed to lose 20 kilograms, even if I didn’t know how I was going to do it.
Like all diet-haters, I had built up my impressions of starvation & extreme diets. Since I was taking this path to better my health, losing my health along the way was definitely not to be considered. I decided I would take it slow, gradually increasing my exercise routine and phasing out the ‘bad’ foods till I reached my target.
Three things saved me and kept me on my diet –
1. The high-metabolism plan – eating small meals every 2-3 hours means I spend more time planning meals and thinking about food than I did before.
2. The discovery that giving up calories doesn’t mean giving up taste – healthy food really does taste good! And your food habits can & do evolve! My comfort craving used to be pepperoni pizza, now its poached eggs. And I actually prefer the taste of multi-grain bread to white bread.
3. Scheduled cheating – I allow myself to cheat on my diet occasionally. The only rules are not more than once a week and a limit on quantity. This ensures that I don’t entertain the ‘deprived victim’ mentality, which can lead to the vicious cycle of unhindered bingeing and relentless guilt.
I’m still a few kilograms away from my target, but I’m feeling more energetic and healthy. And I’m still a foodie. I just don’t know which kind of food I love more – the sinful calorie-rich stuff which I get once a week or the simple wholesome stuff that I get to eat every day.
People often say, “I love food! I could never go on a diet.” I used to one of these people. When well-meaning and not so well-meaning acquaintances suggested I should try a diet, I bristled. And shut them up with my favourite Garfield quote – “diet is ‘die’ with a ‘t’.” Any one will beat a hasty retreat when you accuse them of trying to kill you!
Yet, the stubborn food lover was forced to re-evaluate when health concerns made my weight the culprit. Terrified, I stood on the scale and agreed to lose 20 kilograms, even if I didn’t know how I was going to do it.
Like all diet-haters, I had built up my impressions of starvation & extreme diets. Since I was taking this path to better my health, losing my health along the way was definitely not to be considered. I decided I would take it slow, gradually increasing my exercise routine and phasing out the ‘bad’ foods till I reached my target.
Three things saved me and kept me on my diet –
1. The high-metabolism plan – eating small meals every 2-3 hours means I spend more time planning meals and thinking about food than I did before.
2. The discovery that giving up calories doesn’t mean giving up taste – healthy food really does taste good! And your food habits can & do evolve! My comfort craving used to be pepperoni pizza, now its poached eggs. And I actually prefer the taste of multi-grain bread to white bread.
3. Scheduled cheating – I allow myself to cheat on my diet occasionally. The only rules are not more than once a week and a limit on quantity. This ensures that I don’t entertain the ‘deprived victim’ mentality, which can lead to the vicious cycle of unhindered bingeing and relentless guilt.
I’m still a few kilograms away from my target, but I’m feeling more energetic and healthy. And I’m still a foodie. I just don’t know which kind of food I love more – the sinful calorie-rich stuff which I get once a week or the simple wholesome stuff that I get to eat every day.
Monday, April 19, 2010
YOUR JOB OR YOUR LIFE
Someone recently told me that a job is just a job – “it shouldn’t infringe on your life.” I have heard this or versions of this statement many times over. It is usually said by the kind of people who have their lives in perfect balance (i.e. have ‘made it’ to wherever ‘it’ is) or older people reminiscing about an earlier strictly 9 to 5 world or people who have never officially worked a day in their lives.
Regardless of who says it, being the recipient of this statement usually leaves me disoriented for considerable time. Why? Well, it’s because my response usually is, “what life?”
Yes, it’s true!
When I first started working I did have other interests. I knew what the latest music was, was aware of current events and had opinions on the latest movies, books, exhibitions, plays, etc. Yet, I was convinced that to advance my career, I had to ‘sacrifice’. I heard stories from senior colleagues about nights & weekends spent in the office which somehow had me convinced that whenever the situation arose, I would have to man up and do the job.
And my friends didn’t seem to have it any different. At least, when I worked late I actually had work to do. My friends had stories of having to stay in office without work just so they wouldn’t be seen to leave before the boss. What’s more, they sometimes went to work on weekends only to show their faces, thus displaying their strong commitment to the company.
Whenever we managed to meet, we all griped about this. This is not the way to live. We should put our foot down. As long as the work gets done, we should not have to give up our evening’s entertainment or night’s sleep. We would resolve to change this but when we went back to work, we never quite got up the courage. What if they fire me? There are plenty of people willing to work like this – they’ll get ahead and I’ll be left behind!
A few years later and I’m beginning to wonder if this was true or was I participating in some kind of mass self-delusion? The truth is that when something is pressing, we always manage to make time for it. Our jobs seem so important to us that they are given priority over all the other things we claim to care much more deeply for – our families, our friends and our passions. Is this really what some unspoken corporate morality is forcing us to do or is it a rationalization for those of us who define ourselves more by our jobs than any by any other parameter?
Think about it. When we meet new people, we no longer first ask ‘where are you from?’ Instead, our first question is ‘what do you do?’ It’s as if we believe that the choice (or compulsion) of a job is the best indicator of who the person is. And this is the same standard we are applying to ourselves.
While I ponder this, I also feel that it seems to be too late to get a life. If I have the energy to do anything once I leave the office, I’m not aware of it! If I get a weekend off, I only want to catch up on my sleep deficit. Even a movie seems like a perfect waste of 3 good hours. And as for writing this blog – it feels like therapy and it might just help me get a little bit better at my job ;)
Regardless of who says it, being the recipient of this statement usually leaves me disoriented for considerable time. Why? Well, it’s because my response usually is, “what life?”
Yes, it’s true!
When I first started working I did have other interests. I knew what the latest music was, was aware of current events and had opinions on the latest movies, books, exhibitions, plays, etc. Yet, I was convinced that to advance my career, I had to ‘sacrifice’. I heard stories from senior colleagues about nights & weekends spent in the office which somehow had me convinced that whenever the situation arose, I would have to man up and do the job.
And my friends didn’t seem to have it any different. At least, when I worked late I actually had work to do. My friends had stories of having to stay in office without work just so they wouldn’t be seen to leave before the boss. What’s more, they sometimes went to work on weekends only to show their faces, thus displaying their strong commitment to the company.
Whenever we managed to meet, we all griped about this. This is not the way to live. We should put our foot down. As long as the work gets done, we should not have to give up our evening’s entertainment or night’s sleep. We would resolve to change this but when we went back to work, we never quite got up the courage. What if they fire me? There are plenty of people willing to work like this – they’ll get ahead and I’ll be left behind!
A few years later and I’m beginning to wonder if this was true or was I participating in some kind of mass self-delusion? The truth is that when something is pressing, we always manage to make time for it. Our jobs seem so important to us that they are given priority over all the other things we claim to care much more deeply for – our families, our friends and our passions. Is this really what some unspoken corporate morality is forcing us to do or is it a rationalization for those of us who define ourselves more by our jobs than any by any other parameter?
Think about it. When we meet new people, we no longer first ask ‘where are you from?’ Instead, our first question is ‘what do you do?’ It’s as if we believe that the choice (or compulsion) of a job is the best indicator of who the person is. And this is the same standard we are applying to ourselves.
While I ponder this, I also feel that it seems to be too late to get a life. If I have the energy to do anything once I leave the office, I’m not aware of it! If I get a weekend off, I only want to catch up on my sleep deficit. Even a movie seems like a perfect waste of 3 good hours. And as for writing this blog – it feels like therapy and it might just help me get a little bit better at my job ;)
Saturday, April 10, 2010
I always thought that if I ever killed anyone it would be a taxi driver!
City dwellers all over the world might relate to this frustration – overcharging and reckless endangerment are only part of the problem. Many taxi drivers seem to think that their cabs are buses – they can decide where they want to go and at which point they will condescend to drop you. Add to that a rude abrasive manner and the fact that they seem to disappear magically when it starts to rain!
Seems pretty straight-forward, right? So, where’s the contradiction in that?
Something changed the way I felt about taxi drivers. And that something is this brilliant work by flickerpixanimations called ‘Horn Ok Please’. The story follows a day in the life of a Mumbai city taxi driver and succeeds in showing the world from his point of view.
After seeing this video, my perspective changed dramatically. I now feel empathy for this person, who is struggling against the odds to make it in the big city and has it so much tougher than the passengers he ferries.
So, do I still get angry at taxi drivers – occasionally, yes! But, that irrational homicidal tendency has been replaced by a willingness to see the situation from his point of view and cut him a break, now and then.
Bravo flickerpixanimations! You have changed a small part of the world and saved lives… those of the taxi drivers I might have killed ;)
Seems pretty straight-forward, right? So, where’s the contradiction in that?
Something changed the way I felt about taxi drivers. And that something is this brilliant work by flickerpixanimations called ‘Horn Ok Please’. The story follows a day in the life of a Mumbai city taxi driver and succeeds in showing the world from his point of view.
After seeing this video, my perspective changed dramatically. I now feel empathy for this person, who is struggling against the odds to make it in the big city and has it so much tougher than the passengers he ferries.
So, do I still get angry at taxi drivers – occasionally, yes! But, that irrational homicidal tendency has been replaced by a willingness to see the situation from his point of view and cut him a break, now and then.
Bravo flickerpixanimations! You have changed a small part of the world and saved lives… those of the taxi drivers I might have killed ;)
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