Joyeux Anniversaire – My canvas is a year old!

As I write this post, there is a feeling of jubilation, happiness and of pride that I have successfully completed a year of blogging! To state in figures, in all, I made around 23 posts, which I think is a fairly decent number.

As I celebrate a year of blogging, it’s time to say a big and a heart-felt THANKS to all those who have followed my blog and have, from time to time provided their valuable comments. As I sit down and contemplate, I really am happy that I was successful in putting down my thoughts and presenting it to my readers.

Of all the articles that I published, my personal favorite and the post I will get back to reading, time and again is the one that I wrote about my mom titled “International Women’s Day”.

It is said that life is a great learning experience and with each thing that we do, we ought to constantly learning something new. Until I took it up, I never knew there was so much of an unexplored potential in blogging.

 

In this fast paced world of today, communication is the key to personal and professional success. Blogging has definitely helped me communicate and express myself better.  A few years down the line, I see myself coming up with a technology blog which shall help me share and enhance my technical skills!

So now it is for my readers to tell me how they’ve found this canvas of mine, in the past year.

 

Questions and Answers

Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4… “This is what I would refer to as exhibiting intangible sentimental energy.” – Women’s era, August edition

Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you reach? – A table

What is the last thing you watched on TV? – An advertisement

Without looking, guess what time it is? – 9:00 p.m

Now look at the clock, what is the actual time? – 9:04 p.m

With the exception of the computer, what can you hear? – I can hear the door close, I can hear my sister speak, I can hear the TV – all together

When did you last step outside? What were you doing? – Today morning, to office and I was totally into work, gearing up for the forthcoming software release.

Before you started this Q &As, what did you look at? – I checked my mails for the day

What are you wearing? – Salwar-Kameez

When did you last laugh? – I smiled today at several occasions but can’t remember when I last laughed!

What is on the walls of the room you are in? – A portrait

Seen anything weird lately? – Not really

What do you think of this quiz? – I like taking quizzes & …this quiz is interesting.

What is the last film you saw? – Love Aaj Kal

If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy? – I have always wanted to go around the world, on a long holiday. I guess I would do that.

If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do? – I would make everyone equal.

Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her? - At the moment, I can’t think of any good name except my cute little niece’s name, Simra

Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him? – I like the names Adnan and Abraar

Would you ever consider living abroad? – Yes I think I will

What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates? – You’ve been a good human being all your life, so my child, here’s the way to heaven!

The Reverse Brain-Drain Trend

There has been this thought lingering  in my mind, since a very long time, about the changing mindset of many who prefer to settle in India instead of settling offshore for a lucrative career. There was an article which I read a few days back, which concurred with my thought process and I decided to share this with my readers and gauge their minds.

Brain-drain, as it is popularly called, is a scenario where in skilled people migrate to foreign countries in search of better job prospects or for some material comforts (there are many such varied reasons). Many people argue that it is unfair to the home-land, but I differ here. I believe that  today we are heading towards globalization and it doesn’t really matter if we stay in our home-land or not as long as we are happy. After all, we get to live life only once and we should fulfill every wish of ours in this time. Also, I think that talent isn’t really the preserve of a single country.

Coming back to the discussion, in my chats with friends online, the conversation usually begins with me asking – “Hi. How you doing or what’s up these days?” After the usual exchange of these pleasantries, people generally start speaking of how they miss their folks back home and how the life in India is incomparable to the lonely life abroad. Most of the people I have spoken to, are determined to return back (after completing their studies or after working for a fixed tenure abroad or once their visa expires) and settle for a job at home.

As per an article that I read, the average age of an Indian returnee from the US is 30 and most of these people who are heading towards their home-land are highly educated individuals with degrees in management, technology and science. So what is exactly propelling these individuals to return back home? The reasons cited are many.

• Personal reasons –  After a point of time, I believe material benefits fail to excite individuals. Personal reasons for returning back home include – bringing up children in accordance with the culture of the home-land  (my elder sister intends to return back to India after a few years for this very reason) or to provide better education to their kids (many of my cousins have returned back from the Gulf for this reason) or to take care of parents back home who are old etc. Also, in spite of contributing to the foreign  economy, there are cases where in Indians have to face virtual outcasts in the foreign land. The recent examples being the attacks on Indians in Australia. I believe, the warmth and the thought of being with one’s own family constitutes for  a much higher compensation to the fat salaries earned abroad, urging people to take a U-turn back to the place, they left a few years before.

• Better opportunities at home – In the recent years, many of the well-known MNCs have setup their development centers here in India to tap the every growing talent here. It is a win-win situation both for the companies and the individuals. For the companies – as they get the best of talent at a comparatively lesser cost of setup, infrastructure etc and for the professionals as they get to work in a renowned company at a good remuneration. Many people think that India offers better and exciting opportunities if not for the highest salaries which is a reason big enough to stay here. Some Indian companies are also willing to pay global salaries to talented young graduates so as to be able to compete effectively. This is definitely a huge plus for Indian professionals!

• Better lifestyle –  The same salary as in US gives a much better and higher lifestyle and standard of living with all the facilities here in India. So why, venture out?

In conclusion, I think this reverse brain drain trend is here to stay, more so, because of the way Indian economy is destined to grow. (An IMF article dated Oct 1 – 2009, states that India and China are to lead as global economy recovers) Also, I think home is where the heart is, ultimately!

What do you think of this reverse brain-drain trend? Do you think this trend is here to stay?

Being away….

I have been away from my blog for a long time now.  There have been many occasions when I thought of writing something and ended up drafting an article and leaving it midway. But then, this time around I am determined to continue writing and updating my blog. Also, I am determined to increase the periodicity of me publishing my write-ups.

Yes, my blog will continue to remain private for some more time which means fewer people visiting my blog… but then as long as I write and I write good I don’t mind the lesser numbers.

In these three months of being away, it was really nice to hear from my friends and family who inquired as to why I brought my site down.  Some of them actually signed up on “wordpress” to access my blog.  Also, there have been friends who have literally like pushed me to write some thing and so here I am writing my heart out!

Drafting this write-up I am really relishing the experience of penning down my thoughts!! Thanks everybody!!

Healthy computing habits

My facebook status reads – ” I am exhausted!” and I truly am. Of late, I’ve been hearing my friends complain about the pain they tend to experience, at times, due to constant work on the computer and this week, I truly got a feel of what it meant to experience pain.

Computers are an indispensable part of our life.  Many of us, who constantly use a desktop/laptop may have at some time or the other experienced a stinging pain, could be in the neck, wrists or fingers, shoulders or lower back or feet  etc.  Speaking to my friends and googling around, I did find some basics which we need to incorporate, while we work on a computer. Many of us are well aware of these basics but are so involved in work that we do not follow them. I guess, it’s time we wake up and realize that work is important but our health needn’t be neglected. After all, (remember the age-old proverb?),  ”Health is Wealth”.

One of the major mistake that we tend to make is to sit in a static posture for a long time with very restricted movement. A medical magazine that I read, stated that one needs to spend at least 5 mins in every hour or around 15 mins in every 4 hours, away from the computer. That isn’t very difficult to follow, isn’t it?

Another basic which we need to incorporate into our lifestyle is to learn to blink every 15 mins or so, while working on the computer. We need to look away from the screen to a distant screen for every 15 mins.

All offices provide their employees with adjustable chairs, so why not use them? Needless to say, it’s a must to adjust the chair’s height to suit our need. I think it serves well if we sit in a comfortable position by using the chair’s back-rest and arm-rests frequently.

Out of personal experience I have realized that when we work on a laptop for longer periods, it is best to switch to using an independent keyboard and a mouse. It doesn’t tend to restrict our hand movement. Also, at times, I have seen people, in fact, my ownself sit close to the monitor. Now, that’s a complete no-no. The rule is to neither sit too close nor too far and to place the monitor directly in front (the top of the screen at the eye level or slightly lower) at a comfortable distance, so that we needn’t twist or bend our neck.

While learning about ergonomics, I figured out that there are Ergonomic software available for download which when installed run in the background and prompt the user to take rest at appropriate intervals and also suggest simple exercises. Isn’t that great? We could even try this set of software.

Lifestyle habits do play an important role in the well-being of a person. These simple points can go a long way in ensuring an individual remains fit and fine. What I have listed above is in no way an exhaustive list of do’s and don’ts. There are lots more but if you have anything else to add up, please add them in the comments section.

Happy Computing!

Are you holding your neck at an awkward angle while you type or talk on the phone?

Are you (over-) extending your reach?

Is your reaching arm unsupported?te

On a random note

I remember a little story that I had heard when in school. It goes like this, Birbal, the famous courtier during Akbar’s reign was once asked as to what travels fastest –  faster than light and he promptly replied a thought.  Now what’s the connection here? Well, I am amazed at how, in a second I have hundreds of thoughts wandering in my mind! A thought can truly travel faster than light. Right now I feel like shouting a “stop”. I think it’s best to put my thoughts out here, it may turn out to be a good article for my readers. So, here goes the unedited version of my thoughts which I have experienced over a period of time….

• I thank Allah for making me, my mom & dad’s daughter.  I just love them the most in this world.
• I am very blessed to always have had very good friends, be it in school, college or office.
• I definitely am less grateful of all the blessings God has bestowed on me, which really is bad!
• TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday) and that too the third Friday of the month!!
• At times, when I feel sad, I don’t understand from where I get that unbelievable strength to overcome it.
• I cannot imagine myself of not doing anything. I think an idle mind is truly a devil’s workshop.
• I love to hear each and every bit of information, how much ever insignificant it may be,  about my nephews and niece. I want them to be a lot more successful and happy than what we are right now.
• I am in no hurry to reach anywhere. I will take each moment as it comes and live my life to the fullest!
• I know that everything in life happens for a reason but at times, I cannot understand why a certain thing happens, I can’t see any good at all.
• I can’t understand why success, fame and money change people. Amazing are those who are humble of their achievements.
• Forgive and forget is the correct philosophy of life.
• Good manners are always ‘in’. It is very important to behave  properly.
• I can’t understand why, at times, it is difficult for others to understand me. 9 out of 10 times I am very clear in my speech.
• Too much thought leads to indecisiveness.
• I hate people who are pretentious. Touchwood, I will never act pretentious, for I have never felt the need to do so.
• I will learn to never initiate an act with a ‘no’.
• And finally, of late, I have been thinking that instead of blogging once a week, I should try and blog, may be twice a week. Hope I can keep up to this thought!

Keep Smiling and bye for now!

A special day – Birthday

Birthdays are special – they ought to be, for this is the day when we were born into this beautiful world. It was my birthday on the 3rd of June and I had a wonderful time, thanks to my family and friends. It definitely is great to have so many people wish you the best and I have always looked forward to my birthday every year, it reminds me that I am growing a year wiser ..wow!

I was excited about this event from a day before, for my adorable niece, Simra, celebrated her birthday on the 2nd of June. Waking up in the morning of 3rd June, I got into an introspective mood and I made quite a few resolutions. I think with each passing year, we ought to introspect on all that we did in the past year and think of how we can better ourselves in the coming year. Within me, I find lots and lots of scope for improvements.

Coming back to the day, at home I was showered with lots of birthday wishes, after which I got dressed up in the outfit that I had bought for my birthday and then was off to office. Once in office, I was greeted by many people and I simply loved it! From then on, it was more of work and for a while I did forget my birthday.

At about 5 p.m while I was busy doing my work, I was called, by a very dear friend, towards the reception area. I was really surprised to find that my friends had planned a small birthday party for me. It really is so much fun when something unexpected happens. We had a cake-cutting ceremony and there were so many of my friends singing the birthday song, I was so happy and excited! The funny part was the blowing of the candles, the candles wouldn’t just blow out, no matter how hard I tried. I later realized that those were a bunch of magic candles, which wouldn’t blow out soon. A few photos, a piece of cake, lots of laughter and fun and then we were all back to work.

Soon after the time hit a 7:30, I left office and as promised to my younger siblings, we had dinner out. It was so much fun here again and I had a very good time! It was around 9 – 9:30 p.m when we reached home and after a few minutes of rest, I logged into my facebook account to check out my messages. Needless to say, it was surprising and exciting to see my wall totally filled up with birthday messages.

All I can say is that I will remember this birthday for a long time and I intend to thank all my family and friends for making me feel special!

THANKS!

India chooses its government

And the new Prime Minister of India is _____________. This line will soon be completed in the coming days and in all probability it is going to be Dr. Manmohan Singh who will be our Prime Minister for the next term, making him the only PM after Pandit Nehru to be voted back to power after completing a full five-year term. An achievement indeed!

Just like many of us, I was glued to the television on the 16th of May, waiting to hear our verdict, on the government we thought, should rule us. Analysts say that this election has been full of surprises and the results have defied all exit poll logic.  The Congress party, as we all know, has won with a huge margin and on its own has won 201 seats (as of Saturday), the highest any single party has got in 25 years! 

If we study Indian politics, we see that it has a history of coalition both at the centre and at the state level. Coalition is when a single party cannot prove a majority, a bunch of parties with mutual interest come together to prove a majority and form a government.  In a way it does good, as every decision taken, reflects the consensus of many parties which in turn means the consensus of many people they represent. The down side is that different parties have different ideologies and beliefs, thereby, sometimes it does lead to a lot of disagreements. This time, however, with the Congress winning 201 seats on its own, it wouldn’t be depending a lot on its allies, which in turn would mean lesser coalition politics.

The only thing I am sure, as an individual all of us want is a stable government and looks like this will happen this time. With every vote, comes a responsibility, a responsibility to live up to all the promises and claims made to the people. I hope our elected representatives live up to their pre-poll promises!

The key to success in life

This is a difficult article to write, for one, I haven’t seen life so much so as to come up with an article on the key to success in life. I still am naive in certain departments of life. I also think, I have a long way to go before I can call myself as close to being successful. But then, there’s something within, that urges me to write this. May be, when I feel down I shall read this article and draw inspiration.

Before I begin, to tell you something, I have been reading a lot during the weekend, and I have realized books in itself are a good source of learning and philosophy(Guess, one of my wish is turning true!). Through this article, I intend to share one such write-up that I read some time back, titled, “The ultimate key to success”. Now, now don’t try to google it around, for it  is an article from a very old issue of Reader’s Digest which I happened to lay my hands on (while sifting through the various books in our library at home).

The writer narrates  several success stories of people who faced stiff opposition, worked against all the odds and finally turned victorious. The bottom line of the article is simple,  we all need to know that successful people do not make it to the top in a single bound. What sets them apart is the quality of persistence, the act of not giving up their goals and aspirations when faced with failure and hostile situations. Impossible is nothing in this world, for the word ’Impossible’ also says I’m possible! The point is to never, ever  give up on your goals.

I remember a quote by Edison, in this regard, which goes like, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. “

Also, success is a very relative term, and no one but the person caught in the situation can decide, whether he has been successful or not in his endeavor. So we should try and focus on the task and not on other people’s opinion of us.

PS: Sharing thoughts does bring in more clarity. This, I have realized while writing this article. Bye for now!

Wishes – Endless

I have been waiting for a holiday since .. since eternity, really. Last week, I was very occupied with work with little or no time to do any other thing. This saturday, I managed to go out with my mom & sister hoping it would be a good break. The day was good yesterday with ample time to do many things.

Just before sleeping, recollecting the activities I was engaged in the whole day, I realized I wished for so many things. I categorize anything that I cannot plan for, as a wish.  Here I am jotting all the wishes in the chronological order and shall revisit my wish-list some time again in the future, to see how many of them turn true.  

Wish the temperature in Hyderabad drops down. Going out in the sun is like torturing our own self. (At noon, while shopping) 

Wish something is done about the increasing pollution levels in the city. (Again, while shopping)

Wish the gold prices do not soar any more. Could buy some more of it. (At the jewellery shop)

Wish it rained heavily.. (Back home after shopping)

Wish my nephew Nabeel was here in India… (After listening to Pappu can’t dance saala song, his favorite, on the FM Radio)

Wish there was a Jagjit Singh concert in the city. Really want to witness a Jagjit Singh concert live with my family. (While listening to a Jagjit Singh ghazal on FM Radio)

Wish the good ol’ Cafe Coffee day.. engineering days were back..  (Listening to a song on FM Radio)

Wish I was an intense reader. (Wished this while looking at the number of books in our library at home) 

My wish-list seems to be endless. But the more wishes you have, the more is the feeling to live.

Guess, it’s time to steer back to reality!