An advantage of joining ToastMasters club (I'm sorry for too much posts on Toastmasters these days, but I'm getting so much involved that I can't resist talking about it :) ) is that there are people who would evaluate you and give constructive feedback. One of the feedbacks that one receives is the number of times speaker utter filler words such as 'Umm, Aah, annnddddd ...'. During my prepared speech, I didn't utter a single filler word. This probably happened because I was prepared and didnt forget anything during the speech. However, during all my impromptu speeches, I got a feedback that I say these words close to 4-5 times. Impromptu speeches last for only 1-2 minutes and so much usage of filler words would definitely wont categorize someone as a good speaker.
Nowadays, I take a lot of care while speaking English with my teammates during meetings or conference calls. But then one day, while talking to my family on phone, I realized that I falter as well as stumble while speaking in Hindi as well. This is a good realization as I now believe that without getting this corrected first, it will take a lot of time for me to gain expertize in English. I believe that the path would be much more easier and glib this way rather than jumping into the English territory first.
So, I'm gonna try this first and get my basics right.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Overdose of MC
People who have graduated from college and are now working in multinationals still feel that they are living student's life. I met one such fellow few days back. I must have spend good 5-6 hours with him and found that he spoke MC (Indianised version of Mother F***er) umpteen number of times. In fact, no sentence was completed without this word. I don't know what was he trying to prove, but, I felt only sorry for his senseless humor.
I agree that I too utter these words, but I do that cautiously. Every such word in a sentence has a purpose and we should pay respect to it. Using them without any need just makes me feel sorry for the speaker and nothing else. I've a friend at my workplace who I've seen speaking MC only once during my entire interaction with him for over a period of 4 years now. And I felt the impact when he said that. It just got better with the word. Bingo! thats how one should use these words. These are magical words, when used correctly sets the entire tone of the conversation.
I sincerely ask people to watch and learn from 'Pulp Fiction'. Contrary to what I've said above, MF is used in probably every dialogue of the movie. However, the word fits so perfectly in there that I cannot imagine Pulp Fiction to be a big hit without these dialogues. If you can do justice to these magical words, fine, use them else misbehaving with them only lowers your standard.
I agree that I too utter these words, but I do that cautiously. Every such word in a sentence has a purpose and we should pay respect to it. Using them without any need just makes me feel sorry for the speaker and nothing else. I've a friend at my workplace who I've seen speaking MC only once during my entire interaction with him for over a period of 4 years now. And I felt the impact when he said that. It just got better with the word. Bingo! thats how one should use these words. These are magical words, when used correctly sets the entire tone of the conversation.
I sincerely ask people to watch and learn from 'Pulp Fiction'. Contrary to what I've said above, MF is used in probably every dialogue of the movie. However, the word fits so perfectly in there that I cannot imagine Pulp Fiction to be a big hit without these dialogues. If you can do justice to these magical words, fine, use them else misbehaving with them only lowers your standard.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Practikke mackke mmannnn perppect
Can you read the title clearly?
You, probably, will speak in a similar fashion when you deliver your first speech in front of your audience. No matter how much prepared you are, you will definitely infuse a sentence that sounds similar to the title. Murphy's law/adage holds true in public speaking as well. For those who don't know about Murphy's law, it goes like this: 'If there is a small chance of going something wrong/unexpected in your activity (be it demonstration, presentation, public speech etc.), then it will go wrong during the activity'.
The fear of public speaking is always there in me. To take out this fear, I joined ToastMaster club in my office and delivered my first speech today. First speech is popularly known as the 'Ice Breaker' Speech where the speaker introduces himself to the club members. The speech should be about 4-6 minutes long. I prepared my speech well in advanced and keep on practicing again and again in my room and office's empty conference room. I was confident that I would be able to deliver a flawless speech. 3 of us were giving the speeches today (one was giving his P2 and other P4). I was the first one to speak. When I was invited by the toastmaster, my heartbeat gained a phenomenal speed and sound. Though no one told me, however, I felt that my heartbeat was much louder than my voice during the start. I was well prepared but suddenly started to lose words when I started speaking. I had to look into the eyes of the people sitting there while speaking (I used to prepare in an empty room) and Murphy bhaisaheb (brother) was just waiting for this moment. This was the unknown factor that I didn't deal with while practising earlier and started to lose concentration. I probably would have muttered something similar to Practikke mackke mmannnn perppect. However, I held back my conscious and ended well.
I got the award for Best Prepared Speaker of the session. Since I was competing with guys who were delivering their P2 and P4, I felt good in the end. My continuous practice saved me from the embarrassment I would have had if I was not well prepared. Indeed, Practice makes a man Perfect.
You, probably, will speak in a similar fashion when you deliver your first speech in front of your audience. No matter how much prepared you are, you will definitely infuse a sentence that sounds similar to the title. Murphy's law/adage holds true in public speaking as well. For those who don't know about Murphy's law, it goes like this: 'If there is a small chance of going something wrong/unexpected in your activity (be it demonstration, presentation, public speech etc.), then it will go wrong during the activity'.
The fear of public speaking is always there in me. To take out this fear, I joined ToastMaster club in my office and delivered my first speech today. First speech is popularly known as the 'Ice Breaker' Speech where the speaker introduces himself to the club members. The speech should be about 4-6 minutes long. I prepared my speech well in advanced and keep on practicing again and again in my room and office's empty conference room. I was confident that I would be able to deliver a flawless speech. 3 of us were giving the speeches today (one was giving his P2 and other P4). I was the first one to speak. When I was invited by the toastmaster, my heartbeat gained a phenomenal speed and sound. Though no one told me, however, I felt that my heartbeat was much louder than my voice during the start. I was well prepared but suddenly started to lose words when I started speaking. I had to look into the eyes of the people sitting there while speaking (I used to prepare in an empty room) and Murphy bhaisaheb (brother) was just waiting for this moment. This was the unknown factor that I didn't deal with while practising earlier and started to lose concentration. I probably would have muttered something similar to Practikke mackke mmannnn perppect. However, I held back my conscious and ended well.
I got the award for Best Prepared Speaker of the session. Since I was competing with guys who were delivering their P2 and P4, I felt good in the end. My continuous practice saved me from the embarrassment I would have had if I was not well prepared. Indeed, Practice makes a man Perfect.
Friday, May 30, 2008
First ToastMaster Meeting
How well can you think on your feet? Can you go on stage and speak on a subject/scenario without preparation? or lets make life simple: How well can you deliver a prepared speech?
I cannot. Thats why I joined my company's ToastMaster Club. I heard about this club around 1 year back and immediately concluded that it is a cool platform to improve upon public speaking skills. Unfortunately, i was so messed up with my application and office work that I didnt attend any meeting. Number 1 mistake !!! Anyways, after recent happenings at office, with lots of boredom and free time, I thought about attending the meeting and did that last week.
The format of these meetings is pretty simple. There will be 2-3 prepared speeches of about 4-5 minutes each and 5-6 impromptu speech lasting about 1-2 minutes each. I loved the impromptu part the most. It actually tests how far your imagination can go in just 5-10 seconds.
When I last attended the meeting, I didnt speak on any topic. There was a slight change in the impromptu speeches this time. Usually only one speaker speaks on the given issue. The host gave us a situation where there is a discussion going on between a vendor and a buyer. Buyer faces a problem and comes to the shop to discuss it with the vendor. The host then asked 2 of us to take up any role. It is up to the buyer to choose any type of problem. The host asked me if I want to take up the vendor role. I said yes, though reluctantly. I didnt have any clue of what I would be saying/asking on the stage. The other guy was smart. He described the situation as: I bought a shoe from your shop sometime back and after sometime the shoe has started biting me. What do I do now?
The room burst into laughter. On the other side, I was blank. I had never been in such a situation before and not even a single thing was clicking in my mind. The other guy was well prepared and was throwing one problem after another because he had faced this problem sometime back. I said something that I dont remember to continue the conversation, but I was sure it wasnt up to the mark the audiences were expecting. Eventually it finished.
Though I couldnt say much, I got to know about my weakness. It always seemed trivial to me after hearing other's speeches, but I couldnt say a meaningful sentence at all. I'm happy to learn about my weakness and I see an opportunity to work on that as well.
I cannot. Thats why I joined my company's ToastMaster Club. I heard about this club around 1 year back and immediately concluded that it is a cool platform to improve upon public speaking skills. Unfortunately, i was so messed up with my application and office work that I didnt attend any meeting. Number 1 mistake !!! Anyways, after recent happenings at office, with lots of boredom and free time, I thought about attending the meeting and did that last week.
The format of these meetings is pretty simple. There will be 2-3 prepared speeches of about 4-5 minutes each and 5-6 impromptu speech lasting about 1-2 minutes each. I loved the impromptu part the most. It actually tests how far your imagination can go in just 5-10 seconds.
When I last attended the meeting, I didnt speak on any topic. There was a slight change in the impromptu speeches this time. Usually only one speaker speaks on the given issue. The host gave us a situation where there is a discussion going on between a vendor and a buyer. Buyer faces a problem and comes to the shop to discuss it with the vendor. The host then asked 2 of us to take up any role. It is up to the buyer to choose any type of problem. The host asked me if I want to take up the vendor role. I said yes, though reluctantly. I didnt have any clue of what I would be saying/asking on the stage. The other guy was smart. He described the situation as: I bought a shoe from your shop sometime back and after sometime the shoe has started biting me. What do I do now?
The room burst into laughter. On the other side, I was blank. I had never been in such a situation before and not even a single thing was clicking in my mind. The other guy was well prepared and was throwing one problem after another because he had faced this problem sometime back. I said something that I dont remember to continue the conversation, but I was sure it wasnt up to the mark the audiences were expecting. Eventually it finished.
Though I couldnt say much, I got to know about my weakness. It always seemed trivial to me after hearing other's speeches, but I couldnt say a meaningful sentence at all. I'm happy to learn about my weakness and I see an opportunity to work on that as well.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Khali Mania
The new superhero/sensation has arrived in India few days back. I happened to be at my native place during that time, so witnessed complete coverage. The amount of coverage media has given to him, I doubt if he does not get a Padma Shri this year even though I don't know about his WWE achievements.
Here are some facts I can recollect after watching the Khali episode again and again (and on almost every news channel)
1. Khali keval 'Parmatma' se darta hai.
2. Khali ko aaj sabse jyada ek bacche ki chah hai.
3. Khali ka ek mukka 100 kilo ka hai.
4. Khali ko abhi sabse jyada apni maa se milna ka intezaar hai.
5. Khali WWE champion isliye nahi ban paaya kyunki use 'dhoke' :) se haraya gaya tha.
and many more...
Khali might have impressed biggies such as Sachin, Sharukh etc however, watching him repeatedly on news channel and posed with absurd questions from the media have turned off many people, including my parents.
An interesting conversation with my mother one evening while I was browsing channels. I turned to a channel epitomizing Khali's adventure.
I: Mummy, dekho Khali...
Mummy: arre maar goli Khali ko .. sab pagal ho rahe hain Khali ke liye
I: arre dekho to sahi
Mummy: tu Khali chorr, Saloni (Zee's Saat Phere drama) laga ..
I dont know if he is a real superstar or a media-hyped sensational figure. But, at the moment, media is going gaga over Khali Mania.
Here are some facts I can recollect after watching the Khali episode again and again (and on almost every news channel)
1. Khali keval 'Parmatma' se darta hai.
2. Khali ko aaj sabse jyada ek bacche ki chah hai.
3. Khali ka ek mukka 100 kilo ka hai.
4. Khali ko abhi sabse jyada apni maa se milna ka intezaar hai.
5. Khali WWE champion isliye nahi ban paaya kyunki use 'dhoke' :) se haraya gaya tha.
and many more...
Khali might have impressed biggies such as Sachin, Sharukh etc however, watching him repeatedly on news channel and posed with absurd questions from the media have turned off many people, including my parents.
An interesting conversation with my mother one evening while I was browsing channels. I turned to a channel epitomizing Khali's adventure.
I: Mummy, dekho Khali...
Mummy: arre maar goli Khali ko .. sab pagal ho rahe hain Khali ke liye
I: arre dekho to sahi
Mummy: tu Khali chorr, Saloni (Zee's Saat Phere drama) laga ..
I dont know if he is a real superstar or a media-hyped sensational figure. But, at the moment, media is going gaga over Khali Mania.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
No Smoking
Recently, my friend quit smoking. He is in early thirties and smoking since his college time. He used to smoke at least 4 cigarettes a day: morning, afternoon, evening and after dinner. And seeing him just quitting smoking like that was a shock to me. The shock was not that he did that all at once, but, the manner in which he quit.
A magical truth: no one wants any other person to smoke. It does not matter whether the person smokes or not. None of my friend's family member smokes and his family knows that he smokes. His family member, particularly mother, must have told him thousands of time to quit or at least bring down the frequency. He didn't give any heed to that. I must have told him numerous times to do the same. He agreed sometimes and didn't smoke for 3-4 days. But then he started again. He justified the wise saying "Quiting smoking is very easy. I've done that thousands of time.".
Recently, he got engaged and made a visit to the fiancee's town. One meeting and thats all it took for him to quit smoking. When asked about it why did you do that, he said it is the "Fear of Losing" someone that made him quit smoking. That, inherently, means 2 things: Family and friends can be taken for granted and he is going to start smoking once he is married. He agreed to the first one and denied the second. He wanted me to bet on second, however, I refused because I don't bet. I've no other choice but to wait and watch. My feeling is that he would start again sometime.
Anyways, thats the start of his commitments/compromise list and I don't know how many more he would have to do, but the first one have been the best one (only if he maintains).
A magical truth: no one wants any other person to smoke. It does not matter whether the person smokes or not. None of my friend's family member smokes and his family knows that he smokes. His family member, particularly mother, must have told him thousands of time to quit or at least bring down the frequency. He didn't give any heed to that. I must have told him numerous times to do the same. He agreed sometimes and didn't smoke for 3-4 days. But then he started again. He justified the wise saying "Quiting smoking is very easy. I've done that thousands of time.".
Recently, he got engaged and made a visit to the fiancee's town. One meeting and thats all it took for him to quit smoking. When asked about it why did you do that, he said it is the "Fear of Losing" someone that made him quit smoking. That, inherently, means 2 things: Family and friends can be taken for granted and he is going to start smoking once he is married. He agreed to the first one and denied the second. He wanted me to bet on second, however, I refused because I don't bet. I've no other choice but to wait and watch. My feeling is that he would start again sometime.
Anyways, thats the start of his commitments/compromise list and I don't know how many more he would have to do, but the first one have been the best one (only if he maintains).
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Hello ... April Fool
Some days back, I encountered my best April Fool prank. It was performed on me and I would not say I didnt enjoy it.
I wanted to talk to a friend after a long time, so dialed his number. I heard "tring-tring". Ok sounds fine. To my surprise, some lady (with beautiful voice) picked up the phone and said "Hello". I disconnected the phone without saying anything. Lets try again. Redial. Again the same lady picked up the phone. I thought let me talk to her this time and ask for my friend. Here is the conversation:
Lady: Hello
Me: Hello, may I speak to ...
Lady (interrupted me) Hello ...
Me: Hello
Lady: Hello, Hello
Me: Hello, may I speak to ... (in my mind... what the hell .. is she deaf?)
Lady: Hello ... ab kuch bolo bhi ... kaun hai?
I disconnected the phone again. Looks like communication problem. Redial.
Lady: Hello
Me: Hi .. this is Kapil here... May I speak to ..
Lady: Hello ...
I was mum now ... looks like same communication problem again
Lady: Hello, Hello
Lady: Hello ... ab kuch bolo bhi ... kaun hai?
Me (in my mind) : what .. why is repeating the same thing?
Lady: bolte kyun nahi ...
Me (in my mind): ok something new
then suddenly I heard this voice:
"April fool ... and then Hutch's theme song .... You and I, in this beautiful world...."
As I was hearing this song, my friend picked up the phone. He already knew that I was struggling with the lady. He told me that every other person calling on his mobile was facing the unusual talk and thats why he was taking time to pick up the phone.
Lovely prank !!! I enjoyed it.
I wanted to talk to a friend after a long time, so dialed his number. I heard "tring-tring". Ok sounds fine. To my surprise, some lady (with beautiful voice) picked up the phone and said "Hello". I disconnected the phone without saying anything. Lets try again. Redial. Again the same lady picked up the phone. I thought let me talk to her this time and ask for my friend. Here is the conversation:
Lady: Hello
Me: Hello, may I speak to ...
Lady (interrupted me) Hello ...
Me: Hello
Lady: Hello, Hello
Me: Hello, may I speak to ... (in my mind... what the hell .. is she deaf?)
Lady: Hello ... ab kuch bolo bhi ... kaun hai?
I disconnected the phone again. Looks like communication problem. Redial.
Lady: Hello
Me: Hi .. this is Kapil here... May I speak to ..
Lady: Hello ...
I was mum now ... looks like same communication problem again
Lady: Hello, Hello
Lady: Hello ... ab kuch bolo bhi ... kaun hai?
Me (in my mind) : what .. why is repeating the same thing?
Lady: bolte kyun nahi ...
Me (in my mind): ok something new
then suddenly I heard this voice:
"April fool ... and then Hutch's theme song .... You and I, in this beautiful world...."
As I was hearing this song, my friend picked up the phone. He already knew that I was struggling with the lady. He told me that every other person calling on his mobile was facing the unusual talk and thats why he was taking time to pick up the phone.
Lovely prank !!! I enjoyed it.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
NatGeo: Knowledge Bank
National Geographic, popularly known as NatGeo, channel is the one that has caught my attention for past 1 year. I got to learn a lot about numerous events, design errors, dangerous drugs, explosives, world-wars, martial arts etc. from this channel. Favorite among the programme are Seconds from Disaster, Situation Critical and Aircrash Investigations. NatGeo does dramatize these serials and very efficiently as well (not like Sansani on Aaj tak). I started viewing Seconds from Disaster (SFD) around 1 year back and immediately became a fan. When SFD finished I searched internet for more episodes. These serials are amazing and you not only learn about the final event but also get to know how bits of pieces unfold and combine to trigger a disaster. I made DVDs and actively distributing these DVDs to friends to share the knowledge.
Here is the comment from one of my friends who watched "Apollo 13" episode on Situation Critical. "I watched Apollo 13 movie as a MOVIE, but when I learned through NatGeo that every bit of information presented in the movie is actually real, I was shocked.". Well I was shocked too. Till then I also didnt know that Apollo 13 just orbited the moon and came back safely to Earth. Their mission is known better as "Successful Failure". Amazing story and a brilliant example of teamwork. Watch the movie if you can, but I'm pretty sure you will not be able to appreciate until you watch NatGeo's Situation Critical episode on Apollo 13. This is because most of the times you wont understand what controls are the characters referring to in the movie.
There is, however, a problem I'm facing after watching numerous episodes on Airplane Crash Investigations. Whenever I fly now, I always have numerous doubts floating in my mind:
1. Is the Rudder working?
2. Is the TCAS (Traffic collision and avoidance system) working properly? Sometime back there was a news that there is at least one incidence per month of 2 airplanes flying dangerously close.
3. Was the airplane service done responsibly? and many more.
You cannot imagine what I feel when an airplane makes a turn or passes through clouds. Ugly !!!
I'm currently watching World War 1 and trying to brush up what I learned in 10th standard. I would recommend anyone to switch to NatGeo if you turn on your TV and start watching already seen movie or daily star/sony etc soaps. You probably wont get entertainment but, I bet, you would definitely add something in your Knowledge Bank.
Here is the comment from one of my friends who watched "Apollo 13" episode on Situation Critical. "I watched Apollo 13 movie as a MOVIE, but when I learned through NatGeo that every bit of information presented in the movie is actually real, I was shocked.". Well I was shocked too. Till then I also didnt know that Apollo 13 just orbited the moon and came back safely to Earth. Their mission is known better as "Successful Failure". Amazing story and a brilliant example of teamwork. Watch the movie if you can, but I'm pretty sure you will not be able to appreciate until you watch NatGeo's Situation Critical episode on Apollo 13. This is because most of the times you wont understand what controls are the characters referring to in the movie.
There is, however, a problem I'm facing after watching numerous episodes on Airplane Crash Investigations. Whenever I fly now, I always have numerous doubts floating in my mind:
1. Is the Rudder working?
2. Is the TCAS (Traffic collision and avoidance system) working properly? Sometime back there was a news that there is at least one incidence per month of 2 airplanes flying dangerously close.
3. Was the airplane service done responsibly? and many more.
You cannot imagine what I feel when an airplane makes a turn or passes through clouds. Ugly !!!
I'm currently watching World War 1 and trying to brush up what I learned in 10th standard. I would recommend anyone to switch to NatGeo if you turn on your TV and start watching already seen movie or daily star/sony etc soaps. You probably wont get entertainment but, I bet, you would definitely add something in your Knowledge Bank.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
True Intentions
It is very difficult to get through another person's mind until he is a close confidante of yours. According to me, the best way to force people to speak up their minds is by giving them an initial push and support their thinking (by taking a best guess) and then they will speak out their true intentions. I've tried this numerous times during my school/college life and even sometimes in my professional life. People find it easier to communicate their thoughts once you yourself show an agreement with their thoughts. You may not agree with what you are saying, but, the process opens up the person and you might get a chance to know his real intentions.
One of my friends is moving abroad with his family. I was having a casual chat with him one day about the change he is going to face. During the talk, I deliberately told him that it is the same thing living in US as living in Bangalore, and within seconds, he agreed readily. He gave me the reason that the number of times he currently visits his family is limited to 2-3 times in a year. So that is not going to change and, consequently, he is actually not away from his home. I might have got a different answer if I had initiated the talk in a different direction and told him that traveling is not going to be simple. Seriously, traveling involves time and money, and both become hard-earned once you engage yourself in a job. He might have changed his answer and instead replied, "yeah ... but it is a matter of just 2-3 years".
I experienced this phenomenon? in my professional life too. I noticed that when I deliberately do a hard talk against someone with my friends, they open up and do a similar kind of talking. Further, people usually dont open up and start talking about opposite sex. Someone has to take the initiative and whoever takes, all others join within minutes. This sense of agreement is a powerful force that helps people to roll out their True Intentions.
One of my friends is moving abroad with his family. I was having a casual chat with him one day about the change he is going to face. During the talk, I deliberately told him that it is the same thing living in US as living in Bangalore, and within seconds, he agreed readily. He gave me the reason that the number of times he currently visits his family is limited to 2-3 times in a year. So that is not going to change and, consequently, he is actually not away from his home. I might have got a different answer if I had initiated the talk in a different direction and told him that traveling is not going to be simple. Seriously, traveling involves time and money, and both become hard-earned once you engage yourself in a job. He might have changed his answer and instead replied, "yeah ... but it is a matter of just 2-3 years".
I experienced this phenomenon? in my professional life too. I noticed that when I deliberately do a hard talk against someone with my friends, they open up and do a similar kind of talking. Further, people usually dont open up and start talking about opposite sex. Someone has to take the initiative and whoever takes, all others join within minutes. This sense of agreement is a powerful force that helps people to roll out their True Intentions.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Second Time Experience
People, books often say that there is nothing like first time experience. I beg to differ on this philosophy/myth/popular saying. I've always found more pleasure doing the same thing the second time most of the times. I think this can be best explained by answering the question "Why do you want to do the same thing again?". My philosophy is that you are going to do the same thing again if you enjoyed doing that the first time, and you want to get more pleasure or fun next time; so you want to do that again, needless to say, with more preparation/expectation.
This theory fits well for explaining situations in which the person was not prepared to perform a task. An unexpected thing might surprise the person and he might not carry forward the activity with reasoned and thoughtful actions. He'll then think back on how he reacted and what went wrong (rather than what went right) and, therefore, wants to give himself a second chance to get his moves right. First presentation, first cultural performance in front of buzzing crowd , first surprise kiss (even more than the kiss) types of scenario fit into the actions I'm talking about.
After giving mid/end-semester papers in IIT, I always felt that given a second chance, I can perform better in particular paper. My reasoning was entirely based on the subtle assumption that I'm going to get similar, if not same, questions in the paper the second time. Obviously, my assumption was wrong, but this thinking/natural behavior/attitude gives a strong impetus to my second time experience theory.
According to me, the experience that is remembered the most by a person is the one in which he is most fit to face the situation and I think the second one is the most likely. After two chances, I would either give up or do the activity as a routine, or to put it this way, the fun has already been lost or achieved.
This theory fits well for explaining situations in which the person was not prepared to perform a task. An unexpected thing might surprise the person and he might not carry forward the activity with reasoned and thoughtful actions. He'll then think back on how he reacted and what went wrong (rather than what went right) and, therefore, wants to give himself a second chance to get his moves right. First presentation, first cultural performance in front of buzzing crowd , first surprise kiss (even more than the kiss) types of scenario fit into the actions I'm talking about.
After giving mid/end-semester papers in IIT, I always felt that given a second chance, I can perform better in particular paper. My reasoning was entirely based on the subtle assumption that I'm going to get similar, if not same, questions in the paper the second time. Obviously, my assumption was wrong, but this thinking/natural behavior/attitude gives a strong impetus to my second time experience theory.
According to me, the experience that is remembered the most by a person is the one in which he is most fit to face the situation and I think the second one is the most likely. After two chances, I would either give up or do the activity as a routine, or to put it this way, the fun has already been lost or achieved.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Singlemost Important Achievement
Have you ever done/achieved something that has made your life easy? The targets you wanted to achieve, the things you wanted to do got simple by achieving just one thing. I have done one such thing, and mind you I achieved that through lots of patience and hard work for a period of 2 years. Though I admit now that after achieving this goal, I might not have put the same efforts to achieve my next set of goals. Anyways, here is the story:
Everyone knows how difficult IIT entrance examination is. Right? I started preparing for the examination in 11th standard. I joined the famous Bansal Classes (BC) Institute. To my surprise I secured 3rd rank in the BC entrance test. Irony, an entrance test for an entrance test. I got admitted into the top batch and then started the tough journey. The toughest problem I faced during these 2 years was not the curriculum or the competition but the all time presence of my father in the institute, as he was employed as an Administrator in BC. I never felt the freedom of being on my own during that time. My father was more tensed than me, always. So the pressure of living up to the expectations was high.
Well, I survived and did well too. I secured All India Rank 97 in my first attempt. I was targeting a rank < 192 (my elder brother secured this rank) and 97 was a very much surprise to me as well. With the magic number 97 came lots of gifts and surprises. The first was the 5-6 days Apex Mumbai tour with ELITE top 100 ranked students. Then came the reward cheques from Bansal Classes, Apex and family members. I got admitted into Computer Science Department in IIT Bombay. During the third year, I got my summer internship in University of Toronto, Canada solely on the basis of my rank and little bit knowledge in Formal Verification discipline. Then came the job. I got the job offer from Oracle in my first interview itself. The interview was an average one and I would say I was selected primarily because I was from Computer Science Department (so indirectly the rank helped here too). In Oracle, I worked hard during my first two years and was promoted to the post of Senior Member Technical Staff (just alternative designation for Senior Software Manager). Though I feel Oracle is a bit partial to IIT guys , I might be wrong (and sincerely hope too).
My father got a lot too. You could definitely make out his smile and amplified chest after the results were declared. That 2 digits made him proud, me too. But now things have changed. I've started to realize that the rank is just not enough for me to get past everything comfortably.
Given the benefits I've seen from IIT Rank, I tried to take the advantage again and applied in US universities for MBA. So far I've been rejected in 3 universities and wait-listed in 1. Results for other 3 are on hold. The rank must have helped me to get the interview invites from the rejected ones as well but it is just not enough to get me in comfortably. Anyways, it has still played its part.
Hope is a good thing and may be the best of all. And no good thing ever dies (Courtesy: Shawshank Redemption). I'm still hoping to get my admission letter from at least one university. Someone please look at my IIT Rank !!! thats the best in my resume.
Everyone knows how difficult IIT entrance examination is. Right? I started preparing for the examination in 11th standard. I joined the famous Bansal Classes (BC) Institute. To my surprise I secured 3rd rank in the BC entrance test. Irony, an entrance test for an entrance test. I got admitted into the top batch and then started the tough journey. The toughest problem I faced during these 2 years was not the curriculum or the competition but the all time presence of my father in the institute, as he was employed as an Administrator in BC. I never felt the freedom of being on my own during that time. My father was more tensed than me, always. So the pressure of living up to the expectations was high.
Well, I survived and did well too. I secured All India Rank 97 in my first attempt. I was targeting a rank < 192 (my elder brother secured this rank) and 97 was a very much surprise to me as well. With the magic number 97 came lots of gifts and surprises. The first was the 5-6 days Apex Mumbai tour with ELITE top 100 ranked students. Then came the reward cheques from Bansal Classes, Apex and family members. I got admitted into Computer Science Department in IIT Bombay. During the third year, I got my summer internship in University of Toronto, Canada solely on the basis of my rank and little bit knowledge in Formal Verification discipline. Then came the job. I got the job offer from Oracle in my first interview itself. The interview was an average one and I would say I was selected primarily because I was from Computer Science Department (so indirectly the rank helped here too). In Oracle, I worked hard during my first two years and was promoted to the post of Senior Member Technical Staff (just alternative designation for Senior Software Manager). Though I feel Oracle is a bit partial to IIT guys , I might be wrong (and sincerely hope too).
My father got a lot too. You could definitely make out his smile and amplified chest after the results were declared. That 2 digits made him proud, me too. But now things have changed. I've started to realize that the rank is just not enough for me to get past everything comfortably.
Given the benefits I've seen from IIT Rank, I tried to take the advantage again and applied in US universities for MBA. So far I've been rejected in 3 universities and wait-listed in 1. Results for other 3 are on hold. The rank must have helped me to get the interview invites from the rejected ones as well but it is just not enough to get me in comfortably. Anyways, it has still played its part.
Hope is a good thing and may be the best of all. And no good thing ever dies (Courtesy: Shawshank Redemption). I'm still hoping to get my admission letter from at least one university. Someone please look at my IIT Rank !!! thats the best in my resume.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Smart Rider
Recently, I devised a way to tackle people who unnecessarily honk their vehicle to overtake you. I don't know if it is an innovative solution, but it worked for me.
I was riding my bike and my friend was sitting behind. We were going through a place that usually has a high traffic. I was driving in the range of 40-45 km/hr. Suddenly, I heard 2-3 unnecessary honks from behind. I looked at my bike's mirror and saw a silver Santro. The driver looked to me a Software Professional. I thought for a moment and analyzed the situation around me. There was no way for the car to overtake me and I was sure that I was not driving slowly or recklessly. He honked again and this time I gave him the space to go ahead. Now, I was behind him and it was my turn. I started honking continuously, even when we stopped at the traffic signal. When the signal turned green, I immediately started honking. He slowed down his car, but I had no intention of overtaking him. I was happy being behind him. I could see him looking (staring) at me again and again, but in India who cares for the lovely stare. After having enough of this, I let it go. But in all, I did a good job. He probably got pissed off and I hope he realized what I wanted to convey.
Try this next time if you happen to be in a similar scenario (at your own risk). I would advise you to try this only when you are driving with someone. May be, I was lucky that he was a Software guy.
I was riding my bike and my friend was sitting behind. We were going through a place that usually has a high traffic. I was driving in the range of 40-45 km/hr. Suddenly, I heard 2-3 unnecessary honks from behind. I looked at my bike's mirror and saw a silver Santro. The driver looked to me a Software Professional. I thought for a moment and analyzed the situation around me. There was no way for the car to overtake me and I was sure that I was not driving slowly or recklessly. He honked again and this time I gave him the space to go ahead. Now, I was behind him and it was my turn. I started honking continuously, even when we stopped at the traffic signal. When the signal turned green, I immediately started honking. He slowed down his car, but I had no intention of overtaking him. I was happy being behind him. I could see him looking (staring) at me again and again, but in India who cares for the lovely stare. After having enough of this, I let it go. But in all, I did a good job. He probably got pissed off and I hope he realized what I wanted to convey.
Try this next time if you happen to be in a similar scenario (at your own risk). I would advise you to try this only when you are driving with someone. May be, I was lucky that he was a Software guy.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Unique Selling Point
Have you ever pondered over your unique selling point (USP)? I didn't know about mine until I attended Hostel-10 (girl's hostel in IIT Bombay) valedictory function in my last year. In these functions, profiles of the graduating students are read in front of numerous students. The focus is primarily on what the student did in his/her life other than academics. One of my close friend told me to attend profile of a particular girl, who I have never talked to. I sniffed something intrigue, but my friend never disclosed the details. Well, I attended the function and was made to sit forcibly on a sofa in front of the stage. When the profile started, I came to know that the girl had a crush on me during the first year. I was never told by my (bloody?) friends (all my friends knew about this), nor the girl ever attempted to talk to me. To my surprise, I was the hot talk in the hostel and girls used to play a game, based on a famous Indian television. If I ever tell you whats the game, you will definitely envy me. That very moment made me think that I've got a magnetic? power to attract girls.
My thinking was proved right again when I started working in Oracle. One of my friend was leaving Oracle after working in the company for ~1.5 years. Before leaving Oracle, he told me one day that he knows a girl who had a crush on you. I was definitely happy (no doubt), but at the same time I was cursing myself for having such friends who hide important information and don't want to see me excel in future. Again, there was a similarity with the case happened in IIT. I had never talked to that girl.
There are other instances as well to describe, but I would do that in a different post. However, these two incidents helped me know something about my personality. I don't know exactly what girls look in me, but I know that I've got something unique. I really hope those two girls read this post and update me about my USP.
By the way, how many girls have fallen for you so far (without even talking to you) and whats your USP?
My thinking was proved right again when I started working in Oracle. One of my friend was leaving Oracle after working in the company for ~1.5 years. Before leaving Oracle, he told me one day that he knows a girl who had a crush on you. I was definitely happy (no doubt), but at the same time I was cursing myself for having such friends who hide important information and don't want to see me excel in future. Again, there was a similarity with the case happened in IIT. I had never talked to that girl.
There are other instances as well to describe, but I would do that in a different post. However, these two incidents helped me know something about my personality. I don't know exactly what girls look in me, but I know that I've got something unique. I really hope those two girls read this post and update me about my USP.
By the way, how many girls have fallen for you so far (without even talking to you) and whats your USP?
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Breakup
The other day I was having a lunch with my Oracle friends at Pizza hut. The usual talk gained speed when two of the fellows start talking about their affairs. It is always fun to hear about what's happening in others life when you dont have the luxury to perform in that role. Isnt it? Anyways, 4 out of 6 had girlfriends. When one of the friends asked me about my status, I didnt want to tell them that I've been single for past 25 :) years. Many things were going through my mind and I was desperately searching for an answer. Suddenly, I said something so convincing that didnt allow my friend to pose further questions. Here's what I said:
"nah ... just had a break up a month ago" .....
I think this response will work all time. This gives a feeling that the person is not lying (of course, you need to act in the same way .. I think the way I said "nah" made the difference) and nothing left in the story to ask more. I've tried it again sometime back and the strategy worked.
Try it !!!
"nah ... just had a break up a month ago" .....
I think this response will work all time. This gives a feeling that the person is not lying (of course, you need to act in the same way .. I think the way I said "nah" made the difference) and nothing left in the story to ask more. I've tried it again sometime back and the strategy worked.
Try it !!!
Friday, January 25, 2008
A sentence says it all
I was going through this post by rediff yesterday:
The initial pages seem to be ordinary ones resembling dozen others that I've read earlier. But the one that grabbed my attention was the interview of Kartik S Manral. People say about their profession, but a strong statement such as "20 years from now, my men will be ready to die for me" tells us about how perfectly a person is describing his career. Keeping aside the literal meaning of the sentence, I wonder how well Kartik has put forward his thoughts and described the profession of a person in a military life.
I work as a software engineer in a reputed MNC in India. Does there stand an equivalent competitive statement for people working in IT?
The initial pages seem to be ordinary ones resembling dozen others that I've read earlier. But the one that grabbed my attention was the interview of Kartik S Manral. People say about their profession, but a strong statement such as "20 years from now, my men will be ready to die for me" tells us about how perfectly a person is describing his career. Keeping aside the literal meaning of the sentence, I wonder how well Kartik has put forward his thoughts and described the profession of a person in a military life.
I work as a software engineer in a reputed MNC in India. Does there stand an equivalent competitive statement for people working in IT?
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