My friends from ‘Manolos & Martinis’ and I helped Queen Balogun, Jane Namuwanga Group and Dayovo KESSOUGBO via our Kiva team.

It’s a good feeling to be surrounded by women who care

Today was a big milestone for me. I finished my first half marathon this morning.
I have been training for this event since last month and a half. The longest I could run when I registered for this was four miles. Thirteen miles in six weeks seemed like a hard goal. However sometimes you’ve got to push yourself beyond your limits. And this morning I did it

I distinctly remember how hard my first six miles run was and how proud I was for finishing it. Another moment I’ll cherish was running along the Marina when most apartments were close to saying good night. Running by the Bay I could see the Golden Gate hidden in the clouds, the silhouette of hills & trees at a distance and hear the waves crashing the shore. The night was absolutely beautiful!! That I was one of the few people running that night made it all the more peaceful & satisfying. It was one of my best runs ever.

I think there is some truth in the saying “it’s the journey not the destination”. While the goal matters, it’s the journey that makes the goal memorable. I am glad I decided to run the half marathon and immensely happy (and tired) that I finished it. I could not care less that I lost my running chip on the way. While I don’t have an official time, I have become a physically and mentally fitter person.

Now on to deciding my next journey!!!!

few weeks ago almost every other day this is how I felt:
..Kite Runner is a thought-provoking movie…provoked me too well. ..Yes I want to help.But I don’t have time. …. Neil, I want to do something…Steli, I feel awful for not helping others….I can’t work…Yes, yes!! Supercool School needs this, that..I will do it… “Freedom Writers” is nice..how people make a difference?….Milan, I want to do something..change something…feel better about myself…..but I have to finish this book….I have to clean my apartment…yes Supercool School is my focus…focus ..focus…I can’t sleep alright…

last night: I organized a girls night out with a $5 fee per person and micro-financed Salama.

Somehow I know I am at peace now for at least few weeks
A big journey starts with a step they say. That step feels so awesome I had no idea
Action is definitely more powerful and rewarding than words!!!

Thanks Rashi for forwarding this:

An Old Story:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and
laying up supplies for the winter….

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the
summer away.

Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or
shelter so he dies out in the cold..

Indian Version:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and
laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant’s a fool and laughs & dances & plays the
summer away.

Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and
demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed
while others are cold and starving…
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper
next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled
with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor
Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant’s house.

Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that
Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter

Mayawati states this as `injustice’ done on Minorities.

Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticize the Indian Government for
not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the
Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt
support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance) .

Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for ‘Bengal Bandh’ in
West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial

*CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard
in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and
Grasshoppers.

Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway
Trains, aptly named as the ‘Grasshopper Rath’.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ‘ Prevention of Terrorism
Against Grasshoppers Act’ [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the
winter.

Arjun Singh makes ‘Special Reservation ‘ for Grasshoppers in Educational
Institutions & in Government Services.

The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left
to pay his retroactive taxes,it’s home is confiscated by the Government
and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.

Arundhati Roy calls it ‘ A Triumph of Justice’
*

*Lalu calls it ‘Socialistic Justice ‘.*

*CPM calls it the ‘ Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden ‘*

*Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.*

*Many years later…*

The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar
company in Silicon Valley ,

100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere
in India ,

.
..AND

As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the
grasshoppers,
.
.
.
.
.
India is still a developing country…!!!

Aren’t we so predictable, it’s Time to Change!

I saw this movie based on “The Kite Runner” book.
Stealing the movie introduction from wikipedia:
The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, a boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is haunted by the guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan, the son of his father’s Hazara servant.
The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime.

I watched it 1 week ago but few images from the movie are still so clear in my mind. When I was kid I would go with my cousin to see him flying kites in the streets of our village. When the movie started with kite-flying, all those innocent childhood moments flashed in front of my eyes. The movie is a journey from innocent kite flying moments to tortures of war including molestation of kids, rapes, mental agony of people leaving their homes and lot more.

After watching the movie I realize how lucky I am to be born when I was born, to be raised how I was raised and more than anything else not to be raised in a war torn country. And then somehow I feel guilty, uneasy with my feelings.

Both me and my cousin are happy today living our lives the way we choose to. Just when I am done thinking briefly about my life and my cousin’s life, my feelings of being lucky are replaced by something stronger than a guilt. I feel selfish, self centered.

I have a look around my life style - my bay window apartment (which I liked so much I named my blog after that), my online/offline social networks, my passions. Even while writing this blog, I imagine many kite runners shattered by the miseries of a cruel war place. My imagination refuses to let me think that I could have been one of those molested kids whose innocence is replaced by misery pretty much after few years they are born.

I have not slept well since I saw this movie. I want to change something about myself. I want to change from passive to active.
I want to repay for being so lucky to have a decent life. “To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” Gandhi said. I am not religious but this movie has definitely pushed me to towards my first such single act.

I saw “Munich” last night. After the movie I was just silent and quiet!!! nothing could kill that weird silence - not even youtube. I did not want to think about reasons behind my silence.

Then I watched “Om Shanti Om“. I broke my own records by watching a 3 hour movie in 45 minutes. (Remote Control is an amazing device). I really wanted to know the reason for this record. When I was in college I used to see 3 hour Bollywood movies 3 times a month, used to sing Bollywood songs(I still do), used to have posters of Indian movie stars in my room(now I don’t. Only poster in last 8 years was Federer’s poster in my restroom on the mirror).

What has changed? is it staying away from India(because my sister in India saw “Jodha-Akbar” 5 times few months ago)?, is it part of growing up?( may be not? My parents still see old black & white Indian movies). I myself have few Indian movies(drama, humor, pretty much every category) I see again and again. what is it then?

To find my answer I started thinking why I liked Munich. May be that will give me some clues about my record breaking time for watching a pretty popular Bolywood movie. I liked Munich because :

1. There were many emotional scenes where I could see myself saying “I know how that feels”

2. Even if I had not experienced some emotions shown in the movie, I can see myself behaving/feeling pretty much similar way

3. It gave(or at least tries to) me a perspective of both sides of a somewhat real critical situation.

4. It challenged my imagination, my biases and my awareness.

So I found out why is it that I like some Bolywood movies and some I skip over in 45 minutes. It is “empathy”.
When I was a teenager I watched a romantic (raised to power romantic) Bollywood movie pretty much 5-6 times. The same movie now would skip over in 45 minutes. My favorite movies in my closet are the ones I can empathize at this point. Same I expect from any movie I watch whether it’s Bollywood or Hollywood.

Even though Munich and Om shanti Om are different category movies, what matters is whether I can correlate/visualize with things/people/emotions in the movie. So I guess I was not the right audience for “Om Shanti Om”. The End.

When it comes to creativity, I am also one of those who think that either you are born with it or not. Somehow that thought was always disappointing coz I love creative things, creative people and everything creative. Someday I would love to start with a lil bit of creativity myself.
Lucky for me recently I can across an interview of Twyla Tharp

“Everyone can be creative,” she says, “but you have to prepare for it with routine.”

The winner of a MacArthur fellowship, a Tony award, and two Emmys, Tharp has been the artistic force behind her own dance company, Broadway shows, and TV productions, and has created choreography for movies (including Hair and Amadeus) and leading ballet companies around the world.

In this conversation, Tharp shares her thoughts about what it takes to achieve creative breakthroughs: hardheaded practicality, discipline, and ruthlessness about the work.

She is unsentimental in her advice to aspiring innovators who worry that they don’t have the right stuff: Get over yourself. Get angry, throw a tantrum–just do whatever it takes to get moving, and stop wasting time.

Creativity is the result of habit, hard work, and constantly pursuing new challenges. Don’t get hung up on originality or on failure; if you never fail, you’ll stagnate.

Mentors may help guide you to your goals, but don’t choose people who will hold your hand. Choose mentors who can teach you, and invent them if you have to.

In her no-nonsense way, Tharp also talks about her commitment to being uncompromising in her work, even when it exacted a price (such as forgone vacations and personal relationships) or was otherwise painful (when it involved firing extraordinary people). “It’s a terrible analogy, but when it comes to your work, you have a war to win,” she says. “Men are going to die.”

Nice interview.
ps: this interview was in HBR. Too bad HBR is not free online.

Recently a really good friend sent me this:

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
‘ Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And - which is more - you’ll be a Man, my son!

Keep the Spark Alive

Inaugural Speech for the new batch at the Symbiosis BBA program, Pune 23rd June, 2008

Following is the speech by Chetan Bhagat given at the orientation programme for the new batch of MBA students at Symbiosis, Pune.

Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates - there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.

Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.

I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?

Imagine the spark to be a lamp’s flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.

To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn’t any external measure - a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.

Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn’t the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won’t be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.

Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature’s design. Are you? Goals will help you do that. I must add, don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One last thing about nurturing the spark - don’t take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said - don’t be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It’s ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

I’ve told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.

Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don’t go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it’s life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that’s where you want to be.

Disappointment’ s cousin is Frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don’t know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life - friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.

Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm lucky by Indian standards. Let’s be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don’t. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don’t get literary praise. It’s ok. I don’t look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It’s ok. Don’t let unfairness kill your spark.

Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is Isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.

There you go. I’ve told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.

I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying - I come from the land of a billion sparks.

Thank You.

Just finished watching “Guru” movie - Hindi movie based (rumor has it) on Dhirubhai Ambani’s life.
Personally it felt as if the best of India is associated with the movie:
directed by Mani Ratnam, music by A.R Rahman, lyrics by Gujzar

Movie is awesome - sets in the movie are beautiful. Actor is son of the sexiest (after my father that is)
man alive and the actress is quite gorgeous too.
However most powerful, inspiring and quite an example for youth of India is the person on whose life
is the movie based - Dhirubhai Ambani
I was born and educated in a quite innocent & naive surroundings so I am not familiar with so many things, people and everything
which happened while I was growing up. So I have to wikipedia many things & people many many times. However after reading the wiki entry for Dhirubhai Ambani I am ashamed to use any excuses for lack of anything.

He was the man who started with Rs.15,000(US$350) and built an empire worth billions of dollars. A villager rising to this great entrepreneur full of commitment & motivation. A person who can say *”I am deaf to the word “no”.” and actually reflect that in his actions is a true inspiration.
He said: “Dhirubhai will go one day. But Reliance’s employees and shareholders will keep it afloat. Reliance is now a concept in which the Ambanis have become irrelevant.”
I have seen Reliance all around me in India. I saw “Vimal”(one of the Reliance’s brands) commercials while growing up but never knew anything about the man behind it. From now onwards “Reliance” will be a concept which proves every human has potential to reach infinite limits. If a simple villager can build an empire in “License Raj”, all of us who are born & are part of today’s India can definitely reach the sky if we want.