Legacy of Love

Rewards....

2010-04-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

For a long time, rewards were the be-all and end-all of motivation. Everyone knew that the way to encourage people to achieve better results were to reward better results. Bonuses, incentive schemes and pay grades were created to implement this.

Then science starts interfering and pointing out that, actually, rewards only motivate in a very narrow set of circumstances and that there is a huge gap between what science knows and what business does. That’s what Dan Pink talks about in his excellent TED presentation.

Now the effect of rewarding students for performance and good behavior in schools have been tested very rigorously and the results appear in this excellent Time article, according to which some rewards do lead to better performance.

So which is it? Do rewards motivate us to shine or don’t they? This is not only interesting for schools, the findings may apply to businesses as well.

Some background:

A Harvard economist named Roland Fryer Jr. did something education researchers almost never do: he ran a randomized experiment in hundreds of classrooms in multiple cities. He used mostly private money to pay 18,000 kids a total of $6.3 million and brought in a team of researchers to help him analyze the effects. He got death threats, but he carried on. The results represent the largest study of financial incentives in the classroom — and one of the more rigorous studies ever on anything in education policy.

The results were surprising:

The experiment ran in four cities: Chicago, Dallas, Washington and New York. Each city had its own unique model of incentives, to see which would work best. Some kids were paid for good test scores, others for not fighting with one another. The results are fascinating and surprising. They remind us that kids, like grownups, are not puppets. They don’t always respond the way we expect.

In New York the study resulted in no improvement in test scores. Fryer called the results “as zero as zero gets.” New York was ironically the city where students were rewarded for better test scores.

The program that got the best results was in Dallas:

Schools in Dallas got the simplest scheme and the one targeting the youngest children: every time second-graders read a book and successfully completed a computerized quiz about it, they earned $2. Straightforward — and cheap. The average earning would turn out to be about $14 (for seven books read) per year.

So what might explain the difference? Why did one scheme fail while another got results?

I think the answer might lie in the fact that the NY scheme rewarded results while the Dallas scheme rewarded the process, ie. the actual steps towards the results.

I’m going out on a limb here, but I do think that this carries directly over to the business world. At work it is more motivating to reward effort rather than results because while results are rarely directly under your own control, your efforts are.

In other words, you can work your butt off on a project or a sale and still not get it because of factors completely outside of your influence. Or in the current crisis, you can work hard to meet your sales budget, but there’s no hope in hell you will, because the entire market is down 15%. Conversely, you might be a no-good, talentless slacker but due to a general increase in the market or one windfall client you still reach your goals for the year.

This is what Srikumar S. Rao talked about at our last conference, where he encouraged the audience to focus on the process, not the outcome.

Go read the whole article at Time.com – it’s fascinating stuff.

Your take

What do you think? Do rewards motivate you? How and when do you like to be rewarded? Are there any circumstances where rewards tend to demotivate you? Please write a comment, I’d love to hear your take.

I found this on a website, I liked it and so i added it to my blog :)

House Hunting

2010-04-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

House is something that I used to take it for granted, untill recently i never realized the importance of a house, its location, its shape, size, the color on walls, and the other details. Just recently i was looking for a house / apt to move in and that is when i realized that their are so many things that one has to consider before we step in to a new place. The whole exercise was a nice challenge and learning, in the past i have been lucky as i was able to finalize after seeing 3-4 units, however this time was a good test, first i started checking houses in my current village (area / locality) then saw a few near my office, and then also checked out eastwood (the place where i used to live when i moved to manila from india). Each time i would meet a broker, they would show me houses better then the last, and this added to my dilemma, i checked about 30 units, then shortlisted 3 and then zeroed on 1 unit.

I love this place, it gives a nice cozy and warm feeling, the view is very nice and the best part is that its centrally located, everything that i need ( temple, fresh produce, grocery, indian grocery,cinema hospital, etc etc... everything is within walking distance from this place).

???

2010-03-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

Off late i have been wondering..

What is Krsna's plan when he gets us to meet different people, some are good and some are bad. And sometimes they are absolutely amazing and we start liking them... but suddenly the "Togetherness" is broken.

What is Krsna's plan when He gets us close to certain individuals only to part them in a short period of time?

Soo many questions. ...

3 idots

2010-02-22T07:29:00.000-08:00

Last night i watched 3 Idiots for the 4th time, I admit that I totally love the film! Perhaps that's because I could so relate to it, having been in the same 'idiotic' shoes about half a decade ago.

Why did we end up in engineering? I for one simply went by the overriding family profession. Some a la Farhan gave in to parental pressure, others like Raju figured an engineering graduate fresh out of college would get a job easier than an arts, science or commerce graduate, still others decided the four-year long engineering course would complete the 16 yrs of education required to be eligible for the GRE, just a precious few Ranchos came because textiles is what they could visualise doing for the rest of their lives.

As we settled in, we discovered the dreaded 's' word in all engineering colleges - submissions. So we got about writing assignment after assignment, drawing designs after designs and doing GT (Glass tracing) after GT. Sure we understood that the observations, inferences and graphs would differ every time the experiment was done, but why pray did we need to hand write the procedure, that had remained the same for the past 20 years? But 'photocopy' was taboo. And the worst part, thanks to some apparatus not functioning properly, or not functioning at all, we actually copied the one thing we shouldn't have - the actual findings, from reports handed down by our seniors!

Then came the even more fearful oral examinations or vivas as they're popularly called. The boy girl ratio in our class was roughly 50:1. So girls always found a softer corner in the examiners heart. I mostly got lucky with Vivas, my image of mischief monger would be shattered because of my ability to answer most of the questions and this would leave the examiners confused.

During the written examinations, if you got the right answer but didn't get it in the requisite number of 'steps', chances are your marks would be cut. So we all prayed to the God of memory rather than the God of logic.

When we finally stepped out of the Three-year chaos, not one of us was equipped to even read a salary slip, and most of us lacked any communication skills whatsoever - the fallouts of a unilateral, not to mention outdated, syllabus.

I have great expectations from the current HRD minister, who's at least shown some gumption in revamping the school system. Whether he'll ever make higher education more flexible is questionable, but the real point is, that the onus isn't purely on the government. It's on society at large, parents who don't bother to ask their child what their hearts calling is, teachers who don't bother counselling students, professors who insist on memory rather than knowledge, recruiters who go purely by grades and peers who make competition an evil word.

Gopalji

2010-01-31T19:34:00.000-08:00

Today i am very happy, coz one of my most cherished desire got fulfilled. Since quite a long time i have nourished a desire to worship Lord Krsna in his Shalirgram shila form, and finally now he has come in the most beautiful form of Sri Gopalji. Some of Gopalji's pictures are available at http://picasaweb.google.com/kirtanislife/GopaljiASweetGuest#

Order in chaos

2010-01-03T22:49:00.000-08:00

Recently I finished reading Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, and this term “Order in chaos” keeps sprouting up every now and them. I visited India in December, the main reason was to celebrate my Daddy’s 60th Birthday, it was a mile stone and I wanted to be with my family to celebrate it.
This time I was trying to see India from another prospective, I tried to forget that I was born and bought up here, and tried to see how my motherland looks from a fresh pair of eyes. At first it was quite scary; Order in chaos is the word that my best describe my feelings. From the very minute we touch down at the airport, there are drones of people everywhere, people running, people shouting, people resting, its like something magical is happening every minute, but at the same time people seem to be so much at ease. There is a very unusual balance here, balance between chaos and peace, something or the other is happening every minute; however everyone seems so much at ease. Its truly AWESOME. How can one write about India without mentioning the word EMOTION, its like emotions are engraved in every Indians DNA, emotions run high everywhere, everyone opens their hearts out in a very unique way and welcomes you into their own world. Its such an unique feeling, something so strong that its difficult to express in words, the bonds between people are stronger than their houses, the warmth in their heart is warmer than the tropical summer.
I am from Mumbai, the land of Dalal street (india’s very own Wall street), the land of bollywood, mumbai is the economic hub of india. I was shocked to see, that a city that proud’s its self for countless things and which has an GDP of 7%, does not tell a great story. The gap between GDP growth and infrastructure to support that growth is too large and it seems to be growing each year. Having said that, its also the most populated city of india, people from all parts and all walks of life come to Mumbai. It’s a place where dreams come true, the only thing that one needs is hard work and belief in their dreams. There is an amazing energy all around, and its very contagious, we are creative, we hate details, we are spontaneous and we like to leave things open-ended. We are the creative geniuses of the world. Our energy is focused into the future; the next project, the next idea, the next grand scheme. Unfortunately, paper belongs to the past or at best the present. Our attention is on the future. Therefore, clutter is the natural side effect of being creative! That doesn't mean we don't have to deal with it, it just means we have a good excuse for our mess!

Kartik

2009-09-27T04:11:00.000-07:00

Some of my friends might think i am crazy to write what i am about to write. However i write what i want to write, coz this is what i feel and this is what i want to express, and if you want to judge me then, their is no stopping you..

The most auspicious month of Kartik is just around the corner, and for the first time i will be celebrating it without my Jaganatha or temple deities. I have strong attraction towards deity worship and with this background its very difficult to celebrate Kartik without the deities. You have to be a pujari to understand what i am talking about, its very difficult to express what i am feeling now, coz its not a common sentiment / feeling. I miss Radha Madhava temple in Manila, its a small house, and its such a nice feeling to be with Radha Madhava. Its a small temple, and its common to have have 5-10 visitors entire day, so the whole day can be spend looking at Radha Madhava and listening to the soft kirtan. Am not sure how i will celebrate Kartika without my Jaganatha, they are still in Manila temple. Wish i can move back to manila or india sooner than i think....

Lonely ??

2009-09-21T03:13:00.000-07:00

Today as i sit in my bed and look at things, i feel a bit lonely. Yes, you are right, i said it, i feel a bit lonely. Here i am lying in bed, with bodyache and fever and their is noone physically with me. I know Krsna (god) is with me, but at this stage i might have appreciated someone physically around me, someone with whom i can talk and share my feelings.
As i think more about this, i feel more and more lonely and the holy name is the only hope, i am in an alien country, with very few friends and most of them fine me unusual coz of my life style (vegetarian, no alcohol, no girlfriends, no night life), they feel that i live a very disciplined life. One of my friend suggest that sometimes its also a good to be disciplined to be undisciplined, i tried it, went out with friends till 2 am, however it dint help and i was feeling a bit out of place and uncomfortable. Their is something that i was holding back.
Isnt it true that in many countries, modern culture emphasizes the individual person, and not the group or family. There is often pressure to be 'self-contained'. Many more young people like me live alone, often away from family or friends because of work or college. The pressures of life may not leave enough time to make good relationships. To top this up, we try and take refuge in media (TV, books, internet, flims) only to find that they keep telling us that the only meaningful relationship is sexual and or romantic. When we dont have these relationships in our life we feel left out and or unaccepted. And if at all we find such a relationship, we have lot of expectations from it, so much so that when the relationship fails to workout, we feel as if life has come to stand still, and we keep punishing yourself for the failure. I am not a typical SHY person, i have friends, and I go out with them for parties, however somewhere inside me I know that I keep people at arms length.
What exactly is loneliness? It is a FEELING that intimacy, understanding, friendship, and acceptance are missing from one's life. It is a FEELING of isolation or separation from others, a FEELING of being all alone. We need to realize that loneliness is nothing more than a feeling. After all, you are not your arms or legs, for they are just parts of your body. Similarly, you are not your feelings, which are just parts of your psyche.Words are a lot like cars. Both are loaded with power. Cars are used to drive home. And words are used to drive home a point. Words and cars are very useful, but when used improperly, they can harm us. There are many poor drivers and poor thinkers because we learn about cars and words from unqualified instructors, such as our parents or friends. Now, let's get to the point. Did you ever say any of the following to yourself or others? "I am lonely." "I am sad." "I am angry." If you did, that is a misuse of language that leads to harmful effects.

Here is something to think about. The words we use imprison us or set us free. For example, if I were to say, "I AM lonely." That is just like saying, "I AM white." or "I AM a male." You see, there's nothing I can do about being white or a male. There is nothing I can do to change what I AM. So, when I say, "I AM lonely," the implication is that I cannot change. In other words, I use words to imprison myself with false beliefs.

However, when I acknowledge that loneliness is a feeling by saying, "I FEEL lonely," I open the door of my prison cell because feelings can and do change. Of course, as long as I continue to say, "I feel lonely. I feel lonely. I feel lonely," nothing will change. For although I opened the door, I have chosen to remain in the cell. To completely set myself free I have to take that extra step by saying, "I feel lonely, SO I'M GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT."

Loneliness is much more than an inconvenience. Left unchecked, it can be a precursor to the solitary confinement of drug and other addictions. For the pain of loneliness may cause one to look for solace in drugs, alcohol, sex, or gambling. There is also the danger of loneliness developing into anxiety and depression. One can become completely immobilized by feelings of self-pity and helplessness. Also, one may try to mask pain by oversleeping or putting in long hours at the office. Finally, the stress imposed by loneliness leads to a weakened immune system, heart disease, and other physical ailments. The moral is clear. If we're suffering from loneliness, it's time to decide to do something about it.

All right, I feel lonely and want to do something about it, so what must I do? Start by understanding a simple law of life which can help solve almost any problem. That law is: You have to give away what you wish to receive. Our actions are balls that bounce back to us. A corollary of that law is: Don't give others what you don't want to receive. If I punch someone, they will punch me back. If I hug someone, they will hug me back. It's as simple as that. And that is the wisdom contained in the teaching, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

The strongest trees are those that grow alone. The greatest dreams are those conceived alone. God can speak to you only when you are alone. Your purpose and life's meaning will be revealed to you only when you are alone. Yes, solitude is not the hovel of a recluse, but the mansion of a master. It is a place of joy. Yet, don't retreat to it to such an extent that you neglect others and deny yourself the blessings of friendship and companionship.

There's nothing questionable about the power of questions. If you're feeling lonely and don't know why, that's because you haven't been asking questions. Take an inventory of your behavior. Are you a show-off? Domineering? Moody? A complainer? A gossiper? Unreliable? Nosy? Short-tempered? A taker that doesn't know how to give? Do you build walls instead of bridges? Would you want to be friends with someone like you? Questions provoke thought and point to solutions. How can you take corrective action unless you ask yourself what you are doing wrong? If you are still mired in loneliness, is that because you're waiting to be rescued? (Don't hold your breath because help isn't on the way.) If you need a hand, you'll find it at the end of your own arm. There are lots you can do such as join a support group to master people skills. Learning about self-esteem, assertiveness, and how to overcome shyness and win friends can be a great deal of fun and put an end to your loneliness for good. Don't deprive others of the blessing of knowing you; be a friend!

2009-09-20T01:41:00.000-07:00

A good write up on astrology...

Why believe in astrology?

Why should we believe in astrology?
It’s good to ask this question. Pythagoras, the famous mathematician, gave us numerology. John Kepler, the great astronomer and mathematician, also made many discoveries in astrology and said: “A most unfailing experience of the excitement of sub-lunary natures by the conjunctions and aspects of the planets has instructed and compelled my unwilling belief.” Can these great mathematicians and astronomers be wrong in one belief and right in another? Extract something positive from astrology if you have a belief and if not, do research before you decide to reject it.
Astrology is the science of stars, and is based on the belief that the position of the planets and stars in the sky influences human life. Like in any other profession, the accuracy of the task depends on the person performing it. The failure of predictions could be because they are wrongly interpreted by astrologers, or incomplete and wrong birth information (date and time) given. After all, predictions are based on mathematical calculations of transiting planets.
Is the daily horoscope equally true for everybody of that sun sign?
It’s generally true, but for an accurate picture, here's what you should do. If you're aware of your ascendant (lagna), read that along with your sun sign. This means that if your sun sign is Libra and your ascendant is Cancer, read the forecast for both.
How can the lines on our palm predict the future?
The lines on our palm are the imprint of our destiny as charted by our past and present karma. If one wants happiness and prosperity, one must do good to others. By deceiving others, we only hurt ourselves. I can say with great conviction that these lines consistently reveal the truth. I have a science background and it was palmistry and its accurate predictions that made me explore the occult sciences. For instance, a break in the fate line signifies a career setback and this can be tested on any hand. The main lines on a palm don't change, from the time we're born, but God does give us choices on the crossroads of life. For example, our words and actions have huge power. Kind words bring positive reactions from the universe but harsh and cruel words bring sorrow. Astrology or palmistry is based on the law of karma. Perhaps, that’s why God has written our destiny in our palm — the instrument of karma.
How can planetary positions and energies affect our lives?
There is an amazing synchronisation in this u n ive r s e. Everything is perfectly timed, but due to our
karmic amnesia, our
conscious minds are not
aware of it. For instance, the death of Andhra Pradesh chief minister YSR Reddy comes during a time when inimical planets Sun and Saturn are at loggerheads. This period has claimed several luminaries in the past, like India’s first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in May, 1964 and prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri in October, 1984 and January, 1966 respectively. While God has given us the power to improve upon our destiny, it’s the master plan that inspires life events. It is possible to change the course of destiny, but only through our karmas. Astrology is based on the principle of karma. Probably that is why the path of good karma is more difficult to follow!
Does the time you are born affect your destiny? Why are the lives of two people born at the same time not similar?
The planetary positions at the time of birth lay our destiny path, where and when we are likely to meet challenges, joys and happiness. Our birth time is actually the starting time of our journey on this earth, and is therefore important. The time of events (mahuratha) for the start of a journey, marriage, change of house or even a launch of a satellite becomes the ‘birth time’ of that event. Planetary positions at the time of birth will reflect its course, progress, success or failure. Even Ved Vyas, the author of the ancient Vedas, was born at a time predetermined as auspicious by his father, the sage Parashar. However, even twins don’t have identical lives, simply because no two people have the same lines on their palms.
Are there some astrology streams that are more effective than others?
All astrological streams are self-sufficient and complete. Being older than history, astrology has suffered repeated attacks. Some ancient scriptures have been destroyed or taken away by invaders, but it is for the new generation of astrologers to try and fill these gaps.

Write more often...

2009-09-11T03:27:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since i wrote and at times i feel brain dead coz of this.. i am a person who like to be interlecually challenged, thats what keeps me motivated and energised.
I want to start witting more, i want to express my self thru my words, touch the soul thru witting.
Hopefully will start writing on regular intervals.

I came across this nice piece.. thought of sharing it with you:

If God wanted us to take our own life, he would have provided a power off button. He didn't, so have faith and let his plan for you unfold. Because no matter how tough life gets and how much it hurts, if street dogs don't give up, there is no reason why we, the smart species, should. Makes sense right

Let it go.....

2009-07-27T22:07:00.000-07:00

Its been quite a while since my last post, lot of things have happened in vietnam and i have been busy like a bee. I hate it this way, coz its like working tooooooo hard and the results are not their, i believe that life is like cricket, we have to practice daily, and also we should know how to hit the ball with the right balance of strength and timing. Its a combination of strength and timing that separates the good players from the ordinary. Currently we are all trying to work hard, the timing needs to improve so that we will get proper results.
I came across this nice piece and thought of sharing it with you:

There are people who can walk away from you.

And hear me when I tell you this! When people

can walk away from you, let them walk. I don't

want you to try to talk another person into staying

with you, loving you, calling you, caring about

you, coming to see you, staying attached to you.

I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them

walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that

left.

The bible said that, they came out from us that it

might be made manifest that they were not for us.

For had they been of us, no doubt they would

have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to

you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't

make them stay.

Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it

just means that their part in the story is over And

you've got to know when people's part in your

story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise

the dead. You've got to know when it's dead.

You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell

you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's

the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's

not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I

know whatever God means for me to have He'll

give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I

don't need it. Stop begging people to stay.

Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't

belong to you and was never intended for your life,

then you need to......

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ......

LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back,

and see your worth.....

LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you ........

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil

and revenge......

LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or

addiction.....

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets

your needs or talents

LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude.......

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel

better......

LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take

you to a new level in Him......

LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken

relationship.......

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't

even try to help themselves.....

LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed .........

LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so

used to handling yourself and God is saying "take

your hands off of it," then you need to......

LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things.

GOD is doing a new thing for AUGUST 2009!!!

LET IT GO!!!

Get Right or Get Left .. think about it, and then .

LET IT GO!!!

Interesting article in TOI :) zzzzzzzzzzzz

2009-06-10T04:05:00.000-07:00

WON’T BE CAUGHT NAPPING
To solve a problem, just grab 40 winks

London: Got a problem? Fret not. Just stay calm and take a snooze – you will be able to overcome it, say researchers.
A new study has revealed that sleeping on a problem and even dreaming about it could really help in overcoming the obstacle as a nap improves one’s powers of creativity, the Daily Telegraph reported.
An international team, led by Prof Sara Mednick of the University of California, has found that people are able to think more laterally and quickly after a snooze and that if they dream, the ability is even more enhanced.
“We found that for creative problems that you have already been working on, the passage of time is enough to find solutions. However, for new problems, only Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep enhances creativity,” she said. The team has based their findings on the analysis of an
experiment, involving 77 young adults who were given a number of word associated creative tasks in the morning.
The participants were shown multiple groups of three words (such as: cookie, heart, sixteen) and asked to find a fourth word that can be associated to all three words (like sweet).
Later in the day, after some were allowed a nap – and monitored using brain scans to see what kind of sleep they entered – they were given the same and new tasks. For the same tasks, the passage of time and sleep allowed them to “incubate” their thoughts and come up with better and more varied solutions.
However for new tasks, those that entered REM sleep improved by almost 40% over their morning performances, according to the findings in ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’. PTI

Leaving Manila.... its like leaving a part of my heart

2009-06-06T02:09:00.001-07:00

Last couple of days have been very heavy ones, coz about 10 days ago my company's ceo called me to inform that very soon we will be starting operations in Ho Chi Minh city ( Saigaon). This triggered mix feelings, was feeling excited as I will get experience in starting up operations from ground up, and morose as I will have to live away from my Radha Madhav's loving & caring family :( however I dint have a choice and had to take up this assignment. I am sure its gonna be highly challenging and adventurous affair.
Last weekend were very heavy as I was constantly thinking of my imminent separation from my loving friends ( most of them have become a part of my tight bonded Radha Madhav's family). Last entire week the weather was bright and sunny, however on weekends the gods above shared my feelings and they were also crying, all through out the weekend we had heavy rains.
Monday was a beautiful sunny day and the temperature was quite pleasant. I dint go to office as I had to take care of some personal stuff and banking . Radha Madhav were wearing beautiful maroon colored dress, and as always were looking amazingly sweet and merciful, today I dint complain or fight with them, I told them that I am ready to go where ever they want to take and am ready to do whatever they want me to do, I prayed that may The queen of Vrindana Sri Radha guide me so that I can fearless walk on the path that they have drawn for me, I also prayed that may The supremely merciful Madhav protect me all the time and make me strong. I also requested the divine couple to keep me in the association of devotees so that I can bask in the warmth of sadhu sanga.
In the evening my kind sister Radhalila prepared a small feast, spaghetti and fruit salad. The entire day was bright and clear, and time just flew by. In the evening after the aarti while we were relishing prasad, the lord of rains showed up and from nowhere it started raining. I was surprised & happy that Radhalila and Ananda were also coming to drop me to the airport , I was surprised as it was already 9pm. while we getting ready to leave, it stopped raining . The roads were quite clear and we reached the airport in no time.
At the airport Prabhu Baladeva lead heart melting kirtan with the combined sounds of accordion, african drum, mridanga, kartals, and devotees sincere chanting. We had nice kirtan for about 20mins and then with a heavy heart I bid farewell to the amazing devotees (prabhus- Baladeva, Upendra, Gopal, dharmendra , parminder, mac mac, bobby, robin. Vaishnavis - Radhalila , Anandaji >0< , parijata ) and checked in for my flight. Mummy had called up just before I boarded the plane.

The flight is not so full, currently the cabin lights are dim, most of the passengers are sleeping. I Am sitting quietly with tears in my eyes, as I write this note, I Am wondering what good activities I might have performed in order to get such loving friends and family. Krsna has been more than merciful on me, he has given me more than I deserve. I pray that someday I will be able to sincerely chant Gauranga's name and preach their glories....

Ps: thank u to my family in india, mummy, papa, mansi, pinky, deepak, punya and my friends Jayesh, priya, Gopi, Sahi for ur blessings, prayers, wishes thanks for always being their and thanks for being my wall :) I love you all. Thank u my Radha Madhav's family for ur devotion , love, care, affection, warmth, without which I wouldn't last this long. Miss and love u guys.

The Story of the Wallet

2009-05-22T10:27:00.001-07:00

The Story of the Wallet

Once an old man was traveling by train on a pilgrimage to Brindavan. At night, whilst he was asleep, his wallet fell from his pocket. A co-passenger found it the next morning and enquired as to whom the wallet belonged. The old man said it was his. A picture of Sri Krishna inside the wallet was proof that the wallet really belonged to him.

The old man then began to relate the story of the wallet. He soon had a group of eager listeners around him. Lifting up the purse for all to see, the old man said: This purse has a long history behind it. My father gave it to me years ago when I was a mere schoolboy. I kept my little pocket money in it and also a photograph of my parents.

Years passed. I grew up and began studying at university. Like every youth, I became conscious of my appearance. I replaced my parents' photograph with that of my own and I would look at it often. I had become my own admirer.

Then came marriage. Self-admiration gave way to the consciousness of a family. Out went my own picture and I replaced it with that of my wife's. During the day I would open the wallet many times and gaze at the picture. All tiredness vanished and I would resume my work with enthusiasm.

Then came the birth of my first child. What a joy I experienced when I became a father! I would eagerly rush home after work to play with my little baby. Needless to say, my wife's picture had already made way for the child's.

The old man paused. Wiping his tearful eyes, he looked around and said in a sad voice: Friends, my parents passed away long ago. My wife too died five years ago. My son- my only son- is now married. He is too busy with his career and his family. He has no time for me. I now stand on the brink of death. I do not know what awaits me in future. Everything I loved, everything I considered my own, has left me.

A picture of the Lord now occupies the place in my wallet. I know He will never leave me. I wish now that I had kept HIS picture with me right from the beginning (and HIS thought in my mind)! He alone is true; all others are just passing shadows….

Simply marvelous

2009-05-21T06:54:00.001-07:00

As I sit in my office later I come across a piece of paper with some very forceful and deliberate words expressed therein. They are from a speech made by the 26th President of the United states of America, Theodore Roosevelt in 1910 at the Sorbonne in Paris -

‘It is not the critic who counts ; not the man who points out how the strong man , or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood ; who strives valiantly ; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming ; but who does actually strive to do the deeds ; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions ; who spends himself in a worthy cause ; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat.’

Simply marvelous. One does not need to elaborate any further.

I've Learned...

2009-04-29T05:41:00.000-07:00

I've Learned...
That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I've Learned...
That when you're in love, it shows.

I've Learned...
That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.

I've Learned...
That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've Learned...
That being kind is more important than being right.

I've Learned...
That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've Learned...
That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.

I've Learned...
That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've Learned...
That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I've Learned...
That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've Learned...
That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've Learned...
That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

I've Learned...
That money doesn't buy class.

I've Learned...
That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I've Learned...
That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I've Learned...
That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?

I've Learned...
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've Learned...
That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've Learned...
That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've Learned...
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've Learned...
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I've Learned...
That there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.

I've Learned...
That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I've Learned...
That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've Learned...
That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

I've Learned...
That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.

I've Learned...
That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've Learned...
That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

I've Learned...
That I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.

I've Learned...
That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've Learned...
That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is requested and when it is a life-threatening situation.

I've Learned...
That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

Belief

2009-04-29T05:24:00.001-07:00

Belief

We all have something to learn from this girl.

As a drought continued for what seemed an eternity, a small community of farmers was in a quandary as to what to do. Rain was important to keep their crops healthy and sustain the townspeople' s way of life.

As the problem became more acute, a local pastor called a prayer meeting to ask for rain.

Many people arrived. The pastor greeted most of them as they filed in. As he walked to the front of the church to officially begin the meeting he noticed most people were chatting across the aisles and socializing with friends. When he reached the front his thoughts were on quieting the attendees and starting the meeting.

His eyes scanned the crowd as he asked for quiet. He noticed an eleven year-old girl sitting quietly in the front row. Her face was beaming with excitement. Next to her, poised and ready for use, was a bright red umbrella. The little girl's beauty and innocence made the pastor smile as he realized how much faith she possessed. No one else in the congregation had brought an umbrella.

All came to pray for rain, but the little girl had come expecting God to answer. It is important to believe in our actions to succeed in life.

My Journey Home - RNS - A CLASSIC

2009-04-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

Ever since I read about Radhanatha Swami’s book My Journey Home, i had a craving a hunger to read his life story. Over the years I have met and lived with 100's of devotees; however Radhanatha swami has developed a special place in my heart. His lectures, seminars, kirtans .... everything about his is AMAZING.

When Baladeva was in India for Holi (Gaura Poornima) i had requested him to get me a copy of this book ... by hook or by crook. I was dumbstruck when Baladeva placed the book in my hands. Radhanatha swami is a charmer and a gifted story teller, and this is true for his book too.... The book is highly addictive; I would read it whenever and whenever i got time, on way to to office, while waiting for lunch or dinner, and during my reading time. One day i read for about 6 hrs straight, i started at 9 pm and dint realize when it was 3 am, maharaja binds the reader with an unbreakable spell. It is one of those books you just cannot put down.

Srila Radhanath Swami ki jay !

I remember my first meeting with Radhanatha swami, this was in 1996 Ratha yatra (it was ISKCON Juhu's last ratha yatra in Down town area), before ratha yatra started maharaj sang Jagantha astakam, the way he sang was mesmerizing. He had so much of love and devotion in him. Between 1996 and 2000 i met him on numerous occasions in Chowpaty, Juhu, Vrindavan and Mayapur each meeting was better than the last and each meeting itched deeper appreciation and love for Radhanatha swami. I will never forget the day when we met in Naski, we were all their for Kumbha mela, like a loving and caring father he embraced me tightly and enquired about my where about’s and what i was doing. I was highly touched by this display of warmth and affection. When i would visit Maharaj in his room in Chowpaty, he was always welcoming and friendly, his house / room in chowpaty is like a window to the spiritual world, all the walls are beautifully decorated with pictures and posters of the most prominent Krsna deities and vaishanava saints in our linage. It was always a treat to visit him in his rooms, the way he listened to every problem, the way he would guide, the way he would ensure that i was at ease... everything about him was so sweet and tender.

I thank Radhanatha Swami for sharing his life story with us… world needs more souls like him.

Money has no memory.

2009-03-18T07:05:00.001-07:00

Money has no memory. Experience has. You will never know what was the total cost of your education, but for a lifetime you will recall and relive the memories of schools and colleges. Few years from now, you will forget the amount you paid to settle the hospitalization bill, but will ever cherish having saved your mother's life or the life you get to live with the just born. You won't remember the cost of your honeymoon, but to the last breath remember the experiences of the bliss of togetherness. Money has no memory. Experience has.

Good times and bad times, times of prosperity and times of poverty, times when the future looked so secure and times when you didn't know from where the tomorrow will come… life has been in one way or the other a roller-coaster ride for everyone. Beyond all that abundance and beyond all that deprivation, what remains is the memory of experiences. Sometimes the wallet was full… sometimes even the pocket was empty. There was enough and you still had reasons to frown. There wasn't enough and you still had reasons to smile. Today, you can look back with tears of gratitude for all the times you had laughed together, and also look back with a smile at all the times you cried alone. All in all, life filled you with experiences to create a history of your own self, and you alone can remember them all.

The first time you balanced yourself on your cycle without support…
The first gift you bought for your parents and the first gift your sibling gave you…
The first award… the first public appreciation… the first stage speech…

The first day in college…the first day at work…the first adventure…
And the list is endless… Experiences, with timeless memory…

No denying that anything that's material costs money; still the fact remains the cost of the experience will be forgotten, but the experience will never be.

So, what if it's economic recession? Let it be, but let there not be a recession to the quality of your life. You can still take your parents & grand parents, if not on a pilgrimage, at least to the local temple. You can still play with your children, if not on an international holiday, at least in the local park. It doesn't cost money to lie down or to take a loved one onto your lap. Nice time to train the employees, create leadership availability and be ready for the wonderful times when they arrive. Hey! Aspects like your health, knowledge development and spiritual growth are not economy dependent.

Time will pass… economy will revive… currency will soon be in current… and in all this, I don't want you to look back and realise you did nothing but stayed in gloom. Recession can make you lose out on money. Let it not make you lose out on experiences… If you are not happy with what you have, no matter how much more you have, you will still not be happy.

Make a statement with the way you live your life: How I feel has nothing to do with how much I have; or just a very insignificant bit.

What Life Means Today

2009-03-10T02:47:00.000-07:00

What Life Means Today

Earlier, life meant:
A winter evening, Four friends, Mild rain.., Four bikes.

Earlier, life meant:
100 bucks for petrol, Two rusty old bikes.., An open road.

Earlier, life meant:
Maggi noodles, drinking juice at 3.25 a.m.., Sharing food.. and clothes.

Earlier, life meant:
Last minute exam preparations, One night, One book.., 2 duffers.

Earlier, life meant:
Canteen food, bus rides, movie halls, cutting lectures :)

Today life means:
Old friends, Separate cities, Separate lives.,
And endless efforts to earn money & get peace.

Today what you are looking in life.., Is probably that you lost in your way here.
Remember old friends, old memories you shared, Reconnect, rejoice!

Divorce :( :( :(

2009-03-05T08:22:00.001-08:00

I am single, let alone divorced. But I happen to be one to those incredibly stubborn people who actually expects people to keep their promises and vows of marriage...silly me. I was born not to trust people and I guess I had a slip of one of my cerebral nerves or something. Don't get me wrong...my ex happens to be a sweet loving creatures on the face of the earth. But something wasn't clicking between the two of us. She's the type that needs someone in her life to complete her and give her a reason for being here. I am incredibly picky and difficult.

Today i was talking with one of my very good friend, and she mentioned that her marriage was in a trouble. GOSH!!! i was shocked to hear this, coz i know both of them well and they make a good couple. Last time when i visited home i also visited them and saw their sweet adorable baby... My mind was thinking faster than usual and i was having difficulty in expressing myself. After office i sat down and was thinking What makes a good spouse? true being a good provider might have been the end all to be all at one time, but what about love, communication, partnerships,friendship , emotional side of things??

In the order of importance to me:

- SENSE OF HUMOR - it's going to be a long 50+ years if you both don't have this, then its gonna be boring :(
- maturity - mature enough to have a realistic picture of marriage, day to day life, and to understand that people do not have the RIGHT to change their partner to suit them.
- commitment - without this everything else is worthless. To me this is the glue that holds everything else together.
- trust and honesty - for this to exist both people must feel SAFE being honest. Secure in the knowledge that their comments won't be ridiculed or used against them at a later date.
- friendship - if you aren't friends throughout your marriage what do you have to fall back on when times are hard or when children leave home?
- communication or someone who will attempt to communicate (communication skills are LEARNED) - again both parties MUST feel safe in communicating with the other.
- a basic kindness and consideration toward each other
- a willingness to work on problems - there will always be problems in life and if the two people can't work them out they are pretty well doomed.
- desire to create the best life for both - this doesn't mean the most financially secure life, but the best emotionally secure life possible for both.

I didn't list sex because I believe if you have a spouse who encompasses the above you'll have someone who is responsive, considerate, and desires to please. Everything else you can learn or be taught ;-)

I also didn't list being a good provider because I think it's a worthless consideration. I know one woman who wouldn't date anyone who didn't have a new car and an upper income job. She married him and now about 30 years later he lost that job after they were first married and she still works. Financial security is too nebulous.

Nurture the marriage you've got

Keep doing whatever it was that got you together. Develop new shared interests to supplant/replace old ones. Go on dates, even if you have to schedule them 6 months in advance. Try that new sex position. Whatever it takes. Flowers. Frequent oral sex. Doing the damn dishes - together, with some light banter thrown in. Do whatever it takes to keep marriage together... don't let it fall

I will survive
as long as i know how to love
I know I will stay alive
I've got all my life to live
I've got all my love to give
and I'll survive
I will survive

If life throws you lemons make lemonade!

2009-02-26T05:43:00.000-08:00

I have often heard/seen of people wasting their life over impulsive decisions, only to regret them later on. Even history is replete with examples. If Bishma had not taken his historical oath a.k.a “Bhishmapratindya”, Mahabharat would have been different ball game all together. To make matters worse he declined every attempt made to reverse his destiny!

We all make mistakes or have to face awkward situations all through our life. It’s a given. However, it is up to us to get back up on the horse after being kicked on the teeth. It is indeed up to us for making best of whatever comes our way. There is no need for anyone to become a “Devdas” for his or her lost love. It is simply not worth it. Life is more precious than that to throw away for moments of impetuosity, obstinacy or even pride. Everyone deserves a second chance. Life is even willing to throw it at you; only if you are smart enough to realize that your defeat has brought you one step closer to success. This philosophy is what separates the winners from the losers.

So, if life throws you lemons make lemonade!

I will survive ...

Adversity may strike

For as long as I’m alive,

My spirit will not be broken,

I know, I will survive …

Behind the dreary rooms

People may connive,

I shall come out unscathed,

I know, I will survive …

In moments of grief,

My destiny may deprive,

I shall wipe away my tear,

I know, I will survive …

To test my endurance

Even providence may strive

I will come out stronger

I know, I will survive …

Future....

2009-02-24T07:25:00.000-08:00

Today i was talking with my good friend Upendra about our future and where we will be a year from now and where will be 10 years from now... We were making plans for building the Dream Temple for our beloved Radha Madhava, and after the discussion Upendra told me to show him my palm. Upendra is a gifted person, intelligent, well learned in philosophy, good singer, inspirational leader and good at palmistry.

I was a bit reluctant, but eventually gave in to his request, one of his reading took me by surprise. At first i thought that may be he was just joking, unfortunately he was not. He said things about my past which were highly personal and hence i had to believe what he is predicting about my future might also be true. Frankly speaking i cant see how it will come true, i cant see it coming true in this life time (at least). He said that i will take Sanyasa or i will become a leader of a spiritual society. I know my self pretty well and i know that i cant see my self in any of these roles, i have toooooo much of desires and dreams. Also i don't think that i have that much of purity in me. We laught about his readings.... but somewhere i could see it in his eyes that he was not joking. I also recall 6 months ago Ambrish prabhu (he is good with face and body reading and intuition) told me something on similar lines.

As it was time for noon arti, i went for darshan of the most beautiful Radha Madhava and as i was getting up, i realised that I am just a puppet in Krsna's hands, and he will make me dance the way he wants to. Its up to me, i can surrender to his plan and dance as he wants me to and be happy, OR i can resist and resist and still dance the way he wants me to and be unhappy. What is gonna happen, will happen, weather i like it not. So I humbly prayed to Radha Madhava and begged them to give the intelligence, strength and guidance, so that i can walk on the path that they have made for me. I want to walk on this path with dignity, pride and respect.

I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.

The world is waiting for you.

2009-02-23T06:35:00.001-08:00

The World Is Waiting For You

Do not be afraid to shine. The world needs what you have to give.
Open up the areas of your being; Expose them to yourself - to others.
You are valuable. You are unique.
You have much to give. Do not be afraid to give it.

As we risk ourselves, we grow. Each new experience is a risk.
We can try, and maybe fail; And, as a result, grow or hold back and stagnate.

You have the potential to be anything you want. You are free to chooose.
You are limited only by your fears. Let your dreams take over.
Fly with the eagles. Soar into life.

The world is waiting for you.
~ Fran Watson ~

Excitement

2009-02-12T17:54:00.000-08:00

Excitement

Thrills, Highs, Rushes, Somehow seeking Excitement
Where does this energy keep coming from - I am totally spent
Crazy mind, Insatiable hunger or Reckless intent
I fail to understand what on proving I am hell bent

Broken through Doors, Windows and the proverbial Glass Ceilings
Is this just an Adrenaline Rush or a highway to vent my feelings?
Been through the Good, the Bad, the Ugly and the Arcane
Felt like an Angel, a Monster, Indifferent, Insane

Sights, Sounds, Touch and Smell
Been through Heaven, Earth, In between and Hell
Met God, Satan, People with every damn thing to sell
And yet I still lie here wondering where my excitement fell?

Who is me???

2009-02-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

I used to know me so well.
I used to be free and now
Who is me?

I used to know all the answers
But now what is going on here?
Nothing is clear,
Cold fear…
The frontier…I see the frontier…

I used to be free
But who chained my heart
And buried the key?

Safe side…shield…
Something in my blood boils…
My soul recoils.

I used to know me so well…
But now when I close my eyes
To see, there she comes…
This sad banshee…

Manila Rocks...

2009-01-28T00:49:00.001-08:00

I am now in Manila and this place rocks... This place has become a second home, the love and warmth is great.

Work wise things are ok, still my stay and deployment here is a "?" mark. I am hoping that my company redeploys me here. The best will be to get a job in India, but thanks to the global economic crisis, all most all companies have freezed high level hiring.... Its wait and watch situation.

Personal level things are great, as i get to be with people who are dear and near to my heart.

Will write more latter....

Water Puppet

2009-01-05T00:05:00.000-08:00

Mua Roi Nuoc or Water Puppet is a unique art which has it origin in the delta of the Red river in the tenth century. The farmers in this region devised a form of entertainment using what natural medium they can find in their environment. In ancient times, the ponds and the rice paddies after harvest were the stage for these impromptu shows. This art form is unique to North Vietnam and only finds its way to the world stage in recent years.

A writer once said that "water puppetry is the soul of Vietnamese fields." How right he is! At a water puppet show, the audience lives in an atmosphere of a village festival; the audience watches boat races, buffalo fights, fox hunts and other rustic scenes amidst the beating of drums and gongs. The characters plough, plant rice seedlings, fish in a pond with a rod and line, scoop water with a bamboo basket hung from a tripod, etc. The show is interspersed with such items as a 'Dance by the Four Mythical Animals: Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise, and Phoenix "and the 'Dance by the Eight Fairies', in which supernatural beings enjoy festivities alongside people of this world.

Modern, water puppetry is performed in a pool of water with the water surface being the stage. The puppeteers stand behind a screen and control the puppets using long bamboo rods and string mechanism hidden beneath the water surface. The puppets are carved out of wood and often weigh up to 15 kg. A traditional Vietnamese orchestra provides background music accompaniment. Singers of Cheo (a form of opera) with origin in north Vietnam sing songs which tell the story being acted out by the puppets.

Water Puppet Theatre. The show started with the musicians playing a Vietnamese folk song with traditional instrument. Through out the show I did not understand a word as it was in Vietnamese, therefore I couldn’t follow the story line.From visual perspective I think it’s fantastic. The puppets are very colourful. I found the puppeteers very skilful and clever of how they are able to move the puppets in different and accurate way.

The theme of the skits is rural and has a strong reference to Vietnamese folklore. It tells of day-to-day living in rural Vietnam and Vietnamese folk tales that are told by grandparents to their grandchildren. Stories of the harvest, of fishing and of festivals are highlighted. Legends and national history are also told through short skits. Many of the skits, especially those involving the tales of day-to-day living, often have a humorous twist.

I think water puppet is a lot harder to operate compare to land puppet. In the Water Puppet Show there are many complex moves. Imagine trying to control and manipulate the puppets of using a long pole against resistance of the water. Also the movements have to be in harmony with the music. The complex movements from Water Puppet show, the scene of the frog, boy fishing, King Le Loi Legend of the Restored Sword. These are my favourite scenes
Even though I didn’t understand a word, I enjoyed the show because it was different and I respect the puppeteer’s skill. Where else can you see puppets show performs on water. They say if you haven’t seen Water Puppet Theatre you haven’t come to Vietnam.

See pictures at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kirtanislife/WaterPuppetShow#

Watch water puppet videos at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykakRBuETIM

2009

2008-12-30T19:34:00.000-08:00

Here’s to the outgoing year, 2008:

May the good times live on in our memories,

May we learn lessons from the troubling timesthat will make us stronger and better than ever.
Here’s to 2009:

For each and every one of you,

may it be filled with significant stepstoward the fulfillment of your fondest wishes.
In this coming new year,let us focus on our goals and work toward our dreams,

Let’s all try to go with the flow a little more and stress a little less.
And most important,here’s to all of you.

Appreciate yourselves and each other in the new yearas I appreciate all of you now.Let’s focus on each other’s good pointsand choose to overlook minor annoyancesto create mutual happiness and contentment in 2009.
Enjoy the journey!

Phone......Or........A piece of art ... Both :)

2008-12-30T02:32:00.001-08:00

Chronicle of Madness…. Football.

2008-12-29T21:09:00.000-08:00

Sunday (12/28/08) morning was a regular day, I went about my morning duties and then decided to pay long due visit to Reunification palace museum, the museum was once a palace for the presidents of Vietnam and has witnessed several wars. Nowadays I try and spend Sunday afternoon at some historic place, last Sunday (12/21/08) I visited the Ho Chi Minh city's Museum and Zoo, it was a great visit, the museum displayed the great culture and heritage dating back centuries, they even have a mummy which is believed to be 3000 years old. After visiting Reunification palace I went for dinner, where Ray (one of my ex team leaders from Prudential) joined me, were having a quite dinner, as we were about to step out of the restaurant, we heard people screaming and shouting. Then Ray’s phone rang and after he kept the phone he had the biggest smile on his face, Vietnam won the 2008 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup by beating Thailand 3-2 on aggregate. It was Vietnam’s first win over Thailand in an official competition since 1998 when Vietnam defeated Thailand 3-0 in the semifinals of same tournament, then called the Tiger Cup, though Vietnam lost 1-0 to Singapore in finals. It has been 49 years since Vietnam won a regional championship since the football team of South Vietnam won the Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) championship in 1959. Football (Soccer) here is a religion, locals live and breathe football.
After hearing the history, I wanted to see how the locals celebrate and told Ray to take me to center of district 1, as we had anticipated, everyone and anyone in HCMC was going towards district 1 (the main business district), all streets were JAMED PACKED WITH PEOPLE AND MOTORBIKES, young, old, kids, even few physically challenged were there to celebrate the country’s historic win. Most of them were on their motor bikes and had Vietnam flags in their hands, some of them had empty bottle or cans and where using it as drums. The energy was electrifying, spirits high; everyone wore a big smile on their face. I was right in middle of the action; I was with Ray on his motor bike, surrounded with locals, who were shocked and happy to have a foreigner amongst them.

One girl came and tied a bandana, other gave me a Vietnam flag, after sometime one young boy came and gave me a banner / poster which he had made for me, it was in local Vietnamese language, it read “I AM FROM VIETNAM” J. I was so thrilled to be with them, celebrating their victory. So many people came and clicked pictures with me, in a short term of 3 hrs I gave 2 interviews to local news papers and had hundreds of pics clicked, they were all surprised to see me. Mostly foreigners stay on the footpath and distance themselves; however I have always believed in being with the locals and connecting with them via their culture. I have never ever seen such celebrations; it surpassed heights of craziness, madness, insanity…. It was something which cannot be described in words. I was lucky to witness and be a part of it. Thanks Ray for ride and for your pleasant company….
I reached home around 2am :(

For pictures click on the bleow link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/keyur.trivedi/ChronicleOfMadnessFootball#

Sit back, relax and enjoy it...

2008-12-22T23:15:00.000-08:00

Today morning as I was riding a cab on my way to office, the very familiar feeling of loneliness caught me. Since the time I moved to Ho Chi Minh City I have been grumpier and have become emotionally fragile. I miss my family and friends I miss my manila devotee family, and I keep thinking about what I might have done (wrong?) to deserve living away from my loved ones. Weekdays are ok as I spend most of my time in office, weekends are scary as I have LOT of free time and nothing much to besides cooking, chanting and eating, and when I finish doing them… I start thinking of all the good things that I am missing and then tears roll down…. And they keep flowing (I wish someday I can cry like this when I chant my rounds…).

As the driver was driving through the busy morning traffic, I started to miss home and just as the tears were about to flow out, I controlled them in. and then I decided that I am not gonna cry anymore, I am not gonna complain, and fight with Krsna anymore, if this is what and where I have to be then let it be so. Enough of suckling, I am gonna be or will atleast try and be happy, no matter where I am or what I am doing. Confucius, once said “if rape’s inevitable, sit back, relax and enjoy it”, that’s what I will do, I will be happy wherever I am…..

THE BEST CELEBRATION ! ! ! (The older the fiddler, the sweeter the tune.)

2008-12-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

I'm not starting this post out with that as a plot to have you all leave a comment or drop me an email with birthday wishes. I am writing this post because it means alot to me. Not because I am turning a year older, but because of what happened on this day.

12/13/08 Saturday: I reached Manila at 1400 hrs and had to rush for a meeting with Mike, COO of IPCCO in Eastwood, it was a nice and fruitful meeting and hopefully things will happen sooner than planned (will write about it once they happen). After the meeting i headed straight to the temple, and luckily after beating the Saturday evening traffic, i was in time for the Evening arti. It was a wonderful feeling to be back in the temple, the atmosphere and the aura were so welcoming. Their lordships were dressed in beautiful pink outfit and were showering blessing on everyone present. After the arit, i met with Sham and Mahendra prabhu's, it was like meeting old family members. I was a bit tired and decided to rest early, hence went home after dinner.

12/14/08 Sunday: I over slept and wokeup around 8am, after doing my puja i went to the temple to help with Sunday Love Feast. Ananda and Jayadeva were cooking and i started to help them as it was already 1030am, and we only had 1 hour to prepare the feast. With Mahendra prabhu's expertise and speed we managed to finish cooking right in time. We had around 60 guests, Sunday feast are always nice as one gets to meet and catch up so many devotees. Sunday is a day when everyone forgets their office or business tensions and spends joyful time with family and friends. After the feast I spend a pleasant evening with one of my closest and best friend in Manila ( :-X).

Sugar in the gourd and honey in the horn,
I never was so happy since the hour I was born.

12/15/08 Monday: Today i woke up at 0330 am, and went to the temple for Mangla arti, since the time i started visiting ISKCON temples, Mangla arti has always had a special place. Greeting the lord at 0430 am is an such an intense experience, with dew filled cooling breeze and golden silence prevailing outside the temple and inside the temple, enchanting smell of incense clubbed along with echoing sounds of conch shell, kartals and kirtan. Radha Madhava were dressed in a sweet yellow colored dress and were looking fresh as a rain cloud. The morning class was given by my god brother Janardhan from Vrindavan, the main theme was how to perfect our chanting. After the morning breakfast i went to meet my boss Mohan (CEO IPVG), we met in his house and after the meeting we had lunch, Post lunch we had another meeting in our office. After the meeting i went to Megamall, and did some shopping (i miss these grand malls in Vietnam). Mumy, pappa, pinky, mansi and Jayesh had already called and blessed and wished me on my birthday, i had not informed anyone in the temple about my birthday. I was sitting in Starbucks and drinking hot chocolate, the birthday has rolled around and I was reflecting on the past year.
1> Spiritual Progress: Have been chanting the Nana stotras on daily basis, haven’t made any progress in increasing my rounds. Reading is off and on, not on regular basis. Over all my spiritual life is not blooming.
2> Professional progress: very good but to the detriment of my mental, physical, , spiritual and social health.
3> Physical health: fair, lack of exercise, poor eating habits, weight gain.
4> Mental health: I am not crazy yet, but I am often extremely stressed; short bursts of (circumstantial?) depression coz of being alone.

I was remembering the good old days when i used to celebrate or spend birthdays with family and friends and here i was all alone in a Coffee shop. Some how life has taught me alot of things and one of them is how to live alone, loneliness has become my buddy. Internally i was a bit grumpy.

I Want to Go Back in Time When…..

Decisions were made by going eeny-meeny-miney-mo.

Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, do over!

Race issue meant arguing about who ran the fastest.

Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in Monopoly.

Catching dragonflies could happily occupy an entire evening.

It wasn’t odd to have two or three best friends.

Being old, referred to anyone over 20.

It was unbelievable that hide n seek wasn’t an Olympic event.

Having a weapon in school, meant being caught with a slingshot made out of rubber bands,

Nobody was prettier than Mom.

Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.

It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the big people rides at the amusement park.

No shopping trip was complete, unless a new toy was brought home.

The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.

Water balloons were the ultimate weapon. Ice cream was considered a basic food group.

I met up with Dana (my exboss from SITEL) we were meeting after 1.5 years and had a lot to talk. Around 1900 hrs i went home, fully tired and drained out and hence skipped evening shower, i packed my bags and got everything ready as my flight was at 2300hrs.

When i went to the temple I wasn’t prepared for what was about to happen...... There was an unusual festive atmosphere in the temple room, after offering my respects to Radha Madhava, i sat down and suddenly the devotees emerged from behind the curtain doors with a huge cake, that was gorgeously decorated. Everyone broke into singing the birthday song; they sang and chanted their hearts out. The mixed feelings of love, gratitude, care, warmth, family and oneness left me spell bound and i could hardly think or speak anything. This SURPRISE celebration touched the deepest cord of my heart. The devotees had prepared a nice feast, cake, spagati, rotis and sabzi. I never expected such a wonderful display of affection and kindness. We all chanted for 20-30 mins and then had sumptuous dinner prasadam. I hardly had words to thank the devotees for their affection and love, as time was running out, i thanked everyone and rushed for the air port. Throughout the 3 hr flight i was contemplating my good fortune for having such a wonderful and loving devotee family.

Before falling asleep, i wrote:

In gratitude and love, in joyful spirit and hope, I celebrated this day!"WooHoo!"

Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry.
Live simply, expect little, and give much.
Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine.
Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by.

Check out more pictures of my birthday celebration at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/keyur.trivedi/30thBirthday#

Temples in Ho Chi Minh

2008-12-10T02:07:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday evening i was reading lonely planet book on Ho Chi Minh city, the description of the hindu temple struck me and i resolved to visit the three temples on Sunday (12/07/08)

I took the local Xeom (motor bike) which is the local transport, its the fastest and cheapest way to get around the city. Their are 3 million motor bikes in Ho Chi Minh city, and the numbers keep growing each day as more and more people come to HCMC from various provinces of Vietnam.

The Hindu temples in Ho Chi Minh City are over 100 years. In the late 19th century, the Tamils came from Pondicherry constructed the Mariammam Temple with a raja goopuram(grand temple dome). Similarly, in mid 20th century Nagartars built two Hindu temples, namely Sri Thendayutthapani Temple and Sunbramaniar Temple, using Indian craftsmen, builders and sculptors. Similar to the ancient temples in India, these temples followed the principles of traditional temple building. All three temples have large sized halls (mandapams) and inner and outer circumferences. All three temples are in close proximity to each other.
April 1975, after the reunification, the socialist government of Vietnam shut the places of worship, including the Hindu temples. Some temples premises were used as factories. I was told that the flat-roof of one Hindu temple was used to dry fish for export. The temples lost all its valuable jewelleries. Around 1993, the temples re-opened for worship as the result of the negotiations between India and Vietnam at the diplomatic level. In one temple, the flags of India and Vietnam are at the entrance, to reinforce the friendship between these two countries.
Caretakers, appointed by the Vietnamese authorities, manage the Hindu temples. The appointments are subject to annual renewal.

The priest of Mariamma temple

There are no priests in these temples to conduct regular pujas in a proper manner. The caretakers or their assistants are acting as priests in chanting slokas and performing arati. The devotees receive vibuthi and prasadam (mostly fruit, sor some sugar candy). It is against the temple regulations to accept money directly from the devotees. However, the devotees can make donation into the till box. Since there is no external financial support to the temples, all temple expenses are met from the till collection.
The Mariamman Temple enjoys a healthy income. Many locals believe in the sacred power of Mariamman and regularly coming to this temple. Other two temples are struggling to meet the expenses due to poor attendance. Sometimes, the Indians expatriate community collects funds to meet the needs of these temples. Mariamman temple is known as Chua Ba Mariamman in Vietnamese, is also considered sacred by many ethnic-Vietnamese and ethnic-Chinese. Indeed, it is reputed to have miraculous powers. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Mariamman.
The lion (Simma Vahanam) to the left of the entrance used to be carried around Saigon in a street procession every autumn. In the shrine in the middle of the temple is Mariamman, flanked by her guardians - Maduraiveeran (to her left) and Pechiamman (to her right). In front of the figure of Mariamman are two lingas. Favourite offerings placed nearby often joss sticks, jasmine, lilies and gladioli. Their are wooden stairs, on the left as you enter the building, lead to the roof, where one can find two colourful towers covered with innumerable figures of lions, goddesses and guardians. The main deity of this temple is Goddess Mariamman, another aspect of Parvathi. As the mother of universe, Parvathi is amma and prayed as Universal Mother. In addition, At the outer hall, Parvati's sons Ganesha and Muruga are on her right and left, respectively. The Rajagopuram of this temple is about 12m high with a number of statues. Colourful statues of Amman, Luxshmi, Ganesha, Muruga, angels and dancing girls decorate the entrance of the inner hall.

It is an unforgettable experience for to visit the three Hindu temples in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. These beautiful temples are the treasures of the Hindus. Since the Indian population is not large enough, these temples are struggling to meet the maintenance expenses. Most of the devotees visiting these temples are Vietnamese. There is no official financial support to these temples and there are no priests in these temples. It is the responsibility of the Hindu community in Vietnam to look after these temples. The political set-up in Vietnam is different to other countries and this has some effect on temple management.
With the Divine powers of Lord Muruga and Divine Mother Mariamma I have no doubt that these temples will flourish in the future. All Hindus must pay a visit to these temples in Vietnam whenever they get the opportunity to go to Vietnam.

Click on the below link for more picture of my temple visit:
http://picasaweb.google.com/keyur.trivedi/VisitToMariamaTemple#

A Blog Post by Singapore's Youngest Millionaire

2008-12-02T20:54:00.000-08:00

On Money
Some of you may already know that I travel around the region pretty frequently, having to visit and conduct seminars at my offices in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Suzhou (China). I am in the airport almost every other week so I get to bump into many people who have attended my seminars or have read my books. Recently, someone came up to me on a plane to KL and looked rather shocked. He asked, "How come a millionaire like you is travelling economy?" My reply was, "That's why I am a millionaire!" He still looked pretty confused. This again confirms that greatest lie ever told about wealth (which I wrote about in my latest book Secrets of Self-Made Millionaire). Many people have been brainwashed to think that millionaires have to wear Gucci, Hugo Boss, Rolex, and sit on first class in air travel. This is why so many people never become rich because the moment that earn more money, they think that it is only natural that they spend more, putting them back to square one. The truth is that MOST self-made millionaires are frugal and only spend on what is necessary and of value. That is why they are able to accumulate and multiply their wealth so much faster. Over the last 7 years, I have saved about 80% of my income while today I save only about 60% (because I have my wife, mother in law, 2 maids, 2 kids, etc. to support). Still, it is way above most people who save 10% of their income (if they are lucky). I refuse to buy a first class ticket or to buy a $300 shirt because I think that it is a complete waste of money. However, I happily pay $1,300 to send my 2-year old daughter to Julia Gabriel Speech and Drama without thinking twice. When I joined the YEO (Young Entrepreneurs Organization) a few years back (YEO is an exclusive club open to those who are under 40 and make over $1m a year in their own business) I discovered that those who were self-made thought like me. Many of them with net worth's well over $5m, travelled economy class and some even drove Toyotas and Nissans (not Audis, Mercs, BMWs). I noticed that it was only those who never had to work hard to build their own wealth (there were also a few ministers and tycoons sons in the club) who spent like there was no tomorrow. Somehow, when you did not have to build everything from scratch, you do not really value money. This is precisely the reason why a family's wealth (no matter how much) rarely lasts past the third generation.. Thank God my rich dad (oh no! I sound like Kiyosaki) foresaw this terrible possibility and refused to give me a cent to start my business. Then some people ask me, What is the point in making so much money if you don't enjoy it? The thing is that I don't really find happiness in buying branded clothes, jewellery or sitting first class. Even if buying something makes me happy it is only for a while, it does not last. Material happiness never lasts, it just give you a quick fix. After a while you feel lousy again and have to buy the next thing which you think will make you happy. I always think that if you need material things to make you happy, then you live a pretty sad and unfulfilled life. Instead, what makes ME happy is when I see my children laughing and playing and learning so fast. What makes me happy is when I see my companies and trainers reaching more and more people every year in so many more countries. What makes me really happy is when I read all the emails about how my books and seminars have touched and inspired someone's life. What makes me really happy is reading all your wonderful posts about how this BLOG is inspiring you. This happiness makes me feel really good for a long time, much much more than what a Rolex would do for me. I think the point I want to put across is that happiness must come from doing your life's work (be in teaching, building homes, designing, trading, winning tournaments etc.) and the money that comes is only a by-product. If you hate what you are doing and rely on the money you earn to make you happy by buying stuff, then I think that you are living a life of meaninglessness.

Some after thoughts of recent happenings in Mumbai...

2008-11-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

As i write, the standoff between terrorists and Indian army commandos in Mumbai continues. Till now, more than 120 people have been killed, around 300 injured by the attacks. Yes, the remaining attackers will be killed, the body count of dead persons will go higher, the eyewitness accounts on 24/7 cable news stations will be told and retold, and the speculation about who may be responsible and how they did it will go on.But behind the sheer horror of such barbaric and seemingly random acts of murder and chaos, what is the lesson we learn?
You will not get any underlying truths from the politicians' sound bites, the expressions of condemnation or the expert talking heads on cable tv. To get a clearer picture, we need to look at events thru the eyes of sastra.The verse that first comes to mind is the famous padam padam ya vipadam natesam. Instead of Louis Armstrong's song, "What a Wonderful World," the reality is: What a Dangerous World this is. Anything can happen and in this world, it's often that it does. Shit happens here. You go to have dinner at a 5 star restaurant (as some were doing at the Taj and Oberoi Hotels in Mumbai yesterday evening), and without warning hand grenades are tossed, explosions go off and automatic rifles are firing rounds of deadly bullets in your direction. Who is shooting, who is dying, who is being injured, who is escaping unharmed?? In the chaos, all seems to be random, and all reason appears to be absent (although we know from sastra that everything follows nature's laws which includes the law of destiny or karma, and nature is under the control of Krishna). Another thought related to this tragic event is how this needless killing is a result of prejudice and brainwashing. My first reaction when i started seeing the unfolding drama on the internet and tv was to condemn the killers. But then i saw a photograph of one of the alleged terrorists who had attacked the VT train station in Mumbai. Most of the people he killed were innocent children, women and vendors who sell chai and snacks at the station. But this killer looked to be only around 20 years old, dressed in a t shirt and jeans, like he could have been a college student. What inspired such misplaced blind faith in him that he chose this path? For sure, it was the work of malicious hate-mongers who misuse the teachings of God to incite hopeless young men to think of themselves as martyrs and actually become murderers. Fundamentalists of all religions are the best and worst at the offense of interpreting God's desires and His words to incite hatred, bigotry and violence to achieve not God's wishes, but their own perverted goals. How can anyone who claims to follow God not accept that everyone who has life, has God within him? How can they claim to be superior to others? How can they justify murdering other jivas, either in human form or animal form? How can one claim to act for the Father while making plans to destroy their Father's other children? So brainwashed boys who still look like children, are inspired to kill innocents by their fundamentalist gurus. The secular societies are also ignorant about how to follow a divine system, a society based on equality and spiritual values. So they create sytems that breed injustice, greed and imbalances. These injustices are the nourishment of the envious fundamentalists. Ignorance on both sides. A world where everyone talks about freedom or truth or God, but no one listens to Him when he speaks or to his pure devotees when they appear. Everyone talks; no one listens.The noise, both inside everyone's mind and outside in the geopolitical world, keeps getting louder and louder. It's the sound of danger. The only real protection in any dangerous situation, is the presence of God. In such dire times as these, we or i need to keep in mind the words of the shastra ( Hare nama hare nama hare nama eva hi kevalam, kaluv nasteva nasteva nasteva gathri anyatha, - In the age of Kali their is no other means, no other means, no other means other than chanting the holy names of hari, chanthing the holy names of hari . In fact, He is more accessible in his names than any other form. Unfortunately, i have no attraction for hearing his names. This is the real tragedy of the precarious times we live in.

Think about this.....
A few thoughts on the unfolding tragedy.ShareYesterday at 10:33pmI know I'm not the only one writing on the topic. I can't be. Too many others shared in the collective tragedy.
However, I don't want to focus on the perpetrators, or their motives or modus operandi.
What struck me as I watched the tragedy unfold was how we handled it...sometimes (maybe more) mishandled it and how we reacted to it. Though the reaction part may be premature as this isn't a reaction that's momentary. Its a wound you want to remember...that you hope will help you learn and help you evolve.
The most striking thing. As someone outside India...not constrained to domestic news channels...the frenetic, panting, often unashamed, unrepentant hunt for the newsbyte far overshadowed the significance of the tragedy and its impact on a human level. Newscasters across most channels realized that the nation, as well as the world was watching them. And their attempt to rise up to the occassion came off for the most parts as amateur attempts peppered with shallow questions...in some cases where it may have been more humane to just leave the victims alone to savour freedom. To add to this was the hyperbole and the sometimes garish visual effects. One channel had a blood splattered band running across the top of the screen as tv backdrop for their news ticker. Nowhere nearly close to good taste. But of course, there's method to the madness. The more the sense of panic, the greater the thirst for information. And for most people...that choice is reduced to one of several news channels.
Then there's twitter. I've read about it before but this was the very first time I saw its power and potential at work. Imagine the TV before you, beaming loops of old footage by breathless youngsters more conscious of their being in the center of a moment in history...and paying only lip service to the reason they're there in the first place. And then compare that to seeing twitter from real people. On the ground. Providing real time updates on what they're seeing, hearing and feeling in the place you're wanting to know painfully more about.
Its a no contest. Even if the medium is open to rumor...the raw power of the moment and the frontline real person feel the medium generates overrides the occasional rumor element. And in the end...the balancing power of information helps rub out the rumours. The experience was an eye opener. The next time there's an event I want to BE in...I may not be reaching for the remote quite as fast. Maybe also because this is a medium that seems to give voice to real people who are just as smart...and mostly just as objective...as the TRP focused newscasters.
Of course, you also have to acknowledge the fact that we feed those newscasters. Our thirst for information aligns itself with their own (eventual) profit motive that forms a self reinforcing loop of degrading journalistic quality. Its not an easy problem to extricate oneself from. Unless we have another alternative medium that can serve as an information source.
Now I mentioned that I wasn't constrained by having access to only domestic news channels. Which also allows me the ability to comment on the international channels covering the situation. At first pass...what struck me was the calmer, much more analytical presentation of the information. With fairly unbiased opinions. Of course, that's easier when you don't have a particular national tie. But then again, in my own opinion...what we sorely lack...is an entirely objective media. Its easy to drink the national kool aid but it doesn't always serve the best interest. Not from the journalistic tenet I would think.
While there are the voices in the not too barren wilderness of the Indian media that do refuse to follow the populist path in favour of speaking with an untainted opinion...they're usually drowned out. And when we talk of television...even more so.

Funny Pic...

2008-11-23T04:57:00.000-08:00

This is a typical Vietnameese altar, and the deity that you see is of the Lord of wealth (than tai), see the picture abit closer, they offer him fresh fruites, water, cigarettes (only 555 are offered anything else is considered below standard) and wine.Funny na…. keep smiling.

A Trip... An adventure..... A Lesson

2008-11-21T19:49:00.000-08:00

They say life is a journey and if you don’t travel and see places then you have read only one page of your life, every journey is a new adventure and this trip from Ho chi minh city to Mumbai was full of adventure, excitement, emotions, action…. Gosh some bollywood writer could make a nice movie of this trip.
I know I am quite late to write about this trip to India, however I still want to write something so that I can comeback to this diary and relive my visit, visiting India is always so refreshing and exciting. Even though I have lived 90% of my life in Mumbai, every time I visit this sleepless city there is something new about it, something that attracts everyone…. I have lived in many places, but there is nothing that compares to Mumbai, there is something strangely attractive about this city.
Coming back to my trip, I dint have much time to do the flight bookings and also most of the flights to India were quite full as Diwali festival season was fast approaching. I checked various options available and best was tiger airways, don’t drop your jaw at the name of this airlines, it’s a budget airlines and sister concern of Singapore airlines, I booked a ticket for 17Oct at 1300hrs, it was a crazy plan, Ho chi minh – Singapore – Chennai – Mumbai. Total journey of about 11 hrs.
My office is close to the airport and hence in the morning at 730 am I came to office with my entire luggage, worked till about noon said goodbyes and headed for the airport. At the checking counter of Tiger airways the guy at the check in desk looked at me in a funny way and said that he cant check me in as I dint have a visa for Singapore, at first I thought that he was joking and dint take him seriously, but when he called the person after me to checkin I realized that he wasn’t joking, I couldn’t believe what he had said. I explained to him that I was flying on tiger from HCMC to Singapore and also from Singapore to Chennai, and hence I don’t need a visa I won’t be going out of the airport and it was a short transit. But he wouldn’t listen to anything and he insisted that I need a visa before I checkin. I told him that I need to talk with duty manager, but that dint help either, coz she understood very little English and kept saying the same thing. I told her that if at all visa is COMPULSORY, then as per Singapore laws if an Indian passport holder has a valid US visa then he can get 96hrs Visa upon arrival, but she would not listen to this either… It was getting too frustrating as she wasn’t ready to listen and kept on saying that Tiger airways passengers needs visa in Singapore and they don’t care about the Singapore immigration laws. I was dumb struck; I knew I had to act quickly. I reached at the booking counter and enquired for other flights for Singapore. It wasn’t sheer coincidence, it was divine blessing, there was a Garuda airline flight scheduled to take off in next 5 mins, I purchased a fresh ticket for Singapore and rushed towards the immigrations, luckily I entered the plane just 20 sec’s before its scheduled take off. Throughout the flight I was thinking of the things that I will do during my stay in Mumbai, the hotels where I want to eat, the friends which I want to meet, so many things to do in such less time…. 
Before I knew it, I was at Singapore airport, the flight landed in terminal 2 and I had to go to budget terminal for my next flight (tiger airways Singapore – Chennai), the budget terminal is like a different airport, its quite far from the main airport and one needs to go out of the main terminal and then take a bus or cab to the budget terminal. I went to the immigration office for visa, he checked my passport and tickets and happily stamped a visa that was valid for 96hrs, for a second I wanted to take the next flight to HCMC and show the duty manager that its so easy to get a visa and they shouldn’t have forced me to buy another ticket. If I had the time I would have done it, but I had other important things to do, the next leg of my trip, Singapore – Chennai. It was so nice to be surrounded by so many desi’s at the same time; the last I got this kind of feeling was when I attended last year’s flag hosting ceremony at the Indian embassy in Manila.
We reached Chennai (yes I was finally in my own country INDIA)at 2300hrs and we were greeted by warm, pleasant breeze. There was this magic in the air, if I try and express this feeling in words, I won’t do justice to it, hence won’t even attempt it. My next flight for Mumbai was at 0020, when I was booking and planning my trip I thought that it will be easy to catch this flight as I had good 1hour 20 minutes between flights, however things dint turn as planned (this thing happens with me most of the time, things don’t happen as per plan, however whatever happens is mostly better than planned). I waited at the luggage conveyer belt for what seemed like eternity, all the while I kept cursing myself for being over confident and foolish. Finally at around 0005 I got my luggage, gosh I was fully messed up, all I did was run the fastest I could along with the trolley. I reached the checkin counter at international Chennai airport at 0012hrs, I met with the air port manager and explained him my situation, all he did was walk away from me. He was least interested in listening to me, and told me that the counter closes 60 minutes before departure time, and there was no way I could be on the flight. In the next 3 mins or so I tried all the tricks in my books (trust me they always work) I flattered him, respected his authority, shouted at him, pleaded, got angry, also managed to produce a tear in both my eyes, …. Did everything I could, but this guy wouldn’t bulge, he dint care what I was doing. Finally at 0018hrs I lost all hope and prayed to krsna in desperation, I told Krsna, “is this they way you welcome me in your country?, I am returning home after 1 year and this is what you do to me….. how mean you can be…” all I could do or think now was to pray and hope a miracle happens ….. and it did, don’t know what happened, the duty manager came towards me, looked at me in the eye and said, never ever do this again. For a minute or two I thought that I was dreaming with open eyes, a chill ran down my spine. I jumped with my bags, and one of the security guard assisted me towards check in and immigration. Guard was with me till the plane, I was being treated like a VIP, I dint stand in any queue or wasn’t checked at any point. It was a nice feeling. When I was seated, I couldn’t thank Krsna and my starts enough. When I reached Mumbai I was embraced by the early morning misty air, the warmth and love that I feel in the air here is nowhere to be found. Mummy, Mansi, Jayesh, Priya, Sakshi, Gopi and Madan had come at the air port, I dint have words, I was emotionally high, happy and satisfied to be in company of my family and friends : ) I will always cherish this trip for its adventures and the lessons it taught me……

VietnameseWedding

2008-11-19T04:40:00.000-08:00

On Saturady 11/15 Ray one of my x-team leader from Prudential called up and invited me to his best friend’s wedding that was to take place the next day. I was happy and told him to pick me up in the morning. On Sunday he came to pick me at 7am, after a long drive we reached the grooms house at 830, everyone was waiting for us. 7 unmarried boys were well dressed in a smart white shirt and tie and were holding 7 gifts, each of which were nicely covered with red Chinese cloth. The Groom was wearing a smart white 3 piece suit.

On the way to the brides house, i learned alot about traditional Vietnamese wedding.
Preparations for the traditional Vietnamese wedding first begins by choosing a date and time for the marriage ceremony. This is decided by a Buddhist monk, Spiritual leader, or fortune teller due to the spiritual nature of the occasion.

The day of the wedding consists of an extensive array of ceremonies: the first is the ceremony to ask permission to receive the bride (abandoned in modern Vietnam), the second is the procession to receive the bride at her house, and the third is to the procession of bringing the bride to the groom's house. Both Vietnamese and oversea-Vietnamese who desire to have a hybrid traditional Vietnamese and Western-style wedding will oftentimes incorporate the last two ceremonies with the Western-style wedding.

When we reached the bride's house, the 7 unmarried boys handed the gifts to 7 unmarried girls who had come to receive us and we all went inside the gorgeously decorated house. Both the families when about with the rituals which went on for 45 minutes, after that we took the bride with us to the grooms house.

Traditional and modern symbols of marriage are often featured during Vietnamese marriage ceremonies as decorations on the wedding umbrellas, lacquer gift boxes (or the red cloth that covers them), or even the decorations in the homes of both the bride and groom. They usually include lanterns, doves, initials of the couple, among other things. However, one symbol that is indispensable are the words "song hỷ." This phrase also appears as the character 囍, which is reflective of Vietnam's influence by Chinese characters as well as the vernacular Nom script before the 20th century. While literacy in these scripts during feudalistic times was restricted mostly to scholars, officials and other members of the elite, characters such as these have always played an aesthetic role in important occasions such as weddings.

At the end of the ceremonies, there was a wedding reception for the two families and guests, the wedding was attended by 30 people, and the reception was attended by around 300 people. Drinking and feasting (all crazy foodstuffs) went on for about 2 hours and then everyone again wished the newlywed and we all went home.
This was my first time to witness a Vietnamese wedding; I wish the groom and the bride all the good luck and wishes.

Pictures of the wedding can be seen at: http://picasaweb.google.com/keyur.trivedi/TraditionalVietnameseWedding

Missing home already...

2008-11-04T02:26:00.000-08:00

After 15 days of bliss in Mumbai, India, i am back in Ho Chi Mimh city. I have to catch up on lot of things in office, will write a report soon......

Lucky or Fortunate

2008-08-18T08:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, cant believe i am still alive, may be we got lucky or may be we were protected by the lord. Whatever the reason, we survived 8/8/8, and we live on to tell our tale....

In the history of the world, 8/8/8 will be remembered as the start of Olympics in China, however the five of us (Baladeva, Doyal Nitai, Sachi suta, Tan tan and me) will always remember this date as the day when our faith was tested, our courage was checked, our strength was measured, our intelligence was examined and I am happy, humbled, and proud that we survived to tell the story, we survived to live our life to the fullest.

Feeling much better now...

2008-07-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Am feeling much much much better now. Have to rush for a meeting, will write something soon.. Till then love ya all :) Keep smiling and spreading love....

Wish...

2008-07-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

Its 2 am in my watch, I am just took a break from work and drove to Marikina river banks, it’s a beautiful place which is located on the banks of Marikina river (they call it river, but it’s actually filthy, mucky, dirty, polluted water), the banks are off limits to vehicles and is generally used as a walking / jogging track and also couples can been seen warmly embracing each other in the bushesJ. I mostly go the river banks around this time as there is hardly any soul at this time of the day (or should I say night). The atmosphere is so quite, and tranquil. It’s the best time to chant, to reflect, to do some soul searching, to do some thinking, or just to sit quietly and listen to songs on my ipod or just simply graze at the stars and enjoy relishing warm weather. These stars feel like old friends. I remember the time in Juhu temple, when we used to sit on the trace of the Gurukul building and graze at the stars while enjoying the cool ocean breeze. The stars would blanket the sky and the more you stared into the sky which seemed to curve above you more and more stars would appear almost making it impossible to make out the major constellations.

Today I dint come here for any reason, I just wanted to be all alone and listen to the sound of running water, sound of crickets, sound of dogs crying at a distance, just want to be quite and listen to all the nocturnal sounds. This week has been a bit tough, am mentally drained out. After Sunday night’s conversation with Baladeva prabhu, I been doing a lot of thinking, I know it’s useless and fruitless thinking, but still can’t help it. So many WHY’s, so many WHY NOT’s, so many “wish I could have done this…” or “done that”. At times I feel that my head will explode.

Today was a better day, Doyal Nitai prabhu woke me up, he had saved a big plate of Prasad for me. I was so happy that someone still cared for me and someone thought of saving lunch for me. Thanks Doyal Nitai, thank uJ. I ate proper food almost after 4 days, have lost my appetite since Sunday, don’t feel like eating anything, have been sleeping awfully lot (almost 12 hrs daily) and even after waking up, I still feel sleepy, wish I could be a Panda (may be panda from Kun fu Panda J) so that I could hibernate and sleep for 5 months at a stretch….

I am sure it’s just a bad phase and will pass away soon, usually I am the one who gives strength and moral support to everyone around me, and it’s funny to find myself in this kind of situation. Its nothing to worry about, I know I haven’t done anything wrong, it’s just the way the whole episode was interpreted. I wish I could influence the way others think. Wish….

“How I wish that somewhere there existed an island for those who are wise and of good will”

“I don't wish to be everything to everyone, but I would like to be something to someone.”

“What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the wish to find out, which is its exact opposite”

2008-07-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

Click on the image to enlarge it. I like the meaning of friendship that is given in this pic.

My first virtual tour presentation :)

2008-07-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

Good article on Economy and its current state in India...

2008-06-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

PRICES RISING
DUE TO RECKLESS PRINTING OF MONEY

By S S Bagai--June 2008

Since 1947 India's price level has gone up 51 times and destroyed over 98% of the value of the rupee left by the British rulers. This has happened due to reckless printing of money.
Prices of individual goods can keep rising or falling due to several factors affecting their demand and supply. But price level as a whole is determined primarily by the quantum of goods and services available in the country and the total amount of money chasing them. Increase in the prices of some goods is bound to lead to fall in the prices of some other goods, unless the quantity of money is increased. Price level as a whole goes up only when more money is injected into the system or its velocity of circulation goes up due to changes in habits and practices.
To ensure that the price level does not fall when the total output of goods and services is increasing in an economy, money supply has to be increased. But if increase in money supply is greater than the increase in the quantum of goods and services, then the entire price level is bound to go up. Better managed countries, therefore, ensure that a reasonable relationship is maintained between the two. They do not allow money supply to expand much faster than the amount required to take care of rising GDP.

This is the simple quantity theory of money, which many economists do not accept, but its basic proposition is simply a matter of common sense or a rule of arithmetic.
Massive Expansion Of Money Supply

Since last two/three decades Government continues to expand money supply many times more than increase in GDP, as the data tabulated in this article will show. Considering the entire post - independence period, for every rupee of increase in GDP, currency in circulation has been increased by more than 30 rupees. This has led to the disastrous result of pushing up the price level by 51 times in the course of 61 years from 1947 to 2008.
M3, which includes not only currency in circulation but also, deposits of various types and other large liquid assets, represents a comprehensive measure of supply of money in an economy. Currency and total money supply both have to remain under strict control to ensure a reasonably stable price level.

Table I shows the amount of currency in circulation as well as M3 in a few selected years, along with the Wholesale Price Index.

Table 1
Money Supply and Price Index

Year	Currency in Circulation Rs. Cr	Total Money Supply (M3). Rs. Cr.	Wholesale Price Index Base year 1993- 94=100
1919-20	154	NA
1929-30	159	NA
1938-39	189	NA
1947-48	1,304	NA	4.5
1951-52	1,292	2,196	7
1960-61	2,154	3,902	8
1970-71	4,557	10,326	14
1979-80	12,382	43,792	37
1990-91	55,282	2,49,493	74
1998-99	1,75,846	9,01,294	142
2003-04	3,27,028	18,61,604	176
May 2008	6,02,706	40,77,302	231

NA= Data Not Available
Between 47- 48 to 60-61, currency did not even double. But with passage of time it has been multiplying rapidly. Between 1947-48 to 2008, it has multiplied 462 times. Explosive expansion from mere Rs.12,382 crores to Rs. 6,02,706 crores took place after 79-80.
In more than 100 years ending in 1980, the total amount of currency in circulation increased gradually to only Rs 12,382 crores. Now that much amount is being added every 45 days. In last one year alone a further amount of Rs 90,355 crores was pushed into circulation, which is currently playing havoc with the price level.

M3 was merely Rs 43,792 crores in 79-80. It has now touched the astronomical figure of Rs 40,77,302 crores. Since 1951-52, it has gone up 1857 times.

Massive expansion of currency and M3 is very much reflected in the rapid increase in the price level. Since 1947-48 price level has gone up from 4.5 to 231 (93-94=100).

After 1947 while GDP has increased only 15 times, currency in circulation has been multiplied 462 times. This constituted an open invitation to large scale inflation.

Government officials and even some economists and journalists keep blaming all sorts of irrelevant factors for inflation in the country. But as apparent from Table I, the real reason is massive expansion in money supply, to please the business community and finance the budget deficits of the government.

How well the currency was managed in the years prior to the Second World War is apparent from the fact that in 19 years from 19-20 to 38-39 currency in circulation went up from Rs 154 crores to merely Rs 189 crores.

COMPARISON WITH OTHER COUNTRIES

For comparison complete data about currency is not available about most of the countries from the internet. But whatever could be gathered is tabulated below.

The following table shows the number of times total money supply (M3) increased during the period of 46 years, between 1960- 2006.

Table 2
M3

Country	Increase in No. of times
USA	35
Sweden	29
Singapore	38*
Australia	95
India	677

* Between 1974 to 2006
Look at the wide gap in the number of times M3 increased between these countries and India. Obviously India does not exercise any restrain in respect of such a vital matter affecting the welfare of the common man.

The following table shows the number of times the price level increased in different countries during the period of 50 years between 1956-2006.

Table 3

Price level

Country	Increase In Price Level (Number of times)
Singapore	3*
Germany	4
Switzerland	4
Japan	6
France	7
USA	7
Canada	8
India	27

*From 1961 to 2006

The better a country is managed the smaller is the increase in money supply and consequently the price level. Compared to the countries listed in Table 3, by pushing up the price level so fast India is playing havoc with the finances of the lower strata of society and shifting huge amounts of wealth in the most undesirable direction. Of course, India can be proud of its record when it looks to countries like Turkey, where price level went up 600 times (i.e. from 100 to 60000) in only 15 years (between 1991 to 2006). In Zimbabwe the position is much worse. It has introduced 500 million-dollar currency note which can buy only two loaves of bread.

SINGAPORE MOST WELL MANAGED

Singapore has the highest regard for the welfare and basic rights of its common people. Since its independence in 1961, its price level has gone up only 3 times while its real GDP has jumped up 35 times.

Comparison of last 20 years data of India and Singapore will show the vast difference in the way the two countries deal with such a vital matter affecting the lives of their citizens.

TABLE 4

India and Singapore compared

INCREASE BETWEEN 1988 TO 2008

	INDIA	SINGAPORE
	Increase In No. of Times	Increase In No. Of Times
GDP	3.6	3.9
Currency	16.6	3.6
M3	26.2	6.6
Price Level	4.30	1.37

During the period of last 20 years, quantum of increase in GDP of the two countries was almost similar. But while Singapore increased its currency in circulation by a slightly smaller amount than the increase in GDP, India increased it by 4.61(16.6/3.6) times of increase in GDP. In other words for increase of every S$ of GDP, Singapore created less than one S$ of additional currency, whereas for every rupee of increase in GDP India created 4.61 rupees of additional currency. Position with reference to M3 is still worse. Against every S$ of increase in GDP, Singapore created only 1.69 (6.6/3.9) S$ of additional M3, whereas for every rupee of additional GDP India increased M3 by 7.28 (26.2/3.6) rupees.

INFLATION--A GOVERNMENT CREATION

Increase in currency to the extent of increase in GDP is certainly legitimate and necessary. But increasing it 4.61 times of increase in GDP means creating inflation. Having itself created inflation, Government goes on blaming events like increase in price of imported oil. Government spokesmen always talk of 'fighting inflation' as if it is a monster let loose by some external force. Increase in price of imported oil simply reduces India's GDP. By itself it cannot increase the price level as a whole. If people have to spend more on oil, they will spend less on other goods and that will lead to fall in prices of other goods. In the long run, the price level as a whole cannot rise merely because price of one commodity has gone up.

During the aforesaid period of 20 years price level went up 4.30 times because currency was increased 16.6 times while GDP had increased only 3.6 times.

BRITISH PERIOD British government never indulged in massive printing of money (except for a few years of the second world war ). During the period before the war, it ensured that the price level did not go up even 3 times in 82 years from 1857 to 1939. ( With 48-49 as base year, price index stood at 10.2 in 1857 and 29.0 in 1939).

INDEPENDENT INDIA FOLLOWED A SENSIBLE POLICY FOR A FEW YEARS
For a few years even independent India increased its currency in tune with the increase in GDP and consequently the price level did not go up too high. During the period of 15 years immediately following independence, between 1947- 48 to 1962- 63, the Indian leaders continued to follow the policy of their British predecessors. During this period of 15 years India increased its currency in circulation by only 87 % (from Rs. 1304 crores to Rs. 2439 crores) while GDP increased by 64 %. Because of the sensible policy of not expanding the currency too much the price level went up only by 30 % during this period of 15 years.

MONEY SUPPLY AND GDP
Government and big business groups, being the principal beneficiaries of inflation have succeeded in establishing the widespread myth that large expansion of money supply is necessary for rapid growth of GDP. They always talk of �the trade-off between inflation and growth� implying that a country has to suffer inflation in order to have economic growth. Singapore has established that economic growth does not depend upon huge expansion of money supply. Since its independence in 1961, real GDP has jumped up 35 times while price level has gone up only 3 times, because money supply has been kept under strict control.

WHAT INCREASED INDIA�S GDP

Since 1947, India�s real GDP has gone up 15 times, but it is largely due to three factors. One is the over threefold increase in population. Second is that more and more educated and skilled workers are entering the workforce. And the last is availability of much better technology. Increase in GDP had nothing to do with massive expansion of money supply.

HELPING THE RICH, HARMING THE POOR
Fall in the value of the rupee keeps raising the value of physical assets and reducing the value of monetary assets. The rich and super rich normally borrow money and buy physical assets. People of lower middle class are normally lenders of money through deposits with banks, post offices and others. Consequently the wealth of the rich and super rich has been going up and that of the lower sections of society going down. That is why the inequalities of income and wealth have considerably increased since independence.
Fall in the value of the rupee through inflation does not destroy the real wealth of the country. It merely leads to the transfer of wealth from the poorer to the richer sections of the people. That is why better managed countries like Singapore, Switzerland and Germany have not allowed the value of their currency to fall excessively.
In India, in the course of last 20 years, the price level has gone up 4.3 times with the result that value of money is reduced by 77%. Take the case of a widow who inherited Rs. 10 lakhs in 1988 and has been keeping it in a fixed deposit in a bank. With the interest income left after paying income-tax she has been meeting the household expenses. But in the course of 20 years, 77% of the real value of her deposit has been snatched away by the beneficiaries of inflation. Her deposit of Rs. 10 lakhs is now worth only Rs.2.3 lakhs in terms of the money of 1988

BENEFICIARIES OF INFLATION
The two principal beneficiaries of inflation are the borrowers of money and holders of property. The biggest borrower of money and holder of property in the country is the government itself and the next are the large business groups. Inflation goes on shifting the wealth from persons like this widow to the government and the upper classes of society.

CONSTITUTION FLOUTED

Our constitution guarantees fundamental rights including the right to property. No one is supposed to be deprived of his property without due process of law and after adequate compensation. But through inflation the government quietly goes on transferring property from crores of people belonging to the lower classes to itself and the richer classes of citizens.

OTHER VICTIMS OF INFLATION

By printing money and promoting inflation Government also causes immense damage to the poorest of the poor and the labor classes, because wages are sticky and do not keep pace with fall in the value of money, particularly in the short run.
Large scale printing of money provides the most subtle way of taxing the poor and the lower middle class people. They are forced to part with a major part of their hard earned income.

INCREASE IN INCOME TAX REVENUE ALSO DUE TO INFLATION

Revenue authorities keep feeling very proud of the fact that income tax and other revenues have been increasing during the last few years and attribute it to increase in the efficiency of administration. Actually increase in revenue is due to inefficiency in the management of the monetary system, which is multiplying money recklessly, giving rise to huge corporate and non-corporate profits. Income tax revenue had increased substantially even during the years of the second World War, when the British Govt. started printing currency excessively to finance the war and business profits shot up.
Business houses also keep claiming that their profits are increasing due to better management, whereas they are actually going up due to the rapidly rising prices.

OTHER DAMAGING CONSEQUENCES

Since the time of abandoning the barter system, most of the human activity takes place in terms of costing and pricing, which is done in monetary amounts. If the value of money goes on changing rapidly all amounts of costs and prices need to be revised. And a lot of time is wasted in renegotiating the transactions again and again, which reduces national output.
Fast rising prices and fall in the value of money adversely affect the household budget of everybody. Fixed income earners are the worst hit. Employees of public and private sectors all have to keep fighting continuously for increase in salary and wages rather than concentrate on productive work.
Imagine the consequences if the Govt. goes on changing the length of a foot or the weight of a kilo. Continuously changing the value of the common measure of all financial transactions is still worse.

MOST IDEAL COURSE

In the interest of justice, fairness and welfare of the common man, stability of the price level is very essential. The most ideal course would be to increase money supply only to the extent of increase in GDP so that the price level does not go up at all. But in order to facilitate rapid growth of the economy, some excess of money supply may be unavoidable. Moreover, it is not possible to match the two exactly. This excess should, however, be so small that the price level does not go up by more than around one percent per year as is happening in countries like Singapore or as happened during the period of British rule in India.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
S S Bagai MA(Economics), LLB served in the Indian Revenue Service for 12 years and is practicing as a financial and tax consultant since last 42 years. Tel 098115-60480

Butter milk....

2008-06-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend was another crazy one ... lots of action and drama.

Sat (06/14/08) was the most auspicious Nirjala Ekadasi, its a day when devotees of Krsna / Vishnu are suppose to observe a complete dry fast (fast even from water), its stated in vedic scriptures that throughout the year if one breaks or fails to observer an Ekadasi fast, then one should fast completely on Nirjala ekadasi. Since i missed out on one fast (when i was traveling to US, change in time zone's made it difficult to observe ekadasi), hence i decided to try my best to observe a dry fast. I said TRY coz the mercury in Manila has been rising since the last week or so and the humidity has also gone higher, these conditions make it difficult for dry fast.

I gave a short Bhagvatm class in the temple room and then our temple president Mahendra prabhu gave a very interesting presentation on Fast and the physical and spiritual benefits of dry fast, this helped to strengthen my decision. After the class i went to bed and woke up around 1400 hrs, the sun was blazing to its glory and there were no signs of rain.... The day was pretty uneventful and time flew by quickly. At night i realized that we had not prepared anything for the devotees to break there fast the next morning, hence i started to make Gajar Halawa (carrot halawa), it was good that i made it, coz it helped me stay focused for the next 3 hrs, I finished cooking halawa by 0030 hrs, the devotees in the temple were having kirtan, i went to the temple room to take part in the kirtan, however it was difficult to sit for a long time and hence i went home and took a shower, it felt so nice. I tried to sleep, however it was difficult to sleep. The night passed by turning from one side to another, and listening to interesting discourses. At 4 am i went to the temple for mangla arti, the fast breaking time was 0530 hrs - 0900 hrs, as the clock struck 0530 we served cold sweetened milk, banana, and gajar halawa, after serving everyone i honored prasadam, drinking cold milk was a great satisfying feeling and the halawa too good. I finished eating by 0630 hrs, it was sunday and it was my turn to cook the afternoon feast, so i hurried home and caught some much wanted sleep till 0900 hrs.

I had already requested and instructed Amardeep to start preparation for rotis, when i reached our temple kitchen i was happy to see that he was well in to his task. I quickly started making preparations for making mix veggi and amritsari chole. We planned out our cooking, one burner to be used to making roti's, one for making Sabzi's (first mix vegg and then chole) and one burner to be used for first making suji halawa and then to be used for making aloo wada. Cooking was fun, i have always loved cooking and its gets even better when one is cooking for the lords pleasure and a good crowd, the only fear was that if i screw up with the spices then it would show bad in front of 60 - 70 guest and hence i am always cautious as to what and how much species we add. For drink i had decided to make Butter milk, as it was very hot and humid i thought that butter milk will be a better choice (which proved wrong latter on...). Everything was ready on time and after the noon prayers we started serving rotis, chole, mix vegg sabzi, aloo wada, halawa, everyone liked the typical Indian preparations and were eating with great gusto, then we served out Butter milk, generally we always have a sweetened or natural juice for drinks, and most of our local filipino guest were expecting some thing similar, however when they took the first sip of the a creamy, salty, minty drink their taste buds could not accept the paradim shift or the taste of the butter milk and most of them started to make weird faces, it was fun to see the way most of them reacted to butter milk. I also learned my lesson, no to experiment too much, next time i will make sure that i discuss the menu and its taste with some temple devotee and get there feed back before i start cooking. Overall it was a great experience. I wish these kind of days keep coming back again and again....

“We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams.”

It is the journey that matters in the end

2008-06-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day to file my tax returns for 2007, and hence i woke up at bit early (around noon) had a quick shower and then rushed for the bank. The bank is located in business district of Makati and is about 3 kms from my house, the traffic is always bad in Makati and hence instead of taking my car i decided to ride a cab. After paying the taxes, i decided to walk on my way back. Walking helps me to relax and reflect.

As i was walking i saw the usual scene, cars speeding by, bus drivers racing with eachother, people on breaks smoking near the office building entrance, people sipping coffee at starbucks, tea and coffee house and other famous coffee outlets... what got me thinking was that instead of walking i could have easily taken a cab and would have reached home comfortably, or i could have been sitting in starbucks sipping their signature hot chocolate (that’s what i generally drink), however instead of doing any of these things here i was walking quietly down the street.... while walking i remembered my office days in 2000, i had just got out of college, and was doing internship in Alok industries. In those days, engineers were not paid that well, especially if one was a fresher with no contacts or god father support. During these days i would walk all the, walk from home to borivli station (10 mins) and ride a jam packed train from borivli to mahalakshimi and then walk till office (15 mins), during these days i dint have any other option, but to walk. At time i really hated walking and wanted to buy a car, even if that meant that i would have to work double shifts or work on holidays. I was willing to do these things just to buy a car, and today when i have a car, i want to walk... its so funny. When we dont have something we crave for it, we do crazy things just to get it, we push our limits and even ignore family and our personal health to achieve that SOMETHING, and once we get it, we at times realize some real crazy things behind out goal…. Hence I think they say, to be careful and make right choices and demands in life.

It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end.

New blog...

2008-06-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

Starting today i will be using this blog site to update my family and friends regarding my life. In the past i have been culprit of not updating my blog on regular basis, with this blog i will try my level best updating whenever and wherever possible.
My old blog (http://brotherhoodoflovenprayers.blogspot.com ) will be inactive till Jul / Aug08 or so, after which i plan to relaunch it with a new avatar and new vision n mission. Some of the entries on this blog were very personal and dark, and i wish to clear them away. With this new blog site comes new and reinvented Keyur :) someone who knows how to differentiate (between good and evil) and make choices and stand up to my morals and principles.

Thanks to one and all, your love, prayers and support is all that i am made up of. Love you all.

Keyur.

Picnic to Olangapo City

2008-06-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Its been quite sometime that I had been planning of spending a quite weekend out of the busy city away from Manila’s madness, and this dream was fulfilled (even thou it wasn’t “a QUITE” weekend) when we decieded to go for a day picnic to Olongapo city, Situated at the Southern entry point of Zambales and the Northwestern interior of the Subic Bay area, Olongapo City approximately 127 kilometers North of Manila (about 3 hrs drive from Manila). Because of its peculiar geographic location - the Zambales mountains on its three sides, Bataan and Subic Bay at its base – this city has a unique charm and beauty to it. Subic Bay's strategically located, deep natural harbor once contained America's largest military installation overseas and a favorite rest and recreational center for the service men.

After a long day at work, I reached home at 4am, took a short nap for about 40 mins and had a quicke shower, when I left the house at around 0530 am, I was thinking that I was early and rest of the gang might still be gearing up, but I was wrong, the movement I stepped out of the house, Jayadeva was ready with this elf. It was all crowded and hence we decided that I should take my car as well. At first I was struggling with this thought, then I realized that we all (approx 25 ppl) could not possibly fit in one midsized vehicle. After reaching Subic, I was so happy that I took my car along, as the drive was too good to miss…..we left manila around 0530am, we hardly got any traffic on our way to the NLEX (national Luzon express way) expressway. The city’s hurricane traffic was still sleeping and managed to escape it well. From the time we hit the express way, it was another world, an awesome 8 lane express way. We instantly hit the gas and in no time we were all flying, it was testing the car to the extreme, and in the end we and the car did fare well. I also reached my second best driving speed, my first best speed is 200 kms/hr (which I achieved in my old Camry ) and this time we managed to reach at 180 kms/ph in Ford escape, given the bulky nature of the car, with 5 passengers and decent quantity of luggage 180 km/hr was a nice speed. It was a beautiful site to see the sun rising in the country side, the lust green fields, the fresh crispy air, wind moistened with morning due… it was an amazing ride. We did take a good 30 min break on the way. Around 0830 am we reached out destination and waited for Jayadeva and his gang, they took some time to reach as they got lost on thier way and top it up they had a flat tyre.

Once we reached olongapo, we were joined by the local devotees and then everyone went for harinaam kirtan and purified the city and its people with the most transcendental sound vibration of the Hare Krsna maha mantra. While the devotees where doing kirtan, I decided to catch some zzzz’s. In no time I was fast sleep and was able to get around 2 hrs of solid sleep. When everyone returned we headed towards a beach, and had our breakfast and in no time we were all swimming in the clean crystal blue waters for which olongapo is famous for. The sun was out and it was a nice bright and sunny day. Everyone had great fun at the beach, some were swimming, somewere Skim boarding, some were playing in the sand and somewere doing kirtan in our cottage. Everyone was having a grand time.
Around 0400 pm we left the beach and returned to Olongapo city for more Hari naam kirtan. Baladeva prabhu lead everyone to an ecstatic kirtan. All the devotees present poured out there hearts, and participated will all heart and soul. The locals were shocked and happy to see devotees performing kirtan on their streets. The rhythmic combination of mrindanga’s, kartals, woompers, djembes, trumpet, and the devotees sincere chanting created an aura which was attracting, purifying and satisfying. The onlookers who saw us doing kirtan, could not resist and captured us on there handy cam’s/ con coders / cell phones with camera… they used it all. We did kirtan in various streets of olongapo, and culminated at the city’s major shopping center (see the video below). The kirtan lasted for about 4 hours, after the kirtan almost everyone had lost their voice :)

Compared to the our morning drive, the drive back to Manila was even more adventurous and fun. We reached home around 1100 pm. All in all it was a day worth dying for, a day well spend in trying to glorify the names of my sweet lord. While going to bed, I couldn't help but marvel at the unique nature of devotional service
"May there be good fortune throughout the universe, and may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities become calm by practicing bhakti-yoga, for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other's welfare. Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme transcendence, Lord Sri Krishna, and always remain absorbed in thought of Him."Srimad Bhagavatam 5.18.9

Desire

2008-06-05T11:25:00.001-07:00

Desire

Unfounded grief lurks

like a stranger in the shadows.

My only desire

to dive deeper into You.

If the termination of my heartbeat

is what brings me to Your throneroom,

then let death come quickly

and whisk me away.

My window must be dirty;

life looks so dim and dismal.

Dramatic words ring true

and endless sleep appeals.

If only I could see Your face

and rest there in Your arms.

My head to settle there on Your chest

as You breathe my lullaby.

I know I should have joy in You

and celebrate this life.

To waste this fleeting whisp of time

would be no gift at all.

But what do I have to give

when longing is all I feel?

The deeper I know You

the longing only grows.

My wanting of You never can be filled.

You’re a bottomless sea,

an endless book of Love.

I’ll spend my whole life swimming,

reading, searching for Your end.

I’ll always underestimate

and never comprehend

how You bring me to my knees

and silence all my words.

Nothing satisfies me,

so bring me close to You.

I want to feel Your smile,

catch Your contagious love.

Infect me like a virus

and overtake my soul.

Let my life reflect You,

my thoughts wrapped in Your grace.

Renew me, Lord God,

and restore my life!

Give me energy to run after You.

I’ll find You here

and rest for a time,

then set out to spread You to all.

Three words I have,

though they feel so weak

for the burning in me.

I love You, my God,

I’ll say it again.

I love, love, love, love You.

Hi...

2008-05-06T12:35:00.000-07:00