My Son: Ishaan

2 Days Young


 

 

7 Weeks young

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What's there in Name !?

Shakespeare once said "what's there in name?" But ask me.

I happened to read a book on numerology, it was stunning to know that my name (spells "Girish") is neither beneficial nor harmful to me. But if it is spelt as "Gireish", it is friendly and beneficial to me. The reason: "Gireish" in numerology is equivalent to digit 7, which in turn, is beneficial to my Date of Birth, which is also equivalent to digit 7. Bla bla bla...

It is interesting. Many actors and film stars have been changing the spelling of their names as per numerology like for instance Karishma Kapoor is now Karisma, Tushar Kapoor is now Tussar Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi is now Vivek Anand Oberoi and Akshay Khanna is Akshaye Khanna. Why not me?

I was ready for a stunning change and I love changes. I want to try this out for fun. I changed my display name on office email ID to "Gireish Nalgirkar" from "Girish Nalgirkar". The change was evident to all and everyone could see that I have done something with my name.

Then started the music.

Boss: Do you believe in numerology or something that you have changed your name? Have you consulted a numerologist?
Me: Yea, he is a very famous numerologist and in relation to Shweta Jummani.
Boss: Do you think it will bring luck to you?
Me: Yea, why not! (if your hand is on my head)
Boss: Are you going to change everywhere like passport and certificates?
Me: Ummm well lets see (no answer)
A Friend (in email): Hey Girish opps sorry..., Gireish,,
Another friend: Sab bakwas hai re? Kis pagal ne tere ko ye advice diya?
Me: Yea for sure (nevertheless funny)

Today after a month or so, I am confused about what my real name is, because everyone is writing me emails pronouncing me as "Gireish"; clients sincerely believe that I am "Gireish" and not "Girish", my birthday cake was written for "GirEish" (I noted that E was in Caps). All in all I understand and believe that I am "Gireish Nalgirkar" for this corporate world and have accepted it and will enjoy the change till the time I wish to do so. Right ?

The Roman Colosseum

I visited Rome on the eve of christmas and it was a delight to watch the beautiful old city: A food for eyes. There is a monument on every square and corner of the city. It shows how much efforts have been taken to preserve the Roman History.

One of the 7 wonders in world is the Roman Colosseum. Immediately it reminds us about the hollywood flick, Gladiator and Russel Crowe. Though the movie is a fiction work and nothing to do with the actual history, the movie depicts the true version of the killing amphitheatre, the Colosseum.

The Emperor, Vespasian in the 1st Century of AD, in 72, started the construction of Colosseum in order to create the entertainment centre for his subjects. The Colosseum had been completed up to the third story by the time of Vespasian's death in 79. In 80 the 4th floor was constructed and eventually inaugurated by his son Emperor Titus with 100 days of public events including the bloody gladiator fights. It is said that 9000 wild animals were killed during the inaugural games of the amphitheatre. The building was remodelled furhter under Vespasian's younger son Domitian, who constructed Hypogeum, a series of underground tunnels used to house animals and slaves. He also added gallery to the top of the colosseum to increase the seating capacity.

As for those who have seen the Gladiator, the even is shown to have occured during 180 AD. Here is the digitally created picture in the movie "Gladiator".

During the 3rd Century in 217 AD, The Colloseum of Rome was restored after being heavily damaged by a lightning-caused fire, which destroyed the wooden upper levels of the amphitheatre's interior. It was not fully repaired until about 240 and underwent further repairs in 250 or 252 and again in 320.

During the 404 to 435 the gladiatorial fights were outlawed by the Emperor Honorius. Animal hunts continued until at least 523.

During this period (476 to 1453 AD) the Colloseum of Rome deteriorates due to 2 severe earthquakes one in 443 and another in 1349, when the outer south side of the colosseum collapsed. The tumbled stones from the site were used to build palaces and churches including the St. Peter's Basilica. In 19th Century the popes championed the restoration of Colossesum of Rome, preserveing it for future generations. This is the insightful of Colosseum History.

According to the Codex-Calendar of 354, the Colosseum could accommodate 87,000 people, although modern estimates put the figure at around 50,000. They were seated in a tiered arrangement that reflected the rigidly stratified nature of Roman society.

Little remains now the Original Oval Arena floor.

Hypogeum (Underground tunnels) are clearly visible.

Accounts of the inaugural games held by Titus in AD 80 describe it being filled with water for the display of Sea Battle, although there is a debate on how the arena could have been water proofed, nor there would have been space for warships to move.

Visitors wonder to see the place of deaths, the place where gladiators fought till death, the place where, on the thumbs down of emperor and crowd the fighters were slained, the place where battles were enacted, animals hunted, the first ever place to host the reality show of martyrdom and barbarian killings. It is said that the stadium used to be planted with bushes and the animlas from Africa would be introduced to populate the scene and killed for the delight of crowd.

The Colosseum today is now a major tourist attraction in Rome with thousands of tourists each year paying to view the interior arena and feel the Roman History.

Dreaming Big..

There is a proverb which says, “If you want your dreams to come true, don't sleep…”

In reality most of us dream big and then go to sleep. We dream of creating wealth, we dream of luxuries in life we want lots of riches but unfortunately we do not stay awake to plan for those dreams and make them reality – we just daydream about them. There is difference between dreaming and daydreaming. Someone who dreams has desires, aspirations, ambitions etc. On the other hand a daydreamer only builds castles in the air.

First step to realize any dream is to crystallize it. It is not good enough to say I want luxury car. It is important to be specific – I need luxury car worth Rs 10 lakh after 6 years. Do not have it in the ‘back of your mind’ to save money for your goal. List it down.

Having crystallized dreams next step is to create reserve for those other events that can upset our plans to reach those dreams. Suppose if we have not made provision for these events and if they occur then they will deplete funds, which has been created for our dreams.

After creating contingency reserve, we should evaluate our existing insurance. First verify whether we have sufficient health insurance for self and family. Obtaining sufficient health insurance we should also focus on disability and life insurance.

After we have ensured that there are sufficient provisions to withstand perils that may cross us, while we are moving ahead in our journey to reach our dreams, we should move to savings and investing.

Do you know the biggest hurdle, which stops us from saving sufficient amount for our dreams? “OURSELVES.” Our habits of procrastinating and spending are the biggest barricades in making us reach our goals. Sooner we start walking on our path to reach dream destination, by regularly saving and investing, faster we will reach. We should not procrastinate. Also stay focused on to our dreams.
Don’t just dream about future, plan for it. Remember famous saying “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

Child Adoption

In America last year 941 orphan kids were adopted from India. Most of the kids were adopted by the NRI settled in America. If you think of a reason, you will come to a conclusion that these NRI felt guilty of having not done anything for the country and in attempt to serve the country, they adopted the Indian orphan child. This is the maximum number till today from a single country.

The second highest was by Italy. The reason, I feel, Indians are black haired, look similar to Italians except colour. So over all, the white Indian child looks like most of the Italians. Similar is the case with Spain, which is third highest in the rank. Here I don't feel that the number is because of NRI.

The fourth highest adoption of Indian orphan child was by Denmark. But here the reason could be, the rarely dense population of Denmark. The rate of population rise is very low and the human race is becoming extinct there.

The Godfather

Mario Puzzo's "The Godfather", the movie is the way of life for men. It makes a huge impact on your brains until you finish seeing the three parts. It's a huge knowledge bank. The movie glorifies the don and puts some interesting management techniques the don uses.

What interests most of us are the dialogues. Let me list some impactuous and interesting dialogues from the movie.

1. "My father made him an offer he couldn't refuse.." Mikey to Kay

2. "It means Luca Brasi Sleeps with fishes..." Tessio to Sonny

3. "Its too dangerous..." Vito and Mikey.

4. "He's thinkin' of goin' to mattresses already.." (Sonny thinking of going to allout war) Clemenza to Paulie.

5. "Leave the Gun. Take the Cannoli.." Clemenza to Paulie's murderer.

6. "Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, Saturday.." Apollonia to Mikey.

7. "Mention it. Dont insist..I didn't know until this day that it was Barzini all along" Don to Tom.

8"Listen, whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting; he is the traitor.." Don to Mikey.

9. "My Answer is this: Nothing.." Mike to Senator.

10. "I never knew no Godfather.." Pentangili to Senator.

Software India Limited

India was a cheap country, where a common man could feed his family with a mere $ 3 income per day. But the situations are changing today with the onset of globalization. India has been put on global IT map as the cheap, software developing, English speaking country. Due to our economy and low operating cost, we could get the jobs outsourced to India.

Now as the software industry is growing, bringing more and more people into IT industry with more IT jobs to India, the economy has started growing. With this, starts the need for more man-power recruitment. Fresh engineers are being recruited on a large scale with high salary. There are companies looking for skilled professionals, so these people change the jobs for high income and in turn create a huge vacuum for new professionals. This started a rat race; attrition rate increased and the companies have to pay more to retain the people. This in turn makes India loose the cost Advantage over the other countries in near future.

The growing scale of highly salaried people has taken the living cost in India to a new high level. These are the fruits of globalization that people are spending more as they are earning more. But the question is, are we all 100 crore Indians part of this globalization? Are we all enjoying the fruits of globalization? No!

Poor sections of society are becoming poorer as the earnings to the cost of living ratio is decreasing eventually. IT boom helped professional to buy the apartments, causing the real estate industry grow at high pace and today one has to pay thrice for the same apartment which used to cost before one year. But here this brunt has to be bared by non-IT people too.

Inflation rate is at its all-time peak and the competition to survive is like "fittest of survival". The one who is fit economically and also growing at a high rate financially can only sustain this competition. Rest all, who think are well settled, should know that the financial leaking hole is becoming larger and larger, day-by-day.

Random Thoughts

I have closely observed how different the European and American people live their life as compared to Indian counterparts. The reasons behind the differences could be varied.

They enjoy the freedom in real sense. Their minds and thoughts are far freer than us. Their thinking window is broader than us. We are bound by many good and bad things; we fear to speak, we fear to do various things, like "What will people think if I do like this", "Oh that's too far from my reach”, “that’s so stupid of me to have said like that”. Our people too respond in similar manner, “he is an idiot, he doesn’t know how to talk”, “he is mad”, “he is a hypocrite” and bla bla bla.

They talk about ideas and events. We talk about people, gestures and their ways of living and some imaginary things, which we call dreams.

They enjoy when it is time to do so and never bother of any damn thing. We sit idle or watch an idiot box or a stupid movie and chat. They play sports till the age of 50 and go outing on weekends.

Young people enjoy the youth and remain young for a long time. Till the time we get settled with substantial income source and spouse, we miss the youth and till we begin to enjoy, the young age would have passed by. That means from childhood we directly enter the adult hood and we miss the youth age completely.
They spend more and save less; and enjoy the real financial freedom; we spend less to save more, as we realize the money would be required for future. They think money is for them; we think that we are for money.

They sit and only work in the office time, and rest of the time they are somewhere else away from work. We enjoy while we work and waste lot of time; furthermore we end up sitting day and night to finish the work.

Not all things are good in them. Such as;

They need to take an appointment from parents to have dinner with them. They are far away from each other as a society. They need to go to pubs to find a girlfriend and live a very short marital life. Marriages end in abut seven years anyway, hence no need to spend more on the event. When they grow young, they abandon their parents and in the old age parents end up in old age house. Respect for elders is not there. They live only by the principles governing state laws, which is a religion for them, as they don’t follow the so called religions.

Real Happiness

This is one most difficult thing to find in the world. We are loosing our values and some important things behind nothing. But the cost paid for the same will be too high in long terms.

India as a secular country has lost its originality. Everyone is running behind "mrigjal". It is harsh reality. We run behind comforts of world and we forget that we need just a 6 feet by 3 feet space to sleep and much less to stand.

We have lost the Indian values. Happiness can be achieved in a small amount of money but may not be retained in large amount of money. We were happy, but something tempted us to change and and run behind money; we lost sleep and now we need pills to sleep. But for what? Name, fame and glamour are relative. Who says that all glamourous people, rich and famous people are happy? Does anyone? Money is just a mean of getting some ammenities but not everything. Glamour has ruined many.

Everyone I see today has become a money hopper, follower of western culture and only religion is profession. We dont even know ABCD about our religion. Religion is identity of a person. It teaches us the values of life and ways to achieve Moksha. But profession or the rat race teaches us only how to earn money, more money and then more and more money. We need to be first good Indians, better religious and then preach the world. Then world will definitely follow us.

With degrading ideas and morals only destruction is possible and not real happiness.

Life's Little Instruction Book....

I found this in a forwarded email, liked it and hence sharing with you. This is neither a ready reckoner for all the situations in life nor a checklist, but definitely interesting and one can adapt few of the things or give a little thought in your own perspective. Here it goes;

Have a firm handshake.

Look people in the eye.

Sing in the shower.

Own a great stereo system.

If in a fight, hit first and hit hard.

Keep secrets.

Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen everyday.

Always accept an outstretched hand.

Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.

Whistle.

Avoid sarcastic remarks.

Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90 per cent of all your happiness or misery.

Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out.

Lend only those books you never care to see again.

Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all that they have.

Give people a second chance, but not a third.

Be romantic.

Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.

Don't allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It's there for your convenience, not the caller's.

Be a good loser.

Be a good winner.

When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.

Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.

Keep it simple.

Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.

Don't burn bridges. You'll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.

Live your life so that your epitaph could read, No Regrets.

Be bold and courageous. When you look back on life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more
than the one's you did.

Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.

Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who
helped you.

Take charge of your attitude. Don't let someone else choose it for you.

Visit friends and relatives when they are in hospital; you need only stay a few minutes.

Begin each day with some of your favorite music.

Once in a while, take the scenic route.

Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them, 'Someone who thinks you're terrific.'

Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.

Keep a note pad and pencil on your bed-side table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m.

Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job.

Send your loved ones flowers. Think of a reason later.

Become someone's hero.

Marry only for love.

Count your blessings.

Compliment the meal when you're a guest in someone's home.

Wave at the children on a school bus.

Remember that 80 per cent of the success in any job is based on you ability to deal with people.

Don't expect life to be fair.

"Keep Smiling"

RTO Pune

Pune is the worst example of traffic control in the entire India. It has neither traffic rules nor people to control it. All the traffic rules are being violated and no proper system is in place.

The worse part is RTO (Traffic Control Police Department), Pune. They have tempos run by contracting agencies. Tempos run across the streets every hour to locate the two wheelers (pray) parked in non-parking areas, which is rarely marked and is known to only the RTO and the the contracting people of RTO, who lift the vehicles, put in tempo and take to a RTO vehicle dumping yard.

Poor vehicle drivers get shocked not to find their two wheeler and start running around to search for it. Somebody tells them that it has been lifted by RTO, but where have they taken it? Unknown.. Somehow they have to catch an auto rickshaw and go to this dumping yard, where these vehicle lifters will be desperately waiting for their prays.

There is no traffic police available around these vehicles and eventually you end up in talking to those guys (who look like thieves). They tell you that "your vehicle was parked in non-parking area and you need to shed off Rs. 250 to get the vehicle back". Rich guys who don't bother for 250 rupees throw the money and take the vehicles. Some people start arguing that their vehicle was parked in parking area; but then its like head bump on a rock.

They don't want to listen to you and no traffic officer is available to listen to your argument. In the end you try to negotiate for smaller amount but alas. You have to pay Rs 250 and no other option but to pay, if you want your vehicle back. And ask for the receipt, they tell "Babu (officer) has gone for lunch and receipt can be given only after 4 hours, or may be the next day". Also you may hear, "The receipt book is with the Babu on the picking vehicle". What the hell!

So you end up in frustration and pay the amount. This is happening in Pune every day and night. The RTO officers, through this money earning machine, are gathering millions of black money. Who is going to look in to this? "Ghor kaliyug aa gaya hai".

The most corrupt and rich babus in Pune are RTO officers and I am not sure to who all this black money goes. But as I hear its a big racket. Someone has to stop this corruption. But who will stop this, those who need to stop are the corrupt bureaucrats. Why will they stop it when it is their own outcome!

Oh God please save us! Its unbearable now.

Zaanse Schans

Banks of Zaan River (Old Holland)

Big Fat Beauty

Windmills

Windmill

Be Gutsy

I feel everything is possible in this world provided one has guts to make things happen.

I mean two things are desirable for bending the world as per your will, wish and desires;
1. Clarity of thoughts
2. guts to express those thoughts.

People who dont have any opinion on any matters are taken for granted by the society and they are left behind in the crowd and eventually get lost off in the la-la land. Lets make life worth and have a say in this world. one who can convince one's thoughts are qualified to be successful politicians. Though it may become an image eventually; but variety in thoughts nullify that to project a personality.

I feel girls accept the fact that they are weaker sex in the society and like the manly shoulders to rest their head on. So they look for intelligent and bold guy, can be called a smart guy. Few a guys dont even have the guts to accoust a girl and say "Hi"; then how can they expect to be accepted by girls! This may be true about most of Indians.

So next time you express dissatisfication with your boss or like a girl be sure of above two points.

Thats it!

Importance of Listening

The Almighty has given us sensory organs like eyes, ears, nose, skin and so on. The sensors are under our control and we can use them whenever we need to. But there is a difference between ears, eyes and mouth. Eyes can be shut to avoid seeing unpleasant scenes, mouth can be shut to stop talking nonsense but ears can’t be closed not to hear. Even if you put hands on ears, you still hear many things. The ears cannot be tight shut off; the simple reason is God wants us to listen to everything and everyone.

Many people don’t listen to others and don’t like getting suggestions forget about dictation. A good listener makes minimum mistakes in professional and personal life as well. Listen, listen, listen and do as per your conscience suggest you after listening to everyone.

Advantages of listening:

1. People feel respected if they are listened to;
2. Knowledge and awareness increases;
3. You are in the flow of society and system, and so chances of getting isolated are low. Not to forget “Human being is colonial by nature.”
4. Less chances of making mistakes in work;

Above points would also mark out differences between ‘hearing’ and ‘listening’.

Freedom of Thoughts

Human mind has different windows; Hidden window, dark window, open window. The behaviors and gestures are results of the active window. A window that is dominating the other windows and shouting loudly is active window.

We stop ourselves from doing many things and we miss them forever because mind says "What others shall say?", "oh god, it may make me suffer!", "How can I say (or do)like this?", "Even if it sounds good to do, I may end up in making fool of myself!". These are the obstacles in the path of growth. That's why I like the Reliance one liner, which says "Growth is Life". So with these obstacles there can not be growth and hence lifeless life is inevitable.

One needs to enlarge the Open window. By doing that one can think broad and the thoughts are global unlike confined thoughts of small thinking window. The freedom of expressions and pleasure of doing certain things can never be missed at the cost of fear. That's why I like Nike's one liner "Just Do It".

Numerology, Astrology and palmistry are considered before doing certain things, I don't say they are surreal, but they are having some logic, and is that logic really applicable to our life is a thought provoking issue. But it is interesting and entertaining.

Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar

I love this gazal and its lyrics.

Jhuki Jhuki si nazar bekarar hai ke nahi,,,
daba daba sa sahi dil me pyar hai ke nahi...

Jhuki Jhuki si nazar...[]

Tu apne dil ki jawan dhadkanon ko ginke bata,,,
meri tarah tera dil, bekarar hai ke nahi,..
daba daba sa sahi dil me pyar hai ke nahi...

Jhuki Jhuki si nazar...[]

Woh palke jisme mohobbat jawan hoti hai,,,
us ek pal ka tujhe, intezar hai ke nahi,..
daba daba sa sahi dil me pyar hai ke nahi...

Jhuki Jhuki si nazar...[]

Teri umid pe thukra raha hun duniya ko,,,
tujhe bhi apne pe ye, eitbar hai ke nahi,..
daba daba sa sahi dil me pyar hai ke nahi...

Jhuki Jhuki si nazar...[]

Portrayal of Today's Nationalism

Rang De Basanti has been nominated as India's official entry to the Oscars.

A bunch of angry youngsters shooting the defence minister, capturing a radio station and forcibly going on air as part of their agenda to expose high level corruption is the theme of Rang De Basanti. In the film, it is Sue, the white girl, who is inspired by the freedom struggle. Her enthusiasm transforms the lives of a laidback bunch of friends, who are representatives of an Indian generation who have lost all serious interest in the nation. It has a heroic and forward looking character. The path chosen by the youth to fight against all odds was of a stream of thoughts to free India from British by Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and many more patriots.

Another very near contender for the Oscars was "Lage Raho Munna Bhai". Here also we had nationalist ideal, the Mahatma, writ large. Like Rang De Basanti, it becomes part of youth culture. A common and arrogant Mumbai (Munna) bhai gets paranoid illusions of the Mahatma preaching the way of Ahimsa and Satyagraha (non-violance and truth follower) to fight the odds in common life. This path itself is the other stream of thoughts to free India from British.

These two cases show how the nationalist imagination still reigns when it comes to facing the world (the Oscars) or in todays world the nation is under scrutiny? But they do have a message to everyone of us Indians.

cheers...

Sab Maya Hai

The God has appended human minds with various shades of thoughts or feelings. Like kam (lusty), krodh (anger), lobh (greed), moh (attraction)and last but not the least matsar (jealousy). These shades maketh a person and various agonies and miseries of the world.

The one who seeks the real happiness by overcoming these feelings becomes devine.Human achieves "Moksh" or "Nirvana", iff he overcomes above mentioned baricades, that make him struggle entire life. Thats the key to ramin happy forever.

I am very much diseased with Jealousy now-a-days. I feel jealous about anything and anybody. I know its hard to live that way; but I must come out of it. This can be a depressed state of mind suffering from low self-confidence. But its bad and defies my philosophy "Sab Maya Hai".

Poverty

I stopped at the traffic signal in the busiest economic square besides few four wheelers and a Mercedes, waiting for the green. Here came running a thin, half naked black kid; stood infront of the Mercedes window with small eyes, spread his hands wide, muttered few words, begged. The big fat man with bright white safari and golden bracelets, reading "Economic Times of India", never bothered to pay heed to the chap, forget coins.

Certain questions peeped into my mind,

1. Will the begging kid ever in his lifetime be like the person in car?
2. Why is there such a big difference?
3. Where are the fruits of globalization?
4. Who will lift him and many others like him?

Once upon a time, I happened to stay in a very posh township with very pleasant and rich people around there continuously for six months. I came out of township to travel by a train and what I saw on the station was miserable. I was so much away from the sorrows,miseries and grief of real Indian society!

1. Beggars everywhere,
2. Drunken poor lying on roadside,
3. Unclean and un-hygienic environment,
4. Pollution, dust and poor infrastructure.

I feel only God has to take birth to make an Ideal world.