The Eternal Optimist!

Maya’s sleep was broken by her only companion: her mobile phone. She picked up the phone as quickly as her disease-weakened body allowed her. She had been awaiting the sound of that beep for a long time. As she stared at the phone’s screen, a tiny bit of joy and a sliver of guilt came to her at once like yin and yang. Was it wrong to feel so happy in this situation? But why not? Feeling happy for oneself is one of the greatest joys. Why was she feeling guilty about it? Perhaps it was because she had always put the happiness of her family before herself. And had she expressed how happy she was in the current situation, she would have been labeled awkward, weird, and selfish. She was in the Covid ward after all. Maya closed her eyes and brushed off the cobwebs of thoughts. ‘Live in the moment. Live in the moment, Maya’. With a hint of smile on her face, she opened the message on her phone: “Hey, maybe you should start with Heidi. It’s the story of a little girl who helps her loved ones ...

Lately, I have been facing a weird kind of writer’s block in terms of creative writing. I can write very good newsletters and articles, but stories and poems have vanished for now. And it’s happening not because of the lack of ideas, but because of lack of feelings. That’s what you get when you combine a little exposure to Indian philosophy and depressing news. Once you have learnt that everything is ephemeral, no moment upsets or excites you deeply enough to write a story about it. And when you hear some dark news and think, ‘I'd rather write something happy and uplifting than hurting the readers with sad realizations’. So you don’t write. Then, there’s this idea of minimalism brought by business writing-don’t put the word on paper unless it serves a purpose. Every sentence you write must lead the reader to take an action. If that is not happening, don’t write. So you begin thinking ‘how could I intelligently embed a call to action in my story?’ And till you find an ans...

The fire in his eyes lit up again as the Mercedes came at the door of the ashram. “Good morning...Swami ji...sir…” the driver hesitated, not knowing what to call him. He got in without a word, and watched the gate of the ashram fall behind as the car took the road to airport. The seat of his old car seemed warmer and more welcoming after all these years. He had bought the car just a few months before meeting his guru, Swami Adbhutananda, the man who had preached detachment from material world and convinced him to become an ascetic. He had left behind his house, his parents, and Boomerang Investments, the company he had founded with his friends at the age of 20. Hailed as a financial wizkid, he had made sure his firm emerged as small, nimble but credible name in financial markets. Five years later, he had met Swami ji, and then in next three years had renounced the material world to become an ascetic himself. Best decision, he thought now. Only after being an ascetic had his own ...

Language-learning is a struggle. Of course, some of us enjoy it, but even the most dedicated linguists find themselves groping in the dark till they figure out some basic things. And for many of my own students who come from science background, the world of languages is absolutely confusing unless you design a proper system to teach it to them. I find the same to be true while attempting to learn Spanish using Duolingo app and the excellent Senor Jordan channel on Youtube. Duolingo throws patterns of sentences and vocabulary at you, but the learning does not feel systematic. The app doesn't tell you “this is the rule”. And unless you are smart enough to figure out the grammar yourself, all you end up with is words and patterns. For instance, there are two forms of the verb “to be” in Spanish - ser & estar . Duolingo shows you sentences that use both these forms but it does not tell you when to use ser and when to use estar . That’s where Senor Jordan comes in. Anyw...

Mark Twain has written about the horrors of learning German language in his famous essay of the same name, but I had not read it before enrolling for the class. The language is similar to Marathi or Hindi in that everything has a gender, masculine, feminine, neutral and plural, and there is absolutely no sense of logic to why things are the way they are. Now, the  Germans are great engineers, forever asking the question “why?” in all areas of science, but they clearly did not reflect on that when they were building their language. Why? Maybe  they thought “well,we have to focus on engineering anyway so why bother about language as long as we get the scientific terms right” If you are not one of the fortunate few who have German as their first language, your battle with the tongue continues forever on two fronts: first, the complicated rules of grammar, second, painfully long words that are equally difficult to pronounce. One of my personal favourites is “Brandschutzmassna...

Nature. For someone like me, who has been born and brought up in a city, the word means chaos, uncertainty, and a mixture of beauty and danger. What would I do if left in the midst of nature without any tech gadgets,you ask? Well, as seen on TV,  I would first find flint stones and make fire, and then look for food. Then, I would attempt to find and befriend a wolf pack and use it to take over the civilised world! But since that is difficult to do in just one day, let us look at other options. Assuming I have found a cave, made good fire, and got the food part sorted, what should I do next? Since there is plenty to eat and drink, my first task would be to take a rock and draw and write something on the walls of the cave so that anyone who comes there knows I was here. I would probably fill the wall with fantastic stories about I was a great leader of mankind so that when archaeologists stumble upon the cave many centuries later, they will think I was really great and the child...

Patience is a priceless jewel, said the old Chinese philosopher Confucius. Well, when my family came into existence, they probably chose this jewel over the other…stones. This I say about my maternal family because I rarely had any contact with the paternal one. Two things have always dominated the fortunes of my family- that quality, as I said before, of patience, and politics. My mother had been married in Maharashtra and had come home to Goa for delivery. When I was born and my father came to seem me, the Goan people decided to agitate over whether Konkani or Marathi should be the state language of Goa and the state’s borders were sealed. So, my father never went back and decided to stay in Goa. I am not a man of numbers but my mom has around 25 brothers, cousins and all included and all of them are into business. Grocery stores, clothing stores, electrical appliances, modular kitchen showrooms, lathe machines, you name it and one of us will be selling it.   Almost all ...

I never though i would say this, but light one-time read novels and slapstick movies are some of the best things life has to offer. There was a time I used to value only high-quality literature like The White Tiger or Tinderbox but now, I am of the opinion that  cheap one-time reads which one can buy on railway stations or second-hand bookstores are absolutely essential. The same goes for movies. While films like Peepli Live do hold a unique place and act to change the society, a Dabangg is vital to keep us sane. When I was a student and had ample time to process information and think about things, I loved to read and watch thought-provoking stuff. But now, I am white-collar worker and  find that anything that is pure entertainment and does not involve too much thinking is welcome. Reading a relatively uncomplicated novel and then coming up with ridiculous alternative plots is a fun thing to do. Most importantly when everything in your life isn't working according...

I had a pretty hectic week this time as the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) began here. Honestly, I had a lot to write about butt being an essentialist/minimalist, I decided to write about only one panel discussion in the festival that I think is the most valuable. Why are films important? What impact  do they have on society? Moreover what is the power of storytelling? These were the questions the drove the discussion on the theme “The Power of Storytelling” that took place at the Maquinez Palace last Tuesday. The panel consisted of actor and writer Nishikant Kamat, art market editor Ms Anna Louie Sussman ( @annalouiesuss ), filmmaker and director of “ Airlift ”  Raja Krishna Menon ( @RajaMenon ), and CEO of Mythos Labs Priyank Mathur ( @PriyankSMathur ).  The discussion was moderated by Vice President of Observer Research Foundation Mr Samir Saran ( @samirsaran ). The panel deliberated on how storytelling can be used to combat terrorism, break ge...

I am getting a new bookshelf! No. The development is not that small. I’ve never had a bookshelf before, and the event needs some preparation. I am pretty excited about the thing and I am very particular about which books deserve a place on the bookshelf. The plan flows along essentialist lines. I carefully evaluate all my books and give away most of them. Then, I keep on the bookshelf, only those books that  offer absolutely brilliant experience as hard copies, for example, ‘S’ by JJ Abrams. Of course, all books are better read in hard-copy, but then, those books which are cheaper in digital form, and those that I believe are an inseparable part of me, will go to kindle. I also have another weird idea: A book shall remain on the shelf for maximum five to seven years. After that, it has to be donated to the local library, regardless of whether I have read it or not. If I think it is worth keeping, I will buy a kindle version of the book.  If it is not available on kin...

Arriving in Jodhpur was like walking into a cute little thriller novel. The lashing of rain continued, punctuated by thunder and lightning. We arrived at around 8 pm, and to the chagrin of taxi drivers outside the station, discovered that our hotel was located at walking distance from the station. That was the last pleasant surprise that night. Of course, surprises never stopped after that, but they weren’t pleasant. (or were they?) The hotel looked nothing like its picture on the booking website. It was a derelict building located at the end of a narrow by-lane where not a single street lamp was functioning. As opposed to the smart, polite receptionists we had encountered at other hotels, the desk here was occupied by a lanky, dark man who had little slits of brown eyes. “Your room is on third floor. We have no lift, no bellboy.” he barked in a gruff voice. Upon asking about food, he curtly informed that the hotel did not even have its own restaurant, and walked out into the ...

Train journeys are enjoyable once you resolve the dilemma of whether to concentrate on the book in your hand or on the view outside the window. However, that was not the dilemma I battled onboard the Marudhar Express from Jaipur to Jodhpur on day 4 of the Rajasthan tour. “We need a broader concept” I said to Il Sognatore, the dreamer who also had the ability to execute his dreams.  While toying with the vague concept of giving people positive news, we stumbled upon many websites ( The Better India deserves a mention) that do exactly that, and immediately let go of that idea. At this point, the talk shifted to content in general –web serieses or videos, spoofs  that offered a unique take on the Indian society, and the like. Here, there was an interesting place for product positioning. As opposed to the mainstream media, there are no censors on the Internet. As a result, a lot of bold, and sometimes a little offensive content is broadcast. There is content which is pro...

What? Were you expecting a proper structure? You won’t find that here, because the current order makes the journey more sensible. The third day of the grand tour begins at Bangaluru’s International Airport where I’m sitting at 7:00 in the morning, cursing the airline company that rescheduled our 4:30 pm flight to 8:30 am. While waiting for the flight, I spot two gentlemen who look like they are from Southeast Asian countries and head over there to eavesdrop on their conversation.  They are having a conversation about major companies. The first guy, let’s call him Lee, was making a comment about Google. The company, he said is facing high attrition among its employees as they leave to start their own ventures. Employees are sort of using major firms to get good money, knowledge and exposure before they start their own businesses. The second man looked Indian but his accent gave the impression that he was an NRI. Replying to Lee’s comment, he said that the way people see compan...

Bangaluru. The most dynamic city in the world.  If you speak to a traveller who has visited the city, he will tell you of futuristic buildings, beautiful gardens, and vibrant culture of the city. Bangaluru has all that, and more, I agree, but the story of my first day in the city begins with a garrulous, pesky auto driver. We met this autowallah outside Blossom bookstore (more about that in this Twitter thread ) and rather than drop us to the location we wanted, he insisted we go check out a jewelry store so he may earn his commission. Ultimately, since he quoted a fare far less than the metered rate, we agreed to visit the shop. When the time came to do this however, we went in through the front door, walked out of the back door, and waited for some time before making our way back to the auto driver. To our chagrin, he now insisted that he would show us significant sights around the city for a fixed amount of money. Although we surrendered before his pestering then, I am now e...

Picture courtesy: Adv. Soumitra Kundaikar The first day of a multi-city trip has ended in Bangaluru.  Despite doing a lot of things and having some weird writing ideas, I am stuck at the beginning of the blog post. I don’t want a typical travelogue describing places, or a plain chronicle of activities. Instead, I will tell you the story of my intrepid travel-buddy whose emotional quotient is close to zero (a fact that he is proud of) and who often gives yours truly a run for his money in coming up with radical and ridiculous ideas. “I have been thinking a lot about the concept of time and space lately” said the travel buddy as our plane took off. (He made very little sense to me and I am struggling to put his thoughts in words, so please bear with me.) “Time and space are related. Time is a measure of how fast ‘space’ moves a certain distance- space-as in a particular point of reference to which the mass moves. So, if you travel faster, and approach closer to the speed of li...

I have been thinking for the past few months about why I have been unable to make any progress with part II of my book ‘Cool but Confused” (which I intend to re-launch under new title when it catches my fancy again). Problem-solving is fun (my own problems; not those of others). I mull over issue for months, even years, and at times it seems that the trail has gone cold. The solutions often come just as other people have forgotten the issue; circumstances have changed, and I have developed a new perspective over the long period of time that has passed. Also, you become detached with things after long period of time and that makes it easy to swiftly implement solutions that seemed brutal before. So, here’s what came up after the little thinking exercise. The characters in my previous book are based on friends who have been by my side since the last 20 years. The stories in it were based on the experiences they shared with me at various points during those long years of bonding. Eve...

People migrate from place to place in search of good life. They seek better employment opportunities, more opulent houses and what not, and thus go from Goa to Delhi to Washington. In my opinion, if you want a good life, stay in one place. Take roots. That gives you a chance to cultivate people. Building networks and staying with them is perhaps more important than just running where the money takes you. Ten years down the line, you suddenly discover that your bench-mate in school has now become a police inspector; that girl who always lended you notes has become a teacher, and the conductor of that bus you take to office every day is none other than that back-bencher who pretended to be the cool dude of the class. Moving places prevents you from strengthening these networks. One might say Whatsapp and social media help maintain friendships. True, but they do not strengthen them. Nothing equals the joy of pouring out your mind after the day’s work to that old friend who has been b...

Hello, New Me, this is Old Me (even though technically you are the older person.) You are definitely wiser and more experienced than I am. You may wonder why I am writing to you from my time. I will put it this way: We have these epiphanies sometimes and we discover what being truly happy is, but they last for a short time before being forgotten and lost in our daily struggles. This letter is an attempt to preserve one such epiphany. I believe you are currently surrounded by more people than I was but connect with very few of them. I started that phase of your life. I understood that material stuff brings limited happiness and people bring a little more happiness, but in reality, our happiness lies with us. Today, you will find people pressuring you into do things you do not wish. In that case, I remind you, strive for solitude and reflection.  That is what brought you the success you enjoy at the moment. If you are at the moment feeling depressed and indifferent to pretty m...

I have found a flaw in our lives and I intend to mend it.  People are glorifying rat-race; prioritising work over sleep and health.  “I am so busy, I don’t have time even for myself” is something people say with pride. This is a cool trend. I intend to reverse that trend. It is cool to have control over your own time; to be happy with less rather than chasing money at the cost of health. The West is witnessing such a trend where young professionals are rejecting hectic work schedules and opting for less-paying options that offer a slower and more peaceful life. This is called ‘ downshifting ’.  This is the trend I seek to drive forward.   To that end, I have tried to write stories about people caught in the rat-race, only to find them sprawling with clichés. I found myself falling prey to anger, frustration, pushing myself harder to research Slowness and Minimalism , reading books late into night, exhausting myself thinking hard till it was almost ...

Had a discussion about the proper use of social media in office yesterday.  We talk a lot about the increasing penetration of social media but with that we also need to develop the right mindset to use these media. When you are sharing something on social, it is akin to broadcasting your views on national television. In case of something like Twitter or blog, you are broadcasting to global audience. With that in mind, and drawing upon my thoughts during the discussion, I listed some basic guidelines for sharing information on social . I call them the Rules of Sharing. Think twice before you post anything.  The world is watching. You won’t gain much by following your own friends. Follow people from different countries and cultures. Broaden your horizons.  Curate relevant information by scanning the right hashtags. Getting information is the easy part. Curating is more important.  Hashtags are a must with every status. They get you visibility.  People w...