Book Review : The Habit Of Winning

Whenever my dad is explaining something to me, he has this habit of spinning short stories to draw such powerful analogies, usually ridiculous humorous renderings, which really make me see the point, loud and clear. I and Tinu always prod him to compile a book of his “examples”, but he laughs off the idea.

Anyway, a week back, my dad brought home a book that he probably picked up at the airport. This one, “The habit of winning” might be the simplest read I have ever had. This not only means there were just 8-10 words in the entire book that really needed to be looked up in a dictionary, but more importantly, it has been written in such a lucid language that although it seems to be targeted at young managers (author Prakash Iyer is the MD of Kimberly Clark Lever and an MBA from IIMA), it would be useful, if not equally beneficial, to a school-going kid or even a housewife. It has lessons of life explained through a string of random stories and anecdotes, loosely classified into some categories..like stories that help you discover your goals in life, stories that teach you the significance of perseverance, positive attitude and stories celebrating the qualities of a great leader. Not all stories maybe true; in fact, some of them involve animals! I wonder if they were selected from Panchtantra.. But the point is, none exceeds 2-3 pages! When I deduce a lesson in life myself, the hard way, nothing seemingly productive might have happened that day, but the satisfaction of learning a truth that will guide me in the future is enthralling. And to gather 10-15 such precious stories in a day! That can be somewhat overwhelmingJ.

For one thing, this book will probably engender some interest in cricket, for half of the inspirational stories are about the valor of some great cricketers round the globe. After all, cricket is such a perfect embodiment of all the principles of teamwork, perseverance and leadership. However, one of my favorite stories is that of the Chinese Bamboo that can grow as high as 80 feet in just 90 days, but here’s the catch: you don’t see any growth for the first 5 years!! Demands huge patience from the person sowing the seeds, doesn’t it? J But what happens in those five long years? The roots keep growing to form a complex network that needs to be strong enough to be the foundation of a tree that will grow so high! But what do people do? They tend to pull out the sapling to check if the roots are growing, further hampering the growth. In other words, we tend to lose patience. It’s a great lesson for organizations and individuals alike. Once you know you are doing the right thing, you may not see the results immediately, but you need to be patient and keep working. Just know that it’s all for a strong foundation..J

So, if you found that interesting, do read the book! Your favorite story would probably be the one that can you most easily relate with. I am thinking I will rename each story in the fashion of “The one with the bamboo that doesn’t grow for the first five years” and prepare a chart that I can read while brushing teeth in the morning. Should be a nice way to recall all of them quickly..So, time to give up the habit of whining and make the habit of winning!

Yo yo Mika Singh!!!

Whenever I am out with mom and sis shopping or just killing time, and it gets late in the evening, we head our car to dad’s office to pick him up. His colleagues must be wondering how affectionate this family is.. So day before yesterday when dad was getting back from Delhi from his deputation, we were planning to go to the airport to receive him. But just when we were contemplating this plan, dad called up while boarding flight from Delhi that he had, guess who, MIKA, the singer, with him in the flight! J

It was then when we decided we MUST go to the airport just to get a glimpse of the star. We were pretty excited by the time we reached the airport. And I and Tinu kept recalling Mika songs on our way so we could at least pretend to be fans :P To be honest, I hardly listen to the genre of songs he sings. But well, sometimes you wanna party and those are the songs that set just the right mood.

It was hot and humid outside the airport. So we stood at the exit terminal so we could enjoy occasional cool breeze when the automatic doors opened whenever someone came out. We seemed to be awaiting Mika’s arrival more than dad :P At that moment, we spotted someone we were not even expecting..Konkana Sen with her kid! And a huge guy who looked like Rabindranath Tagore came to receive them and contrary to my expectation (She’s Bengali), nobody seemed to recognize her..or perhaps, no one cared :D

Just then we saw dad coming out. And then, all four of us waited impatiently for Mika to appear. And out he came, looking angelic in a white shirt and a blue jeans. Okay maybe not “angelic”, but yeah, he did look fairer than ever! Dad had struck up acquaintance with him in the flight, so when Mika saw him approach with us, he stopped to shake hands with us!! And as he said a “hi”, smiling at us, all we could utter was a barely audible “hello” :P He was obviously rushing to his car, so by the time we could take a picture, he was already opening the door to his car:

Fortunately, dad had managed to get an autograph in the flight. Unfortunately, Mika wrote just my sister’s name:

It’s incredible how dumbfounded we were rendered in front of him. But I think celebrities get a lot of that. Later, dad narrated to me what had happened in the bus that had brought them to the terminal. They had combined the passengers from Executive and Economic classes. Not many people recognize Mika in Kolkata. But there was a chap standing in the bus, directly facing Mika who was seated. This guy seemed to identify him. He asked the man adjacent to him, pointing at Mika, “Arre..ye to filmo me aata hai na..Hindi filmo me!” With his pupils widening and his broad smile, his excitement was clearly visible. The other man, being probably used to such encounters, replied casually, “He is a singer. Mika.” When everyone boarded down the bus, he even waited near the door to get a peek at Mika, who was then sitting alone in the bus, waiting for his security.

We were probably disappointing fans for Mika, but for us, it was something we’ll always cherish. I remember how we kept discussing the whole episode for hours after the fleeting moment of that handshake. And what an exhilarating experience it was! J

Being home.. :)

I couldn’t have been more wrong about being free when I’m home. I kept wondering how I would spend my LONNNNNG vacation. Maybe I’d just sleep when I would have nothing to do. An air conditioned cubicle is great. But an air conditioned bedroom is awesome!

On the contrary, I have been buried nose deep in work...well, housework. And I’m spending most of my time either in the kitchen or discussing with my mother about what we are going to cook next..

Check out this Rabdi mom prepared as our "Welcome" dish :)

MasterChef tip: Scoop out the core of a mango, pour in the Rabdi and store in the freezer!

ENJOY!!!

And although she is highly adept at managing the kitchen and any help/advice she gets from my dad is only scarce, now that I am home, she doesn’t seem to cook anything without having my prior opinion and suggestions about it. And given that I am a person who when enquired at 4pm about what I had for lunch at 2pm would take at least 5-10 seconds to recall, I have a hard time helping her. Nevertheless, once we have decided upon the dish, I enjoy cooking under her supervision. I watched a couple of episodes of MasterChef and it inspired me tremendously. This sudden change of interests has become a subject of ridicule. I almost feel married now! In fact, my dad would chaff about my nubile age, telling me that I should take up housework as if he was my father-in-law, my mother my mother-in-law, my sister my sister-in-law. And here’s my retort: “Where the hell is your son??”

Well, it’s not just my hypothetical husband whom I miss. A little over two weeks into my vacation and I am already missing office..the rushing to catch the bus, reading novel or dozing off, the wind in my hair when we entered Blue Ridge, the comfort of my chair, the privacy of my cubicle, the roaming around with headphones on (and pretending listening to music while eavesdropping), the morning tea with Marigold biscuits (three when I came early, two when late), the gossiping with friends at the lunch table (and checking through the corner of the eye that sweet guy..), the alarm going off on my cell at 5:23 pm to remind me to wrap up my work, run to the washroom and then rush to the lift to leave and catch my bus..and then some more music in the bus..enjoying the scenery and finally thanking the Almighty for reaching PT without our bus hitting anyone on the road.

But above all, I miss Pune’s weather! When you step out of your car and you’re wearing glasses, you can’t see anything for a few seconds because of condensation:

And though it is not hot and it’s actually very windy here, the humidity is such a deal-breaker! You just can’t seem to get rid of the sweat. Going outside during the day is a punishment. I’ve noticed myself walking on the road like a zombie, coz I feel too weak to have any control over my limbs. At home, the wind provides for all the chaos. The nonstop ringing of the wind chime can get to your nerves. Being on the 7th floor, things get worse. We regularly take picture frames and paintings off the wall for they shake violently with the wind. Reading newspaper requires more patience than ever (but through which I came to know some amusing things.. like Raima Sen is still very much an actress here..and etc, etc.). Opening and closing doors requires utmost caution and strength. While cooking you have to keep checking if the gas is still burning!

Amidst all these hazards, there’s the water. The water that we get from the supply is so hard, it’s difficult to get rid of the soap while taking a shower. No time to go to the parlor for eyebrows and ‘moustache’, and this hard water makes my hair frizzy despite of using Dove shampoo and Dove conditioner, a combination that boasts of great results. I look like a fisherman's daughter, just a little chubby though :P And my increasing girth has also been a matter of concern, although I blow it away by thinking “who cares? No one here knows me!” I seem to be killing time in random activities. A good time table is far from reality. Incidentally, that reminds me, I have been dreaming a lot nowadays. Nights are sleepless during the first half because of the humidity but after exhausting all my energy in tossing from one side to another, I fall asleep. And then I see a series of such ridiculous and bizarre dreams that I wake up in the morning either startled, or laughing at my brain for its funny manifestation of my thoughts.

But looking on the brighter side, being with family feels so good. We spend a lot of time talking. And a lot more on watching TV.. Discovery and NatGeo are now my favorite channels.. And then we go out for shopping, KFC, McDonalds.. Life is GOOD!

And better with our loved ones around :) My sister is my best friend and we rock together! And our cat, Travis :) God she’s so adorable!

And our Lakshmi baai, who is slightly hard of hearing but has this thousand watt smile.. I like how we have to be extra loud while talking to her :P And there are sparrows in my balcony. Mom made a birdhouse for them and we regularly feed them :)

Okay, Gotta go to the kitchen again! :D

Remembering Peter Steele via my version of "Christian Woman" :-)

On 14th of April 2010, the world incurred an irreparable loss..When it happened, I didn't even come to know..And now, my heart is wrenched in pain.. Peter! You came into my life dead.. And your dark words and music drove me crazy! You totally got me in the cult..Your songs elevate me to a different plane of thought and make me enjoy the moment no matter how f**ked up my life is! I cannot forgive myself for having been so ignorant about your presence..My biggest regret in life is..I could never meet you!

If you are out there somewhere, hope you will know how much I and other countless fans of yours love you and miss you! Here's my dedication to you! And I won't say RIP..coz I so want you back!!! :)

Her eyelids shut,
But eyes still see
Struggling..
Hard to stitch,
Broken.. pieces.. of an image..
Quivering sweat beads,
On her visage..

Scents of blue mist,
And raindrops on soil,
His perfume,
Olfactory turmoil..
A gush of wind,
In her hair,
His presence,
Fills her mind..
No way to neglect,
When he’s in the air,
She breathes him,
Tastes his smile..
Would world be the same,
Without him?
Every..day she dies..

Leafless pines,
In twilight red,
Shadow veins,
On her corset,

Through them flows warm the Love of Pete,
Darkest spirit..

She needs..him
Rise from the grave!
She needs..him
Rise from the grave!
Rise from the grave!!!

She needs..him
Rise from the grave!
She needs..him
Rise from the grave!
Rise..from the grave!!!
Want you alive!
She needs..him
Want you alive!
Want..you alive!!!


PS: I suck at composition.. So I wrote this song as if I was rewriting "Christian Woman" to fantasize about Peter, instead of Christ! ;)

At The Hotel Pride, Pune :-)

I had my dad here in Pune for some official work and this time he stayed at Hotel Pride..And I got to click these nice pics :) Daddy, I'm so "proud" of you!! :D

Liked these blue hanging lights

Ok there's an orange one too, in this view from the top :)

Reminded me of Titanic somehow :P

Hmm... :)

Saw this, when I looked up from the sofa :)

Washroom with see-through glass (and the door just slides; doesn't lock..)..
Marvel at the promiscuous settings of this suite

Aaahhh.. Feels great after a tiring day.. :)

Awesome backdrop, isn't it? :P Can you spot the photographer?

Yes ma'm!

Sepia version of the above :)