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POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE - Randy Pausch

 This is amazing, Randy Pausch 47 yrs old, A computer Sc. lecturer from Mellon University he died of pancreatic cancer in 2008, but wrote a book آ‘The last lectureآ” before then, one of the bestsellers in 2007. What a legacy to leave behindآ… 
In a letter to his wife Jai and his children, Dylan, Logan, and Chloe, he wrote this beautiful "guide to a better life" for his wife and children to follow.
May you be blessed by his insight. 

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/

POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE 

Personality:
1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment
3. Don't over do; keep your limits
4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does
5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip
6. Dream more while you are awake
7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more
14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community:
15. Call your family often
16. Each day give something good to others
17. Forgive everyone for everything
18. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
19. Try to make at least three people smile each day
20. What other people think of you is none of your business
21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
22. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.
23. GOD heals everything
24. Do the right things
25. However good or bad a situation is, it will change
26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
27. The best is yet to come
28. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
29. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it
30. If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy.

While you practice all of the above, share this knowledge with the people you love, people you school with,
people you play with, people you work with and people you live with.
Not only will it enrich YOUR life, but also that of those around you.

Remember, 
 
GOOD THINGS ARE FOR US TO SHARE.....!!!!!! 

God, Fruits & Vegetables and Humans

EAT LOTS OF SWEET POTATOES
    this is really interesting... old but a good reminder...
 

 It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish... All before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We're such slow learners...
God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!
God's Pharmacy! Amazing!
A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

avocados, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods. Modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them.

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
 
Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

Some interesting thoughts

Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble,
but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.

Do you know why a Car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the Rearview Mirror is so small?  
Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE.  Look Ahead and Move on.

Friendship is like a BOOK. 
It takes few seconds to burn, 
but it  takes years to write.

All things in life are temporary. 
If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever.  
If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.

Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamonds! 
If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! 
Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!

Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, it's just a bend, not the end!

When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities;
when GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.

A blind person asked "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?" 
The reply: "Yes, losing your vision!"

When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them,  and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

WORRYING does not take away tomorrows' TROUBLES, 
it takes away todays' PEACE.

Human Beings

Human Beings - are a very interesting species. We complain about many things in life - each of the worrisome matter making us loose our sleep and peace over it. Coming to think of it; it is simple - "If any issue is going to be solved, then why fret/worry about it becoz it is going to get solved with right effort? If any issue cannot be solved, then why worry about it, becoz it is not going to get solved even if you keep worrying about it".

I was reminded of this saying this evening, when I saw this video. Hats off, Nick Vujicic. No Arms, no legs, NO WORRIES!!

http://www.wimp.com/watchingthis/

ps: started to blog about this topic about 6 months ago. revisited and completed it today.

A tribute to our 'unsung' heroes

 An article from a FoAF (Friend of a Friend)

IF YOU WORSHIP YOUR BOLLYWOOD STAR OR YOUR CRICKETING IDOL….. THINK AGAIN… THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO DESERVE IT MUCH MORE THAN THEM……. READ THIS MAIL FULLY…. ESPECIALLY THE LETTER WRITTEN BY ONE OF THE JAWAANS TO HIS FAMILY …. SALUTE THEM FOR ALL THEIR SACRIFICE ….  

READ THE LETTER BELOW……………..

WE RECAPTURED OUR LAST HILL FROM PAKISTAN
BUT WE LOST OUR MOST VALUABLE, GREAT WARRIORS, BRAVE BROTHERS .TODAY IT'S TIME TO REMEMBER THEM






A SALUTE TO



OF KARGIL WAR

KARGIL'S FIRST HERO

Lt. Saurabh Kalia



His UNIFORM as a MEMORY






Capt.Vikram Batra
Param Vir Chakra(Posthumous)




Grenedier. Yogendra Singh
Param Vir Chakra



RFN .Sanjay Kumar
(Param Vir Chakra)



Major Padmapani Acharya,
Maha Vir Chakra (Posthumous)
Of the 2nd Battalion of The RAJPUTANA RIFLES





Lieutenant Balwan Singh,
Maha Vir Chakra
Of the 18th Battalion of GRENADIERS Regiment



Major M Saravanan,
VirChakra,
1 Bihar



Lieutenant Kanad Bhattacharya,
Sena Medal (Posthumous)( 22 YEARS )


Captain Saju Cherian,
Sena Medal
307 Medium Regiment



Lieutenant Keishing Clifford Nangrum,
Maha Vir Chakra (Posthumous)
Of the 12th Battalion of JAMMU AND KASHMIR Light Infantry




Captain R Jerry Prem Raj,
Vir Chakra (Posthumous),
158 Medium Regiment



Major Sonam Wangchuk,
Maha Vir Chakra
Of the LADAKH Scouts




V

Officers & Jawans from the 2nd Rajputana Rifles pray before going into battle, to get back Tololing Top. Behind the jawan in the foreground (with a 5.56mm INSAS rifle) is Captain Vijayant Thapar captainvijyantthapar.com/> . His face is partly hidden and is seen sporting a beard. Lieutenant Thapar laid down his life, in the capture of Tololing Top and was awarded the Vir Chakra posthumously for his valour.

Major Padmapani Acharya, 2nd Rajputana Rifles, leads his men into battle after the successful capture of Tololing Top. The 2 Raj. Rifles' next assignment was to capture the Knoll mountain feature in the Black Rock area, which is in the Drass sub-sector. It was here, that Major Acharya laid down his life in the highest traditions of the Indian Army on 29 June 1999. He was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, posthumously .



Making the way through narrow valley








The Leh-Batalik road is as notorious as the Srinagar-Kargil road. At its beginning lie staging areas, at its end fierce fighting and often, death. Jawans patrol the rugged slopes near Batalik. For them, there is little time for rest and little time to think, always poised on the edge of action.


Capt.Vijayant Thapar (Robin)
He Laid down for OUR BETTER TOMORROW
At the age of only 22





His Last Letter to his parents

Moments before the final assault Capt. Vijyant Thapar (Robin) left this letter at the war front base, to be handed over to his family.








AND AFTER THAT
HE CAME BACK HOME WITH TRI COLOR DRAPED

Jawans from the 2nd Rajputana Rifles, remember their 23 comrades who fell in the decisive battle for the Tololing Top. The battalion earned four Maha Vir Chakras, one of India 's highest medals for gallantry, three of them being awarded posthumously.






Captain (Dr.) Rajshree Gupta, Army Medical Corps (AMC), salutes the tricolour-draped coffin of her husband, Major Vivek Gupta of the 2nd Rajputana Rifles, who died fighting the enemies.

JAIHIND!!!!

Some thought about "thoughts"

"Thoughts" - the seed from which we manifest our "self". It is an interesting concept. Thoughts occur in the "mind". Western Science has been trying to determine what "constitutes" a mind; and hence determine the place from which thoughts emanate and searching for it in the energy fields of the brain. Eastern Science treats thoughts in a more holistic manner.

Thoughts are the expression of "self" - a rough definition of Atma (soul). Thoughts emanates in our mind and result into feelings. Our emotions - anger, love, jealousy, sadness, happiness, etc - are feelings that result from thoughts. These emotions then makes us act in a certain way, which leads to actions. And of course, actions results into reactions from the other side who received the result of an action. Actions can be perceived as good or bad based on the perception of the do-er and receiver. Each feeling and the corresponding action can also be seen as form of energy that we express, that adds onto the existing energy field around us. This is the karma of our actions.

Most of us would experienced this energy and the energy fields in our life in different forms and fashion. When we are in the midst of a pious man, we can feel that the surroundings reflecting a certain kind of positiveness that projects content. When we are in the midst of a crowd that is protesting, we can feel the energy that is disruptive; when we are in a stadium watching an interesting match between the two teams, we can feel the edginess. These are examples of the energy that we experience in our daily life.

It is not the actions that actually creates the energy; action is just a path to this energy. It is the "thoughts" that is manifest itself as the energy, the karma. The thoughts can create and manifest positive energy. Hence, it becomes very important for us to create thoughts that help us achieve our goals. If thoughts have to be positive, then the mind has to be tended too (more about it sometime later).

Give it a try - next time, when you are late in getting ready for a busy day, you feel the anxiety, your young one throws a tantrum to make your more anxious and frustrated leading you to anger - you have a choice of how you deal with it. It is in your thinking. Try it and see how you can change the situation and the energy around you by thinking in a calm and positive manner.

The same principle applies to your work and everything else in life. It is difficult. I have been trying to implement it for the past few weeks. It has been an interesting challenge.

At the same time, it leaves us wondering - what is mind? Is it the thoughts of our self, our Atma or is it the brain?

Have fun :-).

Stay hungry, stay foolish

It has been a long time since my last blog. All these days, I have been experimenting with the ability to blog regularly on issues and topics that are relevant to my startup (on the internal company blog). Now, having looked at the positive outcome, I am revisiting this blog of mine and keep it running.

And, what better way to restart - "Stay hungry; Stay foolish" says the great inventor of our times. Click the video link for more details.

* Connect the Dots * Love & loss (don't loose faith even the going becomes difficult as long as you love what you do) * Death, the ultimate destination for us.

Happy reading.

+15 Startup Commandments

From Web 2.0 (Entrepreneurs) Facebook Group:

+15 Startup Commandments

1. Your idea isn't new. Pick an idea; at least 50 other people have thought of it. Get over your stunning brilliance and realize that execution matters more.

2. Stealth startups suck. You're not working on the Manhattan Project, Einstein. Get something out as quickly as possible and promote the hell out of it.

3. If you don't have scaling problems, you're not growing fast enough.

4. If you're successful, people will try to take advantage of you. Hope that you're in that position, and hope that you're smart enough to not fall for it.

5. People will tell you they know more than you do. If that's really the case, you shouldn't be doing your startup.

6. Your competition will inflate their numbers. Take any startup traffic number and slash it in half. At least.

7. Perfection is the enemy of good enough. Leonardo could paint the Mona Lisa only once. You, Bob Ross, can push a bug release every 5 minutes because you were at least smart enough to do a web app.

8. The size of your startup is not a reflection of your manhood. More employees does not make you more of a man (or woman as the case may be).

9. You don't need business development people. If you're successful, companies will come to you. The deals will still be distractions and not worth doing, but at least you're not spending any effort trying to get them.

10. You have to be wrong in the head to start a company. But we have all the fun.

11. Starting a company will teach you what it's like to be a manic depressive. They, at least, can take medication.

12. Your startup isn't succeeding? You have two options: go home with your tail between your legs or do something about it. What's it going to be?

13. If you don't pay attention to your competition, they will turn out to be geniuses and will crush you. If you do pay attention to them, they will turn out to be idiots and you will have wasted your time. Which would you prefer?

14. Startups are not a democracy. Want a democracy? Go run for class president, Bueller.

15. You're doing a web app, right? This isn't the 1980s. Your crummy, half-assed web app will still be more successful than your competitor's most polished software application.



+10 More Startup Commandments

1. You will have at least one catastrophe every three months.

2. Outsource effectively, or be effectively outsourced.

3. Do you thrive on stress and ambiguity? You'd better.

4. The best way to get outside funding is to be successful already. Stupid but true. But you, cheapskate, don't need money, right?

5. People will think your idea sucks. They're even probably right. The only way to prove them wrong is to succeed.

6. A startup will require your complete attention and devotion. Thought your first love in High School was clingy? You can't take out a restraining order on your startup.

7. Being an entrepreneur requires a healthy amount of ignorance. Note I did not say stupidity.

8. Your software sucks. So what. Everyone else's does also, and re-architecting is the kiss of death for a startup. Startups are no place for architecture astronauts.

9. You do have a public API, right?

10. Abject Terror. Overwhelming Joy. Monstrous Greed. Embrace and harness these emotions you must.

Mumbai Meri Jaan (Bombay, my Life)

Watched an wonderful movie - Mumbai Meri Jaan. I didn't know the story until I watched this movie. And it set me thinking on the recent furore about Slumdog Millionaire. Many in India have voiced their opinions that the latter movie shows Mumbai and India in bad light. The opinions have come about only because people started watching Slumdog . . . only because of the attention it's recent award winning streak created.

The former movie has shown the life and people of Mumbai in another realistic perspective; it has the same ingredients - a poor immigrant to Mumbai, an aspiring nationalist/IT person, a policeman whose soul awakens as the story unfolds, a TV personality who realizes the emotions of people through her own predicaments and the a religious zealot who learns to accept the diversity - all of these revolving around an unfortunate incident the city faces (in stark contrast to the storyline of individual triumph in Slumdog. . .).

More than comparing these two films, what made me think is the reactions from people. I have never heard people saying that Mumbai Meri Jaan is a very good movie about the famed Mumbai and Indian resilience and moral fiber. And the reason is because this film (or similar films) never got the marketing publicity and the buzz!! Hence, the towering film, publisher, etc personalities who raised the furore, never got a chance to say about this movie. A little bit of introspecting reveals that these personalities could have used their good offices to garner support for movies like the above, instead of just complaining about Slumdog Millionaire.

Jai Mata Di.

Is this the beginning of a new geo-political shift?

The shooting in Lahore, Pakistan on the Sri-Lankan cricket team bus on 3rd Mar 2009 is being termed as a dastardly attack on sports specifically. It is also termed as an internal combustion within the Pakistan political-government system. In our hearts, we feel for the people deeply affected by this act of terror, like the mass pouring of feelings for the recent Mumbai blasts.

At the same time, this might be the start of the new shift in the entire political-security-geographical shift in the Indian sub-continent. The forces of destruction seems to have unvieled a new path of repeating an "internal" colapse of a state. It might take many years before we can see the culmination of what was started yesterday. On the surface, it might be termed as an act conducted by well-trained jihadis, there are very numerous forces and countries - neighbouring and far-off - which gain immensely from an destabilised Indian sub-continent. I only hope that the so-called leaders on both sides of the borders - in Pakistan and India - are sensible enough to realise that the ultimate benefits of these acts does not bode well for its citizen; some other countries and forces will benefit.

The leaders will have to demonstrate considerable courage, determination and unconventional thinking to stop it and provide a much deserved safe haven for its citizen. I hope that common-sense will prevail and not play out the blame-game and stoke anger, which leads us no-where but to doom.

Mark Peter Davis

I found this fascinating quote today:

1. Only contact VCs that invest in your type of company (e.g., sector, stage, etc.)


2. Be honest about your intentions


3. Be patient with VCs


4. Actively share information


5. Do not take rejection personally


6. Do not harass VCs (they’re people too)


7. Focus on the success of the company; check your ego at the door


8. Be open to feedback and new ideas


9. Do not sully the reputation of a VC simply because you did not like their decision


10. Build relationships with VCs

Mark Peter Davis, Feb 2009

You should read the whole article.

What goes around, comes around

The world is round. Be sure about what you dish out, because it comes around back to you. It is a matter of time. Always do good, more so, on the way up as you would require help on the fast downward spiral path. - the wise men say. Being a believer in the Almighty, it is a good feeling when belief gets reinforced every now and then. There was one such reinforcement recently.  Speaking of belief, here are couple of interesting articles - 1. on principles that can help us in our everyday life experiences and 2. on an idea that is worth the change considering the macros-mic and micros-mic co-existence/duality philosophies espoused by quantum physics and spiritual gurus (from diametrically opposite viewpoints). Enjoy reading!!

On a separate note, the recession is acting as a catalyst to an environment that creates new ideas and entrepreneurs. More on this later. For now, click here for an interesting article on deficiency of entrepreneurs in India.

Have a nice weekend!!

Long holidays!!

I had a long enjoyable holidays visiting quite a few places, all by road. It was a good stay with all the family members across various cities. More on it later!! 

For now, recommend reading this snippets of the saying from one of the great masters. Enjoy reading it.

My God - the world has changed!!

It wasn't long ago that I was at a workplace where we believed that we are working on the latest technology to achieve the business direction. All of us were of the opinion that J2EE, abstraction, layered architecture based on distributed & vertical computing architecture principles, object model segregated from physical model/persistence, business process flow and orchestration, etc that we were working on is the latest cool thing!! 

In a way, this perception and belief was right given that we were ahead of the curve and the competition, while applying and making it relevant to the industry. 

The reality - OH MY GOD!! - the entire industry in which I was part of is actually "missing a beat" of the revolution that is happening out here. Having dwelled on how information technology has undergone "r-evolution" in the past 2-3 years, I ought to say that the "event in Aug" and the "resulting break" is in hindsight a "blessing in disguise". It has made me realize the sea-change that is undergoing in the software landscape; the "blast of changes" that will be unfurled by very nimble companies in the years to come riding on the wave of "cloud computing". 

Short-lived will be the days of vertical computing architecture; the business model will have to undergo a drastic change to have c------r c------city with a horizontal computing architecture - it has been pioneered by Google, achieved by Amazon and others for their respective industries to reap huge business revenue along the way. An architecture which taps on creating businesses being efficient not just in computing power but also in all aspects of the business - delivery, travel, offices, etc. 

All these changes were happening and I/we was/were quite oblivious to it. It is a "radical paradigm shift" which will catch quite a few businesses and companies fleet-footed - some have/will identify and overcome it; most will go down-under. Guess what - I would have remained in the world that we came from with the head buried like an Ostrich. Glad that I was provided this break by the "event" :-) !! - to ponder, think, read, introspect and work on the thought streams.

My God - the world has changed!!

What an interesting month and half it has been !!

The global financial market tumbled and went into a tailspin; the experienced "maverick" Presidential aspirant in the US elections blew his campaign after making a wrong "call" on the US economy; the "rookie" Presidential aspirant who wants to bring "CHANGE" raced across the winning line with a brutal majority on the electoral votes and the best ever finishing by a Democrat for an entire generation; Singapore hosted the "first ever F1 GP nite" race - the street circuit was spectacular advertisement for the Singapore skyline, workmanship and ability to deliver; the race itself was almost boring except for the Massa pit-stop incident; a poetic justice was delivered in the last F1 race of this season where Hamilton was crowned as the driver champion with a 1 point margin (by the same margin that he lost the title last year at the same Brazilian Sau Paulo circuit) - this race was nail biting with the race decided in the last 30 sec; in the last lap at the last turn with 800m to go; with India launching its "Chandrayaan-1" - it's first satellite to the moon; and India pulverizing the Aussie comprehensively with a 2-0 victory with a new captain M.S.Dhoni.

This brings me to the topic - "interesting month and a half" - the above was just a gist of main events across the globe which we all read, viewed, heard about. From my perspective, there were "2 leaders" who were crowned "leader" in the official sense; but they had begun their journey couple of years back - one is known to all in cricket mad nation of mine; the second one is known across the world; one from the rusty town of Ranchi in Jamshedpur; the second one from the streets of Chicago; yes we are speaking about Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Barrack Hussien Obama. 

People might wonder what is common in these two people - half the world away and in different walks of life. It is in this dichotomy lies the similarity. They have defined "leadership" in the truest style - they are very focussed on what they want to achieve; very respectful of their opponents & seniors but not deferential; they visualize their victories and organize their tactics to match their strategy and grand vision; and most importantly they remain calm and composed under all circumstances; be it a grand victory or under extreme pressure & negativity. Reams of articles have been printed about these two persons - read, watch BBC, CNN, NY Times, etc, Cricinfo.com, Indiatimes, etc. In short, they are the next generation leaders; leaders worth following, emulating and imbibing qualities. In the years to come, "Kaal-Time" will record their achievements in the annals of history; this is just the beginning.

Atleast, that is what I am setting out to do consciously - learn from the qualities of these two leaders.

Long time . . No blog posting

Hello there, it has been quite some time since the last posting. I am busy "enjoying the break" - and relaxation includes doing mundane things and the joy of doing having done it - reading books, doing spring cleaning, washing and waxing the car, apart from spending long hours with my family & playing with my two sons - aged 6&1/2 years and ~10 months and some "little" amount of time on my new toy - iPhone 3G. 

Of the books that I have been reading, the interesting one that I would like to share is "The Google Story" - a very good book for those who want to bring back the intensity of unwavering focus back into their life. This book, an unauthorized/unofficial bio of the company, gives an insight into the 10 year old youngster  (i mean Google), its founders and various milestones along its journey of what is now a US$100+ Billion Market Cap with an annual revenue expected to be in the surplus of US$20B for this year. 

Of the movies that I watched, "WallE"  the kids movie is fun to watch - the first 40 odd minutes of the movie goes without a dialogue and funny enough one doesn't feel the lack of dialogue. And with my son around, there were thousands of questions that had to be answered; much to the irritation of an adult who happened to be in the movie theatre screening a kids movie (with no dialogues) and expecting silence from kids wanting to understand. God bless his "common sense".

 And today is the start of the Singapore F1 Race weekend - the first ever night race. I am not able to watch the race at the circuit due to the rule of not allowing kids below 7 years. This disallows the biggest F1 fan in the household from watching his fave team - Renault. So that leaves us to watch it live on TV. But we did enjoy going around the island to different malls and locations where the F1 cars were located - Renault@Mariott, Mc-laren@Mobile pertol pump on East Coast, etc and of-course the 30 min ride on the real-life-size F1 simulator having the Singapore circuit. Whew!! it seems easier on TV rather than in real life.   

And thru this one month, my second one started standing up, and walking by holding onto support (such as tables, bed,etc) and teething. Guess he will become a cook someday - has an excellent aptitude for all types of food - spicy hot or sweet - wants to try all food that we have and finds his food very bland!! He enjoys waking up father and elder brother in the morning - he thinks it is very funny !! More so when he starts singing. Anyways, it is good to be able to spend time playing with him with no urgency to get ready. God does like providing surprises. 

In a nutshell, it has been an wonderful one month since the "event" on 25th Aug. More on this subject later. And on iPhone 3G. Ciao. 

ANEW BEGINNING, a NEW DAWN - Shubh-Arambham

WOW :-) !! It is a NEW DAWN , a new (re)beginning, un-frettered,  un-cluttered; albeit that the journey of the last 13 years that culminated on 25th Aug 2008 (although abruptly) has been an wonderful learning experience. Like the wise sayings go - "the journey is equally important as the destination" -  this journey has provided invaluable lessons on all aspects of life and work and I am sure the learning will continue in the future, but for now it has provided a bedrock foundation for the future. 

Shubh - "good [luck]" ; Arambham - "beginning, start" (in Sanskrit) - a new beginning, a "good start" - so goes the the blog's title !! 

Life provides many twists and turns and I guess I am at one of the crucial junctions of life - and the events of last Monday (in retrospect) has been God send in that sense. It is making me introspect on what I want to do in life and whatever decision I arrive at in the coming days, weeks, months, I am sure about one thing - this is a NEW BEGINNING, a NEW DAWN - Shubh-Arambham

It all started 13 years back -  a fresh collegiate, giving his final semester examination (B.E. in Comp Science) and about to graduate; with a dream of doing something different and willing to risk it. And risk did he to give up existing job offers from some of the largest MNC's of India to land up across the Pacific Ocean,  join a relatively small company as their first "college fresher" & undergo repeated rejection of employment pass application & appeals until it was approved after the submission of the certificates - degree & rank (in India, these certs becomes available a good 6-8 months after the last semester examination results are published) . More of it will be chronicled later on in the series of blogs.

So, now LIFE has provided the same chance again - I am "relishing" looking at the prospects & opportunities that are out there and beckoning me :-) !! 

And right now, I am taking a well-deserved break with my family - my wonderful wife and my two lovable sons. Happy Holidays!!