24X3 = 72 -6 = 66

24 X 3 = 72

2 X 3 = 6

72 - 6 = 66

Wondering what math is this ? It’s crazy. I broke all my past records. Six hours of sleep in past three days. I still cant figure out how did I manage it. This was for demonstrating and Bench marking for operator to pick the vendor. Breakfast skips, showerless mornings, dark red eyes and the intense pressue to deliver. We have given our best shot with the constraints we had. We will know how we fared in couple of days.

Sad that I haven’t had a single hour to check out the city of the Seoul.  Hopefully this weekend would go easy. zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Posted in Office, travel | 3 Comments »

Lost and Found in Seoul

What do you do if you find 15 bank cards and 15000Rs (33000 WONS) unattended. Party ? It all happened when I was taking the taxi to reach the hotel in Seoul. While I was taking out my luggage at the hotel, I found a fat wallet in the back seat of the taxi. I took it silently and checked-into the hotel.

On opening I found cash-filled, card-filled wallet. My eyes went wide open and started feeling lucky. But my conscience was telling me find the the owner. But how ? On searching I found the Visiting card of the person. Dialled the number.  Could not convey what I wanted to say…coz his english and my korean were pathetic. Could finally say few keywords,  “wallet” “Found” “Hotell No. XXXX” “Room No. “XX”

He dialled the hotel lobby to find out the hotel address and he came over.

He is a VC. A big man. Was very happy seeing his wallet intact. Thanked me and he went off. Eventful beginning at Seoul. He has promised to see me before I leave Seoul. Do you see those two cute kids of him.

Posted in travel | 9 Comments »

Looking East

I have seen a bit of west, but never been to east.

Aerial view of Seoul

I would be visiting Seoul, South Korea for next three weeks, starting this Monday. Before you say wow, let me tell you it’s a zero-pleasure-trip.

Language and food are the other concerns besides the fact that it is my first ever date with a telecom operator, at their doors. Last two weeks were grinding at office, because of the home work needed to pass the tests. It’s going to be real test of the nerves. Wish me.

[PS: Now you know why Hushpuppies made it to the shoe rack. To Cool the heals ]

Posted in Office, travel | 5 Comments »

The World’s most comfortable shoes

I never wore black formal shoes. Reason being, they are not comfy + You cannot walk fast or run. All due to their make. Inflexible leather and tight sole. Though they please the on-looker for the formal looks, the wearer is never at ease.

Then comes  Hushpuppies black with Bounce technology. Designed just for all the complaints I stated here. I bought a pair at Bata’s store yesterday. At a price tag of 4299/- it looked mehenga.  But when I visited other stores, after marking this one, to check if there are any other brands coming closer to  this make, I found none. Believe me, this is Infinitely comfortable. To bounce in every step.

[ I will reveal why I bought Black shoes in my next ]

Posted in Others, travel | 4 Comments »

Raymond’s - The Complete man

Me and my brother were talking other day.  Topic was What should an individual possess to make a decent, comfortable, meaningful and fuller living in today’s times. In other words, it’s like that ad punch line.  What makes the Raymond’s - The Complete Man

My list reads like this.

- Savings bank Account, Credit card, Passport,Driving license,Pan card
[ The absolute essentials ]

- A broadband connection, Laptop and mobile phone
[ To be anywhere, anytime ]

- Taste for books, music, good movies and travel
[ To taint your brain ]

- An IT Job
[ Need not necessarily be an IT job, but something cushy ]

- Yoga skills
[ For a refreshing mind-body-soul ]

- gmail account
[ Should I say more ]

Notice it’s not about BMW, 30X40 etc
It’s not about luxury. It’s about those little things which makes one feel good by having it.

What’s on your list ?

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

Man-of-the-match and zero sum game

In a cricket match, they award man-of-the-match for that key player who made the difference. Rewarding just one player, inspires other men in the team, instead of letting them down, to try hard and win that title in coming matches.

Let me try draw parallels to a corporate setting. In a software project team of 10, with a composition of three categories of people :

Type-1 # Performers             -   Say 2

Type-2 # OK OK Performers    -    5

Type-3 # Poor performers      -    3

If you recognise and reward just Type-1 performers, the 5 ok ok Type-2’s are let down (don’t forget they form the majority), demotivated and they slid towards category three type. Their productivity dips. But let’s assume this dip is somehow covered up by those overworked top performers of Type-1.  Net result, the team  performs at the same level as it was earlier.

Question 1: Why reward in the first place, if the output of the overall team is not improved and remains the same ?

Question 2: Well…if you still insist that there should be a  tradition of recognition, there must be a cleverer way to recognise. A recognition which does not demotivate the OK OK Type-2 set of people.

Is there a much fairer way of recognition, where even OK OK type-2’s are also pleased ?

Posted in Curious, Others | 6 Comments »

Separated at Birth ?

Have you ever been told that you are a look-alike of so and so… ?

Recently, one of my colleagues told me that I look like Kumara Sangakkara, and some time back I remember some stranger telling me that I resemble Sanjay Manjrekar.

So I placed all of us next to each other. Do we really look like brothers separated at Birth ?  Notice, both references are cricketing personalities and I don’t have a cricketing gene.

Update :

After that comment from Arvind, I am pasting Javagal Srinath into the frame.

Posted in Others, People | 4 Comments »

City of Evening Rains

You also may have noticed this year on year. It’s a City of evening rains. In Bangalore it starts raining just after the sun set.  It happens very consistently. There must be a scientific reason for this recurring pattern. Do you have any theory ?

Posted in Bangalore, Curious | 11 Comments »

ebook rescue act

Am in the process of reviving the abandoned work.Thanks for encouraging words from many of you. I received calls and messages from far-off places to finish the book. It’s a nice feeling.

I had a re look at the document. It looks I can rescue. Whether this work is going to see the light of the day or not, am going to get it to some shape.
When I was working on it earlier, I used to work in bursts;working on almost all the chapters simultaneously. This time I have split the big document into 15 smaller chapter documents. Will take one at a time.

Please pour your thoughts and comments as and when I finish and post the chapters. Thanks again.

Posted in Wireless, books | 1 Comment »

arvind.me goes live

I booked a new domain today.  .com extension for a personal blog was not looking appropriate. Moreover, i needed a much shorter name, leaving out TM from the domain name.

So, from today call me arvind.me

Posted in Uncategorized, blog | 2 Comments »