To America - again

The first time I travelled to America, I did not write about it. But when I returned to India for good, after about 14 years, I wrote a column about the “returned NRI” experience for a California magazine. Now I find myself on a flight to America – heading to a foreign but familiar place.

Aparna and I had the pleasure of leaving from the gleaming international terminal of the Hyderabad airport by an early morning British Airways flight. The airport buzzed with a quiet efficiency at 4 a.m. The shops catering to merchandise for foreigners were dimly lit, the attendants dozing off. We looked at Karachi biscuits packets priced at more than twice its MRP, colorful wall hangings at Fab India and gaudy clothes displayed in a well-known city boutique outlet. We hung around the departure gate for a while wondering why the London-bound passengers looked a little different. It wasn’t until we wandered away to the adjacent gate that we realized that our departure gate had been changed and we had been hanging around the Oman Airlines flight.

As always, the flight was full of Indians of various ages, families traveling together, old couples in specially-requested wheelchairs (not for physical disability but to facilitate their transit as first-time travelers), single business passengers and foreigners returning back home after an Indian sojourn. The most noticeable passenger was a strikingly tall white man with a flowing beard and robes, wearing a dhoti and chappals.

We boarded the Boeing 767 and snuggled into the blankets after doing justice to the breakfast provided upon take-off. There were individual TV screens for each seat and soon we were flipping through the selections. I was hoping to catch a couple of English movies but my luck did not support my wish. The headset and plug did not match and I was forced to just “see” and not hear the movie. That left me with no choice but to watch something with subtitles i.e. Hindi movies. I chose to watch two comedies, separated by decades – “All the best”, a recent success and the classic “Chupke Chupke” with Amitabh et al. No surprise that the yesteryear movie continues to be a funny gem to this day while the new one is like costume jewelry, a fleeting attraction.

London Heathrow, my least favorite international airport was a breeze this time with the newly commissioned Terminal 5 where we arrived and took off after a 2 hour halt. No painful moving through crowded multiple terminals, rushing through passport control and security, tension about catching your flight as you traversed miles of under construction corridors. But the eerie quiet of Terminal 5 at the middle of the afternoon on a weekday was quite disconcerting.

Landed in Seattle on time and went through the rigors of being fingerprinted and photographed upon entry, as a visitor. I had the privilege of breezing through with a green card on previous visits. The immigration office examined Aparna’s Americcan passport and asked me how we were related. “She is my daughter” I said, instead of “Can’t you tell?” These guys are not known for their sense of humor. When he asked me a little later if I had been to America before, I simply said “Yes”.

So here I am in America – again. Stay tuned for more.

Weekly Champion Update - Week 3

Whew, finally completed 21 days from the date of the Champion’s Mindset Workshop. By now, all the activities required to cultivate a Champion’s mindset, are supposed to be ingrained (the key word being, “supposed to”). Some things were not easy to do, like trying to get out of the comfort zone each day. But it helped to expand the operating zone, because once done, those things turned out to be quite minor. Writing about good actions everyday was easy because if you think about it, there are enough things we do, specially for others, without even thinking about it. I am sorry to report that I have not made much progress towards the goal. I had not set a high target for these first few weeks, but it would have been nice to do more.
Here is my week 3 update.

What have I done this week ?

Out of my comfort zone each day – this is getting to be routine now
• Enjoyed a fun evening with my women friends, a group that had go together recently. Everyone of the core group showed up.
• Got into the habit of doing “sarvangasana” at least 3 times a week, holding the pose for 2 minutes. Enjoyed the asana but still awaiting the loss of inches around the middle (in case you are wondering which one is sarvangasana, it is the one in the picture)
• Tried to be patient with Aparna for one whole day (more on this later) – hardest thing so far

Good things done
• Took Dad for routine blood test
• Encouraged those who needed support – by showing up, sharing ideas
• Shopped for gifts for upcoming US trip
• Bought “Chai Chai” book to gift my brother, a train junkie
• Cleaned my clothes closet
• Called several friends

“Yes” factors
• Got some new leads for work
• Made some progress towards receiving payments for completed work

Progress towards “THE GOAL”
• Continues writing chapter outlines

Now that the mandatory 21 days training is done, hope to keep working at the same or accelerated pace towards goal.

Fruits of neighbor

It is that time of the year when the two mango trees in my back yard bear fruit. It is an endless source of amazement and joy to me that something in the vicinity of the place I live actually sprouts tender green shoots and tiny flowers which then miraculously turn into mangoes. The trees are about 7 years old. I know this even though I have not lived here that long because my friend lived in this house before me. His mother-in-law, who was visiting from Kolkata, planted the seeds of a couple of delicious mangoes in the barren backyard. Over the years, with not much attention, save regular watering, these young trees have borne fruit. I was able to collect and distribute to my friends, about 15 of so mangoes from one tree last year. This time I may have twice as many to share since the other tree is showing signs of contributing some more.

While I rejoice over my produce, my neighbor, a ninety–year old lady, has two giant mango trees, one in front and another in the backyard that are swarming with yummy mangoes. There are so many fruit on every branch that they look like a swarm of green bees descended on the trees. I am told that these mangoes are of the variety used to make avakaya, the traditional pickle of Andhra Pradesh. The lady across the street is a major beneficiary of the largesse as the old lady gives her a fair amount of mangoes each year. I am not very fond of pickles and certainly not into pickle making. So I observe the friendly barter that happens in the neighborhood as the excess produce is shared among neighboring households

I feel no envy to be excluded from this exchange. There is something else that I benefit from. The same old lady has a hibiscus tree in front; a large flowering one that bears brilliant red flowers and obligingly offers them on my side of the wall. I am reminded of the story of Satybhama who asks Krishna for parijat tree in her yard, and is promptly rewarded with the fragrant flowering tree. Much to her consternation, the flowers fall into the neighbor’s yard as the tree bends and sags over the boundary. Each morning, I pluck the hibiscus blooms that are within easy reach. And think about Satyabhama.

Book or guru

Visit any major bookstore and you will find space exclusively dedicated to self-help books. Shelves and shelves of choices whether you are interested in developing habits of effective people, managing anger, selling your Ferrari or losing weight. You are certain to lose your mind with this buffet of mind-boggling choices. But the fact remains that self-help books sell like the proverbial hot cakes. Why, you ask? One probable reason may be our increasing awareness of areas in our life where we need to improve. What better place to look for solutions than into books where the essence of individual self-development has been whittled down into a successful method by intellectual writers? You can read them in the privacy of your home, and if you don’t practice the techniques suggested, no one would notice anyway. Plus you get to be seen with these high-priced tomes and appear more intelligent as you pursue the elusive goal of a new, improved “you”.

Don’t we need a teacher for this endeavor? I thought most seekers first sought out a guru, a master who was not just knowledgeable but enlightened in the ways of the modern world. Someone who had taken an alternate path and found the light after sustained practice and devotion. Not long ago, the gurukul system flourished in India where students learned from their esteemed teachers by spending their days with the guru in his natural environment, thereby imbibing both the spoken and unspoken teachings, life lessons, as it were. It would seem that in this day, with the abridged version of self-help gaining popularity with the public, the need for a guru has just vanished.

However, once in a while the opposite is proved to be true. Yesterday’s Economic Times carried news of the untimely death of well-known management guru, C.K. Prahalad. As a non-management type person, I had vaguely heard about Prahlad and his demigod status among top companies to whom he was a mentor and advisor. But from the heart-felt words of his students, protégées and those who had benefited from his insights, it appeared that the teachings of the master were thoroughly ingrained in them only due to the person himself. Prahalad has written many books and his interviews and columns filled with new concepts and thinking are available in print. However, it is the man himself who seems to have left an indelible impression.

It is not just personal charisma that makes a difference; there are enough airheads who draw a second look. And there are regular people who make a tremendous difference in an understated way. When there is a combination of an honest person with a genuine lesson to share with you personally, you not only have a great recipe but a chef to guide you as you attempt to try the recipe in the kitchen of life. A guru with great formula for success. What better way towards self-improvement?

Coffee Nirvana

We met at The Chocolate Room yesterday. The same girls group that had spontaneously gathered on the eve of International Women’s Day. It was a quiet evening with laughter and camaraderie, spent over cups of chocolate drinks and a few bites. I ordered a drink whose name itself implied an impossible expectation “Coffee Nirvana” – a concoction of cold coffee, chocolate topped with whipped cream. When the dream drink arrived, it tasted really sweet and chocolaty. The only taste of coffee came from the few strategically placed coffee beans which punctuated the white swirls of the whipped cream. I was hoping for a chilled chocolate-flavored coffee drink. Quite disappointing really.

I wondered later if I would have ordered that particular drink if it had been named differently. There was so much to choose from and in the absence of a better indicator, I picked the one with the intriguing name. That led me to think about marketing strategies. Fortunately, I am currently reading Malcolm Gladwell’s best-seller, Blink. The premise of this book is that humans possess an uncanny faculty for figuring things out intuitively, without the support of reams of research and data. Choices are made in a blink, on an unconscious level, in most cases, accurately. To prove the point that one does not need to gather humongous evidence to make the correct decision, he describes the methodical manner in which Coca Cola revamped the taste of Coke when they found the newcomer Pepsi bridging the gap as the top selling cola. In taste tests, after one sip, most people preferred Pepsi. The preference was analyzed and attributed to the fact that Pepsi tasted sweeter. “New Coke” as the redesigned, sweeter version was called, turned out to be a total disaster. The greater sweetness did not translate into greater sales of the new product. Coca Cola went back to the original formula and launched it again as “Classic Coke” which then went on to regain its top-selling status. Do you know why? When people drink a can of cola, the sweeter taste actually is a deterrent. While on the first sip, the sweeter drink may be appealing, in the long run, you need to have more substance to keep people coming back for more. Interesting, huh?

I was reminded of this again today when I saw an article in a prestigious newspaper by someone. The gentleman occupies a high position in a reputed company. He had progressed rapidly up the ranks to move into an influential role. My interactions with him were always sugary sweet, with no substance under the surface. But he spoke well, carried himself well and distinguished himself by aligning with the right people in the right positions. I read his article. I could not understand anything – what was the logic, what was he trying to convey, what was the point? His success summarized the Pepsi story in the human plane. Perhaps he had hit a temporary soft spot with a particular personal characteristic but I doubt he will have the staying power for the long run. Pepsi or Coke – only time will tell.

Book Review - The Men Within

I am not sure whether it is the current IPL fever or the fact that I had been picking up really boring non-fiction books to read or just the plain heat of Hyderabad summer that made me take up “The Men Within” for my night-time reading. I had received a copy, autographed by the author, Harimohan Paruvu who is now a friend and mentor. Although I had the book at home, I did not start reading it right away. Perhaps it was the tagline – “a cricketing tale”. I am not particularly a cricket buff (or any other sport for that matter) but had enjoyed Hari’s second novel “If you love someone…” I had also fortunately attended his workshop “The Champion’s Mindset” which is derived from this book. I was not expecting much but I was completely taken by surprise.

“The Men Within” unlike the name suggests is not about manly obsessions (other than the obvious one with cricket). It is the story of a school cricket team and how it finds its way to the prestigious interschool championship finals. Through the interactions between memorable characters like the trusting coach, supportive teachers, and a visionary Principal, we see the emergence of champions in the group of young boys hailing from different walks of life, classes of society and religious affiliations. The coach is the influential catalyst who channels the diffuse energies of the assorted group towards the pursuit of a common goal, in his typical understated manner. The transformation of boys into men when the situation demands brings about far greater change in their life and that of the greater community to which they belong.

The strength of the book lies in the authentic dialog among the boys, typical teenagers distracted by girls, ipods and mobile phones. The banter is generously laced with humor. A classic example is the description of the state of the team members on the first day of their fitness training after they have run four rounds of the school grounds - "Varun staggered dangerously at the beginning of the fifth round. Ashish trotted at a pace that conveyed no movement to the naked eye and Kartik breathed heavily through his mouth."

While it is a classic underdog story, it is told with great skill. I eagerly turned the pages of each chapter, curious about what happens next. Hari gives us glimpses into the winning formula that is the secret of champions through a simple story. I particularly liked the way the team, once united, learns lessons from all whom they come across, whether it is the driver of the school bus, or the loyal groundsman, Jani Miya and apply it diligently to improve their performance.

I whole-heartedly recommend this book, to students, boys and girls, men and women, who may or may not be interested in cricket but would like to read a feel good book. I am sure it will work wonders when communicating important lessons about teamwork, striving for excellence, planning and implementing strategies for success, whether it is to corporate employees or sullen teenagers in your home. “The Men Within” is not just an easy read but an unforgettable one.

More information is available at www.harimohan.com

Weekly Champion Update - Week 2

It’s 14 days from the date of the Champion’s Mindset Workshop. The highlight for today was a reunion of the attendees and sharing of our progress. While it felt good to talk about what I had done, it was heartening to hear about the progress of group members. I think success of the group is linked to success of each one and when one moves forward the energy created by their movement helps to pull all of us along in their wake.

Here is my week 2 update.

What have I done this week ?

Out of my comfort zone each day – this is getting to be fun now
• I made tremendous progress on cleaning out my garage – there is almost enough room to park my car. Look at the middle and after photos (did not think to take a “before” picture)
• Took and posted more photos on my blog
• Finally reached my target of getting back to doing 10 suryanamaskars in one sitting (or standing, whichever way you look at it)
• Told more people about my blog
• Met Shobha to professionally help me sort through some emotional issues

Good things done
• Wrote blogs almost everyday
• Encouraged and facilitated activities for friends
• Hosted a high tea party for my father’s friend and his family – cooking in the afternoon when the outside temperature is 42 °C is not exactly my idea of summer fun
• Took Dad for doctor’s appointment, Aparna for painting class

“Yes” factors
• I seem to have some followers for my blog!
• Thrilled when my childhood friend shared her progress on her personal life and thanked me for my encouragement

Progress towards “THE GOAL”
• Wrote some chapter outlines (more like chapter titles) for my novel – my big goal for the year. I also told a couple of people about the plan to write.

Overall, a good second week. Hope to keep the momentum going.

Message in a magazine

On most days newspapers carry depressing news. Sometimes there are interesting editorials and op-ed columns that are worth reading. Very rarely do I find any article of enduring interest. The Sunday Indian Express i-witness spread is an exception. Some of the weekly columns are quite witty and I find “Loony Life” by Jaya Madhavan to be really funny. The most interesting item of all is the “Mind and Body” segment by Swahilya Shambavi. Each week it features an interesting philosophical or spiritual topic. Lately the column has been on focusing on yoga asanas.

I took to yoga a few months after Aparna was born. I was stressed with a full-time job, new baby and no extended family support system. The lunch hour Hatha Yoga class was indeed a God-send for me. It helped me lose the extra weight of the pregnancy and eased the strain on the mind and body. I have been a consistent practitioner of yoga for over 12 years now. I have my favorite routines that I alternate and also try new asanas when I encounter them. My latest achievement has been the suryanamaskar. When I am too lazy to attempt different postures, the suryanamaskar is a no-brainer in exercising the whole body in a synchronized set of poses. I could do 2 or 4 sets at most (one set is composed of two rounds with alternate sides of the body leading the routine) and was happy with it. Then I set myself a higher target. I am happy to report that I can now do 10 suryanamaskars in one go, without a break (except for a few moments of rest after 5).

When I suffered the debilitating arthritis-like effects of chikungunya a few months ago, I was unable to do the most basic exercises, like standing on one foot, due to the excruciating pain. I hated not being able to get back on track. So I doubled the time I normally spend on pranayama. That helped. It has taken 6 months to get back to 10 suryanamaskars and therefore I am thrilled. I had gained a few kilos (no idea how many) and certainly added a few inches around the middle in the interim (my clothes that almost don’t fit are the final proof). A friend casually asked if it was a side effect of chikungunya. That was the impetus I needed to quickly escalate my practice to get back into a shape that makes me feel better.

I appreciated the wise words of Swahilya this week when she emphasized that “Hatha yoga focuses on getting energy flowing in the desired direction. When the flow of energy is in tune with good health, the final result is weight loss.” What particularly stuck with me was her suggestion to try using affirmations to accelerate the process. For an expanding abdomen, the appropriate affirmation to use is “All the love I want, all the inspiration and energy I need is within me right now.”

I am working on it. Will keep you posted on the progress.

Dog days

A record high temperature of 43 °C was noted in Hyderabad yesterday - the newspaper mentioned that it was the hottest day in a decade. I did not need a thermometer or a news item to tell me that. My body thermostat had been complaining for the last few days. By the time the mercury touched record levels, my body alarm was practically screeching. During these intensely hot days, I turn into “Batwoman”, daring to step out of the house only after sundown. I get through the day with ice cubes placed strategically on my neck, forehead and eyes, either seated in front of the cooler downstairs or in the air-conditioned bedroom upstairs. In a phone conversation with some European client, we made some small talk about the weather. When I mentioned the temperatures here, the woman exclaimed, “How do you live there?” The appropriate question should have been, “How do you work there?” I haven’t been doing much work; my brain is completely fried. I hang out in a dazed state of heat-induced lethargy. I notice that the stray dogs do the same.

Medley, our friendly neighborhood stray, who is my daughter Aparna’s adopted pet, usually hangs out on the street, begs for leftovers and sometimes offers free security service outside our front door. In response to increasing heat, he has taken to sleeping under the bedroom window – day and night. He does not even seem to have the energy to bark. His tongue hangs out while he pants incessantly. Even his appetite is down. He drinks the water from the bowl that I have placed near the kitchen door. Animals follow their instinct when it comes to eating or abstaining. Reducing the food intake while focusing on hydration sounds like the right thing to do, for man and beast. The only part of Medley’s personality that is intact is his tail which maintains its little curl at the end. Straightening a dog’s tail is said to be an unending task. That reminds me of Aparna’s unrelenting efforts towards the opposite effect – in this case with her hair.

The child has been blessed with lovely straight hair of the variety that people would pay thousands of rupees to get straightened. But all she wants is a head full of bouncy waves and curls. So we tried a new hair cut today, a combination of feather cut and layers. At the end of an hour of hair wash, cut and blow dry, the effect is quite impressive. I wonder how long it will last. Is it possible to outwit Mother Nature? Can physical manipulations and chemical treatments really turn you into another person? You can temporarily sport a new look and if you have the patience, put the daily effort required into maintaining the effect for a while longer. I tried to tell her that. But she just rolled her eyes implying that “another lecture is coming”. It takes a long time for us to accept ourselves as we are – freckles, straight hair and all.


This sums up my thoughts in the sweltering heat of Hyderabad – dogs, daughters and cold drinks.

Power cuts

The most unpleasant side effects of peak summer in Hyderabad include the constant but unpredictable power cuts. Last week we had a severe thunderstorm (only in our neighborhood, another specialty of Hyderabad where it rains in bursts in a small area while the adjacent areas are bone dry) followed by a 6 hours loss of electricity. My seven year old nephew, who was visiting from the US at that time, wrote in his travel diary “The worst thing happened to us today. We had a power cut. Power means electricity…..”

In his short life, he has not experienced the daily drama that temporary loss of electricity brings. We fume and sweat in the afternoon, unwilling to open the doors and unable to stay without some circulation of air, however hot it might be. In the evenings, we light candles and sit idly, sometimes savoring the enforced short break from activities, sometimes cursing the untimely darkness. We have had several candle-light dinners in the last few weeks.

But I get most upset when the lights go off just before bedtime. I love the last hour before bedtime when I read or write or just ruminate on the day that was or the day ahead. When the room was plunged in darkness during a weeknight, I lit a candle and lay on the bed watching the shadows cast by our movements. The glow of the candle reflected off the mirror on the dresser casting a crooked ray of light. The shadow of Aparna’s foot loomed large like the Loch Ness monster from the ceiling as she flexed her feet. As the minutes went by, the candle wasted away but the flame grew long and straight, taller than what was left of the wax in the white cylinder of paraffin. My nephew danced around, amused by his tiny figure magnified many times, on multiple walls, like the magic mirror trick in a Charlie Chaplin movie.
On the day of the thunderstorm, we sat around and talked, mostly about how to restore the electricity, a futile exercise but as necessary as discussing the daily news. We proceeded to cook in the darkness, reminiscent of women a century before us for whom this may have been an everyday event. The oil droplets splashed from previous cooking experiments shone brightly, illuminated by the dim light of the candle from the underside, the droplets that escape our gaze when the bright tube light floods the room.

The dark has been teaching important lessons. Lack of understanding makes monsters out of molehills; shining a light from a different perspective shows us a different side to ordinary occurrences; there is humor to be found in every situation. Perhaps the candles sacrifice in providing a glow that is larger than itself is symbolic of our ability to rise beyond perceived limitations; we are capable of living bigger, better lives. It is darkness that can show us how. Powerful lessons from power cuts!

Role models

Sportsmen and women occupy a special place in popular culture. They are accomplished in their chosen sport, they are young, healthy and dynamic, and with the help of image makeovers, they also look good. No wonder, they are idolized by boys and girls, youth and adults alike. Somewhere in the hype surrounding their public persona, they become role models for a generation. Celebrity equals character in the minds of the followers and soon they get elevated onto a high pedestal of superhuman qualities, a stature from which the only thing that is certain is a fall. Then the brickbats come flying, thick and fast, the greatest fans become the loudest detractors. This scene has been repeated across countries and continents, amongst not just sportsmen but with actors, politicians and professionals. The recent Sania Mirza controversy in Hyderabad is an example of such a situation, not to mention the debacle of Tiger Woods.

I therefore have a problem with identifying with one particular role model. Very often we admire qualities of several people, some of whom may be celebrities, but many who are closest to us, albeit living in near anonymity. It would be a worthwhile exercise to observe these men and women in action as they struggle, take risks, make choices and succeed in life. We can selectively choose qualities of someone who has a flair for languages, another with an eye for color, a highly qualified academic and someone with a great sense of humor. These wonderful attributes may be characteristics of your driver, your aunt, your friend and your cousin respectively. Chances of finding them on cover pages of magazines or reading about their lives chronicled in a biography may be rare, but they certainly have qualities worth emulating. So why not have a buffet of choices when someone asks you “Who do you want to be? Who is your role model?” Does the answer have to be a single famous individual?

Weekly Champion Update - Week 1

It has been a week since we started on our path of developing a champion’s mindset and applying it to a goal. While the focus is on achieving the goal, there is a bigger target of doing a few things everyday that reinforce our confidence by focusing on our strengths, acknowledging the good we have done to others and thus helping ourselves. So we were given a list of things to do as part of our homework for the next 21 days. Here is the update.

What have I done this week ?

The hardest part of the homework has been to do something out of my comfort zone each day. I am glad to report my progress on this front.
• I have overcome my reluctance to take photos with my shiny red digital camera (I think I have no aptitude for this gadget, actually with most gadgets). I took a few photos and actually put one picture of the frangipani tree that graces my front yard on my blog “Waiting for spring”
• I started clearing out my garage – no mean task if you look at its contents
• I drove to a factory that is located in the industrial area not far from my home but the road leading to it has heavy truck traffic – a daunting task for a city driver like me

Good things done
• I encouraged a few people who had done exceptionally well and others who seemed to need extra words of support
• Showed up at Evening Hour bookstore for a “Meet the author” session even though it was an author of Telugu books (which I cannot read)
• I took my family members to places they wanted to, even if these were not my favorite haunts

“Yes” factors
• I wrote blogs on topics that were close to my heart. The creative juices were flowing strongly this week and made me feel good to be alive
• Got supporting emails from previous colleagues who are eager to see me in the US next month and have promised to introduce me to decision makers in their respective offices (totally unsolicited show of confidence)
• Completed a promised job within the deadline

Progress towards “THE GOAL”
• Perhaps this is the area that has taken a backseat. No progress to report on the goal that I have taken up for execution in the next 8 months. I did make a little progress but reading, blogging and of course, professional commitments have taken priority.

Overall, not a bad first week, but I have miles to go before I sleep, literally.

Winner's Story

I waited eagerly for the newspaper this morning. It wasn’t the IPL score, weather or other gory front-page news that I was after. I wanted to read the second part of the autobiographical essay by Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The Hindu ran this essay titled “From Chidambaram to Cambridge: a life in science” in two parts. It will be published by the Nobel Foundation in a few months.

The essay is inspirational and told in a disarmingly honest way by this distinguished scientist who spent all his life in pursuit of new discoveries. His story is unusual not just for his achievements and a career in science that took him from India to USA to UK, but for his acknowledgement of those people who he encountered in his journey and shaped his thoughts. He mentions his parents, Ph.D.s themselves who moved from Chidambaram to Baroda with stints in the USA, Canada and Australia. He attributes the revival of his interest in studies to the dedicated Math and Science teacher in school and other significant faculty members in Baroda. His humorously describes his tenuous tenure in graduate school in the US where he finally pulls himself together to get a Ph.D. in Physics followed by further rigorous research as he moves into a field that is new to him, biology. The second part of the essay goes into the details of his move to Cambridge to pursue the experiments that finally won him the Nobel prize for his work in identifying the structure of the 30s subunit of the ribosome.

There is much to learn from this story – primarily that individuals can go on to achieve public success but the seed of curiosity is sowed and nurtured by dedicated teachers who follow their passion diligently. Family support, in this case, parents who themselves were distinguished and encouraged Venkatraman to do better (his father congratulated him for his publication in the prestigious journal Science, and exhorted him to work harder and publish in the other equally exalted journal, Nature) and a spouse who stood with him through the major move from US to UK in the quest for the structure of the ribosome. Choices, sometimes hard ones, like uprooting family and intentionally taking a pay cut do what truly moves you. Persistence, in the face of competition and disappointment is another essential quality.

But what I liked best was his statement that “people go into science out of curiosity, not to win an award. But scientists are human, and have ambitions.” The need to be recognized for your efforts is among the basic needs for all of us. It is a big step to admit it. But the satisfaction and joy that accompanies honest work is what helps all of us (scientists included) to keep going in all those private moments which neither the press nor parents can share. Public success is validation of your private victory. Prizes and awards are symbols bestowed by the general populations in acknowledgment of your efforts. Sometimes we confuse the two. Thinking, striving, working is what provides the daily fuel for your life. The trophies signal that you have arrived. Arriving without experiencing the process is of no value. But enjoying the path and the view as you run your race is its own reward.

As Venkatraman says “ as the years went by, it seemed to me and many other scientists that there would never be a Nobel Prize for the ribosome because the problem of choosing three people out of all the contributors appears insurmountable.”

Not all of us can go on to win prominent prizes but each of us can definitely be successful. This is why it is important to read the stories of the winners.

http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article391164.ece

Waiting for spring

I moved into this house one November. The front yard was bathed in a cool shade from the large tree just inside the wall. It was taller than the house, with a dark brown bark and thick elongated leaves. A month later, the tree started shedding a leaves, an alarmingly large number of leaves, each day. All I had done was water this tree along with its neighboring shrubs which I had inherited along with the rental lease. I was worried. Had my notorious “brown thumb” destroyed this mature graceful tree within a few weeks? Luckily I found a gardener who consoled me by saying that this is an annual phenomenon which would correct itself in spring.

I was reminded of my years on the east coast of US where brilliant fall colors announce the imminent arrival of cold winter weather in a final blaze of riotous color, before they fall to the ground, leaving a landscape of barren trees. It was a beautiful and sad feeling to see the glorious foliage which covered your lawn, your car and even you, as you hurried indoors. I could barely get through the winter months. I waited eagerly for the first sign of spring, the fluorescent tender green shoots, the cherry blossoms lining Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC, the tulips peering out from beneath the cold earth. Spring was my favorite season of all, full with the promise of months of warmth and life in its arms.

But the tree in my Hyderabad house turned barren in the ensuing two months, completely bereft of greenery. I still did not know that I had been lucky enough to inherit a big spectacular frangipani (As a city slicker, I can barely tell the difference between nariyal pani and frangipani). The striking feature of frangipani are its delicate blossoms and tender petals, that sit atop the tallest branches. When the weather turned warm after a cold January spell, the first sign of life appeared at the tips of the branches, white spots dotting the brown bark. In a few weeks, each branch bore flowers, many of which tumbled down to the tiled walkway leading to the house. Spring was finally here.

When it comes to my professional work, there are times when I feel that I am waiting for spring. Since my work comes and goes, there are times of harvest and times of drought. Sometimes there is a promise of a bounty just ahead which stubbornly refuses to materialize. I know it will bloom, like my frangipani, when the time is right, but I am impatient. I want spring. Now. I have to learn patience and like Mother Nature, nurture first before hoping for rewards. I have learnt the frangipani’s cycle in two years. It is my third year as an independent consultant. It’s time I learnt this lesson.

My tree now looks exactly as in the picture – more flowers than leaves but I know that soon it will be all green and once again grace the yard with its generous shade.

Book Review - Goodnight and God Bless

Bed-time reading is something I look forward to at the end of each day; a calm way to relax before settling down into a comfortable bed to recover from the stresses of the day. Anita Nair’s “Goodnight and God Bless” begins the same way. She describes her bedtime ritual of drinking a warm cup of malted milk and introduces readers to the books by her bedside.

Anita Nair is a well-known Indian novelist, having met critical success with “Ladies Coupe” followed by the more recent “Mistress”. Currently, her newly released novel “Lessons in Forgiving” is conspicuously placed in most bookstores. But this book (Good night…) is different. It is a collection of essays by Nair, many of which have appeared previously in various newspapers and magazines.

On a personal note, essays are my favorite form of writing. And in the hands of an accomplished writer like Nair, even the mundane gets elevated to exquisite literature. She displays witty humor when she relives her days in an advertising agency, which she believes is not just a good training ground for wannabe writers, but should be made mandatory. About her last day in advertising she muses “… never have to attend a meeting where clients, even if their chances of being knighted was one in a million, have to be addressed as “Sir”. Never again would I have to hear about paradigm shifts; I still don’t know what a paradigm is or why for some strange reason it is always shifting”. She is sensitive in her observations about her father and brother and shows the temperamental relationship with her mother in other chapters. Perhaps the most humane side of her comes across in the essay where she analyzes her penchant for attending all the book launches that she is invited to, “to show solidarity and to swell the numbers because I know how much of a heartache it causes when you invite people for a reading and only a handful, or worse, no one show up”.

At other points she describes her travel to foreign lands, train journeys, her village in Kerala and shares deep insights into the motivation and hard work behind writing novels. The essays are crisp and honest, without being preachy. They display the author in an intimate setting, something fiction novels seldom do.

Inside its hardbound cover with a pleasant cover design, this tiny book (measures less than my handspan) is impeccably edited and contains true gems of observations, written in Anita Nair’s inimitable style. A genuine pleasure to read and to own.

Developing a Champion Mindset

I spent the entire weekend learning about “The Champion’s Mindset”. The brain behind this wonderful two-day program is Harimohan Paruvu, an unlikely combination of cricketer, engineer, management consultant who once worked in a bank but now is the author of two published novels. Hari certainly does not fit the bill of a suave, marketing-type guru peddling a new formula for success. But Hari is definitely a wonderful workshop facilitator with interesting insights to share with cricketing analogies to drive home the point (or is it run?) when necessary.

We were a small motley group ranging in age from 12 to … (I may have been the oldest participant, so I am not specifying the full age range here). Hari led us through multiple exercises such as identifying our strengths, and making us call our family and friends to help us further add to our strengths as per their perception of us. We had several more fun exercises to complete in class and share with the group to think out of the box and out of our comfort zone in an attempt to figure out goals which seemed impossible at first glance. But as the two days progressed not only did we acquire tools to make the dream-like goals descend to the real world but started getting the feeling that they were within reach. Learning the characteristics of true champions who stay the course and make a difference was made comprehensible to all participants. We also have homework for the next several weeks to cultivate the mindset of a champion in order to integrate it into our psyche.

For me personally, the workshop came into my life at just the right time. With the ideas that were introduced and the support of the group, I have made a plan to achieve a goal which I had verbalized, even to myself, only recently. I hope to achieve it within a year. What surprised me was the discovery that I had many more talents and skills which I could leverage to enhance not just personal satisfaction but also make a difference to the world. At the end of the day, becoming a champion is not about imitating someone else but recognizing and striving to be the best "you", 100% of the time.

I whole-heartedly recommend this “Champion” workshop to all those who have a goal but lack the conviction and confidence of the champion to pursue it.

For more information click on the link below:

http://harimohanparuvu.blogspot.com/2010/03/champions-mindset.html