My office has changed me quite a bit as a person.
About a month back, I was pulled up by my managers here for posting three articles on this blog, based on the workings of my department. I have since taken down those ‘effing posts. Okay, so I can’t write about that stuff but I guess writing about the office in general should not be an issue (I hope!).
So here goes.
For the first time in my life, I am feeling what most office-goers can perhaps relate to, i.e. STRESS. My three-walled workstation, with a computer to stare at for 8-9 hours a day (on Fridays it’s 12) takes its toll on me every time. At the end of the day’s shift I can literally feel the heaviness in my eyes. I cannot remember the last time I felt this sort of daily grind. Don’t get me wrong. The work itself is quite interesting and keeps you on your toes but of course I can’t talk about it here (which probably increases your curiosity right? Don’t worry, I’m not building any nukes here, neither am I being called double-o-seven…sigh!). I guess all I can reveal to you is that it’s an editing and design based job. It has its impacts as well and not only on the reports that I sub. Even on this blog, I have gone from a raving ranting writer who didn’t care about grammar, punctuation and the like, to a raving ranting writer who’s been subbing this particular post as its being written.
I guess the stress and grind parts are inevitable in any person’s life. Most of you reading this have probably already faced all that through high school and perhaps even college. Sadly (?), I was more of the I-DON’T-GIVE-A-RAT’S-POSTERIOR-FOR-EDUCATION types, which meant that high-school was a breeze. I was content with average marks and didn’t value the rat race too much. And college, well, I don’t suppose ANY sane person is expected to feel stress in this period of life. Not with Pink Floyd, pretty chicks and healthy doses of inebriation around at least!
Our office computers have access to the internet of course. However, we have been strictly warned to refrain from visiting social networking websites, accessing our emails, basically visiting any website that’s not directly related to our work. And in the true spirit of "Indian heterodoxy" (my thanks to Amartya Sen), people manage to sneak in visits every now and then. The few unlucky ones, such as myself, were assigned workstations with computers facing the manager’s desk (or at least are within-sight), which means my "illegal" visits have to be conducted during **********.
(no errors or cursing here, just keeping my ass covered)
Thankfully, the office has a few television sets to keep us entertained (though they are understandably kept on Mute). It helps a lot, believe me. Even if you are the Grandmaster of Secret-Orkutting-Facebooking-Gmailing, you cannot help but take the occasional five minutes off your work to watch the Ashes, football or some random movie. And a big thank you to the major movie channels for introducing subtitles in their screenings!
Coming back to the office-changing-me part. Until I took up this job, I could never have imagined myself settling into a 9 to 5 type day. However, two months in, I have pretty much synched myself with the daily routine. To top it off, my job isn’t a 9 to 5 affair. On most days, i.e. days that I’m lucky, I manage to leave by 8 pm. On a Friday, for reasons that I am unable to divulge, I reach home by 10-10:30 pm. The bad part about Mangalore city is that the public transport system (ok that’s too much credit; the BUS service) shuts down after 9 pm. Still, I’m getting used to these late hours and minor discrepancies as well. All part of the real world experience I guess.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Rant 42: Indian v Sri Lanka 3-1
Just saw the game between India and Sri Lanka in the ONGC Nehru cup 2009, at the Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi. Must say, that the team looks pretty good in terms of passing the ball around, creating scoring opportunities and actually taking them when it counts.
Although, India lost their Nehru Cup 2009 opener to Lebanon, they came back strongly against Kyrghystan. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, had been reeling from a walloping they received two days ago at the hands of Syria. In the buildup to the India game Coach Perreira (Sri Lanka) had been critical of the fixtures, saying they favoured the hosts who had to play games at a lesser frequency than the visitors.
However, for India the match itself was a must-win, which would certainly have increased the pressure, as opposed to the Lankans who simply had to draw to remain in the tournament.
India took the lead mid-way through the first half through a header from golden-boy Baichung Bhutia. For the most part, the first half looked like India's for the taking as the Lankans remained content with their long, ambitious balls into the final third with only their two strikers chasing after the ball, looking like random farmers in a barren, untouched-by-rain Indian rice field.
Prior to the first goal, India almost got their rewards for dominating the first ten minutes via Sunil Chettri who got his head to a free kick from just outside the half-way line. However, the goal was ruled out for offside. The Indian fans were forced to wait for a superb in-swinging cross from Steven Dias, from the right side touchline, that Bhutia converted with a charging header. The Lankans looked unable to defend the aerial ball at all times and were largely uncomfortable with the constant pressure from their opponents right up to the half time whistle. There were several occasions when the Indian players struck the woodwork and one felt, the hosts deserved a better scoreline in their favour going into the break.
After the break, however, it was the islanders who started the more positive, as they managed a ten-minute period of pressure with shots ranging in from the midfielders (I'm not going to pretend I remember their names!!). India too looked like increasing their lead, with Bhutia striking the woodwork (again off a header).
The Sri Lankan efforts paid off eventually. The goal came off a relatively harmless looking free-kick, which was headed into goal off a defender's foot and was enough to set the scores level. Indian coach Bob Houghton was definitely not pleased with the defending but that didn't stop the Indian forwards from pressing on for the lead. Surprisingly, it was defender Gauramangi Singh who got the lead once again for the hosts, with a simple tap-in after the Lankan goalkeeper failed to parry the ball safely away from a near post cross.
Midfielder Steven Dias found the net around ten minutes later, with a cracking shot after being released on the right by NP Pradeep. 3-1 India!!!
The hosts were then content to make the odd foray down the centre, whilst keeping their opponents at bay. Although, Sri Lanka managed a few runs down the flanks in the final stages of the match, India were able to see the game through.
I must say...even though I haven't followed the Indian team before or since the coaching was taken over by Bob Houghton, it was a pleasure to watch them play. There was a definite attitude of "going forward" that we had.
In contrast, I remember a match we played in England against Wolverhampton Wolves (of the English Premier League) a few years back and I actually felt ashamed at the fact that we could not even provide decent enough competition against a bottom-table league side, let alone score a goal and even worse, play against full-strength national sides.
We seem to have come a long way from that and here's hoping our next game, against Syria, goes just as well!
and btw, the match description was my first attempt at something of a "Match review" perse, so feel free to post any comments, criticism of the same...Thanks!
Although, India lost their Nehru Cup 2009 opener to Lebanon, they came back strongly against Kyrghystan. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, had been reeling from a walloping they received two days ago at the hands of Syria. In the buildup to the India game Coach Perreira (Sri Lanka) had been critical of the fixtures, saying they favoured the hosts who had to play games at a lesser frequency than the visitors.
However, for India the match itself was a must-win, which would certainly have increased the pressure, as opposed to the Lankans who simply had to draw to remain in the tournament.
India took the lead mid-way through the first half through a header from golden-boy Baichung Bhutia. For the most part, the first half looked like India's for the taking as the Lankans remained content with their long, ambitious balls into the final third with only their two strikers chasing after the ball, looking like random farmers in a barren, untouched-by-rain Indian rice field.
Prior to the first goal, India almost got their rewards for dominating the first ten minutes via Sunil Chettri who got his head to a free kick from just outside the half-way line. However, the goal was ruled out for offside. The Indian fans were forced to wait for a superb in-swinging cross from Steven Dias, from the right side touchline, that Bhutia converted with a charging header. The Lankans looked unable to defend the aerial ball at all times and were largely uncomfortable with the constant pressure from their opponents right up to the half time whistle. There were several occasions when the Indian players struck the woodwork and one felt, the hosts deserved a better scoreline in their favour going into the break.
After the break, however, it was the islanders who started the more positive, as they managed a ten-minute period of pressure with shots ranging in from the midfielders (I'm not going to pretend I remember their names!!). India too looked like increasing their lead, with Bhutia striking the woodwork (again off a header).
The Sri Lankan efforts paid off eventually. The goal came off a relatively harmless looking free-kick, which was headed into goal off a defender's foot and was enough to set the scores level. Indian coach Bob Houghton was definitely not pleased with the defending but that didn't stop the Indian forwards from pressing on for the lead. Surprisingly, it was defender Gauramangi Singh who got the lead once again for the hosts, with a simple tap-in after the Lankan goalkeeper failed to parry the ball safely away from a near post cross.
Midfielder Steven Dias found the net around ten minutes later, with a cracking shot after being released on the right by NP Pradeep. 3-1 India!!!
The hosts were then content to make the odd foray down the centre, whilst keeping their opponents at bay. Although, Sri Lanka managed a few runs down the flanks in the final stages of the match, India were able to see the game through.
I must say...even though I haven't followed the Indian team before or since the coaching was taken over by Bob Houghton, it was a pleasure to watch them play. There was a definite attitude of "going forward" that we had.
In contrast, I remember a match we played in England against Wolverhampton Wolves (of the English Premier League) a few years back and I actually felt ashamed at the fact that we could not even provide decent enough competition against a bottom-table league side, let alone score a goal and even worse, play against full-strength national sides.
We seem to have come a long way from that and here's hoping our next game, against Syria, goes just as well!
and btw, the match description was my first attempt at something of a "Match review" perse, so feel free to post any comments, criticism of the same...Thanks!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Rant 41: TV, Entertainment and Prosperity
I finally have a form of entertainment at my house apart from the big line of books on the maddeningly low shelf space. A TV.
Don't get me wrong.
I may not be as huge a fan of books as some of my more stiff-lipped friends who love invoking Arundhati Roy and sometimes obscure south-Indian authors just to sound smart, but I do enjoy picking up autobiographies, run-of-the-mill college type comedies (aka 5.someone types), a few action thrillers and - of late - some political ones, every now and then.
However, if you ever stepped into my current dwelling, you would realise that there can be two possible consequences of reading too many books in the kind of "scene" there is: A low power, orangey-yellowey, depressing little night light.
Consequence 1: I go half-blind
and 2: I kill myself.
So in order to avoid both (more so for No.2 I guess) I pestered my folks to finance a TV. And finance they did. Coercion, thy name in my book is whining...
Enter a Phillips 21".
I will refrain from saying too much about the cable connection. Sufficeth to say, Consequence No 1 (see above) has a chance of befalling me yet.
So to talk about the actual TV viewing...
I'd been desperate to catch some EPL action and lo and behold, the first thing I see on ESPN is the EPL highlights show, with Manu's match against Wigan (a 5-0 thrashing to get my grin going). Having filled up on EPL, topped with a healthy dose of SportsCenter, I began my second favourite pastime on TV, channel surfing. Even though the set has a lag time from the moment you press the +/- sign to when it actually changes, wherin the audio stops half a second before change, surfing on it is quite enjoyable. Not least if I end up on a boring saas-bahu show. There is nothing more satisfying than cutting off audio for a woman just about to embark on a marathon of emotional dialogues, not to mention the dramatic soundtrack with pointless extreme close-up zoom-ins and zoom-outs.
However, the icing on the cake was this tele-shopping type sales pitch I saw on some random 24 hour news channel (and you wonder where all the breaking news ideas come from???)
The sales person was a "real" sadhu, complete with braided hair, and through elaborate gestures, he explained how the
Don't get me wrong.
I may not be as huge a fan of books as some of my more stiff-lipped friends who love invoking Arundhati Roy and sometimes obscure south-Indian authors just to sound smart, but I do enjoy picking up autobiographies, run-of-the-mill college type comedies (aka 5.someone types), a few action thrillers and - of late - some political ones, every now and then.
However, if you ever stepped into my current dwelling, you would realise that there can be two possible consequences of reading too many books in the kind of "scene" there is: A low power, orangey-yellowey, depressing little night light.
Consequence 1: I go half-blind
and 2: I kill myself.
So in order to avoid both (more so for No.2 I guess) I pestered my folks to finance a TV. And finance they did. Coercion, thy name in my book is whining...
Enter a Phillips 21".
I will refrain from saying too much about the cable connection. Sufficeth to say, Consequence No 1 (see above) has a chance of befalling me yet.
So to talk about the actual TV viewing...
I'd been desperate to catch some EPL action and lo and behold, the first thing I see on ESPN is the EPL highlights show, with Manu's match against Wigan (a 5-0 thrashing to get my grin going). Having filled up on EPL, topped with a healthy dose of SportsCenter, I began my second favourite pastime on TV, channel surfing. Even though the set has a lag time from the moment you press the +/- sign to when it actually changes, wherin the audio stops half a second before change, surfing on it is quite enjoyable. Not least if I end up on a boring saas-bahu show. There is nothing more satisfying than cutting off audio for a woman just about to embark on a marathon of emotional dialogues, not to mention the dramatic soundtrack with pointless extreme close-up zoom-ins and zoom-outs.
However, the icing on the cake was this tele-shopping type sales pitch I saw on some random 24 hour news channel (and you wonder where all the breaking news ideas come from???)
The sales person was a "real" sadhu, complete with braided hair, and through elaborate gestures, he explained how the
SHIV SHAKTHI KAVACH could eliminate all bad influences in your life; bad neighbours, somebody who wanted to cause you harm, swine flu, aids and other horrifying elements. All you had to do was BUY the Kavach and wear it. And in the true spirit of Teleshopping, a free gift was available to the first 100 or so callers: a gold sticker to hang on your house's doorstep to ward off all evil.
Thank you TV industry for making possible rib-crushing laughter without the need for THC!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Rant 38: One Hundred and One Animals
give or take about 20....
This Animal Care Trust (Shelter) is located in a place called Shakthinagar, not very far from where I live.
Vinod, who resembles a wise-old grandfather in the number of stories he has on Mangalore, had the contact for this place. A lawyer and 4-5 helpers, charged with the most enviable task; taking care of close to a 100 dogs and cats, plus cows, turtles etc. and mani interresting furri animals (to quote a lovely monty python movie...typos intended)
Upon reaching..we found
Vinod, who resembles a wise-old grandfather in the number of stories he has on Mangalore, had the contact for this place. A lawyer and 4-5 helpers, charged with the most enviable task; taking care of close to a 100 dogs and cats, plus cows, turtles etc. and mani interresting furri animals (to quote a lovely monty python movie...typos intended)
Upon reaching..we found
Dogs........and Cats
Some were curious themselves...while others were just plain shy
The helpers
and their leader
Some got a bit naughty towards the end
and they also do...
***
and their leader
Some got a bit naughty towards the end
and they also do...
***
Monday, August 10, 2009
Rant 36: The best corporation in the world
Okay, so after hours of contemplation, I have reached the conclusion that
a) Never start with 20 kilo weights after a month long break from working out
and...
b) the best corporation in the world is...Religion Inc.
Taking in astronomical sums of money each year as capital and registering super-normal rises in year-on-year profits, the corp has literally grown from scratch to one of the biggest oligarchs in the history of human habitation on the Earth.
Right from its humble beginnings in the stone age, it started with initial fixed assets (capital) of goats, sheep, cows and other animals (otherwise called sacrifices). As time progressed, some of its public shareholders decided that they wanted more control over the enterprise and thus began formulating company policies.
At all points, these policies were dictated to a single public shareholder by the company executives. Those execs with many hands (and many lives as well) preferred to remain above the cloud levels and communicate through various avatars in their earthly escapades, most avatars being animal forms.
Execs who actually dared to show their true faces on the Earth, quickly learnt to avoid that approach, as reports were reaching the boardroom that the public shareholders loved playing Crucifixion.
The company policies were written into various forms for easier understanding amongst the masses. Some execs added a bit of sado-masochist porn in, while others preferred a good dose of good-old blood and gore. All in all, it was a good book...or so it seems.
In time, the public shareholders became even more demanding. So the execs decided to sell off their majority shares and head off on a long vacation. The public shareholders decided to branch out the company and formed different sub-divisions. The strange thing was (as is with companies owned by Rupert Murdoch) that even though the sub-divisions were meant to pour "profits" into the same parent company, the publicly seen methods of obtaining those incomes violated various ethical norms, not least in the corporate battles between the sub-divisions themselves.
However, the company knew that no matter how many mass killings, suicides, pollution, they would always emerge victorious in the eyes of their shareholders because of their one TRUMP card...
The simple phrase : "It's my religious belief"
Working even more effectively than a full blown cruciatus curse, this single phrase has guaranteed that critics of any kind, will tip-toe respectfully away from any debate on the company's policies.
Thus, the wisest investment in these dark times is perhaps Religion Inc.
S.O.T.O. Rants is in no way affiliated with and does not endorse the beliefs and policies of Religon Inc. Purchase of mutual funds, shares and debentures are subject to market risks (Earthquakes, tsunamis, global warming, famines). Please read the offer document carefully before investing.
a) Never start with 20 kilo weights after a month long break from working out
and...
b) the best corporation in the world is...Religion Inc.
Taking in astronomical sums of money each year as capital and registering super-normal rises in year-on-year profits, the corp has literally grown from scratch to one of the biggest oligarchs in the history of human habitation on the Earth.
Right from its humble beginnings in the stone age, it started with initial fixed assets (capital) of goats, sheep, cows and other animals (otherwise called sacrifices). As time progressed, some of its public shareholders decided that they wanted more control over the enterprise and thus began formulating company policies.
At all points, these policies were dictated to a single public shareholder by the company executives. Those execs with many hands (and many lives as well) preferred to remain above the cloud levels and communicate through various avatars in their earthly escapades, most avatars being animal forms.
Execs who actually dared to show their true faces on the Earth, quickly learnt to avoid that approach, as reports were reaching the boardroom that the public shareholders loved playing Crucifixion.
The company policies were written into various forms for easier understanding amongst the masses. Some execs added a bit of sado-masochist porn in, while others preferred a good dose of good-old blood and gore. All in all, it was a good book...or so it seems.
In time, the public shareholders became even more demanding. So the execs decided to sell off their majority shares and head off on a long vacation. The public shareholders decided to branch out the company and formed different sub-divisions. The strange thing was (as is with companies owned by Rupert Murdoch) that even though the sub-divisions were meant to pour "profits" into the same parent company, the publicly seen methods of obtaining those incomes violated various ethical norms, not least in the corporate battles between the sub-divisions themselves.
However, the company knew that no matter how many mass killings, suicides, pollution, they would always emerge victorious in the eyes of their shareholders because of their one TRUMP card...
The simple phrase : "It's my religious belief"
Working even more effectively than a full blown cruciatus curse, this single phrase has guaranteed that critics of any kind, will tip-toe respectfully away from any debate on the company's policies.
Thus, the wisest investment in these dark times is perhaps Religion Inc.
S.O.T.O. Rants is in no way affiliated with and does not endorse the beliefs and policies of Religon Inc. Purchase of mutual funds, shares and debentures are subject to market risks (Earthquakes, tsunamis, global warming, famines). Please read the offer document carefully before investing.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Rant 35 : A call to arms
During college, what began as mere curiosity during high school, emerged as a continual rant against 'THE MAN' …the government or let’s say civil rule in general. (hell you can call it Life in general...but time constraints prevent such an exhaustive post)
Enter the documentary phase (currently ongoing). Various movies, comprising earth-shattering revelations (not to mention the bible’s own "happy ending" to life), drove metaphorical rods through my skull.
"The Bush administration was behind 9/11? Saddam was a kindly gentleman? Hitler was a CIA agent? McDonald’s is the world’s next superpower? Jenna from those porn flicks is a dude?"
(Ok, I made up that last one…but you get the idea right?)
Then of course I met others in college who had well reasoned arguments (and who were definitely much better read than I) about how our own government was brutally oppressing sections of the populations who had no other choice but to take up arms. This relatively new aspect has kind of troubled me for a while now.
A few months since leaving college, I’ve been having discussions with a friend. Both of us have our qualms against THE MAN, yet in the true spirit of Free Thinking, we find ourselves opposed on certain counts.
I happened to mention that as a patriotic Indian (for the land, maybe not the government) I would probably answer a call to arms if war broke out (I might add, only if my country is NOT the aggressor). Her reply began a discussion on borders and an attack on the concept of state etc. How they were western ideals and that India had just been a massive piece of land with no real borders till the British colonized us.
I just put forth, "But we have borders now. It’s the present I’m concerned about. You want to tell all the countries to get rid of borders? Who is going to listen?"
She continued, "Governments go to war…not nations. Why do you want to take up arms, kill or get killed for a government?"
Yes, why would I…or why should I? My answer is no, I will not kill and try my best not to BE killed in a war of aggression. BUT, if my country is being attacked, which effectively means some assholes in a different country decided, all humans were not equal or that my countrymen deserved to die for governmental faults (otherwise called Failing Diplomatic tactics), then YES, I will answer the people’s call to resist.
In this context I am referring to a democratic (people) government’s call to a war of defense.
(the friend again) "If you run away from a war zone in order to survive, you’re not being a coward, you’re being clever."
OK…so if my area (my town, city, country whatever) is being attacked and Mothers, Fathers, Brothers and Sisters are being killed, I should act "clever" and get the hell out of there? No, I’m sorry. Maybe you can try telling that to the guy from the Tiannamen-Square Tank incident.
I know I can’t do much for the thousands dying due to poverty everyday, but I fight my own war of defense in this regard as well. How is it any different for war time? people die during war as they die during peace...
The uprising against the NAZIs in the Warsaw ghetto is CHOSEN to be remembered, while the NAZI crimes are chosen to be pushed to the very back of our minds.
There is a reason for this...I'm sure someday me and that friend of mine will figure it out.
I sincerely hope, however, that we never see eye to eye...
Enter the documentary phase (currently ongoing). Various movies, comprising earth-shattering revelations (not to mention the bible’s own "happy ending" to life), drove metaphorical rods through my skull.
"The Bush administration was behind 9/11? Saddam was a kindly gentleman? Hitler was a CIA agent? McDonald’s is the world’s next superpower? Jenna from those porn flicks is a dude?"
(Ok, I made up that last one…but you get the idea right?)
Then of course I met others in college who had well reasoned arguments (and who were definitely much better read than I) about how our own government was brutally oppressing sections of the populations who had no other choice but to take up arms. This relatively new aspect has kind of troubled me for a while now.
A few months since leaving college, I’ve been having discussions with a friend. Both of us have our qualms against THE MAN, yet in the true spirit of Free Thinking, we find ourselves opposed on certain counts.
I happened to mention that as a patriotic Indian (for the land, maybe not the government) I would probably answer a call to arms if war broke out (I might add, only if my country is NOT the aggressor). Her reply began a discussion on borders and an attack on the concept of state etc. How they were western ideals and that India had just been a massive piece of land with no real borders till the British colonized us.
I just put forth, "But we have borders now. It’s the present I’m concerned about. You want to tell all the countries to get rid of borders? Who is going to listen?"
She continued, "Governments go to war…not nations. Why do you want to take up arms, kill or get killed for a government?"
Yes, why would I…or why should I? My answer is no, I will not kill and try my best not to BE killed in a war of aggression. BUT, if my country is being attacked, which effectively means some assholes in a different country decided, all humans were not equal or that my countrymen deserved to die for governmental faults (otherwise called Failing Diplomatic tactics), then YES, I will answer the people’s call to resist.
In this context I am referring to a democratic (people) government’s call to a war of defense.
(the friend again) "If you run away from a war zone in order to survive, you’re not being a coward, you’re being clever."
OK…so if my area (my town, city, country whatever) is being attacked and Mothers, Fathers, Brothers and Sisters are being killed, I should act "clever" and get the hell out of there? No, I’m sorry. Maybe you can try telling that to the guy from the Tiannamen-Square Tank incident.
I know I can’t do much for the thousands dying due to poverty everyday, but I fight my own war of defense in this regard as well. How is it any different for war time? people die during war as they die during peace...
The uprising against the NAZIs in the Warsaw ghetto is CHOSEN to be remembered, while the NAZI crimes are chosen to be pushed to the very back of our minds.
There is a reason for this...I'm sure someday me and that friend of mine will figure it out.
I sincerely hope, however, that we never see eye to eye...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)