How to do things well - The MasterChef Australia Validation

To 'do' things well, one needs to declutter the mind and stick to the main idea. Action needs some coherence, some organisation, to be effective. Let's say we want to write a novel, score a hundred or take five wickets. If one is writing, write with the clear idea of following the main idea. If one is batting, bat with the idea of playing the next ball - one ball at a time. If one is bowling - bowl with the idea of merely having the thought...

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Thought for the Day - Hard work is simple

Hard work is really simple. All we need to do is to just do it right 'now' with full awareness. Hard work gets harder when we think of it too much - and do nothing or less about it. But the more we do it, the more intensely we do it, the less harder it ge...

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Literary Day at Oakridge International, Bachupally

I was invited to be Chief Guest at the Oakridge International School, Bachupally campus today and I fell in love with the lovely environs - away from all the hustle and bustle of the city. The function started a bit late owing to my getting delayed in the traffic and the cab breaking down as well. But the children, intelligent and inquisitive,  listened patiently as I shared my writing journey, asked me many questions, and we ended up having a fine interaction. I was given a walk around the place by the Vice Principal Mr. Venkat Suresh and...

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Laudable Initiative from the AP Chief Minister

The new initiative by the Andhra Pradesh State Government to make Physical education compulsory in schools is indeed laudable. In a state where the perspective to a child's growth has taken a rather weird turn with extreme focus on academics and marks orientation, this move was necessary to restore parity and give hope to children and their real growth.It's now well known that all children need not display the same intelligence in academics alone. Some display intelligence in sports and games, some in dance, some in music, some in other forms...

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Thought for the Day - Change Happens When You Are True To Yourself and Your Belief

Most times we accept things as they are because we are afraid of disturbing the status quo. In many situations where certain processes, thoughts are ingrained over years of similar and perhaps stale thought, it appears seemingly difficult to bring in a new approach. The air hangs around you like a miasma, people appear distrusting, conspiracies are seen everywhere - but its just the old insecurity. It is easy to get drawn into it and fear it and do nothing about it. For example when you enter a government office, you may accept status quo and leave...

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Creative Writing Workshop Coming Up at Oakridge International School

I have an interesting assignment on hand - of conducting a Creative Writing workshop at Oakridge International School, for children aged between 11 and 16, starting this Saturday. The workshop is for six weeks, each an hour and a half every Saturday morning. It is the first time I am conducting a workshop of this kind but I took up the assignment because it is something I always wanted to do - share the writing process as I have experienced it - with aspiring writers. Doing the same with such fertile, young and creative minds is an absolutely delicious...

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A New Role, A New Responsibility

In a totally unexpected development over the past few days I have been assigned a new role with the Hyderabad Cricket Association - one that promises to be an exciting and responsible one. I have been asked to be the Chairman of the Senior State Selection Committee, or in simpler terms the Ranji Trophy and other senior side selections for Hyderabad. It is a wonderful opportunity that is coming at the right time what with the team doing well in the last one year and showing signs of bringing Hyderabad back into the reckoning as one of the premier...

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2 Day Orientation at the SMS, University of Hyderabad

I really like the kind of work that the School of Management Studies at the University of Hyderabad does to give its students all kinds of exposure. I have been associated with the institution for the past three years and have taught there as a guest lecturer, a course of Enterprise Building and several growth labs or my 'Champion's Mindset' workshops. Most times Prof. Jyothi and Prof. Venakatramana, the Dean, would have me intervene after the students have put in some work in the course already - say by the end of the first or second semester....

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The Hyderabad Diaries - Rains in Hyderabad

The rains in Hyderabad are never like the rains in Mumbai or Kolkata or Chennai. Mumbai pours almost continuously for those three months from June to August - just non stop rain - where people bring out their umbrellas, 'rainy shoes', rain coast and all sorts of rain fighting gear. You just have to grit your teeth and go on. Locals (trains) will stop on days with heavy rain (the local people don't), roads get flooded a bit and rarely you get situations like the 100 mm rain that happened a few years ago. When inside the home, it is beautiful to...

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Thought for the Day - Challenge Yourself

Need to find some inspiration to do some thing that you do not feel like doing? Need to do better than what you are doing? It only means that you are not being able to challenge yourself. When stuck in a rut and you want to get out - challenge yourself - and you will see yourself grow.It is always the challenge that excites. Even as a leader we realise that people love challenges. Challenge them and see what they come up with. Similarly, challenge...

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Anita Raj - Healing through Hypnotherapy

I first met Anita Raj, most fortuitously I must say, almost ten years ago when she had just moved to Hyderabad. My mother was unwell with cancer and in great discomfort and Anita, then known to Shobha, was kind enough to come by and do some reiki healing for my mother. My first impression of Anita was that she was very professional about the whole affair - no extra talk, focussed on the job, on the patient and one could see that she genuinely wanted...

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Thought for the Day - Our Insensitivity to Children

The case of the warden making a school girl drink her own urine in the Vishva Bharati University, Santiniketan (or lick the soiled bed sheet for medicinal benefits or for superstition or for ridding the child of the bed wetting habit as claimed by authorities) is indicative of the kind of sensitivity we have for our children. Forget the children for a moment - we are really showing ourselves as tortured souls who are devoid of love and good things to share even with children and in our frustration and anger we do things that are as abominable as...

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Hyderabad Bangalore Highway in pictures

This is how the ride from Hyderabad to Bangalore looks by road. It's a lovely drive though sometimes it could have done with better scenery. A good car and an average speed of about 80 will get you there in 7 hours.One side of the highway with a huge divider on the right of the roadOn the road, wide and invitingA dhaba on the way. Neat and simple food.A better perspective of the highway, with bougaibvilleas      &nb...

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Anjali - Give Only When Asked

Another learning from the young lass. While travelling in the car I was telling her that I would have liked to give a chocolate to one old lady who was begging on the road (I normally give them toffees or candy so they can pass their time on the road in their tough profession).Anjali instantly said - 'Give it only when she asks'.'Why?' I asked in return, surprised.'What if she does not want it? You see if a cat does not want to drink milk, it might...

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The Paradoxes of Our Lives - Growth is Within

When we go within, we grow.Pic courtesy PoojaWhen we live without, we become smaller....

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The Hyderabad Series - Eating in Hyderabad

Eating in Hyderabad is a great experience and everyone is agreed on that. In fact eating is a fine art here and we spend most of our time eating and refining the art of eating - just as we do with the post eating belching, paan chewing and spitting are. So when asked what about Hyderabadi food everyone here puts on a knowing look and say 'Hyderabadi biryani' and that pretty much ends all talk of Hyderabadi food. All rookies find the first guy who serves 'Hyderabadi biryani' which is now being served by anyone and everyone. From the mom and pop...

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My View - Sehwag on Dhoni's Captaincy

Sehwag's is a wonderful batsman but he is certainly not the greatest cricket strategist or man manager. For sure he is not a great captain, a below average one for me at best (revised from average after this year's IPL 5). His understanding of the role of the captain and the way the dynamics of teams works was once again exposed today when he commented on how the Indian team won the World Cup in 2011 because it was a strong team - backed by a captain who really did not have much to do what with such a great team going out and winning everything....

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12 Angry Men - Movie Review

Finally watched this highly recommended movie by the famous Sydney Lumet. It was incredible. How he held the story so taut with 12 characters in a single room, focussed on their job of coming to a verdict on a murder accused, is something one must see to experience. I was left with my mouth open at the audacity with which he made the film in one room (almost) with no names of characters and built a drama based on fluctuating motives and human frailties....

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The Curious Case of Child Brides and their Education

I was reading this article in the newspaper about how a child bride was refused admission into school in Tamil Nadu at first, and later on admitted on the request of the officer concerned. But the officer had some reservations about it though. He felt that admitting child brides might send the wrong signals to society that we are encouraging child marriages. Some people feel that way he said. I am sure they do. I do laud his effort to get her admitted and also laud his honesty in saying what most do not. This is how our society thinks.I find this...

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Greg Chappell on Rahul Dravid's captaincy

It is interesting to note Greg Chappell's comments on Dravid's captaincy - where Chappell feels that if Dravid received the kind of support from his team that he gave others, he would have been a far more successful captain. One cannot but agree with that observation, though what purpose it serves, as it is perhaps, an opinion at best (other than raise a bit of a controversy). But I would wholeheartedly agree that Dravid has been the quintessential team man, the highest in that order almost, for the sheer load he carried and the variety of roles...

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Science versus Nature - Higgs Boson

I like the way the Higgs Boson (whatever it is) story is unfolding. I am even more impressed by the CERN scientists and what they have done. But what they say is rather funny.To begin with they said on finding evidence of game-changing discovery of subatomic particle.'We have now found the missing cornerstone of partcile physics' said Rolf Heuer, Director of CERN. 'As a layman, I think we have it. But as a scientist I have to say 'what do we have?' Not too convincing huh after the 10 billion effort.The report says that the leaders of the two CERN...

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The Curious Case of Pinki Pramanik

I have not heard of anything as bizarre as this. An international female athlete middle distance runner from India, a Railways employee, who won a gold in the 4x400 m in Doha Asiad and a silver in the same event in the Commonwealth games in Melbourne, three gold medals in SAF Games Colombo in 400m, 800 m and 4x400m relay, is now being repeatedly examined to know whether she is a man or a woman (after a neighbour complained that she raped her). Several tests have been done and apparently they are inconclusive. Now they are doing a blood test to...

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Thought for the Day - Is Love the Antidote for Stress?

When one feels all stressed out and feels like one is going to pieces there seems to be no escape. It all appears to be hurtling down a one way street with no way to slow down. One is barking at people, looking at things to go wrong, situations to crop up and not expecting a single thing to go right.The BP is shooting through the roof and you don't see how you can stop it. Much less reverse it.But if one flipped the perspective ( I tried this the...

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Amazing Andhra Pradesh

I guess it could be the way with most other places but I also am willing to wager a bet that we in Andhra are ahead in most. For example we have a funny situation where most big wigs in society are all in jail. From the YSR Congress party chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy to IAS officers like Srilakshmi and B.P. Acharya to judges like Pattabhi and businessmen like Nimmagadda Prasad are all in jail. I might have missed out a few names. Most of these people somehow seem to be connected to either Jaganmohan or Gali Janardhan Reddy and we don't know who is...

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