ExpertDabbler

Lavannya, the well known architect cum amazing amateur photographer has written an absorbing series on Vasthu and the way the myth has been propogated in India.

What was especially interesting was that one of the portals she had referred had the vastu content developed by yours truly:). Needless to say, i don’t give a damn to vasthu.

I dont know if i should be happy when someone refers to my content or should feel guilty as one of the party who had taken the gullible public for a ride because i do not know the subject nor do i believe there is any truth to it.

But as i said, it was my first professional assignment and i had no choice. I had to take that content writing part as there was already a web designer(an accomplished one at that) and one developer. The only person missing was the content guy and i took up that to survive.

I just hope my first employer does not read my blogs. He would feel bad for giving me that job:)

I got this from our office Bulletin Board and boy was i happy!.

The aspects that stood out and really made me relate are below:

Steve is a College drop out.
Oru drop out manasu innoru drop out ukku dhaan theriyum:)

Seriously, Not many drop outs turn out to be Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Larry Ellison though. But each individual, regardless of his qualification has got a unique gift and it’s up to that individual to find it, hone it and use that as the path to greatness. Education for the sake of education is.. well.. nothing great about it.

His first story - Connecting the dots.

It was terrific to know how his skills in calligraphy came to the fore when he was designing Mac. A good 10 years after he learnt it in Reed College.
It’s beautful when he says about connecting the dots looking backwards and the need to trust something in life - Gut, destiny, God, karma whatever. Absolutely true.

His second story - Love and loss.

He talks about being fired from the same company which he co-founded. Steve’s love for he was doing without any regard to how the public viewed him made him hang on and start another company NeXT Software and later Pixar.

His third story - Death.

A deeply moving anecdote. Actually I am convinced nowadays that one essentially needs to have a death-bed view of life. A lot of what we do and what we crib about will essentially mean nothing if we recognize that death may actually be around the corner.

I’ve seen far too many deaths or death-like sequences. My dad’s death was one such instance. He was fully alive and kicking in the morning, went out on his scooter. We brought his body at lunch time. Fatal heart attack.

In the same lines, I will never forget how one youth, someone in early twenties was lying dead near Ashram school around 8:45 in the morning. He had boarded D70 from Vijay Nagar terminus. He had been in foot board all along and then suddenly lost his grip and balance. Finished.

Another scene which terribly moved me was the recent Tsunami catastrophe.

But my favorite quote of his speech would be this..

“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick”

It did Steve. How did you know about that?

But it’s entirely up to me to come up in life like you or go down the drain as among of the 6 billion as someone who had all the talent but one who nevertheless wasted it.

Dreaded House

The tall chap greeted the head constable.

Head Contable: Enna sir? Enna prachnai? Enna Nadandhadhu?

TC: Sir, ivanga yaaru yedhukku vandhaanganne enakku theriyadhu! Ennamo kaasu 6000 rupa kudu nu solli merataraanga, ennai ketta varthai la thittaraanga, adhu mattumillama ladies ai ellam thara kuraiva pesaraanga…

Head Constable(towards me): Dei, ketta varthaila ellam thittiniya?

Me: Ilave Illai sir.

Of course I lied. I swore at that guy. But never at the ladies. I did not want to categorise and say “Ivanai thittinen, ivanga veetu ladies ay ellam solalai.”

The big, burly head constable would have given one on my cheeks. I had no intention to lose any of my teeth. I had already taken enough for that day.

HC: Olunga unmayai sollidu…

Me: Naan onnum sollalai sir,

TC: Poi Solraan Sir

HC: Seri neengalum police station vaanga. Inspector ayya parkanum.

TC(Rombo Bavyama): Seri sir, yenga vena vandhu sollaren sir.

I was again taken back to the station.

I saw Logs there for the first time after a couple of hours. The police had gone to the hospital where he had been attended and brought him to the station. He had taken even more beatings. He started crying on seeing me. I was confused for a second. I thought he cried because of all the beating he had to take and the way I had deserted him.

Me: Dei , Logs, yenda azhare? Naan edhavadhu thappu pannitana?

He cried even louder.

Only later did I came to know he could not bear to see me with all the bandage and blood.

Madhu’s dad reached the station. Log’s dad and brother came to the station too.
Apparently, Sathy (Log’s friend) had asked someone to inform them.

The Inspector was there by then. He was bigger than the head constable. He too shouted and treated me like a criminal.

The great thing about Madhu’s dad was, being an employee of a Nationalised Bank, he was exposed to all kinds of people. A natural extrovert, he had friends in all the strata of the society. He had a huge network at his disposal.

He met the police inspector and told his credentials and immediately called one of his friend S.
S was close to the then DIG. S immediately contacted his DIG friend and the DIG himself in turn spoke to the Inspector.

One should have seen the change of language with the Inspector and the Head Constable immediately after that.

Suddenly “Dei” became “Thambi.”

Inspector: Enna thambi, padichirukeenga, computer pathi ellam theriyudhu, panam vanga pona jakradhaya poganum. Prachanai na engalai koopida vendiyadhu dhaane? Adhukku dhaane naanga irukkom? Seri rendu pakkamum vendapattavangala poittenga,(Oh how was that? I still am not sure if those TC people had brought in their own recommendations) adhunaale compromisa poidalaamnu nenaikiren.

I was boiling inside. Bastards. They did all the wrong and here I am sitting and listening to all the lectures.

Meanwhile the HC, took me aside.

HC: Thambi, nee enna pannu, oru complaint eludhi kudu.

Me: Seri sir.

I got hold of a piece of paper and pen and started to write in Thamizh what all I could collate and organize in my head. I wrote in detail what had actually happened. I returned to the HC with the complaint paper.

HC: Enna un sogaryadhukku eludhirukke?

Me: Sir, idhu dhaan nadandhadhu.

HC: Inge paaru, neeyum un friendum saibaba colony la irundhu ivalavu thooram vandhu panam kettu adhu periya thagaraaru ayirukku. Ippo yedho DIG recommendation irukaradhu naala dhaan unnai vidaren. Unakku panam venumna naan sollara madhiri eludhu. Illa prachanai dhaan venumna un ishtapadi sei

I had no other option and rewrote the complaint in the manner he asked.

According to that version, there was no mention about the fight, damage et al. It was a request by me and Logs to get back that 6000 Rs. from J to whom we had given the Computer.

Very smart. Police brain.

I finished the complaint and came out. I told the same to Madhu’s dad. He blasted me this time.
He curtly told me that I should me more concerned about escaping without any case/FIR in my name and Logs name considering the situation we were in, truth be damned.

Poor man, I made him come up to a far off place on a cold November night. Coimbatore can be particularly windy at nights during October- November. Especially the remote places.

Eventually, the police got an undertaking form both the parties that we would treat the matter as closed and that me and Logs would get the pending amount after all this. Some solace after all.

We eventually left the Police station at about 12.30. Log’s vehicle which was taken by Log’s brother was in real bad shape. We had great difficulty in moving that vehicle.

Log’s dad personally came to my place. It was about 1 AM and I could see the lights burning in my flat. I could see Amma’s silhouette from below.

‘Poor Amma, how much more are you going to take? All because of me.’ I muttered to myself.

The way she cried on seeing me with all those bandages and blood stains in my shirt was terrible. I explained her what happened in a piecemeal way.

A week after that, we got the news from that station to come and collect the amount. Neither me nore logs were prepared to go. Log’s brother went to collect. A Paltry 1000 bucks. After all the “Standard deductions” at the station. Not to mention the medical expenses Logs incurred and the vehicle repair expenses.

Looking back, I think this incident was a blessing in disguise. Almost five years have gone. This bang was the one that really had me think about what I should do in my life. I realized, working in Logs office was not ideal in the long run.

Madhu’s dad helped me in getting Legal Heir certificate three months later. Without him I would never have obtained that. That helped in Amma getting the family pension.

Meanwhile, I realized I would never make a good accountant, leave alone a qualified accountant. I was not good at academics. But I could fiddle around in Adobe and other stuff because of my background in Photography. I badly needed to do something to start earning.

I continued to do part-time work there. But never again went out for ‘Paisa vasool”. It was strictly bank work in the mornings. In the afternoons I went to a multimedia class conducted by Pentasoft. Now that we got our legal heir certificate, we could access Appa’s savings.

On finishing the course again I was jobless for sometime. But soon, I got a job in an internet company. A year later, I moved to Chennai when I got a job here and now three years after, I am in a much bigger company and looking back I guess I have not done bad at all considering where I was five years back. Logs continues to operate the same business.

This incident also taught me the glorious uncertainties of life. This phrase is always associated much with cricket but I think it is more relevant to life. This incident taught me that while it’s great to dream about the future, its even greater to plan for the next day. And its imperative, necessary and absolute must to live in the present.

I am as much a fallible human with fragile ego and prejudices as anyone else. But I think accepting and embracing the uncertainties of life gives one the much needed perspective to handle life situations and act accordingly.

Thanks to each one of you for being with me right through the 4 parts.

Catch you all with a fresh post tomorrow.

Adios.

The approach to that place was a small road of about 15 ft width which took off from Mettupalayam Road at an awkward angle. We had to travel a kilometer inside. It was around 7 PM when we located the house. The area and the house had a kind of eerie ring to it. It was further away from the relatively well known NGGO colony whilst coming from the city. A developing area probably. This was the first house from Mettupalayam road.

Some fellows have saturn in their tongues. I, on that day had both Saturn and Kuligan in mine.

Me(half jokingly): “Dei Logs, idam oru maadhiriya irukku. Adichu potta kooda theriyaadhu. Parthu pesu.”

Logs:“Adhellam onnum illa. Naama enna sandai podava vandhirukoom?”

I took his seat in his CD 100 SS as Logs got down from the vehicle. He had been riding and i was at the back.

Frankly, I did not expect the guy to part with the money. At the most, Logs might ask him, the fellow would say next week or maybe someone in their family would say “Velila porukaar”. It was hardly a month in this job and I could sense what these “Takaalti” guys would come up with. Unimaginative lot.

Logs opened the gate, went inside the house compound and pressed the calling bell.

One tall chap opened the door.

Tall chap: “Yaar venum?”

Logs: “J…….?”

Tall chap: “Avar inge illai”

Logs: “Illai, idhu J… sister veedu dhaane. J eppo varuvaar?”

T C: “Theriyaadhu”

The tone and the way that guy spoke was one of haughtiness. Probably that angered Logs.

Logs: “J.. vara solirukaar. Oru computer vangina vishayama 6000 rupees pending 6 masama. Vara sollitu illena sonna enna artham. Inge vachu dhaan system kuduthaen. Avanga sister ai kupidunga…”

T C: “ J.. illainu sollranilla? Yaaruayum koopida mudiyaadhu.”

Logs: “System vangumbodhu mattum nottitu vangareengalla?”

That was it. That started it all. The tall chap went berserk. He shouted unprintable words,removed his chappals and slapped Logs. I watched stunned for a second. The guy kept on slapping him with his chappals. Logs did not expect this either. He tried to sway away. I ran towards Logs and I got a few slaps. I was angered beyond words. Being a person of robost girth, I threw myself at the tall chap. He could not withstand my weight. He fell down. I was on top of him.
We rolled on the ground. I shouted some of the worst words in Tamil Language.
He slapped me hard. I retaliated. That infuriated him. He came near the motor bike, pulled the fuel tube, pushed the vehicle down, slapped me and Logs a few more times. I again gave back. This made him wild. He ripped the vehicles’ fuel tank pouch and slapped me hard on my right chin with his left hand. The zipper tore into my eyebrow, missing my right eye by a whisker. I was bleeding. I was blind in rage. I just hit back at that tall chap with all my might.

All along, the chap’s wife who came out was abusing us with all those glorious words in tamil language. She tore our bike’s front tyre with some sharp object.

But on realizing me getting involved, Logs suddenly turned soft. He started pleading “Sir, vidunga avasarapadadheenga…Please”

Logs did not want me to be involved. This transaction had happened long ago. And he knew that I had just been out of a personal tragedy.

The Tall chap’s anger now turned towards Logs, Logs was brutally hit with all that was in sight. Our vehicle was not in running condition anymore. My chappals and Logs chappals were gone. It was pitch dark, barring that house lights. No streetlights in that road.

Logs started shouting, “Karthik, nee poyuru nee poyuru”

Where would I Go? No vehicle. Totally alien environment. Nobody to help. Just nobody crossed that bloody road. Pitch dark conditions. Fortunately I was about to stamp on Log’s mobile phone and picked it up from ground.

The tall chap was shouting towards me, “Dei, odadhe nillu…”

Logs was not in a positon to come. If only he had attacked that tall chap with me, I felt we both could have escaped with relatively lesser damage. There was always “professionals” to handle these thugs. Shit. That was not to be. He wanted me to be completely out of it, so chose to buy peace and in the end got brutally assaulted. Logs was taken inside the house.

I started to run towards the Mettupalayam road. It was about a kilometer.
I needed help. Badly. There was no point in sticking with Logs and getting hit and thereby ruining both our chances. But at the same time I cannot leave Logs. I tried to dial Log’s friend’s number in his mobile. Shit! Logs had locked his keypad and I did not know how to open it in that tense situation. I just fiddled clumpsily, to no avail.

Luckily, Logs friend Sathy called as I reached Mettupalayam road. The call receiver worked even when key pad was locked.

Sathy:“Dei, enge irukke?”

Me:“Anna, naan karthik pesaran. Oru prachnai. Logu oru edathile maatirukaan. Paisa vanga vandhom. Plan panni adikaraanga na…”

Sathya:” Karthik enge irukke?”

I spotted a small pillayaar temple by the roadside and asked them to come there. I guessed starting from Colony even immediately might take some time for them to reach.

He came to that spot in exactly 20 minutes in a Contessa with a few of his friends.
I got into the car and went towards that dreaded house.

The tall chap was standing out cool.

Sathy:“Sir enna prachnai, yen adhicheenga? Loganathan enge?”

TC:“Theriyaadhu.”

Sathy’s other friend in the car:“Dei, mavane, mariyadhaiya sollidu. Ille nadakaradhe vera…”

TC:“Pannaradhai Panniko.”

Sathy:“Ivan kitte enna pechu? Nama police station pogalaam”

We went to the nearby Thudiyalur Police station.

Police Station

Me to Head Constable:“Sir, en peru prabukarthik. Colony la irundhu varen. oru prachnai ayiduchu. Paisa problem. Pesa pona edathile pottu adikaraanga. En friend ai kanom. Olichu vachirukaanga.”

Head Constable:“Enge nadandhadhu?”

Me:“NGGO colony kitte..”

HC:“Oh nee dhaana adhu? Ippo dhaan avanga veetu amma phone panni complaint pannichu. Neeyum un friendum thevai illama avanga veetukku poi Kaasu kudu nu galatta pannineeglama? Veedu pugundhu ladies kitte yellam thappa nadandhrukke? Yenda, 6000 rubaa vanganumna enna vena pannuviya nee?”

It was getting too nasty. My head was spinning. For a moment nothing came out of my mouth. Logs did not go beyond the house front door. I did not enter the compound at all. All the brawl took place outside.

Me:“Naange onnume pannalai sir. Avanga dhaan vara sonnanga.”

HC:“Yaaru”

Me:“Andha J….”

HC:“Yaaru kitte computer kuduthe?”

Me:“J.. kitta..”

HC:“Idhu yaaru veedu?”

Me:“J… sister veedu..”

HC:“Oruthar kitta porulai kuduthuttu, avanga thagachi veetukku poi dhaan panam keppiya nee?”

I was speechless for a moment. I gathered myself and said…

Me:“Sir, avanga dhaan inge vara sonnaanga sir.”

HC:“Dei, ennada alakkare? Ne va vandiyile eeru. Andha edathukku thirumbi poi visarikanum… adhukku munnale hospital poganum. Yenda ipdi irukeenga? Unnayellam rendu naal lock up la vachu polakkanum.”

The jeep took me to the nearby hospital.

Meanwhile, on seeing me and Logs’s friends in a car, the TC’s people had realized that the situation had spun out of control. And so were using the strategy of damage control and attention diversion. Blaming me and Logs as though we invaded their house was part of that strategy. Loga was taken to a nearby hospital (another hospital, not where I was taken by the police) by the TCs old mother. After piercing his hands with screw drivers.

I got my right torn portion of the eyebrow section stitched. I saw the time it was almost 9 PM. Shit. Amma would be waiting for me. I grabbed a cell from one of the folks there and made a call to amma

Me:“Ma, karthi pesaren. Enna pannare?”

Amma:“Yenna innum kanom? Late aguma?”

Me:“Ma, Enakku wait pannadei, nee saptitu thoongu..”

Amma:“Yen ennachu? Nee saaptiya? Function ellam nalla padiya nadandhudha?”

Me:“Oru chinna prachnai. Onnum illai, vandi koncham repair.
Ellam nalla pochu. Naan saapten. Nee saaptitu padu. Naan vandhudaren enna?”

I disconnected the phone. I had no idea when i would go home. If at all I would.

I had no intention to be in a lockup and get hit left and right. The next call was to my friend Madhu’s dad Mr Padmanabhan…

If there was one person who can rescue me from this mess, it was Mr Padmanabhan.

Me:“Uncle, oru chinna! problem”

P:“Sollu Prabu”.

He calls me Prabu.

I told him the situation. He was shocked and horrified. He immediately agreed to come to the station.

For the first time in several hours, I had time for myself. To reflect. To cry silently. I felt as wretched as I had ever felt in my life. What wrong did I do? I had been a loser all my life. I lost out in education, in friendship and now in I’m letting my mother down by being caught by police and its hardly three months since Dad was gone. Not to mention how serious Logs was. Maybe I had acted selfish. Maybe I should have stayed.

Madhu’s dad on that night was the answer to all my mother’s prayers for all these years. He was to me the messenger, saviour or whatever that night.

I got into the police jeep and started towards the dreaded house for the third time that evening.

Author’s note:
Just in case you missed out, getting banged in head was the bang I was talking about all along:)

To be concluded in Part 4.

I had a great time in A.. systems.

Logs would have gone about on a spree, buying all the peripherals and accessories which makes our PCs boot, sing and crash. It was a 15 day credit purchase. His hope and mine is that our customer will pay the amount in that time so that we can pay for the purchases and make our margin.

Some customers were nice and paid promptly.

And then there were some like this,

‘Javvu’ Customer: “Yedho problem irukkunga. Performance satisfyinga illai. Friends branded PC vangirukalamenu solraanga.”

Logs(manasukkul): (Dei therinchudhaane vanginae?)”Illa Sir idhuvum nalla system dhaan. Onnum problem varaadhu. Naan service guarantee.

‘Javvu’ Customer: Hmm. Seri oru vaaram kalichu payment tharen. Adhaan erkanave oru amount kuduthitene.

Logs: (Andha kaasile en phone bill kooda katta muiyadhu) “Seri sir. Ama sir. No problem sir. Payyanai kettadha sollunga sir. Endha games venumnaalum sollunga sir naan install panni tharen. Appo next week vangikaren sir. Ungallukku illadhadha sir?”.

That amount will not come before the next month. If at all it did, it just trickled in several instalments, like water in a Chennai household. I will be fuming inside. I was new to all this. But small business and politics can’t be run without crap talk.

Every morning, we will start with the inventory of how many cheques will come for clearing that day and what is the balance in bank. What is the gap between the two
(Folks, see this is what is called the “Gap Analysis”) and how we can meet the shortfall. A bounced cheque means that seller will not give us the goods on credit again.

We did not have the cash to buy things in cash and stock them. Also, in that business, investing in gadgets is next only to throwing cash in Coovum. Prices will keep coming down everyday. Minimum margin Maximum Volume is the strategy adopted by all the players. But at the same time we cannot press the customer beyond a point. A small business, after all.

The Gap analysis results will show its teeth.

Me: Dei Logs, oru 10,000 Rs. short agudhu.

Logs will start calling his friends one after the other for that amount. It became so regular a feature, that people started to duck and hide.

Logs on phone: Naan Loganathan pesaren, oru china help. Urgenta cash thevaipadudhu. Oru 10k irukuma, check clear ana vudanae nalaiku kuduthudaren (Big fat lie).

Other person in a different voice: Sir velila poirukaar.

Other person 2: Logu, naane unnai ketkanumne irundhen. Enakku cash thevai. unakku kedaicha sollu.

Other person 3: (Noble soul. The kind of people who bring rain to this world) : 10k? Koncham kurayudhu?

Logs: Seri evlo irukku?

Other person 3: Rs. 1200 irukku

Logs: (Idhaan ‘koncham kurayudhu’va da?. Grr…)Parava illai, naan Karthik ai anuparen. Rombo Thanks da.

And he will start looking for his next prey.

The treasure hunt will start for me. And I cannot over emphasize the fun and the thrill part. Coz all the gap has to be filled by 11.30 AM when the cheques come for clearing in the bank. It was during that time that I started believing in blind faith and miracles.

Those of you who had been wondering about the overdraft facility in the bank, let me tell you no bank will give you overdraft facility without proper books of account and a reasonable cheque clearing record. Our IOB was very tough in honoring us with that status.

When we were fighting so much for cash everyday and there was this customer who had been dodging us for a good 6 months for 6000 bucks. Logs had sold the machine for a measly 500 rupees margin. Think about losing 5500 on a single transaction after all the hard work.

It was just 3 months after Appa’s death. Me and amma shifted to a flat in Saibaba Colony for 1500 bucks rent. A much smaller flat but a good one nevertheless. That way we can save 1000 bucks. And yours truly has started earning too.Full lavish 1500 bucks pm salary. Cheapest GM - Finance in the world.

One evening, fateful evening I would say, there was an invitation to attend my friends sister’s wedding in Kuniamuthur, a suburb in Coimbatore. The guy was a mutual friend to me and Logs and this was the first auspicious function after dad’s death so I really wanted to make it.

Me and Logs closed shop around 6 PM and started early for the function. We were in NSR road in our bike when

Logs: Dei, Andha Janardhanan 6 maasama iluthutte irukaan. 6 K pending. Avanga sister veedu NGGO la colony irukku. Anga dhaan system delivery panninen. Innaiku anga vara solirukaan. Ange poitu apdiye kalyanathukku poidalaam

I was ok with that. I was looking forward to a good, full “saapadu” that evening and some rest at home. Little did I realize that kind of “saapadu” I had in store was of completely different genre.

Folks, the bang part comes in part III.

Authors note:
Sorry i could not finish off Part II y’day. Work at office and Deepak was here and that kept me busy.

My cousin was here last week, looking to sneak through the proverbial “cycle-gap” in the hallowed doors of TCS, CTS, Wipro, Satyam and Infosys which would make her the financially pampered, mentally tortured, socially showcased, BIG 5 IT professional. An MCA graduate, 80+ % avg. throughout and that irritates me no end. That 80+% betrays a disciplined attitude, hard work and all other extra-terrestrial stuff I despise with all my heart.

I, for one would never associate my life with, of all the words in the English dictionary, discipline. It’s like associating George Bush with intelligence. Too oxymoronic for my taste. I spoke to her at length though. She wants to start her career with a bang. Not bad I thought. Looking back, I think even my career started with a bang, in a different sense though.

Year - 2000.
Month - October.

It was about 2 months since Appa passed away. I was done with the Death Certificate part. Not done with the Legal Heir certificate part yet.

(I am planning to start a course titled “ How to get a Legal Heir Certificate in 5 days. Whom to bribe what?” on a later date.Those of you who are interested, please look for an advertisement in Velachery Times in the first week of August.Early bird offer: First ten students will get a DVD titled “How Sylvia Saint became a saint” absolutely free.)

Appa had not given nomination to any of his accounts. No Legal Heir Certificate implied no access to Appa’s funds in the bank. Appa was smart. He had wanted me to learn the intricacies of Hindu Succession Act with a real world case study.

No LHC also meant no Family Pension to Amma. And we had a princely 3000 bucks (rent from house property) to spend for the whole month which includes provision of Rs. 2500 for rent towards the house we stayed then. Even Karthik could sense that something had to be done to prevent our Family budget from looking like National budget. And we could not even print currency notes in our backyard.

Government pannina seri. Nama pannina thappu. Enna Ulagamada. Che!!.

The Phone bell rang.

Me: Hello

Loganathan : Dei, Naan Loganathan pesaren. Hmm enna pannitu irukkei?. Enna pannaradha irukkei?

Me: Onnum pannalai. Saaptitu thoongalamnu irukken.

Logs: Naan seriousa pesaren. Life la enna panna pore? Appa vera illai.. Poruppu jasthi inimae unakku.

Me: Indha ICWA vai dhaan padichu mudikanum da.. Appa voda kanavu naan professional qualification edhavadhu vanganumnu.

Logs: Oho, Yen kaekarenna enakku velaiku oru aal thevai padudhu .Adhaan nee interested a nu parthen.

Me: Dei velaya? naan varen da. ICWA ellam kedakudhu. Enna velai? Sollu.

Logs: Ippo dhaan Appa kanavu nu yedho sonne?

Me: Summa oru gethukku sonen da. Nee matterai sollu.

Logs: Office la finance, accounts ellam handle panna oru nambagamana aal thevai (and he found me, blame it on destiny. Folks be careful when you choose your employees.). Nee office va, nerla pesikalam.

Loganathan is our entrepreneur. Vyaabaara Gandham. Business Magnate. He finished his graduation in electronics and went on his own. A real whiz in his speciality - computers, electronics gadgets and troubleshooting them. Practical, hands-on person. Sometimes too practical.
“If you can’t fix it, throw it” kinda person. He was running his own business in IT peripherals / PC assembling.

I went to his office and after the initial small-talk with his team, got the much coveted post of General Manager (Finance) in M/s A…. Systems.

Now before, you build notions about Karthik being a whiz kid in Capital Budgeting and Working Capital Management, let me tell you what we guys mean by finance is kind of different from what guys like Prasanna Chandra and IM Pandey mean. That is dumb theory. We practiced it the way small businsses practice finance principles.

Since Karthik and Loganathan are street-smart guys, we figured out the cost of acquiring capital was high (what with interest and all that) but the cost of acquiring “Kaimaathu” was unimaginably low. Heck, most of the times it came free. So we always opted for this model to fund and run our day-to-day operations.

Those who thought that this GM Finance post thingie was the bang I was talking about in my career and those who are looking for some real excitement in their finance functions, please read Part II carefully ok? Golden words cannot be repeated.

Folks,

Too much blog reading/commenting and my Pulitzer prize winning posts leave me with little time for other things. Too many books gathering dust at home. Gladwell ( Tipping point), Garcia Marquez (Love in the time of cholera), Richard Bach(Bridges across for ever) in the waiting list. And am not counting the techie stuffs a person of my experience ought to know.

So i will not be posting new stuff for the next 2/3 days.

Rombo mukiyama, pudhusa post panna matter venum…

Ana adhu varaikum ungalai nimmadhiya vida mudiyuma?

Check out,

Geek stuff:
Paul Graham’s Made in USA
Joel Spolsky
Joel has a book on Ui design for programmer ( the c++ types. naan andha type illai)
Check out here

Art Stuff:

Kathikeyan’s amazing karicatures
Vivek’s out of this world photography.
kaleidoscope’s magnificent macros.

Laugh stuff:

Praveen’s Saniyan Post

Catch you on Friday folks,

By the way , that important work i kept mentioning last week is progressing good, will keep you posted. Any guesses will be suitably awarded. Deepak, Chakra(coz this man has extraordinary memory) are excluded from this.

Well, one reader of mine, Miss ‘G‘ feels that all these Flash and Swish applications are at best flashy and swishy but do not get a secured job in the job market. The key word was security. No she doesn’t mean the security jobs like SDB Cisco guys. She rather means a secured, well-settled job.

By the way ‘G‘, are you Ajith’s onnu vitta sister by any chance? I don’t mean to tease you for that will make you go “Red” which was infinitely worse than ‘G’. Folks, you know what happened when a set of girls watched Ajith’s Asai and Red back to back?
Ajith’s broad gauge waist line that was literally expanding even as he was delivering one of those punch lines, his tonsured head and that horrible Madurai slang in Red, had a scare in the psyche of the girls so deep, deeper than the scariest Stephen King Novel, that it changed their destiny for ever. Of the ten who saw those two movies, three attempted suicide, four still suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the rest have reportedly formed Ajith Assasination Group, a fundamentalist organization which targets good looking actors who don’t watch their weight. Dear Ladies, cinema is a powerful medium, be careful what you watch.

Coming back to this secured job funda, let me transcribe the actual conversation between me and my girlfriend Smitha Nair.

Me: Smitha, you know what, I have got an offer from one of the Worlds Largest Corporations?

Smitha: What darling? I’m so happy!. Oh my dear Karthi, you are the best. By the way, which company sweety? Wipro, Infosys?

Me: (Smiling) Nah. Bigger than that
Smitha: EDS, Accenture?

Me: (Smiling) Nah. Bigger than that (She gets real excited now)

Smitha: Oracle? IBM? Any of the big 5 consulting groups?

Me:(Smiling) guess better. It has more branches than you can ever imagine.

Smitha:Intel? Microsoft? Oh Come on karthi, I can’t wait to hear where we are gonna live and where you gonna work….

Me: I have got an offer from Indian Railways. You know it’s bigger than all these companies you said right now.

Smitha:(Suddenly) Karthi, you are such a nice guy, you are more like a brother and friend to me. I am sure you will get a great girl, but not me.

You know guys, Girls change relations and language sooner than your mom can flip that dosai in the kitchen (Che, Monday is a day of weird comparisons and anologies)

Big deal! I did not even reveal my designation to Smitha. Actually now that I have a secured job in Railways, I am actually eyeing Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Daughter. Don’t ask me which daughter, I doubt even Lalu knows the answer. But Yes dear friends, I have been offered the prestigious position of Gate keeper in Indian Railways.

At a whopping Rs.3867(per month) complete tax-free salary, a housing accommodation near the railway track, a telephone, a guaranteed annual hike of Rs.133 so that it will be a full round 4000 bucks when I finish one year of service plus truck loads of free time and unlimited peeing and defecating space, just imagine my quality of life in the laps of Mother nature and that job of lifetime security. Unbeatable isn’t it? Over the years, the organization will help me relocate wherever I want to. If I show good performance, I will get promoted as Senior Gatekeeper, to Deputy Gatekeeper and Gatekeeper (zonal) and maybe Chief Gatekeeper for that division of Railways. Ah! Life can’t be better. There is one occupational hazard though; I have heard tales when gatekeepers, as they get close to their wives at night suddenly stiffen on hearing the engine siren and their hands automatically starts rotating; to bring the gate down. Habits die hard isn’t it?

My friends, stupid friends so to speak, they chose jobs in the private sectors in those chotta chotta IT companies. Worked like crazy, learnt whatever technology was thrown their way and would beg, borrow or steal to get a US Visa. Idiots I thought.

Till a few years down the line, my friend Mani came to my gate – in his own Honda City. Suddenly my settled job unsettled me. Later on my other friends too passed the gate in their cars. I was told some even bought land and built houses. Well, nowadays I am not so sure whether to feel happy at their progress or feel sad about my lack of it.

Maybe, there is no such thing as security. Life is for those who take chances and accept failures and still have the confidence to look forward to life.

So the message ladies and gentlemen, there is no such thing as security. But there is definitely one such thing as risk. Each person’s capacity to handle risk varies, just like each person’s intelligence and the environment and responsibilities which necessitates such risks.

Ahem, of late I have become too Shankar-ish , haven’t I? I write all those risqué, silly, crass stuff, take my audience to unwanted places and then sign of with some goody goody messages.

But I love giving messages though. Probably I should apply for a position in the telegraph office, I can deliver aweful lot of messages everyday you see? Ah another secure settled job for karthi…

Take care folks,

Adios

Authors Note: Smitha Nair is one fictitious character developed solely on the basis of my liking for Kerala women and also for the deep loving respect I have for Silk Smitha. Also,I heard some psychology gurus say, “When you don’t have it, fake it. Sooner or later (Oh! let it be sooner please), you will get it.”

Looks like there is a real threat to my blog readership and consequently my blogger account if dont propogate the AA syndrome. AA Syndrome is Ammani Anjali syndrome of writing stories/situatios/ironies in a matter of 4 lines. So before any of such catastrophes happen, let me do my bit.

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I was waiting in Nandanam Signal,thinking about her and the eye language exchanges in the then Pallavan. Then she happened to park her vehicle next to mine. She looked at me a look which conveyed a lot if only you knew the language of the eye. The signal turned green. She turned right and faded away. She was in her Honda City. I was standing still, in my Hero Honda.

Shankar:

I did see his Gentleman, Kadhalan, Jeans, Mudhalvan. I missed out on Indian and Boyz.Yet to see Anniyan.

I feel cinema is a bit more than fancy locales, painting a whole agraharam, “compooter” graphics, Robinhood, corruption, 7 wonders of the world etc. Its got something (cmon at least something) to do with human emotions, feelings, delicate situations.

In a movie conscious world like TN, each and every work of yours will be seen not only in the light of that product alone but also from your previous efforts’ perspective.

So unless one deliberately makes efforts to stay clear of known shores and tries different genres, one is surely going to get caught in a vicious circle. It is always better to take the bull by its horns. Otherwise it is difficult to retain the freshness and audience expectation.

I think Balachander was very successful because the themes/ genres he tried.

Mani is attempting that. As much as I love Mani Ratnam’s style I still think he needs to add more variety. Why not a crime thriller Mani? Some period stuff? And how about a full fledged comedy script like “Kaadhalikka neramillai”?

Kamal is doing good in his choice of movies.

Bhagyaraj, supposedly India’s best script writer lost his hold because the genre was always the same. Ditto with Bharathiraja. The village Bharathiraja captured repeatedly was the village he last saw before boarding the bus to Chennai for the first time years back.

Movie making is not a simple straighforward “Giving what the audience wants”. For the audience gets influenced by what is dished out too. Its a symbiotic thing. There is a constant feedback happening in both the directions.

There will be occasional failures. But failures sandwiched between successes is better than 4 conseutive hits and then 4 consecutive flops. because by the fourth flop, you are practically out of business.

So the message is, unless you are a Rajinikanth, you better do something different every time you venture to make a movie.