Thought Café

Sincerity - inability to look beyond obvious

2009-04-08T21:16:00.005+05:30

Remember the face of the most sincere person you've ever known. Maybe your office colleague, your neighbor or a college mate. Our society regards sincerity as the greatest virtue. And you won't disagree with the fact that sincerity demands a great deal of effort, but are the rewards in accordance with the efforts? Maybe Yes, Maybe No.

Sincerity means doing things you are supposed to do with a perfect dedication. But isn't it that sincerity limits ones vision?, it kills your ability to think beyond the obvious & ask questions.
Lack of questions leads to lack of vision and existence without vision is a monotonous existence.

Gandhi- just a surname?

2009-04-01T16:21:00.006+05:30

The image of the word Gandhi has seen a major transformation in the Indian society. Up to 60's, the word Gandhi meant a lean & thin man of dark complexion with spectacles ready to fall of nose tip. It(the word) was synonymous with truth, non violence, freedom & all those good words in the dictionary.

Next the baton was passed on to another powerful Gandhi named Indira Gandhi, a woman of great substance. Till date Indira Gandhi remains the modern face of Bhartiya Naari (Indian Woman). Then came Mr. Rajiv Gandhi,probably the last Gandhi. And in the end came the era of the Gandhi Moms & BETAs.

The Varun Gandhi episode: (Click here for Youtube video)
Meneka Gandhi(Varun Gandhi's mother) has protected the interest of animals for decades but unfortunately she couldn't take care of her own son. Varun Gandhi's hate speech is a big shame for the entire Hindu fraternity. Who will teach him that the Indian voter has matured now?
With such incidences taking place Gandhi merely remains a surname & the coming polls will only tell whether we as responsible Indians have started thinking beyond the word Gandhi or are we still looking for the "Father of the nation"?

Blog makeover

2009-03-30T09:52:00.005+05:30

Since past few days I have been thinking about complete makeover of this blog, right from the title to the style. I had always been in love with the phrase 'Strings of life' but since past few months the outlook of my blog has changed from personal to general perspective. Hence I've decided to change the title 'Strings of life' to 'Thought Cafe' so as to justify the type of articles posted over here, and now onwards I'll focus more on writing articles of general concern.
Your suggestions in this matter are much appreciated.

Nano: India's gift to the world

2009-03-24T20:04:00.005+05:30

By launching World's cheapest car 'Nano",
Mr. Ratan Tata has not only given a technological wonder to the world but also proved that Indians are capable of doing anything.

Hats off to Mr.Ratan Tata. Nano is a true gift for every Indian as well as the world.

An Anonymous letter to Mahatma Gandhi

2009-03-19T00:36:00.003+05:30

Dear Bapu,
I'm a fellow Indian born three decades after you left this world. After going through various books, articles & documentaries about you I feel that you were an ideal human being where your contribution towards Indian independence is exemplary itself.

Being one of the most respected leader in the world it is apparent that people(specially we Indians) have deep affection for the things related to you. Recently some Mr.James Otis from California claims to have few of your belongings and has made them available for auction. Though Mr.James Otis seems to have fair intentions (James Otis: "My intent never was to create any sort of anger or animosity towards the auction, it was the opposite: to promote Gandhi's words, actions, and to promote nonviolence in any way we can.") the question that remains unanswered is: When your final will makes Navajivan trust as the legal heir of your belongings, how did Mr.James managed to get hold of them in the first place? And even if his claims are genuine, where were Indian govt. and the Navajivan trust all these days? What is the point in shouting out loud now?
Though Mr.Vijay Mallya did a brave job by paying a sum of USD 1.8 million at the auction, Mr.James Otis now wants all these items back. And with your great grandson Mr.Tushar Gandhi entering the race the matter is definitely heading towards the worst.

Where your belongings should be a matter of national pride, everyone is busy politicizing the event. With the complexity increasing day by day maybe I should write to Mr.Sanjay Dutt of the Munna Bhai fame, but right now he too is busy getting his political equations right.
Your presence in this mess would greatly reinstate "Raghupati Raghav Rajaram..." in place of "Dekh Tere Sansar Ki Halat Kya Ho Gayi Bhagwaan.."

Thank You,
Your well wisher.

Why doesn't India progress?

2009-03-14T13:27:00.003+05:30

Last week while traveling in a local transport bus I found answer to the much sought-after question: Why doesn't India progress?

This Mr.A was standing by the seat of some Mr.B.

Mr.B to Mr.A: Hey! Get off my shoulders boss!. Don't take support of my seat, move somewhere else.

Mr.A to Mr.B: (Frowning)

What? What did you say?
Boss! this is public transport OK?. You want me to buy a car? Well I can't afford that, so if you are worried about the comfort, you better travel by your own vehicle. . . .You can't expect everything here.
It's because of people like you that India doesn't progress. It's you people who make India miserable. Few more like you and India will be a pathetic country.
O Jesus! See where the world is heading in your absence please help these poor souls...

Over hearing this conversation a smile followed my face, why not? after all I found answer to a question which bothered me for years.

Bloody Orkut

2009-03-06T11:12:00.008+05:30

Someday you log in to your Orkut account and find a friend request from some Mr./Miss. Stranger. At first you wonder how the hell-on earth people are left with much time and patience to search profiles and dig you out. You feel like declining the request and mind your own business but your instincts tell you to be fair and at least check out the profile of the request sender. You hit the profile link and find that you and Mr./Miss. stranger have many friends in common. Finally your curiosity level goes high and the "Sherlock Holmes" in you wants to explore more about him/her.

You scrap(message) one of your known friends to enquire about this Mr./Miss. stranger and finally get the reply: “Don’t tell me that you don’t remember this guy, he is the one who kicked you hard in front of the whole school”. Or the reply is “Don’t you remember her? She is the one whose brother almost knocked your teeth out for fixing your eyes upon her.” -Boy! What the hack! You can’t even compliment a girl for her appealing looks… And I just hate this boyfriend/brother kind of fraternity for not being able to resist their girlfriend or sister being complemented by some other guy.
Maybe most of the girls underestimate themselves.

Hi! My name is Tim and I’m sixteen years old, probably that is sufficient for the time being. Something similar happened to me last week. All those memories came rushing back to my mind and I immediately accepted the friend request leaving back a scrap to the known stranger: “Hey buddy! How are you? Where are you these days man? You are barely recognizable; your appearance has changed completely. By the way how’s your sister? (Boy! I just deleted the last line before posting the scrap, after all a grown up male has more respect towards his teeth.)”.
Now! I’m eagerly waiting for the reply. Maybe I’m too getting infected with this Orkut virus.

Busy Bee

2009-02-27T21:01:00.007+05:30

"Dedication to duty is not a sacrifice but a justification to our existence."

Busy bee- My favorite photograph (till now). Captured this one while on morning walk.

Kill One

2009-02-21T22:02:00.002+05:30

Note: The views expressed below are entirely personal and not intended to harm any individual/faith.

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.” -Said the Jesus of Nazareth.

India hosts a million-dollar industry in the name of religion & god. We have numerous Babas, Pujya Babas, Satya Shris & Shri Shris to name a few. We even have dedicated channels & newspaper columns for these babas/masters.
Morning TV channels, newspaper front pages, offices, restaurants, cabs, busses, market places, cinema halls, rickshaws, Jewelry, books, magazines. ……. Boy! These babas are everywhere.

From those posters and hoardings posted out there they point at you; they stare right into your eyes as if you are the last helpless soul left on the mother earth. They laugh at you, they mock you and in the end when you are convinced of being the last most distressed soul left on this earth you are asked to contact some Mr. Sandeep who seems very much in love with Indian railways; because in 95% of the cases this Mr.Sandeep resides near old railway station or behind new railway station or may be near old railway colony.

Some Babas though have taken an entirely different course. They differ in their approach and are termed as high-class babas and the testament to this statement is that you won’t find their posters or hoardings in public. They are accessible either through some dedicated TV channel or else you’ll have to type “BABA” in your mobile and text it to some four-digit, easy to remember number. After this you are greeted by a reply message and soon their executive (mostly hot sounding female) gets in touch with you and the whole issue boils down to the “Advanced Course” Fees. Finally you denounce this high-class baba for all ill reasons where the real reason being the unaffordable fees.

In the end with no option left you contact some Mr. Sandeep - Near or behind the old railway station.
“No one can serve two masters….” So said Jesus and we’ve chosen these babas over god as the masters of our fate and killed the later.

Double Role

2009-02-17T09:51:00.008+05:30

Last week while traveling to Shimla I was accompanied by an unknown lady in whose lap was sitting this small kid of six years. Quick witted, cute, wearing spectacles like those of Harry Potter he was restless and kept firing rapid questions which his mother found difficult to answer.

When the bus halted for a lunch break this boy was keenly observing the fruit vendor who entered the bus to sell his fruit stock. But he hardly found any takers.
After few minutes the vendor again entered the bus to fetch in some customers this time. At very moment when the vendor stepped inside, the boy screamed: Mummy!! Double role!.
And the whole bus went gaga over the boys comment.

I wonder: How an innocent comment can sometimes lighten the moment.

Which camera to buy?

2009-02-12T18:50:00.004+05:30

Since childhood I have been fascinated by cameras but could never afford one till my professional independence.
I pledged during college days that my first salary would be invested in a good camera.

Point & Shoot or DSLR?
The first camera which I laid my eyes upon was Canon Powershot SX1 IS but its launch in India quite disappointed me, it came with a huge price tag of 36995/- INR. Then I started searching web for more options and gradually came to know that a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera is what a serious amateur photographer needs. The biggest advantage a DSLR offers over Point & Shoot is the flexibility of lenses(i.e you can select lens according to your need).

Nikon D40:
I was looking for a DSLR suiting my budget and finally decided to go for Nikon D40.
It's merely three days since I bought this camera and I'm literally in love with it.
Nikon D40 kit comes with body, 18-55m lens, battery, charger & Nikon strap.
The things I liked about D40 are:
Great kit lens: An 18-55mm lens covers most of my general needs.

Great feel: The advantage any Nikon camera offers over any other brand is the feel it gives in your hand.

Great Image quality: Nikon D40 comes with 6.1 Megapixel sensor which disappoints many buyers but the real thing is that Megapixel is related to the image size and not the image quality.

Small size: Nikon D40 does not have a giant looking body like that of a camera in any professional studio. Rather it can be easily carried in a normal V-shaped bag.

Pocket Friendly: One of the best thing about Nikon D40 is that it comes within budget and it is always better to invest in good lenses than to invest in a costly camera body.

And finally it's the technique and knowledge that makes great images and not the camera.
So now onwards I'll frequently post images taken with my Nikon D40 over this space.
Meanwhile you can check my Flickr blog over here.

Educated India- Child education in India

2008-09-06T23:10:00.000+05:30

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandela

Indian society has always given high importance to the education. Education enlightens the soul and helps an individual to understand the world. Ok! that's fine!. But let us take a look into the facts (Source: Smile foundation India).

• Less than half of India's children between the age 6 and 14 go to school.
• A little over one-third of all children who enroll in grade one reach grade eight.
• At least 35 million children aged 6 - 14 years do not attend school.
• 53% of girls in the age group of 5 to 9 years are illiterate.
• In India, only 53% of habitation has a primary school.
• In India, only 20% of habitation has a secondary school.
• On an average an upper primary school is 3 km away in 22% of areas under habitations.
• In nearly 60% of schools, there are less than two teachers to teach Classes I to V.
• On an average, there are less than three teachers per primary school. They have to manage classes from I to V every day.
• Dropout rates increase alarmingly in class III to V, its 50% for boys, 58% for girls.
• 1 in 40, primary school in India is conducted in open spaces or tents.
• More than 50 per cent of girls fail to enroll in school; those that do are likely to drop out by the age of 12.
• 50% of Indian children aged 6-18 do not go to school

Poverty:
Poverty is an outcome of illiteracy. The only permanent solution to poverty is education.

Each one teach ten:
"Each one teach one" has been an old credo. But the need of the hour is "Each one teach ten".

Privatization of govt. schools:
Most of the indian primary schools lack quality staff, infrastructure and basic facilities. privatization would make the management more efficient and hence proper utilization of resources.

Corporate responsibility:
Many top Indian companies understand their social responsibility and are providing helping hands in this field. but as any company derives its profit from the society, every company irrespective of its size and profit margin must contribute for the education of poor.

Efforts at individual level:
We as an individual can really make a difference. All that is needed is:
• Identification of the areas around you.
• Gathering a group of educated enthusiasts.
• If possible contact some NGO.
• Cause awareness among people around you.
• Little monetary help.

*One such effort with which I was associated during my college days was Literacy Mission at NIT Hamirpur.

All it needs is time and dedication and this small efforts of yours can really make a difference.
So let us come forward and dream of a different tomorrow. Dream of a better India, a better world.

*Image source: CSmonitor

Transition

2008-09-03T05:07:00.002+05:30

Three months, and I’ve not written even a single word on this blog (a thing which I really adored during college days). It has nothing to do with my hectic professional life but the thing is, that I feel as if my heart and mind have stopped working. I hardly introspect these days and everything seems hazy.

I don't know where my life is heading and what my priorities are, I simply don't know. Made so many commitments but everything in vain. The only positive sign is that since past few days I'm missing my blog a lot and thinking of a complete changeover (of blog) maybe this new resolution will refresh my priorities. And again I’ll be doing the thing I love.

Six word memoir

2008-05-05T11:48:00.006+05:30

UPDATE:
Hello friends. Due to some reasons I won't be available here till July end or August.
Thanks for your valuable comments. And I'm sorry for not being able to post comments on your blogs.
I'll miss my favorite blogs & bloggers. But i'll update myself when I'm back.
Miss you all.
Take Care! Stay Happy, Stay Good.
-----

I took this TAG from Rajeev's blog. And I tag everyone reading it. :)

Sunil Parashar: A memoir in six words.

"The other good name of LUCK!"

Snippet of life : Truth

2008-05-01T23:08:00.005+05:30

Sometimes your senses deceive you, they simply fail for that matter.
They don't exist at first place.

What you see, hear or feel is not true.
The truth is something big, something different,...... something unacceptable.

The intelligent investor

2008-04-15T22:29:00.009+05:30

Talent was the name of a coin in ancient times and those who had a lot of talent, or money, then-just as it is now-were indeed the ones who saved and invested gainfully. Before making a long journey, the Bible says, a rich man called three of his servants and "unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one."

He that received the five talents went and traded with the same, and gained another five talents. And likewise, he that had received two, also gained another two. But he that received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

After a long time the master of those three men returned, and reckoned with them. He that had received five talents came and showed another five talents, saying, "My lord, you delivered unto me five talents: behold, I have gained five talents more."
The master said unto him,"Well done...I will make thee ruler over many things." The master was also pleased with the man who had doubled his two talents. "Well done... I will make thee too ruler of many things." These two men would now lead a more joyous life. They were talented!

Then the man who had received the one talent came to his master and said, "Lord, I was afraid and went and hid thy talent in the earth: here take what is yours." The master answered and told him, "You wicked and slothful servant... you ought to have put my money to the exchangers and at my return I should have received it with interest."

Obviously, this man had no talent. "Take therefore the talent from him and give it unto him which hath ten talents," the master then ordered. "And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness."
-MATTHEW 25: 14-30 in the Bible.

Learning lesson from this story I purchased the bestseller "The Intelligent Investor" by Benjamin Graham.- My first investment towards investing.
What was your first investment towards investing?

Four years- a memoir

2008-04-11T23:50:00.007+05:30

The autumn of 2004, pants folded and the furious rain trying to snatch away the umbrellas. First rendezvous with the Electrical block of NIT Hamirpur (my college) & I grinned: Ah! this magnificent building is going to be my department for the next four years and somewhere I knew that I've made a wise decision.

Happiness, excitement, fear, anger, friendship, love, success . . . . . .endless memories hitched inside the heart.
These insured four years of life are about to end and soon the things are going to be different. I often wonder: why do things have an ending? Is it to make a new start? but the new start again heads towards new end. After all why do things come to an end?

George Orwell's 12 tips for effective writing

2008-03-26T22:36:00.003+05:30

"For a creative writer possession of the "truth" is less important than emotional sincerity."
- George Orwell.
George Orwell (Pen name. Actual name: Eric Arthur Blair) definitely qualifies as one of the finest writer of 21st century. If you've read 'Animal Farm' or '1984' you might be aware of the genius. Any writer will ask following questions before writing anything.

1. What am I trying to say?

2. What words will express it?

3. What image or idiom will make it clearer?

4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?

And he will probably ask himself two more:

1. Could I put it more shortly?

2. Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?

One can often be in doubt about the effect of a word or a phrase, and one needs rules that one can rely on when instinct fails. Following rules will cover most cases:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.

3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.

5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

For more details follow this link>>

Making of an electrical engineer

2008-03-19T15:29:00.008+05:30

First Year of college
Teacher: Define Ohm's Law?
Student: Sir Ohm's law states that the current passing through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the potential difference across the two points, and inversely proportional to the resistance between them.

Second Year of college
Teacher: Can you define Faraday's Law?
Student: Well Sir em...well....Faraday's law is a law given by Faraday. It finds its application in electrical engineering.

Third Year of college
Teacher: Do you have any idea about Gauss's Law?
Student: Sir it can be defined as em... well it is defined as.........are you asking about Gauss's law?.
Sorry sir I forgot the question could you please repeat it?.
-----------------------------------
Sir i shall come prepared next time for sure.

Final Year of college
Student: Sir what is Newton-Raphson's method?
Teacher: It is $%)%#!%^* given by +!*(&%##@&** and used for %$*@(&^$% !

And finally the student becomes a full time engineer (maybe).

Letter from a friend

2008-03-16T11:01:00.007+05:30

A beautiful gift from one of my special friend.

Sometimes winning is everything.
Take a stand, now or never.
Choose a high.
Leave your mark.
Kill doubt.
Stand for something, prove something.
Make waves, never say die.
Live your dream.
Conquer your fears.
Take a risk.
Erase boundaries.
Beat the odds.
Trust your instincts.
Take up a challenge.
Never give up.
Prove yourself.
Own your words.
Right a wrong.
Dare to dream.
Push the limit.
Play with pride.
Wake the spirit.
Go for glory.
Tougher the better.
Face your demons.

It's your time. Taste The VICTORY.

What is your most memorable gift?

My best lines

2008-03-12T10:21:00.007+05:30

Here are my all time favorite lines from my personal diary:

1. Imagine! Just Imagine!.

2. No straight story was ever worth telling.

3. The knock of pure love has a different sound.

4. The heart accepts some reasons, and the journey never stops.

5. Dream! Your dreams may not be fulfilled but you won't have nightmares either.

6. In there lies questions, In there lies answers.

7. Knowledge is fearlessness.

8. Fiction sounds better than the real life.

9. Fake things are volatile.

10. Destiny has something in store for everyone.

11. The good thing about time is that it goes on.

12. Short-sightedness kills an individual.

13. Never complain because complaining is never a solution.

14. A man's mind is busy creating problems and he's busy solving them -confused and lost.

The escape

2008-03-08T16:24:00.004+05:30

One wrong step and Tim could've lost his life.
Chilling December night was growing darker & Tim was the only passenger in his compartment. Though 12 years old Tim appeared younger than his contemporaries.
As the train pulled out of station Tim was accompanied by a stranger. There was something strange about this stranger; Red eyed, hairs of a wild animal, his body was covered with a blanket.

"When does the train reach Manor?" asked Tim.
"11:30pm." replied the stranger with a heavy voice.
This made fear run through Tims' mind. Firstly because he had not anticipated train reaching so early at the destination, secondly the stranger smelled drunk.
"Why are you going to Manor?" asked the stranger.
"I'm returning home from my boarding school and Manor is my last station via train, the remaining journey is to be made by bus." replied Tim.

The stranger put his right arm around Tims' shoulder and repeated: "There is no bus service at Manor during the night time but you need not worry kiddie, I shall get something arranged for you."
And he kissed Tim on the left cheek. For Tim the situation was heading the wrong way.
Getting hold of his bag Tim rose from the seat to make an escape but the stranger caught hold of his left arm and pulled him hard.
By this time the train was entering some station and before the stranger could make out his second move, Tim shouted for help.

Finding himself free from stranger's grip Tim ran out of the compartment and climbed another populated compartment.
Tim got hold of his furious breaths but fear still gripped him. He constantly asked himself: "Where shall I spend the night?."
As the train started entering Manor station Tim positioned himself at the door to make another escape. The train stopped and Tim cutting through the small crowd ran past the station building and hid himself behind a wall. His eyes could clearly make out the stranger searching for him.

Finally the train pulled out of Manor and the hustle-bustle of people died out. The stranger was nowhere in sight so Tim moved on to the station platform. Tim comforted himself there and was soon joined by another stranger who revealed himself as the station master.
"Where are going son?" asked the station master.
"I'm returning home from my boarding school and my further journey is to be made by bus." replied Tim.
"But the bus service at Manor starts at 6:30 am, where will you spend the night?" repeated station master.
And before Tim could answer the station master asked: "There's one small office room here, If you wish you can rest there till morning."
Tim initially hesitated but then followed the station master.

There was knock on the door and Tim heard:" Get-up son! it's 6:30 and the bus service has resumed."
Tim immediately jumped out of his temporary bedding & thanked the station master.
There was smile on his face & he jumped down the steps from the station. . . . . . as fast as he could.

Friends

2008-02-19T22:04:00.004+05:30

Togetherness
Destiny brought three of us together as roommates but choice made us best buddies. Two years of togetherness, arguments, laughs, care, annoyance, and the endless gyaan (advices). Our growth was entangled together and each one of us felt a sea change in our lives
After two years of togetherness we had to move separate ways and the single threes became three singles.

The biggest enemy
Distance is the biggest enemy of any relationship and ours was no exception. Each one of us got so busy managing life that we could hardly find time for ourselves.
Nearly two years passed and the feelings started piling up.

Best feelings in life are never said
We had a short reunion yesterday and it felt as if we are still the same; the same old friends.

Destiny is sweet, but unknown
Now Atal might be busy studying or surfing internet & I'm here penning down my feelings whereas J.P might be busy tracking the stock market. Don't know where the destiny will lead us. Each one of us is heading towards different direction yet the bonds never cease to break. Maybe because the strongest bonds in life are cherished inside heart, they are beyond the reasons of time and distance.

PS: 20th Feb is Atal's B'day. Happy Birthday Atal.

Happiness

2008-02-12T23:07:00.001+05:30

"Whenever I look at you, you seem very silent & lost within yourself. You don't seem happy, something bothering you?. You can trust me as a friend."

I'm well acquainted with such questions but this time it was my teacher who rang the bell.
I plainly denied the charges & the conversation went on.

Now I wonder what happiness exactly is?.
To me happiness is more a matter within & not inside out.
If someone stays silent does it imply that he/she is not happy?.
Is it mandatory to reflect happiness?.

Strings of Life

2008-02-09T23:32:00.000+05:30

I often get engrossed in the word 'Life'. What is the meaning of life?. Is it happiness? Is it Love?, or is life some sort of gimmick played upon us by some higher power?.

One day pondering over such questions I subconsciously sketched a guitar on the paper at hand and titled it as 'Strings of Life'. Later on this became the title for my first blog.
The idea behind Strings of Life was to create an online souvenir where I can express myself, share my thoughts and discover the meaning of Life.

The new face of Strings of Life:
The two year journey from 2006 to 2008 was like sea waves, full of highs and lows.
Now I've moved Strings of Life from Google owned domain(www.sunilparashar.blogspot.com) to a custom domain SunilParashar.com so as to make a fresh start.
Whereas the theme remains same: Life.