MTech G22 for Rs. 847

Ashlesha colleague grabbed the white G22, and said, i want to throw this on the ground and stomp it.

Bharani colleague said, you should have asked me, we could have got a smart phone with another 500.

My poorvashada sis queried, why are you so like this. What will you gain with this miserliness?.

A Krittika remarked, this is like buying toys for my sons. You can surely spend 6k for a mobile. Next day, he remarked, though it serves your purpose, how many will have the courage to buy this unknown brand.

My swAti bro quipped, you have got the most expensive phone on this earth ka. Trust you have insured it.

Have my sister's digital camera, so don't need a camera on my phone. Don't want to browse net, check emails, spoiling my eyes with tiny screen. Nor do i want a big screen, making it inconvenient to hold it in hands or put it inside pockets.

Mom had gifted my previous basic samsung mobile in 2009 and it became a 3 piece mobile, constantly breaking into 3 pieces - the front part with keypad, battery, the back flap which was held together by a black nylon rubber band. In between 0 key didn't work for a while, which i got repaired for 70 bucks. But didn't want to carry my heavy latitude laptop every morning for just listening to my yoga teacher's mp3. So finally changed my mobile which could play mp3. After my first gifted android was stolen, put 5k to buy a phone with at least 5MP camera, big screen, google maps, but didn't like checking fb over smartphone when compared to laptop.

To be honest, just attend official calls, personally answering calls is anathema to me. Need silence, to study without interruption and the constant ringing of phones, is too much to bear. Even if it is my best friend who is calling, would take all the world's efforts to answer a phone, during my personal time.

Was without mobile till 2005. My Jan 28th US returned manager said, you are leading a team and without a phone, how can i reach you for anything. My manager, was the only reason, i bought my first phone, 1.5 years after joining Cognizant. Would go to a PCO and talk to dad or friend for hours in the absence of phone, never bought a mobile those first few years without mobile phones. If you don't attend calls for a while, the ire you have to face from your loved ones is unspeakable.

My guruji has the most latest apple iPhones and runs windows on it, extremely tech savvy with a program that would populate the current chart every 10 minutes for prashna. For me technology should assist, not consume my life. Would rather have the map of the place in my mind before venturing out, rather than googling it out.

If one reads vibhuti pAda of patanjali yoga sutras, to communicate in person (not just audio, video, actual teleporting), no matter where the other person is, is very much possible. Now mobile phones have become necessary evil to communicate.

Always remember my BGS (Business Govt and Society) professor's words. When it is your money and you spend it on yourself, you are responsible. When it is your money and you spend it on others you are miserly. When it is others money and you spend it on yourself, you are lavish. When it is others money you spend it for others, there is no accountability. Kind of Machiavelli.

As a child, i was a spendthrift, I, still am, when it comes to spending on others. 11L in 12H. Give me Bill Gates fortunes, i can reduce it to zero $ in no time. I have plans for the whole world. But after listening to  yoga sutras discourses, i would constantly recollect his words - can I not live without this, can i not live without that. Why accumulate ephemeral stuff? Minimalist way of live is the best in the long run.

Chai Pe with Ms. Uma Mohan - Personal Branding

There was so much to do and was creating the communique for last Friday's event and a rohini colleague with a dulcet voice, full of warmth, called some 2-3 times to state, she will be delayed by 10-20 mins.Was mighty glad with the delay, could finally finish the communiqué and send it for tweaking. We drove from Domlur to Whitefield. It was an exquisitely palatial retreat, lined with royal palms, frangipanis, full of compact villas; but what is the point of villas, if there is no hari sannidhi, or RAghavendra Swamy temple nearby; what is the point of man made lawns and few ubiquitous garden flowers, if nature can't have her way, if cows can't roam and rest freely there (universal pointer for a place filled with spiritual vibrations). What is the point of huge swimming pools in club house, if there is no privacy for women.

Few takeaways from Uma Mohan's Personal Branding:
Trustworthy, reliable...

"At the most what is going to happen, i will lose my face. So what? The key is being shameless, being persistent and rising up again, no matter what.

Anecdote 1: In Chennai, she was team leading a project where the technology was new, programmers were new. Product development was delayed inordinately, client came and since Uma was just a week new, she got an extension for a year. Even after a year, the product was not ready and the client blew his top in front of CEO and manager. Uma was fighting a lone battle and her CEO and manager too joined the client on the deliverable delay.

Uma went back to her seat, keyed in a resignation mail to her CEO and was packing her things. And as expected, EA called her and CEO said, excellent English. She was surprised. He said, you disappointed me; i had hired you for your leadership and you are into blaming circumstances and others. She learnt her first lesson - leadership is about accountability, on giving, all it takes to get it done, and not finding excuses.

Anecdote 2: In GE, she was in succession plan for CIO. For two years, she was nominated for all awards and positions. There were only two candidates and she had started believing that she was there. However, her global CIO called her and told her how this was the most difficult day of his life. Her very strength (constantly challenging status quo) in the previous role was a weakness in the next role. What worked at a sub group level, didn't work at an organizational level. At an organizational level, there was a core dna, which required operating under accepted paradigms. It was about synergizing, being integrative and inclusive.

 You will not start questioning, India team does not get the best roles, you will rather start the conversation with, these are Cincinnati team's strength, these are India's strength, now how do we leverage both teams strengths for organization's benefit.

She was shattered, took her 6 months to come back, she worked on global CIO's words. After 2-3 years, the same global CIO called her and offered her CIO role. Her husband had supported her during her tough times, asking how long will you sulk like this. You have two options, take it personally and sulk or work on it.

Few other things: She always nominated herself for everything. She constantly rose up to the challenge. She would deliver her best, but her CEO would also complain about something or the other. Then she realized, she was branded as someone who raised up to challenges on being thrown into a difficult situation and hence this behaviour from boss.

She said, i am best in this, am best in that, am best in everything, showing clear confidence. She spoke about fire brand. She said, she was lucky to have the best of parents,education, colleagues, mentors at work.

Personal front: She said her biggest support was her MIL. Her MIL would say, you have toiled and travelled the whole week, so you do what you really like over the weekends. I could not have such a life, at least you should have the best life. Because of her loving MIL, she could paint, travel all over the world. She is married for 28 years and has a 24 year old daughter who is working.

On asking, how did she manage her career, after her maternity; she said, she made a conscious decision - not to work till her daughter was 2 years old and to take no stressful jobs till her daughter was 7 years old. That is the way it is and you have to accept it.

Over chai, she said her MIL was very possessive on whom Uma could love, because of which, when others came home, her MIL could get really nasty. She could either become a victim or get out of it and understand why a person was behaving this way. She learnt the reason, why her MIL was behaving this way and consciously sent her positive love vibrations and it worked for her. Any other daughter in law, would have nursed the grudge till grave, but the way Uma inured it and made it positive was an eyeopener for me.

She talked about air and water vibrations and sending positive vibrations to people. Living your fire brand kept on coming again and again in her talks. She was learning elements and their associations from an American healer.

She said, women carry lots of past baggage, victim mentality. One needs to get rid of it and start afresh, rise up no matter, whats the worst that can happen? so what!

Saying and Doing Gap

Never had there been a case of waiting for Shukla shasti for months, to go to Kottakal in 2010 or 11. Thanks to my kanya being populated with heavy weights, and a wonderful absorption system, AVS Doc said, have fruits for dinner that too before 7 pm. Even before that, used to have mostly fruits for dinner. That was a time, when reasonably good food was available, for a reasonable duration. Now that food availability timings are shorter, quality is gone, am at Maslow’s base level hierarchy yet again. Cycles of life, wheels of destiny, ups and down. Will come out of this.

Yesterday was at sugarcane juice counter and next to me was a guy munching red coloured fried masala groundnuts. Was tempted so much, thank god, didn’t grab his groundnuts. So went to minus one department store, ate 150 gms of fried groundnuts, doing work in parallel, that tummy hurt a lot all night and morning. To top it all, had rotis, rice, khadi in spite of feeling full. Even roomies, when they offer me fried peanuts warn me, that I won’t be able to eat. Still greedily, would take a handful and return what was offered, after munching just one with tears in my eyes and running nose.

Yesterday night, made a sankalpa to stick to original decision and yesteryear's practice of eating only fruits for dinner. Guruji ordered - take Chitrak. Amazing this tiny little white flowered wildly growing stuff. Have been reading about its properties and dangerous side effects since morning. Come rainy reason, it would be growing wildly all over. God!!! Please help me get back to good old days of having fruits for dinner, let me not get tempted with food, that too food.

If we do something continuously for 21 days, it becomes a habit.
July 26th

Finally managed a 12 day phala kriccha vrat - lost 4 kgs in 12 days but starting on dwAdashi, gained 3 kgs in 2 days. ChaturmAs has just started and the first month itself has been a great teacher. Being a foodie, would sulk, if there was no sabji, that too cooked to my specifiications. Now have survived close to a month without vegetables, 12 days without rice. Now a simple curd rice, a simple dal rice is ambrosia. Next month, no curd, after that no milk products, last month no dicotyledons. It is been a huge learning experience.

panchAng says - ee masadalli eka bhukta, nakta vrat. No amount of fasting for figure can make me quit food. But with God's grace, in his name, everything is possible at last.

Shade and Water

நிழல்நீரும் இன்னாத இன்னா தமர்நீரும்
இன்னாவாம் இன்னா செயின்.

There is this verse 881 under "Internal Enmity" which states "Even shade and water are unpleasant if they breed disease." It extends the metaphor to relatives who might cause harm.

May is ending, still where is the Bangalore where peak summers had 21 degrees? All trees are chopped in this apartment and mall construction madness. This verse is what came to my mind first, the moment i craved for shade, optimal shade without being too shady.

Why Swimming
It was 2006, right after ambassador accident where my legs were unequal after neck of femur replacement and i had to wear height adjusted slippers to walk evenly. Had shifted to a south facing house in palavakam during Aadi month and the accident happened within a week of shifting home. Four months later, would cook breakfast, lunch in box, early mornings, for my sister to prepare for her entrance exam in the MGR University campus with her batch mates.

So one morning around 6 am, was shopping for vegetables to prepare breakfast lunch and there comes a tall guy like a hero, in an imposing black bike, dressed in black with black helmet. The bike stops right next to me and he introduces himself as guy from neighbouring locality HAPP and how he had seen me on crutches in our OFT bus and says he is glad to see me walk independently without crutches. So learn that his name is Rudradeep Ray (unsure), Feb 10 (very sure), working in Wipro and he is back from early morning salsa classes in TNagar. Inspired by him, wanted to learn something early morning. What else other than swimming.

Even in Chennai, maargazhi, december mornings are quite cold. I got my navy blue swimsuit and went to palavakam swimming pool early morning 5:30 to 6:30 am to learn swimming in ice chill waters. No one would be there early morning and i would have the whole pool for myself for a good one hour. On the way to the pool in the darkness, once even got to listen to tiny tots wondering on how did the day get divided into 24 hours and how time came into being. At their age, i just took for granted the seconds ticking, never wondering why, like those 2 feet boys discussing time early morning. Would be scared with dogs barking. But that 1 hour in pool every morning was my answer to fight back, no matter what destiny did to my legs.

In 2006, could not exhale inside water and could swim only short stretches, to the extent that i could hold my breath. After ilizarov limb equalizing surgery in 2007, no longer had to wear height adjusted footwear. Only in Jayanagar PM swimming pool, finally learnt swimming during summer holidays in 2009, 3 years after the Palavakam swimming pool episode.

Am still scared of diving, but can swim for hours in pool and love swimming and floating on water. Now with the scorching sun and chlorine water and lady's public timings at 25/hr (rather 40 minutes) from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm, wish they had a sunshade or big trees shade covering the pool with net to catch the leaves. Wish desperately for shade from this scorching sun.

Let maari pour down optimally, fill all lakes, ponds, reservoirs and rivers, let trees grow all around, let the whole earth be decked in green, like the paradise it once was. Wish, had a swimming pool nearby without its rates burning my purse, wish public timings were after twilight hours when the sun was gentle. Wish!!!!

Wish rivers were clean enough to swim. Where has our ahneeka procedure on treating water bodies as devis disappeared? Need to research trees now. Plant all around now. There is this forest department in bannerghatta road, malleshwaram for saplings. Rains are going to come and need to start planting trees.

Rudrappa P Uppina anna – the epitome of Asteya

Stolen and returned (yet again)
Thursday Morning May 8, 2014 8:45 am

Just moments before stepping out, after the final pradakshina, realized that I had been robbed of everything – purse, mobile, valuables, everything with the laptop bag, that too in Shri Raghavendra Swamy mutt in Jayanagar 5th block. Absolutely penny-less, even to go to police station to lodge complaint, as mandated when official laptop is stolen, had to borrow Rs. 100 from the seva counter guy. Had been at mutt from 7:25 am, did pradakshinas for dwadash gurus without laptop bag, it was safe till then.

Saturday Noon May 10, 2014 – Raghavendra Swamy’s Krupa

Was checking the contents of my soiled laptop in RPU anna’s home in RT nagar. RPU anna’s driver Santosh, had found it, in a dark obscure place in Malleshwaram, where he had gone for urinating. After Adiga’s White Tiger, Santosh changed my perception of drivers. 3 gm Au ring, cash in purse around 270+ (thief spared one 2 rupee coin this time), including my debit card, Cadbury’s fruit and nut chocolate, mobile given by a Pentecost pastor anna, mouse went missing; rest of silver ware (tumbler, spoon and chandan mixing tiny bowl), laptop Latitude 6420, datacard, 32 GB pendrive, medical bills, seva receipts, everything else was safe. What else can I say other than Raghavendra Swamy’s grace , RPU anna’s honesty and his persistent efforts in reaching out when the thief had activated unconditional forwarding in my mobile, which I could deactivate only after 80 hours.

Last April 2013, my laptop and mobile was very much with me, lost only the laptop bag, yet, I sat crying from morning till noon in front of Raghavendra swamy’s photo and it came back, this time laptop also went, and it was not 1gm Au, 3gm Au, yet was non chalant. Of course, was angry on and off, teary eyed on and off, on having to ask others for money with the world’s worst bank ICICI’s delay in debit card replacement.

Back to Thursday After theft - Jayanagar Police Station Saga

The traffic police guided me to JP nagar police station, while seva counter guy said Jayanagar police station. Auto refused to come to Jayanagar police station. So walked to JP nagar police station to realize, Jayanagar was the right one.

At jayanagar police station, one police lady asked me thrice, about my chrome yellow sari, if that was part of my office uniform, I replied her no twice, that it was my mother’s sari. And another police guy enacted, I should have carried my laptop bag tucked under my arms and did my pradakshina. Imagine carrying the rock heavy Latitude 6420 like that. But there are folks who do panchAng namaskars for every step with heavy laptops while I need hands free while praying.

Current was not there, no zerox. So had to write the letter twice, for police records. Had to repeat what I had lost to every guy (10+) in uniform who asked me. Kept trying my mother’s number which was the only number I remembered and mom had kept phone at home and had gone to office.

3 police guys including a lady police in sari came in police jeep to mutt, where the police were given prasad, coconut, flowers and archak got panchamrutha  in small cups in the managers room where we were sitting. Told them, no, already had a tumbler full and the guy said one is not supposed to refuse prasad. So had a second tiny cup of panchamrutha. Police lady said, that she prayed to Raghavendra swamy that I should get the things back. Police didn't file FIR

Office Episode

With the seva counter guy’s money, took a bus and reached office, mailed first to office folks on not being available on mobile. Blocked card and placed request for new card which is yet to come after 9 days. Jai Ho ICICI! Receptionist guided me to legal department and legal guy asked with the greatest sarcasm, “so, how did you manage to lose?” Managers were supportive.  By 7:30 pm, after a heated exchange, got a duplicate sim card, which was registered on some Ibrahim’s name as per their records!!!  And Vodafone folks have called me so many times for renewing some service or other. Only on Sunday could manage to deactivate automatic call forwarding that the thief had set up.

Friday May 9, Ecospace

Reached the venue for the event, was taking notes furiously in the absence of android recorder and audacity in my laptop and event manager asked me to contact my manager who gave me the number of two people to call - security guy and RPU anna’s number. To cut the long story short, RPU anna resisted selling the laptop, he called up the office security using the number in the id card and security sent mail to all concerned. RPU anna has two cute daughters studying in 1st and 3rd.

Back to Saturday Ekadashi saga

Absolutely pennyless and having exhausted all borrowed money in auto and 1 day AC bus pass, my pushya colleague who escorted me to RPU anna’s home got 2 kgs banganapallis, insisting that bachelors won’t eat  fruits. RPU anna said his greatest satisfaction was on having returned things to the rightful owner. Funny life. If it was me, i would not have touched any laptop bag that was not mine, so the question of taking so much trouble to ensure it returns the rightful owner, would not have arisen. Home work for this weekend: to analyze patterns in April 4th or 5th, 2013 and (again got it back on Saturday April 6th, 2013) and Au bracelet that slipped on December 26, 2011 and this year May 8, back on May 10.

May 25 Ekadashi Again
A fortnight later, RPU anna messaged me twice and called me once. I didn't answer his call or text back. Asked my guruji, will that be considered as lack of gratitude. Guruji said no and I left it at that. God bless RPU anna, his two kids, wife and everyone at home. Still waiting for ICICI debit card. 

Mohanur

Kula Devatha

Dad and paternal grandfather's temple is Sri Sellandiyamman in Mohanur, which also has navaladi karupana swami temple outside ambal's sannidhi on the left. After a dip in cauvery before sunrise, realized that the Perumal temple would open only after 7:30 am. Was glad in a way, could go to kula deivam temple.

Temple had transformed. The first time, i remembered going there during college days, when my grandparents were still alive. Could not participate in annadhAna there, for the very sight of chopped goat's head impaled on spear nauseated me. My BIL remarked this morning how, i didn't touch food that day and had not let my nephews eat ice creams outside. There are few temples, where even after going till the entrance, can not enter and pray. Would be waiting outside, while my folks went inside for prayers. Thankfully, this morning, no such thing was there in the temple and it was peaceful darshan, with the unflickering jyoti lifting my spirits.

Sri KalyAna Prasanna VenkatramanAr temple

After a peaceful archana and darshan in kula deiva temple, found Perumal temple open. It is so funny, like in Rameshwaram, the pujari thought i was a student blessed me vidya praptirastu. In Rameshwaram, while my younger sister and younger bro got sheegram and adhi sheegram vivaham prAptirastu, it was udyogam prAptirastu for me. Glad to have darshan of Perumal on ekadashi.

Mohiniyur, earlier it was called Vidyanarayanpuram according to the pujari. See this
DinamalarReview
Hindu
Alayamkanden

On my left was Rukmini SathyabhAma sahita Navneetha KRSN which immediately brought ChAyayAm pArijAtasya on my mind, while on the right was a beautiful statue of krishna half male and half female. Kind of krishna in ardhanAreeshwar form, kind of like dancing NatarAjar.

Hayagreevar was very famous here with localites and opposite to him was Medha Saraswathi. In front of Medha saraswathi was Bala Maruthi facing Hayagreevar and Bala Vinayakar facing east. They had done an elaborate Moola nakshatra pooja in front of Hayagreevar with heaps of flowers in front of God.
You had Chintamani Ganapathi, Varaha and Narasimha with consorts with Vishnu durga as koshta devatas.

Thanks to BIL who had enquired for abhishekam for my niece's board exams. Pujari had suggested milk and honey abhishekam on thursday. Am still not able to reconcile why pour milk and honey on Gods. Can't we just eat them and distribute, adding the herbs that are supposed to be in the statues. Need to ask my AchArya.

Trip back to Bangalore was smooth without hassles. Started a little after 8 am from temple and reached PG by 1:30 pm.

Two days by Cauvery

Musiri Puthur is an obscure place, where dad grew up with his maternal uncle since childhood for more than 3 decades. And dad, never mentioned his maternal uncle, even once. Need to dig the place history. Small amlas, papaya, drumstick leaves anything is nearby.
It is not just town folks who slog, till 10 pm, farm hands were threshing paddy, since temple was the only public place that had cemented floor.

Early Morning Visit to River
Akka had made a simple kolam first thing in the morning.

Sunrise by the river was stunning, sunset was even more.

 This was called KokkuUttanParai. When the river flows to brim, storks would be sitting on this rock it seems.

Bro and nephew wanted to make boats and all that was available was Bank of Baroda’s ATM slips, which became two tiny boats, which disappeared in no time.

A lone hyacinth on the river side.

Flowers on the way

Chinna Thottiyam Voikkal History

A brahmin lady married a low caste guy and this asavarna couple were excommunicated  from the village. In village, during construction of dams and such structures, it was custom to offer human sacrifice it seems. So the audacious low caste husband was sacrificed for building this dam.

The distraught wife, jumped into her husband’s pyre. A tiny bit of her unburnt silk dress kept on settling at one particular spot. So villagers invited the soul, which entered the 6 year grandson of the temple pujari. Finally, they built a temple for this lady who rushed into fire and call this temple as theepAnjAl koil.

After decades of eating chikkis aka kadalamuttais, for the first time, realized that groundnut flowers are golden chrome yellow.

The soil around the Plantain was white with fertilizer. Farmers are naturally concerned with yield rather than soil and underground water. It’s a 24/7 job not just in BPM in agriculture as well. Early morning 3 am shifts are for milk hands as well. Each with its own seasonality.

This papaya was just a little taller than 5 feet.

Folks used to comb their hair with this oomathaan fruit it seems.

 On the way. This nonna leave cures tooth decay according to my sister.

Was quite surprised to see passion flowers in a village.

 On the way to the river, thalamalai

Arai nellikas with which akka made a juice laced with a bit of jaggery.

This is a dusk flower.

Piping hot sweet puttu was waiting on Sunday morning.

Evening walk to river with storks settling on the field

 Sunset, water is cleaner on the western side

River bed is 90% dry, with pockets of water here and there. Dams, are for equitable sharing. Who is man to stop the waters that nature gave?

It is the angle of the camera, that shows so much water, otherwise, it was not even knee deep at 90% of the places.

Other Trivia

Dead snake on the river bed, which my nephew spotted.

Children, girls, villagers still shit on the roadside, leading to the river. River is not visibly polluted. At some places, river stinks shit in the morning and cleaned fish in the evening. Dams are closed from Feb 1st week, which again gets opened only during April. River bed was dry with pockets of rivulets here and there, deceptively deep at places. Lone fish kept cruising inside deep waters. At 1 inch waterspots, zillion tadpoles would swarm around, in wet soil, there were tracks of earthworms, in dry river bed, there were silts, to conches and shells to hard pebble deposited along the riverine curve.

Seems like it is procreation season. On Saturday morning, was trying to sleep in the bright light, after a tiring bus journey sitting all night from Bangalore to this place and a dog was noisily on top of a bitch, next to bedroom window, which finally shifted place to behind the temple, which reminded me of the scene in “A Suitable boy”. Later that day, it was two squirrels on the tamarind tree branch by the rear entrance.


Best part was the night sky view. So many stars, not visible to naked to eyes in Bangalore, twinkled in its full glory. From Jupiter in Gemini to Mars in libra to raising venus early morning, the whole star lit night was fabulous under the open sky. Early morning Venus, Navami moon, Antares in Scorpio and Mars were in one straight line. For the first time, could see the rashis as given in internet pictures.

While my niece eagerly looked at Jupiter and other nakshatras I showed her on sky, akka dismissed off venus saying, I see it everytime. Velli mullaicha, mantriki Apathu. (If venus raises, it is dangerous for ministers/politicians) and then dawned the aha moment. How did I miss it? It is so obvious.

The crowing cocks were our alarm clocks. No canned water, it was cauvery water with its natural minerals. After a sunrise and sunset 1 hour walk to the river and back home, piping hot food would be ready for a growling tummy. Every meal had at least 2 green leafy vegetables, plucked from the garden. Vegetables were from relative’s garden. Milk unpasteurized straight from cow’s udder. Simple life, peaceful.

Ahneeka procedure
Wish had read this before travelling all the way for a river dip like our guruji had said.

• Water should not less than knee deep.
• Take bath against tide, in other places, bathing should be facing sun
• Women should get inside till water reaches their lower lips and take bath, guys till chest (obviously)
• Even rivers have periods (exception Ganga), first three days during July-August lunar month