Musings

Reality shows are catching up in India big time. They are considered a welcome change from the daily soaps, chat shows and film-based entertainment shows and enjoy a huge following, a loyal audience and a die-hard fan club. I have not been a big fan of reality shows, not having watched the popular American reality shows like “The Apprentice” or that show that promises a scholarship to an ivy-league school to the deserving school or even those old Indian “Swayamvara” style shows where you choose your life partner among the contenders after dating, dining and wining them. I had my first taste of these reality shows during the past six months when I have watched and kept track of the much advertised and awaited Indian version of the UK reality show, Big Brother that made headlines in India because of the racist comments purported to have been made against one of the show participants, our very own Bollywood actress, Shilpa Shetty. “Bigg Boss” was a change from the usual shows that I had b...

Privacy is fast becoming a rare commodity. Constant vigilance is much more prevalent in developed countries like US. It is believed that an average American is caught on video at least thrice a day –once at the ATM, once at the tollway and again at the office. Security at airports has become tighter after a terrorist plot to attack US bound planes using liquid explosives was foiled in the UK recently. People of Asian origin and of particular races come under greater scrutiny. Innocent people get caught in the midst of this sorry mess with unwanted security checks, long queues and huge delays. Flying is no longer a fun experience. On the contrary, it has become a nightmare that frequent fliers thoroughly dread. Who would enjoy the experience of getting to the airport at least two and a half hours ahead of the scheduled departure time even in the case of domestic flights and being subjected to the ordeal of long queues, tired security personnel, inconsolable babies and harassed fellow pa...

Everyone embarks on the journey from student life to their first job with enthusiasm and a rosy picture of making an impact with powerful decisions along with path breaking and intellectually stimulating work. Pictures of board rooms, influential contacts, travel, meetings and important decisions flash in front of us and we see a successful career ahead of us. Some cherish the secret desire to earn enough money to start their own business. Reality sinks in quite soon and we realize that we are very small pawns whose moves are in the hands of the company management. Many people give up at this stage and resign themselves to a mundane career that promises job security and a steady income. But, hopes shouldn't die that soon. After all, this is just the beginning and once climbing up the corporate ladder is successfully achieved, it will indeed be possible to have a greater role in business decisions. If the role models from the business world like Bill Gates, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, ...

A couple of days back, I was going for my customary evening jog - I am trying very hard to lose a little weight and with not much success so far, I must add - after returning from work. I saw my neighbour outside her house and we exchanged the usual pleasantries. Then started the fun part. She looked around furtively and sensing that there was no one around, all but whispered in my ears "You know what I heard? That good-for-nothing girl who stays next door to Mrs. XYZ, yeah, that X! She is getting married." No one seeing the two of us talking would have been left in any doubt in his/her mind regarding the nature of the conversation. She glanced around again, looking for whoever it was that she was trying to avoid, and satisfying herself that there wasn't anyone, she continued in her characteristic whisper "I have seen her with a few guys from time to time. I thought she will hook one of these poor chappies when the time comes. And, guess what! She is not getting marr...

Rapid advances and continuous innovation in technology have made the world a smaller place. Internet has made it possible to access information and to communicate free of charge to a person sitting at the other end of the world from the comfort of one's home and just at the click of a button. Gone are the days when one had to scream into the telephone mouth piece to be heard at the other end and ended up with a hoarse voice as a reminder of the ordeal. Internet has made it possible to do voice conferencing via messaging tools such as Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, Rediff Messenger to name a popular few. It is also possible to video conference with your loved ones using webcams. It is amazing how technology has slowly sneaked into our lives and has become a part of our day to day activities even without our conscious knowledge. We have all seen the way cell phones are no longer considered a fashionable gadget for the gadget freaks out there to show off. They have now b...

Coffee is a boon to mankind. Coffee lovers all over the world will vouch for the fact that its attractiveness is not just limited to its stimulating effect that fills one with energy and enthusiasm and prepares them for a day's hard work. It is much more than that. A coffee place is where one relaxes with friends and family after a tiring day at work. Coffee is an essential ingredient for brewing strong social ties (pun intended) and meeting new people. Having a refreshing cup of coffee while reading the morning newspaper is, in my view, the closest thing to heaven available on earth. Coffee places in India have undergone a huge sea change in the past five years or so. Earlier, there were limited options to spend time with family and friends in soothing and pleasant surroundings. The few coffee shops present ran on a completely different business model and did not encourage customers to linger too long over their coffee. The emergence of coffee chains like Barista and Caf頃offee day...

Have you ever seen Bangalore city minus the hustle and bustle of traffic, with people walking at a leisurely pace breathing in and relishing the cool and fresh evening breeze, the soft rustle of leaves dancing to the sweet tunes of the cool breeze, tiny raindrops on the green leaves glistening in the moonlight, the air filled with the scent of freshly bloomed flowers, the sweet smell of earth after a light drizzle! Seeing Bangalore at its best, I liked every bit of it and was savouring every moment of it committing every detail of its scenic beauty to my memory until I was woken from my reverie by the blare of an impatient car horn and the loud screech of brakes. Bang!! I was brought back to earth with a sharp knock on my head from the metal arm rest of my seat in the bus on my way to office. Bangalore was mocking at my silly romantic visions ? "Well! You have had your moments of quiet and tranquillity. Now, wake up and get back to reality". The angry blare of impatient vehic...