Skanda Save our Souls

I wish I was not part of this global mess and the Tamil nonsense going around. In my previous post, I mentioned that I shall write about SkandaVale, my trip and my feelings, thoughts. I am so sad at my heart and thoughts when I look to the images of sea and human sea in North east Sri Lanka.

I wanted to express my thoughts as how Skandan or Lord Murugan a Tamil God is reigning in Wales (Part of UK), where as Tamils have been led into this gory war. We had a lot to say about us as a race (though I strongly condemn any race based support or theories); Tamils were the one to write best of most subjects and today we beg for food and shelter.

As a humanitarian disaster is awaiting, I am going to blame no one but just us. 'Thirukural' classic couplets of wisdom - were from Tamil, many many works and many many achievements were part of our tradition - Today we are what we are. This goes for any set of humans - when Gandhi showed us the way of peaceful protests, we took war, when People gave us chances, we ignored them - when others followed our theology, we threw them away, when world benefited from our experience, we shut our eyes and ears to our own folktales - so we are where we are today.

Please let us stop blaming others. At this hour, I wish history repeats again - Similar to the Kalinga War, let us see the carnage we have unleashed on ourselves, let us become the king Ashoka and seek peace.

I quote from the Edicts of Ashoka (Rock 13):

"Ashoka had seen the bloodshed with his own eyes. He felt that he was the cause of the destruction.

Ashoka's response to the Kalinga War is recorded in the Edicts of Ashoka. According to some of these (Rock Edict XIII and Minor Rock Edict I), the Kalinga War prompted Ashoka, already a non-engaged Buddhist, to devote the rest of his life to Ahimsa (non-violence) and to Dhamma-Vijaya (victory through Dhamma). Following the conquest of Kalinga, Ashoka ended the military expansion of the empire, and led the empire through more than 40 years of relative peace, harmony and prosperity.

Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Priyadarsi, conquered the Kalingas eight years after his coronation. One hundred and fifty thousand were deported, one hundred thousand were killed and many more died (from other causes). After the Kalingas had been conquered, Beloved-of-the-Gods came to feel a strong inclination towards the Dhamma, a love for the Dhamma and for instruction in Dhamma. Now Beloved-of-the-Gods feels deep remorse for having conquered the Kalingas."

The country of waterfalls...

Everyone looks for a refreshing break and a few really get the refresh. Software & Hardwares have a refresh cycle of 3 years, used to be 10 a decade back, 5 a few years back and now the companies want to refresh hardwares every three years! As usual my thoughts wander...

Easter breaks have always been kind to me, for a few years in row i spent that break in city of love and life - Paris. This time we drove to the country of falls - 'Brecon Beacons'. Mellte river near the village Pontneddfechan humbles the boulders and trees as well as the men who visit the place. Experience is something you can try to capture using photos and words, yet when it is real it can be surreal! Welsh names and sounds can be a lot harder if one is not exposed to the language and i am one among those that are unexposed. The image next to the write-up is the H shaped severn river one on M4.

For a start we toured around a small hilltop in opposite direction searching the falls. Our understanding of the maps was completely wrong and we figured out the right direction. Finally we drove to the spot and started trekking. The river was quite subtle and it was more like a brook. By then I had already mentioned to my partner that that brook would be the one to show wonders as a waterfall. If you keep trekking you will find a lot more fantastic falls. Its just that with a 17 month baby on your shoulders, you will pause and think twice to trek more; simply because you need to trek back to your base camp :)

The water and nature just humbled me and remained me again what mother nature is (btw why do we not address nature as father nature?) A small brook more like a dripping pee slowly gathers to become falls. But on the way the brook crushes the trees and big mountains to twigs and pebbles. Can we protect and preserve it for our future?Late in the afternoon we proceeded to tour around the national park and headed towards the brecon information centre. The drive displayed some fantastic mountain views and we just sat there in the car with mouths shut tightly but minds wide open with awe!

The next day we planned for SkandaVale. I need to do a separate post on this and indeed needs a post on its own, as i have a lot of thoughts around that trip. A bit political as well...

"He is just a Phenomenon"

Sharad is a great guy, he has some fabulous records under his belt in the domain that he works. He is a regular guy to the office, doesn't crave for attention, at the same instance not a push-over - he fights for what he believes, a cool head and has been a saviour many times in his 13 long year career. He took roles what his team demanded and gave 200% always irrespective of what others said. People around him wondered if he had any emotions at all.

I will pose a scenario; Imagine you give 200% to your team and sweat every bit, yes literally sweat to success, but you have a contemporary in the office who is just a genius and hogs the limelight; still you do your job and give your best - isn't that a great character? One day he was given the top job in the office and he takes that as well with humility and leads through a difficult time. When every thing was going well, (not really well though - results weren't as expected but not poor at the same time) he threw the hat in, but did not quit, and went back to be a soldier and still led from front.

Isn't he a great example for leadership? C'mon imagine if you go through such a shiny career, can you keep cool head and can you be composed in such a way that people wonder if you are a wall or a man? This man is a big big role model for me. Words can't describe this guy, he is just a phenomenon.

I take the occasion today to salute him as he reaches yet another milestone in the office! I am sure you will be interested to know him.

Click here to know more about Sharad

Great Saved the world - Job done!

Many of them mocked, I was one among them. But the world leaders apparently agreed to save the world. This was an apprentice, where everyone got HIRED! As i moved through the traffic this morning, I imagined how it would be if Sir Alan Sugar made an episode with the G20 leaders fighting to be his apprentice. The French president did not play ball, same with the German chancellor, Chinese were ready to help but wanted them as the project manager for all the episodes and make the Chinese currency as the bill to pay the winner, Indians as usual talked about policies and procedures, Obama in his usual style patted the browns, allowed him to lead the team, but stole the limelight when the draw was announced and everyone of them were Hired to play the BANKER! 

Imagination helped me brighten up! The answer is pay the trillion now and grow the debt; If by any chance the plan failed...(Believe me, I am an optimist)

"Ring a-ring o' roses, A pocketful of posies. a-tissue!, a-tissue!. We all fall down" 

G20 - Garbage 20 "£$€¥₩руб"

The G20 was originally set up as an informal group in 1999, following the financial crisis in Asia. Their aim was to encourage international co-operation between finance ministers and central bankers. This summit in London potential costs amount to £20m, where as the one in Japan costed $285m (2008) and the Germany costed €92m(2004). THIS IS THE HIGHEST SECURITY EXPENSE in BRITISH HISTORY!

For an argument sake, if these summits had happened over video conferencing facility, we would have more money to spend today. Background work could have happened as it happens today and the key heads could have sat across the table before a best possible high-speed video line and all these money we spend could have been reduced to a pittance. People would have faced no hardship as they go to their day jobs, petty shops would be kept open, execs could have worn their suits, most importantly, Mother Nature would have been more green! Consider the emissions from the flights to & fro between the 19 countries to UK!

Ok At least let us wait to see if the result is positive; the overarching feeling is this summit will be a flop :(