Sunday, March 30, 2008

In the mythical quest of your lakshya.

There's a line in the movie Lakshya where Preeti Zinta describes Hrithik Roshan "uska zindagi mein lakshya nahi hai" . All uncles, aunties, grandparents and parents alike since time immemorial have gone one to say that their kids (even if they are nice fat adults in the mid 30s) don't have the so-called Lakshya. Now what is this lakshya that people keep alluding to - Is it to be a mission statement like all these Six Sigma (or whatever is the latest fad in the world of quality) to be hung around your neck and proclaimed to the world ? Is it something that needs to be advertised to the world in general about what the so called Lakshya is and then one noisily goes about achieving it ? Is the Lakshya to be multiple XXXXX $$$$$ in your bank account, or vast tracts of land or the latest gadgetry or such materialistic goals ? Or is it to be something like the experience of running your own company or achieving a Ph.D or getting an MBA . At a particularly interesting cross-roads of life, one has made certain changes inclusive of quitting a steady job to work on relocating one self to a totally alien country (the only link to which is history books, the television and tons of Wodehouse novels) . But then the future is unknown and thats why its so exciting isn't it ? So does one really need a clear cut Lakshya and put out one's own mission statement.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Nostalgia and all that.

So the last few days have been spent in recovering from jetlag , thermal shocks ( a jump from 35 deg. C to 3 deg C and then back to 38 deg C cannot be very pleasant) and an impromptu vacation to the city of Hyderabad where unseasonal rain brought the temperature down over the weekend.

Working from home 24x7 is very interesting. One has to have far more discipline to work from home rather than from an office is something that I am realizing by true experience now. Having worked from home in the past I've always found it nice but then there was always a feeling of being able to get into office at some point of time .

Drove back and from the university today sometime around lunch as one got tired running to and from the passport office and ended up visiting my old alma mater. Was worth going in and having a chat with my old prof - had lunch ( Masala dosa Sambar awful as is the case in most restaurants in Pune including the fabled Vaishali) for 10 bucks. However good old HFC is gone .

Monday, March 17, 2008

Airports and what not ...

So travelling from Leicester to Heathrow by cab was an interesting task. One got hold of a cab and then slept all the way in . The motorways here (see I am now blogging like a Brit ! ) are quite unlike the kinds back home. Lots of information about whats wrong with the junctions, tom-toms away lane systems and speed limits. I certainly don't think I'll be driving here very soon . Its going to be darned painful to follow the rules and unlearn all the Indianisms from one's driving habits which will be rather painful .

Thankfully the security lines at Terminal 3 were very peaceful - not too much to wait and just walked through without even a frisk though one had to remove his belt, shoes put his laptop through X ray machines and what not. However given all the hype about long lines today was rather peaceful and one got in ok. It was then time to pull out the credit card and put it to merry swiping use.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Rightho my man .

What ho What ho What ho . Right ho , Right ho ,Right ho. These were the words that rang through the idiot box the other day once I had added myself to the evergrowing list of owners of the Jeeves and Wooster series. I've watched about 6 episodes until this point of time, each about an hour and a laugh riot. Now I am at peace with the world, the sun is shining out even though in a windy watery sort of a manner and one can admire the gales blowing outside with a hot cuppa inside and a warm fire lighting up the fireplace. Now this is what is Lord Ickenham would refer to as cheer and joy .

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Cricket where art thou ?

In a cab from Queen Square to Welshback , I heard sound of bat on ball , a comment from David Gower and then realized that finally someone in this country was also following Englands progress in New Zealand. So, finally one gets to hear cricket in this country. Its amazing that everyone wants to know about how much cricket is followed back home in India and expects automatically that as an Indian I would be as fanatical about cricket. This certainly is the place for cricket and looks as though I shall come back sometime to play cricket in the English Summer.

Now thats something to look forward to ain't it.

Sunday, March 09, 2008

A tour of Bristol

Its just a 2 week trip to attend a formality of an interview, which I've cleared now and figure out about housing in the UK and moving over to the UK. Its been a great trip over and jumping right from 30 deg. in Bombay to 3 deg in Bristol was like jumping from the oven into the freezer . As is the standard warning from everyone - cover yourself in layers, keep warm, eat good food, don't take any pangas and have fun !

So Monday came bright and shining at 7 deg C which was said to be brilliant weather and I was thinking hmmmm .. If this is the best, what can be the worst. The cold is fine and can be tolerated pretty much everything is heated and kept warm but then the wind chill kills you. I've been walking around a lot the last few days meeting up with my good ol' mate RVK as well as figuring out things about England. Its been good long walks and I must have walked more in this whole week than I would have done in India being the lazy bum that I am. So I wondered if today would be the same, nice sunny and maybe I can walk around and sit with my laptop on College Green off Park Lane and use the free wifi. Pretty much all of Park Street free wifi and I wanted to sit a bit in the sun. Alas, that was not to happen since it started coming down and down and down and down . A bit boring one might say but that didn't deter me from walking to Broadsmead (a big mall) and buying myself a thick jacket 3 books and some dvds of Yes Minister and Yes Prime minister. After that it was time to open up viks tomato chutney, put it on some bread and eat it enjoying re-runs of the dvds I'd bought.

More I think will be later since I am tiured.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Brrr. old chap and all that !

Hi there old chap - What ho and all that . Its freezing up here in Bristol and I am loving it . The British housing system is interesting and I shall be looking at finding some houses in the City Centre where all the action really is. Its freezing and a huge thermal shock to jump literally from the frying pan at 30 Deg in Bombay to 3 deg . and last night it went down to almost 2 deg. ! And with a wind blowing it felt like sitting in a freezer with an industrial fan blowing at you !

Other than that things are pretty neat and nice . Like the organization of things so far and would like to see the worst of the weather. More updates later. !