The days roll on bye,
and I feel within me,
a deep, emptiness.
Life's canvas, stark and dull,
whenceforth the colours did run,
and leave my dreams aloof in ether.
Some dreams that held me dear, I hurt,
and some in my heart were broken.
Chained in purgatory, I bleed,
tears unheeded, unheard.
Child heart, flaying wildly,
for a hand to hold, a soul to love.
And yet all about, and within,
there is this stifling, emptiness.
How can I find without,
what lies not within.
The joy, the love, that infant heart
was blessed with, seem far gone.
A foreign land, distant shores,
no more my own.
For here lie I, marooned,
on my isle of emptiness.
I bend my head in toil, and it
takes away that dreary pain.
But when I face myself in the mirror,
there I find it lying still, emptiness.
Must I wipe clean, the slate
of recriminations past,
or free myself
from enslaving future.
I know not yet. But
for now, I stand
alone, in emptiness.
9/15/2010
8/21/2010
I Believe I Can Fly!
How much of a difference does it make,
when you love your work.
When you find people with whom
you have a meeting of minds.
It energizes you.
When the people who select you for the job,
hold great expectations from you.
You become driven.
When a colleague tells you,
they heard your boss say 'that guy was one
of the best we selected on that day'.
It pleases you.
It changes your paradigm.
You make light of a 3.5 hour commute,
because you know when you walk through that door,
there are a bunch of great mentors in the form of leaders,
and friends in the form of colleagues,
who share a common goal and passion.
You smile at old-world mindsets,
the very surroundings in which others seem to chafe
- they don't bother you, for you know the reason
why you get up in the morning and go to work.
You feel fear. An anxiousness that you might exceed
not only the expectations of your mentors, but your own,
and at the end of each day, stand proud and tall!
You start to dream and to believe,
that you can fly!
when you love your work.
When you find people with whom
you have a meeting of minds.
It energizes you.
When the people who select you for the job,
hold great expectations from you.
You become driven.
When a colleague tells you,
they heard your boss say 'that guy was one
of the best we selected on that day'.
It pleases you.
It changes your paradigm.
You make light of a 3.5 hour commute,
because you know when you walk through that door,
there are a bunch of great mentors in the form of leaders,
and friends in the form of colleagues,
who share a common goal and passion.
You smile at old-world mindsets,
the very surroundings in which others seem to chafe
- they don't bother you, for you know the reason
why you get up in the morning and go to work.
You feel fear. An anxiousness that you might exceed
not only the expectations of your mentors, but your own,
and at the end of each day, stand proud and tall!
You start to dream and to believe,
that you can fly!
8/08/2010
A Limerick
I met a man in a big Kom-pa-nee,
'I grew from an Engineer to an AVP', said he,
'in fourteen years at this Kom-pa-nee'!
We had a conversation, animated and engaging,
in which he sold me, the benefits of working
for this Kom-pa-nee!
We spoke at length, and to quote what
he said, here is a summ-a-ree:
'So you see, although we don't pay well,
and the work is mostly not good, you get
to grow well, at this Kom-pa-nee!'
'Hmm', I thought, 'but sir, as it goes,
a man's work says what he knows,
and if the work is no good, then what good is he?'
To which he replied,
'Well, you see, to grow is to grow, not always linearly!
You grow as a tree, silent-lee, over the years, as the case may be!'
I liked my new friend, and we had a conversation,
animated and engaging as it may be.
But I don't think I walked away too impressed,
with my new friend, or his Kom-pa-nee!
'I grew from an Engineer to an AVP', said he,
'in fourteen years at this Kom-pa-nee'!
We had a conversation, animated and engaging,
in which he sold me, the benefits of working
for this Kom-pa-nee!
We spoke at length, and to quote what
he said, here is a summ-a-ree:
'So you see, although we don't pay well,
and the work is mostly not good, you get
to grow well, at this Kom-pa-nee!'
'Hmm', I thought, 'but sir, as it goes,
a man's work says what he knows,
and if the work is no good, then what good is he?'
To which he replied,
'Well, you see, to grow is to grow, not always linearly!
You grow as a tree, silent-lee, over the years, as the case may be!'
I liked my new friend, and we had a conversation,
animated and engaging as it may be.
But I don't think I walked away too impressed,
with my new friend, or his Kom-pa-nee!
8/05/2010
Rural-shoring
I recall some years ago, reading about the engineering talent scattered
across Eastern bloc countries like Romania, and China emerging from its
Communist sleepover into the corridors of open-market Capitalism. The
feeling that some day these guys would raise their quality and
organizational levels, beat the language barrier and be a major
challenge for the Indian industry was just a premonition then. Sure
enough, there's evidence of engineering services being off shored to
more cost effective shores like Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Korea
and China. It makes sense, considering the levels of inflation we're
witnessing -- the trade press reports of a 5-year rise of 25% in
entry-level salaries and 18% in rental costs that troubles the industry,
presently worth $11 billion.
It's not just the West that's finding them cheaper, our companies are helping grow those markets too. The quest for increased margins and new markets beckons all alike. Mahindras, Bajaj, NIIT, Tata Technologies, they've all done it, and with good reason.
But what surprises me, is that I completely missed a whole new front - domestic price competition.We have what, 700 million living in rural areas! Who would've imagined the pace of infrastructure development (fibre optic networks, telecom, transport, etc) over the last few years, would ever take place? Looking back, it's like a revolution crept up and caught us unawares.
Even an infinitesimal percentage of that corpus, with exposure to 4 years English-medium schooling is deemed fit to handle the rule-based back office work like digitization of civic administration records, account opening forms, health records or basic verification work. Coupled with a purported 38% price advantage over an urban setup it's no wonder that everyone from the $ 1 billion BPO major Genpact to the CEO of a rural BPO are excited at the potential, estimating it to grow from the present 5,000 to a whopping 150,000 strong in 5 years! Over time
What does it herald for the 800,000 strong urban-centered BPO industry, which is at least in part, due to be rural-sourced itself? The same argument that Indian BPO firms sell to the West to counter allegations of job loss. It provides you with an opportunity to repositino yourself and shift up the value chain. But in this case, it's not so much an opportunity as a challenge. Even if say, 1% of the urban BPO industry is rural-shored, it will be forced to re-invent and re-position itself. And I'd only expect that figure to grow as we move further away from the Gandhian ideal of self-sufficiency at the rural level.
We will I think, see a phase of animosity toward our rural cousins. Who doesn't feel the pain of a livelihood threatened by shifting industrial patterns. And a little reverse migration perhaps, but the big thing someday, is going to be a forced step up the value chain.
Imagine a new breed of entrepreneurs innovating to create and deliver a new line of products and services. Visualize innovation at the micro-levels as opposed to the present aggregation of Tata, Ambani, and other conglomerates at the macro-level. Small will be big. The infrastructure and resources will be there, or are already getting there, and people will be forced to get out of the rut and think big.
I think the potential for that change and the employment generated by it will cause a major shift in our relations with the West bloc someday soon. We'll be trading with them more as peers, and evolve to be a service nation (a step up from the industrialized goods producing nation stage - which we never really reached with China beating us to it).
From employment seekers to employment-generators. From potentional enablers to potential generators. All from having done unto us and we do unto them ;)
The only thing is, I wish someone had the political spine to advance a little population control in this country. There are 4 families (across communities) in my neighbourhood, with 3 progeny apiece. In these times! What mindlessness and criminality of deeds! Where are we taking this world. And these aren't even some rural semi-literates. They're the schooled, yet un-educated, noveau riche, bourgeois.
It's not just the West that's finding them cheaper, our companies are helping grow those markets too. The quest for increased margins and new markets beckons all alike. Mahindras, Bajaj, NIIT, Tata Technologies, they've all done it, and with good reason.
But what surprises me, is that I completely missed a whole new front - domestic price competition.We have what, 700 million living in rural areas! Who would've imagined the pace of infrastructure development (fibre optic networks, telecom, transport, etc) over the last few years, would ever take place? Looking back, it's like a revolution crept up and caught us unawares.
Even an infinitesimal percentage of that corpus, with exposure to 4 years English-medium schooling is deemed fit to handle the rule-based back office work like digitization of civic administration records, account opening forms, health records or basic verification work. Coupled with a purported 38% price advantage over an urban setup it's no wonder that everyone from the $ 1 billion BPO major Genpact to the CEO of a rural BPO are excited at the potential, estimating it to grow from the present 5,000 to a whopping 150,000 strong in 5 years! Over time
What does it herald for the 800,000 strong urban-centered BPO industry, which is at least in part, due to be rural-sourced itself? The same argument that Indian BPO firms sell to the West to counter allegations of job loss. It provides you with an opportunity to repositino yourself and shift up the value chain. But in this case, it's not so much an opportunity as a challenge. Even if say, 1% of the urban BPO industry is rural-shored, it will be forced to re-invent and re-position itself. And I'd only expect that figure to grow as we move further away from the Gandhian ideal of self-sufficiency at the rural level.
We will I think, see a phase of animosity toward our rural cousins. Who doesn't feel the pain of a livelihood threatened by shifting industrial patterns. And a little reverse migration perhaps, but the big thing someday, is going to be a forced step up the value chain.
Imagine a new breed of entrepreneurs innovating to create and deliver a new line of products and services. Visualize innovation at the micro-levels as opposed to the present aggregation of Tata, Ambani, and other conglomerates at the macro-level. Small will be big. The infrastructure and resources will be there, or are already getting there, and people will be forced to get out of the rut and think big.
I think the potential for that change and the employment generated by it will cause a major shift in our relations with the West bloc someday soon. We'll be trading with them more as peers, and evolve to be a service nation (a step up from the industrialized goods producing nation stage - which we never really reached with China beating us to it).
From employment seekers to employment-generators. From potentional enablers to potential generators. All from having done unto us and we do unto them ;)
The only thing is, I wish someone had the political spine to advance a little population control in this country. There are 4 families (across communities) in my neighbourhood, with 3 progeny apiece. In these times! What mindlessness and criminality of deeds! Where are we taking this world. And these aren't even some rural semi-literates. They're the schooled, yet un-educated, noveau riche, bourgeois.
7/26/2010
A New Day
Weary, tiresome world,
filled with the din of machines,
humming, trudging along in drudgery.
Enslaved automatons everywhere!
Nary a dream that floats free here,
the horizon - gloomy and dead.
Yet a heart beats secretly, quietly,
under the iron mould that enslaves it - heart and soul.
A dream breaks free and
fills the soul with desire.
A wanton hope gives rise to something else,
a Spirit, strong enough to break that mould of iron,
cast off those chains of enslavement.
The dream breaks free, the spirit is abroad.
Yet it walks alone, free spirit, searching
that the temple of its soul may be found.
‘Tis a hard quest, and it feels the chill,
shivers in the rain, 'n cowers in the dark night.
Yet it holds onto that dream, free spirit,
searching its heart and soul,
hoping, believing that the night will pass,
and a new day will come.
It toils, and toils,
beating through the brush,
forging ahead all the while,
creating its own path.
It toils, that its temple may be found.
At once it breaks through the jungle,
into a rocky clearing.
An imposing shadow lies ahead,
a stone monument perhaps.
It looks promising.
But on a stony-path,
around the bend,
it runs into,
a dead-end.
Saddened at first, it reaffirms its belief,
and toils harder still. Till at last,
it bursts into, another opening.
A meadow, with a lake in sight,
tranquil, yet promising.
A pebbled path rises at one end,
and over boulder and hill,
it is revealed... the temple of its soul.
Free spirit finds its home.
Yet, in its moment of triumph,
it feels not glee, nor gloat,
but a strange calm and peace.
For it knows now, the taste of
lonesome sorrow, and tempers it,
with the sweetness of joy.
Just reward for its toil.
Toil that gives birth to devotion.
The spirit stands firm and free,
a new day has begun!
filled with the din of machines,
humming, trudging along in drudgery.
Enslaved automatons everywhere!
Nary a dream that floats free here,
the horizon - gloomy and dead.
Yet a heart beats secretly, quietly,
under the iron mould that enslaves it - heart and soul.
A dream breaks free and
fills the soul with desire.
A wanton hope gives rise to something else,
a Spirit, strong enough to break that mould of iron,
cast off those chains of enslavement.
The dream breaks free, the spirit is abroad.
Yet it walks alone, free spirit, searching
that the temple of its soul may be found.
‘Tis a hard quest, and it feels the chill,
shivers in the rain, 'n cowers in the dark night.
Yet it holds onto that dream, free spirit,
searching its heart and soul,
hoping, believing that the night will pass,
and a new day will come.
It toils, and toils,
beating through the brush,
forging ahead all the while,
creating its own path.
It toils, that its temple may be found.
At once it breaks through the jungle,
into a rocky clearing.
An imposing shadow lies ahead,
a stone monument perhaps.
It looks promising.
But on a stony-path,
around the bend,
it runs into,
a dead-end.
Saddened at first, it reaffirms its belief,
and toils harder still. Till at last,
it bursts into, another opening.
A meadow, with a lake in sight,
tranquil, yet promising.
A pebbled path rises at one end,
and over boulder and hill,
it is revealed... the temple of its soul.
Free spirit finds its home.
Yet, in its moment of triumph,
it feels not glee, nor gloat,
but a strange calm and peace.
For it knows now, the taste of
lonesome sorrow, and tempers it,
with the sweetness of joy.
Just reward for its toil.
Toil that gives birth to devotion.
The spirit stands firm and free,
a new day has begun!
5/11/2010
Seeds of Hope
<For Pat: May you find the strength within...>
A seed of hope sprouts,
an act of love.
It plants its roots tenaciously,
nurtured by the womb of fertile earth.
It grows, a shaky sapling,
ever wary, in need of support.
Then comes a day, it stands in its own right,
a sturdy young treeling, confident n hansom.
Not yet wise enough to bear fruit,
but invincible in its bloom.
The earth beams in pride,
the treeling's roots have struck deep n wide.
The earth is its anchor,
steadying it in the face of strong winds,
letting it bounce back against the lashing rain.
All's not well with the world though,
fate strikes, a cruel blow.
The roots that make the tree strong,
a times they are cut, a times they are gone.
The tree is left weak, the earth forlorn.
The wound feels too deep, the pain too sharp,
and yet the tree and the earth,
are infinitely bound.
For every root that is cut,
the tree digs deeper.
In time it heals.
The earth does provide,
the substance that is life.
From an act of love,
a seed grows anew.
Its roots are spread,
and the earth does renew.
A seed of hope sprouts,
an act of love.
It plants its roots tenaciously,
nurtured by the womb of fertile earth.
It grows, a shaky sapling,
ever wary, in need of support.
Then comes a day, it stands in its own right,
a sturdy young treeling, confident n hansom.
Not yet wise enough to bear fruit,
but invincible in its bloom.
The earth beams in pride,
the treeling's roots have struck deep n wide.
The earth is its anchor,
steadying it in the face of strong winds,
letting it bounce back against the lashing rain.
All's not well with the world though,
fate strikes, a cruel blow.
The roots that make the tree strong,
a times they are cut, a times they are gone.
The tree is left weak, the earth forlorn.
The wound feels too deep, the pain too sharp,
and yet the tree and the earth,
are infinitely bound.
For every root that is cut,
the tree digs deeper.
In time it heals.
The earth does provide,
the substance that is life.
From an act of love,
a seed grows anew.
Its roots are spread,
and the earth does renew.
3/18/2010
The Runaway Employee - with apologies to Julia Roberts
A column in an HRD magazine on the lead indicators of an employee about to resign brought back some memories. The author presents a common sequence of events indicative of an employee about to fly. Managers typically ignore these leads and make Quixotic statements during a face-off with the employee who's just resigned.
I had a good friend called Sonova Rockstar, who got a really bad increment. This guy was a conscientious fresher, hard-working and committed. He'd give his best irrespective of whether he was on a crappy project or a good one. At the time he was a shadow, non-billable resource (an unacknowledged phantom), doing the work of a senior resource who was being billed to the client. He was so to speak, wearing shoes a size bigger than his own.
I had a good friend called Sonova Rockstar, who got a really bad increment. This guy was a conscientious fresher, hard-working and committed. He'd give his best irrespective of whether he was on a crappy project or a good one. At the time he was a shadow, non-billable resource (an unacknowledged phantom), doing the work of a senior resource who was being billed to the client. He was so to speak, wearing shoes a size bigger than his own.
2/07/2010
I Believe
All of us land on this planet with a larger purpose in life.
Some of us spend a lifetime in search of our mission. Some while away
their lives aimlessly.
Some are lucky enough to find their goals early and live a focussed,
directed life.
Many allow a rat-race to rule their lives in the guise of 'ambition'.
Some shine, some are frustrated. Some find their purpose, only to lose
their way later.
Few stop to appreciate the simplicity that can hide a 'larger' purpose.
A flower stands, a reminder of beauty, spreading its fragrance.
A mother makes her child complete, nurturing it, teaching it the value of love.
And however meaningless a mendicant's life may seem, it too has a purpose.
Some of us spend a lifetime in search of our mission. Some while away
their lives aimlessly.
Some are lucky enough to find their goals early and live a focussed,
directed life.
Many allow a rat-race to rule their lives in the guise of 'ambition'.
Some shine, some are frustrated. Some find their purpose, only to lose
their way later.
Few stop to appreciate the simplicity that can hide a 'larger' purpose.
A flower stands, a reminder of beauty, spreading its fragrance.
A mother makes her child complete, nurturing it, teaching it the value of love.
And however meaningless a mendicant's life may seem, it too has a purpose.
12/07/2009
Hazel Eyes
I had but lost my lust for life,
I had, until I saw you.
Cupid's pointy arrow struck,
but lo, what wound was this!
The heart was pierced,
and yet I stood - swollen, smiling!
I had not lived,
until I lived in your love.
You smiled and the dark night vanished,
you called sweetheart and loneliness was banished.
The world was suddenly so much more beautiful,
The people in it, so much more caring.
Your love changed me,
Your love gave me courage.
Now I smile at the change you have wrought,
Now I find myself more forgiving and understanding.
Would that I could have your love forever,
My Dearest Puppykins!
I had, until I saw you.
Cupid's pointy arrow struck,
but lo, what wound was this!
The heart was pierced,
and yet I stood - swollen, smiling!
I had not lived,
until I lived in your love.
You smiled and the dark night vanished,
you called sweetheart and loneliness was banished.
The world was suddenly so much more beautiful,
The people in it, so much more caring.
Your love changed me,
Your love gave me courage.
Now I smile at the change you have wrought,
Now I find myself more forgiving and understanding.
Would that I could have your love forever,
My Dearest Puppykins!
10/31/2009
Lost Library
The British Council Library, Mumbai is set to close its physical premises this year-end. It'll shift to an online avatar. No more browsing and spending time immersed in the company of books. Personally I think it's a great loss. My father used to cite it as an example of serendipity. He would be looking to research a subject and serendipitiously find a really good book on the very topic, on the returned books counter. You don't even have to consciously look for it. Sometimes a book 'attracts' you to itself and happens to be the very subject that interests you greatly. I had that experience (again) today.
The returns counter, to me, is a source for tapping into the collective consciousness of the reading public. It has the pulse of what interests people. A more refined subset of wants and desires, than is reflected by Google's Zeitgeist.
Besides nothing beats the advantage of sitting down with an armload of books and poring over their pages, till you find the perfect book. Now we can have home delivery from an online catalogue. But we won't know what we're asking for untill we read it!
A sad turn of events in the life of a great social institution.
The returns counter, to me, is a source for tapping into the collective consciousness of the reading public. It has the pulse of what interests people. A more refined subset of wants and desires, than is reflected by Google's Zeitgeist.
Besides nothing beats the advantage of sitting down with an armload of books and poring over their pages, till you find the perfect book. Now we can have home delivery from an online catalogue. But we won't know what we're asking for untill we read it!
A sad turn of events in the life of a great social institution.
10/22/2009
Death is....
A faithful lover,
playfully she flirts, hiding behind a curtain,
patiently she watches, as I carry on my work.
'times she'll dart out, her velvet scarf flying,
tickling the nape of my neck, reminding me of her presence.
Yet patiently she waits,
knowing our love is eternal,
content that the day will come,
when I'll throw my worries to the wind and embrace her,
And I rest easy, safe in the knowledge that
she will always be there for me,
Death, the most beautiful of lovers!
Slender and pale, with a face that silences the noise all around,
Beauty that makes you shiver in anticipation, a gaze that holds you spellbound.
Someday I'll cast off the burdens of this world and rush into her arms.
And she'll embrace me with teary eyes and a bright smile,
happy that I came home to her, and I'd kiss her tenderly.
Until that day, she waits!
Death! The most faithful of lovers!
playfully she flirts, hiding behind a curtain,
patiently she watches, as I carry on my work.
'times she'll dart out, her velvet scarf flying,
tickling the nape of my neck, reminding me of her presence.
Yet patiently she waits,
knowing our love is eternal,
content that the day will come,
when I'll throw my worries to the wind and embrace her,
And I rest easy, safe in the knowledge that
she will always be there for me,
Death, the most beautiful of lovers!
Slender and pale, with a face that silences the noise all around,
Beauty that makes you shiver in anticipation, a gaze that holds you spellbound.
Someday I'll cast off the burdens of this world and rush into her arms.
And she'll embrace me with teary eyes and a bright smile,
happy that I came home to her, and I'd kiss her tenderly.
Until that day, she waits!
Death! The most faithful of lovers!
9/22/2009
Trend spotting: Back-Office services
The year has seen recession-hit companies sell captive business
process units. Ostensibly to shore up the balance sheet & concentrate
on their core business. Citigroup, Aviva, AIG among others and more to
come.
BPO vendors lap up these captives for inorganic expansion of service
offering, geographies & domains served and client-baskets.
Here's a fundamental problem waiting to be solved. On the one hand
there is a huge appetite for back-office (BO) - the non-core
'plumbing' in every company. Never mind the sale of captive BO units.
That only highlights the other side of the coin. One can no more
accurately predict the cycles in business & economy. Demand for BO
services may spike in good times & will certainly be restrained in the
bad.
process units. Ostensibly to shore up the balance sheet & concentrate
on their core business. Citigroup, Aviva, AIG among others and more to
come.
BPO vendors lap up these captives for inorganic expansion of service
offering, geographies & domains served and client-baskets.
Here's a fundamental problem waiting to be solved. On the one hand
there is a huge appetite for back-office (BO) - the non-core
'plumbing' in every company. Never mind the sale of captive BO units.
That only highlights the other side of the coin. One can no more
accurately predict the cycles in business & economy. Demand for BO
services may spike in good times & will certainly be restrained in the
bad.
5/10/2009
A prayer - for relationships
Dear God,
Grant me the ability to realize when someone close to me is living in
anxiety - over present or future. Help me reassure them that no matter
what life may bear, I will always stand by them - good times and bad.
Grant me the wisdom to understand that relationships are difficult -
they test the closest bonds the most. Give me the strength of
character to always believe in the other person and boulder my resolve
to never give up on them. May I always treat the other as a part of me
and never disown them. May I never hold back my affection and thereby
condemn them to pain in life.
Grant me the ability to realize when someone close to me is living in
anxiety - over present or future. Help me reassure them that no matter
what life may bear, I will always stand by them - good times and bad.
Grant me the wisdom to understand that relationships are difficult -
they test the closest bonds the most. Give me the strength of
character to always believe in the other person and boulder my resolve
to never give up on them. May I always treat the other as a part of me
and never disown them. May I never hold back my affection and thereby
condemn them to pain in life.
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