Then: You felt elated just because your parent looked at you sideways and gave you a short chase over the flight of stairs. You were in sheer ecstasy when you were finally caught and tickled on your tummy.
Now: You have been on the couch cycling through 104 channels for the third time in the last 10 minutes but still haven't found "anything" worthwhile. You put a potato chip in your mouth thinking about your "growing" tummy and how "Jerry" used to have one and still outrun "Tom".
Then: Any gift you received gave you double excitement. One was the pride of showing off the gift itself, no matter how common or simple or cheap it was. The other was the plethora of things you could do with the boxes/covers. Like building triangular tunnels for your toy train, makeshift rain houses for "Jackie" your puppy, cutouts in the shape of stars.
Now: The USB stick you got just 6 months ago doesn't seem interesting enough. Yes it still serves the "function" but you could have got one with FM/MP3/MPEG4 playback with a 30 GB storage. Is there an exchange offer for gadgets nearby?
Then: It's a birthday! There will be cakes, wafers, samosas, comic hero masks, cone caps, big balloons, toffees inside, coloured papers, agarbattis to burst them, games like 'hide and seek' and 'dog and the bone'. You hope that the friendly game of "Uno" cards you have brought as a gift will be used for entertainment in your friend circle in your summer holiday nights. You also hope that you get some comics as a return gift. Even a "Billoo" or a "Kar Bura to ho Bhala"-Bankelal will do.
Now: Sigh. Another senior member of the project is getting released. There goes a string of long speeches, especially by our Project Leader. Achievements, legacy, dependency, motivation, blah blah blah. My legs are aching. Hey that team member lady is wearing a nice pair of shoes. Wonder if there is a rum cake at the end of this.
Then: It is 5 pm. You hear your surname being shouted in a very crude way in the street below. Your sleeping father moans and gets irritated. You think "How many times do I have to tell my friends to use my first name? How hard is it for them to call me 'Ravi' instead of 'Singh'? At least they are not doing 'Kaalu' anymore. I'd rather put on my canvas shoes and take my bat or else this shouting will continue like everyday".
Now: The idea of a physical workout involves walking. From house to the bus stop, from platform no 6 to 1, inside a shopping mall, and if lucky, a garden or a sea face.
Then: The term "Adrenaline" meant a visit to the nearby mountain temple during monsoon. Who is interested to go for a Darshan? We go inside the premises only because of the laddoos we get for prasad. We are more interested in exploring the muddy and shrubby mountain and if lucky spotting a snake and running for our lives.
Now: I can feel the testosterone in me. Let me flash the message on DC++ : Anyone interested in a 2 hour game of Counter Strike 1.6? No? What about Halo? Thankfully I paid for LAN in this connection as well.
Then: Finally! 3 months of saving pocket money. Finally got my hands on the new "Savage Garden"/"Kaho na Pyar hai"/''Jagjeet Singh" cassette. I will listen to it at least 5 times a day on my walkman. Would my crush Pooja/Sumit like to listen to it with me?
Now: Who is this Amy Winehouse who has been on page 3 all the time? Lemme see what youtube search sputters? "Rehab"? Sounds more like her addiction problem than a video to me. Anyways, let's see how the first 30 seconds are. Or else it's back to "Race" for me.
After the journey of "Then"s from your 2 year old phase to being a teen: When was the last time when the words "simple" and "pleasure" seemed synonymous? Was it your last visit to the sea beach? Was it the friendly game of ball you played with the 3 year old in your society? Was it the melting of chocolate on your tongue? Was it the head oil massage you gave to your mom/grandma? Yes we have moved far ahead with the times. Is it time to return to innocence again?
Monday, April 21, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
3 letters
You are now over one year into the software "industry". You have crossed over from being "enthusiastic" to "complaining" around 4 months back. The words that describe your job now are "boring" and "monotonous". You are still here because you earn a little more than your "core engineer" friend, there is a possibility of you going "onsite" and the IT sector is hot right now. Most of your friends are already stamping their visas for US for their MS degree. But you think that it is just a passport for earning in dollars doing pretty much what you would have done in India anyways. Now the situation is of a "saturation point". You now want to "get out of it". Suddenly working as a boss rather than a subordinate fills your fantasies. You have been hearing about the 3 letter entrance examinations that test only high school level aptitude since college. You have also been hearing about the 7 digit annual salary figures that the passouts from these 3 letter "institutes" are paid, from your colleagues. So you decide, it is time to enter the race. Welcome to the world of lakhs of aspiring MBAs across India.
Now even though the beginning of the paragraph starts with my story, the motivation does not quite relate to me completely. But I can claim it as a fact that it is the story of 3/4th of the candidates fighting for a seat in a good B school in India. I have already validated it during the "personality development" sessions of my class, where blatant honesty of the entire class comes in. I have also experienced it while interacting with fellow aspirants during my "calls" so far. Among the 8 of my group mates in SCMHRD, 6 were from Software industry, where 4 were from my last company. My purpose here is not to beat around the bush. My purpose here is to share with you a few observations and trends gathered over 1.5 years of my "endeavour". Not only for the "aspiring candidates'" benefits, but also as an opportunity for the "already aspired" candidates to reflect. Let me begin with a few stats through a visual element. The figures are rough but collected from very reliable sources.
| Name of the test | No of applicants (2006) | No of applicants (2007) | Percentage increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAT | 1,91,000 | 2,30,000 | 20.4 |
| SNAP | 97,000 | 1,39,000 | 43.3 |
| MH-CET | 52,211 | 74,622 | 42.9 |
| JMET | 21,000 | 28,000 | 33.3 |
| IIFT | 42,500 | 47,500 | 11.8 |
| NMAT | 32,000 | 37,000 | 15.6 |
Observations:
1) The success story of India Inc is inspiring more and more educated/employed youth to take up the B path.
2) People are not shy of taking an exam multiple times. "Creme-de-la-creme" prize motivates even the highest paid "labour". The concept of one exam, one path, one job career has long gone now.
3) Tests that offer multiple application opportunity (more than one college) grew far more rapidly than single college tests. Everyone wants to pick and choose rather than relying on only one aim.
4) The seat to applicant ratio for well known colleges will keep on decreasing insanely as long as there is no upper limit for the age/attempts. We saw a fall in the no of applicants of JEE last year only after the IITs established a "maximum 2 attempts" limit.
Advice:
If you are waiting for 1 or 2 years to start the race, I suggest you to jump in right away. The selection ratios of colleges like FMS, JB, SIBM are already in the 1:500 mark. So out of the 500 people applying, only one makes the cut.
Observation of exam and entrance trends:
1) GK is a thing of the past
No not all tests have done away with GK. But almost all tests seem to follow suit. FMS did it away after 2003, XAT in 2006, and it was NM's turn to do it this year. Reason? Colleges don't want the GK section to skew results. They can test the general awareness of a candidate during further rounds, GD, PI. Besides, the ultimate focus of a B school is its placement, and lately the role of GK as a deciding factor for the companies has gone down.
Advice:
Read newspapers regularly. But don't waste your time mugging up the who's who of orgns/govt bodies that you are not even remotely interested in.
2)Reasoning is the "in" thing
It is an open secret. B schools don't want philosophers or mathematicians, they want candidates who can think effectively under pressure. So all the traditionally compartmentalised sections have got mixed profusely with reasoning. Verbal has shifted from knowing the meanings of a word and knowing where to apply them to critical reasoning. Quant has moved to caselets (cat, jmet, xat), an effective way for "integration" of a problem.
Advice:
Instead of preparing for specific type of questions focus on the "why" everywhere possible. Even during the interviews the "whys" are the most frequent and the most impostant ones.
3) B schools want half made managers
Thanks to the RTI and the curiousity of a challenged lady candidate, IIM B has opened its weightage for selection to the public. Is it a surprise that a CA gets 5% more marks than a candidate from another stream (She/he has already done many subjects that form a part of the curriculum)? Again, is it a surprise that most B schools give more preference to the work-ex people (They already know the "corporate culture" and the nuances of how to make a mickey out of people for the benefit of the orgn, at least they know what their bosses did)? How can the B schools make their exams, the so called "Aptitude tests" separate the half baked "managers" from the rest? By introducing Business decision making in their paper of course. IIFT did it in 2007, XAT followed suit in 2008. Actually XAT just increased those "subjective" type of questions introduced in 2007 from a set to half a section.
The group discussions are moving from the "creative/abstract" to general and Case studies. All 3 of SIBM, SCMHRD and SIIB used case studies for group discussions this time as opposed to "creative topics" and "visual presentation" based GDs last time around. They are utilising their priveleges to separate out the potential manager material from the bookish candidates.
Advice:
Now even the non-elite B schools have 60,000 to 85,000 students to choose from (for their 120-180 seats) instead of the 4,000 they had before. E.g., SIMC received 67,000 applications this year. To make their training job easier, to increase their placement figures, they want people who are coming with a pre-wired mind ready to transform to a manager. So right from the beginning of preparing for these tests, keep a "managerial" attitude. As the cliche goes, try to see the "bigger picture" instead of preparing for tests. Be sure of your goals, problem solving methodology etc even while preparing for your mocks. Read up simple case studies with the point of view of an organisation even before exams.
4) It is becoming more and more "open"
Just 3 years back it was only the CAT paper (among all MBA tests) that was open for scrutiny, analysis and post mortem. I am talking about the right to take the question paper home. They threw it open to the public. Almost as a challenge. They have twisted and modified the paper beyond recognition every year since then. So even if it is open, no one can actually use it to ensure success in the following year.
IIFT and JMET went public in 2006. XAT followed step in 2008. I think that the dynamics of the game are changing so much that the paper setters are sending out a clear message. "We want people who are prepared for any surprise. We will change the paper next year. You can analyze our paper as much as you want, but you will get in only if you have it in you".
Advice:
Don't make your mindset fixed on a "pattern" of an exam. Try to practice as many variations as possible. Try to maximise your score in an exam instead of speculating about the cut offs.A score of 60 in JMET 2006 resulted in rank 1300, the same score got one a rank 300 in 2007. I have personally seen all the papers change from 2006 to 2007; in terms of no of questions (SNAP, NMAT, XAT), difficulty (CAT-enough said, JMET, XAT, IIFT), sections (XAT-always stumps the junta, FMS, IIFT), type of questions (CET, XAT, IIFT, FMS)
Enough gyaan for now. Awaiting comments and your 2 cents
Friday, January 25, 2008
How to make 9.5 million dollars in one stroke
Woohoo!! My dream has finally come true! U know, the dream that I had since childhood, the dream that we all share. To inherit a huge amount of money by the way of an untimely (timely for us) demise of a rich, anonymous, generous relative.
Not in my wildest dream had I imagined that such a huge sum would come to me in this form. That too, from some other country altogether. That too, without any hassle involved, especially the tax part.
This moment is so special that I want to share it with you all. So here lies what made today an unforgettable one.
FROM MR ABDUL SAMAD. AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING UNIT. FOREIGN OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT. UNION TOGOLAISE DE BANQUE,(U.T.B) LOME- TOGO.
Woah!!! Somebody pinch me. Not only does my benefactor from Togo know me, he is a big man there! Auditing and Accounting Unit? Foreign Operation Department Union Togolaise De Banque? And here I am, a measly commoner in this country of 1.13 billion, who has to waste 5 hours just to get someone from the Govt to attest his admit card of an entrance test, only to prove that it is indeed him in that photograph. Moreover, he has kept my interests (unknown to him till 2003) in his mind while taking such an important decision!! My days have surely changed!!
After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his last name over the business directory in our chamber of commerce, trade and tourism, to locate any member of his family hence my contacting you. I contact you to assist in repatriating the fund valued at US$9.5 million left behind before it gets confiscated or declared unclaimed by our Bank where this huge amount was deposited.
Sincerely,
Abdul Samad.
So that's how my life changed and I went on the path to riches!! As a gesture of sharing my happiness with all of you, I have decided to give all of my friends a grand treat, in the finest hotel in Lome, Togo. So be there, I will truely appreciate it.
P.S.
1>The credit for the idea for this entry goes to a blog I read today.
2>I did mark the mail as spam. I hope none of the receivers falls for it.
Not in my wildest dream had I imagined that such a huge sum would come to me in this form. That too, from some other country altogether. That too, without any hassle involved, especially the tax part.
This moment is so special that I want to share it with you all. So here lies what made today an unforgettable one.
FROM MR ABDUL SAMAD. AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING UNIT. FOREIGN OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT. UNION TOGOLAISE DE BANQUE,(U.T.B) LOME- TOGO.
Togo? All that I knew about Togo till today was that it is a small footballing Nation in Africa. Arsenal's in form striker Manu Adebayor hails from Togo, and is apparently unsatisfied with their handling of the sports. That it qualified for the world cup last year but failed to do it for this year's ongoing African Cup of Nations. Hmm, interesting that I have acquaintances there.
Dear Abhishek,
I am Mr Abdul Samad,Auditing And Accounting Unit,Foreign Operation Department Union Togolaise De Banque Lome Togo. With due respect and regard.I have decided to contact you on a business transaction that will be very beneficial to both of us at the end of the transactionWoah!!! Somebody pinch me. Not only does my benefactor from Togo know me, he is a big man there! Auditing and Accounting Unit? Foreign Operation Department Union Togolaise De Banque? And here I am, a measly commoner in this country of 1.13 billion, who has to waste 5 hours just to get someone from the Govt to attest his admit card of an entrance test, only to prove that it is indeed him in that photograph. Moreover, he has kept my interests (unknown to him till 2003) in his mind while taking such an important decision!! My days have surely changed!!
During our investigation and auditing in this bank, my department came across a very huge sum of money belonging to a deceased person Mr G.C Badran who died on the 26th of December 2003 with his wife and their only daughter.They travelled to IRAN on holiday and unfotunantely, they were involved in an Earthquake which occoured in Bam on the 26th of December 2003 in IRAN which claim about 25 thausand lives in the Earthquake . Since then I have made several enquiries to their embassy here to locate any of his extended family relatives, but all efforts proved abortive.
Mr. G.C. Badran... let me check my family tree... Oh heck, who cares, as long as he was rich and generous... R.I.P. Mr. Badran. May you get salvation. How ironic that you died on the day that a new India was born. Maybe this is a sign, an omen (remember the Alchemist?). That a person from India should get his hands on the riches. How lucky that it was me!! I am still blinking in disbelief!!After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to track his last name over the business directory in our chamber of commerce, trade and tourism, to locate any member of his family hence my contacting you. I contact you to assist in repatriating the fund valued at US$9.5 million left behind before it gets confiscated or declared unclaimed by our Bank where this huge amount was deposited.
I can understand how frustrating it must have been Mr. Samad. Searching for his relative among the hundreds of billions of Togolese. Perhaps that explains why you shifted your gaze to this country of a few dozens, and picked me!! I am so thankful to you. I am so thankful to the universe! For conspiring for my desire!!
I am still in a shock. Can you imagine? US $ 9.5 million?
Yes you are right Mr. Samad. I should hurry up and get that money and convert it into my country's currency as soon as possible. Or else the rupee might rise and make those dollars a little less. I wish that you had been a little early in sending that mail. Just a few months ago I would have converted that amount at 48 rs per dollar instead of 32....never mind....I will make do with those 9.5 million.
Our Bank has issued a notice to provide his next of kin and Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for over one year , I seek the consent to present you as the next of kin to the deceased deposited sum in our Bank so that the proceeds of this account can be paid to you.
Err, you were searching his relatives only for an year? But that means that the bank must have made a huge amount of money by investing his 9.5 million dollars (that rightfully belong to me) for 4 years before you started your search. Never mind Mr. Samad, I am ready to forgive and forget, just get to the part where I get this money. The suspense is too much for me to handle.
Therefore, on receipt of your positive response, we shall then discuss the sharing ratio and modalities for the transfer. I have all necessary information and legal documents needed to back you up for the claim which i payed greatly to acquire.All I require from you is your honest cooperation to enable us see this transaction through.I guarantee that this attract no risk at all for it will be executed under legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law.Like we say in India, "Neki aur poochh poochh?". There you are waiting for my response and here I am, raring to come to Togo. I have already booked a discounted Air India ticket to Dammam. Because I couldn't get a direct flight to Lome. I guess I will have to hitch a ride from there. Can you please tell me the preferred mode of transport? We don't have that kind of information in India. I am sure Mr. Badran would have been so ashamed of my ignorance if he were alive today.
Regarding your share, I am ready to shell out a huge sum for your cooperation (you have already made all the legal documents for me, after all). So in return for your huge favour, I will part with a magnanimous sum of $2 and 39 cents. I am so happy with you that I will also remit to you the charges for the documents that you "payed greatly to acquire" or 47 cents, whichever is lower. What's more, I will even give you a discount for your payment of my air tickets.
Regarding your concern about the law, don't worry Mr. Samad. We are all corrupt here. Even if you can't get me out of the trouble, I'll ensure that with my newfound riches, I will get myself out.
On the receipt of your response via the above email address ,I will furnish you with a detailed clarification .
Sincerely,
Abdul Samad.
So that's how my life changed and I went on the path to riches!! As a gesture of sharing my happiness with all of you, I have decided to give all of my friends a grand treat, in the finest hotel in Lome, Togo. So be there, I will truely appreciate it.
P.S.
1>The credit for the idea for this entry goes to a blog I read today.
2>I did mark the mail as spam. I hope none of the receivers falls for it.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Respite
It was a little after 7 pm. I was going back home. I had to change trains as usual. I was lucky enough to get a (relatively) less crowded train for the first leg; so it couldn't have been stress. It is Mumbai; so it couldn't have been the weather either. My flu has also been cured, so it wasn't the fever. Yet, while waiting for my connecting train, on that crowded platform, in the absence of any wind, I shivered.
I was one with my sub-conscious a moment before that. My mind was doing what it's best at; when it is left to wander by itself. It was revelling in my near-past experiences. It reached an intense incidence that happened less than two weeks ago. The incidence that had left my ego hurt and years of trust broken. It triggered a chain reaction that was over in a few, but vehement seconds. A pain, that subsided in a matter of seconds, probably because it had been experienced before, more than once. A surge of confused anger towards the one who caused it, which again died, because something inside me said that it wasn't anybody's fault. It probably wasn't. An overwhelming sense of awareness, of losing my equanimity. A strong guilt, for losing my peaceful balance, which was why I shivered...... Finally, peaceful empathy.
It was in this state of peace that I was sub consciously searching for a familiar face, to share my compassion. In that sea of bodies. Somebody who could understand me. Somebody who was not closed inside his or her mind. Who could take a little time out of his or her busy schedule. Somebody who could converse with me. Not necessarily talk or listen, but somebody who could just share..... Somebody.... Anybody.....
Then I saw her.
The purest being in that place. The living example of selfless love. Innocent. Candid. Shy.
I had met her before, once, at that very place. I hoped that she would recognise me. She did. She acknowledged my presence and responded to me reaching out to her. She greeted me. The affection was definitely growing. Then I did something that I normally don't do to others. I ruffled her shiny hair. I went ahead and stroked her fair cheek and neck. I was hoping that she won't mind that, after all, she was too young to be self conscious of such public displays of affection. Her body language said that she liked it. That in this lonely world full of stress, she found that simple touch soothing. Her eyes closed in a kind of acceptance.
Her actions were the only means by which I could gather her thoughts, for she didn't speak my language. In fact, she couldn't speak at all. She was born with this impairment. Her kins here have the same "disability". But time and again she and her kins have taught me that words are not required to communicate the essential. That the most meaningful of all feelings can be conveyed by a simple touch. Sometimes a nudge. That is what she and her kins have used with me as a communication tool all these years. That is what I have used to befriend her. To strengthen my bonds with as many four legged "man's best friend"s as I can.
They always end up giving more affection than getting. Today was no different. Today a street dog feeding off leftovers at a platform of Kurla station gave me pure, expectationless love. Much more of it than what the sea of people could give me, even if I were a celebrity.
They experience many complex emotions that the "superior" humans do. They have their own way of expressing them. Whether it is a twist in the neck combined with raised eyebrows showing surprise at the comfort that we humans show at the presence of a new guest; or it is the grabbing of a human's arm with their teeth, lightly, and putting it across their belly, to announce their acceptance of friendship; it is all there.
I was one with my sub-conscious a moment before that. My mind was doing what it's best at; when it is left to wander by itself. It was revelling in my near-past experiences. It reached an intense incidence that happened less than two weeks ago. The incidence that had left my ego hurt and years of trust broken. It triggered a chain reaction that was over in a few, but vehement seconds. A pain, that subsided in a matter of seconds, probably because it had been experienced before, more than once. A surge of confused anger towards the one who caused it, which again died, because something inside me said that it wasn't anybody's fault. It probably wasn't. An overwhelming sense of awareness, of losing my equanimity. A strong guilt, for losing my peaceful balance, which was why I shivered...... Finally, peaceful empathy.
It was in this state of peace that I was sub consciously searching for a familiar face, to share my compassion. In that sea of bodies. Somebody who could understand me. Somebody who was not closed inside his or her mind. Who could take a little time out of his or her busy schedule. Somebody who could converse with me. Not necessarily talk or listen, but somebody who could just share..... Somebody.... Anybody.....
Then I saw her.
The purest being in that place. The living example of selfless love. Innocent. Candid. Shy.
I had met her before, once, at that very place. I hoped that she would recognise me. She did. She acknowledged my presence and responded to me reaching out to her. She greeted me. The affection was definitely growing. Then I did something that I normally don't do to others. I ruffled her shiny hair. I went ahead and stroked her fair cheek and neck. I was hoping that she won't mind that, after all, she was too young to be self conscious of such public displays of affection. Her body language said that she liked it. That in this lonely world full of stress, she found that simple touch soothing. Her eyes closed in a kind of acceptance.
Her actions were the only means by which I could gather her thoughts, for she didn't speak my language. In fact, she couldn't speak at all. She was born with this impairment. Her kins here have the same "disability". But time and again she and her kins have taught me that words are not required to communicate the essential. That the most meaningful of all feelings can be conveyed by a simple touch. Sometimes a nudge. That is what she and her kins have used with me as a communication tool all these years. That is what I have used to befriend her. To strengthen my bonds with as many four legged "man's best friend"s as I can.
They always end up giving more affection than getting. Today was no different. Today a street dog feeding off leftovers at a platform of Kurla station gave me pure, expectationless love. Much more of it than what the sea of people could give me, even if I were a celebrity.
They experience many complex emotions that the "superior" humans do. They have their own way of expressing them. Whether it is a twist in the neck combined with raised eyebrows showing surprise at the comfort that we humans show at the presence of a new guest; or it is the grabbing of a human's arm with their teeth, lightly, and putting it across their belly, to announce their acceptance of friendship; it is all there.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Thank you
I wept because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet
When I see people around me cribbing, complaining, making noises about the things/people/situations that they don't have by their side, or as they would want them to be, that they, according to them, so righfully deserve, I feel a sense of gratitude filling up inside of me. No, I am not (that) crazy to experience a wildly off the track emotion as a reaction, neither am I a saint, I have my share of complains as well, though I try to minimise them. But I feel grateful for everything that defines me, for everyone who has made me, who is responsible, in some way or the other for me being alive and enjoying life. Why? Because I think I have learnt a little respect along the way.
Big words? Let me bring some facts down to earth by the way of a simple example for everyone's benefit. Just work with me.
Do you drink a cup of tea or coffee every morning? Well most of us would say yes, after all tea is the world's second most popular beverage, right after water. Now, have you paused for a moment and pondered what goes into bringing that cup of tea to your table/bed? I am sure that not many would go beyond the person who is making/serving the tea at this point. That's exactly where I want to expand the horizons, the views. Here's what goes into your daily cup of tea:
1>Water:
Thousands of Kilometers of well planned, working, monitored pipelines passing water from Vaitarna lake around 50 kms from a western Mumbai suburb to your home. The water passing through probably 7 stages of filtering, chlorination, reverse osmosis, more filtering. Your household filter that uses even more technology like activated carbon and electricity to make it even more pure. I haven't even started thanking your builder, your plumber, your society watchman (who starts the tap at 7 am daily, religiously)
2>Sugar (optional of course):
Months of preparation of soil, hard work from farmers; tractors, bulls, ploughing the fields relentlessly. Fertilizer industry and chemical industry being invovled. Ground water drilling pipes for irrigation. Loads of trucks to carry those fertilizers and other tools required for producing Sugar cane. Sugar mill separating those unwanted impurities and converting it into sugar. Yet another fleet of trucks to carry those sacks of Sugar from those farms to the APMC market, then from there to your grocery store. Let's also not forget the labourers working under the municipal contractors who maintain those roads, the motor industry that provides such utilities like trucks, the rubber industry that makes their tyres.
3>Milk:
Let's talk about the huge dairies that hold hundreds of cows, buffaloes, the fodder that feeds them, the labour required for their upkeep and milking them. The packaging industry that works overnight so that it gets distributed along the proper channel to your doorstep at sharp 6 am.
4>Gas (or Electricity for the electric stove)
Do you really want me to write about the huge process by which Crude oil is drilled from ocean beds, refined, then transported to your homes; or do you get the idea? Or do you want me now to write about how Uranium is mined in an eastern-central state in India and then processed to be sent to Tarapore to be fissioned to produce energy for electricity?
I should stop here. There is no limit to this thinking. But the point is, there is a huge clockwork of processes running around us to provide the things that we think of nothing more than "basic". And we need to be grateful to all the people, all the machinery that works just so that we can fulfil our "basic" needs. If just one cog fails to work properly in this machinery, the whole machinery will grind to a halt.
To sum it up, at the risk of it sounding like an award speech, I am thankful to:
1>My parents. For bringing me into this wonderful and amazing world that never ceases to amaze me. For teaching me how to walk, to talk. For patiently answering my really stupid queries. For making me stand on my own feets. For being my friends, my confidantes.
2>My teachers. For not just teaching me the whats, the hows, the whys, the wheres, the whos and the whens, but also for instilling the values that make me a human. For making me a part of the society, the country. For showing me the way, for selflessly working so that I can progress.
3>My friends. For developing me as a person. For sharing and letting me share my passions, secrets, desires, loathings and love. For providing me with different point of views. For talking to me, for listening me. For helping me throughout. For removing the unnecessary fear and shame from my head. For playing with me. For pointing out my shortcomings. For helping me discover my sexuality (I am not kidding, it is an integral part of growth).
4>Mother nature. I am sure that those who know me closely, will associate this line as my line: "My mother nature is a babe. She is a hottie, she is that beautiful"
For unconditionally providing me with all the resources that I use, sometimes squander, but I require just so that I can live. For the air, the water, the food, the beauty, the inspiration. You are the reason for me to live. The more I explore you, the more I fall in love with you. I really am indebted to you. No one can justify the statement "The best things in life are for free" better than you.
5>Evolution. For giving every living thing a purpose to live. For starting this magical phenomenon called life. For giving us the power to learn, to understand, to question, to deal with the worldly phenomenas, to change things for good.
6>The society. I am thankful to the roadside cobbler who mends my slippers so that I can walk again, freely. To my doctor who gives me the medicines so that I can get back to enjoying life. To my vegetable vendor. To my daily newspaper supplier, my cable wala, my mobile service provider. The railway clerk who parts with the change for a 100 rs note because I don't have the exact change. The traffic policeman who helps me find a landmark. The exam invigilator who ensures that my answer sheet goes to the correct person. The 3 year old kid who lives on the second floor, for teaching me the power of simplicity, the miracle of an innocent smile, the excitement of an untainted mind. The buddhist monk who explains to me the rituals that they perform to please the God at Enchey monastery. The temple priest who conveys the ideas that first evolved in the minds of my forefathers thousands of years ago. The forest rangers who fight poachers from getting the better of helpless big cats just so that the balance can be maintained. The news readers who mouth the latest happenings in this world. The people who don't agree with me, for adding a whole new dimension.
I want to conclude with the most important part of it all. My gratitude doesn't end here. I feel that if I am alive, if I am doing what I want to do, it is possible only because of everyone and everything that I mentioned above. Hence, in a way, I am answerable to them for my deeds. That if I say or do something, it shouldn't be something that brings shame upon them, that lets them down. That I should not just take everything I can get, but carry their good work forward. That I should be able to return a part to them. It is this same thought that motivates me to donate my blood multiple times. The same thought that makes me part with a small amount of my earnings to make the life of at least one child in rural India better. That makes me buy a gift for my parents. That makes me call my PC dealer to pursue him to give a good deal for the Rickshaw driver, who lives nearby and wants to add more value to his Son's education. That makes me carry heavy weights for the neighbourhood aunty. I hope I get more opportunities to return something in life.
So the next time you want to complain about the quality of food that you get in your college/office canteen, just try to remember the photos that were circulating in an e-mail first. You know, the one that showed a starving child trying to make it to a nearby food camp, and a vulture waiting for it to die. Or if you feel that you don't have enough friends in your vicinity/work, just remember the female colleague who has left her home town/village, her friends, her family, to adjust everything possible in another city, only so that she can earn a living.
When I see people around me cribbing, complaining, making noises about the things/people/situations that they don't have by their side, or as they would want them to be, that they, according to them, so righfully deserve, I feel a sense of gratitude filling up inside of me. No, I am not (that) crazy to experience a wildly off the track emotion as a reaction, neither am I a saint, I have my share of complains as well, though I try to minimise them. But I feel grateful for everything that defines me, for everyone who has made me, who is responsible, in some way or the other for me being alive and enjoying life. Why? Because I think I have learnt a little respect along the way.
Big words? Let me bring some facts down to earth by the way of a simple example for everyone's benefit. Just work with me.
Do you drink a cup of tea or coffee every morning? Well most of us would say yes, after all tea is the world's second most popular beverage, right after water. Now, have you paused for a moment and pondered what goes into bringing that cup of tea to your table/bed? I am sure that not many would go beyond the person who is making/serving the tea at this point. That's exactly where I want to expand the horizons, the views. Here's what goes into your daily cup of tea:
1>Water:
Thousands of Kilometers of well planned, working, monitored pipelines passing water from Vaitarna lake around 50 kms from a western Mumbai suburb to your home. The water passing through probably 7 stages of filtering, chlorination, reverse osmosis, more filtering. Your household filter that uses even more technology like activated carbon and electricity to make it even more pure. I haven't even started thanking your builder, your plumber, your society watchman (who starts the tap at 7 am daily, religiously)
2>Sugar (optional of course):
Months of preparation of soil, hard work from farmers; tractors, bulls, ploughing the fields relentlessly. Fertilizer industry and chemical industry being invovled. Ground water drilling pipes for irrigation. Loads of trucks to carry those fertilizers and other tools required for producing Sugar cane. Sugar mill separating those unwanted impurities and converting it into sugar. Yet another fleet of trucks to carry those sacks of Sugar from those farms to the APMC market, then from there to your grocery store. Let's also not forget the labourers working under the municipal contractors who maintain those roads, the motor industry that provides such utilities like trucks, the rubber industry that makes their tyres.
3>Milk:
Let's talk about the huge dairies that hold hundreds of cows, buffaloes, the fodder that feeds them, the labour required for their upkeep and milking them. The packaging industry that works overnight so that it gets distributed along the proper channel to your doorstep at sharp 6 am.
4>Gas (or Electricity for the electric stove)
Do you really want me to write about the huge process by which Crude oil is drilled from ocean beds, refined, then transported to your homes; or do you get the idea? Or do you want me now to write about how Uranium is mined in an eastern-central state in India and then processed to be sent to Tarapore to be fissioned to produce energy for electricity?
I should stop here. There is no limit to this thinking. But the point is, there is a huge clockwork of processes running around us to provide the things that we think of nothing more than "basic". And we need to be grateful to all the people, all the machinery that works just so that we can fulfil our "basic" needs. If just one cog fails to work properly in this machinery, the whole machinery will grind to a halt.
To sum it up, at the risk of it sounding like an award speech, I am thankful to:
1>My parents. For bringing me into this wonderful and amazing world that never ceases to amaze me. For teaching me how to walk, to talk. For patiently answering my really stupid queries. For making me stand on my own feets. For being my friends, my confidantes.
2>My teachers. For not just teaching me the whats, the hows, the whys, the wheres, the whos and the whens, but also for instilling the values that make me a human. For making me a part of the society, the country. For showing me the way, for selflessly working so that I can progress.
3>My friends. For developing me as a person. For sharing and letting me share my passions, secrets, desires, loathings and love. For providing me with different point of views. For talking to me, for listening me. For helping me throughout. For removing the unnecessary fear and shame from my head. For playing with me. For pointing out my shortcomings. For helping me discover my sexuality (I am not kidding, it is an integral part of growth).
4>Mother nature. I am sure that those who know me closely, will associate this line as my line: "My mother nature is a babe. She is a hottie, she is that beautiful"
For unconditionally providing me with all the resources that I use, sometimes squander, but I require just so that I can live. For the air, the water, the food, the beauty, the inspiration. You are the reason for me to live. The more I explore you, the more I fall in love with you. I really am indebted to you. No one can justify the statement "The best things in life are for free" better than you.
5>Evolution. For giving every living thing a purpose to live. For starting this magical phenomenon called life. For giving us the power to learn, to understand, to question, to deal with the worldly phenomenas, to change things for good.
6>The society. I am thankful to the roadside cobbler who mends my slippers so that I can walk again, freely. To my doctor who gives me the medicines so that I can get back to enjoying life. To my vegetable vendor. To my daily newspaper supplier, my cable wala, my mobile service provider. The railway clerk who parts with the change for a 100 rs note because I don't have the exact change. The traffic policeman who helps me find a landmark. The exam invigilator who ensures that my answer sheet goes to the correct person. The 3 year old kid who lives on the second floor, for teaching me the power of simplicity, the miracle of an innocent smile, the excitement of an untainted mind. The buddhist monk who explains to me the rituals that they perform to please the God at Enchey monastery. The temple priest who conveys the ideas that first evolved in the minds of my forefathers thousands of years ago. The forest rangers who fight poachers from getting the better of helpless big cats just so that the balance can be maintained. The news readers who mouth the latest happenings in this world. The people who don't agree with me, for adding a whole new dimension.
I want to conclude with the most important part of it all. My gratitude doesn't end here. I feel that if I am alive, if I am doing what I want to do, it is possible only because of everyone and everything that I mentioned above. Hence, in a way, I am answerable to them for my deeds. That if I say or do something, it shouldn't be something that brings shame upon them, that lets them down. That I should not just take everything I can get, but carry their good work forward. That I should be able to return a part to them. It is this same thought that motivates me to donate my blood multiple times. The same thought that makes me part with a small amount of my earnings to make the life of at least one child in rural India better. That makes me buy a gift for my parents. That makes me call my PC dealer to pursue him to give a good deal for the Rickshaw driver, who lives nearby and wants to add more value to his Son's education. That makes me carry heavy weights for the neighbourhood aunty. I hope I get more opportunities to return something in life.
So the next time you want to complain about the quality of food that you get in your college/office canteen, just try to remember the photos that were circulating in an e-mail first. You know, the one that showed a starving child trying to make it to a nearby food camp, and a vulture waiting for it to die. Or if you feel that you don't have enough friends in your vicinity/work, just remember the female colleague who has left her home town/village, her friends, her family, to adjust everything possible in another city, only so that she can earn a living.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Why?
There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
-Douglas Adams
And came adolescence. From that hormone filled roller coaster ride onwards, almost all of our actions have been directed towards fulfilling the singular purpose: to pass our genes in the pool. Men are drawn to women with waist to hip ratio of 0.7; like moths are drawn to light. Evolution programmed men's brains to calculate that without the aid of any external tool. Women are inevitably drawn to "providers"; you know, the ones with dollops of moolah, or the ones with a potential to earn bucks, in the form of inheritance/intelligence. Women are born with the concept of "commitment" and "long term" - which is mostly foreign to men. After all, their provider should be willing to help them out with the entire process of raising the offspring, which is the sole purpose of their existence. Oops, did I just answer the question asked by men all over the world: "Why do women want marriage, then children, as soon as possible?"
I think not, I think I just asked the question to the supreme creator; 'God' for the believers, 'Evolution' for the atheists like me.
I am nobody to ask this question. I am only a part of the 6 X 10^18 kgs of the mass on this earth that is different than the rest of it by a factor of 4 letters, "life". Yet, today, I dare ask the question, "Why are we here?" "Where are you headed?"
We have all been fascinated by the question of our origins. We have dug deep for million year old bones for answers. We have sent giant telescopes out of atmospheric disturbance to look at the darkest corners of our Universe to give us a clue of the big-bang, the supposed beginning of "time". But I think the correct thing to ask right now is "Why is God/Evolution making us do what we are doing?" Why is every species spending all the effort to procreate (All the fight/amongst males for "dominance") then protect the young ones (The supernatural urge to protect "children" first; in case of an emergency; and the attention that these "cute" ones draw from all adults)
How many times have we heard that a proportionate face represents a lineage of sexual health? (And hence, the feature that attracts one first). That 'Love' is nothing but a trick that nature plays on us so that we procreate? It is a poor explanation, in my opinion , to explain why you can't get that "special one" out of your head for the first 4-12 months. But what the chemical reactions don't explain is the purpose. Why are we fighting to get the 'perfect' partner? Why do we (animals/plants included in 'we') die after our purpose is served? In some cases the male of the species dies as soon as the purpose is served.
So we are all refining the pool, increasing its quality with every generation, and multiplying relentlessly. Evolution is throwing new designs, testing permutations every now and then. It started with 16/18 basic designs in prehistoric oceans. It killed off the ones it didn't think appropriate. It killed off the mighty dinosaurs too. It reduced the size of the bodies of animals whose area of roaming reduced. It introduced - balance, food-chain/web, diseases. For what? What is it trying to achieve?
There are many theories that suggest what will happen in the end. The most wiely accepted one, it seems, is this one. The universe is in the expansion stage, and will reach the limit eventually. It will shrink once it hits the bounds. All the rules regarding entropy, enthalpy will be reversed. Imagine keeping a cup of cold coffee on your desk to find it heating up by itself to boiling point. But if one exists in that stage, it will be difficult for her to imagine what happens "normally" for us. What will evolution do then? Move back to unicellular life?
When we look around ourselves, we find that things are changing. We carry remnants of our own species that suggest presence of Evolution. Our Vestigial organs like ear muscles and appendix are enough to prompt us to think. I just hope that sometime in future we are able to answer this question, like we have answered so many. What are your views?
-Douglas Adams
And came adolescence. From that hormone filled roller coaster ride onwards, almost all of our actions have been directed towards fulfilling the singular purpose: to pass our genes in the pool. Men are drawn to women with waist to hip ratio of 0.7; like moths are drawn to light. Evolution programmed men's brains to calculate that without the aid of any external tool. Women are inevitably drawn to "providers"; you know, the ones with dollops of moolah, or the ones with a potential to earn bucks, in the form of inheritance/intelligence. Women are born with the concept of "commitment" and "long term" - which is mostly foreign to men. After all, their provider should be willing to help them out with the entire process of raising the offspring, which is the sole purpose of their existence. Oops, did I just answer the question asked by men all over the world: "Why do women want marriage, then children, as soon as possible?"
I think not, I think I just asked the question to the supreme creator; 'God' for the believers, 'Evolution' for the atheists like me.
I am nobody to ask this question. I am only a part of the 6 X 10^18 kgs of the mass on this earth that is different than the rest of it by a factor of 4 letters, "life". Yet, today, I dare ask the question, "Why are we here?" "Where are you headed?"
We have all been fascinated by the question of our origins. We have dug deep for million year old bones for answers. We have sent giant telescopes out of atmospheric disturbance to look at the darkest corners of our Universe to give us a clue of the big-bang, the supposed beginning of "time". But I think the correct thing to ask right now is "Why is God/Evolution making us do what we are doing?" Why is every species spending all the effort to procreate (All the fight/amongst males for "dominance") then protect the young ones (The supernatural urge to protect "children" first; in case of an emergency; and the attention that these "cute" ones draw from all adults)
How many times have we heard that a proportionate face represents a lineage of sexual health? (And hence, the feature that attracts one first). That 'Love' is nothing but a trick that nature plays on us so that we procreate? It is a poor explanation, in my opinion , to explain why you can't get that "special one" out of your head for the first 4-12 months. But what the chemical reactions don't explain is the purpose. Why are we fighting to get the 'perfect' partner? Why do we (animals/plants included in 'we') die after our purpose is served? In some cases the male of the species dies as soon as the purpose is served.
So we are all refining the pool, increasing its quality with every generation, and multiplying relentlessly. Evolution is throwing new designs, testing permutations every now and then. It started with 16/18 basic designs in prehistoric oceans. It killed off the ones it didn't think appropriate. It killed off the mighty dinosaurs too. It reduced the size of the bodies of animals whose area of roaming reduced. It introduced - balance, food-chain/web, diseases. For what? What is it trying to achieve?
There are many theories that suggest what will happen in the end. The most wiely accepted one, it seems, is this one. The universe is in the expansion stage, and will reach the limit eventually. It will shrink once it hits the bounds. All the rules regarding entropy, enthalpy will be reversed. Imagine keeping a cup of cold coffee on your desk to find it heating up by itself to boiling point. But if one exists in that stage, it will be difficult for her to imagine what happens "normally" for us. What will evolution do then? Move back to unicellular life?
When we look around ourselves, we find that things are changing. We carry remnants of our own species that suggest presence of Evolution. Our Vestigial organs like ear muscles and appendix are enough to prompt us to think. I just hope that sometime in future we are able to answer this question, like we have answered so many. What are your views?
Friday, September 14, 2007
Shaken......and Stirred......and Dizzy
When the stakes are high, when the money involved is a lot, when the competition is tough, and when the goal to be achieved is heavily desired, by many, the very basics of principles and ethics are severely compromised with. It was proved, much to my disgust, once again in the ongoing "spy row". Being an ardent fan of Motorsport, and Formula one (till now) I feel a moral obligation on the behalf of everyone who is remotely interested with sports to clear the closet of the skeletons that have been piling up heavily in the recent days.
I am feeling shaken to the core, my basic trust has been broken. The sickening feeling is awefully similar to the feeling I got in my childhood when I learnt that the "sport" we call as a "religion" is nothing but a farce. Yes, I am referring to the match fixing scandal in cricket that left me broken. No, it was not only the Indian team that was tainted. The likes of Late Hansie Cronje proved the depth to which the sickness was spread. Similarly, it is not just McLaren that is tainted (as i will put forth later).
What the match fixing scandal did to every Indian was possibly nothing more than to give an ugly scar on the face of its history, which is, visible, but it doesn't bother the eye much and we can happily go back to watch the Twenty20 world cup. But what it did to me was to shake the very foundations of my beliefs. That the sport is about prestige, national pride, and the players are out there to prove their worth in the sport. That they are playing to win. That they are principled. Hence my passion in cricket was gone forever. Yes I have watched a few matches off on occassionaly since then, but with zero emotion. It has never retained me long enough to be glued to the screen for the entire length of the match. It is just not the same knowing that a few mobile phone calls from a bookie can change the very outcome of a match.
It is like being a child believing all through that Santa Claus exists and climbs through the chimney of its house to give it gifts. The child is rudely awakened to the fact that there is, in fact, no santa claus and the friendly ho ho ho that it hears every christmas indeed comes from the father. The future efforts of the father to dress up like a santa claus with the fake pot belly will not instill the same passion and the excitement in the child anymore.
The spy scandal has proved the ugliness of the situation. It has rudely awakened all of us Die hard Formula one fans that how individual interests and ambitions can snatch the beauty of the sport and leave it at being called a farce. Yes, a few individuals at McLaren were guilty. Even the Ferrarri mechanic was guilty. Yes, there was an exchange of information between them all in the interest of the coveted top spot. The funny thing is, that how this is not the first time that it has happened in the so called "sport". Let me remind you of the 2005 Honda incidence.
How they manipulated their Fuel tanks to carry that little bit of extra that was outside the regulation. If you are a Ferrarri fan beaming with a grin that how "justice" was done to your favourite "clean" team, let me remind you that Ferrarri is equally guilty in this case. You don't even need to look that far back to come up with an incidence that proves you in the wrong. The Melbourne fiasco earlier this year proved that even the "best" team can resort to cheap tactics like movable floors to gain the advantage. If you are a Renault fan laughing at the hapless Ferrarri McLaren and Honda fans, let me also remind you of the accusation (yet to be proved)that an engineer by the name of Phil took with him 3 CDs carrying confidential data about the cooling system and what not from the McLaren garage when he joined your favourite team earlier this season. If for some unfathomable reason you are a fan of any other team, then your happiness is short lived, as it is just a matter of time when it will be proved that your team also resorted to something beyond the legal boundaries to gain the edge.
The feeling of disgust is so gripping that many fans have simply resigned from the sport altogether. It has definitely played with my passion in such a cheap way that I will no longer have the passion or the rigor with which i used to watch this dear sport. I will watch a few races, yes, I will watch a few completely also, yes (as the race doesn't take more than 1 hour 45 minutes). But it will take a full one and a half season before I can even begin to imagine that it is a "fair" sport. Even if I become a full fledged fan then, i will never believe in the sport completely. Coming to the favourite team aspect. It will continue to be McLaren, because of the
basic reasons I started supporting it initially (Equal driver policy, drive to improve performance, balance in all the aspects, not a blind focus on speed or acceleration, consistency, independent thinking and behaviour). I will start watching A1 from now on (For those who don't know, everyone is given an equal car there, and drivers represent their country, and India has been an integral part of that sport). If a parallel series comes up challenging F1, yes, I will watch it also.
There is only one truely pure sport left for me now, and it is football. I can find solace in the fact that any tweaking in the performance is clearly visible (as proven by the Serie A controversy 2 seasons ago) and it is the most transparent sport available. I hope this trust doesn't get shattered so easily.
As for the general Indian Public blissfuly unaware of the details of Formula one, you will know what it is next year, when the liquor baron from India (Vijay Mallya) starts applying his business strategy to Spyker team that he bought out recently. The average indian's knowledge about the sport will grow more than the presence of a certain Karthikeyan not so long ago.
Hope for the best for all sports and all competitions in life. I vow that I will not play aroundwith core values in whatever i do in life. I hope to give integrity more preference than success.
I am feeling shaken to the core, my basic trust has been broken. The sickening feeling is awefully similar to the feeling I got in my childhood when I learnt that the "sport" we call as a "religion" is nothing but a farce. Yes, I am referring to the match fixing scandal in cricket that left me broken. No, it was not only the Indian team that was tainted. The likes of Late Hansie Cronje proved the depth to which the sickness was spread. Similarly, it is not just McLaren that is tainted (as i will put forth later).
What the match fixing scandal did to every Indian was possibly nothing more than to give an ugly scar on the face of its history, which is, visible, but it doesn't bother the eye much and we can happily go back to watch the Twenty20 world cup. But what it did to me was to shake the very foundations of my beliefs. That the sport is about prestige, national pride, and the players are out there to prove their worth in the sport. That they are playing to win. That they are principled. Hence my passion in cricket was gone forever. Yes I have watched a few matches off on occassionaly since then, but with zero emotion. It has never retained me long enough to be glued to the screen for the entire length of the match. It is just not the same knowing that a few mobile phone calls from a bookie can change the very outcome of a match.
It is like being a child believing all through that Santa Claus exists and climbs through the chimney of its house to give it gifts. The child is rudely awakened to the fact that there is, in fact, no santa claus and the friendly ho ho ho that it hears every christmas indeed comes from the father. The future efforts of the father to dress up like a santa claus with the fake pot belly will not instill the same passion and the excitement in the child anymore.
The spy scandal has proved the ugliness of the situation. It has rudely awakened all of us Die hard Formula one fans that how individual interests and ambitions can snatch the beauty of the sport and leave it at being called a farce. Yes, a few individuals at McLaren were guilty. Even the Ferrarri mechanic was guilty. Yes, there was an exchange of information between them all in the interest of the coveted top spot. The funny thing is, that how this is not the first time that it has happened in the so called "sport". Let me remind you of the 2005 Honda incidence.
How they manipulated their Fuel tanks to carry that little bit of extra that was outside the regulation. If you are a Ferrarri fan beaming with a grin that how "justice" was done to your favourite "clean" team, let me remind you that Ferrarri is equally guilty in this case. You don't even need to look that far back to come up with an incidence that proves you in the wrong. The Melbourne fiasco earlier this year proved that even the "best" team can resort to cheap tactics like movable floors to gain the advantage. If you are a Renault fan laughing at the hapless Ferrarri McLaren and Honda fans, let me also remind you of the accusation (yet to be proved)that an engineer by the name of Phil took with him 3 CDs carrying confidential data about the cooling system and what not from the McLaren garage when he joined your favourite team earlier this season. If for some unfathomable reason you are a fan of any other team, then your happiness is short lived, as it is just a matter of time when it will be proved that your team also resorted to something beyond the legal boundaries to gain the edge.
The feeling of disgust is so gripping that many fans have simply resigned from the sport altogether. It has definitely played with my passion in such a cheap way that I will no longer have the passion or the rigor with which i used to watch this dear sport. I will watch a few races, yes, I will watch a few completely also, yes (as the race doesn't take more than 1 hour 45 minutes). But it will take a full one and a half season before I can even begin to imagine that it is a "fair" sport. Even if I become a full fledged fan then, i will never believe in the sport completely. Coming to the favourite team aspect. It will continue to be McLaren, because of the
basic reasons I started supporting it initially (Equal driver policy, drive to improve performance, balance in all the aspects, not a blind focus on speed or acceleration, consistency, independent thinking and behaviour). I will start watching A1 from now on (For those who don't know, everyone is given an equal car there, and drivers represent their country, and India has been an integral part of that sport). If a parallel series comes up challenging F1, yes, I will watch it also.
There is only one truely pure sport left for me now, and it is football. I can find solace in the fact that any tweaking in the performance is clearly visible (as proven by the Serie A controversy 2 seasons ago) and it is the most transparent sport available. I hope this trust doesn't get shattered so easily.
As for the general Indian Public blissfuly unaware of the details of Formula one, you will know what it is next year, when the liquor baron from India (Vijay Mallya) starts applying his business strategy to Spyker team that he bought out recently. The average indian's knowledge about the sport will grow more than the presence of a certain Karthikeyan not so long ago.
Hope for the best for all sports and all competitions in life. I vow that I will not play aroundwith core values in whatever i do in life. I hope to give integrity more preference than success.
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