Congo Crisis

Thanks to Rutger
And I agree to his saying :'People worry about the wrong things in life... period.'

For more, read this.

Red Line Fight Sports

I owe this one to Sangram (in blue and with head band below).



One of the girls exclaimed: 'You look excited !'
I checked my body language to see what gave out that message. Sitting on the edge of the sofa, leaning forward, fingers clasped up to my chin, intense vision, and my face squirming at every punch- you don't need to be Tonya Reiman to interpret that. I had to get up to have a closer view of the guys practicing in the ring after they had rehearsed some new techniques on the floor.

'You can't be tired and you can't be sorry' said the instructor, Lyle, when one of his students said 'Sorry', after hitting his opponent on the face in a practice session. He summoned the rest of the clan to 'be a good friend' and share the punishment of push-ups. He joined in too. They were already tired from hours of practice but admitting it meant added penalty. To top it, he had them stop mid-way, and while they tried hard to keep pace with him, he looked up at me, smiling complacently. I have to admit that he is a seasoned sportsman and physically more fit than kids half his age.


It is not just about venting your frustration when your boss is a pain in you-know-where, or your significant other misunderstands you or the economy is taking a nose dive. It is something you would probably like to join in when you have been a gym inhabitant for years and intend to take yourself to the next datum plane of existence. ( Darn, Jonathan keeps haunting me !) Less philosophically, and more practically - it is a good way to learn a few defense techniques even if your are not planning to enter the pro- league.


Just off the T-stop at Central Square, between Dunkin Donuts and the liquor store, the entrance is easy to miss if you are not paying attention. But once you are inside, you know what's going on.

I couldn't help mentioning this from a Marketer's point of view: they have rebranded themselves from 'Boston Sanda Kung Fu' and relocated to Cambridge from Downtown. Very strategic ! Now, that I have done my free WOM (Word-Of-Mouth) advertisement, I can get back to my public policy case study. See you there !

Link: Red Line Fight Sports

Offered training in : Kickboxing, Kung Fu, Wrestling, Brazilian Jujitsu.

The most romantic thing

...I saw in a long time was while coming back from my Business and its Environment class in Wheatley today. The walls of the whole hallway in the first floor near classroom 0055 was filled with handwritten posters, saying the same thing in different languages:"Will You Marry Me?"I discerned English, Hindi and French among others. At the end, it was signed Daniel Louis Sullivan. I don't know what the girl is going to say, or if she's going to see it before the housekeeping staff decides to take these off from the walls. But I was amazed by the amount of effort it probably took him to do that, in spite of translation tools and helpful friends. Dan boy, you rock!

Only for gadget lovers: my new baby : G1

And yeah, I think it's much cooler and more compact than the iPhone. Steve, no hard feelings. :D

Home

I'm sure every culture has a code for that one (following up on my post on 'The Culture Code' :D)

It brings to my mind a mosaic of images- Mom and Dad cooking for me, Grandma's caresses, lying on the grass lawn with my parents and watching shooting stars in the sky, Beena Didi, Ashu Kaku, my pet dog which lives no more, the treasured suitcase full of Tintin and Asterix comics under my bed, the cupboard that has all my soft toys and Barbies, the book shelves and movie collection, pictures on the wall and a myriad of other things. People and possessions.

But most of all - it means 'security'. In my childhood, however, I detested the idea of being driven around everywhere I wanted to go or have a home guard trail me everytime I stepped out of my house. Probably, an aftermath of a kidnapping attempt on me and my elder bro when we were kids. I wanted to explore the world on my own. See the colors and sights, try to sense what's good or bad myself.

When my parents came to drop me off at my hostel for my undergrads, I was excited. But then my cousin brother (Misti Da), who was residing in Delhi at that time, said: 'Don't worry, we'll be there if you need us.' It was antithetical. I knew I wouldn't be seeing my parents for a while. I had not taken this into account ! It was a beginning and an end.

Sometimes, kids start living outside their homes earlier or later than I had. Nothing new. My point is - most of you know how it feels to be away from home and probably attach a different meaning to 'home' now. It might not mean what it meant before. For better or for worse.

Growing up the way I am, being 'homesick' is considered a repugnant weakness or the aftermath of illness or inability. My mother always told me success stories which inevitably ended : '...and then he went to live there* (variable) and is doing great professionally.' Fairy tales were my own vicious indulgence. I don't remember my parents ever buying me Cinderella or Snow-white. Little Red Riding Hood - maybe.

So, when your éclat is judged on the magnitude of your well-being away from your home, it becomes a little embarrassing to admit how much you miss 'home' at times. Or the home you had as a child (contrasted with the possibility of your owning one yourself )

Anyways, all that rambling spurred from the likelihood of my going home this December. A toast everyone, to home, sweet home.

There's no Plan B. This is it.

If you have a plan B you are planning to fail in A and that's not an option. Agree?

In Pursuit of HappYness III

IUnlike some sages of the old, I believe- you can't be happy by secluding yourself. You might not get hurt by being passive, but you won't be happy either. When you want happiness, you have to involve yourself in what you do. And since just one thing or one person can't give you all the happiness, you have to engage yourself in numerous creative activities that make you happy. Naah, more.. that get you ecstatic. Whether it is composing music or working for the less privileged- you have to give yourself a chance to bring out the best in you - in something which you probably didn't know existed as a potential.

And then you can channelize you energy into the selected few- to maximize your happiness- or state of well being. The criteria for choosing them might differ from individual to individual. In the end, everyone defines happiness for himself/herself.

IIIn a lot of ways, I find the Indian education system flawed in this regard(at least during the time I was a part of it). I don't think there is ample scope for a child to choose her area of expertise. Most parents often have preconceived notions about success and they direct their offspring to attain those standards of excellence which they deem to be correct- or are the fruition of their own failed aspirations.

'Let me be like a river. Let me have the right to choose my own path. ' - is what every child should say. I have been fortunate in this regard. My parents never imposed their biases on me. They just suggested alternatives. However, it pains me immensely to see some parents in my immediate family struggling with their kids to excel in domains which they have no talent at.

In Bengali they say - Gaadha pitiye ghoda kora jaay na ( You can't transform a donkey into a horse by beating it) But that is for a farmer who doesn't know the uses of a donkey. Fortunately, there are parents with better discretion.

I wonder what Leonardo Da Vinci's mother (*disregarding/taking into account the historical conjectures made about his personal life) would have had to say about this?

(* Leonardo was the illegitimate son of Messer Piero Fruosino di Antonio da Vinci, a Florentine notary, and Caterina, a peasant who might have been a slave from the Middle East. Source : Wikipedia)