Quadrant Four Dream

I had a very strange dream last night. A very hazy smoke like creature appeared in my dream. I was startled. The strange creature started talking to me. I remember only a part of the conversation. I reproduce some of the content.
DS: Who are you ?
Q4: I am Quadrant IV. Legendary Stephen Covey created and cornered me. I am the quadrant – Not important and not urgent. Quadrant for time wasters. Some people call me as distraction. Disruption, diversion, disturbance are my other synonyms.

DS: How do you manifest ?

Q4: I am omnipresent. I am present where focus and concentration are present. Focus and concentration are my arch rivals. I have energy. I can spread everywhere. I come in different forms. Hardware, software and from nowhere. Like the genie of Aladdin lamp, I can spring up any time. Aladdin lamp requires a trigger. I do not not need one. I can be external or internal. I can be very active, very habitual or surprising or annoying or pleasurable. I can also be very rebellious. I am now an universal competency. I am a mystery very hard to define.

DS: Can you give me a few examples ?

Q4: Have you seen the famous musical, My Fair Lady ? I am all over the opening scene of the marketplace. You do not know where to look at. You get distracted every second. Many rishis and sages were distracted by the celestial dancers time and again as per our epics. Have you heard of Sage Viswamitra ? I disrupted his penance in the form of Menaka and result was Shakuntala. I am sure you are aware of the rest of the story. Even Lord Shiva was distracted by the famous Manmatha.

I make my presence through many forms. I appear in the form of handphones while driving. Most of the driving accidents are caused by me. Safe and wildly unsafe. I appear in the form of games and sports – IPL matches, NFL and other matches while students are preparing for exams. I appear in the form of TV shows. I appear in the form of insipid and futile conversations. I appear in the form of news papers, tabloids and fashion magazines with bold photographs. Pickpockets and robbers use me effectively in pursuit of their objective. I am also helpful in redirecting your attention in the form of whatsapp conversations during boring presentations and talks. Young mothers use me to feed their children.

DS: Do you have a form ?

Q4: They say, I come in two forms. Positive distraction and negative distraction. A break for hardworking folks. A convenient tool for spending time for senior citizens. A holiday after a busy work season. Negative distraction for school going children in the form of devices and virtual games. I usually occupy space vacated by the routine activities. I occupy space vacated by women and men who have given up manual work. Washing dishes, clothes and doing household chores are all being outsourced to machines. I am the mental equivalent of obesity. Skills like texting, googling and browsing have become competencies now. Very intuitive.

DS: I have heard the word -Digital distraction. Are you the same ?

Q4: Yes, Digital distraction is my another modern form. Some say, it is a waste of time, attention, and energy on relatively unimportant information and interactions. Some say, it is staying busy and producing little of value. I love millennials. For millennials, happening on devices is much more fascinating than human beings. Natural world is tasteless. They are happy with the virtual world as it offers self- enclosed fantasy world. They need not remember to build things, fix things, play outdoor games. I have helped them in reducing the physical friends by half. I am instrumental in reducing their access to look and feel of the physical world. They say, I am creating a cultural crisis. I am decelerating the span of attention. I do not care as long as I have the power to influence the millennials. They are my future.

DS: What would be the recommended strategy to deal with you ?

Q4: First of all, you must be aware of my presence. Do not run away from me. If you go against me, I shall rebound and create more distraction. Make efforts to convert negative distractions to positive. Have a constant conversation with me. Change your perspective. You will be happy and be peace with yourself. Try to learn new skills which are relevant to the current – pottery, cooking, small repair work (plumbing, electrical repairs, fixing of small mechanical parts) in the house. etc. Do as many things as possible with hands. You need to do things to gather attention to a point of focus. Reinvent yourself with your generic smartness. Deepen your interest in painting, music, sculpture etc. Look for mentors who could help you pursue these skills. Self -regulation is another strategy I can think of.

DS: Where I can learn more about you ?
Q4: There is a lot of research around me these days. Google will help you.

I was at a loss after the above conversation. I thought the best way is to share the story in the form of a blog with friends in the morning. Having said, I am going back to sleep expecting another interesting dream !

As I got up in the morning, I started looking around for resources on current thinking on distraction. I am sure you will love to read them. This is not definitely a quadrant four activity.

All the best !

Resources for reference:

The World Beyond Your Head: Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction” Mathew Crawford
https://hbr.org/2015/06/conquering-digital-distraction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9TwTOtNr60
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/a-new-theory-of-distraction

Confessions of a sock(s)

I shall tell my story in first person singular though I always live with a partner. It seems I was first made of animal skin and matted animal hair in the eighth century. I was called as ‘soccos’ first by Romans. I was a status symbol for Romans those days. Only rich could afford me. I took the current knitted form only in the sixteenth century. Now I come in different sizes. Different colours. Different styles. Different fabric. Different patterns. Different price points. Though I am important part of the wardrobe, I am still treated as an accessory. You know what I mean ! You will find me on all the social media sites along with other apparel.

I enjoy my special position in all the apparel stores. Located prominently, I am easily accessible. Everyone likes to feel me, touch me and use me. I get all the respect as long as I am on display in the stores. They admire my texture, colour and the weave. I am not sure whether the customer who admires me will add me to the buying cart. It is a waiting game. I need to be matched with my big brothers – trousers and shirt. Even if there is a small mismatch, I get rejected. I keep waiting in the stores to be bought. Lucky one goes away with the customer. Fortune only favours the brave !

They say, I am very useful. I do a great job in protecting the feet. To cover the feet in all the seasons and protect them from dust, water, snow etc. I prevent chafing of feet causing blisters. As you are aware, the entire mobility of human being rests on the feet. I could be on the feet of a worker or CEO of an organisation. I am a ‘leveller’ as far as this aspect is concerned. While I am a fashion statement for many, several others do not want me to be exposed. I do not know where I end up finally.

Though I am very beneficial, I do not occupy a premium position of the human body. I am at the lowest level literally and figuratively. Once I am worn on the foot, my life remains there. I go unseen. Again, another big brother – shoe takes centre stage and is always admired. Poor me lying behind the big brother with no light or sunshine. Thankless always ! I am sure this is the story of many who operate in the back office.

The guys and girls who wear me on their feet sweat profusely and I start stinking in no time. They are not bothered. They put expensive perfumes on their clothes and not on me. Sometimes my big brother shoe also gets a smart shine. He also passes on some of his stink to me. I live with the stink and the dust for many days. My neighbours curse me when I start stinking. People say that the stink is unbearable many times. I do strongly believe that the origin of the word ’stinker’ is from here. I am sure you are aware of many jokes around stinking socks. It seems one of the executives carried me in his pocket to show his manager that he did not wear a stinking sock, but I continued to spread the stink in the office. Some smart guys butcher me so much that they continue to use even if there are holes. Some of the other under garments are admired better and well treated compared to me. I am not even washed regularly though it does not require more time for this process.

Millennials throw me all around the spaces they live in. My partner will never be able to find me after I get divorced. That is the end of us being together. That’s it ! These kids do not understand the pain of separation. They do not understand that I also have emotions. They start pairing with me another sock, which these youngsters call as fashion. Once this process starts, there is never ending cycle of partner change. Some times, I remain curled and folded in their school bags and backpacks for many days. I lose my sense of colour and identity.

I do not see a bright future for me. I am unable to estimate my life – could be in days or months and very rarely maximum of an year. I continue to remain in the cycle of use and disuse as stated in the famous Bhajagovindam song ( punarapi jananam punarapi maranam) of Sri. Adishankara. One fine day, which I do not know, I lose all my value and I am thrown out of the house. I have seen people donating shirts, trousers and tops. But I have not seen anyone donating socks. I am not a collector item either. I am not sure where I end up. Most probably in some garment heap. No one wants to even touch me afterwards.

Several poets have written poems including Polish Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda who wrote an ode on me.

While I do not want you to write poetry and sing in praise, will you promise me to take care when you see or find me next ?

The Weighty problem

I love Mathematics. Maths has been my mother and father for several years. Maths is all about principles and precision. Each mathematical word conveys a bundle of thoughts. Many mathematical words have quietly travelled into spoken English and it is always nice to see how these words are being used. This flow is increasing by the day.

I share a hilarious conversation of my neighbours Sunil and Radhika. Both teach mathematics in a local school. I want to encourage you to answer the quiz at the end of the conversation.

Here goes the conversation:

Radhika: Honey, you look very upset this morning ! Why do you make an elliptical face ?

Sunil: I am well, but I am concerned with my weight. On the average, I am weighing eighty kilos in the last five years.

Radhika: Eighty is not necessarily a cardinal number. This discussion is everyday affair. Get going with what you want to do!

Sunil: I have been making so many efforts. In sum and substance – no success. My weight has been constant. I have not reduced even one kilo. Look at our neighbour Rao ! He is reducing by a kilo everyday.

Radhika: Do not equate yourself with Rao. He does not have any secret formula. He runs everyday three miles and spends three hours in Gym. His frequency of exercising is five days a week.

Sunil: How is he able to manage ? All of us have twenty four hours in a day. There are so many variables. What do you think are the common factors between us?

Radhika: Why are you worried about him ? Isn’t it odd? Look at yourself. What percentage of time you spend on exercising ? What is your BMI ratio?

Sunil: You always go off on a tangent ! BMI is not a complex number. My denominator has been constant for a few years. Only numerator is only increasing. Yes. Have you read the book by Rujita Diwekar. She has provided a secret formula.

Radhika: All these secret formulae do not work. It is all about book sales.

Sunil: Do not be be mean ! Diet is an integral part of the programme. She suggests to count our calories daily. As per the calculation, I need to consume two thousand calories per day. It is all a function of what you eat. It is not about volume, but value. Add a lot of vegetables and fibre to the diet.

Radhika: It is all nonsense. It is a mindset issue. Root of the problem is your mind. It is binary. You do or you do not do.

Sunil: What do you mean by this ?

Radhika: Have you heard of auto suggestions ?

Sunil: You always state theorems and corollaries. What is the corollary here ?

Radhika: It is not a secret algorithm. Give a suggestion everyday morning that you want to reduce weight. In all probability, you will definitely reduce one kg in a month if not in a week. You have the power to do.

Sunil: You strike a chord. It seems to be a great idea ! It looks very simple. When do I start ?

Radhika: Have you not heard of Fritz Perls,”Here and Now”? Do not bend over the arc.

Sunil: I shall set the base today and start right away.

( How many mathematical words including numbers appear in the above conversation ?)

Let us talk Millennials

This goes back to ten years in time. I was having dinner with my manager Chris Caine in Bangalore. He was on his way to China. Chris has an amazing quality of raising an interesting subject for discussion. Chris is a great thinker and a great listener. The subject at the table was the key traits of younger generation. After an hour long discussion, we listed three good attributes and three challenges faced by youngsters. The list goes like this:

Positive:

Ability to multitask
Speed of usage and adaptation of technology
Ability to take risks

Challenges:

Instant gratification
No patience
Short term focus

I remember Chris travelled to Beijing during that visit and later on the Berlin on his return to US. He had an opportunity to review the above list with my colleagues Peter Jen in Beijing and Armgard von Reden in Berlin. They both endorsed the above list. I am sure my friends Peter and Armgard will remember the discussion.

Last week, I was listening to Reid Hoffman on the podcast of Masters of Scale. It was a Millennial episode, an interview with Brit Miron, Founder and CEO of Brit+Co.

Subsequently, I also listened to the podcast of Esther Perel: Where should we begin ?

Both the podcasts taught me something new. These insightful podcasts triggered me to revisit and review my past discussion with Chris on the attributes of youngsters in the current context.

Before I go to the details, I shall offer a few definitions to the readers.

Baby Boomers : Baby boomers are those who are born between 1946 and 1964

Gen X: Those born between 1965 to 1979

Millennials: These are born between 1981 to 1997. These are also called Gen Y

Gen Z: Those born between 1995-2015

While I was listening to the above podcasts, I realise that there are five fundamental shifts which are happening.

Movement from rules to choices

I was brought up in a rule based society. There was a schedule for every activity of my life. Getting up, eating, studying, exercise, working, sleeping hours were all defined and I simply followed. It was easy and no thinking was necessary. It is very different now. There are several options and choices for all the daily activities for the millennials. There is no prescribed time for any activity. There is no set time for eating, exercising, sleeping, working. You could pick any time in a day or you could also choose any activity. 24/7. One can wear any dress for any occasion. No rules.

Massive certainty to massive uncertainty

That was an era of certainty. I roughly knew what we could become in future. The outcomes of my efforts were fairly clear and certain. I knew my interests and I was clear on what I should do. All I need to do was to follow the roadmap provided by elders. Some of the elders were my role models. Even the careers were decided by the elders. Hierarchy was followed at work and I got time bound promotions, may be once in five years. The feedback was also structured and I made the course corrections in my life and career at defined time intervals. There were no concepts of continuous feedback, peer learning, likes, followers on a massive scale for millennials as what you see today. Now things are very different. Instantaneous feedback on anything and everything I do. The course corrections are immediate. While this is very good, I really do not know what comes next. I start living in a huge cloud of uncertainty.

Interdependency to independency

Those were the times when I depended upon elders for everything. Even a small decision was needed to be endorsed by the elders. It was good. It was easy. I blindly followed. No need to think of any impacts. Thanks to technology and easy and affordable access to devices today, I think I am very independent now. Siri, Alexa tell me what I should do, where I should go and how I should do. The solutions are at hand literally – with a smartphone or a watch. I trust the devices more than humans as they provide quick answers to my questions. Google God is always at hand. I need not remember anything. I am very independent now.

Perfection to imperfection

I lived in a near perfect world. Everything was defined. Hardly any surprises. The dress was perfect. The food was perfect. The shoes were perfect. The ideas were perfect. There were no questions asked. No dissent on issues. The world is very different now. As Thomas Friedman had pointed out a few years earlier, the world is not only smaller, flatter but it has become imperfect too. As new innovations, new themes emerge by the second, my thought processes are tested every minute. The definitions of right and wrong are changing. There is no ‘the way’. I remember a problem solving class way back by Dr. Balwantha Reddy at Administrative Staff College, Hyderabad. I was struggling to generate a few options for a given problem. I realise now that Maclaurin series and Taylor series are in full swing and are happening. There are infinite solutions possible for any given problem.

Order to chaos

I remember the lesson on fractals in my engineering days. I was generally aware of various patterns around and these were no way expected to help in any real time problem solving. Patterns are a way of life now. No decision making is possible without understanding a pattern. Organisations study patterns of consumer preferences and decide their stocking policies. Academics are studying the patterns of responses from students and tailor questions and assignments. I learn a case where an estimated one hundred executives in an organisation are dedicated to study the colours of the shoes women wear and the design decisions are made based on the analysis. Usage of Normal distributions and Poisson distributions are very normal and real now. AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Machine learning are being used to develop algorithms to make decisions and these subjects are favourite topics in many conversations now. The depth and the speed of understanding has changed. Tools are being developed continuously to find some order in this chaos. Millennials are subjected to the complex decision making process every minute.

Looking through a forward lens

As a Baby Boomer, what should I do in this developing complex environment ? How do I deal with Millennials ?

Adapt to the new way of decision making: The decision making process has been practically handed over to the machines. I heard recently hiring and firing of employees are also done with machines. Mechanics have taken over the human interventions. Millenials have to deal with new decision making tools. They need to depend upon various factors to decide. Definition of self – I know about myself, I know what to do – is also constantly changing. When to get up, when to sleep, what jobs, how many children, holidays etc.etc are decided by some external factors. No meal is eaten these days in a restaurant without browsing into the stars given by the customers. No movie is watched without looking at the rating of the audience. The millenials are getting crushed under the weight of uncertainties, given the decision making process has become very complex. As elder, I need to be aware and adapt to the new decision making processes. I should not be surprised with the behaviour of a millenial at home or at work on any specific occasion.

Understand new way of relationships: The relationships have changed and have a new meaning. Relationship between the employer and the employee, parent and a child, husband and wife are heading towards a new meaning. Loyalty is being redefined. Many organisations are struggling to replace the conventional human resource management systems to suit the millenials. Thanks to massive urbanisation, traffic is a huge problem in many cities, Face to face meetings have become rare as it is very difficult to move from Point A to Point B. Virtual meetings are the order of the day. Skype, Whatsup video and Zoom calls are very common. Texting is a way to go now. There is a new language spoken by millennials. There are new words. Relationships within the family are also under pressure as the expectations are changing. It is very difficult to hold a millennial listen to me. It is like holding a piece of uncut diamond in my hand. The more I hold tightly, the more I only bleed. I need to learn to let go. Good for me and good for the diamond.

Evolve and let them evolve: I need to evolve and help millennials around me to evolve, learning and teaching simultaneously. There are always situations with diagonally opposite viewpoints. As elder, I need to take a step back and retract. There is no scope for any ego. I should consider this as a process of learning and I need to be on this constantly and exponentially rising learning curve. This is a huge challenge and continuous struggle. I need to learn to deal with this.

Learn to deal with new lifestyle: Millennials lead a very different life style. They work hard and play hard. They want to do multiple things at the same time. Rewards need to be instantaneous. They get frustrated and bored very quickly. Span of attention is very low. I heard recently of a student who refused to read an assignment because it is ten pages long. Millennials always look for novelty in whatever they do. They want others to respect their point of view. It is usually one way street. I need to empathise and learn to make adjustments.

Learn to accept the new reality and support the Millenials: The New Reality is here to stay and I should learn to live with this new reality. This reality is unique and different for each individual. There are no stereotypes or role models to copy. I need to learn by myself. I need to deal with situations by myself. I am a teacher and a student at the same time. I need to make course corrections on the way and move on. It is hard. There is no choice. Millennials need my wisdom. I need millennials’ positive energy and wisdom. Future rests on them. I need to learn to marshall the power of millennials for the good of our society.

What else ? I would like to hear thoughts from others.

Crows@ UW Bothell

Before I go to crows of Bothell, I would like to tell a story. I heard this story first from my Manager, Mr. Badagandi. He has a great sense of humor. The story goes like this:

A smart student was appearing for an English essay writing competition. One of his friends leaked the topic. It is about a crow. He prepared the essay, worked very hard and memorised every word. Alas, on the day of the competition, the topic given was Cricket Match instead of Crow. He did know much about a cricket match though cricket is one of the greatest passions in India. He had seen on a a cricket match on television. The student thought through and wrote the essay. A part of the essay for your reference.

“…..It was a beautiful sunny morning. A lot of spectators came to see the cricket match between India and Pakistan. Two captains dressed in whites came to the centre of the stadium for the toss. There were two others in black coats who accompanied them. Needless to say, India won the toss and elected to bat. Pakistan assembled the team to take fielding. Two Indian batsmen took their positions. The umpire in black coat signalled the Pakistan bowler to bowl. As the bowler bowled the ball, the batsman hit the ball very hard. This ball rose high in the sky and hit a crow….. A crow is a common bird found in cities. It is black in colour . It makes a lot of sound. etc.etc.(from now on, he reproduced the entire essay on crow which he memorized).” The message is that one should be smart enough to connect things somehow though they are not directly related and does not make any sense.

Whenever I see a crow, I remember the above story. The only birds you see in the cities these days are crows and pigeons. They are adaptable to any environment like rats, cockroaches, lizards etc. We find crows all over the place. There are supposed to be around forty species of crows in the world. Crow is not a very loved bird. Many consider crows as pests. These are seen as troublesome, dirty and unwanted. Some detest cows because they make loud noise and consider the cacophony, a big nuisance. They also drop unwanted remains all over the place.

But the research shows otherwise. Crows are believed to be very intelligent and smart and possess very good linguistic skills. They are the birds with great problem solving skills. There are several anecdotal evidences to support the above facts. I am sure all of you have heard the story of thirsty crow and the pitcher when you grew up. I highly recommend you listening to the very interesting TED talk by Joshua Klien on crows.

Look at how the crow makes the loop and picks up the item from the glass beaker in the video. It seems a crow does not forget a human face. Also look at how the nuts are cracked and the seeds are picked by the crows at the pedestrian crossings. Please do not miss the above awesome TED talk.

As a group, they communicate with each other well with their ‘caws’. They learn from each other. They teach each other. They teach their young how to get food and how to adopt to the environment. I have seen a couple of times when a crow dies, a larger group assembles and ‘mourns’ the dead. Crows do not spread disease and there are no health concerns associated with crows. In fact, pigeon poop is considered not healthy. Pigeons have been associated with a variety of diseases, including histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis. Histoplasmosis is a disease caused by a fungus that grows in pigeon droppings. When exposure is high, the fungus can cause infection. Crows as a group also could be very ferocious. Do you remember the story, ‘Birds’ by Daphne du Maurier and which was made into a movie by Alfred Hitchcock ?

Crows are omnivores. Practically they eat everything. In a way, crows are good scavengers and eat away small worms, dead stuff etc. A crow on average lives for fifteen to twenty years. Hindus believe that ancestors come in the form of crows and eat the food offered. Crows are associated with death because they are black in colour. Crow is also the vehicle of Shani (Saturn) as per Hindu mythology. In ancient Egypt, a crow symbolizes faithful love and according to Greeks a crow is related to marriage and war.

Coming to Bothell crows. Bothell is a city located in King and Snohomish Counties in the State of Washington. It is part of the Seattle Metropolitan area. Bothell hosts one of the University of Washington(UW) campuses. Apart from hosting a great academic institution, the place is well known for another important aspect. At dusk, as the sky darkens, about 15000 crows descend on the campus. (Again I am sure how this was counted). It is a spectacular sight. One should visit the campus in the evening to believe. I have never seen such a congregation of crows at one place. Bothell crows are attracting researchers and students all over. Not only researchers from Biology, there are scientists from other branches of science who are interested in knowing more about the crow-human relationships and the social component that binds them. You should listen to some of the research students. They will tell you many interesting stories on these crows. They seem to recognise some of them.

Look at the FB page for Bothell Crows

I also recommend the blog (Library voices) from Melissa logan on Bothell Crows.

I am sure you will think of the above blog when you see a crow !

What I found in my handbag?

I love my handbag. This was designed and custom made by my friend, Shilpa Singh, a graduate from National Institute of Design. My bag has separate pockets for handphone, spectacles, cards, cash in notes and coins. It can accomodate my kindle as well. It is very convenient and I carry the bag always with me.

I kept postponing cleaning of my bag for a long time. It was last Sunday that I decided to empty and clean my bag. I emptied all the contents on my desk. It was a treasure trove. Lots of visiting cards, receipts and discount coupons. Some of these things threw me back into the memory lane and I started thinking about each item. I would like to share my thoughts on some of these items.

Hot chocolate receipt from Dilattente

Hot chocolate has been my favourite beverage since I have come to US. I sampled the drink in many restaurants in Seattle. Nothing beats the quality at Dilattente. This tastes exotic. It tastes yummy when it is extra hot. They have a chocolate scale from deep dark 72% cacao to smooth creamy white chocolate at 31%cacao. You could choose your profile to suit the palate when you order the drink. The chocolate is melted in pots to create each rich chocolate beverage. The service representative at the counter usually asks your chocolate number. My favourite number is 63- ephemere. It seems I have put on a lot of weight after drinking many cups of the delicious hot chocolate since I have come to Seattle.

ORCA Pass

ORCA stands for ‘One Regional Card for All’. It is ‘lakh dukhonki ki ek dawa’ for transport in Seattle. The card is valid on most transit systems in Seattle metropolitan area – local buses, light rail, water taxi and street car. This is managed by Central Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination Board which is composed of local transit agencies. I have seen the drivers of most of the transit services to be very efficient and customer friendly. No ‘nirvahakaru’ for most of the systems. Drivers manage all the operations. The only challenge with many of the transport systems are that the drivers do not return change. You need to carry the exact fare. In case you give a higher denomination note, you will not get change back. The balance goes to’ Balaji Hundi’.

Entrance ticket to space needle

Space needle a must see in Seattle. It is an observation tower and an icon in Seattle. It was built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World’s Fair which drew, I believe, 2.3 million visitors visited the tower when it was opened. Nearly 20,000 people visit every day and there are high speed elevators for visitors’ convenience. It takes 41 seconds to go up the tower. There is an observation deck (160m high) and a rotating restaurant (currently under renovation) on the top. You get an awesome view of skyline of Seattle from the top.

Receipt from Seattle Public Library

The Seattle Public Library (SPL) is the public library system serving Seattle. It was officially established in the city in 1890. There are 26 branches most of them named after the neighbourhoods in which they are located. They have a Talking Book & Braille library too. They have 2.3 million books. There is also huge collection of video material. The place is a paradise for students and researchers. The central library was designed by Rem Koolhaas and it is a landmark in Seattle. The building has 10 floors. In addition to elevators, they have escalators to every floor. The books are organised as fiction and non-fiction. Most of the non-fiction titles are available on the 7 to 9th floor. There are librarians who are willing to give you suggestions on what to read. You could also set up appointment for detailed research on any specific topic. There is a large auditorium which hosts literary events and book releases almost every day. There are several ongoing workshops on reading, writing and for children. There is a huge push for encouraging individuals to read. There are also sections pertaining to other languages as well. There are also a few sections for test takers and job seekers as well. I like the 10th floor which is a very quiet floor. There is a lot of natural light from the roof and it is a pleasure to sit and read a book. There is no restriction on number of books to borrow. There are also facilities to print the required material.

Receipt from First Starbucks

The Pike Place Starbucks store, commonly called the Original Starbucks, is the first Starbucks store, established in 1971 at Pike Place Market. The store has kept its early appearance over time and is subject to design guidelines due to its historic significance. The menu is standard menu of any of Starbucks store. The store is a tourist attraction in Pike place and often hosts a crowd from 7am onwards. You could see visitors taking selfies, photographs inside the stores. In a recent interview of Howard Schulz, I learnt that Starbucks posted an annual revenue is US$ 24 B with average of $5 spend per customer. You can imagine the number of cups of coffee Starbucks is selling per year.

Seattle Underground tour Pass

The most unusual attraction in Seattle is a humorous stroll through intriguing subterranean storefronts and sidewalks entombed when the city rebuilt on top of itself after the Great Fire of 1889. This fire destroyed the entire central business district of Seattle. The fire changed the history of Seattle which paved way for building a modern city. Because of the fire, the buildings in downtown Seattle now sit some 20 feet above the original street level.The guided tour takes you to some of the underground shops, walkways etc. You could also see some of the old utility systems.

Receipt from LifeFloat

Life Float is a spa where you would experience sensory deprivation. Each private enclosure has a huge tank with water and two tons of Epsom salt dropped into it. You need to take a shower and get into this tank. You will not sink or stand on your legs as the salt water will not allow you to stand. You can only float. It would be scary for the first few minutes as it would take time to balance yourself. You simply lie down and you will start to float. You could move your hands and legs horizontally. A small sponge headboard would be available which provides you a feeling of a pillow under your head. There are options of background music and light if required. If you do not want both, you will be floating in pitch dark. This process goes on for an hour. There is no option, but to close your eyes and work on your mind. You will also lose the sense of direction as you are not aware in which direction you are floating. I realise this as a good experience to quieten your mind. After one hour, music and light come up gradually. It is not easy to walk out of the pool as you keep slipping. Visit to LifeFloat is a must in case you are visiting Seattle.

What next ?

I do not want to disclose other items as of now. I leave them out for the next time !

Uniform blues

It is reported that Albert Einstein, the famous physicist, always wore a grey suit. Steve Jobs wore the same black mock turtleneck, blue jeans and New Balance sneakers every day for years. President Barack Obama wore always grey or blue suits. All of them did not want to make decisions about what they are wearing. They considered it a waste of time to spend thinking about what they should wear. Mark Zuckerberg wears a grey t-shirt as he represents the entire generation of young people who don’t want to wear suits to work. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘s kurta jacket has become a standard uniform for many in India. Famous business people and politicians are known to be consistent with their wardrobe because it is also their brand identity.

President A P J Abdul Kalam, who seems most comfortable in his shirts and trousers, had done away with the formidable sartorial guidelines that all but the most courageous dared to ignore at previous Presidential soirees. Guests were encouraged to wear whatever they wished — kurta pyjamas, bush shirts, full sleeve shirts, and, of course, suits and bandh gallas — provided the attire did not violate the boundaries of good taste. The three service chiefs and other officers of the armed forces, of which Dr. Kalam was the Supreme commander, could wear uniform, but leave their ceremonial swords and scabbards home. It seems he also advocated for our own dress code for convocations and other occassions doing away with continuing British tradition.

There are different sections of the society who continue with uniform tradition- defence services, healthcare professionals, police, judiciary, postal services and travel and hotel industry. Some of the uniforms are synonymous with the profession. One can identify a profession by looking at the uniform. Some love uniforms. Some hate uniforms. Some respect uniforms.

There has been a huge debate on school uniforms recently. Strong proponents to school uniform believe that the uniforms encourage discipline, diminish economic and social barriers between students, increases a sense of belonging, and helps identifying any intruders. Opponents contend that it violates s student’s right to freedom and also could be a burden on poor families. While many moms love children uniforms, many children hate them as they need to wear the same dress day after day. The origin of first school uniforms goes to 1222 AD in England.

Employee uniforms have a different story. The employee uniforms create an attractive business image, promote organisational brand, improves safety, fosters team spirit, promotes company pride and protects workers in industries such as infrastructure, process lines such as welding, paint shop etc. Surgical theatres, intensive care units, clean rooms, hardware foundries do need uniforms where dust levels are very critical. Moreover, uniforms are treated as incentive by many employees. In Bangalore, you could recognise public sector employees by their uniforms. The uniform provides them respect and dignity wherever they go. Even the security companies have upgraded themselves with a uniform identity.

There are also a few like my brother who love the uniform as he need not to worry on daily basis what to wear. He loves his white safari suit. He has made the white dress as default dress for all occasions – prayers, meetings, marriages, travel etc. You can always locate him in a crowd. I have not seen him wearing any other dress for years. While he thinks it easy, I am sure my sister-in-law finds it difficult to maintain his uniform.

There is also humour depicted in some uniforms in our Bollywood, Tolley wood, ***wood and ***wood etc. Police, nurses, lawyers are the usual targets. Even the sidekicks who follow the villain have also distinct uniforms.

While uniforms are good, they also land you into embarrassing moments sometimes.

I had two occasions in my career where I had to wear uniforms. I want to narrate two instances where I had a few challenges. I am sure some of you who lived in uniforms in their careers have several experiences.

My manager volunteered to drive me to a supplier during one of our regular supplier visits. We were both wearing our company uniform. When we reached the vendor premises, the security guard at the gate stopped our car. Pointing to my manager who was at the driving wheel, he announced, ‘ Driver, you can not get the car inside. There is no parking. You need to park outside and wait.’ He saluted me and said, ‘ Sir, please go inside and meet the reception.’ You can imagine my bosses’ face sitting at the steering wheel.

On another occasion, I was helping my colleagues with some despatch as we were short of hands. I was standing at some distance and observing the whole process. The truck driver asked me, “ Suno ! Kyo Khade Ho ? Ek kap garam chai leke aav.” I had no other option, but to abide by the request, go inside and fetch tea for the truck driver. My colleagues had a big laugh.

Do you have uniforms stories to share ?

An obituary for a gem ‘stone’

He was a gem. But he was a stone in many respects. He died the last week. He was 92. I knew him for the last 35 years. Nothing could change him. No one could influence him. Nothing could stop him. Always, he had his last word. He had his way. He never listened to others. He lived his way for years. He always lived in his past. He loved himself immensely. He always loved to tell his past stories. He loved good food.

He was born in a poor family. He faced hardships in his childhood. His father was a temple priest. They had difficulty in earning two meals a day. There was no money. He managed to study up to School intermediate (12th standard these days). His father was able to secure a teacher position for him in a small school. At some point in time, he ended up as a headmaster in the school while his father was a teacher reporting to him.

Here comes the twist. The idea of money lending to small families hit him like a boon. He executed the brilliant idea. In the olden ways, we had an instrument called promissory note. For those who are not aware, it is a document of promise to pay. He got the debtor to sign the promissory note and collected the interest. He had a business model. He started seeing money. Cash was very precious to him. He revered cash like God. By middle class family standards, they became prosperous very soon. They also acquired a piece of land in their village.

He came in touch with an elderly colleague who had a beautiful daughter. Considering the potential and the great abilities, he gave his daughter in marriage to him. While marriage was a big welcome change in his life, wife was not his priority. Though he was always busy with his work and money lending business, he was able to raise a family of five girls and two boys. He had no time for anything, but earning money. While Eric liu talks about six powers, he believed only in one power- wealth. One and only one power. He believed that wealth is the solution to all the problems in life. He would protect his money like a cobra. He had a strong belief that only way one can earn respect is to be seen wealthy in the society. He would not like to spend. He never believed in spending. He always wanted to live his earlier ways. His family members got adjusted to his life style. He had a tremendous bias for his sons. He invested a lot in his sons with a strong belief that they are his saviours. However, he also strongly believed in education of his daughters. No one in his family could change him. He had an equidistant perspective from happiness and sorrow. He would never give up. When he had problems in his career, he switched seamlessly to become a purohit in the village. He would answer quartions for the villagers. He acquired certificate as a Registered Medical Practitioner. He also became a Homeopath overnight.

He was Dr. Jekyll and Hyde in some way. He would present himself as extremely pious and considerate to all and sundry. Internally he had a different agenda. He always weighed the relationship with wealth perspective. He left no stone unturned for making money even if it is small. Telling a lie was not difficult for him in the process. Did he carry antything with him?

I like him in many ways. He lived a simple life. He never went after material things – new clothes, new gadgets etc. He would eat what is given to him. He would drink what is offered to him. He always looked for someone to help him. He always lived like a king. He never chased anything except money. He was never greedy. He stuck to his principles throughout his life. I like his single-minded laser focus on a single target like an Airforce bomber.

I miss him.

A brush with Four Seasons

I am not talking about a toothbrush or a hair brush or the hotel chain of Four Seasons. I want to talk about my first painting adventure in my life. My daughter sponsored me for a painting class last week. Before I go there, I want to talk about my knowledge of paintings.

My knowledge is zero in this creative art. Many attempts in my younger days failed miserably. I do not understand colours, brushes, shades and canvases. I did not have a teacher or a guide. I am told that painting is a natural skill. Whether you have it or do not have it.

My first challenge with the subject was when I was asked to describe a painting as a part of English writing exercise. I chose Taradevi, one of Raja Ravi Varma ‘s most beautiful paintings. The painting depicts Taradevi, presiding deity of music playing sitar and her friend listening to her with rapt attention. This is supposed to be a story from Mahabharata. After two days of struggle, I produced the essay. I received a mixed feedback on this essay. In the process, I learnt a little about paintings. In fact, Raja Ravi Varma was the first person who gave physical structure to many Indian gods we worship – Saraswathi, Mahalakshmi, Sri Raghurama and others. Chitra Art Gallery in Thiruvanathapauram and Jaganmohana Palace in Mysore host some his great collections. Raja was Ravi Varma’s title. If interested, you could see the bio-pic on Raja Ravi Varma by the celebrated Ketan Mehta on Youtube starring Randeep Hooda and Nandana Sen.

I got some insight into Ottoman miniatures through the book ‘ My Name is Red’ by Orhan Pamuk. Also, I had an opportunity to see a few paintings of celebrated painters like MF Hussain, Amritha Sher Gil, Jatin Das, Tagore and Nandalal Bose. I never knew that there were different schools of painting – Mughal, Jaipur, Mewar, Kishangarh, Mughal and Tanjore. Each of the schools focussed on a particular theme and has a distinct style. I never had a keen eye for this medium.

During my visits to Louvre, Florence, Sistine Chapel, Rijks, British Museum, Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York, I have also seen many famous paintings by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent VanGoh, Raphael, Rembrandt. I was unable to appreciate the creative work. Most of the times, I was rushing through the art section of these museums. While the paintings looked very beautiful, I never understood what went into this medium and how difficult to tell a story through the paintings. I remember reading Douglas Hofstadter ‘s famous book Godel, Escher and Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. I was introduced to MC Escher’s drawings through this book. You must try to check out some of these drawings of Escher like Monks, Waterfall, Drawing Hands, Relativity, Reptiles etc. and you will know what I am saying.

I also bought a book on how to see and understand famous paintings in the world. I did not make any progress and the book must be lying in my collection somewhere in my house.

Coming back to my painting adventure last week, my daughter and I went to the painting class which was conducted in a hotel. There were about twenty participants and an instructor (teacher) with a headphone mike, the one usually the tourist guides carry to talk to the guests. A canvas frame of 12 inch by 16 inch was set up for each of the participants. We were supplied with three brushes large, medium and small. Two paper plates (pallets) were given. On one plate, there were blobs of five primary colours – White, Red, Black, Yellow and Blue. The other plate was supposed to be for mixing. Water in a disposable tumbler. Of course, a roll of paper napkins for cleaning the extra paint. There was also a model of the painting subject displayed. Also, I was the youngest (?) person in the group.

The instructor told us that there are not going to be any lessons and we need to paint directly on the canvas as per her instructions. My heart sank as I never touched a brush or a paint in my life. Precisely at seven pm, instructions started pouring down the headset.

We were asked to divide the canvas into four equal parts by using a small brush in blue colour. This was a fairly easy task. Now come the seasons. Each rectangle on the canvas is dedicated to a season – Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer. Hence the title of Four Seasons for the painting and the blog. This was my first exposure to four seasons. I had to imagine what happens in these four seasons. We have primarily only two seasons in India – Summer and no Summer.

We started with the right most rectangle with green background. The green colour was obtained by mixing one part yellow and one part blue. We were asked to use the big brush and make small strokes in an inverted C on the canvas. Uneven distribution and reducing intensity where the inverted C is converging. Next came yellow to fill up the remaining C with to complete the rectangle. This rectangle is supposed to represent the Spring season. As per the instructions of the teacher, we were asked to move to the extreme left triangle. We were asked to mix three parts of red with one part of yellow for bright orange. Using the similar process as described above, we were asked to make an uneven C in the rectangle. The balance of C was filled with light yellow, mixing one part of yellow with one part of white. This rectangle is supposed to represent Summer.

We moved to the third rectangle with purple background. Purple was obtained by mixing equal parts of red and blue. The same process was repeated for the background of this rectangle. The rectangle is supposed to represent Autumn.

For the last rectangle, the chosen colours were blue and light blue. In this case top and bottom of the rectangle were in deep colour and the centre with light blue in oval shape. This rectangle is supposed to represent Winter.

Now the trees. Each rectangle should have a tree. The four trees need to be different from each other. We were asked to use medium brush and draw the trees with one or two lines without a break. The chosen colour was black for the three rectangles and white for winter rectangle. We were asked to draw a few branches randomly for each of the trees. I remembered my seventh standard science class drawing the tree, branches and the leaves.

Fun starts now. Giving finishing touches to my painting. The teacher asked us to give finishing touches – leaves falling in Spring, snow flakes following in Winter etc with the fine brush. It was free for all from onwards. After five minutes, the class stopped abruptly and the teacher announced that the class has come to an end. We washed and returned the paint brushes, dumped the plates and the tissue paper in the trash can and returned home with our paintings.

I learnt a lesson that there is no age limit for acquiring certain skills. All you require is passion, curiosity to learn, a good teacher and right ambience. I also learnt that one should not sleep during painting sessions. Requires, attention and focus. I read somewhere that painting like writing is for yourself. The more you paint, the better you would be at it. Better always makes one the best ! I may not become a great painter as per the definition of Malcolm Gladwell ( 10000 hours of practice), but I am sure, I shall improve from here.

My date with Hirwa family

Hirwa is one of those gorilla groups that wander around the Virunga conservation area – an area that shares the boundaries of Virunga National Park in Congo, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.

The story goes like this:

Hirwa means the “lucky one” in native Kinyarwanda. This family came into existence when Munyinga, the dominant silverback got trouble with Susa family for always mating the females in this family. (The impacted cousins are not aware of the current #MeToo movement which is making dozens tumble down by day from the moral thrones in India). He decided to leave this family leaving with two females. He inhabited Mountain Sabyinyo collecting other females with him along the way. Hirwa gorilla family is regarded lucky as one of the births resulted into a set of twins. This is one of the few mountain gorilla groups that have twins.

It was 19th September, 2018. Very memorable day in my life.

I decided to take a day off after the hectic AWEC conference and visit Volcano National Park, two and half hour drive from Kigali.

My driver picked me up at 4:30 am from Marriott. It was a two-hour picturesque drive to Ruhngeri from Kigali. The road was top class compared with any road in US or Europe. Visitor centre is located at the base of the volcano park. The National Volcano park is home for five of the eight volcanoes in Virunga mountains. These are Karisimgi (14, 787ft), Muhabana(13,540 ft), Bioske(12175 ft), Sabinyo(12037ft) and Gahinga(11398 ft). Mount Bioske is the only active volcano and rest are dormant. The national park is home for very rare gorillas and golden monkeys. The place the Gorilla families inhabited is Mountain Sabyinyo which is an extinct volcano in the Virunga range, about 12000ft tall. The nickname for this mountain is “Old Man’s Teeth” since its peak resembles worn out teeth and it not like any other of the peaks in the Virungas..

My heart sank at the sight of the volcanoes. The visitors were arriving from 7 to 7:30 am. Young and old. There was a lot of excitement. We were served tea under a shed. Only 80 permits are issued in a day and the request for the permit needs to be applied two to three months in advance.

All of us were divided into 10 groups based on our age and stamina. Each group was briefed by two guides on the route, a few dos and don’ts. Each one was asked to carry a small backpack with water and a few snacks. We were taught a sign language and a few sounds to communicate with the gorillas. In addition to two guides, each group had four porters and four forest rangers. Porters would help with backpacks and also help climbing the rough patches on the trek.. We were told that we shall meet Hirwa family. We were also given a brief on the family, their ages, the members etc. We take the trekking route to Mount Sabyinyo.

After the briefing by the guides, we boarded our jeeps. We travelled for two kilometers on stones and gravel. Real stones ! This gave me the first impression of what in store for the day. Each of us was given a solid stick as support. After the two kilometer jeep journey, we were asked to get down and our trek began in a narrow pathway between Irish Potato fields. After thirty minutes, further briefing was given about the further trek to come. It is very unorganised trail with ups and downs and forest all over you. At some places, you need help from porters to lift you up to get onto the trail. After an hour of walk, I thought it was impossible to go further. At some places, you need to crawl inch by inch. Both the guides gave me enough time and waited for all along , motivated me to continue. ( I was told many would give up at this point of the trek and return to the base).

After another hour, good news came that the ranger sighted a family member nearby and that we are not very far. The rangers cleared the bushes, twigs and made some path for us to move further. After fifteen minutes, another ranger met us and asked us to offload all our stuff including the walking sticks. We were allowed to carry our phones and cameras only. No talking aloud and no making noises.

There was a brief team discussion and I was made the team leader for some unknown reasons.( May be everyone in our group was scared to face a gorilla for the first time). I was to lead the team from the front and make the first contact with the gorilla family member. Of course, the guide was with me and I made the gestures and sounds suggested by him in front of the first gorilla I met. This was a baby and three years old. It was very fascinating to watch this lovely animal in the forest. She was playing , feeding and jumping around from one branch to the other. Another baby joined soon and I was told by the guide that both are twins. Other members of the team joined me at this time. Both babies were playing and fighting with each other. Then comes the mother. I was very scared. It was a fairly huge animal with considerable weight. My guide has asked me to step aside without any noise so that the baby has the direct access to baby.

As our team members were taking photographs, another family member arrived from behind. This was fairly large and we thought she would jump on us. Nothing like that happened. The family members started walking down. The group was joined by another four in the middle age. These were fairly big size. Here come the father, Munyinga. The only silver streak gorilla in the group. The silver streak on the back glistened in the sunshine. I was told by the guide that the father is 37 years old and the mother 31. The average life of a gorilla is estimated to be 45 years. All the family members were busy with themselves, playing, feeding, talking to each other, similar to a human family. Someone was hitting the chest, the other helping the little ones to climb. It was very nice to observe the whole process. I am sure they were discussing a few family issues among themselves. It was a pleasure to see them talking to each other. We were told by our guide that each gorilla feeds on bamboo shoots equivalent to 15% of their weight everyday. We spent about an hour Hirwa family. We did not how the time went ! A rare sense of joy, happiness and anxiety filled my mind. Finally, it was time to say goodbye. All of us in the group took last-minute photographs and said a formal parting note.

I started trekking down thinking about the great adventure I had. While I experienced a lot of stillness, my mind was full of thoughts.

A gorilla is almost like a human being and has 98% of human DNA.( I learnt from reading a newsclip). The Hirwa family was living happily without the challenges what we have. No mobile phones, no internet, no bosses to listen to, no calendars to follow. No chasing for money, no competition to become better. They were living, communicating with each other, expressing love with no hidden agendas !

A lot to learn from these lovely creatures !.

The trek was worth the effort. I returned to hotel by evening. If you happen to be in East Africa, a visit to National Volcano Park is a must.