Carroms with a Kid

Thanks to Munnabhai M.B.B.S, modern day Indian Kids have re-discovered the beauty of the carroms game. And this time, it was my uncle's son who wanted to play carroms with me the other day. It had been really very long for me playing that game. For a moment, i went back in time, in school days, when every summer, I used to play carroms with my sister. I remember the way my sister used to loose in the game so that I could win it and feel happy about it. But, later when i came to knew about it, I felt bad that i won all those games on a non-merit basis. Hence, i decided not to repeat this with the kid. I thought to make the Kid learn something out of the game.

"अविनाश भैय्या, चलो ना कार्रोम्ज़ खेलते हैं....प्लीज", my little brother said as he brought the board fully drenched with powder. He put up a question mark face when i asked him which game he wanted to play. It was a pity to know that he didn't knew what kind of games could be played with the carroms. All he knew was, one shoots blacks while the other shoots whites and the lucky one walks away with the Queen. I suggested to play a game of Business.

He asked innocently, "बिजिनेज़ ? इश्के साथ हम बिजिनेज़ कैसे खेल शकते हैं भइया?"
And i taught him the rules of the game. Each white coin was priced at Rs.10/- and the black one at Rs.5/- while the Queen at Rs.25/-. On earning an amount of Rs.15/-, one could start investing it in the property. The property comprised of arrows, lines, spaces and holes on the standard carrom board. To buy an arrow, one had to pay an amount of 15/-, the line 30/, the space 60/-, the hole 80/-. If you buy a property, it meant whichever coin falls under your property becomes yours.

"हाआआआअ...........|", he took a long exclamatory breath!
"भइया, अगर कोई कोंन मेरे प्रोपर्टी मैं गिरी, तो वह मेरी हो जायेगी?"
"बिलकुल, जो भी काइन तेरे प्रोपर्टी में गिरेगी, तेरी हो जायेगी|"
"अर्र्रे ......वाह , यह तो भडिया है|"

And that was how, my li'l bro started learning the business terms, but still he was far away from the logistics. As we started the game, the moment i earned 15 bucks, i started investing in the property and got immediate returns. Innocent looks were staring at me, unknown of what had happened. I finished purchasing the entire property and my bro looked at me completely clueless of what to do. I insisted on re-starting the game and i began to tell him everything from investment to liquidation. My words hit his brain like a tangent. I started to give him examples so that he would understand better. We played the game and I waited until he earns fifteen bucks. But, he would miss the coins unfortunately.

"भइया, मेरे पास तो पैसे ही नहीं है| अब मैं बुजिनेज़ कैसे करूँगा?", he asked me in a confused state.
"एक काम कर, लोन लेले|", i suggested. He replied with a face which was more confused. I explained him what a loan meant and how he had to repay me with interest, once he started earning profits. He readily agreed and thus began the game - the game of virtual business through real carroms.

(Very loosely inspired from '100 pounds of popcorn' by Hazel Krantz)

One day 'not' at the Gym

...And then there was this unstructured, badly shaped body figure who wanted to look glamorous, cool and sexy. He thought a wide chest, thick biceps would give him the macho look and added to it his charm and good looks, he would be a super kewl hero! And thus began the exercise - the exercise to look great, the exercise to woo girls, the exercise to be a dude, the exercise to just exercise!

Day #1
Well, nothing big this day. Just a bit of warm up, stretching the body, consulting the trainer for diet and other regulations. It was a nice start, feeling energetic, good and positive about it. The trainer was kinda boring, uncommunicative and with his tamilian slang, each word he spoke sounded like the cry of a dark green frog. It wasn't too late, we finished going through the entire gym looking at so many bodies working out pretty hard. I felt as if a sheepish cat had just entered the kennel of a variety of breeds of hard dogs. Some had great, damn thick, biceps (probably 10 cm diameters) and some had great chest, some people looked completely from an alien world and some were simply so heavy, the very sight from the corner of the eye made a chill run down my spine. And lo! the entire gym was decorated with posters of men flexing and exhibiting their muscles just like this one ----->

Gosh! It wasn't as easy as I thought it to be. The very first day was so 'mentally' terrifying, i don't know what would happen if i started the actual physical workouts. I realized why people go so crazy and mad when stars like SRK, Allu Arjun and others come up with six packs. After all, dividing your upper half body into six parts wasn't that simple!

Day #2
My habit of reading books was good enough, it helped me motivate myself and gain that confidence to achieve what i wished to. There was a much confident cat in the gym the next day with it's head held high, yelling internally to each other dog that one day i would be better than you, just watch out! And the trainer came in with the dumbles. The very sight of the two lean cylinders with a head and bottom constituting to most of the weight, made one happy. This was the start of a short trip (I couldn't use the word journey) to a more glamorous and sexy man.

The moment i took the dumbles into my hand with too much of enthusiasm and bubbling enormous energy, my excitement doubled around. The trainer showed a demonstration of the workout and left. It was damn easy, nothing hard. I had to just life the dumble one by one, left and right hand alternatively, for 20 times. And this entire act had to be repeated thrice. Great! I did it with a smile. At first, i felt as though the cat was made to carry the heaviest bones of Spike. (Remember? Spike is the jumbo dog you always see in Tom & Jerry cartoons, who helps jerry and always is fighting around with Tom) But, since i read good books and i had learnt the art of self motivation, i went ahead with a sparkling smile.(Thanks to the new Meswak toothpaste)
Even before i could continue the workout ahead, Spike came and asked me:

"Entanna ademchestunnav?"(His face expression meant that, you 10 year old boy, don't you know even how to use the feeder?)
"Adenti ala adigaru" (My face was soaked in innocence and embarrassment as if i had committed a crime by using the bones in an inappropriate way)

The whole gym looked at me as though i was a clown in the circus using some tools in the wrong way to create silly humor. But, this wasn't silly, I was serious about it, I wanted to build a good body for myself. I continued my bone workout the way the trainer had instructed me not caring of what others thought of me. And when i saw my workout's reflection in the mirror, I couldn't stop laughing. It was as though a skeleton was trying to be salman khan. My laugh made me forget everything but within no time, the trainer was in front of me staring at me and wishing if i had not joined his gym. My embarrassment squared itself. There was no way I could square root it. I just tried to do the workout how others did but in vain.

Day #3
The day 'not' at the gym. I could not push myself to the gym, i hated the very thought of it, I started hating the very word 'gym'. The hatred tripled when i read the definition of gym from wikipedia and it says:

The Greek word gymnasium means "place to be naked" and was used in ancient Greece to designate a locality for the education of young men, including physical education (gymnastics, i.e. exercise) which was customarily performed naked, as well as bathing, and studies. For the Greeks, physical education was considered as important as cognitive learning. Most Greek gymnasia had libraries that could be utilized after relaxing in the baths.

I stayed at home trying to forget about those dream looks i wished to have, trying to divert my mind from the super kewl macho body i wished. I did many activities, listening to Radio, reading books and lotsa other stuff. But, the pain of not going to gym was far more than the pain of going to the gym. My shoulders and arms went red in pain. I couldn't bend, I couldn't turn around, I couldn't do things which i would do perfectly earlier. My muscles went hard and rigid. Everything was painful. Hell lot of pain!

I was in a fix now. If i had to go the gym, there was both mental and physical stress and if I had not to go the gym, there was double the physical pain and frustration due to it. But, hey as i said, my good habit of reading good books by good authors and their good motivational quotes always helped me to do which i thought I couldn't do. Robin Sharma says in his book 'The Saint, The Surfer and The CEO' that when the student is ready, the teacher automatically appears, all you need is an empty cup state of the mind. When you have the appetite to learn and the aptitude to apply it, then you would definitely learn it.

Day #4
I knew i was doing everything wrong, but i had faith in what i read. I would definitely learn what i wanted to. I observed every other individual and tried to copy him. Ctrl+C is infact a great command in the PC, but in real life, it's not applicable. I don't remember properly what happened later. Maybe my face expression revealed my learning appetite or something like that but believe it or not, almost 5 different people came forward to help me and teach me different exercises and the right way of doing them. (Except the bloody trainer) I was happy that there were so many unknown people also in this world who came forward to help me. If I could get 5 strangers to teach me in the gym itself, imagine how many i could get in this whole vast world. Imagine the whole lot of strangers in this universe, they could all be my friends. After all, we all are the same and come from the same source irrespective of cast,creed,nation,color,time etc etc.


Eh! Err.... enough of the complicated philosophy. I am back at body building, going to the gym everyday, trying hard to do different set of workouts, from butterfly to lifts, from chest to abs. I still did not turn into that heavy dog, still a cat, but much better and a fit one!

Management Lessons from Akbar Birbal II

The King of Iran had heard that Birbal was one of the wisest men in the East and desirous of meeting him sent him an invitation to visit his country.

In due course, Birbal arrived in Iran. When he entered the palace he was flabbergasted to find not one but six kings seated there. All looked alike. All were dressed in kingly robes. Who was the real king?

The very next moment he got his answer. Confidently, he approached the king and bowed to him.
"But how did you identify me?" the king asked, puzzled.
Birbal smiled and explained: "The false kings were all looking at you, while you yourself looked straight ahead. Even in regal robes, the common people will always look to their king for support." Overjoyed, the king embraced Birbal and showered him with gifts.

Management Lesson:
"You know you are a true leader when you can support your team in their worst times."
All other fake kings in the story were tensed and uncomfortable in the king's position. They were in one of their bad times and seeked for the king for support. A true leader is always looked for in bad times.

Let Me Dance ...

Let Me Dance like the kids
free from fear and full of laughter
let me rotate round in the circle
the never ending circle of joy and bliss
feeling young, back in time, in childhood
let me forget my life for a moment
as i jump, hand in hand with the universe






Let Me Dance in co-ordination
for each step they take,
let me also make the move
after all this world is a place
where all elements work together
let us all make the mark here
if one falls let the other take care
if one rises let others love him







Let Me Dance as a Dude
rocking on the streets
as people watch me
let me twist my body
in total perfection
let me blow like the wind
spinning fast through this world
turning tipsy topsy
my curves wander everywhere







Let Me Dance freakily
like a crazy woman
soaked in trance
unknown unaware of time
from past to future
let me make all the moves
who knows what the step meant






Let Me Dance with best of the best
a show which would be remembered
for centuries to come by this world
a dance which was never performed
which would not be attempted again
let me spread the energy limitlessly









Let Me Dance wild and unstoppable
with the highest degree of energy
music blasting my ears, adding fuel
to the fire in my burning heart
let my feet not remain on this land
neither the sea nor the dancing floor












Let Me Dance Bollywood iShtyle
as thousands of crowds cheer
I sweep plenty of awards
a sparkling show of stars
creating history in cinema
living life of a legend









Let Me Dance passionately
undiscovered moods and faces
expressions which no one ever saw
let me express through my body
to the tunes of the unheard
as they sing new ragas
like a live painting
my dance remains immortal












Let Me Dance for myself
liberating my mind body & soul
free from anything in this universe
in extreme bliss and joy
ecstasy at unknown levels
boundless happiness & love
i now move on
for the soul within









Let Me Dance for the divine
who gave me this talent
as a gift to my life
to whom everything belongs
i owe him whatever he asks
in spiritual longing
let me dance for
dance is my life &
dance is my passion
let me dance
just let me dance......