Tu jaanta hai main kaun hoon? (do you know who I am?)

Well yes, you guessed it right. This is one question that plagues many people. Wait - add another question, "Tu jaanta hai mera baap kaun hai? (Do you know who my father is?)" - this is when the father of a son/daughter is a person in power. My response to these people will be - don't you know who your father is?

In India, people have this tendency to be 'egoistic' rather than proud of what their parents achieved. Yes, it is great that their parent(s) achieved in their lifetime. And much appreciated. However, it is the achievement of the parent. Not the child. The father or mother was a governor. Or an IAS officer. Or the business tycoon. Or a beauty queen. Or someone in Indian politics. But, what have you done as a son or a daughter? Be proud of your own achievements; not of others.

L.O.V.E. 

Natural beauty - Are you listening Mr. Yadav?

Recently, I went to Delhi - yet again. I wanted to take my child to a park and what better place than South Delhi! This was his first visit to a park, which had flowers of multiple colors. This park is the 'Lake Park', also known as Sanjay Park, and it is located in Laxmibai Nagar. In this time of the year, flowers are blooming & the weather is neither too hot nor too cold. This park was named as Lake Park because it houses a small lake that has a beautiful small bridge running over it. Then there are ducks - at times left lose in the park. And flowers. Lots of flowers. Colorful flowers! You'll find squirrels nibbling away at tit bits, birds chirping. And on the opposite side of the entry to the park, after the boundary wall, are railway tracks where sometimes a goods train may pass now and then. Oh my! Is this a perfect place to spend evenings with family and friends!

My toddler enjoyed this visit so very much - even though it was a very short visit. He could show his displeasure and unwillingness to come back home - and without any words.

Look at the beauty!

Few days back, I was searching for parks near the place I live. You know, similar to Lake Park, where I can take my child during evenings or maybe for a picnic once in a while. The results that came up were - amusement and theme parks, IT parks, logix techno park, royale park (a hotel), Park Plaza (yet another hotel), software technology park, unveiling of a concrete park, so on and so forth. So basically, there are no parks for children here. What used to be parks meant for children to play, have been turned into concrete jungles of sandstone elephants and meaningless structures by Mayawati. She spent around 680 crores (allegedly) on converting a green park to a sandstone park, which is apparently closed for the public. So, my question is why? I didn't understand it then, I don't understand it now.

Can Akhilesh Yadav convert these parks back into green parks again? Are you listening Mr. Yadav?

Pourquoi?

Why does an employee leave an organization. Is it because of salary? No. Less or no hike? No. Promotion or none in a year? No. Not enough leave benefits? No. Not good benefits with the job? No. If you really will understand why an employee will leave an organization, just look at the immediate supervisor of that employee. An employee leaves his/her manager - never an organization. If the manager is a leader and a charismatic one on top of it, the employee will always be loyal by default. And give in the best at work.

I can share my examples. When I started working, I had a great immediate supervisor - I won't publish any names here - let's call him S. He had a great rapport with all his team members and always backed his team, sorted their issues, helped the team members as and when required. A great asset for the team. And I did not want to leave my job, despite the low pay package, because I had a great supervisor! Then my project completed. I got a new project to work on and I got a new supervisor and a new team member. Let's name the supervisor S again. And at the fag-end of the project I cried - thanks to the team member & the supervisor. That's the point I nearly left my job. Thankfully, the project was about to end and got delivered successfully. And I got a much better supervisor after many more projects. Let's name her G. Even though the team was a pain in the wrong place. G left the organization after some time and so did I. We've remained friends till date. Whenever I would resume work, I'll follow G for sure & be loyal to her come what may. Great leader and a supervisor.

So, you can say an employee leaves his/her manager - never an organization. Organizations - buckle up! Ensure good leaders as supervisors. Not managers as supervisors.

Unrelated to this post - I read somewhere...
"If you succeed in cheating someone, don't think the person is a fool. Realize that the person trusted you much more than you deserved!"

Dream.

What is it that saddens a parent the most? As a parent and the phase I am going through, I think it is when the child is not doing well, health-wise. Being a mother of a toddler, the most unhappy moments are the ones when my toddler is down with fever or cough & cold, or the most recent one - stomach infection. I introduced a new food last week - perhaps it did not suit him and it led to stomach infection. He is recovering; however, the recovering it's taking its own sweet time. And seeing him go through such pain is extremely painful for me.

As a child grows, I am sure parents have different set of issues to deal with at different points of time. Which school is the best for my child? Will my child get admission into a good school? Once admitted, is my child giving in his/her best at studies and extra-curricular activities? And always hoping that children don't fall into bad company. Will my child be able to understand right from wrong, good from bad, ethical from unethical?

I think the answer to the last question and the statement before it is more to do with the upbringing. What children watch at home and comprehend according to their understanding help them not cross the thin line between right & wrong, good & bad, ethical from unethical. And it is the upbringing that helps a child not bend to peer pressure.

I've seen so many parents asking their children to do things because of what the society will say. "Aisa karoge, toh log kya kahenge?" People will say things anyways. Someone will try to bring down another, maybe because someone could not do something himself/herself. The main thing is follow your dreams and let people say things. If people don't say anything about your dreams, I feel your dreams are not worth following. If people don't say anything about your dreams, you are doing what everyone else is doing.

Dream. And rock on!

Avoid Whirlpool products

Whirlpool, Whirlpool! The products we purchased actually made our life a whirlpool!

We had purchased a Whirlpool refrigerator (6th sense technology) and a Whirlpool washing machine (6th sense technology yet again!) - the sports version in February 2010. And after much research we thought Whirlpool is a good buy.

Unfortunately, we had to sell off the refrigerator in September 2012. Why? Because in these 2.5 years, it gave us so many problems that we just had to dispose it off. I was lodging a complaint every now and then in the time the refrigerator was with us. The problems ranged from the sensor, compressor, light, freezing or over-freezing,... The list would go endless. Uff! Now we bought an LG refrigerator and we are happy. Life's Good!

The Whirlpool washing machine has been giving us problems since earlier this year too. And I've been placing so many complaints that it's a headache! Our washing machine is not working since 22nd September 2012. And as per the Whirlpool technicians, the new part is not available. Somebody came and changed the motor & the washing machine still didn't work. And now they are telling they are trying to find a new part and they may find it in 2 days or it may take 5 days or a bit longer. When, they can't tell! This washing machine will have to go. Unfortunately.
We'll buy an IFB washing machine soon.

I've always had this thought that if a person wants the best, money has to be shelled out. Not that we didn't spend a good amount on Whirlpool - just that putting in an extra 4-5 grand on IFB then would have helped us avoid this re-spending on a washing machine so soon. And an additional 3-4 grand on the refrigerator would have made our life good from earlier.

My rating of Whirlpool - 0.5 stars out of 5 stars.

In fact, Kajol and Ajay Devgan being pretty decent actors must avoid being the brand ambassadors of Whirlpool. They can try being brand ambassadors of other better products. Are you listening?

Oh! The terrible lie...

Woke up this morning
Trying hard to hide my melancholy
I've joined you for breakfast
And we continued our lie...

Every day it's similar
You are so cheery
And so am I
Oh! our terrible lie..

I do wish sometimes
As I leave for work sullenly
Dreading the day already
Weeping far within...

The lie, terrible and unending
Would cease to be
And I would know the real you
And the real me...

...and no one knows

I am alone,
so very alone.

I am hurt,
so very hurt.

I am ignored,
just thrown aside.

I am security,
for others to have.

I am lonely,
there is no one close,
no one sees the pain.

I am alone,
and no one knows.