AAAA Future Of Planning Zj

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AAAA Future Of Planning Zj

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Was checking out the open course ware at MIT online today...the philosophy section. Tough to follow- seem to be saying the obvious once you've waded through the jargon...

Also read some of their lectures on writing short stories-useful stuff- but tough to follow--bit like how I would feel if someone asked me to paint:)

Enjoyed the performance by Shaw's Corner on Sunday at the Habitat.

The concert there by Swaratma on Saturday was also good. The lyrics were social cause related and the music was very danceable-- very different from the usual Hindi music available. The guitarist singer switched from English to Bihari with complete ease.

The YP seems a tad yuppie--but as long as good work is being done, why crib.

Went shopping at sales on Sunday after a long time- felt very very good.

Mehendi rang layegi...

Was fun having a friend over on the weekend.

Final Poll- Please answer in the comments section- Thanks !

Post Awareness Survey:
1. In India, is it possible to get Braille on your visiting cards? Yes/No
2. Do you know of an organisation called Esha – People for the blind? Yes/No
3. Would you like to/have u visited the Esha website?

The Road Behind, Now, Ahead

Am reading the Road Less Travelled & Beyond by M.Scott Peck. Says a lot of things which make sense, although he focusses too much on The Man Above for my taste.

The need to think, is something which most people neglect to simplify their lives. The capacity to tolerate uncertainty is also a skill which may come with time.

The willingness to welcome pain as an opportunity to grow emotionally is also something we shirk. What's the point of studying something we are good at? True. For a change, yes.

More as I continue reading it.

Other gems I picked up at Landmark- Adland; Truth, Lies & Advertising; Crowdsourcing.

Courtesy a small discount voucher from Citi & my points.

Some consolation for a wasted trip to Gurgaon on Saturday- the meeting scheduled there ended up being in Delhi.

Habitat movie

To kill a mockingbird- the movie- is much tighter than the book. The book had it's own charm, a bildungsroman of Scout. Gregory Peck as the restrained Atticus Finch stole the show. He picked up an Oscar for this role. Stein auditorium was as packed as when Harry Potter 6 was premiered.

Uncoupling

Was reading about families today- and how couples are complementary. That is both the source of the attraction and also the frustration.

It's nice when what you think is borne out by science- all conflicts can be resolved positively if both parties wish to work at the problem.

Also, with children we tend to go off at the other end- behave at the other extreme from how our parents treated us if it was a dysfunctional relationship- but it is suggested that one goes back to the original characters- the parents- and is more assertive with them.

Esha- for the blind

When we walk in the dark, we feel helpless. We also empathise with those who must live their lives in darkness. I remember my batchmate, pankaj, who was visually challenged, but still got a first division in the first semester of business school. He spoke with authority, and sensibly. he was finally placed with IBM and is now happpily married and a father too.

Who are the blind people who have touched your lives? Helen Keller, Stevie Wonder, John Milton...

Esha, an organisation for the blind, attempts to sensitise us to their world- they organise the printing of Braille visiting cards, theatre workshops run by the blind, accessibility audits for organisations to evaluate how blind friendly they are.http://www.braillecards.org/I've seen one of these Braille visiting cards, but I just thought it was an innovative design...I didn;t realise that it was Braille.

Tactile maps- green velvette paper to signify forest cover etc- is another interesting idea ocvered in their blog http://eshabraille.wordpress.com/

There's a science to the nebulous feeling of being happy

The world today

Reading Naomi Klein is akin to one's fasciantion with the macabre...it is intensely depressing but still one is compelled to read on...the horror, the horror of Chile, Argentina, Britain, Russia, Iraq, South Africa...

One wonders why this is not covered in the general press...I am once more reminded of how American our view of the world is...reading about countries whose culture we know little about, only sharpens the blurry picture they have in our mind; to some extent.

Money truly governs the impression you create.

Japonais

Learning Japanese is so artistic;)

Why You Need to Fail

Why You Need to Fail

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Learning

You Learn
After a while you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,
And you learn to build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn...
That even sunshine burns if you get too much.
So you plant your garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure...
That you really are strong
And you really do have worth...
And you learn and learn...
With every good-bye you learn.

Books Binge

I finished A star called Henry by Roddy Doyle..a very interesting subject. Ireland during the civil war period. History seems so much more personal when lived through a particular person's crises.

Also read Galileo's daughter--about a very interesting man and his fervently religious daughter and their bond. As this was a biography, that too dealing with science, it did not move me as much as the first one did. It was enlightening reading more about Galileo and his struggle to be believed.

Am now reading the Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klien-- a very powerful tome which exposes the hypocrisy of Western lending institutuions when they deal with Russia, Asia in their times of need.

Women eschewing early marriage abroad

I was reading the Economist's issue on retirement- how fertility rates in developed countries are plummeting as women are delaying amrriage--perhaps a sign of things to come in India.

Every couple of years the permissible age limit for women to get married seems to advance by a couple of years--as I too age;)

I still strongly believe 40 is the new 30...finding oneself has assumed increasing importance over the years and is something people are now willing to consider rather than a Protestant work ethic.

Marketing to older people will assume more importance in developed economies.

Good resolutions

Read a good presentation online on putting in 100 hours of effort in some direction towards becoming an expert in that field...80 hours of French has given me some understanding of the language if not mastery...am targetting cooking next. Swimming and gymming are also on agenda...but don't think they qualify as skills exactly.

Must get back to writing too...weekends will be devoted somewhat to this as during the week it is tough to find time for this.

Frequent blogging is an attempt to exercise these flabby muscles in that vista:)

Preview

Had watched class of 84 a while ago. Very talk talk play...not too much action. Not sure how the plays this week by the same director- Rahul da Cunha will be...Chaos Theory & Pune Highway. The subjects he deals with are interesting and connect with the audience- friendship, love comedy...but wordplay alone does not a play make.

But he did do the wonderful I'm not Baji Rao...

TMS

The third edition of The Medicine Show was less rousing than the previous ones. The usual acts could not leverage the elemnt of surprise- the singers & the dancers...even the theatre practioners decided to sing this time.

The wedding band was a suprise touch--the sight of them solemnly playing Muqabla had many of us cracking up.

The staged stand up comedy act did have a twist in its tail...but that was it's only merit.

It may be tough to put up a good show month after month--perhaps a bimonthly would generate more crowds & quality acts.

The venue, too, was not apt...one is tired of sitting on carpets, floors and what have yous for a view of the performances.

Air waves crescend

As the marketing manager of one of India's leading servicing providers remarked, our mobiles are our toys. Our rattles sometimes, figurative comforters, toys we throw in fits of fury.

Mobile monetisation remains a challenge- it may be one area where user generated content could take off.

It is definitely a sector to watch- mobile penetration in India is much higher. It is still growing at a very rapid pace.

For bottom of the pyramid tappers too, the mobile is a potential goldmine. messaging may not appeal to the illiterate target audience, but IVRS may work.

Sax on toast

Attended a very refreshing concert- piano & saxophone by two Canandian women on Canada Day at the IIC yesterday. Pink Panther as an encore was delightful:)