Thursday, April 8
I bagged it!
What?
A notebook, a pad, coffee mug and spoon, and then pencil, sharpener, eraser, stapler, staples, 3M pads and all that would fit in the mug. Not more. Not less.
And the bag? With the shades of red and orange, with a logo of TI and the slogan of the year - The No.1 place to work for. Above it, in bigger letters, written, I BAGGED IT!
This is 05 Apr 2004, just two months past the completion of 11 years of career, on the first day of my third job - at Texas Instruments India. Back to Bangalore after a gap of 7.5 years.
As I walked in to the Golf View Homes building, there is no smiling girl under bright lights behind an exotic desk. There were two Group4 guys. I told my name, they took up a list, tick marked and asked me to take a seat. 30 minutes later, I realised there were around 25 people like me, when they called us again to their desk to give us the temporary ID cards. All were then hearded to a conference hall in the upper level, led by the HR Admin manager. He gave us a long presentation - mostly stating that his responsibility is in telling us that everything is our responsibility. The message was clear - there is no spoon feeding. There is not going to be a NeST like royal life over here. You have to live. This is your eco system. The intranet provides information regarding all species around. No one would come to you with a spoon. (But they do pay us for a sliver one)
It took two days for me to set up with space, machine and mail. Everything is web enabled. Follow up expected for a job to be done quick. But then the follow ups are greeted well and responded very well. That part is really good. Phone requests are enough for many things. No need of mail even.
The roles and responsibilities are not well defined. Its all mixed up. But its not messed up. Just wonder how many long meetings we did at NeST for the role and responsibility division for PL and PM? These people do not bother about the lack of borders even. But the difference is on goals. Everyone is clear on the goals. What use is Rules of the Road with no map, when I am to drive to my kids school?
On day 1 itself I was shown the goal for the team and an approximate idea on my personal goals and work. The first statement was interesting. "We have to do a lot to keep --- and --- (bosses) happy" Then he explained what we need to do for business purpose. Very important in management. World is like this since many are pleased by many others.
I am back to school. Need to learn many many things. A lot of technical things. Getting into practice many of the hard learned management lessons at NeST and Japan. God help me!
Monday, March 22
Transitioning out of NeST
Adeiu and Well Wishes
I also wrote so to my colleagues
It is indeed very delighting to see NeST coming back to the good old days. The market is now vibrant and the vibrant workforce is just making it resonate. So happy to see that we have an all time high number of people onsite, which is just indicative. Probably even percentage wise, this is really good. More than 10% are onsite, for a company where 99% of work done on project basis. Great.
The Japanese market is getting back on feet and would be leaping forward in the coming years. We have generated the most valuable asset in the market - trust. We need to build this up, keeping in mind that honesty is the best policy. Trust is the best certificate. Trusted vendors are not looked in for CMM level or ISO or Quality Policy.
I had been with NeST for the past 7 plus years. The head and tail I spent in Japan. I am glad that I could get involved in many things. The early days of QEG, its transformation from QAD, a set of PR measures, the Intranest homepage and newsletters, all those are certainly mementos for me to cherish. DDG days also had been very interesting, thanks to the good, proactive and technically sound guys with great dedication, Anoop to be named. These days in Japan, alongwith the rising market penetration is a thing of pride, though I am not sure how much of these I am involved. Though Planex is seen as a success of mine, the real champions are Arun and the earlier people worked on the project day and night out. They disabled the door locks for me. I could easily open it. Though looks tough, I am sure that very soon we will be able to get a grand entry.
When I joined, near 100% revenue was from Japan. We have become 10 times in size, have introduced more labels and structures, still the NeST spirit remains the same. And we do have a great dependency on Japanese market now.
We now have a proven CEO, determined and dedicated to bring out the real success and I am sure the days are not too far for us to reach the heights which we all dreamt of one day.
It is, however, time for me to say adeiu and well wishes to you. I will not be physically with you, when you march ahead to future, winning laurels. I have decided to accept a challenging new oppurtunity, and would be leaving, God Willing, in a few weeks. Moments back, I submitted my formal resignation.
Once again wishing you all a grand success, and requesting that your prayers should be with me.
Sincere as always
Muhammad Riyaz
Nihon NeST Corp
Posted Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Resignation
I decided to quit my job and switch back to India, on 17 Feb. The second such move in life so far. I wrote a long, friendly formal letter.
February 17, 2004
To
Mr. N. Jehangir
Managing Director,
NeST Group of Companies,
Plot No. 2, CSEZ, Cochin,
India.
Thru:
Mr. Yoshiharu Ogi, President, Nihon NeST Corporation, Japan
Mr. S.K.Pillai, President, Network Systems and Technologies (P) Ltd., Trivandrum
Dear Sir
It is with great reluctance I submit this letter of resignation, effective March 16, 2004. I am to pursue another opportunity, God Willing, to further my career goals and achieve growth through a senior role in one of the enchanting technology domains.
It has been my genuine pleasure to work for NeST during these seven plus years. I have enjoyed working with the finest of professionals and colleagues at NeST, and will miss my associations here. I wish you continued success in all your endeavors.
I will try my best to make sure that my leaving does not affect any of the current activities, and if there is anything special that I can do, I will gladly make myself available to this effort during the next four weeks.
Thank you for allowing me to serve NeST and would always cherish the sweetest memories I have. Once again, I wish NeST continued success and I would support you in all the capacities I would have, in future also.
Sincerely,
Muhammad Riyaz
Nihon NeST Corporation
Posted Wednesday, February 18, 2004
I also wrote so to my colleagues
It is indeed very delighting to see NeST coming back to the good old days. The market is now vibrant and the vibrant workforce is just making it resonate. So happy to see that we have an all time high number of people onsite, which is just indicative. Probably even percentage wise, this is really good. More than 10% are onsite, for a company where 99% of work done on project basis. Great.
The Japanese market is getting back on feet and would be leaping forward in the coming years. We have generated the most valuable asset in the market - trust. We need to build this up, keeping in mind that honesty is the best policy. Trust is the best certificate. Trusted vendors are not looked in for CMM level or ISO or Quality Policy.
I had been with NeST for the past 7 plus years. The head and tail I spent in Japan. I am glad that I could get involved in many things. The early days of QEG, its transformation from QAD, a set of PR measures, the Intranest homepage and newsletters, all those are certainly mementos for me to cherish. DDG days also had been very interesting, thanks to the good, proactive and technically sound guys with great dedication, Anoop to be named. These days in Japan, alongwith the rising market penetration is a thing of pride, though I am not sure how much of these I am involved. Though Planex is seen as a success of mine, the real champions are Arun and the earlier people worked on the project day and night out. They disabled the door locks for me. I could easily open it. Though looks tough, I am sure that very soon we will be able to get a grand entry.
When I joined, near 100% revenue was from Japan. We have become 10 times in size, have introduced more labels and structures, still the NeST spirit remains the same. And we do have a great dependency on Japanese market now.
We now have a proven CEO, determined and dedicated to bring out the real success and I am sure the days are not too far for us to reach the heights which we all dreamt of one day.
It is, however, time for me to say adeiu and well wishes to you. I will not be physically with you, when you march ahead to future, winning laurels. I have decided to accept a challenging new oppurtunity, and would be leaving, God Willing, in a few weeks. Moments back, I submitted my formal resignation.
Once again wishing you all a grand success, and requesting that your prayers should be with me.
Sincere as always
Muhammad Riyaz
Nihon NeST Corp
Posted Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Resignation
I decided to quit my job and switch back to India, on 17 Feb. The second such move in life so far. I wrote a long, friendly formal letter.
February 17, 2004
To
Mr. N. Jehangir
Managing Director,
NeST Group of Companies,
Plot No. 2, CSEZ, Cochin,
India.
Thru:
Mr. Yoshiharu Ogi, President, Nihon NeST Corporation, Japan
Mr. S.K.Pillai, President, Network Systems and Technologies (P) Ltd., Trivandrum
Dear Sir
It is with great reluctance I submit this letter of resignation, effective March 16, 2004. I am to pursue another opportunity, God Willing, to further my career goals and achieve growth through a senior role in one of the enchanting technology domains.
It has been my genuine pleasure to work for NeST during these seven plus years. I have enjoyed working with the finest of professionals and colleagues at NeST, and will miss my associations here. I wish you continued success in all your endeavors.
I will try my best to make sure that my leaving does not affect any of the current activities, and if there is anything special that I can do, I will gladly make myself available to this effort during the next four weeks.
Thank you for allowing me to serve NeST and would always cherish the sweetest memories I have. Once again, I wish NeST continued success and I would support you in all the capacities I would have, in future also.
Sincerely,
Muhammad Riyaz
Nihon NeST Corporation
Posted Wednesday, February 18, 2004
--------------------
My Codes for Work
- All the rules are laid out by The Almighty, we understand parts of some, we strive to learn more. Know that the best knowledge is to know the lack of knowledge
- Revenue cannot be created. Create market, create well wishers, create benefactors. Rest would come as per the rules.
- Customer comes first. People come next. Process to keep it to be built. Profits would follow.
- Keep honesty at all times. Never ratify them with financials.
- Keep commitments. They could mean commercial blunders. But would build an asset money can never buy - trust. Among own people, among customers.
- Personal values are to be kept. They dont like talking money. Yet, need to be flexible to absorb the environment. Understand that a gyro keeps direction, not just because the inner wheel is stable, but because the outer wheels are flexible enough.
Thursday, December 25
Nice or not little thoughts
Thoughts on Luxury
I wrote this mail triggered by Prapullas mail on luxury. One of many she sends from time to time.
I remember someone telling me a difficulty his friend had. A real monetary difficulty. A Merecedez is available for 20 lakhs if paid ready cash. A good buy in whatever means. A deal which is worth another 10 lakhs in normal circumstances. But this man is in short of money. Can I call him a poor man?
A cut on the finger would be overlooked by a quarry worker. My wife will come running with a band aid. A doctor might analyse the depth and cause. Knowledge is the key. Practical knowledge and theoritical knowledge. The divine knowledge is taught by Prophets. They lived among us to share the practical knowledge. They lay guidelines for us to experiment and learn ourselves.
Homoeo doctors would take a lot of time to suggest a medicine. I might do in seconds!!! Apparently tougher for them than me?? He who knows finds anything tough. Thats why someone said the more you learn, you learn that you dont know anything. We think money and you find it far from us. We think of Lord, and God forgive, we might realise how far we are from him too.
People who deal more with money are seen having more monetary issues. People in search of knowledge always worry about what they dont know. The reason is simple. You need to strive hard to achieve what you focus on. Pathu kittukil Nooru mathiyennum, nooru kittukil sahasram ennum. No end of needs. In whatever.
Is not the US rich? Still it is the one country which is finding it hard and doing all evils to keep it up. If you see the recent stock exchange things, it is not what is worth that the market bother. It is the future value, or, simply put, growth. You have the maintain the growth.
Again back on focus. For a person who value God more than anyone, he will need to strive more hard to reach the Nafsul Mutmainna - the soul that rests in peace. There is no stationary place, there should only be growth. Muhammad (sa) spent days and nights crying for pardon. For what sin? Since he was focused, he knew more. He needed more. Every simple thing appeared as a big hurdle for him.
Mercedez is a luxury for those who cannot afford. Its a comfort for those who can. For the class above, they are worried about the discomforts of their Mercedez.
Let us try to realise like the King who was in search of the Happy Man's Shirt.
BTW, I understand that possession is the biggest attraction for man. Wealth hence becomes the biggest shirk. Alms are the way to protect. We should be ready to give away to whoever in need. Money, knoweldge, everything. Thats the way we can get away from being greedy. What use of a tall tree, that provide no shade, that bear no fruit? One day, someone would just cut it down. Logs for a furnace, they would find it useful.
Thankyou for a thoughtful mail.
God be with you and us and let us all strive to find peace in him. Not a peaceful rest, but a peaceful journey towards him..
----- Original Message -----
There are people who think that the affluent people of the world are put through lesser trial since they have wealth and riches to play about. They do not have to worry about their food and shelter. The luxuries of life open their arms for them.
This perception is not true. The Almighty has created this world as a trial and test for all of us. Every one of us undergoes this trial in some form or the other. It is not that only the poor and the needy are put through this test. Affluence also is a form of trial. Here the trial is to test a person regarding his attitude towards the Almighty. He is tested on whether he shows gratitude to the Almighty on His favors and blessings. As such, since a person generally tends to forget his Lord if he is blessed with an affluent life, this trial is perhaps tougher than that of a person who is put through the trial of poverty and adverse circumstances; in such circumstances, a person tends to remember the Lord more - or at least, has more opportunities for this remembrance.
Moreover, affluence is just one form of comfort a person may have. There are people who maybe affluent and very rich, but still have various forms of mental worries, troubles and tribulations.
Besides, having a strong relationship with the Almighty, the best way to fight out the ups and downs of life is to always look at people who are worse off: a cursory glance would bring many to our mind. One will begin to realize what one actually has in contrast with millions of others. Where others have been deprived, he would find himself blessed with many favors.
Yuki!
Good news as such. That means there is nothing bad. Is it not a good news?? That God saved us from many possible bad news?
The TV news will report a set of accidents and attacks and killings and deaths and scandals and and and finally will wish you Have a Good Day. A prayer that you be not affected.
Well, staying with family and kids in a new place and a place like Japan, almost no time to look out through the rain and process the mind. Today also furimashita. (furimasu - peyyuka) As in Malayalam, even though it never snows there, rain and snow both furimasu. Today it is snowing but here.
This is teh second snowing this season. But it was very little. It did not accum much on the ground. Anyway I had not watched the TV forecast yday. (A sin here) When I saw people with unbrellas out, I thought it would rain today. Anyway when I came out of subway station near office I was shocked to see it was Yuki (snow). It was really kawai (pretty) but I was rather kawaiso (paavam) with no umbrella. I had to buy an umbrella from a kiosk at the station. 700 yen. Almost 7 dollars. I had two at home. But they cannot work staying home.
Sky is visible now. So is ground too. But it is real cold outside. 5 min walk to station. Thats all the time I have to bear it. Inside house heater and AC does the work. But going to bath in the morning is really tough. When you switch off shower to apply soap and when you finish bath - until you rush to the heater....
North India is very much affected this time. I read some 800 deaths. I am talking about 5 and 10 min. Poor people there are to bear it 24 hours. In US style, 24x7... Delhi has started Metro. Fully air conditioned cars. Can people stay inside? May be they will start. Kerala just finished Global Investors Meet. They say MoU worth 11000 crore. May be these will change the overall life status? Cheap labour in India can bring foreign currency to India. Lower value rupee will make us compete in the world. The theory.
Popy and St. Johns find Taiwan better to manufacture their umbrellas to sell in Kerala. Chinese shoppees are the new communist pacha
Oil company of Venezuala imported some Indian labour to fire some local labour. A lot of protests and now the Indian Govt asks the recruitment agency to bring back the labour.
Good news too - Tisco starts making auto grade steel and would replace imported steel in manufacturing export model cars. Many others import steel and sell them back as cars.
Anyway failed theories are in limelight. The guy who sang Dont worry Be happy could not wait for the end to come to life. He took it there. Dr. Spock advise people to create self respect for children. And even stated how to. But his child committed suicide. I was told someone who invented a new stock market theory and succesfully ran a stock business was awarded Nobel Prize. But he soon broke.
Like the medical trascription company in Technopark achieved CMM level 5, declared it the only medical sucscription company in the world to be at L5, issued Press Releases, closed the door behind and left for good. Forgot the name of the company.
May be in long run we will be better off? God knows. Gujarat on one side proves what we want. We bother more about past than future. Someone just found that Kutub Minar was built demolishing some places of worship. No worship in minds. They look out for places for worship. They dont even know how to find out. So want to see where teh ancestors did it.
The new fashion is law banning conversions. They are going to decide what you are going to believe. LIke the Taliban, now they will start decide what you wear too. No wonder if they decide taht people in South should wear a tail like Hanuman. For them, southies are Hanumans anyway.
It would be better we move federal without losing time. And do not give national status to any party. All local parties only. The One India slogan should be banned. India should be a business consortium of all states. They have clear business agreement how to share river water. Local citizenship. India and Pak fight on all issues. But TN and Karnataka has fought more on Kaveri - I dont know if India and Pak fought over the five rivers?
We need heavy snow. To freeze is unnecessary boiliing blood. And a heavy summer. For those frozen senses to melt.
Skills and Knowledge
What I liked here in the Rules of the Road is the simplicity. This is the only book I have to learn.
Well, for us, we believe in skills. Skilled Assistants help us in our engg college labs. We have skilled teachers, skilled cooks. We boast of our engineering skills. Driving is also a skill.
We are in the forefront always to boast of our skills and to blame the fools around. Like these Japanese. They are idiots. You need to tell them what you just said is a joke, and then then would reciprocate laughing. Such fools. Well, it took me just 2.5 hours (and 150 dollars) to cover the 600 kms from Tokyo to Oosaka. Simple. Why???
What we do not believe is in knowledge. Some book says that any single Japanese is not better than any other single anywhere else. But 10 Japanese is better than any other 10. One thing I have noticed in the college days is that all our team structure falls down to groups of 2. (I have noticed this especially with females. Feminists, forgive)
The train driver here could be around 50. He has been doing this same job for around 25 years now. Never has he done a mistake. Still watch him. On getting the green signal, he points his finger towards that, shouts something, then points to the green lamp on his dash, again shout something and then the train moves. At every signal he repeats that.
No one at CDOT felt Amba Prasad was over acting. As KK once said, Amba knows 3+3=6. But, 3 pins + 3 pins is 6 pins only if his calculator agrees to that. Whenever I see the Japanese doing things, it reminds me of Amba. His blue, green, red colour letters on every new notebook for every new board. Is he not skilled?
Same for the drivers. The license test does not ask for skills. The rules of the road does not ask me to learn the acts of road rules. It is very simple. Indeed, reading a few chapters, I was wondering why such a long intro. Soon to find that it was no intro, but real business. Tells motorists to take care of other vehicles and pedestrians. Tell pedestrians to take care of vehicles. Tells moms to have their kids wear bright coloured dress when they go out in the night. Such simple rules. Respect others. Protect oneself.
Do we know these? Any one heard about responsibility? We have too much about rights and freedom. Rights that even restrict someone exercising his constitutional freedom.
The chauffers are not to be blamed. They are paid for the skills. You could measure the quality of the vehicle and the road with the time it takes to cover a distance here. The electronic boards can say how long it will take to the a place. We would rather measure the driver. The vehicle and road are constants.
BTW, if you plan a trip to Cochin, Shihab / Chandran are better drivers. They can reach you there in 3 hours.
Posted by Riyaz Muhammad on 01:19 PM
KK asks how long I will be staying in Japan
Stay?
I am supposed to be living here.. I dont like long stays. That takes time off your precious life. So I preferred to live.
How long it be? A very philosophical question. Not as per the rules of life even. Things have changed much as more and more silicon flew over the fabs, and now, who can say what for how sure?
Thank God, I did not fare here so bad. And thank God, He is keeping carrots so that I am always mindul.
To be honest, fed up on service industry. At least here, I guess I dont have much more value to add. Not that all values are already there. Either what I think are foolish, or they are too good even for me to get them running. Anyway, like the capacitor charging getting saturated around 98%.. either change the capacitor or change the voltage..
How long the software industry go like this? The Gold rush is supposed to be over. Now all that glitters is gold. Or termed gold. Doing so I have stopped realising what is copper and what is gold myself. Need to step back a while and either go to pottery work or realise what the real gold is.
Life is great in Japan. Where else in the world can you take a train ride of 1.5 hours paying 100 dollars? Go to a family restaurant and pay 100 dollars? Not all that costly part. I could buy a very good, decent car for 1000 dollars, but pay 100 dollar for parking every month. Cars are convenient, but the public transport system is what makes Japan marvellous. Not for the blacks or skin heads, buses and trains are for every one. Neat, tidy, modern and punctual they run. It runs back home for many from office, and to bars, pubs, dance clubs, karoekes for many more. The art of riding I have learnt now. Learn how to travel without holding anywhere. Learn how to read books in the rush. Learn how to keep the lucky-on-the-seats not realise there is rush around them.
Things are not bad at home too. Infrastructure spending is high everywhere. New roads, buildings, bridges, rails. Construction everywhere. World bank has donated generously on a handsome interest. My kids will have tough time paying back. If they could make money using these roads they can. Else they will forgo a meal a day or two.
My friend, a secy, got a small pay hike. She is planning to apply for a loan. To repair her house. She is the lone child. Who will pay back the loan? She has to. Another loan is already there which her parents took for her education. I told her no more loans, thats bad habit. And she does not know if she can pay back. But is it all that bad? Unless for the first loan, she would not have been taught in school. She would have been working on coir mats. But I feel the more loans that attract her will keep her like the same. Staying in a better house, with a better electricity bill, and an improved tax. Finally saving, may be less too. There is no dark line seen though.
Like the old hardvard story. The fresh born MBA finds a prey in an tiny village. A fisherman who catches fishes for the day. The business proposals goes on like the fisherman buying boats, improving marketing, opening offices around the world and finally settling down in a remote village with some fishing for time pass. What he is doing now.
Long enough warm up for an office day. Talk to you.
The Sun Disappears
Another wicket down.
Soorej hits on the stumps himself. Bad light.
The keeper claps, captain claps and the team manager claps. All in the game. More appropriately, everyone in the game.
Was it for this, we have come all the way,
To part at last, without a kiss?
No. There are many viewers saying hats off. Who applauds the good things. For many others, it is just 40th in the year or so. For the few, these are a separate count.
Soorej walks back. Proudly. With tears filling in his eyes. Looking up for the sun. Already dusk.
A few flowers which had received the early morning sun are still there. They are all in a bowed posture. Soorej promises to play the next dawn. Beyond the sahyan, he could see the sun. The flowers. The green.
Soorej and Anand weaved the initial network fabric. The soorya server stood reminding Soorej till recently. The soorya server gave way to Project and Quality servers. (Who named them so? You are either in Project or in Quality. Never in both!!! No Pravda in Isvestia and no Isvestia in Pravda. No Project in Quality and no Quality in Project.)
Let me wish Soorej a grand new innings. A new dawn. Applauds!!!!
Anand leaves NeST
so another chapter added into the story book
Anand worked in BEL for more than a year
Then at CDOT for another 2 and a half years. Where I met him. While I stayed at JVV during the initial days. Met just as another Mallu, who then moved to Radhakrishnans apt. A simple looking guy. He was simple too. He was active. Very helpful. Frank. I remember Cherian also noted this of him in first meeting.
The third job took him for another 8 years until his decision to quit now.
Anand was a model for me for decision making. When he took the new house at RT Nagar, he did it alone. I also stayed with him on day one. (Later, years down, when he took his first house for rent in TVM, I was there to stay with him, though I was still working at Blore.) His decision to quit our dinner mess was not by discussing with us. He just told us. Once he just went out one afternoon and came back with a stereo player. I would have discussed for six months with 12 people and still not bought. His decision to apply for a small advt from a start up in Kerala and later to join that company was equally a surprise decision for us. No discussions, just decisions. He has proved that again.Just modifying the age old Bajaj ad - You just cant beat Anand.
We liked him much, loved him too. Anand remained a common point for all of us. Many evenings we spent in his house. He made dosas for us. We discussed everything under the sky.
Anand for us was technically a networking person. And an expert in international politics.
A well focussed person. He was never bothered about management aspects. He hated those things. I remember him walking out when we had a heated discussion on some mess rules. For him, unnecessary mgt overheads were not bearable. Later, during PJs NeST, I joined him in fighting for two streams for promotions. Anand was forced to be Project Manager. Just for designation sake. He loved programming. Later, when he was still in his favourite seat at A Block, I remember he was asked to remove VC from his machine. He is a PM. He should not work:)
NeST made some drastic changes later. Virtual groups changed to SBUs. Anand remained silent. He seemed content since he could escape the management layer. No. He failed?. Still, I always wanted to become Anand. To keep quiet. Aware, but untouched. I failed. My wife always blames me for my "unnecessary" interventions at NeST. She wanted me to be like Anand. Anand could work well. Could manage his family. He looks after his Muthassi very well. He looked after Peramma till she failed to overcome two days in ventillator. I could not even care much for my small family.
Anand had been a silent member of NeST for a long time. Why he became so. Who cares to ask. Anand is accused to be a no-quality man. He did not preach, he did practice, that too, by his own.
Beyond science, there is an art. One should not try to apply science on art. Never try to teach something to an artist. The SSLC rank holders get 100% in language papers. The great writers of Malayalam never could achieve.
My wife now says she was wrong. She thought being Anand was the best way at NeST. She now thinks it has failed? I just saw the photographs of the party. Anand is proving his Anandism! A smiling Anand could actually melt away much of the clouds formed in my mind.
Well, you just cant hurt Anand!
I wrote this mail triggered by Prapullas mail on luxury. One of many she sends from time to time.
I remember someone telling me a difficulty his friend had. A real monetary difficulty. A Merecedez is available for 20 lakhs if paid ready cash. A good buy in whatever means. A deal which is worth another 10 lakhs in normal circumstances. But this man is in short of money. Can I call him a poor man?
A cut on the finger would be overlooked by a quarry worker. My wife will come running with a band aid. A doctor might analyse the depth and cause. Knowledge is the key. Practical knowledge and theoritical knowledge. The divine knowledge is taught by Prophets. They lived among us to share the practical knowledge. They lay guidelines for us to experiment and learn ourselves.
Homoeo doctors would take a lot of time to suggest a medicine. I might do in seconds!!! Apparently tougher for them than me?? He who knows finds anything tough. Thats why someone said the more you learn, you learn that you dont know anything. We think money and you find it far from us. We think of Lord, and God forgive, we might realise how far we are from him too.
People who deal more with money are seen having more monetary issues. People in search of knowledge always worry about what they dont know. The reason is simple. You need to strive hard to achieve what you focus on. Pathu kittukil Nooru mathiyennum, nooru kittukil sahasram ennum. No end of needs. In whatever.
Is not the US rich? Still it is the one country which is finding it hard and doing all evils to keep it up. If you see the recent stock exchange things, it is not what is worth that the market bother. It is the future value, or, simply put, growth. You have the maintain the growth.
Again back on focus. For a person who value God more than anyone, he will need to strive more hard to reach the Nafsul Mutmainna - the soul that rests in peace. There is no stationary place, there should only be growth. Muhammad (sa) spent days and nights crying for pardon. For what sin? Since he was focused, he knew more. He needed more. Every simple thing appeared as a big hurdle for him.
Mercedez is a luxury for those who cannot afford. Its a comfort for those who can. For the class above, they are worried about the discomforts of their Mercedez.
Let us try to realise like the King who was in search of the Happy Man's Shirt.
BTW, I understand that possession is the biggest attraction for man. Wealth hence becomes the biggest shirk. Alms are the way to protect. We should be ready to give away to whoever in need. Money, knoweldge, everything. Thats the way we can get away from being greedy. What use of a tall tree, that provide no shade, that bear no fruit? One day, someone would just cut it down. Logs for a furnace, they would find it useful.
Thankyou for a thoughtful mail.
God be with you and us and let us all strive to find peace in him. Not a peaceful rest, but a peaceful journey towards him..
----- Original Message -----
There are people who think that the affluent people of the world are put through lesser trial since they have wealth and riches to play about. They do not have to worry about their food and shelter. The luxuries of life open their arms for them.
This perception is not true. The Almighty has created this world as a trial and test for all of us. Every one of us undergoes this trial in some form or the other. It is not that only the poor and the needy are put through this test. Affluence also is a form of trial. Here the trial is to test a person regarding his attitude towards the Almighty. He is tested on whether he shows gratitude to the Almighty on His favors and blessings. As such, since a person generally tends to forget his Lord if he is blessed with an affluent life, this trial is perhaps tougher than that of a person who is put through the trial of poverty and adverse circumstances; in such circumstances, a person tends to remember the Lord more - or at least, has more opportunities for this remembrance.
Moreover, affluence is just one form of comfort a person may have. There are people who maybe affluent and very rich, but still have various forms of mental worries, troubles and tribulations.
Besides, having a strong relationship with the Almighty, the best way to fight out the ups and downs of life is to always look at people who are worse off: a cursory glance would bring many to our mind. One will begin to realize what one actually has in contrast with millions of others. Where others have been deprived, he would find himself blessed with many favors.
Yuki!
Good news as such. That means there is nothing bad. Is it not a good news?? That God saved us from many possible bad news?
The TV news will report a set of accidents and attacks and killings and deaths and scandals and and and finally will wish you Have a Good Day. A prayer that you be not affected.
Well, staying with family and kids in a new place and a place like Japan, almost no time to look out through the rain and process the mind. Today also furimashita. (furimasu - peyyuka) As in Malayalam, even though it never snows there, rain and snow both furimasu. Today it is snowing but here.
This is teh second snowing this season. But it was very little. It did not accum much on the ground. Anyway I had not watched the TV forecast yday. (A sin here) When I saw people with unbrellas out, I thought it would rain today. Anyway when I came out of subway station near office I was shocked to see it was Yuki (snow). It was really kawai (pretty) but I was rather kawaiso (paavam) with no umbrella. I had to buy an umbrella from a kiosk at the station. 700 yen. Almost 7 dollars. I had two at home. But they cannot work staying home.
Sky is visible now. So is ground too. But it is real cold outside. 5 min walk to station. Thats all the time I have to bear it. Inside house heater and AC does the work. But going to bath in the morning is really tough. When you switch off shower to apply soap and when you finish bath - until you rush to the heater....
North India is very much affected this time. I read some 800 deaths. I am talking about 5 and 10 min. Poor people there are to bear it 24 hours. In US style, 24x7... Delhi has started Metro. Fully air conditioned cars. Can people stay inside? May be they will start. Kerala just finished Global Investors Meet. They say MoU worth 11000 crore. May be these will change the overall life status? Cheap labour in India can bring foreign currency to India. Lower value rupee will make us compete in the world. The theory.
Popy and St. Johns find Taiwan better to manufacture their umbrellas to sell in Kerala. Chinese shoppees are the new communist pacha
Oil company of Venezuala imported some Indian labour to fire some local labour. A lot of protests and now the Indian Govt asks the recruitment agency to bring back the labour.
Good news too - Tisco starts making auto grade steel and would replace imported steel in manufacturing export model cars. Many others import steel and sell them back as cars.
Anyway failed theories are in limelight. The guy who sang Dont worry Be happy could not wait for the end to come to life. He took it there. Dr. Spock advise people to create self respect for children. And even stated how to. But his child committed suicide. I was told someone who invented a new stock market theory and succesfully ran a stock business was awarded Nobel Prize. But he soon broke.
Like the medical trascription company in Technopark achieved CMM level 5, declared it the only medical sucscription company in the world to be at L5, issued Press Releases, closed the door behind and left for good. Forgot the name of the company.
May be in long run we will be better off? God knows. Gujarat on one side proves what we want. We bother more about past than future. Someone just found that Kutub Minar was built demolishing some places of worship. No worship in minds. They look out for places for worship. They dont even know how to find out. So want to see where teh ancestors did it.
The new fashion is law banning conversions. They are going to decide what you are going to believe. LIke the Taliban, now they will start decide what you wear too. No wonder if they decide taht people in South should wear a tail like Hanuman. For them, southies are Hanumans anyway.
It would be better we move federal without losing time. And do not give national status to any party. All local parties only. The One India slogan should be banned. India should be a business consortium of all states. They have clear business agreement how to share river water. Local citizenship. India and Pak fight on all issues. But TN and Karnataka has fought more on Kaveri - I dont know if India and Pak fought over the five rivers?
We need heavy snow. To freeze is unnecessary boiliing blood. And a heavy summer. For those frozen senses to melt.
Sugoi ame!
Good rain outside. Sitting on a seventh floor and watching great rain would have been a splendid experience back home. Here again, though being in the middle of taller buildings around, which steals the feeling of being at heights, the feeling is good. Can see people walking on the streets with the ubiquitious Kalan kuda. The fairer sex who goes for the latest fashion in dress (still looks no nicer) having very nice and beautifully curved handles but still the long ones with the kalu.
Well, Kerala is blessed with rain. Not Seattle, though. When it rains, it rains. And you dont have to see Doordarsan to know that. You know it will. Some months in the evening, some months all day along. Umbrella is an essential thing. LIke the famous St.George ad, one of the things to buy every year for school. Everyone will have it, for sure. But we prefer to hide it still. Shame? They sell 3 folds there.
Japanese are so traditional. They are beautiful that way. The kimonos are really good. Very decent dress. They wanted to follow the Americans. They still dont know what to fix up. Malayalees also had a tough to wear Kimono called Saree. But they nicely shifted to easy to use, decent and neat Churis. These ladies have not. When the guys wear white shirt with necktie etc to office, they come with some shirt / t shirt and some pants.. Good for the umbrellas that they steal attention. Except for those with those (un)necessarily dressed girls. And there are many.
Technology is the hot bread here. ISDN failed everywhere. Not in Japan. No one could sell ATM except these guys. ADSL is yet to be popular. Already done in Japan. Europe had the usual big mouth for WAP. They did it silently calling it iMode. They have all the technology. FTTH is reaching to the homes. Now they talk 1.5GB bandwidth at home. 544kbps is what DoCoMo proves on mobile. Back home, I used to connect over a 64kbps on an analog modem.
Sharp is a good selling PDA vendor for US and Europe. It is a Japanese company.
Higuchi san was here today. He is arranging some customer meeting next week. He had a file with him. He took a sheet, checked his schedule in that and told us the dates. And he wrote something there.
All documents are printed out here. Everyone keeps big folders. All prints are neatly punched and stored. An attachment? Both the mail and the attachment are printed out.
Enter a shop, you will see a lot of pens, pencils, blends, papers, files etc. A lot of them. Many different types of clips, bookmarkers etc etc.
Before coming, I bought a Business Organiser from StylePlus. A leather jacketed one. This is a common thing with all people here. Everyone writes and marks in this. They often refer to this. They never miss an appointment. They are never late.
The paper and pen, the hardcopy organisers, the kalan kuda, they all remain against the heavy flow of technology. Why Sharp cannot sell the PDA in Japan. Why I cannot see Japanese officials using Outlook? Why they don’t use 3 folds here?
In India, we have MS Outllook. It keeps appointments. It gives reminders. Only thing is it does not attend the meeting for us. We do have organisers. And PDAs are not so scarce. But none of these gadgets reach meetings on time. Neither do their owners.
Umbrella is a must in Jun Jul for us. Everyone has it. Still it is a non-fashionable thing for us. Everyone wants to hide. We look for the 4th fold option.
A good rain could wash the windows panes and let me see a lot!!! And could be shared with you.
Skills and Knowledge
What I liked here in the Rules of the Road is the simplicity. This is the only book I have to learn.
Well, for us, we believe in skills. Skilled Assistants help us in our engg college labs. We have skilled teachers, skilled cooks. We boast of our engineering skills. Driving is also a skill.
We are in the forefront always to boast of our skills and to blame the fools around. Like these Japanese. They are idiots. You need to tell them what you just said is a joke, and then then would reciprocate laughing. Such fools. Well, it took me just 2.5 hours (and 150 dollars) to cover the 600 kms from Tokyo to Oosaka. Simple. Why???
What we do not believe is in knowledge. Some book says that any single Japanese is not better than any other single anywhere else. But 10 Japanese is better than any other 10. One thing I have noticed in the college days is that all our team structure falls down to groups of 2. (I have noticed this especially with females. Feminists, forgive)
The train driver here could be around 50. He has been doing this same job for around 25 years now. Never has he done a mistake. Still watch him. On getting the green signal, he points his finger towards that, shouts something, then points to the green lamp on his dash, again shout something and then the train moves. At every signal he repeats that.
No one at CDOT felt Amba Prasad was over acting. As KK once said, Amba knows 3+3=6. But, 3 pins + 3 pins is 6 pins only if his calculator agrees to that. Whenever I see the Japanese doing things, it reminds me of Amba. His blue, green, red colour letters on every new notebook for every new board. Is he not skilled?
Same for the drivers. The license test does not ask for skills. The rules of the road does not ask me to learn the acts of road rules. It is very simple. Indeed, reading a few chapters, I was wondering why such a long intro. Soon to find that it was no intro, but real business. Tells motorists to take care of other vehicles and pedestrians. Tell pedestrians to take care of vehicles. Tells moms to have their kids wear bright coloured dress when they go out in the night. Such simple rules. Respect others. Protect oneself.
Do we know these? Any one heard about responsibility? We have too much about rights and freedom. Rights that even restrict someone exercising his constitutional freedom.
The chauffers are not to be blamed. They are paid for the skills. You could measure the quality of the vehicle and the road with the time it takes to cover a distance here. The electronic boards can say how long it will take to the a place. We would rather measure the driver. The vehicle and road are constants.
BTW, if you plan a trip to Cochin, Shihab / Chandran are better drivers. They can reach you there in 3 hours.
Posted by Riyaz Muhammad on 01:19 PM
At Oosaka
This is the third time I had been Oosaka, theoritically. The earlier two were five years back, on the way to Kansai airport and back. No stoppping at Oosaka, other than the Shin Oosaka station.
Oosaka is claimed to de much different. I have learnt in newspaper reports that they are less polite than Tokyoites. The much widely seen Mana posta (Manner posters) are not so popular there. What more, they dont even form queues to board the train. Does that misle me anyway? No, we are too seasoned for such things. Indojin bikkuri shimasen! But there is one thing which I really fail to understand. It seems the railways once started with the three in a row queue for the train boarders. A natural confusion made them stop that. Guess what? The people on the left row would turn left and those on the right would turn right, once inside the train. What about the middle row?? Interesting.
Okuda san, my host at Oosaka, welcomed me with a grand sashimi party. He got me almost all kinds of sashimi. Maguro (tuna), Toro (cuttle fish?), kuruma ebi (special japanese prawns) and many many such items. First time I had a full dinner that had only sashimis. Good it was. He claims Oosaka has the second best Japanese Ryori, next to Kyoto. Well, he hails from Kyoto originally:)
One important difference I noticed is that on the escalators, people on the move be on the left side, contrary to Tokyo. And Okuda san says that is the international standard too. May be.
I stopped at a pedestrian crossing at red. I was too Tokyoish. Okuda san taught me the Rules of the Road at Oosaka. Yellow means Go, Red means, Go but take care.
By the way, I guess we should have this Rules of Road book as a study material at our schools. Everyday I read about accidents at home. Yday it was five in a family. The newly married girl loses both her parents the very next day. She waits for them for the party and the shocking news meets her. The wider the roads are, the faster the cars are. Where are we running to? Beat time? Narrow roads and pot holes can at least slow down the traffic.
KK asks how long I will be staying in Japan
Stay?
I am supposed to be living here.. I dont like long stays. That takes time off your precious life. So I preferred to live.
How long it be? A very philosophical question. Not as per the rules of life even. Things have changed much as more and more silicon flew over the fabs, and now, who can say what for how sure?
Thank God, I did not fare here so bad. And thank God, He is keeping carrots so that I am always mindul.
To be honest, fed up on service industry. At least here, I guess I dont have much more value to add. Not that all values are already there. Either what I think are foolish, or they are too good even for me to get them running. Anyway, like the capacitor charging getting saturated around 98%.. either change the capacitor or change the voltage..
How long the software industry go like this? The Gold rush is supposed to be over. Now all that glitters is gold. Or termed gold. Doing so I have stopped realising what is copper and what is gold myself. Need to step back a while and either go to pottery work or realise what the real gold is.
Life is great in Japan. Where else in the world can you take a train ride of 1.5 hours paying 100 dollars? Go to a family restaurant and pay 100 dollars? Not all that costly part. I could buy a very good, decent car for 1000 dollars, but pay 100 dollar for parking every month. Cars are convenient, but the public transport system is what makes Japan marvellous. Not for the blacks or skin heads, buses and trains are for every one. Neat, tidy, modern and punctual they run. It runs back home for many from office, and to bars, pubs, dance clubs, karoekes for many more. The art of riding I have learnt now. Learn how to travel without holding anywhere. Learn how to read books in the rush. Learn how to keep the lucky-on-the-seats not realise there is rush around them.
Things are not bad at home too. Infrastructure spending is high everywhere. New roads, buildings, bridges, rails. Construction everywhere. World bank has donated generously on a handsome interest. My kids will have tough time paying back. If they could make money using these roads they can. Else they will forgo a meal a day or two.
My friend, a secy, got a small pay hike. She is planning to apply for a loan. To repair her house. She is the lone child. Who will pay back the loan? She has to. Another loan is already there which her parents took for her education. I told her no more loans, thats bad habit. And she does not know if she can pay back. But is it all that bad? Unless for the first loan, she would not have been taught in school. She would have been working on coir mats. But I feel the more loans that attract her will keep her like the same. Staying in a better house, with a better electricity bill, and an improved tax. Finally saving, may be less too. There is no dark line seen though.
Like the old hardvard story. The fresh born MBA finds a prey in an tiny village. A fisherman who catches fishes for the day. The business proposals goes on like the fisherman buying boats, improving marketing, opening offices around the world and finally settling down in a remote village with some fishing for time pass. What he is doing now.
Long enough warm up for an office day. Talk to you.
The Sun Disappears
Another wicket down.
Soorej hits on the stumps himself. Bad light.
The keeper claps, captain claps and the team manager claps. All in the game. More appropriately, everyone in the game.
Was it for this, we have come all the way,
To part at last, without a kiss?
No. There are many viewers saying hats off. Who applauds the good things. For many others, it is just 40th in the year or so. For the few, these are a separate count.
Soorej walks back. Proudly. With tears filling in his eyes. Looking up for the sun. Already dusk.
A few flowers which had received the early morning sun are still there. They are all in a bowed posture. Soorej promises to play the next dawn. Beyond the sahyan, he could see the sun. The flowers. The green.
Soorej and Anand weaved the initial network fabric. The soorya server stood reminding Soorej till recently. The soorya server gave way to Project and Quality servers. (Who named them so? You are either in Project or in Quality. Never in both!!! No Pravda in Isvestia and no Isvestia in Pravda. No Project in Quality and no Quality in Project.)
Let me wish Soorej a grand new innings. A new dawn. Applauds!!!!
Anand leaves NeST
so another chapter added into the story book
Anand worked in BEL for more than a year
Then at CDOT for another 2 and a half years. Where I met him. While I stayed at JVV during the initial days. Met just as another Mallu, who then moved to Radhakrishnans apt. A simple looking guy. He was simple too. He was active. Very helpful. Frank. I remember Cherian also noted this of him in first meeting.
The third job took him for another 8 years until his decision to quit now.
Anand was a model for me for decision making. When he took the new house at RT Nagar, he did it alone. I also stayed with him on day one. (Later, years down, when he took his first house for rent in TVM, I was there to stay with him, though I was still working at Blore.) His decision to quit our dinner mess was not by discussing with us. He just told us. Once he just went out one afternoon and came back with a stereo player. I would have discussed for six months with 12 people and still not bought. His decision to apply for a small advt from a start up in Kerala and later to join that company was equally a surprise decision for us. No discussions, just decisions. He has proved that again.Just modifying the age old Bajaj ad - You just cant beat Anand.
We liked him much, loved him too. Anand remained a common point for all of us. Many evenings we spent in his house. He made dosas for us. We discussed everything under the sky.
Anand for us was technically a networking person. And an expert in international politics.
A well focussed person. He was never bothered about management aspects. He hated those things. I remember him walking out when we had a heated discussion on some mess rules. For him, unnecessary mgt overheads were not bearable. Later, during PJs NeST, I joined him in fighting for two streams for promotions. Anand was forced to be Project Manager. Just for designation sake. He loved programming. Later, when he was still in his favourite seat at A Block, I remember he was asked to remove VC from his machine. He is a PM. He should not work:)
NeST made some drastic changes later. Virtual groups changed to SBUs. Anand remained silent. He seemed content since he could escape the management layer. No. He failed?. Still, I always wanted to become Anand. To keep quiet. Aware, but untouched. I failed. My wife always blames me for my "unnecessary" interventions at NeST. She wanted me to be like Anand. Anand could work well. Could manage his family. He looks after his Muthassi very well. He looked after Peramma till she failed to overcome two days in ventillator. I could not even care much for my small family.
Anand had been a silent member of NeST for a long time. Why he became so. Who cares to ask. Anand is accused to be a no-quality man. He did not preach, he did practice, that too, by his own.
Beyond science, there is an art. One should not try to apply science on art. Never try to teach something to an artist. The SSLC rank holders get 100% in language papers. The great writers of Malayalam never could achieve.
My wife now says she was wrong. She thought being Anand was the best way at NeST. She now thinks it has failed? I just saw the photographs of the party. Anand is proving his Anandism! A smiling Anand could actually melt away much of the clouds formed in my mind.
Well, you just cant hurt Anand!
Saturday, October 25
US, us and the World Order
Determined for Democracy
Comeon, you and me know well that US is the most talkative guy when it comes to freedom and justice. They are for democracy. Bush, when his election was announced did not even bother to remember the name of Mussharaf since he was a dictator. Well, he supported well to "elect" a government in Afghanistan. Musharaf is now a good man. Determined to clean the earth of terrorism.
Why remove Saddam? He is not liked by Iraqis. They never had a choice. He would kill anyone opposing.
Bush, elected. Well stated. We had a nice weeklong story that everyone enjoyed without any bloodshed. The Bush-Gore war after US elections. See this
American has reenginered most of its institutions
and Corporations, but now one has dared sugest
any basic changes in this dead cow.
35% of the voters vote,
out of these only 17% voted for the President holding office
65% voted neither by boycotting the election.
So a system that can rule by 17% of the electorate
Is a dysfunctional system that no longer works
and in effect is a Dead Man ruling the Living.
Someone wrote the above in Pravda.
Preach?
Dr. Fuad tells me:
What are you trying to do? Preach to Bush and Blair?!
Anyway , nice to know there are souls doing more than watching the bombing live and apprteciating the precision of cruise missles and tomahawks and criticising the wayward patriot missiles
Well, no preaching to B&B!! But when I see something wrong, if I cant stop it directly or indirectly, I should at least try to let someone know it is wrong. Thats all. While I am writing this, possibly there are souls departing loved and loving ones. Probably blood flushing out of slain flesh. As Salam Pax says in his blog, Americans are helping them build a nation by destroying it first. He is trying to free them out by enslaving them to generation length of deseases. And to new culture.
Koizumi san feels he has to support US, because he is his only Uncle Sam. If North Korea does some mischief, he has to call out for this Uncle. Anyway, he says Iraq created the situation by not going on exile!!! Great guys around!!!! General MacArthur added #define Japan_Army=Self_Defence_Alone. By constitution, no military possible for Japan after WW. Only Self Defense Forces. Now the role. Well, they had defended Japan in the last Gulf War. Sending troops to Iraq. This time also they are thinking.
Well, one point is pathetic. One of the biggest financial contributors to UN, that too with no dues I guess, Japan has no say in Security Council. Sad. But why US with veto power need two votes?
Law and Liberty
"UK Prime Minister Tony Blair condemns Iraqi television pictures of the US POWs as a "flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention."
BBC News
I never knew behind the tough man with a steel tail that wages for US has a nice humurous Blair too.
Well, Blair and Bush, the Geneva convention has failed to protect the rights of the civilised people and has become clear that it is not enough to make sure that the mankind (read Americans) safe from "weapons of mass destruction" and people who come to presidency not by using ballot papers printed out by their brothers. Why not take over that too?
Anyway we have decided that the War Crime Tribunal is not really civilised enough to treat Americans well enough and hence made sure that the rules are not applicable to Americans. Anyway, mind you Iraqis, you will have to obey to this tribunal. Hear from Bush "I expect them to be treated, the POWs I expect to be treated humanely. And -- just like we're treating the prisoners that we have captured humanely. If not, the people who mistreat the prisoners will be treated as war criminals"
I remember reading Japanese history. With no Nazi Aryan attitude, why the hell Japan entered WW? Commodore Perry back 100 years opened the closed Japan with some steam ships for trade. Then they realised the Japanese laws are not fair for them, created their own laws for them...
POssible that another world war is in the making.
Anyway, Saddam should be thanked. Considering humankind, for this long, he has not used the bio-chem-weapons of mass destruction. Probably even he does not know where they are kept and hence unable to tell UN guys? Thats why US should be the guys who would inspect arms. All the junk civilisation around, really Americans have tough time explaining all these and convincing. Only Bush has bothered to bother and say "We've got a game plan, a strategy to free the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein and rid his country of weapons of mass destruction, and we're on plan."
Did I hear Laden say so too? But he did a gross mistake by killing several innocent people. He should have directed all the planes to land over whitehouse. Clear target, less casuality and quick action. The US strategy of war now. Did they learn from Laden? Guys, I fear he is in CIA now. He was, right?
When the French gifted State of Liberty, they probably never thought that Liberty has not limit unless defined explicitly
God save us !
Another War?
When I visited the UN HQ in the pre 9/11 NY City, I bought a book. Zlatas Diary. This is a diary written by a girl during the Bosnia days. A good read showing how the daily life of the well doing family approaches a war and how it copes with all the difficulties etc etc. A good read.
It is good for someone to read these even before war breaks. Like this one
Another war is in the making. A man can be cloned. Why not a war?
The American movies will find a good finish. Nadakantham Kavithwam. No one knows.
A war. Only three letters and one syllable. Easy to say. Another three letter CNN would make it enjoyable. It was indeed. Twelve years back? When American kids moved away from Nintendos to the TV for a real War Game. Which made no mistakes. No need to change tapes. Real live. Streaming.
Almost 60 years back, the land I am sitting now was crushed. The M/F ratio inversed. General MacArthur's US changed Japan. They changed the school curriculum. They made them think American.
US is now in far east. A dynamic pool of strong workers in hand. Good position.
The master is already a slave. Blair has declared itself as the 53rd state.
They get a hold on Afghan. Pak and India are racing on who should be laid down first.
And now Iraq. Another General MacArthur is ready waiting to take rule. They will teach Iraqis how to think the US way. May be the Iraqi women would love going to US and getting married to Americans in another 20-30 years. LIke Japan.
If someone would defeat US and take rule over US someday in future history, I have this request. Their school curriculum should be changed. Zlatas diary must be a must read. Now, all these game companies should be sent to Artic. All these war games which made those kids view war as a game should be banned. The TV sets showing any war should also have a feature where it should make the viewers smell blood too. The video tapes of twin tower falling must be shown. And all the associated cries and the bood. Then all such scenes across teh world should be shown. And the cries. And the blood. Teach the blood is red everywhere. Smells the same. And the pain is same.
Teach them what civilisation actually means. I guess the American dictionaries by that time would have defined it as America. As an example sentence it would quote Bush on 9/11.
Teach them when people die, actually people die. For rest of the world, it was people died on 9/11. Not just Americans. Again quoting Bush.
Luckily there are people who can think so even in America. Why America is hated is not a curious question in third world.
Comeon, you and me know well that US is the most talkative guy when it comes to freedom and justice. They are for democracy. Bush, when his election was announced did not even bother to remember the name of Mussharaf since he was a dictator. Well, he supported well to "elect" a government in Afghanistan. Musharaf is now a good man. Determined to clean the earth of terrorism.
Why remove Saddam? He is not liked by Iraqis. They never had a choice. He would kill anyone opposing.
Bush, elected. Well stated. We had a nice weeklong story that everyone enjoyed without any bloodshed. The Bush-Gore war after US elections. See this
American has reenginered most of its institutions
and Corporations, but now one has dared sugest
any basic changes in this dead cow.
35% of the voters vote,
out of these only 17% voted for the President holding office
65% voted neither by boycotting the election.
So a system that can rule by 17% of the electorate
Is a dysfunctional system that no longer works
and in effect is a Dead Man ruling the Living.
Someone wrote the above in Pravda.
Preach?
Dr. Fuad tells me:
What are you trying to do? Preach to Bush and Blair?!
Anyway , nice to know there are souls doing more than watching the bombing live and apprteciating the precision of cruise missles and tomahawks and criticising the wayward patriot missiles
Well, no preaching to B&B!! But when I see something wrong, if I cant stop it directly or indirectly, I should at least try to let someone know it is wrong. Thats all. While I am writing this, possibly there are souls departing loved and loving ones. Probably blood flushing out of slain flesh. As Salam Pax says in his blog, Americans are helping them build a nation by destroying it first. He is trying to free them out by enslaving them to generation length of deseases. And to new culture.
Koizumi san feels he has to support US, because he is his only Uncle Sam. If North Korea does some mischief, he has to call out for this Uncle. Anyway, he says Iraq created the situation by not going on exile!!! Great guys around!!!! General MacArthur added #define Japan_Army=Self_Defence_Alone. By constitution, no military possible for Japan after WW. Only Self Defense Forces. Now the role. Well, they had defended Japan in the last Gulf War. Sending troops to Iraq. This time also they are thinking.
Well, one point is pathetic. One of the biggest financial contributors to UN, that too with no dues I guess, Japan has no say in Security Council. Sad. But why US with veto power need two votes?
Law and Liberty
"UK Prime Minister Tony Blair condemns Iraqi television pictures of the US POWs as a "flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention."
BBC News
I never knew behind the tough man with a steel tail that wages for US has a nice humurous Blair too.
Well, Blair and Bush, the Geneva convention has failed to protect the rights of the civilised people and has become clear that it is not enough to make sure that the mankind (read Americans) safe from "weapons of mass destruction" and people who come to presidency not by using ballot papers printed out by their brothers. Why not take over that too?
Anyway we have decided that the War Crime Tribunal is not really civilised enough to treat Americans well enough and hence made sure that the rules are not applicable to Americans. Anyway, mind you Iraqis, you will have to obey to this tribunal. Hear from Bush "I expect them to be treated, the POWs I expect to be treated humanely. And -- just like we're treating the prisoners that we have captured humanely. If not, the people who mistreat the prisoners will be treated as war criminals"
I remember reading Japanese history. With no Nazi Aryan attitude, why the hell Japan entered WW? Commodore Perry back 100 years opened the closed Japan with some steam ships for trade. Then they realised the Japanese laws are not fair for them, created their own laws for them...
POssible that another world war is in the making.
Anyway, Saddam should be thanked. Considering humankind, for this long, he has not used the bio-chem-weapons of mass destruction. Probably even he does not know where they are kept and hence unable to tell UN guys? Thats why US should be the guys who would inspect arms. All the junk civilisation around, really Americans have tough time explaining all these and convincing. Only Bush has bothered to bother and say "We've got a game plan, a strategy to free the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein and rid his country of weapons of mass destruction, and we're on plan."
Did I hear Laden say so too? But he did a gross mistake by killing several innocent people. He should have directed all the planes to land over whitehouse. Clear target, less casuality and quick action. The US strategy of war now. Did they learn from Laden? Guys, I fear he is in CIA now. He was, right?
When the French gifted State of Liberty, they probably never thought that Liberty has not limit unless defined explicitly
God save us !
Another War?
When I visited the UN HQ in the pre 9/11 NY City, I bought a book. Zlatas Diary. This is a diary written by a girl during the Bosnia days. A good read showing how the daily life of the well doing family approaches a war and how it copes with all the difficulties etc etc. A good read.
It is good for someone to read these even before war breaks. Like this one
Another war is in the making. A man can be cloned. Why not a war?
The American movies will find a good finish. Nadakantham Kavithwam. No one knows.
A war. Only three letters and one syllable. Easy to say. Another three letter CNN would make it enjoyable. It was indeed. Twelve years back? When American kids moved away from Nintendos to the TV for a real War Game. Which made no mistakes. No need to change tapes. Real live. Streaming.
Almost 60 years back, the land I am sitting now was crushed. The M/F ratio inversed. General MacArthur's US changed Japan. They changed the school curriculum. They made them think American.
US is now in far east. A dynamic pool of strong workers in hand. Good position.
The master is already a slave. Blair has declared itself as the 53rd state.
They get a hold on Afghan. Pak and India are racing on who should be laid down first.
And now Iraq. Another General MacArthur is ready waiting to take rule. They will teach Iraqis how to think the US way. May be the Iraqi women would love going to US and getting married to Americans in another 20-30 years. LIke Japan.
If someone would defeat US and take rule over US someday in future history, I have this request. Their school curriculum should be changed. Zlatas diary must be a must read. Now, all these game companies should be sent to Artic. All these war games which made those kids view war as a game should be banned. The TV sets showing any war should also have a feature where it should make the viewers smell blood too. The video tapes of twin tower falling must be shown. And all the associated cries and the bood. Then all such scenes across teh world should be shown. And the cries. And the blood. Teach the blood is red everywhere. Smells the same. And the pain is same.
Teach them what civilisation actually means. I guess the American dictionaries by that time would have defined it as America. As an example sentence it would quote Bush on 9/11.
Teach them when people die, actually people die. For rest of the world, it was people died on 9/11. Not just Americans. Again quoting Bush.
Luckily there are people who can think so even in America. Why America is hated is not a curious question in third world.
Saturday, December 25
Pages from my first Japan Life
Copied from an old diary page
1. Sakuma Dam Festival
Well, we had a nice weekend too. At our group's secy Kobayashi san's house. Our company with Kobayashi san started when our boss invited us, along with her for a yatching at Lake Hamana, during our last visit. It then strengthened and extended when we invited her and her husband for a lunch to our house. The response came and we were invited for a grand Jap lunch at their mom's house, which I could not attend. Then they were invited as a whole to us again a few weeks back. Kobayashi san, her husband, her two sisters, two kids (Ayu chan and Noe chan)of one of them (Mina san), and her husband (Nobuo san) turned up and we went to the beautiful Hamamatsu Flower park after the lunch. There we played the "Kannukettikkali"or the game where the blind folded catcher (Ooni san in Japanese) will chase you. A nice day it was and they liked the way they were entertained.
Yday we were invited again to join them to go to one festival. What will you guess as a festival? Some festival in a local temple? Some traditional festival?
This is one thing to read a people. The festival, to my surprise too, was called Sakuma Dam festival. What does it mean? Some festival , (call , a celebration or a kind of carnival) arranged at the Dam site. Obviously a created festival.
(here I disagree with the character Dasan of Mayyazhipuzhayude theerangalil by M. Mukundan, who as many others when their blood is too hot says that if he had power he would have destroyed all the temples around there and would have erected reading rooms instead. Either some festivals like these will have to be created instead, or some bars or dances appear to substitute. No doubt. Thats why Jesus (Peace be on him) said "Man does not live with bread alone")
Indeed the place is nice. Very scenic. Making me a little lost to some missing feeling:) The green hill sides have just started to turn scarlet and in two weeks it will be totally red, they say. The 'festival' started around noon. When we reached a big group of bright designed blue kimono clad women are ready to start their dance. I really feel a group dance need much coordination. And the group here had women all above 50, and even more !! Such kind of coordination is somewhat unimaginable in India in that age, I felt. Why to say, I feel difficult to do that at this (comparatively, though:) ) early age.
(Thats another mark of Jap. There is never an individual. The max individualism they have is limited to individual groups such as students.No individualistic individual. Thats why some author said, there is no one who is more a fool than a single Jap. And there is no one who is wiser than two Jap.)
Well, the dance was good. At the backdrop of plain drum beats. Parallely we had our lunch, Mina san brought. Good Jap lunch (Jap lunch is always good only but I enjoyed this very much) prepared by Oka san (mother). Before we could (at least I, for sure) finish the lunch the fireworks had started. After the firework, went back and had the remaining lunch. Then there was a 'Vyaali' dance. (Vyaali - I dont know what in Eng. I feel the same as "Kaliya"?- a dragon?).
Then a kind of circus using Pambaram (spindle), then a Balloon show. Then a sort of lucky dip. Thats all. The 'festival' over and people started to drive back the 60 kms and more they have driven up all the way for this !! (There again the usual Jap road. Cars moving slowly, as if they never know there is something called a horn that comes as a std accessory in all cars, waiting for people walking on the road to feel the presence of a car behind, using any 6th sense they might be having, and to move out)
Apparently there was nothing , as there was no 'Bale' no 'Ganamela', but it helped me a lot in understand the species called Jap in more ways..
We concluded the trip, after having a dinner at Mina sans house and playing around with Ayu, Noe and Hiroto and the other people around, when Mina san and Kobayashi drove us back to our apt.
We are glad we have what we deserve!
An example of the sincerity is the bus service. When you get into the bus, a machine there will give you a coupon which states the point of entry. In the front, there is a display which updates the rate for people from every point at every coming stop. So, when your stop comes, you just see the display for your charge against the point of entry as marked in the coupon, put that in the machine near the driver and get down. You are supposed to exit through the front door. The middle door is meant for entering. If you know the entry point number , you need not take the coupon also.But if you opt to pay using the prepaid card, you need that for the machine to read.
One day, my pre paid ticket card (for train) got stuck in the ticket vending machine as my friend tried to insert his before mine came out. The station was unmanned that time and we did not know what to do. I started pressing the buttons available there. You know, no english. Suddenly over the speaker I could hear "Moshi moshi" (Hello in Jap). The call was attended by people at the central station. Luckily I got a school girl who knew English . She talked to them, told them the problem. They asked me where I am travelling to, whether I coud get my ticket, when I will be getting the train next day and from which station etc. They finally told me that the station master at the place where I will board the train will hand it over to me the next day morning. I will just have to tell him my name.
That travel was just 20 min. I was getting back home from work. When I reached my station, the station guy asked me if I lost the card !!! He was already informed about the matter and he was also told that I will be coming in that train....He said he will get it to me the next day !!! I was too too too shocked. The pace at which they do things !!!
The people here have prosperity. They deserve it.
Scene two is me losing my umbrella. I forgot it near the ticket vending machine at Daiichi Dori station. After I got into my train I realised that. I anyway went to my station, which is just 10 minutes away from Daiichi Dori and reported it there. I just had to wait for another fifteen minutes and it reached me.
Another day I lost my phone in a taxi on the way to office and before I realised that I lost it, I got a call asking if that was mine. Again I did not have to go anywhere as that reached me instead
Well, I will tell you a common scene when we start from home mostly. The schools here for those tiny kids, have a special feature that the kids are collected from their houses , not in a cycle rikshaw or anything, but they walk. They are folked into a group of some , say, 20 kids and there will be one lady who guides them. To our place, she comes with already big group and the kids here will join them. The mamas (amma) will be rushing to the spot where she collects them, eventhough she will be passing in front of the house. All kids at the 'stop' now gather, they all bow together and wish "Ohaio Gozaimos" (good morning) and then start again to collect the next group. You have to see them crossing the road. The guide lady asks them to wait, they wait. Then she has a yellow flag (a school std in Japan. All these kids will be wearing a yellow bag and a yellow helmet too - like a CRP one) , which she shows towards the road , when the road is free and then she asks them to cross. All of them, in a queue of two (hand in hand) cross the road, with one hand extended up showing the vehicles to stop. The lady will be just standing in the middle of the road. Once everyone crosses she will go ahead.
Did you notice anything here? If not, my narration is the problem. The discipline those little kids show, I failed to express in words.
They carry on. Then in train we can see another such group getting into it from another stn. Yes, they travel in train. They all get in the same pair queue and they all sit as the seats are available. No rushing, they will stand if the space is not lavish. Then getting down is more funny. They all get down, in pair again, very cool, and then wait there, because the lady with them will ask them to sit down. She will take them out only after the train goes. As soon as she says that, they all sat.
This is how they are brought up. The mamas dont complain that their children are asked to sit on the floor or like that. They are not afraid if the lady will take care of them on the way to school. In short they believe each other. Credibility, Its there. And its valued too.
Politics is not the main criteria. We have a rule, that we deserve. While riding on the road, did we see anyone who is waiting to cross the road? Did we slow down for them? Zebra marks, what are they? Didn't we blow our horn for those 'damn guys' to get off the road soon? Did not we get angry on the guy in from of us going too slow? We are in a rush. Do not we ride high speed to go somewhere, when there was no reason for that speed? Yes, we dont have time. WE ARE TOO SELFISH. When we overtake on the roads, we think that guy is not worth the wait and we are going to achieve something big in that time. Time. Do not rush against that. I was thinking on that. Probably time was the first creation in this world. (Time was indeed created. It is not the beginning. The fact that it changes means that it was created. The eternal One cannot change. Then only it can be creator.) Thats the basis of all other creations. We cannot run against time. If we can slow down, there is nothing we can do as a crime. Patience. Thats the first step of discipline. And dscipline is the step stone of success.
Innallaha magassabireen. Indeed God is with those who are patient. (Holy Qur'an)
I can tell you a hundred such stories. Credibility is something which we can maintain at least to ourselves. Just if we decide that anyone can believe me, we are done. We are entitled to change ourselves. We can try to change others. Not enforce. But we can enforce ourselves. Then if someone assigns some credibility on you, never ever break that. For, that may cause that the guy will never attribute any credibility to anyone.
Yes, if we change, today it is only one person. As Mother Theresa said, if you add a drop of water into a sea, that drop of water exists. It is not the same as that without that drop.
A one today can be a ten or hundred in another ten or hundred years. It may not be. Still we did not lose anything. We can only gain from it.
Yamanashi trip
Had a nice time at Yamanashi. It is just beautiful to see mounatins everywhere I look around. Just encirled with mountains. I did not know Autumn is beautiful too. With all its shades of reds the trees are turning into, just before it all goes for a nude bath in the winter, the mountains are very eye catching.
And Yamanashi was more rural than it is now, till the Medical Uty was founded there. With so many flowers and fruit bearing trees of Apple, Orange, kakki and grapevines.. The Japanese rural beauty is beautiful too. Yamanashi has a different temperature than outside.It has a hot summer and a very chill winter. The autumn temperature itself could touch the 0 deg mark !
The Mt Fuji (they call it Fuji-san) is really nice to see. A huge figure (though I saw only from a distance) with the straight line slope as a kid would have drawn a mountain. That should be because of the lava flow. That could be one reason for the rich agriculture? But Yamanashi is said to have only one crop in a year. Then it is left open to the summer, autumn and winter. May be these seasons are not okay for crops.
The train journey back from Yamanashi was probably the best part. The encircling monutain was not just a mountain, it was a cluster of mountains. With Mt. Fuji on one side. The train took so much time to come out of that.And with the beatiful pieces of isolated land in between. Too good. The entire place is very rural, predominantly agricultural till I reach the Fuji city.
When brother Dr. Rahman dropped me back at Joein station in the Minobu sen line, it was like waving to my native place after the thrice a year visit to the place we did during our school days.
[Dr. Rahman is from Bengladesh, doing research in immunology in the Yamanashi Med Uty, and he was my host during the visit. Also thanx to his friend, Hashimoto san who took up to the fitness club where he is a member and we had cycling and then the Japanese famous public bath]
1. Sakuma Dam Festival
Well, we had a nice weekend too. At our group's secy Kobayashi san's house. Our company with Kobayashi san started when our boss invited us, along with her for a yatching at Lake Hamana, during our last visit. It then strengthened and extended when we invited her and her husband for a lunch to our house. The response came and we were invited for a grand Jap lunch at their mom's house, which I could not attend. Then they were invited as a whole to us again a few weeks back. Kobayashi san, her husband, her two sisters, two kids (Ayu chan and Noe chan)of one of them (Mina san), and her husband (Nobuo san) turned up and we went to the beautiful Hamamatsu Flower park after the lunch. There we played the "Kannukettikkali"or the game where the blind folded catcher (Ooni san in Japanese) will chase you. A nice day it was and they liked the way they were entertained.
Yday we were invited again to join them to go to one festival. What will you guess as a festival? Some festival in a local temple? Some traditional festival?
This is one thing to read a people. The festival, to my surprise too, was called Sakuma Dam festival. What does it mean? Some festival , (call , a celebration or a kind of carnival) arranged at the Dam site. Obviously a created festival.
(here I disagree with the character Dasan of Mayyazhipuzhayude theerangalil by M. Mukundan, who as many others when their blood is too hot says that if he had power he would have destroyed all the temples around there and would have erected reading rooms instead. Either some festivals like these will have to be created instead, or some bars or dances appear to substitute. No doubt. Thats why Jesus (Peace be on him) said "Man does not live with bread alone")
Indeed the place is nice. Very scenic. Making me a little lost to some missing feeling:) The green hill sides have just started to turn scarlet and in two weeks it will be totally red, they say. The 'festival' started around noon. When we reached a big group of bright designed blue kimono clad women are ready to start their dance. I really feel a group dance need much coordination. And the group here had women all above 50, and even more !! Such kind of coordination is somewhat unimaginable in India in that age, I felt. Why to say, I feel difficult to do that at this (comparatively, though:) ) early age.
(Thats another mark of Jap. There is never an individual. The max individualism they have is limited to individual groups such as students.No individualistic individual. Thats why some author said, there is no one who is more a fool than a single Jap. And there is no one who is wiser than two Jap.)
Well, the dance was good. At the backdrop of plain drum beats. Parallely we had our lunch, Mina san brought. Good Jap lunch (Jap lunch is always good only but I enjoyed this very much) prepared by Oka san (mother). Before we could (at least I, for sure) finish the lunch the fireworks had started. After the firework, went back and had the remaining lunch. Then there was a 'Vyaali' dance. (Vyaali - I dont know what in Eng. I feel the same as "Kaliya"?- a dragon?).
Then a kind of circus using Pambaram (spindle), then a Balloon show. Then a sort of lucky dip. Thats all. The 'festival' over and people started to drive back the 60 kms and more they have driven up all the way for this !! (There again the usual Jap road. Cars moving slowly, as if they never know there is something called a horn that comes as a std accessory in all cars, waiting for people walking on the road to feel the presence of a car behind, using any 6th sense they might be having, and to move out)
Apparently there was nothing , as there was no 'Bale' no 'Ganamela', but it helped me a lot in understand the species called Jap in more ways..
We concluded the trip, after having a dinner at Mina sans house and playing around with Ayu, Noe and Hiroto and the other people around, when Mina san and Kobayashi drove us back to our apt.
We are glad we have what we deserve!
An example of the sincerity is the bus service. When you get into the bus, a machine there will give you a coupon which states the point of entry. In the front, there is a display which updates the rate for people from every point at every coming stop. So, when your stop comes, you just see the display for your charge against the point of entry as marked in the coupon, put that in the machine near the driver and get down. You are supposed to exit through the front door. The middle door is meant for entering. If you know the entry point number , you need not take the coupon also.But if you opt to pay using the prepaid card, you need that for the machine to read.
One day, my pre paid ticket card (for train) got stuck in the ticket vending machine as my friend tried to insert his before mine came out. The station was unmanned that time and we did not know what to do. I started pressing the buttons available there. You know, no english. Suddenly over the speaker I could hear "Moshi moshi" (Hello in Jap). The call was attended by people at the central station. Luckily I got a school girl who knew English . She talked to them, told them the problem. They asked me where I am travelling to, whether I coud get my ticket, when I will be getting the train next day and from which station etc. They finally told me that the station master at the place where I will board the train will hand it over to me the next day morning. I will just have to tell him my name.
That travel was just 20 min. I was getting back home from work. When I reached my station, the station guy asked me if I lost the card !!! He was already informed about the matter and he was also told that I will be coming in that train....He said he will get it to me the next day !!! I was too too too shocked. The pace at which they do things !!!
The people here have prosperity. They deserve it.
Scene two is me losing my umbrella. I forgot it near the ticket vending machine at Daiichi Dori station. After I got into my train I realised that. I anyway went to my station, which is just 10 minutes away from Daiichi Dori and reported it there. I just had to wait for another fifteen minutes and it reached me.
Another day I lost my phone in a taxi on the way to office and before I realised that I lost it, I got a call asking if that was mine. Again I did not have to go anywhere as that reached me instead
Well, I will tell you a common scene when we start from home mostly. The schools here for those tiny kids, have a special feature that the kids are collected from their houses , not in a cycle rikshaw or anything, but they walk. They are folked into a group of some , say, 20 kids and there will be one lady who guides them. To our place, she comes with already big group and the kids here will join them. The mamas (amma) will be rushing to the spot where she collects them, eventhough she will be passing in front of the house. All kids at the 'stop' now gather, they all bow together and wish "Ohaio Gozaimos" (good morning) and then start again to collect the next group. You have to see them crossing the road. The guide lady asks them to wait, they wait. Then she has a yellow flag (a school std in Japan. All these kids will be wearing a yellow bag and a yellow helmet too - like a CRP one) , which she shows towards the road , when the road is free and then she asks them to cross. All of them, in a queue of two (hand in hand) cross the road, with one hand extended up showing the vehicles to stop. The lady will be just standing in the middle of the road. Once everyone crosses she will go ahead.
Did you notice anything here? If not, my narration is the problem. The discipline those little kids show, I failed to express in words.
They carry on. Then in train we can see another such group getting into it from another stn. Yes, they travel in train. They all get in the same pair queue and they all sit as the seats are available. No rushing, they will stand if the space is not lavish. Then getting down is more funny. They all get down, in pair again, very cool, and then wait there, because the lady with them will ask them to sit down. She will take them out only after the train goes. As soon as she says that, they all sat.
This is how they are brought up. The mamas dont complain that their children are asked to sit on the floor or like that. They are not afraid if the lady will take care of them on the way to school. In short they believe each other. Credibility, Its there. And its valued too.
Politics is not the main criteria. We have a rule, that we deserve. While riding on the road, did we see anyone who is waiting to cross the road? Did we slow down for them? Zebra marks, what are they? Didn't we blow our horn for those 'damn guys' to get off the road soon? Did not we get angry on the guy in from of us going too slow? We are in a rush. Do not we ride high speed to go somewhere, when there was no reason for that speed? Yes, we dont have time. WE ARE TOO SELFISH. When we overtake on the roads, we think that guy is not worth the wait and we are going to achieve something big in that time. Time. Do not rush against that. I was thinking on that. Probably time was the first creation in this world. (Time was indeed created. It is not the beginning. The fact that it changes means that it was created. The eternal One cannot change. Then only it can be creator.) Thats the basis of all other creations. We cannot run against time. If we can slow down, there is nothing we can do as a crime. Patience. Thats the first step of discipline. And dscipline is the step stone of success.
Innallaha magassabireen. Indeed God is with those who are patient. (Holy Qur'an)
I can tell you a hundred such stories. Credibility is something which we can maintain at least to ourselves. Just if we decide that anyone can believe me, we are done. We are entitled to change ourselves. We can try to change others. Not enforce. But we can enforce ourselves. Then if someone assigns some credibility on you, never ever break that. For, that may cause that the guy will never attribute any credibility to anyone.
Yes, if we change, today it is only one person. As Mother Theresa said, if you add a drop of water into a sea, that drop of water exists. It is not the same as that without that drop.
A one today can be a ten or hundred in another ten or hundred years. It may not be. Still we did not lose anything. We can only gain from it.
Yamanashi trip
Had a nice time at Yamanashi. It is just beautiful to see mounatins everywhere I look around. Just encirled with mountains. I did not know Autumn is beautiful too. With all its shades of reds the trees are turning into, just before it all goes for a nude bath in the winter, the mountains are very eye catching.
And Yamanashi was more rural than it is now, till the Medical Uty was founded there. With so many flowers and fruit bearing trees of Apple, Orange, kakki and grapevines.. The Japanese rural beauty is beautiful too. Yamanashi has a different temperature than outside.It has a hot summer and a very chill winter. The autumn temperature itself could touch the 0 deg mark !
The Mt Fuji (they call it Fuji-san) is really nice to see. A huge figure (though I saw only from a distance) with the straight line slope as a kid would have drawn a mountain. That should be because of the lava flow. That could be one reason for the rich agriculture? But Yamanashi is said to have only one crop in a year. Then it is left open to the summer, autumn and winter. May be these seasons are not okay for crops.
The train journey back from Yamanashi was probably the best part. The encircling monutain was not just a mountain, it was a cluster of mountains. With Mt. Fuji on one side. The train took so much time to come out of that.And with the beatiful pieces of isolated land in between. Too good. The entire place is very rural, predominantly agricultural till I reach the Fuji city.
When brother Dr. Rahman dropped me back at Joein station in the Minobu sen line, it was like waving to my native place after the thrice a year visit to the place we did during our school days.
[Dr. Rahman is from Bengladesh, doing research in immunology in the Yamanashi Med Uty, and he was my host during the visit. Also thanx to his friend, Hashimoto san who took up to the fitness club where he is a member and we had cycling and then the Japanese famous public bath]
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