From the TOI :
"Today is Christmas. the day christ was born to save the world. It's a day of remembrance and celebration of the great Saviour."
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December 25, 2004
December 22, 2004
More than just words
I am just about realising it now.
Reading between the lines is not that difficult an art, but I think it's been long forgotten. Next time someone says something, or writes somethings, or even sends an SMS to you, rather than paying attention to the messge as a whole, pay attention to the words used, the sentences formed. The structure of the message sometimes tells an entirely different story from the message itself.
Many times, you'll sense emotions in words. I don't mean emotions that the person on the other side wished to convey. When you know someone for some time, you know the words (s)he generally makes use of. Deviations from those, average lengths of sentences, the adjectives, adverbs, nouns ... all go a long way in telling you what was the state of the person while writing the message.
Or maybe I am just too sceptical to trust anyone.
Reading between the lines is not that difficult an art, but I think it's been long forgotten. Next time someone says something, or writes somethings, or even sends an SMS to you, rather than paying attention to the messge as a whole, pay attention to the words used, the sentences formed. The structure of the message sometimes tells an entirely different story from the message itself.
Many times, you'll sense emotions in words. I don't mean emotions that the person on the other side wished to convey. When you know someone for some time, you know the words (s)he generally makes use of. Deviations from those, average lengths of sentences, the adjectives, adverbs, nouns ... all go a long way in telling you what was the state of the person while writing the message.
Or maybe I am just too sceptical to trust anyone.
A different kind of 'code'
I am not someone who reads a lot of novels, in fact, I wonder if I have even ever read one. But these vacations have given me a lot of free time, and some friends of mine told me what a good read 'The Da Vinci Code' was. I decided to give it a try.
I started reading, and I must admit, I kept the book down (rather, closed 'xpdf') only after I finished it. Took a good eight hours or so. The book had enough to keep me hooked to it all through the night.
But frankly, I was a bit disappointed. The book, or rather the plot, promises that there are certain hidden secrets, and brings us tantalizingly close to them. But the end was a dud. The author never reveals the secret. Come on yaar, I know the book is fiction (at least most of it), give me at least one more piece of fiction that I could believe was a secret worth keeping for millennia! If there was a secret plot for the reader to uncover, I am sorry, I missed it. There was a feeling that I had been taken for a ride. A ride that lasted a good eight hours.
In the middle though, I had taken a break, and searched Google for more information about the book. I reached the author's official web-site, and in one of the FAQs, the author said the story would be continued in the next book. Maybe that is the reason behind the secrets not being revealed, the author wants to guarantee that his next book will sell at least as much as this one. And this one sold quite a lot, I hear.
Frankly, I like Tanenbaum better. At least, he doesn't keep his secrets for long ;)
I started reading, and I must admit, I kept the book down (rather, closed 'xpdf') only after I finished it. Took a good eight hours or so. The book had enough to keep me hooked to it all through the night.
But frankly, I was a bit disappointed. The book, or rather the plot, promises that there are certain hidden secrets, and brings us tantalizingly close to them. But the end was a dud. The author never reveals the secret. Come on yaar, I know the book is fiction (at least most of it), give me at least one more piece of fiction that I could believe was a secret worth keeping for millennia! If there was a secret plot for the reader to uncover, I am sorry, I missed it. There was a feeling that I had been taken for a ride. A ride that lasted a good eight hours.
In the middle though, I had taken a break, and searched Google for more information about the book. I reached the author's official web-site, and in one of the FAQs, the author said the story would be continued in the next book. Maybe that is the reason behind the secrets not being revealed, the author wants to guarantee that his next book will sell at least as much as this one. And this one sold quite a lot, I hear.
Frankly, I like Tanenbaum better. At least, he doesn't keep his secrets for long ;)
December 20, 2004
Swades - We, the people
Went to watch a movie today after a long time. Granted, the theatre wasn't the best (a lousy K.T. Vision somewhere in Vasai), but the movie just about made up for it.
I am not an NRI, nor do I have any NRI friends. So I don't really know how NRIs feel about India. But still, the movie did a pretty good job about portraying the mindset of an NRI. (For the record, I do know some Indians who ready to leave India at the drop of a hat).
I won't let out the story here. But I will tell you one thing - don't expect to watch the movie and come out a proud Indian, this movie is not patriotic at all. The director has been very true to the script. It is all about the emotional turmoil the NRI faces when he has to decide between staying abroad and returning to India. In fact, the NRI admits that India is not the best country to live in, but he is willing to make a difference.
The rural shots in the movie to a large extent portray my native place (Varanasi, or Benares), so I did get pretty nostalgic a few times. It's been five years since I last went there, God knows when will I go there next. In a way, I am a non resident Benarsi.
I am not an NRI, nor do I have any NRI friends. So I don't really know how NRIs feel about India. But still, the movie did a pretty good job about portraying the mindset of an NRI. (For the record, I do know some Indians who ready to leave India at the drop of a hat).
I won't let out the story here. But I will tell you one thing - don't expect to watch the movie and come out a proud Indian, this movie is not patriotic at all. The director has been very true to the script. It is all about the emotional turmoil the NRI faces when he has to decide between staying abroad and returning to India. In fact, the NRI admits that India is not the best country to live in, but he is willing to make a difference.
The rural shots in the movie to a large extent portray my native place (Varanasi, or Benares), so I did get pretty nostalgic a few times. It's been five years since I last went there, God knows when will I go there next. In a way, I am a non resident Benarsi.
Let's play together
Most animals do it well. Ants do it the best perhaps. In fact, even robots are being taught to do it now. But strangely, sometimes humans fail miserably when trying to do the same thing.
Working in a group. No, I am not talking about managing a group, or it's workflow, I am talking of the people within. Many times people just don't seem to get along very well. I have seen a group that wasn't ready to work with another because they had problems with one of it's members. Many times, there are leadership issues. Too many people trying to control the same thing, and none willing to give up. When they do give up, they leave the group itself. Somehow, if three or more people get together to do something, politics almost always creeps in. Quotas, chamchas, money ... All wreck havoc with the working of a group.
There have been so many instances where sports teams have revolted against their captains. The no-confidence motion in the parliament is another example. Heck, even I have been told by some of my teachers that I can't work efficiently in a group, though none gave me any specifics.
The sooner we learn to leave our egos and differences behind, the better. We need to see the larger picture or the bigger good. Learning to work in a group is important.
Working in a group. No, I am not talking about managing a group, or it's workflow, I am talking of the people within. Many times people just don't seem to get along very well. I have seen a group that wasn't ready to work with another because they had problems with one of it's members. Many times, there are leadership issues. Too many people trying to control the same thing, and none willing to give up. When they do give up, they leave the group itself. Somehow, if three or more people get together to do something, politics almost always creeps in. Quotas, chamchas, money ... All wreck havoc with the working of a group.
There have been so many instances where sports teams have revolted against their captains. The no-confidence motion in the parliament is another example. Heck, even I have been told by some of my teachers that I can't work efficiently in a group, though none gave me any specifics.
The sooner we learn to leave our egos and differences behind, the better. We need to see the larger picture or the bigger good. Learning to work in a group is important.
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