Travelling to India from UK amidst lock-down (16-June-2020)

After the initial scare of medical emergency in the family, we finally decided to travel to India. We were not sure what to expect. As everyone, we had heard lock-down stories and were following news. There was a lot of confusion. Nonetheless we had to travel, and we decided to take the bold step, considering all the risks.

We are now safely in the lock-down facility (A 3-star hotel in Navi Mumbai). I am writing this to help someone decide whether they should travel or not. The intention is to let someone, in need, know what to expect. Although, I understand that the travelling experience is likely to be different for different people, my attempt here will be to share objective information, as much as possible.  The overall experience was, except on few occasions, quite good! Yes, there were some places where we felt management could have been better, but those were minor instances, and we still feel the effort Indian/Maharashtra government and Air India has put in are applaudable.

If you are not interested in my story , you can jump directly at the end where I have mentioned few precautions to take while you travel internationally.  

If you want to read the story, here are the details.

Flight Booking

Although we got the flight we wanted, we had to go through a lot of trouble during this initial phase. The AI website in not noticeably clear in instructing how to book flights. You first must fill the declaration, which states that you are ready to get quarantined, will cooperate with local authority, and pay for your quarantine. This is not an issue. The real trouble, however, is after you fill in the form, there is no instruction on the website to get booking done. We wasted a lot of hours trying to figure out how to proceed further. You will get a small button on the website, at the bottom of the screen, after the declaration is ‘signed’, which takes you to booking section. After we figured that out, another shock was that the website was showing no flights available. When we call customer care, and waited for 30 minutes to connect, we were told that all the flights have been booked already! We could tell that something was wrong as we were trying from the opening window. Nonetheless after an hour miraculously flights started appearing with some availability. Not sure how this happens, but I guess they do not make all the flights available from the beginning to avoid chaos.

The website is also very unstable. At one time we booked and paid for the ticket, yet it did not complete the transaction. We had to re-book the flight again. Later we found out that there was a double deduction from the bank account, and when we called the customer care, they mentioned that we will be fully refunded for the second deduction. Huhhh. Though we have not yet received the refund, I do not think it is a cause of worry as the agent has assured that the refund will be full and will happen in 2-3 weeks.

After all this drama we finally got the flight we wanted but were a bit scared given the booking experience. Thankfully, the worst was over.

The Journey

The journey to the airport was relatively smooth. We took all the precaution with gloves, masks, sanitizers etc.

At the airport, they maintained social distancing well enough! We had to submit the declaration forms at the bag drop. Air India (AI) helped by giving us seats in the same row although we could not get those during web check in. Kudos to AI on that! They checked temperature during boarding the plane and at the Mumbai airport as well. Those in the middle row were given extra protective gears. In the flights all the attendants were fully covered in suits, which looked a bit like sci-fi movie. All the kits, including food, masks, sanitizers, face shields were kept at the seats. There was food/dinner apart from this and attendant calling was requested to be kept at minimum. No in-flight entertainment ☹ the flight was about 50% full. There was sanitizers kept at all the washrooms. The journey was comfortable.  

 

The Landing

When we landed, as I mentioned previously, again there was a temperature check. The Arogya-Setu app was requested to be downloaded and we are required to have a local sim to make app working. The local sims were available (Jio and Airtel) of course they were available at the airport premium price.  We were later told that you can get away without downloading the app, in case there are any technical issues. This was a big letdown. I feel government should make it compulsory without any exceptions.

Quarantine

After the baggage claim, we were told about our quarantine center. Though we could have got the exception to hotel quarantine, as we were travelling with a kid below 10 years, we chose to quarantine as there are elderly parents at home plus it is generally better to be 100% sure that you do not carry virus in the country.

It is a 7 days quarantine in a 3 star hotel in Navi-Mumbai. There are about 14 people in the same hotel from the same flight. The centers are available for different locations such as  Thane, Palghar, Mumbai, Pune, Satara, Sangli, and Solapur etc. Though we are from Thane, we were given Navi Mumbai hotel. There are no choices to choose hotel from. You must go to the quarantine location allotted to you. Although the hotel is reasonably good. We were sent to hotel by bus and were charged Rs. 500.

Finally, at the hotel, they immediately sanitized our luggage as soon as we arrived. Social distancing is maintained. We are being charged Rs.3400 per night, which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. The room is okayish. Temperature is taken twice a day. We are informed that on 7^th day COVID test will be done and we will be released, if all okay. Touch-wood.

Few precautions to take while you travel internationally

1.      Carry hand sanitizers, masks, face shields etc

2.      Be organized. Maintain social distancing at all points.

3.      Carry your own entertainment. Flights may not have entertainment systems.

4.      Carry your own food. Flights may not provide food for you to sustain long duration.

5.      Carry enough money (cards as well as cash) and finally,  

6.      Take care at all times!

Amsterdam Visit 15102016

It was a very early start. We woke up at 0230 to catch 0400 train from Reading to St. Pancras International. Eurostar brought us to the, capital of Eurozone, Brussels Midi (Belgium). Thalys took us from there to Amsterdam, Netherlands. We reached local time 1345.

Netherlands, is known for a flat landscape of canals, tulip fields, windmills and cycling routes. Amsterdam, the capital, is home to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the house where Jewish diarist Anne Frank hid during WWII.

The first thing you notice when you enter Netherlands is that it is crowded. There is a lot of hustle and bustle. No doubt it is the most densely populated country in Europe. A lot of people on bicycles, shows high focus on environmentalism.Traffic is not as orderly as you expect.

It is perhaps more modern than Britain. Country is not trying to sell you it's history. Rather it's not even trying to sell marijuana or sex or anything for that matter. You are free to choose what you want to see. There is this sense of 'true freedom' that gets you and makes you fall in love with it. 

The highlight of day one was Amsterdam's night life, marijuana and red light district. We were roaming around in city for 6/7 hours. I am amazed by the stark contrast to India. They have legalised drugs and prostitution, and it is available easily in coffee shops and red light district resp. The very things not only illegal but taboo in India. Yet, or because of it,  this place is safer.

This country is non-religious. Unlike UK or France, Holland does not show off cathedrals/churches. Compared to India, where spirituality and religion are deeply integrated in culture this place looks like a different planet altogether. Yet not an ounce more immoral and definitely less corrupt.

Couldn't see much on day 2. Travelling in city in tram was fun and awesome company always helps. Time to say bye to Amsterdam and Holland for now. May or may not come back here but will remember this city/country as crowded yet systematic, non-religious yet moral, young and reckless yet responsible. Doei voor nu.

जिवनातल्या हरवलेल्या निरागसतेच्या शोधात…

का कुणास ठाऊक, आज जाणवत आहे हरवलेली निरागसता. निखळ हास्य हरवुन गेलय कुठेतरी . का अस झाल असेल याचा शोध गेताना सापडते विषण्णता. पैसा , प्रगती, ध्येय हेच आहे का सगळ काही ? मला नाही वाटत. कुठे तरी खोल , अजुन निरागसता टिकून आहे. ती परत सापडेल अशी आशा नक्की आहे , पण नेहमी अस आशावादी राहाण पण दिवसेंदिवस कठीण होत चाललंय…

ह्या जिद्दीचा पण कंटाळा येतो . का इतक कठीण आहे हसण? मला स्वच्छंदी जगायचं,  ह्या जाणिवेचे क्षणभंगुर अस्तित्व कायमचे नष्ट करायचं . का हव बाह्य ध्येय? फक्त हसण ध्येय असु शकत नाही का?  सतत काहीतरी मिळवायचं, काहीतरी करायचं, कुठेतरी जायचय… का? फक्त आणि फक्त असू शकत नाही का? एका फुलासारखं. काय कमवायचं असत फुलाला? त्याच आयुष्य फक्त 'असत'.

पण मग वाटत , मिळालाच आहे आयुष्य तर होऊन जाऊदे… सगळ काही एका ध्येयामागे देऊन टाकाव. वेडेपणाच्या सगळ्या सीमा तोडून टाकाव्यात. त्या वेडेपणात मिळेल ती निरागसता . कदाचित हेच सत्य आहे. कदाचित नाही .  

#Toyota sets aside $1 billion for #AI and robotic research center. https://t.co/moNUFfvmuP

#Toyota sets aside $1 billion for #AI and robotic research center. https://t.co/moNUFfvmuP

— Kedar Nirhali (@Kedar_Nirhali) November 8, 2015

from Twitter https://twitter.com/Kedar_Nirhali

November 08, 2015 at 07:53PM
via IFTTT

Paaus

Today's reality... :(

असंदिग्ध

त्या उदास संध्याकाळी, एकांताच्या उंच शिखरावर,मनाच्या खोलात अजुनही, रम्य वास्तव कुठेतरी आहे॰
कुणाची तरी संगत फक्त तिथे आहे॰ अव्यक्त जाणीवांच्या लहरी काळाचे बांध तोडून पायांना स्पर्श करताहेत॰ मन उदास इथे, पण पुर्णपणे निश्चिंत तिथे॰
हा भुतकाळ, भविष्यकाळ कि फक्त मृगजळ? कि काळाला भुत आणि भविष्यात तोडुन आपण करतोय भयंकर चुक? 
या असंदिग्ध वाटणार्या भावनेच्या मुळाशी आहे चिरंतन प्रसंन्नता, ह्या साक्षात्कारानेच उदासीनतेची धुळ काहिशी पुसल्याचा भास मात्र नक्की होत आहे ॰

Change

“I am a firm believer of the fact that every change is always good” these were the words said to me by someone with more experience. This was completely out of context but fits perfectly to my situation. Undergoing a lot of change recently by shifting to UK, don’t know for how many years.

Swindon is a nice city. I liked it the moment I arrived here. Very serene. Hope this place inspires me and keeps me on right track. It certainly has a potential to do so. For now, so many things happening simultaneously and enjoying this.

I thought there will be a resistance to change, internally. But strangely it’s not there. I think, I have also started to believe that any change is always good. It’ll teach me a lot and I am ready for it. 

Paradox

Once a very wise teacher, had to choose a successor. He decided to do that on the basis of an examination. He called all his pupils and said, “I will ask all of you a question. One who can answer that will be my successor.” Teacher being the wisest, it was clear that question would be very challenging and the chosen one will be truly great.

“What is Life, in just one word?”

“It is ambition, without that life will just be ordinary. Aimless. Nothing will move. We will not build civilizations, we will not strive to become great.”  Said one student. Teacher smiled and looked at someone else for an answer.

“It is nothing but Love. I don’t need to explain that” Said someone with full confidence. Teacher thought for a moment and said “Very good. Love is essence of life, but it is not life. There are other emotions as well and Love alone cannot describe what life is. “

Pain, Dance, Music, Knowledge, Gift were some of the answers given by pupils. Wise teacher was still not happy.

A shy, petite kid standing at corner raised his hand hesitantly. Wise teacher asked him to speak.

“Paradox”

That moment teacher knew that this kid will be his successor.

“Explain”

“Every moment in our lives, from the moment we are born, life enters us through every breath yet our journey towards death continues. Every instance we have this urge to stop and reflect and think of every possible consequence of our tiniest action yet at the same moment we have to act. We have to build civilizations, win wars, climb mountains yet we want to stop and reflect. This duality is paradox. Small moment in itself contains eternity.”

We want to love our family, pets, country, and fellow beings. We want to give all we have. Everything. Yet we know we have to hold back something. Something that is ‘You’. Scriptures teach us concept of Non-Duality (Adwaita). Yet we know instinctively that we are different from others. This is duality. A Paradox.”

We want to achieve a lot. Yet we know that our lives will not be sufficient if we decide to enjoy what we already have. We have ambition, yet we know that it does not matter. We want to stop and reflect and do nothing but we have to go ahead and move mountains. This is duality. A Paradox.

Men fall in love every time they see a beautiful woman. Yet they know reality and remember their wives. They want to make love to those women yet want to be known as cultured. Same is true with women. This is duality. A Paradox.”

We want security. We want to keep things as they are for eternity yet we want to improve them. We want to go to heaven yet we don’t want to die. We want to be ecstatic about everything yet there is this deep sadness that shackles us. We know that this sadness is real and something is terribly wrong about life yet we also know that life has be celebrated and we are lucky one to be born as humans. This is duality. A Paradox.”

Most of us are not even aware of this paradox. Few of us are aware of it but clueless about how to deal with it, or rather how to deal with life. Very few of us, the truly wise ones are not only aware that life is a paradox but also know how to deal with it.”

poem

This one is for Hindi poem lovers
गति प्रबल पैरों में भरी

फिर क्यों रहूँ दर दर खड़ा
जब आज मेरे सामने
है रास्ता इतना पड़ा
जब तक न मंज़िल पा सकूँ,
तब तक मुझे न विराम है, चलना हमारा काम है।


कुछ कह लिया, कुछ सुन लिया
कुछ बोझ अपना बँट गया
अच्छा हुआ, तुम मिल गईं
कुछ रास्ता ही कट गया
क्या राह में परिचय कहूँ, राही हमारा नाम है,
चलना हमारा काम है।


जीवन अपूर्ण लिए हुए
पाता कभी खोता कभी
आशा निराशा से घिरा,
हँसता कभी रोता कभी
गति-मति न हो अवरुद्ध, इसका ध्यान आठो याम है,
चलना हमारा काम है।


इस विशद विश्व-प्रहार में
किसको नहीं बहना पड़ा
सुख-दुख हमारी ही तरह,
किसको नहीं सहना पड़ा
फिर व्यर्थ क्यों कहता फिरूँ, मुझ पर विधाता वाम है,
चलना हमारा काम है।


मैं पूर्णता की खोज में
दर-दर भटकता ही रहा
प्रत्येक पग पर कुछ न कुछ
रोड़ा अटकता ही रहा
निराशा क्यों मुझे? जीवन इसी का नाम है,
चलना हमारा काम है।


साथ में चलते रहे
कुछ बीच ही से फिर गए
गति न जीवन की रुकी
जो गिर गए सो गिर गए
रहे हर दम, उसीकी सफलता अभिराम है,
चलना हमारा काम है।


फकत यह जानता
जो मिट गया वह जी गया
मूँदकर पलकें सहज
दो घूँट हँसकर पी गया
सुधा-मिश्रित गरल, वह साकिया का जाम है,
चलना हमारा काम है।

-शिवमंगल सिंह 'सुमन'

ALEPH

Read it on someone's blog...

‘My assets are the occasions I made others smile and the situations I experienced inner joy and peace in these years. My liabilities are nothing but the opportunities I lost for excellence to become a world class citizen’.‘Hell is when we look back during that fraction of a second and know that we wasted an opportunity to dignify the miracle of life. Paradise is being able to say at that moment: ‘I made some mistakes, but I wasn’t a coward. I lived my life and did what I had to do.’

Few Things I Learned...

There are two ways in which we can learn, during a small projects which we call internship. One is a very particular technical knowledge ,which can be knowledge about a particular organization or a particular type of problem and the solution of the problem which organization is currently facing. The other is a very general knowledge ,which can be mainly the insight you get just by working with people, processes, problems. The main differentiation between these two types is while first is very particular in nature and is NOT applicable to other situation while the second is very generic and is applicable to other situations also which helps you develop insight. This essay is about second type of generic learning.

The first and very important thing which I learned during this project is that organizations can be more disorganized than you might feel. I think the main reasons for this situation is departmentalization. Due to this departmentalization free flow of information is blocked which leads to problems. The more I read about this, the more I feel this system based on ' silos ' should be abandoned. I feel automation in any form will not solve the problem, even though it reduces it to a great extent making information available. Ultimately it is the management will, of creating a system of sharing information, which will change the scenario.

The second thing I learnt is that not all people in an organization know that they have problems. Even if they are aware they might not know the extent to which the problem is deep or complicated. It might seem very simple to say that more co-ordination between departments is required but the actual implementation of a system to make so can very complicated.

Third point which I would like to mention over here is the availability of employee's time to give you right information. Since I have taken up this assignment as a consultant, information is very essential in solving a problem but people are not available to provide you right information. Thus it seems consultant should only take up an assignment if management is committed. Management should make sure that the information required by consultant is available.

More often it might also happen that problems and solutions are both known but people are not ready to change. In this kind of a scenario a consultant can suggest solution once again but it is the management which has to force/sell the solution to employees. A consultant will sell solution to management and management has to sell it to employees, it's not a job of a consultant to sell the solution to each and every employee in an organization.

Again emphasizing the same point once again that it is the management which has to committed to bring about change in an organization and without it's will power problems will stay regardless of how many consultants are appointed or which Enterprise Solution is implemented.

I-Card

I was traveling to office today by office bus. Got a window sit so morning sunlight and air were pleasing me. I decided to listen to some songs and so was listening to few songs which are there in my cell phone. I was looking out of window and started thinking about the book I am currently reading, Zen and art of motorcycle maintenance. I was thinking about Kant, Hume, Inductive and Deductive logic, religion and what not. Soon I realized that I had reached office and had to wear an I-Card.

I felt as if this I-Card is telling me that I can not think of Philosophy and Religion and Kant and Hume now. I must better start concentrating on how I can reduce the cost of logistics. Strange as it may sound, had this I-card been a human being I would have asked him who are you to tell me what to think and what not to think, but then I immediately felt how naïve this feeling was. Company is paying me for my brain. How can I ask such a question to I-Card. I have worked for 16 months before this assignment but never felt like this before. I don't know why?

Is it because my loyalty is different towards 2 companies. Earlier I worked as a full time employee here I am working as a consultant. This is not true because I loved or hated to work equally in both the places.

Or it is because that now I am certainly feeling that I-card is no longer a symbol of belongingness or pride but a modern form of mental slavery.

May be I am being too harsh on I-card. It may be only because of mental fatigue, a result of week long (Non) working.

Now I understand it's because I don't see any meaning in the job I am doing it's not worth 2 months of my life. It can be finished in 10-12 days. It's because I am forced to spend my time doing nothing. This is what I hate, most wasting my time. Not that I am not learning new, I understand if I don't learn new every day it's my problem not theirs. The frustration is catching on and I-card is not to be blamed.

Zen and art of motorcycle maintainance

This is an excerpt from the book I am currently reading.Zen and art of motorcycle maintainance. This excerpt is pasted here for myself so that I remember these words for a long long time.Hope you like it.

I should talk now about Phædrus’ knife. It’ll help understand some of the things we talked about.

The application of this knife, the division of the world into parts and the building of this structure, is something everybody does. All the time we are aware of millions of things around us...these changing shapes, these burning hills, the sound of the engine, the feel of the throttle, each rock and weed and fence post and piece of debris beside the road...aware of these things but not really conscious of them unless there is something unusual or unless they reflect something we are predisposed to see. We could not possibly be conscious of these things and remember all of them because our mind would be so full of useless details we would be unable to think. From all this awareness we must select, and what we select and call consciousness is never the same as the awareness because the process of selection mutates it. We take a handful of sand from the endless landscape of awareness around us and call that handful of sand the world.

Once we have the handful of sand, the world of which we are conscious, a process of discrimination goes to work on it. This is the knife. We divide the sand into parts. This and that. Here and there. Black and white. Now and then. The discrimination is the division of the conscious universe into parts.

The handful of sand looks uniform at first, but the longer we look at it the more diverse we find it to be. Each grain of sand is different. No two are alike. Some are similar in one way, some are similar in another way, and we can form the sand into separate piles on the basis of this similarity and dissimilarity. Shades of color in different piles...sizes in different piles...grain shapes in different piles...subtypes of grain shapes in different piles...grades of opacity in different piles...and so on, and on, and on. You’d think the process of subdivision and classification would come to an end somewhere, but it doesn’t. It just goes on and on.

Classical understanding is concerned with the piles and the basis for sorting and interrelating them. Romantic understanding is directed toward the handful of sand before the sorting begins. Both are valid ways of looking at the world although irreconcilable with each other.

What has become an urgent necessity is a way of looking at the world that does violence to neither of these two kinds of understanding and unites them into one. Such an understanding will not reject sand-sorting or contemplation of unsorted sand for its own sake. Such an understanding will instead seek to direct attention to the endless landscape from which the sand is taken. That is what Phædrus, the poor surgeon, was trying to do.

To understand what he was trying to do it’s necessary to see that part of the landscape, inseparable from it, which must be understood, is a figure in the middle of it, sorting sand into piles. To see the landscape without seeing this figure is not to see the landscape at all. To reject that part of the Buddha that attends to the analysis of motorcycles is to miss the Buddha entirely.

There is a perennial classical question that asks which part of the motorcycle, which grain of sand in which pile, is the Buddha. Obviously to ask that question is to look in the wrong direction, for the Buddha is everywhere. But just as obviously to ask that question is to look in the right direction, for the Buddha is everywhere. About the Buddha that exists independently of any analytic thought much has been said...some would say too much, and would question any attempt to add to it. But about the Buddha that exists within analytic thought, and gives that analytic thought its direction, virtually nothing has been said, and there are historic reasons for this. But history keeps happening, and it seems no harm and maybe some positive good to add to our historical heritage with some talk in this area of discourse.

When analytic thought, the knife, is applied to experience, something is always killed in the process. That is fairly well understood, at least in the arts. Mark Twain’s experience comes to mind, in which, after he had mastered the analytic knowledge needed to pilot the

Mississippi River, he discovered the river had lost its beauty. Something is always killed. But what is less noticed in the arts...something is always created too. And instead of just dwelling on what is killed it’s important also to see what’s created and to see the process as a kind of death-birth continuity that is neither good nor bad, but just is.

JUST A VIEW.

I read a very interesting article few days back...it was about socialism. It was a simple story to explain why socialism fails.The story was about a teacher who tell his class that socialism will be followed in the class.In class test teacher averages all the scores and gives same marks to everyone,in the next test the students who didn't study well for the first test don't study at all and those who studied study less to ride on a free wave.Thus gradually grade of the class keeps falling until everyone fails in the test.Towards the end the author of story claims,pretty naively though, that this is what socialism all about.
It was a simplistic view of socialism and author went on to tell merits of capitalism,very briefly though.I felt it was very naively constructed story.Few things I would like to comment:
1)Socialism failed,capitalism didn't survive either: I study in a class where I meet people day in and day out.Few of them don't even deserve to be near a B-school,but they share same college and class because in a world of capitalism your status is not based on your capacity but on how much 'wealth' you/your father has acquired.The argument that morale of good student would break in socialist class holds true even in capitalist society.
2)Socialism commits a mistake of assuming every human being is equal,capitalism makes a mistake of assuming individual who has more 'wealth' is certainly better(of higher class) than the one who doesn't have it.
3)No country in the world has ever been a perfectly capitalist country,had we formed one I am sure it would have failed even miserably than socialist countries
All I am saying is no country would prosper without the right amount of differentiation between people, not based on only wealth but other factors as well.

STRANGERS.

Why does it happen sometimes that you see someone and feel that you have seen them before, you have some connection with them? Why does it happen that you know someone very little but feel that you know them quite well? Why does it happen that you meet someone for a very short period of time and they take exit from your life, you hardly spend some time with them, you hardly know them but you feel they could have been your BEST friends? You see them and feel it’s just the ‘error of positioning’ ( i.e, Different time, place or both responsible for non-acquaintance). You never forget them.

You spend a hell lot of time with few of them, they become your best friends but still remain strangers and you feel had you given more time to them this friendship could have been different, you feel you would not have had to meet them like a stranger next time you meet them.

I don’t understand this, and like Einstein said ‘How on earth could you prove scientifically a phenomena like this?’. Strange is the role of these ‘strangers’ friends in our life. Strange.

THE WOODEN BOWL....

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now,

a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year - old grandson.

The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather' shaky hands and failing sight made

eating difficult.Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.

When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.

'We must do something about father,' said the son. 'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food

on the floor.'

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.

There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or

two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.

Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.

He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded,

'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.

' The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks.

Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife

seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it

will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a "life".

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you

But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can,

happiness will find you

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.

People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn....!

STORY OF EXCELLENCE....

This is a mail I received.....good one.

A German once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor, "Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage." The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked. "There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work. "Where are you going to install the idol?"

The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked. The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I will know it."

The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not. "Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency...

NEW YEAR.

Coming year will be the most crucial for me. I somehow managed to secure admission in B-school this year. I could have done better but that's how you feel every time you look back. With great power, responsibility comes.I am wondering whether the converse is true. I hope it is.

Few days back I was having a conversation with a professor.( He is one of the most powerful man I have ever known. He has 10-11 degrees and one of them is I.A.S. I think that says it all ). He said a very wonderful thing to me. He said " Always remember , there are certain marks found on the body of a child, these marks stay with that child throughout his life and even after death.We call these marks 'Birth Marks'. Similarly there are certain events. They stay with a person thorough out his life and even after his death. " I felt privileged to get such a wonderful insight towards life from such a respectable person and at the same time felt sad when I realized that, I don't have ( at least at this stage in my life ) intellectual , emotional and spiritual depth, to fully understand the meaning behind those words. Nevertheless I am lucky to have received those words.

I understand that few of these 'events' will 'happen' to me this new year. I hope with great responsibility, power comes.