Print this articleTeachings of Khentse Rinpoche at Thimphu, Bhutan on November 22, 2009
On November 20 – 22, His Eminence Dzongsar Rinpoche, Jamyang Khentse gave teachings on “Wisdom”, the Nine’th Chapter of Mahayana Buddhist Text, Jangchug Sempai Chenjug (Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life) in English to about 400 strong Bhutanese devotees in Thimphu.
Jangchug Sempai Chenjug was originally written in Sanskrit by Gyalshey Zhiwala (Shantideva), a Buddhist monk at Nalanda University in India around 700 A.D.
Wisdom, as the Rinpoche explains, is a completely Natural Mind. The nature of wisdom is indestructible and so is emptiness. Emptiness, wisdom, nirvana, enlightment and mind are synonymous and some of the components of wisdom are generosity, patience, and honesty, he said.
There are two kinds of truth in Buddhism, and the ultimate truth is that it does not exist on its own and that itself is emptiness. Citing an example of owning a car in a dream, he said, relative truths are all illusions and therefore life is like a dream and the dreamer does not realize that he is dreaming. Relating to the dream of a car, he said, wisdom has the capacity to understand and make sense of life. Wisdom is within ourselves but we need to recognize it. Then, how do we do so? By listening to the essential instructions of the Guru (Guru Padmasabha, the man who brought Buddhism to Bhutan) and following the vows of Bodhisattva.
On the aspect of differentiating between wisdom and intelligence, the Rinpoche uttered, intelligence is being clever, smart, alert and having the capacity to understand and memorize things easily, but wisdom has nothing to do with intelligence.
He also said that it has been seen that humans do not want sufferings, but we are actually attached to the cause of sufferings. Suffering doesn’t simply mean physical pain or misfortune, but also the suffering one has to go through to get money or buy a mobile phone. Then there is suffering to take care and protect the mobile from loss or damage.
To be happy – is not the aim of Buddhism but is the aim of mortal beings. If you are looking for happiness you are also looking for sufferings, he said. Sufferings and Happiness are inseparably intertwined.
The Rinpoche also explained, dualistic minds see impermanence as permanent. We care for our body as if it will last forever. We care for our arms with moisturizing creams, but how long will it continue? Hence, wisdom is non-dualistic mind that really sees the truth. All phenomena are like a dream and subject to change. Most of us today do not realize this and go on minting money. Life is like a dew drop on the grass, no matter how we try to fight off age. We are there to die one day and it has to be seen how we lead our life rather than how we make it comfortable. Bodhisattva sees how one makes life comfortable for others. That is when we realize we have attained nirvana. What we need to do is to realize this and be truthful, honest and kind to others, said His Eminence Dzongsar Jamyang Khentse Rinpoche.
Everything in life is determined by views. Views establish values. Bad views cause war, inflation and disharmony, while good views lead to Buddhahood. Of the nine views in Nyingma tradition, shame and fear of wrong-doings is the foundation of all Buddhist values.
The teaching of the Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life was started in 2005 on the request of Bhutanese devotees. The ten chapters of the text were completed on November 22 and I was a lucky one to listen to these enlightening lines from Mahayana Buddhist texts.
At the conclusion, the Rinpoche said his dedication was for the wellbeing of the earth, its beings and the leaders of Bhutan and the Bhutanese.
Reproduced with permission from “Kuensel Corporation, Thimphu, Bhutan”. Written by Arunava. This article has also been published in the online edition of American Chronicle and Riverside Chronicle.
India was once a prosperous nation, abounding in its cultural heritage and moral values. But I am more interested in the ‘prosperous’ part! Being a prosperous nation, she not only attracted traders from various parts of the world but also invaders who looted her riches. History shows that we have been plagued by invaders throughout the time. However, they were not able to loot one thing – Land. The British did exploit our natural resources, but the land remained. They couldn’t take it away. India is blessed with fertile lands capable of feeding billions. Unfortunately, at present India is facing a serious food crisis, amidst a raging debate on Genetically Modified (GM) crops. Let’s delve a little deeper and investigate.
A major part of India’s disability to feed its population stems from the mismanagement of the agricultural system during the colonial rule in the 18th century. The partition made matters worse. The areas that were well irrigated were lost during the partition. India was left with more population but more importantly less food production capacity.
After gaining Independence, the educated middle class increasingly gravitated to the idea that ‘science and technology’ alone is the answer to India’s poverty. In the 1960’s the government started importing food from the Americans under their ‘Food for Peace’ program, failing to understand the need to develop India’s ancient cultivation methods. Obviously the domestic food production was way too short to meet the demand, especially when some of the major food producing northern states were reeling under famine. The Indian government had misplaced its priorities by focusing on industrialization, rather than achieve self sufficiency in food production.
Timely intervention by private philanthropists saw successful implementation of new agricultural practices in select farming regions, in the country. The Indian government was finally goaded into bringing about “The Green Revolution”. It consisted of cultivating high yielding varieties of crops that required high use of fertilizers. However, the Indian government was hasty in adopting this technology without proper planning. Seeds of High Yielding Varieties (HYV) that were developed for a different geographical region were imported in large quantities. These varieties required very high nitrogen content in the soil to grow and the use of large amounts of fertilizers became necessary. The HYV’s lacked in-built local resistance (to flood, drought, disease, pest and frost) and hence pesticides had to be used. In order to provide for all this to the peasants, at an affordable price, the government subsidized fertilizers and to some extent the pesticides too. Taking advantage of the Indian government subsidies, number of international and local fertilizer and pesticide manufacturing companies sprung up in India.
The overuse of fertilizers eroded the natural soil fertility. Un-abated use of pesticides resulted in the pests acquiring resistance to it. The results are telling. India has the lowest yield per hectare in Asia for certain food crops. Farmers are resorting to the costlier and complex pesticides to overcome the resistance. This raises the health hazard not only to the consumers of such food crops, but also to the local fauna. The subsidies are a huge burden on the Indian financial resources and many companies are resorting to fudging records to rake in the moolah.
In the 90’s, the stage was ripe for multinational seed companies to introduce their patented, genetically altered plant varieties as the solution to India’s fast becoming nightmare. They started with cash crops, more specifically cotton. If that gets accepted and successful, it would then lay a very strong platform to introduce genetically modified food crops. However, it took quite sometime for the Bt cotton to be approved by the regulatory authority amidst a raging storm over ‘terminator’ technology. The volume and nature of protests against GM Crops sent a strong message across to the multinational companies, that getting established in the Indian market would be anything but cakewalk.
What the multinational companies failed to gauge is that there was a lot at stake. The GM crops would require no pesticides, less fertilizers (when compared to the HYV’s). Hence, the fertilizer companies and the pesticide companies would lose out as the government would no longer subsidize them. This would mean that there is no longer a level playing field. Competition would result in cut-throat pricing when compared to the luxury of fixed government subsidies. However, having the advantage of entrenching themselves in the country for decades before the arrival of the new upstarts (read multinational seed companies), the fertilizer and the pesticide lobby played dirty. On one hand, they lobbied the government to withhold granting permits to the upstarts; on the other hand they spread false rumors about the technology among the un-educated farmers. However, they did not count on nationalists, anti-globalization groups, environment protection groups and several more joining hands to protest against GM crops. It was certainly a blessing in disguise and it enabled the fertilizer and pesticide lobby to work behind the scenes. They have been quite successful as they have not been exposed yet!
The GM crops not without issues either. There is a possibility that they can transfer the foreign gene to the native flora around the fields where they are grown, a phenomenon called gene pool contamination. Can they be safely used as fodder? What are the effects of consuming the meat and other products from animals that feed on such fodder? In the case of GM food crops, what are the effects when consumed by humans, both in the short and the long term? Is it safe for multiple generations of human beings to feed on such crops? The scientific community still feels that there is a need for a more in-depth study to be conducted before the above mentioned fears can be allayed.
The GM Crops were designed for the developed countries like America where the farms are huge and mechanized. It becomes futile to expect the GM crops (those that have been introduced so far in our country) to deliver similar benefits in a country like India, where the lands are highly fragmented and would cause many people (like farm laborers who weed) to lose their livelihoods.
However, GM crops have the potential in them to do wonders for India. In fact, they have the potential to be the proponents of a second “Green Revolution” in India. India can make do with crops that survive drought and saline conditions. They can be further enhanced with vitamins, proteins and other essential nutrients which would help in combating malnourishment. Even though it is far fetched right now, Edible Vaccines makes a lot of sense in a country like India!
Sources:
Confronting Agrarian Crisis: Historical Food Insecurity, the Indian State, and the Green Revolution By Joseph A. Arena
Genetically Modified Crops: Issues For India By Dr. Suman Sahai
A major part of India’s disability to feed its population stems from the mismanagement of the agricultural system during the colonial rule in the 18th century. The partition made matters worse. The areas that were well irrigated were lost during the partition. India was left with more population but more importantly less food production capacity.
After gaining Independence, the educated middle class increasingly gravitated to the idea that ‘science and technology’ alone is the answer to India’s poverty. In the 1960’s the government started importing food from the Americans under their ‘Food for Peace’ program, failing to understand the need to develop India’s ancient cultivation methods. Obviously the domestic food production was way too short to meet the demand, especially when some of the major food producing northern states were reeling under famine. The Indian government had misplaced its priorities by focusing on industrialization, rather than achieve self sufficiency in food production.
Timely intervention by private philanthropists saw successful implementation of new agricultural practices in select farming regions, in the country. The Indian government was finally goaded into bringing about “The Green Revolution”. It consisted of cultivating high yielding varieties of crops that required high use of fertilizers. However, the Indian government was hasty in adopting this technology without proper planning. Seeds of High Yielding Varieties (HYV) that were developed for a different geographical region were imported in large quantities. These varieties required very high nitrogen content in the soil to grow and the use of large amounts of fertilizers became necessary. The HYV’s lacked in-built local resistance (to flood, drought, disease, pest and frost) and hence pesticides had to be used. In order to provide for all this to the peasants, at an affordable price, the government subsidized fertilizers and to some extent the pesticides too. Taking advantage of the Indian government subsidies, number of international and local fertilizer and pesticide manufacturing companies sprung up in India.
The overuse of fertilizers eroded the natural soil fertility. Un-abated use of pesticides resulted in the pests acquiring resistance to it. The results are telling. India has the lowest yield per hectare in Asia for certain food crops. Farmers are resorting to the costlier and complex pesticides to overcome the resistance. This raises the health hazard not only to the consumers of such food crops, but also to the local fauna. The subsidies are a huge burden on the Indian financial resources and many companies are resorting to fudging records to rake in the moolah.
In the 90’s, the stage was ripe for multinational seed companies to introduce their patented, genetically altered plant varieties as the solution to India’s fast becoming nightmare. They started with cash crops, more specifically cotton. If that gets accepted and successful, it would then lay a very strong platform to introduce genetically modified food crops. However, it took quite sometime for the Bt cotton to be approved by the regulatory authority amidst a raging storm over ‘terminator’ technology. The volume and nature of protests against GM Crops sent a strong message across to the multinational companies, that getting established in the Indian market would be anything but cakewalk.
What the multinational companies failed to gauge is that there was a lot at stake. The GM crops would require no pesticides, less fertilizers (when compared to the HYV’s). Hence, the fertilizer companies and the pesticide companies would lose out as the government would no longer subsidize them. This would mean that there is no longer a level playing field. Competition would result in cut-throat pricing when compared to the luxury of fixed government subsidies. However, having the advantage of entrenching themselves in the country for decades before the arrival of the new upstarts (read multinational seed companies), the fertilizer and the pesticide lobby played dirty. On one hand, they lobbied the government to withhold granting permits to the upstarts; on the other hand they spread false rumors about the technology among the un-educated farmers. However, they did not count on nationalists, anti-globalization groups, environment protection groups and several more joining hands to protest against GM crops. It was certainly a blessing in disguise and it enabled the fertilizer and pesticide lobby to work behind the scenes. They have been quite successful as they have not been exposed yet!
The GM crops not without issues either. There is a possibility that they can transfer the foreign gene to the native flora around the fields where they are grown, a phenomenon called gene pool contamination. Can they be safely used as fodder? What are the effects of consuming the meat and other products from animals that feed on such fodder? In the case of GM food crops, what are the effects when consumed by humans, both in the short and the long term? Is it safe for multiple generations of human beings to feed on such crops? The scientific community still feels that there is a need for a more in-depth study to be conducted before the above mentioned fears can be allayed.
The GM Crops were designed for the developed countries like America where the farms are huge and mechanized. It becomes futile to expect the GM crops (those that have been introduced so far in our country) to deliver similar benefits in a country like India, where the lands are highly fragmented and would cause many people (like farm laborers who weed) to lose their livelihoods.
However, GM crops have the potential in them to do wonders for India. In fact, they have the potential to be the proponents of a second “Green Revolution” in India. India can make do with crops that survive drought and saline conditions. They can be further enhanced with vitamins, proteins and other essential nutrients which would help in combating malnourishment. Even though it is far fetched right now, Edible Vaccines makes a lot of sense in a country like India!
Sources:
Confronting Agrarian Crisis: Historical Food Insecurity, the Indian State, and the Green Revolution By Joseph A. Arena
Genetically Modified Crops: Issues For India By Dr. Suman Sahai
Came across this nifty little device that disconnects itself from the plug point. A cell phone which is being recharged, is used here in this video as an example.
Alternatively, one can watch the video here: http://vimeo.com/9392135
For more information, please visit: http://conorklein.com/index.php?/ongoing/outlet-regulator/
Outlet Regulator Video from conor klein on Vimeo.
Alternatively, one can watch the video here: http://vimeo.com/9392135
For more information, please visit: http://conorklein.com/index.php?/ongoing/outlet-regulator/
It is said that PUMA starts in Sport and ends in Fashion. The PUMA PHONE certainly reflects that!
PUMA, of all the companies, has jumped on to the smartphone bandwagon. PUMA AG and Sagem Wireless have taken the wraps of their PUMA PHONE at the recently held Mobile World Congress.
Weighing 115g, the phone features a solar panel on its back, reminding me of the Samsung’s Blue Earth. It’s got a 2.8 inch, 240 x 320 QVGA touchscreen; 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash and x6 zoom; a VGA video call camera; GPS; a pedometer for the fitness conscious; GPS tracker and stopwatch; and FM radio among other things.
The phone will be available in Europe and on PUMA website from April this year.
Here’s the teaser website for the PUMA PHONE - http://pumaphone.com/
For the full specifications, you can download the spec sheet available for free at the above mentioned teaser website or refer to the press release here - http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/puma-phone-roars-into-life-84464137.html
Of course, one can always Google for the hands-on reviews of the phone for more information. It is said to cost around 25000 Indian Rupees (400 Euros).
..expe
This
I don’t wanna lose ME..!
- RK
- RK
Migratory Birds Land Up On Dining Tables At TN Eateries
By K Praveen Kumar, TNN, 27 January 2010 CHENNAI:
Thousands of native and migratory birds, which fly long distances to visit the protected Pallikaranai marsh on Chennai’s outskirts, are ending up on the dining tables of restaurants. Poachers, who had beat a retreat after 317 hectares of the marsh was declared protected forest area in 2007, are now making a comeback.
While 'narikuravas', originally nomadic forest hunters, are known to hunt birds and animals across the state, a group of poachers from the Karapakkam area is killing blackwinged stilts and teals in large numbers, according to forest officials. The birds are often sold to restaurants, which pass them off as quail meat.
The Karapakkam poachers have adopted a unique method to catch the stilts alive without creating much noise. They use a single bird as a live bait to attract a flock. The birds eye is sutured shut and its legs tied before it is propped up in the middle of a net. The birds cry attracts others flying by. As a flock descends on the net, the poachers, who sit some distance away, pull the strings to net the birds.
"They catch about 30 birds at one go. These birds are either sold here or transported outside the city to be sold to restaurants," a forest department source said. Kancheepuram forest officials came face to face with such a gang a couple of days ago, but the poachers managed to flee. "We have registered 35 cases of bird poaching in the Velachery range alone since April 2009," said forest range officer David Raj.
Black winged stilts are intracountry migrators. They start moving to this part of the country during December when the marsh has around one foot or half a-foot of water. They remain here till March, feeding on insects, and some even breed here.
Courtsey: Times of India
Recently my dear friend and fellow blogger, RockSta, peppered an article in front of me about Google’s new ability to track a webpage / website that does not have feeds. I was really excited at the prospect.
How many times haven’t we thought about this small but very essential part of a website? When RSS feeds first appeared, it brought in with it the ability to read our favorite sites at one shot, but not all webmasters were happy to publish their feeds. Some were reluctant (to use the new technology), some were afraid (of plagiarism) and some had no idea (like me!). RSS has revolutionized the way we read posts of our favorite author, blogger, website or the comments they attract.
Now for the reality check. I tried using this new feature on Google Reader. Set up a few feeds. Will check over a few weeks on how precisely it works. For starters who want to set up a feed from a feed-less website, read an example from the Google Reader Blog
Some stuff to keep in mind while using this feature:
1. The updates on your reader account depend on the periodicity with which Google checks that site
2. A caution that Google wants us to note, “Reader may not always detect updates to your content”. Whoa…!
3. Updates to any content that is in frames will not be detected nor can one get updates from sites that require you to sign-in
4. And this functionality is up for grabs only on sites with English language content as of now
The whole procedure works on Google’s ability to cache a page and compare it with any changes a page might have undergone, every time it visits it. Pretty neat!
Smart webmasters who don’t want their website to be Googled or G Read by Google Bots can add the following meta tag to any page they want to block
<meta name="googlebot" content="noarchive">
The above meta tag tells Google not to take a snapshot or cache that webpage.
This is not the first time Google is coming out with a user-demanded feature, but hats-off they did!
There are many third party services too that claim to create feeds for websites, but many aren’t promising. I like one software in particular that achieves an overall watch over a website or a domain. It’s called Website Watcher. Check out their website for more details. A review of it in another post, so stay tuned.
How many times haven’t we thought about this small but very essential part of a website? When RSS feeds first appeared, it brought in with it the ability to read our favorite sites at one shot, but not all webmasters were happy to publish their feeds. Some were reluctant (to use the new technology), some were afraid (of plagiarism) and some had no idea (like me!). RSS has revolutionized the way we read posts of our favorite author, blogger, website or the comments they attract.
Now for the reality check. I tried using this new feature on Google Reader. Set up a few feeds. Will check over a few weeks on how precisely it works. For starters who want to set up a feed from a feed-less website, read an example from the Google Reader Blog
For example, if you wanted to follow Google.org's latest products, just type "http://www.google.org/products.html" into Reader's "Add a subscription" field. Click "create a feed", and Reader will periodically visit the page and publish any significant changes it finds as items in a custom feed created just for that page.
Some stuff to keep in mind while using this feature:
1. The updates on your reader account depend on the periodicity with which Google checks that site
2. A caution that Google wants us to note, “Reader may not always detect updates to your content”. Whoa…!
3. Updates to any content that is in frames will not be detected nor can one get updates from sites that require you to sign-in
4. And this functionality is up for grabs only on sites with English language content as of now
The whole procedure works on Google’s ability to cache a page and compare it with any changes a page might have undergone, every time it visits it. Pretty neat!
Smart webmasters who don’t want their website to be Googled or G Read by Google Bots can add the following meta tag to any page they want to block
<meta name="googlebot" content="noarchive">
The above meta tag tells Google not to take a snapshot or cache that webpage.
This is not the first time Google is coming out with a user-demanded feature, but hats-off they did!
There are many third party services too that claim to create feeds for websites, but many aren’t promising. I like one software in particular that achieves an overall watch over a website or a domain. It’s called Website Watcher. Check out their website for more details. A review of it in another post, so stay tuned.
January 15 Annular Solar Eclipse Will Be A Treat To Watch
The annular solar eclipse of January 15, 2010 is with a magnitude of 0.9190. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partially obscuring Earth's view of the Sun. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun, causing the sun to look like an annulus (ring), blocking most of the Sun's light. An annular eclipse will appear as partial eclipse over a region thousands of miles wide.
It will be visible as a partial eclipse in much of Africa, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Asia. It will be seen as annular within a narrow stretch of 300 km (190 mi) width across Central Africa, Maldives, South Kerala (India), South Tamil Nadu (India), North Sri Lanka, parts of Burma and parts of China.
Visibility:
It will be visible as a partial eclipse in much of Africa, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Asia. It will be seen as annular within a narrow stretch of 300 km (190 mi) width across Central Africa, Maldives, South Kerala (India), South Tamil Nadu (India), North Sri Lanka, parts of Burma and parts of China.
Visibility:
The eclipse starts at the Central African Republic, traverses Camaroon, Congo and Uganda, passes through Nairobi, Kenya, and enters the Indian Ocean where the greatest eclipse is reached at a maximum length of 11 mins and 7.7 seconds.
After that enters Maldives, where it would be the longest on land with 10.8 Min of viewing. This makes the tiny islands of Maldives the best spot for viewing this eclipse from land. The annular Eclipse at Male', the capital city of Maldives starts at 12:20:20 hrs and ends 12:30:06 hrs Maldives local time (GMT+5hrs). This is also the longest duration of any city having an international airport in the eclipse track.
At approx 13:20 IST, the annular solar eclipse enters India at Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Kerala and exits India at Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. The eclipse is viewable for 10.4 minutes in India. After Rameswaram, enters Sri Lanka at Delft Island, exits at Jaffna in Sri Lanka, cross Bay of Bengal and ends in Burma - China border.
For best viewing of the Eclipse, you need to travel to Maldives, where many International flights land and take off everyday, being a world famous tourist destination. Visa for Maldives is free for 30 days for a tourist entry.
Thiruvananthapuram city, which is the entry point of the eclipse in India, is equipped with telescopes and announced facilities for the public to view the eclipse. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, situated in Trivandrum, is analysing the atmospheric-ionospheric parameters during the eclipse. Lot of scientists have camped in the city to witness and study the eclipse.
Dhanushkodi, which falls on the central line of the Eclipse is a good place to view the eclipse. The northern most limit of shadow in India is Cuddalore, Neyveli, Erode, Kodaikanal, Madurai. Other best locations in Tamil Nadu: Thoothukudi and Cape Comorin which lies 22 km north of Central line. Only means of reaching Dhanushkodi or Kodandaramar temple is by ST bus or Auto from Rameswaram and for Dhanushkodi after road's end it is only by fish carts or 4x4 SUVs. Permission is required for entering Dhanushkodi ruins from the coast guard post as that area is 10 km from Sri Lankan coast. The centre line passes some 2 km east of Kodandaramar Temple. The exact location is between NH end and Dhanushkodi ruins. Dhanushkodi is about 2 km east of the central line. The degree difference is about 0.2 between Central line - Kodandaramar Temple and Dhanushkodi ruins vice versa. Dhanushkodi is about 5 km from Kodandaramar Temple.
So, folks be ready with your cameras to witness the first solar eclipse of the New Year.
Courtsey: Wikipedia and NASA
Fig. 1: Orange breasted Thrush seen at Minjiwoong Pek (Upper Minjiwoong), Jomotsangkha, Bhutan ; Date: 22 November, 2009 
People have lost their trust in you. The company has lost its trust in you. But the most painful thing is when you are aware about it. When you see your colleagues “pretend” around you, it is torture; probably for both you and your colleagues.
To be aware of your work being double checked behind your back by your colleagues will make you feel hollow.
There is no one but you to blame, for getting into such a mess. Maybe you got distracted and screwed up your job slightly. Maybe you took things for granted and were a little careless. However, you need to realize that someone had to clean up after you and that ‘someone’ did not like doing that. A disgruntled colleague will grumble and soon the word would have spread. It is hard to stop a wildfire in a corporate world.
You might have experience on your side. But it is time to stop resting on past laurels, especially when you have lost the trust of your colleagues and the company you are working on. Work experience is invaluable as it makes you indispensable to the company. But be careful, you are on borrowed time.
Gaining trust back helps if you are prepared to start with a clean state. Do not pull your weight (‘experience’ and the ‘ego’ that comes with it) around. Ask for responsibility and be prepared to have your work monitored. Deliver with consistency. That is the only way to get back the trust of your company and your colleagues. This is also a good time to upgrade your skill sets. You will earn respect not only from your peers, but also from your superiors.
In such times do not give in to temptation of taking the easy way out. Quitting and moving to a different company does not solve the fundamental problem that you have gotten into; which you might have to face again at the new company.
The line from Rocky movie:
….sums it up quite nicely.
To be aware of your work being double checked behind your back by your colleagues will make you feel hollow.
There is no one but you to blame, for getting into such a mess. Maybe you got distracted and screwed up your job slightly. Maybe you took things for granted and were a little careless. However, you need to realize that someone had to clean up after you and that ‘someone’ did not like doing that. A disgruntled colleague will grumble and soon the word would have spread. It is hard to stop a wildfire in a corporate world.
You might have experience on your side. But it is time to stop resting on past laurels, especially when you have lost the trust of your colleagues and the company you are working on. Work experience is invaluable as it makes you indispensable to the company. But be careful, you are on borrowed time.
Gaining trust back helps if you are prepared to start with a clean state. Do not pull your weight (‘experience’ and the ‘ego’ that comes with it) around. Ask for responsibility and be prepared to have your work monitored. Deliver with consistency. That is the only way to get back the trust of your company and your colleagues. This is also a good time to upgrade your skill sets. You will earn respect not only from your peers, but also from your superiors.
In such times do not give in to temptation of taking the easy way out. Quitting and moving to a different company does not solve the fundamental problem that you have gotten into; which you might have to face again at the new company.
The line from Rocky movie:
“But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!”
….sums it up quite nicely.
You have to watch “3 Idiots”. It is truly a movie of the decade. Aamir as usual has excelled in his performance and is so brilliant. Behti hawa sa tha and Jaane nahi denge touched me a lot…All izz well and Zubi zubi are peppy :)
The best part of the movie is the questions that linger in your heart and mind after watching it. The views brought in this movie regarding the education system are wonderful. In an effort to be forefront in this competitive world, people are so much blind folded while studying that their target is just gaining marks and not about what they have learnt and how they will apply it. When words are merely just words and not turning into thoughts in our mind, not making us to think, then what’s the use of marks?
Shantanu Moitra, who has composed music for this movie, says, “I recently attended a school reunion and as we went down memory lane on that day we realized that some of the most memorable lines were spoken in a college canteen by teenagers who were no Karl Marx-es! Some of those casual statements were so profound that the meanings explode on you 20 years later!”
The best part of the movie is the questions that linger in your heart and mind after watching it. The views brought in this movie regarding the education system are wonderful. In an effort to be forefront in this competitive world, people are so much blind folded while studying that their target is just gaining marks and not about what they have learnt and how they will apply it. When words are merely just words and not turning into thoughts in our mind, not making us to think, then what’s the use of marks?
Shantanu Moitra, who has composed music for this movie, says, “I recently attended a school reunion and as we went down memory lane on that day we realized that some of the most memorable lines were spoken in a college canteen by teenagers who were no Karl Marx-es! Some of those casual statements were so profound that the meanings explode on you 20 years later!”
Chase excellence = Success will follow you!
When we live life on our own terms doing what we love to do then the beauty of leading such life is wonderful, it gives us all the strength and satisfaction!
Hats off to Raj Kumar Hirani and Aamir!
Courtesy PDClipart.orgTIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?
Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
I had to revisit this classic by William Blake (1757–1827), especially when Radio Indigo is plugging its “Engage Indigo: Get Involved, Get Engaged Campaign” so vigorously that it is actually bordering on irritation. This campaign by Indigo is actually supporting an initiative by The Wildlife Protection Society Of India (WPSI).
The WPSI website is quite informative, but lacks information on how our donations will be utilized it its efforts to save the Tiger.
I was really disappointed with the Radio Indigo’s webpage. There are the following options:
• E-mail them to show support.
• Send in donations to their office
• A link for the WPSI website for more details and
• A ‘Save the Tiger’ pledge link.
Apart from these, there was no information regarding what would happen if someone decides to mail them as a show of support or decides to take a pledge. If they are expecting people to send in their donations to their office, after listening to those advertisements or visiting their website; how about some information on how their contributions would be used to save the Tiger.
Nope. We are expected to visit the WPSI website and find the information, which was really unhelpful as I have mentioned above earlier.
Here’s an interesting take on Radio Indigo’s campaign by Paul Nixon. Please go through this interesting blog post titled “Ronseal's quick dying tiger” at India-aaagh.
Then, is this a well managed publicity stunt created for the sole purpose of saying we care, but actually it is just another corporate soul cleansing activity? All those e-mails and pledges, will they really save a Tiger?
Following a tiger census carried out in 2007 which said that the wild tiger population in India has declined by 60% to approximately 1,411 Tigers, the Indian government pledged $153 million to further fund the Project Tiger initiative, set-up a Tiger Protection Force to combat poachers, and fund the relocation of up to 200,000 villagers to minimize human-tiger interaction. Additionally, eight new tiger reserves in India are being set up
I found that on Wikipedia. How much of the pledges and planning has found the light of the day, is unknown. I guess an RTI would divulge something. But then what is the point? If all these measures do not result in saving the Tiger population, then of what help would our pledges, e-mails and donations to Radio Indigo’s campaign achieve.
But if you want to clear your guilt, even though you know that it is pointless. Go ahead. Pledge your support. Write e-mails. Donate! SAVE THE TIGER.
Hi all,
IYCN (Indian Youth Climate Network) in partnership with 350.org is organising events across namma Bengaluru on 24th of October' 2009 to mark the International Day of Climate Action.
I would like to invite you all to be a part of this global movement organised across 163 countries and 3769 actions.
More details about the Bengaluru events @
https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AaQRcpjpFXNhZGN6dzc0MzVfNTJnazhtZ3Rjcw&hl=en
We would require your active participation to make these events successful.
Thanks and regards,
Gunajit
M - 9980972288
I just read an article titled “Sometimes life drags you down from the clouds & that's good” published in Times of India. Model Lisa Ray who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma on June 23rd, spoke to TOI's Bharati Dubey on her struggle in coming to terms with the disease and why she went public about it.
In her blog “The Yellow Diaries”, she writes, “Myeloma is incurable. It’s a relatively rare cancer of the bone marrow that affects about 6000 Canadians. Every year, approximately 2100 more cases are diagnosed. I’m a junior Member in many ways, having been diagnosed at 37, while the average age is 65. Makes the disease not quite as ‘Sexy’ as other Cancers. But we can change that. In the industry I’m in, you could say, its motive alone that gives character to your acting… I’m going to do everything I can to wrench the spotlight onto Myeloma and Cancer Awareness. I believe it can be cured. That’s the Dirty Realist in me…I know I’m not trusting the situation. I’m treating my battle like its inconvenient, managing the stage like a tyrannical Bollywood choreographer, but worst of all, I’m not looking it in the eye. I’m letting the situation tyranise my heart. I need to ask for help and support. They say, name it, then you can recognise it. Then deal with it. Yup. In time.”
I really got shocked looking at her strength & determination while battling against multiple myeloma, which is a very rare form of cancer. I wish researchers discover a treatment for the cure of multiple myeloma with a holistic approach.
Hats off to Lisa for being so optimistic and positive in her battle against this disease! Truly, it’s better to be realistic than being idealistic about life.
Greenpeace fails to end Canada's ancient boreal forest clearcuts for paper products, yet proclaims victory
Greenpeace has chosen to end its "Kleercut" campaign despite receiving no assurances clear cutting of Canada's ancient boreal forests will end. Instead, according to Greenpeace, such decimation of old forests will be "certified" as "sustainably managed" by FSC. Let Greenpeace know the forest protection movement has moved past claims of sustainable forest management in primary and old growth forests. Old forests must be protected and restored for global ecological sustainability.
Ecological Internet and allies vigorously condemn Greenpeace Canada's greenwash endorsement of continued ancient boreal forest logging to make throw away paper items. We are appalled that Greenpeace supports the continued first time industrial harvest of Canada's ancient boreal forests to access "virgin" fibers to make toilet paper. The Canadian Boreal Forest is North America’s largest primary forest, holding massive amounts of water, threatened wildlife and migratory birds, and containing 25% of the world's remaining intact ancient forests. It is also the largest terrestrial storehouse of carbon on the planet, storing the equivalent of 27 years worth of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Greenfleece has announced a premature end to its "Kleercut" campaign against "ancient forest crimes" by Kimberly-Clark Corporation, the maker of Kleenex, Scott and Cottonelle brand paper products, on the basis of amazingly flimsy promises. The ONLY things that change are clearcuts of primary boreal forests will now be certified as acceptable by numerous certifiers including FSC, and token amounts of recycled fiber will be used. Making of toilet paper from primary and old growth forests does not end, it will just be "certified" by one of five forest certifiers as being well-managed. There is no such thing, as first time logging of old forests inevitably destroys primary and old growth forests' fully intact ecological function, structure and composition.
Greenpeace's forest campaign is ecologically lacking and socially naïve. They completely fail to understand that all primary and old growth forests are endangered and of high conservation value. Instead they perpetuate the ecologically criminal myth that old forests can and should be industrially logged for the first time in an environmentally acceptable manner. Greenpeace fails to realize real solutions to the forest/paper crisis require shrinking demand, increasing recyclables, and only accessing new fiber from regenerating secondary forests and mixed species, non-toxic, locally supported plantations.
In a world well past its ecological carrying capacity, facing abrupt climate change, and species and ecosystem collapse, we call upon Greenpeace to immediately disclose the ecological science that suggests primary and old growth forests can and should continue to be clearcut to wipe our asses. Greenpeace has missed a marvelous opportunity to make clear that consumption of ancient forests for throw away paper products is unsustainable, unethical and unjust. Their atrociously weak targets will legitimize continued destruction of Canada's ancient forest ecosystems, to largely be replaced by toxic plantation monocultures, to produce throw away paper products for decades.
Call upon Greenpeace to immediately globally cease and desist from negotiating agreements with industry that continue the production of throw away consumer items from Earth's dwindling old forests. Call upon Greenpeace to work for full protection of primary forests, restoration of old growth forests, and dramatic reduction in paper use globally. Further, Greenpeace must immediately disassociate itself from the Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) ongoing certification of first time industrial logging of primary forests as being "well-managed" while implying sustainability.
No one including Greenpeace can tell us how many tens of millions of hectares of primeval forest ecosystems are being destroyed under FSC's certification label. Until Greenpeace and friends stop greenwashing FSC ancient forest logging, we call upon committed forest protectors to resign their memberships, and to stop using toilet paper from virgin primary forests, no matter how sensitive their behinds. Global ecological sustainability will never be achieved if we cannot make such minor sacrifices. Shame on Greenpeace, who should know better.
Note: With special permission from www.Forests.org
Researchers find out a different perspective of Global Warming
Most of us tend to think of global warming in terms of the greenhouse effect produced by CO2 emissions. While it may be partly true that CO2 emissions interfere with the radiation of the heat from sunlight back into space and thus warm up the atmosphere, the main culprit could be the amount of energy we produce and use; and the heat energy that is let out into the atmosphere in this process. Anyone familiar with thermal power plants would know that the efficiencies (ratio of electrical energy output to fuel energy input) are on average around 35%, with the cooling water taking away the bulk of the heat when steam is condensed into water. Even the useful energy that is produced is ultimately lost in space in the form of heat produced in various processes in which this energy is used.
Researchers Bo Nordell and Bruno Gervet of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Lulea University of Technology in Sweden have calculated the total energy emissions from the start of the industrial revolution in the 1880s to the modern day. They have worked out that using the increase in average global air temperature as a measure of global warming is an inadequate measure of climate change. They suggest that scientists must also take into account the total energy of the ground, ice masses and the seas if they are to model climate change accurately.
The researchers have calculated that the heat energy accumulated in the atmosphere corresponds to a mere 6.6% of global warming, while the remaining heat is stored in the ground (31.5%), melting ice (33.4%) and in sea water (28.5%). They point out that net heat emissions between the industrial revolution circa 1880 and the modern era at 2000 correspond to almost three quarters of the accumulated heat, i.e., global warming, during that period.
The researchers also point out a flaw in the nuclear energy argument. Although nuclear power does not produce carbon dioxide emissions in the same way as burning fossil fuels, it does produce heat emissions equivalent to three times the energy of the electricity it generates (using the thermal cycle of steam turbine) and so contributes to global warming significantly.
Their calculations suggest that most measures to combat global warming, such as reducing our reliance on burning fossil fuels and switching to renewables like wind power and solar energy, will ultimately help in preventing catastrophic climate change in the long term. But the same calculations also show that trapping carbon dioxide, so-called carbon dioxide sequestration, and storing it deep underground or on the sea floor will have very little effect on global warming.
Source: International Journal of Global Warming-July 2009 Issue
It is ironic that here in India, the left hand is completely out of sync with its right hand and also the rest of its limbs!
The Indian sports ministry has apparently rejected the proposal of holding an F1 race here in India, which would have cost the exchequer around $36.5 million. It contended that the money can be used instead to promote other lesser known Indian sports. If the ministry really does what it believes, then it would be holding a candle for the rest of government machinery here in India to follow.
On the other hand, the UP Government has told the Supreme Court that installing various statues (including that of the Chief Minister’s) in the state at the cost of around $100 million was approved by the state Legislature. This was in response to a petition filed in the court alleging waste of taxpayer’s money.
The state machinery in UP is in dire straits. Encephalitis has been plaguing the state, causing the death toll (mostly children) to approach the 200 mark this year alone. According to a World Bank report, infant mortality rate in UP is the highest in India. Swine flu is slowly spreading its wings. The public sector has failed to create an investment friendly atmosphere. The biggest stumbling block here in UP is deep rooted caste and gender inequalities.
Is the $100 million for building statues justified? How did the State Legislature approve it? If it did, then what was the Central Government doing? The biggest question here would be is why the public of UP not raising its voice?
Blissful ignorance would be the perfect answer. Or would it?
The Indian sports ministry has apparently rejected the proposal of holding an F1 race here in India, which would have cost the exchequer around $36.5 million. It contended that the money can be used instead to promote other lesser known Indian sports. If the ministry really does what it believes, then it would be holding a candle for the rest of government machinery here in India to follow.
On the other hand, the UP Government has told the Supreme Court that installing various statues (including that of the Chief Minister’s) in the state at the cost of around $100 million was approved by the state Legislature. This was in response to a petition filed in the court alleging waste of taxpayer’s money.
The state machinery in UP is in dire straits. Encephalitis has been plaguing the state, causing the death toll (mostly children) to approach the 200 mark this year alone. According to a World Bank report, infant mortality rate in UP is the highest in India. Swine flu is slowly spreading its wings. The public sector has failed to create an investment friendly atmosphere. The biggest stumbling block here in UP is deep rooted caste and gender inequalities.
Is the $100 million for building statues justified? How did the State Legislature approve it? If it did, then what was the Central Government doing? The biggest question here would be is why the public of UP not raising its voice?
Blissful ignorance would be the perfect answer. Or would it?
Training programme on Zero Waste Management
Hi All,
You are invited for the training programme on Zero Waste Management (ZWM) on 30th Aug, this Sunday.
A map is attached for the venue. Please follow the Blue line from Maharaja Hotel to Embassy Meadows. The concrete road ends at the Embassy Meadows, and you can park and walk to our house (Mr. Balaji's house).
Training programme on Zero Waste Management (ZWM) By Vellore Srinivasan.
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. (date : 30th Aug)
Indian Heritage Academy
Address: 870, 20th Main, Koramangala 6th Block, Bangalore- 560095
Landmark: Near Koramangala Police Station
Contact:
25530121, 25530304
9449708836, 9845545576
MAP:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=101898344775736888305.00047205f6dde17770c8e&ll=12.950527,77.625704&spn=0.023798,0.033088&z=15
Contact details:
Balaji : 9844052132
Surya : 9902419903
Guru (President AID Bangalore) : 9845294184
“Instructional designing” was something like a foreign substance/antigen to my system of perception. I was not quite sure of what exactly is instructional designing until I met Abhinava. Surprisingly, after knowing more and more about ID from him, I felt this field as most interesting one as many concepts here can be applied to life too! Whenever Abhi talks about ID, I feel as if ID helps to explore how to deal with life! Trust me, it works! However, I never got an opportunity to see his presentation live. On August 22nd, IDCI made my dream come true by providing people with an opportunity to login online and hear Abhi presenting LH (Love-Hate) Theory. My heartfelt thanks to IDCI for making this happen! Those who attended the session online also had a chance to ask questions if they had any and share their comments and answers for questions asked by Abhinava. The online session was arranged so well that we never felt as if we were left out. I really appreciate it. And, I totally enjoyed Abhi’s wonderful presentation. Each slide put by Abhi was so thought provoking that he actually awakened the sleeping thoughts and hidden feelings within us! The way he explained the significance of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory, I was just amazed! I did not feel it as just a presentation meant for IDs, it was much more than that! And, guess why it was like this??? All because of LOVE :)
For more information:
IDCI Session Highlights - Love-Hate theory (summarized by Sreya Dutta on August 22, 2009 and posted on road-to-learning.blogspot.com)
Today's IDCI session by Abhinava (Twitter ID: @Abhinava) was extremely thought provoking for me. The topic of discussion, LH Theory (Love-Hate Theory) triggered on a lot of thought on how to be sensitive to the learner and use 'love' to design courses. To know more about the session go to twitter and search with the hash tag #IDCI. The session highlighted the need to be sensitive to the learner needs more holistically. At the same time, the session compared two modes of creating learning; Love and Hate. The session also emphasized on when to use each mode of learning.
Here's the presentation that Abhinava put on Slideshare:
So when do you use the LH Theory?
You use Love when:
* You want to create learning for a long term.
* You want to create a long term relationship/bond.
* When you have time to create good learning.
* When there is a lot to gain.
You use Hate when:
* You want to create learning for the short term and don't really care much about the outcome.
* When you don't need to create any long term relationship/bond.
* When you don't have time.
Why Business-driven Learning?
So, you use Hate theory when you only mean business and don't plan to invest a lot of time. You want a quick-fix solution that just serves the purpose. I found this discussion extremely relevant in today's times, as most often we seem to get pushed towards the Hate theory for purely business reasons. It is also important to be sure that you don't use Hate out of ignorance.
Sometimes, when you're in a situation where the business demand is high, using Hate does seem like the most practical thing to do. The need analysis moves from addressing the learner need towards addressing the business need! One could easily argue here that isn't the learner need the business need as well? My answer is yes at a high-level, but probably not exactly how we define it when we get to the specifics. I call this kind of learning 'Business-driven' or 'Business-centric'. The following are some justifications for creating 'business-driven' learning:
* You really need a quick solution to address the business need and get training out there to learners. Meaning your TTM (Time-to-market) is the #1 priority.
* Shelf life of the learning material is short (6 months to a year) and content changes/updates very often.
* Your learning supports the business and is not the primary revenue generator.
* Topic for learning is a mature one (like a product for niche areas) and people in the domain already know a lot of the basic concepts. Some are very advanced users. So, all you need to do is to tell them the new features and concepts and they will soon be using the knowledge hands-on.
The ideal ID world?
Given a chance, IDs would love to make the most effective and engaging courses. Some attributes that contribute to making such courses are:
* Perform a thorough learner analysis.
* Do a thorough needs assessment for your learners meaning drill down to the exact learning outcome that is expected.
* Empathize with the learner and create simple, usable and easily navigable courses.
* Don't make the course a content dump. Take time to make the course effective and engaging.
* Use well-researched real-time scenarios to add relevance to your learning material.
* Personalize feedback and strategies if the learner has high EQ (Emotional Intelligence)
* Design simple but effective practices.
* Use practices when absolutely necessary and not for very simple procedures.
* Validate and choose the appropriate delivery medium based on content complexity. Very advanced courses with lots of hands-on are better delivered in classroom training. Do not try to achieve this goal using online learning.
Business-driven learning; the reality and the solution
When you create business-driven learning, you may tend to skim/rush through many of the above steps. But business-driven learning becomes a reality as end of day 'business' is what everything boils down to. This of course does not undermine the fact that you do need to deliver the best possible solution in this situation. Here are some things one can do:
* Be extremely clear about the business objective.
* Do a periodic detailed learning profiling and assessment of the prerequisite knowledge and skills of your learner. Knowing the prerequisites will enable you to reduce the flab on your course and focus on a smaller amount of content. Eventually, this reduces your TTM.
* Research on and recommend a list of rapid elearning tools that work for the business solution.
* Leverage on existing material and spend time refining and updating it to the most current information.
* Focus on reducing knowledge gaps rather than covering the whole bulk of content.
* Use social learning as much as possible and focus on creating short and effective micro-learning strategies.
For more information:
IDCI Session Highlights - Love-Hate theory (summarized by Sreya Dutta on August 22, 2009 and posted on road-to-learning.blogspot.com)
Today's IDCI session by Abhinava (Twitter ID: @Abhinava) was extremely thought provoking for me. The topic of discussion, LH Theory (Love-Hate Theory) triggered on a lot of thought on how to be sensitive to the learner and use 'love' to design courses. To know more about the session go to twitter and search with the hash tag #IDCI. The session highlighted the need to be sensitive to the learner needs more holistically. At the same time, the session compared two modes of creating learning; Love and Hate. The session also emphasized on when to use each mode of learning.
Here's the presentation that Abhinava put on Slideshare:
So when do you use the LH Theory?
You use Love when:
* You want to create learning for a long term.
* You want to create a long term relationship/bond.
* When you have time to create good learning.
* When there is a lot to gain.
You use Hate when:
* You want to create learning for the short term and don't really care much about the outcome.
* When you don't need to create any long term relationship/bond.
* When you don't have time.
Why Business-driven Learning?
So, you use Hate theory when you only mean business and don't plan to invest a lot of time. You want a quick-fix solution that just serves the purpose. I found this discussion extremely relevant in today's times, as most often we seem to get pushed towards the Hate theory for purely business reasons. It is also important to be sure that you don't use Hate out of ignorance.
Sometimes, when you're in a situation where the business demand is high, using Hate does seem like the most practical thing to do. The need analysis moves from addressing the learner need towards addressing the business need! One could easily argue here that isn't the learner need the business need as well? My answer is yes at a high-level, but probably not exactly how we define it when we get to the specifics. I call this kind of learning 'Business-driven' or 'Business-centric'. The following are some justifications for creating 'business-driven' learning:
* You really need a quick solution to address the business need and get training out there to learners. Meaning your TTM (Time-to-market) is the #1 priority.
* Shelf life of the learning material is short (6 months to a year) and content changes/updates very often.
* Your learning supports the business and is not the primary revenue generator.
* Topic for learning is a mature one (like a product for niche areas) and people in the domain already know a lot of the basic concepts. Some are very advanced users. So, all you need to do is to tell them the new features and concepts and they will soon be using the knowledge hands-on.
The ideal ID world?
Given a chance, IDs would love to make the most effective and engaging courses. Some attributes that contribute to making such courses are:
* Perform a thorough learner analysis.
* Do a thorough needs assessment for your learners meaning drill down to the exact learning outcome that is expected.
* Empathize with the learner and create simple, usable and easily navigable courses.
* Don't make the course a content dump. Take time to make the course effective and engaging.
* Use well-researched real-time scenarios to add relevance to your learning material.
* Personalize feedback and strategies if the learner has high EQ (Emotional Intelligence)
* Design simple but effective practices.
* Use practices when absolutely necessary and not for very simple procedures.
* Validate and choose the appropriate delivery medium based on content complexity. Very advanced courses with lots of hands-on are better delivered in classroom training. Do not try to achieve this goal using online learning.
Business-driven learning; the reality and the solution
When you create business-driven learning, you may tend to skim/rush through many of the above steps. But business-driven learning becomes a reality as end of day 'business' is what everything boils down to. This of course does not undermine the fact that you do need to deliver the best possible solution in this situation. Here are some things one can do:
* Be extremely clear about the business objective.
* Do a periodic detailed learning profiling and assessment of the prerequisite knowledge and skills of your learner. Knowing the prerequisites will enable you to reduce the flab on your course and focus on a smaller amount of content. Eventually, this reduces your TTM.
* Research on and recommend a list of rapid elearning tools that work for the business solution.
* Leverage on existing material and spend time refining and updating it to the most current information.
* Focus on reducing knowledge gaps rather than covering the whole bulk of content.
* Use social learning as much as possible and focus on creating short and effective micro-learning strategies.
Note to Readers: This will be a series of short paragraphs that will follow with a succession of 2 days to build up the thrill while reading. At the end of the series due permission will be taken from Ministry of Education, RCSC, Royal Govt. of Bhutan to be published in American Chronicle. For now it will be put up on http://80feetroad.blogspot.com This article series will also include photographs that were not seen before. So as a request from the author, please do send in a request at arunavadas1983@yahoo.co.in or arunavaempowerresearch@gmail.com for using the photographs. The author will guide you in this regard. This note comes to you after strict advice from MoE, Royal Govt. of Bhutan. These articles are purely for Blog Display and not have been published in foreign magazines.
Part I
I am good here. Its interesting living here, though conditions here are very basic and Spartan. Our school is located at a village called Menjiwoong or Menjwoong or Minjiwoong (‘a land of medicines’ in Dzongkha) under Serthi gewog (Hindi: Panch) in Jomotsangkha Dungkhag in Samdrup Jongkhar district of Eastern Bhutan. It’s almost a tiring 9 hrs walk from the border town of Jomotsangkha (Old Name: Diafam), through dense forests and precariously positioned cliffs and ridges that make your heart run fast. It’s an adrenaline rush to see yourself perched on the edge of a cliff and hundreds of feet below running the fast flowing Jomo Chhu or Dhansiri Chhu that goes and joins the Brahmaputra in Assam.
Ours is a Lower Secondary School (LSS) that started way back in the year 1989, the second oldest school in the district. Hence, it has got a very good infrastructure (only drawback is there is no electricity) and a nice sprawling, well-maintained green campus with separate hostels for boys and girls. It was upgraded from Primary to LSS in the year 2001. The whole school, however, is connected with solar supply, good way to use green power. At night, we are back at the mercy of kerosene-powered lanterns.
Life is slow and peaceful here. Democracy started in the year 2008 and all the ministers of the country are extremely devoted to make His Majesty the 4th King of Bhutan’s vision of Gross National Happiness (GNH) as the country’s motto for getting along the modern paced world in the twenty-first century. The 4th King’s son, the present king and the 5th King of Bhutan, H.M. Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, a very learned man from Oxford, is doing just what the doctor ordered, that is, making his father’s dream of a prosperous Bhutan transform into reality by the end of 2020.
People in Bhutan seem to have lots of time on ready disposal and they are very different from people in other parts of the world. They have kept their human values intact inspite of gradual degradation and erosion of human values. People here think that like us wild animals also have the same right to stay alive sharing the same land that the people here stay in. They do not kill or take other animal’s life and they believe and it’s a Buddhist virtue that taking one’s life is the sin of the highest order.
Minjiwoong is situated on a table top valley dotted by mountains from the Black Mountain Ranges on almost all sides. From Diafam, one needs to cross four villages, namely, Upper Diafam (Royal Bhutan Army Base Camp), Jampani, Gelonghar, Tokaphu and Fokchuri before reaching Minjiwoong. From Fokchuri there is a final ascent that takes you from a height of 2000mts to 2500mts, a dramatical rise that will leave you with a breathtaking view of the hamlet once you reach up. This particular part of the world is very much different from the usual tourist hotspots like Thimphu, Paro, Phuentsholing, Wangdue, Bumthang, Trashigang, Haa, and Gaza. Here you find three worlds meeting together and at the confluence there is an amazing diversity of wildlife, flora and fauna that is truly endemic to this region. The fauna, rare and believed-to-be-extinct amphibians like the Flying frog, reptiles like the great boa (the same like the Anacondas of South America) and flying lizards, avian species of hornbills and raptors, quite a few unidentified lepidopterans (butterflies) that are found only in this part of the world are quite unique. Again as you walk past the dense forests, you will notice some fauna resemblance with those of the Cretascean and Jurassic periods.
These inhabitants of the jungles will lead you to a Mogli experience that one is very lucky to experience in his/ her lifetime. You learn how to adapt to the environment where you are, how to lead life after coming from an IT rich experience in one of the leading cosmopolitans of the world (talking of my early education in Bangalore and my early part of my career in the same city) to one of the remotest areas on earth, how to adjust with the meager resources at your disposal, what things to eat to stay alive, to drink from the purest sources of water (mountain springs) and above all to learn to respect the flora and fauna around you and take them as your fellow beings – a philosophy I learned after my association with The Land of the Peaceful Dragon dominated with Buddhism running through her veins; unfortunate enough to be unaware of this great practice of mankind all through my life until this point though I originally hail from the Land of Lord Buddha. Through my countless hours of conversation with the proprietor of Hotel Shambala at Samdrup Jongkhar town and sipping at the tangy “lassi” that the hotel serves (a sweet thick mixture of curd and water generally drank after a meal to enable your digestion process), I was able to realize the latent Buddha in me. To tell you the truth now I have started to experiment with the thoughts of Buddha’s enlightment and the way of life defined with The Dalai Lama and some of the other great teachers of Buddhism. A brief period of experiment with the ciggarate also strangely ended for me after attending the ceremonial accession of the 4th Sermon of Lord Buddha that was celebrated at the Royal Bhutan Army Camp Lakhang (a Buddhist monastery) at upper Diafam one day in the month of June. Slowly the idea of a full elightment will come into thy where I will learn the real virtue of being alive.
The nine hours walk from Diafam to my school at Minjiwoong is one to remember in a lifetime that takes you through the heart of Bhutan’s sub-tropical forests. And if you are walking alone, the Jomo Chhu will give you a constant company all throughout your walk. This runs down straight from the head of Trashi Yangtsee district of Bhutan to the Brahmaputra in the south. The mountain road that we use to walk and travel is just only about 90cm. in width and at some places is just enough to let two horses walk through. Locals use horses and ponnies to carry loads from the plains of Assam to the interior maountain villages like ours (Minjiwoong), Monmola, Zamthari, Zangthri, Dungmanma, Serthi, and Shinga-Louri. You can take pride because the road that you are walking on has been used throughout the ages since the time of 1400’s dating back to the ancient Silk Route to China.
I feel at awe whenever I take to this road and think of the hardships that used to adorn the travelers those days.
Part I
I am good here. Its interesting living here, though conditions here are very basic and Spartan. Our school is located at a village called Menjiwoong or Menjwoong or Minjiwoong (‘a land of medicines’ in Dzongkha) under Serthi gewog (Hindi: Panch) in Jomotsangkha Dungkhag in Samdrup Jongkhar district of Eastern Bhutan. It’s almost a tiring 9 hrs walk from the border town of Jomotsangkha (Old Name: Diafam), through dense forests and precariously positioned cliffs and ridges that make your heart run fast. It’s an adrenaline rush to see yourself perched on the edge of a cliff and hundreds of feet below running the fast flowing Jomo Chhu or Dhansiri Chhu that goes and joins the Brahmaputra in Assam.
Ours is a Lower Secondary School (LSS) that started way back in the year 1989, the second oldest school in the district. Hence, it has got a very good infrastructure (only drawback is there is no electricity) and a nice sprawling, well-maintained green campus with separate hostels for boys and girls. It was upgraded from Primary to LSS in the year 2001. The whole school, however, is connected with solar supply, good way to use green power. At night, we are back at the mercy of kerosene-powered lanterns.
Life is slow and peaceful here. Democracy started in the year 2008 and all the ministers of the country are extremely devoted to make His Majesty the 4th King of Bhutan’s vision of Gross National Happiness (GNH) as the country’s motto for getting along the modern paced world in the twenty-first century. The 4th King’s son, the present king and the 5th King of Bhutan, H.M. Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, a very learned man from Oxford, is doing just what the doctor ordered, that is, making his father’s dream of a prosperous Bhutan transform into reality by the end of 2020.
People in Bhutan seem to have lots of time on ready disposal and they are very different from people in other parts of the world. They have kept their human values intact inspite of gradual degradation and erosion of human values. People here think that like us wild animals also have the same right to stay alive sharing the same land that the people here stay in. They do not kill or take other animal’s life and they believe and it’s a Buddhist virtue that taking one’s life is the sin of the highest order.
Minjiwoong is situated on a table top valley dotted by mountains from the Black Mountain Ranges on almost all sides. From Diafam, one needs to cross four villages, namely, Upper Diafam (Royal Bhutan Army Base Camp), Jampani, Gelonghar, Tokaphu and Fokchuri before reaching Minjiwoong. From Fokchuri there is a final ascent that takes you from a height of 2000mts to 2500mts, a dramatical rise that will leave you with a breathtaking view of the hamlet once you reach up. This particular part of the world is very much different from the usual tourist hotspots like Thimphu, Paro, Phuentsholing, Wangdue, Bumthang, Trashigang, Haa, and Gaza. Here you find three worlds meeting together and at the confluence there is an amazing diversity of wildlife, flora and fauna that is truly endemic to this region. The fauna, rare and believed-to-be-extinct amphibians like the Flying frog, reptiles like the great boa (the same like the Anacondas of South America) and flying lizards, avian species of hornbills and raptors, quite a few unidentified lepidopterans (butterflies) that are found only in this part of the world are quite unique. Again as you walk past the dense forests, you will notice some fauna resemblance with those of the Cretascean and Jurassic periods.
These inhabitants of the jungles will lead you to a Mogli experience that one is very lucky to experience in his/ her lifetime. You learn how to adapt to the environment where you are, how to lead life after coming from an IT rich experience in one of the leading cosmopolitans of the world (talking of my early education in Bangalore and my early part of my career in the same city) to one of the remotest areas on earth, how to adjust with the meager resources at your disposal, what things to eat to stay alive, to drink from the purest sources of water (mountain springs) and above all to learn to respect the flora and fauna around you and take them as your fellow beings – a philosophy I learned after my association with The Land of the Peaceful Dragon dominated with Buddhism running through her veins; unfortunate enough to be unaware of this great practice of mankind all through my life until this point though I originally hail from the Land of Lord Buddha. Through my countless hours of conversation with the proprietor of Hotel Shambala at Samdrup Jongkhar town and sipping at the tangy “lassi” that the hotel serves (a sweet thick mixture of curd and water generally drank after a meal to enable your digestion process), I was able to realize the latent Buddha in me. To tell you the truth now I have started to experiment with the thoughts of Buddha’s enlightment and the way of life defined with The Dalai Lama and some of the other great teachers of Buddhism. A brief period of experiment with the ciggarate also strangely ended for me after attending the ceremonial accession of the 4th Sermon of Lord Buddha that was celebrated at the Royal Bhutan Army Camp Lakhang (a Buddhist monastery) at upper Diafam one day in the month of June. Slowly the idea of a full elightment will come into thy where I will learn the real virtue of being alive.
The nine hours walk from Diafam to my school at Minjiwoong is one to remember in a lifetime that takes you through the heart of Bhutan’s sub-tropical forests. And if you are walking alone, the Jomo Chhu will give you a constant company all throughout your walk. This runs down straight from the head of Trashi Yangtsee district of Bhutan to the Brahmaputra in the south. The mountain road that we use to walk and travel is just only about 90cm. in width and at some places is just enough to let two horses walk through. Locals use horses and ponnies to carry loads from the plains of Assam to the interior maountain villages like ours (Minjiwoong), Monmola, Zamthari, Zangthri, Dungmanma, Serthi, and Shinga-Louri. You can take pride because the road that you are walking on has been used throughout the ages since the time of 1400’s dating back to the ancient Silk Route to China.
I feel at awe whenever I take to this road and think of the hardships that used to adorn the travelers those days.
Nikhil Dey's (MKSS) Talk on 23rd Aug, 2:30p in Bangalore
Ever wondered:
What changes are needed to take India beyond the so called 'First World'?
Who are the real heroes behind the positive changes the country has seen in the last 5 years?
What are behind-the-scenes stories of our country's political and administrative system?
How do national movements take birth and what do they look like today?
Can we help transform the nation?
Speaking on Sunday, 23rd August at 2:30pm the venue below is Nikhil Dey of MKSS. MKSS
was founded in Rajasthan 22 years ago by Nikhil (24 at that time), Aruna Roy and Shankar Singh.
MKSS has gifted the country the most progressive laws since India's independence: the RTI (Right to Information Act) and NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). Pictures, documents, videos, etc. of their historical struggle are now part of the national archives at Nehru Museum, Delhi.
Read more about Nikhil and MKSS on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aruna_Roy
We will show a short 15 min. film giving glimpses of their work and the struggle.
Please positively RSVP to help our planning since seating is limited. MKSS works on a shoestring
budget; please help by bringing your cheque books.
Regards,
Ashim, ashimjain@gmail.com
Manish, manishj@synopsys.com
M: 98801-95372 M: 98804-13124
VENUE: Trans Indus, Basapanapalya, Tatguni, Bangalore - 66 (Map on next page.)
DIRECTIONS & MAP
Trans Indus (Google Map)
Reach the Kanakpura Rd and NICE Rd junction (the only flyover on Kanakpura Rd). Go another ~1km south on Kanakpura Rd and turn right into the second road (after the NICE junction). This right turn is marked with several signs "BGS Int'l School", "Trans Indus", etc. Go about 3.5km on the winding road and turn left where sign says "Trans Indus". Go another 0.75km and turn right into Trans Indus colony.
Park your vehicle just inside the security gate.
To see online, go to:
http://maps.google.com and type TRANS INDUS, BANGALORE, INDIA in the search box.
LOOSE AGENDA:
Film
Nikhil's Talk
Q&A, discussion
Tea
(Conclusion ~ 4:30p)
ASHIM'S BRIEF EXPERIENCE
As a free lance volunteer I have recently concluded my 5th trip to Rajasthan in the past ~7 months spending almost half the time there. What struck me the most about this organization and especially Nikhil, is that they directly take on pain and suffering on themselves to provide relief to others, a selfless trait that is extremely rare even in NGOs. Nikhil, and every one of MKSS members have impeccable integrity and survive on a monthly salary of Rs. 2800 (including ex-IAS officer Aruna Roy). Nikhil is unmarried and has 3 degrees (including one in law and one from U.S.).
During my last trip, I was sitting in a 'dharna' in front of SDM's office in Bhim, Rajasthan. Nikhil and other MKSS members were encouraging the 500 or so peasants and laborers to demand their unpaid wages (imagine, govt. holding back their survival income of Rs. 100 per day!) MKSS's work with the people of Rajasthan has given them an influential voice in the state and central governments. This was apparent in Nikhil's calm and firm conversation with the SDM resulted in fulfillment of the demands of the people. (Aruna was part of National Advisory Council chaired by Sonia Gandhi that resulted in passing of RTI and NREGA Acts). Both, state and central govts., often come to MKSS for advice and help in implementation of govt. schemes.
Ever wondered:
What changes are needed to take India beyond the so called 'First World'?
Who are the real heroes behind the positive changes the country has seen in the last 5 years?
What are behind-the-scenes stories of our country's political and administrative system?
How do national movements take birth and what do they look like today?
Can we help transform the nation?
Speaking on Sunday, 23rd August at 2:30pm the venue below is Nikhil Dey of MKSS. MKSS
was founded in Rajasthan 22 years ago by Nikhil (24 at that time), Aruna Roy and Shankar Singh.
MKSS has gifted the country the most progressive laws since India's independence: the RTI (Right to Information Act) and NREGA (National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). Pictures, documents, videos, etc. of their historical struggle are now part of the national archives at Nehru Museum, Delhi.
Read more about Nikhil and MKSS on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aruna_Roy
We will show a short 15 min. film giving glimpses of their work and the struggle.
Please positively RSVP to help our planning since seating is limited. MKSS works on a shoestring
budget; please help by bringing your cheque books.
Regards,
Ashim, ashimjain@gmail.com
Manish, manishj@synopsys.com
M: 98801-95372 M: 98804-13124
VENUE: Trans Indus, Basapanapalya, Tatguni, Bangalore - 66 (Map on next page.)
DIRECTIONS & MAP
Trans Indus (Google Map)
Reach the Kanakpura Rd and NICE Rd junction (the only flyover on Kanakpura Rd). Go another ~1km south on Kanakpura Rd and turn right into the second road (after the NICE junction). This right turn is marked with several signs "BGS Int'l School", "Trans Indus", etc. Go about 3.5km on the winding road and turn left where sign says "Trans Indus". Go another 0.75km and turn right into Trans Indus colony.
Park your vehicle just inside the security gate.
To see online, go to:
http://maps.google.com and type TRANS INDUS, BANGALORE, INDIA in the search box.
LOOSE AGENDA:
Film
Nikhil's Talk
Q&A, discussion
Tea
(Conclusion ~ 4:30p)
ASHIM'S BRIEF EXPERIENCE
As a free lance volunteer I have recently concluded my 5th trip to Rajasthan in the past ~7 months spending almost half the time there. What struck me the most about this organization and especially Nikhil, is that they directly take on pain and suffering on themselves to provide relief to others, a selfless trait that is extremely rare even in NGOs. Nikhil, and every one of MKSS members have impeccable integrity and survive on a monthly salary of Rs. 2800 (including ex-IAS officer Aruna Roy). Nikhil is unmarried and has 3 degrees (including one in law and one from U.S.).
During my last trip, I was sitting in a 'dharna' in front of SDM's office in Bhim, Rajasthan. Nikhil and other MKSS members were encouraging the 500 or so peasants and laborers to demand their unpaid wages (imagine, govt. holding back their survival income of Rs. 100 per day!) MKSS's work with the people of Rajasthan has given them an influential voice in the state and central governments. This was apparent in Nikhil's calm and firm conversation with the SDM resulted in fulfillment of the demands of the people. (Aruna was part of National Advisory Council chaired by Sonia Gandhi that resulted in passing of RTI and NREGA Acts). Both, state and central govts., often come to MKSS for advice and help in implementation of govt. schemes.
This is how I am presently looking like. This I clicked in my hotel room just few days back. I am in Sam Jongkhar, Bhutan on official visit. 8 Hours of strenous walking and playing all year round have contributed to this slim look. Special Thanks to Bhutan and my mom, who agreed in sending me there. To tell you the truth my mom failed to notice me at the Kolkata airport among the crowd when I went there during my summer holidays. I have reduced from 110 Kgs. in February, 2009 to 75 Kgs. in July, 2009 -- an amazing loss of 35 Kgs. My determination and perseverance have paid off.
This photo comes to you after a special request from "RockSta", Rakesh Reddy, who was eager to see my Bradd Pitt Image?? Am I looking the same?? Please do comment........
“Why we Indians fail the nation” by Ramesh Khazanchi is a good read. However there are a couple of points which require a different perspective. Here is my perspective on them.
Should we be ashamed of our behavior? No. The civic agencies are corrupt, lazy and don’t clean the streets at all. I have never seen any worker from any of the civic agency cleaning the streets in my life and I have been living at one single place since my birth. Most of the families here have put in place a wonderful system of cleaning the street in front of their houses, either by employing a maid or doing it by themselves.
The garbage collection system is erratic and the driver of the garbage truck is always drunk. Moreover, we pay him 20 – 50 bucks every now and then to ensure he does not forget to come and collect the garbage.
What should we do, set up garbage disposal units outside our homes? I guess the civic agencies wouldn’t mind as it would give them another opportunity to fleece us with extra taxes, not that we are paying them enough already.
The community bin concept does not work here as they are hardly cleared and always overflows. Obvious isn’t it? Oh and the one thing that the so called civic agencies are good at is sending notices if we fail to pay our taxes on time.
I am totally against this as I believe in the basic fundamental right to education which these children are entitled to. But spare a thought for those who have received education and are languishing on the streets without jobs.
What is the guarantee that the education will land the child a job? What if the child does not want to learn and wants to work in order to support a family. The child may be the sole bread winner for its family. Pulling the child out of a job and putting it in front of a blackboard does not help as its family might die of hunger. The child might die of hunger. Learning to read and write does not satisfy the hunger pangs.
Our social security system does not exist as it does in the developed countries that frown on such practices. The poor and the jobless are left in the lurch to fend for themselves, with no help coming from the government that is busy in introducing legislations for an increase in the salaries and perks of the netas. They don’t care if we are eating our own shit, as long as we are paying sanitary taxes on time.
62 years of independence, after spending countless years of being ruled under different invading hordes; does it matter anymore? Corruption is gnawing away at the roots of our freedom. How long will the stability last? Something’s got to give. Every day we inch closer to tag of a failed nation. (Look at Congo for an extreme example). All our successive Governments and their policies have failed us and we as citizens have failed it by not raising our voice against corruption and allowing it to flourish.
We keep our homes spanking clean and dump all the garbage outside, on the streets.
Should we be ashamed of our behavior? No. The civic agencies are corrupt, lazy and don’t clean the streets at all. I have never seen any worker from any of the civic agency cleaning the streets in my life and I have been living at one single place since my birth. Most of the families here have put in place a wonderful system of cleaning the street in front of their houses, either by employing a maid or doing it by themselves.
The garbage collection system is erratic and the driver of the garbage truck is always drunk. Moreover, we pay him 20 – 50 bucks every now and then to ensure he does not forget to come and collect the garbage.
What should we do, set up garbage disposal units outside our homes? I guess the civic agencies wouldn’t mind as it would give them another opportunity to fleece us with extra taxes, not that we are paying them enough already.
The community bin concept does not work here as they are hardly cleared and always overflows. Obvious isn’t it? Oh and the one thing that the so called civic agencies are good at is sending notices if we fail to pay our taxes on time.
We routinely employ children below 14 years of age as domestic help or in jobs of hazardous nature.
I am totally against this as I believe in the basic fundamental right to education which these children are entitled to. But spare a thought for those who have received education and are languishing on the streets without jobs.
What is the guarantee that the education will land the child a job? What if the child does not want to learn and wants to work in order to support a family. The child may be the sole bread winner for its family. Pulling the child out of a job and putting it in front of a blackboard does not help as its family might die of hunger. The child might die of hunger. Learning to read and write does not satisfy the hunger pangs.
Our social security system does not exist as it does in the developed countries that frown on such practices. The poor and the jobless are left in the lurch to fend for themselves, with no help coming from the government that is busy in introducing legislations for an increase in the salaries and perks of the netas. They don’t care if we are eating our own shit, as long as we are paying sanitary taxes on time.
62 years of independence, after spending countless years of being ruled under different invading hordes; does it matter anymore? Corruption is gnawing away at the roots of our freedom. How long will the stability last? Something’s got to give. Every day we inch closer to tag of a failed nation. (Look at Congo for an extreme example). All our successive Governments and their policies have failed us and we as citizens have failed it by not raising our voice against corruption and allowing it to flourish.
I had never seen a twin flower. I was amazed to witness one such twin flower. Recently we bought flowers from market for Pooja. I found this “Twin Gerbera Flower”. There were five such twins. It was special decoration as the flowers were twins! He he..
I was really surprise to see twin flower.. It’s kool!
Jus.. wanted to share this picture with you all!!
Thank you,
RK
It costs less than 50 dollars at Sprint and according to the Samsung, the Reclaim is 80 percent recyclable as it is made from bio-plastic. The packaging is made from 70 percent recyclable material, while the ink used for printing text and images on the package and the phone warranty is made from soy. The charger consumes about 12 times lesser power than the Energy Star standard.Samsung has positioned it as an eco-friendly messaging phone. 2 dollars will go to the Nature Conservancy’s Adopt an Acre program in the U.S.
Image Courtesy: Samsung
