The best method for sorting resumes:

When I get a pile of resumes, I pick half of them at random and throw them away - I don't want any unlucky people to work for me!

Anecdote

Yesterday I thought I will catch up with a colleague of mine who was working on another project and we hadn’t had a chance to sync up for a long time.

I sent a message asking if we could have some coffee together. I did this around 3 pm thinking that we would be able to meet around 4:30 or so. No reply came till 6 and I had to leave anyways.

While boarding the bus transport (the company has provided a bus facility for regular timings. Saves a lot of hassles), I had a talk with my bus buddies where we devised an evil conspiracy to try and get rid of the bus and go back to the cabs that we used to get earlier. Had a lot of fun while doing that. Today we have a meeting with the transport function to raise all the issues that we have with the facility.

I have seen this happening a number of times. And in my older organization also. There are millions of people out there who use either self transport or public transport which to my mind is the worst. They travel anywhere between 10 to a 100 kilometers every day and they do it because their organizations haven’t made provisions for any such facilities. But we who have this facility are always complaining about the standard of the facility that we get. It seems the more you give, the more “they” will ask. It seems nothing ever is enough.

So today, when I came in, I saw a message which was posted at around 40 minutes after I had left. It said a simple “Hello”, maybe checking if I was at my seat at the time before engaging any further.

I replied back :

“too late for me I am not like those people who take faltu(unnecessary) breaks and then work late to show off. I am like those who take faltu breaks and still leave on time .“

A bus ride to Dehradun

I had to go to Dehradun again this Sunday. We took the afternoon bus at 3pm and were scheduled to reach around 9:30pm. I intended to fully utilise this time; which I had at my disposal; by having a good nap which was long needed. As soon as the bus started, I was fast asleep. There was some stopage at around 4 and I was disturbed from my deep slumber and for some reason I couldn't go back to sleep.

So with nothing to do except gaze at the distant fields, my mind began running all over the place. There have been times where I just couldnt find topics to write on this blog and I have written blog entries just on the fact that I am not able to get ideas. Talk about being lame.

But today was just opposite of those days. With so many ideas running up and down in my mind, this was the first time when I felt the need for a laptop or a palm device so that I could jot down my musings.

It was suprising how short periods of inactivity or some time off from your usual daily routine can activate areas of your brain which normally wont respond.

Maybe there are some yoga or meditation based techniques which can help me tap into the vast reserves of the brain.

One in Six billion

I always say a PJ (Poor Joke) about how unique I am, so I say that I am 1 in six billion. This basically a version of the One in a Million phrase, where you say that, this person is a such a gem, he is a One in a Million kind of a person.

The problem with that is that even if you are a One in a Million kind of a person, there still would be 6000 people (Six billion being the world population count) exactly like you which makes you think that your are not so unique.

So I started saying that I am One in six billion. And as I said before, it is a PJ thats Poor Joke for the uninitiated.

Throughout my growing years I have had classmates, friends and collegues who have shared complete names, Amit being a pretty common name among Indians especially since Mr. Amitabh Bachchan was quite popular in the decade when I was born. Surnames like Jain, Gupta, Sharma etc were also quite popular. So any combination of these would have lots of people named. My surname George, is also quite popular however the Christian community being in minority and also christian names being the preffered choice among us made Amit George quite unique as a name.

I did this name search on the internet on my name a couple of years ago but couldnt find anybody else holding this name.

Then I came across this link. The person who is listed there at the time of this posting isn't me.

This will be a space which I will watch out for. And I hope there will be more Mr. Amit George out there.

PEOPLE OF COLOR

I came across this poem which if you know the context of the racial situation in America makes a lot of sense,

My best friend said that he
Was now a "person of color,"
Whereas I was simply "white."
He used to call himself "black,"
Which to me was perfectly all right.
But my art teacher pointed out to us
That black is the absence of color.
Which shouldn't really get him down,
Since he really isn't black, but rather
A beautiful shade of brown.
Which is a color.
As are those with yellow, red or golden skin.
Whereas white, (my color),
Has all the other colors within.
Which I suppose through and through
Makes me colored too!
So it appears my best friend was simply in error,
We all seem to be "persons of color."

Perils of Positive thinking

I was reading through the new entries in some of my favorite BLOGs and I came across this post:
     http://hodu.com/perils.shtml

A couple of snippets :
A young accountant approached her retired mentor one day and asked very expectantly how she managed such a successful career.

This answer was surprisingly brief: "Good decisions". In anticipation she launched the next question: "But how can I learn to make good decisions?" The wise mentor paused for a moment and replied: "Through experience!"

Again the eager accountant asked: "But how do I gain experience?" Her mentor smiled understandingly: "Through bad decisions!"

And

The second scenario involves the friend or colleague that is a single-minded positive thinker.

The more that you try to verbalize the problem in order to feel better, the more you get interrupted with "positive solutions". The more you crave empathy, the more they inject you with the importance of positive thinking. It leaves you feeling even more dejected and riddled with guilt about your inability to think positively during this trying time.


I have been guilty of this second situation when although my intentions have been sincere, but now in retrospective, it seems that some situations demand understanding and compassion rather than solutions to the problem.

Why GOD Gave Us Friends

GOD knew that everyone needs
Companionship and cheer,
He knew that people need someone
Whose thoughts are always near.

He knew they need someone kind
To lend a helping hand.
Someone to gladly take the time
To care and understand.

GOD knew that we all need someone
To share each happy day,
To be a source of courage
When troubles come our way.

Someone to be true to us,
Whether near or far apart.
Someone whose love we'll always
Hold and treasure in our hearts.

That's Why GOD Gave Us Friends!

Happy Friendship Day !!!