I try to listen to at least one podcast a day if not more. My favorites being Motley Fool Money, NPR, The Economist, TED Talks, HBR Review. I have listened to many podcasts that I would like to retain in my mind to recall or refer to at a later time and I have had a hard time doing so. So I thought why not I summarize things that I learn through reading, listening, watching, etc. on my blog so I can refer to it all in one place instead of searching for it when I need it. Hopefully some of these will help my readers as well.
The first one will be on Time Value of Money. I will publish that in a separate post.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Friday, May 15, 2009
My Thatha!
Indian culture is known for respecting our parents(elders) and taking care of them unlike western culture or is it really???
We compare our caring to the west and complain about how kids abandon their parents and send them over to old age homes to be taken care of by someone else. Are we any better in taking care of our own parents? I see striking examples in my own vicinity. One of my friend decided to move back to India for the reason of looking after his parents along with other reasons but that was one of them if I remember properly. In fact he thinks twice now to take a traveling job because he worries who will take care of them while he is away.... such a loving, caring son he is!
Then I have someone in my own family (my doddamma) who is probably fed up looking after my grandfather that they start worrying about Rs. 800 spent on an MRI when they are making Lacs... doddamma has two siblings who are worried of opening their mouth to voice their opinion because they haven't taken the responsibility of taking care of their father (not because they couldn't but because of where they ended up after marriage).... now do kids lose value, interest in parents if they keep seeing them day in day out?? is that even acceptable??
My grand father has been having issues with his health off late (he is 94 btw).... and up until now he has not even needed glasses. He even had his own house in which he lived in a small room renting the remaining part of the house but was forced by my doddamma and family to sell it and come and stay with them so that they could look after him - this decision he regrets every day now. His eyesight has reduced otherwise he was regularly going on his evening walks, attending musical concerts. He's not a big fuss at home either. All he keeps complaining these days is about his body that he says he feels swaying.. now my doddamma is a doc and owns a hospital. Why is it difficult to get the best treatment for your own father???? agreed my doddappa is not all that well either because of which my doddamma might be under stress and tension these days - but that is NO reason to treat your own father in that way... meanwhile her own FIL got royal treatment in his old days, a drive to the park, a walk, medicines on time, food on time and so on...
All my grand father is asking for some basic things in life... and this is what he gets!!! I spoke to my cousin who mentioned he might be having a nerve condition which might need a look from a Neurologist - I mentioned this to my doddamma after which they considered doing it and found out my grand father was not receiving enough blood flow to the brain (old age problems).... and now has been put on medication..
Now for this purpose why should one keep their parents at home? I think the western concept of making arrangements for their stay at an old age is much better where they meet people of their own age and spend their last days smiling! and at least they visit them at their new place every once in a while....
I have been very upset with all this from last night and wanted to vent it out... I have always seen my grand father smiling - such a jovial person, such a gem who has brought up his three daughters in such tough times who are all well settled and now during his last days - this is the treatment he gets!!! It stings me.... the more I think about it tears trickle down my eyes...
For the time being I have told my mom to discuss with my doddamma about this and see what better things can be done.... but it hurts.... it really hurts.... i hate seeing someone whom I love leave this world without a smile..........
We compare our caring to the west and complain about how kids abandon their parents and send them over to old age homes to be taken care of by someone else. Are we any better in taking care of our own parents? I see striking examples in my own vicinity. One of my friend decided to move back to India for the reason of looking after his parents along with other reasons but that was one of them if I remember properly. In fact he thinks twice now to take a traveling job because he worries who will take care of them while he is away.... such a loving, caring son he is!
Then I have someone in my own family (my doddamma) who is probably fed up looking after my grandfather that they start worrying about Rs. 800 spent on an MRI when they are making Lacs... doddamma has two siblings who are worried of opening their mouth to voice their opinion because they haven't taken the responsibility of taking care of their father (not because they couldn't but because of where they ended up after marriage).... now do kids lose value, interest in parents if they keep seeing them day in day out?? is that even acceptable??
My grand father has been having issues with his health off late (he is 94 btw).... and up until now he has not even needed glasses. He even had his own house in which he lived in a small room renting the remaining part of the house but was forced by my doddamma and family to sell it and come and stay with them so that they could look after him - this decision he regrets every day now. His eyesight has reduced otherwise he was regularly going on his evening walks, attending musical concerts. He's not a big fuss at home either. All he keeps complaining these days is about his body that he says he feels swaying.. now my doddamma is a doc and owns a hospital. Why is it difficult to get the best treatment for your own father???? agreed my doddappa is not all that well either because of which my doddamma might be under stress and tension these days - but that is NO reason to treat your own father in that way... meanwhile her own FIL got royal treatment in his old days, a drive to the park, a walk, medicines on time, food on time and so on...
All my grand father is asking for some basic things in life... and this is what he gets!!! I spoke to my cousin who mentioned he might be having a nerve condition which might need a look from a Neurologist - I mentioned this to my doddamma after which they considered doing it and found out my grand father was not receiving enough blood flow to the brain (old age problems).... and now has been put on medication..
Now for this purpose why should one keep their parents at home? I think the western concept of making arrangements for their stay at an old age is much better where they meet people of their own age and spend their last days smiling! and at least they visit them at their new place every once in a while....
I have been very upset with all this from last night and wanted to vent it out... I have always seen my grand father smiling - such a jovial person, such a gem who has brought up his three daughters in such tough times who are all well settled and now during his last days - this is the treatment he gets!!! It stings me.... the more I think about it tears trickle down my eyes...
For the time being I have told my mom to discuss with my doddamma about this and see what better things can be done.... but it hurts.... it really hurts.... i hate seeing someone whom I love leave this world without a smile..........
Shoulder story continues..
So the hurray was partially premature...
Met with the doctor last week... had little good news and a lot of complicated words thrown at me... He said.. some of what I had done to my shoulder was acquired and some was congenital condition. Apparently the way my muscle development has taken place itself was amusing to him.. providing laxity (ability to move beyond normal) to me... there was some abrasion of bicep muscles which was induced by my working out / playing habbits but there were several other issues that he found but did not fix since it was "Natural" and he said.. he doesn't work on fixing what nature has created... well that and because of my age (he referred to as young) that things might heal in the course of time..
So he put two stitches in front and one at back of my shoulder tightening the shoulder ONLY... and said in 3-4 months I should be back to normal BUT.........
I would have to cut down on my playing because it was not a 100% solved problem.... he said if I had to get back to playing rigorous game that badly, I would have to wear a brace on my shoulder that would prevent my shoulder from going beyond what it should...
Oh well.. at this point I am like - if I am able to work out, stretch and do my routine chores without much trouble, I am fine with it.. and may be an occasional game of tennis... of course I will play at least ONE match with my beloved friend ;-).... and may be more .,.. all depends on how I recover..
anyways.. that was the jist of what i got from my conv. with my doctor... for the time being for the next 5 weeks I am on Physical Therapy to start regaining strength !!!
Met with the doctor last week... had little good news and a lot of complicated words thrown at me... He said.. some of what I had done to my shoulder was acquired and some was congenital condition. Apparently the way my muscle development has taken place itself was amusing to him.. providing laxity (ability to move beyond normal) to me... there was some abrasion of bicep muscles which was induced by my working out / playing habbits but there were several other issues that he found but did not fix since it was "Natural" and he said.. he doesn't work on fixing what nature has created... well that and because of my age (he referred to as young) that things might heal in the course of time..
So he put two stitches in front and one at back of my shoulder tightening the shoulder ONLY... and said in 3-4 months I should be back to normal BUT.........
I would have to cut down on my playing because it was not a 100% solved problem.... he said if I had to get back to playing rigorous game that badly, I would have to wear a brace on my shoulder that would prevent my shoulder from going beyond what it should...
Oh well.. at this point I am like - if I am able to work out, stretch and do my routine chores without much trouble, I am fine with it.. and may be an occasional game of tennis... of course I will play at least ONE match with my beloved friend ;-).... and may be more .,.. all depends on how I recover..
anyways.. that was the jist of what i got from my conv. with my doctor... for the time being for the next 5 weeks I am on Physical Therapy to start regaining strength !!!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Hurray Hurray is what my right shoulder's saying!
:-)
So finally Thursday May 07, 2009.. was the big day.... that was when my right shoulder was operated on... I was awfully cool until and after the surgery from what my colleagues at work described + the docs and nurses at the hospital... actually i can confirm that since they kept checking my BP every once in a while and it was never super high.... I had requested for a later in the day operation so my roomie wouldn't have to take off but the doc had other plans - to finish of mine very first thing in the morning.. well he thought it was going to be simple... but i guess not... the operation went on prob for 2.5 hours and as usual i was knocked out for a bit longer on anasthesia after that... so i was in by 7 and out by 1 I guess... my right hand was numb for almost 12 hours after the surgery... slowly it started getting back its senses..
what should have been just 2 incisions on my shoulder ended up being 5... oops!! i guess thats the intensity with which i had messed up my shoulder... i faintly remember the doc showing me pics and saying i had messed up my bicep muscles too and he had to fix them too... oh well.. if i messed up, i better mess up big time rt!! and thats what i did... messed it up playing volleyball.. followed it with extreme weights... then back to playing... add to that no protein or mass... there you go.. perfect disaster recipe..
So finally here i am struggling to type with both hands.. although recovering pretty fast from my standards.. just experiencing pain at night.. am off for the day and hopefully get back to work from tomorrow.. getting used to do everything using my left hand... its actually not all that bad.. i improvise quickly... so now have 4 months to go before my arm regains most of its strength if not all..
but the verdict remains.... will know on thursday when i meet with the doc to know what exactly he did and what i did to my arm and what i can and cannot do..... tensed......
was the hurray too premature ?? we will see..
So finally Thursday May 07, 2009.. was the big day.... that was when my right shoulder was operated on... I was awfully cool until and after the surgery from what my colleagues at work described + the docs and nurses at the hospital... actually i can confirm that since they kept checking my BP every once in a while and it was never super high.... I had requested for a later in the day operation so my roomie wouldn't have to take off but the doc had other plans - to finish of mine very first thing in the morning.. well he thought it was going to be simple... but i guess not... the operation went on prob for 2.5 hours and as usual i was knocked out for a bit longer on anasthesia after that... so i was in by 7 and out by 1 I guess... my right hand was numb for almost 12 hours after the surgery... slowly it started getting back its senses..
what should have been just 2 incisions on my shoulder ended up being 5... oops!! i guess thats the intensity with which i had messed up my shoulder... i faintly remember the doc showing me pics and saying i had messed up my bicep muscles too and he had to fix them too... oh well.. if i messed up, i better mess up big time rt!! and thats what i did... messed it up playing volleyball.. followed it with extreme weights... then back to playing... add to that no protein or mass... there you go.. perfect disaster recipe..
So finally here i am struggling to type with both hands.. although recovering pretty fast from my standards.. just experiencing pain at night.. am off for the day and hopefully get back to work from tomorrow.. getting used to do everything using my left hand... its actually not all that bad.. i improvise quickly... so now have 4 months to go before my arm regains most of its strength if not all..
but the verdict remains.... will know on thursday when i meet with the doc to know what exactly he did and what i did to my arm and what i can and cannot do..... tensed......
was the hurray too premature ?? we will see..
Thursday, November 13, 2008
12B
My trip to my friend's place was almost symmetrical. I had to take two buses from my place to reach his. The first one was to Majestic (to which I happened to get 108B) and from there I had to take 12B to reach his place. The bus number brought back memories of the tamil movie 12B that me and my 4 other friends had gone to see back in Engineering days. Although I understood little of tamil back then, the movie was well rated and I could follow it by the sequence rather than by the dialogues. The movie was about the Hero trying to catch the bus 12B to go to an interview. The movie splits at the point he misses the bus - One part of the story shows what would have happened if he did catch the bus and the part if he didn't. The movie was pretty interesting and Shyam did a decent job. I think the heroine was Jyothika who is one of my favorites when it comes to acting. As I sat in the bus, I tried to recollect some moments of when we went to watch that movie. It was 5 of us - 3 guys and 2 gals. We could have been called as the Famous Five back then - but then as circumstances change, the group is no longer a group but we still keep in touch with each other directly or indirectly. 2 of us in the group couldn't understand tamil but still ended up watching the movie by force of the other 3 or 2 rather since one person hardly forces anyone to do anything. So coming back to this trip, I went to his place, met another 3 friends there, we played cricket in his room on second floor. It was fun playing cricket after a loooooooooong time as well as playing with them. We then went out for a walk in the dark (since there was no power), drank tender coconut and then went to Cane-O-La to drink Sugarcane juice. I was surprised to see the cleanliness they maintained in this little shop. It seems this is a new chain of stores that has come up recently providing quality sugar cane juice. There were even choices as in Salt-pepper, ginger, lemon, masala. We all had a glass and then they walked me to the bus stop to get back. All along we spoke of past, present and future and some rubbish too!.. As I waited at the bus stop, there it was again 12B taking me back to Majestic. The bus was pretty empty, took a seat towards the end of the bus, looking outside the window, I was thinking "How quickly time flies by...". I got down at majestic and 108B was ready to leave, hopped in. Midway the bus broke down because of jammed brakes. Waited for a few more minutes for another bus and reached home.. This was my 12B story, no second part to it....
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Back to Reality!
The last time I blogged - it said 11 more days to go... and now its already 1 day gone :-( after coming back! Got back after 3 awesome weeks back home... one of the best trips I have had in years (gone back about 6 times now). Almost everything went well, got to spend so much time with Parents (visited Coorg, Mysore with them), got to spend time with friends, got to spend time at home.. and best of all didn't get sick at all which helped throughout. Guess I was sick enough before going home..
Well, coming back was even more difficult this time - for once, I didn't have one bit of a mood to come back. I had all my necessary documents to stay back - all that was left behind was material possessions which I could have let go anyway, but thats not whats in store for now I guess :(.. Add to this, mood back here wasn't that good either.. I get into the cab from the airport and check my voicemail - the first one is from my boss, saying not to get worried when I get in next morning since 20 ppl got laid off! oh well how unlucky ME - I am not one of them.. on the contrary - more work for me because others are leaving :(... If I should go by the latest book I read "God Does Not Play Dice" - this is the way it should happen and I should not think of alternatives happening, if I should go by my horoscope which I happened to read a bit while I was in India - I would not be able to settle back home for the time being; I would be travelling or staying away from home is what that said, If I should go by my own decision - even then I will have to wait here until next August (which is when my parents would be heading back after their trip here). So like it or not, atleast for the next 8-10 months, I am stuck here in this challenging economy with still a job on hand... oh well, i will tell myself if I get through this, I would have learnt something more in life
It was a dream for last 3 weeks, waking up to coffee and nice South Indian breakfast (Idli, Dose, Avalakki, sometimes obbattu), great weather, watch cricket match for a few hours, head out for sometime, come back for awesome adige (see kootu, saaru, pongal, all types of huli, etc).. please note - these are a daily thing and nothing specially cooked because I was there.. and now the first day I get back, I had to settle for Bagel, somehow forced myself to cook some cabbage sabzi for dinner at night.
Ok, enough of feeling bad that I am back, let me just tell myself - all's for good and get on with life.. woke up at 4:30 since I went to bed at 9 - didn't know what to do so wrote this, found a couple friends from India to share my feelings..
My next few blogs will be about some of the trips I made in India and in Bengaluru!
Well, coming back was even more difficult this time - for once, I didn't have one bit of a mood to come back. I had all my necessary documents to stay back - all that was left behind was material possessions which I could have let go anyway, but thats not whats in store for now I guess :(.. Add to this, mood back here wasn't that good either.. I get into the cab from the airport and check my voicemail - the first one is from my boss, saying not to get worried when I get in next morning since 20 ppl got laid off! oh well how unlucky ME - I am not one of them.. on the contrary - more work for me because others are leaving :(... If I should go by the latest book I read "God Does Not Play Dice" - this is the way it should happen and I should not think of alternatives happening, if I should go by my horoscope which I happened to read a bit while I was in India - I would not be able to settle back home for the time being; I would be travelling or staying away from home is what that said, If I should go by my own decision - even then I will have to wait here until next August (which is when my parents would be heading back after their trip here). So like it or not, atleast for the next 8-10 months, I am stuck here in this challenging economy with still a job on hand... oh well, i will tell myself if I get through this, I would have learnt something more in life
It was a dream for last 3 weeks, waking up to coffee and nice South Indian breakfast (Idli, Dose, Avalakki, sometimes obbattu), great weather, watch cricket match for a few hours, head out for sometime, come back for awesome adige (see kootu, saaru, pongal, all types of huli, etc).. please note - these are a daily thing and nothing specially cooked because I was there.. and now the first day I get back, I had to settle for Bagel, somehow forced myself to cook some cabbage sabzi for dinner at night.
Ok, enough of feeling bad that I am back, let me just tell myself - all's for good and get on with life.. woke up at 4:30 since I went to bed at 9 - didn't know what to do so wrote this, found a couple friends from India to share my feelings..
My next few blogs will be about some of the trips I made in India and in Bengaluru!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Seems like I've been waiting for ever...
11 more days to go....
The other day I realized this has been the longest period that I have ever stayed here in US. The first time I visited it was just a year and 3 months and then I went back every year. But the last time I visited it was in Feb '07. Its now 1 year and 8 months! phew! plus I guess the fact that I have not been well for the last few weeks makes it even worse. Especially the sick days - when mama used to cook just the right food to get you back on track ASAP. Having to cook myself with no appetite is like frying peanuts and no teeth to eat! I was telling myself that this is a kind of wake up call. When everything was going well, you have a speed breaker to make you realize where you are and what you are doing. Although my intention still is to head back by next year end (provided mom dad visit me in the spring'09), life's not so easily plannable when you start commiting yourself to a lot of things. I have to say this lifestyle gives anyone ample opportunity to fulfil their dreams. I can't imagine doing all these: entrepreneurial ventures, running, reading, watching movies, attending concerts, learning guitar, stress free work, travel, enjoying good health and more in India without difficulty. As for what I have understood from my friends' views, life's a lot more challenging back home than here. Especially work-life balance is a lot harder back home in the current situation. What I miss here is friends, just walking in the neighborhood, running into someone, visiting temple, eat outs, good home cooked food, festivals, delicacies. If one can get adjusted to the food habbits here then its a little better. But with me turning to complete vegetarian food - my choices are limited to tasteless indian restaurants, italian pizza, mexican tacos, american veggie burger, pasta or salad. Go a full circle and you will come back to saying whatever I cook is better than everything else and when you get bored, you have the above to choose from.
So is it going to be sacrifice what I miss in India for the benefits here? or just don't think too much and head back? Well not everything is rosy in India either but again.. no place is perfect .. you just have to see what you desire more? Add to all this, I got a bad news that my colleague's (Indian) father died over the weekend. He was sick and my friend was to leave to India on Saturday. Poor guy - I don't think he made it in time.
I don't know if things would have been different had my parents visited me this year - probably I would have been looking for job openings right now. With the job cuts globally, I am not even sure if I will find a decent job back home. Well its another thing that I want one (would love to start something on my own and slog at it rather than have financial security and no satisfaction). But that can delay any wedding/settling plans quite a bit - again depends..
My 3 week trip is going to feel so short since my first week is already booked with domestic trips. I am planning another domestic trip 1st week of Nov which is essentially the end of my trip. Before long its going to be Christmas and another year gone and I am going to be back to the daily grind to begin accumulating holidays for the next vacation!
Hopefully, I can brainstorm this vacation to see if I find my calling to some project in India...
The Countdown begins tomorrow!
The other day I realized this has been the longest period that I have ever stayed here in US. The first time I visited it was just a year and 3 months and then I went back every year. But the last time I visited it was in Feb '07. Its now 1 year and 8 months! phew! plus I guess the fact that I have not been well for the last few weeks makes it even worse. Especially the sick days - when mama used to cook just the right food to get you back on track ASAP. Having to cook myself with no appetite is like frying peanuts and no teeth to eat! I was telling myself that this is a kind of wake up call. When everything was going well, you have a speed breaker to make you realize where you are and what you are doing. Although my intention still is to head back by next year end (provided mom dad visit me in the spring'09), life's not so easily plannable when you start commiting yourself to a lot of things. I have to say this lifestyle gives anyone ample opportunity to fulfil their dreams. I can't imagine doing all these: entrepreneurial ventures, running, reading, watching movies, attending concerts, learning guitar, stress free work, travel, enjoying good health and more in India without difficulty. As for what I have understood from my friends' views, life's a lot more challenging back home than here. Especially work-life balance is a lot harder back home in the current situation. What I miss here is friends, just walking in the neighborhood, running into someone, visiting temple, eat outs, good home cooked food, festivals, delicacies. If one can get adjusted to the food habbits here then its a little better. But with me turning to complete vegetarian food - my choices are limited to tasteless indian restaurants, italian pizza, mexican tacos, american veggie burger, pasta or salad. Go a full circle and you will come back to saying whatever I cook is better than everything else and when you get bored, you have the above to choose from.
So is it going to be sacrifice what I miss in India for the benefits here? or just don't think too much and head back? Well not everything is rosy in India either but again.. no place is perfect .. you just have to see what you desire more? Add to all this, I got a bad news that my colleague's (Indian) father died over the weekend. He was sick and my friend was to leave to India on Saturday. Poor guy - I don't think he made it in time.
I don't know if things would have been different had my parents visited me this year - probably I would have been looking for job openings right now. With the job cuts globally, I am not even sure if I will find a decent job back home. Well its another thing that I want one (would love to start something on my own and slog at it rather than have financial security and no satisfaction). But that can delay any wedding/settling plans quite a bit - again depends..
My 3 week trip is going to feel so short since my first week is already booked with domestic trips. I am planning another domestic trip 1st week of Nov which is essentially the end of my trip. Before long its going to be Christmas and another year gone and I am going to be back to the daily grind to begin accumulating holidays for the next vacation!
Hopefully, I can brainstorm this vacation to see if I find my calling to some project in India...
The Countdown begins tomorrow!
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