Am at a place where Internet connectivity for personal purposes is limited, inspire of that the thinking is unlimited. Lot of thoughts going on inside the head. Questions like definition of wrong... Difference between seeing and staring... And a few more are there to be answered.
Will be back to posting really soon...
Monday, June 27, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The Train Journey...
This one is a recent experience and I have to discuss in detail to make the point, its going to be a long post and please take time to read it completely.We were recently travelling by train. We had taken the ordinary class tickets. Ordinary class compartments are always reserved and people without a valid ticket are not allowed to enter those compartments. As a standard security procedure, 2 armed RPF (Railway Police Force) officials travel in these compartments.
We took the midnight train, and it so happened that our compartment was not covered by the RPF. The train departed at the scheduled time of 12 midnight. As we reached the next station at about 1o'clock, a mob of about 150 people suddenly barged into our compartment with luggage and all. There were men, women, children and old men and women in the group and all came barging into the compartment. Some of them were even drunk, they started sitting on our reserved berths.
Since there was no RPF in that compartment, there was nobody to stop them. Of course, the lone ticket examiner was no match for a mob of 150+ strong uneducated, rogue looking crowd.
The normal capacity of a reserved compartment is 72 passengers. Obviously, all the passengers started cribbing and complaining about what was going on. As the Ticket examiner was coming to check our tickets, I could hear the amount of shouting and firing he was getting from the other passengers for not being able to control the crowd. I was feeling bad for the person because I understood that if he tries to mess with any of these "invaders", he will be beaten to pulp.
When he came to check for my ticket, I told him exactly this "I understand that you are going through a lot of difficulty due to this situation, I know you can't do anything about it since you are one person and these are 150+ people, so I know its no point shouting at you and being rude to you, but, I can't give you my ticket for checking. I do hold a valid ticket, but I will not give it for checking unless this crowd is cleared from the compartment."
Believe me, the look he had on his face was as if he was looking at an alien from another planet or an escapee from a mental asylum. I'm sure he was thinking "Where on earth did this guy get such an idea?"
I went on to say - "With so many people travelling in the compartment without ticket, it makes no sense at all for you to check my tickets. I'm travelling with family and baggage, and I definitely don't feel safe with a drunkard without ticket standing right next to me." All this while, I didn't speak one wrong word, no angry words and had a constant smile on my face.
The ticket examiner didn't know how to respond - I was not being angry, not being rude, I was actually speaking to him nicely and had still taken a standpoint. He also felt comfortable talking to me and explained the situation to me.
Apparently, he had requested for armed backup at the previous station and not received the same.
I told him, that if the crowd is not vacated at the next station, I will pull the emergency brakes chain and not allow the train to move forward.He actually told me to go ahead and do it.
At the next station, I did what I had promised, I pulled the chain. Everytime the train started moving, I would pull the chain and it would come to a halt. Meanwhile, he would try to arrange for RPF at the station. This went on for quite some time but they were not able to arrange for armed backup.
While I was pulling the chain, a few guys from the crowd started looking at me, passing comments in the local language (thinking that I didn't know the local language), glaring at me in the face, some of them started speaking rudely to me.
All this while, my only response was to keep smiling even with them. Even they were actually confused because I was not talking or fighting with any of them.
One person decided to pick a fight with me and asked what the hell I was trying to do, just then the ticket examiner came, I told him that a person was trying to pick a fight with me and the ticker examiner fired him. Again, not a word spoken from my side directly with these guys.
I had delayed the train by more than 45 minutes and still the RPF did not arrive when the engine crew decided to override the emergency brakes and the train moved on.
Again, on seeing that the chain was not working, I started laughing with my copassengers. Again this whole crowd was confused, because something I tried had failed. I was supposed to be upsed and they were supposed to laugh, but instead, I was the one laughing.
Surprisingly, at the next station, 2 armed RPF personnel boarded the compartment, and used brute force to literally kick out all the unreserved passengers out of the compartment and on the platform.
By the time things were cleared, it was already 4o'clock in the morning.
When all was settled, I myself went to the Ticket examiner and gave him my ticket for checking. Again he gave me a look which I didn't quite understand. Probably, he meant to ask "What on earth are you"
Quite a few realisations and lessons I picked up from this journey:
1. Its no point fighting with someone who doesn't have anything to lose. I could have easily lost my temper and picked up a fight with those guys, but the fact is that I didn't stand a chance even if just 3 of them decided to get physical.
2. Its no point blaming a person who is already facing problems well beyond his reach. Nobody likes to listen to his / her own problems over and over again.
3. Use the system - I understood the system in place and used it to my advantage.
4. Keep smiling - Of all the tough situations I have been in, I have learned one important lesson, people don't know how to handle a smile. Especially in a heated situation, they definitely don't know how to handle the situation if the other person starts smiling instead of fighting.
5. Last and the biggest lesson - Gandhigiri works. It totally absolutely works in real life, but if one is not brave enough, it can scare the life out of the one trying to use it. I was definitely scared about the prospects of one of the guys deciding to come back and take a revenge on me. I didn't really sleep for the rest of the journey because of the fear. But, at the end of the day, I'm happy that I was able to take a standpoint against wrongdoers and stick to it without losing my temper.
Result... The remaining journey was peaceful for the entire compartment including my people, and I discovered a strength about myself.
We took the midnight train, and it so happened that our compartment was not covered by the RPF. The train departed at the scheduled time of 12 midnight. As we reached the next station at about 1o'clock, a mob of about 150 people suddenly barged into our compartment with luggage and all. There were men, women, children and old men and women in the group and all came barging into the compartment. Some of them were even drunk, they started sitting on our reserved berths.
Since there was no RPF in that compartment, there was nobody to stop them. Of course, the lone ticket examiner was no match for a mob of 150+ strong uneducated, rogue looking crowd.
The normal capacity of a reserved compartment is 72 passengers. Obviously, all the passengers started cribbing and complaining about what was going on. As the Ticket examiner was coming to check our tickets, I could hear the amount of shouting and firing he was getting from the other passengers for not being able to control the crowd. I was feeling bad for the person because I understood that if he tries to mess with any of these "invaders", he will be beaten to pulp.
When he came to check for my ticket, I told him exactly this "I understand that you are going through a lot of difficulty due to this situation, I know you can't do anything about it since you are one person and these are 150+ people, so I know its no point shouting at you and being rude to you, but, I can't give you my ticket for checking. I do hold a valid ticket, but I will not give it for checking unless this crowd is cleared from the compartment."
Believe me, the look he had on his face was as if he was looking at an alien from another planet or an escapee from a mental asylum. I'm sure he was thinking "Where on earth did this guy get such an idea?"
I went on to say - "With so many people travelling in the compartment without ticket, it makes no sense at all for you to check my tickets. I'm travelling with family and baggage, and I definitely don't feel safe with a drunkard without ticket standing right next to me." All this while, I didn't speak one wrong word, no angry words and had a constant smile on my face.
The ticket examiner didn't know how to respond - I was not being angry, not being rude, I was actually speaking to him nicely and had still taken a standpoint. He also felt comfortable talking to me and explained the situation to me.
Apparently, he had requested for armed backup at the previous station and not received the same.
I told him, that if the crowd is not vacated at the next station, I will pull the emergency brakes chain and not allow the train to move forward.He actually told me to go ahead and do it.
At the next station, I did what I had promised, I pulled the chain. Everytime the train started moving, I would pull the chain and it would come to a halt. Meanwhile, he would try to arrange for RPF at the station. This went on for quite some time but they were not able to arrange for armed backup.
While I was pulling the chain, a few guys from the crowd started looking at me, passing comments in the local language (thinking that I didn't know the local language), glaring at me in the face, some of them started speaking rudely to me.
All this while, my only response was to keep smiling even with them. Even they were actually confused because I was not talking or fighting with any of them.
One person decided to pick a fight with me and asked what the hell I was trying to do, just then the ticket examiner came, I told him that a person was trying to pick a fight with me and the ticker examiner fired him. Again, not a word spoken from my side directly with these guys.
I had delayed the train by more than 45 minutes and still the RPF did not arrive when the engine crew decided to override the emergency brakes and the train moved on.
Again, on seeing that the chain was not working, I started laughing with my copassengers. Again this whole crowd was confused, because something I tried had failed. I was supposed to be upsed and they were supposed to laugh, but instead, I was the one laughing.
Surprisingly, at the next station, 2 armed RPF personnel boarded the compartment, and used brute force to literally kick out all the unreserved passengers out of the compartment and on the platform.
By the time things were cleared, it was already 4o'clock in the morning.
When all was settled, I myself went to the Ticket examiner and gave him my ticket for checking. Again he gave me a look which I didn't quite understand. Probably, he meant to ask "What on earth are you"
Quite a few realisations and lessons I picked up from this journey:
1. Its no point fighting with someone who doesn't have anything to lose. I could have easily lost my temper and picked up a fight with those guys, but the fact is that I didn't stand a chance even if just 3 of them decided to get physical.
2. Its no point blaming a person who is already facing problems well beyond his reach. Nobody likes to listen to his / her own problems over and over again.
3. Use the system - I understood the system in place and used it to my advantage.
4. Keep smiling - Of all the tough situations I have been in, I have learned one important lesson, people don't know how to handle a smile. Especially in a heated situation, they definitely don't know how to handle the situation if the other person starts smiling instead of fighting.
5. Last and the biggest lesson - Gandhigiri works. It totally absolutely works in real life, but if one is not brave enough, it can scare the life out of the one trying to use it. I was definitely scared about the prospects of one of the guys deciding to come back and take a revenge on me. I didn't really sleep for the rest of the journey because of the fear. But, at the end of the day, I'm happy that I was able to take a standpoint against wrongdoers and stick to it without losing my temper.
Result... The remaining journey was peaceful for the entire compartment including my people, and I discovered a strength about myself.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Lessons from Kungfu Panda 2
I've been it itching to write this post for a week, but had to restrain myself because I didn't want to spoil it for those who haven't watched the movie.
Went to watch Kungfu Panda 2 last Sunday and got blown away with it. Normally, when I go to watch a movie, I switch off my brains and leave them back home. That's the reason I'm able to enjoy any movie I watch. But even with my brains switched off, I was able to pick up so many lessons that I actually got a doubt whether this movie is actually made for kids?
I'll probably watch this movie again just to make sure I didn't miss anything.
Please be warned, what I'm discussing in this post might give away important plot points and spoil your experience if you have not watched the movie already. Then again, you can always go prepared to experience the movie even better.
Here we go...
Bang... Lesson 1 - Things are not always what they seem to be...
In the very start of the movie, they show two kids talking outside the training place of Po (our hero, the panda), they hear some sounds and they think the great dragon warrior is practicing his Kung Fu. Turns out that Po was holding an eating competition with his friends which was causing all these sounds...
Things are not always what they seem. I will only accept a fact if what I HEAR agrees with what I SEE...
Bang... Lesson 2 - Faith... Trust in your team...
The valley was attacked by wolves and Po and his Kung Fu friends were asked to go to the rescue. They come running jumping across valleys and jumping from cliffs. Every time the whole team jumps, even Po jumps, only issue is that he doesnt know how to land, every time he jumps, crane (one of the team members) catches Po just inches above the ground and lands him safely, and Po actually does it with so much of style and confidence. All the other friends are Kung Fu masters and obviously making impossible jumps and leaps from clifftops is absolutely easy for them. But given his size, Po cannot do any of that, none the less he jumps in the faith that his team will land him to safety.
Bang... Lesson 3 - Drop Desperation
In the movie, something will be bothering Po a lot. Earlier, his master told him that nothing is impossible for the one who has found peace within. Now, while struggling with his problems, Po is desperately looking for peace and gets really really desperate. But he doesn't find it. Somewhere in the later part of the movie, when he is lost in past memories and not thinking of peace, he finds it... The Peace within. Very true what my teacher has taught me - that which I want desperately may not be denied but will definitely be delayed. I should drop desperation, everything has it's time.
Bang... Lesson 4 - My communication is not complete unless it has reached the other person.
After almost getting killed, Po miraculously recovers and comes back to fight the villain, Po is standing at the top of the tower and challenging the villain telling that his end is near, the only problem is that the tower is too far away and his voice is not loud enough. So the villain cannot hear a thing, obviously he doesn't feel scared and starts firing at Po. All Po's communication gets wasted just because it did not reach the other person.
Bang... Lesson 5 - I will know the ability of my tools before using them...
After shouting from the tower, Po takes off his hat and throws it at the villain. The hat was never designed for this purpose, so it floats in the air and falls harmlessly near the tower without travelling any distance at all...
Bang... Lesson 6 - I will grow so much that my teacher should admire me...
Towards the end of the movie, Po will do some amazing stuff which is possible only after finding the inner peace. In the climax scene, Po's master will come and say this to Po - looks like you have found inner peace, (frowning) at such a young age... This really shows that the master was impressed with Po and was infact shocked to some extent that Po was able to do it at such a young age while it took the master himself so many years and a very very painful experience to find inner peace (watch the movie to know what that experience was).
Bang... Lesson 7 - I should always understand the size the problem before taking it head on...
In the movie, this leader and Kung Fu master "Master Rhino" will be challenged by the villain and his mysterious weapon. Master Rhino has never seen the mysterious weapon before and tries to fight with his own weapon of expertise - his hammer. The result, he gets killed before he knows what happened.
So many times we make promises, give estimates, commit deadlines without fully analyzing the factors involved. I think we need to learn a lesson or two from Master Rhino.
Bang... Lesson 8 - I will use what resources I have in the right way...
The movie revolves around a weapon which has been designed to destroy Kung Fu. Po's master tells him that Po and his team have to stop the weapon and the only weapon they have is Kung Fu. At this point Po asks - "How can I use Kung Fu to stop something that is supposed to stop Kung Fu". The master tells him that the answer is in finding inner peace.
Personally, I'm not very highly evolved and it might be long before I find my inner peace, but what I do understand is that it did not matter whether Po had a bigger, more powerful weapon or not, what mattered was how he used the one weapon he had, that is Kung Fu.
Bang... Lesson 9 - I should never forget my beginning and my family...
Towards the climax, Po goes back to his father's place and spends quality time cooking with his father like he used to before he became the Dragon Warrior. If Dragon Warrior can go back and cook in his own kitchen with his family, you and I are just CAs, CEOs and CFOs.
Went to watch Kungfu Panda 2 last Sunday and got blown away with it. Normally, when I go to watch a movie, I switch off my brains and leave them back home. That's the reason I'm able to enjoy any movie I watch. But even with my brains switched off, I was able to pick up so many lessons that I actually got a doubt whether this movie is actually made for kids?
I'll probably watch this movie again just to make sure I didn't miss anything.
Please be warned, what I'm discussing in this post might give away important plot points and spoil your experience if you have not watched the movie already. Then again, you can always go prepared to experience the movie even better.
Here we go...
Bang... Lesson 1 - Things are not always what they seem to be...
In the very start of the movie, they show two kids talking outside the training place of Po (our hero, the panda), they hear some sounds and they think the great dragon warrior is practicing his Kung Fu. Turns out that Po was holding an eating competition with his friends which was causing all these sounds...
Things are not always what they seem. I will only accept a fact if what I HEAR agrees with what I SEE...
Bang... Lesson 2 - Faith... Trust in your team...
The valley was attacked by wolves and Po and his Kung Fu friends were asked to go to the rescue. They come running jumping across valleys and jumping from cliffs. Every time the whole team jumps, even Po jumps, only issue is that he doesnt know how to land, every time he jumps, crane (one of the team members) catches Po just inches above the ground and lands him safely, and Po actually does it with so much of style and confidence. All the other friends are Kung Fu masters and obviously making impossible jumps and leaps from clifftops is absolutely easy for them. But given his size, Po cannot do any of that, none the less he jumps in the faith that his team will land him to safety.
Bang... Lesson 3 - Drop Desperation
In the movie, something will be bothering Po a lot. Earlier, his master told him that nothing is impossible for the one who has found peace within. Now, while struggling with his problems, Po is desperately looking for peace and gets really really desperate. But he doesn't find it. Somewhere in the later part of the movie, when he is lost in past memories and not thinking of peace, he finds it... The Peace within. Very true what my teacher has taught me - that which I want desperately may not be denied but will definitely be delayed. I should drop desperation, everything has it's time.
Bang... Lesson 4 - My communication is not complete unless it has reached the other person.
After almost getting killed, Po miraculously recovers and comes back to fight the villain, Po is standing at the top of the tower and challenging the villain telling that his end is near, the only problem is that the tower is too far away and his voice is not loud enough. So the villain cannot hear a thing, obviously he doesn't feel scared and starts firing at Po. All Po's communication gets wasted just because it did not reach the other person.
Bang... Lesson 5 - I will know the ability of my tools before using them...
After shouting from the tower, Po takes off his hat and throws it at the villain. The hat was never designed for this purpose, so it floats in the air and falls harmlessly near the tower without travelling any distance at all...
Bang... Lesson 6 - I will grow so much that my teacher should admire me...
Towards the end of the movie, Po will do some amazing stuff which is possible only after finding the inner peace. In the climax scene, Po's master will come and say this to Po - looks like you have found inner peace, (frowning) at such a young age... This really shows that the master was impressed with Po and was infact shocked to some extent that Po was able to do it at such a young age while it took the master himself so many years and a very very painful experience to find inner peace (watch the movie to know what that experience was).
Bang... Lesson 7 - I should always understand the size the problem before taking it head on...
In the movie, this leader and Kung Fu master "Master Rhino" will be challenged by the villain and his mysterious weapon. Master Rhino has never seen the mysterious weapon before and tries to fight with his own weapon of expertise - his hammer. The result, he gets killed before he knows what happened.
So many times we make promises, give estimates, commit deadlines without fully analyzing the factors involved. I think we need to learn a lesson or two from Master Rhino.
Bang... Lesson 8 - I will use what resources I have in the right way...
The movie revolves around a weapon which has been designed to destroy Kung Fu. Po's master tells him that Po and his team have to stop the weapon and the only weapon they have is Kung Fu. At this point Po asks - "How can I use Kung Fu to stop something that is supposed to stop Kung Fu". The master tells him that the answer is in finding inner peace.
Personally, I'm not very highly evolved and it might be long before I find my inner peace, but what I do understand is that it did not matter whether Po had a bigger, more powerful weapon or not, what mattered was how he used the one weapon he had, that is Kung Fu.
Bang... Lesson 9 - I should never forget my beginning and my family...
Towards the climax, Po goes back to his father's place and spends quality time cooking with his father like he used to before he became the Dragon Warrior. If Dragon Warrior can go back and cook in his own kitchen with his family, you and I are just CAs, CEOs and CFOs.
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