Kallappa

Staring at the screen

2008-10-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

I am staring at the screen and i don't know what to do.

2008-09-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

Foreword

Its 3Am and i lay in my bed sleepless. I have been trying too hard for last 2 hours catch some sleep so that i can be up in time for the early morning flight i need to catch for Mumbai. I finally got restless & knowing not what to do i did the most obvious thing: switch on my computer once again which i had shutdown two hours ago after customarily checking my orkut profile & gmail for any traces of mail or messages that i might have received from poor restless souls like me across the globe.

It was a thought that was eating me for last 5 days; the thought occurred to me when i was flipping through the pictures of my school time on a friends profile as to how the bunch of small kids bound together by destiny for 7 years had transformed themselves into successful & seasoned professionals through the last 8 years since we left school.

Yes the time flies fast and how 15 seasons have passed no one can guess but i share a firm belief that, put the same set of 110 students who joined sainik school Bijapur on 2nd, 3rd & 19th July 1993 now in 2008 and they will all be the same; Set of chubby kids in which many of whom learnt to speak the first letters of English only after they entered this school. From the village bumpkins who were assembled in the conference hall of SSBJ through a tough entrance exam & selection interview (how we prepared for selection & exam is a different story altogether) to fine groomed young men (yes thats what we liked to call ourselves at 17 when we passed school) the transformation had begun on the fateful day of 2nd april 2000 when we crossed the gates of SSBJ one last time as the students only to return as alumni who can only try and relive the memories.

Its funny to see how memories begin to fade so early in life. Although i am in the prime of my youth i struggle to recall the entire stay at SSBJ and barely recollect & re construct my childhood.

It is because of this thought that i should not let go of these memories that i have decided to pen down those glorious 7 years of our lives. I dont think i can do complete justice it but will nevertheless try and our it in a form of a story that any of the Ajeet (students of SSBJ: Sainik School Bijapur call themself as Ajeets) can easily relate to. Its not a story of any particular individual(s) but the protagonists of this story is a mix and match of many a characters that enlivened the atmosphere.

All the characters in this story will be original and not a figment of imagination. Yes certain amount of creative liberty will be at use.

PURA a dream too far?

2008-06-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

I have so far abstained form writing about public issues on this blog but however i am going to break this self imposed barricade and make an effort to look into the issues that is very close to my heart. The issue is of providing basic civic amenities not just to the rural folks but mor importantly to a very large chucnk of society that is neglected but today is growing at an alarming rate:- The URBAN POOR.
Increasing development has lead to people from villages migrating from villages to the ever expanding cities/towns. The rate of influx of these people has over shot the rate at which investments are being made to improve the civic infrastructues.

The reason i am writing this post is that i recently was in my home town for about 10 days during which i got an opportunity to walk around the city, explore all the neighbourhoods & speak to the residents so as to understand the problems that they face. The needs came across almost similar across localities.

The need for proper housing, drainage & lighting seem to be on top priority on every one's mind. Rains play havoc in the lives of these people as their houses are washed away and they are staranded without any help. This is mainly due to the lack of pukka housing & proper drainage system; more importantly - improper city planning. Agreed that most of the structures are illegal settlements/encrochments, the growing cities have just forced them to build tentative settlements.

The governments down south have come up with very good housing schemes for urban poor under the Ashraya Scheme, but alas the implementation gets very slow een with the availability of funds as the real estate prices have gone through the roof & no body is willing to sell it to the government as it would mean selling land at the existing government valued rates(rates that are always undercoated so as to evade stamp duty during transaction & muncipal taxes) which is less than the market rates. So the land owner delines to sell the land to goverment authorites. In that sense the program is postponed to the next yer

To Be or not to Be

2008-05-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

Its been 4 months since i have taken over my role as as Area Sales Manager and i dont even realise how time has flew. However the last 30 days have brought back things the ideals that i cherished and wanted to practice in sales. These things that i always wanted to had somehow begun to disappear. Is it because i was getting caught in the perpetual web of number chasing without even taking a moment back to understand if the things that i am doing to achieve my targets is right. Or to put it simply, if it were my business would i be as lenient as i am now.

If there are certain things are to be done in some way then thats the way it should be. Howeve i somewhere begun to feel that being in the system i needed to adapt myself. But had i failed to understand that "I WAS THE SYSTEM" and system would be the way i drive it. Agreed that there is a legacy that is built in, but its always my repsonbility now to relook at things that are being done. Having a respect and thinking that being new in the system i had to learn the trics of the trade, i forgot that i dont have to wait inordinately long.

But alas, i had a eureka moment after my review, as to how i had begun to change myself in the last 4 months despite being unwilling to do these thinsg. I was wondering how can i sales when it is so big & mighty; but i forgot that " Why should sales change me?" Am i wrong or the ideals that i hold about it are wrong. When i was made to realise that the beliefs that i hold about sales are right, i need to go ahead and implenet them. I realised that we are all working towards it and what was missing was the speed of execution.

Its been a good month thereafter as i have begun chasing my ideals which do match with the things that my company wants me to. Wow i must tell you, i am having a ball doing the work. The kind of energy that it has brought in me is tremendous.

However, what i have also realised is that to change a system or a particular way of working is very difficult. To change mindsets is a crazy task. One is met with so many obstacles. But i ask myself if i am ready to take on that challenge? Am i willing to take the pain and set things right. Am i ready to do the right things? This is what i had been debating over the last full week.

But after my initial forays in changing attitudes, i have realised that, i might not be able to change everything, but atleast i an influence thinsg to some extent & make a difference. In the process, the good people in the system will benift & the ones who are not in the system will loose out.

Long time no see

2007-09-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

Lots of water has flown down the subarnarekha river(Jamshedpur is on the banks of this river) and along with it has time which i think was where i spent one of the most crucial years of my academic life. Its been almost 6 months that i have finished my MBA and graduated from XLRI Jamshedpur. I have since then moved on in life (have I?) to join the big world of Corporates. Wheather its good or bad as they say is still to be decided.

Life has taken a different but a curious turn after i finished my MBA. With all the tensions of moving from one exam to another where each exam decided where i stand in the college / academic hierarchy which ultimately (so did they say) would determine my future life (does it mean the job i take up?) gone i have moved onto a field where i get a good salary at the end of each month and my parents do not have to worry as to how their son would perform in the next year or what would happen to his future.

They are quite happy with the fact that their son's hard work through his academic life has paid good dividends as he is now well settled in a job.

But the point i wish to explore here is not about my past and certainly not the future but about the most neglected part of our lives "PRESENT".

Of what i have experienced in the last 25 years of my life is that we always run and think about mostly whats happened in our past and worrying about the future. Seldom we realize that in the process we are loosing that time where we can make a difference to our future. Because it is these actions that we take in the present that determine our future past & the future future.

It was not easy for me to do this specially after coming out of the humdrum of school/college life. It was all very difficult. It would be something that each one of us experience and long for once we finish our college days. When i did my MBA and then joined Cadbury's in their Sales & Mktg dept

What did our School teach US?

2006-08-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

We all sing kudos to our almamter standing here among the group of friends who go a long way back in our existance. We cherish the days we spent in the school, in our barracks, in our houses. The cross country races that we ran, remembering the blocks which we belonged to. Its a place where we still remember each others roll numbers and the personality of a student depends on the house he belonged to.

But i would like to take some time here and reflect on what is that Sainik School Bijapur really taught us? Was that the CBSE level education? Was it playing sports? Was it swimming, horse riding, debating quizzing or what is it? What is the learnings that binds us together, what makes us different from others in the society?

1. Entrance Exam
Situated in an area where quality education was absent and unaffordable to most of us, SSBJ's entrance examination and the subsequent selection process gave us the confidence that we can crack competative examinations. So the victory was not in cracking the exam in itself but the SELF-Confidence that this process gave us has i think taken all of us this far in our life for all of us have faced multiple exams after this but with a confidence that we can crack it.

Moments of Happiness

2006-07-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

When did i make my family feel proud of me?

I believe every time i do something good they feel proud of me...thats typical parents for you. But its more important for oneself to feel for events where he thought he has made his family take pride in him..

Let me recollect a few such instances...but before that a brief background

I come from a family where business ruled supreme & education was the last priority till my mom entered the family, i.e. when dad got married..It was mom who was a rank student who decided that her kids would not be mediocres in life. She wanted the best possible education for her kids. How we were educated is another story....

1. Getting selected to Sainik School

An absent minded person in the office of sainik school broke our hearts when he announced that i wasnt on the merit list of the entrance exam (My roll No: 136). I was heart broken. Next morning i wake up to my dad's hand thrusting a piece of newspaper infront of my eyes. He was exited and i was in a bad mood wondering what got him so exited. He pointed to no 136 in a timy box and the heading of which read "Sainik School Bijapur - Merit List", I rub my eyes and look again. It was indeed 136.

I jumped out of my bed and asked for mom...he said she's gone to the teacher's house in the next compund, i run and jump the compund wall unmindful of the height exited and over the moon...my dad runs behind me..Its 6.30 in the morning and a bit misty. Couldnt wait till 9 when the office opened so we decide to drive to bijapur which is 108 kms from badami so that we could cross verify the result.

We reach Bijapur at 9.30 when the peon had just opened the door of office and the superintendent hadnt yet come...i enquire with anticipation about the reslut and he points me to the board where they had put up the results. 136 was 14th in the order of merit. My joy new no bounds but i still wanted to hear from the office. he arrives majestcally at 10 and i pounce on him about the result and explaining him the turn of events....he is hit by the mistake he had done. He was apologetic about the mistake and we all had a hearty laugh...

Heres what had happened - there was another person of the same name who hadnt quaified but had a roll no less than me...my roll no was 136 and his around 60.

Thus begun a long journey away from home on my own in search of destinations that would bring me & my family happiness.

2. Campus placement - TCS my first love

IT was going through some really lean period in 2003 and we were all wondering about our decisions to take up IT engineering. we had seen our dollar dreams come crashing the previous years as our seniors struggled to get placed. It was announced that TCS would be the first company on campus to requirt the 2004 batch of engineers.

We had just finished our 6th sem exams and were all geared up for what could be the defining moment of our engineering careers. I went out on 1st sept to buy new pair of clothes for the interview on 2nd sept.

TCS came and started the process late by 5 hours. Not a good sign as the company representatives were miffed by the arrangements. They told us why TCS is th ebest place for us to be.... But all us were waiting for th eone slide ..... "Package".

"2.3 Lakhs", the HR manager announced. There began whispers around the room. Rs.20000 a month, 650 rs a day....Not bad i said to myself. I could buy pizza everyday i thought if i get into this company. Then there were those insignificant things like the selection procedures etc etc. I just couldnt wait to lay my hands on the job. My hands were itching.

Finished the written round on the first day and cleared it. Interviews were to be held the next day. I go back home to a caring mother (dad was at badami), who makes sure that i had good sleep so that i can be fresh the next day. Mom - you are the best. Next day i wake up
only to find that i did not have a matching tie and it was already 9. Interviews starting in 30 min. Mom offers to buy me a tie by herself while i was at college waiting for my turn. Mera number aaya, lekin late aaya at 5.30 in the evening.

The interviewers during the course of the interview offered me biscuits and said "We are sorry to have kept u waited. Please have some biscuits". My friends had adviced me not to pick up the biscuits, but i said what the heck..i was hungry. I grab 2 biscuits and eat them while they had tea. I was happy tha my stomach was silenced. Th einterview started and went for about 45 minutes...along normal lines.

Again the wait began for the results to come out. Rumors started flying thick and fast about the number of students that had been picked up. Some one said 53, some one said the company had walked out because of some problem (They had not been offered dinner..so went the rumor). Dad kept calling every 15 minutes enquiring about the results. I got irritated after 5 calls and ased him not to call and i would do so once the results were out.

The results came finally at 10.30 and i see my name in it. I jumped in joy and punched my fist. I had done it...I would now have Rs.20000 in my account every month. I make a series of phone calls (Dad, Mom, Sis, Amit Sir, friends in that order). I tell my mom that i would come home and we would celebrate. I run in search of Pepsi.....(talk of brand loyalty) and manage to locate a shop which is almost closed. I ask him to open the almost downed shutters for me. he thinks i am crazy..but what the hell i needed pepsi badly.

I reach home at 11pm and open the bottle of pepsi to celebrate after i thanked GOD for being with me. I call up dad again explaining completely as to how things went in detail as i was in no mood to explain before. He is over the moon. He says "My responsibility ends today. You are an independent man from now". (Gosh how wrong was he - its been 4 years and i still dont have a job).

Nitesh and Nagaraj land at home to congradulate me and they too pour their share of Pepsi...They leave after an hour. Then began what has been the most memorable night of my life... The night when me and mom talked through the night about the things that we had endured over the years, the problems that we had faced, the words that we had to hear asa family about my parents fanatic efforts in our eduation process. They had felt vindicated.

For an area where an average salary was Rs.6000 for a 30 year old...a 20 year old earning Rs 20000 in a TATA company was a way too uncomprehedable and a matter of great envy. OH man how we loved those moments. Dad lands up a day later and we all celebrate.

It was the day when my dad allowed me to drive his Maruti Zen (i drive it till day). He was happy.

To be continued......

Of being seniors so soon

2006-07-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

I was standing at the entrance of GH1 waiting to eagerly welcome the batch of 2006-08 into the XL fold as it happens year after year. A lot memories came flooding at that time remembering the times when we were welcomed in a similar fashion last year. How fast the time flies we all wondered...It was 1 year and we were standing there at the beginning of what would probably the last year in school(academic) for most of us for the school of life just awaits us at the door steps.

I started to wonder...what have i done in the last year..what did i learn in XL in the 1st year..am i wiser than last year..and if yes what is that which has made me wiser? Is it the umpteen projects, the cases, the couse work or is it the exams that i faced, what is it? i wonder...

What were the poingnant moments of one year at XL? Let me make an effort here to recollect a few and note them..so that these will remain etched in some memories of an obsure hard disk of google.

1. QT-1 1st Quiz

Facing QT-1 Quiz with utmost calm amidst all the hype and hoopla..although i just managed to lead the SDC(Single Digits' Club - I scored 9, and this has been my highest in the entire course), i am happy with the way i approached the test.. This is what L taught me..to reamin composed and to work towards the goal and not to get caught in the hype around you..even when u know that you are not the best in that field.. Some wise People claim "What they dont teach u at B-School" but according to me, these things they dont teach u perse but the B-School atmosphere teaches you implicitly.

2. Being left out of Day 1 Placement

This was a shocker...I wasnt expecting to be left out of the placements on the first day. When everyone else in my batch was preparing for some GD or interview; sitting in formals, i was there roaming around aimlessly, watching others celebrate their success.. I was standing there as an outcast, like karna who did not even get a chance to showcase his talents...What a comparision but it is what i felt...Kept wondering...if at all i get a chance...Mera number kab aayega?

It was traumatising, waiting for 4 days without knowing if you would ever get a shortlist...had to control myself and put up a brave face..But on the hindsight if i look at it it was of my own making. I had decided not to aply to any company that comes calling but to only those company's where i wanted to work (read FMCG - sales). I hadnt applied for the so called hep and happening consults or the banks...so i effect i was rejected only by 3 companies..Not a bad thing at all. But still the thought of having to sit out was killing me..Started to wonder if my decision was a wise one..

I had no choice but to wait..But then when the D-day arrived (Slot 2), it was my day...i hit the battle ground with a vengence...like a reserve player getting a chance to play the finals of world cup when one of the key player is substitued...coming and playing for my life. Never in my life i wanted something that badly... I kept telling myself that i could do it..I kept backing myself..

What did i learn or what did XL teach me? No case study analysis would have equipped me for this...But XL taught me to be unfazed at the hurdles posed at us as we shall over come... I was very happy with compnay i was selected for and must tell you that it has turned out to be a great learning experience...

More on these issues to be continued in the next edition

Kallappa M Pattanashetti

Spirit of Mumbai

2006-07-11T22:27:00.000-07:00

There were a lot of topics vying for my attention and creativity to be the first blog of this term, but yesterdays's blasts in Mumbai sent across a couple of thoughts that just could not be held back.

Yesterdays blasts caused a lot of loss to human life & property. There also were the usual round of allegation & blame game glorifying the in-efficiency of the police & governemnt. But what has stood out has been something that one cannot understand until one stays in the lovely city.

The mumbai spirit, which many tried to decipher and write about it must have found enough material for a new book which only means that "Mumbai just moves on". The way mumbai is back on its feet is a clear message to the forces behind these blasts the "insignificance" of their actions on the lives of "Mumbaikars".

Mumbai was swamped with rain waters...Mumbai picks up from where it left and just moves on..The stories of people participation in a city that is known for its highly individualistic nature has prooved beyond doubt that Mumbai has a heart. People dropping unknown people to hospitals without waiting for government help and that too in a situation when all communication lines were jammed, instead of rushing homes, they lent a supporting hand to the needy speaks volumes of "community spirit" in Mumbai.

This action must hence tell the forces that such actions would not deter indian financial capital but would only be counter productive as we step up our action against them. By committing such ghastardly acts, they loose the modest support of poeple they claim to represent. But thats not the case as no reason can be greater & sufficient to take lives of MEN. Thou have no right to destroy what one cannot create.

My tears and sympathies goes out to those families who have lost their dear ones..the ones probably were the cheif bread winners of their families. Lets not forget them in the hustle and bustle of life and in a bid to get back to normalcy. A Mumbaikars showed the spirit to help the needy, public action must be taken to ensure that the affected families get all the compensation that governement would provide and we extend all support to them so that "they" and not just the City get back to normal.....

The lives have never been the same.......

Dinner at 6 AM

2006-02-11T16:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is right. You have read it correctly. We had our dinner today at 6 in the morning. Confused? Let me give the background. We organised our senior's nite. As usual, it took a lot of coaxing and begging our beloved seniors to come and honour us with their presence in the cultural show show hosted by the juniors. The event was to start at 8pm. XL standard time(read 2 a.m.). It was good fun with our Jampot based "BOMBAY band" welcoming them and escorted them to the venue of the show. The highlight of the show being the video that our junior batch had made commemorating their stay in XL.

Whats so special about this video? Its strange feeling when you are about to complete the most fun-filled and exiting phase of your life and get ready to face the bigger challenges, the challenges to conquer. It was to prepare for these challenges that we were here for 2 years. But we forget that these fun filled days have to come to an end.

It is essentially to capture these best moments of your life so that we can cherish these things long after we have left the hallowed portals of our institution. It is a moment of mixed feelings; when joy mingles with sorrow seemlessly, when challenge of adopting to a new world beckons and the thought of arting ways with your best buddies. It is the moment when each one of us choose to go our own way, criss-crossing each other's way some time in future, but will we ever re-live these golden period of our life?

This video was special as it rekindiled old memories, renewed their josh towards the purpose that they had in mind when they joined this institute.

Hats off DRAC for having such a wonderful show. Keep it up. Long live XL and ek do teen char

2006-02-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

This is a letter i wrote to a person working in a KPO/BPO and all other related industries.

i did not mean dis-respect for the job u do. But my ire is to the companies that treat indian ppl badly. I have laready tol du my concerns since i oppose the companies not respecting individuality. I told b4 that i object the companies calling their employees in terms of seats. This is a disgrace to the educated ppl who are working in their organizations. thats what i was trying to point out.

All i said was that, we indians need to be treated on par as we are no less human beings than americans. The ire is not just towards these bpo/call centers but also to the Software cos that make their employees work under in human conditions. I speak abt this after having heard their plight first hand. Since many of my forneds are in thsi industry.

I am a guy who hates the companies because they do not treat their employees as human beings but as seats. Its nothing abt the work you guys do. Its abt dignity.

2006-01-23T06:09:00.000-08:00

It is a different kind of feeling which not many will go through. It is a kind of funny when you dont know how to feel. This is in wake of my recent trip to my old alma mater SIBM in pune on my way back to my present destination XLRI Jamshedpur.

It was not long ago that i left SIBM in search of greener pastures and here i was back in the place where i spent 1 very memorable year of my life. The time during which i revisited was very special since by then all my friends, who are my batchmates there were placed on DAY 0 in their CRP. They had such plump job and were so happy flaunting it to me. There was surprised filled in their eyes to see me appear out of no where because for many it was an unannounced visit.

Coming back to the point. The moment i went to college building, i started questioning my decision over which i have mulled countless hours and still have not been able to come up with a definative answer that will put to rest the debate about the decision i took to prolong my study period of MBA by 1 year. It is here i see that everybody who started out with me have jobs in the best of the companies, with the best of the offers and where am i?

Congradulating people on their success when you yourself are facing a problem of having to slug it out for an additional year is very difficult. I nevertheless went through the motions of congradulating everybody on their success. I am not against their success, i am plain envy of the fact that they will be completing their quota of drudgery that one needs to go through in the process of becoming a manager. Is it that i have a larger quota to fill in?

I think it is quite natural to feel envious and also for the fact that these things bring back a lot of old memories. I was reading a blog of my good friend in SIBM, where the person concerned talks about the Room - 4 in SIBM. I thought i too should contribute my part of memories of that room for it is there where i have rejoiced many success; i cracked interviews, cleared GD's, asked by professor to go and wash my face because i was sleeping like a log, shared successes and failures.

Its a room which stands testimony to the range of emotions that people in that building have been through from ages.

I must say i completely enjoyed my trip to pune even with all the above things running in my mind. It was after so many days that i met with so many of my very good friends and spent not a lot but quality time with them. I think it was a very meaningful visit which helped me refresh a lot of memories.

Kallappa M Pattanashetti

My Personality

2005-10-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

Bold, dashing and spirited. It's a bit difficult to keep pace with you - whether it is in your movements or in your speech. You like to be free as the wind that blows, quite uncaring of the effect you may have on your surroundings. You could not care less and hate being in an atmosphere that is physically or emotionally claustrophobic. Somewhat lacking in tact, your foot-in-the-mouth syndrome could do with a little thought. Nevertheless, you are honest but more than a little tactless. Sagittarians are ambitious - always aiming higher than the goal they initially set for themselves. You love challenges and are too full of energy to sit still. Although you see yourself more as a sportsperson than an intellectual, you secretly enjoy reading, writing, and exploring subjects unknown to you. You are a good learner and would do extremely well as an academician. You are quite popular, albeit a bit unconventional and are loyal to your friends. Many of you enjoy the patronage of influential people but unfortunately; you will also have your share of enemies who mean serious harm. You are often driven by excitement and can be a bit ungainly when in this state; sweeping gestures tend to send things flying. You are sometimes insecure and edgy. You tend to doubt your decisions and judgement. The advice is - trust your instinct. Avoid going by what people tell you if you want to succeed in your work. A word of caution though -- your instincts may not work too well when you are betting, gambling and speculating, and you may end up losing heavily.

Numerology now

2005-10-27T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Kallappa,

you are a Number 2

You are a live wire and extremely talented, but are too hard on yourself. You set yourself impossible targets and get frustrated and depressed when you can't achieve those goals. Though you are a team player with lots of patience, you are sometimes overtaken by a sense of alienation.

You are a dreamer and thus tend to be a bit naïve. You are a visionary with a messianic streak. You are creative and can organise bits of knowledge into a unified whole. Your obsession with your cause makes you neglect those close to you.

You thrive on change and like exploring new ideas, meeting new people, discovering exotic places. You are witty and resourceful. You like the company of like-minded people.

You should have an even approach towards issues you feel strongly about. You must control your anger and learn to be more compassionate and understanding. You must look at the larger picture and respect the other person's point of view.

You are a very sceptical person and don't trust people easily. Thus you don't have a role model whose ideals you can emulate. You will have to find some philosophy and some companionship to widen your horizons. Otherwise you risk loneliness and isolation.

You are very motivating and amiable. Good luck has brought you many opportunities but you do not optimise on these. Don't expect your charm to steer you out of every tight spot. You are very emotional and should stay away from seeking cheap popularity.

You are flexible and love challenges but tend to be impulsive. You are ingenious and witty. You have a multifaceted personality but you need to be more focused to succeed.

You are farsighted and focus on the larger picture. Your penchant for moving goalposts can have serious consequences. You recognise the equilibrium between the rational and the irrational and can easily combine the two in your thought process.

My Palm Reading from Astro Yogi

2005-10-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Kallappa, you are a pragmatic hand type. Being practical, all your decisions are rational and well thought over. You are extremely self-assured, levelheaded and dynamic. Consistency in approach marks the fulfillment of your ambitions. But this regimen-approach sometimes kills the fun.

Your index finger is short. This makes you a dependable team player. A position of command is not for you. But you do have a keen eye for detail. You can be impulsive; not all your moves are quite rational. Look out! Stress could get the better of you. Your index finger being longer than your ring finger points to you being realistic but aggressive at the same time. Yet, you are not able to stand your ground at times. Your sense of judgement is finely balanced. Your middle finger being longer than the adjoining fingers in length signifies an even view towards life. You are extremely organised; seldom ever do you 'come apart' in any situation. You seem to have all stages of your life worked out to the last detail, and possess an unbiased and sagacious personality. You evaluate and analyse all your actions towards achieving your goals in life and get there through sheer dedication and will power. Your ring finger levels out halfway through the middle of your middle finger nail. This means you lead life in equilibrium. You are self-motivated and purposeful. Your little finger is set evenly at the base with the middle finger. The scrupulousness in your personality is your finest asset. It leads you to take rational decisions. Since your little finger is even with the first flexure line (joint) of your ring finger, you are a blunt and outspoken person. You are extremely forthright in your views and nothing discourages you from speaking the truth, unpalatable as it may be.

you are a pragmatic hand type. Being practical, all your decisions are rational and well thought over. You are extremely self-assured, levelheaded and dynamic. Consistency in approach marks the fulfillment of your ambitions. But this regimen-approach sometimes kills the fun.

You have a moderately long lifeline; the period between 50 and 60 years is an unpredictable phase in your life. Exercise extra care during that phase. You are a peaceful creature. All you want is tranquility; any sort of discord unsettles you completely.

Your headline is frayed at its origin. You come across as a secretive person. Your unhappy childhood seems to reflect in all your relationships. Your headline ends in a fork. You contemplate deeply before executing plans. This trait is usually inherent in lawyers and authors. Your headline is medium straight. You are a highly rational individual. You are thought oriented and never act before thinking it through.

You are a solid person with fantastic reserves of energy. A doting parent and loyal friend, you are very protective towards those whom you love. Make sure you don't overdo this. The commitments you make are for keeps.

Your fateline originates near your heart line. Though a late starter in life, you are able to accomplish your mission through sheer determination and dedication.

A New Beginning

2005-10-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

A term has passed and I am returning to the place which is the toughest proving ground that I faced in my life. The challenges that this place has placed before me is phenomenal. I think I did not serve the purpose for which I came to this place in the 1^st term. Hopefully I think I have learnt my lessons well and I shall not repeat the mistakes that I did in the previous term.

Never before did I want to get back to my place of study as badly as I want to get back to XLRI. The challenge that is in front of me has exited me to unseen heights. I really want to take this challenge that is thrown at me head on. For once life has given me a challenge that seems really difficult but not impossible. I know I can surmount this challenge but this challenge is different in the magnitude and this would take a huge amount of concentrated efforts to reach the goal.

The question is do I have it in me to survive the distance? Do I have the energies to stand up to this challenge? I need all the support and good luck to achieve what I have set out to achieve apart from the loads of hard work that I need to put in. I know there is no substitute for hard work but I am not averse to work hard. All I need is a good motivation which I think I have because of the outcome that I have set for myself as the goal.

Some things that would be useful if I can put these things on paper so that they can sere as constant reminders when I shall start to slack in my struggle to achieve this goal would be:

1. Attain highest levels of efficiency levels

2. Start all assignments as soon as they are given

3. Effective time utilization

4. no idling around/ no fooling around

5. no fire fighting

6. a book every week should be finished reading

7. in-depth study of subjects

written on 26th August published on october 16

Backlog Clearance Day

2005-09-04T03:42:00.000-07:00

This is something that i had planned a long back to say to myself that this year on this special occasion, i wanted to do somthing that i always wantd to do but had never done it before. This could be due to the sheer laziness that has of late crept in my body and is on the verge of taking over my entire systems. But i thinks exams are one such tool that help u throw away this problem or atleast i hope so.

The occasion that i am taking about is the teachers day being celebrated in commemoration of the birthday of our great teacher, Second President of India Dr.S. RadhaKrishna.

On this day i want to take this opportunity to thank all my teachers right from my primay school to present college(XLRI). Let me now make an effort to name them in order of occurance in my life

Primary:
1. Sister Rosrita
2. Meti Sir

School:
1. C.K.Rao
2. C.V.S.Rao
3. S.K.Naik
4. C.M.Hiremath
5. Desai
6. Chakravarthy
7. D.Vijaykumar
8. Kalasannavar
9. Badiger
10. Ram Murty
11. Late. G.C.Das
12. S.B.Sattikar
13. M.U.Naik
14. S.K.Bharadwaj

Officers:
1. Lt.Cdr Faiz Afzaluddin
2. Lt.Cdr Ashok Sharma
3. Air Marshal Joshi
4. Flt.Lt R.K.Padhi

College

1. Suresh Sir
2. Radhika maam
3. Sheela Maam
4. Guruprasad sir
5. Anita Maam
6. Dakshayini Maam
7. Ashok Kumar

SIBM

1. Ranade
2. Prabhu
3. Maru Harish
4. Shivaram Apte
5. Manasi Pahdke
6. V.G.Godbole
7. Satish Inamdar
8. Sujay Joshi

My Bosses - PVMIL

1. Murali Krishnan
2. Dileep Kumar
3. Prasad

XLRI

1. R.kakani
2. T.Gangopadhya
3. Swarup Mandal
4. P.Venugopal
5. Premrajan

Others

1. Amit Saboo
2. Sridar Krishnan
3. Kuruvilla

Friends: Vineet, Gourish, Shweta, Nagaraj, Swarupanand, Prajakta, Sandeep, Pooja, Swaroop, Vinay for teaching me the nuances of life

Above all

MY DAD & MOM for being my pillars of strenght

I thank you all sirs for having moulded me into what i am.I shall be eternally grateful to all of you.

Flickr

2005-08-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

IMG_0125

2005-08-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

IMG_0125, originally uploaded by Kallappa.

This was in the village trip where i went to this dairy which had only three cows. The statistics were mind boggling.
Sales: Rs 9000 pm
COGS: Rs 7000 pm
Intrest: Rs 1000 pm

Profit exclusing wages : 1000 which shall be divided into 7 families. Stategists give me a solution for this

Decisions

2005-07-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

There i a famous quote in Matrix- The movie, "Life is a set of choice; you make a decision and open the door knowing not what lies in store for you". Nothing can sum up what i am upto now more aptly that this. Why on earth i am repeating the course. Where is the enthusiasm that i had for an MBA last year. I believe my decision to come here was based upon the best raional decisions i have taken in my life, but did i consider the motivational aspects of the same, given my nature which never wants to do the same thing again?

Its tough to analyse the implication this decision has had or will have on me. Of course at one corner i am very happy that i have an opportunity to belong to the elite XL community but on the other hand i have to endure what i am going through now.

But the question lingers in my mind, if, what i am going through now is just a self made obsession that is of no importance to me now. Why i cant shed the baggage that i am cayying right now and start all over again as if nothing happened. Am i worried that i have lost one year of my life for nothing. Or is it just plain jealosy to see my friends get a head start of one year.

Everyone tells you that one year will not matter in the long run specially when you have come to a place like XL. But how do i convince myself that this one year is worth the wait. Although i know nothing could be done now. I guess its plain inertia that is playing on me. I think i hust need to get back or rather get into the scheme of things.

But the big question is that how do i get into the scheme? Just jump in.

I think the answer lies in the movie Rocky V, where he speaks of fear within, that grips human beings. I agree all these issues have cropped up in my mind plainly due to the inherent fear of failure. Is it really justified or am i afraid to prove myself again?

The challenge right now is to overcome those fears and come back hard at what i was doing and doing well. I guess there is no need for me to fear fro there is no tomorrow. Am i afraid to speel out my fear? yes to a certain extent. ut i guess i need not worry cos as i believe, "If a guy has talent, then no force in the world can succed in subduing him". I just need to hold my fort and control over the negative emotions that have begun cropping up.

Hope by the next time i post here, i am back to normal self and have kicked some good a**.

Live life XL size.
Kallappa

On a platter

2005-07-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

Not all things in life are given to you on a platter. If it means that some things are given on a platter, how much of it do we really value. Little do we understand that things that we get effortlessly or seemingly so can be at times unreachable to some people. In such a situation how right it is on the part of people who get these things to sqatter away these scant opportunities that epople get in life.
Not that i value everything that i get, but it was just that a thought crossed my mind as to what if we wish someone to be with us or know someone who is capabe of achieving it faltering at the final step?
And does it mean that if you fail a couple of time, you need to loose faith in your own abilities? I think what emerges from the gist of life is that while somethings are given on a platter even if you dont work for it, some them in a similar way would take a lot more effort thatn they deserve to attain those goals.
Which in essence brings me to the fact that one should not give up so easily.

Change

2005-06-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

How difficult is for one to come out of a secured place. A place you are comfortable with. A place where everyone knows you and vice versa? But alas one has to make that decision to move out of the present orbits and rise to higher ones( wrt Anil Ambhani). So here i am., who has changed a secure future for an uncertain one.

I have decided to come to a plcae which is the farthest i have ever travelled from home. A place where many people aspire to be. A place which dreams are made of. But is it really worth the pains of change that one has to incur? I have a made the toughest decision of my life, although it was a foregone conclusion that i wouldnt be staying in that place for long. But alas, how luxuries can influence and change your decisions. I have taken that decision, right or wrong only tiome will tell. Will this be my Waterloo or will it be my Trafulgar only time shall tell.

After having quit SIBM, and coming here to XLRI i am again in a classical dilemma. Never before in my life had i repeated a course. I always believed in the fact that i shall sail through everywere in my first attempt. But i guess this is my first real learning that on ehas to experience things that all would go through atleast once.

Summer Ordeal

2005-05-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

My problem is that i dont know what the problem is. This is the first time in my llife that i realised how bad i was in my communication skills. This was the skill that always prided in as my best skill. But i was proved wrong. My shortcomings have been laid bare here, showing how unprofessional i am. May be that this is the first time that i am working in a professional setup, the first job, it is telling on me. For the first time i understood the meaning of the work "Work Pressure" and why people crack under it.
Although i am here on sales job, i have learn so many things about Human resourse. The term why people are so important in a any organizations. Why if we sitting in corporate offices design policies will bomb.
What can we do today in 1 Re. Nothing? If that is the belief, which i too shared before coming here; we are sadly mistaken. My entire business depends on that 1Re. Forget business the survival is at stake. Once afer this we undersdtand the value of that rupee.
You start understanding the value of foot soldiers in your army for the war here in the battleground of rural india is not won by we(managers-ASM's) but the salesman in their 20's, who are not even half educated as us. The real power lies in them.
India is a funny market, and it really a tough nut to crack specially the rural heartland.

We must agree here that in india, it is always the last mile connectivity that is the challenge. Be it the Telephone networks or the recent Cable Logjam. The same hold true for the Big FMCG companies too.
I guess i am too free flowing in my thoughts right now and will do good for all u guys who bother to read my post by coming to an end to this ordeal that i have put you people.
Kallappa

The ordeal has just begun

2005-04-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

The much anticipated summers has just begun and i am all exited about it. But i know this will be a tough task as my boss has told me.
My first two days have been awesome. First day i got briefed and then sent to visit 65 shops. Never in my ten months of MBA i visited more than 15 shops but now here i am on the field visiting 65 shops. So its been: boss, kallappa welcome to reality and out of comforts that you dream to achieve after finishing our MBA.

Joke of my life

2005-03-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

Let me talk about the biggest joke of my life that last week has been. I have no words to express the agony that i went through last week. Apart from the 10 viva's that i gave in 2 days flat and what more i was not prepared for even one of them i gave 5 intenal exams.

I think these exams need special mention. First of all these exams come out of the blue for all of us. I mean how can we prepare 3 subjects in a single night. that too the test was on the complete syllabus that we have for the entire semester. Anybody who thinks that students today are ready for their entire syllabus full one month before the finals is i think sadly mistaken.

Is it a sad commentary on the state on today's students or about the pathetic condition education is toady i cannot say because it is too big a subject for an ordinary mortal like me to comment on. But one thing is clear by putting such a mental stress on us the college is not gaining anything. They are doing just for the sake of compliance and meeting the deadlines. I only fear that if such a funda of just slogging to meet the deadlines and doing a patchy job of everything, i believe i would not be going too high on the corporate ladder.

I mean i really ponder over this question again and again but have never been able to come up with a definitive conclusion or a strategy to counter this. For the past 10 months that i have been i n a B-School, all that i have been doing is fire-fighting. I always think that ok from this week i shall plan my activities completely and stick to my schedule so that i can do justice to what i am supposed to do.

Justice to my job is one think i am very touchy upon. If i dont do justice to a particular task i feel i have cheated myself. But if the knid of work i am doing(read fire fighting) i am cheating myself everyday. How long can i continue this?

I need an answer and that answer is not forthcoming. These exams have just pulled the trigger wherein it was during these exams i realised the power of technology and team work. Why and How it is for your grey cells to exercise and come with an answer that too if one cares to find out.

A night to remember

2005-03-07T01:32:00.000-08:00

Oh i am feeling so sleepy. But i am here to tell what i felt yesterday night. It was the farewel night and the night began with a bang atleast for me when we as a gang of four sat down and made it a point to bat out the opposition(read the waiters). i guess we were very much successful in doing so when the guy incharge of food started rationing the gulab jamoons. How many i had i dont dare to count. But the fact was the food was never ending. New items were added every 10 minutes so anyone who finished his dinner early misssed out on those delicacies. Me tho was fully into hogging. Itna khaya ki nasha chad gayi. I realised for the first time that food can be intoxicating.

As the night wore along and the crowds started thinning, the DJ started some beutiful hindi nos. My god that was the best time and the last half hour was just too good. Sala DJ ne bahut senti gana bajaya.

2005-03-04T04:56:00.000-08:00

I just met a senior from my School Sainik School Bijapur. He is 25 years senior to me, yes 25 years senior to me and what more he is a Lt.Col. doing what in SIBM? He is doing his MBA in HR from SIMS. I might wonder why on earth did he wan to do an MBA and what this would do to him.

Apart from all this the primary purpose of this here is talk about the concern he showed about the apathy of students of MBA, how unwilling are they to study the subjects that they have choosen to make a career of.

Here i am who has decided to invest 2 years of my valuable time to learn something that would give a real value add. It is just not my time that i have invested here but the fact that i have not taken up my first job that was offering me a princely sum of 2.5 lakhs. Although this amount looks megre in comparision to what i expect to get after this course i begin to wonder at times as to if i am really worth the money the companies would be offering me.

As one of my friend who finished his MBA from a premier institute in India said to me, he said "According me MBA is the most fradulent degree awarded in the country". I had begun to wonder how this could be true. We always see people turning around companies making strategic decisions affecting the course of the companies being MBA's.

After wondering about his statement fo almost a year and spending one full year in an MBA course, i have formed my own opinions. I believe MBA has given me a great perspective. A good launch pad or to use a jargon "a strategic inflection point" in my life to the way i look at life and towards everyting i do. The way we look at things has been changed for ever.

But is this sufficient for one to jump up his salary expectation 4 fold? If yes no further questions. But if this is not enough then what is that one thing that makes us eligible to even dream of figures that as non MBA's we could have never thought of?

I think the one thing that makes stand poles apart from others is "confidence". But how on earth this course gives you confidence? I believe it is the kind of content that you build here that gives us the ammunition to face the world. If content is the ammunition that would help us win the war, and no amount of strategy would help us in the battle if we do not have the required ammunition to fight then how do we forget this basic fact within 6-8 months into an MBA course. Why do we develop a confidence of saying that we can "faff" our way through to glory?

Why do we get into a rat race of adding CV points that would make our resume look diferent. Even if it is just for the heck of it. Agreed that to break the clutter you need to be different, we need to understand the fact that being different is just a means to achieving our larger GOAL. But is it right to have "being different" itself as our all encompassing GOAL?

We migh tdo good if we sit out and write out a mission statement for ourself just like Tom Cruise did in Jerry Mcquire (is my spelling right?) and am i right in asking others. For that matter i do not have a mission statement for myself. Let me start to write one.

I think things are now getting out of my hand. Let me stop mow. Shall continue.......

Introduction

2005-01-10T18:35:00.000-08:00

Looks like 2005 is going to be really my year. After a mixed bag that i had in 2004, 2005 started with a bang. And i am here making my first blog post in the new year. I am here today after a long break back in college. Bye the way i shall take this post to introduce myself to the world. I am here in the Institute called SIBM, The symbiosis institute of Business Management in Pune doing my first year MBA Program

Welcome to my Blog

2004-07-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys thanks for viviting the page. hope i can keep u entertained