Bears, bulls and forests

Here is a quick definition of bull and bear market. I haev heard these terms so often, but hardly had the time to check!!

In the investment arena, financial markets are commonly believed to have market trends that can be classified as primary trends, secondary trends (short-term), and secular trends (long-term).

Primary trend: A bull market is a prolonged period of time when prices are rising in a financial market faster than their historical average, in contrast to a bear market which is a prolonged period of time when prices are falling. Investors can be described as having bullish (bull = buy) or bearish (bear = sell) sentiments. Upward market trends are witnessed when bulls (buyers) outnumber bears (sellers) - downward for vice versa.

Secondary trend: A secondary trend is a temporary change in price within a primary trend. These usually last a few weeks to a few months. A temporary decrease during a bull market is called a correction; a temporary increase during a bear market is called a bear market rally.

A secular market trend is a long-term trend that lasts 5 to 20 years, and consists of sequential primary trends. In a secular bull market the bear markets are smaller than the bull markets. Typically, each bear market does not wipe out the gains of the previous bull market, and the next bull market makes up the losses of the bear market. Vice versa for secular bear market.

Finance industry in a nutshell

Well, I was not that great in following finance markets. Now that we are in Ox hearing about and attending all these finance lectures - here are a few short definitions (courtesy: wikipedia.com). These are in no way comprehensive, but a good start..

Private equity is a broad term that refers to any type of equity investment in an asset in which the equity is not freely tradable on a public stock market. Passive institutional investors may invest in private equity funds, which are in turn used by private equity firms for investment in target companies. Categories of private equity investment include leveraged buyout, venture capital, growth capital, angel investing, mezzanine capital and others. Private equity funds typically control management of the companies in which they invest, and often bring in new management teams that focus on making the company more valuable.

Venture capital is capital typically provided by outside investors for financing of new, growing or struggling businesses. Venture capital investments generally are high risk investments but offer the potential for above average returns. A venture capitalist (VC) is a person who makes such investments.

Investment banks help companies and governments and their agencies to raise in raising funds in the capital markets (both equity and debt)

The capital market (securities markets) is the market for securities, where companies and the government can raise long-term funds. The capital market includes the stock market and the bond market.

An angel investor is an affluent individual who provides capital for a business start-up, usually in exchange for ownership equity. Unlike venture capitalists, angels typically do not manage the pooled money of others in a professionally-managed fund. However, angel investors often organize themselves into angel networks or angel groups to share research and pool their own investment capital

Generally, a hedge fund is a lightly regulated private investment fund often characterized by unconventional investment strategies and often making use of legal structures (sometimes offshore) to mitigate the effects of local regulation and tax regimes. In contrast to regular investment funds, which are usually limited to only being able to "go long" (buy) instruments such as bonds, equities or money markets, hedge funds also have the ability to "short" (sell) instruments which they believe will fall in price. In this way, hedge funds are able to create more complex investment structures which can, for example, profit in times of market volatility, or even in a falling market. In finance, a hedge is an investment that is taken out specifically to reduce or cancel out the risk in another investment.

The phrase mergers and acquisitions or M&A refers to the aspect of corporate finance strategy and management dealing with the merging and acquiring of different companies. Historically, Investment Banks (intermediaries which assist companies in selling ownership of themselves as stock or borrowing money directly from investors in the form of bonds) have been closely associated with merger and acquisition activity since a M&A is a sales opportunity for the Investment Bank. If the company wants to merge with another, it must attain a fair market value for its shares to be swapped which would involve an investment bank. If it wants to buy the other company with borrowed money, it would most likely borrow directly from investors in the form of bonds through a private placement, engineered by the investment bank. Thus, Investment Banks position themselves to act as advisors on mergers and acquisitions.

How much am I worth?

Well... I am used to staying long in the Oxford library (they close at 11:00 PM and I am the last one to leave, er.. be pushed out).

One of my friend, who saw me leave late everyday quipped, "Hey man, you are like furniture in our library. Probably we should depreciate you over the next few months". Now that is what I call - 'Going crazy with studies'. :))

Class photo

Well , thanks to Tiwari and Saitosan, here are our pics from photo shoot..

And this our common roon (canteen)... looks so nice, isn't it? Well, hot water costs 20 pence here.

And this is how our classes look... did I tell you? each class is 3.5 hours long!!! (god mercied on us with a 20 min break in-between)

FTSE and JW linked

Here is the funniest academic story you would have ever heard. The MBA Decision science class is tutored by Prof. James Taylor. He is one of the funniest, yet clever and knowledgeable, professors I have ever seen.

This past week he taught about multiple regression (don’t worry about the term) and he wet to explain his work in trying to define a relation between FTSE and JW. FTSE is the financial share index. The equation was something like FTSE100t = 7039.60 – 210.89JWt + et

He seemed to be so proud of his statistical analysis and derivation. We went onto to validate the analysis (there are some set parameters like t-stat, r square, etc). Everything seemed to be just great and the whole class was kind of appreciating his efforts.

He slowly turned back and asked the class, “Why didn’t anyone ask me what is JW? Let me how you what JW is made of. He then switched on the other display which showed both his kids on the sofa. JW is apparently Jake’s Weight – they have been weighing his son’s weight every month and he was trying to correlate Jake’s Weight and FTSE index.

We laughed at being fooled so easily. The moral of he story: Be careful when you try to correlate two “trendy” variables. He sure is genius, isn’t he?

Bhagavat gita in Management

Karma Capitalism from Business Week

Wonderful article. The article was so close to me, since I was an ardent follower of Bhagavat Gita, have heard greatly abt half the Management gurus listed in this article... and can relate to these US companies and India n culture. Question to ponder: Is old returning back?

CEO fo Amgen, Founder of Apple, and Managing Director at McKinsey

How would you feel if you met all these folks, shook hands with them and asked them podernign questions on future?

Well, this is what Oxford can do. Prepare the 27-year (alas, I turned 28 last week!) old non-so-popoular figures and make them meet with industry figures you cannot even imagine.

CEO of Amgen:
http://www.amgen.com/about/leadership_team.html
Mr. Kevin Sharer, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Amgen, Inc. visited Said Business School on for the introduction speech. Amidst the crowd of 300, I stood up and asked, "Do you really use any MBA tools and techniques in your day-to-day life? What is your advise on how we treat this academia?". He laughed, looked at the new Dean, smiled again and said, "The best thing that your MBA does to you is to shape YOU. You guys really do not know how important it is to get an MBA from Oxford. You sure are gifted. If you walk upto my company's door and introduce yourself as an Oxford graduate, we are gonna hear you just for that".

Founder of Apple:
http://www.woz.org/
Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple (Yeah, the same apple from Forest Gump) visited Oxford a couple of weeks back to promote his new book. He seemed too technical (Steve Jobs apparently was the business mind behind Apple?), a born-genius kind. The speech was very motivational and informative. Apparently, he is very proud of his accomplishments.

Managing Director and McKinsey
http://www.mckinsey.com/ideas/wef2005/biographies/dominiccasserley.asp
Dominic Casserley, head of McKinsey in the UK, Ireland and the Middle East, talked on "What will the Global Company look like in 2020". The corwd was a selected (yeah, me included!) 40 folks. 20 of them (Yeah, yeah, me included) were selected again to go further for a formal dinner with him. To be honest, I did not realize his power (greatness?) until I came back to home that night and looked up the internet! hmmm.. I need to keep on top of events - so some research before the event. Why leave an oppurtunity for question - I asked him his opinion on India and China becoming the newer markets in 2020. He mentioned the developing countries are posing a threat, but will nto replace US/EU. "What is your opinion on consolidation? WOuld we be left with 4 big companies in each sector by 2020?". He answered, "No. As companies merge and acquire, there will be more players entering the market."

Obviously these answers were not exact to the word. My understanding and language are mixed in the above text.

Go Oxford!!!

The best motivational speech ever

Al Pacino's Inch By Inch speech from "Any Given Sunday "

Are you a lecturer of organizational behaviour at any business school and need to show video at your class (like they do in SBS!)? Are you a corporate manager needing to bring in motivation team? Well, I present to you the great Al Pacino



Here is the transcript of the greatest motivational speech ever:

"I don't know what to say really. Three minutes to the biggest battle of our professional lives all comes down to today. Either we heal as a team or we are going to crumble. Inch by inch. Play by play, till we're finished.We are in hell right now, gentlemen. Believe me and we can stay here and get the shit kicked out of us or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell. One inch, at a time.

Now I can't do it for you. I'm too old. I look around and I see these young faces and I think I mean I made every wrong choice a middle age man could make. I uh.... I pissed away all my money. Believe it or not. I chased off anyone who has ever loved me. And lately, I can't even stand the face I see in the mirror. You know when you get old in life things get taken from you. That's, that's part of life. But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out that life is just a game of inches. So is football. Because in either game life or football the margin for error is so small. I mean one half step too late or to early you don't quite make it. One half second too slow or too fast and you don't quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in ever break of the game every minute, every second.

On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us to pieces for that inch. We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch. Cause we know when we add up all those inches that's going to make the fucking difference; between WINNING and LOSING; between LIVING and DYING. I'll tell you this in any fight it is the guy who is willing to die who is going to win that inch. And I know if I am going to have any life anymore it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch because that is what LIVING is. The six inches in front of your face.

Now I can't make you do it. You gotta look at the guy next to you. Look into his eyes. Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you. You are going to see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team because he knows when it comes down to it, you are gonna do the same thing for him. That's a team, gentlemen and either we heal now, as a team, or we will die as individuals. That's football guys. That's all it is. Now, whattaya gonna do? "

Dont tell me you dont love him even now. Al Pacino is THE actor.

Oxford Matriculation

We had our matriculation today at Sheldonian theatre. The theatre was awesome old building with huge paintings, chandeliers, and church like setting.

We wore Suit, Sub fusc (kind of gown) and Mortar board (a funky graduation cap).


It kind of felt funky with this whole matriculation thing. I personally felt it was a total waste of time (day?). The University chancelor (or someone important!) read out a few words in Latin which officially enrolled us as an Oxonian!!



We will be wearing this sub fusc to the exams (Yes, all exams! I cannot believe!!). And a similar ceremony will occur when we graduate - in Sep 2007. Well, I hope to get there successfully!

Reached Oxford..

I have reached Oxford!

The journey from India to Oxford was comfortable - though British Airways tried its ways to make a petty cash from my extra luggage, by deciding to call of the 'two hand luggage' scheme, unannounced, in the last minute to comply with 'strict guidelines' that help them monitor terrorist activity. I dunno how reducing a luggage would help them in this process, but hey, I got along!

Reached Oxford and kinda felt at home. Its a mix of Chennai and LA. Chennai - in all the practices and customs (left hand drive); LA in the cleanliness and etiquette (greener pavenments than LA).

I am currently staying in Wellington Square. It is a cheap University accomodation that is in the center of the town. Business School is a just 3 minutes ride away.

I settled in quickly and managed to buy a bike from a local private guy who was noce enough to throw in his lock as well. A new bike costs around 120 pounds and my used bike cost me 49 pounds.

Well this week (Oct 2) is all about induction - sitting thru some boring (or would this be useful later?) lectures and tons of introductions - Computer center, Library, Career services, reception included!! :)

Well, ciao, we have got to a long to-do list to go through..

Reservation policy in India

There is quite a few protests in India against the reservation policy.
http://us.rediff.com/news/quota06.html

I don't blindly support or oppose this reservation based on caste. Rather I would call for people to use it judiciously; Or the reservation could be revised to be based on family financial situation.

The reservation policy was aimed at the upbringing of backward people who did not have the means to venture out colleges and studies that were only known and accessible to higher caste (I am talking probably 1960s). Since then the backward people have considerably utilized this reservation policy and improved their status. The guys are now probably higher government officials, doctors or lawyers. I only oppose the kids of these guys to (mis)use this reservation policy. They should honestly not specify themselves as backward or tribe in the forms - because they are not. On the other hand, for a guy from mountain village - Obviously Yes.

Let me give an example. I knew a school mate who was the richest kid, nephew of the local MP, comes to school in car, and belonged to MBC category. Then there was also this lady who was a cleaner in our school, whose son was also sponsored to study with us, and belonged to OC. Ideally, the latter should be able to use the reservation policy and not the former.

But, hey, there is no such positive thinking in the impulsive Politics. There is an election to be won, pride to be maintained and money to be made; politicians will do any gimmicks to get the vote - allow reservation, give television, free rice, chips and DVDs, free clothes, money -- rice will even come to home, one says. Actually, they don't really want you to work. Their ideal Utopian world does not include an Indian making international business; it envisions an Indian wearing the free dhoti, eating free rice, that came free to his home and watching the free tv, in his freely build home - he just has to manage enough money for the almost free liquor.

De Niro vs Al Pacino

What kind of films do I like? Comedy; more than Comedy I like underworld/thugs kind of movies. The list goes - God father 1 & 3, The untouchables, Scarface, Good fellas, Casino, Donnie Brasco, Heat, Taxi Driver, etc. Seems I feel great

Did you notice the commonality? Knowingly or unknowingly I have followed movies of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Whom would I rate more - Al Pacino or De Niro? Quite a dilemma.

Al Pacino was great for his God father role. He was a cold hearted silent killer. And who could forget Scarface - his black and white pictures sold like crazy. And in Donnie Brasco, he underplayed well. He played the best blind man in Scent of a Woman. Oflate, I saw his latest movie 'Simone'. That is when he went down ten to 4 in my acting scale. I felt he was overacting and too loud; I was not convinced Simone is an apt movie he should even choose to act.

[Here is a clip from Any given sunday - an inspirational speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWoPEU3RwPw)

On the other hand, De Niro, was a great actor right from taxi Driver. The top angle scene in Untouchables, where he hits a spy with base ball bat. It will stay in memory for a few years. Casino and Good Fellas only made him the best conman ever. Taxi Driver and Raging bull adds the much lacked variety. He was kinda average all along. But when I saw Analyze this and Anlayze that - two movies where he played gangster with a touch of comedy - he went upp rising in the chart. De Niro is my only star.

Verdict: If I had to pick one great actor, it would be De Niro.

Oxford.. My life saver

At last.... I got into Oxford Said Business School for the 2006- 2007 Class MBA - ranked 9th in the world.

There has been a pinch of self doubt in the last few days. Am I wasting my time with this MBA thing runing parallel to my heavy work load? Could you only excel in one? Should I pick work and stay on ground like the hundred others.

I had applied to CMU (ding!), ISB (WL), Oxford (Got thru) and was planning to apply to UCLA PT (now I wont).

Atlast God said, I have other plans. "You are better suited for MBA and go for it". Thanks god, I even doubted you.. :)

Whats in a name?

Thinking back, I wanted to enroll into gmatclub.com and I felt it more interesting to make people guess who I am. and not expose my original name (which is kinda hard to pronounce by non-indians, anyway).
It is not like I hate my name, anyways. I love it and I even explain the sankrit meaning of my name to the american clients I meet daily. Sampath basically means "Wealth" - wealth in health, money, knowledge, maturity... you name it. Isn't that cool my parents kept a thoughtful name?

I started with a hardworker, just because I was aware I was not a smart man, but I work more hard to compensate for my 'unsmartness' - but 'hardworker' was registered and seemed like "hardworker_indian" was the way to go. It is kinda long to type, but I dont type t often. MS Win XP stores it in its memory anyway..

I am not good (actualy very bad) at memory - thats the reason I end up carry a mini notepad all the time in my pouch. Most of my little success can only be attributed to that 'extra' hardwork I do.

Thats the story how I got hardworker_indian. Not many of my friends know I actually write this column, except for a few close ones...

How to meditate

Introduction to Meditation: How to Meditate
By Gabriel Zappia
Extracted from www.experiencefestival.com

There are many ways to meditate. They all seem to lead to the same place, so find one that suits you. Here I describe a classic meditation that is simple and easy.

Mantras:
A mantra is a sound, word, or phrase that is repeated to yourself. It could be spoken aloud as a chant, or silently, as in meditation. Many people think that the best mantras are sounds which have no clear meaning, and are used as a way of displacing your usual thoughts and moving your awareness inward. There are many mantras ranging from words taken from Hindu Sanskrit to Christian scripture (as when "saying the rosary," where the repetition of the prayer is meditative). If you do not already know of a good mantra to use I suggest you use "hamsa." This is a natural mantra, being the sound that one makes when breathing, with "ham" (h-ah-m) on inhalation and "sa" (s-ah) on exhalation.

Directions for the hamsa meditation:
¥ Sit comfortably. A quiet place is preferred, but not required.
¥ Close your eyes. Breathe naturally. Sit for about one minute before you begin thinking the mantra to allow your heart and breathing to slow.
¥ Gently bring your attention to your breath and begin to think the mantra, gently and easily. Just let it come, don't force it. Think "ham" on the inhale and "sa" on the exhale. Allow yourself to be absorbed in it.
¥ Allow your thoughts and feelings to come and go with detachment. Don't try to control them in any way. Just note them, and when you realize that you are not repeating the mantra, gently return to the mantra. Do not try to force yourself to think the mantra to the exclusion of all other thoughts. You may experience a deep state of relaxation but it is OK if you don't.

Meditate in this way for 20 minutes (children for less time). When done, take about a minute to slowly return to normal awareness. Be gentle with yourself when opening your eyes or coming to stand after a meditation. It isn't good for your heart to get up quickly after the state of deep rest that is often a result of meditation.

Note: It is OK to glance at a clock to time the meditation. **Don't use an alarm timer.**

I have found the following techniques deepen my experience. You will certainly find your own as well. These techniques are secondary and may be omitted entirely or added later:
- Keep your spine straight, head balanced on your cervical column.
- Many people like to pray or do visualization after meditating, while still in an altered state. Some teachers of meditation are opposed to this practice while others advocate it. I suggest to do it if it feels right to you. I do.
- As a "pre-meditation" preparation, bring your attention to the physical act of breathing. Breathe naturally and, with each cycle of the breath, bring your attention to a different part of your body, paying attention to the changes there as a result of the breathing: the rising and falling of the chest, the movement of your belly, the sensation of the air entering and leaving the nostrils. Can you feel any movement of your kidney area? How about your pelvis, do you feel your pelvis tilt at all when you breathe? What do you do between breaths? Is there a pause?
- If you don't feel these things it is OK, just consider them, one at a time, and move on. (This can also serve as a short "centering" meditation that can be done while waiting for a stoplight to change, or as a short work or study break.)

During meditation your business is simple awareness, nothing else. It is a time to connect to your inner Source and let go of the things and roles we get caught up in: work, parenting, worries and responsibilities. It may be that your meditation is peaceful, or it may be fretful and full of obsessive thought. Regardless, daily meditation will have a positive effect on your life.

Benefits of Meditation
The benefits are unique for each person, but both physiological and psychological balancing is common. Some of the benefits of meditation will be realized quickly, and others over many months, so don't be discouraged.

When to Meditate
I recommend that a person meditate twice a day. Before breakfast and before dinner are ideal. (The digestive system often shuts down during meditation, so a full stomach may result in indigestion.) Remember, whatever happens is OK. It's OK to fall asleep or to not become relaxed, OK to laugh or cry, OK to be or not to be in an altered state, OK if the mantra doesn't follow the breath as I have suggested, or even goes away altogether. What is important is that you have an *intention* to think the mantra during your meditation. In short, don't try to control it! For 20 minutes, twice a day, JUST BE!

Questions and comments on meditation
The most common question I get when I teach someone to meditate is "What do you mean by "think the mantra gently and easily?" My best answer is an analogy. When you read you take the effort to look at the page, to focus on the page and the words. And you *intend* to discern the meaning of the words. That is usually enough and the meaning comes without much effort, yet there is *some* effort involved. Thinking the mantra is similar in that you direct a similar level of effort (which is very little, yet it is there) toward thinking the mantra. You do *not* force yourself, brow furrowed, to think the mantra to the exclusion of all else. Just let it come, and if that is not enough, then encourage your mind to think it with a small effort.

If you are tired when you meditate you may fall asleep. Regardless, do not use meditation as a sleep aid. If you have insomnia, just meditate during the day and the insomnia will probably take care of itself.

Meditation

Here are some of the facts/advises that I found w.r.to Meditation in the net. There are many things that we know are good, but are too lazy/blind to follow - Mediation is one of them.
I will try to meditate atleast for 20 mins everyday from today.

Meditation
According to Swami Vishnu Devananda, meditation is "….a continuous flow of perception or thought, just like the flow of water in a river." A practice wherein there is constant observation of the mind, meditation brings awareness, harmony and natural order into life. It helps you dig deep into your inner self to discover the wisdom and tranquility that lie within.

Principles of MeditationThe basic points to be kept in mind in practicing meditation are:
• Have a special place and specific time for meditation. Try doing it daily.
• Choose a time when your mind is not clouded with worries.
• Sit up straight with your back, neck and head in one line. Facing north or east.
• Condition your mind such so as to remain quiet for the duration of your meditation session.
• Regulate your breathing. Start with 5 minutes of deep breathing. Then gradually slow it down.
• Follow a rhythmic breathing pattern - inhale and exhale.
• Initially let your mind wander. It grows more restless if you force to concentrate.
• Then slowly bring it to rest on the focal point of your choice.
• Hold your object of concentration at this focal point throughout your session.
• Meditation happens when you reach a state of pure thought. Even while retaining an awareness of duel self.

Followed diligently you will soon be able to attain a super-conscious state.


Tips on Concentration• At the outset, it is hard to keep your attention to keep focussed on one object.
• So it is better to start off by limiting your field of concentration to a category of objects.
• Choose your objects with care e.g. any four flowers, fruits, trees...etc. You must feel at ease with what you choose.
• After concentrating on one, you can move on to the next, if & when your mind starts wandering.

This style of meditative exercise will help you control your mind down to a finer focus, teaching you the principle of single point concentration.

Indian type seating position
Different spiritual traditions, and different teachers within those traditions, prescribe or suggest different physical postures for meditation. Most famous are the several cross-legged postures, including the so-called Lotus Position. For example, the Dalai Lama recommends the Seven Points of Vairocana in which
• the legs are crossed in either the Lotus Positon (here called the vajra position) or the other way, "Indian" or "tailor" fashion (here called the bodhisattva position)
• the eyes are kept open (thus affirming the world)
• the back is kept straight (like "an arrow" or "a stack of coins")
• the shoulders are kept even and relaxed
• the gaze is kept at a medium level — too low and one becomes drowsy; too high and one becomes restless
• the mouth is kept slightly open
• the tongue touches the roof of the mouth
Many meditative traditions teach that the spine should be kept "straight" (i.e. that the meditator should not slouch). Often this is explained as a way of encouraging the circulation of what we might call "spiritual energy," the "vital breath", or the "life force" (Sanskrit pranha, Chinese qi, Latin spiritus).
In some traditions the meditator may sit on a Western chair, flat-footed (as in New Thought); sit on a stool (as in Orthodox Christianity); or walk in mindfulness (as in Theravada Buddhism).
Various hand-gestures or mudras may be prescribed. These generally carry theological meaning. For example, a common Buddhist hand-position is with the right hand resting atop the left (like the Buddha's begging bowl), with the thumbs touching.
Quiet is often held to be desirable, and some people use repetitive activities such as deep breathing, humming or chanting to help induce a meditative state. The Tibetan tradition described above is probably in the minority for recommending that the eyes remain open; many forms assume that the eyes will be closed.
Often such details are shared by more than one religion, even in cases where mutual influence seems unlikely. One example would be "navel-gazing," which is apparently attested within Eastern Orthodoxy as well as Chinese qigong practice. Another would be the practice of focusing on the breath, which is found in Orthodox Christianity, Sufism, and numerous Indic traditions.
Sitting cross-legged (or upon one's knees) for extended periods or when one is not sufficiently limber, can result in a range of ergonomic complaints called "meditator's knee".

There are a few recommended guidelines for meditation:

¥ It should be done every day, preferably at the same time
¥ It should preferably be done before a meal rather than after a meal
¥ A spot should be set aside for meditation, which should be a quiet place and used for nothing but meditation
¥ One should sit with the spine straight and vertical (a chair is ok to use)

What is the best time of day to meditate? While meditation is beneficial at any time, most people who meditate agree that early morning is the best time to meditate. Part of the reason is that it is said that in early morning the hustle-and-bustle of the world has not yet begun and so it is easier to establish a meditative atmosphere. Having an early morning meditation also lets us carry some of the energy and peace of the meditation into our daily activities.

How long should I meditate? When first learning meditation it is usually not possible to meditate for more than 10-15 minutes. After regular practice for awhile, one becomes able to meditate for longer periods of time. Many people meditate twice-daily for 20-30 minutes each time, but the right duration and frequency is for each individual to decide.

My Interview screwup...

to be composed.

"I have a Dream"

This is part of the famous speech by Martin Luther King Jr.
The whole speech can be found in: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/Ihaveadream.htm

I got to see is speech in PBC and man, he is the best...

"Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! "

Ayyanar Vratham

Date: 03/03/2005
Place: India

I've always been amused by Ayyanar... Ayyanar is the Indian god for some selected group of villages in South India - he stands tall outside the village in an effort to protect te village. People usually beleive he is the strictest God and kindest, if you are true.

We do the following fasting ritual every year in March.
We stop eating non vegetarian, fried food, fermented anything from 03/08... then, mythically, Ayyanar goes to forest for hunting ("vettai") to the forest on 03/20... when he comes back on 03/25 he comes with good vettai (animals?)... ppl mimick that by walking thru forest w/ "kavadi"... Kavadi is a heavy weight teak-wooden structure decorated with peacock feathers, colorful clothes and flowers. The walk is the real test for patience and durability since it involves carrying this heavy weight kavadi for 14 miles walking in barefeet on scorching sun. Every year, one member, in round-robin selection, in the family takes the kavadi while others walk around him.

when the chosen guy takes kavadi, the family will make him sit alone in a madam (village common place) with water and snacks aside. He would fast the whole day... the family will leave to make other arrangements and to take a
sumptuous meal. In the afternoon, the family will come back to offer prayers and the chosen guy lifts the Kavadi and walk back to temple... 14 miles... w/ just a waist (yep, no shirt, no sandals:) his whole body will be covered in sandal paste..
The whole village ppl will fall on his legs, considering him a reprentative of God, to get blessings. Once the temple is reached, he's all tired, takes good food/sleep..
when he gets up - he will have all that missed for a month - morning starts w/ hot idli (rice cake) and 'kudal kichadi' (lamb intestine curry) :)""

By God's wish, I took the kavadi in Mar 2002...

Identity Theft (Lost?)

Date: Jan 27, 2005
Place: Los Angeles

I belong to a religion called ‘Hindu’ in India. Compared to Christian and Muslim communities, Hindu religion may not have many followers, but is the primary religion in India.

Sincere Hindu followers conduct in-house prayers everyday morning after bath. Some even recite mantra and Sanskrit poems, while others use friendly language to speak to God. After prayer, they wear a sacred powder in their forehead signifying the presence of the God. This powder may be of different color based on the God you worship, the common one being the white powder (‘thiruneeru’). This is comparable to the ash that Christians wear during ash-Wednesday.

In India, on any fine day, if you are in a technology park or in a business development center, you would see at least 50% of the men and women wearing these traditional powders in their forehead.

Here comes the disdain:
When these people travel to foreign countries, particularly to US, they either do not wear these marks or they rub off soon after the prayer is over (??). The common reason being ‘In US, the client folks are very particular about their religion and they would see this as invasion’. Te next famous one is ‘Oh, they would be surprised and often ask questions on how this works – I don’t want to be embarrassed.”

I wonder if these people believe and trust the Hindu religion, only when in India. Does God disappear when they are in America? If you believe in something, you should be confident enough to carry it over –irrespective of where you are – India or US, Client place or home.

Are American’s concerned about this? No. I wear my religion marks to office or wherever I go and people do not usually question that. Yes, they are surprised to see this for the first time. At times, if I have worked with someone long enough, they come and ask me, “Hey, if you don’t mind me asking, what is that orange mark in your forehead?” and I explain it to them.

I had a women colleague who used to wear such red marks in India and avoid the same in US. She would say “If you are acting as a dog, you are supposed to bark”. And I think that is the worst crap I have ever heard.