Onam 2009

Onam is one of Indian festivals celebrated by the Keralites in India. Onam sadya is BIG lunch taken along with family members and friends. This will always have lots of dishes and desserts. Desserts are always different kind of Payasams. All these years I was either having sadya prepared by my mom or from take-away hotels. But on 2009 I and my better half decided to prepare our own..as it was first time preparation, did not invite friends. I, my 6 year old kid were only part of the experiment.

We shopped twice to make sure we have all items required and made sure all is fine. We woke up early had a nice cofee and did all morning chores. Had a wonderful breakfast with Dosha/sambhar/chutney. It was yummy.

We started preparing the sadya. I tried to help Sangeetha(wife) but it was understood that, it was better for me to be out of it. She really worked hard (she was helped by our housemaid). she was preparing one items after another. All was going fine. It was the turn to prepare dessert i.e Pradaman Payasam. I was asked to get the milk of coconut, well I did it but with lot of water, Sangeetha was not happy with it. But she couldn't help it as I had messed it up beyond repair. There were few other messups too.. but finally we had a OKAY output.

It was time to have the Sadya. Bananna leaves were cleaned(I did it) laid. Bananna chips, mango pickle, inji(ginger) curry, pachadi, thoran, merkoritti, aviyal, bannana, papaddam decorated the bannana leaf. Rice was served, on which parippu was server hot. With ghee and pappadam. After that a little rice with Sambhar. Then had the pradaman. The a little rice with Pulicheri...WOW santhrupti...what a wonderful sadya.

Sangeetha declared 2010 Onam we will invite guests too.

How I learned Swimming

I was always jealous of the guys who swim swiftly in the pools and beaches. Finally I too decided to learn, 'How to swim', joined a hotel nearby where an instructor use to conduct bi-weekly classes. On the first day I realized that I have to learn with kids, apart from me all were kids at the age of 5 to 10 years. I accepted it and made a decision to learn. First two classes I learned how to float holding the ladde or the boundry of the pool. Later the instructor encouraged me to leave the ladder and float and move. I achieved little success. My instructor told me I have to reduce some weight and belly, I weighed 85KG, which is 10 Kg extra. Well after four classes I fell sick...high fever. I rode on anti-biotics and missed two classes.

Now I have taken a membership with the hotel and am learning 'How to swim on my own'..
and succeeded in my mission. Now I can swim.Now I can swim can you belive that..he he.

Recession Recession Recession and 2009

Entered the new year 2009 with a baggage called recession.Who is this recession? This recession has brought down the market due to which money has started evaporating.I hate recession as it has made the jobs insecure. No one I know has lost job but I am regularly hearing that people are loosing job. There are rumours that around 10,000 lost jobs. I am in 2009 15 days past. I started hearing that my friend's friends have lost job.

Thare is a re-organization going oon in my company. A famous consulting firm is making a new Organization chart and drafting new objectives for the company. This has added nw fears, confusion, excitment etc.

I belive in my skills and very confident.I do not know what kind of feeling in my mind. I was managing two projects. One is taken away from me and handed to other guy.I was told that nothing is against me but part of 'Quick Fixes' which is done by a comittee parallel to the consulting firm.No one knows what is happening. My supervisor resigned and another collegue is tring for a transfer.

I get worried but always try to motivate myself.

But still I have a fear...a confusion.

I think evreything will be fine. I will do very good in 2009. :)

My PMP Certification

Being a software engineer for long,I always wanted to take more responsibility and lead the project.I wanted to become a Project Manager(PM).

I became a PM by experience and started sucessfull delivery of projects, also had a good learning curve.To attain PMP certification was my one of the targets in 2008.I am working as a PM in a organization and handle multiple projects,this leaves me with very less time to study.Looking at this I scheduled september end in June. So I had 3 months with me. I had a small foundation from the pre-req classes and had an idea how to start, what can expected from PMP exam etc.

I was not studing regurlarly but was studing hard when ever possible. I started with PMBOK and found that I was not able to move smoothly. Then I started reading RITA's book. This worked, things started moving.After reading each chapter did do the questions at end of the chapter and corrected the wrong ones.Then I read the whole PMBOK, understood the processes and knowledge areas. Then I listened to computer based lectures on various processes and knowledge areas.Then for two continous days did tests and reading the errors.

One other thing I was doing was thinking PMISM at work based on what ever knowledge I was gaining every day. Even though I was not able to do exactly as PMBOK, I use to tell my self I am doing worng(as PMBOK says something else). Finally reviewed all the inputs/ 'Tools and Techniques' tharoughly in PMBOK.

Initially planned for the full september as 'vacation to study', but did not work out as due to work pressure, got only 5 days vacation to study. But I utilized them very good say 14 hrs a day.I spent a relaxed day(did not study) before exam.

On the day I reached test center early settled my self. Completed verifications and sat at the terminal with the pencil and paper provided.All my things(mobile, pen, pencil, tissue paper etc).I wrote down all the formulas and the table of processes and knowledge on the paper provided. Spent 5 mins reading the tutorial. Spet 5 minutes relaxing my self. took many deep breaths, finally just before 30 secs(to finish the tutorial) started the exam. Calculator was in-built with the exam engine.

First question was a tough one, did not have a clue selected the best I thought and marked it for later review, the next two followed were also tough, took a deep breadth, answered the best and marked them for review..then got a easy one...and continued...kept a eye on timer. Did calculate early that 50 questions an hour. Kept that momemtum and never accelerated. Did have 5 minutes at end looked at a few marked ones.Exam ended.I was optimistic. Clicked end. Terminal showed processing. Finally congragulations!!

bad time.But why?

It is true that most of the time in life we are happy and comfortable …nothing to complain at that time. But there comes bad times too.

We get disappointed in life. We get sad in life? We loose in life? People around us tell that we should forget bad experiences and move ahead. Is it that easy? Is it that easy to forget those moments? Is it that easy to forget all the money? Is it that easy to forget all those happiness and comfort? Is it that easy to forget those expectations? Is it that easy to forget the happy result?

I have found that it’s not easy to forget the past and move ahead, being aware that there is no point in crying over the spilled milk. I did move ahead but there exist a feeling inside that I have lost it, it would have been good otherwise. But time does cure everything. Always a question mounts in my mind; if it had to break from my hand, why was it given to me. Why it happened to me? Why things which don’t work out happen? Sometimes I answer myself…that it’s because initially I asked for it and it didn’t give much time to it. When I asked or went behind it, there were enough reasons, saying it will not work. But I was blind couldn’t understand the reasons. There were signs saying this will not work. I was so eager to have the flower that I didn’t see the deadly thorns on it. Is it like all flowers come with thorns? Yes, beautiful rose does…No, tulips don’t. Hmmm…

Or is it like the thorn was grown because I didn’t take care of the flower properly. How can that be? I am always right. I have done things in the best way I could. That is not the case. I spend very small amount of time to find fault with me. I stop this investigation (of finding my fault) by saying, “Even though there is fault with me it’s very small”. But I tried every way to keep it. I don’t see I could have done things in other way to keep the flower. Hmm…Yes there were some other ways but they seem unorthodox. I did lot of things but each solution brought up many more problems. It seems like there was no solution but to drop.

Again this life is a journey, if we are always comfortable then; we will loose the meaning of comfort; we will loose the meaning of easy; we will loose the meaning of sweet etc.But the question was, if it was to go this way, why did it happen? I know, it was an experience, It was learning, There were comfortable moments…but. I am still looking for an answer…why did it come to me, if it had to go…

I would like to quote Omar Khayyam here: “…Unborn Tomorrow, and dead yesterday, why fret about them, if today be sweet…”

A candle looses nothing if it is used to light another one.

Some time ago at the seattle Olympics, nine athletes, all mentally or physically challenged, was standing on the start line for the 100m race. The gun fired and the race begun. Not everyone was running, but everyone wanted to participate and win.

They ran in threes. A boy tripped and fell, did a few somersaults and started crying. The other eight heard crying. They slowed down and looked behind them. They stopped and came back...All of them... The girl with Down's syndrome sat down next to him, hugged him and asked,” Feeling better now?” Then, all nine walked shoulder to shoulder to finish line.

The whole crowd stood up and the applauded. And the applause lasted very long time..... People who witnessed this still talk about it. Why? Because deep down inside us, we all know that most important thing in life is much more than winning for ourselves.

The most important thing in this life is to help others to win. Even if that means slowing down and changing our race.

What you remember? :)

Now think and try to answer these questions: -

1) Name the 5 richest people in the world.
2) Name the last 5 Miss Universe winners.
3) Name the last 10 Nobel Prize winners.
4) Name the last 10 winners of the best actor Oscar.

Can’t do it? Rather difficult, isn’t it?
Don’t worry, nobody remembers that. Applause dies away! Trophies gather dust! Winners are soon forgotten.

Now answer these questions:

1) Name 3 teachers who contributed to your education.
2) Name 3 friends who helped you in your hour of need.
3) Think of a few people who made you special.
4) Name 5 people that you like to spend time with.

More manageable? Its easier. Isn't it?
The people who mean something to your life are not rated "The best", don't have the most money, haven't won greatest prizez.... They are the ones who care about you, take care of you, those who, no matter what, stay close by.

Think about it for a moment.

Life is short! And you, in which list are you? Don't know?

Its time to be Happy!

We convince ourselves that life will be better once we are married, have a baby, then another. Then we get frustrated because our children are not old enough and that all will be well when they are older. Then we are frustrated because they reach adolescence and we must deal with them. Surely we'll be happier when they will grow out of teen years. We tell ourselves out life will be better when our spouse gets his/her act together, when we have a nicer car, when we can take a vacation, when we finally retire.

The truth is that there is no better time to be happy than right now. If not, than when? Your life will always be full of challenges. It is better to admit as much and to decide to be happy in spite of it all. For the longest time, it seemed that life was about to start. Real life. But there were always some obstacles along the way, an ordeal to get through, some work to be finished, some time to be given, and a bill to be paid. Then life would start.
I finally came to understand that those obstacles were life. That point of view helped me see that there isn't any road to happiness.
Happiness is the road.

So, enjoy every moment. Stop waiting for school to end, for a return to school, to lose ten pounds, to gain ten pounds, for work to begin, to get married, for Friday evening, for Sunday morning, waiting for a new car, for your mortgage to be paid off, for spring, for summer, for fall, for winter, for the first or the fifteenth of the month, for your song to be played on the radio, after finishing coding for this project, after implementation of this system, the next morning, from Monday, to die, to reborn...before deciding to be happy.

Happiness is not a destination, its a voyage. There is no better time to be happy than... now.
Live and enjoy the moment.