How about a Sin tonight?

This book was an accidental discovery... on the Mangalore trip for the Chess tournament.
I picked it up from the Reliance time out shop at the City Centre Mall bang opposite to our hotel The Vasanth Mahal.

I picked up the book for a couple of reasons.... Firstly the Title sounded good... Second the first few pages were highly erotic.... (later i found that the book is very beautiful, much more than just erotic)... third, the cost of the book was not very much.

I am thoroughly enjoying...

What is said on the back cover, last line is true.... It will leave you asking for more.

Maximum City...

Just finished reading the book. The book is too good. Lots and lots of insights about the city. I had grown up in Mumbai... but so many details about the city. Well researched and well written. His writing style is fluid. Further he is brutally honest. No bias. No hesitation. Calls an spade, a spade. That is good journalism. Maybe I will meet him sometime in the near future.

WBC

WBC... World's Best Career!!
Now you may ask "What is it?"
It is the Business system supported by NETWORK TWENTYONE (N21).
N21 is the Leadership Training Programme.
It supports Leadership Worldwide with Excellence.
The Education system will teach you the difference between
carrying the 'Bucket' and building 'Pipelines'.
Some details about the business model can be obtained
from the website www.n21asia.com.
Upon opening the site, select INDIA
and provide the IBO no. 510249.
You will not need the password as you will be a 'guest'.
For further details, contact personally when you reach 18 years
of age.
The system is supported by International Biz leaders from across the world.
I have researched the system and it is my conviction that it is the best system
in the world.
It is similar to doing an MBA course. Only better.

Marathon Chess sessions...

Nowadays whenever I meet the kids,
It is usually MARATHON chess games with the son.
The daughter is also keen to play SESS (thats how she pronounces Chess)
with me... But I tell her she has to grow up a bit.
Then sometimes we put the board and the pieces and just move some
pieces here and there and She will shout ATTACK and CAPTURE and e4.
That much is chess for her.
With the son it is entirely another story.
He is 'educated' in chess.
Goes to Sunday Chess Class.
So I lose most of the time.
He is evolving into a Quality player.
Sometimes I win..
Today I won three games against him, using the same approach.
The attack on the weakest square f2 of White and f7 of Black.
Whenever he makes a blunder, he will let out a scream of agony.
But it is fun...
I am already looking forward to the next session with him.

today I made two people very happy...

In the morning when I dropped the daughter for school at school bus pick up point, she told me in her choleric tone... WHEN I AM BACK YOU SHOULD BE THERE TO PICK ME UP... and later in the afternoon, I was there to pick her up. She was delighted to see me. When I reminded about what she had told me, she gave me a kiss. She was very happy that I was there to pick her up.

Later, got a courier from ACK... The Karna Comic. The son wanted that for a long time. I left the packet and went away. In the evening at 6 pm when the son was back from school, he got the comic. I called home to find out how he liked it. His voice conveyed his feelings. He was very happy.

I felt satisfied.

A Question by PRIYANKA...!!

Today Priyanka asked me a question:
"My parents said, it is not possible to win all the time.
I argued with them, that it is possible to win all the time.
Is it true that we cannot win all the time?"

My answer to her was this:
"It is true that we cannot win all the time,
Failure is a part of success,
Failures are wonderful opportunities to learn
what is not WORKING and move on to succeed
by attempting one more time."

Again, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO WIN ALL THE TIME
BUT IT IS NECESSARY AND POSSIBLE TO HAVE WINNING
ATTITUDE ALL THE TIME.

At the Chess Tournament...

Yesterday and Today, the son is participating in a inter-school Chess Tournament.
I am happy that it is possible for me to be with him at the Tournament.
Yesterday there were four rounds. He lost the first round, but came back strongly to win the next three. This gave him 3 points.
Day two has started the same way...
He has lost the first day...
and as I am writing this blog... he has gone into round 6.
He is playing black. Opponent is one HARISH KRISHNAN.
The nice things is, the son is learning a lot about the game, about himself and also
about life itself.
The bonding that is taking place between him and me is fantastic.
Today morning, in the time gap between round 5 and round 6, we got some
pleasant moments.
He was asking me some good MORAL questions.
"What would do if you had to make a choice between THIS and THAT?"
THIS and THAT varied to a great extent from eating an ice cream and sacrificing
it for the family or the whole world.
I had a wonderful time telling him about the choices that I would make and why I would do it.
I am enjoying these moments of bonding.
It would be great to be full time parents and grow up with the kids.
Waiting for Re to grow up. A couple of years more and it would be fun.
If both me and the wife would be at these tournaments... it would greater fun.

The SHIT philosophy...

The SHIT philosophy goes like this....

1. Nothing happens on its own in life. EXCEPT SHIT.
2. Just sit there and SHIT will happen.
3. SHIT will happen. You deal with it.
4. When SHIT happens, it is your SHIT. Clean it up.
5. You will never be comfortable with SHIT, but you may get used to it.

Now substitute SHIT with PROBLEMS in the above matter
and the whole thing will make sense.

MY SCHOOLING...

I studied in VANI VIDYALAYA school
J.N. Road, Mulund (West), Mumbai -400 080

I have vague memories of the early times
mom had taken me to the school for admissions.
I was already 6 years of age...
so I was admitted direclty into First Standard.

I also remember I got 100 out of 100 in Maths that year.
That was also the only time I ever got such marks in Maths
or in any subject.
I distinctly remember, the teacher asking
Who was teaching me....
I told her that my mom taught me at home.

Eleven years later, Maths was also the only subject
that I failed and lost the year in College.

I have some good memories of the 10 long years that
I spent in the school...
Interestingly I have no contacts with my school friends.
so much for the seriousness we pay to the relations that
are actually only associates.
Most of them may be gone within next 2-3 years.
Only indistinct memories remain.
That too takes efforts.
Names are forgotten in most cases.
More about school, some time later.

21st year of teaching...

It has been 21 years now...
It all started in 1989.
Seems like another life, another time.

Those initial years were magical...
There was hardly any difference in the age
between me and the students...

Plenty of growing took place in those initial years.
The initial years at DORAI's was indeed worth it...
But the real 'graduation' took place at Mahesh Tutorials.

MT was such a significant part of my life.
It was all like family.
But then destiny is another thing.

Everything happens for the good....
but at that time I did not know.
Now I am on my way.
Retiring soon...
Working hard to break off three 'legs'.
Three then I will be free.
will never ever work for any one then.

About 'LETTING PEOPLE DOWN'

Once in my counselling session... with DAN... he gave me such a beautiful insight into life... That month, I had failed to do my 15 plans... I fell short by 2 plans... Dan beautifully put a though into my mind that had a deep impact on me... He said, "Babu, if I would be you, I would never let my team down..." Now, this applies to all parts of life...
To think again, What it means to LET PEOPLE DOWN...
This is what I understand...
There are people around me...
Family, Friends, Associates, Students and others.
When I am working on a project and delaying the success of the same, I am sending wrong signals to very same people.
If some of them are looking up to me just to see if things work,
then a lot is at stake...
for them, and for me...
and I take full responsibility for everything.
The Onus is on me to succeed.
I can't let them down.
In this context, Dan's statement make a deeper sense.
:-)

My very first Students...

My very first students...
The few that I remember...
MADHURI SASTRI.... KAVITA.... SWATI MURTHY... UJWAL MOHIT... GOPALAKRISHNAN...
the next year... there was this batch of ARUNDHATI BHOSALE... HRISHIKESH BHOSALE... GUL ADVANI...

Why Social Studies...?

Sometimes people ask me...
Why did you choose to teach Social Studies....?
Because I love History...
Because I did not think when I started teaching the financial packages nor the significance of teaching maths...
But mostly, I guess it was situational...
At Dorai's he was starting a new subject .. SS.. for that years Tenth batch...
because it was the only opening available.
After so many years, I did not do bad, I guess.

Best parts of my life...

Definitely the family...
a couple of aquaintences....
the biz partners...
the books...
the biz...
the future...
the memories...
the values...
the belief systems...

People...

As I see it... at this moment.
I look back in time...
Such a long journey...
So many mistakes...
So many lessons...
So many experiences...
So many people...
A lot of great moments...
Some bad moments...
Some wrong choices...
Some lucky ones...
It has been wonderful 40 years....
Looking forward to the next 20.

21 years now...

I remember starting my first teaching assignments...
like it was yesterday....
It was 1989.
The same year, one young kid called SACHIN TENDULKAR
made his debut in International Cricket.
and another person AAMIR KHANs first Movie
Qyamat se Qyamat Tak was released.
I had just finished with my 12th grade exams...
Fresh out of Junior College...
Awaiting my 12th grade results...
Started with Social Studies...
In one DORAI CLASSES....
In Mulund East.

The same year, I used to see Advertisement boards
of one Mahesh Tutorials ... 2nd batch full,
and 3rd batch full and so on...
I was to work with them much later for a full
13 years.

My stint with Dorai Classes continued for about 4 years.
I had finished my College degree and was into PG
It was 1993, I joined MTs...
It was a big platform...
And in the coming 7 years it grew to a much bigger platform.
I made a name for myself.
Those days, I worked all seven days of the week.
Made some money.
Did not save any.
But now it is more than 20 years now...
In these years, Sachin Tendulkar went on to become a legend.
Aamir Khan has become #1 in Bollywood.
I will be quitting Academic teaching soon.
Is becoming uneconomical.

Me and Mahesh Tutorials....

Some students were surprised the other day (in XII Arts Class) when I told them that I had taught in Mahesh Tutorials till 2006. One of them asked me why did I join Mahesh Tutorials and not Nayak's tutorials. So I thought I would write something about that part of my life...
I joined Mahesh Tutorials way back in 1993. At that time they had only one branch in Mulund. Soon they started one more branch in Chembur.(...And Nayak's Tutorials did not exist then....) For quite sometime these were only the branches they had... Eventually Thane and Ghatkopar branches happened. They the explosion came somewhere around 2002-03... Suddenly there were MT branches opening all around. It was BOOM time. The growth was rapid and the strides were large. It became one of the best institutions to work for.
I remember when I had joined there were just a 'handful' of people. Literally a small family environment existed in the Institution....
The colleagues I recollect working together were....
Mahesh Shetty (he is the founder of MT...he used to teach Maths in those days... I don't remember Algebra or Geometry. Today I think he owns it entirely by himself... a businessman at heart)
Narayanan Iyer (he used to teach Geometry.... an Engineer by background, he was once the 'Right Hand' man of Mahesh Shetty.... recently disassociated from MT)
Manoj Nayak....(he was once a student of Mahesh Sir... later became a Maths teacher with MT and eventually went on to form his own NAYAKS Tutorials ... popular as NT)
Murli H. (he used to teach Physics.... still associated with MT at management level)
Shiva Muthuswamy (used to teach Maths at MT.... later went on to start MENSA COMMERCE CLASSES)
Rajesh Sahgal (used to teach Physics... studied Managment from XLRI... went into Corporate world)
Anthony Sir (used to teach English... later started his ANTHONY's FOR ARTS..)
Manel Shekhar Subba (used to teach Marathi... I think he is still teaching at MT)
Dwivedi (used to teach Hindi... still with MT)
Bhavesh Nagda (used to teach Chemistry at MT... later started his VBs Science Group Tuitions)
Chandresh Fooria (used to teach Physics .... later became the head of MT-Science)
Murtaza (used to teach Maths... later started MURTAZA-SANDEEPs Group tuitions.. which was later rechristened as the VEDANT Tutorials.... eventually quit teaching, did management from a University in China and went into the Corporate world)
Vipul Shah (as far as I remember.... he used to teach physics initially and later maths or vice-versa.... still associated with MT .. but now at management level)
I can remember these many people....
I am sure there were some more....
It was wonderful years growing up with an institution of the calibre of Mahesh Tutorials...
As one can see most of the classes that exist in Mulund.... had in the past, their founders worked in MT in different capacities...
I all these I will surely not forget to mention... the person who handled many many things in the classes.... Prakash Lohakare... (joined the classes as a teenage boy... later had a great amount of responsibility... but when the classes grew into an institution... there was no place for him.... the system gradually displaced him...he went on to start his own classes in Dombivili)
I joined MT ... somewhere in the winter of 1993... I worked with the Institution for the next 13 years... discontinued in October 2006... I had my own personal reasons for leaving... Inspite of the petty politics, that one finds in any organization of the size of MT... It is one of the good institutions I have worked for and I am glad that I had known in my lifetime... people like Mahesh Sir, Narayan Sir, and much later Mr. V.K.Shetty ( the amount of transformation he brought to the institution was extra-ordinary)....
Jayesh Sethia (hope I got his surname right....) and Sanjeev Kumar joined later... and so did many others like Prabhakar Shetty.... ( they are still associated with the Institution)
From a small 'classes'... it has undergone metamorphosis into a Giant Institution of the calibre of a 'brand' in Mumbai region..... all due to the 'Vision' of one man......Mahesh Sir. I am glad I had known once as one fine man.
(All things written and opinions expressed here are my own view-points and if any contradictions exist, they are not known to me and not created intentionally.... I express my regrets for any contradictions if any)

What to do after 10th....?

Good Question...
First of all... Lets look at an important question perhaps everyone has
WHAT TO DO WITH MY LIFE....?
But this question is irrelevant... if one does not know what one wants from life.
So...
the more rationale thing will be to clearly describe what one wants in life.
now, now, this is not an easy matter....
a good deal of time, energy and effort has to go into it.
We have to spend sufficient time to think about what we really want...
and then define...
write it down in present tense
as if we are already having it......
then read it everyday.... morning. afternoon and evening...
this practise will never let us forget what we want...
surprisingly... then
we will know what to do with our life...
Till we do not define our dream clearly...
there will be confusion...
But once the dream is crystal clear...
it is a piece of cake...

Books...

Books have made such a difference to my life... I have read a lot of books along the way... some were interesting... some were informative... some interesting... some boring... but some of them left me changed... some altered the course of my life... some books altered my nature in subtle ways that had huge impact on the way i live my life... a few books i am greatful to have come into my life are.....

FOUNTAINHEAD (taught me what it means to be a 'man'... that means human.. the power behind rational selfishness... i do not claim that i have understood 'objectivism' entirely... but i have got the fundamentals )...

FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES (came to know about the five ways'love'is understood and expressed...p-q-w-a-r)...

PERSONALITY PLUS (helped me to understand myself so that i can understand others.. helped me come a long way in life)..

YOUR ERRONEOUS ZONES.( the multiple emotions that we use to hang on to the past and stop ourselves from progress)..

THINK AND GROW RICH(at one point my income simply doubled because of the courage this book gave me.. I am glad i read it)...

OSHO(the evergreen philosopher... though i avoided osho for the same reasons a lot people still believe he is all about free sex... had denied myself a lot of clarity in life ... but life somehow brings me to the right things... Osho was one of the most beautiful things to happen to me.. helped me to get a lot of my thinking right... helped me to be honest with myself and not feel guilty for what 'I am'...

FREEDOM AT MIDNIGHT (based on the one year from Jan 1947 to Jan 1948. helped me to 'live' through those moments of history as only a book can do....

.SKILLS WITH PEOPLE...(short and sweet... just the points... what to do and what not to do..)

THE NAKED APE... (a beautiful book on what is HUMAN being.. biologically)

THE NAKED WOMAN (by the same author ... a beautiful book on the beauty of the woman's body... every woman and man should read)

BLINK....(on the hidden power of the sub-conscious mind)

RICH DAD POOR DAD (on what the rich teach their kids about money and the poor and the middle-class do not)

CASHFLOW QUADRANTS (on the four quadrants E-S-B-I... man what fantastic information... if understood, you will never be comfortable to be on the Left Hand Side)

BODY LANGUAGE (the one by Allan Pease.... because there are so many of them by the same.... simple, straight forward on reading the 'body' language)

DA VINCI CODE.... (part fiction.. part fact... good read for all history lovers)

There will be many more....

Life is such a beautiful journey....

PEOPLE......

Shrikant K..... Prakash..... Ganesh.... Balamurali.... Balamurugan.... Kandaswamy.... Sheshadri.... Rajalaxmi.... Chitra.... Kamala.... Rakesh.... Dinesh sharma.... Krishnadas Bhagwat... Krishnasingh Kapkoti.... Ravi.... Charul.... Vinay Sharma....Rasna... Shilpa Upadhayay..... Sangeeta Jain... Harshada Patil.... Aarti Deval.... Arundhati Bhosale.... Hrikesh Bhosale... Gul Advani.... Madhuri Sastri.... Kavita Krishnamoorthy.... Anindita....