On International Women's Day (March 8th)

March 8th is marked as International Women's Day (IWD) every year and marks the occasion of women all over the world coming together to look at a tradition that marks the struggle for equality, justice and development. Books mention that this IWD is the story of ordinary women as makers of history and the idea of celebrating such a day first arose at the turn of the century, in which the expansion and booming population growth brought about radical changes in women's lives. I've been reading some articles on the Indian front on the subject of women's development and IWD and thought it would be interesting to share some of the readings and my thoughts on this topic.

India can boast of having created some legendary women, in terms of their remarkable personalities -such as Mother Teresa, Indira Gandhi, MS Subbulakshmi, Asha Bhonsle to begin with. Saluting these women on the event of IWD, its time now to recognize the achievements of modern women. The impact of thinking about women on IWD is hardly popular, when compared to Valentine's day or Friendshp day.

The underlying commitment that all these members of the fairer sex have is to uplift themselves and to reach out to someone in need. Indian women have travelled a long way from being just good wives, mothers and career women to break barriers and carve a niche for themselves in almost every field possible.

Here are some Indian women that i feel have made a difference to this society-

• Writer Sivasankari- A well known socialist who brings to light some of the important social themes such as alcoholism, adultery, women's abuse etc.
• Actress Shabana Azmi- Acting in rare roles on films that have a poignant social touch such as Arth, Ankur, Water, Fire etc, this woman is still passionate about her roles post- 50 years of age.
• Queen of Indian Cuisine Tarla Dalal- Recognized all over for her excellent recipes and especially popular for her North Indian and Vegetarian dishes.
• Sudha Narayanamurthy- wife of Infosys chairman Narayanamurthy and a writer cum chairwoman of philanthropic organizations and charity work to the villages in India
• Dancer Padma Subramaniam- still performing for the love of art and tradition at an age when most women have lost their interest in life or are too sick to walk around
  
  
  So, if you have a favorite woman whom you would like to acknowledge or add to the list on behalf of IWD, drop in your comments.

Crazy Weeks and "Space" Issue

Hello everybody,

Please look at the woman in the center picture-thatz me or thatz how crazy the past 2 weeks for me at work have been. I didn't expect my recruiting portion of the job could suddenly escalate to such heights. I am talking about the sudden trend where we have had employees who submitted their resignations during the past 2 weeks and managers not only wanting those positions filled in a jiffy, but also requiring temporary help to get through some of their work pile.

So, as the sole HR for a group of 40 folks, i had to fill in 7 positions as quickly as possible. I started to post our temp openings on craigslist-Bay Area's most popular site for local jobs etc and on all the other job boards, networking groups etc . Then, the permanent positions got to be posted on our Jobs website and the resumes started coming. I have been receiving 50 resumes per day for the temp positions and around 10 for each of the permanent ones. I then start the tedious process of phone screening candidates which takes forever and then setting up interviews....oh my god..its been the best 2 weeks of my life- as i have never before been so much busier at work and never have i felt this happy working so hard to recruit the right fit for a position and to be able to create the position, write a job description, go through the posting process, approving a salary range, pre-screening, interviewing, doing reference check, making an offer, negotiating, closing the offer, new employee orientation and have the new employee start on board. It has indeed been fulfilling to work on the whole cycle and i am happy that i have filled the 2 temp positions and have 2 finalizt candidates for 2 of the permanent positions before i go home for the day.


The not so good part has been the crazy work schedules special K has also been doing the past few weeks. I guess many other couples face this kind of thing when they both have stuff at work going on.

But, what got me remnisicing about things were when one of my classmates who has just gotten married tells me that inspite of spending a lot of time with her new husband, they don't get enough of each other. Ha ha..i say to myself......she is in the beginning stage of the relationship and i am sure that with time, she will also reach a point where she ends up knowing a little too much about her spouse and that is when she will think about just being by herself somewhere without the constant pampering- space would be required.

Well, if that be the case, then why am i not thinking that it is ok to be busy and happy with work rather than feeling that it would be good to not have so much of a space....

Happy Weekend!

KB's "Poi" Audio Release

Tamil cinema's most well respected director K. Balachander is working on his 101st directional venture Poi and the audio release function was held amidst a popular gathering of stars who had made a difference to the tamil film industry by KB's introduction. Surprisingly, the event lacked the presence of young top heroes like Surya, Ajith, Vijay even though their parents showed up.

The movie "Poi" is produced by Prakash Raj who is the first actor to set the stage for his mentor. While the movie doesn't have popular faces, the new comers are Uday Kiran as the hero and Vimala and Geetu are the heroines of the film. KB is said to have played a role in this film.

The event was a star studded evening with all KB introduced stars being present to honor their stepping stone to the tamil cinema world. Kamal and Rajini, the greatest finds of KB felicitated the event which was hosted by Prakash Raj.

More pics at India Glitz and Behind Woods.com

Knowing and Choosing for a special someone

This is my second post on the V-day series and now that folks have an idea for picking a restaurant, shouldn't picking a gift for your partner be next on the agenda?

I can visualize several men folks who read this blog to think that isn't this all too sappy stuff, who cares about V-day and isn't that a western concept, and so on..but still, it is a day where lots of shops and commerial folks make money from a majority of people who happen to believe or even are forced to believe by their female partners the whole idea of an evening dinner, gift etc etc....so its for those folks out there who are part of the community that thinks.. Oh Well, whatever..let me do this for my special someone to make her happy (if she is the sort of woman who likes all this) or for a woman who thinks I know my significant other isn't romantic or doesn't care about V-day, gifts etc, but still i feel nice about doing something different for that special someone in my life..................................

So, here goes...............

Knowing your partner-

Before you go out and plan or buy something for your partner, you will need to do some homework on the type of person your significant other is. I am sure that most of us know enough about our spouses or lovers, but this is for those clueless folks who would welcome some knowledge on the topic.

For the men folks-

If your woman falls under one of these categories, proceed, if not, add in your category. Women come in all shapes and sizes, in different temperament packages and so on, but almost every woman has a sensitive, romantic part in her that needs to be captured.

Type A- Women who fall under this category are the easiest to please, they love flowers, esp red roses and the sappy romantic films with a soft touch. For this lady, buying a jewelley set, a pearl set and a bouquet of roses sent as a surprise to her work or delivered at home along with an evening meal prepared by her man, will make her man score big on the thoughtful, romantic charts.

Type B- Women who are the brainy and nerdy kind, who love to read books, not just your Mills & Boon romance or pure fiction, but a non-fiction reader. For this type, go to a bookstore or if you already know her favorite author or book that she has been talking about for ages, buy it and take her for a drive to a quiet park and read the book with her. Be prepared to know all her intellectual favourites and discuss them with her as a way of spending quality time.

Type C- This is probably the hardest category of women to please-they are the tough ones who think that romance doesn't come with frilly expressions of love, flowers etc. that embarass her in front of her colleagues or in a public place. She believes that true companionship comes on a personal level and what do you do to please this lady- Try writing a page on what you like about her the most and some of the wonderful moments the two of you have spent in the past. Then, ask her what she would like to do for the rest of the evening and do it for her without complaining or trying to find a way around it.

I hope that these categories make sense to some of them men out there who are looking for ideas, and maybe if you think your woman doesn't fall under any of these, go ahead and try to know her and do something for her.

For the women folk-

I am not going to categorize men like i did women, since they aren't as much complex to understand with respect to their gift tastes. Most men, especially, the married ones and the fathers don't believe in V-day and gifting concepts, its mostly the single dudes, esp the ones who do have a female in their lives who want to do something.

Also, i am not so sure if many women want to gift something to their men by doing something extra or special for V-day knowing that their partners don't believe or get too excited about this. But still, if you are lady who feels that irrespective of your spouse taking you out for dinner or buying you something for V-day, that you want to show your affection, then go ahead.

It isn't that complicated to figure out what your man likes, there are men who enjoy being given attention and receiving gifts from their loved ones and there are men who feel that it is unncessary and embarrasing for that. So, know your man's preference and act.

A special meal with his favorite dishes prepared fresh by you after his tiring day at work will please most men. If your man is a techie guy, then go out of the way to buy him that Plasma TV or SLR camera or allow him to buy that expensive electronic gadget that he has been asking for a long time. If he is a movie buff, then go to NetFlix or Blockbuster and pick up his favorite Star Wars or any other movie he enjoys, or even better, buy it for his DVD colection if he doesn't have it. If he is a guy who cares about his appearance, then you have a wide array of choices- cologne, shirts, pants etc. If he is a bookaholic, then buy him that favorite book he keeps ordering at the library or he keeps reading during his visits to Starbucks.

If none of all these, then just ask him for a change, if he feels like eating out or just staying home and watching the TV and relaxing, even if its boring and seems unromantic for you, he will pinch himself hard for his good luck and eventually he will come and ask you " Let's do what you want, honey"!!!

Would be interested to read your comments on this.....................................................................

Bay Area Restaurants for Valentine's day

With Valentine's day coming up next week, there are going to be more blogs on the topic-

I thought i would start the first of the series by writing about some of the popular restaurants here in Bay Area . These are places that i have dined at in the past and have felt that they could end up being on a list for popular dinner dates on Valentine's day, anniversary days, spouse birthdays etc.

While, this list is only for folks in and around the Silicon Valley region, others can come up with something like this at their places to go out for a special meal. Please note that if you end up choosing any popular, high end places for crowded evening like Feb. 14th, you would need to make advance reservations several days ahead.

1. Nicolino's Garden Cafe ( 1228 Reamwood Ave, Sunnyvale)

This upscale restaurant is really festive during most of the year, and offers a fine Italian cuisine that leaves a lingering taste. The interior of the restaurant is beautifully decorated and the staff wear tuxedo and several dishes come flaming to the table. There is often a live band or singer performing and shows are at 6.30 and 9 pm on weekend nights which are slightly more expensive.

If you are up for an evening of formal attire, willing to spend extra bucks for some fine Italian food and womderful ambience, this should be a fine place to dine at.

2. Faz Restaurant (1108 N.Mathilda Ave, Sunnyvale)

Faz at the Sunnyvale Sheraton is a quiet, sophisticated place that brings mouth watering Mediterranean food for its diners. The interrior of its posh dining area is so elegant and unique with a colorful finish that makes it distinct from any other Mediterranean place that i have visisted so far. The seating arrangement here is stylish and split level type that leaves a distinct mark on your mind. Another different feature here is the exhibition type kitchen offers diners views of the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes made by the famous Faz Poursohi himself.

A quiet place worth dining for its unique furnishings and good food.

3. Gaylord Indian Restaurant (Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco)

Located on the top floor of Ghirardelli Sqaure in San Francisco, this is one of San Francisco's top rated restaurants that offers some delicious North Indian food. The tandoori dishes, kebabs here are so rich and taste divine. There is a nice selection of vegetarian dishes too.One of the expensive Indian cuisines that is often fully booked, it has some nice night views of the water and its surrooundings in SFO. Although, service and arrival time of the dishes are slow, it is worth getting dressed up to eat at this fine place and save some room to walk downstairs to Ghirardelli for some ince cream.

Indeed, a popular date idea for many!!!

4. Bucca di Beppo (Palo Alto)

Located in a busy neighbourhood in downtown Palo Alto, this is more of a family place or a place to go with a bunch of friends, more than a quiet dinner for two. The inside of the restaurant is lively with the walls decorated with famour Italian people and retro style ads. Also, you can see a huge display of wines hanging from the cellar in the ceiling. The food is good and the portions served are in large qauntities and presented in an appealing manner.

BDB is a great place to dine at with a bunch of folks as you can split the dishes (family style) and come out with a fairly small individual cost. Overall, there are some decent veggie dishes offered here.

5. Frankie, Johnnie and Luigi (Mountain View)

This authentic Italian diner is located on El Camino Real in Mountain View and can also be categorized as a family cum couple eat out place. We landed up at 8.30 pm on last Valentine's day without finding a reservation anywhere and were surprised to find this a fairly decent place. Even though, the interior of the restaurant is a bit stuffy, the food was good- nothing to rave about, but just normal, rich Italian stuff. The prices are extremely moderate and we did end up splurging ourselves that evening.

I am sure that other Bay Area folks would chip in their ideas for exclusive restaurants.........

So, if you do intend to go out for an evening dinner on Feb. 14th whereever you are, plan ahead of time, pick a place of your choice, make an advance reservation and enjoy the evening!

Revathy- A Ravishing Personality

Pictures from Hindu and telegucinema.com and Revathy's homepage.





Today's blog is about my all time favorite actress and woman- Revathy. It has all along been on my mind to write about this substance woman, but had the chance to do so only after coming across a recent article on her other pursuits in life.

Originally named as Asha Menon, she was born in Kerala to a retired army officer and his wife. Venturing into Bharathiraja's Mann Vasanai in 1983, she won people's hearts by her expressive features and natural flair for acting. Most folks liked her for her lively character roles where she managed to act with top stars and stayed in the industry during the 80's and 90's by doing clean roles without any vulgarity or exposure.

I have enjoyed watching and can watch many movies of hers several times without getting bored. My special favorites in Tamil are Idhaya Thamarai, Arangetra Vellai, Pudiya Mugam, Devar Magan, Marupadiyum, Kanni Rasi, Priyanka, Anjali, Pudumai Penn, Punngai Mannan, Mouna Raagam, Magalir Mattum and Kizhaku Vaasal. The actress has several Malayalam films with remarkable character roles that i haven't had a chance to see.

Apart from acting, Revathy has also ventured into directing films. Directing "Mitr My Friend" that starred actress Shobana, she made her subtle yet memorable entry into the realm of emerging women directors. The film was a realistic portrayal of a homemaker in the US who reaches out to her husband and in the process discovers her hidden talents. Inspired by the National Award that she recived for the directorial debut, she did Phir Milenge, another sensitive topic on AIDS.

This multi-talented woman is also a well trained Classical dancer and has given several Bharatnatyam performances to her credit.

There is more to this cheerful lady than just her elegance in accepting more mature roles out of her own will in recent films- she is also an active social reformer. She is involved with Banyan, an organization in Adyar, Chennai that cares and rehabilitates homeless and abused women with mental disorders who are found in the streets.

Recently, there was an article published about Revathy's attempt at sky diving at the Sulur Air Force in Coimbatore. She participated in the multi-adventure camp with the Indian Air Force trainees and proved that it was the adventurous, daring streak in her that made her pursue sport parachuting.

Kudos to this beautiful woman who only becomes more energetic and fresh with age.

Happy weekend!

Youngest Director for Guiness Book from India

Master Kishan Shrikanth is bringing more fame to India than any other youngster today. Born to the Shrikanth-Shylaja couple in Karnataka on January 6, 1996, this young chap is all set to enter the Guinness Book as the youngest film director at the age of 10.

Kishan is a well-known child actor in the Kannada film industry today. As of year 2006, he has a strong track record of having acted in 24 films and on a popular soap opera in Indian television.

This talented boy doesn't stop at acting and is pursuing a dream far and beyond his age, inspite of his next-door neighbor's kid looks.

He is all set to direct his first commercial film titled "C/o Footpath" (Care of Footpath). The story is about an orphaned boy who wants to go to school and make it big in life. Kishan's inspiration for this comes from wanting to do something for the orphan children he sees on the streets in Bangalore.

Besides, directing the project, Kishan is also playing the lead role. He has also written the story and is quite knowledgeable about calling shots from behind the camera. His cinematography and directional skills were acquired during his acting days from the age of 6.

C/o Footpath has Bollywood star Jackie Sheroff and a few other Kannada actors and is going to be shot in Kannada and will then be remade in Tamil and Hindi. This 135 minute film is being produced by Kishan's mother Shylaja who is a movie music director herself.

Kishan is planning an April 2006 summer holiday release and is busy juggling shooting schedules and issuing orders to the team as director.

As per current record, the youngest director of a professional film is Sydney Ling from Netherlans who directed the film "Lex the Wonderdog" at the age of 13.

If Kishan succeeds in his venture, he would break Sydney Ling's record and become the youngest director to direct a feature film.

Good Luck to Kishan for his directorial venture and in bringing glory to India!

Thiagaraja Aaradhana Day in Bay Area

South India Fine Arts (SIFA) is the premier organization in the San Francisco Bay Area dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and presentation of South Indian fine arts.

On a similar basis to the famous Thiagaraja Aaradhana in Thiruvaiyaru, SIFA- Bay Area is also hosting Thiagaraja Aaradhana Day - 2006 on Saturday Feb. 4, 2006 at the Center for Employment Training (CET in San Jose). Please look for more details at the SIFA website (www.southindiafinearts.org)

The whole function is a one day program starting with Pancharathna Keerthanaas rendering by singers and instrumentalists from 8-10.30 am, followed by rendering of Thiagaraja Keerthanaas by the South Indian community.

Who says that there is no T-day in the US? Indeed, living in the Bay Area caters to the needs of several communities of people, including lots of Carnatic music lovers.

Enjoy Bay Area Carnatic Music Lovers and Bloggers..................

Happy Friday and have a nice weekend!

The Perfect Woman

I was recently watching a commercial on TV, when guess who i saw grace the screens of Americal television? It was none other than the World's Most Beautiful Woman Aishwarya Rai, featuring in the L-oreal hair care product. She spoke with an American accent, though it was dubbed and she looks as smashing as always.

After a few days, i forgot about the whole thing. But, today, as i was reading an article on Woman's Roles and Images projected on media, this opened up a blog topic.

Mass Media advertising both here in the US and in India is always an artificial, dreamy world where no woman who looks ugly, obese, poor, or for that matter an average normal working woman who has kids, cleans, cooks and runs the family is ever portrayed truly.

All these so-called models and media women are used as a "tool" based on their gender to sell a product off the shelf. It is either the trim model showing off her good figure for an athletic equipment or a pale complexioned face for a fairness beauty cream.

Do these stuffed dolls ever portray a true picture of the everyday woman in real world?

Most of these commercials are taken from a male viewer's perspective, such as a man rescuing a woman who is suffering or a man who is stronger than a woman and so on.

Also, there are lots of real life women out there who feel constant pressure by being compared against these kind of paper-thin models who talk about beauty tips and creams, shampoos, diet regimen etc. One must remember that these women are standards for movie actresses and super models, not for an average looking woman.

It is a known fact that marketing will always involve showing off beautiful woman on their advts. as we all want to see some pretty images, but these characters need to be a true and practical representation of the common women.

Further, every woman has different appearance needs- a traditional homemaker who stays home and raises a family will have a different view on her appearance than a high flying top notch career woman who meets clients on a daily basis.

Finally, just want to end up quoting the article's conclusion that Women are still seeking answers to Freud's question- "What does a woman want"?

My take on that would be that All women irrespective of their nationality want to be loved, respected for their opinions and treated with dignity both at home and at work.

Coming up Saarang 2006 from IIT, Madras

Do you know what is shaking Chennaites now? Do you know what is the most popular and publisized culturals in Madras? Well, well.....Come Jan24-29th, IIT Madras is opening its gates for the biggest cultural fest that shakes the city- Saarang 2006.

More than a thousand students are involved in co-ordinating and perfecting their skills for this gala event. It is indeed a great show with a budget running close to a crore and the co-ordinators who put in their time, effort and energy into making this a grand time for all of the Chennai youth.

Indeed, everything is student managed and a lot of networking, making contacts with high level artists, community folks with amazing talents, finding sponsors, going after the advertisements etc all go into making this happen.

Just want to highlight this year's pro-show- Starting with the violin duo Ganesh-Kumaresh, and light music night featuring Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendosa, the ending event is going to be a rock show featuring Led Zepplica and Parikrama.

Apart from this, there will be the usual Speaking Events, Informals, Quizzes, Performances and Literary Events amidst several others.

I really had a good time enjoying SPB's light music performance at Saraang in 2000 when i was back in India. It was indeed a fun time with a bunch of us-college makkal, meeting fellow folks in the jam packed open air theatre and booing and screaming for SPB with our requests. The show lasted till 11 pm and SPB kept going on and on- Saarang is indeed a time for Chennai youths to have a bash of a time!!!

Finally, read that this year the IIT folks have decided to reach out to people all over the world by creating a blog dedicated to the making of Saarang, apart from the official site

http://www.saarang.org/

For those of you in Chennai- Don't miss this event!!!

From Chennai- Madhavan & his dosas

Picture from Hindu -Photo by N. Sridharan


Today's Hindu online's supplement section features an article on happening events in Chennai. Since, this event is popular because of my favorite hero-here goes today's blog on Maddie and his dosa making skills.

The Place: Planet Yumm in Ascendas Park, along the IT corridor, Chennai

The Occasion: Grand opening by Actor Madhavan and cricketers Balaji and Robin Singh

The Cause: Madhavan declaring that he would secure Rs. 2 lakhs out of his dosa making event to donate to The Banyan, a home run by actress Revathi as a non-profit institution for mentally ill and destitute women.

The Gala Event:

Madhavan draped in his Nala Damayanthi style chef apron plays the role of a Palimar dosa chef. He starts out by making one dosa, which he improvises to dosa 2, watched in eager anticipation by a crowd of his women fans. He keeps working on his dosas with rapt concentration, furrowed brows by adding ghee on the edges and tossing them deftly onto their crisp sides once they are done.

Then, the dosas are put up for auction. The pair of dosas opened for Rs.500 and while the crowd booed, Maddie yelled his price of Rs.2000. The auction kept mounting as women started to plunge in to overbid Maddie's price till it went upto Rs.12,000. Maddie who is now all rolled up into auctioning himself, quotes a firm Rs.20,000 for his hand made dosas. A bidder yelled Rs.25,000 and Maddie surprises everyone by announcing that he'd still add his 20,000 bucks.

Imagine- the price of 2 cold dosas now Rs.45,000 and sure Madhavan does melt hearts as well ashe makes melty dosas ends the applause.

The auction continued......Maddie then proceeded to make 2 cups of steaming mochas and sold it for Rs.25,000 to two girls who proudly told a stunned Maddie that they are the ones paying for this coffee.

Looks like the auction went on till a lot more money was collected and all credit goes to Madhavan.

Is this Maddie Madness at its fullest?

Hmmm..(sighing..................wish i was there to watch my favourite hero at this event)

Have a nice evening!!!

Happy Pongal and Sankranthi

Wishing all Bloggers A Happy Pongal and Sankranthi......................................

Some websites that depict the spirit of Pongal and brings back memories of Pongal celebrated in India:

http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/festive/jan14.htm

http://www.hyderabadcakes.com/pongal-recipes-02.htm

http://www.mypurohith.com/Festivals/Sankranti.asp

Pongalo Pongal................................Have a great Pongal weekend and Happy Martin Luther King Jr. day off for all those lucky folks out there who have a long weekend (like me).

Ensoy Makale!!!

From Work- Knowing our Personality Type

Cartoon Picture Illustration by Roger Armstrong (INFJ)

One of my colleagues who was out on vacation till the week after New Year came back to the office today. We went out for a cup of coffee and i was telling her about some of the candidates we've been interviewing for one of our job openings that has been posted for 4 months now. The interview process in our organization is pretty simple and straight forward- We have an Interview Committee of 3 people which comprises of 1 HR person and 2 technical folks(who aren't managers). After our HR person screens the resumes and schedules candidate interviews, the committee meets with the candidates and recommends them to meet with the Co-Directors (our bosses), if they are impressive.

Both are Co-Directors are wonderful bosses to work for; but their working styles and personalities are so different that its hard to reach a final decision. Before, i go off track, my colleague was saying that it would probably help me to brush my grad school books on Organizational Behavior and read about understanding different personality types in order to work with them in recruiting a candidate for that open position.

After going back to Myers-Briggs model and doing other reading, i finally decided to blog some of my understanding on the types of peronalities.

Usually, people come in various personality packages- some of the well known ones are the Type A and Type B personalities. Let me call my Co-Dircetors C and D.

Co-Director C is highly competitive and rushing. She likes to do several projects and tasks all at once. She is often hard pressed for time and watches her clock to make sure that things are done on time. Her schedule is often fixed and finding a meeting slot in her calendar is just crazy for her admin folks.

Her Interviewing Style: She makes sure her interview/meeting with a finalist candidate doesn't exceed an hour. She gets interrupted by the phone during her time with the candidate and often comes across as slightly intimidating to the candidate with her fast demeanor and pace.........................................She is my Type A personality.

By contrast, Co-Director D is less competitive, takes more time and is more flexible with her schedule.

Her Interviewing Style: She doesn't mind if the candidate talks for a longer time and is patient and thorough with her questioning. She doesn't answer her phone or appear impatient when she meets with the candidate. In fact, she talks to them a little bit about their previous job, commute etc before she starts the drill.................................She is my Type B personality.

So, then is Type A bad and B good? I don't think so. Both Co-Directors interview at the same time and there is a nice balance to the candidate. If Co-Director C is too busy on the phone, then Co-Director D makes the candidate feel comfortable and not neglected. Also, if Co-Director D is really taking a long time to warm up with her general talk, then Co-Director C plunges in and changes the pace of the interview. As long as the two of them can understand each other's perspective, they can compliment one another and provide a successful outcome.

Can the same theory be applied to our personal lives too. Is that why folks comment that when opposites often marry, they lead a very full life, since each partner makes up for the other's weaknesses and each brings important characteristics into the relationship.

Would be interested to see your comments......................................................

Mendocino- A Getaway Close to Home

During the XMas holidays, Special K and i took off to Mendocino, a coastal village that is nestled 4 hours north of San Francisco. Drving on Highway 1 along the coast is beautiful and scenic. We were lucky to have moderately good weather with the sun coming out on and off except on our way back when it started to pour.
There are several things about Mendocino that i like-

First, of all, it is close enough to Bay Area and we drive away on a Friday evening and come back on Sunday evening after spending two nights and a little more than a day there.

Second, we enjoyed our stay at the Blackberry Inn, a semi bed and breakfast place that had good views of the ocean from our room. We were surprised to meet the inn manager, a white guy, who introduced himself as Janaka. His wife's name was Bhavani and his son's name was Karthikeyan. His daughter-in-law is a telugu girl named Geetha. This is a white family and when asked about their names, he gave us a brief history of how they converted themselves back in years to Hindu-Shaivism and worship Lord Ganesha and other Indian dieties. Their puja room was filled with Indian Gods and sloka books. They have a Guruji who was born in Oakland, CA and now has his own temple in Kaui, Hawaii. Oh Man, these folks were celebrating Shasti and not XMas. When we were leaving, we were given incense sticks, a Chandrika soap and some Indian curry powder.

Finally, the area- This North Coast region of Mendocino is wonderously beautiful, quiet and relaxing with three state parks nearby, long breathtaking paths along the rugged coastline that lead to magnificant beaches that have no people. This is a place where one can totally unwind and blend in with the ocean and admire the views with a loved one beside you.

The village of Mendocino also offers some exquisite massage and spa houses which offer solace to the stressed out folks who come there just to rest. There are stores that sell local arts and crafts stuff for the tourists. Other attractions closeby are the Botanical Gardens and Skunk Train rides to and from Fort Bragg.

A definite place to visit if you live on the west coast..................

Have a restful weekend.

Boooooooooyah Jim- Let's Make Mad Money!

Pictures taken from Business Week online.

Come, 9 pm every night and its Cramer Time at our place, yes, Mad Money is what i am talking about. One of the most popular guys on TV today is Jim Cramer. Kids, old people and youngsters who are all into stocks love this man and his show. Cramer is the definition of top spirited vigor and this red-faced character depicts obsessive behavior on news reports yelling and banging his fists off. His show starts with hsi favourite one liner that He wants to make you a lot of money and not friends. The man has a $450 million hedge fund and still prowls the floors of TheStreet.com Inc's headquarters on Wall Street.

His show runs for an hour with Jim revealing a hot stock to buy or about owning an unknown company stock tip during the first quarter of his show. Then, the calls start to come in from all over the country-Its Booyah Jimmy all the way and folks ask him a question and off he goes with his hand gestures and expressions, throwing around stuff and banging the chair while he attacks every question thrown at him with his spontaneous animated talks.

I wonder how his voice doesn't crack or how he manages to sustain such a hyper level of energy throughout. Articles say that Jim Cramer is the same kinda person off the screen, even at work and a most shrewd and articulate "Stock Guru" who is all for popularity and limelight. Jim gives his wife due credit for bringing him to this level by motivating him into stocks.

Finally, his new book Cramer's Real Money: Sane Investing in an Insane World is selling like crazy on amazon and shows that Cramer has brought a new meaning and hope to sensible investing for common folks who are actively trading.

Booyah Folks!!!

I am back in the New Year!!!

Happy New Year to all

Here's me back into the blogging world after a break. It feels different coming back to this login and sitting down to voice my thoughts again. Some of you may have wondered about why the sudden getaway from this arena- Well, hmmm...............................ahhh.....let me just say that i was waiting for 2005 to end and start afresh in 2006 with renewed vigour and enthusiasm to blog.

New Year Resolutions- A Date to Remember

Many of us out there think of New Year resolutions as a means to give up some bad habits and acquire some better ones. The deadline helps us to bear in mind that we made this decision on a special day and must try our best to keep it going throughout the year.

When we talk about resolutions, several folks make personal resolutions about quitting a bad habit or following a diet restriction to lose weight etc. Its only a handful of folks that make selfless resolutions that involve doing something for the community, charity etc other than just for themselves and their families.

Lastly, there are a category of folks out there who don't believe in making a New Year resolution. These are people who think that every day is a new beginning and with some maturity and discipline we can continue to adhere to good practices and not choose a new year day to make a lofty resolution and end up breaking it after a month.

Would be interested to see some of your opinions......................

Once again, Happy New Year and its good to be back to blog again....