2012...Looking back!

14^th Dec will be etched in my memory forever. That was the day, I felt Nazia Tanwir has truly arrived!

Received the National HRD Network, Zenith Extramiler Award on Friday. On Cloud 10!!!

Zenith Extra-Miler Award from National HRD Network for Nazia Tanwir

One might receive scores of Internal awards, but external recognition is always special and very hard to come by. Because, there is no dearth of excellent HR professionals in today’s corporate scenario. And meeting some of my peers from different companies in the recently conducted NHRDN event at BBSR, really made me stand up in amazement. Each one of them, so talented and a professional in true sense of the word.

2012 turned out to be happening for me. Role change, 2 individual awards, 2 team awards, and so much more! Looking forward to 2013, with all enthusiasm!

Akira steals the show

My verdict is crystal clear! I loved JTHJ thoroughly!

Not because, I am crazy about King Khan, but ‘coz of scores of other non-mushy reasons.

The first and foremost being the way the movie has been handled, the entire treatment of it, so delicate and mesmerizingly beautiful. Not just the stars, but the locales, attires, meaningful dialogues, soulful music, and yes of course the aura of Indian Army. The movie symbolizes the crescendo in Shahrukh’s career, who has once again proved his mettle as the uncontested king of romance. An actor who not only defies age but also defies death in crucial junctures in the movie. Looks as young and charming as he looked in serial Fauji & Circus.

Coming to Katrina. Undoubtedly, the most beautiful actress, hindi cinema has ever seen. With a skin of peaches & cream, she looks like a dream in the first part of the movie, thanks to the chiffons and the smart business casuals. Her dance number in the pub, was truly class apart. One of her finest performances till date. But the lady, who stole the show, was none other than the Spunky Akira! The powerful punch lines, carefree expressions, live-wire like character, brought alive the character of Akira, and each one of us empathized with her lost love. (I was too busy praying in the second half that Anand falls in love with the delightful Akira, after he regains his memory ;) )  

I was greatly impressed with the dress designer of the movie. Can’t seem to remember who that was though. Be it Akira’s blue watch, the grey boots, the black clunky bag, Katrina’s green coat, red jacket, or the cargo pants, each piece of the attire was chosen with great care and it gelled perfectly with the story line.

Some scenes in the movie left a lasting impression on my mind. Major Anand striding down in a desert like area with a drop dead gorgeous and intense look, with bombs exploding in the background and the one where Akira gives the closure speech. Most heart-touching moments in the movie.

I really want to watch it again, as I missed the first 15 mins thanks to rush-hour traffic L, on a crazy Monday.

Cheers to Yash, Shahrukh & Akira! J

How to prepare the “World’s Best Shaahi Chicken Keema” in just 15 mins. (Nazia’s Patented Recipe)

300 gms Chicken Keema

3 medium sized Onions

1 large Tomato

2 green chillies

1 bunch of Fresh coriander leaves

1 teaspoon Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder

2 Tablespoon Ginger-garlic paste

1 teaspoon red chilly powder

Salt to taste

2 table spoon Sunflower refined Oil

1.       Chop the onions, tomato and green chillies finely. Keep it aside.

2.       Take 2 tablespoon of oil in a flat bottomed Sauce pan, and heat it. Then add the Onions. Keep on stirring it till its golden brown. Then add the chillies and tomato. After 2 mins, add 2 tablespoon Ginger and garlic paste. Continue the stirring till the oil leaves the pan and a lovely aroma emanates out of the pan.

3.       Add the Chicken Keema (Minced Meat). Then the dry cumin and coriander powder. Stir it for around 5 minutes, add half a cup of water cover the lid. Let it cook for 10-12 minutes.

4.       Then add the fresh coriander leaves and garnish it with fine onion rings and arrange it in a concentric fashion delicately.

5.       Don’t forget to take a pic of the dish and upload on FB, lets see, if you can beat my Chicken keema (Looks wise atleast! :P )

Chicken Shahi Keema----Prepared by Nazia Tanwir

Enjoy the dish, with your loved ones! Great way to spend the weekend! :)

Cheers!

Nazia

Derailment of Democracy

So this is the second “Bandh” in this month. This time, it is for diesel price hike. Sometimes, I wonder, do such “Bandhs” really serve their purpose? What about the inconvenience caused to “Aam Aadmi”? Does anybody actually care for them? From “anybody”, I mean the political parties (both ruling and opposition). Such events make the environment conducive for all kinds of anti-social elements, who are always on the lookout for such devilish opportunities to make a career in hooliganism. Who can forget the heart wrenching pic of a lady police getting bashed up by villians during the last bandh in BBSR. I was shell shocked to see the pics on the front pages of all the local dailies. The most disgusting aspect was that, photographers from media were too busy clicking pics of the event, rather than making an effort to save the lady! That was humanity at its nadir! Really sickening!

I usually avoid writing about political events, but couldn’t help writing the above para, ‘coz of my restless soul. I have very high regard for media people, but sometimes, they tend to get too heartless. What is the difference between the hooligans and them? One was involved in the criminal act, and the other was glorifying it, instead of preventing it. Despicable,  indeed.

I just hope and pray, nothing untoward happens tomorrow. (Fingers crossed)

This blog is getting too serious, lets delve into some lighter stuff now…

Many of my friends have complained, as I couldn’t blog since last few weeks. Reason was that, I was finally bitten by the Viral fever bug, which kept me out of action for about a week. Also was too busy reading various stuff, fiction and non-fiction. Out of the 4 Alex Rutherford’s books, only one is left now. Too mesmerized by her talent of research and writing. Want to visit all the forts in Agra and Delhi once again, to re-live the experience of the Mughals. If Allah grants me one wish, I would like to be re-born in the Mughal era J

Playing tennis. That was another of my childhood dreams, which I am trying to fulfill now. 3 days down, and I am yet to hit a clean shot. Very few of my shots reach the other side of the court, don’t really know why. (Much to the dismay of my friends on the other side of the net) Actually, you need to have very strong arms and wrists to master this game. Which I am not blessed with, may be that is the reason. Anyways, perseverance is the key. If I could learn swimming (Had hydrophobia), I can learn anything. J

What next…may be Squash. Lets see. ;)

Saw a good movie, after a really long time. Yes, you guessed it right! Barfi! J

Ranbir was class apart. Illeana was good. Priyanka…hmmm ….was Ok. Rani would have been a better choice. Songs were mellifluous. Now I want to visit Darjeeling! J

This much for now…cya next weekend!

Cheers!

(Psst : My blog dashboard reveals that I have readers from far-off countries like Ukraine, UAE, Australia, France, China, etc. That’s really heartening to know! Thanks a bunch, guys! Keep reading!)

Learning beyond textbooks!

During my MBA days (2007-09), we went to a village named "Nuagadh" to participate in a "Disaster Mitigation Program", which was jointly organized Red Cross Society of India.

Wrote the below article based on my experience, which subsequently got published in one of the College Magazine. Was rummaging stuff on my old lappy today, and came across this write-up. Certainly refreshed my college memories...

We, a group of 48 students accompanied by Prof. Partho Sengupta and two officials of The Red Cross Society went to a village named Nuagadh near Puri, which was one of the worst affected areas in the 1999 Supercyclone.

Objectives of our visit:

1.      To gain first- hand knowledge of the initiatives taken by The Red Cross Society in educating the people of Nuagadh village about the nuances of disaster management tools and techniques.

2.      To have a better understanding of the technical and humane aspects of any disaster.

3.      To understand the step wise procedure of a disaster mitigation programme.

4.      To get real hands on experience of how people live in villages, their problems, their livelihood methods, etc.

5.      Interacting and encouraging them to hone their skills in disaster mitigation.

We started on a cold and foggy morning of 11^th Jan’09 at about 8 am from our hostel. But the weather failed to dampen our energy and spirit. In fact the weather was a perfect contrast to what we were feeling from within. Since this trip was going to be our first in our MBA lives, we were all fired up to make it a resounding success.

We picked up Partho Sir and the Red Cross officials on our way to the Red Cross Canteen in Bhubaneswar. After having a hearty breakfast of Puri sabzi, gulabjamun and refreshing cups of tea, we started our sojourn to the village of Nuagadh. One of the officials addressed us in the bus, outlining the salient points of the Disaster Mitigation Programme and how the visit would be enriching our lives as well as the lives of the natives of Nuagadh.

Super Cyclone of 1999 in Orissa

We reached Nuagadh at about 11.30 am. We were overwhelmed to receive a very warm welcome from the natives and Red Cross officials. They greeted us with bouquets n flowers. All of them were gathered in a disaster prevention shelter, which was a one storey building with facilities like tap water and toilets etc. First we were shown a video depicting some shots of the 1999 Supercyclone and the initiatives taken by Red Cross. The video was with a very mellifluous yet gut wrenching folk song in Oriya about the hazards faced by people during the cyclone.

After having refreshments of Biscuits and coffee, they introduced the volunteers of Nuagadh, who had undergone successful completion of Disaster Mitigation Training Programme. And from there onwards, they took over. We were quite astounded to meet such a spirited bunch of young people who had not only the confidence to give superb presentations but a very sound knowledge about the skills required during disaster mitigation. The flair with which they presented and explained to us,  even though they were armed with simple tools like chalk n blackboard, would have put any tech savvy MBA  graduate to shame! That just goes on to show the depth of talent and hidden potential of the youngsters in our villages. It’s high time India starts tapping into this huge reservoir of talent, if it truly wants to become a developed country.

First of all, a female volunteer showed and explained to us the map of their village, what do the different icons mean, what are the different routes and pathways etc and what is our exact position on the map.

Then a manual siren was shown to us, which is used to warn the people about any upcoming disaster and its use was demonstrated. Its sound waves carried up to 2 km.

They explained to us the importance of having records like how many adults, male and females, kids; handicapped, elderly people stay in which parts of the villages, and how to relocate them or to evacuate them to the disaster shelter in the fastest way possible.

Then the various life saving techniques were demonstrated by the volunteers. How to lift and carry an unconscious person who is double your weight from a one storey building was one of such techniques shown to us. First aid procedures like bandaging a broken skull or injury were demonstrated with quite theatrical proficiency. Artificial respiration, and how to bandage a broken arm were also shown.

Map showing Nuagadh vis-a-vis other places

A very novel comparative analysis was shown by one of the officials. The whole disaster mitigation programme was compared to a building, where the foundation stone was compared to The Red Cross Society without whose initiative and support , the whole programme wouldn’t have existed in the first place. The volunteers from the village were compared to the bricks. They are the ones who have to learn the skills and techniques and propagate it to the others. They are like the cells of our body, structural, fundamental and functional unit of life. The knowledge or the expertise is the cement that binds the bricks or the volunteers together. We found this comparison very thought provoking and it left a deep impact

on our minds.

Then we were divided into 6 groups. Each group was accompanied by a set of 3-4 volunteers and we started on our journey of exploring village life. Interacting with them while walking through the narrow lanes and by lanes of Nuagadh, we learned so much about them, that no book on Rural Management could have taught us ever! That was a very enriching moment for all of us, especially those who never had the opportunity to visit a village before. We also visited one of huts and saw the architectural marvel. Because of its very low entrance and high ceilings, the huts remain very cool in summer and warm and cozy in winters. They offered us “ber” or “Koli”(an Indian fruit grown in villages mostly) as a goodwill gesture. We walked though endless farms and fields and finally reached a small “Sukua” factory on the bank of River Devi. Sukua is basically a kind of Dried Fish, considered a delicacy for non-vegetarians. Its smelly, but once its cooked, tastes heavenly. Most of the villagers are employed in this factory. We also went inside the factory and saw the packaging of “Sukua”. It was kind of a small scale industry visit, very enlightening of course.

Then we returned to our base camp at around 3.45 pm, had a delayed but sumptuous lunch consisting of delicacies like Mushrooms, Gobi, Paneer, etc. Then we organized a small felicitation ceremony for the officials of Red Cross Society who made our visit possible and successful in every sense of the word. They were the connecting link between us and the villagers of Nuagadh.

While returning to our bus, we experienced a very poignant moment, when one of the volunteers named Kartik, a 12 years old boy who had lost his entire family in the Supercyclone, asked us, “Didi! When are you people coming back again?”. We could only reply with a smile, stating our uncertainty, but one thing is for sure, apart from the intellectual upgradation that we experienced, we also had profound spiritual enrichment. We will always treasure and cherish the precious memories of moments spend with some really genuine and warm people we have ever come across in our lives.

Gen Z and its ways...

Read a very good article in ET today, about the upsurge of a niche group of high performing and high maintenance young corporate executives. Extremely efficient, tech-savvy, practicing work life balance, seeking appreciation and recognition constantly. Its really heartening to know, we are gradually shifting towards a more holistic work culture and environment where laid back lifestyle is giving way to healthy competition.

While the article focused on the characteristic traits of such individuals and gave essential tips for their bosses on how to handle them, I would like to take this article one notch higher by discussing the challenges faced by such executives. While the challenges are manifold, lets deliberate on the first and foremost of them.

Resistance by Gen Y (Assuming this bunch is Gen Z) : Its basic human psychology. People resist change, be it any kind, good …bad…strange, whatever! They just find it hard to believe, that a week’s task can be done in 3 hours flat, provided you are willing to stretch yourself. And where is the fun in work, if you don’t stretch yourself. Only a person who has roamed in a parched desert can truly enjoy a chilled glass of water. That almost dead feeling in your body, when you hit the sack long after midnight, after a hard day of work is the most satisfying feeling in the whole world. Simply incomparable.

And this group of Gen Y, will always find some reason or the other to criticize you, however lame is the thing. When they don’t find any aspects of your work, to pull you down, they would resort to non-work categories. And its so tangent, sometimes it gets laughable! And laughing away their barbs, is the only solution to this. Some wise man has said, in some wise book, “If people are talking about you, that means, you are doing good in life.” J

Extracting the juice out of a day by including so many diverse activities comes easily to this group. Be it work or leisure, they have taken perfection to a new level altogether. With the focus of Arjuna, they march ahead towards their goal, which is not money, btw. Its something more spiritual, something really unattainable, if you go on to thrash out the actual meaning of the word. Taking your work to a level, that creates a benchmark. That’s actually the goal, maybe.

Was not planning to write something so serious on a Sunday, but yet again, I let the fingers do the talking, turning out to be an impulsive writer, after all! J

So Chetan Bhagat’s new book is out, “What young India wants?”. Its his first book in non-fiction genre, based on this essays. Looking forward to it. Was going through another article regarding the book launch. So many critics have castigated him on his broken grammar and what not! Arey baba, That’s how we talk, everyone cannot speak perfect Shakespearean English. Will it be believable, if I write, “My dear XYZ, the intention of this epistle is to….”, while “Hi XYZ, wanted to tell you through this letter….” Sounds so REAL!

Guys! Why can’t people just let him BE. Jealousy is ok, but up to a level.

He is hugely successful and popular because, he has managed to touch the pulse of the nation, of the youth, by coming up with stories that people can identify with, characters that have real shades of people in it, it can be anybody’s  story! What is so wrong with it, if he goes on to make some millions out of it. Writing is hard work, after all! And you know what, his so called “Intellectual” critics are only upset ‘coz their books aren’t doing that well, may be. Abstract books don’t have a successful history after all, unless you are an Ayn Rand or Paulo Coelho.

Anyways that’s it for now!

Cheers! J

The Mighty Moghals demystified!

History happened to be one of my favorite subjects in school. The full credit of which goes to my adorable History teacher, Mrs. Nair. Originally from God’s own country, her personality was a great influencing factor in my life. Tall persona with mother like softness in her words, she used to create magic in the classroom by making the history characters come alive from the text books. Be it Babur, Akbar or Shahjahan, each one of them became awe inspiring figures, the way she narrated their heroics in the battlefield. When I went to Class 10^th, she left my school and went back to Kerala. And I was too timid then, to inquire about her whereabouts…though till date, I associate History with her.

Now before you start wondering, about the cause behind the sudden remembrance of Mrs. Nair and History, let me tell you upront, that today’s blog is going to be an ode to a fantastic book that I browsed recently.

“Empire of the Moghul, the tainted throne” by Alex Rutherford.

Empire of the Moghul

From the first page to the last, the book is an experience to behold, to cherish and to reminisce. Alex has described beautifully Jahangir’s rise to power and pitiful demise, followed by Shahjahan’s rise again as the ultimate Mogul of Hindustan. The proxy ruling by Jahangir’s ruthless empress Mehrunissa (Noor jahan, light of the world) and the empathetic personality of Shahjahan’s wife, Arjumand.(Mumtaz-mahal)

Mehrunissa, the empress who ruled Hindustan behind the veil and jaali of Diwaan-e-aam of Agra Fort, after making Jahangir ever-dependent on opium laced wine. She was the brain behind Jahangir. An envy of his vazeer, courtiers and British noblemen ‘coz of her proximity to Jahangir, she survived great odds to safeguard her selfish lust for power. It was love at first sight for Jahangir, when he saw her dancing in Kabul during his punishment stay there. (After the Anaarkali debacle, when he lured his father’s favorite concubine, and thus was sent to Kabul to recover from his foolhardiness)

Author: Alex Rutherford

Subsequently, Mehrunissa got married to another nobleman and had a daughter from him, couple of years later, the nobleman was murdered brutally. It was Jahangir’s strategy again, to win back his long lost love, by hiring a Supaari killer (An English gentleman). So this is how, she became the proxy empress of Hindustan. Blessed with a brain that worked faster than Chacha Chaudhury, she became the chief advisor of Jahangir. Her influence grew to such an extent that, she was bestowed with the title of Noor jahan and a seal of her own, to issue farmaans n diktats (official rulings). She was considered an ace shooter, who went on shikaars and killed tigers with one single shots. (Unheard of, during that era). At a later point in the story, when Jahangir was captured by the enemy, she led the official army sitting on elephants with muskets and grenades to free him back, and succeeded too! Calculative and shrewd, she poisoned her husband’s mind against his favorite son (from another wife), Shahjahan, which led to his exile. The end of the story shows us how Shahjahan wins back the throne from Mehrunissa.

Now, why did I like the book so much? Great story telling on a topic that is very close to my heart. When I was a kid, I got many opportunities to visit Agra Fort, Red Fort, Itmad-ud-daulah (Tomb), Fatehpur Sikri. On each of my visits, I used tp pray, to be transported to that world and get a fleeting glimpse of the magnificence of Mughal era. The history books also gave a very brief and clinical description of events. Now here arrives a book, that tells me the minute and intricate details of the everyday lives of the Mughals, starting from the battles, court affairs, marriages, food, clothes, palaces, leisure activities etc. Most importantly, the softer aspects, how they thought, what they thought, how they felt, the strategies they devised to win wars, to win their love, to win the throne etc etc. I could actually imagine myself in that era, in their world for some moments of blissful magnificence. 90% of the book is fact and rest 10% is embroidered story to link events and characters.

The most winsome aspect of the book is the way Alex has breathed life into the card board Moghal characters and brought them alive and kicking in complete 3D avatar. You can actually visualize the blood and gore in the battlefield, the sword fighting and the riches of the Moghals. The shower of gold, diamonds and pearls when they used to return to Agra after winning battles, the glory of the peacock throne, the dazzling tiaras and the food! Murgs stuffed with gemstones along with dry fruits! J (That sure made me salivate :P)

The book has only one drawback though. No pictures L

After I finished it, I googled for the pictures of Mehrunissa and Peacock throne J And I was not disappointed at all!

Alex has written 3 more books on the same theme. And this one happens to be that last of the series. My goal now, is to get my hands on the other 3! J

My suggestion to you all, if you want a piece of heaven to drive away the monotony of your lives, this is the book to read. J

Cheers!

Cya next Saturday! 

Weekends, Coffee, books and me.

Saturday Morning

Post breakfast, Coffee/Tea + Gupshup Session with Parents :

My mom was just discussing how they never used to fall prey to common sickness like cough and cold during their childhood, unlike us. Every other day, we suffer from some common ailment or the other. The most haunting of all is Headache and body pain. I usually call up my folks, during weekdays, when I am in FC, having coffee. And most often than not, headache is the precursor to my urge for coffee. I was really stumped once, when my mom retorted, “Give me the days, when you don’t have headache?” I was really lost for words. And then the feeling actually sunk in, there is seriously something wrong with Gen X kids. May be it has something to do with the IT sector, the constant exposure to the harmful rays coming out of the laptop screens, and the over-use/abuse of cell phones ‘coz of incessant calls, or our erratic work schedules. Anyways, whatever the trigger maybe, now that we are in here for good, we might as well learn to live with it. Just be careful about your diet (Avoid deep deep-fried stuff, sweets and aerated drinks), 20 mins of cardio daily and you are good to go!

My Addiction

Why is it so difficult to give up coffee? The caffeine addiction is worse than smoke addiction. ‘Coz its directly related to your productivity. One heavenly cuppa…and I am ready to take on the world, actually! J The moment I take the first sip of coffee, its like a row of tiny Jasmine buds start blooming in slow motion in my forehead, just above my brows…during this blooming process, all my tensions and worries ebb away, leaving me in a calm and placid state, somewhere at the top of a hill, where I find myself standing blissfully and looking at the horizon.. with miles and miles of glorious daffodils stretched across all around me…And no, I am not over-exaggerating. This is actually my state of mind then.

This week was very happening for me. Got an opportunity to witness a book launch and signing event, first time in my life. I will avoid mentioning the title of the book and the author, ‘for my own safety :P

So this book (supposedly, a best seller), had a very clichéd title. It tried to leverage on the success of a popular social networking site and of course the eternal topic of romance. So the session started with a short speech by the author, followed by an even shorter speech by the Publication Head. Then the book unraveling and interactive session. The author was not a great speaker, let me warn you at the outset. So all my hopes of inviting him/her for “The Speaking Tree” forum took a deep dive into the dismal depths of shock and disappointment. The setting of the book was the city of Cuttack. (Yes, you read it right!) The first question thrown at the author was, “Mam, what is the linkage between you and Cuttack.” The author was taken aback and recovered somewhat to reply, “I have crossed Cuttack, couple of times, while traveling in train!, and my grandfather also used to visit it sometimes, I find the name very musical, hence I selected Cuttack, moreover, all these small sleepy towns are much of the same, Jayshree cinema hall and places like that, can be found in most of the cities etc etc”. And sitting in the front row, I almost dropped my cup of coffee and “Naankhatai”, to hear the ridiculous and superficial/fake reply. Oh c’mon! You are a writer! You are supposed to be blessed with lil bit more of thought, creativity and brains! How can you give such an moronic answer! Heights! This was not the end, though. The author continued in the same vein for the next 20 mins or so. Finally, I had to walk out of  the room with a sagging spirit but with a very renewed determination to turn into a full-fledged author, someday. And definitely, this wouldn’t be the way, I would handle my book launch. There was absolutely no energy, no humour, and no spark in the room, thanks to the great author. I have met lot of authors and attended innumerable talks by them, and they might be quiet, low-key, but never exude such dead vibes, as this one. You are a celebrity now, you have to inspire people, you have a great responsibility on your shoulders now, how can you turn up for a session, dressed up shoddily! Just a simple Fab India Kurti with Jeans would have done wonders to your personality, but no, you would prefer coming to a book launch as if it’s a wedding! In all your dhinchak glory!

Well it goes without saying, that the only silver lining of the session was the cuppa! And yes, no prizes for guessing, that I didn’t buy the book. J

Have a great weekend!

Cheers! :) 

Nazia's life...her own way!

Good morning World!

Feeling blessed on a Sunday morning. Reason? 

You.

I was inundated with pings yesterday, with only one question. “Nazia, where is your Saturday morning blog?”, “Why didn’t you write today?” J

Finally at the fag-end of the day, I had to put up an explanation as my status update on FB, narrating why I couldn’t write J Nonetheless, I am really overwhelmed with the response my blog has been getting lately. Some of my besties have confided in me that, its become an integral part of their weekend now, kind of a ritual…wake up late on sat, log in to the net and read my blog with their refreshing cuppa! J This is how they kick start their rocking weekend! So thrilled to be part of all your lives, not physically but yet through a very profound medium…through words! Let me borrow Ronan Keating’s lines here, to express myself… “Its only words….words are all I have…to take your heart away!”

I am not sure, how many of you have browsed through the Sunday column titled, “Single girl in a city” on TOI. That column (Now defunct) was the inspiration behind this blog of mine, specially the decision to blog on Saturdays only. (That was by design not by default). And that is exactly where the similarity ends. In that column the girl is a model in Mumbai, its about her life and daily happenings.  My job might not be as glamorous and happening as that, but its definitely more satisfying and involves multidimensional shades of different personalities. I take great pride in the fact that I have influenced (unintentionally, of course) some of my closest friends to get into HR profession J. Now even my roomie is all set to tread on the road not taken! J So it goes without saying, that I love my job and am extremely passionate about it. I face this oft-repeated question, “Nazia, why do you always end up bringing your organization/job related stuff into your blogs?” How can I NOT? Tell me? I live, eat and breathe my work, my org, my profession. And I feel, this commitment really helps me to excel at my work. Doing my work half-heartedly, has never been my prerogative. If I am doing something, I give it my 200% and if possible more. I would be completing 3 years at Infy on 27^th July. 5 individual awards, 4 team awards. And yes, I am not ashamed to say, “Yeh dil maange more!” J Yes, I yearn for more…lots more J

Ok, now that I have laid the doubts of my loving critics to rest, let me discuss about the movie, Spidey. J

I am a complete movie buff. I enjoy all kinds of movies, especially in theatres. Spidey was one of the best that I have watched in recent times. The protagonist is definitely a notch better than the earlier chocolate boyish, Peter. And more believable. The girl is mesmerizingly beautiful! With those huge saucer like ocean blue eyes, how can you not fall in love! J Special effects simply mind blowing and loved the naughty last line of the movie, “Promises are meant to be broken” Youngsters these days, want to keep life simple, make promises…break it too as per their convenience. Now that might open up issues of ethics etc, but frankly speaking…who has got the time? More so, when the promise you made it to, is dead. (Father of the girl).

My beloved critics have raised one more point. That I need it to keep it short. So closing this at 600 words. J

Love you all, stay cool and yes…keep it simple!

Cheers!

Those were the days...

Family time is the most cherished time for every individual. Listening to the tales which our parents narrate so lovingly, reminiscing the good old days of their childhood, the simplicity and authenticity of the people, the purity of things available, and a beautiful world which was yet undiluted by the monster named Television.

My mom was brought up in Kolkata and Cuttack. Kolkata as such, doesn’t need any introduction. Cuttack has earned its share of fame by being termed as the poorer cousin of Kolkata. Many call it a mini Kolkata! Same crowd, narrow gullies/bylanes, a place which still boasts of Cycle rickshaws… in short a city which still retains its old world charm.

When the term “neighbour” meant much more than the entities who share just your compound wall. BTW, the concept of compound wall didn’t exist then at all. Houses were stacked close to each other, and the tradition of visiting each other’s house through the main front door was unheard of, where terraces were common and back-door entries were always welcomed J. And yes, daily curry/subzi exchange was a sacred ritual, never to be broken.

When a family used to subscribe all kinds of newspapers just for the benefit of its neighbours, knowing well enough that nobody in their own home could read or write. When the beneficiaries would visit the family, they would be kind enough to read aloud the events of the day, and explain the nitty gritties of the world to even old grannies J Such honesty, large-heartedness and selfless attitude in today’s world, is like searching for dew drops in a parched desert.

Every house had a large courtyard, which would be multifunctional. It would be the drawing room/dining hall/gup shup area and the kitchen as well. People used to go into the rooms only to sleep at night, that also in winters only. Petty thefts were common and that too for inane stuff like chappals, bucket, utensils etc.

One funny incident that my mom loves to narrate all the time. One fine evening, a thief climbed up a guava tree which was at the centre of the courtyard at her neighbours place, with the intention of climbing down and doing his act when the family would retire for the day. He waited till midnight, hunched up quietly at his precarious perch, hoping and expecting to climb down once the household became still. But alas! The family went on tinkering and tottering around the courtyard till the wee hours of the morning, to the chagrin of the thief who was losing patience with each passing moment. Finally, he lost his cool, jumped down from the tree, and landed with a thud, shocking the family members who were caught unawares. He marched forward and said, “You guys are too much! Have been waiting since evening to rob this house, and you’ll are Ulloos (Owl), jo sone ka naam hi nahi lete!” (He said the entire thing in vernacular language of course!). Then he marched forward, slapped a few members and ran off in lightning speed! J Bad day at work, for the thief! Lolz!

This particular household used to be the hub/database of all the gossip in that area. So many folks visiting their home to browse through the newspapers, obviously had its share of benefits! J My mom has very fond memories associated with this particular family. Those were the days, when you could not imagine of escaping a neighbour’s place, without being force-fed a meal or two! And the most fav of all the snacks used to be “Semai”. Tea used to rule the roost, and coffee was still an alien concept. Breakfast used to be paratha with a dollop of ghee and a generous amount of sugar on the ghee! Can you believe it, guys!  Every time, my mom tells me this, I vow to have the same for breakfast at least once every month. Haven’t succeeded yet. J

Ladies used to go out in cycle rickshaws, with a saree tied around the rickshaw, which acted like a “Purdah” to take care of the privacy and protect them from the evil eyes of men. My mom was the first lady to go to school, college, university and subsequently to work, (She worked as lecturer in S.B College, Cuttack) in her entire extended family, hence faced lot of resistance. She is my role model in life and I believe the best mom in the whole wide world. Well, I suppose, everyone feels the same about their respective moms. J That reminds me, at Infy BBSR, last year we launched a path-breaking initiative, called “Mother’s Day Out”, on the occasion of Mothers day. Moms of the employees were invited to the campus and we had organized a plethora of activities in honor of them. Received so much appreciation for this initiative, it also enabled us (HRD Employee Relations) to win couple of awards! J

Oops! Time to catch up on my reading now!

Cya, next Sat! Love you all!

Stay spunky, and cheers! J

What they don't teach you in a B-School?

I still remember the Leadership jargons and categorization explained by Robbins of the Organizational Behaviour Fame, idolized by every HR aspirant during his/her MBA days. This mammoth of a book is a bible for every HR student. If HR is in your blood, then you are supposed to chew this book, inside out, including the cover pages and bookmarks! J Which of course, I did, like a diligent student. And it sure helped me to gain a foothold in a blue chip company, which is the poster boy of the IT world. The HR Practices and processes in my organization are taught in leading B-schools of the globe as case studies! I am really very proud of living, breathing and doing the stuff, that has created history in the HR world.

Now, what I actually wanted to talk about today is, how much of the stuff that we are exposed to in a B-school really helps us in corporate? No no, I am not trying to open a pandora’s box here! J I know, each one of you, must be having very strong views on this topic. And I respect that. Let me narrate my POV here. (I will give you a chance to present your POV, on FB, when I post the link of my blog, and we can have hearty debate/discussion on it.)

So the answer to the above question would be, near about 75%. This 75% is the text book knowledge that’s going to be of use in future. And the rest 25% would be the quintessential “Other” gyan that you gain, from activities during MBA. Now what constitutes the “Other” gyan?

PFB the description of the “Other” :

1.      De-mystifying diverse and interesting Personalities : You spend 2 years with about 200 odd folks, you are with them 24*7, being exposed to their idiosyncracies, day in and day out. Learning from folks who are intellectually and emotionally superior to you, and learning to survive the moments with folks who are nothing but a pain, and finding out reasons to love the ones who have given you all the reasons to hate them. Quite a handful! But believe me, the learning that you imbibe from this, will give the best platform to launch yourself in an HR career. After all, its about understanding human beings and helping them grow. Initially it was like a bolt from the blue, but gradually it started getting easier, and by the time I was in second year…I could love each one of them! J (Not kidding).

2.      How to get work done from unwilling folks : In corporate, you cannot expect to work in silo. There are various kinds of teams, DC level, Corporate level, track level and what not! Your style of working, level of commitment might not be the same as others. How to create a synergy amongst yourselves, in order to finally deliver an excellent product, is what ultimately counts. The MBA gives you the best training for that. All the activities in MBA are group based. Sometimes you are stuck with a group, which refuses to work, so what do you do with such free-riders? Do their share of work as well, so that it doesn’t affect your grade or just give up? Or sensitize them regarding the importance of group work, or allocate different tasks to them or just break down the task into small parts and ask them to do their share. So many options and so little time. Now this is called actual learning. And no text book on earth, not even OB by Robbins can teach you this. At the most Robbins can explain the details or the Group dynamics….Forming, storming, Norming, Performing …Adjourning etc etc.

     Recently I read somewhere, there is a 6^th stage too of group dynamics, called “Mourning”. When you get along with a group very well, and its time to part ways after the work gets done, you are in a state of mourning! J Now that is interesting J That’s what actually happens, I guess, when its time to leave an organization and you start composing your adieu mail. I have this strange fixation for adieu mails, dunno why! I read each and every word of all the adieu mails that I receive and also make it a point of replying to each one of them. (Even if I don’t know them, personally). Dunno why. May be ‘coz I can identify with the pain of letting go and I really understand and respect the efforts that they have put in, to write such a beautiful and painful mail, jotting down the memories/experiences of years in a mail, which you know is going to be your last, how heart-wrenching it can be…I can truly understand. L

3.      You can read thousands of leadership fundas in OB book, but you will gain an insight only if you get a chance to meet and mingle with great leaders/personalities. I have been very lucky on this front. I sit in a cube which is surrounded by cabins, occupied by some really great ppl, each one of them a true leader in his/her own area or field of work. In fact, my building has too many of them! The way they speak, behave and work…just observing them, helps you learn so much! One of the common features of all great leaders I feel, is their style of interaction…how they communicate with people across Job levels. Be it an executive or a person with 15 years of work exp, the true leaders never differentiate and behave in a similar fashion with all of them. And they are so soft spoken, ever-smiling, always first one to greet you in the morning, even when you are engrossed in your lappy. “Hey Nazia, wot u doing!” This coming from a top leader is really exemplary behavior to say the least. As if, I am a great scientist at work and might shout “Eureka” anytime coming up with a great formula! I am just a simple girl, at work! The kind of attention, respect, consideration they give you, acts as a catalyst and helps bring out the best in you. Each one of them is an OB book, so much to learn from them. Whenever I am in their company, I try my best to be a sponge…absorbing each and every word, and mannerisms etc. Now which book teaches you this?! None J

4.      Now coming to written communication : A true leader is very careful of the words he chooses to use. Words are like arrows, once out, you cannot take it back. If you use impolite words, the damage can be detrimental not only for the person it was intended for, but also for you as well. How? Words spread like wild fire. One instance of impolite behavior and your reputation goes for a toss! J So leaders need to be careful about this J Though my fav ones are always superb on the written communication part too! J

This is a huge topic and I think, I should save the second part for next Saturday. J

So this much for now, have a wonderful weekend, love you all!

Cheers!

Rajo Celebrations at BBSR DC

This was the third edition of Rajo Celebrations at BBSR DC and with each edition we have taken it a notch higher than last time. Rajo festival holds a special significance for people in Orissa, it’s a 3 day affair where ladies are pampered and given special attention. They are treated like queens for those 3 days. This festival also marks the onset of monsoon in Orissa. Today is the third day of the festivities and as I am typing down the words, I can hear thunderstorms outside and the wind howling between the trees. What a relief it would be, if it actually rains!

Today I got stuck in a crazy traffic jam for 30 minutes. It really numbed my brain and soul. That’s what happens during Rajo! Ok, the word reminds me of an interesting debate that was happening in IWIN BB in office. Some ladies felt it should be written as Raja and not Rajo. While some others felt Rajo is correct. A lady came up with a very good idea, she wrote, it should be “Raw-jaw”! Now that’s intelligent! J This particular IWIN folder can be accessed by ladies of the DC only. Men strictly not allowed :P This is our very own bit of heaven on earth, where we can discuss anything under the sun, where guys don’t have the liberty to infringe our privacy. We can discuss women-related issues/themes, fun/leisure stuff etc. BBSR is the only DC amongst the 11 DCs in India to boast of this special platform given to women! J One more reason, why BBSR DC happens to be the DC that cares! Tomorrow truly rises with us!

Now coming back to the topic, Rajo. We had organized many events as a part of the week long initiative.

1.      Rajo Swing.

2.      Rajo Paan Kiosk

3.      Rajo Mehendi Kiosk

4.      Rajo Pitha Kiosk

5.      Rajo Food festival  

6.      Ethnic Day

7.      Rajo Story writing competition

8.      “My Rajo Story” mailers by 3 senior women leaders of this DC.

Two swings were set up near the Food court area outside in the lawns. They were beautifully decorated with Marigold flowers. Folks enjoyed swinging on it, remembering their childhood moments.

Rajo Paan Kiosk was the innovation introduced this year. It got such a huge response, that just after lunch on the first day, it was sold out. Next day, the vendor turned up with approx. 3000 Paan leaves learning from the previous day’s experience. We all had such a gala time, chewing Paan that day!

Rajo Mehendi Kiosk was another innovation. Again it got overwhelming response. This time, egged by my friends, I decided to go for it. Got it done on one hand only, that also on the back-side, so that my work doesn’t get hampered J The color came out really well. J (My future mom-in-law will love me a lot :P ) That’s an old adage, if you mehendi color comes out well, u will be loved by your MIL :D

Rajo Pitha Kiosk also received tremendous response. Almost 1000 pithas got sold out in just an hour’s time on the first day! I avoided eating those, as its rich in ghee, sugar and what not. Sinful indeed.

Rajo Food Festival was a big hit too. We had arranged for typical Rajo meals like Chakuli and Mutton Curry etc etc. Couldn’t have lunch that day, was preoccupied with some other stuff L Had to manage with just a cappuccino.

We celebrated the final day by coming to office in our ethnic best. Ladies in beautiful sarees and guys in Kurtas! J And what a sight that was to behold! Frankly speaking, the way a saree enhances the beauty of an Indian woman, no other attire does. And yes, guys look best in Jeans with Kurta, and if the Kurta is from FabIndia, then I don’t think any girl on earth can resist the charm! :D

Hmmm…FabIndia…I am totally crazy about the stuff…be it kurtis, dupatta, sarees…stoles…bags….anything! The ambience of the shop, the helpful salespersons, the smell of handicrafts and dyes…is just so very intoxicating. Not getting time these days to venture out. Will surely visit it next month.

We had the Rajo story writing competition going on in the IWIN BB for the 3 days. Lovely childhood memories were jotted down, how folks celebrated Rajo when they were kids, it was really heart wrenching to read the stories. I could identify myself with many of them! Wish I could show you all the lovely stories, but its copyrighted, so cant. J Will try and coax them to start blogs of their own, since they are such terrific writers!

We identified some senior ladies of this DC, and requested them to share with us, their Rajo story which were then published to the 900 odd ladies! It was a big hit! J All 3 of them, very kind to share pictures of their families too!

Ok, let me end todays article, on this happy Raw-jaw note!

Cya next weekend…till then…rock on!

(Pssst : I dedicate this post to all those friends of mine, who look forward to reading my blog every Saturday…since I was suffering from writer’s block in the morning, couldn’t write, they waited and waited and finally asked me just now  about it. Felt so very touched, and immediately, the writer’s block vanished and words just started pouring out of my mind. Love you all, thanks for motivated me!)