On fear

One of the most beautiful things I read in recent times

“Don’t run away from your fears.  Run towards your fears.  An extraordinary life will follow.”
Robin Sharma

6/6

Most people don’t think of poor-eyesight/spectacles as a disease. Well I did and I got rid of my glasses. I got the Laser operation and now I see clearly!!

If you are interested in you can check the links below:
http://medianet.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1330776.cms
www.newvisionindia.com

The worst part of the operation is that because they are operating on your eye you can’t look away, neither can you blink or move your eye. But the procedure doesn’t hurt and gets over in a giffy! The operation lasts for under 20 minutes and you are normal within a day.

In the middle of the operation I was really scared that I was losing my vision (which can be a very scary thought!), but trust the doctor and the process. A lot of people opt for it, and get excellent results. Do your share of research and advices seeking before you decide to go for it.

The best part is when you open your eyes the morning after the operation and start enjoying the results.

Crazy Competition!

• My nephew got his report card today. He ranked 14^th in class compared to 18^th in the last semester. I was ready to open a bottle of bubbly, but he got a lecture on how he needs to change in order to rank #1. He is in 3^rd standard!
• I was waiting in a school reception the other day. A teacher was explaining the performance of a child to her parents. There wasn’t much of update, because the child stood first in the class. I think she was in sixth standard. The father was very serious and his only comment was “She needs to work harder next time, because she is ahead only by 5 marks.”

Where is the celebration? I didn’t know what rank meant till I was in 6^th std, and people thought I was overly-competitive. But I used to love studying and cracking math problems, all children are not like that. Parents shouldn’t have unreasonable expectations from their children. They shouldn’t try to correct mistakes made in their lives through the lives of their children. Parents need to be the change the want to see in their children. They need to give their kids a break! It’s the best time of their life and they should be allowed to play without feeling guilty about it. There is too much pressure on the child! The child will crackunder the pressure. And thatz whatz happening with a lot of students, trying to look for a way out and opting for suicides. Easing the IIT JEE is just a tip on the iceberg!

If I thought my upbringing was easy compared to the current generation of kids in school, then listen to my dad’s. According to him all you needed to pass was - one day study before the
exam and a visit to the temple after the exam :D

I like that philosophy, and guess what - both my dad and I turned out fine!

Here is a document written by Azim Premji, expressing his views on the same matter.

Tagged!

Tagged by Aalekh…

Ten years ago

• I was 13
  
• I was in the 8th standard
  
• I used to play basketball and cricket
• parents especially for the PTA meeting, because my parents had not visited
  the school in 6-8 years!!
  
• I was the prefect of my class
  
  

Five years ago

• I was 18
  
• I gave my 12th board exams. Life wasn't easy, but I loved it! Private tuitions (everybody had to take them) would start 5.30 am and after school go on till 8 pm
  
• My addiction with Yanni started. He played live at the Acropolis and talks started about his
  playing at the Taj
• Micheal Crichton was my favorite author
  
• The Gujarat earthquake took place and the Italian intern staying at my house ran out of the house in her underwear. Suddenly I was the coolest guy in the neighborhood. :D

The last one year

• By this time last year, I felt a huge sense of satisfaction. NSC, conference I was responsible for and IDC were right next to each other. Both conferences went off well. When I couldn't think of anything but hitting the sack, I had to get into a Presidents meeting, which refused to end and after that get into an endless number of meetings. Life was fun and hectic!
  
• I celebrated my first Diwali - without bursting any fire-crackers. It was an excellent team dinner, after which we enjoyed the fire-work display on marine drive. I wish I had my camera there!
  

Yesterday

• Got up at 2 pm
  
• Had 4 eggs and 4 big meals ...... burp!
  
• Am reading "Straight from the gut" by Jack Welch

Five Yummy things

1. Apple Pie (Mocha's apple pie milk-shake will also do ;) )
   
2. Chocolate Truffle
   
3. Chicken Tandoori
   
4. Mom's Saag Paneer
   
5. Daal ki Roti, dheer saara butter aur dhai
   

Five songs I know by heart

1. Dressed for Success - Roxette
   
2. Eternal flame - Bangles
   
3. Man in motion - John Parr
   
4. I hope you Dance - Lee Ann Womack
   
5. The Yanni Collection ;)
   

Five things I’d do if I had the money

1. Buy a plane
   
2. Go to the Champions League team's reunion Czech for Christmas
   
3. Visit Costa Rica, Switzerland, Gir forest, Auroville and Disney Land
   
4. Spend a day at Crosswords - picking out all the books, toys, and CD games I ever wanted
   
5. Apply to the Ivy League Colleges
   

Five places I escape to:
Why, what, who is making me escape? But answering the question, I think my bed-room, or the Gurudhwara (the small one, at my house). The other 3 I wish to keep secret cause if you knew them, then its not much of an escape, is it?

Five TV shows:

1. X-Files
   
2. Friends
   
3. Extreme Machines
   
4. The 70s Show
   
5. BBC, NDTV :p (I think you have guessed it already - I don't watch a lot of TV)

Five things I enjoy doing:

1. Playing with Kirat (my nephew)
   
2. Books, Movies & Eating!!
   
3. Playing and watching cricket
   
4. Creating/learning something new
   
5. Spending a relaxed evening with friends
   

My favorite toys

1. iPoD mini
   
2. He-man figures
   
3. Rubix Cube (I am still at it!)
   

I Tag: Shashaank