Abe, Bangalore& #MONSANTO, Work and study!

Hodgenville, Kentucky, 2012 June. 

12th FEB is birth anniversary of one of a greatest human being ABRAHAM Lincoln. Today is his 108th birth anniversary, a significiant number in Hindu way of life as all good rituals are asked to be done 108 times. I was glad I was able to visit his birthplace at Hogdenville, KY, while carrying out a Safety audit for a facility 100Km away in Louisville and see the hut he was born in!! hahhah!

Hut Lincoln Born 

My idea to keep beard flashed when I studied Lincoln history in my school text (We had separate book called Non Detailed in which History, Culture were taught but no exams in such) in which the Girl Sarah (sic later named Grace)  asks Lincoln to grow beard so that he can be successful and things would turn

...... hahah!! Another matter Laltiha too liked my beard and graciously said keep it when we met first time 1990( Man proposes, Wife disposes)!!!! 

Cargill Seeds which became Monsanto and I was recruited to turn seeds business initially! Great colleagues!! I was given cubicle in this office before integration 2 years down the line !!! 

Jolanta Paull, My Boss for 7 years!! Her Parting Gift on Lunch outing with Lalitha !!! I am still in touch with her 10+ years down the line with  monthly calls etc!! 

12th Feb also marks our beginning of 18th year in Bangalore having moved from BASF Mangalore after 3 year stint. I joined Monsanto and career was never the same!! Great team, Outstanding Leadership of Ladies and Gentlemen, global colleagues always accessible with phenomenal subject matter expertise to turn to as well as Billion GB of data repository to seek and find information besides great friends. What distinguished Monsanto, then, above all, was perform or Perish culture which keeps you on tenterhooks to sharpen the saw all the time!! The 7 years at Monsanto drove me to excel and most rewarding. Also on personal side, female colleagues there exposed me that I am a dumb husband who never gave away gifts to Wife !!First of many gifts started for Lalitha 9 years after marriage !! hehehehehhehe!!!! 

Bangalore a great place then!! ahhah! It would take 25 minutes to cover 15 Km in the morning traffic!! Son commuted daily from Indhranagar Diamond Dt to NPS Rajaji Nagar. Now he cant even dream to cover half the distance in that time!!

When I landed in Bangalore first time 1996 from Ankleshwar, population was 27 Lacs (2.7Million) today touching 10Million+!! Massive growth without planning has lead to mess! I wonder what next 10 years would bring?? Would I go back to 1996, Bangalore of waiting for city bus every 20 min as only way to commute 15 Kms to City Railway station from Yelahanka New Town where we stayed ??? I won't mind!!! 

Interesting to hear Meg Whitman talk saying that if one thing she would do different is to do business degree after a couple of years work and besides she would have done an Engineering degree!! So true! When I did my MBA in 30s or my safety diploma after 5 years of work experience in 1989 it gave a different insight to connect what you study with practicalities!! Also there is less pressure to perform( I recollect finishing my safety exams 15 minutes early and rushing to catch train to home 120 Kms away; still I finished II in my batch!!! hahahahhah) or My MBA in HR in 2002 done with absolute disdain!!! I am glad Son has taken to work in corporate for a couple of years and then pursue masters in Engineering/business degree down the line!! good for him!!!

Take it easy, take care, stay safe, God bless
Karthik.
12/2/17 0900Hrs.