Saturday, June 23, 2007

Whole lot happening.

The past fortnight indeed was an experience.
  1. My Son fractured his leg while playing basket ball there was also torn ligament besides the ankle fracture. He is on plaster cast for 4 weeks, The technology of plaster cast has come a long way. The whole process was done in 10 minutes in the hospital. The plast also affords spraying in powder and moisturizer to make him comfortable from itch. The other great thing was despite medical advice for 4 weeks to rest and not to put weight on the leg, he didn't even think about missing a school for a day. He used the ergo chair to move around the house and hopped around to reach class rooms. Children these days have much more resilience then we did. The good thing in this as I am not traveling, I am able to spend time with him and take care of his needs as much as I can. The last 5 weeks I have spent in Bangalore (NO travel) has helped me to also understand things that happen at home. This is the first time in the last 14 years that I have managed to stay more than 2 weeks at home.
  2. My Car met with a major accident (First time in 10 years), My driver avoided a certain triple fatality when the school children came in the path on the thoroughfare, and he had no option but to crash the vehicle in the divider as well as hitting a two wheeler(He was safe, No Injuries). Insurance helped out to cover the cost and I realized the value of insurance. That triggered me on thinking to have insurance cover for other possible eventualities which I haven't considered so far.
  3. I was also saddened by the death of 5 year old Piyush, son of a Honeywell colleague, Piyush had a rare form of recurring cancer and despite best efforts of doctors in Singapore couldn't make it and passed away Wednesday last due to post operative complications. The only consolation was that we all did our best finacially for the cause. Sometimes, you just wonder whether man has made any headway in tackling and unraveling the mysteries of Science. Its going to be ages, I guess!!.
  4. I was also appalled by the Indian media coverage over the Sunita Williams return from Space, looks like News channel have no news or events to cover. It looked like it was as though channels were creating news as well as making every effort to avoid a III world was situation. And by the way She hardly has any Indian connections??.This was more apparent when coverage of news items such as printing mistake in a temple Pamphlet(Dogs to feed Vs Dog meat will be fed) captured headlines. I have stopped watching Hindi/ Tamil films/ movies in 1989. Looks like I need to take a decision to stop watching Indian TV channels in 2007. With Internet available for you to cover news on your desktop at your choice to select, I guess this will be real possibility. I will keep you updated when I make the decision. (Already the time I spend watching TV has shrunk considerably).
  5. I am sure guys out there are availing the RSS subscriber to feed information from website to their desktop. I am taking advantage of this update tool to have the information on the websites I track and when They are updated, I automatically get the update on my desktop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(file_format)

Ok, then some of the interesting websites that I came across this week.

http://www.sunrisesunset.com/ It shows you daily sunrise, sunset time on your desktop.

http://www.howtowritearesume.org/ Great site on developing your Resume. Rule is one page. NO More than that.

List of must read books for you and your family(Covers History, stories, Science, technology). Reading all this will take some time so you can plan some books for post retirement.

http://www.heatinghelp.com/reading_list.cfm


I have heard a lot about S Gurumurthy, But I havent heard him speak, This link gives the 80 Minute speech "The Indian Economy is Feminine" he gave in USA. Must listen and as an Indian you should feel proud. There are also other intresting podcasts at the website on India, Hinduism
http://www.theuniversalwisdom.org/category/speakers/s-gurumurthy/

You must listen to ANNA Farmery, this is a UK Based podcast( A rarity), she gives excellant insight in to Management practices besides, she updates her Blog daily, I managed do download 60 of the 88 podcasts. Lot of useful information. She is now in the top 5 of the management podast list.

http://theengagingbrand.typepad.com/the_engaging_brand_/

Yesterday, for the first time I managed to hear Elvis Priestly Album. ( I guess it took me after 28 years of listening to western music) I have listened to his singles, never before Heard him on an album. 30 Minutes went just like that and I could go back in time.

Take care and catch up with you soon.
Till then, take it easy and live consciously.

KARTHIK.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Interview Etiquette( for the Interviewer) /Help needed to save a child

Good to be back on line, As I had not been traveling for the last 3 weeks and dont plan to do for another 4 weeks. There was hardly time to express my thoughts. Besides there were lot of personal travel and lot of issues crept up on personal front. OK Here I go.

www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=b40fe9c6-25dc-44ff-a142-6086dd5a4936


The world has changed in the last few years. I still remember a story we had in school in which a scholarly candidate is called to an interview. Though infallible in knowledge, he is at a loss when a panel of interviewers confronts him. He is asked how many buttons he has on his shirt, how many steps he climbed and the number of the taxi he came in. Thus demolished, the erudite professional staggers out of the hall completely shattered. One can safely imagine that he not only counted every step on his way down but the number of the taxi he took home is indelibly branded in letters of fire on his heart.

This incident is history and one can imagine the business executives, who have faced the effects of a "talent crunch" in almost every industry today, laughing derisively while reading the story. And the truth is that, in an interview, the evaluation takes place on both sides. The candidate is probably assessing the organization more carefully than the organisation is assessing the candidate.

First impressions are lasting impressions. The interview is the beginning of the candidate's relationship with the company. Interviewing is central to employee engagement and that brings it directly into the ambit of business etiquette. Since most managers are involved in the process of interviewing, a few tips on interviewing etiquette may be immensely useful to them.

· Introduce yourself to the candidate briefly so that the candidate knows who is talking to him. If it is a panel, the senior-most can take the initiative of introducing everyone else. This sets the tone of the interview that it is a conversation and not an examination.
· Do not jump into questions. Begin with small talk. It relaxes the candidate and makes him or her more receptive to answering. Remember, openness begets openness.
· The interviewer must read the candidate's curriculum vitae before the interview. It is rude to read it after the candidate sits in front of you. The candidate can feel the slow build-up of tension and start twisting uncomfortably on the chair if one takes too long. Some interviewers add insult to injury by periodically looking at the interviewee while reading the curriculum vitae, as if they are examining a protozoa specimen under a microscope.
· Initial questions must be open-ended, focusing on the achievements of the candidate. One must desist from interrupting the candidate unless the candidate becomes too long-winded.
· It is equally important not to ask a set of negative questions that may put the candidate on the defensive. Frightened candidates usually answer in monosyllables and sometimes not at all. In certain countries, there are clear guidelines of what is thought to be discriminatory and hence against the law. But whether the same law exists everywhere or not, its tenets as etiquette are useful while interviewing everyone, irrespective of their location, in a global company.
· One must tell the candidate about the next step, whether it is about another interview or about approximately in what time the decision will be communicated. If it is a senior candidate, it is polite for someone from the interview panel to walk the candidate to the lift.

Finally, do not forget to ask the candidate his or her name before beginning the interview. One interviewer sincerely followed all the rules and ended the interview after an hour with, "Thank you , Ashok." "But Sir, "answered the candidate, "I am Vasant." It was then that the interviewer realized he had been interviewing the wrong person correctly.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My Response to this sent to the editor.
Very interesting article. Very true of the situation in which how some so called Mighty companies think so much of themselves.

The worst offenders are the professors in college interviews for admission. I remember my interview in Anna university, Madras for Engineering admissions in 1980. I was aghast when the professor was interviewing me started smoking ( I was 16 then). That moment, I decided, that I will never join that college. In fact that gave a sense bad impressions about all the college professors, in Tamilnadu that I carry till this day and I just waited gritting my teeth to finish my college ( I was dependent on my parents, you see) and ran away from Tamil Nadu. At least, now I have made sure that my children never set foot in Tamilnadu for their education. Wonder how one bad behavior can trigger a chain of events.

Thanks for bringing this up, I hope the so called, college professors, anyway these generation professors don't add any value to students,thanks to Internet and networking students are smart and learn on their own, so the professors are just a necessary evil. I can vouch that personally, when I did my MBA from 2003-05 without attending single class sessions ( Thank god attendance was not needed for passing exams). Every material and assignments were prepared from Internet and network of students. Anyway I kind of digresses from the subject.

I have also faced situations like you have mentioned, and I have made sure not only I have joined such third rate immature organisations, also make sure any one known to me does not by mistake join such organisations where people are not valued.

On the other hand, three offers, I took up based on the sheer good impression the interview panel created (all 3 are MNCs and in 2 cases, Foreign citizens who came to India to interview me), and believe me it's been pleasure working for them.

Thanks for bringing this up.
Regards
Karthik.

I hope you had access to the Manager tools website. Great site. www.manager-tools.com
REQUEST:-
I am also putting a request for saving my colleague's son from cancer. See the links below and help as much as you can.

http://aidmyson.com/blog/?p=53
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/health/03_2007/7yrold-battles-cancer-for-2nd-time-35104.html


I am sure people are aware of RSS Feed to let them know the websites are updated by subscribing to that page.

Do a google search for also word "STUMBLE".

Take it easy and take care, Stay Healthy.

Regards
KARTHIK.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Tokyo, Chelsea and some useful Websites





Good to be back to find time for the BLOG, the last 3 weeks have been kind of hectic with travel, personal issues to attend at home as well as some catchup to do at work front.

I got a chance to be back in Japan,during the II week of April. I had seen phenomenal change in even by Japanese standards as you moved through Tokyo towards the outer suburbs. The Narita Airport which was a one building one terminal in 1999, when I last visited Japan, looks drastically different with multiple terminals divided in to wings. The multi story buildings have mushroomed. What has not changed is the narrow streets and rush in the trains. The rush in Tokyo train stations remind of you of the Church gate station.

I also got a first time chance to travel in Famously expensive Tokyo taxis,(I couldn't afford it in the last visit) if one thing can blow your $s away, that will be a ride on Tokyo taxi, even a 3 mile drive will cost you 25$.

The Shinkansen (The Bullet train, Hope, people remember the famous movie in 1980) has monstered growth with multiple decks and amenities. Pl see the Photos.

I was also amazed at the Mobile and Internet revolution in Japan, the 3G telephones makes you feel our mobile phones as puppet, the advance features are brilliant. So much is the Japanese mobile development, that the latest model mobile phones are not compatible there and dont work. You can watch TV, Movies on mobile, download clips at smoking speed, and in the Bullet train moving at 250 Kmph, communication hardly breaks. As for the Internet access, would you believe it, Its ABSOLUTELY FREE anywhere you access. The download speeds are staggering 1mbps, so much so I downloaded about 400Mb of information in less than an hour. What surprised me was that my Korean colleague, who was with me on business in Tokyo, said to me Quote,"Karthik, wait till you come to Seoul, You will download 750mb movie file in less than 30 minutes. Korea is miles ahead" Unquote. I am looking forward to my Korean visit soon.
This trip also helped me to see 10 GB flash drive like thumb size, at a throw away prize, so I grabbed one. My kids were pestering me for a 80 Gb IPOD, which I duly obliged during the Tokyo visit. The price, 30 % cheaper than Indian price.
The food was a pleasant surprise for me I managed lot of veggie stuff, thanks to help from my colleagues, who painstakingly sieved through the menu to get vegetarian choice). So, I managed to survive.
Yes, the disappointment was I didn't have the time to go to Akhiabara, the electronics shop ocean, these days I have planned my travel schedules to be a kind of Last in First out, as travel is becoming mundane.

Ok, then, my son was in tears when Chelsea lost the Champions league semifinal to Liverpool this week. However,he got some consolation and recovered , when Manchester united lost to AC Milan the next day. He is a mad Chelsea fan who watches Chelsea matches with an official Chelsea T-shirt and covers his room with Chelsea flag and Official books, and Official Chelsea month calendar. I am attaching the couplet he wrote for this years EPL. (Looks like Chelsea wont make that too).

Ok, then here are some of the good websites for personal development. I have also started downloading podcasts to fill in 80 Gb in IPod.

http://www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com/cim/articles_alpha.php
http://www.learnoutloud.com/Podcast-Directory/Business/Leadership-and-Management
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/podcast_archive.cfm
http://www.thinkingmanagers.com/links
http://www.careerjournal.com/

The Manager-tools.com (www.manager-tools.com) is also a great website, try that out. I have downloaded about 60 podcasts there, (Most of it downloaded at smoking speed at Japan as I didn't get to sleep till 2 am, which 10Pm our time).

This week I got a chance to read the entire magazine, " The Economist" at Bombay airport as my flight was delayed. It gives lot of information on various issues that happens across the world in politics, science, technology. I also find favourable mention in all business blogs. I am planning to have a personal subscription. ( Got to have a serious discussions with the Finance/home minister for approval though, as price is Rs. 11,000 for 3 years at 52% discount). Man proposes, woman disposes, I guess.

Until next take care, stay healthy and live consciously.

Friday, March 30, 2007

Photos


Mountain, Maiela, Chaiti Province, Italy (400 Kms from Rome)















National Altar, Rome.


















Sign post at westend of Pacific, at Los Angles Port.





















Rome Coloseum view























Karthik
and Lalitha 2007, MARCH

















ADRIATIC SEA in ITALY.






Dr VBV Rajan, Ex-GM, BASF, Mangalore. Photo taken on 4th March 2007 at Los Angles, Crown Plaza, Redondo Beach.















Entrance to the Rome old city













Rome Famous Fountain.









This week I am uplinking some of the photos of my trip to Italy, France and USA. I also had a chance to meet Dr Rajan my Boss at BASF, Mangalore, Who has retired and settled in Seattle, USA. It was Dr Rajan, who developed the Managerial Skills in me during 1997-1999.


So I think the Semi Final line up will be Australia Vs Srilanka, and Newzealand Vs South Africa, I don't want to predict further.


Off to Shirdi for 4 days this weekend, we make this travel every year after children's exam.
Take care and live consciously.
Karthik.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

One night in Bangkok






I am glad that at the way things have shaped up this week for Indian cricket. I was always confident, that this time it would be a big challenge for India to go to the second round on its own merit and the same thing has happened. I always felt that the team is preoccupied with Ad contracts and other off activities. I am also some times shocked to see the players dashing for various events in between matches, and only 2 weeks back I saw the so called great batsman and so called Gilchrist, rushing to London for 24 Hrs between one day internationals and back. If this is the case god save Indian cricket. I always felt, that westindies lost the world cup in 1983 rather than India won it. So I am happy that the Indian cricket is on its knees. I hope the people learn from this and treat it as a game. No where in the world I had seen such a kind of frenzy.

Ok, I had been to Thailand many times, but never took time to mention that in my blog, may be its so close or common place. I had a the chance to explore the city this week, more so on the weekend for the Honeywell meeting and the weekend was used up for the team building purpose which covered finding exact shops and antiques besides exploring some of the areas. The open shopping market which houses 30,000 stalls and is thronged by 100,000 people at any given time.

Bangkok is a good place to do cheap shopping and there is more there just than the Night life bar and nude shows that go there. I haven't been to those places other than the first time in 2000 to see what its like (I personally feel that everything is to be seen once),but my personal opinion is that you must go there once to see it. There is more than nudity there for some of the tricks that girls perform there are seen to be believed and leaves you dazed.

The transportation system is one of the best I have seen in Asia with subway and sky way. The new international airport will give Narita, Dubai and Changi a run for the money. The Thai currency Bhatt is close to a Rupee (1.3) so you dont feel the pain of pairity.
The greatest fun is in shopping and you can do outrageous bargain on street shops and get away with the product for almost the prize you bargained.
So plan a visit to Bangkok, its good get away as mentioned in the song "One night in Bangkok is always better" by Murray Head.




Sunday, March 11, 2007

Patappa and Radha



This week I thought I will go back in Time.

My daughter Radha was offered a scholarship at the Presidential classroom program on Science, Technology and Public Policy at Washington DC during the last week of Feb 07. After program was completed she was to spend a weekend at Ravi's place. In order to explain the connection between us and Ravi, the family tree has to go up three generations to my great grand father Patappa. Then she understood, how we are related. That then provoked me to work the family tree tracing back 3 generations. I could finish the flow chart after 2 hrs of racking the brain.

Radha had a good time in the USA, she learned a lot, she was also excited to visit places in DC and New York. I think this would give her a different perspective of the world, people and herself.
She had been to Ground Zero of WTC, I visited WTC on May 11, 2001 exactly 6 months before it came down. I would try to scan the photo and upload here soon.
She also met my cousin Dhuruvan, whom we haven't seen for about 26 years.

I have not spent time on reading books, got to start that soon.
Take care, stay healthy and As Steve Pavalina says, "Live Consciously"



Monday, March 05, 2007

Italy and France and the week of 25th Feb

Hi,
Sorry No photos this edition, Hope to do that when back home.
Its been ages I had posted the info in Website. As I am sitting in the Los Angeles, Airport, British Airways Lounge waiting for the flight to take back to Bangalore, I thought I would put my thoughts thro the public computer.

Well, I had a great visit to Italy and France in the last week of January. I had been to Atessa, which is 300 Kms from Rome. The food, people were great, so was the passion for football. I also had a great time visiting Rome went thro Colosseum, Ancient ruins, Italian Parliament. I was very fortunate to have the company of Lio, the Guy who picked me all the way to Atessa and back to Rome. Lio was a Italian Canadian with a fluent English. So he was able to tell all the things about Italy. The Bread and Olive Oil are out of the world and I was drinking it in Mini cups soaking it with Bread.

France too was Fantastic, The weather yes at -5 deg was something new. But I got adjusted. The drive from Luxembourg to Epinal in France of 300 Kms was so straight, that if you shoot an arrow it would reach Epinal. I also a good tour of the city and food was reasonable.

The week of Feb 25th was great, I brought my Daughter to the USA for a 2 week Scholarship. She had received this sponsored by Honeywell. (www.presidentialclassroom.org)
She had been to so many places in Washington, DC and met people like Buzz Aldrin, Senators etc. She learned a lot. There were 160 students from Age 14- 18, she was kind of the youngest.
This week also I got in touch with my cousin Dhuruvan, after 27 years, and he met my daughter in DC. I also got in touch with my classmate after 24 years over phone and plan to be the focal point. We studied together in Madurai. I also a good meeting professionally, the purpose for which I came to LA as well as had quick tour with walk on the Redando and Hermosa beaches.

So take care, Will post Photos and other thoughts soon. As I got to leave the Business lounge for security Check. The LAX airport is also a theme for the song, "LA International Airport" which I use to hum in College days.
Take care and Stay healthy.

Bye
Karthik.