Confessions Of A Bathroom Singer

Confessions Of A Bathroom Singer

In a way, the bathroom symbolises celebration, a celebration of temporary liberation from the mundane yet intensely responsibility-driven world. My first reaction to marking this celebration is to break into one of my favourite Hindi film numbers, with the accompanying sound of the running water, the bucket and the mug which serve as a loyal orchestra band.

The bathroom in our lives provides just the right context as well as space for expression of liberation. The moment we stand face to face with our `stripped morality`, we experience a sense of deja vu to which only the objects surrounding us stand as mute witnesses. This has been going on ever since we started taking bath on our own behind shut doors. Paradoxically, the shut door opens up a peculiarly free personality which lets go off the moment the clothes are allowed to let go from the body.

Every person on the planet must be having his or her own way of celebrating a brief solo existence on a daily basis inside the bathroom. Away from the glaring and expectant eyes of people, one feels connected to oneself through every dynamic that constitutes a human being – physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. In the outer world – I mean in the one that dominates outside the bathroom -- so many things about us get covered under the man-made clothing of relationships and society's behavioural prescriptions. But the bathroom, while technically is just a knob away, presents an unique `so near yet so far` paradigm, for nobody would dare violate the norms prescribed for people who are not part of the bathroom drama.

In a way, the bathroom symbolises celebration, a celebration of temporary liberation from the mundane yet intensely responsibility-driven world. My first reaction to marking this celebration is to break into one of my favourite Hindi film numbers, with the accompanying sound of the running water, the bucket and the mug which serve as a loyal orchestra band. For years now, I have been a confirmed bathroom singer, never quite seriously considering extending my musical talents to the professional world of singing, perhaps because the liberating feeling that comes with straining your vocal chords in the company of an intangible orchestra band would get snatched away amidst the cacophony of human competition.

Over the years, my entry into the bathroom has held greater significance than just a personal cleansing activity. It has also served as an announcement to folks around my living area that I am very much present amidst my fellow mortals, besides of course providing them with unsolicited free entertainment (yes, some might interpret it as a highly avoidable intrusion into their domain of `chaotic peace`).

I have always treated the bathroom as a recording studio, and therefore sing with gusto, fervour and sometimes, melancholic melody, in the hope that some intense music lover or film producer will get captivated and elevate my sole standing (or should I say soul standing) from the bathroom to the larger stage where people can rejoice in the new found talent baked for years inside four resilient walls. The bathroom walls for so long have stood as appreciative listeners (after all, as they say, walls too have ears), never daring to give me feedback, perhaps because they too were celebrating the feeling of liberation that resonated from within my intensely rehearsed vocal chords. So, maybe it is divine will that is preventing me from coming within the zone of film producers, as then I would get exposed to the prying eyes and acidic hearts of so called competitors. Sure, as you can see, I have an exaggerated opinion of my singing talent and make no effort to hide the narcissistic admiration.

All in all, the bathroom for me offers the best solution to both pent-up expression as well as aggression, as all you need to do when you are down in life is to open the bathroom door, shut it behind you, and drown your worries in the most divine of creations – Mr Water.

To Sir With Love – A Tribute To Asghar Ali Engineer

To Sir With Love – A Tribute To Asghar Ali Engineer

His death is a great loss to various sections of society – academia, social reform and the budding bunch of intellectuals, who are trying to decipher the current state of the world and the direction it is headed in. In a world dominated by materialistic desires, where everything is a simplistic transactional process, Sir will be sorely missed for the vibrant thought leadership he provided to society.

Yesterday was a solemn day, as I felt the `missing presence` of Sir in his office. By Sir I mean the great scholar, intellectual and reformist Asghar Ali Engineer who passed away in May. I told his son Irfan that I could feel Sir was still around.

I first met Sir in 1993 during his lecture at Mumbai University. I approached him for a job as I had done my post graduation in Politics and he was running a social research organisation. I got the job as a research assistant and he thus became my first employer. I worked with him closely for a year and a half and then moved on to explore my life ahead as a journalist.

Twenty years later too I can feel the impact of his personality on my life, especially in the writing space. He authored an incredible 70 books in his lifetime and I was witness to his voracious reading and writing abilities. It was a proud moment for me when he at short notice agreed to launch my first book `The 20 20 20 20 Formula For Success` on June 19, 2011 at Mumbai University's Kalina campus.

Besides the gift of language and of the gab too, he carried an almost superhuman sense of courage and conviction. All his life he stood up fearlessly for what he believed in, travelled the world to get his message across and worked real hard. His autobiography `A Living Faith` is a must-read for those looking for establishing a firm purpose in life. The book brings alive the joy of purpose, sufferings, toil and concern for developing a just society like only a man obsessed with his mission can. Sir was a giant in his field and commanded the respect of people from all walks of life.

His contribution to my life I realise now is immense, as somewhere I was inspired by him to intellectualise, analyse and write. Though I hardly met him a few times since I moved out of his organisation in mid 1995, his influence stayed with me as I wandered through careers and companies in an attempt to discover my personal purpose.

It is rare indeed to be closely associated with people of Sir's stature. He transmitted inexhaustible energy and was truly an extraordinary human being. When he spoke, people listened. When he wrote, people `listened`, for his writings communicated with the reader, and when he read, he was a genuine student of knowledge and perspective.

His death is a great loss to various sections of society – academia, social reform and the budding bunch of intellectuals, who are trying to decipher the current state of the world and the direction it is headed in. In a world dominated by materialistic desires, where everything is a simplistic transactional process, Sir will be sorely missed for the vibrant thought leadership he provided to society.

There will hardly be anybody else like Sir. He died the way he lived – FIGHTING. Thank You Sir. This world will miss you, ALWAYS.               

Dubai – Paradise On A Desert

Dubai – Paradise On A Desert

Dubai, to my mind, is not just about the power of money. It is more about the power of thought.
It was incredible to know that this `artificial` city was built upon the ruthless natural expanse
of a desert.

There have been few moments more exciting in my life than boarding an international flight after over 30 years. It was a moment I had waited for for decades and in the last few years the urge to get my passport stamped was irresistible. For the last couple of years, Dubai as a destination was playing hide-and-seek with me. But finally, early morning on May 27, 2013, when the Air Arabia flight taxied itself on to the runway and took off to Dubai, I was well and truly on my way to fulfilling my desire to visit a foreign country after over three decades.

Dubai is just a three hour flight from Mumbai and probably takes lesser time than getting to Kolkata. So, I wondered how different would the country be from India. After all, Indians' presence in Dubai is all pervasive. But a close friend assured me Dubai would give a truly international feel as compared to even some of the developed countries. He was ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! The five days I spent in Dubai will remain one of the most momentous in my life.

The lush green pastures, clean roads, tall buildings -- which seem like they have simply been planted after being manufactured in a factory -- and the all encompassing discipline are not just fascinating, but awe inspiring. It was incredible to know that this `artificial` city was built upon the ruthless natural expanse of a desert. The only signs you get that underneath your feet is a desert is when you notice some sand being strewn on the sides as your traverse the length and breadth of Dubai.

While it was not surprising to notice clean roads and disciplined traffic, as after all we have been fed on these images on television and in foreign films, the creative architecture and the automated functioning of the city were mind blowing. Even the much hyped Dubai Mall did not catch my fancy, as we are now used to some outstanding malls in India too, till I noticed the aquarium. It is a must-watch in Dubai.

But what will surely blow your mind off is the visit to Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world, whose entrance is from the Dubai Mall. Incredibly in under 60 seconds, the elevator took us to the 124^th floor and the view from the top cannot be expressed in words. The tower, due to its sheer height, makes itself visible from various corners of Dubai. Burj Khalifa is a place you must visit before you die, not only for absorbing its beauty and complex architecture, but also for elevating your understanding about what thinking BIG is all about. I always prided myself on being a person who thinks big, till I visited Burj Khalifa that is and realised just how small human thinking actually is.

Dubai, to my mind, is not just about the power of money. It is more about the power of thought. The creators of Dubai simply seem to be gifted with the ability to think beyond the collective elevated thinking of the human race. First they constructed a modern city on a desert, and then erected signature towers which serenade the Dubai skyline like a symphony of rhythmic notes.

The journey of constructing and reconstructing Dubai is not over for sure. The country has more surprises to offer, and I for one look forward to visiting it again.

My Father KK

My Father KK

We will always remember him for his 3 Ss --
Straightforwardness, Simplicity and Soft spoken approach.

We all lose a few loved ones to death in our lifetime. I too have. The most painful of course was the death of my best and childhood friend Sachin – with whom I grew up – in the year 2006. But the most defining has to be the passing away of your parent, because of whom we inherit this world.

The past week has been flooded with memories of my father Mr KK Subramanian, who passed away on April 18. He was a soft spoken and hard working individual who passed on simple but very essential behavioural prescriptions to both his sons. “Never tell a lie,” he would say. So simple, yet in the context of today's world it seems like a re-discovered truth.

Having studied in the Tamil medium in school, I always found his English impeccable. He developed it over time and served as an inspiration to us brothers to pick up nuances of the English language. He had a wonderful music sense too and was very fond of carnatic music. I too love singing and have a talent to spot similarity of ragas when listening to different songs. Some effect of the genes I suppose.

When I reflect on my father's personality, one thing stands out – his simplicity and loyalty. He was not the one to invite any kind of complexity into his life – his sons are filling that gap of course. Like an individual bred on typical middle class values, he served one government organisation for 30 years and built his career accordingly. He wanted both his sons to emulate this approach, but we were made of different mettle and continue to experiment with our careers even twenty years after we started working. Like many fathers in our country, I am sure he was not amused with this `current generation` style of living.

One of the aspects I feel my father missed out on developing was his creative side. He used to make sketches occasionally and I found him to be very good at that. Maybe somewhere he was trapped into the focused way of living and not giving vent to his creative potential, which might have required sacrificing the beaten path a little.

While he went through the normal struggles and frustrations of life, he was blessed that he could travel the world. In his lifetime, he visited some amazing places like Rome, Geneva London, Hong Kong, and Osaka, besides having put in a professional stint in Africa. Having worked for Air India for three decades, he loved being air borne and taking us all too.

In the last few years, my father suffered a lot with his health and his last few months were immensely painful. In death, he found deliverance from both suffering and bondage. April 18 however would forever remain a solemn day in our life.

We will always remember my father for his 3 Ss -- Straightforwardness, Simplicity and Soft spoken approach. My brother and I are grateful for whatever he did for us. Though he may not have always agreed with our ways, till his last breath he stood by us.

Thank You Appa. May You Remain In Eternal Bliss. Will Miss You Always! 

The Politics Of Politics

The Politics Of Politics

The incessant debate on governance is a good sign for a country which is a role
model for democracy in the world. But for political parties, the intent
on development will face its biggest test at the hustings in 2014.

It's in the air, elections I mean. While India goes to the polls in 2014, Pakistan is bracing itself up for May 2013, when the country will undergo a test which will tell the world whether it is going march forward with its fractured democratic setup or return to dictatorial ways. These indeed are interesting times in the sub-continent.

The buildup to the 2014 elections in India is extremely significant, as the country has seen tumultuous times in this ongoing UPA term, which retained its bastion in 2009. In this term, corruption scandals have tumbled out of the cupboards with alarming regularity, inflation has shot through the roof, citizens have regularly taken to the streets to demonstrate against one or the other injustice, and the aam aadmi has been actively voicing his discomfort with things that obstruct his harmonious day-to-day living.

The Indian voter has always been unpredictable. He has this uncanny ability to upset political parties' and poll pundits' calculations. But I suspect that what differentiates the 2014 elections from the ones before is the build-up. The voter is now more aware and more informed due to social media and television. There is already a buzz for political personalities who should inherit the prime ministerial throne in Delhi. While India culturally has been personality-centric, where people believe one individual can ameliorate them from their sufferings, the Narendra Modi V/s Rahul Gandhi debate is acquiring more of a presidential form than that of stuff seen in a typical parliamentary democracy. Nitish Kumar too, on the back of his success in Bihar, is highlighting his credibility as a politician of substance.

A significant aspect of the 2014 elections is the Indian demography itself – the size of the country's youth population, with more than 65% of its populace being below the age of 35 (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_India).

It is also significant that the youth of our country have been far more vociferous on national issues than any other young generation in the past. They are likely to have a major impact on the 2014 election results. But in terms of the options in front of the populace, nothing really seems to have changed fundamentally. It is still Congress versus the BJP, with both parties unlikely to get an absolute mandate. The politics of politics in terms of forging coalitions based on convenience is likely to continue as a buildup to the 2014 elections.

In terms of political maturity of a nation, India is still looking for a credible opposition whose agenda is simply not to come to power, but to participate in the larger development of the nation. The word development has been the most frequently used in political circles of late. The incessant debate on governance is a good sign for a country which is a role model for democracy in the world. But for political parties, the intent on development will face its biggest test at the hustings in 2014.

As for the two principal parties, strategically, the challenges are huge. While the Congress has a humungous task to explain to the nation its misconducts on various fronts, the BJP seems to be ripped by internal schisms. The regional parties are all on their guard to lap up any opportunity to get closer to the power centre in Delhi.

All in all, the nation seems to be gearing up slowly but surely towards an IPL like contest at the hustings. The prospects of a single winner-takes-all appears bleak. The era of fragile but inevitable coalitions is likely to continue. The nation awaits, but not with bated breath, not yet!

Reiki – My Life, My Purpose

Reiki – My Life, My Purpose

It pains me a lot when I see people suffering from poor health and the financial burden it imposes. If everyone learns Reiki, they can at least take some control of their health and life. The system is easy, effortless and non-invasive, and more importantly, takes just a day to learn. 

Two spiritual incidents changed my life forever – the day I met my Guruji in Pune in 1989 and the day I learnt Reiki in 1993. Take these two days out of my life, and I wonder where I would have been and what I would have been doing. It is said that when the student is ready, the teacher comes. But I can say from personal experience that whether the student is ready or not is not decided by the student, that is known only to the Guru.

It is said that we are the masters of our own destiny. But when I look back at my life, I can only say that I have been plain lucky. I neither planned to have a Guru nor to learn Reiki. In fact, when I got to know about Reiki from my master, that was the first time I had even heard about it. Without my Guru's blessings/diksha and Reiki, I don't even know what I would have done with my life. Maybe, my karmic equations were stacked in my favour, and therefore I received so much spiritual abundance in my life. My head bows in gratitude in front of the divine for bestowing its blessings on me.

My life is divided into two parts – the years before 1989 and the years after, with 1993, the year I learnt Reiki, being another landmark one. Pre-1989, I led a life of lack – in health, in mind and in heart. But once I started meditating and practicing Reiki, my life underwent an unimaginable change. Now, I cannot imagine life without doing my regular meditation and practice and teaching of Reiki. The journey over the past 24 years has been incredible. I have changed from the core. I have developed myself way beyond my own imagination. I couldn't have planned the transformation, and it just seems like a continuous process of evolution.

I have come to realise two things in life: one, a life without a spiritual base is no life at all, and two, we are mere mediums in the hands of the divine, we are not the doers. I believe I am a medium to spread Reiki and help people take care of themselves, so that through the divine energy, they can not only be healthy, but also feel connected always to their real self.

Reiki, which means Universal Life Energy in Japanese, is probably one of the simplest meditation and healing techniques, which helps people feel energised physically, and relax mentally and emotionally within minutes. The great purpose of my life, besides the other things I dabble in, is to spread Reiki far, wide and deep. So far, I have just managed to scratch the tip of the iceberg. It pains me a lot when I see people suffering from poor health and the financial burden that imposes. If everyone learnt Reiki, they can at least take some control of their health and life. The system is easy, effortless and non-invasive, and more importantly, takes just a day to learn.

To know more about what is Reiki, you can watch my video on youtube (link given above).

Also, if you want to learn Reiki, mail to lifetransformation69@gmail.com.

May the divine energy provide you with health, healing, happiness and prosperity – ALWAYS.

Cricket And The Art Of Adaptability

Cricket And The Art Of Adaptability

When co-related with the game of life, people in our country, in the face of rapid technological innovations, are facing challenges of adaptability never experienced before. It is visible in all departments of life – in professional areas, in parenting, in relationships. 

Few days back I finished reading this masterpiece of a book `TheWinning Way` by Anita Bhogle and Harsha Bhogle. The book essentially draws management lessons from sport, with cricket of course forming a major part of it. The authors touch upon various aspects with great incisiveness as well as in an interesting manner. A must read!

We are a cricket crazy country, with the mood and performance of our cricket team determining the happiness quotient of the nation. Nothing perhaps best captures the intrinsic nature of our countrymen better than the behaviours that get reflected post a significant victory or defeat of our cricketers. The emotional volatility that the nation goes through in a matter of weeks, or sometimes even minutes, depending on the performances on the cricket field, presents an interesting facet about our people and life here. A much questioned cricketer can in a matter of just an innings or a bowling performance raise his value stakes to a level which is both illogical and irrational. The reverse also happens with equal speed, where yesterday's hero could find himself at the wrong end of a stick for one poor performance. Why this happens is a queer phenomenon and will reserve its analysis for another day.

But beyond the thrills of a victory or the morose feelings of a defeat lies one of cricket's greatest lessons on life and management – and that is adaptability. This presents a scientific side to both the sport as well as life. India, after having climbed to the No. 1 spot in test cricket came crashing down, losing back-to-back test series – whitewashed actually -- in both England and Australia, primarily because they could not adapt to the different conditions that prevail there in terms of pitch, nature of bounce, swing, etc. Sometime back when England toured India, they upfront got a taste of conditions here as they lost the first test quite badly, but bounced back to win the series because they remarkably adapted to conditions here. Australia, who are currently touring India, too are struggling to adapt to the conditions here.

While cricket as a sport offers many lessons, adaptability is at the heart of it. Players who built a reputation by performing in certain conditions tend to lose it all as soon as they are faced with challenges in an unfamiliar territory. The greatness of players like Tendulkar, or Dravid, or Ricky Ponting, or Jacque Kallis lies in their ability to adapt to different conditions by modifying their temperament, game and technique. This applies to great bowlers too like Glen McGrath, Dale Steyn, Anil Kumble, and Zaheer Khan, whose ability to bowl differently in different conditions to produce the desired results for their team brought them richly deserved laurels.

Adaptability requires two critical elements: an ability to rise above the mere fruits of talent and be ready to reinvent oneself from time to time. Never has reinvention been more critical than in the last few years with the burst of 20-20 cricket, as cricketers now have to constantly juggle between not just different conditions, but also different formats.

When co-related with the game of life, people in our country, in the face of rapid technological innovations, are facing challenges of adaptability never experienced before. It is visible in all departments of life – in professional areas, in parenting, in relationships. The world in the last twenty years has incredibly changed, and India, in the post-liberalisation period, looks and behaves as if it has had a DNA transplant. Both success and failure are shortlived. The threat of redundancy and challenges to existing skillsets are incredibly intimidating. A world, driven by information and knowledge, is challenging yesterday's paradigms and questioning established cultures like never before.

The living-on-the-edge syndrome now has a new partner in `walking on your toes`, for the moment you feel it's time to settle down, conditions change unrecognizably. The rewards of talent too are fast paced, making the reasons for today's success irrelevant in the march forward, thereby calling for immediate reinvention and re-adaptability. This can be seen in the surfeit of success stories that get created constantly through reality shows, only for many of the participants to disappear into oblivion.

But amidst the constantly changing context of life, one thing has not changed, and that is, success, still comes and stays with those who are in it for the long haul, and are not carried away by the glamour of instantaneous achievements. Just as in cricket, where the true worth of a cricketer is still measured by his performances in test matches, life will always shower the highest reward to those who are ready play the game of life like a test match, but imbue it with the spirit of the 50 and 20-20 formats.

So, always be in anything for the long term, for success may or may not be as grand as a multi-storey building, but it is for sure a multi-storey journey. Contexts may change, but this fundamental truth will never change.