I always believe its easier to understand through examples. Too many financial terms out there, but here are the basics:
Risk Averse - When you get all excited about bonds and shares and commodities, and you want to jump in and invest, but you dont.
Counterparty - Almost everyone whom you need to deal with.
Credit Risk - Risk that your friend will never return the Rs 100 that he owes you.
Market Risk - Risk that tomato will go upto Rs 30 a kilo suddenly due to some bad news on TV.
Counterparty Default - When your husband cheats on you.
Asset - Your house/ bike/ car
Depreciation - When your house looks "dull" compared to the new flat down the road.
Liability - The rent/ installments that you pay for your house/ bike/ car
Mortgage - When you proudly say its MY house, when the legal title is with the bank.
Capital - Your salary
Reserve - Fixed Deposit with your bank
Reserve Liquidity - Savings Deposit with your bank
IOU - Recurring Deposit with your bank
Accrued Interest - Interest from FD/ RD/ SB
Position - Current value of your house.
Unrealised profit - When your land cost shoots up and you are happy to have bought a house earlier.
Unrealised loss - When the laptop price slumps and you curse yourself for having bought a laptop last week.
Mark-to-Market - When you walk past a TV shop and see how much your TV costs currently.
Notional - Amount of bank loan that you always worry about, but never get to pay.
Know Your Client (KYC) - When you research all possible relatives and friends to see if the potential bridegroom is a "good boy" for your girl.
Guarantee - When you certify that the next door boy is "very good" when a potential father-in-law comes to check on him.
Collateral - The gold that a bride wears, that could go into a pawn shop when times go sour
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Friday, October 03, 2008
My 2 cents on all things Finance - Part 2
The tough get tougher when the trough gets deeper.
Passing out of school brought about a whole new change for me, new country, new friends, new passions, new distractions, new way of life. It was all too overwhelming, and it took me a good two years to realise its just as challenging as my beloved Chennai. Money started disappearing faster than it has, all my life. Expenses became the norm of life. I spent everyday, my "own" money. Its enormous risk spending money that you did not earn. And one fine day, it all disappeared. I had to borrow, for the first time in my life. It pains, worse than the worst sin you had ever committed. Debt came into my dictionary. Debt was bad, debt pains, debt is horrible. Stay away from debt. And so I fought for the next 4 years to repay my debts.
It was almost a natural progression that my gentle curious interest in money and piggy bank savings should lead me to work in a Financial Services firm. I did learn a lot on how to work; and learnt a bit on how they make money work for them. Margin became more than a pencil line on a white sheet of paper. I was surprised how much people risked, and for a few shares which they dont even get to see! Financial statements of companies made a lot more sense, although still meant little.
A switch to an insurance firm gave me an all too simple view of insurance. People paid for something which could never happen. People paid for a perceived risk, and some smart companies calling themselves insurance gave assurance that in case something bad happened, they would cover their families. And millions believed in this concept. And the fun part of it was that I did learn that insurance companies themselves insured!
Moving on to an investment bank, it felt weird. Is the world really this simple and foolish? People think banks are the safest places to put their money in, but banks invariably take the most risks! They give loans to people, they invest in companies, they trade like crazy. They borrow money from government/banks/people at a lower rate, lend to banks/corporates/people at a higher rate and pay people with the margin.
After a good five years in the financial services sector, I realised the entire financial system relies on one main thing. TRUST. If you lend money or borrow money, there should be trust between the parties. Worse still if you deposit the money in your favorite bank, which uses this money to buy shares, and sells shares that it does not own, and enters into repurchase agreements to fill the missing shares, securitises these shares with another bank to get more cash, and uses this cash to buy some government bonds, and gives this bonds to another bank to borrow more money and uses this money to give loans to a start up company hoping for a return on capital and to you as a house loan hoping you will pay the monthly interest, mitigates the risk of not getting back the money by getting another bank to act as a guarantee, gets whatever shares the company currently owns, sells those shares in the secondary market at a higher rate. And this example is just the tip of the iceberg. So, where is YOUR money? Its extremely complex in today's world, and nobody really knows where is your money. And my gut feel is that your simple deposit with your bank will lead that money to tie virtually every bank out there in some kind of transaction! So, if you want your money back, you are giving virtually every bank a run for their money :)
But, you say, the government is there to regulate. The bank does continuously calculate its balance sheet and tries to maintain a balance between its future cashflows, and keeps a percentage of the money it owes people as reserves, to please the regulators. But again, nothing is 100%. For you, the money you keep in the bank is safe. For the bank, the money it keeps is a loss! So, they went to a resort in Switzerland and came up with Basel 1 and Basel 2 to convince the government to let them trade as much money as possible, leaving their coffers as dry as possible.
Now, what if the key word goes missing. If TRUST is not there, between the bank and customer, or bank and bank, the whole financial system goes topsy turvy. Nobody wants to cheat, and no cheat can exist in the system for long. But then, what if you cant pay your house loan of Rs 10000 per month? Nothing happens. What if a million such people cannot repay. One housing loan company might go bust. What is one housing loan company goes bust? Nothing much maybe. What if 10 such companies go bust? The bank that fund these companies is screwed. As in the example above, that means almost every bank!
The survival of the fittest kicks in. Since risk is like a time bomb being passed across from one institution to another, the one that has the highest risk when the alarm bells ring bursts. The rest are tested for their survival. If someone does not have cash at that point of time, its time to say goodbye. ML and Lehmann found this out recently. The cash rich companies and banks see this as an opportunity to buy whatever they can. Consolidation results. The big and bounty survive. The small and fragile break. Its just the nature of the financial system.
Rumours test the keyword TRUST. A 4-pager "The boy who broke the bank" by Ruskin Bond is a highly recommended read for starters. Anything and everything in the fragile environment is a bank-breaker. A current example is of ICICI, second largest lender in India, whose shares dropped 14% in a day based on rumours that it does not have enough cash.
So, what can you do about it?
1. Have trust with people and institutions that you deal with financially.
2. Dont put all eggs in the same basket. Diversify your portfolios.
3. Bank is just another person. There is nothing which is 100% safe.
4. Dont go with the flow. Dont buy a house because every other colleague buys one.
5. Watch out for market signs. You should be very careful if you see every housewife buying and selling shares without knowing what it is!
6. Dont think you are too smart. A billion others out there are not idiots.
7. Start small, grow in chunks. You can dream big, but dont risk big.
8. Knowledge is power. Dont do anything without knowing what you are doing.
9. Patience is a virtue. For an individual, investment is good; trading is not.
10. It all boils down to fundamentals. Dont go by perceived value when the times are bad.
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
Passing out of school brought about a whole new change for me, new country, new friends, new passions, new distractions, new way of life. It was all too overwhelming, and it took me a good two years to realise its just as challenging as my beloved Chennai. Money started disappearing faster than it has, all my life. Expenses became the norm of life. I spent everyday, my "own" money. Its enormous risk spending money that you did not earn. And one fine day, it all disappeared. I had to borrow, for the first time in my life. It pains, worse than the worst sin you had ever committed. Debt came into my dictionary. Debt was bad, debt pains, debt is horrible. Stay away from debt. And so I fought for the next 4 years to repay my debts.
It was almost a natural progression that my gentle curious interest in money and piggy bank savings should lead me to work in a Financial Services firm. I did learn a lot on how to work; and learnt a bit on how they make money work for them. Margin became more than a pencil line on a white sheet of paper. I was surprised how much people risked, and for a few shares which they dont even get to see! Financial statements of companies made a lot more sense, although still meant little.
A switch to an insurance firm gave me an all too simple view of insurance. People paid for something which could never happen. People paid for a perceived risk, and some smart companies calling themselves insurance gave assurance that in case something bad happened, they would cover their families. And millions believed in this concept. And the fun part of it was that I did learn that insurance companies themselves insured!
Moving on to an investment bank, it felt weird. Is the world really this simple and foolish? People think banks are the safest places to put their money in, but banks invariably take the most risks! They give loans to people, they invest in companies, they trade like crazy. They borrow money from government/banks/people at a lower rate, lend to banks/corporates/people at a higher rate and pay people with the margin.
After a good five years in the financial services sector, I realised the entire financial system relies on one main thing. TRUST. If you lend money or borrow money, there should be trust between the parties. Worse still if you deposit the money in your favorite bank, which uses this money to buy shares, and sells shares that it does not own, and enters into repurchase agreements to fill the missing shares, securitises these shares with another bank to get more cash, and uses this cash to buy some government bonds, and gives this bonds to another bank to borrow more money and uses this money to give loans to a start up company hoping for a return on capital and to you as a house loan hoping you will pay the monthly interest, mitigates the risk of not getting back the money by getting another bank to act as a guarantee, gets whatever shares the company currently owns, sells those shares in the secondary market at a higher rate. And this example is just the tip of the iceberg. So, where is YOUR money? Its extremely complex in today's world, and nobody really knows where is your money. And my gut feel is that your simple deposit with your bank will lead that money to tie virtually every bank out there in some kind of transaction! So, if you want your money back, you are giving virtually every bank a run for their money :)
But, you say, the government is there to regulate. The bank does continuously calculate its balance sheet and tries to maintain a balance between its future cashflows, and keeps a percentage of the money it owes people as reserves, to please the regulators. But again, nothing is 100%. For you, the money you keep in the bank is safe. For the bank, the money it keeps is a loss! So, they went to a resort in Switzerland and came up with Basel 1 and Basel 2 to convince the government to let them trade as much money as possible, leaving their coffers as dry as possible.
Now, what if the key word goes missing. If TRUST is not there, between the bank and customer, or bank and bank, the whole financial system goes topsy turvy. Nobody wants to cheat, and no cheat can exist in the system for long. But then, what if you cant pay your house loan of Rs 10000 per month? Nothing happens. What if a million such people cannot repay. One housing loan company might go bust. What is one housing loan company goes bust? Nothing much maybe. What if 10 such companies go bust? The bank that fund these companies is screwed. As in the example above, that means almost every bank!
The survival of the fittest kicks in. Since risk is like a time bomb being passed across from one institution to another, the one that has the highest risk when the alarm bells ring bursts. The rest are tested for their survival. If someone does not have cash at that point of time, its time to say goodbye. ML and Lehmann found this out recently. The cash rich companies and banks see this as an opportunity to buy whatever they can. Consolidation results. The big and bounty survive. The small and fragile break. Its just the nature of the financial system.
Rumours test the keyword TRUST. A 4-pager "The boy who broke the bank" by Ruskin Bond is a highly recommended read for starters. Anything and everything in the fragile environment is a bank-breaker. A current example is of ICICI, second largest lender in India, whose shares dropped 14% in a day based on rumours that it does not have enough cash.
So, what can you do about it?
1. Have trust with people and institutions that you deal with financially.
2. Dont put all eggs in the same basket. Diversify your portfolios.
3. Bank is just another person. There is nothing which is 100% safe.
4. Dont go with the flow. Dont buy a house because every other colleague buys one.
5. Watch out for market signs. You should be very careful if you see every housewife buying and selling shares without knowing what it is!
6. Dont think you are too smart. A billion others out there are not idiots.
7. Start small, grow in chunks. You can dream big, but dont risk big.
8. Knowledge is power. Dont do anything without knowing what you are doing.
9. Patience is a virtue. For an individual, investment is good; trading is not.
10. It all boils down to fundamentals. Dont go by perceived value when the times are bad.
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
My 2 cents on all things Finance - Part 1
Finance is THE hot topic now, with the banks going down the drain. Most people would have a rough idea of whats happening, but in layman's terms, its a sea of icebergs out there. In Lehmann's terms, it was just a poor Titanic!
Having worked in a Financial Services company, Insurance company and a Bank, I have a pretty good round up of the sector. Well, they say people who know more talk less, so before I get to know more, let me ramble on :P
I clearly remember the first bank account that I opened when I was entering into 2nd standard. My mom gave me Rs 10, the biggest amount I had seen till then in my own hands, and asked me to save. The next 11 yrs, I did just that; saved, saved and saved. My father was my first depositor, and my sister the first customer. Only that my customer returned neither principal nor interest. I learnt valuable lessons along the way. Seeing my piggy bank bulge and break, rise and ebb, I learnt what is love, sustenance, support, suspicion, sacrifice, despair, hope. Every month, I used to seggregate my 1p, 2p, 3p, 5p, 10p into seperate boxes and keep accounts. Over the years, I saw my beloved 1p and 2p disappear. Why shud those lovely chiselled aluminum coins be given back to the bank? New strange coins of Rs 2 and Rs 5 denomination came into being. My first taste of inflation. I did keep a few 1p, 2p and 3p though. It lost value, but did it?
Once in 6 months, my mom used to "buy" all my coins and give me a few equivalent notes, usually a bit more than the value of the coins. I didnt think much about the interest received, but I did cultivate interest. She used the coins for the daily bus journeys. I used to go to the bank and deposit the notes, way easier than depositing coins. I learnt how to deposit money. Occasionally withdrew money for emergencies, and got to know all the friendly neighbourhood bank employees. The bank used to have its own peculiar smell, just like a hotel.. It smelt of money and burning coils in the fans. I used to wonder why they worked only from 9-11am, until I realised my neighbour aunty working in the same bank came home only in the evening. As time passed by, I realised the bank shut itself inside, and people scribbling hard after people left. "Keeping accounts" I pondered, and mused how many 1p they had inside.
I opened my second bank account. This time my mom gave me Rs 100. WOW! And time went by and money went into the bank account. I ensured that hardly anything left the bank. I would be so delighted when they put the interest entry, as if I had won a lottery! When I ran from home near the closing time, and saw the shutters close agonisingly close, I used to pray to God to extend the banking hours. Its only when my passbook showed Rs 500 did my prayers get answered. And things started to get worse.
Did I open the pandorra box? The question would never go away. Growing up, I learnt it was not my prayers, but the world that was fast changing, but inside I always wish I hadnt wished 9-11 to change. The friendly neighbourhood aunties were now learning to type into the huge boxes obstructing my view of their bespectacled sincere work. I had grown enough to use a computer at school. I knew I could teach them to type faster. But the computers that I was so fond of at school transformed into frustration in their eyes. They were still scribbling in their ruled notebooks and into my passbook.
My balance grew into mammoth figures. I could hardly believe my eyes when I passed my 10th. I had a whopping Rs 1200. I screamed in silence. I wanted to tell all my friends, but I didnt. It was my WEALTH. Then my sister got engaged. My parents had to raise capital urgently for her marriage, and realised how tough it was to raise capital. Maybe people were as possessive about their wealth as I was with mine. I didnt think twice to open all my beloved boxes filled to the brim by then. 5p onwards flowed out.. totalling another Rs 250. They said they needed Rs 2.5 lacs. Thats when I realised how insignificant it all was. I wanted desperately to help my sis I had grown to love in hate. But I couldnt. I had saved all my life, and it came to nothing. I learnt the time value of money. In hindsight, I can see why its the first lesson in almost every financial book.
Quote of the week: Two investment banks were taken off the equation in a day.
Quote of the day: The Fed can take a dead dog as a collateral for lending money.
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
Having worked in a Financial Services company, Insurance company and a Bank, I have a pretty good round up of the sector. Well, they say people who know more talk less, so before I get to know more, let me ramble on :P
I clearly remember the first bank account that I opened when I was entering into 2nd standard. My mom gave me Rs 10, the biggest amount I had seen till then in my own hands, and asked me to save. The next 11 yrs, I did just that; saved, saved and saved. My father was my first depositor, and my sister the first customer. Only that my customer returned neither principal nor interest. I learnt valuable lessons along the way. Seeing my piggy bank bulge and break, rise and ebb, I learnt what is love, sustenance, support, suspicion, sacrifice, despair, hope. Every month, I used to seggregate my 1p, 2p, 3p, 5p, 10p into seperate boxes and keep accounts. Over the years, I saw my beloved 1p and 2p disappear. Why shud those lovely chiselled aluminum coins be given back to the bank? New strange coins of Rs 2 and Rs 5 denomination came into being. My first taste of inflation. I did keep a few 1p, 2p and 3p though. It lost value, but did it?
Once in 6 months, my mom used to "buy" all my coins and give me a few equivalent notes, usually a bit more than the value of the coins. I didnt think much about the interest received, but I did cultivate interest. She used the coins for the daily bus journeys. I used to go to the bank and deposit the notes, way easier than depositing coins. I learnt how to deposit money. Occasionally withdrew money for emergencies, and got to know all the friendly neighbourhood bank employees. The bank used to have its own peculiar smell, just like a hotel.. It smelt of money and burning coils in the fans. I used to wonder why they worked only from 9-11am, until I realised my neighbour aunty working in the same bank came home only in the evening. As time passed by, I realised the bank shut itself inside, and people scribbling hard after people left. "Keeping accounts" I pondered, and mused how many 1p they had inside.
I opened my second bank account. This time my mom gave me Rs 100. WOW! And time went by and money went into the bank account. I ensured that hardly anything left the bank. I would be so delighted when they put the interest entry, as if I had won a lottery! When I ran from home near the closing time, and saw the shutters close agonisingly close, I used to pray to God to extend the banking hours. Its only when my passbook showed Rs 500 did my prayers get answered. And things started to get worse.
Did I open the pandorra box? The question would never go away. Growing up, I learnt it was not my prayers, but the world that was fast changing, but inside I always wish I hadnt wished 9-11 to change. The friendly neighbourhood aunties were now learning to type into the huge boxes obstructing my view of their bespectacled sincere work. I had grown enough to use a computer at school. I knew I could teach them to type faster. But the computers that I was so fond of at school transformed into frustration in their eyes. They were still scribbling in their ruled notebooks and into my passbook.
My balance grew into mammoth figures. I could hardly believe my eyes when I passed my 10th. I had a whopping Rs 1200. I screamed in silence. I wanted to tell all my friends, but I didnt. It was my WEALTH. Then my sister got engaged. My parents had to raise capital urgently for her marriage, and realised how tough it was to raise capital. Maybe people were as possessive about their wealth as I was with mine. I didnt think twice to open all my beloved boxes filled to the brim by then. 5p onwards flowed out.. totalling another Rs 250. They said they needed Rs 2.5 lacs. Thats when I realised how insignificant it all was. I wanted desperately to help my sis I had grown to love in hate. But I couldnt. I had saved all my life, and it came to nothing. I learnt the time value of money. In hindsight, I can see why its the first lesson in almost every financial book.
Quote of the week: Two investment banks were taken off the equation in a day.
Quote of the day: The Fed can take a dead dog as a collateral for lending money.
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Be a Leader!
It takes a leader to talk the walk
And a manager to walk the talk.
Carriages are good cos they carry the coal, but its the rail engine that drives them to their destination.
Well.. I was in a project leadership course today :P
The guy started off with a quote by Omar Bradshaw, "Its easy being a leader, its getting people to follow you thats tough!" and chipped in with Eisenhower's "Plans are useless, but Planning is good"
And then the participants did their bit...
"Rome wasnt built in a day.. It took time to convince those Romans!"
Maslow and Herzberg came out from their graves in my masters coursebook today; X, Y and Z stopped their association with algebra to become theories in themselves; blah blah blah.
After spending a day in classroom, I learnt a thing or two about leadership; or so I think.. And definitely learnt a thing or two about gujjus! I had the honour of meeting yet another specimen (used to be the favorite word for one of my school teachers) today.
The icing on the cake was the last exercise for the day. Doing the exercise, we made as many leadership errors that we were taught to avoid the whole day.
Perspectives changed; Practicality didnt!
And then I realised why the 40-80 year old theories are still taught, again and again and again, in vain. And I looked back at the thousands of years' worth of "sayings" with respect.
Its so easy to say things!
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
And a manager to walk the talk.
Carriages are good cos they carry the coal, but its the rail engine that drives them to their destination.
Well.. I was in a project leadership course today :P
The guy started off with a quote by Omar Bradshaw, "Its easy being a leader, its getting people to follow you thats tough!" and chipped in with Eisenhower's "Plans are useless, but Planning is good"
And then the participants did their bit...
"Rome wasnt built in a day.. It took time to convince those Romans!"
Maslow and Herzberg came out from their graves in my masters coursebook today; X, Y and Z stopped their association with algebra to become theories in themselves; blah blah blah.
After spending a day in classroom, I learnt a thing or two about leadership; or so I think.. And definitely learnt a thing or two about gujjus! I had the honour of meeting yet another specimen (used to be the favorite word for one of my school teachers) today.
The icing on the cake was the last exercise for the day. Doing the exercise, we made as many leadership errors that we were taught to avoid the whole day.
Perspectives changed; Practicality didnt!
And then I realised why the 40-80 year old theories are still taught, again and again and again, in vain. And I looked back at the thousands of years' worth of "sayings" with respect.
Its so easy to say things!
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
Puls My Dear
Join me in wishing Mr. Puls a very very happy birthday. I dont remember which year he was born though. Anywayz, hes always young thanks to God's grace. I love him from the bottom of my heart. So does a million others, but he would always be special to me. My friend, philosopher, guide and God. He has an amazing personality, and his charisma can draw people towards him. I am proud to be associated with him in an endearing way for about 18 yrs now. Love ya puls. Love ya so damn much. Just next to my parents though. Knowing him, he wouldnt mind settling for second best in my heart :)
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
Monday, September 01, 2008
Insignificant You
The world goes round and round and it doesn't suffice
While you are lucky to go round maybe twice or thrice.
The sun burns down our planetary neighbour's face
And a thousand degrees cooler, we scream about its unforgiving rays.
Rocks orbit aimlessly amidst the vast expanse
But we look to strip every rock here to make our cars and fans.
A friendly wave would take 8 mins to reach the next lifeless rock
But we don't stop to greet our elderly neighbour in the block.
Stars and parents are solely responsible to incubate life
But alas the cinema stars are more revered, what a strife!
We reach out to planets and aliens and the search does continue
While the plants and animals suffering next to you doesn't subdue
Like a mother the sun burns itself out to make life comfortable, with no regrets
While we burn all our ancestral fossils to light our pubs and cigarettes
Ants live in the billions and thousands get stamped out everyday
Perhaps there is a lesson if only you pause to think on a busy day
There are a billion rocks out there in the sky
But only one where a billion lives can fly
You will only begin to appreciate the beauty around you
When you realise you are but an insignificant you!
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
While you are lucky to go round maybe twice or thrice.
The sun burns down our planetary neighbour's face
And a thousand degrees cooler, we scream about its unforgiving rays.
Rocks orbit aimlessly amidst the vast expanse
But we look to strip every rock here to make our cars and fans.
A friendly wave would take 8 mins to reach the next lifeless rock
But we don't stop to greet our elderly neighbour in the block.
Stars and parents are solely responsible to incubate life
But alas the cinema stars are more revered, what a strife!
We reach out to planets and aliens and the search does continue
While the plants and animals suffering next to you doesn't subdue
Like a mother the sun burns itself out to make life comfortable, with no regrets
While we burn all our ancestral fossils to light our pubs and cigarettes
Ants live in the billions and thousands get stamped out everyday
Perhaps there is a lesson if only you pause to think on a busy day
There are a billion rocks out there in the sky
But only one where a billion lives can fly
You will only begin to appreciate the beauty around you
When you realise you are but an insignificant you!
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Bheema - The Hit List
1000 hits
500 broken limbs
100 bullets
50 rowdies
10 killings
5 "no-idea-where-it-came-from" songs
1 line message at the end
0 story
I gave it a 20/10... (20 bucks on ticket and 10 bucks on snacks.)
Not many movies can be rated "Not worth watching even a free downloaded version". Absolutely stunning!
Lingusamy - Thaangala da Saamy!
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
500 broken limbs
100 bullets
50 rowdies
10 killings
5 "no-idea-where-it-came-from" songs
1 line message at the end
0 story
I gave it a 20/10... (20 bucks on ticket and 10 bucks on snacks.)
Not many movies can be rated "Not worth watching even a free downloaded version". Absolutely stunning!
Lingusamy - Thaangala da Saamy!
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
Autobiographies - Whats wrong?
The first autobiography I had read was "The Black Beauty", a classic tale of a race horse. I still remember most of it. I am not an ardent fan of autobiographies, but I have read a few including those of Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Adolf Hitler and Michael Schumacher.
Lewis Hamilton made a dream debut in Formula 1. Bestowed with a McLaren which was running at its best (although its upto individuals to speculate how a pathetic car in 2006 became a race winner in 2007), he was in the running to become the champion until some rookie errors made him look mortal. His rise during the season came as a surprise to many. Even a hardened fan would have been stunned by what followed next, an autobiography named Lewis Hamilton.
Michael Hussey is a fascinating prospect in the Cricket world. His bradmanesque average has created an awe. Being a part of a team that hasn't lost or drawn a test since his debut does ease the pressure of having to perform at an international level. But that is not to take away his abundant skills on display. However, after a couple of years at the helm, he released his autobiography, titled "Mr Cricket - ....".
The purists would say something is wrong somewhere with the autobiographies nowadays. They have become the latest marketing strategy. Name and fame has been utilised to make money, especially in sport, for a while now. But what has that done to the actual people who count. The normal person who shells out the bucks to get a copy of these "stuff". A person's life is put in words and published to make a difference far from the bank accounts of those concerned; to make a difference in the life of those who read them... The rise of a person from humble backgrounds is inspirational, the fall harrowing, the lessons learnt proverbial, the comeback awe inspiring, the anecdotes evergreen. Its priceless.
Needless to say, its all missing from the newer ones. A rise alone isn't worth trumpeting about. What should be in one's diary shouldn't be published to the world at large. It could have been a struggle to come thus far, but its still is worth less than a one sided coin. For all you know, there might be a guy getting a double century on debut and publishing an autobiography titled "The Debut", or an on field incident resulting in an autobiography "The Monkey beats the Donkey". No racism meant there, for those who want to fan the flames. Going by the trend, a guy might publish his autobiography "Twelfth Knight", how he came from behind to pass the greatest ordeal of human kind - the Std 12 exams!
Agreed that the dictionaries do not tag a time line to an autobiography, but that shouldn't be disadvantaged in this manner. Learn to live life, make a difference to this world and then if you think (and think twice) if its worthwhile for the readers, publish your account of it. "Shut Up!" is as simple as it gets for the rest.
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
Lewis Hamilton made a dream debut in Formula 1. Bestowed with a McLaren which was running at its best (although its upto individuals to speculate how a pathetic car in 2006 became a race winner in 2007), he was in the running to become the champion until some rookie errors made him look mortal. His rise during the season came as a surprise to many. Even a hardened fan would have been stunned by what followed next, an autobiography named Lewis Hamilton.
Michael Hussey is a fascinating prospect in the Cricket world. His bradmanesque average has created an awe. Being a part of a team that hasn't lost or drawn a test since his debut does ease the pressure of having to perform at an international level. But that is not to take away his abundant skills on display. However, after a couple of years at the helm, he released his autobiography, titled "Mr Cricket - ....".
The purists would say something is wrong somewhere with the autobiographies nowadays. They have become the latest marketing strategy. Name and fame has been utilised to make money, especially in sport, for a while now. But what has that done to the actual people who count. The normal person who shells out the bucks to get a copy of these "stuff". A person's life is put in words and published to make a difference far from the bank accounts of those concerned; to make a difference in the life of those who read them... The rise of a person from humble backgrounds is inspirational, the fall harrowing, the lessons learnt proverbial, the comeback awe inspiring, the anecdotes evergreen. Its priceless.
Needless to say, its all missing from the newer ones. A rise alone isn't worth trumpeting about. What should be in one's diary shouldn't be published to the world at large. It could have been a struggle to come thus far, but its still is worth less than a one sided coin. For all you know, there might be a guy getting a double century on debut and publishing an autobiography titled "The Debut", or an on field incident resulting in an autobiography "The Monkey beats the Donkey". No racism meant there, for those who want to fan the flames. Going by the trend, a guy might publish his autobiography "Twelfth Knight", how he came from behind to pass the greatest ordeal of human kind - the Std 12 exams!
Agreed that the dictionaries do not tag a time line to an autobiography, but that shouldn't be disadvantaged in this manner. Learn to live life, make a difference to this world and then if you think (and think twice) if its worthwhile for the readers, publish your account of it. "Shut Up!" is as simple as it gets for the rest.
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Friday, January 18, 2008
Poetic News
I switch on Channel News Asia everyday morning, for more than just news... But I never expected to see this pop up. The video is something that cant derive its poetic justice from words. But the verse in itself was absolute bliss.
Here it goes...
I saw a peacock, with a fiery tail
I saw a blazing comet, drop down hail
I saw a cloud, with ivy circled round
I saw a sturdy oak, creep on the ground
I saw a pismire, swallow up a whale
I saw a raging sea, brim full of ale
I saw a venice glass, sixteen foot deep
I saw a well, full of men's tears that weep
I saw their eyes, all in a flame of fire
I saw a house, as big as the moon and higher
I saw the sun, even in the midst of night
I saw the man that saw these sights.
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Here it goes...
I saw a peacock, with a fiery tail
I saw a blazing comet, drop down hail
I saw a cloud, with ivy circled round
I saw a sturdy oak, creep on the ground
I saw a pismire, swallow up a whale
I saw a raging sea, brim full of ale
I saw a venice glass, sixteen foot deep
I saw a well, full of men's tears that weep
I saw their eyes, all in a flame of fire
I saw a house, as big as the moon and higher
I saw the sun, even in the midst of night
I saw the man that saw these sights.
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Tuesday, January 01, 2008
A vegetarian honeymoon in Phuket - Day 2
The second day was more relaxing and enjoyable, a complete foil from the intense first day. Bangkok is the shopping heaven, but other Thai tourist towns are not far off. Needless to say, a lot of shopping was done, filling the travel bag to the brim. For once, thousands seemed to disappear without a moment's bother. That I already had a closset full of T-shirts didn't seem to matter. And the shopping stretches and malls seemed to go on and on. Strangely though, it doesnt take a toll on the body, even after roaming about a dozen streets and a two-mile long beach road to and fro, going in and out of shoe shops at every corner in search of that elusive pair, visiting a T-shirt centre, a cashewnut factory, honey preparation centre and a local handicraft showroom. At Phuket, its all in a day's work! Where else in the world would you find a sound and light laser show based on a water fountain (akin to the one at Sentosa, Singapore and Petronas Towers, KL) to describe the rich history of... a shopping mall! Visit Jungceylon and you would even find an art and culture show in the midst!
That brings me to the other highlight of the day, the cultural awareness of Thailand's rich heritage. Having a non-stop chatterbox as a guide helps. The ties with India and China is unmistakeable in this pristine city. The culture is a rich blend of Chinese acumen and Indian exotism, intricately fabricated with local flavour. The King's name (Rama IX) reflects the Indian touch. Yellow colour that is associated with his birth on a Monday revolves around Chinese beliefs. That the whole of Thailand wears yellow on every monday is the local spice. Beautiful!
Buddha is a common deity here, and the famous monks are waxed in memories and memorials. Even Brahma and Vishnu are worshipped here, although they are also called "Buddha" in local households. The architecture is a mix of Indian "viharas" and Chinese "dragon" toppings and Srilankan interiors. The gardens outside the temple resembled the grandeur of Budh Gaya, while the garlanded elephants and continuous burst of firecrackers almost brought me back home. Folklore associated with the temple are distinctively Chinese, with anti-black magic and immortalising inscriptions on a white cloth tied to the forehead of the local villagers gave them the might to fight off the invading Chinese. Exhillarating stuff!
Back to food. Jubiliant from yesterday's dinner, I was bolder to try out some other Indian joint. There are a heck of a lot of Indian food options here at the beach road at Patong. After vain attempts at locating one led to a dead-end (literally), and some rather "interesting" paintings and sculptures of the human body, I got lured into an Indian joint at a fog end of a lane of restaurants. Seeing beautiful looking scantilly dressed women all day long does affect the cognitive abilities of a man. Although I did notice that there were no other customers there, I didn't turn back. Half an hour later, I came out of there with a nauseating feeling and desperately drowned a McCafe and an icecream to mask it. Worst spend of the day. There are definitely two sides to the coin that you toss over at the food joints. Seafood and Thaifood is everywhere on the streets, with every possible sea creature on display. Today, I saw culture amongst chaos. Heritage couldn't hide more old caucasian men with beer on one hand and young asian woman on the other!
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
That brings me to the other highlight of the day, the cultural awareness of Thailand's rich heritage. Having a non-stop chatterbox as a guide helps. The ties with India and China is unmistakeable in this pristine city. The culture is a rich blend of Chinese acumen and Indian exotism, intricately fabricated with local flavour. The King's name (Rama IX) reflects the Indian touch. Yellow colour that is associated with his birth on a Monday revolves around Chinese beliefs. That the whole of Thailand wears yellow on every monday is the local spice. Beautiful!
Buddha is a common deity here, and the famous monks are waxed in memories and memorials. Even Brahma and Vishnu are worshipped here, although they are also called "Buddha" in local households. The architecture is a mix of Indian "viharas" and Chinese "dragon" toppings and Srilankan interiors. The gardens outside the temple resembled the grandeur of Budh Gaya, while the garlanded elephants and continuous burst of firecrackers almost brought me back home. Folklore associated with the temple are distinctively Chinese, with anti-black magic and immortalising inscriptions on a white cloth tied to the forehead of the local villagers gave them the might to fight off the invading Chinese. Exhillarating stuff!
Back to food. Jubiliant from yesterday's dinner, I was bolder to try out some other Indian joint. There are a heck of a lot of Indian food options here at the beach road at Patong. After vain attempts at locating one led to a dead-end (literally), and some rather "interesting" paintings and sculptures of the human body, I got lured into an Indian joint at a fog end of a lane of restaurants. Seeing beautiful looking scantilly dressed women all day long does affect the cognitive abilities of a man. Although I did notice that there were no other customers there, I didn't turn back. Half an hour later, I came out of there with a nauseating feeling and desperately drowned a McCafe and an icecream to mask it. Worst spend of the day. There are definitely two sides to the coin that you toss over at the food joints. Seafood and Thaifood is everywhere on the streets, with every possible sea creature on display. Today, I saw culture amongst chaos. Heritage couldn't hide more old caucasian men with beer on one hand and young asian woman on the other!
Random Access
The search has just begun !!!
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