Prashant Ivaturi

A few years back Sachin signed one of the biggest deal with a television channel, a sports company and few other corporations to become their brand ambassador. Considering Sachin's contribution to world cricket in general and Indian cricket in specific, these deals seemed worth every penny. Nobody questions why people offer so much to Lord Venkateshwara in Tirumala and on same lines, in the game of cricket, no one dared to ask why a Sachin or a Tiger Woods get so much money in their kitty. Millions are spent on sportspersons and actors whose next game we are not sure if they will win or next movie will run successfully. Yet, corporations pour in millions of dollars every year. On the other hand, our martyred soldiers' families receive 5 lakhs in cash for playing with their lives to save lives of fellow countrymen. Corporations that cry loudly about the government not doing anything for them, do not even spend one cent of their money on such brave men who lay their lives to sav...

No no, it is not the cartoon character that I am talking about. It is an exam at work place that had become a menace for me as I was unable to clear it last year. Yes, after two unsuccessful attempts, it spilt over to this year. One full year had passed and here I was again trying to overcome my biggest nemesis ... this DE*** exam. Despite noble thoughts of preparing in the best possible way, all I could do was negotiate with myself on losing some sleep and trying to cram up as much as possible. In the end, statistically, I had prepared for 30% of the syllabus. As things turned out, I had to muster my memory from last year's preparation and I scored 70%. I could not believe that I had passed! This was such a relief especially after not being able to prepare as well as I had expected. I cant believe, especially because I had prepared so well and still failed to clear it last year. I can't believe, especially because the network connectivity was lost half-through the exam and I w...

Driving on the highway in India, it is quite common to notice that the truck in front of you has a stylishly written " Horn Please " that would make caligraphics in the world proud of their community. It is the most polite way in India to 'horn' (honk) in order to ask way. Horn is a device that will help a motorist gain his right of way. It is not used as a device to remind the erring motorists. Lane driving is a thing of the distant future. A couple of years back, I was in London. In the six months of my stay in London, I got used to the low sound levels of the traffic. There would hardly be anyone who would honk. And if someone really did, then it would be an embarassment to the driver. In India, it was different. I had to cover my ears for an instant when I heard constant honking till I realised that it was the way of life in India. So much so that people honk out of fun even if they dont see any traffic in front of them. I once asked my uncle why he honked once ev...

In the IT field, people switch companies in search of better roles, better challenges and better salaries. Once they know that they have taken enough, woh nikal jaate hain . Take, nikal... So, now when some one says " I have lot of experience in take-nikal (technical) aspects ", you know you can have a good laugh. Well, dont take it seriously. The weekend is here and I am just cracking up! ;-)

I smiled when I heard the little girl in the movie "Cheeni Kum" say "Tum sad sad kyon ho, happy sad kyon nahi?" Well, people who make you feel sad whenever they meet you and then hurt you again at special occasions make you "sad sad" And the people because of whom you feel happy hurt you, then you become "happy sad" What a concept!!! I am so "HappY HappY" with this concept because I can smile thinking of this concept irrespective of the person with whom I am or what they do to me :-)

Manager: "It is very important that you complete this task over the weekend." Employee: "I had some personal work planned this weekend." Manager: "I understand it, but this is very important and it needs to be sent out first thing on Monday morning to the bosses." Employee: "Hmmm... OK" This is a very common conversation that we hear at work and many a times, we change personal plans to accomodate official work. At times, it makes sense when there are really important and priority matters that need immediate attention. However, with conversations such as the one above, it does not really make sense as to why there would be so many important/ priority tasks within every project/ organization. I have come to learn that it is basically two things - 1. Our (over)commitment to work and to outperform others 2. Poor planning, prioritization and judgement by higher management When we are passionate about what we do, we tend to overdo things without reali...

October has been quite eventful. It has been busy professionally and personally. First, there was neck deep work. I was so exhausted in the first couple of weeks. Then there were some personal targets to achieve. By the time I was done with them, I realized I had not slept for even 6-7 hrs on any day in October. So, I wanted to just doze off like a log. So, that is when we decided to rent a car and go off to places. Two more days of running around ended in a tired Sunday night. I am taking a Monday break today, i.e. have postponed all of my personal work to another day. Writing this is making me tired, huh! So, go out and enjoy before Winter sets in.

Sourav Ganguly's career is coming to an end. The way he mentioned about his retirement in the press conference was as bland as the above statement. But beneath the bland statement that Sourav made must have been canned up emotion that he obviously cannot display in public. He alone knows how painful the decision would have been. I admire Sourav for the air of confidence he brought about around himself and his team. Indian cricket players were always branded as ones who lacked "fire power in their belly". They were associated with the nice guys in the game. But it was Sourav who brought arrogance mixed with positive attitude and gave the Indians the much needed fire power. He showed lot of confidence in few individual talents and backed them all the way through. Most of his judgements were bang on target and it therefore comes as no surprise that he was one of the longest serving Indian captains and also one of the most successful. His arrogance though, brought his downfal...

Well, yes that is the only thing we are sure of. Uncertainty. Who will be the next US president - McCain or Obama? Will India be able to pull off the 123 deal? is there an end to terrorism? Will I continue writing blogs next year? While there seems no one thing that is certain, the only certainty seems to be uncertainty. Just like change is the only constant thing. We are able to advance mathematically, scientifically, astrologically but yet, no one has complete control on the next second. Our control is limited. I am not certain about that either! :-)

How can one show patriotism? a. Wear it on your t-shirt b. Fly the national flag outside your house c. Buy only country made products or d. Paint it on your face While we all have our ways of showing our way of patriotism, I noticed one interesting commonality among some US companies (and on top of the cop car). Then, as I started looking around myself, I found more and more of the same thing - things around me were in Red, Blue and White - the same colors that adorn the US flag. I showed it to some of my friends who were all amazed at the simple observation and they started seeing the same too. From small shops that sell items of daily needs to large corporations, many organizations show their nationality, patriotism and character by putting their country's colors on their logos. Check out the collage if you want to see what I mean. ;-)

It will be the third nomination for an Amir Khan movie at the Oscars this year. After Lagaan and RDB it is Taare Zameen Par - a movie in an altogether different plane. Going by the thoughts of different people, it seems like this movie finally stands a good chance for an oscar. Will it get it or not is a totally different question. It is like my organizational certification exam that I gave today. It was the third and last attempt that I could afford. There were multiple choice questions where each option was in close resemblance to the other. The correct answer could have been any of the four options. One small mistake and the game could be over. But then I am hoping that this time, just like my successful certification, Amir Khan's movie gets third time lucky!

As I watched the movie "Office Space" last night, I could relate to a lot of things. And I picked up a new phrase - "Case of the Mondays". Yes, it is true that so many times in our lives we have felt why is today a Monday? Why could it not have been a Sunday for just one more day? Well, we all know that wont happen. So, let's face the truth and hope that the week ahead is good. After an uneventful last week, I am hoping that a new week brings better luck. What better way to start than on the first day of fall. A refreshed me, renewed energy and a formatted cell phone that works better should bring better luck. The signs were quite visible when I won a couple of rounds at the bowling alley on Saturday night. It felt so good to strike twice in the last round and win suddenly out of nowhere. Some good boost for me ;-) Have a great week ahead!

Everyone knows that money is very important for survival. But it was important after death, I realised it only today. AIG almost went bust, giving insurance holders a near heart attack. But it is the lack of insurance that must have caused even more grief for the parents of Vikram Reddy Tummala - one of the two Indian students who were found dead in St.Louis last week. I was appalled to read that the concerned authorities demanded over Rs.Three Lakh to transport and secure his body from the USA. It is a shame that the parents had to go through this during such a stressful period. It is true that logistics should be sorted out, but there has to be some sense in trying to figure out priorities. I hope the family get to see the boy's body before it is too late. May the boy's soul rest in peace!

It makes for a wonderful story if I tell you how I got two birthdays. Yes, one is the original and the other that is now on all official records. But the truth is that there are two birthdays that I can boast of. It is difficult for me to think that I am "officially" older by a year. So, when someone wishes me on my official birthday, it sometimes takes me a while to remember why they said so. My organization sends me greetings and lots of colleagues pour in their wishes through emails. It is a nice feeling but it reduces the number of wishes by that many on my actual birthday, which is sad. Anyway, coming to the point, speaking to a colleague today at office, I got to know that the Queen of England has two birthdays - an actual and another official one to celebrate in summer with the public. I later learnt that this is common practice in several countries. So, when I told them that I too had two birthdays, someone instantly joked and said we have a "Queen" here! An...

The sun shone the week before, then it rained. After a weekend of perfect weekend outing in lake Michigan waters, a week of cold, cough and fever gripped me. My first music class went OK but the second was a quick short 20-30 min rehearsal for the classical music concert (you may ask - music concert in the second class???). But then that's the way our music teacher is. Threw a challenge at us and there we were on stage on the night of our second music class! It was a simple song, would have spanned 2-3 mins. Remember the numbers '2-3' because that's the number of mistakes I made while singing that pretty simple song. The day was rainy, things were not going all too well for me and then 'on expected lines', I made few mistakes. But, despite the blunders, the music concert had its own good points - there were very few people to notice the mistakes that we made and most importantly, our friends were there to encourage us, cheer our performance and then to appreciat...

Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy this morning. Among the news of big financial firms falling apart, this was another jolt that has dampened the spirits of those who were trying to think that the economic crisis has passed and we can now slowly build the economy back. Lehmann Brothers is the fourth largest investment bank in the US. It is scary to hear such news and goes to show that the impact of the US mortgage market can still be felt for some more time to come. With so many banks trying desperately to stay put, who knows what lies in store ahead. On the other hand, IT companies are feeling the pinch too as several big names in Indian IT sector are firing employees left, right and center. Sends jitters down my spine for sure. TCS fired 500, Wipro 1000 and another 2000 under review, Satyam 4500, Patni 400 - these are still early days and depending on how the economic situation in the US shapes, things will change. Let's hope that things will turn for the good.

"R. E. C." - Regional Engineering College - A name synonymous with some of the best education institutes in India. "Warangal" - A place in Andhra Pradesh infamous for naxalism. Combine the two words and you get "R.E.C. Warangal" - the first REC in the country that was established in Oct 1959. The name continued till 2002 when we graduated and it was changed to National Institute of Technology, Warangal (N.I.T.W.). It was September 1998 when 324 gems from different parts of the country stepped in to RECW to get polished and shine. And looking back at it today, I do really feel that it was worthwhile to have joined the college. It still feels like it was yesterday we were in college and we were all mischievous. But the truth is that today we completed 10 years since the day we joined college and had our first lecture. 10 years!! Sounds like a long time and, as a matter of fact it is. We have traveled further in our lives and have progressed quite well. Ma...

There is such a big noise about the Big Bang. Noise - why do I call it noise? Simply because it is an unknown territory where no one knows what the outcome will be but everyone hopes that the Big Bang can be repeated. The LHC - Large Hadron Collider - is a massive achievement after several years of hard work put in by numerous tireless scientists, helpful, sympathetic, empathetic and apathetic governments and many more ardent observers and followers. I am hoping that the expirement turns out to be a success for the good and not because so much of money and effort have gone into it. Such is the passion of these scientists that they are even competing with the American Fermilab near Chicago to understand the nature better. I wish I too had such passion towards... ummm... hmm... aaan... something :D I dont know what it is though ... he he he...

"Urmila Matondkar", I said happily when my friend asked me which Urmila I was talking to over the phone. I was being a little mischievious (as IPK would normally be). I was so happy that one of my old school time buddies and my teacher's daughter would be visiting Chicago and I would be meeting her. She had been one of the most bubbly and cheerful persons I had ever met and she has not changed till now. She is still as thin and slim as she was in school. If anything, she has become more mature now. Her sister Girija though had grown taller and was not the same old little girl whom I remembered in school. Our meeting, more of a reunion, took me back to the memories of school and all the fun that we had back then. As she and her sister Girija narrated some incidents from school days that I was involved in, I was pretty amazed. There were so many incidents that I had nearly forgotten and given a chance, would not have been able to recollect. I suddenly felt that I had long s...

This was a forward mail that I received today from a friend! It is very creative, though not even a word of it is true. Happy reading... ------------------------------------------------------- Government of India Ministry of Human Resources Development Department of Culture Films Division No. B1452/234/2003 Dt. 23.6.07 To: Shri. B. R. Chopra, Film Director, Mumbai Ref: Film story submitted by you, regarding financing of films by Government of India, Your letter dt. 2.12.90 The undersigned is directed to refer the above letter and state that the Government has examined your proposal for financing a film called ''Mahabharat'. The Very High Level Committee constituted for this purpose has been in consultation with the Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Women and Labour Commission, in addition to various Ministries and State Governments and have formed definitive opinions about the script. Their observations are as below: 1. In the script submitted by you it is s...

It has been a long time since I blogged. I was either lazy or I did not want to blog. Whatever it might be, I did not write for a long time. Now, suddenly I felt that I should start blogging again so that I keep tab of some of the crazy things that I do and I started off with this. OK, I have fever. A sore throat. Cold, cough, a heavy head. I am tired of coughing and my throat hurts. That's too much at once. I didnt go to office today and rested at home all day. That may be one of the reasons for my idea of blogging once again - boredom. A US open match that lacked intensity (Roger steam rolled over Andy Murray). It was not a high quality match like some of the others. But Roger earned his fifth US Open title. And I was happy for Roger. He had to wait a long time to get to his 13th title. Let's see how long does he have to wait for the next one. But I am hoping that things will get better for him and me. People say I have been victimized by 'dishti' - a belief in India ...

One of the things that we drink when we have a sore throat is Kashaayam. It is a drink made of black pepper, jaggery, water and a few other ingredients. It is used to relieve throat pain and help reduce cough. Now, how do we make it? I dont know. Mom told me over the phone, but I didnt pay attention then and now I dont know how to make it. After a couple of googling attempts and phone calls to India (mom did not pick up the phone), I still dont know how to make kashaayam. There was one page where they had listed the steps, but that is not how we make it. So till I find out, this post will be incomplete. Finally I found some recipes and tried one too. Here are the links for the recipes. 1. Sonti Kashayam 2. Pepper Kashayam Finally, I spoke to mom and got to know the home recipe ... miriyaalu - 10 pieces (finely ground) lavangaalu - 5-6 daalchini - chinnadi dhaniyaalu - 1/2 spoon jeera - 1 pinch jaggery - little water - 2 glasses ginger - small pieces Add tulasi - just before taking out...