Author: preeti somani

What does "cricket" mean to you?

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Resonating with the mood of the hour..tons of thoughts battling to find space in my mind. While 90% of Indians are now catching up on sleep after the victory dancing last nite, I’ve decided to streamline these thoughts before they vanish through the crevices of my mind.

Cricket culminated in a “larger-than-life” story yesterday..Over the last few weeks, I saw it being associated with politics, religion, corporate practices, upbringing, value systems, entertainment and lo and behold, even sex and porn. (Ms. Pandey as a case in reference.) It truly became the one all and be all for us Indians..more like the “Bhagwad Gita”!

Personally also, it has been an enlightening journey…
A story of a true convert. For all those who know me well, they know I was never a cricket fan. On the contrary, I used to hate it. My parents never missed a game..and I never watched one “ball-by-ball” in my life before. How can people subject themselves to 8 hours of mindless TV watching? What can one possibly get from it? But now I know…You can actually get wiser if you so wish..and not just by drinking Bud(weiser) through the match! I’m proud not only bcos India won yesterday..I’m proud that I, for the first time, understood what it means. Cricket and this win has been a manifestation of patriotism for me and likewise for all Indians(-at-heart). How could these billon+ Indians proudly show their love for India, had it not been for cricket? Way to go, cricket!

Equally enlightening has been the “bonding” experience with family, friends, acquaintances, and even random strangers. My parents now think of me as a “worthy” daughter. :)Yesterday, a total stranger (that too a seemingly snooty-looking Delhiite) wanted to take a photo with us..just bcos we had a flag and he didnt. Btw, cannot ignore the significance of “social media” in that regard. Would the feeling of watching and winning be so euphoric, had I not been able to share it with my loved ones and friends across the globe?! I dont think so. Thank you, FB!

So my advice to myself and others who care to follow: Allow yourself to indulge in new experiences. And keep your mind open. You never know what you’ll learn from it.

And at a societal level, it has showed us that:
Even though the confluence of good and bad is ever so pervasive in our psyche, the good news is that we are still in the practise of celebrating the “good” and abandoning the “bad”. Some feel if the 1 Cr award money is justified for the players. My take is at least its sending the message that you can make crores by doing “right” things in India, not just through corrupt means. India needed this victory to show to themselves and to the world that…We can also do it, the “right” way!

So to all my fellow “cricket-fans”, spare a thought! What does “cricket” really mean to you?

A gift to myself

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Birthdays bring new possibilities…A second chance or in other words..yet another chance. With hubby away and therefore a traditional celebration out of the way, I decided to take it upon myself to plan my birthday.

If I were to reborn today, what would I do differently? I thought hard.

Every year I’ve received gifts from others..I decided to start a tradition where I’d gift others. Would gift folks who dont normally receive gifts. I started the day with gifting my house help. I gifted my maids, the cook and the driver. The look on their face amusing..One of them even thinking if this is an indication that I’m expecting a birthday gift in return. I had to ask them to just smile and make my day. Of-course the smarter ones started showering me with their well-wishes.

The next installment of gift-giving was stalled bcos of the Cricket World Cup extravaganza that has now made my birthday somewhat of a historic date. So, armed with sweets and clothes(some new, some designer-wear stuff that my kid has outgrown), I went to the lesser-priviledged neighbourhood today…(cant take credit for the originality of this idea though..Its been somewhat of a family tradition I finally felt like following.)

As soon as I got out of the car and signalled the kids with bags of clothes and sweets, there was an uproar. Kids flocking onto me, pleading, begging, crying. And towards the end, grabbing and snatching out of my hand..felt like a deer in the middle of hungry tigers (well, in this case tiger-cubs). To my chagrin, a “survival-of-the-fittest” battle had even started on the side. Stronger kids snatching away clothes from the weaker ones. My act of benevolance was turning into a road-rage..Well..call it a “street-rage” since no motorists were involved obviously.

All and all, though the rowdiness was un-called for, the heart did tickle. Just knowing that I’d been a source of their momentary joy and excitement. And amongst the crowd, there was a little kid whose eyes twinkled and lips slowly parted when I sneaked a “BabyGap” jeans into his hands.

Just a glimpse of that smile was a gift to myself. A birthday well-received and well-spent.

Personal impressions and TieCon 2007 Tidbits

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Last week I attended TieCon 2007. It was a balancing act in time management, given that I was there for the first day only and the following objectives to accomplish.

  • Find out what the latest buzz is
  • Revive my professional network
  • Get inspired
Needless to say, I spent my day hustling from one panel discussion to another, meeting new and old acquaintances, and scouting for the most optimal food and coffee queues.
Btw, was pleasantly surprised to see quite a significant rise in the women population compared to last year. To me, it also felt like an Alumni event..I must have met about a couple dozen SCU
classmates. Note to myself: No need to spend that extra 100 bucks for the upcoming alumni event!

Latest in Power Networking: Saw a very ROI focused behavior in some budding entrepreneur types. They generally hang around the strategic food areas, start by exchanging pleasantries, one minute on what you do/what I do type conversation, exchange of business cards, and then mingle on. I met an immigration lawyer, a Staffing recruiter, a chartered accountant that way..all distributing business cards like hotcakes.

Lasting impressions: I truly felt that the Indian origin professionals have become a force to reckon with, in the global business landscape. Sure..Americans have the marketing edge, the Chinese have the tenacity but we have the intellectual and entrepreneurial horsepower to compensate for it. On a personal level, the energy you feel just from being part of such an event is truly captivating. It’s like spa therapy for your professional being.

To all my volunteer friends at TieCon: Keep up the good work, Folks!

Some tidbits to round it off:

Best Keynotes (I’m a sucker for inspirational ones) :

  • Marc Benioff, CEO of salesforce.com: He’s an unique combination of a true salesman and an equally good social entrepeneur. Look out for the audio webcast at the salesforce.com site.
  • I heard that Meg Whitman’s speech was quite a hit too. I have seen Meg in action during my eBay days. Her ability to transform from an un-assuming personality serving ice-creams at the ebay socials to one that can truly inspire an entire TieCon 3000+ budding intra/entrepreneurs crowd is amazing

Memorable quotes:

  • “The future is here. It’s just not evenly distributed yet.” -By Tim O’reilly, CEO of O’reilly Media.
  • “Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast” By Deep Nishar, Director at Google
  • “We are not about poverty pornography. We are about business.” By Premal Shah, President of kiva.org.

Coolest Business idea:
Wireless Battery charging for mobile devices (would i love that or what!?)

Buzzword :
CleanTech (shouldnt come as a surprise to anyone) I heard Web2.0 is passe.

The quintessential “dont bother coming to the conference without it” item :
Your business card

Daily workout for your brain!

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I recently discovered Soukoban…one of the most simple and intuitive brain teaser/puzzle game but yet quite challenging(esp. levels 10, 11, 12). Currently working my way past Level 34.
You can download a free copy from this link http://hlavolamy.szm.sk/download/iq-tests-logic-games.htm
If you have liked Chip’s Challenge or PocoMan, you are bound to enjoy Soukoban.
Beware: It can be highly addictive..Try only if you have spare cycles in your day! 🙂