Secret of Ramses

Tom and Maria were living their dream vacation in Egypt. After a lot of persuasion, they finally convinced their parents to plan a trip to the land of pharaohs. They were at the tomb of Ramses II, the greatest and the most powerful pharaohs in the recorded history of Egypt.

They were looking at hieroglyphics carved on stone and were having lots of fun, imagining the meaning of each one of them. 'Oh my God! Look at this Tom!' Maria screamed! Tom literally jumped, hearing his sister yelling. He rushed to her side to check what excited her so much. Maria was pointing to a specific hieroglyphic square which depicted a bedecked Egyptian figure holding what looked like a movie camera! Tom was equally surprised to see this in a tomb that was more than 3000 years old. What was even more alarming was that a few feet later he found another square where he saw an equally decorated Egyptian figure holding what looked like a mobile phone! Tom and Maria were thrilled at what they discovered. They decided to put their brains together to figure out the meaning of those unusual findings.

Meanwhile, 3000 years back, an incredible scene was unfurling at the great palace of Ramses II. Commander Neb-Re was presenting to the pharaoh, the working of 'alet el-zaman', a time machine invented by a group of supremely brilliant scientists in ancient Egypt. This was meant to be the greatest of all innovations during the reign of any Egyptian ruler ever!

The commander just returned from a trip to future where he first arrived at a unique setting which strikingly reflected a pharaoh's palace, except that the pharaoh looked quite different and even spoke a language that was alien to Neb-Re. There were certain devices placed all around the palace with large lights flooding the area. He heard someone shouting words that sounded like 'Action' and 'Cut'. In fact, one of the folks even pushed him into a scene where he was asked to accompany the pharaoh as he was heading out of the palace. He also heard someone speaking the words 'movie' and 'The Mummy Returns'.

After 'acting' in the movie, Commander Neb-Re landed in Dubai and it was the day when the new iPhone 16 was getting launched in the Apple Store in Dubai Mall. Never in his life had he seen a crowd that big, that he felt so intimidated, something he did not even experience in the battles he led as the commander of armies of great Ramses II.

After listening to all the wonderful stories from future, Ramses II asked Neb-Re about the understanding people have about ancient Egypt. Neb-Re told him about all the looting of pyramids and the famous museums where mummies of pharaohs are kept, including Ramses II.

The pharaoh looked disturbed listening to the stories of the loot. But having remembered something important, he quickly asked, 'Did they take away everything Neb-Re?'

'Not really, your Highness. They could only find gold and other things in the main burial chamber. Our special treasures and jewels are still safe. On my way back I did a quick stop to check at the Valley of the Kings and made sure that everything is still intact even after 3000 years. Those smart humans of future are yet to discover our well-kept secrets. There is nothing to worry your Highness.'

As Ramses II smiled, three levels below the palace, artisans were etching images of a movie camera and a mobile phone to the many hieroglyphic squares that were kept ready. Those and many others had a tiny opening at the rear end which when opened unveiled bright and beautiful precious gems laid inside them, each one of them valued enough to buy even a whole country, 3000 years later!

As Ramses headed to his chamber to rest after a long day, Commander Neb-Re was seen moving the 'alet el-zaman' to a secret location which only pharaoh and his most trusted commander knew, one the world will probably never know!

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction. Please do not try to find these hidden treasures when you visit Egypt.

The Dilbert Future - Book Review

'Dilbert', that name alone was more than enough for me to pick up this book by Scott Adams, the legendary cartoonist who gave life to one of the most sought after cartoons in corporate world! The concepts he discuss in this book are, as thought provoking as his usual Dilbert cartoons.

What makes it even more exciting are the predictions he made throughout the book, about 21st century way of life. When you realize that the book was first published in 1997 and many predictions turned out to be prophetic in nature, will make you admire Scott Adams even more.

One of his predictions for example was that, in future everyone will become a reporter themselves who will report on everything that goes around them. Isn't this exactly what we see today with social media? Am sure when the book was written, social media was only at its nascency and the primitive form of the social media then, was quite inferior compared to its current abilities to even attempt a prediction such as this.

Having said that there are a few predictions where Scott Adams went totally wrong. For instance, he predicted that airlines' will never change their ways of working and in fact will degrade their new aircrafts to match their older versions to give a uniform experience to the customers. Clearly he didn't anticipate the game changing strategies airlines such as Emirates executed, which completely thwarted his prediction.

Overall, I will give this book a 5/10 rating. For me, the comic strip of Dilbert any day wins, than this form of writing by Scott Adams.

Whale Watching

മെയ് മാസത്തെ കനത്ത ചൂടിൽ ദുബായിലെ വീട്ടിലിരുന്ന് വെറുതെ ഒരു പുസ്തകം വായിച്ചുകൊണ്ടിരിക്കുകയായിരുന്നു ഞാൻ. വായിച്ച താളുകൾക്കിടയിൽ എവിടെയോ തിമിംഗലങ്ങളെ കുറിച്ചുള്ള ഒരു പരാമർശം വന്നപ്പോൾ പെട്ടെന്നുണ്ടായ ഒരു ചിന്തയിൽ ഞാൻ എന്റെ പ്രിയതമയോട് പറഞ്ഞു, 'നമുക്ക് എന്നെങ്കിലും യൂറോപ്പിലോ അമേരിക്കയിലോ Whale Watching trip പോണം. ഒന്നുമില്ലെങ്കിലും ലോകത്തിലെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ ജീവിയെ നേരിട്ട് കാണാനുള്ള ഒരു ഭാഗ്യമല്ലേ ഉണ്ടാവുക?'

കേട്ടപാടെ ഉത്തരം വന്നു. 'വെയില് കാണാനാണെങ്കിൽ ആ ബാൽക്കണി ഡോർ തുറന്നു വെറുതെ ഒന്ന് പുറത്തേക്കിറങ്ങിയാൽ പോരെ? അതിനിനി യൂറോപ്പിലോ അമേരിക്കയിലോ പോകേണ്ട വല്ല കാര്യമുണ്ടോ?'

എന്താണ് പറയേണ്ടത് എന്ന് ഒരു നിമിഷനേരത്തേക്ക് ഞാൻ അന്തിച്ചു നിന്നു. പിന്നെ ഈ മരുഭൂമിയിൽ കത്തിക്കാളുന്ന വെയിലിന്റെ സ്പോൺസറായ സൂര്യഭഗവാനെ ഒന്നു വണങ്ങി, ഞാനെന്റെ വെയിൽ വാച്ചിംഗ് സ്വപ്നങ്ങൾ പൂവണിഞ്ഞതായി സ്വയം പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ച് ആത്മനിർവൃതി അടഞ്ഞു.

Sleep

After a long and tiring day, my sweetheart and I finally hit the bed. It was past midnight already. As soon as my head touched the pillow, I could feel the Angel of Sleep staring to flutter her wings that worked its charm just like a lullaby.

Somewhere in between the flutter I heard a deeply familiar voice asking me a question which was equally familiar for the frequency with which I encountered that on a daily basis. It sounded something like this, 'So, what are you doing for losing the weight? Any plans?'

Before I replied to the query, which seemed to have come from the other side of the bed, and not the Angel in the room, I must have dived deeper into my sleep. I do not recollect answering that question.

The next day morning, as I was getting my coffee ready, my significant other walked into the kitchen with an even more significant frown on her face. I was wondering what did I do? I had a sound sleep whereas my darling wife clearly did not seem to have enjoyed one.

After a few moments of cajoling, she finally spoke. Here was what really happened, apparently. As soon as the question on my plan on losing weight was asked, I responded and that ticked her off.

The conversation went like this, allegedly:

Her: 'So, what are you doing for losing the weight? Any plans?'

Me: 'I have reported it to Lost & Found section. As soon as they find it, they will return it safely.'

Moral of the story: Drinking and driving is dangerous. But there are far more life-threatening combinations like sleeping & talking! Please avoid, if possible. Else...

Leadership & Humility

It was almost twenty years back, when I got down from a bus into a lush green campus, with career dreams and aspirations as vibrant as the greenery in the campus. A board at the entrance of the campus announced that we reached ‘Global Village’. It was a brand-new campus situated off the Mysore Road which a few IT companies made their new office location. MindTree Consulting was one among them, into which I stepped in for my first ever corporate job as a fresh MBA graduate from Christ College, Bangalore.

MindTree offered a whole lot of impressive perspectives of life for me as a youngster. One among them, that stands out even today after two decades was the humility of founders of the company. There are quite a few stories to share which will put to shame some of the self-proclaimed leaders of modern world who seemed believe that humility and leadership do not travel on the same boat.

A few days after our induction, I was walking down to the food court in the campus from the primary office where I was working. MindTree was established by ten professionals from different companies, each of them, being stars themselves. Subroto Bagchi, was one among the founders, who possessed a charismatic personality that you could not help but be at awe at his sheer presence! The reputation of the man preceded him. Most of us who joined from various Business Schools across the country, already knew him as an astute businessman, a fantastic writer, and a good human being. We were all waiting for a chance to meet him in person.

As I strolled down the path, I was quite excited to see him walking towards my direction. I saw many of my colleagues walking ahead of me greeting him with an equal amount of awe and to some extend even a fan fare which was akin to celebrities. I felt my heart giving competition to some of the best-known drum beats I had heard before. With every step I took forward, I was getting closer to the man, already known as a legend at MindTree.

Two more steps, and I found myself facing the very man who was one of the reasons for thousands to be drawn to the inspirational story of MindTree. He looked at me, smiled and then did something which I never imagined a C-level executive would do. At least, that was what I was thinking till that day as someone with no prior work experience.

Subroto stopped, bent down, and picked up something from the ground. It was a piece of scrap paper that was lying there, all the while the rest of us failed to notice and passed by. He then promptly disposed the paper in a bin and continued to head to his office, as though nothing ever happened.

As I write this experience, twenty years later, I want to tell the world one thing. Mr Bagchi may not remember this incident, but what he did not realize is the fact that, a simple action he performed that day left a permanent positive mark on me. Subroto, you taught me a lesson for life, without even uttering a word!

Leadership is not always about speeches. Many times, it is about actions that speak louder than words, which will hold the audience in a magical trance. We need leaders like this to inspire and make the world a much better place to be.

Thank you Subroto.

പ്രതീക്ഷ

നിണമുതിരും കൺപീലികൾക്കിടയിലൂടെ അവൻ എന്നെ നോക്കി,

കൈകാലുകൾ തറച്ചീടിലും ആ കണ്ണുകളിൽ ഞാൻ ദയ കണ്ടു.

ക്രൂര പീഡനം എന്ന് കരുതി ഞാൻ ശാപവചസ്സുകൾ ഓർക്കവേ

ആ കണ്ണുകൾ ഇന്ന് എന്നെ നോക്കി ഒരു ചോദ്യം ആവർത്തിച്ചു.

തെറ്റൊന്നു പോലും ചെയ്യാത്ത ഈ ദൈവപുത്രനെ അവർ കുരിശിൽ തറച്ചെങ്കിൽ,

മനുഷ്യപുത്രാ നിന്റെ നിഷ്കളങ്കതയ്ക്ക് മരണം അനിവാരൃമല്ലേ? 

ആകാശത്തിനും ഭൂമിക്കും മധ്യേ, ഉഗ്രമരണ വേദനയിൽ ഞാൻ പുളഞ്ഞപ്പോഴും 

എന്റെ ശത്രുക്കൾക്ക് വേണ്ടി പ്രാർത്ഥിക്കുകയും അവരോട് ക്ഷമിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തത് ഞാൻ കാട്ടിയില്ലേ?

എന്നെ പീഡിപ്പിച്ചവർ അത് കരുതിക്കൂട്ടി ചെയ്തതാണെന്നറിഞ്ഞിട്ടും ഞാൻ ക്ഷമിച്ചെങ്കിൽ, 

നിനക്ക് വേദന സമ്മാനിച്ച പ്രിയപ്പെട്ടവരോട് നിനക്കും കാട്ടാം ക്ഷമ.

ആണികൾ തറഞ്ഞു കയറുമ്പോഴും ഞാൻ സ്വയം പഠിപ്പിച്ച പ്രാർത്ഥന ഇതാ നിനക്കും തരുന്നു. 

ഏതൊരു കുരിശു മരണത്തിനും ഒടുവിൽ ഉത്ഥാനത്തിന്റെ പ്രതീക്ഷ എന്നുമുണ്ടാകും.

മകനെ നിനക്ക് ഞാൻ മംഗളങ്ങൾ നേരുന്നു.

Heaven on Earth!

Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor while visiting Kashmir once said, ‘If there is heaven on earth, then it is here.’ Unfortunately, I had not been able to set my foot in Kashmir till date. I am not sure if I ever will get to see the beauty of those mountains and valleys that enticed Shah Jahan.

I can confirm one thing for sure though. Whatever made Shah Jahan utter that famous statement, was exactly what made me think the same, the moment we drove into one of the most famous valleys in the world.

Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland!

It was almost eight years ago, I got to experience this ethereal beauty of mother nature, when we did our first ever family trip to Europe. The mountains, the valleys, the houses, the church, the river and even the cemetery there, were all epitomes of beauty! It indeed felt Heaven on Earth for me.

If you ever get an opportunity to visit Switzerland, I strongly urge you to include this in your itinerary.

I really want you all to experience how it is being in Heaven :)

Bon voyage!