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Showing posts from September, 2005

Singapore: setting standards in governance

Singapore no longer comes as a surprise to visitors from developed nations. Quality of life in Singapore is better than best cities in the world. It is stable, safe society despite having motley of multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-lingual groups. It has as much high-class business environment as is for arts, education and fashion. What could be the possible reasons to make Singapore a success story? Perhaps a small country size that makes it easy to manage. True, a small country is easy to govern but it is also vulnerable to succumb to any natural or human engineered external risks. Bigger countries have inherent cushion to withstand any danger, smaller countries may not have the same. Imagine what would happen to Singapore, if Hurricane Katrina were to hit her. Moreover, if it was just the size, many African nations could have been another Singapore. I think Singapore stands out in terms its leadership qualities and the manner in which state is governed. Those who have observed

western versus orientals : From Dubai's perspective

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Last week, a job notice board put by an Indian businessperson in South Africa caused furore. It said his work place needs hard working Indian accountant, Black slim (not fat) sexy African as counter girl and tall white woman as a manager. Media lambasted him of racial bias while he defended saying that he is fair in accommodating all races. I do not know if he would be paying equivalent and just salary to all three races. Middle East, UAE and Dubai is also receptive in accepting all races but it appears to have discrimination based on geographical status, his place of graduation. Job advertisement in UAE newspapers are prominent in specifying the requirement of USA, UK qualification but I wonder if an Asian is given the same emoluments as that of western expatriate if he has same qualification. Class segragation of western versus orientals, in terms of emoluments is distinct in work place. That is brutal reality and one must accept that. Dubai despite all its glamour, relatively inexpe

The Terminal: Movie is good But DVD Part II & Website is amazing. !!

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Generally not many movie producers - directors are keen to make a movie from an event that is widely known and publicized. This is understandably so. The characters that emerge from incident based script are known; plot of the movie being familiar is difficult to sustain viewer’s interest and climax if any can be fairly predictable. However, some duo thinks it otherwise. For some directors, a known incident is an excellent opportunity to create an imaginative approach in transforming the very event into a form that will bring his dramatized characters. In doing so, they have a firm belief that their new creation would make a new benchmark by which a real characters associated with the real incident be remembered. It seems they thrive on such challenges. One must also admire the producers who back up such directors with their risk taking ability. There are number of movies that have been wonderfully crafted from a real life incident. I can remember, Bandit Queen by Shekhar Kapoor, Kala

Hotel Rwanda : saga of determination and compassion

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My first real brush with brutal mob mentality came at the time of Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s assassination. Boarding Frontier mail at Ratlam station - to escape from burning Indore city – and coming across mercilessly beaten, brutally wounded elderly Sikh couples and families was heart-rending experience. Rampaging rioters at Mathura station lynched these innocent Sikhs whose only fault was that they were Sikh. It is true that we are influenced only after witnessing a particular event. Although 1992 Hindu Muslim riots in Bombay and later in Gujarat may have been more gruesome, it did not have the same impact on me as that of 8-hour journey from Ratlam to Mumbai. This is also true with various ethnic riots that happen in the rest of the world. Be it Bosnia, Rwanda and now Darfur, my attention span is only to an extent to what media reports. It hardly evokes any empathy with people who are suffering. Written reports, no matter how illustrative and graphic, do not have the same telling effect a

wow...what a business !!!!!!!

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This is a business model that would make Donald Trump, Bill Gates and reviewers of Harvard business Journal jealous. It is not just a model, but centuries old thriving business in India that has proven to have sustained all economic cyclical patterns. Like any other business, this business too requires an asset - machinery- , raw materials and customers for the finished product consumption. Business fundamentals remain the same but mechanism is vastly different and innovative. In order to start this business , you do not require any license; possess any formal education or business skills. You do not need to own any premises nor need to pay any rent for the same. Here raw material suppliers offer not just timely supplies but even pay cash for these supplies ; your asset (machinery) may be marginally get depreciated , but over the years adds tremendous value addition – in fact handsome capital appreciation. The finished product always has demand – in fact it is a sought after commodity

one such incident

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We have a tendency to judge a person based on his attire and mannerisms. We also follow a standard set of rules to react with persons who solicit us at the public places. If we were to come across an ordinarily dressed beseeching person in public place, our reaction is often predictable. We are often indifferent to him .If he is still persistent in his endeavors - we shoo him way with haughtiest of our demeanor. One such incident happened two decades ago in Mumbai (then Bombay) that changed my outlook towards besetting salespeople. I was learning the art of photography at Indo American Institute at Flora Fountain. After theoretical rhetoric, we were taken to Gateway of India to practice outdoor photography. It was late afternoon of Sunday. Crowds were just pouring in. Visitors from rural India were conspicuous with their curious looks. Bewildered by chaotic city life, wife and kids, holding their palm above their eyebrows as an eyeshade, stuck to their father as they gazed at far away

Impressionable Young Minds

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This incident has remained vivid in my memory. I was having lunch with my Yemeni host and his children at his palatial house in Sana’a. The eldest son was around 9 year old followed by his siblings of age 6 and 3. With siesta time in hand, it was an opportunity to play some truants and games. Kids could not speak English but it did not hinder our kiddish fun. I asked 6 years old cuddly”what would you like to be when you grow up? “Prompt comes the answer “I want to become pilot! “ Nothing surprising, considering most kids at his age like to be a pilot. I asked him benignly “why do you want to become pilot?“ “I want to become pilot so that I can bomb Israel; they kill all Arab children so I must also kill them.” His answer numbed me. I was wondering if this is the impression on Yemeni child who is so far away from Palestine. What must be the situation with Palestine kids? Who could have been responsible for his impression, was it the media, school, parents, just innocuous picture, or cas

shall we dance ?

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By and large, definition of a perfect marriage would be “an agreeable, harmonious, peaceful co-existence of man and woman who don’t harbor any ill will, despise eachother. The couples in such marriages often are cynosure in the eyes of others with remarks “they have smooth life with no troubles “Now these very words are breeding ground of “boredom marriage.” It is like a soda without bubbling fizz. Marriage is becoming predictable without any surprise or challenge. This topic of “marriage boredom “is nothing new for any moviemakers. It is a potent situation to make script with elements of infidelity, identity crisis that will portray heady sensuous affairs and resultant complex relationship. “Shall we dance “ a remake of Japanese movie, deals with the very topic of “ marriage boredom” without resorting to any temptation of using ‘seductress’ Jennifer Lopez to wean the handsome Richard Gere from his wife Susan Sarandon. Instead screenplay writers Masayuki Suo (Original Movie), Audret W

Samurai Prayer

I make the heavens and earth my parents I have no home. I make awareness my home I have no life and death. I make the tides of breathing my life and death I have no divine power. I make honesty my divine power I have no means. I make adaptability to all circumstances my principles I have no tactics I make my mind my friend I have no enemy I make carelessness my enemy I have no armour I make benevolence and righteousness my armour I have no castle I make immovable mind my castle I have no sword I make absence of self-interest my sword.

Culture or Religion: whose dominance will prevail?

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1984: Ginza, Japan . During dinner with Izawa san – then marketing manager of Hitachi Medical Corp, Japan and another gentleman from Nissho Iwai Corporation whose name I now forget, I listened intently to their discussions about 21st century world order. This Nissho Iwai person had read a book that predicted the world situation that would be after 50 years. Their forecast was based more on the situation analysis of ground realities with intelligence inputs than mere astrological crystal gazing. He mentioned that this book had predicted three major outcomes that would happen in next four decades. First: Western Europe would come under one flag, one currency and one army; Second: USSR would be challenged by Muslim dominated southern part and it will be split between Muslim and others. Third: India would be divided into 20 smaller republics based on cultural and language identity. Its ironical that First and Second did happen to a large extent and Third was almost following predicted cour