ATM out of box

What does ATM mean? Many of us would answer "Automatic Teller Machine". My friend too answered the same when he was asked this question in a job interview. He thought it  was the obvious answer like most of us. But the interviewer was expecting him to explain "Asynchronous Transfer Mode" for his question. Then, the interviewer offered him the job and said to him "I liked your out of box thinking about ATM. Though you are from electronics background you could quickly relate ATM to our day to day activities".

That was the time when ATM was not as common as today. Our college got its first ATM few months before this incident. And probably the interviewer has not been used up with Automatic Teller Machine as he has used Asynchronous Transfer Mode.

The interviewer said "You need to think out of box for solving complex problems". Is it so?

What seamed to be more obvious for one person was looking out of box thinking for the other. As everything, out of box thinking also depends on person's perception. So we cannot clearly distinguish out of box thinking.

For a given problem, thinking of all possible ways to solve is the best way. This includes approaches which you might think as a silly approach.

We would have solved 2d maze puzzle in magazines where we need to move from one corner to the other through the maze. Mostly the solution path would go exactly opposite to the destination initially. We might not be required to come closer to the solution for the approach which we take. Just moving away from current position of the problem helps. If the approach doesn't solve the problem, you can restart from the beginning.

One day I saw ATM board over a medical shop. When I went closer it read - "Any Time Medicine"! Do you have any other phrase or have come across any other phrase which has ATM as acronym?

inspiration

A good parenting is very important for a child because he gets most of his attitudes during his childhood by interacting with his parents. Parents do their best for their kids based on the knowledge developed by them and by looking at other parents. i.e., by inspiring from other parents.

Inspiration - I like a dialog in the movie 'Jab we met'. The hero says to the heroine while meeting her after a long time  - "I use to take decisions on every situation by thinking how you would act on that situation." This is a great praising for her, here the hero is truly inspired by the heroine's cool attitude.

To teach others is great, others using the learning is incredible. Likewise, To be inspired is great, to inspire is incredible.

Sometimes we also think of others to find how not to handle the situation. I call it negative inspiration. These negative inspirations are stronger than normal inspiration because we know the consequence of it.

Back to parenting, Inspiration for parenting need not be from other parents only. Inspiration can be transferred from one form to another. Example, Dhoni's approach can be inspirational for someone who is not related to sports at all.

Below I have drafted some of the negative inspirations that comes to my mind at this movement:

* Never become unapproachable for your kids - give them opportunities to ask silly questions. You can ask some silly questions to them if required.
I will be happy every time someone asks me a silly question and they know it as a silly question, because that proves that I am easily approachable :)

* Never make the kid feel that  something he has done is not important especially when your kid has completed it just because you said that to be important.
This may be a tactic to make the next to do item the important one, but after 2-3 incidents everything will become unimportant for him.

* Never fail to praise your kids for small accomplishments. Also never never make the praising to look like artificial for them.

* Never make false promises to your kid such as "this year is very important for you, you need to work hard for this year only and by next year you can be free." Again this can only make them believe nothing is important.

* Never blame your child for your mistakes. Also never pressurize your kid after you making a mistake. Example, just because you ordered more ice creams in a restaurant you cannot ask your kid to eat them fast as it will late for the movie.

* Never forget that your child's failure is your failure.

* Never compete with your child to win him. Rather make him compete with and win you.

* Last but not the least - Never ask your kid to choose one after giving only one choice.

office [story]

I entered my office after eleven days of vacation. Everything seamed to be different in the office. Everyone were sitting in the benches along with table in rows like a class room in school. I searched for known face with whom I can sit so that i will be comfortable.

There, I found Mala sitting at the last row and luckily the place next to her was empty. So I went and sat near her. She saw me and smiled. Everyone were reading something and I remembered that there was an exam scheduled for that week,

I thought that I was right on the starting day of the exam. So, I asked Mala if it was English-I paper examination that day. She raised her eye brow and said that its English-II paper. She then asked me if I had prepared for English-I paper. I told "No". And continued, "Even if I had known the exam schedule, I would not have prepared anything." She smiled.

I asked Mala if she can give me a book to read. She gave me a weekly magazine. I was OK with any book since I didn't have any other. I opened the book and started to write in it as I like to write. When everyone around me in the train are reading something, I am writing this story.

The train announcement voice said that the next station is Thiruvanmiyur. So I closed the laptop and got up to reach the entrance amid the huge crowd. As the train stopped, I got down and walked towards Ascendas International Tech Park Chennai. I had a light breakfast in the Ascendas food court and took the lift to 7th floor.

 [continuation of the story is at the start of this blog]

singam

This was my first attempt of story telling to make my daughter sleep...  நடுல நடுல மானே தேனே பொன்மானே இதெல்லாம் போட்டுக்கணும்...

ஒரு காட்டுல ஒரு சிங்கம் இருந்தது . அது தான் அந்த காட்டுக்கே ராஜா என்றும் எல்லோரும் அது சொல்வது போல தான் கேட்க வேண்டும் என்றும் எல்லோரையும் பயம்புடுத்தி வைத்திருந்தது. அணைத்து மிருகங்களும் வேறு வழி இல்லாமல் அந்த சிங்கம் சொல்வதை கேட்டுக்கொண்டு வாழந்து வந்தனர். அப்படி யாரவது கேட்கவில்லை என்றால் அவர்கள் அந்த காட்டில் இறுக்க முடியாது.

சிங்கம் இல்லாத போது பிற மிருகங்கள் அனைவரும் கூடி சிங்கத்தை பற்றியே பேசுவார்கள். சிங்கம் அந்த காட்டிற்கு நல்லது செய்தாலும் கெட்டது செய்தாலும் அனைவரும் அதை பற்றி கமென்ட் அடித்துக் கொண்டு கிசு கிசு பேசிக் கொண்டே இருப்பார்கள்.சிங்கம் செய்யும் செயல்களைப் பற்றி அவ்வாறு பேசி பேசி அந்த காட்டில் இருக்கும் எல்லா மிருகங்களும் சிங்கம் ராஜாவாக இருக்க தகுதி இல்லாதது என்று மனதிற்குள்ளேயே நினைத்து கொண்டு இருந்தன. அதனால் சிங்கம் சொல்வதை கஸ்ட்டப்பட்டுக் கேட்டுக் கொண்டு வாழ்தன.

அந்த காட்டில் இருந்த கரடி ஒன்று தனக்கு சிங்கத்தை விட அதிக சக்தி இருக்கிறது என்று நினைத்துக் கொண்டு இருந்தது. மற்ற மிருகங்கள் எல்லாம் அந்த கரடியை உசுப்பேத்த அது சிங்கம் தூங்கும் போது அதை தாக்கி கொன்று விடலாம் என்று திட்டம் தீட்டியது. கரடி சிங்கத்தை கொள்வதற்காக மரத்தடியே தூங்கிக் கொண்டிருந்த சிங்கம் அருகே சென்றது. கரடியின் மூச்சு காற்று பட்டவுடன் சிங்கம் முழித்துக் கொண்டு சட்டென்று திரும்பி கர்ஜித்தது. காடே அதிரும் அளவு சத்தம் கேட்கவே கரடி பயந்து நடுங்கி போய் சிங்கத்தின் மேல் இருக்கும் கொசுவை விரட்ட வந்ததாக சொன்னது. பின் சிங்கத்தை கட்டி பிடித்து டாட்டா சொல்லித் தப்பிச் சென்றது. அங்கே நடந்ததை மற்ற மிருகங்களுக்கு சொல்லி சிங்கத்தின் சக்தியை கரடி விளக்கியது. அனைவரும் சிங்கத்தின் சக்தியை உணர்தனர்.

ஒரு நாள் அந்த காட்டில் இருந்த காக்கா ஒரு மரத்தின் மேலே இருந்தது. அப்போது அங்கு வந்த காட்டு ராஜா சிங்கம் காக்காவை அமைதியாக இருக்கச் சொன்னது. மேலும் அந்த இடத்தை விட்டு சீக்கிரம் கிளம்பச் சொன்னது. காக்காவிற்கு இது போல விரட்டுவது பிடிக்கவே இல்லை. சற்று தூரம் பறப்பது போல பறந்து பிறகு சிங்கம் சென்றவுடன் திரும்பவும் அதே மரத்திற்கு வந்தது.கா கா கா என்று பாடியது. சற்று நேரத்திற்கு பிறகு அங்கே ஒரு வேடன் துப்பாகியுடன் வந்தான். காக்காவை குறிபார்த்து சுட்டான்.ஆஆஆ காக்கா பயந்து போனது. அதிர்ஷ்டவசமாக துப்பாக்கி குறி தவறி காக்கா உயிர் பிழைத்தது. மூச்சு இளைக்க வேகமாக பறந்தது.எப்போது தான் காக்காவிற்கு ராஜா சிங்கம் சொன்னதை கேட்டிருந்தால் இந்த இந்த பிரச்சனையே வந்திருக்காது என்பது புரிந்தது. அதனால் தான் சிங்கம் ராஜாவாக இருக்கிறது என்பதை உணர்ந்தது. அதற்கு பின் ராஜா சொல்வதை கேட்டு நல்லபடியாக வாழ்ந்தது.

இதே போல் காலப்போக்கில் அனைத்து மிருகங்களும் சிங்கத்தின் திறமையை உணர்ந்து சிங்கம் போன்ற ஒரு ராஜா  தேவை என்பதை புரிந்து கொண்டனர். அதன் பின் எல்லோரும் ஜாலியாக சிங்கம் சொல்வதை கேட்டு சந்தோஷமாக வாழ்ந்தனர்..

quote

He was working in one of the biggest software organization in the world. The product in which he was working was supported in different platforms - windows, linux, HPUX and solaris. He was working on linux and HPUX part of it. His friend Kala was working in linux and solaris part of the product. She had more experience than him in the organization and in the product.

When there was an opportunity to work from abroad location for a short period on this project, the manager choose him instead of Kala. He told his friend Kala that it should have been her turn rather than him to go  abroad. She just replied with a quote by Vivekananda - No power in the universe can withhold from anyone anything they really deserve. He started to believe this from that time. 

He got a very good exposure in his trip abroad. There he was working with a good friend Prithiv who always believes that We cannot call anyone stupid just because we do not understand them. Interacting with Prithiv he understood this. He was able to relate that in every instance of his interaction with others. ie, Everyone would have a reason for their act and we cannot call them stupid.

After his return, his manager took him to Kala and told her that he will be leading the solaris part of the project. Even though he has not worked anytime in solaris the manager made him the lead. Kala asked straight after the manager has finished, "How can a person be a lead without any technical knowledge on the product". He remembered the quote which Kala told him before. You will not get any recognition/ reward unless you deserve it and you will get it for sure if you deserve it. So he was able to perform without any guilty consciousness / expectation.

service charge

When my daughter first learned to sit, I thought of buying a chair for her. I went to a small shop in Adyar, Chennai. I liked a chair in that shop. But it seemed to be little costly. Then I went to a big shop in T.Nagar, Chennai. There too I found the chair of the same model. But the cost was less than 50 percent of the cost in Adyar shop. Below were the differences that I could spot.





T.Nagar Shop

Adyar Shop

There were only 5 pieces, each in different color.

There were around 50 pieces to select from.

No damage in all the 5 display pieces.

Need to search for a piece without damage from 50 pieces.

Showroom was air conditioned and a person was there to guide us.

No air condition and no person to guide.

Price tag was tied with a colorful threaded, easily removable.

Low quality sticker was pasted on top of the chair to indicate
the price, difficult to remove.



But 100 % service charge for these differences seemed to be little costly for me. So, I searched and got a good piece from the big shop.

You Too Brutus

[ Written by my wife ]

There is a phrase that we normally use whenever a friend does not support us - "You too Brutus". Brutus was a close friend of  Julius Caesar. He betrayed Julius Caesar and killed him from behind. Thus the phrase is said whenever someone betrays others.

But when we see it from Brutus point of view we wont consider it a betrayal. Brutus loved Rome when he was a friend of Caesar. He supported Caesar because he cared for the welfare of Rome. Caesar made Rome more powerful. Then Brutus was brain washed that Caesar was not going to do any good to Rome. He killed Caesar because he loved Rome. Brutus only action was that he loved Rome throughout his life.

It is the angle in which we see an action, changes from person to person and not the action. There is a story in Mahabharata - When Krishna asked Yudhishthira to find out one bad person in the country he came empty handed and when Duryodhana was asked to find out one good person he was empty handed. Thus in the eyes of Yudhishthira all were good and in the eyes of Duryodhana all were bad.

We cannot change the world. We can change the way we see the world.

Once upon a time there was a King. He ordered his men to make everything green in his kingdom. So all where in green color dress but it was hard for the men to make everything green. So they sort the help of the wise man in the kingdom. He went to the King and gave him a green colored spectacles thus making what ever he sees as green. So if we see an action in a positive way it is positive and green. This can be achieved if you see an action in a positive way. This is easily said than done.

tamil song lyrics

Usually different web site provide different lyrics for some Tamil songs which have difficult to hear words in it. I generally get confused whenever I hear two of Kamal Haasan's song. Whenever I hear these songs, I get one of the two different words. Still couldn't figure out what word was used by the author of these songs.

The first one from Anbe sivam movie...
a.
Aatthigam paesum adiyaarkellaam sivamae anbaagum,
Aatthigam paesum nallavarukkoe anbae sivamaagum,

b.
Aatthigam paesum adiyaarkellaam sivamae anbaagum,
Naatthigam paesum nallavarukkoe anbae sivamaagum,


The second one from Dasavadharam movie...
a.
Vizhvuthe yaar aghilum, Vaazhvathu naal aghatum

b.
Vizhvuthe yaar aghilum, Vaazhvathu naad aghatum

I like only the (a) version of these songs. How about you?

art of giving

[ Translation of my article originally written in Tamil for "Vanavil" - hand written magazine ]

Giving gives pleasure to both the giver and the taker. Historically there are many legend hero's known for giving.

1. Taker
2. Giver
3. Others
4. Giving thing
Above are the four that is involved in the process of giving.

Giving thing (4) may not only be gold or money, it could be any value add for the taker. For ex, lifting the bag for others in the train, showing the right path to destination for a friend could also be considered as a act of giving to taker.

The act of giving to the taker should be done without any expectation. If giving is known to others(3), it would be considered that it is done for getting good name from others. If the giver(2) keeps on thinking about the giving process, it could result in reduction in the amount to be given. Hence, the giver may give without the knowledge of others and also without the knowledge of himself. Left hand should not know what is given by right hand. Such a generous person is karna from Mahabharata.

The last but not the least, is the taker(1). Some takers may think that getting would give some difficulties for the giver or may think that what we can give in return to the giver for getting. They may also reject the offer from the giver.

When I was in bangalore, once I was travelling with three friends in a bus. Since the bus was crowded only me and one friend got seat to sit. Others were standing. We four were chatting as the bus moved. After an hour, my friend sitting next to me offered his seat to the one's who were standing. The offer was rejected. After sometime, I stood up and said that my legs are paining after sitting for a long time. Now the friend who was standing took my seat.

Hence if the taker is not aware of the act of giving, it becomes the best. GOD also gives us everything without our knowledge.

By giving, the giver becomes virtuous person. But if the taker rejects the offer of the giver, the giver may not get that benefit of becoming virtuous person. While eating meat, the chicken, turkey etc becomes virtuous by giving taste and filling the stomach of the person who eats. Hear the chicken is the giver and chicken eaters are takers. Killing the chicken is another part of the story, it can be taken as their fate! Fate is powerful!! 


Anything given by GOD or other people, if we accept them fully without any condition we can give the most for the Giver. We need to keep this in mind and accept everything.


    Meaningful charity does not draw the attention to the giver and the others.
    Dignified charity does not draw the attention to the taker and the others.
    In both, the taker plays the important role of accepting without any condition.


P.S: Is this art of giving or art of taking ;-)

engeyum eppodhum

Nowadays blood donation scene is common in movies / TV serials after an accident scene. Few days back I was thinking why there is no eye donation scene in any movie or in TV serials after a death scene. At least I have not seen one till then. I thought, only if people can visualize the organ donation, they can do it.

Manimegalai (Anjali) remembers to donate the organs of her lover Kadhiresan (Jai) immediately after losing him in a tragic road accident. Its in "engeyum eppodhum" directed by new flimmaker Saravanan. That was an excellent thinking. The flashback for this couple portraits the boldness of Manimegalai and innocence of Kadhiresan.




Another couple in the movie, Goutham (Shravanand) and Amudha (Ananya) also have a liking flashback. Added to their excellent performance, the characterisation has been done perfectly for all the four.



The movie starts a four hours ago flashback and then dives more backwards to characterize the four people. As they travel in bus, the background traffic sound and the music played in the bus along with the intended dialogues have been captured very well. But for me it was like a continuous noise (may be I have to see more movies in theater).

When the bus reaches arasur, the movie makes us to wish for a long flashback before the bus reaches the final destination. Having lot of characters and being a small movie, it makes us wish for more scenes and thus succeeding. The big production by AR Murugadoss and fox star studios is a major plus for the movie and for the movie's hype.

The climax makes us to feel as if it is a documentary film, but overall the movie is real good entertainer.