The E-Factor

These days Everything has an 'E' factor attached. The E-factor has a prominent place in our daily lives. A single day cannot be spent without the E-factor. I am not going to mention the business part of internet but surely would like to mention how our lives are affected by internet. It is both easier an addictive in nature.

Our day begins with checking E-mails. We decide our day depending on the emails we have received (at least this is what happens at work). The internet is so much into our lives that everything happens over internet, including weddings.

The travel bookings are done over internet. As we call it, E-booking and the tickets E-Tickets. Even though they charge Rs.20-Rs.100 extra, we are ready to pay for it. It of course saves our time and efforts of standing in the long queue, spending money to reach to the booking offices etc.

Gone are those days when people used to send greeting cards via post or couriers. It is the era of E-Cards. An E-Card is personalized, faster and easier way to send your wishes to your loved ones. It just doesn't end there. Gifts can also be sent via the internet. You can use: E-Commerce, E-Bay to purchase the gifts. In fact, some websites even deliver the gifts, cake and flowers at given address(makes our life lot easier).

You want to buy/sell something, the cheapest and easiest way is to put it over internet. It is called E-Auction. No need to include the brokers in between. Be it property or electronics they can bought and sold via Internet.

People even buy books via internet. They are soft copies of the original books called as E-Books. Lot of people like reading books on the system or laptop. I feel the best way to read a book is a hard copy of the book, a cozy bed and a steaming cup of tea. Anyways, few people like a laptop instead of the book.

Lets come to the money part of internet. The last I went to a bank was 4-5 years ago. Most of us do all the transactions over internet. It includes transferring money from one account to another, paying bills, checking balance etc. Thanks to the internet we can transfer money anytime from anywhere :)

I have heard people getting married through internet. Credit goes to the web cam. This in fact, saves a lot of money and efforts spent during the marriage ;)

Well our life is a lot easier with the E-Factor but small things in everyday life cant be replaced. A sweet smile, a hug, a shoulder to cry etc... Glad that still we meet friends, hangout with them, have fun and just don't wave at them in the web-cam.

Numbers and my life

This is a strange thought or call it feeling, that I had since few years. Even when I am not very much into mathematical domain or finance, my life revolves around numbers. Not just mine, its with most of the people. I understand mathematics is the base of the economy but what has numbers to do with one's life? Sometimes I get frustrated with all the number business.
- Your day starts with a number - Getting up at some x hrs. You need to calculate the previous night how long will it take for you to reach your destination(office, school, college etc). And then add all the factors like - How long you would take to get ready (especially for girls :)), How long for breakfast etc. Uff! you sleep with all the numbers and calculations in mind.
This is just an example of almost all of us! Lets get into professional life now. I am very sure this area is filled with only and only numbers. Be it any domain/field of work you need to answer the questions that start with HOW MANY and HOW MUCH... Your performance, salary, promotion, growth etc etc all depends on these numbers.

Your health also is defined by a set of numbers. BP, Heart Rate, Sugar Level, RBC or WBC count and many more labels. If you are to be called fit, your values have to be within a pre-defined range.

If we get into relationships, even here the numbers have the dominance. How many years have you been together, how many fights have you fought, how many gifts have you been gifted etc decide about the depth or seriousness of the relation.

The rest of our life revolves around finance, economy and again numbers rule us here.

Wish we had a life without numbers (I know it sounds insane and unimaginable, but it is just a wish). We would not have been restricted to 24 hour cycle. Life would be so less complicated. Ah! Sounds good! Anyways, I have to sleep now so that I can get up and start calculating again :(..

Ek Cup Chai

Tea is called as Chai, Chaha, Tea, Cha, Te, Tee, Sha in different languages across world. One cup chai, as it is called in Hindi, works wonders after a long and tired day. Drinking tea has been a practice since childhood. When I was a kid I used to cry for tea but then my mother never let me drink tea till I was 7-8 yrs old. Even that was after a lot of crying and convincing. I have been drinking tea since so many years, even then every single cup tastes different till date. In India, drinking tea is a daily practice. You just need a reason to drink tea:

a. The day begins with a cup of tea. First thing in the morning, have a cup of tea while reading the news paper. This makes a good beginning of your day.

b. Every guest in India irrespective of cast, creed and status is treated with a cup of tea. This practice is prevalent almost everywhere in India.

c. Tea is considered to be one of the good stress busters. When you are very tired or stressed a cup of tea can rejuvenate you.

d. Tea is always a reason for break in between work.

e. Meeting over tea is a way people catch up with each other.

f. Tea is also treated as a medicine in many ways.

g. When you are sleepy, you grab a cup of tea to stay alerted up.

h. Tea is the best way to stay awake during exams for students. I remember many people doing that to stay awake during the exams.

i. Tea is the way to stay awake during night out with friends. This is the best way I remember having tea with my friends. You stay awake till sunrise with 2-3 cups of tea and talk endlessly.

j. During the monsoons steaming cup of tea and hot pakoda's (especially chilly pakoda's) are the best way to enjoy the monsoons. Especially the tea on the roadside tea shop, while its drizzling is a very enjoying moment .

k. Hot cup of tea during winters is a very nice way to beat the cold.

l. A cup of ginger tea during throat infection is beneficial to reduce the infection.

m. Black tea with lemon is very good after a heavy meal. It helps in digestion.

n. Drinking tea during travel especially in Indian trains is a way of bonding with people and passing time.

o. How can I forget... Tea is the first thing a girl offers to the guy and his family when they come to see her. This is the age old practice which is still followed in India.

p. For most of the software engineers, it is kind of relieving when you do the work on the computer simultaneously sipping a cup of tea.

q. Tea in another form - Ice Tea is a cooling drink and has soothing effect during hot summers

r. I am not sure how far will the medics agree to this. Indian tea is prepared with milk. For people who do not drink milk directly but drink tea with milk, the calcium deficiency can be compensated.

s. Lot of people drink tea when they have a headache. I am not sure if it really works. I never tried it though.

t. Tea helps you overcome the headache and fatigue after a hangover. Lot of people say tea reduces the hangover.

u. High Tea - It can be called as a gathering where people meet up for tea and snacks. It can be a form of get together. High tea basically originates from UK.

v. Tea can be a mood up lifter. A cup of good tea, with good music can change a gloomy day into a happening one. This has worked for me many a times :).

w. This an economic reason why lot of Indians prefer tea to coffee. Tea is cheaper than coffee in most of the restaurants. Economically drinking tea works out :).

x. Most of the people are addicted to Tea. Tea is a drink not restricted to any culture or country. People worldwide drink tea with the same love for the drink. Anywhere you go on earth you will find a cup of tea :).

y. Tea is also drunk just for TIMEPASS. You need not have a reason to drink tea :).

z. The best reason - THE TASTE n AROMA OF TEA!!!

Ah! The aroma and colour of boiling tea awakens you :) Time for my cup of tea!!!

Bhage re Mann Mera!!!

Beheka hain mann kahi,
Kaha jaanti nahin...
Koi rok le yahi
Bhage re mann kahin aage re mann...
Chala jaane kidhar jaanu na...

I love this song. Every time I hear this I feel rejuvenated. Somebody truly said human mind is very fluctuating. We wish to do so many things in life but how far do we generally reach our dream destination? But then who cares, life is to live n have fun...

They say we are IMPATIENT!

A few days back there was an ad by Airtel broadband claiming 16Mbps speed. I hope people remember it. It said IMPATIENCE is the word. There were all youngsters in the ad.. Impatiently trying to figure out how things can be made faster. I could relate very much to it. Today I met my senior manager seeking a new project. I was yet to finish my previous one. He said - "Your generation guys are very impatient. They just want things to happen in a blink. Take things as they come. Don't rush!"
But isn't it how we are? Don't we want things to happen in a blink? Don't we complain about wasting time waiting for bus, train or for traffic to clear?
Impatience has made the world go on a faster pace. It was an impatient guy who wanted to travel in a bullet train. It was an impatient guy who wanted to transfer money anytime.
If it is wrong to be impatient, I proudly say - Yes we are IMPATIENT!!!

It was just Y'day!!!

Here I am on Dec 1, 2009 waiting for Jan 1, 2010. The same thought that must be pondering every one's mind - How soon time flies :) The memories of celebrating new year on Dec 31st 2008, are still fresh. Guess this is how life goes on and on... We feel, it was just yesterday!!!