I Am – Page 7 – Akshay Surve

April 3, 2007

The Art of War

Last month I finished reading The Art of War edited by James Cavell. I found the book very objective and meaningful even today. No doubt its recommended in business and managerial studies.

Here are some incomplete notes from the first 5 chapters:

I

All warfare is based on deception.

II

In war, then, let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns.

III

Thus we may know that there are five essentials for victory:

(1) He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.

(2) He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.

(3) He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks.

(4) He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.

(5) He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.

IV

To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease.

Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.

V

Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory. He takes individual talent into account, and uses each men according to his capabilities. He does not demand perfection from the untalented.

The last two lines is the mantra I stand by and follow.

April 3, 2007

People traveling on the Blue Billion Express and their relatives (more than a billion people back home) had a shocker of a time on the 24th March. According to Reuters, passengers suffered multiple injuries of which some are still serious. Most of the passengers were seniors and on a journey which was touted as their last. There are no reports of deaths.

After the accident, officials were quick to react and have announced that a detailed inquiry would be carried out by an independent body to ascertain the causes of the accident. Some officials blamed a coach of the express . Others claimed that the driver of the express favored senior passengers and did not have the fire power to drive to the destination. One official was quoted saying that "the disaster was waiting to happen." According to a recent report the losses may touch $35M.

April 2, 2007

LoL

You would do the same only if you had access to our internal mailing list. Most of the time you have witty messages flying here and there on the mailing list. Yours truly, just posted one some time back and he can already hear the LoLs from far away. I hope everyone takes it in the right (milky) spirit 😉

[Would only make sense to Pinstormers]

March 21, 2007

Pagalisa

Guess what the title of this post means! Did you try linking the title of this post to Monalisa? Oh! you are nowhere near finding the right answer. Pagalisa is what Varsha, my cousin sister calls me. Isn't that coOL??? LoL, may be not but it sure is FuN to hear. Don't remember when she started using this for me but its surely been long. Recently, she had been on a vacation to Goa over the last week and stayed over in Mumbai for the weekend.

Varsha is a typical Delhite with don't mess with me attitude. She is FuN to be with most of the time till you play by her rules (LoL). If you try to mess around with her you sure are to be punished. The punishment may vary from Kung-fu chops, bites, katti to calling her mom. We together really have a blast. I tend to compete with her in all respects double it up with more hungama :p. Shes naughty and likes calling and SMSing people from my cellphone. When I had been to Delhi she just happened to call and SMS random people. So this time I was careful and kept my cell phone away from her. Last time around when she had been to Mumbai she was offcourse smaller and even more random. She took a permanent marker and wrote my name on my wooden cupboard. How sweet isn't it? I tried erasing those marks but it wasn't of any use and I thought it was sweet so I kept it as it is. Later, I remember fondly SMSing masi when they left Mumbai,

Varsha ki yaadein Dil, Dimakh aur Cupboard par hamesha rahengi!

This still holds true. I hope she remains like this forever... 😉

March 14, 2007

Brooms to Rooms

India is currently riding high on its retail boom. Suddenly there are malls popping out from no where. I have nothing against them but for the last few years weren't we talking about the lack of space in Mumbai? Suddenly there is loads of space to fit in a micro-city (err... hypercity).

I remember reading a hoarding of Hypercity which said, "From bread to bed." I found it pretty interesting as it conveyed their message very clearly.

Seeing the kind of investment in the retail sector I wouldn't be surprised to see a hoarding which says, "From brooms to rooms."

December 17, 2006

Karnala – Adventurous & Eventful … need I say more ? (SchoolFriends)

Once again I planned an annual meetup for SchoolFriends.It happend to be around the same time as last year and an adventure trek too.

I am sure you would love to read about it too...

What started with a casual discussion between me, dazzle, kartik and pratik, finally culminated in one adventurous and eventful outing. Special thanks to everyone who made it to the outing... (in no particular order 😉 Dazzle, Pratik, Kartik, Cherie, Sheetal, Abhijeet, Nihal, Santosh (Nihal's cousin) and Me (too 😉 !

So what was so adventurous and eventful this time around? Oh hell yeah... everything. The planning whcih was too adhoc... we did what we wanted to and didn't try to plan things (or try and stick to any decided plans).

Firstly, the train journey (Goregaon-Bandra-Wadala-Panel) was FuN filled and all the while. We switched trains one after another. Ppl stuck to their roles... Cherie (always gigling), Kartik (Gadget gyaan) likewise.

I had thought of hiring a TumTum (10 seater) to get to Karnala which was around 15km. from Panvel. Me and Kartik tried to get a good deal out at the rickshaw stand and fixed it with someone. On the other hand others unanimously (Yup, Cherie has the convincing power...) decided to walk our way to Karnala.

A 15 km. walk was no small deal... eveyone knew that but then I am sure everyon wanted to have Fun (yeh school_friends ka style hai bidu !) We had our share of breaks. Batata vada, sabudana khichdi, chaas and kokam sarbat were awesome at Datta snacks (near phalase phata... 3 km from Panvel) We kept on walking... and walking... yah and some more walking. Need I say it was real hot and the road was pretty dumb but we had years of gupshup to cling onto and yah the usual kheechna-kheechana to do. Oye we topped our own record of 12 km. to the Mahuli base with a rock solid 15km to reach Karnala. Just to give u an idea of the enthusiasm... Cherie and Pratik ran the last 100mt in a sprint... surprised 😕 !!!!

We got our lunch (batata vada and pulav along with some tasty onion slices) from a nearby restaurant and had it in the Karnala Bird Sanctuary on a circular looking stage amongst monkeys.

After taking a small break we started towards Karnala fort. Again it looked dumb to start with but soon we were on a dirt track towards the top (bcz someone directed that it would be quicker). Quicker it must be but soon we realised that it wasn't that easy... must be bcz of the 15 km. walk we did before. Anyways it was exciting and challenging to keep us going... though we slowed down a bit. We would take pics at regular intervals all this while. Also this time around we had thick vegetation protecting us from the sun's heat. Hey 'Sathiya haath badha, Saathiya' is one song which would fit very well. We made sure we all reached the top.

The view from the top was exhilarating. Most of the fortification was stil intact. There was a water reservoir at the top from which we quenched our thirst. The water was coOL and satisfying to say the least. We explored few parts of the fort here and there and were ready to start our journey back. We did the customary Jay Gunj at the top before leaving which left us completely rejuvenated to reach to the base again.

The descnt was simpler and we choose the longer (bt comparitively simpler) route this time. During the descent it was more of some coOL music (courtesy: sony erricson and nokia), some groovy moves (courtesy: cherie, dazzle, me and pratik), bum-massage and setting sun. By the time we had arrived to te base it had got dark.

If you feel that was it... then you are wrong. Nope we didn't return walking back to Panvel... tat would have been too much. To substitue for it we took lift from a truck from the highway. Yah, it was all the more exciting to come back in the truck. We all cramped ourselves in the front of the truck... yup all 9 of us in the front. The truck driver also tried to play some bhojpuri music on our request.

We came back to normalcy (not sure of this) after reaching Panvel station and traveling back home by train.

By the way I didn't write much about birds bcz we didn't see any. Yup, its just a namesake bird sanctuary, though it didnt affect us much and we continued with the same zeal to the top.

So how was it? I sure missed to mention a lot of things... but that is the price you pay for not making it to the outing for wateva reasons of urs 😉

Thnks once again for the people who made this possible by comming for the outing. Feel sorry for all who missed this one. Like always, there surely will be a next time ;-).

-- I just pulled this from the follow-up mail I posted on our schoolfriends group.

Pics from the Trek:

Click on the image below to look at the complete album:

Updated and Archived so the postdate is not true representative of the actual post date.

October 17, 2006

Just another weekend trek, Was it ?

On October 8th, I had planned a trek to Peth (near Karjat) with friends (Sankool, Swapnesh, Hardik and Manav). Like all other treks it was awesome. Just the right weather to go for the trek! It was shady during the ascent and drizzled a little while on descent. Last year I had been to Peth-Bhimashankar overnight trek. We halted at night in the caves of Peth fort. This time it was only one day trek.

Some interesting tit-bits…

We started late (anyone cud have guessed that 😉 and Manav who is in Pune joined us from Karjat. From there we hired Vikram(10 seater) to reach base village of Ambivali. This journey was coOL and enjoyable. Lots of PJs + stories to tell eachother. On reaching Ambivali we quickly asked for directions and started out trek. None of them had an idea of Peth except for me. I just told them that they won’t believe me when I point out the fort to them. Primarily because it seems impossible at start but is pretty doable. You just need to have a trekers mindset. My favorite line is always “We trek only to a point from which we can return safely.” I say this just to make them feel comfortable. Also, I only choose treks which are comfortable to first timers. So, on the whole I make sure they reach the top (touch-wood).

The initial part of the trek is crossing a mountain and getting to the plateau from where you can get to the base village of the fort. It is only then that you get a clear view of the Peth fort. No first timer can believe we would make it to the top of that fort. There was Hardik who thought I was joking, Manav and Swapnesh knew I was serious but had no clue how and Sankool who knew I was serious and there would surely be a way to the top. Their perspectives tell you how seasoned trekers they are. We took a lot of snaps here. Next we reached the Peth base village and had nimbu pani in a house and also asked them to arrange lunch for us when we come back.

Now from the base village we started our ascent of the fort. We missed a right turn towards the top and ended up taking almost a half circle of the fort before we realized and to our luck we were guided by two females who were carrying firewood back to the village. Its fun getting lost and then finding your way back again. We were soon on the right track and were gaining altitude soon.

We reached the gate of the fort soon and did a customary ‘Jay Gunj’ which is a salute to Chattrapathi Shivaji Maharaj. Next we visited the caves. Now there was another interesting thing which is fairly unique to the Peth fort. There is a secret(everyone knows about it though..) tunnel to get to the top of the fort which is just superb. At the top of the fort it always feels amazing. You feel victorious and satisfied at the same time.

The descent from the fort was also exciting and we did it pretty quickly. This time we didn’t loose our way to the base village. Also, it drizzled just right and for the right time so it felt good. We had our lunch in the village and then just lazed away for a few minutes.

On our return journey we were quick and didn’t take a halt. We were back to the base village of Ambivali just before it got dark. We were damn tired by then. We lied there on the road for sometime just to let the feeling seep in. Then we tried to take some pictures of ourselves sleeping on the road in a formation. After a few pics we could hear Vikram ( the 10 seater ) making a vroommmm sound and approaching us. We boarded it and it took us back to Karjat station. The journey back was unforgettable as it was nice and coOL by then and the ambience was moonlight. I could not stop myself from singing “So gaya yeh zahan…. soo gaya asssmaaan …. ” ( I am sure others surely wanted me to stop.. for obvious reasons but I went on… .>!

Manav got a train back to Pune quickly and rest of us had to wait for another hour. Travelling in the train was also fuN and I started a story telling session which was quite interesting. Hardik (dukh bhari kahaniyaan) and Swapnesh also shared their own stories. By then we reached Dadar and then in sometime to our sweet homes.

Yup, every trek is truly unforgettable and unique 😀

Pics from the Trek:

Click on the image below to browse the album:

October 14, 2006

iNDiaN FoOD ;)

I just happened to visit BASES Entrepreneurship Kickoff 2006-2007 after reading a blog post on meebo. Chk this:

The BASES Entrepreneurship Kickoff aims to bring Stanford students, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley together with a mixer and panel that will kick off a year of entrepreneurship at Stanford. The panel will address issues in entrepreneurship through the shared experiences and perspectives of the panelists. Panelists range from venture capitalists to entrepreneurs in the mobile apps, web 2.0, and social entrepreneurship arena.

Other information:

Indian and Chinese food will be provided for attendees.

A raffle will be held for various items including an iPod.

Also present to build awareness for their events will be other Stanford student groups related to entrepreneurship including the GSB High Tech Club, the GSB E-Club, LASES, and others.

Look whats on the menu :p ?

October 12, 2006

GaRbAa BeAtS

Never before had I been to a GaRbAa night. Except for one forgetful evening when I had been to one around 10:15pm and it got over by 10:30pm. :p

So this year (29th September) it was my first time and like all other things was unplanned and was decided at the last moment after some coaxing from my colleagues (Hardik, Ashwini and Pawan). I just happened to say ‘yes’ and then the next thing I remember was changing in to a shirt given by Hardik.

Ashwini made a couple of phone calls to ensure a pass for me was available. So me, Hardik, Pawan and Ashwini left for Mithibai college where the event was. Reshma, her dauther Anoushka, her husband and brother-in-law were going to join us at the event.

I was sure I would not be able to pick up the steps naturally. I am not a born dancer ! But I knew if someone gave me a crash course I may pick it up. Inside the music was loud and everyone were all enjoying. I was coOL… good music, coOL people and gr8 looking guju babes around :p

Among us Hardik was a pro and so was Ashwini, Pawan had two left feet and I had one 😉

Hardik and Ashwini joined a small gang and started dancing. I was warming up (;-) and just trying to let the beats seep in. Suddenly the music stopped and looked like the show was over. Unlike my previous experience this time I knew they would start again bu this time without the loudspeakers. It would just be the band and no vocals. It wouldn’t make a big difference to me.

I said to myself I am not here to see others dance… I wanted to try dance too. Hardik was extremely supportive and encouraging. He told me, “Akshay you need to learn the steps before the band starts playing again. Its your only chance!”. I said, “Fine! I don’t care whether the music is playing or not…just teach me now.”

So, there he was teaching me his favorite (and now mine too) move called ‘Popat’ while others were taking a break and resting. I was trying my best to match up to what he was try to teach me, but it wasn’t working. The flow wasn’t there. I would somewhere go wrong on the turns. There were people who were seeing us dancing with no music but we continued. Also, not all were interested in watching us, my steps were not that amusing.

So, to cut things short it wasn’t working untill… I came up with this algorithm.

Algo: POPAT_GARBA (2 - 4 : This is how its signaled 🙂

(Intialise: Face to the center of the circle formed)

Take a step towards your right. ( This may also look like a step and a half )

Now take a 180* turn in the clockwise direction

Take another step, this time towards your left and stop

Now take a step towards right.

Now take a 180* turn in the anti-clockwise direction

Take another step, towards your left.

Again take a 180* turn in the anti-clockwise direction

Now take a step towards right.

Now take a 180* turn in the anti-clockwise direction

Take another step, towards your left.

Again take a 180* turn in the anti-clockwise direction

Continue from Step 1 untill everyone decides to change the step. Also, even if you miss any keep continuing.

This may seem childish but I am sure people who are not well versed with Garba (lik me) may find it useful. Also the key here is taking the turns in the right orientation (clockwise/anti-clockwise).

September 21, 2006

Gandhigiri – is it still relevant?

“Gandhigiri - is it still relevant?”, is a simple question which you need to ask yourself and find your own answer. (I am trying to do the same here)
Gandhigiri to me is adherence to simple but powerful values of truth and morality. Questioning Gandhigiri is questioning the relevance of these essential values. People (sometimes even me 😉 fail to realize the potential of Satyagraha and non-violent protests (or just prefer to ignore). Blame it on myopia. People want to see favourable results instantly and so tend to use other means (read by hook or by crook). I just hope people regain their belief in the effectiveness of non-violent protests. For me the best part of non-violent protests is that we maintain our composure and compel others to pay heed to our request.
I like the term ‘Gandhigiri’ and in general I do like buzz words (read Web2.0 etc). They give you a fresh perspective to look at things. Its like repackaging of sorts to cater to the tastes of the new generation. Bole toh… Zhaakass !

Category: I Am