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એક દીકરી તો સાસરે જઈને ફરીથી મમ્મી જેવું જીવે છે(જીવવાનો પ્રયત્ન કરે છે). જે મમ્મી વિષે લગ્ન પહેલાં કદાચ કોઈ દીકરી એટલું નથી વિચારતી, જેટલું લગ્ન પછીની જવાબદારીઓ નિભાવતી વખતે એને વિચારે છે અને એ પ્રમાણે એનાં બદલાતા રૂટીન ને જીવે છે. કદાચ માનસિક પરિવર્તન પામે છે. લગ્ન પહેલા, પોતે શું કરવા માંગે છે કે ફ્યુચર, કે કરિયર કે એવી એવી જ થીયરીની વાતો કરતી દરેક દીકરી, સાસરે ગયા પછી પ્રેક્ટીકલ લાઈફમાં બહુ બદલાઈ જતી હોય છે.

લોકો લગ્ન પહેલા છોકરીના વિચારો જાણવા આતુર હોય છે, અને એ પ્રમાણે જ એનું અવલોકન કરે છે, પણ મને લાગે છે, કે એ માત્ર થીયરી છે, છોકરી લગ્ન પછી પ્રેક્ટીકલ લાઈફમાં કેવી હશે એ માટે એની મમ્મીના વિચારોનું પણ થોડું અવલોકન બહુ જરૂરી છે. કારણકે ઘણું ખરું એ અંગત જીવનમાં એની મમ્મીની પ્રતિકૃતિ જ બને છે. બહાર લોકોની દ્રષ્ટીએ સામાજિક બદલાવમાં ભલે એ ગમે તેટલી આધુનિક કેમ નાં હોય, લગ્ન પછી અચૂક માનસિક સ્તરે એ સંબંધોમાં વધારે સહનશીલ અને વિવેકી બને છે.

ભારતીય નારી

પાંચ આંકડાની પગારદાર ભારતીય નારી
વહેલી સવારે પાંચ વાગ્યે ઉઠી જાય છે
ઉઠીને ભગવાન યાદ કર્યાં પહેલા એ
આખા દિવસમાં જે કાર્ય કરવાના છે એ યાદ કરે છે

અચાનક એને યાદ આવે છે
આજે કામવાળી નથી આવવાની
વોંશીગ મશીન ખરાબ છે
ગઇ કાલના કપડા ધોવાનાં બાકી છે

છ વાગ્યા સુધીમાં વાસણ અને કપડા
ધોવાનું ઉતાવળે આટોપી નાખે છે
પરસેવાથી રેબઝેબ કપાળ લુછીને
વિખરાયેલા વાળને રબ્બરબેંડથી બાંધે છે

સવારની તાજી હવામાં યોગા અને હળવી કસરત કરે છે
યોગા-કસરત પુરી થતાં એનાં બાળકોને સ્કુમ માટે તૈયાર કરે છે
બાળકોને ફટાફટ તૈયાર કરીને રસોડા તરફ વળે છે
બાળકો માટે નાસ્તો બનાવીને લંચબોકસ પેક કરે છે

પોતાના બાળકોને એ ટુ વ્હિલર વાહનમાં સ્કુલે મુકવા જાય છે
રસ્તામાં બચ્ચાઓ એમનાં માટે શું લઇ આવવાનું મમ્મીને કહે છે
ઓફિસનાં પેડીંગવર્કથી ચિતિંત મમ્મી બચ્ચાની વાતોને મગજના
એક ખુણે સાચવીને મુકી દે છે

સ્કુલથી પાછા આવીને ઘડીયાળમાં જોયું સાડાસાતનો સમય છે
પતિ,સાસું અને દેવર માટે નાસ્તો બનાવવા ફરી રસોડામાં જાય છે
ઘડીયાળમાં સમય જોતા જોતાં ફટાફટ ટેબલ પર નાસ્તો પિરસે છે
એ પણ ફટાફટ પોતાનો નાસ્તો પુરો કરે છે,ઘડીયાલ હસતાં
મુખે એને આઠ વાગ્યાનો સમય બતાવે છે
અને એ બાથરૂમ તરફ રવાના થાય છે

ઝટપટ સ્નાનવિધિ પૂરી કરીને પોતાના બેડરૂમના વોર્ડસામે ગોઠવાય જાય છે
ડ્રેસ અને સાડીઑની હારમાળા વચ્ચે શું પહેરવું એ વિચારે ચડે છે
આધુનિકા દેખાવા માટે જિન્સ અને ટોપ પર પંસદગી ઉતારે છે

કોલેજમાં જેના રૂપની ચર્ચા થતી એ રૂપગર્વિતા,પોતાના રૂપને
અકબંધ સચવાયેલું જોઇને અરિસામાં પોતાનાં પ્રતિબિંબ સામે
મસ્તીથી આંખ મિચકારે છે.અમસ્તું એનાથી હસાય જાય છે
એના મિત્રનો એસ એમ એસ યાદ આવી જાય છે.

એક હાથમાં બ્રાન્ડેવ વોચ,બીજા હાથમાં ટ્રેંડી બ્રેસલેટ
બંને આંખોમાં કાજલની પતલી લાઇને ખેંચે છે
હોઠો પર લાઇટ સેડની લિપસ્ટિક લગાડે છે
ઇમ્પોર્ટેડ પરફ્યુમ છાંટીને પગમા બ્રાન્ડેડ ચપ્પ્લ પહેરે છે

એની પોતાની કારમાં ઓફિસ જવા માટે નીકળે છે
ઘડીયાલમા જોયું તો સવારનાં નવ વાગ્યાનો સમય છે
ગુડ મોર્નિગનો રાબેતા મૂજબ ગમતો એસ એમ એસ આવે છે
સાડાનવ વાગ્યે ઓફિસ પહોંચે છે,
ગઇ કાલના પેડીંગવર્કને ફટાફટ પુરા કરે છે
સમય સવારનાં અગ્યાર વાગ્યાનો ધડીયાળ બતાવે છે

ઓફિસમાં બોસનું આગમન થયું,
થોડી વારમાં બોસનો બુલાવો મેડમને આવે છે
નવાકામ માટે એના પર પંસદગી ઉતારે છે
કારણ-ઓફિસની સિનિયર અને જવાબદાર વ્યકિત તરીકે ગણનાં થતી હતી
કંપનીની સૌથી વધું વિશ્વાશું તરીકે એની છાપ અકબંધ હતી

નવુ કામ હાથમાં લઇને પોતાની કેબિનમાં કોમ્પયુટર સામે ગોઠવાય છે
ઓફિસનું કામ,ફેસબુક,મિત્રોનાં ફોન,મેસેન્જર-આ બધાને પુરતો ન્યાય આપે છે
ઘડીયાલમાં સમય બતાવે છે બપોરનાં એક વાગ્યાને ત્રીસ મિનિટ .

મેંમ ટિફિનબોકસ ખોલે છે,ઓફિસની અન્ય છોકરીઓ કેબિનમાં આવે છે
ઓફિસમાં લાડકુ સ્થાન ધરાવતાં,મેમ સાથે છોકરી જમતા જમતાં
હસી-મજાક અને સુખ-દુખની વાતો કરે છે,ત્યારે આધુનિકા જેવી
લાગતી માનૂનીઓમાંથી મધ્યમવર્ગની ગૃહિણીની ઝાંખી થતી હતી
એક અલ્લડ છોકરી જતાં જતાં કહેતી ગઇ,”મેમ,આજે મસ્ત લાગો છોને કાંઇ.”
મેમ મનમાં મલકી ગયા,ફરી પેલા ફ્રેન્ડનો એસ એમ એસ યાદ આવી ગયો.

બે વાગ્યાને ત્રીસ મિનિટે બધા ફરી પોતપોતાના કામે વળગી જાય છે
વચ્ચે સમય કાઢીને પોતાના છોકરાઓ સાથે વાતો કરી લે છે
વચ્ચે વચ્ચે ખાસ મિત્રો સાથે ચેટ કરી લે છે,
ફેસબુકમાં મિત્રોની પોસ્ટ પર કોમેન્ટ મુકે છે
બોસે સોપેલું કામુ પુરું થતાં બોસની કેબિન તરફ વળે છે

કામ પુરું થયાની જવાબદારી વ્યવસ્થિત પુરી કરી એનો સંતોષ
બોસની કેબિનની બહાર નીકળતી વખતે ચહેરા પર દેખાય આવે છે
સમય બતાવે છે સાંજના સાડાપાંચ વાગ્યાનો,
કોમ્પયુટર ઓફ કરતાં પહેલા મિત્રો પાસેથી “હું જાંઉ”ની મંજુરી મેળવે છે
મિત્રોથી છુટા પડવાનો રંજ ચહેરા પર સ્પષ્ટ દેખાઇ આવે છે

ઓફિસથી નીકળીને સ્ટેસનરીની દુકાનેથી બચ્ચાની બધી વસ્તુંઓ ખરીદે છે
રસ્તામાં શાક માર્કેટમાંથી શાક-બકાલું ખરીદે છે,અન્ય પરચુરણ વસ્તું ખરીદે છે
સમય છે સાંજનાં છ વાગ્યાનો,ફટાફટ કપડા બદલીને જિમમાં જવા નીકળે છે
જિમમાંથી ધરે આવે છે,ઘરની ધડીયાલ થાકેલી હાલતમાં સાતનો સમય બતાવે છે

ફરી કપડા બદલાવીને એ રસોડા તરફ વળે છે,
ઘરનાં બધાને ભાવતી વાનગી બનાવે છે
બધી વાનગીઓ ડાઇનિંગ ટેબલ પર ગોઠવે છે
બધાને જમાડીને એ જમવા બેસે છે
પણ આ શું!જે બધાને ભાવે છે એ વાનગી મેમને નથી ભાવતી
બે રોટલી કેરીનાં છુંદા સાથે ખાઇ લે છે

ટેબલ પરનાં બધા વાસણૉ ઉપાડીને ફટાફટ સાફ કરી નાંખે છે
એક ખુણામાં પ્લાસ્ટીકનાં ટબમાં આજના ઉતારેલા કપડા જુવે છે
કપડાનો ઢગ જોઇને એક ઉનો નિસાસો નાંખે છે
વોંશીંગ મશીન ખરાબ છે એ યાદ આવે છે

કપડા ભરેલું ટબ ઉઠાવી ચોકડી તરફ વળે છે
ચોકડીમાં નદી કાઠે ગામડાની સ્ત્રીની યાદ અપાવે એ રીતે
કપડાને ઘોકાથી ધોતી હતી,
પાંચ આંકડાની પગારદાર એક ગુજરાતી નારી

Follow It for Happiness...

1. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
2. What other people think of u is none of your business.
3. Time heals almost everything, give time.
4. No one is in charge of your happiness expect you!
5. Don’t compare your life to others n don’t judge them. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
6. STOP thinking too much, it’s alright not know all the answers. They will come to you when you least expect it.
7. Smile…. You don’t own all the problems in the world.

For increasing your ability to live your life with abundance and fulfillment

1. Take chances
2. Take the challenge
3. Look for the miracles
4. Look for the lessons
5. Accept that the only person whose life and happiness we each have control over is our own
6. Try everything (so long as it is in agreement with your highest values)
7. Decide to live with no regret
8. Don’t be held back by fear- be willing to take a leap of faith
9. Don’t be held back by social conditioning, negative beliefs, or other people’s expectations
10. Dream big
11. Take action
12. Be gentle with yourself and others
13. Give freely without expectations
14. Follow your heart
15. Trust your intuition
16. Focus on what's right rather than what's wrong. Declare that 'life is going my way'
17. Appreciate the blessings and gain strength and courage from the challenges
18. Don’t waste time and energy on things that really don’t matter
19. Don’t feel guilty about spending time on things you love
20. Explore your passions and discover new ones
21. Explore the world
22. Explore the rich territory of your inner being
23. Seek knowledge and understanding
24. Don’t hold back- emotionally or physically
25. Be daring
26. Let yourself just be
27. Open your heart and your mind
28. Be open to possibilities
29. Choose to be happy- say I love my life and mean it!
30. Choose to be thankful by expressing gratitude every day
31. Keep a gratitude journal
32. Trust your strength and wisdom
33. Commit to ridding yourself of things that hold you back
34. Laugh and cry- allow yourself to fully feel your feelings
35. Be fully present in every moment
36. Be open to receiving the gifts that are offered; by the universe and by other people
37. Stop seeking approval from others and create it within yourself

Nine Ways to Keep Moving Forward

Forget Regret
Leave your mistakes and regret in the past. They don’t define your value, then or now. When you stay in the past you become stuck and unable to move forward. We all have made mistakes with our job choices, friends and relationships. The consequences can hit us pretty hard. However, to begin learning how to put these experiences behind us – by letting them go, we can begin to live in the here and now. Give yourself the gift of forgiveness and keep moving forward.

Learn from Failure
Learning from failure and having regret are two separate things. Regret is an emotion; a feeling of disappointment along with a modest amount of shame or guilt. But to look back at a circumstance and figure out what went wrong gives you some very important information. This review allows you to evaluate what worked and what didn’t, and more importantly, why. Often when you are removed from a situation, you can look at it more objectively which will allow you to make better choices to keep moving forward.

Ask for Help
You are not alone. It may feel that way sometimes, but there are many people who would extend their hand and lift you up if asked. All you have to do is ask. Consider co-workers, neighbors, or your church. Often times we are afraid to ask because we don’t believe we are worthy to receive the help. Think about this: we are surrounded by millions and millions of people by design – for a purpose. A hand to grasp, a shoulder to cling, and a face to radiate hope can help you to keep moving forward.

Believe You are Worthy
Whatever your goal, your dream, or your desire, you are worthy of achieving it. The closer you get to it is when the enemy of you soul will begin putting doubt in your mind by playing the self-limiting tapes that say you are not worthy. Replace these old tapes with a newer one that contains the truth – you are worthy to have your heart’s true desire and to keep moving forward.

Take 100% Responsibility
Except in rare and unfortunate circumstances, you are responsible for the quality and condition of your life. Your career, your relationships and your happiness are all under your direct control. Sometimes we choose to do nothing when we get hit hard because it’s just easier and less painful that way. But the real pain is only deferred. You have to live with yourself. You have to live with the voice in your gut, your inner wisdom, that says you gave up too soon or didn’t try hard enough. When you hear this inner voice speaking to you, it’s usually right. It’s your choice, then, to get up and keep moving forward.

Know What You Want
This isn’t about the how, only the what. In order to move forward in life, you need a firm foundation to step from. Understanding what and where you want to go in life will provide your vision and spirit – your foundation. The how will figure itself out when you know you want to keep moving forward.

Trust
There are no accidents without value. When you get hit hard and land on your back, look for the reasons and for the value in this. Open your heart and trust this happened for a reason. Perhaps it was to test your determination or to alert you to the fact you were on the wrong path. Either way, trust the experience is happening for a reason and be open to making adjustments in order to keep moving forward.

Want it More
How badly do you want it? How badly do you really want to achieve what you are working so hard to accomplish? When you get hit hard, you have an opportunity to answer this question. It’s one thing to say you want to do something, or to be something. But to walk through the pain; to get up and keep moving forward knowing there may be more pain ahead, is a test of your determination and resolve. When you find yourself getting back on your feet, you have indeed answered this question and there’s no doubt you will keep moving forward.

Keep the Faith
Faith: A strong belief in something without proof or evidence
At the end of the day when you are weary from all of the effort and energy you have expended and you are sore and tired from being hit hard so many times, but the dream is not realized, the one thing that tells you to keep going; to get up tomorrow and to keep moving forward, is your faith. Honor this and cherish it. Faith is what makes you human. It gives you energy and hope. And if you let it, your faith will deliver you to wherever you want to go in life.

New ways of Stealing

Be sure to read Scene 3. Quite interesting.

This is a new one.People sure stay busy

trying to cheat us, don't they?


SCENE 1.
A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings
in the locker. After the workout and a shower, he came out,
saw the locker open, and thought to himself, 'Funny,
I thought I locked the locker..


Hmm, 'He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make
sure all was in order.


Everything looked okay - all cards were in place...


A few weeks later his credit card bill came -
a whooping bill of $14,000!


He called the credit card company and started
yelling at them, saying that he did not make
the transactions.


Customer care personnel verified that
there was no Mistake in the system and asked
if his card had been stolen..


'No,' he said, but then took out his
wallet, pulled out the credit card, and yep -
you guessed it - a switch had been made.


An expired similar credit card from
the same bank was in the wallet.


The thief broke into his locker at the gym
and switched cards.


Verdict: The credit card issuer said since
he did not report the card missing earlier,
he would have to pay the amount owed
to them.


How much did he have to pay for items
he did not buy?


$9,000! Why were there no calls made to
verify the amount swiped?
Small amounts rarely trigger a 'warning bell'
with some credit card companies.
It just so happens that all the small amounts
added up to big one!
============================


SCENE 2.
A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal
with his credit card.


The bill for the meal came, he signed it and
the waitress folded the receipt and passed the
credit card along.


Usually, he would just take it and place it in his
wallet or pocket. Funny enough, though, he
actually took a look at the car and
behold, it was the expired card of another person.


He called the waitress and she looked perplexed.


She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to
the counter under the watchful eye of the man.


All the waitress did while walking to the counter
was wave the wrong expired card to the counter
cashier, and the counter cashier immediately
looked down and took out the real card.


No exchange of words --- nothing! She took
it and came back to the man with an apology..


Verdict:


Make sure the credit cards in your wallet are yours.


Check the name on the card every time you
sign for something and/or the card is taken
away for even a short period of time.


Many people just take back the credit card without
even looking at it, 'assuming' that it has to be theirs.




FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT
OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME
IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION!
==========================


SCENE 3:
Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to
pick up an order that I had called in.


I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of
course, is linked directly to my checking
account.


The young man behind the counter took my
card, swiped it, then laid it on the counter as
he waited for the approval, which is pretty
standard procedure..


While he waited, he picked up his cell phone
and started dialing.


I noticed the phone because it is the same
model I have, but nothing seemed out of the
ordinary. ? Then I heard a click that sounded
like my phone sounds when I take a picture.


He then gave me back my card but kept the
phone in his hand as if he was still pressing
buttons.


Meanwhile, I'm thinking: I wonder what he
is taking a picture of, oblivious to what was
really going on.


It then dawned on me: the only thing there
was my credit card, so now I'm paying close
attention to what he is doing..


He set his phone on the counter, leaving it
open.


About five seconds later, I heard the chime
that tells you that the picture has been saved.


Now I'm standing there struggling with the
fact that this boy just took a picture of my creditcard.


Yes, he played it off well, because had we not
had the same kind of phone, I probably would
never have known what happened.


Needless to say, I immediately cancelled
that card as I was walking out of the pizza
parlor..


All I am saying is, be aware of your
surroundings at all times.


Whenever you are using your credit card
take caution and don't be careless.


Notice who is standing near you and what
they are doing when you use your card.


Be aware of phones, because many have a
camera phone these days.

Biggest Truths of Life

A few of the biggest truths that we have learned from both the good and bad experiences in life, as well as lifelong passion for reading and study of human behavior are these:

• Nothing is ever ‘ as good as it gets .’

• You tend to get what you focus on .

• There is always a choice .

• There is always a way .

• Despite all obstacles, it is an amazing world.

• The joy of singing is enough reason to sing.

• Gratitude is a choice.

• Whatever our physical surroundings, we can create our own sense of space.

• Your past determines your present, but you determine your future.

• Applying common knowledge in an uncommon way is the basis of success.

• You can choose to be happy.

Build your Self Respect

Self respect is one of the most valuable things you can have. It helps you feel worthy of happiness and the respect of others. It reminds you that you are a valuable person- simply by virtue of being alive.

It also sets a standard for others to follow. People take most of their cues from how we treat ourselves, so if you want to be treated with kindness and respect, make sure that you are setting a good example.

A healthy self respect encourages you to treat yourself well. Treating yourself with respect promotes happiness in various ways.

Firstly, if the person with whom you spend every waking minute-yourself- is a kind and nurturing companion, you will feel much happier than if you spend your life being criticized, neglected, and made to feel inadequate by yourself. It is truly good advice to be your own best friend.

It is a shame that most people are far nicer to everyone else than they are to themselves. If you find that you are always negative and critical in your thinking about yourself, I encourage you to really start trying to become a positive, inspiring friend to yourself instead.

Of course, like any bad habit, ridding yourself of negative self-talk and attitudes will take time. If you become aware of the need to correct this behavior though, and commit to making changes, you are well on the road to developing a healthy new self respect.

If you believe that you deserve happiness and fulfillment, you are very likely to attract and create circumstances that promote these conditions. By feeling that your happiness is a priority, you will be on the lookout for opportunities to do things you enjoy, and that are in line with your goals and desires. Knowing that you deserve to be happy, you will probably not pass up chances to be happy.

On the other hand, if you are stuck in a negative mindset, and you believe that everyone else’s happiness is more important than yours, you will possibly forego your chances for fulfillment with flimsy excuses such as time, money, or other ‘more pressing’ commitments.

We consciously and subconsciously set out to create an external life that matches our internal beliefs.

If you have a good level of self respect, clear ideas of what you want in life, and the belief that you can and should have what you want, it is very likely that you will seek and find opportunities to fulfill these desires. Knowing what you want is a very big factor in having what you want. If you only have a very vague notion of a better life, it is very hard to take concrete steps towards creating one.

We also draw positive people, situations, and energy to us when we reflect a positive attitude ourselves. The fact that upbeat people with an optimistic outlook and good self image constantly seem to ‘get all the breaks’ is no coincidence. In a world based on energy, we have incredible power to attract and repel things and people.

Have you noticed that as you become more positive, more loving, and open your mind to the unlimited possibilities in life, you tend to be surrounded with people who share these qualities? ‘Like attracts like,’ it is said, and ‘birds of a feather do flock together.’

If you look at the people around you and see a miserable, gray-faced bunch, it’s time for a good hard look in the mirror. The people you spend most time with are probably a fair reflection of your own mental attitude. Even if you have a generally good outlook in life, being around gloomy people all the time will definitely take its toll.

As well as assessing your own level of self respect and optimism, and committing to improving these areas if you feel they are under par, make it a priority to surround yourself with cheerful, positive people. They will inspire you- enthusiasm is just as contagious as negativity. I know which I would rather ‘catch!’

It is said that ‘friends are the gift you give yourself,’ so give yourself gifts that lift you up rather than drag you down!

Once you have decided to improve and nurture your self image, you then need to focus on strategies for creating increased self respect.

I find that one of the most powerful ways to eliminate negative beliefs, and create positive ones, is by using affirmations (powerful positive statements repeated frequently).

EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique can also be very effective in ridding yourself of emotional blocks and destructive thinking.

There are also many practical things you can do, such as focusing on your good qualities rather than the ones you see as bad. Be good to yourself. Practice saying ‘no’ when you don’t want to do something, and ‘yes’ when you do.

Make your happiness your priority. Do something you really love every day- even if it is only for a few minutes. Be gentle with yourself. Try not to expect too much from yourself. Give yourself time and space to just be yourself.

A strong, healthy self respect is one of the foundations of happiness and emotional well-being. It can help you through tough times, and inspire you to follow your heart and your dreams.

Read and feel for yourself..

Read and feel for yourself what the heck we are doing here…………

They are the poster boys of matrimonial classifieds. They are paid handsomely, perceived to be intelligent and travel abroad frequently. Single-handedly, they brought purpose to the otherwise sleepy city of Bangalore.

Indian software engineers are today the face of a third-world rebellion. But what exactly do they do? That's a disturbing question. Last week, during the annual fair of the software industry's apex body Nasscom, no one uttered a word about India's programmers.

The event, which brought together software professionals from around the world, used up all its 29 sessions to discuss prospects to improve the performance of software companies. Panels chose to debate extensively on subjects like managing innovation, business growth and multiple geographies.

But there was nothing on programmers, who you would imagine are the driving force behind the success of the Indian software companies. Perhaps you imagined wrong. "It is an explosive truth that local software companies won't accept.

Most software professionals in India are not programmers, they are mere coders," says a senior executive from a global consultancy firm, who has helped Nasscom in researching its industry reports.

In industry parlance, coders are akin to smart assembly line workers as opposed to programmers who are plant engineers. Programmers are the brains, the glorious visionaries who create things. Large software programmes that often run into billions of lines are designed and developed by a handful of programmers.

Coders follow instructions to write, evaluate and test small components of the large program. As a computer science student in IIT Mumbai puts it if programming requires a post graduate level of knowledge of complex algorithms and programming methods, coding requires only high school knowledge of the subject.

Coding is also the grime job. It is repetitive and monotonous. Coders know that. They feel stuck in their jobs. They have fallen into the trap of the software hype and now realise that though their status is glorified in the society, intellectually they are stranded.

Companies do not offer them stock options anymore and their salaries are not growing at the spectacular rates at which they did a few years ago.

"There is nothing new to learn from the job I am doing in Pune. I could have done it with some training even after passing high school," says a 25-year-old who joined Infosys after finishing his engineering course in Nagpur.

A Microsoft analyst says, "Like our manufacturing industry, the Indian software industry is largely a process driven one. That should speak for the fact that we still don't have a domestic software product like Yahoo or Google to use in our daily lives."

IIT graduates have consciously shunned India's best known companies like Infosys and TCS, though they offered very attractive salaries. Last year, from IIT Powai, the top three Indian IT companies got just 10 students out of the 574 who passed out.

The best computer science students prefer to join companies like Google and Trilogy. Krishna Prasad from the College of Engineering, Guindy, Chennai, who did not bite Infosys' offer, says, "The entrance test to join TCS is a joke compared to the one in Trilogy. That speaks of what the Indian firms are looking for."

A senior TCS executive, who requested anonymity, admitted that the perception of coders is changing even within the company. It is a gloomy outlook. He believes it has a lot to do with business dynamics.

The executive, a programmer for two decades, says that in the late '70s and early '80s, software drew a motley set of professionals from all kinds of fields.

In the mid-'90s, as onsite projects increased dramatically, software companies started picking all the engineers they could as the US authorities granted visas only to graduates who had four years of education after high school.



"After Y2K, as American companies discovered India's cheap software professionals, the demand for engineers shot up," the executive says. Most of these engineers were coders. They were almost identical workers who sat long hours to write line after line of codes, or test a fraction of a programme.

They did not complain because their pay and perks were good. Now, the demand for coding has diminished, and there is a churning.

Over the years, due to the improved communication networks and increased reliability of Indian firms, projects that required a worker to be at a client's site, say in America, are dwindling in number. And with it the need for engineers who have four years of education after high school.

Graduates from non-professional courses, companies know, can do the engineer's job equally well. Also, over the years, as Indian companies have already coded for many common applications like banking, insurance and accounting, they have created libraries of code which they reuse.

Top software companies have now started recruiting science graduates who will be trained alongside engineers and deployed in the same projects. The CEO of India's largest software company TCS, S Ramadorai, had earlier explained, "The core programming still requires technical skills.

But, there are other jobs we found that can be done by graduates." NIIT's Arvind Thakur says, "We have always maintained that it is the aptitude and not qualifications that is vital for programming. In fact, there are cases where graduate programmers have done better than the ones from the engineering stream."

Software engineers are increasingly getting dejected. Sachin Rao, one of the coders stuck in the routine of a job that does not excite him anymore, has been toying with the idea of moving out of Infosys but cannot find a different kind of "break", given his coding experience.

He sums up his plight by vaguely recollecting a story in which thousands of caterpillars keep climbing a wall, the height of which they don't know. They clamber over each other, fall, start again, but keep climbing. They don't know that they can eventually fly.

Rao cannot remember how the story ends but feels the coders of India today are like the caterpillars who plod their way through while there are more spectacular ways of reaching the various destinations of life.

The Best Argument

Don't miss even a single word....

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God
He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof:So you believe in God?

Student:Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student:Sure.

Prof:Is God all-powerful?

Student: Yes..

Prof:My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him.
Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)

Prof:You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?

Student:Yes.

Prof:Is Satan good?

Student: No.

Prof:Where does Satan come from?

Student:From....God...

Prof:That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student:
Yes.

Prof:
Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student:Yes.

Prof:So who created evil?
(Student does not answer.)

Prof:Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?

Student:Yes, sir.

Prof:So, who created them?
(Student has no answer.)

Prof:Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you.
Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?

Student:No, sir.

Prof:Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student:No, sir.

Prof:Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student:No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof:Yet you still believe in Him?

Student:Yes.

Prof:According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist.
What do you say to that, son?

Student:Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof:Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student:Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof:Yes.

Student:And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof:Yes.

Student:No sir. There isn't.
(The lecture theater becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat..
But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't
go any further after that.
There is no such thing as cold . Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat
. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it .
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theater.)

Student:What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof:Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student :You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright
light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In
reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof:So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student:Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof:Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student:Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought.. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is
not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor.Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof:If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student:Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student:Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class is in uproar.)

Student:Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain,sir.
With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof:I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student:That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH . That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

NB: I believe you have enjoyed the conversation...and if so...you'll probably want your friends/colleagues to enjoy the same...won't you?....
this is a true story, and the

student was none other than..........

APJ Abdul Kalam , the former president of India .


Never stop trying until you achieve and never think that its an end of your achievement

AC in Cars - Good Facts

Please do not turn on AC immediately as soon as you enter the car.
Open the windows after you enter your car and turn ON the air-conditioning
after a couple of minutes

According to a research done, the car dashboard, sofa, air freshener
emits Benzene, a Cancer causing toxin (carcinogen - take note of the
heated plastic Smell in your car). In addition to causing cancer, it poisons your bones, causes anemia, and reduces white blood cells. Prolonged exposure will cause Leukemia,increasing the risk of cancer. May also cause miscarriage.
Acceptable Benzene level indoors is 50 mg per sq. ft... A car parked
indoors with the windows closed will contain 400-800 mg of Benzene. If
parked outdoors under the sun at a temperature above 60 degrees F, the
Benzene level goes up to 2000-4000 mg, 40 times the acceptable level... & the people inside the car will inevitably inhale an excess amount of the toxins.

It is recommended that you open the windows and door to give time for the interior to air out before you enter. Benzene is a toxin that affects your kidney and liver, and is very difficult for your body to expel this toxic stuff.

'When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.'