Kishor Krishnamoorthi’s WebsiteKishor a.k.a Mjuboy’s Blog

“Would you like to Tower Up for 50p?”
“No, thanks”, I say.
“That’ll be 3.99 sir, cash or card?”
Grudgingly, I hand over my MasterCard.

Grabbing my burger, fries and Pepsi,
all cooked with plenty of cholesterol and no love,
head downstairs to the claustrophobic seating area,
predictably sparsely filled with fellow loners.

I find a high seat facing the dull orange wall,
to my left, a student tapping his phone, the right,
a tourist, guidebook in one hand, burger in another.
Sighing, I begin consuming the mundane meal.

Nondescript 90s pop music plays on the speakers,
adding a much needed eerily depressing vibe,
to the joyous palette of colours adorning the place,
red, yellow, and a giant size print of smiling customers.

I ask myself how I ended up here again.
As a child this was a place of dreams and fantasies,
no responsibilities and no worries.
Maybe I just want to relive the memories,
because that’s all I have now. Just memories.

- Kishor Krishnamoorthi.

My economics teacher in school taught me about the theory of ‘the glass curtain’. It is a rather interesting concept explaining the disparities of society using the glass curtain as the mechanism separating the different classes of people. On one side of the curtain, there exists wealthy people who live what appears to be expensive flamboyant lifestyles. On the other side of the curtain, there are normal people who also live lavish lifestyles in an attempt to emulate the people on the other side of the curtain. The irony of the theory is that the normal people who are desperately trying to become wealthy like their counterparts will never become so, simply because they would spend all their money living a lifestyle beyond their means in order to display a false impression of themselves to the public. The glass curtain separating both of them is a cruel mechanism which allows the normal people to actively see the public way of the life of the rich but will not let them reach the much coveted other side. Instead of saving up and wisely investing their money, they spend it all in a vain attempt aspiring to become the upper classes of society. In the end, they will most likely lose even their current status in the long run by merely emulating their external dazzling lifestyle of the rich and not their behaviour behind closed doors.

I was walking through the new Westfields Mall at Stratford (touted to be the biggest mall in Europe) with a friend when I observed how most of the people in the mall did not conduct many purchases. They all browsed the goods like the there was no tomorrow and actively discussed their perceived quality of particular items with their friends but in the end, did not buy anything unless there was a sale or large discounts were offered. However, it was quite evident that people wished to own several of the the things they saw and will perhaps one day, manage to buy their object of desire.

I am not saying it is wrong to crave or covet objects beyond one’s means. It is the desire to better oneself and the dream of a luxurious lifestyle that allows us to push ourselves to the limits, go beyond our comfort zones and successfully move ahead in the journey of life. However, making materialistic desires or money the sole goal and motivation in life will only result in a life spent forever lusting after the latest version of the object of your desire. Money and material objects are only a means to an end. What is the end? That is a question that you will have to answer for yourself. All I can say is, do not fall in to the pit of the Glass Curtain. As Max Payne once said ‘The genius of the hole: no matter how long you spend climbing out, you can still fall back down in an instant.’

The following is a collection of notes scribbled on my phone while I was intoxicated. They have been written over the course of the past couple of years in various places all over the country, and while I can remember writing some of these, others I cannot. They are completely unedited, except for the grammar and spelling. I hope you enjoy reading them, I hope to post more over time.

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Alcohol is a funny liquid. First you feel merry and happy in your own world of fantasy, thinking life could not possibly get any better. Then you become depressed and realize that everything is going horribly wrong and want to someone to listen to you rant. Eventually, you walk around trying to figure out the meaning of life, fail miserably and go around singing songs to yourself. Finally, you just want to go to bed, preferably alone.

Its amusing to see the number of things a pint can make a man do. Making women prettier, men funnier, life seems significantly better or significantly duller, situations become more entertaining, but in the end, your liver and wallet are the ones taking the hit.

It makes me human again. Being overly a soul-less person at times, my only source of joy and emotion in life is alcohol. For that, I both respect and despise it. While it makes me have emotions again, makes me enjoy spending time with friends again, it also destroys my liver in the process. In the end, I’m left with two choices, a soul or a liver.

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2 weeks. No alcohol. The first sip is divine. Like nectar churned by the gods themselves. Never before has a pint of Ale been so refreshing yet so intoxicating at the same time. Like reuniting with an old lover, like meeting a long lost friend, like visiting the motherland after a battle, the first sip seemed just so perfect.

And just when you feel things could not get any better, your favourite song starts playing on the jukebox.

How I wish this moment could last forever. A snapshot stored in time, for me to visit during the hard times and recall the simple pleasures of life. The end of a long week, a pint and a song. What more can a man ask for.

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It is strangely peaceful to sit on a London Underground platform late at night after the office rush hour, after having had a tipple, and watch the trains go by, rumbling the ground as they pass your still self. Observe the different people boarding the train, try and formulate your own story as to why & where they are going and for a brief moment of time, live their life. Constructing impossible pipe dreams in the air, it makes you forget your own self, your life, your problems, and relax in a fantasy world, even if its for a second of your life.

________________________________________

Currently listening to – Learn to Fly by Foo Fighters

Note – Names are abbreviated for the sake of privacy. I apologize in advance for the excessive swearing, it is done for the sake of accuracy.

Below is a recollection of a normal night out with friends in Hyderabad.

*we enter a typical Hyderabad bar on a Friday night*

Us – Waiter, table for 6!
Waiter – Sir, very busy today, minimum 20 minutes wait.
Us – Eh, balls, here’s some money, find us a table.
Waiter – Thank you sir, just 2 minutes.

*15 minutes later*

Us – Where’s our table?
Waiter – Just 2 minutes sir.
UV – Fuck you, you said that half an hour ago. Look at that table there? We’re taking it.
Waiter – But sir..
TB – Shut up, do you know who his father is?
Waiter – Okay sir, please come along.

*we take the table. It is important to note at this point that there are only 4 of us as 2 are always inevitably late*

TB – Should we order now or wait for them?
KK – It is probably rude not to wait.
RK – VS just messaged me saying he is on his way.
UV – That means he just left home, he will be another hour with this traffic.
TB – Okay, let’s order then, what does everyone want?

*after squabbling for 10 minutes about what to drink and eat and eventually deciding on our regular order*

TB – Waiter, 4 KF, one Antiquity blue, one Old Monk, one Thums Up, one chilli chicken and one crispy corn.
UV – Eh, VS is vegetarian rey!
TB – Oh, and one Veg Manchurian.
Waiter – Antiquity Blue and Old Monk, small or large sir?
KK & UV – Ah, small is enough for now.
Waiter – Sir, take large na, only 20 rupees more.
KK & UV – Ah, fuck it, large then!

*waiter goes to bring our order*

Waiter – Sir, here are your food and drinks.
TB – Well done, what is your name?
Waiter – Rajesh, sir.
TB – Very nice Rajesh, we will call you again when we want to order more and you should come immediately.

*first round finished*

RKK – How much did I drink rey?
UV & KK – I’m still sober rey, order more.
RK – Chill mama, take it easy. Just enjoy the view.
TB – Waiter! Same order repeat & 2 KF Strong.

*drinks arrive*

TB – Bottoms up ah?
UV – Come on! Let’s celebrate!
KK – What are we celebrating?
UV – Who cares? Drink up!
RK – Chill mama, take it easy.

*4 rounds of drinks later*

RKR – How much did I drink?
KK – I’m still sober.
UV – I’m bored, let’s go on a drive to Novotel.
VS – I want more Veg Manchurian.
TB – Eh, what is that only vegetarian food? Get some chilli chicken also, call Ramesh! RAMESH!
Waiter – Sir, my name is Rajesh.
UV – I don’t care what your name was, now its Ramesh, get us one Veg Manchurian and one Chilli Chicken. RK, you want anything?
RK – *no reply* just sits and smiles, while staring at the table of girls next to us.

*lost count of number of rounds*

UV – Let’s get more drinks, RAMESH!
TB – Fuck this place, one day we’ll be rich and won’t have to come to shitty bars like this, we’ll drink at Taj like there’s no tomorrow!
RKR – But we will probably still get food from Chinese bandi.
KK – Mama, why you’ll take feelings? Chinese bandi is the best! RK, why do you say?
RK – *still no reply*
TB – RK is gone. Wait for sometime, he’ll start singing telugu songs about his dream girl.

*bar is closing*

Waiter – Sir, you need to settle the bill.
TB – Bashteds, what bill, do you know who my father is?
UV – This bill is wrong, I only had 6 Antiquity Blue, call the manager!
Waiter – No sir, you had 7.
RKR – 6 or 7, who cares, just pay the bill and let’s get the fuck out of this place.
RK – Okay okay, everyone just chill, let’s see how much money we have.

*after scrounging for every single coin in our pockets, we settle the bill and leave*

KK – Fuck, how are we going to get back home?
RK – Chill mama, you go with RKR.
KK – RKR is too drunk to stand, how the hell is he going to use a bike??
RKR – Fuck you bastards, I’m always ishteady.
TB – Matchi, don’t worry, he’s fine, he just threw up in the corner.
KK – Okay whatever, I’m not going triples though.

*on the bike, going triples*

KK – I’m hungry, lets stop for some food.
RKR – Just shut up, I’m not stopping anywhere.

*reach xyz’s house*

One is passed out, other is sick in the toilet, one is staring at the stars being philosophical, and RK is standing with a bottle of vodka – “more drink anyone?”

Just another night out in Hyderabad.

When I first took up photography nearly 6 years ago, I never once expected to utilize the experiences that I would acquire in my pursuit of this passion in my workplace. But life moves in mysterious ways and here I am, transferring the skills from my hobby to my profession.

1. Practice makes perfect.
I’ve taken more than quarter of a million photographs and there is still a long way to go before I can call myself as an accomplished photographer. However, to get where I am right now, it has taken a good few years and you cannot really “skip” the first few years to progress to the next level. Similarly, I have been trading for less than a month and expecting to become an expert trader tomorrow is but a pipe dream. Executing several trades, mastering techniques takes time and practice. They say it takes 10,000 hours to become the master of any art or profession. It is a small price to pay for perfection which will prepare you for the any situation that you can think of. As the old saying goes, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

2. Learn from your mistakes.
There is no point in taking even a million photos if you do not learn from the bad ones. It is vital to look at the bad photos, understand what went wrong, whose mistake it was and how one can avoid it or minimize the chance of it occurring in the future. Failing is not a mistake, the real mistake is failing to learn from the failure. The same goes for trading. One will inevitably lose money initially while getting to grips with the market but at the end of the day, it is important to read over the progress of the day, understand how one can improve in the future, and what lessons we can learn from the trades. While it is easy to blame an external party/situation for the bad trade/photograph, one needs to understand how we can work to shield ourselves from outside influences and improve our personal performance to compensate for unexpected occurrences (change of lighting conditions/battery dying, market volatility/computer error).

3. Success does not come overnight.
When we take up a hobby or an art, we all dream of becoming the Pablo Picassos and Vincent Van Goghs of our generation. We look at their best works and hope to produce our own works that will one day be appreciated and revered in museums. What we don’t see is the hardship and sacrifice that has gone in to producing these famous works. Apart from a very few lucky ones, no one will become an overnight star photographer or trader. It is important to know this, work sincerely and patiently, look at the wider perspective and not be frustrated when things don’t go your way.

4. Attention to detail.
Notice details that others don’t. Go above and beyond the minimum required. It takes extra effort to do what initially seems unnecessary but will pay off in the long run. Simple things like knowing the progression of aperture numbers, frequently used white balance temperatures, DIY techniques for a light diffuser, etc will help to make quicker decisions in times of stress and need. In the world of trading, emotions and pressures tend to run high. By making details a routine part of your day, you will be easily be able to take make logical decisions based on facts rather than emotions when the market moves against you. It will also help to understand why things go wrong and how to get yourself out of a potentially bad situation.

5. Consistency is key.
Any person picked off the street can capture award winning photographs provided they are given the right combination of luck, equipment and opportunity. It takes a real master to shoot breath taking photographs using the most basic of equipment in any condition. Blaming your equipment and complaining about the direction of the sun is not going to take you anywhere. Similarly, blaming the market won’t deliver profitable trades. Learning to adapt and be consistent in your execution in any condition is what will make you different from the average trader/photographer. Admittedly, there will be times when the conditions are genuinely unhelpful. In such situations, it may be useful to plan for future trades or photographs rather than mull about and waste precious time.

6. Know your motivation.
Find the source of motivation – don’t do whatever you do out of fear, don’t do it for selfish motives, find the true reason of why you do what you do. If you cannot find it, maybe you should not be doing it. Don’t work solely towards money – it is only a means to an end. Find your passion, the fire that makes you wake up in the morning, the satisfaction that makes you sleep at night. When the times get tough, it will ensure that you do not crumble under pressure but rather have a reason or platform to rely on and continue fighting, photographing and trading.

In the end, stand by your decisions, admit when you were wrong, learn from mistakes, believe in yourself. The same philosophy can apply to every single hobby, profession, occupation, anything you chose to do in life. Be it photography, trading or plumbing.

The GMail tab on my Firefox glowed blue. New email notification. I switch away from reading pointless posts on reddit to check my email. It’s from my father informing me that my grandmother had just passed away. A wave of cold fever rushed over me as I slowly realized that my last grandparent was no more.

While her health had been declining over the past few weeks, the loss of a relative is always a bolt from the blue and a silent reminder of the inevitable end that awaits us all. There is nothing we can do to stop it and it is up to each and every one of us to make the most of our limited time on earth. There is no point complaining about the little problems you face in life, you are only spending precious time on a fruitless task. Spend your time productively, making the world a better place for yourself and the society around you. I know that each of my grandparents have positively contributed in their own ways to better society, and for that, they will always be remembered and revered. It is a tough time for us but my family is very resilient in the face of tragedy and I know that we will pull through this together, and emerge stronger on the other side.

We are now the new generation with a responsibility to further improve the standard of living for people that will inherit this planet after us. It is important to balance this responsibility with our own passions in life, not letting one overtake the other, but rather achieving one through the other. People say that the youth of today are starting to take things for granted and while I will not disagree with that statement, I think people forget that there have always been lazy people throughout the history of the planet. On the other hand, there always has been and always will be the select few who are willing to put in the time, effort, and discipline to be successful. The might of the rest of the world cannot stop the ambition of the determined. It is courageous ones that will be remembered for their constant fervour and endless passion.

To those who point fingers at each other, blame the government and politicians for their personal situation, I have but one thing to say – life is unfair. Nobody owes you anything, if you want something, go and get it.

Currently listening to – Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division

Unemployment. They say the idle brain is the devil’s workshop. To me, it felt more like the fiery depths of hell.

For the first time in my life, I spent a period of 2 weeks (which felt like 2 years) with no purpose. After finishing my term as the President of the University of Essex Students’ Union, I wallowed for a fortnight with no sense of direction or function. Initially, it felt like freedom, like a new beginning, like I had all the time in the world, but as days passed, reality dawned upon me. It wasn’t freedom, it was a mind going crazy with nothing to do, like I was stuck in solitary confinement.

The exact moment that I understood I was an unproductive member of society, simply leeching off others and not giving anything back was when I went to get a haircut. I can distinctly recall the rather attractive hairdresser asking me “So what do you do?” – and I suddenly realized that I had no answer for her. ‘Nothing’ was a term that I did not wish to use, either because it made me appear lazy to others, or I did not want to face up to the truth of the situation I was in. I cleverly managed to pull myself out of the ditch by answering “I’m between jobs”. A silent nod from her let me know that she knew the real meaning of this clever but still overused phrase.

I fleeted about for the 2 weeks, visiting the pub more often than could be deemed healthy, simply in search for company and conversation during the day. Getting myself to sit down and do productive things seemed like too much effort. I wanted to do go somewhere, to escape the madness, only to realize the madness was within myself. The faster I ran, the closer it got to me. Before things got worse, I had a fortunate turn.

Thanks to the people at the Union, I was offered a temporary job for a month working at a Lettings Agency covering another person who would be going on annual leave. I grabbed the opportunity without a second thought, it was the only way out of the vicious circle. I enjoyed the job quite a lot, managed to get a lot of things done in the short period of 4 weeks and simultaneously kept hunting for a permanent solution. The job gave me something to think about, something to keep my brain and mind occupied with as well as bit of spare cash. And in the mean time, a possible permanent solution came across in the way of an interview from a Trading company.

The first barrier to becoming a trader was the group interview, which I personally thought wasn’t my best performance but I still managed to get offered a space on the 4 week programme. Rather pleased and excited with my progress so far, I was looking forward to the month of training, which had a test and assessment at the end of every week, and was supposed to be a crash course on trading. After a challenging test in the 2nd week involving a heart monitor and the rest of class watching me while I entered orders, I got myself approved for the final 2 weeks of the programme. However, there was no reason for me to get complacent, I could get kicked off the course at any point of time, if they deemed that I was not up to scratch. A further two more weeks of simulated and live trading tested our patience, discipline and the ability to keep a calm head when things were going haywire. And finally, last Friday, after completing an intense one month training course, I was offered a space on their trading floor and I felt proud to call myself a London City Trader.

I now have a purpose, a lifestyle, a job and a future to work towards. I can think of no greater satisfaction at this point.

Currently listening to – A Real Hero by College feat. Electric Youth

When I was 6 years old, I wanted to become a scientist and change the world. When I was 8 years old, I wanted to launch my own range of cars to rival Rolls Royce. On my 10th birthday, I wanted to become the Marvel Comics character, Wolverine. By the time I was 12, I had wanted to become everything and anything that is physically possible for a human being to be.

Today, 9 years down the line as a fresh faced 21 year old, I stand no different. Overwhelmed by pipe dreams and imaginary castles, the ambitions continue to come and ago. My 9 years at the Hyderabad Public School were probably the most blissful of my life, as we laughed and lived, without cares or responsibilities, without worrying about tomorrow and living for the moment.

Coming to the University of Essex in 2007, I thought it was finally time to grow up, become a man and choose a career path. Lecturers, teachers and classmates insinuated that most of us would end up being consultants, analysts and the likes. And while the very mention of those words was enough to depress me, I went along with the flow assuming that it was the best way forward. How wrong I was.

Most of us will take the risk averse course of life going for the well paid 9 to 5  job with no risks attached. Keeps the family happy, the bills paid and the mind stress free. Who wouldn’t? It is what we all crave. A healthy life, a loving family and a decent lifestyle involving an annual holiday somewhere sunny.

99.99% of us will never be remembered in history. We will become cogs in the great big machine of society, fighting among each other to win the rat race and never rise above the standard. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Society needs cogs in the machine and it is vital that the cogs don’t break apart in order to keep the system running smoothly.

What about the other 0.01%? They succeed by choosing the road not taken.  However, that is not to say that everyone who takes the less worn path succeeds. If I had done everything that I wanted to do since I was a child, I would either be dead, poor or homeless. Most dreams are exactly what they are - dreams. But there are a few gems  hidden among the endless ideas that you can take up, nurture and work towards.

Be warned, that journey will be tough. Barriers will come up everywhere – from family, friends, bureaucrats and also within yourself. It is the ones that are brave enough to smash through the barriers constantly and not lose heart that become successful. There will be no short-term rewards along the path, money will be hard to come by, and nobody will be grateful for your time and effort. You will need to postpone instant gratification for future satisfaction. You will fail once, twice or even thrice. But if you manage to pass through the emotional, financial, and social barriers every single time, then you truly deserve what lies on the other side. Your dream.

What does life hold for me? I do not know. What do I want it to hold for me? Apart for the already mentioned healthy life and loving family, I’d like to opportunity to give something significant to India and contribute towards its future. India never wanted anything from me, or so I think. I will inevitably end up giving a lot back to my country, more than the 10% of my salary that I already donate every year.

And perhaps, most importantly of all, to fulfill the wishes of my parents. The people who have always been there for me.  All the blood, sweat and tears they have put into raising me, making me who I am, taking those tough decisions of my life, lifting the burden from my back, and ensuring that I had a better life than they did. As I’ve said before, even if the whole world rises up and calls me a fool, as long as my parents says I’m a good man and I’ve done well, I’ll sleep happy.

Currently listening to – Wicked Game by Chris Isaak

Mention the word politician to the average Joe and they will most likely associate it with terms like liar, cheat, cold hearted, hypocrite and so on. From their perspective, perhaps they are right. But what about the politician’s viewpoint? It is likely that most politicians are reluctant to illustrate their own side of the story not wanting to risk losing their public image, and rightly so. Now that I am done with my term in power, I can safely attempt to explain the reasons behind the the behaviour of politicians, without any fear of loss of popularity.

Having spent just a year as President, I am not going to pretend to know everything about the game of politics. There are many politicians out there that have spent decades in power, with much more experience than me. However, being President in rather turbulent conditions, I have faced an unusually large number of issues, dealt with a fair share of complaints/conflicts, and have consequently learnt a lot about life, people and politicians.

So let’s start with the making of a politician. To be a successful politician, you need to be thick skinned by nature. By the virtue of the system of democracy and free speech, any person who chooses to put themselves forward for an election, to be scrutinised by millions of people, will have to face an equal amount of appreciation and criticism. For every supporter that you have to lean on, you will have an opponent’s supporter to deal with. In most circumstances, the support of the voters will be divided nearly evenly among the candidates. Every candidate has their respective base group of support and must seduce the swing voters who are yet to make up their mind, to successfully win the election. In the process of seducing the swing voters, lots of speeches will be given by all candidates, rallies and protests will be held and there will be the inevitable mud-slinging and blame-swapping. A strong candidate must be able to live through this routine and take the abuse while retorting and smiling. Unsurprisingly, democracy has been designed to let the strongest candidate win, and if at any point, you falter to the shouts from the opposition, you’re done for. The ability to ignore the bad mouthing during the election process sticks even during the time in power and therefore, is perceived by people as “thick skinned politicians who cannot take criticism.” This does not mean I completely endorse this behaviour, more on that later on.

Another common issue that people often raise is the fact that their complaints are ignored by people in power. They feel that once the person is elected, they ignore their constituents, supporters, voters and, to use a common term, “have let the power go to their head.” In reality, politicians get hundreds, if not thousands of complaints on a regular basis. A vast majority of these are either very petty issues or long standing problems that have no instant solution. People expect instant solutions to everything and as you can expect, it is not practically possible to solve everything immediately. Petty issues are usually a part of a bigger problem that is being worked on, and as with all organizations, bureaucracy is slowing progress. At other times, the issue may be a part of a plan that is being done with long term benefit in mind, and some short term sacrifices will need to be made. Ironically, the long term plans will never be finished since the incumbent politician will be voted out for not listening to the short term complaints. A new politician will come into power with a completely new agenda, scrapping the old plans and starting afresh, to give people the impression that things are changing. The cycle never stops.

The media plays a big role in the perception of politicians. More than often, something may go wrong in the organization and instantly, the person at the top is blamed for it. It is likely the he or she had no personal responsibility or knowledge about the problem but still takes the stick for it. Newspapers will be filled with headlines calling for resignations and such. People are misled, they believe what they read and go with the flow. They don’t know that newspapers don’t publish the truth but rather publish what people want to read. Quotations out of context, cleverly cropped photographs, and publishing answers without the right questions can give a very wrong perspective of the politician in question.The person responsible will, of course, act immediately to solve the problem to keep the voters happy and their ratings up. Usually, the problem may not even be worth spending the person’s time on. Think about it, its like asking the Prime Minister of a country to solve an overflowing bin in a locality. But the PM will still spend their precious time on solving it, simply to keep the public satisfied while in truth, they should be spending time looking at the bigger perspective of the nation.

Good leaders take people where they should go, not necessarily where they want to go. Building a vision of the nation/constituency’s future after 25 years and work towards it is the mark of a good leader. Along the journey, tough decisions will need to be made. It is simply not humanely possible to please everyone. Unfortunately, the general population is rather more obsessed with achieving instant wins and constant gratification, both of which are not always possible. The day to day monotonous side of the job should be left to the permanent secretaries and civil servants but things don’t always work out the way they should. Politician are dragged into the operational side of the organization simply because some idiot down the line is incompetent. And since politicians want to get re-elected, they end up pleasing the people with their petty requirements and lose sight of what they actually should be doing.

Having said all the above, I can now present you with a range of possible solutions. The way I see it, any determined and committed politician can work their way around the problems. The bigger issue is to find genuinely passionate people since politics has become so tainted with corruption. Any hard working person who wants to do a good job for their nation realizes that it will be a thankless job and therefore, prefers their menial day job. A ridiculous amount of bureaucracy and corruption comes in the way of any earnest politician that it is so easy to lose hope. It takes a remarkable amount of willpower and guts to be a good politician. When normal citizens say that they can be a good politician, they have absolutely no clue what the job involves. When in a position of power, you quickly lose touch with normal life, what you see and hear is what the media writes and what your politician buddies tell you. An obvious solution is to have a trusted team of close friends and advisers, people who you can rely to always tell you the truth even if it is not pleasant. As fate would have it, most advisers tend to always give compliments so that they can keep their job. In the end, it is a combination of being a person with plenty of determination, willing to sacrifice personal pleasures for the good of the public in a thankless role, ability to think on their feet, a great orator to deal with the media professionally and perhaps most importantly, having the ability to function on minimum sleep.

I would love to hear your opinions on this topic so please do comment with what you think about politicians!

Last month, my father was telling how, more than 25 years ago, when my parents first got married, they used to own a dinky little Black & White television and it was a miracle when anything recognizable appeared on it. Today, he can watch live TV (along with a plethora of other functions) on a device no thicker than glass. It almost seems like magic.

I was also recently discussing the Airbus A380 with some friends, how I had very much enjoyed my initial flight on it from Dubai to London. Each plane apparently costs $300 million and I’m sure that Airbus is investing a good proportion of that money in researching bigger and better planes. But as I thought about it, I realized that Airbus is not in the business of manufacturing planes. They are in the business of providing safe, comfortable and effective transport over large distances. I do hope they realize this because one day, a technology will come along and disrupt their entire business model.

In 50 years, or maybe even sooner, I can see instant teleportation become a common household technology. My grandchildren will be shocked when I tell them that we used trains, cars and planes. I could go home to Hyderabad for lunch and be back in London for my afternoon meeting. The concept of travel will completely change. The world will become a truly global economy with no barriers. Barriers will fall as people, cargo and goods can be transported anywhere across the globe instantly. Each person will have one of these devices in their house, and I could step into New York from London as if I were walking to my corner store to buy a pack of gum.

Think of the possibilities and implications! The world will become one, with the same currency and the ability to trade anywhere anytime. Thousands of traditional business models will need to adapt or die. All forms of transport as we know today will cease to exist, except for leisure purposes. Tourism will be different, with noone needing hotels as you can visit the Pyramids from the comfort of your house. Importers and traders will find it hard to sell their services since everyone can get anything they want without anyone else’s assistance. New ways to control immigration will need to be found, or maybe not, depending on the usage of the device. You can eat the best cuisine from all over the world without having to travel across thousands of miles, with the freedom to pick which country to have dinner in. Society will become more equal, unemployment significantly reduced as you can easily transport yourself to a different part of the world where your skill or knowledge can earn you a living. Mere physical differences among people will not matter as society will be mobilised like never before. Life as we know it will change.

Along with the positive side of it, one must also be prepared for the small percentage of society who will choose to abuse it. Criminals can be on the other side of the planet in a matter of seconds, lost in a sea of people. Money can be swindled, transferred, spent and destroyed before the police can even realize what has happened. People can disappear from their old lives when the pressure piles and begin anew, much to the dismay of their creditors. It is almost a Harry Potter-esque world with their fictional ‘Floo Powder Network‘.

However, some things may never change. There will no doubt, still be a group of elitists. There will need to be a group of enforcers who will have to be much more efficient and flexible than the the police forces of today. Society will still operate on a basis of who you know, not what you know – perhaps even much more so than today. Education will still be key to making you a better person. There will be the 80:20 rule i.e roughly 80% of the wealth is owned by 20% of the people. People will still complain about the government not doing enough.

Airbus, if you are reading this – be prepared. Don’t fall in to the trap of marketing myopia.

Currently listening to – Invisible Touch by Genesis

Sunny afternoons,
autos rattling,
crows cawing,
horns blaring,
they make life worth living.

Distant din of All India Radio,
lady shouting at her servants,
dogs barking in the background,
hawkers selling their wares,
its like Malgudi Days all over again.

The fan gently whirrs above my head,
briefly interrupted by the power cut
much needed relief in this heat,
its hot enough to be hell on earth,
but I would not have it any other way.

- Kishor Krishnamoorthi

Currently listening to – Nakkaddwaley Disco, Udhaarwaley Khisko from Delhi Belly

Last week was my last ever conference as President of the University of Essex Students’ Union. It was the NUS International Students Conference, a very useful 2 days and my final opportunity to interact with fellow Presidents and officers at Universities around the country. With the end of my term looming near, the words ‘final opportunity’ strike a sensitive chord. Perhaps the right sort of chord.

They have given me a renewed boost of confidence and enthusiasm, channelling all my efforts into going with a bang, leaving a mark, doing my part to ensure that I have positively affected the life of students at the University of Essex. A sense of invulnerability fills me, allowing me to pursue what I want to do without worrying about repercussions or other’s opinions. Thinking twice about it, I feel that I should have been doing it all through my year. Going ahead with what I want, making decisions and not spending endless amounts of time trying to please everyone. I guess it has taught me a very valuable lesson for the rest of my life, as well as for the President-elect, Hentley Ignatius. Sometimes in life, you just need to stop making reasons and start taking decisions. Sometimes, its now or never.

The first time I learnt that a good leader does not always need to take calculated decisions was from a rather unusual source, a Bill Murray movie – The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. There a number of instances in the movie where he, as the captain of the ship, makes a decision on his gut feeling, some times things go right, some times things go wrong but people respect him for taking that risk on behalf of the team. I never did that. I stayed in my comfort zone, rarely venturing out into the unknown. I did realize that on the occasions that I did leave my regular routines, I learnt a lot. Life is about pushing yourself beyond what you can do, just a little bit everyday and realizing your true potential. It is not easy, as I have duly understood. But it is the ones that dare to go where no one has gone before are the ones that succeed. They are also the ones that fail, infact most of them are likely to fail but that is a risk you have to be willing to take. In the end, what’s the worst that could happen? We are all going to die one day anyway. You might as well ask yourself, what have I go to lose?

On the opposite side of the spectrum, fear is a strange emotion. It holds you back but it also motivates you. A lot people I know work best under pressure. Why is that? The emotion motivating them at that point is fear. Fear of failure, fear of losing out on an opportunity, fear of not completing the work on time (which leads to failure). But they end up working out of fear than out of passion. Don’t get me wrong, there are some times in life when you just need to bite your teeth and get on with work. But in the longer term, it is probably to regularly ask yourself why you do what you do. What is motivating you to work, is it the fear of failure or is it the hope of success?

Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free. /The Shawshank Redemption.

Currently listening to – Friday I’m in love by The Cure