Welcome to my office...

Location: Johannesburg, O.R. Tambo International Airport.

It was the 1st of Jan and I went to the airport to receive Ganesh. After he came out, we realised we still had time before Pramod would come and pick us up .. so we went to have some breakfast...

There were so many options and I was unable to decide where to go. Ganesh, who by now, knows my tastes pretty well said .. lets take a walk and you will know... and yeah.. there it was ... Fournos Bakery with all those delicious smells ...

We were greeted by a cheerful girl, and we went into the seating area. Ordered Scones with cream and jam for both of us to eat. Milo for me and Coffee for Ganesh to drink.

After the breakfast, I had to visit the loo. As soon as I entered, to my surprise, was greeted with "Welcome to my office Sir..." by a cheerful young lad. He entered a cubicle, cleaned the seat with disinfectant .. and walked out giving me a smile... I finished my work there... came out ... and was washing my hands and he offered me paper napkins to dry my hands saying .. "Hope you found my services to your satisfaction sir.. Have a wonderful new year!!" 

I was stunned.. never did I encounter ANYONE with this kind of attitude.. it was by far the MOST amazing thing I've experienced till date.. the energy.. the enthusiasm.. the smile... 

That is the next generation ... Its people like him who give me hope .. who keep teaching me day-in and day-out... 

I know you might never read this dear friend, but I want to THANK YOU for giving a wonderful start to this year.. 

Hope the lessons continue..

Tere Ghar Ke Samne

One of my all time favorite films... Devanand and Nutan.. Vijay Anand's Direction, S D Burman's music... I mean.. there are movies where EVERYTHING falls into place... This movie got released in 1963 and it still entertains me... guess there are some movies that one can call EVERGREEN...

The songs... and the lyrics... such simple poetry ... here are a few lyrics 

Song: Dekho Roothana Karo

Jaan par meri bani, Aapki tehri haseen
Hai main jaan gayi, Pyaar ki Fitraangee (I like this word a LOT)
Dil jalaaneke liye, Thandi aahe naa bharo

Song: Dil Ka bhavar kare pukar

Phool tum gulaab ka, Kya jawaab aap ka
Jo ada hain wo bahaar hain,
Aaj dil ki bekahi, aagayi zubaan par
Baat yea hain, tum se pyaar hain
Dil tumhi ko diya re
Pyaar ka raag suno re..

... aap gulab ho aur aap ki ada bahaar hain.. what a thought

Iss haseen paar pe, hum na baithe haar ke
Saaya banke saath hum chale
Aaj mere sang tu
Jhoome dil ki aarzoo
Tujhse meri aank jab mile
jaane kya kar diya re
pyaar ka raag suno re

Song: Tu kahan, yea bata

Hoo, aai jab thandi hava,
Maine poocha jo pata,
vo bhi katrake gayi,
aur bechain kiya,
pyar se, tu mujhe,
de sada, tu kaha??

heyy, chaand taaron ne suna
In bahaaron ne suna
dard ka raag mera
rehguzaaron ne suna
tu bhi sun, jaaneman,
aa bhi jaa, tu kahaan?

Song: Sun le tu dil ki sada

Aaj tak jo bhi hua,
Jhoote jhagdon ne kiya,
Pyaar hota, kuch na hota,
Naa ujadte aashiyaan
Sunle tu dil ki sada...

And finally the song ... Tere ghar ke saamne

He says:
Ek ghar banaunga, tere ghar ke saamne
Duniya basaunga, tere ghar ke saamne

She says:
Ghar ka banana koi aasaan kaam nahin,
Duniya basana koi aasaan kaam nahin

To which he replies:
Dil mein wafayein ho to, toofan kinara hain
Bijlee hamare liye pyaar ka ishaara hain
Tan mann lutaaunga, tere ghar ke saamne

She says:
Kahte hain pyaar jisse, Dariya hain aag kaa
Yaa phir nashaa hain koi, jeevan ke raag kaa

He replies:
Dil mein jo pyaar ho to, aag bhi phool hain
Sachi lagan jo ho to, parbat bhi dhool hain
Taare sajaaonga, Tere ghar ke saamne....

You need to listen to these songs, Md. Rafi saying Main bhi kuch banaunga tere ghar ke saamne at the end of this song to which Lata Mangeshkar says "Dekhe!" ... its magical....

The Will to Win

It's a WILL to win, and not just a WISH to win. I know a lot of people who have what I would call a wish to win. They'd like to go to the top. They daydream about the position they'd like to hold in life. I've seen fellows sitting around dreaming on the benches; you talk to them and they've got great dreams about what they'd like to be. They tell you their potential, about the heights they could soar to, if they would only get out and work and do the thing necessary to bring it to pass.

And you find them three or four years later still talking about what they could do if the ywould only pay the price. Wishful thinking, or daydreaming, is the kind of escapism, that will destroy many a man's greatest aspiration.

Now, I don't mean you dare no dream at all. I think the greatest thing in life is to be able to dream, to have great aspirations, but I think its equally importabnt that you have a will that can turn that dream into reality. You've got to have something within you that is able to translate into concrete practice the idea in the back of your mind.

From The Heart of a Champion by Bob Richards