SERENDIPITY

Serendipity is a word which was found to be one of ten most difficult words to translate.  Serendipity means pleasant surprise.  It is something nice that you stumble upon by chance in an unexpected manner.  The word has come from Srilanka and I heard the word first time in 1994 in Bangalore when I attended a Corporate Training Programme.

Srilanka was known as "Serendip" in the olden days and thus the word "Serendipity" came into usage.  The South Indian Kings who stumbled upon this island near India called it as "Cheran Dheep".  Cheran is the name of the King in South India and Dheep means island.

In the modern business a strategy that leads to unexpected windfall due to certain unanticipated advantages or benefits is called Serendipitous Value.  The synergy in a Merger or Acquisition of a business can lead to some unexpected windfall and such pleasant surprise is called "Serendipity".

Instead of waiting for a pleasant surprise or accident leading to benefits, it is better to consciously work in the mind with a positive attitude so that you can come up with a new idea.  "Serendipity" can be practiced in stages to achieve the desired results.

If you are trying to find a solution to a problem then you need to first fill your mind with all the necessary inputs, knowledge and information.  These inputs are essential to start the ideation process.  During the ideation process your subconscious mind will try to work on different options.  Serendipity strikes in the form of a random external stimuli that you can use to solve the puzzle in your mind.  The Serendipitous Stimuli when added to the information and knowledge already fed into your mind helps you to come up with a new valuable Idea or a Solution.

Instead of finding something good without looking for it as an accidental benefit, it is better to consciously work towards finding a good solution to a problem.  It calls for very high degree of determination, positive attitude as by law of attraction you will always stumble upon good things as subconsciously you are looking for a pleasant outcome.

It is better to be at the right place at the right time with the right inputs so that you will find the right solution or Idea.  Thus it is possible to achieve desired positive results and new ideas through conscious efforts. Serendipity is actually a positive energy and thought process which is constantly working in the mind leading to the desired result.  The movie "Serendipity" which was a big box office hit in 2001 depicts this in a beautiful way.  Watch the trailer of the film:



 Serendipity is not an accident.  It is an art of making happy discoveries.

Let us all practice "Serendipity" in day to day life and achieve positive results on each and every endeavour.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
30th September 2013.

GOLD MINING

I was very fond of gold and used to wear lot of gold ornaments.  I gave up wearing these gold ornaments a few years ago.  Gold is a very precious metal and is always in the news as there are several millions who are interested in buying Gold both as jewellery for use by the men and women in the family as well as an investment.  I have been very fascinated by this yellow metal and thought I should explore a bit into the mining of Gold.

Gold Mining is a very long and hard process which is being practiced for over 7000 years in our planet earth.  In several parts of the world the gold ores is available deep inside the ground and people have to dig deep and bring the gold ores out.  It is basically a process of extracting the gold from the ground.  Gold Mining is always preceded by Gold Prospecting which is searching for the gold deposits.  Once the Gold Prospecting is done to look for the Gold Deposits and if the Gold Deposits in a particular place is confirmed by the Geologists and Experts then the Gold Mining will start at that site.

There are different methods like Panning, Sluicing, Dredging, etc. for the Mining Process.  The Gold Mining was done by people as part of their Treasure Hunt and slowly with the improvements in civilization the Gold Mining in various parts of the world was kept under the Government Control.  There are several Corporations which are involved in the Gold Mining business with the permission of the respective local Governments.

India is very famous for Gold as she is the largest consumer of Gold in the whole world.  In the 2nd Century AD people started digging small pits to extract gold in Kolar in India (Kolar is a very small town near Bangalore). According to some rough estimates more than 1000 tonnes of Gold has been extracted in Kolar Gold Fields.

When Gold is found in any region in the past there has been a Gold Rush.  As a small boy I have seen Meckenna's Gold and can never forget the two characters Gregory Peck and Omar Sheriff.

Gold is being extracted from the ground in several parts of the world including United States of America, Canada, Australia, Africa and China. Nevada in USA is said to be one of the primary gold producing regions in the world.

Being a finance professional I look through the annual reports of various companies around the world and one of the mining companies in Utah, USA has reported Gold Deposit in an area which is measured at 15.6 million tonnes of which 11.4 million tonnes is waste rock.  Mineralized material is indicated at 3.94 million tonees and the quantity inferred is only 0.26 million tonnes.   The Cost of Mining the Gold is going up steeply and at one stage some of the companies have faced operating loss as the Cost of Mining the Gold was higher than the price it fetched in the market.

According to an article published by the World Watch Institute, four southern states in India have together bought a whopping 70,000 kilograms of gold jewellery for Akshaya Thrithiya (a day which is believed to bring fortunes and well being to the family by purchase of the yellow metal).  In my opinion there will be atleast one kilogram of gold in every Middle Class family in South India.

Gold Mining has lot of negative effects on the environment and human life in general which is very important to note.  725 Million tonnes of waste is produced in order to get 2500 tonnes of Gold and the enormous amount of waste is contaminating the water and causing lot of environmental problems to our planet earth.  Mercury and Cyanide are some of the dangerous toxic chemicals that are being used in large quantities for Gold Mining.  Gold Mining has also led to the destruction and eradication of several species of birds and animals over the last several decades.

Gold Mining will continue as the craze of Gold Jewellery keeps increasing all over the world.  The yellow metal is also used in some industrial applications and hence that adds up to the requirement of Gold.  I sincerely hope they devise new and better methods of Mining the Gold without causing much damage to the Environment.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
4th September 2013

INDIAN IDOL JUNIOR ANJANA

Anjana Padmanabhan is the first "Indian Idol Junior" title winner.  What an achievement by this little wonder kid.  I am a big fan of Anjana as she has participated before in the Airtel Super Singer Junior 3 in 2012.

She is a very natural singer and sings with so much ease that I keep wondering if at that age someone can sing like that.  At this tender age she remembers the lyrics of so many songs and has grasped the nuances of each of those songs.  It is really an amazing talent and definitely God's Gift.

Anjana has achieved a great feat and is also blessed to get the coveted title "Indian Idol Junior" from none other than the great legendary Action Hero of all time "Amitabh Bachan".

Her singing in Airtel Super Singer Junior 3 was exceptionally good though she did not win the title.  But this achievement of becoming the first title winner of Indian Idol Junior by singing Hindi songs is really incredible as Hindi is not her mother-tongue.  She has learnt the language over the last few months after being selected for the Indian Idol Junior competition.

See the ease and comfort in her singing:


The realty shows in India is really bringing out the best of the talent from different parts of the country.  Thanks to all the realty shows, we are able to unearth and highlight talented youngsters.

Watch this song in tamil which Anjana sang last year in Airtel Super Singer Junior 3.  It is not an easy song to sing but she sings with so much ease in an effortless manner:



If you close your eyes you will think you are listening to a 20 year old but when you open your eyes you see a tiny little girl who is just 10 years old.  Anjana Padmanabhan will surely become a legendary singer over the next few decades.

Listen to the below video with your eyes closed and you will feel exactly what I have narrated above:




Anjana's parents will be very proud of her achievement and both the parents have always been very supporting to this little wonder of India.  Anjana will now become a role model for several thousands of children in India.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
2nd September 2013

WORLD'S END

World's End is a fantastic location in Sri Lanka on the Horton Plains near Nuwara Eliya.  It is at an altitude of 6000 ft above sea level.  The only way to see the World's End is by trekking and for me and my wife it was the toughest walk in our lives so far.  We walked 9 kms stretch along the tough terrain and it took us a good six hours to complete the trekking.

We started walking at 8 a.m. and completed the entire stretch of walking by 2 p.m. in the afternoon.  We first reached the Mini World's End which is a fantastic view point.  As we were there before mid day there was no mist and the view was very clear.  We were told that the view is clear only in the mornings as there is too much of mist after mid day.

From there we walked further 2 kms to reach the World's End which is at a different mountain and gives the same view of the longest river in Sri Lanka the River Mahaweli.  There are no roads, no pavements, no interlock blocks to comfortably walk.  The entire stretch is walk into the jungle through the rocks, sand, slopes and steep terrain.  It was quite an exercise for the mind and body.  We were very careful in placing every step as the ground was completely uneven and hence it was extremely uncomfortable.

We thought that we have covered a great distance and reached more than half of the way but our guide told us that we had another 2 kms to walk to reach the Baker's Falls.  Reaching the Water Falls was really very tough as the path was very steep, slippery and very tricky with lot of rocks and stones.

We were extremely happy and delighted that we have seen the Mini World's End, World's End and also the Baker Falls.  That happiness and delight was short lived as the Guide told us that we have a 3.5 km walk back to the starting point.

The final stretch of 3.5 kms was through the mountains and valley.  It was very picturesque.  There are 20 Leopards and 3000 Samba Deers in the Horton Plains.  While walking back to the starting point we saw the corpse of a Samba Deer which was killed by a Leopard the previous day.

The guide told us that the Leopard will stay in the close vicinity as he takes about 10 - 15 days to completely eat the Samba Deer.  I was very scared as I kept thinking what I will do if the leopard suddenly appeared.  The guide told me not to worry as the Samba meat is far superior and tastier compared to mine and hence he said the Leopard will not do any harm to me.  I then realised that there is hardly any meat in my body as compared to the healthy and huge Samba Deer.

Finally reaching the starting point was really difficult particularly the last one kilometer walk.  Very strenuous and tiring indeed as we have never ever walked for 6 hours in our life in one day, that too on very tough and rugged terrain.

On the whole it was a very satisfying, unique and pleasurable experience.

It was a lovely experience of a lifetime.  Anybody visiting Sri Lanka should not miss visiting the Horton Plains.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
29th August 2013.

CROP CIRCLES

Crop Circles are huge designs that are formed on large stretches of farm lands.  Are these man-made? or do they suddenly appear overnight due to some work of extraterrestrial bodies?  These are huge patterns that are formed in the agricultural fields and are of perfect shape and unimaginably accurate dimensions.

The Crop Circles are not necessarily circular in shape.  It is a pattern created by flattening of the crop such as Wheat or Barley or Maize.

More than 25 countries have reported nearly 10,000 Crop Cirlces in the last third of the 20th Century and nearly 90% of them were located in Southern England.

The mere dimensions and size of the Crop Circles make them truly amazing and magnificent.  The Crop Circles became popular after the media reported them in 1980s from Hampshire and Wiltshire in England.  Apart from England there are several Crop Cirlces which are found in USA, Japan and Canada.

The shapes are really mind boggling when you look at them "Far from the Farm" as the true shape and pattern emerges when you go to a higher altitude to look at them.

Watch this video on the Earth going through the warm hole:



Whether these are man-made or not, these patterns are truly amazing and wonderful to look at.

It is not easy to create these patterns and shapes.  It is a phenomenon which has made me think deeply on the nature and the need to preserve nature.



T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
26th August 2013

GIVE AND TAKE POLICY

Give and Take is a good policy which signifies that you first give before you take.  I believe in Givers Gain Philosophy which is being followed in Business Network International (BNI).  The more you give you gain the most through the experience of giving.

We live in a world in which instead of giving and then taking people believe that others should give and they would always take.

Givers may think that they are losing by giving but actually they gain in the long run.  The takers would feel they are gaining when they take but eventually they would lose everything if they are only taking and not giving anything at all.

Watch this interesting video by Prof.Grant who is also a very good magician:



My Experience of "Give and Take Policy" which I have seen in my interaction with various people over the last several years can be summarised as follows:

I GIVE money, you TAKE away my earnings
I GIVE my savings, you TAKE my peace of mind
I GIVE love, you TAKE your own time to reciprocate
I GIVE my time, you TAKE advantage of me
I GIVE kindness, you TAKE it as my weakness
I GIVE my efforts, you TAKE the benefits
I GIVE my brain power, you TAKE the value addition that flows
I GIVE in, you TAKE the lead
I GIVE my assets, you TAKE the income that flows
I GIVE because I believe in giving, you TAKE because you believe in only taking and not giving
I GIVE because I enjoy giving, you TAKE because you think I am stupid

Whatever be the experiences with people, I strongly believe in Givers Gain philosophy.  I will continue to GIVE and GIVE and GIVE.  What about you?

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
11th August 2013

RETIRED LIFE

Retirement age is generally 60 and what does one do after retirement.  Some people do not retire at all and continue to work till they drop dead.  Some people indulge in social service and enjoy retired life.  Some people do nothing and enjoy life.  Some people watch TV serials from morning to night and read the whole newspaper including classified, matrimony, etc.  Some people retire from work and think that they have reached the end of their life and do nothing after retirement.

For some people life actually begins at retirement.  In the case of my parents a new life began after my father retired from work.

Over the last 10 years my parents have been spending their time in stitching different designs of dresses and other ornamental clothing for Hindu Temples.  My father Shri.T.R.Parthasarathy, who is 84 years old, takes care of the cutting of the canvas and velvet cloth whilst my mother Smt.Pushpa Parthasarathy, who is 78 years old, does the stitching.

The Priests of various temples bring the samples and then TRP and TPP swing into action to create a replica with some modifications in the design.

They both visit the shops in Parrys Corner in Chennai once a month to buy their raw materials and are very busy from morning 9 a.m. to evening 6 p.m. doing this service to various Hindu Temples.  Some of the items that they have done recently were available at home when I visited Chennai last week.  I have captured some of these in my iPhone:

Every day they are creating different designs and they devote all the time and energy in their pursuit to create these wonder handmade dress for the Gods and Godesses of various temples.  It is one way of serving the God and it gives them the requisite satisfaction and pleasure.

Over the last few years they have also taught their craft to various ladies in the neighborhood in Triplicane in Chennai.  Lot of people come seeking their help for creating these dresses and ornamental fittings and their never ending flow of new designs keeps them and their clients very happy.

This is a very unique service which is difficult to replicate or carry on as a legacy through the next generation.  I pray to God that they both live a long life with good health and continue to stay happy.

My father retired from work but is now enjoying his new engagement of creating handmade dresses for Hindu Temples and is very happy to be of assistance to my Mother.  Their bonding has gone to a different level over the last 10 years and I have come to know a new dimension to the so called "Retired Life".  Once you are Retired from work you can start a new Life and hence I think they coined it as Retired Life.

I am very proud of my parents and indeed fortunate to have born to this wonderful couple.

T.P.Anand
Dubai, U.A.E.
9th August 2013